Kinney, a 6-foot-2 four-star point guard from the class of 2026, announced on Wednesday that he’s down to 15 college finalists. The Bluegrass native has cut his options to Kentucky, Georgia ...

Kentucky's recruiting efforts begin at home in the Bluegrass, but the first stop is north in Ohio. The state has been heavily featured in UK recruiting classes since Mark Stoops was hired in 2012.

Of note: Palm has Louisville as the 6-seed in the South Region; in this scenario, first-round victories by the Wildcats and Cardinals would set up a Bluegrass State battle for a spot in the Sweet 16.

but Coach Pope has saved Kentucky basketball in the Bluegrass State. Big Blue Nation is one of the best fan bases in college basketball, but they haven't seen a successful team since the pandemic.