Good morning, friends, and welcome back to the computer or work for those of you who enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend. I hope you’re rested and refreshed; I’d say I also hope you’re not sunburnt, but it was a surprisingly cool and cloudy weekend across the region. We’ll probably be begging for this type of weather in late July and August.

There was actually some news on Monday that we need to catch you up on, as Kentucky Baseball made the NCAA Tournament (phew!). There’s more to get you ready for, too, as some big meetings are about to take place in Destin, Florida, that could have big consequences on college sports. The NBA Conference Finals keep rolling on, and we’re another day closer to the NCAA’s NBA Draft Withdrawal Deadline, which means we’ll soon know whether or not Otega Oweh will be on next season’s squad.

So, plenty to talk about. Let’s start with the Kentucky Baseball team, which found out its NCAA Tournament draw on Monday.

Kentucky Baseball draws the Clemson Region of the NCAA Tournament

It didn’t come without a little sweating, but the Bat Cats are going dancing for the third straight season. Kentucky drew the No. 3 seed in the Clemson Region of the NCAA Tournament, alongside the No. 1 seed Tigers, No. 2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers, and No. 4 seed USC Upstate Spartans. The Cats face West Virginia at Noon ET on Friday on ESPNU. Clemson, the No. 11 overall seed in the tournament, and USC Upstate play at 6 p.m. on Friday.

It’s a double-elimination format, so even if Kentucky loses that first game, they’ll have another chance to stay alive. The winner of the Clemson Regional will head to Baton Rouge for the Super Regional, the site of the 2023 team’s final games.

After all the handwringing about Kentucky potentially missing the field, the Cats weren’t even among the last four teams in and ended up with a pretty good draw. Daniel Hager broke it down yesterday, but Kentucky has a decent chance of winning the regional. Clemson has won six of its last seven games, but before that, the Tigers lost eight of ten. West Virginia lost six of its last seven regular-season games. This is USC Upstate’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Hear Daniel break down the region some more and make his own prediction at the start of our latest KSR Happy Hour.

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Speaking of KSR Happy Hour, let us take this moment to tell you about one of our sponsors, the Woodford LPGA Legends Invitational Tournament, which is coming up June 7 and 8 at the Woodford Club in Versailles.

The Woodford Legends Invitational 3rd annual tournament showcases the talents of some of the biggest names in the history of the LPGA Tour teeing it up alongside top female amateur golfers from the state of Kentucky. This unique two-woman team event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 7–8, 2025. The week of family-friendly events will begin on Tuesday, June 3, and culminate in the main tournament on the weekend. The event takes place at The Woodford Club in Versailles. To secure tickets, visit their website at: www.woodfordclubfoundation.org/tickets

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Mark Pope spent Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

Mark Pope is everywhere. Kentucky’s head coach was at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday, where he honored those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. He was even spotted by a member of the Bond That Bridge, So To Speak Facebook group, and agreed to a picture.

Proud, Humbled, Inspired, and
GRATEFUL for these six marines including Kentucky’s own PFC Franklin R. Sousley born in Hill Top, Kentucky and graduated from Fleming County High School. He was killed in combat just a month after raising the flag on Mount Suribachi at the south end… pic.twitter.com/lbm9PvY5tB

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) May 26, 2025

SEC Spring Meetings start in Destin

Where will Pope go next? Probably Destin, Florida, for the SEC Spring Meetings. Today through Thursday, the SEC’s coaches, athletic directors, and presidents will meet to discuss the issues facing college sports right now. There are A LOT of those, particularly as we wait to hear if the House Settlement is approved, but SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters last night that football scheduling and potential College Football Playoff expansion are the primary topics that will be discussed. Sankey even went after the ACC and Big 12 for statements they released last week after the decision to go to straight seeding in the playoffs, which Big 12 commissioner Clark Williams didn’t take too kindly to.

There was no press release from the Big 12 — let alone a coordinated one with the ACC — regarding straight seeding. https://t.co/v7njbCFAFr

— Clark Williams (@_CEWilliams_) May 27, 2025

Other topics on the docket? As Adam Luckett outlined on Monday, Tennessee going rogue and passing a state law saying they don’t have to follow NCAA rules, spring OTAs, and more transfer portal talk. Mark Pope will continue to beat the drum for a 40-game college basketball season. Hopefully, some basketball talk will make it through the football and NIL headlines. We’ll be watching Twitter and The Paul Finebaum Show to find out. I hope Paul puts some sunscreen on that shiny dome.

Is today the day we hear from Otega Oweh?

The NCAA’s deadline for college players to withdraw from the NBA Draft to maintain their eligibility is tomorrow (at 11:59 p.m. ET, to be specific), meaning it’s only a matter of time before we know whether or not Otega Oweh will be a member of next year’s team.

It’s been all quiet on Oweh’s front as he goes through workouts. According to his Instagram story, he was in Brooklyn last night for a workout with the Nets, who have the Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36 picks. The expectation remains that he’ll return to Kentucky for another year, as only one major mock draft has him being selected, and even that, at the very end of the second round. Regardless, we’ll have our ears to the ground to bring you the latest rumblings.

NBA: Shai drops 40 to lead OKC to 3-1 lead, Knicks vs. Pacers Game Four

It was another big night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Western Conference Finals. The newly-crowned MVP dropped 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 128-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder take a 3-1 lead back to OKC, with Game Five scheduled for Wednesday night.

Shai was 13-30 from the floor and 12-14 from the free-throw line, hitting a pair of free throws with 6.1 seconds left to push the lead back to three. When Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards hit a free throw on the other end to cut it to two and intentionally missed the second to try to get the rebound and putback, Shai tracked down the ball and flung it out of bounds to drain the clock:

Tonight is Game Four in the Eastern Conference Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks to a comeback win on Sunday to cut the Indiana Pacers’ series lead to 2-1, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter. Can KAT conjure the same magic in Indy to tie the series up tonight? We’ll see at 8 p.m. on TNT.

The radio show returns

KSR the show returns to the airwaves this morning after the long weekend. Tune in to hear their thoughts on everything that happened and Kentucky’s draw in the NCAA Tournament. They’re in studio today but will return to KSBar on Wednesday.

​​CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  North Carolina track and field will compete in the first round of the NCAA track and field championships on May 28 – 31 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. The live results can be found on Flash Results.

The top 12 competitors from each event will earn a spot in the national championships in Eugene, Oregon.

ESPN+ Stream Links – Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

Wednesday Schedule 

6:00 p.m. Men’s Shot Put First Round

4. Tommy Kitchell 

39. Ethan Richter 

41. Spencer Williams 

6:30 p.m. Men’s 1500m First Round

2. Ethan Strand  

12. Aiden Neal 

33. Joe Sapone 

8:25 p.m. Men’s 400m hurdles First Round

26. Blaise Atkinson  

43. James Rivera

 

Thursday Schedule

2:30 p.m. Women’s Javelin First Round

3. Kate Joyce

5:30 p.m. Women’s Pole Vault Semifinal

32. Maddy Kelley

6:00 p.m. Women’s 100m Hurdles First Round

34. Kalani Witherspoon  

45. Aaliyah Berry 

6:30 p.m. Women’s 1500m First Round

7. Taryn Parks  

37. Logan St. John-Kletter 

7:25 p.m. Women’s 400m First Round

34. Delea Martins 

7:50 p.m. Women’s 800m First Round

5. Makayla Paige  

23. Alyssa Hernandez  

9:10 p.m. Women’s 10,000m Semifinal

25. Fatima Alanis 

Friday Schedule:

1:00 p.m. Men’s Discus First Round

26. Matt Appel

47. Brayden Radbuber

48. Tyler Mayerhoff  

5:15 p.m. Men’s 1500m Qualifiers 

7:25 p.m. Men’s 400m hurdles Quarter Final Qualifiers 

8:00 p.m. Men’s 5,000m Semifinals

1. Parker Wolfe  

9. Ethan Strand 

10. Colton Sands 

38. Patrick Anderson 

Saturday Schedule

1:00 p.m. Women’s Discus First Round

33. Skylar Bohlman

5:15 p.m. Women’s 1500m Quaterfinals Qualifier 

5:40 pm. 3000m Steeplechase

8. Sydney Masciarelli  

36. Sasha Neglia 

6:15 p.m. Women’s 100m Hurdles Quarterfinals Qualifier

6:50 p.m. 400m Qualifiers 

7:05 p.m. 800m Qualifiers 

8:10 p.m. Women’s 5000m Semifinals

20. Brynn Brown

8:45 p.m. 4x400m Relay Quarterfinals

17. Gwyneth Goldowski, Alyssa Hernandez, Delea Martins, Makayla Paige

For all the latest UNC Track and Field news, photos, and videos, follow on X, Instagram and Facebook

David Carle wanted to make something clear: Denver is home for him and his family, and he isn’t planning on leaving his position as the University of Denver Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach any time soon.
 
“At the end of the day, this is I think the best job outside the NHL, potentially a better job, and some guys in the NHL would trade with me if they had that opportunity,” Carle said. “I love working with our players. I love working in this environment.”
 
Carle is staying with the Pioneers after signing a multi-year contract extension on May 5, keeping him at the helm of a program that might be going through one of its best periods in its 75-year-plus history.
 
Since taking over as the then-youngest head coach in Division-I college hockey on May 25, 2018, Carle has guided the Pioneers to 179 wins—the third-most among all NCAA bench bosses in that time—two NCHC Penrose Cups as regular-season champions, the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff conference tournament title, four trips to the NCAA Frozen Four and two national championships. He was the fourth-youngest coach to win his first NCAA title in 2022 (32 years, 5 months, 0 days) and is the youngest ever to win two championships following the Pioneers’ record 10th victory in 2024 (34 years, 5 months, 4 days).
 
After seven years, the now 35-year-old already has a resume that rivals some of the best coaches ever at this level, and that doesn’t include the back-to-back gold medals he won as the head coach with Team USA at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships.
 
So it’s not surprising that the Anchorage, Alaska, native has drawn interest from National Hockey League squads in recent years for their own head coach vacancies. Carle has interviewed with clubs previously, but it became even more clear that DU was the place for him after going through the process this spring.
 
“I think you’re always open minded to things that come your way and wanting to have those conversations, and I think it only helps me learn and grow more,” Carle said of the NHL opportunities. “It only helps our program in many ways.”
 
The Pioneer bench boss is well-aware of the current lifespan of NHL head coaches, which is approximately two seasons. That played a factor in his decision to stay at the collegiate level.
 
“There’s no issue in being patient—27-of-32 jobs have turned over in the last three years. Some of those jobs have turned over multiple times, so the number’s even higher than 27,” Carle said. “It’s a reality that I’d be foolish to put my head in the sand and not think that that’s a real thing.”
 
Carle noted that “Denver is home for me and my family,” and he has spent almost all of the past 17 years living within a mile of the DU campus—the only exception being one and a half seasons when he took his first job out of college as an assistant on the USHL Green Bay Gamblers. He now has three young children and stability at his alma mater, which began when the school honored his scholarship after his playing career was cut short following a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2008.
 
“We got three kids, we love living in Denver, think it’s a wonderful place to raise our kids,” Carle said. “We live real close to here… I feel very fortunate to continue to stay and to work here and serve here in the role that I’m in.”
 
The Pioneers program also continues to be invested in at a high level to stay at the forefront of the college hockey landscape. What began with a still state-of-the-art locker room renovation has led to new boards, glass, lighting and seats in Magness Arena to improve the fan experience, enhanced team travel with privately-funded charter flights to select road games, Alston Award benefits for the student-athletes and the addition of a third full-time assistant coach on staff.
 
“I feel really grateful for the support that they (DU) have done for a number of years but certainly stepping up in different ways… The investment that the school continues to put into our hockey program to ensure that it’s at an elite level is always much appreciated,” Carle noted. “As we got into the season, more conversations occurred (with administration on a new contract), and felt it was all in a great spot. I love being here, and really have no reason to leave.”
 
Carle has made his own investment into the hockey program as well. He pledged a multi-year gift to support current and new initiatives with the Pioneers and was the first Denver Athletics head coach to join the department’s Gold Standard Society.
 
His gift will go directly to Murray Armstrong Hockey Student-Athlete Enhancement Fund and the Athletics Excellence Fund, with the former being created in 2020 by David Paderski in honor of the former Pioneers coach that won five national titles and owns 460 victories while at the helm of the program from 1956 to 1977.
 
“The Carle family commitment, along with the support of our university leadership, students, alumni, donors, season-ticket holders and fans, empowers the program to continue to chase competitive and academic excellence year in and year out,” said Josh Berlo, DU’s Athletic Director and Vice Chancellor.
 
“There is not a more necessary time that we need that fund to grow,” Carle said. “To honor Murray, there’s no better person to honor in Denver hockey than what he did for us. Then the university and the athletic department, the Gold Standard Society is an opportunity to support all of our student-athletes. That initiative began last year and really proud and honored to be a part of it.”
 
Those investments aim to help the Pioneers build upon their six Frozen Four appearances and three national championships since 2016.
 
The program has been on a great run the past decade, but Carle isn’t satisfied with where the team is at. Yes, DU made its 20th Frozen Four in 2024-25, but it came short of its ultimate goal of adding an 11th title to the trophy cabinet.
 
Winning championships is what drives Carle and his players.
 
“The standards and the expectations never change,” Carle said. “That’s one of the great parts of working here, and something that obviously we as a program have created long before I got here.”

The junior from Springdale, Arkansas, becomes the 31^st WGCA All-American in program history. That group has combined for a total of 43 selections since 1982 when women’s golf first moved under the NCAA banner.

It’s another in a long list of accolades for Kilcrease, the nation’s 34^th-ranked golfer. She earned All-Big 12 honors earlier this month and made the league’s all-tournament team in late April.

Kilcrease also left her mark on the program’s record book in 2024-25, tying the season-mark for rounds played (39) while ranking second in rounds of par or better (21), sixth in birdies (118) and 11^th in stroke average (71.92).

Kilcrease’s selection comes on the heels of a strong postseason, which included a tie for fifth at the Big 12 Championship, a tie for third at the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional and a share of 30^th at last week’s NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, Calif.

The Tulsa transfer began her Cowgirl career with six consecutive top-10 finishes (the fourth longest streak in OSU’s recorded history), highlighted by a season-opening win at the Carmel Cup at historic Pebble Beach and a school-record 63 in the second round of the Schooner Fall Classic.

For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State women’s golf, visit okstate.com or follow @Cowgirlgolf on social media.

May 27, 2025 by Staff Writer

At just 10 years old, Claire Driscoll is already making waves in the gymnastics world. A dedicated and driven athlete, Claire began her gymnastics journey at the age of four. What started as recreational classes quickly turned into something more when she was invited into the Rising Stars pre-team program — a developmental path designed to prepare young gymnasts for the USA Gymnastics (USAG) competitive track.

Claire currently competes in the USAG Developmental Program, formerly known as the Junior Olympic (JO) Program. This rigorous program includes ten levels, and Claire has impressively advanced through Level 7. She is now training for Level 8 with her sights set on the 2026 competitive season.

Her accomplishments speak for themselves. Claire won her first State Championship at age 7 in Level 3 (2022) and has since claimed two more titles — in Level 6 (2024) and Level 7 (2025). These achievements make her one of the youngest gymnasts in Massachusetts to reach this level of success. Most recently, she played a key role in helping her Level 7 team take first place in the Massachusetts USAG State Championship.

Claire’s talent has been recognized on a regional level as well. She qualified two years in a row to represent Massachusetts on the State Team at the USAG Regional Championship, competing against athletes from across New England and New York. There, she earned 1st place on Vault — two years in a row — with an impressive score of 9.90, along with 2nd place on Beam and 4th in the All-Around.

Claire trains at Head Over Heels Gymnastics Center in Norwell, where she practices four days a week for a total of 15 hours. Her training spans the entire year and is guided by her three veteran coaches — Cynthia, Patty, and JC — whom she deeply admires and appreciates. In addition to practice, Claire competes in nine meets per season and continues to push herself to develop new and complex skills. Recent skills in the works include a backflip and aerial on the balance beam, full-twisting layouts on the floor, and a Tsukahara vault — a skill involving a backflip off the vault table.

Claire maintains a strong connection with her teammates and looks up to the older girls on the team for guidance and inspiration. That camaraderie and mentorship play a significant role in her continued growth and joy in the sport.

Off the mat, Claire is just like any other 10-year-old. She enjoys shopping, traveling, biking through Wompatuck State Park, swimming, diving, and even a bit of volleyball. She cherishes time spent with friends and family, especially around the fire pit, and loves keeping up with the latest dance trends and music.

Claire’s dream is to reach Level 10 — the highest tier in the USAG Developmental Program — and from there, earn a spot on a Division 1 college gymnastics team. With only 62 colleges in the country offering Division 1 gymnastics, the road ahead is undoubtedly competitive. But if her current path is any indication, Claire has both the talent and the tenacity to get there.

As her family puts it, “This sport is incredibly demanding — it takes discipline, courage, and an unwavering love for what you do. Watching Claire perform these skills is as nerve-wracking as it is exhilarating. We are so proud of her.”

To follow Claire’s inspiring journey, you can find her on Instagram: @clairedriscoll_gymnast2032

EAST LANSING — Add one more major accolade for Michigan State hockey senior Isaac Howard.