KSR Today: Before the Madness, KAT's Knicks debut, and Volleyball at Memorial

Good morning, folks! The bye week is finally on its last leg. What was expected to be a boring college football Saturday slate turned into quite the opposite. But just how much did it all impact the Kentucky Wildcats?

For starters, No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Tennessee both lost on Saturday to unranked opponents. Freaking Vanderbilt, of all schools, even took down the Crimson Tide for the first time in school history. Kentucky has to host Vanderbilt next weekend in an SEC showdown that suddenly just got way more interesting. Clark Lea's Commodores put up 40 points on the nation's top-ranked team as quarterback Diego Pavia outplayed Heisman candidate Jalen Milroe. In under a month, the Wildcats will head into Knoxville to take on Tennessee, which put up just 14 points (all in the third quarter) against Arkansas as star quarterback Nico Iamaleava looked rattled down the stretch.

In a matter of a few hours, next weekend's matchup against Vanderbilt suddenly got more dangerous while the one against Tennessee now feels like a much more obtainable win. The always-confusing 2024 college football season was in full effect last night...

But that's not all. Ole Miss, the team Kentucky shut down a week ago on the road, bounced back to down South Carolina 27-3 — the same South Carolina team that the Wildcats were beaten 37-6 by in Week 2. Again, nothing about this season seems to make sense. But from my perspective, a dominating Ole Miss win over South Carolina yesterday was the best outcome for the Wildcats. It proves last week's win over the Rebels wasn't a fluke while also allowing us to say what happened in Week 2 against the Gamecocks might have been.

And oh yeah, Louisville lost to SMU at home. Half the stadium showed up despite the beautiful day. The jokes are too easy to make at this point.

Don't be shocked if everything that happened above leads to Kentucky receiving a bit of a bump in the national polls, which will be updated this afternoon. For reference, the Wildcats went into the bye week ranked No. 37 and No. 33 in the AP and Coaches Polls, respectively. Last week's win over Ole Miss looks even tastier now on UK's resume. Georgia's 31-13 win over Auburn won't hurt, either.

With that, let's dive into the rest of the news and notes on this fine Sunday morning.

Before the Madness

The 4th annual Before the Madness event is this afternoon from 3-8:00 p.m. EST at the Cornerstone Esports Lounge located at 401 S Limestone on UK's campus. Parking at Cornerstone Parking Garage will be available free of charge. Usually held the day of Big Blue Madness at the Central Bank Center, Before the Madness underwent a makeover for year four.

Before the Madness is free to the public and University of Kentucky students. UK merch and Big Blue Madness tickets will also be distributed. Several members of the Kentucky women's basketball team will show up for a meet-and-greet that is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. EST with a handful of men's players arriving around 5:30 p.m. EST.

Additionally, video game tournaments featuring games such as NBA2K24, EA Sports College Football, Mario Kart, and more will fill the event. Local artists will also attend to showcase/sell their work. A raffle giveaway (free to enter) will cap off the night around 7:00 p.m. where over $1,000 worth of UK gear will be handed out.

The actual Big Blue Madness event is set for Friday, Oct. 11.

'Cats in the NFL: Week 5

A total of 14 former Kentucky players are expected to suit up as members of an active NFL roster during Sunday's Week 5 action. However, the one to keep an eye on will be rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace , who is taking over as a starter on defense (and the defensive play-caller) today due to injuries ahead of him.

Karl-Anthony Towns: Knicks debut?

The plan today, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post , is for Karl-Anthony Towns to make his debut with the New York Knicks, which officially acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, later today. The Knicks are on the road for the first preseason contest of 2024 where Towns will likely slide into the starting lineup against the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

New York head coach Tom Thibodeau said he would need to consult with his medical staff (for precautionary reasons) before sending Towns onto the floor, but the expectation is that he'll suit up for the first time in the Knicks blue and orange. Towns, who said he was "flabbergasted" by the trade , has been fully involved in training camp since the deal was made official just a few days ago.

Joining KAT in the Knicks' starting lineup will likely be Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. That'll be a fun group to watch in action.

Volleyball 'Cats looking for 3rd in a row

After opening SEC play by losing a 2-0 match lead against Auburn, Kentucky volleyball has bounced back with two straight conference wins over No. 15 Florida and Oklahoma. Craig Skinner's group will look to keep the good vibes rolling this afternoon at Memorial Coliseum.

At 1:00 p.m. EST, the No. 13 Wildcats (8-6; 2-1 SEC) will host Missouri (9-4; 1-1 SEC) on the SEC Network with Anne Marie Anderson and former Kentucky star Leah Edmond on the call. UK leads the all-time series between these two at 15-5, including a two-match sweep in 2023. Missouri's last win over the 'Cats was in 2016.

But the Tigers bring plenty of juice to Lexington today. Missouri ranks first in the SEC in kills per set (14.4) while ranking second in a slew of categories: aces per set (2.06), aces (97), assists per set (13.47), hitting percentage (.306), assists (633) and kills (677). Graduate outside hitter Mychael Vernon was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Bat 'Cats preseason scrimmage

Kentucky baseball isn't officially back just yet, but Nick Mingione's squad is at least ready for some preseason scrimmage action. That'll start today at Prasco Park in Mason, OH (just outside Cincinnati) as the Bat 'Cats take on Wright State at noon EST. It will not be streamed live.

This will mark the first of two October scrimmages for Kentucky. On Sunday, Oct. 27, Morehead State will travel to Lexington's Kentucky Proud Park for another exhibition. First pitch for that game is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. EST.