Men of KSR

🏀🔵 WHO ARE THE 3 GREATEST REBOUNDERS IN KENTUCKY BASKETBALL HISTORY?

Instead of simply looking at career totals, we decided to dig a little deeper.

For our Top 3, we put a heavy emphasis on three things:

🔹 Highest rebounds-per-game average in a season
🔹 Multiple games with 20+ rebounds
🔹 Finishing Top 5 in Kentucky history for rebounds in a single season

Using that criteria, here’s our Top 3:

🥇 BOB BURROW — 1954-55

Burrow was an absolute monster on the glass. He averaged 17.7 rebounds per game, the highest single-season average in Kentucky history.

He pulled down 459 rebounds in just 26 games, which ranks among the five greatest rebounding seasons ever at UK.

Burrow was capable of ridiculous numbers on any given night, too. He eventually tied Kentucky's single-game record by grabbing 34 rebounds against Temple during the 1955-56 season.

🥈 BILL SPIVEY — 1950-51

Spivey's numbers are almost hard to believe.

The 7-footer averaged 17.2 rebounds per game while grabbing 567 rebounds in 33 games.

That 567 remains Kentucky's single-season rebounding record.

Spivey also grabbed 34 rebounds against Xavier, tying the UK single-game record, and finished Kentucky's 1951 National Championship victory over Kansas State with 21 rebounds.

🥉 OSCAR TSHIEBWE — 2021-22

Oscar did things on the glass that hadn't been seen at Kentucky in generations.

He averaged 15.1 rebounds per game and finished the season with 515 rebounds, the third-highest single-season total in program history.

But here's what really separates Oscar:

He recorded FIVE 20+ rebound games during the 2021-22 season, including his unforgettable 28-rebound performance against Western Kentucky.

Across his two seasons at Kentucky, Oscar recorded eight games with at least 20 rebounds.

For some perspective, Kentucky Athletics noted that all other Wildcats combined since 1970-71 had only seven. 🤯

Cliff Hagan, Dan Issel and several other Kentucky legends certainly deserve to be in the conversation, but when we combine peak rebounding average, single-season totals and the ability to repeatedly put up 20+ rebounds, these three stand out.

🔵⚪ Burrow. Spivey. Tshiebwe.

What do you think, BBN?

Who is the greatest rebounder in Kentucky Basketball history? 👇🏀

Mark Pope Got His First Pedicure in New York — But Who Was Sitting Beside Him? 👀😂

There are certain Mark Pope stories you expect to hear.

This probably isn’t one of them.

During a conversation with Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, the Kentucky head coach revealed that he recently experienced his first-ever pedicure while visiting New York City — and apparently, he had a pretty famous person sitting alongside him.

Pope wouldn’t reveal the mystery man’s identity, only describing him as “one of the most powerful people in all of sport” and someone who has been a great mentor to him.

That description certainly raises an interesting possibility: Rick Pitino?

Pope explained that he and his wife were enjoying a getaway in New York with the mystery person and his wife when the suggestion came up.

After spending the day walking around the hot streets of New York, Pope finally agreed.

“So we got off the hot streets of New York for 25 minutes and got a pedicure, and sure enough, I felt like I lost a little bit of my manhood, but it was incredibly enjoyable,” Pope joked.

😂😂😂

Goodman tried to get Pope to give up the name, but Coach wasn’t taking the bait.

He did provide another clue, though. Apparently, whoever Pope was with wasn’t about to walk into just any random nail salon.

“This guy doesn’t do that, man,” Pope said. “He only does it right.”

And for Pope?

The biggest selling point may not have even been the pedicure.

“Honestly, the best part was just sitting down in a chair in the AC for 20 minutes. That was the best.”

Whether the mystery pedicure partner was actually Pitino remains a mystery, but the idea of Mark Pope and Rick Pitino sitting side-by-side getting pedicures in New York City is almost too good not to believe. 😂

From winning national championships to Kentucky basketball reunions to… pedicures?

Never change, Coach!

H/T: Jack Pilgrim/KSR

🏀

If Class of 2022 players are granted another year of eligibility, Mark Mitchell could be one of the biggest names available.

CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter says Kentucky is “definitely in play” for Mitchell:

“The team that I’ve heard a lot about is Kentucky. That is definitely in play. You think about a potential front line of Milan Momcilovic, Mark Mitchell at the four. Then Malachi Moreno at the five, like that would be a really, really impressive unit right there for Mark Pope.”

Imagine that frontcourt in Lexington. 🔥

[UKVideos/IG]

OTD 2024: Masai Russell clinches the gold medal in the 2024 Olympics, winning in a photo-finish time of 12.33 seconds 🥇

📸: Getty/AP

Mark Pope revealed what he believes could be the biggest challenge for Kentucky this season: physicality.

“Everybody in college basketball has gotten so big and physical… That’s not us right now. We are long, fast and skilled… We have some togetherness that’s going to translate to toughness for us, but we’re going to be challenged in terms of brute strength and physicality.”

[The Field of 68]

Kentucky Volleyball!