Happy Sunday BBN!

It may be time to rethink our expectations for Rob Dillingham’s role for the 2023-24 Kentucky Wildcats.

After struggling in the GLOBL JAM — largely due to his very thin frame — Dillingham has worked his tail off ever since to put on 17 pounds of muscle, and he’s been one of the pleasant surprises of early practices.

Then in the Blue-White Game, Dillingham left no doubt he was the best player on the floor in Northern Kentucky, racking up 40 points on 14/23 shooting with five boards, four steals, and seven assists vs. just three turnovers.

Yes, it wasn’t ‘much’ more than a glorified pick-up game, but Dillingham didn’t look like someone about to log 10-15 minutes per game on a guard-heavy team. He looked like someone ready to make a serious run at a starting spot on opening night vs. New Mexico State.

If nothing else, Dilly looks ready to be a much-needed spark off the bench for a Kentucky team that isn’t exactly deep there at the moment.

Tweet(s) of the Day

Virginia is unquestionably the Team of Week 8. Hats off to the Wahoos.

Big night for Kentucky Basketball recruits.

Headlines

Dillingham’s Big Night Leads Blue Past White – UK Athletics
The freshman from Hickory, North Carolina, made 14 of 23 from the floor, including three of seven from behind the arc, and made nine of 12 at the free throw line.

No. 23 Kentucky Casts Gaze Toward Sunday Matinee vs. Mizzou – UK Athletics
Sunday’s contest is the final home match of the 2023 regular season for the Wildcats.

Kentucky Set to Battle No. 1 Marshall on Sunday – UK Athletics
UK and MU hold an all-time series record of 21-12-5 (UK) with the most recent match in 2022 which resulted in a 1-1 draw in Lexington, Ky.

KSR’s top takeaways from Kentucky’s 2023 Blue-White scrimmage – KSR
Check out KSR’s top takeaways from Saturday night’s Blue-White scrimmage at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena.

What We Know: Kentucky Defense – KSR
A closer look at what we’ve learned about the Kentucky defense seven weeks into the season. The pass numbers are not pretty.

VIDEO: Kentucky HC John Calipari – Blue-White Postgame – CatsIllustrated
UK boss likes what he sees in Cats’ annual scrimmage.

Five-star point guard Boogie Fland commits to Kentucky – CatsIllustrated
The Wildcats were able to hold off a strong push by Indiana to land the touted prospect.

Observations from Kentucky basketball Blue-White Game | Lexington Herald Leader
Zvonimir Ivisic aka Big Z didn’t play, but Rob Dillingham and D.J. Wagner looked good at the Kentucky basketball Blue-White Game scrimmage.

Former Kentucky guard Tyler Herro: “I have the potential to be the best scorer in the NBA” – Wildcats Today
The Miami Heat guard is using the offseason trade rumors as motivation heading into his fifth NBA season.

Nick Saban says he’s having ‘fun’ coaching up-and-down Alabama – ESPN
Alabama coach Nick Saban said he is enjoying coaching his team through its ups and downs, but joked, “That’s not to say they’re not taking years off my life.”

Virginia shocks No. 10 UNC for first road win vs. top 10 opponent in program history – Yahoo Sports
Virginia delivered one of the biggest upsets of the season.

After another deflating loss, it’s fair to wonder if James Franklin and Penn State have hit their ceiling – Yahoo Sports
The Nittany Lions lost the big one against Ohio State. Just like last year. And the year before that. At some point, you have to wonder if they’ll ever reach college football’s upper echelon.

Yes, the Lions ARE Super Bowl contenders; plus, the keys to Cleveland’s defense and Miami’s run game
Are the Lions legit Super Bowl contenders? Why has the Browns’ defense emerged as one of the NFL’s best units? What is the key to the Dolphins’ electric grou.nd game? Bucky Brooks has the answers in this edition of the Scout’s Notebook