https://wildcatfaithful.net/ Celebrate the phenomenon that is Kentucky Wildcat Basketball. en Mon, 11 May 2026 06:18:17 GMT vBulletin 60 https://wildcatfaithful.net/images/misc/rss.png https://wildcatfaithful.net/ https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415183-monetizing-kentucky-basketball-roster-announcements-is-genius Sun, 10 May 2026 19:14:29 GMT The NIL and revenue-sharing era of college athletics has drastically transformed day-to-day business. In order to be successful, you need a healthy...
There is one not-so-relatable analogy Mitch Barnhart uses frequently when describing the revenue-sharing era. Kentucky has about five different buckets to create revenue, like ticket sales and merchandise. They’re looking for ways to create more buckets for revenue.

How else can you create revenue? By squeezing as much juice as possible out of your assets. While that may seem dystopic for folks like Oscar Combs, who can’t bear to imagine a world where Memorial Coliseum’s naming rights can be purchased by a corporation, it’s the game Kentucky needs to play to keep up with the Joneses. They’ve found a new way to generate valuable revenue.

Big on Commitment

When Trent Noah announced his return to Kentucky, he shared a simple graphic with the quote: “I’m back. Let’s go to work, BBN.” At the bottom of the graphic was a slogan and a logo from Kentucky Farm Bureau, “Big on commitment.”

Ever since that decision, every other Kentucky addition has been “Big on commitment.” The folks at JMI have clearly brokered deals between Kentucky Farm Bureau and UK’s new additions for players to announce they will be Wildcats.

Initially, I rolled my eyes at the sponsored announcements, until I remembered how many logos were featured at Jasper Johnson’s commitment ceremony. This is actually a genius way to generate more revenue.

First and foremost, credit to JMI and the players for making the announcement an actual announcement. Typically, sources get to talking to the Joe Tiptons, Jeff Goodmans, or Jacob Polachecks of the world, tipping off fans before a formal announcement. While Kentucky fans may have thought the Cats had a good chance to land a player, uncertainty lingered until the officially sponsored Kentucky Farm Bureau announcement. Few people had ever heard of Franck Kepnang when BBN learned that he’s also “Big on Commitment.”

Monetizing Kentucky Basketball Roster Announcements is Genius - On3
]]> Kentucky Basketball Matt Dillon https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415183-monetizing-kentucky-basketball-roster-announcements-is-genius https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415180-analytics-is-just-the-foundation-keegan-brown-explains-role-with-kentucky Sun, 10 May 2026 10:01:25 GMT Mark Pope on Friday. This time the question that seemingly everyone wanted answered was addressed. Why does UK not have a general manager? Pope explained.

“In this ever-changing, dynamic college basketball environment, everybody is trying a different solution,” Pope said. “For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach.”

“We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert that’s worked in both college and in the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sergent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. And Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts and dealing with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.”?

Kentucky’s data analysis and roster construction expert opened up on his role on Saturday via social media. The director of roster management provided some more transparency on his role in Lexington after spending the last two seasons working in the NBA G League as a video coordinator for the Milwaukee Bucks affiliate.

“To give more insight on my role, the analytics is just the foundation for me. Every day I’m talking to agents, building player projection models, running cap models with Nick, managing contracts start to finish, grinding film, and building the systems that power our front office,” Brown posted on X. “Blessed to be doing it at Kentucky.”

There is no official general manager at Kentucky, but Brown is back working with Pope and Robinson again after the trio spent time on the same staff at BYU. Pope heavily relies on this team to help build the roster. That team closed on a target on Saturday when Washington center transfer Frack Kepnang committed to Kentucky.

Kentucky hopes that Keegan Brown and the rest of this front office team will maximize the program’s roster-building efforts moving forward.

'Analytics is just the foundation': Keegan Brown explains role with Kentucky]]> Kentucky Basketball Matt Dillon https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415180-analytics-is-just-the-foundation-keegan-brown-explains-role-with-kentucky https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415124-mark-pope-explains-why-kentucky-doesn-t-have-a-traditional-general-manager Fri, 08 May 2026 19:17:31 GMT For the third day in a row, Mark Pope is answering Kentucky fans’ questions. Today, he tackled one of the biggest critiques of the program right now:...
Pope said that instead of going with a traditional general manager, he’s built a front office team comprised of four individuals: Keegan Brown, who was hired as the team’s Director of Roster Management in March; Nick Robinson, who was already on staff as the director of men’s basketball operations; Kevin Sergent, UK’s associate athletic director of compliance; and Kim Shelton, a JMI Sports executive who works with UK on NIL.

“In this ever-changing, dynamic college basketball environment, everybody is trying a different solution,” Pope said. “For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach".

Mark Pope explains why Kentucky doesn't have a traditional General Manager
]]> Kentucky Basketball Matt Dillon https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415124-mark-pope-explains-why-kentucky-doesn-t-have-a-traditional-general-manager https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415089-ncaa-votes-to-expand-tourney-to-76-teams Thu, 07 May 2026 20:15:42 GMT https://www.on3.com/news/ncaa-votes-to-expand-ncaa-tournament-for-men-women-to-76-teams/ Uck, not in favor of this. https://www.on3.com/news/ncaa-votes-...n-to-76-teams/

Uck, not in favor of this. ]]> Kentucky Basketball Los Gatos https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/415089-ncaa-votes-to-expand-tourney-to-76-teams https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414937-kentucky-eyes-memorial-coliseum-naming-rights-uniform-patches-in-revenue-push Mon, 04 May 2026 15:28:19 GMT As part of its efforts to generate revenue in the new era of college sports, the University of Kentucky is exploring selling the naming rights to one... According to Jon Hale, JMI Sports President Paul Archey said at the Champions Blue LLC Board of Governors meeting last week that Memorial Coliseum is one of seven unsold assets the school is shopping for naming-rights deals on.

Memorial Coliseum is home to Kentucky Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Gymnastics, and STUNT, and recently underwent an $82 million renovation. The building opened in 1950 and was also home to the men’s basketball team before Rupp Arena opened in 1976. It was named in honor of the more than 9,000 servicemen and women from Kentucky who died in World War II and also honors those who have fallen in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and subsequent military service.

Kentucky eyes Memorial Coliseum naming rights, uniform patches in revenue push]]> Kentucky Basketball Matt Dillon https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414937-kentucky-eyes-memorial-coliseum-naming-rights-uniform-patches-in-revenue-push https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414916-adrian-smith-passes Sun, 03 May 2026 16:56:12 GMT He was starting guard on the 1958 fiddlers that won it all. Johnnie cox may be the only one still alive from that team. That was my favorite UK team.... Odie was 89, sad to hear of his passing. I still have an 8x10 glossy of that team
]]> Kentucky Basketball South jones https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414916-adrian-smith-passes https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414882-reed-vs-lebron Fri, 01 May 2026 23:30:41 GMT
This was great. Saw it live and found a video highlighting it. Perfect payback for LeBron being.....well, LeBron.


https://youtu.be/xWr2HJnGH7o?si=-b_sPe3Rc7LhCQKQ]]> Kentucky Basketball UKHoops01 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414882-reed-vs-lebron https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414828-john-wall-duke-amazon Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:39:02 GMT John Wall accepts a role at Howard as head of basketball operations and Duke signs a deal with Amazon Sports to broadcast 3 of its marquee out of... John Wall accepts a role at Howard as head of basketball operations and Duke signs a deal with Amazon Sports to broadcast 3 of its marquee out of conference games. KY falling farther behind makes me sick. Kentucky Basketball Tomcats1990 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414828-john-wall-duke-amazon https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414822-what-s-your-10-most-favorite-players-in-uk-history Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:49:10 GMT Wah wah Jones Johnny Cox Cotton Nash Dan Issel Jamal Mashburn Anthony Davis Derrick Anderson Cliff Hagan Goose Givens Pat Riley Johnny Cox
Cotton Nash
Dan Issel
Jamal Mashburn
Anthony Davis
Derrick Anderson
Cliff Hagan
Goose Givens
Pat Riley

There are about 50 more but I did say 10 lol

]]> Kentucky Basketball South jones https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414822-what-s-your-10-most-favorite-players-in-uk-history https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414769-let-s-play-a-historical-uk-basketball-game Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:58:28 GMT Thought I would try and put something besides recruiting and portal into the mix. Rules of the game: 1. You must select one player from each era...
1. You must select one player from each era (Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Tubby, BCG and Cal)
2. If a player straddled two coaches, he would count for the coach he played for during his last season at UK
3. You must fill traditional basketball positions (C, F, F, G, G) and one big and one guard off the bench

Here is mine:

PG - Kyle Macy (Hall)
SG - Jodie Meeks (BCG)
SF - Jamal Mashburn (Pitino)
PF - Dan Issel (Rupp)
C - Anthony Davis (Cal)

Big off bench - Kenny Walker (Sutton)
Guard off bench - Keith Bogans (Tubby)

Let's see yours]]> Kentucky Basketball bthaunert https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414769-let-s-play-a-historical-uk-basketball-game https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414663-mcbride-committs Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:24:39 GMT Good pick up Good pick up Kentucky Basketball South jones https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414663-mcbride-committs https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414594-5on5 Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:39:38 GMT Looks like the new rule concerning eligibility will not be retro active. This would eliminate any chance of Oweh or Aberdeen coming. Back. I am not... ]]> Kentucky Basketball South jones https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414594-5on5 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414184-gov-beshear-calls-out-uk Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:45:31 GMT https://x.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/2046652852286681322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2046652852286681322%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es... https://x.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/...5Es1_&ref_url=

This wasn't on my 2026 bingo card. I haven't lived in the state for close to 10 years now, but seems like UK could use a complete revamp from top to bottom. Maybe this puts some pressure to hire an outsider as the next AD.

Feel free to move this thread if needed]]> Kentucky Basketball WeWant9 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414184-gov-beshear-calls-out-uk https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414150-golden-state Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:35:52 GMT Kerr out Golden takes that job and Donavan goes to the Gators. Kerr out Golden takes that job and Donavan goes to the Gators. Kentucky Basketball Tomcats1990 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/414150-golden-state https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/413977-instagram-on-donnie-freeman Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:57:21 GMT https://www.instagram.com/p/DXUx4SXEYIj/?igsh=MXNrbTluaTZ3Zmgxdw== May happen in a few hours or donnie is scheduling more visits we shall see https://www.instagram.com/p/DXUx4SXE...luaTZ3Zmgxdw==

May happen in a few hours or donnie is scheduling more visits we shall see]]> Kentucky Basketball Jeffky62 https://wildcatfaithful.net/forum/main-forum/sports/kentucky-basketball/413977-instagram-on-donnie-freeman