Kentucky women’s basketball has moved Will Sims to Assistant Coach, KSR has learned.
Last season — his first in Lexington after working under Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech — he held a position as Director of Scouting & Program Analytics. Now, Kendall Dillard, who was an assistant last season, fills that role. Sims’ contract runs through next season.
He will be making $70,000 during the 2025-26 season with several bonus incentives available depending on certain team accomplishments. For example, if Kentucky makes the Sweet 16 this season, he’ll earn an extra $10,000. Below are the incentives that Sims could potentially get. They aren’t cumulative, however, meaning that he can only receive one bonus. He can’t just keep stacking bonuses on bonuses if Kentucky were to make it to the Final Four.
Makes Sweet 16: $10,000
Makes Elite Eight: $20,000
Makes Final Four: $30,000
Wins National Championship: $40,000.
However, Sims can earn extra incentives based on how the Cats fare in the SEC.
Wins SEC Regular Season Championship: $20,000
Wins SEC Tournament Championship $10,000
Let’s say Kentucky were to have an absolute dream of a season. They win the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, makes it to the Final Four AND the Cats win it all, then his salary doubles — yes, doubles — with a singular $70,000 bonus.
For his sake and ours, let’s hope that happens.
Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.
Kentucky women’s basketball has moved Will Sims to Assistant Coach, KSR has learned.
Last season — his first in Lexington after working under Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech — he held a position as Director of Scouting & Program Analytics. Now, Kendall Dillard, who was an assistant last season, fills that role. Sims’ contract runs through next season.
He will be making $70,000 during the 2025-26 season with several bonus incentives available depending on certain team accomplishments. For example, if Kentucky makes the Sweet 16 this season, he’ll earn an extra $10,000. Below are the incentives that Sims could potentially get. They aren’t cumulative, however, meaning that he can only receive one bonus. He can’t just keep stacking bonuses on bonuses if Kentucky were to make it to the Final Four.
Makes Sweet 16: $10,000
Makes Elite Eight: $20,000
Makes Final Four: $30,000
Wins National Championship: $40,000.
However, Sims can earn extra incentives based on how the Cats fare in the SEC.
Wins SEC Regular Season Championship: $20,000
Wins SEC Tournament Championship $10,000
Let’s say Kentucky were to have an absolute dream of a season. They win the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, makes it to the Final Four AND the Cats win it all, then his salary doubles — yes, doubles — with a singular $70,000 bonus.
For his sake and ours, let’s hope that happens.
Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.
Kentucky women’s basketball has moved Will Sims to Assistant Coach, KSR has learned.
Last season — his first in Lexington after working under Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech — he held a position as Director of Scouting & Program Analytics. Now, Kendall Dillard, who was an assistant last season, fills that role. Sims’ contract runs through next season.
He will be making $70,000 during the 2025-26 season with several bonus incentives available depending on certain team accomplishments. For example, if Kentucky makes the Sweet 16 this season, he’ll earn an extra $10,000. Below are the incentives that Sims could potentially get. They aren’t cumulative, however, meaning that he can only receive one bonus. He can’t just keep stacking bonuses on bonuses if Kentucky were to make it to the Final Four.
Makes Sweet 16: $10,000
Makes Elite Eight: $20,000
Makes Final Four: $30,000
Wins National Championship: $40,000.
However, Sims can earn extra incentives based on how the Cats fare in the SEC.
Wins SEC Regular Season Championship: $20,000
Wins SEC Tournament Championship $10,000
Let’s say Kentucky were to have an absolute dream of a season. They win the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, makes it to the Final Four AND the Cats win it all, then his salary doubles — yes, doubles — with a singular $70,000 bonus.
For his sake and ours, let’s hope that happens.
Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.
Kentucky women’s basketball has moved Will Sims to Assistant Coach, KSR has learned.
Last season — his first in Lexington after working under Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech — he held a position as Director of Scouting & Program Analytics. Now, Kendall Dillard, who was an assistant last season, fills that role. Sims’ contract runs through next season.
He will be making $70,000 during the 2025-26 season with several bonus incentives available depending on certain team accomplishments. For example, if Kentucky makes the Sweet 16 this season, he’ll earn an extra $10,000. Below are the incentives that Sims could potentially get. They aren’t cumulative, however, meaning that he can only receive one bonus. He can’t just keep stacking bonuses on bonuses if Kentucky were to make it to the Final Four.
Makes Sweet 16: $10,000
Makes Elite Eight: $20,000
Makes Final Four: $30,000
Wins National Championship: $40,000.
However, Sims can earn extra incentives based on how the Cats fare in the SEC.
Wins SEC Regular Season Championship: $20,000
Wins SEC Tournament Championship $10,000
Let’s say Kentucky were to have an absolute dream of a season. They win the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, makes it to the Final Four AND the Cats win it all, then his salary doubles — yes, doubles — with a singular $70,000 bonus.
For his sake and ours, let’s hope that happens.
Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.
Last season, the Oregon Ducks had an impressive first year in the Big Ten. Under the guidance of Dan Lanning, the Ducks finished with a perfect 13-0 record and clinched the Big Ten Championship, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Ducks’ playoff run ended with a 41-21 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went on to become champions. Earlier in the season, Oregon had won against Ohio State.
Oregon aims to bounce back this upcoming season and win its first national championship in program history. On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the SEC Network analyst expressed uncertainty about the Ducks this season.
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning.Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Oregon, I’m a little bit nervous about,” Finebaum said. “Dan Lanning had such a good year last year, and it ended going down in flames.”
David Pollack Believes Oregon Will Return to the College Football Playoff
Finebaum has not commented much on Oregon this offseason, but college football analyst David Pollack has expressed strong support for the Ducks in the upcoming season.
“Oregon is getting in,” Pollack previously said. “I think Oregon is getting in. They’ve proven it. They’re pretty consistent. We know who they are. We know what they are. The upper echelon of talent is really, really good. I like their lines of scrimmage. They’ll be really good. Oregon’s going to win a bunch of games, and I think they’re going to be in the mix too.”
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is a metric that assesses team strength and aims to be the most accurate predictor of a team’s performance for the rest of the season. The FPI reflects how many points a team is above or below the average.
As the season begins, the FPI is optimistic about the Oregon Ducks, ranking them as the No. 6 team in the nation. The index predicts that Oregon will finish the season with a record of 10-2 and estimates a 19.1% chance of the Ducks winning the Big Ten championship again. Additionally, the FPI gives Oregon a 57.5% chance of making the playoffs and a 4.3% chance of winning the national championship.
Oregon Loses Key Players, Including QB Dillon Gabriel
However, the Ducks must replace several key contributors from last season, as they rank No. 109 in the country, returning only 43% of their production this year.
One notable loss is quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who had an impressive season in Eugene, completing 3,857 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions, all while achieving a completion rate of 72.9%. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the draft.
Gabriel will be succeeded by Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit and UCLA Bruin. In his true freshman season, Moore played in nine games for the Bruins, completing 1,610 yards through the air, with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a completion rate of 53.5%.
The Ducks will kick off their season against Montana State on August 30 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Kentucky women’s basketball has moved Will Sims to Assistant Coach, KSR has learned.
Last season — his first in Lexington after working under Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech — he held a position as Director of Scouting & Program Analytics. Now, Kendall Dillard, who was an assistant last season, fills that role. Sims’ contract runs through next season.
He will be making $70,000 during the 2025-26 season with several bonus incentives available depending on certain team accomplishments. For example, if Kentucky makes the Sweet 16 this season, he’ll earn an extra $10,000. Below are the incentives that Sims could potentially get. They aren’t cumulative, however, meaning that he can only receive one bonus. He can’t just keep stacking bonuses on bonuses if Kentucky were to make it to the Final Four.
Makes Sweet 16: $10,000
Makes Elite Eight: $20,000
Makes Final Four: $30,000
Wins National Championship: $40,000.
However, Sims can earn extra incentives based on how the Cats fare in the SEC.
Wins SEC Regular Season Championship: $20,000
Wins SEC Tournament Championship $10,000
Let’s say Kentucky were to have an absolute dream of a season. They win the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, makes it to the Final Four AND the Cats win it all, then his salary doubles — yes, doubles — with a singular $70,000 bonus.
For his sake and ours, let’s hope that happens.
Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.
The New York Mets are bringing up some help for their rotation for the final stretch of the season.
The Mets called up right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean on Wednesday. He’ll make his MLB debut on Saturday, when the Mets host the Seattle Mariners.
McLean, who is the No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ farm system, according to ESPN, has spent time with the franchise’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates so far this season. He holds a 2.45 ERA in 21 games and 18 starts with an 8-5 record. He has struck out 127 batters in just shy of 114 innings, too. The Mets selected McLean in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State.
“We feel good with him going out there and giving us a chance to win baseball games at the big-league level,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. “Credit to him that he put himself in this position.”
The Mets sent pitcher Justin Hagenman to their Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday and replaced him with Paul Blackburn after his rehab assignment.
McLean is joining the Mets during a rough stretch. They entered Wednesday’s matchup with the Atlanta Braves having lost 11 of their past 13 games, which included being swept by the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets snapped a seven-game skid with a 13-5 win over the Braves to begin that three-game series on Tuesday.
The Mets’ rotation has a 3.71 ERA as a group, which is seventh in the league, though only one pitcher — David Peterson — has pitched at least six innings in an outing in the past month. McLean has hit that mark nine times this year in the minors.
The Mets have a 64-55 record entering Wednesday’s contest, which has them five games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. While they still have a ways to go, McLean’s presence in the rotation could provide a significant boost to their hopes of a postseason run.
The New York Mets are bringing up some help for their rotation for the final stretch of the season.
The Mets called up right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean on Wednesday. He’ll make his MLB debut on Saturday, when the Mets host the Seattle Mariners.
McLean, who is the No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ farm system, according to ESPN, has spent time with the franchise’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates so far this season. He holds a 2.45 ERA in 21 games and 18 starts with an 8-5 record. He has struck out 127 batters in just shy of 114 innings, too. The Mets selected McLean in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State.
“We feel good with him going out there and giving us a chance to win baseball games at the big-league level,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. “Credit to him that he put himself in this position.”
The Mets sent pitcher Justin Hagenman to their Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday and replaced him with Paul Blackburn after his rehab assignment.
McLean is joining the Mets during a rough stretch. They entered Wednesday’s matchup with the Atlanta Braves having lost 11 of their past 13 games, which included being swept by the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets snapped a seven-game skid with a 13-5 win over the Braves to begin that three-game series on Tuesday.
The Mets’ rotation has a 3.71 ERA as a group, which is seventh in the league, though only one pitcher — David Peterson — has pitched at least six innings in an outing in the past month. McLean has hit that mark nine times this year in the minors.
The Mets have a 64-55 record entering Wednesday’s contest, which has them five games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. While they still have a ways to go, McLean’s presence in the rotation could provide a significant boost to their hopes of a postseason run.
It is an exciting time for the Mets, as the top six prospects in their system are now all at the Triple-A level, making them just one stop away from the big leagues.
With that said, without accounting for injuries, etc., it is hard to envision the Mets carrying more than two of these prospects come Opening Day 2026. More likely just one. I look at No. 1 prospect Jett Williams and No. 2 prospect Jonah Tong as options during the 2026 season, but probably not right out of the gate.
My No. 3 prospect, Carson Benge, has had a meteoric rise through the Mets’ system in his first professional season, hitting .308 with a .926 OPS with 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 60 RBI in 93 games between High-A Brooklyn, Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets are continuing to develop Benge as a center fielder, and he has made strides as the season has worn on.
With center field being unsettled beyond 2025, there is at least a chance that Benge could push for an Opening Day spot if he performs both offensively and defensively at the Triple-A level and shows growth in spring training next year.
I believe the Mets would very much want one of McLean and No. 5 prospect Brandon Sproat to be a part of the Opening Day 2026 rotation. Unless their plan is to go with a six-man staff out of the gate, it may be a competition for one spot, if they don’t fill that externally via a veteran trade or the free agent market.
The Mets have Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and a second year of Clay Holmes as a starter under contract.
Whether these young players are on the Opening Day roster or not, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for the Mets, as far as invigorating high-end young talent into what is already a strong roster.
National League pitcher Jonah Tong (16) throws a pitch during the second inning against American League at Truist Park / Brett Davis – Imagn Images
From Noel Eisenberg (@NoelEisenberg on X): Marco Vargas came to the Mets as a helium prospect. How would you characterize him now? Is there anyone else in the organization you’d currently call a helium prospect?
Marco Vargas was acquired from the Marlins in the David Robertsontrade at the 2023 trade deadline, when he was one of the most impressive prospects in the Florida Complex League. He quickly rose as a top 10 prospect in the Mets’ system. That’s the helium that Noel speaks of.
Since then, Vargas missed most of 2024 with injury, and 2025 has been an up-and-down season. At this point, most believe he projects as more of a backup infielder if his hit tool can carry him through the upper minors.
As far as current prospects with helium, that list must be topped by outfielder A.J. Ewing, who went from unranked in the preseason top 30 to making it all the way to No. 9 in the system. Ewing was just promoted to Double-A Binghamton after he hit .288 with a .775 OPS with 44 stolen bases in 78 games for High-A Brooklyn.
He is a plus athlete who thrives in his pitch recognition skills and swing decisions. He can stand for some physical maturation to impact the baseball more, but with his speed, he can thrive as a gap-to-gap line drive hitter and utilizing his wheels.
Another name worth mentioning is No. 14 prospect, right-hander Will Watson. The Mets took Watson in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of USC. In 93 innings to start his pro career, split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, he has a 2.71 ERA with 109 strikeouts.
Watson’s velocity has ticked up in pro ball — he’s now sitting 94-95 mph and touching 97. He will need to continue to refine his command, but this has the early signs of another Mets pitching development win.
Both times the NBA Cup has been lifted, it has been by one of the legends of the game — LeBron James in 2023 and Giannis Antetokounmpo last year.
The NBA Cup can also tell us something about teams we may want to keep an eye on in May and June. Last December, the Oklahoma City Thunder were playing in the NBA Cup Finals (but had an off night and fell to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks; they were ready for the big stage by the time June rolled around). Two years ago, the Indiana Pacers, an up-and-coming team, reached the NBA Cup Finals, where they lost to the Lakers. However, they used the momentum from that run to reach the Eastern Conference Finals that year, then the NBA Finals this past season.
The NBA Cup opens with a Halloween night double header streamed on Prime: the Celtics at 76ers (7 p.m. ET), followed by the Lakers at Grizzlies (9:30 p.m. ET).
All 30 NBA teams will play at least four NBA Cup games within their group of five teams, then the winners of each group, as well as one wild card from each conference, will advance to a knockout round. The NBA Cup semi-finals will take place Dec. 13, with the Cup Finals on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
The groups are set and the schedule is OUT
Starting October 31, all 30 teams will compete for the Emirates NBA Cup with 8 teams advancing out of groups into the knockout rounds, with the semifinals and championship held in Las Vegas, December 13 and 16!
Two critical games in the final week of group play will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Those games are:
• Magic at 76ers (8 p.m. ET) • Clippers at Lakers (11 p.m. ET)
Philly hosting Orlando features two East teams with high expectations entering this season after both were rocked by injuries a season ago. If everyone can stay healthy, this showdown between Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner against Paul George and Joel Embiid will be must watch.
Lakers fans like to say there is no rivalry with the Clippers, no battle for Los Angeles — until you tell them the Clippers have been the better team and the better run franchise for the past decade. These games between two teams that project to be top-six in the West are always entertaining, with LeBron and James Harden putting on a show.
Other NBA Cup games to watch
Here are a few more NBA Cup games to circle on your calendar.
Nov. 7: Rockets at Spurs Nov. 7: Warriors at Nuggets Nov. 14: Warriors at Spurs Nov. 21: Nuggets at Rockets Nov. 28: Bucks at Knicks Nov. 28: Mavericks at Lakers
