KSR Today: SEC Media Days, NBA Summer League, MLB All-Star Game

Good morning, KSR readers. Some of you who stayed up all night playing EA Sports College Football 25 may have needed that reminder that a new day has dawned, bringing with it work and real-life responsibilities. I may or may not be looking in my coworkers’ directions right now…cough, Drew, cough.

EA Sports College Football 25 is just one of many things we’ll be talking about today, as those who ordered the deluxe version share their impressions of the game, which has returned to our lives after a decade away. In the real realm of sports, SEC Media Days rolls on in Dallas, the NBA Summer League continues in Las Vegas, basketball recruiting heats up at the Peach Jam, and, oh yeah, the MLB All-Star Game is tonight. We’ll touch on all of those topics in today’s rundown.

Let’s get to it.

SEC Media Days rolls on in Dallas

Everything is bigger in Texas, including SEC Media Days. The annual kickoff to talking season began in Dallas on Monday with remarks by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, followed by LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt making the rounds at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

Even though he’s now retired from coaching, Nick Saban still found a way to be a star of the show as a member of the SEC Network’s coverage. From forgetting his credential on the way in to dismissing the idea that Texas will run the SEC, Saban was excellent, making up for boring main room speeches by his former coaching colleagues.

If you missed Monday’s highlights, we’ve got you covered. Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, and Steven Peake are in Texas all week to provide coverage in the most ridiculous manner possible. Here are their Day 1 headlines and 11 Personnel recap.

• Nick Saban: Texas is “not gonna run the SEC”

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Here is today’s schedule (all times EST). You can watch it all on SEC Network, or let Nick and Adam give you the highlights on another 11 Personnel this evening. They’re also giving live play-by-play of the on-stage remarks and behind-the-scenes antics on KSBoard.

• 9:30 AM: Coordinator of Officials John McDaid
• 10:05 AM: Georgia coach Kirby Smart
• 12:35 PM: Tennessee coach Josh Heupel
• 1:50 PM: Oklahoma coach Brent Venables
• 3:20 PM: Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz

Kentucky isn’t up until Thursday, the final team to make the rounds at the Omni Dallas Hotel; however, our coverage will be humming all week thanks to our friends at Friends of Coal.

KSR’s coverage at media days is presented by the team at Friends of Coal. Friends of Coal is dedicated to informing and educating Kentucky citizens about the coal industry and its vital role in the state’s future. They provide a united voice for an industry that has been and remains a critical economic contributor to Kentucky. By working together, they can provide good jobs and benefits for future generations.

Friends of Coal is a volunteer organization. All are invited to be a part of the organization, which consists of proud Kentuckians as well as residents from beyond our borders. Head to friendsofcoalkentucky.org to learn more.

NBA Summer League: Edwards vs. Dillingham

After a thrilling debut over the weekend, Reed Sheppard came back to Earth slightly in his third game in the NBA Summer League. Reed had 15 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 rebounds in 36 minutes in the Rockets’ loss to the Pistons. That’s still a respectable stat line, but Reed was a little cold in his third game in four days, shooting only 6-17 from the floor (35.3%). Reed being Reed, there are still highlights to share:

Later on in the night, Reed’s former Kentucky teammate Justin Edwards put in arguably his best performance yet with 12 points (5-11 FG), 3 rebounds, an assist, a block, and a turnover in 22 minutes in the 76ers’ loss to the Trail Blazers.

Tonight, we’ve got some Cat-on-Cat action as Edwards and the 76ers take on Rob Dillingham and the Minnesota Timberwolves in primetime on ESPN2. Here is the complete schedule:

• 4:00 PM (ESPNU): Indiana Pacers (Oscar Tshiebwe) vs. Phoenix Suns
• 4:30 PM (NBATV): New York Knicks (Jacob Toppin) vs. Brooklyn Nets
• 8:00 PM (ESPN2): Philadelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham)
• 10:00 PM (ESPN2): LA Clippers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (TyTy Washington, Chris Livingston)
• 10:30 PM (NBATV): New Orleans Pelicans (Antonio Reeves, Keion Brooks) vs. San Antonio Spurs

Peach Jam continues

A big stretch of basketball recruiting continues today in North Augusta, South Carolina, where the Peach Jam is underway. The event really heats up this weekend when college coaches are allowed into the gym — that’s also when our Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck arrive — but there’s already some intel coming out. On3’s Joe Tipton had a not-so-great update on five-star shooting guard Jasper Johnson, whose decision is expected in the coming weeks. According to Tipton, Alabama and North Carolina remain the frontrunners for the Lexington native, meaning Mark Pope and his staff need to make a big push this week if they want to keep the home-state hero home.

Pope and staff will also have their eyes on four-star small forward Tounde Yessoufou this week. Arizona has long been considered the frontrunner for the 6’6′” California native, but Tipton says Kentucky could be a strong contender if it decides to make a push. Brandon Ramsey has been watching Yessoufou this week and believes that would be a wise decision.

“Tounde Yessoufou remains one of my favorite players in the Class of 2025. So consistently productive and efficient,” Ramsey wrote on KSBoard yesterday after watching Yessoufou score 29 points. “He’s a SPECIAL two-way prospect.”

Ramsey shared some thoughts on Jasper Johnson too, and looked ahead to today’s matchups, which include AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 player in the 2025 class. If you’d like to tune in, you can watch all of the Peach Jam games on the EYBL website.

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The MLB All-Star Game is tonight

Another big event wraps up today in Dallas — or rather, Arlington. The 94th edition of the MLB All-Star Game is tonight at Globe Life Field. I am the last person who needs to be writing about professional baseball, but even I know that former LSU star pitcher turned superstar Pittsburgh Pirate rookie Paul Skenes will start for the National League. You can see it all starting at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Last night, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez won the Home Run Derby, beating out Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.; however, it was the national anthem that preceded the event that my timeline couldn’t stop talking about. Four-time Grammy winner Ingrid Andress sang “The Star Spangled Banner,” and, well, she may have given Rosanne Barr a run for her money.

Everyone is playing EA Sports College Football 25

As mentioned earlier, the deluxe version of EA Sports College Football 25 dropped yesterday afternoon and a large segment of my feed didn’t waste any time hopping right in. Before locking in for the evening, Drew Franklin shared Kentucky’s depth chart and player ratings, noting that DJ Waller Jr. and Jamon Dumas-Johnson are missing for some reason. Scoring a touchdown at Kroger Field still hits:

I’m sure Drew will share more of his College Football 25 thoughts on today’s show, which is live from Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. and begins one hour from now. I’ll leave you with a look at Rich Brooks’ tomato garden, which is thriving as we approach harvest season.