By LARRY VAUGHT
Even before he made his visit to Kentucky, Ohio receiver Preston Bowman felt confident he was going to commit to the Wildcats.
“This visit was top notch. Me and my family felt at home. Even my little cousins liked it,” said Bowman. “They made me feel like a priority and that they really wanted me. I was thinking this was the place for me. I loved it every time I visited. It never got old.”
However, he didn’t commit on his visit. Instead, he waited and did it while on a vacation with 20 family members in Puerto Rico.
“Since we were all together, I wanted to celebrate with all of them. My sister was not on my visit but was in Puerto Rico and I wanted her to be there when I committed,” the 6-0, 200-pound Bowman said. “It was great getting to all celebrate together and made for a very memorable experience.”
The 6-0, 195-pound Pickerington (Ohio) North High School receiver had been on Kentucky’s radar for almost two years. He already had an offer from national champion Michigan when he committed and got one from Ohio State less than 24 hours after picking UK.
“I committed and then Ohio State offered while I was in Puerto Rico,” Bowman said. “(Ohio State) Coach (Ryan) Day texted me at 6 the next morning and said he would call at 9. I woke up and he called and offered. I am not sure why he did that. I had been to Ohio State seven or eight times and had shown them a lot. At camp, they were impressed. Then I went to Michigan and then Kentucky and really balled out.”
Ohio State has produced four first-round receivers in the last three NFL drafts in Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. However, Bowman stressed he was “locked in 100 percent” for Kentucky and the Cats definitely felt the same way after this summer camp performance.
“They really liked the way I carried myself. I would go 100 percent each rep. That’s the way I was taught to go hard all the time,” Bowman said.
He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at Ohio State’s camp on June 5 and earned camp MVP honors at Michigan on June 10. He was at UK’s camp on June 12.
He said UK receivers coach Daikiel Shorts told him there was a “big difference” between his junior season film and what he did at UK’s camp.
“My ball skills were better. My routes were on point,” the Ohio receiver said. “My goal was to give them no choice but to be impressed at camp and they were.”
The three-star receiver had 5 a.m. offseason workouts with his team three days per week but also worked out on his own two more days a week catching balls at 5 a.m.
“I tried to make myself better every day. I don’t take days off. I am always going to be doing something to get better,” Bowman, who even caught passes from his cousin while on vacation in Puerto Rico, said.
Bowman likes to think he does “everything to the best of my ability” and won’t limit himself to one thing he does best. He had 43 catches for 713 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.
“I am a good route runner. I can take screens to the house,” Bowman said. “I can block. Most people do not look at blocking as something they feel is crucial for a receiver when you get your block it helps the team and you will get the ball more. I do stuff to help the team. To me, blocking is fun. Pancaking somebody is a lot of fun.
“Some take it lightly but blocking makes me go harder and I love to mess up a defender every play.”
Bowman has several future Division I players as high school teammates and understands why there will be games where he does not catch a lot of balls.
“I am perfectly fine with that,” he said.
Brown ran track as a freshman and sophomore but didn’t run this spring to spend more time training to become faster and a better receiver.
“My goal is to never let anyone catch me and I believe with my size I can still do that,” he said.
Guard Rob Dillingham has yet to play his first NBA game but he already has one former NBA star sold on what he can add for the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.
Golden State forward Draymond Green has won championships with the Warriors thanks in large part to the play of dynamic scoring guard Stephen Curry.
Green believes Minnesota “won the draft” by trading for Dillingham after he was picked No. 8 by San Antonio.
“The reason the Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft is because they drafted their point guard of the future in Rob Dillingham, who I think is a very special player,” Green said on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, about the former Kentucky guard.
Green says despite Dillingham’s creativity and scoring ability that some teams were afraid to draft him.
“Some of those teams at the top of the draft were afraid because he got swag and he got game and they don’t know if his game is going to fit into their systems that don’t work and get them fired when you can just get a really good player who can score the basketball — Steph Curry — and figure out how the system works for him and then all of a sudden the franchise is in territory it’s never been in before,” Green said.
“At times, we run into these guards with swag that – they just don’t fit in the system and so teams run away from them. There’s going to be some teams that are going to regret passing on Rob Dillingham.
Dillingham will likely play behind Minnesota veteran point guard Mike Conley and with all-star Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s best young stars who helped Minnesota reach the Western Conference Finals last season.
Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.5 percent overall and 44.4 percent from 3 last season despite not being a starter for UK.
The former UK star believes more open floor space in the NBA will only elevate his play.
“I feel like I’m quick so I can get past dudes. It’s really the fact of me getting past dudes and making decisions. You’re playing with a bunch of NBA players, so players can’t really help off super a lot because these are NBA players and they knock down shots,” Dillingham said. “I feel like, for me, getting past my defender and making plays for my teammates will be way easier, and then if they don’t help, then it’s just a bucket.”
Aaron Harrison spent part of three seasons in the NBA after turning pro following his sophomore season at UK when the Cats went 38-1. He played in the G League and overseas following his NBA time and last season played for FC Porto in Portugal and helped his team win the Portuguese Basketball Cup.
He’s back in Lexington now to play for La Familia, UK’s alumni team, in The Basketball Tournament at Rupp Arena. La Familia will play 305 Ballers July 19 at 8 p.m. in Rupp Arena on FS2. If La Familia advances to the second round, it will face the winner of WoCo Showtime (Wofford Alumni) and The Nawf July 21 at 2 p.m. on FOX. The Lexington Regional championship game is July 23 at 9 p.m. on FS1.
Harrison said there’s no way to explain all the memories he has from his two years at UK when the Cats made the 2014 national title game and 2015 when UK was 38-0 when it lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four.
“Obviously hitting game-winners in the Final Four and in the tournament,” Harrison said about his best UK memories. “That’s probably the one that stands out the most to the public, but just everything at school, just how much love we got, how much support we got from everybody. Just things like that.”
Harrison said he has some contact with former teammates but it is not easy because they are “super busy” with their careers. He has stayed in touch with Alex Poythress, who also has played in Europe.
“I played with Alex a couple years ago. Obviously my brother (Andrew). I mean, that’s pretty much it. I would say those are the people I talk to the most other than here and there on Instagram saying happy birthday, how’s the family, things like that,” Aaron Harrison said.
Aaron and his brother, Andrew, who will also be playing with La Familia, were both recruited by coach John Calipari and returned to UK a second season rather than turning pro to spend a second season with him.
“I love coach Cal obviously, and I don’t think anyone can replace him,” Aaron Harrison said. “But I’m excited to see what coach (Mark) Pope can do, and I’m definitely going to cheer him on. Seems like a great guy. I’m excited to meet him.”
ESPN/SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic is a former collegiate offensive linemen who deeply appreciated what former UK coach John Schlarman did to build the Big Blue Wall. The UK offensive line has not been the same since Schlarman’s death but Cubelic believes there are “reasons for confidence” about the unit going into this season.
Cubelic thinks bringing Eric Wolford back to coach the offensive line after he bolted for Alabama two years ago was a positive move.
“With the overall talent in the room, they have the opportunity to have a group that is solid,” Cubelic said. “I have seen some Kentucky lines overachieve and be great. I have seen some underachieve.”
Returning Eli Cox at center and Marques Cox at left tackle gives UK a strong nucleus in the line.
“Marques Cox was solid all last season. Eli Cox has played a lot of football and has the brainpower to handle all the calls up front and I think (offensive coordinator) Bush (Hamdan) will put most of that on him and take it off the quarterback,” Cubelic said. “(Guard) Jager Burton played a lot last year and is a finisher, grinder who gets after you. (Guard) Dylan Ray has got a mean streak I like.”
Tennessee transfer Gerald Mincey could be the key.
“At times he did not want to play right tackles at Tennessee. He has the ability and talent to help this team,” Cubelic said. “(Florida transfer) Jalen Farmer is a good backup right tackle.
“They just don’t have a lot of depth but there are reasons for optimism with the line. It’s just that we don’t know exactly how much optimism but there are reasons to feel pretty good about things.”
Quote of the Week: “If we talk about anything less than a national championship, we’re not living up to the Kentucky standard. Every day, making sure we add a ninth banner to the practice gym, that’s the goal. It’s early in the process and we need to continue to get better at the habits we need to continue getting better at, but definitely the ultimate goal is to win a national championship,” UK assistant coach Alvin Brooks III on Matt Mosley’s podcast – Obstructed View — on Fox Sports.
Quote of the Week 2: “I do not want to be known just as a basketball player. I think it is important to get out in the community, interact with the fans and have good relationships with your teammates. Looking back in 20 years, (I want people to see me) as a winner, competitor and a good person,” NBA No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard on his future reputation.
Quote of the Week 3: “I’ve briefly gotten to chat with him and I’m excited. I’m giving him my full support. Especially him being one of the guys, a former player who won a championship. I know he knows the expectations and what’s expected in this program. So I’m just trying to be there to support him in any way that I can,” former UK national champion Darius Miller on new UK coach Mark Pope.