Big Red’s Reads: Bassey Combine Footage, Tops to ATL, NIL Takes Effect

Courtesy: Ole Miss Athletics

Welcome the first day of July and the official rebirth of a long-lost segment here on The Towel Rack: Big Red’s Reads.

In what will hopefully be a daily feature, we’ll find all the newsworthy (and maybe some not-so-newsworthy) items from around the internet that discuss WKU, Conference USA, collegiate athletics as a whole…you know, whatever!

Wednesday was an oddly busy day for off-season WKU news, so we’ll get right to it.

Hilltoppers News

• Maybe the biggest news of the day yesterday dropped from Jon Rothstein, who reported that the Tops will be part of a quadruple-header in Atlanta next December. WKU will take on Ole Miss, the first time the two meet since a home-and-home in 2013 and 2014.
• A.J. Slaughter and the Polish national team have officially advanced past the group stage and into the semifinals of the Kaunas Olympic Qualifying Tournament, thanks to Slovenia’s 118–68 victory over Angola. Poland and Slovenia will play today to determine who wins the group — the winner of the group gets the second-place team between Venezuela (who has already advanced), Lithuania and South Korea. Tip-off is set for 8:30 a.m. CT on ESPN+, if you’re curious.
• Jonathan Givony, a draft analyst at NCAA, dropped some film of Bassey at his pro day.

• Unfortunately, this mock draft from Axios was not incredibly kind to the now-former Hilltopper big man. However, Axios Sports’ Kendall Baker says it wouldn’t surprise him to see Bassey go as a late-first selection.

• WKU Athletic Director, and friend of the site, Todd Stewart, talked with WBKO about the new NIL rules, that take effect today and were officially approved by the NCAA on Wednesday.
• Speaking of NLI, Bryce has a question for you. We are also curious as to what your answers would be.

• Rivals’ Mike Farrell in his Three-Point Stance column has a familiar name in his “Most underappreciated players since the year 2000” segment. Considering this is part eight, he may be the most underrated?
• South Warren quarterback Caden Veltkamp will make his verbal commitment today at 1 p.m. CT. WKU is in the running, as well as Kentucky, App St. and North Dakota State, among others.

#ProTops Corner

This segment…will get a different name. I promise.

• ChiefsWire, the Kansas City Chiefs USA Today verticle, ran a UDFA Spotlight on former Hilltopper DB Devon Key.
• It was an off day for Anderson Miller and the Omaha Storm Chasers. Miller finished the month slashing .190/.284/.414 with four home runs and 12 RBI. Omaha opens a series with St. Paul today.
• Jake Sanford and the Tampa Tarpons were also off on Wednesday, thanks to a postponement (the second-straight postponed game for Tampa). They’ll try for some better luck today, in a double-header against the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Western Kentucky News

• Happy retirement to WKU legend, Skipper Bo…I mean Bob Skipper! I still secretly hope to wake up to emails from him saying my responsibilities for the day have been canceled.

NCAA News

• The 2020/21 collegiate athletics season has officially come to a close, as Mississippi State absolutely took it to Vanderbilt, 9–0, in the College World Series Championship Game. Congrats to the Bulldogs on not only their first-ever CWS title but their first-ever national championship in a team sport. Clanga.