With nine scholarship players already on board for next season, DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann made it 10 with the verbal commitment of former Louisville forward JJ Traynor today.

The 6-8, 190 lb. combo forward was with the Louisville Cardinals for the last four seasons, but dealt with injuries in two of those seasons.

Traynor appeared in eight games for the Cards this season before suffering a season ending shoulder injury while going through pre-game warmups at Wintrust Arena against the Blue Demons in December.

JJ averaged 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field in the shortened season. He scored a career high 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over New Mexico State.

"I really liked the city," said JJ. "I really like Coach Holtmann and all of his staff. Over the last few weeks, they've been prioritizing me and showing me that they want me to go there. I was keeping up with the players they got. I just had to take advantage of the opportunity."

Traynor will have at least one season of eligibility remaining and possibly two if he is granted a medical redshirt exception for this season.

"Coach Holtmann said we need an athletic wing with the shooting who brings versatility and we feel like you're that guy," said JJ. "We want to put you around some really good players and it looks like they did that. He showed some of my clips and past players with similar skillsets and how it's worked out."

JJ is rated as a four star prospect in the 247 Sports Transfer Portal rankings and is considered the 19th best power forward in the portal.

"I'm definitely versatile," said Traynor. "I'm not a one dimensional player. I can do a little bit of everything, post up, shoot the ball, whatever you need."

JJ has been rehabbing his shoulder following surgery. His rehabilitation is expected to last six months.

"It's going really well," said Traynor. "I'm four months in now, it will be five months soon."

A native of Bardstown, Kentucky, JJ was offered a scholarship by DePaul head coach Dave Leitao while in high school.

He was rated as a four star prospect in his recruiting class by 247 Sports and 87th best overall player in the class of 2020.

"A lean combo forward with good length," said 247 Sports recruiting analyst Evan Daniels. "Traynor is a late emerging prospect. Traynor is mobile, fluid and a good athlete that gets off the ground with ease. Offensively, Traynor has a terrific set of hands, impressive touch around the goal and good footwork on the block. He's also versatile enough to step out on the floor and make shots from the high post and from mid-range. The biggest area for improvement is his strength, as he'll need to get stronger before he can impact the college game. His ball handling and long-range shooting are also areas he could improve. There's plenty of upside here, and once he gains strength he can be a good player at the high major level."

He was selected as MaxPreps Kentucky High School Player of the Year in 2020 after averaging 20.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game in his senior year,

Traynor received scholarship offers from Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Missouri, and Xavier while in high school.

JJ joins Drake transfer Conor Enright, UIC transfer Isaiah Rivera, Mercer transfer David Thomas, Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer, Missouri State transfer NJ Benson, Indiana transfer CJ Gunn, Southern Illinois transfer Troy D'Amico, 2024 forward Sekou Konneh from Milwaukee, and Kenwood Academy guard Chris Riddle in Holtmann's first recruiting class at DePaul.

With ten on board for 2024, Holtmann has three scholarships remaining in the recruiting class.

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After growing up in Kentucky and then leaving the state, I often found myself running into the same conversation when people found out where I was from.

It usually started like this: “So, you must like KFC?”

Hats off to the man who donned that white suit, black tie, and glasses for getting the word spread far from home. Everyone knows about the fried chicken giant associated with Kentucky and, as a Kentuckian, I sort of thought I knew everything there was to know about KFC. I mean, I can remember many days made better with a side of those drive-thru mashed potatoes and family gatherings made complete with those red-and-white buckets.

Now that I’m back home and reporting for the Courier Journal, I ran into something new: An invite for an inside look at the fast-food chain's hallowed halls at the KFC headquarters.

Just like all those times when I talked to strangers about KFC, the answer was yes.

As part of this recent and exclusive media immersion experience, I arrived one morning at a nondescript office building about 15 minutes from downtown Louisville. A few hours later, I left with a belly full of tasty new menu items and my mind proved wrong: There was a lot more to learn about KFC, even for a Kentucky native.

Here are three things I learned at the KFC headquarters in Louisville:

'The purpose of KFC'

This occasion began with a sit-down chat with Nick Chavez, CMO KFC U.S., who took over his position in 2021 after 11 years with Nintendo.

We were together to talk about the chain’s new saucy nuggets, rolled out in late March. As Chavez said, those saucy nuggets play a piece in KFC’s future.

“We talk a lot about why we exist,” Chavez said to a small room of journalists. “We like to say our purpose at KFC is to serve everyone joy with the world’s best-tasting fried chicken. We’re really working hard both to delight and satisfy our existing core customers of KFC in the US, as well as attract new customers.”

Chavez and his team have studies to see that “chicken is the most popular and fastest-growing protein in the world,” he said.

Chavez talked about innovating and staying on top of trends and how it’s important to be “fearlessly modern in the fried chicken we offer.” He also talked about the importance of upholding the standards of Colonel Sanders while “introducing new generations to new flavors.”

Perhaps we can look forward to fried chicken staying cool.

There's a (very cool) Colonel Sanders Museum

Remember that nondescript building? My view changed when I saw how it looked from Colonel Sanders Drive. It looks, as intended, like the White House.

From the entrance, you’re greeted with a lifelike and animatronic Colonel Sanders. There are lots of fun facts and artifacts, including photos of Sanders with famous people of his time and all about how KFC came to be. As I walked around the space that was once Sanders’ office and saw a safe symbolizing the sacredness of the all-so-secret recipe, I thought about how I should mention this place the next time I’m giving recommendations for what to do in Louisville.

On that note, The Colonel Sanders Museum is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can call 502-874-2174 for more information about visiting.

How the chicken nuggets are made at KFC

The bulk of our visit was spent in the test kitchen with KFC’s food innovation team. Of the many ideas this team throws around, those aforementioned saucy nuggets passed the test. And we got to try our hands at making them. The process involved shaking the nuggets in sauce seven times for an evenly juicy coating.

This behind-the-scenes hang didn’t reveal any secret ingredients, but it's clear that the KFC operation is a well-fried machine.

And when the company announces things like new saucy nuggets or, more recently, the April 8 unveiling of “Taste of KFC Deals” value menu, national media outlets write about it and people continue to drive through KFC locations around the world.

Not to be cheesy when talking about fried chicken, but I noticed something when I looked back at the photos of me in the test kitchen while wearing plastic gloves and breading raw meat the KFC way.

Maybe that big smile is a muscle memory from those times in my grandmother’s kitchen when she would make fried chicken whenever she felt like it. I still don’t know what made her creation so special or what is in those secret 11 herbs and spices, but I do know what I’ll say the next time someone asks me, “So, you must like KFC?”

Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].

The Louisville Bats got a dominant performance from the bullpen and great defense when it mattered most before walking off for a 3-2 win over the Columbus Clippers on Sunday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field to earn a split of the six-game series.

With the score tied at two going to extra innings, the Bats defense was strong to keep the tie. Leading off, Dom Nunez tried for a sacrifice bunt, but it was snagged on the fly by reliever Justin Bruihl (W, 1-0). The Bats lefty quickly fired to second, catching automatic runner Lorenzo Cedrola off second for a double play. Following a two-out double, Myles Straw hit a hard liner to first that was snared by leaping Bats first baseman P.J. Higgins, saving a run to keep the score even.

In the bottom of the inning, a sacrifice bunt and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the Bats with one out against Clippers reliever Randy Labaut (L, 1-2). With Francisco Urbaez at the plate, Labaut’s 2-0 pitch was wild and got away from the catcher, allowing pinch-runner Blake Dunn to stroll home with the winning run.

Making his second start of the series, Bats righty Connor Phillips made quick work of the Clippers over the first two innings. The third inning was troublesome for Phillips, as the Clippers raced ahead on an RBI triple from Straw followed by Daniel Schneemann’s single to make it 2-0. Spiers was pulled in the third after allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 2.2 innings.

Louisville began the comeback with one out in the fourth on a blistering solo home run from Conner Capel that left his bat at 110 miles per hour and traveled an estimated 408 feet onto the roof of the Humana Cabana in right field, his team-leading sixth homer of the season.

An inning later, the Bats loaded the bases with one out and were able to tie the game on Capel’s sacrifice fly, scoring home Erik Gonzalez, who began the inning with an infield single.

Entering in long relief for the Bats in the third, Carson Spiers was excellent in his first outing since being optioned to Louisville from the Reds earlier in the week. In the longest outing from a Bats reliever this season, Spiers threw 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out three to keep the 2-2 tie going to the seventh.

In the eighth, rehabbing Reds southpaw Sam Moll worked around a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to throw a scoreless frame. Tony Santillan then set the Clippers down in order in the ninth. Labaut did the same for the Clippers, sending the game to extra innings where the Bats emerged victorious.

With the win, the Bats are now 6-2 in one run games in 2024, with all seven wins coming by two or fewer runs. Offensively, Capel drove in two of the three runs in a 2-for-4 performance while Levi Jordan added two hits and two walks in the triumph.

The Bats (7-8) hit the road on Tuesday to begin a six-game series with the Iowa Cubs. First pitch at Principal Park is scheduled for 7:38 p.m. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The official kick-off of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Festival is less than a week away.

On April 20th will be the 35th Thunder Over Louisville. This year's theme is "Celebrating the 150th Kentucky Derby."

Everyone throughout the city is hoping for beautiful, warm weather. Even the crews setting up the command center at the Galt House Sunday are optimistic.

"I can't wait! The air show, the fireworks, the festivities, the Chow Wagon!," Ben Kayrouz, who was in Jeffersonville Sunday, said.

Kayrouz can hardly contain his excitement since he takes his family every year.

"It's the most spectacular Air Show and fireworks," Kayrouz said.

No matter what side of the Ohio River you're on, you'll see one of the largest annual fireworks shows in North America.

"Everybody takes pride in the city and for the country," Wayne Hettinger, Thunder Over Louisville's lead producer and originator, said.

Hettinger dreams about the event's success. He is the man behind the magic.

"The fun part for me is watching this team do what they do," Hettinger said.

About 35 key people operate the show from The Galt House. A couple of rooms get flipped into the command center in a matter of six days.

"This is kind of the first wave of equipment that is here now, and there will be another two waves of getting everything set up," Hettinger said.

One side controls the entire operation, and the other side manages air and river traffic. Hettinger said it is a massive undertaking.

“They’ve got it down to a science.”Crews have begun prepping for Thunder Over Louisville here at the Galt House. More behind the scene views tonight at 10pm on @WDRBNews.@KyDerbyFestival pic.twitter.com/yu6ym1hgnA

— Molly Jett (@MolJett) April 14, 2024

"It's a huge party getting ready to happen for the community," Hettinger said.

The tradition officially kicks off the two-week-long party ahead of the Kentucky Derby.

"It's definitely worth seeing," Neil Cash, another Louisvillian, said. "You'll never see anything like this."

Regardless of the weather, both Kayrouz and his friend's family plan on seeing all 30-minutes in-person.

"We already bought tickets at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. We're going to use that as a backup just in case we need to be inside somewhere. But yeah, we're going for sure," Kayrouz said.

In the past, Cash has also bought tickets from Lynn Family Stadium. As some might say, something wonderful is about to happen.

The Second Street Bridge will shut down at 9:45 a.m. Thursday and will remain closed until 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Thunder Over Louisville is one of the more than 70 events produced by the Kentucky Derby Festival in the spring.

Hettinger encourages more families to buy the 150th Pegasus Pin. Click here to learn how to purchase a $7 pin.

The event provides an estimated impact of $56 million to the area’s economy. For more information or Thunder Over Louisville's history, click here.

WDRB personalities will be on both sides of the Ohio River bringing you all the people, planes and fireworks. Of course, you can watch on TV, but you can take WDRB with you.

The full day of broadcasting will be on our WDRB.com website, the WDRB News app, the WDRB+ TV anywhere app for your phone, and the WDRB+ streaming app on your Fire, Apple or Roku TV.

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