Keith Taylor | Kentucky Today

Kentucky coach John Calipari will put his team through a combine-style practice session for NBA scouts on Oct. 6 at the Joe Craft Center.

The sixth-annual University of Kentucky men’s basketball Pro Day is set for Oct. 6 at the Joe Craft Center and will be televised on the SEC Network.

The event will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. and will feature scouts from all 30 NBA teams in attendance for the yearly event. Seth Greenberg and Jimmy Dykes will call the practice session which will feature a combine-style workout for scouts.

Coaches and staff will direct the players through various agility and shooting drills in addition to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 scrimmaging. All 30 NBA teams were represented during the previous five seasons. The televised practice will serve as a warm-up before Big Blue Madness, which will take place the following week on Oct. 11 at Rupp Arena.

Members of the team delivered packed lunches to Picadome Elementary School on Friday as part of the school’s outreach through God’s Pantry program. The team also visited Cassidy, Landsdowne schools on Friday.

Future leaders

Nate Sestina and women’s basketball senior Jaida Roper were scheduled to participate in the Southeastern Conference Leadership Council sessions on Friday-Saturday in Birmingham.

The goal of the Leadership Council is for student-athletes to serve as a conduit of communication from their teams to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness, and to provide feedback on proposed rules governing the SEC and NCAA.

Among the agenda items for the group is dinner and a conversation with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, and the 28 student-athletes will also have an opportunity to engage with men’s and women’s basketball officials on rules of the game, student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating. Keyon Dooling, former Missouri student-athlete, author, motivational speaker and former NBA player, will speak to the group on Saturday on the topic of mental wellness.

The Men’s Basketball Leadership Council and the Women’s Basketball Leadership Council comprise two components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The third component is the Football Leadership Council, which meets each January.

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Kentucky’s basketball roster expanded recently.

Riley Welch, a 6-foot guard, has joined the team, giving the Wildcats three walk-ons this year. Welch, who played at UC Irvine and College of the Desert, has enrolled as a junior and will have two years of eligibility remaining. Brennan Canada and Zan Payne also are walk-ons.

“I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to be joining the greatest program in the history of college basketball,” Welch said. “There is nothing better than University of Kentucky basketball and I still can’t believe how fortunate I am to be able to learn every day from a Hall of Fame coach as well as compete against the best players in the country day in and day out.”

Riley is the son of Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach John Welch.

“Riley, like his father, is a true gym rat,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “Riley wants to get in the gym and work, so he will be a great addition to this group. I’ve known Riley and his family for a long time. He comes from a basketball family that loves this game and loves challenges. I’m excited to have him in the program and be a part of our family.”

As a freshman, Welch scored 14 points at UC Irvine and averaged 8.2 points and made 31 shots from long range at College of the Desert.

Including Welch, the Wildcats will have six newcomers on the squad next season, with six of those true freshmen.

Welch is from Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colorado and helped his high school reach the Colorado Activities Association Hall Final Four three years ago.