KSR - 08-24-2026 - KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: August 24, 2026

Live from the annual KSR Golf Scramble at Glen Oaks Country Club. Discussion surrounding UK football positions, Matt is really excited about this sesaon's UK basketball team and the painting in Mark Pope's house.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pasto survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all? And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers? Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.com for details and to check availability.

Bell, connection is everything. If your bookshelf and your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture, with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists

for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman.

I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Comedy Up Broadway and Lexington welcomes Heather Shaw, August 13th through the 15th, then catch Schuller King, August 21st through the 23rd,

and don't miss Rocky Del Davis, August 28th and 29th. Comedy Up Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987, and they're still bringing the best and stand-up comedy to the area 39 years later. For tickets, call 859-271 joke, or visit Comedy Off Broad. Wade.com. Welcome, everybody. This is Kentucky Sports Radio Monday, August of 24th. I am Matt Jones here at the KSR Golf Scramble in Louisville, Kentucky at the Glen Oaks Country Club.

The second of our three scrambles in this one at Glen Oaks out here, beautiful part of the city and a beautiful golf course where it is going to be a perfect day. Mid-80s, sunny so far. And yeah, it should be good. We've had some weather at this one over the years. It's been like fall down hot. It's been pouring rain, but not today. Today we're going to get a perfect day. Have a packed course, but it should be a lot of fun.

You can give us down the Clark's Pump and Shop phone line 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine is 772-745254. And this is sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office. If you call T.J. He'll make them pay. This is our, I want to say, 12th Louisville Golf School. The first one was in Louisville many years ago, and we have done them since. And always, I still remember the very first one where I was certain that the people that won cheated.

Are they here today? It doesn't look like it yet. But since then, always is a good time. And Drew, it's almost like the end of the summer. We sort of start the summer with the Lexington Golf Scramble, in the summer with the Louisville Golf Scramble, and basketball season is right around the corner when we get the summer set when it's kind of how I keep track of my year. Yeah, this is the unofficial starts college football season.

I agree. I agree. Scramble and the week zero starting up next. I don't know how many years we've been at Glen Oaks. It's got to be the longest we've done a scramble. Always love coming out here. It's a fun course, and I'm glad the forecast. Knock on Wood looks like it's in our favor today.

We actually have a ton of stuff to talk about today. A very eventful August weekend in UK sports, but most importantly, best news, Mark Mitchell is at least for now a Kentucky Wildcat, which I think is worth celebrating, because that might completely change the UK basketball fortune. He was, first of all, he's ruled eligible right after our show on Friday, which I think, Ryan, you predicted. And then after 24 hours of people being nervous and people yelling at me,

he then commits to Kentucky late Saturday afternoon. and for now, I think completely changes Kentucky's basketball roster. Yeah, we talked about it leading up to it. The missing link was him, a power forward. I mean, this guy's not any good score. He led Missouri in rebounding. I mean, he's what this team needed, a strong physical power forward that can change the whole look of the season now.

And could be our best defender starting, too, even though I don't think that's necessarily his strength. Our team on paper has such horrible defense, at least in the starting lineup, that he may actually end up being the best defender as well. I've been the best defender on this team. We'll see what that means as far as being a good defender. But offensively, you know, he was one of the best in the SEC last year. He was second team all conference.

You put him with Milan and some of the spacing they're already going to have because he's a guy's a driver more than a shooter. I think he and Wilkins will both take advantage of the lanes. And I think Kentucky got its leading score this past weekend. As high as I am on Milan-Londial guys, you think it'll be the high? I think Mitchell will be the leading score for Kentucky next year. Obviously a huge addition, but I mean, I don't like how you say for now. Do you think that maybe there's a chance?

Is those going to fight this? I do want to go through the, because there's still a lot of things that can happen. I think if you were to say to me, all right, Matt, what are the steps to getting this kid to be a Kentucky player? There were like five steps, and I think we've gotten through two, and maybe the two hardest. So I think that's, first you had to win the court case, right? And in seven states, they had won. I think now it's up to nine. So you felt pretty good about it.

but you still got to get it. Right. You still got to get the court case. They win the court case. The judge decides on exactly what we talked about last week. He basically said, look, every player before this class gets to play five years. Starting next year, everybody gets to play five years. The NCAA, you have no rational basis to exclude this class.

That was essentially his argument. It's a different argument that was made in that Colorado federal. This was very simple. Look, everybody that has played in the last five years has done. done it. Everybody in the future is going to do it. You have no reason to keep these people away. And I actually think that's a really good argument. So they win that. Second, he's got to pick Kentucky. It's right. Right. Second thing he's got to pick Kentucky. I think we all assumed it was going to be Kentucky. I think when he filed the lawsuit, it was Kentucky, or else why in the

world would he come here? He has no connection to the state. So those two things to me were good. Now, with that said, the moment he's eligible, that phone rings. right and there's a lot of people calling and all of a sudden you know you realize maybe more people were interested in you than you thought I don't think anybody came close to the money that Kentucky was offering why a lot of these other schools have already given all their money away all those misses turned out to be a good thing you know I mean look we we're going to end up spending probably 10 million dollars on players after everybody else ran out of money so to some extent missing out on all those guys worked out because we had a lot of money left and nowhere to

it and all of a sudden these guys come in and nobody else hasn't. Also, part of part two, he has to head to apply to the university. Normally, that's a formality. Maybe not. I don't know if you all have been reading about sort of what happened. So here's what a lot of guys do. They didn't think they were going to be eligible this year. They played basketball last year, and what did they do?

They moved on. They didn't think they were going to be eligible, right? Most of them didn't even finish class. Yeah. Okay. Most of them were like, you know what? I'm done. If I'm not graduating, because some guys graduate, some don't.

Why do I finish out the year? I'm leaving. Now, I don't, by the way, let me be clear. I don't know if Mark Mitchell, I don't know what he did. I don't know if he graduated. I don't even know if, you know, I don't even know what his situation is. But there are going to be kids. John Rothstein wrote about this, that if you didn't finish class last year, you might not

have enough credits to be readmitted to a school. So actually admitting, getting admitted to college for some of these guys might be difficult. I don't know if Mark Mitchell is one of them. So he had to apply to school. Applying to UK, you had to be applied today. Okay, you've got till Friday to be enrolled, but you had until today to apply. So he had to do that. He did that. Now, here are the parts that worry me. Number one, there's that class credit thing. I'm going to to assume he's okay with that or U.K. would have told him to apply. Would you agree? Yes. But you still have to do it, right? Second, there's the appeal in Kentucky. It's going to get appeal. All right. Now what happens on the appeal? Ohio, all the kids that applied there,

on appeal, they got stopped. So all the kids that applied in Ohio right now, they don't get to play. We'll still see. Hopefully the Court of Appeals takes a long time. All right, because that hopefully they just take a while, maybe they wait until the end of the year. There's no reason to rush court of appeals, just take a break. And then third, there's the SEC rule. There's an SEC rule that says no inter-conference transfers. Now, the SEC has broken that rule in the past. But all three of those are ways that there still could be hiccups.

So while I think Drew he's going to end up playing here, I'm not ready to say it's 100% yet. I'd say it's like 70% and there's still a 30% to go. Yeah, there are a few obstacles. I don't understand how the SEC, I know they're pushing back against him and others, how they're able to do that once the court's rule he can play. So I don't know how much that's a real threat. I know they don't like it, and Kentucky's prepared to fight it,

but it seems like if they say you can play, what's that one SEC rule really going to come into the picture? I generally agree with you. The only problem, again, this is legal mumbo-jumbo, but they put an injunction on the NCAA and said you can't stop the kid. They did not put an injunction on the SEC. So Mark Mitchell, if the SEC says that might have to go to court against the SEC, which is another step.

I think he'd probably win that, but it could be something. That's so silly because the SEC is supposed to be working in favor of the teams. I agree. I don't understand why the SEC is like trying to make it more difficult for their schools. But I still feel good about it overall, even though it's unique circumstances. The Friday ruling from the judge in Louisville and then Mitchell committing over the weekend

were obviously huge steps. I think he'll be fine, and it takes, you know, I was the one that was worried on this table here about the team. I've now moved on. I thought they were a piece short, and that's a huge piece to add, assuming he gets cleared. I will say I felt good, Ryan, because I found out the morning he had applied to UK.

Shannon, I felt like that was a pretty good piece of news. Yeah, absolutely. He could have applied to other schools too. but he applied to UK. And then I had a few hours of idiots online telling me I'd ruin the recruitment. He wasn't going to come here because I posted that. You know, I mean, at some point, people have to think, how do you think I found out about that?

You think I just know who applies to UK? It might have been okay. People were okay with me knowing that. Sure. They wouldn't have told you otherwise. I mean, that's a good piece of news. I mean. They want it out there. There you go.

Right. Right. But people are idiots. but he ends up committing just a few hours later. Now, how good are we? If you're ranking the teams, I know we don't know everybody's roster, but this is the best Kentucky team since win. Just on the roster, since the Reed Shepherd team probably.

I know they lost, but on paper that should have been a really good team. I think this will be preseason top what, 10, top five? What are we looking at it? We'll be top five. Top 10, though? You think that's fair? I think they're top 10. it seems like a lot of these college basketball people are not ranking us there.

I'd say 8 to 10. What do you think? The only team, I think they'll be top 10 towards the back. Eight to 10 is good. I'll call it number 9 for Pope. I'm sure you'd love that. The only teams that I still say we're just not on their level are probably like Florida, Illinois, and Duke. Other than that, I think we're right there in the mix of teams that can make a final four.

Those three are, like, insane. I can really only compare the SEC teams because I don't really know what everybody's roster are. Illinois's basically got the same roster that just went to the final four. So you've got to assume they're good. Duke's got a ton of players back and top guys coming in. And then Florida is essentially the same team. So I agree with you. Those three.

But then I would say, show me somebody who made a better roster, Ryan, besides those three than us. You know, we all got excited last year when they beat Purdue. But then I think we saw the season went on. And we even talked about this. That was a team made up of a lot of six men. You know, Aberdeen, Diabate, Cam Williams, even Colin Chandler, a lot of six men. This team this year is made up of dudes,

dudes who were a leading score on their team last year. Not just six. They were the dudes on their team. See, that's a really good point, Ryan. Just think about it. Last year, even O'A was like the six man at Oklahoma when he was there. Now look what you got. You got probably Washington's best player.

You've got probably Furman's best player. You got Iowa State's best player. You've got Missouri's best player, and you have what was Malachi, maybe our third best player last year. There's your starting lineup. That's completely different than the season before, where Aberdeen was Florida's six-man. O'A was Kentucky's probably second or third best player on the team the year before. Chandler was like our sixth best player on the year before. Malachi was a rookie, and what?

Diabate was Alabama's fifth best player. So just on paper, you see a much better roster. It will be the first time Popes had to manage guys that are used to being the leading score. I mean, even Justin McBride, whose minutes took a huge hit this weekend. He couldn't have loved that news. I mean, Pope's going to have to manage that because he came in thinking he was going to start and probably play close to 30 minutes a game.

It's a guy our average, like 15 a year ago at James Madison. There will be some of those guys that are going to have to learn that they're not getting shots. There's going to be some people that don't play. Yeah. I mean, just to predict real. quick. Look at the roster. There's 15 guys. 15 guys aren't playing. You're probably not playing more than 10.

Who are the five guys that are not playing? Rees Potter's not playing. Little Hawthorne's not playing. Who's the other three? Like Drew said, Mitchell's minutes get decreased. So that means Injai even goes even further down the bench. I think he's one of these guys. So you're saying he's one? That's crazy to me he would come

all the way over here and not play. But if he doesn't play better than he did last year, Trent Noah, I would put on that list as well. I think Trent Noah is on the, I mean, Trent Noah's got to be looking like, where are his minutes coming from? I mean, the other Hawthorne, we still don't know what it's going to be, but he doesn't take a big step, he'll be back at the end of. Frank's going to play because he has to. You've got to have somebody that's a deposed guy like that.

And then one of Mason Williams and Morton will certainly play. Yes. Mitchell's going to play. Well, the starters are all going to play. McBride will play. But yeah, I mean, like, you look at Braden Hawthorne. Trent Noah, McBride, Injai. Probably only two of those four guys are playing.

Which of the two you think? Probably McBride and Injai. I mean, I think, Brayden Hawthorne, the buzz isn't great. So that's just my guess. Yeah, McBride, Injai are competing for minutes off the bench now behind Mitchell, whoever wins that one out. But both those guys came in and thinking they could be a starter. Heck, even a month ago, we think they're competing for a starting spot.

And that spot has now been taken. So they're going to have to learn to take on a new role. But this completely changes to me the landscape of the season. You go from a team where you go, okay, I hope we're really good. I hope the year's fun. Hope we make the second weekend of the tournament to, okay, this team should be a solid second in the SEC or at least competing for second. I don't think they can beat Florida for the title,

but they should be there with Texas and Arkansas kind of goal. and Tennessee going for second, and then you can make the Elite 8, and then you just get in that game, Shannon, and hope something good happens. Definitely not a team that's going to be playing on Wednesday of the SEC tournament. It better not. It better not. If it is, we're going to have a different offseason coming starting at the end of March. 859-2-80-2287.

Text machine is 772-754. We'll take a break. I'm going to make this guy in the yellow right here smile at some point. You're looking at me. There goes. You're looking at me like I'm about broke into your house. We'll take a break and be right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio.

Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pasto survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all? And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers? Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet,

with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives,

and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. So I'm obsessed. From best-selling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments,

nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See you between the pages. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network. Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka The Biz, and try to help them with their careers

and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman. Not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head? How about we flip this room?

What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott. This entire time, you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to visit the show. I would never I would never set expectations for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that to happen, I'm open to it.

I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine. Yeah, it's all this fragile masculinity. Exuding. I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, is that weed? Nope, it's fragile masculinity. Ben Stiller, no.

Because a lot of times, out of context, context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, what's a state. Everyone's so dumb. And fake. Right. Fake and also not interested or just like, oh, I've got my life.

I don't care about your life. And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Oh, and by the way, Will Ferrell told us personally he loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode, but he's just so busy. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first.

I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept me. meeting people. And they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio here. It's KSR Golf Scramble, sponsored by Stockton Mortgage, Wild Eggs, Penn Station, Dairy Queen, aristocrat, tile, and escrow, ADT, and more. They just gave us a golf bag with our faces on it, which is kind of cool. That comes from golf tainment events, tea time, right? Thank you all for, and excited to have everybody out here. It should be a good day. I'm doing my ESPN show from the overlooking the ninth green. So if you are playing whole nine from three to five o'clock, be ready for me to mock you on national radio today.

We were going to do television. We were going to have a camera and show the putting of people on the ESPN feed. But we just couldn't get the logistics worked out because my director in Bristol is off this week and we thought it would be too hard. So you all are, you could have had to put in front of a national audience, Shannon, but now it'll just be obvious. That's a lot of pressure for people. I know Ryan, how he was.

under pressure when he had to go to prison. You know, couldn't even put one in from five feet away. But be ready. Yeah. For those of you that are teeing off on the back nine, just be ready. You're getting mocked, Drew, person by person on the radio. No, I'm off one, and we're the back of one. There's two groups.

You might be past. I might be your first one, though. Two hour round in the scramble or front nine. That's true. You could get to nine as I'm starting. I'll try to time that up. All right, good deal. Ryan will be sitting with me there.

So if you're listening on the ESPN today, you'll be able to hear us live at the golf. Yeah, so none of that being quiet where you're putting, Matt's going to be harassing you while you're putting. Oh, for sure. You're going to get it. One person writes, Matt, do you think Kentucky with Mark Mitchell is finally going to win home games during the conference season? I think we should – I feel like we should not lose more than one home game. Florida would be the only team I think you shouldn't beat at home with this group. Do you agree? Yeah, I hate having the attitude.

just surrendered to Florida and Add Mitchell is a big help. We could still beat them too, but they're better than us. But I mean, like, even Tennessee, we've had their number in the regular season so much lately. You know, you hate to just say, go out and don't lose at Rupp all year. That'd be a great season, but you shouldn't slip up too much with the roster you have now in the home schedule. That Florida game at Rupp, I think, is going to be a repeat from what we saw a couple of years ago when it was like 106 to 103. You got teams that just shoot the daylights out, but nobody can guard anybody?

It's at the end of the year this year, right? it was at the beginning isn't it at the end of the year this year? I know if it's the right at the end it's in February. Good. That'll be a lot of fun. That'll be a great. That'll be a great. There will be a couple great environments.

I think the Louisville game will be a great environment this year in Rupp Arena, and I think the Florida game will as well. And Arkansas's back too, right? Right now, I'm going to let myself get excited. I mean, why not? You should. I am going to let myself get excited

and dream of Glory Day is returning, playing on the weekend, the SEC tournament, maybe getting the final four. I'm going to let myself. It can't be glory days as making the weekend of the SEC tournament. It's been a long time. That's got to be a little more than that. I wanted to confirm it.

We only go to Florida this year. We play them once. It's the last game of the year. So we really defend right? So we don't play them at home? Nope. So then we should go undefeated. That's all right.

We'll take one game against Florida this year. Yeah, 859-280-2287. All right, another piece of news. Basket, football. Alex Safari filed Saturday. to join the group to become eligible. So as of this moment, Alex Safari is not eligible because he was not one of the named plaintiffs on the case.

He has filed asking to be added. I will note he didn't use the lawyer that did the original one, and that lawyer, Hans Poppe, went online and whined. I didn't understand why he did. Did he deleted him? He needed to. That was a bad look by him. He was like, well, you're not going to file with this.

Like, shut that. Not everybody has to work with you, Hans, Poppy. I know Alex is longer. We're in good hands. But Alex is trying to join it. I see no reason, Drew, why he would not be added to it and be able to join the team, just a matter how long it'll take. Yeah, they feel good about it.

It also helps that he's not trying to go to another school that's been another angle for a lot of these like Mitchell guys trying to enter the portal. He's like, hey, I'm just trying to go play the fifth year where I was for four years, which also helps his case. I think in some ways, Ryan, this is like a race against time. Once Alex Safari and these football players take the field, I don't see the NCAA just going, now you can't play.

I mean, there's going to be 30 teams that have players that are going to be joining their team from this stuff. You may have seen a dude from the Cleveland Browns. They left the Cleveland Browns and is going to LSU or whatever. So I think in some ways you're just trying to get your judgment and then start playing and then hope the NCAA goes fine one more year, which is what they should do.

I mean, that's why when you said that earlier about this, dragging it out, is there a sense of urgency that football starts basically this coming weekend? I think the urgency is, I don't know what the NCAA can do. The NCAA, in order to stop these kids from playing, they're going to have to win 50 lawsuits in the next two weeks. They're going to have to win one in every day. And they're just not going to do that. That's not going to happen.

So that's why, in my opinion, they just need to give up. There's no way they're going to be able to stop 50 lawsuits. They're just not. And I will make your prediction. Every single state in this country will have a lawsuit this week, right? Every single one of them. Kentucky, thankfully, was early on, but everybody else is going to have one, too, Drew. There's no way these kids are not all going to get eligible.

And there's the theory of the NCAA wants this chaos and these losses, so Congress will step in and help them. But also, like, just stop fighting it. It's one year, let the guys play and we'll move on with the new format next season. I wish they just surrender to it. All right, I got one more before we go to the phones. A piece of good news. 859-2-80-22-87. For the first time I got to have some conversations with people around Shannon,

the UK football program about the actual team. Okay, because I've, because I've been gone and just because of everything that's been going on, I haven't really gotten to fall. Okay, who's on this team? How good are we? I'll do more of this after the break. But I ask somebody that's very, very close to it, and I'll just leave it at that. I said, this was my quote.

I said, I hear our offensive line is going to be good. I said, are we talking top five in the SEC good, top eight? This is what was said to me by somebody that would know. They said to me, Matt, if there's a better offensive line in the SEC than ours, I want to see it. I like it. And then they quickly said, starters. So if we have injuries, we're screwed. If we have injuries, that's a different situation.

But the comment was, if there's a better starting offensive line in the SEC, I want to see it. But then starters. Yeah. So I thought that, I mean, I had high hopes, but that was like a, whoa, high hopes. And then they went through the other positions, and I'll tell you what they said on those as well. We'll take a break. It'll be right back. It's KSR.

Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio, here at KSR Golf Scramble. I want to hear, do you think that this changes the, the, the, likelihood of Kentucky, like what their peak is this year. 859-2-80-2287. All right, Ryan, let's talk a little bit just more about when I talk to somebody close to the team about football. Here's what I heard, position by position. Okay.

Offensive line might be the best in the SEC. I'm told maybe one of the best ones we've ever had here with the starting five. Big drop off after the starting five. So you just have to pray we stay healthy all year, all right? running back CJ Baxter Stud putting him in the class of like your Benny's and your

Rodriguez get to the second one big drop off well the second one is Patterson who we've seen right he's played here so we know kind of what he is the other guy's hurt what's his name and they keep adding to that room too

and I think there's a decent chance they're going to try to get one of these people out of an NFL camp to come be the second running back. Wide receiver, I express concern about wide receiver, and what I was told is, look, we have no game changers on wide receiver, but they've got enough to do exactly what they want to do. They're like the way Will does is offense, it should be fine.

They're actually, DJ Miller that was on the team last year, is actually one of the guys, Ron, they're excited about. And little Brock Kaufman from Lexington made the best catch in the scrimmage on Saturday. That's what I heard. Kenny Minchie at quarterback. I was told basically makes great decisions, we'll be smart, does exactly the reeds we want, arm not huge, but we'll make, what I was told is we'll be the best quarterback here since Levis. Obviously, the ones since then haven't been great, but Drew, I think that works good as well.

Love hearing about that. He's been accurate, but maybe not have the cannon that we've seen. That's exactly what I was told. Feel very good about the secondary. feel very good about the linebackers if Afari plays a little concerned about the defensive line. That's probably considered to be the weak. And they hope that they won Afari in part because they got to get people Ryan to be able to pressure the quarterback, and they are concerned about that.

Yeah, I think they've got a couple guys there. Bo Barnes and Grant Godfrey. They're pretty good about those guys, but they need Alex. Everything you just said, I'm the most happy what you said about C.J. Baxter and running back. He participated in the scrimmage on Saturday, and if they feel that highly about it, they must feel like he's going to be healthy enough to play. So I sense a lot of optimism from this group. You know, I listened to the coaching staff the last couple years and in private conversations.

It made you think it was going to end up, Shannon, exactly as it did. These guys feel – basically what I was told is, Matt, we're one and a half players deep at every position. He was like, we've got a really good starting unit on both sides, and we've got half the positions with a pretty good backup. But there are positions where they don't have backups, and after that, it's difficult. They've basically created a really good starting group, and then you just cross your fingers and hope you don't get hurt.

I feel a lot better after hearing what you just said versus what you were talking about from that college football magazine that you had a couple of weeks ago talking about all the different spots and deficiencies that they had. I mean, this was the exact quote that was given to me. Matt, this is a top 20 first string and a bottom four in the SEC, everything else. So you guys got to stay healthy. So every time there's an injury timeout, we just hold our breath.

I think that's kind of what we are. And that's what you get with a new coach who, you know, was late into the playoffs, didn't get here. He didn't even get to build depth. He's lucky to have as good a talent as he does on the first team across the board. And that'll get better with time. but of all years, we've seen in a while, this is one. You'll really, really, really want to watch the injury report and hope it's going well.

That's exactly right. All right, 859-280-2287. Shiage Pete. You guys remember our interview with Shiash Pete last year where he said, what, we're a beast with no nation or whatever? And now he gives a speech in the Cowboys Pre-game show yesterday, or Cowboys Post-Game Locker Room that has gone viral. And, like, it's exactly what happened here.

but now it's happening nationally. He gets up and said we're a band of brothers, which I love you, Shi'az, but it is just a preseason game. He had, like, the entire Navajo Nation where he grew up came to the game. He had an entire section of Cowboys Stadium just rooting for him, and now he's everywhere. They're going to try to get him on my ESPN show this afternoon because of that. Like, what – this dude, he was just on this show last year doing the same thing.

I love that video clip. And we all got to know him from Media Day last year when he sat down and you've got to realize what kind of a guy this is as a leader. Now he's doing it in an NFL locker room as a rookie trying to make the squad. It speaks highly of him as a person, I think. Yeah, it goes undrafted and it comes in and everybody's talking about this guy that's undrafted. We still don't know that he's good, though. He wasn't very good here, honestly, as much as we loved him. As cool as it was, I was thinking, for a guy that's probably not even going to make the team,

I've never seen a coach give him the locker room in the game ball like that to get a speech. But he was talking about the story. are and what it means to him and how far they've come. And I'm thinking, Pete, you've only been there for a few weeks, but I love it. I mean, I was hooked. I root for the kid. I mean, he seems like the nicest guy in the world. And then, you know, I mean, he had, they said he had hundreds of people there to watch him.

You know, he had the entire section going, like on the sideline. The coach that I've never seen a whole section route for one person. Good for him. I hope it works out for him. Who's up next? Got Jacob first. Jacob. Go ahead, Jake.

Hey, good morning, Matt. I got some analytics love for basketball for you. Okay. So this is from UK Tour, Charlotte, UK Tour for the graphic. And he has 18 next year with a trio of players that posted at least six box plus minus. Okay. And these teams are. Are you going to nerd out here?

Just what, give me the conclusion about what is it? So UK is one of those eight teams now with the addition of Mark Mitchell. The other teams are all like Final Four contenders, like to Florida, Illinois, all those teams. So I think UK is going to be pretty good next year. The answer is like to say so. I think we're going to have, I appreciate the call. I'm very pumped about the team. Here's what I'm really pumped about, Ryan.

At the end of next season, we're going to know if Mark Pope can do it here. Like, there's going to be kind of no excuses. You will have for two years in a row been given a roster that cost as much as any roster in the country. That'll be two years in a row that you've had more money or close to more money than anyone else. You will have constructed both of those teams the way you've won it. If it doesn't work, then you can say this isn't working. If it does work, you've got the momentum for it to work years to the future. So, Ryan, I think the good thing about this, we have the roster.

It's deep. If you get injuries, you should be all right. You've got 15 players. You used to only have 12. Now you've got 15 players. Now we've got to see, can you do it? That's right. We felt like he had to back up what he did last year, back up in a better way.

I mean, you know, last year the roster construction was kind of criticized all season long, putting together guys that maybe didn't give the full effort and practice, maybe didn't buy into what they were trying to do. I think we're going to fall in love with this team. think he's got these guys that are kind of hungry still. But do you agree? Well, no. You can't do something.

I mean, you have a pretty favorable schedule. You do, actually. I mean, even in the SEC, that's tough conference, you're dodging some of the toughest matchups. Well, on that point, we play in the non-conference, we're going to play maybe five top 25 teams, but none of them are in the top 10, right? So you're playing. By the way, our football schedule is kind of like that, too.

I was noticing last night on our SEC schedule, we, play, you could make, we miss the three worst teams in the conference, but we also miss the three best teams in the conference. We play all the teams like four through 12. So you're going to get a really good sense of how good you are because you don't play Georgia, Texas, or Ole Miss. You also don't play Arkansas, Mississippi State, or Auburn. Right? So you play teams that are in your position. Same thing in basketball. Yeah. I mean, Kansas, Your Champions Classic games, usually top 10 team. They're barely going to crack the top 20.

It's one of your better schedules you can have. Twice this off season, you've had to go to boosters and reload for Milan and Mitchell. Both times you've had whatever you wanted. Everything is there in front of you to be successful, so you have to at this point. You play Kansas, Shannon, Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. All five of those teams will probably be in the top 25. But none of them will be in the top 10, probably. Maybe Louisville gets there.

So it's there for you the type. North Carolina's down. Yeah. I mean, Virginia, of all the teams you can get in the challenge, that's not one of the toughest. Those are games, yeah, that you should have a good record against. You know, the first year for Mark Pope, it was the honeymoon period. He had some injuries, but, you know, made it to the sweet 16. Second year, it was disappointing last year.

Now this is the year. The excuses are over. He's got a good roster, despite all the guys that he missed on. It should be a good season. By the way, Ryan, I hadn't realized that about the football schedule. Because we talked about how hard it is, and it is hard. but there are three SEC teams in the top 10, and you don't get any of them. I would take that.

I don't have to play Georgia, Texas this year. Or Ole Miss, which is top 10 as well. Yeah, I'm taking – The highest-ranked team we play this year is LSU, and we play them at home. And the second highest-ranked team we play is Alabama, and we play them at home. And the third highest-ranked team we play is Louisville, and we play them at home. We do go to Oklahoma, which is the next one. So the people that are complaining about the schedule, we should take that of consideration.

It could be a lot worse. Could be. Could be a lot worse. But we also don't get any gimmies. So like maybe Arkansas, Mississippi State, you would go, well, we could beat them. We don't get them either. No, but it's a favorable schedule, too. Even where you have Alabama, where a new quarterback that they just announced they're going

with the young guy is coming to Lexington, his first ever game. You know, if you're playing that back end of the year, he could have had a breakout and he's a completely different player. Yeah, you get a freshman in his first true road game. The sauce of the summer is the 1776 sauce from Red State Barbecue, created an honor of America's 250th birthday, smoky, sweet, tangy, and bold, just like Ryan. Available at Hamburg and Beaumont liquor stores, shop.redstatebbq.com, 250 years of America's fire, flavor, and freedom at Red State Barbecue. Shannon, I want you to figure out who that picture was on Mark Pope's wall.

Oh, yeah, I saw that. We're going to figure that out. Actually, I have some information I know now, but I thought it was Chris Cornet. I did, too. I thought Mark Pope must be a huge. Chris Cornell fan. You love sounding a black hole son. But instead, I learned something else, which I didn't know, which we'll tell you right

for this. KSR. Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pastos survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all? And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers? Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month.

price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the daughter.

between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. So I'm obsessed. From best-selling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations,

or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus

or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone,

I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us, not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is, and not the lies you're sold about it.

It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a soul, solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip. I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements.

We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network. Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka the biz, and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head, right? How about we flip this script?

What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott. This entire time, you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to the, visit the show. I would never let go of that. I have. I would never set expectations

for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that to happen, I'm open to it. I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine. Yeah. It's all this fragile masculinity exuding.

I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, is that weed? Nope. It's fragile masculinity. Ben Stiller, no. Because a lot of times out of context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, it's so stupid.

Everyone's so dumb except for you. And fake. Right, fake and also not interested or just like, oh, I've got my life. I don't care about your life. And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Oh, and by the way, Will Ferrell told us personally he loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode, but he's just so busy. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio 859-28027. Couple of all things. The Cowboys played in Arizona, which, of course, the Navajo Nation that Chiage Pete is part of was right there next to it. And I said Louisville as one of the teams, I meant Tennessee as the third best team we played.

I get those two, I guess, confused. Equal hatred. In my head. So, Shannon, if you saw the Mark Pope picture, he posed a picture with the team. And there was a painting on the side that I legitimately thought was Chris Corny. Me too. That was my first thought when I saw that.

And I legitimately was like Mark Pope has a Chris Cornell painting in his house, but I learned what it was. What was it? Who is it? So apparently the real Mormon housewives. That's a show. Yeah. Does anybody see it sounds like your wife may watch that. What's it called?

Real Mormon housewives. There you go. apparently all the women on that have that picture there's a woman that's painted and this is what it's called you can look it up don't this isn't me calling it they call it sexy Mormon Jesus wow oh wow sexy Mormon Jesus and that is the painting that is on Mark mark Pope's wall a woman did a portrait of Jesus like what she thought Jesus looked like but made it sort of good looking she put like a filter on him almost right I know I mean she painted it so she could pay whatever i mean all of the paintings we see of jesus are just people's like guesses we don't know right and so she made it uh she made the person jesus sexy we're sexualizing jesus why didn't say that it's just like they made him hands that's what i'm saying sexy jesus yeah so that's so mark pope has that on his wall awesome or weird weird Well, I mean, I don't know if it's, is it in it like all, like in your mind right now, if you close your eyes, you can picture what you think, like the drawings we've seen it.

But that's just people's, like we don't know. Yeah. Like nobody really knows. They're just paintings. So, I mean, I guess they can make the painting. I mean, as opposed to ugly Jesus. Yeah, I guess they can make it like they want. But I legitimately, Drew, thought it was Chris Cornell.

I immediately assumed. was Jesus, and my first thought was, my Jesus is not that hot. That was a hot Jesus that they have in their living room. Well, so that's what was on the wall. One person writes, Matt, I'm sitting on the beach in Florida with my girlfriend. She wants me to turn this show off and put on Olivia Dean, tell her that she's wrong. Well, first of all, you're wrong. You should listen to this. I don't know who Olivia Dean is. Is that a singer? A singer? A singer, I believe, yeah. See, you know all these This table over here. This table over here.

I don't know if it's you all or if it's your wives, but you know all the stuff. I don't know who Olivia Dean is. The singer, yeah. But if you're hanging out of the beach, you probably want to hear some music. No. But when we're on, you're on,

when we're on, yeah, you want to hear us, not Olivia Dean. One person says, Matt, you didn't mention the tight ends. They're supposed to be very good. That is true. I didn't mention. That's supposed to be one of our strengths. It should be one of the best positions. Will Stein used them a lot at Oregon.

He's had some big players that tied in over the years. And I think with Willie Rodriguez, especially that group, you know, it's a Kentucky football tradition this time of year to talk about the tight ends. We're going to throw them the football. I actually think we're going to throw it. I think we'll stop. I think we're actually going to do it this year. Especially with Willie Rod being one of the veterans on the team.

He's a guy that's going to end up the NFL. So why not you put the ball on his hands? And you're right. Will Stein's offense over the years utilizes the tied in quite a bit. So maybe we're finally going to get what we've been hoping for for all this time hitting the tight end. That's true. Who's up next? Joey is up next.

Joey, go for it. Joey. Hey, guys, what's up? So earlier I noticed you didn't mention Pam Williams when you was talking about playing time. I see, I forgot about him, yeah. That's great point. So anyways, I was going to go with the Florida contrast against Florida.

I think our front court's better in Florida. And their guards, I really think they could be better. Let me ask you a question. I say this with love. Now, listen, that's just going off looking at it right now. They've got three. They got three NBA players in their front court. We do too.

No, we don't. We do? I mean, no, we don't. No, we don't. We've got one. Maraqa. I don't be an NBA player. Okay, there's one.

I agree with you. There's one. Mitchell, if he was, listen, I'm excited about Mitchell. I think he's going to be a great college player, but if he was going to be a really good NBA player, he wouldn't be coming to play for us. So you think Condon? Hall and

Januulu are just heads above better NBA players than the guys we've got because I looked at them as the same caliber NBA players as Mitchell. Do you think Condon Ha and how do you say the other guy's name? I've never been able to Chinu. Do you think they're better than Mitchell, Frank

and Malachi? Yes. Now I love our group, especially if you want to throw Milan in the mix. I think we're great. But Florida, it's unique that they got to bring all three of those guys back. all three could have left. Yeah, and listen, I love Malachi. But if they were that great, too, they would be in the NBA.

But I love Malachi, but those guys ate us up last year, including Malachi. And you got to think Malachi's better, but then you also have to assume they're better, right? They didn't just sit around and eat Cheetos all summer. No, I agree, but I just think if they were that great, they would be an NBA too. You know what I mean? Well, okay. But you said we were, but you said we were. better.

I do think our front court, and our guards, I think our guards are better than their guards. Bogie Flannes is not a good of a guard. I mean, there's more, there's more of an argument. I mean, you could at least make more of a, Florida's front court is going to be one of the better front courts we've ever seen in college basketball. Like, you may have to go back to Willie Carl and the 2015 team to see a front court that, like, Florida is going to have to have three guys, one of whom's going to come off the bench that are as good as those guys.

Come on. And they've already played together. They've already had a lot of success together. I love what we have. I'm not backing down from anyone, but Florida has those three especially are a special group. Now, our guard play could be better. Likely will be better.

You can win that game. They're not unstoppable, but they return to group. Our wings could be really good compared to the, but like you've got to give people credit. I mean, that would be like Louisville in 2015 going, we're better than Carl and Willie. Like, slow now. Who's next?

God, McKinney. McKenzie next. McKenzie, got about a minute. Go ahead. Hey, Matt, first time, long time. Who are? What's up? My husband, Denham, is there at the golf scramble today, and I'm just wondering,

do you know I have lost and found for golf balls? Wow. Wow. Throwing shade to her husband. Wow. Where's denim? There he is. Look at him.

He's turning red. McKinsey. So you're telling me he's going to be spraying it all over the course. But golf balls. Oh, yeah. Just get ready. Okay. All right.

All right. I appreciate it, McKenzie. Thank you very much. Getting called out. It's a scramble, though. It's okay. That's all right. As long as you can put.

You know what, Denham? I bet McKenzie's a good one. I mean, a personal call in and roast you on the air on your show. I think that's probably a fun relationship. That's probably a fun relationship. We'll take a break. Come back. Hour number two.

This is Kentucky Sports Radio. If you're a bookshelf. your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture, with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed.

Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists

for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Nick Tatoro.

You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lee's Black Klansman. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Titoro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone, from Seth Rollins.

What are you doing my belt? To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tituro. It's called happiness, delivering happiness.

And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tutro. And listen now.