KSR - 2024-04-29- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

Matt, Ryan, Drew, and Shannon talk UK Basketball commitments and all the news from the weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome, everyone, Kentucky Sports Radio, Monday, April the 29th, on an absolutely beautiful day here in Lexington, Kentucky at the KS Bar and Grill, where it should be a wonderful day for you to come out and have lunch, see me, Ryan, and Drew. We have the Clark's Pubment Shop phone lines. 859-2-80-2287. A-Vision Auto Glass Text Machine is 772-7-4-25-4 in this edition. Sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office, you call T.J.

will make them pay. Today will be the debut of the new coach. Mark Pope will come on here at 11 o'clock. His first time here. That's right. Tell them about it, Rachel. First time here on the show. after a big recruiting weekend. It's, you know, they always say to you, Ryan,

the most important days are your first day at work and your last day. This is our first impression for Mark Pope. We have to make sure we come off well. Are you excited to have the new coach on? I am super excited. I was hoping he was going to be on for like the whole two hours because we could fill it up talking to him. Not everything's been going on since he got here.

So the goal is before I leave for, before I leave, we're going to try to have him on for a longer segment. Today he could only do 20 minutes because he's got recruits in town. Still, yeah. So, but hopefully we can do a long one before I leave. If not, we'll do it when we get back. But I'm hoping to be able to do it before we leave. We're working with him on that.

Drew, are you excited to have Coach Popa? Very excited. Also, very grateful he's doing this. He's so busy right now. So he was at the airport late last night. Look like he was by himself. He did. He did.

He did. He was by himself. We can't have him at the airport. Somebody needs to ride with him. It looked like he was just standing there by himself. Maybe everyone else around him is too tired. He's letting all of them nap so he can play catch-up. But, I mean, the man has not stopped.

Had a huge weekend that we'll talk about, and it's right back to it today with more of the same. Well, I want to talk about all that. But Shannon, first, I have something more than that. Here's my question for you. This is going to be our debate before we start. Okay. Will Mark Pope remember Ryan Limit?

Absolutely he will. Okay. So will he remember Ryan Lippen? Limit. Is that a yes or a no? So he worked with Ryan Lemon in 1997 during the tournament run. Have you spoken to him since then? I have not. And I don't know if he will remember because I was only with him at the final four in Indianapolis. So you were with him one weekend. Yes. 27 years ago. Yes. So I say the chances are slim. He's going to remember me. He will say he remembers you even if he doesn't. No, I think you would too. But I'm going to judge whether or not he actually remembers you. Because I think we'll be able to know, Drew, if he's faking it or not.

Do you think he remembers Ryan Limba? Because he clearly remembered Alan Cutler. Yes. He recalled Alan Cutler. He recalled working with him. Does he remember Ryan? I think the setting we're in is working against Ryan because there won't be a face-to-face. So just over the radio with name recognition, I lean no.

Now, if Pope walked in and saw Ryan, they'd probably take their shirts off and chest bump. But I think just over the air, I'm leaning no. All right, so you're a no. Shannon, do you think he remembers? Yeah, I think he does. I think he'll remember him. Do you? I say no.

You don't know you will. It's a big weekend, huh? Because if you were supposed to be our connection to the new coach you worked with him, you were supposed to be our end. Well, like that first round they were in Salt Lake City. I didn't go. Then they went out to California. I didn't go.

So I didn't hook up with them until they went to Indianapolis for the final four. So when you went to Indianapolis, did you all hang out? You and Pope? We did some shows, did some specials, you know, but they were like. Hang out in your free time. I don't remember. We all went to Sean Woods' mom's house for dinner one night. Really?

Yeah. That's a pretty big deal. Yeah. So you were at dinner with him? Yeah, she fixed dinner for all of us. It was awesome where Sean grew up and his childhood home. So, yeah, but I'm still going to go no, Matthew. I'm thinking no.

Well, I'm excited. I'm going to set you up for your one question. And then I'm going to say, this is Ryan Lemon. You worked with him in 1997. He'll go. I'm really excited to see what his reaction will be. Do you think he'll remember me from 1995 when I was at camp with him? I think that's unlike it.

You know, I was thinking I thought I had, I met him at like an AAU event when he was at Utah Valley. He certainly wouldn't remember that. But I don't, we were in school at the same, no, he graduated a year before I started college. So I never met him that way. I'm not sure that actually one on one, I said hello to him, but it was like a bunch of people were saying hello to him. So I don't know that I've actually ever officially met him before. A lot of guys on that team, you know, I've seen since then. But for Mark, I've not really seen him since he was playing here, you know, since that in the 97 tournament run.

So, well, big fat, no. Well, all right, well, we will see. He'll remember a lot of the crew. His camera guy was Bama. They're not on the show. You're the one that's on the show. I mean, no offense. Even if he remembers Bama, I'm not really, I don't care about Bama.

Bama was his personal photographer. Well, good, but they're not on the show. So I really was not his personal photographer. I was just there doing some shows with him in my UK tie. All right. Well, we'll see. 859-28027. All right, let's go over the weekend.

Massive weekend since the last time we were on the show. On Friday, I said this is the biggest weekend for Mark Pope he'll have in his first year recruiting. He needs to have a big weekend. And he did. He got three players in three days, each of which I think is, huge for what Kentucky wants to do. Let's do the first one, which I think is the best story, which is Lamont Butler from San Diego State.

People who don't remember him or know him. He played for San Diego State, hit the shot that took him to the championship game. He was defensive player of the year in his conference multiple times. He's probably the best lockdown perimeter defender in the country. He was in the portal. Here's kind of the story behind the story. They were, he was not, like,

I don't think a lot of people knew Kentucky was recruiting him. But I think they believed they had it, okay? But they were trying to get him on campus for a visit. They're trying to figure out when it's going to happen. Then, this is a sources tell KSR, word starts to leak out that Duke is interested on Thursday. Remember, they're supposed to come on the show Friday. They're like, you know what? We can't wait.

Let's get on a plane to Vegas. And they get on a plane the next morning and go to lock him up before Duke can go scene. And it works. the exact opposite of what I think may have happened to us on a different player, where we had interest, and then Baylor came and said, no, we did to Duke with this kid, and they locked him up. And honestly, he didn't really get associated with Kentucky in the public until about 30 minutes before it got announced.

And I think it was done then. I think Kentucky found a way, Drew, to keep that quiet, which was their goal. I mentioned that on Friday. and it ended up working out. Yeah, I love the addition. I love how it played out, like you said. We talk a lot of offense with Pope and what he did at BYU. It doesn't have a lot of great record with the defense.

So I like that he's adding, got a defensive player of year from two different conferences right now with Butler and then Williams inside. And then really, there's been some people critiquing Butler, can he do this, can he do that? When the man hit a buzzer beater in the final four, that's all I need to know. He hit a buzzer beater in the final. We haven't been to a final four in a while. He's already won, what, five NCAA tournament games and one tournament. I'll take that experience in that.

I think everybody that when that came out, and again, it's a small group, but the people that were like, I don't know if he's got, like, shut up. I mean, that's the dumbest thing in the world. The guys won seven NCAA tournament games the last two years. You know the only two teams he's lost two in the NCAA tournament? Yukon twice, who won the national championship both times. You know how many more NCAA tournament wins he has than us in those? of years, six.

Yeah. Now, I know he averaged 9.8 points a game, but some of the dudes that have been the most important to us over the years for titles have averaged less. DeAndre Liggins, remember how big a big of that was? Think about how much our fans wanted to keep a due. How many points a game did a do average? Five, six? I mean, I, you know, I'm not saying this is a beggars can't be choosers, but this is a,

this is the kind of guy you have in modern college basketball. Ryan to win games. He can't be your best player, but he certainly can be your most, very important player. A leader, you know, a veteran, locked down defender on the perimeter

something Kentucky hasn't had in years. When's last time we had a lot down perimeter defender? Like locked down. Who? Ashton Hagen. It might be Haskin Hagen's. Thank you, Mario. Probably Ashton Hagen's.

That's the last time. Yeah, and before him, you may go back to Liggins. I mean, we just don't get that a lot during the Cal era. But I love the story you just told, the fact that, He was supposed to come on the show Friday morning, and they drove to Jeffersonville to catch a private flight to go to Las Vegas to lock this guy down.

I woke up at 8 a.m. to a message that he wasn't coming on. And at first I was frustrated, but then I understood once I understood what was happening. And I think, by the way, what I've learned about this staff is this staff knows how to play the game. Right. They're on social media. You have one of our coaches saying, boom, when we get comfortable. commitments. Yeah.

Again, I don't mean to compare to the previous staff, but you have to talk about the changes. The previous staff didn't do that. There was no – did any of them have a social media presence? No, now that I think about it. I don't think any of them did. Chin didn't. Really, Orlando didn't. Welch didn't.

When's the last time we've had a coach with a social media presence? And I mean like – Like the day-to-day what they're doing. The day-to-day do it. Like, can you think of one? And now we have two because Alvin Brooks is like. that too and I like our booms we got the yachtsy on the football we got we got them going with basketball so then on Saturday they get a commitment from the kid from

Oklahoma I don't know how to pronounce his name I'm gonna rely on you Drew how do you pronounce his name last name's definitely Oway I don't know if it's Otega or Otega is the first name Otega Owe his brother plays for the Baltimore Ravens from Oklahoma plays for the Sooners but his brothers on the on the Ravens he we add him and then yesterday they had Andrew Carr from Wake Forest, who is a big, who can shoot. It's a stretch four, which you know I love those guys, who can shoot threes from out there.

So I like where we are. Kentucky now has six players, all right? I think they are in good with another three, and then there's one, I don't know who it is, but I think they have another one out there that they feel really good about. And then, you know, he'll probably fill in some pieces there at the end. We'll ask him about that.

we come in like how many players do you do you play on having but on Friday there definitely was a sense of people of oh no what's going to happen and then three days later uh Ryan I don't feel like it's like yeah you we at our show on Friday you said ask me on Tuesday that's what did I not yeah you said ask me on Tuesday and you know there's still a chance something happens today I think so I mean or tomorrow I don't I know I can get the pan i get what we are as a fan base that we're nervous that's part of what makes us good but the panic was ridiculous that's why i said i asked me on tuesday we're up to six might be seven by tuesday and then it becomes i still think drew they've got to get one like dude and i think

jackson right really i think we have a chance at two dudes great ossebor and jackson robinson those are dudes you get two of those guys and combine them with what we have. And then they're still going after a couple other dudes. I think we could, I mean, can I say this? I think we could end up with a really good team. Like not just a team that's decent, like a really good one. I love what he has right now. Now, you need more.

This isn't a contender yet, but certainly a great foundation with the task he had in front of him. I was pretty annoyed last week with some of our fan base action like the sky was falling when Alvin Brooks had just gotten here. I mean, Pope had to get coaches before he could get players. and they had just gotten the staff last Tuesday, and we had fans acting like the season was already ending. I even wrote a little bit of everyone calmed down on Friday.

And then here we are with three commitments since the last time we were on the air. And I'm still believing scoop over here with great Ossebor. So I'm just kind of waiting for that one to pop too. I think the amount of people that know everything this staff is doing is probably like eight. I'm being serious. Yeah.

It's probably like eight. and I talked to one of those eight. And I was like, and they, look, I'm being honest, I don't know all the names, and I think that's intentional. I don't think those eight people want anybody to know all the names, but I just said this, are we good? And they just said, yeah, we're good. Well, that's all I need to hear, right? And then at some level, you just have to trust.

Just because you didn't hear it on a Twitter space does not mean it's not happening. And if you don't believe that, look at Lamont Butler, who I think we had said we'd contacted him, but no one had going here until he was here. Right, yeah. Right. I love the picture. Well, the first picture I saw of Andrew Carr and Pope. I thought, this guy's taller than Pope.

We know Pope's 610 because we keep seeing dudes taller than him. Andrew Carr is definitely taller than Pope. So how tall is Pope? Maybe he shrunk and he. We shrink when we get older. You bend over a little bit. That backstarts hurting. Yeah.

Yeah. I just, because I've seen a couple pictures with guys who are supposed to be the same height and they tower over him with them. But then that second picture where they're flexing, man, I giggled. I thought that is. I want to talk about that picture because I think that picture is very funny. Me too. But we will take a break.

We are here at KS. Bar and Grill. You can give us a shout. Mark Polk joins us at 11 o'clock. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Yes. We can play this three times. We can. Because we got three.

We won't. One's enough, yeah. One's enough. I know Shannon doesn't love it, but Leanne Rhyme singing, three of them, were it out to six. I think, I'm telling you, we need, the way I look at it is we've got pieces three, four, five, six, eight, nine, something like that. We need a one, maybe a two.

I think that's Robinson and Osabor, but then there's a, Kobe Brea is now visiting today, which is a little bit of a surprise. I don't think they locked that down until this weekend. That's the kid from Dayton. He would be a heck of a get. I kind of have had given up on him. UK did not, and now he's visiting. And like I said, I think there is a person.

I don't know who it is. People keep asking me. And if I ask you, the thing is, if I tell people what something is, even if I knew, it's not a surprise anymore, right? It's going to be different. In the Cal era, stuff got out, rarely, but we were dealing with such big-time people that it really wasn't surprises, right?

Because the national media were always interviewing them as well. There are staffs out there that want everything out. I think there's going to be a staff that wants to play the game, wants people to know, but Drew, they only want you to know what they want you to know. Does that make sense? So I think you're going to see things like happen with Lamont Butler. I think that's going to keep happening, and I don't think that's a bad thing. But I would also say that means like if I say something and that's all I say, then that's all I can say.

And there will be other people. I'm not the only one person that's going to know this stuff. There will be other people that do too, I think. I think the staff is still going to have a little period here where they're figuring out how stuff gets out, how much it gets out. Like Brooks posting the tail number of the plane at Bailey. He probably does that all the time and there's nothing of it. You do it here and everyone is quickly run into the flight tracker to figure out where you're going. Yeah, the Jeremy Roach thing, I think, was a lesson for him.

Right. It was a lesson. They wanted to go, like, try to get involved in that, and then it got out they were in, and people used it against them. We have more media and fans that want to know than these other schools do, right? These other schools and national, here's another thing. National people follow us. They don't follow the random beat reporter at these other schools. I mean, this is just a reality they have to deal with. I have 310,000 people following me. Kyle Tucker has 85,000. What do you have, Drew? 160. 160.

So, like, no other school has that. The biggest reporter, like, I've looked at all these Arkansas dudes, the biggest report in Arkansas has got, like, 15. You know what I mean? So because of that, like, we can't hide stuff. That's something Cal used to say that's true. You can't hide stuff here. And so I do think they have to be careful,

and maybe, Ryan, they're trying to figure out how to have. Yeah, like you said, when the McDonald's, All-Americans, these highly routed freshmen, they would announce a list of 10, we announced a list of 8, then they would cut it to 5, then they would cut it to 3. So we always kind of knew the guys Kentucky was in on. These transfer guys, they're not doing that. Yeah, well, the national media is not calling Great Osabor every day and going giving me an interview. Yeah. They did that with John Wall, right? So it was a different, it's a different circumstance.

All right, let's talk about the picture. Andrew Carr and Pope do a Shannon flexing picture. They both flex in the locker room. I love it because I'm a goofball. Ryan, I know would do something like that. You're Mr. Cool guy, Shannon. Did you like the flexing picture? I like it.

It's quite a change of pace from where we were the last 15 years or so. Is there another coach that you could have seen in Kentucky's history posing in a picture like that? Would have Tubby have done that? No. Would have RICK have done that? No. Billy Gillespie. I don't know.

Billy might have had less clothes on and in a situation. No. Joby Hall. No. Rupp? No. Okay. So he's the only one.

I might be able to see Mark Stoops doing it kind of as a goofy thing, but nobody would do it like Pope. I mean, Pope's doing, here's a little secret. People come up to me sometimes and they want a selfie. And like if it's a woman or an older couple, I do just like a, normal smile. But then sometimes when it's like a young dude, I feel weird like posing with them. So I just like open my mouth really wide. You've seen me do this, right? And go like like that because that feels like that's the best thing I can do in that circumstance. I feel like that's what Mark Pope is doing, right? Like he's like, this is the goofy pose and it seemed I loved it.

Yeah, I like it too. It's such a different approach from before. I mean, we had our players first. This is a different player's first where he almost wants to just be their buddy and hang out with him the whole time they're here. It's really fun to watch. I saw Pope downtown on the sidewalk Saturday night taking other pictures. That man is getting swarm for selfies everywhere he goes

and he's been so gracious to play along when I know he's so busy right now. And by the way, I think he's going to announce today something that will be great for fans who want to get their own selfie. We'll talk about that. Well, I'll let him talk about it when he gets on, but I think he's probably going to announce that today.

But, but, you know, I loved, I loved cool cow when he was swaggy, cool, like, I'm, you know, wearing Versace and like Drake's at the house. I did love that, too. I think that changed over the years a little bit, but when that was rolling, I loved it. But this is a completely different thing. This is like goofy, fun guy you can approach Pope. it's a completely different style, but Ryan, I like it as well. I love it.

I mean, keep in mind, we're just a couple months removed from a plastic shovel and a hard hat picture with some recruits. I nearly posted those pictures back to back, but I didn't want to like, that is a big difference. It is a big difference. But do you like the goofy? I love it. It shows me he's as excited as we are. He's as excited as the recruits are, you know, and I think we're going to see a lot more of that. I just like the fact that he's picking them up at the airport.

I know it seems like it's trivial, but that means a lot, I think, to a family and a kid to know your coach is that invested in you, and he's doing that for you. And, Shannon, I would also say, Mark Pope, the way he's doing this is kind of how we are as fans. Like, let's be real. Like, we're not cool. We're dorks. No, I mean, we're, no, you're not cool either. You're 40 now. Like, you're cool on stage at the band, but you're a dork too.

But I also just mean our fan base. Our fan base, this is not the Miami Heat fan base, right? This is Kentucky, and I think Mark Pope Shannon is kind of like that, isn't it? Yeah. I mean, he's very personable with the fans. And, you know, I think fans are fine with the goofiness off the court, but, you know, he's going to be all business on the court. So as long as we get the success and we win, that's all it's going to matter at the end of the day anyway.

Drew, for a fan base that wants to engulf every piece of info possible, it feels like this coaching staff wants to give them stuff like that. Does that make sense? He understands that we're absolutely obsessed with this stuff. It consumes us. We have nothing but time and can do this every day following this team. We don't have pro teams. We don't have other stuff going on. It's Kentucky basketball.

And I think it's a 24-7 that we're wanting news and they're doing a little bit to keep us informed. Well, the flex was great. It was great. We may need him in OVW now, flexing like that. All right. We'll take your calls right for this, KSR. T.J. Smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J., he'll make them pay. Now, more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones. Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio. Got some folks here from Oldham County, who said he tried to figure out where Billy went to school.

It's a mystery. Nobody knows. You got a guy here from Winchester. We got Rachel and Casey. A lot of folks here for the Mark Pope Day. Got a question for the text machine. 772-745254. This will be my Kentucky-branded text of the day. Go to Kentuckybrandt.com for UK gear and KSR gear.

One person writes, Matt, rank the seasons next year and how good they'll be. Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville. Three teams building a new roster. Let me put aside the postseason. because in the postseason, who knows? Like, it can be random. Let's just do regular season. Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville.

Ryan, you go first. I'm going to take them exactly what you just said. Kentucky, Arkansas, and then Louisville. If I'm mistaken, Arkansas still doesn't have much of a roster either at this point. There's not a lot of guys out there. I think Kentucky will end up still with a great season because these guys are coming in are veterans that are tough-minded-type players that's going to not will you do a lot of wins.

I wouldn't have said this Friday because I still. still didn't know fully what the roster would be. But today, I'm going Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville as well. I think that's, I think Louisville has a lot of players, but they really don't have a difference maker yet. And, you know, Arkansas doesn't, I mean, I don't, I will save, see how their roster finishes out. But I'm going to go Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville.

They got a lot of work to do, too. I'm also going Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville. I know I'm a homer, and I would say that anyway, but I genuinely really like. what Pope has already locked in, hoping there's still a few more big pieces to wrap it up. I love the pieces that he already has. And I'll put Arkansas above Louisville just because I know Louisville's pumping their chest and they have a roster, but it has been so long since they've mattered. I can't just suddenly think they're going to be good next year.

In the portal rankings right now, we are eighth without what I think will be our two best portal gets even here yet. And Louisville is 10th with twice as many players. as we have. So that's how I would compare them. What would you say, Shannon, Kentucky Arkansas Louisville? A little. Louisville's going to be last, so we'll start there. Then it comes down to Kentucky, Arkansas. And I just think that if we're going regular season record only, Arkansas and what they're willing to pay for their recruits, I think Arkansas is probably going to have the better overall record in the regular season, Kentucky's second level third. He's always got to be a contrary.

I believe that. I believe that. I mean, I don't have a, but they don't, I mean, but they will. Well, there ain't that many guys left. I mean, now, let's see what the final portal is. But if you're looking at difference maker superstars, right now there's only about six in the portal. Now, there may get more, but I, you know, you can't manifest players out of Korea. And, you know, he only got half of his recruiting class. You know, Somto's going to Georgia. acquaintance is going somewhere else, and then Perry stayed here.

He lost his best recruits, and in my opinion, lost his best coaches. By the way, he lost, this is the thing that, he lost two of the top two recruits. The two guys he lost were the two highest rated boys. Now, they also were probably the two youngest, but they were the two highest rated boys. And he needs to get DJ Wagner. If I were him, you can't let DJ Wagner go to USC. But the girlfriends at USC. I think DJ Wagner's going to be really good.

I do. I still put me in the buying DJ Wagner stock. I think he's going to be really good next year. It will make me happy to see him go to USC, because I think he's going to be really good. I think by the end of the year, I think he was playing pretty good, and he missed that time,

and then Reed, Rob, and Reeves, he was kind of the odd man out. Put me and buying DJ Wagner stock. I think he's going to be good next year. For instance, if you put him on this team next year, I'm like bring it on. I think his ankle was holding him back and he had that shooting slump that really weighed where they were sagging off of him, which takes away his driving.

I think if he adds a shot and he's completely healthy next year, he's due for his season. Who's next? Devin. Devin. How are you, Devin? Hey, I'm doing good guys. I just had a quick question. I don't know how likely these were to come about. But if Hunter Dickinson or Oster Dixon or Oster's,

We're on the team last year. Do you all think that we'd be in the position we're in right now? I'll hang up. I appreciate the call. I don't know. There's no doubt that Hunter Dickens or Oscar Sheewey last year would have added things we didn't have. But the question is, Ryan, would they have taken away things we did well? Right.

I mean, do you run a different off? If we had Oscar Sheewee, they'd have pounded the ball inside to him the whole game, and I don't think we would have had the same team. Hunter Dickinson's a little different, but he didn't have the year everybody thought he would, and then some people think there's a little bit like he's kind of a tough teammate, so I don't know. You said it.

We saw the offense the two years Oscar was here, and if Oscar was back last year, it would have been a lot of the same. I feel like pounded inside. Of course, you know, he's a college player of the year. You're going to feed him the basketball. But I think you're right, too, about Hunter Dickinson. He just doesn't seem like maybe that gelled very well.

On paper, if you take a guy like Hunter Dickinson and put him on that Kentucky, team last year. He'd have been good. But some didn't connect with that guy. That Kansas team just didn't say, so I don't know. Yeah. He's coming back for another year. I was all right

with them having him. If you had Oscar, it's not so much the offense. I still think the defense would have been bad. I mean, we were bad defensively with Oscar in the pick and roll. So I'd worry about the defense. Yeah. Who's next? Justin. Justin. Go ahead, Justin. Hey, Matt.

Hey, uh, I love show and I've been trying to get into you guys you are hard to get into since Coach Polk came to Kentucky yeah well thank you I have a couple I have a couple of things and I'm going to hang up and let you guys react the first thing is doesn't this feel like the start of something great it does I mean like it didn't feel this way when Gillespie came like it didn't feel like there wasn't this magical feeling right and and when Pope's up on the podium and he's I mean he's giving it to us and he's talking, exciting. It feels authentic, and I think it's because it is.

These other coaches, Cal is a prime example, Chishaski, Patino, Izzo, a lot of these coaches that have been doing this for years and years, I feel like they tell you the things you want to hear. And I know those are the things we want to hear. We want to win banners. We want to go to the tournament and win. We want to go to SEC and win. But it just feels authentic.

But I will say, though, I mean, I do think we need to remember it was pretty daguer. on exciting when cow first got here too. I mean, like it was a day, it was, it was, we just, I wasn't on the radio then, so I didn't feel it like this. I think the better way to put it is, I've had people texting me about UK basketball who haven't texted me about basketball in 10 years, okay? I mean, I think there is an injection of, there's just, I think you're the same way, right, guys like they're just people just are into it i got people texting me who who

kind of felt disconnected from basketball for whatever reason that are kind of of Ryan now back in my opinion and i think a lot of it are the guys that are kind of our age that remember what it was in the 90s and when patina was here in those championship runs and they felt maybe a little disconnected with the program last of years now we all feel like we're back it's our program again what i want to know i think for people Drew's age and older this hire is like a let's go, right? Because we remember him, we remember that time. I mean, everybody likes to remember their youth, right?

Like, Mark Pope is our youth in some ways. What I've been encouraged to see are the people Mario's age buying in. Because I remember the text I got from Mario that night where he was like, you can be honest, we'll go back and look. You were like, oh, who's that? but like watching him and people his age buying in is exciting to me because that was my worry like I was in after 16 hours now the question is will the people who their whole connection to our fan base was John Cala Perry I have a producer at ESPN okay he's 27 I think I worked with him

on the NFL draft stuff. I don't work with him regular, but I work with him sometimes. What's interesting is, he became a Kentucky fan because of Cal. He has no connection to Kentucky. He just started cheering for Kentucky because as a kid he liked John Wall and he started cheering for Kentucky.

When he left, when Cal left, I asked him Thursday night. So you're still going to be a Kentucky fan or are you going to cheer for Arkansas? And he was like, no, Kentucky man. It's a lot more fun to be a Kentucky fan. I was glad to hear that. That's the kind of guy who's not connected to the state who still wanted to be a part of it.

But quickly, Justin, I just got like 30 seconds. You're good, boss. Hey, listen, they always talk about Cal being a player's coach, right? But I think Coach Cal is always looking out for the future of those kids, and that's great. But doesn't it seem that Mark Pope will be a relatable players coach now today and also in the future because he played in the NBA. That's different. I think when it comes to relating to players, and I appreciate the call, when it comes to relating to to players and getting players, Cow was still great. We can't act like he wasn't. Pope may just

be great, Drew, in a different way, right? It's not about better or worse. He's just different. He's a different kind of guy. It's like different between being the cool dude that runs, that walks into your room and like, Cal's in my living room and the guy who goes outside and shoots basketball with you and your little brother. It's just a different kind of thing, right? Yeah, and I think both are good ways to approach it. Cal's obviously very successful. He's one of one in recruiting but popes is completely different i think it's just a refreshing way to approach it now doing a new uh doing a different direction i think it'll still work all right everybody it's time to get ready we do have the derby this weekend it is derby week so draft kings we all i'm going to do this

tonight ryan you're going to do it tonight okay i'll do you're going to do night because you get seven days to do the bonus beds for dk horse so today's the do it day to do it if you want to do it for the derby so download the dk horse app there's no reason you're getting $250 in free bonus bet. So if you put in up to $250, they match it in bonus bet. Why wouldn't you do that? If you're like me, I used other apps. Well, now they're giving you $250 free in bonus bet.

So why wouldn't you use this? If you're going to bet on the derby, go to DK Horse, download the app. The promo code is KSR Horse. KSR Horse. Now, I know a couple people told me that promo didn't work. Use it again. They tell me it's fixed. KSR horse, DK Sports app.

We're going to be talking about the derby, especially towards the end of the week. But you'll download it tonight. I already got it downloaded. Did you put in the promo code? Well, we downloaded it when we talked about it months ago. So am I not eligible now for the promo code? Did you put in the code? Not when we did it like a year ago.

All right. Well, then you can do it. It doesn't do it by download. It's when you put in the information. Okay, good. I was going to ask you that. So put in the information. Yeah.

And the amount you put in up to 250, you'll get that. Nice. You got this. Promote is KSR horse. Mario, come here. There we go. You're going to read this. You've got to read it fast, though.

Start right here. Here, give him this. Start right here in the italics. You got to read. You got to read fast. All right. Ready? Go.

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terms at dkhorse.com. Yes, well done, Mario. We'll be right back. Perfect. Yeah. Welcome back. Take Sports Radio. 859-280-2287.

Text machine 772-7-7-4-5-25-4-1. Person writes, I bet Ryan does get knowledge from Mark Popes to who he is. Ryan's the kind of guy you can't forget. Yeah, but I had a lot of hair back then. he's not going to see it today so it's not going to matter it's not going to hear your voice yeah yeah Ryan lemon come on how are you going to forget that right anything wild on that trip anything stick out uh no he was doing all the crazy stuff like they were on those I think I told you on the ski slopes and Salt Lake City he took his shirt off of running around in the snow up there but you weren't

there I wasn't there I saw it like your video yeah Drew I'm kind of with you no no no no it's just the I think he's not got to hurt him I mean I do think he'll say he'll say he remembers you. He's not going to be rude. He'll say, yes, I remember you, Ryan, but it'll be one of those like, eh, you know what I mean, Shannon? Like, he'll say yes, but I don't know if his heart will be in it. Yeah.

Maybe we can ask him a question just to verify that, you know? That's true. What's a question we could ask that he would know about you? I don't know. He's not going to go. No, that's okay. You know what? It's all right.

He's got to meet his new realtor. He doesn't know us either. So, yeah, have you been called by any of the coaches to help him buy a house? No, remember I was on the Scott Drew Rilter bucket? You're going to tell yourself that from now. Yeah. Put it in your profile. What about Brooks?

I mean, he came from Baylor. Yeah, that's going to be like you're going to be going. That was the day. You know, I guess the rumor about Coach Cowell's house being sold maybe not true. Do you see that? Miss Cowell posted something. that they haven't sold their house yet. So maybe those reports.

So how about you for that? There we go. Hey, Miss Ellen. I don't think you're getting that one. Who's next? Aaron. Aaron, go ahead, Aaron. Okay, I have a couple points.

Let's go one point because we only got a minute or two. Pick your best one. Okay, okay. If we get two or three more big transfer names, we'll have a really, really good team. and Lamont Butler was a complete surprise. I did not expect that at all. All right, there you go. I appreciate the call.

I agree with both of those comments. Well, even Friday we were doing the show. It didn't even out, came out yet who they were going to see in Las Vegas. Well, and the news leaked, and people thought it was one person, and it wasn't, and I think they were okay with that. I think everybody thought it was the kid from Washington State, and I think everybody was all right. I think the staff was all right with it because it kept everybody off their trail. And the guy from Oklahoma is OtegaTron. He's his nickname, Otegatron.

Do you know that? I saw it posted, so it's got to be true. Yeah. Where did you see it posted? Social media. It's on his social. Okay, so it is OtegaTron. Otegatron is what they call him.

I got you. Did you see quickly the Charlotte Panthers football owner, the Carolina Panthers. Oh, yeah. Do you see this? No. So the Carolina Panthers football owners walking down the street, he's just doing his thing between right before day one of the draft. Okay.

It's day of the draft. He walks in. He walks, he sees a sign on a sports bar that says, dear, whatever his name is, please let the coach and GM draft this year, not you. So kind of a shot at the owner. Yeah. He walks in to the restaurant. The guy at the front is wearing a hat of a different team.

I don't know what team it is, but he's wearing the hat of a different team. He is complaining about the sign, and he takes the guy. the guy's hat off and sets it on the ground. So not only is he complaining about the sign, he takes the man's hat off his head and sets it down. So here's my question for it. First of all, how do you have such thin skin that you're going to walk into a restaurant to complain about it sign?

But secondly, how do you take another man's hat off? This is also the same guy. Would he throw a drink on someone last season? A drink on a fan, yeah. The taking the hat off, I retaliate right there. I'm not saying I punch, but to quote Denzel, I'm leaving with something. And I'm probably, I think he has glasses. I'm ripping your glasses right off if you want my hat.

What are you going to do if some man, say you're filling in working as a hostess here at KS Bar. Some man walks in, complains about the fact that we do X, Y, or Z, and takes your hat off. Well, in that capacity, you've got to be a professional and just escort him out. But if it's out on the street, oh, then it's game on. It's game on. The guys, obviously, a powerful, wealthy man. Dude, act like you've been there before, man. Don't have such thin skin where you're going to get your buttler.

What are you doing? What are you doing, Shannon, if a man takes your hat. I'm taking that hat. I'm putting it on his head, and I'm pulling it down so far where he can't see over his eyes. Like Buck Bunny. And just give him a little nugi, you know? See, sometimes really rich people just think they can, like, they think they're the boss of the entire world. They think, like, oh, I'm a boss at my place.

be a boss here too and that's not really how the world works and that sign's not even that bad he made a horrible pick last year that's been criticized for a year i mean he's he knows there's jokes out there about him how you can just walk in and take a man's hat off i mean if you say a few words whatever you shouldn't do that but to actually take that dude's hat off that's where i'm saying you got to do something back i don't think it's as disrespectful as a slap or the worst would be like spitting in a person's face but taking their hat off is a pretty disrespect What's weird to me is that he shook hands with the guy when he left. Because he was trying to be, well, maybe the guy was trying not to cause because he knows he's big in the community or something.

But he's lucky. That could have gone a lot worse for him. You could have got to take a picture of him. That's right. We will have Mark Pope makes his KSR debut here on Kentucky Sports Radio right after this. This is KSR. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves,

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