KSR - 2024-07-26- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: July 26, 2024

It's a "Field of 68" takeover as John Fanta and Rob Dauster talk UK Basketball and are joined by Willie Cauley-Stein.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room

stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Comedy of Broadway and Lexington welcomes Greg Morton,

July 11th through the 13th. Then catch Josh Sneed, July 19th and 20th. And don't miss Jeff Allen, July 25th through the 27th. Comedy of Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987, and they're still bringing the best and stand-up comedy to the area 37 years later. Call 859-271 joke or visit Comedy of Broadway.com. This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

Well, we are not Matt Jones, but we're going to talk a lot about Kentucky basketball over the next two hours and we're going to have fun doing it. And we've got a loaded slave for you. I'm John Fanta. Happy Friday, everybody. and I'm with Rob Dahlster from the field of 68. We do the DTF podcast with Terrence Oglesby Weekly. We do field of 68 after dark throughout college basketball season.

Rob, good morning, my friend. We always love doing this two hours on KSR. I was just thinking about this, Robert. What a change from when we were doing this a year ago, right? Yeah, it's, uh, New rosters, new coaching staffs, new teams to kind of break down and discuss. It's wild how much can change in the span of one year. And I guess in the case of Kentucky, how much can change in the span of about four months

when you're dealing with programs in the middle of the transfer portal in the NIL era. It's wild, it's fun. It's great for people like us in the content business, but it's been a little bit of a world, and I imagine, for people in and around Lexington. Look, we're going to get to that here very shortly. We've got a great show for you. And I'm not just saying that like a Saturday Night Live host. We have Tyler Ulyss.

We have Willie Colley Stein. And we have Ross Smith coming up on today's show. Why do we have all of those big-time figures in the history of Kentucky and Louisville basketball? Because Monday night is the biggest July basketball game you will ever see. I'm confident in stating that.

And here's why. They are expecting 15,000 plus at Freedom Hall for the Ville and La Familia in the basketball tournament. Monday night, 9 Eastern Time. The game will be televised on FS1.

This is TBT and you don't need me to tell you what it is because all of you guys that are listening to this know what's going on. The rivalry, that is Kentucky and Louisville, let's face it, Rob, we have not talked about it nationally in recent years because the Cardinals have not been good. They've been well off the map. But it feels like this offseason, from the very start of the off season to now, that that rivalry has had some injection of energy because of the hires that were made. and Mark Pope doesn't like Louisville, and even though Pat Kelsey's a guy who's, you know, coming into this job and it's not like he played at Louisville,

I know one thing, Pat Kelsey's passionate as hell, and he's going to get behind the whole not liking Kentucky thing, and those two are going to provide just a different momentum, a different energy that we've seen over the offseason. You talk with both fan bases? They're like, look, these guys have energized us. They're getting down the community. They're shaking hands.

they're kissing babies. You have to do that as the coaches of Kentucky and Louisville. For Louisville, it's a total breadth of fresh air. For Kentucky, we know Cal did that, but it got in stale. Pope just gets the place. Well, to me, I think that this is fate. The rivalry, the momentum for both programs, Rob, is in place for this upcoming years, Kentucky Louisville game to be more interesting than in recent years to be really interesting. But maybe there's been so much chatter. Why don't we settle on the court in July? That's what we're going to get Monday night.

The TBT organizers are thrilled. This is the biggest game in the history of their event, and this is why you put together an event like this for a night like Monday. It all becomes worth it when you have that game Monday. But you're telling me that Montres Harrell and Willie Colley-Stein are going to guard each other in the paint. You're telling me that the Harrison brothers are going to be getting catch-and- shoot opportunities at Freedom Hall and getting booed.

You're telling me that Peyton Siva and Russ Smith are going to try to be pressuring, pressuring the ball, pressuring Eric Bledso on Monday night. I'm amazed by, one, 15,000 plus, never question the passion of these two fan bases, Rob. And two, I just think this is all perfect for Louisville, Kentucky, one of college basketball's best rivalries. I'd be curious to hear where you rank it. It's great for this rivalry to get a much-needed summer. injection of momentum then.

I think it's perfect timing than heading into the Pope and Calciarra is kicking off. Well, I think the amount of attention that it's getting and the amount of excitement and buzz and, you know, this is Fanta, a tournament where the winner gets a million dollars, right? Right. It's year, year 10, I believe, for the TBT, right? And so we've had nine championship games with literally a million dollars on the line.

And the fact that in the corner finals, we have a Kentucky team and a Louisville team playing each other. And this is the game that everyone's going to be talking about. We're going to get, what, like 15,000 people showing up in the building. It's the game where it's going to actually make a splash in terms of national television ratings. I think that tells you everything you need to know. And as much as I would like to pretend like this is, you know, oh, Russ Smith's going to have a chance to guard Eric Bledsoe.

And we're going to see Montres Harrell and Willie Colley Stein going up against each other. And as much as I want to say that this is a... about, you know, a couple of alumni teams going head to head. I think that this says everything about the excitement that you see with those two fan bases in terms of what their coaching staff has done to be able to reinvigorate the fan base, right? We don't need to, everyone knows what happened at Louisville the last couple seasons. And we don't need to rub salt in the wound, although this is probably the show if we're going to rub salt in the room where they would support that one than any other show that we're on, Fanta. But I think that even with Cal Lass,

year, right? There was there was some excitement and the way that they played. And I think that people saw a Kentucky team that kind of brought back memories of when the program was kind of at their peak, right? But it ended in a first round loss. And I think that being able to have a little bit of new blood there and a new person in charge and a new kind of voice around the program, I think all of that matters. And that's a long way of way of saying. The excitement off of, this off season for both of these programs, I think is why we're seeing as much attention being given to this because it's like Louisville fans can't wait to see Louisville play again, right? And they can't wait for the opportunity to see their cards, be a team that they

want to support. We talked about this on the pod we did yesterday. And I think with Kentucky fans, they have their coach back in place. They have a Kentucky guy running the Kentucky team again. and I'm excited to see what this rivalry will turn into long term again because I think that that is one of those games where, you know, at the start of the season, fan, and we circle a lot of games and say that's something that we got to be able to get to. And I think it's back to being Kentucky Louisville is one of those games that you have to make sure that you are in front of a television

or in the building to be able to watch it. Hey, give us a call. Clark's Pump and Shop phone line, 859-280-2287. We will take calls here. We will take calls in a little bit. Again, the number to call 859-280-2287. All right, Rob, let's turn to Kentucky. We will get Willie Colley-Stein-Tyne Tyler Ulyss at 1030. We got Russ Smith at 11, can't wait.

Let's look at this Kentucky team, okay? Just from talking with some of the coaching staff members from my time in Lexington last week, here's what could be gathered. Number one, they really believe that Kobe Brea is as impactful, a transfer as any that there was in the portal, as any that they got. Because you look at the last 10 years and you look at the shooting figures, he's the most efficient of any player that you will find. Just defines efficiency. Jackson Robinson, a killer and a guy who gets what Mark Pope wants. I think that was so important that he followed Pope.

they are really they love what they're getting from Kirkreisa look Kirk Creece has been through a lot in his college basketball career he provides experience and they've they've got to keep him composed and keep him from turning the ball over but they're really bullish on him and then the front court it's going to be interesting to see how the minutes get distributed but I think when I look at this roster rock you know they they've got some things to figure out in terms of two minutes to go in a game minutes tied, who's taking that big shot? But to me, Rob, the depth is real.

And in today's climate of college basketball, looking up and down this roster, they're not going to be overrelying on any one piece, at least on paper. Yeah, and there's balance there. There's going to have to be a kind of a depth chart that forms throughout the offseason in the fall and heading into some of these non-conference games. But I was able to catch up with Jason Hart at Peach Jam last week. And the two things that I kind of heard were that, one, the player that's been really the most impressive for him in terms of what he kind of expected versus what he's seen through practice.

So far has been Andrew Carr. He said the Andrew Carr has really come along well. But the other thing, you mentioned Kirk Creaser, right? Like, I think that you're correct and that they've been very impressed with how he's kind of embraced this leadership role. role, this point guard role, to the point where we made jokes when Kerr was at Arizona, right, about headband Kerr, about the way that he played, about kind of the swagger and the personality and the intensity and the fact that he wasn't scared to kind of talk a little bit on the floor,

right? We called him headband Kerr. And what Jason was saying is like he kind of wants to bring a little bit more of that back. Like he's gotten, he swung too far in the opposite direction. I think that playing for a West Virginia team that was not very good at all this past season, the amount of losing that they had last year, the fact that he had to sit out some games through a suspension kind of impacted him and we're seeing him kind of grow and mature a little bit. And now they're trying to get him to kind of be that guy again and play with that swagger again and play with that level of confidence again. So the question I had, it's not just the go-to guy that you kind of reference fan. It's, you know, can you trust Kirk

Creeza as a point guard on a team that is going to win the level that Kentucky fans are going to expect them to win. And I get the sense that you can. I think we're going to see a really good year out of him, you know, with the amount of shooting they have, the big question, and we'll probably get into this a little bit more later in the show, but the single biggest question I have is there's a lot of guys that are very good at doing certain things, right? Like Amari Williams, O'Dh Tegga O'A, Lamont Butler are guys that you kind of circle us saying, those guys are going to be elite defenders. You look at someone like the COVID, yeah, look at someone like some of the freshman, and you circle them and say, those guys are going to be very, very good shooters.

right, even to Jackson Robinson. My big question is, what's the overlap between Kentucky's best defensive five and best offensive five? And does this team have maybe too many specialists? And maybe it's kind of picking nits when we say that. But I do think that that is the one question I have is how does this roster all kind of come together? Because there's a lot of guys that are really good at a certain thing.

But sometimes you need to be a basketball player more than just a shooter or a basketball player more than just a rent protector kind of a deal. It's a great point. It really is. And then I just, between that offensive and defensive five, like Amari Williams is an elite defender, how do they shelve out the offensive game? Because the offensive game is inconsistent.

It is. What I could tell you is, and I'm sure you may have heard the same, they're really pleased with Andrew Carr. They love what he's going to bring to the table. Hey, we keep talking about this, but I said the phone lines are open. So I'm not going to lie to you.

The phone lines are open. We have a caller right off. the top to set the tone. We've got Shannon, our producer. Who do we got here? Yeah, we got Jordan on with us. Go ahead, Jordan. Hi, Jordan.

Good morning. Gentlemen, it's good to talk to you all. I was going to say, so I was 10 when Cala Perry first came as coach. So I don't really know what it's like to have a different coach. And I'm too young to know this is the nostalgia for coach. But I think he's just done such a great job of winning the fan base over. and kind of uniting us into, you know, a new era and a new season. The two questions I had for y'all is, one, do you think it's more or less likely we have a better regular season than we did last year?

And then my second question would be, this kind of feels like we don't know this team as much, and I know you are talking about the players. But what do you think would be a good way for the basketball program, really introduce them to the fan base because there is just a lot of turnover and new faces and new names that we're adjusting to. Well, I'll give it to Rob after, and great call, man. Thank you so much for calling us this morning. I think that the first question is you might not have the same regular season, right? I think this past year you had several terrific moments in the regular season, and Reed Shepherd

and Rob Dillingham dazzled. And look, you get to the NCAA term. embarrassed. But the measuring stick at Kentucky is not the regular season. It's what you do in March. So the SEC is deep and only got deeper in the offseason, Rob. So there could be some growing pains. There could be some learning moments. But at the end of the day, if you make the sweet 16, that's going to reinvigorate this fan base because it hasn't happened. When they step on the floor in the 2025 NCAA tournament, it will have been six years. As for getting the team to know the fans, that comes down to engagement, engagement events.

That comes down to, look, using your NIL events, meetups at different restaurants, coaches shows, which I'm sure that there will be. Mark Pope's going to do a coach's show. You know, I don't think that's going to be a problem because this staff is not like that. They're not closed off. They just engaging with the community, I would guess they do a little preseason, you know, around Lexington type of, type of tour. you know, maybe in future years when you're Kentucky, you could play an exhibition, a charity exhibition

somewhere else. Cal did that from time to time. But in terms of the regular season, this is something that we talked about, Rob, on our show. You know, what are you, and please call the hotline. What are your expectations for this team? I like the question there, Rob. He says, well, our regular season be better. To me, it's like, if it comes at the cost of a couple of losses more, but you win in the NCAA tournament, That's what Kentucky fans are going to get excited about. Yeah, look, it's going to be hard to be better than a three seed when you have 13 brand new players on your roster, right? In the last three years, we haven't seen one team that returned less than 15% of their minutes from the high major ranks even make the NCAA tournament. Utah State did the last year out of the Mountain West.

That's it. So getting to the quite literally getting to the dance would be unprecedented in the transfer era for this Kentucky team with the amount. the turnover that they had. So my expectation is they're going to be in and around the top 25. They're going to be in and around the top five in the SEC, which is going to be very, very good. And they're going to find a way to be able to make it exciting enough that Kentucky fans are engaged.

But you're exactly right. It's success in March that is going to matter and is going to be the differentiator for Pope in this program. 859-280-2287 is the number to call coming up at 1030. Willie Collie Stein and Tyler Ullis, Ullis, the coach of Lafamilia. Collie Stein, one of the all-time favorites in Lexington. I'll tell you why after this. This is John Fanta.

Rob Dost was filling in for Matt Jones. Just getting started on KS. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What?

Time out. Look. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play. game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to

give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. He's nice. But get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I one time was calling a game, and this song was playing, and the officials were at the monitor. and it took the entire song for the review. We finished the entire Welcome to the Jungle. And it's at that point when you finish the entire version of Welcome to the Jungle, Rob Dostler, that you probably should make up your mind. Yeah, there's nothing more college basketball the officials going to the monitor and just staring at it for minutes on it.

But we love it. We can't wait for it. We live for all that. Tyler, Ulysses and Willie College tag coming up at 1030. so we have just a few minutes for your phone calls, 859-2-80-2-287. What is your honest expectation for Kentucky this season? What do you look at with this team?

I think that Rob, you know, the big picture element of the state of Kentucky basketball is this. All things come to an end. And John Caliperi, how he gets received, we've talked about this. He's going to get, I think, a nice applause from Kentucky fans when he comes back. Because at the end of the day, he provided some outstanding moments for the program. But let's face it, Cal, the last couple years of his tenure, whether it was with the media

or whether it was just overall with the results in March, it just had run its course. Mark Pope is authentic. He's energetic. he wants to win more than anybody. Why? Because he wasn't untouchable. And he gets the program. He gets the fan base. His wife and his daughters show up to the TBT games. They're sitting courtside. They're taking it all in. He's wearing a Lafamilla jersey to the games. That to me, Rob, was like, it's like medicine for this fan base. You know, they haven't been in this dark of a place as Louisville, far, far, far from it. But when you're now winning in the tournament and you have a coach who kind of was trying to just run it back,

continue to do things the same way, you know, it's, it was time. And I think that Kentucky, they end up being the big winner from this. The Mitch Barnhart sit down with cow. You know, I remember watching that thinking, man, I don't think this works out for them at the end of the day. If the writing's on the wall, the writing's on the wall. And I know that the search was interesting and that they reached out to different candidates and didn't end up being the right way. But I know this much. This guy that's currently in the head coach chair is so well liked and took BYU, Rob, in the Big 12 this past year, the hardest league in college basketball.

And they had a great season and hovered around the top 25 the whole year. And if Mark Pope does that with this Kentucky team and they win an NCAA tournament game, if not too, you're going to look a year. one is a resounding success. Yeah, I agree with all that, but do you really think that Cal's going to get a friendly reception the first time he comes back to Lexington? I think it's going to be a little more disfriendly. I think there's going to be some booze. Why? Why?

Because he left. He left for an SEC rival, took a bunch of players with him, took a bunch of recruits with him. I understand it that kind of run its course, but it's not like he left for UCLA. It's not like he left to go coach the Brooklyn Nets. He went to Arkansas. He's coming back because the team is going to be competing for SEC championships and final fours and five-star recruits.

Like he is in conference. You know, he's not that far away. He's a Razorback now. It's not like he left the – he didn't even leave the league. He's staying in the SEC. I don't know if he's going to necessarily get a warm applause. You're coming in his arrival. You don't think that he'll get –

So I would – I think – and give us a call here. give us a call because I'd love to hear from you. We do have Tyler Ullis and Willie Colley's side coming up. But after they come out, Russ Smith is on at 11 as well. But I do want to hear from you. What kind of reception will Calgett versus what kind of reception should he get? Those are two different questions, Rob. Well, he should.

It should be friendly, right? He won a title. He made a bunch of final fours. It wasn't great the last four years, but it was really good the eight or nine years before that. But I just, I have a hard time seeing a whole bunch of fans stand up there and clap for the guy that's coming in wearing the maroon red suits. He's coming out as a razorback. You know, maybe one day you can give him an applause when he comes back. Not the first time. Not when he's coming in trying to beat you. Not when he's coming in as a rival.

No, what is that? Is that game going to be in February or whatever it is? They're going to be fighting for a league championship and a league place there. So it's, yeah, I don't, I don't know if he's to get in the flaws. Maybe some will. I bet there's going to be as many booze as it will be cheers. That's my bet. Well, whose team will be better? I mean, that's the other big question here. Is who, who, in 25 seconds, Rob, who's going to be better?

Oh, man, you're putting me on the spot. I will say this. I like the roster build and the balance more with Kentucky, but I do think that Arkansas is going to have the best player out of the group in Janelle Davis. Coming up next, Tyler Ullis, will he callie Stein. How should Cal be received? What's the TBT rub been like for La Familia? We'll tell you.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 and the TikTok podcast. network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedipausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my GenX squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS.

All of a sudden, I'd had hanging. happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex

drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered

and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. Well, we're not Matt Jones. We're John Fanta and Rob Doster here on a Friday morning with you. lot familiar, the Kentucky alumni team. Second time the Kentucky's field and alumni team in the basketball tournament. And this time, they've got a guy who spent time in the NBA. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft of the Sacramento Kings. He ended up playing the league for eight years, Kings, Warriors, Mavs, 76ers.

This is the guy who was a first-team All-American in 2015. SEC defensive player of the year in 2015. And he is just such a fan favorite. Why? Because he loves Kentucky. He loves Big Blue Nation, and they love him back. These people were waiting an hour after the game last Friday, the first game that Laughamilia played him,

just to make sure that they could see Willie Collie Stein or get his shoes or get his headband, get something signed because that's who Willie is in the community. Willie Collie Stein is joining us now on Kentucky Sports Registry. Willie, good morning. Good morning. How are y'all doing? We're doing great. We're doing great. John Fanta, Rob Dostcher. Willie, I'll start this with this. What has this been like? Being back in Lexington and suiting up in Kentucky, Bloom White, and playing again for this university and seeing the amount of support, getting this chance to play in TBT, because I know you said going in this, you wanted to feel that energy.

again, you wanted to feel that vibe again. What's, what has it been like? Oh, yeah. Oh, man. You know, I, I'm getting exactly what I wanted. The love and support out here is on dinner. I think the first time around to overlook how special that is. And so, like, now being older, having kids and even just getting on 10 years later

with, you know, everybody on another level and like on display now. Hey, Willie, Rob Doster here. What does it say about this Kentucky Louisville rivalry? that there's going to be 15,000, 10,000, 15,000 people in the stands to watch a bunch of alumni play against each other. Is this the best rivalry in college basketball? Is that what it says? I mean, numbers don't lie. Numbers don't lie, man.

I think it's absolutely. I mean, the state is buzzing right now. The state is buzzing, like taking a golf lesson. I end up playing a part three course with a bunch of kids from out there and John back and forth about the kids. game so I can't wait. I'm glad you know there's a few days. Willie by the way nine o'clock Monday night it's on Freedom it's at Freedom Hall it's on FS1 for those who can't make out how you couldn't get there. Freedom Hall is going to be rocking on Monday night with a sea blue and the sea of red Willie Cully Stein is our guest Willie Chris Jones of the Ville team said

well there could be some blood there could be some blood when we face off that's just how this is How do you respond to that? It is. It's going to get chippy, but shit, that's what we want. That's what the fans were. That's what that's right from game to game in history. Both teams going back and forth, and it's been that way. So it doesn't matter if this is an alumni game or not.

I mean, all of us are pros or right outside of pros. So, you know, it's going to be serious. It's not going to be like a pickup game. Willie, so the name of the Kentucky team in Texas, TBT is La Familia. And the guy that kind of brought all of these guys together that kind of built this era of the family, so to speak, was John Callipari. Obviously, he left for Arkansas in the offseason. How did you find out about that? And now that you are older and you're obviously more mature and you've kind of been in the basketball business, how do you view his decision to leave and take another job in the SEC? Yeah, man, I mean, shoot, I found out just like everybody else. I woke up that morning and was like, dang, I just signed with Law Familiar too. So I was excited to come in and see what, you know, it's been cooking up.

But, man, I think it's, I think it's good. I think it's good. I think, you know, in the time, you know, people love John out here. People love Coach Kyle. So, you know, hearing that kind of, you know, it was a blow. But I think in the grand scheme of things, things was getting kind of stagnant. in the program a little bit, just, you know, couldn't get over a hump, I feel like. So, I mean, at that point, there does need to be a change.

And that's real. That's part of basketball. It's part of the way coach knew that. That's why he did it. And, you know, now he's got a different buzz going around him. It's a different energy. I think, you know, going to Arkansas, you know, it kind of takes a lot of pressure off him in a sense of, like, You know, here in Kentucky, you've got to win.

You've got to win now. And we don't want to hear nothing else about it. We're trying to win. We're trying to win now. And so that pressure is deep. That pressure, that pressure can, you know, turn your hair. Great. Can make you lose your hair.

So I feel like, you know, he's going to, like, do exactly what this community did, just like this community. Willie, quick follow for you. We talked about this, John and I, before we went to the last break. But what do you think the reaction for Kentucky fans should be the first time that Cal walks into Rupp as the Arkansas head coach? Kind of disappointed if it was anything but he's done a lot. He's done a lot for the community. I mean, that can't be dismissed, you know, whether it's, you know, he's on a new team or not.

I'm so like, yeah, you got to show them flowers and then it's on. Like, you know what I mean? You got to show him flowers and then it's on, you know. I was first time at the end of the day. I agree with you. We were just talking about in the previous segment. I mean, he did do a lot of good. And I think that Willie,

and I don't know how you feel about this. Look, the last few years were tough. We know what the measuring stick is. Part of it was because of what he created, though. Part of those, you know, when you're falling in the NCAA tournament, well, you're used to Cal going deep, going. I mean, in the, on your teams, to start a season 38 and 0, I wanted to ask you about that.

How would you describe the idea of week after week after week, you guys just have not lost a game? How did that happen? How much pressure was there on you when you got to the tournament and you went into it having not lost a game? Yeah. man I think coach did a good job of keeping us in the into weeks of just enjoying that whole time like I wasn't I wasn't and I don't think anybody else you know we're doing something some super super special here let's I think it goes back even

farther than that like the Bahamas that summer like we were a close team outside looking in you would think you would think that we were super super super super close you know but that summer nah we were fighting like dude we were fighting Like, it was a fight. Like, we were practicing it's a fight, and coaches just letting it happen. Like, this is every day. This is playing pickup. Like, we know how the twins are.

We know how book is. We know how tired. Like, we was in there getting to it. And at the end of the day, it just made us, like, the games was easy. We didn't even be, we was playing more minutes in practice than we got to play in the game. So, too. My time we got to get into games, it was like, you know, we're seeing stakes.

we're seeing steak and lobster like we're about we're about to eat willie you've uh you've got a chance to be coached by uh tyler eulis here uh the last couple weeks how good is he give me the scouting report on tyler eulis in this new uh new era of his basketball career for stations about about the coaching thing the way it looks like he's got a bunch of willie collie stein willie really appreciate you taking the time and and thanks for going down memory lane but also a new memory gets formed on monday night what's your message message to Big Blue Nation as you guys are heading into Enemy Territory Freedom Hall Monday evening. You're going to be disappointed if there's more red than blue in there?

I need to see more blue than red for sure. Exactly. I know how we get down. I know how we get down. And last I checked, you have a four-game winning streak against Louisville. Yes, you are. Willie Cully Stein. We'll see you Monday night. Thanks for taking the time. There you all, have a good one.

We'll take a break. After this, we'll get your reactions to that interview. If you got a favorite Willie Cully, Stein memory, share it with us. And we'll talk about what your expectations. What do you expect, one, from Mark Pope this upcoming season, and two, how will you receive John Caliperi when he comes back to Rupp Arena? How will you react when he comes on that tunnel? Will you give him an applause?

Will you just give him a chorus of boost? This is KSR. We'll get your answers next. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

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and internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her.

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The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this world. Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Chris Stapleton on a Friday morning. This is KSR, Kentucky Sports Radio. Willie Collie Stein was fantastic.

The number to call 8-5. 9-2-80-22-8-7. Let's go back to the phones right now. Who do we got? We've got Rob, another Rob, on the line with us. Wow. Rob, good morning. Hey, guys.

As far as your question goes about being booed, that's kind of a no-brainer for a Kentucky fan. I'm a little surprised you even asking the question. He's going to get booed because when he put on Arkansas Red and he enters into our arena, he's now the enemy. Now, it's a no-brainer, guys. It's going to happen. I'll bet you, get off the line.

I'll bet you whatever you want. No, Rob, I'm going to ask you this. You still on, Rob? Yeah. So here's my question for you. How would you categorize then the John Caliperi era in full? How would you categorize it? I like John in full.

Absolutely. I mean, I was the saying until, you know, last year, I felt he was time to go. You know, the gig was up. Everything at God's fail. I'm glad he's gone, but he's still put on an interconference team. He's coming back. There wasn't a lot of love with a lot of the fans.

I actually had to defend him to most of the people. And I'm just telling you, I know the temperature of Big Blue. They're a lot of more angry at John Calgary than I am. Do you think? well, obviously you think, but I want to know what your honest expectations are for Mark Pope this year and what you think he's going to be at Kentucky. I think you guys assessed it, right? He's going to be top 25, probably a sweet 16.

We're not going to hold his feet to the fire. But in the day of NIL, the Kentucky brand, and the coffers, he should be able to be able to be. be made by year three making a run for the title. Rob, thank you for the call. Year three. I like it. Yeah. That's what Rob says.

Do you agree? Rob, is that fair? I actually think, I think that's fair. Like going into year three off the first two, then fully building it out. Like the thing is, though, Rob, and I know you've got thoughts on this. Transfer Portal versus true freshman, five-star rap. versus getting the best in the portal. This was a, this roster, the way that Mark Pope constructed,

he got a lot of good transfers. A couple of great ones. A couple questions to answer. But he filled up at the portal because he, in the portal because he had to. It would just be interesting to see if he continues to go that route more so than than doing what Cal did. And then to that point, you know, if you're a high schooler, is that still in your mind? in a world where Bill Self and Dan Hurley are kings right now,

Hurley being the main king, you know, what kind of, what do we see in the distribution between like a Kansas, Duke, Carolina, Arkansas now because of Cal and Kentucky in terms of the five-star freshman?

Well, look, I think continuity matters. I think if you look at the way that Yukon was able to develop guys over two and three years to get them to the point where they were pros, matters. I think when you look at when Kansas won, in 2022 with Christian Brown and Jalen Wilson and those guys, the continuity there mattered. Look at Baylor in 2021. The continuity there

mattered. They had upperclassmen that had been in the program for two, three, four years. And I think if you look at kind of, look, Pope had to go out and get guys that could contribute right away, because when you have to fill 13 roster spots, like vagaries can't be choosers at that point, right? Like you need bodies more than anything else. And he's got a bunch of guys that are going to be here for one year and gone. But he's also got Travis Perry and Colin Chandler. He's got Trent Noah and Brandon Garrison. Wotego Owe is probably going to end up being a two-year guy as my guess, right? So there is going to be a level of developing a program and a culture and a team

and not just having it be a churned over one and done factory. You do want some of those guys because quite often a player like an AJ DeBonsa or somebody at that level is going to end up being one of the best players in college basketball. So it helps. Having those guys, a player of that caliber, plug a hole, fill a need, do a job via Steph Castle, be a Donovan Klingin, all of that stuff helps. But being able to have the base of six, seven, eight guys

returning every single year so you can maintain that level of culture, maintain that level of a player-run program, a player coached program, so to speak. I think all that stuff matters. And you can see the basis of it there. You know, in terms of does he have? have to win a title by his third season. No.

Like if you, if it's national title or bust, like 361 coaches would be out of the job every single season. That was the case, right? But I do think by year three, you want to have a team that's like entering the season in the conversation for top eight nationally, right? I think that's fair. I think that's fair. We've got Russ Smith coming up.

Talk about the bill and law familiar. That's going to be an interesting interview on this here station. Stay with us. Kentucky Sports Radio. 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 I-Heart 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 headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment,

and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett. My mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.