KSR - 2026-04-21- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

Matt, Ryan, and Shannon talk the latest news in the transfer portal and take your calls.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.

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And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Known for his crowdwork, comedy of Broadway and Lexington, welcomes club favorite Ian Bagg, April 9th through the 11th. Then from Saturday Night Live and the hit TV show DMV, catch Tim Meadows, April 16th through the 18th. And from Netflix and social media, catch Amber Autry May 1st and 2nd. More tickets to all Comedy Off Broadway shows.

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This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now, here's Matt Jones. Welcome, everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Tuesday. April the 21st. I am Matt Jones here on a, it's going to be the start. I think this is the start of summer today, right now. Right now. Okay. Today. I just feel it within the weather. It's going to be like 80 at the end of the day.

Summer begins today. April 21st, day after 420. Shannon's favorite day of the year. You can give a shout at Clark's Pump and Shop phone line 859-2-80-2287. We're going to open up with the phones in a minute. A Vision Auto Glass Text Machine is 772-7-7-4-25-4. And this edition is sponsored by the T.J. Smith, if you call T.J, he's going to make some pay.

We're going to do something we do, you know, every three months or so, 30-second day where people can call. I think this is a day. for BBM, like a group therapy or a group just get it out their day. Because I think a lot of people are frustrated and then there are people that are frustrated. That people are frustrated. And just on a selfish note, Ryan Lemon, I don't want everybody just going, Matt Jones's raising.

I'm going to let everybody give their own opinion some. 30 seconds. 30 seconds worth of opinion. Shane, you got the buzzer. There we go. So we will set that up. We'll start the next segment. We're going to go.

today because I got energy. I have energy for really three reasons. Okay, what are they? Reason one is I was telling Shannon for some reason I found myself in the last six months, just walking down the street going, God's up to something. God's up to something. I've decided, I think that's

the most successful ad campaign in the history of our show, Shannon. Well, you're welcome because you heard it first for me. I'm the one that told you all done. I can't think of a hook of a song. For people who don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I guess. Does it run on podcast the commercial ever? I know it runs on podcast. Runs during the show.

So if you listen on podcast, you may not hear. Who's the singer? That's the one thing I don't remember. Carson Beyer. Carson Byer. We know the hook. We don't know the singer. And it's worked.

Because if you might feel that you're down and now, what happened, Shannon? God's up to something. God's up to something. I think it's. And I think a successful ad or song. is one that stays in your head and that has worked. If I was at a club, which I would not be, but if I was and that came out or that came on,

Ryan, I'd be excited. You'd be putting your boogie shoes on, getting down and getting dirty. And I've heard all of you at one point sing that hook, including Mario, who doesn't even know who like Bruce Springsteen is. Mario will be walking down the street and just go, God's up to something.

So it works, Shannon. That's advertising right there. Yep. You've heard it probably 100 times now and you can get it out of your head. It's an earworm. Yep. So I want you to play it next segment so I can sing it again. The hook works.

We know the hook, but does the ad work? We don't know the singer. I'm going to give you the verse and see if the verse is gives the hook. No, no, no, I want to come with the hook. You get it all. I've heard the verse a couple times, but I want, I want the hook. It works because that song works. It works because the song works.

Yes. The song works because the song works. It's a great analogy. So Carson, what's his last name again? Carson, Byer. I, thank you for advertising. I want you to go buy his music. Yes, because God's up to something.

And it also just, let me just say, good message. Yeah, everybody's doing more God in their life. Listen, if something bad's happening, you want to feel better, God's up to something. If something good's happening, you go, we'll see. God's up to something. It works. The next thing is God's up to nothing. Can't wait for that one to come out.

That one, I don't think that one will be. God's just twiddling his thumb. God's not thinking about you. Nope. All right. God doesn't care about you. I'm glad that was the original lyrics. And then Carson came in and changed it.

And it was better. Okay, second thing, I, you know, yesterday, you started getting news in the afternoon that Donnie Freeman was not going to pick Kentucky. And then I think it got announced in the evening. But by about four or five o'clock, it became pretty clear. He was going to go to St. John's. And that's a diabolical move, which we have to. talk about. But I realized what a different viewing experience watching my other teams is versus

watching Kentucky. Kentucky is still the one I care about the most. But the Reds and the Hurricanes are next for me, along with the Bears, but they don't play very much. And watching the Reds and the hurricanes is such, Ryan, a joyous experience. Because especially the Reds, because if they lose, whatever. You got 140 other. There's 140 more, but they're winning. Yeah. And it's exciting. And I'm like putting on fake

mustaches and like, and then the hurricanes were in a double overtime playoff game. Did you see that? Didn't see it. They hit the winning goal. They celebrated. They danced. People left. And then they came back five minutes later and said it was off-sides. So Shannon, a lot of people in, you know,

the Matt Joneses of the stadium, as soon as they hit what they thought was the winning goal, they sprinted out the door to beat the traffic. Yep. But then the refs came back. Wow. And said it was off sides.

And then they were pounding on the gores trying to get back in and they wouldn't let them back in. Oh, the fans got locked out. See, Shannon, I think you have to let them back here. No, no, no, no. If you're that much of a fair weather fan, you leave. It's not fair weather. They thought we won.

Well, that's what you get for thinking. You should have stayed. You know, you should have been outside. Because the moment we hit the winning goal, I'm gone. Get out of here. Beat the traffic. Beat the traffic. I almost did that at the Braves Reds.

game last year if you remember that one. I do remember that. And the Braves were about 10 months and came back and tied it up. Yes, I do remember that actually. So they, so apparently they were pounding on the door to come back in and they would not let them back in. Wow. And then it was like an hour later that they scored the goal that won, but a lot of people weren't there. They're stuck out in the parking lot. But my point in watching, I watched both those games back to back because I had such joy and excitement, but it wasn't the stress that UK basketball is. You know what I mean? Well, yeah, especially for you. You have a hard. hard time watching UK basketball during March Madness.

Do you not find UK basketball stressful? Absolutely is stressful. UK football, UK basketball? Do you find it stressful? I find it very stressful. I don't find my other teams is stressful. And I don't know what that is. I think it's a combination of,

I always was nervous for UK basketball, but never regular season games until post-COVID. And it felt like post-COVID, I think it was because I thought we could literally lose any game at any time. You know what I mean? Yeah, of course. Because I didn't feel that way for 10 years.

I think it's become that like it's just stressful to watch. I don't know if other people agree, but I find it stressful. Are we just too emotionally involved in our Kentucky Wildcats? Maybe I am. Maybe I am too emotionally involved. But the thing is, it's that emotional involvement that makes it when we get a special win that makes it feel so good. That's a good point.

You know? Uh-huh. The reason. that beating Duke when Pope was right when he first got here. That felt special beating Arkansas this year and we've beaten Tennessee like

four times. But it's been so stressful which gets me to the recruiting yesterday. You know, do I care about Donnie Freeman? Not really.

Shannon, I didn't have a thought about Donnie Freeman until a week ago. None of us do. If you had just told me Donnie Freeman, I'd think, doesn't he work on refrigerators in Bell County? Who he played for. But then I convinced myself, because you know, you start seeing video rankings.

Okay, well, we got to have this guy. And then there's some guy named Sebastian. If you had told me we needed a basketball player named Sebastian, I would have thought, no. But then I convinced myself, well, if we don't get Donnie Freeman, at least we'll get. Sebastian and we ended up getting none of

neither of them in what I think is objectively a failure but I got I was really bummed last night and I'm like why I didn't even know who these guys were Shannon right we all though have to do like a crash course on who these guys are quickly learn who they are

and then become very invest in ourself that we have to have this guy we have to have them yeah now I think it is objectively true that UK completely fumbled this situation. I don't know how you can come up with another solution. They had two guys who both visited here, both of whom expressed significant interest in coming here, and both of whom UK thought they could not only get they had.

They decided they wanted one over the other. The other said, look, I got to decide and they go, well, just give us a day. And in that day, he went somewhere else. That's rancic. Yep. And they did that because they were like, Freeman's ours. And then he kept waiting and he kept waiting.

And his agent was like, all right, anybody want to give us more money? And then they find somebody to do it. And it's Pope's mentor. Makes it sting a little more. Petino. At two Brutei comes in and nails him. It's kind of a crazy thing. And it seems like once again,

for about the 10th time in two years. Mark Pope and his staff have misread the market and have lost guys that seemed almost assured to be Kentucky players by their decision making. And it's frustrating. I actually think it's really frustrating. Now, could they scramble out of it, go get somebody really good,

maybe even get somebody better by overpay? I mean, they can. But it's just another example, Ryan, of decision-making and recruiting with this staff that has been not just bad for Kentucky. But I would say objectively bad. There are people who cover this saying that Kentucky's having the worst portal season of anybody when you consider what they could have gotten versus what they're getting. I think you summed it up perfect what fans feel like. You know, losing Donnie Freeman was a hit. But you lose these.

10 guys you're talking about, that's a major hit. Well, just go through some names of guys that Kentucky thought they had that they didn't get. Right? Yeah. Donovan Dent back in the day. Yeah. Right? The Wilkinson kid.

Yes. The famous one you had. Went to Indiana. Magoon Gua. Yeah. The first time. Rob Wright. Yeah.

Donnie Freeman. Sebastian Ransick. Who else? There are more. I don't think they thought they were getting yaxil. They tried, but I don't think they thought. But those are six guys that I think Kentucky thought they had. And the freshman kid, the big kid this year.

Oh, Caleb, well, yeah, I mean, Christian Collins. Christian Collins, yeah. That was, that was done. Kentucky was the leader for him forever. That was done, people thought. And then no. And yet, Pope and them still don't have a GM, still don't think they need help.

it's very frustrating and I can see why I think fans get too negative but I can see why they're negative yeah it's hard to see if if they fumbled they had two guys they could have gotten either one of them and they found a way through decision-making Ryan to get neither that's a bad bad look when you're still trying to recruit some kids like why aren't these out why is everybody leaving why nobody want to commit to Kentucky right now no but this is Kentucky, we probably have. And so I don't want people to think I'm a doom and gloomer. This is just true. Kentucky probably has third through fifth most money in the country to give away. There's probably a couple schools that have more. Louisville, I think, is giving away, excuse me, some more this year.

Maybe St. John's. But we probably have third, fourth, or fifth most money. So that's not the excuse. And we can't get people to come here. So what is it? Well, there you go. I don't know. Look, you might... Maybe God's up to something. I don't know. You might feel like you're down to nothing, but God is up to something.

Well, maybe he will be. Maybe we'll get that kid from Iowa State who's better than all these guys. He still may go pro, though, right? NBA? Oh, he's probably not coming here. I'm just trying to... That was there. Everybody yesterday was like, okay, didn't get down in Freeman. Who's next?

Well, there is no... There is nobody there. There's no next that's on their level. Unless you get... There's a couple guys that are better than them. but that we've never really thought we had a chance with the kid from Iowa State and then Alan Gray's from the two guys we played in the tournament. They're both better, but I don't think anybody's thought we were going to get them. But then again, we thought we were going to get these guys and we didn't get them.

So maybe if we don't think we're going to get the other guys, Shane, and then we do get them. I feel like Stokes, we're all in at this point. We've got to get him. If we don't get Stokes, I don't know if it matters who we get as far as the fans' positivity going into next season. I feel like now we're all in on him. Well, I think if you got one of those, the Iowa State guy or raised. But is that really going to make fans go, all right, let's go. It should because he might be the best player in the portal.

If you were to get, and again, I don't even know if we're talking to him. But he's probably the best player in the entire portal. So yes, that would be good. I hope now they please make a phone call to talk to him, don't you? Listen, I will tell you this, I don't want to be negative. I want to be positive. I like being positive. You've also got to be realistic.

But you do have to be realistic. And here's the thing. I want to be positive. Give me something to be positive about. I'm positive about Alex Wilkins. Yes. Pretty positive about Zoom Diallo. Yes.

But right now, the lineup we have right now ain't winning anything. Yeah, our roster has some desperate needs. And the way to fill those needs are getting slimmer and slimmer as the day goes on. And it's getting slimmer and slimmer. All right. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to let the fans, you got 30 seconds. Shannon, open it up.

859-2-80-2-807. Just making sure it still works. It's working. 36. You tell us, what do you think? Are you still optimistic? Are you pessimistic? Whatever.

859-2-80-2287. We will take a break. Be right back. KSR. Last night, a blown call changed the 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 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly.

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life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin, and rising hockey star Lela Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain.

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That's a great hook. Oh, I'd say, I don't know that I've heard this part. You haven't. You haven't heard any else. See? But he knows to keep repeating the court. That's right. Oh, I love it.

Now I think it's even better, Shadden. You were talking about the... Hold on. Yeah, but that's... Oh, right. Shadda, I actually legitimately think that I'm not... It's a good song. Well, there you go.

Carson Bayer, you're a fan. Carson Byer. Is he playing at Manchester Music? By the way, Manchester Music Hall gets these massive crowds. It feels like every night. I don't know who's playing there, but like, they must be killing it. Even like last night on a Monday night? Just on a random night?

They'll be like all these people everywhere. And of course they end up parking on my street. And I'm sitting there and want to tow them, but I don't. But they just, they get huge crowds. Good for them, man. I guess you could charge people to park in your parking lot there in your little driveway. I heard more about the bathroom situation there during the Dwight Yoke. We got to get some more porta-potties.

Really? There was apparently, like, 4,000 people, 14 port-a-potties. And no line. People would just massively gather in front of it. That is not a good ratio. That is not a good ratio. at all. Wow.

They ran, they apparently ran out of beer right as Dwight Yolkham started, which meant only liquor from then on. Oh, boy. Yeah. And then, of course, that means more of a demand for the porta-potties. Exactly. And that means more, like, that's not good. One person writes, Matt, before you go to the calls, each of you, be honest, don't try

to sugarcoat it. What do you think is the main reason we're not getting the place? players. All right. Do not film this. I don't want people yelling at me, Mario. I know it will go. But it's not worth it.

Go for it, right. I hate to have to go first. Well, you do. Just my opinion, I think he's having a hard time connecting with these kids. I think it's got to do with just maybe he's getting in his own head and he's just having a trouble connecting because it's not just a one-off thing this year. We went through it last year at Portals season. So you think he just.

weirds about. It's a better way to put it, yeah. Okay. Shannon. I think putting way too much focus on the tradition that Kentucky has, what it means to play at Kentucky. I don't think that means nearly as much as it did 10 years ago before NIL existed.

So I think trying to rely too much on the history of Kentucky is costing some recruits here for Mark Pope. I think for me, it's a combination of a bunch of things that got us here but now in the last week or so, the brand of Kentucky has become tarnished in the world

and were kind of looked at a little bit as suckers. And how we got here was, I think, a little bit of what Brian said, a little bit of a couple of contractual issues with players last year, and then now it's almost like we're not cool to go to. And so guys are looking for reasons to not come here. and our money, as soon as it's matched, they're just going somewhere else. And so we have a branding PR problem. And it's, and it's, we're just keep, we keep digging ourselves in a hole.

And every time you lose somebody, it just hurts it more. Absolutely. You know. So is Kentucky in a lose, lose situation almost? Now they're just going to, in my opinion, the only way you get out of it is Mark Pope's got to have a fundamental restructing. of how he goes into this stuff. And I don't, somebody smarter than me is going to have to be the one to do it.

But until then, I think the only way out is you're going to have to vastly overpay, which brings its own set of problems because next year they're going to go, well, you pay this dude. So like, that's not a, but I don't think he is a choice. I think they have got to go. They wanted to keep a budget. They didn't want to be. Last year, we became known as the 22 minutes. million dollar team. And as Kyle Tucker pointed out, they did nothing to dispel that.

Even though I don't think they spent that amount of money, I think they wanted people to think they spent that amount of money so that it looked like we were the gold standard. But the problem is now we look like suckers because we didn't play well and we spent all this money and we're seen as money bags that you can then use to leverage to get to go where you really want to go. And every time somebody picks somebody else over us, Our brand decreases. So we're like, we're like a store where you actually have a pretty good quality of goods,

but people just don't think you do because it's, well, you know, that's, I don't know, Target or whatever. You know, I mean,

I'm just, I think that's what happens. And like, that's a tough cycle. And you know how you get out of that cycle? Really good PR. And we're not doing any PR. And so we're just stuck in this spiral.

And I think the only way you get. out of it is you go overpay for a couple players, get some dudes to come in here and then we win. That's it. Because they've screwed. The PR part has been a disaster. And the fact that we're losing these players and then the PR part, we're just in like a death spiral. So like Shannon said, it's the only way to save it. You have to overpay and go get Stokes. Well, you have to do what you did with Alex Wilkins. With Alex Wilkins, they went and they gave him the most money. And that's been their one win. Zoom Diallo didn't have any other options, really,

in terms of top money. So now I think you have to go to either the kid from Iowa State. I don't think Stokes wants to go here. Maybe he'll end up coming. I hope he does, but clearly if he wanted to go here, he'd already done it. But he might not want to go to Kansas either. Because he's got, I think you've got to get one of these dudes, because the top four players in the portal is still available,

and just go, all right, what do you want? Let's do it. What do you want? Let's do it. Why won't they do it? I think they have to do that. Because otherwise, the perceptions, just so bad.

All right. 30 seconds. That's it. That's the end of my opinion. Let's go to the 30 seconds. The horn's ready. Joe, go. Thank you, Matt.

Quickly, go get the Wainee, Peev. I know he might not be the number one choice for your fan base, but he's number one in my heart. And secondly,

keep the hard-thorn kid. Do not let him walk. Mark Pope. We've got to have him. And then go get the Graves kid from parts unknown on the West Coast, Santa Clara. We got to have you.

Thanks a lot. Goodbye. There you go. By the way, today is the last day for the portal. There still could be someone that enters here that we don't know. And then Hawthorne. Hawthorne could also. If he's going to leave, he's got to say that today.

So I think you can assume if we get through the day without him entering, well, now you got him. And maybe he sees this roster like, oh, I got a better chance to play now. We don't know any players. At this moment. Yep. Right. So we'll see.

All right. The whole next segment will be your calls. 859-280-2-807's 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, Tucky Sports Radio. Billy Donovan leaving the Chicago Bulls.

After six years, he'll be a free agent. You think he coaches again? College pro? Yes. I think he's just one of those guys like Patino. He just eats it. Just wants it all the time. Yeah. So if you're North Carolina, are you kind of pissed now that you didn't wait on it?

I think so. I think they should have waited. I mean, but that's easy to say because then what would they do with the portal, right? Yes. You know, so that's easy to say. But like you had to get players, same thing we had, you know. People always say that they don't want to deal with their roof. Let's be honest, you don't spend a lot of time thinking about your roof. But what if something breaks? You get a leak. You're going to wish you had. CRC roofing and renovations. A local team that handles roofing gutters, siding's window. Go to CRC. company.com. Okay, it's not CRC roofing like Mario told me. It's CRC Company.com slash KSR. Check them out. They'll come look at your roof. Use the code KSR. You can save up to $1,000 to

if you stall your new roof. Go to CRCroofing.com slash KSR. Free inspection. You mentioned KSR. There you go. CRC Company, not roofing, company.com slash KSR. All right. Let's just go. Blue, 30 seconds, go. It doesn't take a genius. All right, we don't do skits. I appreciate the call. We don't do skits.

Just your normal voice. All right, just your normal voice. His name was blue. Jerry, 30 seconds. Well, basketball, we'll see. But I'm really excited about the football team after that great spring game Saturday. And you were asked up the last time you had a second game like Alabama this year, 81, 81, 82, 81, Alabama. Bryant was the second game, 82 Oklahoma and Barry Switzer.

Wow. I think we're going to have a really good football game. So that is probably the last time. I appreciate the call for in Commonwealth. That's 45 years ago. Wow. That's amazing. I got myself excited about it, yes.

Like that's one of those weekends. Like you should just go ahead and find a way to be in town. Michael Todd, go 30 seconds. Yeah, man. I've been optimistic from day one with Hope, but I mean I'm at the point right now that I just need to fast forward this time next year. I just, I'm tired of the specials, the beautifuls. After nothing special and beautiful when you stay at 500 times.

So that's where I'm at. Thank you. Appreciate the call. Yeah. It is a little less special and beautiful. If it can, like not everything can be special and beautiful, can it, Shannon? No. Remember that beautiful tournament run?

We were supposed to go on. Was it going to be special? Does anybody remember that but me? If you're winning, it is beautiful and special. Yeah. But you should, the words do need to vary. Yeah. Elite, elite.

859, 280, 2287. Lee, go. Yeah, I just want to say, I think a lot of this just falls back on the administration. They let it out, like you said, we're Scrooge McDuck. We got tons of money. Come get your money. So now everybody's using us as a prop. And it's just doom and gloom.

Stokes ain't coming. And is our next coach pronounced J. Lucas or J. Lucas? Appreciate the call. I'm not commenting on the next coach. It is Jay. Remember we used to have that debate when he was a recruit. Oh, yes. Is it Jay or is it Jay?

I think Kyle's exactly right, though. They had every chance in the world to say that $22 million number was wrong and they didn't. Right. I think they wanted that perception that we are the gold. You said we spent the most because we are the gold standard and going to come to Kentucky basketball. And, you know, had we won, that doesn't necessarily look bad. True. But then when you lose.

And you got Dick Vitale kind of. making fun of you on a lot of broadcast. And I actually don't think I think we spent the most, but I think it was very close with other schools. But the perception was we spent more than everybody. I think we want that perception, don't we? Well, I don't know if we did because now it looks like we're the guy that just will go and throw money at people. In the moment, I think we wanted it. But if you went, like Michigan spent all that money and they won, so it looks like it was well spent. We spent all that money and we lost. It's kind of like in baseball right now. But the Rogers, nobody would say they spend too much money.

They win. But the Mets have the second highest payroll, and they're on 11-game losing. They're losing, yeah. So, Wyatt, go ahead, 30 seconds. I think this Donnie Freeman lost could be like great Osevore, where we find Andrew Collarsight player ends up being a better fit. That's all that. That was what Ransick was supposed to be.

I mean, I appreciate the call. Like, there was, that was what Ransick was. he was going to be Andrew Carr. And then we made him wait because we thought we were getting Freeman and we got neither one of them. And Rancic ends up at Florida State and, you know, is what it is. Joseph, 30 seconds, go. Hey, guys, the problem isn't that we missed on Donnie.

Two weeks ago, none of us even knew who this dude was and I'm still not sure he even would have been a good fit. But the problem is poke targeted from day one and missed. But this is all correctable. We need to go after the Iowa. state kid and the other best players in the portal and pay them whatever they want. We're not the A's playing money ball where the Yankees going for championships. Thanks, guys.

Totally agree with that. It's not, I think the first part is especially important. It's not that we can't win without Donnie Freeman, right? Most of us didn't know who Donnie Freeman was a week ago. And I think there was a legitimate question of whether or not a bangor, power forward guy was what we wanted anyway. We kind of did that with Mo. But he's exactly right.

Whether it was a good idea or not, Pope thought it was. Yes. Here's what Pope did when he went into the portal. He said, I want three guys. Rob Wright, Alex Wilkins, Donnie Freeman, and I want Moreno back. Those were the four pillars. Got Moreno back. Got Alex Wilkins.

But the other two pillars he didn't get. Now, he replaced Wright with Diallo. which is good, fine, but there's still as a sense when you're Kentucky and you go Target, you get them. Yes. This is Kentucky, right? Of course.

And then a lot of our second choices were kind of like, oh, I guess we're the second choice, so we'll go over here. And now we're like, oh, where's our third choices? And a lot of them are gone now too. So that's what they have to understand what happened with Rancic, that you can't play that game with some of these guys.

I mean, Louisville brought their top two choices on campus together and they both signed immediately. Locked them up. We got to do. That's the kind of stuff Kentucky should be. Why can't they not lock them up? That's right. Shane, go ahead, Shane.

Winning a title is never easy, but as fans, we just want a roster capable of cutting down the nets in March. And let's be honest, Mark Pope has never assembled a squad that screams championship caliber and the past teams feared seeing Kentucky on the schedule. Now they actually look forward to playing us. If a Pope-led team actually won. went all the way, it wouldn't be as a preseason contender, it would just stun the entire basketball

world. Appreciate the call. I think Shannon, he had that written down. Yeah, because he hit it right at 28 seconds. Just by the cadence. I think he had it written down. And normally I'm anti-writing it down, but I think it worked well. It worked for that guy.

You know he wrote it down. He didn't totally, like I'm guessing he wrote. Sometimes I know when people wrote it down. I'm guessing he wrote it down, but I don't know for sure. But if he did, Shannon, that's how you write it down. it down. Yeah. And you timed it out perfectly. I mean, I was at the buzzer on him, but he stopped right at 28,

29 seconds. He got it and made it go. Charlene. Go Charlene. How's Billy Bob? Hi. Hi. Okay. So I think when Jasper went to Oregon, I started investigating like why Oregon. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, is an Oregon

alumnus. He ran track there and they just signed a multi-year deal with Tyran Stokes for Nike. And I think he's contributed over a billion to the university. I think he would pull Tyran out there. All true. Some of that info had been out before about Phil Knight and Nike. It'd be interesting to see if Stokes goes there. With Stokes and Jasper, they ain't going to be enough basketball.

They have they say it was either Kansas. Kentucky or Oregon. And he added Oregon. Yes. Oregon's like, which makes you go, uh-oh. That was an interesting because Oregon wasn't really on the... Not on the radar so much, sort of speaking, it is. So, but I mean, honestly, if Tyron Stokes goes to Oregon, that's an even worse look for Kentucky. If he goes to Kansas, that's always been the school he kind of favored. It stinks, but you go, you know what, it's Kansas.

But if he goes to Oregon, here's what it is if he goes to Oregon. Nike has told him you're going to a Nike school and he's like, I don't want to go to Kentucky. Even though if Kentucky may pay him more money, then he's still not want to go to there. Nike's paying this money.

If he goes to a Nike school, it's Nike paying the money. But if he picks Oregon, he is basically telling the world I had to go to a Nike school and I didn't want to go to Kentucky. That's the message.

It just is. I'm not saying that That's good or bad. I'm not saying there are red flags with Tyron Stokes that make people skeptical. I get it. That's why Duke didn't really recruiting. That's why I get it. But with that said, he was down to Kansas and Kentucky.

If all of a sudden he goes to Oregon, Charlene's right about the Nike thing. It's just because he didn't want to go here. They haven't spent two years recruiting him. It'll just be because he didn't want to go here. And that's also not a good look. He's going to be the coolest player in America. He's going to be the number one pick. And if it looks like he just couldn't stand the thought of playing here,

Shannon, that's not a good look. No, not at all. Not if you lose out just because he doesn't want to play at Kentucky. If he goes to Kansas, it's not, but he's wanted to, like, that's different to me. He's connected to self. Who said he was going to come back just to coach him. Whatever. But if he goes to Oregon.

He'd be out there with Jasper Johnson. After Jasper left. How do you recover from that? I don't know. You just have to hope that God's up to something. Well, he is. Because we're going to be down and out. Yeah.

We'll be right back. 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 Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth?

Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history.

You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness,

professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world, like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Well, Joe Osborne. Only the second best song ever written about God. That's right. Well, I mean, there were some hymns back in the day that probably... The God's up to something. Amazing grace.

I think God's up to something is in the power rankings of God's songs. Yeah. Quickly. You know, people, you guys know this, but my hymn knowledge, I challenge many sports radio hosts to go. If there was gospel hymn Jeopardy, you'd win. I see they're bringing, did you see they're bringing back, they're bringing sports jeopardy?

Did you see this? It's going to be on ESPN. It's really. Yeah. Joe Buck is going to be host. Yeah. Would you watch Sports Jeopardy? I at least don't know some of those questions.

I don't know. any of the question. What happened to that one guy? Stump the Schwab or? Yeah, well, Stump the Schwab, yeah. He died, didn't he? I think he died. Yeah, I think Schwab died. I can't bring it back then. I don't think it was that long ago. It wasn't. It wasn't. Yes. But I enjoyed Stump the Schwab.

That was a great show. That was a show, though. You never, like, you were talking about a show that, probably the only show that had no groupies. Like, there were no women. You picked up no more women being on Stump the Schwab. No women were trying to stump the Schwab. I don't. You mean there wasn't a line out the door for that? I don't think there were a lot of women that were stuffing the shop. So we have an announcement. Ryan Lemon, a lot of people have been wondering when this was going to happen.

Next week is your eating solo week. Oh, it is. Is it going to happen, really? It is going to happen. It started a year ago. You thought that people, you thought people forgot? But they did not. We will start Monday.

Ryan Lemon will eat solo beginning on Monday. I'm writing it in the calendar. One week from Monday through Oaks Day, Ryan eats solo. Are you excited? I've actually done it a couple times since we had this. Of course, I was in wild eggs, but I did go eat a wild egg by myself a couple times. Your son is a waiter there. Yeah, but I was by myself.

That doesn't count, Shannon, that the son can come over and talk to you during. You have to go in wrong. You have to do what I did last night. Last night, went to Ramsey's. Haven't been to Ramsey's in 10 years probably. Walked into Ramsey's, set at the bar, all the waitresses still wear the ties? Yes. Why do they do that?

I don't know. Why do they do that, Shannon? Waitresses wear the ties. I don't know, but I have one question. Can Ryan sit at the bar? Does he have to be at a table by himself? No, he has to be at a table. I set at the bar.

Okay. All right. You're going to be at a table. Who's paying for these meals? I'll pay for them. I'm going to give you a company credit card. No affiliation with anybody there, though, right? No, no, no, you can't.

You are walking in cold to the restaurant. As a matter of fact, I might assign you the restaurant. But if somebody comes up and talks to me, I can talk to them. Matter of fact, I am going to assign you the restaurants. Well, yes, you can come saying. But that's what we should do, Shannon, we should assign the restaurants. That way we know there's no affiliation. No affiliation.

I can, like, figure out how crowded I want it to be. Ryan's going to order the chicken fingers everywhere he goes. I'm going to go to KS bar one night. No, no, you're not. KS bars. Waffle House. No, you're going, we will assign them. We're also going to try to diversify your palate.

All right. If you send me to one of those Indian places, you have to come in order for me. I don't send you something you hate. I'm just going to, you know, so starting Monday, you're eating solo. I guess I need to check this with yoga girl. She's in. Oh, she's in? She's in.

Okay. We haven't talked about it, but she, she's going to have to be. She's going to, I think she's going to have this Monday through Friday. Okay. That's it. Money through Friday next week. Next week. But she's got to wait out in the car while he eats Bob's so.

No, she has to eat. They both need some time apart. Wait in the parking lot, honey. I'll be back in 30 minutes. All right. 30 seconds. Terry and Shepherdsville. Go.

I'm so glad Buckle up, phone down his back. Mark Pope, he's very intelligent individual. You don't think, as Will Stein said, he's covered up in a church, scared to death because he didn't get Freeman. he's got a plan. And as far as this notion that he can't relate to these kids,

he's got four daughters from 17 to 25. You don't think he knows how to deal with drama? Thanks. Well, I mean, I hope he has a plan. That's an optimistic take on it. By the way, Will Stein will be on this show tomorrow at 1130. Very cool. We're going to do it.

It's a special. He's going to introduce the team to us. We're going to talk about actual people on the team. Good. So that's tomorrow at 1130. Will Stein will join us. Braden, go ahead, Braden. Where we are at as a program feels like a funeral home.

When I have kids, my kids will look up to me and say, hey, dad, what was it like back then? We used to rule the world in college basketball. What was it like in the Pope area, Dad? Pathetic kids, pathetic. Thanks. Wow, appreciate to call. I don't understand the funeral home part.

What does that mean? I mean, we're almost dead. that's depressing people think I'm negative shit that guy's talking about funeral homes I was brutal I know right what do you think it would be like to work

in a funeral home people you think they I guess they just get used to A lot of silence Yeah Be very quiet Always had to wear suits Yeah

There's always sadness Everybody that died I never know I got a friend that works at a funeral home What does it say? He emboms the bodies He's like a director and everything. But does he just become, I guess

you just become numb to it. Yeah, I mean, it's just another job. He has to pick up bodies, you know, bring them into the funeral home and bomb them. He does all of it. Yeah. James. Go ahead, James. James. Okay, you can't just sit in silence

30 seconds. By the way, yoga girl just texted me and said, Ryan can't do dinner next Thursday night solo. He's helping me at school. What does that mean? Oh, that's her art fair. Okay, so that means you'll do Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. Yeah.

What are you doing for an art fair? It's her big. It's her Super Bowl. But what do you do it? I set up and tear down and clean up and put tape stuff to the wall. Very valuable. I'm very, very valuable. Paul, go ahead, Paul.

Paul. Yes, can you all hear me? Yes. Three things. Number one, do you think Mark Koeb could recruit, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Warden, and John Hood? they were all top 50 guys apparently I don't think you can do that number two

where are we finding a new AD got to think that's at the higher on the list number three why do we not build an outfield deck at the new baseball all right on the first one I actually think he could those are actually kind of the guys I think Mark would do pretty well with so yes I think in theory he could recruit

those AD what are you hearing on the AD I heard we're going to have one week and a half ago so I have heard nothing since then I thought there was like literally going to to be an announcement. I think there were plans in place for one. Do you think they changed their mind? I don't know what has happened, to be honest.

I don't know. But maybe that person decided against it. Maybe they're still negotiated. I don't know. Yeah. I was told that it was happening. And then it just didn't. But then again, I was told we would get Freeman or Ransing.

And we didn't. We didn't. So, I don't know. But I, they need to get one now. Yes. Right. I mean, you need to get one now because there's big deals. I mean, just things like they're going to decide whether to expand the NCAA tournament.

Like there's a lot of stuff we need to have a voice in the room. We're a leaderless program right now. Yeah. All right. We'll take a break. Come back hour number two. Continue to take your calls. Ryan's already nervous about eating by himself.

It's 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 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 happen. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. In 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. 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been

unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale,

being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.