KSR - 2026-04-21- KSR - Hour 2

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

Matt, Ryan, and Shannon talk the latest news and take your calls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome back. Hour number two, Kentucky Sports Radio, 859-2802287. Text machine is 772-752524. And we, the text just keep coming in. I like this one, Shannon. One person writes, you know, sounds like you guys think that Kentucky basketball is down and out, but I think you need to realize Pope's up to something.

Pope is up to something. I hope so. He better be. I hope he is. This is a big year for him coming up. That's right. Big year. All right, a couple things here.

First of all, KSR bowling. The practice round starts tomorrow night. Right. We will have a team on the scene. Yes. I will be at the opening night, which is April 29th. Okay. KSR bowling.com to get your team set up.

You can come out. Tomorrow night's just like, you know, get yourself ready. Then the league starts the next night. Get your foursome. If you don't have a foursome, you can call. They'll put you with somebody with other KSR fans. KSR bowling.com. Mario's going to be documenting it.

Tomorrow night should be fun. And then the league gets going on the 29th. Always a ton of fun. I mean, it's something really fun to do in the summer. Are the Betty Boops playing? They have to. They've been there since day one, the Betty Boops. Yes.

The dude that always wears the taste-off. You have to eat, though, by yourself before. You can't eat at the bowling alley next week. Next week. Shannon, and think that that counts. What would you eat at a bowling alley anyway? Oh, they have great pizza. That's their pizza is like, weren't some of the best in town.

Do you not know about the Southland Lane's pizza? I only have had their pizza. Well, then you're going to have to come one night. I will. I'll get the pizza. The pizza. It's really good. UK basketball players used to all go just to get the pizza.

They'd be sitting in that little bar eating the pizza. Do you know that? I didn't know that. John Wald, Marcus Cousins. Well, that's how you know it's a good pizza. If you go to the bowl now, like, not even the bowl, you're just going to eat pizza. They were like back in the day. And even go back farther than that.

They would go eat the Southland's pizza. I didn't know this. That's kind of a cool story. Yeah. No, that was the basketball players. I'm even going back now to like your Prince Bogan's. era people. Uh-huh.

They would go eat pizza there. I know they would go to take bowling team outings together. And eat pizza. And eat pizza. So tomorrow night, 7 o'clock? 7 o'clock tomorrow night. And then the league starts the next week. Go to KSR bowling.com and get yourself signed up as well.

859-280-2287. Real quick, one person asked me, Matt, are you finally to, willing to admit the reds are good? No, not yet. They're 15 and 8, though. win again. They keep finding a way to win. But like we said... They're nine and two on the road. They have to win now because this schedule it favors them right now.

Except a lot of the teams that are supposed to be good aren't. So like the Blue Jays are in last place. That's one of the, that's, we played them in the last series of the year. That looked like, oh no, but they're in last place now. You already mentioned the Mets. They're struggling. They're struggling. So like the twins we played last night,

we swept them. They're not, their first place. Tampa Base, second place. So maybe things it's a top of upside-down world. Reg and Cardinals battling out from the division. But we still, though, Shannon, five of our nine hiters hit under 200, so I don't know how we're good. Well, I guess maybe good pitching.

You're winning low-scoring games. We have to do a good pitchy. It's the best, it's the best bullpen ERA in baseball. There you go. That's it. Which that helps. And our top two starters are out. Yeah. That's the other thing.

Top two starters are out. That has to be maybe the worst starting lineup, hitting average in Major League Baseball history. You got five guys under 200 and are starting. And we got one guy, my man Key Brine, who's like 0.07. Good thing. He's got a good glove because the boy can't hit. But his name is Key Brian.

Key Brian. And I love it. Key Ryan. I should start calling you that. Okay. There you go. Key Ryan. Key Ryan.

All right. Ryan. One syllable. Yahoo Sports reporting, if Steve Kerr retires, which is expected, Golden State will target Todd Golden. I can see it. I could see him being really good. Yeah. He's just cocky and arrogant enough to maybe make it work.

But smart. Yeah. Dude, I'd love that. Take it. Brad Stevens has a success. Get him out of the SEC. Shannon, wouldn't that be good for us if Todd go? Take go.

Get out. And he's going to Golden State. I mean, he's got the name. This would be a weird year for him to leave, though. They're going to have the preseason number one team in America this year. So he'd be walking out the door on a great team. All those dudes decided to come back to play for him one one time. Because there's an exception to the portal rule, which is if your coach leaves, you get two weeks.

It'd be funny if all those guys went back. Aberdeen, come back. We'll take him. Actually, you said, and you laugh. I would take him in a second. That could happen, right? You know, I mean, if Golden leaves, all those guys would be able to leave. And they might.

And they might. Maybe that's what we need to have happen. That's what's. Steve Kerr, retire. Todd Golden, go. Go. That would be great. Maybe. And then all of a sudden, who knows? The bigs for Florida come here?

We're good. We figured out what God's up to. That's what God. God's going to have Steve Kerr retire. Todd, Gordon, go to Golden's days. Okay, so you think this is what's happening. God has been up to something. Yes, and this is what he's up to.

Steve, see, Lord works in mysterious way, Shannon. That's right. Steve Kerr retires, take Golden. We take their bigs. To God's be in. Now we're up to something. That's right. Pat, go for it, Pat.

We figured it out. At 30 seconds. Billy Donovan just let go by the Chicago Bulls. Yes. We said that. I'm on a wag, so my bad. But if we're a serious program, we give them a call right now. Yeah, you just can't.

They're not going to do that. I mean, I appreciate the call. They're not going to, I mean, they're not letting Pope go now. Maybe another year. Yeah. Now, I mean, if it was next year, that's a different thing. But they're not, I mean, that's not going to happen. So there's a lot of schools

We'd like to have Billy Donovan right now But they all have their coaches Oh, had their coaches in place Oh, but oh wait a minute Florida What if Todd Golden left And then Billy went back to Florida Oh

I hope God's not up to that Oh That's now that's diabolical right there But you could see it You can see it You can see it You can see it You can see it

You have the roots in Gainesville he's got Dave Go ahead Dave Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. Take the cash and take it to Chicago. Yeah. Yeah, but it's not going to happen, though. I mean, like, we can, I understand people say that, but it's not going to happen.

I'm talking long term. Yeah, I mean, long term. It doesn't look like Pope's going to be here after next year anyway. Yeah, now that's a different scenario. I appreciate the call. I mean, I think if Pope were not here at the end of next year. But I wanted to work, Ryan. I mean, I don't want to spend $360.

days sitting here talking about who the next coach will be. I want this to work. We all want it to work. We all love Mark Pope. But he's at the point now, this is a break-or-break season for him. He's got to get it down on the court. Do you think that's even more true now than it even with what happened over the last couple weeks?

I think it amplifies it for sure. I do too. Striking out in the recruiting race. Now you, what does that put more pressure on you to win games next year? Yeah, I think I think you're exactly right. John, go ahead, John. Yes, number one was never really big on Friedman so that doesn't bother me.

Two, a new guy entered the portal yesterday out of Minnesota, formerly of North Carolina, Kate Tyson. I remember that kid. Yeah. We need to give him a look. 19.6 a game last year, five and a half boards, 50% fieldgoat and 42% from the tray. Thanks. Appreciate the call.

I mean, there are going to be guys like that. One of things to watch today as news comes out is this is the last day to get in the portal. There could be a last guy out there coming in that you say, I mean, it could be like, you know, something falling from the sky. Because one of the things that has happened is most these other teams now have their players. Right. So, like, Mo Diabate ended up at LSU. Everybody assumed he was going to St. John's. And then St. John's got Freeman. And so Diabate ends at LSU. I don't think Diabate is going to do a ton of stuff at LSU. I don't think LSU will be very good. but he will annoy us in that game.

Watch him play well when we play LSU next year. Of course he will. I just seem to happen that way. Do you, let's go back to hindsight for a second. If I told you we're going to be where we are now, would you rather Maudi Abate have stayed? Yes, absolutely I would have. So you...

That's the position we have really nobody right now. So if I said to you, okay, Ryan Lemon, Bodhiabate stays, you don't try to get somebody better in the portal. That's what you would have said two weeks ago, or now you just go, well, since we struck out, that would have been better. Yeah, I'm saying what I feel like right now, we probably should have just kept him on one more year. Yeah. No, I mean, it'll be interesting.

We may not get someone better than him. No. You know? There's nobody available right now better than him, is there? Yes. Yeah, there's a lot of kids that are. But, like, I don't know that we're in the – the kid from Iowa State is better. The kid from Santa Claire is better.

I don't know if the kid from Minnesota is. And there may be somebody else entered, but the question is, are we going to get any of them? If it were me, I'm calling that kid from Iowa State because he is projected like 43rd in the draft. I'm going to go, look, kid, what do you want?

And he's probably going to say $6 million. And that's too much. But I don't think you have a choice. Not now. I'm going to say, here's what I'm going to say, Shannon. I'll give you six. Tell everybody I gave you four. and you think that's actually going to hold true like what the kid would actually do that?

I doubt it. All right. I'll give you 6.3. Hush money. If you just tell everybody that you gave me for. Yeah. How about seven? But see, I think part of it, what, what, there's a saying, a famous saying, something like nothing stinks like desperation or something.

What's the same? Shannon, see if you can find it. There's some quote. some famous quote about desperation. And the theory is that when you smell desperation on someone, it makes it even worse. I think that applies to like, think about when people are flirting with each other. When somebody's trying too hard, it usually turns the other person off, right? Same thing in recruiting.

I kind of wonder if maybe we are sort of giving off the smell of desperation. That's right. People can smell desperation from a mile away. Okay. I think there's a, I think it was said more beautifully once. But, but that's the premise is. And do you think we might be doing that? Maybe. Maybe that's why we can't close the deal on some of these guys, that they're in the air of being a little desperate. Yeah, we'll see. But I would just say to the Iowa State, all right, I'm desperate. Iowa State kid. First, they'd probably say, Shannon, will you learn my name?

Yes. So that you stop calling me Iowa State Kid. Rodney, go ahead, Rodney. Hey, back in the 90s, we had Petino in the 2000s. We had Cal. We've had superstar coaches. That's who the players, superstar players want to play for, superstar coaches. Second of all, what are the odds that Ryan owns his own bowling ball?

And I think it's time for you guys to add a female presence to the male-dominated motley crew on-air personnel that you have. That's all I got. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. As far as a superstar thing, I mean, Was Todd Golden a superstar? Is Dusty May a superstar? Is John Shire a superstar? I mean, superstars are created, right? They're not, I mean, when we got Cal Perry and Petino, yes, they were superstars, but they were created somewhere.

So, I mean, you go look, go look at this year's Final Four. I mean, was Brad Underwood a superstar? Is Todd Golden, although he wasn't there this year, but Dusty May? you know, I guess you could say Danny Hurley is, but four years ago he wasn't a superstar. No, he wasn't. So, I mean, I think, you know, superstars to some extent are created. And Kentucky should be a platform, Ryan, where you can create them. I mean, Tommy Lloyd, is he a superstar in Arizona? No.

No. These are some young, up and coming potential superstars down the road, but not at the moment. Now, what's worrisome is these superstars are being created elsewhere and not here. Yes. But I mean, I think we have officially transitioned into the new area of college basketball where the superstars have kind of aged out. I mean, Rick and Cal and Izzo and self, they're still out there. But they weren't the best coaches this year. And there's a new wave coming in.

The best coaches were this young new wave that are guys I mentioned, Nate Oates. We talked about Shire. I mean, there's this new young wave of guys. And the question is, do we have one of those guys on that wave? Because in terms of age, he should be. He's actually older than a lot of them. Yeah, he is. He's early 50s.

But, you know. I thought, I thought we had that guy. I'm still holding out we do. Yeah. Cornbread hemp. The weather's warming. Days are getting longer, but the cornbread-infused seltzers are still there. Four award-winning flavors, 30 calories or less per can, expert crafted, third-party lab tested

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Be right back, KSR. 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 SportsSlic 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 wrapped. up in the chase, that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

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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 IHart Women's Sports. Welcome back, Tegie Sports Radio. 85928027. Ryan's starting to meet my neighbors in the new neighborhood. I mean, I still haven't moved in, but, you know, just like yesterday I was doing some work around there. Yeah, doing some yard work.

We're walking down the street, went and said hello. You know. You didn't take anything out there for a point. Nobody ever asked me what I do, which makes me think they know. Yeah. Which, uh, but you know, they were very nice. And they were like, if you ever need anything, you let me know. So I'm going to go, uh, knock on their door with some time and ask for sugar.

You're going to be baking and need some sugar in your kitchen? Yeah. And can you hang this picture for me? Yeah. And then met the very next door neighbor. He was very nice. He said he had advertised on here before. Oh, really?

So that's good. He helped build that house. And yeah. Then his daughter, her boyfriend was over. And he plays football in town. See, I'm learning everybody. The problem is I can't remember anybody's name. And as we learn with the Iowa State kid, people don't want to just be, like,

can't be like, I see the daughter go, oh, you're the daughter that has the boyfriend that plays for, like, I need to know their names. And I don't know, I'm not good with that. As I get older, I'm not good with people's names. They all just kind of, yes. What ends up happening in is I remember people by distinct features they have. And you can't call them by the distinct feature. That's true.

Right. You can't be like, that's the guy with the ears. And like, you can't do that. People have their names or their mailbox. Maybe that would help. You can at least see their last name. Well, and it feels like everybody's name. same thing.

Everybody's name the same? Well, I've met like four people, all of whom's first names start with T. Uh-oh. There's like a Troy and a Tony and a Terry. How are you going to remember all that? So I wish I could assign people names that I could remember. But I'm trying. Take a secret what I do?

Yeah, what do you do? Because you're pretty good at this. In a neighborhood like this, I go on the Fayette County PVA website and they list, you know, the names and the owners of the houses. Oh, so you like creepy. on them. Well, you got like up on your refrigerator? You do? You have like cards? No, but like I can look and you're the address of the guy beside you, look him up. Oh, yeah, that's so-and-so. Okay. But it doesn't say their family members name. No, no, just the owners.

Well, I'm trying to be neighborly because I had a bad run in with my Louisville neighbor. Well, you stole the stuff on the porch. No wonder. No, I didn't steal the stuff off the porch. This just happened Friday. No. There's a new incident. Yeah, it's a long story. We'll save that for later in the week. Same neighbor? I never met this person. Well, I don't want to get into it because I'll get worked up.

I don't want to get worked up today. I can't want to hear it, though. Oh, you will. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to say it because I got, I was in the right. Of course. Yeah. He probably throws the same way. I'm not having that.

And this neighborhood's going to be much more. We're not having that. Yes. Let's go to Kevin. Go ahead, Kevin. Yeah. You guys talked about reading. room and all that stuff. I think Mark Pope should have read the room prior to the portal

and known that the brand has been broken for a little bit now and worked harder to keep guys already on the team. I made the call a couple weeks ago before the portal opened about the importance of Chandler and Yellovich and now look at us. We have eight players. He tried. He tried with Chandler. I mean, he, Yellovich, I'm not sure how much they tried to keep but he tried with Chandler. Between me, I mean, we can go find somebody that's just as good as Yelovich, in my opinion. Like, I don't think Yelovich is a huge loss.

But they tried with Chandler. But the question is, did you want to pay Chandler? I mean, if you have a reputation for overspending, go spend $3.5 million on Chandler. You think now they regret that decision? No, because I think they'll, they got guards. I think the big one will be they might look back in which they kept Diabite. They have nobody at that spot right now.

I mean, in Garrison, Garrison got over two million bucks from Alabama. Are you willing to pay two million bucks for Garrison? Probably not. Probably not. They got a kid that's apparently going to zoom the Devin Williams from Florida Atlantic. He's as good as Garrison. The problem is not, to me, you couldn't replace Garrison or even Diabate. The problem is we knew, let's just put it like this.

We knew last year we weren't good enough. Would you agree with that? Yes. I thought we were. when the season started. But we knew we weren't good enough. We lose O.A. in Aberdeen. Nothing we can do about that.

We've replaced them with two guys that whether they're better or not, they're in the ballpark. Yes. All right. So we replaced that. Moreno. We assume he's going to be better. Big jump.

So we at least are equal or upgraded that. Yes. Which means you've got a three and a four position that if you want to be better than you were last year, you've got to go get an upgrade. Right? Chandler was the three. I think the assumption was Cam Williams can replace Chandler.

I don't know if that's true or not. We'll see. I don't think it's crazy that he could be better than Chandler. Do you? Maybe that combination of Trent and Cam could be better. But the four, I think the biggest problem for our team last year is we didn't have a four that was consistent that could shoot. Right.

I think they thought they had that combo with those two guys. It just didn't work. and this is the thing you have to go replace to really take a step up. And as of yet, we haven't done. Corey, go ahead, Corey. To quote the office, I have no bird. I have no bush. God has taken my bird and my bush.

Turns out that the 18 hours after we hired Mark Pope was not an overreaction. And maybe Mitch Barnhart didn't outsmart everybody. This guy doesn't have the mental fortitude to lead this program. performed fine with no expectations the first year. And this year, he's making comments in a press conference about killing himself and not being able to get out of death. Yeah. Well, we'll just let it sit.

JMI, go ahead. Matt, JMI took over NIL in August of 2025. Prior to that, Pope signed two five stars and a high four star, Jasper, Marino, and a Caden Lewis. people like to discredit Marino and Jasper because they're from Kentucky, but they are still highly recruited. After JMI, we've been to the table with Wilson, college, Stokes, Wright, Freeman, all right up to the point of committing and it falls apart. Sometimes the easiest explanation is the right explanation like you like to say.

I mean, not crazy. Again, there's a way to answer that question, which would be for people to talk and people don't talk. I still think it is I still think it is ludicrous that Mark Pope has not spoken since after the season. I mean, it's ludicrous. Like, I know besides going on his radio show where he took no questions

from anyone except Tom, it's ludicrous. But it's ludicrous either like Capiludo didn't do an interview after giving Mitch Barnhart that deal. It's ludicrous that the only one that talked was Mitch and that he told people to stop asking questions. Whereas like Will Stein's coming on here tomorrow. You know, there's a point where like, what do you want us to do for you?

We can't hold your water or help when you all don't speak. You know, the silence will be filled. We'll take a break. Be right back. 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 to TechEySports Radio. New Cover Zero podcast out. Me and Billy did an NFL draft preview. Very good. Very good. Lots of information. I'm just impressed by the new camera work.

The cameras are awesome. Yeah, you need to, so download it. It's entertaining. We had fun with it. I mean, I'm not going to act like there's a lot of analysis, Shannon, on these players. Oh, really? That's what I tune in for. Yeah, we didn't have analysis.

But we did have fun doing it, and we got some good, we got some good tidbits that you need going into the draft. And we're going to project. So Billy and I just did our own mock draft based on our sources, which are none. And we're going to compare it to the other mock drafts and see Shannon who got the most right. You probably would get more than them. I agree.

Yeah. You may be the next mail cast. You remember my NFL theory. I go into this in detail in the podcast. Don't have her. Do not have a scouting staff. Save the money. Just look at the mock drafts.

And just pick based on that. Just copy what everybody else says. Yes. Copy and paste. Theory of collective intelligence. Let those people do the work for you. They do the work. I bet you, Shannon, you do just as good as they would.

You probably would. Yeah. And you wouldn't have to spend all that time. Just flip around a couple of names. I told Mel Kuyper does it. Kiper does it every day of the year. Let him do it the work for you. That's exactly right.

It's Mel Kiper's working for me now, Shannon, for free this way. Yeah, it's true. Why do I need to pay these people? An amazing piece of news just came across. Devin Askew has entered the transfer portal. Devin Askew is still playing college basketball. How in the world is this dude still playing college basketball? First of all, he was on our team in 2020-21.

Yes, that was his first year. So he has played... You said he played for five teams. Shannon, let's play a game. Can you name the five-team? Devon Askew played for. Kentucky is one. I know Texas, right?

Two, okay. Was he at Washington? No. Oh, I'm thinking of somebody else. That was Severe Wheeler. Yeah. Villanova. Just played at Villanova.

Yeah, I should have gotten that one. Was he at Long Beach State? Yes. Before he went to Villanova, he was at Long Beach State. I know. I can't remember my neighbor's name, but I can remember that Devin Askew. played at Long Beach State.

And what's the other one? Cal? Cal for two years. How does he get a seventh year of eligibility? Kentucky for one, Texas for one, California for two, Long Beach State for one, Villanova for one. But Cameron Fletcher set out a couple years. He has played all these years. He reclassified in high school, left high school after his junior year.

So maybe petitioned. Can he not just get a job? I mean, you would think. Calaparcy's got a mortgage in two kids. They're not going to give him another year. How? How could they? How could he justify giving his new another year?

If he goes to another school, this would be his sixth school. Six school and seven years. What point do you look in the mirror and go, maybe it's not them, it's me that can't work out somewhere. Well, didn't that Chad Baker Mazzara, didn't he play seven years? Ended up playing seven years, I think. Yeah. Van Wilder, though. That's what he is.

He's not graduating. Unbelievable. I like it. Robert, 30 seconds, go. Robert. All right. Hello. Go. I'm here.

Okay. You all have faulted notion that U.K. is falling into oblivion, such as Indiana. Are you changing your tune on that in any way, shape, and form? No. No. Not yet. Okay. What about cooking classes?

How are they going? Yeah, the cooking classes didn't end up happening. I appreciate the call. So that's still, we got some work to do on that. No, I'm not. Again, I mean, as bad as this has been, we've been to the second round of the tournament every both years of Pope. Indiana doesn't make the tournament. So no.

Now, is it acceptable? No. But there are levels to irrelevancy. And we are not at the lowest level. But we do need to correct course. I think that's fair to say. Definitely to correct course. We're trending down, but we're not that far down yet.

I have a great question, but let's take Creece. Go ahead, Creece. Hey, guys, so I don't know that we're heading towards obligatory, but I do think that we are in purgatory as a Kentucky fandom. And I think there's no way out with Mark Pope, and I just don't see any way that he's going to pull us out. I just think we're in a bad spot with recruiting and everything else. Everyone's mentioned, and I think we're screwed.

Have a good day. Okay, that's a great. Now, all right. So that gets to the point I was about to read. It was as if he knew. 859, 280, 2287. So let's do this, all four of us, Shannon, including you. So you can't answer the phone. I'm going to read it.

I'm going to read it, and then I will do it after I finish reading it. I would like all of you guys to do me a favor. Close your eyes. All right. Ryan, eyes closed. Close. Close. Shannon closed.

All right. I want you to try to picture in your mind a way that the Mark Pope era works out to get number eight, which we all want, or number nine, which we all, he said eight, but it's nine. Explain to me with your eyes closed, thinking of bliss, what the scenario is where Mark Pope is able to do what we hoped when he was hot. Great question. All right, eyes closed. I'm looking. None of your eyes open. Start with you, Ryan. How do we get to that point? You got to get Tyron Stokes. You got to get the number one player in the country. to come. You've got to get one of these top the kid from Santa Clara or the kid from Iowa

State, preferably the kid from Iowa State and you've got to find a way to connect with these kids. Whatever reason you're not connecting with them, connect with these kids. Get them to believe like you did that first group of team you had, that rag tag group you had. But it starts with getting the right players. You've got to get the players in first. That's a high bar to

make it happen. Shannon, how do you make it happen? Floating in space right now. I'm meditating. You got to get Stokes. You've got to get Stokes. You have a pretty good regular season. You make a run in the SEC tournament. Maybe you don't win the

SEC tournament, but you end up with a good seat in the NCAA tournament. Win a couple of games. You get hot at the right time and that's how you can make a run and get number nine. As long as you've got to get Stokes.

So if you don't have Stokes, my eyes are closed. I think neither of you have provided scenarios. I think they're actually realistic. So I'm going to think of a realistic way. You don't think it's realistic?

We get Stokes? No. At least not yet. No, I mean, maybe. I mean, I don't know about that kid. I don't know about that kid. Like, I have no idea what he's going to do. So I can't rely on that kid.

Again, I'm in my bliss. So I can't let others. I'm going to fall down if I'm not careful. I can't let others decide for me. So I want to get someone, a surprise from the portal is my power forward. I'm going to will overpaying for the Iowa State kid. He comes on the team. We add a couple of depth pieces.

we're good this year. We play a fun style. We're back to where we were in year one, except we win one more game and go to the elite eight. Fan base gets excited, feels good. We bring Moreno back for another year. We bring Wilkins back for another year. We build.

We get a couple of top recruits because we hire a GM that knows how to relate to kids. Mark becomes lovable dorky coach, not just dorky coach and we actually recruited a high level and we go for the title the next year. That's where I think it can happen.

None of our situations are that crazy that all they all could happen. Mine is completely realistic. Skid and Stokes, I mean, maybe, but I feel like it's a long shot. I got to get it. 50-50 for just a few days ago though. Yeah.

but I think So you know Let me give you an example Do you remember when Patrick Patterson was being recruited? Oh yeah Patrick Patterson went to Duke back in 2000

whatever it was and I remember Patrick Patterson remember he did an interview when he came here and they said why didn't you go to Duke and he goes you know I just kind of wasn't feeling those guys remember that?

Yeah I forgot about that And the insinuation was they're a little cringe right? That was the insinuation. And then John Calgary made Kentucky the cool program. Yes. Wall, Cousins, Davis, etc.

And Mike Shoshowski made an existential change. He realized that the days of the slapping the floor, Duke, it just wasn't going to work anymore. And he said, you know what? I'm changing the perception to Duke. He did. I'm going to bring different kinds of assistance in. We're going to market different.

we're going to start recruiting one and duns. And four years later, he gets what at the time was Zion Williamson was the coolest player in the country. Shoshchevsky understood that the perception, the one he had built for 25 years just was not working anymore. And he switched. Nick Saban realized his offense was a little outdated. The perception was it was kind of old school. Brings in Lane Kiffin, all of a sudden they're fun. They take off for a second ride.

Now, Mark Pope hasn't had the first ride that Chashefsky and Saving had, but there needs to be a realization that, like, this whole thing they thought was like, cool, it just ain't cool. And it's time to adjust. Mo Williams may have been a good step in that. Yes, I think it was. Now let's make some more steps. I think there are a lot of fans who think that, yeah, Mark is still stuck in back of that 96 when he was here

and, you know, Kentucky meant something and it was a mystique of Kentucky basketball. I think he still believes that attracts players. But Kentucky basketball to them was John Cal Perry, who's not here. Yeah. It's not Joe B. Hall, Rick Patino, it's Cal. Somebody pointed out to these kids that are coming out of high school now, when they were in middle school, admiring their college all-stars, we're getting beat by St. Peter's in Oakland in the first round.

That's what they remember in middle school of what Kentucky basketball was about. Yeah. Shady Ray's that time of year that you need great sunglasses. and why pay a lot for them. Go to Shadyrays, Shadyrays.com, premium brand, but not like the $200 sunglasses you're used to. They have lost and broken protection and they're premium. Polarized lenses that cut glare.

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Amia boost for chicken supply and vary winoff. Boost only applies to wins for digital term, responsible game resources. See Sportsbook, Dr.Drafking's.com slash promos limited time off. Dun, da-da. Yeah, did you see the Hawks? I didn't see it last night. CJ McCollum. So the Hawks beat the Knicks last night.

Yeah, they were down 14. Fourth quarter came back and got the win. C.J. McCollum, do you remember where he went to college? Texas? No. Shannon, do you remember where C.J. McCollum went to college? Leaha. Leaha.

Who's now come up on this show twice in two days. How about that? He was the one who they were playing against Duke. And the guy had the sign that said Duke is, it was JJ Reddick on the team. It said Duke is. And it said Reddick, ridiculous. Okay. So it was really stupid.

Duke is ridiculous. And a Lehigh person made a sign and wrote L.Y High. and stood next to the person and it said JJ Reddick is ridiculously high that's pretty good that's pretty clever which you got to be smart to come up with that

because they did it on the fly Shannon they saw the ridiculous sign went and held up Lehi a bunch of nerds I'm still talking about that sign 15 years later no kidding so yeah Kevin go

The Kentucky brand was battered a lot worse in the late 80s than it is now. We went and got a basketball coach at the end of his career to come in and help rebuild it to be our AD. We should at least approach Billy D about the AD spots. See if he would have any interest. He's used to working with agents. He'd get it to solid GM. And he could be the man to hire our next coach. It's interesting.

Appreciate the call. I don't think that's coming. Brad Stevens came. GM in the NBA worked out really well. I don't hate that idea. It's not a horrible idea. Scotty, go for it. So two things.

First of all, I think about coaches at UK that would have done good in the portal era. So I think about Tubby Smith got critique for not being able to recruit high school guys all the time. I think he would have been really good in the portal era. And then second of all, you said that there were two AD candidates. And did you not know those? I know one of them.

I don't know the other one. So I can't. That's why I don't know the other one. But based on the one you know, would you be optimistic? Yeah. I mean, I think it can work. I think there's a lot of different ways it can work. I think for it to work, though, here's the thing.

There's only one candidate out there that I think, well, actually, I don't even know if that's fair either. I think there has to be a break from the Mitch Barnhart way of doing things. and I think every candidate I know that's a serious candidate for the job would be doing that. Even if they have a connection to Mitch Barnhart, I could see it being, it will be a different way of doing it. Yeah. I think Mitch, I think Mitch did a very good job here for a long time, but I think it's time for a change. I think people know that. I think the people making the hire of the AD know that too.

Now, the people making the hire of the AD have made some decisions I don't like either. but I think the days of us sort of being like, we're not going to do anything until we make sure that all the rules are we don't want to move quickly. I think those days are over. I think whoever we get is going to be aggressive. I just think I don't think you have a choice but to be. So I'm more confident about the AD hire than I was, say, a month ago.

Because I've talked to people who are part of that decision process and I have an idea of kind of what they're looking for. Scott, go ahead, Scott. Hey, guys, great day to be a cat fan. I don't care what anybody else says. Got a couple things I want to run by you here, Matt. First of all, would you pay $150,000 for a 2012 U-Ton with, say, 300,000 miles on it? No.

Then what's the problem with us passing on Donnie Freeman? Dude missed 32 games in two years. anyone. I mean, on paper, is there anything? We didn't, but we didn't pass on him. We lost. It's not so much that I'm saying we had to have Donnie Freeman. Like I said, I didn't know Donnie Freeman.

I don't know who he is. It's that they wanted him and they didn't get him. They, we did not pass on him. He passed on us. And I think the concern to me is when you're UK and you say, this is our priority. Matter of fact, we're going to let this kid over here who, wants to come. We're going to let him walk because we are going to get this guy and then you don't get him. That's what bothers me. I wasn't really all that excited about Sebastian Ransick,

but he's better than what we have now, which is nothing, right? And so, I'm, Donnie Freeman is not the key to success, but they thought he was and they didn't get him. And that's what is worrisome. Andy, go ahead, Andy. Hey, first time, a long time. Who are? Yeah, so here's the ultimate prediction that's going to be the major kick to the sack for UK fans. Now that that Bull's job's open, I feel John Shire's going to head to Chicago because he's actually from Illinois. That's going to send Jay Lucas to Duke. And then when and if Kerr does step down and Todd Golden heads out there, that's going to send Billy Donovan back to Gainesville. That would be a terrible string of events.

Wow. And very possible. Yes. Shire taking the Bulls job, I think, is very, very possible. and then when that Duke jobs open, Jay Lucas will be the number one choice. And that would mean Jay Lucas would never be, yeah. No, that's a certainly plausible scenario. Chris, go ahead.

Hey, guys, first time caller. Who are? A quick question. Well, actually, it's just a comment. So I sell cars for a living, and I think Hope needs to have more than an aggressive approach, kind of have that killer mentality. I ask two questions to my customers. Number one is a decision maker here.

And number two, if I could. will you? So if you got to recruit to say I want $2.3 million, if I could get you $2.3 million, can I get your commitment? It's a simple question. And if they say Don't just, I've heard that's the way car dealers do it. And I agree with that.

Part of me wonders if we had no chance at getting a couple of these guys and they were using this to begin with. Maybe Pope and his group don't understand if somebody's really into them or not. Like Shannon, maybe with some of these recruits, we're in the friend zone and we don't realize it. Nobody wants to be in the friend zone. And maybe we're in the friend zone.

And it's worse when you don't even know that you're in the friend zone. Exactly. You got to know you're in the friend zone. When you don't know you're in the friend zone. We need some Netflix and chill. That's when Shannon needs to Netflix and chill. We will be back tomorrow. We have to be in studio because of Will Stein.

So we will not be at the bar. We'll see you later. 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.

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