2024-07-26 - BBI

It's Stick Gabriel taking a little bit of time off, so we thought we would replace some of the best interviews from over the last several months. Please enjoy the best of the Big Blue Insider Gus.

I cannot wait any longer this will you please join me in a little cast cast one two three, Cats, please come on, stand up and let's go.

I need your help here. Can we do this? Please?

One two three, See hey gee us.

Touts, gouts tuts. I love it. Let's go again.

See thank you, guys, thank you. That's good. That's good.

He couldn't wait, could he. That's the new head coach. And you saw him and heard him on Sunday in one of the most amazing spectacles. And that's what it was really in the history of Kentucky basketball. Welcome to the Big Bloe and Sider. Dick Gabriel with you Tuesday abbreviated edition of our show. We'll go for about forty five minutes because there's a big baseball game coming up six forty five pregame, seven o'clock, first pitch, Kentucky and

But throws the ball.

Well, we're going to talk to John Hale of the Herald Leader tomorrow on the show, get his take on it. And we're also going to talk tomorrow with Sean Woods, the Unforgettable Wildcat, who was there Sunday when Mark Pope

Twenty fifteen, we know what happened there.

I put that on Cali Perry as much as the missed call on the shot clock violation, but he did not make in game adjustments he should have. Twenty seventeen, if Derek May doesn't hit that jumper for North Carolina, Kentucky goes to the final four. We're maybe not talking about Mark Pope at Kentucky twenty nineteen, they missed going to the Final four because they lose to Auburn, a team they led by ten points at halftime. It goes to the final four that year, we may not be

That's easy to say. A lot of teams could have said that.

There were a lot of really good teams that year, but I do believe that was a final four team with Richards and Quickly and Tyree s maxwe because they were playing so well at tournament time and had all those future NBA players. So that's just how fragile this thing can be. But it worked out. I think for Calipari, I think he'll do very well at Arkansas, and every time he does something good, somebody back here is going well, you see, you know, but Pope's going to get off

And bring him young. Now why is he here? Well, Mitch barnardt spoke to the crowd, but.

He also after the news conference spoke to the media about the fact that and I was told again there was interest from Billy Donovan, but not interest in dropping what he was doing to pursue the job right away. And I was told Kentucky basically couldn't wait. Barnard talked about the fact that he didn't wait because he had a guy that he really liked right in front of him.

Oh, I think there's a lot of raaided.

Number One, I felt coped with Mark.

I mean, let's not we're diminishing if we sit here and say, why didn't I wait.

I didn't feel like I needed to. I was comfortable with who.

I had, I liked it. I knew where I wanted to go.

I had a couple of two or three thoughts at the beginning. It played out. There's no mystery that we talked to someone first, and Mark knew that. I said, this is why it's going to work. And I was copable with our process, our research, the people I was talking to, and I felt like I was ready to go.

So let's go, and let's go was basically the theme of that news conference as we mentioned the former players coming back and the trophy being held Aloft and the spotlight on the banner. That was a nice touch, and Barnard talked about the fact that he had kind of kept an eye on Mark Pope throughout the year. And look, if you're miss Barnard and you're struggling with your head coach, you got to have that list in your pocket, don't you.

You got to be ready. You got to do your homework. You got to do your research.

And he knew about Mark Pope, and in fact, he had met Mark Pope, but he had also been keeping an eye on him, and he kind of liked the vibe that he brought.

We've got a chance of meet a couple of times in reunions and things like that, But when you talk to him, do you get a real feel for his love for this institution?

And I don't think there was anything.

More important at a time in our journey to finding somebody had understood this commonwealth, this fan base, and our program and what we needed. And he checked when I said checked the boxes, when the conversations, he checked every box. It was he knew exactly what we needed and he knew exactly the pathway that he needed to get it done.

Checked every box is the new one of the newest expressions that we're all over using now. But that's okay because in this particular instance, you gotta have a list like that. You gotta have a guy checking boxes and didn't it seem like and he was well prepared. The

We're here to win banners in Nashville because you guys turn out.

In Nashville like nobody else in that matters.

And we are here.

Our job here, our assignment is to go win banners in the final four, win national champions.

That's our job, and.

There's no reason you can't do both.

Again, Calipari's teams did that, So Mark Pope's teams did that, and he will see to it. He'll do the best he can to see that they do it now. He also nodded toward tradition and literally nodded toward his former teammates and peers the former players about what it means to wear the Kentucky uniform and a lot of guys you know who have played under Calipari, they do, I really truly believe respect that. But Pope, that's an element

You know what all these players know that all of our future players are going to learn really quick, okay.

Is that they are not doing those jerseys a favor by letting the jerseys clothe them. Our guys will know quickly, and it's hard not to know. It will be one of the great honors of their life to put that jersey.

On and you better believe the crowd loved that one, so did the former players. That brings us, though, to the guys who are going to wear that jersey. And the guy, of course everybody wondered about, was Read Shepherd and this was a bit of a faux pas here.

By Pope and Cameron.

Most told me later that this was quite by accident, but it turned into a thing, didn't it.

I believe these players man our job as coaches as we get to be shepherds.

H Like I said, it was accidental, but it gave the Shepherds the family. Jeff was standing there. I don't believe Reid was there one more chance to realize if they didn't already, just how much this fan base appreciated Read. But I hate to say it, but it's my understanding that Reid will leave. And there's been a lot of speculation. I think most people expect him to, but it's my understanding that he will leave, Which brings us to another topic,

You know, it's a great recessor for a great guy, and it's a remarkable. It's remarkable for us to walk in and just see twenty four twenty plus thousand people in here and just how much they love and enthusia asked about basketball. So I'm I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. When we say we have the best fan base, I truly believe that and have believed that for.

Many many years.

The right guy definitely right guy, you know, not just because it's my god. I think he understands the landscape of basketball, what it takes to win here, and the expectations. So when you have that in mind, you know you're not gonna be able to sleep a lot of nights, but you're thinking about what can I do to help us be the best, seen me compete and get to a final four, try to win the national championship. So it's it's worked though, But he has the right people

Tony got a big round of applause when he put his image up on the big screen. Also Richie Farmer, who was like a lot of us, he was really surprised when he heard the name Mark Pulpe because you'd heard Hurley and Billy Donovan and other names, but Mark Pulpe, that was kind of a sudden.

Thing nobody had ever even mentioned. And so I was like, do what And then I started to think about it. And I started to think about it because I know Mark, and I know how intelligent he is, and I know what a good coach he is, and I know where he come from. I know who coached him and who changed his life, and so I know the kind.

Of makeup that he has, that he's a hard worker, that his.

Teams, that he instills that same principles, those same principles in his teams, and it just started to make a lot of sense, and I thought, you know what.

I'm in. I'm in, you know. So it took about twelve.

Hours, but then I was like, that makes so much sense. And then I started to think, Man, this Barnhart guy, he's pretty good.

The knock on mark, obviously is his postseason record hadn't been that great around here of late, but you feel like without the limitations that he finished at his other two stops, he's got a much better shot in the postseason.

Now.

Well, I think so, you know, I think that there's no secret that, you know, recruiting at BYU and some of the the things that they have to sign, you know, in order to play there, and the oaths and the bowels and things. I mean, it makes it a lot more difficult to get the kind of players that a

I talk to Derek Anderson, who's quite active on social media and I asked him about the initial negative response to Mark Pope.

Well, I told everybody, nobody started at the same place they they came in and nobody came.

In here and just was winning.

Gregutino didn't win, Nobody had won a cows first championship was here, So why are we putting pressure on this guy? And then everybody say, you know what, You're right, Let's wait, let's wait to see him. And that's how we had to just wait. But what happened was people got to a point and a lot of it wasn't even our fans, so I take that with a great and soot, but some of our fans. I had to remind him, like, hey, give him a chance because he's one of us. You know,

That's all I care about.

Just give our guy a chance and see how he does.

Winning at Utah Valley and then bringing me on with some certain limitations there. There are very few limitations here. As you know, that's.

Gonna matter big.

It's come out of big.

But he said he wants to give guys who knows that, and he said that as honest to his statement, I want to get some guys who know what they're doing.

And he doesn't know everything.

And that's a good coach who says I don't know everything, but I want to get better, and I think Mark is gonna do that.

You're listening to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come here on six thirty w LAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Read here in the garage once again, because he'd rather come to the garage than do it over the phone. Cameron Mills, it.

Sounds better than it does.

I love a sad as promised this though you're listening early on the show, hanging on for me to be on. You never know well and Dad, yeah, thank you, My mom, my dad, my wife. Those might be the three that are that are anxious about this promise.

Everybody else takes it in stride, which just stops listening one the other.

Well, Cameron agreed to come on, We've kind of waited. I didn't talk to you immediately after, which hurt my feelings.

A Sunday press conference, Well, I knew you were being pulled.

In a lot of It was a lot of new done, a lot of new non uh big blue insider directions.

There you go, which is again why I was upset that where's my man, where's my buddy, Where's I don't know these people.

Plus this was the best day to get you in the garage.

Yes, except I've got conference calls and such this afternoon, but whatever.

AnyWho, you are so happy I talked to you when the name first came up. Yeah, tell everybody about how you discovered that the deal was done because the name popped up as you and your wife were getting ready to.

Turn Friday night.

Yeah, yeah, Friday night. No, actually is that afternoon? The name popped up and I sent it to a mutual friend of ours who's in the who's in the business or the industry as we say, and which the entertainment industry, the one that's currently getting to go downhill real fast? Because he did he go Anyway, I digest so I think I think that was a family guy thing. Anyway, so I felt, So let's back up real quick, real quick. Remember how I found out cal Perry was leaving from

I'm like, what's the fly canceled? Is it delayed?

He's like, no, no, cal Perry. I'm like, what about him? He said he's leaving. I'm like, oh, okay. I had no idea, and so even said, well, I didn't think i'd be telling you this. I don't have any kind of inside insight in of is. I don't have a sources I don't have I mean now, but I didn't before. But I found out the same way everyone else found out. I saw coach coach Pope, which that's good to take some getting used to. Some coach Pope names pop up.

But everybody, everybody that an agent.

We want as many ex players there as they could because that and of itself. Maybe it's something we're talking about or we've noticed I don't know, fans have thought about it maybe somehow, But this is the first time an ex player has ever been offered a job, much less taken the job. And see, and I keep forgetting about him because I forget he played here two years. Well so did Mark Marcole. He played here two years as he transferred well, no, he didn't read that one.

Yet.

He wasn't a red shirt.

He was a stout because he transferred, so anyway, so either way, okay, so thank you. I'm glad you corrected me because I can say second of two players to not only be offered, but to take the job, but he was. He's the one player I think that popped up in our group text that he's referred to several times that he was suspiciously quiet on and now we know why that he was. That week we weren't hearing

Who the coach is.

So the group text that he sent that out and everybody was like so excited. But it was Oliver Simmons who put his name up in that group text early on because it was going on it was basically who do you think?

Who do you think? Who do you think?

And the usual names were coming up, and then Oliver Simmons is the one that I remember popped up and said what about Pope? And I even felt somewhat cringey about that, because I'm like, all right, got all Needwards's an assistant coach on here, Steve Massieli's assisant coach. I mean, you got other coaches on here, and you know, but I think Pope makes the logical sense. And I was surprised and thrilled to see when popet name popped up from

Yeah, I mean you know that.

That's a rhetorical question coming from you because you know him, and you know him, I would say, even a little bit better than most meeting. You know him, but you know who he is, how he is and what was thrilling for me. And I'm assumed for my teammates from ninety six to ninety seven ninety eight because we weren't on the team with him in ninety eight, but so many of us knew him, like we played with him from ninety six.

But I think we all knew who he was.

We knew the kind of person he was, the silliness, the exuberance, the excitement, the positivity, the enthusiasm, the I mean, you know, embrace adversity, attitude, his his his theory of the circle, which I think you and I have talked about before if you don't remember, But he'll bring that up at some point, I'm sure.

Just he's just brilliant and.

Then he he will. I said this last week. I think you and I even joked about it. I thought I came up with that off the off the top of my head. It was brilliant. He is not the kind of person that you run through a brickwall for He's the kind of person that has already run through.

The brickwall for you. And I think everybody got to see that on Sunday.

And granted it's all just words at this point, but that's what's exciting about the next few weeks and a few months and hopefully many many years, is that everybody's going to get to see that what we saw on Sunday is not an act. That is who Pope is and so win or lose, that's our head coach in all his great forms.

That's our that's our head coach.

And the funny thing is, and I'm biased, there are too many bad ones that there were that that you know.

There are there. He'll admit when he makes mistakes.

You know, I don't think he should be listening at ninety six group text that he's on, but he says he's going to. I don't think just because we're on there we love him and he's our boy, it doesn't think we're I don't think that means we're full of all great ideas, but you know.

I think he just he's just proud to be back here.

And I've got a picture because Susan grabbed us front seats, which I love.

But yeah, my.

Wife, she she They told us whifs go out there and grab seats players on the bus, right, Well, so I get out there and we're off the bus now and I'm looking around.

I asked, I asked some of them, like, where's my wife?

And they pointed, she's on the front road next to the barnard. And I'm like, well, don't Babe's great seats. But I mean, just what we saw on Monday was just I think everything Sunday, everything shepperd I've been saying for a couple of days.

Shep said to me.

He said, people when they see him are going to wonder is this real? Hey? Can this honestly be him? And who he's about what he is? And he said, it won't take long before you realize that's.

Really it's annoyingly him.

I mean, you know, I mean, Sheppe even said that the other day when when TD and I and Shep did that.

Podcast for UK Network.

He was talking about how all right, dude, calm down right, you know, call I get the enthusiasm, calm down. And then TD pipes in and says, oh, it'll calm down. Coach pell run it.

Out of him.

I don't think Coach Per ever ran it out of him. I mean, I know he was tired after some practices.

But wait, when he first got here, you all said calm down.

Oh yeah that was what yeah if you know what, yeah, CHP tells him becau ship. They were roommates all three years. Basically, I thought you meant this this one. No no, no, no, no, no, no no. He was kind of he was excited but humbled.

No.

No, we're talking about back in the day when he and first met, because that was the question, what was the first time you met Mark?

He was bouncy.

Oh, just you know.

SHEP tells the story about how he's got his Cannondale bicycle on his shoulder, he's wearing his hat backwards, he's got flip pops on.

I mean, just classic, you know, like.

West Coast pope, right, And so Shep Shep's meeting, he was like, seems.

Like a cool dude.

Then he wouldn't he wouldn't stop being enthusiastic and positive, and at some point shep said he was like, I get it, but it's what was perfect is they were perfect roommates for each other. And then TD pipes in and he says, and this again, this the other day, talking about Mark's meeting Pope for the first time. He's like, calm down. And then he thought, I don't have to tell him, Colm down. Coach p is gonna run this

No, no, shut up.

But that's who Pope is is that he will go further than you think you can go.

And when you got somebody on the team. They'll do that. Man, that makes a big difference.

Cameron Mills in the garage. Of course we're talking about Mark Pope, his former teammate, his friend and a new head coach of the Wildcats as well. Know we'll come back and talk more about this topic. You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come here on six thirty w lap. Hey, it's Dick Gabriel and you're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.

By the way, I haven't read it yet. I just don't read. No, I don't. Well, it's it's behind it's behind the paywall.

I love you, Kyle, but I'm not a subscriber as of this year.

I am. I may still I may still off.

Have you heard about it?

Oh?

No, I read that's the thing.

I read the first paragraph and then I can't get past the paywall, and I'm like, all right, well that's the best intro I've ever had.

So ever, maybe I'll let you read. But I've heard great things about the art.

It really is and uh and there's been a lot of good things written and said about Mark.

Yeah.

Following Sunday's you know pep rally news conference, can.

We talk about how silly that was?

Well, let me, I was going to ask you this. I know you could have expected that kind of show now, but what do you think.

I've asked everybody this.

Yeah, what do you think that said? What was the message from the big We all know what Mark's message was?

What was a message from the fan base?

I think the message was because I completely understand anybody who even now doubts what he what I believe he's going to do. I mean, he was not a He was not the shiny pick. He was not the Danny Hurley or even the Scott Drew or the Billy Donovan or the Bruce Pearl whoever else Barnhart was sincerely looking

A pylon in a good way.

That's it because either we had been thinking that for years that even as great as all of our other teammates are, that are coaches, Alan Scott, Steve Massiello, you know, our guys that are NBA scouts, that are you know, basketball is their life. This is the one that made the most sense because I think a lot of it is we know how mentally tough he is Ah and I think that is the one a binding thing. I mean, we all know he's enthusiastic, we all know he's the hardest worker.

We all know. It makes sense from what he's done.

At Utah Valley and BYU. But one of the big things that I think we're missing, and I think I missed this one I originally thought of him was he is the by far the most mentally tough person from that ninety sixteen I don't think, and that would include Anthony Epshue. You know, I talked about how mentally tough he is, but I think Mark was the one that always was preaching, you know, overcoming adversity, and so he knows. He admitted to press conference, this is a meat grinder.

He sounded sincere. Maybe he was.

I think we owe a lot for what he did during his fifteen years here. But I think Hope was just the right person at the right time. And I think, you know, if he turns out to be as successful as I think we all think he's going to be, then I think, honestly, I mean, I still think this.

I think Mitch hit a grand slam. Well.

Getting back though to my question about the fan base, Oh.

Yeah, I'm sorry, that's so I getstracted with my own story. Oh you no, But I mean.

That was more than just a show of support. That was more than just curiosity.

Yes, I do believe.

That was an absolute statement by the FT.

I don't think five thousand people wait in line don't get in for curiosity. I think when we were on the back of that bus, we were told there were ten thousand people out there, which we were like here, and I think before to be fair, I think five thousand was made up by you media, but nonetheless there was I was on the back of the bus. I was not playing media that day anyway, So I think the show up because when we pulled out.

I don't know if you know this not. You know, the bus hit the wall pulling in. Did you know that? Nobody knows that.

I'm like, oh, we hit it pretty hard, actually, because I remember saying.

Oh, that's not an omen was going on.

It's not a good start.

But the fans showing up, the five thousand that waited, Man, God bless you all. To me, what mattered is that Friday night to Saturday morning. Certainly this Sunday afternoon there was a one hundred and eighty reflip from most fans. And for those who still doubt, I get it. He hasn't proved anything yet, but there's little doubt in those of us who know him that he's going to prove it to you soon enough if he didn't on Sunday. And that's what made that's why I teared up so

Yeah, that's the number I've seen.

I have two and quite frankly, are you going.

To be a member of that? Are you gonna be a journalist here?

And get us to the right now, the mathematician, you know, the capacity being what it is, the floor seats not.

There, right, But the floor seats were there, not all of them, but there were a lot.

Of a lot of them.

But you got five thousand people.

I'm about to say.

The bottom line is the place was jammed and there were people who wanted to get in and couldn't. And the other thing too, Cameron, and you played there. You played through one of the greatest periods of Kentucky basketball. And the spirit is the best word I come back to that in that building was as good as it's ever been.

It was old school, I think, and I think that's again what excited us, because Mark, not only the stories of Mark and what people researched on their own of Mark in that's forty eight hour period between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. I think that's what turned a lot of people because again, no one, no one except those of us who knew who he was and knew he

Never it was all about that.

Cali Perry alluded to that when he.

Was when he was hired because he knew he was bringing in great players, right, But he didn't.

Flatly state no, no, and not And not only did Mark state that, he stated the SEC tournament he made a point of doing everything, saying everything and here's the key checklist did but I promise you, I promise you he's genuine and everything he said about that checklist, it may have been a checklist. And the funny thing is, I know he had some of a checklist because I feel like the SEC comment was a shot at cal intentionally unintentionally.

The Shepherd thing, I promise you was unintentional.

That was a complete accident because Mark immediately ran up to Shepperd apologized for that. The fans just kind of took off on that, and I think it a really fun But by.

The way, I don't think it was a personal shot at Caliperry. I think I think when he talked about the the SEC, I think it was a reassurance to the fan.

Yeah, I think so too.

But at the same time, you can't help but think, Okay, but the last coach he had the reputation of not caring about that. Yeah, we're saying he didn't.

I think that.

I think that's a great point is that I've told people for years, and it's gonna be interesting now if my actually is gonna change because I told people for years you never believe a head coach when he's behind a microphone, just like you never believe a politician was by you, don't. They're not going to tell you the truth because they don't want you to tell other people. And can the other players or other teams whatever. He shuts,

Yeah, I'm like, is he kidding? Yeah? He he knows practice can't be open.

It used to be. It used to be in Kentucky. It's Joeby's were open.

I just can't.

But not in this age, not in Yeah, it can't be because of film video. But I just to me, even in Joby's era, I did not know that. So you've taught me two things about Joe be in this last hour.

That and honestly when Eddie first got here was they began to close practice during the late eighties and c investigation, uh.

Practice, well forget it.

He is strip shirt is so yeah, he's so paranoid about I mean, you know Jerry Klinch.

I think it was Jerry Clangelow.

So it was somebody very much up in the in the basketball world, not just the NBA or college I mean the world of basketball, and he almost he literally got thrown out of our practice by an unbeknownst manager.

Your manager did not know who he was.

This guy's sitting on the front row and the manager goes up and says, sir, I'm sorry, but our practices are closed because you know, thankfully sees what's going on, looks across the court and says, it's okay.

Klango's NBA or the thing.

It wasn't Jerry Colangelo, but it was somebody like him, And I knew who this guy was. That's how bad it was. I've recognized that face, but I don't know who he is. But yeah, don't ask him to leave.

I think he's here with permission.

Camera Mills in the garage with us the studio slash garage. We'll talk more about UK basketball and Mark Pope on the other side of the break. You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. Our number two is next here on six thirty w lap. Hey, it's Stick Gabriel. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Our number two taking a little time off, so please enjoy the best of the Big Blue Insider.

Welcome back to the garage. Camer Mills is here with us.

We're talking, of course about his former teammate, his friend Mark Pope, the new head coach, And you mentioned earlier that I might know him a little bit better. I did more than one show you and I did one together with him, but I taped a couple with him right after the championship back in ninety six. However, I did one of first of all, shamelessly plug our doc We had a string of three successful documentaries.

Associated to press, documentaries of the Kentucky documentaries of the year, that's right.

And you came to me about this first one because you guys had planned your reunion, the controversial reunion in Miami.

People up here got upset.

The words are having election, and you know, like it's it's for us.

It's we did we had we had it Sunday, Sunday.

That's right.

Uh.

But you guys decided in a meeting or something, and somebody goes, how about Miami? Okay, great, because Patino had.

A boat, you know, had a boat and a place, and you know, and again, what's wrong with my troll south Beach?

You know, if we were at South Beach, what's wrong with Miami?

But anyhow, you came up with the idea to shoot a documentary.

Well, actually no, it wasn't my idea. It was Terry Miner's idea. What Terry Minor had the idea because I don't, and I feel like it was you that told me that, because I know somebody told me, because I think what happened is is that Terry and Tony Terry Tony Tony Terry Minor was always very close. Yeah, but Terry was always very close, I think with Patino.

And so when there.

Yeah, absolute Terry Minor, absolutely a legend on radio. And I think Terry, I think his name popped up as the group tech started building about the excitement for the union, his name popped up. Is somebody wanting to do a document something, some kind of special report, and then he actually, my understanding is he bowed out because he thought that just doesn't it's not going to translate well to radio, which I agree, but it sparked. It sparked in my mind.

Oh, you're the one who And I'm like, wait a minute, what he like, Oh, Dad talks about you all NonStop.

Wow.

And I'm like, okay, well that makes sense because you know we taught I mean in the documentary you're talking about, which by the way, is called The Team. It's available on vimeo dot com or check my Twitter or Facebook. I've made some posts about it recently. I mean, I've lowered the price, by the way, in ninety nine cents.

He really really does.

And who you see on the documentary is exactly who you saw on Sunday and exactly who you'll see any other time. That's just who Mark is. So but yeah, I just knew the stories would be great. And then we wound up, you know you and I thought the story was gonna go the story of the documentary was going to go one way, and it turned out going an entirely different way, which to me makes it a great documentary.

I will tell you that the maxstory on and as Jason Epperson worked with us an accomplished established Emmy.

Award winning the award winning way.

And by the way, that documentary that we're talking about did not get a nominated for Nimmy, but the next one.

That's right. Anyhow, we sat down, I had a meeting with Cameron and we had.

To explain to you that it needed a theme. What's the story? And easily easily you said stories. Easily you said it'll be how terrified we all were of Rick.

You did that not come across.

It came across in the best Mark Post story.

But the other day, Oh god, but but it Basically when we talked to the more established veteran players, it was not they weren't afraid of Beteina. Yeah they were, but they were, like you.

Their whole thing was they were afraid in a different I'm afraid this guy's not going to play.

Me, which I was not. My fear. No, I was not struggling with that fear in ninety six. I was convinced he was going to play me. Was total. He was on a few occasions and then was terrible. Oh well yeah, but no.

Their whole thing was how's he going to do this?

You know?

But what I got to thinking about this after I got home Sunday. I remember in ninety four that Kentucky team fell short your freshman year.

You're talking about the Elleite eating inst Carolina ninety four? Was you you were still? Yeah?

I was.

They get beat I think by Marquette in yea. That year they were not a great rebounding team, and Rick Batino kept saying, yes, I do remember this, that's going to change next year, it was Mark popees on the way.

He was more about rebounding though, because I remember coaching. I mean, it was about you know, I think shirt whoever we played in that tournament game. We got roughed up a bit physically in ninety four, yeah, the game before Mark became eligible. Basically, whether it's Mark, yeah, there's Marquette. So we got physically roughed up. Because I remember coach p of course I'm still in high school, saying this won't happen next year, but he even mentioned I think

A little bit. But the reality is that it did change.

I mean, I don't know the practice is different because woudn't hear the year before, but I know practice was physical and boody, and as Pope said, vomity, and it's such a such a great story, and such a perfect Pope story too. I mean, who throws up in the middle of their shirt in the middle of practice and thinks it's not going anywhere. Apparently a Rhodes scholar does, because he's the one that didn't think. And then the next thing I know, we got teammates slipping in the floor.

Well, he did tell the Walter McCarty story, yep, more than once, and he told that to us on camera.

Yeah.

And one of the reasons is that, Yeah, I wrote out about the documentary was because and I had watched it in a while, but I just played a couple of clips and I remember thinking Mark Pope was the star of that show now. To me, in terms of the sit down interviews I did, to me, the most my favorite part was the video we shot on the boat when you guys got together and had a little

Yeah.

Well, you know one thing that Mark said in the press conference, at least I believe he did. It may have been what someone said, maybe what Tony Yrship said in the in the in the podcast, I'm getting everything kind of con bolluted at this point. But there is a lot of you know, what today would be considered innovative offense. That's what Pope runs. It's not innovative. It's thirty thirty five years old. I mean, it is almost

But it's gonna be different.

Now.

It is going to be different. And that's not a shot at cal Perry. It's just what I know about Pope, how Pope was coached, how I was coached. There are gonna be differences in how he was coached and how he coaches, but they're not going to be huge differences. I think the only real difference is going to be one guy was more and maybe negative. The other guy

I was trying to picture though last night, when I was thinking about my conversation with you, uh Mark, Pope being a bad cop yelling at somebody. You know what it's gonna happen.

But well he well he yelled at guys during practice, but it was always in this positive All right, let's go now, all right, here we go.

Everybody Guys like.

All right, you're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. Want to come here on six thirty w LAP It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to the best of the Big Blue Insider Cameron Mills here in the garage. Of course, we're talking about Mark Pope, his former teammate, the new head coach of the Wildcats, And before the break we talked about offense. What about he described and explained his defense, but he just kind of you know, he couldn't sit there and break it down. But do

But see Brigham Young play at all?

I have not seen I've seen them play in the last week.

Obviously, I've watched the videos and watched some of their players play obviously in videos. But to me, I Mark plays the same now when he was at Utah Valley. I mean, he's got a an mo as a coach, just like every coach has. And I think one of the things that I think fans will be And he said this on Sunday, so this isn't news, but you know he's and again this was this seemed to be different from how Caliperi approached things, which was if I

They weren't ready.

They wound up taking a bad shot or throwing a pass that would have been there if we'd been in a man and man but it wasn't because we were on his own. So I think there's gonna be a lot more of that, which I think you could say is innovative. I mean, oh yeah, it's not just he's going to and I think that's one of the things that where there needs to be some grace. And I would always argue that this with cala Perry's team as well.

You played Iowa second round Montana the first round, which I barely remember.

Look at are you looking at the stats?

You'll notice number twenty one had a huge block in that game against Montana.

It was it was more like a looking at bike, It was more like a volleyball spike.

I absolutely took a guy, no offense to him, who looked like he was maybe in his forties at the time when he played in his twenties from Montana. He took a jump shot and I pitched it out of bounds, literally almost pinning in against the wall that was standing a foot from where I was in bound.

Uh.

That was the Salt Lake City. Coincidentally, it was Utah. And you go to Santasee, you beat St. Joe's and Utah the utes right who you guys beat next to following.

And would beat the next and the and the year before. We picked them out three years in a row.

Yeah you beat Minnesota.

Yeah.

Uh.

And then but here's the thing.

The Utah game was all that changing defense until the light in Arizona, I mean Iowa gat Uh that was a six point win.

Soa all that defense that made a big difference.

Oh no, it made a different well, we got a.

Few minutes left. But you talked about the team we're gonna see on the floor.

Who are they gonna be?

And by that, I mean tell me about the recruiting the poor I mean he's up against it right now. You know have two guys for sure, the kid who flipped from from b y U and Travis Perry, who you know, as long as he can guard a little bit.

Yeah, the way he shoots the ball, you gotta think to handles the ball. That's the thing that stood out to me in the sweet games I saw but one.

But yeah, I mean, I you knew he could shoot. But I'll tell you what he went up against.

Was it Trevor Noah I think his name is that plays in Harlan And I mean I honestly I looked at both of them. Now, Now, Trevor did not have a great or Trent no I think his name is. He did have a great name, a great championship game, and Travis did, But I Noah. I mean, you know, it's funny. And I haven't talked to Mark. I'm not I won't talk to him about recruiting or any of

Because they're both.

I mean, Noah kind of reminds me of a Chris Lofton and Travis Perry kind of reminds me of I mean, first of all, he's just he can shoot. For me, He's like a Richie Farmer. Yeah, he can shoot from anywhere on the court. He's got great ball handling, he's quick, he's his basketball smart.

It's smart. I think as maybe Reid was.

Reid might have a little bit of an anticipation about him that's better than Travis's.

But that's yet to be seen.

I think on this level, trying to know by the way, committed to South Carolina.

But sometimes kids flip.

Well, I mean, that's all the kids are doing right now, that's the whole point of the portal.

And I think I feel like if Mark reached out to him, I feel like he consider coming here but again, I think what we're gonna get are guys. And Mark said this, We're gonna get guys who are good for here. Yes, And I don't think it's exactly how he put it, but he said. I think he said whose hearts are here? And I don't think he just meant Kentucky boys. I don't think he just meant guys who want to play at Kentucky.

But he kept referencing you, kept pointing you guys. Yeah, it's gonna be the same as when you guys were here. Well name on the front.

Well, and that's what it becomes. But because let's be honest, most of the guys that I played with, with exceptions of a myself, A Scott Pageant and Jeff Shepherd, most of those guys came to play for Patino.

They did true.

So they just learn while they're here, a lah Mark Pope right, they learn why they're while they're here, what Kentucky basketball across the front of that chest means. And then, as you saw on Sunday, it can carry on thirty years, but home still is Lexington. Yeah, and that's what Pope spoke and said, and that is the truth in his heart.

I promise you. And that's what I think people are excited about.

UK Sports video has about an eleven minute clip out there on social media where.

Pope driving up to Rupper. It's a brilliant piece UK Sports.

Peter Greg Gorm's people knocking out of the park all the time they do, but it captured Pope's passionate enthusiasm and talking about his daughters get tired of hearing.

It, but they love it.

You I mean, I mean, at this point, I'm like, you know what I'll talk about, Mark Pope, I'll talk about to Blue in the faith.

Putting that documentary, I left more Mark Popes up on the cutting room floor because he was so great, so brilliant brother, Thank you so much, and we'll keep in touch. We're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come here on six thirty w LAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Kentucky knocked off Oregon State, no stranger to the College World Series Wildcats, though making their first trip to Omaha.

Oregon State, as you.

May know by now, won three national championships twice in the Arts six and seven again in twenty eighteen, Oregon State was looking to make it's eighth trip to the College World Series, and it actually made three straight trips back in the odds, winning at six and seven but falling short in five.

Made it to Omaha but did not win.

But Mitch Candon, the head coach, was a player back then, and he was asked about what it's like to get there for the first time as a team. Oregon State had been there in nineteen fifty two, but then that long layoff until five. He talked about what it was like back then for the Beavers to reach the World Series after such a long layoff, and when you listen to what he says, think about that in terms of what the Wildcats are feeling.

Right now, it's an amazing accomplishment. You know, Kentucky's got a great team obviously. I mean the way they played all year long, the they understand they're playing in the small game, they're playing the speed, they're the heck out of it. They neutralized a really good offense. I mean we went out there, we stung some baseball's hard. Trotsky hit one down the line that like, well, that puts puts a guy in scoring position.

Right there, Webber smashed the ground ball to shortstop. Anyway, that's not what the question was.

But you know, thinking back when we made it to Omaha and five and having that feeling winning out at Supers and going to Omaha that first year, we would oh and two real quick and got sent sent home and then it just felt like a blur because you had never experienced it before.

But it just made you hungrier to go out and do that. And six we even started off what it was in eleven to one to Miami with some rain, and then we came back on fire and never.

Looked back at It's obviously a lot of confidence and momentum that can be built from that belief.

The relationships you build. Every game you get to play with those guys around it, your relationship gets stronger and stronger.

I mean, I know, I go check my phone after this and there's a text thread of all of us from six and seven that are on it, and I know they're going to be saying some stuff on there to pick us all up.

Right.

It's a.

It's a life changing thing when you're able to accomplish like those big moments and move on and even how you handle the tough moments I think can bring you a lot closer too.

So Mitch Cannam, the head coach at Oregon State, knows the feeling of getting to the College World Series. He also knows the feeling of winning the College World Series, which Oregon State did twice while he was a catcher there back in the mid auds. And now, of course the head coach, but his team falling short, losing to

The UK Sports Network.

Next Omaha, that's it.

Good night from the garage and Lexington.

Zana takes a hopping lead at first. The three to two got him with a slider that comes through the front door and parks in the living room. Here's the one one swung on and lined over third.

That's a fair ball and it's gonna get all the way into the left field wall and bounce off the corner. Nicholson makes it the third. They're gonna send him. Here comes the throw from left. It is offline Nicholson process. It's an RBI double for Nolan McCarthy and Kentucky's up.

One to nothing. The pitch, here's the two to oh.

He squares and bunts it softly up the first baseline daily coming home.

He's safe. He's in there ahead of the tag.

Oregon State the first baseman, Guera bare handed the ball softly up the first base line, immediately shoveled underhand, but Webber in front of the plate.

Not enough time to turn around with the tag Runners will move.

The payoff pitch got him on the inside corner with a fastball strike three inning over a.

Three to two part two struck him out swinging with a change up.

Another outstanding inning by Cameron O'Brien, five.

Strikeouts for the right hander, two two game.

In the seventh the two and he struck him out, but the ball got away from Weber. McCarthy to third. There's nobody at cover in the play. It's a foot rice.

He dines across.

Safe, Nobody covered home for Oregon State and McCarthy stores from second as graft Smith arrives at first.

Whit's a three to two Kentucky lead. Here's the one two swinging a mass. He struck him out with a slider.

That was a huge strikeout by Robert Hogan.

The old one to McDowell, swung on and lined up the middle. Grant Smith clocks it, inning.

Over two to one.

Line shot turns into a bounce to Grant Smith. In short he flips the first heading over. Robert Hogan is fired up and so are the Big Blue Nation. Here's the one swung on in mind.

Locked down by Daily at third The throw got up two aways. What a play by Mitch Daily at third base.

Wow, he laid out and made a perfect crew over Ryan Nicholson for the out.

The Wildcats are one out a way, hands together nothing in two to McDowell.

Hummel's pitch, cold strike, three ball game over. The wait is finally over. Roll out the big Blue carpet in Omaha.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats are headed to the College World Series. Kentucky defeats Oregon State three to two. They flood the field from that third base stugout and talk piled to the right side of the mound.

They're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider More to come here. On six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to the best of the Big Blue Insider. Earlier we were talking about Jerry West because so many tributes poured in about Jerry West over the last twenty four hours since his passing on Wednesday at the age of eighty six. And I pulled this off social media. Somebody posted this speech he made, not really his speech,

I want to talk about the greatest learning lesson I ever have in my life.

Please.

I went to school and never played against a black man until I was in college. I graduated from school and played against a few black players at that point in time during my career. The most important peat people in my life were five five black men five. I haven't talked about this very much in my life stream I didn't even broach it with you. I grew up very much like they did.

I was like these guys.

I was like the dog behind these guys. They walked me everywhere in our conversations late at night after a game we'd played cards, and so.

They were.

They changed my life's perspective more than anyone will ever know. If I could write a book, I would like to write a book about five of those guys. And I had one player in particular.

He was the NBA Rookie of the Year, the late Ray Felix. I was a rookie and my college coach.

Was coaching the team, and I wasn't playing very much, and I didn't say I never said a word, never said a word. I was clearly better than these other

He was a guy who drug me around like a dog.

Those were the most important years of my life.

I learned so much.

You can throw your college degree out the window, but just learning that other people have similar circumstances to you. All of you were raised differently. If you're not love and a home, it's a house. If it's love and a home, it's a home. And I experienced that for these gentlemen and never said a word about it until I guess last six months, and it's been exceedingly I wish I had told him earlier.

Gary Moore, Weston bureau chief, usually with us on Wednesdays, but he had last night off. He's actually on the West Coast in Los Angeles taking care of some business literally, and I thought I would reach out to Gary because in all the years he lived out there and covered sports, you are a West Coast bureau chief for several years covered the Lakers, and you know you also posted about Jerry West yesterday when he passed. He was an incredible figure in Los Angeles, wasn't he Well.

Yeah, in many ways. I mean, obviously he's on the Lakers Mount Rushmore, if you want to call it that. I think he's the greatest Laker evera it ever will be more than likely he's tops in my book as far as the greatest Laker because of what he did as a player and as what he did as an executive. I think you'd be I think you'd be hard pressed to find a greater player turned NBA executive than Jerry West.

I moved from.

Louisville in late eighty five and I got on a KFI radio and I said, Hey, is anybody going out to Lakers you know, the spring to you know, cover some of the playoffs and now we can't make it. Well, I'll go hello. I came out as I came out as a DJ, but I was I was helping our sports guy who was a department of one and Chris couldn't do it all. Chris Chris, Chris Roberts, who later

He absolutely did. And it's legend now that week that he signed Kobe Bryant, or actually traded Vlade Divac's rights for Kobe's rights, and then he turned around and signed Shaquille O'Neil the same week. To your point about being an executive, best week ever in a history.

For an executive.

Yeah, he knew what he was doing. He didn't like coaching. He coached for a while and it was just it was he wasn't comfortable with it. He did I think he did it very well. I think they're probably that the stats will show that. But Jerry was not only just a great player and great executive. Look at the whole NBA. When Jerry was drafted, I believe it was in the spring of nineteen sixty. Later that year, they moved from Milwaukee to Los Angeles, the first team to

Ago that I have.

It's on my kindle. I think it's My Tortured Life. I think was the name of it or something like that. You know, he had, as you know, because your dad went to West Virginia, you know about a lot of his history growing up, and he had a rather rough childhood and lost his brother in the war and some other things like that, and his dad was not the easiest guy to live with either.

Yeah, and you know, as you said, and I talked about it earlier on the show, being a fan growing up, and I didn't realize until I started reading even more about him, just recently, really within the last twenty four hours. He didn't like the nickname Zeke from Cabin Creek because he was technically from Cabin Creek, and I know Elgin Baylor tease him about his accent and things like that, but yeah, I always grew up my dad called him that and all, but still I was really surprised Gary.

You know, when it came time to win a championship.

I think they beat the Sixers when they won his only ring, but that series with the Celtics nearly destroyed him.

He was the best competitor the Celtics ever faced, and yet and yet he couldn't get past. Well, it shows you the kind of a team that the Lakers had. They just didn't have enough around Jerry to you know, seal the deal until later on, when you know, they got Will and Gail Goodrich and some other guys in there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Steven Smith floated that and immediately assumed wrongly that Jerry West would be opposed to it, and Wes said, no, that's a great idea. I said earlier Gary that I'd be okay with Michael, but you know, if they could somehow design a logo if they are going to retire the Jerry West logo that somehow encapsulates Magic and Larry Bird together because they saved the NBAS and I bet Jerry West would have been good with that as well. But I know we lose him within a week or

And you met both of them, Yeah.

I did.

I liked both of them a lot, and obviously we're a big fan of both of their games. I didn't know this until a few years ago, that Jerry West and Elgin Baylor and those Lakers came to Murray really in nineteen sixty four to play a guy by the name of Cliff and the Hawks of Saint Louis. It was part of a benefit thing, and they did this for several years, Dick were They would come down and play them in the field house there at Murray State's campus, and Cliff would do these and I think they went

Thank you so much.

Absolutely always a pleasure to talk about the logo, and I'll do it for now.

Thanks for joining us for this special edition, the best of the Big Blue Insider.

That's it. Good night from the garage in Lexington, Deezer