Welcome to the Big Blue and Sider Dick abro with you on a Friday as we wrap up the week, and a lot to talk about tonight. A lot of football stuff, a lot of recruiting the portal. The second hour of the show is going to be really football heavy. If you like Kentucky football, I know you're mad about it right now, are concerned about it. But if you like talking and hearing about Kentucky football, top of the hour, Van Hiles will join us. We have him on all year.
Tom Leech has him one, he makes the rounds and Van a former Wildcat but lives in Louisiana but stays plugged in with video. He studies that video, breaks it down, podcasts, you name it, He's on it, and we'll talk with him, kind of do a seasonal wrap up with Van. We haven't had a chance to chat with him for a while because of all these basketball broadcasts, but we're gonna
hook up with him a little bit later. Also, John Halo, the HEROLD Leader on this the day after the announcement by Barrion Brown that he's leaving, and of course two days after recruiting days. So John Halo, the HEROLD Leader will join us as well. Obviously there's basketball to talk about with Kentucky playing Gonzaga tomorrow night. You'll hear that game right here on six point thirty WLAP ten pm tip off in Seattle with Tom and Jack. Sean Woods,
the unforgettable guard, will join us. We were not able to talk to him Wednesday because of the Coaches Show schedule, but we move Sean to Friday and we'll find out what he has to say about both the Clemson game and the upcoming Gonzaga game. And remember, going into the Duke game, Sewn predicted a win over the Blue Devil, So we'll see what he has to say about Gonzaga, but we'll also have him break down the loss to Clemson. And also, of course, this is Volleyball Night, by the
miracle of digital recordings. I am actually at Memorial Coliseum right now and you can watch the game on ESPN Plus. Coming up in a few minutes, we'll hear from Craig Skinner and a couple of the Wildcats. Knocked off Cleveland State, as we said, they take on Minnesota. So it's the SEC and the Big ten tonight at the Coliseum and it's going to be good. SEC got nine bids this year.
That's the most ever, but keep in mind Texas and Oklahoma joined the league, so that's really not a surprise, but the fact that a lot of other schools got in. There have been years where the SEC only got three or four bids to the nca Volleyball Tournament. Somebody tweeted at me earlier this week about the fact that the SEC champion, which is Kentucky of course, for the eighth year in a row at least outright or a share,
only got a three seed. But that's a reminder that the SEC, as good as it is and so many things, is not the best conference with all due respect in volleyball. Now, Kentucky is clearly one of the best teams in the country, but top to bottom this league had been lopsided for so long. Florida dominated twenty consecutive SEC championships for the Florida Gators, coached by Mary Wives, who used to coach at Kentucky. Her husband Mark used to be the basketball
coach at Lindsay Wilson. She goes to Florida and builds an absolute monster down there. Well, Kentucky finally broke through and won an SEC title, and while the Wildcats were getting better, so was Tennessee and other schools have flirted with being good. When Missouri joined the SEC several years ago, Missou went undefeated in volleyball that year. No got knocked out in the first round of the tournament, if memory serves, But it's been pretty much Florida until Kentucky jumped in there.
And then it's like a lot of sports chancellors, presidents ads looked around and thought, you know, we stink at this sport or that, why aren't we better? And so they have made moves. There have been, you know, better facilities now and more coaching. It's like anything. If you throw money in the right areas, you make good hires, recruit well, you're gonna get better. And the SEC was
really competitive this year. One of Kentucky's two conference losses, one was Texas okay, the other one was Auburn, and with all due respect, Arburn just wasn't very good this year. But on that night jumped up and beat the Wildcats. So they're sitting home right now saying, hey, that we beat a team that won the SEC and is now in the second round of the nca tournament. Our buddy Hunter Shelton, who covers so well he does the best job covering UK volleyball, has been on the show several times.
Used to hear him on Cameron Mills's show. He told me last night at the tournament matches, he said, some of the loose talk going around in the volleyball world is that the upset on the horizon early in the tournament was Kentucky losing to Minnesota. I don't know, maybe people looked at them at the matchups or whatever, but he said that was something that's been predicted prior to the tournament. Now, there was an upset last night Loyola
of Chicago. The Ramblers upset Brigham Young. So maybe that was the vibe they were getting was about Loyola. I don't know if Sister Jean was at that match or not. So anyhow, we'll hear more from the volleyball Cats coming up here in just a couple minutes. There is more news and just you know, check the portal every hour. But another now former Wildcat entering the portal. It's an offensive lineman, but you might not even know his name because he didn't play much. Ben Christman as a grad
transfer now. He started his career at Ohio State and had a knee injury in the spring fall camp. Missed his entire debut last year, a debut season with the Wildcats. This year, he played, according to Aaron Gershaan of The Cast Boss, twenty three snaps at right guard two against Vandy, twenty one against Murray State. So this is a guy who just couldn't get it done at Ohio State, suffered from injuries.
Here.
He was a four star guy coming out of high school, but things have just not come together for him for one reason or another. So now he's in the transfer portal and we wish him the best. Never met the guy, don't remember seeing him out on the field, but he's an old lineman. He's an interior a lineman, and I do remember hearing his name called by Tom and by Jeff. But somebody just today asked me what about all these transfers. I said, well, you know, it's happening everywhere in every sport,
you know. I'll go back to the day after Mississippi State. Mississippi State won the National Baseball Championship. Eleven kids entered the portal the following day. But that's just where we are now in college athletics, and obviously they were planning it the whole time, but just forget about it. As I said earlier, I'm gonna talk to Van House about this evaluate recruit sign develop. That'll still happen, but it'll only happen here and there, and it may almost be
like a happy accident. Here's a kid who's stuck around, and look at him now in lieu of going to the portal. You know, we're gonna talk to Sean Woods later, and we talked to him earlier this year about transfers. If you followed Kentucky basketball long enough, you know that back in the eighties, when the NCAA hit, Kentucky kids were allowed to leave and play right away the next year, and a lot of them did. Aron Ellis left, Chris
Mills left. Sean wanted to leave, and his mom said, Nope, you're gonna stay right there and you're gonna stick it out because you said you would. And he did and it worked out. You know, didn't quite get to the final four. Sean did his very best hit the shot just ahead of that other shot and a kid from Duke,
but you know he doesn't regret it. Now obviously, but that is and you know, to be honest with you, you can hardly expect, especially a kill like Chrisman who he's just had bad luck, you know, with the injuries. But you've just got to find the place that suits you. And I'm sure there are thousands of former college athletes saying, man, I wish the portal had been around when I was playing, because some kids just never got the chance or committed and signed to the wrong place, stuff like that. But
it's crazy right now. It's people say that the nil situation. They call that the wild West. I really believe you could say the exact same thing about the portal right now. So, as I mentioned, and as we record this, you've got the kid, the offensive lineman in the portal. But between the time you hear this and the time I recorded,
you may have another three or four. Who knows. But as Mark Stoops also said, he needed some kids to enter the portal, kids he knew were not going to play, and he had conversations already with a lot of kids. So it's just the way business is done these days,
the business of college athletics. While we're talking business, South Carolina has a new athletics director Jeremiah the NADI and of course in football, South Carolina Kentucky basically on the same pier, and right now the game Cocks have moved ahead of the Wildcats. For the longest time. Under Mark Stoops, it was Kentucky moving up. But then he comes from Texas Christian. He'd been there since July twenty seven, twenty seventeen, and if you take a good look, DCU has been
getting it done under this guy. Do you want to give the ad credit for the big picture? People like to blame the ad for the big picture. So got to give him credit. Led their program to what they called new heights, got them you know, the TCU gets to the football playoffs, remem they got to the championship game, got blown out. But on his watch they won twelve Big or eleven Big Twelve Conference championship. First Texas team to appear in the college football playoffs. Basketball men's basketball
program appeared in the last three NCAA tournaments. Baseball team won back to back Big twelve titles and appeared in the College World Series last year. So now he moves from Fort Worth to Columbia, South Carolina, and I have always thought South Carolina sleeping giant when it comes to athletics, because you got Clemson in that state and that's it. I mean, they're the kingpin, or should be in terms of attention and money in that state. So keep an
eye on South Carolina. If you aren't all ready before we hit the break, you know this by now. But the UK women lost their first game last night, falling at North Carolina seventy two fifty three. Carolina jumped out early, Kentucky fought back. Carolina kept moving away. Kentucky kept fighting back, but just didn't get enough inside. Did not hit three pointers. This is not a really good three point shooting team. They're seven of twenty four. As a team, they hit
twenty eight percent so far on the air. Clara Strack did not have a great game. Fouled out. I'm sorry she didn't fall out. She only had three fouls, but played only twenty five minutes, two for ten from the floor, only got to the free throw line for a couple of shots, oh for two. And if she's not playing well, obviously there's not a whole lot Georgia Aymore can do. She played all forty minutes, only got ten points, eight assist tho in just one turnover, but oh for five
from beyond the arc. Now, Dajah Lawrence, she's really coming on. Played thirty seven and a half minutes, led the Wildcats with seventeen points, three of six from behind the arc. Ameilia Hassid four of eight from beyond the arc. She had thirteen points, but just too much North Carolina and the Wildcats fall for the first time in women's basketball. It's been that kind of week. So when we come back, we'll talk about a Kentucky team that is looking to
move on in the NCAA tournament. That's those volleyball Wildcats. Own One other football note for you, the NFL Players of the Month. I hate to rub this into my buddy Aaron Gershawan, but Saquon Barkley, and I'm sure he would just shrug it off like yep. Of course, he had been a New York football giant. They didn't want to resign him. He is the player of the month, and he I think is the MVP leader right now for the Philadelphia Eagles. So he's the NFC Player of
the month. The AFC Player of the Month, Joe Burrow of the Bengals. He is setting records, sort of unofficial records for incredible stats for a losing team. He averaged three hundred and forty five passing yards per game last month, threw for more than a thousand yards, twelve touchdowns, one pick. QB rating was one oh seven point seven. It's staggering and his team is just bad. They just can't seem to win a game. So anyhow, if you're a Bengals fan,
I feel you. My guys lost last night the Packers to the Lions. We could not get our defensive pressure to Jared Goff and he cut us up. So all right, when we come back Kentucky Volleyball. Bottom of the hour, Sean Woods Hour number two, Van Hiles and John Hale, You're on six thirty WLA. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Coming up in just a few minutes, Sean Woods,
the Unforgettable Guard. We'll talk about what happened down at Clemson and he'll look ahead to Kentucky and Gonzaga, a game you will hear right here late tomorrow night, ten o'clock start on six thirty WLAP tonight in just a few minutes, and again it's on ESPN plus it's on our sister station as well, ninety eight point five FM. Kentucky Volleyball. The Wildcats are in the second round now of the NCAA tournament, looking to get back that final four.
Of course, in the COVID year, they got to the final four and for the first time ever and won the national championship. Only one other SEC team we were talking about strength of the league. Florida is the only other SEC team as an SEC team that made it to the final four, because Texas is back to back defending champs. But now Texas is in the SEC. But as far as traditional SEC teams go, only Texas made
it once and lost out in the semifinal rounds. So Kentucky is trying to get back for the second time in five years. So after the match last night, we heard from Brooklyn Delay and Aaron Lamb and Brooklyn talked about the fact that the Wildcats got off to a good start just how important that was.
Yeah, I think we just knew we had to jump from the start. You can't really start a game off coming in pretty soft. I mean, we knew they were going to come out swinging, and that's kind of what they did. But I think we did a really good job of stopping that and just playing our game and not letting the tournament really affect our own individuals.
Wildcats swept Cleveland State. Brooklyn Delay fifteen kills. She hit three ninety one. Last year, they just had absolutely no answers for her. She did get help on the other side, of course, Aaron Lamb had ten and she is a Minnesota native looking forward playing tonight, but she also talked about how great it is on one side of the net to have Brooklyn Delay on the other side, tying up the other team's defense.
Yeah, no kidding, it's a great help. So I appreciate I appreciate your time. But yeah, Brooklyn's awesome. I mean, she's the hardest worker out her craft, and it's no surprise that people have to pay so much attention to her because she just puts so much time, energy, effort into the game. So yeah, definitely helps, but she deserves it.
I need to correct myself. Brooklyn Delay actually hit a lot better than three ninety one. That was the team hit percentage, which is just insane. But Brooklyn Delay with those fifteen kills two errors in twenty seven swings hit four eighty one and as I always say, think of it as batting average, especially for someone who's got a lot of swings. That's just incredible. But she got huge help again from Aaron Lamb the ten kills she had four forty four and Jordan Daily the youngsters seven kills,
zero errors, thirteen swings she had five thirty eight. Nothing Cleveland State could do about that. Cleveland State hit just one fourteen. So now less than a day's rest, they got to turn around and play each other. Minnesota in Kentucky and Craig Skinner talked about that quick turnaround. We've done a good job all season long.
I'm preparing for the next day and you know today's super important, but also preparing by what we do physically in the gym and how we make sure we're you know, gauging our effort and loads to.
Prepare us to play you know, back to back day.
It's you know, it's not easy for both Minnesota and US, but you know, certainly these guys have been looking forward this moment for all season long.
Obviously, this is what they've been waiting for the NCAA Tournament, so you know, adrenaline. We'll play a large part tonight for both the Wildcats and the Gophers, and you can watch it on ESPN plus. Sean Woods is next on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider joining us now, I say every week, but Sean Woods, we have been preempted by so much Basketball League. They haven't talked to you a little while. Are you enjoying the season so far?
It's becoming interesting, man, it's becoming interesting. I'll tell you what. There's a lot of parody.
What any particular game or situation make you say that?
Well, I love this parody now, you know, and the transferport has made it that way. You know, I mean you've got unranked teams that are beating ranked teams. I mean, you know who Kentucky was on a row and when the high teams in America they go into Clemson, who's un ranked, and get beat. You know, Kansas gets beat. You know, there's not a dominating team except for probably Alabama, and you know once they get to the SEC, even Auburn gets beat. So yeah, you know, it's it's gonna
be a very exciting season. I don't think there's one dominated team. And you see Connecticut, you know, getting humbled a little bit, getting a little you know, humble pie. So you know, any given night, you know, anybody can get beat and that's the beauty of college basketball.
This year. Well, let's talk about that Clemson game because it was a classic to me kind of throwback situation to the Patino era, which and you were a part of that simply because of course Mark Pope and then uh, you know the excitement around this program. But going into Clemson, that arena, that atmosphere, they had a couple of ex
extra hours to get jacked up for it. And you guys face that even with your you know, the team that win fourteen and fourteen, every night when Kentucky comes to town, as you well know, you know, the circus is here, and fans who might not show up for a game all year long, that's their one chance to turn out and scream at the big boys. I gotta think that reminded you a little bit of that, did it not?
Yeah? It does?
You know?
By Clinton, they you know, you know, I know her coach very well. He's a humble guy and a really really good coach, and you know, I think he feels kind of slighted a little bit as far as the rankings are concerned, because you know, they go to the
final eight last year and they're not even ranked this year. Yeah, you know, then you get number four Kentucky coming in, which is probably the highest ranked team they played this year until they get to the conference and it was their one shot to prove to the world that they belonged and they did that.
What did that game tell you about Kentucky? Uh, that.
They can't play without Butler. He's a major piece.
And at that point guard gotta have it.
And they got to get some positive minutes when they play athletic, big athletic teams like that from Kerk they're back up. You know, he has to show up. They got to establish some death, especially at the guard SPOTY mean, Ola didn't play great, Jackson didn't play great. And I think Jackson's got to play great in these type of games. I mean, yeah, you know, he's supposed to be our
best player. I think he's got to, you know, really get confidence in these games and ain't get going for them to get over the hump in some of these games, we need his shooting and we need that that's fifteen to eighteen point night from him and especially in games like this.
I don't know if you stayed up late enough for early in the morning to hear Mark Pope's postgame comments with Tom Leach, but he made it sound as though they kind of abandoned the principles of both offense and defense that they need to play in this particular style or system in order to be successful, you know, missing some of the cuts they make and things like that. Did you notice that, I assume you did during the game.
Yeah, you noticed that. But you gotta get you gotta get credit to Clemson. You know, Clinton switch and stuff. They scattered them. I mean, first of all, you got to understand the other team scouts us keep sure, okay, and with Mark Pope, it's a system. And this is just me talking now. You know, with the system, you know what they're going to do. You know, you know when the ball goes here and it's on the side, these are the actions. And what Clemson did was Clemson
just cut them off. They switched, they bumped them, they didn't give any they didn't lose their man, and they get caught in a switch where both of them stayed with the same guy and they got a back door lay, which gets some Kentucky going a little bit. They were solid, they were disciplined in their switches, they were physical with Kentucky, and that was the tailtale for me. Yeah, they really
just beat Kentucky up on the board. And you know, when you clashing like that two major teams that are talented and systems are nice, it comes to the untraditional points. And I think that Clemson beat Kentucky on the untraditional points. The offensive rebounds, the second chance points, the extra possessions, didn't allow Kentucky's defense to speed them up to where they can get out and run and transition. Clempson just stuck to their guns and stuck to their game plan and that was the outcome.
Yeah, and the kid who got the twenty rebounds, I honestly didn't know much about him. We do now. You gotta wonder is he gonna have a season like that or was that his one moment in the sun. But you know, he certainly made it happen.
Well, he's always been a banger, but what he did was and I'm sure the gallery port was we got to out hustle them. We can't let them out hustle us because Kentucky's been out hustling other teams, especially on the offensive glass, and they've been getting a lot of second chance points. They leaves to threes. Clemson then allowed him to do that. They beat them at their own game. So you know, Kentucky's got to go back to the drawing board a little bit, which they will. But you
gotta understand too, get give Clemtson credit. They're at home their hight. You know, this is these guys first shrew road games, going to against a Power five foe on the road, you know, and to be honest with you, with all the trials and tribulations that they had, they still was in the game. They still have a chance to win. With Butler, you know, coming in and out all way, not having a great game, Jackson not having
a great game. But you know they're right there. And Mark Pope, remember he said that we may lose some games, but we're gonna be there. You know, you ain't blowing us out. You know, you're Dad or the ugly. You know our style of play, and these guys are being resilient. We're going to be in games. Are we gonna win every game? Probably not, but you know we're there. And that was a Tailtale took yesterday. You know, it was just two good teams. One happened to be home. What
happens to not one? You know your key player, you know, in Butler, he's in and out and for Kentucky to still stay there. You know, Clemson never really got out to a double digit league where Butler was out and things like that. That told me something, that showed me, something that showed me characters of the teak And I think I'm gonna predict again. I think we're gonna beat the Zaga.
I want to get to that in just a minute. But one more point about this game. I can't wait, because you were right about the do game. But Alway leads them in scoring. But I agree with you. He was not what they needed him to be. I mean, because I think he might think you and I agree on this. He might be their best overall player, you know what I mean, and what he was.
They beat him at his own game, you know what I mean. They didn't allow him to get second chance points, offensive rebounced, he didn't get steals, he didn't get to get out in transition where he's really really good, you know, and he couldn't take nobody off the bounce. They really guarded them off the bounce. You know, the only guy that could get to the rim on a regular basis
off ball screens was Butler. Yeah, So what my thing is right now, we got to find a way because you know, other teams are going to look at this film and be like, hey, you know, switching and you know, bumping them off their cuts and making them, you know, catch the ball higher than what they want to and pressuring them. They finally got pressured by the other team. You know, Clemson's guards was making those guys dribble all the way out to have courts to start their offense.
Yep.
So other teams are going to you know, do that to them. And now we've got to see how can you spawn?
Well, you talk about you talk about temple of the game too. A team averaging ninety three points scored sixty six.
Hey, you know you could score ninety points against the butt nails and all that. You're not gonna be doing that against that. You know, Let's teams that just want to play that stallot play bad. Let's score a lot of points. But you know those days are scoring ninety points every night. It ain't gonna happened too much. You know, it's just not it's not nothing against Kentucky. It's just
you should start playing against better teams. And you've played against another Final eight team that's well coached as well disciplined, a's tough defensively, and one of the top five or six teams in the ACC.
How surprised were you though? The car was not more effective because he's played in physical games. He came from the ACC.
Like I said before, you know, you're not playing against the same guy. You know, Duke was very young. You know, Duke's not good defensively. Look at them now, they're still not good defensively, you know. You know the tail tales now, you know, and everybody. What everybody's been talking about early was, you know, his system's good. The system's good, but we
got to come up with extra points. We got to overachieve because we don't have that one guy that can put put you on you know, put the ball in his hands and then he can go get buckets for you. And we got to start finding mismatches. Uh. And it was just none. I mean in that game where you could just say, Okay, we're gonna go at this guy. He's the weakest link on their offense and we're gonna i mean on that defense, and we're gonna go get to this guy because this is where we're getting bought,
you know, getting opportunity to score. Clinton didn't present that, so you know, the offense wasn't there Clinton. You mean, we just really got to tip our hats off to Clinton and the way they prepared. You know, they were well coached and they were prepared for that system, and they took Kentucky out of everything that they wanted to
do for the most part. And then two, you know, it's sometimes the other team really puts so much pressure on you from an offensive standpoint that it makes your your very aggressive point guard who likes to get into people, reach and bump a little bit. You know, he couldn't do that against those guys. And then you know, for the most part, you know, kept him on the bench because of files.
Yeah, any injury. Sean Woods has already predicted a win over agains Zaga. We'll come back and find out why after the break. Here on six thirty Wlap Welcome back to the Big Blueing Sider. Sean Woods is my guest, the unforgettable guard We talked to them each and every week, and his jersey hangs in the rafters are up. Sean predicted before the game, now predicted the win over Duke.
He has already said Kentucky would be Gonzaga. You talk about a road trip, my man, Seattle, and this is a team that has only lost one game, lost to West Virginia and other owns went over then Ah Rank Baylor owns. There was one other in Indiana they beat and they're coming off a huge win over Davidson minus Steph Kirky of course, but still looks like in Zaga has got to going. Why do you say a Kentuck you win, well.
Only if Butler's healthy. If healthy, I think we can win because I think Butler can handle new Bill a little bit. Whatever the point guard's name is. I think he can physically handle him and control him on the defensive end, and I think will have a problem guarding him coming downhill off of ball screens. What scares me is not only new Bill the point guard, but Zaga is big and physical too, and they're very disciplined in their hollow actions and they're cutting series that it can't
cause Kentucky problems. But I just think coming off a loss a good loss. What I mean by good loss is now, it wasn't about effort. That lost Extension wasn't about effort. It was about uh umy breakdowns, breakdowns and and and not really executing. It's really more about execution. I think they will execute more and and be much better as far as execution is concerned. Against Gonzaga, I
think you'll see a much better effort. I don't think Gonzaga is tenacious defensively to where Jackson Robinson can get off a little bit. But we need we need something from the kid from Dayton. Now. I mean he's making shots, but defensively, I think Mark's just keeping him on the bench. He just feels like he can't play him, you know, because he's such a you know, he's becoming a defensive liability. But we need those points, you know what I'm saying.
When he's in there and he can get off, you know, he's making If he gets four shots, he's gonna make two or three of them.
Glad you brought that up, because he he kind of skirted that. Mark Pope did a little bit post game. Why Brad wasn't in at the end, and that's a great point. They needed points and then their best shooter was on the bench. But if he's giving up points at the other end, what are you gonna do?
Right, Yeah, but my thing is too and he didn't have a tenacious defensive guy anyway. So I mean, you know, sometimes you got a substitute offensive defenses. It's not like he's getting chilled, and you know they've created the team's creating separation whenever he's in the game. You know, I think he's that much of a threat from an offensive standpoint that he could offset some of his defensive liabilities.
You know what I'm saying, Mono, mono. So you know that's something that Pope's gonna have to, you know, address a little bit and decide which, you know, what is he gonna substitute. Is he gonna substitute defense a little bit so he can continue to get scoring and the scoring is not stagnant, or you know, keep him on the bench and just say, hey, if you're not gonna play defense, I can't play it. I don't I don't know, you know what I'm saying, I'm not lockering. I don't
know how to going. But figure kid, he's too special offensively to you know, not be playing as much as he's playing.
You mentioned Gonzaga's point guard Ryan themhard uh erging ten points and nearly eleven assists per game. This is a team Sewan that averages ninety points a game only gives up sixty six. Again, who have they played? So I'm not sure. I mean, do you anticipate a track me?
It's gonna be a track meet.
I'm telling you that right now, because you know mak Mark Few loves to score and get up and down. That's his deal, and it's gonna be a really good task. I just think, for some I got this feeling in my gut from a character standpoint with this team, nobody's you know, put the tail between their legs. I think they're gonna come out and they gonna surprise the folks on the road and.
Get this one interesting. Gonzaga has five kids who average double figures and one who's at nine and a half points a game, So this could be really really entered, but they only give up.
How the basketball has become now, these two teams here, they mimic each other as far as styles are comparing a little bit. They both want to score a lot of points. They both want to put up a lot of threes. But the difference between Gonzaga and I'm talking like, I don't think that's going to win. But I'm just giving you that the attributes of what Gonzaga brings to the table. They don't just bring their bigs to the
high posts. They post their bigs, you know, Yeah, and that that's the only That's another thing that scares me is can we sustain and stay out of foule trouble because Mark is going to go at them down low and we'll be able to sustain and play good defense without violence.
Before we let you go, you mentioned you Kon earlier and Danny Hurley made some headlines when you Kon went to MAUI did not do well the team, and he really really went after officials to the point where it became kind of a media thing for about seventy two hours. You're a fiery coach, but I've been.
In that situation before where the media was all on me for about a week. I know he's in seventy two hours.
But I wanted to talk specifically about officials. What what is your philosophy in terms of as a head coach. As a professional coach, and again assistant coaches aren't allowed referee hate that. But as the head coach, what is your philosophy about working officials, working with the capitol w.
Well, sometimes you can tell before the game starts with a handshake how the day is going to be. Okay, I've never been one of the top tier teams, so you know, when I did play a high major team, I already knew was what I was in for. So I was gonna give them a piece of my mind all game long. Because only when you're playing a big game like that, we're playing with their reps that conference who we're playing against, we're playing with against their reps.
So we're already eight points down in about four or five files, depending on who the key guy is, you know what I mean, starting off the first five minutes. So I would stay on them to let them know, Hey, you know what I mean. You know, call this game just like you called the other when they when Misha Sheski was playing the other day and he was in you cursing you out and things like that. You look it. You know what I'm saying. Now, you want to come
down here, But I'm not mich Sheste. You're telling me you're not gonna take it from me, But I'm I'm fighting for my life and my kids life, just like Misha Shesti. So you know, everybody's human and everybody has feelings, and everybody's super competitive. And I'm just telling you right now, I'm not knocking Danny Hurley. I think did he go overboard?
I don't know, you know what I'm saying. I watched the game, but sometimes he feels like there's some type of respect that he should get his two term national champion. You know what I'm saying, give me more respect than what you're giving me, you know. And I thought those those that one file over the back or whatever those are back he complained about good situations. Now did he go overboard a little bit? Everybody know how feisty Danny Hurley is, so it's not like is that a surprise, no,
you know. And now he's a two time national champion, so now he's in the limelight and everything that he does is going to be magnified. And too they're losing, so now everybody wants to see how he responds. And I think that's the biggest issue more than anything, because he was winning those games in Maui and doing the same thing. Nobody be talking as much like Bob Knight. Bob Knight, Well, Bob Knight was winning winning, there was no problem. You know. He's a feisty guy, he's a disciplinarian,
he's this, he's that. And once he started losing, uh, he's a he's a sore loser. And Bob Knight never changed. And guess what, Danny Hurley's never changed. Go watch Danny. Go get film of Danny Hurley's dad at Saint Anthony's in high school. Same dude, and he's an All of Fame.
Yeah, you're right.
So it's just how you perceive it, you know. I think Danny Harle is still one of the better coaches in the country. Everybody knows that. Yeah, he's super competitive. I mean, shoot, coach the Teina used to get out like that. So it's just the times right now. I think, you know, he's having a struggle with this team. They will and sometimes, you know what I'm saying, You're trying to fight for your team. You're trying to show some you know, grit and fight and you know, but he's
showing a little frustration. But I think he saw that and kind of like dang I do I did like sud right, let me chill out a little bit. So I'm sure it won't happen as much. He won't be as animated, but he's still gonna be fighting.
Sean Woods, the unforgettable Guard. We talked to him each and every week. Coach, Thank you so much. Enjoy your weekend.
Go Cat. They're gonna get the They're gonna get the Zags on Saturday night.
I remember two with Van Hiles and John Hale. It's gonna be all football coming up here on six thirty w l P.
Man Man.
Bag Welcome back to the Big Moon.
Sider joining us now is one of our all time favorite guests, and he's everybody's favorite guests because you hear Van Hiles all over the place. He is a co host of The Locker four one one host of Driving
with Styles. Here on Sunday Morning Sports Talk with Anthony White, Tom Lee, Chad them on every Monday morning is the Monday Morning Quarterback and we bugging me right now and then here on the Big Blue Insider, Van, I've got to think that in a way are you kind of glad this season is limped to an end for the Wildcats.
Geez, with all that you said, I think we found the reason why we had a bad season, George Van, I was on Tom Lee's Monday Morning without me.
There, we don't lose all these games.
Yeah, it was a hard season, not because of the results, but because of the expectations. And when you have expectations and in the season turns out the way it turns out, it's going to be a lot of disappointing people. A lot of people who want pitch, folks outside, a lot of coaches halts.
When I look at expectations that fall way short, I always the first thing I say is was I wrong? How wrong was I to expect that? You know what I mean? I mean, were we because going in I still didn't have full belief in the offensive line. And that don't mean to keep banging on this position group. But we talked before it all starts there. But I mean the defense. What confuses me, Van is the Georgia game, the Old Miss game that they showed what they're capable of doing and then it just fell apart.
Yeah, it's a comedy of errors. Here's my thing is people will blame the old line, and it's the easy position to blame, just like the cornerbacks are the easy position to plane. The miss mark for me on this season was the quarterback. I wasn't because look, as there's two people touch the ball every snap, it's a quarterback in the center. Those are the only two people who touch the ball all the time on innyside of the ball.
And that result was not what I envisioned it to be, because a quarterback can make an old line look better, and we did not do well at that position this year. And as a guy who played on a team where the offense wasn't the strong the strong part of the team, at a point of season, defenses start to do things that's out of character because you know that the offense is not going to be able to put enough points on the board to keep you in games when you are going to falter.
Yeah, I'll tell you what though, And I was talking to somebody about this this week. I went back and I was looking at video from early in the year and Brock Vandergriff looked like a different guy. And I agree with Jefficory. He played with a couple of quarterbacks who got happy feet because they were beaten up so badly because they couldn't protect him very well. And I know that's maybe over simplification with Rock vandergriff, but he just looked like a different guy down the stretch for sure.
Look for sure. And here's I don't like to do this, but years to think certain positions requires certain elements, and that position requires more than any other position on the field. And sometimes you have to endure things that other players on the on the team does not have to endure because of When we win, it's because of the quarterback.
When we lose, it's because of somebody else. So sometimes even though it's a tough position, that's the responsibility you have to You have to be able to eat that. And I would say this, some of those stuff, some of the things early in the seasons were on the old line, but a lot of those things were on the quarterback.
So it goes fit this.
He made some bad decisions and force some throws or actually took some shacks he probably should have.
Taken them exactly. And that's and that's the thing is is we have to That's why football is the best team sport out of any sport because it really requires everyone so so for him, the old line needs him to be able to help them and they need to help him. And sometimes as a quarterback he does not hold the ball so long and throw the ball away. I mean, if you look at Colorado, he SEEDU standards
has at least has forty plus sacts. So it's not like every old line is a great old line and they won nine eight.
Yeah.
Yeah. Talking to Van Hiles, the former Kentucky defensive back V Styles Driving with Styles, he breaks down Kentucky football on the interweb and is a frequent guest on the election and media outlets. And of course we're talking about this past season which ended with Cutter Bowley behind center. Now, Jeff Percoro and I have been debating over the last
couple of weeks. Do you go ahead and commit to him even though you know he looked good at times, but it's not like he grabbed the program and threw it on his shoulders. But man, they've got to get some continuity at quarterback. You know, the plan. I keep
going back to this. The plan was for Drew Barker to be the guy for three years, and when he went down injured, now that the doors starts spinning with duco's and transfers, and there was some success with Steven Johnson and Will Levis, but there wasn't success as well. So do you go ahead and bite the bullets as a staff and say this is our guy, We're gonna hang with him.
I'm glad you stated that, because I've said that many times that one quarterback affected the evolution of the quarterback position. Here's the deal with Cutter. The next season. Let's just say we won seven games, or let's say we won six games. I think the transition to him and the expectation of him being a quarterback next year for potentially
three seasons would be easier. But the fact that we won four games, I don't think that the fans would take on another potential five and seventh season learning to live with him as a quarterback. I truly think if you can find him, you have to find a quarterback that Bush Hampden loves and fits his scheme to a t. Because people forget that Bush came late because Liam left in February. So give him a chance to find his
quarterback in a poort if it exists. If it doesn't exist, then we just got to give it the Cutter.
I gotta wonder what what is Bush Hampdon looking for if not Cutter Bowley. You know that's a real interesting question to me.
Well, I will say this after the four and eight season. He needs someone that has had a lot of reps. Yeah, and that it's only based on before an eight season. I is not thinking. I know Cutter has the ability with time to be a solid quarterback like I really he has some intangibles that I see on film that you can't coach. Now, the problem is, is he ready to take the keys full time? I'm not sure. I will put him on a learner's permit first, let them drive with a parent in the car first, before I
give him total control over the program. But it's not like he's not closed. He's closed, But I think he needs a little more time, a little more seasoning.
Yeah. Well, Van played, as I said, d back and it made it all the way to the NFL. So he knows how to scout quarterbacks, how to study qbs on video. But he was also a quarterback himself. So when you talk about what you see in Cutter on video on film, as you guys like to say, what do you see.
I see a guy I don't know Cutter, but I see from a visual that he's a confident kid who's a fluent athlete and being able to be fluid. It's weird. He's wired in a way where he never rushes, and that is a key component of a quarterback because I think his instinctual clock is where it should be, where I need to get out of there or I can extend the play. He did some great things against Texas with extend the plays. However, it was after seeing what Texas could do and he got into the floid game
on the sideline. This last game, he didn't have that that that that opportunity, and I think his clock sped up a little bit on him, and because of that, he has some issues. But as a whole, I like the way he throws the ball. He gets the ball in his hand when he needs to, He uses every receiver, he doesn't lock on to his favorite receiver. Those are some things that you cannot coach his His his mechanisms are great, his operations are great. I think he has
a chance to be special for us. But here's the deal. You cannot rush it because if you rush it, then that confidence he has now will be stagnant. We need him to get even more confident and more swag as you prolong in this program.
Yeah, but how do you do that in a program that, in terms of the offense is going to be an almost total rebuild this coming year.
Well, and that's the thing is if they can't find the right guys. And that's the thing that I've been saying in the past, I think coach Steps has said recently, is finding guys to fit their programs, their system, their culture. You've got to find that guy. It doesn't have to be cam Ward. It can be Diego Pupavilla. It can be someone who is just a solid presence in the locker room and a solid guy on the field. If they cannot find that, then you roll with Toda Bowli.
And I think if you roll with him, you have to simplify the offense to get him comfortable early. And then it's kind of this. This would be a perfect example. When lin Bowm became quarterback in twenty nineteen, the scheme was very simple. Each week, Edy Grand adds some things to complement what he ran the previous week. I think
that's what we should be doing next year. If Cutter is the just the answer, you bring him along and you progress slowly run the things that he and his teammates know how to run, to the to the to the free estate and runs fast, and then you just add on to it as the season goes.
Vanheil's my guess when we come back, we'll talk about the portal and some big names that stepped away from the Wildcats. That's next year and vanis Or Pallor lives down in the Louisiana now but keeps a close eye on his beloved Wildcats and you see him break down video on social media. Uh, no surprise, Barrion Brown decides to move away from the program. I think a lot of us thought by now, if he had progressed uh in such a way, he might have been to the
NFL by now. But we know that didn't happen.
Uh.
But also Dane Key, which was a real disappointment. But again we've talked about uh here on the show a couple of nights now that you know, if he wants to make that next big step toward the NFL, he's got to go to a more stable environment, a team with the stable offense for him, but they went out and recruited for new white Outs got the kid from Boyle County, who's uh, you know, I'm not going to say he's as good as one Dale Robinson been in
that mold, but those are those are big losses regardless fan. But you hate to see and they didn't get out of them what they had hoped this past season.
Yeah, that's the unfortunate nature of having so many systems in three to four years. I'm look, I am It's be a weird thing to say. I am happy. I understand why Dy ain't left. I as a parent, I as a former player. I do not want to go through another coaching change in my position room. I don't think he has ever had back to back years of
having a same wide receiver coach. You're correct, And and if I'm going to go through that in my last chance, why not go through that with somewhere else Because I've done it. I've held strong with this program for three years, going through the turmoil of switching guys that are leading my room. If that's the case, let me go somewhere else, and I'm gonna be doing it again here anyway, So let me spread my wings and final place and final offense that suits my skill set, that can propel me
to the next level. We have to we have to not look at it as a negative, so to speak. It's just life. And I think he's doing what's right for him in this future. I have no critique about it. I would love him come back, but I understand.
Oh yeah, And it's not like he didn't give everything he had. And I thought dang Key took a step forward this year. I thought, for lack of a better term, he was more professional and the way he did have that that that silly penalty in the in the Louisville game. But I thought just the way he ran his routes and you know a hell of a lot more about that than I do. But that's the way he carried himself, you know. And and uh and obviously the way he played.
I was really impressed with that. I thought opposing teams did everything they could to take away Barrion Brown this year, didn't they.
Yeah, that look when you learn this and lacks the best abilities availability and one thing that Dan are presented this year, he was always availabate and not only available, he was a professional with the way he conducted himself with his effort level and being and being still focusing and integrated to the game. There are some people who when things are I mean, just think about it. The Loulo game, he didn't catch anyvolves, I don't think, and he could have easily solved him and been you know
how some players get He wasn't. He still had that focus and effort in the game, the entire game. So that to me carries a lot of weight for GMS and for the future, to whomever his future employee is gonna because now they almost got into employees. Wherever he goes to next I think they're going to take that as a positive and hopefully he takes the next step and improves enough to get himself in that first, second or third round next year.
Guy I know said he's hearing Dane Key is gonna end up at Georgia though. Can you imagine I mean seeing him in the silver britches. But that would be a huge step for him. I don't know if that happens, but you know, again, the rich will get richer.
Yeah, you just have to look find a place where you can still get your targets but also be coached by a guy whom you respect.
Yeah.
Uh, It's not always about the name on the front of the jersey. It's also find a place that fits you and fits your skillst find that place more than where about the national championships in the name across the front of jersey, Because I think he has the skills that, when used properly, can propel him to a higher draft status.
Just a couple of minutes left with Van Heiles real quick. Where you're concerned. I don't know if you're the rumors about Brad White to Florida State. They filled that job, but his name is gonna come up this time of year. He's pretty good.
Yeah, you know, I'm hoping. Look, this is one thing that I have noticed about Brad White from the outside looking in, is he is one coach that is comfortable in his skin. I don't think he has an enormous ego, which it takes to be a head coach in college football. I think he understands what his skill sets are and I think he likes to be He likes to have his hands on young men and lead young man. When you're a head coach, you don't you don't have the ability to touch a group of players. You got to
be the overseer of everyone. When you're a defensive coordinator, it's a little bit more. You get your hands on your twenty plus thirty plus players that now you can mold and become great men. Because one thing about coaching that is losing in the current landscape of college football is the ability to create, to create great young men. And I think he has done a great job of that.
And I think his ego and not comfortable but knowing what his strength and skill sets are, I think he likes to be able to lead a room.
Yeah, that's a great point. In this day and age, guys like him are well compensated. I can relate just a little bit. When I was at UK, I wanted to be the editor of the newspaper. Lost out by one vote to a buddy of mine, so I was the managing editor and to turn out, he had to go to meetings and make speeches. And I'm back hands on run of the paper, and I'm like, man, I'm so glad I didn't get that job. Now that you know, wasn't a multi million dollar job. All right, I got
two minutes left. Talk to me about cold weather food. You still. Of course, it ain't cold where you are. But but tell people up here hearing this frigid weather, who still want to grill? What's a good you know, bad weather, tough coldness, kind of thing that can go out and grill.
Oh, when I was in Chicago, I grew.
You would think.
So, So what you gotta do is is shove it out your spot for your grill. And back then I didn't have as much money. I was on a little twenty one inch Weber kettle grill. You just gotta do what you gotta do. Now it's gonna take you longer obviously to cook because of the elements. But get that thing. Don't do it into garars now, don't do that now. Yeah, no, no, no, get yourself out, find a spot, and you just got to man up. As simple as that.
Is there anything in particular you think that lends itself to this kind of weather we have up here when it comes to grilling adders, it just the old reliable standards.
Well, I'll tell you this, I will not do a brisket or pool park that takes too long. You know, fourteen hours gets your steak. If you if you feel like you want to do a rib. Do a rib that, but then just speed it up. Maybe you just wrap it the entire time. It's not going to be the greatest rib, but wrap it for the product. Take you two and a half the three hours, and then after you wrap it, then you you unwrap it, put it on the brawler in the oven for as long as
you need, and on how good you are. But got to watch it and then cook it that way that you steak chicken and port for the things you can do outside when it's frigid, and if you man enough, you can do it. You do a rib. But you just ain't gonna stay out there for four hours.
Oh no, you can't stand there poking it for four hours. Well, man, always a pleasure, and I will not be I will not leave you alone because there's gonna be so much happening. Now, what's your portal? And with college football, we'll talk to the playoffs as well. But I appreciate it. It was a tough season for all of us, but we thank you for helping us get through it.
I hope I did a good enough job to bring people off the edge and at least at least let us live another year. Look, there's nothing there's nothing positive that comes out of negativity, true, and so don't be as Coach Curry's day a fellowship of the miserable. Find a way to find a little positive light out of this and this the piddle light could be cut a bowl in and Ja Marion Wilcox, find something that you can hold on to for the next few months.
Thanks Van anytime.
John Hale's next there with us, Welcome back to the Big Blue Sider. Joining us now is John Hale, who covers football Kentucky football for The Herald Leader and has covered the program for quite some time.
Uh.
John, this was a season like no other, uh in terms of you know, the last gosh decade or so under Mark Stoops, but thanks to the portal and nil you could probably say that of it every year. It's just it's just a whirlwind, isn't it. It's it's kind of a circus like atmosphere with the portal and the transfers and the coming and going and then signing day, it all comes together once, doesn't it.
Yeah, It's it's interesting, I mean because obviously there had been some some red flags for the last two seasons, you know, losing the Vanderbilt South Carolina in those games, but they had still salvage to get to a bowl, had played pretty well in the last Bowl against Clemson, even though they blew the lee at the end and lost, and the one before that, you know, they were so decimated that the Music City Bowl against Iowa was so you can put much into that, but it had not
fallen apart like we did this year. And it just seems like so long ago that we were leaving Oxford, Mississippi and they had just pulled off this massive upset, and the week before they had almost beaten Georgia, and it was starting to look like maybe South Carolina was better than people thought. So you just looked at their schedule and said, oh, you know, Auburn and Vanderbilt in Florida coming up. If they could run the table there,
they might be in the playoff conversation. When they played that Tennessee game and obviously didn't win any of those games. I just went completely off the rails after the bye week from there, and now we're sitting in a spot where last year I said that was the most important offseason the park Stutsktegi tenure. And if that was true, I don't I don't even know how to explain how important the next few months are for him, because obviously the the fan base, a large portion of it at least,
is not happy and at once change. And they've already lost three starters to the portal and they're probably going to lose more. And you're going to lose I think it's eleven players to graduation who were on the two deep, nine of them starters, probably a couple more going to the draft. It's going to look like a completely different
team next year. And maybe that's a good thing because of how they struggled this season, but it's just something we don't really know how to how to even predict because of this new era of college football.
You mentioned those two games, and I keep bringing them up. This is why this season is so puzzling. So from where you sit, John, what the heck happened?
I mean, I think there's an easy narrative to say that after the Old Mess game, the timing of that bye week, when we talked about the time, whether it was good or bad for them to take a week off, and they were in a pretty unfortunate injury situation at that point, so you thought, well, it's good for them to be able to rest up and get some guys healthy, but it also feels like that came at a bad time, or maybe they just read their presclipions for an entire week.
And this was a team that played to its level of competition, that they played their best against the best teams on the schedule, and then against teams like Auburn and Vanderbilt, they did not play very well at all. Yea,
so we saw that happen in that stretch. Obviously, I think that the injuries on defense played a huge part of it, because the defense was at least keeping them in the games for as bad as the offense was, and then when he started losing four or five six key players who were counting on every week, then they just couldn't. The margin of error grew too thin, and you know, the offense only didn't score more than twenty
points in an SEC game all seedon. Even they're playing well at the end of the year, they weren't scoring a lot of points against quality competition, and so I think that that just caught up for them. You know, there's a lot of their portal class last season didn't pan out. That's probably part of it. And that if you pause now that you're saying, hey, we're going to fix it through the portal, maybe you got to evaluate better. You got to hit on the higher rate than you
did a year ago. The injuries are a huge part of that. And then Mark Stews is acknowledg just like talked about, is a lot down the stretch other players have to This just has not been the same locker room culture since the portal and nil pain and they've got to figure out a way to win in this air.
Yeah, that's a lot to unpack. So let me start with the line play. Because when you think about Georgia and you think about how Kentucky really handled you know, offense, end, defense, time of possession, tempo of the game, everything it needed to do, except when that game similar with Old Miss, which you know, for lack of a better term, I think is more of a finesse team. But Kentucky set
the tone there as well. But John, I think that's what surprised me the most was Florida and arburn in particular, but to a degree Vandy as well. I mean, their offensive line push was impressive. I can't remember a Kentucky line on either side of the ball being pushed around so consistently as it was this season, you know what I mean.
Yeah, and it's disappointing for sure. I mean I think on offense, we didn't think they were going to be great on the offensive line come into it, but they improved from twenty two to twenty three last year. Yeah, and then he makes the coaching change. He fires Zachinzer to bring back Eric Wolford when he becomes available. We know Wolford has this reputation, is a great of in the line coach. Obviously, they were very good his previous season here with three NFL players on that offensive line.
I went to Alabama, he's a great recruiter, and he thought, Okay, well this is going to be what takes them the next step forward. And then they just got way worse. I mean, I think part of that. It definitely felt like Marcus Cox, a guy a left tackle who was good for the year ago, maybe his body just gave out. I mean, he's in the seventh year of college football who played had a bunch of injuries. I think that
probably had some problems with his ineffectiveness. But then you know, they added Gerald Mincy as the transfer right tackle didn't work. When Mincy got hurt, they had to play Malachi Wood before he's ready clearly, so that didn't work. And so they just could not protect the quarterback all year. And then that clearly affected Rock Vandergrift, like when even when he had time, he was thinking about it all the
time and he was not making the right reads. He was you know, it was it was in his head, and I think that affected his effectiveness down the street. And then maybe it was even more disappointed in my defense, because they didn't really have the injuries there. They didn't have the issue. The question is going to do it. That was one of their deepest and most talented positions. You got a projected first round pick Indian locker On there, a guy like ron Rick who had a great season,
Arcavius Oxidi. The list goes on and on, and still in some of those games they got pushed around and he just ran the ball and then in a way that we have not seen a long time. And that's a that's a huge concern. That's something they got to get fixed this off season.
I was looking video from early in the season and Brock Vandergrevt looked like a different quarterback. He really did. I think they don't want to talk at It's almost like the yips, you know, happy feet. He drops back in the first thing. He's thinking his escape route, you know, towards the end of the year. So it's hard to
judge him his entire body of work. But you go back and look at some of the video from some of the earlier games, even a couple of games they lost, and he looked like he was becoming a guy they needed him to be. But you can only get ground into the turf so many times, you know.
Yeah, it definitely affected him. I mean that even the fourth down play at Ole Miss the sixty three yard or the bary on Brown that essentially won them the game. I mean, that was the kind of play we had just not seen Kentucky quarterbacks make very often. That was a spot where they everybody knew they had to throw it because I think it was like fourth and seven. Yeah, and so they and they got the protection long enough to get that off and it worked perfectly. Okay, they've
really got something to brock Vander. He's gonna it's gonna work on it. I think it was like seven weeks seven or eight. I was still riding like we don't know how good brock Man Earth is. Like obviously the offense is not good, but like you just can't really judge him. But he was still showing enough glimpses where you thought he could turn this on down the stretch and certainly going into next year be a really good starter. And now it appears like, I mean, I can't imagine
he's gonna be by Kentucky. I'm really sure he's gonna keep paying football, Yeah, and so like that's that's just it's really unfortunate how the season went for him. And part of that's probleamental to You're looking at a guy who said was a five star recruit at high school, went to play for his home pound team, sat there for three years, won two national champions as a backup,
and then he said, Okay, I gotta go play. And then maybe when you get into a different situation in the program, you don't have any allegiance to before six months ago, and you're playing behind a terble on hens line, you're getting beat up, you're taking hits, you're getting the concussion at Tennessee, Like it's just not the same. You're probably not an NFL quarterback now like it's hard to keep that same fire under you, and it'll be really interesting to see what his expote is.
Well, the guy who caught that ball in Oxford is leaving as well. We'll talk about Barryon Brown and more on the other side of the break with John Hale of The Hero Leader. Here on six point thirty WLAP Welcome back, We're talking with John Hale. Beat Ryder covers Kentucky football for The Hero Leader And before the break we mentioned Barrion Brown and I guess you know, Mark Stuke's kind of alluded to Dane Keyes' departure at his news conference. He don't panic, you know, there are going
to be some surprises. With all due respect to Barrion I think from the day he got here, we wondered would he get to a senior year, but a lot of a sudden maybe he go to the NFL. At this point, he's clearly not ready for that. But John would I was a little surprised by Dane Key. I would have been surprised if Barrion Brown had remained, you know what I mean.
Yeah, this just feels like I mean, obviously he's a huge name, he's going to get a bunch of transfer foil interesting big pro because of all of those physical skills that got Kentucky fan so excited for so long. But this felt like it was just time for both parties to move on. I mean, not only had he not really produced the last two years, but I mean at moments it felt like it was actively hurting the offense, that they kept trying to force him the ball and
make him that guy when he just wasn't hit. And so now it's like, you know, he has all the talent.
In the world.
He's one of the most physically gifted players, is one of the fastest players in the country. But if three years in, if your production is going down every year, you probably just need to try something new, and hopefully, for Barryon's sake, a new voice, a new program might be what spurs him to take that next step and he goes somewhere else really performs. But I don't think it was going to happen at Kentucky next year, even if he came back, so that one, You're right, I
would have been surprised if he was back Dane. You know, early in the first half of the season, when he was playing so well, he thought, well, maybe he's playing him his way into the draft, and then his numbers weren't as good in the second half, had an injury there against Louisville. They thought well maybe they can you know, maybe he can come back. But for him too, I don't think you can blame a guy who's looking at and saying, I got one more year to prove I'm
an NFL receiver. And this offense is just for three years and he's been here. You just can't count it to consistently pass the ball. Go somewhere else. He's going to be at a powerhouse program.
I'm sure next.
Year the one dynamic would be and I'm sure Kentucky told him this, if you come back, you're the main guy here. If he goes to a Georgia or Michigan or whatever, he might be the number two or number three receiver. He could still do enough to get drafted in that spot, but he's not guaranteed the leading the number one option, And I'm sure Kentucky sold him on that, but he made the decision. It's probably best for his career, if we're all being honest.
When he was the number one option down to stretch here and they still couldn't function. Yeah, I mean, I I fully agree with you, and I think you can. You know, he gave this program everything he had, and you mentioned the injury. You know he was. He was really banged up. And as good as Barrion Brown was, opposing defenses made it a point to take away number six. I mean, you go back to the old Miss game. You know, they pulled him, they held him, they shoved him.
He drew some penalties and caught an important touchdown pass. But yeah, that might be it'd be great for him to have somebody on that side of the field who's consistently good. They lost a defensive lineman in Silver and I've had some people tell me they thought he was disappointing. Others thought he had a big season. What do you think?
Yeah, I mean, it's just so hard to evaluate that. No, his position in the three or four defense because so much of his job is just to basically take up space, so he's never going to put up huge stats. I don't think he had his best season. He probably was maybe not even even as effective as the year before, but it also probably hurt him. Honestly, that Josiah Hayes was out for the whole year. Like that's a position
where those big guys you need rotation. Like he probably played too many snaps to be honest, because coming out of spring they didn't have any depth. Fine, I mean they were talking about playing Kendrick Gilbert there, who's like probably thirty pounds too light to play nose guard in the SEC, and so they can move theon over there at times they could do some different things, but like down the stretch when Hayes came back, I think that helped them a lot.
So it's good for.
Kentucky if Hayes uses his COVID here and come back next year, that you know, eases the sting of losing Silver a little bit. There was a report from on three yesterday, and you have to take all of this transfer portal talk with a grain of salt, but that Silver might be the highest paid NIL player in the portal is not a quarterback, and that just tells you how like how hard it is to get those nose guards who have you know, two years of starting experience
in the SEC. Is a former five star recruit, so that I think that tells you the importance of him. But yeah, he clearly didn't have the statistical season.
Then maybe I was going to bring up in IL because you know, when you try to think these things through, how much did he play last year, how well did he do looking ahead to next year, you have to enject, especially with a guy like that and the receivers in IL, because it's not the kind of thing. Well, they're going to get money here as well, but you know, some of these figures are thrown around John are just nuts.
Yeah, and Kentucky's my understanding, is in a pretty good spot and at all lights right now. And Marcus kle have been sending that message for a few weeks now. It's why he's so optimistic about the portal. But they still have a budget. I mean, even if it's a top twenty in ile budget country, they've got a lot of holes on offense they got to fill. They're probably going to have to get a quarterback now, at least somebody who can come in and compete with Cutter Bowlie.
You're going to need to get one or two receivers. They're going to need to get three starting offensive lineman, which is going to be really, really expensive, and so you got to figure out where you can allocate that stuff, and so I'm certain that Silver would have been it would have been treated well if he had stayed here.
But he's going to get more on the open market than whatever his state because Kentucky does have some other nose guards on the roster and it's just didn't probably make sense for them to give him the kind of deal he's going to get in the open market because they have so many other needs they're going to have to fill.
Well, let's talk about quarterbacks. You brought this up on Twitter. Cutter Bowlie is the quarterback of the future. But he's going to go out, Stoop says, and get somebody into portal. And when you do that, you have to give them the opportunity to compete or they're not going to come here. They're not going to come here just as a safety net,
you know. So what do you think that means? And of course they signed two guys, which is always interesting to have the two quarterbacks or more in the same class. But what do you think that means for Cutter Bowley moving forward?
I think that he'll have the chance to win the job. And if you sign a guy to beet with him and Cutter wins the job and that guy you know is annoyed, then you know that's a problem that you that you'll welcome. But for all of Cutter's talent and his excitement and how well he played at time in those last three games, he played fifteen series against Power four teams of Florida, Texas and Moibile, and they did
not scorre sing a point on any of them. And so like, that's not you just can't go into twenty twenty five if that's a BAK or break year assuming that he's going to be the guy you hope he is. You hope he makes the strides that has that Andre Woodson type offseason where he becomes that guy in the SEC.
Maybe that happens, but you can't bank on it. And assuming Rock vander Griff's gone, I would guess that Gavin Wimsatt probably is also gone because he's going to want to go out and find the starting spot for his last year of eligibility. You can't go in it with two freshmen as your only backup options. So they need to find a guy in their portal who at least is open to a competition. They're probably not going to
get the best. They're not going to get up. You know, Devin Leary, who was the number one quarterback in the portal of Brock vander Griff who was a former five star recruit last year, it's not going to be that caliber. But they need somebody who can come in and start. And that's that's honestly, you know, not the worst thing. And nobody had Diego Pavia at the top of their list last year of transfer quarterbacks and look what he
did at the Belt. So like, if you find a guy who fits the system and fits with Bushington wants to do, he doesn't have to be a five star recruit or the number one quarterback in the portal to help you. Maybe they could go out and find a Sawyer Smith type who's okay with being a backup, but who's good enough to help get forced into action. But it feels like they need somebody who can legitimately compete with Cutter for the starting job.
Well, looking ahead at running back as well, you would think that Kentucky's in pretty good shape. They got some young talent there, don't they.
Yeah, I mean they lost Marcuse Davis, who was the top rank recruit in their commitment in their class to Missouri on the Sunday before signing Day, but on Saday, Mark s Two's basically said, you know, that's probably partially
because they have so many young guys there. He name checked ja Marion Wilcox specifically in signing Day, which was a positive sign because clearly he knew at that press conference the Dankey baryon brown stuff was coming already, and so you're not going to talk hype those guys up. I mean, at one point we talked about tight ends with fits Marrow, and he specifically did not mention Jordan Ingle,
who went in the portal a day later. So if Mark Stoops is talking about Jamaron Willcox, they feel like they've got a good chance to keep him, which was obviously a concern given you know, his kind of inconsistent carries despite his talent down the stretch, and so that's a guy to build around. They really like Jason Patterson, who played early as a freshman, got injured and then will Cox kind of passed him, so he ended up red shirting Stoop. So the chip train him wants to
come back. He's got an extra year of eligibility. Obviously, this year was a disaster with the injuries, and he really didn't play down the stretch even once he got healthy. But he's a veteran guy.
Who can help you there.
They probably need somebody else in the portal to be in that rotation just for depth purposes. But if you keep Patterson traying them and then Willcox, that's a really good starting spot.
And real quickly, John, you referred on your Twitter account to Florida State's decoordinator job, maybe being linked to Brad White. Is that another surprise in the making.
I know they filled the job, but yeah, I mean like it. I was convinced he was going yeah, and that was the one he was tied to, and all of the talk that last week, nobody around the program could you know, behind the scene, but say for sure he was coming back. And then Mark Stoops clearly was hinting at it in his postgame comments talking about offensive continuity.
But he could handle changes on defense this year. So it they dodged a bullet there, But we'll see if there's other jobs out there that you know, maybe it's coming at some point. Anyway, Brad to his you know, I asked him directly about the rumors after the game, and he said, you know, his first his first story was to make sure he was safe at Kentucky and then to start focused on getting things picked there. So if he's back, you know, I think that's great for
the program. He's a great defense court intor he gets some he gets some flat from fans for maybe being too conservative, but they need more brad light to the staff, not less. So if you keep hi him, I think that's that's a good that's a good sign.
And again I'm amazing still here. That's how good he is. You know, programs want to poach good coaches. Kentucky does the same. So although they got a revolving door right now in the wide receiver room. But that's a conversation or nother night. John Hale, thank you so much, and we'll see you down the road.
Thanks for having me.
Better do it for now, Thanks to my guest, John Hale, Van Heil, Sean Woods. Remember Kentucky basketball tomorrow night, ten o'clock from Seattle. We'll happen for you right here. That's a good night. From the garage in Lexington. I'd like to ask a few questions about this breakfast cereal. I yeah, yeah, A box of tricks.
That's right.
I've been led to understand the tricks are exclusively for children.
Is that correct? Well, I mean they say tricks are for kids in the commercials, and there's that enforced by law. Not to my knowledge, no
Das