From border to border across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This is Big Blue Insider. Talk to Tick Gabriel. Call eight five nine two eight zero cats that's eight five to nine two eight zero to two eight seven. Or state wide that's one eight hundred six oh six game. That's one eight hundred six oh six four two sixty three. Or you can tweet the show that's Big Blue Insider one.
Now here's Tick Gabriel heard Medium Megaplexus is Dick Gabriel. You've heard the ramblings of camer Mills. You've heard the words of Mark Pope. They tuned for more chatter about Kentucky basketball and football tonight. Aaron Gershan is with us. Jeff Pcora will join us as well, because you have football season's over, but football players are still on the move, so are coaches, and it's bull season as well. Stay tuned for the state wide edition of the BBI story.
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Quorter to vorder, it is the big Blue Insider. Did Keeble join on our celebrity Highline? By Aaron Gershawn already traveling heading back up to close to his home stomping grounds of Connecticut, bidding up to the New York area where he'll cover Kentucky's basketball game. And you'll be, of course watching Mark Pope work his magic again. Aaron, And this is not long after you had a one on one with him. You're You're on the long list, so am I of people who have been trying to sit
down with the coach. And you finally got your chance. I talked to him pre season, but I'm back on the list. But I know that you've written about it for The Cat's Pause. Tell me what you took away from that experience.
Yeah, really cool and thankful. First time to obviously do it during the season. It was we did the interview with Monday after they got home from Seattle, so I really appreciated him taking the time out of the week there obviously the game against Colgates, getting ready for and then Louisville. But yeah, you know, we kept it focused on this trip to New York. He's a guy that you know, I think people you look at his life.
He was born in Omaha. He went to high school in Washington, but he spent his you know, most of his first ten years of life here in New York, up in Westchester County, just about forty minutes north of the city. So this is a homecoming for him. Not just because of that, but obviously he went to Columbia Middle School, medical school and lived here for a while. His wife, Leanne was living here working for David Letterman.
He played for the Knicks for a year. He was a part of the Pacers nicked rivalry in the nineties, which was probably the best rivalry in the NBA arguably. So he had some really really cool stories about, you know, his time with Indiana, his one year with the Knicks. There's an epic story actually in there about his tryout with the Knicks and how he got that job. That's my favorite part of the story. There so really cool
stuff to check out. And he was super gracious again to give me that time during December with two games, you know, to prepare for in the same week.
I got to think, if he's in Columbia medical school, he didn't have a lot of time to enjoy living in the city. But you know, you just kind of soak it up, don't you.
That's right? And yeah, he said at the top, it's the best place in the world, and then he stopped and five seconds later said, besides Lexington. So he was careful with his words. But he clearly has an affection for New York that is right right up there with Kentucky. And we all know how he feels about Kentucky. There's no question how much this place means to him. And I just can't get over the fact I was at
the arena. Probably I left probably an hour forty five, two hours after the game on Saturday night, and this guy, Mark Pope is still out there signing autographs. It's just it's special. It's not saying obviously John cal Perry had great years here and he appreciated the fans it got. I mean, you know, it was not as maybe not as much as he should have at the end, but it is just a complete one to eighty from what the last couple of years have been. It's been refreshing.
Oh yeah, and you've got that emotional bond to this place that, in all fairness, Calip Perry did not have, even though he you know, he took this program to the top backtime topic of college basketball. But yeah, you know, Mark, Mark's emotional bond is different. But you do wonder, like fifteen years from now is going to be the same way.
You know.
I just think because because of the fact he played here, I think that's probably why he will be Now we'll still be reflecting on and we'll see where they are on the court. You know, we'll see where they're on the court next year. It's a year by year kideah, right, But I think his experience here, like you said, it's just different to Cal's. I mean, if Kal had played here, maybe he was an assistant coach here in the nineties,
maybe it would be a little different. But you know, this guy gets and it's been it's been really cool to see him just embrace everything that comes with this job and you know, do it with a smile on his face almost the entire time.
The way the Louisville game played out, how did that happen as opposed to the way you thought it would play out?
Honestly, besides the fact Lamont Butler hit every single shot he took and that he even played, uh pretty pretty close.
I didn't think I thought Louisville.
I know they're shorthanded, but I didn't think they'd come in here and lay down. You know, I watched them really the only game I watched them in full this season was against Duke, and they led that game for almost the entire first staff took the lead into the half time, and then they kind of got gassed. But you know, they were very competitive. They fought hard in that game, and I expected them to come here here and fight. And I think Pat Kelsey's a really good coach.
I think, uh it felt like, I think you might have mentioned it when we were sitting up there on press row that like every time and they came out of the time out, they came up and hit a three. So his play calls, his play calls were working, and you know, he was mixing things up and doing some good things on the offensive end. But Kentucky just felt like and it felt like Kentucky was on has been on the wrong side of the game like this so many times in recent years. And that's not a dig
at anyone. It just felt like it was the case. But it was one of those games where, you know, Kentucky, I think they opened the game on a fifteen to four run and then it never got closer than three.
But it was just one of those games where Louisville would make a run and then every time they'd make a run, Kentucky would hit a big shot and silence them, And that, I just feel like is the type of thing Kentucky's been on the wrong side of these last couple of years, and they've been frustrating losses if you're a Kentucky fan or a Kentucky player coach, and it just felt like they were on the right side of it.
I mean, I think Louisville Kentucky got up by ten, and I think it went back to five, and then Lamont hits a three, and there were so many different runs like that where it was like a five to ozer run or seven oh run for Louisville. Then Kentucky would come down and hit a huge three or have a breakaway dunk and it would kind of just suck the life out of Louisville for a few minutes, and it was good to see Kentucky on the other side of it. But yeah, the result was about what I thought.
I thought, eight to.
Ten, give her point victory, and that's exactly what happened. And now you're ten and one toward the end of December. That's pretty impressive.
I guess the thing that surprised me, Aaron, was when Kentucky went up by ten more than once, they didn't expand the lead. You got to give Louisville credit for coming back time after time.
No question. I think Kentucky's largest leading the game is twelve, so you know, it felt like and some free throws kept the score a little close and then probably should have That's an issue we need to keep monitoring with this Kentucky team. They're not a very good free throw shooting team so far this season. But yeah, Louisville hung tough. I mean, Chucky Hemper and their point guard played terrific. Terrence Edwards, the forward also played terrific, and you know
those two guys. I mean they had some other guys play okay, but those two guys really are the ones that kept Louisville in the game and gave Kentucky fits. And they never laid over. I mean they were fighting until literally the last minute. I think it's still they cut it to five or six within the last minute. So you definitely give a tip of the cat there, and that's what you want in these type of games. Look,
you obviously want to keep winning against Louisville. They've won fourteen to seventeen, and that's what you want to keep doing. But it's just so much more fun when these games come to the wire. There's at least you know, those butterflies and the fans stomachs you don't want, like these blowouts occasionally are fun. But you know, Pat Kelsey said the best after the game, We got to win some of these. Yeah, if we want to keep it a rivalry, and you know, in this case it being the first
year for both these coaches. I think it was a win in itself, that it was a close game, not not giving Louisville any moral victories, But I just think for the state, for the kind of the where this rivalry is at, we needed one of these where, you know, both teams really played at a high level and it was a fun cover, fun one to watch.
Yeah, And in fact, that was the question that was put to Kelsey. You know, how important was it to come in and compete, you know, and then put up a good fight. You know, nobody will like some moral victory, But that was his answer. You're right. You mentioned a three point shooting by Louisville, and a caller questioned Pope about that tonight, and he also questioned him about in the same question about body language of Amari Williams, which
I thought was a really good question. But Pope talked about the fact that Louisville had insane numbers from two point range and was not a good three point shooting team coming into this game, and yeah, what they had fourteen you know, of all games to come alive. Yeah, but you got to pick your poison, and that's what Kentucky did. But he got to give Louisville credit, no question.
Yeah, Louisville's top three point shooter coming into the game was Ryan Smith, number six, and I think he was at thirty seven percent on the year, which is yeah, good, but that's not what you want your best three point shooter to be. So yeah, I mean, I think when they go sixteen for thirty nine, so they took a lot of threes, which means Kentucky, like you said, pick your poison. They knew that that Louisville was a high, highly efficient two point scoring team, and they made himself
for threes. They took thirty nine and they have him to hit sixteen, so you tip your cap a little bit. But you know, at the same time, Colgate hit a bunch of threes on them too, and they weren't a good three point shooting team either. So I think it's a case of Okay, those were the scouting reports, but you're also going to make adjustments to get that cleaned up because the SEC teams, if anyone hit sixteen threes against you in the SEC, you're going to lose that game.
Yeah, well, yeah, And it's a great equalizer if you're a Cold Gate or a Louisville with all due respect going into this game. It's a great equalizer if you're Kentucky and you're playing Duke or at Gonzaga. So everybody knows that about the threes, but you got to stop the other guys from making threes as well, other than Butler. And there's there's in terms of you know, impressive games, there's statistically a big drop off because Butler was just insane unbelievable. But who else impressed you?
Yeah? Uh oh take away it would be the first. Yeah, I mean not just because he was the second landing scorer, but he closed them out right. It felt like kind of all game he was just playing his role, nothing crazy, did a nice job. And then you know, last couple of minutes they really put They pushed a lot of their eggs into the stop Lamont. Butler asked, basket did Louisville as they should have?
In oh way?
You know, had the steal on the Waterman pass breakaway donk. He had a tough finish at the rim for a three point play, about the gutsiest shot of them all. And I did hear Pope. I didn't listen to all Pope, but I heard him talk about this at the end where you know it's a three. I forget what the score was, but one minute left and there's still like sixteen or twenty seconds on the shot clock, and Oa pulls up a corner three and you're like, oh what, Oh,
it's good, okay, good shot, all right? So I thought he was fantastic in the final minutes. You know, you mentioned to Marion Williams, I do. I don't know if it was brought up why he only played sixteen minutes, but I actually thought he played really well when he was in there. I know there's still some things he's got to clean up, finishing at the rim, but sixteen minutes, he gave you eight rebounds and four assis at the center position in only sixteen minutes, did a nice job,
and no turnovers. So that's exactly right. So thought he played well. And then another guy I think he's got to give some love to and not didn't fill up the stat sheet at all. But Travis Perry came in and they didn't. They he was a plus ten in those seven minutes he played, So that means Lamont, who was by far the best player on the court Saturday,
came off, but he was never in the game with Travis. Right, So those seven minutes that Travis played, Kentucky still outscored Louisville by ten, which ends up being the difference in the game. And that's because Perry did a really good job defending Ryan Smith. He only turned it over once he got the ball where it needed to be. He didn't go hunting a shot. He just kind of took what was there passing wise and kept the offensive float.
So those are the other guys I think deserve some credit for us for that one on Saturday.
I can be a little skeptical about plus minus because I've seen instances where kids who have a great game but they're on the losing teams that are plus minus is poor, But that just means the guys around him didn't play well. But I think you are right about Travis Perry. They were kind of stealing minutes with him.
Yeah, that's exactly right.
And there were a couple of cases, and you probably heard me saying it upstairs, where it's like, oh, I don't know if that's the spot. Yeah, pick your spot. You did Kentucky just went.
On a run.
I don't know if you want to give him amnumo. Kentucky just gave.
Up a run.
I don't know if this is the spot. And in every single spot he seems to be just fine. So I think that that's a credit to Travis on the defensive end more than anything. And yeah, plus minus definitely could be misleading. I think it's more of a nice stat when you win to kind of see how it impacted, or it's a close or in a close loss like the Clemson game. Lamont was a plus seventeen and Kirk cries it was a negative twenty one, So that to me is very telling. But you're right, it can definitely
be a misleading stat. But I think in this instance where you know, those mints were when Lebron Butler, who was the best player be flore was out of the game, and you're still able to outscore your opponent by ten, I mean, Travis Perry did something right before we.
Got the break. Let me ask you about the upcoming game in Madison Square Garden, Ohio State, which just got torched, I mean boat raced by Auburn. I don't know how much of that game you got to see by the time I got there. It was always a joke. But first of all, I've been to the Garden several times for pro games in college games. Love it. I covered the NIT in nineteen seventy six start to finish four games Kentucky one. Not exactly the same building, I know,
but still it was a great experience. But did have you spent a lot of time there growing up in that part of the world.
Yeah, yep, yep, I've I went to several Knicks games growing up, and this will be my third or fourth college basketball game there. This will be my second Kentucky game covering. I was at the CBS Classic two years ago in Kentucky Loft to UCLA. I was there as a fan for the Jimmy V Classic last year for it was Yukon, North Carolina and sau and Illinois. So yeah, watched a lot of basketball in this building. Been a
couple of concerts in this building. So always super fun for me to be in there, and especially when Kentucky's there and getting to cover that. So definitely can't wait. And it's a game that you just mentioned how they got blitzed by Auburn, though Ohio State did beat a Rutgers team that has two, you know, lottery picks in Harper and Bailey, So it's kind of like they're a hot and cold team. But it's team Kentucky should have their way with in my opinion.
Talking to Aaron Gershean and the Cats balls, we'll come back and shift to football. We'll talk some portal traffic in just a minute here in the state Wide BBI. Aaron Gershan is with us here on the state wide edition of the Big Women Sider Border to Border pike Ville two. Paducca and Aaron and you have been tweeting and writing about the portal, of course, keeping an eye on things, and it's like every hour there's something new. But you've tweeted a little bit about quarterbacks and old lineman.
What can you tell Kentucky fans at this hour? We lost Aaron, So we'll come back and we'll re establish with Aaron. What I was asking him about was the fact that he tweeted about more than one quarterback who's in the portal. And of course Mark Stoops mentioned that he is looking for a QB. And it might sound odd because Cutter Bowley, you would think is going to
be the starter this coming season. But ay, you need depth and it's got to be I don't know they brought Vander Griff will be here, or that Gavin Wimson will be here. Other than that, the rest of your depth is too true freshmen. So as we've learned the hard way in the past, it's because Kentucky's run out of quarterbacks. Lynn Bowden played quarterback as the Cats ran out. Rourke upset Tennessee as the starting Q be because Kentucky had run out of quarterbacks. It can happen thanks to injuries.
So Stoops talked about the fact that they're going to need depth and they're gonna need somebody to provide at least some competition for Cutter Bowlie. So well, we'll see how that plays out. But you got to wonder will they get a quote unquote name quarterback out of the portal, someone with the kind of experience that it takes and skill set to win an the SEC Because if he were that good, then why would he be in the portal?
All right, we got Aaron back, we got your bud, I got you, all right, tell us about QB's in the portal?
Yeah, I think the two names right now to watch are gonna be Malik Murphy of Duke, and then Zach calls out of I believe it's incarnate word, but he has prior sec experience. I'll get into a second, but Malik Murphy's definitely the one that's gonna catch fans. Eyes started his career at Texas. He started two games down there in twenty twenty three when twin Ewers was injured,
led Texas to two wins. A guy was kind of waiting in the wings, and then between yours coming back and arch Manning being brought in, kind of just ran out of room there. And he goes to Duke this past year and he starts and Duco's nine and three in the first year under Manny Diaz. So really really impressive stuff. Gunslinger. Not a guy who's two two mobile, but through for almost three thousand yards twenty six suction downs did throw twelve interceptions, so that would be a
number you want to see taken down. But six ' five, two thirty eight, you know, guy with a lot of size. So I think that's the one that for a fan base that has been very negative and understandably so I saw a lot of people on Twitter be like, get that guy and I'll be back in So that's the one I think the fans are circling right now. And then Calzada is a guy that talk about this era
of college football. He's twenty five years old. He started his college surer in twenty nineteen at A and M made a couple of starts that year, starter for most of the year in twenty one. I believe he didn't play in twenty twenty. And you know, this guy with a pretty good year goes to Auburn head of twenty twenty two and gets hurt and doesn't play at all.
Ends up at the FCS level. In this past year, he was his confiden since Player of the Year, through for thirty five touchdowns, had his best year on the ground, ran for over three indred yards. They took his team the FCS playoffs. They just got eliminated. So that's a one and done guy. Murphy's got two years left. So
you know, interesting names. I think Murphy would definitely be the one again that would bring more excitement, just because he has recent success here you know, in the FBS, in the power for But I think they're both intriguing options. I think, you know, if you're Cutter Buwllie, you're probably if they're gonna bring anyone in and they're going to you're rooting for Calzada because that's a guy who only has one year left. If you're ringing Murphy, it's gonna
be really interesting for Cutter Bullye. He's gonna have a lot to think about because that's a guy who's got two years left of eligibility and he's probably not unless he has a monster year, going to be a guy who's ready for the NFL unless he drastically reduces his turnovers and chow some more on the ground. So it's that's the interesting part of it with Murphy. But you know, Murphy is the guy who believes is the number three or four quarterback in the portal right now, Auburn took
a visit to Auburn. But Auburn, you know, they picked up Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma. They're good at quarterback. He's got I forgot there was a there's another big school he had of Miami. He's supposed to visit Miami, who's losing cam Ward. So obviously that's something to watch. So we'll see. But it does seem like Kentucky's getting the ball rolling at the quarterback position.
I got to think that Murphy with a success. He had a duke, and I don't understand why is he leaving duke. Maybe he's just looking at a step up.
To it's a weird thing. I think. I think it's a I think it's a good old money situation.
Yeah, probably, yes, yeah, but he may want to go to the SEC or you know, the Big twelve or whatever. But I got to think a guy like that, it's gonna look for a situation where he's all but guaranteed. You know, if he's studying Kentucky, he's looking at this kid who ended up the starter at the end of the year. He's a low et cetera, et cetera. But
what do I know? I mean, but I do know this, Aaron. Uh, They've got to get to a situation where the quarterback position is no longer a revolving door unless they can start pulling in the likes of Dylan Gabriel or Bo Nicks or somebody like that. But those kinds of kids, well, those two kids both went obviously to Oregon, but a lot of these guys, I guess. I guess it all depend on nil money, won't it.
It will, It really will. And I think you know, Murphy's definitely Gouy who's giving him a hard luck because he's gonna be got to campus tonight. He's gonna be there all day tomorrow. There's actually a picture of him walking into the Marriotte right where you are downtown, So see if you see if you can see him on.
The way out. Aaron says, hi.
Yeah, exactly to ask him where he's going to school next year. Yeah, yeah, So it's a it's just look they I do think it's the right move to get a guy who go to part with more experience next year. If you're going to be in a when if you're going all in what you have to because you have a thirteenth year head coach and they've already made some portal moves that I think are really good. Honestly, you kind of have to go with that experienced starter. It's
just that's the thing with college football. He got away, you got away now versus the future, and that's cutter bully going to think of it. It's going to be very interesting.
Aaron Gershan of the cast paus A Gershan ninety nine on Twitter. Aaron will be up there this weekend. I know we'll see you at the garden. Stay safe and have a good time. Is the dog with you?
He is not.
He's with Mattie back home, but he's about fully recovering.
Okay, good to hear about Barkley. All right, man, all right, well we'll see in a few days. Have a good one. Thanks, all right, see you up here, all right. Coming up next, mister Jeffiicoro, the UK Sports Network. We'll talk football and a little basketball on the back end. You're listening to the state wide edition of the Big Blue Insider. Welcome back to the state wide edition of the Big Blue Insider.
Dick Gabriel with you on a Monday evening and joining us now on our celebrity headline from the UK Sports Network, former UK Wide receiver, mister Jeff Picoro, Champion. We're going to talk a little basketball because in your other life as a sports director of WTVQ, you must be an expert on all sports. Again, but let me ask you about the swinging door that is the portal. And already Barrion Brown and Dante Key are gone. The best bookend
receivers Kentucky's had probably since the Rich Brooks era. Of course, the team didn't have the year it was looking for, so neither did they. But how big of a step back is this in your opinion?
Well, I think it's only a step back if they can't fill that hole with some of these guys that they're trying to bring in here. Look for all, Barry Undid he is a great return guy, and I think they're really gonna miss his speed there at receiver. I think that there are guys out there that and guys on this team that were simply better than him at the receiver role. They're gonna they're gonna miss his speed. They're gonna leaves his quickness. You know, you just can't
replace that. But other than that, I really don't think that he hurts them that much. Leaving again the returns that hurts now dank Key is a different story. Dank He's got great size. He's an NFL wide receiver. You know, he's got the size to play at the next level. He's got the toughness to play at the next level. Hill he doesn't mind going over the middle, he doesn't mind taking hits he's he's you know, reprepa, you know,
changed to his body. He's matured a lot, he hit a lot of weights, so uh that that one's gonna be a tough one to see. But look, I like, you know the first four that they got, the first four a if you will into the transfer portal. You know, they mined four gems. I like all four of the guys they got so far.
What do you like about them?
Well, you're especially your two offensive linemen. They're not projects coming in. Yeah, these are two guys that were All conference at their conference and one of them obviously an SEC player at guard who gives you some some just huge hugeness there three hundred and three hundred and thirty nine pounds. You know, it's like a Stallings, you know,
getting somebody like Bunchie or somebody like that. This is a guy who's been there, done that, final year player, fifth year guy, All SEC team, it all, did a great job at Arkansas. I think he's gonna be a nice player. Then you bringing in a mac kid, another guy that's got great size but great lengths, and that's what you're looking for. The reason that NFL teams really like Malachi Wood is because of the length that the arm. You but you know, I've got what thirty four inch arms?
His are probably forty two. I mean, he just they're huge. And same with this kid who I can't say his last name, and Tom'm gonna make Tom say it every time next year. But again, you've got a couple of guys that have played and on the offensive line, have been there, done that started. We saw what happened with Marcus Cox a nice pickup, and I think it happens with these two guys as well.
Yeah, and I'm with you because it's different, obviously, when you've got a guy who has played and had some success as opposed to a guy who has been with an SEC team but couldn't crack their rotation, so I'm gonna go look for another place to play. Well that's all well and good, but unless this kid is a diamond in the rough, how are you going to beat that same team with a guy who couldn't start for them? Right?
Right? Well? Yeah, And the other thing is, you know what a four star coming out of high school? What do they have? They have what's called potential? A five star player, they have potential? Right? Well, I would rather have a kid like Josh Allen, who who you know was a lower star rating but had the motor too. You know that I'd rather have that. I'd rather have some guy that skated, you know, through his high school
because he's bigger, stronger, faster than everybody. I'd rather have a guy that had to work his butt off in high school improve himself at every point and than that. And so that's that's why I like these guys that Kentucky gets, and Mark's been able to develop so well, the Benny Snells of the world. You know, Benny was a guy that was only a two or three star coming out of Columbus Ohio Westernville there, and you know, Ohio State didn't recruiting, so he came to Kentucky and
look what he ended up. That Ohio State would have loved to have him though.
Well, and you know you bring up two great names. These are two of and this is noble as you know, two of the greatest players in the history of UK football. Benisel broke records. Josh Allen won basically every award a defensive player could win. And as you said, both of these guys, for whatever reason, relatively unheralded. There were so many other great players in the same area. Oh we got the TV on its Jef piicorro on a promo,
so many other great players in the Columbus area. And with Josh Allen, he moved from Alabama to New Jersey, did not play in summer camps, slipped through the cracks. UK got tipped off on him and was able to bring him in, beat out Montclair State for his services, and then developed both of those guys. They both were patient. They both played a little bit as freshmen, little more sophomores. There was no portal beckoning and those were the classic
Mark Stoops program with the Capitol p players. I think jeff in that they evalue, waited, recruited, sign and developed them and they both make the NFL. How often does that happen now with a portal sitting there saying hey, come on in crazy.
I know, yeah, you know the other thing that the portal has done. I think it's great for for you know, to for guys to be able to move. I think there has to be a limit on it. I think you should say, okay, you get one transfer free, and then you get another one if you're coaching, and then if your coach leaves, you get another one. Anything after that to the old way you get. I mean, you've got guys now that play for four different teams in four years because you know what, Well, I didn't make
it at Alabama, so I'm gonna transfer to Kentucky. Well i didn't make it a Kentucky, so now I'm gonna transfer to you know, Tulane. You know what you're creating is a bunch of quitters, guys who you know what. I didn't get my way here. I didn't make it, so I'll just move on. No, you you get, you hit the weight room, you try to run faster, you bigger, You know there's things you can do, not just quit and go to another school. That's the thing that just drives me crazy about some of these kids.
You mentioned, Coach.
Now, I will tell you, I will say this for both for Berryan and Dane. I think that and I understand I've heard a lot of reasons, you know, people say this. In my opinion, in talking to Dane and stuff like that, I think he wanted to play in a pro style offense where he was going to get the chance to catch forty to fifty passes like sure like Tennessee, and I blame him one bit. Look, here's the thing, Mark Soops has an offense in a defense that is built to win at UK, right, and that's
just the way it is. So I don't blame him wanting to go somewhere like that.
No, No, I couldn't agree more. And you and I talked about that towards the latter stages of the season. I couldn't agree more with that. If you're a guy like either one of those kids, essentially in your last year of college, you don't even know who's going to be throwing you football, you know, until until August. You really don't, So you know, how do you take that step forward? We're talking to Jef Pecorro the UK Sports Network. We talked about you mentioned coaches leaving. I saw where
the Wake Force job is going to open up. Yes, and that's uh. That was that was that was home for Brad White, and you could you could see a school like Wake saying, well, those guy's never been a head coach, but he's done a hell of a job you know at Kentucky.
Well wait, yeah, you know, I just I don't mean a step on your toe, no, no, but what wait, what wake did twenty years twenty twenty five years ago? I guess it was they took a flyer on a guy that was the head coach at Ohio University. Uh and they got named Jim.
Grow Jim Grove. Yeah, yeah, Grobe.
Left Ohio, went to Wake Force and started that kind of that optioning style offense that air Force runs and you know, a lot of you know a lot of beer and stuff like that. And look what he did. He Wake Forest all of a sudden became instead of a four wins school, they were like Kentucky. They won sixth and they won seven, and they won eighth, and they won seven and they won eighth and they won six.
They went to the Orange Ball.
Yes, and then every once in a while you get a ten win season. Wake Forest was able to do it. So you know, Brad White, hey, he's a great defensive coordinator. Man, he's you know, he's getting paid a lot here. But you know, if he wants to be a head coach that I think that would be a great step for him. I hope he doesn't take it. He's one of my favorite coaches here.
Yes, sure, I agree. And by the way, that Orange Bowl team Wake Forest had a defensive coordinator coordinator named Dean Hood. So yeah, you know, things like that can't happen. You know, the decision people need to understand because everybody wants to promote coordinator. Not that Brad doesn't deserve a shot if he wants it. But as you well know, Jeff, coordinators get to coach football. Head coaches get to coach some football and then do what go to meetings fundraise
now you know do the media is stuff? I mean, you know that everybody recruits, but the people think that the recruiting coordinator is responsible for all the recruits overall, and they're not. You know, the head coach is the recruiting coordinator. Recruiting coordinator is a title and it's got important duties. But the head coach signs off on everybody, at least with successful programs, so that takes even more
of your time. That's a hell of a decision. And in this day and age, yeah, a head coach is going to make a bunch of money, but right now, so are coordinators, you know what I mean. So he can afford to be picky and be choosy about the next job.
Yeah, you know, you have to look at it this way. A head coach now in college football is a CEO. That's right, right, I mean, I mean the best example I give, and I don't know if a lot of people in lexing understand, is Jeff Brahm is the CEO of Louisville Football. Right, He's the head coach for say, but his brother Brian runs the offense, runs all the practices, calls all the plays. Jeff is on the headset with him, and you know they're kind of very similar, but he's
really the guy that's making the calls. Jeff is a great recruiter. Jeff is a great CEO. The best coaches and again, you could take this to business. I mean, if you read, I know you're not a huge fan of this guy, but Urban Meyer has a book and the best coaches are really just like businessman. They're the best businessman. They're c You have a CEO ce oh yeah, and that's the best coaches now there.
You know who was a CEO toward the end of his career was Bear Bryant. You know Bear Brian would stand up in the tower and oversee yeah.
Ye.
Now, on the other hand, you had a Rich Brooks who would oversee stuff, but he could drop and he often did because John Cropp would tell us this. He would drop into a position area and teach the finer points of you name it, D line, running back, d back. He could. John Cropp told me, well, he probably told you the same thing. Rich Brooks had an uncanny ability to coach any and every position on the football field. Yeah, he said, I've never seen anything like it. But that's rare, isn't it.
Yes, it is. I mean you look at Mark Stoops for instance. Mark I think could coach any position on the defensive.
Side of the ball.
Yes, but he lets he It's very rare. You see him, Like even when they're when they're practicing, and when they're running past Kelton drills and when they're running one versus one, he always stands behind the defense. Now he's getting an overview of everything. Sure, but he's not an offensive guy. He's a defensive coach, and he lets those guys do their job, you know, on the offensive side.
Well, And I don't believe in and uh Billy Religion and I I have had discussions on this. I do not believe that he steps in to the to the offensive channel and and calls out of play. I don't believe that. I do believe because I've heard him yelling it on the sidelines at times, like run the ball or keep running it or something like that.
That of course is blowing down.
Yeah, yeah, you know. And of course when you got a guy like Benny Snell, you're gonna yell run the ball. But but no, you're right about that, and and you know, you just got to be you know. I said the same thing Jeff about Bill Curry, and I think that's what got him here is he did not hire well at first. By the time he left here, he had put a really good staff together. But guess what, it was too late. He made too many mistakes. As the CEO. He had a great staff at Alabama and it paid off.
And as we learned, it's not automatic at Alabama. It's not automatic. If you're the Kentucky basketball coach, you know, you got to make the right views, you know. So all right, when we come back, we're gonna pick Jeff's brain a little bit about basketball because he's now covering basketball. Welcome back. It is the state wide BBI. Jeff Pecoro's on the line with us. Jeff, you have been around
for a long time. We always talked about this. With football, you didn't play against Louisville, but when the series finally did good, basketball series came around before the football series. But growing up, when you move, people don't understand this. Cier. You spent a lot of time of your childhood in Lexington, but you've spent time also in Seattle and New Orleans. But as you grew up here in Lexingon, tell me about the UKUL basketball rivalry as you saw it.
Well, you know, the coolest thing for me is, I don't know. We're probably eleven, twelve years thirteen, fourteen years old through there. And remember we used to come down and play a game at Memorial Coliseum. Do you remember that ever? Don't they They came down and they would play like a preseason game. And I'll never forget this year. I think I was in high school when they came out and they were that was Griffith's team, So it was right before you know, I got to college. I
was in high school and they were they were. They wore these elaborate warm ups that were like capes, and they said the doctors have dunk and each of them had you know the names that Jeryl Griffiths was doctor Duncan stuff. It was the coolest thing, and everybody was like because and again love Joe Hall. He was just one of my favorite people, really him and him and him and mister Wildcat Bill Kylee were just two of
the greatest people in the world. Right And but you know, Joe Hall was this you know, uh old or suit and tie old school guy, and Denny was just the three hundred and sixty degrees right. I mean, he was total opposite. That's why the Denny and And and Joe By show worked because they were so opposite, but they loved, you know, basketball.
Guys.
Denny was one of the few guys you could pull off the leisure suit.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah, it was you know, it was such an antithesis because Kentucky was you know, Kentucky was the state school and Louisville was kind of these guys play a cool brand at Douglas Park basketball man, you know, and it was it was pretty neat. That was my first voy. And then I grew up with Matt Grant, whose dad was Judge LT. Grant, So I used to go to games at Memorial Coliseum with him, and we got to sit on the actually sit on the floors
right next to the uh, the cheerleaders. We'd sit in the end zone on the they'd pull out the bleachers for all the judges and and uh and people that were in the politics, you know, on top of it. So that was my Yeah, that was my first foray into it. And then of course I remember because I went to school with Kenny and and Sam and Melvin and those guys. That was my years and and and uh and of course jimmy master. And then Jim hit the great shot to send it to overtime in the game.
But yeah, but we never played him in football, but basketball it was. It was cool, But I don't even think it was his intense until John Why really, you know what he wore the half glue, half red.
I thought that was the dream game. Yeah, yeah, that was pretty odd. If Kentucky had won that game, when would they have eventually agreed to play? Because I firmly believe it's because Kentucky lost that there were enough board members who were ticked off, and I was at the athletic board meeting when they moved let's let let's get
this done. Let's let's play a regular game. Because you know what, Kentucky lost, and the sun came up the next day, and joe Be made an impassionate plea to keep things the way they are, the way coach Rupp wanted him. And of course, as you said on the Joe Be and Any Show, he later admitted he was wrong about this. And then it's been a great thing for the state.
Right, Yeah, no, it has. I'll tell you the other thing too. I never liked the football game being the first game of the last game. I liked it, yeah, but my problem is rivalry week in football High State, Michigan, USC, UCLA, Auburn, Alabama, Oh, Miss Missippi State, it was always a last game. Yes, you know at Florida Florida State. Uh, you know, South Carolina claims it. It was always that last game. To me, if you lost that game, it was almost as if well, season's over.
Yeah, but not the players, because I did the research on that. It only I think only once each time did a team go spiraling in the wrong direction if they lost the first one. But uh, Mike, my complaints always been I'm in the hype business and I'm just not crazy about talking basketball recruiting all summer. And that's why Curry and Schnellenberger they literally said, we're tired of hearing people talk about basketball recruiting all summer. They ought
to be talking about football. And if your team's opening up with no disrespect kent State, there's not nearly the chatter that there is with Lord. Here's the other thing, Jeff, and it's it's been dramatic. There have been Bowl games on the line and stuff like that last game of the year. I will admit to that, but I feel like Kentucky's more beat up at the end of the
year running in that SEC garnlet than Louisville is. And I also think that as rivalries go, with no disrespect to either program, the uk U of l rivalry stacked up against all those rivalries you just mentioned, gets very little hype. It's very.
My question to you is this, Dick, how much longer does that last? Especially if the SEC goes.
You can't do it. You can't do it.
You can't. You can't play now.
Maybe once in a while, but you know, home and home home games now and especially now, Jeff, next year, would you like to be an athletics director?
Uh?
Trying to figure out how to pay all these players out of your budget, not out of a collective You know what sports? Now do you have to drop in order to pay the football and basketball players? And so now you want to lose, Yeah, you want to lose a home game that's worth you know, five million dollars in revenue. Heck no, those are problems that people smarter than we are have to figure out, right, Thank goodness for that, Jeff, ro I appreciate it. Always fun talking.
We'll watch for you on the boob tube as we used to call it growing up. And uh, that's well, here you at. The season opener is not that far away for Kentucky football, right, see you man? That's right. Yeah, usually you and I are preparing for a Bowl game. We'll see you. That's crazy. Bowl games are getting started this weekend. Man. I love Bowl games. I love covering Bowl games.
Bow.
I'm not gonna get to do it this year. Maybe next year, all right, Thanks to Aaron, Thanks to Jeff, Thanks to bo Robinson. We'll talk to you next week after I get back from New York. Aeron as well. Let's say good night from Lexington