Hell, everybuddy to the facilities of the iHeartMedia megaplex. This is Dick Gabriel. This is the statewide edition of The Big Blue Insider, a frosty edition at that. You've heard the comments from Mark Stoops, Kenny Brooks, Georgia, A Moore, you name it, you've heard it, and now it's time to settle in and listen to yours truly. Along with Billy Rutledge, Aaron gershan who was in Georgia, we'll talk about those basketball cats tonight on a state wide BBI
Border to border. It is the Big Blue Insider, Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge playing hurt folks. He was a little under the weather. Are you still feeling it?
Yeah, a little bit, but I'm not digging ditches, you know.
Yeah, it's true, so we did make it. That was very concern with the rear wheel drive vehicle.
I wondered about that. You have a very nice car.
Very sporty Dodge Charger.
It doesn't yeah, exactly right. Well, I'm in the Trailblazer tonight, you know, the Camaros safely, that's right. Aaron Gershaan also has been driving. He drove to Georgia and back and is just back basically, so we didn't ask him to come in. He is resting and recuperating. Aaron, First of all, was that your first trip to Athens for basketball?
No? No? Second? Okay, there they're away two. I was there two years ago when they lost that as well.
I was telling somebody Jeff Begore or somebody that Stegma Coliseum used to be. It is kind of dark. I don't want to say dingy, but it was just older and lots of red paint, which means all the light was soaked up by the red paint. And they poured a bunch of money. They essentially did to that coliseum, that arena what they did in Memorial Coliseum here at UK and when Kentucky comes to town, man, that's the circus, isn't it.
Aaron. Yeah, it was a great crowd. It was definitely stronger than the one two years ago. There were a lot of Kentucky fans there as well. But you know, I'd say it was very similar atmosphere to the one they played at in Clemson, where you know, early on when it was back and forth, you know, the fans didn't quite sense blood in the water. Yet it was loud, but it was tame. It was nothing like you would
see in Knoxville, Auburn, Fayetteville. Those are the three I think are the toughest to play when those programs are at their best. But in the second half or late in the first half, and then the entire second half, that fan base was all in and credit to security. I thought all game long they were going to storm that court, and they had a really good plan. Some of the students looked like they were looking for angles
to get down there. Just couldn't do it. So I was glad at least that didn't happen, because it feels like every Kentucky road game I've been to the last two years there's been a court storming. That's the way the postgame process.
Well, let me ask you the broadest questionable and we'll go from there. How did this happen? From where you sat?
Physicality, They just got bullied again. I think all three of these losses feel just very very similar, and like the blueprint to beat this Kentucky team is pretty pretty simple right now. Until Kentucky can make adjustments, and that's rebound the heck out of the ball. They don't really defensive rebound at a high enough clip that that's two games in a row in double digit offensive rebounds allowed.
They don't seem to love contact in the paint. They're passing up layups and dunks to try these threes or kick the ball out for three. And you know, I'm all for being unselfish, but sometimes it's the ball is there to be putting the hoop. Put it in the hoop and keep playing. So there are a couple instances of that where it looked like maybe they anticipated contact
and they passed it up. And then on the on the offensive end, you know these teams that either pressed Kentucky for the full length of the court like Georgia did for part of the game or for half court, and then the ones that really do a good job and just getting in their grill and pushing them off the three point line. They've all held Kentucky under twenty five percent from three. And that's Clemson, Ohio State, and
now Georgia. So it was very, very similar to those other two losses that we've seen earlier this year, and that's you know, the next two teams specifically on their schedules. That's really Worris.
Oh yeah, absolutely, We'll talk about that in a minute. But Darren Hedrick replayed for the folks who may not have stuck around on radio side. After the game, Jack Gibbons postgame interview with Andrew Carr and coincidentally enough, I used the same word. I watched the first half with the Jeff Bicorrel and I went out, got to bite and watch the game together. And I use this word Aaron in the first half, and Jack used a postgame and he talked about it with Andrew Carr, and that's
the word nasty. This team needs to be needs to get nasty, you know. And I think that goes to exactly what you're saying. These these other teams are are going to be as nasty as they can be, especially in the paint.
Yeah, especially, I mean Georgia was the nastiest they've played this year. I mean Clintons was very physical. Ohio State it was as well. But and even Florida to an extent, and Brown and some of these other teams that they've been able to beat. But Georgia with Santo Serral the former UK SNI is a Newell who is a projected lottery pick. The freshman there. They just they pushed the limits. I mean, we all know how the fan based all about the officiating last night, and it wasn't great. It's
not an excuse for the outcome by any means. It wasn't great. And it felt like Georgia did get away with at least pushing it to the very limit of how physical you can be. But you know, they they played by the rules and they really really their physicality disrupted things mightily, and it's something Kentucky's got to adjust to and adjust too quick. And like you said there, they got to find some nasty tools.
To that point, Jack talked a lot about the one who initiates contact and brings that physicality a lot of times gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the whistles and the referees. But Aaron, this team has a lot of experience, but not a lot of experience being Kentucky on a road game. That was also mentioned in the Andrew Carr interview. One guy that does have a lot of experiences Jackson Robinson. He's been in Mark Pope's system, so but why does he look so
lost on the court right now? Like, what what's what's his concerns right now?
The body language is bad. It's been kind of honestly, it's been a thing all year, and I've just figured maybe maybe that was just his mannerisms, like maybe I was reading into the body language thing too much. But now, you know, kind of focusing in on it more. It's very clear when he gets off to a slow start early offensively, it completely knocks him out of rhythm and kind of puts them in a bad mental state. And you start seeing that bad body language and he's you know,
kind of hiding in that corner a little more. Oh, he's kind of a little lacks of days ago on defense, and it just looks like a confidence issue to me. And you know, one thing that I've seen flowed out there today and I think someone brought it up in the radio show. He didn't, Pope, didn't really give a great answer on it. I'm hoping to press him on it tomorrow if I can get to the press conference
in time. But it's he was the player of the year in the Big twelve that was very comparable to what the SEC is this year last year, and he did it coming off the bench on a lesser talented team. Maybe that is something that they need to adjust because Kobe Bray is a guy. I know he hasn't shot great in any of the three losses. I know he didn't shoot great last night. I don't know if there was an injury situation why he was on that availability
report and illness whenever it may have been. But he's a guy that just even when he's not making shots, he looks comfortable and his body language is good, and the efforts there. Maybe he's not a great defender, but the efforts there. Maybe you tweak that and you flip them in the starting lineup and see if that gets Jackson into a more comfortable spot. Maybe it's, you know,
being the guy. Maybe there was a lot of pressure knowing he knows the system better than anyone else, and he may have been relied on to help guys along the way, and maybe that slowed him being able to work on things he needed to work on himself. I don't know what it is, but clearly it's mental right now, and that's a guy they need to get going because if they don't, you know, defenses can start king in
on other guys and that could make life harder. And Kobe Bray had life harder on Lamont Butler, and that would make things really tough to overcome for this team.
Yeah, it was interesting because preseason, when people were trying to figure out how this team would operate, specifically on offense, I think everybody thought, Okay, it starts with Jackson Robinson. We know that much about this guy. He knows Mark Pope's system. He had the numbers, everything you just talked about. And then what, well, now we're seeing it's o way at least on the perimeter, you know, and and thank goodness for Kentucky because you know he is taking command
on more than one so and it was interesting. I'm sure you heard Pope's show tonight, Aaron. He addressed that somebody asked Mark about that and it and his answer, as always, was rather broad, but it sounded as though he's got an open mind when it comes to tinkering with the lineup, because you can't play a Pat hann right now, you know.
Yeah, you got to try something, and you know, Kentucky, honestly, the rotations have been even with you know, since the injury to Crisa and then before he went down, Pope has done a really good job I think of keeping the lineups consistent, I think there can be an argument of whether they need to be. You know, the rotations had to be shortened. You know, we've seen Colin Chandler phase out a bit. I think that's the right call. Before Chrisa got hurt, you saw Perry phased out, I
thought that the time was the right call. But now you know, the starting lineup outside of the games Lamont Butler's been hurt, you know, have been the exact same every night, and I think there's probably been a comfortability there. But when things aren't work, you've got to make adjustments. And I think just when you're a guy who was the sixth Man of the Year in his conference, was so good in that role just a year ago, you
gotta do it. And I'm very curious to see if he makes that switsh you know, as soon as Saturday here. But but that'll also depend on Brea. I'm not sure he didn't want to give it. Sounded like on the pregame show with Tom he didn't really want to give an answer on what was wrong with Brea. So you know, we kind of left it alone after the game. But if Braya is fully healthy. I would swap the two out at least for the next couple of games and see if that gives you something.
Yeah, but the problem with Brea is if Pope has addressed that exactly his defense, Uh you know, I mean, and this was a guy that in his previous stops. You can't get this guy in foul trouble. It's like a high school star. You know, you don't want that guy on the bench obviously, So you know it's, yeah, you're gonna give and you're gonna get if you make that change.
Yeah you're gonna give and you're gonna get. But you know, out of the other options, if you're gonna get Jackson becks into his six man role or at least try to get them comfortable with that for a little bit, there's no B is really the only other option you have there because Angeley Amanor is not giving you anything defensively. He hasn't done much offensively lately. I think Travis Perry is starting to get comfortable, but you know, he's a point guard for this team. He's not playing that two
or three positions with Jackson plays. So that's kind of the only other option. Just with how this roster is constructed and with chrisa hurt.
I feel like a Mari Williams gets a lot of attention from Big Blue Nation Aaron, but it also feels like he can't stay out of foul trouble. And to that point, I felt like we got the full Brandon Garrison effect in this last game, whether it be coast to coast dribbling and being energetic, but also him turning the ball over three four times.
We talk about we talk about confidence with Jackson Robinson and that lacking. I do have no worries about the com of either Amari Williams or Brandon Kris. I mean Brandon Garrison's like there were times in that game where Lamont Butler is like putting his arms out like on the point guard ball ball ball, and Brandon Derrison's just taking it up up the floor. Which look, I know Mark Pope likes having his centers kind of play that point point center role, center point whatever the phrase is there,
but that's got to get cleaned up. That's just not great basketball. I know the euro step was cool, but that should be a one and done thing right there. But look, I think of Mary Williams, he does get a lot of attention. I actually don't think he's been as bad as people have said. I think it's somewhere in the middle where the criticism. He's definitely been nowhere near, you know, defensive player of the year like he was
in his other conference. But this is a way harder league, and I think there's been a justment period for him. And I think my biggest thing with Amary Williams, you know, the foul troubles is one thing, and they got to get that cleaned up. But he's got a boxed out man. Yeah, a lot of these offensive rebounds were We're seeing the two guys I've been circling on those or Andrew Carr and Amari Williams, and that's got to get cleaned up
up from him. But I actually thought Omari probably played his best game of the year, at least offensively against Florida. I thought last night his energy was there. I thought the effort was there. I just couldn't stay at a foul trouble and that hurt them.
I can't remember all his fouls last night, but there was a foul ticky Tech, yeah, but there was one against Florida. Rehacked the guy eighty feet from the basket. Absolutely, And I'm like, you know what, you're the three time d Player of the Year. You you you clearly know better than that.
No questions. Yeah, And that's that stuff that's got to get ironed out in practice. And one thing, you know, Mark Pope talked about it after the cleansing game, and it's a real issue with this team when they get behind, which happens way too often. But that's a separate issue. They like to play this hero ball where they go against their offensive scheme, they would go against their read and react whatever you want to call it, and they
kind of just every every man for himself. And that's when you lead on and that and that's that happens on both sizes of the ball. And you're gonna have those stupid fouls on the defensive side when you're playing hero ball and you're gonna have bad shots and euro steps from your center. It's just, uh, there's a lot to clean up. There's a lot to clean up, for sure.
Don't forget Brandon Garrison hitting threes too. I mean I think that was his third thirty.
Yeah, he's taking her third hit.
Thirty's hit I think as he's had a.
But let's put the Georgia game to a side for a second, because they had a great game versus Florida and one six.
They did. I guess, yes, tongue in cheek.
Great doesn't apply to defense in that regard, but Florida's got some really good guards and they showed that in that Oh yes, do you think that is what Kentucky's potential looks like?
Aaron? Yes, yeah, I don't think. I really think Florida and Florida backed it up last night beating thirty forty three points. I think Florida honestly is the second best team in the SEC, behind Auburn. So the fact Kentucky was able to beat them, put up one hundred and six points, get some stops when they needed to. Yeah, that is their apps, that is their ceiling. That's Kentucky at their best. They're making shots, they're playing confident, they're
playing their reading react offense. They're going on runs where you know, one second it looks like they can't buy a bucket and then bang eleven to zero run and the game flips. That's that's what this Kentucky team is supposed to be like. And then on the defensive side, you don't want to give up one hundred, but go look at some of those shots Walter playing, and they were circus shots. They were shots to live with. And Florida is a really, really good team that's going to
do a lot of damage. So the fact you're able to get that win is massive. And you know, I'm not look, I actually think in the second half yesterday, after they gave up forty seven in the first half, they played and really all games Georgia shot like set seven for twenty four from three and some of the threes that they did hit. One was that buzzer beater at the end of the half that had two guys
in the space they banked one in. Like I think, defensively it's all a matter of boxing out and closing possessions. But that Florida game, yeah, I think that's Kentucky at their best right there.
Aaron Gershewan is with us on the Celebrity Highline just back from after Georgia. Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge. It is the state wide BBI from Pikeville to Paduca. It is the big Blu Insider. Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge, Aaron Gersheawan,
we're talking, of course about the Wildcats. They're lost at Georgia last night, and we talked about the fact that Andrew Carr spoke with Jack Gibbons about kind of a I don't know if it was a surprise to them because every one of those guys, it's played road games in college, but none of them with the exception of the walk on, So I guess I don't doubt if they've ever gotten into a game on the road. I may be wrong, but none of them who had Kentucky
across the chest. And Aaron, as we brought you on tonight, we talked talked about the crowd down there. I mean, you know, with all due respect, when wake Forest goes on the road, UH, if they're a good team, that's fine. In the acc Uh some years they've been cannon fodder. But we all know when Kentucky goes on the road, it's different. As I mentioned earlier, the circus comes to town and did you see, because I thought Kentucky got off to a good start, so I didn't think that
was much of a factor last night. But what about as the game got away from them?
Yea again, I just think what I was. I think they went against all their corn valley and they they didn't say the offense. They didn't.
Hey Aaron, we can't really hear you. Did you change the speaker phone or do you have AirPods in?
No?
No? There that sounds better?
Yeah? Sorry?
Are you good?
But yeah, I just think there's a lot of hero ball, a lot of a lot of playing for me, and a lot of just not playing as a team. And you know, I didn't, I really didn't. It's hard to gauge just the crowd was the thing that affected them or not. I mean it probably is. You can't but the body again, the body language all year long when things have been going wrong. In this game specifically, I thought what really set off the bad body language was the officiating. And again I don't think it was a
greatly called game. I thought there were some calls that could have gone either way, maybe shouldn't have been called whatever. That's not why they lost. But every time a call went against Kentucky that they really didn't like. You know, you saw the dropping of the arms and the yelling at the refs and hanging their heads, and that really affected them. And that's something that Mark Pope's gotta work on getting these guys to just let it go and
keep playing. And I don't know if that means he needs to be more aggressive with the officials and you know, take on that anger for him and rally his guys or continue doing what he's doing, but just do a better job in practice of telling them, like, hey, it doesn't matter what they call next play. But that was the one that that, more than the environment, is what I picked up on. Every time a call went against them, it felt like they were almost throwing a hissy fit.
Do you think the presence of Kerr Criesa would help with that? I mean it feels like you got a lot of quiet guys with Lamont Butler and yeah, I mean, yeah, you want to get a little nasty. Does Kerr's play may not be always there, but do you feel like his energy would change a little bit of this?
Yeah? I think indisputably, their energy has been lacking since he's been down. I mean, look, I thought it was really concerning and I let it go because they beat Florida, and you know, they looked better at least against Brown. But Mark Pope admitted after they lost at Madison Square Garden that they couldn't get up to the game. Energy
wasn't there, Like that's a problem. No, Like even look, I was there two years ago when Kentucky leyden Academa she against UCLA, but that team was energetic that day. They just they couldn't buy a bucket. And you know, UCLA played a really good game defensively. There's no excuse to not get up for a game at Madison Square Garden. And that's exactly what happened with this team. And then you know they go on the road here to Georgia
and yeah, it's a good environment, for sure. It really Again it got loud late in the first half, the whole second half. But it's not one of these. It's not an Auburn and it's not a Tennessee for some of these like Jackson Robinson last year played at Kansas and played at Baylor. Those are tougher environments. It's nothing. Yeah, played great and so maybe there's like a board of them. I don't know what it is, but they they've got to figure it out. And Kreisa would definitely help with all that.
We were going coming up on the break when we were talking in a last segment about Florida, and one thing I wanted to bring up was a reminder that not unlike Georgia, Florida got to the line all night again. Chucky just lucked out quite frankly. The Gators missed eleven, including a front end at least twice down the stretch. He had a ninety shooter, Aaron missed two or three. Yeah, you know, otherwise that game might go in the other direction.
So nope, yeah, no, no, yeah.
So you know, Pope talked about that tonight as well, But so much of it was they're just late getting there on defense, you know.
What I mean, no question they are. And look, I thought they were a little bit better with ball screen defense in this game than they were against Ohio State, per se. But it's closing these possessions. And you know, they played two top thirty offensive rebounding teams last two games,
Florida and Georgia. They played the thirty ninth ranked offensive rebounding team in the country on Saturday, Mississippi State, and then the number one offensive rebounding team in the country, Texas A and M comes in here six days from now. So like that's something that's got to get cleaned up, like starting tomorrow in practice, they can't go on. They will be a sub five hundred team in this sc if this back trend continues.
I remember being at practice as many many moons ago when I would hear Joe Hall and staff loudly talk about get a body on a body, you know, And they didn't invent that either. I mean, anybody who's played
basketball knows that that's all part of it. So we'll see if that happens more with Aaron Gershwan when we come back, we'll talk about the football portal as well as the basketball cats here on the state Wide BBI along with Aaron ger Shawn and Billy rud Ledge, Dick Gabriel, the Statewide Big Blue Inside are glad to have you along on a Wednesday because of the schedule being shaken up. I'm sure we have another Wednesday somewhere down the line, but we'll be back on Monday.
Monday next Yeah.
Yeah. Sony asked me about that why these SEC games are all over the map now, and the answer is always television because as soon as the SEC network came along, and look, I do work for them, I'm all good with them. But you had to wonder about this when they said every sporting event, every sporting event will be televised, men's,
women's basketball, baseball, stop everything. So the question is where do you put them, you know, And the answer is you put them all over the calendar wherever you can, whether it's on SEC network or ESPN two or streaming or whatever. So whenever there's a question about scheduling, the answers always and in the secondary answers money, But it's always about our friends on TV.
Well, quickly, look at the Big ten.
I mean, Michigan UCLA was a top twenty five conference game last night. It was on Peacock and half the people didn't know it was there. At least the ESPN plus games are non conference most of the Yes, right.
Yeah, that's true. And you know, like I said when Notre Dame's home opener.
When it started, Ye, he said it there's the future for that, And I always reverberates in my ear the John Skipper, the former ESPN chief, saying some data Super Bowl is going to be pay.
Per view and it will. Yeah, I mean, you know it's not going to be tomorrow, but it will at some point.
Too much money to be made.
Yeah, but it's the biggest event. I mean, Aaron Grishawm, would you pay? Would you pay to see the Super Bowl? Would you pay per view to see the Super Bowl?
Reluctantly, Yeah, I know you would.
I would pay upwards to seventy eighty bucks, yeah, I think. But any more than that, I'd have a make go over to a buddy's house.
I was gonna say, let's make a pack the three of us wherever we are, We'll throw in together, make it a little cheaper and sit somewhere, even if it's in my garage. And wh super Bowl. But yeah, I mean, you know, revenue streams being what they all. Right back to Kentucky and we were talking about how tovi it is to go down there and play in Athens. Aaron, if you've been to Starkfille for basketball.
Yes, each of the last two years. I don't think with our another snowstorm that we don't need hitting Lexington and even that region there in North Mississippi. I'll be making the trip this time. But yes, the last two years I've been there.
And what was your impression of stark Vegas the Hump as a home court advantage?
Very very similar, but probably a step above where Georgia I agree where the bill you've won. I think this one will be a little better from the opening tip, just because you have that number fourteen in front of Mississippi State, and you know the last two years under Chris Jians his first two years there, you make the NCAA tournament. You know this is a team with expectations and a program now that you can say, hey, we expect to be in the mix to get to a
second weekend in March. So I think the building will probably be jumping from the start, unlike were last year. I remember specifically it was a late arriving crowd because Mississippi State baseball was playing across the street and their game was still They had like a barn burner in a midweek game that was like fifteen to five, So it took a while, and you saw the fans start
to come in. Obviously, that's one of the best environments in college baseball, even during the midweek, and you saw the fans kind of start to roll in as the baseball game wound down, and by the second half when you had that shootout between Shepherd and and Josh Hubbard, the returning point guard for State. That place is jumping, so I think there'll be a little more with no baseball, there to be a distraction, you know, standalone game on campus.
It'll probably be going from the opening tip. But again, I don't put that environment above Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida by any means no.
But I can tell you this years ago, and I want to say it was when Tubby was still here. It was not not during the Caliperi era, and not Gillsbee either.
The Lord knows.
But we at Channel twenty seven, we went on the road to basically every game, every road game, and U uplink the postgame stuff, the press conferences and everything we could. And so obviously that took us into opposing territory and the arena. So I've basically been The only arena I haven't been in road game is Auburn.
And I know that's a that's out.
Yeah, I know that's one.
Oh yeah yeah. But it's amazing Starkville.
I don't know if it's because there's just nothing else to do or whatever, but when Kentucky comes down, but the shoot around draws so many and it's usually students and the heckling begins, and I sit there and laugh. I mean, they're creative, the little profane. But I see the players. I don't know if you ever noticed this, Aaron, the players trying to stifle their smiles. They think it's funny as well.
Well, I do remember when I was there two years ago, a game that Kentucky won as well. Good by the way, I don't think Kentucky hasn't lost the regular season game to Mississippi State since the Gillespian era. They won them all against Cal. The only loss they had to them was the SEC Tournament the COVID season. But getting back on track, I remember the first student that arrived in the student section for Mississippi State was wearing a Doug Edit jersey. That was the season a Doug Edit jersey.
Oh and that was the season after the Saint Peters loss. So I can't confirm the creativity from the from the students there. Willingly spent money on that almost a year after the fact. Just to make a.
Point less serious question, Aaron, Chris Jan's nickname is the Dentists over at Mississippi State.
Guess because of how.
Hard his teams play, maybe you lose a tooth by the end of it or something like that. Uh, what do you think is the best UK athletics nickname in history? Kenny Skywalker, the brow, uh, the hefty Lefty and all the Lorenzen ones because there was more than one.
Jaredhill was very throwboy, he was so fantastic. Left was low hanging.
Fun like you know, Boogie was a good one. Or Goose I think to a degree.
You know what's interesting. And we talked about that the other day. When he was first nicknamed goose, Jack didn't like it, but but he did just you know, I guess he just got comfortable with it. And now that's his uh Twitter handle. So no, but I knew him and you know, covered his his games, went with school together and uh and I mentioned that once to him when I was internested. We never had class together, so that's you never went to class.
I said, well, you know, okay, got me there.
No, I mean that's a great question. What's the best nick jeorts is up there?
For that?
I think you can always you can always default.
Did Dan esselll have one?
The horse?
The Horse?
Yeah, but I think that started in the NBA. Okay, I don't know that that was the case here.
And the coaches never had one the bear for football, but I mean.
Yeah, that didn't happen here, right, Yeah, the coaches might have names you can't do well. The baron you know, great off were up the baron of basketball. Some of the nicknames you couldn't repeat. Sky Walker was great because it was topical at the time, and it fit him so well because he jumped so well, and it was just kind of lyrical. Okay, that's a great question.
I got to think all these better than the dentist though, Well, I wish I knew more about that.
Yeah, I think it was on Aaron.
If I'm wrong, it is it is, Yeah, And you know, look, that's what makes and you know, yeah it's a great it's a funny nickname and whatnot. But that's what scares you about this matchup. If you're Kentucky. In the way things are trending right now, this is going to be a grinded out, slug fast rock fight type game. Mississippi State under Christians has been known for being a good,
mediocre offensive team. That it's a little different when you have a point guard like they do in Josh Hubbard, where he's just a four level score or three level score or whatever, lack of sleep, losing check of the term, but just the guy who can can make every shot
and just shoots the lights out for you. But they last year, in the last two years, they've been middle of the pack and just in every offensive category, I think points per game two years ago when Kentucky went down there, where they were in like the two hundreds in the country. But you go look at that defense
and it's top ten every year. You go look at the rebounding, it's top ten to twenty every year, and that's you know, this year, they're a little bit better than they have been offensively, and they still play that really elite level defense and really box you out. So it's gonna be exactly like the Georgia, Clemson, and Ohio State games from a game plan standpoint. From State, probably what's better talent than all three of those teams, and
that makes them a really dangerous opponent. And obviously you know they're due for one against Kentucky. Like I said, they haven't won a regular season game against the cast since Billy Gillessie is the coach, So you know there's a lot to like. If you're Mississippi State going into this matchup. But for Kentucky it's a great opportunity because you can get a bunch of monkeys off your back. You can get the monkey of not being able to handle physicality and get the monkey of winning on the road.
Get those off your back, and make teams adjust how they can beat you. Right now, the blueprint is so it's simple to write up, not to execute, but it's simple to write up and know what you've got to do. If you can adjust and make them and maybe go win a rock fight, maybe that changes the blueprint a little bit. And then you know, it takes some time for teams to readjust to you. We saw that a lot last year with Kentucky right where it took until I think they won a game at Arkansas where they
won like sixty three fifty seven. Before that they had scored at least eighty points in all their wins. Yeah, and for a little bit Kentucky got hot after that, and then it took time for that readjustment from the opposition to come. And I think that's something where Kentucky right now they're stuck in losing the same way. Now they got to go prove they can win the way that teams are going to play them, and then start that readjustment period again and try to keep pushing it off as far as it can.
Seemed like there's always something at Mississippi State. Jarvis Bernardo led the nation in block shots. You know, always a challenge down there. But so now you kind of started off your conversation with us tonight, Aaron talking about, you know, the blueprint to beat Kentucky. First of all, you got
to run them off the three point line. Well, and you know, and that's not you know, I won't say that that that's easy to do, but it's pretty evident that you have to do that, and you present yourself and you know, make them work harder for three pointers. But they seem, like you said, they're passing up two pointers and which game was or where they hit you know, ninety percent from two point land or whatever. You know, they almost need to start thinking like that again.
Right, Yeah, absolutely, you just gotta look, I know this team and maybe it's maybe it's the fact that Mark Pope is so adamant about the thirty threes per game that it's getting in the guys heads a little bit. Maybe they need to tinker with that. I'm not sure what it is, but there have been so many times all year long, and like you said, I think it was I forget which game it was, but the two of the games they won this year against top ten
teams Duke and Gonzaga. Yeah, they pretty much ditched the three point ball in the second half. Yes, and they just went in the paint, got physical.
Into your car Ward Yeah.
Andrew Carr yes, and otego like and even Jackson Robinson in the Knzucker game, he was not standing in that game. So it's just like, you know, it works sometimes and the way that teams are gonna play you, their first read on defense is going to be stop the three point line. Get on the three point line, and you've got to be able to win multiple different ways. We've seen Kentucky do it, and they've kind of shot away
from it lately. And I just I go back to that Mark Pope being very very adamant and with us with the media, and I imagine in practice, like we've got to get the volume. We got to get the volume. The volume bothers me more than the misses. And maybe they're they got to find a happy medium there because it looks there was at least you know where the media sits at Stagement or Stegmund Calcium, it's right behind
the basket. So we the first half, Kentucky was shooting right like as close as we could be from where we were, and I counted at least six open layups that were passing. Wow, And that's got to get fixed, really got to get fixed.
You know, we've talked about a lot of issues with this team, but two guys that have been pretty consistent so far is Lamont Butler and Otega Oway. You know, I didn't know Otega had scored in double figures in every game this year until somebody said it the other day. And you know, Lamont had allowed thirty three versus Louisville. But Aaron, I mean, where would this team be without his defense?
Yeah, I mean he had four steels last night. I mean he was and you know, you go look at the Florida game, and yes, they gave it one hundred. But what Kentucky did is they in the in the second half, when Elijah Martin started going nuclear, what they did is they put Lamont on Elijah Martin. And that's you as saw Walter Clayton heat up that he was not guarded by by Butler. But did you see how many points Martin scored after they put made that adjustment?
Not many zero, So I mean that's just what Lamon. Butler is an elite defender, and he's gotten so much better offensively. I don't know if that's you know, that's probably a combination of him putting in the work, and you got to give him credit. There's a lot more shooters than he's ever played with on this team. And you know he's going from a team in San Diego State who obviously wildly successful there played a very very slow temps exactly right.
He They didn't need him to score at St. State, but they needed that defense, and that's exactly why Mark Pope hired him.
So now you're seeing him come combine both of those things. That's becoming a complete player, and he's their best and most important player right now by a mile in my opinion.
We'll take a break, come back and talk football with Aaron Gershawana college playoffs are coming up a little bit of NFL as well, but Aaron keeps us up to speed on the portal. That's more that Mortcom I should say here on the state Wide BBI, final segment of the State Wide BBI, with yours truly, Dick Gabriel, Aaron Gershawn, Billy Rutledge. Aaron, let me ask you about the portal first. I know you were on the road quite a bit, but you have kept ever You've done a great job
with the portal tracker on the catch balls site. Clearly Kentucky has lots of needs, and I think one thing we've learned over the last couple of years is you might sign some kids up, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Even though Kentucky has some good fortune with the portal a few years ago, but of late, you know, it's been kind of hit or miss. What do you think of the class they brought in so far? They've certainly filled needs.
Yeah, and it's look, this is the first year and it's been by need, it's been by attrition. But sixteen guys, that's by far the biggest portal class that they've had. And they're not done yet. I think they maybe they're done for the winter and then we'll see what happens after spring practice. They as of now they have eighty four or eighty five scholarships in use. You are allowed to go over eighty five up until after spring.
Ball, but guys will leave that spring.
Yes, exactly, So that's why you're allowed to go in with it with more to begin with. But I think that they've done. I think they've done a decent job filling some needs offensive line wise. I really like all the additions they've made there, especially the right tackle from Bowling Green in the center from Western Western Kentucky. I do still think there's some need, a very very important need to fill that starting left tackle spot, and that's something where we'll see if they can get that done.
But you know, but they've got to get it done somehow. Someway. I like what they've done at wide receiver, making the best out of nothing there, honestly, because they've lot that whole room got gutted. I think also important to note, you know, the Hardly Gilmore stuff, there's a lot that happened behind the scenes. Some of it's been reported Kentucky. You know, initially I was hard on them for that one. I'm not anymore. That was the one where separation kind
of had to happen. They had, Yeah, they added Troye the l O from from Clemson today. That's a guy who his name may ring a bell for two reasons. One, he's the nephew of Tommy DeVito's agent. If you've ever seen that guy really a game, I freaking hope that.
Tommy Cutler.
So that's one. And then two, if you remember the Gator Bowl, which was a fantastic game that Kentucky came on the right wrong side of Kentucky allowed a sixteen yard completion on third and eighteen that set the fan base up in arms and called Brad White's defense soft. That was the guy who made that catch and ultimately that helps it up the game winning touchdown for Clinton.
I remember it in front of me.
Yep, so a guy with some some Jews, some two years of experience there. You know, they had Kendrick Law from Bama JJ Hester if they can keep him healthy, was productive when he was healthy at Oklahoma last year. So uh. And then defensively, you know the defensive lineman they just picked up from Washington State, David Gusta, is the top thirty rank guy in the whole portal. So you feel good about that as good as you can when you lose a guy like Keisha and Silver, So look,
there's still more work to do. I think they've done a pretty good job filling out the needs they have, but we're also you know, they really need guys who are already in this program, who are gonna be second and third of year guys to really take that next step if they want to get back on the track. That's what it's gonna come down to. It's going to come down to the returners. Aaron.
We got a lot of football this weekend and starting tomorrow, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas. We've seen the lower seed advance in every game in that last round of the college football playoffs. What have you made of the playoffs? Does it need to be changed? And are you excited for these games?
You know, it's similar to the MLB postseason where it seems like these teams, you know that go out and earn a buye are kind of getting hurt by it and they have to sit and wait maybe too long. And I don't know if there's a way around that or not, but you got to just tip your caps all the teams that have gone in and pulled off quote unquote upsets, especially Ohio State just I did not see that coming, just crushing Oregon. He was the most consistent team all season long. So look, I think the
matchups are pretty good. I'm definitely much more excited for Friday night for Texas and Ohio State. But I think whoever wins that game when winds up, ends up being the national champion. But you know, Notre Dame going in and out physically in Georgia was not at all something I thought. Yeah, they controlled both lines of scrimmage. And one of my buddies I was talking to on the Georgia beat, I was like, that's the When I said,
were you surprised by the outcome? He's like, yeah, because how the heck did Notre Dame, who was out without their best defensive lineman, controlled the line of scrimmage and you know, Georgia, their first time starting quarterback Gunner Stockton played well in the game and they still lost.
You know, Notre Dame's done that all year and that's how they won all year.
Yeah.
So yeah, boys, we're running late on time. But I have to bring this up. I don't know if you guys remember this, but early beginning of the season I very knowingly explain to you guys that Ohio State will go out and crush Oregon. Remember when they played regular season?
Yeah, and what Howard forgot about the clock?
And how wrong was I? You know, I guess I was ahead of my time.
Are you vindicated because I didn't predict it this time?
But?
Uh, you know what we've heard Billion and I were talking in the break about, you know, all the complaining and whining about the playoffs. Look, these teams were under seated, Ohio State, underseated, Penn State, under date.
Play Ohio State.
Yeah, you know, I mean, but but that's it's not going to change because Sanke and his crew locked in the buys for the conference champions from the top four conferences. That ain't gonna change, you know. And they're not going to drop it to eight teams. If anything, they'll bump it to sixteen to make more money. To overreact, to overreact after one year is ridiculous. So all right, you who are your giants going to draft? The season's over? You had twenty seconds. What do you need quarterback?
If we need every position, quarterback.
Starwek quarterback? All right, you're allowing the playoffs?
But yeah, they beat the Commanders week one. Let's see if they can do it again.
My Packers time with the Eagles. It's gonna be tough. Thanks doing, Thanks to billionaire and that's it. Good night from Lexington. M.