Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider. Coming up in a few minutes Jeff Picoro the UK Football Radio Network. He'll talk about last night's college football Championship game. Full disclosure, Jeff's a little bit of an Ohio State fan. He grew up a Buckeyes fan because his dad played baseball there.
But we'll also talk about the football Wildcats and the fact that they finally landed what looks to be their starting, new, starting offensive left tackle, which might be the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to the portal and trying to cobble together an offensive line that can get things done, which they haven't really had with all due
respect over the last three years. You can talk all you want about Mark Stoop's coaching philosophy, play calling, quarterback, play this and that over the last three years, which, mind you, included seven wins on back to back seasons. But last year, you know, was miserable, and it my opinion, it all comes back to the old line. Now, there's a lot more to it than that, but it starts
with the old line. So they appear to have put in a lot of work in the portal and the nil and they have brought in brand new players at least four to five starting positions. It looks like will be transferred. So we'll talk with Jeff about that. Our number two is going to be all basketball. Jack Gibbons from the UK Radio network and Ben Roberts from The Hero Leader, the beat writer who covers Kentucky basketball. So a lot to get to, but I wanted to start
with that championship game last night. Ohio State beats Notre Dame and we all thought, well, a lot of us did, could be a blowout. Eight point nine point favorite Ohio State falls behind seven to nothing. If you didn't see the game, Notre Dame goes fifteen plays with its opening opening possession of the game and burns almost ten minutes off the clock, and I mean rams of down Ohio State's throat. The touchdown play was a quarterback keeper where
the guy ran through the line almost untouched. So now we're like, oh, we've got a ballgame. And then Ohio State takes over into the first quarter, into the second quarter, puts up twenty one points in the second quarter unanswered, and then comes out and right away it looks like it is going to take an even bigger lead. With some huge plays, but at one point fumbles the ball
to Notre Dame, gives up an opportunity to score. Long story short Notre Dame, and if you saw the game, you saw it falls mind by a couple of touchdowns, puts one up late to make it a one score game, gets the two point conversion, and now all the not easier said it's done. All Notre Dame had to do was stop the Buckeyes one more time to give themselves at least a chance to score a touchdown. It was a long shot, but score a touchdown and get the
game into overtime would have taken a conversion. But Ohio State, on a big third down play, goes deep and completes a pass which the Buckeyes have done all year, and they put it away. We'll talk to Jeff about all of this, but also about Kentucky's movements in the portal. But I did want to mention the fact, first of all, that the open to the broadcast, which was a video essay about two minutes long, very nicely done by ESPN. And yeah, I'm a former documentary producer when I was
with w KYT, so I love stuff like this. But if you missed it. It was this great collection of video clips through the years with Ohio State and Notre Dame, highlighting the tradition of each respective program. The narrator was common, the rapper, the musical artist. And I bring this up because this is becoming more and more common, no pun
intended with the TV networks, and I like it. Where you know, ahead of a Texas game, Matthew McConaughey did a voice over and then you know there are more than one instance like this, so that in mind, and if you were listening to our UK network this year, you know we did the same thing with what we called celebrity monologues and we had former players. Rich Brooks
did one. John Schlarman's widow Leanne did the voice over prior to Kentucky's game with Tennessee, hearkening back to the win at Tennessee where John was there with the team and inspired the team to the victory. So I just love stuff like that, and this was part of the voice So I won't play the whole thing for you, but this pulled together a bunch of clips from former coaches, I mean legendary coaches for both Notre Dame and Ohio State.
If you take him to caller to move away, do you have everything? You got your horse in his place to day the name right away, by bye bye bye. You fight for everything you believe in each other.
This program would by.
The night you see these teams and since the presence of the pass, and there.
The players became us, coaches us and knows the stuff of legend.
No gods.
Party begins with all these things. The guy yelling we fight tonight, that's Ryan Day, the Colonel House State coach who, if some Ohowse State fans had their way today the day after the championship game, would be fired. Why well, because he lost to Michigan. And if you think uk U of l brings out the best slash worst in basketball fans in the Bluegrass man Ohio State, Michigan is nuts. And there are fans who actually said on social media, I hope we lose, Notre Dame will make it easier
to fire this guy. I don't care if we win or not. It's nuts. Nick Saban talked about that in the pregame show on College Game Day, and I.
Think it is absolutely ridiculous that Ryan Day has been criticized the way he has, having been a coach, having coach at Ohio State and lived in the state for twelve or fourteen years. I'm telling you, when the fans are negative and the media gets negative, it affects so many things. You know, you got to give the guy credit. He built the roster. He's built the roster for three years and it's gotten better. His coaches have made the players better, and they made a lot of improvement, and
they've overcome adversity, especially in the Michigan game. So we should be given the guy credit and being positive because every time you're negative, it affects recruiting, it affects everything that you do. And he's been able to over come the naysayers and still get to the National Championship Game and win or lose. I think that's that guy deserves respect.
He does deserve the respect. He's getting it even more today. And I got to think that it's a distinct minority Ohio State fans who wont him fired at least today. But you gotta beat Michigan, man. If you're Ohio State, you gotta beat Michigan. I wanted to quickly talk about the NFL because something popped up again on social media on Up In Adams. It's an online show with a woman named Kay Adams. Chris Simms, who has become something
of you know, he's a media guy now. Former quarterback at Texas, committed to Tennessee and then went to Texas, had an up and down career, went to the NFL mostly a backup, and in fact, he suffered a terrible injury where he suffered a ruptured spleen and he later said if he had gone another forty five minutes without treatment, they didn't know what was wrong with him at first. If he had gone another forty five minutes, you would have died. Anyhow, did not have a great NFL career,
but winds up a media guy. That's a pretty good job. Son of Phil Simms, the Louisville native, who of course starred at Morehead. And I kind of liked what Chris Simsons simly because I agree with him on the Mark
Andrews drop of the two point conversion. Andrews the tight end for Baltimore, who could have put the game into overtime if he makes the catch, but he would have had to make a really good tumbling backwards catch, and some of that blame I thought right away should have gone to Lamar Jackson.
But what do I know.
Well, Chris Sims played the position at college and on the pro level, and he knows, and he was not afraid in pointing out that he felt like as much blame as Andrews deserves and is getting, Lamar deserves to share the blame as well, because it wasn't a really catchable Well, it was catchable, but he made it a
lot tougher than it should have been. And he starts off talking to Kay Adams showing the video clip the fact that Lamar, as you rolled out, waited just a split second too long to get rid of the football.
When he played right here. This is perfect.
Okay, throw it, throw it, throw it.
It's too late. Lamar Jackson's making fifty five million dollars a year. That fall needs to be on time, and it was not accurate. Mark Andrews needs to catch it. Don't get me wrong, but Lamar Jackson's making fifty five million dollars a year. He double clutched it and threw it like a dart. And now there's Mark Andrews where it's cold. We're going to be getting in the end, zone right and sh talk me through this one more time.
I've not in my head him like, why aren't we giving it to Henry? But you're saying or we're blaming Mark.
What are you saying it's too late? Well, this play is open. I understand that Henry concept, but this was the perfect play call. So we can't get that at top bunkin.
And what I'm saying is that Mark Andrews in the meeting today at Baltimore is going to get a negative great for the drop, but also in Lamar Jackson's meeting with his quarterback coach in the offensive coordinat to get a negative grade for this throat he is it was late, he didn't throw it with the same authority he usually throws it, and then he.
Threw it behind him.
But he made it as hard as it possibly could be for a wide open touchdown.
And again I'm not giving Mark Andrews no free pass here. He should have caught that. But I'm also telling you Lamar certainly could.
Have thrown that better and made that a whole lot easier on Mark Andrews in that big situation there.
I know there are a lot of Lamar Jackson fans out there, especially at the other end of the interstate, and he deserves all the accolades, probably should be the MVP. But that double clutch cost him because Andrews kind of got tied up in his own feet and again had his back to the end zone as he tried to pull the ball in, So the boss coming one way, his momentums go on the other. Again, a professional who should have caught it, but his quarterback didn't help him
at all. I just kind of liked that sort of stuff. I'm a little bit of an outlier on a lot of things, and Chris Simms is a bit of an outlier on this, but I don't think he's wrong quite Frankly, all right, when we come back, we'll talk Kentucky basketball with Mark Pope. We won't talk with himbody talked to Tom Leach last night about specifically the fouls that are piling up against his team, especially in the conference losses,
plus learning the SEC and relearning it. Pope played in the league, but it's nothing like it was when he was here as a player. Bottom of the hour, Jet Picor were here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. No Kentucky men's basketball this week and in the weekdays until Saturday when the Wildcats play down at Vanderbilt. And of course I'm guessing the commodoers are hoping they can get to the freeze row line as much as Georgia did, as much as Alabama did.
That in mind, Mark Pope told Tom Leach last night on the Mark Pope Radio Show that he and his assistants are diving into the data, diving into tendencies when it comes to fouls. What's happening, Why are they happening? What can we get away with? What do we have to stop doing to stop sending the opponents to the free throw line so much? Twenty five percent of the scoring for both Alabama and Georgia coming at the free
throw line, of Kentucky only getting about eighteen percent. So Pope talked about some of the things they're trying to study when it comes to free throws.
Actually, as we did a sweeping review kind of a video and analytics on the files, we found some trends that are really important. I'm not actually going to talk about those public because I'm sure that Vanderbilt is watching right now, but but it's given us some real direction, and I think there's a good chance that we have a chance to make some massive improvements. You talk about learning this league and learning the whistle, and that's a
genuine thing. There are times when I just internally and sometimes I external to lose my mind with some of the officiating. But the truth is is that usually when you go back and watch the film, the officiating might not be what you're used to or how you would correlate things with the book, but there is some consistency to the officiating that the consistency may be surprising to us, but it's teaching us a lot, and we're growing out.
We got to grow really quickly in that era, but in that area.
But if you think about our five conference wins, the two games that we've struggled in and the two games where we've got really really abused, we've failed to perform in the free throw disparity category, and and that's a place where we can really grow. And I love finding places where we can grow. I actually love growing. I love our team growing. And so you know, as we kind of cross this the last thirty six hours, like I have so much autism and so much excitement about like, man,
can we actually climb this mountain? Because there's some very clear spaces for us to grow into.
And of course the X factor and will always be there is subjectivity of the officials. And I've talked about this before, but I asked my brother, who's been a high school referee for almost fifty years, I said, why do you call a foul in the late going that maybe you'll let go early in the game, And he said, because we've spent the entire game yelling get your hands off him. So officials who used discretion early in the game, late in the game of times don't have any choice
but to call a foul. And I respect that because I hate the excuse about, well, we don't want to call a foul there because we didn't want to decide the game. Well, if a guy goes up for a potential game winning shot and gets hacked and you don't call it, you're deciding the game. You're taking that opportunity away from the team on offense. And as our friend Doug Hampton has pointed out, the former official referees look at the defender first as opposed to the offensive guy.
So you know, take that for what it's worth. But you've got to remember that some a foul to this guy, not be a fan of that guy. And they talk about a pregame, this team likes to play this way, this team doesn't do that. You know, what are we gonna call? What are we going to let go? You know, it's not in favor of any team in particular, but they do try to use discretion because they don't want to be calling a lot of foul trust me on that.
I've talked to many official and official about that. And all of this comes against the backdrop of an SEC that's as good as it's ever been. And Pope talked about that about how his players are learning to play in the SEC, and the rest of the country is learning about the SEC, which is learning about itself.
I think the league is learning also. I think I think all of us are learning. You know, the league is so dynamic, has changed so much. Not only does that have some new coaches and some new teams, but it also has seismic shifts. You think about Missouri from last year to this year, right, there are some really seismic shifts in the league also, And and the league is at a competitive level that the SEC has really never been at before, and I don't know if any league in the country's.
Ever been here.
Again, I think nine teams in the top twenty five and we're ranked number nine, and we love nine is floating around. I see nine everywhere I go, and I like when that happens. And so it's a beautiful time to be an SEC. There's many times when it's super painful, but as long as that pain has turned into us growing and preparing and getting better, and it'll be.
Worth It can be painful, He's right about that, which means, of course a loss. But if you learn from that loss and get better and put it to good use, put the information to good use, then yeah, you're ahead of the game. One final note, and I, of course I tweaked this every year. People love to complain, at least some do about quote SEC referees. Please, folks, there's
no such thing. There used to be those of you of a certain age, and I think even younger people are used to hearing it cry and complain about SEC referees. Basketball officials come from the same pool, the high division IE guys, right, the highest level guys. Now, some work more SEC games than others. Some prefer to be in the SEC for whatever reason, but the league no longer
recruits and selects its own officials. It used to, but now they come Guys who might call an SEC game tonight tomorrow night will be working in the Big twelve or the ACC. So do yourself a favor and stop complaining about quote SEC referees because it just doesn't happen anymore. It used to, but that's not the case anymore. They all come from the same pool essentially, and trust me,
you're getting the best of the best. Jeff Picorrel's next six point thirty wlap Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider, as promised, joining us on our celebrity hotline as a guy who usually talks with us on Monday nights on the State Wide Show. But once football wound down, we excuse Jeff Picorol, Well, we've got to talk to our buddy from the UK Sports Network about last night's championship
game and if you've heard Jeff on before. Full disclosure. Jeff, of course grew up or was born and raised in different parts of the country, but grew up in Lexingon, but grew up an Ohio State fan because his dad the late Grey John Piccorol played baseball at Ohio State. So, Jeff understandable that they're growing up. You're a Buckeye fan. I don't know how much you identify with our football team. You guys still have season tickets up there, don't you.
We do. We've got the four season tickets to Ohio State football since I can remember. Kid. But here's the other thing. My grandfather's favorite team, obviously being a Catholic guy, and you know from this is the Midwest, Notre Dame. Notre Dame was his theme man. And I've still got a picture of my grandfather and uncles on the field at Note back in like nineteen fifty something. It's pretty cool picture. Yeah.
Yeah, I talked earlier about my parents who were Notre Dame fans, you know, of Catholic. My dad converted, but they took a trip at some point up and at one point they toured the Notre Dame campus and they bought like a little bitty letterman sweater for one of us. And I still have a beanie, a Notre Dame beanie that sits in my office right now. So yeah, it's
just fun how that stuff accruised. So Anyway, we've talked before about how Notre Dame and Ohio State were woefully under seated, and we'll talk about that structure in a minute. But it was a good game, I thought. Once that streak of touchdowns began for Ohio State, I don't know if it would look like that the TCU debacle from Georgia. But it was a good game, wasn't it.
Yeah. I really thought that Notre Dame, well, both their defenses are really good too, and Notre Dame comes right out and on the first drive, Riley Leonard carries them i think eight times as the quarterback, and Ohio State really didn't have an answer because you know, he's the plus one, so you know when they're blocking, now everybody
gets ahead on somebody. And then Ohio State the biggest unity is then they used the spy and they were using a linebacker somebody to kind of just stay in front of letter and that kind of took away a little bit of that run game. But yeah, but I thought it was a great plan by them. But and you saw the defenses. Both of them played great. But it's just the Ohio State receivers. I've never seen a
package like that before. I mean, you know, you look at the you know, you look at some great teams in the past that had one guy that really stood out, but really with them, you have three or four guys. Yes, it's unbelievable.
Wows. The coach of the Ohio State.
Receivers that would be Ryan Hartline, who I really I really think, I really say, yeah, his brother of course played quarterback here at the University of Kentucky. But you know, I really think that he's passed up some opportunities to move on to the pros, to the NFL. I should say, he's making a ton of money there in Ohio State. He's really good at what he does. And you know that's the other thing when you look at these coaching staffs. Are both teams al Golden for instance, that's Notre Dames
defensive coordinator. I think now that it's over, you're going to hear today that he's going to be named the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator. Really, oh yeah, So, I mean both of these coaching staff so you know, it's chock full of guys who have been you know, been there, done that, and the head coaches. You know, you look at the offensive coordinator for Ohio State. Gee who is he?
A guy by name of Chip Kelly, you know, and he decided to step away from e c LA had the head coach, yes, yes, to go back with Ryan Day who was his who played for him back when they read I think it was New Hampshire. I think it was where less. But both of these staffs were really, really good. You saw the adjustments throughout the game. But at some point, you know, we you make fun of
the thing. It's not it's not the xes and o's, it's to Jimmy and Joe's and and at some point that talent that Ohio State had on the outside, you just you know, you're you're every time he goes back to pass, you're on your edge of your seat thinking something great is going to happen. And the kid, the freshman is unbelievable. I mean, you know, the Tay's eighteen years old. He's out there just making play after play for Ohio State. It's crazy.
It's like a veteran out there.
Oh yeah, yeah.
And is it an interesting Jeff? That and Notre Dame fights back makes it a game. Missed a field goal which was crucial, but had one last shot, needed a defensive stand, and Ohio State kills them with a big play, a passing play when one of those receivers gets behind a corner. And that was the game. And it reminded me, Jeff, And you know you've covered in a baseball you've heard this a million times where best but you can say it in any sports. The game will find you, you know.
Yeah, yeah, you can't hide.
You can't hide a bad defender in right field, you know, because the next thing you know, you've got a looping line, drive down the right field line with a guy on first space. U. Same thing in football. The game will find you good or bad. And it found Ohio State's quarterback hooking up with one of those great wide receivers and game over. Right.
Yeah. The one thing that Notre Dame does a lot is they play a lot of man and then at the end they're selling out because it looks like Ohio State's just going to try to run out the clock. And the first two plays is I'm watching, I'm like, what are they doing? They have great running backs and they're running the quarterback on a little simple uh, you know,
just a quarterback run. And then what happened they go zero coverage, so they they did have high safety I should say a single high safety with their man across the board right, so they're going to try to you know, to try to get a stop and Ohio State gets a one on one on the ast side. He just throws that little steam or you know, fade uh and just put it right on the money too. I mean, I think a very underrated quarterback because I think he's
a lot better than people give him credit for. He was really good at Kansas State, and he's the one that they chose. You know, they wanted an upper classman, they wont a guy that was a little bit older, and I just thought he did a really nice job of running the game and really he didn't rate making a mistake. You know, Ibuka is the one who fumbled. If he doesn't fumble, Ohio State's you know what, fifteen yard line going in for another touchdown when he fumbled
and Notre Dame got it. But you know, that's that's the game, and that's Notre Dame is going to do that. They're going to play man and they're gonna they have they trust their defensive backs and you know that. And that was just a great pass. But I thought it was a much better game. I thought it was going to be a lower scoring contest, but you know, it was fun to watch, and I didn't I like the game.
But Ohio State, I think, you know, we go through that here at the University of Kentucky, especially in basketball, Ryan Day lost. They lost by one point at Oregon, you know, is what second game of the year. And then the only other game they lose is to Michigan, and they want to run him out. He's won seventy games and lost like ten and they want to run him out of town because he's lost to Michigan, what three years in a row. It's crazy. And then he wins the National Championship and you and.
Your family being Ohio State fans, you know the culture up there. But part of that, the extreme edge of that culture, is there are Ohio State fans, Jeff and you know this this morning, who still want to get rid of him because they want to punish him for losing to Michigan. Again.
It's crazy, You're right, it is, uh, it is, well, you know that's we You and I thought and say, it's fandom, But what fan means, you know, fanatic and they sure are in Ohio before I get.
The break and we start talking about Kentucky football. Uh, this to me though, is exhibit A when it comes to a great football program, culture to tradition, plus enough money to go out and buy through nil means and the portal whatever you need.
Uh you know.
And so I think that, yeah, there's parody in college football, but when you're smart like Ohio State and you make the right moves and you're a football power, it is going to more firmly entrench you at the top, is it not.
Yes, And I think the biggest thing they did they really didn't go out and spend a ton of money on bringing players in. They spend a lot of money on keeping their players there. Most of those players, yes, especially on the defensive side. I think was like six six guys on that defense who had a chance to leave last year, I mean, to go to the NFL, and they decided to stay because Ohio State poning up money. And again we talked about this last night with a
couple of my buddies. I mean, Carson Beck is a great example. He's not going to make four million dollars next year in the NFL. He's making four million dollars next year to be Miami's quarterback. And you're going to see this and you're seeing teams in it, and it's affecting, which I think is great. You get basketball. Look at that Kentucky team, there's a and again, I guess you can't really use Kentucky because he had to bring a
bunch of people in. But they're older, right, And you're seeing this now, you're seeing guys play that fourth year. You're seeing guys play that fifth year that never happened before. Derrek Ramsay said, he said, man if I was playing now, I would try to get that fifth year. I try to get a medical. I try to get a sixth year because the money, the money's correct. Me. Beck is a perfect he's a good quarterback. I don't think he's a he's Chase a Daniels type. You know that you
see going on to the NFL. He's not going to make that kind of money in the NFL, So why not get that extra four million dollars? And you know, and chase your dream that way.
Which tells you just how bad the deal that the NFL Players Association cut with the league all those years ago. You know, in some of these contracts you read about up front, they seem like, you know, incredibly great numbers. But unless there's a signing bonus, you know you've really got a hustle to earn your money. Jeff Pica, second check, that's right, exactly right, Jeff piicarerol the UK networkers. My guess we'll come back and talk about those Wildcats in
a minute. Here on a big blue sider six thirty WLAP. Welcome back. We're talking with Jeff Piicaorreyl Color, analyst on the UK Football Network and also sports director WTVQ. Part of your daily coverage, of course, is keeping an eye on the football Wildcats with regard to players coming and going and Kentucky. Jeff, this week finally lands the guy who figures to be their starting left tackle on offense.
So now you've got maybe one player coming back who will start, but for the most part, probably four new faces along that offensive front. Now it's January, so you've got plenty of time to get to know each other. But those guys learning to blend and work together, that's going to be so vital obviously in the spring and beyond.
It's a huge, huge kit you know, I put out on social media that this is a game changer for Kentucky. You know, you got some really good players. You've got players who were first and second team in their conference in the offensive line coming in and I know the MAC is at the SEC, but you're getting Look, look what happened to the last guy, the left tackle they brought in from the MAC did a pretty good job sitting there, and then you go out and fill holes.
And that's exactly what they did. A lot of people and most of the experts, thought he was going to go to Vanderbilt. His coach Jerry Till's there, His quarterback Pavia went there, a couple of different players from New Mexico State went to Vanderbilt. Most thought he was going to follow, and Kentucky got him. I just think it was an out standing moved they've they've retooled. I think people a month ago, a month and a half ago or saying run stoops out of town, getting out of here.
This team's gonna stink. There's no way there's good. They're gonna win four games. Look, the schedule is not easy, we all know that. But you know what, to be the best, you got to be the best, and they're paying a hell of the schedule this year. But they've got now they're they're playing, you know, on an even on an even playing field. They've they've done a great job. They I mean, you look at what they lost in the receiver room and everybody's is, oh, my goodness, we
don't have any receivers. We have and I say we the University of Kentucky brought in what is it, fourteen touchdown catches. I think it's one hundred and thirty two receptions and like sixteen hundred yards. That's a lot more than what they had last year. What they brought in, you got one of the better third down running backs to John Carter style running back that you got from Nebraska. Inside the ten yard line, you give you the ball, he finds the end zone of Rodriguez Benny Smell type.
That's what you have along with what you've kept at running back. Right again, the only question mark to me is camp Kalzada produced like he did it in Carnet word. If he can, then you know, it's a great boon this year. But again, that's the quarterback they wanted they think in their offense is what they need and we shall see. But I think they did a fantastic job.
Yeah, you know, and he's a guy unlike Rock Vandergriff, who, actually, as I say about you, has been hitting him out in a college football game. You know, Vandergriff was a backup his whole career. Will never know how good he might have been with a decent offensive line. But this guy has been in, as you like to say, the heat of battle. And yeah, and it may remind you that incarnate word is where Grant Smith came from. Kentucky's fine shortstop for the last couple of years. So there
are athletes everywhere. But it's going to be interesting to me to see what it's up with Cutter Bowley, because this sure looked like he was going to be next up. I know you've got reservations about him because of his inexperience, but at least they've got a capable backup. If that is the case.
Exactly, Well, that's exactly what I was going to say. Look, they're not giving cows out of the job. They told him, look, you are now one and one a with you and Cutter Bowley, and made the best man win. That's how you have to do it. I think they went to Cutter and they said, Cutter, here's what we're doing. I mean, you cannot go into the season with Cutter Bowley and two freshmen who have never put on a Kentucky uniform before as your quarterback. You just couldn't do it. They
had to go get somebody. And so if you're gonna go get somebody, you're going to get somebody that can compete for the job, not just somebody you know that's just gonna stand on the sideline and hold a clipboard. And that's what they did, and again can't follow them for that. They went out and got who they thought will work in their system. And again you look at the team like old Miss. Old Miss just goes out and gets the best players they can find. And they
got a lot of money. They've done great in doing that. And he's done a great job with the portal. Kentucky uses the portal to fill specific holes. Yeah, and it's it's they've done a decent job. I mean I think that they've probably the last two quarter acts they brought in here, I would give them a C grade on those. Yeah, and maybe this is the A grade. You know, the kids played in the sec before. He's got a lot
of taking a lot of snaps under center. But you can't win big time football unless you have a quarterback. I mean, Jaydeen Daniels completely turned the wash and again I know it's professional football, right what Jade Daniels did. That as one of the most shocking games I've ever seen in the playoffs, as deep as this was, as what he did single handedly to beat the number one team in the in the NFC, the Ed destroy Lions.
At Detroit amazing and it's not like he surprised him even doing it all year, you know, you know, oh this kid can run. Really, I mean it was I was stunned and h that to me was the biggest surprise of the weekend. So just a couple of minutes left with Jeff Corl the UK Sports Network, Mark Stoups has an offensive coordinator in place here here in January, so now he can work and you know he had
made your input were the guys they've brought in. So you know, should should fans get their hopes up when it comes to the offense taking a big step forward this coming year?
I think that it has to. I mean, this team has to be better offensively than it was a year ago. I mean, it's a simple, simple mask tells you that because they just they couldn't score last year, they really were hampered. They didn't the big play was it in their lineup. You look at even with barry On and Dane that they now they get count plays and I'm talking fifteen to twenty artists, but they didn't get the big, the big, giant plays that they've gotten the year before.
And that's what they got to find. In the offense. They've got some size at receiver. Now you've got some you've got thunder and lightning it running back, and you've got a nice offensive line. Again last year, the quarterback didn't have a lot of times. And then when you look at the other side, the one thing they had to do on the defense was find some people on the edge. And they went out and they got themselves some really good edge guys, a couple that have played,
couple that haven't played a lot, but they got side. Wait, everybody they got was to forty to fifty to sixty on the outside. You've got a couple of three hundred pounders in the middle. You got yourself a linebacker. So they filled some really big holes that they needed on the defensive side, and they're too deep at every position. And to me, that's the biggest key in this league because it's just it's murderers row week after week.
Final question for you, Oh, before I should have asked you, did you vote for the Sports Figure of the Year?
Who did you take?
No, I'm before I asked you on air question? Did you vote?
I did?
Okay, good, right, let me answer this? All right? Final question for jeffer Corel.
I think it's easy. You know who I took.
To hang on, let me let me set it up. Final question for Jeff per Corel. I was talking to Steve Moss the other day about Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, conducted by Mark Story of the Herald Leader. Talked to Tom Leach about it as well, you voted. I'm pretty sure I know who you voted for, the same guy that we all three of us voted. Whoincidentally voted for?
Right, Well, I think it was what happened in May of this past year was something that was pretty pretty cool, when Kenny mcpete becoming just what I think it's the fourth or fifth trainer in the history of horse racing to win the Oaks and the Derby in the same year. And that's that's pretty outstanding coming from a kid that went to State Creek High School.
Yep. And you guys are pretty tight.
Yeah. We grew up together ninety since we were six years old, and we were in each other's weddings.
And yeah, all I'll tell you what I don't know about you, but we agreed, Steve and I did about the fact that it was as tough this year as it's ever been. Don't you think to vote.
Sidney, how do you not have Sydney mcgloughlin and you're in the top, which she did in the Livings. How do you not have Nick Ninjiones who brought this baseball team out of nowhere all the way to Omah the first time in the history of Kentucky. I mean, it was just it was player player coach after coach. You're like, good lord, uh yeah, I mean you almost Mark almost
has to redo it. Go Okay, we're gonna do a football one, we're gonna do a basketball one, we're gonna do a baseball and then we're gonna do all other sports. And still, you know, you look at the girl from Lexington, who's won two gold medals in ten teams. Yeah, you know, how do you not put her in there?
Right?
I mean crazy?
Yep, Well you know you can. You can list only ten and you one. It's an amazing I just go back, I save him. I go back and look at who I left off. I'm like, I only got room for ten. So it's gonna be fun when this is unveilable. All right, So unofficially that's four votes for Kenny McPeak from Steve Moss, Me, Jefpicor and Tom Leach show anyhow, Jeff Brow, thank you so much, and spring football is coming up fast?
Yeah well yeah zero outside so I can't give.
Your follow him on Twitter or ex Jeff Picicoro, p I E C O r O. Hour Number two comes up next here on The Big Going Sider six thirty n Welcome back to the Big Moe Sight of joining us now is a longtime friend and colleague mister Jack Gibbons from the UK Radio Network, who will be on
him and the Wildcats play down at Vandy. We're going to talk about that weird gym down there, Jack, but let's talk first about what has happened most recently a good, grinded out win over Texas A and M. And it looked like Kentucky just might grind out another win over Alabama and then things kind of went south toward the end.
But what have you noticed about the way the Wildcats are playing now in the SECU is Mark Pope talked about that last night about learning the league and the league is learning about itself because it sod aarn't good. But do you see the improvement you were hoping you would see in this team?
Yeah, And that's the thing you want over the course of the season. You just want to see improvement, and I think you definitely are seeing that with this team. I mean, yeah, you mentioned these last two games and they were just kind of figure out how to play games for this team. I mean, you win one, lose one, but the one you lost to our Alabama.
It's a really really good basketball team around and a lot of talent probably from top to bottom overall better athletes than we have on this team.
And I think you saw that in the last two minutes when they came up with loose balls by using quickness and ability athletic ability. You saw that in that game. But as far as learning and getting better. Absolutely, this team is showing improvement every time out.
You know what impressed me about Alabama and A and M and then by extension Kentucky is that when both teams were in trouble they were trying to weather the storms, Kentucky was throwing at them the runs and the crowd and all that reparata. Crowds have been great. They kept running their stuff what you basketball guys like to say they were They kept running their stuff, and they ran
it well, really efficiently. You didn't see people panic and break off and just try to do incredible things on their own.
Uh.
And you know, and it worked obviously. Uh you know, A and M came up short, but Kentucky ran its stuff and as you said, Alabama down the stretch did what what it was taught to do, what it was coached to do. That's why I felt like Jack, those games kind of reminded me of of in SA tournament type games.
You know.
Yeah, experience is an amazing thing.
Yeah.
And you know you talk about not breaking away from what you want to run, not breaking away. You've been through those situations so often and regardless of how good you are individually, you've learned that if we play as a team, it usually works out a whole lot better. You don't have guys who.
Are five star if you will, coming out of high school in the lineup, and that five star thinks, Man, I did it all my career so far, so why can't.
I do it again?
Just take over the game, do what I want to do that and.
Get a bucket. But we've found out over the years that that's not always the best way to play. And this team understands that.
I'm sure your ears burn all the time because I'm always quoting you for a number of reasons. But my favorite so far this this is you, and you and I have talked about this is early in the season, you talked about how nice it was to see veteran players out on the floor if something was going wrong for Kentucky, figuring things out on their own because of all the years and years of experience that they have.
You can't, in all fairness, you can't expect that of true freshmen who would end up looking at the bench and hoping their coach, you know, direct traffic and as a play clock ran down. But it also refers or goes back to the fact that these guys, these Kentucky players are still learning each other and obviously learning the tendencies of the league. And when we talk about these SEC games, you're talking about teams with more experience than and older players than some of the non conference games.
And so they've got to figure out a lot of different elements of these games on their own, on the fly. And it's been kind of fun to watch, hasn't it.
It really has.
I mean, you know, for guys this age, you don't need to hear it come from your coach every time, down right, And as smart as Mark Pope is, he can't come with He comes with some stuff or ways of putting things that may not have heard before playing with Mark. But you can't tell these guys a whole lot that they haven't already come across Man, that they
haven't already had to deal with. So while this time of the year and later on in the year you are tired of hearing the coach on every play normally is the situation with a veteran team, Mark chooses his opportunities to make his point, and actually that makes the point he tries to make even speak even louder because he doesn't say something every time, and he does give the players a freedom to try to work through things, and he will ask the player, what do you think
we need to do in this situation you're running it? What do you think will help you or how you can deal with it? So all of that kind of stuff is what we're seeing from Mark, different them what we've seen, but it has worked very well well.
It's a different kind of team than what we've seen, so that's to be expected. Talking to Jack Gibbons of the UK Radio Network and I kind of teased it before the last time you're on with me about just the joy in your voice watching these guys go bombs away from the three point line taking what you know they got to think are good shots. But you know,
you like to see shooters shoot. And talk to me a little bit about Jackson Robinson and what you've seen in him of late, and you know he famously and Mark Pope talked about it as well, kind of a little bit of a change in attitude. He quit worrying so much about his future and about what's on his shoulders and just go out and as they say, play free. And now the ball's barely slowing down in his hands before he's got it up heading for the rim.
And I know you love that, Yes I do, Gabe, And speaking to your first point, I mean, I'm just glad the network, you know, the folks that Jay and I at the UK allow me to be a fan first, because.
Because that's what I am. Man, I'm a fan of Kentucky basketball. And I'm really really pleased that they allow me to. And Tom is so good to work with that he lets me, he lets me do my thing, so so that makes it a whole lot better for me. Now, as far as Jackson Robinson is concern, I love the change that he's made. I think, you know, because you talk body language a lot, you talk, you talk.
About I think he.
Understands better that it's not all about him, and he understands when he gets down and as the leader of this team, when he gets down and when his body language gets down and he's disengeeded, it affects the whole team. So he.
Seems to have a better grasp of that, and he's living up to that even better. But I'll say this, and I say it adoringly, I say it in a good way. I still wanted more from him in the Alabama game. You saw Mark Sears, who is their leader. You saw him step up and work his way. Didn't you know he wasn't as dominant early, but you saw him step up and work his way into being the man on that Alabama team. And a lot of guys played well. I get it, but they and Mark understand
that the team goes as he goes. And when he picked it up, Alabama got a lot better. I Jackson Robinson for stretches might have been small stretches. He started out great, and then I couldn't find him, and then he made a couple of shots, and then all of a.
Sudden, I can't find him again. He can't afford to go through stretches with the competition we're played to where you can't find him on the floor. You don't know he's in the game. And I kept saying to Tom, they need a basket from Jackson Robinson, not just for Jackson Robinson, but for the whole team. So he's getting better and he's learning the sec. But I think the final stretch is that thought process that we don't win this game if I'm not the man and he's getting close. Man,
he's almost there. Early in the season, he went a long stretch where it seemed like he didn't want a part of that, he didn't want that responsibility. But he's very close to going over the edge. And when that happened, this team is going to be really, really good.
Well, maybe it happens the beginning of it, or at least the next step in Nashville this weekend. We'll talk about that. On the other side of the break here on the Big Moon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking with Jack Gibbons, Kentucky All American. Tom Leach is running mate on UK basketball broadcast. He'll be courtside at Vandy when the Wildcats take on the Commodores. Although courtside down there, Jack is kind of weird. You know,
you're either looking up. I don't think back in the day Kwood and Ralph were up at the in the ceiling, but I think you guys are courtside. But what's it like as a player one time in a year to play in that as Ralph used to call it, gymnasium.
It's obviously different game, it's a different setup. But I kind of like playing there really because you're on a stage and all eyes in the building are on you. It's a whole different setting. But the thing I liked about playing there was because it is set up the way it is, it somehow made the basket stand out better. I don't know if it's the lights, the way it hits you on that that setting or not. But I used to shoot well, I used to like to play there.
It was differenth It took some adjusting, but it was a good place. And of course Vandy used to always and still do, they get fired up when Kentucky comes to town, so that makes it even more special.
Plan.
Oh yeah, yeah, Well your last game there as a senior, you go eight for twelve in a win.
Yeah, yeah, you know, so I shot the ball fairly well there. We generally speaking, played well at Nashville. But it's gonna be a big game for the Cat, no question about that.
Oh yeah. It's a not a tough road trip in terms of miles and all. But you can drive to Nashville, as we all know, in about three hours. But you still go the night before for whatever reason, and you travel, of course with the team, and you've talked before about getting to know these guys, and I got to know them a little bit covering the pro day broadcast with you. But I think Mark Popenestaff did a really great job of cobbling together a team, not just filling their knees athletically,
but just pulling kids together who've meshed really well. You Like I said, well they're good kids. Well yeah, But I can tell from your postgame interviews you're really enjoying these guys, aren't you.
I really am.
And they're all good interviews. Not that I haven't had other good interviews since I've been doing this, because they're all good interviews. They're all excited about being able to being asked not able, but being asked to come out and be on the postgame show. They look forward to it. I hear things and I get to know them in
a way that not everybody gets to know them. So I know what some guys Lamont Butler, for instance, I can ask him a more pointed question where he won't shy away from telling me like it is giving me a good answer, And then I know there's some guys who are great interviews that you want to put them in a position where they are relaxed and that they know that hey, I'm not going to put you on
the spot, man. I just want to talk basketball, and you know that's what makes a good interview, and so it is a fun, fun part of my job, and I think the players enjoy it also.
I would hope they know of your not that you're going to lord it over them, but know your background. Know you played not what you did, and you and your teammates hung a banner, which they want to do. And if they die, I guarantee you Mark Pope has let them know a few minutes left with Jack Gibbons. You talked earlier about how much fun you're having as a fan and a broadcaster, And of course I've tracked your career not in a creepy way, but you just
keep popping up on TV. You know, when you were doing SEC games, you were doing Metro Conference, the old Metro Conference games, NCA tournament games for CBS, then the Orlando Magic, but you kind of had to play it more down the middle in those games. I don't know about the Magic. I never got to see you do games for them. Were you were you as much a fan then as you are now? Did you have to play that one a little straighter?
Well?
I had to play that. I had to play that one a little straighter.
You know.
One thing I didn't want to be, and I don't think I am now. I didn't want to be a homie.
Call the games.
And my team at that time, the Orlando Magic, at this time the Kentucky Wildcats. I didn't want it to be like every time something went wrong it was the other team's fault, it was the referees fault. I don't want to be that kind of announcer. And and then in that setting where you know, obviously I was a fan. I mean, I work with them fifteen sixteen seasons. I was a fan, but I didn't want to come across as a homie. I don't mind that so much at Kentucky because of my history with the school and I
know the fans, so it's a totally different setting. I still don't want to be a homie. And I try to point out when Kentucky's struggling, yeah, or when they're not playing quite as well, but when they are playing well, I really.
Really enjoy it.
Well, you're honest. That's the thing. You're honest, and that's you know, Yeah, being a homer is one thing, but just telling telling the story through the prism of the home team is different, which is what I try to do. But I didn't play there, at least not yet. Uh. And I didn't win any rings there, which you did. But it's just it's fun for me to listen and I can sync up my TV with the radio and listen to you in time. Nothing against the TV guys, but I do learn from you, and that's always been
my benchmark for any analysts. Are you teaching me anything about basketball? Could just be the smallest thing, and you've done that in such a great way with these guys because you're learning these guys just the way they're learning the Kentucky game.
Yeah, and you know you you mentioned with the players then and whether or not they respect me and some of the things that I've been blessed to have accomplished. But the thing that I like more more than anything, I mean, most of all, I like the fact that they have somehow learned what plan at Kentucky means not you know, as the as the university is, as the basketball program.
They have learned that.
I don't care quite as much if they know anything about me.
They do, but.
I like that they know they somehow, and I don't know how, but they well, I do know Mark has done a great job of conveying that to the guys. But I like that they love and respect the opportunities that are presented to them by playing for the University of Kentucky. That's the thing that I like when I interview these guys. When I talk to these guys, they speak highly of this opportunity and of the university and of the fans. And that is the thing I like most about what these guys do.
Jack Gibbons follow him on Twitter at Goose Gibvens, and of course listen to him as he and Tom call the action. Kentucky and Vandy coming up this Saturday. Thank you, brother, and we will talk to you down the road. Have a great and safe trip.
As always, Thanksgate for having me on.
It's a two thirty start at Vandy down in Memorial Gymnasiums, so that means our coverage begins here on six thirty WLAP at noon, Network coverage at one o'clock and then tip off at two thirty with Tom and Jack. Ben Roberts next on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider joining us down our celebrity Hi Line, long time friend of the show, and uh a tremendous writer reporter Ben Roberts who covers the basketball Wildcats among
other things, for The Herold Leader. And uh, you covered a game that I don't know, Ben, if it was NCAA tournament quality had a little bit of a feel to it. Maybe I was projecting UK Alabama a little bit because these teams will make the tournament. But it was played at a high level, wasn't it.
Yeah, it was, I mean, uh, you know, it wasn't. As a as a fan of basketball in general, I was hoping for something a little closer to the Florida game, and it was, I guess close to that. But but the you know, the officiating, not that it was bad, but there was a lot of it. There were a lot of fouls and a lot of free throws that
kind of disrupted the flow of the game. And whenever you get two teams out there like that with too such great offense, as you you, uh, it's just a viewer, you hope that they just let them let them go loose and and uh and and run back and forth and that you know, for that stretch in the first half, Kentucky went up seven to two, and then Alabama went on a huge run and then Kentucky kind of went on their own run. I mean that was that was just some fun, fun basketball, for sure.
Yeah, and Pope pointed out booths in the media room and then again on the radio with Tom that Nelson, you know, bombs in a couple of threes right off the bat, which was not his game. Yeah, so they had to be on a Kentucky bench thinking, ohmi, because well, that tournament came rushing back to me. Nelson was such a key last year helping Alabama get to the Final four. So there was a lot happening on Saturday.
Yeah, And I mean people forget, probably, but I talked to Grant Helton the NBA Combine a couple of years ago when he was when he was kind of the hot mid major recruit, and he was he was kind of built as what Delton connect turned out to be a Tennessee When when Alabama got him, people might forget, but that was like that was the huge deal in the transfer portal at the time, especially with know who they already had on that squad and we didn't you know,
he just whereas Connect just kind of came to Tennessee. It just absolutely took off from the beginning. Nelson. You know, he showed flashes here and there if you watched Bama last season, but never really looks super comfortable. And then you're right, I mean once the postseason came, that's when it felt like he really took off. And obviously he had one of the stipe that game Saturday in a row.
Yeah, well, let's talk a little bit about how that broke down. And of course the first thing you go to is free throw shooting. And the Cats put the tide on the line way too much, as we know, and according to the Ken Palm numbers and the losses Kentucky has suffered in the league, twenty five percent of
the opponent's points coming at the line. I thought it was really fascinating last night on his show when Pope talked about how and you know, with him, when it comes to stats and data as they like to call it, they will do the deepest of dives and they're trying to figure out why this is happening and how to avoid it. Uh, you know, I don't know if if they can, but if they can figure out any way to reduce that. That's gonna move them up, isn't it.
Yeah, you think so. And I mean he's right that if you look back at their earlier games, you know that the Duke game is won, even even the Clemson game, really the Godzaga game Louisville, they didn't. They didn't foul at a high rate some of those bigger games they won earlier in the season. And then against the against the mid major opponents they played, there were a couple where they just they hardly found at all. But yeah, and in these these last three losses, that's been a huge,
huge problem. I mean, it was it was bad Saturday Georgia was was probably the worst of the season. But yeah, I mean, and you talk to the guys after. I mean, you know, Popes, we know how he's talked about the officials. He's not gonna say anything that's gonna get him a fine or anything like that. But he talked to the guys after and they were pretty frustrated because they felt like they were playing good defense and it felt like they were playing kind of the style they'd been playing
for most of the season. And then when they got here in the SEC play some some different stuff starts to get called. But at the same time, like you know, you're not that they weren't going. It's really good coaches at the beginning. But but every every coach that you see in league play is it's going to be pretty close to a masterclass on on preparation and going at you. And you know, these guys, especially those who have been in the league, know how to attack UH teams that
to get to the line. And I think you're going to see more of that. So you know, Nato, it's called Saturday a little bit of a chess match, and I think that's going to be the same deal for the rest of the season. I mean and and and Pope and his staff and then those players are going to have to try to figure out, Okay, how do we defend as he says, uh guard legal, defend legal, and and and make sure you don't even put them in a in a in a in a situation where
they can call a foul. Just don't just take it out of the question completely.
I thought Amar Williams did a better job Saturday of avoiding fouls. He still had some, but it was interesting going in where Polpe talked about what Amari is figuring out now, and I'm paraphrasing what he can get away with things he couldn't do a Drexel because he was the biggest, baddest guy on the floor, and according to Poulpe, he would be called four fouls more frequently, uh, you know,
than than maybe some other people. But now in the league, at least in the paint, you can be more physical, and he's learning how to do that. You know what you can do and what you can't do, and I think that's going to be vital.
It is.
I mean, as Amari is a smart player, and he's obviously an emotional player, and he really gets into the flow of the game. So you don't want to get you know, too crazy down there. But yeah, I mean it's it's a it's a fine line, but it's one that that he's clearly learning. And you know, it's one
of those deals of anybody who's watched STC basketball. I know, a dryves Kentucky fans nuts win and when the bigger players on the other team do stuff like that and get away with the book Kentucky centers and also gond of Way with us right and uh and and Ami Yeah,
I think it's making strides there. And he's so skilled in so many areas of the game, and he has that link too defensively that he can if he can just learn to use his body a little more in the way that the games in the SEC are going to be officiated and added to that link in that lateral movement, you know, it's obviously gonna going to pay dividends for him.
I was talking to Doug Hampton, who is, as you know, the timeout coordinator at Kentucky Games and John is a is a former D one referee, UH and his sons are both D one referees. And I asked him about contact here, contact there. And here's a difference, you reminded me out on the court, like say, in the backcourt, if you're trying to restrict the move, I'm guarding you and I've got my hands on you and you're trying to go left and I'm trying to stop you with
my hand, that's a foul restriction of man. Contact in the paint is entirely different.
Uh.
And and you know they're gonna let one go, but they're not gonna let the other go. And I'm okay with that. You know what I mean.
Yeah, as long as they're consistent, I don't think it's a problem. And Pope said even last night with Tom on the on his weekly radio show, that when they've done this deep dive, is he said, into the officiating and trying to figure out how how calls are being made and how they can you know, deal with that moving forward. I mean maybe this was being nice and again not wanting to get a fine, but he said they found a lot of consistency, that they found what
and he wouldn't say exactly what. He didn't want to give he said, he said he's sure Vanderbilt was watching and didn't want to give him any tips on what they would be doing. But he said when he looked at all that he found a lot of consistency, and then those could be teaching moments where they could maybe get everybody on the same page and on the right page moving forward. And yeah, I mean, as long as
it's consistent, that's all you want. I mean, if you know what's going to be called and what's not going to be called, then you just go play basketball and you take it from there.
We're talking with Ben Roberts. He is the beat writer for The Hair Leader covers the basketball Cats, and I think that what we've learned is that throughout the season is that the SEC is as good as advertised in general. But several of the teams that had everybody so excited with their one lost records pre conference, now, well some of that are a lot of that was scheduling, but we knew they beat each other up anyway, right, Yeah.
Yeah, I mean I think even going in people wondered, Like in Oklahoma, for instance, people wondered, you know, kind of how legit that was, just because of the scheduling aspect. I mean, Missouri obviously beat Kansas, but I think that's been a big surprise for people, especially that when at Florida was who that was. That was a really good one on there in May. But yeah, I mean up and down the line. You know, Texas was ranked in
the preseason. They're struggling. Arkansas obviously is the one that stands out, but I think people had a lot of questions about them even in the preseason, especially people around here who had seen who had seen rosters put together like that and then maybe maybe not tanned out.
All that great.
But yeah, it's it's you know we're only well, we're not even a third of the way through the conference. Yet there's already been so many great games and so many surprises, and you know, I can't wait to see what's what comes next.
We're talking with Ben Roberts. We'll come back and talk more basketball with a Hero Leader beat writer in just a minute here on the big MoveOn Sider six point thirty w LA. Welcome back. We're talking with Ben Roberts. He covers the basketball Cats among other things for the Herald Leader, and we talked about the SEC prior to the break. I don't want to get into how fans are perceiving John Caliperry. We could talk about that all day long and all night long, either UK fans or
Arkansas fans. But just the fact that they're winless in the conference, Ben, you got to be amazed by that as m I because they've got talent, but I don't know what's going wrong, but it was that to me is the biggest surprise in the league.
Yeah. I mean, you know, that roster going in, which which would have been very close to what Kentucky's roster would have been this season had he stayed. You know, there's a lot of really good individual pieces. But and this was a problem toward the end of his his tenure here obviously, with those pieces didn't always fit together. And I think this even before the season started, I thought this was the best example of that. I mean, you put you put a guy like a Due on
some other teams, and obviously he's having a terrific season. Yeah, he's he's a he could also be a great complimentary piece on a on a Final four team, And you could say that about a whole lot of people on that roster. But you piece them all together and it just doesn't fit. And and a lot of that is
outside shooting that they struggled with consistency and otherwise. But yeah, I mean, I I guess I'm more I'm a little more surprised, like Nellie Davis hasn't taken off, but he's making a huge jump in competition from where he was to to the SEC and and the and the type of schedule Arkansas is going to be playing. A do I'm a little surprised he hasn't he hasn't done a little bit better. So I guess I'm more surprised by some of the individual pieces that haven't performed. Uh but
and yeah, I mean, oh, win five is surprising. But I in my my preseason list at Arkansas a lot farther down the list than I think they were ranked in the in the SEC preseason order to finish, just
because I didn't. I didn't really fill this roster. And I thought cal a lot of the mistakes he made here, both in personnel and structure and everything else, he basically just picked up shopping and took him down to Fayetteville and did the exact same thing with I think, not necessarily lesser players, but but you know, a group that doesn't make as much sense together some of some of his previous ones.
No, and I'll move on from Arkansas at moment. But we discussed on the State Wide Show last night Aaron Gershawan and Billy Rutledge, and I the response that Cali Perry is going to get and you know there's going to be booze. But I find it interesting that there are fans who can't wait to boo him, and yet they wanted him gone, you know, so you might think that they might cheer him thanks for leaving. We got the guy we want, But that ain't the way it works, is it.
No, No, it's it's not the way it works. And yeah, I'll be interested to see what the fanters wants is. You know, I also think it's different depending on the situation. So you know, we're looking back in October. If you say that John Caliperry is what six and one or something coming into Upperna and Pope and Kentucky struggling, and then I think he gets a whole I think he gets booed out of the building.
Uh.
Now you might get the people to put him and sorry for him, especially if Kentucky wins at Vandy, and you know, especially if they win in Tennessee next week. If Kentucky comes in here, you know, still ranked in the top ten, and Arkansas is you know, on pace to not even make the tournament. Uh, maybe maybe he gets uh you know, some some courtesy cheers or some courtesy silent.
I like that courtesy cheers and courtesy silence. Auburn is the real deal. We know that, and and is still thriving with that the big guy in the middle.
Uh.
So that's the team. And you know I ran into Dick Wise up in New York. He might have talked to him as well. Kentucky played in Madison Square Garden. He thinks if he picked right now, he'd picked Auburn to win the national title. Speaks well for the SEC is going to make it tough on the Wildcats. But do you share that kind of enthusiasm.
Yeah, I mean, obviously Duke has the upside, and I don't think we're gonna get a great sense for them just because the ACC is so relatively weak this season.
I mean Alabama. You know, there's any number of teams in the SEC that you could say would be in that discussion, but yeah, Auburn, and I talked to I talked to a D one coach a few weeks ago who had seen them in person and said that he thought it was it was the best team heats seen in ten years, Like not just just best period, best team Heat seen in ten years, which is really saying something, just saying that, you know, it's that typical Bruce Pearl
team with the intensity they play with and the discipline they play with, but just the pieces are are even so much better than he usually has. That he usually has a couple of guys who could do some stuff right, some specific things, and now he's got four or five, uh,
and then they're just so deep. Yeah, and even when Jedi Broom is sidelined and and this is all obviously with assuming that he comes back and it's somewhat close one hundred percent healthy, because yeah, they've they've won without him. But he is such a I mean he was he was a national player of your Throat Runner before this injury, so that speaks to how big a deal he is. But but Chad Baker, Massari and Denver Jones and Cheney Johnson, Todd pt Ford, Miles, Kelly, Dila Cardla, I mean, just
go down the list. They've got so many really really good players that that know their roles, that that that play perfectly in Bruce Pearl's system. So yeah, they're they're going to be an absolute handful for everybody, even in this tough league.
Pope and as players have both talked about league play and learning to play within the SEC, but I think it was Andrew Carr who brought up the fact that not only are they learning to play the league, they're learning what it's like to play with that Kentucky brand across their chest, you know, and they are now one of the biggest targets in America and clearly the biggest target in the Southeastern Conference. And you don't learn that overnight, do you.
No, you don't. I mean even when you're Kentucky and you're what are they the number five? I think as far as the AP rankings in the SEC the number number nine nationally. But in the SEC. So even when you let's say, let's say they're the fifth best team in the SEC, just for conversation's sake, Uh, there's still the number one team on everybody's radar when they come into their gym. And that especially goes for the fans.
Maybe it doesn't go for the players, maybe the maybe the opposing players are trying to you know, kind of keep that even keel, But Uh, for the fans, there's no doubt about it. When they walk into Memorial Gym or Thompson Bowling or go down to Ole mess here in a couple of weeks. Uh, that's the game that that you know, the students make sure that they get the ticket for Yuh that the season ticket holders that might you know get we we've seen that obviously you've
tuned into a Mississippi, Uh, you know, Auburn game. Uh in January, you're gonna see some empty seats, but you don't see if the seats when Kentucky is the visiting team. And that's always going to be true, and that's true
this season. And yeah, I mean this is you know, we've said it all year, but I think it's still worth reiterating that none of these guys have ever been through that with Kentucky on your jersey, and that's a big difference than playing for BYU or Wake Forest or some of these other schools and going into these places.
That's right, that's right. Just a minute or two left. Final question, you mentioned Thompson bowling. What Tennessee I think has been one of the real surprises when it comes to a couple of losses. You just got to scratch your head over right.
Yeah. I mean, obviously not a surprise that they lost the Florida game, but the way that happens currently not expected, especially with the way they've been playing such and continue to play really really good defense. I mean, it only gave up seventy three, but they got absolutely run out of the gym, and then you know, the Vanderbilt game. I just think that's life in the SEC this season. I mean, Byington has done a great job. He's playing, he's got a he's got a fun style, fun offense.
I think that seventy six points he put on them was the the highest the Tennessee has given up all season. Uh so obviously that speaks to their defense. I think they're they're number three in the efficiency ratings coming into the week. But you know, I think that's always not always, But that's gonna be the problem with Tennessee as long as they play the style is that if a team does get hot, if a good offense gets a little hot, and find some teams and I mean, they can beat you.
And that goes for any anybody. So you know, Kentucky's got a chance against them. You know, Alabama, Auburn, all these all these great offenses and and the SEC are going to have a chance against them, and you know, come tournament time. But I think the same thing could be true. And that's kind of what we've seen in recent years.
Yeah, and it's just night in, night out. I guess we shouldn't be surprised by anything. But whatever happens, Ben Roberts will cover it for The Herald Leader and tell everybody how to follow you on Twitter, It's Ben Roberts.
HL and yeah, everything on Kentucky dot com and new free newsletter out there now, which we do about once or twice or three times a week. So all of our stories are in there, plus some other kind of tidbits from that don't make stories, but I find interesting at least and kind of behind the scenes stuff. So yeah, yeah, just subscribe to all that if you can.
Sounds good to me. Thank you, brother, see at the ballgame.
All right, thanks lot, And that'll do it.
Thanks to my guest Ben, to Jack Gibbons and Jeff Coral that's yet. Good night from the garage and Lexidon.
What has that got to do with it?
Back off, man, I'm a scientist, set
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