Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dick Gabriel with you on an NCAA tournament Thursday. Hope you are already on your way with your bracket. I had Louisville beating Creighton, did not see really what was looking like a blowout for the longest time coming. So I'm already down one in my bracketing. But man, Louisville went cold, Creighton got hot.
Louisville's perimeter defense turned really soft, and a big kid in the middle for Creighton is really really good and it's going to be interesting now to see him go up against Broom, the former Moorhead State Eagle now playing for Auburn. So yeah, not a great start for Louisville, but a great year, I mean, considering everything UO L had gone through the past couple of years, you know, just alongside Kentucky's rise, both of those fan bases having
a lot of fun. And there were a lot of UL fans who were going nuts when Louisville cut it to what a four point game in the first half, But then Creighton spurted and then really that was it that they really just had no answers for them defensively, So season over, but I was in a text chain with my brother and a couple of friends and they still admitted they had a lot of fun this year.
I don't think anybody, anybody in the Louisville fan base expected this to happen so soon, just like I think a lot of Kentucky fans probably deep down didn't think Mark Polk could generate this kind of excitement. They were optimistic, they were hopeful, still are. But I don't know that anybody expected this season for UK to go as it has, nor has anybody in the U OFL camp I think thought of a go immediately this way. Did you really think Kentucky could be a three seed when the season began?
Did you really think Kentucky could rack up the quality wins it did? And yeah, there were some games that should never have lost Georgia Vanderbilt, games like that, played terribly against Ohio State up in New York. But the quality wins, the quad ones that has put Kentucky in a position that it is now. I don't think anybody saw that coming. So that's a tomorrow thing. Is the Wildcats play at seven o'clock. As you know, tomorrow night
you'll hear it right here on six point thirty WLAP. Also, UK women open up play tomorrow in Lexington at Historic Memorial Coliseum. And I, for the life of me, and I've been here forever, I cannot recall NCA tournaments happening at both locations. And they probably have this written down somewhere and I haven't seen it, but I gotta think this is the first time that the women's tournament has been going on on campus and the men's tournament, even
with the Wildcats not in it. They haven't been able to play at home for you know, since the mid eighties in the NCA tournament. But for them to be going on simultaneously basically is just in credible. But that's a credit to the UK women. I mean, the men's tournament for this season was set, you know, more than a couple of years ago. But you earn your way
in women's basketball to hosting, you really have to. They tried to go to neutral sites and nobody showed, so they you know, it's a disadvantage of course for the teams on the road, but you just don't want to play in front of these empty in the middle of these empty barns, in front of nobody, so they've gone to the home courts for the women's game, but if it keeps growing in popularity, he may go back to neutral sites. Anyhow, Kentucky earned its way to hosting, and
the Cats take on Liberty tomorrow at noon. Darren Hedrick's going to join us a little bit later on give us a scouting report on both teams, but his pregame show begins at eleven forty five a tip off set for noon. Yeah, it's gonna be on ESPN, but we invite you to listen to it right here on six thirty. WLAP and the coach and players for both teams for
all the time. Team's really spoke today to the media, and Georgia Aymore, a veteran of NCA action thanks to her stay at Virginia Tech with Kenny Brooks, was excited to be going into the tournament with a brand new team.
What it's exciting to be with this group, as Deja mentioned, like, it's his second year in the tournament, and it's exciting because the group we have and the coach we have. But all the girls are ready to take this experience and make the absolute most of it because it's not very often that you get put in in a position.
Like this, so she is the X factor. Clearly, when Liberty's coaches sat down to drop a game plan, you got to start with Georgia Aymore. There's no question about that. You cannot let her get hot. She scored forty three against Oklahoma. But she distributes the ball, she guards, she controls tempo. But again, Kentucky a terrific defensive team with the defensive player of the Year and Clara Strack who
blocks a lot of shots. You know, and it's going to be important for Tiani Key to stay out of foul trouble because she is the physical presence on that front line. Kenny Brooks obviously knows all that, but he also knows how to bring a team into the tournament. He brought Virginia Tech to the Final four one year, and as he pointed out today, basically experience preparing a tournament team before he got the lection in is helping him now. But he thought he'd have a pretty good ball club.
Women's basketball has gotten to the point where parody is real and you can look at it and we're a four seed, and you know, Liberty is a thirteen seed. They're not. They're a good basketball team. You're not a thirteen seed if you won twenty six games or whatever it is. They're a good basketball team and they can come in here and they can beat you. And so you have to lock in and focus.
You know.
Leading up to today, we've tried to just have a great practice, you know, don't worry about anything else, just have a great practice today. And I told him that at this point, you can't be good, because good can get you sent home. You have to be great every day, practice, media session. You got to be great and everything that you do at this point so that you can advance. And I think that's something that we've learned from our experiences in the past.
And because of that experience, he knows that any advantage that the Big Blue Nation can give his team will be vital and much appreciated.
We've developed a relationship with Big Blue Nation. I think that they really like what we do. It's a fun style of basketball. They'll come out and supported us, and they've made us better. And I've often said a fan base can make a good team great, and so we need Big Blue Nation to come out, come out.
And be loud.
We're going to need every bit of it. We say home court advantage is at least worth eight points, and we're going to need every one of them against Liberty because they're a good basketball team, very unique in what they run and how they run. It is very different than what we've seen the last seventeen or eighteen games, and so we're going to need that extra oof to get us over the top.
And as I said earlier, will learn more about Liberty from Darren Hedrick when he joins us here at the bottom of the hour. Well, also talk tom Kentucky Baseball as a wildcasts head into the weekend series with the Auburn Tigers. So Auburn basketball fans have a chance to slip over to KPP this weekend catch a little baseball as well. I've got to think that that will happen. You'll see that orange and blue over at Kentucky Proud Park.
As you know probably by now we pre record. I can't help you with scores from the other games from earlier today, but you know, coming up at about ten minutes to seven, you've got Tennessee and Wafferd the Terriers of Wafford. But at seven to ten on CBS, you've got that Arkansas Kansas matchup. That is going to be fascinating. And for some reason, people keep talking about Self versus Caliperi. You know, they forget that, or at least I didn't see.
When I first saw the guys, the talking heads talking about the matchup, nobody mentioned the fact that these guys beat each other for national titles. Self beat Calipari when he was in Memphis for a national title, and that was a game Calipari's team should have won, I could have, but should have won. Calibreria should have multiple national titles. He should have at least two, maybe three a Kentucky, but the one he did get came at the expense
of Bill Self Andrik Patino, but Bill self. So anyhow, it's a fascinating matchup. I've got Kansas winning now, and I just don't buy into Arkansas yet. But Kansas hasn't impressed me, hasn't impressed many. You know, it's underachieved, really, and that's why it's a seventh seed right now. Up next, a couple of anniversary dates are near either came or on the way, and I wanted to get in. One involves the Wildcats and their trip to the National Championship
in nineteen seventy eight. It's a big day in the history of UK basketball, a big anniversary date. But also there's another anniversary date in the history of show business lash baseball that's coming up on six point thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Moonsider. Coming up, we will preview both the UK men and the women getting started in the nca tournament. And as you know in rupp Arena,
the NCAA Tournament happening. Kentucky of course is not involved in those games, but maybe Auburn plays its way through and there will be Auburn basketball fans in the baseball park this weekend because the baseball Wildcats take on Auburn as well. We will have those for you on SEC plus the first two games Doug Flynn and yours truly. Then the Mothership moves in with Sunday's game. I would imagine, Oh, you were going to be pretty well tied up all
weekend with basketball. But if you want to check out the baseball you can find it now. I wanted to bring up a couple of anniversary dates today. I have to be honest, I missed one yesterday. I found out later on in the day once we were done putting the show together, that it was the anniversary of the game in nineteen seventy eight, which of course was a
national chairchampionship year for the basketball Wildcats. That it was on that date that Kentucky beat Michigan State and Magic Johnson in Dayton, Ohio, where the first force happening and also where Kentucky had to upset Indiana four years prior. But it was such an incredible game because you talk about tenths low scoring. Fifty two to forty nine. Was the final halftime, Kentucky's down twenty seven to twenty two,
and Kentucky was struggling. Michigan State had a really good team, obviously, so during a time out, Leonard Hamilton, Joe Bee's assistant at the time, suggested that Kentucky put Rick Roby in the high post and run Kyle Masey off him as a screen or a pick, and Michigan State would either have to let him shoot or go through it and foul him. And that's what happened, and Kyle ends up hitting ten of eleven from the free throw line, locked
up the game. You remember him missing one. I actually worked the game for UK's campus radio station at the time, WBKY. I got to broadcast of that game. Not many people listen, but no, I'll listen to k would of course, but yeah, basely ends up at eighteen points. Kentucky sixteen of eighteen from the free throw line, only scored fifty nine or fifty two rather and Michigan State scored forty nine. Was five of seven from the line. Greg Kelser had a
double double nineteen and thirteen. Magic scored only six points, two of ten from the field in thirty nine minutes, five assists, but he had four fouls a couple of steals, but Johnson also turned it over six times, which I thought was interesting. Jack gibbns at fourteen for the Wildcats. He had seven boards, six to twelve from outside, and
Mike Phillips had ten points for Kentucky. Played thirty minutes, which was a lot for Jane for Mike because Joe be always liked to have James Lee on the floor for defense as well, but this just happened to favor Mike Phillips in that game. So yeah, it was fun to watch, and we all knew about Magic, we all knew how good he was we'd heard about this kid, this freshman, and of course they going to win it
next year. But that was a huge win. On March eighteenth, actually two days ago, was the anniversary in Dayton, Ohio, where Kentucky had beaten Indiana upset that Bob Night team four years prior. Of course, that's where the First Four unfolded, and unfolds every year in Dayton. But I always think about that UK Michigan State game and how close Kentucky
came to not getting to the final four. But a big thanks from the BBN to Leonard Hamilton for making that suggestion and to Joe Hall for being smart enough to listen. All Right, there's another anniversary coming up, and I'm sharing this with you today because March twenty fourth, it's going to be Monday, and that's our state wide Monday show, so I won't have the chance to get into this topic on our Monday show. March twenty fourth was the first time that Abbot and Costello's Who's On
First Routine aired on radio in nineteen thirty eight. I'm gonna play some of that for you here, and most of you, I'm sure heard some or all of Who's On First? But interestingly, it's a wordplay sketch, and there are several others that are similar to Who's On First. There's one called I Work on Watt Street or Who
Died Dyed? You know, which is the business owner whose name was who and he would die clothing things like that, And so they tweaked it Abbit and Costelle in fact, but Abbott worked this routine with another partner prior to taming up with Costello in nineteen thirty six, and they kept working on it and working on it, and they did it on vaudeville stages through nineteen thirty seven, and in nineteen thirty eight they became part of the Kate Smith Our radio program and on March twenty fourth of
nineteen thirty eight they first performed it for a national radio audience. And they you know, polished it through the years, but it just caught on, as you well know. And in nineteen fifty six, a gold record of Who's On First went into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, and they've got a video plays continuously on screens at the Hall of Fame. If you've ever been to the Hall of Fame, it's it's fantastic. I finally got a chance to go there a few years ago.
But this is part of Who's on first? With Abin and Costello on the Saint.
Louis te we had that who's on first? What's on second? I don't know's on third?
That's what I want to find out.
I want you to tell me the names and the fellows on a Saint Louis team. I'm telling you who's on first, what's on second?
I don't know he's on third?
You know the fellow's name?
Now, on the Saint Louis team, we have who's on first, what's on second? I don't know's on third. That's what I want to find out. I want you to tell me the names and the fellows on a Saint Louis team.
I'm telling you who's on first, what's on second? I don't know he's on third. You know the fellow's names?
Yes?
Well, then who's playing first?
Yeah?
I mean the fellow's name on first base?
Who the fellow player first base for Saint Louis? Who the guy on first base? Who is on first? Who are he asking me for? I'm not asking you. I'm telling you who is on first I'm asking you who's on first? That's the man's name, that's whose name? Yes, We'll go ahead and tell me who the guy on.
First, the first base?
Who is on first? How you got a first basement on first?
Second rate?
Then?
Who's playing first? Absolutely?
When you pay off the first basement every month?
Who gets them on every dollar of it?
Why not?
The man's entitled Lewis who is Yes? So who gets it? Why shouldn't he? Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it? Who's way?
Yes?
After all a man earns it? Who does? Absolutely?
Well, I'm trying to find outice, what's the guy's name on first base?
No? No, what is on second base?
I'm not asking you who's on seconds?
On first? That's what I'm trying to find out.
Don't change the players. I'm not changing nobody. What's the guy's name on first base?
What's the guy's name on second base?
I am not asking you who's on seconds?
On first? I don't know he's on third.
We're not talking about him.
How did I get on third base? You mentioned his name?
If I mentioned a third basems name, who did I say is playing third? Oh?
Who's playing first? Stay off of first with it. What do you want me to do?
Now?
What's the guy's name on third base? What's on second?
I'm not asking you who's on second, who's on first?
I don't know he's on third? That I go back on third again? But I can't change their names?
Will you please stay on third base?
Miss the blood Hurst? Now what is it? You want to know?
What is the fellest name on third base? What is the fellaw's name on second base? I'm not asking you who's on second, who's on first?
I don't know third base? You got an outfield post?
Sure, Saint Louis has gotta put out the absolutely the left field his name?
Why?
I don't know?
I just stood, I asked, well, I.
Just got I tell you, then tell me who's playing left field?
Who is playing first? Stay out here your field?
How much?
Say the names out here? I want to know what's the fellest name in left field? What is on second? I'm not asking you who's on second? Is on first? I don't know third base? I tell you take it easy, man, and do that field his name?
Why?
Because oh he's center field? He said, will you pick up your hat? Fees picking up your hat and stopped this.
Yes, minute. You gotta pitch on a team.
Wouldn't this be a fine team without a picture?
I don't know. Tell me the picture's name tomorrow. You don't want to tell me to day. I'm telling your man, and go ahead. Tomorrow?
What time?
What time? What? What time?
Tomorrow?
You're gonna tell me who's pitching, who is not pitching? Who is a great?
Do you?
All round?
You say who's on? First?
Ye?
Come up here and ask. I want to know what's the picture's name?
What's on?
Second? I know who is?
You Gotta catch it? Yes, catch his name today? Today, and tomorrow's pitching. Now you've got it.
That's all.
Saint Louis has got a couple of days on a team. But I can help that, all right. What do you want me to do? Gotta catcher? Yes, I'm a good catcher too, you know.
I know that I would like to play for the Saint Louis team, though I might range that I would like to catch. Now I'm being a good catcher. Tomorrow's pitching on the team, and I'm catching.
Yes, camaraw throws the ball, and.
The guy up bunch the ball. Yes, now when he bunts the ball. Me being a good catcher. I want to throw the guy out at first base. So I pick up the ball and throw at the hole. Now that's the first thing you've said, right, I don't even know what.
I'm talking about. Well, that's all you have to do is to throw out the first back. Now, who's got naturally? Who has naturally? Naturally? Naturally? Okay?
You got?
I pick up the ball and I throw.
It the next right now you're don't you throw the ball the first base?
Then who gets naturally? Okay, I throw a.
Ball the actually done? You throw it the whole naturally? That's see it that way.
That's what I say. You did not.
I said, I throw the ball to naturally?
You don't you throw it to who naturally?
Yes, So I throw the ball to the first base and naturally gets Oh, you throw the ball the first base and who gets naturally?
That's swear I'm saying.
You're not saying, excuse me, folks, all right, I'm sorry, Frank, I throw the ball to throw the whole next stually will say it that way.
I swear, I'm saying, get excited. Now, don't I throw the ball at first base? And who gets it?
He ain't better get.
It all right, now, don't get excited take it either.
Now, I throw the ball at first base, whoever just drops the ball for the guy runs a second who picks up the ball and throws it the what what flows it? I don't know, I don't know, throws it back to tomorrow.
A triple playing.
It could be another guy gets something that's a low flight ball to because why I don't know. He's on third and I don't care, I said, I don't care. Oh that's our shortstop here.
Like practically everything, you can find it on YouTube. That's courtesy Universal Television. And we'll come back and talk more in save basketball in just a minute. Here are the Big Balloon Sider six. Welcome back to the Big Bonsider. Joining us now from up in Cincinnati is Richard Skinner from Local twelve TV. We're gonna talk a little bit of reds here in a minute. It mangles with Skinny. I know that you don't cover as much maybe you do cover as much basketball. We don't get to see
you down here as much. But what's been your take from up down the interstate or up the interstate on what's been happening with Kentucky basketball this year?
Yeah, for foods closure to serve. You know, I'm a Kentucky greg nineteen eighty five. My wife is as well, my youngest daughters as well. My only start to play golf at NKU. She screwed up anyway. It's so yeah, so I'm pretty vested in what happens. It's been fun.
It's been.
It's been strangely fun. And I see that with a ten loss Kentucky team, right, you know, all those years of handing of ten loss tugby and all that stuff, and you know, it's it's just funny how things have changed with ten losses being acceptible. And it is because the sec before it shorter. I remember looking at it and we all do this, right, You're like, that's a win, that's a loss, that's a win, that's a loss, and I that's I could come up with those twelve wins
at best in the best case scenario. You know, did I expect him to lose to Georgia. No, But then again I put it around for they might be Aubert and home late year. So it's been. It's been strangely fun. And right now though you're holding your breath just because of how banged up they are. That's that's the problem.
Job.
I I love Laman Butler since I saw him play at San Diego State. I think he's a great player.
And as a.
High school coach myself, he's the guy. Go, you give me one guy to start a team with, I'm taking that dude when he's healthy. And so you just got to cross your fingers he gets his way through this because you just don't know what that shoulder. When does it pop out? When does it not pop out?
Yeah, And you know, I've talked to a couple of people over the last few days about the fact that clearly he is a terrific on ball defender, but that enables teammates. You know, point guards make everybody better on offense. But he also makes everybody better on defense, doesn't he?
Oh, no question, Because listen, if you can't get into your actions the way you want to get into your actions, especially with a shot clock, that's really difficult. If suddenly you look up and you're at ten and some dude who doesn't have a chance to do anything in isolation situations has the ball in his hands, that offense is messed up at that point, and that's what he does. So well, he just he makes you run your offense to the people that you don't want to run your
offense through. And to your point, yeah, he's great on the offensive side. I think he was on the defensive side, and that's where you just stats don't really measure that a lot of times.
No, you're right, you know, And of course this is I think a pressure situation. No one's really talking about the fact that, you know, the naysayers when Pope was hired, Well, he's never won an NCAA tournament game. Right now, especially with this one, you've got to have mont Butler healthy because Troy is a dangerous team and in order for Kentucky to make Mark Pope a winner for the first time in postseason, I think this is a tough point.
Yeah. I don't think there's dangerous as Oakland, and it's easy to say that in retrospect, but NKU is in their league. So I saw Open a couple of times. I didn't see him in person, uh at Oakland, but I saw him in person here in Northern Kentucky. Yeah, and they were dangerous, I mean because they could shoot the three right and not just the kids knocked all the shots down last but they also had the townshen kids who's now at Arizona as a starter on a
really good Arizona team. I mean they were good, So they were dangerous. I don't think Troy is quite as dangerous. They're they're they're they're numbers. Defensively, they only give up sixty three points a game that they rank high and fewest points allowed. But if you look at their defensive metric from Ken Tom, it's not great. It's not awful. I mean it's it's pretty good, and they're ninety eighth overall in Ken Pom. And I just don't think there's
dangerous Oakland. But to your point, I mean right or wrong, Mark doesn't have this hanging around his neck, the losing of to a fourteen seed and losing to a Saint Peter's. But to your point, he has a thing hanging around his neck. Have never won an NCAA tournament game, But I don't think those players feel that pressure. Mean what, but's been to a Final four for to say, you know, you got some dudes on that team that have done
been there, done that. Not a lot, but you have some And so yeah, I just this game, last year's game really it did as a fan and as a grad, it scared me this game not quite as much. Now you get to the next round, whether Xavier or Texas or Xavier or Illinois, that scares me.
Yeah, no question. And Xavier coming back, I mean, you know, there were people who wondered if Xavier would get in and made the most and you could have made the argument against Texas getting in, but of course had the sec resume. But that was a wild one last night.
It was crazy. And I have a guy I do a podcast with. He does another podcast with a kid named Paul Fritcher and Paul Paul really knows his basketball. And Paul does a separate podcast his own where he talked to a guy from Texas I think for I think he covers I think he's with on three and covers Texas Texas sports, and he asked him about Texas's team.
He goes, man, there's just so talent. Is is ridiculous. He goes, but it just reminds me literally of an AAU team where he just rolled the balls out and go, And that's kind of what it looked like in clenchtein. Yeah, and that's why Xavier was able to come back and beat them. I don't think Xavier's better than I think. I think Texas is roster. You give me Texas's roster. I ain't losing sixteen games of those guys. I'm just not. They're really really good. But yeah, it was a crazy comeback.
Yeah.
The guy Jerome Hunter, who's really a low block big four make three threes. John hug Lee who is huge, who comes off their bench. He's seven foot like two Hudred and seventy Kinds's just a monster. He makes a three. I mean, guys who don't make shots and don't even take those shots made those shots to help Xavier come back.
Yeah. Well it's all about obviously making shots, which loops us back to Kentucky and Kobe Brea. I mean it seems like as he goes so go to Wildcats. When it comes to shooting. You knew about him when he came to Kentucky and now he's playing defense. Well he has to, But I do think that other than the Mott Butler, he might be the key.
Yeah. It's weird because there's games where you look and he gets it in spots where you think he's gonna shoot it from and he should shoot it from and it just doesn't. And then there's games where he goes for four or five threes, and those are the games where Kentucky usually rolls. So hopefully he understands that, hey man, your job is to shoot, and you're a good shooter, and you know what, it's okay if you miss one or two because you're gonna make a bunch, but you
can't pass up shots. And yes, I wish I could go back and probably do that metrically and look at games where he didn't make a three or took you know, fewer than two or three threes and see if those were losses they feel like they were. And maybe when Jackson Robinson was around, maybe you could get away with that. You can't get away with that now. I mean, you got to be the shooter. You're the guy.
Yeah, it's amazing. If I had told you back in August, all right, Mark Poe put his team together, but at the time that they really need to be good down the stretch, you're gonna be missing three of your top four perimeter players.
Uh.
When you look at it that way, Skinny, it's just unbelievable.
Isn't it.
It is?
And I mean you know, the the Kentucky kids have done really well. You know, Perry's done great. I think Noah's going to be really really good eventually. You know, he's he's he's what freshman used to be. He's like, oh, I can see it. It's not there yet, but it's coming. And Yeah, to that point, it was like, Okay, you're taking Kentucky kids because they're Kentucky kids. Well, you know, those guys have actually sailed you out at times this year. They can play and they bailed you out at times.
And to your point, yeah, I would have never thought when I looked at that roster and what he's had to deal with injury wise, that they be where they are. It's pretty amazing.
Yeah, and Colin Chandler might be the best of the three.
Right. No, that's you talk about scratching the surface. I mean you talk about a guy he doesn't play for a couple years because of the mission trip and maybe he got some shots up as he was, you know, as he was doing his mission trip, but probably not a lot of shots and not regularly, and then to come in and play high level Division one basketball, that's a big ask. I mean there's times I watched games
and my wife. I drive my life crazy because I coached the game as it's going on, and there's times I just yell at the TV get him out. He can't play, and down the stretch you're like Cooley cow This dude's got a chance to be pretty good. It's not there yet, and I should be tased with him too. He was on a mission trip, man. Remember that at all times he hasn't played for two years.
Well, you actually coach the game and most coaches aren't patient, So that's okay. Richard Skinner my guest from Local twelve TV up in Cincinnati. We'll talk about the Bengals on the other side of the break here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back. Richard Skinner of Local twelve up in Cincinnati is my guest. We've talked about the basketball Cats.
Richard doesn't cover them regularly, so he can just sit back and be a fan of Root, but he does cover the Cincinnati Bengals and Skinny half a billion dollars invested in three players. First of all, I never thought i'd see today. Secondly, how do they plan on paying for defense? Because they've got a leg up on offense. Man.
Yeah, they still need they still need probably an edge rusher to go with Trey Hendrickson. And that's the most fluid thing of all is whether you know they can extend Tray where that goes. Daneil Hunter got thirty five million dollars last night. Trey's a better player than Daniel Hunter. This is an interesting circumstance. I'll circle back to your offense here in a second. You know, Max Crosby got thirty five milis on average Anye old value, and Trey
Henderson's every bit is good, if not better. I can't tell he's better than Miles Garrett, and Miles Garrett's on a plant done to himself. But Tray's production is darn close to Miles gear. So they let Trey try to seek a trade, and Trey found a couple of teams that were willing to pay him what he wanted, but they weren't willing to give the Bengals what they wanted. And I don't blame the Bengals. I'm not giving Trey Hendrickson away. He is under contract this year. He's way
underpaid this year, but he's under contract. And so now they're back at the bargaining table. Can you get an extension done? I don't think you can get it done in Max Crosby Daniel Hunter thirty five million dollar range. I don't even know if you can get it north to thirty million dollars if you're the Bengals. So is Trey willing to take an extension for just to shade under thirty million dollars. That's where we're at with this.
And if he doesn't, and if they don't, and I don't blame him for asking what he's gonna ask for. I don't blame the Bengals for saying thanks, but no thanks, you're under contract. It'll be fascinating to see what he does. I mean, they took a huge distraction away by signing t Higgins and Jamars, and I always thought they'd get Jamar done. I wasn't so sure about Tea. I thought a t went north to thirty million dollars, the Bengals would walk. If the Bengals went under twenty seven million dollars,
Tea would balk. And they went about twenty eight and change and it worked out well for both. And Jamar helped with that. Where they have the same agent and the agent basically said, Jamar's not signing if you ain't signing him, and so it worked just kind of a packaged deal. But to your point on the defense, I mean they need another edge rusher they could use. They got. They signed a defensive tackle from Green Bay, T J. Slayton, and he's a good run stopper, but they don't have
much pass rush juice inside. They re signed DJ Hill. They probably will draft one by the end of Day two, maybe even in the first round. Same for edge rusher. But you know, they need a linebacker. They're probably gonna cut Jermaine Pratt, who was a starter. They signed Orrin Burks from Philly who's more of a third linebacker, backup world guy. They could use some help. Still, it's safe. So yeah, there's some pieces on defense that don't fit.
But I will say this, I mean, they lost a lot of wonky games last year by one score, and some of it was defense related, no question. I mean the defense didn't get done, but the offense also didn't get it done a couple of times where they could have closed out a game, get a couple of first down, take it down the field of score. And that sounds odd because the offense was great last season. I mean they lost five games when they scored thirty three points
or more. That doesn't happen in the NFL. He lose one or two, you don't lose five. So yeah, defensively, they still need help. I think they really believe Alan Golden will be a difference maker ors defensive coordator. Overt loui Anarumo. I'm not so sure, and this is not a knock on out. I think Lou was a really good coach. I think he got scapegoaded. It's part of the business, right, I Mean, when teams go sideways, somebody pays the price. In this case, Lou Anarumo paid the price.
But I think they're really banking on how's the difference maker? Well, you better hope he is right now. Based on what you got on paper.
Lou was one of the hot coaches in the country for a while. Yeah, and then the next thing, you know, like you said, he was catching all the blame. We're talking to Richard Skinn Local twelve TV up in Cincinnati. The Bengals have spent a ton of money and now Skinny, uh, it's it's gonna be. There's always pressure, but now the pressure to produce is different than any that this franchise has ever encountered because of the money they're spending.
Am I right, yeah, no question, And talking about on my podcast the other day, and my podcast partner kind of hosts it, and you know, we have a nice conversation. But he said, he goes, He asked, you know, how's Joe Burrow hail this pressure? And I kind of looked at him sideways as we do on YouTube. You don't think Joe Burrow hasn't handled this kind of pressure before. It's all Joe Burrow does is handle pressure. Yeah, he's
really good at that. But I will say to your point on pressure, it now really falls on Zach Tam I think exactly a good coach. I too, I think he's a really good coach. People you know in this marketplace are a lot of times anti Zach because they feel like, hey, you should lose ever with Joe Burrow as your quarterback. But uh, there's another admit, Like I said, the defense and all that, but you know this is this is probably a make or break playoff here for Zach.
You went to a super Bowl, you went to an AFC championship game, and you missed the playoffs two straight years with the healthy Joe Burrow. And so you know you fired a defensive coordinator that's allowed you know that that's that's the fall guy for right now. Guess where the next fall guy is. It's you, And that's where the pressure will come in.
That is very true, and it just there's nothing like it, man, the pressure on the quarterback in the NFL, the head coach, uh, you know, not college. That's a different story, but it's off the charge. Yes, yes, But yeah, before I let you go, I got to ask you about the Reds.
Uh.
Yeah, I love the hiring you and I talked about it after they hired Tito. But the moves he's made, including you know, basically telling his star player, you know it's my way. We're not gonna screw it. We're not screwing around anymore. Uh. And and I got to think that Reds fans, I don't know, you know better than I do. Are are there expectations a little too lofty now with the managing change, because that's something else in sports that never changes.
I don't think they are. And granted you can argue, you know, you didn't do a lot to add to the roster, right. But the but but the part of where they're where they've been over the last couple of years is you're anticipating and you can't expect, but anticipating that your young players blossom. Ellie Day La Cruz has blossomed well. Matt McClean didn't play last year, and I could argue Matt McLean's every bit as important as Eli Da La Cruz. Now, Ellie's a unicorn in a lot
of ways. But Matt McLean is a really good player all around. I mean, he's a forty double ten, triple twenty homer, top of the lineup, guy that's gonna score you one hundred and ten runs when he's healthy and
play a really good second base. They really believe in Christian I do too, and Christian in GROSSI on strand if you look at his number from college that the miners, when he came up in twenty twenty three and raked at the end of the year, and then last year he's dealing with a rist issue and you know he didn't get early on everybody's want to rhyme, and you find out what he's basically playing with a broken risk.
And so while they didn't add to the roster. Primary they did add Austin Hayes, who was an All Star in twenty twenty three with Baltimore and been played hurt last year with Philly and Baltimore, and he's had a pretty good spring. I think this whole rebuild has always been, Hey, weren't counting on these young guys, and so I think this is the year to find out are they for real or not? And I do think the pitching staff
is for real. Hunter Green is a dude. Nick Widolo when he's healthy, I'm not so sure he's not better than Hunter Ding when he's healthy. Now he hasn't been very healthy. That's a problem. Andrew Abbott just came back into the other day, so he's back. They won't have Red Louder probably to start the season. He's a first round draft pick in twenty twenty three out of way for us. But he's a guy Chase Burns into miners,
isn't guy. I mean, they've got a bunch of good young arms, and so they do this I think the right way. Now you're just going, Okay, we like what we got, Let's see these guys blossom. And I think that's where this year is is let's see what you got. And I know people probably don't want to hear that because I know there's Reds fans in your area too, But I think that's where this rebuild has always been.
It hasn't been spen spen spin. It's been and see, we got the young guys and then okay, maybe you spend or you have to figure out a way to replace before.
I let you go. It bothers me every year no end that baseball no longer opens in Cincinnati and baseball is the game of tradition. How do people up there feel about it? Are they over it? Or does it bug them every year? Yeah?
I know I think they're over It's funny you say that because I thought about that the other day when I woke up at five to forty five am to watch the Cubs Dodgers myself, I'm like, I gotta I gotta see the first game of the year. It was pretty awesome. I mean, based on Joe Hey and the pitchers and I think it was a five or six Japanese players in that game for both teams that went back.
They thought it was actually pretty cool. And yeah, what I like to say you still be the opening game, sure, but they still let them open at home every year. I think that's still a big deal. Everybody now opens basically on the same day other than that early series when they play an international game. And to your point,
I do I think people are over it. I think it was a It was It was one of those ones that everybody was kicked for a while and then you know, time passes, you are okay, You're still opening at home. Philly Market Parade is still a big deal. Opening Gay is still a big deal. Whether you go to the game or not. It's still a holiday in Cincinnati, and everybody take treat it as such. So yeah, I think people have gotten over that.
As long as it's still a holiday in Cincinnati. That that makes me feel better. And you know, I'm more of a Cardinals fan than a Reds fan, but I do the Reds and uh I oh man, and not just not opening in Cincinnati but opening on the other side of the world. But I know a lot of people got up and watched, you know. But anyhow, we need to we need to get over things like that, I suppose, but it's just hard sometimes. By the way, I didn't ask you who do you have winning winning
this thing? Could you go chalk in the final four?
I did to some degree. I got Wisconsin, Houston, Michigan State, and Florida, and I got Florida winning it all to all burned down the stretch just flummexed me because man, when they played Kentucky on that Saturday, I thought they were unbeatable. I really did. And then I get, you know, a couple of the losses, like you clinched the conference by then, and they lost the next game, and they lost Alabama on the last second shot.
That happens.
But then the SEC tournam I didn't think they looked great. Ok So they kind of me me scratching my head a little bit. I do think Saint John's is great. The probut for Saint John's is, if you go by Ken Palm Metrics, the last whatever twenty five national champs have been top forty offense, top twenty five, and defense, well they're number one defense, They're sixty fis in offense.
But I also have Rick Patino. When I can scratch that out and go, I mean, they got Rich pet He's the best coaching college basketball history in my opinion. Oh so you have to factor that into it.
That series has been great with Bettino. That series. I've loved every minute of it. Hey, Skinny, thank you so much. Local twelve Richard Skinner, he is a guy you need to follow on ex or Twitter or whatever. Thank you so much, have a great turn on you.
But thanks take care.
I re Number two is next, starting with Darren Hedrick on six thirty wlap.
Everything anything, any such tact taking the.
Showing anything, do anything, welcome back.
Joining us now on the celebrity headline is mister Darren Headrick, radio voice of UK women's Wildcat basketball team and the baseball Cats. This is a busy time of year for Darren. Let me start with basketball, Darren, how about Kenny Brooks Coach of the year. That's not too shabby.
Oh, you talk about a man that deserves it. It's funny to think that he's been named national coach of the Year by two different mediums and yet he was not the coach of the year in the SEC that with the Vick Schaefer of Texas. So but what a job he's done rebuilding this program. You know, he only had a couple of months to put that roster together and to see what they've pulled off, and hosting an
NCAA tournament first two rounds just a phenomenal effort. And it has been such a pleasure working with him and so proud and excited for him.
I know you're a little bit biased, but is his team playing its best basketball when it needs to the most?
You know what, I have to think they are.
You'd like to see a little more production from Amelia Hassett. I'd like to see her her shot a little more, but you Dejah Lawrence is such a threat from beyond the arc. Keanni Key brings the energy and the physicality, and uh strack and and Amore certainly have turned their
games up to another level. I really like where this team is, and they made it through the grind and and grueling sec and I think they're going to be refreshed and excited when they hit the floor tomorrow against UH against Liberty.
Yeah, which is in historic Memorial Coliseum. We'll have it for you right here. But UH, you can still I think you can still get a ticket if if you hustle. But the uh, the the making of shots is everything. As we found out last night in the men's term a Xavier got hot against Texas, but uh boy, Georgia amore second team All American man when when she's knocking down shots, is one of the coaches that that uh may face it, She'll he'll, She'll keep you up at night,
night after night. She has been so much fun to watch.
Yeah, no question about it.
She really is the heart and soul of this team. And you know, I've heard him describe tianni key is that a role similar to the glue as sug plann as we like to call him. But George is the heart and soul and when she's making shots, it just opens up the floor to so many things. And it's why she's, you know, eleven dimes away from setting a new program record for assists that has stood for over forty years now going back to Patti Joe Hedges and
just a phenomenal talent. She's going to play in the w when she's done in Kentucky and with her college career, and it has been just an absolute pleasure to watch her. She if you were paying to come see the cat, she's worth every penny.
Well, you mentioned Tiani And as far as frontline players go, of course, Kentucky block shots like nobody's business. But man, I just love the way Key sticks from there and just battles. Yeah, I would love to see a little bit more of that from some of the other kids, because I feel like when Towany's not on the floor, they really lose so much of that. Do you see it the same way.
Yeah, she's a lot of the energy. She brings so much to the table, and I'm like you, I love the way she gets in there in battles. The biggest thing that she's trying to learn right now is to keep that same energy and that same level of physicality but defending and playing without fouling.
Because they need her on the floor.
They have to have her.
She just makes them different. She's able to bring the ball up the floor, She's able.
To block shots like Clara Strack, and obviously she's a tenacious rebounder and scorer, and so yeah, they've got to have her on the court. And you know, she's been doing better down the stretch with limiting the fouls, but against Oklahoma and the SEC tournament that reared its head again, and so she's she's got to continue to improve in that area well.
And Mark Polk talked about this, and it holds true in a women's tournament too. You've got officials who have you know, worked all year and then probably deserve to be working NCA tournament, but they haven't seen your team play. And you know, and again there's no such thing as SEC referees or this conference referees, right, but they come from you know, different parts of the country, and a foul you know over here might not be a foul over there. So they really got to work at adjusting.
The players have to adjust, don't they.
I think that's the one x factor that worries all coaches because you're coming out of a league that is known for its physicality. It's just like you know, bowling ball, football, rugby style basketball and the s SEC, and you go to some of these other conferences, like the ACC, it's different.
It's more what I would.
Describe as maybe pretty basketball finite instead of the physics. Yeah, it's finesse, and not to say it's not as good, it's just a different style. And yeah, I think that's one thing that might serve Coach Brooks's teams well, as he does play more of an ACC style and they've had to adapt to the physicality in the SEC. But you know, I remember back in twenty twenty two when they won the SEC tournament and then they got upset
by Princeton and the NCAA tournament in Bloomington. They were frustrated by the whistle because they were guarding physically and the officials wouldn't let him do that against Princeton, and they got in some foul trouble. And you know, you just have to be able to contain the emotions and like coach says, you have to adapt to the flow of the game.
Yeah, And you mentioned Hassett as well. And when she's on, I mean, she gives them that extra threat from the outside. She's not afraid to get in there and mix it up either. But she has been a little bit up and down, hasn't she.
Yeah, And she was playing out a position this year and it's out of necessity because of the injuries to Parova and Obie. But she is somebody that's not afraid to get in there and mix it up. But like you know, we've talked about, we'd like to see her get those three point shots off a little more consistently and make those because it just opens up everything when they have to come out and guard her too. But you know, the one thing about Amelia that gets kind
of lost, Dick is her ability to rebound. Oh yeah, she just finds the basketball and that's gonna be key against Liberty because Liberty is twenty three and oh this year when they out rebound your opponent or their opponent, wow, So Kentucky has got to crash the boards and take care of business on the glass in this matchup.
Hats It is deceptively tall. I'm not sure how long she is, because next to stract, nobody's long. But when you interview Hassen and you have done coach, you're usually sitting and you're a tall guy. But when you see Hasset in among the other players, she's kind of deceptively big, isn't she? She is?
You know, it's kind of funny.
I was telling a friend of mine not long ago, I'm used to feeling small around the baseball team because Nick MinJe On typically has pitchers that are six four six' five and. Higher and but with this women's, team you, know you go up and talk To silva Or shack Or key Or, Hassett i'm looking up at him When i'm talking to, him and that's that's you, know that's part of the reason why they've been so good this. Year it's that wise and it plays and it's why they've blocked so many.
Shots anything else we should know About.
Liberty liberty is going to shoot three. Pointers they've got three players that have made at least forty threes this. Year their star, player, though is going to be a great matchup For clara Strak. Bella smuda is a six to six red shirt. Senior she's their leading, scorer leading. Rebounder she was The CONFERENCE Usa most Valuable player in the, tournament and she was the first team selection out OF.
Cusa so it's going to be interesting to see the challenge there Of strack Against, smoota because The liberty is going to shoot threes and then try to work the ball inside The. Smootha So kentucky's going to have to face a balanced attack against The.
Flames noon tip, tomorrow eleven forty five, pregame, right.
That's, right we'll be on an eleven forty. Five we'll chat with Coach brooks and we'll get this party started.
Tomorrow all, right let's talk in baseball on the other side of the break here on six THIRTY Wlap Welcome. Back we're talking With Darren, hedrick radio voice of THE uk women's basketball team and the Baseball. Wildcats they've got a big. Series they're all big now in THE, sec as we all. Know But auburn coming to. Town it's gonna be weird seeing The auburn basketball, fans a lot of Them i'm sure can't up for, hoops going to
make their way over to the. Ballpark but coming off a weird loss To Murray, state and it's happened once in a while With nick Min jones, teams but that was a head. SCRATCHER i think we'll all.
Agree, Yeah AND i think it was not so much that they lost To Murray state because LET'S i, mean you, know tip your cap to The. Racers that's a good program Under Dan. Skirka they won thirty seven games last. Year THEY i think it's been thirty wins or more in four straight. Seasons so that's a good. Program so it wasn't so much the loss to The racers on A tuesday.
Night but it was how they. Lost, yeah just you, know mental mistakes and we are so used to.
Seeing nick Min jones teams play fundamentally sound. Baseball you had to Beat kentucky in prior years under coach benjeone because they didn't beat. Themselves and you, know you look Back tuesday, nine and it WAS i think there were nine. Strikeouts six of them were. Looking pitchers were struggling to finish at bats when they got the two, strikes and
then the base. Running so you, know you just look at some facets of the game that we're used to Seeing kentucky excel, at and that's Where Murray state took their. Advantage and it's stuff that this team is continuing to try to clean up and and improve on as they really dive into league.
Play, yeah and we've got to remember this is a new. Team this is a different team some faces from last. Year but you, know guys are figuring things out and some of those, mistakes the base running. Mistakes brooks gets nailed off second, base, right. McCoy these are, veterans but they were being. Aggressive they just had to pick better, spots didn't.
They, yeah and you also think about the Way kentucky is aggressive on the.
Bases they also had two guys.
Thrown out at, home that's, right and lost by, run and you know that's the thing That kentucky's going to. Do they're going to be aggressive and they're going to force teams to make a. Play and that's where you just Credit Murray state for making the plays because you know their throws, home we're right on the money to get those. Runners so but, yeah you're you're.
Right it's a new.
Team there's a lot of new, faces and some of them have settled. In i've been really impressed with how Steady Luke. Lawrence, yeah and his bat is heating up. Now he's he's strung together some really good. Games Sean montoya is dangerous in the top of the, lineup you, know and and and, Look Tyler, ball he's a. Freshman you're going to have some nights where he looks like a. Freshman you're going to have some knights where you, think,
man he's probably the best short stop in THE. Stc, so you, know IT'S i think it's one of those. Things it's almost like a plane trying to take off in the Win. Dick you, know it's a little touch and. Go they'll touch the ground and then take some mayor and then to the ground and take some. Air and what you hope is is you get deeper Into april and may the plane takes off and you're soaring so and that's what they're trying to.
Do by the, way for those of you who might have missed The Murray state, Game Tyler bell in a rough night hit by a pitch right below the, knee went down like he was, shot and then collided with a teammate as they were trying to make a play on a softly hit ball in the infield and took him a while to get. Up that had to be the most physical game he's ever.
Played, oh no, question he was beat, up you, know the way he was able to get up after taking that hit by. Pitch we initially thought it might have been on the ankle on the side of the, flag and then when the trainer got out, there it looked, like well maybe it was more towards the kneecap or the shen but, regardless.
That her.
For him to get up and.
Continue and, then like you, said the collision With harris just shows the toughness that that young man.
Possesses, yeah, yeah but like you, said worth the price of. Admission we're talking To Darren hedrick radio voice of the Baseball cats taking On, auburn a team with a head coach who really knows is. PITCHING i haven't had a chance to dive Into auburn, yet but it's a conference it's a conference, Series, Darren so you know it's going to be.
Tough, yeah no question About and like you, say the one thing THAT i know about Butch thompson's teams is they can.
Pitch they've always been able to.
Pitch now last year they went through some struggles in that, category but it looks like they've bounced back nicely this. Year it is going to be interesting to see If Ike irish plays this. Weekend he missed the series Against vanderbilt last week with an. Injury apparently it didn't Affect auburn that much because they won the series With, vanderbilt but he is a big bat in their, lineup so it'll be interesting to see if he's back this. Weekend
but it's a Good auburn. Team you, know they're number sixteen in the. Country they're coming off that series went Over, vanderbilt so they're feeling. Good and you, know, Look Nick minjeon said it earlier this, week And i'll say it TO.
BBN i know.
They're going to Play friday night at the same time as The men are playing In. Milwaukee but this team needs you At Kentucky Proud park because there's a lot Of auburn fans that are going to be In, lexington and you, know we don't want to see that ballpark blue and. Orange so get out to the ballpark and help support These.
Wildcats and so.
Far the weather's, cooperated crowds have been pretty. Good BUT i want to see what it looks like if and When Kentucky baseball becomes a regular. Thing fans have been. Incredible seventy five hundred show, up yeah for The Super, regional But i'd like to see it become the kind of thing where just almost inherently people uptime to go to the, ballpark you know WHAT i.
Mean, Yeah, well and the great, thing the exciting. Thing and believe, me this team has noticed.
That even For.
February and Early, march when the weather's not all that great, outside it's, cold and you're playing these early games against teams that maybe aren't as marquis as An auburn Or fantasy so, on we've still seen great. CROWDS i remember some games In february some Sunny tuesday afternoon games where you, know they had twenty five hundred to three thousand in the,
ballpark which is fantastic For. February so you, KNOW i Think Big Blue nation is excited about this team and this program and look forward to seeing how it goes later in the.
Spring, yeah BEFORE i let you, go everybody makes that. BRACKETS i know you saw or try to project how far the women would. Go that's your. Job what about the? Guys how far do you Have kentucky? Going and who do you like in the final?
Four you know, what in my final, Four i've kind of gone back and. FORTH i Have auburn making the final. Four i've Got duke in the final, four or you know, WHAT i ALMOST i sat there and really thought About Saint john's really because that, REGION i feel like they have an opportunity in that region to make it coming out of the of the region With, KENTUCKY i still
feel Like houston's the team to beat in that. Region if If kentucky matches up With, tennessee, boy that's the third time those two teams will have played that you, know worry me a little, bit, Right and so you, KNOW i Think kentucky can get, there and if they get Past, TENNESSEE i think they can make a really deep. Run so but the other matchup that scares me For kentucky's in the second, round Potentially. Dick That illinois team is really. Good they're, physical they're. Fast they played not
the same, style but a similar style To. Kentucky but If illinois gets out and make, shots that could be a tough matchup for the CAT i, agree.
Honestly auburn kind of shook me a, little losing three or four down the, stretch but they were tough. Games But i've actually Got Michigan state coming. OUT i just didn't want to pick All chalk in the Final. Flourid it may, happen BUT i do Think Michigan state is the toughest right up there With Saint. John's BUT i
Think Michigan state Versus auburn is more. FEASIBLE i just Think florida is really, good and as well As Saint john's is, playing it's gonna be tough even For Riock patino to beat That florida team With clayton in the back court and all those front line. Guys but that has been a hell of a story With patino And Saint john's and they start them off In. Providence of, course you, know don't tell. Me you, know they've GOT tv in mind when they do, that and that's, fine
just admit, it you. Know, yeah but THE sec got off to a stumbling start last, night Although texas was the weakest team coming. In so, anyway it's always. Fun and again you've Got Darren hedrick on the call FOR uk women's basketball noon tip tomorrow With liberty twelve eleven forty five. Pregame and now are you working Baseball saturday bouncing back and forth or?
What, No i'll just focus on the women's tournament this. Weekend i'll be with them this, weekend And Andrew capus will have baseball and you, know we'll see from. There, yep We're i'm either going to be At spokane Or College.
Station catch your, Steamer Trunk. Rady he Is Darren, headrick and we will see you at the ballgame and at the. Ballpark, Sir thank, YOU.
Pg thanks my, friend always a.
Pleasure up, next FORMER uk basketball Assistant Doug. Barnes we'll talk in ze hoops here on six THIRTY Wlap welcome back to the big lewin sider joining us now as a guy who's been on the show many, times But, Doug Doug barnes has been a. While doug is a FORMER uk, assistant also coached small college In, arkansas but coach at Oh miss H and this has got to be one of your favorite times a. YEAR i, know, right.
Yeah it, Is, dick and you know it's, uh you, KNOW i FORTUNATELY i get to watch a lot of basketball, stuff but this is makes it more, exciting yes for.
Sure.
Yeah, well let me ask you about THE sec, because AS i, said you coached At, kentucky you coached it'll miss uh under At murphy and the league was good when you were. In it had its ups and. Downs but what did you, Make, doug of the way the league just exploded on the scene this. Year two new teams but still all but two teams get in THE Ncaa. Tournament what was your take on?
That?
Well, uh, well the YEAR i, said oh miss uh it had a good. Line he, said you, know we were a good team and a great. League, yeah and then and we got of, course we got tired and. Stuff but the bottom line is That i've never seen. It anything can be prayer to this year. Stuff you, know you, three there's three or four really pretty good, teams are one or two real good and three or four good. Teams But i've never seen this many that and that are that strong the. Teams i'm not sure anybody else has.
Either why do you think this? Happened how do you think it? Happened, well you.
Know.
It goes back several years WHEN i can't remember all the names, involved but you, know THE sec decided that they really needed to upgrade the the basketball and you, know they hired a commission for basketball Than may and, ANYWAY i think that may have had something to do with.
It but the main thing IS i think these schools realized, that, uh you, know there's money we, made and they they the bottom line, is they just hired some really good, coaches, uh in the last three for, years and that's made all the. Difference i've never seen the coaches be as strong as as this group. Is they, ah you, know and and and then also really you, know upgrade the
facilities and all those things to go with. It but, uh it's it's obvious that they made all the schools made a commitment to degrade it and of course that's made it tougher ON uk because it's it's tougher to dominate the, now that's for.
Sure, well when you worked At Old, miss as you, said which has since put a bunch of money in its, facilities when YOU i don't know how often you get a chance to see him ON, tv but when you do tune, in what are your thoughts having worked in the old, place.
There's a there's a lot of, difference of, Course. DICK i go right back when When.
Georgia it was just.
Horrible oh, YEAH i don't remember. BACK i do like a rodeo place and.
And it was.
Depressing georgia's place was.
Depressing oh moment you.
Walk.
Yeah and but, however you KNOW i, DID i did. Coaching, well ACTUALLY i get ten years in the N ai level right and, well, WELL i can't say anything because our facility was at that time about thirty years, old and uh it's still. There So i've did in some real bad. Ones but you expect different when you go to THE, sec that's for.
Sure, Yeah but they just they just didn't really care for the longest. Time AND i have a. Theory can you tell, me because again you've worked in several different. Places BUT i think When March madness got so popular it has grown through the. Years it could be descended. Rellas it could be the fact THAT espn made a run at, it which FORCED cbs to cut a deal WITH tbs and and you, know borrow some of their channel partner, up so all the games now are ON.
Tv it just got so. BIG i firmly believe that school administrators watched some of these mid majors with great runs and a lot of, fun and the alumni got, excited And i'm wondering if they were, Thinking, hey why isn't that, us you, know and they started looking at their coaches and their, facilities why can't we do? That and pretty soon it became, evident as you, said they had some coaches that were okay but not, great and you, know they weren't being really paid ahoic of a. Lot
SO i really think that might be where it. Started does that make, Sense that makes any sense to?
You, WELL i think that's probably one of the prime reasons well AT tv over the. YEARS i remember WHEN espn just kind of started and they would have like one one game of one game of. WEEK i, know it's hard to remember it. Stuff BUT i don't think it's a question with the the all the well the hoof law Around march madness and then those teams that that uh you, know get they get in and make a. Upset, yes and and you know those those college presidents and
probably the boards see all that see what it. Does AND i think that's kind of where it, started uh, from, uh the importance and how you could take advantage of as far as promoting your. University SO i think he could be. RIGHT i think that has had a lot.
To do with.
It and of course now schools are having to make a different kind of commitment with N I l and the portal and all. That we'll, uh we'll come back to. That but how much have you been able to follow The? Wildcats you're in and out of, town but you still got the business interest here with pop A locke and all. That but what do you think of not just the job That Mark pope has, Done, doug but as a former head, coach as an assistant, coach you guy who's been on the road, recruiting having to put a team
together the Way pope and his staff. Did they cobbled this team together literally at the last minute at a place where Like, kentucky where you know the. Expectations what do you think of how they've done?
That, WELL i think it's remarkable from the fact, that you, know because of the. Circumstances in other, words you, know with Coach Cali perry not leaving till you, know after the final four and all that that they're you, know they're already some other coaches hired and all this other. Stuff but here you got the coach coming in and a place where they didn't leave any players except maybe one that they signed and so and the way things are today was the transfer. Portal you, know we're really
late in getting into the transfer. Portal Uh AND i think they did a remarkable job of attracting the talents as they. Did AND i think the job the Coach pope and his staff has done is is basically. Remarkable and it's been a strange year because Of at times they were one of the best teams in the. Country if you look at, it you know this this team beat two number one, seeds you, know in the, tournament and the number two seeds they beat. Twice they Beat
louisville and they beat Good. ZAGA i mean and that's a remarkable record of any, year SO i, think and just like anything else that was your, seasons you, know the, injuries it's really has for the negative part that is really hurt hurt The. CAT i don't Think i've ever seen any team ever lose two point, guards let alone. Three yeah you, no, No i've Seen.
WELL i take that back one year WHEN i Covered, Transylvania Donnie lane lost two point, guards but he didn't lose. Three so that's. Amazing, yeah THE.
U and the other thing is the point. GUARD i, mean there's certain positions you can lose that hurt, you but but the point guard runs your offense and that's that's where it's it's it's so so. Important SO I i you, know the good, news it looks Like butler's, uh you, know semi, back Uh and it just makes a lot of difference to have, that to have him at that point, guard that's for. Sure and uh uh you, KNOW i think The cats could make a. Run it kind of, depends you, know on the draws and uh.
Uh the the disadvantage of having a uh in the NUB A, tournament they, SAID i don't think a lot of fans realize is that you you play on A thursday and then you turn, around you got one day to prepare for the next. Game and that that and that's where your draw can make a. Difference not so much how tough they, are but maybe you're running into two, different entirely different. Styles, uh and you've got a day to prepare for.
It and, UH.
I give you a good. Example Remember black With Coach patino's year where they got to you got to set with A West. Virginia, yes, uh because they you, know we played that we had one day to prepare and they threw that one three one at, us and, uh you know we. Did we didn't have a clue what to.
Do and that was actually caliperi ye're not A patino.
Year, yeah, yeah you're, right it Is cali the first. Year so, anyway it's that makes a difference that a lot of times people don't. Discuss is you that one having one day to prepare for somebody and he served. Something if the offense is a little, different the defense is a little, different it kind of gives them an. Advantage you, know.
It's funny you bring that up because one of the players told me something interesting about that. Season, uh let me take a. Break i'll come back and we'll talk about. That on the other. Side here on The Big Moon, sider we're talking To Doug, barnes FORMER uk. Assistant we're back in just a minute on six THIRTY Wlap welcome. Back we're talking With Doug, barnes FORMER uk. Assistant you might have remembered. Him we used to DO tv shows, Together doug and me and the guys AT kyt From Rupp.
Arena we had a lot of fun doing that back in the. Day but we're, talking of course about The wildcats and THE nca, Tournament and just before the, Break doug brought up When West virginia Upset Cali perry's first team. Image for my, money it still might have been his best team With wall And cousins And bledsoe And patterson and all. Them. Uh but one of The Mark, krebs told me you were talking about How West virginia threw
that one three one At. Kentucky, Well crebs told, me he, goes we had a good plan for, That AND i said what? Happened and because you remember everybody stood outside jacking of, threes he, said people just lost their. Minds and directly to your, point they had probably a couple hours to work on, it didn't they instead of a couple of days to really drill it into. Them you, know these are the weak, spots these are the good.
Point do, this don't do. That but you have to adjust at tournament, time don't.
You, yeah and you just have one day to do, yeah or less than a. Day and that's where having a real veteran team and don't you, Know i'm not talking about with the, portals but, okay you people have been with your two or three years and that's what helped in the tournament because if you've got if you've got matched up with someone that is doing something a full court press or a one through one traft or, whatever you had people that'd been in your system where
you're just, reviewing you're not having to kind of start, over, Right and that's the reason that it's been a factor in THE cbe tournament that a lot of times people don't talk.
ABOUT i know how much you love, basketball it's. OBVIOUS i, mean it was your. Career you've got a second career as a, businessman very. Successful but could you imagine and IF i guess you've probably spent some time maybe not thinking about what it must be like today for the, coaches the, administrator for coaches to have kids come to them and, say, uh, YEAH i need another fifty grand to play in This bowl game or something like, that and guys Like Jay wright And Nick saban leaving because of.
That what do you make of all that as a as a Former, Foresson.
Well first of, All i'm so grateful That i'm not. Coaching AND i tell PEOPLE i, remember you, know because at THE nai level and we had very, little very little. Money BUT i remember the ISSUES i. HAD i had one really good player at THE otis AND i had issues WHEN i got the oldest in the pair of, shoes let alone getting getting paid about effort and stuff. THAT i tell, You i'm kind of amazed that the coaches do as well as they have done under those.
Circumstances when it all started, HAPPENING i, thought oh my, gosh YOU i have all kinds of, trouble And i'm sure they've had trouble that we haven't. Seen But i'm amazed to this work as well as it has to be, Honest.
WELL i think something has to be, done something has to change because you've got too many. KIDS i, Mean i'm all for, uh you, know freedom for the, players but a kid who's played five or six years for five or six, teams that's just that's just isn't, right is?
It?
No, no it's it's kind of like. Anything you, know it's kind of swing and you know the nil it's you, know it just goes all the way, over you, know so it's got to swing by and come. Under AND i understand, that BUT i don't understand it's all the legal implications that the DOUBLE a is going through. It SO i think some of that's going to come up. ABOUT i think this is coming, SUMMER i. Think and, uh it's it's kind of like free agency without any.
Rule yeah, yeah and, uh And i'm not sure it's good for the young man stuff really to uh, well you, know if you're twenty years old or twenty one years old or, Whatever, yeah you get you, know fifty thousand or five hundred thousand or. Whatever you, know it's that won't happen in your life, AGAIN i assure. You So i'm surprised that there's not been more problems with it in their.
Heads. Really, yeah and you know you can't blame kids for for wanting to get what they can when they. Can, uh they got families to, help and, uh you, know you, know and it's it's been crazy for, many many, years and The Ed obannon case kind of triggered. It and you, know if the powers would be within THE, ncaa, whatever the schools or, whatever the committees or whatever fought that for so, long if they had just come around on, THAT i don't know that any of this would have been.
Happening AND i don't know how deep you went on, that but, uh they just fought so long to keep the kids under lock and. Key and now the pendulum has swung the other way in a in a huge, way AND i don't know who's going to swinging.
Back you, Know, WELL i think you have a good. POINT i think THE c double a and, uh you, know the issue, is, uh you, know these, kids so many of them don't have. Money of COURSE i went through that with THE ni level and, so but there could have, been uh you, know where they could be compensated FOR i don't, know a couple of thousands or whatever h to take care of. It but by but not doing, that it made. It it started really looking. Bad and, UH i, AGREE i never thought about. It
it's CASE i forgot about that. Case but if they've done that at that, time it's probably when it swung so far this other.
Direction, well it is a weird time in all of college. Athletics quite, FRANKLY i know you're happier being a fan right. Now that, said who do you like in the? Tournament are? You are you big on THE sec putting at least a couple of teams in the final?
Four, well you, know going through the bracket and, EVERYTHING i think it's going to be. Interesting they have to see if THE sec performs like everybody thinks it's going. To you, know of course the easily got ready so high and you know there are they're out of conference. SCHEDULES i, mean they're winning percentage just what was in the, eighties wasn't. It, Yeah and, uh AND i think it's, legit but it'd be interesting to see it and trying to come. Up of, COURSE i know those people in
THE sec are just go ahead to play somebody. Else, yeah but at the same, TIME i was surprised if it didn't come up at least being, strong maybe not as strong as what people anticipating and then trying to come up with a dark horse is kind of.
Tough BUT i.
DO i do Think Saint john's has kind of come. Up you, know we Coached patino with his, experience it's kind of come up with one of those. Teams and maybe Maybe Michigan Port LOUISVILLE i. GOT i THOUGHT i got a real tough. Draw uh as far as the first, game did, You.
I'll tell you what the Job patino's done this, YEAR i, mean it's it's really. ENTERTAINING i don't know if you've seen any of the the reality series On Saint, john's but, yeah it's it's it's Classic, patino isn't It.
It?
Is and ist isn't it remarkable that he.
Has the?
Energy but it TAKES i, mean it takes a lot of. Energy, uh you, know in your. Seventies, uh you, Know i'm close to the eighty, now but that that's that's just remarkable that you can tell he kind of thrives on you, think and and, uh you, know he's just remarkable how he's able to get these young men to buy into the program. Stuff, uh and you, KNOW i think it's good for basketball obviously for basketball In New.
York, yeah, yeah big, time big.
Time BUT i would say that'd be one of the dark horses they could get take a place of one of THE scc. Schools SO i think it'll. Be it's going to be an interesting two, weeks that's for.
Sure he Is Doug, barnes Former kentucky assistant coach At Ole miss coach at the small college level quite successfully In, arkansas and now A kentucky fan. Coach thank you so. Much you will talk again.
Soon all, right, Thanks, peck appreciate.
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