Welcome to the Big Blue and Sider Day. Abrael with you on a Thursday edition of our program. Coming up on a big weekend for the baseball Wildcats, they take on South Carolina tomorrow night. You will hear it right here on six thirty WLAP. It's a six thirty game time, six fifteen pregame with Darreon Hendrick dug and I will have it for you over on SEC Plus as well, so you can watch on your mobile device tonight that We're going to talk a lot of Kentucky football and basketball.
And we start with the Travis Perry situation, because we talked about this over the last couple of days. He puts his name in the portal, as somebody pointed out, literally at the eleventh hour heading up to the deadline Tuesday at midnight. And the reason I'm bringing it up is because there has been so much consternation, so much backlash on social media, which I suppose was really predictable. People disappointed. They wanted to see this kid matriculated Kentucky
for obvious reasons. You know, he's a great story. You know, broke king Kelly Holman's record, as you know, leads his team to a state championship was not really wanted quite frankly by Calipari and his staff. He didn't really fit their style of play. Let's be honest, but a kid like that in your backyard, it behooves you to take him, although now you're signing up for criticism when you don't play him well. Mark Pope didn't have that problem because
he wanted him. He was glad to have him. He inherited him, but he ended up needing him when Lamart Butler and Kerk Crisa went down. And for a while there, Travis Perry was the point guard and he did okay. His best games, unfortunately, were against Alabama and losing efforts, and he also was victimized defensively, as you would expect a lot of freshmen are by SEC backcourt players. But the question was what is his future at Kentucky. I mean, look, if he had finished his career at UK, he would
have played more, he would have been successful. In my opinion, he would not. I don't know it would have ever been a starter for Mark Pope at Kentucky, either at the point or at the two. And I considered Travis Perry in terms of a skill set and this is just one man's opinion. A shooting guard six 't one was a point guard in high school because he needed to be the facilitator. He was obviously the best player. But at Kentucky he was a point guard because of
a need for him to play point. But in terms of his skill set, I truly believe he is a two guard. Now. If he goes someplace where he's essentially a combo, that's fine, and you can take him him as a combo at Kentucky, but much better shooter and score at a good handle, but much better I think, in the off guard role than at the point. So what was his future at Kentucky. Well, he had to be asking himself that. And I do not believe for a moment this had anything to do with nil. I
just don't. And maybe I'm naive. There's a rumor out there that, you know, he found out what other guys were making and somebody else made him a better offer. That might have happened. He might have gotten a decent offer to go elsewhere. We'll find out, I would think fairly soon. But I don't believe his motives were strictly about money. I just don't. And again, call me a sap,
that's fine. I've been call worse. But I just believe that he took a good, hard look at playing time and how he wanted to develop as a ballplayer, and this had to be an incredibly difficult decision for Travis Perry. And as as somebody I was talking to yesterday said, you know, maybe he goes off and develops his game and comes back to Kentucky. As long as the portal doors keep swinging both ways, you know, without restriction, that's
entirely possible. Harley Gilmour came back that the football team wasn't quite the same scenario, but it happens, and it's happened in a lot of different sports with a lot of different kids. But I find interesting the discussions on social media about, you know, the people who want to paint Mark Pope is the bad guy. Pope could have kept him, Pope should have done this, and that Perry should have done this, or that you got to do what's best for what's right in front of you, And
I would be again, I might sign san naive. I gotta think Mark Pope said, Travis, if you want to stay, there's a place for you here. It's not a Cassidy Rose situation where they said you can stay, but it's
got to be as a walk on. No, Travis Perry was on Scollie, but I'm sure Mark Pope was honest with him, and even if without a word, what Mark Pope has told him with his recruiting and with his moves in the portals is we are recruiting guys who are bigger, faster and stronger than you are because that's
what coaches do. And again, it's different in basketball, I believe, than it is in football, where Mark Popell sign a kid and he says as much, Mark Pope said, you know, I'll sign a kid and say the next thing I'm gonna do is go out and try to recruit over you, because that's how you develop depth and that's how you get better. It's not quite the same in basketball, at least it hasn't been in the past because coaches could put a roster up on the wall basically and see
the future. All right, we've got Travis Perry for the next four years. You know if the kid's gonna be a pro two years or three years. But you know, you had Travis Perry probably for four years, so you're gonna recruit around him, maybe a little bit over him, but you can't do that anymore now in college basketball. It's year to year and we're gonna hear Rick Patino
in just a minute talk about that. Why he's not recruiting right now high school kids at Saint John's and why he's comfortable with that because now college ball is more like the pros. You don't know literally from year to year what's your roster is going to look like, even if you have players with long term contracts, because there are ways out. So Pope and company, every coach in America is recruiting for this coming year. That's it. Even when you sign a high school kid, you clearly
don't know how long you're gonna have him. So it's unfortunate. I think everybody all root for Travis Perry. We all liked him, We enjoy talking with him, and he's a great story. So let's trying to know the locals. They're always great stories. But he's got to do what's best for himself. Mark Pope's got to do what's best for the program and you the fans, And sometimes those two paths crisscross and go in different directions. So all this chatter on social media about you know this this nefarious
kind of action going on. You know, Perry is the bad guy. Pope is the bad guy. You know. It's just the way it is in college basketball these days. All right. I mentioned Rick Pattino and he had said during the n Sate Tournament, which is when there were documentary series, the reality series on Saint John's Basketball aired, that he's not going to recruit, at least right now high school kids for Saint John's. They're going to the portal because he's got experience. He's got to replace, et cetera,
et cetera. And keep in mind, now his money man is Micropoli. Micropolis, a New York kid, Saint John's fan, and a guy who sold vitamin water I think it was to Coca Cola for a billion dollars. Then he went back developed another drink and sold that for a gazillion dollars. You might know his name because he has owned two different horses that were Kentucky Derby favorites, including Fierceness or So I really liked last year. He also had Forte who had to scratch out of the Derby.
So here's a guy living his dream plowing money into Saint John's. And I got a comment here from Patino. He was on a podcast from Barstool Sports and they were asking Patino about the fact that he is going basically exclusively with Portal Kids now, and not only that, he seems really comfortable with the concept.
A lot of these guys feel like they've gotten out because of the transfer Portal and Nil and having to play a different game. You've kind of almost run into the fire and been like, I'm ready for him.
Read no.
I like it because I spent ten years in the pros and to me, it's it's almost a cobbon copy of the EuroLeague. The EuroLeague, if you sign a player for two years, that's a long time, so it's really a one year contract. You're getting different players every year, and that's the way it's with us now. Fortunately for us, we haven't lost a freshman yet, a freshman have come back. So this year we're losing. We're not even looking at a high school basketball player.
We'll look.
We're losing Aaron Scott, Kadari Richmond, and Davon Smith. So we're looking for three transfer guys. And I like it. I don't get involved in the financial negotiations of any of that. But if we need more money, I'll call our guy Micropolis.
Esay, yes, he's ready to go. Wait, so you're not even looking.
At any college or high school?
No, not this year.
So if a five star high school kid calls you up AND's like, hey, no, you're not looking for but I want to come to Saint John's.
I probably wouldn't take him because I don't think you could win and win big with high school kids.
Rick Potino courtesy of Barstools Sports, and boy have times changed. I mean when you go back to Patino's best teams in Kentucky, obviously he recruited the crap out of high school kids. But keep in mind now that there was some element of the portal at work when Patino was putting his best team together at Kentucky. That, of course, was the ninety six team. That team featured, among others, Ron Mercer and Anthony Epps and Walter McCarty. But Tony
Delk became the mop in the final four. But two of the most key elements for that team Derek Anderson and Mark Pope. And I'll never forget this in ninety five when Kentucky was struggling it's actually ninety four at times to rebound and play physical on the inside. Mark Pope was wearing a red shirt and was already in lexingon and Rick Patino kept saying, that's not going to be a problem next year because we have Mock Pope, and he was right. Pope wasn't a starter in the UK.
Came off the bench, but he added something that they absolutely had to have. And Derek Anderson, of course was one of the best players in America when he went first to Aisle State and then transferred I e. Came through the portal to play Kentucky, but that roster was supplemented with the transfers. It was essentially a high school recruits, including the key to that team that was Asheoine Walker, and it was a guy Patino took because he knew he could handle him, and a lot of coaches stayed
away Mantoine because they didn't think they could. So now that that has swung entirely toward the portal for Rick Pattino, and it's all part of the landscape now of college sports, and it's driving a lot of people crazy, and it's making some kids, very few really rich want to come in a big Moon cider. At the bottom of the hour, we'll talk to Jeff Drummond from Cats Illustrated. A little bit later on John Wong, sports writer and blogger, and
also Peter Wilson from the Georgetown newspaper. We're going to talk to him, but Scott Connie's new head coach, Shawn Woods. That's all ahead on the Big Blue Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome back. Coming up at the bottom of the hour just a few minutes. Jeff Drummond of Cats Illustrated,
part of the Rivals Network and our number two. John Wong, blogger and sports writer covers the Wildcats, also an established author, and Pete Wilson, the sports editor of the Georgetown News Graphic to talk about Scott Connie's new coach, Sean Woods. As you know tonight it's the NFL Draft. Going to find out where Maxwell Hairston goes, and maybe he goes to my beloved Green Bay Packers. He could be on the board there. He ran the fastest forty of all
the players at this year's combine. He ran a four point two eight forty. Now he is a little light at oneint eighty three, so some wonder can he stand up to the riggers of the National Football League. But I would love to see him in Green Bay. And of course the Wildcats had Carrington Valentine go to Green Bay in the seventh round and was a pleasant surprise
to make the team. He got a little lucky. There were some injuries that helped him make the team as opposed to the practice squad, but he made the most of his opportunities and now he is an established NFL player. Of course, you have to establish yourself every year. Bryant McFadden, as a former NFL player, played at Florida State, when a couple of Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and he is a guy who really likes what
he sees in Harriston. He talked about Maxwell on thecbssports dot com website.
He would go higher than many people expect. Remember Devin Witherspoon's surprise a lot of outsiders when he was the top five draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks. Maxwell Harriston has that ability. The thing I love about Maxwell Harriston.
Unfortunately he didn't.
Get chance to play a full season because of a show to ailment. But when he started fourth Kentucky, he was a player. Go back and watch the game earlier in the year against Georgia there in Kentucky. Watch the double move concept they consistently threw at Maxwell. Watch the discipline eyes. Go watch what he did against Texas against Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden. Consistently they trying to hit him cross the middle with deep digs, deep posts, and he
was always in the hip pocket. So when you watch him play, we all knew he was extremely quick and fast. But when he went to Indy and put forth that great personal workout, all he did was confirm everything that we saw that he did while at college at Kentucky. So I believe, like I said, he will be drafted a lot higher than many people believe. And oh, by the way, anytime you're running forward two, that's just the icing on the cake, and you better believe that cake was already tasting good.
Ryan McFadden courtesycbssports dot Com. If you're a Kentucky fan, probably a question just as big as what happens with Dion Walker when you're keeping an eye on the draft. Well, when he first came to Kentucky. You thought, this is a guy six y six almost three point fifty with great athletic skills, a dtackle who could be you know, like top fifteen. And he has played well. He played
well in college, there's no question. And I was looking at the walterfootball dot com website, the scouting reports, and they've got pros and cons now on Diane. And again, Vince Merrow, if you're listening, this isn't me talking. This is one of the scouting services. On the upside. He's huge, of course, large body at the point of attack yeap, athletic for a size oh yeah, burst to close, yep, quick for a large defensive tackle. Well we saw that, didn't we at Kentucky. But here is how they list
his weaknesses, and again not me. Doesn't play big, doesn't play powerful, plays too high, thinks he's an athletic pass rusher. All of that to a degree I believe is true. I don't know about how he thinks he's an athletic pa as rusher. I don't know what that means. But I will say that this year he did not command the double teams that I thought he would. I don't
know why. I don't know if it was something he was doing the team was or was not doing, or whatever, but he didn't quite clear the path that I thought he would as an elite defensive lineman in the SEC. However, I don't think and this is just me talking, I don't think there's a work ethic issue with him. And depending on where he goes, I think if and when he gets well he'll get into a camp, I think he'll respond, and I think he'll make a team ultimately
pretty happy. So that's going to be a mystery. Now, Look, he's a big athletic guy, so he'll probably go I would think in the second round. But what do I know? We'll find out. To me, one of the most fascinating elements of this draft is going to be Shador Sanders, the guy who had his jersey retired or number retired at Colorado for leading a team to a glistening thirteen
and twelve record. Man Anyhow, a lot of people believe that he might be a number one draft picking this and that he's talented, there's no question, but going through the process didn't help him much at all. And in fact, here's a quote that leaked out from a long time assistant NFL coach who spent time with Sanders, and here's the quote. He's the worst formal interview I've ever been in my life. He's so entitled, he takes unnecessary sacks, he never plays on time, he has horrible body language.
He blames teammates. But the biggest thing is he's not that good now. Of course, Dion Sanders calls it venomous and laughable comments like that, but the kids obviously athlete. Can he step in and lead your franchise right now? Probably not. And in case you're asking yourself, why would a guy leak that? Why would he let that be
known publicly anonymously? Of course, one of the reasons that pops to my mind is if you're an assistant coach for a franchise that has fans clamoring for a guy like Shador Sanders, it's sad, but it behooves you to leak that information and let people know you don't know that this is the guy you want, you know, and they say, look, he's not a bad kid. Another guy pointed out, he's been so insulated, it's going to be a culture shock when he really learns how a locker
room operates and how it works inside a building. This guy went on to say he's had so much input on the offensive game plan and who the coach is, and everything's been catered to him. When you walk into one of these NFL buildings, no one's gonna give a bleep about that. No one cares who your dad is. You're gonna have to end up fighting through some adversity. So this is gonna be an interesting story one to keep an eye on. There's a lot going on in
this year's draft. I think it's fascinating. One other note about the portal I didn't mention in the first segment. You may have seen this Aaron Bradshaw once again on the move. You knew that he has picked the school. Now he's gonna play at Memphis. First Kentucky, then Ohio State, and now Memphis. This is a five star kid out of high school everybody wanted, seven foot one with a lot of skills, but he has yet to blossom into the kind of player we all thought he would be.
And that's a guy who could be a absolutely significant player on a team advice for a national championship, and it hasn't happened yet. So keep an eye on Memphis. All right, coming up next, Jeff Drumming. If Cat's illustrated, that's all ahead right here on the Big Blon Sider, six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big bon Sider. Joining us now is a longtime friend of the show, Jeff Drummond. Cat's illustrated part of the Rivals Network. You see his work on the website. You see his photos,
especially when the baseball Wildcats are playing. We'll talk about them in just a minute. But the Jeff's been covering the UK beat for a long long time, and I'm wondering, Jay Drumm, as a native Kentucky and yourself and the guy who's seen a lot of Kentucky kids come through all the UK programs, how surprised were you by Travis Perry's announcement, Not just the way he made it, but it's just the fact that by all accounts he was coming back. But the next thing you know, he's out
the door, or at least in the portal. What did you think, Well.
It was new things where I was a little bit surprised. But then again, not if that makes any sense at all, because I totally understand the rationale behind his decision. And this is a kid that's been starting and playing almost every minute of his basketball career until he got to UK.
So that's a big adjustment going from that to the role he had at UK, and with UK recruiting so many guys out of the portal this season, I think he just saw that he probably wasn't going to get that opportunity that he craved for at least another year
or so. It makes me sad that then it happened, though, because you know, a lot of people were hoping that he would get that opportunity and really didn't know if he would when Cal was here, and he got it and then played some good minutes last season in a backup role where he kind of had to be forced
in action. I had a schedule, but you know, I just wish that that it would have worked out and had been a similar storyline to you know, a Darius Miller or a Dominie Hawkins, Guys like that who stuck it out and eventually played an important role on really good UK teams.
Yeah, that's a great parallel to draw. Darius, of course, wins the national championship with the Wildcats. Hawkins was you know, sort of on the fringe until he had that great sweet sixteen and Caliperry happened to be there and he turned out to be a guy to Kentucky really needed. But as you mentioned, you know, Mark Pope was bringing in guys that were gonna keep Perry pretty much tattooed to the bench. He was needed this year because of injuries. But yeah, just a great story. But you get your
root for him. I know everybody will root for him wherever he goes. But you know, it was just for the guy that brooke King Kelly Coleman's record to come to Kentucky. And man, you could feel it, couldn't you, Jay Drumm, And of course you were right there taking photos. I don't know if you're upstairs are down, But every time Travis Perry rose up to shoot, the crowd was sort of hold its breath, wouldn't it, waiting for that three point of a drop.
Yeah, they just wanted to explode. And anytime he or Trent Noah would do anything. And that's that's what makes it so special when you do have guys under that good in the state. And we didn't get to see that for a long time. I mean, given the fact that John cal Perry was here for fifteen years, there weren't a whole lot of guys that that kind.
Of fit that.
Scenario for UK, So I'm going to miss it. I'm one of the people I think it would have worked out for him if he hung around. But I certainly understand the desire UH to want to go out there and play.
Yeah, I agree with you. Well, let's shift over and talk a little Kentucky football. You were at the open practices and this is just a real pivotal year for Marx troops. I don't know about you, and of course you're looking through your viewfinder through your camera, so I don't know how much you have a chance to really in your own mind kind of break things down and evaluate.
But if you look at this team on paper and the experience they brought in through the portal in the areas that they need, they've got a chance to turn things around. At least that's the way I see it. What do you think?
The way I view it is they've got a chance to be a better football team next season, But I'm not convinced that's going to result in a big jump or boost in the wind total this season just because of who they play and where some of those matchups are. I have a hard time looking at that schedule and seeing the team uh that can get the six wins, And I think they've got to do that bare minimum,
uh to kind of get the fans back on board. Yeah, right now with Mark, mark stoops in the direction of the program's going.
Yeah, although he has raised the floor. I've said many times, I didn't make it up, but he has raised the floor. And you know, back when you and I started covering this program, more me than you, but uh, you know, six wins was something to celebrate. That's not the case anymore. And yet as you point out, this league is so much tougher now than it was when six wins was something to celebrate.
Yeah, it really is.
And I keep going back to, uh, not only the league, uh, but you know, Louisville is coming up to when when Mark Soups really had it rolling and uh had those two ten wins seasons and and the bowl stream going winning the heart of those bowl games, they were taking care of business against South Carolina, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Louisville. Yeah,
four kind of almost built in wins for them. Because they were beating them almost annually, and you take that out of the equation and you get something that looks like last season.
Yeah. Yeah, And you know, Kentucky had a chance. There was a point there where Tennessee was kind of stumbling and Florida was stumbling and Georgia was not what Georgia is now. You know, they you might say they were backing up a little bit, but Kentucky didn't take advantage, especially Tennessee which was really really going through some problems. And yet the Cats just didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of all that. And then Stoops comes in
and they do somewhat. But they're still looking up at too many teams, aren't they.
Yeah, they really are. Even though you know, I think they did a nice job of adding talent to the program, it just remains to be seen if they can you know, produce those wins, especially early. I think every year it seems like we're talking about a massive gage early in
the in the calendar. And you look at this year, You've got Ole miss and in game two in South Carolina in Game four, and that's a that's a massive challenge, uh that they face because even if they go out and take care of business and look great against Toledo and Eastern Michigan. And you know, nobody should really sleep
on Toledo either, follow that program over the years. But you know, they could be sitting at two and two if they if they don't win those first two league games or one of them, and it looks pretty bleak then because you've got Georgia, Texas Tennessee.
Uh, back to back to back coming.
Out of that.
You your season can be over before it even gets to the midway point.
Now, you're absolutely right about that. There was some comfort in the routine back in the day of you play your pre conference games, then you get work into your conference. By the time you play your first conference game, you've played at least three at the non conference games. And you know what you have now? And this isn't just Kentucky. It's everybody, isn't it.
Yeah it is, you know, And I suppose, like most things, that TV's dictating that the desire to have some higher profile games earlier in the season. But yeah, that's the way the way it used to be. From late August through the month of September, you just had mostly a bunch of snoozers. Yeah, outside of two or three games. And now you get right into it with you know, a Kentucky Old Bez matchup. Yeah, in early September. It is pretty attractive for both programs, yep.
And it's going to be an o miss program minus Jackson Dart. We will see where he goes in the NFL Draft, which begins tonight. We're talking with Jeff Drummon of the Cat's Pause, part of the Rivals Network. We'll come back and talk more with Jay drum on the other side of the bright here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking with Jeff Drummon. He has covered the UK sports for a number of agencies and he is a part of the Rivals Network with Cats Illustrated.
I mentioned off the top that Jay drum his work is on display and of course the website and periodically on Facebook. When it comes to the photographs he takes at UK baseball games, Man, you had a perfect night to shoot pictures. I gotta think the other night. I mean, I know the light plays plays tricks on you sometimes, but there was a great crowd at Kentucky Proud Park. I don't know that anybody expect did a beatdown like that though, you know what I mean.
Yeah, it was.
It was a gorgeous night for baseball over there. That stateum is a little bit tricky when it comes to shooting and photography because you even on a great day, you have a lot of shaded area that can play havoc with the photos. But uh, yeah, I couldn't ask for better and just to be out there and that be dry, you know, at this time of.
The year, that's a big fun Yeah, weather cooperated, There's no question about that. And you've been to a lot of other games, so have you. Do you see this team kind of rounding into shape because it seems like now, Jeff, they're playing with so much more confidence.
Well, it's it's it's really funny when when you look at it, about a week or so ago, at least amongst our community on Yes's Illustrated, there was a lot of gloom and doom about this team's chances and then they just get a little bit of momentum, gold go down and take two out of three from Tennessee and it's the next thing, you know, I've got people asking, well do you think they can host now? Is they're a shot at that. So just you know, a week ago you were asking me, you know, if the nick
Manjill was the right guy. So the program now you're talking about hosting. So it shows you how quickly things can change, especially when you play in this league and have so many opportunities to prove yourself against really good competition. And if people do a deeper dive into their season, even though they're not where they want to be record wise, and and they've lost a few games they probably should have won. They they've been ahead of almost everybody they've
played at some point or another. I forget what that number is, but they've helped a league almost every every night they go out there in the SEC competition, well.
An SEC alone, it's seventeen out of eighteen games they've led, Yeah, right off the bat, so yeah, it's holding leads. Of course, you know, taking a lead in the first inning it still counts for something. But you're right, it does show you that they've got what it takes. They just got to figure out how to hang on and lately they've been doing that and now here comes South Carolina. Got a few minutes left at Jeff Drummond, let me shift
you back to basketball. Portal period for the time being is over and Mark Pope has once again pulled in on paper, a really good class through the portal. He's top five depending on the ranking you look at. But it's interesting to me how some of the naysayers prior to this past season were wondering just the fact that they were just wondering about it. Could Mark Pope recruit the level of athletes that you need to be successful at a Kentucky level, you know, not a Brigham Young level,
all due respect, but at Kentucky level. To me, that was just the easiest question of all. Yes, of course he can do that. You can ask about x's and o's, and I thought he had quitted himself well and gain preparation and all that. But you had to know that Mark Pope was going to be able to go out and get players. And you covered the recruiting beat for a long time. Jane Drummer, I got to think, you're not surprised by this at all.
No, baby just does a little bit because it was such a dramatic change from the personality and the philosophy that John cal Berry had. Yeah, it's smart Pope. So I wanted to see how that would play out with the people you have to deal with and on the recruiting trail. But he has answered that just in resounding fashion with this class that he's put together, not just with two of the high school guys, and it would have been three had he not been so a depth
as well getting guys out of the transfer portal. So yeah, he's he's I would give him a nine out of ten if I was given it kind of a grade right now or an A. And you know, he just put together a roster and it reminds me a little bit of you know, what Todd Golden and Florida had this past season. There's there's there's balance in the back court,
in the front court. There's balance and offense and defense, and if you look at it, it's kind of like a friend of mine the other day said, it's kind of like a Noah's Art type of deal where he got two of everything, uh, you know, and that's that's kind of the blueprint that Florida had where they weren't really on many people's radar when when the season started, but if you look at it, they had Clayton as a superstar. Yeah, and perhaps Kentucky has a couple of
guys like that. It remains to be seen if there's going to be a dude that comes along like that. But then they just had a bunch of guys that could rotate in and out of games that if one guy went out, there was no drop off to the next guy, or very little drop offs. And you know, I don't know if he was inspired by that at all or that's just the way that it turned out, but it kind of reminds me of their championship blueprint.
That's interesting. And you know, Clayton's a great example of a guy that you know, the portal's not entirely bad. But you look at a kid who started off at Iona with Rick Pattino and he ends up a national champion at Florida and maybe the best backcourt player in America because he was either a late bloomer or overlooked or something like that. I'm not in favor of a kid transferring every year until he finds a place that
he likes. But there is a play I think for the opportunity some kids get, you know what I mean of bettering themselves and it's not all about money. But this guy landed in the perfect spot for him, and it paid off for everybody, didn't it.
Yeah, I think he's the ideal kind of poster child for advocating what direction we've gone in there. I know a lot of people still aren't comfortable with it, but you you really have to look at a case like that, or even with otega Oway, you know, coming to Kentucky and how that's helped him blossom and emerge as a
bigger impact player. But I'm with you on the other part though, I think we need some legislation in there eventually to kind of get it back to not so hard line as to if you transfer ever you're setting out, but maybe after you've done it once, you can't just hop around for five or six years.
No, I'm good with one freebie, one freebee and then after that. And people like to compare it to the coaches, but you know, it's not the same, and there are buyouts involved with coaches, et cetera. But yeah, there's got to be some element of it. But you know, I think for everybody involved, and you know what, even for this, some of the kids who would benefit from staying put, not always, but a lot of times, right.
Yeah, I think there are cases where even you know that wouldn't have applied to like a Travis Perry. But let's say, in the future, if it doesn't work out on his next stop, you know, it may be his best interest to just kind of ride it out, Yeah, and lest things develop instead of maybe jumping to another level or or trying another move.
Yeah, I agree with you. He is Jeff Drummond. Tell everybody how to follow you on Twitter or x.
Well then all of those social media media formats. I am at j drum uk and you can find my work. And I've always got to put a plug in for our other guys, justin Rowland and David Sis and Travels Graft. They're just killing it over at Cats Illustrated. That's Kentucky dot Rivals dot com is the easiest way to get there and all kinds of things going on, even though we're kind of out of season on football and basketball ever the buck, it's twenty four to seven these days.
There you go, And those guys have been guests on this show as well, so we do appreciate that. Thanks j Drumsey at the Ballpark.
All right, Thanks Gab.
That's it for our number one coming up in our number two, John Wong, blogger and sportswriter as well as an author, to talk about the Wildcats, and Peter Wilson, the sports editor of the Georgetown News Graphic. He'll talk about Scott Coney's hiring of former Wildcat Sean Woods. That's all ahead on the Big Boom Sider here on six thirty. IP, welcome back to the Big Blue Sider. We welcome back, and gentlemen, there's been a guest many times on the show.
In fact, John Wong Wong's Whinings is his blog and he writes for Nolan Media Group. John, you've actually made a rare trip to the bat Cave. You've been to the garage. I appreciate you joining us on the Celebrity Hotline.
Yeah, thank you, Dick. And I'll confess I'm kind of nervous today because I think this is the first time I've been talking to you, with you being this new found Kentucky Hall of Fame journalist. You know, there's a great responsibility now what I say to you. So I hope I don't blow it. I hope I don't take you down a few notches. But yeah, you've told your your listeners on many occasions that you and I we were at UK back in the day, a long time ago, and we didn't know each other, and we were on
very very different career paths. But I have followed your career path fairly closely, and it's wonderful to see it culminate such high and distinct honor. Congratulations, Dick, you are the man.
Appreciate that. Yeah, John and I were you CA at the same time, so our memories of games, coaches, players are an absolute parallel. John was on one side of campus studying dentistry. I was on the other side, and then journalism building. But yeah, it was so much fun when you and I got to know each other during a rain delay talking about certain games and championships and this and that so and there are people like that everywhere who share memories. Might not have been sitting next
to each other, but they might as well have been. Said. That gives us some perspective, doesn't it.
Yeah, you had the glamorous job of writing for the Kentucky Colonel, where I was busting my butt just trying to get through organic chemistry. So if you would have told me back then that we would have somehow reconnected and for you to have me on your show periodically to just talk about all things sports in general and University of Kentucky sports in particular. I would have told you that you were absolutely nuts. But it's weird the way life works sometimes. And here we are, you know,
kudos to you, and I am living to dream. That's my tagline.
Yeah, now, in his second career is covering sports. Well, let's talk a little bit about one of the hottest topics right now. And of course, in a general sense the portal nil, but within the Big Blue Nation, it is Travis Perry's departure, which I think caught almost everybody off guard simply because and you might have been there. He said right after the NCAA tournament He's coming back.
But clearly, obviously at second thoughts, there are people trying to blame Mark Pope, you know, but I'm certain Mark Pope wanted him to come back, you know, I mean, if nothing else, the kid provides depth. But you can certainly understand his decision.
True, I'm frustrated, Dick. I'll be the first to admit that, because yes, I was there, and I'm not saying that he was saying something that he didn't meet at the time. People have a right to change your mind, but the fact that it was the at the eleventh hour does make you wonder if there was something else going on down there. And I'm not mad at him. I'm not mad at Coach Mark Pope at all. I'm just really frustratingly disappointed at a system that allows something like this
to happen. Because Mark Pope has said all along that he loves to tell stories, and this would be the perfect story for all of us in the media to be able to tell how this in state kid, the all time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball history, surpass a great king, Kelly Coleman on that scale. He comes, plays for the state university and leads the team to their ninth national championship. Wouldn't that be a great story
to tell? And with Pope, you know, at least so far, he hasn't been known to be this guy who's been able to nab that elite talent out there. He's gotten good players, but the elite talent still seems to have escaped him. He's been known for being this maestro, this chess master who can look and see all the wonderful pieces out there, take them, plug them together, and come up with a team that's somehow able to compete for
national championships and final fours every single year. And I would have just loved to have thought that he would have found a way to have made this work. I mean, we all heard the story. Yeah, Travis, he's a little bit undersized, a little bit slow, he's not quite athletic
enough to compete in the SEC. Well, he only had one ear I mean, people do develop over the time, and I would have liked to have thought that Pope would have somehow found a way to make this work, to write that story, to allow us to write that story. Looks like it's not going to happen, That's that's my thought.
Well yeah, but it sounds like you're putting it at the feet of Mark Pope, when in fact, it was up to Travis Perry to make his own decision. He could have stuck around and you know, but look, I mean he's listed as a point guard john, but as I mentioned earlier, he is a He is a two in terms of his skill set. Yes, he ran the point in high school, but that was because he needed
to be a facilitator and a score. He was pressed into duty as a point guard this year because of injuries, but in terms of his skill set, he's a woefully undersized shooting guard. Now he's tremendous at scoring and a really good shooter, but when you recruit guys who were so much bigger and quicker and faster than he is at his position, you know, he saw the handwriting on the wall, didn't.
He He did, and he has to do what's what's best for him, and he's making that decision and in the end it may all work out for the best for all parties involved. And no, you're you're wrong, and I'm not blaming Pope. It may sound like I am, but my frustration, I think is coming out of the system. The current landscape of college basketball is heading in the wrong direction. And the last thing I want to do, Dick, is I don't want to come out sounding like a
walk Kawawski. You remember Walt He was a Clint Eastwood character in Grantorino saying get off my lawn. And I know I'm I'm sounding like that, but this is kind of the way it is right now. It's it's all about the money. And it's all about seeing what you can you can get, and it's unfortunate because those of us who have grown up in the system, who loved seeing the way things have played out with had a passion for the sport just don't like the way that
it's headed in this direction. Now, the good news is, I think it's it's non sustainable the way it is. When you hear about these salaries of players getting three and four and five and then even six million dollars, now, I mean that's certainly more than pro contract. So this is a sport that's been elevated to the pro pro level, and let's don't let's don't make any bones about that. But unless the team continues to win, you're not going to be able to see these salaries be thrown thrown
at these players year in and year out. You know, you end up with a losing season or a media over season, and that money is going to go away because there's only so much of it. There's there's a pot and if you're putting it into your athletic programs, you're taking it away from academics. And get me started off on that point. Either, you know, the worth of a college scholarship right now is essentially nothing. They've poo
fooed it. And speaking from a personal standpoint, I'll be the first to say that my degrees that UK are our most my most valuable life right now. I just hate to see that kind of over the course of time.
Oh no, I agree. I mean, I work my way through college doesn't make me better than anybody else. It's impossible now unless you have the side job as a surgeon, you know, to work your way through college. But here's the thing too, when you think about it, John, you went pro. You went to college, and then you went pro and had a successful professional career, just like athletes do. I push back on the notion that dollars ago to athletics aren't going to academics. They're two entirely different pots
and two entirely different sources. You know, if people, some people might you know, give money to athletics, that they might give that to academic to the general Fund. But for the most part, I think people who donate now to these collectives don't. I don't know that they would be donating to the General Fund as well. But what we're both saying is we kind of missed the way
things were when you and I were in school. And also when you think about this John roster construction, you've set in on many of Mark Stoop's news conference when he talks about, you know, having to rerecruit and all his free agents and all. But he also talked one day about the fact that when he signs a kid, he the next thing he does is go out and try to recruit over him and and the athletes know this.
You didn't see that quite as much, did you, Back in the day with basketball, when coaches could build rosters with an eye on the future. You know, Okay, let's say they sign a Travis Perry and they're like, okay, we're set for his position for the next two or three years. Let's go get a power forward that kind of thing. You don't do that anymore, do you.
They could count on that. Back in the day there was a little bit more planning involved. You could look ahead, and nowadays you just don't know where you're going to get from here to year. In fact, the only thing that you know is that it's going to change from year to year, and you better be able to react and adapt or you're going to be left far far behind and and and once again, don't get me wrong, I'm a capitalist. I really do believe in America as
a land of opportunity. You ought to be able to make money, you ought to be able to establish your work. I mean, my parents were a product of the American dream. They came from very, very humble beginnings in China, moved their family over to America. Within one generation they had a pharmacist, a dentist, and a medical doctor within the family. And I'm not saying that to brag. Well, maybe a
little bit, I ain't braggage, but the point. The point is that with good work, ethic, with perseverance, America is someplace that you can do do these things. And I'm not against people making money, but but nil. And this whole system initially was designed so that athletes could could share a little bit of the pot, right if they earned it, if they wanted to put their face on a T shirt, they should be allowed to get a
little bit of money. But it's warped into something so far more sinister, where it really is pay for play right now, and there's just something inherently not not right with that. So my rant, no, no, no, that rant to the newly minted Hall of Fame media member Kick Gabriel.
I'm with you, John, and I think everybody agrees, except perhaps the guys were making the most money. He is John Wong. He is a sports writer blogger. Will come back and talk more sports with John on the other side of the break here on six point thirty Wlap Welcome back. We're talking with John Wong. He's a blogger, a sports writer and covers the Wildcats. You covered Maxwell Harriston when he was playing football for the Wildcats. He'll play for somebody else. The end NFL Draft starts tonight
and a lot of people are high on him. He apparently tested really well. It was tough that he was injured this past year, but it was really fun watching him. Kind of a parallel to what Carrington Valentine did. You know had a rough season a couple of years back, and then last year talking about twenty three, I guess when he had to pick sixes and put himself on the national radar. It was fun to watch him blossom. So you got to feel good about a kid like that.
I feel fantastic. Everybody remembers when Vince Morrow said this guy's going to be playing on Sundays. Hardly anybody could believe him at the time because he wasn't the player that he developed into, And to see a story like that, which is essentially rags and riches, is kind of why
we cover sports now. On the flip side, I think one of the most intriguing stories of draft night will be to see where Dihon Walker because you see that, on the other hand, a guy who went from riches sleep to rags based on whatever lack of work ethic or whatever else that that people have thrown his way. It's kind of neat to see how those two unparalleled universes are going to collide on on draft byke.
When you see though, a guy with that kind of size and that kind of athleticism, you got to think that somebody is going to be intrigued by that. But you know, he Yeah, he probably could have tested better or whatever. But it's such a meat market anyway, and there are so many swings and misses when the draft comes around. It's really a fascinating process and I'm glad my career doesn't hinge on it. You know what I mean?
Are you gonna are you one of these people that's gonna sit there and watch it round by round. How does Dick Gabriel usually handle it? And not like that.
I keep an eye on it, and I keep my clock, my watch set to when the packers are gonna draft. Of course it's all happening in Green Bay, uh tonight, but uh yeah, I keep it. Take a peek at an aisle. So I'm like you, I'm sure fast ned by the number of SEC athletes who are taken. And we should never be surprised, right.
It's fun watching all those guys gather together in the green room, and I don't know, I kind of get nervous. I feel for the guys who should have gone very, very high. And yeah, I mean that's the agony of having to sit through something like that lives with you forever and ever, and it bothers us that much. Impartial observers from the outside, how much was it? Must it way on on their own picture parts and families my my mind. But that's that's the drama, right, the thrill
of victory, the agony of defeat. That's why sports is so great.
Let me shift you over to baseball. We have a few minutes left, but you've been tweeting about the baseball Wildcats and the strangest two game series that I can recall with the Louisville Cardinals, just a you know, a pitcher's duel in sub freezing weather literally two weeks ago in a four to three extra inning win by Louisville, and then a Kentucky total beatdown, a run rule game of the works nineteen ninety two U. And it's coming
a good time for these Wildcats. They're finally kind of pulling it together in time to impress the NCAA Tournament committee, aren't they.
They're coming on. I'm two weeks ago they were strictly, strictly on the bubble, and now most people have agreed that this is a legitimate, bona fide NCAA team that is gaining a heck of a lot of momentum right now. You look at the last couple of series that they've been in against top flight competition, and then I think they've got South Carolina coming on this week in South Carolina.
I understand this is struggling a traditional power. If they can somehow, you know, take certainly take the series and complete sweep sweep the game Cocks, that's really going to set them into the stratosphere of high orbit coming down the stretch here. And as you know, Dick, you've covered him a lot more than I had this year. Inconsistency is kind of the bugaboo for this team. They've been in so many games, they've been on top, they've had to lead, they've blown lead, and they just failed to
execute at those critical times. You know, a team that traditionally has been so great at bunting, this year, it's kind of fifty to fifty whether they're going to lay down that bunt. And when I asked coach min Gione about that, he bristled a little bit. He wasn't quite ready to see that that coaches always are a little bit defensive from that standpoint, but he did acknowledge that just a little bit at their execution here and there, and you could be talking about a real Juggernauf this year.
But as always, Dick, you can tell I'm drinking the kool aid. You know, I'm excited. I'm ready to go. Now do almbaha again. Man, wouldn't that be something else?
I would love that. Before I let you go, you know you were you were quite generous with your praise for me, But congrats to you and your family. You've awarded another long family scholarship. Real quickly tell us about that.
Yeah, that was something that essentially my dad put together. He decided that, hey, he's raised three professional kids, neither one of us any need, none of the three of us really need needed the money. So he decided to give away his inheritance by setting up five different scholarships across the University of Kentucky and with his church. And it just shows the importance of being able to give back,
to be able to pay it forward. And I think my dad is one of these guys who believed so much in academics that he would have sacrificed giving to any NIL collective in order to continue contributing to academics. That's my feel and to me, realistically speaking, my priorities have always been academics. Also, Dick, I love sports, I
love UK. But truly, if you ask me, if it comes down to give in to a scholarship or given to a NIL to give get a five star center into Kentucky's basketball program, I'd probably have to pick academics. I'm sorry, you don't have to apologize for that.
At all, brother, no problem.
I'm letting my money speak where my mouth is right right now. There you have it, I hear.
Here is John Wong and as I should have mentioned earlier, not just a sports writer now, but an author. And you need to go out and you can get his books plural at Joseph Bett and other places via Amazon, so check them out. Not just contemporary stuff. But he's got the murder mystery out there right now that's centered based on college basketball. So go out and tell everybody the name of it. Again.
It's called name, image and murder. Highly appropriate. Yeah, basketball coach gets brutally murdered, so it's a who done it? You got to figure out who's done it.
Yeah, it should be a lot of fun, John, thank you so much. We'll see it at the ballpark, all right.
Thank you, Dick, appreciate it as always.
Up next, Peter Wilson, the sports editor of the Georgetown News, graphic on Scott County's new head boys basketball coach, Shawn Woods. That's next in the Big Moonsider six thirty Wlap Welcome back to the Big Bluonsider. Joining us now? Is somebody new to the Big Blue Insider? You might know his work, Peter Wilson. He is the sports editor of the Georgetown News Graphic. Welcome to the show, young man.
Glad to be.
I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things. You got to stay champion over there in Great Crossing High School. But also I think it was you who actually broke the story that Shawn Woods, the former Kentucky Wildkett, is the new head coach at Scott County High School and takes over after just one year of the previous coach. Was this a surprise, Peter, that they moved to name a new coach.
So quickly, I mean previous coach to help me. He'd been pretty clear after the last game of the season that he and that he wasn't coming back. So they they, I mean, they took about a month's months to six weeks, and that wasn't I don't. I don't think the timeline
was a huge surprise. I talked with them, and they, I mean they were they were very pleased with the number of candidates, and the superintendent, the hiring committee was very pleased with the number of candidates they had, but just felt that Seoun Woods was the right man for the job. And kind of I think the words that would use was kind of bring the sizzle back basketball.
Any idea. How many candidates they had.
I believe it was somewhere in the twenty Well obviously maybe uh inter of people that reached out to probably in twenty pigs range. Wow, but that of course a narrower field that may have gotten called in for interviews.
This is one of the good jobs in the state of Kentucky. Not that there are bad jobs, but there's tradition there, there's facility, there's support. I got to think this was a job that a lot of people really would love to have had. True.
Oh, absolutely. I mean it's a brand new school. I mean, even in the old school it was a great job. It's a brand new school. And I mean, if you've been to that that gymnasium, it's beautiful. It's one of the prettiest gyms in the state. And you've got, of course, the great tradition, and you've got a chance to really build it back at this point because they've had you know, four or five straight losing seasons. Well let's have that tradition.
Yeah, let's talk about that though, because obviously with great crossing now you know, the whatever talent, whatever talented kids live in Scott County used to be they went to Scott County High. Now I don't know if there's a battle involved in recruiting, but that makes things a lot more challenging, doesn't it.
Yeah, the schools split, I mean in a lot of ways. It was very lopsided at first, you know, because two two thousand point scores went to Great Crossing High School. You know, it stops and of course mouth a mareno.
So it'll be interesting. This is really the thing that I'm most kind of intrigued by is to see how it whether it even's out with Woods, whether it tilts back the other way with Woods, because obviously a great scene class from Great Crossing just left, and actually, I mean Scott County had a lot of guys leave as well to graduation, a lot of their kind of main states.
So it's kind of like a it's not as much of a like slate for Great Crossing just because they've got phenomenal freshman Brady arm and then l Jick Holman, but it's it's kind of a reset for the county in some way.
I feel like, again, give me one second, my my wife niece. I'm in my do my show in my garage. She's going to shut the door because she's mowing the the weed's out there. On one second, Okay, here we go. Can I assume that that the county line in terms of middle schools, are the middle schools sort of assigned to the high schools? Because I know that the really good will Malachi and a couple of his teammates played
through middle school into Great Crossing High. You know, I don't know if they had the option of going to Scott can or how did that work in that county.
Well, they did have the option to go to Scott County. I believe every student in the county. But there are gms. George tum Middal is generally districted to Great Crossing, Scott County is generally district to Scott County, and Royal Spring is I believe generally split.
I've got to think that the fact that Great Crossing just won the state that that's got to be a great attraction to kids. But on the other hand, if you grew up in Scott County, you know that Scott County High has been a basketball powerhouse. Have you gotten a chance to, you know, check the temperature of the room in the county where you work, and how people are feeling about this.
Yeah, there's there's definitely a lot of excitement because you know, I was a little surprised with this myself by how excited some of the kids were on Scott County's team about Shane shawmlits. Because you know, if you're a freshman in high school, know you were worn like two thousand and nine or whatever, right, I don't know you two
or whatever. Yeah, and that's that's you know, twenty years removed from the unforgettable almost so, but there was kids that were excited about Seawan Woods because of his playing days. You know, I would have thought, you know, I'm looking at and saying, looking at the twenty five years of Division one experience. Sure, yeah, coaching, but there was kids that was like, I pretended to be Sewn Wood's shooting
in Mayard growing up. You know, like, yeah, so that's still there because because if you're playing basketball for Scott un High School, you're a basketball mute. And if you're a basketball at in Scott County, you're probably a uk nott you know, so you know about you know about those guys. So it's it's definitely brought already brought some of that excitement back. And of course, I mean you've talked with them. Sure he's he's not a he's a very he's good at bringing that excitement.
Oh yeah, energetic, and he's got the million dollar smile. I mean, you know, and he's you know what he also has going for him beyond the fact. And I guess these kids they may not even know that it was his shot that almost won the Dude Game for Kentucky but basically set up the laterner moment. But here's a guy who played for Rick Pattino who is now relevant again in a superb way in college basketball. You know, I'm sure he'll he'll drop that name more than once
to these kids. You know, that's got to mean something to him.
Right, Yeah, I'm I'm sure I didn't. Probably didn't he could specifically speak to that yet, but yeah, Sean Woods definitely mentioned the guys that he's light under because it's I mean, it's quite a less even even if pass Patino, I mean, Dwyane Gazy, you know, guys that people know, you know that are still a big deal in coaching or in the league. Yeah, so that that brings some I guess authority haness with it like that I think will help him a lot.
I'm really curious Peter. By the way, we're talking to Peter Wilson, sports editor of the newspaper over in Georgetown. I'm really curious about his style of play at this level. I watched his team's play in college and it wasn't exactly the you know, the denial press stuff that they use in the UK when he was there. But you know, he is a defensive guy. Uh, not that he is
shoes offense, but he's intense about defense. Yeah, and I really I'm really curious to see how his teams reflect that, you know what I mean?
Oh yeah, And he was clear that that's not going to change. Yeah, he talked a little bit about offensive spread, but most of what he when I were asking him about his playing style for the Fit paper on Tuesday, I was I mean, it was he was talking about the defense and in the press, he's gonna run and jump, he's gonna try to beach turn that defense into offense, and it's gonna be energetic. So which is not that I mean, that's that's not going to be entirely new.
I'm sure he'll do it in then entirely. I'm sure he'll do it in a different way. But that's not going to be entirely new to some of these guys, because that's that's what I mean. That's been Scott County's calling card is the running, I mean, the press, for quite a while.
But yeah, well, people who are of a certain age, or even if they're my age, might not remember that Betino's teams, for all the three point shooting and the and the runouts and the pressing, you know, they I
guess pressing was a big part of that. They really hung their hats on defense, and they forget that his last couple of teams, his best teams, didn't press us nearly as much as his first teams because, and he said this, they had to press to cover up the the I don't know what the word I'm looking for is, but you know, they just didn't have enough in certain areas, so they made up by pressing. Maybe Scott County is
gonna end up doing that. But the reward for these guys for working their tails off on defense, you know, to cover the shortcomings, I guess is the word I was looking for. The reward is offense. If you're open, you shoot the three, get out and run, that kind of thing. So you think we'll see that from Scott County.
I think I think you definitely will. I think that's going to be what they're angling for. And if it goes off, and Scott County has shooters and they've got they've got some really promising kids that if they get in the right scheme and just get experienced, because some of them are young freshmen, are going to do really well offensively and maybe gross too. But uh so there's
there's a lot of potential there. I'm you know, I can't speak to all this stuff is going to not go on, but I think it'll be really interesting to see the next two years kind of how what changes and how these kids developed. And I mean, coach Wood is not hedging. He's not saying, well, you know, it
will be a long rebuild. He's he's he's talking about competing this you know, competing in the louthern region, which if you're competing in the eleventh region, you're competing in state this year, you know, So it'll be it'll be interesting to see how hot they come out of the gate and he's got you know last last year, I mean because they Helton had a year, right, Well, he really doesn't have a year he had. He took over that team in the summer, so Woods has more time.
I mean, he still does some time, but he's got more time to get his scheme into the kids and get them practicing the way he wants some practicing playing the way he wants them playing. So that'll be I'm definitely gonna try to make it as much summer ball as I can, just to kind of see how that develops.
It's going to be fascinating. We'll talk more with Peter Wilson after a break here on the Big Bloon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome back with chatting with Peter Wilson. He is the sports editor of the Georgetown News Graphic and an e KU graduate, and we talked about Sean Woods becoming the new head coach of Scott County and of course the arts rival now is great crossing the Warhawks and the defending state champions now, but as Peter pointed out in the first segment, lost a lot of talent,
including Malachia Moreno to the Wildcats. What do you expect to see from him Pete in his first year as a college player, knowing that Biggs take a little bit longer to develop. I know what everybody in Georgetown would love to see, But realistically, you've watched this kid mature. What do you think.
Realistically? And I think he's going to do probably not as well as everybody would love him to do from Georgetown, but probably a lot better than most people are thinking he'll do from It feels like there's a lot of Marino I would say disrespect where it's like he's not really going to be a factor at all. I think he will absolutely be a factor. Yeah, and of course
they're they're a transfer portal. I think it's just about finished churning for the Wildcats, and they of course they added a big but he The one thing that I think I haven't been mentioned a lot is that he's a great distributor. Yes, yes, he's a he's a phenomenal distributor. It maybe it may be his most bus right and he's step several, but like that may be the thing that so I could see some some of that, like Amar Williams type playing a little bit of point center, so to speak.
Yeah.
Yeah, and he he's got I think because he had mainly because he had you know, Vince Doofson, who's a two thousand point scores that's going to moreheads and honestly, I think more has getting a little bit of a steel it. Oh yeah, Uh. He didn't probably have the eye popping numbers some people would expect for his unfitter. I mean, he had eye popping numbers, but they can you know, it's like twenty five points a game. It wasn't like forty a game, right, and yeah, it absolutely
could have been. I mean he showed that a couple he did score quarter one game. Yes, but he just had a lot of weapons and he likes to use you know, he likes to get his teammates assists. He enjoys that part of the game.
Well yeah, and you've been reviewed him more than once, and every time you do, he wants to talk about his teammates more than himself.
It's so hard to get him to talk about it really is. But I mean, but he does like he is driven to succeed. I think he's I think he's likely you'll see him come on as a seasons as his freshman year, even you'll probably see him get in
the game more and more. I expect him to. You know, it wouldn't it wouldn't shock me to see him do really well off the bat because he's I mean, he's he's a phenomenal rebounder and he's had you know, even with those weapons, he's had three guys on him for four years now, you know, every play and then maybe you know, they may be six to three guys, but that's still three guys. I think when he's you know, when he's in a more balanced situation, it's it's going to be really cool to see that.
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Vince Dawson. I was going to bring him up, and I agree with you. This guy could be looking at a really fine career at Morehead State. And in this day and age, Peter, you got to wonder how long does he stay at Morehead State? You know what I mean?
Yeah, I mean den I Broom obviously for Ahead State. Yep, answer, Vince Sawson. He didn't get overlooked by the team, but because Malachi is so good and so big, he got overlooked a lot.
That's right.
But I think more at large and he's another kid great kid, so humble, same type of thing where you know you talk to him, he wants to talk about teammates. Just the kind of guy you want in your program. Like that cliche, but it's true. And he's a really good shooter when he's smart rather shots, which usually he is. He's also a good distributor, moves well with the ball, moves well without the ball. Yeah, just that. I'm definitely I'm I'm for sure making trips he up next year.
You get pictures as not guy, but I'm also absolutely making some trips down to Morehead because it'll be fun to see how he does there.
Absolutely, I may see you there. I'm just as curious as you are. He is Peter Wilson. He is a sports editor of the Georgetown News Graphic. He can follow his work on x or Twitter if you will at Peter w I K why Peter, Thanks so much. We'll talk again soon, I hope.
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
It is going to be interesting to see how well Sean Woods does at Scott County High, which had really fallen off. I think the Cardinals were six and twenty one last year. But for the longest time, if you played basketball, high school basketball in Scott County. You were playing at Scott County High and Billy Hicks was there, and he wasn't opposed to going out and getting players, if you know what I mean. But a lot of
players gravitated toward that school, and why not. Great tradition, great coaching, and you got a chance to play with a lot of really good kids. Well, now you got kids pulled in different directions. One direction is Great Crossing, the other is Scott County. They're building a new Scott County High School not too far from Great Crossing, so that's going to be fun to watch that develop. Tip of a big Blue Insider cap to Marquise Estel. He is now the new assistant boys basketball coach at Paris
High School. So Marquise is coaching over in Bourbon County for the new head coach, Eli Strait. He's the new headman at Paris. Played his college basketball at Gardner Webb, but he was a high school player at Tates Creek under Nolan Barger, the great one. So he knows his stuff as well. A lot of coaching moves in the high school ranks, and we'll keep an eye on him. Thanks to Peter, thanks to Jeff Drumming and to John Wong and again Kentucky Baseball tomorrow night at six thirty
three games of six fifteen. That's a good night from the garage in Lexington. A A Ron?
Where are you? Where is a A ron right now?
No?
A ron?
Huh? Well you better be sick.
Dead or mute a Aron here?
Oh man?
Why didn't you ask me the first time? I said ear huh, I'm you know, I'm just asking you. I said it like four times, So why didn't you say it the first time?
I said a a ron?
Because it's pronounced aaron.
You done messed up?
Hey, Ron, only tact such statta cantacute packs and then let to back them from tap don