Welcome to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Abriel with you on a Wednesday edition of our program. I have jury duty, so tonight it is the best of the Big Blue Insider. We're going to talk about the return of the basketball Tournament La Famiya, the team comprised primarily of Kentucky players
playing for that million dollar prize. We'll also hear from Mark Pope, and in our number one, we'll go back to the night that I had a chance to chat with one of, if not the newest Wildcat, Reese Potter, the transfer from Miami of Ohio, Lexinglon Kid, who's coming home to play for the Wildcats. This is the best of the Big Blue Insider. There is no UK Baseball
on Tuesday, no midweek game. You'd think this team could use a midweek game to kind of lift its spirits a little bit after dropping the entire series over the weekend at Mississippi State. But the Wildcats nock and rest and heal because there have been some injuries, significant injuries, and get ready for this weekend series with Oklahoma, the Sooners coming to town for the first time as members of the Southeastern Conference. And we'll have it for you
right here on six thirty WLAP. It's a six thirty start on Friday night. Darren's pregame comes up at six point fifteen. We'll have them for you over on SEC Plus as well. Doug Flinn and I we'll have the telecast. But it's a huge weekend for the baseball Wildcats and they have got the hang on to home Turf. Got to win at least two man, if they can sweep, that would like put last week firmly in the rearview mirror.
But Kentucky, I don't know if it's on the bubble right now, but it's not going to host a regional and being a two seed or maybe even a three seed maybe out the window right now. So big weekend to baseball coming up, but a lot to talk about before that, including the remnants of the Kentucky Derby. We'll talk with Kenny Rice to look ahead of the Preakness that comes up in our number two, and Keith Farmer's
also going to join us. He covered the derby, and we'll also talk basketball with Kman because we have a new Kentucky Wildcat to talk about. He is Reese Potter, and we thought that the roster news would end, at least for the time being with a yellich the kid from Croatia. But a day or two later comes word that Potter is entertaining an offer to come through the portal and transfer from Miami where he signed after playing
at Electiondon Catholic and become a Kentucky Wildcat. Sure enough, the word leaked out on Sunday and it kind of made the rounds on social media yesterday. So I had a chance to touch base with Reese and he will join us at the bottom of the hour. So coming up at the bottom of the hour. Former Lexington Catholic Knight, former Miami of Ohio Redhawk, and now a brand new Kentucky Wildcat, Reese Potter. He is listed at seven point
one two fifteen two fifteen. I mean that's slender, but you know, if he plays as much out on the floor as he does under the bucket, he'll be okay. And he played well at Miami of Ohio, played about not eighteen twenty minutes a game, averaged six or seven points, averaging nearly four rebounds a game in less than a half of basketball. So he will help this Kentucky team with depth and he will get better, of course playing against the likes in practice of Yelich and Garrison and
Malaka Moreno and all these guys. But we'll meet Rhys Potter. I've never interviewed the guy. We'll talk to him at the bottom of the hour while we're on UK basketball. If you followed, and many of you did, last year the basketball tournament TBT La Familia, the Kentucky team is pulling itself together again. And the word came out over the last twenty four to forty eight hours that Andrew and Aaron Harrison would be playing once again for La Familla.
And if you recall that Kentucky team last year did really well, did not win it lost to the team that eventually won it called Carmen's Crew. This was the team that was the team primarily made up of Ohio State players former Ohio State players, and in fact, the MVP for the tournament, the basketball tournament for the second
time this past year, was Jared Sullinger. And he might recall he's the guy who bumped into Josh Harrelson a few times in a NCA tournament game against the Wildcats, and Harrelson hurled the ball at him and it was part of a Kentucky upset that included a huge three pointer by DeAndre Leak who will play for TBT or in TBT for the Wildcats. But the biggest news game with the Harrison's coming back. And remember now this is a tournament where the games can be decided at a
certain point. They might not go to the conclusion if it reaches a certain points spread at a certain time. Game over and against Louisville the Ville last year in the quarterfinals, it was Aaron Harrison who hit a huge shot that ended the game. And then you might recall it was almost predictable. It was so chippy that there was I don't know what you want to call it, pushing and shoving, you know, all that kind of silliness
that can go on. And it indeed happened last year between Laville and La Familla, but that was in the quarters and up in Philly, I believe it was. And then the wild Cats, primarily the La Famia team lost in the next round of Carmen's Crew, which after that beat a team made up primarily of players from Houston Forever Koogs. So the Harrison brothers are back. And if you go to YouTube, you can watch a couple of montages of the huge NC Tournament games won by huge
shots from Aaron Harrison. Here's a little bit of the audio. Harris Autel Ram Priminal Blacks feeds the corn Harris.
Light the space Saturday after Harrison underna bounced to the Carmy shots back outside.
This is the point where he always upset. A kind of fun to relive those I had forgotten that on the Wisconsin shot, his brother fed him the ball and Andrew got the assists. If you know you follow such things. On that shot, and then against Michigan, you might recall this. It was a step back. It was a little jab step. I don't know if he was planning on trying to drive or just setting up his defender, but he used a jab step and then stepped back and drained it.
And those moments were just phenomenal. And you got to remember those plays when you think back to how frustrated
you were, and everybody will. And the loss to Wisconsin in twenty fifteen, and I know that there was some sentiment leading into that game that cali Peri wasn't subbing enough, because in the middle of a news conference at one point Calipari was talking about the Harrisons and he stopped himself and he looked up and he said, you know they're carrying us right now, don't you, to the media.
And in fact, to a degree, they were. But I'll never forget neither were you that lost to Wisconsin in twenty fifteen and they could not even with the Harrisons in the game, couldn't get off a shot for three straight possessions. And over on the bench, say hello to Devin Booker. I know, not the same Devin Booker he is now, but back then he could get off a shot.
And you know who might have been better at doing that, Tyler Eulis, who could have left somebody in the dust and gotten the ball up in the rim at least. And yes, I know there would have been challenges defensively. I'm not saying put them both in. You put one or the other end. Wisconsin with bigger guards, what had a field day at the other end, although Uless was a hell of a defensive player. But you know what you sub them. I mean, I still, oh man, I'm
sure it bothers you as well. But any other Harrisons are back and the TVT was a lot of fun last year in Kentucky's kids played hard, they played well, they took it seriously, they practiced well, and it's a great event. Makes some money. Speaking of money, ESPN is reporting a big dollars thanks to college sports ad revenue. It's not actually technically ESPN reporting it. It's Sports Business Journal.
There's a story out right now that says the network has increased its AD revenue generated from college sports by are you ready forty two percent year over year. Now, this coincides with the expansion of the college football Playoff, with those eight additional huge games for ESPN to sell to advertisers. And by the way, two of those games are on TNT. ESPN kept the ad money. There you go.
But it's not just football. Add inventory on college sports such as basketball, baseball, softball, those sports the non revenue quote unquote sports have combined for an eleven percent year over year increase in AD revenue. You know what else, volleyball is making money now for ESPN. And yeah, disclosure, I work for SEC plus, owned by ESPN. I don't
know what kind of money they make. I know they don't spend a lot on SEC plus because for one thing, a lot of those broadcasts are primarily manned by students. Doug Flynn and I we are not. We were students of life, students of the game. But what I'm telling you is they are modestly crewed. We have a great crew, we really do, and modestly but properly equipped on the SEC level. So I'd love to know how much money
comes from SEC plus. Probably not a whole lot since it's streaming, but it's all part of one big package. And thank you College sports, And if you're ESPN, you're saying thank you to the Southeastern Conference. Yeah, the Big Ten Network makes a lot of money. ESPN does not own the Big Ten Network. It owns the SEC Network and the ACC Network, among others, and those are the
big money makers. So anytime you hear about a decision being made that will favor not just college football but SEC football, if ESPN is anywhere lurking, you got to think they're involved, or at least they're trying to influence the situation because that's what's paying their bills right now, and it shouldn't be a surprise. Coming up to the bottom of the hour. Reheese Potter, the newest Wildcat, you're listening to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. You're
on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Abriel with you, and again this is the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Because I do have jury duty, I should be back tomorrow. We don't start reporting until next Monday. If indeed we are selected, if you've been through the process, you know what I'm talking about. But we will keep you up to date on that. And if indeed I'm chosen, well we'll just have to pull
out some more classic Big Blue Insiders for you. A reminder, coming up on Friday at noon, it's UK Baseball as the Wildcats take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. We hear more from the baseball Wildcats, Nick Benjeon and as players coming up tomorrow night. Right now, we're going to take you back to today that we had a chance to share with Mark Pope about his brand new roster. We met with
him a couple of weeks ago. Here is the UK basketball coach on Tonight's edition of the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Today it was about basketball. Earlier today because Mark Pope spoke to the media for the first
time in a long time. Some people have gotten piecemeal interviews, and we've gotten comments and quotes and things like that throughout the off season, but this was the first chance we all had as the crew that covers the beat to sit down and talk to Mark Pope, and we got to talk to him for gosh, almost forty minutes. What this means is, if you're a Kentucky basketball fan, you've got all kinds of material out there, all kinds of outlets that will use everything he said, every comment
he made, every quote, every SoundBite. You're going to hear them or read them, or some combination of all. If you haven't seen them all today and tomorrow, you will over the next probably so especially on the TV stations that have, you know, a very limited amount of airtime sadly on their newscast. Don't get me started on that, but they'll squeeze every drop out of that news conference that they can, and you know what, so will I. Now I've only got a few minutes right now to
share with you. I'll have much more tomorrow on Pope and throughout the week. But some of the things he said that have jumped out. You've probably already seen his comment about Travis Perry leaving. He said I thought Travis Perry would be a legend, and he went on at length about Travis. I'm gonna play that for you tomorrow, but what I wanted to play for you today are
a couple of comments. The first one just basically talking about his group now his team, the guys in his roster, and how much he likes this collection he's put together.
I think the guys that have chosen to be here are guys that are just starving to come test themselves every single day in practice to come get better. I got hungry, hungry, hungry guys. I got guys that have really unique, distinguishable skill sets that fit us really well. And so so I'm man, I'm excited about this crew. This is going to be a really special crew.
Pope alluded to guys who want to be here and play at Kentucky, and I asked him a specific question about that, about when you're looking at guys either recruits or more specifically guys coming through the portal, the fact that they want to be a part of UK basketball for everything that means. I asked him I said, is that the top of your list or is it the icing on the big blue cake at at the very end of the process.
I think it's both.
Actually, I think it's the beginning and the end because it matters. This is there's nowhere like this. And if you come in here not understanding or appreciating that, I actually think your chances of success are.
Not very high to some level.
I mean, nobody can really understand this until you live it, right, But the guys that are really successful here come in with a healthy respect for what this is. And because it requires more, actually it requires more ability to be you know, non distracted. It requires more of a giving heart. It requires more of an idea that there's something bigger
than yourself. It requires more of an ability to sacrifice a little bit and understand that by sacrificing a little bit of yourself it actually elevates you.
Right.
That's what's great about this beautiful team sport of basketball that we have when you learn that concept of like, if I give a little bit, you know, if I just give a little bit of myself, it actually elevates myself.
Right.
There is much more, But he really went in depth there. I'll share some more of that with you later in the week. At the end, they were basically ready to dismiss us, and Pope said, I can't believe nobody asked about the Saint John's game. Oddly, nobody did about the fact that Saint John's has stepped in for UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic coming up down into Atlanta, and so somebody kind of I think it was Lee K. Howard from WKYT, said hey, what about going against coach Patino.
That's awesome.
I'm so hyped.
I'll be honest with you, just if I'm putting this out there so Coach p can hear it. I am bringing the suit game. I already started planning, and coach just be ready, Okay, bring it, and the game's gonna be elite.
I'm not going white. I can't listen.
I'm not I'm not trying to be the dawn like that's how that position I have been taking. But I'm bringing the thunder. So I don't know what coach has prepared, but he better get with his tailor because it's on right now.
That's gonna be fun. That's gonna be funny. And I can't wait. And I was a little surprised. I thought somebody else would ask, otherwise I would have. But yeah, that's gonna be a lot of fun. The time leading up to that game is gonna be really entertaining. Otaga always name naturally came up early and he talked about the fact that you know, Otaga's got a lot of skills on offense and defense. Didn't make any predictions about
what would happen with the NBA. But of course, the big story today in the NBA is about what happened last night, and that's the Dallas Mavericks winning the lottery. With a chance of one point eight percent. The Mavericks win the overall number one pick and likely will take Cooper Flag And this, of course is the franchise that
one guy traded away Luka Donsich. Maybe Cooper Flagg saves his butt when it comes to the fans, but of course, the Mavericks winning that pick when they desperately needed it gives rise to the notion if you like conspiracies, which I do, that the lottery at times has been fixed throughout the years. I love a good conspiracy. I kind
of like this one. And I'm going to tell you more about that coming up tomorrow night, because there just seems to be too many coincidences where teams, especially one year in particular, where teams needed a specific player, not just a type of player, but a specific player and they got him. Up next, my conversation from earlier this month with Rhys Potter the transfer from Miami of Ohio. You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
Welcome back. You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider joining us now from right now is his dorm room at the Miami Ohio is Rhyes Potter of the newest Wildcat. Congratulations and I appreciate you.
It's been a lifelong dream of mind. So this is so real for me.
I had a feeling you're going to say that. So let's let's start with when you were growing up always a Wildcat fan. What are your earliest memories.
You know, growing up as a Wildcats fan and liked it. I mean I was always the thing. You're either a Kentucky fan or a Lobal fan, so I think elected it. I was definitely a Kentucky fan, so I grew to love the program, and you know, it was kind of all everybody knows is to be a Kentucky fan. Everybody knows that when a Kentucky basketball game is, when a Kentucky football game is.
So it's the big deal around here.
And I guess was Tubby coaching when you were growing up?
Yeah?
With him and mostly cal Yeah, mostly the years I remember of the cal Era.
Yeah, what do you remember any specific players that really excited you.
I would probably say John Wall. I mean that was always a big thing. John Wall dance when I was younger, So you know, that was always the player everybody was most excited about. Every every little kid used to do his little dance. So you know, I was probably, you know, the best and earliest memory.
I had, Although your game is a little bit different from his.
Right, Yeah, I mean I wish I could say I was astass as him and you know, as good as him, But yeah, it's a little it's a little different.
You're you're a pretty tall guy. Were you tall growing up? I mean, was it always basketball for you?
It wasn't always basketball for me.
I was always kind of I was always taller, but I was never really you know, not much taller than everybody. But I just kept steadily growing and so everybody kind of peaked, and I just I just kept steadily growing, you know, a couple of inches every year.
So I kind of kind of what happened to me well, and.
That happens to most kids that way as well. And then when you got a chance to play college ball, what I mean again, Miami is a great school, the best option for you at the time, though, right.
It was.
I mean it was probably not the most highly rated school for sure, but you know, I believe in Coach Steel, I believe in the staff. So that's kind of the place that I knew kind of was going to.
Be home originally.
And you guys are coming off a great year. You drop a heartbreaker in the MAC title game, but next thing you know, you're in the portal. What led to your decision to see you at? What else is out there?
Just kind of just combined of a couple of things. You know.
I love my time at Miami. I had no complaints. You know, Coach Steel, Coach Smith, and you know, Coach Home and Coach Risburg and were great for me. You know, they they kind of helped me get where it's where I am today, and I have nothing but the thanks and gratitudes towards them, So you know, I kind of wanted to, you know, move on to a little little, bigger things.
You know, I wanted to compete for national championships.
You know, that's kind of the thing I've always you know, growing up in high school and stuff. You know, the big deal wasn't you weren't gonna win your You weren't supposed to win your city or your region. The goal with the win the state title. So that've kind of kind of always been in my mindset. You got to win the big thing. So that's kind of the big difference between Miami and here. You know, Miami, you always kind of like the underdog and you're always trying to
compete for mac championships. But you know, Kentucky, you're competing for banners, you're competing for you know, national championships. So that's kind of something I'm looking forward to.
When you entered the portal, did you know Mark Pope was looking for one more person?
I know, so, I mean they were still constructing the rest of their roster recruiting some other people.
So they started recruiting me a month ago, and.
Then kind of knew all along that that's kind of where I wanted to go once they reached out to me, you know, but you know I wanted to take my time, you know, see some other things. But you know, growing up as a electning kid, I always knew, you know, if you if I ever had the chance, I can it say now. So like I always knew, you know, after they reached out to me, that's where I wanted to go. You know, Kentucky kind of recruits itself, you know.
You know, anybody who turned down the blue and white and the Kentucky on the front of those jersey, I think it's honestly crazy. That's being growing up, being a electing kid. So you know, it's a little different for me than you know, maybe some other people.
Talking to Reese Potter, who is the newest Kentucky Wildcats, stepped into the portal and emerged a wildcat. So tell me about that first phone call. How did that happen? What was your reaction?
That's so interesting to get reached out to me. You know, he texted me, and I didn't believe it at first time. You honest, I was actuam lessing him. So I thought one of my friends to find a joke on here or Frank. You know, I never really thought that that was the opportunity that would come. And as soon as he reached out to me and I told him, you know, that's that's something I'm definitely interested in. And then Coach
Ppe you know, facetimed me. Actually he was in the middle of the you know, La airport and he took the time as the day, you know, call and talk to me. And you know, it was just a surreal moment. You know, growing up watching coach Hope, you know, he was able to you know, win a banner here and he just you know, kind of talked about how much everybody likes him, loves him, and how much they like wrapped their arms around him and welcome him home.
You know.
It's like, you know, that definitely interested me and something that I like, you know, I look forward to being able to do.
I've been able to sit across from Mark as a as a coach and a player that that energy is infectious. What is it like as a recruit when it's coming through that computer screen and he's talking to you about maybe joining his team?
Oh man, It's crazy, you know how much energy he has. He's just a very passionate person for this game, and you know the game has been really good for him. So you know, sometimes on training you might think he's you know, he's taking it or something like that, but like I can say with the Harveston, you know, he's not taking it. He's just a very positive guy and very confident guy. He's feel confident in his players, and so that's the way you know, he wants his players
to play. You know, he's he's a very happy individual for sure.
That's a good way to describe him. He's happy and the people around him are and it makes it easier, I guess for them to work for him and play for him. You mentioned that you wanted to take your time though. How difficult was that, Reef, Because again election and kid, you'd always wanted to be a wildcat. The knee jerk reaction would have been, yeah, I'm coming yesterday, but you did the mature thing and took your time. Tell me about that.
Yeah, So, I mean it was really it was really hard.
You know, as soon as they contacted me right away, I wanted to be like, yeah, that's where I'm coming. But like I mean, all along enough kind of where my mindset was but I said, wanted to take my time makes or see all my other options that you know, my.
Mind never changed.
Always knew that's where I wanted to kind of as soon as they contacted me.
Well, now you know, there's a there's a pretty good looking roster right now with some size. Obviously you're gonna learn a lot in practice and then uh, you know, go up against some good players. Tell me about fighting for minutes. You're gonna have to do that probably anywhere you went though, right.
Yes, there, So I'm really looking forward to it, you know, ready to get everybody better for them to make me better. So I'm really looking forward to it. You know, you know, everybody on this roster, the NBA prospect those huge. I mean, the team is you know, very well constructed, and you know it's gonna be really fun competing with these guys and getting to know these guys.
What did Mark Pope tell you about his offensive system? Because it's a little different, isn't it.
Yeah, it's a little different.
So it's more of an NBA style offense, you know, which is kind of kind of becoming a thing in college now, but not completely you know, the more fought out, you know, fast, flawing offense, you know, kind of running gun. It's kind of kind of the offense in my opinion. So that's kind of something that you know, the NBA does, and that's kind of the dream is to get there, so you know, they do it and then they're able to get their players to it.
So we saw Amari Williams shoot threes, we saw Brandon Garrison shoot threes. How's your three point game?
Yeah, it's pretty good.
So I feel like my career three point percent is pretty solid in my opinion, So you know, I'm just looking to improve that a little bit and keep keep keep that going.
Yeah, I'm looking at your numbers. As a freshman, you had forty five percent of your triples thirty seven percent as a sophomore. Did the offense at Miami allow for that kind of freedom?
Yeah, So, I mean it was kind of a little similar but a little different to the Kentucky offense. So it's definitely something that I'm going to have to get to know, but it's definitely something that's in my game to be able to, you know, pull it from deep and face the floor for get everybody else you know involved.
You average seventeen minutes a game and nearly four rebounds a game. I got to think you take a lot of pride in that part of your game, am I right?
Yeah?
I mean that's you know, when you're out there, you're the big man, so you got to you got to make sure to clean everything up. So that's definitely playing. I look to improve and just keep going.
How's your defense.
Pretty good?
So last year my team, you know, we took pride in our defense and being able to you know, switch one through five. So that's definitely playing out. It was really fun to me to be able to challenge myself to go again smaller, more quicker guards. So it's definitely playing that I look forward to improving and just keep doing because I feel like I do it at a pretty good level right now.
Is that something that you particularly like doing? Block shots? I know a lot of big guys really they make it an art form.
Yes, for sure.
I mean it's definitely fun to go over there and block something that's kind of I mean, that's like kind of our our two points, you know, kind of being able to clean everything up, you know, make an offer a mistakes. It's definitely definitely fun to block a shot. You know, get Get gets the crowd going for sure.
Do you know any of the guys on the roster right now?
I know a few people. So I grew up with Malachi and Jasper and then kind of I played against her in a couple of times, so so I know a couple of the guys pretty well. So I'm looking forward to, you know, learning about everybody else.
How did you cross pass with Malachi and Jasper?
Uh? So, Jasper actually lives like five minutes from my house.
I've always played on like similar teams with him and always so he went to Woodford County originally, and so he went to Carter g in middle school, so playing against him in middle school and then we played on the similar age team, so I always kind of kept close with him, and you know, he was always a similar tournament, so I was able to you know, watch
him because he was in a younger age. And then Malachi obviously was at great crossing for his whole career, so I was able to play against him a couple of times and just you know, grow a friendship from that being able to battle it out on the court and then you know kind of you know, the friends off.
The court Hey, I was going to say, how did you do against him?
I feel like I did pretty good.
I know he'd probably say it'd probably say otherwise. But I feel like he's got a got a pretty bad record against me, is what I'm gonna say.
Ah, Okay, yeah, but now he's got a state championship.
Yeah, he's got to stay jams. But you know, i'd like to say my senior year he was going to against me. That's that's where what I get him with. But you know, he does have the state championship. I mean, obviously he's a great player. I mean, he's on draft boards for a reason. He's a great, great, great individual, and he's gonna do great things next year. People are going to look forward to Washington play.
Talking to Reese Potter, he is the newest Wildcat, came through the transfer portal and we'll play for the Wildcats this coming season. And you've had to make now two major decisions in your life. What's that been like because that first time you signed a scholarship, you know, I know your parents are there to help you, but that's something that you got to decide and you had to do it again. Is it an enjoyable process.
I wouldn't say it was probably the most enjoyable process, but when you know, schools like Kentucky reach out to you, and it definitely definitely brings the brings the life back into the bathro and make the fun being able to you know, come back home and play for the premiere program and you know, playing in front.
Of you know, a bunch of crazy fans in the Blue Nation.
So wasn't that hard of a decision the second time around? You know, the first time around, it was a little tougher, you know, but you know, second time around, I kind of knew what I was looking for, knew what I liked to play, and you know, I mean, it's impossible to turn down.
You know.
Coach Pot's offer is.
Reese Potter, the newest Kentucky Wildcat, transferring in from Miami of Ohio. We'll talk more UK hoops with Reese on the other side of the break here on six point thirty WLP. Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. We're chatting with Reese Potter, formerly of Lexington Catholic High School, attended Miami of Ohio, but just over the weekend stepped into the transfer portal and came out a Kentucky Wildcat. As I understand it, it happened fairly
quickly once you decided to make this move. Tell me that happened. It happened over the weekend, Am I right?
So I texted Coach Poe or Coach Pope and Chris Stieger last night letting them know that this is what I want to do. So I don't really know exactly how it got out leaked, but you know, these fans are and I'm looking forward to playing from in front of them and you know, making them proud hopefully, because you know, Kentucky's the you know the school, and you know, I look forward to playing.
In front of these fans.
Well, I was about to ask you, what do you think it's gonna be like now? Because you're a hometown kid, And I remember Joe B. Hall telling me that he he kind of was very cautious about signing local kids because there's so much more pressure from fans and family and you know, your minister and your mailman. You know about what are you gonna do when you're gonna play
more minute stuff like that. Uh, you're a little older now, you're more mature do you feel like you're better equipped to handle that.
Yeah, I definitely feel like i'd be better. Bet I'm more equipped for it now. You know, I played two years of college basketball clock, so.
I kind of know what it's like, you know.
But you know, I never really realized how crazy it would be. You know, as a likening kid, always knew how how crazy these fans are and how much they love their program, but I didn't realize it was it was this much.
So it's definitely something I didn't realize, but I kind of did. So I have no idea.
I don't have any idea how it is going to be able to put on that jersey for the first time and walk out in front of these fans. It's gonna it's gonna be a surreal moment for sure, and it's definitely gonna be something on the cherish for the rest of my life.
You've played in reperena though, haven't you.
I haven't, so yeah, yeah, I feel like I've had I don't even know I only had two. I had two to three losses every year in high school, but I lost in Norwegian championship one.
Yeah it was rough, you know.
Every year I felt like I was ranked, We were ranked like the Catholic was ranked number one for the whole year, and then we always always fell short of the goal. But you know something, you to be a blessing to finally be on that court. It's definitely feeling, you know, I wanted to do in high school, but you know, now I'm gonna do it.
So it's gonna be great.
And now that you have signed, you say you have a better idea how crazy these fans are.
I feel like I have a better idea, but definitely I don't think any of us kind of know how how.
Crazy it's going to be.
You know, some of these some of the players that have played before me, you know, read mister Shepherd, coach Pope, and you know, Trent and Travis have told me how how crazy it is, and like you'll never really expect it or realize it until you actually do it. So looking forward to it.
What's your phone been like since the word got out, Man, it's.
Been blowing up.
You know, I'm just extremely grateful for all these all these fans taking me in and welcomed me home. So you know, it's been a it's been a real blessing. So yeah, it's it's it's been a lot a lot of buzz and a lot of people reaching out to me, which is which which is all love?
And so I really really appreciate them all.
What about your folks, What about your family? What's their reaction?
You know, my parents love it when I When I was when they originally reached out to me, you know, that was my My parents both went to Kentucky, so or my dad went Kentucky and my mom grew up there, so you know, they always kind of they always kind of knew how crazy this this place was and this program is and how much they love their players. So they were able to kind of tell me how it was to be able to go to Kentucky and live
around these people and like them in all their lives. So, you know, they're super proud of me, and then they're they're really grateful for this opportunity.
No doubt. I mean, it's one thing to land to scolly take that off to your parents' shoulders you're paying for school or having your school pay But now to be able to come home and play, that's something else. And like you said, you've got a pretty good idea of what Kentucky fans are like, but just to hear that noise in Repperena, I assume you went to games growing up in Reperina.
Right, Yes, sir, I went to a few games that noise. Definitely, when when stuff happens, it's different. There's no place, there's no place in the country like it.
For sure.
Did you see the Mark Pope interview with John Rostein last week on YouTube?
Or I've seen a couple of his interviews, but I don't know hock seen. I'm not sure if seen that one?
Well, you know, you know, man, So get on YouTube and just type in Mark Pope and I guarantee you that's the first thing that will come up. Because Rostein has him. He's with cbssports dot com. He breaks down the roster, uh, new guys, guys coming back and all that. And you think Mark Pope's excited, listen to him describe. And this is before you had made your decision. You know what he's got coming in and how this team
is coming together. When when you looked at that roster, how excited did you get?
Yeah, I'm very excited.
Before even I committed, I knew like how great this team is going to be. Next year, and how well this team is gonna glue together and they're gonna you know, this team's really got a chance to you know, do something special, something that not a lot of groups are gonna, you know, be able to say, you know, even before the season starts, you know, this group has a has a real chance of winning it all. So that's just something that I look forward to doing, you know, competing every day.
I know you were busy with your career at Miami and school and all that. Did you ever have a chance to watch Kentucky play during the season.
Yeah, so I was able to. I was able to watch them. You know, a couple of times.
I felt like most of the time we always played at the same time, so it's a little bit of a struggle, but yeah, I was able to see, you know, some last year. You know, the team had a great, great run last year, and so that's something that we look to improve on and you know, keep going.
When you were watching that Mark Pope offense, did you have any thoughts like what are they doing or or you said it was similar to Miami, So did it just look familiar to you?
It looked a little familiar, you know, when I was watching last year, I was watching more of as a fan. I'm more more of a fan than like more you know, judgmental, you know, studying it really so you know, I kind of know kind of similar, know what it's similar like, but I don't completely know for sure, but I'm looking forward to learning it.
Well, I'll tell you, I'm happy for you, happy for your family, and I appreciate your time. I know you've got finals coming up. You're gonna be able to concentrate race, You're gonna be able to zero in on the books, because without letting your mind wander back to election then yes, sir.
So, I mean, my mind's nothing going to wonder.
I don't know if there's anything being able to control that, but yeah, definitely definitely got to finish up here and then and then you know, get down to electioning. Then you know, enjoy enjoying my time there for the next couple of years.
And I'll let you go with this. What are you doing this summer? Are you playing going to play much ball? Do you even know yet?
I definitely gonna play a lot of ball, so you know, have to as files a wrap up, I'm definitely to start getting to work and you know, get down to the Craft Center and start start growing myself and start to start to develop the profits.
Just pick up games with your new teammates.
Right.
Oh, suddenly, I'm looking forward to it. I think a lot of us are looking forward to it, you know, to some great.
Games for sure, I would imagine. Hey Man, thank you so much, congratulations, best of luck. Looking forward to meeting you in person when you get here.
Yes, sir, I appreciate you reaching out.
All right, thanks and great job on the interview and they'll let you know what it airs.
I appreciate it.
End up next to No. Number two, we'll talk with Kenny Rice of NBC Sports about UK basketball and of course the Kentucky Derby. Also Keith Farmer from w l e X Channel eighteen and BBN Tonight also covered the Derby. Also covered Rhys Potter in high school. So we'll talk Kentucky hoops with Team Man as well. That's on the other side of the news break. You're on six thirty Lately, SA,
welcome back to Gabriel with you. I have jury duty, so you're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider joining us now is a longtime friend and a guy you see during, among other things, Triple Crown coverage of Thurbo Racing. Mister Kenny Rice, longtime sports director WTVQ. Are you dry it out yet? From from Derby one fifty one.
Dick, my great friend. I'm doing better.
Uh.
My feet are still a little wet, but you know, usually takes about five six days and they'll be good.
I'll be.
You know, it's not I'd really work in a cooler climate, honestly than than a hotter But we could do without the rain. But I've worked in I've worked in worse conditions.
As you know.
You have two at the Derby's. We've seen some really nasty ones. This wasn't too bad.
I remember the year it seemed like it was snowing, you know, I mean just a little yeah. You know, we joke about the rain, Kenny. But you, being the veteran that you are, you know where to hide, you know where to just step in, and you're welcome in any barn. So if the rain starts coming down, you can you can pretty much hide from it. But there are times you just got to step out into it, don't you.
Yeah, And because you know, there are advantages to longevity, because you do build up some friendships, at least some relationships, and yeah, you can always slide under a shed row or you know, pop in a stall when we're back over the paddock. So you know, we kind of we kind of try to work around that as much as possible. Then, yeah, you got to pop out someday. You know, you can't hide forever, so you try to you try to time it, but of course you're on a time schedule, as you know,
like they're coming to me at four twenty. They don't care if it's a downpour or a sprinkle. I got to be in this perceipt. I gotta be in front of like Baffort's barn at four twenty. So yeah, I've had I've had worse days. My hair, Dick, you know, that's the most important thing to me.
Absolutely it was. But you had a team of specialists right there though, Right.
Yeah, I'm peeling, peeling, peeling grapes and massaging my neck. You know, it's embarrassed, embarrassing the treatment.
Well, let's talk about the race. As I recall, I mean I parked myself in front of the TV. You uh, you picked journalism, I believe, as did I. Yes, and he ran a heck of a race. And I believe, if memory serves your colleague Donna Barton Brothers, picked sovereignty and stuck with it. Do I remember that right?
She picked sovereignty. She told a sovereignty I think on Thursday, one of her early meetings, and yes, she's stuck with it. And I said, and she gets the double. I had good cheer. She had good cheer and sovereignty.
I don't know.
I don't know if she bet it. I asked her. She never commented if she bet it. I said, I hope you did. Eddie Ochek certainly was MVS as were me. I said, yeah, I wish we hadn't know that well, Soalerty wasn't like I was surprised at what he went off at. I mean, I didn't think that was the craziest pick, sovereignty. I thought it was a solid pick. But I just thought journalism was the best horse. If
I picked again, I'd pick journalism first. And I think as they separated coming down the stretch of the best two horses were sovereignty and journalists, yep, yep.
And I thought Basa was one of the top three.
And he was there so yeah.
So yeah, and by the way, I also had the double but full disclosure, I took the favorite and the Oaks Good Cheer and then use that all button. So once once Good Cheer got home in the ilkuse, I'm like, I'm a winner. But you know, it didn't it didn't even cover my initial bet. Uh yeah, here's the thing that I'm kicking myself. And I had sovereignty in my second tier in my exotics, but I kind of kenny. I threw out the fact that sovereignty had already won
over the racetrack because it was an off track. And that's a good lesson to learn, because you know that even when it's when it's wet like that, that's a really good racetrack. So if a horse likes the track, he's gonna like the track, right, that's it.
That's it. You know. I did the same thing.
I kept coming back. I kept coming back to Sandman too. I thought, well, you know, maybe it's gonna make a good run. I saw him win an Arkansas and uh but yeah, but you know, and there, you know, Bill Mott, you got to be happy for the gall It was funny on the on the post race, he corrected me. I don't know if you heard it, because I remember I said, you know, it's a very similar, you know, kind of a dark, kind of drizzly day in nineteen when we waited twenty two minutes for to find out
that you won the derby with Country. He said, it was twenty three minutes. Everybody in the truck. I can hear him laughing in my ear.
It's awesome, you know.
And when we came back.
Out, I think Randy and Jerry and Avid commented it said that twenty three twenty two. You know, we're not going to debate a minute with the man that just wasn't the derby, but guy as you know that they did seem like eternity man.
Yeah, yeah, and you're right Bill Mott who is from South Dakota. But yeah, you know, basically as coud Louisville as home base for the last forty odd years and just a classy part of the business, isn't he.
Yeah, you know, when you talk about horsemen, you know, there's a lot of trainers out there, but you know, he's one of not a few, but there you know, it's about a fifty to fifty split on trainers and horsemen. I think. And he's a true horseman, you know, like people says he going to the pre I said, honestly, Bill Mott is one guy that will truly do what's good for the horse. Not that all the others wouldn't, but sometimes it's auto maximum. I gotta go to the Freakness.
Yeall won the Derby, which would make sense, but or the horse is not ready to run, and it just stands out so much that you know they're not gonna try to run the Freakness. But but Bill will make the right decision. I don't know what that'll be, you know, Like I say, he really does care and uh, and it's just everything works out well for him this year, the last couple of years, you know, going back to
the Cody's wish and all that. Yeah, and you know a guy like that, you know, you're happy for guys like that that's you know, stayed the course and and uh, you know getting I won't say getting what they deserve because they worked hard to earn what they're getting.
Yeah, you know, and he's been in a game. He's seventy one, which as we know, is not old.
But no, that's the kid.
That's kid many many years ahead of him. But yeah, he's just he's done everything right, you know, without controversy and things like that. And either he or the owner after the race, when they talked about what what lies ahead, you know, whether it's the Preakness or not, one of them said, sovereigns he will tell us, which is clear early the way to go. And you and I have seen horse people wedge some of these horses into the Triple Crown race and never have had any business being there.
But I think that's the proper way to go. But the trouble is, Kenny, and you and I have talked about this for years, is getting the fans interested. And as you know, and there's a triple Crown on the line, you've been at Belmont Park whinners, you know thirty thousand, You've been there when there's one hundred and thirty thousand. Because it's all about the Triple Crown.
It is, I mean the Belmont. Now for the horse people, I know this is different and that includes out most of the people listing your legs do get that. But the Belmont is just another big race. If a triple Crown that is on the line for the rest of the world Okay, for the rest of the country. It's like, hey, yeah, there's a big horse race in New York today that I don't know if somebody want the Derby somebody I don't even know, and it shows in the ratings. I mean,
the race can go. I think we had like twenty one million to watch the race itself, at about seventeen million leading up to it, that number would drop off to like four megan of the Belmont if there's not if there's not a Triple Crown, maybe if you had, you know, two competitive horses. Let's say hypathetically that that you know that the next race is won by journalism, so you got a little bit of a rival. You might get it up to six million, but that's it.
You know, it's not going to come close to the numbers that the Derby is going to get. And that's really why NBC lost it is because they didn't want to pay New York Racing wanted pretty close to the equal amount that the Derby gets, and Fox is paying them a lot of money.
You know, I don't know. I mean they got the.
Money to spend I guess, And that's how that's how we lost the Triple crown, you know, as we call it now, we just call it the double crowd now, you know.
Well, speaking of NBC, your ratings and congratulations were the highest since nineteen eighty nine when one of my all time favorites won its Sunday silence. Yeah, do you guys even talk about ratings? Do they talk about it with you? With talent?
You know what they do is they send it out. We found out Sunday night about it. They send out a memo to all of us how it was, and you know, naturally congratulated us. And actually got a call from my boss yesterday, which you know the phone range. He goes, My goodness, I'd like to have done the preteness, but no, it was a good call. They said, yeah, good job, good job. Everybody did a good job. And
the ratings popped up big. And why they popped up, I don't know, other than I guess I'm gonna say some of the Bob Baffert factor in there, because it wasn't like we wouldn't like we had super horses, you know, where everybody said, hey boy, this justify You know what
about this too? You didn't race last year? And about this American pharaoh, I don't know if there was such a buzz about journalism or anybody else in the field other than the horse community, but for some reason, you know, it just clicked, and you know, thank goodness, that means we'll keep doing it. Actually, I think we got it for about another six years or something with Churchill. So yeah, that's nice, excellent.
We're talking to Kenny Rice of NBC Sports and we'll come back and talk a little bit more about the Derby and about influence, and we'll talk about the basketball cats as well. You're listening to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Kenny Rice is my guest. He is for the longest time covered the Triple Crown and other races for ESPN and an NBC and if you got
a race, he'll cover it for you. But I think you're just exclusively exclusively NBC anymore, right, That is correct, That is correct.
You don't cut down on the W two's. The accountant likes that, so yes, yeah, just staying with them. This my twenty sixty year I believe that.
Nice.
Yeah, I can't you know, Jack was just a little boy when I left Channel thirty six.
That's true, that's very sure.
I remember when he was a kid. You know, I hate to be that guy, you know, because I don't when I used to go back home and say, I remember when you little boys, I'm thirty years old. Now, he goes, You'll always be that little eight year old kid to me, and I fell. And see that's the way I kind of catch myself these days. You know, I remember your kids when they were little kids.
You know, my son used to get in trouble in middle school now and then, you know, just just mischievous stuff. And a few years ago I bumped into his middle school principal. Whatever became of that boy of yours, I said, remember that kid who was always in trouble, he's a cop. So you know, it comes full circle. Before we went on the air that we were talking about, uh, there was a there's a TikTok influencer involved in ownership. He's
got twenty million viewers. Jason Worth, the baseball player back on center stage. He's already won a triple Crown race. I'm wondering, Kenny, do you feel like this might lead to more of new Blood? I guess they say, when it comes to ownership and involvement.
You know, I think it might because I tell you they're both very active in trying to drum up support. I think what Jason walked around, I think on Oaks Day, and he was looking for people that had mullets, I guess, and if you had one, you you know, a flying mohawk and the rare, rare chance that he won, he was going to invite them to come down to the
winner circle selected too. He selected two or three people that had the best mullets that he ran into Oak Stay, you know, and some of the old guard may go hur on Perra, you know, but let's say it some goofy stuff like that. It doesn't hurt anybody, and I think it makes it interesting. And uh, you know, racing has to take a look at MMA and some of these other sports out there that continue to attract young people and realize, you know, they've got to maybe change
the system up. I know it sounds sacrilegious. Maybe have less time between races, you know, keep the action going. Kids seem to like that. Work out something with apps, Dick. I'm not going to say too much and I don't want you to either. Until the NPR gives us a deal, like they pay these guys from New York to always come down tell them the same stuff they've been doing
for twenty years. I want them to tell I want you know, if they cut me and you in on a deal, Dick will gladly sit down with them at the Jockey Club and everybody else that'll lay out something for it. They don't want to hear from anybody in the business. They want to hear from consultants that you know, you know, they know about racing. But it's the same thing. Let's print up some T shirts. Hey, that's great, that'll
get a kid. I don't want what twenty one year old college kids don't want a T shirt and a cap, you know, they want to they want to know what's going on. You know. I think they kind of can start getting human versus human you know, you know, do you do you like this guy versus that guy?
You know?
Have about Junior Albarez is going to win a cat you know something that during the radio. But yeah, having the influence in there is huge. Nice guy too, met him for the first time. He's very friendly. West Point. They're very you know different. Uh, you know, I don't
want a stereoy. Growing up in eastern Katucky, I hate stereotypes, right, so I sure didn't want to do this, but you know this was a very articulate young guy, well, you know, well dressed, mannered and and yeah, I mean people like him. I don't know what an influencer is. You're my influencer, I said, want to Gabriel doing the show. But aside from that, I don't pay attention to it. You know, I don't need somebody. I don't need to look to,
say Brittany or I love to work for Britney. Brittany said, do you ever talk about going on and building up your audience by by like a series of showing which time what tie should I work for the Derby today? Because she does that like with her outfit. That's right, really really, you know, you know I said, forget everybody else. You know, you know about five or six of my friends. What the answer would be if I said, which TI guys should I wear it today?
You know, let me know ahead of time if you're ever going to do that. I need to be parked in front of the TV for that. You know, one thing about that kid, the influencer I cannot recall his name, but I saw an interview with him both before and after the race. He's not just along for the ride either. He's really into the sport, which I think really helps.
And when while we're talking about online presence, I really it's part of it is because kind of on a whim, I jumped into my race horse venue and I owned a piece of authentic and so now I've got to now I own some of the breeding rights. I mean, I get a couple of bucks, but I can say I own a tiny piece of a Derby winner, and I bought a couple more shares of other hornse verses
trained by Bob Bafford. By the way, but I think that I I think if that can really take hold and catch on, I think that's going to be big for younger people. Not that I'm one of them, but four younger people who might want to get involved.
Yeah, I agree. And Griffin Johnson, I just now thought of his name, and I just met him for the first time. I told him, I said, Griffin Johnson.
He said yes.
I said, I just want to say your name out loud, making sure I got it right. We're going to be on it in about fifteen seconds that we were and Terry Felly I've known for like twenty five years.
But anyway, so he.
Yeah, and he and he actually knows it, like you said, that was the key. He's not just some guy said, you know, I've got some money because I've got a you know, I think he's got like twelve or fifteen million followers.
Yeah, maybe more than that. I know, hard to believe.
I'm not on TikTok.
I know, I'm amazed.
You know, you know me the social maven that I am. Anyway, he yeah, you know, he but but like I said, he he's on these little videos. I watched some of the videos after where he's talking about you that tough luck. But he's staying with racing and explain why. And I mean, I got to be honest, he's more articulate than some of these people. Has been doing this for thirty years, some of these owners and trainers, and I agree I
think that way that that's exactly what racing needs. What I hope they do is really, you know, stay with it and not get too carried away and think everybody's going to be an influencer. You know, you've got to have guys that really want to do the business, not just pop up. And I think he's a guy that really wants to do the business. And obviously worth is he got. He got Barry the executive for the for the San Francisco Giants involved, you know, so he's really
like he's reaching out to get people. I mean he was. I saw him up there. You couldn't miss him by the way. You see that, and you know, but he always comes by and he's really happy guy and he gives you a big hug. And I always asking me about John Shelby because he played for the you know, when he's with Shelby with the Dodgers, you know, and Shelby said, I walked over with here in Shelby sitting me at tex said, hey, say, I had adjacent work, and I didn't put it all together, you know at
the moment. Yeah, because I think mostly Phillies and Nationals. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, he has has tea doing. I say, I guess he's doing good. Who was up at the Derby by the way, And I didn't get a chance to catch up with him because, as you know, the Derby's not a good day to be social, at least if you're working, it's not a good day.
Especially if you're stuck in one place as you are. I got a couple of minutes left. But earlier on the show, I had a young man from Lexington who transferring down from Miami to UK, and I was talking to him about the fact that Joe B.
Hall.
You might recall this, Joe B used to catch a lot of flak and when you were covering sports in lectioningon in high school basketball was much more front and center. It took I think, really a national spotlight. But Joe B would hesitate to recruit a local kid because he knew the pressure that a local was going to be under. You know, why aren't you playing more? Mom and dad and family and neighbors and all that. But I kind
of flashed back on that that Joe Hall era. But it's good to have election and kid back on the team, isn't it?
You know it is?
I mean, I'd love to having these local kids. I think there's just a rooting interest. I don't know him. I don't Malaka Moreno personally. His mom plays at Bria Christian Cherseph Giano where we go. He plays piano, and I remember Jasper Johnson when he's a kid, because you know, like you, you know, I've known the whole family, So yeah, I root for that. I hope this guy does well. I tell you what he's got. This guy has got a lot of guts. And I say that at all
respect to step in. You know, there's a pretty good guys in there that hope's already lined up and he feels that he can step in there and bang with him. I say good for him, because you know, if you shy away from that, you don't want the guys Reluctantly, I think I might play apparently. You know, he's got a good attitude and got the confidence, and I don't think you can have you know, with and reason enough
Kentuckians on the team. I think that really helps everyone bond a little more, you know, rooting interesting things.
Yeah, well, I know you as an Eastern Kentucky and you're rooting for Trent Noah, you hated to see Travis Perry leave, but uh, he's got to do him and he landed in a pretty good spot at Ole Miss.
But yeah, I think it was a good move for him. You know, the guy can shoot, and I think it'll work I think it'll work out better. And he was recruited by Beard in the first place, right, well, so it wasn't like they were unknown to each other. So I think it was a good move for him. And uh, you know, look, he's down in the western part of the States. Like our good friend Rodney Woods was almost a ten a z years ago, you know when he played for the ball. So I wish him well. And uh,
and no, I think he's pretty good. You know, he's got good size on him. He's got a little hype. He's got the size that you know, Perry didn't have. I think that gives him a little lug too.
Yeah. Yeah, and he's got that Eastern Kentucky grit like you.
So uh, I's gritty. I'm getting grittier every year.
Anny Rice of NBC Sports, thank you, brother. We'll watch for you on the Preakness. Hope to see you soon.
Hey, it's always a pleasure. Yeah, we'll definitely catch you up again. So thanks Dick.
Then he goes back to believe it or not, the days that channel thirty six WTVQ, where his former co worker Jeff Pecorro is now sports director. Some of you, some of you may remember this that channel thirty six here in Lectioningon and they don't really want people to use the numbers anymore. They want to call letters because that's what shows up in the ratings books. Anyway, Channel
thirty six used to be channel sixty two. When I first got the lectionon back in the early seventies, it was channel sixty two, and in June of nineteen eighty they switched from sixty two. You know, you get a better reception. The other channels are closer in numbers, so if people are spinning the dial, it's easier to find. They moved from channel sixty two to channel thirty six, and I think it probably helped them at that point. But they've still been playing for a lot of years
catch up to the other TV stations. But they've had some good people and still do in that place in Kenny. Rice was one of them, speaking of the other stations. Up next from wl EX channel eighteen, Keith Farmer on the Best of the Big Blue Insider. This is the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Joining us now is a longtime friend of the show, friend of mine, and he is Keith Farmer, sports anchor at wl EX channel eighteen, and you see him each night, not just on the
news but on BBN tonight and came in. I want to talk to you about the derby and about Kentucky basketball, but I need to talk to you about a story that you and Alex Barber worked on. I guess it was yesterday with Jack Gibbons an election and Traditional Magnet School. And of course Jack has written a book finally, and I've talked to Jack about the boys at once, but everybody I know who's read it really he's loved it. And now these kids get a shot at it.
Right.
Yeah, Well, here's the thing.
This couple.
The lady Peggy Henderson, was a principal in the school system, and she read it and she went to a book signing. She was so touched by what she read and said that every kid in Lexington should.
Read this book.
And so what they did.
They went out and they talked to Goose and said, we'd love to buy this for a school, and they kind of got together and they decided to go to his old school, which is Lectington. Traditional Magnet School used to be I think Lexington Junior High or something like that. And so they purchased books for every sixth seventh eighth grader. I think the eighth graders got them first, and they already were doing a book report on it, and they even wrote him letters about what they learned from it,
which is really neat. But this couple, the Henderson's, just bought the books for the whole school. So yesterday Goose got to go back to his old school talk to the students, motivate them, and then they all got the books. And I just think it's such a great story. In the Henderson's are obviously hoping that somebody else will pick up from that and maybe do the same for another school.
You and I have done, both of us a zillion UK sports lated sidebars through our respective careers, such as they are, and this is one of the greatest stories I can remember. He just, you know, a former player. I think you know, they kind of had to twist Jack's arm just a little bit to get to do the book. He was like, I'm not sure, you know, he'd been a part of other ones, but this one's all about him and the response to it, and I
mean nationwide. He was signing books at an alumni event in San Diego, but now four hundred books for kids.
Is just fantastic, I mean, just incredible to see where he came from. He tells the story of you know, how it used to be in like and then there was a chain link fence that went down one street and only whites were on one side, only blacks were on the other and you didn't cross, and you know, especially at certain times, and it.
Was just the way he grew up.
You know, it wasn't a chance for him to go to the University of Kentucky for the longest time till somebody broke the color barrier and gave him that chance. And so it could have been such a different story, right if things hadn't progressed in our nation. And so it's just it's wonderful for these kids to hear his story and what he had to overcome and the motivation he had to have, you know, to make his career that he did.
Yeah, because when you look at Jack and you hear him on the radio, you see him on television, and it's weird and there's a better word for it. But when he was a kid, and he references that, he says this to the kids, when he was a child, the sec was segregated. UK was not UK desegregated in nineteen forty eight, but there was a quote unquote gentleman's agreement to not write black players in the South Eastern Conference.
So a kid like Jack Gibbons, what did his dreams involved? Well, maybe I can go out of state or to Kentucky state or whatever. That that's really sobering. So but it's also uplifting, you know, where things are now right.
Right, And I think that's part of it. With him having this talk with the kids yesterday, some of them probably can't comprehend, you know, sixth seventh eighth graders can't comprehend some of the stuff that used to happen, you know, unless they've.
Heard it from relatives and such.
But but yeah, you know, for for them to hear it from a guy and yeah, and to be quite honest, they never saw him play, you know. So even one of them was like, I'm a little confused, did you play or you're a broadcaster? And he said, I'm all the above. He's like, you know, so they really you know,
that's the great thing about it. You know, if they read this book, they're going to learn that he was a UK player, and then that's gonna you know, they know that, right, They know that part of it, so it's going to make them really interested in reading the rest of it.
What this should be required for every UK basketball player.
That's not a bad idea.
But what was interesting too is these kids you transferred in through the portal last year sound like Kelly Perry, these kids, but I think you probably picked up and talking to them. They knew, they knew who Jack Gibbons was, and if they didn't know when they got here, they found out very quickly because they all showed him enormous respect, which I really I really like. But these guys are all students of the game anyway, you'd think they're going
to know it. And Jack has been. Jack's been where they want to be, you know, He's been, you know, an ncay and an NBA player, So I did.
You know you would expect that, I guess, but I do even remember, like when we were in Toronto and Jack would sit down and talk with those guys one on one. He wouldn't say, you know, he wouldn't even say I played at Kentucky. He was just a broadcaster Jack, and I had to be like, yeah, he played a little bit too, you know, and I was telling them these guys and I remember doing him and Cameron Fletcher.
And some of those guys.
Oh really okay, and then I can't remember who it was. I think, oh gosh, who was it? Somebody saw I said, yeah, he's like, yeah, I want to ring here, and they showed and goes, oh, I want one of those, you know, and so yeah, but that's Jack. He humbled Jack, and he's not going to bring that up.
To those guys. You're gonna let it figure it out in their own time.
That's exactly right. You know, you might if you talk to him long enough, you'll pick up on the fact that yeah, he played somewhere and you know, but you won't even realize that he did. Okay, So anyhow, Yeah, but if you want to see this story, it's at uh it's on the website at the lax eighteen dot com. Okay, man, as I mentioned, you covered the Kentucky Derby. Uh, I guess you're probably dried out by now. As much as I miscovering the Derby over the last few years, I
didn't miss it this year because of the weather. And I've done my shas you know, my share much through the mud, but uh uh huh it it didn't literally dampen anybody's in two. They had one hundred and forty seven thousand people there, so they just did it feel like it had a derby.
It was amazing.
It was just because right before the race last year, I didn't actually stand on the track like we do to watch it because I wanted to make sure I was over at my broadcast area, which is on the back of the first turn, and so so this year, I was like, I got to go watch this one.
So I got out there in the mud and I looked around and you just see everybody come from those two big yachts that are on the sides of the twin spires to the edge of the you know, railing, and it was just I've got some incredible shots of them ready for the race, and I mean they're on
they're everywhere you can be. They're on staircases looking out and it's just amazing to see, uh, and to hear it's always fun to hear them as they make the first pass and then obviously as they come for home and everybody yelling out their number or their name that they're wanting to win, and it did not dampen it.
The rain did not, and it was a great race. There were no incidents or you know, none to speak of. Nobody was just qualified. Nobody got really badly jumped or flipped or or whatever. Right, and now we've got another thrilling come from behind in the last furlong.
Yeah, and it kind of looked like journalism. I mean maybe maybe for the Bellmont, maybe journalism wins that one with the extra length. But you know, Sovereignty was the one that I had my eye on. Anyway, I don't always, I don't always pick it, but this year I did. And I just liked the way he was running. If he didn't finish first in his prep races, he was usually coming on pretty strong. So I felt like that extra length at the Derby was going to give him,
you know, some help, and it obviously did. And you know, it comes down to, as always, the good trip which he got. And I saw that there was someone else, maybe Burnham Square or somebody that got just pinched off on the rail towards the last turn. So you know, it's one of those things where he got a favorable trip and he did what I thought he could do.
Yeah, you got to have the trip, you know, or at least you got to have something not happened to you, especially correct first turn. So well, congrat that's on the coverage to you and your entire team. How many people from your station? I saw the group photo?
Yeah, but that here's the thing. They decided let's go take that group photo now, and it was pouring the rain at the time, So there was probably about eighteen of us that didn't go out and do the picture. So if you add that on to what you see in the picture, that's your number. So I would say we had probably close to, you know, fifty fifty people there.
Probably good, yeah and all.
Yeah, yeah, worked out well. Keith Farmer, my guest sports anchor WLA X BBN tonight. We'll talk Kentucky basketball new faces on the roster when we come back here on six thirty WLAP. You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider, my guest Keith Farmer of WLA X eighteen and BBN tonight and came in, as I said before the break, mark Pope's roster. Now since you and I last saw each other with two new players, so apparently he's done now he's got to be done. He's
out a roster spot. Let's talk first of all about the newest Rheese Potter. You spoke to him, what was it last night, I guess, or Sunday, the one or the two. Do you remember much about him when he was at Leggy and Catholic?
I do, I do.
I mean he was, you know, I don't think I would call him physically imposing as far as like he's strong, but he's not overly like just you know, he's not a shock. But he's got good strength in his legs. Like Patino used to always talk about that, right, Like he wanted guys to have, like like Mashburn wanted him to have strong legs. And I feel like that's what Reees had.
He may not have had. Maybe that's what it is.
He didn't have the upper body strength yet, which he probably does now after being in a program for two years, but he had that lower body strength. He had the ability to block shots.
Even in high school.
He had the ability to go out and hit three pointers, and so I think that's something that makes it real dangerous at seven to two. And he's also a pretty good passer, So I think that's maybe something that fit into what Pope likes, running that offense through his bigs, and so I think it'll be interesting. We were pulling some video to put up for him yesterday and we
came across one of my guys. I said, here, try these, you know, and they were pulling the video and he said, yeah, I found that one you had with great crossing and baby Malachi because obviously Reese is two years older.
So they've gone.
Against each other before and now here they are going to be teammates.
Yeah. I had him on earlier and he talked about Malicky. He admitted that, yeah, he's got the ring, he said, but we've played a couple of times, and he basically indicated he did fairly well against Malachi because can you imagine what the what the just to pick up games alone.
Are going to be like, oh my goodness, I mean you know, then you're throwing Brandon Garrison right, Oh, who's going to be the guy to teach them the offense? And yeah, that's you know, and how tall I can't remember how tall Yellowvich is. But you know there is some light on this team. It's going to be fun.
Yeah, but not just bigs athletic bigs.
Right, right, right exactly.
I mean when you're talking about, you know, a ree stick, and obviously we saw Brandon, you know, do both go down low that you know, go out and shoot a three, and we believe Reese can do that, and we'll see if Malachi can hit the three. He was trying to broaden his game a little bit this year. I'm not so sure he had the chance to do that while he was, you know, also trying to win a state championship.
So I'm looking forward to seeing how they all gel together and how Brandon becomes that Amari leader on this next team. And certainly I think another thing is that we've seen the team that Pope has put together is maybe not so much like last year's because you know, last year he talked about nothing but shooting threes. I think he realized the SEC is physical, and I've got to go find some physical players that also fit what.
I want to do.
So I don't know that that changes up his scheme or makes it any less. Let's not take threes, but I also think he needed people that were going to be a little tougher down low.
Well, you mentioned Yellovich coming in from the European style that's a big guy shooting threes. He by the way, is listed at six eleven, so whatever he is, he's yeah, yeah, but I think we're going to see that at least that young man. And then talking to Reese, he said he can hit the occasional three, said he's not going to be looking to step out and then working to sweet sixteen this year. While you were at NCAA's I'm
talking to Great Crossings people. They said, Malachai can shoots the three, shoot the three, likes to shoot the three, but we don't need him shooting there. We exactly exactly, you know, So none of that's going to surprise me, you know, yeah, yeah.
Oh exactly. And you know, Reese, I think it's an interesting thing with him having.
Spent two years.
He was like, I think forty shooting in it from three point range in his first season. Yes only he only took thirty three, but he was forty five percent and kind of twelve off a little bit in his second season. But I like the fact that those guys have the confidence to step out there and take it because they obviously have tons of time to work on the shot and to have the confidence to take it
and hit it. So, you know, it's just so fun to watch Hope put together a team with all the analytics and things that he wants to do in his system, and it's just gonna be fun to see how this one compares to last.
Yeah, it really is. And like you said, it's going to be a bit of a different looking team. But he's got the point guard he wanted. Apparently it's gonna be a big deal. Though came in. I believe, Oh take a away's decision, and you know, I quit trying to predut such things. Maybe a team. What all it takes is, you know, is one team to fall in love for or at least fall inlike with him. But fortunately a G League contract is not the bait.
That it used to be, you know, not at all.
I mean, there are so many people that are staying in college now. I can't remember the number, but I saw somebody put up something about the number of players that opted to go pro this year was so much lower than it has been in recent years. And it's because you can make more money in the college game right now, then you can betting on yourself to make an NBA contract or get tossed down to the G League.
So you know, I think a lot of people are like, if I don't know for sure now that I'm going, then I'm just going to go back to college and make some money and improve my game and it'll be there next year for me.
Yeah, yeah, definitely. If you minutes up with Keith Farmer of LAX eighteen and BBN tonight, you guys cover the baseball Wildcats. They have what has become a crucial series now. Looked like they were all set if they just kept going the way they were going, but they took a major step backwards last weekend and now, yeah, Oklahoma comes to town for the first time, and this is a must have series, isn't it.
Yeah.
I mean, let's see, you've got what ten wins now in the sea and every time we have we've in the last couple of weeks had Darren Hedrick, Darren Williams on both of them continue to say thirteen wins is like that magic number that you need to get to, maybe even fourteen if that's the case. Kentucky's got three
against Oklahoma, three at Vanderbilt. You're going to have to get three to four of those six in order to feel good about yourselves making it, or make a really long run in the SEC tournament one or the other to really have that feeling that you're going to make an NCAA tournament.
Yeah, and I guess it was inevitable that fans would, of course look for more of the same from this
year's team compared to last year's team. I'm trying to remind myself that Kentucky, if nothing else, had a left fielder who was putting together a first round draft pick kind of season that went a long way, you know, and play Yeah, and Nick's you know, not making I've never heard him even talk about this, but man, the injuries on this team to the worst people at the worst time have really been something, haven't they.
Yeah, yeah, they've had him for sure. And as a matter of fact, I was sitting down with Mitch Barnhardt a couple of weeks ago and it really hadn't hit me till he even said He's like, man, injury bug just hit us all across the board this year. And he's right. I mean, think about even women's basketball had two players they expected to play this year they didn't even play.
Uh, you know, at.
Football, everything you can go down the line and almost every sport had some key, like even softball with Brump, she was expected to be a big she was a big get out of the portal. She ends up injured and now look, you know they're they're struggling a little bit, and she's such a good player, and so it's like those missing pieces, you know that people may not know about it, especially with baseball unless you you've definitely followed it. It just has been tough for Nickman Jones to make
it happen. So yeah, tough year all around.
Well, speaking of Barnardy and his fellow ads, are going to have that house settlement. By the next time you and I speak. We hope everything will be settled, so we'll have something else chat about, but we're out of time. Came in Thanks so much Keith Farmer from w l e X and again go to the website to see the story about Jack Gibbon's book and the kids at the lex Inner Traditional Magnet School and follow came in at Keith Farmer eighteen on Twitter. Thank you brother, see you soon.
Appreciate you.
Take care that's going to do it. Thanks so much of my guests Keith Farmer, Kenny Rice and of course the newest wildcat reevee Potter that said good night for the garage and Lexington, Charlie.
He kindors the deuce.
And when you speak of me, speak well.
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Iball, get out of here in a hurry.
You know, anything travels that far.
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Don't you think.
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