2025-03-24 - KSR PRE-SHOW

Welcome everyone to another edition of the KSR Pre Show. Today is Monday, March twenty fourth. I am Billy Rutlude along with Shannon the Dude. You give us calling the Clark's Pumping Shop phone line that's eight five nine two A doh two two eight seven or Texas at five oh two two sixty five six sixty five six is always. The KISR Pre Show is brought to you by ital X Fine Italian Dining right here in Lesington, Kentucky on

How are you not quite? I'm doing well. I'm not quite back in Kentucky just yet. We are in Meryllville, Indiana, home of Greg Popovich, Home of Greg Popovich and Dan Docketch. Right here in Meryllville, where this may be the happiest hotel lobby I've ever been a part of. I come down here, a net says, of course, you can do your radio show here. She actually gave me a hug. She gave me a hug like she's known me for twenty years.

Gave you a hug.

Yeah, I mean just you know, just went right by the Handchack, just went right in for the hug.

And I embraced that. I like that.

I like just getting a hug from the hotel lobby workers down here. She offered me a bacon, egg and cheese omelet, and here we are, man, we're ready to go. Got the hazelnut coffee. They've even got the hazel nut pump. Like that's how you know it's a good a good hotel lobby when they've got like the coffee set up and they've got the creamer with the pump and it's the hazelnuts.

So it's perfect.

That was gonna be. My first question was is there a continental breakfast? Like I didn't know you're always looking for that. She offered an omelet and had coffee. That seems like enough to me.

I mean, a coffee, an omelet, and a hug. What else do you need? You walk into your hotel. You talk about feeling welcome. I mean, this is the best.

Well, she must be maybe a Kentucky fan, Shannon, because I feel like all Kentucky fans have that type of joy about them. This morning, as the Cats went on to win two games since the last time that we spoke, one versus Troy and the other one in the round of thirty two just last night, the Cats will now advance to their first Sweet sixteen since twenty nineteen to

Well, you know, just like I tell you, in every arena, there's always a side door, there's always a hack to getting a better seat than maybe where you're supposed to sit. And the first game, the mistake that we made was we went to our seats too early, like we picked out a spot when we sat there, like, you know, twenty minutes before tip off. Then we realized, so we got kicked out the first time. They go, oh, they're supposed to be these people are supposed to be sitting

And you watched that success versus Illinois while you were sitting next to I think Illinois administration people giving them fist bumps every now and then when the Orange had a player two. Yeah, loved hearing that part of it as well. But you're right. I mean, I think there were a lot of nervous fans in Big Blue Nation when it came to Friday Night, Shannon just trying to get the monkey off of their back. So many first

Oh yeah.

I mean coming in as your very first season and making it to the sweet sixteen and a program that hasn't been there since what was it twenty nineteen?

Is that right? Has it been that long?

And to come in and do it just with a completely new team is Like I said, it's very impressive, but we're not done yet. Like you know, I think that team no not done yet. I think you know you're playing a team that you've already beaten twice. And how many times we said it's hard to beat a team three times, even though it happened to Kentucky with Alabama earlier this year. But I think the Kentucky has

Well, this team, they just do it with so much joy. They do it for each other. You hear from Lamont Butler, who probably shouldn't be playing with this certain type of shoulder injury that he has, but he's doing it for the love of his teammates, for the love of this game. And I mean we could go down the list, right I mean, Kobe Brea has his massive game career high, has a toen Oo run by himself. Shannon I mentioned

First of all, you know, there's a good amount of Kentucky fans here. I'm not used to going to like a neutral site game and they're not being overwhelmingly more Kentucky fans than whoever they're playing. And that's just not the case here. You know, the game against Troy, it actually just the word sterile. It kind of felt just, I don't know, subdued. Like you know, there was there was a crowd there, but it wasn't like really loud. Yesterday got really loud and the Illinois fans were trying

I think about the growth of this team, man, I think about how far Amari Williams has come. I think about how this defense has improved if you just look at the numbers stand and their defensive efficiency went from one hundred and twelfth in the KEMPOM to forty fifth in six weeks. I mean, that is an incredible turnaround for a team that is really since that old miss

I'm sure it's going to be crazy. But you know, those teams that you just mentioned, none of those teams worry me.

You know, are not scared.

We've said no, I mean, we've already played the toughest teams that we're going to play all year long. So you know, you say, Houston, Okay, yeah, they're playing really well, they're a great team, but I mean, how would they

But the team was loose, right, I mean, if they might have been a little bit tight in the first game versus Troy, the second game was the opposite. I mean they felt loose, or they looked loose, they looked ready to go. Mark Pope gets not only his first but his second NCAA tournament win, and now we shift our focus to the bitter rival Tennessee. It's going to be a fun build up this week. Shannon, there's no doubt.

Right.

We've already had somebody call into the postgame show last night and said they're going to go to Indy and buy up all the chewing tobacco. So the Tennessee volunteer fans and specifically the females can't buy it. For Ryan Lemon to say that later on KSR, So it's going to be fun and obviously the border rivalry that it is. I mean, could this be the most anticipated matchup between Kentucky and Tennessee?

Shane and I, you know, I'm trying to be one like another one that would top that, but in recent memory, I think that it is. I mean, sweet sixteen one team is going home. I wonder, like how many fights there's going to be between Kentucky and Tennessee fans and this I've set that over under it probably like ten So it's gonna be I think a wild atmosphere in Indianapolis coming up this week.

And I mentioned the growth I didn't even mention like Colin Chandler in this bench.

He's been great.

Man.

You talking about a guy that just kind of came out of nowhere, and I thought, you know, he may get spot minutes here or there, maybe three or four minutes a game, but no one has.

Stepped up, stepped up more than.

Colin Chandler and coming in and just and just looking like he's been there all season long, you know, coming in and knocking down three point shots and just doing it cool, calm and collectively. It's to me, I think He's been the most impressive and surprising player of the entire season.

I mean, hitting threes from different area codes. And the Cats as a hold had twenty five bench points in the first game versus Troy, twenty bench points versus Illinois. I mean, the turnovers they were able to face against Illinois was incredible. I mean, they were able to hold the ball, and then just overall it's a feel good win.

I mean I kind of have the same mindset of the way I did in the SEC Tournament after Kentucky beat Oklahoma on that first night, they had Alabama coming up next in the SEC Tournament, and I said, really, whatever happens from here is the bonus house money at this point. So I feel like, you know, again, like

The proof of concept for Mark Pope. And you're right, man, without Jackson, Robinson, without Kerkkri said, they've still been able to get it done. And you beat this Tennessee team shorthanded before, so why not now?

And Netta, I don't know if you can.

I don't know if you can hear a net here, but they're they're having a pal on her back there. I don't know, and that's just going up there. I think maybe she had, you know, an extra coffee this morning. She's energized, she's ready to go, and uh she's welcoming.

Everybody with a hug. Are you do you like to hug it out.

Uh.

I can hug.

Yeah, I got no problems with hugging.

The thing is like if somebody goes in for the hug, like you know, usually if you go to meet somebody for the first time, it's it's a fist bump or the handshake. When somebody comes in with you with arms wide open, like double arms wide open, like Scott's stapp standing on the cliff with his hair blowing in the breeze and the shirt's unbuttoned. When somebody comes in like that, you got to just go for it, like you can't. There's no escape in it.

She's going on.

And I'm more of like a one harm one arm hug, unless it's like an emotional embrace. I feel like it's more.

Yeah, it's like there's like the bro hug or like the sometimes you'll go in side and shake and then give a little.

Oh yeah, the little like back wrap around the back.

Yeah.

I like that, buddy, Yeah yeah.

But when somebody comes in just like this, I mean you just got to just jump into it.

I agree. Yeah. A five nine two o two. And we want to hear from you. How are you feeling after the win? We'll talk much more about what else has happened in the NCAA tournament. The heartbreak for the women's team. I mean, man, they were right there. Yeah, unbelievable loss for them in the round of thirty two, and much more on the way. Five two two six five six six five six is the text line here on a Monday. It's Shanting, the Dude and Billy Rutlich

I think it's crazy that you play an entire season with a particular ball, and then you get to the most important games of the season, then they go, oh, let's just change the ball, Like why are we not playing with that same ball like the rest of the games. I mean, is that a contract thing or you know. I have no idea what the actual reason is, but it just doesn't seem like a smart thing to do when you're in the NCAA tournament.

We're going to change the ball.

I mean, like I've seen like misshots springing up over top of the backboard more than what they normally would. There was a player last night, I forget who it was, just kind of didn't even like bounce the ball that hard and it bounced up over their head like during a foul call. They're playing like with one of those little super bawls used to get out of the machines for twenty five cents, you know, a little rubber balls and you bounce it and it goes fifty feet in

With out there.

We saw historic low scoring in the first round in the NCAA tournament over the weekend, and people are like, why is everybody missing so many bunnies? How come people are missing so many layups? And it's like, well, maybe because the ball is actually over inflated.

And John's must have missed fifteen layups.

My god, that is enemy number one. And when it comes to miss lay ups, I'm.

I'm not gonna blame that one percent on the ball. Some of that's on the players, but it was an unusual amount of layups that were missed.

That was probably one of the best games of the opening two rounds Arkansas beating Saint John's seventy five to sixty six. They advanced to the Sweet sixteen after starting zero and five at SEC play. Coach Caliperi turns that team around, and he's won nine of his last eleven games versus Patino. Let me repeat that, nine of his last eleven versus Patino. That is an amazing stat Shannon.

I think it does. It worked out for Arkansas. You know a team that I didn't even think was have a chance of making the tournament, and yet here they are in the Sweet sixteen. But you know, Matt asked us yesterday, is there more pressure on Kentucky and Mark Pope to make the Sweet sixteen since Caliperi did? And whether it's fair or not, I think the natural reaction is, yeah, it did put more pressure on him because we would have to deal with phone calls.

The entire summer.

Also, well, Calipari moved it further than Poop, even though the two things have nothing to do with each other. That's just the reality of it. So now that we're both in the Sweet sixteen, I think the pressure's off from here, I really do. I mean, obviously you want to, you know, make it to the final four, win a chacempionship, right, that's the assignment that Mark Pope talked about when he took the job here. But to make it to the Sweet sixteen I think is already a great accomplishment.

No, I agree. And then the fact by you made it as well, I mean that's it had been a rough summer of BYU Arkansas and that made it least farther than Mark Pope did. But specifically in that Arkansas Saint John's game four of forty one from three for both teams can buy ninety fouls. Ninety fouls in that game.

Incredible, that's an incredible number.

I'm sad to see the Rick Patino run end. But Caliperi man the story of the tournament, beaten self and Patito back to back. He's definitely got Arkansas playing well in the SEC. I mean, Arkansas has won a seven teams from the SEC to make the Sweet sixteen after getting fourteen in the field. The previous record was eleven CHAN and that was the Big East. They only made

And yet I still feel like it's a little bit disappointing, you know, like I feel like there's still teams that should have made it that didn't at least you know, passed the first round. But still pretty impressive to get seven teams from the SEC into the Sweet sixteen. And Billy, you know, I gotta tell you before we go any farther, I thought I was special this morning, you know, I came down, a Net greet at me.

She gave me a hug, and I thought, oh, she doesn't do that to every arm hug. Yeah.

Then Mario comes down and I look over my shoulder and there's a Net hugging Mario.

No.

Two minutes later, Matt Jones walks down. He gets the hug. Apparently.

You know, I thought I was special this morning. I thought that a Nette just likes me. Maybe she thought I was cute. No, she hugs everybody. She's just a hugger, so everybody gets the hug.

You got to have that personality a little bit to be the front desk of a hotel. But I feel like she cheated on you a little bit there. I don't.

I gotta ask her, like, what is what is the key to her happiness? Because I want to be as happy as she is, you know, like she's the happiest person I think I've ever met before. And you know, I'm happy, I guess in general, right, I'm just not over the top happy like a Net is, and I want to be. I want to have some of that in me. So maybe I should hang out with a Net. Maybe I should just leave, let the guys go back home.

But are you happy in general at five in the morning, like it takes maybe it takes you a couple hours to get to that house.

Am I happy when I wake up and we're allowed to have to drive to work and do the Jerry Eve Show?

No? Probably not.

But you know, as the day goes on, I get a little more happiness than me By the time we get to KSR. I'm relatively happy, sometimes grumpy, depending on the day.

Or the technical difficulties we're having at the moment. But it seems like we're up and running now we're.

Having technical difficulties. I can hear you.

Fine, No, no, we haven't had any Okay, no, we didn't have any. Well, we had a little bit on Friday, but none last night. If you want to bet on the hostess at this random hotel Shannon's at in Indiana to hug the next person, you can do that, hopefully on draftkicks Shannon.

Well, yeah, I mean that would be free money.

It'd be like minus one thousand, wouldn't it exactly like.

One hundred thousand, and that's tugging everybody. But anyway, Draftking sports Book Promo code KSR. You can bet on the Cats. I'm looking at it right now. Tennessee is a four and a half point favorite. Do you think that's about right?

Billy? Do you think maybe? Uh?

Or is that disrespectful to Kentucky? Kentucky maybe via a lot of them.

I think it'd be closer, you would pick them, honestly. You think Kentucky's thirty won twice?

Yeah, exactly, riddle four and a half. Maybe that factors into it. Promo code KSR. If your new customer bet five dollars, get two hundred bonus bets, you can do live vetting, same game parlays, player props. It's all there for you on the Draft Kings Sportsbook promo code KSR. If you have a gambling problem, call one a hundred gambler eighteen plus Kentucky only. Eligibility restrictions apply to new

We've got loaded lines and we'll get to you on the other side of this break shin and I mentioned the SEC Alabama knocks off UK and Dan Hurley, who on his way out, was saying, I hope the refs don't bleep you the same way they believed us to Baylor.

He is such a whiner, is he not?

I mean, dude, you got beat, go home, shut up quick, complaining about the refs. You know, the guy that says I'm the greatest blinking coach there is. Don't turn your back on me. What a jackass. So I'm happy that he's gone.

I'm glad he's gone too. But do you appreciate him at all as all the heel of college basketball? Because that's what he's become, isn't it.

Hang on to that. We'll talk about it next.

Okay, we'll just hold on to it. We'll be right back here on the KS. Person, welcome back. It's Billy and the dude.

Billy here? What is Rick playing here? What is this?

This is Joe Cocker feeling all right?

All right? Well, Joe Cocker.

He's got an eighties plis'n Billy?

Do you know who Joe Cocker is? I?

I don't. I don't know who Joe Cocker is or this elevator music that we're listening to, good.

Feel good music. Come on, Billy.

I mean my dad used to have a pair of bongos that he'd break out every now and then. A professional bongo player. Yeah, he also had long hair back in the day. So that's where I kind of maybe got my my attitude.

And you know, the greatest bonco player of all the greatest bongo player of all time is Andy Kauffin.

You ever seen Andy Coffin do the bongos?

Well?

I have a stand up yeah.

Uh A five nine, two eight seven. We're going to take some calls here. I want to ask you if you could ask the hotel staff if they have any weed a bix cereal you could have for break.

Weeda par You know I didn't see, but if I guarantee you if there's any Weeda bix within like a ten mile radius, a net would have it, and she would not only give it to you, she would give it to you with the hug.

Well, I gotta think there's going to be some weed to bicks throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky this week. If you haven't seen this story, Amari Williams is crediting his good performance versus Illinois to the British serial Weeda Bix. After only eating four pieces of toast before the game on Friday, the UK sports nutrition staff didn't think that was enough Shannon, so they asked him, Amari, what did you used to eat back in England, and he said

Shannon, Yeah, I'm looking at it right now.

You can get a box of wheed to bicks on Amazon for only five dollars and seventy nine cents.

That's it.

Come on very reasonable, right, I mean that's probably what a box of Lucky Charms would cost. I don't know what eggs. Yeah, yeah, it's a lot cheaper than eggs. You're right, But that's the first time I'd ever heard the word weed to bix. Me too, never, But apparently you're supposed to do, you know, enjoy it with warm milk. That's the other thing, the warm milk.

The team hotel warmed up some milk for them to eat the cereal with. You know, I thought it was just strictly beans on toast over there, Shannon, But I guess they've also got cereal and warm milk.

So how has this not come up yet?

Like, you know, we've gone through the entire season without knowing that he's a Weeda Bix fan. I feel like that's something that maybe would have come up in the fun facts about Amari earlier in the year.

Well, I think that's the first time he's had it since maybe that he was in England and that was the secret weapon that Kentucky needed for him to miss all those layups. But you know, seriously, he had suffered a back injury after practice before the game versus Troy, so he was limited. But I think there was a sequence where he had a block and then a huge dunk not only in the in game versus Illinois, but also Troy. So he got it done when he was called upon, and so maybe we should be thanking Weed

I mean we say that, you know it kind of sounds nasty to put warm milk in cereal, But I mean we put warm milk in like like oats. Right, that's kind of yeah sludgie, you know, but it's good if you put the right amount of sugar and sentiment in it.

So now I was the only milk guy on the KSR group when we were the only guy in the kass on the warm milk side.

In other words, you're the only psycho in the group, which psychopath. So yeah, I would give it a try. Yeah, I'm not anti weed a bit. I will try anything once.

All right, Well let's go. Let's let's hear from some of you. Eight five two two eight seven. Our first caller is Tony. Good morning, Tony. How are you doing today?

Hey fellows, good morning. It's a great day to be uh part of the bb N. That's exciting, and uh, go catch but a couple observations. I'll hang up and listen. But one Friday night, Amari Williams. I love the guy, love his play, but he made me pull out my hair. I don't have much to pull out. Uh when he missed how many bunny shots? He could have had another eight or ten points if he would just don't the ball? Don't the ball and think one of the TV announcers said that, why doesn't he just dunk it?

You know? And there was a couple of plays. Yeah, there was a couple of plays where you can just reach out and just dunk that if you wanted to, but instead for the layup.

And most a couple.

I don't understand that. But anyway, and then secondly, what do you think, uh, coach Pope uh and the staff, what's going to be their strategy for beating Tennessee a third time? Do you think they're going to say, hey, those first two games, you know, put.

That behind you.

This is a new season right now, we're in and treat this like you know, first time we played Tennessee. Uh, well, which it would be in the NCAA tournament. So, uh, how do you think their what their strategy will be? And I'll hang up and listen, have a great day.

Thank you, go catch well, thank you, Tony. I don't think the strategy would be act like it's the first time you played him this year. I think that's the benefit of playing a team you've already played twice, right, you know they're ten and sees. You know, who you know what they want to do. But Shannon, I believe one of the games that Kentucky was able to win it was was because Tennessee maybe missed forty three point shots in that game. It was it was ridiculous how

Well, you've heard Mark Pope say that he's all about collecting the data. When you're playing in Tennessee for the third time, there's a lot of data that's been collected already, So you're right. I mean, Tennessee we called him on a cold night where they just couldn't hit anything from behind the three point line. Hopefully something like that will happen again this Friday when they play each other again in the Sweet sixteen. But I'm not really sure what

But we finally got the right amount of shots taken by Kobe Brand, don't you think, Shannon? I feel like you've been beating this drum for a while. I mean, he went ten to sixteen, was three of eight from three, He scored a career high twenty three points. Just shoot sixteen shots a game, right, let's.

Just get that up. Yeah.

I mean, even games that Kobe has been struggling in, I still always believe the next one's going to go in. He can go out there and go, oh for ten, I believe the next one's going to happen.

Going to go in.

So he's a guy that I want to shoot fifteen sixteen shots a game, and I would like for most of those to be three point shots.

And man, you see the impact of Lamont you just you really do. That guy is so crafty on the defensive end, and when he's hitting threes like that too, I mean, come on, come on, I mean a great player.

Like for Lamont right now, I mean his shoulders hanging on by a thread. I'm happy with.

Hi'm just going out there and just playing really good defense and just locking down on defenders. But when he can go out there and also give you a couple of three point shots that he made last night, I mean everything after that's just a bonus.

Jim is next on the hotline, Jim, what's going on?

Man?

Hey guys, I was in Milwaukee for the weekend. A great arena, great downtown area. Here's my pet, Peeve, I think we really need to if people don't have the time or the money to do it all, they should get the SEC tournament and spend the money to go to the NCAA to support us in pursuit of number nine. Because you'll know, Shannon was there. We were badly outnumbered this weekend, and I'm afraid it's going to be the same way in Indianapolis.

Thanks for the yeah, Jim. It's gonna be interesting to see who's there at Lucas Soil Stadium, in the football stadium, I mean Tennessee, Purdue, Kentucky. It's gonna be a very tough ticket to get. I would argue with you that I guess most people don't know where Kentucky's gonna go in the NCAA tournament, so it's harder to schedule a vacation like that. You kind of know it might be in Nashville or Tampa ahead of But you know what, Big Blue Nation needs to show out and support these guys.

Yeah, we were out I agree.

I agree, we don't.

Oh, go ahead, Sorry, I'm gonna say we were out numbered this weekend. I don't think that's going to be the case this upcoming weekend in Indianapolis.

I think it's going to be exception, not the rule.

Yeah, I think that was just a one time thing. But I believe that the Big Blue Nation's going to show up this weekend.

What do you think, Jim, Well, I think it was a bad location for US as far as fans, because Illinois had already bought up to tickets. I was buying my tickets off seat before and there were very few seats available at that point. And you all know that arena was all orange. So it was a bad location for US because it was so close to their campus.

Well it could be Seattle and be drivable for the KSR guys. And I appreciate thank you, thank you, Jimmy, appreciate you calling in. Speaking of bad locations, how about where Ryan Lemon set us up for post game after the Troy game, Shannon. He put us right next to the cornhole boards at the Third Market Hall that you guys were broadcasting at. But credit to Ryan, it turned into one of the more entertaining postgame shows we've had this year.

Put right, Yeah, no, no, that was a great location, he says, A bad location. I thought it was a great location. Is right there We could see all the games going on, first of all, and we had one of the I think best moments on the Postgame Show maybe in the Postgame Show's history with Cornhole Kevin.

I mean, how great was he.

Was?

Unbelievable.

You talk about like a net being happy. Kevin was the happiest person to ever played the game of cornhole. I mean he was, he was into it. He was like, and that was to give you a hug right here, Wow, virtual hug.

I mean I can feel her joy through the screen. Look look at that. That's awesome. Well yeah, it turned it turned great. I've never heard people scream that much during a cornhole game. And Matt taking upon himself to teach the rules of the game to Kevin was an all time moment. There's no doubt about it. But you know you even jumped in and played with them.

Oh yeah, yeah, Kevin and I teamed up and even whooped some button some cornhole taking him though, because when he started he had no idea what he was doing, no idea Matt. Matt kind of taught him live on the air how to play corn hole, and by the end of the night, I felt like he was a corn hoole pro.

And Matt even told him the wrong rules and said the cornhole was like two points instead of three. You know what, it was building blocks and looks like you guys are having a good time. Yeah, let's let's take one more call and then we'll take a break. I beleeve. Sam has been patiently waiting. What's up, Sam, How are you?

Hey, guys? Thanks for taking my call.

One of the I said that I got tickets early last week to the region on Indianapolis, thinking that Tennessee Kentucky would be there, and now they are, so should be a memorable moment. I do think that the fan base is going to be a bit better Indianapolis, just because it's a little closer, but might be outnumbered by Purdue.

But I appreciate it.

Thank you all right, Thank you Sam and Shannon. I don't think the turnup was bad. It's just when you have Illinois and Iowa stayed in the area, they're naturally going to buy a lot of tickets.

I mean, let's be real, Like Nashville is a destination city. Like people want to go to Nashville, they want to watch the games, they want to party, have a good time.

I don't think of Milwaukee as actually.

Being anywhere close to a destination city like Nashville, Tennessee. But Indianapolis, you know, it's close, a couple of hours away from Louisville, and I feel like that we're going to have a great amount of fans there for the game against Tennessee.

Well, one thing to think about before we had to our final break, Shannon, as we are all still excited for the college basketball season to still be going on for Kentucky. The transfer portal opens today Monday, March twenty fourth. The transfer portal is now open. Imagine that you're still trying to game plan for an opponent, you know, get ready for some of the biggest games of your lives, and you've got to have individual meetings about are you going to return next year or you know, what's my

I wish they would push the portal back. You know, they have to through the season first, right because you're right, I mean, having to prepare for a Sweet sixteen game and try to manage your roster and think about next season already while your season still going on. It is crazy. So I don't know why they couldn't just push it back just a few weeks. Let's get through the season and then you know, the championship games on Monday. Let's say it opens on Tuesday.

And then it's not a disadvantage for you to win games in the NCAA tournament, because that's what it's becoming, is a disadvantage if you are still playing. But you know what, we'll see how that works out as the transfer portal opens today eight five nine too oh two two eight seven. We'll take a break and be right back at Shannon and Billy here on the kosrpre Show. Welcome Back Ksrpre Show final segment, Billy and the Dude,

First of all, that Kentucky Liberty game, we watched that in the third I think it's third Market Hall where we did our think So yeah, postgame show anyway, we watched that game that was a nel bider, and just to watch that yesterday against Kansas State, it's just a heartbreaker. But you know, if it weren't for Georgia Amore, they would have never been in that position to begin with. So even though that shot didn't go down, she kept

But yeah, it's just a tough loss. And you know, there was a great season though for Kenny Brooks.

A memorable season for Georgia Aymore. But I'm confident that Kenny Brooks is the right guy for the job.

How you think you?

I feel like he's gonna get some great talent in and get this team back to a Sweet sixteen and maybe even a Final four. Let's take a couple of calls before we had to head out of here. Dave has been waiting, Dave, what's up?

How are you?

Can you hear me?

OLLI loud and clear, Dave.

He I just wondered this morning I heard that the Ken Pum defensive ranking is now in the forties.

It went from one to twelve to forty five, and I just wondered.

I'm not mass major, but I wonder if anybody has worked out what that increase each game was to get us all the way from one to twelve to the mid forties. It must be phenomenal, must be. I mean, I'm thinking, what would you think down in the twenties.

It's it's unbelievable. I think we you go back to that Ole Miss game as the catalyst for when Kentucky changed their defense around. You know, he asked me to do math on the air. It's not gonna be good, but maybe something similar to that, right, shann. I mean it's just they well is it simply did they? Did it start clicking for them? Or they Maybe they just got tested and when your toughness gets tested, you have to respond, right.

I think last night's game was maybe the most impressive defensive performance that I've seen from Kentucky all year long.

I agree.

I mean, Illinois came in as a team in the last six games that was averaging ninety points per game, and they hadn't lost since they got blown out by Duke a month ago, and to come in and you know, I'm not gonna say they shut them down, but they did. I mean they limited them to I forget what it was at halftime, but I mean it wasn't like they were lighting the world on fire.

Like halftime was thirty two for thirty two, Troy.

Was average ninety to get right too at halftime.

Well yeah, and then Troy that was the second lowest point total scored on Kentucky all year, only to Browns. So I mean, that's two good defensive games in a row. Dave you have anything else for us before.

We let you go another thing? Guys. It was also reported this morning that our mentioned that no return points this year and we're in the sweet sixteen. No team has ever done that, right.

Billy said that earlier.

It's our first segment.

Yeah, yeah, and that's just phenomenal. I mean, we're talking about a coaching job here that that's rarely been seen, no no doubt.

I completely agree, appreciate the call, Jim. It's uh really makes you think how well of a job they've done and how much growth that they've shown over the year. Shannon tell me about Draftings for we had to get out of here.

Yep.

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If you have a gambling problem called waiting one hundred gambler eighteen plus Kentucky only eligible to your strict applying to new customers only a want top expire one hundred and sixty eight hours after issue. It's additional terms and responsible gaming resources see DKNG, dot co slash audio. The Courageous Cats. Somebody says, people still want to give this team a nickname? Do you like the Courageous Cats?

I don't. I've I've been told remarkable four times this morning already, So I think I think they're gonna go unnicknamed as of now. But we're about to hand it off to KSR. Matt and Mark Pope had a special moment after the game. If you saw that, Shannon, So it's, you know, good vibes all around BBN right now.

There's gonna be a fun week.

This is gonna be a fun week leading up to the Sweet sixteen and looking forward to talking about it more.

Coming up next with KSR.

All Right for Shannon the Dude, I'm Billy Rutledge. This has been the ksrpre show, the show before the show. We we'll talk to you tomorrow. Everybody, have a good one.