Welcome everyone to another edition of the KSR pre Show. Today is Tuesday, April eighth. I am Billy Rutlich with no Shannon the Dude. This week you can give a call on the Clark's Pumping Shot phone line. That's eight five nine two A zero two two eight seven. Text us at five h two two six five sixty six five six and is always The KSR Pre Show is brought to you by Italics Fine Italian Dining right here
in Lexington on Main Street in the City Center. Big thank you dude Jacob Policheck who joined us on the KSR pre Show yesterday.
He gave us the.
Scoop about the Transfer Portal, the wild West, you could say, and the player movement in the sport of college basketball. We'll talk more transfer Portal today with our special guest Tom Crean, the former Marquette Indiana Georgia head coach, is a frequent guest on the KSR pre Show. A couple things got moved around. He will join us today at nine to thirty to recap the National Championship Game, Kentucky season, their first season under Mark Pope, and much more. I
love Tom. He's a Western Kentucky guy. He was an assistant there from ninety to ninety four. He ended up marrying I think it was the Harbaugh's sister, so he's in the Harball family. Now we got to hear about those Thanksgiving dinners. But he's come on a couple times before and has been gracious enough with his time. Until nine thirty, We're just gonna do a little Billy our Sports Radio. I'm glad you're alongside with us. We'll talk about some news notes happening around the country and around
the Commonwealth. But first, let's say good morning to our producer, Rick Ryder. Our Man's back in studio. Good morning, Rick, how are you hey?
I'm doing pretty good.
Billy always appreciate you the filling in Rick, I always do. But I do want to ask you do you live in Louisville?
Rick?
Are you?
Are you living in Louisville right now?
Or yes? I am, yeah, Acord and raised here.
Well.
Obviously, the flooding has continued throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The images have been surreal in places like Frankfurt and Dawson's Dawson Springs. But you don't have to go far. I mean Louisville is underwater right now. Over the last couple of days, Rick, the sewage system is so backed up in Louisville they have asked people not to take long showers, not to take a bath, not to excessively flush.
Are you doing your part, Rick, and not taking a shower for the city of Louisville these last couple of days.
Yeah, I'm doing my best. And then anybody gets near me, they can tell that.
Well, hopefully, Rick, you're not getting too stinky. I thought, not too bad to know, No, But I thought that was bizarre, don't you. I mean, the sewage system so backed up that they've asked people not to take extended showers. I mean, it makes sense, but you know, I didn't think we'd get to that point.
Yeah, you know, I never thought it would come to this. I've heard things like this in other cities in the past that got flooded out, but never thought it would happen here in Louisville.
But it has.
Yeah, and it's just really disappointing to see that thunder over Louisville was canceled and all. That is such a big event for the city and unfortunately we're not going to have all of those festivities.
In the fireworks show.
I mean, hell, we've got the bluegrass Steaks running on a Tuesday here in Lexington at Keenland. So we have just had to adjust with all of the severe weather weather. Drew Franklin has had to adjust with everybody going on vacation. Matt leaves for Amsterdam, Mario decides to go back home to Florida, Ryan and Shannon decide to go on a bro date. So I wanted to say Drew did a great job yesterday at the start of Drew Palooza along
with Corey Price and myself. Speaking of Ryan and Shannon, did we see the drunk tweets that Ryan and Shannon had last night from the bar? I mean, hey, we were all watching the National Championship game last night, but I.
Don't know how many mimosa they were the.
Twitter if you haven't checked it out at Ryan Lemon and at Shannon the Dude. They were just being a little goofy and having a good time on their bro date. And it was a good time last night as Florida defeated Houston sixty five to sixty three to earn their third title in really the last decade, right, I mean they won a six and seven and now again in twenty twenty five five the year of the SEC, and what a stellar year for the SEC. They make fourteen
teams into the tournament. Seven teams make the Elite eight, two in the final four in Todd Golden, in his third year at head coach at Florida, becomes the second youngest head coach to win the National Championship at thirty nine years old, the youngest being Valvano at thirty seven in nineteen eighty three. It was also a rocky start to the year to Todd Golden if you remember the student newspaper at the University of Florida alleging that Todd
Golden was stalking University of Florida students. He has been cleared by a Title nine investigation, but obviously that doesn't clear a view of all wrongdoing. But Todd Golden was still able to coach his team and coach his team to the National Championship where it.
Looked like Florida was gonna lose.
I mean, let's be honest, they were down twelve in the second half, down three at halftime. Houston to look to had looked to have all the momentum, Florida could not stopped turning the ball over. The intensity that Houston played with on defense was phenomenal. It was a great first half for Kelvin Sampson and those Houston Cougars. Then it started to fall apart well, and then Walter Clayton
woke up. I mean, my man didn't have a field goal until about seven or eight minutes left in the second half.
It also became a little bit of a ref.
Show in the second half. Did you notice that. I mean, I believe the stat was there were four foulsand in the first half and then twenty five fouls in the second half. I don't know who made a call to the referees at halftime to say, hey, we can't let them play anymore, but it really felt like somebody did that. But eventually, Houston turns the ball over on the four final possessions of a game, allowing Florida to come back
and win the take the lead. Houston had seventeen seconds left and elected to go for the win in the final shot. And look, I think to a degree you have to respect that light, right, I mean, they had played so well and they were still down a point to Florida. A Florida team that had a ton of turnovers couldn't hit a three in the first half to save their life. Houston had played really well and yet still found themselves down by one. They went for the win. But in hindsight it's puzzling.
It is.
I mean, seventeen seconds left, you don't go to the basket, you don't try to get a two pointer. There's no action, You're just waiting for the final shot. Florida, to give them credit, plays great defense. Walter Clayton comes out of nowhere to force the well the Houston player to almost double dribble and not touch that ball again. It ends up being a turnover and Florida gets the win. It
was a fun ending. It was a stunning ending, right My jaw is on the ground as much as it was when Houston came back to beat Duke, or Florida came back to beat Auburn or heck, Florida came.
Back to beat Texas Tech.
They were down ten against Texas Tech, nine versus Auburn, I believe, and then twelve versus Houston before they came back and won. And it's interesting to think It's interesting to reflect that the team that gave Florida their first loss in conference play this year was Kentucky. That's right, one zh six to one hundred at rupp Aerena earlier this year, Kobe Brea hit seven three pointers. Florida gets their first loss of the year. Shows you what Kentucky
was when they were healthy. It shows you what Mark Pope and that roster could have achieved if those guys could have made it the rest of the way. You know, I don't think kerkkries have played in that game, but you had a healthy Lamont Butler, you had a healthy Jackson Robinson. Kobe Brea hit seven threes in that one. Interesting to think back about Kentucky beating Florida earlier this year. But congratulations to Walter Clayton, Congratulations to Todd Golden and Florida.
An incredible run for them to win the NCAA tournament. But I also can't help but think about the other side in Houston and the despair that you immediately see after the game. Kelvin Sampson another one that was stunned. Emmanuel Sharp, who was the one that kind of had that double dribble, didn't take the shot in the final possession, was devastated after the game and goes to show you why the NCAA Tournament just means so much.
These guys as.
Careers are on the line, they're gonna stop playing the sport of basketball, possibly after games like this, and you get to see the despair in their eyes.
It is so human.
The end of the NCAA Tournament and whether it be Andrew Carr saying it's gonna be tough to take these jerseys and choose off for Emmanuel Sharp losing in the national title game, the emotions are at their best in the college basketball NCAA Tournament. Also, something that we didn't get to bring up, yesterday was the one year anniversary of John Caliperi entering the transfer portal himself entering negotiations with the Chicken Man before taking the job at Arkansas.
So if yesterday was the year anniversary of the Sunday that that news all started breaking out, today would be the anniversary of the Monday where the bleep hit the fan when Cal started walking his dog on Richmond Road with the TV cameras right there, right where I had to replace Drew Franklin on KSR that week because he was at Augusta attending the Masters. I mean talk about
being at the right place at the right time. I joined Matt and Ryan at KS Bar and Grill over the next couple days to talk about Cal moving to Arkansas, what Kentucky would do next. The sequence of events of that week will be remembered forever. Monday, on the Show and Cal with the Dog. Tuesday, Cal says goodbye in a video, saying that the program needs a new voice. Wednesday, Scott Drew's pictures taken in a Mexican restaurant in Waco. When the fan base is going crazy tracking planes. Thursday,
Dan Hurley says no to the University of Kentucky. Imagine if that guy would have been the head coach of Kentucky this year. And Mark Pope is announced as the head coach. Late Thursday night, Friday morning, we do our show in the Distillery District and just the strangest three hour period where the entire sentiment of the fan base seemed to change. It's nice to reflect every now and then, but a year ago today we were in the madness
of Cal entering the Transfer portal. Speaking of the Transfer portal, Kentucky got a huge commitment yesterday from Alabama forward Mohammed diu Bat. He'll have two years of eligibility. The six to seven forward from Queens, New York played the Kentucky Wildcats three times this year, and this is exactly the piece that Kentucky did not have this past season. I mean,
think about it. You could look at his stats. He averaged seven point two points per game, five point nine rebounds, sixty one percent from the field, forty six percent from three, and sixty percent from three free throw line. Those numbers may not be corrected, and I don't know if he shot forty six percent from three, but this is a
guy that is going to be your defensive enforce. This is the guy that is going to help so much on the offensive rebounding side of things, on the physicality, on the toughness, on the versatility side of it all that he's going to bring a dimension to the Kentucky roster that Kentucky simply did not have last year. He's
going he was a thorn on UK side. In the three games that he played, he had eight points and eight rebounds, three assists in a steal in the game on January eighteenth, he had four points, five rebounds on a block in the game on February twenty second, and the third matchup versus Alabama on March fourteenth in the SEC tournament, he had I'm sorry the third matchup thirteen points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in the ninety nine to seventy win against Kentucky.
I think this is a huge pickup.
I'm gonna ask Tom Crane about this guy a little bit later today. With two years of eligibility, you are now starting to see this roster fill out. If o Way stays, If Travis Perry, Colin Chandler, Brandon Garrison, Trent Noah, if they all stay, you now have eleven guys on the roster. You add in Jasper Johnson, Malachim, Radio, Acaid and Lewis, Jalen Lowe, Cam Williams and Dubote are now
your three players in the transfer portal class. And what's next the USC transfer Wesley Yeats as somebody that's been buzzing, how about Jaden Quaintance buzz right now? We got some updates from our guy Jack Pilgrim, who I believe is going to be joining Drew on KSR. Later today that it's down between Auburn and Kentucky. For the former Kentucky commit Jaden Quaintans before he ended up leaving to Arizona State. He tore his ACL last year. He'll be coming off
of that injury. There's the Sharpshooter Stretch four from Spain at Robert Morris. There's a guy at Jacksonville State.
I believe there's still a lot of.
Pieces to fall in this transfer portal, but Mark Pope has found his third edition in Muhammad Dubote. Heyf I've nine two a H two two eight seven If you'd like to join the show today again. Tom Creen will be joining us a little bit later in the show tonight moved up an hour early. It's Kentucky at the University of Louisville baseball game. Kentucky needs this one. They
have struggled a little bit. They dropped two or three against Old Miss over the weekend eighteen and eleven on the year, five and seven in conference play.
Look, it's not a conference game, but it's Louisville. Right.
You're on the road at Jim Patterson's schedule or stadium against a ranked Louisville team. Kentucky leads the all time series seventy three point fifty to one. It's the one hundred and twenty fifth meeting between the two schools. Kentucky. Look, I mean they left twelve guys on base and a loss to Old Miss. Over the weekend, they take on the number two team in the country, Texas this weekend Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. You do not have time to drop this
game versus Louisville and Nick min Jones. I don't know if he has the talent that he did last year to make a College World Series run. I think they've got to start winning games now. I saw a projection that Kentucky was one of the last four teams in to the NCAA tournament. That was before the Old Miss series. So we'll see how things change. But A five nine two A two two eight seven again, that game moving
up an hour early. We'll start at seven pm. That means the pregame will start at six forty five on news radio six thirty WLAP five oh two two six five six six five six is the text line. If you'd like to chime in, what'd you think about the Gators win? What sound do you like more one Shining Moment after this Yuk the season is over?
Or how about the Masters opening music.
You've heard that piano riff once or twice already this week, right, what's the better sound?
One Shining Moment or the Masters.
We'll talk about more of that next and get ready for Tom Green, who will join us at the bottom of the hour at nine to thirty. You are listening to a Tuesday edition of the ksrpre Show. I'm Billy Rutliche and we will be right back. All right, welcome back. It's the Billy R Sports Show today with Shannon the Dude out A five nine two A two two eight seven.
Give us a call. While everybody else is on vacation, Drew Franklin is still back at the bar and he will be hosting drew Apalooza Day two today along with Jack Pilgrim and Steven Peak from KSR dot Com as well as Phoenix Stevens to talk about the women's basketball team in Kentucky. Women's basketball returner Tiana Key, who sounds like it is going to be on the show with Drew. So Drew's reached into the Roaldecks and found a great guest lineup for the show today. Really glad that Corey
Price was on the show yesterday. That guy is just smart, you know what I mean? Just that intelligence to be able to recall every national championship winner from nineteen forty on. Man, it's just a different kind of intelligence and he has continued to kill it as a statistic statitician. Excuse me for the University of Kentucky. Speaking of women's basketball over the weekend, we did not mention Yukon beat South Carolina eighty two to fifty nine, dominated in the women's basketball
title game. Do you know the coach for Yukon is now twelve and one in title games to twelve championship for Yukon, Page gets there, finally gets her title in a blowout game, one that don Staley was not too happy about. She was throwing some temper tantrums on the sideline, not happy. But it was a masterclass, that is what
she said about Yukon after the game. Speaking of women's basketball, the uk team got a commit as well over the weekend, Western Kentucky transfer Josie Gilvin, who averaged thirteen points a game and six point three rebounds. She shot over forty percent from three at her time at Western Kentucky last year. It is a depth edition in the back four backcourt
for coach Kenny Brooks and the Cats. But you can't help but think about a player like Cassidy Row anytime a player, even a player from the state of Kentucky has added like Western Kentucky transfer Josie Gilvin. You know, I've struggled a little bit on the topic of Cassidy
Row kind of went back and forth. Initially, I gave my take on the air with Shannon the Dude, and the one Matt and ended up agreeing with is that you gotta let Kenny cook, you know, to a degree, you want him to make the program in his image. But you know what, yesterday I gave a call to KSR pre show frequent co host Richie Farmer, who knows better than Richie Farmer than the expectations of a fan base and a state like Kentucky. And basically, you know,
I made sure Richie was free. You know, I didn't call him while he's at work or anything like that, but I was just like, hey, Richie, I wanted to bout something off you.
You know, I want to know what you think about this Cassidy row situation.
I'd love you have you on the show sometime, but just you know, you know, man a man, honestly, what kind of what are your thoughts on the situation? And I fully expected Richie to be on the side of Cassidy and he was. You know, he completely understood that if he was in her situation, he would.
Be devastated, and rightly so.
But he also said that he saw both sides. And he also said that if he was in Kenny Brooks's situation, well, one he doesn't want to be in Kenny Brooks's situation, but two if he was, he didn't know what he would do. Because Cassidy does deserve a senior day, right, guys. I mean, she has put blood, sweat and tears into this program, and I get the addition of fourteen fifteen players of depth and making sure everybody can do their
best on the roster. But she has just spent so much for this program that I thought that she could be honored in the right way. But then I flip, right, then I flip and I say, look, I mean, nobody deserves a roster spot. Nobody should be owed it just because you are from the state. With Cassidy's dad going on local radio shows, this situation has not gone away and many media members.
Taking a stand.
I mean, there have been some very fiery opinions on this topic, and I don't think either or wrong.
You know, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, and.
That's not what you do on sports radio, right, But there is nuance in life, and sometimes the truth is much closer to the middle than maybe that you expect.
I love talking to Richie about it.
I mean we talked maybe fifteen twenty minutes about just you know, is Richie gonna play? And how that all started? And even when Richie started playing, it's like, is Richie gonna play? More?
Right?
I mean when does that stop? And you know that's not you know, something that.
Is a fault.
It's just the passion of the fan base. It's what makes bb and special. It's what sets them aside from every other fan base in the country, is that you are gonna get the is Richie gonna play?
Why is Cassidy Row being treated like that?
I mean, this is one of our own and that's why this situation is so unique. You know, Originally I'm from Saint Petersburg, Florida, and so the Florida Gators were the biggest team around where I lived. And let me tell you, it's a little disupporting that Florida wins the college basketball National Championship because, let me let you in on a secret, they don't care about college basketball down there.
Now.
Maybe it's changed since when I moved from Florida in two thousand and eight, so I was there for six oh seven when they won back to back titles. But they care more about hockey than they do college basketball down there in Gainesville, Florida. It is amazing how much more they care about high school football than they do college basketball or really any other college sports outside of college football.
They just don't care.
I mean, it's a football state, and I would say hockey is even closer behind that. But maybe that's changed, Maybe Todd Golden is starting to change that opinion of Florida.
Fans in college basketball.
I just feel for Kenny Brooks and Cassidy Row in this situation because I don't think there is a right answer.
I think there is good points on both sides.
A five nine two eight zero two to eight seven couple minutes left before we take our bottom of the hour break, and then former Indiana head coach Tom Crean is going to join us. He also coached at Marquette and Georgia. Looking to get some insights about the national title game last night, Kentucky's newest commit, and the transfer portal, and also if he missed his time at Western. I mean we talked about the white squirrel, the albino squirrels week recently. You know, I want to know if he
misses walking up that hill every single day. It is not for the faint of heart. We Western grads have the best calf muscles, there are no doubt. But looking forward to talking to Tom a little later today. You can also Texas five h two two sixty five six six five six, where one person says Billy Florida's starting guards were both zero star recruits. Maybe we shouldn't judge
Pope's recruits by which school they're coming from. You know, I think I saw the stat that there were no five star recruits in the starting five of the National Championship last night as well, and that's, you know, a sign of the times, right. We've seen the transfer portal change so much, but also let's speak to Pope's roster building techniques right now. I don't think it's about just amassing talent like Cal did in the past, but who is the right fit, who is going to play a
role in my system? And I think you're seeing exactly that with Diubate. I mean, that's a guy that is going to play a specific role in pope system as an enforcer, as the guy that's going to guard the best player on the other team. You know, just filling out your roster is much different in twenty twenty five than it was in twenty nineteen, twenty twenty even twenty twenty one. But how Pope navigates these waters is going to be the most interesting story of the offseason. There's no doubt.
All Right, we're gonna take a break.
When we come back, we will hopefully connect with Tom Creen, the college basketball coach and ESPN analyst, to talk a little bit more about the Cats. It's Billy Rutlige a day without Shitton the dude here on this Tuesday edition, and the ksrpre Show will be right back. Welcome back, we roll along on a Tuesday of the KSR Pre Show. I'm Billy Rutledge and now joining us on the Celebrity
Hotline is KSR pre show frequent co host. It's Tom Crean, the former college basketball head coach and college basketball analyst on ESPN. It's great to have you back on, Tom.
How have you been.
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. It's good to be with you, so thanks for having me.
Absolutely, it's great to connect with you again. How how has the tournament been?
Tom?
I know you've been really busy doing a lot of studiosh, you've also broadcasting some games. So how how is the twenty twenty five tournament for Tom Crean?
I loved it. I worked with what I was with ESPN through most of the champions well through all of the Championship week, and then it's been Westwood One Radio. So I did Westwood one Radio up in Milwaukee where Kentucky was and had a chance to be a part of that. You see guys like Matt Jones up there and other people with you guys. And then I did Atlanta for the Sweet sixteen and an Elite and got to call those games. So I loved it. I didn't
go to the Final four. I really don't go out there as much right now unless I have something that I'm definitely going out there to do. But I love the tournament and I love the season and just watching teams improve, you know, being able to see why are they winning, why are they losing? What are they got to get better at? You know, I love all that, so I enjoyed it.
You know, Matt mentioned that he met you up there, and we'll get to that and Mark Pope's first season at Kentucky and Justice. But I do want to touch on Florida winning the title last night. I mean, Todd Golden in his third season, has built a heck of a roster, and Tom they did it by coming back once again three straight games, or they've come back with a nine point deficit. I mean, quite the win for Florida and quite the tournament for SEC.
Was it not?
Oh? Absolutely? I mean quite the year for the SEC. I mean that's just it's just awesome and and to me, it showed teams got better. It really did. And you couldn't judge the teams nationally just on league play because there are so many even games, so many games of really good teams that once they got into the nation again after the non conference season, that they would show
that and that, and that's exactly what they did. A lot of great leagues year in and year out, and the SEC just went to a different level this year. And when you think about it, even on the women's side, I mean, four of the eight teams in the in the final four, I'm both tides and they come from the SEC, and you get one champion out of it. You can't have it a lot better than that. Two
champions I guess they would really want. But when you got four of the eight and the champion, that's an incredible, incredible year.
Well, Tom, I think they're set up for many years to come to be a very good conference in college basketball. But I can't help but think about the other side in a national championship game, the losing side, and Calvin Sampson, what a great story he was with Houston, Emmanuel Sharp devastated after the game. It's the agony of defeat. And there's a cliche that says most coaches hate losing more than they like winning. I want to ask you, does
that apply to you? And do you think about some tough losses when you see things like that?
Oh, absolutely absolutely you do, And you don't ever get over those I mean, anybody that thinks that that Calvin will be able to move on from that loss, No, you don't. I mean, yeah, you move on in your life and you get ready for the next day and the next game and the next season and all those type of things. But those things never leave you, and and not when you're invested like that, because it's it's it's not just the result, it's the relationships that you
have that that lead to a result. And when especially when you've had the year and the season that they have had and built it the way that they did at Houston, and you just see how much they've invested into each other and then to come up short in a game that it wasn't that they lost, it was that they lost doing things that they don't They don't do right. They were out of character on some of the turnovers, they were out of character on not getting
the shots up, things of that nature. Those were the hard parts in a game like that, and that's where you feel for but you don't get over those things. Still think about losing to Kansas in the Final four and two thousand and three all the time. I mean, as great as the Kentucky game was in the Elite eight. We still didn't beat Kansas until you never forget those things and.
It could end so poor. But there's got to be it's got to be such a rewarding process to invest in young people like that time. I mean, as a coach for so many years, I mean, you get to know so many great guys and that to see them better themselves as human beings is probably the most rewarding part of it.
Not even just wins and losses, right.
Oh, absolutely, absolutely, the relationships you have. I mean, example of that two thousand and three team, that two thousand and three team at Marquette is still so close in still group texts and chats and they still spend time together during the season and events. It's just that doesn't go away, right, all those things. Every team bonds in a different way and and they're going to be there,
going to be memories that people have forever. But when you win and go through hard things together and you overcome and you achieve, think about think about think about how quick that they would pack rupp Arena at the Untouchables came back you know for a night, right, I Mean, it's just there's just incredible memories on those type of things, and so yeah, you feel really honored and absolutely blessed to be involved in that as a coach and you and you do understand that you have a real hand
in that and bringing people together. But at the end of the day, it's how they make you feel about you and how they make you feel about about how they feel about you as a coach or as a person. That's what the that's what the difference is, and that's
what's so incredible. And that's why when you lose with people, and there's the old saying, you know, you've got to find people you can lose with, right And and that's I always tell people in coaching, hire somebody that that you can be on a three game losing streak with them and not wonder where they're at when when you get ready for the next game, you know. And I think that's that's coaching, that's leadership, that's life. That's so much and I think that's that's there's no price tag
you can put on that. Coaches make a lot of money, right, especially at the collegiate level, but there's no price tag you can put on those relationships and those memories that you have.
Would you ever be interested in getting back into coaching town.
Oh? Absolutely, yeah, the right things, if the right thing came, absolutely I would because you never stop being a coach. And even now, you know with broadcasting, I love it. I love the game planning, I look at I love the way. Okay, how do they win? How do they lose? What do they got to do? Like I said earlier, like I love all that, but you missed the floor, you missed the practices, you missed the competition of the game.
And really what I missed immensely And you still get this with your former players, whether they're in the NBA or going through things in life, is you miss helping people solve problems. And that's what coaching is so much about, right, how do you help others get better? How do you help them fix things? How do you help them solve problems? Because when they go into the real world, their life, their families, they've got to be able to solve those things.
And every way that you can give them, it's not enabling, it's helping them have the wherewithal and the skills and tools that they need to go along with what they've learned from their families. On how they're going to run their own families and their own businesses in their own lives.
Let's shift to Kentucky here. Mark Pope's first season at Kentucky ends with eight Top fifteen wins. They are twenty four and twelve on the year, they made the Sweet sixteen after beating Troy in Illinois. You know, Preparina was packed several times this year, as you alluded to, but you had the shit chance to sit down with Matt Jones a little bit also, Mark Pope, what are your overall thoughts on Mark Pope's first season at Kentucky.
I think they did a great job. I mean I really did. I already put together a really good staff. I think one of the big keys was bringing Mark Fox with him, because there's a guy now that could that understood Mark and could help a new staff. Obviously he brought guys from BYU, but when you get Jason and you get Alvin Brooks and people like that, like they don't know Mark right, and so that's where Mark
Fox could be such a key part of that. And Mark Fox is an outstanding coach, so he comes in and he's got that the ability to help Mark but also to help the rest of the staff, And I thought that that staff was fantastic, and I thought what they did improving their team, putting the team together, really having an idea of what they wanted. Obviously, they have the wherewithal and the money and all those things to be able to get the players that they want, and
they have a lot to sell. But there's a lot of teams right now in the country that have a lot of money that aren't getting the right kind of players and aren't getting the players that fit their head coach. But Mark's teams, they didn't do that. They did get the guys that fit. He built a great culture inside of there this year and again, when you come into Kentucky, I mean you're not only building on winning and building on tradition, you're building on the expectations that are always
in that program. And I thought John did so much with that for so long there, right, and then Mark comes in like it's Kentucky for a reason, and I think he did a great job of embracing all that, embracing the fans, embracing everybody there, but really at the same time getting his team better. And I think they'll continue to improve like that because there always going to be a destination program. If you're having success at Kentucky, you're really not looking to leave other than to go
to the pros. I mean, there's always going to be transfers, but there are certain programs that you go in there and you really don't no matter how well you're playing, this is where you want to be. And I think Kentucky's one of those schools. Still.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the word fit and Pope recruited to fit his scheme and his style, and not that Cal didn't do that. It felt like he amassed talent a lot of times. But Cal had an old saying that Kentucky he isn't for everyone. And I think that you know that was that applied even more so in the transfer portal era, where guys are asking for money or they're asking for playing time, and it seemed Mark Pope reinstilled the the values of the name on the front of
your jersey and not the name on the back. Tom, if you were coaching today, what's some advice that you would give to kids entering the transfer portal?
Well? I think also with John, the people lose sight of this there was a transition. I mean I went through the transition of COVID and and then and then a year later, you're dealing with the portal and you're dealing with the NIL when everybody has that, And I think, you know how John built, it was not going to be as sustainable once once the model changed and was
moving in that direction. And I thought he did a lot of good with that this year at Arkansas, having young players and having some guys that he knew, but also getting some older guys, And I think that's where it's at. I think if I was giving advice to younger players, first off, you eat people are there's a lot of people that are paying for numbers that you've already had. There's still people that are paying for what you've done right, and I'm not sure that that is
always going to be the best model. Younger players have got to understand that the more that they improve, the more skills that they have, the more that they can shoot the ball, the more that they can be low turnover people that are good decision makers, if they're inside players. The more that they can shoot it, that they can pass it, that they can protect the rim, that they
can find ways to get fout. Skill development right now should be in an absolute premium no matter what, because as this continues to go, people will be paying for projection and skill. They really will. They are to a degree obviously, when it's a high school player, like I think the Kentucky class this year is outstanding, and I know a Kata Lewis and I know Malachi Marino from knowing them for some time or from working with them
at different camps like those two guys. And I don't know Johnson well, I think he's a heck of a player, but the two I know those guys are going to be fantastic at Kentucky right because because there's potential, there's upside. They've proven at their level that they can do it. But you can see that they're going to get better, and I think that's that's what this is all about. Don't get so caught up in what you think everybody is getting or what everybody how you're going to get paid.
You better understand that if your skills aren't continuing to grow and get better, that's going to put it's going to put a shelf life and a ceiling on how far you can go. Because as this continues to go, paying for players that can absolutely come in and have the skill and impact winning is going to be is going to be paramount.
And you mentioned Johnson and Moreno, both Kentucky kids. So they're one going to understand what it means, the importance the fan base puts on it, and the expectations that come with it. I do want to ask you about one specific player that Kentucky has gotten, and that was yesterday Mo Diabate, the six to seven power forward from Alabama committed to the Cats. He's a complimentary piece that can bring a lot of toughness, don't you think.
Tom Oh Absolutely, I love what they're doing in the portal so far. But Jalen Lowe it with Cam Williams, and then to get Diabat. Here's the thing about him. When when Alabama struggled, especially in second halves, it was defensively and and there were certain players fears numbers might be down defensively, Aiden Holloway, Grant Nelson. The one guy that was a constant for them throughout the year defensively and and impacted their team on the rebounding end in
the defensive end was Mo Diabate. I mean, he was a guy that the more he played okay and even in second per halves, the better they played. And there are still certain things that have to be improved offensively with him, there's no doubt about it. But he's a guy that makes things happen. Like he Mo Diabate would have fit in perfectly in a game last night on either one of those front lines because he can rebound the ball, he can defend the rim, he can get
to the rim. He's gonna be He's going to be in motion to keep coming. I mean Condon and how for Florida they never stop going to the basket on either a drive or a follow up or a rebound. Right see about days like that? I mean, I love him. That's a huge loss for Alabama because it's hard to replace a motor in an impact I'm both like he is so right now Kentucky, those three portal signs. Cam
Williams can cut, he can shoot. I think he's going to have to get his release just a little bit higher as he continues to grow and want to become a pro. But I thought this would be the year Jaalen Lowe would be a pro from Pitt and I think now you give him and you put him in the pick and rolls, and you put him in the offense. Now that'll be one more year more like Mark wants it.
At Kentucky, I think they have done phenomenal. You could say they're high school recruiting class and their portal class. You could easily make a case when you combine those right now for being as good as anybody's in the country to this point.
Wow, listen, listen to that Tom creen. You're getting used to that college basketball analyst role with the takes.
I love it.
I love it well, no, but but I mean it's sincerely. I mean, it's not about it's not about how everybody's ranked. Right, And obviously there's great recruiting classes and we're nowhere near where the portal is going to be. But when you talk about impacting a team, right, the fit a team. Let's put it that way. I'm not trying to not trying to make a statement that's that's outlandish. When you talk about guys that come in make a team, it fit, and it can impact winning. The guys they've gotten in
the portal so far and the recruits they've signed. If they keep developing the way they have. I think they're excellent fits and I think you could argue for them as good as anyone in the country.
Tom Creen has been our guest here on the KSR pre Show today, the former head coach at Marquette, Indiana, Georgia. Tom one final question before I let you go. You're a Hilltopper man. You're a guy from ninety to ninety four you were on the Hill. I know you got some fond memories there. You've met your wife there.
Correct.
Is there anything else that comes to mind when I bring up the Hilltoppers?
Everything? I loved it there, my father in law, Jack Harbaugh, and Jackie Harbaugh being there working for Ralph Willard. We went from having eight points and seven rebounds returning the first year we were there, the year three, being in the sweet sixteen, year four winning a championship, going to
the NSAA tournament, and then we left for Pittsburgh. But some of the greatest years not only in my life because I've met my wife, but because of learning a whole different style, being in an environment where improvement, daily improvement of your skills was it the foremost of the program. Working for an absolute incredible coach and Willard. I loved every bit of it, no doubt about it.
Well, Tom, really appreciate you jumping on with us again. It seems like we always do this around NCAA tournament time. And now that the tournament is over you can get some rest. I guess it's a little vacation time for Tom. So big thank you for joining us, and can't wait to talk to.
You again, sir.
All right, thank you, Billy.
There you go.
Tom creen one of the more frequent co hosts on the KSR pre.
Show over the years.
Who would have thought, and now Matt and Tom are buddies again. It's interesting how things work out. It's it is awesome. So we'll take a break A five nine two eight two two eight seven. We'll have one segment ago here on the ksrppre Show.
All right, welcome back.
It's our final segment of the KSR pre Show, a Tuesday edition.
Big thank you to.
Tom Crean who joined us today. It sounded like he was dog sitting at Ryan Lemon's house during the interview. I don't know if you heard that, Rick the dog's barking in the background, but I haven't worried there. But they were just agreeing with him. It sounded like in the advice he was spitting out some high praise about Kentucky's recruiting class in Transfer Portal. Always good to hear. I want to leave you on one note, and it comes from our guys from Roup to No Good. They
put on a great podcast. Big Blue Bud is one of their members. I believe he was one of the main guys that helped get the billboard up for Big Z. He pointed out that Mark Pope now has four left handed players on his upcoming Kentucky team, Akaden Lewis, Jalen Lowe, Jasper Johnson, and now Mo Diabatee. Counting Amari Williams, that's five total leftie players in two years. According to Buddy, cal had twelve lefties in fifteen seasons at UK, So what's with the lefties? Is that part of the recruiting
as well? I'm not sure who knows what Popes get saying to these guys, but I do love the idea of more lefties on the team.
That's going to do it for us.
Drew Franklin, Drew Palouza next, I'm Billy Rutlis.
This has been the ksrprecio