KSR Postgame UK MBB vs Tennessee NCAAT 03/28/25

00:00:01
Speaker 1: Welcome everyone. It is the local Toilet Dealers KSR postgame show. The Cats see their season in seventy eight, sixty five and the sweet sixteen with the loss to the dreaded Tennessee Volunteers. We are here in Indianapolis. I got Ryan and Shannon, Mario and my mom sitting around the table. Drew will join us here in a little bit. The Cats were kind of never really in this game from the beginning, had one lead, but for most of the game we're behind and got down ten early and just never really were able to get it close again. Tennessee dominated Kentucky on the boards, out rebounding them they had. Tennessee had eleven offensive rebounds and Kentucky had twelve defensive rebounds, which is not a recipe for success at the bench points where they got twenty six points off the bench and we got six, and there is the game. It was a tough perform in what was otherwise a pretty amazing night here with a ton of Kentucky fans who made the trip. It was like old school Kentucky NCAA tournament games in terms of how many people were here. Crowd was ready. They wanted to be able to explode, but they just never really got a chance as the Cats were never able to get back in and get the game. If a twenty two eighty seven, I'm gonna bring Ryan and Sheennon in, But I just want to say something sort of big picture. We can talk about the game, but honestly, you know, the season's over. What else is there really to say? Big picture? I think still an awesome season. Disappointing way to end, not the loss, but just the fact that we weren't really in it most of the game, but overall a great season. And um, we're gonna play a little bit later a couple of clips from the postgame press conference, But you know, Ryan, I'm I'm gonna remember this year hopefully as the start of something great, but I'm gonna remember it as a year that sort of Kentucky kind of got the joy in basketball back a little bit. Last few years have been it seems like sometimes like a tedious march. You know, there was some lot, there was some fun with some of those dudes last year, Red Rob and Reeves, but there was still it was like it was just fans were always at each other's throats, and it seemed like disappointment was around the corner. This was a team that I thought sort of brought the joy of Kentucky basketball back and a group of guys that, you know, I don't know if we'll have a group of guys like this again, like a group because I think Pope is going to go. We saw this with his commitment today from Cam Williams. You're gonna get a new set of really athletic guys who can, you know, play defense and get up and down the court. This is, like, you know, not the kind of guys we have at Kentucky a lot, But I love them. I mean I loved watching this group. Lamont Butler, Kobe Brea Oway who hopefully comes back, Amari Williams, Andrew Carr. You know, just just a special group and a season that I will look back on very fondly.

00:03:09
Speaker 2: I really think these guys will be beloved by our fan base for the rest two lives. I mean, I really do. Like yoga girl sent me a text, and you know, they persevered through injury. They gave everything they had. Jackson Robinson too, He's hurt, but yes.

00:03:24
Speaker 3: Absolutely so.

00:03:25
Speaker 2: I think the program is in much better shape today than it was at this time last year, and these kids deserve all the credit for getting the fan base back in touch with the team.

00:03:36
Speaker 1: Totally agree with you. And you know, look, they they performed to their seed, which is something we haven't done in the last few years in terms of I mean, if you're a three seed, this is where you're supposed to lose is in the sweet sixteen, and they did. I think they overperformed their talent. I genuinely. I mean, you know, I took some criticism early in the year for I mean I don't I don't think there's any NBA players on this team. Maybe one of them will, but I'd be surprised. But they overperformed their talent, which I think is part of what made them Shannon lovable to me in some ways.

00:04:11
Speaker 4: Yeah, no doubt about it. I stuck around for the press conference.

00:04:13
Speaker 1: It was don't do that a lot.

00:04:14
Speaker 3: I don't.

00:04:15
Speaker 4: The first time I've ever done it. It was kind of sad, you know, the finality of all of it. But yeah, I think Mark Pope has a lot to be proud of. I think this team has a lot to be proud of. I think the fans have a lot to be proud of, and Pope said, you know, these guys will be talking about ten years from now because they laid the foundation for what's to come with Mark Pope as the head coach here.

00:04:35
Speaker 1: I agree with that, you know, Drew and I used to always say, because I've been in a lot of Last Game of the Year locker rooms and it's it's a really sad place. Often you know you've been in more than me, Like, it's it's a really sad place. I can still remember John Wall bawling, you know, Darren Fox and Malik Mont or Jam Fox and Bam Aute Bio crying, Brandon and I crimeing. I've seen all these UDEs cry over the years. And you know the picture of Amari Williams on the sideline while the game is still going on. I don't think Mom saw it because she was up in the stands, but they showed him on TV crying in the last couple of minutes, sitting on the sideline. Picture of Mark Pope and Lamont Butler walking backstage, which is a great shot. That'll be one that I think people remember for a long time. Ryan, Like, you know, those are tough scenes, but it also shows how much the guys really you know, really cared that. Just showed it to my mom. She's like about to cry herself.

00:05:36
Speaker 2: That's what led us to love these guys so much. You know, we grew to love them as not just a player, but as people. We saw what they were doing for us, give mean everything. They had every night, all the you know, the ups and downs they had it this season with the injuries and who's gonna play, who's not gonna play. But like I said, now, Coach Pope is in a better shape to recruit.

00:05:58
Speaker 1: You call him Coach Pope.

00:06:00
Speaker 3: He's my coach, he's my coach's time.

00:06:03
Speaker 2: Coach Coach Pope is in a better position for recruiting now because of what these.

00:06:09
Speaker 1: Guys in your car said in the postgame press conference. Hey, if last thing he said, This is the last thing any of the players said, Shannon, I guess you heard it. Hey, if you're in the portal.

00:06:19
Speaker 4: That's right. Yeah, you know Pope gets it. We've said that so many times. But he's a guy who has put on that jersey. He knows what it means to wear that Kentucky jersey. And I think that rubs off on the players. You see that. You know they mentioned, uh, they're gonna have a hard time taking this jersey off me because I.

00:06:34
Speaker 1: Think those are great quotes, Billy, pull those up. I tweeted those two out. I'd like to play the car in Braya comments. Let me know when you have them. But you know that is it's we want. And let me just say, I think the guys during the Cal period love being here.

00:06:51
Speaker 3: Sure they did.

00:06:52
Speaker 1: I mean I I think in general that was something I really give Cal a lot of credit for. He had all these guys who were here for a year, but he did get them to love the place during the year. And I agree. But this is a little bit of a different kind of thing because for a lot of these guys, this will be the biggest basketball they will play from now on. I mean, most of these guys will probably play professionally somewhere if they want to, overseas. I mean, maybe in the G League, like I could see I mean, I could see Bray on a G League team. You know, maybe Amari. I don't know. But in terms of basketball, that really matters, and that gets your blood going. This will be a last time for a lot of these guys, even if they I hope I'm wrong, but it's that's probably true. And and so there's something about you know, when you hear which will play Carr and Brea saying like I don't want to take this jersey off. There's something that pulls at your heartstrings about that.

00:07:51
Speaker 2: Sure it does, because you know every one of us listening right now wish we had the opportunity to be them be played basketball.

00:07:58
Speaker 1: I think you still think you are.

00:08:00
Speaker 3: I think I can steal who a.

00:08:00
Speaker 2: Little bit about the sides as the Kai Ziggler.

00:08:03
Speaker 3: So I think we about saying.

00:08:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, by the way, that was a big thing tonight. Those guards who really had not played well against us, they all played well. Ziggler played well, played well, and Lanier played well. They all three played well.

00:08:15
Speaker 2: And just like from the opening tip, just seems like we were not in it. This was just not gonna be our night from the opening minute.

00:08:21
Speaker 1: Why do you think that is? It didn't feel I didn't feel like they weren't hustling. It just felt like they were just tougher than us. A lot of it reminded me that old miss in Georgia games that we played earlier this year. It just felt like from the first moment we just kind of weren't fare.

00:08:36
Speaker 3: Sometimes it's just not your night.

00:08:38
Speaker 4: And Tennessee came out and they set the tone immediately, and it felt like the entire game we were down fifteen and every time you come down to try to cut it to twelve or thirteen, they had an answer every single time, and every loose ball Tennessee got, probably.

00:08:51
Speaker 1: The way Illinois felt the other night. Yeah, it was almost the reverse of that, like every time you go, well, if we can get a stop right here, and then we wouldn't.

00:08:59
Speaker 2: So, since you're talking big picture, how do you view the season? Is it a success?

00:09:03
Speaker 1: It's an A to me? Yeah, I mean it's you know, if I said if you wanted an ABA plus, but it's still an A because I think you played your seed. I think you also played to your talent or above your talent. I mean, you know, you got to take a step back and think about Mark Pope got this job a year ago next week, right, Like it's not even this week. So think about where we are with the portal. We we already have a portal commitment, right, Yeah, we didn't even have a coach this time last year, right, And then he gets the job and in five weeks, four weeks. He has to get a staff, yes, right, he has to get a roster, and unlike you know, the only other person that was in this situation was is Pat Kelsey at Louisville. They're the only two guys who had to build it from scratch. I mean, Cal had seven or eight of his Arkansas guy. He already had all the freshmen, and he had the guys that transferred. Yeah, and even Dusty May at Michigan, who they're still playing. They had five or six guys stick around. Pope and Kelsey had to start over, and they both did. And Pope gets to the sweet sixteen with guys that besides Travis Perry, not one of the dudes on this roster was gonna be on this roster until Mark Pope got here, right, And to do that and have them come together, and you know, think about the portal, I don't think we got one guy that was ranked in the top fifteen in the portal, right, So not only like he went and got dudes down the slots in the portal and then had success with them. I just think that's really impressive the way he.

00:10:40
Speaker 2: Built the roster by forgetting the guys he needed.

00:10:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, Jackson, I guess was in the top, but most of them were not.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, getting bre as a shooter, and Lamart Butler's the point guard again and Mary is a big guy. He strategically went out to the portal and got the guys to fit his program the way he wants to.

00:10:53
Speaker 1: Well, think about it, Mariy Williams. I remember when he committed. Now, I remember thinking, so are big is going to be this random dude Drexel that averaged ten points a game or whatever it was, eleven points and then I mean he might have been the most important player on the team in some ways. Pope knew exactly what he wanted in him and he went and got it. And you know, Lamont Butler was his point guard immediately, went after him, went after him immediately. And so you know, to take that group go to the sweet sixteen, have all the injuries we had, I mean, remember we had Jackson Robinson. I mean our best players out like that's another Jackson Robinson on papers should be our best player and he's out and they still were able to.

00:11:35
Speaker 4: Do this, Yeah, and not doing it the way that we've been used to seeing rosters put together. Not a bunch of want and dons, bunch of transfers from mid major programs, and Pope taking all these guys and somehow making it work.

00:11:48
Speaker 2: Dudes that were never even recruited to come to Kentucky out of high school, never thought they'd ever play at Kentucky ended up getting to the Sweet sixteen.

00:11:55
Speaker 3: That's a huge success.

00:11:56
Speaker 1: And they you can tell they like appreciate. Yes, I think that's another thing. I do think that people were a little some of Cal's critics were a little harsh on the I think the players that were here appreciated it. Oh but I also think it was a stop along the way to another destination, right, Like, I mean, that was and that was part of what they sold for these guys. This was the destination, and I think our fans really appreciated that this was the destination. That Kobe Braya said, I never thought I would be here, you know, Andrew Carr said, I never I mean Annsley Almanor is built like Ryan and he was here, you know. I mean the fact that those guys did that, I just think it makes it more. I mean, Mariy Williams grew up Nottingham, England, right, I mean he has the whole state eating wheat.

00:12:47
Speaker 3: Like like just you know wheat were they called.

00:12:54
Speaker 2: Eat some on the sideline during the broadcast.

00:12:56
Speaker 1: Got choked, I think when it was happening.

00:12:59
Speaker 4: On that warm milk, you get choked on it, it gets dry in your mouth. But uh, to your point, though, wherever these guys go to play, if they go play professionally, it's never gonna be as special as it is right here. You had thirty five thousand people in there and all these Kentucky fans show up.

00:13:13
Speaker 3: There's nothing like this.

00:13:14
Speaker 1: There's not and you I mean even dudes who have amazing NBA careers like DeMarcus Cousins talks about that, right, he never had more fun than the year he was here, right right, And I think they're you know, but these dudes, I don't know about you. Like I was a different person when I was twenty two than when I was eighteen. And like the fact that they're twenty two and they can appreciate what they're going through. It's not just looking back in hindsight and going that was awesome. They're appreciating it while they're doing it. I just think our fan base is really it needed that shot. And you know it did and they gave it, and so you know you can focus on well, you know they had a poor performance. We lost to Tennessee Vall fans are gonna be what big picture? If you had told me when I got the phone call at ten forty at nine on a Thursday night that Mark Pope was gonna be the next coach, if you had told me one year later, I'd be sitting in this ballroom having gone to the Sweet sixteen and had this year. I don't know how you couldn't be happy. You gotta be happy with that because I used to say, you remember how you used to say on the show, the day Cal leaves, Cal's been a great ride, but the day he leaves, this is gonna be a long rebuild.

00:14:22
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:14:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, Now some things have changed, the portal and all that. But I thought, listen, that's the trade off with him. You're gonna have a great time, but when he leaves, you got to start over. Well, if you tell me starting over is this year, that's pretty good. And you get to the Sweet sixteen, Sweet sixteen and you have this run and remember inarguably the best conference ever. Yeah, and by the way, if we've gotten a drawerk we didn't have to play another team from this conference. Who knows, right, I mean, we unfortunately had to play one of the teams from mark conference.

00:14:52
Speaker 2: If we were played in Maryland ers you know, on this.

00:14:55
Speaker 1: Well, I mean if we you know, I don't know. I mean Old Miss took Michigan State down to the wire to you know, who knows. But regardless, I think we got what we deserved had we won some of those games like against Texas and you know, some of those regular season games, maybe we're a two seed and we get a different game whatever. But still overall success.

00:15:13
Speaker 4: Yeah, and the rebuilding is going to the sweet sixteen. I'd say that's a pretty good start.

00:15:17
Speaker 2: You know, I've been there since twenty nineteen. It's long sixties, you.

00:15:20
Speaker 4: Know, I, along with a lot of fans, I think, was critical of the hire with Mark Pope at the very beginning. But I mean he's grown on me. I mean, there's no doubt in my mind now that he's the right guy for the job.

00:15:30
Speaker 1: And now can you not like it? I mean that's I mean, you know, you.

00:15:33
Speaker 3: Call him coach Pope. No, he's Mark Pope. He's not my coach.

00:15:37
Speaker 1: You're the only version my coach, although I guess we called coach. We said coach cal sometimes.

00:15:42
Speaker 3: Yeah it was a literation.

00:15:43
Speaker 1: But you just call everybody coach, don't you If you saw Rick Barnes, would you go coach Barnes?

00:15:48
Speaker 2: Absolutely long, coach barn That's.

00:15:50
Speaker 1: What I thought. If I'm nine to a twenty two eighty seven, We're gonna take a break. We are here in Indianapolis after a long but fun day. Take your car. It's a Local Toy Dealers KSR post game show. Walking back. It is the Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Auburn leeds Michigan by one with ten minutes to go. Purdue leeds Houston by two at halftime in the eight five nine two eight twenty two eighty seven. One person writes, Matt, this team was great. They have the heart to know in It was an honor to have them to wear the jersey. I agree with that. Another person says, Matt, why do you think we couldn't rebound well this year? Do you think that'll be a worry for Pope teams? No? I think again. I think a lot of our problems ultimately come down to we just we didn't have many athletic guys. I genuinely think that was our biggest problem this year. We just didn't have a lot of athletes. And you know, I think we probably had three guys, well four, well if I don't even put Garrison because he didn't play enough. I think Omar's a really good athlete, always a really good athlete. Jackson is a pretty good athlete. Butler's tough, but not the best athlete in the world. Cars not a good athlete. Kobe's not a good ad. So like, we just didn't have the athletes, and that hurts us in rebounding because we just had dudes. Like I was watching in the first half when I was when you sit right there on the court, which I did for a little while, the athleticism pops, you know what I mean, when you're sitting there. We talked to Mario and I talked about this during the games in Milwaukee. When you're on top of the court, the athleticism pops, and you could just tell the Tennessee's just more athletic than we are.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: Every team in the SEC was more athletic.

00:17:32
Speaker 1: I think we were the least athletic team in the SEC, and still we're able to have success. Yep.

00:17:36
Speaker 4: But you know that's when Pope goes out and he hits the portal, he gets some of these.

00:17:39
Speaker 1: That's not gonna happen next year. I mean, Jasper Johnson's a great Athletemarino is a great athlete. To Kayden lewis a great at This kid they got from Tulane is a great athlete, always coming back. He's a good you know. I mean, it's this will be a much more athletic team next year. Now will they be able to shoot as well? That's what we'll have to see. But they will be much more athletic. He'll probably go out and get a shooter. Looks like out and got Kobe Bray. He'll find one of the portal bring him in. One person writes Matt. One of the things I'm the happiest about is knowing your mom is sitting there listening hello there to to your mom. My mom. People were just taking pictures of her everywhere at tin roof, like they're all taking selfies.

00:18:18
Speaker 5: Larry Larry Kimrer, a man just grabbed Billy grabbed Larry, put his arm around him and took a selfie with him and I just wanted to be in Larry's brain when that was going on, going what is happening right now?

00:18:29
Speaker 1: It is a nice crowd at ten room.

00:18:31
Speaker 3: It was a crazy grab, but you said you were walking them down to the arena. People were stuck coming up.

00:18:36
Speaker 1: The only time since I've been doing this that I thought we need security. But it wasn't because of me. It was because my parents.

00:18:42
Speaker 4: Does Larry know that he's talked about on the show.

00:18:45
Speaker 1: I don't think so. I'd like to have been in his brain as this was all happening. As they were playing you know the songs at Tin Roof, it was really loud.

00:18:57
Speaker 3: Looked over a couple of times he was taking it and struck.

00:19:00
Speaker 1: Though eighty seven years old, he had to be the oldest person at the pregame show down.

00:19:05
Speaker 4: There's no doubt if I make it to eighty seven, I hope I'm partying.

00:19:09
Speaker 3: Just like Larry.

00:19:10
Speaker 1: I wouldn't say he was party.

00:19:13
Speaker 2: I looked over and he was. The Corny's head was bobbing.

00:19:15
Speaker 1: Okay, who's up first, Billy, Matthew, Matthew, how are you, Matthew?

00:19:21
Speaker 6: I'm good, guys. It's by the way, Patthew with a p H called in after the Gonzaga game, So I want.

00:19:27
Speaker 7: To bring the season full here.

00:19:28
Speaker 1: I've never heard of Barnes.

00:19:32
Speaker 8: Well, there's a story behind it, but that's okay for sure.

00:19:35
Speaker 9: I thought where Rick Barnes?

00:19:36
Speaker 6: I think said something about Tennessee becoming the new blue blood. So I got two questions for you, giving recent history, do you think we're facing some competition as the blue butt of the conference? And also all year long? I said Sweet sixteen was our ceiling, so I'm happy before we ended, but I'm going to put you on the spot here.

00:19:52
Speaker 8: What do you see as our ceiling next year?

00:19:54
Speaker 1: Well, I need to see what the roster is first. I mean, I you know, I don't know. I think uh, I think if we it's all gonna be about who they get over the next few weeks. In the portal, you know they didn't that the one kid from New Mexico. Uh, he ended up picking UCLA. I would have really liked that kid, but I was worried we were gonna spend too much of our budget on him. And he's going to UCLA. They gotta get a good point guard. The number one thing for me is they gotta go get a good point guard. When we get the good point guard, then i'll I'll make a judgment then, But I think there's more people still to come into portal. I'm gonna assume we're gonna get a really good class and then it becomes can one of the if as one of these freshmen, great, you know, do we get We'll see. As far as the blue blood, I appreciate the call blue blood by its definition is not about what's just happened in the last few years, true, right, Like it's it's history. You know, when I ain't got blue blood's in college basketball. To me, there's five. There used to be six and Indiana dropped out. Yeah, fair So for me, the blue bloods are still Kentucky, Duke, Carolina, Kansas, and UCLA. You say waivers, but they're still good. And then Yukon's in it now. Yukon is the new one, and I think now you have to have Yukon in there.

00:21:08
Speaker 2: Michigan State's close, Illanolva's probably close.

00:21:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I wonder how much of that's Jay Wright. You know, now, if you're talking though about new bloods, to Auburn is one, Alabama is one, and you could argue Tennessee is one, like so I think it's in Florida. I think it's good for the conference that I think we have a solid five basketball schools. Now. I think I'm not saying over football, but Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida are basketball schools. Arkansas will see what happens with cow Maybe maybe they become one. We'll see, But I think we have five really solid.

00:21:50
Speaker 2: And it wasn't you know, the last twenty five years you could probably just say there's one or two solid basketball.

00:21:55
Speaker 1: Oh it was Kentucky and then when Bruce Pearl was there Tennessee and Billy was there in Florida. But like we got we have five programs that I think will go into every season expecting to be good. And that's a really good quality to have.

00:22:11
Speaker 4: And I mean, I would expect the SEC to be just as tough next season as it was this year. I'll lot fourteen teams into the NCAA Tournament.

00:22:18
Speaker 1: It looks like Buzz Williams though, may take of the Maryland jobs. So really, yeah, that's probably a resources thing. Like he probably is, like you know, A and M. They just can't get them to care yeah, you know, but I think he's a really good cause. Who's up next, James? James, go ahead?

00:22:35
Speaker 10: And James, Hey, you got me?

00:22:39
Speaker 1: Yes, go ahead?

00:22:42
Speaker 11: Hey Hey, Matt, long time, first time.

00:22:45
Speaker 9: I'm sitting here.

00:22:46
Speaker 11: I can't believe.

00:22:47
Speaker 12: That we got our ass feat so bad by the boss tonight.

00:22:51
Speaker 9: And and to be honest, how do we feel about Mark Pote moving forward?

00:22:57
Speaker 12: Because he's a warm I appreciate the call.

00:22:59
Speaker 1: I appreciate the like you got to get a goober in here within within Uh that was a Tennessee fan. No, I mean we did get beat though, Like we got beat down. They did. I mean they were better than us. Yep, they whooped us. That Just you know, it is what it is. You do. Wonder how like you have those two performances in the regular season and then this, I think the difference between the teams is smaller than what it was in all three games.

00:23:29
Speaker 4: But you know, well, say, we haven't seen too many games where Kentucky's just handily beat I think the Auburn game comes to mind, and then this one tonight.

00:23:36
Speaker 1: But well, we had a few. I mean, we had the Old Miss game, the Georgia game.

00:23:41
Speaker 4: Auburn, But I mean like, but tonight I never felt like we were even in the game.

00:23:45
Speaker 1: Yeah. This this reminded me of the old miss in Georgia games. If you remember, we fell down quickly in both those games and we're just never in it.

00:23:52
Speaker 2: Can you buy anything into the fact that maybe some of the guys weren't ready for the moment?

00:23:58
Speaker 1: No, I mean no, I mean these dudes are all experience. Like what, I just think we were down twenty seven, seventeen or you know whatever, and we just never seventeen seven, like we just never.

00:24:10
Speaker 4: If they weren't ready for the moment, they would have lost Detroit in the first round that, you know.

00:24:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, if they weren't ready for the moment. When when Illinois cut it to six, we.

00:24:19
Speaker 2: Went out tonight sweet sixteen, little more, bigger prize at stake.

00:24:24
Speaker 1: So all I can think about is the first six or eight minutes, And it felt like me in the first six or eight minutes, they just out rebounded us and just got the ball. You know, Andrew Carr had two open threes, he just missed him. Yeah, now if he makes them, maybe it's a little different. Maybe it's different, you know, I mean like that that stuff he had, But they were wide open. He just missed him. We missed like two layups. We missed a layup to start the game. You know, I mean every loose ball. Want to tell us every loose ball. And I mean when they they had one less offensive rebound than we had defensive rebound. Like that's the stat, isn't it.

00:24:54
Speaker 2: And you know we wanted to Mari to dunk one. He goes to the dunk one and clangs it off the back of the That's what I said to Mario with that happened.

00:25:00
Speaker 4: I said, you know we've been saying, Mario, why don't you don't get That's that's why you don't.

00:25:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, who's up next? Rock Brock? Go ahead, brock.

00:25:11
Speaker 9: Uh first time caller, longtime listener?

00:25:15
Speaker 1: Who what?

00:25:17
Speaker 9: Okay? Well, anyways, I just wanted to kind of get your input on like what, like what you think Mark Pope's expectations are for next year? Because friends, I'm very pointed.

00:25:30
Speaker 13: Like.

00:25:32
Speaker 1: Are you disappointed? I mean, are you really disappointed? Like you really thought I am.

00:25:37
Speaker 9: Let me say that, like sweet sweet sixteen, this year, they have exceeded all of my expectations by far, and like even after the lost time here, I'm here with the Sweet sixt team. Some of my friends night, I was like, next year will be the Empire strikes back, and like, I mean, but again.

00:26:00
Speaker 1: The tournament, and I appreciate the call the tournament. You gotta remember there's a random That's why I always hate when people go, are we a Sweet sixteen team? Are we an e leit eight team? There's randomness in the tournament. Oh yeah, Like Rick Patino had an amazing season at Saint John's then.

00:26:13
Speaker 2: They got beat.

00:26:14
Speaker 1: Now was that not a good season because they got beat?

00:26:16
Speaker 3: Still a great season?

00:26:17
Speaker 1: They just got beat. Like it happens. I mean, Auburn could lose tonight to Michigan. They were the best team in the country for most of the year the year, and if they lose to Michigan, well, you know that happens.

00:26:29
Speaker 4: When you say, what's Mark Pope's expectations for next season? What do you think He's going to say? He's gonna say National Championship.

00:26:36
Speaker 1: Nine. So maybe they're gonna well I flipped switch pretty quick.

00:26:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, but he's I gotta put a team together and go, oh, this is gonna be our Sweet sixteen team that can only reach the Sweet sixteen.

00:26:44
Speaker 3: The goal is to win a national title.

00:26:46
Speaker 1: I think we're gonna know. I mean, this is gonna go quick, Like we talked about this on the show. I mean, because the judge meets on April seventh, and could that day enact the settlement. I've read that there's some thoughts. She might say it's enacted, it goes into place in two weeks or three. But in theory she could say it's enacted. These a lot of these dudes are gonna make their decision before that. They will so that it's not like the deals are not structured by the settlement, meaning they can be paid to play before August, before April seventh, which means a lot of these dudes are gonna sign in the next week. Yes, So Mark Pope's like got to get out immediately. He can't feel sorry for himself because he's got like eight days to go get a team.

00:27:30
Speaker 2: My guess is tomorrow they're in the office on the phone talking to people in the transfer portal. Well, the next day after losing.

00:27:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, Houston's up for Auburn's up six. Who's up next, Thomas, Thomas, go ahead, Thomas.

00:27:43
Speaker 8: Hey, he's gonna crush it in this portal I guarantee it. And here's the other thing. You guys gave this guyn a minus?

00:27:49
Speaker 11: Are you kidding me?

00:27:51
Speaker 1: I give you a minus in the regular season, I give him an A when you consider the fact that we beat Illinois made the Sweet sixteen. My A minus was I mean, we was just based on some losses that I didn't think we should get. With the loss of Texas, there was a hay, yeah there was. But otherwise, I mean, mis still a good grade.

00:28:10
Speaker 8: The injuries though, the injuries really no athleticism, y'all make the case. No athleticism, injuries, he's a plus plus. But I'm really but I just say, I just love this guy.

00:28:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do too. I I appreciate the call, don't. I'm finishing the year with an A. You know when I teach, I've told you, I say, I usually go into the final with my students and I kind of know they're between two grades. I hate Georgetown's gradings. Yeah, so you said before instant because it's they should have a A minus B plus B and they have a A B B. I hate a B because there's a big difference between A minus and B plus. And I always think I hate a B. But anyway, I used to go in the final and I'm like, if this kid has a good final A, if they don't a B except right for me, we came into this, I was like between A and A minus. And even though this game tonight was disappointing, I think getting the Sweet sixteen for me gives a mis solid A. I'm not giving you an A plus because we lost double digit games and like you know, I mean I can't guess save A pluses.

00:29:15
Speaker 3: For like the you gotta win a title for that.

00:29:17
Speaker 1: We're final four. I mean, you know, but an A is still really good. Let's not quibble.

00:29:24
Speaker 3: When I went to school and I got an eight minus, I was happy. I was thrilled to death. I would even take a B plus.

00:29:29
Speaker 2: I mean, you know the reason I can't give it a high eight because they did lose to cal at Home.

00:29:36
Speaker 1: That was a bit. Yeah. Yeah, you can't get an A plus if you lose the cal at Home.

00:29:40
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:29:41
Speaker 2: So that's probably my biggest hesitation.

00:29:43
Speaker 1: But I do think you know, when that bracket came out, if we're being honest, I thought we were gonna lose Illinois. I think most people I thought we were gonna lose Illinois. I thought we were going I wanted Xavier Texas to win because I thought if we play Illinois, they're gonna beat us. Because because my view is when two teams are norm You've heard me say this a lot, when two teams are equal, give me the team that's got the two best players. And I thought they had the two best players, and we basically shut those dudes down and we won the game. So I'm I think that makes it.

00:30:09
Speaker 4: In a road environment to environment, were really loud when they, you know, trying to make a rally, so it was it was an depressive win over Illinois just to get here tonight.

00:30:18
Speaker 1: That's right, let's do one more. We'll take a break. Who's next? Bill?

00:30:21
Speaker 7: Doing good?

00:30:22
Speaker 1: Doing good?

00:30:23
Speaker 11: What's up, gentlemen, I'm doing good. I hope, as always you're doing well. I wish we would have pulled out the win tonight, but I think overall, as far as the season went, I'm a huge fan of how it turned out. We had some great victories early in the year that I don't think we would have if we had kept our previous coaching staff. Intact. A huge fan of Cal when he was here, but I think it was definitely time for him to go. I think Pope is absolutely the right person to lead us for the next ten to fifteen years. Cannot wait to see what happens. If we had gone with with any other solution, which would have, you know, included Cal being here through this season, we would not have had the year that.

00:31:14
Speaker 1: We did this year. No, we wouldn't, and then we.

00:31:16
Speaker 11: Wouldn't We wouldn't have, and then we would have had two years of somebody else trying to come in, build up the program.

00:31:23
Speaker 1: Et cetera.

00:31:23
Speaker 11: For Pope to take us to the Sweet sixteen in year one, I think is absolutely amazing. He had April ninth of last year, he had no returning players whatsoever. We've already got a good base of what we hope will be a fantastic returning corps. We've got some really good recruits coming in, and you're giving him a full cycle through the transfer portal. Oh my gosh, I'm excited for.

00:31:49
Speaker 1: What is Yeah, and I appreciate the call. I mean, like, he's already got a kid. So clearly they had a plan. It's hard got a commitment, you know what I mean. Clearly they knew who they wanted to go get because they went and got one immediately. So yeah, I agree with everything he just said.

00:32:08
Speaker 2: And we both know that they've been talking to people for the past month.

00:32:12
Speaker 1: Oh yeah. I mean, look, these conversations are not official. I mean, it's not Mark Pope talking to these people. But you know, they've got one guy. I think they are. I think there's a big guy. I think they're gonna either get This is just my prediction. They're either gonna get the kid from Davidson or the kid from Robert Morris. I don't know which one it'll be, but they'll get one of those two guys. That'll be their Andrew Carr next year is one of those two dudes. Then they're gonna go try to find a big man like a like a you know, an Amari type, although I don't think there's anybody like him, Like he's a very unique talent. Then they're gonna go find a shooter and they're gonna find that point guard, and then that's gonna be you know, that's gonna be what they get the guy. I think. I I feel pretty I mean again, I could be wrong. I never thought we were gonna get the Donovan Dent kid. And then all of a sudden, yesterday people were telling me we were and then its switched. Yeah right. I think basically Kentucky offered a substantial amount of money, everybody else ran away. UCLA decided today to match it, and that's where he wanted to go to school. So that's where he's going. But I do think either the Davidson kid or the Robert Morris kid ends up here, and then we'll see. I think they'll get a shooter. Maybe it's a kid from sam Houston State. Maybe it's like I said, I think there's a kid that's in this crown thing or whatever. And I think there's a kid there, considering that's was in the sweet sixteenth. And we'll we'll see what happens. It's gonna happen fast. He's gonna happen fast. That's exactly right. We're gonna take a break. Drew Franklins just walked up. We'll bring him on. I also we'll play when we come back. I want to play the clips from Car and Brea. This is the Little Toy Dealers KSR post gam show looking back, it is the Techi Select Chevy Dealers KSR. Or No, it's not it's the local toy dealers KSR post game show, one person writes, Matt Attorney only feels random for us. Look at Tennessee, they've been to three elate, three Elite eights in a row. Yeah, but I think the year before that, what they lose to like Loyola in the first round and like and you know, they've not been to a Final four yet. It is random. Now, it's not ran. I've said this all the time. It's not random over history, but it's random in a given year. So for instance, when cal lost to Saint Peter's there was a little bit of randomness, but then when he lost to Oakland two years later, it starts being stops being random. Yeah, right, Look at Arkansas this year. If Hunter Dickson doesn't turn it over, maybe they're out in the first round and it's a completely different narrative. True. Or if the new Mexico guy or excuse me, at Texas Tech guy misses the three, they're in the elite. You know, there's a lot of Randomnes's Drue Franklin's there. We gave our takes on the year as a whole. What do you think?

00:34:59
Speaker 14: Uh, First, I just I want to say I hate this city, and if it were closer to an ocean, I hope it would fall in and just sink to the bottom, maybe with some Tennessee fans with it. I hate Indianapolis. I don't want to come back here. I know the final fource here next year, I hope they move it somewhere else. But it's good to see you. Guess this place sucks saw like half the game. I hate this place anyway.

00:35:17
Speaker 1: Why did you only see half the game?

00:35:19
Speaker 14: I'm not gonna complain about media seat. I end up watching with Rick Bosch on a TV with no sound in the back.

00:35:24
Speaker 3: That's why I watched it with him. We were at the back of the back of the media.

00:35:26
Speaker 1: I don't with Peyton Manning.

00:35:29
Speaker 7: He can fall in the ocean too.

00:35:31
Speaker 2: How many times they're gonna show Peyton Manning during the broadcast? They showed him more than Traylor Swift and a chief trailer trailer trash Swift?

00:35:39
Speaker 1: Is that like? Is that the the country version? Yes it is, but yeah, you know you don't seem very yet. No, it's really the game's not. I'm fine with the game. I think it helped that it was just a butt whooping.

00:35:51
Speaker 14: It wasn't like you get beat at the end or you question and should we have called the time out or should this have happened? I mean, Tennessee just whooped him, So it kind of it fills. Even though all season ending losses suck, it doesn't feel like Oakland or Saint Peter's or wiscond the real devastating ones. It hurts to lose to Tennessee. But it was pretty clear withes left.

00:36:10
Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, they were better than us. Issue. I know we beat them twice, but like we were just saying, Auburn looks like they're gonna beat Michigan, so there's gonna be four SEC teams in the elite eight. The reality is those are the four best teams. Issues. Yeah, like they were. Now you could argue maybe we were fifth, maybe Old Miss, maybe Arkansas a tiny or whatever. The four best were the four best.

00:36:29
Speaker 3: They were all ranked number one of the k they were all on.

00:36:31
Speaker 1: Some point good, and so it's it's probably how it should be to be on.

00:36:37
Speaker 3: Go ahead, you're on a roll.

00:36:40
Speaker 1: I paused so you could talk.

00:36:42
Speaker 2: I think that this year for us to even beat Florida the one time was amazing and Tennessee twice and Tennessee twice. Amazing. Yeah, because really, those four teams are just better. Their dudes are just better than our dudes.

00:36:54
Speaker 1: It is worth noting that when you get to the Elite eight, of those eight teams, we've beaten three of them.

00:37:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, was I tell you?

00:37:01
Speaker 1: You know, we're gonna We're gonna beaten three of the Elite eight, and we're I think, well, I guess we lost Alabama three times, so we're like three and five or whatever against the Elite eight. But we won three games against them.

00:37:12
Speaker 2: Nobody else can say that.

00:37:14
Speaker 1: I mean maybe maybe Auburn or Alabama that would be it. Who's next? Oh wait a minutefore you do this, let's play. I'll separate these.

00:37:21
Speaker 3: Let's play.

00:37:21
Speaker 1: This is Andrew Carr talking about, uh, his last time playing for Kentucky.

00:37:29
Speaker 15: Yeah, it's certainly, uh, very difficult. Don't wanna untie my shoes, don't want to take off this jersey, you know, definitely shout out a BBN and and all of the fans. It's like nowhere I've ever experienced and really have just had the most fun playing basketball this season, and you know, I really appreciate them welcoming all of us in with with open arms and really caring about all of us more than just a basketball player and being a fan. They really you know, you're welcome into the Kentucky family, and it's a family for a reason. So definitely is an amazing experience that you know it hurts right now, but as we continue to get older, we'd just look back and be more and more proud as time goes on.

00:38:20
Speaker 1: See, that's what we want our players to say.

00:38:21
Speaker 3: Right What a great SoundBite. I could have had everything I.

00:38:24
Speaker 7: Can add to that.

00:38:25
Speaker 14: There was a cool moment they the moderator said any other questions in the room was silent, and Lamont Butler said, can I can I say something?

00:38:34
Speaker 7: They're like, of course you can say something, and he said, uh.

00:38:36
Speaker 14: This group said a high bar for Pope moving forward, kind of raved about Pope said, Kentucky's just getting started, and then Andrew Carr chimmed in, it's a little more direct, was like, if you're in the portal, come to Kentuck'. But I thought it was very cool. You know, the press conference is over. We were all about to wave and Butler leaned forwards, like I want to get this off my chest, knowing it's the last time he'd be there speaking on half of Kentucky.

00:38:57
Speaker 1: So that was pretty cool. That is very cool. Who's up next?

00:39:00
Speaker 7: City still sucks though?

00:39:02
Speaker 14: Really really just people screaming at me, valls, fans yelling at me on their scooters and with a big daddy and with a stick if I could find one, anybody wants some wied to bix.

00:39:11
Speaker 1: You stick out in your pocket?

00:39:12
Speaker 7: I think I've had eight full bars of weied to bicks.

00:39:15
Speaker 1: Go ahead, Bill Skyler, Skyler, go ahead, Skyler.

00:39:20
Speaker 13: Hey Skyler Skyler.

00:39:22
Speaker 15: Here?

00:39:23
Speaker 13: Can I take like thirty seconds? Matter?

00:39:24
Speaker 16: Is that?

00:39:25
Speaker 1: Okay? Yes?

00:39:28
Speaker 7: Okay?

00:39:28
Speaker 13: So twenty seven to two thousand and seven, my oldest son was born. Billy Clyde Gillespie led us on a journey and it has just been such a joy in my life to be able to watch basketball games with my with my boys. We kind of journeyed through the caliper years that crushing loss to Wisconsin. My oldest son was ten years old. I think, no, no, seven years old, seven years old, ten years ago, right, and it has been a struggle. We moved to California as a family about seven years ago. Listening to you guys and even calling in. We can stay up late and call in. We're sitting around a fire right now, my entire family, and this year has just been so special. I think over the past five years. I called in last year and was worried. My boys were just so frustrated. They didn't want to watch, they didn't want to listen. And this year really reclaimed their love for UK basketball. And even that Andrew Carcliff that you played. I think like this team is really really, really really special. And and my son's gonna go to college next fall, and we're sitting around here kind of choked up, thinking like, man, we just we got to we got to watch seventeen years of games together and you're gonna move away and it's gonna be different next fall. But this team, this team was unique and super special. I want to appreciate. I just want to thank you guys. You know, I know it's a crushing loss, but Drew Ryan Billy shout out the South, holdom Colton, what turl what ten threes broke the record in the state final tonight or so, thank you guys, And I'm gonna hang up and I'm gonna.

00:41:09
Speaker 1: Listen appreciate the call. Yeah, that's a uh you know, I do think you could see it. We talked about this, Ryan, there was a re igniting of big parts of the fan base, including kids. Well, I mean, let's just use the example tonight of just people I know right now, I'm sure driving on their way home is my college roommate Nick and his wife Tiffany and their daughters. This is the first NCAA tournament that game they've ever come to. They wanted to get in the car and come up here. I don't know that his two daughters have ever been to a UK game ever, but they wanted to come up here. My parents they've never been to an NCAA tournament game. They wanted to get in the car and come up here like this. There is a whole segment of the fan base that I think got their love of Kentucky basketball reignited. And that is cool, like we needed it. I think that happened in twenty ten when John Wall got here. I think it happened in nineteen ninety two when the Unforgettables were there, and I think in some ways that happened with this as well.

00:42:14
Speaker 2: We've said it a many million times, the fans feel like they got their team back and the core what that collar was saying there, there's something about Kentucky basketball that helps families just the love they have for the basketball, and you translate that into your dad or your mom or your grandpa.

00:42:32
Speaker 3: For you, is your grandpa taking to the games. I mean, there's.

00:42:34
Speaker 2: Something special about Kentucky basketball that draws these families moments and memories together.

00:42:40
Speaker 1: And when you see that group of ages which we could see at ten Roof today, Yeah, from the eight to nine year olds to eighty seven year old layer tell that whole range of people. You know, it's just it's really special to me that that happens. And it did feel like for the last few years it was slip a little bit. It wasn't gone, but it just wasn't quite the same. And I feel like it kind of got back to where it was.

00:43:08
Speaker 7: Definitely felt different.

00:43:09
Speaker 14: You know, Tennessee wins the game and they're moving on, but they can't take the pregame fun. For me, we met so many people, Lots of people said I wouldn't have made this trip. You know, if we hadn't had this change, wouldn't be here. If things hadn't changed the excitement and the lead up to this, the excitement in Nashville.

00:43:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, Nashville was like that was the biggest Nashville's been since pre Code. Yeah.

00:43:28
Speaker 14: I mean, sure got knocked out of the tournament and we go down as losers, but I mean you can't take those pregame moments from me and all the fun we've had with fans just coming back together and being excited.

00:43:36
Speaker 1: And it's also worth noting like the various moments during the year that we had great Like think about what it was like the night after we beat Duke, that was that was the moment for a lot of fans where I think people said, hey, this is gonna work. Yeah, like this Dude's gonna work, you know, because I'm sure people were like it still a questioning whether Pope is it's gonna work. Think about in Seattle the Gonzaga come back, you know, down eighteen games in the middle of the night and we end up coming back and win that game against Florida, which I think was one of the best played games of the year by both teams. That was the last time we were really fully healthy was in that game. The first time we beat Tennessee. I mean shorthanded, shorthanded. Nobody thought we were gonna win that game, ten point underdog. Both went The win against Louisville at the time wasn't as big but ends up being big. Yes, they were good at the end. And then both wins against Oklahoma, right, both the win on the road and then the win in the SEC Tournament with o Way hitting the shots. I mean, those are moments that we will remember from this year, I think, no matter what.

00:44:44
Speaker 2: That's what we talked about in our first segment. We fell in love with this team for what they did on the court. You know, the land of misfit toys. These guys came from all these different places and yet they came together and now we will be beloved.

00:44:58
Speaker 3: Forever by our fan base and just.

00:45:00
Speaker 1: On a completely personal level. It also reignited some of the joy of it for me that had kind of gone away the last couple of years. It became this became more of a job at times than like I found the games to be slogs. I mean, especially in the last two years. You know, I could sit in the arena, not because I didn't care, but just because it was like, here we go again. Yeah, well I'm back to walking these you know, bank buildings because I'm nervous again because I want us to win again. And or I mean I always wanted to win, but like I wanted like that. That excitement is back, even for me personally. And so I think I said that to Pope a few weeks ago. I thanked him for that, because he did. I sent in his office back in before I went to UH to Europe, and he said, well, no, it's right after I got back when I went, and he was like, you gotta stay. This is gonna be awesome. I mean, he was like he was trying to pump me up, and you know what, he was right. He was right, he was right. It was one more. Who's next? Mary? Mary, go ahead?

00:46:10
Speaker 17: And Mary, Hey, Matt the first time, and I'm so happy to be the first time.

00:46:20
Speaker 1: All right.

00:46:24
Speaker 13: I just.

00:46:26
Speaker 17: Love this team. They are very special. They have done something to bring Kentucky basketball back in the realm and Coach Pope. I have been going to games since Coach Rupp back with dan Issel and Mike Pratt and Louis Dampier and all them. My dad took me and Memorial Collie him back in the day and then when Rapperena first opened up, he took me there and said, this is what it is now, and it it's Kentucky basketball is life and blood and a fan base that just cares and wants to be there.

00:47:28
Speaker 12: You're right, You're exactly right to see.

00:47:31
Speaker 17: I don't like Tennessee, I understand, but I like him better than a few other teams in the.

00:47:40
Speaker 1: Don't say nice about them, But you're right, ma'am. And that's it, and it's nice to have. It's nice to have that thread through the years. And Mary, thank you for staying up with us tonight.

00:47:53
Speaker 17: Hey, Matt, I love you and I hope you keep doing this because it needs so much to just listen to every night after a game on the radio just to hear you have to listen to everything just to hear you.

00:48:11
Speaker 1: Well, that's very sweet of you. Thank you, Mary, Bomb and I love all you guys.

00:48:16
Speaker 17: I love all you and everybody.

00:48:19
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mary. Appreciate the call. It is the bomb. That's very nice. Uh you know what it was?

00:48:25
Speaker 2: It was those damn birds and the bird feeder.

00:48:27
Speaker 1: Yeah that's the problem. Yeah, they went away and show we should have listened by the way SEC had the most teams ever in the tournament with fourteenth. Yeah, they had the most teams ever make the Sweet sixteen with seven. Right, they'll now have four teams in the Elite eight. That's only happened twice two thousand and nine, Big East twenty sixteen acc. So if one of these teams wins the championship, I think we'll have claim to be the best league of all time? Do you think? I think? So?

00:48:54
Speaker 7: I know one team I don't want.

00:48:55
Speaker 1: It to be. It's not Let it be Tennessee. Yeah. Who do you want to win now? I mean, looks like Houston's gonna I mean, they're up ten on produce, so let's say they close it out. If you have Duke Alabama, Florida, Texas Tech, Auburn, Michigan State. Who am I missing? Houston and Tennessee. Who would you like to see win? I'd like to see Houston win, even though it's not. I mean, I feel like Kelvin Sampson deserves one.

00:49:21
Speaker 14: That's who I have on my bracket. They're pretty far removed from me. I don't I don't know. I don't know one single Houston fan that would rub it in my face, not in the conference, not on the schedule, so it'd be the most harmless.

00:49:30
Speaker 1: I think, what if Duke plays Tennessee in the final four, who you're going to root for? I guess I might have to root for Duke. It just means more.

00:49:39
Speaker 7: I didn't want to think about that.

00:49:41
Speaker 1: I mean, I think I would root for Duke, as painful as that is to say I can't root for Tennessee.

00:49:45
Speaker 2: I think I'm on the Alabama bandwagon.

00:49:48
Speaker 1: Now that's what I want to Alba. Do you want to you want an SEC team to win this?

00:49:51
Speaker 3: I do, yep.

00:49:52
Speaker 14: They've probably got a little SEC dynasty brewing. I don't want to just keep adding to their trophy cabinet.

00:49:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I don't know. I think I want Houston is the most harmless of all these teams.

00:50:04
Speaker 7: Would you agree?

00:50:05
Speaker 1: Or is O or is OH get another one at Michigan. He's the only one one that would be Okay.

00:50:09
Speaker 14: Houston buy a wide margin. I could give a little Matthew Mitchell bump.

00:50:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, Houston would probably be would be that's right, Matthew Mitchell. He could go to the take you something kind of funny. Yeah, it's twelve fifteen at nine, who cares. Uh, we were Mario and I were driving or no, it wasn't Mario, it was Hovey. Hovey and I were driving the Reds game last night, and you know, we leave and I never listened to All in Color Show, but you know, we were in the car, so I turned it on and he was doing one of his like forty minute monologues right filter, and he broke in to say that Matthew Mitchell had taken the Houston job. And he goes, Matthew Mitchell is taking the Houston job. Wow. He was like, you know, I used to text with Matthew Mitchell and then Matthew Mitchell just stop replying to my text. And I don't know why he stopped replying to my text. You know, the thing is, now he's going to Houston. I know people in Houston. I probably know some people that can help Matthew Mitchell, but I don't know if I'm on texting because he hadn't texted me back and then he just switched topics. That was his analysis of Matthew Mitchell going to Houston, and I thought that's the best Alan Cutler analysis. He stopped. He he knows some people Ryan that could help him at Houston.

00:51:25
Speaker 2: That's why I love Alan. That's exactly the reason why I love He said it so seriously.

00:51:32
Speaker 1: He was like, I can help Allan. You can help Alan Houston. Do We'll take a break right back. Final segment. It's a Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Welcome Back. Final segment, Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame Show. One person writes, Matt, I'd like to ask you, guys, what's your favorite memory of the year. Drew start with that. What do you think is your favorite? That's a tough one.

00:51:59
Speaker 14: I mean, the h the O Way buzzer beater in Nashville was pretty special because it just it all happened so fast and it was a crazy party afterward. But I think my favorite I'm gonna go with was the eleven AM game against Florida. I mean, for such unique situation, playing that early Rupperina, that's about as good as I've seen it in a long time. You score one hundred and seven points against the team, it's probably gonna be in the final four of all of all the wins being in that building.

00:52:28
Speaker 1: Maybe the game we played the best too on Fire. I think that was our I think that was our best play. It was and it was the last game we were all healthy. This that was the last time everybody was healthy. What about you, Billy?

00:52:41
Speaker 14: It was definitely the postgame show after the Oklahoma game in the SEC Tournament that was.

00:52:46
Speaker 1: Very in the morning with with with Hovey, Bryan and Mario after they had the blood moon. That was That was a lot of fun. That's a good one to put the archives from that one. Now, what about you, Ryan?

00:53:02
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say the SEC Tournament because I took Josiah the first time he's ever been so kind of a father son thing. And we had great seats for the Oklahoma game, Thank you. Shout out to Stephen Horn. So we got to see that last second shot by old Way. And then we watched the second game against Alabama at Tin Roof and there was a twenty five year old grinding on my son and he thinks that Hen Roof in Nashville is the great.

00:53:25
Speaker 1: I didn't hear that, when did they?

00:53:27
Speaker 3: Sosiah?

00:53:27
Speaker 1: Thanks the first time you've talked about the twenty five year old grinding on your son after midnight.

00:53:32
Speaker 3: We can talk about it now.

00:53:34
Speaker 18: Yeah, they it's a favorite membery of the season. I had to step away. I had to step away. I didn't want, you know, to.

00:53:48
Speaker 1: The great that that is a Ryane living line. His favorite moment this season was a twenty five year old grinding on his son at Tin Roofsville. That was a beautiful moment in history.

00:53:59
Speaker 7: That night, My good.

00:54:00
Speaker 2: There were some grandma's who were coming up to him and thought he was Dane Key getting their picture taken with him, and Joside just played it off, you know, he just played it off.

00:54:08
Speaker 3: And then I heard what I'm saying, where are you at now?

00:54:12
Speaker 1: And looked like they could be related. Oh yeah, I mean I can see that. What about the basketball, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna put us back to basketball and say, uh, for me, I actually think it's the Gonzaga. You know, it was just because it was unexpected.

00:54:29
Speaker 3: I don't know how they still how they won that.

00:54:30
Speaker 1: I still don't really know how they won. Uh. Mario hit me like ten times every time they would score. He would punch me in the shoulder and say we were coming back. And then afterwards at that bar, uh, you know, at three o'clock in the morning Eastern time. That was That was a lot of fun. And then we lost Max Duffy to it to a woman. I'm still not convincing we back to Australia. I think he's in Seattle. I think he's in Seattle with that woman. That That was a.

00:54:55
Speaker 2: Good experience, that trip out to Seattle.

00:54:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was a lot of fun. All right, it was next.

00:54:59
Speaker 7: I've always funda Mike.

00:55:01
Speaker 1: We'll do five and call tonight number one.

00:55:03
Speaker 12: Go Mike, Hey, how you guys do?

00:55:08
Speaker 1: Doing great?

00:55:11
Speaker 3: All right?

00:55:12
Speaker 19: Hey a plus on not an a plus, but hey on the season, no doubt.

00:55:19
Speaker 12: Great bunch of guys.

00:55:20
Speaker 16: They represent a front of the jersey is what.

00:55:23
Speaker 19: They were all about.

00:55:25
Speaker 1: Totally agree.

00:55:26
Speaker 19: Well, Mo Butler, well mom, Butler playing with one arm is amazing.

00:55:32
Speaker 1: That's true. And he played great tonight. By the way he did. He played great tonight. I mean this was a good for the seven for ten, eighteen points. He played great tonight.

00:55:42
Speaker 19: Yes, sir, That's all I had to say was this team and I'm looking forward to the future.

00:55:49
Speaker 1: Appreciate the call. Looks like we're gonna hit This should make everybody happy. Well no, wait a minute, I said, what looks like we're gonna hit produce cut it to four. Oh, I have a five team parlayd included women's basketball. Tonight's been on women's game, picked UCLA women to beat Old Miss and Duke women to beat North Carolina and that all happened, plus Michigan State Auburn, and now I need Houston. But now it's a three.

00:56:14
Speaker 3: Point game, so he need Houston.

00:56:17
Speaker 1: We need Houston to win. We can't have we can't have Purdue playing Tennessee to go to the Final four drew we need to do that needs to not happen.

00:56:25
Speaker 14: Yeah, we need Tennessee out of here quickly, and Houston can be the team to do it.

00:56:29
Speaker 1: That's right. Who's up? Net for four more? Who's next? Will? Will go ahead? Will?

00:56:34
Speaker 10: Hey, Matt, This is Will from Dallas, Texas. So quick backstory. I graduated from high school in twenty eighteen and went to SMU and since I've been here in Dallas, all of my friends of Minny is kind of the crazy Kentucky Wildcats fan and for having no valid reasons that I considering. We lost the Saint Tieves and then of course the the recent Open loss. So I was hoping this year that we would kind of bring that back and that validation behind my my craziness. All that being said, when do you think I can have that uh, that reasoning behind the real catch run.

00:57:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I think there's you know, if I were to make a prediction and I appreciate the call, I think we'll be really good next year. I don't think next year is our championship run. I think I think we are a contender in two years. That's just my guess. I don't know that, but if you're just looking at at my guess, I think I think next year, you know, I think he still needs one more class to go get. He's got to figure out what the mix is of recruits, returners, portal. I think we're gonna be good next year. I need to see the roster first, but I feel like two years from now, you know, that's that that's the if I'm if I were betting with God, I.

00:58:02
Speaker 14: Do think they're gonna take another step forward this next season, even not knowing the roster. Maybe it could be special if you go out and some of these pieces really pan out, but certainly in the next two years they're gonna be in the mix of.

00:58:12
Speaker 1: The SEC is gonna be a lot more gettable next year. A lot of these teams are not gonna be as good next year. Auburt's not gonna be as good next year. Oh very old. Remember, I mean you gotta remember. The best players in the SEC are guys that return for another year. Johnny Broome Ziggler sears like those guys are all gonna be gone, and I don't and the next group are not as good as those guys. So I do think the league will be more gettable next year.

00:58:39
Speaker 2: If you're telling me in two years we can make a run, I think every fan would take that in a second.

00:58:43
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, three more. Who's next? Michael, Michael? Go ahead, Michael? What's that?

00:58:50
Speaker 16: Fellas Drew? I don't know if you did this or not. Did you end up staying in the same place in Indy from when we lost to Saint Peters.

00:59:04
Speaker 14: I haven't stayed there yet, but in about four hours I'll go to my room and pass out.

00:59:11
Speaker 16: So my friend Brock said you had mentioned something about that. Do you think maybe that gave us some bad juju for tonight?

00:59:17
Speaker 1: Yeah? Maybe true, Faul.

00:59:18
Speaker 14: Well, when I checked in, my room wasn't ready. They were doing maintenance on it, so maybe they were fixing something. Maybe they're bringing the curse back. I don't know, really, I hate every hotel.

00:59:28
Speaker 7: Everything.

00:59:28
Speaker 1: I've always disliked him, and you always just say it was good And now.

00:59:32
Speaker 14: Record, we've lost five in a row here, let's never come back. Move the final four somewhere. I'm moving to Atlanta. We forget with that.

00:59:38
Speaker 2: You know, in the ninety seven National Championship game we lost here in Indianapolis.

00:59:41
Speaker 1: Yes, thank you, sir. Two more, Who's next, Brandon? Brandon? Go ahead, Brandon?

00:59:49
Speaker 12: Hey, guys, first time, long time?

00:59:52
Speaker 1: Who what?

00:59:54
Speaker 13: Uh So?

00:59:55
Speaker 12: First off, I just want to say, like what a difference of year makes. I remember after the opening game, like I just like just felt sick like the next day and like it's gonna be nice. I think just kind of waking up with some sense of optimism. I'm still obviously bummed about the outcome, but you know, I think everybody is like really pleasantly surprised about how successful the season was. And on a really like positive note to I finally converted my wife to you know, to you know, being a part of Big Blue Nation. I think this team was just really just fun to watch. A huge a haga away fans. So I'm really hoping he comes back next season and we can kind of keep this tradition going. We're actually planning on starting a family this year, and so I think, you know, just to echo what you said about like this season reigniting like the joy amongst the fan base, I think what I'm looking forward to is like making this like a tradition that I'm going to like pass on.

01:00:49
Speaker 1: So yeah, I think that's I ask my question.

01:00:53
Speaker 12: You go ahead, you answer my question about kind of like the trajectory of the program kind of where you see it in that couple of years, trying to make it that championship run. So I just had comments and that was it.

01:01:04
Speaker 1: So sorry, Well I appreciate it, and I'm glad. Good luck with good luck with the with the family eight five, nine, eight, twenty two eighty seven. The story amount of people who say reigniting their their face, I mean, I think that really is going to be the story of this year. Let's do one more and then Mario and I are going to drive the election. So are you? And Shannon? If we pass you on the road, who's next? Honor Hunter?

01:01:31
Speaker 16: Hey, Hunter, boys, how are we doing tonight?

01:01:36
Speaker 1: Doing good?

01:01:38
Speaker 20: Hey, kind of echoing what everyone saying about the Reignite. It's definitely really noticing me this This season will go down as a lot of first for me. I was able to go to my first ever game. I was able to call in to the show for the first time, able to go to my first remote both in Kentucky and Utah, which to me is like I have always been a fan, but I didn't really follow it the last couple of years until this year, and this year really did kind of bring me back. And so I will always remember this year and I'm so thankful for I guess everything. I'm especially grateful for you guys, the show again. Living in Utah, it's amazing that I can like feel close to home, and especially with how I work on concant podcast listener guys probably won't hear from me till we do you know, postgame shows in October, and so until then, love you guys, see you guys, then go cats.

01:02:31
Speaker 1: Thank you very much, appreciate it and listen. Thank you all for listening this year. I always try to do something to wrap up after the last basketball game, So let me go through it real quick. First of all, thank you, as always to my man Billy, who stays up here with me at night and we do this late into the evenings. Thank you Billy for all the what I guess that's about fifty we've done if you count football and basketball. Thank you, Matt. Appreciate that. Yeah, you seem very excited about that at least, like let's get out of there. Thank you, Matt. Big shout out Tomorrio. First year with us. You were hired like one year ago today, and you've been a great addition. It's been awesome to be be with you. Thank you very much, you guys, the three of you. We've done this a lot. I always love this time of year because we get to go places together. We've been in the Nashville, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis and it's been a blast. Thank you for now what sixteen years with Drew, like fifteen years with you guys, it's been awesome. And to all the listeners, you all, you know, I've said it so much it may sound tripe, but you really have kind of re ignited not just my love with UK basketball, but you know, I was burned out and after this year it's gotten me, you know, right back to where this job has always been for me, which is a lot of fun, and thank you to everybody. Days like you know, the ending sucked with the loss, but days like today at ten roof seeing the amount of people, the energy. You know, this thing started twenty years ago, like literally twenty years ago this September, and it started like in a basement, and to see what it's become, I just can't think everybody enough. So with that, we will be back Monday morning. Uh from ks Bar. It'll be probably talking portal and getting ready and I got three shows and then hopefully I will be able to sit up straight on a plane because I'm going to Amsterdam with a with a back. It's locked up.

01:04:46
Speaker 14: But you know what, they got good stuff over in Amsterdam.

01:04:49
Speaker 3: If you need, they gonna help you with that.

01:04:51
Speaker 1: The caidnay, well, we'll see. Hey, thank you all very much. Everybody have a safe drive if you're driving home. Cats losing the Sweet sixteen, but Kentucky basketball back. This has been the local toylet Dealers KSR postgame show