2026-04-22- KSR - Hour 2

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00:00:59
Speaker 4: Welcome to Hour two of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

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Speaker 5: Welcome back over number two Kentucky Sports Late Radio. Well, I can tell you that the good thing about this topic is you get a lot of messages, I mean text machine flying.

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Speaker 6: Are they more pro or more common?

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Speaker 5: I mean most people are probably seventy five to eighty percent saying that they think we take the right tone. One person writes, Matt, I don't know how in the world people expect you to do a show when the team loses fourteen games, struggles gets beat by forty points and come on and go things are great. That would be ridiculous. And the fact that people suggest that you should want that means they don't actually want sports talk radio and they should watch a show that's made by the university. Well, to some extent, I think that's true. I mean there are, like you know, people have a natural tendency to want news that affirms their beliefs. Right, the only way I can do this is to do it in the way it's what I actually think.

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Speaker 3: Now.

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Speaker 5: Another person says, I think you all were too negative during the season. You kept telling us that we couldn't make a run, and fans got used to it and took on that perception. Well maybe, but Shannon, I didn't think we could make a run, and they didn't make a run. You know, I mean, go back to Stoops. We got accused of being a Sunshine pumper for Stoops. Why didn't we call for Stoops a job earlier?

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Speaker 3: Right? Like, there's no winning, No, there's not. So that's one of the reasons when when I hear people say ks are like once uk to lose or sabotage. Here's the here's the thing.

00:02:44
Speaker 5: The only time that this fan base is universally happy.

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Speaker 3: Is when we're winning. This show is easy to do.

00:02:52
Speaker 5: When we're winning, right, yes, then I can go middle fingers up to the other fan bases.

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Speaker 3: But when we're losing, what are you supposed to do? Because if I come on here and say everything's great, then.

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Speaker 5: People will go, man, you're making it where they won't make a change.

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Speaker 3: You just can't win. So all you can do is just say what you actually think.

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Speaker 2: The bottom line is, we're radio guys, we're also fans. We want our teams to win. And I said our jobs are easier when we win. We profit. My My livelihood depends on Kentucky winning a lot of times.

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Speaker 3: Oh dude, I mean the difference in the revenue. Like the difference in the bottom line for ks Bar when we win or lose is hundreds of thousands of dollars. Amen, hundreds of thousands of dollars difference. And that's just one thing.

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Speaker 5: This radio show is the only thing we do that seems to be winning or losing proof. The website much better when we're winning, the restaurant much better when we're winning. Remotes are better when we're winning. Yes, good point.

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Speaker 3: The only thing.

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Speaker 5: That's the same is this show. But everything else is it's when we postgame shows better when we win.

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah, this two hour seems to be almost win loss.

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Speaker 2: Proof because we try to be somewhat objective. We're happy when they win.

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Speaker 6: We're maden.

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Speaker 5: But the rest of it, I mean, go, look, there's gonna be a study come out here in a few weeks. I think that's gonna say that when Kentucky is good in basketball, it has like an eight to ten percent effect on the Lexington economy.

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Speaker 6: I believe that I was probably not even higher.

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Speaker 5: No, I mean, I've heard that that's coming out, so like, that's it.

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Speaker 3: I'm not surprised that's how this state is.

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Speaker 7: Dave go ahead, Hey, thanks a lot, man, A couple of fighters, real quick, and I'm gonna try to hurry. Lord knows that there's a lot of things you say that I don't agree with. But in case you guys, it's crazy to think that y'all aren't objective. I mean, seriously, you call it like it is. But you know this fan mase can be ridiculous in both directions. Also, real quick, until bar barn Hart is a black cloud over this program. He just is this whole fiasco. I think this this fish thinks from the head down. Second thing, why would if we're getting a new president? Why would he go ahead and pick the ad if there's a new president coming in the Last thing, and I hate to be a downer about this, but let me ask y'all a question because this hit me last night. If Mark Pope was not one of ours, would he have been offered this job to begin well.

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Speaker 5: I appreciate cal I don't know it would have been him or Shaka Smart.

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Speaker 3: Probably not, is the answer to that question.

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Speaker 5: But we had gotten to the point that if Mark Pope wasn't the higher the coach here would be shackas Smart.

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Speaker 3: So you'd have to ask yourself. Is that better or not? I think answered probably no.

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Speaker 5: But that would have been the quest that would I want people to understand the way it played out. If Mark Pope had not been the coach here, it would have been shakas mart.

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Speaker 6: Where would we be with anything?

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Speaker 5: I don't know who knows, but I'm just saying that's that's what it was. Because once the university said, and the Mitch Barnhart was told by university leadership, you cannot hire Bruce Pearl, Sean excuse me, Chris Beard, Sean Miller, and natoates.

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Speaker 3: That, then that was they had the approval to hire either Scott Drew or Danny Hurley.

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Speaker 5: Couldn't get him right, was not allowed to hire those four. There was a moment I've said this, I thought Bruce Pearl was going to be the coach here. There was a two hour period. So what Pope was announced on a Thursday night? Thursday night, right, Channon wasn't like at night or something. Yeah, at seven point thirty that night, I thought, or six thirty that night, I thought we were hiring Bruce Pearl. Now I think that was from stuff that had happened in the afternoon and then late in the afternoon, it was told that he could they could not hire him, and then.

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Speaker 3: They quickly moved on Pope, moved on Pope. So you know, that's that's the time.

00:07:23
Speaker 2: The call brought up a good point, why is this president hiring an ad when he's getting ready to leave.

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Speaker 5: Because some people would think the next president is already like already calling the shots now.

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Speaker 2: So it brings out I'm gonna ask you this. Then, did the incoming potential president the one that made that decision that the board doesn't have to approve all the hires he has solo dictatorship? Like, did he set himself up to move into this spot and have it?

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Speaker 5: Well, that would be I can't say with definitiveness, but there are people who think that, but I can't say.

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Speaker 3: I'm not there, so I don't know. Richard, go ahead, Richard.

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Speaker 8: Okay, first time caller, longtime listener, who are.

00:08:00
Speaker 9: Yeah?

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Speaker 8: Thanks? Well, I've been from first of all, you guys. Perspective is right, and I've been around a long time. I'm sixty five years old almost, But I was a huge Pope supporter when he came in. But I just have a perspective and I'll get off if you were running a business that had been top tier and you've kind of fallen down a little bit, and you were going to hire a new recruiter or a company got to find talent, and your first year that he hired the talent, you came in kind of average. And now you're looking at where we're at now and what he's got. Wouldn't you be saying, hey, I need to move on and think about that, and that's all got things.

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Speaker 5: I think people would do that, But then you also have to consider what that costs you. I mean, we're still paying like we're still paying Mark Stoobs, right, Yes, we're paying Mitch Barnard a million dollars a year.

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Speaker 3: For some reason. You let pope go, you're gonna be paying him. Yeah, and then you guys go play a new coach.

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Speaker 5: And one of the things we've seen in these off sasons, I mean, go look at what happened in North Carolina. They ended up having a hire guy that wasn't even in basketball right now. Yeah, because it's not as easy as it used to be to go steal guys, right, I mean, we learned that when we went through it. Guys tend to be you can win anywhere. Now you could win anywhere, and that's changes things. Connor, go ahead, Hey.

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Speaker 10: Guys, just want to bring a little positivity here. I just want to remind the people. You know, you guys have been doing this. I know, Matt Jones, you've been doing this for quite some time. I've been listening to myself for twelve to thirteen years. All the negative negativity towards KSR. I'd like people to go watch that video that runback of the press conference when Matt Jones got that ovation, his cheeks got all red.

00:09:47
Speaker 11: It was awesome.

00:09:49
Speaker 10: That's the people that really care about Kentucky basketball. They support KSR and and it's the negativity is you know, they just don't haven't been around long enough, or they just they just want to be heard. And another positivity is Mario killing it. He is absolutely killing it. I love the addition of Mario. He has been so good for KSR. And he's he's a he's an asset for sure. So good job for you guys. And also ratings don't lie, and y'all have the top ratings.

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Speaker 5: Thank you, And I appreciate all that. And I'm not like that's very nice. That was that was a very special day for me when that when that happened. But I you know, I'm such I want to please people like I don't. I don't want to be you know, I don't want to be like a lightning rod of people. Like some radio hosts like to be the center of controversy. I think a lot that's not I don't want to be like that. I really don't. I want to be entertaining. But it is hard to make people laugh and be entertained when we're losing.

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Speaker 3: That's why when I tried to do that, remember the COVID year, I was like, we're losing, let's try to at least have fun with the losing. And people are like, we don't want to have fun.

00:11:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, we want to be mad at the times. You're like our group therapist leader. This show's beyond group therapy. You have to lead us through. Okay, it's tough right now, But.

00:11:24
Speaker 5: Say, I wonder how Louisville talk shows did it that last year at Kenny Payne when he won four.

00:11:28
Speaker 4: Games, Well, they just stopped caring. And that's the difference between their fan base and ours.

00:11:33
Speaker 3: You know, I watched, I think I watched.

00:11:35
Speaker 4: I watched ben Eddie do a pregame show and not one caller because nobody cared right like that that. I think that's the difference between us and everybody else. When we lose, we want to talk about other fan bases just move on to something else.

00:11:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, they move on to their lives. Paul, go ahead, Paul.

00:11:52
Speaker 12: Well, gentlemen, my name is Paul Carum. I'm a former UK football player, and I a dilemma that I hope you guys can help me with.

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Speaker 3: All Right, we will try.

00:12:04
Speaker 12: I print it. I'll print it up five hundred bumper stickers. And the guy who's doing the printing for me has sent me two drafts. The first one simply says I'm a UK knucklehead. The second one says I'm a knucklehead with the UK and knucklehead in big and blue.

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Speaker 11: Which one I'm expressing no view on whether or not you should make the bumper stick all right, So, but if you are determined to make the bumper sticker, then I think the knucklehead with the U and the K capitalized I think makes your point in a more subtle effective way.

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Speaker 3: Shannon, do you agree? I do? Yeah?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, if you can somehow incorporate what about.

00:12:57
Speaker 5: Because we need to ask Ryan because Ryan is the person New falls for yard signs of bumper stickers.

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Speaker 2: That's true, and I am kind of a knucklehead, so I definitely like the logo in the in the in the bumperticker.

00:13:08
Speaker 4: Just don't get caught with like a copyright or something.

00:13:12
Speaker 3: That's a good question.

00:13:13
Speaker 12: I'm trying to I'm trying to help the budget.

00:13:17
Speaker 3: Appreciate the call.

00:13:19
Speaker 5: By the way, the Border Trustees meeting is Thursday and Friday, and in theory they have the ability to overturn that.

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Speaker 6: Mitch deal and Governor Sheer.

00:13:29
Speaker 3: You do wonder if to some extent that.

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Speaker 2: Was the Oh, I think the timing of it is that exactly why he wants people to go to this biz meeting on Thursday.

00:13:38
Speaker 3: We're gonna be a Manchester.

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Speaker 2: Today, Thursday and Friday, Thursday and Friday or the meetings.

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Speaker 5: So it could be a very uh. I think you're gonna have people there who care about the law school thing. You're gonna have people are there who care about the Mitch thing. Could be quite a circus. Sounds like something Mario should Oh gosh, Bob and Jamestown go ahead. You're off your suspension.

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Speaker 3: Matt.

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Speaker 13: You know you were talking about the sheer being a presidential candidate. Did you hear now that since a afro Man went his case up there in Ohio, he's considering him run from president.

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Speaker 7: Candidate?

00:14:26
Speaker 3: Are you talking about I got high guy?

00:14:29
Speaker 9: Yeah?

00:14:30
Speaker 13: Yeah, uh huh yeah.

00:14:31
Speaker 3: You know who that is? How do you even know who that is?

00:14:38
Speaker 13: Well, he's been around, Like I say that, he just won that defamation case up there, and I guess he follow.

00:14:44
Speaker 3: A man's like what afro Man does.

00:14:50
Speaker 13: Well, it's just the media thing. But anyway with.

00:14:55
Speaker 3: It, thank you, thank you, Shi, thank you. Bob.

00:15:00
Speaker 6: That to me, that's why he's so entertaining.

00:15:02
Speaker 3: You never know, never had to get.

00:15:04
Speaker 6: Any clue, Bob.

00:15:05
Speaker 4: And James Sown is gonna call up with an Afroman reference?

00:15:08
Speaker 3: Well, first of all, he cannot be on topic, you know what I mean? That's what I love about it, Like it's just it's never gonna be on top, Nope, no matter what. So he comes in and he's talking about we're talking about the future at Kentucky basketball and he's like, did you hear Afroman's gonna run for president? Who's voting for him? I don't know. Tell me about Stockton.

00:15:30
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00:15:58
Speaker 3: Will Stein here in twelve minutes KSR. Welcome back. Take E Sports Radio.

00:16:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, I know he was in the news a lot for the the thing with the police officer, but I still was surprised that was his topic. A couple of little things. Yankees have requested to the team to get to wear their first alternate uniforms.

00:16:19
Speaker 2: Ever.

00:16:19
Speaker 5: Ever, the Yankees have never worn alternate uniforms, only franchise to never do it.

00:16:24
Speaker 3: The players want to do it this year? Should they do it?

00:16:28
Speaker 2: Yes, I mean times have changed and they'll go back to their pinstripes and no name on the back of the jersey, But why not wear it once?

00:16:35
Speaker 3: Shannon give him a chance. I'm fine with that.

00:16:36
Speaker 4: I mean, for they play one hundred and sixty two games. I mean, who would be against them doing it one time?

00:16:42
Speaker 3: The Yankees always remember they didn't let people have facial.

00:16:46
Speaker 4: Correct yeah, which is a dumb of a Stinbrunners rule. Right, Yeah, yeah, I mean one time here and there that Yeah, that's good.

00:16:53
Speaker 3: I'm fine with it, alright with it.

00:16:54
Speaker 6: I'm definitely okay with it.

00:16:56
Speaker 5: Devin Hester is going into the NFL Hall of Fame. That the return guy for the Bears. Bears, he was the fifty seventh pick. He is the first fifty seventh pick to ever go into the Hall of Fame. So to celebrate HEINZ fifty seven is giving him a lifetime supply of Ketchup.

00:17:13
Speaker 3: I hope he likes Ketchup.

00:17:15
Speaker 6: I can't stand it so that I forgot about that.

00:17:18
Speaker 3: You hate ketchup?

00:17:20
Speaker 6: Even Drew Drew didn't like ketchup either.

00:17:23
Speaker 3: How do you not like Ketchup.

00:17:25
Speaker 6: I love Ketchup, I just don't want.

00:17:26
Speaker 3: It so with fries, no interest in ketchup.

00:17:29
Speaker 4: The ranch, geese, even barbecue sauce. What are you what you're doing?

00:17:35
Speaker 5: You are from the sticks putting ranch on your You put ranch on everything, like on your steak.

00:17:40
Speaker 4: No, but on some fries. If your fries and some ranch, that's good. It's good stuff.

00:17:44
Speaker 3: I mean, I like it, but I do think that's not When.

00:17:46
Speaker 4: You get cheese fries they give you ranch to dip it in, you.

00:17:49
Speaker 3: Do, Yeah, yeah, they do.

00:17:51
Speaker 5: I just I think not liking ketchup is weird. But a lifetime supply of ketchup, you think they just give it to him all at once.

00:17:59
Speaker 6: Here's a groad full ketch up, go for it.

00:18:02
Speaker 3: What costco is like to me?

00:18:04
Speaker 6: At least it's hind.

00:18:05
Speaker 2: Hind is the only ketch up to use your anti Hunts, anti Hunts, anti rolled gold whatever, the other one called old gold something gold roll roll gold.

00:18:16
Speaker 3: I don't know what catch up.

00:18:17
Speaker 6: It's awful.

00:18:20
Speaker 5: When I see Hunts, doesn't spots. When I see Hunts, that usually means this place wants to save money.

00:18:26
Speaker 6: Yeah, gotta have hines.

00:18:28
Speaker 3: I think we have Hines. We do, yes, we do, say if we have hunts. No, take it back, no, we have we have Hines. John Carrey, that's his thing, right.

00:18:37
Speaker 6: I don't know.

00:18:37
Speaker 3: I think John Carrey's wife is the heir to the to the hind.

00:18:41
Speaker 5: Heines ketchup fortune. Yeah, just a little piece of info. Mike, go, Mike.

00:18:54
Speaker 3: Sorry, yeah, that's anytime you're ready.

00:18:56
Speaker 12: Mate, can you hear me?

00:19:01
Speaker 3: All right, Mike, all right, I gotta let you go. I'm sorry, sorry. Plus, I'm sitting here staring at will Stein right now.

00:19:12
Speaker 5: I'm sitting here watching will Stein eat while he's waiting for a segment. He's laughing, Well, gay, I'm sorry. Well just eat, I'll try stuff. Looking at you, Martin, go ahead, Martin.

00:19:23
Speaker 14: Yeah, guys. In regard to the thing about your also alleged negativity, I just want to put something in there on that I'm an older UK fan. I remember the standard and I agree with the standards. Still, if I wanted to listen to the channel that did nothing but blow smoke up my rear all day long, I wouldn't listen to you, guys, because you know, sometimes it is it is what it is is what it is. You can paint it up as you know, as ridiculous as you want to and try to sell it. But you guys don't do that. That's why I listen to you. A reason I'm coming in and saying, I hope you never become that. Keep on doing what you're doing. Sometimes, you know, people just need to hear the truth, even if it's you know, not painted up and financed with the just rat words and all that.

00:20:17
Speaker 5: You know that's true, especially he doesn't always have the right words. I appreciate that. I appreciate the call.

00:20:23
Speaker 3: That's uh. I can't do it the other way. I tried. I was on the official network for a few years.

00:20:28
Speaker 5: Yes, now luckily I was on it in twenty fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, so we were pretty good.

00:20:34
Speaker 6: Pretty good run right there, pretty good run.

00:20:36
Speaker 3: So that wasn't that hard to do, cause like it was pretty easy to talk about the twenty fifteen team because we just beat everybody down.

00:20:45
Speaker 5: But it is tougher like you. You don't feel like you can say stuff since he's not officially on yet. We can do some breaking news.

00:20:53
Speaker 3: Here, shitting okay, running no.

00:20:58
Speaker 5: Kentucky you gets another football all commitment A twin Higgins has committed to Kentucky. He is from the Cincinnati area. Kentucky got in aud him late, he visited campus decided to come. His quote, you can tell it's a whole new program. It's different. Everybody is buying in. It's the family I wanted to be in. So there you go, yet another big football commitment. Kentucky I believe right now in the on three rankings is sitting at number eleven.

00:21:28
Speaker 3: Wow, which is crazy.

00:21:29
Speaker 6: That's crazy. What position is this guy?

00:21:31
Speaker 3: He's an edge It looks like, dude, those are those are hard to recruit, these good edge guys.

00:21:37
Speaker 6: So maybe they snuck in there and no one new.

00:21:39
Speaker 3: You know, we've talked about how there are so many different spellings of the name Antwine. Oh, yes, this is one I've never seen before. Okay, right, have you ever seen this an twine A N T w O I n E. Oh, it's like mixing an T W O I N E. That's a that's an antwine I've never.

00:22:01
Speaker 4: Seen taking like the two different ways I've seen antoine and making it one com binding them like the mom and dad couldn't decide on which version they want it, so they.

00:22:10
Speaker 5: Half that's right. Kevin, go ahead, Kevin, Yeah.

00:22:16
Speaker 9: Three quick things. I know you got coach Stein coming up. Uh, the guy's printing up the bumper stickers. Maybe said print up one. But I'm a butthole with a big orange U and T in there. The coaching search, uh, coaching search. If they if they do one for basketball, I wish they would do something differently. Instead of trying to go out for like a coach that's successful, successful or d one and you go through the dance trying to lure him away, go for either a successful a Sydney coach at a program that definitely wants to come to a place like UK, or a smaller division coach who's very successful, like the like the football coach at Indiana, and go in that direction. And nobody's ever mentioned the fact that the Baylor coach they warned him so bad and he hasn't had a very good year.

00:23:04
Speaker 3: No, exactly right.

00:23:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know if that would have worked. I appreciate the call. You're right, Scott, Scott Grew, we don't talk about it.

00:23:12
Speaker 3: Ended up not really having a wild Eggs Wenday, real quick, Okay, Wild Eggs Wednesday on what on the on Instagram. On Instagram, do the word Mario, just put it up.

00:23:21
Speaker 5: On KSR, We'll give away fifty dollars from Wild Eggs on Wild Eggs Wednesday.

00:23:25
Speaker 3: Will Stein is next KSR.

00:23:27
Speaker 6: Good job.

00:23:30
Speaker 3: TJ. Smith, personal injury attorney called TJ. He'll make them pay.

00:23:34
Speaker 4: Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage.

00:23:38
Speaker 3: Here's Matt Jones water back.

00:23:40
Speaker 5: It is Kentucky Sports Radio now, happy to be joined by Will Stein, who was eating his lunch at the table there during the last segment.

00:23:48
Speaker 3: What were you eating? What's a good Will Stein lunch?

00:23:51
Speaker 15: I got a.

00:23:51
Speaker 16: Buffalo chicken wrap, Okay, and then I got a little cup of Greek yogurt with some fruit and granola.

00:23:58
Speaker 3: And that's hell on man.

00:24:00
Speaker 5: Yeah, Well, the wife's helping keep you healthy. So all right, Spring practice as a caur we talked to you right before it. Tell me how you characterize the spring that you just finished.

00:24:14
Speaker 16: Well, I mean, I think when you go through a spring practice, especially early on in like a tenure, it's really teaching these guys how we practice, how we meet, how we just operate on a day to day, you know, on day to day.

00:24:27
Speaker 15: So that was the big part for us early on is teaching these guys how to practice.

00:24:32
Speaker 16: And I was really pleased with how they responded to that because it was different than maybe years past here at Kentucky or even at the previous school, So that was big for us. And then just define winning edges like fundamentals and technique, like what those are on each particular.

00:24:47
Speaker 15: Scheme or side of the ball, And then just.

00:24:50
Speaker 16: To bleeding in the actual schematics of it and trying to figure out where you want to take this team here in spring. And so we're really now we're in the phase of getting together as a coaching staff, right, what do we like from the spring? Where do we go from here? What does a summer installation look like? And then going into fall camp, like how do we want to build this team for the future. So all in all, is really pleased with our guys. I thought they were excellent from the very first minute that I got here on campus, opening up their chests to in their hearts us and allowing us to coach them really hard and changing their mindset about.

00:25:27
Speaker 3: So what do we like this game? What do we like about the spring?

00:25:30
Speaker 5: Like if you were to say, okay, these are the two or three things on next year's team. I think our strength and here's the one or two things we're gonna have to work on. What would they be?

00:25:41
Speaker 16: Yeah, I mean I think the strength. I'll start offensively. I think we have a strong unit up front.

00:25:46
Speaker 15: I really do.

00:25:46
Speaker 16: I feel like it's gonna play winning football consistently. I think our first five, six, seven guys are as good as I've.

00:25:56
Speaker 15: Been around in a long time. And I know that's putting a lot on them.

00:25:58
Speaker 16: It's obviously pretty injecting something that has not even happened in a real football game yet. But I to see their size, their strength, their ability to retain information and play together as a unit, that that was really good.

00:26:08
Speaker 3: Well, let me focus on that for a second.

00:26:10
Speaker 5: When you say as good as you've seen, I mean you've been around good Oregon teams, You've played good teams. Just the front, just the offensive line. Is it an offensive line that is at a level to be able to play with anybody?

00:26:25
Speaker 15: Yeah?

00:26:25
Speaker 16: I mean when I look at it, I make it in terms of like who's going to play in the NFL, and I think you have I mean maybe not in the next draft, because some of these guys are going to come back and play for us again. But you're looking at a starting unit that potentially all five could play in the NFL.

00:26:41
Speaker 3: That's pretty good when you look at a team.

00:26:43
Speaker 15: When you look at a team, the best teams have the most draft picks.

00:26:46
Speaker 3: Ryeah, they do.

00:26:47
Speaker 16: And so the units that I've had the last three years all Joe Mooreward finalists being the best unit in the country. A lot of those guys are playing in the NFL and had some first round picks, some second round picks, and I see what it's supposed to look like. And those guys are going to play in the NFL. Now are they all first rounders?

00:27:05
Speaker 15: I don't know. I mean I think some have the potential to be.

00:27:09
Speaker 16: But you're definitely gonna have all those guys playing in the NFL, you know, whether it's the next season or the following season, which.

00:27:16
Speaker 3: Is it's pretty good.

00:27:17
Speaker 16: I'll tell sign up like how good they're gonna be. I mean, defensively, I actually really like our secondary. You think about Ty Bryant Jordan Costell both played a ton of snaps in the SEC. I like to Ryan Nichols a lot at corner. I think he's a really good player. Aaron Gates is playing a ton at star you know at Florida. Just got to stay healthy. And then it's really the other corner spot is really I think it'd be a good competition to fall like Hasan Sykes, what what he did this this spring? We're coming in from Western Carolina. And then young DeMarcus Gardner, who is somebody who we retained, did a really nice job.

00:27:55
Speaker 15: And then uh now Seira Addison as well. So I like our secondary. I think our.

00:27:59
Speaker 16: Backs are a little bit unproven, but I like Grant Godfrey a lot what he provides just from a leadership standpoint and understanding of our defense. Bo Barnes was a is an extremely talented big inside backer. It reminds me of some of the former backers here Kentucky from the past. He can run sideline, the sideline, I think he's a really good player. And up front, I mean, I think I think my Keys is an elite type player. He's gonna play in the NFL for sure. You know, Tavian Gatsen if he continues to stay healthy.

00:28:31
Speaker 15: It's a big body up front.

00:28:33
Speaker 16: C J Works had a really good spring, Antonio o'berry had a really good spring.

00:28:38
Speaker 15: I like Jayden Williams what he did for us as well. So I mean I.

00:28:42
Speaker 16: Think interior d line is probably gonna be another strength for us. You know, big in will be a strength. We got some younger spots at backer. But yeah, I mean I really like our team. It's just about depth. Can we stay healthy? You know, I know that's everybody. It's a cliche. Every coach says that.

00:28:59
Speaker 3: But let me ask you on the dead thing, because that's changed a lot in a way that I actually think would help Kentucky. This has been my thesis. Tell me if this is correct.

00:29:09
Speaker 5: You used to be able, if you were Alabama, you were whoever, Ohio State. You could get second third string dudes that were all studs. Now those second and third string dudes might want to go start somewhere else. And now the talent is spread out more so that you can come in here and have a lot of guys with elite talent?

00:29:28
Speaker 3: Is that? Am I correct in that?

00:29:30
Speaker 15: Yeah?

00:29:31
Speaker 16: That's one hundred percent true. It's one hundred percent true. So that's the big thing. It's it's not just getting the players, but it's having the right evaluation, you know, And you think about like I always go back to IU just because they just want it all. So it's it's the most immediate thing that I can think about talking about. I thought they did a great job of evaluating the correct players that come in and fit in their scheme. And you don't know how much people are paying. That's the hard thing because there is no there's no databasis says these guys are getting this much. But when you think about market value of players, I do think evaluation is still the number one thing that matters. Do they love ball and do they fit your style of play.

00:30:13
Speaker 15: In your schemes.

00:30:14
Speaker 16: So that's what we're doing right now when you talk about what's the next phase for us as a coaching staff, are about to go on the road and start recruiting and finalize these twenty sevens to make sure that they stay locked in and then try to evaluate the twenty eights and beyond, and then when you get to the portal season, it's a whole nother.

00:30:31
Speaker 3: It's a different set of evaluation.

00:30:33
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, so we heard about this thing that UK announced this blueprint thing and they said, you got you guys at UK Football had used it early. So tell me when you're sitting down saying what kind of players do I want to target, whether it's that system or what else.

00:30:48
Speaker 3: I mean, how do you know there are thousands of players? How do you narrow what it is you want?

00:30:54
Speaker 15: Well?

00:30:54
Speaker 16: I mean that's one reason why I have a GM and an assistant GM and a director with player of personnel, Like we have an entire department dedicated to personnel, to acquiring talent and evaluating talent. I mean, I wish I could walk you guys back to basically.

00:31:10
Speaker 15: Our war room.

00:31:11
Speaker 16: There's like freaking twenty minions back there to just just splice in film and and building list of boards and their students and a lot of them are unpaid, and they just love Kentucky football and they want to do whatever it takes to help, and then they want to see themselves rise within this business and this profession.

00:31:29
Speaker 3: I mean, so, is it like half football guys half nerds?

00:31:35
Speaker 12: Yeah?

00:31:35
Speaker 16: I mean I think you know a lot of personal guys there. You gotta have some nerdiness to you, but they're all football guys too.

00:31:40
Speaker 15: I mean, have a blend. I mean, even coaches you gotta have.

00:31:42
Speaker 16: You can't just have all freaking jocks, man, you gotta have a you gotta have a blend.

00:31:46
Speaker 15: It's a teams.

00:31:47
Speaker 16: That's what these guys are. And but they love it and they come up here. They're the first arrived, last leave type kids and just grind on film and getting players' names.

00:31:57
Speaker 15: But also, I mean a.

00:31:58
Speaker 16: Lot of our coaching staff knows a ton of guys around the country, high school coaches, and so we get fed a lot of names as well. And we're tight with recruiting services too. And you know the Tom Lloys of the world, you know, the Steve wilt Fonges of the world that give us a lot of names too that we just start building up this database.

00:32:17
Speaker 15: And you know, we recruit more than like a.

00:32:18
Speaker 16: Basketball or baseball not in terms of time recruiting, but we have more players.

00:32:22
Speaker 15: Yeah, we have to. We have to cast a wide net, you know, for our team.

00:32:28
Speaker 3: Do you okay?

00:32:29
Speaker 5: So, as I've been here hearing all these people that have committed, and you've gotten some amazing commitments, I know you can't talk about the specifics of them, but hai ranked guys, they all say the same thing. The culture there is fun. The coaches are fun. People are excited, every single person. They don't just mention the culture They all have the exact same compliments to it. It's got to be gratifying, and is that what you're trying to build.

00:32:56
Speaker 16: Yeah, I mean the funds in the winning though, Matt, you know what I'm saying, Like, that's what it's really fun is when you go win on Saturdays.

00:33:01
Speaker 15: So they came here this spring love what we're doing.

00:33:05
Speaker 16: It's not just a sales pitch. It's not just a one time discussion. They see the energy. They saw it in January January when they came, they saw it in early March. They see it again in April. Like, man, these guys haven't changed. They see it on our on our zoom calls, on our face times, on every conversation that we have.

00:33:23
Speaker 15: We're the same guys.

00:33:24
Speaker 16: So I think it's just recruiting is about waking these kids up and putting them to the bed. You know, it has to be an every day thing. It can't be once in a while or hey, we.

00:33:36
Speaker 15: Got this kid committed. Now he's good till December. F that it's not. It's not. You better still recruit like your hair's on fire.

00:33:44
Speaker 16: Because just because we got an awesome QB number two in the country, I don't think that everybody's trying to still kind of talk them. I mean, you're crazy if you don't think that's that's true. Or just because a kid committed somewhere that didn't choose us, you don't think the Wildcats are constantly talking to him and his family and his people. Yes, you have to. It's not over until it's over. And even when it's over, it's still not over. Nowadays, I mean, you can get out of a commitment or a sign deal after you sign. Yeah, I saw, I forgot what the what they called the post siny portal guy.

00:34:18
Speaker 15: I mean it's like crazy, so and then then.

00:34:24
Speaker 16: You got to recruit your own team. Yeah, like you gotta recruit your own team. So it's it's constant. But that's why I hired these guys. I mean I hired guys are like me that love football, that love their family that I mean don't.

00:34:38
Speaker 3: Wear quarter zips. I mean you can't.

00:34:40
Speaker 15: Guys you want to go grab a beer with afterwords, can't.

00:34:42
Speaker 3: But you can't wear quarter zips though, coach, is what I heard.

00:34:44
Speaker 16: Yeah, Like, I mean I got one on right now, told you aggressive take super aggressive, take all right, And I think I'm meant to kind of talk about like button up and stuff.

00:34:54
Speaker 15: I just don't want to be walking around on eggshells. I don't want our players to.

00:34:57
Speaker 16: Walk around on eggshells because we're dressed like a corporate office. We're football coaches. So that was my point. It was super aggressive. Actually, I love quarters. I don't know who the who's the guy on your.

00:35:07
Speaker 3: Old Billy is very dizzy. He's sitting right here, Billy. It's just so we can see you.

00:35:13
Speaker 16: You know, look he got one on and look I got I got a cool one on too.

00:35:17
Speaker 5: You know what I'm saying that actually has a good He was very disappoint He was very disappointed.

00:35:22
Speaker 3: That's his, uh his like I get address.

00:35:25
Speaker 16: Billy though, like how Billy is dressed right now, I'm gonna dress more like.

00:35:27
Speaker 15: You, Matt.

00:35:28
Speaker 3: You know, yeah, this is this is football coach gear, even though I've never played one down.

00:35:31
Speaker 15: You got the hat on him? A hat guy.

00:35:33
Speaker 16: Fast always gets on me because I'm wearing a hat and interviews. I'm like, I'm a hat guy. I know I got some my hairs, I still got some flow, But I love a hat.

00:35:42
Speaker 3: I love it. Let me so let me ask you just from my fascination about because the recruiting side of this, to me is now very I find it very entertaining. You seem in sort of energized when we talk about recruiting. I hear a lot of guys in the modern air goes so hard. I think you seem like you're like, look, these are the rules and we're gonna maximize them. Am I right about that?

00:36:06
Speaker 16: I mean, the best teams I've ever been a part of had the best players.

00:36:10
Speaker 15: And that's what I tell these guys too.

00:36:12
Speaker 16: When I have great players, I've I've been a part of sixty nine wins over the last six seasons. And what does that? Yeah, we had great scheme, we do awesome stuff on offense. We're gonna dial up stuff on defense. But when you have better players, you win more games. It's pretty simple. Like look at the last I don't know how many national championships champions maybe besides IU this year, previous year we played Ohio State, I think they had like sixteen guys drafted.

00:36:38
Speaker 15: They won it all. Michigan was a year before they had the most guys drafted. They won it all. Year before that was what Georgia. Most guys drafted they went it all.

00:36:46
Speaker 3: And even if you look here, the best Kentucky teams in the last twelve years had yeah, the amounts of people get drafted. Yeah.

00:36:52
Speaker 16: Yes, So like that's why recruiting matters so much. I mean, I love Joe Slan and Jay Bateman. They're gonna be much better coaches. I'm gonna be a better head coach when we have better players. And so that's why we recruit this way. That's why we have energy. I mean, I want to stay in Lexington for a really long time, you know, And if I don't go get great players, Shoot, you're gonna be talking trash about me.

00:37:13
Speaker 3: Non go win?

00:37:17
Speaker 15: And how do you win? Get great players? That's why I'm enthusiastic.

00:37:20
Speaker 3: About it, all Right.

00:37:21
Speaker 5: So let's say there's a player, let's just say his name is Bob and Jamestown and there's this player out there and you see him and you like him. Are you all setting like a financial value where you say, I can't offer more than this he's good, but he's this good, he's this dollar amount good or is it fluctuate? How do you do that to make sure you don't overpay and et cetera for players?

00:37:48
Speaker 15: Yeah, I think that's a great question.

00:37:50
Speaker 16: It's like we have to set our standard or our our market rate compared to maybe other people, Like what are we willing to pay on this person? And if it goes above you have to be willing to cut bait.

00:38:03
Speaker 15: You have to. But it's like I've told Pat.

00:38:05
Speaker 16: And Pete, like you know, like when you go on a Google review, you know, for a restaurant and they got like the dollar signs, ye, Like, yeah, you got the one dollar sign versus five dollars sign. There's gonna be a few players that are five dollars signs that we want. But you also, if you pay a five dollars sign player, they better come in here and be an impact player right away.

00:38:25
Speaker 15: Like that's the type of money. Now. Quarterback positions different because like the quarterback market aren't here, they're right.

00:38:32
Speaker 16: But if you go if you get a five dollars sign, o lineman, you're basically saying you're coming here to play. But you're also talking about an eighteen year old going in the SEC and starting that offensive line for you against giant human beings on the other side of the ball. Or do you reserve that five dollars sign and go wait till January and try to go get a five dollars sign tackle. You know, we went and got a really good tackle. You know he's gonna be like Tony's here in Lexington or or going to Malons and buying the.

00:39:01
Speaker 15: Best steak that you can.

00:39:02
Speaker 16: You know, like you got you better, you better wear your nice suit and go where.

00:39:07
Speaker 5: You would screw up I would think is if you paid four dollars sign prices for a two dollars sign player, am I correc right.

00:39:15
Speaker 16: And what we try to do too, is like, all right, what is this the cost benefit? When we first got here, like players that we're getting a certain amount, We're like, all right, like like this player, but we can go get two players for what the previous regime.

00:39:32
Speaker 15: Was thinking about paying this.

00:39:33
Speaker 16: It's like all right, well, like that's when you see people getting the portal. It's not just because they want to leave. It's like what are people willing to pay? And what do you what are you willing to do for your roster? And so it's it's it's it's it's a constant juggling act. And so that's what we're doing right now. It's like, all right, how many guys at this position, are we actually going to sign the high school next year? And then what do we want to reserve for maybe a portal player or what do we have to have coming back at this position. So it's all projections. It's a balancing act constantly, and we're always evaluated.

00:40:05
Speaker 5: It's kind of exciting though. I actually think it would be kind of fun to do it like that. You mentioned feed the studs. Is you tell me if I'm wrong? This is just me looking from the outside of the way you built a roster. It felt like to me you were willing to pay top dollar for a handful of guys. I said on this radio show your studs, and then everybody else it was like, Okay, they're gonna have to fit into what we need to be able to pay them to do it, but we're going to really invest heavily in this seven eight nine guys.

00:40:35
Speaker 3: Is that correct? Is that? Am I looking at that correctly?

00:40:39
Speaker 16: I think yes somewhat. I think it's just like what the market demands and what we needed. When I got here, there was like, no, no high school commits barely at a line I let was just use them as an example. There's nothing and like everything was gone, everything was depleted. It's like nobody signed anybody, you know. I'm like, oh crap, man, Like we have to go get this position, and if we do not get this we.

00:41:01
Speaker 15: Will not win. Like it's just it's a fact.

00:41:03
Speaker 16: So we went and spent on that position because in order for us to move the football, we got to protect the quarterback and be able to run the ball. So that was something that we had to spend on. So yeah, I think it's just a position by a position basis. So I don't necessarily think it's like maybe as as you put it, but it is. It's it's yeah, you go get the best players you can and a lot of this stuff too, like you put price tags on stuff. But kids still want to be in a great, great environment. They still want to be developed. They still want to see that what you do schematically fits them. And a lot of agents drive up prices too, you know, like it's they drive it up.

00:41:42
Speaker 15: And then they shop you around.

00:41:43
Speaker 16: So if you if it's like a balancing act too, if you give them a number too quickly, especially in high school recruiting, it just gets shopped around. It drives a price up. Portal recruiting is different. It happens in Mike. It's like it's like you're on the stock Exchange. You're in New York City, Like you better make a deal and get it and be a aggressive or you're gonna lose it, you know. So that's one thing I thought we did an excellent job of is like hey they were there, boom, get it, get it done, Like be aggressive. In the portal high school, you can massage a little bit, but it's more of a slow cook. It's like a barbecue, like you better, you better make sure it's right, and that's where you can really find out the person the player you see projections.

00:42:21
Speaker 15: Portal recruiting is like go wild, it's wild. Yeah, all right, well.

00:42:26
Speaker 3: I do want to get one my only little piece of recruiting.

00:42:28
Speaker 15: You know.

00:42:29
Speaker 3: My guy Max Duffy, former Rate Eye winner, tells me he's got his best Australian he's ever had coming in a year and he's like got it getting to Kentucky.

00:42:41
Speaker 5: So I'm just keeping that, keeping that and throwing that out there on a punter. He said he's been he's been with those pro Kit guys for fifteen years, Like the best one we've ever had is coming in about a.

00:42:50
Speaker 3: Year, So just a heads up. Well I love it, yeah, because he want them here, can tell it.

00:42:55
Speaker 15: Well, I do too.

00:42:57
Speaker 3: Well, I'll finish with this. How long do I have, Shannon? Go now quickly? How excited are you for the fall and what's the experience been so far?

00:43:10
Speaker 16: I mean, I'm I'm so excited, I really am. I'm really excited about honestly, Matt. Like these next couple of months, we have some recruiting opportunities to get into some campus.

00:43:18
Speaker 15: We've got Ov's coming up.

00:43:20
Speaker 16: We're gonna have my camp dates out for everybody here soon, so any parents that are listening, that's gonna be out, which is exciting. Yeah, I'm excited to be around my family in Lexington, to keep exploring this unbelievable city. I mean, I'm I'm just excited in general. Man, Like it's gonna snap too, you know how it's gonna be. We're gonna snap our fingers.

00:43:40
Speaker 15: Is gonna be here? Except it is. I want Kroger Kroger Field.

00:43:45
Speaker 16: Needs to be like it has been a home field advantage.

00:43:49
Speaker 15: I want people like Hating to come.

00:43:51
Speaker 16: To Kroger Field that are away fans, that are away teams like, I mean, I want to be freaking lively.

00:43:58
Speaker 15: You know I will be. I know it will be, so thank you very much.

00:44:03
Speaker 3: They're making me get out of here. Thank you. We'll see you later. This is being Kentucky's Yeah, I