2025-12-31- KSR - Hour 2

00:00:00
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00:01:00
Speaker 3: Welcome back to the second hour of KSR. Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemon here at KOs Bar and Grill where at his wings day, and we were counting down to twenty twenty six with some of our favorite twenty twenty five memories. You know, we haven't even gotten to him yet.

00:01:11
Speaker 4: We have plenty of time, We got plenty of time.

00:01:13
Speaker 3: We'll put those on the back burner for now because our special guests just joined us. We have JP Blevins former Wildcat and if the off air stories are as fun as the on air stories will be, Ryn, I think we're gonna be in for a fun interview. Huh, JP, thanks for joining us.

00:01:27
Speaker 5: Hey, Happy New Year's guys. The place looks great in here. It's been a while something in so but happy New Year's you guy. It's great to be here.

00:01:34
Speaker 3: We need we need some levins up here, don't well.

00:01:36
Speaker 4: I think we have anything found.

00:01:37
Speaker 5: I found the team pitcher back there.

00:01:39
Speaker 3: Okay, good, good, good?

00:01:40
Speaker 6: And you signed the door one time you were here with DJ and some of those guys. I think we had you signed the door back there. Okay, all right, I gotta tell you the first time I met JP.

00:01:48
Speaker 3: Please.

00:01:49
Speaker 6: He's a sophomore at Metcalf County and you guys are playing in the All A Tournament down in Richmond. Yeah, and you know, are you just committed to Patino and you're like throwing passes, driving the length on the pass behind your back.

00:02:00
Speaker 4: Like who is this kid? Who is this? So that's the first time I met you way back when you were a sophomore.

00:02:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, No, I committed to Patino as a junior, so maybe maybe we were junior. Yeah, it was a junior. But I mean I grew up kind of like I mean you did. It's like, you know, I was in third grade when Patino took over and they went on that run and it was the you know, it got to be the glory years, and you know, you get caught up in all that, and you know it's like my dad sent me to camp when I was in fourth grade, and I was like, man, I don't care what I'd do in this world, but then I could play here one day. So that was kind of a wild uh dream come true. And when Rick actually called.

00:02:35
Speaker 3: Let's start there because we were on the same path. And then you went right and I went left because I also went to Rick Patino's camp. I grew up wanting to be a wild cat. I came to Lexington for summer camps and then I just didn't stand out as much as you. I was a few years behind you, but Rick didn't offer me. But that's how that put you on the map, right, your dad sending up to lexingon for those summer camps, so.

00:02:54
Speaker 5: That that was a big one.

00:02:56
Speaker 4: You know.

00:02:57
Speaker 5: The other thing that happened I would go to back then, you didn't played on travel team. You went to these summer camps like Nike ABCD five Star. Yeah, And I went up to five Star in Pittsburgh and I had a really good camp. And there was a guy named Howard Garfinkel who ran that camp and legend, and I think he kind of called Rick and was like, hey, you know, you got a guy in your backyard, came up here and had a big week, and uh but yeah, no, great. You know it's like going to those camps was it was was certainly a big deal too.

00:03:22
Speaker 6: And your first class was you, Tayshawn Desmond, Allison, Jules Kamara, and Todd Tackle.

00:03:28
Speaker 5: That's it right there. I got stories on all those dudes. Which one you want me to carve up?

00:03:34
Speaker 4: We don't know.

00:03:35
Speaker 6: Just let Desmond's the guy that got the most playing time when you guys came in as a freshman.

00:03:39
Speaker 4: He ended up starting as a freshman.

00:03:40
Speaker 5: So people don't realize this. When Desmond got to school, you know, you know, Desmond was given the award of the Athlete of the Decade in Tampa, Florida. Now you think about the athletes that come out of Tampa.

00:03:53
Speaker 4: He looked like he.

00:03:53
Speaker 5: Could play cornerback in the NFL when he showed up at eighteen, and honestly he picked the wrong sport. Uh, he should have been inquired, but he was the most physically ready at eighteen. Obviously Taishan had you know, had the most upside. His body had to catch up a little bit. But but anyway, Desmond was a freak athlete and rest in peace to my guy man. One of the funniest dudes you'll ever be around. What a clown.

00:04:16
Speaker 3: You were one of the first commits in that class, as we said, committed to Patino. But then they make the coaching change. What was it like talking to Tubby? Was there any worry that maybe he wouldn't honor it or was he pretty quick to say no, no stick around. Yeah?

00:04:27
Speaker 5: That was heartbreaking. I mean, you know, obviously for the fans, you remember what that was like. You know, we were on top of the world and the king decides to leave. But you I had a recritic, you know, you know, committed to the man, right, So you know, there was a week of oh man, what's this mean? And then so Tubby and them, you know, they came and watched and certainly said, hey, look we still want you, if you still want to come. So obviously the dream trump the coach, so that ended up going that way.

00:04:51
Speaker 4: I don't think I've ever asked you this. Why'd you wear number four?

00:04:55
Speaker 5: You know what? When I was in the Little League. So my idol growing up was Rex Chapman, and I had the number three when I was in Little league. And then I started playing varsity in seventh grade and there was a senior that had number three, and I couldn't really go tell the senior he wouldn't wire three. So I started wearing four, and I was like, you know, let me just run it out. So I did end up with four.

00:05:18
Speaker 3: And my my research, which I admitted, was very thorough right. Yes, it was embarrassed to say I was up to early just reading up on your whole live JP. But I found some old newspaper clippings from back home in Medcalfe County. One of them said, you even had a Rex picture and unforgettable pictures in your bedroom. Is that is?

00:05:35
Speaker 4: That?

00:05:35
Speaker 3: Is that factual?

00:05:36
Speaker 4: Did?

00:05:36
Speaker 5: I mean? You know, I grew up just like everybody else here. It was like, look, you got the hoop out back, you got all the Kentucky posters up, and you know, we live and die in the n c LOLY tournament games. My dad would get so nervous during NCAA tournament games. This is like growing up. Like he get in the car and just go drive around. He couldn't take it. And so like for n CUAA tournament games, like my family would get on each other's nerves because you know, you miss the shots, well we're not gonna win. And we everyone just swa washed it in different rooms. But like that's kind of typical to what it's like growing up. That's the family I grew up in.

00:06:06
Speaker 3: One more thing I read in the newspaper article. Yeah, there's no way you remember this, but I have to share it because I loved it. It was when you committed and they were just kind of reminiscing on your time in Edmondson, Edmonton. And there's a coffee shop owner who was quoted as saying, this is about the only excitement we've had around here in a while since someone shot my jukebox with the non millimeter. I was in the story of you committing to Kentucky. That really stood out to me. Kind of shows what kind of small town vibe you all had there at Edmondson. Many of us, me, many of us listen, know what it's like those small Kentucky towns.

00:06:36
Speaker 5: So I went and trade it for the world. But nothing's changed in fifty years. One stop light, not a lot to do, So I think that's one of the reasons I came up here. I was played ball at the time. There was a lot going on.

00:06:45
Speaker 3: Well, the cliff in the jukebox that was the biggest news since someone had shot it up.

00:06:49
Speaker 4: This is from Sean from a vision Glass on the Avision Glass text.

00:06:53
Speaker 6: Machine, so I have to read it. When JP was a freshman in Metcalf County, they came to play us at Edmondson County. One of our guy to undercut him on a rebound and he landed on his head. He was okay and then went outlet us up for almost forty that night. Yeah, I thought my career was over.

00:07:08
Speaker 4: Do you remember that?

00:07:09
Speaker 5: Do I remember it? I really thought I was probably never gonna play again. I flipped up on my landed on my head, My back went a weird way. But my brother was a senior on that team, and my brother wasn't really the fighting type. But first time I saw him lit up when the guy under cup, So it was kind of some brotherly love. There we go, come across the floor, we go out there.

00:07:29
Speaker 3: One more from the prolific high school career. We'll do a little fact checking. You tell us that one. Apparently you went to Baron County, and we love Baron County. We have lots of friends from Baron County. Probably arrival for you in that area. Yeah, And according to these news paper articles I was digging up, they were they had signs calling you the next Steve Macielo, which, hey, that's means Steve Macielo, great coach at Saint John's right now, did great things in Manhattan, former cat. But I think they were implying you would be a walk on who doesn't play much at Kentucky. And then you scored forty one points, including seventeen straight while they were changing that you do you have any memories of that.

00:08:05
Speaker 5: The Trojans were always at the top of the list. We want to get the Trojans. We have a mutual friend and my man, Gabe, let's go.

00:08:14
Speaker 3: He wasn't holding those signs right, you know.

00:08:16
Speaker 5: So Monroe County was also a you know, one county over and in Monroe County, you know kind of your eyes are pronounced a little bit like it is in eastern Kentucky. It's uh, it's kind of like lock and nice, nice, and you know a little bit of that in Monroe County. So they started calling me like diapers when I had the ball in seventh grade, so the whole gym, but they would say its diapers. Diapers, so etched in my mind is forever. But uh, I got them too.

00:08:40
Speaker 4: It was fun. Were you ever on the receiving the end of a tubby Smith stare down?

00:08:46
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't think anyone really escaped those. You could feel them for a mile away. You could almost like fill them out of your periphery. You didn't even have to look like you heard your stomp. You might glance, so the best thing to do is just not look over there.

00:09:00
Speaker 3: It was pretty serious, yeah, you mentioned the excitement of Rick and how we were all crushed when he left. You know, you're just coming off the two final fours, one being the championship. When Tubby takes over and he extends that offer. Did you know a lot about Tubby was there're still an excitement to get involved with a new coach, obviously your crush that Rick had left, But what was that transition like? Were you at least there's some excitement in the new guy?

00:09:21
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:09:22
Speaker 5: I mean, look, the dream was always way bigger than the coach, even though the coach was pretty cool. When Rick had it rocking. You know, I was a basketball guy, so I find I knew Tubby was an assistant here. I had you know, I was an STC guy. Watched him at Georgia and you know they were winning games down there. So uh, you know, look, you know you're gonna offer me a scholarship to play here. Man, I'm in.

00:09:42
Speaker 4: I don't have to do a lot of cooing.

00:09:43
Speaker 3: Anybody could have anybody head coach Ryan Limited.

00:09:46
Speaker 5: I mean, I'm in coach.

00:09:48
Speaker 6: So when you were freshmen, the seniors were who Scott Paget, Wayne Turner.

00:09:52
Speaker 5: Yeah, and his smo Evans yeah, those guys obviously had come off the national title the year before, and so those guys were the seniors, and no, man, they were. They were an awesome group.

00:10:01
Speaker 4: I be by Michigan State in Saint Louis. I think eight lead eight.

00:10:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, yep, yep, that was That was a tough one. But man, what a run those guys had. What a career they got to go experience and you know, hang in some SEC titles in our national title. Man, what a run those guys had.

00:10:16
Speaker 4: Disappointed you didn't get a taste the final four.

00:10:18
Speaker 5: Well, my friends always said, I was kind of the downfalls.

00:10:21
Speaker 2: You know.

00:10:21
Speaker 4: It's like when you.

00:10:21
Speaker 3: Arrived, I was gonna ask what you all were missing to get the final four, but you didn't want to call yourself out. I kind of had better guard play.

00:10:31
Speaker 5: We had a better back up point guard. No, but but you know, just the thrill of a lifetime, man, you know, And I always say, like, man, you know, you grow up here and you learn a lot of lessons about chasing that dream, and honestly, like, chasing that dream to me will always be cool that I'll put the jersey on, but really the real gift, the one that he stays with you is when you're chasing something that big of kind of who you have to become the process of that. And I think, like every major lesson that ended up taking the business world, I really learned from the court. You know, you truly learn, like, what is it the difference of being interested in something and actually committed to something? That's the you know, it's the daily discipline of work ethic. You know, it's the how do you bounce back when you know you get your butt handed to you and you've got to build some mental toughness and resilience, and how do you become selfless? You know, winning with the team is far greater than personal achievement. And later in business, are you celebrating your colleagues and your clients as much as your own personal Like all these things just seem to go back kind of to the court, and the actual arrival is fleeting, but that stuff stays with you. The friendships stay with you. So those have been the greatest prize, and.

00:11:43
Speaker 3: That attitude is why you've had some success after basketball. We'll get more into that after this break. Quickly, I want to tell you about our friends at Don Franklin choose from over six thousand new and certified pre own vehicles, go the distance with powertrain protection on certified pre on make some models for up to ten years or unlimited miles confidence standard Old Ryan, they gave me another one of these AI ones where all the words together. That's always fun. But go to Don Franklin Auto dot Com check them out, schedule test drive. You can pick it up at your local store. It's Kentucky's biggest playbook. I mentioned the six thousand new and certified pre owned vehicles and they treat you like family at Don Franklin's tenure warranty, unlimited miles and lots of locations around the state. I feel like we, uh, we were just at one here recently we've been There's not a better KSR remote host than Don Franklin. We haven't checked everyone off in the state, but we're trying more coming up in twenty twenty six. Thank you to them for sponsoring this segment KSR for a long time, and we'll be right back with more from JP Blevins on KSR. Welcome back to KSR. Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemon joined by former cat JP Blevins here as we close the book, on twenty twenty five, with one last KSR show Live from KS Bar and Grill, where it is wings day and we have a full house of listeners or I think they're listeners. Maybe they're just here to eat, but they're listening to us right now here to get those wings. Uh yeah, Rick, you said we had one call. I want to ahead and get to that in case they have a question for JP. And if it's un related, maybe he'll answer it anyway. So let's get wo's up next and we'll get back to the interview with him.

00:13:04
Speaker 4: Okay, Corey is up next.

00:13:05
Speaker 3: Corey, what's up? Thanks for calling in?

00:13:08
Speaker 7: Hey, what's going on? Everybody? I do have something for JP. But first, do you think oh it's my a question, it's more of a statement. But first, do you think Mark Pope has for his New Year's resolution or New Year's resolution to retain some of his recruiting class and point guards because of Kayden Lewis is tearing it up at Villanova. I think he would be. He would be a big help. Right now. I think he's averaging thirteen points and five assists. That's that's that's what we lost.

00:13:38
Speaker 3: That's true. Did you have a statement for JP's also, I.

00:13:42
Speaker 7: Did I have a slight disagreement. JP. We have had a little change in Edmonton in the last fifty years. We've got a traffic light.

00:13:48
Speaker 3: Hey, oh that news.

00:13:50
Speaker 5: It goes all three colors.

00:13:51
Speaker 4: Now.

00:13:55
Speaker 7: Yeah, we used to have we used to have two red flashing lights. Now we have one that changes color.

00:13:59
Speaker 5: Move it on up, baby, I love it.

00:14:02
Speaker 7: Yeah, I appreciate it. Man. I was in elementary school. I was in elementary school, Evanson Elementary. Your mom was my teacher. I was a big fan of you back when you're in high school and all that. I'll follow you for a while, man, But but here you go, hornets. I'll get off here.

00:14:16
Speaker 3: Good, appreciate the call. Sorry, almost cut you off before you can shout out as mom being the school teacher there and go hornets. How about that stoplight? You've seen this? You know about it.

00:14:23
Speaker 5: I knew about it.

00:14:24
Speaker 4: Guys.

00:14:24
Speaker 5: This is big news. So we got the jukebox, We got the light.

00:14:29
Speaker 3: Twenty six.

00:14:30
Speaker 4: Look out, we're.

00:14:30
Speaker 3: Eating in Medcalf County.

00:14:32
Speaker 4: You got it.

00:14:32
Speaker 3: Well anywhere you want to shout out?

00:14:33
Speaker 6: Okay, somebody on the vision Glass text machine said, ask JP if you ever ate at the Lighthouse restaurant in Metcalf County.

00:14:39
Speaker 5: I did the lighthouses is awesome. If you want biscuits and gravy and elementary ham Lighthouse is your spot.

00:14:46
Speaker 4: It sounds so good.

00:14:47
Speaker 3: To the point about a Kate Lewis, we'll get back to this. That was that was a big loss, big recruit. He's right, he's getting thirteen points a game for Villanova. The problem there was Lewis was gonna be h the second year playing and then when they went got jaylen Lowe was a backup with two years eligibility. That kind of threw things off and Lewis decided to go elsewhere. But you're right, he is playing well for Villanova and as we're looking for a backup point guard, it had been nice.

00:15:09
Speaker 4: I've been nice to have him sitting there.

00:15:11
Speaker 3: Yeah, carry on.

00:15:13
Speaker 4: We mentioned the year senior year was team turmoil.

00:15:16
Speaker 3: Yes, skip right to it.

00:15:18
Speaker 6: Can you clear up the air what happened on that air air flight? On that air that flight that the fight happened. You have a bunch of rumors out.

00:15:26
Speaker 5: There, Well tell me what you think happened. I'll tell you what happened. We'll play more factor fiction.

00:15:31
Speaker 6: This is I think the story that most people agree with that Gerald Fitch and Corey Sears were fighting each other, like trying to get leg space and it escalated into a fistfight and they had to do emergency landing in Knoxville.

00:15:45
Speaker 5: It's partially true, okay, So yes, my man, Gerald Fitch and Corey Sears were sitting across the aisle from each other, and there was no love loss between those two. Let's just say that just in general. So you know, Gerald had some skittles in his hand and he was kind of pitching on him across and hitting.

00:16:07
Speaker 4: Corey in the back of the head with.

00:16:08
Speaker 5: The skill and my man, Corey said, after taking about three to the back of the head, you hit me with one more skittle and I'm coming across the aisle and my man threw a green skittle and hit him in the face, and my man came across the aisle and it was on there we go. So we yes, emergency landing, we're taking her down here and we're separate eating. So anyway, that is partially true.

00:16:32
Speaker 6: Well, I'm glad you settled it because I always heard it was they were fighting over legspace skittles, fighting over skittles Drew.

00:16:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, you've alluded to that a few times. St Leger was good to know. There was the sugary candy and almost brought down that team.

00:16:45
Speaker 4: But what else happened in team turmoil that you can tell us?

00:16:48
Speaker 5: Man, I don't know. It was like, you know, how much of this is fair for it? I will I will tell you this. You know, that team had a chance to be really, really good. So if you remember Jason Parker, so Tayshawn was a senior. Yeah, you know you had Keith Bogan's was a junior year, Chuck Hayes was a sophomore, and Jason Parker was absolutely annihilating people in the summer before that year started. And so if you had him down low like lookout, Yeah, and when he tore his a cl up and you know, some things started going sideways and he just got off the rounds.

00:17:20
Speaker 6: But he tore it up during right before Madness, right in the locker room or something with he jumping up and down with you guys.

00:17:26
Speaker 5: He was kind of shadow boxing, you know another factor fiction. Yeah, that's a little shadow boxing with a few of the guys, and you know, and it just went and went down.

00:17:36
Speaker 4: In the locker room in the locker room for madness.

00:17:38
Speaker 5: Correct.

00:17:39
Speaker 4: Wow, that's correct.

00:17:40
Speaker 3: What an unfortunate fluke injury, probably one of the biggest in school history. On that one, there is a positive memory I wanted to bring up from that group. It's about one of your teammates. But I noticed the IQ it took when Tayshawn was hitting five threes. You were the starting point guard that game. You're out there running the offense. But on that fifth one from half court, you just said, I don't even need to bring the ball up.

00:18:02
Speaker 4: We'll let him bring it up.

00:18:03
Speaker 3: He pulls from the logo which we all remember well and I watched it again last night. You're in the corner, you throw both arms in the air. You might have been more excited than every fan in the building when that fifth three went in. Yah, but everyone knows that iconic run by Tayshawn, and you were right there next to it. Yeah.

00:18:18
Speaker 5: I was always playing chess, true. I mean, you know, look, let's let him bring the ball.

00:18:22
Speaker 4: At this time.

00:18:23
Speaker 5: He seems like he's doing all right, little bit of a heat check, so no kid know, like, it's not even close. When the fifth one went in, it's as loud as I ever heard upper Yeah, And it was truly when you just knew it was one of those special moments that you know wasn't going to be recreated. And you know, to this day, I think for people that have attended rub, a lot of them talk about Shaq back in the day when they came in. Would a lot of them talk about that? Yeah, that that fifth three going. I mean, you know, my buddy was in the h This is a great story. So my buddy was in the upper deck. He had taken two Carolina fans and they were wearing Carolina stuff and he told us that this isn't a good idea, Like you're sitting in the upper you're wearing Carolina gear. And he's like, I will be all right. When the fifth one went in, there was a like grandma behind them that almost head butted him. And so you should hear him tell this story. He got hit budted by Grandma in the upper deck when the fifth one went in.

00:19:16
Speaker 3: It does not surprise me at all.

00:19:19
Speaker 4: Well, I was there on press row.

00:19:21
Speaker 6: It's like the only time I just spontaneously stood up and started clapping yeah, because it was man, it was just an unbelievable moment one of the loudest. It definitely is one of the loudest moments ever at Rapperina ever.

00:19:33
Speaker 5: Yeah, no doubt, Yeah it was. It was. It was just one of those moments you'll never forget. The man had the look in his eyes and it was his time.

00:19:41
Speaker 4: Did they owe shruggy shoulders like I can't miss? Yeah.

00:19:44
Speaker 3: Uniforms are a hot topic now because they just announced denims coming back later this season, But I'm pretty partial. You all had one of my favorites. I don't really know how to describe it, but you kind of had that varsity curved iconic lettering a little stripe down the side. Did you all did ay? Do yourppreciate them as much as as I do in hindsight? One of my all time favorites. And did you all ever work in an alternate or change up your look a little bit back then?

00:20:07
Speaker 5: You know, we didn't. I'm probably not the right guy if you want to talk sneakers in uniforms. I'm pretty just kind of not did my world, Uh, but I did. I did have the denim kicks back in the day, growing up, when those were going like uh huhh, and I you know, like you know how they received a little bit and you know, it was kind of some negativity with those Oh yeah, I was in. I was in from the beginning. I liked them, so uh now it's just it's really cool that they're going to bring that back.

00:20:32
Speaker 6: You've kind of taken on a new role the last couple of years as it not just a former player, but you were also kind of an advisor of sorts to Caw. How did that relationship develop and what exactly did you to do for help for him?

00:20:43
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:20:44
Speaker 5: No, yeah, So let me just kind of just tell you the story. So, you know, I got to know Caw. I had a great run in North Carolina. I was down there with some guys playing the game at a really high level, some people that I'm really thankful for. And we had a great business run down there. And one of the things we did is we spun off a venture fun called Canopy, and Cow was an investor. So I got to you know, I was in North Carolina, but I knew a little bit of Cow, and so when I moved back, basically Cal calls me up and says, hey, I want to come talk to you. It's like, I'm sure, Coach so he comes down and basically he says, look, this nil thing is hitting a different gear. It's like, what do you mean, Coach. He's like, well, look, you know, I kind of hate it all. But what I've done in the past is we would go out and have these summer camps and then we would just pass that money out socialistically across all the players, and then the dudes that were packing the mail could go get their own deals, and Oscar would go get his deal. Caseon Wallace would go get and I don't have to worry about it. And that's great. But he said times are changing. And here's what I mean by that. He says, you know, I've got these guys coming in. And so this was Reid was coming in, Dillingham was coming in, Wagner and Justin Edwards and he's like, I got some Mama's calling me saying, coach, what you going to do for me? And he's like, well, you've got the Nike contract, you got the Panini. They're like, no, no, no, no, what are you going.

00:21:58
Speaker 4: To do for me?

00:22:00
Speaker 5: He's like, I gotta I gotta raise some money. So I told coach, look, I don't want to see any money. I got a lot going on. I can't handle anything administrative leave, but I'm happy to put some guys in the room. And he wanted to kind of have a tight knit group that, you know, every thirty days hung out and did some things, and they put up some money and really just kind of helped him as he was trying to just band aid this thing and figure it out. Yeah, because it was new to everybody. It was new to everybody, and he was just trying to figure it out. So yeah, no, uh, honestly, you know, on Count I still have a great relationship and he's on a roll right now. By the way, too, He's throwing some some singers out there.

00:22:35
Speaker 3: The other night he was on fire. It's like eight minutes of ranting about the current state of n CAA. We mentioned that yesterday during the show. He's also got a couple of stud freshman guards that he needs to that's why they're looking so good.

00:22:48
Speaker 4: Yeah, that acuff did? Dude doesn't start? Does he still start? DJ brings a cuff off the bench.

00:22:53
Speaker 3: He does. But you know, cal I was gonna bring this up today. We'll save it for Friday. But I reranked the SEC today on ASR it's a lot different than the preseason poll. But I wrote little bit about Arkansas col does. We're not here to talk about him in that team, but he does have some of his dudes that he needs to have a good year, you know.

00:23:09
Speaker 5: One of the things, though, I will tell you that I talked to Cal a lot about during that time as he counted own.

00:23:13
Speaker 3: O, I'm sorry, I just heard that. Yeah, well I have to take a quick break. Great job, Yeah the tent. Well, we'll keep you around after this break. That's Drew and Ryan and J. P. Blevans will be right back. This is KSR. This is not Matt Jones. This is Drew Franklin. Matt's off enjoying a little vacation during the holiday season. But I'm here with Ryan Lemon at KOs Bar and Grill, and we have former Wildcat JP Blevins with us. Ryan. We were gonna do two segments with JP, but we've been rolling having fun, so I'm just sticking around. We were also gonna list our favorite moments of twenty twenty five, and I'm now realizing it is eleven thirty four. I might have overplanned for today's show.

00:23:48
Speaker 4: We can do it Friday. We need some stuff, some material for Friday.

00:23:53
Speaker 3: Yeah, so January second, we'll close the book on twenty twenty five.

00:23:56
Speaker 4: Why not.

00:23:57
Speaker 3: Yeah, we don't want to interrupt this. This is great and we had fun in the first I blew your mind with a second ball drop and I still pick you fully processed. But we're glad to have JP for one more segment looking back on his time at Kentucky with Tubby and then what he's doing this day and age still help the program. We mentioned you've you've had some success after basketball, and you've been big and giving back to UK. What's you know? You mentioned just the importance of what it was your career and you know, even your career outside of basketball, But it just how much is important to you to to give back and still be a part of this operation years after you were on the court.

00:24:30
Speaker 5: No, thank you. It is important. But let me just say this, because I've had a few things go my way in the business world, and it certainly give myself a credit for taking some risk and trying to work really hard. But man, my story is full with a lot of grace. Right time, right place. I got around some amazing people doing things at a high level. If my grandkids asked me what I got right, I'd tell them I followed a man named Chip Mayheon, I bet on the right horse. And you know, sometimes when you get around people like that that are you know, taking three companies, spoke these guys from Frankfurt, Kentucky. He's taking three companies public. I think he's one of the top three entrepreneurs to ever come out of Kentucky. You know, getting exposure to people like that who are playing the game at a high level, but also are good human beings that are actually honoring their marriage, are good to their family, are good to their people. You're watching them handle wealth well, you know what it means to give, and you know, when you're around people like that, hopefully some of the rubs off. But man, I've always kind of thought, and I've got a chance to be around some people that have handled it really well. It's like, man, it just seems like the happiest people that have also had some things break their way, or some of the biggest givers. And it's almost like, man, when you're given to something that is bigger than you, it just does more for your heart and soul that you know, any personal achievement can really do and so hopefully I can do a lot more of that. But but yeah, it is, it is important to me. But you know, I will always say, man, I got around some really great folks and was a big part of my launching pad.

00:26:08
Speaker 3: With your your contributions and still being around, I'm sure you're pretty locked in as a fan these days too.

00:26:13
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah.

00:26:14
Speaker 5: So I moved back and that's where you know, Cal and I really started connecting. As you know, I spent ten years in North Carolina. I had a great run down there. Little bank I was a part of went public and became a chief revenue officer. I was probably the most unqualified person to.

00:26:25
Speaker 4: Ever sitting that.

00:26:26
Speaker 5: That's okay, it was, But I had had a great run. We spun a software company off called Ensino that also went public, So just a great, great ride. I had a front row seat to really watching the game of business being played. And so I moved back, you know, five years ago, and that's when Cal and I kind of really connected, and you know, I was saying, like, you know, he and I would talk a lot about this opportunity because Cal was always pro paying guys like he wanted dudes to make some money, yes, and we talked a lot about just what an incredible opportunity this is if it was handled correctly. And so you know, at twenty two, I didn't come from business. People are entrepreneurs. But I looked at a compounding chart when I was twenty two and seared into my brain is this fifteen percent compounded doubles every five years. So I didn't have any money. I had five thousand bucks. That's because I barn Doorn with Tashan. They were all there to see him, but he had he had to cut up the register at the end of the day.

00:27:20
Speaker 3: Those are trips for fun.

00:27:21
Speaker 5: That was good, but you know, I just ran it out. Wasn't a noble goal. But I was like, I got five thousand bucks. How long is it going to take to be a millionaire?

00:27:27
Speaker 4: Right?

00:27:27
Speaker 5: And so like I got a double, I got a double. But you know, like, look and think like these these guys have truly a special opportunity. They have hit the lottery. And what I mean by that is the power of compounding is the earlier you start it has power. And the real power is how much time do you have to do it? So let's just say this, let's just say a guy for easy numbers, your math guy, right.

00:27:49
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, big math guy, he's our math gun for sure.

00:27:53
Speaker 5: Let's just say a guy has a million dollars in post tax money, which is not unheard of at twenty years old, and let's just say he doesn't touch it for thirty five years, so go from twenty to fifty five, and let's just say not a fifteen percent return, Let's just say it. It compounds annually at ten percent, which is historically what the S and P has done. What do you think he's got at fifty five years old if he's never touched that money, and he guesses.

00:28:21
Speaker 4: Five million?

00:28:22
Speaker 5: True?

00:28:22
Speaker 3: You know, I guess I was just watching Ryan's face. I'll say ten million, So.

00:28:27
Speaker 5: Thirty two million dollars? WHOA, So ten percent doubles every seven years, so from twenty to fifty five. So now I want you to think about this. So let's let's let's do this. Let's discount it for inflation. So really in today's dollars, you bem and we're between twelve and fifteen million dollars. Now, you guys both live pretty lavish row lifestyles. I see you on the strap everything he's wearing high money boys. But do you think you'd be okay with fifteen million bucks?

00:28:50
Speaker 4: I think I can live on that.

00:28:52
Speaker 5: So what I guess I'm saying is like, that's not doing anything fancy, that's not doing anything cute, that's not doing thing over you know, over over complicated. But as a financial advisor day we tell clients all the time, like in the early years of your life, the saving behavior is more important, and later in life you know it's the actual returns that matter more. But basically you have erased what people typical people do from twenty to fifty five of grinding it out, and finally you've just fast forwarded that to their when they're twenty. So if they actually have the right support system, whether they ever play in the NBA one day, you can change generations of families by this opportunity they have up right now, if it's actually treated correctly, which just kind of blows my mind. And I would tell cals like, how if you let these dudes put this in their bank account, in their checking account, you might as well just sayd on my handgun. It's that dangerous, right, And it's hard to understand how unique of an opportunity is when you're eighteen nineteen. But I listened to Willy yesterday. Willie was talking about, man, it's like this stuff doesn't last forever, and you think it's going to and then now I'm trying to work through financial stuff, So I care more about the fifty five year old, Oh take away, rather than the twenty two year old I bet. Willy Colly says, I wish when I was twenty two there was somebody around me that cared about the forty year old Willie. So it's an incredible opportunity if it's handled correctly. But they've truly hit the lottery, this kind of once in a lifetime opportunity.

00:30:23
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:30:23
Speaker 3: Willy said as much yesterday, Like I wish someone it was just you go here, you're here. This isn't taken care of And they had like one meeting where they tried to teach them. But at college, when you're looking at the NBA, your brain's not thinking about compound interest and how much you're gonna have a fifty five Willie. Also to your other point about being around people there giving I thought it was interesting yesterday Willy mentioned taking care of that kid, maybe a little bit of sticker shock there, but he has that giving attitude of you know, I'll be rewarded for that on down the road. You know, sometimes it's just about doing the right thing. So kind of tied in yesterday's interview with all your comments there, Ron, you got any more fun memories before we let him go?

00:30:58
Speaker 6: Well, I wanted to ask you, you know what you did with coach Cal what what what are you doing anything with coach Pope staff, like if you transferred in transformed into that role.

00:31:06
Speaker 4: Also, yeah, I've got to know those guys.

00:31:08
Speaker 5: I don't do any like active fun. I mean, the whole game has changed, right, you know, I've got JMI now is in the middle, and you know some of this personal stuff is it's all changed. But love those guys. I've got to know, you know, Pope and the staff really well, you know, they come through every once in a while with with with guys. But I'm not like, you know, I was kind of like actively in the middle of it with Cal, right, But I mean I'm out here to do whatever those guys. Love those guys, man. I'm just so fun seeing get healthy. Man, It's just like we're turning the corner these last couple of games have kind of energized the fan base and it seems like a different level effort out there right now too. And you know they've been Look, I think last year, if you don't hit hit with the injury bug, that that team last year had a real chance to actually do some damage. And you know, unfortunately we get hit with the bug again this year. But you know, it's just amazing what one player, you know, you at a point guard out there and everybody the energy and confidence seems to reverberate through the entire team and kind of what Jayalen Lowe's brain of the team.

00:32:09
Speaker 3: You've done the SEC Gatlin a few times, had some success there. I know Conference is a little better than it was during during your time. But you think things stay healthy, They capable of making a run and getting to some of their original goals, even though the year didn't start exactly as anyone wanted.

00:32:22
Speaker 5: I mean, I think so like, look, if you know Jalen Lowe is a game changer, he can do things out there that nobody else can if you have him at the point and he and he's healthy, and Oway goes and does otega Oway normal stuff. If Cam Williams becomes a six eight defensive threat that can also make shots. JQ and Malaca are beating stuff up that comes in the paint. You know, there's a different level of presence with JQ. Diabate returns to kind of what he does, being a physical dog. And and then you've got you know, Garrison coming in for spots. You got Noah and those guys coming in making shots. Aberdy that team can beat teams. Yes, now you know, I'm a little ware about that shoulder, you know, and popping out. But man, if if that guy is healthy and we have that roster, yeah, we can lay some up and beat and beat some teams, no doubt.

00:33:12
Speaker 3: Why do you think they seem to We keep hearing about in practice, can't miss, can't miss, the offense looks great three point shooting, and then in most games, especially the big ones, when the lights come on, it's not moving from the Craft Center to the to big stage. Do you do you have any insight or do you think there's any reason into why it's we keep hearing practice it's lights out, and then those same guys haven't gotten it going quite to the level that the everyone anticipates.

00:33:34
Speaker 5: I mean, I think there is a mental component to it. But I think you know, if you look at Cam Williams the last few get he looks like he's playing with a little different confidence. And sometimes a guy just needs to see a few go back. He saw more than a few go down. And if you were to ask any of those assistants like man who's game in practice hasn't transit, they would all say, Cam Williams, you know that guy didn't wake up and just forget how to shoot. But you know, you throw a few air balls up and up and you start thinking about it and then playing spot minutes and now you can't get in the flow. Well, you know he's getting enough minutes. Now it just seems like his rhythm is coming, his confidence is going up, and then it's almost like this mental switch, man, And when it happens, you know the you know, the the sea's part a little bit.

00:34:16
Speaker 4: J P.

00:34:16
Speaker 3: Thanks for talking basketball with us, catching up on old times.

00:34:19
Speaker 4: Good job, dude, good to catch up.

00:34:21
Speaker 3: Oh a holiday, Thanks for answering runs phone call, no place.

00:34:24
Speaker 6: You tried to get him a lot a couple of times over those the summer and stuff. But you know, his vacations and families kind of getting away. You said you got three kids.

00:34:32
Speaker 5: Yeah, we're rocking four to two and one. I gotta lay start rying.

00:34:35
Speaker 4: We're rolling now.

00:34:36
Speaker 5: And congrats Drew on your news. Baby girl coming, got one coming up.

00:34:40
Speaker 3: I'll take any you know you're new to the girl dad experience. Maybe i'll take some tips as you're just a year ahead of me there. But again thanks for joining us.

00:34:47
Speaker 4: Ryan.

00:34:48
Speaker 3: Before we take a break, do you want to work in a corn Bread so we can pay the bills you get with.

00:34:52
Speaker 6: Gary from Orlando called. I want to tell him to know Gary you can get cormorade him now in Florida. Total wine and spirits down in Florida now they're available, not just to cormorate him gum, but the Seltzers, the sleep gummies. It's all available now and you can get it online at cornbread dot com. And they have big good friends of ours. If we've done shows at their fields, we've done shows all over for them. We appreciate their partnership. So we'll go to Cornbread through all your sleep gummy gummy needs.

00:35:15
Speaker 3: Some mighty have a little in my system from last night. You got to taking four bed but we'll be back for one more segment, Ryan. Now we'll close the book on twenty twenty five. Probably won't get to our twenty five best moments.

00:35:24
Speaker 4: Of the year.

00:35:24
Speaker 3: We'll say we'll save it Friday. But we've had fun already. We'll be back for one more segment of the year. This is KSR. Welcome back to KSR. Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemon, one last segment for twenty twenty five. You getting emotional over there.

00:35:37
Speaker 6: No, you and I both need to put this year in the rearview mirror. We got bigger, bigger and better things coming next year.

00:35:43
Speaker 3: I'm very looking forward to tonight hanging out with some friends.

00:35:46
Speaker 4: You have a designated driver tonight.

00:35:48
Speaker 3: I do have a designated driver. I don't know if we'll make it to midnight with our crew. You know, we have a big group and there will be some some beverages and the sober driver. The wife who can't partake. It's a big ask of her to hang out for five hours at a dinner table, but you know she's a good sport.

00:36:04
Speaker 6: Well, we just talked about you know, JP has a place maybe we can go visit at some point.

00:36:07
Speaker 3: I would love to visit his mysterious place. It's like an underground layer. I wanted to ask about it. It's almost like he's, well, I know I did, and like nobody knows where it is, or do they?

00:36:17
Speaker 4: I know where it is. I've been there, You've been in it? Oh?

00:36:20
Speaker 3: Yes, you and your secret societies you're part of.

00:36:24
Speaker 4: I've been in a couple of times.

00:36:25
Speaker 3: There's just a layer of you that we don't know about, and that one seems like part of it. Do you have fun? Can you tell us anything about it? Paint a picture.

00:36:32
Speaker 6: It's got like an indoor driving range. It's got like an indoor putting range. It's got some poker tables.

00:36:37
Speaker 4: It's far enough.

00:36:37
Speaker 3: IM already jealous at a private bar, my kind of place you mentioned. Now, you're going to Rodney's. You and yoga gal. Yoga girl, Yoga girl.

00:36:45
Speaker 4: Rodney You're going to Ruby's.

00:36:48
Speaker 3: I have a group with this will be year five. We go to dinner and we just don't get up from dinner. Dinner takes like four.

00:36:53
Speaker 4: Or five hours.

00:36:54
Speaker 3: We enjoy it. I have a unique situation. My childhood best friend who I've known since I don't think either one of could walk since infants. We've been friends, which college together. He can't get rid of me. Brian, Brian, Yeah, shout out Brian, love Brian. But he his birthday is January first, so for as long as ever, usually celebrating with him, and you have that second component to it, New year and birthday. But then even crazier, he marries Jamie, lovely wife. Yes, replaced me in his life as his favorite. She took my place, but her birthday is January first, really yeah, and then all of her friends are Abby's friends and all of Brian's our friends. So we do a big couple's dinner and just countdown to the New.

00:37:38
Speaker 4: Year's You know, I forgot this a couple of years ago.

00:37:41
Speaker 6: Good girl and I were at Rubies for New Year's Eve, and you guys were there, and then you guys told me that story.

00:37:46
Speaker 4: So she started telling that story. I remember that. Now Brian and his wife both have birthdays on January first, two.

00:37:51
Speaker 3: New Year's babies, so we always celebrate them. I like it. You know, this is a free plug here, but Jeff Rubies does twenty percent off gift cards at Christmas. You just by bunch of those looks like getting twenty percent off your bill.

00:38:02
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:38:02
Speaker 3: But that's Robb, that's my tradition.

00:38:04
Speaker 6: By two of them, you're saving forty dollars on a two hundred dollars pev exactly.

00:38:07
Speaker 3: See you know the math. Everyone should take advantage of that free plug. To Jeff Ruby's we'll be there tonight. Maybe we'll see fence. That's what we wonder.

00:38:14
Speaker 4: I'd say the chances are pretty high.

00:38:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, A happy early birthday to Brian and Jamie. Ryan. We also have a little playoff football starting, yes, well, we have one tonight and three.

00:38:23
Speaker 4: Tomorrow, Miami and Ohio State tonight. Right.

00:38:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, what a coincidence though, that we have to do a draftking segment picking games were way better to pick from the college football playoff. You, as evident by our parlay, are quite the expert on college football. So we'll make our picks for this one. I might even should fade you and go against you. We're gonna trust you. How you feeling for your last college football picks of twenty twenty five.

00:38:48
Speaker 6: Well, considering I picked Miami to lose to who would they play? Who Miami beat Alabama A and M.

00:38:56
Speaker 3: That's right, Okay, I think I think you answered my question here. We will be fading Ryan picks, So I.

00:39:00
Speaker 6: Picked I picked A and M to beat Miami. So now I'm definitely picking Ohio State to beat Miami.

00:39:05
Speaker 3: All right, Well, at least you know who plays what do we call them?

00:39:07
Speaker 4: That bowl?

00:39:08
Speaker 3: Is that the Cotton Bowl? Yeah? Cotton Bowl? What's our line? Last I saw it was nine and a half. Let me just confirm so we're up to date. D ESPN dot com has these way out of order. I don't care about yesterday's games. Yes, nine and a half. Who are you taking? We're going against the spread, Ohio State's and nine and a half point favorite in the Cotton Bowl seven point thirty on ESPN? Are you taking the Hurricanes or the buck Eyes with that nine and a half point spread.

00:39:32
Speaker 4: I've taken the buck guys.

00:39:33
Speaker 6: They're still mad at Indiana beat him in the Big Ten championship, but Buck guys and the points.

00:39:39
Speaker 3: So you're taking the cover? Yeah, you're taking the bowl out all right, I'm gonna fade Ryan Lemon. That means Miami will cover the.

00:39:43
Speaker 4: Nine and a half.

00:39:44
Speaker 3: Ohio State will win, But I do think that's that's too many points, a lot of points. I mean, they're probably my pick to win the whole thing. But nine and a half. I'll take those points. You're gonna give them to me. Now you're putting on your your head gear. O. Our listeners here from down the street brought us party favors. Thank you for not blowing whatever this noise maker is straight.

00:40:02
Speaker 4: Willie, let me get ready to sign off here? All right?

00:40:04
Speaker 3: Three more games though, right. These are tomorrow at noon Oregon Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. Oregon is a two and a half point favorite.

00:40:13
Speaker 6: Oregon has the best offensive coordinator in the history of college football. I think he'll make a great head coach somewhere someday. So I'm going with Oregon.

00:40:20
Speaker 3: All right, I'll take Texas Tech. Alabama Indiana, your former favorite team. Indiana is a touchdown favorite over the time.

00:40:27
Speaker 6: That's a lot of points. Indiana wins, but Alabama may cover. I mean, we've got to stop. We got We've got to give Indy Hans respect. They won at Oregon, they beat Ohio State. They deserve their respect.

00:40:37
Speaker 3: All right, Alabama covers, and then in the nightcap Ole Miss Georgia. George is a six point favorite.

00:40:41
Speaker 4: Georgia Georgia rolls. Georgia doubles that points break.

00:40:44
Speaker 3: All right, in that case, I'll take ole miss. I'm going with the Ron Lemon fade. You can find those on Draft Kings sportsbook. Use promo code KSR to take advantage of the sign up bonus. We have lots going on their other Bowl games today tomorrow. Basketball picks up on Saturday with Kentucky going to Alabama. I was gonna talk about that, but we're at the end of the show. We also have our favorite memories of twenty twenty five. Well, quickly, can you list your favorite now? We'll save that.

00:41:06
Speaker 6: We'll do them on a Friday, the second. So we're off tomorrow, Off tomorrow, No show tomorrow. Will be back live on Friday.

00:41:12
Speaker 3: You know, I had some people saying, enjoy the rest of the week. You're gonna be off. I said, oh, Nate, oh no, no, no. I had a New Year's Eve show that we're wrapping right now. Me and you are back on Friday. Do you want me to just continue hosting? Since I planned too, We'll just keep this, keep this rolling.

00:41:25
Speaker 6: Maybe I'll find a guest that'll be back Saturday for the Alabama pregame show.

00:41:28
Speaker 3: Which will be at nine to thirty. That's an end game here at the bar. We'll open early, have all the breakfast, the brunch, all of that. Any final thoughts on don't give away your moments, but closing the book on twenty twenty five.

00:41:42
Speaker 4: Well we've seen it, you know. It's kind of historic year.

00:41:44
Speaker 6: We had a new basketball coach at the beginning of the year, we got a new football coach at the end of the year. So I'm kind of excited where our programs are headed right now.

00:41:52
Speaker 3: Was a big year for change. I saw on Nick Rause just wrote a post about that. Check that out on KSR as just mentioned. We had Kenny Brooks in his first tournament run, came up well, disappointed, short with the the amore miss there. Pope gets us to the second.

00:42:03
Speaker 6: Weekend, Volleyball going to the National Championship game. Baseball team went to the World Series.

00:42:08
Speaker 3: Don't be spoiling our biggite moments. We'll be back Friday. Thanks for listening to today. Enjoy tonight, be safe, get ubers. Remember kiss at midnight. Four minutes later, we're kissing again, kissing again, And whether that's the same person, that's up to you. Maybe you can find another one of those four minutes. But thank you for listening. For Drew, and Ryan, and Rick, we're saying goodbye to twenty twenty five. This is KSR.