Loading summary
Transcript184 lines
- [00:00]
T-Mobile Advertiser
T Mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now. Keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines of your virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service support in 90 plus days device knowledgeable carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [00:30]
Matt Jones
Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Dale Jones February 14th and 15th. Then catch Lucas Zelnick February 21st and 22nd and don't miss club favorite Ian Bagg February 27th through March 1st Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987 and they're still bringing the best in stand up comedy to the area 38 years later. Call 859-271-joke or visit comedyoffbroadway.com comedyoff broadway.
- [01:00]
Ryan Lemond
This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.
- [01:06]
Matt Jones
Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. I am Matt Jones. Wednesday, February 12th the night of a full moon according to my book. Here you can give us a shout out to Clark's Puppet shop, phone line 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254 in this edition sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office. You call TJ. He'll make them pay. We are here at the KS Bar Grill. It is wings day dollar wings all day and night. You're not going to get a better deal in Lexington. And a nice post win crowd already here this morning to celebrate another big win by the Cats, this time against the Vols Sweeping the Season series five of the last six against Tennessee as they win 85 74. Ryan, you know it was a party atmosphere in Lexington. It was a party here before the game. It was a party at Rupp Arena. I think when Ortega away got that dunk at the end that's one of the louder pops as they use in wrestling that I've heard in Rupp arena in quite some time. The two Kentucky kids combined for 19 points. Kobe Braya makes big shots. Ansley Almanor maybe makes the biggest play of the game. What a what a bizarre way to win against your rival in Rupp Arena.
- [02:26]
Drew Franklin
You're right man, it is a great day to celebrate for all those reasons you Just listed you're playing shorthanded. You basically your top three point guards are out and you had to go with three. Two Kentucky kids off the bench and Ansley Almanor to carry in. Those three guys came through for you.
- [02:39]
Matt Jones
I mean you could make a strong argument that the four biggest players in the game were all dudes that in the first game didn't start. I mean you could really say that the Kobe, Braya, Almanor and the in Perry and Noah were the two. I mean Butler played really well in OA2, but I mean if you're just talking about like made the plays that were most important in the moments Drew, it's four guys. As I said on the post game show, you had dudes that at the beginning of the year were the 9th, 10th and 11th men on the team in Almanor, Perry and Noah combined for 32 points against the best defensive team in the country. That's crazy.
- [03:19]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, especially there at the end. Tennessee was up, I guess three and then it felt like there was a run of couple Al Manor buckets, couple Brea threes. The capped with the lob to O way but a lot of the secondary players were the ones making the big plays down the stretch, which just made it so much more fun to see knowing that they had this shorthanded roster and they really went by the next man up.
- [03:37]
Matt Jones
I mean every, everybody here had to think when it was 58, 55 Tennessee after we'd been up 9 or 10 and we let them come back, they take the lead. I think they had scored on eight straight possessions and Butler goes down. There has to be a sense that everybody was like, well this is over right? Like we've lost Butler, we don't have Robinson. Carr is still not close to 100%. We, we had a few possessions where we had no movement on offense and it was like, well, this is it. And then out of nowhere Ansley Almanor beats a guy off the dribble and gets an and one. Like, I mean you, you could not have seen that happening.
- [04:16]
Drew Franklin
The Ansley elementor play, we've not seen that all year long. For him to beat anybody off the dribble. A huge point of the game to get that three point play.
- [04:24]
Matt Jones
I, that was that. That would got a fist pump for me at home and I don't always fist pump, but that was, that was a fist pump. I couldn't believe it. And then you know, Mountain Mambo with three first half threes. I mean that he still looks like he's 12 years old and he gets three first half threes, makes free throws down the stretch. You know, Travis Perry taking dudes off the bounce and banking in shots. Kobe Braya just keeps scooting back and making far. It was just an amazing victory.
- [04:56]
Ryan Lemond
Oddly, yeah. Career high for Travis Perry did all in the first half. And I love the Noah free throws late in the game where there are two minutes left. I mean, that kid wasn't even supposed to be on this team a year ago.
- [05:06]
Matt Jones
First free throws of the year. He had not shot a free throw all season.
- [05:09]
Ryan Lemond
Then you put him on the team, it's like, well, maybe year three he'll be something. No. At Tennessee, hitting from the logo. And when Tennessee comes here, knocking down two clutch free throws down the stretch, it's been amazing seeing the two guys that were in last year's KHSA Sweet 16 step up in year one.
- [05:24]
Matt Jones
I said on the postgame show that I know who he is. He is our kid. Like that dude at Clemson. He's going to be that guy, you know, the dude at Clemson that, like, you look at him, you go, how's that guy? Good. Sheplin, I think is his name. And because he doesn't have a body that would make you think he's good, it doesn't look like he could be quick. And yet he's really good. That's going to be Trent, Noah. Trent's a better shooter than Sheflin. Sheflin's probably a better rebounder, stronger. But I think that's going to be Noah. He's going to be one of these guys. He's a junior and senior. People like, how did he just score 18 points against us? I kind of feel like that's going to be him. He is.
- [06:02]
Drew Franklin
He's one of those guys that just has the ability to get his hands on balls. Whether it's deflections or steals or rebounds or something. He's always at the right spot at the right time. And I think. I don't know if it was Tom or somebody said last night, you know, the dude didn't even play one minute in the first four SEC games this year.
- [06:16]
Matt Jones
That's crazy. It's crazy. And he was in down like he was in the last five. And he should have been, should have been. And he should have been. I mean, he was making the plays to be in there at the end. It was. It was just bizarre to. To see how they were, how they were playing. And then, I don't know. We have some sort of voodoo on Tennessee this year. I don't Think people realize because we have hit 50% of our threes in both games, but that's the number one three point defense in the country. They are number one in the country, and yet we've made 25 threes against them. And then while they can't shoot, they shoot like they've never seen a basketball against us. It's crazy.
- [06:57]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, we. I mean, we wanted to recreate what happened in Knoxville when they went 11 for 45. We knew that wasn't likely, but somehow they managed to have a worse percentage. They didn't take as many, did they, really? But Lanier and Ziegler went over 9 from 3 last or for 11. Excuse me. And then they were 4 for 21 in the other game. So add that up, and those guys were just throwing bricks in these games, and that's how you beat Tennessee, is make them shoot. And even though Ziegler came Into this game 7 for 8 in his last two games, there's something about that Kentucky logo. He just cannot play well.
- [07:25]
Matt Jones
He just cannot. They just can't do it. And it was clear that they had made the decision, we're not going to shoot. As it was interesting. I think, once again, Pope out schemed Barnes. So Barnes clearly told his team, we're not shooting 45 threes. That's not what we do. Because you could tell when those guys had open threes, they didn't want to take them. So he. You could tell Barnes and said, you're gonna go to the. But we then decided, you know what, we'll just back up farther. We'll let you shoot long twos. And they shot a ton of. Now they made a bunch of them. They actually shot long tues pretty well. But I think Pope was probably like, I'm good with them shooting long twos. If they make them, they make them. And they ended up finding a way to make Rick Barnes take worse shots than they took the week before.
- [08:10]
Drew Franklin
You're right. Their offense early was that they were going to take whoever was guarding. If it was Brayer or one of the weak defenders, they were going to go right at him. Gainey, he. I don't know how many times he was driving. He drove to the basket. Every time Perry came in, Ziegler would try to go right.
- [08:21]
Matt Jones
They did take. But those were defensive mismatches. By the time we had the right lineup in, they were shooting 15ft, free throw line jumpers, and they made a bunch of. But I think they were. I think Pope was probably all right with that as a strategy.
- [08:37]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, and there's a couple times where Tennessee did go to the lane or make a long two and you're like, ah. And then it paying a three on the other end. You're like, well, okay, we can keep doing this. If they want to play that game, three is worth more than two. It's just the, the, the, the philosophy, the formula, whatever you call it, is there to beat Tennessee. It was just so fun to watch them throw bricks again all night. I want to play them again in Nashville. That might get a little cocky.
- [08:57]
Matt Jones
Yeah, it's a little cocky.
- [08:59]
Ryan Lemond
I was so confident going into that game. I just think it's a good matchup. I don't think Barnes can, which is.
- [09:03]
Matt Jones
Crazy because I thought it was going to be a bad matchup. I kind of thought at the beginning of the year they were the worst matchup for us. But it seems to me it's turned out that they are the best. And I think it's their lineup. They don't really have. They don't really have great athletes like Arkansas killed us with athletes they're at. Their dudes are not great athletes. And the ones that are short. So we seem to be able to, you know, our best defenders are Butler. No way. Their best players are at the one in the two, so that probably helps. Their center is the only dude who's played well against us in these games militic, but otherwise we've been good.
- [09:39]
Ryan Lemond
I think they thought Lanier was Dalton connect round two, and he's not close. He's fine. But I mean, he's. He's not the star that they need him to be.
- [09:47]
Drew Franklin
You really see how good Kentucky can be when Bray is hitting those shots, though, man, when he's hitting the shots.
- [09:53]
Matt Jones
We'Re a different team. Yep, we're a different team. So first of all, when you, you. Billy said something on the postgame show, was the halftime show the best thing ever?
- [10:03]
Ryan Lemond
It's the greatest thing ever. Payday. Foot juggler, man. I was there. Witchcraft, sorcery. I don't know. I'm still. I was up all night. I couldn't sleep. I stared at the ceiling, like, how'd she do that? But what did she do? She laid on her back and then she took kind of like your boy Darlington, but used her feet. She took a chair and just started spinning it with her feet, like, okay. It was unbelievable. Just the chair alone. But then they brought out this basketball goal that was probably 20, 30ft high and it had three levels to it. And she kicked the ball and it would Land on one level, and then she juggle it and land on the next one, and then the next one, and it went in a hoop at the top. Now, I know that sounds like it doesn't make sense. Go to my Twitter to see the video, but. Red pandas on the hot seat. I love you. We have a new number one.
- [10:48]
Matt Jones
Billy said he. It was the most impressive thing he's ever.
- [10:50]
Ryan Lemond
I don't even know how you would begin to learn. You have this talent, how you would practice it.
- [10:55]
Matt Jones
I always. I always wonder with things like that, what's the first time you do it? Like, the very first time you do it, you got to be like, what am I doing?
- [11:03]
Drew Franklin
And the thing about when Drew was saying, like, she went from platform to platform, those platforms were on, like, a swivel. They weren't like, station. They want to swivel.
- [11:10]
Matt Jones
They were.
- [11:11]
Drew Franklin
She'd put it near. It would light. It would, like, move on its own. No, I watched his video.
- [11:15]
Matt Jones
Oh, you watched his video. Okay, well, so besides that.
- [11:18]
Ryan Lemond
I mean, that was. I'm serious.
- [11:21]
Matt Jones
Talk about the crowd.
- [11:22]
Ryan Lemond
They liked Pepe, too. We were all big Pepe fans.
- [11:25]
Matt Jones
That's what that. The crowd, specifically.
- [11:29]
Ryan Lemond
No, and also, it was a great crowd. The rain, the slush did not hold them back. Back at all. That was just as good as. I don't want to say Arkansas close. But the Florida game, that was so awesome. The biggest home games of the year. It's right there with them, if not the best.
- [11:43]
Matt Jones
This has been a great run of home games. I mean, if you start the crowd we had for Louisville, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, I mean, that's a heck of a run of. And we still got Auburn. Still got. Still got Auburn coming up. I mean, that's. You got your money's worth with season tickets this year, Ryan, in terms of the games you get. And Rob.
- [12:05]
Drew Franklin
Well, you know, we were all a little concerned what the crowd was actually going to be like, but then we got to feel during the pregame show here at the restaurant that it was. I was shocked by the way I was, too.
- [12:13]
Matt Jones
I was shocked. I mean, I kind of. We. We did this restaurant before the game. Tends to be a pretty good judge. And I pulled up here at 4. I was like, man, there's more cars that. And we were full three hours for the game. And I went on a weeknight. That's. It usually gets full by the end of our show, but it's not always at the start. And it was a line at the beginning. I went, oh, this weather's not going to keep the crowd away.
- [12:37]
Ryan Lemond
I was shocked too. I mean you're talking 4:00 Lexington in the rain. People were in here. It was a Saturday night crowd is what it felt like. There was a little too much orange but you know I'm glad they came and visited, spent a little money and enjoyed their night in Lexington. But that was just a prelude of what happened at Rupp.
- [12:52]
Matt Jones
So after the game Mark Pope said about Lamont Butler and Jackson Robinson it would be a little while but he did think they'd be back ready. So I sort of saw that as to say those last couple games regular season maybe Auburn, lsu, Missouri, maybe we have those guys but then I think we have to mentally prepare going into Texas, Vandy and maybe even Alabama on the road that we're not going to have those dudes. Alabama on the road without those dudes is going to be a tough task but. But Texas and Vandy I think we can beat them with the lineup we have. It won't be easy but I think you can win those games.
- [13:33]
Drew Franklin
Ryan especially yeah if brave shooting the way he's shooting. You get that contribution of those three guys off the bench they shown they can play it be at a very high level without those guys which if you told me before the game that we're going to lose them both I would think we're in big trouble. Against Tennessee oh well when Butler went.
- [13:47]
Matt Jones
Down I thought we're losing this one and then I looked at the schedule and I was like are we going to be all right? You know and now you won this one. I said we need to win one game this week. We already did. I think at Texas if you can get that one be great. Then you got Vanny at home. That's not easy but it's at home so you know our sketch we've gotten through a lot of the tough schedule. This was, that was a big win last night.
- [14:12]
Ryan Lemond
I've been promoting my four game win streak here. We're halfway there. The Butler news that hurts it a little bit. I'm sticking with it though. The one time I saw a whole Texas game they don't play a lot of defense which gives me a little hope there.
- [14:24]
Matt Jones
They've gotten destroyed. They got destroyed last night and Arkansas beat them there and then they got destroyed by Vandy so they're on a pretty big downhill run so hopefully we can take advantage of that.
- [14:34]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah when that one you got to feel good about Vandy at home and at that point just see if you can knock off Auburn, Alabama, and really make the season special.
- [14:41]
Matt Jones
Yeah, you got seven left. You got at Alabama. I, I'm gonna put that one as a loss. I, I don't know that we could win that one. But then at Oklahoma, at Texas, at Missouri, none of those are obvious wins, but you could win them all if you play well. LSU at home, I feel good about Vandy at home you feel good about. Then you got Auburn at home and we'll see what happens with that one.
- [15:01]
Drew Franklin
So I feel a lot better about the Texas game after watching them last night against Alabama. That came on right after the Kentucky game. So you got to watch it a lot while listening to your post game show. Yeah, they're having some issues. They're seeming like they're going the wrong direction. Yeah, I thought they played pretty well earlier in the season, but they're going back.
- [15:15]
Matt Jones
Well, I was thinking about the league last night. I mean, part of why the league is so good is if you look at the 16 teams in the league, there's a strong argument that 14 of the 16 are either kind of what we thought or better. That really only Texas and Arkansas are worse. But Texas is worse and we already lost Arkansas. So it'd be nice if we can, you know, get the win against Texas. 859-280-2287 Text Machine 772-774-5254 we are here at KS Bar and Grill celebrating a sweep of the Vault sweep. First time we've swept them since like 2012. But we. 2015 to the. The.
- [15:55]
Ryan Lemond
I think we did two years ago. It's only two times.
- [15:57]
Matt Jones
Well, never mind. Shut up.
- [15:58]
Ryan Lemond
But we only done it twice since Barnes has been there.
- [15:59]
Matt Jones
I don't need you with all the facts. Okay? Just helping them two years ago. We'll take a break and be right back. It's Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-280-2287. Couple other things about the game before we go. The phones. First of all, got the. Oh wait, they got the OA chant going. Thank you to all the fans. I wondered when that was gonna happen. And then they did it during those free throws at the end. That made me happy. Finally after all this time, we got that loud enough.
- [16:26]
Drew Franklin
You could hear it.
- [16:27]
Matt Jones
Even hear it on TV broadcast. Yeah, heard it on the tv. I do want to talk for a second about the two kids from Kentucky because, you know, I think it's important when we talk about them to like realize, I mean, look, they are the seventh, eighth guys. I mean I'm not trying to say that they're the key to the team, but there is certainly. It is certainly the case that for citizens of Kentucky, having two Kentucky kids on the team playing well is really important. Then you throw in that they're from small towns, right? Like, they're not just from Lexington and Louisville. They're from Harlan and they're from Eddieville, right? Like that matters. One of them's in Eastern Kentucky. One of them's in Western Kentucky. They played in the state championship in the finals. Like, it's almost like a storybook thing. And then neither of them. The last coach really didn't want either one of them. He ended up recruiting Perry, but that was almost forced on him. Didn't recruit Noah. Then they end up on the team with a guy that played at Kentucky bringing them in. So it's almost like a perfect story. But then for them to actually contribute in their first year and to do it, like, being dudes from Kentucky, I mean, Trent Noah looks like a dude that plays in the 13th region. You know, he doesn't. He's not like a super athlete. He. He. But he. He works hard and he makes shots. And then to beat Tennessee, you know, Trent Noah said, my mama gets her hair done in Knoxville. Like, I love that. That's such a. That's like. That's like, such a thing. Someone in the 13th region would say, people's moms in Middlesborough and Harlan, they get their hair done in. In Knoxville. I get it. I just think that makes it so much more special, especially to rural Kentuckians. Like, rural part of. Why, then we love the 92 team so much. They were rural Kentuckians, and we just. I mean, we just don't get a lot of those right? I mean, what. They just. It just doesn't happen very much. Darius Miller and Dante Allen played a little bit. Patrick Sparks back in the day. Just doesn't happen, though. And to have two of them on one team, Ryan, I just think it's really kind of a special thing for fans to watch it. Watch it take place.
- [18:37]
Drew Franklin
And like you said, not just sitting on the bench, contributing, playing meaningful minutes. You know, these two guys probably would never have got one minute last year if Cal was here. He just wouldn't play those guys. Pope has put them in early enough, get their feet wet, knock the rust off, so when he needs them, they can contribute. And that's exactly what happened last night.
- [18:54]
Matt Jones
And I think we can all see a world where in, like, two years, they're really playing like, they're. They're either starters or six men. I mean, I think I become more and more convinced. I think Noah could be really good. I mean, I think Perry can be a really good role player. His defense is always going to hurt him a little bit, but I think Noah can, like, be one of your best players at some point. I think it's just exciting to see.
- [19:17]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. With them being from Kentucky, I mean, more than half the fan base grew up wanting to be a Kentucky basketball player, and the percentage of that happening is less than half a percent. But these two actually lived it. So it's almost like they're living. Everyone's in the crowd's dream.
- [19:31]
Matt Jones
No, they are.
- [19:32]
Ryan Lemond
We were all in the driveway thinking that we were gonna be that or dreaming we'd be that they're actually doing it. So it just kind of when. When your whole life you've wanted to be that and you're seeing someone actually live it, it's a lot easier to root for.
- [19:43]
Matt Jones
I said this on the postgame show that I think somewhere between after the Fox Monk year, because I think kids really liked Fox and Monk. But between that year and, like, before last season, I feel like when I was around kids in Kentucky, they just weren't as excited about it as they were when I was a kid. And they. It just didn't. It felt like they were still Kentucky fans, but I just didn't see kids, like, growing up with that. This is the most important thing in the world that I did. And then I think last year with Reed and Rob, some of that came back. Kids really liked Reed shepherd and Rob Dillingham. They felt a connection to them. And now I think this group. You're seeing it again. Otega O way kids seem to really like him, maybe just because of his, I don't know, his hair, just the way he plays. And then they, you know, kids in Kentucky can look at Trent, Noah, and they can look at Travis Perry and say, that can be me. And I think that really has made. Between Reed and Rob last year and those guys this year, I think it's really made. I just. I see more kids in here before the game. They're wearing the jersey. Just. You know what I mean? It just. I feel that thing back, which I really like.
- [20:53]
Drew Franklin
And I do think Reed and Rob had a lot to judge.
- [20:56]
Matt Jones
I think Rob were a big part of.
- [20:57]
Drew Franklin
I do. And how about your 13th region, man? Back to back years? Reed last year and Trent this year coming out of the 13th region.
- [21:04]
Matt Jones
I mean, you probably. You guys probably listening, get tired of me talking about the 13th region, but. And it's not just the 13th. The 14th has this, the 5th. I mean, I'm not trying to, like, monopolize it, but Southeastern Kentucky, no place in America has been hit harder by the change in the economy than Southeast Kentucky. The coal, just being off interstates, you know, having really no political representation for reasons that are beyond this, like, really none. And to have Reed last year and now Trent Noah this year, just the pride that that brings in a group of people, I think it's immensely important, and I just. And I love that. Reed last year, but Noah this year as well. Like, Noah is Harlan. When you say my mama gets her hair done in Knoxville, like, that's a Harlan thing. And I love that that's happening.
- [22:01]
Ryan Lemond
Outside of Pepe last night, my biggest smile might have been Trent Noah saying his mom gets his done his hair, her hair done in Knoxville. I mean, that is the most Kentucky thing.
- [22:08]
Matt Jones
Even the phrase get your hair done is a mountain phrase, right? Like. Like I did. That's a mountain thing to say.
- [22:15]
Ryan Lemond
And then with Travis, for a little different reasons, but on the other side of the state, you know, Eddyville ain't that big, but, you know, your Region 13 mines, Region 2. I grew up going to Venture River Water park in Lyon county, have several friends around there, and they are beaming with pride, too. At the Ole Miss game, a whole truckload went down of them. So having each end of the state makes it even more special, too.
- [22:34]
Matt Jones
Well, it's a fun team to be around. And whatever happens the rest of the year, you know, we got seven games, we got the SEC tournament, the NCAA tournament. I don't know what's going to happen. I mean, honestly, anything could happen. There is a reigniting of that flame that I think makes Kentucky different. Right? I mean, you saw it during the Patino era. Most of the Tubby era slipped a little bit at the end, certainly the first few years, the Cal era, but it's not been the same in the last five or six years. And it kind of got reignited last year, but I think it's fully aflame again this year. And Mark and those guys, you know, I think people like having these players. They're kind of misfits from all these random schools, and they come together and work. I just think it's neat to have that back. And I. I'll thank Pope for that this year, no matter what happens the rest of the season. We'll take your calls and be right back. This is KSR TJ Smith, personal injury attorney. Call TJ he'll make him pay. Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-280-2287. Text Machine 772-7745254. This is gonna be my text today because I, you know, I can't. This is hard for me to fathom. This person writes, what if I told you before the game that Butler, Carr, Robinson and Williams would combine for 14 points and we'd beat Tennessee?
- [24:06]
Drew Franklin
Say, you're dreaming probably hard.
- [24:08]
Matt Jones
You. I would have had to think, well, Kobe braya went for 30. That's the only way we could have won that game. And, and we still won. And even though he made what he had, 14, like, he still like, I mean scoring, but he didn't go off. So. Yeah, I mean that is amazing that those dudes, I mean that's, that's basically four of your five starters to start the season combined for 14 points and you still won the game.
- [24:31]
Drew Franklin
So, you know, we've kind of been critical of saying Pope should leave his starters in there more often. Maybe there's.
- [24:36]
Matt Jones
I still believe that. Not necessarily. Well, my problem is only with the line changes. Like, I don't like the. Put all five of those guys in together. I don't think that works. And it didn't work last night. I mean we were up 10. They put all five of those guys in together, then it was a three point game. You just can't do that. But what I, what we've seen is that those guys combined with starters I think can really work.
- [25:01]
Drew Franklin
Well, I don't, I haven't seen the plus minus, but I'd say Trent Noah must have been.
- [25:05]
Matt Jones
Noah was first, actually. Actually Carr was first, I think. Was he Noah or Carr?
- [25:11]
Ryan Lemond
Williams and Carr tied at 16. Trent Noah 18. He's the leader.
- [25:15]
Matt Jones
Yeah. So Noah, Carr and Williams. And that makes watching the game, you know, not trying to be critical, I thought Brandon Garrison was, was bad. I thought he played really poorly. So it doesn't surprise me that we were a lot better with Williams. Yeah, I'd say was. Perry was probably a negative, but that was in part because they put him in, in those line changes and those line changes just don't, I don't think they work for this, this team and.
- [25:40]
Ryan Lemond
Mr. Automatic away another double digit game. We had 13, but it's every single game this season the only person in the sec.
- [25:47]
Matt Jones
Let's note that for a second. This is an I mean, he. He has gotten double figures in every game. They're the last person to get 24 straight games was Malik Monk, who, if you remember, was pretty amazing. I said the wrong stat on the air last night. Antonio Reeves last year had double figures in every game but one. He had nine points in one game. OA doesn't put up the big numbers that Reeves does, but that's an amazing thing for that kid to be. Double figures every game. You talk about something I wouldn't have seen. I didn't even think he was going to start before the season.
- [26:21]
Drew Franklin
This summer, we're talking about potential starting lineups. We never put him in the starting lineup. Now he's the guy who's been the most consistent all year.
- [26:28]
Matt Jones
And do we get him back?
- [26:29]
Drew Franklin
Yes.
- [26:29]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, I think he'll be a big piece next year.
- [26:32]
Matt Jones
So next year we could have away Garrison and then whatever happens with Kerr. Right. That's it. And then the other guys. Yeah, yeah. Away and Garrison. And him. All right, who's up first? Shannon.
- [26:43]
Ryan Lemond
All right, let's start with Jay and Lyndon.
- [26:45]
Matt Jones
Jay and Lyndon, how are you?
- [26:48]
E
I'm okay. The only disappointing thing last night is I had the flu and I couldn't go to the game. But, man, I wanted to say this. The best thing to come out of the show in a while is you being from Eastern Kentucky, coming up with the Mountain Mamba name.
- [27:01]
Matt Jones
I didn't come up with it, to be fair. I didn't come up. I don't want to take credit for it. It was a guy or a person on the KS board.
- [27:07]
Ryan Lemond
Skippy.
- [27:07]
Matt Jones
Skippy. So we got to give credit to Skippy on KS board. I'll take. You know, I'll take credit for anything I do. I'm not humble about it, but I didn't do that one. I got to give that to Skippy, who came up with Mountain Mamba.
- [27:19]
E
Well, I mean, you vetting it. So I want to throw down a gauntlet here. Since Travis Perry's from Western Kentucky, I think fans need to share their nicknames for Travis Perry. Not to me, to Drew. With Drew being Western Kentucky. And Drew's going to help get the nickname for Travis Perry, because we need a nickname for both of them.
- [27:38]
Matt Jones
I'll let Drew. We'll let. If I sort of vetted the Mountain Mamba, will let Drew vet the western Kentucky Travis Perry name. Send all of your suggestions to Travis to Drew Franklin. That's a good idea, Jay.
- [27:53]
Ryan Lemond
I appreciate there's been a few that are okay. We're not ready to commit to any. None that are quite like Mountain Mamba. Right now the leader is Venture River Monster. Because Venture river is the water park there.
- [28:02]
Matt Jones
I think that's gonna be hard to Venture River Monsters a lot. I need to say something to Mark Pope. Love you, Mark Pope. We all adore you. Stop trying to switch it to Holler Baller. We have all settled on Mountain Mamba. He keeps saying, I prefer Holler Baller. No, sorry, Mountain Mamba is already one. Don't confuse us with the second one. Let's just stay with the one that people like.
- [28:27]
Ryan Lemond
Noah likes it too.
- [28:29]
Matt Jones
He said he likes it.
- [28:30]
Drew Franklin
I think Jack asked me about it last night of the post game show and he. Trent embraced it like he thought it was awesome.
- [28:35]
Matt Jones
Plus, holler and baller don't rhyme. Right. You can go bower, Holler Baller. But like, you're trying a little hard there. Mountain Mamba is the way to go.
- [28:45]
Ryan Lemond
I didn't see any Mountain Mamba T shirts last night, but I saw a Sweet angel baby T shirt.
- [28:49]
Matt Jones
Have they not been selling those? Like, come on, Skippy, get on it. Kentucky. Brandon, what are you doing?
- [28:54]
Ryan Lemond
I like Tom Leach, who doesn't even tweet that much. Tweeted out like a song about Mountain Mamba last night. I mean, everybody's all in on it.
- [29:01]
Matt Jones
Yeah, I think that's that. That's the. That's the way to go. Who's next?
- [29:04]
Ryan Lemond
Let's go to Greg.
- [29:05]
Matt Jones
Greg, Go ahead. Greg.
- [29:09]
F
Hey, can you hear me?
- [29:10]
Matt Jones
Yes, I can. Yeah.
- [29:12]
F
Thanks for taking my call. Just wanted to mention two things real quick. So 12 and 24 from the three point line. That was the same. Exact same. We shot at Tennessee, so that was awesome to see. Like catching ready to shoot. Really didn't take a bunch of bad threes.
- [29:28]
Matt Jones
No, not really.
- [29:29]
F
To see one, especially to see one go in for owe is huge because, you know, he went through a bunch of struggles, I feel like, and especially in the middle of the season. And to see him hit one this game and last game, I think is huge. Risk, confidence.
- [29:45]
Matt Jones
Totally agree. I appreciate the call. I like the point about being ready to shoot. There were a couple times I saw. I thought that was obvious. Trit. Noah's third three. As Jay Billis noted, he knew he was going to shoot it before he even got it. Like he. That's confidence. Ansley Almanor got it a couple times. It's going up. He hit one at the top of the key where I knew he. You saw two passes before it got to him. He was Like, I'm going to catch this and it's going to go in. OA did not want to shoot his three, but he did and it went in and that's good. I need him to get that confidence going because he needs to shoot. And then Kobe Braya looks so smooth on those two long threes. You know, our offense, our offense was struggling to get movement and Kobe Braya got us the movement in the last five minutes, basically the threes. And then they came out so far on him, he took them off the dribble through the lob to Otega. Kobe Braya kind of ran the show in those last few minutes.
- [30:41]
Drew Franklin
He did. And he would step back a little further, hit it, and then the next one, step back a little further, hit that. We've talked about his three point shooting with the alley oop and he threw up to O way. I think that was the.
- [30:51]
Matt Jones
That was the dagger.
- [30:52]
Drew Franklin
That was the dagger.
- [30:52]
Matt Jones
I think that was the dagger. But he only gets to do that, I think because he hits the threes before.
- [30:58]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, I had a bad angle on that. So I didn't even realize till this morning. Like the close up he's. It's a look away alley oop too. I mean that was really. Play the game outside of PayPal and.
- [31:07]
Matt Jones
This is not a team that's been good at the alley. Oops. You and PayPal, I mean, you have something you need to tell us.
- [31:14]
Ryan Lemond
But when you are somewhere and you see greatness, you have to appreciate.
- [31:18]
Matt Jones
I didn't see.
- [31:19]
Ryan Lemond
She could be 12. She could be 90. I don't know. I don't know. No clue. But when you, when you see greatness in front of you doesn't come around often and you have to soak it in.
- [31:28]
Matt Jones
You're trying to like reach out to her.
- [31:30]
Ryan Lemond
Is this maybe. I just, I have questions. I'm telling you, my mind has not been right.
- [31:35]
Matt Jones
Okay, so you're saying she's going to be at the women's game.
- [31:38]
Ryan Lemond
She's going to. Yeah, I'm trying to, trying to arrange. How did, how the hell did you do that between now and Thursday?
- [31:43]
Matt Jones
Why don't you ask if she wants to come here tomorrow?
- [31:45]
Ryan Lemond
I want her to teach me to spend. I'll spend a ksb.
- [31:49]
Matt Jones
I'm not going to give her any money. But if she, she wants to, I'll give her money.
- [31:51]
Ryan Lemond
I'm telling you, you're just whatever, whatever she needs. We'll put her up downtown until my brain has it was completely chained last night at halftime of that game.
- [32:00]
Matt Jones
By the way, Georgia Amore. Wait a minute. Is it today or tomorrow she's going to be here? It may be today. Well, actually, I think it is today. You all may get. She was going to come before the Texas game. I don't think she would come the day of the game.
- [32:16]
Drew Franklin
No, probably not.
- [32:17]
Matt Jones
So it's probably today.
- [32:19]
Drew Franklin
Well, let's wait, I guess.
- [32:21]
Matt Jones
Well, if she walks in here at 11:30, you'll know. I know she's coming at 11:30. Okay. But I'm not sure if it's today or tomorrow. Hey. Attention, bourbon lovers. Commonwealth Causes is back with their February bourbon raffle. $20,000 worth of bourbon. It's amazing how much the drawing takes place February 27th. It includes the Weller Millennium. Do you know what the Weller Millennium is?
- [32:42]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, it's. It's one bourbon I'll never get to touch. It's a good one.
- [32:45]
Matt Jones
Well, you could if you win this raffle. They also have the 2024 double eagle. Very rare. A complete Weller vertical. And more big bourbon. Big Prizes go to commonwealthcauses.org and enter the raffle. Commonwealthcauses.org Money goes to UK Nil into charity. Commonwealthcauses.org the. The February Bourbon raffle. There's always a. That seems like pretty good prizes, right?
- [33:10]
Ryan Lemond
Oh, yeah. I mean, those are some bourbons. You can't just go out and get it anywhere.
- [33:14]
Drew Franklin
It's amazing. They get this every time they do a raffle. They've got this kind of a package.
- [33:18]
Matt Jones
I'm gonna see if this is today. She's coming. Yeah, it's today. So at 11:30, Georgia Amore will be here. I'm glad. I reminded myself she might have just walked in and I would have gone, wow, what are you doing? You came for lunch. And then I would remember that she's supposed to do the show. We'll take a break. Be right back. This is KSR. Welcome back. It is Tiger Sports Radio, 859-280-2287. Text machine. 772-774-5254. Let me tell you how much I wasn't gonna miss the Kentucky, the Kentucky game last night.
- [33:54]
Drew Franklin
All right, what happened?
- [33:54]
Matt Jones
I got a message. You know, I, I, we did that little thing yesterday where I did the Talked about the Constitution. Yes. And I put a couple tweets out, etc. I got a message from one of the news networks that wanted me to come on one of their primetime shows last night. I'm not gonna say which one, but the Fox, cnn, msnbc, one of those shows that wanted me to have that conversation from my tweets and from this show. And I said, all right, I'll do that. And they were like, we'll tape it about 8:30. I was like, you can't do it. What do you mean you can't do it? I was like, ketux play. And they said, yeah, but this is this show. And it'll be like. And I was like, I'm sorry. It's like Tug, he's playing Tennessee. And I go, I'll do it tomorrow. And they're like, well, it'll be over tomorrow. And I was like, well, then I won't be on.
- [34:43]
Drew Franklin
You couldn't at 8:30? That's when things were really happening. You would have missed most of crucial points of this.
- [34:47]
Matt Jones
Exactly. You think I'm gonna miss Kobe Braya making those shots to talk about, you know, the executive. Like, I'm. I've got. There's a game going on.
- [34:55]
Ryan Lemond
Forget we the pepper.
- [34:56]
Matt Jones
Everybody who tweets me, you liberal. I know my priorities, okay? First place is, is beating Kentucky basketball. Yeah, I might be a stinking liberal, but first, I'm a Kentucky fan. I'm not missing the game to go talk about the Constitution. Come on. There'll be other constitutions.
- [35:17]
Ryan Lemond
The Constitution's been around a while.
- [35:19]
Matt Jones
Yeah, that's exactly. The Constitution doesn't need me. Ansley Almanor needs me.
- [35:25]
Drew Franklin
Amen.
- [35:26]
Matt Jones
Did you watch the. During the post game show? I watched. Did you watch Creighton and Yukon at all?
- [35:32]
Drew Franklin
I did not.
- [35:33]
Matt Jones
Okay, so first of all, two things I liked about the Creighton, Yukon. Creighton was playing Yukon in Omaha. It was at 9 o'clock. They decided to have dollar beer night. Oh boy. So the crowd. The crowd was the. Thank you. I mean, by the end of the game, I was like, these people got to be escorted out of here. I mean, Omaha hadn't seen that excitement since they started making those stakes there. I mean, that was the last time. Then UConn wins. Danny Hurley, like, it's good for the sport. He's there. I. I think he's a jerk, but it is good for the sport to have him. We need villain coaches. Like we need somebody like that. He walks off the court and people are yelling at him. He won. They won the game. Yeah, they're yelling at him. And he just looks up at the crowd and goes, two rings, beepity beep. Two rings. And then he looks at a guy in the crowd and goes, shut up, baldi. Well, wait a minute.
- [36:29]
Drew Franklin
Danny Hurley.
- [36:29]
Matt Jones
Danny Hurley Called somebody who himself has no hair says shut up baldi. I thought like the dude just has no. I don't know if he has no self awareness or if he doesn't care. But like yelling shut up baldy to the guy in the crowd when you yourself are bald is a pretty astounding move. Drew.
- [36:51]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, I saw that clip. He. He was doing well with the two rings. Stick with that point. The bald on bald crime. His whole argument went out the window there.
- [37:00]
Matt Jones
Calling after the game, they said, you know, hey, you yelled two rings and shut up baldy. Do you think that was a good thing to do? And his answer was yes. I just wish there were more people to hear it because they all left. It's like he just doubles down. Like I. On some level you almost have to respect what a jerk he is. It would not have worked here, by the way. It just would not have worked here. But he is kind of. He's like the perfect Yukon coach in some ways.
- [37:28]
Drew Franklin
We need a villain. We need somebody like that. I think in college basketball too. We can everybody Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, all can get.
- [37:35]
Matt Jones
The only thing that would be better is if he was a Duke. Like if he was doing that stuff at Duke, it would be like even more. But you kind. I mean, you know, we've. You and I've had interactions with you. I've been punched in the face. Like if you're. Dude, like that is kind of perfect for Yukon.
- [37:48]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. My original KSR name. Someone had like Drew's bloody lip. That's from a Yukon game.
- [37:53]
Matt Jones
Yeah. I thought about you when I went to the hockey game. So people may not remember this, but many years ago Drew and I went to. Was it Kentucky Yukon Walls year or a different year?
- [38:04]
Ryan Lemond
It was the wall year. Madison Square Garden.
- [38:06]
Matt Jones
And if you've ever been to Madison Square Garden for a modern like for an arena that's historic, the way you get up and down is really like old school and kind of bizarre. It's like these ele and it's a very condensed space. I mean you would think you were in the. Like it's. You would not think you were in the world's most famous arena to get. When you get up and down and Drew, you got punched in the crowd. Right. And then we were trying to walk out and I think you were still angry about having been punched in the crowd. So there was more mouthing going on and you. And you can't get away. The problem is you're stuck. Yeah. And there were a lot more Yukon fans Than there were Kentucky fans and I. And you and I hadn't been working together that long at that point.
- [38:48]
Ryan Lemond
I was there with my roommate and.
- [38:49]
Matt Jones
But I was with you on the way out and I was like, this dude's going to get me beat up in the middle of.
- [38:55]
Ryan Lemond
Let me defend. I've told this before. I was with a young woman and they called her something we don't say. And I turned around, I was like, hey man, keep it on me. Don't call her that again. And he said, oh, blank. And I was like, wish you hadn't done that. And at that point, me and my friend, we. We made a decision.
- [39:09]
Matt Jones
That may have been how it started, but later on in the. On the walkway, I don't know how it started, but there were a lot of people yelling. And I thought to myself this, it wasn't just me.
- [39:21]
Ryan Lemond
I watched and people there will know it. I've talked to people that I didn't know back then that saw it. I watch an elderly man. I don't mean someone like 50. I mean, this guy was at least 75, 80. He got completely sucker punched by a college kid and just folded him in Madison Square Garden. They were in there hitting everybody. There were fights on the subway. We saw someone reach in and punch a Kentucky fan as the door were closed and he took off running. That's why I will always hate uconns.
- [39:45]
Matt Jones
So Danny Hurley is a perfect coach for that group. I think he. I think he fits in well with them. Who's up next?
- [39:50]
Ryan Lemond
Let's go to Brian.
- [39:51]
Matt Jones
Brian, go ahead, Brian.
- [39:54]
G
Yeah, I just want to make a quick comment about Trent Noah. One of the big things I absolutely love about that guy's game is his effort. He comes in defensively.
- [40:04]
Matt Jones
He.
- [40:05]
G
He's in a guarding position, clapping. And I think that that plays a big role into his defense and offense kind of mentality. And I really think that. I'm not saying that he takes Kobe, Bray, his place or anything like that, but when they need that energy and that spark, he is definitely a guy that can help produce that for the, for this team. That's all.
- [40:27]
Matt Jones
He's done a great job. I mean, he's done a great job. I appreciate the call. The injuries. I think really the injury to Carr kind of opened up his opportunity to get minutes and he's been able to take it. Let me ask you though, about injuries in general. Like, you know, you heard the comments last night about Robinson and Butler. Are you feeling like we will get a healthy Robinson and Butler for March.
- [40:52]
Drew Franklin
I absolutely think they'll be back for March. I don't think we're going to see him anytime soon. And we all saw what happened to Butler. You know, he was hustle play diving for a loose ball, but then that shoulder kind of got twisted up underneath him. Just tell he tweaked it immediately. That worries me. He may be out for longer than Robinson. Robinson's wrist may be something like after a week, he might be coming back.
- [41:11]
Matt Jones
Yeah, yeah. As long as I'm at the point now. As long as they're here in March. Right. As long as they're here in March. I mean, I'd love to have them in this regular season, but we need them in March because our ceiling is low without them. I'm not saying they can't win a game or two, but like we got to have them to be consistently get six, four straight wins. Right. But. But I did feel good that Pope said pretty definitively that he thought they would. They would be ready in March.
- [41:42]
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, I agree with you. Off. They need to rest some rest of your tournament. Seating is good. Lenard, even before last night, called him a lock. I know some Kentucky fans were worried long term. I mean, if you got to go to a Missouri or play some of these games without them, the March postseason run is much more important.
- [41:57]
Matt Jones
Yeah, I mean, I think you're exactly right. If we. You might say if we played them both, we'd beat Texas. But I'd rather take the loss at Texas and keep them healthy than risk losing one of them for the year to try to win that game. I think the South Carolina game was a must win. You know, maybe the Vandy game next week's a must win. But this Saturday, it's really more important to me that we keep this team healthy. Although I definitely want to win. We need to keep them healthy.
- [42:24]
Drew Franklin
Keep them healthy because those two guys are the two main factors for us to maybe doing something in March. So we need them both as healthy as possible.
- [42:30]
Matt Jones
One of my buddies who's. Who's. Who's married woman says I too almost got in a fistfight that night versus Yukon. I feel Drew's pain.
- [42:39]
Ryan Lemond
I'm not exact. I've been to a lot of sporting events. I've never seen anything like that game in the Garden. There were fights everywhere.
- [42:45]
Matt Jones
Yeah, they are. They're a nasty lot. All right, we'll take a break. 859-280-2287. It's Wednesday. Bar will open here just a few minutes. Georgia Amor in the second hour. As well. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Check engine light on. Take the guesswork out of your check engine light with O'Reill Veriscan. It's free and provides a report with solutions based on over 650 million vehicle scans verified by ASE certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shot for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today.
- [43:25]
Drew Franklin
Auto parts.