2025-04-09- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

KSR Podcast Episode Summary
Episode: 2025-04-09 - KSR - Hour 1
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Host: Drew Franklin
Guests: Billy Hobbs (True Blue Customs), Jack Pilgrim, Zach Geoghegan
Location: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

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Introduction and Show Overview

In the April 9, 2025 episode of KSR, Drew Franklin takes the helm as the primary host while Matt, Ryan, Shannon, and Mario enjoy their respective vacations. Drew introduces his colleagues, Jack Pilgrim and Zach Geoghegan, highlighting Zach's debut on KSR radio after gaining popularity through KSR’s YouTube rapid reaction segments.

Basketball Updates and Roster Movements

The early part of the show delves into significant updates regarding the University of Kentucky (UK) basketball team. The conversation centers around the recent addition of Jaden Quaintance to the roster, a move that has stirred considerable excitement among fans.

Key Highlights:

• Jaden Quaintance’s Recruitment: Jack Pilgrim discusses the urgency and strategic importance of recruiting Quaintance, a coveted player that Coach Pope has been eager to secure. "It's a pretty massive land. It's the big fish that Pope has been wanting to reel in and fans have been wanting him to reel in" (05:05).

• Potential Impact on Other Players: The addition of Quaintance may influence the status of other players like Brandon Garrison, who has been highly praised by Coach Pope. Drew Franklin remarks, "Pope spoke very highly of Garrison throughout the end of the season, almost sounding like he's coming back will be a big piece of this team” (06:35).

• Wesley Yates and Lamar Wilkerson: The discussion shifts to potential recruits Wesley Yates and Lamar Wilkerson, analyzing their fit and the likelihood of their commitments. Zach comments, "I'm eligibility left. But as it's constructed right now, you can still see a path for Brandon Garrison to play" (12:20).

• Future Prospects: The team remains optimistic about filling needed positions, particularly focusing on adding another shooting guard to enhance their offensive capabilities. "If you can add another guy to the front court that can shoot and stretch the floor a little bit, I think you're gonna have almost like a complete perfect roster" (10:45).

Guest Segment: Billy Hobbs of True Blue Customs

Billy Hobbs, the creative force behind True Blue Customs, joins the show to discuss his unique business of customizing sneakers for athletes. His journey from a hobbyist to a full-time entrepreneur offering bespoke designs to both college and professional athletes is both inspiring and insightful.

Notable Insights:

• Business Evolution: Billy shares how his passion for sneakers and art led to the inception of True Blue Customs, eventually becoming a sought-after service among athletes. "I started doing customizations for him and his friends. And then it snowballed" (24:33).

• High-Profile Collaborations: He highlights working with prominent athletes like Albert Pujols and Kenny Walker, emphasizing the impact of these collaborations on his business growth. "Albert Pujols was probably one of my favorites... His last All Star Game, he wore one in the Home Run Derby," Billy recounts (27:18).

• Unique Requests and Challenges: Billy discusses the variety of custom requests he receives, from standard designs to extraordinary projects like creating custom cleats for the Pope. "I'll start with saying a lot of the UK guys that go through here... But dealing with the agents and dealing with the players, it's a little different" (28:29).

• Memorable Experiences: A standout moment for Billy was customizing sneakers for the actual Pope, which garnered significant attention. "There's actually a pair of my shoes at the Vatican. Like, that's insane" (28:22).

Interaction with Callers

The show features several callers who engage with the hosts on various topics, primarily focusing on basketball and SEC dynamics.

Caller Highlights:

• Andy’s Insights on SEC: Andy inquires about the SEC's future competitiveness, considering the recent player movements. Drew responds by discussing the unique challenges and changes within the conference. “I think the SEC isn't as stacked as it was last year” (18:34).

• Dave’s Congrats and Weather Concerns: Dave congratulates UK on recent successes and brings up concerns about recent flooding in Kentucky. Drew empathizes, sharing personal anecdotes about affected areas like Buffalo Trace. “Our hearts certainly go out to everyone having to deal with that around the state” (20:10).

• John’s Question on Jaden Quaintance’s Injury: John asks about the recovery timeline for Quaintance’s ACL injury. Drew provides an update based on recent information, noting Quaintance’s aim to return by December. “Doctors are pretty optimistic that he'll be early part of the season at some point” (22:30).

Personal Announcement: Drew’s Acting Debut

In a surprising and light-hearted revelation, Drew Franklin shares his upcoming acting debut in a local production of Romeo and Juliet. He humorously navigates discussions about his role, expressing both excitement and nervousness.

Key Points:

• Role Details: Drew reveals he will portray Count Paris, positioning himself humorously as he prepares for the role. "I'm Count Paris. Do you know anything about Count Paris before I start studying for Count Paris?" (36:02).

• Support from Co-Hosts: Jack and Zach encourage Drew, with Jack teasing about being supportive yet skeptical, while Zach expresses confidence in Drew’s ability to perform well. “I've got faith in Drew. You didn't do you know he's going to nail it?” (39:19).

• Community Involvement: Drew emphasizes that his participation is for charity, specifically supporting the Lexington Children Theatre, highlighting the importance of community engagement. “It's a big part of their fundraising for the year. And I'm a part of it” (38:09).

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Drew, Jack, and Zach reflecting on the day’s discussions, teasing upcoming segments, and encouraging listeners to engage via phone calls. The camaraderie among the hosts and their dynamic interactions provide an entertaining and informative wrap-up to the episode.

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Notable Quotes

• Drew Franklin on Quaintance’s Importance:
  "It's a pretty massive land. It's the big fish that Pope has been wanting to reel in and fans have been wanting him to reel in." (05:05)

• Billy Hobbs on Customizing for the Pope:
  "There's actually a pair of my shoes at the Vatican. Like, that's insane." (28:22)

• Drew Franklin on Acting Debut:
  "I am Count Paris... I want to marry Juliet, but she doesn't love me back. And I think maybe I propose at one point. I'm pretty sure I die." (36:37)

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Key Takeaways

• Significant Roster Changes: UK’s recruitment of Jaden Quaintance is poised to strengthen the basketball team, with potential ripple effects on other players’ statuses.

• Entrepreneurial Success: Billy Hobbs’ journey with True Blue Customs exemplifies how passion combined with talent can lead to substantial business growth and high-profile collaborations.

• Community Engagement: The hosts emphasize the importance of supporting local initiatives, as seen with Drew’s involvement in the Lexington Children Theatre and discussions about local weather impacts.

• Personal Growth: Drew’s foray into acting highlights the multifaceted personalities behind the KSR brand, showcasing their diverse interests and community involvement.

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For more insights and updates, tune into the next KSR episode as the hosts continue to bring you the latest in UK news and sports.

Transcript

[Mike Armstrong]

Comedy Up Broadway in Lexington welcomes Mike Armstrong March 27th through the 29th. Then it's the Lexington debut of Lori Kilmartin April 3rd through the 5th and catch rising comedy star Sam Tallent April 11th and 12th. 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 comedyoff broadway.com comedy off broadway.

[Drew Franklin]

Welcome in to a new day on Kentucky Sports Radio, Drew Palooza, we're calling it as I, Drew Franklin. I'm hosting the show all week as Matt, Ryan, Shannon and Mario all take vacations, separate vacations, except for Ryan and Shannon. They're down there on the beach together oiling each other up like we know they like to do, doing God knows what's going on down there in Panama City. But today I brought my dear friends from our KSR rapid reaction crew. You see them after games on KSR's YouTube channel. The three of us, we used to do it indoors, but here lately you've seen us out in the elements after every game doing our rapid reactions on the streets. We have a lot of fun doing it. It's me, Jack Pilgrim and Zach Geogen. Making his KKSR radio debut, Dunbar's own Zach Geoghegan. Good to have you here, Zach and Jack had to bring you back after you had a hot hand yesterday. We're not nearly as chaotic as we were yesterday as we got started on yesterday's show. We'll talk more about that. But first let me tell you about T.J. smith, our sponsor. He's your personal injury lawyer to call and if you call tj, he will absolutely make them pay. Today we want to hear from you on the Clark's Pump and Shop phone line at 859-280-2287. I swear I'm going to start getting the callers. We've been so busy here lately. Yesterday, you know, we had Jaden calling in with the crying baby in the background. Had a good interview with Tianni Key. But I still want to hear from the KSR listeners. I hope you're out there. We've been getting good feedback so far through two days. We'll also get the whiskey Thief call of the day. And if you want to talk to Matt, he has the Avision Auto glass text machine over in Amsterdam where I have no idea what time of day it is, but he tweeted a picture of some beautiful tulips. Looks like he's having Some good weather over there and having a good time. All those guys will be back on Monday. But for right now, you got Drew, Jack, and Zach ready to talk a little ball first. I got a shout out Monique here at KS Bar. I walk in, and she's just got her hands covered in egg salad, which reminded me, it's Masters week, par three tournament today, and she has cooked up the master special we have every year, the traditions from Augusta, and she made a sampler out of it. You get one pimento cheese slider, one pulled pork slider, and one egg salad slider. That's the three iconic sandwiches down at Augusta. So if you can't make it to Augusta, come to KS Bar today. I'm hanging around all afternoon, gonna get some par three on tv. We'll preview Augusta tomorrow and everything going on down at the Masters, but we got a lot of basketball going on. And Jack, I'll be honest, I'm a little disappointed. You've been here for 10 minutes and there's not been a commitment yet. I thought you had a hot hand after yesterday.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It's a long show. We got two hours.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay. Is that. Is that a teaser? Do I need to get the warning on already?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I just. After the absolute hectic ness. The chaos of yesterday, I'm making no promises like this. This show could get off the rails in seconds. So just, you know, I'm. I'm giddy. I'm excited.

[Drew Franklin]

Now that we've taken a breath. That was pretty wild yesterday. How fun was that? I mean, you were, as I said, welcome to Kentucky Sports Radio. You were on the phone like, I gotta call you back. Call you back. I gotta call you back. We'll talk to you at 11. You were. You were working the phones there with acquaintance family. As he was on his way to rehab, he had committed five minutes before the show started. So Rick got to hit the wani na na right away. We kind of broke the news. For anyone that didn't have their phone out on Twitter yesterday morning, it was stressful.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It was a lot. We were very calm. I remember we walked in yesterday, and you guys, you and Steven were in the back. And I walked in and said, hey, I think we're about to get a Jaden quaintance commitments. I don't know when it's going to happen, but I'm feeling pretty darn good about this. And then I looked at my phone, and it was like, 30 seconds later, we get the notification. It was like, oh, crap. Okay, so show is all the plans we had for the show completely thrown off. Let's. Let's, you know, refocus, regroup. So it was. It was a lot. And if you listen to that opening segment, you could probably tell we were a little. A little frazzled, if you will. But I think we recovered nicely.

[Drew Franklin]

I stuttered through most of it. I think I got all of our ads wrong, but there was a lot going on and. And Zach, you weren't here yesterday, but you cover it just as much as anyone else. For KSR's website, KS Board, I'll go ahead and get your thoughts on what happened yesterday. We'll just get right to it. Get this roster break down. There's even more portal movement to watch today. But what did you think of the addition of Quaintance and the time it dropped yesterday?

[Zach Geoghegan]

Well, I kind of got a little bit of a hint just from Jack ahead of time, maybe be prepared about it. So I was getting ready to write posts about it and then it just kind of happened. So I was scrambling myself while Jack was here, having to get ready for the show. So I was trying to do all the stuff behind the scenes and get that ready. But it's. It's a pretty massive land. It's the big fish that Pope has been wanting to reel in and fans have been wanting him to reel in. So it really, it is kind of impressive and amazing that it happened within like 24 hours. It felt like less than that where it just all came together. Now Jaden Quavens is a cat again.

[Drew Franklin]

Let's get right to it. Jack, you know, the. Just because Quadens got at it doesn't mean it just stopped in. The roster's done. I mean, there's still people to watch. I know Yates is a name a lot of people wanted. Others have emerged there. But sticking with acquaintance news has. Is there any trickle effect coming from that that could happen with UK's roster. Anything we need to watch there?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, you know, you get the portal season is just hilarious because you get the first. Like, you kind of just have to take it in waves. You get the first. Okay, the season just ended. Who is the guaranteed out. Kirk Risa was the name that you heard weeks, weeks ago, months ago that Kerr would not be back. So that was like you felt confident saying, okay, let's just kind of. We start without him and then just kind of make our way from there. They feel solid about bringing back the five guys that, you know, have remaining eligibility while kind of acknowledging, okay, if there were a couple of potential, you know, Wafflers, if you Will maybe one domino effect leading to another. You know, Brandon Garrison was one that, you know, popped up pretty regularly as a. As a maybe likely, you know, one foot in, but, you know, not necessarily not having one. One extra foot. Foot out. So that was one that, you know, once the Jaden Quaintance news happened, there were some, you know, some scuttlebutt late throughout the afternoon and evening that that could be one that we could be keeping an eye on. I don't think anything's done. I don't think anything's finalized, but that is one that I just kind of have in the, you know, my peripheral right now.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. Pope spoke very highly of Garrison throughout the end of the season, almost sounding like he's coming back will be a big piece of this team. But if you're Brandon Garrison and you see Jaden Quaintance just got recruited, you do got to wonder, you know, Zach maybe some writings on the wall, but of course, he could stay, and I think they'll need him. He'll be a big piece. But it's understandable if Garrison does start looking around, that Quaintance is now in the mix.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah. And, you know, there's still minutes to go around because the front court is still kind of the one area where they're not as deep as, you know, they've got, like, eight or nine guards right now. It feels like a couple of guys could maybe slide down, like Cam Williams or even Tret Noah. But there are forward, front, front court minutes to go around, so it'll be interesting to see if, you know, Pope. There's the. The word going around is he wants to add another shooter. Is that a shooting guard? Is that a stretch shooting guy? So, you know, maybe they're looking to add another piece of that front court, too, and then. Then things maybe get a little bit crowded. So. But as it's constructed right now, you can still see a path for Brandon Garrison to play. Big minutes just kind of depends, I guess, on how Pope wants to spend these last one or two roster spots or however he ends up playing this out this offseason.

[Drew Franklin]

Matt even broke his silence from the Tulip Farm yesterday to tweet about uk. Still going to add a shooter. Yates was a name we were watching. Felt good about that yesterday. But it seems throughout the afternoon, tides might have turned a little bit. He still had made a decision. But where do things stand with Wesley Yates, the USC shooting guard that hit the Portal?

[Jack Pilgrim]

It's been. Since the second he put his name in the Portal, it's been Washington or Kentucky? I think there was a lot of optimism on both sides. Washington thought they had him. Kentucky thought they had him. But a lot of it had to do with what Quincy Pondexter, who found out he was his cousin like, two years ago, and now they're just the best of friends and following each other across the country.

[Drew Franklin]

So did he use 23 and me? Yeah, that's how I found out. I had like, nine.

[Zach Geoghegan]

It was on the cold call where he offered a scholarship to Wesley Yates. That's when they figured it out.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, that was some article I read.

[Zach Geoghegan]

That's how they figured it out on the cold call.

[Jack Pilgrim]

A fascinating story, but I think Quincy is kind of leveraging that into getting back on the Washington staff and saying, hey, I got a potential draft pick coming with me if you bring me back to Washington. So it's complicated. And I think it got to the point where, you know, he's a very talented player. Future draft pick comes with the price tag of a future draft pick. So I think it kind of got to the point where Washington's kind of gaining momentum. Is Kentucky saying, okay, well, we have so many different names out there that we just need a shooter. Like, we don't. It doesn't have to be that shooter. We just have one role to fill. And if it starts getting into a bidding war, that's not necessarily something I'm in love with. So I think it is kind of trending toward a fork in the road that is going the opposite direction there. But Lamar Wilkerson is a kid. Sam Houston State, that. That one's picking up as we speak, and that's one that I would keep an eye on. But again, there's 2,000 names in the portal. If it's not that kid and it's not the next one, then it's going to be the one after that. So you're in a really comfortable spot right now where you only have one real need to fill. And then whatever happens with Garrison, I mean, you have five guys with returning eligibility. Anything could change on a dime. But. But, you know, you're in a really comfortable spot with where things are in the options you have.

[Drew Franklin]

If it's not Yates, the Wilkerson name that popped up from Sam Houston, he shot 44.5% from three on several attempts. I think he hit like 90 on the season shooting at that rate, 21 points a game. Zach, I wouldn't be mad if he wants to get in here shooting 45% from three. We'll take. We'll fill that spot right now, if he's ready.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah, I think one more shooting guard is definitely. That would be something that they could use. That and the stretch four, like, if they can take another look at the Alvaro Fulgaris kid from Spain. We still don't know if he's in Spain or not. Out of Robert Morris, that kid, like a 6 foot 9 guy with a 7 foot 5 wingspan. They call him the Octopus. That's like his Spanish nickname, I want to say.

[Jack Pilgrim]

What's the Spanish version of that?

[Zach Geoghegan]

I couldn't. I would butcher it if I'd have to.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Looko, is that Polpo?

[Drew Franklin]

You could. I could sit here all day and I would not have a clue what that is.

[Zach Geoghegan]

So I think what's nice is Pope can really be. He can start to get picky now and be patient. We still got 13 days left. The portal is open. So you're still going to get an influx of names going in over the next two weeks. So he can. He can play his. He can play things out and see like, you know what. What does Brandon Garrison want to do?

[Jack Pilgrim]

El Pulpalo Pulpo.

[Zach Geoghegan]

There you go.

[Drew Franklin]

Is that. Did you just pull that out of thin air?

[Zach Geoghegan]

No. Yeah, he.

[Jack Pilgrim]

That's his nickname.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay.

[Zach Geoghegan]

El Pulpal and translated it, but yeah. So it's. They definitely need one more shooter, though. I think that's the one missing piece of this roster. Whether it comes with a front court or the back court, I get. I think it. Just looking at the roster construction, if you can add another guy to the front court that can shoot and stretch the floor a little bit, I think you're gonna have almost like a complete perfect roster of what Pope is looking for, but with the unknowns of Brandon Garrison and then, you know, other names can pop in and out like. It's just like Jack said, it comes in waves. So.

[Drew Franklin]

Do that again.

[Jack Pilgrim]

El Pulpo.

[Drew Franklin]

It almost sounds like the Pope. El Popo.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It fits.

[Drew Franklin]

It kind of feels right. Am I hearing that correctly?

[Jack Pilgrim]

If you say it quickly, yeah. El Pulpo. P U, L, P. Okay.

[Drew Franklin]

A caller on Monday reported that El Pupo was. Was back from Spain. And then I was quickly told that caller was incorrect. I gave the caller credit. I was like, well, you're reporting it. We're going with it. So to everyone that listened on Monday and thought the Spaniard had arrived back stateside, because a KSR caller said it, that is was factually incorrect, and my apologies.

[Jack Pilgrim]

You don't come here for facts, though.

[Drew Franklin]

That is true. Facts are very optional. We do want to hear your Facts whether they're incorrect or correct. 859-280-2287 I saw Dante Allen is in the portal. There's been no communication with Kentucky and Dante that I know of and it's probably not realistic at all. But wouldn't that be wild Just another Kentucky guy to this roster.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I need a shooter.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I'm good on one reunion. Jaden Quaint fills fills that void pretty nicely.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I'm eligibility left.

[Drew Franklin]

Unbelievable. There's a lot of former cats in the portal. Someone on KS board last night wrote they wanted Jordan Burks back.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Also good on the reunions. I'm very good on not I'm not.

[Drew Franklin]

I mean we wish all these guys well Devin Askew, Cam Fletcher. Who else we got in the portal? I guess Big Z found Bryce Hopkins. Yeah we wish him well but we don't need to do a complete reunion. But there are a lot a lot of them is has there been anything on D.J. he's sticking around in Arkansas. No I do entered the draft yesterday.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I think Arkansas players on the roster.

[Drew Franklin]

Right now they do put out a woo pig I'm going to the NBA post so good luck to a due Even though you know he did call the Hogs I still have a soft spot for a du. I always liked him so I hope he has a good career. But Portal full of former Cats. You don't want any of them?

[Jack Pilgrim]

No, no just we're good. We're good right where we are.

[Drew Franklin]

So you say we're good right now, right? Add a shooter, an unnamed shooter. Call it Yates, Wilkerson, whoever. Someone to be named later. You feeling good? That'd be 13 players. If they find shooting. Maybe it's the Alvaro Spaniard. Heck maybe they had two. Who knows. But you're feeling good about where things stand now. Lowe's likely running your point guard. We're assuming Otega always come coming back. There's still not really been any buzz about that but you know it could just be the case he's coming back. Doesn't have to tell anyone. You like the way the roster stands?

[Jack Pilgrim]

If you can guarantee me that Otake and I think there's still some some real optimism about Ortega coming back. If you can guarantee me that he can kind of be your your anchor in the middle there. Scoring wise I think that's a contending roster. I think it's a very very good team that upgraded at a lot of positions that upgraded in depth. I really don't if you again as constructed as you know we're talking in this Hypothetical. I think that team really doesn't have a single flaw that you can point out and go, ah, you know, I don't know if they have enough of this. I think that's a team that can contend.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, we'll keep talking basketball throughout the show. We got some other things. Our friend Billy Hobbs from True Blue Customs is here at KS Bar to listen to us. He makes all the sneakers for athletes, both college and pro. We're going to bring him on. At one point, just ask him, how do you do that? How are you so talented? It's amazing, right? I got a pair of Taco Bell Jordans from him that Abby got me for my birthday years ago. But I think that'll be an interesting conversation. You know, he works with a lot of athletes hearing how that goes. Later in the show, Josh Hopkins is going to call in. I believe he's in Austin, Texas. That's where he lives. But he's also at a shoot, so who knows, he could be anywhere. But those are our two guests today. And of course we have Zach here making his KSR radio debut. Even though you've heard a lot from him on KSR's podcast, KSR's YouTube channel with the rapid reactions. And of course, Jack from sources say you see these guys all the time. You even did a reaction yesterday for Jayden Quaintance. So everyone go check that out. If you hadn't gotten enough content from those two here on the radio. But we'll take a quick break and we'll be right back with lots more. This is ksr. Welcome back to ksr. Drew Franklin here hosting the show with my dear friends Jack Pilgrim and Zach Geoghan. You know, I like to think of myself as a man of the people, but the last two days I have not been letting the people get on the phone lines here and talk on this show. We've been a little too busy. I've over programmed. So today I want to get a head start on the Clark's Pump and Shop phone line. Give us a call there at 859-280-2287. And my guy Rick tells me we already have people on the line. So let's just get to our first caller. Got Andy up first. Andy, thanks for calling in.

[Andy]

Hey, what's up, guys?

[Zach Geoghegan]

How's it going, Andy?

[Drew Franklin]

It's this favorite Andy.

[Andy]

Yeah. Hey, Jackson Robinson. I will say my most fondest memory of Jackson Robinson is not even Jackson Robinson doing anything himself at the Jack and Sean doing that podcast. Six hours till four in the morning. Waiting on him to make the decision whether he goes pro or not. I was kind of hoping we'd have a player at that time and get a repeat of that. But hey, my question is with the SEC right now. I know we've done a lot in the portal, but I've not really heard a lot of big movement with all the other teams in the SEC knowing they've lost a lot of guys and the SEC having a big year like it did this last year, record breaking year. Do you think that we will have it a little easier next year in the SEC from, you know, two games a week competition? Will that, will the SEC be a little easier to power through next year than, than it was this year?

[Drew Franklin]

Thank you, Andy. We appreciate the call. Always good to hear from you. I'll start with this first part of that. Jack. You did a six hour marathon waiting on Jackson. Robinson kind of came down to the deadline last summer, I think was Andy saying he wants you to do that again. I assume you'd rather not do a six hour YouTube stream, but you got through it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

We got to the point where we were talking about whether or not we could Ben, how many Pat Kelsey's we could bench press.

[Zach Geoghegan]

So.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I think we decided at least two. Maybe like two and a half. Pat Kelsey's was, was that at the time was, was we were trying to calculate what he weighed based on what his playing day, playing weight. So you got to add, you know, 15, 20 just for, you know, age aging purposes. But yeah, I think we decided two and a half pack Kelsey's we could, we could bench.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah, £200.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It was, it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done doing this job by far. So I, I hope it doesn't get to the point where we're stressing out over a last second decision. And that way like maybe is like otega that guy.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. He'd have to be away. Right.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It's kind of one of those types of deals. You know, I, I, I love the ridiculous ridiculousness, but I did not enjoy the, the gravity of what the decision meant.

[Drew Franklin]

And the second part was the other SEC rosters. I haven't been completely dialed in in all of them. I know Bruce was getting pretty desperate down at Auburn, which is why he tried to get Jaden quaint at the last minute. Hold that. L. Bruce also saw Bruce might be getting Chad Baker Mazar Mazar back at age 26. How is this possible? We just made fun of him for a whole year about go get a job and now he's putting out teasers saying he could return again for the Tigers. College, college boards are out of control for. I have a 26 year old playing for Auburn next year he's got to.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Get on his parents insurance or get off his parents insurance. This year I think he turns 26.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So that's why he needs an IL.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Money to pay, I guess. Insurance company. Nice little nil deal right there with him.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. Hopefully the SEC isn't as stacked as it was last year. That was a pretty unique year as we all know. Arkansas. I saw a tweet yesterday about how they haven't gotten anyone out of the portal yet. They do have a good freshman incoming class though. DJ I guess coming back. Billy Richmond probably coming back. So they do have pieces, but I don't think Arkansas has added anyone. Right.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, I think they're kind of building around Malik Thomas and Darius Acuff is kind of the, you know, the next meat dangling on a stick for that fan base and just the next guys to get them across the finish line. But yeah, a lot of, you know, part of the reason why this was such a historic year in the SEC was just the seniors and just the experience. The fifth and sixth year guys, the 12th year guys, whatever Chad Baker Mazzara is, you know, sticking around as long as they did. You get the Walter Claytons and a lot of seniors that this was their last hurrah. And I don't think, you know, you'll never get another year like what we just got in the sec. I mean that, that was an all timer that will probably never be top when you get 14 to 16 teams in the NCAA tournament. So it's not going to be as good. But I do think a big part of that is going to be all the, the experience leaving the conference. Thank goodness.

[Drew Franklin]

And maybe Kentucky's the team that's making it good. Maybe we're the team everyone's watching in the final four. Hopefully that's the case. Almost said Billy. Billy's right here sitting at table. He's not on the show yet. Rick, who's up next? We have Dave up next. Dave, thanks for calling in.

[Dave]

Good morning fellas. How you doing, Drew?

[Drew Franklin]

We are wonderful.

[Dave]

Good. I could first of all fist bump here in Louisville, Kentucky. I mean old buddies in Rupp arena and congratulations on running the show. That's very good. Second thing is congratulations to Florida winning the national title. Even though I don't like saying it hurts come out of my mouth. Congratulations to at least sec. And one more thing. The sun shines On Kentucky Day. We've had a lot of bad weather and we need some good news. And Jayden Quaintance coming to Kentucky is phenomenal news. This kid's gonna make a big difference for UK and I love it. And congratulations. I'll see you in Rupp Arenas next year. Again, Drew and go Cats.

[Drew Franklin]

Thank you. We appreciate the call. Thanks for mentioning the flooding. I didn't get to say much of that, but our hearts certainly go out to everyone having to deal with that around the state. Hopefully we're getting a little bit better on the other end of it, but I mean, some of the scenes out of Louisville are beyond belief. And then one that sticks out just as a place I've been so many times, Buffalo Trace being completely underwater. I know there's people, their homes and much smaller areas that are bad too, but something about seeing Buffalo Trace, the place I was at just a few weeks ago, it is in bad, bad shape. Same with a lot of recognizable places in Louisville.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Out in western Kentucky, where my girlfriend's from and her family is. They just keep getting relentlessly hit, like over and over again. It feels like every so many months some new storm, like new 100 year storm hits every three months over there. And I had a friend as well who her sister saw like a house floating in the, in the back creek. Well, it was a creek and turned into a river essentially. And yeah, so there's been a lot of crazy stuff going around the state the last few days, but like you said, it actually is. Today's probably the nicest day. It feels like it's been in literally a whole week here in Kentucky.

[Drew Franklin]

So, yeah, western Kentucky, that's. That's where my heart is. It's been bad. And my aunt was going to come visit earlier this week and she couldn't make the trip. So everyone stay safe and hopefully we get past this soon. Let's try to get one more in quickly. Rick, who's up next? Got John up next. Josh, give us your quick call here.

[John]

Yeah. Hey, guys, I just had a question on Jaden Quaintance. I had always heard, and maybe I'm mistaken, that a full torn ACL would take anywhere from 8 to 12 months to completely heal before you can get back into playing sports again.

[Drew Franklin]

Where.

[John]

What's, what's your percentage that he. That he'll be ready by September, October. Thanks for taking my call.

[Drew Franklin]

All right. We appreciate the call. We're coming up against the hard break. You have a quick answer. I know yesterday said a slight tear and things have changed. So much on that. He even said he's shooting for December at the latest yesterday, straight out of his mouth. So I guess that's probably better than us giving a prediction there.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, doctors are pretty optimistic that he'll be early part of the season at some point.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, we're going to take a quick break. We come back, we're going to talk about the sneaker business with Billy Hobbs from True Blue Customs. This is not Matt Jones. I gotta get that. I gotta get that bump fixed there, Rick. We gotta change that. I gotta keep correcting everyone. It's Drew Franklin here hosting KSR for the week while Matt is away. This segment coming up is brought to you by our friends at Commonwealth causes. Big Blue Nation. Club Blue is calling on fans to raise a glass to commemorate the new era of men's basketball. Club Blue, the official NIL fundraising partner of uk, has teamed up with Bespoken Spirits to craft a special release, the limited edition Club Blue basketball bottle, featuring a bold weeded Kentucky bourbon Whiskey. Fewer than 800 individually numbered bottles have been produced, so this collectible won't be around for long. This is the perfect bottle for your bourbon or Kentucky memorabilia, and it's ideal for autographs. Limited edition Club Blue basketball bottles are now available at liquor barns across Kentucky. While supplies last, every bottle sold directly supports UK's nil efforts. So pick one up today and show your pride for the cats. We need those nil efforts. Expensive time to be running the Kentucky show over.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Big fan of Club Blue.

[Drew Franklin]

Big fan of Club Blue. Everyone that is part of Club Blue. You probably helped get Jayden Quaintance yesterday, so good on you. I'm excited by our guest joining us now, Billy Hobbs, one of the most talented people you'll ever meet. If you ever see UK athletes and their sneakers have been hand painted and customized, there's a good chance he did it. He runs True Blue Customs here in Laxity and does shoes for college athletes. Pro athletes did some for me. I think you've done several for Matt, Billy. It's good to have you all with us today.

[Billy Hobbs]

Thanks for having me on, guys. I really appreciate it.

[Drew Franklin]

We want to hear a little bit about how this business works. Obviously, you're very talented, but how did you decide, you know what, instead of just painting this or that, I'm gonna get into the sneaker world.

[Billy Hobbs]

You know, growing up, I was always into sneakers. Obviously, you know, I grew up when the Jordan 1, Jordan 2, Jordan 3, you know, they all came out. So I was always into sneakers. I was Always into art. And then, you know, fast forward. Probably 25 years later, my son started getting into sneakers. You know, he was like 10, 11 years old. So I started doing customizations for him and his friends. And then it snowballed, man. A buddy of mine, a good friend of mine, Jamie Sawyers, he mentioned. He's like, hey, man, you ought to do a restoration on these old Jordans he had. And I was like, that's cool. So I did that. And he was impressed with them. And he's like, you ought to start a side hustle, start a little Instagram page. I'm like, whatever. Okay. So, you know, at the time, I was still working at Pepsi, and I started doing stuff for, like, Alex Poythurst reached out, and then Willie reached out. Actually, Tyler Eulis was the first one. Nice. And I did a pair of Jordans for Tyler, and it was a crazy time. And then I think Willie wore those gold Jordan 11s. I did. And he wore them in the first round of the NCAA tournament that year and dunked on the kid from Cincinnati. And we've not seen him since. Yeah, and then I woke up the next morning and it blown up. Blown up. Like, my emails were overflowing. My. You know, my Instagram following went from like, 2,000 to, like, 10,000. And I was like, oh, my gosh, this is, like, serious, you know? So, you know, it started snowballing from there, and then here we are. You know, I quit my job a couple years later, and now I do it full time.

[Drew Franklin]

Now it's like a whole industry. But I remember you doing it way before anyone.

[Billy Hobbs]

Oh, yeah, yeah. And it was. It's kind of. It's kind of changed. The whole. In whole industry has kind of changed just over the last 10 years. You know, it has its little fads, like, with the Nike Roshi run, you know, everybody had the Roshis. I bet I painted 500 of those one year. You know, it's like. But now it's like I'm kind of getting into big orders, like team orders. I do a ton of that. I just shipped off, like, a hundred pairs for Providence University for. To celebrate Jackie Robinson Day. We did that Bellarmine. I've done further women's basketball team. I do, like, the whole team. Like, 20, 30 pairs for those. For those girls and guys. So it's cool. You know, it just kind of transitions into different aspects. And I'm starting to hire. You know, I got a couple guys that, you know, help me here and there to kind of help me be Able to do the cool stuff that I want to do and then, like, the production stuff, somebody else do it. So.

[Drew Franklin]

Didn't you do the basketballs for Madness? Were they gold painted? Yeah, I remember getting close to one. I think I was allowed to touch it. Yeah. Very cool.

[Billy Hobbs]

It's funny, they're actually down at Big Blue Deli. I gave those to my guys. Yeah, Zach, he. I did, like, four balls, and it was. It's kind of embarrassing now. I look back at the COVID ball. I put a mask on it.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, my goodness.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing now I look back. But, yeah, it was kind of cool, you know, to look back. I did, like, a gold ball, I think I did a blue ball one year, and then a white ball and then a gray, I think. But I remember Tyler Hero used to complain about it because he's like, I can't chew with this box. It was so slick.

[Drew Franklin]

But, yeah, he turned out all right.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah, he's all right. I think he's doing fine.

[Drew Franklin]

You do a lot of the UK guys shoes. We see those all the time. But also, I've seen you do a lot in Major League Baseball. Who's the highest profile athlete you'd say you've worked with?

[Billy Hobbs]

Honestly, Probably. I would say Albert Pujols was probably one of my favorites because, you know, growing up, like, I wasn't a Cardinals fan, you know, so I didn't really care about, you know, Pujols when he was there. And then, you know, when he got traded out west and my son was into baseball and, you know, he kind of started liking him, and I was like, man, I like this dude. And then all of a sudden, he was actually part of one of my agencies that I deal with, that I do a lot of work for. And I was fortunate enough to do cleats for him for, like, the last three years of his career. His last All Star Game, he wore. I did two pairs of cleats for him. He wore one in the Home Run Derby, and then the next night in the All Star Game, and I'm like, man, that's. That's. That's dope. You know, it's just his last All Star Game, you know, it's. It's pretty cool. So. But that was probably one of the best.

[Drew Franklin]

What's. I'd say, like, the wildest request you've ever gotten, whether it be painting something other than shoes or something on the shoe or.

[Billy Hobbs]

Honestly, I get. I get crazy requests all the time. A lot of times I'll try To turn away some of the stuff. I mean, I've had some crazy, like wild stuff people want, but actually probably one of the craziest moments is not even something that's like cool on the show. It was just doing shoes for the Pope. I mean, that was insane.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh yeah, the actual Pope, like the one in the Vatican.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yes, the actual. Yes, there's actually a pair of my shoes at the Vatican. Like, that's insane.

[Drew Franklin]

I like that you said Pujols is the highest profile. I'm actually gonna, I'm gonna correct you there. I would say the Pope has a slight edge on Albert Pool.

[Billy Hobbs]

I haven't seen the Pope's jumper yet or is about an average or anything. But yeah, as far as far as celebrity, you know, status goes, that was kind of wild. You know, that was. Father Jim Sitko set that up and that was epic. You know, I woke up the next morning and it was going crazy. Everybody's like, oh my gosh, the Pope got a pair of custom blazers, you know, so that was pretty dope.

[Drew Franklin]

You don't have to name names, but is it ever hard to deal with some of these athletes? Yeah, and if you want to name names, we'll completely throw them under the bus on the radio. I just didn't want to put you on the spot with that one.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah, actually, you know, I'll start with saying a lot of the UK guys that go through here, even through Cat, you know, Cal's years, when I first started doing it for these guys, they were all great. I never really dealt with any, you know, I mean, granted you're dealing with 18 year old kids, you know, I'm dealing with kids the age of, you know, my son, you know, so I'm, you know, full blown text message and then I'll get a noted text back, you know, like a emoji and then like, okay, what's that mean, bro? You know, so I'm having to text my son, what's this mean? You know, what did PJ Washington mean when he said this? You know, so. But, but yeah, they're all, they've all been pretty cool. But like that when you get into the, like the major leagues, man, a lot of those guys, they'll send you 10 pairs of cleats and they want them all last week. You know, it's loud. But yeah, dealing with the agents and dealing with the players, it's a little different.

[Drew Franklin]

So you're a big into the UK vintage stuff. All three of us are too. I even noticed that's a electric Sweater you're wearing right now, I don't even know what that is, but that's got to be authentic for some year.

[Billy Hobbs]

My mother in law lives with me right now. Okay. She, my, my father in law passed several years ago and she moved in with us. So we have, we. We bought a house together. And she's got mild case of dementia, but she doesn't, you know, she has all of her old UK stuff and she used to, you know, she had pulled it out a couple months ago and was like, look at this. It's like, I think I can fit that. So I think I wore it to the, I wore it to the Arkansas game and then I haven't wore it since.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, well, never mind. I don't like it anymore. Also, are those the new denim books I saw on your face?

[Billy Hobbs]

Yes.

[Drew Franklin]

What do you get? Did you get an advance on those? Win a lottery?

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah, I got them a little early, but they'll be out next week, I think. But yeah, that's.

[Drew Franklin]

Look at this guy just flexing.

[Billy Hobbs]

I mean, I may wear denim. I may wear denim all summer. Like, I got my favorite jeans.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, well, that was gonna be my next question. Of all the eras of vintage uk, you're like, me, we want to see UK work more of that in. What's your favorite? Is it the denim since you're wearing them? Right?

[Billy Hobbs]

Incidental, bro. Yeah. Like, I remember, like, 96 was the first year, the first championship that I remember. You know, 78, I was alive, but, you know, I don't remember it. But 96 was just insane, you know, and I remember the uniforms. It was just so crazy at the time. And I remember that night, I even told coach Pope when I met him, I'm like, I blame you for me being a part of tearing down the light pole down at the front of line is 96. You know, I was like, you know, I blame you for that. But, you know, it was good memories and I love that time. That was. That was peak basketball for me. And then, you know, I started working second shift in between there for a while and I didn't really get to keep up with it as much. And then when Cal got. When Cal came and you know, tubby, of course. But, you know, I've been a UK fan since I was just like you guys, you know, since I was born. And, you know, there's nothing like, it's. It's crazy. Looking back, I bet 15 year old Billy would be like, you're crazy, dude. You're not doing painting shoes.

[Drew Franklin]

What do you mean you're painting? Why would you paint shoes?

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah, and it's like. It's kind of like a full circle moment, you know, meeting some of these, like Kenny Walker. You know, Kenny reached out. I did some Crocs. Some Crocs for him a couple years ago.

[Drew Franklin]

New custom Crocs.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yes, I did.

[Drew Franklin]

I did. Yeah.

[Billy Hobbs]

I did some Crocs with him. Duncan. And his. Nick's is Nick's uniform from the dunk contest. Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

So Kenny Walker having custom crocs might be my favorite thing that will come out of the show.

[Billy Hobbs]

That is dope.

[Drew Franklin]

There is one story that went viral right as the tournament started this year that you were, I guess, a secondary character in. But if everyone remembers, Kobe Brayo just showed up at a woman's house and knocked on her door and surprised her. And I think he actually started at your house, was in your neighborhood. Us through what actually happened for Kobe Bray to just go door to door.

[Billy Hobbs]

This is great. Kobe. Kobe had been to my house probably four or five times, dropping shoes off, and he doesn't really ever come in. You know, I always just walk outside and meet him in the driveway, and we talk for a little bit. And my wife hadn't met him yet, and she was like, I really want to meet him. He's. You know, he seems like a good kid. So he came over, and I was like, here, let's go outside. And we met him outside, and we're talking. And a buddy of mine, Bill Huffman, he lives, like, in the court next to me, and I've coached against him, like, baseball. Our kids, you know, grew up playing together. And he turned around, he didn't know that it was even Kobe sitting there in his car. And he pulled up behind it to talk to me. And then Kobe was like, you want a picture? So Tracy, my wife, walks around, and Kobe gets out, and he's taking a selfie, and Bill was like, oh, my gosh, you've got to come here. And he came over and he took a selfie with him, and he's like, I gotta ask you this. Can you go to my house real quick? Kobe was like, let's do it. I was like, holy crap. You know, he really went. And, you know, so no hesitation at all.

[Drew Franklin]

Just, yeah, where are we going? Following a stranger down the street?

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah. So he drove down there and went to. Went to his house, and Bill said he hid out behind the. Behind the bushes. And Kobe went to the door, and his wife Debbie opened the door, and she's like, oh, my God. Is that really you? You know, and my wife and I waited outside until he came back out. And Kobe stopped and talked to us and he was like, man, that is so awesome. And I'm like, you do. You guys don't really get it, you know, like, he'll have a place here forever, you know, like people in. They are endeared to people here. Like Willie, Willie was another one. When he got, when he came back for the tbt, it was just like, bro, you don't realize, man, like you're in Sacramento walking around, nobody cares. You know, just a seven foot basketball player, you know, like, they see those guys all the time there, you know, it's a pro city. Pro athletes, you come here, you get off the plane and everybody's like, oh my gosh, you're Willie Collinstein. You know, like, dude, you can, you know, you're. You're like, God, here, dude. You come here and you can for real build a life here, man. It's like, people here love you. And I think Kobe's getting that and I think Ortega's getting a little bit of that too. So he's, you know, I think they understand, you know, they get here and there's a. Guys that never dreamed they'd be at uk, you know, these guys didn't, you know, take it. Never thought he'd be here. He's just like, wow, this is insane, man. That the. The fan base and how they kind of come out for everybody's awesome.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I hope Ortega always wandering around your neighborhood. Next season he might be around. Yeah. Please go park in Billy's driveway and go meet the neighbors.

[Billy Hobbs]

Take us. Great, thanks.

[Drew Franklin]

Thanks for hopping on. It was a fun conversation. Learning how the business works, hearing about how, how the athletes get involved and the ones that are nice are nice and the ones that aren't, aren't.

[Billy Hobbs]

Yeah. And the Pope. Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Thanks for.

[Billy Hobbs]

Thank you, guys. I appreciate it.

[Drew Franklin]

Good to have you on. We'll take a quick break. When we come back, we got more, more people on the line. More basketball talk. This is Drew, Jack and Zach on ksr. Welcome back into Kentucky Sports Radio. Drew Franklin here with Jack Pilgrim and Zach Gagan making his KSR radio debut. You having fun so far, Zach? Is this.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah. The. The nervous beat of sweat that was on my back when I walked in is gone. So I'm comfortable now. I've settled in.

[Drew Franklin]

It's just us. I mean, we do rapid reactions out in the freezing cold.

[Zach Geoghegan]

And I am warmer actually, compared to our.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Unable to sweat during those. Because it's so cold.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah. Or the rain is hitting my head. Yeah. So I can't tell at that point.

[Drew Franklin]

But they can't control us here. We're allowed indoors. This is our place. Nobody can tell us what we can and can't do. So it's good to be indoors with you guys talking a little ball first. I have a little bit of a personal thing going on. Personal announcement I want to make. I'm not embarrassed, but I feel like you all are going to look at me like, what have you got into now? I. I will soon make my acting debut in a local production of Romeo and Juliet. Why are you laughing? I didn't even get through the sentence and you're laughing.

[Jack Pilgrim]

What?

[Drew Franklin]

I am in Romeo and Juliet. What is wrong with that? I feel like you don't think I've got the acting chops to pull that off.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I didn't say that. I just.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, well, when you're done laughing, is.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Is Abby gonna be your Juliet? Like, how does.

[Drew Franklin]

No, I'm not Romeo. I actually got turned down for Romeo, but it's for charity.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Are you the tree in the corner?

[Drew Franklin]

No, I've got speaking roles. I have to speak. I have a costume fitting Friday at 12:30. This is a big deal, but it's. It's for charity. It's the Lexington Children's Theater. They caught me at a good time when they asked because I was at home practicing my Hugh Jackman for karaoke night and the SEC tournament, which we didn't get, but I was on my fourth watch of the greatest showman, making sure I perfected the moves, when out of nowhere, I get asked to be in Romeo and Juliet. It's coming up on April 26th. I have my role. I have my script. I've not looked at either of those, but I'm Count Paris. Do you know anything about Count Paris before I start studying for Count Paris?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I. I don't know who that is.

[Drew Franklin]

I don't either.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I'm. My mind. I. I'm short circuiting right now. My mind is. Well, it's like three weeks. It's in.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, I've already missed the first rehearsal. They. They did it during. It was on a morning. They did it during ksr. I'm like, I can't be there before noon, so I'll be at the next rehearsal. Like I said, I have a costume fitting coming up on Friday. That's why our friend Josh Hopkins is going to join us soon. He's going to give me acting tips. But I did ask Chat GPT about Captain Paris. It sounds like I'm a wealthy, well connected person that is seen as a perfect match for Juliet. I guess I'm. I'm trying to get in there, trying to push Romeo out of the way. I want to marry Juliet, but she doesn't love me back. And I think maybe I propose at one point. I'm pretty sure I die. A spoiler alert for people that don't know Romeo and Juliet. It's been a while, but I'll be honest, guys, I'm all nervous. I was excited to commit, but now it's here in front of me and I don't really know what I'm getting myself into.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I hope they continue to schedule these rehearsals during ksr. So you just go in and totally no idea what you're doing. And you just have to, you know, just. Just wing it.

[Drew Franklin]

I felt bad missing the first. It was, it was a read through. You know, you see like other people in my industry, actors, you know, they do like a table read and they're all just in their regular everyday clothes just reading off the paper. I missed that part of it.

[Zach Geoghegan]

So do you remember reading the. The book or watching the movie or anything?

[Drew Franklin]

I watched the. I think I saw.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I didn't read DiCaprio.

[Drew Franklin]

That one. I saw that one. It's also on my to do list to watch at some point before this comes out.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I think that's more the modernized version of the book. So it might not be a one to one comparison if you're trying to. If that's how you're trying to form your audition for. But I think that'll be a very unique Drew Franklin experience. And I'm definitely gonna. Can I buy a ticket? Is this.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, yeah, sure. I never thought you'd ask. You can buy. It's a. For real. It is a fundraiser for the Lexington Children Theater. We can make fun of me, but they call it the curtain call. If you want to go, there's. There's cocktails. There's a live action auction. Not action and live action. There'll be lots of fun. Lctonstage.org is where you can buy tickets if you're interested in going. But it really is. It's needed. They have. They do lots of stuff across the state. They tour a lot of teaching. They got performances on their main stage throughout the year and in school, theater residency, school camps. And this is a big part of their fundraising for the year. And I'm a part of it. And I'm nervous, to be honest. Well, eighth grade Eighth grade, I played a donkey in A Midsummer Night's Dream and I bombed. I think it got to my part and I'd forgotten it didn't work out very well. Yeah, but this one, this is a big deal.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I will be there for the tragedy within the tragedy that is your performance.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I've got faith in Drew. You didn't do you know he's going to nail it?

[Jack Pilgrim]

What if this is like his breakthrough where there's going to be like one really important person in the audience that goes, oh, Broadway. He's. We're like. You're just. You just disappear and you become world famous. You're already like, you know, our famous. But like, imagine just this is. This is your shot to superstar.

[Drew Franklin]

I have gotten into Broadway lately. I went to Hamilton a few years ago. That was really good. I can almost do that start to finish. And I'm not gonna lie. You say that maybe jokingly. Part of me wants this to be the beginning of me taking over the big stage. Maybe I'm a young. Well, not young, but maybe the next Lin Manuel Miranda. Is that his name?

[Zach Geoghegan]

Yeah, sure.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, I got that going on for me. Like I said, Josh Hopkins is going to join us in the second hour. We're going to talk basketball with him. What he's got going on. He's actually in the middle of a shoot this week, maybe even today. So it's nice him. He's gonna volunteer his time, but he's gonna give me some acting tips. But it is a serious event. The curtain call. It's supporting the theater. It operates with its program needs and brings in an average of 50,000 in donations a year. And that's a big night. I guess I'm gonna go help out and hopefully not bum.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Will people be allowed to film your. Your performance?

[Drew Franklin]

Sure. I hope it's.

[Jack Pilgrim]

No, no.

[Drew Franklin]

We're not gonna be in 4K. We're not gonna be in 4K.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Stephen is going to film this whole thing and we're going to rapidly react to it out loud.

[Zach Geoghegan]

I think I should do a rapid reaction outside jmi.

[Drew Franklin]

Can't I regret bringing this up. I regret bringing this up. Someone did on KS board say we should do a rapid reaction to today's show. It'd be like a rapid reaction.

[Zach Geoghegan]

We should do pregame walk and talks on our way here as well. Like really do the whole.

[Drew Franklin]

I've over committed. Speaking of your walk and talk. Shout those out a little bit. You started that this year. It's when I'm on the pregame show. I only get to join you occasionally. But tell us about what you do before basketball games.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Well, we started an undisclosed location that is relatively close to my house, but we just don't want people to know exactly where I live. So we try and keep it a little bit hush hush there. But it's basically just Steven Peak walks backwards down high street for about, you know, a half a mile. And it's me and Jack previewing the game while also ensuring Steven's safety and making sure that he doesn't run into traffic or slip on ice, which has happened, almost happened multiple times. But yeah, so we started doing that this season. It's been a lot of fun. Me and Jack were doing. We were doing our post game TikToks for a little bit at the beginning of the season and then it got too cold to do all that. Those were fun where we just kind of talk around nonsense with people. The 300 people on our TikTok, the KSR TikTok. So. But yeah, we've been really trying to up up our, our coverage from start to finish.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I love the Columbia, Missouri experience when we did our walk and talk where the hill was vertical, where I was.

[Zach Geoghegan]

Trying to pretend I wasn't out of breath.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And yeah, we're live on camera just. So, yeah, it's a lot of fun. We enjoy it.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, we come back more with Jack and Zach and we'll have Josh Hopkins to teach me how to act and when I should start looking at my script. This is ksr. We'll be right back.