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Matt Jones
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Ryan Lemond
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Matt Jones
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Shannon The Dude
Nmlsconsumeraccess.Org welcome to hour two of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.
Ryan Lemond
Welcome back. Hour number two of Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan and Shannon here today. Matt is off. We said we told you this is a week off before football season really gets going. So he took a week off. Drew's off with some family issues and I'm sure he'll talk about when he comes back. Billy, I think is on the Way down here, Shannon. So it's just you and me again now for the rest of the show. But we're joined by a couple of the TBT guys. Khalil Whitney's with us. First, I talked about this. You know, Daron Lamb and DeAndre Ligon were supposed to be here at 10:15.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
I think they're probably still asleep. Possibility, you know, they are the old guys. DeAndre's like almost 40. I think Duron's probably not much younger than that. So the old guys didn't make it. But Khalil Whitney's here again. We'll have another segment with you. Let's get into the weeds with you a little bit. When you were here your freshman season, there were some struggles.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
And you've talked openly about it. Trying to deal with those struggles as a young man all of a sudden facing some adversity for the first time in your life in basketball. What do you think you. How did you grow from that and what did you learn from that experience?
Khalil Whitney
How I grew from it was just. It's hard work. Consistency, just knowing things not gonna happen overnight, just trusting the process. I mean, at the time, I don't think I really trusted the process as much as I should have, but after I did some reflection on it and yeah, I think consistency and just being where my feet are, the two main things that I definitely. I learned from the whole situation. Just patience, just having the right people around you.
Ryan Lemond
Also, was there something that helped you or a teammate that helped you or did anything when you were going through some of that, that you kind of were able to lean on a little bit?
Khalil Whitney
Not necessarily more just. God, myself, just trying to find myself. Times where I was overseas by myself alone, just trying to. Figured all out about myself, you know. But a lot of it was on my own. I didn't really look to a teammate or anyone else to like, like, tell my struggles to. Yeah. Express my emotions to.
Ryan Lemond
If you had to do it over again.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Would there be anything you would do differently or things you wish you could change?
Khalil Whitney
I mean, I feel like everything happens for a reason, but.
Ryan Lemond
Amen.
Khalil Whitney
I mean, if the. If I was getting incentives of like the nil when I was at school, I think things would be much different now, you know?
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. I think the last time we had DeAndre Long, when he was on here a couple months ago, he's like saying. Said the same thing. The man was, where was Nil when I was playing? You know.
Ansley Almanor
So it's crazy.
Ryan Lemond
So when you. Then you go, you Go overseas and you're playing, like you mentioned, you by yourself.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
You already. Since you went through some of that tough times, I guess it helped you grow as a person. Not necessarily as a basketball player, but grow as a person, definitely. How did that help?
Khalil Whitney
Just dealing with everyday life, like, throughout the whole process, I had to work a regular job as a security at this nightclub in Jersey. So, like, just knowing, like, you know, that the opportunity may not be there at the time, but you got to keep pressing and pressing every day and building something every day, whether that's basketball or just real life, you know? You know, and it helped me with my siblings, just trying to instill in them consistency that that wins the game. I got two little brothers and a little sister.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah.
Khalil Whitney
Really close with them. And, yeah, I speak that to them every day. Like, just being consistent. Hard work is going to get you where you need to get now.
Ryan Lemond
Is this your first time back in Lexington?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Since you played here?
Khalil Whitney
Since I played here, yes, sir.
Ryan Lemond
I mean, you come walking in, you got a Kentucky shirt on. You got a Kentucky hat on. Do you. Do you feel like you're a Kentucky Wildcat?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, I feel like I'm a Kentucky Wildcat again. I'm embracing everything, actually. Some of the guys gave us some gear yesterday at the little event, so that was dope, man. I get to rock my Kentucky Blue again.
Ryan Lemond
So you had the charity game, the All Star Game fans coming up to you. I mean, like, you said you wanted to kind of feel the love that you kind of missed out on when you were here. A little bit, for sure. Did you feel it?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, I felt it. I think it'll be even bigger once we get to start playing and winning. So, like I said, I'm forever grateful.
Ryan Lemond
Let's talk about that. How's the team? You just started practice, what, on Wednesday? Monday.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
How are things going so far?
Khalil Whitney
Everything's been good. I feel like we got a group of guys that want to play together and actually want to bond together and win. So I think guys in this team, not afraid to make sacrifices for the bigger goal of the team. So I think that's a huge advantage for us.
Ryan Lemond
How are the old guys holding up? Duron, DeAndre, Willie, some of these older guys, the twins, are they holding up all right?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, they still at it, man. They still getting to it, still aggressive. And that's what you like to see out of those guys, because Those are the OGs or the Veterans of our team, and those are the guys that start the things for us when 20.
Ryan Lemond
Beckham called you to try to convince you to come and play. I mean how'd that make you feel? Were you excited? You were anxious to get back here to Lexington when you started your career?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, I was anxious and a little nervous at the same time as like just coming back to UK after, you know, me leaving, not really knowing how the fans or the city was going to react. So like I said, they embraced me and I'm glad to be here.
Ryan Lemond
How's Sean woods is the coach? I know Sean woods is a high intensity.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah man, I love him, I love him.
Ryan Lemond
Do you talk about that a little bit?
Ansley Almanor
I love him.
Khalil Whitney
He's a high energy guy. He know what he know what he want out of his team and we know what to expect from him as a coach. So I always love playing for high energy coaches and coaches that demand, demand play and demand like progression from you. So I think this is a perfect coach for our team and the type of team that we have with the.
Ryan Lemond
Type of guys do you feel pretty good about you can make a big run with this team then for sure. You know, last year Nate Sistina kind of surprised everybody became kind of the most valuable player.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Who's that guy this year you think?
Khalil Whitney
I don't know. We got a huge great group of guys and I feel like any one of us can, can, can have that game where it could have a great stretch of five to six games and be that guy. So I don't know, that's pretty much up in the air.
Ryan Lemond
Do you know who Jesser is or Jesser was? Yes, Shannon, we're just the old guys. We don't know who Jesser. We didn't even know who he was.
Shannon The Dude
Were you excited to have Jesser on the team? Was that, I mean, you know who he is? I mean I don't.
Khalil Whitney
I just seen him. Yeah, I just seen him on TikTok a few times. I didn't really know much. I didn't even know he played basketball. So I mean when he said he was on a team I'm like, oh, it's cool. Like we have a famous YouTuber on the team. But yeah, that's about it.
Ryan Lemond
Now I will say this. I think, you know, the Kentucky basketball fans have always had a soft spot in our heart for you because we felt, we felt what you were feeling, you know, and you were struggling a little bit. We could see, you know, you were getting down. I think I've always, like I said, had a soft spot for you and I think, I think you're going to feel that now that you're back in town, being back in front of the fans and feel that love again.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
How's that make you feel?
Khalil Whitney
It feels, it feels awesome. Like, I kind of agree that. I feel like the fans do have a little soft spot for me ever since I came here just with the Dragon, with the whole Dragon movement. Everybody loved that. And then. Yeah, I feel like ever since I stepped on campus, the fans were treating me great. And I feel like this time around would be even better. So.
Ryan Lemond
Dude, once Kentucky Wildcat, you're always a Kentucky Wildcat.
Khalil Whitney
Yes, sir.
Ryan Lemond
And you're going to feel that now the rest of your life. I just, I love the fact Cheney walks up wearing Kentucky hat. Kentucky shirt, guys, Kentucky gear on.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah. He's still one of us. Obviously he feels the love coming back and, you know, that's what these tbt, you know, games are all about, is showing these guys the love and appreciation for their time that they played here.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, we appreciate you one. You were 30 minutes early. I really appreciate that. Yes, sir. Go wake up Duron and DeAndre. Go find them somewhere. Your times practice today, 130. Is there just one practice today?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, one practice today and a scrimmage.
Ryan Lemond
So we can't talk about the scrimmage against maybe another team here in town?
Khalil Whitney
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Is that today?
Khalil Whitney
Maybe.
Ryan Lemond
Who knows?
Ansley Almanor
Maybe.
Ryan Lemond
Who knows?
Ansley Almanor
Okay.
Ryan Lemond
All right. All right. Khalil Whitney, man, thank you very much. Good catching up with you. Best of luck to you. Where are you living at now?
Khalil Whitney
I'm in Chicago.
Ryan Lemond
It's back at home in Chicago, baby. Living with your ground and where you grew up.
Khalil Whitney
Yeah, I'm in the inner city with my grandma.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, Very cool.
Khalil Whitney
Yes, sir.
Ryan Lemond
Good to catch up with you, man. Proud of you, dude. You came out of it. You're a better person. You're a better player and proud of you what you did with your life.
Khalil Whitney
Appreciate it.
Ryan Lemond
Thanks for having me, Khalil Whitney. We'll take our break. Come back. Ansley Almanor, the young pup on the crew. He's gonna join us. We come back here on Kentucky Sports Radio.
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Matt Jones
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself? Talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com, match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code space80@talkspace.com welcome back Kentucky Sports.
Ryan Lemond
Just finished with Khalil Whitney at this TBT week here in Lexington. The guys play Friday night at 9, probably like 9:30 for the tip off at historic Memorial Coliseum. Great catching up with Khalil Whitney. His first time he's been on the show and now we got another first timer joining us. Ansley Almanor. You're the, you're the baby on the team. Ansley, you're the rookie, you're the young guy on the team. How's it been going?
Ansley Almanor
It's been going well, you know, great being around all these Kentucky legends and you know, just trying to soak in as much as I can.
Ryan Lemond
I love that when you signed to play at Kentucky, you said some things were like, I already knew you appreciated what it meant to put on that jersey and play here. What was that feeling like for you?
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, it felt great. Like I always said, you know, it's just been a dream for me to be able to play at this level and put on a procedure jersey, like the University of Kentucky jersey, you know, so, like a college basketball and just me having an opportunity to represent you guys, it just meant the world to me.
Ryan Lemond
What was. What was going through your head when Coach Pope first reaches out to you a year ago, trying to convince you to come here?
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, it was. I didn't even believe it. I couldn't believe it was like, really the University of Kentucky, like, it was just. Especially in a portal. It was just a whole bunch of ups and downs. Just so much movement and so many people reaching out and just actually seeing that UK logo, it was crazy because.
Ryan Lemond
You had to look at the roster and know, okay, I may not start, but I want to go to Kentucky and help this Kentucky basketball program and Coach Pope, what he's starting to do here.
Ansley Almanor
No, that's exactly how I thought. You know, I just want to go out there and help, because knowing that University of Kentucky, like, there's a lot of people who didn't start and still made it to, oh, yeah, high levels. And I know that just me being able to make an impact on this team, help this team win, it would still go a long way in my career moving forward.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, you know, we've had guys that had mediocre careers here and ended up being NBA stars. You know, Shay Gilles Alexander wasn't a. He didn't even start when he first got here. So what. What. What did you finally decide? Like, you could have gone anywhere else and started. Probably a lot of teams went in. You could have started. Why did you want to come here?
Ansley Almanor
Just knowing the background, you know, just knowing the history of this program. You know, it's a blue blood V. Blue blood. You could say, like, greatest tradition in college basketball history. Just seeing the pedigree you had with players and championships and just seeing how BBN is, like, I felt like I just. I couldn't pass the opportunity up. I feel like God put this in my. In my face so that, you know, I could take advantage of it.
Ryan Lemond
I've never seen a team go through as many injuries as you guys had this past year. It had to be frustrating, man, when you're sick, because, you know, you could do something special. But the injuries kept stacking up.
Ansley Almanor
They did. They did. It sucked, man. We feel like without injuries, you definitely, like, for sure a Final Four team, so it just. It sucks that, you know, you have to go through that, but, you know, Every team has their own. Has their own vices. So, you know, it was, it was still a good experience. You know, we still went out there and gave it our all, but obviously the injuries sucked.
Ryan Lemond
You guys were. Seemed like you were so a tight knit group. You had to feel for Lamont, Jackson and Kerr when they went down like that.
Ansley Almanor
No, I definitely had. Definitely felt for them. Like you said, we're very tight knit. They're like my brother. So just them going out, them being hurt, it just really hurt us. You know, it sucks seeing him go down, but we tried our best to have the next man up mentality and just, you know, do what we could.
Ryan Lemond
When you're here for just one year, like most of you guys were, how did, how did you guys get so close? How did you develop that bond?
Ansley Almanor
You know, Coach Pope had us doing a lot of bonding activities. You know, had us living together, eating together all the time. Just we spent a lot of time off the court together and on the court, we were just, you know, it translated to being on the court. So we spent so much time together, we learned about each other and we just became a family over that short span of time. It was really, over the summer, a lot, a lot of that just got built. And as the year went on, we just continued to get closer and closer.
Ryan Lemond
What were some of the bonding activities? I know you guys went to the lake one time, I think, didn't you?
Ansley Almanor
What else did you do that, you know, we went to, like, you know, we used to go bowling, movies, go to team dinners, go to each other's houses. There's a whole bunch of stuff like that.
Ryan Lemond
Who is the kind of the. The leader of you guys when you're off the court like that? Like you're going to the lake and the movies and bowling?
Ansley Almanor
Oh, it's probably Andrew Carr.
Ryan Lemond
Andrew Carr.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah. We call my team dad.
Ryan Lemond
Well, you guys, I mean, you were the oldest team I think we've ever had here. A bunch of old guys.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, he was pretty old for sure.
Ryan Lemond
What was, what was your biggest and your most exciting moment you had as a player here at Kentucky?
Ansley Almanor
Just, I mean, obviously the whole season just was a great, exciting experience. Ups and downs, embrace it all. Thankful for, you know, just being a part of it. But I feel like my favorite moment was probably being Tennessee at home. I felt like that. The crowd energy. Yeah, just that win, you know, being against the ropes, you know, underdogs, injuries, all that. And then them coming in here, we just beating them like that. It definitely was probably my favorite Moment all year, Shannon.
Ryan Lemond
I'm telling you, when everybody mentions Ansley Almanor, the one thing I want to think of hitting a three pointer deep in the corner. Coffin corner. Three pointer. It's good, Shannon. That's what we're going to remember him for.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, there's no doubt about it. So I'm sure you're excited about the TBT coming up. You know, last year Kentucky played Louisville. We want to see that again. We want you guys to be able to take down Louisville because, you know, in the summer when there's nothing going on, Kentucky versus Louisville in basketball. That's why these, these, these games are so much fun. So I want you to promise us now, if we got to take on Louisville, you guys are going to beat those dirty birds, right?
Ansley Almanor
Nah, for sure, for sure. You know what it is, man? We don't got to speak on it. We know exactly what it is.
Ryan Lemond
How long did it take you to understand what this rivalry with Louisville was all about once you got here?
Ansley Almanor
Once we went to the TPT game last year. Yeah, it was crazy. That was like a crazy, crazy environment for like a TBT game. We didn't know that's how it got.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, Coach Pope took all you guys to Louisville. Well, first you went to the Rupp arena to watch the team play. Kind of got sucked in a little bit. Then they took you to Louisville to watch the team play. He understood what the rivalry was all about with the fans and everything.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, that was crazy.
Ryan Lemond
Do you have any idea watching him play last year? You're gonna be on the team this year.
Ansley Almanor
Nah, I had no idea. It's crazy how life works, you know, I had no idea I'd be able to be. Be on this team with these legends. So I'm just very grateful for the opportunity.
Ryan Lemond
You're the baby. They poke at you a little bit?
Ansley Almanor
Not really. Not really. It's crazy from going to. From being an old guy to the baby.
Ryan Lemond
That's true. Yeah. You were the old guy last year. Now you're the baby on the team.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
And listen, Coach Pope's probably not listening. Tell us a good Pope story. Coach Pope story.
Ansley Almanor
I mean, we got. There's a lot of good stories.
Ryan Lemond
Is he as big as nerd as he seems?
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, yeah, he is. He is. But nah, just. I remember after Ole Miss when he came into the locker room, he started throwing chairs around, punching the board and stuff. That was crazy.
Ryan Lemond
He did talk about that. Yeah. He uncharacteristically tried to punch a boy through some chairs and punch A whiteboard.
Ansley Almanor
But we needed it, though, and we changed right after that game.
Ryan Lemond
What makes him special, what makes him.
Ansley Almanor
A good coach, like how he is in interviews, how he is to the people is how he treats us. You know, he treats us with utmost respect. Doesn't talk down on his players. He's always trying to help everybody get better. And like you said, he's just. He's very knowledgeable about the game. He knows so much about the game. He played at the highest level, so he knows what he's talking about. So it's just, you know, it's just he's a great coach, and I feel like he's going to accomplish what he needs to accomplish very soon.
Ryan Lemond
It's amazing. That roster he put together last year as an outsider looking in was amazing. He was recruiting pieces, pieces to his puzzle. You know, he needed a knockdown shooter. Boom. Angeli Almanor. We'll go get him. I need a good passer in the post. Boom. Amari Williams. We'll go get him. I need a good point guard. Boom. Go get Lamont Butler. He really just. The way he went out and got those individual pieces was kind of amazing to watch it formulate and put it all together last year.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, he did a great job. The whole staff did a great job of just, you know, finding the right pieces for each position and, you know, making it all come together. Like I said, if we didn't have any injuries, he definitely would have been a final 14, probably national championship.
Ryan Lemond
So what's after this week? TBT. What's next for you after TBT?
Ansley Almanor
I'm just trying to play professionally, so hopefully this opportunity helps me land somewhere, maybe overseas or a G league or something like that. So we'll see.
Ryan Lemond
Still talking to some teams, Just trying to figure it out right now.
Ansley Almanor
Yes. My. I got an agent, so he's out there pushing me to a lot of teams. So where.
Ryan Lemond
Where you. Where you been living at since the season ended?
Ansley Almanor
I've been in New York. Home? Yeah, I've been training. Home. Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
I didn't know if you'd stay stuck around here. We're playing pickup with the guys here.
Ansley Almanor
No, no, no, no. I left, like, in May. After I graduated, I left.
Ryan Lemond
So what's the TBT team look like so far?
Ansley Almanor
Looks pretty good. You know, like Claire was saying, there's a lot of great guys, a lot of great pieces, players are unselfish, and we all got one goal. We trying to win this whole thing. So it's just great seeing, like, how people are just Putting. Putting the team before themselves, and I feel like we're really going to go far in this tournament.
Ryan Lemond
Did you get to meet the twins and Willie last year? Like, did you know him a little bit or you just getting to know him right now?
Ansley Almanor
Oh, no, I met him a little bit last year. Definitely spoke, like, a little bit last year. But now it's, you know, seeing him more in depth and talking them a little more and actually, you know, have.
Ryan Lemond
A conversation with them, you know, because Willie was. When he was here, he was a freak. He's out there, he's seven foot tall. He's guarding point guards, locking down point guards. The dude is just. Could do things athletically that most dudes just can't do.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah. Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Did you know about them when they were here? You were. You were pretty young. Did you watch them?
Ansley Almanor
Young, but I definitely did watch them. I remember them for sure. It was iconic, you know, the twins was iconic game winners. Willie was like, I remember that team vividly. So, yeah.
Ryan Lemond
I was gonna ask you, what are your earliest memories of Kentucky basketball growing up in New York?
Ansley Almanor
Earliest memories, probably, like, even ad blocking all those shots in national championship game. John Wall, his D. Like.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, you can remember. You remember his dance.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah. Dance show.
Ryan Lemond
You knew it before you got here.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
And you knew Anthony Davis before you got here.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ryan Lemond
It's always interesting be. To. To talk to guys that don't grow up in Kentucky. You grew up in New York.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
What did. What was your thoughts about Kentucky basketball?
Ansley Almanor
It just was the big, like, it was the biggest thing, you know, like refereeing national. National. National league, televised games always, like, it's just the big thing. It's like. Like I said, the mecca of college basketball. That's how I thought of it. Even in New York, you just know it. You see it. Everybody think about Kentucky. It's like, oh, wow, it's Kentucky.
Ryan Lemond
So when coach Pope calls you to talk about coming in, did you commit immediately because he wanted to be a part of Kentucky basketball?
Ansley Almanor
It took because I obviously was not the only school recruiting me, but I just after, like, coming here and seeing it, like, in person, it was like, yeah, it has to be. Just has to be what I. What I do, you know, that's where.
Ryan Lemond
People that don't like the transfer portal, guys like you, is a reason. The transfer portal is a good thing.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
You know, you're done at Fairleigh Dickinson. You had a good career there. You're still good enough to play here. The transfer portal allows you to transfer to a School like Kentucky and be able to play for a team like Kentucky.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, exactly. You know, I feel like it helps the players a lot. People who don't like it is really. Because they. They probably. They don't really like the empowerment of players, but I feel like it helps players a lot.
Ryan Lemond
What, you know, you got to the Sweet 16 this year. Kind of a bittersweet ending after losing to Tennessee. What are your. What are your thoughts about the March Madness run? Were you please. Satisfied with. Or you leave leave kind of an empty feeling or how do you take.
Ansley Almanor
Definitely empty feeling because, you know, like I said, I felt like we could have been like a Final four team for sure. And just going out to. To Tennessee like that after beating them twice, definitely sucked. But it was like, you know, I haven't been to C16 in a while over here, so.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, right.
Ansley Almanor
Definitely getting, you know, University of Kentucky basketball back on the right track, so that's definitely a good thing. So I guess you could say, like you said, a bittersweet moment, bittersweet feeling.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. It'd been a minute since Kentucky been to the sweet 16.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Coach Pope had never even won an NCAA tournament game.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, true.
Ryan Lemond
So that was kind of, you know, you got to. Gave him and gave the fans a little something. You know, I said this before on this show. This first recruiting class may go down as his most important class that he'll ever have here because he went out and got you guys to put Kentucky basketball back on the map and more importantly, get the fans back on board. And you guys, I think, is why every. You'll feel the love. They're gonna love your. Your class, you guys, what you did for this program in this state.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
You feel that?
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, definitely, Definitely feel that. Definitely feel that. They always. They call us a whole bunch of different names for us, the foundation, this to that. So this is definitely, definitely cool to see how much they appreciated us.
Ryan Lemond
Who was your. Who was your hangout guy on the team last year?
Ansley Almanor
Probably a couple hang out with Jax a lot. Ortega, pg.
Ryan Lemond
What do you think about those two guys in this year? Ortega and Brandon?
Ansley Almanor
Yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be really. I'm excited to watch them play. So I feel like, you know, they. They've made some big jumps, and I'm excited to see what they get to do.
Ryan Lemond
Have you had a chance to watch the team practice, give us a little scouting report on the team coming back next year?
Ansley Almanor
We haven't really got to watch watch yet, so we'll see, like, as the week goes on. We wait, wait to see like.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, I think you'll get to see him up close and personal. Maybe later today.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah. Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Listen, man, thank you so much. It was great catching up with you. You're the baby on the team.
Ansley Almanor
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
You had a great season. Congratulations on what you did with Kentucky Wildcats. And like I said, fans will forever be thankful for what you and that class did for this team, this program.
Ansley Almanor
Thanks for having me appreciate you having me appreciate it.
Ryan Lemond
Ansley Almanor, part of the TBT team. They play Friday night at Memorial Coliseum. You can get tickets. Tickets are still available as Pac Memorial Coliseum, they play at 9 o'. Clock. Game will probably be like at 9:30 probably. And if they win, when they win, they play Sunday. When they win that one, they play Tuesday and then that'll ship them off to Louisville to play the Dirty Birds after that. So, man, we appreciate. How's Coach woods been, by the way?
Ansley Almanor
He's cool. He's definitely like his energy. I like his passion. You know, it's good to have something like that, especially when you're trying to win a, win a national championship. I mean, not a national, but I win, like win the tournament. Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Anthony Almanar, we're right back. Wrap it up here on Kentucky sports radio. Goodbye. T.J. smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J. he'll make him pay.
Shannon The Dude
Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.
Ryan Lemond
Matt Jones out and about this week. So you got Ryan and Shannon today here on Kentucky Sports Radio. And you know, Shannon, at Stockton Mortgage, they believe trust is built file by file. That means doing the right thing even when no one else is watching and helping every borrower borrower feel seen, heard and supported. Dr. Mortgage believes you should understand your loan, not just sign for it. Not just sign a bunch of papers. They'll take the time to explain your options clearly so that you can make the best decision for your life, not just your loan. Learn more at Stockton mortgage. Go to stockton.com Stockton Mortgage NMLS 8259 equal housing lender NMLS consumeraccess.org Shannon we were talking during the break. Those two guys were awesome. Whitney and Ansley Almanor, they've never been on the show before. We got to kind of know them more as a person. I enjoyed getting to know both of them.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, great job with that. And you know, both guys bringing a different experience to the table. You know, with Ansley Aminor just playing here a few months ago with, with Mark Pope and Khalil Whitney coming back. So great to have both of those guys back. Have we heard anything about Liggins and Lamb? Are they still going to be on.
Ryan Lemond
The show today or they may still be asleep.
Shannon The Dude
Okay.
Ryan Lemond
I think maybe they might be. Yeah, still sleeping right now or maybe they're waiting on their Uber downtown to get out here. So, yeah, I enjoyed, you know, Kalitney and Ansley, both their stories are a little similar. You know, Ansley wanted to come here to feel the love of big blue nation. Khalil wanted to come back, play for the TBT to feel that love of the big blue nation that he missed out on. So both these guys were really similar in that aspect that they wanted just to play for Kentucky and put on that Kentucky jersey.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah. And I think they're definitely going to feel the love because, you know, we take this stuff seriously this tbt. Some teams are out here just to have fun. You know, anytime we're talking about Kentucky players, whether current or former players, us fans want them to win. So it's, you know, it's a serious thing here.
Ryan Lemond
859-280-2287. We got a couple segments here. We'll take a couple phone calls if you want to. 859-280-2287. The Clark's Pumping Shop phone number. Shannon announced earlier, though, that his chair is back down there in front of his condo in Panama City, Florida, but still doesn't have an answer why it disappeared and came back yet. Is that correct?
Shannon The Dude
Yeah. I'm not sure if somebody is like jamming my ring doorbell camera or what, but it's mysteriously back. And you know what? I'm fine with that as long as they returned it. I mean, they could have just asked if they wanted to borrow it. So that's an unsolved mystery for sure.
Ryan Lemond
Unsolved mystery.
Shannon The Dude
There's.
Ryan Lemond
Now, there's another thing. Go ahead.
Shannon The Dude
No, go ahead. There's another unsolved mystery, right?
Ryan Lemond
Yes, there's another unsolved mystery. When Drew and I were doing the show Monday at University Club for the Jacob Tammy Swing for Soldiers event, we mentioned that there was a very awkward on people trying to decipher what that awkward moment was. I think I can kind of share it without really embarrassing the parties involved. But if you want to know what was going on. Do we tell you what was going on, Shannon?
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, like I knew what was going on even though I wasn't there. You guys told me during the break.
Ryan Lemond
Well, when we were, when we arrived, they said, you know, we can have Jacob Tammy at this time, we can have one of the soldiers that benefited from a Home for the Troops program. And then the head of the Home for the troops, they said we could have him on the show. Well, we never agreed that we would have him. He comes over and gives us both his business card and says, yeah, I'm ready. Anytime you need me to come on, I'll be ready. And then he sat down, like, right in front of us, like, literally five feet away from us, and was just staring at us the whole time as we finished that last 30 minutes of the show, 45 minutes of the show. He would just kind. So that. So that was the awkward moment that was going on at the golf tournament on Monday.
Shannon The Dude
So you didn't make eye contact with them. You just kind of just looked the other way and pretended he wasn't there. Is that. Is that how you handled the situation?
Ryan Lemond
I turned my complete back to him so I didn't have to look at it. Or.
Shannon The Dude
Or did you blame it on the producer and say, you know, look, the producer says, we just don't have enough time for you today. Is that because I figured that's something you might pull.
Ryan Lemond
Oh, I did do that afterwards.
Shannon The Dude
Oh, you did?
Ryan Lemond
After the show.
Shannon The Dude
I know you well.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah, after the show. I said, man, I'm sorry, producer. We went along with the soldier. Brent, Brett, sorry, man. We just didn't have time for you. Then he goes, oh, don't worry about it. I understand. It's radio. It's live radio. So, yeah, you did take the fall for it.
Shannon The Dude
No, I appreciate that. Thanks for throwing me under the bus when I wasn't even there.
Ryan Lemond
859-280-2287. We'll take some calls now. Shannon, just let me know. We got a couple calls. Come on. But SEC football media days is going on down in Atlanta. Kentucky does not take the. Did you hear that, by the way, that noise?
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, a little bit.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. They're doing some work in KS Bar and Grill, and it's like, right behind me inside. SEC football media. Kentucky takes this podium Thursday. They're the last one on Thursday. Late afternoon. Mark Pope, Jordan Lovett, Josh Cattus, and Alex Afari. I'll take the stand, but I thought something very funny happened. Funny. I mean, here. First of all, the SEC football media days is a waste of time. It is a total waste of time. The coaches don't say anything. The players don't say anything. We used to go to it when I was at channel 18 and finally realized we are wasting money and time. We Know there's nothing you can get out of this. They send out a feed. You can record the feed and not go down there at all. So there's my soapbox about the SEC football media days. But I thought there was something very funny that happened yesterday. Did you hear what happened when Steve Sarkazian was introduced as the Texas head football coach?
Shannon The Dude
Oh, yeah. They played the wrong theme song, didn't they? The wrong fight song.
Ryan Lemond
They played the Texas A M fight song. Not just the wrong song. They played the Texas A M fight song, which Steve Sarcasian was introduced yesterday. Okay, so conspiracy theory. Was that on purpose or was that a total accident?
Shannon The Dude
Was A M. Were they also the same day? Like, is there any way that maybe that that music was queued up? Because they were. Now, I don't.
Ryan Lemond
I don't think it was the same day. I think. I don't think tech. I. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Texas A and M took the podium yesterday. I think that was.
Shannon The Dude
Maybe whoever's ever in just, you know, in charge is just trolling, I think.
Ryan Lemond
I see. I knew you'd take that theory. That's possible. Whoever was in charge of the music slipped up, quote, unquote, at an accident and played Texas A and M music instead of Texas music.
Shannon The Dude
You think that person's looking for a job today?
Ryan Lemond
Amen. There's nobody's looking for a. That'd be like if you only introduce Mark Stoops and they play the Louisville fight song, he walks up to the podium or something like that. So I don't know if that was an accident or not.
Shannon The Dude
I lean. No, I think that was probably on purpose. They knew what they were doing. I mean, how hard is it to hit the right button, you know? I mean, sometimes you. You know, if you screw up, I think you would catch it and turn it off. Right. You wouldn't just let it keep playing. Unless you don't know the difference.
Ryan Lemond
I totally agree.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, you.
Ryan Lemond
Within one second, you know you're playing the wrong song, you got to flip it and play the text because they. They obviously had them all loaded up, ready to go.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah. Yeah. You think that maybe somebody mislabeled it and gave, like, the wrong school matching up with the wrong song? You think that on purpose?
Ryan Lemond
Not on accident. On purpose.
Shannon The Dude
Okay, so you're saying this is 100 on purpose?
Ryan Lemond
I think it's a troll move. I'm gonna believe it's a troll move. You just don't mess up something like that. Texas A and M And Texas fight songs. I think it's totally, totally done on purpose.
Shannon The Dude
Now we got a couple of calls. Let's go to Craig. Hey, Craig.
Ryan Lemond
Craig, go ahead.
G
Hey, thanks for taking the call. First time. Appreciate you calling, I'm sure. Yeah, thanks for. Yeah, I appreciate that. Thanks for calling. A long time listener on. On the podcast, so not able to always dial in on live, but thanks for taking a call nonetheless. Unsure if this is like a ask anything kind of day, but I listened to yesterday's call with Myron talking about the top five. Who's. Everybody's top five, Right. And I just think that that is just kind of a. It's just a swirl. But, you know, this is the time of the year where, you know, you kind of need to. Need to find something. But I think what possibly might be a more. Well, to me might be a more interesting question I'd like to get your thoughts on. It is of the, of the seasons that Cal had and the players that came through this place. What, what season teams do you think Patino would have won a national championship with that? Cal didn't. I just kind of want to get your thoughts.
Shannon The Dude
Well, 2015 to start. Thanks for the call, Craig.
Ryan Lemond
Appreciate it.
Shannon The Dude
Patino would have won with that 38 and one team.
Ryan Lemond
There's. There's probably. Brian Lane would have won with the 38. 1 team. No one did disrespect to Brian Lane, but yeah, that team was unbelievable. You know, I don't blame Cal for the loss on. In John Wall's team. I mean, that team just got. They just had a bad shooting night against a team that was shooting lights out. And that pitch noggle guy played the game of his life against DeMarcus. I just think that's. I don't blame that on Cal, to be honest. The only one I think I would pin on him would be that, that Wisconsin loss because, you know, he. He made the move to air the ball out, you know, and get time off the clock. And that led to a couple shot clock violations and a couple turnovers. I mean, you could, you can kind of place them on that one. The other team, I think was his best, you know, the 2012, obviously one, but 2017 with Fox, Monk and Bam.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
Could Patino have done something wrong with that? Maybe. You know, who knows about that? What do you think?
Shannon The Dude
I've always wondered. You know, it's fun to look back and think, okay, if Patino didn't leave after 97, you know, after that, after that season and stayed here all this time, how many championships would he have had? I think you give them the 2012 team, right? I think that's a title.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah.
Shannon The Dude
I think 2015 is one. Yeah. There's an argument for 2017 as well. You know, I think he gets at least. At least two more if he were.
Ryan Lemond
Still here and what. What Cal Perry did with the 2014 team, you know, that team kind of struggled during the season a little bit. Julius Randall kind of drugged him to the championship game. I don't know if Patino could have done that. That may have been something that Cal was able to do. Cal took the 20, you know, the. Brandon 19, the 2011 team to the Final Four. Maybe Cal couldn't have done that, you know, I don't know. It's a good question. Both guys are just different, you know, Cal's such a great recruiter and Patino's maybe more of a better game.
Shannon The Dude
Game coach, for sure. Adjustments, drawing.
Ryan Lemond
But I've always thought this, Shannon. I don't know if Patino would have won the 98 title, but without Tubby. I think Tubby won that because of what he was able to do with those guys, you know, I don't know if Patino could have done it with.
Shannon The Dude
Those guys, you know? Yeah, I think I disagree with you on that. I think he would have won 98 too. I mean, he had so many. Any good players? So many. I mean, a lot of those guys were Patino's players, too. Let's keep that in mind. So that's true. I think he could have still won at 98 if he were still around. So I would say. I said 2. I forgot about 98. So I guess I would say 3. I think he would get 98.
Ryan Lemond
Let's get another call if we take a break. Who we got?
Shannon The Dude
Let's go to Steve.
Ryan Lemond
Steve. Go ahead, Steve.
G
Okay. My oldest was just recently named head.
Ryan Lemond
Coach at Frederick Douglas, I believe it is. And I was head coach of what?
G
You know, what are the prospects this year?
Shannon The Dude
He's not listening to you. Head coach of what?
Ryan Lemond
Head coach of what sport?
G
I apologize. The head coach of the boys high.
Ryan Lemond
School basketball team there, Frederick Douglass. He's not the head coach.
G
For the boys basketball team.
Ryan Lemond
It's Murray Garvin. Is it not.
G
Okay?
Shannon The Dude
I may.
Ryan Lemond
I don't know. I. Wait, wait, wait.
G
Whoever this is, okay, Whoever it is. What school? They've had like four coaches in the last four years.
Ryan Lemond
That's Frederick Douglass. Unless Coach Garvin has just re. Retired and left somebody. They hired somebody that I'm not aware of. So, Shannon, I don't know about this call.
G
Coach Q is, is the man.
Ryan Lemond
And Coach Pugh, what's his first name? He doesn't know.
Ansley Almanor
Okay.
Ryan Lemond
Appreciate the phone call. That's our whiskey thief. Not call of the day. But unless something happened recently that I'm not aware of, I think they still got the same coach. But he said it was his oldest son, so he should probably know better than me.
Shannon The Dude
I think we just have everybody call up and just dispute who's the high school basketball coach with Ryan.
Ryan Lemond
Well, Coach Q is now the new head coach at Dunbar. I know that one because he's a friend of the show. He's a friend of the of all of us. So I know at least he's at Dunbar. I'm going to do some research. We take a break. We'll take our break. Come back. Final segment. Phone lines are open. 859-280-2287. Ryan and Shannon here on Kentucky Sports Radio.
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Matt Jones
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Ryan Lemond
Final segment here, Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan and Shannon joined by Billy our sports. But who's this segment sponsored by Shannon.
Shannon The Dude
Our friends at DraftKings. Nothing says summer days like clothes, clutch plays, firing off a few bets on the game, all with DraftKings sportsbook. If you've never bet on baseball before, well, you can't bet on it today because there's nothing going on.
Ryan Lemond
Nothing.
Shannon The Dude
But when the season starts back, I think it's on Friday, you can bet on all the games with live betting, same game parlays, player props, all on the Draft King sportsbook with promo code KSR. You throw that in, you bet $5. Boom. You get 150 in bonus bets instantly. It's that easy. All there for you with fast and easy payouts on the DraftKings sportsbook. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER 18/ Kentucky only eligibility restrictions apply. New customers only bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms, responsible gaming resources c DKNG co/audio. Ryan, I'm glad that I didn't take the under on skiing's. Was it one and a half strikeout?
Ryan Lemond
One and a half strikeout.
Shannon The Dude
He got two in the first inning.
Ryan Lemond
He threw two in the first inning.
Shannon The Dude
See, that would have been my luck. I would have taken the under. I did get two. You did. I took the under and you lost.
Ryan Lemond
I bet a whole cool $2 on the under and use the 50% profit boost. I thought he would just throw fastballs and they would, you know, at least hit a pop up or ground ball. So yeah, win that money back on the Rockies games.
Ansley Almanor
Right.
Ryan Lemond
I bet the Rockies to lose. I'm still going to do it every single game. I know I, after I say this, they're going to go on a great winning streak. But you know, you win a dollar at a time, it adds up a little bit. Money line or mostly? Yeah. Yeah. Making much money? No, I get like a dollar. I win, I get dollars. Yeah. Billy our sports who's joined us?
Shannon The Dude
Hey, do you have any hard hitting topics for this last four minutes of the show?
Ryan Lemond
You said you had a topic and you've been waiting to usually want to use it now or wait until tomorrow?
Shannon The Dude
It don't matter. Our boy Drew wrote us and he said that, you know, he'd love to hear your thoughts on this Annabelle story. So do you want to talk about tomorrow or do you want to talk about it today?
Ryan Lemond
I don't even know what the Annabelle story is.
Shannon The Dude
Well, Billy and I talked about it on the pre show a little bit, and Billy, you can help me kind of fill in the. The blanks here that I may miss, but Annabelle is this raggedy and doll that's supposedly demonic, Right? It's. It's. I guess. What would you call it, Billy? Just.
Ryan Lemond
That's the right word for it.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah.
Ryan Lemond
In the past, it's moved across rooms. It stabbed a police officer.
Shannon The Dude
I mean, allegedly. Yeah, allegedly. If you've seen the movie Annabelle, this Raggedy Ann doll is. Is basically what it's based off of. And they're taking this doll around on a tour, I guess, for like paranormal investigators to, I don't know, look at or take pictures with whatever it is. Anyway, the guy who is taking this doll on this tour mysteriously just died out of the blue unexpectedly. And now a lot of people are saying that it's because he moved this doll. And I think we need Ryan Lemon's take on this. Is this dollar really possessed or what's going on with this story? Don't you think that's kind of crazy? This guy just out of the blue just died while he took the doll on tour.
Ryan Lemond
I think it's crazy that people think the doll did it. Yes, I think that is crazy. I can. I can be led to believe about ghosts, spirits, things that happen, the paranormal, but a doll that comes to life and kills somebody? Come on, man. That is. That is strictly a movie. That. No way that that is a paranormal hunter. I mean, it could be anybody. Well, maybe a ghost. A ghost? But a doll didn't do it. Raggedy and doll. So you're saying not kill the guy?
Shannon The Dude
Purely coincidental. This is y'. All that has a track record of stabbing a police officer, and it's got a record. It's been chasing people around in an apartment. It said here, allegedly it's able to lift its own arms.
Ryan Lemond
Yeah. In the movies.
Shannon The Dude
No.
Ryan Lemond
In Hollywood.
Shannon The Dude
No. This is Ed and Lorraine Warren, their famous paranormal investigators. And their dying wish was, please don't move the doll. Well, this guy not only moved it, he took it on tour, and now he's dead.
Ryan Lemond
And you're telling me what he die of?
Shannon The Dude
That's the thing. They can't figure it out. I think it was demonic possession. I think that's what he died of.
Ryan Lemond
Still investigating.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah. So the people that used to have.
Ryan Lemond
The doll, the conjuring series is based on them, right? So, like, I mean, there's some stuff going on that's paranormal, psychodrama. BS is what.
Shannon The Dude
Okay, you better be careful. Don't. Don't say that too loud. Annabelle could be listening.
Ryan Lemond
Bring it on. Annabelle. Yeah, come to KS Bar and Grill tomorrow. We'll knock it out.
Shannon The Dude
Okay, well, there you go. There's Ryan's take.
Ryan Lemond
There's my take on Annabelle. Come on. You guys don't really believe a doll killed somebody.
Shannon The Dude
Okay? You were the one who was scared at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. So much touch.
Ryan Lemond
That's different.
Shannon The Dude
You slept with the light on.
Ryan Lemond
Well, that's different.
Shannon The Dude
We're talking about ghost. That's the same thing. This doll was possessed by some sort of demon. And you. You believe that? The Skirvin was a haunted hotel. You slept with the lights on like a big scaredy cat. Now you're telling who is.
Ryan Lemond
Who was with me in the room?
Shannon The Dude
You. I tried.
Ryan Lemond
We both light off every time.
Shannon The Dude
No, you didn't.
Ryan Lemond
You're like, ryan, please don't turn that light off. We have to sleep with the light on.
Shannon The Dude
Billy, listen to me. Every time I try to get up, turn the light off, Ryan would get right back up five minutes later and turn it right back on. Who was that?
Ryan Lemond
Lights on the whole night. We did the go lights on the whole night. He was. Because it was a little freaky.
Shannon The Dude
No, he was scared. Like, Scooby Doo.
Ryan Lemond
He was, but I. I'm not gonna be as scared of some doll that's gonna wake up middle of the night.
Shannon The Dude
What's it gonna do? I'll bet you wouldn't sleep in a.
Ryan Lemond
Room with it with Annabelle.
Shannon The Dude
Yeah, probably not. Okay, what are you scared of then, huh?
Ryan Lemond
I feel like Shannon's already slept in.
Shannon The Dude
That room room that he was in earlier.
Ryan Lemond
Well, this has been a fun show with a lot of technical difficulties. This morning on the leech report, we had a couple guys, Duron and DeAndre. Probably still asleep somewhere here.
Shannon The Dude
Do you want to tell us about Commonwealth causes?
Ryan Lemond
I do want to tell you about Commonwealth causes because they are super great people. They donated $5,000 after the donut chapter. I failed in the Donut challenge. They donated $5,000 to five different charities in our name. Can't thank them enough for what they do. Their generosity is goes way beyond helping athletes here in town. So let's raise a glass to the Cats Club Blue, the official NIL fundraising partner of the University of Kentucky is through special Bourbon bottle signing with La Familia, the Kentucky Alumni Basketball team at Bespoken Spirits at Grantline station tomorrow at 6pm oh nice. Tomorrow at 6pm you get autographs from the guys at TBT. We'll have Willie and the Twins and Archie Goodwin tomorrow.
Matt Jones
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself? Talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code space80@talkspace.com.
KSR Podcast Episode Summary
Episode: 2025-07-16 - KSR - Hour 2
Release Date: July 16, 2025
Hosts: Ryan Lemond & Shannon The Dude
Guest Speakers: Khalil Whitney & Ansley Almanor
Duration: Approximately 47 minutes
In the second hour of the July 16, 2025 episode of KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio), hosts Ryan Lemond and Shannon The Dude delve deep into the latest happenings within the University of Kentucky's basketball scene. Featuring insightful conversations with former and current players, the episode offers listeners an engaging look into team dynamics, personal growth, and the enduring spirit of Kentucky basketball.
Timestamps: [02:32] – [10:40]
Khalil Whitney joins Ryan and Shannon to discuss his journey as a player and his return to Lexington. Despite missing key teammates Daron Lamb and DeAndre Ligon due to personal reasons, Whitney provides a candid look into his personal challenges and growth.
Khalil opens up about his freshman struggles, emphasizing the importance of "hard work" and "consistency" in overcoming adversity. At [03:12], he states:
“Consistency and just being where my feet are are the two main things that I definitely learned from the whole situation.”
Reflecting on his solitary journey overseas, Whitney acknowledges the role of self-reliance and faith in his personal development:
“A lot of it was on my own. I didn't really look to a teammate or anyone else to like, like, tell my struggles to. Yeah. Express my emotions to.” ([03:57])
Whitney expresses his excitement about reuniting with the Kentucky community:
“I feel like I'm a Kentucky Wildcat again. I'm embracing everything, actually.” ([06:00])
Discussing the team's current state, he praises the camaraderie and collective goal of winning, highlighting the veterans' continued aggressive play:
“They still at it, man. They still getting to it, still aggressive.” ([06:58])
Whitney lauds Coach Sean Woods for his high-energy approach and strategic prowess:
“He's a high energy guy. He knows what he wants out of his team and we know what to expect from him as a coach.” ([07:41])
Looking ahead, Khalil is optimistic about the team's potential but modest about individual accolades:
“We got a huge great group of guys and I feel like any one of us can have that game where it could have a great stretch of five to six games and be that guy.” ([08:13])
Living with his grandmother in Chicago, Whitney underscores the importance of family and consistency:
“I have two little brothers and a little sister. Really close with them. And, yeah, I speak that to them every day. Like, just being consistent. Hard work is going to get you where you need to get.” ([05:41])
Timestamps: [12:57] – [26:17]
Ansley Almanor, the youngest member of the TBT (Team Blue Tigers) squad, shares his experiences and aspirations as he navigates his first year with the University of Kentucky basketball program.
Ansley discusses his decision to transfer to Kentucky, inspired by the program's rich history and Coach Pope's vision:
“I couldn’t pass the opportunity up. I feel like God put this in my face so that I could take advantage of it.” ([14:11])
He highlights the benefits of the transfer portal, advocating its role in empowering players:
“I feel like it helps the players a lot. People who don't like it is really because they probably don’t really like the empowerment of players, but I feel like it helps players a lot.” ([23:25])
Ansley emphasizes the strong bonds forged through team activities and shared experiences:
“We spent so much time together, we learned about each other and we just became a family over that short span of time.” ([16:12])
He credits Andrew Carr as the team's leader off the court:
“We call him my team dad.” ([16:53])
Reflecting on the past season, Ansley recounts the highs and lows, including a standout victory against Tennessee:
“My favorite moment was probably being Tennessee at home. I felt like that win against the ropes, underdogs, injuries, all that... beating them like that.” ([17:11])
Discussing the team's future, he expresses confidence in their unity and unselfish play:
“We’ve got a lot of great pieces, players are unselfish, and we all got one goal. We’re trying to win this whole thing.” ([21:20])
Ansley praises Coach Pope's intense and respectful coaching style, noting his deep knowledge of the game:
“He treats us with utmost respect. Doesn't talk down on his players. He's always trying to help everybody get better.” ([19:42])
Looking ahead, Ansley shares his aspirations to play professionally, whether overseas or in the G League:
“I'm just trying to play professionally, so hopefully this opportunity helps me land somewhere, maybe overseas or a G league or something like that.” ([20:50])
Resilience and Consistency: Both Khalil Whitney and Ansley Almanor emphasize the importance of hard work and consistent effort in overcoming personal and professional challenges.
Team Unity and Leadership: Strong bonds among team members, fostered through shared activities and mutual support, are highlighted as crucial for the team's success.
Coaching Excellence: Coach Sean Woods is lauded for his high-energy approach, strategic insight, and respectful treatment of players, contributing significantly to the team's positive dynamics.
Love for Kentucky Basketball: An enduring passion for representing the Kentucky Wildcats is evident, with both guests expressing pride and commitment to the program's legacy.
Khalil Whitney on personal growth:
“Consistency and just being where my feet are are the two main things that I definitely learned from the whole situation.” ([03:12])
Ansley Almanor on joining Kentucky:
“I couldn’t pass the opportunity up. I feel like God put this in my face so that I could take advantage of it.” ([14:11])
Khalil Whitney on returning to Lexington:
“I feel like I'm a Kentucky Wildcat again. I'm embracing everything, actually.” ([06:00])
Ansley Almanor on team bonding:
“We spent so much time together, we learned about each other and we just became a family over that short span of time.” ([16:12])
This episode of KSR offers a heartfelt glimpse into the lives of Kentucky basketball players, highlighting their dedication, struggles, and unwavering love for the game and their alma mater. Through authentic conversations and personal anecdotes, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the spirit that drives the Kentucky Wildcats both on and off the court.