KSR Podcast Summary — Hour 1, September 10, 2025

Podcast: Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR)
Host(s): Matt Jones, Shannon The Dude, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin
Date: September 10, 2025
Main Theme: The KSR crew shares their Top 5 UK sports moments since 2020, discusses the new UK basketball practice facility plans, interviews UK Volleyball Coach Craig Skinner, and sprinkles in offbeat Kentucky-centric banter.

Episode Overview

The KSR Hour 1 episode features an engaging, sometimes comedic revisiting of the greatest University of Kentucky sports moments since 2020. Matt, Ryan, Drew, and Shannon compare their personal “Top 5” highlights, analyze the direction of Kentucky’s new basketball practice facility and campus entertainment district, and then conduct a deep-dive interview with UK Volleyball Coach Craig Skinner, who discusses building a schedule against top collegiate teams and the volatility of the modern NIL era.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Matt’s South Africa Travel Prep

• The show opens with playful banter about Matt’s upcoming safari in South Africa, including his efforts to find specialized safari apparel in New York City.
• The crew teases Matt for his new hat:

  “Somebody said that aged you 15 years just putting that hat on your head. But that's good though, because that’s what you’re supposed to do…gotta go out on the open plains…see the lion, rhino, hippo, giraffe, and buffalo.” (Matt, 02:53)

2. Top 5 UK Sports Moments Since 2020 ([04:00–13:29])

Inspired by a segment from BBN Tonight (shout-out to Maggie Davis), the crew ranks their favorite UK sports memories from the COVID era to now.

• Matt’s Honorable Mentions:

  • UK Women’s Basketball SEC Tournament buzzer-beater by Dre’una Edwards (2022)
  • UK Women’s Volleyball National Championship

• Matt’s Top 5:

  1. Mark Pope Hiring Press Conference:
     “For me, that’s number one. So those are my top five...that was the moment that BBN as an entity felt like it did when I was a kid. For the first time in a long time, 23,000 people spontaneously gather like an attempt revival in Rupp Arena and have this moment of collective, just a collective excitement that I think will be hard to ever recreate.” (Matt Jones, 08:48)
  2. UK vs. Duke, Champions Classic 2024: Mark Pope’s debut and an energizing win over Duke.
  3. 2021 Florida Football Kick-Block Return:
     “Probably the loudest that stadium has been since COVID.” (Matt, 09:26)
  4. Football 2023 Win over Louisville: Momentum-shifting upset, possibly saved Stoops’ job.
  5. Three Years of Road Wins at Tennessee in Basketball:
     “We went into Tennessee with seasons where we thought, well, there’s no way we’re winning...and won.” (Matt, 06:23)

• Drew’s Top 5 Highlights:
  (Overlapping with Matt and Ryan but adds some personal angles)

  • Dane Key’s streak of scoring in his first four UK football games (09:51)
  • Kentucky's first baseball College World Series appearance (10:44)
  • Reiterates storming the field after the home Florida win (11:15)

• Ryan’s Top 5 Picks:
  (Adds new flavor and some deep-cut football memories)

  • #1: Mark Pope rally/hiring (unanimous pick)
  • Baseball to Omaha (College World Series run)
  • Citrus Bowl win over Iowa:
    “That Iowa DB had been talking trash and Wandell just shattered his ankles there at the goal line.” (Ryan, 12:35)
  • Champions Classic win v. Duke
  • 2021 Louisville football demolition by Will Levis:
    “That’s one of the few times Mark Stoops actually ran up a score a little bit.” (Ryan, 13:05)

  Notable quote:

  “I wish I could have gone to Omaha, but it’s still number two for me.” (Ryan Lemond, 11:41)

• Reflection:
  The crew notes how, in contrast to the 2010s when postseason basketball moments dominated, recent years have lacked signature March moments for UK Basketball.

3. Listener Remarks & Missing Moments ([15:12–18:27])

• Callers and texts debate moments left off the lists:
  • UK Baseball’s College World Series run receives more support (“It should be on the list, I just wasn’t here.” —Matt, 16:07).
  • Fans question lack of Calipari-era highlights (“What is the Calipari game since COVID?” —Matt, 17:08), with Ryan and Drew suggesting big road wins at Kansas and Reed Sheppard/Antonio Reeves’ individual performances.

4. UK Basketball Practice Facility & Campus Development ([19:27–23:52])

• New plans for a practice facility, underwritten largely by UK Healthcare, spark debate:
  • Matt expresses skepticism about remaking part of campus as a commercial “entertainment district,” akin to areas in Milwaukee and Indianapolis.
  • Drew and Ryan struggle to visualize the plan’s viability on a suburban campus, especially when students aren’t present in the summer.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Do you really want to turn your college campus into a commercial district?” (Matt, 20:31)

• Universal agreement that the new practice facility will benefit UK basketball.

5. Volleyball Spotlight: Interview with Craig Skinner, UK Coach ([24:12–31:43])

• Craig Skinner discusses UK’s loaded non-conference volleyball schedule, including matches against top-10 teams and last year’s Final Four participants.
• Talks about the value of “alpha competitors,” and how NIL/athlete compensation is impacting non-revenue sports like volleyball.
• On NIL:

  “We’ve always been supported...not everyone’s making a million dollars, but you gotta make sure that every player on your roster feels valued.” (Craig Skinner, 29:26)

• Skinner expresses confidence in the program’s future and emphasizes the importance of maintaining competitive fire—both on the court and in player development.
• Matt and Drew joke about their basic volleyball knowledge (“the spiker”) but praise Skinner’s infectious energy.

6. UK Volleyball’s Culture, Player Positivity, and ‘Spiker’ Lingo ([32:00–34:34])

• The crew admires the positivity of volleyball culture, where players high-five after every point (“It’s gotta be the most positive, affirming sport.” —Matt, 32:00).
• Laughter about not knowing the correct position names (“spiker,” “libero”), but general admiration for the program’s growth and fan appeal.

7. Kentucky Pop Culture, Bourbon & Beyond Fest, and Mayoral Fashion ([35:23–41:50])

• Banter about the Bourbon and Beyond festival lineup includes playful jabs at jam band fans:

  "That's just because they're all on drugs...that's their fans, right?" (Matt, 36:24)

• The hosts rib Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg for appearing in an “affliction” style t-shirt in a promotional video—a break from his usually formal wardrobe.
  • Discussion shifts to whether leaders should "blend in" or maintain their personal style depending on the event.

8. Listener Calls & Matt’s Trip ([42:01–43:51])

• Calls about Matt’s upcoming trip to South Africa, with one listener sharing memories of 22 days there and inquiring about flight duration and safari plans.
• Matt reflects on embracing travel and getting out of his comfort zone:

  “You only live once. There’s a big world out there…” (Matt, 42:33)

• Light joking about “chatty” group texts as Matt prepares to travel.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I was actually in New York watching it at Madison Square Garden when it happened.” (Matt, relating top-5 Tennessee basketball win; 07:10)
• “Like all the great moments, you couldn’t plan it—it just kind of happened.” (Matt, on Mark Pope’s hiring press conference; 09:00)
• “We all swept with Mark Pope at number one. Have to think about it. Write it down in Sharpie.” (Ryan Lemond, 11:38)
• “Honestly, if you can't find it in New York City, then you’re not going to find it anywhere.” (Shannon, 03:41)
• On NIL in volleyball:
  “You never know exactly, you know, where you’re going to end up. And, you know, I don’t envy the position that ADs are in...ultimately you’re picking children in terms of how you want to prioritize.” (Craig Skinner, 29:26)
• “It’s a huge world out there and most people...don’t get a chance to do any of it. And so if you can, you should.” (Matt, 43:09)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–01:06: Opening banter, show housekeeping
• 01:06–04:00: South Africa safari gear talk, New York trip banter
• 04:00–13:29: Top 5 UK sports moments since 2020 (plus reactions)
• 13:29–19:27: Listener input, call-in and text reactions to the Top 5, Calipari-era debate
• 19:27–23:52: UK Basketball practice facility & campus entertainment district proposal
• 24:12–31:43: Craig Skinner interview, UK Volleyball, NIL era insight
• 32:00–34:34: Volleyball culture, team spirit, terminology jokes
• 35:23–41:50: Bourbon & Beyond talk and mayoral attire debate
• 42:01–44:00: Listener calls, Matt’s travel reflections

Tone & Style

The hour blends thoughtful commentary with laid-back, Kentucky humor. The crew is self-deprecating—especially about their limitations as volleyball analysts—and quick to poke fun at themselves, their friends, and regional quirks. Even in the midst of big-picture college sports talk or substantive debates over university planning, the tone is warm, inside-jokey, and grounded in shared fan experience.

For listeners and UK fans, this episode is a celebration of recent triumphs, a love letter to unexpected joy in sports, and a window into the heartbeat of Big Blue Nation—served with plenty of jokes and just enough garden-variety chaos.