2025-09-16- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

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KSR - Hour 1: September 16, 2025

Host: Ryan Lemond (at KS Bar & Grill), with Jack Pilgrim and Shannon T. Dude
Special Guests: Jeff Goodman & Rob Doster (Field of 68)
Primary Theme:
A candid, wide-ranging discussion about Kentucky Basketball’s new era under Mark Pope, Kentucky’s roster, program culture, coaching changes, and preseason expectations—with the unique perspectives of two prominent national basketball analysts, including the often-controversial Jeff Goodman.

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Episode Overview

This episode brings together the KSR crew and renowned college basketball analysts Jeff Goodman and Rob Doster, who join live from KS Bar & Grill. Goodman, once a polarizing figure among Kentucky fans, opens up about his complex history with the program, his relationship with former coach John Calipari, and his newfound rapport with Mark Pope. The hosts and guests dig into the state of Kentucky basketball, forecast the program’s 2025 prospects, and offer exclusive stories and insights from inside the national college hoops landscape. There is also heartfelt reflection on loss in the KSR family, underscoring the show’s close-knit community.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jeff Goodman’s Relationship with Kentucky Basketball

• Goodman recalls two decades of hot-and-cold engagement with UK fans, coaches, and the KSR team.
  • Had adversarial relationships with both Billy “Bully Clyde” Gillespie and John Calipari.
  • On Calipari:
    “He once told me that I wasn’t welcome in Memphis. I told him, ‘You can’t ban me from an entire city.’” (05:29)
  • Cites a “rough sit-down” with Cal, set up by Eric Lindsay, when relations soured further.
• On “mending fences” with Matt Jones and KSR:
  • “Last year, Tennessee game, we ... had breakfast, and, you know, I think part of it honestly goes back to ... I wasn’t on Team Cal. ... He apologized for some things. I apologized for some things. ... I’m getting older. I’m getting a little softer, a little nicer. I moved to Charleston.” (11:17–11:47)
  • Talks about fans’ passionate reactions, usually kind in person:
    “In person, generally ... Kentucky fans come up to me and be nice. ... The other day at the Bourbon & Beyond Festival ... people coming up to me all the time.” (07:09–07:33)
• Reflects on his criticisms of Calipari:
  • “Best recruiter in the country, great used car salesman, fair average to above average coach, who again, I think has lost his fastball a little bit.” (08:07)

2. Mark Pope Era: A Different, Authentic Approach

• Goodman and Doster underline the positive shift in openness and authenticity under Mark Pope.
  • “He’s so authentic. That’s the thing. Going from Cal to him—night and day.” – Goodman (15:19)
  • Jack Pilgrim shares a Peach Jam anecdote about Pope’s approachability with his son, highlighting Pope’s genuineness and connection (16:02–16:43).
  • Goodman also reveals he once lobbied for Pope to be hired at Arizona, Goodman’s alma mater (09:30–10:31).
• Goodman:
  • “Pope’s perfect, man. He’s perfect for the job because he knows it, he embraces it, and he won enough to now walk around and be beloved.” (13:48)

3. Expectations and Pressure: Kentucky’s 2025 Roster & NIL Era

• Both guests emphasize that unprecedented resources put UK under immense pressure:
  • “It’s final four or bust for Kentucky because they have $20ish million [NIL payroll], probably 30% more than any other team in the country... So to me, you’ve got pressure.” – Goodman (21:02–21:52)
  • Doster compares: “It’s national title or bust for Purdue.” (21:02)
• The hosts and guests discuss the depth and talent of the UK roster.
  • On SEC Preseason Player of the Year Otega Oweh:
    • “The fact that Otega Oweh came back is something that has gone way under the radar nationally. Like, he’s good. ... There’s no question, no doubt about it.” – Jack Pilgrim (21:52)
• Open questions: Does this team have enough consistent shooting for Pope's system?
  • “I’m not convinced that they have the shooting that you would normally want for a Mark Pope team.” – Doster (22:15–23:18)
• Roster management challenges with the anticipated return of Jaden Quaintance mid-season (23:22–24:18).

4. Jaden Quaintance & Roster Chemistry

• Quaintance seen as a game-changer:
  • “He’s big, he’s athletic, he can protect the rim ... can be the passer ... and you throw those backdoor cuts, that changes what Pope’s offense can be like.” – Doster (24:26)
• Character reference from Arizona staff relayed by Goodman:
  • “Unbelievable ... gets up every day and runs a mile, would come back at night and shoot, only drinks water, not on social media, reads books, big time chess player, has never smoked or had a drink.” (25:25)
• The “four job” (power forward slot) likely to be fluid, with several rotation options (25:55–26:23).

5. UK-L’ville Rivalry & Preseason Landscape

• Both teams landing in preseason top tens for the first time in years.
  • “I love that the rivalry is back. Like it’s officially back this year with both teams being preseason top 10... both having a chance to maybe cut down the nets in Indy this year.” – Goodman (20:33)

6. Fan Perspective & Emotional Energy

• Pilgrim reflects on the renewed energy and optimism among BBN:
  • “The best part about being a fan is the build. ... Right now you got a preseason top 10 team, dream. Have fun with it, man.” (30:39)
• Mark Pope’s early success has given fans hope again after late-Calipari era malaise.

7. Breakout Player Watch & Depth

• Doster is watching for jumps from Colin Chandler, BJ, and the adaptation of European newcomer Andrej Jelavic.
  • “I really want to see something out of BJ... I think Amari Williams picked that up really quickly last year and ... by the end of the year we saw it a little out of BJ.” (36:35–37:19)
  • On Andrej Jelavic: adaptation by overseas recruits can be unpredictable due to cultural transition (33:37–34:53).

8. Cultural Shift and On3 Move

• Goodman and Doster discuss joining the On3 team, becoming “coworkers” with Jack Pilgrim—lighthearted banter about “Babyface Jack Pilgrim.”
• The show closes this segment reflecting on community and loss, as the crew expresses support for Drew Franklin after the unexpected passing of his close friend, Manny Robertson (47:09–48:19).

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Goodman’s fraught history with Calipari:

  “He once told me that I wasn’t welcome in Memphis. I told him, ‘You can’t ban me from an entire city.’”
  – Jeff Goodman (05:29)

• On the Cal-to-Pope transition:

  “Going from Cal to him [Pope]—night and day. … You don’t feel like you’re being sold anything by Mark Pope. It just feels real.”
  – Goodman (15:19–15:36)

• On UK’s NIL power:

  “They have 20ish million dollars that is probably 30% more than any other team ... to me, you’ve got pressure. … He [Pope] knows it and he embraces it.”
  – Goodman (21:02–21:52)

• On fan optimism:

  “Dream. Have fun with it, man. The best part is when you are on that growth pattern, when you are getting better and there is reason to be excited.”
  – Rob Doster (30:39)

• On Jaden Quaintance’s discipline:

  “Unbelievable ... gets up every day and runs a mile, would come back at night and shoot, only drinks water, not on social media, reads books, big time chess player, has never smoked or had a drink.”
  – Arizona staff (via Goodman) (25:25)

• Goodman on being the perennial provocateur:

  “I’ve had to actually check in under other names in Tucson. That’s how bad it is in the hotels.”
  – Goodman (11:00)

• On UK’s past coaching search:

  “I think we all thought, hey man, it’s not going to fall that far. But it fell that far ... [Pope is] perfect for the job because he knows it, he embraces it, and he won enough to be able to now walk around and be beloved.”
  – Goodman (13:02–13:48)

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Segment/Timestamp Guide

• [02:51–12:14] — Goodman details UK relationships, Calipari era, and reconciliation with KSR.
• [12:26–15:36] — Discussion pivots to Mark Pope, authenticity, and why fans/analysts are embracing the new culture.
• [15:36–16:43] — Jack Pilgrim shares his son’s interaction with Pope (“genuine guy” story).
• [19:47–26:52] — In-depth discussion of the 2025 Kentucky roster, NIL funding, and the challenges/opportunities that come with having a loaded team.
• [26:52–27:28] — Goodman and Doster join On3, friendly on-air ribbing with Jack Pilgrim (“Mr. Babyface”).
• [28:18–39:29] — Rob Doster solo with KSR: Rotation, breakout candidates, incoming freshmen (e.g., Jasper Johnson), roster fit/development, and personal anecdotes.
• [42:48–44:43] — Reflection on Goodman’s surprising acceptance by BBN, plans for further practice reporting and content.
• [47:09–48:59] — Heartfelt moment remembering the passing of Manny Robertson, underscoring the community feel of the show.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The conversation oscillates between candid, humorous, and deeply insightful. Goodman’s self-deprecating banter and matter-of-fact opinions spark lively reactions, while Doster and the KSR hosts contextualize Kentucky’s present and future with a blend of optimism and healthy skepticism. There’s a palpable sense of “new energy” around the Kentucky program, as well as a recognition that increased expectations come with the territory. The segment featuring reflections on friendship and loss is especially poignant, showcasing KSR’s blend of sports analysis and genuine community.

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For Listeners:

This episode is a must-listen for Kentucky basketball fans eager for behind-the-scenes stories, honest analysis, and a nuanced look at how the program is evolving under Mark Pope. Expect memorable tidbits, sharp exchanges, and real talk about both the pressure and promise of Kentucky Basketball in 2025.

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Transcript

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From hit comedy specials and social media Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Kelsey Cook September 11th through the 13th and catch rising comedy star and UK grad Jiaing Summers September 19th and 20th. And from TV and the Movies, don't miss Kevin Farley September 25th through the 27th. For tickets to all Comedy Off Broadway shows, call 859 271-JOKE or visit comedy off broadway.com. this is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Ryan Lemond]

All right, good morning. Welcome in, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles. This is the Tuesday Ed of Kentucky Sports Radio. Tuesday, September 16th. Ryan Lemon here at Live at KS Bar & Grill today. And we've got, we got, we got a crazy show today, Shannon. A lot of musical chairs going on today. Shannon the dude back in studio in Louisville. As always, Kentucky Sports Radio is sponsored by the TJ Smith law office called TJ Shannon. What's he do?

[Jack Pilgrim]

He'll make them pay.

[Ryan Lemond]

He'll make them pay. We got the Clark's Puppy shop phone line, 859-280-2287. And the a vision glass text machine. Shannon, do you remember that one?

[Commercial Announcer]

500, 2 7, 35, 36 80.

[Ryan Lemond]

There you go. Very good. Very good. You nailed it. You nailed it. Very good. So, so here's what's going on. Matt has scheduled a couple special guests today. Matt, Drew. Drew scheduled a couple special guests today. Drew's gonna be out for a couple days. So when we went to the bullpen first got it called in Jack Pilgrim, a guy whose arm is always loose in the bullpen. Are you ready to go?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Always.

[Ryan Lemond]

You don't seem like you're too ready to go.

[Shannon T. Dude]

My arm is always loose. Anytime you call, anytime you text, I'm here for you, buddy.

[Commercial Announcer]

Because Ryan shot out of a cannon this morning, I think is what energy.

[Ryan Lemond]

I've had a little coffee this. Very good. So our two special guests, the world famous guys from the field of 68, Jeff Goodman and Rob Doster. Drew set this up. You guys are in town to watch practice today or UK basketball. So we'll talk a lot of basketball with you guys. But, man, welcome in. We appreciate you guys coming to KS Bar to join us this morning.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I'm just glad we can finally get Goodman back here. Amen. He's invited back to Lexington again. This is awesome.

[Jeff Goodman]

This is, this is just. It doesn't feel right. Like something. I feel dirty right now that I go around Lexington and I don't get called names everywhere I go.

[Ryan Lemond]

Okay, we're going to just jump right in there. I mean, you've had this hot, cold relationship not just with UK fans, UK coaches and us at ksr.

[Jeff Goodman]

Yeah.

[Ryan Lemond]

So it's kind of a surreal to see you sitting right there on KSR here at KS Bar this morning.

[Jeff Goodman]

It's. It's crazy because since I got into this really back in, like, early 2000s. I haven't really gotten along with the coaches. You know, it started with Billy. Bully Clyde. I'm sorry, I can never. It's always Bully Clyde. And I remember going on a show with Matt, early days, and telling him what a Bully Clyde was. And I was at Fenway park doing the radio show, and it was before a Red Sox game that I was covering, and he's defending Gillespie, and I'm trying to tell him why it was such a bad hire, which we know why now. And. And then Cal came along, and I wasn't good with Cal, dating back to the Memphis days. You know, he once told me that I wasn't welcome in Memphis.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

I told him, you can't ban me from an entire city. So I went for that Memphis, Tennessee game. It was one verse, two. And it carried over to here.

[Ryan Lemond]

And.

[Jeff Goodman]

And actually, Cal and I had a sit down. I think I've talked about it. Right. Once a couple years ago, we. We had a sit down about four years ago, Eric Lindsay set it up. The former Sid.

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, yes. Good guy.

[Jeff Goodman]

Sat down, went in his office, the three of us, and after about 30 seconds, I was like, why the hell did I do this?

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah, Oscar, you're right. You were there for Oscars Media day. I remember that.

[Jeff Goodman]

That was awesome.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

Like, how good was Oscar?

[Shannon T. Dude]

Well, that was before we even knew Oscar was gonna be Oscar. That was just like. Because he said he's gonna get every rebound or something. It's. It. It's between me and God for every single rebound. We're like, oh, yeah, that's. Little did we know.

[Jeff Goodman]

We. He was phenomenal. And again, I think the hard part for me is, you know, I love the passion of a big blue nation. Nobody loves it better than me. Now, again, I've been drawing the ire of Kentucky fans a lot of times because, again, I felt like I was pretty much down the middle when it came to Cal. And I think now people can kind of see that. I wrote some really good things about Nick Richards and John Wall and all the players, and even Cal a few years ago, coming out of the pandemic, I said he should get another year. Like, there were some people at that point that were like, let's get rid of them. And I'm like, well, give him another year. And then I think maybe two years ago, I was like, all right, it's. It's time. It's time for both sides to go their own way. And so, yeah, it's. It's it's weird being back like this. It's weird walking in, you know, last year with Tennessee, the game, and people.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Were coming up to you asking for pictures in Lexington. That doesn't happen.

[Ryan Lemond]

I don't know if I'd ever thought that was ever going to happen. I know, right?

[Jeff Goodman]

You know, my favorite part, generally, very in person. Like we did the Kentucky Derby, my wife and I, years ago, seven, eight years ago, and I had a ton of Kentucky fans come up to me and be nice. In person, generally. You're getting like, the other day at the Bourbon, whatever, Beyond festival.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

People coming up to me all the time and. And again, Kentucky fans, Louisville fans, whatever. But I think the difference now is feeling welcome by Mark Pope and the staff. It's different now with Cal. He never trusted me. I never trusted him. I always felt like, again, whatever he said was, you know, listen, it was whatever he wanted to get out there. That's what he would try to turn the message to. Whatever you'd ask him, Jack knows this better than anybody. Whatever you'd ask him, he had a.

[Ryan Lemond]

Narrative already in mind.

[Jeff Goodman]

It didn't matter. The question was irrelevant. It didn't matter. He was going to answer it the way he wanted to answer it. So I just think Kentucky fans have slowly come to realize what I always thought of John Calipari, best recruiter in the country, great used car salesman, fair average to above average coach, who again, I think has lost his. His fastball a little bit.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

And the work ethic that drove him to be a dominant coach. And I think his staff needs reshaping.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Let me. Let me just kind of. I'm going to take what Goodman just said and translate it for you guys. All right, Kentucky fans, it took a while, but I was right.

[Jeff Goodman]

That's a hell of a translation. Absolutely right.

[Shannon T. Dude]

So your. Your relationship with Cal is what it is. And it's not just a neutral replacement with. With Pope. It's from. From foe to friend with. With Mark Pope. How did that kind of work out where you guys already have your friendship, your relationship, and now you do have a, you know, friendship with a head coach of Kentucky where you're welcome into practice to do a live show with all the players and all the staff members.

[Jeff Goodman]

Yeah. I mean, I've just known Pope for a long time and. And know a lot of people around Pope. Known Mark Fox forever. So can I tell the story, the Arizona story about Pope that I told last night?

[Jack Pilgrim]

If you want to. If you want to.

[Jeff Goodman]

So might as well.

[Ryan Lemond]

There's Nobody listening right now. Let's just leave the name out.

[Jeff Goodman]

I'll leave the one coach's name out. Anyway, I went to school at Arizona. I rarely get involved in any of these things. Arizona, a couple years ago, when they were going to hire Tommy Lloyd, came out. It was going to be Tommy Lloyd. And then they kind of ran the ad at the time.

[Ryan Lemond]

Dave Hickey.

[Jeff Goodman]

They didn't want to make it look like it was already wired for Tommy Lloyd, so they started saying another name. Not going to say who the name was. At that point, another name was going to be in the mix. I kind of freaked out because it was like a bully Clyde type, right. So I'm, like, called. I called Steve Kerr, Arizona guy. I'm like, steve, this guy? Yeah. No, it shouldn't happen. So Steve. Anyway, Steve kind of got that guy out. And then I said to Dave, you should look at Mark Pope. And the next day, he actually had an interview with Arizona, and I guess he crushed it, but again, didn't get the Arizona job. It was already hooked up for Tommy Lloyd, but he.

[Ryan Lemond]

He.

[Jeff Goodman]

Well, could have had the Arizona job.

[Ryan Lemond]

Wow.

[Jeff Goodman]

But that's how much I thought of Mark Pope at the time. Think about it. It's my alma mater, and I'm not well liked by my alma mater at all. They hate me there. Hate me right now.

[Ryan Lemond]

Did you say something bad about them also?

[Jeff Goodman]

Yeah. I mean, is he breathing?

[Jack Pilgrim]

My favorite part about Goodman is he's like, oh, these people don't like me. I'm not. Well. I'm not well liked here. I'm not well liked in this. In this college town. And he's like, I'm just such a victim when you. You love poking the bear.

[Jeff Goodman]

I would love to go back to Tucson and not have to. You know, I've had to actually check in under other names in Tucson. That's how bad it is in the hotels.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, the thing with. With Matt here in ksr, you guys had a good relationship. Then it kind of went south. But you've mended fences.

[Jeff Goodman]

We made it.

[Ryan Lemond]

Kissed and made up. Yes, you did.

[Jeff Goodman]

Last year, Tennessee game, we. We had breakfast, and, you know, I think part of it honestly goes back to. Again, I wasn't on Team Cal. Yeah, he was on Team Cal. Heavy, heavy, heavy for a long time. And then it flipped. And he. He apologized for some things. I apologize for some things. And, you know, I'm getting older. I'm getting a little softer, a little nicer. I moved to Charleston.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Right.

[Jeff Goodman]

The Boston in me is gone.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

So I Gotta be a little bit nicer. You got the beach vibe. I'm a Southerner now, so I can't be the time. So. No, I. I think it was good to sit down with Matt. It was good to sit down with Matt. I love Jack. I think Jack's one of the most talented people.

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, look at this baby face. Jack Pilgrim.

[Jeff Goodman]

I mean that. I mean that sincerely. I've watched you, you know, up close for a long time. There aren't many like you out there. I don't know how old you are. How old do you know? 28.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, he's got babies now. He's like growing up right in front of our eyes.

[Jeff Goodman]

No, he does, but he is a work. He is a worker. He's smart. I would say that's if we were here or not here. There aren't many like Jack out there right now.

[Ryan Lemond]

How about that?

[Shannon T. Dude]

I appreciate that you advocated for Mark Pope with Arizona, but I think the Kentucky job was a little bit of a different story. It was such a polarizing, just decision in real time where fans had the. The Hurley's and the Billy Donovans and the just dreaming as big as possible. Scott Drew. And then it felt in real time that it was. They. They settled for Mark. So you advocated for him at your alma mater. Did you advocate for Pope in real time with Kentucky? And did the year one results, did it shock you at all and how. Well, he kind of embraced it and, you know, reached history.

[Jeff Goodman]

I thought it would be higher than Mark Pope. I think we all did. I think we all thought, hey, man, it's not going to fall that far. But it fell that far. You know, obviously with Billy Clyde years ago, like you, the landscape is different. These guys have huge buyouts now.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Right.

[Jeff Goodman]

Nate Oates was kind of immovable at that point. I thought he would have been the perfect guy. Right.

[Ryan Lemond]

A lot of people did.

[Jeff Goodman]

Nate Oates in Lexington.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

With the style of play and with his personality.

[Ryan Lemond]

Perfect would have worked.

[Jeff Goodman]

It would have worked. So I didn't think it would be Pope when at first everything I thought maybe Scott drew and then obviously his family, that didn't work out. I wonder if Scott has some regrets now with the way the landscape has changed and Baylor doesn't have money and now Kentucky's going to have money. Right. If he had known this.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

Where we are in the world of college basketball, I'm not sure he would have turned it down. But again, I think it was more a family decision. Pope's perfect man. He's perfect for the job because he knows it, he embraces it, and he won enough to be able to now walk around and be beloved. Because I think a lot of people, a year ago today, Rob, we all were like, hope it works. But I'm not sure yet, not sure whether Pope can do it. In Kentucky, they won so many close games early that got him that momentum, had a good year, and now everybody's all in it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Mark, I think. I think part of it, too, is that he understands when you come here, you're going to be living in the fishbowl, right? Like, that's. That's just what it is. When you are the head coach at Kentucky, you are the head coach at one of the biggest, probably the biggest college basketball program in the country, right? And I think that there's an element of when you are. Let's just take NATO's. You gave that example, right? If you're. When you're the head coach to Alabama, it's not. It's different because you're not the football coach. You know what I mean? When you're the head coach at Baylor, it's not. The fan base is different. The pressure is different. The. The way that you can go out to dinner and not have 25 people come up to you and ask you for pictures is different. And you have to want to be a part of that and understand what it means. And he does. You know, he's been here, he played here, he won a championship here. And I think that. That we. We under. Undervalued the importance of being able to embrace that part of the job. And I think that. That Mark Pope does it as well as anybody.

[Jeff Goodman]

He's so authentic.

[Ryan Lemond]

He is.

[Jeff Goodman]

That's the thing. Going from Cal to him night and day.

[Ryan Lemond]

A lot of, you know, a lot of ways.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

Well, because you again, I always said, like you salesman.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So here for California, you don't feel.

[Jeff Goodman]

Like you're being sold anything by Mark Pope, Right. It just feels real.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Here's the perfect example of who Pope is in my eyes. I brought my son to Peach Jam this year. He's nine years old, and the first day that we were there, he's walking with me and Jeff, and we walk by and we're watching like, some U16 game, and Pope is literally the only guy sitting there on the front row at Peach Jam. And we go and we sit down next to him, and my son sits down right next to Pope, and he just ignores me. And Goodman just talks to my son for, like 10 minutes watching the game.

[Ryan Lemond]

What kind of Guy, he is about.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Like, baseball or pitching or. I don't even know what they were talking about.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So we go and then we get lunch, and then we walk back into the gym. And I don't know if you've been there, Ryan. Yeah, you've been there, Jack. You know how when you walk into the main gym, you walk down those steps and then there's like 30 people just kind of stand at the bottom of those steps. And I got caught up talking to someone, and I thought Chase was right next to me. I turned around like five minutes later. I'm like, where did he go? I look over. Pope was still sitting there courtside. Chase had walked up and sat right next to him, and they're just sitting there talking again. And I'm like, where did this come from? Like, why are you over there? That's the head coach at Kentucky. You don't even know what you're doing right now. You don't even know that you're not supposed to be doing that as a nine year old. But Pope just sat there and talked to him, and it was great.

[Ryan Lemond]

We got to take a break. But before we go to the break, Jack, I got to tell you, the Avision glass text machine. I've got like eight or nine messages on the text machine. Every one of them is about Jeff Goodman's potty mouth.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Oh, yeah.

[Jeff Goodman]

Not allowed to swear.

[Ryan Lemond]

No, you can't. You can't say the poopy word.

[Jeff Goodman]

I can't say any bad words.

[Ryan Lemond]

Live radio.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, I know.

[Jeff Goodman]

I get yelled at by my wife.

[Ryan Lemond]

We'll take a break. We got Jeff Goodman, Rob Doster. We're going to take a couple calls real quick. If you want to call and talk to these guys, we can talk football later, but you want to talk to these guys. 859-280-2287. Ryan and Jack here at KS Bar and Grill. We'll be right back.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Jack Pilgrim]

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[Jeff Goodman]

Your own, with a job in home care.

[Jack Pilgrim]

These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training.

[Jeff Goodman]

They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

[Ryan Lemond]

Welcome back Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan Lemon, Sharon the Dude and Jack Pilgrim joined by special guests from the field of 68, Jeff Goodman and Rob Doster. You guys can only stay with us for a little bit because you're actually going to practice. What do you hope to see or what are you excited to maybe see from this UK basketball team? Let's get into the weeds a little bit, Rob.

[Jeff Goodman]

I mean just the depth man. The depth that now he goes second. Rob, respect your elders. That's what it comes down. It's, it's the depth of this team. How, how much firepower. We just came from Louisville. They're loaded guys. Yeah. I mean they're, they're really gotta talk about that.

[Shannon T. Dude]

I know about, about your debut on 3 preseason poll. So we gotta, we gotta get into that. First the good stuff.

[Jeff Goodman]

I love that the, the rivalry is back. Like it's officially back this year with both teams being preseason top 10, both having a chance to get to a final Four, both having a chance to maybe cut down the nets in Indy this year. But I think it's just the depth and talent and the way this roster was put together. And again, they have more money than everybody else. So to be honest, if you look at it, Rob said when we were at Purdue, what did he say? What's your quote, Rob?

[Jack Pilgrim]

It's national title or bust for Purdue.

[Jeff Goodman]

Okay. So if you agree with that, then I think you have to agree with its final four or bust for Kentucky because they have 20ish million dollars that is probably 30% more than any other team in the country with an nil payroll somewhere. 25, 30%, something like that. So to me, you've got pressure. And I talked to Mark Pope about it a couple weeks ago in Charlotte. He knows it and he embraces it. That's the best part of Mark Pope. Now he's not saying what the number is, but he's saying, yeah, we got money and I'm glad we got money. And I want that. I want the resources and I want the pressure. Now again, easier to say before the season if you don't live up to it at the end of the season, we'll see how he, how he deals with it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I think they're going to be awesome. That's like point blank period. I think the, the fact that Otega owe came back is something that has gone way under the radar. National. Like he's good. Who. He's SEC preseason player of the year. Right. And that's. That's no question, no doubt about it. Is there anyone else, even in the conversation? I don't think that there is not.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Not to the point of. You're nitpicking at that point.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah. So he's preseason SEC player of the year. Preseason first or second team All American, wherever you want to put them. A guy that averaged 16 a game for a Sweet 16 team. Right. And I just, I feel like when he decided that he was coming back to school, it was something. Yeah. I'll take us back when it should have been. Okay. This just changed what the trajectory of Kentucky season could end up being. Now the one concern I do have is that it feels like the best Pope teams get up and down, space the floor and have a lot of shooters. And I'm not convinced that they have the shooting that you would normally want for a Mark Pope team. Right. Like Jalen Lowe, part of the he shot. What was it 26% from 3 last year? Part of that is probably the difficulty of the shots that he was getting when he was at pit. I think he's probably a better shooter than 26. But Ortega, always a guy, he can make shots. I don't think you necessarily call him a shooter. Right. How are they going to get that floor spacing? How are they going to be able to get that movement offensively? Who's going to replace some of the shooters that they lost last year? Will that work for Pope? But that's a. I mean, they go, what, nine, ten deep? They got multiple guys that could be.

[Shannon T. Dude]

All league guys Hope will say 11, 12 deep, but it'll end up being 9, 10.

[Jack Pilgrim]

They got multiple ball handlers. The other thing, and this will be a more interesting dynamic is how. How do they adjust when Jaden Quinton comes back. Right. Because he'll probably be healthy. We'll talk to him today and get a. Get an answer from someone. But mid December, January, by the time he's like, probably, yeah, somewhere around there at that point, your rotation is set at that point. You have guys that are expecting a certain amount of minutes at that point.

[Jeff Goodman]

BG but you keep people happy until then.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah. Can you keep them happy when he gets back? And all of a sudden the guy that was playing 25 minutes a game is now playing 12 minutes a game and coming off the bench. Right.

[Jeff Goodman]

If you're winning.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, if you're winning, it might not matter. But also that's. That's a big step down for players when they know that if they perform well, it could mean NBA in their future. It could mean a bigger payday next season. So that, that's going to be something. I'm not saying he can't do it, but that's going to be something you got to navigate when you get to that point.

[Shannon T. Dude]

What kind of needle mover is Jaden Quaint? Assuming he plays at full strength and becomes kind of the guy we're all hoping and dreaming.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I mean, look, he's. He's big, he's athletic, he can protect the rim. And he is a guy that can be that. That like five man that is out on the perimeter as a ball handler and a distributor and an initiator that can do some of the things that Amari Williams did last year. And when you pull that five man away from the basket and you can use him in offense and he can be the passer and you throw those backdoor cuts, that changes what Pope's offense can be like. How Many times they get layups last year just because Amari Williams had the ball at the top of the key.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yep.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Time the back door cut at the right time, you got a layup out of it. I think Quaintance can be that guy. And if he's back and he's healthy and is a rim protector and he's effective defensively, he can rebound, you can get out and go. There's a, you know, grab and go, grab and go. Five, man. It changes a lot of things.

[Jeff Goodman]

Elite kid, the, the Arizona staff. I should read you what I'm trying to find it right now. What, what I. Here, here's. I'm going to read you from one of the Arizona assistants what he said.

[Ryan Lemond]

Okay, how about Jaden Quaint?

[Jeff Goodman]

He's unbelievable. Gets up every day and run a mile. Would come back at night and shoot only drinks water. Not on social media, reads books. Big time chess player has never smoked.

[Ryan Lemond]

Or had a drink. Yeah, he actually, actually beat Pope in chess, I think a couple times. I think he has a winning record against Pope and chess, which says something.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Because Pope is brilliant, as we know.

[Ryan Lemond]

So we're about to run out of time, you guys, but, you know, we all like to think about who's going to play. The question for most fans seem to be who's going to win the four job? Who's going to be at the four? How do you guys foresee that working out?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I think it's going to be a rotation there. I think you're going to see lineups where you have the abate there. I think there's going to be lineups where you see Cam Williams playing at the 4 and you put more shooters out there. I think there's going to be lineups where you try to go big and maybe play Quaintance and BG together when they're both healthy. I think that you're going to see who's the shooter. The Mountain Mamba.

[Ryan Lemond]

Trent Noah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Trent, Noah.

[Ryan Lemond]

Mountain Mamba.

[Shannon T. Dude]

You know, Mountain Mamba's.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I think you're going to see him there at times as well.

[Jeff Goodman]

So I, I think the Abate's got to play. Yeah, I just think he's, he's a guy that Pope hasn't had, you know, he's not a big time shooter, but man, he is elite defensively, tough as, you know what, good leader. Yeah, I just, I think he's going to find a way to get on the floor and stay on the floor as long as you have enough shooting around him. And like Rob said, this is Not a traditional Mark Pope team, but he's got enough pieces that he can. He can move it around and get it to where he's. He's got enough shooting on the floor.

[Ryan Lemond]

We'd love to talk to you for a couple hours. We know you got to go, but listen, congratulations joining the On3 family. You're now a co worker of Mr. Babyface Jack Pilgrim. Now, that was announced earlier this week. So I know you guys are excited about it. I know Aunt Three's excited about it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Is that his official nickname? Mr. Babyface?

[Ryan Lemond]

Yes.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Is that what we call him?

[Shannon T. Dude]

He's been calling me that for seven years.

[Ryan Lemond]

Babyface Jack Pilgrim.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It threw me off when you said that you've been here since 2016. 2016, because, like, I swear, I thought you just graduated college last year.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, look at him. He looks like he's in high school.

[Jeff Goodman]

He's got six kids. All right.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah, two kids.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, congratulations on joining on three. Thank you for coming on. Wish we could talk to you a lot longer, but we'll be back. Send us a note what you see from practice today.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Maybe.

[Jeff Goodman]

Well, we're gonna do something with Jack after. After practice.

[Ryan Lemond]

Jeff Goodman, Rob D. We're right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. TJ Smith, personal injury attorney. Call tj. He'll make him pay.

[Commercial Announcer]

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones being brought back in.

[Ryan Lemond]

By the greatest singer in the history of music, Darius Rucker. Well, yes, Ryan Lemon, Jack Pilgrim sharing the. Dude, we twisted Rob Doster's arm to stay One more segment. Jeff is meeting with a UK student right now. So, Rob, you nice enough to sit and join us? Because we were, like I said, we feel like we could talk to you guys. Like two hours trying to get into the weeds and stuff about UK basketball. I mean, they're what, a couple weeks away from Midnight Madness? I mean, it's sneaking up on us. And you guys are doing your tour, going to some different camps. We said you went to Purdue. You went to that other school down the road a little bit. Are you excited to see what this team, this Kentucky team can do this year?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I am. I am. I'm really excited to see it. I. I'm very curious to see how the rotations play out. I'm very curious to see how you play, for example, Denzel and Jalen together. Is it going to be a situation where you have a starting point guard and a backup point guard with those two? But I'll be honest, Ryan, the biggest reason why I'm Back here again. Is that. I didn't. I feel like I said three words. Goodman was here.

[Shannon T. Dude]

No kidding.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I got. I got thoughts, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

He totally monopolized your airtime there a little bit, I think.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Hey, this happened. This happened yesterday, too, where I would ask a kid a question, and Goodman would answer the question. You asked me a question.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's true.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Answer the question.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Even a. Rob. What do you think about this, Jeff? Well, it's clearly my turn. My. My turn here.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I. I just. I. I love how he was like, you got to respect your elders, and so there must be a lot of respect, because as young as you look, that's the opposite of what we got with Jeff over there. All right, I'm done.

[Ryan Lemond]

I'm done.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I'm done making fun of him.

[Ryan Lemond]

All right?

[Shannon T. Dude]

But I. I still love to make fun of you because I watched your interview yesterday. Great job with Pat. Pat Kelsey, by the way. But point guard, you.

[Jack Pilgrim]

How.

[Jeff Goodman]

How do you.

[Shannon T. Dude]

When. When he says something as egregious as that, you don't. Like, your head doesn't fall off your. Your neck.

[Ryan Lemond]

How.

[Shannon T. Dude]

How does that happen?

[Ryan Lemond]

It.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It took me a second to kind of register what, like, point guard you, point guard you. Is this Point Chucky.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Is that.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Is that look.

[Shannon T. Dude]

And maybe Mikel Brown.

[Jeff Goodman]

I. I get definitely my.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Like, I get. I get what he's doing, right? Like, he's. He's trying to brand it as that.

[Ryan Lemond]

Sure.

[Jack Pilgrim]

They're probably targeting a. A point guard in the class of 2026 that.

[Shannon T. Dude]

That they just whiffed on with Tay.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Kenny that they would like to have come in.

[Ryan Lemond]

That they would like to have come in.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So I think that that's probably what he's doing. But, I mean, listen, we spent we had, what, 15 years of Cal here branding Kentucky as whatever he wanted to brand it. That's what coaches do, man. It's the world that we live in.

[Ryan Lemond]

You hosted this show twice. You and John Fanta hosted the show a couple times. Got to take calls. So you're kind of familiar with kind of what we do. You know, we're kind of fanboys, but I can't help but get more than that.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Ryan, come on, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, you know, I'm the dumb, dumb buddy, dumb doofus on the show, but I can't help but get excited about what this basketball season could be. I mean, I just. Are we. Are we just being too much of a fanboy, or is there a legit reason to be excited about this team.

[Jack Pilgrim]

All the way in? I say this all the Time. The best part about being a fan is the build. Right. The best part is when you start in the place where you. You don't feel good about the program and then that energy comes back and then you get a guy like Pope coming in and then you go through a year where. I don't know what you guys were expecting last season. I don't know. I wasn't expecting too much. I thought, like, tournament would be good. Then you're a top 10, top 15 team. You make it to the sweet 16. Right now you got a preseason top 10 team dream. Have fun with it, man. The best part is when you are on that growth pattern, when you are getting better and there is reason for to be excited. That's when it's that the best. And then eventually you're going to hit that peak.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's what I wanted to hear. That's exactly I wanted to hear. We're not crazy for feeling it, feeling this way.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah. I think that's kind of when. When you got the foundation with year one, kind of the. The high floor guys were just loading up on Portal town, you know, talent. Now he could kind of handpick the guys that fit, the returning talent, the incoming freshmen that, hey, let's go get Andrea Yellow. Yellow from Croatia. See where he fits in. You know, setting. Setting the tone in year one to kind of get to what I think Pope, you know, a full. A full recruiting period to work.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Gives you a chance to dream. Right. You can say, oh, man, how great is it going to be if Mark Pope brings us back to the Final Four, if he brings us back another championship, if he gets us that next national championship banner that we can hang and rub. Right. Whereas once you reach the end of a coaching cycle, you're not excited. You go watch them because that's your team.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And you love them and you want them to win more than anything. But at the end of the Cal era, I can't imagine that you were excited to go watch John Caliperi coach basketball teams.

[Ryan Lemond]

It was painful at times.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah. They were one and you happy. But it wasn't. It wasn't what you wanted out of your program. And I feel like you guys have that now. So embrace it, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

Dream nice. That's what we need to hear.

[Jack Pilgrim]

That's what being a fan is about.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah. You know, 859-280-2287. That's our phone number. We got a caller online. So who we got? Shannon.

[Commercial Announcer]

Go to Bluegrass.

[Ryan Lemond]

Bluegrass here with Rob Doster. Go ahead. What's Going on, fellas. Hey, Rob. Big fan of the field of 64. I guess 68 now when I'm not listening to sources say I'm definitely over there on your channel. So, man, I love what you're all doing.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I appreciate that. Thank you. Hey, I just got one little simple thing.

[Ryan Lemond]

Thank you so much for leaving Tyler Hansboro at the house. Oh, my good. Thank you. Appreciate it. Bluegrass. When I heard that. When I heard that, I was like.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Oh, I'm all in.

[Ryan Lemond]

What a great trip. No, Tyler Hansborough, I'm loving it, fellas.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Has he replaced Goodman as public enemy number one?

[Ryan Lemond]

Maybe for us, for sure. Yeah. There's no doubt. Yeah. For many years. I like just to. Seeing Jeff Goodman sitting there on this show is a little. Kind of surreal. A little bit.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Tyler, next year.

[Ryan Lemond]

No, no, I don't think we're there yet with him.

[Shannon T. Dude]

We're not there yet.

[Ryan Lemond]

Jack mentioned Yellow Vic at something, you guys, you know, didn't put on your rotation. Is he still a long ways away or do you feel like the he is a guy that could contribute this year?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I honestly don't really know. That's part of why I like going on on these trips and why I like getting onto these campus and being able to talk to the coaches and kind of see it for yourself. Because all of these Euro guys, it feels like with a lot of them, you hear about how, oh, he's older. He just played professionally for this many years. He's. He's this. He's whatever.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, right.

[Jack Pilgrim]

NBA draft prospect. And then they get here, and it's not just the adjustment to a different style of play. It's a completely different culture. It's different food that you're eating. Right. It's different.

[Shannon T. Dude]

We learned that the hard way with Big Z last year.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, right. It's a. It's a different way of life. It's. It's a different language for a lot of these kids when you're coming in. So I feel like the adjustment process is going to be much more difficult and there's going to be bigger swings. Right. You're going to see guys that are just. Maybe they already speak English because they grew up in Lithuania and they were playing in Spain. Right. There's going to be guys that have already adjusted to living away from home, whereas someone that maybe came from their local club when they were 19 years old and coming here, it's going to be different. Right. So it's very hard to get a feel for what those European guys are going to be when they adjust because so much of it is beyond just what they can do as a basketball player. Right. How does that human being fit when you have that big of a cultural change in your life? So that's one of the things that I'm going to be looking for today when we get to practice.

[Shannon T. Dude]

My, my prediction for you is when we talk after practice, on your way out, on your way to the airport, that's gonna be the first thing you bring up. Said, whoa, I didn't, I didn't realize because I've heard great things about Yellow Vich. I think he's got. If we look at what Andrew Carr was for the team last year in terms of role, I think that's kind of what they're hoping he becomes, maybe even a better version of that. So I'm excited to, for you to see what Yellow bitch looks like and maybe talk to him. We haven't even gotten to meet that, meet that kid yet.

[Ryan Lemond]

So Purdue is the first exhibition game they're, like you said, already predicting championship or bust. It could be the most hyped up exhibition game in the history of college basketball. And they come here to play Kentucky at Rupp Arena. It'll be sold out, packed for an exhibition game.

[Jack Pilgrim]

You know what I love about that is that Painter said the reason why he's doing that is because he wants to throw his guys into the fire. Basically. Like, let's, let's go show them the, the most difficult experience that they can have as a, as a college basketball player. And let's like basically see what they got, right? Let's see how well they're going to.

[Ryan Lemond]

Be able to handle that.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Let's get that out of the way at the start of the season so that when you actually play the games that matter, you'll be able to, it won't be as bad. So he's like, yeah, we're going into the hornet's nest. We're going interrupt. Didn't they play at Bud Walton last year, right?

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, I think they did. That's right.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So he's like, my exhibition games. Let's go, let's, let's go see how, how badly we can get our. I'm trying not to curse here. Our, our tails whipped. See that, See that? Some of us are professional.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Shannon T. Dude]

In terms of the returning talent, you can't say otega away. Is there a player that you're most looking forward to saying, hey, I'm expecting a Colin Chandler jump or a Trent Noah Mountain Mamba. What? What? Is there a guy that you're kind of, you know, keeping a close eye on to say, hey, he could be the breakout candidate that we're waiting for for the Wildcats.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I'm excited to see what Colin Chandler can be. You know, he had the, the two years off and he's back and he can shoot and he's, he can kind of fill some of those roles. I really want to see something out of bj. You know, he's a guy that was, he was like a top 25 prospect, five star kid. Right.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Top 30. McDonald's burger boy though.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah. So he's big, he's athletic. You saw some flashes last year where he kind of started to figure it out a little bit at that five spot. Right. And, and I think with him it's how well can he process the game? How well can he understand, okay, when I am here and there's this action on the weak side of the floor, this is where the ball is going to be open. This is where I have an opportunity to attack. This is where the play I have to make is. And I think Amari Williams picked that up really quickly last year and I think that by the end of the year we saw it a little bit out of bg.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And when you have that much talent and you have a coach that can get you to the point where you start understanding what you're supposed to be doing. He's a guy that I think can give you a little bit of a ceiling.

[Ryan Lemond]

What about Jasper Johnson? Because he's a guy, obviously we grew up here. We all know, we all seen him since places he was in elementary school. He has high expectations from a lot.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Of you watching him play in elementary school.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, he's the same age as my son.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Oh.

[Ryan Lemond]

So I saw my son played against him forever.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Out of context. That really doesn't, doesn't look good.

[Ryan Lemond]

I was scouting this kid when he was in the fifth grade.

[Shannon T. Dude]

I knew as a first grader, man, he just had that, that's that it factor.

[Ryan Lemond]

So a lot of people expect him to be a guy that's going to maybe surprise people and get on the, get on the floor a lot this year. Do you see that?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I like Jasper. I think that when you are in this day and age, the only freshmen that are coming in and going to significantly impact the team to the point where like, okay, like he's a difference maker are going to be the guys that are like the top two, three, four guys in each class. And then beyond that, you're going to have some good role players. Right? Like, I think that when you have nil keeping guys around longer, when you are bringing in transfers that are 22, 23, 24 years old, and that's happening everywhere across the high major level of college basketball. Right. I think that asking an 18 year old to come in to a program and compete with guys four, five, six years older than him, that's tough. Is a hard thing to do.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

So with freshmen, I'm always going to, to be like, give it time. It's going to take a little bit of while, but the talent is there. Like when you're his size and you got his ability on the ball and he could score. Lefty. There's just something about lefties that it feels like they're always that much more fun to watch. Were you a lefty? No, I was not. I wish I was. Maybe I would have been good.

[Ryan Lemond]

Where is it? Did you. Where did you play?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Vassar College.

[Ryan Lemond]

Vassar, that's right. Vassar. Division 3 school.

[Jack Pilgrim]

What's the opposite of a powerhouse? I, by the way, I have a. I have a record at Vassar College and it is, it's something for the basketball team. I'm the only player that's ever gotten kicked off the team twice.

[Shannon T. Dude]

What'd you do?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah. Let's just say I was really good at college.

[Ryan Lemond]

He is Rob Doster. They're the field of 68 newest members of the On3 family man. Thank you so much for hanging out with us and kind of, like I said, send Jack a note. After practice we can kind of talk about what you guys, what you saw.

[Jeff Goodman]

And what you see tonight.

[Shannon T. Dude]

We're, we're.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I finally got the invite, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

There we go. Waiting.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I've been waiting for nine years. He's been here for nine years and I finally got the invite.

[Ryan Lemond]

The invite.

[Shannon T. Dude]

We'll be waiting for them outside the Joe Craft center. Like, waiting for Bully Gillespie. We're going to be. We're going to be waiting. They're going to come out where they're going to.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Should we recreate that?

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah, you guys can be sprinting to the Uber and we'll be. Wait, hold up.

[Jack Pilgrim]

What you think about?

[Ryan Lemond]

He is Rob. He is Rob Duster. We'll be back with Jack Pilgrim and a lot more coming up here on KE Sports Radio. Don't go away.

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[Ryan Lemond]

Welcome back Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan Lemon, Shannon T. Dude and Jack Pilgrim here just had to say goodbye to Jeff. Jeff Goodman and Rob Doster. How good were those guys?

[Shannon T. Dude]

I mean, it's weird man. I'm just sitting here with all the KSR stuff and then having Jeff Goodman's face right next to me is. It's like these things don't belong, but it feels so right, you know?

[Ryan Lemond]

He was kind of public enemy number one. Not just for the fans, but for KSR too for a long time.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Not on good terms for a very long time. Just in good for him being a good sport to just kind of say, hey, it's a new era for all of us. It was weird. It was a weird time in the past. We know, we acknowledge that. But we can just let bygones be bygones, move past the past and you know, have a bright future together now as co workers.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah. Now if you're part of the On3 team. You and I were talking during the break and it went by like super fast. That first 30 minutes just like flew by. I feel like I've got so much more I want to talk to him about, but time just disappeared.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Yeah. And I'm glad that we'll kind of get a little post practice recap. And again they're going to be at the Joe Craft Center. They're going to be interviewing Mark Pope. They're going to be having the whole roster be coming through. If you watched what he they did yesterday with Pat Kelsey that it was the interview with the head coach and then had basically every single player on the Louisville roster come through. It's going to be a very similar format today. So should get a ton of great intel from from the Joe Craft center today.

[Ryan Lemond]

So you're going to be outside on the sidewalk, mike in hand. Stephen's going to be there with the camera and you're going to get them for your sources say podcast while they wait on their Uber.

[Shannon T. Dude]

It's going to be a tight squeeze because they have a flight at 7:15 so to for by the time they get out of practice hoping that there's no traffic, hoping that there's the TSA line isn't too bad. I've never had a horrible experience again. We got a knock on wood.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, whatever.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Because I do not want them to miss their flight. But if, if all goes as planned, we should get some immediately after the fact takeaways from. From the field of 68 guys.

[Ryan Lemond]

As long as the Uber like it's caught in traffic, the longer you get to ask them questions about what they saw, that's what it's kind of where we're interviewing him before practice. I want to know what they say after they see practice.

[Shannon T. Dude]

That's.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's why, that's why sources say podcast is doing it.

[Shannon T. Dude]

That's why we're doing it.

[Ryan Lemond]

So how can people see the sources say this, this episode, how they see it.

[Shannon T. Dude]

Stephen Hope sitting next to us will hopefully have everything set up with the the pre recorded segment and then we'll be going live right at 8 o' clock on Gotcha. KSRU Gotcha.

[Ryan Lemond]

What was your biggest takeaway about what they said about this basketball team that Jaden.

[Shannon T. Dude]

The quote from, from the Arizona State staff about Jaden Quaint, you know, the off the record, unfiltered, just, you know, a real takeaway of a, of their experience with Jaden Quaintance before he got to Kentucky. Because it's everything I had heard about Jaden as well. Awesome kid coming from a great family that, you know, really, you know, no drinking, only drinking water, you know, no smoking, none. All of an unbelievable kid on top of being a generational basketball talent.

[Ryan Lemond]

True, Shannon. So what do you buy about this? They say Jaden quaintance has gained 40 pounds already.

[Shannon T. Dude]

It's. I don't think that's necessarily the truth. I think it's a combination of what he. The number, pre number, if I had to guess was the hey, this is what he was for first when he stepped foot on campus at Arizona State, whatever he gained there and then another full offseason. So I think that's like a two year sample size that we're working with. Not a, hey, over eight weeks in Lexington, the strength, strength and conditioning staff put 40, 40 pounds of good weight on this kid. I don't think that's a reality, but things are going very, very well. Just the videos and clips that I've gotten and seeing with my own two eyes of how he's progressing. Jaden looks good and, and I think he is definitely a needle mover for what, what this team can be in terms of that final four upside we were talking about earlier.

[Ryan Lemond]

Shannon, they're like the wrestling move, you know, they said the one dude weighs 700 pounds.

[Jeff Goodman]

They're saying Jaden Quaint has gained 40.

[Ryan Lemond]

Pounds in like a month.

[Commercial Announcer]

You know, Richie and I were talking about this a little bit on the pre show today. If you've gained 40 pounds, I don't think that's a good thing. I don't think you need to gain. I mean if you're getting 40 pounds of muscle and again maybe we're talking about two years and that's, that's more understandable. But if you put on £40 in the off season, that's not going to be all muscle and you know, I'm expecting him to come back and look like Zion if that were the case. So yeah, I think you're probably right, Jack, in saying it's probably two years and not one year. That would, that would make more sense.

[Ryan Lemond]

And before we go to the Break. We need to say. We need to say something here. We all kind of have a heavy heart here at KSR and KS Bar and Grill. And our neighbors next door, Tilted Kilt, good friend of the show, Manny Robertson, passed away yesterday. One of Drew Franklin's best friends. That's why Drew's not here today. I mean, Manny was really Drew's ride or die. You know, they went to all the games together and watched games together. Just kind of unexpectedly, Manny passed away yesterday.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And Drew's.

[Ryan Lemond]

Drew's having a hard time. So remember him and your thoughts and prayers. The Tom. There's Robinson. Robinson family. It's. It's tough. It's a tough day for everybody around here, and Manny was a good guy.

[Shannon T. Dude]

It broke my heart when you. When you said that yesterday again, when you. The reason why I'm even sitting here is due to that very unfortunate circumstance. And when you reached out and said, hey, something came up with Drew. At first it was like, oh, you know, hey, I'm ready. But then when you, you know, the why behind it, it's just. It breaks your heart, you know? Love you, Drew. If you're listening to this or hopefully. Hopefully you're not. Hopefully you're taking some. Some time to yourself and, you know, reflecting on a great relationship, great friendship that you had with Manny. Just awesome, dude. Die hard Kentucky fan. Definitely one of us.

[Ryan Lemond]

You're right. We've all got that guy who's our ride or die. And maybe this is the time we need to step back and, you know, it's okay to tell. Guys are supposed to be so macho. It's okay to tell your buddy you love them, you know, and it's also. It's okay to show your feelings. We're supposed to be so macho, and we can't show our feelings and tell men we love each other. Why not? And, you know, now Drew loses his ride or die, and I'm sure he's feeling that, you know, right now. It's tough to have to go through. So just remember Drew and the Robertson family and your thoughts and prayers and rest in peace, Manny. He was a good dude. All right, we'll take our break, come back hour number two coming up here on Kentucky Sports Radio.

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[Ryan Lemond]

Had the best network because they did. But now the best mobile network in the US is T Mobile.

[Jeff Goodman]

T Mobile's network has the most advanced.

[Ryan Lemond]

5G with more towers, and their signal reaches further than ever. So you can text an insta talk and say, you won't believe where I am.

[Jack Pilgrim]

T Mobile has the best mobile Network.

[Ryan Lemond]

In the US based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data 1H 2025 CT mobile.com network.