Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1 (October 24, 2025)

Podcast: KSR
Host: Matt Jones (with Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon Dawson)
Date: October 24, 2025
Location: Don Franklin Nissan, Lexington, KY

Episode Overview

This episode of Kentucky Sports Radio focuses on a huge sports weekend in Lexington, featuring a major Kentucky basketball exhibition game against #1 Purdue and a pivotal football rivalry matchup between UK and Tennessee. The hosts break down expectations for both games, discuss notable injury updates, and debate the state of Kentucky football and its coaching staff. Additional topics include the increasingly infamous NBA gambling scandal, the rise of Eric Monday in UK administration, and spirited banter about the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Lexington's Biggest Sports Weekend

• Lexington Buzzing: The crew is broadcasting live from Don Franklin Nissan with a lively in-person crowd, some ignoring the show entirely (“This guy in the green, he's not looked up from the television. He has absolutely no interest…” — Matt Jones, 03:34).
• Historic Doubleheader: The hosts stress the magnitude of both a Friday night exhibition basketball game against #1 Purdue (rare for UK) and the Saturday night football game versus Tennessee.
• Basketball Hype Even for Exhibition: “Even though it's an exhibition game, I think tonight it's going to feel like it is a non-conference regular season game, like a big game.” — Drew Franklin (04:51)

2. UK Basketball vs. #1 Purdue: Analysis & Excitement

Atmosphere & Tickets

• The game is expected to have a March Madness energy, despite being an exhibition.
• Tickets dropped as low as $60 on gameday — “You get to see the number one team in the country against Kentucky for 60 bucks. That's pretty good.” — Matt Jones (06:00)

UK Roster & Injury Updates

• Jalen Lowe Status:

  • Major sigh of relief: Coach Pope said Lowe would likely return in a week, after earlier injury fears. “That's a deep breath moment because if he's just out a week or two… that's the best possible scenario, right?” — Matt Jones (08:07-08:50)
  • The team remains short-handed against Purdue, with Lowe and Quaintance sidelined.

• Player to Watch Predictions:

  • Everyone expects the backcourt to shine, especially due to Purdue’s interior defense:
    • Denzel Aberdeen: “He's a guy who's going to play... Pope just glowing about what he can do in practice…” — Shannon Dawson (16:17)
    • Colin Chandler: Predicted as a breakout (“The breakout begins tonight. Number one team...Let's just release sophomore Colin Chandler.” — Ryan Lemond, 16:28)
    • Jasper Johnson: “The Kentuckian is going to be the dude that we're...He'll make one or two plays that will surprise.” — Matt Jones (17:25)

• Strategic Expectation:

  • Both coaches likely to experiment with lineups for most of the game, but “if it's still close” at the end, they’ll go all-in to win. (07:28)
  • “The result only matters if Kentucky wins… if we beat the number one team without two of our best players. Look at national championship, right?” — Drew Franklin (07:50)

What to Learn from the Purdue Matchup

• Purdue returning core talent keeps them a legit #1; a strong Kentucky showing would be lasting and meaningful.
  • “Unlike last year where Arkansas looked great in that game and then kind of didn't look good really until the tournament, I think… if we look good tonight, it’s a good sign for us because I don’t expect Purdue to be at all a bust this year.” — Matt Jones (26:37)

3. Kentucky Football vs. Tennessee: Sobering Realism

Spread & Confidence

• UK is a 7.5-point underdog; the team hasn’t beaten Tennessee regularly and has often suffered blowouts.
  • “I think we're gonna get run tomorrow. I do. ...We're going to lose by three or four touchdowns. And I hope I'm wrong…” — Matt Jones (10:35)
• Tennessee’s high-octane offense and UK’s red zone struggles cited as key reasons for pessimism:
  • “Tennessee just scores too many points. I mean Kentucky will have to be in the mid-20s to even be in it. ...Do we have any faith we can get in the mid...?” — Ryan Lemond (11:06)
  • “We've actually scored a lot of field goals, but we don't get it in the end zone once we get it in the red zone.” — Matt Jones (13:19)

Red Zone Failures

• UK football has consistently ranked among the nation’s worst in red zone touchdowns over the past several years.
• Conservative play-calling, lack of creative red zone offense criticized.
  • “We're going up the middle and if you clog up the middle, we're done.” — Matt Jones (14:19)
  • “We're just content with a field goal at that point. Well, at least we'll get three. You know, that feels like the mentality when you get down into the red zone.” — Drew Franklin (14:37)

Which Is More Likely: Beat Purdue or Cover Football Spread?

• All hosts agree: beating Purdue is more likely than covering the spread against Tennessee.
  • “I would say beat Purdue. Even without two of our players.” — Drew Franklin (15:05)
  • “I think it's beat Purdue over covering that spread.” — Shannon Dawson (15:12)

What Would It Take for Stoops to Stay or Go?

• If UK football goes 5-7 but posts wins over Tennessee and Louisville, the crew says Stoops' job is likely safe.
  • “If they're able to pull out five wins out of this season, what we've gone through, that's a pretty good coaching job.” — Shannon Dawson (37:09)
  • “I think you hang onto him at least for another year and see what happens next season.” — Drew Franklin (37:57)
  • But: “There's also the possibility that we get run this weekend and this gets really bad on Sunday.” — Matt Jones (38:24)

4. Other UK & College Basketball Topics

• Roster Depth and Roles:

  • Matt and Drew break down positional depth, especially in the backcourt. “This team...can go multiple ways. They can play really small. They could play really big if they want...” — Matt Jones (48:26)
  • “When they're fully healthy...I think we're going to see Oweh at the three. That's pretty good scoop on that.” — Drew Franklin (49:51)

• Louisville Rivalry Banter:

  • Good-natured insults traded with Louisville fans over roster quality and recent history.
    • “I'll be like, but remember, these other schools don't know who these people are. Like, we talk about, like Braden Hawthorne...Nobody on any other team knows Braden Hawthorne. Louisville fans are the worst about this.” — Matt Jones (44:28)
    • “I'm glad it's back, man. I want this back and forth with Louisville, man. Not just good for our show. I just enjoy it as a fan, just kind of going after somebody.” — Shannon Dawson (45:34)
  • Comments on Pat Kelsey's dorky-cool approach at Louisville.

• Big Exhibition Slate:

  • Nationally notable exhibition games highlighted, including Louisville vs. Kansas, North Carolina vs. BYU, etc.

5. NBA Gambling Scandal: Wild Details & Kentucky Connections

• Discussion of sensational gambling and game-fixing allegations involving NBA players, coaches, and infamous poker games.
  • “I think the NBA is going to have some answering to do on all this because they've kind of…” — Ryan Lemond (30:06)
  • “They would wear contacts so that they all work together to make these people lose [in poker games]...” — Matt Jones (34:08)
• Multiple NBA figures tied by former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino’s connections, discussed tongue-in-cheek ("Are you implicating Rick? No... but let's look into it" — Shannon Dawson & Matt Jones, 35:05).

6. UK Leadership: Who Is Eric Monday?

• An administrative shake-up at UK puts Eric Monday in the spotlight; text machine feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
  • “A ton of people saying, matt, I don't think you all realize he's kind of been doing this for the last six months...” — Matt Jones (24:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the atmosphere at Don Franklin Nissan:
  “...these people waiting to get their car fixed and they're like, why is this guy yelling right as we're waiting to get our car fixed?” — Matt Jones (03:34)

• On playing Purdue in an exhibition:
  “I'm treating this like it's March. I think the whole atmosphere will be like it's March in there. That's how I feel.” — Ryan Lemond (05:43)

• On expectations for Jalen Lowe:
  “Mark Pope said yesterday that Lowe is basically – he's going to put him back on the court in a week...that’s about best possible scenario, right?” — Matt Jones (08:07)

• On Kentucky’s red zone woes:
  “We've basically scored as many touchdowns from the 15 back as we have from the 15 in, which is crazy...” — Matt Jones (13:19)

• On Kentucky’s conservative play calling:
  “We're just content with a field goal at that point. Well, at least we'll get three...” — Drew Franklin (14:37)

• NBA Gambling Scandal, on wild poker games:
  “They would wear contacts that could see ... like, I don't know what you would call it ... markings on large cards.” — Drew Franklin (34:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:01: Show opens live at Don Franklin Nissan; setting the tone for a huge sports weekend.
• 04:19 – 07:46: Big two-sport weekend preview; UK basketball exhibition expectations.
• 08:07 – 09:59: Jalen Lowe’s injury update; basketball roster implications.
• 10:00 – 14:46: UK vs. Tennessee football preview, concerns about scoring, play calling, and red zone futility.
• 14:50 – 15:47: “More likely” debate: UK covers vs. Tennessee or beats Purdue in hoops?
• 16:17 – 17:43: Who steps up for UK vs. Purdue? Panel makes player predictions.
• 26:05 – 28:13: What does a win vs. Purdue mean? Discussing Purdue’s legitimacy.
• 29:18 – 34:33: NBA gambling scandal: suspicious player behavior and infamous poker games.
• 37:09 – 38:58: Stoops debate—what wins does the coach need to keep his job?
• 44:05 – 46:58: UK-Louisville rivalry banter, “sheriff” jokes, Pat Kelsey’s glasses.
• 48:12 – 50:29: Listener call-in: breaking down UK basketball positions when healthy.

Episode Tone & Style

The KSR crew brings lively banter, local flavor, and deep insider knowledge to UK sports. There’s humor (“They grow gigantic white guys in a lab...”), self-deprecation, and friendly schadenfreude towards rival Louisville. The tone is conversational, occasionally irreverent but always passionate about Kentucky athletics.

For New Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

This hour encapsulates why KSR endures as essential listening for UK fans—

• Unfiltered insights into upcoming marquee UK games in both football and basketball,
• Candid debate on burning fan questions (player health, coaching future),
• Fun, often hilarious local color (ex: car dealership crowd interactions),
• Timely coverage of larger sports issues (NBA scandal),
• And relentless, good-natured roasting of Louisville.

End of Hour 1 Summary