Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1 Summary
Episode Date: November 4, 2025
Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon
Main Theme:
The KSR crew kicks off college basketball season by previewing the University of Kentucky's opening game against Nichols, discussing shifting college basketball scheduling philosophy, streaming options for watching tonight’s game, quirks of the NCAA’s NET ranking, and some light banter about internet statistics and pop culture.
Episode Overview
The episode focuses on anticipation for Kentucky’s opening basketball game, the nuances of non-conference scheduling, changing NCAA metrics, the practical dilemmas around streaming games, and humorous sidetracks involving audience engagement and fun facts.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Kentucky Basketball Season Opener
- The team is excited for the first game of the season.
- Matt Jones shares he’s traveling to Connecticut; Ryan and Drew are in Lexington.
- Drew describes the BB United Tip Off Classic field:
- Teams: Kentucky, Nichols, Valparaiso, Eastern Illinois.
- Drew’s Power Rankings for the BB United Classic:
- 4th: Eastern Illinois (KenPom 333/365; longest win streak among lesser teams)
- 3rd: Valparaiso (new coach Roger Powell Jr., 13 newcomers, tall roster)
- 2nd: Nichols (youngest head coach, multiple 20-win seasons, KenPom 225)
- 1st: Kentucky
- Matt notes the opening night is delayed for UK compared to other schools, building anticipation.
Quote – Drew [02:50]:
"In last place, Eastern Illinois. They are ranked 333rd out of 365 teams in KenPom. Did not have a good season last year. However, they have the nation's second longest winning streak..."
2. College Basketball Scheduling Philosophies and NET Rankings
- Matt and Ryan compare recent vs. historic scheduling strategies:
- Past (Calipari): Preferred tough mid-majors likely to win their conference for potential tournament resume-boosters.
- Present: Top teams now schedule either very strong or very weak non-conference games; the “middle” is being squeezed out.
- NET metric emphasizes win/loss over opponent strength, discouraging games against “decent” mid-majors to avoid potentially negative losses.
Quote – Matt [16:02]:
“Now the NET puts much more emphasis on wins and losses... you get dinged for losing to anybody outside of Quad 1. So coaches have realized you’re better off beating a Quad 4 team than losing to a Quad 2 team.”
- Ryan and Drew lament the lack of exciting opening week matchups:
- Suggestion: Open college hoops with multiple power matchups, like NFL/NBA, to increase early-season excitement.
- Cited Florida vs. Arizona as the previous night's lone marquee game.
Quote – Drew [08:42]:
“Otherwise, a lot of lopsided matchups that even though they turned out to be close games, you didn’t get a lot of good head-to-heads on the schedule.”
3. Game Access & Streaming Dilemmas
- Tonight’s game is only on SEC+ (digital); many fans unsure how to watch.
- Shannon suggests just searching on regular YouTube for an unofficial stream.
- Matt pushes Shannon on the legality; Shannon humorously pleads (semi-)innocence as only a viewer.
- Debate turns meta about KSR’s potential impact on these streams getting shut down.
Quote – Shannon [09:34]:
“There’s always someone streaming the game on regular YouTube. So if you just go to YouTube and you type in Kentucky versus whoever they’re playing that night, there’s always a stream.”
- Ryan shares his own workaround: one-day Sling TV package ($7 per game).
- The crew jokes about accumulating streaming expenses and consumer debt.
4. What Do Hosts Want to See from Kentucky Tonight?
- Some injuries (Low/Abedine likely out), so no natural point guard again.
- Drew focuses on shooting: Kentucky’s perimeter and free throw shooting needs rapid improvement—team has struggled in all exhibitions.
- Matt wants to see better shooting generally, especially since Mark Pope’s system depends on making open shots created by penetration.
- Ryan and Drew are concerned about players (notably, Williams) hesitating and lacking shooting confidence.
Quote – Drew [12:50]:
“They have to start shooting better or I’m really going to get concerned about this team… especially some of the guys that are expected to be the shooters.”
5. Amusing Tangents: Internet Usage in America & North Korea
- Matt quizzes the crew with stats:
- 38% of American men have substantial hair loss.
- 93% of Americans (12+) have been online in last 3 months. Larry, Matt’s acquaintance, is the only person he knows not ever using the internet.
- North Korea: 0% internet access; South Korea: 98%, despite being the same ethnicity and neighboring each other.
- World average: 63% have used internet in past 3 months.
- Jokes about pockets of the disconnected (Amish, prisoners, nursing homes).
- Shannon and callers debate how prison access works.
6. Listener Calls & Quick Hits
- Stoops Football Clock Management: A caller presents stats showing Kentucky’s defense is especially porous in the end of first halves against good teams—but not against all opponents—prompting recaps of fan frustrations.
- Streaming/Spanish Broadcast Hacks: Callers and Shannon share workarounds:
- YouTube streams
- ACC/ESPN Spanish-language feeds often available for free.
- Pop Culture Sidebar:
- Matt and others admit falling asleep during movies, especially in reclining seats.
- None of the hosts have successfully made it through the Lord of the Rings movies; Drew recounts sleeping through them in a theater.
7. Expectations Given the $22 Million Roster
- A text asks if the high NIL spend changes what’s “acceptable.”
- All agree: If team fails badly, the spend will be cited in criticism—but for normal ups and downs, money spent isn’t meaningful since it's donor-funded.
- Shannon, slightly contrarily, says the bar is a little higher if you know you’ve outspent the country.
- The crew reaffirms that unless the team is egregiously bad, the dollar figure is more a talking point for rival fans and the media.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Why Teams Avoid Strong Mid-Majors Now
Matt Jones ([16:02]):
“The NET puts much more emphasis on wins and losses… you get dinged for losing to anybody outside of Quad 1. So coaches have realized you’re better off beating a Quad 4 team than losing to a Quad 2 team.”
On Watching via YouTube Stream
Shannon ([09:34]):
“There’s always someone streaming the game on regular YouTube … type Kentucky versus whoever they’re playing that night, there’s always a stream of the game.”
Shooting Woes Worry
Drew ([12:50]):
“They have to start shooting better or I’m really going to get concerned about this team ... Need to see better shooting for three and at the free throw line, too.”
On Internet Stats
Matt ([26:50]):
“Still feels oddly low to me ... Larry is the only person I know that's not on the Internet.”
On North/South Korea Divide
Matt ([28:35]):
"South Korea, 98% ... on the Internet and North Korea, 0% ... and they are all Koreans that literally were just divided by a line based on politics."
On NIL Spend and Expectations
Drew ([39:37]):
"The number does not matter to me. Unless it's just an objectively bad and disappointing season."
Important Timestamps
- 00:37–02:27: Show opens; BBN United Classic field preview, rankings, bracketology
- 05:02–08:42: Scheduling philosophies; NET, RPI impact; need for better openers
- 09:31–11:18: How to stream the game; the YouTube workaround; ethics of watching pirated streams
- 12:14–13:49: What do the hosts want to see tonight? Focus on shooting woes, point guard injuries
- 16:02–18:26: NET metrics explained; Quad system and its effects on scheduling, weird incentive to play (and lose to) non-D1 teams
- 26:42–31:27: Internet statistics quiz and discussion; who isn’t online (Amish, nursing home, etc.)
- 32:31–35:21: Pop culture sidebar (Lord of the Rings, sleeping in movies)
- 39:37–40:44: Does NIL spending change what’s “acceptable” for Kentucky basketball success?
- 41:22–44:07: Calls about YouTube streaming reliability, Spanish ESPN football commentary
Closing Thoughts
Hour one sees the KSR crew blend earnest basketball preview talk, sharp college hoops analysis, and their trademark light-hearted banter. The hosts dissect the evolving college basketball landscape, poke fun at streaming hurdles fans must clear, and share poignant or quirky bits about sports, society, and life in general. Kentucky tips off tonight, shooting woes are under the microscope, and the never-ending quest to watch the ‘Cats—legally or otherwise—remains as spirited as the fanbase itself.