Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – December 8, 2025, Hour 1
Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon the Dude
Main Theme:
A candid postmortem of Kentucky basketball’s demoralizing 94-59 loss to Gonzaga, examining the state of the team, the eruption of fan anger, and what such a blowout means for the trajectory of the season—and Mark Pope’s leadership. The hour is underscored by Matt Jones’ personal reflections amidst a challenging week for his family.
Episode Overview
- Purpose:
Deciphering the Kentucky basketball program’s worst performance in recent memory, the wave of fan booing during the Gonzaga debacle in Nashville, and what’s gone wrong culturally and strategically for UK under Mark Pope. - Tone:
Raw, unsparing, a blend of sorrow, anger, bewilderment, and the occasional gallows humor—a group therapy session for Big Blue Nation.
1. Personal Context: Matt Jones Addresses His Own Tough Week
[04:09–07:03]
- Matt Jones offers heartfelt thanks to listeners for support after tough personal news about his father ("Larry"), who has been unwell.
- He shares that doing the show is a helpful distraction:
"To be quite frank with you, can be a good distraction from what's going on... There may be times in the coming weeks I have to be gone. I hope people understand that." ([04:45])
- Confirms rescheduling the annual December road trip and thanks the crew for their support.
2. The Gonzaga Game: “Shockingly Bad, an Embarrassment”
[07:03–12:59]
- Initial Reactions:
All hosts express disbelief at the magnitude of UK’s defeat. - Drew on the Scene in Nashville:
- The Big Blue crowd traveled strong, outnumbering Gonzaga fans, setting expectations for a home-like environment.
- But excitement in the arena quickly turned to shock and then sarcasm (“sarcastic cheering” for the first UK field goal after a 19-2 start) ([08:07–08:50]).
- Ryan on Fanbase Mood:
"It's been a long time since we've seen the fan base like this about our basketball program... really bad." ([03:13])
- Matt: The “Worst Beating, Most Humiliating Performance”
- "I'm not sure... I think Kentucky has been more thoroughly dominated in a way like that."
- Frustration is twofold: poor team construction and zero 'want to' from players ([09:38]).
- Not just about the scoreboard, but the absolute lack of energy and pride.
- Pregame Warmups:
- Multiple attendees messaged Matt that Gonzaga’s pregame was sharp and “military-esque,”
while Kentucky players stood around chatting ([10:38–11:16]). - Ryan: “No focus…like they weren’t ready to play a pickup game.” ([11:16])
- Multiple attendees messaged Matt that Gonzaga’s pregame was sharp and “military-esque,”
3. Dissecting the Effort: “Gutless, Defeated, Like They Don’t Even Like Each Other”
[12:46–16:56]
- Team’s On-Court Demeanor:
- Drew and Matt: Players were “moping around,” showing no defensive intensity or cohesion.
- Mark Pope, previously known as a high-energy leader, looked “defeated,” “like he doesn’t have a single care,” and “more afraid than any fan in the crowd” ([12:59–13:29]).
- Coaching Critique:
- Matt: "You spent more money on this roster than anybody else in the country. You played here. You don't get to... when the ship's going down, you have to be at the front." ([15:54])
- Drew: "Stick your chest out and be the leader... We're at war, and he's in the back of the pack" ([15:29]).
- Lack of Chemistry:
- “It looks like the players cannot stand each other... almost have zero desire to be on the court.” ([14:13])
- Coaches and players are not only losing, they’re doing so with no energy or connection.
4. Booing the Team: Acceptable or Not?
The Infamous Nashville Booing Segment
[22:04, 23:57–31:00]
- Drew’s Eyewitness:
- “Oh, it was a lot…I'll go 20%…It wasn’t half the crowd, but it felt like it.” ([24:40–24:47])
- "That was a vicious boo... I want you to feel how mad we are at you right now." ([28:28])
- Historical Context:
- Loudest, most sustained booing any of the hosts can remember at a UK basketball game—even in football, nothing compared ([25:54–26:13]).
- “This was booing with six minutes to go in the first half… not just at the end of the game.” ([25:24])
Why Did the Booing Happen?
- Years of pent-up frustration after disappointing seasons and lack of postseason success ([26:13–26:34]).
- Big money spent on the team (“allegedly $22 million”), but minimal return.
- Discrepancy versus last year’s team—lesser talent before, but always maximum effort.
- Fanbase “snapped” after almost 20 minutes of basketball over two games with just two field goals ([28:24]).
5. Is It Acceptable to Boo? KSR Hosts’ Vote
[30:25–33:27]
- Ryan Lemond:
- “No, it’s not. Not your own team. Not like that.” ([31:10])
- Drew Franklin:
- “Without hesitation. Yes, it's acceptable… These are guys giving no effort…You don't even try, that's different.” ([31:29])
- Shannon the Dude:
- “100% acceptable, Ryan… fans paid hundreds if not thousands of dollars to come to Nashville to watch that. And that deserves to be booed.” ([31:58])
- Matt Jones:
- “I would not do it. I would not recommend doing it. But I also think because of the effort... I think it is acceptable.” ([33:00])
- Stresses that it's effort, not just performance, that makes booing understandable.
- Key Quote:
"Two years ago, I would've said you never boo college kids ever… But if they're not going to even give effort... I can't think of a Kentucky team that didn't give effort." – Matt ([33:27])
6. What’s the Real Problem? Coaching, Roster, or Culture?
[34:13–39:01]
- Team Chemistry:
- “I cannot remember any team that liked each other less than this.” – Matt ([34:04])
- Even in previous “team turmoil” eras, there was some on-court unity; this group has none.
- Message for Mark Pope:
- Drew: “He needs to have a team meeting… try to send a message. Whatever he's telling them in the locker room… is making them go the opposite direction.” ([35:01])
- Caller Donnie:
-
"I'd send them to the locker room… until I got down to five players. You don't dog it, you go to the locker room." ([36:13])
-
- Matt’s Recap:
- Consistency only against bad teams; “Against a bad team, they look great” ([37:00]).
- Wonders if Pope is overthinking/overanalyzing, as Field of 68’s Terrence Oglesby suggests:
“Maybe he’s just too smart right now… They don’t even do the basic things.” ([39:01])
7. Outside Perspective: Terrence Oglesby’s Critique
[45:09–47:03]
“He talks about eccentric loads and workloads and work output and all this stuff that requires three degrees to listen to. How about you just play off two feet, communicate and switch... Get back to the simple parts of this game.”
- Hosts’ Reaction:
- This team needs basics—stripped-down basketball, not analytics overload.
- Drew: “His guys obviously aren’t getting the message... he should go to the very bare minimum of instruction at this point.” ([46:38])
- Matt: Wonders if Pope lacks “common sense” as a communicator—can he relate to this team the way Calipari and Pitino could ([47:24–48:12]).
8. Fan Response Poll
[44:59–48:40]
- Matt runs a text-vote poll during the show: Is it acceptable to boo?
- Results: Roughly 80–85% say YES.
- Ryan is not surprised, but notes this would not have been true before NIL and the current climate ([48:40]).
9. “Can It Be Fixed?” and Final Calls
[49:11–end]
- Caller Todd: “I would say it was 50% booing… the effort is one thing, but our offense—I’ve seen 5th and 6th grade teams run better.” ([49:57])
- Matt: “We’re playing five out… and we don’t have anybody who can shoot or drive… we’re playing the Warriors’ offense with no shooters.” ([50:00])
- The Coaches’ Dilemma:
- Pope’s public defense of players/the rotation is based on analytics, not reality.
- Drew: “Please do not tell me how efficient Brandon Garrison is.” ([51:30])
- Summing Up:
- The hour closes with the central question: Can things turn around if Jaden Quaintance returns?
- Hour Two will tackle that, UK volleyball, and football news.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “This was as poor a performance as I’ve ever seen… they were gutless.” – Ryan Lemond ([10:20])
- “He (Mark Pope) looks defeated to me… he looks like a man who just hates his life.” – Matt Jones ([13:29])
- “The whole program looks like the players cannot stand each other.” – Matt ([14:13])
- “That was a vicious boo… That was, I want you to feel how mad I am at you right now.” – Drew ([28:28])
- “You spent more money on this roster than anyone in the country… you don’t get to hang back." – Matt ([15:54])
- “I would not do it… but when you’re not going to even give effort… I think it is acceptable.” – Matt ([33:00])
- “We’re playing the Warriors’ offense and we have no shooters.” – Matt ([50:10])
- “Please do not tell me how efficient Brandon Garrison is.” – Drew ([51:30])
Key Timestamps
- 02:34 – Show begins, intros
- 04:09 – Matt’s personal update, show logistics
- 07:03 – Breakdown of the start of the Gonzaga game, Nashville fan mood
- 10:38 – Pregame warmups: energy and focus
- 12:46 – Player and coach body language dissected; comparison to prior UK teams
- 22:04/24:37 – The "booing" controversy, firsthand account from Drew in Nashville
- 30:25 – KSR panel debate: Is it OK to boo?
- 45:09 – Text machine poll; reading Oglesby’s critique
- 49:11 – Caller feedback (“I’ve seen 5th and 6th grade teams run better offense”)
- End – Teaser for second hour: searching for solutions
Summary Table
| Segment | Key Topic | Notable Quotes / Timestamps | |----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| | Opening & Personal Context | Matt’s gratitude, family situation | “can be a good distraction...” [04:45] | | The Gonzaga Debacle | Shock, low effort, record fan anger | “It was an embarrassment.” [09:38] | | Team Chemistry/Leadership | Pope looks defeated, players detached | “He looks like a man who just hates his life.” [13:29] | | Booing Debate | Host votes, rationale, 80+% listener approval for booing | “That was a vicious boo.” [28:28] | | Coaching & Analytics Critique | Overcomplicating, not teaching basics | Oglesby quote [45:09–46:38] | | Fan Survey & Callers | Text machine poll, more horror stories from the crowd | “50% booing… 5th graders run better offense” [49:11] | | Can It Turn Around? | Open question, to be addressed next hour | |
For Listeners: This episode was a raw, honest reckoning with rock bottom for Kentucky basketball—a therapeutic forum for fans and hosts alike. If you missed the hour, these are the sentiments resonating through the state: exhaustion, demanding accountability, and, above all, a plea for the program to rediscover heart and connection.