Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1

Date: December 9, 2025
Podcast: KSR on iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)
Host: Matt Jones, with Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, and Shannon “The Dude”

Episode Overview

This episode of Kentucky Sports Radio dives deep into the current turbulent state of University of Kentucky (UK) basketball following their recent devastating loss in Nashville. The hosts dissect fan reactions, team chemistry, rumors, and leadership on the team. They also briefly discuss football coach contract details and Matt’s upcoming ESPN radio play-by-play debut. The conversation is candid, reflective, and classic KSR in tone—balancing analysis with humor and storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The NC Central Game & Matt’s Ties (02:37–05:16)

• Kentucky faces North Carolina Central that night.
• Matt recalls his memorable experience speaking at NC Central years ago about the death penalty—a story that oddly parallels tonight’s opponent.
  • “I got up and spoke about it and proceeded to get peppered with questions for an hour and a half... it was quite intimidating.” (03:15, Matt Jones)

2. The Team’s Mood and What Fans Want to See (05:16–06:40)

• There is doubt that tonight’s game will change the big picture; the real test is Saturday’s Indiana game.
• Drew’s analysis: Fans want to see “togetherness” more than any on-court achievement tonight.
  • “Fans just want to see them act like they like each other. Like go out there, have fun, celebrate your teammate... just show some togetherness.” (05:46, Drew Franklin)
• Tongue-in-cheek suggestions: a team conga line, hand-holding, etc.—emphasizing how dire the situation feels.

3. Booing the Team: Fan Reaction & Changing Expectations (06:40–08:41)

• Booing after the Nashville debacle dominates fan discourse.
• Matt is surprised at how accepted booing has become among UK fans, reflecting a new, more "professional" era in college sports with NIL money.
• Ryan admits he personally wouldn’t boo, calling it “a bad look” (08:33), but understands why others did.

4. Cause of the Team’s Malaise: Event or Chemistry? (08:41–14:11)

• Grappling with what’s wrong: Is there a “bad event” (fight/incident) behind the malaise, or is it just bad chemistry?
  • “If it was one event…and we've heard plenty of rumors…that should only affect a few people. The whole team is playing bad.” (09:58, Drew Franklin)
  • Matt notes a lack of reliable media leaks, perhaps indicating even the staff is in the dark. “Maybe the coaches are perplexed and they have no idea why this is happening, which is…even worse than if we had an explanation.” (11:41, Matt Jones)
• Ryan thinks something definitely happened before the Louisville game, based on Coach Pope’s comments, but isn’t sure what.

5. Is Money the Issue? (14:11–17:19)

• The “players get paid, so they don’t care” narrative resurfaces.
• Matt and Drew both strongly reject this, arguing that many well-paid college and professional players (e.g. at Michigan or Texas Tech) still play hard and succeed.
  • “It cannot be that it is just the money. Now some people don't react well to money…But human nature can be selfish. So I personally do not blame the money because there are others...” (14:45, Matt Jones)
  • “If money was the motivation, I would almost think they'd be...selfish, but they'd at least be playing hard.” (15:53, Drew Franklin)

6. Leadership & Roster Construction (16:52–18:02)

• Ryan blames the two supposed team leaders, Garrison and Otaga, for not stepping up.
  • “Your two big guys you’re counting on…have done nothing to help you much.” (16:52, Ryan Lemond)
• Matt likens the relentless coach positivity to “listening to Ted Lasso after a seven game losing streak,” wanting a more realistic tone. (17:19)

7. Avoiding the Tough Questions: Coaching Show Tactics (17:40–18:32)

• The hosts poke fun at last night’s call-in show, noting that when the staff fills air with old-player interviews (like 30 minutes of Kevin Grevey), it's clear they’re dodging tough conversations about the team’s issues.
  • “When they start bringing on players and doing 30 minute interviews...you've already given it away right there where we are.” (17:49, Matt Jones)

8. Rumor-Mongering: Who Really Knows What’s Going On? (21:32–24:01)

• Matt lists a running joke of various people texting in they "know what's happening" on the team: former players, city aides, local car dealers. They all agree few if any really know.
  • “These are just the people who have written the text machine to say they know what’s going on…which of these people do you think has the best chance of knowing?” (21:54, Matt Jones)

9. Football: New Coaching Contracts (24:01–27:29)

• Discussion of Will Stein’s contract—5.5 million per year, fairly standard for inexperienced coaches.
• Mark Stoops’ buyout: $37 million paid out over four years, which is easier on the budget than a lump sum and “not as bad for Kentucky” as feared.

10. Matt’s Upcoming ESPN Radio Play-by-Play Debut (27:39–34:43)

• Matt is doing national radio play-by-play for the New Orleans Bowl (Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss) and humorously describes his anxiety and lack of experience.
  • “When’s the best time to learn to do live play by play than national radio with a bowl game?” (28:18, Matt Jones)
• The team jokes about choosing a “spotter” and “stats” person. Billy Rutledge is Matt’s stats guy; the spotter search continues.
• Discussion about whether the broadcast should take on a KSR-like personality, with banter and crowd engagement.

11. Calls and Final Basketball Thoughts (35:05–48:20)

• Callers draw parallels to historic UK blowout losses and express concern.
• Matt and Drew analyze the upcoming opponent—North Carolina Central—and their star player Gage Lattimore, who Drew jokes UK should consider transferring in mid-game:
  • “He’s a bucket. We could use him.” (45:52, Drew Franklin)
• Ryan gives takeaways from open practice: players seemed to get along; Cam Williams and Trent Noah “did not miss a shot,” but will it translate?

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Team Chemistry:
  “Maybe something did happen, and maybe some of these guys just don’t like each other.” (12:29, Matt Jones)
• On the Money Argument:
  “If money was the motivation, I would almost think they’d be...selfish, but they’d at least be playing hard.” (15:53, Drew)
• Critiquing the Coaches’ Radio Strategy:
  “When you bring on Kevin Grevey after a 35-point loss, you are saying you don't want to talk about it, and that’s the worst way to do it with fans.” (18:02, Matt)
• Matt on ESPN Play-by-Play Nerves:
  “Let me just say, you know, play by play is a whole nother thing.” (28:49, Matt Jones)
  • “This may be less play by play, more color for most of the game.” (33:50, Matt Jones)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|-------------| | NC Central connections & game preview | 02:37–05:16 | | Team chemistry & what fans want to see | 05:16–06:40 | | Booing Kentucky players—fan perspectives | 06:40–08:41 | | Dissecting the team’s problems: event or chemistry? | 08:41–14:11 | | The money/NIL debate | 14:11–17:19 | | Leadership struggles (Garrison/Otaga) | 16:52–18:02 | | Critique of coach call-in shows | 17:40–18:32 | | “Who really knows what’s going on?” rumor mill | 21:32–24:01 | | Will Stein and Mark Stoops contract breakdown | 24:01–27:29 | | Matt's ESPN play-by-play debut anxieties | 27:39–34:43 | | Callers and NC Central scouting | 35:05–46:53 | | Ryan’s open practice scoop | 47:38–48:08 |

Tone and Style Highlights

The hosts are both critical and self-deprecating, mixing humor with genuine concern for the state of Kentucky basketball. There is a strong rapport among the crew, an openness to fan input, and a willingness to turn rumors or worries into comic fodder (e.g., the “spotter tryouts” for Matt’s ESPN debut).

Summary for New Listeners

This is a classic, conversational episode of Kentucky Sports Radio, balancing fan frustration and gallows humor with real concern for the team’s trajectory. The hosts alternate between diagnosing what ails UK basketball (from chemistry to leadership to culture shift with NIL money), analyzing rumors, and offering their signature blend of radio banter, nostalgia, and self-awareness. The episode also provides a behind-the-scenes look at sports radio and Matt’s leap to national play-by-play, providing both insight and laughs for longtime and new listeners alike.