Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) — Hour 1

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Matt Jones with Drew, Freddie (and Ryan, later)
Location: KS Bar and Grill, Lexington

Episode Overview

This episode of Kentucky Sports Radio centers on reaction to the Kentucky basketball team’s win over NC Central, ongoing struggles and locker room drama, the future of player Brandon Garrison, and significant concerns about Kentucky's new NIL collective partnership with JMI. The hosts also discuss issues with the athletic department’s leadership, game-day experience, and an upcoming major news story. The show emphasizes the need for Kentucky athletics to modernize, as well as energetic debate over UK’s current standing.

1. Kentucky’s Win Over NC Central & Immediate Takeaways

(Starts ~03:17)

• Game Recap:
  Kentucky defeats NC Central 103–67 in a game that started shaky but turned into a blowout after a 16–0 run.

  • Matt Jones: “Started out kind of…it was about two more errors from a second set of 'boos' coming up in the arena.” (05:04)
  • Focus on improved shooting and energy, especially after the early struggles.
  • Dollar wing night at KS Bar mentioned as a sideline—“Wings Day” every Wednesday.

• Key Players & Performances:

  • Freddie: Praises Jasper Johnson (22 points) and Trent Noah (“complete player…effort, energy, everything we've wanted out of the whole bunch”). (06:04–06:23)
  • Noah credited for providing a spark in the starting lineup.
  • Jasper Johnson’s breakout game seen as positive, but caveats about the level of competition.

Notable Moment:

• Drew: “Noah in the starting lineup did kind of give them a little boost of fresh air, a little energy jolt and then he knocked down the three to start the game.” (05:49)

2. The Brandon Garrison Situation

(Begins ~07:33)

• Garrison’s Performance:
  • Single out Brandon Garrison for low energy, mistakes, and lack of hustle.
  • Mark Pope, Kentucky’s head coach, calls a timeout and yells at Garrison, later benching him for the rest of the game.
  • Noted that Pope still looked “just as angry” after the game, suggesting deeper issues.
  • Jonah Quaintance’s emergence discussed; may signal the end of significant minutes for Garrison.

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Jones: “Mark Pope calls timeout, lays into him as mad as we've maybe seen him…doesn't play him for the rest of the game.” (07:33–07:59)

• Drew: “I think the other guys…I took it as message received because they went out and played their best basketball tonight.” (12:23)

• Freddie: “The two turnovers and just looking like he's not even engaged, that's gone on long enough. And clearly Pope had had enough.” (09:25)

• Locker Room Impact:

  • Speculate Garrison is now “the least favorite player” with Kentucky fans.
  • Discussion whether he could be kicked off the team, ultimately decide he’ll just lose minutes, not dismissed.

3. Team Chemistry & Pope’s Demeanor

(Start ~12:56)

• Pope’s Current Mindset:
  • Previously relentlessly positive, Pope now described as having “middle-aged, sad dad energy,” looking tired and frustrated.
• Locker Room Chemistry:
  • Postgame, players gather with OA (Ortega) for a player interview, but Garrison noticeably absent.
  • OA claims “There’s nothing wrong off the court. Our problems are on the court. We are extremely close.” (14:34)
  • Skepticism over whether this is genuine, but agree that positive appearances are better than the alternative.

Quotes:

• Matt Jones: “Do you believe him when he says there's no—…he said it definitively. He was smiling. Do you believe it?” (15:18)
• Drew: “I looked at who wasn't standing around OA…and who was it? Brandon Garrison was not in that little group huddle right there…” (14:54)

4. Outlook: Can Kentucky "Turn it Around"?

(16:01–16:47)

• OA’s postgame vow: “This is going to end up being a year we remember for the rest of our lives because we turn it around.”
  • Matt Jones compares to Aaron Harrison’s famous 2014 quote, unsure if this team has similar potential.
  • Stresses need to win next game versus Indiana as critical turning point: “You cannot let Indiana come in here and punk you and win at Rupp Arena.” (16:41)

5. The Looming NIL Collective News & JMI Concerns

(23:12–29:16, expanded at 30:18)

• Matt Jones previews a major news story coming out—regarding Kentucky’s transfer of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) collective control to JMI, under a 25-year contract.
  • “We are the only school in the country that has this arrangement. Mitch got up and said, oh, Learfield does this. They don’t.” (24:03–25:00)
• JMI (a San Diego-based media company) now sole controller of Kentucky’s collective; speculation the model is flawed, with “no schools followed” since implementation.
• Major Concerns:
  • UK locked into a long-term deal before pending congressional legislation is settled, which may not pass as hoped.
  • Outsourcing NIL management to non-local, for-profit company (JMI) that might not prioritize winning as much as maximizing profits.
  • Other universities still use outside, flexible collectives allowing for more aggressive recruitment.

Memorable Quote:

• Matt Jones: “Mitch is a hall monitor and the teacher is out of school. Mitch is walking down the hallway going, ‘Follow the rules!’ and the teachers are on spring break.” (29:03–29:16)
• Freddie: “No other [school] is like pushing away outside collectives or deals. There's no rules or the rules he thinks that are in place right now do not exist.” (28:10)

6. Critique of Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart

(33:00–36:09)

• Caller Frank: “If somebody in Corporate America gave out two lifetime extensions to two coaches with no safety precautions whatsoever…and then handed a 25 year deal to a media company who's mediocre…they would be fired on the spot. These people live in a different world.” (33:00)
• Matt and the crew agree—time for new leadership and for Barnhart to “transition to a different era.”
• Cites ongoing lack of transparency, frustration at Barnhart’s lost temper when questioned.

7. Kentucky Athletics: Lack of Innovation & Modernization

(36:01–40:03)

• The show critiques Kentucky’s lack of innovation in game day experience, marketing, and general athletic department operations.
  • Nothing cutting-edge, lagging behind in experience and engagement (“Most Kentucky games are like a really fun church picnic.” — Matt Jones, 38:04)
  • Even traditions like “Doomus Walker” and the “Y” are seen as outdated.
• Some credit given to women’s sports and social media teams, but otherwise the consensus is that UK lags behind in almost every area.

Quote:

• Freddie: “Are we in the top eight of the conference? …Anything game day experience, put us at the bottom.” (36:19)

8. Radio Booth & WKU Game Prep Antics

(46:04–49:10)

• Matt Jones preparing for play-by-play duties for a game in the Superdome; details struggles learning the ropes, relying heavily on “Billy” for stats.
• Cites advice from Tom Hart: “The Superdome where this game is is ‘the hardest place to see in college football.' ... Bring your own binoculars.” (48:35)

9. Listener Calls & Final Collective Concerns

(50:02–52:12)

• Listener Adam (ex-Learfield employee): “JMI is a third party entity…they are looking out for JMI, not the University of Kentucky. That's why this was doomed to fail from the beginning.” (50:23)
• Matt Jones concerned about JMI’s profit-first motivation versus UK’s need to win.
• Drew and Freddie: Predict athletes and coaches will leave if Kentucky can’t offer competitive NIL deals/flexibility.

Quote:

• Matt Jones: “In a world where the number one quarterback in America flips from Georgia to Van Dyke, I don't know if, ‘Eh, we're good’ works.” (51:27)

Memorable/Notable Quotes

• “Mark Pope calls timeout, lays into him as mad as we've maybe seen him…and then doesn’t play him for the rest of the game.” — Matt Jones (07:33–07:59)
• “Mitch is a hall monitor and the teacher is out of school. Mitch is walking down the hallway going, ‘Follow the rules!’ and the teachers are on spring break.” — Matt Jones (29:03–29:16)
• “These people live in a different world. It is insane to me that this guy still has a job…His actions of the last five years have taken him from excellent to great to okay and solid.” — Caller Frank (33:00)
• “Most Kentucky games are like a really fun church picnic.” — Matt Jones (38:04)

10. Looking Ahead

• Darius Miller interview scheduled for Hour 2 (not covered in this segment).
• Story on JMI and the NIL collective to be published later in the day.
• Ongoing push for answers and transparency from Kentucky’s athletic department leadership.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:17 — Show proper begins; Kentucky vs. NC Central reaction
• 07:33 — The Brandon Garrison benching, Pope’s anger
• 12:56 — Team chemistry and Mark Pope’s demeanor
• 16:01 — Can Kentucky “turn it around”?
• 23:12 — Intro to NIL/JMI story, details begin
• 29:03 — Mitch Barnhart “hall monitor” critique
• 33:00 — Caller Frank rails on AD; leadership change discussed
• 36:01 — Athletic department’s lack of innovation
• 46:04 — Play-by-play prep stories (lighter)
• 50:02 — Adam, former Learfield employee, calls in with JMI warning

Summary

In this lively, candid hour, the KSR crew dissected Kentucky basketball’s big win but focused largely on the underlying drama: the Garrison situation, Pope’s public frustration, locker room chemistry, and (most critically) on off-the-court issues threatening the university’s athletic future. The impending JMI story and critique of the athletic department’s long-term direction dominate the conversation, as do calls for modernization and renewed leadership. For Kentucky fans, this hour offers deep insight into both the present and precarious future of UK athletics.