Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1, December 11, 2025

Host: Matt Jones with Ryan Lemons and Drew Franklin
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)
Location: KS Bar and Grill, Lexington, KY
Theme: Deep Dive into UK Basketball Recruiting, Mark Pope’s Approach, and KSR’s Investigative Reporting

Overview

This episode of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) is marked by a thorough discussion of the latest investigative article by KSR’s Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polachek about University of Kentucky (UK) basketball recruiting struggles. The crew also shares lighter banter about classic movies, sports, and Kentucky volleyball, but the heart of the show is a candid exploration of issues hampering UK’s recruiting—particularly Coach Mark Pope’s negotiation style and the influence of JMI on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rights. The tone remains fast-paced, humorous, and, at times, sharply critical—but always rooted in a love for UK athletics and a desire for transparency and success.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. KSR Crew Opens and Small Talk

• Matt welcomes listeners and notes the snowy weather forecast (02:30).
• Lighthearted banter about Drew Franklin’s new “dad” hats and prepping for fatherhood.
  • "The D stands for dad." – Matt Jones (03:28)
  • “I have an opportunity to get into Ryan’s lane here and do the dad talk.” – Drew Franklin (04:08)

2. Movie Review: The Godfather

• Ryan Lemons shares he watched The Godfather for the first time.
  • “I sat and watched it from start to finish, all 2 hours and 50 minutes of it, and I really liked it.” – Ryan Lemons (05:23)
  • Praise for how well the movie holds up over time, discussion on classic films vs. modern attention spans.
  • Memorable moment: The “horse head in the bed” scene’s impact on Ryan (08:25)
• Debunking myths and trivia, including the phrase "Tie goes to the runner" in baseball (32:05-33:17).

3. Investigative Report: Problems in UK Basketball Recruiting

[Starts ~10:20]

A. Two Main Problems Identified

• Mark Pope’s Approach

  • Pope is “emotional” in negotiations, emphasizing Kentucky’s history and name over money.
    • “He gets sort of emotional. He’s very big on, ‘you’re coming here because of Kentucky and the name on the jersey and not the dollar amount.’ And while we all kind of like the sound of that, that causes him to not get players.” – Matt Jones (12:23)
  • Pope’s lack of transparency with national reporters leads to bidding issues—sometimes underpaying or overpaying players due to poor market awareness.
  • He’s described as a “control freak,” unwilling to delegate on recruiting negotiations.

• JMI’s Influence on NIL

  • JMI requires recruits to sign over all NIL rights to them, limiting opportunities with brands that aren’t JMI partners, and even restricting local deals and jersey/logo usage.
    • “They are requiring these kids to sign contracts that gives up all of their NIL rights to them...you can’t sign with companies that are not official JMI partners.” – Matt Jones (13:06)
  • This aggressive contract stance is driving potential recruits away.

B. Discussion and Reactions

• Drew Franklin and Ryan Lemons echo concerns, with Drew noting some JMI elements are already known but more damning with direct quotes from recruits (13:19).

  • “On the Pope end, though, that to me can be fixed pretty easily... But the JMI thing, that is in contract for 15 years, like, that ain’t unless you rewrite it or they change the way they’re doing it.” – Drew Franklin (14:03)

• Both problems considered theoretically fixable, but require major shifts.

• JMI’s Conflict with Athletic Performance

  • JMI should want UK to win—it’s in their business interest.
    • “If you’re a business and you want to make money, we better win.” – Matt Jones (16:33)

• Pope’s Negotiation Weaknesses

  • His refusal to share or even know accurate market rates affects both high school and portal recruiting.
    • "He’s never had to recruit talent at this level." – Drew Franklin (30:19)
    • “He still hasn’t gotten any top recruit that’s not from here.” – Matt Jones (30:31)

4. The Value and Impact of KSR’s Reporting

[24:05]

• Jacob Polachek and Jack Pilgrim’s investigative process: months of research, talking to agents, coaches, parents.
  • “That’s been brewing...they go to these events...that’s not just watching the guys on the court, that’s talking to agents, coaches, parents. It’s a big networking thing.” – Drew Franklin (23:32)
• Discussion about fear of pushback from UK and the fanbase.
• Asserted that revealing these issues may actually help UK by creating pressure for reform.
  • “There’s a better chance UK changes this stuff now. Than they did yesterday. Because now there will be pressure for it to change.” – Matt Jones (45:24)

5. Fan Questions and Related UK Issues

• Callers/media ask about potential conflicts of interest in JMI/UK relationships (36:31).
  • Matt clarifies rumors about nepotism around negotiations and UK’s lack of public communication.
    • “If you have two people working at these companies, working in these business things who are married, understandably, people are going to have that question. And I do think UK should address it.” – Matt Jones (37:26)
• Frustration with UK’s silence fueling speculation and mistrust.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On The Godfather and Generational Movie Taste:
  • “You can watch [old movies] and be like, all right, I appreciate this, but it’s not made for our modern attention span. But The Godfather and I think those movies from the early 70s on, they can still play, in my opinion.” – Matt Jones (06:00)
• On Pope’s Recruiting Approach:
  • “He gets sort of emotional. He’s very big on, you’re coming here because of Kentucky and the name on the jersey and not the dollar amount.” – Matt Jones (12:23)
• On NIL Contracts:
  • “They are requiring these kids to sign contracts that gives up all of their NIL rights to them... you can’t sign with companies that are not official JMI partners.” – Matt Jones (13:06)
• On KSR’s Role vs. UK:
  • “I don’t work for the University of Kentucky, right? So I, in my opinion, I work for the fans.” – Matt Jones (43:16)
• On the Value of Agents/Negotiators:
  • “My agent called me up and said, let me do that contract for you... Two days later he called me and goes, I got a deal for you. And it was twice as much money as if I had signed myself.” – Matt Jones (27:16)
• On UK’s Lack of Top Recruits:
  • “How do you explain the fact that all the top programs have players signed but us... North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Yukon, all... They all have their top high school recruit signed.” – Matt Jones (25:52)

Other Segments and Riffs

The Role of a GM in College Recruiting

• Crew suggests Mark Pope needs a General Manager-type figure for NIL negotiations—just as Matt delegates business negotiations in his own life.

New Football Staff Hires

• Kentucky hires Jay Bateman as Defensive Coordinator, formerly at Texas A&M.
  • “He was at Army a long time... seems like he’s kind of an aggressive play caller.” – Drew Franklin (34:17)
  • Contrasts with Brad White’s “bend-but-don’t-break” approach—expect more aggressive defense.

Volleyball and Cal Poly Tangent

• Preview of UK Volleyball vs. Cal Poly, Matt quizzes crew about “Polytechnic” university naming.

Fun Moments & Running Jokes

• Ryan’s excitement over The Godfather and classic TV (“Barney Miller” reference).
• Drew’s “dad hats” and the in-joke about naming his child “Bartina” (04:24).
• Discovering the phrase “Tie goes to the runner” is a myth (32:05-33:17).
• “If you want to believe, you know more than the Internet…” – Matt Jones

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:30 | Show begins, local color, and banter about Drew's new hats | | 05:23 | Ryan’s Godfather review and discussion of classic movies | | 10:20 | Transition to main topic—report on UK basketball recruiting | | 12:23 | Matt details two main issues: Pope’s negotiation style and JMI contracts | | 14:03 | Drew’s reaction: Pope’s issues fixable, but JMI’s are systemic | | 23:10 | Why Pope needs a GM/negotiator to close deals; multiple sources corroborate report | | 24:05 | Behind the scenes—KSR’s process in breaking the story; risk of backlash | | 25:52 | Why UK has signed no top recruits while all rivals have | | 30:19 | Pope’s history: never recruited this level of talent; top portal recruit discussion | | 32:05 | Baseball rule myth-busting: “Tie goes to the runner” isn’t a rule | | 36:31 | Caller brings up alleged conflicts of interest—Matt gives context and response | | 43:16 | Matt on KSR’s duty: “I work for the fans” | | 46:09 | Kentucky Volleyball vs. Cal Poly preview |

Conclusion

Summary:
This KSR episode blends fun debate, sports nostalgia, and hard-hitting investigative reporting to unpack why UK basketball is lagging in recruiting. The hosts spotlight major roadblocks: Coach Mark Pope’s outdated negotiation mindset and the strict NIL deals enforced by JMI. They make a case that transparency, critical questioning, and pressure from both fans and media are necessary for improvement at UK. The show is balanced by trademark banter and personal anecdotes, delivering a comprehensive snapshot of UK sports discourse heading into 2026.

Useful for:

• Fans wanting to understand UK’s recruiting woes and what’s holding the basketball program back.
• Listeners interested in behind-the-scenes sports journalism and its impact.
• Anyone seeking a taste of KSR’s signature blend of sports talk, humor, and honesty.