KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) – December 31, 2025, Hour 2

Hosts: Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemon
Special Guest: JP Blevins (former UK basketball player)
Location: KS Bar & Grill
Airing Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

The final 2025 episode of KSR takes a nostalgic, lively look back at JP Blevins’ Kentucky basketball journey and his life since, while mixing in plenty of Kentucky culture, high school stories, and reflections on the current UK basketball program. The hour is packed with personal anecdotes, behind-the-scenes tales from Blevins’ playing days, insights into NIL and college athletics, and fun interactions with callers and listeners. No Matt Jones today, but Drew and Ryan fill the airwaves with classic KSR banter in front of a busy crowd at KS Bar & Grill, celebrating Wings Day and New Year's Eve.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. JP Blevins’ Kentucky Basketball Journey

• Early Fandom and Recruitment

  • Growing up in Metcalf County, dreaming of playing for UK after attending Rick Pitino’s summer camps.

    “My dad sent me to camp when I was in fourth grade, and I was like, man, I don’t care what I do in this world, but man, I could play here one day. So that was kind of a wild dream come true.” — JP Blevins (04:36)

  • Noticed as a recruit after impressing at camps like Five-Star in Pittsburgh, leading legendary scout Howard Garfinkel to tip off Rick Pitino (05:20).
  • Committed to Pitino as a junior, then stuck to UK after the Tubby Smith coaching change, even after the initial heartbreak:

    “You know, obviously for the fans, you remember what that was like. You know, we were on top of the world, and the king decides to leave. … Tubby and them, you know, they came and watched and certainly said, hey, look, we still want you, if you still want to come. So obviously, the dream trumped the coach, so that ended up going that way.” — JP Blevins (06:52)

• High School Legend and Small Town Anecdotes

  • Colorful stories of being a basketball star in rural Kentucky, including wild newspaper clippings, small town rivalries, and infamous on-court moments:

    “There’s a coffee shop owner who was quoted as saying, this is about the only excitement we’ve had around here in a while since someone shot my jukebox with the 9 millimeter.” — Ryan Lemon (08:31)

  • How he got his jersey number, and his brother’s defensive instincts after a tough foul (07:35, 09:35).
  • Tales of going off for 40+ points amid hostile opposing gym chants (10:06).

2. Wildcat Locker Room and College Career

• Playing For Tubby Smith After Committing to Pitino

  • The surprise and transition of leadership when Tubby replaced Rick.
  • “The dream was always way bigger than the coach… You’re gonna offer me a scholarship to play here, man, I’m in. I don’t have to do a lot of things.” — JP Blevins (11:47)

• Teammate Dynamics and “Team Turmoil”

  • JP details the famous in-flight fight between Gerald Fitch and Corey Sears, finally setting the record straight:

    “Gerald had some Skittles in his hand, and he was kind of pitching them across and hitting Corey in the back of the head… [Corey said,] ‘You hit me with one more Skittle and I’m coming across the aisle.’ My man threw a green Skittle and hit him in the face. And my man came across the aisle and it was on.” — JP Blevins (20:39)

  • Discussion on what UK teams may have lacked to get back to the Final Four, and how injuries (especially Jason Parker’s) derailed a title run (21:26–22:20).
  • Stories of Tubby Smith’s intense stare-downs:

    “Yeah, I don’t think anyone really escaped those. You could feel them from a mile away. … The best thing to do is just not look over there. It was pretty serious.” — JP Blevins (11:12)

• Iconic On-Court UK Moments

  • Blevins was on the floor during Tayshaun Prince’s legendary five straight threes versus North Carolina:

    “Not even close. When the fifth one went in. This is loud as I ever heard. And it was truly—you just knew. It was one of those special moments that, you know, wasn’t going to be recreated.” — JP Blevins (23:06)

  • Even upper-deck UK fans were losing their minds:

    “There was a, like, grandma behind them that almost headbutted them.” — JP Blevins (23:27)

3. NIL, Financial Guidance, and Life Beyond the Court

• Helping Calipari and the Program with NIL

  • JP was tapped informally by Coach Calipari to advise and facilitate small-group NIL fundraising, given the changing landscape and the new pressures from recruits’ families:

    “He [Calipari] comes down and basically he says, look, this NIL thing is hitting a different gear… I got some mamas calling me, saying, ‘Coach, what you going to do for me?’... So I told Coach, look, I don’t want to see any money… but I’m happy to put some guys in the room.” — JP Blevins (25:22)

  • Transitioning to the Pope staff: Relationship developing, but the structure for alumni involvement is changing (35:45).

• Personal Lessons from Basketball to Business

  • Blevins emphasizes invaluable life skills learned from chasing his UK dream:

    “Honestly, like, chasing that dream to me will always be cool that I put the jersey on. But really the real gift…is kind of who you have to become, the process of that… every major lesson that I ended up taking to the business world, I really learned from the court.” — JP Blevins (12:57)

• Financial Advice for College Athletes

  • Offers a passionate breakdown about the power of early wealth accumulation for players, compounding interest, and the real-life opportunity NIL presents:

    “Let’s just say a guy has a million dollars in post tax money … and let’s just say it compounds annually at 10%, which is historically what the S and P has done. … $32 million. So 10% doubles every seven years. … In today’s dollars, you’d be anywhere between 12 and 15 million dollars.” — JP Blevins (32:31)

  • Stresses support systems and sound investment to change family legacies.

• Gratitude, Giving Back, and Role of Mentors

  • Cites life-changing influences outside basketball (notably Chip Mahan), the importance of giving, and paying it forward.

    “My story is full with a lot of grace. Right time, right place. I got around some amazing people doing things at a high level… Seems like the happiest people that have also had some things break their way are some of the biggest givers.” — JP Blevins (29:09)

4. Listener Calls & Community Connection

• Caller Corey’s Shout-Outs

  • Light moment as a listener corrects JP about “no change” in Edmonton—now “we got a traffic light. It goes all three colors now. It used to only blink red.” (18:13–19:10)
  • Shared history: Corey's mom was JP’s elementary school teacher.

• Listener Questions: Local Favorites

  • JP’s endorsement of The Lighthouse Restaurant's biscuits, gravy, and country ham:

    “If you want biscuits and gravy and country ham, Lighthouse is your spot.” — JP Blevins (19:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Chasing Your Dreams at Kentucky

  “The dream trumped the coach.” — JP Blevins (06:52)

• On Life Lessons from Basketball

  “Really, the real gift…the one that stays with you is when you’re chasing something that big—of kind of who you have to become, the process of that.” — JP Blevins (12:57)

• On NIL and College Athletes' Financial Opportunity

  “You have erased what people, typical people do from 20 to 55 of grinding it out. … If they actually have the right support system, whether they ever play in the NBA one day, you can change generations of families by this opportunity they have up right now.” — JP Blevins (33:30)

• On the “Team Turmoil” Airplane Incident

  “He threw a green Skittle and hit him in the face. And my man came across the aisle and it was on…Yes. Emergency landing.” — JP Blevins (20:39–21:03)
  [On what KSR thought happened] “Glad you settled it. …It was the sugary candy that almost brought down that team.” — Drew Franklin (21:12–21:25)

• On the Iconic Tayshaun Prince Game

  “Not even close. When the fifth one went in. This is loud as I ever heard. And it was truly—one of those special moments.” — JP Blevins (23:06)

• On Kentucky Small Towns

  “Nothing’s changed in 50 years. One stoplight, not a lot to do… But nothing, nothing beats it.” — JP Blevins (09:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:25 — Show proper begins, introduction of JP Blevins
• 04:36 — JP’s childhood fandom and UK recruitment story
• 07:35–10:00 — High school heroics, rivalries, and local culture
• 11:12 — The Tubby Smith “stare-down”
• 12:57 — Life lessons from basketball, lasting impact
• 19:18 — Lighthouse Restaurant & Metcalf County recommendations
• 20:39–21:12 — Airplane "Skittles Fight" story
• 22:20–23:13 — Jason Parker's injury and its impact; iconic Tayshaun Prince moment
• 25:22 — Calipari, NIL, and JP's role in helping the program
• 29:09 — Giving back, financial wisdom, gratitude for mentors
• 32:31 — Explanation of compound interest and generational wealth for athletes
• 36:09 — Relationship with Mark Pope and current state of the UK basketball team
• 38:13 — Analysis of current team’s three-point shooting and performance confidence
• 39:01 — JP’s current life: family, business, giving back
• Final Minutes (46:00–49:30) — Goodbyes, New Year plans, quick football picks, setting up for Friday’s show

Tone and Style

The episode is relaxed, humorous, and down-to-earth—filled with camaraderie, nostalgia, and a deep affection for Kentucky basketball and community life. The hosts tease each other and JP, listeners chime in with personal calls, and even memories of family quirks and rural legends make their way into the conversation, all in typical KSR fashion.

For Newcomers

• Even if you’ve never seen JP Blevins play, his stories offer an authentic window into Kentucky high school and college ball culture, what UK basketball means to the state, and how its lessons translate to life and success after sports.
• The episode is also full of practical wisdom about the new NIL era and the importance of financial literacy for young athletes.
• Packed with heart, humor, and history, it's a fitting way for KSR to close out 2025.