2026-01-07- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

KSR – Hour 1: January 7, 2026

Overview

This episode of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR), hosted by Matt Jones with regulars Ryan Lemond and Shannon Dawson, comes to listeners live from KS Bar and Grill on game day as Kentucky prepares to face Missouri in men's basketball. The show blends banter about regional treats (notably, "sissy cakes" and Will Stein’s mom’s orange juice cake), Kentucky basketball analysis and fan expectations, discussions on program communications styles, and a substantial update on Kentucky football's transfer portal progress. The conversation veers from comedic food drama and Seinfeld references to pointed critique of players, coaches, and motivational tactics, reflecting the signature candid, witty, and occasionally self-deprecating KSR tone.

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Show Highlights

1. Food Banter: Sissy Cakes & (Un)Shared Treats

• [00:35–05:22]
  • Sissy Cakes, particularly orange juice and blueberry cakes by Will Stein's mother, are sampled and reviewed.
  • Discussion turns to Ryan and his family eating most of a batch, leaving only piecemeal remains for Matt—a longstanding running gag.
  • Quote: “He and his family ate all of them. And he did bring in the box to taunt me to show me where there were blueberry cakes… It generally looks like he just took his hands and stuck them in.” – Matt Jones [03:34]
  • Humorous comparison is made to the “muffin tops” Seinfeld episode, with Ryan characterized as the person who’d just eat the bottoms.
  • The hosts hope eventually to offer these cakes at KS Bar.

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2. ESPN Photo Saga & Listener Engagement

• [05:22–08:01]
  • Matt discusses posting new ESPN promo photos, poking fun at skepticism over whether they’re AI, as he appeared unusually formal.
  • Quote: “If you don’t dress up every day, when you do, people think you must be computer generated.” – Matt Jones [05:53]
  • The KSR crew’s social media interactions inspire a middle schooler to recreate Matt's photo for laughs—a moment of listener connection.
  • The crew shares playful rivalry over which photo best serves their radio identity: “You’re trying to win listeners to your radio show.” – Shannon Dawson [06:40]

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3. Local Louisville Food Finds

• [08:01–09:06]
  • Matt shares his latest discovery: Moondog, a Vietnamese restaurant in Butchertown, Louisville.
  • Praises handmade noodles, notes hipstery vibe and packed crowd.

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4. Kentucky vs. Missouri Game Preview & Historical Comparison

• [09:06–14:51]
  • Matt ranks this Kentucky basketball team among John Calipari-era squads, arguing they’re better than some past underachievers but face serious home-court pressure.
  • Missouri’s season is examined—terrible loss at Illinois, never won a true road game this year.
  • Importance stressed: “If you’re gonna be anything, you got to win this game… We are now a 13 and a half point favorite. That strikes me as high.” – Matt Jones [11:47]
  • Missouri’s improved lineup since recovering key starters is flagged as critical context (from Leach Report interview).
  • Panel admits nervousness, would bet Missouri to cover but expect Kentucky to win.

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5. Diabate’s Blunt Assessment: Preparation Blame

• [14:51–19:38]
  • Panel teases next segment: Diabate’s post-Alabama comments about poor game preparation, sparking debate over whether blame lies with players or coaches.
  • Quote: “He clearly said we did not do prepare for this game the way we should have… he acknowledged we were not ready for this game. We better be ready for this one tonight.” – Matt Jones [13:45]

Key Analysis & Quotes

• Quote: “I feel like the game could have been a lot better if we’d made more of an emphasis on the scout, the way they played… I feel like we could have emphasized that more… We should have taken it more seriously.” – Diabate as read by Matt Jones [17:29]
• Consensus: Panel reads Diabate’s critique as being primarily about the players, though acknowledges some fans see it as directed at coaches.
• Notably, Diabate advocates for a lineup change: “He did say, I kind of hope they start Low and Quaint.” – Matt Jones [19:04]
• Quote: “If he’s saying that, he’s not the only one that feels that. I’m telling you in that locker room.” – Shannon Dawson [19:18]

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6. Mark Pope’s Motivational Style: Guru or Cringy?

• [19:38–24:14]
  • Hosts debate Coach Mark Pope’s communication style, which leans heavily on motivational, almost self-help style speaking.
  • Fans and hosts express skepticism about its resonance with 18–22-year-olds.
  • Quote: “If you as middle aged guys don’t understand what Mark Pope is talking about, what do you think the 18 to 22 year old kids think?” – Matt (paraphrasing a fan comment) [21:14]
  • Matt admits aversion to self-help culture: “On a personal level… I really hate self help gurus and self help. I find it cringy. And I love Mark Pope and I don’t want to find Mark Pope to be cringy, but it’s a little cringy, that stuff.” [21:41]
  • Panel agrees that “beautiful” and “delightful” talk doesn’t fit locker-room reality.

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7. Motivational Coaches in Sports: Does It Ever Work?

• [24:33–25:38]
  • The crew struggles to name successful modern college coaches who lean heavily into motivational/guru language.
  • Briefly reference Calipari and John Wooden, but note Pope’s style is unique in the current era.
  • Matt shares a story about a former coworker using daily inspirational mirror quotes: “Cheesiest thing I’d ever heard.” [25:48]

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8. Callers: Coaching Styles & Stats

• [26:40–29:35]
  • Caller “Ed” insists “nice guys” don’t win at elite college level.
  • Ed also flags Nate Oats’ claim that Kentucky’s assist stats don’t hold up against strong teams, revealing a concerning lack of ball movement.
  • Quote: “If we give up 90, we’re not gonna beat anybody… this team is not gonna win 94 to 93 against somebody good.” – Matt Jones [29:22]

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9. Kentucky Football Transfer Portal Surge

• [30:06–35:44]
  • Major update: Kentucky has landed multiple SEC-experienced transfers including:
    • Two Florida defensive backs (most recently Jordan Castle)
    • Alabama offensive lineman
    • LSU defensive tackle
    • Oklahoma running back
    • Tennessee O-lineman (ranked #19 nationally)
    • Local Purdue nose tackle “Chops” (Jamarion Harkless)
  • Kentucky’s transfer class ranks as high as #6, is projected to finish top 15 nationally—a huge jump for a former bottom-tier P5 team.
  • Quote: “We should be dancing for number 19!… We were one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country last year.” – Matt Jones [32:05]
  • Matt details Will Stein’s portal/NIL philosophy: pay big for “studs”, use budget discipline for others, moving on if value doesn’t match.
  • Comparison to Mark Stoops’ prior buy-to-keep, sometimes-overpay approach.

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10. More on Transfer Realities & Final Thoughts

• [38:04–39:54]
  • The new staff won’t always honor unsustainable NIL agreements made prior to their hiring.
  • Andy Staples: Indiana and Kentucky dubbed portal “winners.”
  • Nick Mingione cited as an example of a Kentucky coach with a “guru” style succeeding—if he has the right personnel buy-in.

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11. Auburn-Texas A&M Wild Finish Recap

• [40:03–44:50]
  • Detailed, blow-by-blow breakdown of Auburn’s buzzer-beater mess: missed free throws, clock operator errors (home cooking), wild finish, refs’ rulings, double celebration, and post-game chaos.
  • Quote: “The best part… Bucky can’t even hear the interview. They are screaming expletives. And Bucky just has to go ‘Yeah, I gotta go, guys’.” – Matt Jones [43:45]
  • Final take: Panel speculates refs perhaps intentionally waved off the final shot to compensate for Auburn’s illegitimate extra chance.

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Notable Quotes (With Timestamps)

• On the “sissy cakes” debacle:
  “He and his family ate all of them. And he did bring in the box to taunt me to show me where there were blueberry cakes… It generally looks like he just took his hands and stuck them in.” – Matt Jones [03:34]

• On ESPN promo photo confusion:
  “If you don’t dress up every day, when you do, people think you must be computer generated.” – Matt Jones [05:53]

• On Kentucky as double-digit favorites:
  “If you’re gonna be anything, you got to win this game… We are now a 13 and a half point favorite. That strikes me as high.” – Matt Jones [11:47]

• On Diabate’s candid comments:
  “He clearly said we did not do prepare for this game the way we should have… he acknowledged we were not ready for this game. We better be ready for this one tonight.” – Matt Jones [13:45]
  “If he’s saying that, he’s not the only one that feels that. I’m telling you in that locker room.” – Shannon Dawson [19:18]

• On Mark Pope’s motivational style:
  “On a personal level… I really hate self help gurus and self help. I find it cringy. And I love Mark Pope and I don’t want to find Mark Pope to be cringy, but it’s a little cringy, that stuff.” – Matt Jones [21:41]

• On transfer portal expectations:
  “We should be dancing for number 19!… We were one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country last year.” – Matt Jones [32:05]

• On NIL and roster management:
  “They are essentially looking at every player and assigning a value. This is what we think this player is worth in today’s world. And if they don’t want to sign for close to this value, then we can’t do it.” – Matt Jones [35:19]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:35–05:22: Sissy cakes saga, Seinfeld reference
• 05:22–08:01: ESPN photos and social media engagement
• 08:01–09:06: Moondog restaurant review
• 09:06–14:51: Missouri preview, expectations, UK historic comparisons
• 14:51–19:38: Diabate’s comments, panel interpretation, implications for team
• 19:38–24:15: Mark Pope’s motivational style, generational disconnect
• 24:33–25:38: Motivational coach comparisons in college sports
• 26:40–29:35: Caller “Ed,” coaching toughness, passing/assists issue
• 30:06–35:44: Kentucky football transfer portal surge, NIL strategy
• 38:04–39:54: Portal agreements, Indiana as a successful portal team, baseball buy-in analogy
• 40:03–44:50: Auburn-Texas A&M ending, officiating drama, post-game chaos

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Final Thoughts

This episode captures KSR’s unique blend of humor, hyper-local color, passionate team analysis, and unvarnished debate—especially around player mentality, program communication styles, and the ever-evolving NIL/transfer portal landscape. The show’s authenticity, directness, and frank appraisal of coaches, players, and even its own middle-aged perspective make it a must-listen for Kentucky fans seeking honest conversation with plenty of laughs.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

Comedy Up Broadway in Lexington invites you to celebrate New Year's Eve with Lexington's own lee Kimbrell for two shows only on December 31st. Then from Netflix is a joke, catch Ray Lau January 2nd and 3rd and January 8th through the 10th, don't miss AGT finalist Aaron Belial. For tickets to all comedy off Broadway shows, call 859-271-joke or visit comedyoffbroadway.com comedyoff broadway.

[Ryan Lemond]

This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome, everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Wednesday, January 7th. I am Matt Jones here at the KS Bar and Grill where it is wings day. And it is also game day, dollar wings all day and night. But also a big game tonight as Kentucky plays Missouri. Got some folks here from Franklin County, Casey County. And you can give a shout out to the Clark's puppet Shop phone line 859-280-2287. Avision Auto Glass Text Machine is 772-774-5254. In this edition sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office, if you call TJ, he'll make them pay. Ryan was nice. You came in this morning. You have, you got, you brought me some sissy cakes.

[Shannon Dawson]

They brought, they sent you two orange juice cakes and two chocolate chip cakes and they wanted you to try them because.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, first of all, stop, Shane. Stop right there. Shannon. He's already lying. I gave him a chance to tell the truth.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And he's already lying.

[Shannon Dawson]

I didn't lie. There's two orange juice cakes and there's two chocolate chip cakes.

[Matt Jones]

So they gave us eight cakes to try, Shannon, including they have the orange juice cake which I just ate about four bites of and is excellent.

[Shannon Dawson]

It's unbelievable.

[Matt Jones]

Like when, when people talk about that this orange juice cake cakes, this is Will Stein's mom. Yes, it is. Really? Like, like orange juice. Like, like it's, it's the juiciest cake I've ever had in my life. So. So like Will Stein's mom's name is what again?

[Shannon Dawson]

Deborah.

[Matt Jones]

Deborah. First Debbie.

[Shannon Dawson]

Debbie.

[Matt Jones]

Debbie. We do have Debbie's. That's right. Stephen Wilson was wrong. She is over 40. Probably so. But anyway, great cake. She said you said they still have orders backed up.

[Shannon Dawson]

They had boxes on the table of people who ordered after hearing her on the show and all the media exposure they got when Will Stein was hired, they, they've not caught up yet with all the orders people sent in.

[Matt Jones]

So very nice for Debbie Stein. And the cakes are good. And I'm going to Eat these. Now, Shannon. Ryan is lying because she sent two boxes. Okay. One box was the famous orange juice cakes.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

But they've created another box. Shannon. A new kind of cake. A big blueberry cake for the University of Kentucky. Right? Big blueberry.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So they give one box of the big blueberry cakes. So that's really cool, because then, like, he could bring them in. Shannon. We could. I could eat one orange juice. Right. One blueberry. He could have one of each. Mario could have one of each. Right. That's the idea. When he comes in here. The orange juice cakes, there are four, which is how big the box is. But he brings in the blueberry cake. Shannon. And they've already eaten all the blueberry cakes. He and his family. Family ate all of them. And. But he did bring in the box to taunt me to show me where there were blueberry cakes. Two pieces. Okay, now stop. This is what he left. There are four cakes. He put his grubby, dirty paws and ate three and a half of them while leaving. Shannon, I should send you this.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I want to see the bites of one cake, and it's not even been cut. It generally looks like he just took his hands and stuck them in.

[Ryan Lemond]

You know, Ryan didn't wash his hands either.

[Shannon Dawson]

These.

[Matt Jones]

The way these cake work, like, there's a. There's topping. He gives me the bottom half. It's like the muffin without the top.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, are you surprised? First of all, I'm not.

[Matt Jones]

You remember that Seinfeld episode where they only wanted to sell the tops of mutton? Yeah. He just is selling the bottom.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's the worst part.

[Matt Jones]

That's the worst part. So, first of all, thank you to Debbie Stein and Sissy Blakey. I'm Blakey. Our hope is to maybe have these in the bar by the end of the month. People can come here and get. When. When they eat.

[Ryan Lemond]

If Ryan doesn't eat them all before they get.

[Matt Jones]

But that's the thing. I don't know if Ryan will just bring his family, Josiah's girlfriend, and, like, seven goober friends and give them all the food. How do you not save me one?

[Shannon Dawson]

There were eight slices in that box.

[Matt Jones]

Eight. There were eight of them. Shannon and his family ate all of them.

[Shannon Dawson]

You got two left. We saved you two slices.

[Matt Jones]

Those are not.

[Shannon Dawson]

They're little slices.

[Matt Jones]

It's not a spice. Eaten half of it. I don't know where your hands have been.

[Shannon Dawson]

Nobody's touched those slices. They're still good for you to eat. And let me tell you something. You want to eat it? It is. You think that orange juice cake is good?

[Matt Jones]

I wanted to eat it when it was clean.

[Shannon Dawson]

Go big blue. Be. Bread is really good. Really good.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I did eat some of the orange juice.

[Shannon Dawson]

You liked it too, didn't you?

[Matt Jones]

It was very good. It was very good. All right, well, I'll take your word.

[Ryan Lemond]

For it because I didn't get any either.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, we're not gonna know. We're not gonna know if you don't eat those.

[Shannon Dawson]

I'm gonna eat them for sure.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, that's clear. You've already eaten them. How's the weight loss go going this year?

[Shannon Dawson]

I've lost some weight.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Shannon Dawson]

I'm doing good so far. I'm gonna stay with it.

[Ryan Lemond]

Resolutions off to a great start.

[Matt Jones]

Is that going well?

[Shannon Dawson]

Going well. I may blow it today. And some of the blue. Go big blueberry bread.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so the pregame show today will start at 4:34. We're going to do it here from the show for Kentucky Missouri. Come on by and see us on your way to the game. Should be a fun night. Ryan, couple things before we get to the basketball game tonight. I went ahead and I posted one of the two ESPN pictures.

[Shannon Dawson]

I saw that. And people are having a lot of fun with that picture. Putting it people AI well, but people think it's AI.

[Matt Jones]

It's not AI. The original you posted, that's me.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's the real photo, the ESPN phot.

[Matt Jones]

Which goes to show you that if you don't dress up every day when you do, people think you must be computer generated.

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, yeah. Like if you don't.

[Matt Jones]

If you set the bar low.

[Ryan Lemond]

There'S no way you actually had like a nice sweater on.

[Matt Jones]

There's no way Matt has a sweater that doesn't have a logo. That couldn't happen.

[Shannon Dawson]

No hoodie. But that, that I can attest. That's the original photo you showed us yesterday. The one you posted.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Shannon Dawson]

And the one that we voted for. We like that one the best.

[Matt Jones]

Well, because you think the other one now, I. I showed the other one to people and they say it looks great. They're like. They were mad at you for telling me not to post that.

[Ryan Lemond]

No, they're lying to you.

[Shannon Dawson]

You probably shouldn't do some women.

[Matt Jones]

I actually did show it to women.

[Shannon Dawson]

They liked it. That's a good picture of you.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. It's not the point. I'm not trying to win you, you.

[Shannon Dawson]

Know, you're trying to win listeners to your radio show.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, well, that's. That may Be true. I'm not. I agree with you, maybe, that. I'm not sure either of these are perfect for a sports website. Yeah.

[Shannon Dawson]

Which is kind of the goal the ESPN wants.

[Matt Jones]

But I think they're gonna use the one with the. With the hat and the sweat.

[Shannon Dawson]

It's a good picture. Either.

[Matt Jones]

And then I have to. At some point, I may have to do a shoot with Myron. So the two of us are in.

[Shannon Dawson]

It together and we said we liked when we were standing, you know, the quote unquote action shots where you're standing. That's not really action.

[Matt Jones]

I didn't post that. Yeah, it's actually.

[Shannon Dawson]

Did you like how people were taking their own liberties and putting stuff on?

[Matt Jones]

Well, it was funny. Did you see, Shannon, a kid has already recreated the house.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, middle school kid.

[Matt Jones]

A middle school kid. Apparently, according to his mother, the middle school kid looked at the picture and I guess thought it was funny again, because he thinks I don't dress like that.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And he recreated the picture. And it's actually, that's, to be fair, really funny.

[Shannon Dawson]

And he's dressed how you normally dress.

[Matt Jones]

He's dressed like I would normally, except he's wearing pajama bottoms. Maybe that's what he thinks I wear too.

[Shannon Dawson]

The Kentucky hat and everything.

[Matt Jones]

So. Well, anyway, so that. So we did that. And then I want to give you one, because I like to give shouts out to places. Shannon. I want to give a shout out to a place in Louisville. Okay. I, you know, I walked. Told you. I walked to El Nepal the other day. I walked downtown and I ate at a Vietnamese restaurant last night.

[Shannon Dawson]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Called Shannon. I believe it's called Moondog.

[Ryan Lemond]

I have to look that up.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know, it doesn't seem like a Vietnamese term, but I think they call it Moondog.

[Shannon Dawson]

All right.

[Matt Jones]

And I'm sure there are people who already know about it. I didn't know about it. I literally was just walking and hit the thing that said, show me a restaurant close to here. And there. It was maybe the best, certainly the best Vietnamese food I've had in. In. In Kentucky. But one of the better meals I've had, really. They have these, like, noodles that they make themselves with the sauce. And I think I just discovered a gym. It's like about a two and a half mile walk from my house. So it's like a good walk there and back.

[Ryan Lemond]

Butcher town.

[Matt Jones]

Is that it? Yeah, it's in butcher town. Yeah, it's called Moondog.

[Shannon Dawson]

Small.

[Matt Jones]

Small. And there was a lot of people there, so it's not like I'm the only person that. I mean, clearly people know that place exists, but I would highly recommend it.

[Shannon Dawson]

You like to find those little small mom and pop type restaurants.

[Matt Jones]

I. This one looks like it's kind. It's kind of hipstery. But I would just say to you, to just come upon a place. I was very impressed.

[Shannon Dawson]

Very cool.

[Matt Jones]

A little expensive, but, like, it's worth it if you.

[Shannon Dawson]

If the food's good.

[Matt Jones]

If the food is good. All right, UK and Missouri tonight, game down here at Rupp Arena. I have a couple thoughts about it. First of all, you know, somebody asked me yesterday, where would you rank this Kentucky team in terms of how good you think they are vis a vis, let's say, every team since Cal got here. And my initial reaction is, well, we're better than the Covid team, and I think we're probably better than the Nerlands Noel team. When Nerlens was hurt, right. When he wasn't hurt, I think that Nerlands team was better. But when Nerlands was hurt towards the end of that year, we're probably better than them. But then I was like, okay, well, what are the next worst teams? And you know, you probably would take maybe, I don't know what are the next worst teams? Because we had a lot of good ones for a long time, even though they were disappointing in the tournament. I guess the team that lost to Kansas State in the second round, you know, the, the second Oscar team.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. The year after Covid. Right. The year. What are we talking about that, you know, the next season was that Oscar's first year, but we were like a 2 seed that year. Even though, I mean, like, we shouldn't have lost to St. Peter's we forget about the fact that we lost to St. Peter's you know, and then. And then I was like, I don't know, maybe all the other teams, including last year teams, are better than this one. But one of the things that defined a lot of those teams, they would lose games on the road. But you always want at home, right? You win at home. If you're going to be a team that goes to the tournament and has any chance of doing anything, you win at home, losing in Alabama. I think I told you a national championship team could lose in Alabama easy now, not the way we did, but you could lose that game. But you went at home and specifically you went at home against a team like Missouri. Now, a lot of people focused on Missouri, beat Florida. That's very true. But let's go look at a couple of their other results. They went on to road Illinois, who on paper should be about like us, and they lost by 45 points. All right. Missouri lost by 45 points at Illinois. They haven't won a true road game all year. Right. So if you're gonna be anything, you got to win this game. We are now a 13 and a half point favorite. That strikes me as hot.

[Shannon Dawson]

Really high. I'm surprised at that.

[Matt Jones]

That strikes me as high. But at least the people who build those big casinos in Vegas we opened at 12 and a half. Right. So the money's actually gone to us. We should win tonight. I don't really care if we win by 13 and a half, but we should win. What do you think?

[Shannon Dawson]

I got, you know, I did my show prep listening to leech report this morning, and he had the play by play guy on from Missouri who said they were a lot like Kentucky. Whereas the Florida game, they got one of their starters back for the first time. Oh, they did for the first time against Florida. Against Florida.

[Matt Jones]

I didn't know that.

[Shannon Dawson]

And a second starter just came back like three games ago.

[Matt Jones]

So you're saying the team that lost Illinois by 45. Not the same.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's what he was saying. He said it's a totally different team. They're finally at full strength. I said, well, that kind of sounds familiar.

[Matt Jones]

Well, that sounds like a reason to bet the get the 13 and a half. Shannon, if they have already you.

[Shannon Dawson]

You.

[Ryan Lemond]

You're betting missour with the 13 and a half. I'm not. Yeah, I'm not betting them to win, but I'll take the 13 and a half points.

[Matt Jones]

What a tr.

[Ryan Lemond]

You've done the same thing. Don't act like you don't.

[Matt Jones]

I don't even know.

[Ryan Lemond]

You probably already have at that too.

[Matt Jones]

I thought about it. I didn't, but I thought about it. You know, so, so, so to me, I, you know, mode had some quotes yesterday and I think I'm going to talk about this in the next segment. I'm not sure whether to interpret like they can be read one of two ways and people are kind of reading them one of two ways, but whichever way you want to read it. He clearly said we did not do prepare for this game the way we should have. Depending on how you read it, you could read it as an indictment of the players or the coaches, depending on how you want to read it. I tend to think he was talking about the players, but there are people who read it like he was Talking about the coaches, I think that's wrong, but I can see how they read it that way. But either way, he acknowledged we were not ready for this game. We better be ready for this one tonight.

[Shannon Dawson]

I took it as the players also.

[Matt Jones]

You know, I took it as the play.

[Shannon Dawson]

I did too. You know, you had two people online.

[Matt Jones]

Took it as the coaches.

[Shannon Dawson]

You had two weeks to get ready for a team and you knew exactly what they do. Then you know exactly how they play. And that's his old team. How could he not lead a group of guys get ready to play? I probably kind of blame him. He just allegedly one of their leaders. You're going back to your old stomping grounds. How can you not get your team ready and prepare the way you're supposed to? Maybe.

[Ryan Lemond]

Maybe his teammates wouldn't listen to him. Maybe that comes down to the team chemistry issues.

[Matt Jones]

He's the one that points it out. Why are you blaming him?

[Shannon Dawson]

I kind of point the finger at him. That's. That's the modi about a game.

[Matt Jones]

And what's interesting. So you blame Diabate.

[Shannon Dawson]

I do.

[Matt Jones]

I kind of read it as blaming the rest of the team. And then there are people out there who read it as him blame the coach.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So I don't know. But either way, this game tonight is. I don't want to say make or break, but kind of make or break. LSU was down at one point, 40 or something last night at home. I think we play them in a week. Play Mississippi State Saturday, who might be the worst team in the conference. Yeah, you better win these next three.

[Shannon Dawson]

I don't care if they get down again by 20 in the first half. I don't care if they win by one point as long as they win this game tonight.

[Matt Jones]

I do care if they get better. We can't keep getting down by 20, but we do need to win. This is a big win. I think this is a very, very big game tonight. And I thought this was a gimme three weeks ago.

[Shannon Dawson]

Not anymore.

[Matt Jones]

But I do think it is a huge game. 859-280-2287. We'll take a break. We'll talk about the Diabate quotes. There's also been a lot of football commitments and we will go over some of what has happened in that regard. That's next here on ksr.

[Ryan Lemond]

Hey, everyone, it's Ed Helms and I'm.

[Matt Jones]

Cal Penn and we are the hosts.

[Shannon Dawson]

Of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Matt Jones]

This week on the podcast, I am talking to film and TV critic, radio.

[Ryan Lemond]

And podcast host and Harry Potter super.

[Matt Jones]

Fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most? I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and so and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys. Finding the perfect gift for the food lover in your life is easy thanks to Gold Belly. Gold Belly ships America's most iconic foods straight from world famous restaurants right to your door. So if you want to treat someone to Joe's Stone Crab from Miami, Franklin Barbecue from Texas, or desserts from famous foodies like Ina Garten or Martha Stewart, Goldbelly has you covered. Just go to goldbelly.com and for a limited time get 20% off your first order with promo code gift. That's promo code gift. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio, 859-280-2287. Text Machine 772-7745. One person writes. Matt, you say where elite teams don't lose at home. We've already lost at home to North Carolina, which was a bad loss. I think that's our worst loss of the season. North Carolina, however, though is a tournament team is good. You still shouldn't lose it. We didn't have all our players. Jalen Lowe didn't play that game. I don't think still shouldn't lost. But that's, that's a little different to me than if you lose this one because this one, this is a middle of the pack sec team. You can't lose to middle the pack sec teams at home.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah. And the way this season is designed, where a lot of your tough games are on the road, you need to win all your home games.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. All right, so here's what Diabate said. I feel like the game could have been a lot better if we'd made more of an emphasis on the scout, the way they played. I was kind of expecting that in a way because I played for Oats at Alabama. I was expecting a lot of threes, a lot of flare screens going into the game. I feel like we could have emphasized that more. Being on the catch, knowing they're an isolation Team being in the gaps early to build out. The most frustrating part was seeing that we could have done a better. Could have done better at the scouting report. It feels like they were doing the same things over and over. Just thinking we could have done a lot better on the defensive side with the attention to detail and the personnel. We should have taken it more seriously. Now I think people have been hyping on that we could have done better on the scouting report. But then he ends it by saying we could have taken it more seriously. Which I read is saying he didn't think the players took the scouting report seriously. Not that the scouting report itself was bad. That's how I read it.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's exactly how I read it. Same way, but more on the players.

[Matt Jones]

Some people think that the line. I feel like we could have done better. Emphasize that a lot more in the scout maybe suggests he thinks the scouting report should have been. So I can see how you do it the other way, but I tend to think he was talking about the player. He did. However, though, it's clear he wasn't. It's clear he didn't mind critiquing his coaches because he did say he thought Low and quaint should start.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yes, he did.

[Matt Jones]

Which you don't usually see players do that. He did say, I kind of hope they start low. Inclins.

[Shannon Dawson]

He's a guy that's not afraid to speak his mind. You know, he's from New York. He's going to tell you what he thinks. And I think he's a kind of a little bit of a leader. And if he's saying that, he's not the only one that feels that. I'm telling you in that locker room.

[Matt Jones]

So. So I don't think he was throwing the coaches on the bus. I do think, though, by saying I think Low and Quaint should start. It's clear. Like, it's clear the players don't think we're doing. At least one player doesn't think we're doing stuff the right way. Do you agree with that?

[Caller]

I do.

[Shannon Dawson]

And like I said, don't you think there's other people in that locker room that feel the same way he does.

[Matt Jones]

Well, that's how all the fans think. Yeah, I mean, all. All of. I mean, I think all of the fans think that exact thing. So, you know, which gets me to the conversation we had yesterday about sort of the Tony Robbins quotes. By the way, who is Mel Robbins? That's a woman. Like, she does that. Does she do the same kind of stuff? Is there Something about being named Robbins that you just start giving people advice. I guess so, cuz Mel Robbins, I see everybody, she's on my TikTok all the time doing what's her thing. It's like atomic habits or tell people. Give me good. Tell yourself each morning things are going well. Okay.

[Shannon Dawson]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

You should do that.

[Shannon Dawson]

I should do that. I listen to Marty Robbins.

[Matt Jones]

El Paso.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Shannon Dawson]

I listen to. Not Amy Robbins also.

[Matt Jones]

No. Mel.

[Shannon Dawson]

Mel.

[Ryan Lemond]

Who's Amy?

[Shannon Dawson]

I don't know. It's Mel.

[Matt Jones]

Amy Robbins is the one he gave my cakes to. All right, so I do think the combination. A couple people said to me yesterday when I was walking around Louisville and I would talk to Kentucky fans, a couple of people said to me, matt, if you guys who are middle aged guys. And I didn't like, by the way, sir, that they called me middle aged guys. I don't think that's. It may be, that may be objectively true, but you don't need to be saying that to people. But he said if you as middle aged guys don't understand what Mark Pope is talking about, what do you think the 18 to 22 year old kids think?

[Shannon Dawson]

Yoga girl said the same thing last night. If he's talking to them the way he's talking on the radio and to Tom Leach, that's not relating. You cannot relate to these 18, 20, 21 year old guys giving these Tony Robbins quotes.

[Matt Jones]

It is a good point though.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, it is.

[Matt Jones]

Like if we don't get it, Shannon, how in the world would they get. I mean, they have to just like be like, come on, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

I can't imagine being that age and playing for a coach that's talking in like Shakespeare quotes. Yeah, you know what I mean?

[Matt Jones]

Like I was watching last night, Texas A and M and Auburn. We'll talk about that game in a minute. But Texas A and M's coach, his name Bucky. Is that right?

[Shannon Dawson]

I don't know who their new coach.

[Matt Jones]

I think his Name's Bucky. Bucky McMillan or something. And I was listening to him and he was being interviewed and then he, he put a video out on the plane. And I just remember thinking, this dude sounds so plain spoken. But like you could just tell the players were eating it up listening to Bucky. And on a personal level, it's just a personal level. I hate self help. No, I really do. Like I, I really hate self help gurus and self help. Like I, I just, it. I find it cringy. So cringy. And I love Mark Pope and I don't want to find Mark Pope to be cringy, but it's a little cringy, that stuff. Do you. Do you know what I mean?

[Shannon Dawson]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Do you think it's a. I mean, it's a little cringy, isn't it?

[Shannon Dawson]

And we take him at his word. He was talking this way where they're breaking down game film. You're supposed to be talking about basketball X and O. You're giving these self help tips during your film breakdown.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, if we're all being honest, because this is. We were trying to be honest. We're not just trying to be fake and say we love everything, cuz it's. It's our guy. Shannon. Yeah. Let's be real. I bet you hate cringy as much as anything.

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, yes, yes.

[Matt Jones]

Do you feel that some of those words in that show were cringy?

[Ryan Lemond]

Definitely. And all, all the, all the beautiful stuff. I mean, that, that rubbed me the wrong way too. Everything's beautiful, everything's delightful. Like that's not the real world, man.

[Matt Jones]

Remember when we've talked about how I think part of the way that you communicate nowadays is being real? That just doesn't seem real to me. It seems like. Well, the best way I can say it is cringy.

[Shannon Dawson]

And look at your audience. These are some alpha males sitting there in your locker room. I don't know if they can relate.

[Matt Jones]

They're all alpha males. You think the guy, Jaden Quaint, who plays chess is an alpha male?

[Shannon Dawson]

I think he's an alpha male.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. No, but you're right. I mean, it's a very matte, like, masculine sport. I don't know.

[Shannon Dawson]

I don't know either, man.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. Now, of course, we could win tonight.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Win three or four. I mean, the good thing is this schedule is set up. We can go on a little run here.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's right.

[Matt Jones]

But we have to win, have to.

[Shannon Dawson]

Win the home games.

[Matt Jones]

And I, I hope the crowd like this is a big one. All right, we'll take your calls. Talk a little football. 859-280-2287. It's KSR.

[Shannon Dawson]

TJ Smith, personal injury attorney. Call TJ. He'll make him pay.

[Ryan Lemond]

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back, techie Sports Radio. Mel Robbins is the let them theory.

[Shannon Dawson]

What is that?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. Something about let them.

[Shannon Dawson]

Huh? Fascinating.

[Matt Jones]

No, I mean, I don't. I'm sure it's good. I just. I don't know. What it is. I see the book in the bookstore. It's always like, when I'm at a bookstore and they'll go, top 10 books. It's always in the top 10. It's called, like. I think it's just called let them. It's always in the top 10.

[Shannon Dawson]

So, you know, if. If you're someone on the outside looking in. Are there any other coaches that has this approach in the college basketball locker room that you know of?

[Matt Jones]

That's a good question. Have there been really successful college coaches that sound like gurus? Well, Cal had a little bit of that, but I still think he did it in sort of a plain spoken way, but he. There was a little bit of that. Like, be your brother's keeper.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And that stuff. Not as much as Pope, though. I. I can't. I mean, maybe. I don't know. Was John Wooden like that? Was he kind of like. Yeah, I mean, that's before my time.

[Shannon Dawson]

He was pretty successful.

[Matt Jones]

No, he's very successful. But I don't know if he, like, gave.

[Shannon Dawson]

In today's age, I can't come up with one that maybe I can't either.

[Matt Jones]

But that doesn't mean they're not out there. Maybe somebody can think of one who's kind of a, you know, motivational quote guy. I used to work with a guy on the D.C. circuit who every morning, who once a month would cut out 30 inspirational quotes from a book, and he would then tape them one to his mirror every morning. And I like this guy, but I thought that was the cheesiest thing I'd ever heard. So he'd come in and I'd, like, give him a hard time. I'd be like, so, what is it today? And he was like, Vince Lombardi says, look in the mirror and you see your. Your, you know, your best weapon. And I'm like, all right, man. Well, we just gotta write this opinion today, so let's.

[Shannon Dawson]

Mike Leach took an interesting approach to football sometimes, but I don't think it was, like, inspiration.

[Matt Jones]

He was more funny.

[Shannon Dawson]

More funny? Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, who's up first? Shannon. Babbo. Babo. Go ahead, Babo.

[Caller]

Hey, good morning, fellas. Hey. I want to thank especially Ryan and Shannon. I don't believe, Matt, that you hit on the issue too much. But for Christmas, the Christmas suggestions, I went out and got Mimi a pair of their Mama Pavia boots. And you think you already threw a sign, a Seinfeld quote out there? Yada, yada, yada. Tomorrow I'm having a heart procedure that's all I've got.

[Matt Jones]

Well, alrighty then. There you go.

[Shannon Dawson]

Quite a phone call.

[Matt Jones]

Didn't see that one. Didn't see that one coming. Yeah, they. They talked a lot more about Diego Pavi, his mom, than I did that. You guys. You guys, I think, covered that territory pretty well.

[Ryan Lemond]

We're in her fan club, there's no doubt.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I'll tell you, somebody successful that's a little bit like that, though, is the kill quarterback in Indiana. Yeah, he's. He's, he's kind of. He's got a little bit of the Pope.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's a great call.

[Matt Jones]

He talks a lot like that a.

[Shannon Dawson]

Lot of the interviews he's getting out because he just won the Heisman there.

[Matt Jones]

And he stares right into the camera when he talks. He. I, I kind of like, hey, man, stop looking at me like that. Like, he stares when he. I've never seen a guy. Have you ever seen a guy do an interview stare directly into the camera more than him?

[Shannon Dawson]

Somebody's told him that's the way to relate to everybody.

[Matt Jones]

He doesn't look at the person talking. He looked. But when they. When you're on television, they teach you to look at the person talking. They don't want you to look in the correct. But he looks in the camera. Who's next? Ed? Ed, Go ahead, Ed.

[Caller]

Hey, good morning, guys.

[Matt Jones]

What's up? Hey, yeah, get off your Bluetooth now. Remember, that's rule one of calling. Okay, I'm direct.

[Caller]

Into the. I'm direct now. Thank you. You brought up an interesting point, but that wasn't the point I was going to make. So let me make. Try to make two quick points because I was thinking the exact same thing because I've been following UK since Adolph Rough. And no, there ain't no. There ain't no Mr. Nice Guy coaches. When, when, when, when the battle, when it comes down to life and death, which is what it comes down to on these basketball games, ain't no Mr. Nice Guys winning stuff. You want to get right up in the grill. Remember when my second point is more interest to me is not that we did a terrible job defending the three. It's what Nate Oates said after the game when they scattered Kentucky. He said, look, their, their assists are fools goals. When, when, when Kentucky plays good teams, we hardly have any assists. Because we don't.

[Matt Jones]

No, I mean, that's a big deal. That's a. Yeah, I appreciate the call. That's a big deal. But here's what I would say. This team's not Good enough shooting that if we give up 90, we're not gonna beat anybody.

[Shannon Dawson]

No.

[Matt Jones]

Last year's team, you could give up 90 and you actually could still win because. Because we could score so much if we give up night, this team is not gonna win 94 to 93 against somebody good.

[Shannon Dawson]

No.

[Matt Jones]

So while I do think Nate Oates was right, we don't pass enough, we don't have enough assists. If we give up 90, none of that's going to matter.

[Shannon Dawson]

No.

[Matt Jones]

Because we can't score 90, I don't think this group at least regularly can score 90.

[Shannon Dawson]

That may be the most shocking thing in this team so far is how poor we are defensively. And we talked about the preseason, how we thought was going to be maybe an elite defensive team. And they look good. You know, the second half against St. John's when quite as came back. But there are so many issues on defense that I don't know. I don't know how they're going to fix them.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so Kentucky football real quick has signed or has gotten a lot of guys.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, a bunch.

[Matt Jones]

They have. Well, actually they just got another one. So how about some breaking news running on. Florida starter Jordan Castle is committed to Kentucky. He is a three year starter for Florida in the secondary. He was an ESPN freshman, All American, SEC all freshman All American and he is the second former Florida defensive back to transfer to Kentucky.

[Shannon Dawson]

Man, you know we're getting these guys from Florida, from Alabama, from Tennessee. Other guys that have played have played the LSU defensive tackle, these guys played in the sec, the transfer.

[Matt Jones]

So two Florida defensive backs, an offensive lineman from Alabama, a defensive tackle from lsu, they got a running back from Oklahoma. We're basically just stockpiling SEC players.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, I know it.

[Matt Jones]

The they now I think have. So they have three offensive linemen in the offensive lineman for Tennessee, Max Anderson. They, they right now have the number six class in the portal. Now it won't finish like that because some of these do teams like in the playoff and stuff still haven't gotten their teams yet. So we're, I mean we're probably projected just looking at it to finish 12th to 15th in the portal. That's still really good for a team that went 5 and 7 last year and 4 and 8 the year before. One of the things I want to say to fans is sometimes we'll get a commitment. Like the kid from Tennessee, he was ranked. Excuse me, it's like that number 19 or something interior offensive lineman. And I saw fans going 19. What I want to say is. Yeah, when was the last time we've been the 19th best team?

[Shannon Dawson]

I'll take him.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, we were like one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country last year. What are you talking about? 19. We should be dancing for number 19. Absolutely right. I mean, that's. We're the number six class in the portal. We have the number one interior offensive lineman in America committed here. The number 10 quarterback in America. Again, I would ask you, when's the last time besides Will Levis, we've had one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the country? Jared, maybe so if you. Let's just. Now, granted, I know there's people that return and he might not be taught, but of the quarterbacks available to Will Stein, if you assume the rankings are right, he got the 10th best one.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And by the way, Levitt is now going to Tennessee as well, which means he wasn't going to decide this week.

[Shannon Dawson]

Couldn't wait that long.

[Matt Jones]

Which means we couldn't wait. No, I totally get that. Don't you?

[Shannon Dawson]

I totally get it. I like the fact that these guys are have SEC experience. These aren't guys from New Mexico State, Illinois State. These guys have played in the sec. I do want to mention one more guy.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Shannon Dawson]

Nose tackle Chops from Frederick Douglass High School. Jamarion Hockley Harkless, transferring from Purdue. He was a starter for two years at nose guard for Purdue. So he's coming in.

[Matt Jones]

So he's from Lexington.

[Shannon Dawson]

He went to Frederick Douglass.

[Matt Jones]

Is he good?

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, Chops. Vince Merrill tried to get him heavy when he was in high school.

[Matt Jones]

Why are you calling him Chops?

[Shannon Dawson]

That's his nickname. Everybody calls him Chops.

[Matt Jones]

I haven't heard anybody call him Chops.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, he's Chops.

[Matt Jones]

So that's what I should call.

[Shannon Dawson]

Should definitely climb Chops.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so Chop Chops. Also, you may have read when I wrote on KSBORD and I talked a little bit about this yesterday, about Will Stein's philosophy when it comes to the portal, how they will pay for studs. And then with everybody else, they're kind of not going to get bled for money. They're going to like, if you don't want to go, I'll get a guy that's 95% as good as you. That cost me $300,000 less.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, right.

[Matt Jones]

There's a Cam Miller just entered the port.

[Shannon Dawson]

I saw that.

[Matt Jones]

So Cam Miller was our wide receiver that at times last year gave some good things.

[Shannon Dawson]

He did.

[Matt Jones]

I think when you. I think they. I think they wanted Cam Miller to come Back. But he's an example. Well, I think the other Miller is coming. J.T. is that right?

[Shannon Dawson]

DJ?

[Matt Jones]

D.J. no.

[Shannon Dawson]

What was it?

[Matt Jones]

I think I was a JD. J.D.

[Shannon Dawson]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Miller. Both. Cam Miller. That's an example of. I think they wanted him, but I think he. His folks thought needed more, deserve more money than they could give him. And that's how that separates and that's going to happen. That they take the philosophy of, we are Kentucky. We got to balance this budget.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Whereas I think Mark Stoop's philosophy was, if I've got a guy in the program, I really need to keep him. And if that means I overpay him, I'm gonna keep him because he's in the program. I just don't think Will Stein is going to do it that way. And we'll see how. I mean, we'll see if it. If it works or not. But that's how I think their view is.

[Shannon Dawson]

I think that's exactly what has happened with Miller and Cutter Bowley. They were gonna have to overpay in their mind and their budget to keep those guys here.

[Matt Jones]

They with every player. And this is, by the way, I mean, some people may think this is like, not what college sports should be, but you know what? This is what college sports is.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

They are essentially looking at every player and assigning a value. This is what we think this player is worth in today's world. And if they don't want to sign for close to this value, then we can't do it.

[Shannon Dawson]

They just move on.

[Matt Jones]

And they just have to move on. Whereas I think Stoop's philosophy was, I like this player. What do we got to do to keep him?

[Shannon Dawson]

And they overpaid on and they overpay.

[Matt Jones]

Like paying $1.8 million for an offensive lineman. The this philosophy is, you are a $200,000 player. Okay, maybe I'll get to 225, but I ain't paying you 300. And that's just kind of how it is. And I think that's the way they're going to do it. So court physical therapy, don't let aches and pains fall you into the new year. Start 2026. Strong court physical therapy can help you get back to what you love. Whether you want to get back in the gym, pick up a new sport, or just be able to get around court physical therapy can help you do. So there's a court near you. Over 70 locations. Book online today. Court.com. that's k o r t dot com. It's Wednesday. Here at KS Bar. We open in 15 minutes and we will take a break and be right back to Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Ryan Lemond]

Hey, everyone, it's Ed Helms and I'm.

[Shannon Dawson]

Cal Penn and we are the hosts of Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Matt Jones]

This week on the podcast, I am talking to film and TV critic, radio.

[Ryan Lemond]

And podcast host and Harry Potter superfan.

[Matt Jones]

Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast.

[Ryan Lemond]

Adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

[Matt Jones]

What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most? I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and, and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd sounds like all around you. It is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audio Book Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. So it's DJ Miller. Yeah, what you said or I said, I said it.

[Shannon Dawson]

The Miller boys.

[Matt Jones]

All right. Well, he's the one staying.

[Shannon Dawson]

I think they, like you said, I think they wanted to keep both of them. They both as freshmen ended up kind of impressing some people.

[Matt Jones]

And there's a couple guys on the team that they had. Art had already been agreed to for a second like. So in November, Mark Stoops staff got some guys to agree to not enter the portal and promised him a certain amount of money.

[Shannon Dawson]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

In uk, I think decided the new staff that they couldn't honor those commitments. They felt like it was too much. So Dante Dowdell was one of those. Maybe was promised an overpay of money in their mind. So he ends up entering the portal. I think this Cam Miller kid might be one of those as well. So because they had actually reached deals with some of those kids. But again, all these deals are contingent on like signing and they hadn't signed yet.

[Shannon Dawson]

So I think, I wonder how they're approaching Willie Rodriguez, a guy I'm sure they would want.

[Matt Jones]

I would assume they. I mean, he has entered the portal yet, right.

[Shannon Dawson]

So, you know, other schools are coming after him.

[Matt Jones]

Apparently Andy Staples was on TV today, or excuse me, on Pardon My Take and said the two teams that has stuck out to him that's doing the best in the portal so far by far are Indiana and Kentucky. It's pretty good considering Indiana's the best team in the country right now. Right.

[Shannon Dawson]

And like we said, you know, if Indiana can do it, why can't Kentucky.

[Matt Jones]

Why not?

[Shannon Dawson]

Why not?

[Matt Jones]

That's right. Why not us? Nick Mingione is someone who definitely has the guru, like, no doubt. And that's worked. So maybe we look at Nick Mingion. But I will say this about Nick Mingion, Nick Mingione, and talk to people around the baseball program. They'll save it. He had a couple years where he had guys on the team that just didn't buy into that. And basically they cleaned house afterwards. You know what I'm talking about. That he needs a certain kind of guy that buys into that. And I think he would tell you that he had a year there where they were really bad. And the people around the program will tell you the kids just didn't buy into what Mingy Own did.

[Shannon Dawson]

So they went and got kids in the transfer portal that he found.

[Matt Jones]

Kids that were personality, that were sort of. And then that has obviously worked very well.

[Shannon Dawson]

Well, I miss his motivational Mondays when he would come on this show.

[Matt Jones]

So he is an example of somebody that's worked. Did you see the Auburn, Texas A and M game?

[Shannon Dawson]

I did see that.

[Matt Jones]

We just have to talk about the sequence at the end.

[Shannon Dawson]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

An unbelievable sequence. Auburn, A and M is up six, right? Or no, five.

[Shannon Dawson]

I can't remember what it was.

[Matt Jones]

No, it was six. They're up six. Auburn, it's A. Three cuts at three. A and M gets fouled. Right. They come down. I think they hit two. So it's five.

[Shannon Dawson]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Auburn hits another three, cuts it to two.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So now A and M, they. They inbound at 2.6 seconds. They have. If they make both free throws, they win.

[Shannon Dawson]

It's over.

[Matt Jones]

Guy misses the first free throw. So now there's 2.6, 2.4 seconds, but Auburn doesn't have a timeout. Right. So A and M's philosophy there is miss it on purpose.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

And then they'll just have to throw.

[Shannon Dawson]

It down the court for a long rebound. Throw it down the court, the guy.

[Matt Jones]

Bangs it against the backboard. I think he hit the rim, but it's not clear that.

[Shannon Dawson]

Not clear at all.

[Matt Jones]

I think he did, but it's not clear. He hits it. The clock starts, and then the Auburn people are going crazy saying it didn't hit the rim. So for some reason, the clock operator just stops the clock at 0.6 seconds, which is some home cooking if I've ever seen it.

[Shannon Dawson]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

The ref did not call that. It didn't hit the rim. The clock operator just on his own, stops the clock. Right. So then all of a sudden, the Clock is stopped. And the referees and I still don't understand why they made this decision. Said inadvertent clock error. Auburn, you get the ball with point six, six seconds to go.

[Shannon Dawson]

Is that based on a possession arrow? How do they determine Auburn's ball?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. And they got it at mid court.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So that was a better situation for them than anything. Right. Auburn gets it, inbounds it to their center who throws a one handed heave at the buzzer. And it goes in.

[Shannon Dawson]

Goes in.

[Matt Jones]

And Auburn looks like they've won by one. Then they. Auburn celebrates.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

The refs go to the monitor. The Auburn bench gets a video. Did you see this? They get an iPad. And they look and they determine that it went in before the buzzer. And they celebrate for a second time. And everyone is celebrating, but the refs are still looking at the monitor. And the refs come back and go. Didn't get it all.

[Shannon Dawson]

Waved it off.

[Matt Jones]

Was very close. I don't know if he got it off or not, do you?

[Shannon Dawson]

I thought he got it off. It looked to me like I kind.

[Matt Jones]

Of thought he didn't.

[Shannon Dawson]

You didn't think.

[Matt Jones]

But I think it's. The camera angle wasn't very good.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So you couldn't really tell for sure. Here's my theory. The refs know that inadvertent clock stoppage was a mistake.

[Shannon Dawson]

Sure.

[Matt Jones]

They know the game should have ended. I think they erred towards saying it didn't get off because they didn't think he should have gotten a chance to do that shot anyway.

[Shannon Dawson]

So they were covering their rear end from an earlier mistake because it was.

[Matt Jones]

The Auburn clock operator that gave Auburn a chance.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

You know now the best part, Shannon, was the post game interview. They try to interview Bucky on the court. I don't know why they stood him in front of the student section, but the student section is yelling at him so loud Bucky can't even hear the interview. They are screaming. You. They're screaming expletives.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yes, they are.

[Matt Jones]

Extremely loudly. And Bucky just has to go. Yeah, I gotta go, guys.

[Shannon Dawson]

You gotta read the room. You can't do that interview right there in front of the student section.

[Matt Jones]

The student section. The referees get run out of there.

[Shannon Dawson]

Yeah, they should have.

[Matt Jones]

I've never seen anything quite like that either.

[Shannon Dawson]

I, I thought he got it off. Well, there's a shot.

[Ryan Lemond]

There's one good like shot that's floating around on Twitter where he didn't get it off. You can see we did zero.

[Matt Jones]

It looks like here's what I think happened. You got to remember that the. The light on the glass is correct. And sometimes the clock you see on the screen is a little bit off. And I think the clock on the screen said point one, but the glass had already lit up. Bucky gets on the plane afterwards. Did you see what he does?

[Shannon Dawson]

No, I don't.

[Matt Jones]

He looks in the camera and he stands up and he goes, all right. We play Oklahoma Saturday. 2:30 students get there. We know if you show up a millisecond too late, it's too late. Kind of a trash talking video.

[Shannon Dawson]

That's a good move. That's a boss move.

[Matt Jones]

Be right back.