Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 2

Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon Dawson
Episode Theme:
A lively post-game breakdown of Kentucky basketball, predictions for the season, and a mix of Kentucky sports history, wild off-court stories, and audience engagement.

Main Theme & Episode Overview

The KSR crew kicks off Hour 2 riding high after a dramatic Kentucky basketball victory, analyzing the win and projecting the rest of the season. The show weaves in classic KSR banter, covering topics raging from game-fixing scandals and odd Kentucky basketball history to secretive politician parties. The audience is invited to participate and call in, adding humor and local color. Tones shift naturally from lighthearted to analytical, creating an engaging atmosphere for Kentucky sports fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kentucky Basketball Postgame Analysis & Season Predictions

• Victory Reactions:
  The crew discusses the aftermath of a thrilling Kentucky win, with hosts expressing excitement and relief.

• Arkansas Threat Assessment (03:47–04:16):

  • Arkansas scored 108 points in their last game but previously lost by 22. Matt Jones says, “I don’t think any of the teams in the SEC are really good... all the teams are beatable. The problem we have is that we play those teams drew on the road. So that makes it harder.”
  • Drew Franklin highlights Arkansas’s freshman point guard, Acuff, calling him “the real deal... he might be SEC player of the year” (04:16).

• Season Win Predictions (22:57–24:32):
  The hosts take turns guessing combined regular and postseason wins for Kentucky.

  • Shannon: 22 wins (optimistic pick).

  • Drew: 20 wins (7 more in regular season, 1 SEC, 1 NCAA tournament).

  • Ryan: 21 wins (with “play in” and first round tournament victories).

  • Matt: Sides with Drew at 20 wins (6 more regular, 2 in Nashville, play-in win).

  • Quote:
    Shannon: “It’s almost like I know what I’m talking about.” (24:54)

2. College Basketball Game-Fixing Scandal

• Discussion of Recent Indictments (06:48–09:49):
  Twenty former college basketball players indicted for rigging games, primarily in Chinese Basketball Association.

  • $225,000 bet on a fixed Chinese game.

  • Notable inclusion: Antonio Blakeney (former LSU/Bulls player).

  • Drew: “That was almost a Cat!”

  • Matt contextualizes: “This has been going on forever. The notion... in the last four years, gambling’s legal, this is why this is happening. No, this is why they’re being caught. This has always happened.” (09:01)

• Historical Kentucky Connection:
  Kentucky was banned from college basketball in the 1940s for a gambling scheme (“The Fiddling Five”; 10:01–10:09).

3. Kentucky Basketball’s Wild Early History

• The show whimsically recalls when college teams played local businesses:

  • “There are teams that would play just businesses. It would be like Auburn vs. McDonald’s in a best-of-seven series. I just think we need to do more of that—I think it’s entertaining.” (12:40)

• Kentucky’s Olympic/Early Pro Journey (11:03–11:42):

  • Matt: “We had a team that won the national championship, then represented the United States in the Olympics.”
  • Gas station teams like “Phillips 66” and “Marathon Oil” get a shoutout.

4. Offbeat Local Adventures: The “Alien & Ghost Show”

• Mario’s Dilemma (04:37–06:18; 13:13–16:58):
  Mario debates joining Bob and James for an “alien and ghost show.” Drew encourages him for the social media impressions and unique content.

  • Notable exchange:
    Drew: “It can open your mind to new things.” (05:42)
    Matt (to Bob): “Are you, what are you going to wear, Bob? Because you don’t usually dress very well.”
    Bob: “I can wear my Jerry Spence western fringed leather jacket... a cowboy hat... perfect pair of ostrich boots.” (16:11–16:35)

5. Political Scandal, Rumors, and Kentucky Folklore

• New Lawsuit Alleging Senator Relationships (29:34–32:07):

  • Lawsuit accuses Senator Kyrsten Sinema of having an affair with security detail; alleges 4 senators did the same in 2023.
  • Matt: “That’s one out of every 25... if you’re elected Senate, you got a one out of 25 chance..." (30:20)
  • Crew jokes about “The Bodyguard” and wonders how common this is.

• The Legendary “Ashland Sex House” (37:12–40:45):

  • KSR discusses a long-existing rumor: politicians of both parties held sex parties at a house in Ashland, KY. Supposedly, up to 30 lawmakers were involved in the '90s and 2000s.
  • Matt: “I thought that was the funniest thing I ever heard. And then more and more people would come up to us and say, no, there is an Ashland politician sex house.” (38:45)
  • Ryan: “If I got invited, I would probably go just for show prep.” (40:03)

• Listener Text Revelations (44:50–47:01):

  • Ashland story confirmed by a text: “100% fact... same thing’s going on in Letcher County.”
  • Former restaurant “Flynn’s” in Frankfort allegedly had slot machines and was a known spot for legislative trysts.
  • Hosts muse, “the police look the other way.”

6. Kentucky Hoops: Player Analysis & Game Decisions

• Callers on Jasper Johnson and Moreno’s Fouls (25:20–27:08; 47:06–48:00):

  • Suggestions to start Jasper for energy, and praise for Malachi Moreno’s poised play despite foul trouble.
  • Ryan: “Malachi did so much other than hit the last second shot... he may be developing into an NBA player.” (47:46)

• Game Moments:

  • Chandler’s missed lob pass dissected (27:55–28:44):
    “If Kentucky doesn’t win this game, remember this as a turning point... wasted opportunity.” — Drew (28:04)

• Women’s Basketball Shoutout & Trivia Tie-in (50:37–51:10):

  • Drew: “UK Women’s Twitter put Tony Morgan’s last second shot and Malachi’s last second shot back to back, both in the same arena, weeks apart. It was awesome.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Wild Kentucky Basketball History

• “Can you imagine if they picked this Kentucky basketball team to be the Olympic team? I think we would struggle in the Olympics... but that would be wild.”
  — Matt Jones (10:43)

SEC Gambling Hypocrisy

• “It’s always weird to me that our fanbase is the one I hear say, 'This is what happens when you legalize gambling'... we literally were banned from the sport.”
  — Matt Jones (09:35)

Politician Parties

• “People say that there is a house in eastern Kentucky... where the politicians played... a very nice house [where] they would all have... sex parties.”
  — Matt Jones (37:31)

Bob’s Outfit for the Alien Show

• Bob: “I can wear my Jerry Spence western fringed leather jacket... a cowboy hat... perfect pair of ostrich boots.”
  — (16:11–16:35)

Matt on Local History Oddities

• “If you ever want to have fun, go back and look at the basketball teams college teams played in the early 1900s. They literally played businesses.”
  — Matt (12:14)

Important Timestamps

• 03:47–04:16 – Breaking down Arkansas as UK’s next key opponent
• 06:48–09:49 – College and Chinese basketball game-fixing scandal
• 10:01–11:46 – UK’s Olympic basketball past, “Fiddling Five,” and early pro teams
• 16:11–16:35 – Bob’s wild attire for the ghost/alien show
• 22:57–24:32 – Regular/postseason win predictions (full roundtable)
• 25:20–27:08 – Callers discuss player lineups and energy boost strategies
• 27:55–28:24 – Crew reacts to Chandler’s failed fast break pass; dissecting key moments
• 29:34–32:07 – Lawsuit: politicians, affairs, and security details
• 37:12–40:45 – The Ashland house and Kentucky’s wild political party legends
• 44:50–47:01 – Listener confirmations of Kentucky political and sports folklore
• 50:37–51:10 – Kentucky women's basketball parallel moments

Tone & Style

The episode is a quintessential blend of Kentucky sports fandom, irreverent humor, sharp local color, and unfiltered honesty. The hosts riff fluidly, make each other laugh, and invite callers to join in the fun and the rumor mill, all while grounding the show in the love of Kentucky basketball.

This summary was crafted to provide a detailed, engaging overview of the episode, capturing the energy and flavor of KSR. Listeners get in-depth game and season analysis, wild Kentucky legends, and the camaraderie that makes KSR a staple for fans and locals alike.