KSR – Hour 1 (March 20, 2026)

Host: Matt Jones
Co-hosts: Ryan Lemond, Shannon, Mario
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts & Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)
Air Date: March 20, 2026
Subject: Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Tournament Game Day & College Hoops

Episode Overview

This hour of Kentucky Sports Radio is all about anticipation and analysis as the Kentucky Wildcats gear up for their first game in the NCAA Tournament, facing Santa Clara in St. Louis. The crew—Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Shannon, and Mario—share their game-day vibes, break down Kentucky's preparation, recap the previous day's NCAA action (with a few tournament legend stories), and riff on locker room culture, bracket luck, Coach Mark Pope’s media approach, and even share a bit of their off-air camaraderie.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. It’s Game Day: NCAA Tournament Opener for Kentucky

• [02:23] Matt Jones: Kicks off the show with the morning’s excitement, taking listeners through how Kentucky’s season is now on the line:

  "By the time you get home from work today... Kentucky will either be in the round of 32 or the season will be over. Like we're in that, we're in that mode."

• [03:26] Ryan: Shares the nervous excitement:

  "When I woke up this morning, went, got in the shower and it kind of hit me like, wait a minute, this is it."

2. Tournament Atmosphere & Preparation at the Arena

• [04:11] Matt & Ryan: Reflect on the previous day watching other teams practice and share an amusing anecdote about accidentally snagging a $6 cookie from the media food area.
  • [04:30-06:13] Notable Moment: Matt’s “cookie theft”—confusion over media food being free, and returning to pay after realizing his mistake.
    • Shannon jokes: “He doesn't care. Like what?”
    • Matt: “I'm probably on video having stolen a cookie.”

3. Kentucky’s Unique Practice Approach

• [06:36-08:13]
  • Kentucky was notably the only team to run a full 5-on-5 practice during their official NCAA slot.
    • Matt: "They were the only team all day that went up and down the court five on five."
    • Ryan adds: "...I have never ever seen a team do that."
  • Debates whether it might tire out the team—Matt insists it won’t hurt (“No. Come on... 45 minutes.”).
  • General agreement that it was a good move to acclimate with the tournament’s unique basketballs and atmosphere.

4. Locker Room Vibes & NCAA Openness

• [08:46-10:22]
  • The first time media get locker room access is at the NCAA/SEC tournaments—something players must adjust to.
  • Matt to Mario: “Did you think Mario, the players look loose?”
    • Ryan: “They was joking around a lot.”
  • Highlights teammate expressions and inside-joke explanations like “get money, touch money.”
  • Ryan on Kentucky’s attitude: "I'm glad the players were loose."

5. Game Analysis: Kentucky vs. Santa Clara

• [14:45-16:43]
  • Physical mismatches favor Kentucky—bigger, stronger, and faster.
    • Matt: “When you see the Santa Clara team—We're bigger than them. We're stronger than them. We're fast—Now they might be able to shoot better, but..."
  • The key is imposing UK’s style, not letting Santa Clara dictate pace or rely on their three-point shooting.
    • Matt: “For Kentucky they've got to, like, play their style, get the ball, get to the basket. Don't just settle for jumper..."
    • Ryan: “You attack the basket, man, you take advantage of your strength."
  • Cites lessons from other first-round games (Texas A&M vs. St. Mary's, Duke vs. Sienna) as blueprints.

6. Bracket Luck, Parlay Pain, and the Madness of March

• [24:44-26:41]
  • Matt laments poor betting luck (“got every leg wrong”), while Ryan, with zero research, is in the 96th percentile.
    • Matt: “It’s really strange... I know more about college basketball than any sport and it's the worst thing I gamble on.”
    • Ryan: “You don't think about it too much. Just pick on impulse. Maybe that's the key.”
• Funny acknowledgment that NCAA brackets reward random picking:
  • [35:12] Caller relates: “My two youngest sons, 8 and 5 came in ahead of me.”

7. Coach Mark Pope & the Media Scrutiny

• [27:42-30:10]
  • Segment addresses listener questions about Coach Pope’s tense press conference remarks about the media.
    • Matt: "It's just been a tough year, I think, for Mark in terms of communicating... It was weird because it was Mark's story of the Herald asking him a question about the apostle.”
  • The consensus: winning games smooths over off-court drama.
    • Matt: “You win today and you win Sunday. And a lot of these secondary things... they just kind of melt away.”

8. Fan Turnout in St. Louis

• [31:01-31:25]
  • They notice fewer Kentucky fans than expected at practice but expect numbers to rise by game time.

9. Recapping NCAA Day 1’s Best Moments

• [19:25-23:27, 27:12-27:41]
  • Highlights from Thursday’s action:
    • High Point’s miraculous comeback and “the moment of the tournament”—with viral student-broadcaster reactions:

      "You got the one guy who gives a great call, and then the other one just looks like he's having a heart attack. He doesn't say a word in the whole video." (Matt, 21:27)

    • Sienna nearly upsetting No. 1 Duke (“would have been the biggest upset in the history of the tournament”).
    • VCU’s record comeback win over North Carolina.
    • High Point’s player hitting his first 2-point shot of the year…as a game-winner.

10. Lighthearted Moments and Locker Room Antics

• [11:22-14:03]
  • Gentle roasting over Ryan’s questionable “big blue slumber” fashion and Matt’s appreciation of Ryan’s “zero cares given” attitude.
    • Matt: "There may be no person more comfortable in who they are than you... you just, you are you. And you are fine being you."
• Dinner story: Ryan offers to approach “the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

11. Listener Calls & Community Connection

• Multiple callers express hope for a run in the tournament, push back against “doom and gloom” fans, and share bracket war stories.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• $6 Cookie Saga

  • Matt: “I'm probably on video having stolen a cookie.” (06:14)
  • Shannon: “He doesn't care. Like what?” (06:06)

• Kentucky’s Physical Edge over Santa Clara

  • Matt: “When you see the Santa Clara team—We're bigger than them. We're stronger than them. We're fast.” (14:53)

• Ryan in Fashion Infamy

  • Matt: “There may be no person more comfortable in who they are than you... you just, you are you. And you are fine being you.” (12:32)
  • Shannon on Ryan’s outfit: “I can see man boob. I can see nipple poking through. Like there's a whole lot going on there.” (12:03)

• On Coach Pope and the Media

  • Matt: “It's just been a tough year, I think, for Mark in terms of communicating... It was weird because it was Mark's story of the Herald asking him a question about the apostle.” (27:42-29:37)

• Tournament Madness

  • Matt: “I know more about college basketball than any sport and it's the worst thing I gamble on." (25:17)
  • Ryan: “You don't think about it too much. Just pick on impulse. Maybe that's the key." (26:03)

• Caller Sam (Optimism for Cats)

  • “It's not crazy that we can win two basketball games... We've got good players with tournament experience that are old guys. So, I mean, it's not crazy.” (31:44-32:29)

Key Timestamps

• 02:23 – Show begins, NCAA anticipation
• 04:30-06:13 – The $6 cookie saga (media row misadventures)
• 06:36-08:13 – Recap of Kentucky’s unique five-on-five practice
• 09:16-10:22 – Locker room access and culture shift at NCAA tourney
• 14:45-16:43 – How Kentucky must assert its physical/game-style advantages against Santa Clara
• 19:25-23:27 – Recap of Thursday's NCAA upsets and “moments of the tournament”
• 27:42-30:10 – Addressing Coach Pope’s media comments
• 31:44-34:13 – Caller Sam: reminding fans not to panic, path to the second weekend still open
• 35:12-36:06 – Callers share bracket agony (even 8- and 5-year-olds outpicking adults)
• 40:50-41:29 – Teasing Matt & Shannon’s “relationship podcast” and Ryan’s playful pushback

Tone and Style

The KSR crew maintain their usual lighthearted, conversational style with plenty of inside jokes, good-natured ribbing, and deep Kentucky basketball knowledge. The show toggles between sharp NCAA analysis and tongue-in-cheek, relatable banter about road food, hotel stays, and fashion faux pas.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode captures the game-day nerves, analysis, and quirky camaraderie the KSR crew is known for, mixing serious insights into Kentucky’s tournament prospects with hilarious, down-to-earth moments and interactive fan culture. From $6 cookies and media quirks to why you shouldn’t overthink your NCAA bracket, this hour is a quintessential KSR mix of hoops chat and Kentucky heart.