2026-03-30- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1

Date: March 30, 2026
Host Crew: Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemond, Shannon the Dude, Jack Pilgrim (Matt Jones off this week)

---

Episode Overview

This lively Monday edition of Kentucky Sports Radio dives deep into NCAA tournament drama, especially Duke's stunning collapse, and unpacks the latest buzz around Kentucky Wildcats basketball—touching on roster shakeups, staff changes, portal watch, and fan sentiment. The hosts react with glee to the weekend’s upsets (particularly Duke and Tennessee losing) and address UK’s offseason maneuvers, including point guard turnover and staff departures. There's also time for listener calls, some fond storytelling, and a look at other UK sports.

---

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Elite Eight Reactions: Duke’s Collapse & Kentucky Fans’ Joy

[04:06–13:31]

• Duke’s Loss:

  • Recap of the Duke-Yukon game, where Duke gave up a 19-point lead and lost in dramatic fashion.
  • Intense satisfaction among the KSR hosts and UK fans.
  • “I'm a hater. I understand that it's probably not the best look to laugh at a team when your team's been out… but I don't care. I hate Duke. We all hate Duke. Loved every minute of that.” — Drew [04:06]

• John Shire’s Blunders:

  • Discussion on John Shire’s pivotal coaching mistake instructing Kaden Boozer to throw the ball—a call that contributed to Duke’s meltdown.
  • “Shire was telling him to throw it ahead. So that's on John [Shire].” — Ryan [06:26]

• Promos and Instant Classics:

  • Desire for Mullins’ game-winner to replace the infamous Christian Laettner shot in NCAA montages.
  • “That should replace the Leitner shot on all the promos … that one right there should definitely … replace that other one.” — Shannon [05:56]

• Final Four Outlook:

  • Relieved that archrivals are out, Kentucky fans are “frilling” at the lack of Duke and Tennessee.
  • “It's not a Kentucky win, of course, but it's not far beneath...watching Duke go down in that fashion.” — Drew [04:06]

• Heartbreaks and Connections:

  • Jack Pilgrim shares behind-the-scenes on UK recruiting misses: Braylon Mullins (who hit the game-winner for Indiana) almost became a Wildcat, but a sequence of events led him elsewhere (Jasper Johnson committed first).
  • “That one stings, man… I wonder how Mark Pope watched that final sequence there, knowing who hit the shot.” — Jack Pilgrim [08:00]

2. More NCAA Tourney Talk: Tennessee’s Loss, UConn’s Rise, and Fan Rivalries

[09:29–13:31]

• Tennessee’s Ongoing Final Four Futility:
  • Drew unveils the annual joke: Tennessee’s golf courses are digging up holes 15–18 so no one there ever plays a “Final Four.”
  • “That's breakthrough.” — Drew [09:58]
• UConn’s Championship Aspirations:
  • Discussion of UConn possibly winning three titles in four years.
  • Dan Hurley's wild sideline antics, including headbutting a ref and escaping a technical.
  • “I don't think you can headbutt the ref...and not get teed up.” — Ryan [12:09]
  • “He is a maniac.” — Shannon [12:46]

---

3. Kentucky Basketball Updates: Roster Turnover and Staff Changes

[17:52–24:03]

• Jalen Lowe Exits, Mason Williams Joins:

  • Lowe leaving via transfer considered best for both sides due to injury/inconsistency risks.
  • Mason Williams, though not a top recruit, is praised as a depth piece, not a centerpiece. “You get him for depth.” — Jack [20:07]
  • “No one's asking Mason Williams to come play 37 minutes a game…we want depth, we want to recruit and develop.” — Ryan [20:15]

• Point Guard Search, Portal Philosophy:

  • Dink Pate (G League Ignite) is a target; UK intends to spend NIL money on true game-changers, not 7th/8th/9th men.
  • “Let's prioritize money wise, the stars...” — Jack [21:24]

• Assistant Coaching Turnover:

  • Jason Hart and Alvin Brooks are out; Pope is reshaping his staff for a critical season.
  • "This is a make or break season for me...we gotta have somebody I feel totally I can push all my chips in on.” — Jack [22:25]
  • Worry about timing—need new hires before portal season ramps up in a week.

---

4. Listener Calls & Notable Fan Sentiments

[24:03–40:44]

• Fan Reliving Duke Heartbreak (Fuzzy):

  • Caller Fuzzy describes his emotional experience watching Duke’s loss, comparing it to suffering the Laettner shot live.
  • “When he hit that, I screamed almost as loud as I did at KS Bar whenever away hit that shot.” — Fuzzy [24:10]

• Kentucky Offseason Priorities:

  • Consensus that Pope must find star players, not a team full of solid “sixth men.”
  • “We need a couple of stars on our team to lead us…we really didn’t have any stars.” — Debbie [26:53]

• Jamal Mashburn Generational Gap:

  • Funny moment: younger people (even in their 20s) don’t recognize Wildcat legend Jamal Mashburn on TV.
  • “How does that make you feel?” — Drew [30:34]
  • “Makes me feel old!” — Ryan [30:51]

• Malachi Moreno’s Importance:

  • Fans ask about Malachi’s return; hosts agree keeping him is vital for on-court and PR reasons.
  • “If Malachi were to end up somewhere else, that's a big hit to next season. I think it'll be a big hit on the court. But also just Pope being able to retain a guy who grew up a county over from Lexington...” — Ryan [34:12]

• Frontcourt/Portal Strategies:

  • Pope wants value in the post—willing to move on from more expensive, less productive returnees to focus budget elsewhere and find “hungry” new talent.

• Heartfelt Segment:

  • Listener Casey calls in to request thoughts and prayers for fan favorite Andy, battling colon cancer.
  • “Andy was really—he doesn’t like the attention…he was getting so many [messages] his mom and his Siri couldn't even keep up.” — Casey [39:29]

---

5. Other UK Athletics & Miscellaneous

[41:34–47:24]

• UK Baseball & Softball Struggles:

  • Baseball loses series at LSU after squandering a big lead but remains Top 25.
  • Softball swept by Georgia.

• Women's Basketball:

  • Season ends against Texas in Sweet 16; positive momentum expected with Claire Strack’s return next year.

• Listener Commentary on UK Athletics Spending:

  • Joe repeatedly calls for AD Mitch Barnhart to "release some of that money" to better support UK teams, especially for recruiting and retaining talent.

• Refereeing Gripes:

  • Complaints about officiating in Duke vs St. John’s, especially the absence of charge calls on Cameron Boozer.
  • “He's talented, but he's also getting away with a lot because sometimes he just completely lowers his shoulder…” — Ryan [47:24]

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Drew on Duke's downfall:
  "I hate Duke. We all hate Duke. Loved every minute of that. It's not a Kentucky win, of course, but it's not far beneath..." [04:06]

• Ryan on John Shire's coaching mistake:
  "John Shire was telling him to throw the ball forward when he should have just sat on it and taken a foul...that's on John." [06:26]

• Shannon on NCAA tourney promos:
  "That should replace the Leitner shot on all the promos...for the last, what, 35 years or however long it's been." [05:56]

• Jack Pilgrim on off-season expectations:
  "This is a make or break season for me and if I'm not even...90% confident...it's not good enough." [22:25]

• Ryan (to caller about Malachi Moreno):
  "Pope needs a PR win on that one. PR wins in general right now." [34:12]

• Casey on fan Andy’s health battle:
  "Andy’s my best friend I met through you guys and I can’t live without that voice...I just want everybody to keep him in your thoughts and prayers." [38:55]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Duke's Loss & Reactions: [04:06–08:55]
• Braylon Mullins UK Recruiting Backstory: [08:00–09:04]
• Tennessee/Final Four joke: [09:58–10:24]
• Dan Hurley’s Headbutt & UConn Chat: [12:09–13:14]
• UK Offseason (Jalen Lowe/Mason Williams/Staff Changes): [17:52–24:03]
• Fan calls on NCAA heartbreak, Mashburn generational gap: [24:03–33:36]
• Malachi Moreno portal/retention debate: [33:00–35:32]
• UK Baseball/Softball Recap: [41:34–43:03]
• Women's Basketball, NIL talk, listener calls: [44:34–47:24]

---

Conclusion

Hour 1 of KSR is a cathartic and celebratory show for Kentucky fans, relishing foe misery and using NCAA chaos as a lens to evaluate their own program’s next steps. The hosts emphasize a need for star power and strategic portal activity under Mark Pope, address staff shakeups, and commiserate—with hope—about other UK sports. The show balances passionate rivalry talk, down-to-earth recruiting realities, and a healthy dose of Kentucky pride and humor.

Transcript

[Ryan]

Blueair Blue Signature purifiers remove airborne pollutants

[Drew]

so you can recover and sleep better. Peak performance isn't just built in the gym, it's built at home. Shop blueair.com, official air care partner of

[Shannon]

the New York Knicks on the CNO

[Cino]

Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville and more.

[Drew]

I'm an alcoholic and without this trope, I'm going to die.

[Cino]

Listen to Cino's show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in market. Coming up this seasonal Math and Magic CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario.

[Drew]

People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower where it's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining.

[Bob Pittman]

Take to interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick and our own Chief Business Officer Lisa Coffey. Listen to Math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Drew]

I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is my friend. He's much more famous than I am.

[Ryan]

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm

[Jack Pilgrim]

Green, co host of the podcast the

[Ryan]

Away End with my old friend Daniel.

[Drew]

On our podcast the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international

[Ryan]

football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

[Drew]

Together we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[Ryan]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel

[Drew]

Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio

[Jack Pilgrim]

app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get

[Ryan]

your podcasts from YouTube and social media. Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Josh Wolfe March 19th through the then from

[Drew]

late night TV and the Bob and

[Ryan]

Tom show, catch Nick Griffin March 26th through the 28th and don't miss New York comedy superstar and podcaster Mark Normand April 2nd through the 4th. For tickets to all Comedy Off Broadway shows, call 8579-271-JOKE or visit comedyoffbroadway.com Comedy Off Broadway.

[Shannon]

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

[Drew]

All right, welcome in this Monday morning edition of Kentucky Sports Radio, Matt Jones off this week. We'll get to that in a minute. He got to see a couple great games over the weekend. So, Ryan Lemon, Drew Franklin, and Baby Face Jack Pilgrim in the house today for this Monday edition of Connecting sports radio. Hello, Mr. Pilgrim, good morning. Oh, wait, he's not. Do you. Do you hear yourself?

[Ryan]

I do not hear Jack.

[Drew]

I don't hear Jack either.

[Ryan]

Mario, go get Billy.

[Drew]

Go get Billy.

[Ryan]

I'm here, Ryan.

[Drew]

Okay, I hear you.

[Ryan]

While we wait for Jack to get connected.

[Shannon]

Hold on. Hold on now, Ryan, you got the master board, right?

[Drew]

Yes.

[Shannon]

Okay, there's four mics. Turn them all on. One of them's gonna work.

[Drew]

Try that, Jack.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Hello.

[Drew]

There we go.

[Ryan]

At least you didn't have to start the show by phone.

[Drew]

It's True.

[Shannon]

Problem Solving 101. Turn all the mics on. One of them's gotta work.

[Drew]

Well, as always, our illustrious and spectacular and technical Free Canadian Sports Radio, sponsored by the T.J. smith Law, called T.J. what happened, Shannon?

[Shannon]

He'll make him pay.

[Drew]

He'll make them pay. Our Clark's Puppy shop phone lines. 859-280-2287. That's 859-280-CATS. The Clark, the aviation Glass text machine is home at my house. So you can use my cell phone if you want to send us a text message. And we'll get to those as well. But, guys, I was thinking about driving in. You could probably count on one hand, probably one finger, the times we started with Duke basketball to start this show. But after the Elite Eight, we kind of had some duds, you know? Arizona pounded Purdue. Michigan ran Tennessee off the floor despite the buzzer. The Illinois Iowa game was kind of boring last night. Yukon Duke game did not disappoint. What'd you think about how it ended and how that played out?

[Ryan]

Well, Ryan, I don't shy away from the fact that I'm a hater. I understand that it's probably not the best look to laugh at a team when your team's been out of it for an entire week and they got to play two extra games, but I don't care. I hate Duke. We all hate Duke. Loved every minute of that. Obviously, it wasn't looking like they were going to lose for 99.999% of the game, but the way that ended it Was so sweet. It's not a Kentucky win, of course, but it's not far beneath the Kentucky win, watching Duke go down in that fashion. And now I feel like we kind of have a harmless final four. I'm frilling. Oi. But if one of the other teams win, that's fine. As long as Duke's out of it. Or Yukon. Excuse me. Can't let Yukon win those three. But as long as Duke's out of it. We have a little sigh of relief this morning from yesterday.

[Drew]

Duke was up 19 points, Jack. 19 points in the Elite Eight and blow it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

It sounds like this is just what John Shire does. He just blows games, and it just warms my soul. There's the camera angle that just goes on John Shire at the very end as he watches the whole thing unfold. In looking at the chaos and seeing the. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Shot goes up. You see his eyes go up and follow the ball and he just like, how did that just happen? A lot of people are saying it's. It's a more painful loss than Christian Laettner. It's topped that. That entire sequence. So it feels good to get that history off our backs and put on John Shire.

[Ryan]

There's so many great angles, Ryan.

[Drew]

There is a lot of great angles.

[Ryan]

You can just spend an entire day just watching different camera angles, crowd shots, Shire's face. I love the photo of Evans just completely not even looking at Mullins as he's shooting. He's looking at the shot clock. No. Doesn't even bother to contest. There's. You could. It's like, where's Wald?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Just look around.

[Ryan]

There's so many things to pick out from. From the shot in the moment it happened.

[Drew]

Well, Shannon, Kentucky fans now want to see that shot replayed over and over again instead of the Christian Leitner shot.

[Shannon]

That should replace the Leitner shot on all the promos that run, you know, that we've been looking at for the last, what, 35 years or however long it's been. But yeah, that one right there should definitely, I think, replace that other one. If you're Duke right there, you feel like you're doing the right thing. You're up three. You foul. Put the guy at the line, he makes one of two. You're up by two points. They didn't even have to advance the ball across half court. Right. Wasn't there 10 seconds or less?

[Drew]

I mean, could have just held the ball, I think. I think Kaden Boozer could have just couldn't he had enough time just, oh

[Ryan]

yeah, he should have. But I'm going to defend Kaden Boozer. The Shire video shows Shire yelling at him to throw it ahead. So I know Kaden Boozers getting a lot of the negativity and yeah, I don't feel too bad for Duke, but John Shire was telling him to throw the ball forward when he should have just sat on it and taken a foul. Because they didn't, wouldn't. They weren't even a threat of a, of a 10 second violation. He could have just held on right there and not moved. But Shire was telling him to do it. So that's on John.

[Drew]

Like I said, it kind of saved us because the other three Elite 8 games were kind of snoozers. You mentioned Illinois, Iowa. If it wasn't for the horn by malfunction, that game was kind of a snoozer. But Illinois, with Orlando Antigua and Big Z going to the Final Four, I

[Jack Pilgrim]

will, I will root for both of those human beings and whatever and like, I don't know what future Big Z has in basketball, but I will be rooting for that kid forever. Man. He just has a, you know, soft spot in my heart. And Orlando Antigua, I mean, come on, man, like he's, he's as good as it gets. So yes, we are in an Illinois household that we're rooting for the Fighting Illinois. But yes, I'm just glad that Duke is out of it. We didn't. We missed the Isaiah Evans, his Instagram handle. Do you see what that was? No, this Get a Hand up is his official Instagram handle and he's notorious now for not getting his hand up. And we just kind of glossed over the Braylon Mullins aspect of it that

[Drew]

I'm going to ask you about that.

[Ryan]

There's so many layers to that.

[Jack Pilgrim]

That stinks.

[Ryan]

We could do a whole show just on them collapsing and all the different aspects of it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

But that sequence with Isaiah Evans and his Instagram handle and who made the shot.

[Drew]

Can you go into the Braylon Mullins thing you got into here before the show?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, that one. That one stings, man. So it came down to Braylon Mullins or Jasper Johnson for Kentucky for Mark Pope. Braylon wanted to come here, Jasper wanted to come here. And I think it was kind of like Jasper was ready to commit first. And he's the in state kid. He's the five star from Lexington. Got the dad angle, got the family angle. Like, yeah, we got to obviously have to take the positive pr, you know, plus of Having. Keeping Jasper home. But as soon as Jasper committed to the. I think the hope was you get Jasper committed and then see if you can get Braylon in as well. As soon as Jasper committed. Braylon, who was. Has been a teammate of Malachi Moreno since the eighth grade. They played together in Indiana Elite. Best friends, grew up together. As soon as Jasper commits to Kentucky, Braylon cuts Kentucky from his list and says, yeah, I'm going elsewhere. So that was. I wonder how Mark Pope watched that final sequence there, knowing who hit the shot and that it's going to a

[Drew]

Final Four because Braylon Mullins, Indiana, Mr. Basketball from Greenfield, which is like a suburb of Indianapolis, up there, not that far drive from Lexington. That kind of hurt when Jack told me that story this morning.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah, it stings. And Mullins, I mean, he's had a great year even before that shot. Projected lottery pick, you know, and in the moment, you got to take Jasper. I don't think a lot of us were screaming, no, no, no, don't get Jasper. Get Braylon. I mean that we're. We're kind of. We would be rewriting history right there if we thought we'd prefer Braylon, even if he might have looked better because we loved getting the Jasper commitment. But seeing Mullins hit that shot and where he is on draft boards does sting in hindsight.

[Drew]

So on a game yesterday, though, you got to see Tennessee lose and Duke lose. If you're a Kentucky fan, that's a pretty good day for you, watching basketball. Your cats aren't playing. You see two rivals go down back to back.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And I hate that we're at kind of moral victory. You at this point where we're just like, that's. This is how we win in March nowadays. But it was a very enjoyable weekend in an NCAA tournament for a Kentucky fan.

[Drew]

Shannon, I do have breaking news, by the way. I forgot to tell you that.

[Shannon]

Oh, do I need to hit the button?

[Drew]

Yeah, for sure.

[Shannon]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Runny Nunna,

[Drew]

the Tennessee Parks and Recreation Department told all the golf courses in the state of Tennessee to dig up holes 15, 16, 17 and 18 to ensure that nobody in the state of Tennessee will ever play in the Final Four. That was. That's breakthrough.

[Shannon]

So glad Michigan won so you could keep that joke around for at least another year.

[Drew]

No, that's no joke. That happened. They're digging up all the 15 holes, 16, 17 and 18 at every golf course in Tennessee so nobody ever plays the Final Four.

[Ryan]

Let me read a text message I got yesterday at 2:30. It says, I Cannot cheer for Tennessee. I hate Tennessee. But I would rather them win than hear Ryan's Final Four joke tomorrow. So, Sean, sorry I can't control them. We all knew you had that dialed up today.

[Drew]

I'm ready to go. But yeah, to see Tennessee lose. Tennessee got waxed. Arizona looked really, really good. Then that game last night, I mean, like I said, we don't start with Duke and Connecticut. Basketball, hardly ever. But now Connecticut, they got a chance to win three titles in the last, what, four years?

[Ryan]

Seven since 1999, which is just bananas. On that Tennessee game, though, it was so weird. It was tied. Tennessee might have even been up one. And I like stepped outside for maybe two minutes and came back in and it was like a 14 point game. I still don't even know what the hell happened. But I'm glad, you know, they've knocked on the door three straight years now. Three straight Elite Eights. I mean, I'd love to have that on Kentucky's resume, but it's good that we still have the, the, that over Tennessee. That's really our only talking point against Tennessee is they don't have a Final Four. I mean, what, what can we say in football? What can we say in baseball? We've won regular season games, sure, but we cannot let that Final Four things slip. It's. It's our biggest talking point.

[Drew]

That's true. Back to Connecticut, Duke game at one point, Wasn't Connecticut like one of 18 from Three Point Land?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Then three of their next four to put themselves three in the next four

[Ryan]

made their band was over five or six when he drilled the one before Mullins.

[Drew]

How about Caravan? He had the ball. Mullens threw it to Caravan. He's, you got your gun right there with the ball in his hands. He had the mature maturation enough to say, I don't have the shot. Kick it over to Mullins.

[Ryan]

Someone was actually guarding him. He, you know, Evans is looking up the shot clock and looking at his Instagram handle. Caravan had to give it up. They locked him down.

[Jack Pilgrim]

The guts man. 40 footer for the win. And that kid, he's got some, he's got some guts. He's got some, some stones to him.

[Ryan]

Dan Hurley also has guts. Did you see him headbutt the ref with Tom still on the clock? Yeah, I'm, you know, usually I'm like, all right, in a moment like that. No technicals. Let them. If the bench, they come off a little bit. If they say something, whatever. I don't think you can headbutt the ref. With time still on the clock and not get teed up. I was surprised. That dude, we already know he's crazy. But to bang heads with the referee with time on the clock is nuts.

[Jack Pilgrim]

In the Duke radio call, you hear them going, well, that should have been a technical, actually. So I. Man, I just love how just painful all of this is. Is for them. But. Yeah.

[Drew]

Can we talk about how much of a maniac Dan Hurley is, Shannon? I mean, the guy is a maniac.

[Shannon]

Yeah. I mean, does any other coach in college basketball all get away with headbutting the ref feel like that's immediate? Probably not, but I think he probably has one of those, like, types of relationships with some of these referees where he can get away with that. He is a maniac. Did you see his halftime interview? He's, like, looking around like he's lost because of the call right before halftime. And who. Whoever does the halftime interviews. Like, can we. Can we focus here for a minute? Can we just. I don't know what you're reacting to, but can we just leave that behind? Yeah, he is a maniac, but you

[Drew]

can't argue with his.

[Shannon]

One of those guys that, like, you kind of want to hate him, but I kind of like a little bit. A little bit of it, you know,

[Drew]

so can't argue with his success.

[Ryan]

Yeah, no. And I still hate him, but I'm glad he took down Duke. I mean, it's. For me, it's the lesser of two evils there. We can't let Yukon finish the job, but just getting Duke out of the conversation was a big relief.

[Drew]

So we'll take our break, come back, Go back to the phone lines. 859-280-2287. We had a. Lost a point guard. Added a point guard here in Kentucky. We'll get kind of on the Kentucky roster shake up, see what Jack's hearing as well. If you got a question for Jack or Drew or Shannon as Well, call us. 859-280-2287. We'll be right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Podcast Host]

Usually on this podcast, we'll kill you. We talk diseases, infections, and biological threats that can make us really sick. But right now, we're doing something a little different. We're stepping back and looking at what the human body needs to keep going. When you consider what we know about sleep in humans, there's one rule that comes out. We are predictably unpredictable sleepers. We're talking about why sleep works the way it does, why our bodies don't follow neat rules, and why Modern life makes rest so hard to come by. The second half of our series takes a us to the digestive system with a multi part series on what happens after we eat. Okay, I just have to say that all of my favorite words apparently are digestive words. Sphincter, peristalsis, duodenum. It's fascinating, it's funny, and it matters so much more than you think. Episodes of our new series run from January 20 through February 17, with new episodes every Tuesday on the Exactly Right Network. Listen to this podcast will kill you as part the of the Exactly Right Network. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan]

I went and sat on the little

[Drew]

ottoman in front of him.

[Caller]

I said, hi, dad.

[Drew]

And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk.

[Ryan]

This is badass, convict. Just finished five years.

[Drew]

I'm gonna have cookies and milk at mom.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Cino]

On the CNO show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo to talk about addiction transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Adish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Drew]

I'm an alcoholic and without this probe, I'm gonna die.

[Cino]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the Cino show and listen.

[Drew]

Now.

[Cino]

When you listen to podcasts about AI and tech and the future of humanity, the hosts always act like they know what they're talking about and they are experts at everything. Here at the Nick Dicken Pole show, we're not afraid to make mistakes. What Coogler did that I think was so unique. He's the writer, director.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Who do you think he is?

[Caller]

I don't know.

[Drew]

You meet the, like the president.

[Ryan]

You think Canada has a president? You think China has a president?

[Drew]

Let's walk. I love that thing.

[Ryan]

I use it all the time.

[Jack Pilgrim]

What color?

[Ryan]

I wrap it in a blanket and sing to it at night.

[Drew]

It's like the old Polish saying, not my monkeys, not my circus. Yep, it was a good one. I like that snack.

[Ryan]

It's an actual Polish saying.

[Drew]

It is an actual Polish.

[Cino]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Better version of Play stupid Games, win stupid prizes.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yes.

[Ryan]

Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift. Who said that for the first time? I actually. I thought it was. I got that wrong.

[Drew]

Listen to the Nick, Dick and Paul

[Cino]

show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. I'm talking to leaders from the entertainment industry to finance and everywhere in between this season of Math and Magic, I'm talking to CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario, financier and public health advocate Mike Milken. Take Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.

[Jack Pilgrim]

If you're unable to take meaningful creative risk and therefore run the risk of making horrible creative mistakes, then you can't play in this business.

[Bob Pittman]

Sesame Street CEO Sherry Weston and our own chief Business Officer, Lisa Coffey.

[Podcast Host]

Making consumers see the value of the human voice and to have that guaranteed human promise behind it really makes it rise to the top.

[Bob Pittman]

Listen to Math and Magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you go, get your podcast.

[Drew]

All right. Welcome back Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan Drew Shannon and joined this morning by Jack Pilgrim. We talked about how the final four is now set, but let's kind of shift to Kentucky's kind of some lots of news concerning the Kentucky roster and coaching staff since we last had our last show last Friday for we lost a point guard, gained a point guard. What's your take? I guess we'll start with Jalen Lowe decided to end the transfer portal.

[Ryan]

Drew I was good with it. I mean I was never as high on low from the beginning as everyone. I mean, I thought it'd be good. But I said even before he hurt himself like portal season, I want the best, the best. Take emotions out of it. I mean, try to go get the best available player. And then when we saw his shoulder situation, I just thought you can't run it back with him as point guard. One with the unknowns of what he could be even when healthy. So, you know, I wish him well. I'm glad he tried to play. I know that was big. I didn't think he didn't give it a go when he injured it, so at least tried to make a comeback. But with an injury like that, we just saw how when he tried, how inconsistent, one minute he's there, then, you know, pops back out. And I just with how big next season is for Pope, I didn't think you could run it back with a guy coming off his shoulder like that. And as I said, go out and get the best you can at every position, especially point guard. So I'm okay with it. I wish him well, but it. I was somewhat glad to see it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, I think that's kind of the deal that Pope is in right now. It is the most important position on the floor. He can't mess that up. And knowing the cost of Jalen Lowe, what it would take to bring him back for a second year, knowing the injury risk, like, yes, he got the surgery, yes, odds are better that he's going to go through unscathed next season, but it's not a guarantee. And I just. I don't think that, you know, I think this Keegan Brown, the new, you know, support staff, I think they are prioritizing value more than anything, and I just think they didn't see a whole lot of value in bringing Jaylen Low back. And I think it was a pretty short and sweet conversation with Jalen to say, I think we're going to go in a different direction. Appreciate your contributions, but I think we. We need a new point guard. So I'm glad that they pivoted in that way. And also the addition of Mason Williams and knowing how serious the depth issues were this past season, going and adding a guy who is just for depth, like, hey, you are a break in case of emergency, guy. The jeans are good. With Mo Williams being your old man, I like adding that depth piece on top of the Jalen Loders.

[Drew]

I did see some guys drew online talk about, why are we getting Mason Williams? He's not even a top 100 player. Jack said, that's why. You get him, you get him for depth.

[Ryan]

Yeah, some of the reaction to that was pretty embarrassing on Kentucky fans. Honestly, no one's asking Mason Williams to come play 37 minutes a game and lead Kentucky next year. You know, we want depth. We want to recruit and develop. You had to go out and get a freshman guard. Yeah, I didn't have any freshman in the class. I couldn't believe the negativity out there. And a lot of it's just online, which is small percentage, but I think it's a great piece. Clearly, he's got the jeans and his dad. He has great shooting numbers playing against big games. He took down some of the best teams in high school last year. So, I mean, if Pope were recruiting to be point guard one, yeah, I would have concerns, but that's not at all the case. And watching the NCAA tournament, there's guys ranked outside the top 100 making plays everywhere. Iowa was in the elite eight, and their dudes were like three stars and from junior college. So I think it's a good get and it's a what Pope needed to get things rolling, at least get a player on the team and then a young one that in theory, over the course of time could turn into something that could, you could really rely on.

[Drew]

So all this talk about point guard Jack, apparently Mark Pope was watching Dink paint again, a guy's who name we heard back in what, January, February. They were looking at Dink Paint, Pate, Pate P A T. And now they're back, look, talking to him again, which

[Jack Pilgrim]

is, I think an interesting development knowing that Jason Hart was his lead recruiter, like he was the guy that recruited him to play for the G League Ignite. So Jason Hart leaves for smu and Pope's first public recruiting move is like, hey, we're going to, we're not going anywhere just because Jason Hart left. Like, we're still going after Dink. And my understanding of just kind of what the vision is for Kentucky with this is they don't want to overspend for these seventh, eighth, ninth men. You know, let's prioritize money wise, the stars, like, let's go get some guys and if we're going to spend our money, let's make sure it's guys that are going to be game changing talents. And Dink Pate in Kentucky's evaluation is a, you know, is a star talent. They want to pair him with, you know, Malachi Moreno, pair him with a star point guard and you know, see what happens with Tyron Stokes. But that's the vision there. Let's, let's, if we're going to spend big money, let's make sure we're using it on real talent.

[Drew]

You mentioned Hart, Jason Hart, Alvin Brooks also announces he won't be back. So two new staff positions, how will that help hurt? What do you think it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I think we know how important this season is for Mark Pope and I think you got to have guys that you trust. You got to have guys that you believe in to go get dudes to go, you know, push things across the finish line that you trust with the scouts and all the, you know, defensive coverages and game plans and everything. You know, I don't think it's a great thing to have this much staff turnover, but I think Mark Pope knows the writings on the wall that, hey, this is a make or break season for me and if I'm not even one, if I'm 90% confident, 80% confident in Alvin Brooks and Jason Hart, like, it's not good enough. We got to have somebody that I feel totally I can push all my chips in on to, to lead the charge on the final four run.

[Ryan]

I'm a little conflicted because I'm glad Pope's doing what he needs to do internally to, you know, turn things around. But at the same time, being such a big off season and having, you know, two empty assistant coach chairs right now concerns me. Hopefully he already has in his mind who's replacing him. And those people have already had Kentucky in mind and they know what to do when they get here. But it is a little concerning with the pivotal weeks that are ahead, that Pope also has to go out and hire coaches, too. That's if he truly thought it was necessary. That's what he had to do. And, you know, that's what's going to have to happen.

[Drew]

Do you guys think that'll happen this week? Here's some coaching names. Surface. Here's some player name Surface. Will we hear a lot of news this week?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yes, I think we could be. We're on watch right now that we could be in the next 24, 48 hours with some big time names popping up.

[Ryan]

You have to. The portal opens in a week. You can't go in it with without, you know, half of your staff. So he's got to fill that quickly. And as I said, get right to work. That's my only concern is the timing of this. But it seems it was necessary. Wouldn't have done it.

[Drew]

859-280-2287. Let's go to our phone lines. Who's our leadoff here today?

[Ryan]

Shannon.

[Shannon]

Let's go to Fuzzy.

[Drew]

Fuzzy, Go ahead, Fuzzy.

[I]

Hey, Ryan, guys, good to talk to you all today. So that game yesterday, like that shot, I will never forget that because I watched the Lightner shot live. I've had to live with it all these years. Backtrack a little bit. So I work 12 hour shifts on the weekend. So Friday morning I wake up early to watch to see did Tennessee lose? Did Duke lose? I found out, no, they won like, crap. What a way to start today. Speaking of crap, my roommate's dog had crapped in the floor. So I'm like, what a great start to the weekend. And then yesterday I come home from work, I've got a headache. I'm talking to my mom like, you know what? I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm just gonna forget about all this. She was like, hey, they're kind of coming back. Duke Might lose this game. So I'm sitting out on the front porch, living out in the country, and when he hit that, I screamed almost as loud as I did at KS Bar whenever away hit that shot, which is something else I've been waiting all season for. So, yeah, great afternoon. Great March Madness, and yeah, go Cats.

[Drew]

Appreciate it, Fuzzy. Yeah, I think a lot of Kentucky fans were glad to see that Duke go down in the elite eight the way it happened to Kentucky in 92. And they just little. But, you know, Coach Patino kind of called that he wanted St. John's to beat Duke on a buzzer beater. He'd had a little foreshadowing, I think, a little bit.

[Ryan]

Well, he's at home, too, with the rest of us, but I had a fun time. It's just a good Internet day when something like that happens. So many memes. You know, the white Lotus thing came out where he's got the gun and the Duke T shirt that was everywhere. As I said, start the show. I mean, there's just so many different angle. Bill Raftery looked like he's about to fall onto the table. He's in disbelief. There's just so many different things you could. You could watch. So the game ends, and I actually had stuff to do, and I look up, and it's been an hour, and I haven't looked up from Twitter because there's just. There was so much to laugh at, enjoy.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I couldn't believe Grant Hill kept it together the way that he did. Watching like the. The. With Bill Raftery and Ian Eagle, him sitting in the middle, watching his alma mater go through that same heartbreak that, I mean, he. To his credit, he held it together better than I probably would have if I was sitting there watching Kentucky losing in that type of fashion. But, you know, sorry, Grant, that video,

[Drew]

those two guys kind of encapsulated how we all felt. Kind of just shock and surprise. But you're right. Grant Hill kind of didn't say anything, and he finally said they could have just held the ball. Why didn't he just hold the ball?

[Ryan]

The whole team did a great job there. Ian Eagle with the call. But then they kind of let it sit for a second, and then rapidity chimed in. They all did a great job on that broadcast. You're right. With Hill being an alum and having been on the late in your shot, he kept it professional. I would not have done that at all. I would have had on a Kentucky

[Jack Pilgrim]

shirt, throwing my headset to the ground.

[Ryan]

Eight, five, nine out there, headbutting people.

[Drew]

Who we got next?

[Caller]

Shannon?

[Shannon]

Debbie.

[Drew]

Debbie. Go ahead, Debbie.

[J]

Good morning, guys. It's always a good day when Duke and Tennessee both lose. That just makes for a great day. I'm just really glad everything happened so quickly at the end of the Duke game because if it hadn't, the refs have would have gotten involved and it may have went a different way as it had the whole game. They've getting all the calls, but I was glad to see that they finally. I think they caught the refs watching a little bit, expecting it to go a different way and got a surprise. So I was happy about that also. I hope that Pope doesn't go out and get a bunch of sixth man again. We need a couple of stars on our team to lead us. I mean, we had a solid team last year, but we really didn't have any stars. And that's what we have to have. You have to have.

[Drew]

Totally agree. Totally agree. They appreciate the phone call. You lose always. And Aberdeen, those are your two leading scores. You got to go get some dudes. You got to replace those two guys. Plus some for next season.

[Jack Pilgrim]

We see that Tyron Stokes delayed his decision that there was a lot of speculation that he was going to announce it Tuesday.

[Drew]

Tomorrow. It's a McDonald's game.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Is going to be McDonald's game Tuesday and it's probably being delayed a week. I think the longer, the longer it's drawn out, the better for. For Kentucky. I think Pope needs to throw the kitchen sink. Everything but the kitchen sink. At Tyron. If we're talking about a true superstar talent, I think Tyron is the absolute best that will be be available for. For him portal or high school or

[Drew]

is he waiting to see if Bill Sells retires or not?

[Ryan]

I think that's a big part of it, Bill. If you just want to go put your feet up, go sit at your lake house, enjoy retirement, we'd appreciate it here in Lexington.

[Drew]

Thank you, Bill. Take your hairpiece and go home. All right, we'll take our break. Come back. Go back to phone lines. 859-280-2287. I'm gonna make these guys feel really old when we come back. You too, Shannon. We come back, Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Podcast Host]

TJ Smith, personal injury attorney.

[Drew]

Call tj.

[Ryan]

He'll make him pay.

[Shannon]

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

[Drew]

All right, welcome back, Keggy Sports Radio. This Monday edition. Ryan, Drew Shannon and Jack Pilgrim in the house today. Matt's off. He actually went to the Duke, Connecticut game last night, so he got to see some great basketball there this weekend. The Duke St. John's game was good on Friday night.

[Ryan]

Said it's the best sporting event he's seen live yesterday.

[Drew]

And it seemed like. It seemed like the atmosphere was awesome.

[Ryan]

So I had lunch with or dinner with Jeff Goodman.

[Drew]

I try. We did. I saw that video he treated of him and Jeff. Boy, how things have turned.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Best boys.

[Drew]

Wow. Who's this segment sponsored by Shannon, our

[Shannon]

friends at DraftKings Sportsbook. If you're a new customer, bet $5. Get $200 in bonus bets when you sign up with promo code KSR. Of course, on DraftKings you can do live bets, same game parlays, player props, fast and easy payouts, and they have early exit protection. If you have a player prop and that player goes down with an injury in the first half, DraftKings will kick your money back to you just like that. It's all there for you on DraftKings. Again, that's promo code KSR. Bet 5. Get $200 in bonus bets. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER18/ Kentucky only eligibility and restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms, responsible gaming resources, see DKNG CO Audio limited time offer.

[Drew]

I'm gonna make you guys feel old Friday night.

[Shannon]

I have every morning.

[Ryan]

Makes me feel my lower back right now. Yeah, the.

[Drew]

I think it was the duke. The Duke St. John's game was on. We're at El Mariachi.

[Ryan]

Oh, shout out.

[Drew]

Shout out. And the game is on. And they go to the halftime. And there's Adam Lefkoe, Jalen Rose, Bruce Pearl and Jamal Mashburn.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yep.

[Drew]

So I asked Josiah, who is 19 years old, you know who Jamal Mashburn is? No idea.

[Caller]

Wow.

[Drew]

No idea. So then Sunday, yesterday we were. I was at yoga girl's house, her 28 year old son is sitting there. When Jamal Mashburn popped up, I said, you know who that is? You know who Jamal Mashburn is? No idea. 28 years old. How does that make you feel?

[Ryan]

Makes me feel old. You need to show him the picture of him smashing the basketball. I will say he went pretty, pretty ghost there. For a long time we didn't hear much from Jamal.

[Drew]

He did.

[Ryan]

He's doing a great job on the broadcast now. But I don't know if you saw. I think it was Friday. He gave a pep talk for Arizona. He called him his other Wildcats. It was just hard to watch. Like Jalen Rose gave a Michigan pep Talk. They all look at the cameras, kind of a planned bit, it seems. Jalen does a pep talk from Michigan. Then Bruce Pearl does a general sec. Tennessee and Alabama are still alive, but he said, I'm not saying Roll Tide. And they go to Mashburn. He gave a pep talk to Arizona. I'm thinking this is where we're supposed to be in the conversation.

[Drew]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ryan]

So that was hard to watch, but he does a good job otherwise. It's a little sad. Kids today don't know who he is, but I've enjoyed hearing from Jamal for the most part.

[Drew]

Kind of hurt me a little bit, Jack.

[Jack Pilgrim]

I am 28 years old, and I know who Jamal Mashburn is. So I feel like little bit of grace with, with, with that part. But, but, yeah, Jamal has been awesome. I did not like to start the NCAA tournament, how every time he was on tv, it felt like somebody was tossing him a layup to dunk on Kentucky in the current state of the program. And I didn't love that part. But, you know, maybe bullying works. I think maybe just the, the, the public spotlight on somebody as big as Jamal Mashburn saying, hey, we gotta, we gotta fix this. We gotta be right back in the conversation with all these other blue bloods. I, I, maybe it's a good thing.

[Ryan]

I still can't believe my guy left goes up there. I mean, he's had a great career already, but that dude was doing local news in Louisville.

[Drew]

Yes, he was.

[Ryan]

We were going to Drake's every weekend. And now I'm like, you're sitting next to Jalen Rose, Jamal Mashburn, and Bruce Pearl doing the official March Madness coverage. Very happy for him, but it's very surreal.

[Drew]

And he's good at it. That's very good at it.

[Ryan]

Very proud of Lefkoe.

[Drew]

Well, yoga girl had classes with Jamal Mashburn back in the day, and she says, I can't believe he's up there talking, because the man never said a word in all two years she had classes with him. Not a word. He's like, you know, that's what Richie was saying.

[Shannon]

He was saying, like, he was one of the soft spoken, like, quietest guys in the locker room. And to see him up there on the, you know, doing the work at the desk is sort of surprising.

[Drew]

It's crazy.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Drew]

All right, we got a full bank of calls. 859-280-2287. Who we got? Shannon. Ben. Go ahead, Ben.

[Caller]

Hey, guys, questions for Jack. How comfortable do you feel with the Malachi Moreno situation at its current point in time. I know they both met with him last week. They didn't talk strictly basketball. And I just wanted to know if you had anything to that.

[Drew]

Good question. Appreciate it. Ben, what are you hearing?

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, I have heard that they are prioritizing Malachi as one of the, you know, the big fish of the class. I think they saw, you know, he came in expected to be the third string center and outperformed his expectations and frankly, outperformed his pay. Like that's something I've heard along the way, that on Malachi's side, it's not about turning this into a bidding war or making this something that it doesn't have to be, but it's just like, hey, you know, I came in under, outperformed that. Now let's just try to make things right and square things away, and we'll see where it goes. So I do know that Mark Pope really, really wants him back, that he views him as the future at the center position. And, you know, we know how important that is with the zoom action and how he runs his system and how much the ball is in. In the center positions. Hand, like Malachi is a massive piece of that. And I think as long as, you know, there's some give with this and they meet in the middle a little bit with the negotiations, I think things are trending in the right direction for Malachi to return.

[Ryan]

Yeah, whatever you think of Malachi, and I'm very high on him, Love Malachi. I hope he's back. Pope needs a PR win on that one. PR wins in general right now. And if Malachi were to end up somewhere else, that's. That's a big hit to next season. I think it'll be a big hit on the court. But also just Pope being able to retain a guy who grew up a county over from. From Lexington here and, you know, lifelong Kentucky fan, you have him have a good year. To lose that, that would just be a bad look for the team and Pope going into next season.

[Drew]

I think you hit it, Jack. I think Malachi's people, they just want to be respected. Don't disrespect us and give us what he's worth. You know, what he's valued at, and I think they want to be here. He made such a big jump from his senior year at Great Crossing to this year. I expect he'd make another big jump next year.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Well, in what he struggles with right now is offensive strength and conditioning. It's just like, strengthen the hands, let's get the forearms where they need to be. Let's, you know, not bobble balls and. And, you know, continue to build upon what you already did unbelievably well with the feel and, you know, body positioning and rebounding prowess. Like, he's a really, really talented guy who is a step away from being an all American talent. And I think that's what, you know, how Mark Pope views him. And I think I. They may not be where they want to be right now, but when push comes to shove, when they get to the finish line, I'd be stunned if Mark Pope didn't do what he needed to do to close on it.

[Drew]

859-280-2287. Who's next?

[Shannon]

Shannon? Jeff.

[Drew]

Jeff. Go ahead, Jeff.

[Caller]

Hey, guys, a quick thought and then question for you. The quick thought being, you know, I can't, I can't get off the fact that Pope hasn't had a healthy point guard in, in March. And so everyone bemoaning Pope, like, dude hasn't gone into March with a healthy point guard. The question is, all right, if you've got three stars, you're going to spend your biggest money on three guys. Is Malachi part of that? And who can you come get to come back to play an understudy role in the front court with Garrison? With. Is it Malachi? Do you recruit over him? Is that not a question? And the four position. So what do you do with the front court and your big money stars?

[Drew]

Good questions. I like those. Because, you know, Brandon Garrison's a guy we've talked a lot about on this show. Is that somebody Pope wants back? Will he want to come back? What do you think? What are you hearing about the front court that can add with Malachi?

[Jack Pilgrim]

I do not think. I think that Pope is valuing prioritizing value more than anything right now. And I think he knows that they spent way too much on the Brandon Garrisons and the Modi abate and go down the list of those guys, and I think they are looking at this and saying, hey, I think we're going to be too far apart on this. We know that we can go find better value elsewhere. Look at the Ansley almond, or look like that is that's what made Mark Pope so valuable in year one is like, where'd you pull Ansley Almanor from? How'd you get Amari Williams to turn a Drexel kid into a draft pick? So I think they are wanting to lean harder into that and say, hey, it sucks to lose some of these guys. But we might have to get some clean breaks so we can go clear the decks a little bit, clear the bankroll a little bit. And now let's go do what we do best and find value in the portal.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I would welcome Garrison back, but not all these guys are. Circumstances have changed from a year ago. He was paid last year to be a starter and to take a big jump forward second year and that did not happen. So if they sit down and they say, look, we're cutting your pay, you're coming off the bench then. And he embraces that attitude, then come on back. Because honestly, when he got benched this year from Alkai, he immediately had his best game respond. Well, you know, we all know his inconsistencies, but if, if that were a role he were to take on and take it for a little bit less money to help the overall budget, I would gladly welcome him back. I worry about finding guys like that to be your backup, but it's all about being the backup.

[Drew]

But regardless, they need to get another big guy somewhere. Whether it's going to be the, the main guy or a backup guy there. You need to get some depth in some case in the back, in the front court. Right?

[Jack Pilgrim]

And they will. And there's always going to be somebody from the mid major ranks that wants to take get their first chance at a Kentucky like yes, money talks and will always talk in today's day and age, but there will always be a kid that's looking for his big chance to prove himself. I mean that's what made the first team so special. Maybe they didn't have the championship upside that we wanted, but you knew that the kids coming from Fairleigh Dickinson and Dayton and Drexel, that they wanted to be here and prove themselves at the highest level. There will always be that type of talent that will come at some semblance of a discount.

[Drew]

859-280-2287. Let's get another one. Shannon, who we got?

[Shannon]

All right, let's go to Casey.

[Drew]

Casey. Go ahead, Casey.

[J]

Hey, good morning, fellers. I just wanted to call and talk to everybody a second about our boy Andy. Yeah, he's going through some tough stuff and we found out that he has colon cancer. So I just wanted everybody to gather around Andy and lift him up in prayer and thoughts. Andy's my best friend I met through you guys and I can't live without that voice. So I just want everybody to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. And thank you all so much for sharing the word and letting everybody know so everybody can lift him up.

[Drew]

So I'm so glad you called in today. Yeah, I'm so glad you called in today. Casey didn't mention that about Andy. You know, he posted it on social media. I just hope, Casey, that Andy saw all the love he was getting in return. The people that were, you know, texting him back and sending him messages back. And I hope somebody was able to read those to him or he could feel it. The love he was getting from bbn.

[J]

Oh, yeah. His mom was reading all of them to him. And he actually has. His theory will read him most of them. So what his theory. He was getting so many, though. He was. He felt. He felt the love so much. He was getting so many. His theory couldn't even keep up. So. And Andy was really. He doesn't like the attention. And that's why I wanted to call in was today he wants to call in. He's going to call in. But today he's waiting on calls from doctors, so. But hopefully everything's gonna go great. Gonna do a surgery and he's gonna come through this stronger than ever.

[Drew]

Amen. Right. Appreciate it, Kate. Thank you very much. Our thoughts and prayers with you, Andy. We love you, big guy. Come see us at KS Bar. We will save your favorite chair. He's got his. I got some of the best pictures of him. He seems to like to party, maybe a little too hard sometimes, but that's why we love Andy.

[Ryan]

Amen. Like a guy that likes to party. I love Andy. Andy, I hope we hear from you soon. You call in, but for now, we just know. We're thinking. Everybody praying for you. And keep us updated. Stay strong. You'll get through this.

[Drew]

Here's to you, big Andy. All right, we'll take our break. Come back. 859-280-2287. Ryan, Drew, Shannon, Jack, we'll be right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Ryan, Drew, Shannon, Jack Pilgrim here on Kentucky Sports Radio. You know you're thinking about maybe making a change. Well, with rates showing signs of easing, now may be the right time to review your options. And Stockton Mortgage is here to help. Don't let the the spring buying season slip by. Stockton Mortgage can help you get into your new home before the summer. A lot of families, Shannon, you know, they like to move during the summer. They're not interrupting the school year. So that's why the spring buying season, so hot. Then they get moved in the summer, locked in before school starts in the fall. So now's the time they'll get you pre approved. Get out there and get that new home. So Stockton Mortgage NMLS 8259 Equal housing lender NMLSConsumeraccess.org 859-280-2287 that's our Clark's Pump and Shop phone number. We do need to mention that the UK baseball team had a rough day yesterday.

[Ryan]

Oh man, sure did.

[Drew]

I jumped. I was at Wild Eggs. Another little shout out. Got in the car and they're up 7 to nothing. By the time I got to my house, it was seven to six.

[Ryan]

Yeah, they scored the first seven runs in the game, then went on to lose by seven in the rubber match. They got a great win Friday night at lsu. LSU evens it and jumped on them early looking like they were going to handle their business. They even got back up to 10 6. But then I think LSU scored 11 straight runs in the last three or four innings to put Kentucky away. It was all going down at the same time as Duke Yukon. I was trying to follow both, but tough ending for UK after it looked like a promising weekend and maybe stealing a series in Baton Rouge.

[Drew]

I'd say get a series on the road big in the sec. I thought they had it.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Yeah, it was Sunday is my day off. So trying to disconnect somewhat from the portal and coaching staff nonsense. Chaos that. So I was just kind of following along on my phone and I saw the big lead and I was like, oh cool. Can disconnect for a little bit, not pay attention. And I come back and check the final scores like what in the world happened? So yeah, not a good Finish.

[Ryan]

Still top 25 team though. New rankings this morning. They're 24th. Fell from 18th to 24th, but Kentucky still doing very well.

[Drew]

I assume they'll be at Kentucky Proud park this weekend.

[Ryan]

Yeah, they play Miami of Ohio tomorrow night. Excuse me. And then they're home. Completely drawn a blank on who it is.

[Drew]

But they're back home this week. UK softball team, they had a home series against Georgia.

[Ryan]

They play Missouri.

[Drew]

Missouri at home.

[Ryan]

Four straight home games this week. Miami tomorrow, the Missouri for the weekend.

[Drew]

And the softball team, I know they lost their series to Georgia. Yes, John Crop Stadium got swept.

[Ryan]

Yeah, they're gone this week. They also play Miami, but at Miami. So not been a good year over there at John Crop Stadium.

[Drew]

Tough weekend for the UK baseball and UK softball teams. All right, 859-280-2287. Who's next? Shannon.

[Shannon]

Go to Joe.

[Drew]

Joe. Go ahead, Joe.

[Caller]

A lot of. A lot of Questions about that softball team or gymnastics team, Are they getting the money they deserve for Mr. Barnhart? I think the answer is it could be no. Mr. Barnhart, release some of that money quickly on Carlos Boozer. Don't have to look at him no more. I was getting tired looking at him in his entourage or how many different women. I don't know how many. We'll leave it at that. And quickly on the men's. Yeah, go on.

[Drew]

Did we lose him?

[Caller]

No, I'm still here. Yeah. On the men's team, we just hope for the best. Mark Polk Stokes is everything to me that tells me if he doesn't get Stokes, wow, I don't know where he goes. And. And quickly on Coach Brooks. Mr. Barnhart released some of that money. And so Mr. Brooks can get a six foot five, a six foot five, 230 pound center that can knock the big girl from Texas on her rear end every now and then instead of our little strike having to go in battle. Or release some of that money. Mr. Barnard, thank you. Goodbye.

[Drew]

I think Joe had a theme there. I'm not mistaken. It seemed like Joe had a recurring theme.

[Ryan]

Did he want Barnhart to release some of that money? I didn't pick up on.

[Drew]

That's what I heard, Drew. I heard he wanted Mitch Barnard to release some of that money. Yeah, we mentioned the UK baseball team, UK softball team, failed to mention UK women's basketball team. They got kind of waxed at Texas in their Sweet 16 matchup also.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Jack Pilgrim]

And I think that was just the concern. Everybody was worried about it going in. I think it was all just kind of false hope of we'll see what happens. Maybe they have a bad day. They did not have a bad day. It went exactly as poorly as everybody worried. But, you know, great season for them. I loved the post game comments about Claire Strack coming back. I think that was a big one from Kenny Brooks to just kind of get that out there, build some early momentum. Maybe that helps with recruiting of like, hey, we got our All American coming back. Make sure you want to come play with her. So big fan of that.

[Ryan]

I didn't really think they'd take down Texas, but I thought there'd be a game and it was like 30 to 10 after the first quarter. It's just I wanted something to watch and at least have some hope throughout the game. And it was over from the beginning. But as Jack said, the Claire Strack News put a smile right back on my face for women's basketball because I was worried she Might go off to the WNBA and running it back with her will be huge. She'll be one of the top players in the sport next year.

[Drew]

It's crazy. That season they had Tony Morgan breaks Georgia Amore's assist record. Two different players broke the three point record in one season. So, you know, they had a good run. I bet him at least a cover that game. And Texas, so. But tough finish. But I don't know, Shannon. I think Joe wants Mitch Barnhart to release some of that money.

[Shannon]

That's the vibe I got anyway. Yeah, maybe we just misunderstood his call, but I think that's it. Thank you, guys.

[Drew]

Let's get another one. Who we got?

[Shannon]

Alan.

[Drew]

Alan. Go ahead, Alan.

[Caller]

Hi. This. I want to talk about the St. John's Duke game real quick, and this is just more of almost a technical question, but it seems like every time St. John's especially in the second half, when they would come down the. I mean when, when, when Duke would come down in the second half, they would just run over the St. John's players and every time it would be called a. A blocking foul. And my question is, number one, I don't remember a charging foul being called. And if that's the case, I mean, why don't every team just. If, if the ransom going to call charging. I don't know why everybody, all the offensive teams just don't run over the defensive teams. Because. Because the point guard for St. John's actually had to run the other way to keep from getting a foul caught on him when he had four and he was taken out of the game. And I think that really affected how St. John's could play.

[Drew]

All right, appreciate it.

[Caller]

Alan, thoughts on that?

[Drew]

All right, thank you.

[Ryan]

He's not wrong. Cameron Boozer is talented, but he is just bulldozing people. He could have been called for charge several times, even yesterday. Oh, yesterday.

[Drew]

Really?

[Ryan]

The whole tournament he's been doing that and haven't been calling it. So I know he's talented, but he's also getting away with a lot because sometimes he just completely lowers his shoulder, will run through whoever's there and just has the easy layup.

[Jack Pilgrim]

Rick Patino was live tweeting it and complaining about can he get fined for complaining about officiating in a game that he's not a part of? Like he's still technically complaining about the officiating, but it wasn't his game. So yeah, that, that made me laugh.

[Drew]

Now that Duke get beat, we still have to watch the Boozer Brothers commercials.

[Ryan]

It'll keep running it's not going anywhere, Bill. Easier watching.

[Drew]

Come on, Jake. State Farm. Get a couple other guys. Get a couple other brothers out there. All right, we'll take our break, Come back hour number two. Ryan, Drew Shannon, Jack Pilgrim here on Kentucky Sports Radio.