KSR – Hour 1 | April 3, 2026

Podcast: KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio)
Date: April 3, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon “the Dude”, Billy R. Sports
Location: KS Bar and Grill, Lexington, KY

Episode Overview

This Friday edition of Kentucky Sports Radio dives deep into the state of University of Kentucky (UK) athletics, with an emphasis on basketball roster updates, recruiting challenges, and transfer portal rumors. With Matt Jones absent, the crew (Ryan, Drew, Shannon, and Billy) discuss why inclement weather thwarted their planned live broadcast from scenic Midway, Kentucky, and instead settled into their usual home at KS Bar and Grill. The episode rolls through lively takes on program expectations, NIL challenges, fan perceptions, and townie tales—with plenty of friendly banter and nostalgia for UK sports history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Change of Plans: From Midway to KS Bar

• Planned broadcast in Midway canceled due to rain

  • The group had scouted a spot downtown with the mayor set to join, and even a possible cameo for Shannon in a Hallmark Christmas movie now filming there.
  • [06:43] Ryan Lemond: “Yoga girl and I went over Wednesday night and scouted us out…Sterling Gypsy was going to let us use their outlet…and the mayor of Midway was going to come on.”

• Midway is buzzing: Hallmark movie filming and community support

  • Previews of Kentucky’s small-town charm and movie activity.
  • [07:08] Ryan Lemond: “They’re filming a Christmas movie, Shannon. A Hallmark Christmas movie in downtown Midway right now as we speak.”

• Comic relief about weather forecasts and logistics

  • Apple weather apps vs. droid, chairs and tents left unused, and the running Midway train causing concern.

2. Roster Talk: Transfer Portal and UK Basketball

a. Player Updates from KSR Website

• Colin Chandler

  • Chandler is considered a key piece for Mark Pope’s plans and is tempted by a return home (Utah/BYU), but current mood favors staying at UK.
  • [09:04] Drew Franklin: “[Chandler] really trusts Mark Pope…But there is the temptation of going back home…His wife’s from there…From basketball standpoint, he’s better off here.”
  • [11:06] Drew Franklin: “He’s a guy you want to keep…Kind of the centerpiece of the roster, like Otega was last year.”

• Cam Williams

  • Wants to return, but is watchful of recruits the staff might bring in, particularly star wings.
  • [13:20] Drew Franklin: “He keeps saying all the right things. He wants to return…He was just starting to turn it on right when he had the foot injury.”

• Jasper Johnson

  • Wishes for a “redo” after a tough season, but his place depends on incoming transfers and point guard recruits.
  • [14:22] Drew Franklin: “…he would like to prove that he could do it at Kentucky…But…they have to go out and get a good point guard.”

b. Transfer Portal and Staff Activity

• Portal opens Tuesday, but activity is already “moving and shaking.”

  • [16:21] Ryan Lemond: “…may be even some news happening today here, Friday, probably like 12:05, when our show is over. Some portal drop from concerning basketball program.”

• Mark Pope tweets from the air, spurring speculation about recruiting moves.

  • [16:39] Drew Franklin (reading Pope’s tweet): “After a bumpy start, my pilots found the perfect zone. Not too high, not too low. Clear skies ahead. Let’s go, BBN.”

c. Roster Construction Pressure and NIL

• Pope “needs a win” in recruiting—a marquee name, big transfer, or top freshman.
  • [23:48] Drew Franklin: “Yes. Without hesitation…I think you have to. He needs a win…He needs to show Kentucky fans…that he can go out and get a big recruit.”

d. Kentucky’s Recruiting Standards & Fan Perspective

• Caller Shane (at [47:58]) expresses frustration:
  • [48:19] Shane, Caller: “I’m really sad about the state of our program. The fact that the Kentucky Wildcats do not have a single high school player committed. I mean like Kentucky should be selecting who plays for this team…”
  • Drew and Billy agree about recruiting urgency, but push back on the idea that Calipari’s blueprint fits the current era.

3. Tournament Talk: NIT, “Crown” Tourney, and More

• NIT semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse, historic location from the movie Hoosiers.

  • [21:38] Ryan Lemond: “It’s where they filmed the movie Hoosiers, where you hit the final shot…Auburn and Tulsa, NIT championship tomorrow night.”

• Nostalgia for the NIT in Lexington—including Perry Stevenson’s memorable dunk—and how the tournament has lost luster.

  • [23:03] Ryan Lemond: “That’s everybody’s lasting memory. It's the Perry Stevenson dunk against UNLV.”

4. Women’s Basketball: Portal, Recruiting, and Momentum

• Lexi Blue enters the portal; Kenny Brooks reloading with a strong class.
  • [35:06] Drew Franklin: “I fully expect Kenny Brooks to keep this train rolling…Didn’t work out with Lexi Blue…but that recruiting class has two top 10 players.”
  • Notable recruit names: Savvy Swords (“We’re still on the all-hands name team”).

5. Kentucky Sports: Small Towns, Film Sets, Comic Con & Local Legends

• Hallmark and other movies filming around Kentucky:

  • [30:22] Ryan Lemond: “Yeah. A Hallmark Christmas movie in downtown Midway right now…Big movie in Lexington…Ken Jeong from the Hangover.”

• Local Comic Con, celebrity sightings, and the unique people-watching opportunities of downtown Lexington.

  • [33:20] Ryan Lemond: “Best people watching ever—is at Comic Con.”

• Listener calls about Kentucky sports connections—e.g., family ties to coaching legends like Danny Haney.

6. NIL & The Changing Landscape

• Discussion about current NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) dollars compared to pre-NIL “wink wink” days.

  • [45:58] Drew Franklin: “Are you saying people paid before NIL?…Well, you know, it didn’t happen allegedly.”

• NIL and transfer portal colliding, with player demands rising but booster fatigue showing in some places.

  • [46:22] Drew Franklin: “Players are commanding even more this offseason…But in a lot of places, they’re like, we just can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

7. Portal & Tampering: The Realities of Modern College Sports

• Increasingly open “tampering” between programs for transfers—coaches in opposing gear openly scouting at games.

  • [39:31] Billy R. Sports: “I was reading a story about the Queens coach…you had an SEC assistant in SEC logo and gear courtside for the conference tournament to wait until they lose so he can talk to the players.”

• The crew acknowledges this is now commonplace, and if a program isn’t tampering, “you’re behind.”

  • [40:35] Drew Franklin: “Everybody tampers everybody. If you’re not tampering, you’re behind. That’s just the reality.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why Midway is called Midway

  • [45:30] Ryan Lemond: “Between Lexington and Frankfurt. Midway between Lexington and Frankfurt.”

• On the “make-or-break” expectations for Mark Pope

  • [27:04] Aviation Glass Text Message: “Pope has to do one of these three things to keep his job at the end of next season: win the SEC regular season, win the SEC tournament, or get to the Final Four. Which do you think happens?”
  • [28:34] Drew Franklin: “I don’t think they would win the SEC unless you go out and just completely nail it. I think winning the SEC is tough. I think Final Four is tough. So maybe winning the SEC tournament...is the most likely.”

• Caller Shane on UK recruiting

  • [48:19] Caller Shane: “…It just feels like the end of the Tubby Smith era to me, man. And I love Tubby too, but…makes me sad about where our recruiting stands today.”

• NIL & Tampering Real Talk

  • [40:52] Drew Franklin: “…when coaches run over to the other team star player and…there’ll be a little extra lingering hug or a few extra comments—they’re doing [it] in plain sight.”

Additional Topics & Fun

• UK women’s basketball recruiting spree and transfer movement.
• Ryan wears his beloved “Manny” shirt, remembering a Lexington local legend.
• Discussion about aluminum vs. wooden bats in college baseball.
• Jokes about naming Drew’s soon-to-arrive daughter after the Masters winner.
• Ken Jeong, Duke fans, and the intersection of pop culture & Kentucky sports.

Key Timestamps

• [03:54] – Show intro, hosts settle in at KS Bar instead of Midway
• [08:37] – Player portal updates begin (Chandler, Williams, Johnson)
• [16:21] – Portal news and Mark Pope’s cryptic tweet while flying
• [20:44] – Keeneland opening day buzz; NIT semifinals recap
• [23:48] – $4 million NIL offer for Stokes? Recruiting pressure for Pope
• [27:04] – Make-or-break benchmarks for Mark Pope next season
• [33:31] – Listener calls: Kentucky coaching family ties
• [35:06] – UK women’s basketball roster & recruiting
• [38:25] – Transfer shooter Brett Decker; the upside of the portal
• [39:31] – The evolution of tampering and transfers
• [45:27] – Why Midway is called Midway (trivia)
• [47:58] – Caller Shane’s frustration about recruiting standards
• [51:34] – Lighthearted talk on college bats; show wraps up

Tone and Style

The KSR crew keeps to its trademark—part sports report, part small-town storytelling, with lively, unscripted banter and regular check-ins from engaged listeners. The hosts wear their UK fandom on their sleeves, sprinkle in generous helpings of humor and nostalgia, but don’t shy away from critical assessments of both program and broader college athletics.

Summary

This episode is a quintessential slice of Kentucky sports culture: weather-driven improvisation, barstool wisdom on UK basketball’s unprecedented roster ebbs and flows, and authentic engagement with fans’ hopes, doubts, and relentless curiosity. Whether recounting failed outdoor broadcasts, parsing the nuances of NIL, or diving into the rumor-rife transfer market, Ryan, Drew, Shannon, and Billy bring both candor and camaraderie—making the show a fixture for listeners eager to keep their finger on the pulse of Big Blue Nation.