2026-07-08- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) – Hour 1: July 8, 2026

Podcast: Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR)
Host(s): Matt Jones, Drew, Shannon
Special Guest: UK Men's Basketball Head Coach Mark Pope (starting at 23:40)
Date: July 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Matt Jones and the KSR crew welcome Kentucky Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mark Pope for an in-depth, candid conversation about the program’s direction, last season’s challenges, roster construction, and fan questions. The crew also touches on breaking UK basketball schedule news, Mark Pope’s coaching philosophy, and some classic KSR banter, all while maintaining their trademark blend of humor and insightful sports analysis.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. KSR Golf Scramble & Upcoming Events

(Timestamp: 01:13–04:12)

• The annual KSR Golf Scramble in Louisville is set for August 24 at Glen Oaks. Sign-ups are now open.
• Matt plans to broadcast from the 18th hole, commenting on swings and perhaps featuring some on national TV with ESPNU/ESPN coverage.
• Lighthearted debate about logistics (“Does Starlink work at Glen Oaks?”).

2. Mark Pope Studio Visit Teaser

(Timestamp: 00:39–05:20)

• Coach Mark Pope’s studio visit is highly anticipated, being the first time in nearly a year.
• The crew discusses what questions to ask Pope, soliciting listener suggestions via the text machine.

3. UK in Vegas & Roster Development

(Timestamp: 04:44–07:05)

• The “Cats in Vegas” trip is announced – primarily for Summer League observation and team bonding, not games.
• Drew wants more info on UK’s pursuit of Serbian recruit Krsta Rica and the urgency to add another player.
• The crew discusses how the new team seems more “gelled and closer” than last year, noting increased “connection” and “aggressiveness” from Pope in practice.
• Interest in whether last year’s media silence will be addressed.

4. Behind the Scenes: Social Media & Recruiting

(Timestamp: 07:08–08:48)

• The crew revisits Mark Pope’s cryptic social media posts (e.g., the “JK” cards on the beach photo) and jokes about fan speculation regarding hidden recruiting messages.

5. UK Schedule News: UK vs. West Virginia in Nashville (Black Friday?)

(Timestamp: 07:54–12:54)

• Breaking: UK is negotiating to play West Virginia in Nashville on Black Friday.
• Discussion about the location, implications on UK–Louisville football the next day, expected turnout, and historic context.
• “Nashville is our best home court advantage,” says the crew, referencing strong fan showings but also past painful losses.

6. Announcer Calls & Sports Fandom

(Timestamp: 15:10–20:23)

• The group plays and analyzes the electric Spanish-language call of Messi’s recent dramatic soccer goal, comparing great sports calls (“Do you believe in miracles?” “There’s a steal by Bird!”).
• Matt shares his excitement after being thanked by commentator Andres Cantor on Twitter, highlighting his uncharacteristic “sportscaster fandom.”

7. Real-Time Updates & Humor

(Timestamp: 20:31–21:14)

• Billy reports via text from the lobby, nervously awaiting Pope’s arrival, with jokes about classic “on my way” etiquette.

8. Light Politics: Scott Jennings & Mitch McConnell

(Timestamp: 21:16–23:14)

• The crew riffs on a viral claim by Scott Jennings about speaking to Mitch McConnell for 20 minutes, skepticism about whether McConnell is actually responsive due to health speculation.

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Feature Segment: Mark Pope In-Studio Interview

Coach Mark Pope Joins Live (23:40–end)

1. Team Chemistry, Roster Construction, and “Creator Vibe”

(Timestamps: 24:13–25:11)

• Pope shares, "Our gym feels good...We got a ton of length, a ton of shooting in some really fun, different levels. And I think...when we get healthy, this center spot is going to be a real strength for us."
• Priority was adding "more creators on the floor," citing need for “more guys that are capable of actually creating shots for themselves and creating shots for teammates.”

2. Recruiting the Right Pieces

(Timestamps: 25:23–27:30)

• Discusses the importance of landing Malachi Moreno (“a massively important piece”) and Milan Momcilovic (“he fits how we play, he’s a veteran, veteran guy”).
• Acknowledges challenges of privacy and rumors in portal recruiting.

3. Public and Fan Expectations at Kentucky

(Timestamp: 28:07–32:09)

• Pope embraces Kentucky’s fishbowl: “I know exactly what Kentucky is...our standard is never going to change. It’s what makes this place great.”
• “It’s the gig I want more than any other gig in the world.”

4. Reflecting on Last Season’s Challenges

(Timestamps: 32:09–34:20)

• Addresses the impact of Jalen Lowe’s injury: “We just didn’t get to see it…If you gave me that group healthy and said, ‘hey, run it back,’ I’d be like, let’s go, man.”
• Maintains faith in his roster construction but recognizes bad luck with injuries.

5. Player Rotation Philosophy & Development

(Timestamps: 34:20–37:16)

• Explains why he spreads minutes, emphasizing player development: “We are developers of players...part of our plan is bringing players in and helping them grow and get better.”
• Names recent Kentucky stars who thrived through development (Amari, Kobe, Otega, and JQ).

6. Fan Q&A: Key Quick-Hitters

(Timestamps: 37:16–41:10)

• Assistant Coach Opening: “Most likely yes [we’ll hire]. But potentially no...If we hire someone, it’s going to be the right person.” (37:29)
  • On Jamal Crawford rumors: “Jamal’s still got two years left on his NBC contract.” (38:14)
• Camps: No father-son or daddy-daughter camps this summer, “just reevaluating.” (39:11)
• Summer Trip: Not this year, but “still under consideration” pending waivers and NCAA rules changes, explaining the rationale with increased practice time allowed now (39:48–40:46).
• Roster Additions: “Maybe. We’re still actively...If we find the right piece at the right time...But I like the roster a lot right now.” (40:48)

7. On Specific Players & Team Roles

(Timestamps: 41:23–42:42)

• On backcourt of Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins: “Both, they’re both creators and they’re very different in style of play...Alex right now shoots 79% on [our 100-shot] threes a day.” (42:30)

8. Notable Quotes

• On Fans & Expectations:
  “Our standard is never going to change. It's what's make this place great. And the way we chase it is never going to change.” – Mark Pope (31:36)
• On Last Year’s Injuries:
  “We just didn’t get to see it...If you gave me that group healthy and said, ‘hey, run it back,’ I’d be like, let’s go, man.” – Mark Pope (34:08)
• On Assistant Search:
  “If we hire someone, it’s going to be the right person that’s exactly the right fit for what we do.” – Mark Pope (38:05)
• On Developing Players:
  “For us, we are developers of players. I think it’s one of the things we do better than anyone in the country.” – Mark Pope (36:02)

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Memorable Moments

• Matt’s glee at being acknowledged by legendary soccer announcer Andres Cantor for praising a goal call. (19:38–20:23)
• The crew good-naturedly teasing each other about “on my way” white lies as Billy tracks Coach Pope in the lobby (20:49–21:14).
• Playful analysis of social media hints and references to “AI” beach photos.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:39 – Opening, show announcements
• 04:44 – Listener question callout for Mark Pope segment
• 07:54 – Breaking UK/West Virginia schedule news
• 15:10 – Messi goal call segment, discussion of famous sports calls
• 23:40 – Mark Pope interview begins
  • 24:13 – Team construction and chemistry
  • 25:23 – Offseason recruiting and priorities
  • 28:07 – Handling fan/media expectations at UK
  • 32:09 – Reflects on last season’s obstacles
  • 34:20 – Player minutes/rotation philosophy
  • 37:16 – Fan Q&A (assistant, camps, summer trip, roster)
  • 41:23 – On Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, team shooting

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Summary Takeaways

This episode is a must-listen for Kentucky basketball fans hungry for real insights: Mark Pope offers transparency on roster building and expectations, addresses offseason storylines, and shows clear conviction in his approach and in the challenge of coaching at UK. Live listener interaction and the show’s natural banter keep the hour high-energy and accessible—even for casual fans.

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For listeners:
Start at 23:40 for a full-depth basketball conversation with Mark Pope and Matt Jones, or dip into the first half for KSR banter, breaking schedule news, and the best in sports radio chemistry.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Dale Jones June 25th through the 27th. Then catch Ariel Elias July 10th and 11th and don't miss Brian Bates July 17th and 18th. Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987 and they're still bringing the best in stand up comedy to the area 39 years later. For tickets call 859-271-joke or visit comedyoff broadway.com comedyoff broadway

[Shannon]

this is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Safe Summer Driving Tour. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Wednesday, July 8th. I'm Matt Jones here in Lexington in the studios. I got Drew, I got Shannon and we have a special guest coming today that's exactly right for the first time, I believe since maybe May or June of last year, maybe maybe August, at least 11 months. Mark Pope will join the show today, which I'm very excited about.

[Drew]

How about you coming in to join us?

[Matt Jones]

Yes. So he will be here for the second segment. Probably they're on their way. You know, you never know about this Lexington traffic.

[Drew]

That's right. It'll get you.

[Matt Jones]

But they're coming in here to the studio and be with us hopefully for the rest of the hour. And then we'll take your calls in the second hour on the Clark's Puppet Shop phone line 859-280-2287. Avision Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254 in this dish and sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office. If you call TJ he'll make them pay. Quick announcement. The KSR Golf Scramble. The way we do stuff for these golf scrambles is we, we we sell out part of the the thing and then we do a second round so that very so that like the people who've played before get the first opportunity and then there's a second. Well, the second round goes on sale today. So go to 7ninety louisville.com if you would like to play in the KSR Golf scramble. It is in August. When is it in August? Is it. I think it's, it's right next to

[Drew]

my birthday but I'm have to double check.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, it's actually 24th.

[Drew]

24th.

[Matt Jones]

Excuse me, 24th August 24th in in Louisville and you go to 7ninetylouisville.com and sign up and get in and join us. It is, it's usually an awesome day. It's usually a hot day. And it is also the KSR Golf scramble that I think where the golf is the Best of the. Of the. Because the people are pretty good. Yes. And I'm, I'm back in the tees up this year.

[Drew]

Oh, you are.

[Matt Jones]

And, and I made that decision for the Lexington one. And the scores didn't. Weren't as low as they usually are. You know, people didn't shoot 49 and 50 like they did. So I think we're going to do. We're going to back it up. But it can still be fun because, you know, you can still get pars,

[Drew]

of course, and it's at Glen Oaks. We've been there forever, but that's kind of a fun course. There's some tricky holes, tricky shots, chances to find a planet, some zoos. Some what zoos.

[Matt Jones]

And I'm going to be. You know, I usually played. I think this year I'm going to. Because of ESPN. I'm going to be doing my ESPN radio and TV show from the 18 oh.

[Drew]

Commentating on how I might go to

[Matt Jones]

the 18th T and just comment on people's swings.

[Drew]

It'd be good.

[Matt Jones]

But we, but so that's a good chance too. You will get to see whatever is going on there.

[Drew]

Maybe you could turn the camera and show off a few swings.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Somebody has a long putt, I might show you on national app, but I, I don't know what television even is anymore. Like it could be, you know.

[Shannon]

So how are they going to set that up out there? Take out like a camera.

[Matt Jones]

We got a month and a half to figure it out.

[Drew]

Mario's got that.

[Matt Jones]

You know, I don't know off the top of my head, but we got it. We're going to figure it out. We're going to have to figure it out. We don't have a choice. Sometimes things. Does they still have Starlink?

[Drew]

I think so.

[Matt Jones]

I mean that like they have it in Ukraine for the war. I feel like we could get it at Glen Oaks right here.

[Drew]

It works well. I got a friend in Bergen, Kentucky that uses it. Says it's great.

[Shannon]

All right.

[Matt Jones]

Starlink from you get me set up. I'll give you a free shout out. You just did well, but they now

[Drew]

they owe you setup.

[Matt Jones]

Thank you. Go, go Starlink. So. So Mark Pope's coming in. Let me ask you a question. Okay, I'm going to do this. Since I've got 10 minutes, I want you to write on the text machine 772-774-5254. I'm going to save three questions or at least two questions depending on the time when we get here for text machine Questions. All right, so what would you like to ask? 772-774-5254. Drew, you might have a chance to ask. What do you. What do you want to hear from Mark Pope today?

[Drew]

I have a long list of things I want to hear. They just announced the Vegas trip this morning, but without really any context. It just says Cats in Vegas. So I'd like to know what's going on there.

[Matt Jones]

So people who haven't seen that they've announced the Cats are going to Vegas. Jack Pilgrim had reported that it was basically to watch the summer league and to have a bonding experience. So no games. I'm assuming that's what it is. Unless something has changed.

[Drew]

He could go into detail on that. I think everyone's curious because he's mentioned adding another player. You know, we're watching Krsta Rica, the Serbian. I don't know where they stand with that, but, like, how. How dire do they need an extra player? And how. How hard is he really pursuing that at this stage?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I was last night sitting down. You know, I try not to prepare for interviews, really, unless you're, you know, unless it's something I don't know much about. Um, but I wanted to think, you know, I want to use this time. And I was trying to balance. Okay, what are we asking about the future versus, you know, I mean, he never really did a press conference about last year. So to what extent do you bring that up or is it just moved on? What do you think, Shannon? I mean, to what extent do you talk about now in the future versus going, okay, what about last year?

[Shannon]

I think it's fair to talk about last year since he went pretty much radio silent for, like, the. What month after that? Couple of months after that. So I think you can touch on it and then, you know, at that point, just move on to whatever we got going on this. This year in practice. I want to hear. I mean, we keep hearing about Trent Noah. Do we. Do we believe Trent Noah still knocking down?

[Matt Jones]

I believe I want Trent Noah to be knocking down.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I will say I've heard from people who have been at practice that it has been a slightly different Mark Pope in practice, much more aggressive in his coaching, and that he has seemed to connect with these guys more. That has been a theme that I've heard a lot from people who watch it. They seem to say that, like, there just feels like more of a connection, I'd be interested to say, to see if he agrees with that, because that's a good sign, I think if that's true, that one.

[Drew]

And, you know, last year, I don't think it was team turmoil or anything, but people are already saying this group seems a little more gelled and closer than last year's group was. I don't know to what extent. They had a lot of issues last season. We always wondered that after the Louisville comment, but so far, so good on that with this current team and them getting along and playing together.

[Matt Jones]

So we will get to all that.

[Drew]

I've got one more fun one I want to.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, what's your second one?

[Drew]

First, Shannon. I have to apologize for accusing him of AI on that beach photo. But we never found out. Remember, he had the JK cards in his hand. Everybody was trying to speculate, was he sending a sign there? I want to know if that was intentional. What was he hinting at? Maybe he can reveal what those two

[Matt Jones]

players say when he posted that thing after we got Milan.

[Drew]

Yeah, he thought it was AI for a second. We retracted it.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, I. I think you both were.

[Shannon]

It looks like.

[Matt Jones]

How could you not believe I thought it was real?

[Shannon]

Somebody said we thought he was in Destin. Right. Somebody said, that's not Dustin. People were saying he was on a beach in Dustin. That is not. You can tell it's not destined by looking at it, but it turns out

[Drew]

he went from Destin to Costa Rica, so it looks a little more like Costa Rica. But he was very intentional holding those playing cards.

[Matt Jones]

And it was a jack and a key.

[Drew]

We speculated for a long time. I want to know if that was intentional.

[Matt Jones]

That's a good question. All right, so the text machine is open. 772-774-5254. What questions would you ask? I'm gonna try to save a couple for text machiners. The one piece of basketball news was broken by yours truly, the fourth most famous person from Bell county, according to Billy yesterday, behind the guy who invented the touchscreen and the girls and the concrete girls. I went back. The concrete girls are bigger than I thought, so I'll give Billy that one. The negotiations are going on right now between Kentucky and West Virginia to play on Black Friday in Nashville. I was told that it's not certain but that they are talking and either way, we'll probably know it by the end of the week. Matt Norlander then reported later, that was 50 50, which I guess that's true about everything, Shannon.

[Mark Pope]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

Everything could happen or not happen.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Would you like that? Would you like West Virginia in Nashville on Black Friday, day after Thanksgiving? Probably a lot of people are Off. A lot of people could make the trip. You like that?

[Drew]

I guess I'm still haunted by the last Friday game in Nashville. I was there for Gonzaga last year and that was certainly a low point in my Kentucky basketball fandom. But I like giving another go. Nashville always gets a great turnout. People have fun around the game. People want a West Virginia rivalry. I mean we saw what just happened in baseball. I think they're probably mad at Kirk Risa. They can have, but let's not.

[Matt Jones]

Does the loser get Kirk Risa and

[Drew]

the winner against Oscar Sheepway and Trey Mitchell? Let's not forget them too. People keep talking about the Kerr transfer, but we took Oscar and Trey Mitchell from West Virginia. But I like that we could get a border rivalry going with them.

[Matt Jones]

I like it too. I kind of wish. It's weird that we would play in Nashville, which is not where our border is.

[Drew]

They're going to have to drive past Lex.

[Matt Jones]

I mean you could play in Ashland or Huntington. I don't know how big an arena you would be able to play, but I actually like it. I think Kentucky fans deserve to have a game they win in Nashville. Now I don't know how good is West Virginia supposed to be? I think they're supposed to be better, aren't they?

[Drew]

I haven't kept up with their off season move so I never imagined they'd be on the schedule.

[Matt Jones]

Originally I'd heard that we might be playing Illinois there but I guess that fell through. So I don't mind West Virginia. I feel like it's a marquee opponent but one you certainly can beat.

[Drew]

We always those negative is the Black

[Matt Jones]

Friday on Nashville because we play Louisville at home at noon the next day in football. So I was thinking about that. I would be very surprised if they were to schedule that Kentucky game Friday night. I'm going to guess that's like a noon or 2pm game in Nashville because if you remember there's football on on Black Friday but usually it's later at night and there's probably an opening in the gap there that like we could sneak a basketball game in here so I could see. And the fact that Matt Norlander responded immediately makes me wonder if that's a CVS game maybe which might lead into like an NFL game or a college football game. So. So that's kind of just what I'm thinking. It would be an afternoon one because. Because we do have Louisville at noon the next day in football.

[Drew]

Driving from Nashville to Lexington that morning,

[Matt Jones]

I would be surprised if we played at eight at night and then immediately got in the car to go play Louisville the next day.

[Drew]

But as we've seen with all the SEC tournaments and even the lead up to that Gonzaga game last year, Nashville might be our best home court advantage.

[Matt Jones]

I agree. And do you think we would fill up an arena on Black Friday against West Virginia?

[Drew]

I think so. If it's at night. That Louisville game would probably keep some Lexington people away that have tickets. But we always count on Western Kentucky taking advantage of that opportunity.

[Matt Jones]

Fill that place up. I mean, they filled it up for Gonzaga. Now that was more of a marquee opponent. And let's also say I think West Virginia would bring a lot of people to that game. It's close enough that I think a lot of West Virginia people would go and make would make the trip, right?

[Drew]

Oh, yeah, I think it would be good. I'm still a little haunted. Fridays haven't been good down there, but it'll be a good chance to get some redemption.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I think that would be good. That would leave, you know, there are two games left on the schedule. One of them is probably going to be a decent team. So I think that's probably what they're trying to do is find a decent team to to play and probably if

[Drew]

they could add a home game, too. I know the schedule is already stacked, but there's only Louisville at home before the SEC that really matters. They're already playing like 11 of the top 25 teams, so it's not like they need another difficult opponent. But I think the rut not to be Ryan here, but I think the Rub arena home schedule could use some juice if they're able to add one.

[Matt Jones]

Well, we'll find out. 859-280-2287 Continue with your with your with your questions in. I'm Billy is Billy is reporting live from the lobby.

[Shannon]

What's he reporting?

[Matt Jones]

Well, Billy's down there to meet Pope and bring him up here.

[Drew]

He's our transport.

[Shannon]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

And he is down in the lobby. He is very nervous.

[Shannon]

What's those about?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. He just put in they are running late. No time given. We'll keep you posted.

[Drew]

I bet he's just pacing back and

[Mark Pope]

forth in that lobby.

[Matt Jones]

So I tell you what, we're going to take a break. If Mark is not here when we start, we will. We'll talk about a couple other things then get to Mark and I will let you know. Billy's reporting from the scene. Should we call Billy, check in, see how he's doing? Down in the lobby. This is ksr.

[Shannon]

Hey, it's your ceiling vent. So I'm dripping. Could be the rain. Could be the upstairs bathroom.

[Matt Jones]

Yikes.

[Shannon]

You could hire the guy your neighbor recommended, but I'm pretty sure that's just his cousin. Do we know if he's licensed or

[Matt Jones]

does he just own a ladder?

[Drew]

Listen to your home go with thumbtack.

[Shannon]

Upload a photo or voice note and we'll diagnose your project and match you with the right pro for the job. Thumbtack.

[Matt Jones]

We know, homes.

[Shannon]

Hire the right pro today.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back T Sports Radio. West Virginia Mountain mama.

[Shannon]

I'm just saying, if we beat West Virginia, we play this game.

[Matt Jones]

Do you think we play this?

[Shannon]

We take their song O.

[Drew]

We say West Kentucky.

[Matt Jones]

Is that dirty though, to play their song and like hold and like, you know, rock like they do? That would make a math. But didn't their coach. Who was it that did the. The wet. The waltz. Was it remember that?

[Drew]

Vaguely.

[Matt Jones]

There was. There's some kind of waltz that one of the coaches either for or against West Virginia did. Maybe you can look that up. Buzz Williams. Maybe. Buzz Williams beat West Virginia and something. And then he acted like he was waltzing.

[Shannon]

That's great. I love it.

[Matt Jones]

Anyway. Yeah, that would be. That would be a dirty.

[Drew]

Here's a headline. Buzz Williams incites a Morgantown riot with celebration dance. Look at you.

[Matt Jones]

See, I follow. I know ball.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

People on the Internet say Matt Jones doesn't know ball. I know ball.

[Drew]

Yep. He was ballroom dancing or waltzing as they played Country Roads after Marquette beat them.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, so. Yeah, so he did it during country

[Drew]

roads 14 years ago.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. See, I remember it very well.

[Drew]

Mo Williams should bring that back.

[Matt Jones]

I remember it like it was yesterday. Billy is not put in a report in five minutes, so I'm gonna assume that's not easy. He's not here yet. Which means I do want to. I wanted to play this from yesterday. The messy soccer game was unbelievable. It was like at noon. So most people. I didn't get to see it cause you were at work or whatever, but you know, Argentina was down to nothing. Came back, Messi gets the gold to tie. Then they win a few minutes later. And you know, I. I'm not. You've probably heard this call by now, but the Spanish commentary call. I'm putting this as one of the three greatest calls in sports ever. What's better than what we're about to play? I mean, seriously, you believe in miracles? What else. What else. What are. What are great calls in sports? What's the greatest call in Kentucky sports history?

[Drew]

I enjoyed Tom Leach calling Brandon Knight beaten Ohio State. It's pretty specific.

[Matt Jones]

I don't really remember it, though. What did he say?

[Drew]

Well, now that you mentioned it, I'm having a hard time playing, so maybe

[Matt Jones]

it wasn't as memorable as you thought.

[Drew]

I know. I listened to it on repeat for many years.

[Matt Jones]

I think Stevie got loose was not our guy. But also, I don't think the announcer said that. I said that. Didn't he?

[Drew]

Yeah. I love the Music City miracle call with the Titans. That was a good one. No flags on the play. It's a miracle.

[Matt Jones]

That's a good one, actually. I remember that. But I would say to you that probably. I mean, everybody remembers Al Michaels. There's a steal by Bird passenger dj.

[Drew]

It's a good one.

[Matt Jones]

Does nobody remember that?

[Drew]

No, I remember that one very well.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. Well, I don't even know what language. I mean, this is Spanish, but I don't even know what he's saying.

[Shannon]

Yeah, you can't repeat this one back.

[Matt Jones]

Other than goal, I got know the main point and I love. My man is losing his voice, but when he knows a moment, he knows a moment, and he ain't letting it die. Play it right here. All right, so I love just going. His voice is going. I mean, his voice is dying.

[Shannon]

Sounded like a wounded animal.

[Matt Jones]

But the thing is, he's like, I'm not letting this moment die, and I'm gonna keep going, and then my voice is just gonna collapse. But you know what, Shannon? I'm doing another one.

[Shannon]

That's right.

[Matt Jones]

He's gonna. I loved.

[Drew]

Kind of reminds me of Caliper yelling go instead of go.

[Matt Jones]

If you. If you heard a dog doing that, you'd be like, we gotta take it to the. I love it. So I post that, and then last night before I go to bed, I'm just checking my Twitter messages, and he writes me and says, thank you, Matt. Oh, I was hoping he'd say, go. Just keep yelling at you on Twitter. What if he just wrote go and I. Actually, it was one of the more exciting things I've had. Not going to stop playing it. I'm sorry. So I. It made me very happy. It was one of those moments. It was like when Trip Tracy may or may not have written me that I got really excited when Andre's Cantor wrote me, thanking me for my compliment.

[Drew]

We're starting to learn you don't really get starstruck. Except for announcers and sports. Trip Tracy and Andre Cantor in a In a month.

[Matt Jones]

Random celebrities. H. I mean, you've got to have so much energy just to live life like that. I just think it's so joyous. Drew, how could you not love it?

[Drew]

Does he do breathing exercises? I know we. It almost sound like we lost him there, but he holds on to those goals so long. How quickly did he reach for a water?

[Matt Jones]

When he was done. Tom Hart needs to do this in one game.

[Shannon]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Jones]

He could just say, I got a field.

[Shannon]

I would love it, like, for three. And then he just does that.

[Matt Jones]

Who would not. Who would not go crazy for that? So, Andres Cantor, salute to you for what might have been the best call.

[Drew]

New friend of the program, apparently.

[Matt Jones]

We have breaking news. Chef. Oh, Ronnie. Nana. According to Billy R. Sports of Kentucky Sports Radio, they are, quote, headed this way.

[Drew]

Nice.

[Shannon]

Nice.

[Matt Jones]

But I don't know what that means. You know, a lot of times people

[Drew]

say on my way when they haven't left the house yet.

[Mark Pope]

Do you think it's that case?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I do wonder if this is. You say, on our way. You could be anywhere.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Drew]

I mean, I'll admit I've sent on my way when I'm still getting dressed in my bedroom. I'm in the car. I'm almost there.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, that's okay, but. All right, so that gets us to another thing. I was gonna wait till after Pope was on, but you know what? He's not here yet, so let's do it. Mitch. Did Scott Jennings talk to Mitch McConnell for 20 minutes yesterday?

[Drew]

Hold on. How did you word that? To or with. I think that's an important detail.

[Matt Jones]

Think The. The. Is it to or with.

[Drew]

Because he talked to him. To him. At him. I do not. That's.

[Matt Jones]

Shannon, you. That's not something you can just lie about.

[Shannon]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

Like there's going to be an objective answer.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

He went on TV and said, I spoke with Mitch Khan for 20 minutes. Said, we talked about Ukraine. We talked about all these presidential libraries. Presidential libraries, like. And then no one else.

[Shannon]

Like, when you say that he talked back to you if. If he didn't, and you're lying about that. That's egregious. I mean, he ought to be kicked out of office if he's lying about that.

[Matt Jones]

Well, he's not in office. He's on television. Scott Jennings.

[Shannon]

Oh, I thought Scott Jennings was somebody. See, I told you what I know.

[Matt Jones]

Who did you think it was?

[Shannon]

I thought he was, like, some politician. But anyway, it. He should be kicked off tv. Then if he's lying about that, it's

[Drew]

one of the better ratios I've seen on social media. It has like 11 million impressions. Lots of people are replying with a Ouija board saying, this is how you talk to him.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, listen, I. Unlike a lot of people online, I think, like, making jokes about him, like, dying is wrong. I don't care who it is. Like, you shouldn't. I'm praying for him and his family. I hope he recovers. Take all that. With that said, there's a legitimate question whether he's alive. And that's important because the Senate, A, he's a senator from Kentucky. B, it can't do anything because he is in charge of the committee that gets all the bills through. So right now, everything is just. And so they owe an explanation. But Scott Jennings better not be lying.

[Drew]

No, it says we talked.

[Matt Jones]

That means two people go on television and say, you had a conversation with him unless you had a conference. Now, if he did, fine. But if he didn't, that's pretty agreed.

[Shannon]

Is there any chance he took a call from Ryan Lemon while.

[Mark Pope]

While.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you think Ryan called him and just did his impersonation? I don't know. All right. Mark Pope is with Billy. Oh, this is in the lobby, which means he will be here when the break is over. Nice job, Billy. Our sports on the scene. We will have Mark Pope right after this. T.J. smith, personal injury attorney.

[Drew]

Call T.J. he'll make them pay.

[Shannon]

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

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back Kee Sports Radio. Happy to be joined by Mark Pope. Mark, great to see you.

[Mark Pope]

I'm happy to be here, man.

[Matt Jones]

I like that blue sweatsuit you got going there.

[Mark Pope]

Thank you.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, thank you. UK Gear, I think, has improved in the last year or two. I don't know if you anything to do with it or not, but I like it, man.

[Mark Pope]

When I was here 30 years ago, we had all of it going on, too. It was controversial at the time with the denim and then with the. Like, I.

[Matt Jones]

Look at this right here.

[Mark Pope]

Look at these. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I got the denim Converse on metal ends. Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Pope]

I mean, I think we've been setting the standard for a long time.

[Matt Jones]

Well, let's talk. We only have you for a little while, so I actually want to get substantive basketball questions if you're good with that, because I know people would like to hear it. Let's talk about the team coming up this year. You've got 14 players, a lot of whom we don't know how our workouts going and what do you think of the group you've seen so far? I know a couple are injured.

[Mark Pope]

I like our. I like our gym. Our gym feels good. You know, we set out with some very clear intentions as we work through the portal, trying to put this particular team together. And. And I think I like where we are. I think we have a ton of creator vibe, and we're seeing that on the practice floor. We got a ton of length, a ton of shooting in some really fun, different levels. And I think. I think we have some. You know, when we get healthy, this center spot is going to be a real strength for us. So it's a good group. There's unbelievable juice on the practice floor, as there always should be in the summer. But this group is. Is going to be special and. And it's been fun.

[Matt Jones]

Man.

[Mark Pope]

Every day is a joy to walk into that gym.

[Matt Jones]

Is there. Was there anything you saw that maybe didn't work last year with the team, that when you put this roster together, you said, I want to make sure I get that?

[Mark Pope]

Well, yes, this whole. And we've talked about it a lot publicly over the last couple months, but this whole vibe of having more creators on the floor is really important us. And we could get deep, deep into the weeds on that, where we have more guys that are capable of actually creating shots for themselves and creating shots for teammates that are causing power plays on the floor. So power play is just a term we use from hockey. We stole it from hockey, where anytime that you can earn a second defender and you earn the rest of your team a 4 on 3 or a 3 on 2, or sometimes a 4 on 2 if you're really good. We like to work at that space, and we didn't have as much of that last year as we truly do. You know, Jalen was such a massive piece of our organization, and. And. And so we. We didn't have that healthy. We suffered a little bit through that our first year. And so we came in with two major priorities. One, Malachi Moreno is a massively important piece of what we're doing.

[Matt Jones]

Did you ever think that he was going to lose you were going to lose him?

[Mark Pope]

Well, you never know for sure. Malachi's heart is in Kentucky. He loves this place. I think he's got a lot of faith in our staff. He's got a lot of passion about what we're doing. But the NBA poll is real. Yeah, it is a real thing.

[Matt Jones]

But you never thought you were going to lose him to another college.

[Shannon]

No.

[Mark Pope]

Listen, anything can happen in the portal as We've seen day after day after day. It's such a dynamic place. But. But I know Malachi's heart. I know what he cares about. Everybody in Kentucky knows how much he cares about this place. So he was a huge point of emphasis. And then this creator side of the ball was such a huge point of emphasis. And so we went really hard after those two spaces and then built in

[Matt Jones]

the rest of the roster during the portal period. Like, it's hard to know sometimes who you guys are going after and who you aren't. I mean, you're kind of. You. You're kind of beholden to what the information is that out there, you had different guys in. How important was it because of some of the stuff that maybe happened earlier to close on Milan? Did you feel like that was a huge finishing piece?

[Mark Pope]

Well, yeah. So two things. One, it's unfortunate that you go through this process, and there's so many reasons why we need to be private. One, it's rules that we have to be private. But two, there's a lot of times when we're dealing with. With players who want to keep things private or, you know, we're dealing with complicated negotiations. So. So we do go through quietly. And so it leaves a lot of people having to just postulate. And so you end up with a lot of complicated information out there that might be far off the mark, but it's just everybody doing the best.

[Matt Jones]

But is there anything to do about that at a place like Kentucky, where people want to know information?

[Mark Pope]

Yeah, I think you just ride through it.

[Matt Jones]

You do.

[Mark Pope]

So, you know, there are a couple of times this year where. Where news broke from. You know, there's everybody. As we all live in, Kentucky is the greatest place in the world, and everybody wants to know. And so, you know, you might be in a really sensitive moment in a negotiation, and news breaks where it kind of makes a family upset because it's gone public. That'd be one of a million examples of how we kind of are trying to, like, thread the needle as we go through this.

[Matt Jones]

Does it upset you? Because I think that probably happens.

[Mark Pope]

It doesn't upset me at all. It's just. It's all part of the business, guys. It's part of the deal. And so our job is to navigate these spaces the best we possibly can, but also do it here, where everybody cares more than they care everywhere else. And so that's a thread. Like, doing both of those things at the same time is our job. That's what we do. And so there was a You know, I think we felt a lot different in the office than maybe people felt publicly because I think from the very get go, we knew exactly what we were trying to chase and how we were trying to get there. I do think Milan is a really important piece for us. Not because he was early or late, but because he fits me. He fits what I care about. He fits how we play. He's a veteran, veteran guy, I always thought.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, he looks. Seems like if you were to draw up a Mark Pope Stretch, 3, 4, however you use him, it would be him.

[Mark Pope]

Yeah, he's, he's. He's there and, you know, he's. He's. And so he was a. He's a very important piece of this puzzle. He happened to come later in the story. But the nice thing was the. One of the reasons why he came was because all the other pieces that we had put in place, they fit him so well also. And so I think we had a really nice dynamic where these guys are going to be able to play off each other, and I'm excited about it. So the, you know, I think your original question was, you know, early on with some of the stuff that happened, did it make it so important? Late. It was important. He was an important piece of the puzzle. Whether it was early or late, there's no doubt about it. Just like Zoom is such an important piece and Alex is an important piece and Mason Williams is an important piece. And Justin, like, I hear that he's really important.

[Matt Jones]

I don't want to say been better than you thought, but maybe better than we as fans thought early on. Is that true?

[Mark Pope]

Yeah, he's gonna, he's got a Mason. Yeah, Mason has got a grove for sure, but he's coming in with a college ready body and he is a voracious worker. He's a guy. You know, I've talked about this publicly a lot, about how he just is relentless in the gym. He's shooting the ball at elite level. He's one of those guys right now as a young player that I'm trying to get him to stop deferring and actually go hunt possessions. He's a great playmaker. He's got to learn how to play us. He's got to learn all the freshman stuff. But he's. I'm telling you what, I have high hopes for him and his trajectory. I think he's got a chance to be a very good player.

[Matt Jones]

So you, I mean, when you, when you first came here, you and I sat down and you said something to me. That I really stuck with me. You said, look, I know you have to do your job, and if things don't go like they should, you need to go on the. Go on there and blast me. That's your job. It's not BBN if you don't. I remember telling you at the time. That's easy to say in the abstract. What's it like when it happens two years later? You felt at times, I'm sure, the pressure of Kentucky media. Do you feel the same way two years later?

[Mark Pope]

100%. Like, one thing, guys, is like, I know exactly what Kentucky is. I mean, I'm probably right now the world's expert on Kentucky basketball. I know exactly what it is, and I'm learning how to navigate the challenge better and better every single day, as we all are. But our standard is never going to change. It's what's make this place great. And the way we chase it is never going to change. And our care is never going to change. And so it's all part of the gig, like it is every single day. It's all part of the gig. And it's the gig that I want more than any other gig in the world. It's awesome.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. Last year, before the season started, you were very excited about that team. I think you said that you were sitting on a Ferrari. Was your. Was your quote? Obviously, the Jalen Lowe injury changes a lot. Do you look back and say I was overestimating the team or it just really didn't have a chance after Low got hurt. Like, how do you look at when you evaluate yourself, last year's thing?

[Mark Pope]

No, I feel the same way about the rosters I did before the season. We just didn't get to see it. You know, it's just a hard. That's. Listen, I wish there was a better answer than that, but we just didn't get to see it. You know, we. You know, you don't get. You don't get Jalen. Really. At the very beginning, we kind of had an unbelievable lead guard scenario like we do this year. We had that to start with a couple other players that once Jalen came, they left. So we had great depth there. I felt like at the 5, I thought we had unbelievable depth to really go and we just never got to see the team. You know, I say this all the time. We got to see him for 17 minutes in the second half against St. John's and even in that scenario, you're seeing guys that never practiced together that never got to develop. And you think About J. I think about JLo and JQ a lot. They changed the way our team could function on the floor. And so the upside with those guys was so elite. You think about jq he played four games all season and he gets drafted, you know, solidly in the first round. That's the type of talent that he brings to the table. We just unfortunately didn't get to see it last year.

[Matt Jones]

So is that in your mind? You say, look, the plan was good, the roster build was good. It just. We had injuries. Is that how you see it?

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Mark Pope]

I mean, there's always things you could do better, but, man, I would have loved to take that thing for a ride, for sure. Like, I like the way it was built. I like the way it's put together. I wish the cadence stayed because that would have given us some real, like, backup function. And we thought that was going to work and it just didn't. So there, you know, there's a couple pieces that I wish had hung in there with us, but if you gave me that group healthy and said, hey, run it back, I'd be like, let's go, man. Let's go figure this out. Because it's. You would do it again? Oh, 100%.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. When I was watching the team, and this actually goes back to the first year, some. One of the things I've noticed about you, you don't tend to play the guys huge amounts of minutes, any of the guys. I will say one of the things I've always thought is, look, there's a big drop sometimes between the ones and the twos, and oftentimes we might get a lead and then the subs happen and then it's back tied again. Is that just. Is that your kind of plan going forward? Was it. Is it unique to those two teams?

[Mark Pope]

Well, it changes. So there's so many variables that go into it. I think my instinct normally is to kind of like, let's go lead out in the energy part of the game and win that part of the game. I think part of, you know, our optimism going into last season was we felt like we come wave after wave after wave, and we never got a chance to do that because we never had that group. And so I, I do think that there's a ton of variables that come into making those decisions, but I do think there's a place actually to play guys more of a solid rotation. And, and I think there's a time and place to do that. And, and. And so you do it in the post. Balance is important.

[Matt Jones]

You do do it in the postseason often.

[Mark Pope]

Well, developing guys is really important. Yeah, right. And you saw that. You know, a great example is Colin Chandler. Colin Chandler was the seventh most improved player in all of college basketball last season. That doesn't happen by accident. You have to kind of nurse guys and grow guys. You know, Jasper Johnson is a player that has tremendous upside, and we, we needed him and we kept, you know, trying to find the right situation for him and he's going to be a great player and, and. And some of that's going to come from those developmental minutes. You know, you look at Ortega always rise and like us being able to continually put him in new situations. That's how guys grow. Malachi Moreno, you know, early on in the season, force feeding him some minutes helped him grow into the guy that actually had to carry the load for so much last season. You kind of go down the list. So there's a MA for us. We are developers of players. I think it's one of the things we do better than anybody else in the country is we help our guys get better. I'm really proud of the fact that Amari came in here as a non draft board guy, that Kobe came in here as a non draft board guy, that Otega came here as a non. These are not guys that were predestined to be drafted players. JQ was. Yeah, but those other three weren't. And the fact that those guys came here and we're able to develop them to where and they develop themselves. It's their hard work that does it. To earn themselves a chance to go play at the next level is really important to us. And I think part of the reason why we, you know, part of our plan, part of this process is bringing players in and helping them grow and get better. And I think it's something our staff is a lead at, so that comes into play, too. But like I said, there's a thousand variables that goes into those decisions, and that's certainly one of them.

[Matt Jones]

I've got. I asked fans for questions that they wanted answers to. You have to go for practice. I love.

[Mark Pope]

I love the fans questions.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so these. But we got to go quick if

[Mark Pope]

we're going to get go.

[Matt Jones]

Are you going to hire another assistant and win?

[Mark Pope]

The answer is most likely yes and.

[Matt Jones]

But potentially no.

[Mark Pope]

I can't tell you when. This is what I can tell you. I love the way that our staff is working right now. So there's been a change in NCAA right now in terms of staff. So right now I Get Will Corman and I get Nick Robinson and I get Matt Santoro on the court. All staff members are allowed to be on the court right now. I like the way we feel as a staff. I'm engaged in conversations about staff every day. Even when our staff is full, I'm still talking and talking to people and kind of seeing where it goes. If we hire someone, it's going to be the right person that's going to be exactly the right fit for what we do. But we're working at a really high level right now.

[Matt Jones]

So no Jamal Crawford.

[Mark Pope]

Jamal is still got two years left on his NBC contract.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Pope]

I'm good friends with Jamal. We've been friends for a long time. There might be a time where it's good for him to jump in. Coaching. It's something that he would like to do. He's one of those guys that's cut from a little bit of a similar cloth. Like Mo Williams is where, you know, Mo was. It's hard to run an AAU program. And he. And there's a lot of guys that. That fund an AAU program. Mo was running an AU program. Jamal is running and coaching an AU program. And when you find guys like that, with their background, he could have a great future in college. He could have a. You know, he could. He could go get a job, baby. In the right. In the exact right space as a. As a head coach in the NBA, maybe. But I think there's a good chance coaching is in his future. But he's. He's got a sweet deal right now, and he's. He's got a couple years left.

[Matt Jones]

I've had a lot of people ask me why no father son camps, et cetera, this summer.

[Mark Pope]

Yeah. So we were working through so many dynamics, we thought we would take a pause on those this summer and just reevaluate. With everything that's changing, there is a real place for those camps. I love them. I actually like. I actually like the. The Daddy Daughter camp even better than the father and son.

[Matt Jones]

But you're not doing any of them.

[Mark Pope]

We're not doing either of those this year. And we're going to kind of just take a pause and reevaluate.

[Matt Jones]

Reevaluate, meaning you think they'll come back?

[Mark Pope]

I could see us going huge into camps. I could see us, you know, walking away from them. I'm not sure where the future is going to go with that, but it's something we're thinking about.

[Matt Jones]

Why no summer trip?

[Mark Pope]

So we had. We had kind of worked through several dynamics we there and we're still under consideration for something that we have to get some waivers for to do. But it's again there's been some rule changes. You know the best thing about these overseas trip is the 10 days of practice. The 10 days of practice are game changers. But the NCAA rightfully so and I hope they keep going this direction. They took our four hour limitation on the court and they extended it. They doubled it now. So we have much more time on the court. It makes those 10 days of practice a little bit less of a boost. There's also a cost, there's a financial cost and there's a time cost and there's an energy cost to go out on the trip. So if we find the exact right one. We thought we've had something a couple

[Matt Jones]

times so you still could.

[Mark Pope]

Well and I can't really go into detail. There's actually something we'd have to need some waivers for right now that we're pushing on. Right now we're talking to NCAA about see if we get a waiver out of program but we just can't. You know I, I'm not allowed to talk about.

[Matt Jones]

Are you going to get another player?

[Mark Pope]

Maybe we're still actively. I love my roster right now but if we find the right piece at the right time and that could look like a lot of different things. It could be a developmental piece, it could be a, it could be a depth piece. It could be. There's, there's a lot of different slices where we've gone. If we find the right person, we could. But I like the roster a lot right now. I think we go to battle.

[Matt Jones]

All right, they're telling me you have to go. We're. We went a long segment here. Could he stay till 11:10?

[Mark Pope]

Yeah, let's do it. Come on.

[Matt Jones]

Let's say we can do it. All right, so we're going to take. This is going to be an extended break but then we will come back at the top of the hour and be able to have Mark. We'll be right back.

[Mark Pope]

Ksr don't make it too extended.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back Techie Sports Radio. Have a ton of people riding in. Let me give you. We got a minute here before I have to take another break. Zoom diallo. Alex Wilkins. What's that back query going to be?

[Mark Pope]

Man, if you guys could have heard what the conversation was in this room

[Matt Jones]

during the break, it was great. I wish we could have that conversation on the air.

[Mark Pope]

There's rules, guys. There's rules.

[Matt Jones]

There's rules.

[Drew]

Waivers. We got waivers.

[Mark Pope]

Hey, before we get to have Kidding. How is our guy Ryan doing?

[Matt Jones]

He. First of all, I'm glad you asked. He is doing much better. He had a really difficult time. I mean, like, in the hospital for 10 days at 1 point looked tough. And, and, and he. But he's doing much better. He's on vacation right now. So he's okay. He's come back to the show.

[Mark Pope]

Okay, good, good.

[Matt Jones]

It's good to hear because I know you care about him a lot.

[Mark Pope]

Okay, hit me with questions.

[Matt Jones]

Zoom. Real quick.

[Drew]

Zoom.

[Matt Jones]

And Alex Wilkins. What's that backcourt going to be like?

[Mark Pope]

It's going to be super fun, man.

[Matt Jones]

You know, that's the recruit.

[Mark Pope]

They're Both, they're both 10 creators and. And they're very different in style of play. They're going to be really fun.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Do you think together is the shooting enough at the guard position with those two?

[Mark Pope]

Yeah. So Alex right now shoots 79% on. We do 100. We do a series of 100 threes a day. And on this in the. We're just, you know, right close to that four, four week mark. He's 79.

[Matt Jones]

That's pretty good.

[Mark Pope]

He can shoot it, guys.

[Matt Jones]

All right, we're gonna do five minutes with you when we return and then let you go. To let you go. It's a practice. We will take a break and be right back. KSR.