2026-07-28- KSR - Hour 2

Summary

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KSR Podcast – Hour 2 (2026-07-28): County Histories, Small-Town Memories, and Khalil Whitney’s Redemption

Overview

In this episode of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR), Matt Jones and co-hosts Billy Reed and Khalil Whitney blend classic KSR “county-by-county” explorations of Kentucky history and lore with an honest, inspirational interview. The highlight is a heartfelt, illuminating conversation with former UK player Khalil Whitney, who shares his journey from a tough exit at Kentucky to basketball redemption – and belonging – through the TBT tournament. The tone is classic KSR: playful, local, candid, full of nostalgia and sports passion.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. Matt Jones' Winding Career Path (02:48–06:31)

• Listener Mail: Matt jests about a listener picturing him as the "worst prison guard ever," prompting a rundown of his eclectic pre-lawyer work experience.

  • Worked at Movie Warehouse ("You ask me any movie from '95, '96. I checked it in." [03:37])
  • Reporter for Middlesboro Daily News.
  • AAA summer travel agent in the pre-internet era. ("Young people don't think about…before the Internet, how did you book where you were gonna go?" [03:48])
  • Hart's Dry Cleaners ("That’s a hot job. Not like it was exciting. It was like, physically hot." [06:04])
  • Casual Living patio furniture delivery ("I would deliver grills to women...that happened multiple times." [04:57])
  • Billy jokes about applying for a grill delivery gig after Matt discusses being the target of flirtations from customers.

Notable Quote:

"I spent the whole summer getting yelled at for not having enough starch in the jeans."
— Matt Jones [06:18]

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B. Kentucky County Deep Dive: Butler County (06:41–13:29)

Historical Highlights

• Founded: 1810 (named for Gen. Richard Butler)
• Seat: Morgantown.
• Developed via Green River boating traffic and river navigation locks/dams installed in 1833. [07:57]
• Unique Civil War monument honoring both Union and Confederate soldiers ("Only two monuments in Kentucky that revered both sides.” [09:02])
• The Phinney Hotel in Woodbury—historic, now abandoned, believed haunted by a local ghost legend. [10:10]
• Green River Catfish Festival: July 4th, featuring Ms. Catfish, square dancing, tractor shows, fishing tournaments, and food at Country Kitchen.

Pop Culture Moments

• Reminiscence about early KSR live shows in Morgantown, including meeting “Ms. Catfish.”
• "What are the…requirements to be Miss Catfish?" Matt asks. "Smile and wave." —Ms. Catfish [10:47]

Notable Quote:

"If you're talking country cooking, can you think of a place we've been to that's more country cooking than that?"
— Matt Jones [17:41]

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C. Kentucky County Deep Dive: Caldwell County (13:29–27:37)

Historical Highlights

• Founded: 1809 (named after John Caldwell, 2nd Lt. Gov. of KY)
• Seat: Princeton.
• Attachment to Trail of Tears at Big Springs Park—Cherokee camped here in 1838.
• River piracy: James Ford ran Ford’s Ferry Gang on the Ohio River—respected by day, pirate by night, murdered by his gang. ("He was just like a local businessman who was a pirate. On the weekends." [15:30])
• Center of the "Black Patch Tobacco Wars" (1906–08), a major farmers' revolt against monopolies ("great American worker uprisings." [16:02])

Local Legends and Oddities

• Ghost stories: Gravity Hill optical illusion, where cars appear to roll uphill. Matt recounts a surreal personal story involving a mysterious woman helping him change a tire there. [24:21]

  • "She just walked out of nowhere…helped us change the tire. And then we look up and she was gone. Ghost." — Matt Jones [24:52]

• Economy & Agriculture:

  • UK College of Agriculture operates experiment farms here since 1925.
  • Home to Bremner, the largest private cookie/cracker factory in North America.

• Notable People:

  • Mabel Stark: Pioneer female tiger trainer, performed in Ringling Bros.
  • Martha Nelson Thomas: Creator of "doll babies," the inspiration for Cabbage Patch Kids.
  • Tony Franklin: Football coach.
  • Scott Jennings: Political analyst.
  • Star athlete Sinclair ("recently went to Purdue. Kentucky recruited him..." [27:23]).

Notable Quote:

"There were pirates on the Ohio river attacking. I didn’t know about this. That would feel like that would be a really good movie, don’t you think?" — Matt Jones [15:14]

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D. Bluegrass Roots—The Real "Uncle Pen" (21:23–22:08)

• Discovery: Bill Monroe's bluegrass hit "Uncle Pen" is about Pendleton Van Diver from Butler County—Billy and Matt share pride in the Kentucky roots of this classic.

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E. Khalil Whitney Interview: Redemption, Basketball, Brotherhood (28:39–45:58)

Return and Redemption

• Career Arc: From tough UK exit and depression (“I didn’t want to come back. Like a dark hole…energy here wasn’t good.” [30:50]) to a viral TikTok (security guard uniform) sparking opportunity with the TBT team ("I was hurt. I broke my toe…working security at a nightclub” [31:29]).
• Being Welcomed Back:
  • "It was wonderful. I tell people this all the time. Being embraced and supported by a group of great fans here, it’s amazing." [32:50]
• International Play:
  • Played in China; embraced the experience, mainly ate Korean BBQ buffets, and KFC ("That's a lot of KFC if you eat it all the time" [34:41])

Team Dynamics and TBT Details

• Describes teammates (Willie Cauley-Stein as "grandpa," Andrew, Archie), team chemistry.
• On the Elam ending: "I love it…gives you the opportunity to go on a run if your team’s down or anything can happen." [29:14]
• Reflects on beating Louisville—"definitely a fun win for us…some adversity through that series, but we came out on top." [37:21]
• Gratitude for fans:
  • "I have the utmost respect for those guys, and I just want to show my love…for them." [37:47]
• Feels Lexington is his "second home" now.

Brotherhood and Coaching

• Keeps in close touch with other Kentucky players (John Wall, Anthony Davis, Tyler Ulis).
• Praises coach John Hood’s energy and tactical skills ("He gets the best out of you…can draw up a hell of a play." [42:29])
• Predicts Tyrese Maxey will be a future Hall of Famer; saw his talent early at UK.

Next Game, TBT Stakes

• Prepping for Kansas in Alumni Championship, with $2M prize at stake.
• On winner-take-all format and why guys play:
  • "We're the favorites. We have a great fan base. It's like, why not show up and get the job done." [44:09]
• Strongly encourages future Kentucky players to play TBT:
  • "Just knowing, just giving back. It's for the fans. You also get to win some money. ...it's a win, win situation." [44:54]

Fan Connection

• Stays after games to sign autographs:
  • "Just knowing the energy the fans give you, you just want to give back…just feel what the love feels like." [39:09]

Notable Quotes

"Through the grace of God, and hard work and perseverance...and the fans being genuine as well with me—everything worked out.”
— Khalil Whitney [31:13]

“You showed vulnerability years ago that a lot of guys wouldn’t. You were rewarded for it, which I think is wonderful, and it’s been great watching you.”
— Matt Jones [46:56]

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “You ask me any movie from ’95, ’96, I checked it in.” — Matt Jones [03:37]
• “If you were talking country cooking, can you think of a place more country than that?” — Matt Jones on Country Kitchen [17:41]
• “She just walked out of nowhere...helped us change the tire. And then we look up and she was gone. Ghost.” — Matt Jones, the Gravity Hill story [24:52]
• “He was just like a local businessman who was a pirate. On the weekends.” — Matt Jones on James Ford [15:30]
• "I love it [the Elam ending]...anything can happen." — Khalil Whitney [29:14]
• “It was wonderful...being embraced and supported by a group of great fans here, it’s amazing.” — Khalil Whitney [32:50]
• "I have the utmost respect for those guys, and I just want to show my love..." — Khalil Whitney on fans [37:47]
• “I think [Tyrese Maxey] will be a future hall of Famer.” — Khalil Whitney [40:52]
• "He gets the best out of you...can draw up a hell of a play." — Khalil Whitney on coach John Hood [42:29]
• “We’re the favorites. We have a good team. We have a great fan base. Why not show up and get the job done?” — Khalil Whitney [44:09]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:48 – Beginning of Matt’s job history/Small-town stories
• 06:41 – Start of Butler County history & lore
• 13:29 – Caldwell County: history, pirates, Black Patch Wars
• 21:23 – Discussion of "Uncle Pen" and bluegrass legacy
• 28:39 – Khalil Whitney joins for interview
• 30:50 – Whitney discusses leaving UK, depression
• 31:29 – Viral TikTok and working security
• 33:11 – Being embraced by UK fans, redemption arc
• 34:11 – Experience in China; food and culture
• 37:21 – On beating Louisville in TBT
• 39:09 – Fan connection, signing autographs after games
• 40:52 – On Tyrese Maxey's NBA future
• 42:29 – Praise for coach John Hood
• 44:09 – Talking TBT stakes, why players play, fan base

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Tone & Style

• Warm, nostalgic, conversational, unflinchingly honest, and full of local Kentucky color.
• Khalil Whitney’s candidness and appreciation resonated powerfully; Matt’s irreverent, homegrown humor grounded the first half.

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For Listeners New and Old

This episode offers a classic slice of KSR—a quirky, affectionate tour through Kentucky identity and small-town history, blended with authentic sports storytelling. The second half’s interview is especially powerful as a testament to perseverance, vulnerability, and the deep connection between players and the Big Blue Nation.

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End of summary

Transcript

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[Khalil Whitney]

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[Billy Reed]

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[Billy Reed]

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[Matt Jones]

Woo. Come on, let's go. Give me a hug. What a goal. Can you believe it?

[Billy Reed]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Billy Reed]

Sorry, can I get another one for. Wait, what's your name again?

[Matt Jones]

Tom. I'm Tom. Nice to meet you, Tom. Another Heineken for Tom, please. Heineken. Official beer of soccer fans have more friends.

[Billy Reed]

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[Matt Jones]

Our number two. This is going to be half KSARI fun, half Whitney basketball fun. We're going to do some county stuff with Billy, but I got a couple of things until then. One person writes, matt, did you know there's a movie coming out next year with Bugs Bunny where the coyote sues the Acme company for blowing him up and John Cena is his lawyer. That sounds completely made up. So I bet it's probably true. I don't know if I'll catch that one. What a wild concept. That is. A wild concept. Good pick for it, though. One person writes, matt, I can't see you doing any job, much less being a prison guard. You would been the worst prison guard ever. Well, first of all, I've had jobs.

[Billy Reed]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Can we say the jobs I've had?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Worked at movie warehouse.

[Billy Reed]

Great, great, great employee.

[Matt Jones]

I miss movie warehouse. Movie warehouse was great. You asked me any movie from 95, 96. I checked it in. I worked for the Middlesboro Daily News.

[Billy Reed]

Very important. As a reporter.

[Matt Jones]

I worked at AAA as a summer travel agent. You weren't out there changing the tires, were you? People, younger people. Mario doesn't even know what a travel agent is. But it used to, like young people don't think about. Before the Internet, how did you book where you were gonna go? You know, like if you were gonna go to Jackson, Mississippi, why. But if you were you, you wouldn't know what the hotels were.

[Billy Reed]

No. Well, you need a travel agent to look at.

[Matt Jones]

So a travel agent would look it up for you. And I would sit there and take calls and they'd be like, I want to go to pr Illinois.

[Khalil Whitney]

Give me a hotel.

[Matt Jones]

You get a hotel. And is there an Applebee? And I would do that. There was like this little machine then Hart's Dry Cleaners, which is still out there on South Broadway, North Broadway. Just picked up some clothes from there. Could have been you that starched it. Casual living.

[Billy Reed]

That the patio furniture place?

[Matt Jones]

That place still open?

[Billy Reed]

It's off Richmond Road, right?

[Matt Jones]

No, it was. Well, I don't know where it is now. It used to be off New Circle, Liberty Road.

[Khalil Whitney]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

It was. Liberty Road was where Their warehouse was. I would. I would deliver grills to women. Like middle aged women trying to seduce you as the grill boy got off the truck. That happened multiple times.

[Billy Reed]

How do I apply?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. Is Casual Living still open? I had a lot of good memories at Casual Living. That was a lot of fun.

[Billy Reed]

Did you do it one summer?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Every day I would just get in there at like 8am they'd give me my delivery order and I was on the open road all day. Nobody bugging you. And because I knew eastern Kentucky, they usually send me out to London or Corbin or like I deliver all the stuff out there. I loved it. That was a great job. And then I worked. Yeah, that was it. Then I became a lawyer, which is not really a job.

[Billy Reed]

Wasn't there some connection with Trinity Church, with Casual living in you? They hired you.

[Matt Jones]

What?

[Billy Reed]

Never mind.

[Khalil Whitney]

All right.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know what that. What that is. Billy is here.

[Billy Reed]

Dry cleaning. Surprising. I never heard that story.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, did dry. That's a hot job. Because the one. Because like, not like it was exciting. It was like physically hot.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Because, I mean, in the summer now, like I've said this before, that was in the era when everybody would get their jeans starched.

[Billy Reed]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Jones]

All these people would come in and they'd be like, extra starch. And you'd look at them go, okay. And they go, extra starch. And you give them jeans that were standing up by themselves and they go, that's not enough starch. Break them in half. They would just yell at you all the time. I spent the whole summer getting yelled at for not having enough starch in the jeans. All right, we were doing the counties. Yes. You got to remind me where we. Where we left off.

[Billy Reed]

We have Butler and Caldwell County.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so Butler county, is that Morgantown? Morgan Field.

[Billy Reed]

That is Morgantown. Correct.

[Matt Jones]

Morgantown. One of our first affiliate was. I think Morgan Field Field was our first one. But Morgantown came right after. Well, part of the reason Morgantown came right after is I couldn't get them. I kept forgetting which was which. And I would say the other one so much that they finally just took the show to shut me up.

[Billy Reed]

We used to go there every summer doing a show.

[Matt Jones]

Morgantown. We go to that. The guy who would paint cars. Yes. You remember that?

[Billy Reed]

He made us a big KSR thing.

[Matt Jones]

He made us. I still have that. That little KSR metal.

[Billy Reed]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

I wonder if he's still going.

[Billy Reed]

I don't know.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so Morgantown in Butler County. Go ahead.

[Billy Reed]

Yes. Part of west central Kentucky, formed in 1810 from portions of Logan and Ohio counties and named after Major General Richard Butler, who is also the namesake of Butler county, Ohio, and Butler county, Pennsylvania.

[Matt Jones]

No way.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah. He served in the Revolutionary War.

[Matt Jones]

How did he get three states to do accounting for him?

[Billy Reed]

Not sure.

[Matt Jones]

Butler county, Pennsylvania, is where Trump got shot. It is. That's why that sounds familiar. Really?

[Billy Reed]

Yeah. He was a major general.

[Matt Jones]

So the same Butler that's in. That's where the. Butler county where Trump got shot.

[Billy Reed]

Correct.

[Matt Jones]

What a small world.

[Billy Reed]

The population of about 13,000 people. The county seat is Morgantown. Butler County's history and early growth can be traced back to the boating traffic that used to flow on the green river in 1833. The common paradise lay in 1833. The commonwealth of Kentucky introduced a navigation system for the Green and Baron rivers, including locks and dams that allowed more commercial traffic to reach the county.

[Matt Jones]

Did they still do those? So. So remind me. I know what a dam is. A lock is what it's like when

[Billy Reed]

you raise and lower the water level.

[Matt Jones]

So that, that, that. That is what it is. Right? They raise the water and lower. Have you ever watched that happen?

[Billy Reed]

I've seen a Panama Canal thing where they do.

[Matt Jones]

I bet that would be fascinating to watch in real time.

[Billy Reed]

They have one of the Kentucky River, Kentucky Lake, I think down there, they.

[Matt Jones]

The lake bark. So they do it for, like, boats. They raise. And how long does it take?

[Billy Reed]

I'm not sure on the length, but over the next 20 years, Butler County's population doubled because of that. And two more towns were incorporated on, like the locks, Rochester and Woodbury.

[Matt Jones]

I've never heard of those.

[Billy Reed]

Growth slowed during the Civil War where Butler county witnessed a few minor incidents. But after the war, in 1907, former soldiers from both sides came together to create the Confederate Union Veterans monument in front of the Butler county courthouse in Morgantown. It's one of the only two monuments in Kentucky that revered both sides of the war instead of just one.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, really? Wait a minute. So they both are in the same.

[Billy Reed]

The monument honors both of them.

[Matt Jones]

That's interesting, because that was the part of the state that was like. That was where they were battling. Right? Like that was. Am I correct about that? Like that part of Kentucky there were active fights.

[Billy Reed]

Correct. Less in Butler county than many of the surrounding counties. But you know that, because that was in the research, that they had a few minor incidents. It wasn't as much as some other places.

[Matt Jones]

Gotcha.

[Billy Reed]

The Phinney Hotel in Woodbury dates back to 1860. 7. The hotel played an important role in the economic development of Woodbury as a river town catering to riverboat travelers. On the green.

[Matt Jones]

Still there?

[Billy Reed]

It is, but it's abandoned now. By 1950, the Hotel no longer served travelers and had become a private residence. It is historic, but now abandoned. That is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, it's. It's a. Like, no one's there.

[Billy Reed]

Correct. Yeah. People think it's haunted as well.

[Matt Jones]

I would bet. If you had a hotel that's 200 years old that just sits abandoned, can you imagine what that's like inside?

[Billy Reed]

Creepy is what it's like inside.

[Matt Jones]

The night there.

[Billy Reed]

Haunted by the ghost of a little girl that local lore suggested was murdered there.

[Matt Jones]

Somebody was murdered, yes.

[Billy Reed]

Since 1980, Morgantown has put on the Green River Catfish Festival during the week of July 4th.

[Matt Jones]

We've been to that. Remember, we had Ms. Catfish on the show.

[Khalil Whitney]

We did have Ms. Catfish on the show. That's right.

[Matt Jones]

We did have. I still remember that. Mitts. Catfish. Because I asked her, I said, what are the. What are. What is it you have to do to miss be Miss Catfish? And she said, smile and wave. I was like, well, okay, I forgot about Ms. Cat. That was an early KSR remote. Maybe one of the very first ones. Ms. Cat fish came because they have that really good restaurant there.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

You remember, we would need to go there every year.

[Billy Reed]

They don't take credit cards.

[Matt Jones]

Don't take credit cards. That food is so good. You can still. It's still open, right? It's right off the Western Kentucky Parkway, isn't it?

[Billy Reed]

I think we. We did a show there, too, I think, at that restaurant.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Billy Reed]

Square dancing, tractor shows, live music, BD pageants, and an annual fishing tournament in which anglers fish for tagged catfish for cash prizes.

[Matt Jones]

Ms. Catfish long time.

[Billy Reed]

And then some people. From Butler County, Medal of Honor recipient Don Jenkins for his actions in the Vietnam War. It is from Quality, Kentucky, which is in Butler county, an unincorporated town, Pendleton.

[Matt Jones]

Did they say what that guy did to make him get the Medal of Honor?

[Billy Reed]

He was wounded and then went back into action. I'm not sure on the specifics.

[Matt Jones]

Back in.

[Billy Reed]

While he's wounded, Pendleton Van Diver is a legendary Kentucky fiddler and uncle of Bill Monroe. His music helped influence the sound that Monroe later developed into bluegrass.

[Matt Jones]

What was his name? Pendleton Van Diver.

[Billy Reed]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

That's a great.

[Billy Reed]

You got it. And you don't hear that name very often. And Claude Charles Blotch was born in Woodbury. He was the admiral who was in charge At Pearl harbor during the attack in 1941.

[Matt Jones]

Well, he was in charge, so that didn't go very well.

[Billy Reed]

No, no. It was a surprise.

[Matt Jones]

The guy was in charge.

[Billy Reed]

An admiral who was in charge at Pearl harbor county was from Woodbury. Wow.

[Matt Jones]

A lot. A lot of history there. And that we got. What is the name of that restaurant? Is it Country Kitchen? Country Kitchen. That's exactly right. With cake. That's right. Country Kitchen with. I think it's still open.

[Billy Reed]

Great. Homemade pies. That's what I'm driving on.

[Matt Jones]

Because, you know, if you're driving on the Western Kentucky Parkway, there's nothing. Nothing worse road. No offense in America for stuff. But then you get to Morgantown, it's the one exit. And if you get off and you take a right and you go like a mile, that Country Kitchen.

[Khalil Whitney]

There it is.

[Matt Jones]

Is awesome. I highly recommend that Drew. It's a great pit stop on the Western Kentucky park. It's still open. And their Facebook profile picture is just a picture of PI. That's all you need.

[Billy Reed]

I'm telling you. That's what I remember about that restaurant. I.

[Matt Jones]

You know what? I don't know when we're heading west again, but I will stop. Let's go. That place is really, really good. All right, so there's Butler County. What's next?

[Billy Reed]

All right, to Caldwell county we go in western Kentucky, formed in 1809 from parts of Livingston county, named after John Caldwell, a Revolutionary War veteran who was elected the second lieutenant governor of Kentucky in 1804.

[Matt Jones]

And that's on the Mississippi river, right?

[Billy Reed]

I believe so, yes. He died while presiding over the state senate in his first year from inflammation of the brain. Unfortunately, the county seat is Princeton in 1838. Downtown.

[Matt Jones]

That's not on the Mississippi. No, it's not. This neighbors Madisonville. This is in the county over from. This is the place I wrote about in the book that had the mayor that was like 23 years old. You remember that? Remember that? The. He's the youngest mayor in America. Was in Princeton. It has. That is a beautiful little downtown there.

[Billy Reed]

Yes, it is.

[Matt Jones]

But he was. They elected him like right out of college to be the mayor. Don't know what happened to that guy. That was like six years ago.

[Billy Reed]

I forgot to have you.

[Matt Jones]

But that was Caldwell County.

[Billy Reed]

Well, that's better than electing a dog like many Kentucky counties have.

[Matt Jones]

This guy. Princeton's a decent little sized town and he was the mayor.

[Billy Reed]

A lot going on in Princeton in 1838, in downtown Princeton at bring Big Springs park was where Cherokee Indians camped for several weeks on their forced migration west on the Trail of Tears.

[Matt Jones]

We went there. Tomlin and I went to that place.

[Billy Reed]

Yes, the Trail of Tears Historic Site there. In the late 1790s, James Ford was a respected businessman who grew up near Princeton while known as a pillar of the community. Secretly Ford led a river piracy gang called Ford's Fairy Gang.

[Matt Jones]

I've heard of this. Yes. They were river pirates. Yeah.

[Billy Reed]

Ford and his men robbed boats on the Ohio river and he became infamous in the area. James was eventually killed by his own gang members.

[Matt Jones]

Well, you can't trust anybody that. So they. There were pirates on the Ohio river attacking. I didn't know about this. That would feel like that would be a really good movie, don't you think? It'd be a great movie.

[Billy Reed]

But he also lived a double life. So many people thought he was this great guy.

[Matt Jones]

So he was just like a local businessman who was a pirate. On the weekends, Knight would put on an eye patch and be a pirate.

[Billy Reed]

I don't know about the eye patch, but at night they would go out and rob these boats.

[Matt Jones]

Huh. Okay.

[Billy Reed]

Also in Caldwell county. It is a core part of the historic black patch region, famous for its dark fired and dark air cured tobacco. The area was the center of the violent black patch tobacco wars from 1906 to 1908 when local farmers rebelled against a major tobacco monopoly.

[Matt Jones]

Have you ever read about this? No. It's one of like the great American worker uprisings. The tobacco farmers in Kentucky and I believe maybe Tennessee. Tennessee. They essentially just would just revolted and like kill the owners. The black patch wars. They went on for what you say two years?

[Billy Reed]

Two years. Two years, yeah.

[Matt Jones]

That's a fascinating part of history. There was one something similar in West Virginia which in coal mine in the coal mining area and then tobacco in Kentucky. Strictly two of the really like. And they. And they couldn't quell it. They would just keep coming.

[Billy Reed]

This all took place in Caldwell County?

[Matt Jones]

No, it was a lot. It's a big area.

[Billy Reed]

It's in the center of the big area. The massed vigilantes group known as the Knight Riders fought against the major corporations and farmers who helped them by destroying crops, burning warehouses and intimidation. Fighting lasted for two years before the Kentucky National Guard had to step in.

[Matt Jones]

You, you, you hang tight. Okay, we're gonna take a break before we get the rest of yours. But first, cornbread hemp. If you need a botanical. A botanical goodness with cornbread's non alcoholic spritz crisp and refreshing beverage made with adaptogens like lemon balm and passion flower. They have it at Liquor Barn, Total Wine, Fresh Market, Cox and Evergreen Liquors. It's cornbread spritz for your favorite bar restaurant. Cornbread grown for the good life. Lots of people like saying country kitchen. I would say definite. Like, if you're talking country cooking, can you think of a place we've been to that's more country cooking than that?

[Billy Reed]

That one or that one? We go down there in Campbellsville.

[Matt Jones]

That doesn't take credit now though it is Grandma's or whatever it was. I think that one's closed, so I think this may be the last one. We'll take a break and be right back. Ksr. There's an app for your playlists, an app for your photos, even an app that helps you dodge tr. But only one app brings you this

[Billy Reed]

live radio station anytime, anywhere.

[Matt Jones]

With the iHeartRadio app, your favorite radio station fits right in your pocket.

[Khalil Whitney]

Live shows, news, sports, exclusive music channels, and voices that don't just go viral.

[Matt Jones]

They're the voices of your local community.

[Khalil Whitney]

So if it's not already on your

[Matt Jones]

home screen, fix that. Download the number one radio app, the free iHeartradio app today. IHeartradio. I'm Mangesha together and I'm back with

[Billy Reed]

a new season of the podcast Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit

[Matt Jones]

hole of peptides, organoids, blood boys, blue

[Billy Reed]

zones, and brain replacement.

[Matt Jones]

To try to understand what this longevity

[Billy Reed]

obsession is all about and what it really means to live forever for all of us.

[Matt Jones]

I learned about some rad science.

[Billy Reed]

I can make a brain for you and then we can test what drug

[Matt Jones]

is the best for your brain as

[Billy Reed]

opposed to his brain.

[Matt Jones]

Here are some hard truths. I would expect Indians to age faster,

[Billy Reed]

but I did not expect it to be almost a four to five year

[Matt Jones]

acceleration and get myself into a world of trouble.

[Billy Reed]

I'd say probably start bone smashing.

[Matt Jones]

That doesn't work. To make it look more defined.

[Billy Reed]

They say it works.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. Listen to Skyline how to live Forever

[Billy Reed]

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

[Matt Jones]

We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with a man, amazing personalities, and

[Billy Reed]

we talk about the seasons that nearly

[Matt Jones]

broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs.

[Billy Reed]

Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on

[Matt Jones]

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

[Billy Reed]

Hey, guys, Paul Verze here, and I want to talk to you about Paul's best podcast, Will Farrow's Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio. I sit down each week with a special guest and we discuss.

[Matt Jones]

Discuss the absolute best of things Davidson. It's that and then there's everything else.

[Billy Reed]

He would just shout one line.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, it would murder.

[Matt Jones]

Marie, lunch.

[Billy Reed]

Let's talk about the best moments that

[Matt Jones]

we had on the road.

[Billy Reed]

I would love a cocktail.

[Matt Jones]

Dude. Joker, get last row, middle seat on a Southwest Airlines flight.

[Billy Reed]

Joe, how was your fight?

[Matt Jones]

It was great. The guy in Penn State, we were on the field and the player thought Joe is his former coach, and he

[Billy Reed]

hugged him and hugged him, and Joe

[Matt Jones]

just went with it.

[Billy Reed]

The guy goes, what are you doing here, coach? And Joe just goes. And you walk in, and it is bananas. I mean, it's a feast for the eyes. And I was like. It's like. It's not my thing either, but we're here. When in Rome, top athletes, chefs, musicians, everybody listen to Paul's best podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Are y' all doing okay tonight out there in television land? And we're gonna do a song that was a big hit record for me, and boy was really glad about this.

[Matt Jones]

Of all the country songs that I've

[Billy Reed]

done, it was really nice to. To have a bluegrass number one record.

[Matt Jones]

So believe me, I was mighty tickled about this.

[Billy Reed]

And Bill wrote this about his fiddle playing uncle. Uncle Pen.

[Matt Jones]

Get it, boy.

[Khalil Whitney]

There we go.

[Matt Jones]

Pendleton Van Diver from Butler Patton county is the Uncle Pen from. From this famous Bill Monroe song.

[Billy Reed]

Very cool.

[Matt Jones]

Did you know. Do you know this song? This is one of the most famous bluegrass songs of all time.

[Billy Reed]

I don't know this one. And it's named after Uncle Penn.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. It started Bill Monroe and then Ricky Skaggs had a big hit with it. So there you go, Butler. I didn't know that.

[Billy Reed]

That's very cool.

[Matt Jones]

C.J. wrote me and told me. I did not a bunch of you did. By the way, the guy that was the youngest mayor is now the county judge executive of the Caldwell.

[Billy Reed]

Still a rising political star.

[Matt Jones]

He's probably still in his 20s.

[Billy Reed]

Yes, true.

[Matt Jones]

Rising star in Caldwell County. All right, go ahead. What's next? What's. What's your next?

[Billy Reed]

Yeah. Continuing Caldwell county, since 1925, the county has been home to the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture with Extensive experiment farms. The College of Agriculture in Princeton is a leader in horticultural and biological science in the 21st century.

[Matt Jones]

You're saying the University of Kentucky's agriculture school is in Caldwell? That's not true.

[Billy Reed]

It's been the home of the University of Kentucky College of agriculture since 1925.

[Matt Jones]

I thought it was out there on Newtown Pike.

[Billy Reed]

These are the facts. So, you know, this may be where the fields are. Their. Their fields.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. That I could see that.

[Billy Reed]

The experiment farms.

[Matt Jones]

Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. All right. I can believe that.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah. Still largely agricultural, but Caldwell county is home to the Bremner factory, the largest private cookie and cracker. Cracker factory in North America. Really?

[Matt Jones]

I didn't know that. Wait a minute. I don't think I knew that. The largest cookie factory in America.

[Billy Reed]

Largest private cookie and cracker factory in North America.

[Matt Jones]

Private. What's a. I guess so. It's not publicly traded. So. Bremer. What kind of cookies are Bremer?

[Billy Reed]

I'm trying to think. I don't know if I've ever heard that before. To be honest, I've never heard of Bremer either.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I mean, are they good? I would like to support Kentucky Cookies. What? What. What kind of cookies are Bremer?

[Billy Reed]

They're private, Matt, so we may not know a lot about it.

[Matt Jones]

Drew, you look up the Bremer cookies. All right. Go ahead, Billy.

[Billy Reed]

About three miles from Princeton, a spot on Crider Delaney Road off U.S. 62 west, you can find Gravity Hill. Drivers stop under a concrete overpass, shift their car into neutral, and if you take your foot off the brake, your car will drift uphill.

[Matt Jones]

I've done this many times. You've been that van I was driving?

[Billy Reed]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

No. Wait a minute. What now? Been to Gravity Hill many, many, many times. Explain to me what happens. As you said, you just put it in neutral and you're sitting there, and suddenly your car just starts going up the hill. I don't believe that. It does.

[Billy Reed]

Many have tied it to ghost stories and urban legends.

[Matt Jones]

Not true.

[Billy Reed]

But scientists have confirmed it's an illusion. An obstructed or false horizon combined with the angles of the surrounding embankments and the overpass structure trick the human eye regarding which way is up or down.

[Matt Jones]

I have a story from here.

[Billy Reed]

I gotta.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute.

[Billy Reed]

Really? Yeah. It's Gravity Hill.

[Matt Jones]

So you get tricked to think you're going up, but you're not. Okay. Now, I want to see this. Don't you? Oh, you've done it many times. I took my friend, his. We had a handicap Van. It was his family. He's called the H5. We took it there one time and I was driving and got a flat tire. This woman came out of nowhere in the darkness and helped us change the tire. And then we look up and she was gone. Ghost. That absolutely happens. Shout out to the H5. We had all kinds of people in there and I was the driver.

[Billy Reed]

Started moving uphill.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. She just walked out of nowhere. So you're saying she just came from the dark. Yes. Change your tire, helped us.

[Billy Reed]

And your car went up.

[Matt Jones]

And your car went uphill. Not all in one fell swoop there. The car, I believe, had already gone up the hill.

[Billy Reed]

And we were on our way home.

[Matt Jones]

We went to Dairy Queen that night. Good times. Okay, I'm. I'm going to skip a mis age part of that story because that did not happen. I would like to feel what you're saying though. So like you, you have felt it going uphill. For being honest, it's a little disappointing. It does. It does. It does seem. You do feel like you're going uphill. But you're probably picturing like a mountain. It's not that steep. It's steep, but it's not. But you do feel like you're going uphill. But I could understand if it's an illusion. I can't picture that at all. Move uphill.

[Billy Reed]

That.

[Matt Jones]

That's. Have you done this?

[Billy Reed]

No, I've never heard of it before.

[Matt Jones]

And then the woman comes out of the woods out of nowhere.

[Khalil Whitney]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

Now I want to do that. We should get the youngest county judge executive.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

To go. And take us to go uphill.

[Billy Reed]

Go Gravity Hill.

[Matt Jones]

These are things you do when you grow up in Madisonville, Kentucky. I actually think it's fascinating. I do think your story about the woman coming out of the dark. Craziest thing ever. It's false. She's wearing a gown. She's not wearing a gown. There was no gown.

[Billy Reed]

And on to people of Caldwell County. I only have two, but I got two good ones. Mabel Stark is referred to as one of the world's first female tiger trainers. She eventually joined the Ringling Brothers and has gotten worldwide recognition.

[Matt Jones]

How she got into that, I'm not sure.

[Billy Reed]

I don't have that.

[Matt Jones]

How do you learn? You're a tiger trainer in Caldwell County.

[Billy Reed]

We can ask Joe. Exotic. Maybe when we. Tigers.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Billy Reed]

And Martha Nelson Thomas was born in Princeton. She created doll babies who were immediately ripped off in the inspiration for Cabbage Patch Kids.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, I bet she's mad because there was a time where Cabbage Patch Kids were in the 80s.

[Billy Reed]

They were.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, my goodness. That was the big. That was like Beanie Babies later.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah. That her doll babies were the inspiration.

[Matt Jones]

And she did. She said a sued if she had a lawyer. Well, that's unfortunate. And then, of course, cabbage. Oh, you got more. Tony Franklin, football coach.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Tony Franklin is from Princeton. Okay.

[Billy Reed]

And your friend Scott Jennings, he.

[Matt Jones]

He went to Dawson Springs High School, but he was born in Princeton. Excuse me. Scott Jennings McConnell. Well, no, I don't dis. I mean, Scott Jennings is. We're friendly. So. Grew up in Dawson, but was born. So he was born and I didn't know that. Yep. There was also a star quarterback, just

[Billy Reed]

recently went to Purdue.

[Matt Jones]

Kentucky recruited him, but he trained Sinclair. Was that where. Is that where Lonoke is? No, Caldwell County High School. The Tigers. Sinclair. Okay, I remember that name. He went to Purdue.

[Billy Reed]

Yep. You say Caldwell county was the Tigers?

[Matt Jones]

Yes. Well, there you go. Well, Billy, nice job. What are our next two?

[Billy Reed]

Callaway and Campbell.

[Matt Jones]

Calloway is what, Murray?

[Billy Reed]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

And then Campbell. What's. Came The Campbell County Camels. Yes. That's up in Northern Kentucky.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

What city is it, though? I have no idea.

[Billy Reed]

I can't keep him straight up there.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, that's. That's Corey James. Country. That's Alexandria. Alexandria. Okay. That's right. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Khalil Whitney is waiting outside. I bet he was writing these facts down. He's probably very excited about them.

[Billy Reed]

Him. Let's come and talk about Drew. About the woman appeared out of the nowhere to change.

[Matt Jones]

Craziest thing I've ever seen. I still think I've known you for. You've never once brought that story up. You're making that up. And she was. And we'll be right back. This is ksr. Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio. A couple of things real quick. Casual living has closed.

[Khalil Whitney]

They have closed.

[Matt Jones]

That's unfortunate. But, you know, good memory time. Good memory. The guy would deliver furniture with. He was this old guy. He had a suntan. He would just go casual living, boys. Casual living. I don't know.

[Billy Reed]

Great motivation.

[Matt Jones]

That's right here. Joining us for. With me for the first time, Khalil Whitney. Nice to have you, my friend.

[Khalil Whitney]

Appreciate it.

[Matt Jones]

Hey, I'm. I'm really glad you're here, and it has been awesome watching you on the tbt. Let's start with this. You've had a lot of great basketball moments. I know some of them were bigger than this one. But when you dunk that ball at the end of the game. What did that feel like?

[Khalil Whitney]

It felt amazing. I was just thankful that, you know, I made a play for my team and we was able to move on and advance. But like, we were just talking about. It's very nerve wracking in the Elam ending.

[Matt Jones]

Do you like the Elam ending?

[Khalil Whitney]

I love it. I love it. This gives you the opportunity to go on a run if your team's down or anything can happen. So you just gotta stay locked in, Fully locked in.

[Matt Jones]

And it looked like you were gonna murder that camera. I mean, the look on your face was wild.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah.

[Khalil Whitney]

I had to let some anger out. Like I was telling God. I said I missed the three.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Khalil Whitney]

Possession before that. And I was pissed off about that. So I just. I really just wanted to make a play for my team at the moment and. And I came through.

[Matt Jones]

So what is it like? Like, I know it's a summer game and I know it's real money if you win, but what's it like just being in the atmosphere, like, you know, once the game start? You guys are intense.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah. I look at his war. Oh, really?

[Matt Jones]

Game of Thrones. Oh, big Game of Thrones guy.

[Khalil Whitney]

It's my favorite show.

[Matt Jones]

Who do you relate to the most on Game of Thrones?

[Khalil Whitney]

I'll say Jon Snow.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you gotta be a Targaryen dragon. You're the dragon. You're not gonna be.

[Khalil Whitney]

I feel like Jon Snow is my favorite character. I mean, Jon Snow is my favorite character. Just his, like the way he evolved and what he had to go through coming back from the dead, you know, that's just.

[Matt Jones]

Well, okay, so your story is a little bit like that. I mean, when you. Let's go back when you were here and it ended as you. After you left Kentucky, how did you think you would look back at your time in Lexington?

[Khalil Whitney]

Not good. I think I felt like probably years from that experience that I probably would have the same attitude towards it.

[Matt Jones]

Which was what?

[Khalil Whitney]

Which was. I didn't want to come back. Like a dark hole. Just the energy I had here wasn't good at the moment. And I felt like that it would have stayed like that, but through the grace of God, you know, and hard work and perseverance and just me pouring my heart out, you know what I'm saying? And being genuine and the fans being genuine as well. With me, everything worked out.

[Matt Jones]

When you got. How did you get invited back? Like did 20, how did you end up on the team? I think it was last year.

[Khalil Whitney]

TB reached out to me right after the viral TikTok post that went viral that I posted, and then for people

[Matt Jones]

who didn't see it, tell people what that TikTok post was.

[Khalil Whitney]

Literally was a TikTok of me. It was a picture of me in security uniform because I was working security, I think, like, three and a half, three years ago. Like, it was a moment of my life. I was hurt. I broke my toe. I couldn't play basketball at the moment, so I had to find, you know, I had to find something that I could do on the side, you know, And I was working security at a nightclub, just posted a picture, and it went viral. I just wanted to see what people thought of it. You know what I'm saying? I wanted to be genuine, be transparent with people.

[Matt Jones]

You were acknowledging that you were having a tough time.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, right. I was just letting people know.

[Matt Jones]

And I remember when that came, a lot of people, that was my reaction, was, man, I want to see good things happen for that guy. So Twanee reaches out to you. What does he say?

[Khalil Whitney]

So Twanee reached out to me a year before, but I was playing in Croatia, so he just reached out to me, like, bro, we got to make it happen this year. And. And I was all in. I was all in for sure.

[Matt Jones]

Did you have any hesitation about coming back to Lexington?

[Khalil Whitney]

No hesitation at all, because I knew what it could do for me, and I knew what type of impact it would have on the people in Lexington. So I just felt like coming back last year, you know, it helped me tremendously.

[Matt Jones]

So you come back and that experience last year, that had to be great, right? It was. I mean, we ended up getting upset and losing in that game, but just you kind of being welcomed back. What did that feel like?

[Khalil Whitney]

It was wonderful. I tell people this all the time. Like, you know, being embraced and being supported by, like, a group of great fans here, it's amazing. Just like it shows in the court as well. Like, I get the utmost energy from the fans when I'm on the court. That's why I'm able to make the spectacular plays I make, because I just. I feel the energy. So I love playing here.

[Matt Jones]

Did. Did it come kind of full circle? I mean, you'd had this really negative experience here. To then get to have a positive experience. I mean, that had to be a pretty good feeling. It's like it is kind of coming full circle in your life.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, like I said, like, since last year, you know, TBT opened a lot of doors for me.

[Matt Jones]

And give me an example. So did you get opportunities from it?

[Khalil Whitney]

Oh, yeah. I got my most. I got my biggest deal to go play basketball as a professional right after tbt. It was like three months after.

[Matt Jones]

Was it in China?

[Khalil Whitney]

It was in China, yeah. So I got my deal in the nbl. End up getting hurt my third month out there. But I definitely was blessed enough and able enough to, you know, fortunate enough to go out there and get an opportunity.

[Matt Jones]

What's it like? I've never been. What's it like in China?

[Khalil Whitney]

It's dope. Like, I feel like China is one of the most accommodating place for an athlete besides the NBA or the euroleague. No good money, great basketball. I mean, they want you to go out there and score 30 every game.

[Matt Jones]

So did you like the food?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, no, certain foods. I kind of steered. I stayed on the Korean barbecue side. They had like a Korean barbecue buffet that you could literally go to for like 10 bucks. And they had like all the.

[Matt Jones]

So you were eating Korean barbecue buffet like every meal? Every meal, every day.

[Khalil Whitney]

I was trying to stay on, I was trying to stay, stay on the safe side.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, so. Well, they got KFC there usually do.

[Khalil Whitney]

Like I was, I was eating KFC too. It's funny you say that, but I was getting tired of just eating.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that's a lot of KFC if you, if you eat it all the time. So you come back this year, it's. I feel like this group with, with Andrew, you, Archie, Willie, and then you got these, these guys that didn't play here, but they've been part of it. I think it's been fun to watch. I mean, there was obviously the little controversy of is Archie going to play or not, but now that he's here, it seems like you guys have a great time together.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, I mean, we were just waiting for Archie to get here. Like, he's a huge part of our team and you know, like we, we know what to expect from him and I mean, now that he's here, he's helping us tremendously.

[Matt Jones]

And did you give him a hard time out losing that one on one?

[Khalil Whitney]

Nah, nah, nobody. We haven't spoken that. We haven't spoke of that. But right now we're.

[Matt Jones]

He got fouled the whole time. Like he, like he should have won that. They didn't call any fouls.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, it's a different world of basketball. Two different worlds. But like, like I'm saying we're, we're locked in these, these guys are. Even the older guys, like Willie. My God, Trill, he's super locked.

[Matt Jones]

So tell me about Willie because we Love Willie.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Willie's like, he's grandpa out there, isn't he, on this? But he. But he really like playing on one leg, and, like, he's been awesome to watch.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, bro. His energy's been amazing. You know, that's like one of my vets. I played with him in the G league, so just hearing him motivated and want to go out there and literally, you know, like, die out there for us. So it's like, bro, like, we're right behind them, and we're super stoked.

[Matt Jones]

So you're playing Bayheim's Army?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I think somebody, maybe it was Willie said they actually run stuff. Yeah, right. Willie said he thought it was the team that would run stuff the most. Do you agree with that?

[Khalil Whitney]

For sure. For sure.

[Matt Jones]

Did that make it more difficult?

[Khalil Whitney]

It's funny because for teams like us, like, garden sets and actions, like, that is typically more easier because, like, we could switch everything, right? We can blow everything up. We got defenders who could just. This bear. I mean, like, this. Smother a shooter if you wanted to. So I feel like I don't want to say that. Like, what's our weaknesses on a team online.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, don't say that. Don't say that.

[Khalil Whitney]

But, yeah, I feel like it was like, an even kill with that.

[Matt Jones]

What's it like beating Louisville? We hate Louisville. I mean, you may remember this was before. You hear a couple of years ago, Drew got punched at the TBT game.

[Khalil Whitney]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

A Louisville fan punched him in the face. This is when they spit on Nate Sistina that year, right before you joined the team. He got just jacked.

[Khalil Whitney]

That's crazy.

[Matt Jones]

So he's. He's bled for tbt. I'm a victim, so it's got to be fun beating Louisville.

[Khalil Whitney]

No, it was. It was definitely a definitely fun win for us. You know, it was some adversity through that series, but we came out on top, so that's all I can say now.

[Matt Jones]

People tell me at the end of these games, you stay and, like, talk and take pictures and get. Give autographs to everybody.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Why do you do. I mean, I know why you do that, but, like, what's your thought process? Is that special for you?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, since I was a youngin, just wanting somebody around who, you know, had a talent or I just looked up to. I just wanted them to show me some type of attention and just, you know, what the fans is like, them embracing me last year and just them knowing my story and how, like, majority of them are really in tune with what I go through. I have the utmost respect for those guys, and I just want to show my love and my, you know, what I have for them.

[Matt Jones]

And when you say what you go through, like, give an example, what you're talking about.

[Khalil Whitney]

I'm just saying all the things I've dealt with in my career as far as the UK and not. Not me not having experience that I wanted to have here and, you know, just coming back and the fans embracing me and wanting me to have a good experience here.

[Matt Jones]

So do you consider this, like, home now?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, it's definitely my second home now, for sure.

[Matt Jones]

I love it.

[Khalil Whitney]

I still have my apartment.

[Matt Jones]

I will say your story and to some extent, Archie, too, but really probably yours the most is the thing I've liked about the TBT the most. I mean, I love that that connection has been able to happen, if nothing else occurred from it. Watching you and Archie and even to some extent, Andrew, because he took a lot of stuff here as well. Watching you guys feel that love and give it back, I just think it's like. I actually think it's kind of a beautiful thing, to be honest. You know what I mean?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah. Especially, like I'm saying, especially after the games, like, just knowing the energy the fans give you and you just want to give back and just come out there and, like, communicate with them and just feel what the love feels like. So.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, we're going to take a break. I want to ask you about the game coming up Wednesday night. But first, you know, if you're a KSR listener, you know, Kentucky loves talking about the weather. We had bad weather. That was the worst lightning I've ever seen in my life for a long time. Did you see that?

[Billy Reed]

Oh, yes.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, that was like. It was crazy. Yes.

[Billy Reed]

All over the place.

[Matt Jones]

And I was thinking to myself, well, if something happens with my roof. CRC roofing.

[Billy Reed]

There you go.

[Matt Jones]

What are you laughing at? Exactly what I was thinking. Before long, everybody's picking sides. But with your roof, you know exactly what to look after if there's a storm or weather condition. Remember, KSR listeners get a free roof inspection and can save up to $1,000 on a new roof. Khalil, if you need a roof, I

[Khalil Whitney]

might blow the roof off.

[Matt Jones]

You're gonna blow the roof off. We'll call CRC Roofing and go. CRC Roofing and renovations. The team you want on your roof. I know it. Khalil Whitney knows it. CRC company.com, kSR we'll take a break. Be right back. Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Khalil Whitney]

Welcome back.

[Matt Jones]

Kentucky Sports Radio. We were just talking during the break. Khalil, you played with me, Maxi. And quickly in your year here are you. Maxi's gonna. Is one of the maybe 10 to 12 best players in the league. Did you see that coming?

[Khalil Whitney]

Definitely. There's some of the things he used to do in practice, and his work ethic is slim to none. Like, I just. I think he'll be a future hall of Famer. I think he'll win multiple championships. I just think he has the it factor. He's a franchise.

[Matt Jones]

Did you. Did you. You saw that coming, though?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, I seen that the second week on campus. I seen that coming.

[Billy Reed]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

Well, he and Quickley both. I mean, they both would do that little running floater, you know, that's. That's quite a shot. Did they teach each other that?

[Khalil Whitney]

I don't know if they taught each other that, but I think it was probably a competitive thing of, like, who. Who was probably gonna have the best one or who finished the best. But listen, now tell me, listen, tell

[Matt Jones]

me about playing for Cal. What's that like?

[Khalil Whitney]

It was dope. Like, off the court, Cal is an amazing guy. Like, me and Coach Kyle still communicate to this day. Um, you know, he checks up on me. Like, on the court, he. He wants the best from you, but at the end of the day, you got to understand it's a business. So whatever decision he made back then, when he made it, I can only respect it now.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. You do keep in contact with him, right?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Is there, when you see Kentucky guys, is there a Kentucky kind of brotherhood thing of guys, even if you didn't play with them, that you feel a connection to him?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, with some of the guys, for sure. For me, definitely the guys that's been in tune, and some of the guys I played with, it's a little different. Definitely. Like, John Wall, you know, me and John Wall was close. Like, going through my pre draft in Miami, I was locked in with him, so. And then Anthony Davis being from Chicago, just having that pipeline, and DeAndre Liggins being from Chicago, and Tyler Ulis.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, you got a lot of them.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, you got a lot of guys. So definitely.

[Matt Jones]

What's John Hood like as a coach?

[Khalil Whitney]

Oh, great coach.

[Matt Jones]

Is he really?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, great coach. Even better person.

[Matt Jones]

I'm impressed by how locked in everybody is when he's coaching.

[Khalil Whitney]

He carries an energy that, like, I've only had from two of my coaches.

[Matt Jones]

Really?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah. He gets the best out of you.

[Matt Jones]

Good.

[Khalil Whitney]

Great extra nose guy can draw up a hell of a play. Like, you guys seen what the first

[Matt Jones]

game that was against. Well, against Louisville. Yeah.

[Khalil Whitney]

And he drew that up. And we made it. We played it to perfection. So John Hood is one of the biggest reasons we're being successful right now.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so now you're going to play Kansas tomorrow night. What time's the game? Seven. Seven o'. Clock. Tickets on sale. I think it's going to be a great crowd. This is for the Alumni Championship. If you win, you're only one game away from the $2 million. Kansas. Be fighting, though.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, be fighting.

[Billy Reed]

Fought a lot last night.

[Matt Jones]

Too much. What's going on there? Are you going to have to have. You got to be ready for them.

[Khalil Whitney]

I don't know, man. We going to keep up our professionalism. We're here for the grand prize.

[Matt Jones]

So what do you know about that group? I mean, it's the two winningest programs of all time going against each other.

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah. I mean, it's not going to be easy. No game's been easy in this tournament. I mean, for the amount of money you're playing, where there's going to be passion out there, for sure. Like a lot of passion and emotion.

[Matt Jones]

Am I right? It's like winner take all. Yeah, isn't it? I mean, that's. That's kind of in and of itself cool that you get this. Like, somebody's taking all of it and the other one's getting nothing. Committed this whole month and don't know you get anything. Yeah. What? I'm kind of like, I'm not surprised guys do it. But why do you think. Why do guys sign up for this knowing, like, only one team is going to win the money?

[Khalil Whitney]

I think 1. It's a comfortability thing. Knowing, like, oh, if you get it, like, you could chill for a second if you're actively pooping or you just don't want to take a job that plays a factor in it. And also, like, with this situation, my situation, like, we're playing for Kentucky, like, we're gonna have a good chance of winning. So it's like, why not, you know, come out here and give it your all? And that's the problem I have with some players who don't show up is like, you know, we're the favorites. We have a good team. We have a great fan. Fan base. It's like, why not show up and get the job done.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. If you were talking to players who maybe haven't played yet, because we're gonna have a whole new generation of guys who will be eligible over the Next few years. Would you encourage them to do it?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah, 100%. Just knowing, just giving back. It's for the fans. You also get to win some money. And when you come back, they show mad love. So it's like, it's a win, win situation.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, Mario there's basically on the team. We all think of Mario every time he's out there dancing in the games like you are, bro.

[Khalil Whitney]

He's super energetic, just like we are. And that's why we feed off each other, bro. Like it's. That's what we do.

[Matt Jones]

You played against the group. That's going to be the team next year, right? Did you all play? What are they like? We haven't gotten to see them.

[Khalil Whitney]

They're good. They're good. We gotta think back. Got a great group of guards. Lynf is definitely their calling card. Defense. Moreno is definitely, definitely improved.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. The kid, you got Zoom Diallo.

[Khalil Whitney]

Zoom Diallo super hockey. Super, like speedy guard and get downhill, make plays. And the kid, Hawthorne, his link. Braden.

[Matt Jones]

Braden.

[Khalil Whitney]

Braden. Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

You like him?

[Khalil Whitney]

Yeah. He put on some weight. I feel like he. You definitely can be the X factor for this team.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, good. Now we like that. That's good. That's good info. Is it true that Pope put the full court press on you all in like a 20 minute scrimmage?

[Khalil Whitney]

He did.

[Matt Jones]

Wow.

[Khalil Whitney]

He did.

[Matt Jones]

Were you like, chill out, man. We're just. We just got crazy.

[Khalil Whitney]

Like we only had like five or six players. Like, yo, time out.

[Matt Jones]

Just. Just chill. All right. Well, one thing I've been wanting to ask you. Do you like quality sunglasses?

[Khalil Whitney]

I love quality sunglasses.

[Matt Jones]

Well, shout about. Shady Rays. Every bit as premium as the expensive brands, Khalil, but they don't cost as much. They have the best lost and broken replacement system of any sunglasses. And you can. They got one here, right out here at the summit.

[Khalil Whitney]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Shady Rays go to shady rays dot com. 30% off. Go shady Rays for your polarized sunglasses. I'm gonna make them hook you up with. I can't get you a roof because I don't know what I would, but I think I can get you some sunglasses.

[Khalil Whitney]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Like the ones you order. Madness.

[Khalil Whitney]

Back the dance.

[Billy Reed]

Yeah.

[Khalil Whitney]

That was fire.

[Matt Jones]

That was. Hey, seriously, it's been great watching you do this. I'm pulling for you. You showed vulnerability years ago that a lot of guys wouldn't. You were rewarded for it, which I think is wonderful, and it's been great watching you. And I'm pulling for us to win, but I'm pulling for us to win as much for you as anybody there.

[Khalil Whitney]

Appreciate that, bro. And I appreciate you guys having me, man.

[Matt Jones]

Means a lot of goods before we go. Dracaris, seven o' clock tomorrow night at Memorial. I'm coming so you can come to KHIL Whitney. We'll see you guys tomorrow. This has been Kentucky Sports Radio.