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- [00:00]
Matt Jones
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- [00:31]
Billy Rutledge
From Taco Night in Tulum to Sushi in Tokyo, every bite is rewarding and Postworthy with MX Gold's 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide. Wherever you dine, points are piling up, so bring your friends along for your next course. Because it's not all about the posts, it's about the company and the memories. How can Gold from Amex sweeten your next food moment? Learn more at americanexpress.com Explore-Gold terms and points Cap apply Welcome everyone. This is the local toy dealers KSR Post Game show the Cats fall in a random not positive Saturday afternoon in Rupp Arena 94 to 78 to number one Auburn. With just two games left in the season, the Cats now 88 in the SEC and 19 and 10 overall. You can give us a shout. You know it's a Saturday afternoon after loss so they'll I'd love to talk to you. 859-280-2287 really an odd day. I mean I'll be honest with you, when we when I start, I didn't see the last 12 minutes of the game and chances are you didn't either, right? Because we lost the TV feed. I was told there was a pretty significant issue outside of Rupp next to the television truck that caused it to lose all power. So that is why the game was not on the last 12 minutes. I can't remember there ever being a UK game in the last 25 years where you just weren't able to watch it. You know, you would think that wouldn't happen, but I guess they lost all power and tried to do other things and just weren't able to do it. So so but maybe a blessing in disguise because Kentucky I think when the power went out was down what, 18 and we ended up losing by by 16. You know, let's start. There's like four or five different things to throw in here. Number one, Auburn's really good so just start. I Will start with that. They are really, really good. You know, Joan Broom did not even have that big a game and they still were dominant. The Kelly kid got nine threes, which is the fourth most threes ever made in a game by an opposing player in rup. Know two of them were banked back to back, which is how, I mean, I knew at that moment we were losing. You probably did as well. But you know, they were great. They are really, really, really good offensively, like historically good offensively when it comes to efficiency. And then defensively I think they're really good too. And they had a great game plan tonight. They basically said, you know, we're gonna play everything outside the three point line and good luck finishing at the rim. And we were bad at it. And, and I honestly think this game was lost. Well, it was lost in two phases. Phase one was when we made our first substitutions in the first half. And then phase two was the last two minutes of the first half and the first four minutes, the second half. Really there were two phases and Auburn was great in those phases. Soon as we went to the bench at the beginning, took the start, took a couple of the starters out, brought in a couple guys off the bench, they just took advantage. And even though they hit some contested looks, our offense, our offense just grinds to a halt, unfortunately when we get to the bench. And then in the start of the second half, it was our starters and six turnovers before you even get a field goal attempt up. That's. That might be a record. That, that may be, that may be as poor of three minutes of offense as you'll ever see a group of good players play. Couldn't even, couldn't even dribble the basketball. Turnovers that led to buckets. 18 turnovers for Kentucky today, so just a really poor. Those two phases of the game are why we lost. I mean, it was 7 to 6 when they made the sub and then all of a sudden it was 21 to 8. And then I think it was what, like a 12, 13 point game at halftime. And it got up to 22 quickly. And you know, those two runs, you're just not going to overcome it. So those, to me, number one, Auburn's really good. Number two, we had two terrible phases. Third, you know, some of this is Auburn, the way they're playing defense. But you know, if you had told me at the beginning of the season we're going to have a game where we only make four threes, I might have predicted a score like this. This is just not A team. Kentucky is not a team this year that is going to beat anybody going to the basket. We're just not that you can get buckets going to the basket, but like if your offensive game plan is we're going to score at the rim, we're just not good at it, like away and Butler just can't consistently finish. We had four straight possessions that I counted, basically possessions that were back to the basket shots. And while we hit some of those against Oklahoma, I just don't know. I mean there's. The least efficient shot in basketball is a post up. That's one of the misnomers is that people think next to a long to the least efficient shot you can do is, is a, is a post up and our guys aren't great at it. And we had, I think Williams missed a couple, then Carr missed one or two. That was at the end of the first half. Our offensive game plan, it just didn't work. I mean, I don't know. I mean part of that is Auburn, Auburn was not going to let us get threes. But we've got to figure out an answer to that because these teams that are pressuring us on the outside and daring us to win at the rim, we're just not. We missed by my count before the TV broadcast went off six shots at the rim. Again, if you want to beat the number one team in America, you can't do that. We made four threes, they made 12. Okay, you give up 24 points on the three point line, you're not going to win. Then you throw in 18 turnovers, you're not going to win. So, you know, Mark Pope said on this show, at the early on the postgame show right before this said that we offered almost no defensive resistance and we're not able to do anything offensively. I mean, he's right. We now the defensive resistance, we haven't offered much this year, but offensively that was not a good performance for the first 28 minutes. Now again, I didn't get to see the last 12. Looks like they got a little better. But still you're down so much at that point. You know what, what difference does it make? Also Jackson Robinson is now out for the year. Pope announced afterwards he's going to have surgery Wednesday. I'd actually heard they were going to maybe send him to one more specialist on Monday or Tuesday. We talked about that on the pregame show in New York. A wrist specialist to see if he could. Basically they wanted to see can he play this year and get the Surgery at the end of the year, and I guess it's been decided even before going to see the specialist that he can't. So they're going to have. He's going to have surgery Wednesday. I wish the kid the best. I really liked him. I like him as a player. I think he's exactly what Kentucky needs. They just. He can get his own shot and we just don't have. He may be the only player that can get his own shot consistently as a. With a three. Butler and away can beat guys off the bounce sometimes, but Robinson can get open, shake and get. Get a jumper and make it, and we just not going to have that right now. So I hate it for him, but I also hate it for the team. I think I said at the beginning of the year that I thought for us to be great, he needed to be our best player. There were a handful of games where he was, but we don't have him. So now you got to look at the tournament and go, okay, we're not going to have him. Now what? And my look at it is this. We got. Without Jackson Robinson, I think we got five guys that are really good, okay? I think our starting five, which is Butler, away Brea Williams and Carr, is a NCAA tournament elite eight level starting five. The problem is that without Kirk Risa and without Jackson Robinson, our bench is not good. Our bench had five points tonight, okay? Our bench made one field goal tonight. And I don't say this like I think all those kids, they have a role, but then when they. They're being asked to step into a bigger role than was envisioned for them. And you know, I think Ansley Almanor can get you bucket sometimes. I think Brandon Garrison could have good games like he did against Oklahoma. I think there are moments that Noah Perry and Chandler in the right situation can give you spot minutes. That can work. But to me, we got five guys who can play against teams like Auburn at an elite level, and we're probably in the tournament. Just going to have to roll with them. And it is what it is. I mean, to Pope's credit, he did some of that tonight. I mean, Bray had played 38 minutes. So, you know, there's a part of me, Billy, that goes this notion that, like, you're at maximum efficiency. He played Bray at 38 minutes, so clearly he knew that there's times you have to do that. Right?
- [09:52]
Matt Jones
One to make a three.
- [09:53]
Billy Rutledge
38 minutes. Butler played 32, Williams played 31. I applaud that. That's. But that's what this Team is going to have to be. Car played 28 away. Only played 20. But that was because of foul trouble. He had some really stupid fouls and I'm, I'm not going to get mad at him because he had such a good game against Oklahoma. But like the third foul, the over the back was a terrible foul. He fouled on that three. I don't like the call now that three point shooters, if you land on their feet, they call it, but they do and we know it. So we're doing, we're fouling on that so much now. Cars was a bad call card. He didn't touch him, but oh, we did. And like our guys are not doing what these other players are to, to, to draw the fouls. So we're getting killed by it. But those are our five. And I think Pope, I don't know this but I would think he's going to go in the tournament. We're probably playing 32 to 36 minutes with those are the guys like those five, they're going to win it or lose it for us. And the thing is they can't have bad games in the tournament. Like we need all five guys to play well. Away did not play well tonight in the first half. None of them played great except Amari. But they were all okay. But OA never played well. Let's say away instead of four gets 15. All right, now it's a game. Let's say our bench, our bench has to score more than five points. I mean, come on. Chandler had four, Garrison had one. You can't, we can't do that. Have to get more than five. Even in spot minutes they have to get more than that. So disappointing result. I'm not like, I'm not a. What? You know, doom and gloom. I'd say at this moment Kentucky is probably still maybe the last three seed, maybe the first four. But Price till the last three losing to Auburn, I mean they're number one team in the nation. That doesn't kill you. I think they're still trending towards being the eight seed in the SEC tournament, which would mean playing Auburn in the, in the second round if you got there in the quarterfinals. I'm looking at this right now. Right now we are in eighth place. Mississippi State and Vandy still have to play, but I think we will have the tiebreaker on both of them. The problem is Ole Miss, they, they won and we don't have the tiebreaker. So I think our chance of moving up to the seven has kind of gone away. So we're probably going to be the eight. Probably going to end up playing that first game Thursday at 1:00 and we might see this Auburn team in the quarterfinals again. So that's kind of what we're looking at. Tough day, great crowd. I thought the energy before the game was, was awesome. I thought the crowd was awesome. And then, then it was hard for them to have a lot to cheer about and they tried but you know, you're down 15 in the first half. It's pretty tough. And we now also have a game, Billy, that we'll know as the ABC lost the feed game. First SEC game I can remember on ABC in 20 years. And it also becomes the first game they ended up not on television.
- [13:01]
Matt Jones
Yeah, I mean, how does that happen?
- [13:03]
Billy Rutledge
How does that happen? Well, I told you how it happened. I mean, I know how.
- [13:06]
Matt Jones
Generator Fire. Right?
- [13:08]
Billy Rutledge
Okay. I don't think we were supposed to say fire. Oh, Billy said that for the record, not me.
- [13:14]
Matt Jones
Oh, why not?
- [13:17]
Billy Rutledge
Okay. Well, apparently there was a fire outside the.
- [13:22]
Matt Jones
Whoops.
- [13:25]
Billy Rutledge
What is wrong with you?
- [13:26]
Matt Jones
Two for two on postgame shows, you.
- [13:29]
Billy Rutledge
Really are two for two. I think they just didn't want to say fire. And Billy's like fire. Okay. So that's why I didn't. Come on. It wasn't a fixable situation. I don't know, presumably like I should have been able to see it from my house like Sarah Palin, but I wasn't able to. But so now you get go down history. We missed the last 12 minutes. Can you imagine if this game was close, Billy?
- [13:56]
Matt Jones
Oh, the uproar.
- [13:58]
Billy Rutledge
What if this was like a two point game with four minutes to go.
- [14:02]
Matt Jones
And we could cuts out like that?
- [14:04]
Billy Rutledge
I mean it would have been probably, it's best for everyone at the worldwide leader of sports that, that this game was not close because our fans would have lost it if we had not been able to watch a close game. 859-280-2287. We're gonna take your calls. Billy will tell you more things he's probably not supposed to say. That's next here on the local Toy Dealers KSR Post Game show. Welcome back. It is the Local Toy Dealers KSR Postgame Show. I said, by the way, that we were in good shape to get the buy. That's not a hundred percent certain because. All right, so Mississippi State's playing Oklahoma right now. Or is it Oklahoma?
- [14:45]
Matt Jones
Lsu.
- [14:46]
Billy Rutledge
Lsu. It looks like they're going to win. If they win, then we're tied with them. But we do have the tiebreaker. But they have two games left and they may not lose. They play Texas at home and then at Arkansas. We need them to. If assuming we beat lsu, we need them to at least lose one of those. So we might need Cal to beat them in that last game in order for us to get the buy. So we need to beat LSU and then probably need. Because if we lose to Missouri, we'll need Cal to beat, to beat Mississippi State to move on. So tough day for him. How about that? First of all, who called it? I called that. You did A game I didn't think they'd lose. I didn't think they'd only have 20 points with 10 minutes to go in the second half. It was a historic like it was there. They had fewest points they've scored in a game since 1988 in the first half. But I knew they were going to lose that game. Cal always loses that game, but didn't think it was going to be by that much. And then Alabama leads at Tennessee, which would be another one, Billy, that I picked that none of you all picked. I could be two and oh, on those. You did however pick Auburn, whereas we've all picked Kentucky. Who's up first?
- [15:55]
Matt Jones
Tasha.
- [15:56]
Billy Rutledge
Tasha. Go ahead, Taj.
- [15:58]
Caller
Tasha, Hello. So I was at the game. Shout out to Chris and Elizabeth for suffering through that with us. And Andrew, if you're listening, I'm not going to switch seats with you, but I've been a season ticket holder for three years and Mark Pope's first year aside, you know, it's been a rough stretch of losing all the big games at home that matter. Gonzaga.
- [16:21]
Billy Rutledge
We didn't lose all the big games at home, Tasha. We didn't lose all the big games. We beat Louisville at home. We beat Florida at home. We beat Tennessee at home. We won. We did lose Arkansas. We did lose Alabama. Hang on. We did lose Arkansas. We did lose Alabama. We did lose Auburn, but we didn't lose them all. We were in for what I would consider big games in rep. We were.
- [16:39]
Caller
Three and three well out of the last three years. I'm a season ticket holder, but I haven't been to all the games. You know, I had to sell some of them to compensate for the cost. So I feel like the games that I've been to anyway, the games that matter, you know, before I was a season ticket holder, I was 20 and oh like we won every game. So maybe it's me, I don't know. But it's been a rough stretch and I, I'm, I'm Just going to leave you with one last thing. I'm not going to cuss, but one thing that I left with the game, you know, Doug shalls. It's like f you, Doug. Come on, man, that was rough.
- [17:18]
Billy Rutledge
But Doug shouts. Didn't do the Doug shots. Didn't do the game.
- [17:22]
Caller
I thought that was Doug.
- [17:24]
Billy Rutledge
It was not. So if you were cussing at Doug Shous, he wasn't there.
- [17:29]
Caller
Well, whoever it was, he got Doug Chows.
- [17:34]
Billy Rutledge
All right. I appreciate the call. Poor Doug Shouse. She's out there casting it. Doug Chows, he's not even. He's not even on the game. You're thinking about Joe Lindsay. The first half was brutal from an officiating standpoint. I mean, I, you know, again, we have to be fair as Kentucky fans. We. I mean they called a lot more fouls on Auburn or at least at one point it was a lot more fouls on Auburn than us. But some of the call, I mean the Andrew Carr 3 call was terrible. The double, the. The Lamont Butler freight. I mean it. That probably technically is a flagrant, but that's not the spirit of the rule. Plus you didn't even call foul on the floor. Like, I don't understand how you can not. There were two calls there that made no sense to me. I don't understand how you cannot call a foul then decide to review it to find a flagrant. Like if you didn't see enough to even call a foul, why did you even go to the monitor now with that said, he did hit him in the face. And whether I think that's a good rule or not, it is. And then I don't understand the double foul. You know, I don't get that either. How's there a double foul? Like, who calls that? You. They called the foul on Garrison, went to the monitor and called the double foul. And the reason they did that is they saw that they clearly broom had fouled Garrison first. And so they're like, well, I guess we have to call a double foul. The monitor reviews. They got to do something about that.
- [18:57]
Matt Jones
It was a long.
- [18:57]
Billy Rutledge
I agree with Joe, I agree with Jay. Bill's J. Bill says he is exactly right. Just give. Make it like the NBA. Give each coach one review. If he ends up getting it right, then he gets another one and then, you know, review in the last minute or something. But like this, this idea that you have to review everything. Like come on. Especially in the first half. Like just come on, keep going. These gay. That first half was like an hour and A half. You know, that's. They got to stop that. Like it's, it's unnecessary and it takes too long. You know, the review of a rebounding foul for. Stop. Just stop. Who's next?
- [19:36]
Matt Jones
Brad.
- [19:37]
Billy Rutledge
Brad. What's up? Brad, man.
- [19:40]
Caller
I'm calling the complaint about the refs today. I'm just kidding.
- [19:45]
Billy Rutledge
Well, I was. I mean there were some things to complain about, but we lost. We got whipped. Like it's not the red. It's not the rest fault. We got whipped.
- [19:53]
Caller
No, no, I'm. I'm calling more so about the injuries. I don't know if you read the, the KSR website article about the. Yeah, the percentages. Like I think it's since like 2020 or 21 that we haven't had a full roster. My, my comment is we have to go all out next year somehow. I don't know how we can make it happen. No walk ons. We got to have 12, 13.
- [20:21]
Billy Rutledge
Well, we had 12 this year. We had 12 this year. I mean like during the Cal era, I think that was a reasonable complaint that we didn't have enough guys, but we got 12 guys now. Could he have gotten a 13th? I think he wanted to leave. He decided to leave the 13th scholarship open because he thought something would come up in the summer. I guess it did not in hindsight. It would have been nice to have someone, just someone in that, you know. I think Mark's going to have to really think about how he builds these rosters because you know, you've got next year. We already have three freshmen. He's trying to get a fourth freshman. If you were to assume you get Perry, Chandler and Noah all back then, that's then seven of your of your spots are being taken up by freshmen and sophomores, whereas Auburn's out there playing 25 year olds. Right. And so.
- [21:18]
Caller
Yeah, exactly. I mean I'm not, I don't know about it.
- [21:21]
Billy Rutledge
I don't.
- [21:21]
Caller
I don't think it's on him, you know, I mean it's just weird fluky things have happened. But I just, I just want to see a deep, like a super deep team, you know, like some of Patino teams, I mean they just threw waves of guys at you.
- [21:33]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, but, but you know, different era. Patino was a different era. You got like, you can't, you cannot compare Patino when guys stayed three and four years to now to now. You have to make a decision as a coach. Go get elite freshman or go get 23 year olds that are pretty good now. I think.
- [21:53]
Caller
Yeah, I mean, yeah, when you get paid the big bucks, you start making.
- [21:56]
Billy Rutledge
I agree with that.
- [21:58]
Caller
Maybe go D2, maybe you go Europe.
- [22:00]
Billy Rutledge
You're not going juco. But I do think we'll see Europeans. I do think we'll see Europeans and I appreciate the call. He also only had a month to put the team together, so you got to give him a break. He had a month and we literally had not one player. So I mean Cal, remember Cal left the weekend of the Final Four and actually didn't leave leave until the day of the championship game. So, you know, it's not. He only had a few weeks. So I give him some, some, some grace. But I do think, you know, this was an interesting game tonight to watch. To minimum, I think our starting five was not as good as Auburn, but competitive with Auburn. But when we went to the bench, it was men and boys, if we're being honest. Starting five, Auburn's better, but we could run with them bench men amongst boys. And so I think we've got to think in the future like I think teams in my. The two teams that have the best chance of winning the national championship are Auburn, Duke. They are built on two completely different philosophies, but they are built on the peak of those two philosophies. Duke is the one and done philosophy. But they don't just have one and dones, they have one and dones. Like the first six or seven years of Cal, they've got three of the top eight picks in the draft. So you can't go get freshmen unless they're going to be three of the top eight guys in the draft. Right. So I look at our freshmen next year, I think they're going to be really good. But do we have three of the top eight guys in the draft? No. So we got to make sure to go get the second way, which is Auburn's way, which is to go get juniors and seniors that are really good and hopefully one of them is a stud like Broom. That's what we got to do now this year. I don't know that Pope had the time to do that. He had a few weeks. But next year. That's why I'm excited for Jasper Johnson. I'm excited for Malachi Moreno, I'm excited for Kaden Lewis. But you are not winning a title if those are three of your five best players in my opinion. So we're going to have to go in the portal. Always going to be one of our best players, assuming he comes back. But we're going to have to go into portal and get three or four studs. In my opinion, if we want to really compete next year, and I think we will, I think we got the nil money. I think they'll probably get at least one European that's really good. But we have to do that. And tonight is an example. Why? Because these teams, like, as soon as they switch college basketball to where everybody has five years eligibility, they're going to be teams like Auburn every year. And I think we need to be one of those because I'm not sure that going and getting Cooper flags is going to be what Pope does. So we got to go get Johnny Burns. Who's next?
- [24:59]
Matt Jones
Jeremy.
- [25:00]
Billy Rutledge
Jeremy. Go ahead, Jeremy.
- [25:03]
Caller
Matt, how you doing today?
- [25:05]
Billy Rutledge
Doing good.
- [25:07]
Caller
Appreciate taking a call. Three takeaways. I've been a Kentucky fan for 48 out of 48 years of my life and three things is one, we got to give Pope. I mean, you just took. Took my thought as he's only been here not even a year. We beat some behemoths already. But the other thing that bothers me, he seems a bit Opie from Andy Griffith with this team in the fact that you have Lamont Butler who has been designated as one of the best defenders in the country, but also the flip side with his turnovers too, and him and Owe missing. I could have counted ten layups between the two of them today. And then with Jackson being out, I, you know, I, I just think you got to accept what we did good this year and hopefully get some luck in the tournament. Roll on. But this has been.
- [25:57]
Billy Rutledge
But when you say. But like when you say like Opie, like, what do you mean? What do you want him to. I mean, like what. What is it you want him to do?
- [26:05]
Caller
It seems like the team is taking a little bit of his. His charisma and it kind of assault, I would say a little bit soft spoken, A little. Not. Not as tough on the. On his players as we're. We're used to and it.
- [26:17]
Billy Rutledge
But, but you don't know. I mean, to be honest though, he's not. That's not who he is. And, and I think you hit the key word as we're used to. Okay, but like there, there. There are many different ways to. There are many different ways to coach a team. Okay. You've got. And there's a lot of ways it can work. Danny Hurley and Cal and, and Bruce Pearl can scream. John Shire barely talks and his teams are really good. Right? Like everybody's got it. You know, Brad Stevens went to the national championship game, back to back years, and he barely said a word on the sidelines. Like, everybody's got a different way of doing it.
- [26:53]
Caller
Matt, that's a, that's a really good point. But with this team is they, they lack three things and it seems like it comes directly from the coach. There's physicality issues. There is defense, especially defensively, that we're not up in anybody. We kind of. We kind of.
- [27:11]
Billy Rutledge
We're not good defensively. Like, I think he's. I think he's coaching the team. He has now. Now, look, he doesn't always get the excuse of you're coaching the team. You have because in today's college basketball, you build the team. I'm giving him a break this year because he only had three and a half weeks to build a team. But in general, like, our guys are not good defensively. So part of the reason I talk so much about offense is I've accepted we are not going to beat teams defensively. We're just not. These dudes are not good defensively, but we can score a lot, which is why our offense has to be crisp and efficient. And tonight, for the first 30 minutes, it was not.
- [27:56]
Caller
Matt, I'll agree with you on one thing, is that it looked like Auburn had definitely took away. Obviously, as you mentioned, that kills me is that we missed so many darn lifts and bunnies at the rim. But even, even the, the. Even at our best, we're not putting up the threes that we, we're accustomed to, especially from Mark Pope earlier in the season. I mean, who figured what out? But they.
- [28:20]
Billy Rutledge
Well, but I mean, they took it out from us. Yeah, I appreciate the call. They took it away from us. And so your job as a coach. And again, they're really good. Like, they're really good. I think if they played like they did tonight, it was going to be really hard for us to win no matter what. But I wish this game had been competitive because if we're honest, it really wasn't. For. I mean, we, we cut it to like eight a couple times late in the first half, but we were down double digits 30 minutes of the 40 minutes of the game. And so that's the part that's frustrating to me. But we have like, no against great teams. Against Alabama, Auburn, we have no margin of error on offense. We have to be great offensively because we're not going to be good defensively. We have to be great. We cannot have 18 turnovers. We cannot go four for 17 from three. Like, we have to Be great. We can't have away, you know, get have four fouls within the first three minutes. The second half, like we just can't do that. And we did tonight and that's why the game wasn't competitive.
- [29:26]
Matt Jones
Who's next to that point? Goose said they looked rattled on offense and they didn't have a clue of what to do at times.
- [29:32]
Billy Rutledge
I did not and that surprised me. This is the first time all year, even when we've played bad. I never thought we looked like. Like Cal's teams often did where they just stand around and don't really know what to do. We did tonight. I think Auburn switched everything, but they're not the first team that's done that to us. Auburn switched everything and we just, we just couldn't. Then in the second half we started. We. You know, from what I could hear on the radio, it sounded like we started being better. But in the first half we could not get anything going. We tried to take guys one on one, which is not this team strength and it just fell apart. I. The offense, you know, obviously the six turnovers at the start of the second half were bad. But at the first half, even though we scored, I just felt like most of our points were free throws. Like we just, we look discombobulated and I was really surprised to see that. Who's next?
- [30:27]
Matt Jones
Nate.
- [30:28]
Billy Rutledge
Nate. Go ahead, Nate.
- [30:31]
Caller
Yeah, Matt. Speaking of what you're just talking about that the one on ones were not us tonight. Even with Amari bringing the ball up, he got poked multiple times, even stolen a couple times. I just wanted to touch on the point of five points off the bench. Colin Chandler with the only field you can't sub in players to only place up party fence. They have to play some type of offense, you know.
- [30:56]
Billy Rutledge
Well, no, that's a very good point. You can't play. No, I mean I'll say it. You cannot play Travis Perry and Trent Noah if they don't score. I mean you just can't. And the same thing. And Almondor's the same way. All three of those guys. You cannot play those guys if they're not scoring because they're going to kill you defensively. So you're going to have to score. And Garrison has. He was better defensively against, against Oklahoma, but he's not a good defender either. So Colin Chandler is a decent defender, but like you can't play those guys if they're not going to score. So they got to score, you know, and they got. And tonight they didn't.
- [31:36]
Caller
Exactly. Matt, man, and, and even to touch more on that, you know, it's just even one field go off the bench is Colin Chandler.
- [31:45]
Billy Rutledge
So yeah, I mean he's, he's the one touches. Yeah, I, I as odd as it is to say, and I appreciate the call as odd as it is to say because I four weeks ago wasn't even sure Colin Chandler could play here. He in the, in these games against his teams at least has not looked scared. Well, it's not really fair. I don't think Travis Perry's looks scared too. I just don't think he can guard these guys right now. And so there's just guys look so timid. I mean Ansley Almanor, man, like if you're in the game, you shoot I these guys who like, you know, Butler did it a couple times Brea in the first half, like what are we waiting on? We're not going to get a, if you have a look from three, we are not going to get a better shot than brea from 3. 3. And the idea that they pump fake, it's like, shoot, that's against a team like Auburn. That's the best we're going get. Let's do one more and we'll take a break. Shad, Shad, what's up?
- [32:48]
Caller
It's shot actually.
- [32:50]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah.
- [32:51]
Caller
And yeah, right now. Matt, I tell you, I get a big kick out of listen to you because you've got great energy and enthusiasm and you have a really good sense of humor. So I really enjoy hearing your program and I want to complimen Mark Pope and that is a classy guy. I think Kentucky's in great hands with him in the long term. I did want to say something though. A couple of years ago, Billy said some very uncomplimentary things about Auburn. I was wondering if maybe Billy could bring himself to say something nice today.
- [33:24]
Billy Rutledge
Well, he did pick Auburn. He was the only one on the show to pick him. So Auburn. Billy, do you want to say something nice about Auburn?
- [33:31]
Matt Jones
About Auburn?
- [33:32]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah. Did you say something mean? Yeah, years ago.
- [33:34]
Matt Jones
I don't remember that he did and.
- [33:36]
Caller
I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was, it was, you know, it was really kind of mean. So I was going to give him a chance to redeem.
- [33:42]
Billy Rutledge
Appreciate the call. Do you want to redeem yourself with Auburn fan?
- [33:45]
Matt Jones
No, I don't care what Auburn fans think of me, but I mean I've got plenty of things I need to redeem myself for, but that is not one.
- [33:51]
Billy Rutledge
I had a tough week so I Don't know if the Auburn fans. Well, I will say this to Auburn fans, if you're listening, including that guy, you guys are really good. I mean, that's a really, really good team. I was sitting there thinking, you know, non Kentucky teams in the SEC in the last 15 years, how many have been better than this Auburn team? I mean, last year's Alabama team went to the Final Four, and I think they were good, but this Auburn team's better than that Alabama team was last year. You know, I don't know, man. When's there been an SEC team better than this Auburn team? You know, maybe Florida one of those years. That year they made Final Four. No, I mean, that. Definitely that Noah team, But that was 20 years or 18 years ago. That Noah team was better. But like, I don't know. I mean, you might have to go. But if you're taking away Kentucky team, you might have to go back to that Noah team. For the last time, there's been an SEC team this good that's not Kentucky. Yeah, I can't think of Florida went to the Final Four in like 14, maybe. Was that where that was that team really good. Florida had one really good team in like 11, 12, 13. Some more. Something like that. They had a really good team. One of Billy's last teams was really good, but I want to say it was 14 maybe, but. But this one probably got to go back to Noah to find one as good as I think this Auburn team is. We'll take a break. 859-280-2287. Be right back. It's the local Toy Dealers KSR post game show. Welcome back. It is the local Toy dealers KSR Post Game Show. You know, sometimes, Billy, I can't remember, like the easiest things, like people's names that I've known my whole life. And the other day I was completely blanking on my Social Security number. You know, I like. I know. Yeah, but it was like, I get it confused with my phone number sometimes. But anyway. But then you can remember things like I was right about the 2014 Florida team.
- [36:03]
Matt Jones
Oh, that was. Right. That's the.
- [36:04]
Billy Rutledge
I was the. That was the right year. It was 2014. They went 36 and three that year and lost in the final four. They lost to UConn right before we lost to UConn. They. They went undefeated in the SEC. So. So yeah, I was right about that. They. The 2014 Florida. So that I would say this Auburn team is the best since that 2014 Florida team because that team was really good. I can't remember who they had. They had, like, one really, really good dude. We were in the final four in Houston. We played like. We played. No, wait a minute. Who did we beat in the semifinals? Because they. They lost to UConn. Who did we beat in the semifinals in 2014?
- [36:51]
Matt Jones
I am not sure. I was going to look up the Florida Gator.
- [36:53]
Billy Rutledge
That was our run. So we beat. We beat Wisconsin. That's right. So we beat. We beat Wisconsin in the Final Four. Aaron Harrison hit the shot, played Yukon, played. Who beat Florida. And that Florida team was the best team in the final four, but UConn upset him and then, of course, beat us as well. All right, who's up next?
- [37:10]
Matt Jones
Heather from Louisville is Heather from Louisville.
- [37:13]
Billy Rutledge
How are you, Heather?
- [37:16]
Caller
I'm great. How are you?
- [37:17]
Billy Rutledge
Good. What's up?
- [37:20]
Caller
I want to say Pope. We all thought, whatever. He wasn't going to be good, but, you know, our team is doing great. But I also wanted to call in because I'm giving a shout out to Heather from Pike county and I am wanting her. I have already been messaging, messaging her. She needs a call in and I.
- [37:46]
Billy Rutledge
Talked to her today.
- [37:47]
Caller
I talked to her and I'm very.
- [37:50]
Billy Rutledge
I should have also.
- [37:53]
Caller
No, I've already. I should have gone with Ryan. Ryan chose Auburn and unfortunately I chose Kentucky. But you know what? It's been a great year and it's.
- [38:03]
Billy Rutledge
Been exciting and appreciate the call. Heather. I talked to Heather from Pikeville. She is going to call in. Not today, but before the year's out. So I think she's willing to, if not forgive Billy, at least move forward in a positive manner. So that's some good news.
- [38:21]
Matt Jones
I reached out and apologized and I gave her the hotline number so she can join the show.
- [38:27]
Billy Rutledge
Good for you. Look at you. We're seeing growth here. You apologize.
- [38:31]
Matt Jones
Yeah, but I'm still not letting college on. Three shows in a row. That's too many.
- [38:37]
Billy Rutledge
Tennessee and Alabama. It's a four point game. Very cool. Dick Vital part of the broadcasting crews getting a standing of ovation as we. As we talk right now. I'm glad. I don't know if he'll do another year, but I'm glad he's getting to do these. These runs. Wish he could have come to Rupp for one of them, but hopefully he'll be back next year. But it's. Even if. If he's not, it's very cool that he's getting to do this year. Who's next?
- [39:02]
Matt Jones
I haven't heard from him in a while. Bob In Jamestown is up next.
- [39:05]
Billy Rutledge
Bob in Jamestown. How are you? 859-280-2287.
- [39:11]
Caller
ABC TV dropped the ball. Not only UK, I mean, I can't believe it. Here they have a blockbuster game. We got, you know, number one team in the SEC coming in there.
- [39:23]
Billy Rutledge
And then they did it. Well, to be fair to them, they had a fire. There was a fire out in there outside of their production truck and it burnt and it like, burned the power off. So in some respects, I mean, it is a mistake, but, like, I don't really know what you wanted them to do after that.
- [39:41]
Caller
I thought maybe the ice cream machine broke down or something.
- [39:44]
Billy Rutledge
Anyway, 37 years since. This is why this.
- [39:48]
Matt Jones
Let him finish.
- [39:48]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah.
- [39:52]
Caller
Auburn, 37 years since they've had a UK win. I guess they're a basketball school now anyway, this year anyway, but, and then another thing about ABC at halftime, they said had a, a blot thing up there, Arkansas issues, but then they never addressed it. What's going on in Arkansas?
- [40:11]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, I don't know. I appreciate the call, Bob. Thank you very much. What you, I mean, I'm being nice, right? Oh, yeah, it's, yeah, it's. I mean, we lost by a lot. I'm gonna stay in a good mood. I'm gonna go eat dinner when this is over and it's gonna be great. Who's next?
- [40:30]
Matt Jones
John is next.
- [40:31]
Billy Rutledge
John. What's up, John?
- [40:34]
Caller
Hey, Matt. How are you doing, man?
- [40:36]
Billy Rutledge
Doing good. How are you?
- [40:38]
Caller
Thank. Thanks for taking a call. I'm doing good, too. Listen, I'm from lbl and I've been reading online, these people that keep saying all this stuff about the Kentucky boys, Trent, Noah and Travis Perry, they keep on saying that they, they're awful and they don't deserve to play or even be on the team and that they're, they've been a waste of scholarship spots. And in my opinion, there's nothing like the Mountain Mamba and the Lion King getting on that court, living out their dreams.
- [41:08]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, but they do have to score more than one point. I mean, I, I, I, if, if, if those guys. And listen, they've had some good games this year. Noah had a great game against Tennessee. I think Perry has gotten better as years going on, but I, you know, love those guys. Watched. I've watched Travis Perry since he was in eighth grade. And Noah's from right next to my hometown, so I pull for him. With that said, I don't care where they're from. I don't care if they live in, in Rupp. Arena. If they're going to play here long term, they have to produce. That's true of every player. That's true of every player. So I think when you take up for those kids, which we should, we all want them to succeed, but we also have to grade them on the scale of UK players. And while I think they've improved a lot, and while I think they both really do have a chance to play here and be successful, we can't just, I mean, they scored one point. We can't just be like, oh, well, they're from Kentucky, so it's great. Yeah.
- [42:08]
Caller
I mean, the thing is, do you think they're going to develop at all? Because, I mean, when they were playing.
- [42:13]
Billy Rutledge
In high school, they're just playing against.
- [42:15]
Caller
You know, future Walmart employees.
- [42:16]
Billy Rutledge
I mean, if you look at the cold. I do think that they can, I think they both can play here. Do I think either of them can be. I don't know what their peak is. I do think both of them can be quality rotation guys here. I think the situation has probably forced both of them to have to play, especially Perry, maybe more than. Than he is ready to at this point. But, but at the same time, look, this is Kentucky, right? Like you, there's no, like, if you want to play here, you got to be really good. And, and that's my thing. Over the years, I've been doing this 15 years I've been getting phone calls about whoever the Kentucky kid is on the team playing more. And then I get messages weekly about some kid that lives in Kentucky that people go, why won't they recruit them? And my answer has always been the same, which is, they got to be good enough to play here. Okay, so we've had some. Derrick Willis was good enough, but Dominique Hawkins was good enough. But remember, those dudes were, for the most part, always in a reserve role. Always. Willis, I think, started a little bit towards the end, but they were always in a reserve role. So we got like, that may be what Noah and Perry are. Maybe they end up starters, but like, there will come a point where we will ask them to score more than one point in a game. Who's next?
- [43:45]
Matt Jones
Future Walmart workers was a little harsh too. Let's go to.
- [43:49]
Billy Rutledge
I think that dude was kind of being a joke, but I, you know, but the vat. The point he's saying is one that I do think people, you know, everybody wants them to succeed. Everybody. Nobody more than me. Who's next?
- [44:01]
Matt Jones
Tyler.
- [44:01]
Billy Rutledge
And they're both great kids, by the way. Both of Them. Tyler. Go ahead, Tyler.
- [44:06]
Caller
Matt, it's good to talk to you again. I have to. We got to be honest with ourselves, though. After that guy banked in the two threes, I feel like we all knew that it wasn't our night.
- [44:15]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah. The first one was bad enough. When the second one banked in, I said, this ain't gonna happen tonight.
- [44:21]
Caller
Yeah. And I. I started watching Kentucky basketball when Cal got here, and I was really not old enough to remember a team until probably the 2014 team. And so I'm very spoiled when it comes to March runs. But, man, I'm. With Robinson out, it's looking like we're gonna have to wait probably at least one more year for March run.
- [44:41]
Billy Rutledge
But why do you say that? Like, I mean, maybe. But there are teams every year in March that make a run that aren't very good. You think NC State was really good last year? I mean, NC State had to bank in a three to even get to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament, and then they ended up going the Final Four. So once we get to the tournament, anything can happen, and I genuinely do believe that. Now. Do I think, like, we're really good without Robinson? Probably not. But could we still win? Yeah. If NC State went to the Final Four, when they almost lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament, then, yeah, we can make a run.
- [45:26]
Caller
I mean, I'm all for being positive and saying. And I'm not saying that we can't, but I just. To me, if we're not gonna have our guys shooting threes like they need to be doing, if our defense is going to be as bad as it is and if our rebounding is going to be as bad as it is. I'm just, you know, you can say NC State. There's always one team every year that makes it farther than they're supposed to, and the past couple years, we've been ultra talented and haven't done anything. So maybe.
- [45:54]
Billy Rutledge
Can you give me a couple teams. Can you give me a couple who made the Final Four two years ago? Do you remember the first time. Do you remember the other teams that were in the final four in 2011? No, no. The two teams. That's not. Two years ago, when UConn the championship two years ago, who else made the Final Four that year?
- [46:13]
Caller
Two years ago? Yeah, you got me. I don't know.
- [46:16]
Billy Rutledge
The other teams were Miami, Florida Atlantic and San Diego State. A San Diego State team whose point guard was a guy named Lamont Butler. So my point is, I'm not saying we should be, like, confident that we're going to make, that we're going to make a run. But we can. We can. And so, like, that's why. And I appreciate the call. I don't think you judge how good a team is as a team by their March run, because you can get unlucky, you can get lucky. You judge a coach over a period of time. But I'm not giving up on this year yet. We've played in the hardest conference probably ever. We've had a lot of injuries. Unfortunately, now we're losing Robinson. So I think our upside is not as high as it would have been with him. But let's say we're a four seed. Let's say our one seed is. Well, for a four seed. Our one seeds probably Duke. So let's say we get to a three seed and our two seed is Michigan State or Iowa State. St. John's you don't think we could win that game now? We could lose it. Heck, we could lose in the first round, but you don't think we could win that game. And then when we get to the Elite Eight, maybe we have Duke, but maybe they get beat before then. Like, you just never know. And that's what makes March great. But we've been upset a lot where we were better than the other team. We were better than Oakland, we were better than St. Peter's we were better than Kansas State that one year. We'll get one at some point. Hopefully it's this year. Let's do one more, and then we'll take a break. Who's next?
- [47:59]
Matt Jones
Stub.
- [48:00]
Billy Rutledge
Stub. What's up?
- [48:03]
Caller
Hey, Matt. So my buddies and I were texting, and I'm going to give him the credit for this because they'll listen. But that Lamont Butler call. So this is getting out of control. He was making a basketball play. It's that. That was not a foul.
- [48:19]
Billy Rutledge
But that's the rule. That's the rule. You hit somebody in the face, it's a. It's a flagrant. Whether I like that rule or not, that's the rule. And I don't like that, because you're exactly right. But. But when you go up for a shot and with the offhand, you hit the other guy in the face, they're going to call that.
- [48:35]
Caller
But getting. I don't know if you played for Bell county or Middlesboro, wherever you. Wherever you played, getting. If you got beat, getting your face in the way after you're beaten is not a foul, much less a flagrant foul.
- [48:49]
Billy Rutledge
It is. Now, in college basketball, if you hit a person in the face, it is a foul. If you. If you make an intentional movement and it hits a person in the face, even if you didn't mean to, it is a fact. That's the rule. I don't like it. I think it's a bad rule. But it is the rule.
- [49:09]
Caller
But here's the other thing.
- [49:11]
Billy Rutledge
Me and, like, the little shot about I don't know if you played at Bell county or Middlesborough has nothing to do with what the rule is.
- [49:18]
Caller
No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying, like, you. I was saying, like, you experience playing and playing defense and all that. I'm just. That's what I was saying. But if it's a flagrant foul, you should be able to see it in real time.
- [49:34]
Billy Rutledge
Well, I agree with that, but that's a. That's a judgment, and I appreciate the call. That's a judgment on the ref. Like, to me, Joe, Lindsay, you're standing right there, like, if you didn't even see him. I don't understand how they ended up at the monitor. That was my thing, Billy. If he didn't think it was a foul, how did he end up at the monitor? You know, like, if he had called a foul and then he might go, well, let's go see how bad it is. But you didn't even call foul, and then you went to the monitor. I don't get that. And if I was Bruce Pearl, I'd be livid at the fact that you called foul on Brandon Garrison, went to the monitor and then added a foul on Broom.
- [50:12]
Matt Jones
Oh, he was. I think he should be furious.
- [50:15]
Billy Rutledge
Like, that's not what the mon. The monitor reviews are supposed to be for. Like, a couple of things, and they've become this crutch that has led rough referees to just look at it all the time. And that is like, that's terrible for the game.
- [50:30]
Matt Jones
And I think they went late and the monitor wasn't even working when they tried.
- [50:34]
Billy Rutledge
Well, that's right. When the power went out, they didn't have a monitor.
- [50:36]
Matt Jones
Yeah.
- [50:37]
Billy Rutledge
So which is good. I mean, when the ABC power went out, they didn't have a way to get replays. And guess what? They were able to call the end of the game. Of all those monitor reviews, to me, the only one that should be a monitor review, actually, I don't know if any of them should have been the goaltending. They got it right. What did they have to go look at it right. The Garrison foul Even though we ended up winning that just call it a foul and if you get it wrong, we're going to criticize you. That's what we do with referees, right? The Butler thing. If you didn't see it in real time that you didn't think there was contact then why did you go to the monitor? It just. And then the whole thing about like we won't look on a goaltending until after the next mark. They stop it all the time, Billy. Why do they wait until then?
- [51:26]
Matt Jones
Well that's, that's happened several times this.
- [51:28]
Billy Rutledge
Year and it's terrible because if let's say it hadn't been a goaltending, we got that rebound and we would have lost the points even though we got the rebound. So I just, I hate that rule. It's it the college basketball. These, some of these rules just don't make any sense to me. Let's take a break. 859-280-2287. We'll come back for the final segment. It's a local Toyota dealers KSR post game show. Welcome back techie sports radio. 859-280-2287. We got five people on Billy, is that right?
- [51:57]
Matt Jones
Six, but six.
- [51:59]
Billy Rutledge
We'll do all six. We'll go through here and then we'll. We're going a little long today, but that's all right. Saturday still nice outside. Even though we lost. I want to have a tweet there. A text somebody sent text machine. I do want to respond to Billy. It says I'd like to commend Billy on standing his ground this week. I have an appreciation for people that say what they mean and mean what they say. Alright, so Bill, you know me pretty well. What do you think my reaction is going to be to that text?
- [52:30]
Matt Jones
I think in, in, in certain situations it's good to stand up for yourself, but you should also have humility at times.
- [52:37]
Billy Rutledge
Cloth. That's close to. I was gonna say. Yeah, so like Billy messed up. So when you mess up, when you mess up. But he didn't do it intentionally. Like he didn't do it to hurt anybody. So when you mess up unintentionally, there's nothing wrong with apologizing. Probably my most frustrating thing that has happened in our culture outside of like, you know, some of the political stuff and all that that bothers me is this like all of a sudden how it's become like a really cool thing to never apologize. Yeah man. I just say it like stop it. You should be able to change your Mind, and you should be able to say you're sorry. There's like a philosopher, Billy, that says, why did I change my mind? When I get new information, I reconsider. What do you do? That's a really good line, right? Like, you shouldn't be so set in your beliefs that nothing could ever change your mind. If you do, then you're just like, you're just a sheep.
- [53:34]
Matt Jones
Oh, yeah. And your perspective can change over time.
- [53:37]
Billy Rutledge
Everything changes. Chances are, I don't care who you are out there, you don't think the same thing you did five years ago. So if that's true, then you shouldn't be wedded to what you think the day before, because if you can. So when you mess up, nobody messes up more than me. Apologize more than anybody. So one of the things that frustrates me about Billy is that sometimes he won't apologize. But, see, he's growing because he did today. That's good. So I actually would say to you, you should. There are many things to commend Billy about, but not apologizing, it should not be one of those. Okay, who's next?
- [54:13]
Matt Jones
Fox is next.
- [54:15]
Billy Rutledge
Did you say box?
- [54:16]
Matt Jones
Fox.
- [54:16]
Caller
Fox.
- [54:17]
Billy Rutledge
Okay, go ahead, Fox.
- [54:19]
Caller
Hey, Matt, do you think the. The news that Jacqueline Robinson was broke last night deflated the team by.
- [54:28]
Billy Rutledge
No. They knew. They knew. I found out last night.
- [54:32]
Caller
The pregame show pep talk and the energy they had in the locker room.
- [54:38]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, I mean, that. But remember, I mean, it's a long pep talk. ESPN showed six seconds.
- [54:44]
Matt Jones
Right.
- [54:45]
Billy Rutledge
So, I mean, like, you don't really know necessarily that you saw the whole thing, but they. I. I think they knew very quickly after the Oklahoma game. I mean, I didn't find out till last night, so. So, like, I put it out last night, and a lot of fans read it last night, but I think the team knew that before then. And honestly, the team probably knew that Robinson was. Was. You know, I think Pope said today that they knew two weeks ago he needed surgery, but he was just going to try to make it work. And so the team knew that, I'm sure. And I got to give the kid a lot of credit. Like, you know, I mean, he. He's going to go be a pro, and probably playing in that Oklahoma game and trying to come back is going to make his recovery process take longer, which will hurt his draft slash, you know, NBA status. So for him to want to do that, I actually got to give him a lot of credit. You know what I mean? Yeah.
- [55:37]
Caller
Yeah. I was just wondering how, you know, Just the, you know, how the team was gonna. With their energy level, thinking, knowing he wasn't going to come back.
- [55:47]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah. Well, I appreciate the call. I mean, if that is an issue, we'll probably see it next Tuesday against lsu, right? You know, they didn't have, I didn't have great energy, but I also didn't really think it was the energy thing. I just, I mean, they just, they just didn't play well. Who's next?
- [56:03]
Matt Jones
Gabriel.
- [56:04]
Billy Rutledge
Gabriel. What's up, Gabriel? Five more.
- [56:09]
Caller
I have two questions. The first one is, since Jackson Robinson out for the season, do you think Kobe Bryant has a step up in that position?
- [56:17]
Billy Rutledge
Without question. I mean, Kobe Bray, what do you score tonight? He had what, 18, something like that?
- [56:24]
Matt Jones
21.
- [56:25]
Billy Rutledge
21. So I, I don't know if he has scored 21 every game, but he's got to score like 16 or 17 for us to be good teams. Yes, there's no doubt. With Jackson Robinson out, two, two things have to happen. Kobe Bray has got to like score. He can't have games off. And then one of the freshmen, between Noah Perry and Chandler, every game, at least one of them's got to play well. Like especially either Perry or Chandler, because that's their position. Like we can't have, they can't just both be unplayable. Because as much as I like these guys playing a lot, Bray had to play 38 minutes. You gotta need a little break. So. So, yeah, definitely. Kobe Bray is gonna be the one that has to step up the most. Yeah, I figured.
- [57:13]
Caller
And the second one is off your gut feeling. What do you think our, our ceiling.
- [57:17]
Billy Rutledge
Is for the tournament now since Robinson's out? Appreciate the call. Yeah. I mean, again, I don't go by round because anything can happen, but I would say this is a, you know, this is probably, we're probably going to go into the tournament. I'm going to guess we're going to be a four seed. That's what I'm going to guess we're going to end up. And if we do, then I think we win our first game and then I think we'll play a five seed who will probably be just as good as we are and it'll be a toss up and, you know, we'll see what happens. And then after that it's all about your matchup and who you play and etc. So. So we'll see. The reality is if we're a four seed, it's almost certain to me our one seed is going to be Duke because I think The SEC is going to have three one seats and they're not going to want to put us with them. So if we're a four seed, like Billy, we're going to be in Duke's region, you know, whereas if we're a three seed, I. They might. Then we might avoid Duke. So. But if we're a 4 seed, our sweet 16 opponent would be Duke.
- [58:35]
Matt Jones
So they're a 4 seat if they lose to Missouri. So how it boils down to them or lsu, I think we.
- [58:41]
Billy Rutledge
Let's assume we beat lsu, beat Missouri, were three. If we don't beat Missouri, then we're kind of hovering on the 3, 4. I think we end up a 4 because the committee will go, well, they don't have Jackson Robinson. And, you know, that's what I. How I would see it, or to put it a different way, we're going to play at Missouri and then we're probably going to play. If we win our first round game, Auburn in the quarterfinals, the SEC turn. But if we want to be a 3C, Billy, we got to win one of those two games. I think at Missouri will be easier than beat.
- [59:17]
Matt Jones
Yeah.
- [59:18]
Billy Rutledge
So to win one of those two games were three, lose one, lose them both were four, lose to lsu, we're probably five. Who's next?
- [59:28]
Matt Jones
Cam?
- [59:29]
Billy Rutledge
Cam. Go ahead, Cam.
- [59:31]
Caller
What's going on, guys? First of all, really, really disappointed to hear about Jackson Robinson, man. But as you were saying, Matt, as I was listening, you know, NC State can make a run like they did last year. You know, anything crazy can happen in March for us this year, good and bad, you know, hopefully.
- [59:51]
Billy Rutledge
Remember this Auburn team, by the way, as good as this Auburn team is, and they picked up a couple players, they have a lot of similar players from last year. Do you remember what Auburn did in the tournament last year? They lost the first round to Yale. Yeah, they lost to Yale. So, you know, the tournament's weird, man, no matter what.
- [60:09]
Caller
It is. It is. I was watching a game with my wife, and she's watched about three or four games with me this year. And she said, man, we look real scared today, real timid. And I was like, you know, you're right. And she also said, why are we starting with the ball so far away from the basket? We were playing so timid.
- [60:27]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, we were.
- [60:28]
Caller
Our screen looked soft. We weren't trying to, you know, initiate the offense, you know, in a respectable place, man. We just looked very uncomfortable today playing at home. And I was really disappointed overall in the effort.
- [60:41]
Billy Rutledge
Well, your wife, I think Was right. I appreciate the call. I can. I think she. We appreciate the call. I think she. We did. I mean, that. A lot of that's credit to Auburn. They pushed us out and. And, you know, they were willing. They were basically willing to. To have us get beat back door or to beat them back door. And, you know, we weren't able to do it. Tennessee just banked in a three. Does it feel like there's more banked in threes now than I could ever remember? Tennessee just banked in a three, and they've tied the game against Alabama. It's a good game here going on right now. Six minutes to go. We got three left. Who's next?
- [61:16]
Matt Jones
Kinky.
- [61:18]
Billy Rutledge
Kinky. How are you, Kinky?
- [61:20]
Caller
Hey, I'm doing all right, Matt. First time, very long time.
- [61:23]
Billy Rutledge
Who are. What makes you Kinky?
- [61:27]
Caller
It's a college fraternity nickname. I mean, you know, you just want.
- [61:33]
Billy Rutledge
To tell us how you got that nickname, or is there a way to tell it on the public airwaves?
- [61:39]
Caller
Oh, I can tell it, but it's not nearly as interesting.
- [61:43]
Billy Rutledge
Go ahead. If it's. If it's not as interesting, then I still want to hear what it is.
- [61:47]
Caller
Oh, I was on fraternity walkout in 1985, and one of my older fraternity brothers came back in from a night of drinking, and just. My. My real name is Ken, and he's like, hey, Kinky. And it's like, that was my nickname.
- [62:03]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, well, that's very different than what I thought. So you're what? So you were in fraternity in 1985. So that means you were. You're like, what, 57 years old? Something like that. And you. Do you. Do you introduce yourself as Kinky?
- [62:18]
Caller
Well, to my friends and to people who are my age level, but. But not to my students.
- [62:25]
Billy Rutledge
Okay. Oh, yeah. You don't do that. Don't do that. As your lawyer, I'm gonna tell you not to do that. All right, well, what do you got? Kinky.
- [62:34]
Caller
Well, thank you, counselor. Oh, I would just say there. There are some things about this team that frustrate me. Like, I've especially been disappointed in our live ball turnovers, which haven't seemed to improve as the season goes on. But maybe that's just who we are, right?
- [62:47]
Billy Rutledge
Yes.
- [62:48]
Caller
And. And so. But like, Pope fielded the team from scratch in April, leads the country in top 10 wins, has battled injuries all season long, and is still in line to get a four seater better. So all these people who are thinking they know better than him and can. It just makes me chuckle a Little bit. And if he was able to do that this year, I'm so confident in what he can do going forward.
- [63:12]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, I don't, I don't get. And I appreciate the call. I don't understand the people who look at whatever the results are this year, however we end up and think that they can somehow like definitively glean that he's not going to be good here. And I don't think there's many people that say that, but I do think there's a handful. And I don't, I don't understand how they can even think that because he put a team together in three and a half weeks, as he reminded on the post game show, they're four and three against teams that are ranked in the top five right now in the, in the. So far this season. And, you know, he's dealt with basically four of our five players or four of our top seven players have been significantly hurt during the course of the year. So I don't really know, you know, now, now would you. Can I say, like, definitively he's going to be great here? I don't think you could say that either, but I definitely don't think anything has. I mean, go look at the other new coaches. Okay. You know, Cal, we know what's happening there. The guy at Michigan, Dusty May's doing well, but it's similar to us. Pat Kelsey's doing well, but it's similar to us. They just have an easier schedule. We beat them. So, like, all these new coaches around the country are kind of doing as good or like Pope is doing as well or better than all of them. So why would people be negative? We had no players when he got here. None. That's. That was always the bargain with Cal. Here's the thing about Cal. I said this 10 years ago. The day Cal leaves, you have to start over. When you hire Caliperi, you get. It's a bargain. The first bargain is he'll make you good quick because he'll just bring in all these new guys. But the counter to that is when he leaves, you have to start over. UMass did, Memphis did. Kentucky's now is. And one day Arkansas will. So, like if you had told me in 2015, the year after Cal leaves, Kentucky's going to be a 4 seed in the NCAA tournament that next year. Billy, I would have signed up for that in a minute.
- [65:30]
Matt Jones
And they swept Tennessee, they beat Duke. You beat Louisville.
- [65:34]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah. Peak and Zaga. Now, if I were to look back and go, what am I disappointed in we should have beaten Arkansas, probably should have beaten Texas, you know, Georgia, but maybe Georgia. But like I am in general, I think this has been a positive thing. And people who give up on Pope, I just, I don't get that at all. Those are just people, though. We want to be negative. Two more. Who's next?
- [66:01]
Matt Jones
Benjamin.
- [66:02]
Billy Rutledge
Benjamin, go ahead.
- [66:05]
Caller
Hey, man. How are you doing, sir?
- [66:07]
Billy Rutledge
Doing good.
- [66:09]
Caller
Good. So I don't know about how other people feel about this, but I am sick and tired of listening to Jay Billis call Kentucky basketball games. I mean, I don't know what intellect, Albert Einstein, genius level person, decided to let a Duke basketball player, former, obviously, call a Kentucky basketball game. I mean.
- [66:31]
Billy Rutledge
Jay Bills doesn't hate Kentucky. I mean, his JBL's nephew was a student body president at Kentucky.
- [66:41]
Caller
Well, I was unfamiliar with that. I'll admit my ignorance there. But, but sometimes it gets a little annoying.
- [66:49]
Billy Rutledge
Yeah, I, I mean, I, I get. If you don't like J. Billis as a, as a announcer, I appreciate the call. I mean, a lot of everybody's got different things they like, but I don't think J Bill's a bit. I mean, the only thing I don't like about J. Bill is doing our games is that we have to watch him eat ice cream every time. Because I actually think he does a good job. I mean, he's, he's a little bit, he's a little bit curmudgeonly. The older he gets, like some of the joy he had early in his career. Now he's always complaining about things, but I. In general, Billy, I think amongst the college basketball announcers, he's one of the better ones that there is.
- [67:25]
Matt Jones
Sure. I'd say so. And wait till Benjamin finds out that a Duke grad's hosting this radio show right now.
- [67:32]
Billy Rutledge
It's a really good point. That's right. I went to Duke too. Is that maybe it's either his nephew a student body president, or his niece married the guy who was student body president. His, his niece or nephew went to UK and someone was the student body president. I can't remember which one it was. I don't know if it was the spouse or him, but that was during like the, the John Wall, you know, or maybe Anthony Davis years. All right, one more. Who's next?
- [68:01]
Matt Jones
Johnny.
- [68:02]
Billy Rutledge
Johnny. Go ahead, Johnny.
- [68:04]
Caller
Hey, Matt. This is my fourth post game show in a row. Got a body. Billy, be nice to the women.
- [68:12]
Matt Jones
Easy now.
- [68:14]
Billy Rutledge
The whole show without getting crushed and then Johnny gets him. All right, go ahead.
- [68:20]
Caller
A couple things here. Almanor Came in, looked like he was shooting a block of cheese. Whenever he shot that theory, I mean, it was.
- [68:27]
Billy Rutledge
That was rough.
- [68:27]
Caller
It was so Pope. He put emphasis on the SEC tournament whenever he was first tired. Do you think that he has a lot more pressure this year? It's not looking good.
- [68:39]
Billy Rutledge
There's pressure. I mean, like, okay, so first of all, he. He suggested, even tonight he was like, we're going to get to Nashville and it's going to be explosive. Like, so he's not. He's not acting like it doesn't matter when you say pressure. Okay, let's say we're the eight seed, right? First game we play Mississippi State. Is there pressure to win that one? Yeah, maybe. But I mean, let's say we play Auburn in the quarterfinals. Like, what are you going to do? You know what I mean?
- [69:08]
Caller
I mean, what I. Hopefully more than we did tonight.
- [69:12]
Billy Rutledge
Hopefully. I agree. Hopefully more than we did tonight. I appreciate the call. I mean, you know, it's. You can only do so much. I still think that there's a world that we can beat Auburn in a game, even though I think Auburn's really good. Because I do think we actually defensively have a shot at guarding them. You saw it in spurts tonight. But then, I mean, you got to be locked in. You got to be locked in, and then you can't. Like, one of their guys can't make nine threes. You know, we actually played broom pretty well, but a dude made nine threes. So, you know. But do I think we'll beat them? No. But I also. I don't think we're 16 points worse than them. But tonight we were. Thank you, folks, very much for listening. Let's go over some scheduling. So Monday, I'll be in studio doing the show. First of all, Kentucky women play tomorrow at South Carolina. So I don't think, you know, they got good chance to finish the regular season. Their SEC tournament is next week. Monday we're in studio. Tuesday, we'll be at KS Bar. Kentucky plays Tuesday. Pregame show will be at 4:30. Wednesday, Thursday at KS Bar. And then Friday we will be in Louisville at Cornbread Hemp. But I do not believe. Billy, that's not open to the public, right? Or is it?
- [70:39]
Matt Jones
I'll have to double check. I don't know that I want to.
- [70:41]
Billy Rutledge
Let you know on that one, but we are. We're in. Louisville Cats take a unfortunate defeat at home tonight to Auburn. Two more games left in the regular season. And by the way, it's March now, best month of the year for sports. We will see you later. This has been the local Toyota Dealers KSR Post game show. From Taco night in Tulum to Sushi in Tokyo, every bite is rewarding and pulse worthy with MX Gold's 4X Membership Rewards port at restaurants worldwide. Wherever you dine, points are piling up. So bring your friends along for your next course. Because it's not all about the posts, it's about the company and the memories. How can Gold from Amex sweeten your next food moment? Learn more@americanexpress.com Explore Gold terms and Points Cap Apply.