KSR Postgame Show: UK MBB vs Eastern Illinois (11/14/25) Episode Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Matt Jones
Co-host: Billy Reed
Notable Guest: Kenny Brooks (UK Women’s Basketball Head Coach)

Episode Overview

This episode of the KSR Postgame Show covers the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team’s dominant 46-point win over Eastern Illinois in the BBN United Classic. Matt Jones and Billy Reed react to the lopsided victory, analyze player performances, discuss injury updates and the ongoing intrigue about the pre-Louisville “emotional switch” story, and talk about implications for upcoming tougher matchups—especially the looming Michigan State game. Additional segments include fan calls and an interview with women’s head coach Kenny Brooks, as the show touches on both teams’ progress and challenges.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Immediate Game Takeaways

   • Kentucky wins by 46, leading from the start—the game was “never in question.”
   • Matt asserts the team "actually played really well," despite some social media negativity.
   • Emphasis on Kentucky's massive size advantage, resulting in a dominant performance inside.
   • Standout stats: UK out-rebounds EIU 49-17 (Matt: “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a 49-17… that’s crazy.” [04:00]), shoots 61% from the field, 21 assists, and wins by one of the program’s largest rebounding margins in decades.
   • Only “negative number” is the 13 turnovers, but context matters as many came in “sloppy” garbage time.

2. Player-by-Player Highlights & Concerns

   • Yves Missi Diabate: 20 points, “excellent,” high-energy bounce-back after a poor Louisville game.
   • Garrison: Only six points—some concern about his defensive effort and decision making.
   • Yellow Vic and Moreno: Both had 11 points, impactful off the bench.
   • Aberdeen: Follow-up to a 26-point game with 13 points as starting point guard.
   • Jasper Johnson: Inconsistent, but improved in the second half and being prepped as backup PG.
   • OA (Otega): Still “lackadaisical,” not showing previous year’s intensity (Matt references Jack Givens’ points about needing OA to be aggressive vs. Michigan State. “[Will OA] take it to the basket, draw fouls, or settle for threes?” [07:45])
   • Cam Williams: Hit two threes; positive bench production.
   • Defensive effort praised, holding EIU to 19 first-half points (with nine coming in one minute on back-to-back-to-back threes).

3. Injury Update: Jalen Lowe

   • Coach Mark Pope more candid with fans than with media about injuries.
   • Lowe has an unstable shoulder, likely to persist all year, may need surgery at some point.
   • The decision about surgery vs. playing is ongoing with input from Lowe’s family and agents.
   • Implications for team: Matt calls Lowe “maybe the player most crucial to us having a chance to win the national championship” [15:44].

4. Mark Pope & The “Emotional Switch”/ Louisville Pre-Game Story

   • Pope’s explanation about the “flip the switch” protocol—Kentucky “flipped it an hour and a half too early” before the Louisville game, impacting team emotions. [12:16]
   • Matt feels Pope’s teasing/conflicting comments about the Louisville game are a misstep:
     • “I don’t think this is the time to screw with us. You know, we just lost to Louisville three days ago.” [11:25]
     • Drew Franklin (pregame) suggested, “both fans and the team need to move on from the Louisville game” [13:22].
   • Pope praised for his honesty about on-court issues, e.g. owning up to transition defense failures against Louisville and how he’s still “behind” in teaching this team basic concepts.

5. Fan Calls & Community Reaction

   • General satisfaction with the big win, but lingering questions about rotations, OA’s engagement, and worries about depth at point guard without Lowe.
   • Callers discuss the importance of covering big spreads, improvement in offensive and defensive execution, and ponder the impact of injuries.
   • Stats-focused discussions: Aberdeen’s impact (+37 on-court), rebounding margin historical context (only third 32+ margin since 1998), and Jasper Johnson’s need to step up.

6. SEC & National Context

   • SEC has started poorly in power conference matchups (2-9 at the time of recording).
   • Matt notes that Kentucky’s non-conference road is “much harder than it looked two weeks ago”—with tough games vs Indiana, North Carolina, St. John’s, and Gonzaga ahead.
   • Conference schedule quirk: Kentucky’s easier SEC games are mostly at home, tougher ties all on the road.

7. UK Women’s Basketball Segment (w/ Coach Kenny Brooks) [33:50-41:56]

   • Coach Brooks discusses early road-heavy schedule (Buffalo, Marshall)—intentional for team bonding and SEC preparation.
   • Explains philosophy of scheduling non-conference games to mimic certain SEC styles (e.g., Marshall’s press/chaos mirrors Tennessee).
   • Highlights team’s interior dominance: averaging 11 blocks per game, led the country last year, “the triplets” (Clara Strack, Tiani Key, Amelia Hassett) anchoring defense.
   • Adapting play style after graduating a generational point guard (Georgia Amore).
     • New PG Tony Morgan impresses: “16 assists, zero turnovers” in latest outing.
   • Tuesday’s big home game vs. Purdue—last home game for a month—urges fans to come out, hints at major recruit on campus.

8. Notable Individual Performances & Awards

   • Moneymaker of the night: Andrea Yelovich (11 pts, 7 rebounds in 15 minutes, “improving every single game” per Billy [50:27])
   • Highlighting player development: Yelovich’s surprising defensive impact; calls for him to see more minutes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You win by 46 and you’re up by 30 at halftime. I’m gonna take it. A lot of good things happened.” – Matt Jones [02:35]
• “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a 49-17… that’s crazy.” (on rebounding) – Matt Jones [04:00]
• “Defensively, Kee was really good. We held them to 19 in the first half.” – Matt Jones [07:54]
• “Will OA be the OA from last year? Take it to the basket, draw fouls… or settle for threes?” – Matt Jones, referencing Jack Givens’ analysis [07:45]
• “Pope is a lot more open [with fans]… than he is with the media.” – Matt Jones [08:36]
• “I just don’t get this… it’s the first time I’m like, what are you doing?” (on Pope’s teasing about the Louisville story) – Matt Jones [13:06]
• “I give him a lot of credit for being honest… how many coaches would come out and say, ‘we’re just not as good as I think we should be right now’?” – Matt Jones [16:34]
• “Great teams win these games by 30 or 40. That’s how you know they’re good.” – Hunter, caller [27:02]
• “The women’s team is averaging 11 blocks a game. Led the country last year. Our DNA is to protect the rim.” – Kenny Brooks, UKWBB Head Coach [37:32]
• “Tony Morgan…16 assists, zero turnovers, one of the most dominating games I’ve seen from a point guard.” – Kenny Brooks [39:33]
• “If I’m Jasper Johnson… I’ve gotta step up.” – Matt Jones [24:42]
• “We could be a contender in the SEC and a two or three seed. I don’t think we can be a one seed without Jalen Lowe.” – Matt Jones [60:25, on NCAA/National outlook w/o Lowe]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:00] Game reaction, statistical rundown
• [04:00] Rebound margin analysis, player stat leaders
• [07:45] OA (Otega) analysis, referencing Jack Givens
• [08:36] Pope’s injury updates & media/fan transparency
• [11:25] Pope’s handling of “flipping the switch”/Louisville story
• [15:44] Jalen Lowe injury implications
• [16:35] Pope’s honesty about where team stands
• [18:18–29:24] Fan calls on rotations, OA’s demeanor, Lowe’s absence, SEC schedule, etc.
• [33:50–41:56] Kenny Brooks interview – women’s team, schedule, player development, recruiting
• [50:27] Moneymaker award—Andrea Yelovich
• [55:17, 60:25] Discussion about Garrison’s struggles and UK’s possible ceiling if Jalen Lowe is out

Summary Table: Top Performers (MBB vs EIU)

| Player | Points | Rebounds | Notable Contributions | |---------------|--------|----------|-------------------------------| | Diabate | 20 | (8-9 FG) | High energy, interior defense | | Yelovich | 11 | 7 | Efficient, good defense | | Moreno | 11 | — | Solid bench scoring | | Aberdeen | 13 | — | Ran point, steady hand | | OA (Otega) | 12 | — | “Gets 12 in his sleep”; needs more focus |

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• The mood is upbeat and proud of a decisive victory, but sober about weaknesses and long-term concerns (turnovers, OA’s engagement, backcourt options if Lowe is out, and Mark Pope’s “teasing” about Louisville).
• The show continues to foster a direct, honest relationship with fans—praising Pope for his transparency, checking facts, and taking caller questions seriously.
• Women’s team updates offer additional optimism and highlight the success of crossover player and coach development.

For Listeners Who Missed The Episode

This episode gives a thorough debrief of Kentucky’s lopsided win over Eastern Illinois, but doesn’t sugarcoat the bigger questions: Jalen Lowe’s health and its implications for the season, OA’s lack of energy, and Mark Pope’s somewhat clumsy public handling of the team’s emotional state after the Louisville loss.

Key moments include sharp player analysis (especially of Diabate, Yelovich, and OA), a candid injury update on Lowe, a revealing segment with women’s coach Kenny Brooks about building a winning culture, and an amused but critical unpacking of Mark Pope’s post-Louisville narrative gamesmanship.

The show is rich with fan insight, real talk about the SEC's non-conference stumbles, and a keen eye toward the bigger tests awaiting Kentucky in the coming weeks. The focus is always on improvement, team accountability, and the passionate community surrounding UK basketball.