KSR Postgame UK MBB vs Georgia 2/18/26

Summary

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KSR Postgame UK MBB vs Georgia 2/18/26

Overview

In this emotional postgame episode, Matt Jones and the KSR crew dissect one of the most disappointing home losses of Kentucky's season: an 86–78 stumble against Georgia. The loss marks UK’s second SEC home defeat and raises serious questions about the Wildcats’ NCAA tournament prospects, coaching decisions, team effort, and the environment at Rupp Arena. Jones, callers, and co-host Billy grapple with recurring team issues and the direction under Coach Mark Pope while navigating the fanbase’s frustration and occasional optimism.

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Main Theme

Topic:
Why Kentucky basketball continues to falter in key moments, with a focus on recurring game issues, Mark Pope’s substitution patterns, and what this loss means going forward.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Persistent First-Half Deficits & Defensive Woes

• Shocking Stats:
  • Kentucky trailed by at least 12 points in 13 of 19 games against major conference opponents.
  • They’ve been losing at halftime in 15 of 19 games—“atrocious” in Jones’s words.

    "That stat, it is almost shocking how bad that stat is." (A, 02:27)

• Defensive Lapses:
  • UK's inability to guard the three-point line, especially against teams like Georgia that typically don’t shoot well, is a recurring problem.
  • Opposition exploited poor perimeter defense and UK’s lack of in-game adjustments.
  • Players often “take plays off,” leading to key defensive breakdowns.

2. Effort & Consistency Issues

• Effort Improved but Inconsistent:
  • Some improvement in SEC play, but costly possessions where players "take plays off."
  • Only Moreno and Aberdeen lauded for consistent defensive effort.

  • "Almost every player on the team has possessions where they take plays off." (A, 09:54)

• Lack of Team Connection:
  • Jones struggles to understand what motivates this team, citing moments of both connectivity and disconnect.

3. Missed Free Throws Again a Major Problem

• UK went 12-20 from the line; SEC play average now just 69%.
• Guards and top shooters (Away, Aberdeen, Noah) are missing, not just big men.

  • "You cannot have your guards go 7 of 14 from the free throw line. You just can't." (A, 28:08)

4. Turnovers and Poor Ball Movement

• Georgia: 20 assists, 7 turnovers vs. UK: 13 assists, 13 turnovers.

  • "We didn't share the ball. And we were sloppy with the ball; they shared the ball and were not sloppy." (A, 13:19)

• Only Chandler and Away kept the Cats in the game with hot shooting and individual scoring runs.

5. Mark Pope’s Substitution Patterns Under Fire

• Heavy focus on end-of-first-half subs leading to collapses.
• Jones questions Pope's use of analytics regarding minute distribution and frequent rotation.
  • Pope’s logic: playing guys 36–38 minutes causes fatigue.
  • Jones counter: The proof is in the losing record at halftime—needs to ride best players longer.

  • "I don't understand how Mark can look at those numbers... The one I'm looking at is 4 and 15 in the first half this year." (A, 16:59)

  • Example: Jasper Johnson (-16 in 14 min), yet Pope claims Johnson played well.

6. Tournament Outlook & Season Prognosis

• Record now 17–9; bubble situation. UK will likely be underdogs in 4 of the last 5 games.

  • "If you win that [South Carolina], but if you lose the other four, you'd be 18 and 13. I think that would get you in, but I'm not certain." (A, 15:48)

• Loss to Georgia puts added pressure on remaining schedule; failing to win home games against “mid-pack” SEC teams is inexcusable.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

First Segment – Recurring Problems

• (02:27): “15 of the 19 games Kentucky has played this year against major conference teams, we have been losing at halftime. That’s unbelievable. ... That stat, it is almost shocking how bad that stat is.” — Matt Jones
• (09:54): "Almost every player on the team has possessions where they take plays off." — Matt Jones

On Mark Pope’s Coaching

• (16:59): "I don't understand how Mark can look at those numbers... The one I'm looking at is 4 and 15 in the first half this year." — Matt Jones
• (13:19): "We didn’t share the ball. And we were sloppy with the ball; they shared the ball and were not sloppy." — Matt Jones

On Game Atmosphere & Rupp Arena

• (25:49): "If people want to stand during the game, they should, as long as they’re courteous... But I’m just trying to make the bigger point that Rupp arena and Kroger Field need a better environment from BBN." — Caller Aiden
• (28:08): "You cannot have your guards go 7 of 14 from the free throw line. You just can’t." — Matt Jones

Callers’ Emotions

• (30:47): “I just have a hard time seeing that glass half empty... I’m just thinking, you know Kentucky was down 14, 17 with Tennessee. We come back, we beat them. We won at Arkansas. We beat Rick Pitino. I, I’m sorry. I just have a hard time feeling like a big loser tonight.” — Darlene

On Frustrating Sub Patterns

• (42:02): "Sixteen subs in six and a half minutes. Is that right? That's what they said. Now, that could be wrong, but let's say that's right. That's...It felt like that they were just shuttling guys back in and out. And I don't know how you expect a team to have rhythm when you do that." — Matt Jones

On Mark Pope & The Program’s Future

• (58:19): "It is clear Mark Pope has not recruited the level of player that he now needs to get at Kentucky. And maybe the methods he used to recruit guys at Utah Valley and BYU is not what you do to recruit the top stars to Kentucky." — Matt Jones

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–16:30: Jones’s opening monologue – breakdown of six major issues plaguing Kentucky.
• 16:30–21:00: First callers; timeout strategy, lack of huddle urgency, team “connectedness.”
• 24:14–28:40: Debate over Rupp Arena’s environment, crowd engagement, and generational fan tensions.
• 29:39–31:07: Darlene’s positive call — an outlier of hope and optimism.
• 33:37–35:22: More on Rupp etiquette and a listener’s direct question about Mark Pope’s future.
• 37:04–39:00: Caller Chad on visible effort disparity and Moreno’s big-man fundamentals.
• 40:01–41:00: Colin Chandler as “Moneymaker of the Game.”
• 45:34–47:55: Callers debate environment across blue blood programs; whether UK’s woes are structural.
• 48:27–53:58: Long conversation about the wisdom of the Pope hire, standards for Kentucky’s head coach, and patience.
• 56:14–58:45: Caller Mark asks if Mark Pope is “in over his head.” Jones: “I think he’s in his head.”
• 58:45–59:51: Final recap, future outlook, and sign off.

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Additional Color & Tone

• Frustration: Repeatedly, both host and callers return to the "same old mistakes," with a blend of earnest anguish and impatience.
• Analytical: Jones brings data/analytics into his critique, particularly regarding substitution patterns and first-half performance.
• Cynical Hope: While the host is tough, he is not “giving up yet” and agrees with calls for more positivity, as exemplified by Darlene’s call.
• Community Therapy: The episode functions as venting (“a lot of people probably said, you know what, I’m going to bed. And I understand that.” [16:38]), but also a group attempt to regain perspective.

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Segment Highlights

00:00–10:00 — The Six Deadly Sins

• First halves (chronic slow starts)
• Three-point defense
• Defensive effort lapses
• Free throw woes
• Turnovers and selfish offense
• Pope's substitution rotations and analytics

16:30–22:00 — Timeouts & Leadership Style

• Callers question huddle strategy—why do coaches pause before engaging the players during timeouts?
• Comparison with Georgia’s coaching style (more hands-on).
• Jones notes, “maybe that can work, I think... but I found it odd.”

24:14–34:45 — Atmosphere Debate

• Complaints about lackluster Rupp crowd and generational attitudes toward standing/ cheering.
• Host is sympathetic but points out—energy lulls are understandable when the team is trailing.

40:01–41:00 — Player of the Game

• Colin Chandler honored for his shooting performance: 18 points, 6 of 10 from three, one major steal.

45:34–53:58 — Big Picture

• Is Rupp to blame, or are the problems more foundational?
• Caller: How much patience should UK have with Mark Pope?
• Jones: Too early to panic, but next year looms large for Pope’s tenure.

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Summary Table: Critical Stats & Issues

| Category | UK vs Georgia | Comment / Implication | |---------------------|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | First-Half Deficits | 15/19 games trailing | Analytics demand a change, not just more data | | Free Throws | 12-20 (60%) | Guards underperformed; not just a 'big man' problem | | Turnovers | 13 (assts: 13) | Georgia had far superior 20/7 assist/TO ratio | | Three-Point Defense | Allowed open looks | Big runs by opponents at just the wrong moments | | Sub Patterns | 16 subs, 6.5 min (alleged) | Disrupts rhythm; analytics or overthinking? | | Key Players | Chandler, Away | Carried team offensively; lack of consistent supporting cast |

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Final Takeaways

• Loss to Georgia drastically shrinks Kentucky’s margin for error for the NCAA tournament.
• Same issues have persisted all season: slow starts, three-point defense, inconsistent effort, missed free throws, and unreliable rotations.
• Fans and host split between justified criticism and lingering (if tentative) hope.
• Mark Pope’s reliance on analytics and rotation strategies is coming under heavier scrutiny—host and callers worry he's overthinking (“in his head”).
• Rupp’s game environment and generational divides among fans become a recurring (and still unresolved) flashpoint.
• All parties agree: next few weeks are critical for the program’s standing and for Mark Pope’s future as UK’s head coach.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
This show is a masterclass in frustrated but devoted fandom. It’s both a forensic diagnosis of a must-win loss and a town hall about whether Big Blue Nation’s patience—and the data—will run out on this coach and team.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome everyone. It is the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show the Cats with a an extremely disappointing loss at home 8678 to Georgia, their second home loss in the SEC this season and a loss that, as we'll talk about in just a couple minutes, I think will have major ramifications for Kentucky even if they do finish the season. Well, this was, I think, a game where Kentucky made way too many mistakes to win. And the mistakes, in my opinion, were the exact mistakes that Kentucky has made all season long. The same issues that have plagued them all year showcase themselves in this game. And I think it's probably like six things, but the sixth one to me is the biggest issue, so I'll finish with that. The first is these first halves in general. I'm going to give you some stats that are pretty amazing. I mentioned this this morning. Kentucky now has been losing by 12 points in at some point in the game in 13 of its 19 games against major conference opponents. That this year, that's over 66% of Kentucky's games when they have played a team from a major conference. Okay, not even necessarily good teams, just teams from a major conference. They have been trailing by at least 12 points. 13 and 19. They have been trailing at halftime, Billy, in 15 of the 19 games. That's unbelievable. 15 of the 19 games Kentucky has played this year against major conference teams, we have been losing at halftime. That is atrocious. I mean, atrocious. That is I. That stat, it is almost shocking how bad that stat is. So when you keep giving yourself a deficit to come out of, there are going to be games that even if you start playing well, you're just not going to be able to do it. And this was one of those. And the reason gets to my second point, which is consistently this year against teams that they can't do it against, they do not guard the three point line. Well, I don't understand looking at Georgia. The only way Georgia is going to beat you tonight, and Georgia's not bad, but you're at home, they're small. Samto and his backup are really the only bigs they have and they actually play the best when they have four guards out there. The only way they're gonna beat you is if they hit threes. That's how they're gonna be. And we do not guard the three. Well. Now granted they're like 290th in the country in threes. They. They actually don't shoot the ball very well, but they take a lot of them and then they get out and transition. Those are the things that they really like to do. But for the second straight game, Kentucky has played a team that doesn't shoot threes great, but has given them wide open looks at it by playing poor defense. And then they don't adjust. They never adjust during the game. Georgia's threes, they hit a few in the first half, but in the second half, every. We started playing pretty well offensively in the second half and every time we made a run, they had somebody to hit a three. You play, you play against teams that are this much smaller than you, and we back, way back off the shooter and just let these guys take shots. It drives me crazy. Or we don't fight through screens and we give shots, which gets me to my third thing. Earlier this year, I thought effort was an issue in every game. In SEC play, especially recently, I think they've been pretty good at giving consistent effort. But they have these moments in games where, to quote Mark Pope, they take plays off and they do, they take plays off. Almost every player on the team has possessions where they take plays off. The only couple of exceptions. I don't feel like Moreno takes a lot of plays off. I think Aberdeen rarely does. But most of the other guys will take plays off defensively. And when they do, we get burned. And you saw it in that run at the end of the first half. Kentucky, if you were to go back and watch those plays, because I did. At halftime, you can find on nearly every possession a player who either can't guard or is taking a. Is like taking the possession off. And Mark, to his credit, said it after the game, but it happens. You can watch it. And that lack of consistency on defensive effort kills us. Fourth, we missed too many free throws. We were 12 of 20 from the free throw line. We're shooting Billy 69% from the free throw line in SEC play. Not good enough. That's not good. And it's not just, it's not like our bigs or our guards are missing them. You know, it's not just that, like Modi Bate gets fouled and he's not a good free throw shooter. Everybody misses. I mean, at one point in the first half, we were one for four from our, in what should on paper be two of our best free throw shooters away. And Noah, you can't miss those. You can't miss those in, in, in big games. And we. 12 of 20 is not good enough. When you're in a game that's going to come down to the, to the wire. Turnovers The. I mean, you could probably say that if you just saw one stat. The stat that defines the game is Georgia had 20 assists and seven turnovers, and we had 13 assists and 13 turnovers, which means we didn't share the ball. And we were sloppy with the ball where they shared the ball. And we're not sloppy. The only reason we were really even in the game is that Colin Chandler shot the ball amazing and away carried us for a few stretches. That's the only reason we're in the game. I mean, those two guys, not for those two guys, we get. We get run off the court on our home court. So the sloppiness and turnovers have been an issue all year. And then I think sixth is. And to me, the most important thing was Pope's substitution pattern, specifically at the end of the first half. I. I'm a big numbers guy. Like, I believe numbers don't lie. I believe. I believe in the idea of analytics. Not only do I believe in it, I think if you look at the coaches and the. And the programs in the. In the NBA and college basketball, really every sport that master it, if you look at the best teams, that they've also mastered analytics. So I'm for it. But I admit that I don't understand the way Mark uses analytics. Not that he shouldn't use them, but I don't understand. It's like he and I see the same numbers and it feels like we come to completely different conclusions. It is objectively true that if you have been down at halftime 15 of the 19 games against power Conference teams. Billy, wouldn't you say you need to adjust what you're doing in the first half? Yes. I mean, to me, that is like. It's obvious. We are 10 and nine in games against Power Conference teams, which, by the way, isn't good, but we are 4 and 15 in the first half. So that would tell you we've got to do better in the first half. And yet he just keeps doing the same thing we play. It's almost like we. We live in a. Let's distribute equally during the first half minutes. And it never works. And I. I don't want to read that. Like, I'm not. I'm not trying to be, like, harsh, but numbers to some extent are numbers. The plus minus for this game, only two players had a positive plus minus. Colin Chandler and Mo D'. Abate. Colin Chandler was plus one. Diabate was plus two. Yellow Vic was minus one. Aberdeen was minus two. Garrison was minus two. Moreno and Away are minus five trick Noah's minus 13 in eight minutes of action. Jasper Johnson is minus 16 in 14 minutes of action. If you go back and look at that run we had, our two worst defenders in my mind are yellow Vich and Jasper yellow. Vic can sometimes be good guarding, sliding his feet, but he gets lost off the ball and his help defense is bad and Jasper just does not. I mean, Jasper's just a bad defender, at least at this point in his career. And they played those guys together and there was a 9, 0 run. And then after the game, Mark is asked about substitution patterns and he said, well, the numbers show us that if we play guys 36 to 38 minutes a game, they will be tired and their performance will go down at the end. All right, I believe him. But I'd like to Billy, see it happen. Because what I have seen happen is we play, we don't do that and we fall down in the first half. If we play away, Aberdeen and Chandler, huge minutes and at the end they kind of wear down. So be it. But I know what doesn't work is the substitution pattern that we've seen. 4 and 15 at halftime. So I don't understand how Mark can look at those numbers. And he said about Jasper specifically, I thought he did really well and played really well for us tonight. Well, he was minus 16 in 14 minutes. No offense. I'm not criticizing the kid, I'm criticizing. What are you seeing? Like, how are you looking at those numbers and coming to those conclusions? Two for eight from the field, minus 16. I don't understand. So I. It is without question a problem that in the first halves during the Mark Pope era, Kentucky has been bad. They've just been bad. If I told you we were 4 and 15 in the first half, I don't care what school you're coaching at, that's a disaster. And you're at Kentucky now in the second half. They've played for the most part, really well. But that is, you lose games like tonight because you got down so much in the first half. The deficit at halftime is why we lost tonight. And then at the end of game, we had some chances. Chandler had two open threes. Can't criticize him for missing him because he was five or six before that. But they were open and just didn't go in. Or six of seven before that. Two open looks, just missed away. Had to drive to the basket. He was there. He had 28. Another huge night scoring for him. Just. Just dribble it off his foot. Three big opportunities by your two best offensive players and it just didn't happen. But the reason we were in that situation is all that stuff that happened in the first half. So, you know, now Kentucky has put themselves in a spot. I said after the game we're 17 and nine, but we're not certain to make the tournament. I think we will, but we're not certain. We have five games left. We will be the underdog in four of those five games. We'll be the underdog Saturday at Auburn. We'll be the underdog at A and M, will be the underdog at home to Florida, and we'll probably be the underdog at home against Vandy. Although that one, maybe it goes the other way, but we're probably the underdog. We'll probably be a favorite at South Carolina. We should win that game. And if you win that, but if you lose the other four, you'd be 18 and 13. I think that would get you in, but I'm not certain. You probably at least would need to win one in Nashville. And by the way, if we lose four or five, we might be playing on Wednesday in Nashville. So this was a huge game. I thought if you won tonight, you're in the tournament and we didn't. And now you go to Auburn Saturday and you're probably looking at it and saying, you know, you need to steal that one. And maybe they will. I mean, they, they are perfectly capable of going to Auburn and winning. But the problem so far in the Mark Pope era has not necessarily been the fact that we can't go to Auburn and win. We went to Arkansas when we went to Tennessee. And the problem is we can't keep losing to Georgia and Missouri at home. Georgia's won three of the last four games against Kentucky. They hadn't done that since the 20s. Wow. Since the 20s. I was encouraged by how they played against Florida. But one of the things Drew said I do think has some validity. We can't just accept that like this stuff happens. No, it doesn't. You don't lose. You really shouldn't lose any home games at Rupp. But if you're good, you shouldn't lose to anybody at Rupp. That's not great. And, and you certainly shouldn't lose twice to mid pack SEC teams at home. And that's what we've done. And that's very disappointing. And at some point I hope Mark Pope, who is a immensely smart guy and is a good coach at some point, these numbers that he always talks about, it's not just about looking at the Numbers, it's what you do with them. And I just don't see how a coach can justify the way we play in the first halves of these games. And when asked about it, refer to numbers. I just don't know what set of numbers he's looking at because the one I'm looking at is 4 and 15 in the first half this year. 8-59-2802287. It's a big loss. It's not the end of the world. They can still come back from this, but there are some possibilities. They're now in play that I thought when we beat Tennessee at home were kind of off the table. Now I think, unfortunately, they're back on. We'll take a break. Be right back. It's the local toy dealers KSR postgame show. Welcome back. It is the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show. There's a video. I can't just be bummed all night. You got to play this video, Billy, of Mick Cronin talking about the Michigan getting asked a question and maybe being the biggest jerk I've ever seen on an answer. I saw him like kick out his own player. But this is the post game press conference. You're saying. Yeah, just, just, let's just Google Cronin, Michigan State student section. And we got to play that. Make sure there's not a cuss word. But then I just want you to hear like, that may, that that may be one of the biggest jerk answers I've seen a coach do ever. Like, see if you agree. If we play it. All right, this, it's a late night show and we lost a disappointing way. So this is one of those shows where like, a lot of people probably said, you know what? I'm going to bed. And I understand that. So if you called, this is a good chance to get in and probably a good chance to let me have me let you talk longer than I normally would. So that would be nice. Who's up next? Or Jack? Go ahead, Jack.

[B]

Hey, Matt. Just want to see if I'm crazy. The last two games I've been to, when we've been down, we call these timeouts. And Mark Pope and all the other coaches are standing to the side of the huddle for the first minute of the three minute timeout. The players are just sitting in the circle fiddling with their hands. So I don't know if I'm crazy because you look over at the Georgia coach, he's in their grill. So I don't know what the deal is with that Stuff.

[A]

You're they. I don't love that. I agree with you again. Okay, so he's like, I'm sure what he would say is that he's discussing with his coaches what's happened. They're getting collective intelligence of what they're going to say to the, to the, to the players. And in general, I think that's not the worst thing in the world, but I agree with you. I don't know if it makes sense right off a timeout to just have them sitting by themselves for. It always seems to me about half of the timeout. So I, I find it odd now, with that said, there's a lot of different ways to coach a team, and so maybe, you know, maybe that can work, I think. But I, I, I've, I've, I found it odd. I don't think other coaching staffs do that, at least as long as that. So I've noticed the same thing. But, you know, if it were working, I guess I wouldn't care, but I can understand why people would wonder about that when we're losing.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. It's, you think when you call the timeout down nine, you'd want to get in them right away, start motivating them or something. And I don't know, it's just disheartening, honestly, seeing that. And as a fan, it's definitely not what you want to see from, from your leader, you know?

[A]

Yeah, well, that's, yeah, well, I appreciate the call. I mean, I, I understand why you say that, and I, I, I, I would say, like I said, I don't know, I don't know. I would want to hear what his explanation is for that and.

[B]

And, and.

[A]

But I'm sure that would work on some teams. Maybe this is a team where it doesn't work quite as well. I felt all year that, like, sometimes I just, it seems to me this team has never been totally connected, but then there are moments where they do look connected. So it's, I found this team impossible to understand. I cannot think of a Kentucky team that I feel like I have a less of a grasp on what motivates them and how that you never really know how they're going to play in any given moment. So it's been hard to understand. Who's next? Peyton. Peyton. Go ahead. Hey, Matt. What's up?

[B]

Do you have, like, any explanation why all these teams come in here that shoot like poor? Because we don't guard them shot percentages.

[A]

Yeah, because we don't go in there.

[B]

And they shoot like Lights out every. Every single time.

[A]

Well, we don't guard them. I mean, that Rupp is not a great shooting gym, just visually, but. But we don't guard them. We leave these guys wide open and then I'm sure they step up their game when they come to rup. I mean, like, you know, if you're George, this is. Most people going to see you play all year, right? This is. Will be George's. This will be Georgia's most watched game, both in person because they're not going to play an arena bigger than ours and on television because it's prime time on espn. So for them, this is their biggest game of the year in terms of how they're going to be. So, like, they're going to want to play well, but when you don't get.

[B]

I didn't want to use.

[A]

When you don't get a hand in the face, you're not gonna. You're not gonna stop them, but go ahead.

[B]

Well, I didn't want to use Cal Perry's super bowl right about that, but I didn't. I didn't know if that would reflect to the Pope era that we could just keep using that as an excuse that this is every teen super bowl gang.

[A]

Of course, all these kids. All these kids, even the ones that are on teams that are better than us, still probably wanted to play here or at least at some point in their life thought they did. Like.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And then, you know, there's a month. But even like ever. Yeah, yeah. I appreciate the call. Even like Aberdeen and Diabate, both those guys played for Alabama and Florida and Florida won the national championship. But there still is value in playing at Kentucky. There just is. Especially, I think a big part of it is because how many of our guys in the NBA we, we are associated with that. So like, you step up. But still when we're not guarding them, that's part of why they make so many. And that also then, you know, our crowd, if it's not. If we're losing, the crowd can't be as loud and that affects it too. Do you have the Cronin audio? I do. That was a bit much by him. All right, so this is. I guess this kid asked a question and this is like 45 seconds. Go ahead and play it.

[B]

What was your thoughts in the student section? Chanting Booker's name?

[A]

I could give a rat's ass about the other team. Student section. I just met the overall, the way that you. I would like to give you a kudos for the worst question I've ever been asked. All right, I'll take it. Did you like the. You should take it.

[B]

The preparation of the.

[A]

You really think I care about the other two? No, I don't think you care about the other two. Are you raising your voice at me? No, I'm. Yeah, you are.

[B]

Yeah, you are.

[A]

Come on, dude. No reason.

[B]

Come on, dude.

[A]

Yes, you were. Everybody's standing here listening to you. Everybody. This is on camera.

[B]

They can hear you.

[A]

I answered the question. I could give a rat's ass about the other team.

[B]

Student section.

[A]

I coach ucla. I don't care about Michigan State student. Who cares?

[B]

The preparation. There you go.

[A]

What a jerk. Jeez, don't you think. What a jerk. I mean, the reason he asked the question is a kid from. Is it a kid from UCLA transferred to Michigan State or Michigan straight transferred to ucla?

[B]

Former.

[A]

One of the Michigan State forward, now plays for ucla. Okay, so they were. The student section was focused on him, and he was asking the guy. It's a perfectly reasonable question. I mean, maybe it's not the best question, but it's question. And if you look at the video, he's staring at him like he wants to fight him. Yeah.

[B]

He keeps looking back at him.

[A]

He keeps looking at him. And then he goes, that's the worst question I've ever heard. And then he picks at the kid again and goes, you don't. You don't think it was. And then he gets mad because he raises his voice. What a jerk. Mick Cronin is a jerk. And unlike some other jerks in college basketball, like Danny Hurley, he doesn't even win. At least Danny Hurley wins. What a jerk. That's like. I don't know why it makes me so mad, but it does. Who's next? I would have melted if he would.

[B]

Have came back at me.

[A]

No, I mean, if I was. If I was in. Let me tell you something. If I was in college or whatever and he did that, I would have melted. If he did that to me now, I would have been fireworks. It might have been a different video. He's also, like, three feet tall. Yeah. You know. All right, who's next? Aiden. Aiden. Go ahead. Aiden.

[B]

Hey, how you doing, Matt?

[A]

Good. What's up?

[B]

I'm just disappointed in the UK fan base tonight. I thought Rupp arena was really lackluster from being in there at the game.

[A]

Well, okay. So we. We have this conversation a lot. Tom mentioned that when. When we were coming back, they were loud. I don't. I have complaints about the RUP crowd sometimes, but I really don't know what people want them to do when we're losing. Like, what do you want them to do? Like, when we, when they go on that 17, 17 to 5 run, what.

[B]

Are we supposed to cheer for? Yell? They get. They get told to sit down. I mean, you. You want to be a good environment, right?

[A]

Well, did that happen? Did that happen to you? Did you were. You told me.

[B]

Yeah, it happens every game.

[A]

Where do you sit? Where do you sit?

[B]

I mean, I sit all over, but.

[A]

I mean, are you. Were you told to sit down tonight?

[B]

My. My buddy was.

[A]

Okay. I mean, I don't think people should tell people to sit down, and I know that does happen. But I also, like, when you're losing, it's hard to know what. I mean. What are you going to cheer for?

[B]

I mean, we were up a little bit when we were standing up and people told us to sit down. We. We went down a little bit.

[A]

Oh, you snuck down. Well, I'm all right with that.

[B]

No, I'm not saying we snuck down. I'm saying, like, we were up in the game. Oh, you're told to sit down.

[A]

I see. I got you. Okay, well, that's. I mean, I agree. If people shouldn't tell you to sit down, I, I'm a big believer that, like, if people want to stand during the game, they should, as long as they're courteous. Like you don't have like a disabled person or something behind you.

[B]

But I'm just trying to make the bigger point that Rupp arena and Kroger Field especially need a better environment from bbn, and that comes from the athletic department as well, so.

[A]

All right, I appreciate the call. I don't disagree. I mean, I don't totally. I certainly don't disagree about the environment vis a vis the athletic department. I have some sympathy for fans who come at 9 o' clock at night and get rewarded with some of that effort that we saw at the end of the first half. But I get it. I do think, you know, the rough environment is. It's frustrating sometimes, but I. That's not what frustrated me the most tonight. It was the. What we talked about the first segment. Who's next? Drew. Drew. Go ahead, Drew.

[B]

What's up, Matt? How are you doing?

[A]

Good. What's up, bro?

[B]

I just. Bro, I feel like we need to address this free throw issue, man. Like, it's ridiculous. I've been. Been a UK fan all my life, and I've never seen a team struggle so poorly at the line on such a consistent basis. And it's really aggravating as a fan. And I feel like it's the reason why we're, why we're in a lot of these close games. Like it would change a lot of these games outcomes.

[A]

I agree with you. I'm surprised how bad are on paper who should be our good free throw shooters are like. That's what I, that's what surprises me. So like away is 3 for 6, Aberdeen is 4 for 7, Noah is 0 for 1. So I bet you and Colin Chandler didn't have any free throws. So those are probably our four best free throw shooters. Chandler, away, Aberdeen, Noah, they combined tonight, I agree to go 7 for 14. So our. So the misses were not our bigs. Garrison was 2 for 2, Moreno was 2 for 2, Diabate was 1 for 2. So that means our bigs went 5 of 6 from the line, but our guards and Noah went 7 for 14. Guys, what are you doing? You're. You're the, it's. You're. The guys are supposed to make it. The other guys are supposed to be the one that struggle. So I'm with you. That, that is very frustrating. You cannot have Your guards go 7 of 14 from the free throw line. You just can't.

[B]

I'm on the same page with you, Matt. Also, I wanted to say something about the last caller, Aiden. I was at the game as well and no energy in Rupp tonight. I was at the Tennessee game too. It was probably one of the loudest games I've ever been to. Was awesome. But I don't understand why we're not that loud every night. There was a minute left in the game and it was a three point game and we were on defense after the away turnover and nobody was yelling. It was so frustrating. Like, I don't understand.

[A]

So you're talking about after turned it over after OA turned it over.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Game.

[A]

And we were on defense because we got the stop. I mean before. Yeah, no, you're right, you're right. That play should, if that play wasn't loud, that play should have been loud because it was loud the play before we got. When we got the stop. And you're right, I appreciate the call. I think when away dribbled it off his foot, I guess that probably deflated the crowd now. So what's the problem? Is it an older crowd? Let me say this. Maybe I mean those, both those guys sounded like young callers. And I understand like if you're young, if I was a young Kentucky fan, a college fan, or just out of college. And I saw the environments that are at some of these other schools. They want that at rup And I can, and I can see why they're not wrong. So I may have made it sound like with the first guy that he's wrong. I think he's wrong. He's right. The environment needs to be better. And if it wasn't loud on that play, it should have been. I guess the other stuff just frustrates me a little more. Let's do one more. We'll take a break. Darlene. Darlene, how are you, darling?

[B]

Hey, Matt Jones. How you doing, buddy?

[A]

Good. How are you?

[B]

Hey. What? Okay. I'm just arguing with you a little bit tonight. I, I listen to all of your, you know, analyze and everything. I'm not an analyst like you guys, but I just wanted to speak up because I'm just this big cat fan. I, I have a hard time seeing that glass half empty. And I'm just thinking, you know, Kentucky was down 14, 17 with Tennessee. We come back, we beat them. We won at Arkansas. We beat Rick Patino. I, I'm sorry. I just have a hard time feeling like a big loser tonight.

[A]

Well, you don't have to feel like a big loser. Well, Darlene, I appreciate your positivity, and you should. And listen, you just mentioned four really good wins, right? I mean, we came back against, came back against, against Rick Patino, came back against Tennessee twice, came back against Arkansas. So that's great. And, and I. But we also can't lose to Missouri, lose to Georgia at home, lose by 40 to Gonzaga.

[B]

Matt, you're a lot younger than me. I've seen this for a lot more years than you have. I've seen. I mean, I understand. I know, I know what you're saying is so true, but I can't help but still stay on this positive side. I'm just pulling for my cats. I, I still, I still am seeing the end of the tunnel. I'm feeling like we're going to get there, baby.

[A]

I love it. All right, good. Well, that's. We need people like you to be positive, too. I appreciate the call. We, we, we need those people, too. I like darling, love that positivity. Everybody needs a fan at 1am calling to say keep your head up and be positive. I mean it. That's a. We need that. So we'll take a break. 859-280-2287. Be right back. It's the local toy dealers, KSR post game show. Welcome back. Local toy dealers, KSR post game show getting some good comments from people saying they're team Darlene. So, Darlene adding positivity. One person writes, matt, I was like those kids at the game tonight. I was kind of disappointed with the crowd when we were making runs. I agree with you. You can't be loud the whole time. But I think on the play they were talking about, the fans were not as loud as they could have been. Yeah, probably people just got deflated by after that away turnover. I thought, oh, we played very well. I mean, 28 points. They're not in the game without him. He, He. He carries them on his back like he does sometimes. He had four turnovers, but he also had four assists. But, I mean, I thought he played really well. It's unfortunate the. He had a couple defensive plays that weren't great, but I mean, I thought he was. He was really good. He played 35 minutes. You know, I sit here and I look at the minutes and you just go, you know, they, These guys, they do play a lot of minutes, but I almost wonder if you just have to play them. You can't take them out. We just, we take such a. I mean, when they go out, we just take such a drop. Moreno, too, I think when we lose him, we take a drop. But now he. He's got to get tougher with the basketball. He gets the ball and he brings it down. He had blue cane on him. He needed to dominate blue cane, but he brings the ball down. When you bring it down, you're bringing it to his level. He's got to be a little strong with the basketball. I think he will get that in the off season, which is why I think he's gonna be so good next year. But, you know, I think Pope went to Garrison and Diabate a little bit because you got it. He's. You have to be able to. To lock that rebound up, you know? Diabate had nine rebounds in 19 minutes, including a couple big offensive ones at the end. He was a beast, man. I wish he could shoot because then he would be a complete guy because he really gives you effort on the glass. Who's next? Tyler. Tyler. Go ahead, Tyler.

[B]

Matt Jones. Good to talk to you tonight, man. So I feel like since the previous callers have said something about it, I feel like I need to mention it. And I got one thing after this, but I will say I haven't been to a game in a. In a little while. I think I was. I was at the Missouri game, which is. Which was a loss, but. And it was pretty Close coming down the stretch. But I. I remember the guy sitting next to me, one of the people behind us, said, boys, we can't see. And I didn't turn around and say it, but I said it out loud. I said, hey, just because you can't see doesn't mean we had to sit down. I don't know if I was out of line for saying that, but I was like, leave us alone. Like, if we want to stand up and cheer, we can. That kind of thing. I don't know what your opinion on that is.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, you know, I. I think people should be able to stand. But also, you know, we've got some older folks down low, so it's a tough thing. I am on the side generally of don't tell people to sit down. I've also been the guy sitting behind looking at people standing up. And it does frustrate you, but we need the energy. So I'm more on your side than the other. But what's your second thing?

[B]

Okay, well, and. And I don't want you to BS Me when I ask this, but I feel like we're at a point now after last year, which wasn't insanely bad, but now we're at a point this year. It's like, okay, what are we doing? And we have no recruits as of now coming in next year. Obviously, the transfer portal is something we could work with, But October of 2028, Mark Pope isn't or is the head coach.

[A]

I think it's more. I think it's more likely than not. He is. Let's see, 2028. So that would be after next season, which would be 27. Oh, wait a minute. 27. So that's. That would be like the start of year of the poor five. Right. Because next year would be. Oh, he said October of 27. Right. 26. 27. Year four would be 27 of 28. I thought he said. I think he said 28. October 28th. So that'll be the start of year five. I'm gonna say more likely than not. Yes. But it's all going to come down to next year. I mean, I actually don't think year four equates for me. Now, if we go on a run this year, we make the second weekend of the tournament, then what I'm saying is not true. But let's assume we go out in the first weekend next year, we'll decide his fate. Because I don't think In October of 2027, Mitch Barnhart will be the athletic director and so it's going to be a different situation. So I think, I think more likely than not. Yes, but next year will be crucial for Mark and I am worried that we don't have recruits and all that, but we'll be have plenty of time to talk about when the season ends. I do think in October of 2028 we will need to have a new athletic director. I mean, I, I've made my thoughts about that fairly clear over the last few months. Who's next? Ck. Ck, what's up? Ck. All right, all right. No, ck. Who's next? Chad is next. Chad, how are you, Chad?

[B]

Hey, Matt. First time, long time.

[A]

Who, what's up?

[B]

Hey, just let, just got home from the game. You know, I'm, I'm trying to not be super negative, Matt, but I gotta tell you, this one is like a knife in the heart, man. I'll tell you. And because I think what really affects me the most is it feels like we have two players away and Chandler just given their all and it feels like their teammates just aren't putting the same effort out there. The, the second thing, though, I really.

[A]

Want to say, I don't, I totally don't agree with you. Let me just say. I'm gonna let you say the second thing, but I don't, I, I, I, I don't, I don't totally agree with you on that. I think I, I think there's nobody on the team that I don't think gives effort. I think some people take plays off, including away sometimes. So I, I, I, I think effort was a big issue early in the year with, with Garrison and away and there was a couple other guys I like. I think Aberdeen plays hard the whole game. I don't think that I, I, I, I actually think he, if you were to tell me who gives effort the whole game, I would actually say Chandler, Moreno and Aberdeen, the other guys. It comes and goes, in my opinion, but so, but I don't think any of them are dogging it. I just think some of them do some really dumb things and then occasionally have little lapses of effort. But go ahead with your second thing.

[B]

Yeah, you kind of hit the nail on the head on the second piece. It's around the Moreno piece. It's so frustrating for someone that is that large in stature. You know, what is he, 7 foot? Probably 250, 270 to bring the ball down almost consistently. Every single time when he does it high, just dunk the ball, Dunk the ball.

[A]

It's so weird to me Garrison does the same thing. He's not as talented as Moreno but they both do it. And I don't understand. You make yourself three feet tall when you do that. Right. And, and I, he. They're both bad about it. I appreciate the call. I mean that's one thing. Diabate's not nearly as tall but he doesn't really do that. He'll keep the ball high but that it's a consistent issue. And, and let me say they were really, really good at the start of the game. Dame Bradshaw noted this at getting went inside and when cut off kicking it out. And then sometime in the middle of the first half that just went away and it was like they got to a point when you were in that pump that they were shooting and they missed a lot doing that early in the game they were really good about getting two feet in the paint and then kicking. And in the second half we ended up with these one foot floaters and it just, it didn't work. One more who's and then we'll take our last break. Who's next? Before that let's give our Johnny Rocker.

[B]

Personal injury attorney moneymaker of the game.

[A]

Injured. Get small town compassion with big city results. When you call the rocker at 270-321-4429 and the money maker has to be Colin Chandler. 18 points, 6 of 10 from three.

[B]

That's a career high six three pointers for Colin.

[A]

He had four rebounds and one crucial steal that led to an O way and one in 34 minutes the last two games. He's been great shooting the ball. Colin Chandler is money and he is our money maker of the game. Besides the shot that would have tied the game. Did you, did you write that? That was. That sounded like you were reading like a pre written script.

[B]

Just the, the info about Johnny Rocker.

[A]

The rest was all off the dome. Look at you Billy. Such a, such a talent coming through in his old age or young age. Who's next? Teddy is next. Teddy. Go ahead Teddy.

[B]

Hey Matt. So I've been positive about the turnaround with injuries and when we were slipping then we got on this little run but we don't have someone like you know, the Allen Iverson like who cares about practice, practice, whatever that quote was. We don't have a stud like that and there just seems like there's no discipline on this team. Like every start has been a repetitive theme every single time and that is coaching. And I think he's made a good change to where they are using the best of their abilities. They're getting effort and they're trying, but they're not executing. They're not doing the X's and O's. They're not run. Like, I'm a football guy myself, and practices are like. I mean, drills, like something like in the army, and everything is to a T. And I just feel like this team is not in February. We're having the mistakes that a team in November would have. Well, I feel like Pope is two months behind. While, yes, he's figured out this team and gotten the lineup, but he hasn't gotten the X's. And Oz, he hasn't gotten everything lined up to where people can actually execute and to start off a game. And that's just a common problem.

[A]

Yeah, well, they started pretty well tonight. It was the last eight minutes of the first half. I mean, they started. We were up. We were up 8 with, like 8 and a half minutes to go, and then we were down five at halftime. So they actually started. I thought, all right, but the first halves, I. That's why I say. And I appreciate the call. That's why I blame the substitution patterns, because somebody counted. And I. I don't know if this. If this is correct, so I'm quoting someone else's numbers, but somebody wrote online, 16 substitutions in the last six and a half minutes of the game or the first half. Billy, that's crazy. Sixteen subs in six and a half minutes. Is that right? That's what they said. Now, that could be wrong, but let's say that's right. That's. Well, but that's. It felt like that they were just shuttling guys back in and out. And I don't know how you expect a team to have rhythm when you do that. And, you know, I mean, what. What do you. How do you expect the guys to be connected? I also think that when you're. When you're talking Aberdeen, Chandler away, and Moreno, I just think it's hard not to have, like, three of those four on the floor at all times. I mean, I just do not think you can have two of those guys out at once. And at one point, Billy, we had all of them out. Like, you just. You. This team is not good enough for that, or. No, we had three of the four out. I don't think we had all of them out, but we had three of the four out. I just don't think you can do that for me. Oh, Chandler and. Oh, Chandler and Aberdeen. I'm never not having two of those guys on the floor. Well, we're collecting data in the first half. Yeah, but I'm, I'm done with the data. We got plenty of data. Here's the data. We're 4 and 15 at the half. That's the data I care about. Figure it out. Yeah, to some extent. Figure it out. Right? Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, you could make a strong argument. The only stat that matters is your record at the end of the year. Like, we don't sit there after a doctor performs an operation and go, where did he make the mistake with the scalpel? We just say, am I cured or not? Did it work? Right. I'm fine with whatever he wants to do with the data, but the data that matters is we are 17 and nine and we have a really hard schedule with the rest of the year. We'll take a break and come back. Final segments. A local toy dealers KSR postgame show. Welcome back. Local toy dealers KSR post game show. Texas Tech just lost to Arizona State. But more importantly, J.T. toppin got hurt. That's a big deal. If he, if he's hurt and out because look like a knee injury. I mean, they're really good, but without him, they, I mean, he's their guy. He came back for this too. So, like, you know, I would hate to see him go. He's, he's a great player. And, and I like watching him play, so I hope he's okay. All right, who's next? Michael. Michael. Go ahead, Michael.

[B]

Hey, Matt. I just think there's two quick things. Number one, out of the blue bloods, Kentucky has the second worst home environment. It's, it's just, it, it's ridiculous. We are the second winningest basketball.

[A]

I don't agree. Who do you consider the blue book? Who do you, who do you consider the blue bloods? Like, who are you talking about?

[B]

Kansas?

[A]

Gooch. Yeah, well, UCLA's is pretty bad. And UCLA, well, I don't consider them.

[B]

A blue Bud anymore.

[A]

All right, so you're talking about ours is better than North Carolina. Danny Hurley just this week said he thought UConn had its worst environment. It's had like that. Their environment is terrible. He literally said that this week.

[B]

He's, he's. Yeah, but he's nuts. He thinks everything's terrible. I've watched their games at UConn. Their environment is much better than Kentucky.

[A]

They're. But they're also playing. I mean, to be. Be fair. To be fair though, they play in like a nine, you know, a 10,000 seat gym. It's tough because Rup is still you. No, that makes it easier. Dude. A 10,000 seat gym can get a lot louder than our arena can. If you want environment, you want it to be 9 to 12,000 people. It's enough people for it to be loud, but it's enclosed so the noise stays in. So that's why Kansas, duke and Yukon. UCAN's a little bit bigger than that, but that's why there's environments are so good is because they're small. Now pick these arenas that are big and you don't have environments like that. Now you could say we should make rope smaller and I don't necessarily think that would be the worst thing. But you, it's. You can't really compare a 9 to 11,000 seat gym with a 21,000 seat civic arena. It just. You're just going to have different environments. And Carolina, of all the ones you mentioned, is the only one whose arena is like ours and they have the same problem.

[B]

Yeah, they're worse. I think they're worse than they are. I agree with Carolina's worst than Kentucky.

[A]

But I mean, I'm just saying I don't. But again there it's much smaller and it's old. So like that makes it a lot easier to have a great environment.

[B]

Okay, and my second point, and I'll hang up and listen to you on this one is you have said for. Since I've been listening to you since the very beginning of ksr, since you have said the worst thing that a program can do is fire its own when its own hasn't proven to be a quality championship coach. We did it and we, we all hated it. And then we got on board with it and we gave Mark Pope a lot of grace for last year. He had some big wins.

[A]

Well, no, he only have grace. He did. We went to the sweet 16. Yeah. It wasn't, it wasn't a disaster. He. We didn't, we didn't give him grace. He went at the Sweet 16 in his first year. Yeah, I mean, that's good. That's good. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Well, I mean, it's good, but with some really questionable losses, some questionable coaching decisions, things like that. Then he went out and said he had a Ferrari $22 million that whole deal. And it's been an absolute disaster. I just do not think it is. It is showing over and over again that Mark Pope is not the coach to get Kentucky back to the gold standard. And how long do we endure this before we.

[A]

Okay, all right, let's. You're making Let me. Let me just. Let me address. Let me address. No, we're not. Let me address your Indiana. We are not Indiana territory. Indiana territory is a program that hasn't really been relevant since the mid-90s. Okay. So no. Now, are we dange. In danger of slipping? Yes. I. I'm totally with that, but Indiana is a whole different category. Okay. When's the last time Indiana made the Final Four? Is it like. I don't even know. Anyway, point being to your question about my stance for a long time about not hiring a guy who played here. I. I've always believed that. I still believe it. However, you have to go back to where we were when we made the hire. If we didn't hire Mark Pope, do you know who would? The coach would be at Kentucky.

[B]

Somebody I wouldn't have wanted.

[A]

Shaka Smart. Shaka Smart would gross. Oh, really? Yeah. That's who the coach would have been once they eliminated. And I. And we can have strong discussions about whether or not these people should have been eliminated. But once Bruce Pearl, Nate Oates, Chris Beard, and Sean Miller, once the. The university said we're not. Can consider those guys, we were down to Mark Pope and Shaka Smart. And so part of the reason I ultimately think that was the right decision is would you rather have Shaka Smart? I mean, I would. So you have to consider, like, now. The other option is they could have waited a couple weeks and tried with Billy Donovan. But, you know, Billy Donovan told Mitch Don. Mitch Barnhart twice. No. So, like, waiting on a third time, you might have gotten no again. So I'm not saying that that theory is wrong. I still think I'm right. But I think in this situation, because of the way the search went, it's what happened now before we say, like, how long are we going to give him? How many seasons has he finished?

[B]

11 3/4.

[A]

And he went to the Sweet 16. This season is not over. Okay, what if we go to the sweet 16 again, by the way? Which is certainly possible. We also could miss the tournament. So there's a wide variation in what could happen this year, and I do think we need to wait and see what. So before you say, how long are we going to give him? How about we wait and see how this year ends? Right? I mean, we need to see what happens. And then. I don't think there's any scenario at this point where he will not be the coach next year. But where you and I don't.

[B]

I don't think so.

[A]

So where you and I would agree is we have to see what happened. Like next year is his year. Next year is going to be crucial. And I think what I would say is I'll have a lot more thoughts on that once I see what happens next year, once I see what kind of team we get in this off season. I'm worried about that too, but I'm not ready to go. How much grace we're going to give him? How long is it going to be? It's been a year and a half and this season's not over yet.

[B]

I hear what you're saying there. I totally hear you saying. But I guess my counterpoint to you will be would be is you always say, this is Kentucky, this is Kentucky. This is the gold standard. This is the greatest tradition in college basketball history. If we keep settling for a sweet 16 or we keep settling for. Well, we got to give them like settling for.

[A]

He's only been here. I mean, to some extent, I want to say he's only been here a year. He's finished one year.

[B]

This is.

[A]

What, what did. What. Let me go back in history. What, what did Cal do in his first year? Do you remember how far they went?

[B]

Eight.

[A]

Okay. And now they were great. Three point shooting, but they still lost. But they were great that year. They were great. But there were people in that second year because I. How were you? You were a little kid then, right? There were people in that.

[B]

I was in college.

[A]

Okay, so you're in college. There were people in that second year, in the middle of that year when Brandon Knight's team stunk because they did stink for part of the year who go, I just don't know if he can win here. There were people who said that. And then when the season was over, they were in the Final Four. So I'm just saying let's just be patient. There's only five games left. We're going to know here in a few weeks. And then I think that's a conversation for late March, early April, and then we can evaluate what these two years were like. It's not looking great.

[B]

Appreciate the call, but.

[A]

I appreciate the call, but I'm not giving up yet. Even though I'm very frustrated about this game. Let's do two more. We'll call it a night. Who's next? Kelly. Kelly. Go ahead, Kelly.

[B]

Hey, Matt, I'm going back and talking about the free throw shooting, like, seem thing. Kentucky has two of the best SEC free throw shooters in Kyle Macy and Jim Masters. And Pope likes to ask back all of these players to Kumbaya I have an idea. How about we invite Kyle Macy and Jim Master who practice to teach them how to fundamentally shoot a free throw.

[A]

Well, my guess is that we have people on staff who know how to shoot a free throw. And while you.

[B]

Obviously it's not.

[A]

Yeah, but Jim Master is. Kyle Macy was a coach. I don't know if Jim Master has been a coach. But regardless, like, you and I know who Kyle Macy and Jim Master are. Right. And like, they mean something to us. These kids don't know who they are. If you brought.

[B]

Well, I mean, but someone has to teach them to shoot a free.

[A]

But I would bet you they have people who, I mean, I. I would assume they have people who do, who do that. And at the end of the day, though, the play, I will say about free throws, throws, that's ultimately on the player they gotta execute. Mark Pope cannot make them make free throws. You know, I mean, and I appreciate call. Otega away knows how to make a free throw. He went three for six. Denzel Aberdeen knows how to make a free throw. He went four for seven. That's on them. I think Denzel Aberdeen's like, what, an 85 free throw shooter? 82 or 83. Like, you got to make a man. So, I mean, I, you know, I think if Pope wanted to do that, I'd be for it. But I don't think there. It's like, I don't think it's that they don't know how to make it. I think it's a matter of like, mentally locking in and making it. One more. Who's next?

[B]

Mark.

[A]

Mark. Go ahead, Mark.

[B]

Hey, Matt. Fellow Middlesboro graduate here.

[A]

Oh, all right. Jackets. Jackets.

[B]

Yeah. I graduated in 79. I was gonna use the word Mark Pope is failing, but I think that's probably too strong a word because we have had some great comebacks this year. But I'm going to ask you. Here's another question about your opinion. I think he's in over his head, and a lot of the Kentucky fans that I talked to believe that. And if he don't get himself the right kind of help, especially in the recruiting department, I don't think this is going to work. So my question to you is, do you believe he is in over his.

[A]

Head right now, I wouldn't use the term over his head, but I do think I might say that this year it has felt like to me he was in his head. Right. That. You know, Kyle Tucker, who's back covering college, covering college basketball. He had an article today about Mark that said. And it quoted Rick Patino as saying a lot of people close to Mark were really worried about him and the way he was talking and acting early in the year. And it's a good article. You should, you should read it. And I agree with that. I think it is clear that he does need help on the recruiting stuff. On that, I totally agree with you. He needs a gm. And it is clear Mark Pope has not recruited the level of player that he now needs to get at Kentucky. And maybe the methods he used to recruit guys at Utah Valley and BYU is not what you do to recruit the top stars to Kentucky. And, and he needs help. And I'm disappointed he hasn't done that yet. As far as a coach. Yeah, as far as a coach, I don't think he's in over his head, but I think he's in his head and it is not working like I would have hoped yet. So now how do you fix that? I don't know him well enough to answer the question, but in over his head would almost mean, like, he's not intelligent enough to do this. And I don't think that's true.

[B]

Okay, well, thank you for your.

[A]

That's just my opinion. I'm not saying. And I appreciate the call and I, you know, listen, I, I'm disappointed by this loss, but I also would say there are five games left. This is the kind of team that can lose this game, Billy, and then go to Auburn and win, right? We've seen it. Yeah, we've seen it. So this is the kind of team that you could argue you should have beat. Missouri should be in Georgia should have beaten North Carolina. We should be, you know, 20 and, and six. You could also say we could have lost LSU. We could have lost Tennessee. We could, you know, we could be like, not making the tournament. So let's see what happens. But this is a bad one. This is one that's going to cost them. At best, it's going to cost him a seed line at the NCAA tournament. And at worst, it might make us on that bubble and they're gonna have to go steal one. Thank you folks very much for staying up late tonight. Thanks to Billy as well. We'll be back on the radio here in eight and a half hours. This has been the local toy dealers KSR post game show.

[B]

It.