KSR Postgame UK MBB vs Gonzaga 12/05/25

Summary

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KSR Postgame: UK MBB vs. Gonzaga – December 5, 2025

Hosts: Billy Rutledge (filling in for Matt Jones), Ryan Lemon
Special Guest: Matt Norlander (CBS Sports)

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Episode Overview

This postgame episode was an emotional and unfiltered breakdown of Kentucky's 94-59 loss to Gonzaga at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Hosts Billy Rutledge and Ryan Lemon took over in place of Matt Jones (out due to a family emergency), processing a defeat described as “embarrassing” and “unacceptable.” The show featured raw frustrations, calls for accountability, and a heavy dose of fan participation, including a national perspective from CBS’s Matt Norlander.

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Main Discussion Themes

1. Game Recap & Emotional Fallout

• Kentucky loses by 35 points to Gonzaga, shooting only 27% from the field overall and an abysmal 16% in the first half. By the first TV timeout, UK had only scored one point.
• The performance was called “a beat down of epic proportions.”
  • Billy Rutledge (04:10): “Kentucky had not scored a point by the first TV timeout.”
  • Ryan Lemon (04:37): “Kentucky missed 42 of their first 47 shots.”
• Hosts and callers compared this to some of UK’s worst modern losses, including St. Peter’s and Oakland, but repeatedly said this felt even worse due to expectations.

2. Body Language, Confidence, and Fan Frustration

• Team’s lack of energy and visible loss of confidence was widely noted, with radio voices and ex-players commenting on it before tip.
• Record amount of booing from UK fans in the arena, justified by many callers and hosts given the investment fans make.
  • Ryan Lemon (05:29): “It’s pathetic. It’s inexcusable. I mean, I know we’ll get to it, but there was a lot of boos in the stadium … it was justified.”
• Memorable Moment (37:36): On-court boos at halftime were so loud ESPN isolated on fans booing the team—a stark, public embarrassment.
• Some callers discussed the NIL money and whether paying players up front has “softened” the roster or fractured relationships.

3. Roster Construction & Coaching Decisions

• Mark Pope’s second year is under heavy scrutiny, with callers and hosts questioning his player choices, roster makeup, and inability to establish an offensive identity.
  • Billy Rutledge (06:16): “Mark Pope has completely misjudged his roster. He has recruited the wrong guys.”
  • Point guard play and lack of shooters—supposed strengths—now look like glaring weaknesses.
• Several mentions of big-dollar NIL investments; consensus is that Pope did not get value for money.
  • Matt Norlander (14:36): “The entire roster is proving to be overpaid at this point, vastly, like just dramatically so.”

4. Lack of Leadership and On-Court Identity

• Hosts express uncertainty over who, if anyone, is leading this team either on-court or off.
  • Ryan Lemon (07:57): “There’s no fire, there’s no energy, there’s no leadership.”
• Callers and hosts repeatedly ask what—if anything—UK does well.
  • Billy Rutledge (06:17): “If you could point to one thing that this Kentucky basketball team does well, what is it? Because I don’t think there is one.”
• Guest Matt Norlander stresses lack of identity and “heart.”

5. National Perspective – Matt Norlander Segment

• Norlander brings context: Gonzaga is a legitimate title contender, but Kentucky’s level of underperformance is historic.
  • (12:55) “Kentucky is the most overpaid, overrated and disappointing team in college basketball through the first five weeks of the season.”
• He cautioned that Pope is not on the hot seat yet and outlined that the NIL era’s challenges are new for coaches, especially when things go south.
  • (18:35) “This is a new dynamic in college sports. … Does Pope have the ability as a coach to wrangle this and turn it around? I do think that he does.”
• Yet, significant questions remain regarding roster management, player rotations, and collective buy-in.
  • (22:37) “There are certain players on this roster that are getting a certain amount of minutes that probably should not be getting as many as they are … a lot of expectations on a player-by-player basis in that locker room and balancing all that is not easy.”

6. Fan & Caller Responses

• Most callers expressed exhaustion, embarrassment, and a loss of confidence (“D-U-N—done”) with Pope and the current trajectory.
• Several brought up NIL as a factor in team chemistry and effort.
  • Caller Christian (54:15): “There’s an old saying that hungry dogs run faster, and right now we got a bunch of fat cats sitting around.”
• Many described making expensive, time-consuming trips just to see one of the worst performances in program history. This was especially poignant from Nashville-based fans and season ticket holders.

7. Coach & AD Accountability, Future Outlook

• Some vocal calls for accountability up the ladder, targeting AD Mitch Barnhart and, less reasonably, UK President Capilouto.
• Hosts agree: regardless of external finger-pointing, “it’s that locker room with that coach and those players.”
• Consensus: Pope won’t be fired this year, but pressure is mounting fast. NCAA tournament bid is in jeopardy.

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Notable Quotes & Key Timestamps

Emotional & Memorable Moments

• “We could not make a stop. And then on the offensive end, could not make a bucket. Could not score.”
  —Ryan Lemon, (04:57)
• “Kentucky is the most overpaid, overrated and disappointing team in college basketball through the first five weeks of the season.”
  —Matt Norlander (14:36)
• “There’s no fire, there’s no energy, there’s no leadership.”
  —Ryan Lemon (07:57)
• “I think it’s time to move on before we end up like UCLA.”
  —Caller Dynasty (32:43)
• “What is their offensive identity?”
  —Ryan Lemon (62:42)

Callers’ Frustration

• “I am D-U-N—done.”
  —Timmy Tucker’s Wife (43:49)
• “I haven’t seen an ass kicking like this probably since we got beat by Vanderbilt back during the Billy Gillespie days.”
  —Caller Todd (28:47)
• “This program—Big Blue Nation—this decade, no fan base has given more and gotten less in return than the BBN.”
  —Caller Christian (54:51)
• “It eats me up, Ryan: Gonzaga didn’t even play good.”
  —Billy Rutledge (30:40)

Coaching & Team Identity

• “It’s time to be a man. Shut up and do your job for your brother.”
  —Ryan Lemon as “Coach Lemon” (76:45)
• “We’re going to have a product that everybody’s going to be proud of.”
  —Mark Pope (quoted by hosts, 76:29)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:04] – Show starts post-commercials, setting the tone: “A tough one tonight as the Cats lose to Gonzaga 94-59.”
• [04:10 – 07:00] – Initial stats recap, shock and disappointment.
• [12:03 – 24:28] – Matt Norlander segment: in-depth national perspective.
• [25:10 – onward] – Heavy fan call participation: recurring themes of effort, NIL, roster construction, frustration at investment vs. product.
• [43:49] – D-U-N “done” calls, fan exasperation crescendos.
• [62:42] – Searching for offensive identity; “What is it?”
• [75:02] – Fans as “moneymaker of the game”: “You did not get to see what you paid for.”
• [76:45] – Lemon’s “coach’s speech”: Time for team accountability.

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Summary Takeaways

• Hopelessness & Embarrassment: This was not just any loss – fans, hosts, and national media alike see this as a low point for the program, given expectations and investment.
• Roster & Identity Crisis: Kentucky currently lacks shooting, a playmaking big, a true point guard, and any sense of organized offense or defensive aggression.
• Accountability Sought: While the hosts aren’t calling for immediate firings, the entire leadership chain (coaches, AD, players) is under intense scrutiny.
• No Quick Fixes: Pope isn’t on the hot seat yet, but fan patience is at a breaking point. Without a roster overhaul and a clear offensive identity, an NCAA tournament bid is at serious risk.
• Fans Deserve Better: The real MVPs—fans who paid for this experience.

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Closing Tone

The episode ended with a call for leadership—on the floor and in the locker room—and a plea for accountability to Kentucky’s historical standard. Above all, the message was clear: “This isn’t acceptable—for Kentucky, it never will be.”

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For more conversation, tune in Monday for the next KSR show.

Transcript

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[Billy Rutledge]

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[Ryan Lemon]

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[Billy Rutledge]

That'S odoo.com welcome everyone to the local Toyota dealers. KSR post game show A tough one tonight as the cats lose to Gonzaga 94. 59 in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. It was ugly and we'll talk about it tonight. We want to hear from you. I'm Billy Rutledge, normally the producer of this show. Hosting without Matt. I've brought Ryan Lemon into the studio just to toss some things off of. Good evening, Ryan. How are you?

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, we couldn't let you do this show by yourself because, you know, usually these post game shows, even after bad loss, we try to have a little fun. Try to make you make it a little lighthearted. Can't do that tonight. That was awful.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, I was prepared to go solo tonight, but I appreciate you coming in from the bullpen. We are in place of Matt tonight. If you have not heard, he posted on Facebook earlier tonight he got a diagnosis of his dad, Larry. That is not good. So he is just not in the right headspace right now. We want to send our thoughts and prayers to Matt and his family going through these tough times right now.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, I mean, Matt really apologized for not being here and he wanted that people to know that. But he's doing the right thing. He's with his family right now where he should be. You know, that's. So Larry, he said has had, you know, a medical issue come up his dad. So he's going to be. Be there for his mom and them. So we completely understand and prayers for Larry.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, our heart is with you, Matt. We're thinking about you and your family now. Ryan, you are the one that normally gets stuck with these crappy post game shows. So I'm gonna host this one. Are you okay with that?

[Ryan Lemon]

I've had. I've had many, many. It's time. Your turn. But I said, like, I can't even joke about it. I'm such in a bad mood about what I just saw. That was awful. I mean, as bad as the Louisville game was, as bad as the Michigan State game was, as bad as the North Carolina game was, tonight was worse. It was just a beat down of epic proportions tonight.

[Billy Rutledge]

Kentucky shoots 27% from the field, 16% in the first half. And Ryan, I swear I was in a fever dream for that first half. I mean, Kentucky had not scored a point by the first.

[Ryan Lemon]

The.

[Billy Rutledge]

The first TV timeout.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, they had one point. One free throw at the first TV timeout. One point. They had five points into the game. And then at the second TV timeout, they only had two points, two free throws.

[Billy Rutledge]

Tret Noah passes up a wide open three and they go down 19 to 2 at the second TV timeout. I'm losing my mind. I'm. I'm pulling my hair out. You know, Tom and Jack are doing their best to stay positive, man. But I couldn't help but hit the panic button, Ryan. I've hit it.

[Ryan Lemon]

To put in perspective, Kentucky missed 42 of their first 47 shots.

[Billy Rutledge]

Is that right?

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes.

[Billy Rutledge]

And to go along with the end of the last game where they went 2 of 16 to end the game.

[Ryan Lemon]

You're right, Ryan.

[Billy Rutledge]

That could have been the two worst losses I've ever experienced working here on the UK Sports network.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah. Since we've been a Part of this. We've had some bad losses, you know, St. Peter's in Oakland, obviously there in the tournament, but this was such a beat down on both ends of the floor. Could not make a stop. Could not. Ek could have scored 100 points tonight if he wanted to. Huff could have had 100 if he wanted to. We could not make a stop. And then on the offensive end, could not make a bucket. Could not score.

[Billy Rutledge]

You mentioned dk. This one comes from Corey Price. He had more two point baskets than the entire Kentucky basketball team tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

I don't doubt it. Seriously, I don't doubt that.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's.

[Ryan Lemon]

It's pathetic. It's inexcusable. I mean, I know we'll get to it, but there was a lot of boos in the stadium. I can't. I don't think I would ever boo, but you know, those people spent a lot of money, bought tickets, hotel rooms, food. Spent a lot of time and effort to watch that pathetic performance. I can understand why they were upset, but regardless what you feel about the bullying, it was. That was a total bad look, but it was justified.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, the product on the court is embarrassing, awful embarrassing. And they deserve the criticism that they're going to get. Now this is something that, you know, you mentioned the booing. I look at these guys and the body language just jumps off the screen. Yeah, no. Confidence is something that Jack was talking about a lot. This team has no confidence right now. What's their identity?

[Ryan Lemon]

They don't have one.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, if you could point to one thing that this Kentucky basketball team does well. What is it? Just one. Tell me. Because I don't think there is one thing that this Kentucky basketball team does well. This offense was historically bad and now we have to pick up the pieces and try to reevaluate what the season looks like because they have Final Four expectations. Not just because it's Kentucky and it's always Final Four expectations, but a $22 million roster that we've talked about. These guys were supposed to come in second year of Mark Pope and do great things, but Mark Pope has completely misjudged his roster. Yeah, he has recruited the wrong guys.

[Ryan Lemon]

Thought we had shooters, guys. Cam Williams, Trent Noah. They can't buy a bucket most of the time. And to be honest, Billy, they're getting worse. This is their worst performance. It's this. They played worse tonight than any against North Carolina. At least in North Carolina, they held the tar heels to 67 game. Yeah. Close game. This is. They're getting worse.

[Billy Rutledge]

You know, When Mark Pope was hired, we all watched a YouTube video about Mark Pope's offense.

[Ryan Lemon]

Oh yeah? Do you remember? Oh, absolutely.

[Billy Rutledge]

Video game shooting numbers and like analytical approach and I think we all bought in. We got behind the nostalgia and you know, this could be somebody that brings Kentucky back to a promised land where the jersey means more than the name on the back. Whatever. Where's that offense? I mean, this could be. He's below.500 against power four teams.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah. Now he's 14 and 16. Right. I think it's against power 14, there's.

[Billy Rutledge]

No fire, there's no energy, there's no leadership. Now I will give credit to Pope. He was much better in the post game. You know, he's usually very down. I thought he gave some better answers tonight. But when I say leadership, I also mean on the court. I mean you went all in on two experienced guys and gave them some big nil dollars this year. Ortega away and Brandon Garrison and you could argue those are the two biggest disappointments of the year.

[Ryan Lemon]

Definitely Brandon Garrison and then your two top transfer portal guys. Aberdeen's not living up to his potential diabate, hasn't played in a month.

Like I said, they're getting worse, but at the same time, I don't know what the answer is and I don't know if you heard the post game show, but Jack Givens said he could tell during pregame warmups the energy just wasn't there. Like they were not even focused on the other end. In Gonzaga, you could tell they are ready to play a big time game and Kentucky was not. They just weren't ready.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, they lost to how many points to Michigan? 30, 40, 40, and then beat Kentucky by 35 tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes, I saw the stat at the end of the game. First APE in the modern era, a team lose by 30 and then turn around and win by 30 against two ranked teams.

[Billy Rutledge]

Then you have DeMarcus Cousins tweeting after the game. Did you see what he said, Ryan?

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, that's. Well, Pope was asked about it in the post game news conference. Jack Pilgrim asked him about it.

[Billy Rutledge]

Demarcus Cousins can't lie. This UK team has no heart. This is hard to watch. Shake my head.

[Ryan Lemon]

It is hard to watch. It was really hard to watch. As bad as it was against Michigan State the other night. I mean against North Carolina the other night, this was worse. Couldn't score and then you couldn't stop anybody.

[Billy Rutledge]

I'm glad you brought up the fans in Nashville because I feel bad for them. They spend a lot of money to Go to these marquee games and in the marquee games this year, Kentucky's oh and four. And now you really have to question will they win a non conference game outside of North Carolina Central on Tuesday when Indiana comes into Rupp arena, are they going to make a 3? Like these are the questions we have to start asking ourselves now. I am not going to call myself a basketball Benny. I'm not going to break down the screens. I'm not going to break down the play calling that was happened in the game. So this show is for you. 859-280-2287. We want to hear your thoughts tonight like we always do. Ryan, I thought I was flying solo tonight so I booked a guest.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, that's, that's a good guest.

[Billy Rutledge]

Matt Norlander, the national college basketball writer will be joining us for the first call of the next segment. I want to get a national perspective of what he thinks.

[Ryan Lemon]

Absolutely. Somebody from the outside looking in. You know, we're all crushed because we're fans. Okay. Let's see what he has to say. You know, he's a basketball Benny, he's a basketball expert. Let's hear what he has to say.

[Billy Rutledge]

Let's hear what he have to say because I am almost at a loss for words right now just trying to think of what to say going on this post game show without completely burning bridges. Right. I mean I work with the UK network. Right. So I stay positive. I want Kentucky, Kentucky to succeed.

[Ryan Lemon]

But we're, we're, we're human and we see what people are saying. Pope is over his head. Pope's on the hot seat. Pope's this big job too big for him. I mean it's starting to, starting to get out there and now Billy, I mean it's not crazy. They're in danger of not making the NCAA tournament.

[Billy Rutledge]

They're not an NCAA tournament team right now.

[Caller]

No way.

[Billy Rutledge]

I don't know how you look at this team and think that they're going to have any success against physical teams in the sec. Now Jaden Quiteness could come back. Jalen Lowe came back and had some energy tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yep.

[Billy Rutledge]

But does this roster have the puzzle pieces to make a Sweet 16 or Elite 8?

[Ryan Lemon]

I just, I'm starting to doubt it.

[Billy Rutledge]

I've run out of patience. Like I've, I've just, my doubts have overcome. So give us a call tonight. 859-280-2287. You're on the local Toyota Dealers KSR postgame show. When we come back, we'll speak with Matt Norlander and then we'll hand it off to you. We want to hear what you think about tonight and I'm sure there's going to be some calls.

[Ryan Lemon]

Hey, volleyball team.

[Billy Rutledge]

One volleyball team. One volleyball school.

[Ryan Lemon]

We are a volleyball school, no doubt.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right. It's Ryan Lemon and Billy Rutledge filling in for Matt tonight. We're thinking about him, but we'll hear from you next here on the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show.

[Matt Norlander]

Welcome back.

[Billy Rutledge]

This is the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show picking up the pieces after Kentucky's 94 to 59 lost to Gonzaga. Down in Nashville, it's Billy Rutledge and Ryan Lemond. Thought I was flying solo tonight, so I wanted a national perspective before we get to the phones. Matt Norlander of CBS does a great job covering college basketball. He joined Matt on his Interrupted with Matt Jones podcast a couple of months ago where we talked a little bit about Kentucky. And Matt now joins us live here on the post game show. Matt, thank you for taking some time, but I. I need some help, man. You gotta help me talk through this Kentucky basketball team. What, what is going on with Kentucky right now?

[Matt Norlander]

Well, the actual answer to that can only be brought forth by the coaching staff and the players because they're the ones that have been living through this for the.

What really is the temperature? What really is the environment? What really is the vibe in the practices, in the film sessions, on the bus, on the planes, all of it right pre game, in huddles, post game, halftime. They only truly know the answer to that. This Kentucky team sits at 5 and 4. It does not have a win against the team that ranks better than 195th at Ken Palm. It has had four losses to four teams that are well on their way to what seems to be quality NCAA tournament seeds. The best loss of the group just happened earlier this week at home against unc, which was a miserable offensive performance on Kentucky's behalf. And then you come back a few days later and are on the receiving end of history. And the history is that Gonzaga, which I saw in person get vaporized by Michigan by 40 points, mark few took the worst loss in his coaching career all of nine days ago. Gonzaga is now the only team to ever, ever lose to a ranked opponent by 30 or more points and turn around in its next game win by 30 or more points against a ranked opponent. So we can dive into Kentucky, but right off the top here, I know you asked me about the Wildcats. I do want to at least acknowledge this Gonzaga does rate, with the exception of the Mission Game, as one of the three or four best teams in college basketball. It is probably going to wind up with a 1, 2 or at worst a 3 next to its name when Selection Sunday rolls around. Keep in mind at least the competition on display in Nashville. Now, having said that, it's 94.59. It's completely, it's completely unacceptable, obviously, for every single Kentucky fan. I did tweet it earlier tonight. I tweeted it because I meant it. Kentucky is the most overpaid, overrated and disappointing team in college basketball through the first five of the season. It doesn't have to go this way. We don't have to get to February. And that is still the case. But that is still, it's very much the case right now. Injuries. Has that played a part of it?

[Caller]

Sure.

[Matt Norlander]

You get Jalen Low back tonight. Great. He only gets one point off the bench. 14 minutes. Gonna need some more time to ease back in, but at least he's on the floor. I know there was a fraction of Kentucky fans who were cynical about the idea that he would ever play in a Kentucky uniform again. They lack real aggressiveness, they lack real heart. I know the DeMarcus Cousins tweet is already going to gain traction and for all I know, maybe he's the only former player that tweeted about him. But if, if we get to midday Saturday and find out there's actually a few more than just then, then Cousins, I won't be surprised whatsoever. They don't have a collective identity and feel free to follow up however we want. But I tell you what, the thing that is sitting with me in the heaviest manner right now on a Friday night is I was at the Garden when Kentucky lost to Michigan State 83 66. It took Mark Pope about 50 minutes to get from the end of that game into the postgame media press conference. And although I don't know this, I just suspected that in that post game locker room he probably went harder at them than maybe he's ever gone at any of his teams or certainly any after any Kentucky game. Part of that was informed by the fact that his voice just felt like it was coming off horse, like he was someone who was not just coaching a game for two hours, but maybe a little, a little more after that. Well, I don't know if he did or didn't do that, but if you did it against Michigan State and it still hasn't worked, then I don't know where we go from here because When I talked to Pope amid that New York City trip, he told me that the next two weeks, not even like week and a half, are going to be crucial. Not just because they played by game opponents, but there was some good time off and it was going to determine what kind of team they really were going to be this season. Well, we've seen since then. Yeah, okay, they wiped the floor with loyal American, Tennessee Tech, whatever Those are. Ken Palm 300 teams. They didn't win at home against the UNC team. That looks to be solid.

[Caller]

It's.

[Matt Norlander]

That should have been Kentucky's game for the taking. And then the utter, like, epic no show. Here it is. It is vexing to say the least. And Pope will own it. I don't doubt that. Like, I don't. I don't doubt his ability to say, this is all on me. I get all that. That can only last you so long. And this is now turning to be an uglier situation than basically anyone would have thought possible. And, you know, the first 25% of.

[Billy Rutledge]

His second season in Lexington, unacceptable is the right word. And this is a fan base that doesn't have a ton of patience. But I think the criticism is very valid. You're somebody that's reported that it was a $22 million roster that Kentucky used with nil dollars, but just something seems broken right now. I don't know if it was the pregame before the Louisville nonsense or if Mark Pope just takes these losses too hard. What are your thoughts on Pope? You mentioned Gonzaga. Mark Fuze doing it again. Right. He's. I mean, it's been one of the most consistent programs over the last two decades. Do you have confidence that Mark Pope can do something like that eventually, or are there some real question marks now?

[Matt Norlander]

There could be one quick fact check here. I never actually reported the $22 million figure. My reporting has always been Kentucky was the most expensive roster in college basketball. And I was of the belief that it was encroaching upon the 20 million. Whatever, it doesn't matter. 15 million, 18 million, 20 million, 22 million, 272 million. It doesn't matter. The entire roster is. Is proving to be overpaid at this point, vastly, like just dramatically so. But just a quick fact check on that, on that point there, because I know that 20. This is what happens, though. You get the number that gets reported. This becomes the biggest thing. I wrote this two weeks ago after the Michigan State game. You get a number. You become the team that pays the most for your roster in college Basketball. And if you do not show up and perform as a top 10 team in the country, that's the thing that gets attached to you.

[Caller]

It just does.

[Matt Norlander]

That comes with the territory. Pope and his staff knew it. They knew at a certain point when you're going to recruit and you're going to recruit players that are really expensive and other schools are going to lose out to you, word is just going to get around in the sport. There's no avoiding it. They didn't even necessarily run from it. But now this can really boomerang back on you in a negative way. And they got to figure out how to, how to handle all of this stuff. Everything that comes with losing and everything that comes with losing with this price tag attached to it. This is a new dynamic in college sports. It's really only been around for about two or three years, truly. And so for coaching staffs, particularly at the high major level, dealing with it, when it goes wrong, it will have to be an acquired skill. There's no doubt about it. Does Pope have the ability as a coach to wrangle this and turn it around? I do think that he does. And the reason why I say that is there's going to be a lot of Kentucky cynics, skeptics, doubters. There's probably, you know, Kentucky fans that are emotional in the moment and are like, I'm already done with Pope, like let's get a move on. That's not going to happen, however. Yeah, yeah, like, and that's fans, that's reactionary stuff. It may have all. It could eventually prove to be true, sure. But he's not on the hot seat. He's not going to lose his job this year. And frankly they would have to be catastrophically awful in order for him to to lose his job anytime before year four on that. So, you know, plenty of time for him to turn around. He has got such a devotion and earnest dedication to this job that I do give him a chance to figure it out. If and when quaintance, and I say if, I mean it really should be a when Quaintance can get on the floor. And that might not be for another month. We'll have to wait and see on that. He will truly be a game changing kind of player if Low can get healthier. Ortega always stats kind of feel quasi empty this season. They got to figure out some stuff there. But Hope's connection with this team I do think is a real thing. I say that having seen it firsthand already, you know, kind of in private scenes from the season he can do it. Will he become it remains a huge, huge question. Knowing Pope, the width and I know him and knowing that staff like they're not going to rest, like they know what, what the charge is here, like 5 and 4 don't deserve to be ranked, won't be ranked next week. They get a buy game next week and then they host Indiana and then they've got St. John's in the CBS Sports Classic and there's a chance that game could actually be between the two most disappointing teams in the country. We'll see if St. John's can do what it should do tomorrow when it hosts Mississippi at Madison Square Garden. So yes, there's still, there are still things that need to be determined in terms of lineups, rotations. Pope wants to go 10 deep. I don't know if you can do that. Also did not shoot enough. Excuse me, did not recruit enough good shooters. Kentucky ranks outside the top 203 point accuracy as is. And I'm not yet subscribing to the idea that Kentucky had a lot of good things about its offense a season ago, but it might have lacked the defensive aggression and overall profile to be a true national championship contender. And so as a result, they totally overcorrected and now are paying the price for that. I'm not sure if that's actually the case, but there are certain players on this roster that are getting a certain amount of minutes that probably should not be getting as many as they are to this point. And figuring out who's it going to be is going to be a big issue because keep in mind, when you spend that amount of money on a roster, there's a lot of expectations on a player by player basis in that locker room that come with it. And balancing all that is not easy. And so here we have Kentucky 5 and 4 with two more high profile games left on the noncon slate. And then the SEC is not as good this season as it was last season. Kentucky is now contributing to that even more so. But it will be tough and it doesn't, it doesn't get off with an easy way. A month from now they'll open league play on the road against an Alabama team that quite possibly could be ranked in the top 10 by the time we get to that game. So I'm sure Kentucky fans are highly, highly emotional and just searching for answers. I know I'm going along here a little bit on you, but I do want to at least give you my perspective on a lot of this stuff. I, I think that there is still a chance that Pope can figure out a way to level this and get Kentucky to be an NAA tournament team. That is a drastic change in perspective from what Kentucky was in the preseason, whereas pre season ranking was. But that's all out the window now. You have to figure out who are the players you can rely upon, what are you doing that is not working, Eliminate that and determine how you can win against viable competition. Because to this point, they've come up short and with the exception of the home North Carolina. So the other three losses, they were just. No doubt about it, Kentucky was not, wasn't prepped enough, didn't have enough aggression. They weren't, they weren't together on the floor. And Friday was a combination of that and the fact that, oh, by the way, Gonzaga very well could be on the short, short list of national championship contenders. And they were really ticked off after Michigan pulled their pants down in Vegas more than a week ago.

[Billy Rutledge]

Matt Norlander covers college basketball for CBS Sports. You can follow him on Twitter attnorlander. Matt, we've only talked one time before this. Thank you for taking some time to join me tonight. This has been great perspective. And if they get beat by 35 again, we may have to have you back on. Would that be all right?

[Matt Norlander]

Well, I guess that's a deal, depending on the day. And then I'll just, I'll leave you with this. And for Kentucky fans listening, the only silver lining is it is a loaded, loaded, loaded week in college basketball and sports. There is so much happening on Saturday and on Sunday that this in the moment right now, this feels like the biggest thing. By the time we get to Monday morning, Kentucky losing the way it did outside the city of Lexington and outside the state's borders will not even rank As a top 10 result overall, I wouldn't think. But that being said, I'll do a quick plug ion college basketball podcast. Me and my co host Gary Parrish, this game will get. I'm gonna repeat a lot of what I said tonight on that show on Sunday, but I appreciate you having me on and good luck and we'll talk on down the way.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, thank you very much, Matt. We appreciate it. Have a great night.

[Ryan Lemon]

It's kind of interesting to hear somebody from the outside in, you know, we're all in panic mode. I'm just looking at social media. Everybody's just, you know, popes on the hop seat. We're a 500 team at best, blah, blah, blah. But it's good to hear somebody from the outside for that perspective, like, hey, he can still turn it around. You know, they still got good players and he is still a good coach.

[Billy Rutledge]

He also mentioned the emotional Kentucky fan we may hear from tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

I'll guarantee they're loaded up on hold.

[Billy Rutledge]

Right now and that's what this show is for. So appreciate everybody listening to Matt Norlander and us Yap for 20 minutes, but it's time to take some calls. 859-280-2287. Blandon is our first caller tonight. What's up Landon?

[Caller]

Hey, Billy and Ryan, how are you on? You guys must be getting hazardous duty pay tonight.

[Billy Rutledge]

I wish, I wish. But we are here for you. Bland, what do you think of the game?

[Caller]

Yeah, guys, I want to ask you guys a couple simple questions that I don't understand in watching this team tonight. To me, their shot selection was absolutely putrid. I've never in my life seen the team continue to take bad shots like this one does. They're, they're outside shooting. First of all, they don't have any good shooters outside at all. And they will continue one sequence. They come down the floor and one young man pulls up and shoots a 25 footer and there's literally four players from Gonzaga that had it sealed off and there was not a Kentucky player within that four, four, four man circle. And I, I don't understand the shot selections there on offense and it, and it's like their offense to me looks like you're trying to shove a square object in a round hole. It's just they're trying to force these shots and, and they're not. The chemistry is terrible, body language is terrible. He, he has got to make. I mean they just don't have an elite point guard this year, you guys. And to me in college basketball now you must have an elite point guards that can score the basketball and can facilitate, handle the ball and set up stuff. And they, they to me look like like giant around objects trying to fit in square holes. I, I just don't understand the offense. Period.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay, Bland, and thank you for the call. Appreciate it.

[Ryan Lemon]

We not only did we take bad shots, we take them without running any offense execution at all. It's like some of our basketball IQ is not very smart.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, they're just standing around.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, there was a time, one time we had three guys on the wing just standing there. And I will say this too, that we showed some effort in the second half and Pope left those guys out there. Second time he's left the guys out there in the second half. It was Jasper, Collin, Ortega.

Malachi and yellow Vic. I think for most of that stretch there, he just left them go, let them go. They were getting their brains beat in, but at least they were given some effort and he left them out there.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, effort is another big thing. I come on these shows and I say I don't ever want to question these guys effort because they want to win.

[Ryan Lemon]

Right. But it wasn't there the first half.

[Billy Rutledge]

But the motivation level of college athletes has changed. Yeah, you have to think about Nil Shannon, the dude my co host on the pre show. He is the most money motivated person I've ever met in my life. You tell him you give him a couple bucks, he will do it. He will not do it until you give him those couple bucks. Is there any chance that these guys are letting money impact the way that they treat each other? I mean, I don't think that's that far fetched.

[Ryan Lemon]

I don't think it's far fetched either. I think there's just, there's some issues going on and it may go back to nil. Money may go back to I got to get mine. I got to get, you know, improve my NBA status. I don't know.

[Billy Rutledge]

Right now though, Mark Pope has to show some leadership. He has to show he's not just a former player that gets down when his team loses. He needs to show that he can bring this team back.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, Tom Leach was trying to talk to him on the postgame show and Mark said one word he did, but.

[Billy Rutledge]

That was near the end. He did much better than he did in games past. I think maybe somebody got to him and said, you got to talk a little more.

[Ryan Lemon]

At one. He said something about the effort and he said we were paralyzed. That was a great word. I kind of felt like that's kind of how we seem like we were tonight. We were paralyzed.

[Billy Rutledge]

Todd is up next. What's up, Todd?

[Caller]

Hey, Ryan and Billy.

You know, I haven't seen an ass kicking like this probably since we got beat by Vanderbilt back during the Billy Gillespie day.

[Ryan Lemon]

I was there, I was at that game.

[Caller]

And this Nil money.

I don't know if it's possible or not, but they need to take this money and say, you're gonna have to earn this money, you know.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, Todd, they can't do that.

You know. No, they can't do that because the other schools are going to give it to them up front. And that way when we wouldn't get.

[Billy Rutledge]

Anybody here and that already happened to a degree. I mean, Michigan paid More money for the Yaxel guy than Kentucky did, and.

[Ryan Lemon]

That'S where he went.

[Billy Rutledge]

North Carolina paid more money to Caleb Wilson than Kentucky did.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's where he went.

[Billy Rutledge]

Priorities were to keep guys.

[Ryan Lemon]

We can't say we'll pay you more if you get a double. Double.

[Caller]

I know, I know. It's. It's.

Everybody would have to do it, and I'm sure that could never be pulled off. But, I mean, I believe it would work if they could get it. Get it to pass, you know, where, you know, like anybody else in their job, you know, they don't get paid unless they do the work. And I don't know, I. I'm just frustrated. It seems like we struggle so hard to get anybody open for a shot. And on defense, it's like we let them push us under the basket and then we gonna try to block a shot, but we can't do it because they're already under the basket and they lay it in. It's. It's just really frustrating. I had no idea this was going to be the kind of year it has. But anyway, that's my rant. I'm sticking by it.

[Billy Rutledge]

So we're with you, Todd, and we appreciate you calling in. Thanks for joining us tonight. You know, here's the thing that eats me up, Ryan Gonzaga didn't even play good. I mean, that first half, they weren't shooting the ball well.

[Ryan Lemon]

No, the first TV timeout was about 5 to 1.

[Billy Rutledge]

They were missing bunnies in the first 10 minutes of the game. Yeah. Went off.

[Ryan Lemon]

You heard Jimmy Dyke say, man, they hit these shots. I'm shocked they're missing these shots.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, they weren't even playing well. And Kentucky just could not take advantage of the moment. You know, you mentioned Mark Pope saying the word paralyzed in the post game. I mean, do you think that this moment was too big? Do you think these guys are coming in scared?

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, you heard Jack Givens say they were not ready to play. They weren't focused. There was no energy during pregame warmups. And poor Malachi Marino, he got bullied all night long by those two big guys, you know?

[Billy Rutledge]

He sure did.

[Ryan Lemon]

Malachi's played so well all year long, but tonight was. Was not it. Not his day.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, you have a freshman starting at center because you prioritized Brandon Garrison, who is not ready for the moment.

[Ryan Lemon]

Right.

[Billy Rutledge]

He's not performing. Performing. So the roster construction, Matt Norlander mentioned it, I think, is going to be under a microscope.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yep.

[Billy Rutledge]

Dynasty is up next.

[Caller]

Yes, guys. Just thank you guys for Filling in for Matt and prayers for Matt's father.

[Billy Rutledge]

Absolutely.

[Caller]

Guys, I think we're seeing why no one's excited about this hire.

I.

I think Barnhart and everybody got us excited about it, but unfortunately, I really don't think this guy's for us. He has not won any big games this year, and it's. It's going to be a rough year. What do you guys think about if we don't make the tournament this year? What. What's going to happen then?

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, Dynasty. Let me ask you before I let you go, did you not buy in with the revival at rupp, the sweet 16 with Tennessee? Do you not. Were you not on board with Pope before the season started?

[Caller]

Oh, yes. For sure, for sure. And that's what I'm saying. Yeah, they bought us, all of us, I think, in on this, and I think it was a little bit of fool's code, honestly.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, no, that's fair. I mean, that's a fair opinion to have. You know, this was a coach that had not won an NCAA tournament game before he came to Kentucky. You could argue that is not a good enough resume to come to Kentucky. You could have hired Mark Pope at any time. He was a former player that would have loved the job. So I don't know. I mean, some of that comes back to Mitch and Dynasty. Do you have anything else before we let you go?

[Caller]

Yeah, I just think it's. If we don't make tournament this year, I think it's time to move on before we end up like ucla. And I think that should be it, man.

[Billy Rutledge]

All right, Dynasty. Thank you for the call. I don't think that happens.

[Ryan Lemon]

I.

[Billy Rutledge]

I think they could lose every game the rest of the year and Mark Pope wouldn't get fired. I think that's just a Mitch Barnhart thing right now. He went to the Sweet 16 last year. Can have a bad year, but this isn't acceptable.

[Ryan Lemon]

It's definitely not acceptable. And like we said, they're in danger of not making the NCAA tournament, and that is unacceptable. But we've lived through it before. We saw John Calipari not make the NCAA tournament one year, came back, had some good season. So I agree with you. I mean, even if they fall on their face this year, I don't think he would lose his job. I just don't.

[Billy Rutledge]

But look at how much fun everybody's having in the non conference right now, Ryan. Like these, these great games, awesome games, good matchups, and Kentucky just can't beat a team that's.

[Ryan Lemon]

And now we're all in 4o and 4 in our big non conference games. It's.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's and gotten worse.

[Ryan Lemon]

Gotten worse in each one of them. That's what's scary.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, you're right.

[Ryan Lemon]

The Louisville loss is the best we played in a loss.

[Billy Rutledge]

Jaylen Lowe actually looked pretty decent stretch in that game. Jalen Lowe did return tonight. How did he look to you?

[Ryan Lemon]

I mean, they seem to have a little energy when he came in, but then once they got out of control, he just. Pope did the smart thing and not put him back out there. No risk any. Don't risk any additional injury when you're getting beat by 30. So he kind of shut him down. But at least I think, you know, I saw what a little spark when he came in at that moment.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. I guess Dylan is up next. We'll take a couple more, then we'll take a break. 859-280-2287. Dylan, what's up?

[Caller]

Hey. How y' all doing today?

[Billy Rutledge]

We're hanging in there, man. What about you?

[Caller]

Oh, man, it's a tough one. I don't. I don't know about everybody else, but I'm a real big pope advocate. He's just such a nice guy, but it comes to the point where I feel like he's just like, this locker room, it's done. Like, I. I just don't get a good vibe about anybody getting along. I think this year is just like a lost cause. And, like, they just don't vibe together. They don't. I. I don't know. I don't know how to explain it, but I was just wanting to kind of touch base with y' all and see what y' all thought about the whole, like.

Like how they're playing and stuff. Like, I mean, that just. It seems like a lost cause for this year. Like, when I was at the Carolina game and we hit 13 in front of Tayshawn Prince, Rajon Rondo, and it's just like, man, it was embarrassing.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. And then the guy that hit a three tonight was Brandon Garrison again.

[Ryan Lemon]

He hit the first one.

[Matt Norlander]

I know.

[Ryan Lemon]

Let BG Cook, man.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah.

[Ryan Lemon]

I mean, that's just. I know.

[Billy Rutledge]

Summarizes it all, doesn't it?

[Caller]

Absolutely. I know I wasn't the only one. That's like, as soon as he went and put up at three, I was like, no, Garrison. And then he hit it, and I was like, yes, Garrison. Let's go, baby.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah.

[Caller]

Well, I mean, that's all I had. And thinking about Matt and his dad and Hope Everything gets going better.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, us too. Dylan. Thank you for calling in and saying that. Yeah, I mean, they're playing bad. I mean, there's no other way to say it.

[Ryan Lemon]

And there. There are no shooters on this team right now. Nobody. I mean, the guys are supposed to be our shooters. Colin Chandler, Trent Noah, Cam Williams, Jasper Johnson. Nobody's shooting the ball. Well, Denzel, Aberdeen is going to get his shots up, though, no matter what. My golly, he's going to make sure he gets. Going to get his shots in. Yeah, he drove the lane one time and forced up a shot, and Otega was wide open in the corner. I mean, there was nobody within 15ft of him, and he forced up something down the lane.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, it was 11 minutes before Kentucky got a basket in this game, Ryan. And it was Aberdeen.

[Ryan Lemon]

They were on pace to score eight points. One every five minutes there for a while.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's unbelievable for a coach that has the innovative offense. Right. One more, and we'll take a break. Ryan is up next. What's up, Ryan?

[Caller]

Hey, guys. I'm not gonna do the thing everybody does and ask how y' all are doing, because I already know. Just wanted to say I was at the game and give a little. Little perspective of.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah.

[Caller]

What it was like and really what a wasted opportunity it was because that place was primed. You know, you guys have said before that the. The games in Nashville, it's just a different version of the fan base, you know, the ones that maybe don't get to go to RUP all the time. And.

You know, the. Before the game was just electric. The chance in line to get into the arena. Just walking to the arena, you could hear Cats Chance coming out of the open doors of the bars. It was just, you know, it was kind of like an NBA arena experience. And. And the two loudest cheers. I would say that because there were some really loud booze. The loudest cheers were 11 minutes into the game when we scored our first basket.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Caller]

And then sometime in. Sometime in the second half, I believe we cut it to 25.

And everybody got excited. I mean, how sad is that? But, you know, it. The fans wanted. They wanted it. Had Kentucky been able to just even keep it to, I'd say 10. If they would have been able to keep it within 15, that crowd would have stayed in and they would have gotten loud on the defensive possessions and, you know, tried. It's just. There was nothing to cheer for. Just. Just nothing.

And. And, yeah, I don't know how it came across on the. On the TV broadcast. But, but the booze were loud. They, they booed them into the locker room at halftime.

[Ryan Lemon]

That was loud.

[Billy Rutledge]

And you stayed for the whole game, Ryan?

[Caller]

I wish I could say I did. I, I stayed longer. I left at. Right about the 5 minute mark left in the game. And you know, and that's another thing. I mean, I'm sitting there thinking about traffic over these $200 a piece tickets that I'm, you know, the seats that I'm sitting in because there was just nothing there.

You know, and I'm a huge fan, man. And, and I will say I live in Nashville, so I didn't have to pay for a hotel. I didn't have to go out, you know, and eat dinner beforehand. I can't imagine what, what some of these people paid. I'm just paying for the tickets.

But a lot of people left before I did. And.

You know, just the overall take for me is, is I could sit here and complain about what insane or lack of offense we're running. Nothing but just the, the missed opportunity for all of those people that were there tonight that, you know, you hear about a bunch of fan base booing their coach.

[Ryan Lemon]

Appreciate it, Ryan. Yeah, thank you, man. We gotta go ahead. Appreciate it. He's right. That fan base down there is a different fan base. The ones that go to the SEC tournament, the ones that go on the road. That's why I understand why they were upset. I mean, like I said I would, I couldn't do it and it was a bad look. But those booze were definitely loud. Came through the tv, especially at halftime. And then ESPN isolated on some of our fans booing our team as they walked off the court. That was rough. That was a bad look.

[Billy Rutledge]

There's, I mean, there's no other way to put it. Kentucky is the story of college basketball tonight. Yeah, there's not a ton of games.

[Ryan Lemon]

Going on right now on a Friday night.

[Billy Rutledge]

And they just got whooped by Gonzaga.

[Ryan Lemon]

You got Tulane in North Texas playing in football in Kentucky playing Gonzaga in a high profile game in Nashville. And we stunk it up and we.

[Billy Rutledge]

Got Tulane up 31 to 7 against North Texas. Looks like summer all might be making.

[Ryan Lemon]

That playoff game crazy. Crazy to lane. Could be in the playoffs coaching for.

[Billy Rutledge]

Two schools right now. That's crazy too. 859-280-2287. We need to take a break. We will be right back here on the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show. Welcome back to the local Toyota dealers KSR postgame show. Billy Rutledge and Ryan Lemon filling in for Matt Jones tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

And again, we want to say Matt apologizes for not being here. He's. If you've heard him talk about it this week on KSR and he's posted it on Facebook, his dad is having a medical issue going on right now. So Matt is with his family as he should be tonight. So all prayers for Larry tonight.

[Billy Rutledge]

And, you know, we're happy to fill in, too, even though it was a bad loss, awful for the cats. Where'd you watch the game tonight?

[Ryan Lemon]

I was at Yoga girl's house in Georgetown.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. It's a popular spot for you. I'm glad you came into the station, though. You know, you could have easily done it at yoga girl's house. So thanks for coming in to see.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, we couldn't let you do the show by yourself tonight because we knew this was going to be. Fans got stuff they want to say and it's kind of good to have an extra voice while you're having a monumental loss like this.

[Billy Rutledge]

So while I'm not only hosting right now, I'm also answering the phones. So if you're on hold and I haven't talked to you yet, just keep holding on. We'll get to you. But we need to take some more calls. 859-280-2287. Timmy Tucker's wife is on the phone.

[Ryan Lemon]

Ryan, who's Timmy Tucker?

[Billy Rutledge]

I don't know. Hello, Timmy Tucker's wife.

[Timmy Tucker's Wife]

Well, hello. First of all, I want to say prayers to Matt and his family and we all understand why he can't be there.

[Billy Rutledge]

Absolutely.

[Timmy Tucker's Wife]

Second of all, I want to say, Ryan, I saw you at Sulphur Creek Marina and I told you that I would take you a ride on my boat next summer when you all came down.

[Ryan Lemon]

Oh, I remember this. Yeah, I'll be glad to get off somebody's boat down at.

[Timmy Tucker's Wife]

Okay.

[Ryan Lemon]

Sulphur Creek Marina. We're coming back.

[Timmy Tucker's Wife]

We'll have to do that.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Timmy Tucker's Wife]

But for perspective, I'm 41 years old and I'm a season ticket holder and I've spent a lot of money and so have my friends. And I'm used to patino and tubby in the early years of Cal, other than Gillespie, I'm used to winning and Kentucky basketball is the standard and we are not living up to the standard right now. And I don't share the same sentiment as everyone else because I rode hard for Cal for a long time up until the last year or two. And I'm tired of being patient. I'm not going to ride for Pope like that. I am done. D u n done. And Mitch Barnhart, he's going to go out with a blaze of glory, and he needs to decide which way that's going to go. And I got one question my insurance agent told me. I don't know if this is true or not, but I want you all to ask Matt, is the assistant AD married to someone in management at jmi? Because if so, that needs to be addressed. And that's all I have to say. Thank you.

[Billy Rutledge]

Thank you. Timmy Tucker's wife. You know, I'm not sure on the fact check of the Assistant AD&JMI, but, you know, I think she has the same frustrations as a lot of fans.

[Ryan Lemon]

Right now, Ryan, and she is legit and everything. She says these fans spend a lot of money. I got a text from one of my friends. Well, Jeff Brewer from the Commonwealth Band, he said, I bought two burgers, two fries, two large drinks for $73. Cat scored 59 points. He spent more money on burgers and fries than he did. The cat scored points.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, well, it can kind of get away from. If you. If you buy a ton of concessions like that, but are you d u n with Pope?

[Ryan Lemon]

I. I'm not. I know a lot of people are, and they're, you know, in this microwave society, you were quick to pull the trigger on things. So I still am willing. I said this before. I give coaches a longer leash probably than a lot of people, because my dad was a coach, so I'm not d u n with him yet.

[Caller]

Are you?

[Billy Rutledge]

No. No, I'm not.

[Ryan Lemon]

But, like, now they lose Indiana.

[Billy Rutledge]

No, the honeymoon is definitely done.

[Ryan Lemon]

The honeymoon is over and all that stuff. It's long over.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, no doubt.

[Ryan Lemon]

I tell you, the thing, like I said, the thing that's most frustrating for me is that they've gotten worse each of these four losses. I mean, the first two were. They got run, but they made good comebacks and kind of cut it in the second half. North Carolina, they played great defense, just couldn't score.

[Billy Rutledge]

It was a close game at the end.

[Ryan Lemon]

It was tonight. They couldn't score and they couldn't play good defense.

[Billy Rutledge]

And I don't know about you, I mean, I'm running the game and I didn't pay attention to the second half. Like, I was just checked out. Like I wasn't going to watch any more of that product.

[Ryan Lemon]

I was more watching my draft Kings under bit.

[Billy Rutledge]

Are you betting punt?

[Ryan Lemon]

I bet over under.

[Billy Rutledge]

I bet under the pun equivalent in college basketball. Yeah, let's take another call. 859-280-2287. Nick is on the line. What's up, Nick?

[Caller]

Hey, how's it going?

All right, here's my, here's my thing. You know, the days when UK was dominant in the sec, we would go to Alabama, Mississippi, whatever. They would play extremely physical hacking, you know. You know, they would, they would get foul trouble, etc. This and that. I just don't see us being able to score. My philosophy is, are we just going to have to resort to just, you know, we had two fouls at what, a certain point in the second half when we should have probably had four or five? Like, I think fouls represent hustle, and I just didn't see it, you know, does that make sense to you all? Are we going to have to resort to hacking and just being physical? Can this team do it?

[Ryan Lemon]

That's the second time I've heard that. I saw it on social media. This one guy said, What? How did EK only have shoot like 4 free throws and huff shot like 5 free throws? Like, why weren't we more physical with those two guys?

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, because you're not the aggressor. I mean, Jack Givens talks about this on the radio broadcast all the time. When you are the one being the aggressor, you force the refs to have to start making calls.

[Ryan Lemon]

Amen.

[Billy Rutledge]

If you're going to play passive and just stand around and wait for the ball to come to you, then you're not going to get these calls. But if you're aggressive and you make the ref make these calls, then, yeah, more are going to go your way. So I think it's, it's got to be like a mindset thing. Like it has to be a whole overhaul with this team. And I think it starts from, you know, the leaders on your team. Probably player led right now.

[Caller]

And we need, I mean, let's, let's commit. Sorry. Let's, let's start committing fouls. Let's start, you know.

Do it on purpose. You know, we got to do something.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, yeah. Appreciate.

[Billy Rutledge]

Thank you, Nick.

[Ryan Lemon]

You know, we need, we need an Amari Williams so bad on this team. Yes. Big, physical, strong. You're not going to push him around at the same time. Good leader. Remember how mad he would get when things weren't going well? And he kind of get the snarl face there on the little huddle. We need an Amari Williams.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, he was soft, smoking. So when he did speak, you listened.

[Ryan Lemon]

Amen.

[Billy Rutledge]

And you knew something was Wrong. But the bigger problem is you don't have a big that can initiate any offense. I mean, Brandon Garrison is not that guy.

[Ryan Lemon]

No yellow.

[Billy Rutledge]

He couldn't make a shot tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

He couldn't even hit the rim.

[Billy Rutledge]

Apparently he's got the green light because he was. He was shooting. No doubt. I mean, the Jaden Quaintance is going to have to change a lot about this team's identity for them to think that they're going to even sniff the NCAA tournament this year. Am I wrong?

[Ryan Lemon]

No, you're too. You're right. You're two big physical guys are sitting on the bench. Jaden, Quaint and Diabate. Those are your two physical, strong guys that can maybe push people around and not let us get pushed around. And they're both on the pin on the bench.

[Billy Rutledge]

And then you have to start hitting shots like. I'm sorry, like, what were they from.

[Ryan Lemon]

Three Point Land today?

[Billy Rutledge]

Today? 7 of 34.

[Ryan Lemon]

7 of 34.

[Billy Rutledge]

I don't even want to know what the total is of between the last.

[Ryan Lemon]

They were 1 of 13.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah.

[Ryan Lemon]

So they're 8 of 47. Figure that percentage out.

[Billy Rutledge]

I said I didn't want to know, but you told me. And it hurts just as much as.

[Ryan Lemon]

I thought it would.

[Billy Rutledge]

Cameron is up next. Cameron, what's up?

[Caller]

First time, long time.

[Billy Rutledge]

Hua.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Caller]

So this was the 43rd game of the Pope era, and in 13 of those games, they've already been down 13 points. I mean, Kenny Payne could have done better than that.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, I'll give you a stat. Somebody tweeted this at me. I don't know if it's true or not, but he said Kenny Payne's one worst loss at Louisville was 32 points. And unfortunately, Pope beat that to me.

[Caller]

Just lost by 35.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yep, exactly.

[Caller]

Bring Katie back.

[Billy Rutledge]

Cameron. Appreciate the call, man.

[Ryan Lemon]

So eight of 47 and three point land. So what that means is they've missed 39 three pointers in the last two games.

Missed 39 three pointers?

[Billy Rutledge]

He couldn't hit the broadside of a barn yet.

[Ryan Lemon]

We can't miss in during this summer. We're lighting it up. We're hitting 100 in a row.

[Billy Rutledge]

So what's the disconnect? I mean, how come Trent Noah can't hit a shot anymore?

[Ryan Lemon]

I don't know. I don't know. He was playing good until he got hurt. And he just hasn't been the same kid since he came back from that injury.

[Billy Rutledge]

Cam Williams didn't have a point. He played 15 minutes, zero points.

[Ryan Lemon]

And he's your Shooter. He's your best shooter on the team, they said. And he can't buy one in the pregame.

[Billy Rutledge]

You guys talked about a college writer that did four reasons why Kentucky basketball has not been successful this year.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yep, that's right.

[Billy Rutledge]

Point guard play was one of them. I. I wrote it down somewhere, Ryan, because I wanted to talk about it again. You doubled up on skill sets. You have two of everything, but no dominant player at any position.

[Ryan Lemon]

Right.

[Billy Rutledge]

You have only one guy that's shooting an open three that you feel good about right now in Colin Chandler.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's it.

[Billy Rutledge]

And then finally, you have no shooter at the four.

[Ryan Lemon]

Nope.

[Billy Rutledge]

Cam Williams, I guess, isn't going to be that guy.

[Ryan Lemon]

He's not that guy. Yellow bitch is not that guy.

[Billy Rutledge]

You had a shooter at the four last year.

[Ryan Lemon]

Made a big difference, didn't it? Andrew Carr, he had two shooters. And Ansley Almanor, it made a worse.

[Billy Rutledge]

So I just, you know, and Norlander touched on this. Pope just went completely opposite of what happened last year. He saw his deficiencies in the sec. He went and got mo d avate. He went and got more physical, but relied on returning players maybe a little too much.

859-280-2287. Let's see who we got here. Is it Bub? Bub is on the line.

[Ryan Lemon]

Bub.

[Billy Rutledge]

What's up.

[Caller]

Bub? Is this me?

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, that's you. Is that now your name?

[Caller]

Oh, my God, guys, I'm so mad. This is crazy. You caught me in the middle of a lot of ice cream. But this analytics bull crap, who cares? We're Kentucky. We. We go and dominate. Who cares what the analytics says? That happens for a long range of teams. Let's go beat these teams. Let's go win. Why can't. Why can't we. This. I don't. I don't understand what is happening.

I'm so. I'm sorry. And then prayers for Matt's family. Matt's family. This is.

Yeah, once again, you caught me off guard. But, guys. Oh, my God.

[Ryan Lemon]

Thanks, Bob.

[Billy Rutledge]

No, Bob, we appreciate. We appreciate you calling it. And enjoy that ice cream. Don't apologize. You did. You did fine.

[Ryan Lemon]

You know, I can't remember who it was. I don't know. It was Jack Givens or Sean woods or one of these guys. I heard. You know, the guys that he went out and got were like the fifth person on the. On the scouting report. Like Denzel Abedin may have been the sixth or seventh guy on the Florida scouting report. Diabate was like the fifth or sixth guy. On the Alabama scouting report, you know, he didn't go out and get guys that were the number one player on the scouting report last year. OA was probably the third or fourth guy on the scouting report behind a bray. You know, Kobe Braya and, you know, some of these other guys, Lamont, Butler and even Amari.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. So you got a bunch of six men out there.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes. Do you think that plays into it?

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, I do. And then when you're the guy, it's very different than being the spark plug off the bench.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

When you can't get a basket for eight minutes and everybody's looking around, we.

[Ryan Lemon]

Hit two free throws.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, thank God. I mean, a goose egg would have been even worse. When it comes to the perception nationally.

[Ryan Lemon]

Of this team when it was 19 to 2, we all knew it was over. It was over. There was no fight in that team at all tonight. It was. They could have walked off the floor right then. It was. They were done.

[Billy Rutledge]

Matt is a big proponent of analytics.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

As is Mark Pope.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

And I am generally, too. I mean, numbers are numbers, right. You want to follow trends and patterns, but numbers can't tell you if somebody broke up with their girlfriend that morning.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

Numbers can't tell you if somebody's got a stomachache.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's true.

[Billy Rutledge]

You know, there has to be a balance, and maybe there is such an emphasis on the numbers that maybe they've been blinded to what sometimes does matter in sports. And that's the human element of it.

[Ryan Lemon]

You might be right. And if that's. If you are right, it's got to change. I mean, it has to change.

[Billy Rutledge]

Period.

[Ryan Lemon]

Exclamation point, dot, dot, dot.

[Billy Rutledge]

Who knows what will happen next? Let's take one more, and then we'll. All right, we'll take our final break here. I believe it's Christian on the line. Christian, what's up?

[Caller]

Hey, guys. What's going on?

[Matt Norlander]

First time, Long time.

[Billy Rutledge]

Who are.

[Caller]

Well, there's an old saying that hungry dogs run faster, and right now we got a bunch of fat cats sitting around. I've never seen the lack of effort, lack of intensity. I mean, it's 19 to 2 on national television on a Friday night. But you know what? It's okay because those game checks come through, we're fine.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, but everybody's getting paid, right? I mean, Kentucky's not the only exact person playing or paying their players, so, I mean, you can have success while you're paying your players like this.

[Caller]

You absolutely can. But there's a disconnect with what Mark Pope is preaching with Kentucky this and Kentucky that. And I love Mark Pope and I wish he would do well here. But it's hard to preach Kentucky first when those game checks are coming through. And I don't know, I just feel sorry for the fans that drove hours and hours down there and spent hundreds of dollars on the tickets to go and sit through that travesty of a basketball game for, for what like this program Big Blue Nation has this decade, no fan base has given more and gotten less in return than the bbn.

[Billy Rutledge]

I mean, when you put it like that, Christian, I mean, I appreciate the call. Thank you for joining us tonight. I mean, it has been some tough times. We've had some angry post game shows for the football season this year. Ryan, I did not expect the anger to come out this quickly within the basketball season especially.

[Ryan Lemon]

We were riding so high after last season. You know, he kind of exceeded our expectations. Got to the sweet 16. You know, Lamont Butler's injury and Jackson Robinson's injury kind of didn't slow us down as much of these injuries seem to have slowed us down this year. And it just seems like just going backwards right now, we're just getting worse.

[Billy Rutledge]

They beat eight top 15 AP teams last year. I think it was a record or at least tied the record.

[Ryan Lemon]

How are they doing against top ranked teams this year?

[Billy Rutledge]

Now they're under.500 against Power 4 opponents in Mark Pope's time here at Kentucky. I don't know what changed. I mean it was Cooper flag spinning in the corner. Strip it. It's coming.

[Ryan Lemon]

It was obviously Annabelle. You and Shannon figured it out on the KSR pre show. It was obviously Annabelle and then Matt making fun of Annabelle.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, that was part of it.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

And then the sage and the water.

[Ryan Lemon]

And well, that happened up in Seattle.

[Billy Rutledge]

And we finished it.

[Ryan Lemon]

We beat Gonzaga after that happened. Shannon forgets that part of the story.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, you didn't. But the KSR curse still lives on.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, they'll beat North Carolina Central on Tuesday.

[Billy Rutledge]

Will they? They will though. I mean this is what will inflate their Kim Palm numbers and that's why they're still a top 15 team right now when you look at the numbers. But Ryan, as we've just discussed, sometimes you have to look past just numbers. 859-280-2287. We need to take a break. When we come back, we'll hit six more callers and when we'll wrap things up here on the local Toyota dealers KSR post game show.

[Matt Norlander]

Welcome back.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's Our final segment here on a Friday night. Billy Rutledge and Ryan Lemon talking about Kentucky Gonzaga. Before we get back to the phones, Ryan, there have been some state championships.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes.

[Billy Rutledge]

Kroger Field.

[Ryan Lemon]

I got the scores.

[Billy Rutledge]

You got the score? Tell me.

[Ryan Lemon]

In Class A, Kentucky country day beat Raceland 20 to 16. The poor Raceland Rams have been in the state finals like four the last five years and have yet to win one.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, it's like the Bills back in the day.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes.

[Billy Rutledge]

They could never win the Super bowl in two way.

[Ryan Lemon]

The fighting battle of the Christians versus the Catholics. Lexington Christian Academy beat Owensboro Catholic 33, 28. And then tonight, Boyle county won its 13th state title, 34 to nothing over Franklin County.

[Billy Rutledge]

34 to nothing.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes. And Franklin County's had a great run here the last several years, but every time they get to the state finals, they have to play Boyle County.

[Billy Rutledge]

Happy for lca. I've enjoyed watching them from afar. After we went to Cutter. Bullies announcement. And we got the radio equipment to.

[Ryan Lemon]

Work somehow that day there are only Lexington School made it to the state finals, so we were kind of pulling for them. But. So tomorrow is Murray versus.

I got Cal. Cal Christian Academy of Louisville. Owensboro plays Pulaski county in 5A. And then Trinity plays South Warren in 6A.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right, Trinity. South Warren, too.

[Ryan Lemon]

Bowling Green. People who they lose to, I don't know, but they don't like South Warren. All the good players go to South Warren. Now.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's kind of my neck of the woods.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes, it is.

[Billy Rutledge]

I called South Warren games for a while.

[Ryan Lemon]

Oh, you did?

[Billy Rutledge]

And Warren East.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

And there. Yeah. There was no love lost, but the.

[Ryan Lemon]

UK volleyball team won tonight. There's one positive thing. They're going to the Sweet 16 next weekend. There we go. Go.

Yeah. All right. This Craig Skinner on top of the big blue building.

[Billy Rutledge]

All right, we got six people on the line. All right, let's run through them.

[Ryan Lemon]

Ryan, let's go it. Let's do it.

[Billy Rutledge]

Peyton is up next. What's up, Pton?

[Caller]

Hey, guys. First of all, prayers for Matt and his family. I'm one of those people that the caller earlier alluded to. I live in Hopkinsville, so Nashville is just a little over an hour for me. I don't always get to go to Rob and going in the crowd was great, but it was just so disappointing and deflating for me to pay all that money. I have a 7 week old kid at home and I'm at the point where I'm almost scared to watch games with him so he doesn't become a Louisville fan.

It's just. It's really bad and deflating as a fan to pay this money and go watch and just get that performance. And to top it all off, here's how much of a clown show we were. Denzel Aberdeen was shooting free throws. And on the jumbotron, it said number one, Lamont Butler. Oh, like, what are we doing?

[Billy Rutledge]

How does that happen?

[Caller]

It's. It's just. It's just a disaster right now as a program. Thanks for taking my call. Have a great night, guys.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

Thank you, Peyton. Well, this is why we pay millions of dollars to sports coaches, because they have to figure it out.

[Ryan Lemon]

They got to figure it out.

[Billy Rutledge]

This is their job and you got.

[Ryan Lemon]

To figure it out quick, son.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. So sorry if I don't have a ton of so sympathy for these millionaires, but they'll figure three.

[Ryan Lemon]

I hope they'll figure three of their next five games. Indiana, St. John's, Alabama. They got North Carolina Central and Bellarmine. Then they play Indiana, St. John's and Alabama, their next five.

[Billy Rutledge]

And how do you. And how do you think they do?

[Ryan Lemon]

Oh, and three. What, two and three.

[Billy Rutledge]

They're at rough for the Indiana game, though.

[Ryan Lemon]

I have zero confidence in this team right now. Zero.

Sounds like.

I'm almost dun, now that I think about it.

They better beat Indiana at Ruperta. You're right. I'll give them that one.

[Billy Rutledge]

You gotta beat Indiana and you beat.

[Ryan Lemon]

The Fighting Scotty Davenports of Bellarmine, who is. Whatever, he finally retired over there.

[Billy Rutledge]

What was the guy's name that you guaranteed was coming to Kentucky and then Lamar Wilkerson. They could run.

[Ryan Lemon]

Wilkerson, Lamar, Lamar, Lamar.

[Billy Rutledge]

Really use a Wilkerson?

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, no doubt.

[Billy Rutledge]

Right now they need a shooter.

[Ryan Lemon]

He's been shooting.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, Ryan is up next. Hey, Ryan.

Ryan, you there?

[Caller]

Yeah. Yes. Sorry, guys.

[Billy Rutledge]

We got you.

[Caller]

So I wasn't going to call into the show, but I just couldn't stand here and listen to the blast me that's been spoke about our head coach. Yes, the team's struggling right now. I think a lot of it just goes back to poor roster construction, which again falls on Pope. But we know what he can do with guys that fit his system. Look at last year. If it wasn't for injuries, that team very well could have been playing in the National Championship. I do have one question, though. Why aren't we seeing the center.

[Matt Norlander]

At.

[Caller]

The top of the key like last year, running the offense? And I'll leave it at that. Thanks, guys.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. Thank you, Ryan. Yeah. I mean, Mark Pope is a good college basketball coach. He didn't get the job for no reason, but he also needs to be held responsible for the players that he brought in. If you're going to get the praise if you win, you've got to get the blame if you lose. Why the center isn't at the top of the key, probably because you don't have a center that can distribute the ball.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's it. We don't have an Amari Williams, like what Omari could do last year, kind of initiate the offense. I don't think Malachi or Brandon Garrison can do that.

[Billy Rutledge]

And so that's why you don't see it.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's why you don't see it.

[Billy Rutledge]

But in, in return, you're not seeing much of anything. Like what is the offense right now if they're not.

[Ryan Lemon]

You asked the question earlier in the show. What is their offensive identity? Yeah, what is it?

[Billy Rutledge]

Is it to wait until Otega o way wakes up some way or midway through the game? Or is it, Is it to hope Colin Chandler hits a three that's five feet past the three point line? Like what's, what is the identity?

[Ryan Lemon]

Denzel Aberdeen jacks up another three or four yellow. It shoots another airball. I mean, I don't know what the identity is right now.

[Billy Rutledge]

Look at North Texas coming back 31, 21. Seven minutes left here. Andrew is up next. How you doing, Andrew?

[Caller]

I'm doing good, guys. Thanks for taking my call.

To start. You know, it's. It's hard enough being a UK fan when I live in Dallas, you know, because you've got Texas, Texas A and M, Baylor, tcu, who all have decently good football and basketball programs. But it's a lot easier when we're winning. And I stick with UK because, you know, I grew up in Eastern Kentucky in Pike county and in a coal mining family. And UK is near and dear to my heart and part of who I am. But that's why it hurts to my core to hear Matt Norlander say that UK is the most overrated and underpaid and overpaid team and agree with it. And, you know, basketball was what I had to look forward to after the season that the football team had, but now, you know, I can't. It's not like I can go watch the Mavericks and have a winning team to, to get behind or the Cowboys. So, I mean, I don't. I don't know. Things better turn around in the next few weeks before we start playing. You know, Indiana, St. John's and Alabama. But I'll leave you guys with a question.

Do you think if this was Mark Pope's first year and not last year, do you think emotions would be the same or lower than they are now?

[Billy Rutledge]

That's a good question. Andrew, thank you for calling in tonight.

I think it'd be lower.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah, I think it'd be lower too.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, because it'd be like no, you know, point of reference to say that there could be any success in the future. At least he's shown that with the correct guys in his system, he made a sweet 16.

[Ryan Lemon]

Man, I gotta admit, I'm, I'm as guilty as everybody who thought this roster makeup was. Oh, we're built for a big run. We are too deep in every position. We got shooters, we got good inside guys, we got a good, good point guard. We are set. We got Otega away come back to lead us to the promised land. I'm as guilty as anybody of buying into that. But the roster is definitely got some issues.

[Billy Rutledge]

I do feel for Andrew though, because I mean, UK sports is what brings us together, right. We're all up this late because we care about the Cats and it's amazing because you could go anywhere in this world and you'll find Kentucky fans, you can connect to people of different cultures just because they like the same team. And Ryan, has there been a worse six year stretch for Kentucky basketball ever than the last six years that we had?

[Ryan Lemon]

It's fair really. You know, if we go Back to the St. Peter's loss, the Oakland loss, what happened right now, this season, this past what, three weeks, Louisville lost, Michigan State lost, North Carolina lost, Gonzaga lost. This has been one of the worst stretches of UK basketball.

[Billy Rutledge]

That is not the standard. That is not the standard. And you should hold people accountable when they don't live up to the standard.

[Ryan Lemon]

I believe we are the gold standard.

[Billy Rutledge]

But I'm not done with Pope yet.

[Ryan Lemon]

I'm not either.

[Billy Rutledge]

I'm not giving you, and I mean we should criticize what happened tonight.

[Ryan Lemon]

I wish I, you know, we can all, we can just guess all we want, but I wish he would have just laid it out what exactly happened before that Louisville game because they have not been the same since. He just told us beginning suspend some guys if it need to be suspended. Don't do this beating around the bush and tell us he's going to throw us little nuggets once in a while. And whatever else he said that night, just tell us because they, they've gone downhill since then.

[Billy Rutledge]

I agree.

[Ryan Lemon]

And since the Annabelle doll, and since.

[Billy Rutledge]

Matt mocked the Annabelle doll, Jerry is up next. What's up, Jerry?

Jerry, you go to the bathroom in there?

[Caller]

Oh, I'm sorry, man. I apologize. Hey. The biggest problem I got with is I sat there and watched it tonight in the first half. And what hurts me more than anything in the world is. Is the effort. And I have no idea. I mean, I love. Pope's dead and hope he succeeds, but Garrison is completely. At the end of the day, what's going to kill this team right here? We have no center play Garrison and Marino. I mean, I love Marino, but he's more of a power forward. Don't you think?

[Billy Rutledge]

He's the only one that can hit a three right now?

[Caller]

And another thing is. And nothing personal gets jack low.

When you only got one point guard on your team, and he's hurt all the time, you have no idea. There's no way that you can survive. We got Indiana coming up. We got St. John's I'm not so much worried about Indiana, St. John's as I am worried about going into the SEC. And we'll probably go. Go into the SEC with a losing record, fellas.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's very.

[Caller]

And I'm more worried about this team. Not even. I got one more thing I'll let you guys. I'm scared to death that this team's not even going to make the NCAA tournament. And I love Mark Polk, man, but we cannot score, we cannot rebound, we cannot defend. And the people up front, man, we just. We just cannot do nothing right. I mean, we. We don't guard. And I love him. I hope to God I'm wrong. I hope acquaintance comes back and Jayden Lowe. I mean, Jay. I mean, love. Love. He just is so small, man. But how do you go into a season.

With just one point guard? I. I don't understand it for life, mate. And I understand he thought he had the right roster. They spent this ton of money on this roster. But at the end of the day, I hope I'm wrong. And I pray to God I'm wrong.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah. All right.

[Caller]

Right now, I'm just scared to death.

[Ryan Lemon]

All right, Jerry. Thank you. Jerry.

[Billy Rutledge]

Gotta. Gotta stop you there. You know, it was in this game last year that Kurt Crease. I got hurt.

[Ryan Lemon]

It was the Gonzaga game last year.

[Billy Rutledge]

And you know what he did?

[Ryan Lemon]

Ran down the other end of the floor trying to make a stop and.

[Billy Rutledge]

Jumped and contested that shot. It was one of the more crazier things I've ever seen on a basketball court. For a guy to get that hurt with a foot injury and still get back on the court, that is a team that cared for each other.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yep.

[Billy Rutledge]

That was a team that represented the name on the front. To be cliche. I don't see that effort with this team. I don't see that energy, that want to, that pride.

[Ryan Lemon]

That's why I think he left those five guys out there for a while in the second half when they were getting down by 30 just because they were at least trying to give some effort a little bit.

[Billy Rutledge]

It was, yeah.

[Ryan Lemon]

Chandler, Otega, Jasper, Malachi, and Yellow Vich, those five guys.

[Billy Rutledge]

And Pope has talked about the players not grasping exactly what the coaching staff is trying to do with them right now.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

So maybe there is a disconnect, and maybe that's why you're seeing everybody just kind of look at each other at point times during the game. Two more. We have Sean up next. What's up, Sean?

[Caller]

Hey, guys. Appreciate the call. I think I have a theory of why this is happening.

These guys, I don't think they believe. And that's why you see the body language and the poor shooting and just the horrible performance. And I think it all goes back to the roster construction. And I think these guys have played enough basketball. Think of all the dribbles, the plays, the coaches, the years they put into it. And they know when something works and when it doesn't, and they just don't see it working. So then when they get on the floor, they don't have a lot of confidence on what's going to happen. Just all. All starting with the strategy around how the roster was constructed. What do you guys think?

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, thank you for the call and joining us tonight, Sean, you know, here's the thing. When you prepare, you're not nervous, you're confident.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

You know, I got much better at the morning show that I do because I cared about it and prepared. I didn't just write some notes down right before the show started.

[Ryan Lemon]

Right.

[Billy Rutledge]

Like I do maybe sometimes, you know, I go and research things, form opinions and write things down, and it showed. And then when I get to the show, I'm not nervous, I'm prepared.

[Ryan Lemon]

You're ready to go.

[Billy Rutledge]

I've got everything that I want to talk about already. But, you know, if you do the opposite, you're going to get nervous, you're going to feel pressure, you're going to start pressing. And I think those are all three things that we've seen from this Kentucky team.

[Ryan Lemon]

What if I'm going to throw a What if.

[Billy Rutledge]

Throw me a what if.

[Ryan Lemon]

What if the coaches do. Do a good job preparing them. They do have a good scouting report. They do have a good execution.

[Billy Rutledge]

All possible.

[Ryan Lemon]

And the players are just.

Bad. Bad teammates.

[Billy Rutledge]

Bad teammates.

[Ryan Lemon]

Selfish.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, it's possible. You know, money could impact that.

[Ryan Lemon]

Money.

[Billy Rutledge]

Girlfriends could impact that. Girlfriends. Playing time can impact that jealousy.

[Ryan Lemon]

What if it's just a bad mix of dudes?

[Billy Rutledge]

We've had that before.

[Ryan Lemon]

Absolutely.

[Billy Rutledge]

The last six years, if you want to talk about it.

[Ryan Lemon]

The Oscar severe Wheeler we've. We talked about on ksr. That team that divide.

[Billy Rutledge]

But it goes back.

[Ryan Lemon]

Turmoil in 2004.

[Billy Rutledge]

It does, but it goes back to Cal. It goes back to the coach Pope. These. This is the roster construction that they've put together. So they need to put the puzzle together.

[Ryan Lemon]

It does. It goes back on him. You're right.

[Billy Rutledge]

Was our first caller. And what did he say? He said that trying to put a round object into a square hole.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

And maybe that's what this roster is the. The metaphor for. Dwayne is our last caller, if it's a good one. What's up, Dwayne?

[Caller]

Hey, this calls to Eli Capilouto because he. He's the president. He's the one that runs the whole operation. And I think Mitch Barnhart, the last two coaching hires, he's.

Easy coaching hires like who wouldn't hire Mark Pope because he was there and who wouldn't hire Will Stein because he's a hometown boy. So I think there's some accountabilities be held there and I think there's some accountability me to hire with Mark Pope and I think he needs to meet him at the airport and I think he needs to hand Barnhart and Pope their.

Resignation letters. And we need to start fresh on Monday.

With some new. With some something else going on because this ain't working today. Everybody has seen what Pope was going to do after the first few games. After last year and after last year.

[Matt Norlander]

Everything that.

[Caller]

I mean, it's this total failure.

[Ryan Lemon]

Gotcha. Appreciate it, Dwayne. Yeah, thank you, buddy. Appreciate it. It's not Eli Caplo's fault. It's not his fault. It's not Mitch's fault. It's that locker room with that coach and those players. That's where the issue is. I don't know what the issue is, but there's an issue with this team and they're getting worse and playing worse. Losing more confidence each time out. Got nothing to do with Mitch Barnhart or Eli Caploodo. That's my Opinion.

[Billy Rutledge]

You always say that you're a son of a coach.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

Your dad was a coach.

[Ryan Lemon]

Dad was a coach.

[Billy Rutledge]

So I want to put you in the locker room before we leave here.

[Ryan Lemon]

All right?

[Billy Rutledge]

Our final thing we're going to do here on the local Toyota dealers KSR postgame show. Besides the Johnny Rocker, personal injury attorney, moneymaker of the game, Ryan.

[Ryan Lemon]

Oh, who is it?

[Billy Rutledge]

Injured get small town compassion with big city results when you call The Rocker at 270-321-4429.

Not easy to pick one tonight. I'm picking all the fans that went down to Nashville to watch the Cats tonight. You deserve better. You spent a lot of money to go see the Cats. You are why Big Blue nation is the best fan base in the country.

[Ryan Lemon]

Amen.

[Billy Rutledge]

You did not get to see what you paid for or what you should have saw. At least a competitive game. That was embarrassing. So our Johnny Rocker, money maker of the game is all the fans that spent money.

[Ryan Lemon]

Even our own Drew Franklin was down there with his wife Abby and their new baby.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.

[Ryan Lemon]

They were there at the game.

[Billy Rutledge]

I think he had good seats. Okay, so let me put you in the locker room before we leave. You are the son of a coach.

[Ryan Lemon]

Okay.

[Billy Rutledge]

I'm going to put you in the Mark Pope seat.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

What are you saying to your locker room after a game like that? And what are you doing moving forward?

[Ryan Lemon]

I think you got to have. You got to sit down. First of all, I know people don't like players only meeting. There's got. I don't think there's a leader. If there's a leader on this team, they need to have a players only meeting. Maybe they had it tonight.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's not a good sign. That means the season's done, players only.

[Ryan Lemon]

Meetings, and somebody's got to step up and take control. I don't know. Maybe it is Jalen Lowe. But if I'm Mark Pope, I'm coming in there and looking them all in the eye and said, look, guys, it's time to grow up. You're going to be a man. Time to be a man. You want to do this? Let's get on the same team. We're brothers here. We share the locker room. You share the living car, your brothers help your brother out. Do the right thing.

That's what I'm telling him. I was getting ready to say something.

[Billy Rutledge]

Else, but I know I liked it.

[Ryan Lemon]

Well, here's what Pope didn't. I think. Exactly what did Pope say to Tom Leach tonight? Tom Leach asked him about his identity. And Pope said, we're going to have a product that everybody's going to be proud of.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's. Yeah. What is your the goal for an offensive identity?

[Ryan Lemon]

Isn't that what he said when you are clicking?

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, I believe that was the framing of the question. And he said something that we're all proud of.

[Ryan Lemon]

Yes. A product that we're all proud of.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, you heard it here from Ryan Lemon. It's time to be a man.

[Ryan Lemon]

Time to be a man. Shut up and do your job for your brother.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's time to break a whiteboard.

[Ryan Lemon]

It is.

[Billy Rutledge]

Or something.

[Ryan Lemon]

Just show some whining and crying and.

[Billy Rutledge]

Doing the right thing because this team showed no fight tonight. A big thank you to Matt Norlander who joined us today. Big thank you to Ryan Lemon who came in late notice.

[Ryan Lemon]

We couldn't let you do this by yourself. You did a good job. You did a good job tonight going hosting the show tonight.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, thank you. Happy to always fill in on the Billy or sports post game show with Matt Jones. But that's going to do it for us. For the local Toyota dealers, KSR postgame show for Ryan Lemon, for Matt Norlander, for everybody that called in, I'm Billy Rutledge. We appreciate you listening and I guess we'll talk to you on Monday for KSR.

[Ryan Lemon]

Foreign.

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Billy Rutledge]

All.

[Ryan Lemon]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this, yeah, it calls for.

[Billy Rutledge]

An ice cold Coca Cola.

[Ryan Lemon]

Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and in.

[Billy Rutledge]

Ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo.

[Ryan Lemon]

No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola, Coca Cola. And keep that HBCU pride going. When you own your own business, you own every decision.

[Billy Rutledge]

Catch the red eye or take the 6am Make a new hire or promote internally. Celebrate a win with the toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge. Big props to this team.

[Ryan Lemon]

Some decisions are a win win. Like earning eight times points on Chase Travel. Introducing Chase Sapphire Reserve for business. With $2,500 in annual value, it's the business card that gives back all you put in. Visit chase.com ReserveBusiness to learn more. Cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase Bank.

[Billy Rutledge]

Any member FDIC subject to credit approval.

[Ryan Lemon]

Terms apply.

[Billy Rutledge]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.

[Ryan Lemon]

They see us.

[Billy Rutledge]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings vary underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts. Amazon five Star Theater presents real customer reviews performed by Ed Helms. Tonight's review Tactical Jacket I was living a simple life.

[Ryan Lemon]

Didn't get out much.

[Billy Rutledge]

Then I bought this jacket and everything changed. Women came flocking to me from lands domestic and foreign. On the 245 day sailboat voyage home, I was attacked by a shark. I knew it was the jacket he.

[Ryan Lemon]

Was after, giving up the jacket in exchange for my life.

[Billy Rutledge]

5 stars Amazon Customer 69 Shop the.

[Ryan Lemon]

Perfect gift this holiday on Amazon.