WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:02.839 Welcome to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel with you 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:05.639 on a Thursday edition of our program. Coming up tonight, 3 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.800 Chris Doring of the SEC Network will join us. We'll 4 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.439 talk about the transfer portal. We'll talk about college football 5 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:16.280 in general. We talked before there was any new info 6 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:21.519 about Niko Yam Malieva down at the Tennessee moving on 7 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.000 probably to UCLA. Some say it's a done deal, but 8 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:27.280 some say it's not. We'll come back to that in 9 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.399 just a minute. But we'll talk with Chris about a 10 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:32.920 number of things in our second hour. Coming up at 11 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:35.000 the bottom of this hour, Jeff Pikoro is going to 12 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:37.280 join us. We'll talk about the portal. We'll talk about 13 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.079 spring football as well. I haven't had a chance to 14 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:42.039 talk to Jeff yet about spring football. He was not 15 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:45.880 here for the Spring Football Showcase, but that's okay. He 16 00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.960 was on vacation actually, But Jeff has gone to practice 17 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.079 several times, so he's seen a lot more than we 18 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:53.719 would have He would have seen and the rest of 19 00:00:53.799 --> 00:00:56.560 us saw on Saturday. So we'll get caught up with 20 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.200 Jeff on that and get his thoughts on Nico as well. 21 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:02.240 And I can tell you that and I've mentioned this 22 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:06.680 many times. Nobody likes beating Tennessee more. Nobody hates Tennessee more. 23 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.760 And two of my colleagues on the UK Network, jeffiicorro 24 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.840 Jack Gibbons, because they both grew up in Lexington and 25 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:17.959 they both played against Tennessee when Tennessee was the art 26 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.159 rival in both football and basketball. So we'll talk with 27 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:25.280 Jeff about that, as well as Chris Doring. You may 28 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:28.840 have heard this already. I mentioned this yesterday as a possibility, 29 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:33.200 and apparently it's happening. Hartley Gilmore the fourth coming back 30 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:35.879 to Kentucky. He was a guy who was kind of 31 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:38.560 shown the door when he was here before. You know, 32 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:40.879 you might remember a couple of years back, Mark Stoops 33 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:43.640 after the season talked about, actually it was last year, 34 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:47.760 talked about how some guys needed to move on, and 35 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:53.079 Gilmore did. Went to Nebraska, but things didn't work out there. 36 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:56.519 He was dismissed from the team, so he's heading back 37 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:01.000 to UK. It was according to the Nebraska coach, it 38 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:04.840 was nothing outside the program, nothing criminal, but he just 39 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.639 couldn't keep him on the team. So Gilmore heading back 40 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.000 to the Gators. And he is a three star prospect 41 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:16.439 coming in and it looked like was going to play 42 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:19.919 a big role for Kentucky, but broke his collarbone in 43 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:22.599 fall camp, had to miss the first five games of 44 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:26.400 the year, so you know, at every press conference from 45 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:29.000 the middle of the year on, we were asking, hey, 46 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:31.120 what about Gilmour and that sort of thing. He started 47 00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:35.360 against Murray State and finished the year with only six 48 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:38.000 catches for one hundred and fifty three He did have, 49 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:42.240 remember that fifty two yard touchdown catch and then went 50 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:46.240 over Murray State cutter bullies began and forgive me, but 51 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:50.560 Murray State, in a total rebuild, was the worst team 52 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:55.800 in one Double A football FCS football, not big boy football, 53 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:00.360 not full skylly, you know, eighty five Scholarship football, sixty 54 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.000 five Scholarship Football Division. Murray State again with a new 55 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.520 head coach, trying like crazy to rebuild back to where 56 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:09.439 it was Murray State used to be a real player 57 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:15.319 in one Double A. So anyhow, Gilmore transferred out along 58 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:21.039 with Dane Key and remember UK's previous wide receivers coach 59 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:23.439 to Keill Schwartz, who was very popular with the players 60 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:27.039 and very good went to Nebraska after just one year 61 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.439 in lexingon it really ticked off Mark Stoops really annoyed 62 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:35.039 him when he left, So Gilmore goes as well. But 63 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:39.360 now he's back. But he joined Key and Barry and 64 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:42.439 Brown and Anthony Brown, Stevens and Brandon White. So the 65 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:46.719 Wildcats picked up depth they needed in the wide receiver 66 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:50.280 room to go along with Jamoory Macklin and Fred Ferrier, 67 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.479 along with Kendrick Law of Alabama, of the Alabama transfer 68 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.240 who came in and had a chance to watch him 69 00:03:56.759 --> 00:04:00.680 in the spring football showcase, along with David Washington and 70 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:04.319 Montavian Quisenberry. You're gonna like him. You're gonna like Montavian 71 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:07.280 quisenbarr if you haven't seen him play. I don't know 72 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.479 that they're gonna get True Edwards, the kid from Louisiana Tech. 73 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:15.159 Everything I've heard has been it doesn't look good for him. 74 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:18.800 But as Chris Fisher pointed out with two four to 75 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.639 seven Sports, UK last year passing offense fourteenth out of 76 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:25.720 sixteen teams. So they got it up their game there. 77 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:31.240 So that's the word on that particular transfer. The word 78 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.720 on Nico is he is going to UCLA, which had 79 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:38.120 been reported. Now I heard a guy with Vauquest against 80 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.879 Brent Hobbs shot that down. I heard him on the 81 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.279 SEC network. He said that wasn't going to happen. So 82 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:46.399 he either had some bad intel and he's a pretty 83 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.879 good reporter, or there was a change of heart somewhere. 84 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.800 But it looks like Nico is going to go to UCLA. 85 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:59.279 One of the top probably the top listed name in 86 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:03.120 the transfer portal, but Yahoo Sports ranked the top ten 87 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:06.720 and they included at number nine Kennedy Erlocker, a safety 88 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:11.160 leaving Notre Dame Brian Urlacker's son, but he was buried 89 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.519 on the depth chart, so he's leaving still on the list. 90 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:19.160 From what I understand is Blake Steen. He's an old 91 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:23.519 tackle from Virginia and his brother is an old lineman 92 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:28.759 with the Eagles, the Super Bowl champs, Tyler Stein. And 93 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:33.920 this kid apparently played more than seven hundred snaps this 94 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.120 past year and allowed just two sacks according to Pro 95 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.720 Football Focus. I don't know how good he is, but 96 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:44.800 I gotta think a guy like that, if he's that 97 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:48.600 good an old lineman, he's going to go maybe quicker 98 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.040 than the guys ahead of him. So one of the 99 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:54.920 other headlines for OH by the way, speaking of transfers, 100 00:05:55.360 --> 00:06:00.439 urban Meyer has chimed in on the Nico situation, and 101 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:05.920 he announced Tennessee is screwed. Well, yeah, in the short term. 102 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.879 Right now, Tennessee's in trouble when it comes to quarterbacks. 103 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:15.720 He said this on the Triple Option podcast. He said, 104 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:18.600 they just don't have a quarterback right now. Well, yeah, 105 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.199 they know this, but that doesn't surprise me that a 106 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:27.199 guy like urban Meyer is implying that. And he said, 107 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:31.079 you know, everybody's saying Tennessee, nice job, Tennessee taking a stand, 108 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:33.439 But he said, I got a little comment on that. 109 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:36.639 Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you 110 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:39.759 imagine that game going the other way in Josh Hypel 111 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:43.000 grabbing the microphone and stands on the fifty yard line 112 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:45.639 in Nalen Stadium and says, it's okay, I made a 113 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:49.439 stand way back then. It's okay, I made a stand 114 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:54.199 way back when. That's a typical urban Meyer response if 115 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.959 you ask me, because what he's implying is Tennessee should 116 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.519 have given in to a kid. He was trying to 117 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:03.399 hold his team hostage. Keep in mind, this is a 118 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:07.160 guy who when he ran the team in Florida, there 119 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:10.360 was no discipline. You had guys in trouble with deeply, 120 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:14.639 deeply in trouble with the law, and Erbamier looked the 121 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:17.639 other way. Anything it takes to win, no matter what 122 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.360 his kids were doing off the field, anything it takes 123 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.279 to win. And urban that is such a tone deaf 124 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:27.079 comment by a guy who has spent much of his 125 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:31.680 career making tone deaf moves. Yes, he won, and I 126 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:33.240 know a lot of people say, well, as long as 127 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.879 they win, but no, that's not the case. And there 128 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:38.639 are people who disagree with us as well. But I 129 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:41.680 do think Hypel made the right move because how do 130 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:44.199 you put that kid back in the locker room? And 131 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:48.279 now that you're UCLA, you sign this kid. If I'm 132 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:51.160 in that locker room, I'm looking at him thinking, when 133 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:53.279 are you going to do this to us? Why did 134 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.480 you do this to your other teammates? How do I 135 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.319 know I can trust you? This is a real curious 136 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:04.000 move in the UCLA probably obviously believed it needed to make, 137 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.560 but may end up regretting at some point. A couple 138 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:12.160 of other college football notes. One of them involves rules changes, 139 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.480 and this is significant. One of them involves a modification 140 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:21.120 that he injury timeout rule in football beginning with the 141 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:25.759 upcoming season. Under the new rule, if medical personnel entered 142 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:29.319 the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball 143 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:32.759 is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, 144 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:37.000 meaning you've seen it, the umpire puts the ball down 145 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:40.360 and the signal lets go. But if that's when medical 146 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:43.759 personnel run onto the field because some player just magically 147 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:48.399 fell down, that player's team will be charged a timeout. 148 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.279 It's not a medical stoppage, it's a full timeout. And 149 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:56.000 if that team doesn't have any timeouts remaining. In other words, 150 00:08:56.279 --> 00:08:59.240 if a kid falls down and he's really hurt, but 151 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:02.279 he's done it too late, five yard delay of game 152 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:06.919 penalty against that team. This was proposed by the nca 153 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:12.759 Football Rules Committee. Why, because so many teams were faking 154 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:18.120 injuries to stop the opposition's momentum or avoid using an 155 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:21.320 allotted time out. They've been talking about this a lot 156 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:25.159 in recent years, and back before the twenty twenty one season, 157 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:29.200 you might recall this, they came up with a rule 158 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:32.279 that allows a school or a conference to request postgame 159 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:37.679 video review to question actions involving injuries. Well, what good 160 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:41.759 does that do you? You know, it might involve possible 161 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:45.279 disciplinary action or a fine or something, but it doesn't 162 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:47.559 help you win or lose. The avoid losing the game, 163 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:51.840 and so much of this was left to the interpretation 164 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:56.399 of the officials. So now it's much more immediate. It's automatic. 165 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:00.519 If they spot the ball and your kid go down, 166 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:06.639 you're done. It's time out or penalty. That's a good rule. 167 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.440 Change one other. They have a new rule for overtime timeouts. 168 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:13.480 When it goes overtime, game goes overtime, you get a 169 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:18.399 timeout for each ot right now after the third ot. 170 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:22.480 You don't get bonus overtimes. You gotta take care of 171 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.720 the overtime you have. That's when they start alternating to 172 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:28.360 two point plays. They're trying to keep the action moving. 173 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.679 So if the game reaches a third overtime, each team 174 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:36.360 will have one timeout beginning with the third overtime until 175 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:39.039 the winner is determined. It could go seven ots, you 176 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:41.360 still have just the one timeout. That's a good rule 177 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:44.200 as well. Gotta keep it moving, gotta keep it moving. 178 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.360 And the final note is the this is melancholy, but 179 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:52.440 Lee Corso's hanging it up thirty eight years on television. 180 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:55.399 You gotta understand. When I was a kid when I 181 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:57.840 was in high school, Leek Corso was the head coach 182 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:00.960 at Louisville and I know you hate Loewill, but back 183 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:03.159 then the teams didn't play, so we'd have to choose. 184 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.840 UK was terrible and it was fun rooting for u 185 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:07.639 of L. They had a fun team to watch. And 186 00:11:07.720 --> 00:11:12.279 think about this. His last year at Louisville nine to one, 187 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:16.480 ranked sixteenth in the country in no bull bid. That's 188 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:18.559 one reason he went up to Indiana. Didn't have a 189 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:21.840 lot of success, but he needed to make a jump 190 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:25.240 after he gets fired from the last job he had. 191 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:28.120 He went from Indiana to Northern Illinois for a year. 192 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.919 Then he coached the Orlando Renegades via the US League 193 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:34.000 or the World Football League, one of those. It was 194 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:41.320 a USFL five and thirteen and retired. Okay, he logs 195 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:43.600 on with ESPN. They put him on the air nineteen 196 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.320 eighty seven, hired as an analyst for Saturday's College Game 197 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.600 Day show. They started to originate it from sites in 198 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.759 nineteen ninety three. That's when it really caught on. And 199 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:58.200 of course he will always be remembered for a catchphrase 200 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:03.720 not so fast, and like all great catchphrases, it was 201 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:06.399 born organically. He just started saying it to Herb Street 202 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:09.440 or whoever was sitting next to him, and it became 203 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:12.799 very popular. So now when anybody says that, that's who 204 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:15.399 they're quoting. Of course, I had a stroke a few 205 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:19.039 years ago and I interviewed him at the UK U 206 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:23.000 of L media day they used to have preseason, This 207 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:26.279 one was over in Louisville, and he told me he 208 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.320 admitted he said after the stroke, he said, I can 209 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:32.039 still Essentially what he told me was he could read 210 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:35.399 scripts and do prepared stuff, but it was the ad 211 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.720 libbing that he couldn't much do anymore. And that's where 212 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.919 he was so great because he was so funny. Now 213 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.320 I will tell you this. He went to Florida State 214 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:45.399 and while he was at U of L, he did 215 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:47.080 not have a lot of love for UK, of course 216 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:49.600 because they got more coverage. And I don't think he 217 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:52.120 was a big Frank Cursey fan because he always picked 218 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:56.440 against Kentucky. And I do remember one year when UK 219 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:58.519 was struggling early in the year with his defense and 220 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.919 he said it on ESPN, Kentucky might other worst defense 221 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:05.679 in all of college football, and that motivated UK so 222 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:09.159 he will work one more weekend. He'll work opening weekend 223 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:12.000 Week one, the college game day, and that will be 224 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.519 his last. Their chance to say goodbye to Lee Corso. 225 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.559 Up next Jeff piicorro the UK Sports Network on six 226 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.559 point thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider. 227 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.600 Coming up in a few minutes, Jefpikor from the UK 228 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:27.360 Sports Network will join us. We'll talk about the transfer portal, 229 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:31.600 the rule changes in college football and more. A few 230 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:34.720 days ago, just before the start of the NBA Playing Tournament, 231 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.799 UK released the names of players former Wildcats who will 232 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:44.320 be active in the NBA playoffs. Twenty eight former Wildcats 233 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:47.879 involved in postseason play in the NBA, and last night, 234 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:51.960 some of those ex Cats had big nights, including Anthony 235 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.360 Davis for the Dallas Mavericks. Of course, the team well, 236 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:59.200 the GM much maligned after trading its best player for 237 00:13:59.320 --> 00:14:03.000 Anthony Davis, but ad healthy can help a team, and 238 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.320 he did it last night twenty seven points, nine rebounds, 239 00:14:07.720 --> 00:14:12.080 three blocks. Klay Thompson, of course, came over from Golden 240 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.200 State kind of revived his career, had sixteen of his 241 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.840 twenty three points in the second quarter, both of them 242 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:24.600 playing their first postseason games as Mavericks as they beat 243 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:28.840 the Kings one twenty to one oh six, and that's 244 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.639 pretty amazing. But you you know, look at the injuries 245 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:36.799 those guys have dealt with, and you know, if Davis 246 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:39.960 weren't so beset with injuries, that's a big If the 247 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:43.799 outcry wouldn't have been quite so bad. With Luca Dons 248 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:45.840 that's being traded away, it would have still been bad. 249 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:49.799 But you know, Davis could have been a franchise changer 250 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:51.480 if he had just been able to stay healthy. He's 251 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.600 still a heck of a player in the NBA. Meanwhile, 252 00:14:55.080 --> 00:15:00.159 the Heat beat the Chicago Bulls and it was the 253 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:05.240 former Wildcats show with bam Adebaio and Tyler Hero having 254 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:09.720 big games for Miami. And now Miami will play Atlanta 255 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.559 and the winner of that one gets the eighth seed 256 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:14.879 in the East. But Miami jumped out to a big 257 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.200 lead early and then fought off. It was a I mean, 258 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.919 seventy one to forty seven at one point. Tyler Herro 259 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:25.360 twenty three points in the first half alone, was eight 260 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:28.559 of eight from the field, including three of three from 261 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:33.159 beyond the arc. He finished with thirty eight points, five rebounds, 262 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:37.919 and four assists. Bam Adebio chipped in fifteen points and 263 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:41.440 twelve rebounds to a double double for bam If you 264 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.480 follow the NBA, it's kind of fun. Like I said, 265 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:48.639 to follow the former Wildcats. Coming up tomorrow night Kentucky Baseball. 266 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:53.000 The Wildcats are in Knoxville, and boy, last year I 267 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:57.000 mentioned this last night, the Tennessee series at Kentucky Pop 268 00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:00.840 Park was absolutely phenomenal. There were three really good games 269 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.200 Tennessee beat Kentucky went on to win the national title, 270 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.679 but the Wildcats might have won the series with a 271 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:09.879 break here or there. And of course Kentucky gets to 272 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:16.320 Omaha as well. But the lines outside the stadium an 273 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:21.639 hour or two before the games began each day were 274 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:25.919 just incredible and marked I think a new chapter in 275 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.480 the history of Kentucky baseball. I mean, that team was 276 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.080 so good and so much fun to watch, and it 277 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.840 was such a vital series with Kentucky racing for an 278 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:39.440 SEC championship, which it eventually won but had to share 279 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:44.639 with Tennessee. Because of that series, and because there was 280 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.679 a game against Vanderbilt, the third game of the series 281 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:51.360 against Vandy that Kentucky had clinched to share the title 282 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:53.960 the night before, kind of had it emotional let down 283 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:56.399 the next day. If it had beaten Vandy, it would 284 00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:59.200 have won it outright, but Vandy won it still though, 285 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:04.400 that Tennessee series was something people are still talking about. 286 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:07.920 But it's going to be really tough down there in 287 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:11.799 Knoxville because that's a ballpark. Let's turn it around. That's 288 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.359 a team built so well for that ballpark. And talking 289 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.000 to Nick Minjee in this past week preparing for the 290 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:22.599 Texas series, the SEC Network announcers, we had a zoom 291 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.359 call with men's two of those three games, of course, 292 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:28.519 where Dave Neil and Greg Olsen, but Doug and I 293 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:31.359 sat in on the zoom calls as well, and Nick 294 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.640 talked about the fact that Kentucky Proud Park, probably more 295 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:40.480 than any other stadium in the league, is a fair ballpark. 296 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:43.759 It doesn't favor hitters, it doesn't favor pitchers any more 297 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:46.359 than the other depends on what the win's doing, that 298 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:49.319 sort of thing. You can hit home runs there, whether 299 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:53.200 the wind is blowing, you know, extremely well out or not. 300 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.440 It looks like a pitchers park for some reason, but 301 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:58.440 it's not. You can hit on Kentucky hit a lot 302 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:01.240 of home runs last year. But it's a good pitchers 303 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.119 park in one way because if the wind's blowing in 304 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:06.759 obviously any stadiums like that. But there's a lot of 305 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:12.039 foul territory, so pop fouls are eminently more reachable for 306 00:18:12.119 --> 00:18:15.200 the defense at Kentucky Proud Park. But it's not a 307 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.359 launching pad, is my point, as is the Georgia Stadium. 308 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.000 The Tennessee Stadium different. You know, the ballpark down the 309 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:27.319 Texas A and M can be, but the Tennessee Ballpark, 310 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:30.359 I mean, Kentucky's gone down there and hit home runs. 311 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:35.079 But if your team isn't tailored for a ballpark, and 312 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:37.079 now you get into VP and you start trying to 313 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.680 hit home runs the way teams did at Cliff Hagen 314 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:44.519 Stadium with a really short right field porch, it's going 315 00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:46.279 to screw you up. And it did. We saw that 316 00:18:46.359 --> 00:18:49.319 year after year, team after team would come into the Cliff, 317 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:53.680 have all kinds of fun hitting bombs in batting practice, 318 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:56.240 and then they try to do the same in the game. 319 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.160 And the Kentucky pitchers were so good at burying, which 320 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.319 is in the strike zone, that they won more than 321 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:07.640 they lost. And in the meantime, Kentucky hitters took advantage 322 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:11.279 of that ballpark, So it's gonna be tough for the Whilkay. 323 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:15.160 Plus it's just a really good Tennessee team. But Kentucky's 324 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.799 going in on a high note after coming back, well 325 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:20.079 didn't come back. It kind of felt like it against 326 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:22.240 Miami of Ohio. They actually blew a three to nothing 327 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:26.480 lead and the momentum belonged to the Red Hawks, and 328 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:28.599 it looked like we were heading for extras with two 329 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:32.319 out and two on in the bottom of the ninth inning. 330 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:35.880 But that's when Ethan Hindle came through and surprised everybody 331 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:41.160 by squaring and dropping down a bunt with two outs. 332 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.279 The Miami third baseman charge looked like he had a shot. 333 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:47.519 It was not a good bunt, It's bad he popped 334 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:51.759 it up. The Miami kid fortunately had to dive straight ahead, 335 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.480 and because of his momentum, the ball hit the heel 336 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:58.599 of his glove. I've watched it like six times. The 337 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.720 ball hit the heel of his love. His momentum kind 338 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:04.759 of pushed back against the ball and it popped out 339 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:07.519 of his mitt and rolled into foul territory. But he 340 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:12.599 played up immediately signaled fair runner came home, Kentucky wins it. 341 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:15.519 But what struck me immediately was Ethan Hindle was the hero, 342 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:18.559 one of them on Saturday and the upset went over 343 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:22.880 Texas because his bottom of anne run tied the game 344 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.839 and sent that game into extras when Kentucky won it. 345 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:28.920 So within a span of four days, Hindle has a 346 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:31.480 home run and then a bunt. I don't know if 347 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.759 he went as a single or whatever, but a bunt 348 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.640 that drove in the winning run. Here's how Darren Hedrick called, 349 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.960 in case you haven't heard it yet. One one. 350 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.240 He squares and lays down the bunt to third and it's. 351 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:43.599 Best hits a fair ball. 352 00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:48.880 Kentucky wins the third basement. Kurpinski made a diving attempt 353 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:50.359 and came up short. 354 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.880 The ball hit fair and Kentucky walks it off. 355 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:58.400 Ethan Hindle is the hero. That's how it sounded on 356 00:20:58.440 --> 00:21:01.000 Tuesday night. Kentucky's gonna need and breaks like that to 357 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:03.880 win at least one down in Knoxville, but win one 358 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.200 on the road. Take care of business at home, and 359 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:08.079 you're in good shape. Gonna be tough, but we'll have 360 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:10.599 it for you right here. Six thirty, first pitch, six 361 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:14.759 point fifteen pregame with Darren coming up tomorrow night. Up next, 362 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:17.279 Jeff Pikorro of the UK Sports Network on six point 363 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.759 thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider, as 364 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:23.680 promised Jeff Picicorro of the UK Sports Network on our 365 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:28.079 Celebrity Hotline. Jeff, as I mentioned earlier, you actually snuck 366 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:31.400 in a vacation and good for you when you weren't 367 00:21:31.400 --> 00:21:34.680 here for the football showcase. But you've seen more of 368 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.920 the Wildcats than most of us because you've gone to 369 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:39.200 a few practices and you've gotten to see it more 370 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:41.480 eleven on eleven work. And I know in your job 371 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:44.519 at Channel thirty six you can't really report technically on 372 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.519 what you've seen, but give me your overall impressions, starting 373 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:51.039 with Let's start with the offensive line, because you were 374 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:53.240 there with me. We were kind of side by side 375 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:56.279 interviewing some of these new kids before spring even began. 376 00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:59.640 We were impressed with the way they presented themselves. 377 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.880 Look, yeah, you know, I think they look pretty good. 378 00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:09.519 I still am really shocked at Unamba. To me, that's 379 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:12.759 a I don't know what he's looking for, that kid 380 00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:18.839 who came from New Mexico. And then on what is today, Thursday, 381 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:22.000 on Wednesday. I guess he decided that, you know, he 382 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:24.680 wanted to go somewhere else. And here's the guy that 383 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:29.640 really was running second team and the thing he gives 384 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:32.799 Kentucky with him and Malachi, would you get two guys 385 00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:35.000 that started last year? You know a lot of games. 386 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.839 He ten games with the Lobos last year, six hundred 387 00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:42.640 and ninety nine snaps didn't allow a sack at right tackles. 388 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:46.000 So that's that's pretty damn good. Yeah, and you know 389 00:22:46.119 --> 00:22:48.279 he was gonna play a lot because he can he 390 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:51.920 can play guard. He was running guard and tackle. And 391 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.680 then you got Malachi. So now you've got that really 392 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:57.039 a seven man and if you include Jagger Burton or 393 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.720 Wiberly whoever doesn't start at center, you got that eight 394 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.799 man kind of rotation. Now that that Schlarman made so 395 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:07.279 popular here, and I just don't know what he was 396 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.759 looking for or or what happened. I can't wait to 397 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:16.319 talk to uh to coach Wolferton and and also Stoops 398 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:18.599 and see what what the problem was. Got about that 399 00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:20.880 guy was really going to be a lynchpin of this 400 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:23.200 offensive line. So I think that was a huge loss 401 00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:26.519