WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:02.839 Welcome to the Big Bluins Sider Dick Gabriel with your 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.280 Thursday edition of our program. No women's basketball tonight, as 3 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:10.960 the UK women Kenny Brooks's team doesn't play again until Monday, 4 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:15.000 so full so for you tonight. Sean Woods, the unforgettable 5 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.000 Guard and Gary maher R, West Coast Bureau Chief, West 6 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:20.640 End Bureau Chief now will join us. Usually they were 7 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.519 with us on Wednesdays, but we had all the statewide 8 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.239 shows last night, so they'll join us tonight, as will 9 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:29.679 John Wong, an author, a blogger, a sports writer who 10 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:34.240 asked it was a basic question but resulted in a 11 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:36.799 really interesting answer from Rachel Lost and you might have 12 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:40.719 heard or read about it since UK Softball Media Day 13 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.479 yesterday afternoon. So we'll talk to John about that. We'll 14 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:46.719 hear that comment here in just a minute by Rachel 15 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:51.679 the very fine Kentucky softball coach. But first up, Mark Pope, 16 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:56.759 his radio show last night is press conference today. The 17 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.920 theme was first of all, the latest on Lamont Butler. 18 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.680 I would like to get him back in a position 19 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:08.719 where we have the best chance of not having another setback. 20 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.159 I'm hoping that's where we are with Drew, where now 21 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:14.760 he can just grow his way back into the game. 22 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:17.640 And so. 23 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:21.439 You know, I don't I don't exactly know what that's 24 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:23.920 going to be. We're kind of taking in the data 25 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:26.040 every day as it comes and kind of making game 26 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:28.879 time decisions every day on what the next step is. 27 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.120 But he is going to be on the court in 28 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.239 a non contact situation today and we'll see how that feels. 29 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:36.959 Last night on our show, Aaron Gershan of the Cast 30 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.200 boss that he was hearing that Butler will miss one 31 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:44.519 more game and perhaps play on Tuesday. But with this 32 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:48.079 shoulder injury, obviously they got to make sure that when 33 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.079 they bring him back it's for the long haul. If 34 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:53.640 you bring him back too soon, you won't have him 35 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:56.959 perhaps at one hundred percent come tournament time. You got 36 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.519 to guard against that. But you got so any tough 37 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.959 games coming up, including the next one against the South 38 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:08.120 Carolina team that's really good on defense, not real good 39 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.000 on offense. But what is Kentucky's weakness? Of course we 40 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.280 know this. It is defense right now and that is 41 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:19.319 why the Wildcats are struggling. And Pope talked about the 42 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:23.199 fact that, yeah, he knows Kentucky fans are hurting as 43 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:24.000 much as he is. 44 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:26.439 You know, it's super painful to be man. I did 45 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:28.919 my radio show last night and I had a couple 46 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:30.639 of callers in it. You can just feel the pain 47 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.120 and their heart, man, and their voice. You just feel 48 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:38.159 the pain. But it's the journey that we go on 49 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:44.400 together that's incredible, right, And it's not and it doesn't 50 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.919 always work out, you know, sometimes it just doesn't work out, 51 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.080 and that's never acceptable. But sometimes it doesn't work out, 52 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:55.599 and that's why it is so incredibly intoxicating to be 53 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.719 a part of it, and it's why it's so fun 54 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:58.599 to be in the grind. 55 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:01.960 There's a lot more to that answer, and if you 56 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:05.360 like to see the entire news conference, go to YouTube 57 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:06.439 UK Sports Video. 58 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:07.199 It's on there. 59 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:11.680 But you know, he talked about basically the fact, and 60 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:15.159 he touched on it there that yeah, this this stinks. 61 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:18.840 Losing hurts and they'd much rather be rolling along though 62 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:21.240 obviously the way they were early in the year, but 63 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:25.240 just he just appreciates so much being a part of 64 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:30.319 the process, coaching his team, coaching these guys, being back 65 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:33.240 with a BBN. It's tough though, and of course a 66 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:36.240 lot of the comments as this thing was going up live. 67 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:39.479 We're pretty snarky by people that you know, obviously want 68 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.759 to see wins, but that's sports in general. I mean, 69 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:46.360 imagine what it's going to be like during the Super 70 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.680 Bowl when things aren't exactly going your way or whatever. 71 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:51.000 Team is up. 72 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.919 So uh, like I said, go to YouTube UK Sports 73 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.960 video and Mark Pope's news conference from today. The entire 74 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:04.400 news conference is up there now. Rachel Lawson excuse me, 75 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:09.919 spoke yesterday and our man John Wong brought up the 76 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:13.759 fact that she hadn't really talked about Oklahoma City. Like 77 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:18.439 with baseball, everything's Omaha softball, everything's Oklahoma City. That's the goal. 78 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.839 Get to the World Series. Got there in twenty fourteen. 79 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:23.800 I got to go with them and do the radio 80 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:28.839 is incredible and they've taken runs at the World Series. 81 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:33.519 But of late, Kentucky Softball has been kind of a mid, 82 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:37.319 middle of the pack SEC, not a real contender. John 83 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:42.079 talked about the fact that Oklahoma City wasn't coming up 84 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.720 much on media day. Does that mean expectations have been lower? 85 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.720 And Rachel said absolutely not, And in fact, she said 86 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.920 I expect this team to be better than last year's 87 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.519 even though there are a ton of new faces because 88 00:04:56.759 --> 00:05:01.639 she's changing the way that she is coaching. And she 89 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:05.959 admitted in her mind over the last few years, three 90 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:07.720 or four, she's done a poor job. 91 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:10.319 Last couple of years, I think I've done a very 92 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:13.439 poor job coaching. A couple of years. I think I've 93 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:17.519 done a very poor job coaching. And like past the 94 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:20.240 COVID era and the reason I think I've done a 95 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:20.839 bad job. 96 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:23.199 And right about here she started to choke up and 97 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:26.639 get emotional and kind of checked out a little bit 98 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:35.759 emotionally for a few moments. 99 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:37.079 I know, I suck. 100 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:41.519 That was one of her assistants in the back of 101 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.879 the room, trying to lend a little bit of emotional support, 102 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:47.040 lost and finally pulled it together. 103 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.639 It's really hard. 104 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:53.560 To be loyal in today's day and age. 105 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:01.519 So in my attempt to stay loyal to the people 106 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:06.079 I recruited, I took the team, took a step back. 107 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:13.560 I'm no longer going to be that girl, So I 108 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:16.839 had to change. 109 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:21.040 So with that, s said, I had to figure out 110 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:26.120 number one that my loyalty is to the Big Blue Nation. 111 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.360 My loyalty is to the University of Kentucky, and I 112 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:31.879 have to make sure that I set the standards at 113 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:33.959 this level, and any player who wants to live up 114 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:36.800 to that standard is great. But there were players that 115 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:38.920 I was allowing to live under the standard. They were 116 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.639 being entirely too selfish. And last year you really saw 117 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.600 it come to head because I tried to make it 118 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:50.120 mix and I couldn't. So I had young, really talented 119 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.839 players who are bigger, stronger, faster, who probably should have 120 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:56.079 been in the lineup all the time. And then I 121 00:06:56.120 --> 00:06:58.480 had the older players that I was trying to be 122 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:03.040 loyal to and it just wasn't working. And to be 123 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:06.000 honest with you, nobody understands the deeply flex role, so 124 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.839 the older players just thought I was messing with them 125 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.360 the entire time, where in softball you have a little 126 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.120 more flexibility to be a little more creative. In my 127 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:15.759 attempt to be creative and to make it all work 128 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:18.839 to be loyal at the same time as to try 129 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:21.120 to grow the program and keep up with the super teams, 130 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:22.240 I did a really bad job. 131 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:24.959 Now, I got to tell you, I really like Rachel 132 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:29.000 lost In a lot as a person and as a coach. 133 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.160 I think she's tremendous. 134 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:32.360 And I got to tell you, and a lot of 135 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:34.519 people have said that that was one of the great 136 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:38.319 answers you'll ever hear a coach give. There are coaches 137 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:41.480 who will admit to making mistakes, yes, but to go 138 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:46.079 into it in such great depth and explain why and 139 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:50.639 how she made mistakes. I mean, she and I had 140 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:54.480 conversations a couple times after the College World Series. They 141 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:58.120 lost a game that they shouldn't have lost because she 142 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.680 said she stayed with her starting pitcher too long. But 143 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:05.240 she had conveniently, in my mind, forgotten the fact that 144 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.360 one of her infielders booted a play that you make 145 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:11.800 ninety nine times out of one hundred. I could have 146 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:15.519 made the play. It was routine, and if the young 147 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:20.480 lady makes the play, Kentucky wins the game. But Rachel 148 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.519 didn't see it that way. She believes she had blown 149 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:27.360 it by over using her pitcher, her starting pitcher, so 150 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:32.399 she's not averse to accepting blame, but the way she 151 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:35.919 did it in this instance, and yeah, it took off. 152 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:37.600 Now this is my first chance to talk. 153 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:38.120 About it tonight. 154 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:42.480 It happened yesterday and boy quickly made the rounds on 155 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:47.559 social media. But imagine a coach standing in and talking 156 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:51.879 about in this day and age being too loyal, and 157 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:53.840 in my mind, this doesn't have anything to. 158 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:55.440 Do with the nil. 159 00:08:56.279 --> 00:09:00.960 As she put it, these were highly rated players who 160 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.759 really weren't performing as well as they should have been 161 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:07.200 with other people behind them who were pushing them. And 162 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:12.519 think about the times Marktroops has talked about recruiting players 163 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:15.840 as good as you can get and then going out 164 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:19.120 and trying to replace them, trying to recruit over them. 165 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:22.240 That's what great coaches do. They have to do that 166 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:25.759 or else they build no depth. Somebody gets hurt, who 167 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.440 do you turn to? This kid can't play. You've got 168 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:32.399 to have somebody ready to go who's pushing them and 169 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:35.200 capable of stepping in. And if they take their job, 170 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:38.519 they take their job. That's how you get better. And 171 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:43.000 I thought that was a remarkable answer by Rachel Lawson. 172 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.279 So they start play this weekend. We'll talk more about 173 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:50.240 it tomorrow night. But up next a former basketball wo 174 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:53.759 okay with an incredible night on six thirty WLAP Welcome 175 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:55.360 back to the Big Moon Sider. Coming up at the 176 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:57.879 bottom of the hour, Sean Woods, the unforgettable guard. We'll 177 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:01.240 talk I know about Kentucky defense. He is all about 178 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:04.519 that defense. As Sean was a really, really fine defender 179 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:06.799 at the point guard's spot, and we all know how 180 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:10.240 Kentucky is lacking that right now in general, and with 181 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.840 Lamont Butler being out. John Wong of Wong's Whinings will 182 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.159 join us in our number two to talk about the 183 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:20.320 SoundBite you heard earlier with Rachel Lawson breaking things down 184 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.279 on a personal level for those of us at media 185 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.200 day yesterday. Also our West ENDBUA chief Gary Moorehe and 186 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.759 Sean are usually with us on Wednesday, but at the 187 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.919 state wide show last night, so tonight we will get 188 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:36.480 caught up with them. Because there is no UK women's basketball. 189 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.720 In fact, they play on Monday. They've got the entire 190 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:42.000 it's like an eight day stretch where they're off. It's 191 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:45.240 there bye week basically. So that's why we're with you 192 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:48.399 tonight with a full show. And again we've talked a 193 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:50.120 lot about through the weeks, and I'm sure even if 194 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.720 you're not an NBA fan, you've heard about former Wild 195 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:56.759 Kate Anthony Davis being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. And 196 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:59.360 at one point I want to give my buddy Chuck Coopersteen, 197 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:02.279 who was the voice Cinemavericks, get him on with us 198 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:06.200 because that was a huge trade, not the biggest in history, 199 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:09.639 but it was huge. But here comes the second part 200 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.360 of that story. Now makes a little more sense. The 201 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:16.519 Lakers have traded for a guy named Mark Williams. And 202 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:19.559 I do like the NBA. I don't follow it a lot. 203 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:22.399 I used to when I lived in Dallas, but I 204 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:24.840 follow a lot of college basketball. I have to admit 205 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:29.840 I didn't remember this guy. He played at Duke, and 206 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.759 he played on a Duke national championship team. And he's 207 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:37.480 a pretty good player, quite frankly, and getting better in 208 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:40.480 the NBA, as most big guys do. He's a seven 209 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:45.240 footer with a wing span of somebody who is seven 210 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:50.120 to seven. And he's no stranger to double doubles. He's 211 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.279 no stranger to big rebound numbers. In fact, last year 212 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:57.720 he averaged nearly ten rebounds a game for the Hornets 213 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:00.159 averaged more than twelve and a half points, so they 214 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:04.200 almost averaged a double double. And when you think about now, 215 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:06.440 if you're a Lakers fan and a lot of you 216 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.240 out there are, you think about Lebron on one side 217 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.799 of the court, dnsis on the other side of the court, 218 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:16.720 and this guy, Williams in the middle. Well, now it 219 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:22.759 makes more sense, doesn't it. So lots going on in 220 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.080 the NBA. One of the great headlines from last night 221 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:31.360 was Shay Gildess Alexander, another former Wildcat, making news. And 222 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:34.279 even if you're not an NBA fan, but you just 223 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:36.639 keep an eye on sports, you've heard his name all year. 224 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:41.679 Fifty points again for Shay. And I say this because 225 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:46.080 he scored fifty or more three times this year, all 226 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:52.519 coming within the last seven games in the past fifteen days. 227 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:59.120 He said, three fifty point games and get this this 228 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.480 and he did it against Phoenix. They're terrible, and they've 229 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.799 tried to make moves, but they don't want to lose. 230 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:11.039 Devin Booker obviously, Gilgis. Alexander outscored the Suns thirty seven 231 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:14.879 to thirty four, beginning at the six thirty six market 232 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:19.440 the second quarter until he made his last bucket by 233 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.919 the way eighteen of twenty nine sometime in the fourth 234 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.399 quarter seventeen of twenty seven off the dribble, ten of 235 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:33.480 sixteen on contested attempts. According to ESPN, that seven game 236 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.639 span is the shortest by a player who recorded the 237 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:40.960 first three fifty point games in his career. He'd never 238 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:46.320 done it up until now, and only eight others have 239 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.200 scored fifty three times over seven games in NBA history. 240 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:54.720 And you'll know these names, Kareem alb Dul Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, 241 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:02.200 Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Luka Donsich, James Harden, Michael Jordan, 242 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:07.879 Damian Lillard Man and you remember Sga for when he 243 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:11.159 was here, rode the bench for a little while, played 244 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:15.519 but didn't start, and then Caliperi began to put him 245 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:20.159 in the starting lineup and good things happened. Amazing good 246 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.720 guy too, at least from what I remember. While we're 247 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.399 on basketball, bad news for U of L. I know 248 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:28.960 for some of you that's good news, But if you're 249 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:32.799 a U of L fan, chucky Hepburn out last night, 250 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:36.840 left the game, then went over Boston College eighty four 251 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.480 to fifty eight, and Louisvill's got it going not playing 252 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:43.559 the schedule. I know that Kentucky is, but based on 253 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.519 what they've been through the last couple of years, they 254 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.879 wanted eighty four to fifty. But hepburn left about midway 255 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:56.960 through the game and they won ten straight. Now they're 256 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:01.519 seventeen and six ten and two in the acc but 257 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.679 this occurred in the second half, with about fifteen fifteen 258 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:08.639 to play, he went up for a layup and according 259 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:11.399 to Jody Demling's story, on two four to seven sports 260 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:16.159 grabbed his groin area after he landed. Notes contact with 261 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:20.000 other players, and of course the U L people are saying, 262 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:23.159 we'll know more tomorrow, which is today, so by the 263 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:26.759 time you hear this, they may have more information. 264 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.120 But he is the guy. He's there. 265 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:32.879 Lamont Butler makes things go for U of L. So 266 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:36.360 you hate to hear that, and played well against Kentucky, 267 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.679 but I thought Kentucky held him in check fairly. 268 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:38.919 Well. 269 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:43.080 You know those guys who were robbing or burglarizing the 270 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:48.759 homes of NFL players, including Joe Burrow. Three indictments. They 271 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:55.440 arrested two in and around Manhattan's Diamond District. They arrested 272 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:58.799 a couple of guys and were charged with conspiracy to 273 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:04.200 receive stolen property part of an alleged fencing operation. And 274 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.639 these were tied to South American theft groups who were 275 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:13.559 making all this happen, and the suspects allegedly bought stolen 276 00:16:13.639 --> 00:16:20.399 property from Brian Leandro Herrera Maldonado, who apparently is accused 277 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:26.080 of committing sixteen residential robberies across the US from twenty 278 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.960 nineteen to twenty twenty. So cops have the Feds for 279 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.000 the most part, but local as well have done a 280 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:36.080 good job on this. They've been chasing these guys for 281 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:37.519 five years. 282 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:39.480 Of course, the. 283 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.639 Super Bowl coming up to me, one of the bigger headlines, 284 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:45.799 maybe bigger than anything that's come out of New Orleans 285 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:50.399 pre Super Bowl is Cooper Cup tweeted that the Rams 286 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:52.000 are going to move him, They're going to trade him, 287 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.879 get rid of him. I mean, this guy is one 288 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:58.600 of the best receivers in the NFL. He's been dealing 289 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.960 with injuries, but he's the best receiver at least he 290 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:05.079 has been that the Rams have. 291 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:07.319 But it all comes back to contracts. 292 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.240 And every time there's a story like this, you can 293 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:13.519 bet on that Cup schedule to make twenty million bucks, 294 00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:17.400 five million guaranteed, seven and a half million paid as 295 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:20.559 part of a roster bonus. So they'd love to get 296 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.920 rid of him and have somebody else have to pay that. 297 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.559 And it's been described he is on the wrong side 298 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:31.160 of thirty. That's an NFL analyst saying that with injury 299 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.559 issues and actually he may not be the best receiver 300 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:40.519 on his own team anymore. Who kin Nakua perhaps is 301 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:44.079 the best butt man. When the Rams were rolling, it 302 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:47.720 seemed like every time they needed a first down, every 303 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:51.920 time they needed a big play, it was Cooper Cup. 304 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.039 So your favorite team may end up getting him, but 305 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.160 if they do, they're going to have to pay up next. 306 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:01.759 Sean Woods get able guard here on six thirty w 307 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:04.039 welcome back to the big Leonsider and joining us now 308 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:06.359 as he does each and every week, is the unforgettable guard. 309 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:09.799 Sean Woods, his jersey hangs and the rafters of rupp 310 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:12.240 and he has been keeping an eye on the Wildcats 311 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.799 like everybody else has. And Coach, it's amazing that the 312 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:20.119 hot topic for the last couple of weeks now has 313 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:24.200 been defense. That's your wheelhouse, and of course not having 314 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:27.039 a defender on the point who's strong with the ball, 315 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:31.279 which sounds familiar, that's you has really had quite the 316 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:34.200 adverse effect on this team. But I think we're all 317 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.240 surprised to just how badly it's it's unfolded over the 318 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:38.119 last couple of weeks. 319 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:46.880 Am I right, defensees will defenses is effort. But defense, 320 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.920 also from a team standpoint, has to be part of 321 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:54.839 your culture. And right now, the only knock I have 322 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:59.319 against Mark Pope is his culture. From a defensive standpoint, 323 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:02.519 there is not because you can even even if if 324 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:05.839 defense is your culture and you got a subpar athlete 325 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.920 who's not as quick latterly or whatever, he still would 326 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:12.759 be better and would give you more effort than what 327 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:14.839 our guys, some of our guys are giving us on 328 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:22.400 the court. But with that being said, you know, it's 329 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:25.119 a want to, it's a will, and I don't think 330 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:29.200 these guys and that's the most disappointing factor that's glaring 331 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:34.920 so much is the effort, like not even trying. Like 332 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.880 we got guys that are giving Blne angles to the basket. 333 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:44.640 No coach teaches that. You know, you got a few 334 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:46.680 seconds left to go on the shot clock and you 335 00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:49.079 open up and give a guy Blane to the basket. 336 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:55.880 I mean that's unacceptable. And me as a coach, you know, 337 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.039 you recruit to you to your strengths and what you 338 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.799 like in a player, and me you could be a 339 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:04.359 prolific scorer, but if you soft and don't like to 340 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:06.519 compete on defense, you're good enough to get me beat 341 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.960 And that's what's happening now. You know, you take you 342 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:15.559 take the probably the best defensive point guard off your team, 343 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:21.240 who literally you know, if there's an MVP in the 344 00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:24.200 SEC and the MVP is supposed to be you know 345 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:26.480 what you mean to your team and the success that 346 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:30.359 you have on your team. Lamar Butler is the MVP 347 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:31.119 of the SEC. 348 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:35.599 It's yeah, because. 349 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:39.839 When he's in the game, Kentucky is the one is 350 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:42.720 probably the best team in it or one of the 351 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.720 top two or three teams in the in the SEC. 352 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:47.759 When he's not, they may be the worst team in 353 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:50.200 the SEC or at the bottom half of the SEC, 354 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:53.599 which they are right now. That's how much he means 355 00:20:53.640 --> 00:21:03.559 to his team. But unfortunately, and pretty much, I just 356 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.640 don't like the tone defensively, you know what I'm saying. 357 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:11.559 You know, I don't like the tone as a team defensively. 358 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:13.799 I don't like the fact that you got to score 359 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.880 one hundred points or ninety some points just to have 360 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:21.319 a chance to win a game. That's not championship DNA. 361 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:27.039 That's great entertainment basketball, but that's not winning basketball in 362 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:30.400 the long run, because if you don't defend, and that's 363 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:32.200 the weakest part of your game. It's hard to put 364 00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:35.319 three four games in a row again because you're not 365 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.559 going to shoot great three four games in a row. 366 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:40.400 I heard Jack Gibbons talking to Tom Leachs this morning 367 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:44.680 and he said it as much on the radio broadcast, 368 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:48.720 and I think everybody probably knows this, and I think 369 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:52.079 it holds true for every sport. You gotta really want 370 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:54.640 to play defense. You got to just have that desire, 371 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:57.720 because Jack said, you know, you just got to get dirty. 372 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:02.680 And maybe from where these guys had been playing before, 373 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:07.440 clearly they haven't faced the level of athleticism they're saying 374 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:13.480 now in the SEC. But other than LaMotte and Amari Williams, 375 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:16.000 who is in a mid major conference, let's let's face it, 376 00:22:16.359 --> 00:22:20.000 they were really called upon to play defense at this. 377 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:20.759 Level, were they? 378 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:22.559 Well? 379 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:27.119 I think Mary Williams is a competitor but here and 380 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:31.839 he's tough. But sometimes, you know, you get mid major 381 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:36.279 guys who have mid major mentalities, if that makes sense. 382 00:22:36.359 --> 00:22:39.720 There's levels to this, not just physically but mentally. And 383 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.799 the reason why some guys aren't high major players is 384 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:48.359 because they don't have high major IQs. Sometimes and I'm 385 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:51.400 not knocking Wins because he's a warrior and a beast, 386 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:55.119 but you know, you got to have high major instincts, yeah, 387 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:58.839 at times, and I think that's where we You know, 388 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.720 when you get a bunch of mind mays, you're getting 389 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.400 a bunch of men major guys, you're not there's a 390 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:07.559 reason why they didn't get recruited high major and now 391 00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:10.359 you because they were pretty good at the men major level. 392 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.240 Now you ask them to come up and be a 393 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:18.160 complete high major guy. That's unrealistic. And if you don't 394 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:22.240 have a lot of other guys or more high major 395 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:26.200 guys around you, you get kind of exposed a little bit. 396 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:30.799 And that's what's happening right now. You know, Lamont Butler 397 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:34.000 is probably the most experienced point guard in the country 398 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:36.519 because he's the only point guard in the country that's 399 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.640 back that was at the Turn Florida that techn me 400 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:42.359 into the Firm four last year. So he steps he 401 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:46.519