WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:00.560 Uh. 2 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.919 Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is? 3 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:11.919 Huh anybody, It's hump Day. 4 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.199 Yes, it is hump Day. Welcome to the Big Blue Cider. 5 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.000 A frigid Wednesday. It's a very cold hump Day, but 6 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:21.359 it's heating up in the Big Blue Nation, isn't it. 7 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:24.000 After last night's win Ulver, Texas A and M Dick 8 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:27.000 Gabriel with you, we will talk about that tonight. Of course, 9 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:31.399 we'll also talk Entucky football and just sports in general, 10 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:33.880 because coming up at the bottom of the hour, Sean Woods, 11 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:36.479 the Unforgettable Guard, will break down last night's game with 12 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:40.240 us and obviously he liked what he saw. And in 13 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.920 our number two, Anthony White will join us. Anthony the 14 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:47.399 former football Wildcat who is a co host of Sunday 15 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:52.039 Morning Sports Talk and The Locker four one one podcast 16 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:54.840 with Van Hiles, one of our favorite guests as well. 17 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.119 So we'll hear what Anthony has to say about what's 18 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.560 going on right now with the program with all this 19 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:05.079 portal traffic, and he has been going back and forth 20 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:07.959 on Twitter a little bit with some fans who are 21 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:11.439 critical of some of the moves that Mark Stups is making. 22 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:14.040 A lot of the turnover with this team, and as 23 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:15.640 he points that, look he had a team that was 24 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:17.879 four and eight and he didn't like the way things 25 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:20.519 were going. Why play and I'm paraphrasing, why play a 26 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:24.280 Pat Hans. We'll talk about Anthony with Anthony about all 27 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.400 the player movement as well, and our West n bea chief. 28 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:29.840 Gary Moore will be with us in our number two 29 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.879 because that's what we do on Wednesdays, and we were back, 30 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:35.920 at least for now to a regular Wednesday schedule. Because 31 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.400 the basketball games are Tuesday Saturday this week and Alabama 32 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:43.159 is ahead. That's gonna be huge. But we need to 33 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.640 talk about this A and M win in several different 34 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.439 ways because it was a game not like any other game. 35 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.680 I don't think you've seen some ugly stretches from this 36 00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:58.519 Kentucky team, and I mean that in a good way, 37 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:01.319 having to kind of grind things out. But I don't 38 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:05.000 think we have seen a team play start to finish 39 00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:08.599 so far the season the way Texas A and M did. Yeah, 40 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.680 Clemson was physical. There have been Like I said, Ohio State, 41 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.039 make Kentucky play a little ugly and really beat the 42 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:20.960 Wildcats in practically every way you could up there in 43 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.879 New York. But I think the biggest lesson, at least 44 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:28.280 that I took away from this game was this, we 45 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:32.479 cannot be too quick to judge. Really, you never showed period, 46 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.879 But we shouldn't have been so quick to judge this 47 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.680 Kentucky team because of the newness, if that's the proper word, 48 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:44.439 with this roster, with the way these guys are playing, 49 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:48.039 with what Mark Pope is asking them to do. He's 50 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:52.039 basically in some ways, not every way, but in some 51 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:56.360 ways asking them to leave behind what they've done in 52 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:00.400 the past, and I mean probably in subtle ways and 53 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:04.400 in some big ways to play his style of basketball, 54 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:07.360 you know, the way he wants them to run offense 55 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:10.560 and communicate and all that. And he talked about it 56 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:14.319 in some of the losses that the players sort of 57 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:18.400 defaulted to what they knew and abandoned what they should 58 00:03:18.439 --> 00:03:23.240 have been doing on offense, particularly, and we saw what happened. 59 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:25.759 It didn't work, did it all? Right? So now you've 60 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:28.000 got A and M coming in minus it's best player. 61 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:30.280 We know this, But as I always say, it's not 62 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:32.560 like they were playing four on five. They had other 63 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:34.919 kids coming in. But Waye Taylor is their best player. 64 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.719 We know this, but maybe that made it a little 65 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:42.680 more difficult for Kentucky to figure out how to stop 66 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:44.199 A and M. And by the way, this is not 67 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.039 an A and M team that is a great shooting 68 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:49.719 three point ball club. But it sure looked that way, 69 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.080 didn't it in the first half. That's why A and 70 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:55.240 M took the leade on the Wildcats until late in 71 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:59.479 the half, because the Aggies were knocking down threes. Now 72 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:01.240 they go for twelve in the second half, and you 73 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:04.960 saw what happened. Kentucky built a double digit lead on 74 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.800 more than one occasion, and yet on more than one occasion, 75 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.240 A and M came back and whittled it down. Because 76 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:12.639 it's a good team. They were ranked eleventh in the country, 77 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.280 and I know a lot of these SEC teams right 78 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:20.040 now are probably over ranked or were over ranked, because 79 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.560 now you see what's happening. They're beating each other up. 80 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:25.600 And you knew this would happen. But who raised your 81 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:28.319 hand if you thought Arkansas would be owing four at 82 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.639 this point? I know some of you hoped that because 83 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.879 you still have a problem with Caliperry, but did you 84 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:38.639 did the basketball person in you really think with that 85 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.160 kind of talent, Arkansas would be owing four and quite frankly, 86 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.839 just not playing very well. I watched the second half 87 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.920 of that game. They blew a huge first half lead. 88 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.519 But unless you going in was owing three, nobody expected that. 89 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:54.800 Nobody thought all this you would be very good this year. 90 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:57.720 But like I said, these teams are just beating each 91 00:04:57.800 --> 00:04:59.920 other up right now. It's gonna happen for the rest 92 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:04.439 of the year. But Kentucky right now rising above most 93 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.879 with five quad one wins and more opportunities on the way, 94 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:12.360 including Alabama coming up. But back to what we were 95 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:15.800 talking about, the way the Wildcats had to win. They 96 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:20.120 beat a really good defensive an M team, and I 97 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:23.920 saw some complaints as usual about Jimmy Dikes. And again 98 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:26.360 I'm partial to Jimmy. I've known him for all It's 99 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.120 not like we're boys, but I think he does a 100 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:31.879 very good job. And for those of you who are 101 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:35.639 critical of him, I've said it before and I'll keep 102 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:39.240 saying it, Jimmy Dikes has more. If I'm gonna use 103 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:42.279 the cliche skin in the game when it comes to 104 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:48.160 analyzing Kentucky, because for the dozens and dozens of college 105 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:53.040 basketball analysts out there, he is the only one on 106 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:56.759 the national level who knows what it's like to work here, 107 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:02.000 to live here, and to coach here, and as such 108 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:05.360 is more intimately aware of the Big Blue Nation and 109 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:10.560 Kentucky fans, but more importantly the standards for Kentucky basketball. 110 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:14.439 That's why he was so hard on UK when Billy 111 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:18.720 Gillespie was the coach here. And I remember one night 112 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:20.399 before the game, I just went by to say hello 113 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:23.160 to Jimmy and we were just kind of commiserating about 114 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.480 how bad Kentucky looked, and he was trying to figure 115 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.879 out what Gillispie was trying to do with his recruiting, 116 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:32.079 with his personnel, with his lineups, And at one point 117 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:36.480 Jimmy said, what is he doing? I don't know, so anyhow, 118 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.839 That's why Jimmy, I think, bears a little bit of 119 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:44.279 a different look. When you're talking about analysts and some 120 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:47.759 of you, if you're not fully rooting for the Wildcats, 121 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:50.600 you're against the Wildcats, and that's why you don't like him. 122 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:52.920 You don't like Jay Billis, you don't like whoever's doing 123 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:56.399 a game if they're not constantly praising the Cats, well, look, 124 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:59.000 it doesn't work that way. And you know that. So anyhow, 125 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:04.360 last night's game was a defensive struggle, and as Pope 126 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:06.519 pointed out, it took a while to figure things out, 127 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:12.759 but they did. And Buzz Williams after the game, and 128 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.399 may have already heard some of his comments. The head 129 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:21.600 coach Ray and m as a basketball professional, really impressed 130 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.680 with what he has seen in this Kentucky team. And 131 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.920 he's beaten Kentucky in the past, not very often, but 132 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.319 he has. But he's really impressed with what he has seen. 133 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.160 Mark Pope and his staff put together in a short 134 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:35.000 amount of time. 135 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:41.079 Really good players, a lot of variety to the skill, 136 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:45.480 as you know. But I think the utilization of the 137 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.399 talent and the skill, considering the newness of the coach 138 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:55.879 and his staff and the players, that's really difficult to do. 139 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:57.160 And so. 140 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.480 I have not seen any of their practices or their 141 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:06.199 film sessions, but the teaching that's going on and the 142 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:11.240 itinerary of the practices for them to have the execution 143 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:17.199 that they have remarkable. The third best offense in the 144 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:22.519 country that puts stress on you in transition. It puts 145 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:27.000 stress on you immediately following transition, and then as soon 146 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.360 as it goes to twenty two or ten, and they 147 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:34.279 begin to run coaches offense. That's a different type of stress. 148 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:41.039 So there's three versions of stress, and they're potent in 149 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:42.159 each category. 150 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:45.480 I must admit I hadn't really thought about it that 151 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:47.480 way when it comes to the Wildcats, but I will 152 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.320 from now on as we analyze each game. Jeff Drummond 153 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:56.759 of kat Illustrated, longtime buddy, longtime Friends of the show, 154 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:04.639 asked Buzz Williams to comment basically on Amary Williams and 155 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:07.399 the job that Amari did on the glass. And like 156 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:11.879 probably every coach in America, these guys from looking at 157 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:14.639 hours and hours of video, as they like to say, 158 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:19.080 studying the film, they know these players first and sometimes 159 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:23.799 only by their number and not their name. But I'll 160 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:26.000 tell you what. When Buzz Williams figured out who Amar 161 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.960 Williams was, that he was number twenty two, he lit up. 162 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.919 Can you comment on Amari Williams and the job he 163 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:33.919 did on the glass for them tonight? 164 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.559 Give me just a second. I don't know their names, 165 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:46.879 I just know their numbers. Oh, I love him twenty two. Well, 166 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:52.440 I don't know him, but twenty nine percent usage rate 167 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:59.000 as a left haender at that size. You can google it. 168 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:04.559 Probably not one not that's playing in college. And his 169 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:08.320 assist rate is higher than anybody on the team other 170 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:12.679 than one, but one is getting his assist primarily, in 171 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.240 my opinion, in the first twelve seconds of the clock, 172 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.840 but as soon as one's giving it up to twenty two, 173 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:23.759 especially when they're initiating offense and he's going left, he's 174 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:26.919 the point. He's the tallest point guard I've seen in 175 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:27.639 a long time. 176 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:32.080 And Williams went on to say that once Amari gives 177 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.279 up the basketball or moves as he put it, within 178 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:36.879 the charge circle, you know, the small circle under the bucket, 179 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:43.480 now he becomes physical and that's just a different element 180 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.679 to his game. And that's something Mark Pope talked about 181 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.360 last night when he was asked about Amari about the 182 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:52.000 fact that he now has it's almost like he has 183 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:56.600 and I'm paraphrasing, permission to be physical compared to the 184 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:58.240 way he played in Philly. 185 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:01.519 Up at Drexel, looks a man child on the glass, 186 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:04.759 didn't he? My goodness, he was a man on the glass. 187 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:06.039 I was really proud of him tonight. 188 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:09.840 He's you know, it's justtioning. So Amari's played at a 189 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:13.480 much different level basketball for the last three years. And 190 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:18.120 I think what's fun right now is is he's been 191 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:25.559 given permission by the whistle to actually use his physicality 192 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:27.080 which he couldn't use at direct So like he was 193 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.039 a much different deal right It was kind of like 194 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.120 I'm playing against smaller guys. If I touch somebody, they're 195 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:34.120 gonna fall over. I'm gonna get a whistle. So this 196 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:36.559 adjustment for him now where he's like, wait, you know 197 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.200 I can run dudes over it. It's okay, Like it 198 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:41.879 gets fun. I think he's having a great time, man, 199 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.320 and he's fighting for his team. And we talked about 200 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.840 this after the last game, but he man, he loves 201 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:49.399 his He got at it's just a ginormous I know 202 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:50.879 that's not a word, but I'm gona use it anyway, 203 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:51.720 A ginormous heart. 204 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:54.039 Yeah. Remember a week or two ago he talked about 205 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:58.120 amar and about how much he cares about this team, 206 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.399 And there was a common from Amari after the game 207 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:06.000 about the s word soft and these guys have heard it, 208 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:09.399 maybe not directly, but they heard it. And I wondered, 209 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:13.360 was this Kentucky team too soft or just trying to 210 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.480 learn how to not be soft, and Williams talked about 211 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.399 that directly when somebody asked him about the effort he 212 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:20.759 put in. 213 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:22.919 But even on mental toughness, people saying he could have 214 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:25.240 went on the road, like just because of the past 215 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.320 previous games before that. But yeah, like you said, we 216 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:30.240 didn't really like the software an thrown around, and I 217 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:31.840 think we came in with the points of CRUs to 218 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:33.879 night again and reproved that with the rebounds. 219 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.759 So a soft team isn't going to win that game 220 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:39.159 last night because of the way Texas A and M 221 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:42.879 played and again minus it's best player, but guys played 222 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:46.639 hard to try to make up for his loss. And 223 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:51.279 if Kentucky doesn't answer force with force, it loses that 224 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:55.279 game last night. And it wouldn't have shocked me if 225 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:58.879 Kentucky had lost simply because that's how good A and 226 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:02.159 M is. And maybe A and M wins if it's 227 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:03.879 the best player plays. But I think the way the 228 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:06.399 Wildcats played last night, I think they were going to 229 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:10.240 win because they figured it out. As Folk talked about 230 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:14.480 in the post game. You know, nothing was going right 231 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:17.480 at first, and that was a credit day and M 232 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:20.159 plus Kentucky just wasn't hitting missed I think ten of 233 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:24.840 his first eleven three pointers, but eventually figured out a 234 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:28.120 way to play against this defense. As Pope said, it 235 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.840 wasn't easy to solve, but they did it. Travis Perry 236 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.120 is a big part of that. We're going to talk 237 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:36.559 more about him tomorrow night, and we'll talk about him 238 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:39.039 with Shawn Woods coming up. Sewan of course, being the 239 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:41.919 former point guard, how vital were the minutes they got 240 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:45.360 from Travis Perry, not just the three pointers, but handling 241 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:49.080 the basketball and learning better how to play defense. They're 242 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:52.480 trying to victimize him, but he's getting better at using 243 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.200 his teammates their help and things like that. So we'll 244 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.159 talk more about that tomorrow night. We'll talk about it 245 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:01.320 with Shawn Wood's coming up. Out of the hour, and 246 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.519 and now we're number two. Anthony White and our Western 247 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:05.480 Bureau chief Gary Moore say with us here in the 248 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.000 Big mullon Sider six. Welcome back to the Big Bullonsider. 249 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.360 Coming up just a couple of minutes, Sean Woods, the 250 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.840 unforgettable guard, will join us to talk about Kentucky's win 251 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.279 last night over A and M. And at the top 252 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:20.159 of the hour, Anthony White, former football Wildcat, will break 253 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.240 down what's going on with Mark Stoop's team and the 254 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.759 portal right now and Western Bureau chief Gary Moore coming up. 255 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:28.799 So we went along in the first segment just a 256 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:30.919 couple of minutes here, and I've got to bring this up. 257 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.679 Brian Kelly, by the way, I'll be rooting, I guess 258 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.320 for Notre Dame. Nothing against Ohio State rooting for the 259 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:40.559 underdog in the championship game. But something that of course 260 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:44.159 came up was the fact that Brian Kelly, the former 261 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:49.440 Notre Dame coach, left because he said, and I'm quoting, 262 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:54.080 by the way, I want to be in an environment 263 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:58.399 where I have the resources to win a national championship. 264 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:03.759 Now he's saying I wasn't leaving Notre Dame because I 265 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:08.080 couldn't win a championship. I'm quoting. They are selling it 266 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:10.799 the way they want to sell it. And of course 267 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.960 he's pointing a finger at the media and whoever his 268 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:18.080 critics are. Look, he said it, you said it, and 269 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:21.600 it was amazing when he said it that he was 270 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:24.120 leaving a place like Notre Dame because he believed the 271 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:27.039 resources weren't there to win a national title. 272 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:27.200 Win. 273 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.840 In fact, Notre Dame had won national titles plural, but 274 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:34.759 it was a long time ago compared to be speaking. 275 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:40.759 And yeah, college football since then has changed drastically with 276 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:45.240 the portal and nil. And at the time I thought 277 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:50.320 Kelly would have a better shot at winning at LSU. 278 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.639 I didn't see Notre Dame playing for a title this year. 279 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:56.559 But don't try to go back and change history and 280 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.679 say I never said that, because you did own it. 281 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.559 End up and own it and we'll all be better off. 282 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:10.759 Shawn Wood's next six thirty w LAP Welcome back to 283 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:13.399 the Big Blue Insider at his Wednesday, which means that's 284 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:16.360 the day, if we are on a regular schedule that 285 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:19.159 we talk with the unforgettable Guard, Shawn Woods. His jersey 286 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.519 hangs in the rafters of Rupp and he was watching 287 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:25.039 last night as the Wildcats knocked off Texas A and 288 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:27.720 M and coach as you know this as a as 289 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.240 a guy who's been a head coach, no such thing 290 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:32.200 as an ugly win. But it was kind of an 291 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.480 ugly game, wasn't it? And yet Kentucky adapted. 292 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:45.679 I am so ecstatic and proud of Perry. I thought 293 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:49.679 that he was the key because you know, the last 294 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:52.200 couple of games. He's been kind of you know the 295 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.440 weeklyin you know they you know, most teams when he 296 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:57.279 comes in, when Butler goes out, you know, they kind 297 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.440 of go at him a little bit. But I'll tell 298 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.480 you what couple of games, he's making shots, he's handling 299 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:09.119 the ball, he's becoming a solid defender. We're not losing 300 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:12.400 any points, of losing any trailway. When he comes in 301 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.839 the game and Butler goes out, I thought that he 302 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:19.720 really gave Kentucky a boost of confidence when he made 303 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:22.880 shots to make good plays in the midst of A 304 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.200 and M's run. And there was an actual brutal game. 305 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.680 And I'll tell you what, I didn't think Butler was 306 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:32.359 gonna make it. I mean for a five minutes saying, man, 307 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.440 he had an opportunity to blow out a shoe and 308 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:38.920 tear up an ankle. Another deal, he heard his shoulder, 309 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.759 Another deal, he got hit in the face. And I 310 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:45.240 was like, man, why don't you just take him out 311 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.279 Mark just for a little bit more and let him, 312 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:50.960 you know, regroup a little bit. Because he came back 313 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.720 in it was like a pinball again. But you know, 314 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:56.920 Kentucky's just showing some characters from resilience. And I tell 315 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.839 people all the time that I don't care who's the 316 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:04.880 We don't lose at home. We just don't, you know, 317 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:07.119 I don't care who it is. We don't lose against 318 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:10.559 Mississippi State at home, we just don't. And I just 319 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:15.200 thought that they did what they were supposed to do 320 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.599 to to to serve home, you know, to take care home. 321 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:23.400 And I'm just so proud of the fight. Fortunate for us, 322 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.839 you know, I mean, am I'm sorry Texas and M 323 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.519 fortunate for us Texas and M best player at point 324 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:36.319 guard didn't play. But we are showing to resilience in 325 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:40.160 this brutal SEC schedule and it's only gonna get better. 326 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:44.240 I just think our confidence is growing. Jackson's playing much better. 327 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.839 O way was was a major piece, you know, especially 328 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:51.039 in the second half, and we didn't you know, are 329 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:54.839 we gonna get dominated at times with offensive rebounds, Yeah, 330 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:59.160 but we don't get dominated enough to where it really 331 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:02.799 especially the games that we won, we've rebounded enough. And 332 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:05.960 as long as we can rebound enough, the way we 333 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:07.799 shoot the ball and the way we can pose our 334 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:10.519 will and you offensively, I think every night we're gonna 335 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:11.079 have a chance. 336 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.319 I was just flabbergasted at how well. And it's not 337 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:17.519 a knock, but it's just it's a nod to how 338 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:20.599 good A and M is. As Pope pointed out after 339 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:25.200 the game, they going into this game forty four percent 340 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:27.200 of the time when a shot goes up, they get 341 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:32.240 the offensive rebound and Kentucky, which is incredible, especially that's 342 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:36.240 not a huge team, and yet Kentucky I rebounded them 343 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:41.079 overall and on the offensive glass. And it didn't occur 344 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.119 to me. I kind of kept peeking at the stats 345 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:46.839 and I would tweet that, yeah, Kentucky's winning the boards battle. 346 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:51.480 But just the way they did that was huge last night, 347 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:51.960 wasn't it. 348 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:57.200 Well, it was huge because you know, the fight, that's 349 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:59.119 what I like. You know, as a coach, you want 350 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:02.279 your guys to at the highest level against you know, 351 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:05.880 the toughest teams in America, and I think Texas A 352 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:08.799 and M is like Joe Frasier. You know, you in 353 00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:11.240 a fight when you play a team like that, no 354 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:14.759 matter how big they are, that's just a Buzz Williams team. 355 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:19.400 And for us to answer the bell, you know, was 356 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:23.039 was tremendous for me in my eyes, because everybody was 357 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:26.160 in the fight. Everybody who played, you know, made some 358 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:30.799 tough plays and that's what it's all about, you know, collectively, 359 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:33.519 you know, you got to make more tough plays than 360 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:36.119 the other team. And I thought Kentucky did that last night. 361 00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:38.920 Well let's back up and talk a little bit about 362 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:45.000 Lamont Butler, and yeah, he was just beating in Bruce 363 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:50.680 last night. But he's just a remarkable defender. They took 364 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:54.240 him to the rim a few times, but I think 365 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.720 he's He's a guy who really such a great tone 366 00:20:58.319 --> 00:20:59.720 defensively for his teammates. 367 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:03.559 And my seeing that right, you're sending exactly right. You know, 368 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:06.440 I've been saying it all years, as you and I 369 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:09.960 have talked about, we can't be as good as we 370 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:11.559 want to be or go as far as we want 371 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:14.720 to go without Lamont Butler. He's the key siece to 372 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.279 this team. No matter what, you know, we can lose 373 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:21.440 a person here there through from you know, through injuries 374 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:25.000 and things like that. But I think Lamont Butler is 375 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:27.920 one of the most underrated point guards and not only 376 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.519 in the SEC but in America for what he does 377 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:33.160 for his team. And you know, he's one of the 378 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:36.799 best on ball defenders. Uh he's got great hands, he's 379 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:41.160 he plays with great composure. He's an awesome leader with 380 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:45.519 his voice and by example, and he's always pressing the 381 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:48.880 needle when things break down, he makes a play, either 382 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:53.160 offensively or defensively. And he's the guy that if I'm 383 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:55.960 the opposing coach, he's the one person that I'm more 384 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.079 worried about than anybody on the team because he does 385 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:02.359 all the intangible. He's a winner. You know, he's the 386 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:07.319 personality on this team, and you know, there's no doubt 387 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.319 in my mind that he's the MVP of this team. 388 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:12.480 But not only that, you know, if push comes to 389 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:14.119 shove and we're one of the top two or three 390 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:16.920 teams in this league, not only do I think he's 391 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:20.440 the first team All SEC guy at that position, you know, 392 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:25.079 I just think he's the first team All SEC guy period, 393 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:28.559 because of the importance that he brings to his basketball. 394 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:32.359 Teck, did you know much about him Sean when Mark 395 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.519 Pope signed him? I mean everybody saw him shoot San 396 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:39.240 Diego State into the Final four, But prior to that, 397 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:41.640 were you aware of him much playing on the West Coast? 398 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:44.519 No, not at all. Well, you know, I watched San 399 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.480 Diego State but I didn't watch them in depth to 400 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:50.200 where you know how much of an impact he made 401 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:53.640