WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Happy new here everybody did Gabriel with you on this

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<v Speaker 1>special edition of The Big Blue Insider. To open up

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<v Speaker 1>the year twenty twenty five, I thought we looked back

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<v Speaker 1>on a momentous year in the history of UK sports.

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<v Speaker 1>Looking back at twenty twenty four, so much happened. New

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<v Speaker 1>coaches for both men's and women's basketball teams. The football

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<v Speaker 1>program had some problems, baseball program did not making its

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<v Speaker 1>first trip to the College World Series, and more. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't have time to look back individually on every sport

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<v Speaker 1>in terms of broadcast highlights. But before we get started

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<v Speaker 1>with that kind of audio trip down memory lane, looking

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<v Speaker 1>back on some of the big things that happened in

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<v Speaker 1>UK sports this year. Of course, UK volleyball went his

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<v Speaker 1>eighth consecutive SEC championship and wins its way again to

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<v Speaker 1>the Elite eight. Was one victory shy of making it

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<v Speaker 1>to the Final four war but Craig Skinner's team another

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<v Speaker 1>successful year. Softball one to the NCA Tournament once again,

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<v Speaker 1>got a walk off win over Michigan, but in the

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<v Speaker 1>next round loss to Oklahoma State and then eliminated by

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<v Speaker 1>those Michigan Wolverines. But another strong year for Rachel Lawson's

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<v Speaker 1>team as Aaron kaufl named All American again and she

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<v Speaker 1>becomes the first three time All American in UK softball history.

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<v Speaker 1>UK men's tennis, ranked fifth in the country by the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the year, made it all the way to

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<v Speaker 1>the NCA quarterfinals, won the Super Regional after winning the

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<v Speaker 1>SEC tournament for the second consecutive year, Cedric Kaufman named

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<v Speaker 1>Coach of the Year for men's tennis. UK track and

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<v Speaker 1>field well represented at the Olympics, a total of twenty

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<v Speaker 1>four current or former Wildcats appearing in the Summer Game.

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<v Speaker 1>Huge summer for UK track and field and gymnastics went

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<v Speaker 1>this way to the regional championships, one less than half

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<v Speaker 1>of a point shy of making the national finals, but

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<v Speaker 1>lost in the Fayetteville Regional to LSU and Arkansas. So

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<v Speaker 1>lots of success on the UK campus and men's basketball

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<v Speaker 1>seemed to be rolling. I'm going to take you back

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<v Speaker 1>to February when Kentucky took on an Alabama team that

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people thought could make the Final four,

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<v Speaker 1>could maybe win a championship, and in true UK fashion,

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<v Speaker 1>Wildcats weren't able to stop the Crimson Tide, but they

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<v Speaker 1>outscored Alabama in one of the most interesting games of

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<v Speaker 1>the entire season. Here are some of the highlights called

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<v Speaker 1>by Tom Leach and Jack Gibbons.

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<v Speaker 2>He drives baseline pass to the right corner to Wagner,

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<v Speaker 2>comes into the lane, lost the ball picked up by

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<v Speaker 2>Onenzo and put in and the Cats league o'clock at

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<v Speaker 2>twelve comes across court to Reeves. Reeves puts it behind

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<v Speaker 2>his back, open for an eighteen footer bounces in Kentucky's

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<v Speaker 2>with a chance to take a lead right side. Reeves

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<v Speaker 2>step back three yes in transition already for Alabama. Pass

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<v Speaker 2>to a Vsych at the high post. He hands it

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<v Speaker 2>to Shepard, gives it left side edwards his three good

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<v Speaker 2>for do his right, tracked by Sears, gives it back

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<v Speaker 2>to a Vsitch at the top. Shepherd comes to get

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<v Speaker 2>a Shepherd into the lane, lobs it.

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<v Speaker 3>Up and put in by a Vsage. The pass couldn't.

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<v Speaker 2>Quite be caught and dunk, so he caught it in

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<v Speaker 2>front of the basket and lean to his right, shot

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<v Speaker 2>it back.

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<v Speaker 3>Over his right shoulder.

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<v Speaker 2>Here shoots forty four percent behind that three point line.

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<v Speaker 2>Nineteen fourteen Bama left quarter at Reeves turns down the

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<v Speaker 2>three floats a out to Dillingham.

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<v Speaker 3>He'll let it fly. Yes, well, good ball. Moving back Kentucky.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd snatches the rebound, throws at the mid court to Dillingham.

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<v Speaker 2>Dillingham angles into the lane, spins to Reeves right quarter three.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, all right, that's where you have to play. Rebound

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<v Speaker 3>that basketball.

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<v Speaker 4>Get it up floor before Alabama's defense gets set up.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd, looking for Reeves coming up off a screen, kiss

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<v Speaker 2>him on the left side, hands it back to Shephard

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<v Speaker 2>left wing three for the league.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, sir, he's gotta do that.

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<v Speaker 2>It's great at finding those big men when they get

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<v Speaker 2>in deep. Passed down to onenso he turns and puts

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<v Speaker 2>it in with his left hand. I just like the

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<v Speaker 2>way the early offense for no good rebound grab by

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<v Speaker 2>on Enso he lost it, but he's able to save

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<v Speaker 2>it out to Shepherd, gives it to Dellingham, splits two defenders,

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<v Speaker 2>gets to the rim and flips.

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<v Speaker 3>It up and it passes.

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<v Speaker 2>It flipped up on to the top part of the backboard,

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<v Speaker 2>but bounced a couple of times and drop back through.

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<v Speaker 3>Now Alabama looks like the Morns. Back to a Manda man.

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<v Speaker 2>Wagner gets into the lingos to that left handed backs

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<v Speaker 2>it in, got.

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<v Speaker 3>To the lane. There you go, get you one at

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<v Speaker 3>the hold.

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<v Speaker 4>That'll help your confidence.

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<v Speaker 2>Just dribble the ball out, passes off to his right

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<v Speaker 2>to wall. There's four seconds to shoot it on a

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<v Speaker 2>cross court past the arrow. The arrow will drive lays

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<v Speaker 2>it up and Joe it should be gold tending.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, and is there a foul as well?

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<v Speaker 4>Yes, there's a fowl and the golden set.

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<v Speaker 2>Up with the lab Dapringle tried to tap it in,

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<v Speaker 2>didn't go rebound Kentucky and Enzo grabs it. Shepherd drives

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<v Speaker 2>it into front court to two hand cross court pasta Wagner,

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<v Speaker 2>turns the corner and drops it off to the arrow.

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<v Speaker 3>Put fit in through contact Proppringle.

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<v Speaker 4>What a finish, better than them, So good game thus far.

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<v Speaker 4>Fort ss.

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<v Speaker 2>He was back in there playing with two fouls for Alabama.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd got bumped out front no call, cross court pass

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<v Speaker 2>to Shepherd to Reeves in the middle, left side to Edwards.

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<v Speaker 2>Slides left ds himself open, shoots and hits. He was

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<v Speaker 2>just inside the ark. Jumper's no good rebound wrestled away

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<v Speaker 2>from waters by Edward. That's rebound. Here's Dillingham.

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<v Speaker 4>Love Doc, and that's what I've been waiting on.

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<v Speaker 2>From Edwards, big fellow, that was pretty slamming it in

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<v Speaker 2>one motion of the law from Dillingham on the right

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<v Speaker 2>wings just said as they come on the attack, leaning

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<v Speaker 2>by thirteen. Wagner in the mid court circle passes left

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<v Speaker 2>a visage. He dribbles to his right hands at the Reeves.

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<v Speaker 2>Reeves top of the circle, lets it fly, yes and sixteen.

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<v Speaker 3>In the first half.

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<v Speaker 2>N Griffin can't get a shot, gets it to Estrata

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<v Speaker 2>comes into the lane, dishes it underneath.

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<v Speaker 3>It's blocked by a v such that comes out of

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<v Speaker 3>a doll.

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<v Speaker 2>Goes it back out to Edwards. Tend to shoot back

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<v Speaker 2>to Reeves in the right corner, comes into the lane,

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<v Speaker 2>back to Edwards long three right side.

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<v Speaker 3>God's been. That's been.

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<v Speaker 4>I can't tell you how big.

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<v Speaker 2>That is, but no look past Sears comes into the

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<v Speaker 2>lane jump stop loses the ball and Edward's has it.

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<v Speaker 2>Edwards driving at Neilson goes to his left, banks.

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<v Speaker 4>It up and in oh, I left it. I love

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<v Speaker 4>how he's playing. Tom been waiting a long time for.

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<v Speaker 3>That to shoot.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd goes to his left double team hesitates goes down

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<v Speaker 2>the left side of the lane, jump pass over to

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<v Speaker 2>the arrow, fires it out to Edwards three left side.

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<v Speaker 4>Buddy, Yeah, you know we've been waiting Tom and he's

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<v Speaker 4>so aggressive.

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<v Speaker 3>Right now, say straight for justin.

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<v Speaker 2>Edwards dribbles over to his right double team floats at

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<v Speaker 2>the Bridge'll pitch to the.

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<v Speaker 3>Left corner at the arrow for an open three. Got it?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I told you he's been shooting it much to Wagner.

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<v Speaker 2>Tend to shoot two hand past the Reeves coming up

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<v Speaker 2>on the right side, gets in the lane, float.

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<v Speaker 4>Good, executing that half court offense.

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<v Speaker 2>Wagner gets it in right under the basket. It's put

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<v Speaker 2>up an in by Edwards and it's sixty four fifty one.

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<v Speaker 2>Kentucky Reeves, coming across the circle to his right, goes

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<v Speaker 2>down the lane, flips up a shot good off the glass.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I'll exchange basket.

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<v Speaker 2>Twops it back to Onienzo. He dribbles left, hands at

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<v Speaker 2>the Reeves. Reeves hooks it to the left corner at

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<v Speaker 2>the arrow. A three, got it? Yeah, see it's a

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<v Speaker 2>two again. He gives it to Walters. Back to Sears.

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<v Speaker 2>Dot o'clock at eight seconds.

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<v Speaker 3>Sears has a.

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<v Speaker 2>Knocked away by Shepherd, picked up by Edwards, pass.

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<v Speaker 3>Ahead to shepherd for the time seventeen point ly on

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<v Speaker 3>the reeds.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd run out dunk that goes through the lane past,

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<v Speaker 2>pass down low stolen by Edwards. Edwards throws it ahead

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<v Speaker 2>to Reeve Reeves cross court to Shepherd out to Edward's

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<v Speaker 2>three right side.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, a three, that counts it up out on Walters man,

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<v Speaker 3>what about this.

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<v Speaker 2>Time out three rims off go good drop Dillingham rips

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<v Speaker 2>off the rebound, leads the break ahead to Edwards. Edwards

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<v Speaker 2>goes through the lane, flips it up, and he went

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<v Speaker 2>to his right and clipped it back over his left

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<v Speaker 2>shoulder on the right side of the basket.

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<v Speaker 3>Pears. Shepherd playing in with that left hand, forces him

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<v Speaker 3>to go right.

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<v Speaker 2>Sears has it deflected by Shepherd, picked up by Reeves,

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<v Speaker 2>a steal for Kentucky. Pass ahead to Shepherd, runs it

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<v Speaker 2>down in the left corner, throws it back to Edwards,

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<v Speaker 2>over to Reeves, Reeves down the lane, flips it up.

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<v Speaker 3>He goes in and he got found.

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<v Speaker 5>Wow, what a day with a.

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<v Speaker 3>Pool and white.

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<v Speaker 2>The shepherd's good to go gives it up to a

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<v Speaker 2>visits at the top. Is he dribbles left, hands at

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<v Speaker 2>the reeves, Reeves floats to his left, cut off, throws

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<v Speaker 2>it down, load to a visa, to a dump Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>nine and ten, respectively. Shepherd middle of the floor, trades

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<v Speaker 2>passes with Dillingham. Rob's got it back left of the circle,

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<v Speaker 2>slides right, shoots a three.

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<v Speaker 3>Got it right.

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<v Speaker 2>They just state Tom Tom under control, must be three

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<v Speaker 2>no good rebound. Kentucky of Vsitch comes up with it.

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<v Speaker 2>Cats on the run, Dillingham weaving his way through traffic,

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<v Speaker 2>over to Edwards, back to Dillingham, open left wing money.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, you know everything's going Take advantage of it, baby,

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<v Speaker 4>keep it going, don't back down.

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<v Speaker 2>Time out Alabama ninety two sixty one. The visach top

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<v Speaker 2>of the circle, holding the ball above his head, spins,

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<v Speaker 2>drives into the lane, now rolls to his.

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<v Speaker 3>Right and banks it in.

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<v Speaker 2>He went down the left side of the lane and

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<v Speaker 2>spun his way to the other side.

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<v Speaker 3>Of the basket.

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd out deep on the left, starts down the sideline.

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<v Speaker 2>Seven seconds to shoot it. Shepherd throws it across court

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<v Speaker 2>for a three. Bite the arrow that's gone. He got

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<v Speaker 2>behind the line of that time we go under nine

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<v Speaker 2>minutes to play Tucky looking for the century mark. Shepherd

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<v Speaker 2>out deep of the left, lobed down to a Visuch,

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<v Speaker 2>juggles it, comes up with it, pumps, goes up.

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<v Speaker 3>Mister Chamber hung the put back one O one sixty

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<v Speaker 3>five Kentucky. I love that high screen and row with

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<v Speaker 3>sile with eleven.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, that forces Alabama defense to have to switch up

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<v Speaker 4>how they want to defend that?

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<v Speaker 3>Shoot three from the top.

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<v Speaker 6>Why not?

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<v Speaker 3>Why not shoot that one? Also? Babys headed the other way?

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<v Speaker 3>Off the pick?

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<v Speaker 2>Shepherd finds him on the right wing. Reeves gives it

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<v Speaker 2>to Edwards into the lane ten footer.

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<v Speaker 3>Good, what a day? Why not twenty six?

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<v Speaker 2>Justin Edwards point Game of the season one O six

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<v Speaker 2>seventy three. Shepherd down the lane, puts it up, won't go?

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<v Speaker 2>Bradshaw comes in. Graham's the rebounding back to your dead

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<v Speaker 2>hush full playing from Brandon.

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<v Speaker 4>How happy I am I to see.

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<v Speaker 2>That Visitch top of the circle. Dribbles to his right, thought,

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<v Speaker 2>Wagner is going back door now if Visitch off the

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<v Speaker 2>roll hits the dunk, is he handed it to Wagner

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<v Speaker 2>and a Visitch roll to the basket.

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<v Speaker 3>Kentucky beating the tie at its own game.

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<v Speaker 2>To his left, can't get around his man, so he

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<v Speaker 2>throws it right side to Dillingham. Nine seconds to shoot

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<v Speaker 2>at Dillingham at the top over to Shepherd left wing.

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<v Speaker 3>Three ball hit it that house.

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<v Speaker 1>Kentucky destroyed Alabama one seventeen to ninety five behind Justin

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<v Speaker 1>Edwards's best performance as a Wildcat twenty eight points, ten

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<v Speaker 1>of ten from the field, including four or four from

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<v Speaker 1>the outside. It was one of the first of five

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<v Speaker 1>straight wins for the Wildcats to close out the regular season,

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<v Speaker 1>including a victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, the

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<v Speaker 1>same Tennessee team that had beaten Kentucky handily in Lexington.

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<v Speaker 1>But little did we know that win over Tennessee would

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<v Speaker 1>be the last victory of the season for the Wildcats,

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<v Speaker 1>who lost to Texas A and M in the first

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<v Speaker 1>round of the SEC Tournament, and then, of course, as

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<v Speaker 1>you know, upset by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament first

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<v Speaker 1>round as a two seed, losing to a fifteen. That's

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<v Speaker 1>when the coaching drama began, and we'll talk about that

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<v Speaker 1>on the other side of the break here on this

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<v Speaker 1>special edition New Year's Day of the Big Boon Siders

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<v Speaker 1>six thirty WLAP happy hear you, everybody. Welcome back to

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<v Speaker 1>the Big Bloon Sider. As we look back on the

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<v Speaker 1>calendar year twenty twenty four for UK Sports, and before

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<v Speaker 1>the break we talked about the fact that the Wildcat

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<v Speaker 1>men's basketball program had really left Kentucky fans in an uproar.

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<v Speaker 1>They were so upset with what was going on with

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<v Speaker 1>John Caliperi's team. Meanwhile, on the same side of campus,

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<v Speaker 1>women's basketball, Kyra Elsey had been fired and Mitch Barnhardt

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<v Speaker 1>set about hiring a brand new coach, and he landed

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<v Speaker 1>on Kenny Brooks, who had been very successful at Virginia Tech,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was introduced on March twenty eighth.

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<v Speaker 7>In the last two seasons, combined Brooksmith two to o

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<v Speaker 7>against Tennessee and three on against Louisville. It is an

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<v Speaker 7>incredible honor and to introduce our ninth women's basketball coach

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<v Speaker 7>at the University of Kentucky, Kenny Brooks, what ever you do.

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<v Speaker 8>That's an honor to be the head women's basketball coach

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<v Speaker 8>here at Kentucky. And you know it sounds surreal, but

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<v Speaker 8>when you think about Kentucky, you think about basketball. I

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<v Speaker 8>wasn't looking. We had a wonderful thing going. What we

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<v Speaker 8>did at Virginia Tech, you know, was very very special,

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<v Speaker 8>and what we did we created a buzz for women's

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<v Speaker 8>basketball that is much needed and much deserved. I know

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<v Speaker 8>Big Blue Nation is very passionate about their Wildcats, and

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<v Speaker 8>I need each and every one of you and your efforts,

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<v Speaker 8>your support in many many ways to make this happen

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<v Speaker 8>here at Kentucky.

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<v Speaker 1>Kenny Brooks got off to a good start, so it

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<v Speaker 1>looks like so far, so good. Or Mitch Barnhart, who

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<v Speaker 1>suddenly found himself needing to address his men's basketball coaching situation.

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<v Speaker 1>And not long after an appearance on TV by Barnhart

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<v Speaker 1>and cali Peri John Calipery, they talked about how they're

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<v Speaker 1>going to move forward another season, but it just looked

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<v Speaker 1>like a couple that didn't want to be together. And

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<v Speaker 1>shortly thereafter, John Caliperi told the Big Blue Nation he

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<v Speaker 1>was stepping down. He didn't mention Arkansas by name, but

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<v Speaker 1>the rumors were already out there that he had come

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<v Speaker 1>to an agreement with the Razorbacks.

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<v Speaker 9>We've come to realize that this program probably needs to

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<v Speaker 9>hear another voice that the university as a whole has

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<v Speaker 9>to have another voice giving guidance about this program that

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<v Speaker 9>they hear and the fans to hear another voice.

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<v Speaker 1>And with that, he and his wife Ellen were off

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<v Speaker 1>to Fayetteville, where they had to learn to call the Hogs.

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<v Speaker 9>And I'll be honest, when I thought about coming here

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<v Speaker 9>and building this program and making something special, it got

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<v Speaker 9>me excited.

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<v Speaker 1>So the rumors began to fly. Who was going to

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<v Speaker 1>be in the next coach. Billy Donovan wouldn't talk to

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<v Speaker 1>the Wildcats, of course, until after the season was over.

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<v Speaker 1>Danny Hurley, newly crowned champion again at yukon no interest.

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<v Speaker 1>Scott Drew flew his family up. I mean, he and

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<v Speaker 1>Mitch Barnard were boys, but Drew's family didn't want to

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<v Speaker 1>leave Waco, Texas and Baylor. So what next? Well, next thing,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, we heard the name Mark Pope, and reaction

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<v Speaker 1>ranged from surprise to shock to negativity. But then the

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<v Speaker 1>Big Blue Nation began to settle in with the decision

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<v Speaker 1>and showed up twenty thousand strong from Mark Pope's coronation.

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<v Speaker 10>And while I'm making introductions, I might as well go

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<v Speaker 10>ahead and introduce the head guy, the new head basketball

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<v Speaker 10>coach at the University of Kentucky, Mark.

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<v Speaker 11>Pope, I'm about to break tradition, Amen, I'm about to

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<v Speaker 11>break tradition.

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<v Speaker 12>At every one of these press conferences, the coach comes

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<v Speaker 12>up and he stands there with the ad and they

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<v Speaker 12>take a picture with a jersey that they just made

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<v Speaker 12>that ends up in a closet somewhere.

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<v Speaker 3>We're not doing that here.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he showed off his number forty one jersey that

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<v Speaker 1>he wore when he helped the Cats win a national title.

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<v Speaker 12>This jersey is in a hollowed place in my home

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<v Speaker 12>because it's a jersey that I got to wear with

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<v Speaker 12>my teammates and all of Kentucky Nation in a national championship.

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<v Speaker 3>Game in the Meadowlands in New York.

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<v Speaker 12>And that's not just a jersey it's gonna go in

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<v Speaker 12>the closet. It's a jersey that has blood, sweat and

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<v Speaker 12>tears and love and is all of us together. I'm

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<v Speaker 12>gonna keep this as short as I can. I talk

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<v Speaker 12>a lot, but there's one other way where I want

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<v Speaker 12>to blow up this press conference.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm gonna get crushed for doing this.

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<v Speaker 12>Every coach in America, at every other job in America

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<v Speaker 12>stands up to that press conference and they try and

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<v Speaker 12>moderate expectations.

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<v Speaker 13>We don't do that here at Kentucky.

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<v Speaker 12>When MS called me and talked to me about being

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<v Speaker 12>the head coach here at Kentucky, I understand the assignment.

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<v Speaker 3>We are here to win banners.

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<v Speaker 12>That's what little here, and as we go through this journey,

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<v Speaker 12>we're here to win banners in Nashville because you guys

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<v Speaker 12>turn out in Nashville like nobody else in that matters,

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<v Speaker 12>and we are here. Our job here, our assignment is

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<v Speaker 12>to go win banners in the final four, win national

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<v Speaker 12>champions That's our job. With those high expectations, and Evieby

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<v Speaker 12>is going to come criticism, But I don't want you

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<v Speaker 12>guys to worry because I'm in a group chat with

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<v Speaker 12>every single one of my ninety six championship team teammates

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<v Speaker 12>and they will destroy me every time something goes wrong.

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<v Speaker 13>I want to do a couple of thank yous please.

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<v Speaker 12>I'd like to thank very much President Capalaludo for his leadership.

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<v Speaker 12>I'm grateful for Mitch Barnhardt as I've watched the last

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<v Speaker 12>twenty two years with how he's run this program and

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<v Speaker 12>how he is as a man.

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<v Speaker 13>We are so grateful to have him here.

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<v Speaker 3>He is incredible.

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<v Speaker 12>I'm grateful to Mark Hill and Ray Oliver for all

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<v Speaker 12>the work they've done in this process for the last

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<v Speaker 12>seventy two hours.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm grateful to these players.

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<v Speaker 12>I'm grateful for the players from ninety six and through

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<v Speaker 12>the generations at Kentucky. You have actually made this place

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<v Speaker 12>what it is. I'm grateful to every single one of you.

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<v Speaker 12>That's a big reason why I'm back here, and more

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<v Speaker 12>than anything else, what separates from everybody else.

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<v Speaker 13>We have great coaches, players.

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<v Speaker 12>And administrators, but what makes us different than everybody else

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<v Speaker 12>is you all.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm so grateful for you.

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<v Speaker 12>My daughter, Laylah, will you stand up, please just wave.

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<v Speaker 12>This is one hundred percent of true story. When Mitch

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<v Speaker 12>offered us a job, he gave us a couple hours to.

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<v Speaker 3>Consult to his family.

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<v Speaker 13>We didn't need it.

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<v Speaker 12>He knew I would walk all the way here to

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<v Speaker 12>take this job. But as we gathered the girls from

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<v Speaker 12>all their various places, Leyla Pope walks in the door,

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<v Speaker 12>and I kid you not. Her first words were, because

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<v Speaker 12>she knows the deal, tell me who's in the house tonight, UK.

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<v Speaker 12>She did exactly that, exactly that.

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<v Speaker 1>That might have been my favorite part of the PEP

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<v Speaker 1>Rally flash press conference because that particular SoundBite there, that

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<v Speaker 1>clip took me back to the ninety six documentary that

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<v Speaker 1>I put together with Cameron Mills and Jason Eperson, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was sort of the theme because of what Walter

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<v Speaker 1>McCarty did as they were standing out in the hallway

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<v Speaker 1>before they took the floor one night, and we used

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<v Speaker 1>that in the documentary. And at the very end it

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<v Speaker 1>ended on a party boat when the guys were having

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<v Speaker 1>their reunion down in Miami where we did all the interviews,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's how it ended. They were standing under a

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<v Speaker 1>banner and they called themselves the greatest team ever, which

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<v Speaker 1>I think they were at least in the minor era,

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<v Speaker 1>not dating back to UCLA like what Patino said. But

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<v Speaker 1>one last time for the camera they did the Who's

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<v Speaker 1>in the House tonight? But it all went back to

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<v Speaker 1>the original and that's what Mark Pope's daughter was referencing

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<v Speaker 1>when she busted out the chant that helped convince Pope

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<v Speaker 1>that they wanted to come to lexiingon the original Walter

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<v Speaker 1>McCarty chant, and this is what it sounded like on

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<v Speaker 1>the boat in Miami.

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<v Speaker 4>House to Die UK News in the House to Die

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<v Speaker 4>uk Ay.

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<v Speaker 1>As you recall, Pope arrived with a lot of former

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<v Speaker 1>players on a bus that came in to the Randa.

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<v Speaker 1>Mark stepped off holding the championship trophy as he did

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<v Speaker 1>in nineteen ninety six. At the celebration. We had a

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<v Speaker 1>chance to talk to some of those former players after

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<v Speaker 1>the news conference pep Rally was over. We hear some

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<v Speaker 1>of those conversations when we come back here on this

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<v Speaker 1>special edition of The Big Boo Insider, as we look

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<v Speaker 1>back at twenty twenty four. Here on six point thirty

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<v Speaker 1>WLAP welcome back to this special edition of The Big

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<v Speaker 1>Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel with as we look back on

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<v Speaker 1>the calendar year twenty twenty four in UK sports and

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<v Speaker 1>no story There were a lot of them, but none

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<v Speaker 1>topped the basketball coaches story when John Caliperry left and

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<v Speaker 1>Mark Pope was hired, and of course Pope coming back

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<v Speaker 1>to coach where he played part of the team that

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<v Speaker 1>won the nineteen ninety six national championship and in that

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen ninety six documentary that we did. The doc we

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<v Speaker 1>did on that team. As I mentioned earlier, we were

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<v Speaker 1>on a party boat with the team when they got

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<v Speaker 1>together for a reunion in Miami, and there was a

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<v Speaker 1>point where they were all huddled around Rick Pattino. It's

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<v Speaker 1>kind of just just a very relaxed cocktail party setting.

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<v Speaker 1>But eventually all the small talk ended and Patino became

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<v Speaker 1>the focal point as players made comments, talked to him,

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<v Speaker 1>asked him questions, made observations, and at one point Patino

425
00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:35.799
<v Speaker 1>said what they'd all been thinking for many, many years,

426
00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:40.079
<v Speaker 1>that that ninety six team, as I said earlier, was

427
00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:43.319
<v Speaker 1>and in my opinion as well, was the best team

428
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.759
<v Speaker 1>and it's often overlooked, the best team in modern history

429
00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:50.559
<v Speaker 1>of college basketball. And as Patino said, you can't go

430
00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:54.240
<v Speaker 1>back to the UCL era. That was different, that was special.

431
00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:59.279
<v Speaker 1>But since that point, since John Wooden's retirement, I believe

432
00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:02.640
<v Speaker 1>and I agree with that the ninety six team was

433
00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:07.039
<v Speaker 1>the best team in modern college basketball history. And he

434
00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:09.640
<v Speaker 1>said as much to his players down in Miami.

435
00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:12.039
<v Speaker 14>When people say, I mean why we were, why we

436
00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:14.079
<v Speaker 14>were the greatest team of all time in modern era.

437
00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:17.079
<v Speaker 14>I can't go back to the Wooden days, right because

438
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:22.160
<v Speaker 14>if I was coaching today, I would The last team

439
00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:23.920
<v Speaker 14>I'd want to face on the face of the earth

440
00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:25.880
<v Speaker 14>is nineteen ninety six.

441
00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:28.200
<v Speaker 3>There's no I.

442
00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:31.400
<v Speaker 14>Could not devise anything to beat off basketball team.

443
00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:32.119
<v Speaker 3>Nothing.

444
00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:36.359
<v Speaker 1>There was a lot of negativity around the announcement that

445
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:39.079
<v Speaker 1>it would be Mark Pope. It leaked out and then,

446
00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:41.160
<v Speaker 1>as I said earlier, there were a lot of national

447
00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:43.200
<v Speaker 1>types who thought it was a terrible idea. They were

448
00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:46.160
<v Speaker 1>UK fans who at first thought it was a terrible idea,

449
00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:49.640
<v Speaker 1>but it grew on them, and Rick Pattino gave his

450
00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:54.240
<v Speaker 1>wholehearted endorsement to Mark Pope. And as I said, and

451
00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:58.440
<v Speaker 1>you know this, by the time introduction Introduction day rolled around,

452
00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:03.640
<v Speaker 1>it was an absolute joyful PEP rally beyond being a

453
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:07.119
<v Speaker 1>press conference, and it included so many former players. We

454
00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:08.759
<v Speaker 1>had a chance to talk to a lot of them,

455
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:11.119
<v Speaker 1>including first of all, Rex Chapman.

456
00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:15.160
<v Speaker 15>Mark Mark Pope and Jeff Shepherd both are two of

457
00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:17.799
<v Speaker 15>the more exceptional human beings to come through here. And

458
00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:24.119
<v Speaker 15>when I mean that, I mean morally, socially, emotionally. They

459
00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:27.880
<v Speaker 15>even when they were in school and they were young

460
00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:32.000
<v Speaker 15>people while the rest of us were young, they had

461
00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:35.440
<v Speaker 15>a very mature mindset. They knew that the basketball would

462
00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:38.480
<v Speaker 15>stop dribbling someday when most of the rest of us didn't.

463
00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:43.480
<v Speaker 15>They were sort of the compass moral compass for those

464
00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:45.720
<v Speaker 15>teams they were on in the nineties. The soul of

465
00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:48.960
<v Speaker 15>those teams, their teammates will tell you the same thing

466
00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:53.079
<v Speaker 15>Mark Pope learned. As you saw today, You can't be

467
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:58.039
<v Speaker 15>around Rick Patino for more than an hour and not

468
00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:02.480
<v Speaker 15>take away something that he is said. He's just so motivational,

469
00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:06.680
<v Speaker 15>and Rick really formed these guys. They love and revere

470
00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:10.839
<v Speaker 15>him and Mark Pope. Mark Mark Pope plays Rick Bettino

471
00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:13.799
<v Speaker 15>style basketball. He gets after you, gets up and down

472
00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:16.680
<v Speaker 15>and shoots a lot of threes. He's gonna get talent

473
00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:18.880
<v Speaker 15>in here. He's gonna have talent he's never had before.

474
00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:21.200
<v Speaker 15>He didn't have that. He didn't have Utah Valley State

475
00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:24.440
<v Speaker 15>or BYU. He's going to have that here. Pressure's on.

476
00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:27.200
<v Speaker 15>He said it himself. But man, am I excited about it?

477
00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:29.240
<v Speaker 3>You gotta be so happy for him. But how much

478
00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:30.799
<v Speaker 3>at you also like he deserves us?

479
00:27:31.240 --> 00:27:34.799
<v Speaker 15>Well, I've said this before. No two guys that played

480
00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:37.960
<v Speaker 15>at Kentucky deserve what's what they're getting anymore right now

481
00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:44.000
<v Speaker 15>than Reed Jeff Shepherd, Stacy Shephard, and Mark Pope. Those

482
00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:47.880
<v Speaker 15>guys and Stacy blood sweat and tears for this program

483
00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:51.680
<v Speaker 15>for years. Uh, tough times for for Mark, tough times

484
00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:56.079
<v Speaker 15>for Jeff. Both of them playing behind really good NBA players.

485
00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:59.000
<v Speaker 15>They could have transferred at any time. Both of them

486
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:02.519
<v Speaker 15>stuck it out. They made it through and that sort

487
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:08.640
<v Speaker 15>of stick toitiveness and work ethic. Well, you see, he's

488
00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:11.200
<v Speaker 15>now the coach here and Jeff and Stacey have one

489
00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:12.440
<v Speaker 15>of the best players on the planet.

490
00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:15.559
<v Speaker 1>X did you want Mark from day one?

491
00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:18.640
<v Speaker 15>If you'd have told me Mark was in the mix

492
00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:21.079
<v Speaker 15>from day one, I'd have been like, yes, let's go. Well,

493
00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:24.359
<v Speaker 15>I mean you saw this, Dick. I've had a really

494
00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:26.680
<v Speaker 15>good time. I need to say this. I've had a

495
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:31.400
<v Speaker 15>really good time since news broke about Mark's hiring, because

496
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:37.400
<v Speaker 15>there's a few people in here that just shiit on

497
00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:40.119
<v Speaker 15>the whole thing, and over the last few days I've

498
00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:42.279
<v Speaker 15>had a great time saying, well, you know what, I

499
00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:45.240
<v Speaker 15>kind of like that higher I yeah, looked around here

500
00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:46.680
<v Speaker 15>today they like the hire.

501
00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:49.279
<v Speaker 1>Two our to argue was that Jeff Shepherd was there,

502
00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:52.079
<v Speaker 1>and even then I think Jeff news that read would

503
00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:56.759
<v Speaker 1>be leaving, but he wholeheartedly, of course, endorsed the new

504
00:28:56.759 --> 00:28:57.279
<v Speaker 1>head coach.

505
00:28:57.799 --> 00:28:59.680
<v Speaker 16>There's gonna be a lot of a lot of words

506
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:02.880
<v Speaker 16>that are spoken between now and the first game, and

507
00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:05.799
<v Speaker 16>that's great. It's what makes Kentucky basketball so fun. We

508
00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:10.079
<v Speaker 16>love to talk about it and everything. But Mark knows,

509
00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:13.799
<v Speaker 16>as he said so good in the very beginning. He

510
00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:17.039
<v Speaker 16>understands the assignment and he has.

511
00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:17.640
<v Speaker 3>Work to do.

512
00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:20.240
<v Speaker 16>He knows he has work to do, but it's what

513
00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:21.200
<v Speaker 16>he lives for.

514
00:29:21.319 --> 00:29:22.920
<v Speaker 3>He lives for hard work.

515
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:25.599
<v Speaker 16>He enjoys it, and it's neat to see his family

516
00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:29.880
<v Speaker 16>all in and the fans all in. So fun day

517
00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:30.519
<v Speaker 16>in Kentucky.

518
00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:33.839
<v Speaker 1>Another one of his former teammates who was there that day,

519
00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:38.160
<v Speaker 1>Derek Anderson, like so many people, marveled at the crowd

520
00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:40.240
<v Speaker 1>that showed up, but on the other hand, he wasn't

521
00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:43.400
<v Speaker 1>all that surprised by the number everywhere everywhere.

522
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:44.640
<v Speaker 17>We went on a road and we played it with

523
00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:48.400
<v Speaker 17>crowd Alaska, Marilyn like, that's where we went, but we

524
00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:50.720
<v Speaker 17>went and we won, And I think that was the

525
00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:53.119
<v Speaker 17>partner was what he wanted to implement. It's like, when

526
00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:55.519
<v Speaker 17>you have the fan base so up, that's what you

527
00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:57.720
<v Speaker 17>want to give them a reward for coming. And I

528
00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:00.000
<v Speaker 17>think that's what he sees now. Like any recruit seeson,

529
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:02.480
<v Speaker 17>they were like it wasn't. It's not about coaches or

530
00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:06.319
<v Speaker 17>NBA or players or any former It's about the university

531
00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:08.480
<v Speaker 17>and for the fans to show up like that, that's

532
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.319
<v Speaker 17>proof that this is a university who cares about winning,

533
00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:14.079
<v Speaker 17>and that's what you need Pope for. He understands his assignment.

534
00:30:14.119 --> 00:30:14.839
<v Speaker 3>It's about winning.

535
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.839
<v Speaker 16>Derek as a former teammate of Marks, what makes him

536
00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:20.720
<v Speaker 16>built for this and your opinion?

537
00:30:20.839 --> 00:30:23.319
<v Speaker 18>I mean, obviously he was a Kentucky guy, but other

538
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:25.039
<v Speaker 18>than that, what makes him built for this position.

539
00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:27.839
<v Speaker 17>He's built for this position because he's won at this level.

540
00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:29.519
<v Speaker 17>When you win at a certain level, you want to

541
00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:32.599
<v Speaker 17>take that area and go win with it. So I'm

542
00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:34.960
<v Speaker 17>just I think he understands that. And again, his assignment

543
00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:37.079
<v Speaker 17>is to do what win and he understands that.

544
00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:42.119
<v Speaker 1>He's pretty active on social media, absolutely, and he's probably

545
00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:45.279
<v Speaker 1>been checking it out over the last five or six days,

546
00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:49.039
<v Speaker 1>especially when Mark's name popped up, not all of it positive.

547
00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:52.279
<v Speaker 1>What was your response, What was your feeling when you

548
00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:54.000
<v Speaker 1>read that about your former teammates?

549
00:30:54.119 --> 00:30:56.279
<v Speaker 17>Well, I told everybody, nobody started at the same place

550
00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:58.519
<v Speaker 17>they they came in and nobody came in here and

551
00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:00.960
<v Speaker 17>just was winning great. The TEAMO didn't win. Nobody had

552
00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:03.680
<v Speaker 17>won a cows first championship was here, so why are

553
00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:05.880
<v Speaker 17>we putting pressure on this guy? And everybody say, you

554
00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:08.000
<v Speaker 17>know what, you're right, Let's wait, let's wait to see him.

555
00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:09.519
<v Speaker 17>And that's how we had to just wait. But what

556
00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:11.480
<v Speaker 17>happened was people got to a point and a lot

557
00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:14.440
<v Speaker 17>of it wasn't even our fans, so I take that

558
00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.319
<v Speaker 17>with a greatness out but.

559
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:15.880
<v Speaker 3>Some of our fans.

560
00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:17.680
<v Speaker 17>I had to remind him, like, hey, give him a

561
00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:20.160
<v Speaker 17>chance because he's one of us. You know, you don't

562
00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:21.880
<v Speaker 17>tear down one of us. You let him to grow

563
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:23.319
<v Speaker 17>and develop it. And if he doesn't do his job,

564
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.160
<v Speaker 17>then let that be known. But you always want to

565
00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:26.960
<v Speaker 17>support one of us. And I think that was the

566
00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:29.480
<v Speaker 17>point that I kept putting my message across him, and

567
00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:31.519
<v Speaker 17>I think they're starting to turn the circle down and

568
00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:32.720
<v Speaker 17>see it and give him a chance.

569
00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:34.000
<v Speaker 5>That's all I care about.

570
00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:34.839
<v Speaker 3>Just give our guy a.

571
00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:37.480
<v Speaker 1>Chance and see how he does winning at Utah Valley

572
00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:40.559
<v Speaker 1>and then bringing me on with some certain limitations there.

573
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.240
<v Speaker 1>There are very few limitations here. As you know, that's

574
00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:47.160
<v Speaker 1>goldnat Matter big, It's come matter big.

575
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:48.960
<v Speaker 17>But he said he wants to get guys who knows that,

576
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:50.960
<v Speaker 17>And he said that as honest to this statement, I

577
00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:52.559
<v Speaker 17>want to get some guys who know what they're doing.

578
00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:53.680
<v Speaker 3>And he doesn't know everything.

579
00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:55.960
<v Speaker 17>And that's a good coach who says I don't know everything,

580
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:58.000
<v Speaker 17>but I want to get better. And I think Mark

581
00:31:58.079 --> 00:31:58.559
<v Speaker 17>is gonna do that.

582
00:31:59.079 --> 00:32:03.200
<v Speaker 1>Bring somebody who knows the craziness of UK fans in

583
00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:06.319
<v Speaker 1>sign and out, of course is Richie Farmer, who was

584
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:09.359
<v Speaker 1>one of the unforgettables. He was not on the championship team,

585
00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:12.720
<v Speaker 1>but he was part of that Patino era that laid

586
00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:16.519
<v Speaker 1>the groundwork for the later success. And there was no

587
00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:21.359
<v Speaker 1>player more popular, not on the ninety sixteen, the ninety eighteen.

588
00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:26.279
<v Speaker 1>None of these championship teams had a player as popular

589
00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:30.440
<v Speaker 1>you know this, as Richie Farmer. And so it was

590
00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:36.359
<v Speaker 1>only natural for Richie to endorse Mark Pope. And he

591
00:32:36.519 --> 00:32:39.319
<v Speaker 1>knows Mark and knows what Pope is all about and

592
00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:41.480
<v Speaker 1>knows what the fan base is all about.

593
00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:44.000
<v Speaker 19>When I heard that he was the coach, I was

594
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:45.599
<v Speaker 19>kind of like a lot of other people. I was like,

595
00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:47.799
<v Speaker 19>do what And then you know, I.

596
00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:49.599
<v Speaker 3>Said, I'll started, Why did you think that? Well?

597
00:32:49.640 --> 00:32:52.920
<v Speaker 19>I mean, I think it was more because that we

598
00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:55.480
<v Speaker 19>hadn't heard his name mentioned. You know, there was there

599
00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:58.960
<v Speaker 19>was the expectations of the Billy Donovans, the Scott Drews,

600
00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:02.680
<v Speaker 19>the Danny Hurt, but nobody had even mentioned And so

601
00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:03.519
<v Speaker 19>I was like, do what?

602
00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:05.599
<v Speaker 3>And then I started to think about it.

603
00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:07.759
<v Speaker 19>And I started to think about it because I know Mark,

604
00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:10.640
<v Speaker 19>and I know how intelligent he is, and I know

605
00:33:10.680 --> 00:33:12.799
<v Speaker 19>what a good coach he is, and I know I

606
00:33:12.839 --> 00:33:14.920
<v Speaker 19>know where he come from, I know who coached him

607
00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:17.680
<v Speaker 19>and who changed his life, and so I know the

608
00:33:17.759 --> 00:33:20.480
<v Speaker 19>kind of makeup that he has, that he's a hard worker,

609
00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:24.000
<v Speaker 19>that his teams, that he instills that same principles, those

610
00:33:24.039 --> 00:33:27.240
<v Speaker 19>same principles in his teams, and it just started to

611
00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:29.000
<v Speaker 19>make a lot of sense, and I thought, you know what.

612
00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:30.920
<v Speaker 8>I'm in.

613
00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:32.000
<v Speaker 3>I'm in, you know.

614
00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:34.759
<v Speaker 19>So it took about twelve hours, but then I was like,

615
00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:38.240
<v Speaker 19>that makes so much sense. And then I started to think, Man,

616
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:39.960
<v Speaker 19>this Barnhart guy, he's pretty good.

617
00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:44.599
<v Speaker 1>A knock on Mark obviously is this postseason record hadn't

618
00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:47.279
<v Speaker 1>been that great around here of late, but you feel

619
00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:50.920
<v Speaker 1>like without the limitations that he finishes at his other

620
00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:53.000
<v Speaker 1>true stops, he's got a much better shot in the

621
00:33:53.079 --> 00:33:54.799
<v Speaker 1>postseason now, well.

622
00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:57.720
<v Speaker 19>I think so, you know, I think that there's no

623
00:33:57.839 --> 00:34:02.880
<v Speaker 19>secret that you know, recruiting it by and some of

624
00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:05.480
<v Speaker 19>the things that they have to sign, you know, in

625
00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:07.839
<v Speaker 19>order to play there, and the oaths and the bowels

626
00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.320
<v Speaker 19>and things. I mean, it makes it a lot more

627
00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:13.239
<v Speaker 19>difficult to get the kind of players that a lot

628
00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:16.960
<v Speaker 19>of guys like to go after. But I think he

629
00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:21.039
<v Speaker 19>was smart and talking about today that he's gonna, you know,

630
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:23.920
<v Speaker 19>make sure that he recruits kids that fit his style

631
00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:26.639
<v Speaker 19>and fits into what he's trying to do here. And

632
00:34:26.679 --> 00:34:28.280
<v Speaker 19>I think that makes a whole lot of sense.

633
00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:32.199
<v Speaker 1>We'll leave the last word on the hiring with Mitch Barnhardt,

634
00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:35.000
<v Speaker 1>and this was part of his introductory comments, and I

635
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.079
<v Speaker 1>have to admit called me a little off guard. Barnhardt

636
00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:42.360
<v Speaker 1>really reaching down, and I thought he did a great job.

637
00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:45.480
<v Speaker 10>There's an old song from the seventies is by Jefferson

638
00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:49.039
<v Speaker 10>Starship I Date Myself. It's called finds Your Way Back.

639
00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:54.039
<v Speaker 10>It's time for us to find our way back.

640
00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:59.760
<v Speaker 1>By the way. You may have heard her read this somewhere.

641
00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:04.280
<v Speaker 1>But the reason the news conference was in Rupperina was

642
00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:09.000
<v Speaker 1>all the negative talk, the negative reaction from fans on

643
00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:13.599
<v Speaker 1>social media, and the so called basketball experts that ticked

644
00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:17.840
<v Speaker 1>off Mitch Barnard, that left him so aggravated that he

645
00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:20.159
<v Speaker 1>reached out to Mark Pope and said, you know what,

646
00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:24.159
<v Speaker 1>we're going to do this in Rupperena. I will guarantee

647
00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:27.960
<v Speaker 1>you Neither one of them thought that the crowd would

648
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.119
<v Speaker 1>be anything like what we saw. As you know, they

649
00:35:30.199 --> 00:35:35.039
<v Speaker 1>turned people away by the thousands who couldn't get in Rupperena.

650
00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:38.719
<v Speaker 1>Set up for seven or eight thousand, they expected maybe

651
00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:42.639
<v Speaker 1>one side of the arena and the lower bowl to

652
00:35:42.719 --> 00:35:46.840
<v Speaker 1>be occupied. That place was jammed, including people who sat

653
00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:51.800
<v Speaker 1>behind the partition behind the riser where Mark was introduced.

654
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:53.480
<v Speaker 1>They couldnt even see. They had to watch on the

655
00:35:53.480 --> 00:35:56.800
<v Speaker 1>big screens, but they wanted to be there and be

656
00:35:56.880 --> 00:35:59.760
<v Speaker 1>a part of history. We'll come back with more of

657
00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:01.920
<v Speaker 1>this special edition of the Big Blue and Siders we

658
00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:05.639
<v Speaker 1>look back on twenty twenty four. You're on six thirty WLAP.

659
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.360
<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to this special edition. I want to wrap

660
00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:11.119
<v Speaker 1>up this first hour talking about Mark Pope taking you

661
00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:14.199
<v Speaker 1>back to Cameron Mills being in the garage with me

662
00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:16.800
<v Speaker 1>a few days later, and he talked about the group

663
00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:19.880
<v Speaker 1>text where they were all getting together the former players

664
00:36:20.119 --> 00:36:22.840
<v Speaker 1>talking about who might be the next coach, and Mark

665
00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:25.199
<v Speaker 1>Pope wasn't really chiming in that week.

666
00:36:25.239 --> 00:36:26.280
<v Speaker 5>We weren't hearing much from him.

667
00:36:26.280 --> 00:36:28.920
<v Speaker 20>And then after it broke and everybody was like, poh, Pope, Pope,

668
00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:32.800
<v Speaker 20>everybody's congratulating. He came with a text basically just you know,

669
00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:34.760
<v Speaker 20>I don't say this enough, but I don't. I don't

670
00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:36.199
<v Speaker 20>want this job without you guys.

671
00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:38.360
<v Speaker 5>Don't don't. I don't get off of this job without

672
00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:38.800
<v Speaker 5>you guys.

673
00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:43.000
<v Speaker 20>And that wasn't a I don't want this job, you know,

674
00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:45.079
<v Speaker 20>he just meant it was like, you know, you all

675
00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:48.480
<v Speaker 20>are the reason I love Kentucky. And I think because

676
00:36:48.519 --> 00:36:51.280
<v Speaker 20>we went, as he said, to battle with him, and

677
00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:52.719
<v Speaker 20>I love the way he did that. And he included

678
00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:54.599
<v Speaker 20>all ex players the other day it's like, look, look,

679
00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:56.760
<v Speaker 20>you may be a next player and you and I

680
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.679
<v Speaker 20>may not have battled together. I think it was this quote,

681
00:36:58.679 --> 00:37:00.800
<v Speaker 20>but that we were the same. We've gone through the same.

682
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:03.239
<v Speaker 20>Because it doesn't matter what coach you have, there's this

683
00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:06.480
<v Speaker 20>big fratabacks players that have all been through the exact

684
00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:09.000
<v Speaker 20>same pressure, and that's the pressure that it comes with

685
00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:11.960
<v Speaker 20>playing at Kentucky no matter who the coach is so

686
00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:14.320
<v Speaker 20>the group text that he sent that out and everybody

687
00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:17.159
<v Speaker 20>was like so excited. But it was Oliver Simmons who

688
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:19.440
<v Speaker 20>put his name up in that group text early on,

689
00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:21.519
<v Speaker 20>because it was going on it was basically who do

690
00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:21.840
<v Speaker 20>you think?

691
00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:23.079
<v Speaker 5>Who do you think? Who do you think?

692
00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:25.199
<v Speaker 20>And the usual names were coming up, and then Oliver

693
00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:27.920
<v Speaker 20>Simmons is the one that I remember popped up and said.

694
00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:28.519
<v Speaker 5>What about Pope?

695
00:37:28.679 --> 00:37:32.679
<v Speaker 20>And I even felt somewhat cringey about that, because I'm like,

696
00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:35.199
<v Speaker 20>all right, you got all Needwards's an assistant coach on here,

697
00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:37.800
<v Speaker 20>Steve Massieli's assistant coach. I mean, you got other coaches

698
00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:41.119
<v Speaker 20>on here, and you know, but I think Pope makes

699
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:43.719
<v Speaker 20>the logical sense. And I was surprised and thrilled to

700
00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:45.800
<v Speaker 20>see when Pope's name popped up from Oliver Simmons.

701
00:37:46.039 --> 00:37:47.239
<v Speaker 5>Everybody was on board.

702
00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:49.400
<v Speaker 20>Everybody in that group text was on board, like yes,

703
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:53.000
<v Speaker 20>because of everything you saw on Sunday. I mean, you know,

704
00:37:53.159 --> 00:37:55.760
<v Speaker 20>that's a rhetorical question coming from you because you know him,

705
00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:57.920
<v Speaker 20>and you know him, I would say, even a little

706
00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:00.960
<v Speaker 20>bit better than most meeting. You know him, but you

707
00:38:01.400 --> 00:38:03.199
<v Speaker 20>know who he is, how he is, and what was

708
00:38:03.400 --> 00:38:06.039
<v Speaker 20>thrilling for me, and I'm assumed for my teammates from

709
00:38:06.079 --> 00:38:08.719
<v Speaker 20>ninety six to ninety seven ninety eight, because we weren't

710
00:38:08.719 --> 00:38:10.199
<v Speaker 20>on the team with him in ninety eight, but so

711
00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:12.000
<v Speaker 20>many of us knew him, like we played with him

712
00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:12.679
<v Speaker 20>from ninety six.

713
00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:16.239
<v Speaker 5>But I think we all knew who he was.

714
00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:20.000
<v Speaker 20>We knew the kind of person he was, the silliness,

715
00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:24.239
<v Speaker 20>the exuberance, the excitement, the positivity, the enthusiasm, the I mean,

716
00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:27.519
<v Speaker 20>you know, embrace adversity, attitude, His his his theory of

717
00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:29.480
<v Speaker 20>the circle, which I think you and I've talked about

718
00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:31.119
<v Speaker 20>before if you don't remember, but he'll bring that up

719
00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:31.519
<v Speaker 20>at some point.

720
00:38:31.559 --> 00:38:33.840
<v Speaker 5>I'm sure he's just brilliant.

721
00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:36.400
<v Speaker 20>And then he he will. I said this last week.

722
00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:37.639
<v Speaker 20>I think you and I even joked about it. I

723
00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:39.320
<v Speaker 20>thought I came up with that off off the top

724
00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:41.679
<v Speaker 20>of my head. It was brilliant. He is not the

725
00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:43.400
<v Speaker 20>kind of person that you run through a brickwall for.

726
00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:45.119
<v Speaker 20>He's the kind of person that has already run through

727
00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:47.480
<v Speaker 20>the brickwall for you, and I think everybody got to

728
00:38:47.480 --> 00:38:47.760
<v Speaker 20>see that.

729
00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:50.360
<v Speaker 5>On Sunday, Hope's off to a great start.

730
00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:52.400
<v Speaker 1>We'll talk about that in hour number two as well.

731
00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:55.719
<v Speaker 1>As baseball and football. It's a special edition of The

732
00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:59.039
<v Speaker 1>Big Blue Insider. You're on six thirty WLAP.

733
00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:59.400
<v Speaker 21>Manager.

734
00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:51.159
<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to the Big Bloon Sider, our number two

735
00:40:51.159 --> 00:40:54.000
<v Speaker 1>of our program. We're looking back on the twenty twenty

736
00:40:54.039 --> 00:40:56.639
<v Speaker 1>four calendar year on the UK campus. A lot of

737
00:40:56.679 --> 00:41:00.239
<v Speaker 1>weird things and great things happen in the world of sports,

738
00:41:00.280 --> 00:41:05.440
<v Speaker 1>including two basketball coaches, men's and women's. But after that

739
00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:07.519
<v Speaker 1>kind of settled down, the Big Blue Nation turns its

740
00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:11.119
<v Speaker 1>attention to the Kentucky baseball team, which was putting together

741
00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:14.320
<v Speaker 1>what turned out to be the greatest season in UK

742
00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:17.920
<v Speaker 1>baseball history. The Cats were contending for an SEC title,

743
00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:20.519
<v Speaker 1>and they got it with a win over Vanderbilt on

744
00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:23.679
<v Speaker 1>a Friday night. This is the audio from SEC TV

745
00:41:23.800 --> 00:41:27.639
<v Speaker 1>plus Yours Truly and Doug Flynn calling a seventeen to

746
00:41:27.679 --> 00:41:31.119
<v Speaker 1>seven route of the Commodores, who had jumped out to

747
00:41:31.159 --> 00:41:33.719
<v Speaker 1>an early lead, but Kentucky came back quickly.

748
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:42.079
<v Speaker 3>There's been battle. Schmidt sends it high and deep. FA ball.

749
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:43.000
<v Speaker 1>That's a home.

750
00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:47.400
<v Speaker 3>Run, all right.

751
00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:49.719
<v Speaker 2>So these two leadolef hitters might be moving to the

752
00:41:49.760 --> 00:41:56.199
<v Speaker 2>four spot hammer avertime and it's a tie all game.

753
00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:02.840
<v Speaker 3>A million Petree I'll see your over the.

754
00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:07.199
<v Speaker 22>Left and raise you one the right and give him

755
00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:10.239
<v Speaker 22>seven bounds on the air forty eight onees man again,

756
00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:19.440
<v Speaker 22>that ties for the team high right now, what we

757
00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:21.719
<v Speaker 22>may be in for.

758
00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:23.880
<v Speaker 3>A long night. Hey, I got nothing else to do.

759
00:42:24.119 --> 00:42:31.000
<v Speaker 3>That's friend opposite field base. Yeah, that's gonna score one.

760
00:42:31.719 --> 00:42:34.440
<v Speaker 23>Hold him up with it quickly for Vanderbilt in Kentucky,

761
00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:37.440
<v Speaker 23>Texas three to two lead, still in the first inning

762
00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:43.440
<v Speaker 23>up the middle base center. They're gonna send McCoy Grant

763
00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:46.079
<v Speaker 23>Smith the third. It's an eight four game on the

764
00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:53.360
<v Speaker 23>RBI single by Ryan Walshman. Wow, that's into the alley

765
00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:57.800
<v Speaker 23>and that's down for a BaseT off the wall. Ben

766
00:42:57.880 --> 00:43:02.280
<v Speaker 23>Geon sends the second room that the two run double

767
00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:04.559
<v Speaker 23>Ryan Nicholson.

768
00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:06.480
<v Speaker 3>And the Wildcats have reached double digits.

769
00:43:06.519 --> 00:43:09.239
<v Speaker 23>It's stand four and I don't think too many people

770
00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:10.599
<v Speaker 23>have left this bawyard tonight.

771
00:43:10.719 --> 00:43:13.760
<v Speaker 3>You want to see a celebration daily.

772
00:43:13.679 --> 00:43:17.679
<v Speaker 23>First pitch swinging past the diving vast time. That's another

773
00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:22.960
<v Speaker 23>RBI for the Wildcats and a thirteen to four lead.

774
00:43:24.280 --> 00:43:27.719
<v Speaker 23>Here in the bottom of the fifth inning, there's a

775
00:43:27.800 --> 00:43:29.400
<v Speaker 23>nocure calling four.

776
00:43:31.480 --> 00:43:35.000
<v Speaker 3>That's going to chase on him two more it's seventeen to.

777
00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:39.840
<v Speaker 23>Seven as Nolan McCarthy gets his thirty second and thirty

778
00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:45.559
<v Speaker 23>third run bat it in one't you, I'll do it,

779
00:43:46.159 --> 00:43:50.119
<v Speaker 23>and the Wildcats lock up a share of the Southeastern

780
00:43:50.119 --> 00:43:54.519
<v Speaker 23>Conference regular season championship for the first time since twenty

781
00:43:54.519 --> 00:43:59.360
<v Speaker 23>oh six. Tomorrow they'll play for the outright titled they

782
00:43:59.400 --> 00:44:03.519
<v Speaker 23>beat vander Built seventeen to seven, they win the series,

783
00:44:04.840 --> 00:44:07.320
<v Speaker 23>and they build on that school record of twenty two

784
00:44:07.559 --> 00:44:08.719
<v Speaker 23>conference victories.

785
00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:12.559
<v Speaker 1>And once again, the Wildcats hosted the regional tournament, which

786
00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:16.159
<v Speaker 1>they won by beating Indiana State, and they got a

787
00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:19.320
<v Speaker 1>chance to host a super regional for the first time,

788
00:44:19.719 --> 00:44:22.840
<v Speaker 1>Powerful Oregon State coming to town, and the Cats, in

789
00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:26.559
<v Speaker 1>front of incredible crowds, took two from the Beavers and

790
00:44:26.599 --> 00:44:29.000
<v Speaker 1>won their way to Omaha. Here's the way Darren Hedrick

791
00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:31.159
<v Speaker 1>called it all.

792
00:44:31.320 --> 00:44:35.880
<v Speaker 18>Seven hundred and seventy two miles separate Kentucky Brown Park

793
00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:40.559
<v Speaker 18>here at Lexington from TD Ameritrade Ballpark in Omaha, Nebraska.

794
00:44:40.880 --> 00:44:41.719
<v Speaker 3>But for many.

795
00:44:41.559 --> 00:44:45.239
<v Speaker 18>Seasons for the University of Kentucky baseball program, it's felt

796
00:44:45.280 --> 00:44:49.000
<v Speaker 18>like a lifetime away. But now suddenly here are these cats,

797
00:44:49.039 --> 00:44:53.440
<v Speaker 18>the boys in Blue. Nine victorious sinnings away from scanning

798
00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:58.760
<v Speaker 18>their ticket to the College World Series. Tonight is unquestionably

799
00:44:58.800 --> 00:45:02.320
<v Speaker 18>the biggest game in the history of this Kentucky baseball program.

800
00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:04.639
<v Speaker 18>The Wildcats are up one game to none and the

801
00:45:04.679 --> 00:45:09.639
<v Speaker 18>best of three against the Pac twelve's Oregon State Beavers.

802
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:12.119
<v Speaker 3>Kentucky hands the ball to Mason Moore.

803
00:45:13.559 --> 00:45:16.039
<v Speaker 18>Here's the O two and he struck him out swinging

804
00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:18.599
<v Speaker 18>with a pass ball a little way. The three two

805
00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:21.559
<v Speaker 18>got it with a slider that comes through the front

806
00:45:21.559 --> 00:45:23.800
<v Speaker 18>door and parks in the living room. We go to

807
00:45:23.840 --> 00:45:25.039
<v Speaker 18>the second Innigan.

808
00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:27.360
<v Speaker 3>Swung on and ripped up the pedal.

809
00:45:27.400 --> 00:45:29.559
<v Speaker 18>Let's pass the short stile that it's a two out

810
00:45:29.639 --> 00:45:32.079
<v Speaker 18>seat over line. Nicholas Oven two out at the time

811
00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:35.519
<v Speaker 18>of the second and here's Nolan McCarthy's the one one

812
00:45:35.880 --> 00:45:37.440
<v Speaker 18>swung on in line over third.

813
00:45:37.440 --> 00:45:38.599
<v Speaker 3>That's a fair ball that's.

814
00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:40.440
<v Speaker 18>Gonna get all the way in the left field wall.

815
00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:41.679
<v Speaker 3>And bounce off the corner.

816
00:45:41.880 --> 00:45:44.679
<v Speaker 18>Nicholson makes it the third. They're gonna send him. Here

817
00:45:44.679 --> 00:45:48.599
<v Speaker 18>comes the throat from left. It is offline, Nicholson process.

818
00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:53.159
<v Speaker 18>It's an RBHI double for Nolan McCarty and Kentucky's up

819
00:45:53.199 --> 00:45:56.960
<v Speaker 18>one and I think bottom of a third and one.

820
00:45:57.039 --> 00:45:59.639
<v Speaker 3>Two's on the outside corner in good afternoon, good evening and.

821
00:46:00.159 --> 00:46:04.119
<v Speaker 18>Night rounded the first. That's fair glove by Nicholson. He

822
00:46:04.199 --> 00:46:07.039
<v Speaker 18>touches the back, comes to second, crip Smith plaiting with

823
00:46:07.079 --> 00:46:10.280
<v Speaker 18>the tag, getting over three to six, gide up round

824
00:46:10.280 --> 00:46:11.400
<v Speaker 18>ball double plays.

825
00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:12.760
<v Speaker 5>We go to the port.

826
00:46:14.280 --> 00:46:15.679
<v Speaker 3>And it's in the air to right.

827
00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:19.079
<v Speaker 18>Hit well, back goes Casper at the warning track, gets

828
00:46:19.119 --> 00:46:22.400
<v Speaker 18>off the wall. Daily voters around burst and he's going

829
00:46:22.440 --> 00:46:26.440
<v Speaker 18>to slide into second with a one out double. It

830
00:46:26.679 --> 00:46:30.159
<v Speaker 18>was a wild pitch to move Daily to third base.

831
00:46:30.559 --> 00:46:33.000
<v Speaker 18>Here's the two to zhi squares and bunch it softly

832
00:46:33.119 --> 00:46:35.960
<v Speaker 18>up the first baseline. Daily coming home, he's saying he's

833
00:46:35.960 --> 00:46:40.159
<v Speaker 18>sitting there ahead of the tag. Daily scores Nicholson into second.

834
00:46:40.199 --> 00:46:42.880
<v Speaker 18>That's a sacrifice, sarvy I for mccarth that use now

835
00:46:42.880 --> 00:46:46.639
<v Speaker 18>at first. Bases loaded for the Beavers. They're one pitch

836
00:46:46.679 --> 00:46:50.760
<v Speaker 18>away from getting a run. The pitch ball four and

837
00:46:50.920 --> 00:46:53.639
<v Speaker 18>Kentucky not only has handed the base runners, they just

838
00:46:53.679 --> 00:46:56.079
<v Speaker 18>handed them their first run of the night. Ay off

839
00:46:56.119 --> 00:47:00.639
<v Speaker 18>pitch ball four and re tied it to unbelievable.

840
00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:02.239
<v Speaker 2>Without a hit.

841
00:47:02.599 --> 00:47:05.079
<v Speaker 5>The Beavers have tied this game too, too, so.

842
00:47:05.159 --> 00:47:08.119
<v Speaker 18>Kentucky will turn to Cameron O'Brien, who's the one two

843
00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:12.840
<v Speaker 18>got him basketball and there's a big second out for

844
00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:13.599
<v Speaker 18>the Cats.

845
00:47:14.719 --> 00:47:15.440
<v Speaker 3>Runners will move.

846
00:47:15.519 --> 00:47:18.480
<v Speaker 18>The payoff pitch got him on the inside corner with

847
00:47:18.519 --> 00:47:24.519
<v Speaker 18>a basketball strike. Three inning over. Zana will lead off

848
00:47:24.559 --> 00:47:27.880
<v Speaker 18>the bottom of the fifth and the payoff pitch struck

849
00:47:27.960 --> 00:47:30.440
<v Speaker 18>him out swinging with a change up. L he's throwing

850
00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:31.800
<v Speaker 18>the ball right now, stay with him.

851
00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:35.960
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, he's throwing the ball very well. Struck him out

852
00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:37.239
<v Speaker 3>swinging with a change up.

853
00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:40.440
<v Speaker 24>Another outstanding any by Cameron O'Brien.

854
00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:44.159
<v Speaker 3>Five strikeouts with the right hander, and go to seventh.

855
00:47:44.159 --> 00:47:49.000
<v Speaker 18>Here in Lexington tied it too, swung on and ripped

856
00:47:49.000 --> 00:47:52.079
<v Speaker 18>Bier that's into the left flip corner and glances off

857
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:55.840
<v Speaker 18>the retaining wall, rolling back towards left field, McCarthy turning

858
00:47:55.880 --> 00:47:56.559
<v Speaker 18>towards second.

859
00:47:56.760 --> 00:48:01.119
<v Speaker 3>These sides in there, I laid off double two two

860
00:48:01.199 --> 00:48:03.440
<v Speaker 3>game in the seventh the O two.

861
00:48:03.920 --> 00:48:05.880
<v Speaker 18>And he struck him out, but the paul got away

862
00:48:05.920 --> 00:48:09.519
<v Speaker 18>from whoever Butcarthy to third. There's nobody in covering the play.

863
00:48:09.840 --> 00:48:13.920
<v Speaker 18>It's a good rice eight dies across slaves. Nobody covered

864
00:48:13.960 --> 00:48:17.239
<v Speaker 18>home for Oregon State and McCarty scores for.

865
00:48:17.519 --> 00:48:21.400
<v Speaker 3>Second as grim Smith drives and burs wins three to two.

866
00:48:21.559 --> 00:48:22.719
<v Speaker 3>Kentucky Lee, what.

867
00:48:22.880 --> 00:48:25.039
<v Speaker 2>A heads up play by McCarthy.

868
00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:28.519
<v Speaker 3>Robert Hogan is the new pitcher. Brothers at the corners

869
00:48:28.559 --> 00:48:32.280
<v Speaker 3>with one out. Here's the one two swing in a mess.

870
00:48:32.320 --> 00:48:35.639
<v Speaker 18>He struck him out a slider the old wana McDowell

871
00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:37.559
<v Speaker 18>swung on and wind up the middle.

872
00:48:37.639 --> 00:48:42.119
<v Speaker 3>Brand Smith blunts it, beating over grand Smith up the

873
00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:45.920
<v Speaker 3>middle spears. That's all out of nowhere. Aaron Ball had

874
00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:47.719
<v Speaker 3>base hit written all over again.

875
00:48:47.760 --> 00:48:49.159
<v Speaker 5>Grant Smid's just dropped it.

876
00:48:49.440 --> 00:48:51.320
<v Speaker 18>Here we go, the last of the eighth been a

877
00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:57.360
<v Speaker 18>one two swing in a mess. Two down two one

878
00:48:57.880 --> 00:49:00.280
<v Speaker 18>mind shot turns into a bouncer to Grant's been in

879
00:49:00.360 --> 00:49:02.280
<v Speaker 18>short he flips the first heading over.

880
00:49:03.119 --> 00:49:05.760
<v Speaker 3>Robert Hogan is fired up, and so are the Big

881
00:49:05.760 --> 00:49:11.079
<v Speaker 3>Glue Nation. It all comes down to this. Three ounds

882
00:49:11.159 --> 00:49:13.760
<v Speaker 3>is all Kentucky needs and the.

883
00:49:13.719 --> 00:49:18.400
<v Speaker 18>One two high chopped shallow right Nicholson foot race Hogan,

884
00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:21.800
<v Speaker 18>he got it. Where there's one away, here's the old one.

885
00:49:22.199 --> 00:49:25.480
<v Speaker 18>He swung on in mine, locked down by daily a third.

886
00:49:25.599 --> 00:49:28.119
<v Speaker 3>The throw got him two away.

887
00:49:28.800 --> 00:49:31.920
<v Speaker 18>The Wildcats are one out a way when all is

888
00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:34.159
<v Speaker 18>going to rest on the arm of Johnny and humbles

889
00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:38.719
<v Speaker 18>the tying run Santana at third, the winning run Bizanna

890
00:49:38.800 --> 00:49:42.840
<v Speaker 18>at first for the Beavers hands together, dumbing in two

891
00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:44.079
<v Speaker 18>to McDowell.

892
00:49:45.199 --> 00:49:50.519
<v Speaker 3>Humbles pitch cap right, three ball, game over. The wait

893
00:49:51.039 --> 00:49:54.920
<v Speaker 3>is finally over, throw out the big blue carpet, and Allah.

894
00:49:55.480 --> 00:50:00.000
<v Speaker 18>The University of Kentucky wildcats 're headed to the top

895
00:50:00.559 --> 00:50:01.960
<v Speaker 18>World Series.

896
00:50:02.960 --> 00:50:05.880
<v Speaker 1>Players stayed on the field for the longest time, celebrating

897
00:50:06.239 --> 00:50:09.119
<v Speaker 1>with the fans, and they got ready to go to Omaha,

898
00:50:09.280 --> 00:50:12.239
<v Speaker 1>where they fell behind early in Game one to NC State,

899
00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:16.320
<v Speaker 1>but came all the way back in dramatic fashion once again.

900
00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:18.719
<v Speaker 1>Darren Heddrick and Keith Madison so.

901
00:50:18.760 --> 00:50:21.840
<v Speaker 18>Two strikeouts looking for high phil and now here's Nick Lopez,

902
00:50:21.880 --> 00:50:24.760
<v Speaker 18>the designated hitter, first offering to the switch hitter is

903
00:50:24.840 --> 00:50:27.480
<v Speaker 18>lined up the metal base at Kentucky takes the lead.

904
00:50:28.039 --> 00:50:32.159
<v Speaker 18>Patriet scores from third. Lopez wasted no time as he

905
00:50:32.199 --> 00:50:35.079
<v Speaker 18>shoots a fastball right back up the box to make.

906
00:50:34.920 --> 00:50:37.199
<v Speaker 3>It one nothing. Cats here of the first.

907
00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:43.880
<v Speaker 18>One two high fly ball towards the left field corner.

908
00:50:43.960 --> 00:50:47.480
<v Speaker 18>That one's sailing gone into the Kentucky bull pad.

909
00:50:48.280 --> 00:50:50.280
<v Speaker 3>Nolan McCarthy in.

910
00:50:50.119 --> 00:50:54.239
<v Speaker 18>This college World Series debut waves bye bye, and the

911
00:50:54.320 --> 00:50:56.400
<v Speaker 18>Cats are up three to one. In the bottom of

912
00:50:56.440 --> 00:51:01.719
<v Speaker 18>the fourth, Yes America. The Kentucky Wildcats can hit home runs.

913
00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:09.159
<v Speaker 18>First pitch from Pooser and it's a bouncer back up

914
00:51:09.159 --> 00:51:12.320
<v Speaker 18>the middle, charging at Petrie. He clubs low throws across

915
00:51:12.360 --> 00:51:15.159
<v Speaker 18>his body to end the inning. Nicholson has two hits

916
00:51:15.159 --> 00:51:17.920
<v Speaker 18>in the game. The one swung on in the air

917
00:51:17.920 --> 00:51:21.559
<v Speaker 18>to left, breaking back goes Chase Nixon looking up, it's

918
00:51:21.599 --> 00:51:25.679
<v Speaker 18>over the wall into the Kentucky pen. It is a

919
00:51:26.199 --> 00:51:28.400
<v Speaker 18>Conner tight game.

920
00:51:30.079 --> 00:51:33.559
<v Speaker 24>Or Ryan Nicholson has had a solid approach all through

921
00:51:33.599 --> 00:51:36.719
<v Speaker 24>the game, not trying to do too much, just staying

922
00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:39.159
<v Speaker 24>on the ball, and that time it paid off because

923
00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:40.920
<v Speaker 24>he shot one out.

924
00:51:40.679 --> 00:51:41.679
<v Speaker 3>Of here in left field.

925
00:51:42.559 --> 00:51:45.480
<v Speaker 18>Second home run for the Wildcats at his home run

926
00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:51.239
<v Speaker 18>number twenty two for Ryan Nicholson o one to Hefner

927
00:51:51.360 --> 00:51:53.400
<v Speaker 18>swung on and lined back up the middle. The wind

928
00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:55.360
<v Speaker 18>picks it up diving as print.

929
00:51:55.159 --> 00:51:57.239
<v Speaker 3>Berger and he caught it and left center.

930
00:51:57.840 --> 00:52:00.599
<v Speaker 18>You can see the wind lift that set making line

931
00:52:00.719 --> 00:52:03.239
<v Speaker 18>drive and it held it up there for Krittenberger to

932
00:52:03.360 --> 00:52:07.000
<v Speaker 18>make a tremendous catch diving to his bare hand right

933
00:52:07.079 --> 00:52:10.360
<v Speaker 18>into left center. Because you don't see that very often.

934
00:52:10.760 --> 00:52:14.079
<v Speaker 18>Here's a swinging of drive today. Bleft Beck goes Nixon

935
00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:15.119
<v Speaker 18>looking up.

936
00:52:15.159 --> 00:52:17.239
<v Speaker 3>Daily, win it, Daily, wins it.

937
00:52:17.599 --> 00:52:18.480
<v Speaker 13>Daily wins it.

938
00:52:18.840 --> 00:52:22.840
<v Speaker 18>Kentucky defeats in CEA State five to four on a

939
00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:25.519
<v Speaker 18>walk off home run by Mitchell Daily.

940
00:52:26.679 --> 00:52:30.000
<v Speaker 24>What a blast by Mitchell Daily And want to clutch.

941
00:52:29.679 --> 00:52:33.920
<v Speaker 18>Home run right there, Darren, make sure he touches home plate, guys.

942
00:52:34.079 --> 00:52:35.239
<v Speaker 3>Kentucky wins it.

943
00:52:36.039 --> 00:52:38.800
<v Speaker 18>They take Game one of the College World Series in

944
00:52:38.880 --> 00:52:42.599
<v Speaker 18>a walk off Mitchell Daily with the walk off home

945
00:52:42.719 --> 00:52:46.280
<v Speaker 18>run to the Kentucky bullpen down the left field line.

946
00:52:47.599 --> 00:52:52.320
<v Speaker 18>Final score in Omaha, Kentucky five in c State four.

947
00:52:53.119 --> 00:52:55.920
<v Speaker 24>What an exciting finish for the Kentucky Walcats at this

948
00:52:56.039 --> 00:52:56.840
<v Speaker 24>extra inning game.

949
00:52:58.119 --> 00:52:59.119
<v Speaker 3>Unbelievable.

950
00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:02.840
<v Speaker 1>Daily transfer from Texas gets it done, But so did

951
00:53:02.920 --> 00:53:05.159
<v Speaker 1>Ryan Nicholson. He got off to a little bit of

952
00:53:05.159 --> 00:53:07.679
<v Speaker 1>a slow start and then became one of the best

953
00:53:07.679 --> 00:53:11.400
<v Speaker 1>sluggers in all of college baseball. Wildcats didn't get any

954
00:53:11.400 --> 00:53:14.840
<v Speaker 1>further as they were eliminated, but now something to build

955
00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:17.880
<v Speaker 1>on with basically a brand new team. Lots of transfers

956
00:53:17.880 --> 00:53:21.599
<v Speaker 1>this year, and that begins sooner than later. A couple

957
00:53:21.679 --> 00:53:24.239
<v Speaker 1>months later, Fall sports rolled around. We'll talk about that

958
00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:25.960
<v Speaker 1>on the other side of the break here on six

959
00:53:26.119 --> 00:53:30.599
<v Speaker 1>thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blooms Siders Special Edition.

960
00:53:30.679 --> 00:53:31.719
<v Speaker 3>As we look back.

961
00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:35.400
<v Speaker 1>On the calendar year twenty twenty four, fall sports began with,

962
00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:39.159
<v Speaker 1>among other things, volleyball, and those Wildcats got off to

963
00:53:39.199 --> 00:53:42.239
<v Speaker 1>a rough start. They were playing a brutally tough schedule,

964
00:53:42.280 --> 00:53:44.719
<v Speaker 1>had some injuries to deal with, so I mentioned earlier,

965
00:53:44.800 --> 00:53:47.760
<v Speaker 1>though they straightened things out in time to win another

966
00:53:48.360 --> 00:53:52.000
<v Speaker 1>SEC championship and win their way to the Elite eight.

967
00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:55.360
<v Speaker 1>Football got off to a so so start, opening with

968
00:53:55.440 --> 00:53:58.440
<v Speaker 1>a win over Southern misst and that surprising loss to

969
00:53:58.599 --> 00:54:02.119
<v Speaker 1>South Carolina. But the highlight of September, and it turned

970
00:54:02.119 --> 00:54:05.079
<v Speaker 1>out to be the entire season, was the huge upset

971
00:54:05.119 --> 00:54:07.760
<v Speaker 1>win down at Old Miss, which was ranked in the

972
00:54:07.800 --> 00:54:11.280
<v Speaker 1>top ten at the time, but Kentucky pulled it off.

973
00:54:11.440 --> 00:54:13.920
<v Speaker 1>Here's how Tom Leech and Jeff Bicoro called it.

974
00:54:13.960 --> 00:54:17.599
<v Speaker 2>In Oxford, Vander Griff fires into the middle, broke it up,

975
00:54:17.679 --> 00:54:21.039
<v Speaker 2>Flack under down pass interfere They were trying to get

976
00:54:21.159 --> 00:54:23.079
<v Speaker 2>key in the middle of the end zone, right under

977
00:54:23.119 --> 00:54:26.159
<v Speaker 2>the goal posts, and they're going to call holding first

978
00:54:26.199 --> 00:54:30.079
<v Speaker 2>down automatic first down either way. Seven penalties forty eight

979
00:54:30.199 --> 00:54:34.000
<v Speaker 2>yards today whistled against Ole Miss one for ten for Kentucky.

980
00:54:34.320 --> 00:54:38.480
<v Speaker 2>Vanda Griff play faith retreating, throwing it to the back

981
00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:45.519
<v Speaker 2>of the enzone, touchtouchdownser Tucky tasteam Key tracking the back

982
00:54:45.639 --> 00:54:48.280
<v Speaker 2>line of the end zone and Vandergriff just floated it

983
00:54:48.320 --> 00:54:50.960
<v Speaker 2>out there to him. At Keith reached down and snatched

984
00:54:51.000 --> 00:54:54.719
<v Speaker 2>it with two hands. The Wildcats are in front. Twenty

985
00:54:54.760 --> 00:54:57.000
<v Speaker 2>seconds to play in the half. Trips to the left,

986
00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:04.840
<v Speaker 2>one wide out right, dark pressure coming again. Oxen done

987
00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:08.440
<v Speaker 2>got him. The big fella got a little ticked off.

988
00:55:08.440 --> 00:55:10.079
<v Speaker 2>He just said, you won't call it. I'll just go

989
00:55:10.159 --> 00:55:14.079
<v Speaker 2>get it, and he did. Boy, loss of six back

990
00:55:14.079 --> 00:55:16.719
<v Speaker 2>to the twenty old miss out of timeouts.

991
00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:17.239
<v Speaker 3>That's it.

992
00:55:18.039 --> 00:55:21.199
<v Speaker 2>Kentucky is going to take the lead into the locker

993
00:55:21.280 --> 00:55:24.039
<v Speaker 2>room in halftime on the home field of the number

994
00:55:24.079 --> 00:55:28.679
<v Speaker 2>sixteen in the country, a Wildcats ten. The Old miss

995
00:55:28.679 --> 00:55:34.320
<v Speaker 2>Rebels seven and inspired first thirty minutes for Kentucky. Gabriel's

996
00:55:34.360 --> 00:55:36.079
<v Speaker 2>gonna catch up with coach Mark Stuts.

997
00:55:37.519 --> 00:55:39.800
<v Speaker 3>Coach, I gotta think you love the pace of this game.

998
00:55:39.880 --> 00:55:40.960
<v Speaker 1>You've really controlled it.

999
00:55:41.360 --> 00:55:45.280
<v Speaker 25>We have controlled the pace of the game, and both

1000
00:55:45.360 --> 00:55:49.559
<v Speaker 25>sides defense has to get stopped. We've been disruptive, we've

1001
00:55:49.639 --> 00:55:53.880
<v Speaker 25>covered well. As we talked about all week, the pace

1002
00:55:53.920 --> 00:55:56.440
<v Speaker 25>of play early got us and then we settled right

1003
00:55:56.480 --> 00:55:59.679
<v Speaker 25>in and offensively it really kept us in the game,

1004
00:56:00.800 --> 00:56:03.840
<v Speaker 25>controlling it. Obviously we knew we had to score there,

1005
00:56:04.159 --> 00:56:06.239
<v Speaker 25>but you know, so it's really important to.

1006
00:56:06.199 --> 00:56:07.159
<v Speaker 15>Get in the end zone.

1007
00:56:07.360 --> 00:56:10.000
<v Speaker 25>We got to continue to play aggressive. I went forward

1008
00:56:10.159 --> 00:56:12.679
<v Speaker 25>a couple of those fourth downs and uh, you know,

1009
00:56:12.719 --> 00:56:13.440
<v Speaker 25>it's worked out.

1010
00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:15.159
<v Speaker 5>So you know, so far, so good.

1011
00:56:15.159 --> 00:56:16.280
<v Speaker 3>A big, big half here.

1012
00:56:16.360 --> 00:56:18.320
<v Speaker 1>Kind of a physical game, you like, isn't.

1013
00:56:18.159 --> 00:56:19.000
<v Speaker 3>It it is?

1014
00:56:19.599 --> 00:56:22.000
<v Speaker 25>I think that's the one thing that we have to

1015
00:56:22.079 --> 00:56:26.159
<v Speaker 25>keep up. Our guys are playing really physical. Offensively, we're

1016
00:56:26.199 --> 00:56:30.559
<v Speaker 25>getting some dirty, tough runs. Three four yard runs, you know,

1017
00:56:30.639 --> 00:56:33.360
<v Speaker 25>two three four yard runs are are good because we

1018
00:56:33.440 --> 00:56:36.440
<v Speaker 25>gotta we gotta keep them off balance. And then and

1019
00:56:36.480 --> 00:56:38.119
<v Speaker 25>as you can see, our game is then you got

1020
00:56:38.159 --> 00:56:41.440
<v Speaker 25>to play action pass, drop back pass. We struggle, but

1021
00:56:41.599 --> 00:56:43.400
<v Speaker 25>if we could run it and be physical, then the

1022
00:56:43.400 --> 00:56:44.639
<v Speaker 25>play action sets up well.

1023
00:56:44.679 --> 00:56:47.840
<v Speaker 2>Well, coach, thank you, and the Wildcats take a ten

1024
00:56:47.880 --> 00:56:50.599
<v Speaker 2>to seven lead into the locker room here in Oxford.

1025
00:56:50.960 --> 00:56:56.199
<v Speaker 2>Vandergriff receivers each way, fakes left, throws rights, complete the

1026
00:56:56.280 --> 00:56:59.480
<v Speaker 2>key thirty five forty breaks through a tackle up the

1027
00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:02.400
<v Speaker 2>far side line, out of bounds up at the Kentucky

1028
00:57:02.480 --> 00:57:05.880
<v Speaker 2>forty six yard line, twenty one yard game. They give

1029
00:57:05.920 --> 00:57:08.079
<v Speaker 2>it to Wilcot's running left, got an alley across the

1030
00:57:08.119 --> 00:57:11.159
<v Speaker 2>fifty forty five, runs over a tackler, knocks an old

1031
00:57:11.199 --> 00:57:14.360
<v Speaker 2>mist defender back, goes inside the forty to the rebels

1032
00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:17.519
<v Speaker 2>thirty seven yard line. Dotttery finally made the tackle on

1033
00:57:17.599 --> 00:57:20.000
<v Speaker 2>in the game of seventeen, so it'll be a forty

1034
00:57:20.039 --> 00:57:25.239
<v Speaker 2>eight yard field goal attempt for Rainer. I'll pull this

1035
00:57:25.320 --> 00:57:29.119
<v Speaker 2>back to the left a little bit. He's hit already

1036
00:57:29.119 --> 00:57:33.880
<v Speaker 2>from twenty seven today, plenty of leg It's good.

1037
00:57:35.159 --> 00:57:36.360
<v Speaker 3>Thirteen in a row.

1038
00:57:36.800 --> 00:57:39.800
<v Speaker 2>Kentucky retakes the lead with six thirty one to play

1039
00:57:39.840 --> 00:57:43.079
<v Speaker 2>in the third Kentucky thirteen ole miss ten on the

1040
00:57:43.159 --> 00:57:48.119
<v Speaker 2>UK Sports Network. Fourth and seven, two receivers each way

1041
00:57:48.280 --> 00:57:51.239
<v Speaker 2>for Dart coming down to the end of the third quarter,

1042
00:57:52.199 --> 00:57:52.920
<v Speaker 2>blitz coming.

1043
00:57:53.400 --> 00:57:55.320
<v Speaker 3>Dart throws it into the middle.

1044
00:57:55.159 --> 00:57:57.079
<v Speaker 2>And his pot for the first down, and it's a

1045
00:57:57.079 --> 00:57:59.599
<v Speaker 2>lot more Harris running through the middle of the defense

1046
00:57:59.639 --> 00:58:00.719
<v Speaker 2>cuts you go in.

1047
00:58:00.719 --> 00:58:01.519
<v Speaker 3>For the touchdown.

1048
00:58:03.960 --> 00:58:09.239
<v Speaker 2>Kentucky brought everybody on all Outlitz. Ole Miss picks it up.

1049
00:58:09.360 --> 00:58:12.960
<v Speaker 2>Harris on a deep slant, makes the catch, and I

1050
00:58:12.960 --> 00:58:15.239
<v Speaker 2>don't know that anybody ever touched him. Forty seven yard

1051
00:58:15.280 --> 00:58:16.920
<v Speaker 2>touchdown pass on fourth and seven.

1052
00:58:18.440 --> 00:58:21.000
<v Speaker 26>Well, when you give it up like that, you've got

1053
00:58:21.039 --> 00:58:22.119
<v Speaker 26>to get on your guy.

1054
00:58:22.239 --> 00:58:24.719
<v Speaker 3>And he was wide open, streaking.

1055
00:58:26.599 --> 00:58:28.880
<v Speaker 26>Right through the middle of the field of post pattern

1056
00:58:28.920 --> 00:58:32.880
<v Speaker 26>if you will skinny pose at once they picked up

1057
00:58:32.920 --> 00:58:36.480
<v Speaker 26>the blitz, Dark was able to pat it and then

1058
00:58:36.639 --> 00:58:39.280
<v Speaker 26>fire it right to him. And and that kid when

1059
00:58:39.320 --> 00:58:41.239
<v Speaker 26>he gets in the open field, you can forget about it.

1060
00:58:41.679 --> 00:58:44.480
<v Speaker 2>Ten seconds to play in the third quarter, and Ole

1061
00:58:44.599 --> 00:58:48.800
<v Speaker 2>Miss goes back in front. Here in Oxford seventeen to

1062
00:58:48.880 --> 00:58:52.320
<v Speaker 2>thirteen on a forty eight yard touchdown pass on fourth

1063
00:58:52.760 --> 00:58:58.679
<v Speaker 2>and seven, So fourth and eights from its own nineteen

1064
00:58:59.440 --> 00:59:02.079
<v Speaker 2>Mark Stoups pushing the chips to the center of the table.

1065
00:59:02.119 --> 00:59:06.599
<v Speaker 2>The four h four to play, trailing seventeen thirteen. They

1066
00:59:06.599 --> 00:59:09.800
<v Speaker 2>don't make it on missus and minimum starts in field

1067
00:59:09.800 --> 00:59:15.480
<v Speaker 2>goal rings. Vandergriff drops blitz coming. He's throwing it up

1068
00:59:15.519 --> 00:59:17.320
<v Speaker 2>the far sideline and it's.

1069
00:59:17.239 --> 00:59:20.719
<v Speaker 3>Cold brown at the thirty four. He stayed in the South.

1070
00:59:20.559 --> 00:59:22.760
<v Speaker 2>Comes back across the near side of the thirty and

1071
00:59:22.960 --> 00:59:24.239
<v Speaker 2>the twenty down.

1072
00:59:24.039 --> 00:59:26.679
<v Speaker 3>Of the seventeen yard line of Old Miss.

1073
00:59:27.000 --> 00:59:27.880
<v Speaker 21>Who wanna throw?

1074
00:59:28.159 --> 00:59:31.599
<v Speaker 2>Vandergriff dropped it in and right into the hands of

1075
00:59:31.719 --> 00:59:33.519
<v Speaker 2>Brown streaking down the left side.

1076
00:59:33.559 --> 00:59:36.760
<v Speaker 3>There's the chunk play you were looking for. And Ivy

1077
00:59:36.920 --> 00:59:37.639
<v Speaker 3>is down.

1078
00:59:37.440 --> 00:59:39.360
<v Speaker 26>Back at the fifteen yard line. He started to run

1079
00:59:39.400 --> 00:59:41.599
<v Speaker 26>up the field that he just fell down. It's gonna

1080
00:59:41.639 --> 00:59:44.519
<v Speaker 26>give the team a blow, but Kentucky has it inside

1081
00:59:44.559 --> 00:59:49.639
<v Speaker 26>the red zone. Now, wow, he tiptoed the sidelines tom

1082
00:59:49.719 --> 00:59:52.239
<v Speaker 26>stadium bounds and got himself an extra ten or twelve.

1083
00:59:52.039 --> 00:59:56.039
<v Speaker 2>Yards sixty two yards on the completion to Barry and Brown.

1084
00:59:56.079 --> 00:59:58.360
<v Speaker 2>As the Cats are back in the red zone, first

1085
00:59:58.400 --> 01:00:01.239
<v Speaker 2>and ten, Kentucky inside the left hash mark of the

1086
01:00:01.239 --> 01:00:04.119
<v Speaker 2>Old Miss seventeen yard line. They give it to Sumo

1087
01:00:04.199 --> 01:00:07.440
<v Speaker 2>Carnbay bouncing that left. He's got room fifteen ten carry's

1088
01:00:07.480 --> 01:00:11.199
<v Speaker 2>a tackler for a first down to the six yard line.

1089
01:00:11.440 --> 01:00:14.199
<v Speaker 2>Wimsp Now the quarterbacks, who will Carnbay to his left?

1090
01:00:14.760 --> 01:00:15.360
<v Speaker 3>Wimsit on.

1091
01:00:15.440 --> 01:00:18.360
<v Speaker 2>A keeper running left at the five, drops his shoulder,

1092
01:00:18.360 --> 01:00:20.440
<v Speaker 2>gips to the two fubble the football did it go

1093
01:00:20.519 --> 01:00:23.119
<v Speaker 2>into the end zone touchdown Kentucky.

1094
01:00:23.119 --> 01:00:27.159
<v Speaker 3>On the recovery in the end zone.

1095
01:00:27.320 --> 01:00:33.360
<v Speaker 2>Trying to see who got it, Caddis Josh Caddis recovered

1096
01:00:33.400 --> 01:00:36.119
<v Speaker 2>the ball. It popped out of wimset at the two

1097
01:00:36.880 --> 01:00:40.519
<v Speaker 2>and went right to Cadis in the end zone. Kentucky

1098
01:00:40.599 --> 01:00:45.239
<v Speaker 2>twenty ole Miss seventeen. With two twenty five to play

1099
01:00:45.239 --> 01:00:49.480
<v Speaker 2>in the game. Here in Oxford, Mississippi, dart sets deep.

1100
01:00:49.559 --> 01:00:51.760
<v Speaker 2>Stunted up brut Ole miss picks it up. He scrambles

1101
01:00:51.760 --> 01:00:53.679
<v Speaker 2>off to the right, throws it deep into the middle

1102
01:00:53.719 --> 01:00:59.519
<v Speaker 2>of the field. Life and good yep time kay praised

1103
01:00:59.559 --> 01:01:01.280
<v Speaker 2>Carn Kristen's story.

1104
01:01:01.440 --> 01:01:04.599
<v Speaker 3>Kristen's story got lost. What are you doing?

1105
01:01:05.280 --> 01:01:08.719
<v Speaker 2>Make's the catch at the Kentucky thirty four yard line.

1106
01:01:09.159 --> 01:01:11.960
<v Speaker 3>You got Kayden Davis, a senior.

1107
01:01:12.159 --> 01:01:16.559
<v Speaker 2>The ball's gonna be spotted just shy of the thirty

1108
01:01:16.639 --> 01:01:17.840
<v Speaker 2>nine yard line of Kentucky.

1109
01:01:18.119 --> 01:01:19.079
<v Speaker 5>Just get big, boys.

1110
01:01:19.480 --> 01:01:22.360
<v Speaker 2>We'll call this a forty nine yard field goal attempt

1111
01:01:22.719 --> 01:01:25.639
<v Speaker 2>off the right Hashmark Davis is a right footed kicker,

1112
01:01:25.639 --> 01:01:26.960
<v Speaker 2>so he has to pull this back to the left

1113
01:01:26.960 --> 01:01:29.400
<v Speaker 2>a little bit to try and tie the game with

1114
01:01:29.519 --> 01:01:30.880
<v Speaker 2>fifty three seconds left.

1115
01:01:31.360 --> 01:01:32.320
<v Speaker 3>A little bit of a low staff.

1116
01:01:32.360 --> 01:01:32.760
<v Speaker 15>They get it.

1117
01:01:32.800 --> 01:01:39.800
<v Speaker 3>Down kicks on the way. No that holy.

1118
01:01:42.159 --> 01:01:46.119
<v Speaker 2>Forty eight seconds to play an old mess comes up empty?

1119
01:01:47.320 --> 01:01:53.199
<v Speaker 3>Yes, how about that? The sideline's empty and Mark stoops in.

1120
01:01:53.320 --> 01:01:56.719
<v Speaker 2>Is Kentucky wild Cats have shot the college football world

1121
01:01:57.920 --> 01:02:02.400
<v Speaker 2>wait to go, Bubba go in the Magnolia State For Kentucky.

1122
01:02:03.079 --> 01:02:05.239
<v Speaker 1>That seemed to put the Cats back on track, but

1123
01:02:05.320 --> 01:02:07.400
<v Speaker 1>it just didn't work for the Wildcats, who won only

1124
01:02:07.480 --> 01:02:10.119
<v Speaker 1>four games, and one of them was against Murray State,

1125
01:02:10.239 --> 01:02:12.960
<v Speaker 1>just a really weak one double eight team. But what

1126
01:02:13.039 --> 01:02:15.440
<v Speaker 1>we saw that day might have been the future cutter

1127
01:02:15.599 --> 01:02:19.480
<v Speaker 1>Bowleie with a couple of touchdown passes to Anthony Brown Stevens.

1128
01:02:19.840 --> 01:02:24.159
<v Speaker 5>So it's an empty backfield for cutter Bowley. Bowley holding

1129
01:02:24.199 --> 01:02:24.760
<v Speaker 5>the ball.

1130
01:02:24.599 --> 01:02:27.519
<v Speaker 2>Fires man wide open at the five slips a tackle,

1131
01:02:27.840 --> 01:02:32.480
<v Speaker 2>touchdown Kentucky Anthony Brown Stevens on fourth and one from

1132
01:02:32.519 --> 01:02:34.039
<v Speaker 2>the twenty two yard line.

1133
01:02:34.159 --> 01:02:36.519
<v Speaker 1>So maybe that's your starter next year, or maybe, as

1134
01:02:36.599 --> 01:02:40.400
<v Speaker 1>Zach Calzada, spring football is on the way, we'll come

1135
01:02:40.440 --> 01:02:44.360
<v Speaker 1>back and pick up with Kentucky basketball. Mark Pope's team

1136
01:02:44.440 --> 01:02:47.920
<v Speaker 1>posting some impressive wins, as did Kenny Brooks Ball Club

1137
01:02:48.119 --> 01:02:51.639
<v Speaker 1>back in a minute at six thirty wlap Welcome back,

1138
01:02:51.639 --> 01:02:53.920
<v Speaker 1>to this special edition of The Big Blooming Sider as

1139
01:02:53.960 --> 01:02:56.719
<v Speaker 1>we look back on the calendar year twenty twenty four

1140
01:02:56.760 --> 01:02:59.960
<v Speaker 1>in UK sports, as football limp to the finish line

1141
01:03:00.039 --> 01:03:02.400
<v Speaker 1>and UK fans more and more began to look forward

1142
01:03:02.639 --> 01:03:07.119
<v Speaker 1>to basketball with a two new head coaches. Kenny Brooks's team,

1143
01:03:07.159 --> 01:03:11.400
<v Speaker 1>which plays tomorrow against Mississippi State at seven o'clock at

1144
01:03:11.400 --> 01:03:14.639
<v Speaker 1>the Coliseum, winning eleven of its first twelve, they only

1145
01:03:14.639 --> 01:03:18.719
<v Speaker 1>lost to North Carolina. The wins including conquest of Illinois,

1146
01:03:18.719 --> 01:03:23.760
<v Speaker 1>Arizona State, and Louisville Cardinals. Brooks had put together basically

1147
01:03:23.760 --> 01:03:26.760
<v Speaker 1>a brand new roster, just as Mark Pope did, and

1148
01:03:26.800 --> 01:03:29.239
<v Speaker 1>that was one of the first questions put to Pope

1149
01:03:29.480 --> 01:03:34.199
<v Speaker 1>at his UK basketball media day for very first news

1150
01:03:34.199 --> 01:03:38.960
<v Speaker 1>conference as a Kentucky coach officially on media day, somebody

1151
01:03:39.000 --> 01:03:41.480
<v Speaker 1>asked him about the roster and how it's going to

1152
01:03:41.519 --> 01:03:43.880
<v Speaker 1>come together and how he hoped it would come together.

1153
01:03:44.320 --> 01:03:47.159
<v Speaker 27>I'm really excited about our guys talent level. I'm really

1154
01:03:47.199 --> 01:03:50.599
<v Speaker 27>excited about their experience. I'm really excited about their commitment

1155
01:03:50.639 --> 01:03:54.239
<v Speaker 27>and desire to be here at the University of Kentucky

1156
01:03:54.320 --> 01:03:56.880
<v Speaker 27>and represent what this place is. I'm excited about their

1157
01:03:56.920 --> 01:04:00.559
<v Speaker 27>hearts and their insides. I'm excited about how they're growing

1158
01:04:00.559 --> 01:04:03.679
<v Speaker 27>together as a team. I'm full of optimism and excitement

1159
01:04:03.719 --> 01:04:06.280
<v Speaker 27>about this team. I think that we as a collective group,

1160
01:04:07.000 --> 01:04:11.199
<v Speaker 27>are gonna love watching these guys compete. And we're not

1161
01:04:11.239 --> 01:04:16.159
<v Speaker 27>gonna see perfection, uh, but we're gonna see perfect effort,

1162
01:04:16.440 --> 01:04:21.000
<v Speaker 27>and we're gonna see close to perfect commitment and from that,

1163
01:04:21.280 --> 01:04:23.800
<v Speaker 27>magical things happen. And so I'm really excited about that.

1164
01:04:23.840 --> 01:04:28.280
<v Speaker 27>In terms of in terms of in state local talent,

1165
01:04:28.320 --> 01:04:31.280
<v Speaker 27>that's that's an it's it's it's always been a really

1166
01:04:31.320 --> 01:04:34.880
<v Speaker 27>important part of the mix. And and the depth of

1167
01:04:35.039 --> 01:04:38.960
<v Speaker 27>talent in the state of Kentucky will always like every state,

1168
01:04:39.000 --> 01:04:42.519
<v Speaker 27>it it will have some fluctuations, but uh, there's great

1169
01:04:42.599 --> 01:04:46.199
<v Speaker 27>talent in this state right now, a tremendous talent. And

1170
01:04:46.199 --> 01:04:51.400
<v Speaker 27>and with that the gift of understanding, uh intimately from

1171
01:04:51.440 --> 01:04:56.880
<v Speaker 27>the time before you were even born, understanding what Kentucky

1172
01:04:56.920 --> 01:04:58.679
<v Speaker 27>means and what it is. And so that'll be important

1173
01:04:58.679 --> 01:05:01.440
<v Speaker 27>and greed of how we build this program moving forward.

1174
01:05:02.159 --> 01:05:04.320
<v Speaker 1>We got a chance to talk to the players prior

1175
01:05:04.400 --> 01:05:06.559
<v Speaker 1>to Media Day here and there, but one of the

1176
01:05:06.559 --> 01:05:09.719
<v Speaker 1>guys I talked to on media day was Travis Perry

1177
01:05:09.840 --> 01:05:13.400
<v Speaker 1>and last spoken to him after the Sweet sixteen championship,

1178
01:05:13.639 --> 01:05:16.159
<v Speaker 1>but we had a chance to chat on media day

1179
01:05:16.440 --> 01:05:19.280
<v Speaker 1>now that he was wearing a UK uniform. Perhaps this

1180
01:05:19.360 --> 01:05:20.880
<v Speaker 1>is the first time in a while you haven't played

1181
01:05:20.880 --> 01:05:23.320
<v Speaker 1>for your dad. What's that adjustment been, Like.

1182
01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:26.400
<v Speaker 28>It's been a little bit of adjustment, but you know,

1183
01:05:26.440 --> 01:05:28.519
<v Speaker 28>it's I played for him for so long. It was

1184
01:05:28.599 --> 01:05:30.960
<v Speaker 28>kind of like he was on the court. He wasn't

1185
01:05:31.000 --> 01:05:32.920
<v Speaker 28>really like my dad like he was. He was as

1186
01:05:32.920 --> 01:05:34.800
<v Speaker 28>hard on me as he needed to be, probably probably

1187
01:05:34.840 --> 01:05:37.000
<v Speaker 28>even a little bit too hard at times. But you know,

1188
01:05:37.039 --> 01:05:38.880
<v Speaker 28>that's that's a great experience for any kid to get

1189
01:05:38.880 --> 01:05:41.440
<v Speaker 28>to have. And now you know, coach Pope is is

1190
01:05:41.519 --> 01:05:44.480
<v Speaker 28>honestly like he's such a such a great person, like

1191
01:05:44.519 --> 01:05:46.360
<v Speaker 28>he's like a dad to all of us. So that's

1192
01:05:46.400 --> 01:05:48.880
<v Speaker 28>something that's really important for us. But it's been great.

1193
01:05:48.920 --> 01:05:51.119
<v Speaker 28>You know, Coach Bobb has a great system, has a

1194
01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:54.400
<v Speaker 28>great way of doing things, very supportive and and still's

1195
01:05:54.440 --> 01:05:56.559
<v Speaker 28>probably just as much confidence in me as my dad

1196
01:05:56.559 --> 01:05:57.400
<v Speaker 28>did whenever I was playing.

1197
01:05:57.480 --> 01:05:58.360
<v Speaker 5>So that's that's awesome.

1198
01:05:58.440 --> 01:06:01.760
<v Speaker 1>He said, you and the three freshmen, but your heads

1199
01:06:01.760 --> 01:06:04.000
<v Speaker 1>were spinning a little bit at the very beginning. I

1200
01:06:04.000 --> 01:06:05.559
<v Speaker 1>got to think, it's been a while since your head

1201
01:06:05.599 --> 01:06:07.000
<v Speaker 1>was spinning when it came to basketball.

1202
01:06:07.000 --> 01:06:10.239
<v Speaker 28>What was that like, Yeah, No, that's that's definitely definitely

1203
01:06:10.239 --> 01:06:13.079
<v Speaker 28>something that I think for any freshman is probably gonna happen,

1204
01:06:13.159 --> 01:06:15.599
<v Speaker 28>especially playing in the system like we play like. It's

1205
01:06:15.960 --> 01:06:18.480
<v Speaker 28>it's similar to how I've played a lot, but there's

1206
01:06:18.519 --> 01:06:20.840
<v Speaker 28>just so many more things to think about in college basketball.

1207
01:06:21.360 --> 01:06:23.360
<v Speaker 28>So yeah, it was definitely a little bit of spinning there.

1208
01:06:23.679 --> 01:06:26.679
<v Speaker 28>But like I said, we've got great coaching staff, great guys,

1209
01:06:27.039 --> 01:06:30.599
<v Speaker 28>great leaders, really upper upper level leaders that that kind

1210
01:06:30.639 --> 01:06:32.599
<v Speaker 28>of helped settle us down and get us going in

1211
01:06:32.639 --> 01:06:33.159
<v Speaker 28>the right path.

1212
01:06:33.199 --> 01:06:34.960
<v Speaker 1>You said you were having trouble getting your shot off

1213
01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:35.400
<v Speaker 1>at first.

1214
01:06:35.519 --> 01:06:37.480
<v Speaker 3>That's new too, a little bit.

1215
01:06:37.559 --> 01:06:39.199
<v Speaker 28>A little bit, I think we're I think we've got

1216
01:06:39.239 --> 01:06:40.719
<v Speaker 28>a good now. We've done a lot of work and

1217
01:06:41.360 --> 01:06:43.199
<v Speaker 28>got a lot quicker and kind of kind of figured

1218
01:06:43.199 --> 01:06:43.880
<v Speaker 28>it out there.

1219
01:06:44.079 --> 01:06:46.920
<v Speaker 1>Travis hasn't played all that much because he's basically the

1220
01:06:47.000 --> 01:06:50.119
<v Speaker 1>number three point guard, but he has gotten minutes what

1221
01:06:50.199 --> 01:06:54.480
<v Speaker 1>with Butler being injured and running into foul trouble. Jackson

1222
01:06:54.599 --> 01:06:57.960
<v Speaker 1>Robinson is a backup point guard, but Perry has been

1223
01:06:57.960 --> 01:07:01.320
<v Speaker 1>counted on by Mark Pope and staff to pick up

1224
01:07:01.360 --> 01:07:05.719
<v Speaker 1>some of that slack, and Pope has been nothing but

1225
01:07:05.920 --> 01:07:08.880
<v Speaker 1>positive about the minutes that he's gotten from Travis Perry,

1226
01:07:08.880 --> 01:07:11.880
<v Speaker 1>who hasn't quite gotten his stroke down yet. Of course,

1227
01:07:12.000 --> 01:07:14.679
<v Speaker 1>he's the all time leader in high school scoring in

1228
01:07:14.719 --> 01:07:17.800
<v Speaker 1>the history of the state of Kentucky, but he has

1229
01:07:18.039 --> 01:07:20.440
<v Speaker 1>bagged a couple of shots. But every time he comes

1230
01:07:20.440 --> 01:07:23.519
<v Speaker 1>in you can feel the UK fans really looking for

1231
01:07:23.639 --> 01:07:26.960
<v Speaker 1>him to start knocking him down. But that's not his job.

1232
01:07:27.480 --> 01:07:30.679
<v Speaker 1>His job is to run the team and get everybody

1233
01:07:30.679 --> 01:07:32.480
<v Speaker 1>where they need to be, and he's only a freshman.

1234
01:07:33.159 --> 01:07:36.039
<v Speaker 1>So far, so good for the Wildcats. In fact, they

1235
01:07:36.039 --> 01:07:38.880
<v Speaker 1>got off to that great start with a couple of

1236
01:07:38.920 --> 01:07:43.239
<v Speaker 1>exhibition games, hitting three pointers. Their first two regular season games,

1237
01:07:43.480 --> 01:07:46.760
<v Speaker 1>they topped one hundred point mark against Wright State and

1238
01:07:46.880 --> 01:07:50.800
<v Speaker 1>buck Nell. Then came the matchup with Duke down in Atlanta.

1239
01:07:50.840 --> 01:07:54.159
<v Speaker 1>The Wildcats didn't get exactly off to the best of starts,

1240
01:07:54.599 --> 01:07:58.320
<v Speaker 1>but they were able to thrill the Big Blue Nation

1241
01:07:58.480 --> 01:08:01.960
<v Speaker 1>and impress the entire country where they come from behind

1242
01:08:02.039 --> 01:08:05.360
<v Speaker 1>victory over the boot Devils called by Tom Leach and

1243
01:08:05.480 --> 01:08:06.360
<v Speaker 1>Jack Gibbon.

1244
01:08:06.480 --> 01:08:08.559
<v Speaker 3>Kentucky back in front twelve to eleven.

1245
01:08:08.920 --> 01:08:11.079
<v Speaker 2>Car dribbles out front, gets it back to Cresa Cresa

1246
01:08:11.199 --> 01:08:12.599
<v Speaker 2>open three left side.

1247
01:08:12.360 --> 01:08:12.639
<v Speaker 3>Got it?

1248
01:08:13.840 --> 01:08:16.960
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it just goes back to that first shot by

1249
01:08:17.000 --> 01:08:19.199
<v Speaker 2>Andrew Carr that ribles over to his right, floats it

1250
01:08:19.239 --> 01:08:22.319
<v Speaker 2>pass to the corner. Three pointer. God, all the arm.

1251
01:08:23.039 --> 01:08:26.159
<v Speaker 2>That's the town of ball. Kentucky wants to play Amari.

1252
01:08:26.199 --> 01:08:29.439
<v Speaker 2>Williams goes down to the left block, leans into malolatch

1253
01:08:29.560 --> 01:08:31.600
<v Speaker 2>a couple of pump fakes, gets knocked down.

1254
01:08:31.479 --> 01:08:34.880
<v Speaker 3>Flips on the head, count it foul. My watch.

1255
01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:40.239
<v Speaker 2>Comes into the paint, jump hook, bounces around, won't go

1256
01:08:40.359 --> 01:08:42.000
<v Speaker 2>tapped in oh way?

1257
01:08:42.119 --> 01:08:44.680
<v Speaker 3>Got it? Yeah, Kobe Bray is in there. He can

1258
01:08:44.720 --> 01:08:45.359
<v Speaker 3>certainly do that.

1259
01:08:46.000 --> 01:08:48.960
<v Speaker 2>Brea down to the right side, back's south left wing

1260
01:08:49.119 --> 01:08:49.920
<v Speaker 2>three good.

1261
01:08:50.680 --> 01:08:55.000
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, he better take advantage of these minutes while he can't.

1262
01:08:55.239 --> 01:08:55.640
<v Speaker 3>No good.

1263
01:08:55.640 --> 01:08:58.159
<v Speaker 2>Out of the right corner rebound, Williams throws it out

1264
01:08:58.199 --> 01:08:59.960
<v Speaker 2>to Butler around the oh way left.

1265
01:09:00.239 --> 01:09:03.239
<v Speaker 3>Three ball, Got it? Yeah, that's what you need. Williams

1266
01:09:03.560 --> 01:09:06.039
<v Speaker 3>almost lost it, gathers it back in. Heavots with a.

1267
01:09:06.079 --> 01:09:08.800
<v Speaker 2>Jump cut off the glass off that left block.

1268
01:09:09.039 --> 01:09:11.279
<v Speaker 4>Just the way Kentucky needed to come out.

1269
01:09:11.680 --> 01:09:13.960
<v Speaker 2>Wait, oh wait, hits a Car on the pick and roll,

1270
01:09:14.159 --> 01:09:16.319
<v Speaker 2>makes the catch, comes into the lane jump hook good

1271
01:09:16.520 --> 01:09:19.880
<v Speaker 2>nice is it to the corner where Ray off the screen.

1272
01:09:19.880 --> 01:09:22.000
<v Speaker 2>He makes the catch, shoots a three left wing, got

1273
01:09:22.079 --> 01:09:25.279
<v Speaker 2>it and we got a duke player injured, missed another

1274
01:09:25.319 --> 01:09:28.560
<v Speaker 2>one and the rebound of Butler. Butler brings it up

1275
01:09:28.720 --> 01:09:31.520
<v Speaker 2>the right side, gets into the lane, goes for the bucket,

1276
01:09:31.520 --> 01:09:34.119
<v Speaker 2>flips it out of count found on dukes.

1277
01:09:34.239 --> 01:09:34.960
<v Speaker 3>There you go.

1278
01:09:36.479 --> 01:09:38.159
<v Speaker 2>Sar got a piece of it, and Williams clears the

1279
01:09:38.199 --> 01:09:41.319
<v Speaker 2>rebound for Kentucky Butler on the ruds. Butler drives it

1280
01:09:41.359 --> 01:09:43.600
<v Speaker 2>inte throws it over to Pray up for a wide.

1281
01:09:43.439 --> 01:09:45.479
<v Speaker 3>Open layup, but time out right now be good.

1282
01:09:45.760 --> 01:09:48.800
<v Speaker 2>He almost threw it away as he actually threw it

1283
01:09:49.159 --> 01:09:50.920
<v Speaker 2>to Brown who's tried to save it in but he

1284
01:09:51.000 --> 01:09:53.640
<v Speaker 2>saved it to a Kentucky player. Butler down the lane,

1285
01:09:53.680 --> 01:09:56.039
<v Speaker 2>flips up a shot. Won't go follow it in Garrison

1286
01:09:56.359 --> 01:09:59.720
<v Speaker 2>nice just energy, baby energy right now, can't get a shot,

1287
01:09:59.760 --> 01:10:03.439
<v Speaker 2>throws after car. Here's Garrison from the top hits a three.

1288
01:10:03.800 --> 01:10:06.439
<v Speaker 2>It's actually always the double zero who dribbled out of

1289
01:10:06.439 --> 01:10:09.359
<v Speaker 2>the basket. Here comes the Cats down four six point

1290
01:10:09.359 --> 01:10:12.680
<v Speaker 2>fifty to play passed the gas and turns and scores.

1291
01:10:12.760 --> 01:10:15.439
<v Speaker 2>Breon came down the right side and he fired a

1292
01:10:15.479 --> 01:10:19.359
<v Speaker 2>diagonal dart to Garrison right under the basket. Garrison with

1293
01:10:19.520 --> 01:10:21.279
<v Speaker 2>eight and it's a two point game.

1294
01:10:21.600 --> 01:10:23.680
<v Speaker 3>Five and a half minutes to play. Prease a top

1295
01:10:23.720 --> 01:10:28.840
<v Speaker 3>of the key threes or big time shot, big time.

1296
01:10:28.760 --> 01:10:30.920
<v Speaker 2>Shot Leam should have delivered the ball now he shovels

1297
01:10:30.920 --> 01:10:34.000
<v Speaker 2>it after car who fakes the three drives banks its

1298
01:10:34.720 --> 01:10:37.640
<v Speaker 2>fat on Duke Andrew Carr can tie the game.

1299
01:10:38.039 --> 01:10:45.960
<v Speaker 3>Circle punks Adello, oh way lad God Kentucky leads assist

1300
01:10:46.119 --> 01:10:47.840
<v Speaker 3>car fucking away.

1301
01:10:48.560 --> 01:10:51.199
<v Speaker 2>Cats in front sixty nine sixty.

1302
01:10:50.880 --> 01:10:52.159
<v Speaker 3>Seven with two point thirty.

1303
01:10:51.960 --> 01:10:55.439
<v Speaker 2>To play in your car top of the circle, dribbles

1304
01:10:55.479 --> 01:10:57.600
<v Speaker 2>over his left that comes back to his right, goes

1305
01:10:57.640 --> 01:11:02.720
<v Speaker 2>down deep pump fakes goes up her Yes all the

1306
01:11:02.960 --> 01:11:08.279
<v Speaker 2>veteran car school the duke Rookie got him in deep cars.

1307
01:11:08.319 --> 01:11:11.920
<v Speaker 2>Guardian gets up little space flag, drives down the left side,

1308
01:11:12.119 --> 01:11:12.760
<v Speaker 2>spins back to.

1309
01:11:12.760 --> 01:11:13.239
<v Speaker 21>His right hand.

1310
01:11:13.279 --> 01:11:16.239
<v Speaker 2>It's knock the way and stolen by away. Oh wait

1311
01:11:16.479 --> 01:11:19.079
<v Speaker 2>dry so the bucket gets knocked down and fouled. With

1312
01:11:19.359 --> 01:11:23.880
<v Speaker 2>ten seconds to play, the transfer from Oklahoma takes a big,

1313
01:11:24.000 --> 01:11:28.039
<v Speaker 2>deep red dribbles once head it rolls in the first.

1314
01:11:27.840 --> 01:11:30.880
<v Speaker 3>Of the rim and crawled in proper. Bounce on that

1315
01:11:31.399 --> 01:11:32.479
<v Speaker 3>twelve for Oway.

1316
01:11:32.640 --> 01:11:37.920
<v Speaker 2>Kentucky back in front seventy three, seventy two, got a.

1317
01:11:37.960 --> 01:11:41.159
<v Speaker 3>Booth, Now make him use some time off the clock.

1318
01:11:41.800 --> 01:11:45.279
<v Speaker 2>Flag takes it down the left side, almost falls down

1319
01:11:45.319 --> 01:11:46.359
<v Speaker 2>in the corners.

1320
01:11:45.960 --> 01:11:46.479
<v Speaker 3>Down the house.

1321
01:11:46.840 --> 01:11:50.239
<v Speaker 29>He's the boy turns all the room five seconds to

1322
01:11:50.399 --> 01:11:55.600
<v Speaker 29>play one in one for Butler, got it, did sitter

1323
01:11:55.960 --> 01:11:58.000
<v Speaker 29>but nothing but the bottom.

1324
01:11:58.199 --> 01:11:58.840
<v Speaker 3>Can't he make it?

1325
01:11:58.960 --> 01:11:59.199
<v Speaker 18>Four?

1326
01:11:59.560 --> 01:12:01.800
<v Speaker 3>Bonus shot, bounce is off.

1327
01:12:01.760 --> 01:12:05.560
<v Speaker 2>No good, prebounded by all Way always got it, dribbles

1328
01:12:05.600 --> 01:12:08.520
<v Speaker 2>out beyond the arc and he gets foul with point five.

1329
01:12:08.840 --> 01:12:12.960
<v Speaker 3>One in one, got it?

1330
01:12:17.199 --> 01:12:18.800
<v Speaker 23>What a game?

1331
01:12:19.840 --> 01:12:22.359
<v Speaker 3>O Sega, oh Way, bonus shot in the air?

1332
01:12:22.800 --> 01:12:23.119
<v Speaker 7>Got it?

1333
01:12:23.760 --> 01:12:24.960
<v Speaker 1>What a game?

1334
01:12:26.199 --> 01:12:31.199
<v Speaker 3>Seventy seven seventy two. Kentucky past them in court. Canipple's

1335
01:12:31.479 --> 01:12:33.039
<v Speaker 3>long one is no good.

1336
01:12:33.479 --> 01:12:38.520
<v Speaker 6>The old guys rule can't lay up Kentucky seventy seven,

1337
01:12:39.000 --> 01:12:40.239
<v Speaker 6>Duke seventy two.

1338
01:12:42.640 --> 01:12:44.520
<v Speaker 3>How about that ghost Gibbons And.

1339
01:12:44.640 --> 01:12:46.720
<v Speaker 1>As much as that delighted the big Blue Nation, and

1340
01:12:46.840 --> 01:12:49.880
<v Speaker 1>even more impressive victory lay ahead on the other side

1341
01:12:49.880 --> 01:12:51.920
<v Speaker 1>of the country. That's on the other side of the

1342
01:12:52.000 --> 01:12:55.880
<v Speaker 1>break and a reminder. Conference play begins on Saturday at

1343
01:12:55.920 --> 01:13:00.760
<v Speaker 1>the unusual time in Rupperina eleven am. The Cats take

1344
01:13:00.880 --> 01:13:04.560
<v Speaker 1>on a surprisingly good Florida team, one of the many

1345
01:13:04.680 --> 01:13:08.920
<v Speaker 1>powerhouses it so it seems in the Southeastern Conference eleven

1346
01:13:09.000 --> 01:13:12.399
<v Speaker 1>am tip off time that means local coverage starts at

1347
01:13:12.439 --> 01:13:19.159
<v Speaker 1>eight thirty. Right here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back

1348
01:13:19.199 --> 01:13:21.439
<v Speaker 1>to this special edition of the Big Blooming Cider. As

1349
01:13:21.479 --> 01:13:24.640
<v Speaker 1>we look back on the calendar year twenty twenty four

1350
01:13:24.680 --> 01:13:29.199
<v Speaker 1>in UK sports, and we've been talking about the basketball programs,

1351
01:13:29.239 --> 01:13:32.239
<v Speaker 1>both men's and women's, and the men had won seven

1352
01:13:32.279 --> 01:13:35.479
<v Speaker 1>of the first eight games when they headed west for Seattle,

1353
01:13:35.640 --> 01:13:39.560
<v Speaker 1>but they didn't have Lamont Butler their point guard as

1354
01:13:39.600 --> 01:13:43.399
<v Speaker 1>they took on Gonzaga, and the Wildcats fell away behind,

1355
01:13:43.560 --> 01:13:47.399
<v Speaker 1>became roaring back, and pulled off a win that might

1356
01:13:47.479 --> 01:13:50.239
<v Speaker 1>have been surprising to some, it certainly was to the

1357
01:13:50.359 --> 01:13:55.000
<v Speaker 1>fans out there in Spokane and Seattle because it was historic.

1358
01:13:55.079 --> 01:13:58.479
<v Speaker 1>The Wildcats snapped a long streak by coming from behind

1359
01:13:58.520 --> 01:14:02.159
<v Speaker 1>and beating Gonzaga. Tom Leech and Jack Gibbons had the call.

1360
01:14:03.119 --> 01:14:05.680
<v Speaker 2>Creasu straight away angles right, they leave him open, He'll

1361
01:14:05.680 --> 01:14:09.239
<v Speaker 2>take the shot and headed Kentucky's on board car down

1362
01:14:09.279 --> 01:14:11.000
<v Speaker 2>the right side, hands it out to Robinson.

1363
01:14:11.159 --> 01:14:16.720
<v Speaker 3>He'll shoot a three. It's good six five circle. Robinson

1364
01:14:16.800 --> 01:14:19.239
<v Speaker 3>feeds a wide open Williams for the junk off the

1365
01:14:19.319 --> 01:14:19.880
<v Speaker 3>pick and roll.

1366
01:14:20.199 --> 01:14:22.319
<v Speaker 2>Garrison down the right side, puts it up and in

1367
01:14:22.720 --> 01:14:25.560
<v Speaker 2>off the pick and roll. Robinson backs his way down

1368
01:14:25.600 --> 01:14:28.079
<v Speaker 2>the lane, bumping with greg and he puts it in

1369
01:14:28.279 --> 01:14:31.199
<v Speaker 2>through the contact out out of the right wing car,

1370
01:14:31.319 --> 01:14:33.800
<v Speaker 2>dribbles once, hands it to oh Way driving baseline right,

1371
01:14:33.840 --> 01:14:35.840
<v Speaker 2>gets to the rim and puts it in strong finish

1372
01:14:36.359 --> 01:14:38.840
<v Speaker 2>rebound to Prisa, Prisa back to albad Or.

1373
01:14:38.920 --> 01:14:41.239
<v Speaker 3>He'll try it on the one. Got it the way

1374
01:14:41.279 --> 01:14:44.199
<v Speaker 3>out beyond the arc forty Garrison, He'll take a three.

1375
01:14:44.680 --> 01:14:44.960
<v Speaker 22>Hit it.

1376
01:14:45.359 --> 01:14:49.880
<v Speaker 2>Robinson penetrates in or short rebounded by Garrison, get a

1377
01:14:49.960 --> 01:14:52.199
<v Speaker 2>foul put out deep on the right side, guarded by

1378
01:14:52.279 --> 01:14:54.920
<v Speaker 2>nim hard five point thirty five left in the first half.

1379
01:14:55.079 --> 01:14:56.680
<v Speaker 2>Pries it at the top of the key. You three

1380
01:14:56.880 --> 01:15:01.840
<v Speaker 2>good points ray open three on the right side, doesn't

1381
01:15:01.880 --> 01:15:03.800
<v Speaker 2>take it, drives into the paint, flips.

1382
01:15:03.560 --> 01:15:03.920
<v Speaker 18>It up and in.

1383
01:15:04.399 --> 01:15:06.000
<v Speaker 3>You can get the rebound to finish it off.

1384
01:15:06.319 --> 01:15:10.359
<v Speaker 2>Robinson three right side good walks it over the left side,

1385
01:15:10.439 --> 01:15:12.680
<v Speaker 2>hands it the creases. Terresa comes into the lane with

1386
01:15:12.760 --> 01:15:14.880
<v Speaker 2>a right hand runner good down the right side of

1387
01:15:14.880 --> 01:15:16.840
<v Speaker 2>the lane, leans in, banks it up, missed it cap

1388
01:15:16.960 --> 01:15:18.960
<v Speaker 2>no good. It's tapped back over to Oh wait, he

1389
01:15:19.039 --> 01:15:22.199
<v Speaker 2>goes up and scores catch on the left block, comes

1390
01:15:22.279 --> 01:15:24.680
<v Speaker 2>into the lane, goes up's over a.

1391
01:15:24.840 --> 01:15:26.640
<v Speaker 3>Giant and bounces in and a fowl.

1392
01:15:26.880 --> 01:15:27.279
<v Speaker 18>There you go.

1393
01:15:27.520 --> 01:15:30.439
<v Speaker 4>That's the way to welcome the physicality and the paint.

1394
01:15:30.279 --> 01:15:33.039
<v Speaker 2>Comes into the circle, hands it to the trailer. Williams

1395
01:15:33.119 --> 01:15:36.079
<v Speaker 2>dribbles left. Is it to Robinson? Robinson goes down the lane,

1396
01:15:36.159 --> 01:15:40.079
<v Speaker 2>wrap around past ten lambs for the dump to car

1397
01:15:40.239 --> 01:15:43.199
<v Speaker 2>dribbles left, hands at the creases. Presa curls into the circle,

1398
01:15:43.439 --> 01:15:45.039
<v Speaker 2>gets it back to Car on the pick and roll.

1399
01:15:45.479 --> 01:15:46.359
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it hits the finger.

1400
01:15:46.439 --> 01:15:49.840
<v Speaker 2>Roll wants to hand it to Robinson, gets it to him.

1401
01:15:50.079 --> 01:15:52.640
<v Speaker 2>Robinson down along the right baseline, fall away ten foot

1402
01:15:52.680 --> 01:15:53.520
<v Speaker 2>or yes.

1403
01:15:53.960 --> 01:15:57.359
<v Speaker 3>Get deep on that right side holding the ball. Shoot

1404
01:15:57.439 --> 01:15:58.359
<v Speaker 3>that angles right.

1405
01:15:58.319 --> 01:16:03.680
<v Speaker 2>Shoots a three, got back in for Gonzaga.

1406
01:16:04.000 --> 01:16:06.119
<v Speaker 3>Brea down the left side of the lane with a runner.

1407
01:16:06.159 --> 01:16:08.680
<v Speaker 2>It's no good, but it's rebounded head back up and

1408
01:16:08.760 --> 01:16:10.600
<v Speaker 2>in by Brandon Garrison.

1409
01:16:10.279 --> 01:16:10.720
<v Speaker 3>Need to play.

1410
01:16:11.640 --> 01:16:14.880
<v Speaker 6>Bar passes right to Brea house pass the car. Car

1411
01:16:15.039 --> 01:16:17.680
<v Speaker 6>goes right out of Eka and scores it. Put it

1412
01:16:17.840 --> 01:16:20.600
<v Speaker 6>right in his face. That's word O way, oh way,

1413
01:16:20.680 --> 01:16:21.800
<v Speaker 6>feeds car on the pick.

1414
01:16:21.680 --> 01:16:26.039
<v Speaker 4>And roll dump. Got to run your stuff, just execute

1415
01:16:26.039 --> 01:16:28.479
<v Speaker 4>your awfully double let me gets it to Brea Brea

1416
01:16:28.600 --> 01:16:29.760
<v Speaker 4>open three from the top.

1417
01:16:30.039 --> 01:16:32.840
<v Speaker 2>Rat it out, no good, oh wait, rebounds it goes up.

1418
01:16:33.199 --> 01:16:36.239
<v Speaker 2>No tap Garrison, no good, oh wait, taps in store.

1419
01:16:36.399 --> 01:16:39.680
<v Speaker 3>Way to work, way to work, just hard work.

1420
01:16:40.199 --> 01:16:43.119
<v Speaker 2>Robinson running the point for Kentucky, flows it over to Garrison.

1421
01:16:43.680 --> 01:16:46.439
<v Speaker 2>Garrison hits Robinson on a back door cut riversely a

1422
01:16:46.520 --> 01:16:48.000
<v Speaker 2>good pretty seat.

1423
01:16:48.640 --> 01:16:50.159
<v Speaker 3>Robinson, with fifteen.

1424
01:16:49.800 --> 01:16:51.880
<v Speaker 2>To shoot, takes it down the sidelines, pulls up.

1425
01:16:51.840 --> 01:16:53.520
<v Speaker 3>For a three miss.

1426
01:16:54.319 --> 01:16:58.079
<v Speaker 2>Dost go and hit off the rim and bouse Top gets.

1427
01:16:57.920 --> 01:16:58.640
<v Speaker 3>It to Robinson.

1428
01:16:59.000 --> 01:17:01.800
<v Speaker 2>Robinson curls into the circle, goes down the lane followy.

1429
01:17:01.560 --> 01:17:05.800
<v Speaker 3>Ten foot good, I mean I knowe right of the lane.

1430
01:17:05.600 --> 01:17:07.479
<v Speaker 2>About fifteen feet out over the car far in the

1431
01:17:07.520 --> 01:17:10.319
<v Speaker 2>middle of the paint, getting bumped with greg following.

1432
01:17:09.960 --> 01:17:14.359
<v Speaker 3>Ten foot good. The game's tied. Robinson passed to the

1433
01:17:14.439 --> 01:17:14.960
<v Speaker 3>left corner.

1434
01:17:15.359 --> 01:17:18.079
<v Speaker 2>Oh wait at tax and dunks and Kentucky scores first

1435
01:17:18.359 --> 01:17:19.479
<v Speaker 2>in the overtimes to.

1436
01:17:19.560 --> 01:17:24.079
<v Speaker 3>His left, steps back along three. It's no good. Kentucky rebounds.

1437
01:17:24.680 --> 01:17:27.199
<v Speaker 2>Robinson throws it up into front court of Williams.

1438
01:17:27.279 --> 01:17:33.159
<v Speaker 3>He drops it in time out. Gonzaga or rebound.

1439
01:17:32.760 --> 01:17:36.439
<v Speaker 29>In the basketballs and passes to Williams right design about

1440
01:17:36.479 --> 01:17:37.319
<v Speaker 29>fifteen feet out.

1441
01:17:37.760 --> 01:17:40.399
<v Speaker 2>Takes the handoff, comes into the paint, turns jump put.

1442
01:17:40.239 --> 01:17:43.239
<v Speaker 3>Gun oh Man by the time it's right, with great

1443
01:17:43.800 --> 01:17:46.640
<v Speaker 3>seven seconds to shoot. Graya goes right a three off

1444
01:17:46.680 --> 01:17:50.520
<v Speaker 3>the pick. He missed it. Rebound car pump fake goes up.

1445
01:17:50.520 --> 01:17:54.199
<v Speaker 6>And scores for him to his left that tries to

1446
01:17:54.279 --> 01:17:57.079
<v Speaker 6>come back to his right, comes into.

1447
01:17:56.880 --> 01:17:59.640
<v Speaker 2>The paint, getting bumped by Stromer. Goes down the lanes,

1448
01:18:00.119 --> 01:18:03.720
<v Speaker 2>sit out seven to shoot. Paul's knockaway. Robinson gets it back,

1449
01:18:03.920 --> 01:18:06.720
<v Speaker 2>goes down the lane with a runner, stroll down just

1450
01:18:06.800 --> 01:18:09.560
<v Speaker 2>the way you dry it up, just the way you draw.

1451
01:18:09.439 --> 01:18:10.560
<v Speaker 5>It up to car.

1452
01:18:12.279 --> 01:18:13.119
<v Speaker 3>And it rolls off.

1453
01:18:13.199 --> 01:18:16.840
<v Speaker 2>No gun, It's tapped out. Stromer's got it. Stromer knocked

1454
01:18:16.840 --> 01:18:17.520
<v Speaker 2>away by car.

1455
01:18:17.760 --> 01:18:24.319
<v Speaker 3>Who's ball Game's over? Kentucky wins brought the whim.

1456
01:18:24.720 --> 01:18:28.319
<v Speaker 29>Gonzaga had what one hundred and seventy five games in

1457
01:18:28.399 --> 01:18:29.479
<v Speaker 29>a row where they led.

1458
01:18:29.399 --> 01:18:32.880
<v Speaker 3>By ten or more at halftime. Not tonight the streak

1459
01:18:32.960 --> 01:18:34.960
<v Speaker 3>comes to it end. Not tonight, Tom.

1460
01:18:35.399 --> 01:18:40.159
<v Speaker 4>What a wonderful, wonderful effort, second half effort by this

1461
01:18:40.359 --> 01:18:43.039
<v Speaker 4>basketball team, just unbelievable.

1462
01:18:44.000 --> 01:18:48.760
<v Speaker 2>An incredible comeback, sixteen down at the half, seventeen down

1463
01:18:48.840 --> 01:18:52.840
<v Speaker 2>early in the second half, that Kentucky prevails in overtime

1464
01:18:53.399 --> 01:18:56.640
<v Speaker 2>ninety to eighty nine over Gonzaga here in Seattle.

1465
01:18:57.640 --> 01:18:59.920
<v Speaker 1>Just an incredible win and made people forget about that

1466
01:19:00.239 --> 01:19:02.920
<v Speaker 1>lost at least for a while down to Clemson. Of course,

1467
01:19:03.000 --> 01:19:06.000
<v Speaker 1>Kentucky wrapped up the calendar year in New York City

1468
01:19:06.079 --> 01:19:09.319
<v Speaker 1>with a surprising loss to Ohio State. Not just the

1469
01:19:09.399 --> 01:19:12.319
<v Speaker 1>fact that the Wildcats lost to a team that Auburn

1470
01:19:12.479 --> 01:19:16.840
<v Speaker 1>absolutely obliterated, but it's the way the Wildcats lost. Ohio

1471
01:19:17.039 --> 01:19:20.960
<v Speaker 1>State forced Kentucky to play its game and took Kentucky

1472
01:19:21.079 --> 01:19:24.920
<v Speaker 1>out of basically everything it tried to do. So it

1473
01:19:25.039 --> 01:19:27.159
<v Speaker 1>was a tough way to head for the Christmas holiday,

1474
01:19:27.239 --> 01:19:29.840
<v Speaker 1>But a lot of basketball ahead for Mark Pope's team,

1475
01:19:29.880 --> 01:19:32.600
<v Speaker 1>for Kenny Brooks team, and we'll be there for all

1476
01:19:32.680 --> 01:19:35.000
<v Speaker 1>of it. I hope you enjoyed this special edition of

1477
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<v Speaker 1>The Big Blue Insider as we look back on twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty five. We'll be back with you tomorrow night, just

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<v Speaker 1>before UK women's basketball.

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<v Speaker 3>For now, that's it.

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<v Speaker 1>Good night from the garage. Happy New Year, everybody, everything, everything,

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<v Speaker 1>Nan

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<v Speaker 21>Sa