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<v Speaker 1>McRoy, how's his masterpiece?

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dick Abriel with

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<v Speaker 2>you on a Monday following the greatest, well, maybe not

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<v Speaker 2>the greatest, well, one of the best sports weekends of

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<v Speaker 2>the year, Aaron Central Kentucky weather cooperated on Friday and Saturday.

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<v Speaker 2>It was really cold on Friday, but you had Keenlan

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<v Speaker 2>going on, you had Kentucky baseball going on a huge

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<v Speaker 2>series with the second ranked team in the country, and

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<v Speaker 2>the Wildcats played well, as you know, only one one

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<v Speaker 2>out of three really really good games all week and long. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>the football Showcase with some scrimmaging at Krogerfield. Not a

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<v Speaker 2>great crowd, which is not surprising given the fact that

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<v Speaker 2>it wasn't a full blue white game. But if you

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<v Speaker 2>wanted a taste of Kentucky football, if you were jonesing

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<v Speaker 2>for UK football, then you got it. And of course

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<v Speaker 2>the Masters. It wrapped up last night, Rory McElroy winning

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<v Speaker 2>fine his green jacket. And if you recall, I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>predict he would win early in the week, but I

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<v Speaker 2>said I was rooting for him. Yes, we root for

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<v Speaker 2>the Americans, of course, but I rooted for Rory because

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<v Speaker 2>I just I so wanted him to complete his career

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<v Speaker 2>Grand Slam. Also, he's from Northern Ireland, where my grandfather

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<v Speaker 2>is from. My grandfather is from Derry. They called it

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<v Speaker 2>London Derry for a while and then after a while

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<v Speaker 2>just Darry. They are're not crazy about the British yup there.

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<v Speaker 2>But Rory is a likable guy, good for golf, hell

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<v Speaker 2>of a player, and he won his first three of

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<v Speaker 2>the four Grand Slam events early in his career. It's

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<v Speaker 2>taken him eleven years to become just the sixth player

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<v Speaker 2>to win the career Grand Slam. Of course, the last

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<v Speaker 2>guy to do it was Tiger but and Rory's come

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<v Speaker 2>close and again for the second time. He blew a

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<v Speaker 2>four stroke lead on Sunday, and if you watched it,

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<v Speaker 2>you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't, I

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<v Speaker 2>won't recount the whole round for you. But he was

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<v Speaker 2>sailing along, man, he was, I mean, he had it

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<v Speaker 2>and then he had a double bogie on fifteen he

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<v Speaker 2>knocked the ball way off the green and just and

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<v Speaker 2>at one point he surrendered the lead to Justin Rose,

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<v Speaker 2>speaking of the British, but charged right back and he

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<v Speaker 2>hit a shot. I will say this, I will describe

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<v Speaker 2>this one for you. If you saw it, you'll never

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<v Speaker 2>forget it. If you didn't, And you know anything about golf,

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<v Speaker 2>if you're in the trees, anywhere near trees, it can

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<v Speaker 2>be real trouble. And if you're a golfer as I was,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't play anymore. But I mean, you're just in

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<v Speaker 2>jail if you're anywhere around trees. But he was not

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<v Speaker 2>only in the tree, under a tree, and he had

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<v Speaker 2>a path to get out. But the ball that he struck,

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<v Speaker 2>he was able to bring it back right to left

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<v Speaker 2>and not only hit the green, but hit the green

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<v Speaker 2>in a remarkable way and the place went nuts. Six

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<v Speaker 2>sion yesterday.

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<v Speaker 3>Is this said up.

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<v Speaker 4>The shot of a lifetime?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was. And that was Jim Nance's CBS Sports.

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<v Speaker 2>He's at his best on the Masters. Inspired he played

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<v Speaker 2>college golf at the University of Houston, and of course

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<v Speaker 2>he gave up the final four this year. Iron Eagle

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<v Speaker 2>had to call for CBS television. But Nance is so

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<v Speaker 2>good at the Masters. You know, it's all about being understated.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why Vernon Lundquist was so great. It's, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>all about being understated and not screaming and yelling and

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<v Speaker 2>they know better. Of course the masters broadcasters, you know

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<v Speaker 2>Vern Lunquist's two greatest cause were yes, sir and then

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<v Speaker 2>the other one. Have you ever in your life that

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<v Speaker 2>kind of thing? And so Nance was up to it,

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<v Speaker 2>Rory was up to it. Fun to watch on a

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<v Speaker 2>great weekend for sports. Now, coming back to Kentucky football.

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<v Speaker 2>If you were there, I'm sure you had a good

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<v Speaker 2>time just getting out seeing the wildcats. But did you

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<v Speaker 2>learn much? Not really. You saw that Zach Calzada throws

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<v Speaker 2>a nice ball, he really does, but who's he going

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<v Speaker 2>to throw to. There are four or five receivers that

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<v Speaker 2>injured this spring. They won one down during the game.

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing serious, we don't think. But we're gonna talk to

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<v Speaker 2>John Hale a little bit later on about what he

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<v Speaker 2>saw and about depth in the wide receiver room, depth

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<v Speaker 2>in the running backs room. You had two guys, Dante

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<v Speaker 2>Dowdell and Jason Patterson, who ran with the ones to

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<v Speaker 2>Maryan Willcox and the other running backs ran with the twos.

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<v Speaker 2>Will Cox is the guy, you might recall, broke a

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<v Speaker 2>fifty yard run on the first play from scrimmage against

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<v Speaker 2>Tennessee and you just kept expecting him to break through

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<v Speaker 2>and just take over at running back. But this kid's

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<v Speaker 2>got He's a kid who doesn't keep his shoes tied

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<v Speaker 2>and is late for things. Stoops kind of speaks in

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<v Speaker 2>code when he talks about him, and I give him

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<v Speaker 2>credit for that. He doesn't want to embarrass the kid

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<v Speaker 2>or belittle the kid, but he's He has basically told

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<v Speaker 2>us and you without saying it, the guy's got a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of growing up to do. Once he does, if

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<v Speaker 2>and when, he could be a terrific college football player

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<v Speaker 2>if that's what he wants, if that's important to him.

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<v Speaker 2>If it's not, okay, fine, But if it is and

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<v Speaker 2>he puts in the work, I think he can be

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<v Speaker 2>an excellent SEC back. So they may head to the

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<v Speaker 2>portal to get some more running back strength. Who knows

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<v Speaker 2>wide receiver as well? How did the defense look pretty good?

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<v Speaker 2>But they didn't tackle to the ground. They did what

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<v Speaker 2>they called thud, which is when you know they hit,

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<v Speaker 2>but that's it, wrap up, but don't take him down.

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<v Speaker 2>So it was good. Mark Stoops was fairly well pleased

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<v Speaker 2>with what he saw on Saturday, what he saw throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the spring.

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<v Speaker 5>We definitely got better. We made a lot of strides,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, the negative that outside of coming out here

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<v Speaker 5>and splitting it up and you know, playing everybody on

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<v Speaker 5>your roster. You know, it's a tendency to look a

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<v Speaker 5>little sloppy from time to time.

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<v Speaker 2>But we've got.

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<v Speaker 5>Better throughout this spring. Well, you know, unfortunately lost to

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<v Speaker 5>wide out again early in the scrimmage. I think we

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<v Speaker 5>were down five five guys that will play, you know, and.

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<v Speaker 2>At wide receiver.

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<v Speaker 5>And and we got through the whole spring, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>for the most part, until you know, this last week

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<v Speaker 5>with a bunch of nagging injuries, hopefully nothing season ending.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, more than one Stoops has come out of spring,

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<v Speaker 2>out of the spring game and said so and so

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<v Speaker 2>we'll not be available with this coming season. He needs surgery,

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<v Speaker 2>et cetera, et cetera. Did not have one announcement like

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<v Speaker 2>that this spring, and obviously nothing like that after the

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<v Speaker 2>scrimmage on Saturday. So and he also went into detail

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<v Speaker 2>we'll talk about it further in a week about just

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<v Speaker 2>what kind of an impact it has. It's a fairly

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<v Speaker 2>obvious question for you, you know, but he talked about

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<v Speaker 2>how not having guys in the spring doing that crucial

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<v Speaker 2>work in the spring came back to affect them in

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<v Speaker 2>the fall in like short yardedge situations, execution situations, things

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<v Speaker 2>like that. Because keep in mind, once the fall practices begin,

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<v Speaker 2>once they get through camp and they begin game prep,

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<v Speaker 2>they've got like maybe one day and part of another

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<v Speaker 2>to really really work on stuff or the rest of

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<v Speaker 2>that the rest of the week's game planning and walk throughs.

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<v Speaker 2>So they got to get it done in the spring,

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<v Speaker 2>they got to get it done in the summer. And

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<v Speaker 2>if they're missing players, obviously they are way behind, especially

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<v Speaker 2>if they're not as talented as they've been in the past.

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<v Speaker 2>Are they this time right now? Don't know they've lost

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<v Speaker 2>of course, Barrion Brown and Dane Key to the portal.

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<v Speaker 2>Jamari Macklin is back on the outside. He's not in

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<v Speaker 2>the slot, said he can play both prefers being on

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<v Speaker 2>the outside. He talked about adjusting to all the new

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<v Speaker 2>faces on this team.

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<v Speaker 6>You can tell a lot of the guys are just

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<v Speaker 6>getting comfortable with each other in the locker room. I

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<v Speaker 6>think that's the biggest thing, and I think that's where

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<v Speaker 6>it starts. You can't really have a good team on

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<v Speaker 6>a if you don't have a good team off the field.

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<v Speaker 2>You know what I'm saying.

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<v Speaker 6>So just spending time with each other, going out to eat,

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<v Speaker 6>you know, playing a game with each other, just the

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<v Speaker 6>small things to build that chemistry to help us, you know,

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<v Speaker 6>succeed on the field.

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<v Speaker 2>Macclan also talked about being more of a leader. He's

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<v Speaker 2>going to have to be. But as you can tell,

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<v Speaker 2>he's he's got some charm to him, some charisma, he's

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<v Speaker 2>out going, and he's talented, and that's important. All of

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<v Speaker 2>that's important for being a leader. You can try to

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<v Speaker 2>be a leader as a veteran on a team, but

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<v Speaker 2>if you're not playing, people with all the respect aren't

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<v Speaker 2>going to listen to you very much. But they'll listen

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<v Speaker 2>to the talented guys who are trying to lead, and

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<v Speaker 2>he says he will do that. Ty Bryant, the young

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<v Speaker 2>defensive back, is going to try to lead as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, his father, Cisco, played for the Wildcats. And

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<v Speaker 2>I asked Ty about the fact that, you know, he

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<v Speaker 2>knows Kentucky football inside and out because for obvious reasons,

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<v Speaker 2>he grew up with it. And he talked about wanting

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<v Speaker 2>to get it back to where it was because I.

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<v Speaker 7>Feel like no one wants to go through what we

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<v Speaker 7>went through last year. I mean, everyone knows that we

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<v Speaker 7>want four games. It was a bad season for us,

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<v Speaker 7>and the feeling that we had when we walked off

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<v Speaker 7>this field for the last time against Louisville, no one

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<v Speaker 7>wants to feel that way again. Me personally, have a

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<v Speaker 7>lot of friends that played college football and they were

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<v Speaker 7>all in bowl games, and it's just like I'm at

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<v Speaker 7>the crib chilling while they're, you know, in Florida somewhere

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<v Speaker 7>nice playing a bowl game. So I feel like that's

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<v Speaker 7>just the one base for us when we get back

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<v Speaker 7>into the weight room and we just continue to train,

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<v Speaker 7>just that's just what needs to be on the front

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<v Speaker 7>of our mind that we don't want to go four

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<v Speaker 7>and eight again. We want to flip that, you know

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<v Speaker 7>what I'm saying, to do even better ten win plus season.

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<v Speaker 2>That was a really interesting response, I thought when he

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<v Speaker 2>talked about what it felt like walking off the field

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<v Speaker 2>after the Louisville loss, Because these were kids, the kids

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<v Speaker 2>who had been on that roster for more than a

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<v Speaker 2>year had known nothing but success as a program. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>for the longest time, every kid who came through that

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<v Speaker 2>program every year went to a bowl game, win or lose,

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<v Speaker 2>went to a ball game, not this team. Every kid

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<v Speaker 2>on that roster, deep into that roster had never lost

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<v Speaker 2>to Louisville, not that team. So now, as he said,

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<v Speaker 2>they want to get it back. They want to get

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<v Speaker 2>it back to where they were and where you all

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<v Speaker 2>want it to be. And that is going to a

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<v Speaker 2>game and not knowing ahead of time who's going to win.

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<v Speaker 2>I've said this on the show many times. That's the

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<v Speaker 2>standard that longtime president back in the day, ODIs Singletary

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<v Speaker 2>said to me should be the standard at Kentucky football.

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<v Speaker 2>He said, I don't expect us to win every game.

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<v Speaker 2>I just want to come to the game not knowing

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<v Speaker 2>ahead of time who's going to win. Now, you might

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<v Speaker 2>have a bad feeling going into a game, Oh man,

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to be hard to beat this team. But

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<v Speaker 2>there have been years and you know it where Kentucky

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<v Speaker 2>went into games and you're like, man, I just hope

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<v Speaker 2>they just you know, everybody comes out healthy, they don't

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<v Speaker 2>get killed. They have no way of winning this game.

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<v Speaker 2>Did you really think they going into Texas and win

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<v Speaker 2>last year?

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<v Speaker 3>Nah?

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<v Speaker 2>With all due respect, Nah, I didn't play badly. They

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<v Speaker 2>just didn't have a shot. Other Kentucky teams did. And

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<v Speaker 2>we know this because they did it. They beat Tennessee,

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<v Speaker 2>they beat Florida, they routinely beat Louisville. Can they get

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<v Speaker 2>back to that, Well, we're gonna find out in a

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<v Speaker 2>few months. But this team has a lot more work

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<v Speaker 2>to do, and the portal opens in less than forty

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<v Speaker 2>eight hours. We're coming back to talk Kentucky baseball and

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<v Speaker 2>more on The Big Boon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome

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<v Speaker 2>back to the Big Bluon Sider. Coming up at seven

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<v Speaker 2>point thirty. It's the Nick Minjeones Show with Darren Hedrick,

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<v Speaker 2>so we will make way prior to that though. In

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<v Speaker 2>just a few minutes, John Hale of The Hero Leader

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<v Speaker 2>will join us and we will talk about Kentucky football

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit of that mess down in Tennessee as well.

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<v Speaker 2>Same thing with Aaron Gershan. We all sat together up

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<v Speaker 2>in the press box. It was really weird for me

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<v Speaker 2>to be in the press box. I decided not to

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<v Speaker 2>be down on the field. We didn't do a broadcast

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<v Speaker 2>of any kind. There was no TV, no radio, and

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<v Speaker 2>generally when we've done a radio broadcast there's been a full,

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<v Speaker 2>semi full scrimmage, but there have also been either injured

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<v Speaker 2>players or alumni on the sideline, so I was able

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<v Speaker 2>to drop in interviews throughout the years, but no broadcasts.

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<v Speaker 2>So I thought, I'm gonna sit upstairs and see what

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<v Speaker 2>I can see. And yeah, you can see a lot more.

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<v Speaker 2>You can see the plays, of course evolving. It's not

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<v Speaker 2>the same because you just don't hear the sounds as much.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, it was a great day. It would

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<v Speaker 2>have been a great day to be down there. But

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<v Speaker 2>you again, you can see the line play in a

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<v Speaker 2>different way. I can see it downstairs on the sidelines,

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<v Speaker 2>and if you sit close to the field you can too.

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<v Speaker 2>You can, you can, you know, you can see these

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<v Speaker 2>things upstairs as well. But to me, I get a

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<v Speaker 2>better sense of the athleticism, the quickness to closing speed,

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<v Speaker 2>things like that down on the field. But sitting upstairs Saturday,

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<v Speaker 2>we were all talking about it. That's one of the pluses.

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<v Speaker 2>You know. When I'm on the field, I've got Tom

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<v Speaker 2>Leach and Jeff Picoro in my headset, which is great,

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<v Speaker 2>But upstairs I'm hearing observations from the people around me.

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<v Speaker 2>And John Hill was on one side of me, Aaron

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<v Speaker 2>Gershano the Cats Balls was on the other. So John's

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<v Speaker 2>going to join us next and an Aaron. It was

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<v Speaker 2>a with Tom earlier this morning, but I'll have him

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<v Speaker 2>a little while longer, So we'll talk a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>more with Aaron about the Blue White game, and we're

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<v Speaker 2>also going to talk about basketball with Aaron. The portal

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<v Speaker 2>there the portal when it comes to football and the

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<v Speaker 2>Tennessee mess as I said, but we do need to

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<v Speaker 2>talk about Kentucky baseball. Over the weekend, somebody tweeted, this

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<v Speaker 2>is a hard team to watch. A fan tweeted that,

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<v Speaker 2>and to a point, I agree, simply because they have

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<v Speaker 2>a hard time executing at times, specifically bunting. Minjiones teams

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<v Speaker 2>bunt a lot, maybe more than other teams do. But

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<v Speaker 2>his best teams have bunted really well, very effectively. People

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<v Speaker 2>who don't like the bunt get very frustrated with it.

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<v Speaker 2>But they rode that style of baseball to Omaha last year.

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<v Speaker 2>And again, it's not a small ball team. And those

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<v Speaker 2>of us who called it that were really inaccurate because

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<v Speaker 2>last year Kentucky was one of the best power hitting

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<v Speaker 2>teams in the Southeastern Conference when you look at conference

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<v Speaker 2>games only when they were facing the best pitchers in America.

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<v Speaker 2>They were I think the fourth best team in the

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<v Speaker 2>conference when it came to power home runs. This team

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<v Speaker 2>is not a power hitting team. Cole hegees twelve. That's it.

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<v Speaker 2>Nobody else has double digits. I think next is Tyler Bell,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe with six. Ironically enough, Kyas Gargett, who hadn't played

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<v Speaker 2>much and Menngeon had been keeping an eye on him,

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<v Speaker 2>watched him in VP, penciled him into the lineup. He

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<v Speaker 2>had a big weekend. He hit a home run, his

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<v Speaker 2>first home run against Texas. But you cannot count on

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<v Speaker 2>home runs, and by the way the home runs they've

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<v Speaker 2>been getting, it seems like every one of them, nobody's

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<v Speaker 2>on base. You know, Texas had a big two run

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<v Speaker 2>homer day Wildcats or might have been Saturday anyhow, seems

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<v Speaker 2>like the other teams always had people on base, but

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<v Speaker 2>Kentucky in it. Friday wins it. Saturday, fell behind but

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<v Speaker 2>made it a one run game, had the go or

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<v Speaker 2>the time run on base in the ninth inning against

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<v Speaker 2>the number two ranked team in the country in all

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<v Speaker 2>fairness that were missing their best player, and the game

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<v Speaker 2>they won. Kentucky won on Saturday. You might have seen

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<v Speaker 2>the clip if you were watching and listening to Darren.

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<v Speaker 2>You might have seen it on social media. But in

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<v Speaker 2>what the twelfth No. Fifteenth inning, Griffin Cameron lays down

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<v Speaker 2>a bunt catcher who's really really good for Texas, misplays it,

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<v Speaker 2>throws it away, and the right fielder went to sleep.

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<v Speaker 2>He forgot to back up the play. Devin brook scored

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<v Speaker 2>from first base on that play. Well, the guy that

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<v Speaker 2>Texas is missing, maybe their best hitter, is certainly one

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<v Speaker 2>of the best and an outstanding outfielder. He's the right fielder.

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<v Speaker 2>He probably backs up that play. So Brooks might not

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<v Speaker 2>make it. They might not even have sent him from third.

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<v Speaker 2>They might still be playing. But anyhow, Kentucky in every

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<v Speaker 2>game one to one could have one one or the

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<v Speaker 2>other Friday or Sunday or book could you imagine. So

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<v Speaker 2>it's a good team. And as Darren and Keith Madison

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<v Speaker 2>and Doug Flinn and I were talking, somebody said, they're

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<v Speaker 2>just not yet sure how to be a great team.

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<v Speaker 2>And when you look at where all these guys came from,

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<v Speaker 2>they were all relatively successful at their previous schools, and

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<v Speaker 2>really a guy who played for a program that had

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<v Speaker 2>maybe more success than anybody with Simon Gregorson, reliever from

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<v Speaker 2>Indiana State. That's a team that was an NCAA tournament

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<v Speaker 2>team the last couple of years, played here in a

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<v Speaker 2>regional one year and Gregorson, who struggled earlier in the year,

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<v Speaker 2>was brilliant against Texas Saturday when the Wildcats won. He

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<v Speaker 2>went four and two thirds innings scoreless, gave up one

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<v Speaker 2>hit and walked one, and struck out five. Brilliant Kentucky

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<v Speaker 2>pitchers were absolutely sensational that they eighteen strikeouts in the

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<v Speaker 2>fifteen innings. So Kentucky's got enough, it just hasn't quite

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<v Speaker 2>figured it out yet. And Nick Minjill talked about the

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<v Speaker 2>effort after the game, couldn't complain, just said, they just

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<v Speaker 2>need to do some things a little bit better. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I give them a lot of credit.

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<v Speaker 1>They got to timely hit, and they had guys on

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<v Speaker 1>base just like we did, and they got to timely

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<v Speaker 1>hit and we didn't. You know, though, we played a

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<v Speaker 1>great defensive game. Sure could we have made a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of better pitches here or there, but this is college baseball.

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<v Speaker 2>They're not going to be perfect. Pitching. Defense gave us

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<v Speaker 2>a chance.

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<v Speaker 1>We just didn't get that timely hit and I give

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<v Speaker 1>our guys credit, like we put ourselves in a position

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<v Speaker 1>right there. We're one swing away from winning the game,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, So I love their fight. Just got to

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<v Speaker 1>execute a tad better, that's it.

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<v Speaker 2>Get a bunt down, move a runner over, get a

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<v Speaker 2>guy on third base, get him home with less than

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<v Speaker 2>two out. A couple of times in the win, the

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<v Speaker 2>fifteen inning win, Kentucky had meant on first and second

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<v Speaker 2>with nobody out and I'm talking about after the ninth

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<v Speaker 2>and couldn't get the winning run around. So it's that

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<v Speaker 2>kind of thing. They got to get busy so they

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<v Speaker 2>can make NCA postseason. John Halo the hair Leaders next

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<v Speaker 2>on six thirty WLAP welcome back to the Big Blue

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<v Speaker 2>in Cider and joining us down our celebrity hotline. As

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<v Speaker 2>I mentioned earlier, as a guy we sat with up

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<v Speaker 2>in the press box. Weird for me, John Hale of

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<v Speaker 2>the Hair Leader to be in the press box with

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<v Speaker 2>you guys, But there really wasn't a game in front

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<v Speaker 2>of us. How much did you take away from the

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<v Speaker 2>football showcase?

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<v Speaker 8>Very little. It was funny because we also women. We

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<v Speaker 8>had the option to go on the field if we wanted,

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<v Speaker 8>and I kind of went there that they expecting, like, well,

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<v Speaker 8>maybe I'll go down and see them up close. But honestly,

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<v Speaker 8>if they're gonna kind of scrimmage, there was no tackling

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<v Speaker 8>or no score kept.

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<v Speaker 9>But if you're doing eleven to eleven.

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<v Speaker 8>It's almost better in the press box because you can

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<v Speaker 8>see the whole field. And so I stayed up there,

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<v Speaker 8>and you know, I mean I thought Zach Kelsot looked fine.

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<v Speaker 8>You know, I thought the running backs for as you know,

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<v Speaker 8>little as you can tell when it're not tackled to

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<v Speaker 8>the ground, looked fine. You know, Dante Dabble in particular

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<v Speaker 8>the Nebraska transfer, maybe I'm matt be sure a little

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<v Speaker 8>more burst than I had expected from him, So that

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<v Speaker 8>was positive. You know, they were really thin at receiver.

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<v Speaker 8>I think they were, you know, by the middle of

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<v Speaker 8>the scrimmage down five guys who might play this year.

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<v Speaker 8>So I don't know that we can take a lot

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<v Speaker 8>from that position.

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<v Speaker 9>You know.

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<v Speaker 8>The second the defense wasn't tackling, so you can't tell

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<v Speaker 8>if they could bring the quarterback down or if they

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<v Speaker 8>could have stoped those guys instead of just you know,

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<v Speaker 8>hitting them. So I don't think there was a lot

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<v Speaker 8>in terms of football lessons to learn from it, which

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<v Speaker 8>is probably what Mark Stoops prefers. In this portal era

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<v Speaker 8>where you gotta war guys transferring or guys you know,

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<v Speaker 8>asking for more and I l money all the time,

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<v Speaker 8>A quiet spring practice is probably better than the alternative,

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<v Speaker 8>as you can see at Tennessee right now.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we're going to talk about that in a minute.

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<v Speaker 2>But following up on, let's talk about the running backs.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm not sure if you knew, but I knew

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<v Speaker 2>a couple of people were wondering would we even see

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<v Speaker 2>Jamaran Wilcox. He is just kind of an interesting story,

397
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<v Speaker 2>isn't he And you know, he shows so many flashes

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00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:30.559
<v Speaker 2>and then once again you can want to really have

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<v Speaker 2>his shoes on, so it's just a it's a head scratcher.

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<v Speaker 8>Yeah, I mean, I think that is probably the most

401
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<v Speaker 8>interesting storyline to watch over the next two weeks when

402
00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:41.480
<v Speaker 8>the portal opens on Wednesday, because it felt like they

403
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:43.880
<v Speaker 8>were in risk of losing them in December just because

404
00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:45.960
<v Speaker 8>his role wasn't very big, and I'm sure some other

405
00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.079
<v Speaker 8>schools were interested in his big playability and that he

406
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.039
<v Speaker 8>stayed and then you go out and then the one

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00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:53.119
<v Speaker 8>practice they opened to us earlier in the spring and

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00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.400
<v Speaker 8>then Saturday he was clearly third on the depth chart.

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<v Speaker 9>Doubt the drafta.

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<v Speaker 8>Transfer and Jason Patterson, the retro freshmen are both had

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<v Speaker 8>of getting more reps. I mean, some of that in

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<v Speaker 8>spring might be sending messages to guys. Some of that

413
00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.440
<v Speaker 8>might be keeping other guys engaged so you keep them

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<v Speaker 8>out of the portal with a union for depth. But

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<v Speaker 8>in Wilcox's case, I mean, I think it's a question

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<v Speaker 8>they just need more out of him, Like off the field.

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<v Speaker 8>I asked Mark Stuce about it after the scrimmage and

418
00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.079
<v Speaker 8>he said he's made progress, He's working on He's a

419
00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:21.039
<v Speaker 8>great young man. He has all that dedication, but it's

420
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:23.759
<v Speaker 8>still clear he does not have a complete grasp of

421
00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:26.559
<v Speaker 8>the playbook. You know, he's talented enough to make plays

422
00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:28.400
<v Speaker 8>even if he doesn't know the correct play out there

423
00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:30.960
<v Speaker 8>at times. But like it's hard to depend on him.

424
00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.640
<v Speaker 8>And if we're to buy into the narrative that the

425
00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:36.079
<v Speaker 8>big change culture wise in this programs, they're not going

426
00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:38.799
<v Speaker 8>to let players hold them hostage anymore in this portal.

427
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:41.400
<v Speaker 8>Nil Era, Like he's an interesting case, Like if he's

428
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:43.559
<v Speaker 8>not ready to if he doesn't know the playbook. It's

429
00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:45.240
<v Speaker 8>hard to play a guy like that, regardless of how

430
00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:47.799
<v Speaker 8>talented he is. So I'm really interested to see you.

431
00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:49.480
<v Speaker 8>I mean, I think they probably need another running back

432
00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:52.359
<v Speaker 8>in the portal regardless, because they just have four on

433
00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:55.960
<v Speaker 8>scholarship and one of them, definding meiswell retrofreshment is like

434
00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:58.960
<v Speaker 8>his health status is really unclear coming back from an

435
00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:02.279
<v Speaker 8>ACL there in so like they could need more depth

436
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.480
<v Speaker 8>there anyway. But if we go out and see them

437
00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:06.880
<v Speaker 8>add like a starter caliber player or somebody you expect

438
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.759
<v Speaker 8>to be in the rotation, I think that sends a

439
00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:10.440
<v Speaker 8>message about, you know, they're not going to count on

440
00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:11.319
<v Speaker 8>Wilcox right now.

441
00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:14.920
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, And you know, I've got to think that if

442
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:18.119
<v Speaker 2>they go out and get somebody like that, they're going

443
00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:22.279
<v Speaker 2>to be saying, look, you know every team in America

444
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.960
<v Speaker 2>plays multiple running backs for the most part, so come

445
00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:29.079
<v Speaker 2>here and there's an opportunity to play, right Yeah.

446
00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:34.039
<v Speaker 8>Absolutely, and like and and to you know, Willcox is hopefully,

447
00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:36.240
<v Speaker 8>to his credit, like we have not really heard from

448
00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:38.960
<v Speaker 8>him that he's considering leaving. I mean that's obviously just

449
00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:42.559
<v Speaker 8>speculation from people that we've uh last year when you say, like, oh,

450
00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:44.599
<v Speaker 8>this guy should be playing or he's not playing right. Okay,

451
00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:46.599
<v Speaker 8>he's going to get in the portal, but maybe he knows,

452
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.000
<v Speaker 8>maybe he's fully aware of his limitations right now, the

453
00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:51.400
<v Speaker 8>work he needs to do, and like starting over from

454
00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:53.759
<v Speaker 8>scratch somewhere else is certainly not going to help learn

455
00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.599
<v Speaker 8>the playbook there anyway any easier. I mean, I guess

456
00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:59.160
<v Speaker 8>he could go to maybe like a spread team where

457
00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:01.759
<v Speaker 8>the playbooks not quite as complicated as a pro style,

458
00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:04.200
<v Speaker 8>but like so hopefully, like even if they had somebody else,

459
00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.920
<v Speaker 8>maybe he takes it as a challenge and sticks around.

460
00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:08.359
<v Speaker 8>I will say, in the open practice we saw two

461
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.000
<v Speaker 8>weeks ago, through weeks ago, whatever it was up close,

462
00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:13.279
<v Speaker 8>didn't have a shoes tied in a practice like I

463
00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:15.720
<v Speaker 8>don't know what's going on there. That's a bizarre thing

464
00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:19.559
<v Speaker 8>because it's clearly with such a storyline last year. Yeah,

465
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:22.279
<v Speaker 8>he's clearly more comfortable without it for some reason. But

466
00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:25.519
<v Speaker 8>like those little details, that kind of stuff, he's got

467
00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:27.240
<v Speaker 8>to get that in control for them to be able

468
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.359
<v Speaker 8>to count on him this fall.

469
00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.000
<v Speaker 2>That you know, That's where I was going. We obviously

470
00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:34.119
<v Speaker 2>haven't really been able to talk to him much and

471
00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:39.240
<v Speaker 2>he's not gonna say this, but I really wonder John,

472
00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:41.599
<v Speaker 2>does he really want to do this at the highest

473
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:45.000
<v Speaker 2>level the best he possibly began, because he hasn't shown

474
00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:46.839
<v Speaker 2>that he wants to, you know what I mean.

475
00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:50.160
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, I mean it's definitely like sometimes you get there

476
00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:52.279
<v Speaker 8>in regards to your talent as it's just harder. I mean,

477
00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:55.039
<v Speaker 8>like I don't I've talked to him, I think twice,

478
00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:56.839
<v Speaker 8>one on one, and I think I was the only

479
00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:59.240
<v Speaker 8>person to interview him all last season because he is

480
00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:02.519
<v Speaker 8>so uncomfortable in interviews and that's not like terribly uncommon

481
00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:04.839
<v Speaker 8>for young guys when they get here, Like he just

482
00:24:04.920 --> 00:24:07.480
<v Speaker 8>isn't comfortable doing it and doesn't want to. And I

483
00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:10.559
<v Speaker 8>requested him multiple times very season, and thankfully the sports

484
00:24:10.599 --> 00:24:13.000
<v Speaker 8>information staff was you know, they worked with me enough

485
00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.279
<v Speaker 8>to where we could get him off to the side

486
00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:16.640
<v Speaker 8>and in a lower stress environment and then he was

487
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:20.000
<v Speaker 8>fine in those situations. But like it's clear that spotlight

488
00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:22.839
<v Speaker 8>he's not ready to embrace it yet and so like

489
00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:25.720
<v Speaker 8>maybe that's just just part of you know, the maturation

490
00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:27.759
<v Speaker 8>process and you'll get older there, but that also speaks

491
00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:29.759
<v Speaker 8>to like if you're not willing, if you're not ready

492
00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:32.359
<v Speaker 8>for that yet, maybe he's not looking to go somewhere

493
00:24:32.359 --> 00:24:34.880
<v Speaker 8>else and be the guy. Maybe he's okay to to

494
00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:36.759
<v Speaker 8>guide his time and work through it. It's going to

495
00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:38.559
<v Speaker 8>be fascinating to watch over the next few weeks.

496
00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:40.480
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, you know. And I wanted to talk to

497
00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:42.640
<v Speaker 2>him after the Tennessee game, but they said he he's

498
00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:45.119
<v Speaker 2>not really big on interviews like that, you know, with

499
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:47.079
<v Speaker 2>the big spotlight on him so.

500
00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:49.480
<v Speaker 9>Game.

501
00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:53.759
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no, I understand that. But anyhow, because man, he

502
00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:56.440
<v Speaker 2>you know, fifty yard run on the first play from scrimmage,

503
00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.000
<v Speaker 2>so who knows, uh, quarterbacks. I know that's what everybody

504
00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:02.319
<v Speaker 2>he asked me about right away. And you know, how

505
00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:04.920
<v Speaker 2>do you? I mean, Calzada throws a nice ball, But

506
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:06.960
<v Speaker 2>it's all coming back to the old line, isn't it.

507
00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:09.960
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, they got to protect. And it's even harder to

508
00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:12.480
<v Speaker 8>judge in spring practice because we've heard positive things about

509
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.079
<v Speaker 8>the strides they've made there. But also they have a

510
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:19.160
<v Speaker 8>completely rebuilt front seven on defense. So are like, is

511
00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:21.599
<v Speaker 8>the offensive line better because they're better or because the

512
00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:23.880
<v Speaker 8>pass rush is not very goular defense? We won't know

513
00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:26.400
<v Speaker 8>that until they go out and play in games. I

514
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:29.119
<v Speaker 8>did think it was interesting. We talked to Bush Hampton

515
00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:33.000
<v Speaker 8>last Wednesday. The last Wednesday of spring practice, and somebody

516
00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:34.720
<v Speaker 8>asked him about, like, what what do you want from

517
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:36.960
<v Speaker 8>that group moving forward? And he's admitted and I think

518
00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.400
<v Speaker 8>here Wolfer talking to him partly the spring too, like

519
00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.119
<v Speaker 8>when they went and got all these linemen from smaller schools,

520
00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:45.359
<v Speaker 8>Like they clearly think they're good enough to do it

521
00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:47.839
<v Speaker 8>at the SEC level, but that still means they're going

522
00:25:47.880 --> 00:25:50.519
<v Speaker 8>to have to make significant strides over the summer and

523
00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:54.000
<v Speaker 8>winter to date and strength and conditioning. So it's going

524
00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:56.000
<v Speaker 8>to be really important for those guys to do some

525
00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:57.680
<v Speaker 8>work in the light room over the next three or

526
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:00.400
<v Speaker 8>four months to make sure physically they're read for the

527
00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:02.279
<v Speaker 8>new challenge they're going to face in this league. So

528
00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:04.599
<v Speaker 8>even skill wise, if they're really good, they probably need

529
00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:06.279
<v Speaker 8>to add some strength and so that's going to be

530
00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:07.720
<v Speaker 8>I think that's going to say a lot about how

531
00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:10.200
<v Speaker 8>good the line is in the fall, what happens between

532
00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:11.720
<v Speaker 8>now and when camp opens in August.

533
00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:13.960
<v Speaker 2>I mentioned this the other day on the air that

534
00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:17.119
<v Speaker 2>I had during spring break. I ran into a staff member,

535
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:21.000
<v Speaker 2>not the old line coach, not Bush Hampden, but he

536
00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:24.880
<v Speaker 2>mentioned specifically. I just basically said, how's it going, and

537
00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:26.880
<v Speaker 2>he brought up the old line and he used the

538
00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.240
<v Speaker 2>word athletic, you know, and said that, you know, they

539
00:26:30.359 --> 00:26:33.880
<v Speaker 2>just might be moving back toward the days of the

540
00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:37.599
<v Speaker 2>big Blue wall and the John Schlarman era. So you know,

541
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:40.880
<v Speaker 2>that really made me sit up straight, you know what

542
00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:41.359
<v Speaker 2>I'm saying.

543
00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:45.160
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, it's good, and it appears they have more depth,

544
00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.640
<v Speaker 8>which was such an important part of that era too,

545
00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.119
<v Speaker 8>where they could rotate seven or eight guys at times.

546
00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:52.559
<v Speaker 8>Like that's why a big deal. Like I don't think

547
00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:54.480
<v Speaker 8>Jagger Burton is going to start at center when the

548
00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:56.559
<v Speaker 8>fall happened, even though he was the first team center

549
00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:58.960
<v Speaker 8>at the open practice ball and in the scrimmage on Saturday.

550
00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:01.640
<v Speaker 8>I don't think he will. But he's an important person

551
00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:04.000
<v Speaker 8>to have still in this roster because that depth and

552
00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.079
<v Speaker 8>that rotation is huge. He's the guy who started multiple

553
00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:07.880
<v Speaker 8>years in the SEC at guard has play center in

554
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:10.160
<v Speaker 8>the SEC. Like, if you have that guy who you

555
00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:12.880
<v Speaker 8>can plug in at all three interior positions and fill

556
00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:14.480
<v Speaker 8>them in and know he's going to at least like

557
00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:16.880
<v Speaker 8>hold his own, that's a huge piece to have. And

558
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:20.200
<v Speaker 8>so like that gets you to sixty right away. They've

559
00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:23.640
<v Speaker 8>got another transfer from New Mexico Wallis Unamba, who actually

560
00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.200
<v Speaker 8>got banged up a little bit in the scrimmage, but

561
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:28.240
<v Speaker 8>he can play guard or tackle. Malchi would obviously played

562
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.039
<v Speaker 8>a lot down the stretch last year at tackle and

563
00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.559
<v Speaker 8>probably wasn't ready yet, but that's experience that will help them.

564
00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:34.559
<v Speaker 8>So now you're kind of going like seven, eight, nine

565
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:37.839
<v Speaker 8>deep again. That's really really important and so you're not

566
00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:40.519
<v Speaker 8>necessarily if you get three weeks into the season it's

567
00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:42.759
<v Speaker 8>not working. You're not just stuck with the five you got.

568
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.240
<v Speaker 8>I think that's a huge development too.

569
00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:49.119
<v Speaker 2>You're right, and you know it's it's the SEC, it's

570
00:27:49.160 --> 00:27:51.599
<v Speaker 2>big boy football. You just got to know going in

571
00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:54.400
<v Speaker 2>what you got. We're talking to John Hale, other Hero Leader.

572
00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:56.519
<v Speaker 2>Will come back and talk more UK football with John

573
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:58.160
<v Speaker 2>on the other side of the break here on six

574
00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:01.720
<v Speaker 2>point thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking to John Hale.

575
00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:04.079
<v Speaker 2>He covers football and other things for the Harold Leader.

576
00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.000
<v Speaker 2>But he was there at the scrimmage. Of course, whatever

577
00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:11.000
<v Speaker 2>scrimmaging they did on the Football Showcase. I always tell

578
00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:13.319
<v Speaker 2>people any more, John, I just say, well, their uniforms

579
00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:15.480
<v Speaker 2>look great and they lined up straight, so how do

580
00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:18.519
<v Speaker 2>you know? But you talked about the d line and

581
00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.960
<v Speaker 2>there are question marks there. But I think I like

582
00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:23.359
<v Speaker 2>what I saw, do you know what I mean?

583
00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:27.000
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, I think that's a group that should be improved.

584
00:28:27.079 --> 00:28:29.440
<v Speaker 8>I mean, it's it's going to be different. And I

585
00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:31.279
<v Speaker 8>think a couple of us were talking after the first

586
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:33.599
<v Speaker 8>in practice, how so strange it was to like to

587
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:35.720
<v Speaker 8>look out there and see different numbers on the defensive

588
00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:37.920
<v Speaker 8>line that had been the same group for so many years,

589
00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:40.880
<v Speaker 8>like the Unlocker Oc Davis Achendeine Toron Ripke. You know,

590
00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:42.359
<v Speaker 8>those guys are going to be out there and they're

591
00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:45.680
<v Speaker 8>all gone, and so I like, those guys were all

592
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:48.640
<v Speaker 8>really big and this group does not seem as big,

593
00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:51.559
<v Speaker 8>but maybe more athletics. So like it knows in particular,

594
00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:54.200
<v Speaker 8>you trade, you know, from Keshun Silver who obviously transferred

595
00:28:54.200 --> 00:28:57.359
<v Speaker 8>to USC to David Gusta, who's coming from Washington. Like

596
00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:00.759
<v Speaker 8>he's a shorter guy, but he's like a bullying out there,

597
00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:03.400
<v Speaker 8>like kind of that maybe that Mark one McCall kind

598
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:05.240
<v Speaker 8>of guy they had in the past that position. Like

599
00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.319
<v Speaker 8>I think he might be their best transfer overall. Like

600
00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:08.920
<v Speaker 8>he's not gonna go up huge numbers just because of

601
00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:11.640
<v Speaker 8>the position he plays, but in terms of like, you know,

602
00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:15.119
<v Speaker 8>impact on the game. He's really important, right mcquee some

603
00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:17.079
<v Speaker 8>free grace to the defensive end. They got from South

604
00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:19.640
<v Speaker 8>Dakota was actually from Cincinnati. Like that's a guy people

605
00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:21.720
<v Speaker 8>are really high on that they hope can fill. Like

606
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.640
<v Speaker 8>he's not going to be Josh Pascal, but could be

607
00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:26.240
<v Speaker 8>that similar kind of role. So you have like somebody

608
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:28.160
<v Speaker 8>on the edge there where you're not always relying on

609
00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:30.680
<v Speaker 8>your outside linebackers to get pass rush, Like that's a

610
00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:33.039
<v Speaker 8>big deal. And then they do have some guys coming

611
00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:35.920
<v Speaker 8>back on that line who are important, you know, Khalil Sander,

612
00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.400
<v Speaker 8>Sia Hayes who as part of the year injury last year,

613
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.240
<v Speaker 8>like Kendrick Gilbert who was a big recruit a couple

614
00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.400
<v Speaker 8>of years ago, like Jared Gerrod Smith who's a sophomore

615
00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:46.200
<v Speaker 8>now moving in a second year. Like all those guys

616
00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:48.000
<v Speaker 8>are going to play, so they should be fairly deep.

617
00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:50.400
<v Speaker 8>So that's a position where they actually have a nice

618
00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:54.640
<v Speaker 8>combination of impact transfers and veterans who have played a

619
00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:56.559
<v Speaker 8>lot in this defense and should know what they're doing

620
00:29:56.640 --> 00:29:57.039
<v Speaker 8>out there.

621
00:29:57.640 --> 00:30:01.279
<v Speaker 2>One of the question marks, as everybody knows, is linebacker,

622
00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:03.759
<v Speaker 2>and they've got bodies just a question of you know,

623
00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:06.039
<v Speaker 2>how good are they going to be? How good are

624
00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:09.039
<v Speaker 2>they now? And I feel like when when it's not

625
00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:13.279
<v Speaker 2>tackling but what they call thud, it's really hard to

626
00:30:13.640 --> 00:30:17.160
<v Speaker 2>maybe hardest to judge the linebackers because you can tell

627
00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:20.079
<v Speaker 2>how quickly the d lineman close. You can tell from

628
00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:24.160
<v Speaker 2>past coverage who's getting it done in the defensive secondary,

629
00:30:24.200 --> 00:30:27.400
<v Speaker 2>But it's the linebackers. To me, I have a hard

630
00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:28.880
<v Speaker 2>time getting a read. What do you say?

631
00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:32.000
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, I agree with that, especially this group of linebackers

632
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.400
<v Speaker 8>because of the question we have about Alex Safari and

633
00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:36.680
<v Speaker 8>Daburn Rainer, who looks like they're starters inside right now?

634
00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:39.319
<v Speaker 8>Are their smaller guys? I mean they're super athletic, but

635
00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:41.599
<v Speaker 8>they're not huge, and like, can they stand up to

636
00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:44.240
<v Speaker 8>the sec like riggers of playing in that position? We

637
00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:47.160
<v Speaker 8>know how often Kentucky has gone through injuries there, you

638
00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:50.400
<v Speaker 8>know the jack Us Jones and DeAndre Squares and Derek

639
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:52.599
<v Speaker 8>Jackson's like all those guys were hurt at various times

640
00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:54.079
<v Speaker 8>even though they were playing a lot. But that that

641
00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:57.440
<v Speaker 8>position is so physical and like, so can these slimmer,

642
00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:00.519
<v Speaker 8>more athletic guys handle it when to hundred thirty pounds

643
00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:02.640
<v Speaker 8>running back coming in there and crushing him ten plays

644
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:05.119
<v Speaker 8>a game like we won't know that until the fall.

645
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:06.839
<v Speaker 8>And so I think that's another position where you got

646
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:09.039
<v Speaker 8>to watch the portal for maybe a depth piece here.

647
00:31:09.079 --> 00:31:12.240
<v Speaker 8>And they did ad Landon Watson from UH from Marshall

648
00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.039
<v Speaker 8>as a transfer as a death piece. He's a bigger guy,

649
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:17.359
<v Speaker 8>so that should help me in the two practice. The

650
00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:19.160
<v Speaker 8>practice in the scrimmage, like, I didn't see him do

651
00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:21.119
<v Speaker 8>a lot, so I don't really know what he's going

652
00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:24.759
<v Speaker 8>to do. Grant Godfrey, who was a big recruit in

653
00:31:24.839 --> 00:31:26.640
<v Speaker 8>that position, a four star guy a few years ago,

654
00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:28.799
<v Speaker 8>Like he was playing a lot in the scrimmage and

655
00:31:28.839 --> 00:31:31.039
<v Speaker 8>the open practice. But he's a smaller guy too, Like

656
00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:32.960
<v Speaker 8>is he ready to step up? I don't know. And

657
00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:34.960
<v Speaker 8>so they've got some young guys there, but none of

658
00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:36.960
<v Speaker 8>them are going to solve that physicality issue. So it

659
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:39.119
<v Speaker 8>wouldn't shock me if they go out and ad a

660
00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:41.119
<v Speaker 8>you know, a big like stutting to run stop for

661
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:42.880
<v Speaker 8>kind of guy here for a few weeks.

662
00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:46.400
<v Speaker 2>You know. I thought it was interesting that when somebody

663
00:31:46.440 --> 00:31:51.039
<v Speaker 2>asked him Stoops about Kicker plays kicker. He is sounds

664
00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:52.480
<v Speaker 2>super confident doesn't.

665
00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:55.680
<v Speaker 8>He Yeah, I mean that was funny. Like in terms

666
00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:58.480
<v Speaker 8>of last last year, when they were talking about redshirt guys,

667
00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:01.359
<v Speaker 8>the one guy Stoops was never shy about hyping up

668
00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:05.039
<v Speaker 8>the kicker, Jacob Cowaway, who from Montana has like a

669
00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:06.960
<v Speaker 8>huge leg. I mean, he was saying like week one

670
00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:09.759
<v Speaker 8>last year that if they had a sixty yarder to

671
00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:11.359
<v Speaker 8>win the game, he'd draw him out there like for

672
00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:13.839
<v Speaker 8>his first career kick, which seems insane, and that never

673
00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:16.680
<v Speaker 8>actually happened. And then Alex Rayner was so consistent and

674
00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:19.359
<v Speaker 8>steady and ended up improving his leg strength last year

675
00:32:19.400 --> 00:32:21.880
<v Speaker 8>where it wasn't really an issue. We'll see how it

676
00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.480
<v Speaker 8>happens when the lights turn on, and the consistency part

677
00:32:24.519 --> 00:32:26.480
<v Speaker 8>of it's always a question, but it seems like leg

678
00:32:26.559 --> 00:32:29.000
<v Speaker 8>strength will not be an issue and that can be

679
00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:31.200
<v Speaker 8>a real weapon for them. And then at punter two,

680
00:32:31.319 --> 00:32:34.640
<v Speaker 8>Aiden Larros didn't win the job out of camp last year,

681
00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:36.440
<v Speaker 8>eve though everybody hyped him up as this impact guy.

682
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:38.079
<v Speaker 8>He took it over a few weeks in the season,

683
00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:41.359
<v Speaker 8>battled some consistency issues, but he also has a huge

684
00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:43.880
<v Speaker 8>leg and Mark was really really positive about him on

685
00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:45.759
<v Speaker 8>Saturday too, So it seems like maybe he's pick some

686
00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:48.680
<v Speaker 8>of those consistency things. That's a huge deal because we

687
00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:50.799
<v Speaker 8>know that the margin of error for these this team

688
00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:52.920
<v Speaker 8>is going to be really really slip, and so winning

689
00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.160
<v Speaker 8>the special team, so those hidden yardage that's going to

690
00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:56.880
<v Speaker 8>be really important for them to come out.

691
00:32:56.880 --> 00:32:59.960
<v Speaker 2>Well, that's exactly why. That's exactly why I brought down

692
00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:02.319
<v Speaker 2>up more than ever. They need to be able to

693
00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:04.920
<v Speaker 2>score from the thirty five on in or maybe deeper.

694
00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:08.599
<v Speaker 2>And you know, the teams that have struggled with old

695
00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:12.680
<v Speaker 2>line problems as you know, field position has just really

696
00:33:12.720 --> 00:33:15.079
<v Speaker 2>been brutal for these teams. I mean that's what people

697
00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:18.960
<v Speaker 2>forget about Stoops's best teams you know, had shorter fields

698
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:22.680
<v Speaker 2>because of defense and could handle longer fields because they

699
00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:23.759
<v Speaker 2>can move the ball right.

700
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:26.799
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, And like just think about how important like if

701
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:29.119
<v Speaker 8>if we're kind of comparing this team to that twenty

702
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:32.000
<v Speaker 8>sixteen to twenty seventeen right era where they were kind

703
00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:34.319
<v Speaker 8>of breaking through, because that's frankly where they're at. They

704
00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:36.160
<v Speaker 8>need to break through to Bolgild again, Like think how

705
00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:38.440
<v Speaker 8>important Austin McGinnis was to those games, Like how many

706
00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:41.119
<v Speaker 8>big days where he hit you know, game winning field

707
00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:43.279
<v Speaker 8>goals from fifty yards fifty three yards like at the

708
00:33:43.319 --> 00:33:44.640
<v Speaker 8>end of the game, where they knew that was a

709
00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:47.519
<v Speaker 8>weapon for them. They played so many close games and

710
00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:49.440
<v Speaker 8>so knowing your kickers were liable when you throw them

711
00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:49.720
<v Speaker 8>out there.

712
00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:50.279
<v Speaker 9>As a huge deal.

713
00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:53.559
<v Speaker 2>Well, he had game winners against both Mississippi State and

714
00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:56.680
<v Speaker 2>Louisville in the ten win season, and those are just

715
00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:58.559
<v Speaker 2>the kicks at the end of the game. It's the

716
00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:01.079
<v Speaker 2>ones that were throughout the games that were vital as well.

717
00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:03.480
<v Speaker 2>A few minutes left with John Hail of The Harrow Leader,

718
00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:07.440
<v Speaker 2>you referenced Tennessee situation. Boy, the fallout has been interesting

719
00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:09.760
<v Speaker 2>over the last forty eight hours. I said earlier John

720
00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:13.400
<v Speaker 2>that yes, players have a right to do this do that,

721
00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:18.159
<v Speaker 2>but I don't really think it's accurate to compare players

722
00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:22.840
<v Speaker 2>jumping in a situation or trying to negotiate, you know,

723
00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:26.199
<v Speaker 2>and hold the team really for hostage the way Nico

724
00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:31.119
<v Speaker 2>did to coaches leaving for another job, because coaches, at

725
00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:33.760
<v Speaker 2>least I haven't seen it yet, they don't hold their

726
00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:37.159
<v Speaker 2>their employer hostage the way this kid tried to do. So,

727
00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:40.400
<v Speaker 2>I don't know. There's a lot of misinformation out there

728
00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:43.960
<v Speaker 2>and the takes on it. But do you credit Tennessee

729
00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:46.320
<v Speaker 2>because some people said you don't credit them and all

730
00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.159
<v Speaker 2>some said you give them all the credit in the world.

731
00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:50.559
<v Speaker 8>What do you think, Yeah, I mean, I'd like to

732
00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:53.960
<v Speaker 8>know the specific details of who actually flinched first there

733
00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:56.320
<v Speaker 8>in that one before I make a huge decision. But

734
00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:59.760
<v Speaker 8>if it's if it's accurate what's been reported that Tennessee said, Okay,

735
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.960
<v Speaker 8>moving on, I think that is to their credit. That's

736
00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:03.840
<v Speaker 8>the only way you can exist in this era. Like,

737
00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:06.199
<v Speaker 8>at some point you have to draw the line. And frankly,

738
00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:07.960
<v Speaker 8>we saw that was a problem with Kentucky the last

739
00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:10.199
<v Speaker 8>two years. That's part of the culture issue is it

740
00:35:10.199 --> 00:35:12.360
<v Speaker 8>doesn't seem it didn't seem like they drew that line

741
00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:14.599
<v Speaker 8>quickly enough where they like guys, you know, kind of

742
00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:16.239
<v Speaker 8>do whatever they want to do because they knew the

743
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:19.079
<v Speaker 8>threat to transfer, you know, need more Naol money was

744
00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:21.320
<v Speaker 8>always out there and so like, you got to do it.

745
00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:23.559
<v Speaker 8>And it's it's hard with your quarterback. It's hard for

746
00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:25.920
<v Speaker 8>a team that has playoff aspirations, who now is really

747
00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:27.960
<v Speaker 8>uncertain what the quarterback market will be like in the

748
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.280
<v Speaker 8>spring window. But at some point you do just have

749
00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:32.360
<v Speaker 8>to say it, and frankly, Nico wasn't good enough to

750
00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.159
<v Speaker 8>justify all that. I know, the market's gone up from

751
00:35:35.320 --> 00:35:37.360
<v Speaker 8>you know, the quarterbacks who transferred this year got more

752
00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:39.920
<v Speaker 8>money than he was making. But like he wasn't elite

753
00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:42.519
<v Speaker 8>last year. Maybe he'll be elite this ball, but like

754
00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:45.360
<v Speaker 8>he wasn't such a difference maker that he was worth

755
00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:47.840
<v Speaker 8>this kind of trouble. And so I imagine that if

756
00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:51.320
<v Speaker 8>Tennessee did move on first, they've probably done some back

757
00:35:51.440 --> 00:35:53.760
<v Speaker 8>channel feeling out to make sure there's going to be

758
00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:55.440
<v Speaker 8>a guy who they can go out and get here

759
00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:58.159
<v Speaker 8>in the next couple of weeks. But I do give

760
00:35:58.199 --> 00:35:59.880
<v Speaker 8>them credit if that. If that is how it played

761
00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:02.159
<v Speaker 8>out out, the only way you're going to succeed in

762
00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:05.800
<v Speaker 8>this era is to have firm boundaries, and you got

763
00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:07.039
<v Speaker 8>to force some when they come up.

764
00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:10.159
<v Speaker 2>I am, by no means an expert on quarterback play,

765
00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:12.599
<v Speaker 2>but I felt like Hendon Hooker for what Tennessee did

766
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:15.320
<v Speaker 2>and Amy have been surrounded by better people. I don't know,

767
00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:18.480
<v Speaker 2>but I felt like Hendon Hooker was better with Tennessee

768
00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:19.480
<v Speaker 2>than this kid was.

769
00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:22.599
<v Speaker 8>Yeah, and that's interesting because we think about that as

770
00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:25.280
<v Speaker 8>such a quarterback friendly system. It's probably not for everybody.

771
00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:27.719
<v Speaker 8>Van Heile's a guy who knows way more football to

772
00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:29.760
<v Speaker 8>be talks about that a lot and how Hindon was

773
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:32.599
<v Speaker 8>kind of a perfect quarterback for that system, and so

774
00:36:32.840 --> 00:36:34.480
<v Speaker 8>like it's you know, you got to you got to

775
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:36.440
<v Speaker 8>be able to make quick reads and know where you're

776
00:36:36.440 --> 00:36:39.440
<v Speaker 8>going and be comfortable. And multiple years in there was

777
00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:42.360
<v Speaker 8>really important for Hinton. And so we'll see what happens

778
00:36:42.360 --> 00:36:44.280
<v Speaker 8>next there. That's why I don't think it's necessarily certain

779
00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:45.400
<v Speaker 8>that you can to think go out and get a

780
00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:47.000
<v Speaker 8>big name in the portal that he's going to be

781
00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:50.079
<v Speaker 8>ready to go right away. But it's very fascinating to watch.

782
00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:53.639
<v Speaker 2>And somebody I heard talking about, you know, they had

783
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:55.920
<v Speaker 2>a blackball him. I said, well, you know, you got

784
00:36:55.960 --> 00:36:59.039
<v Speaker 2>to have one thousand percent of people buying into blackball

785
00:36:59.199 --> 00:37:02.280
<v Speaker 2>somebody and some he somewhere is going to sign this kid.

786
00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:05.079
<v Speaker 8>Right yeah, and somebody will need him and like maybe

787
00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:07.559
<v Speaker 8>because I think I've seen a lot of UCLA speculations

788
00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:10.159
<v Speaker 8>from like, so we'll see how that happens. But like

789
00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:11.639
<v Speaker 8>I mean, it's the same thing in the NFL, Like

790
00:37:11.639 --> 00:37:12.719
<v Speaker 8>we've seen this for a long time.

791
00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:14.719
<v Speaker 9>That's unfortunately how college.

792
00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:16.559
<v Speaker 8>Is getting so much more like it, like the NFL

793
00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:19.239
<v Speaker 8>is a sport where people hold out routinely in camp

794
00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:21.559
<v Speaker 8>and whatever for like more money, and like now it's

795
00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:23.559
<v Speaker 8>come to college and like those guys all get signed

796
00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:26.320
<v Speaker 8>somewhere else, Like winning games is the is the most

797
00:37:26.519 --> 00:37:28.920
<v Speaker 8>important thing at the end. And it will be interesting

798
00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:31.320
<v Speaker 8>to see whenever he talks again, whether it's his new

799
00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:34.599
<v Speaker 8>school or before he transfers, what the message his camp

800
00:37:34.599 --> 00:37:37.239
<v Speaker 8>puts out is and how much kind of imagery building

801
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:39.960
<v Speaker 8>they can do. But it'll be, you know, I'm eager

802
00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:41.159
<v Speaker 8>to watch, of course.

803
00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:43.239
<v Speaker 2>The same here. Of course when the NFL, when somebody

804
00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:46.239
<v Speaker 2>holds out, it's not like they're going to another team.

805
00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:49.119
<v Speaker 2>They're just not going to play. But I mean it

806
00:37:49.159 --> 00:37:53.280
<v Speaker 2>can still be effective. But you know who knows. Yeah,

807
00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:55.400
<v Speaker 2>the portals your next big headline, isn't it?

808
00:37:56.360 --> 00:37:58.599
<v Speaker 8>That's it open to Windnesday. I don't think it's going

809
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:00.559
<v Speaker 8>to be like a bunch of huge names for Kentucky.

810
00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:02.320
<v Speaker 8>But it's clear that they have a few more spots

811
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:05.480
<v Speaker 8>they want to add that nothing else receiver. They need

812
00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:08.840
<v Speaker 8>a new receiver because true Adward's the transfer from Lois

813
00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:11.519
<v Speaker 8>and a tech who didn't get in time for the January.

814
00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:13.400
<v Speaker 8>My understanding, he's not going to get that way from

815
00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:15.559
<v Speaker 8>the NCLA for his extra juco year, so they're going

816
00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:16.800
<v Speaker 8>to need to go out and find at least one

817
00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:20.320
<v Speaker 8>more receiver. We talked about running back in linebacker, and

818
00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:22.039
<v Speaker 8>then we'll see who leaves. I mean, I think mostly

819
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:24.400
<v Speaker 8>it'll be guys buried down to that start like looking

820
00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:26.400
<v Speaker 8>for more reps. But it wouldn't be a shock if

821
00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:29.440
<v Speaker 8>it's somebody important you know, has heard from back channel

822
00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:32.360
<v Speaker 8>somewhere and gets an offer somewhere else. So that's something

823
00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:32.760
<v Speaker 8>to watch.

824
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:35.119
<v Speaker 2>Never a shock is a John Hale of the Arrow

825
00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:37.199
<v Speaker 2>Leader tell everybody how to follow you on Twitter.

826
00:38:38.119 --> 00:38:41.079
<v Speaker 8>It's John Hale, j O n H L E underscore.

827
00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:42.960
<v Speaker 2>HL sounds good. Thank you brother, see you soon.

828
00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:43.960
<v Speaker 9>Thanks for having me.

829
00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:48.360
<v Speaker 2>And after to break, Aaron Gershawn, who also Wash sat

830
00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:50.559
<v Speaker 2>to my right, John Hail to my left. Aeron Gershwan

831
00:38:50.599 --> 00:38:52.840
<v Speaker 2>am I right at the scrimmage. We'll talk with Aaron

832
00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:54.480
<v Speaker 2>on the other side of the break. Then we'll make

833
00:38:54.519 --> 00:38:56.440
<v Speaker 2>way at seven thirty to the nicknamese you own show

834
00:38:56.440 --> 00:38:57.840
<v Speaker 2>here on six thirty w.

835
00:38:58.039 --> 00:39:45.039
<v Speaker 10>Lapata taping.

836
00:39:41.400 --> 00:39:48.079
<v Speaker 4>The show Anything Canning.

837
00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:48.760
<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to the Big Blue and cider. I renumber

838
00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:50.639
<v Speaker 2>two of our program coming up at the bottom of

839
00:40:50.639 --> 00:40:53.079
<v Speaker 2>the hour, it's the Nickmns you Own show. Uh. He

840
00:40:53.159 --> 00:40:55.880
<v Speaker 2>will talk, of course Kentucky baseball with Darren Hedrick, But

841
00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:58.800
<v Speaker 2>as promised, we are going to chat with Aaron Gershaan

842
00:40:58.880 --> 00:41:01.280
<v Speaker 2>of The Cat's Pause, who said, next to me in

843
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:03.400
<v Speaker 2>the press box, John Hale on one side, you just

844
00:41:03.480 --> 00:41:06.280
<v Speaker 2>heard from John and Aaron on the other. Uh, and Aaron,

845
00:41:07.119 --> 00:41:09.800
<v Speaker 2>And I'm sure everywhere you go now, people who know

846
00:41:09.840 --> 00:41:11.960
<v Speaker 2>what you do for a living in like Kentucky football

847
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.639
<v Speaker 2>will say, how do they look? What would you say

848
00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:18.320
<v Speaker 2>to people who ask you that question? Given a limited

849
00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:20.000
<v Speaker 2>number of plays we got.

850
00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:22.559
<v Speaker 11>To see, Yeah, that'd be the first thing i'd say.

851
00:41:22.599 --> 00:41:24.880
<v Speaker 11>I'd say, well, it's hard to get a true ter

852
00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:26.960
<v Speaker 11>gauge because it was a lot of sudd you know,

853
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:28.519
<v Speaker 11>wasn't tackling to the ground.

854
00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:30.800
<v Speaker 3>But you know, at least we did get some eleven

855
00:41:30.840 --> 00:41:31.639
<v Speaker 3>on eleven stuff.

856
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:34.039
<v Speaker 11>I'd say we got a good look at kind of

857
00:41:34.039 --> 00:41:36.360
<v Speaker 11>where the depth start is at at this point in time,

858
00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:39.119
<v Speaker 11>obviously minus a couple of guys that were anjured.

859
00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:42.159
<v Speaker 3>But I think I would say that the.

860
00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:46.079
<v Speaker 11>Probably the best news of the day and it was

861
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:49.119
<v Speaker 11>something that we also saw in that open practice we

862
00:41:49.159 --> 00:41:51.360
<v Speaker 11>went to about a week and a half ago. Was

863
00:41:51.840 --> 00:41:55.239
<v Speaker 11>the offensive line looked better. I mean, it's hard again.

864
00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:58.239
<v Speaker 11>It's the new look defensive line this year, so you

865
00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:00.840
<v Speaker 11>know they're they're learning a new scheme and things like that.

866
00:42:00.800 --> 00:42:02.559
<v Speaker 9>For a lot of them are newcomers.

867
00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:06.679
<v Speaker 11>But holes were open in this eleven on eleven that

868
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:10.719
<v Speaker 11>we haven't frankly seen in spring practice in quite some time.

869
00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:14.159
<v Speaker 11>And I thought Dante Dallas are running veterans from Nebraska

870
00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.719
<v Speaker 11>to the best day at the three running backs picking

871
00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:19.079
<v Speaker 11>advantage of those holes, and you know they would have

872
00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:22.079
<v Speaker 11>been big gainers in a game situation. So I would

873
00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:24.360
<v Speaker 11>say that was the best thing I saw. I thought

874
00:42:24.440 --> 00:42:26.440
<v Speaker 11>Calzata made a couple of good throws, but we didn't

875
00:42:26.480 --> 00:42:27.280
<v Speaker 11>really get to see.

876
00:42:27.159 --> 00:42:27.719
<v Speaker 9>Much of him.

877
00:42:27.880 --> 00:42:30.000
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, honestly, it made sense.

878
00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:31.440
<v Speaker 11>They wanted to get a lot of the younger guys

879
00:42:31.719 --> 00:42:35.079
<v Speaker 11>at the quarterback position more reps. But you know, that'd

880
00:42:35.119 --> 00:42:37.800
<v Speaker 11>be my main takeaway. I think the offensive line, with

881
00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:40.599
<v Speaker 11>all the experience they brought in, all the size they

882
00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:44.239
<v Speaker 11>brought in, looks the part, at least in practice now

883
00:42:44.440 --> 00:42:45.800
<v Speaker 11>twice that we've seen them.

884
00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:53.079
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Yeah, they just look bigger, especially Pete. I'm really

885
00:42:53.119 --> 00:42:56.239
<v Speaker 2>curious to see how he holds up in the SEC.

886
00:42:56.400 --> 00:42:58.440
<v Speaker 2>But I have no reason to believe he won't, right,

887
00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:00.239
<v Speaker 2>I don't.

888
00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:01.239
<v Speaker 3>See why not.

889
00:43:01.400 --> 00:43:03.079
<v Speaker 11>I mean, we're talking, we're all talking about a fifth

890
00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:04.960
<v Speaker 11>year guy. I believe, I believe he's a fifty or

891
00:43:05.159 --> 00:43:08.760
<v Speaker 11>fourth year. So he you know, he's his experience. You

892
00:43:08.840 --> 00:43:11.920
<v Speaker 11>go and look at New Mexico State and you know

893
00:43:11.960 --> 00:43:12.639
<v Speaker 11>they beat Auburn.

894
00:43:12.679 --> 00:43:15.159
<v Speaker 3>At Auburn, he was the starting left tackle in that game.

895
00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:18.440
<v Speaker 11>I believe they had think that another SEC team they

896
00:43:18.519 --> 00:43:20.440
<v Speaker 11>played against that he played. Well, I don't have it

897
00:43:20.719 --> 00:43:22.679
<v Speaker 11>in front of me right now, but yeah, he's a

898
00:43:22.679 --> 00:43:24.880
<v Speaker 11>guy that's been battletets. He's been around the block for

899
00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:27.719
<v Speaker 11>a minute now. And you know, obviously it was all

900
00:43:27.800 --> 00:43:31.360
<v Speaker 11>high majors are I guess we're talking football, so all

901
00:43:31.719 --> 00:43:35.000
<v Speaker 11>group of four now teams that were that were going

902
00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:38.320
<v Speaker 11>after him hard in the transfer portal here. So I

903
00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:41.480
<v Speaker 11>don't think there's reason the threat that he can't hold up.

904
00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:43.400
<v Speaker 11>And then that's what I kind of like to you

905
00:43:43.400 --> 00:43:45.400
<v Speaker 11>know about Joshua le Bron, the left guard. They got

906
00:43:45.400 --> 00:43:48.559
<v Speaker 11>as a ton of experience in the SEC. Between Florida

907
00:43:48.599 --> 00:43:50.719
<v Speaker 11>and Arkansas. And then you know, you bring in the

908
00:43:50.760 --> 00:43:53.280
<v Speaker 11>right tackle who's played a bunch at Bowling Green and

909
00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:55.639
<v Speaker 11>was an All MAC guy there, and that that's the

910
00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:58.519
<v Speaker 11>league that's went and lost in the trenches. So these

911
00:43:58.519 --> 00:44:00.880
<v Speaker 11>are all guys that are not only experience, but have

912
00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:04.000
<v Speaker 11>done it at pretty high levels. And not necessarily, you know,

913
00:44:04.039 --> 00:44:06.880
<v Speaker 11>a group of four, but they've done they've held up

914
00:44:07.400 --> 00:44:09.119
<v Speaker 11>well when they stayed those teams.

915
00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:10.840
<v Speaker 3>So I think Peter'll be all right.

916
00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:14.679
<v Speaker 2>We talked Saturday, John Hale and I talked about it

917
00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:17.760
<v Speaker 2>as well. You and I did at the game about you.

918
00:44:17.880 --> 00:44:22.320
<v Speaker 2>Marion Wilcox, who is a real puzzlement. I mean, you know,

919
00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:23.480
<v Speaker 2>is he going to be here? Is he going to

920
00:44:23.559 --> 00:44:27.039
<v Speaker 2>hit the portal? Is he ready to take football more

921
00:44:27.079 --> 00:44:30.679
<v Speaker 2>seriously and with people? You know, football Kentucky fans know

922
00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:34.039
<v Speaker 2>this guy is capable of what they like to call explosives,

923
00:44:34.599 --> 00:44:37.360
<v Speaker 2>the big plays like the one he had to Tennessee.

924
00:44:37.880 --> 00:44:41.519
<v Speaker 2>And here's a guy who last year slightly out game

925
00:44:41.599 --> 00:44:45.400
<v Speaker 2>basically the same amount of rushing yards as Demi Sumo

926
00:44:45.559 --> 00:44:50.199
<v Speaker 2>Karnbay in forty fewer carries, but he only ran with

927
00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:56.000
<v Speaker 2>the twos. This guy, to me is just really intriguing

928
00:44:56.079 --> 00:44:56.960
<v Speaker 2>in so many ways.

929
00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:00.800
<v Speaker 11>You know, it's like you're almost begging for him to

930
00:45:00.840 --> 00:45:04.559
<v Speaker 11>get it off the field because he is so talented.

931
00:45:04.599 --> 00:45:06.519
<v Speaker 11>I mean, every time he touched the ball, it felt

932
00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:08.159
<v Speaker 11>like a big play was waiting to happen. I mean,

933
00:45:08.320 --> 00:45:10.000
<v Speaker 11>was it Texas or first play the game with the

934
00:45:10.039 --> 00:45:12.960
<v Speaker 11>fifty yard runs Tennessee.

935
00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:15.840
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, so it's that's right. I was there.

936
00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:18.239
<v Speaker 11>I was like, I saw it at first orange it

937
00:45:18.280 --> 00:45:21.119
<v Speaker 11>was orange. Yeah yeah, it was orange. Yeah, wrong shade.

938
00:45:21.119 --> 00:45:25.239
<v Speaker 11>But that's all right, but they're both anyway. It's just, yeah,

939
00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:28.880
<v Speaker 11>you're begging him to get it together off the field

940
00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:32.280
<v Speaker 11>and get it together, you know, learning to playbook and

941
00:45:32.800 --> 00:45:36.400
<v Speaker 11>just being with the program for you know, Mark Dukes

942
00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:39.239
<v Speaker 11>brought up the shoe example of the shoe tying example

943
00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:42.199
<v Speaker 11>last year, like stuff like that, if they can get

944
00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:45.159
<v Speaker 11>him over that hump, I mean, he's a special talent.

945
00:45:45.199 --> 00:45:46.639
<v Speaker 11>I don't know if he's going to be a three

946
00:45:46.639 --> 00:45:48.719
<v Speaker 11>down back just because he's on the smaller side, but

947
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:51.920
<v Speaker 11>my gosh, could he really give them a change of

948
00:45:51.960 --> 00:45:55.239
<v Speaker 11>pace because Dance Dowell from Nebraska, and I know, you

949
00:45:55.280 --> 00:45:58.159
<v Speaker 11>know he wants to get the stigma out, but really,

950
00:45:58.159 --> 00:45:59.639
<v Speaker 11>if you go look at what he did last year.

951
00:46:00.079 --> 00:46:02.440
<v Speaker 11>He was great in short yardage, not much else. There

952
00:46:02.440 --> 00:46:06.039
<v Speaker 11>weren't many explosive runs. I think his longest runt of

953
00:46:06.039 --> 00:46:08.639
<v Speaker 11>the year was in the twenties in terms of yardage,

954
00:46:08.760 --> 00:46:11.679
<v Speaker 11>gained a lot of one yard touchdown runs. I think

955
00:46:11.719 --> 00:46:12.920
<v Speaker 11>seven of us twelve.

956
00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:13.800
<v Speaker 3>Were one yard out.

957
00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:17.239
<v Speaker 11>So you'd love to have that combination. And I know

958
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:19.840
<v Speaker 11>Jason Patterson's had a nice spring as well, but you

959
00:46:19.880 --> 00:46:21.559
<v Speaker 11>know he's still he's coming off an injury, he's a

960
00:46:21.559 --> 00:46:24.000
<v Speaker 11>red shirt freshman. I don't know how much that's going

961
00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:27.400
<v Speaker 11>to translate in the game quite yet, but you'd love

962
00:46:27.480 --> 00:46:30.440
<v Speaker 11>for Willcox and Dowell to be kind of your combo

963
00:46:30.519 --> 00:46:32.480
<v Speaker 11>there where you have a guy who's a power back

964
00:46:32.519 --> 00:46:35.039
<v Speaker 11>that's hard to bring down, wears down the defense, and

965
00:46:35.079 --> 00:46:37.880
<v Speaker 11>then you can bring in will Cox against the tire

966
00:46:37.960 --> 00:46:40.800
<v Speaker 11>defense to you know, be a big play threat, especially

967
00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:44.360
<v Speaker 11>now this year or clearly clearly clearly they're trying to

968
00:46:44.360 --> 00:46:46.039
<v Speaker 11>get back to being a run heavy offense.

969
00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:49.519
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and then you know Patterson, like you said, hurt

970
00:46:49.599 --> 00:46:52.840
<v Speaker 2>last year carry the ball what twenty times five and

971
00:46:52.840 --> 00:46:56.400
<v Speaker 2>a half yards per carrying? No, he played okay, Yeah,

972
00:46:56.599 --> 00:46:59.400
<v Speaker 2>caught the ball this spring. I'm curious to see what

973
00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:01.599
<v Speaker 2>they do that. You know, it.

974
00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:03.719
<v Speaker 11>Seems like all three backs they were asking that out

975
00:47:03.760 --> 00:47:05.840
<v Speaker 11>of them because they threw to Dowel a lot yet

976
00:47:06.119 --> 00:47:08.800
<v Speaker 11>on Saturday as well, So that's clearly going to be

977
00:47:08.880 --> 00:47:11.920
<v Speaker 11>something they probably try to do more this season, which

978
00:47:11.960 --> 00:47:14.079
<v Speaker 11>is interesting because Sumo Karnbay that was kind of the

979
00:47:14.119 --> 00:47:15.639
<v Speaker 11>strength of his game and I felt.

980
00:47:15.400 --> 00:47:17.199
<v Speaker 3>Like it was almost underutilized last year.

981
00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:20.800
<v Speaker 11>So uh, when you live and learn, So definitely think

982
00:47:20.840 --> 00:47:22.880
<v Speaker 11>that's gonna be a bigger piece of the offense. And

983
00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:25.360
<v Speaker 11>Patterson looked the most comfortable the three from what we

984
00:47:25.440 --> 00:47:26.039
<v Speaker 11>saw doing it.

985
00:47:26.599 --> 00:47:29.559
<v Speaker 2>Fred Ferrier didn't play that disappointed me, and that's another

986
00:47:29.639 --> 00:47:30.559
<v Speaker 2>kid who intrigues me.

987
00:47:31.519 --> 00:47:33.559
<v Speaker 11>Yeah, the wide receiver rooms beat up right now. Last

988
00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:36.199
<v Speaker 11>year was the defensive line where they were just down to.

989
00:47:36.239 --> 00:47:36.880
<v Speaker 9>Walk on with.

990
00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:39.039
<v Speaker 11>Honestly, I think they had walk on running with the

991
00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:41.559
<v Speaker 11>first team in this event last year. This year they

992
00:47:41.559 --> 00:47:43.679
<v Speaker 11>were with the second team and then unfortunately one of

993
00:47:43.719 --> 00:47:47.039
<v Speaker 11>them got hurt and it's just like, wow, they just

994
00:47:47.199 --> 00:47:49.559
<v Speaker 11>are really struggling at receiver right now. But yeah, Fret

995
00:47:49.559 --> 00:47:52.639
<v Speaker 11>Ferrier is a guy that looked good really all spring

996
00:47:52.719 --> 00:47:54.719
<v Speaker 11>and fall camp last year. Made a couple of nice

997
00:47:54.760 --> 00:47:57.519
<v Speaker 11>players last year, and then I thought played pretty well

998
00:47:57.559 --> 00:47:59.480
<v Speaker 11>in the open practice we went to a couple of

999
00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:02.639
<v Speaker 11>weeks ago, the same with the freshman. DJ Miller looked

1000
00:48:02.880 --> 00:48:04.960
<v Speaker 11>had to play of the day in the open practice

1001
00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:08.519
<v Speaker 11>we went to, and unfortunately he didn't go on Saturday.

1002
00:48:09.559 --> 00:48:13.320
<v Speaker 11>I believe there were Preston Bowman, the freshman didn't go Saturday.

1003
00:48:13.360 --> 00:48:15.280
<v Speaker 11>I believe there was one more. And they're still waiting

1004
00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:17.320
<v Speaker 11>on the whole True Edwards thing. It's really hard to

1005
00:48:17.360 --> 00:48:20.199
<v Speaker 11>read between the tea leaves there as if he's going

1006
00:48:20.239 --> 00:48:22.519
<v Speaker 11>to be cleared or not with the whole you know,

1007
00:48:22.639 --> 00:48:26.280
<v Speaker 11>Jugo ruling and whatnot. So yeah, I would think wide receiver.

1008
00:48:26.360 --> 00:48:28.679
<v Speaker 11>With all the injuries. I wish we got to see Ferrier.

1009
00:48:28.679 --> 00:48:30.960
<v Speaker 11>I wish we got to see DJ Miller. But with

1010
00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:34.199
<v Speaker 11>all the injuries, I and depending on what happens with

1011
00:48:34.239 --> 00:48:37.559
<v Speaker 11>this True Edward's ruling or if it rolls into the summer,

1012
00:48:37.880 --> 00:48:40.679
<v Speaker 11>I would think with the spring transfer portal opening two

1013
00:48:40.760 --> 00:48:42.719
<v Speaker 11>days from now, that's position they probably need to.

1014
00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:43.199
<v Speaker 9>Get a body.

1015
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:46.519
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, yeah, definitely, and maybe another running back. We're

1016
00:48:46.519 --> 00:48:47.000
<v Speaker 2>talking Aaron.

1017
00:48:47.599 --> 00:48:49.320
<v Speaker 11>So yeah, it's hard to start to play with only

1018
00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:50.440
<v Speaker 11>three at that.

1019
00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:54.559
<v Speaker 2>Position and to count on true freshman, true incoming freshmen.

1020
00:48:54.920 --> 00:48:57.119
<v Speaker 2>Talking to Aaron gershein of the catch clause, We're going

1021
00:48:57.199 --> 00:48:59.199
<v Speaker 2>to talk a little bit of basketball, but before we

1022
00:48:59.280 --> 00:49:01.719
<v Speaker 2>do that, uh, because you talked about that with Tom

1023
00:49:01.800 --> 00:49:04.400
<v Speaker 2>Leach this morning on his show. But uh, you and

1024
00:49:04.440 --> 00:49:09.119
<v Speaker 2>I talked about the mess at Tennessee, and there's been

1025
00:49:09.159 --> 00:49:11.159
<v Speaker 2>so much fallout after that. And of course, you know

1026
00:49:11.199 --> 00:49:12.840
<v Speaker 2>a lot of the a lot of I think some

1027
00:49:12.840 --> 00:49:14.639
<v Speaker 2>of the pro athletes have jumped in and said, well,

1028
00:49:14.679 --> 00:49:17.679
<v Speaker 2>these coaches can move. Yeah, but the coaches don't hold

1029
00:49:17.719 --> 00:49:21.719
<v Speaker 2>their employers hostage. They don't say what I'm not going

1030
00:49:21.800 --> 00:49:24.480
<v Speaker 2>to coach uh in the in the next game or

1031
00:49:24.480 --> 00:49:28.079
<v Speaker 2>in the bowl game unless you renegotiate my contract or whatever.

1032
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:31.239
<v Speaker 2>Who I think this kid just got some really bad advice.

1033
00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:34.880
<v Speaker 2>But what does that work? A hardship on his friends

1034
00:49:34.880 --> 00:49:37.320
<v Speaker 2>and teammates, you know, Oh my gosh.

1035
00:49:37.480 --> 00:49:39.760
<v Speaker 11>I would say, first of all, good for the Tennessee

1036
00:49:39.760 --> 00:49:41.760
<v Speaker 11>coaching staff for putting the foot down and telling them

1037
00:49:41.840 --> 00:49:44.480
<v Speaker 11>to go, because that's the right thing. You can't you

1038
00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:46.639
<v Speaker 11>can't have that hanging over your head. It doesn't matter

1039
00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:49.000
<v Speaker 11>who you are. And even though he's a five hour quarterback.

1040
00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:52.199
<v Speaker 11>But are okay your last year good for them there?

1041
00:49:52.360 --> 00:49:54.599
<v Speaker 11>But yeah, I think I think you nailed this bad advice,

1042
00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:58.760
<v Speaker 11>and I honestly I just can't. He's a twenty year

1043
00:49:58.800 --> 00:50:01.679
<v Speaker 11>old kid who it was a five star prospect going

1044
00:50:01.719 --> 00:50:05.440
<v Speaker 11>into his second year of Tennessee starting they went the

1045
00:50:05.440 --> 00:50:07.679
<v Speaker 11>playoffs last year, Like, you can't tell me this is

1046
00:50:07.719 --> 00:50:10.599
<v Speaker 11>well he wanted like I will not be convicted of that.

1047
00:50:10.719 --> 00:50:13.199
<v Speaker 11>So I feel bad for the kid in this case.

1048
00:50:13.239 --> 00:50:16.039
<v Speaker 11>I think he got terrible advice, ran with it, and

1049
00:50:16.199 --> 00:50:18.880
<v Speaker 11>unfortunately got kicked to the curb rightfully so because of it.

1050
00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:22.119
<v Speaker 11>So I think it's just a it's a lost, lost,

1051
00:50:22.199 --> 00:50:23.880
<v Speaker 11>lost situation all across the.

1052
00:50:23.800 --> 00:50:26.760
<v Speaker 3>Board, no winners really in this, uh you know.

1053
00:50:27.199 --> 00:50:30.320
<v Speaker 11>And now you know, it'll be interesting to see where

1054
00:50:30.559 --> 00:50:34.760
<v Speaker 11>Nico lands because like, is a program like Oregon, I

1055
00:50:34.760 --> 00:50:36.719
<v Speaker 11>don't know, well, I know Oregon was their coach is

1056
00:50:36.800 --> 00:50:40.519
<v Speaker 11>kind of involved in letting Tennessee know you're sniffing around,

1057
00:50:40.519 --> 00:50:43.559
<v Speaker 11>But USC like some of those prideful programs out left

1058
00:50:43.559 --> 00:50:46.039
<v Speaker 11>because he can't can't transfer within the SEC unless it's

1059
00:50:46.039 --> 00:50:49.119
<v Speaker 11>gonna strip this year. So are any of those really

1060
00:50:49.159 --> 00:50:52.880
<v Speaker 11>prideful programs gonna take this kid on I feel like

1061
00:50:52.920 --> 00:50:54.360
<v Speaker 11>it's gonna be more like a U C. L A

1062
00:50:54.480 --> 00:50:56.639
<v Speaker 11>or a team that's kind of desperate to get something going.

1063
00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:59.239
<v Speaker 11>So uh, I just I feel bad for the kid.

1064
00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:03.760
<v Speaker 11>And then Tennessee, you know, I'm glad the coaching staff

1065
00:51:03.760 --> 00:51:05.239
<v Speaker 11>did what they did, but man, are they in a

1066
00:51:05.280 --> 00:51:05.719
<v Speaker 11>tough spot.

1067
00:51:05.760 --> 00:51:05.920
<v Speaker 8>Now.

1068
00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:08.679
<v Speaker 11>They only have two scholarship the two not just two

1069
00:51:08.719 --> 00:51:11.639
<v Speaker 11>scholarship quarterback, they have two quarterbacks period, wow, on their

1070
00:51:11.800 --> 00:51:14.880
<v Speaker 11>entire rocks. And they're both ones of red shirt freshman

1071
00:51:14.920 --> 00:51:18.159
<v Speaker 11>and one's a true freshman. So they're not like in

1072
00:51:18.239 --> 00:51:20.719
<v Speaker 11>the names that come out in the spring portal, like

1073
00:51:20.880 --> 00:51:24.280
<v Speaker 11>Nico might be the highest profile player ever to go

1074
00:51:24.480 --> 00:51:27.599
<v Speaker 11>into the spring portal in this four year window. So yeah,

1075
00:51:27.639 --> 00:51:29.679
<v Speaker 11>they're gonna have some really hard times. They're gonna have

1076
00:51:29.719 --> 00:51:31.559
<v Speaker 11>some hard time spinding that that single.

1077
00:51:32.440 --> 00:51:34.880
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and you know there's no telling. I mean, Tennessee

1078
00:51:34.960 --> 00:51:38.199
<v Speaker 2>might have made another playoff run with that guy. So,

1079
00:51:38.800 --> 00:51:41.760
<v Speaker 2>like you said, bad advice, and uh, you just hope

1080
00:51:41.760 --> 00:51:44.199
<v Speaker 2>you didn't spend the rest of his life blaming everybody else.

1081
00:51:44.440 --> 00:51:46.840
<v Speaker 2>So uh, we'll talk more with Aaron Gershon of the

1082
00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:48.639
<v Speaker 2>cast Balls on the other side of the break here

1083
00:51:48.679 --> 00:51:51.840
<v Speaker 2>on six point thirty WLAP Welcome Back with chatting with

1084
00:51:51.880 --> 00:51:54.360
<v Speaker 2>Aaron Gershaan of the Cats pause. He of course covers

1085
00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:58.400
<v Speaker 2>Kentucky football and basketball. Uh and uh he talked basketball

1086
00:51:58.440 --> 00:52:01.320
<v Speaker 2>this morning with Tom Leach. But man, you know, for

1087
00:52:01.360 --> 00:52:04.440
<v Speaker 2>anybody who covers college sports, you know, you've got to

1088
00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:07.320
<v Speaker 2>keep an eye on a portal. I know there are windows,

1089
00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:10.920
<v Speaker 2>but it's almost twenty four to seven, isn't it.

1090
00:52:12.639 --> 00:52:15.480
<v Speaker 11>Yeah, it really is almost twenty four to seven. It's

1091
00:52:15.639 --> 00:52:19.239
<v Speaker 11>it's crazy, NonStop action. And then you know you have

1092
00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:22.079
<v Speaker 11>a day like Saturday with basketball after the spring game

1093
00:52:22.519 --> 00:52:25.239
<v Speaker 11>where you get a you know, it's so fun with

1094
00:52:25.320 --> 00:52:27.760
<v Speaker 11>this Twitter game now with that Cody Figure puts out

1095
00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:31.039
<v Speaker 11>the cryptic boom tweet yet and you're like, all right,

1096
00:52:31.079 --> 00:52:31.639
<v Speaker 11>who is it?

1097
00:52:32.079 --> 00:52:32.679
<v Speaker 3>Who is it?

1098
00:52:32.719 --> 00:52:35.360
<v Speaker 11>And you're thinking it's this Lamar Wilkerson kid who's currently

1099
00:52:35.360 --> 00:52:37.400
<v Speaker 11>on a visit to Indiana, because that's the only name

1100
00:52:37.440 --> 00:52:40.400
<v Speaker 11>they're really hot and heavy on. And then they land

1101
00:52:40.440 --> 00:52:42.880
<v Speaker 11>a forward from Croatia that no one's ever heard of,

1102
00:52:43.199 --> 00:52:46.119
<v Speaker 11>and like, oh, well that's interesting. And then he sends

1103
00:52:46.159 --> 00:52:48.039
<v Speaker 11>another one off later in the evening. You're like, oh,

1104
00:52:48.079 --> 00:52:50.960
<v Speaker 11>now they surely got Wilkerson. Oh no, Brandon Garrison saying

1105
00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:51.760
<v Speaker 11>that's all that was.

1106
00:52:51.960 --> 00:52:52.199
<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

1107
00:52:52.199 --> 00:52:55.280
<v Speaker 11>So it's just it's like it is non stop.

1108
00:52:55.920 --> 00:52:56.559
<v Speaker 3>It's fun.

1109
00:52:57.119 --> 00:53:02.079
<v Speaker 11>It's fun, crazy, chaotic and all that. It's a wild time.

1110
00:53:02.159 --> 00:53:04.199
<v Speaker 11>But at the end of the day, I just go

1111
00:53:04.280 --> 00:53:07.159
<v Speaker 11>back to what a job that Mark Pope and the

1112
00:53:07.239 --> 00:53:10.159
<v Speaker 11>staff is done to check all the boxes of getting

1113
00:53:10.159 --> 00:53:15.880
<v Speaker 11>more athletic, getting more physical, still not getting anything where

1114
00:53:15.920 --> 00:53:18.519
<v Speaker 11>you're going to be out of her like guys who

1115
00:53:18.559 --> 00:53:23.159
<v Speaker 11>aren't fit in the scheme offensively, Like I really objectively

1116
00:53:23.159 --> 00:53:25.199
<v Speaker 11>could not be much higher on what they've done so far.

1117
00:53:26.159 --> 00:53:28.440
<v Speaker 2>Did you know anything about this kid they're bringing in

1118
00:53:28.480 --> 00:53:30.639
<v Speaker 2>from overseas from Crost Yeah.

1119
00:53:30.599 --> 00:53:32.480
<v Speaker 3>I've never Yeah. No, it's funny.

1120
00:53:32.519 --> 00:53:36.199
<v Speaker 11>I talked to Jacob Polochek, who is a recruiting expert

1121
00:53:36.360 --> 00:53:38.920
<v Speaker 11>so that he's built his career off recruiting. He used

1122
00:53:38.920 --> 00:53:41.280
<v Speaker 11>to work for Adam Gadore, and he told me, Yeah,

1123
00:53:41.280 --> 00:53:45.679
<v Speaker 11>there are about top four or five guys overseas that

1124
00:53:45.840 --> 00:53:49.320
<v Speaker 11>Kentucky has been linked to or at least has inquired about.

1125
00:53:49.519 --> 00:53:51.840
<v Speaker 11>And this guy I had never heard of. Wow, so

1126
00:53:51.960 --> 00:53:55.320
<v Speaker 11>this one really came out of left field. I really haven't,

1127
00:53:55.400 --> 00:53:58.840
<v Speaker 11>but uh, you know, I'll get the pronunciation down by

1128
00:53:58.840 --> 00:54:03.400
<v Speaker 11>the season. But you're talking about a kid. Yeah, I know,

1129
00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:06.960
<v Speaker 11>it's another each or each versus VIC situation like we

1130
00:54:07.039 --> 00:54:10.480
<v Speaker 11>had with fiction, but no, but this kid's a six

1131
00:54:10.559 --> 00:54:12.840
<v Speaker 11>to eleven forward who can shoot it from three looks

1132
00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:15.159
<v Speaker 11>from the video that we've a little bit of video

1133
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:17.400
<v Speaker 11>I've been able to watch that he can handle the ball,

1134
00:54:17.519 --> 00:54:19.800
<v Speaker 11>which makes sense. That's what Mark Pope likes in this

1135
00:54:19.920 --> 00:54:27.039
<v Speaker 11>big and you know, definitely physical and not you know, scrawnie.

1136
00:54:27.119 --> 00:54:29.400
<v Speaker 11>I think he's got some muscle to him. So and

1137
00:54:29.440 --> 00:54:31.360
<v Speaker 11>he's going to be a twenty year old freshman, so

1138
00:54:31.639 --> 00:54:34.320
<v Speaker 11>he's more developed than a seventeen eighteen year old.

1139
00:54:34.440 --> 00:54:35.159
<v Speaker 9>So uh.

1140
00:54:35.199 --> 00:54:36.639
<v Speaker 3>The one thing I always caution.

1141
00:54:36.519 --> 00:54:40.320
<v Speaker 11>With these overseas kids, specifically from Europe, is you don't

1142
00:54:40.400 --> 00:54:43.239
<v Speaker 11>really know what the competition they're playing against is, Like

1143
00:54:43.280 --> 00:54:46.360
<v Speaker 11>how comparable really is it to the SEC specifically.

1144
00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:50.320
<v Speaker 3>But I love the idea. I love the creativity where.

1145
00:54:50.280 --> 00:54:52.400
<v Speaker 11>Okay, we didn't necessarily get what we were looking for

1146
00:54:52.440 --> 00:54:54.880
<v Speaker 11>in the portal, or maybe we didn't want a guy

1147
00:54:54.920 --> 00:54:57.119
<v Speaker 11>from the portal that only had a year or two less,

1148
00:54:57.480 --> 00:55:00.320
<v Speaker 11>let's go, there weren't enough options on that and the

1149
00:55:00.400 --> 00:55:03.320
<v Speaker 11>high school circuit in the US that we thought, let's

1150
00:55:03.320 --> 00:55:05.800
<v Speaker 11>go overseas and get a pro I love it. I

1151
00:55:05.800 --> 00:55:10.360
<v Speaker 11>think it's a great wave of a great extension of

1152
00:55:10.440 --> 00:55:14.480
<v Speaker 11>recruiting that you know, has been underutilized by so many programs.

1153
00:55:14.480 --> 00:55:17.239
<v Speaker 11>To see Illinois really dove headfirst into it, and they

1154
00:55:17.280 --> 00:55:19.880
<v Speaker 11>had some really good players on this past year's team.

1155
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:22.000
<v Speaker 3>You know that Kentucky played against the tournament.

1156
00:55:22.159 --> 00:55:23.119
<v Speaker 9>I think it's brilliant.

1157
00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:26.159
<v Speaker 2>The first thing that came to my mind Aaron having

1158
00:55:26.199 --> 00:55:29.400
<v Speaker 2>never seen him but obviously playing the the quote unquote

1159
00:55:29.400 --> 00:55:34.079
<v Speaker 2>European style, is that pope at times? It's not every

1160
00:55:34.119 --> 00:55:39.000
<v Speaker 2>trip plays that five out style of offense. It just

1161
00:55:39.039 --> 00:55:43.840
<v Speaker 2>seems like it would fit that kid's skill set really well.

1162
00:55:43.880 --> 00:55:46.639
<v Speaker 2>I mean a lot to learn, but a guy that

1163
00:55:46.679 --> 00:55:50.079
<v Speaker 2>can play inside and out, like you said, seems like that.

1164
00:55:50.159 --> 00:55:53.360
<v Speaker 2>It won't be seamless. Nothing ever is. But they got

1165
00:55:53.360 --> 00:55:54.800
<v Speaker 2>a big chance with this guy, don't they.

1166
00:55:55.800 --> 00:55:56.320
<v Speaker 3>I think so.

1167
00:55:56.880 --> 00:55:58.880
<v Speaker 11>I think he fits exactly what they want to do

1168
00:55:59.599 --> 00:56:02.880
<v Speaker 11>that out. I mean, I think he's probably a four naturally,

1169
00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:06.840
<v Speaker 11>But look, you have you added every piece they've added

1170
00:56:06.920 --> 00:56:08.960
<v Speaker 11>has the ability to play five out there. They don't

1171
00:56:09.000 --> 00:56:11.840
<v Speaker 11>have that. You know, Omari Williams, who's not a thread

1172
00:56:11.880 --> 00:56:13.599
<v Speaker 11>at all from three and Omari was great. You could

1173
00:56:13.599 --> 00:56:15.559
<v Speaker 11>play five out with him. I'm just saying, like they're

1174
00:56:15.559 --> 00:56:18.039
<v Speaker 11>going to be spread out with shooters this year. And

1175
00:56:17.599 --> 00:56:20.880
<v Speaker 11>Quainton's this guy that you know his three point is

1176
00:56:21.079 --> 00:56:22.960
<v Speaker 11>work in progress, but he at least hit a couple

1177
00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:27.519
<v Speaker 11>last year to build off of. You know Brendan Garrison. Look,

1178
00:56:27.559 --> 00:56:29.840
<v Speaker 11>he shot at least thirty percent, So we gave you

1179
00:56:29.880 --> 00:56:33.159
<v Speaker 11>something from there. We know this kid from Croatia can

1180
00:56:33.199 --> 00:56:36.920
<v Speaker 11>shoot it. Mo Diabase was a forty shooter on a

1181
00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:39.880
<v Speaker 11>limited number. Cam Williams on a high number of threes

1182
00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:43.039
<v Speaker 11>with forty one percent. Like they have just had guys

1183
00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:45.760
<v Speaker 11>who could shoot the ball at all five positions, probably

1184
00:56:45.800 --> 00:56:47.920
<v Speaker 11>even at a higher rate than last year, all while

1185
00:56:47.920 --> 00:56:51.599
<v Speaker 11>they're better defensively and more athletics. And this kid from Croatia,

1186
00:56:51.599 --> 00:56:53.920
<v Speaker 11>if that's exactly what they were kind of they were

1187
00:56:53.960 --> 00:56:56.199
<v Speaker 11>still missing that one at the four position because Mo

1188
00:56:56.320 --> 00:56:59.480
<v Speaker 11>Diabase as high as I think I might have said

1189
00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:02.440
<v Speaker 11>it last week on the show, he's my favorite one.

1190
00:57:02.679 --> 00:57:04.719
<v Speaker 11>He might not be the highest profile, he's my favorite

1191
00:57:04.719 --> 00:57:09.320
<v Speaker 11>player they've added this offseason because I loved what he Yeah, well,

1192
00:57:09.719 --> 00:57:11.280
<v Speaker 11>I fell in love with his game when he came

1193
00:57:11.320 --> 00:57:15.639
<v Speaker 11>to rupp Arena, it was just dominant against some really

1194
00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:18.519
<v Speaker 11>big I mean he helped shut down on Maury Williams

1195
00:57:18.559 --> 00:57:21.840
<v Speaker 11>at the time, he shut down Bredon Garrison Andrew car

1196
00:57:21.920 --> 00:57:25.159
<v Speaker 11>He could just do it all defensively. But you know

1197
00:57:26.239 --> 00:57:28.400
<v Speaker 11>he's six seven, So could you really trust that out

1198
00:57:28.400 --> 00:57:29.800
<v Speaker 11>of your power starting power forward?

1199
00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:30.199
<v Speaker 9>Yeah?

1200
00:57:30.519 --> 00:57:33.440
<v Speaker 11>Now, and maybe even if he starts so just depends

1201
00:57:33.440 --> 00:57:35.559
<v Speaker 11>on the competition. But now you had a guy at

1202
00:57:35.599 --> 00:57:38.519
<v Speaker 11>that position who's six to eleven and can still do

1203
00:57:38.599 --> 00:57:41.320
<v Speaker 11>all the same things as the Abati. He may maybe

1204
00:57:41.320 --> 00:57:43.199
<v Speaker 11>he's not gonna be as good as a defender, but

1205
00:57:43.199 --> 00:57:45.119
<v Speaker 11>maybe he'll even be a better offensive player.

1206
00:57:45.159 --> 00:57:47.679
<v Speaker 3>I just think it's great. And look at what Florida

1207
00:57:47.719 --> 00:57:49.480
<v Speaker 3>did with all their options in the front court.

1208
00:57:49.639 --> 00:57:52.320
<v Speaker 11>Yeah, I mean yeah, the way they rolled out Condon

1209
00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:55.719
<v Speaker 11>and ha and Kin you Lou, They just kept coming

1210
00:57:55.719 --> 00:57:57.559
<v Speaker 11>at you in waves. And I think Kentucky can do

1211
00:57:57.639 --> 00:57:58.920
<v Speaker 11>a similar thing with this front court.

1212
00:57:58.960 --> 00:58:01.480
<v Speaker 2>Oh. It's the one thing Pope showed everybody last year,

1213
00:58:01.719 --> 00:58:04.679
<v Speaker 2>and not everybody liked it. But he played a lot

1214
00:58:04.679 --> 00:58:08.960
<v Speaker 2>of guys in you know, short shifts. People got upset

1215
00:58:08.960 --> 00:58:11.039
<v Speaker 2>when he would sub and you know why, don't you

1216
00:58:11.079 --> 00:58:12.920
<v Speaker 2>leave him out there, you know, because he said, because

1217
00:58:12.960 --> 00:58:15.280
<v Speaker 2>we work him so hard on offense and we want

1218
00:58:15.360 --> 00:58:17.280
<v Speaker 2>him fresh at the end of the game. And it worked.

1219
00:58:18.320 --> 00:58:20.480
<v Speaker 3>Yep, yep, exactly.

1220
00:58:20.519 --> 00:58:22.480
<v Speaker 11>And you know that's and that's the one thing where

1221
00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:24.800
<v Speaker 11>it's like when you got the d commitment from Kaiden Lewis,

1222
00:58:24.800 --> 00:58:26.320
<v Speaker 11>it was kind of kind of puzzling.

1223
00:58:26.760 --> 00:58:27.000
<v Speaker 9>You know.

1224
00:58:27.199 --> 00:58:30.840
<v Speaker 11>The reasoning I understood was that Jalen Lowe is a

1225
00:58:30.880 --> 00:58:33.400
<v Speaker 11>two year guy. At least that's two years of eligibility.

1226
00:58:33.760 --> 00:58:36.320
<v Speaker 11>They were kind of Lewis's campus, hoping for a one

1227
00:58:36.360 --> 00:58:38.119
<v Speaker 11>year guy and then a clear paths to be the

1228
00:58:38.159 --> 00:58:41.400
<v Speaker 11>starter next year. But you know, the minutes are just

1229
00:58:41.599 --> 00:58:43.599
<v Speaker 11>unless there's a bunch of injuries, the minutes are going

1230
00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:46.679
<v Speaker 11>to be for almost everyone in the twenties at some

1231
00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:51.000
<v Speaker 11>point or low teams at worst. Like Pope loves fresh bodies.

1232
00:58:51.079 --> 00:58:53.360
<v Speaker 11>He doesn't want to play guys thirty.

1233
00:58:53.079 --> 00:58:55.880
<v Speaker 3>Five plus minutes. He wants guys to stay.

1234
00:58:55.840 --> 00:58:57.519
<v Speaker 11>In and out, and they want to get a lot

1235
00:58:57.559 --> 00:59:01.400
<v Speaker 11>of guys engaged and feeling part of this thing. Yeah,

1236
00:59:01.599 --> 00:59:04.440
<v Speaker 11>and that's why the way this roster is so deep,

1237
00:59:05.519 --> 00:59:08.800
<v Speaker 11>and just knowing the guys that can bring off the bench,

1238
00:59:08.920 --> 00:59:11.719
<v Speaker 11>or there's less of a drop offs, I'd say, right,

1239
00:59:11.800 --> 00:59:13.920
<v Speaker 11>which we had this past year and last year, and

1240
00:59:14.119 --> 00:59:14.880
<v Speaker 11>that's fun to watch.

1241
00:59:14.920 --> 00:59:18.079
<v Speaker 2>And I remind people that the national title team on

1242
00:59:18.119 --> 00:59:22.719
<v Speaker 2>which Mark Pope played the best player and Twine Walker

1243
00:59:23.400 --> 00:59:27.440
<v Speaker 2>averaged no more than twenty eight minutes a game exactly.

1244
00:59:27.480 --> 00:59:29.760
<v Speaker 2>And even Antoine was surprised when he went back. He

1245
00:59:29.840 --> 00:59:32.280
<v Speaker 2>was on a podcast, went back and looked it up

1246
00:59:33.119 --> 00:59:35.400
<v Speaker 2>and was surprised to hear that. So it can work.

1247
00:59:35.440 --> 00:59:37.800
<v Speaker 2>You just got to make sure you play it both ends.

1248
00:59:38.119 --> 00:59:42.519
<v Speaker 2>Gotta shoot it, gotta guard a Yeah. Find him on

1249
00:59:42.559 --> 00:59:45.320
<v Speaker 2>Twitter at a Gershon ninety nine. We talked to him

1250
00:59:45.320 --> 00:59:48.599
<v Speaker 2>every Monday here on the show, and good to talk

1251
00:59:48.639 --> 00:59:52.199
<v Speaker 2>to you, sir, and we'll talk next week, I hope. Yeah, absolutely,

1252
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<v Speaker 2>and I'll do it for now. Stay tuned for the

1253
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<v Speaker 2>Nick Benji Ownes Show, the UK Coach talking with Darren Hedrick,

1254
00:59:57.440 --> 00:59:59.800
<v Speaker 2>the boys of UK Baseball. Both will be hard at

1255
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<v Speaker 2>work tomorrow night when the Wildcats play host with Miami

1256
01:00:02.840 --> 01:00:06.039
<v Speaker 2>of Ohio. That's a seven o'clock start. We'll have us

1257
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<v Speaker 2>the Big Bill in Sider with you up until six

1258
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<v Speaker 2>forty five, and the Cats and the RedHawks here on

1259
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<v Speaker 2>sixt thirty WLAP.

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<v Speaker 4>Do think anything then tacking. I think to back the

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<v Speaker 4>tap don don don don do su