WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:02.879 Welcome to the Big Moon. Sider to Gabriel with you 2 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:05.919 on Tuesday of tournament week two of them that were 3 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.000 following this week. Of course, you've got the SEC tournament 4 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:11.160 coming up. You'll hear it right here on six thirty. 5 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:14.880 Wlap the Wildcat says, you know, on Thursday taking on 6 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:18.719 Georgia air quotes nine to thirty. It'll be closer to ten, 7 00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:21.719 but we'll have it for you right here. And of 8 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.399 course the Girl Sweet sixteen is happening in Reperena this week. 9 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.800 Frederick Douglass coming out of Lexington, has a big shop. 10 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:32.560 The Sacred Heart is going for its fifth consecutive state titles, 11 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.920 so keep an eye on that as well. And I'm 12 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:36.320 going to be helping out a little bit on the 13 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:39.759 TV and radio this week at Reparina. Really excited about that. 14 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.280 But we must talk about, of course, the NCA tournament. 15 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:47.479 Another team wins its way despite the fact that it 16 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.640 was not the top seed in this tournament. Wafford last 17 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:57.000 night beats Furman and gets the bid that of course 18 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.920 would have gone to UT Chattanooga except for that tournament, 19 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:04.280 that Pesky tournament, because Chattanooga was the team that won 20 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:09.239 the regular season championship finishing fifteen to three. Maybe Chattanooga 21 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:11.920 gets in. I don't know anything about the team, but 22 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.480 it's twenty four and nine overall now. But one of 23 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:20.879 those nine losses came to Furman in the semifinals on Sunday. Meanwhile, 24 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:25.799 Wafford was beating VMI, which upset its way to the SEMIS. 25 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:32.239 Virginia Military Institute was fifteen and eighteen going into this 26 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:34.879 game with Wafford loses eighty five sixty five. But how 27 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:37.920 about that. VMI gets all the way to the SEMIS 28 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:42.120 down in Nashville, North Carolina. But Wafford wins it, and 29 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:44.280 then Furman had I think it was an eighty three 30 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:47.599 seventy nine lead with a couple of three minutes left, 31 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:50.359 and Wafford goes on a run at the end of 32 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:55.280 the game and pulls out to win ninety two eighty five. 33 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.760 The head coach, Dwight Perry, that's right, former he was 34 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:04.280 a walk on. He's a cousin to Bobby Perry. And 35 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:05.920 a little bit later on, we're going to tell you 36 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:10.879 why Dwight Perry started. You may remember this. He started 37 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:15.800 an nca tournament game for Kentucky by mistake. That's one 38 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:20.400 of the great footnotes in UK basketball history. So Wafford 39 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:24.520 joins a handful of other teams. Troy wins the Sun Belt, 40 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:31.919 Omaha Omaha wins the Summit League, and let's see who 41 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.879 else do we have in Siue wins the Ohio Valley Conference. 42 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:41.159 Drake wins the Missouri Valley Conference. High Point which plays 43 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:47.240 its home games in Tubby Tubby, which plays its home 44 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:51.000 games in Tubby, and Donna Smith Arena or field House 45 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:54.719 or whatever they call it wins the Big South. So 46 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:57.520 the bracket is filling up. Of course, you know, Selection 47 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:02.680 Sunday will decide everything. But yeah, the tournaments are happening 48 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:06.800 for better or worse. I don't always think it's for better. 49 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:10.400 I'm thinking that fine folks at UT Chattanooga agree. We 50 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:13.960 talked about that last night on the statewide edition of 51 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.319 The Big Moon Inside with Aaron Gershaan and Billy Rutledge. 52 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:20.479 We kind of debated the value of those tournaments. They 53 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:22.919 don't make money. That's one of the I had an 54 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:25.560 a detail me that once not Mitch Barnhart an ad 55 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:28.199 at them mid major. They don't make money. They don't 56 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.080 get squat for playing me to get a little bit 57 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:34.000 but it's all about exposure and publicity. Do you want 58 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.639 to be able to tell your recruits they we're gonna 59 00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:39.080 play on ESPN. Now, of course everybody's got TV, but 60 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.039 this is the biggest of the big deals playing in 61 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:46.159 these tournaments on ESPN or ESPN two, and of course 62 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:48.439 you have a shot at getting to the NCA tournament. 63 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:53.280 So they're gonna stick around for no other reason. ESPN 64 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.639 needs the programming. Unless ESPN decides we don't want them. 65 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:01.840 Conference tournaments will stick around. And you know, the IVY 66 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.680 League held out for the longest time and now they've 67 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.000 got of course they only take four teams, but it's 68 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.680 here to stay in my opinion. Now, do you go 69 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:12.840 down there and try to win? Well, of course, unless 70 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.680 you're John Caliperry, I shouldn't say that. I think they 71 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:19.480 try to win. But cali Perry's attitude, of course, bubbles 72 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.720 to the surface again and it's making the rounds. Here's 73 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:27.600 the comment he made during a podcast. This was part 74 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:32.279 of the Court Side with cal program on Hogs Plus. 75 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:35.160 So I guess technically it's a TV show, And once 76 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:39.959 again he reiterated his disdain for the SEC tournament. And 77 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:40.839 you've heard it before. 78 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.160 I don't care about the conference tournament, which is why 79 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.360 we wanted so many times. 80 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:47.319 Because I could care less. 81 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:51.000 The tournament that matters is the NCAA tournament. Now, you 82 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:53.839 play that tournament to get the best seed you can get, 83 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.040 and if you're gonna get to the finals, win or 84 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.680 don't go to the finals and lose because you're exhausted 85 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:03.399 and to play on Tuesday or Wednesday. So I'm like, 86 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:07.040 let's play well and try to improve our seat. 87 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:09.839 Well, first of all, that's not why you won it 88 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.720 so many times. You want it because you had better teams. 89 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:16.199 You had really talented teams, and you cali Peri did 90 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:19.680 a good job of putting those teams together and getting 91 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.040 them ready to play by March, and you stayed healthy 92 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:27.040 for the most part. That was people forget that. In 93 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.360 Kentucky's toughest years under cali Peri, he had some key 94 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.600 injuries down the stretch, but he did not do as 95 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:36.839 good a job of putting teams together down the stretch 96 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:40.199 as he did in the beginning of his time at Kentucky. 97 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.519 So let's not say that his laisse fair attitude about 98 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:46.000 the SEC tournament is why. How in the hell did 99 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.879 that motivate kids to go in and win. Those teams 100 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:52.920 at won SEC tournaments under Caliperrey played their butts off. 101 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:57.240 That's why they celebrated the way they did after those wins. 102 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.360 They celebrated like they had won the NCA champion and 103 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:04.480 they deserve that. So that's nonsense. Now he added that 104 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:07.480 little twist at the end, let's go win. You know, 105 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:10.759 he never said that when he was here. He acted 106 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.360 like he didn't care if they won or lost, and 107 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:15.839 he never talked about, you know, let's get more rest 108 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.480 or whatever. All he ever did was whine about the 109 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:22.600 fact that it wasn't helping them with their seeding. And 110 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:25.079 for the most part, he was right, because at least 111 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:29.519 early in his tenure, Kentucky was already locked in to 112 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:31.360 a one or a two, once in a while a 113 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:35.800 three seed. But you don't go down there with the 114 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.920 attitude that you don't care, because that's a hell of 115 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.160 a message to send to your fans. And I've talked 116 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:45.040 about this from day one here. That was a slap 117 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:50.040 in the face to Kentucky fans who treasure the tradition 118 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:55.240 of Kentucky basketball and the wins. And it all adds 119 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:57.959 up he didn't care about winning the conference. He said 120 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:00.720 he didn't care about winning the tournament. He said that 121 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:03.800 as soon as he got here, that's all about the 122 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.079 seedings and all that. And I know one leads to 123 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:11.000 the other, but to say that to a fan base, 124 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.319 you know, And when he said that the most important 125 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.680 night in the UK history was the five kids being 126 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:20.680 drafted in the first round, clearly a message to recruits, 127 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:24.720 clearly a message. But it was still a stinger, wasn't it. 128 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.480 And then to follow that up with UK fans, what 129 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:36.480 you loved the most? Winning conference championships, winning tournament championships, 130 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:41.199 having those bragging rights, having those elements of pride. They 131 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.160 don't matter to me, and by extension, I'm telling you 132 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:50.199 they shouldn't matter to you. Terrible. I mean that to 133 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:52.360 me was one of the It is much of more 134 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:58.680 than losing the greatest disconnect with John Caliperi. Now he's 135 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.920 gone Arkansas, Frew dealing with it, and now Kentucky fans 136 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:06.199 of Mark Poe feels differently. 137 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:10.120 Now we're at the final stages where it's time to win, 138 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.720 Like you're either gonna win or you're not. And that's 139 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:16.000 not to be paralyzed by fear or crushed by expectations. 140 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:19.199 It's just time to recognize that, you know, what you've 141 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.439 worked for for the last six months and for your 142 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:25.519 whole lifetime is actually right now. It's not the other 143 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.639 stuff in the future or the past or wherever. It's 144 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:30.519 right now. And so this SEC Tournament matters. It's the 145 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:35.080 best league maybe that's ever been in any you know, 146 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:41.200 in any year of college basketball. And this SEC matters. 147 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:44.799 And so we're heading to Nashville with all of our 148 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:50.240 successes and confidence and warts and holes that we got 149 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.759 to plug. And we're going there to to with with 150 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.960 one goal, which is to go win. And I assume 151 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.639 every team is going there that way. That's why athletics 152 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:01.879 is beautiful. It is because you know, it gets that sure. 153 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:03.279 At the end of the day, you're either going to 154 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.679 go win or you're not, and it matters. 155 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:08.240 That was actually from a news conference prior to the 156 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:10.600 Missouri game, but he doubled down last night on his 157 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:14.200 radio show said the same thing. You know, but hey, 158 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:17.399 to each his own right and Cali Perry's had success, 159 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.519 but you can understand why Arkansas fans aren't happy right 160 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:25.399 now with him. Some have defended him on social media. 161 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:27.879 But I got to think, especially given the fact that 162 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:31.240 they finished ninth with that nil budget and with that 163 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.960 portal class. But it's interesting, and I've said this all along. 164 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:38.799 You got a credit Cali Perry. And again, I know 165 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:41.679 some folks are tired of hearing about him, But in 166 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:46.120 a way, Kentucky's dealing with a similar situation as Arkansas 167 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:50.759 with Jackson Robinson being out. Now, there wasn't as dramatic 168 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.240 a turnaround at Kentucky as there was at Arkansas when 169 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:58.320 they lost Boogie Flann. That team starts to win, right, 170 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:02.159 they win here and they immediately if they were one 171 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:04.840 and six and then went seven and four in league play. 172 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.919 And none other than Jay Wright, the guy everybody wanted 173 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:09.639 to be the coach at Kentucky, no way that was 174 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:13.840 gonna happen, knows a little something about college basketball, and 175 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:17.919 he said recently on CBS Sports Network that believe it 176 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.000 or not, he thinks this might have been the best 177 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:22.320 work Cali Perry's done. I really think. 178 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:25.279 So this is such a difficult situation. Think about they 179 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.279 were one in six in the league when Boogie Flann, 180 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:31.320 their leading scorer, went down. He had to rearrange the 181 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:34.399 whole team, got Dj Wagner back on the ball at 182 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:37.360 the point guard spot, got them playing defense at a 183 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.320 high level. Now they're eight and ten in the league. 184 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:44.600 That is an incredible build. He started building the program 185 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.000 when Boogie Flann went down and got them to be 186 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.919 one of the best defensive teams now in the SEC 187 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:51.440 and the team that you don't want to see in 188 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:51.960 the tournament. 189 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:54.559 Yeah, and the SEC projected to get thirteen, they would 190 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:57.039 break the old Big East record of eleven. I think 191 00:10:57.080 --> 00:11:00.639 they deserve to get every team in let's not forget conference. 192 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:04.320 The SEC won eighty nine percent of their games against 193 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:06.840 the rest of the time. These are the best teams 194 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:08.879 and the best players, and that's why we're going to 195 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:10.320 see historic stuff this year. 196 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.559 That was Wally Zerbiak chiming in at the end, so 197 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:18.080 interesting comments from Jay Wright. And like I said, Mark 198 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.480 Pope's team has had to deal with the cold heart 199 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:25.480 fact that Jackson Robinson is not coming back. So now 200 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:29.639 they can settle into their roles and play positions they 201 00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:32.840 might not be used to playing. And they want to 202 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.519 have Jackson Robinson, but he's not coming through that door. 203 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.879 Get used to it and buckle down and play which 204 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:43.679 is what they did against Missouri, and they'll keep doing 205 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.679 it in the SEC Tournament and in the NCAAs. I 206 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.159 don't know what's going to happen with Arkansas quite frankly, 207 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:51.960 with all due respect, don't care. But I just think 208 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.879 it's an interesting storyline, kind of out of the corner 209 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:57.840 of my eye watching what's going on with Cali Perry 210 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:03.320 over there, and he just won't back away, but he's 211 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.039 tried to tweak what he has said. Yeah, let's go 212 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.320 win it. Yeah, uh huh. So if you're an Arkansas fan, 213 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.759 you knew what you were getting into. Up next, Mark Stoops. 214 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:15.759 He spoke to us this week about spring football and 215 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.519 at the bottom of the hour, Chris Collins will join us. 216 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:22.720 Chris is the co defensive coordinator along with Brad White. 217 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:25.159 We always talk about Brad as being a decoordinator, which 218 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:28.399 he is, but he shares that title and he's happy 219 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.799 to do so with Collins, who is a defensive backs coach. 220 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:33.960 And when you look at the guys who have come 221 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:37.399 out of the Kentucky defensive backfield in the three last 222 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:40.399 three seasons, he's in his fourth year, pretty impressive. He 223 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:44.519 put two guys in the NFL in Carrington Valentine with 224 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:47.679 my beloved Green Bay Packers and Kedrin Smith with my 225 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:51.879 sons Denver Broncos and others, and that could be a 226 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:54.720 position of strength this year. So we'll find out what 227 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.879 he has to say about the d backs, about the 228 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:02.039 defense in general, and about what Kentucky will be doing 229 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.720 this spring. And our next hour we'll preview the Girls 230 00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:08.519 Sweet sixteen, talk a little bit about Rachel Lawson's Kentucky 231 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:12.840 softball team, and more on Dwight Perry, the former Wildcat 232 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.840 who has coached Wafford into the Big Dance. That's all 233 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.559 ahead on the Big bullon Sider six point thirty WLAP 234 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:22.600 Welcome back to the Big Blullonsider. Coming up in just 235 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:25.639 a couple of minutes. Chris Collins, the code defensive coordinator 236 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.159 for the Kentucky Wildcats. We'll talk to us about the 237 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.480 Kentucky defensive backs. That is his area of specialty, and 238 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:35.200 of course his boss, Mark Stoops, knows a little something 239 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:38.720 about coaching defensive backs. That maybe why Kentucky has had 240 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:41.279 a pretty good run of d backs coming out of there. 241 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:43.519 So we'll talk to Chris a little bit later on. 242 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:46.840 We'll talk a little bit more about the NCAA basketball tournament, 243 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.919 former Wildcat Dwight Perry coaching Wafford into the Big Dance, 244 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:54.440 and we'll check on the UK women's softball team, plus 245 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:57.919 the preview of the girls Sweet sixteen. But as I mentioned, 246 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:01.679 Mark Stoops and the football Cats back at works bring 247 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:05.399 practice underway and Stoop speaking to us this week, it 248 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.720 was telling us about kind of the yearbook approach, meaning 249 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:13.480 trying to urge and direct his players into learning about 250 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:16.679 each other because they're working on team chemistry with so 251 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:17.600 many new faces. 252 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.720 We've worked really hard as an organization, as a team 253 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.480 to really bond, to get closer, to be very intentional, 254 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:28.679 you know, to you know, really know each other. And 255 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:31.480 I love the group. I like them as a whole. 256 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.679 I like the way they're working. I feel like we 257 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:37.200 have good depth. You know, we're work in progress. We 258 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:39.600 have a lot of work to do, but it's a 259 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:40.279 great start. 260 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.399 Thirty one brand new Wildcats either coming through the portal 261 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:48.960 or signing as recruits coming in. So yeah, chemistry is 262 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:51.279 vital and if you can get to know your teammates 263 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.080 as people, not just as numbers on the jersey, that's 264 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.720 a huge help. Then you can get down the business 265 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:01.039 of making ourselves into a good foot ball team. And 266 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:04.480 last year, of course incredibly disappointing, but if you go 267 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.960 back and look at it, but a couple of exceptions, 268 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:10.600 Kentucky had a shot at winning those games that it 269 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:14.240 lost if not for a play here, a play there. 270 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.960 And through the years under Stoops they made those plays. 271 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.120 Well. 272 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:19.759 Last year they went against them. And in those seven 273 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:22.320 win seasons, you could make the same argument that they 274 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:24.480 didn't make enough of those plays to get up to eight, 275 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:26.759 nine to ten wins. And as we know, it is 276 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:31.000 possible now at least it has been under Stoops at Kentucky. 277 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.639 So you work on that kind of stuff. You work 278 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:37.639 on focus in the spring, and they got after the 279 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:40.559 Wildcats early, really on the first day. 280 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:42.960 The focus has to be there, you guys know, and 281 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:44.519 I just told them at the end of practice. You know, 282 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.399 you look at the season last year, there's so many games, 283 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:51.240 so many critical plays that there's just no excuse to 284 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:55.759 take any playoff. You know, it's in a game of 285 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:59.399 you know, one hundred and sixty plays. I mean, you 286 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:01.639 don't know any one play that's gonna make the difference 287 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.600 in the game. And practice is kind of the same way. 288 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.639 We have to get in good habits and have great intensity, 289 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:12.840 great focus, and great discipline through the entire day. 290 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:16.320 And you can make that argument for every position group, 291 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:18.440 but more than anything, and I'm going to keep banging 292 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:21.840 this drum through the season, it's about the old line 293 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:26.399 because I've been looking at the last few seasons a 294 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.000 little more closely, and again not blaming any one guy 295 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:34.440 in particular, not blaming anyone group in particular, but the 296 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.399 Big Blue Wall, the original Big Blue Wall, and again 297 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:41.200 it's becoming sort of a tired expression. Then just raise 298 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:44.080 the ceiling, but raise the floor. Now we know that's 299 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:47.639 how good it can be at Kentucky. A good old line, 300 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:51.960 take special players, takes a great mix. But it's possible 301 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.799 to get it done here. It's harder to do through 302 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:59.399 the portal, There's no question. But that's where it starts. 303 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:03.039 And they're not sound. I'm not saying putting three guys 304 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.720 or four guys in the NFL camps like the original 305 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:09.920 Big Blue Wall did, but if they're not sound, Kentucky 306 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:12.799 doesn't have a chance. It just doesn't. I'll shift you 307 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:14.960 back to basketball for a minute because we got to 308 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.279 talk about the fact that otego Oway was named to 309 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:21.119 the All SEC second Team by the league coaches, which 310 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:23.559 is about right. Keep in mind, now, for all the 311 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.039 wonderful things and all the great fun we had watching 312 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:28.839 Kentucky and the Big Quad one wins it all, they 313 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:32.480 still finished middle of the pack in the SEC, however, 314 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.720 and take Away surely deserves to be there. But I 315 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:40.200 echo my colleague mister Aaron Gershaan, who talked about this 316 00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:43.640 briefly last night on the State Wide Show. How is 317 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:48.160 Amari Williams not at least third team? Well? Because if 318 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:51.960 they just glanced at overall stats, then yeah, you know 319 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.839 you could leave him off. But if you study what 320 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:58.799 has happened with Kentucky, which lost at one point four 321 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:01.759 out of five games before righted itself and now is 322 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.279 one of those teams nobody wants, you've got to look 323 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:08.160 at Amari Williams and other guys did great things, There's 324 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:13.119 no question about it. But as Gershon pointed out, this 325 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.960 guy is putting up historically good numbers. Nearly eleven points 326 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.519 per game, eight and a half, eight point seven rebounds, 327 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.400 three assists per game, one and a half blocks, hitting 328 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:28.519 fifty nine percent of his shots eight double doubles and 329 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:32.119 a triple double. And as Aaron pointed out, since the 330 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.359 seventy four to seventy five basketball season, that's fifty years, 331 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:40.599 he's the only player to average nineteen points, sixteen boards, 332 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:46.119 five assists per forty minutes. Again, he's playing twenty something 333 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:50.720 minutes a game. But if he played forty nineteen points, 334 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:55.920 sixteen boards, five assists, that's Oscar Sebwey territory. And yes, 335 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:00.359 I know he's not doing that literally in games. Pay 336 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:04.319 close attention to what has made Kentucky so dangerous down 337 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:07.240 the stretch, not to mention the fact that there are 338 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:09.559 times he brings the ball up the floor or initiates 339 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.799 offense as one of the best passing big men in 340 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:16.559 the country and and so vital in this five out 341 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:21.359 offense that Mark Pope plays. I don't vote on SEC 342 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:27.000 all Star teams. I would probably vote Williams third team. 343 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:31.279 I know there's bias. Somebody accused us of that on Twitter, 344 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:34.240 and that's fine, but take a close look and I 345 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:37.279 think you would agree. Co decordinator Chris Collins next on 346 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.119 six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue and Cider, 347 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:46.279 joining us on our celebrity hotline is Kentucky co defensive 348 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:50.839 coordinator and d backs coach Chris Collins Spring Football Underway coach. 349 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.880 This is when you guys get to teach football. You 350 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:56.079 got do you love Spring? 351 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:00.720 I do? I do? I get excited it about it. 352 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:03.920 You know, you got a new team every year and 353 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.319 you get to go back to the fundamentals and really 354 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.440 hone in on the details of each each position. And 355 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:15.519 it's fun to watch the guys grow and develop and 356 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:17.319 you get the chance to really see some of that 357 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:19.519 maturation in the in the spring. 358 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:23.160 So many new faces people coming and going. Has you 359 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:28.599 how has it changed your job or has it? 360 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:33.119 It's it's always been, you know about the development aspect, 361 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.480 you know, but again with the with some of the 362 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:42.039 roster turnover, you know, that development aspect becomes a little 363 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:45.640 bit more expedited. But for us, you know, especially in 364 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.240 the defensive back when we talk about the commitment to 365 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:52.680 the process and staying true to that process and not 366 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:57.160 getting caught up in exterior circumstances, but staying true to 367 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:02.319 the process, and your growth is determined on how aggressive 368 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:05.240 you are with the process, you know, And so we 369 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:07.799 tell them all the time, how you'll grow in this program, 370 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.319 all right, how past you grow is up to you, right, 371 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:13.880 and how how much you're willing to take the bulls 372 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:16.799 by the horn and take the medicine and uh and 373 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:18.720 do more than what's expected. 374 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:24.000 I can't say it's more important for defensive backs staying 375 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.440 true to the process, but that that is, as we 376 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:30.279 all know, the last line of defense. I mean, guys 377 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:33.720 have to really zero in, don't they on their job 378 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.599 have that short memory. But technique is everything, isn't it. 379 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:42.960 Oh, it's it's crucial. You know, your eyes and your technique, man, 380 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.119 those are your lifeline. And so you know, honeing in 381 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:49.240 on those things and understanding that it doesn't happen overnight. 382 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:51.599 You know, we've got to build up what we call 383 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:53.759 stacked days. We got to build up quality reps on 384 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:57.279 top of quality reps. And that process isn't one that 385 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:00.960 just happens, you know, it's one that's intentional. Is one 386 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:03.960 that takes, you know, some commitment. And again it takes 387 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.119 more than doing what's what's just the average. You know, 388 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:10.440 you got to do more than what's expected in that regard, 389 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.839 and so that allows guys to continue to grow. And 390 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.920 I think We've been successful in that regard because they 391 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:19.319 see that growth, you know, they see that that maturation 392 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:22.559 from spring one, spring two, year one year two, so 393 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:23.400 on and so forth. 394 00:22:24.359 --> 00:22:28.279 You mentioned eyes, and I will tell you that and 395 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:30.599 this probably comes with no surprise to you, but I'm 396 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.000 sure you'd be proud to know that your pupils, the 397 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:39.279 guys who are we interview defensive backs, they talk to us, 398 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:43.279 they say eyes all the time. So your message is 399 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:47.319 getting through. And I know different coaches have different methods 400 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:50.440 at all, but what a great way to get them 401 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:53.319