WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:02.799 Welcome to the Big Blue Insider. Dicabrille with you on 2 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:06.360 a Tuesday edition of our program. Thanks again to Aaron 3 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.240 Gershawan and Billy Rutlede for handling the show last night. 4 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:13.039 I was busy with UK Pro Day broadcasts on SEC 5 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:16.679 Plus and we're gonna hear the tail end of that broadcast. 6 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:19.440 We had a chance, Jack Gibbons and I did to 7 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.359 talk with Mark Pope on the air towards the end, 8 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.039 so we'll relive those moments coming up in our next segment. 9 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.760 And you can see the entire broadcast. If you couldn't 10 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:32.479 see it on SEC Plus, it is on YouTube right now. 11 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:36.079 Just go to Kentucky NBA Pro Day and you can 12 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:40.600 check out the basketball Wildcats, but football is number one 13 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:43.880 here in segment number one, because the Wildcats back in 14 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:46.960 action after a bye week take on the Giant Killers 15 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:51.240 of Vanderbilt Commodore seven forty five kickoff at Kroger Field, 16 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:53.200 and we'll have it for you the broadcast at five 17 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:57.640 thirty pregame with Christy Logan and Jeremy and then Tom Leech, 18 00:00:57.719 --> 00:00:59.920 Jippicoh and I with the action as the Cats take 19 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:04.120 on a Commodore team that is still buzzing as our 20 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:07.799 Vandy fans and always will be I suspect from the 21 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:11.920 upset win over Alabama, And of course Mark Stoops talked 22 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.359 about that a great deal at his news conference yesterday, 23 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.439 and one of the questions he answered was about Jerry Kill, 24 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:23.760 who is a veteran college football coach and as of late, 25 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.519 had been the head coach at New Mexico State, and 26 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:31.879 Clark Lee was really struggling as the head coach at Vanderbilt. 27 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.040 His team was nine to twenty seven, and he watched 28 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:41.840 New Mexico State beat Auburn, which had clobbered Vandy. He 29 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:44.200 watched the video and he wondered, how in the world 30 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:47.879 did that happen. So in the offseason he went out 31 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.560 to Las Cruses, New Mexico to talk to the staff there, 32 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:55.480 including the head coach, Jerry Kill and the offensive coordinator 33 00:01:55.560 --> 00:02:00.959 Tim Beck, and he ended up hiring Tim Beck. Jerry Kill, 34 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.480 he and Beck are very tight. So he came to 35 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:07.319 the job interview and both Lee and Jerry Kill hit 36 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:10.400 it off. And Kill had told Clark Lee, I'm not 37 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:13.199 sure if I want to keep on being a head coach. 38 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:16.280 He was looking at retiring and just you know, hanging out, 39 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:22.400 and clark Lee talked him into becoming his defensive coordinator. 40 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:25.639 So he gets both the offensive coordinator and the head 41 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:30.879 coach from New Mexico State and the quarterback Diego Flavia 42 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:37.080 to transfer to Vanderbilt. So it's amazing to me that 43 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:43.080 Vandy's football fortunes right now have pivoted thanks to three 44 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:47.039 and other assistant coaches as well. But those three guys 45 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:52.199 primarily from one of the sad sack programs in college football. 46 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.319 But Clark Lee had done a really nice job at 47 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:58.439 New Mexico State and they had actually been winning some 48 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:02.639 football games. Well, now they're in Nashville, and now they're 49 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:07.280 celebrating a win over the mighty mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, 50 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.560 and Mark Stoops talked about that at the beginning of 51 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:13.680 his news conference. And of course, now as we all knew, 52 00:03:14.039 --> 00:03:17.199 he has his team's full attention. They know what happened 53 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.319 in Nashville on Saturday. 54 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.960 Coming into this press conference and don't have to worry 55 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.560 about selling Vanderbilt anymore and telling you telling you how 56 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:30.479 good they are and how good Clark Lee's done. He's 57 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:33.719 have a lot of respect for clark and what he's done. 58 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:37.159 And what he's been building for some time. Of course, 59 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:39.960 they beat us not long ago, so I know what 60 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:43.960 he's capable of and what type of quality person and 61 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:47.479 coach he is in the job that he's doing at Vanderbilt. 62 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:52.840 Congratulations to them to see some of that hard work 63 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:57.039 paying off getting such a big victory this past week. 64 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:02.560 Vanderbilt was very impressive this past week. They were after 65 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.120 you know, prior to that, they had their buy and 66 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:08.879 they played Missouri extremely well. You know, they could very 67 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:13.159 easily be sitting here at to and zero in conference 68 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:14.759 against two top ten opponents. 69 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:18.360 Is a course referring to the fact that coaches, that's 70 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.759 coach speak, you know, they'll come in and tell you 71 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:23.680 how great the other team is. And nobody did it 72 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:25.839 to the extent of Lou Holtz, who, no matter how 73 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:29.079 good his team was, will tell you, well, we may 74 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:31.040 not have a chance to win this week, but we'll 75 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.560 show up that kind of thing. But what the Vandy 76 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:37.759 went over Alabama does is reinforced the fact that on 77 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:42.439 every giving, any given Saturday, and in college football, of course, 78 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:46.879 there are more misses than hits, more upsets that you 79 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.920 flirt with and you don't finish off. But when you 80 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:55.279 look back two Saturdays ago when Kentucky upset Old miss 81 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:59.120 the only game that was able to knock Kentucky off 82 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:03.279 the top of the store was that incredible Alabama Georgia game. 83 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.240 And yet I guarantee you that Alabama Georgia game played 84 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:11.680 a part and Alabama not being ready for Vanderbilt. And 85 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.360 some are saying, a lot of people are saying that 86 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.160 wouldn't have happened with Nick Saban as the head coach. 87 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:18.680 It probably wouldn't. You got to give him the benefit 88 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:21.480 of the doubt him of all people, because he was great, 89 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:24.639 had the line about the rat poison, great at making 90 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.279 sure his team remained focused. But maybe they did lose 91 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:33.240 that game to Vanderbilt because Vanderbilt played extremely well, and 92 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:36.800 as Mark Pope pointed out, you know they had Missouri. 93 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:39.680 I watched a lot of that game, Andandy maybe should 94 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:43.879 have won that game at Missou and let it get away. 95 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.560 So this could have been a Vandy team coming in 96 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:50.959 here that's two and zero in league play. And yet 97 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:54.959 people still, I think right now, believe how Kentucky will 98 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:58.720 win this one, and it should, but it may come 99 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.600 down to the last position. This is going to be 100 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:05.560 a very difficult game for Kentucky cheaply because of Diego 101 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:08.120 Flavia the quarterback. And you and I have seen a 102 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.480 lot of mobile quarterbacks come in here and give Kentucky 103 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:15.720 all kinds of trouble, just as he did Alabama. This 104 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:18.920 is a guy who could not get a Scollie offer 105 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.480 from the University of New Mexico in his hometown, played 106 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:25.079 juco ball for a couple of years, ends up in 107 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.120 New Mexico State again one of the real have nots 108 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:33.279 in college football, and then Vandy comes and poaches him 109 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.519 and he quarterbacks one of the biggest upsets in the 110 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:39.680 history of college football. So he got away from every 111 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:42.399 recruiter in America for the most part. And I asked 112 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:46.680 Stoops about that, about just the fact that this is 113 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.759 a great lesson to learn for people who may only 114 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:53.439 look at four and five stars, but you can find 115 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:54.319 talent anywhere. 116 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:57.000 Well, the first thing for him is you just have 117 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:01.160 to congratulate him on his perseverance, you know, you know, 118 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:05.519 the obviously the personal drive that he has, in the 119 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:09.439 competitive nature that he has, and the perseverance that he has. 120 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:12.000 But he's a very good football player and he's proven that. 121 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:15.839 And I think you know, we all would say we like, 122 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:19.120 you know, teams, and you like players that have a 123 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:22.160 chip on their shoulder, and certainly he's playing that way. 124 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.720 And you have to commend him, you know, for for 125 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:26.800 just you know, not only that. 126 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:28.959 I mean, he wants to win for his team, you 127 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.040 know what I mean, but he wants to prove people wrong, 128 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:33.639 of course, and he wants to play well, but for 129 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:37.040 his team. And I wouldn't expect anything less from from 130 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:38.920 Clark Lee and a team like that. 131 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.759 And I have a lot of respect for him. I've 132 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:41.439 seen it coming. 133 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.319 I've seen it coming for years, and you know, and 134 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:46.600 so you know. 135 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:49.199 I'm not saying I saw that upset coming. 136 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:52.360 I just saw the way Clark was building his program 137 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:56.680 and how hard they play under any circumstance. When you 138 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.920 get teams that are fundamentally sound and they play extremely hard, 139 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:01.360 they have an opportunity to. 140 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:02.120 Win any game. 141 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.839 If he saw his postgame interview, he talked about divine 142 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.279 intervention and a plan and all this, and it was 143 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:15.879 just so obviously overwhelmed by the emotion. But here's a guy, 144 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:20.279 like Stoop said, who just persevered and persevered. But I 145 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:24.040 also had Stoops earlier in the news conference about the 146 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.680 fact that Vandy played really physical football. I didn't see 147 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:32.279 the entire game, but I was spending the dial on 148 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.960 college football Saturday. We all had the day off, didn't we. 149 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:37.720 And I have the attention span of a fruitfly, so 150 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.759 I'm bouncing from game to game. And I don't remember 151 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:43.639 what game I was watching, but I saw the lower 152 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:48.639 third score crawl across the screen still in the second quarter, 153 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:54.639 Vandy thirteen, Alabama nothing. I thought, huh, Vandy has actually 154 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.159 was seven to nothing, and then when I turned into 155 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.519 the game, it was thirty teen and nothing because Vandy 156 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:05.799 had just pulled off a pick six on a deflected pass. 157 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:08.000 And I always say that if you're going to pull 158 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:10.759 off an upset like that, you have to steal points 159 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:16.720 with turnovers or field position or whatever. And Vandy did 160 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.320 just that. But what a Vandy also did was it 161 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:23.840 responded every time Alabama came up with a score. Vandy 162 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:28.919 extended its lead on three different occasions. Because when you 163 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.600 see Alabama score, you're thinking, all right, here they come. 164 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:36.200 Vandy didn't think that way. And by the way, Nick Saban, 165 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.720 Vandy fans trolled him after the game on his comments 166 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:42.200 that it's tough to play everywhere in the SEC, but Vandy. 167 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:49.080 He wasn't wrong, But on this day it was tough 168 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:52.039 to play in Nashville despite the fact, and they showed 169 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:54.919 this on TV more than once, almost the entire visitor 170 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:00.000 section with solid red and white Alabama fans coming to Nashville. 171 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.799 But the Commodore's got it done and they're going to 172 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:07.360 try to anchor down in Lexington Saturday night. Up next, 173 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:10.720 Well Shift Gears, We're here from Mark Pope, Kentucky's new 174 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:13.000 basketball coach, what he had to say about Pro Day, 175 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:17.519 the event happening yesterday at Historic Memorial Coliseum. That's next 176 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:22.039 on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. 177 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.799 Coming up in a few minutes, Jack Gibbons will rehashed 178 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:29.360 with me last night's activities that Kentucky Basketball NBA Pro 179 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.080 Day got a chance to see. The Wildcats actually had 180 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:34.360 a chance to see him practice earlier this week, and 181 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:37.919 what they did last night was essentially the same drills. 182 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:40.559 They just did it in front of basically every scout 183 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:44.200 or a team a scout from every team in the NBA. 184 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.240 But it was not drills that were specifically designed to 185 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.080 show off skills for these guys. They were just given 186 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.720 the opportunity as a group to look in And as 187 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:57.320 I said in the broadcast on SEC Plus last night, 188 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:00.639 you got to give John Caliperry credit because he put 189 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:05.000 this together. It was another innovation for UK basketball. I 190 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:06.919 don't know how much input he had from the likes 191 00:11:06.919 --> 00:11:09.759 of TJ Buiser and whoever. I think this one came 192 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:13.320 together before TJ was there. But anyhow, the reason, of 193 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:18.440 course was with Caliperio recruiting all the superstar recruits that 194 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.440 he did, there were so many requests from scouts to 195 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:24.039 come to practice, so they just kind of threw a 196 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.039 net around to all of them and brought him in 197 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.480 on the one day. And it had been broadcast in 198 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:32.879 the past on ESPN. I'm not sure why we were 199 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:35.879 given the opportunity to do it on SEC Plus, but 200 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.480 I was glad we were and glad to be included. 201 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:40.639 And it was great to work with Jack again. I've 202 00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:44.159 done so many shows with Jack and projects and specials 203 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:47.639 and things like that. But in terms of putting on 204 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:50.919 a head, said Mike, and sitting down court side with Jack. 205 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.679 You may have seen my Facebook post that also had 206 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:57.159 it up on Twitter yesterday, I photo from an old 207 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.840 Herald Leader of Jack and me and the other guy 208 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.799 in the pictures of Max's roommate Scott Owens, doing a 209 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:08.240 high school game. Because when Jack retired from the NBA 210 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:12.360 or was told his services were no longer needed, came 211 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.960 back to Lexingon and got into broadcasting. Ralph Hacker hired 212 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:19.360 him at WVLK and we did high school games together. 213 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:23.759 I think that game was in a regional high school tournament. 214 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:28.240 But Jack and I also did Transylvania basketball for two years. 215 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.360 We did the home games and they were simulcast on 216 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.519 VLK and on the old telecable of Lexingon. Remember tele 217 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:38.200 a cable. Well, they were looking for content, so they 218 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:42.080 simulcast Transylvania basketball and Jack and I did it. We 219 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:44.639 traveled a little bit with the team, and Don Lane 220 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:47.080 was so great with us and great to work with. 221 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:50.720 And Jack and I got along famously. We knew each 222 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.200 other from school. I mean I had covered his teams 223 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:55.759 for the Kentucky Colonel and we just kind of hit 224 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:58.639 it off. But I mean, Jack gets along basically with everybody. 225 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:00.320 So if you don't hit it off with Jack, there's 226 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.519 something wrong with you. But we've remained buddies ever since, 227 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:06.600 and I really really enjoy having him on the show, 228 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:09.840 and he's coming up in a few minutes, but just 229 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:11.720 getting a chance to work with him, and look, he 230 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:16.000 was tremendous. If you haven't seen the pro day broadcast, 231 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:18.679 it's on YouTube and I linked it on Facebook and Twitter. 232 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:23.080 But you forget Jack did nineteen years with the Orlando 233 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.240 Magic TV Network. He is kind of a new beat 234 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:29.039 a radio and did a wonderful job with Tom Leach 235 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.039 last year and we'll do it again this year. But 236 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:35.320 he is so polished and such a pro when it 237 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.600 comes to TV, and mind did e were no replays 238 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:39.840 last night, so he was doing everything on the fly 239 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.600 as we all were, and our crew did just an 240 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:46.799 incredibly great job and it was so much fun. He 241 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:52.360 had a ball being in historic Memorial Coliseum. As I 242 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.519 said in the broadcast, he's part of that history. Played 243 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:59.480 his first two years of varsity basketball freshman and sophomore 244 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:04.600 in Memorial Coliseum pre Rupp Arena, and of course practiced 245 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:08.480 there every day. So he just loves being in the building, 246 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.080 love seeing basketball there and had a great time. And 247 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:16.600 of course he basically h piloted the interview when we 248 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:18.919 had a chance to talk with the head coach, Mark 249 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.080 Pope in the final minutes of the broadcast, and here 250 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.440 it is courtesy of SEC plus. What did you think? 251 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:27.159 What did you see tonight? I love this. 252 00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:28.240 I love this. 253 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.360 It's good baskets. You guys like you, guys like that. 254 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.679 You were supposed to be done twenty six minutes ago. 255 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:34.799 We just can't get enough. 256 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:36.120 Yeah it is. 257 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:37.720 It is a great building. 258 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:37.919 To play in. 259 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:41.120 You did some work in here. 260 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:45.360 I played my first sun first two seasons I played 261 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:49.000 in this building. And I said, and you probably felt 262 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:53.919 it as you practiced in this building. Some there was 263 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.039 something about this building that the great players that who 264 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:01.399 have played here, you just felt beast as you walked in. 265 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:01.840 Yeah. 266 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:02.720 Yeah. 267 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.960 And then the moments we had here that were not 268 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:08.080 not in front of people like I mean, I have 269 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.799 so many moments, but I'll never forget. So Nazi Muhammad 270 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:15.200 played eighteen nineteen years in the NBA, is now on 271 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:17.159 his way to being a general manager NBA team, one 272 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:19.480 of the one of the most epic careers of any 273 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:22.559 player here won a national championship. And I remember Nazi 274 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:25.879 as a freshman and coach is killing us he's killing us, 275 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:28.799 and you had to make a time before you could 276 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.399 get off the floor. So Nazi's still running everybody else 277 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:33.759 on the floor. He's a freshman. He's just like he's 278 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.200 just grinding, trying to get his body in shape. And 279 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:38.120 so he's run like this, I don't know what it was, 280 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.759 one hundred and seventh ladder, and he came to the 281 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:44.679 finish and we're all standing here, sitting at the at 282 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:48.039 the baseline and Nazy like dives to try and get 283 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:52.080 across the line, like literally right there in that spot 284 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.799 right by the k yes, and dives across the line 285 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.159 and coach is like, nope, get back on the line. 286 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:04.080 And I remember, listen, I remember now it's like I'm 287 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:09.200 talking about tears, man, Yeah, like tears. And then because 288 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:12.279 this guy paid the price, he played eighteen nineteen years 289 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:12.799 in the league. 290 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:14.240 And that's the hard thing. 291 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.720 And I've heard you say it, but that's a hard thing, 292 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:20.639 touching the lines, for instance, getting all the way there. 293 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.080 It's hard for players at this age to know what 294 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:27.279 that extra little bit might translate into. 295 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:29.559 Yes, yes, and right now, I mean, we were trying 296 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:32.360 to be the best, which is which our lofty, lofty 297 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.440 goal you're not the best by a large margin, you're 298 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:38.320 the best by the tiniest of margins. So the more tiny. 299 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:39.080 Margins you can put together. 300 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:41.399 And so what was fun about practice day was there 301 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.519 was some really broken execution and some sloppy stuff, but 302 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.559 there were also some moments where guys inside showed up 303 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:52.720 and how they responded something very very specific, and we're 304 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.679 super encouraged by seeing that from our guys. 305 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:57.759 You know, we've talked Mark about Gabe and I talked 306 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:01.159 a lot about bringing all these pieces together and uh, 307 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:03.919 figuring out how to make a team out of all 308 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:06.000 these pieces. How is that coming along? 309 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:06.839 I think it's been. 310 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.960 Really fun because we have unbelievable So you know what 311 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:12.079 when when we hit little rocky patchs like you do 312 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:17.480 every training camp, every summer, we do with our staff, like, 313 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:21.160 what we believe in is people right, and on this 314 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:25.240 roster we have really special, elite level people that are 315 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:28.400 also terrific basketball players. And so, you know, I just 316 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:30.160 have a ton of confidence in this group because of 317 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.440 the character of these guys and their commitment. They're really 318 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:35.880 working to learn how to love each other. It's gonna 319 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:37.480 be a special group and it's gonna be incredible to 320 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:41.720 watch these guys and as as BBN, as as Kentucky fans, 321 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:44.039 we're gonna love watching these guys, and we're gonna actually 322 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:47.240 have some guys step up and have epic years and 323 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:49.759 going to have big time professional careers. 324 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:52.680 And really serve this team. And then stayed along. 325 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:54.920 The way, did you know that aspect about the players 326 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:57.759 when you went to get them, I'm talking about what 327 00:17:57.880 --> 00:17:59.519 kind of people they were? 328 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:00.480 Did you all that? 329 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.720 Well, it's a little bit of our filter. It's kind 330 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:06.680 of a little bit about how we operate, and we're 331 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:11.039 we're really brutally honest and transparent in the recruiting process. 332 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.119 And and so you kind of filter yourself out a 333 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:18.160 little bit if you're not grounded, like we talk about 334 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.559 how important banners are here, and so if the only 335 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:22.960 thing you're worried about is other things, if that's not 336 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:25.559 a part of what you're worried about, you'll filter yourself out. 337 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:28.759 If if you're not here to learn how to love 338 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.720 a team and like and connect, connect, connect, then you're 339 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:33.759 gonna kind of filter yourself out. So you have a 340 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:36.480 you have a vibe of that when and if you're 341 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.880 not actually starving to become a big time pro, you're 342 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:42.720 gonna kind of filter yourself out, and so what you 343 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.880 end up with is a good chance of getting great people. 344 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:47.160 We suspected that, but over the eight months summer, the 345 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:49.599 four week in the fall, and then out of Banner Camp. 346 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:52.400 We just finished up a few days ago, I'm more 347 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:53.279 confident of that we have. 348 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.640 We have really extraordinary I gotta think Mark that that 349 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.119 was a key element and how you put this team together, 350 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.039 because you're putting it together in a unique way in 351 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.559 such a short amount of time. You don't have time 352 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:06.359 to fool with someone who's going to be a bad. 353 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.039 Apple, right, Yeah, And that that's really important. And then 354 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:13.000 and and and so all of that works together. It's huge. Listen. 355 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.759 You know, you can. 356 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.640 Look at you can always look at rosters on paper, okay, 357 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:20.160 and a lot of times teams live up to what 358 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:21.960 they are on paper. Sometimes they don't live up to 359 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.759 one of them on paper. But what makes teams special 360 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:28.079 is all the connected tissue, the special sauce, the you 361 00:19:28.119 --> 00:19:30.519 know what you had with your guys, like you guys 362 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:33.359 want a championship because you know, those guys knew they 363 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:35.519 needed to get you the ball and they wanted to 364 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:37.640 get you the ball, and you guys loved each other 365 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:40.079 enough to take care of each other. And and that 366 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:43.160 cont connected tissue is I think what makes championship teams. 367 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:45.319 I have one final question for you, meaning to ask 368 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.599 you this. I can't remember how exactly how old you are, 369 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:53.759 but you spent three years here, right, comparatively speaking, that's 370 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.440 not a long time. And yet it is a part 371 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:58.640 of you now, and I know you're hoping it becomes 372 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.319 a part of them. Tell me how you relay that 373 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:02.079 to them. 374 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:06.440 Well, it's a lot of different ways. One is exposing 375 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:10.000 them to BBN because you know, the beautiful thing about 376 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:12.400 all the guys that are transferred here is they have 377 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:16.920 a frame of reference, so they actually know there's nothing 378 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:20.720 like this in college sports, right, And that's a gift 379 00:20:20.759 --> 00:20:22.519 I had. I played my first two years at Washington, 380 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:25.240 so when I came here, I'm like, Wow, this is 381 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:27.759 like nothing in the world where sometimes freshman coming in 382 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.920 and the think, oh, this is just what college basketball is. 383 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:32.359 They have no idea. So that's one thing, and then 384 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.519 the second thing is like, we have these beautiful young 385 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:38.160 men that are crushing it from the state of Kentucky 386 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:41.559 that just ooze out the belief and faith in this place, 387 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:43.319 and we talk about the history and we're blessed to 388 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:47.240 have great four players like Jack that come around all 389 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.079 the time and kind of share with our guys. And 390 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:51.920 then and then also it's just this guy's connecting with 391 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:56.160 each other like that that the understanding of how specialist 392 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:00.000 is can also come from within our group, from us 393 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:01.920 making it sacred right, and that's what the guys are 394 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:02.680 trying to do right now. 395 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.039 Mark, thanks so much, congratulating, appreciate you, thank you, recessful night, 396 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.480 Pro Night, Pro Day. It's over here at the University 397 00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:12.400 of Kentucky. That's Mark Pope, the head coach. That's Jack Gibvans, 398 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:18.240 part of the history from here at historic Memorial Palaceum Jack. 399 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:19.599 Any final thoughts. 400 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:24.200 Well, mainly to Mark because he has done a great 401 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:28.160