WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.839 Hell everybody through the facilities of the iHeartMedia megaplexis is 2 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:06.360 Dick Gabriel. This is the state wide edition of the 3 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:09.800 Big Blue Insiety. He heard comments from Mark, Pope, Kenny Brooks. 4 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:13.000 It's March madness, but yours truly, Aaron Gershon and Billy 5 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:16.960 Rutledge stay with us for the state wide BBI Border 6 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:19.440 to Border. It is the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel, 7 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:22.320 Aaron Gershon and Billy Rutledge. Let's take care of Billy, 8 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:26.480 the most important part of the show. Happy birthday, mister Gershan, 9 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:29.480 Thank you very much sharing your birthday with Tom Leach? 10 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:30.480 How about that? Yeah? 11 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:33.560 Yeah, We've been texting back and forth and he was 12 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:36.520 quizzing me on some Beatles music trivia, which I told 13 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.119 him might fail. 14 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.479 So why was he quizzing you on Beatles. 15 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:44.000 Sixty four years for them? I don't know if today's 16 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:45.759 their birthday too't. 17 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.640 Oh okay, but I thought I knew it was an 18 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:49.439 interesting one. I know a lot about the Beatles, but 19 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.159 I just watched he had another documentary about him. But anyhow, 20 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:55.240 I'm not the guy to ask. Yeah, and uh, in 21 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.759 all fairness, Aaron's catching up on the Mark Pope comments 22 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:01.640 tonight because Pops took you to Jeff Ruby's right next 23 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:05.280 to awesome, ye, which is great. But Billy and I 24 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.920 were talking off air a little bit, and you've seen 25 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:12.599 some of the comments on Twitter about fans Billy with, 26 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:15.560 you know, the velvet hammer, the big smile in their voice. 27 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:19.000 But coach could just try doing this or that. I mean, 28 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.760 this was classic coaches show stuff tonight, wasn't. 29 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:25.159 It's very It's very respectful by the respect the I 30 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.400 love you, but we know there was a few of 31 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.400 those coming after the beatdown against Auburn. Yeah, despite them 32 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:33.400 being the number one team in the country, they did 33 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.200 look great, Dick. I mean in what I saw on 34 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.920 the game. I mean, since we missed the last eleven minutes. 35 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.239 Have you ever seen anything like that in your years 36 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:42.480 of television, Dick. 37 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:46.200 Of a game being knocked off? Yeah, probably, but not 38 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:50.159 nothing like that. You talk about high profile. ABC buys 39 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.079 the game from ESPN, which I still don't understand because 40 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.920 they own ESPN, but I guess one side of the 41 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:59.159 hall pays the other side at all. Anyhow, they went 42 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:03.400 to great lengths to not only get that game, but 43 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.120 do some serious pre production and all that stuff, and 44 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:09.400 they bring in the A team Showman and Billis and 45 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:11.400 I was telling Aaron that, you know, I came home 46 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:13.719 from baseball yesterday and I was watching a game so 47 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:16.520 I could comment on it, and I'm looking at the 48 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.120 timeline on my dvar and I'm like, wait, it says 49 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:21.520 there's only twelve more minutes, and I'm like, oh yeah, 50 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:23.479 and all of a sudden it goes blank and there's 51 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:26.840 a hockey screen and hockey. So, man, we heard about it. 52 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:29.960 I was at baseball, but we heard about it. And 53 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:35.159 our producer for the UK Baseball they're in Reperina right now. 54 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.199 There's that brand new facility over there, and so we 55 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:41.520 were seeing texts and hearing things about, oh, they switched 56 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.479 to hockey, and people thought it was because the game 57 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:50.240 was so bad. They're not that stupid. And immediately our producer, 58 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.199 who was obviously, you know, connected to the people in Reperina, 59 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:56.400 said yeah, they had a fire. I'm like, oh goodness, 60 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.719 I'll tell you what. No one was hurt, so that's good. 61 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:00.840 It was a blessing for all of us in attendance 62 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:02.879 at rep Arena because it meant the officials could not 63 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.360 go back to the monitor for a meaningless foul. Yeah, 64 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:08.280 they tried three times and they were like, got no monitor. 65 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.439 Well again, we you know, we hear from Mark Pope 66 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:12.840 about that somebody had brought it up. I'm glad you 67 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:16.159 said that I did. But are there too many? Yeah, 68 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:20.240 but you know it's not up to the officials to 69 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:24.520 decide what is reviewed and how, because as we were 70 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:27.400 talking prior to the show, there were games won and 71 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:30.560 loss that should not have been including UK LSU three 72 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:33.240 or four years ago. Yep, that's right. I was. That 73 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:34.719 was one of the last games they went to as 74 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:37.400 a fan. Yep. So boy that was God. That was 75 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:40.879 maybe fun. That was cool. That was the twenty eighteen nineteen. 76 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:43.919 That was the Tyler hero year. Okay, So for people 77 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:48.159 who don't remember LSU scored the winning bucket on basket interference, 78 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.520 absolutely did. And we're all looking around, going they'll take 79 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.080 that down. Yep, and we're all looking around and game 80 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.280 over yep. And later on we got word because I 81 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.360 don't think there was a pool reporter situation, but they 82 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:03.520 said we couldn't by rule, we could not review that. 83 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:05.879 That's correct. Now they can now they can't. That's the 84 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:08.680 Kentucky rule. Just like there were a couple of recruiting 85 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.680 rules and were Billy Gillespie rules. That's a Kentucky rule, 86 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:13.639 you know, and it's is it bad? Do you take 87 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.519 that away? It's just because we had the same discussion 88 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:20.879 to get it right, get it right. But if you 89 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.600 only have the Mark Pope idea of one challenge, I 90 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:27.360 think it should be two. I think what's the NBA? 91 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:29.279 Does anyone know? I don't. I think it's one. I 92 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:31.439 think it's is it one? And then you win it? Yeah, 93 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:33.279 I'm cool with that. I am. 94 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.319 I am definitely forgetting it right. But it's again you 95 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.680 we were talking about before the show. Baseball first picture 96 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:43.120 was at one o'clock. They were done before Kentucky Auburn, 97 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.399 South Carolina, Arkansas tipped at one o'clock down in Columbia. 98 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:50.240 It was a slaughtering. But besides the point that game 99 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:53.199 ended forty seven minutes before Kentucky Auburn. 100 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:55.720 And I mean I was there, mind you, the fire 101 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.240 in the truck didn't delay the game. The Kentucky no 102 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:01.120 nobody knew. The first half took an hour and twenty 103 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:04.399 five minutes. That's unaccepted. That can't happen. It's a bad 104 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:07.240 product other way of speaking of an Arkansas game. Guess 105 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:11.560 who didn't show for his postgame? Oh suppressed, first time 106 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:13.600 this year, but sucker. Yeah. 107 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:17.439 Anyhow, Also, I was I was obviously in Oklahoma. Wasn't 108 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:19.319 there a situation there where Texas A and M and 109 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:22.079 Vanderbilt took so long in the last minute? Oh yeah 110 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:25.160 that so Kentucky fans have seen like thirty one minutes 111 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:26.480 of their team on TV. 112 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:28.720 In the last two days. Yeah, it was what billy 113 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:29.399 ten minutes in. 114 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:33.240 That game didn't start on the TV until eleven minutes in, 115 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:35.160 So I mean we were under ten minutes. 116 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.560 They held We saw it. They held tip off, Yes 117 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.079 they did. It was a five minutes Yeah. Oh the 118 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:43.040 game didn't tips on nine ten and Norman or eight 119 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:45.720 ten Central Time. Yeah yeah, so I don't know. But 120 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:51.480 what's the answer, you know, or do you let it go? Well? 121 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:54.839 There's also a lot of hostility towards these officials from 122 00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:58.040 college basketball fans because of Mark Pope's point that the 123 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.000 all of the burden is on officials right now. If 124 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.680 you were to give challenges to coaches, then you know, 125 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:07.040 we could probably see a few more missed calls, but 126 00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:10.079 ultimately probably speed the game up by twenty thirty minutes, 127 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:12.720 and I'm for that. I mean, we got what was it, 128 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:14.800 two hours and forty minutes for this last one, So 129 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.639 that has got to be improved in ESPN has got 130 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:21.759 to start scheduling better on TV if they're gonna slotting it. Yeh, yeah, 131 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:23.279 the games are two and a half hours long. They're 132 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:26.360 not two hours long, and so despite five minute slides, 133 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:29.000 you're missing the beginnings of games if you don't know 134 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:30.480 the streaming listen in. 135 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.480 That the schools. Would do schools agree to start their 136 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:39.000 gamet half an hour later because of TV? Yeah? I 137 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:39.399 don't know. 138 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:42.759 We know that ESPN's just trying to schedule as many 139 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:43.399 as possible. 140 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:47.000 Oh sure, money, But does ESPN have the muscle to 141 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:49.959 tell the schools you're going to be on and here's 142 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:53.360 what time we've got you slated? Right? You know, we've 143 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:56.839 selected your game for the eight to thirty time slot, 144 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:00.160 not the eight o'clock time slot anymore, you know. So 145 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:03.560 you know, my guess is the TV rules the roost 146 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:04.639 because they're right in the checks. 147 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:08.279 Yeah, and I mean they're already slotted to a degree, right, 148 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:10.279 so we would just be a more of a staggered 149 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.000 start for exactly these games. 150 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:16.399 Yeah, and you know it's come down to this for 151 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.319 the fans. Okay, do you want to wait twenty minutes 152 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:22.040 to watch your beloved team tip off or miss the 153 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:24.879 first ten minutes of the game? List' it? Yeah? Yeah, 154 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:28.319 unless you have ESPN plus something about it. Yeah, you know. 155 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.160 And there are people I refuse to use the app 156 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:33.480 or I refuse to use see, well, that's fine. It's 157 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:36.560 your choice, you know. But and if you if that 158 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:39.920 helps you, you know, good on you. But anyway, back 159 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:42.160 to the game. My thought, and of course Aaron, you 160 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.240 were up in the rafters and Billy, I don't know 161 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:46.800 how much you had a chance to watch as you 162 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.879 were managing the game listening the radio. I know you 163 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.800 were listening, but I felt right away I thought, these 164 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:59.439 guys are intimidated. Oh yeah, now you know it happened 165 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:02.079 at a certain point. That was a ball game until 166 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:03.759 there were five minutes left in the first half. 167 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:06.480 Yes, Kentucky, well, Kentucky had a I think they led 168 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:08.560 for a whole nineteen seconds, but they cut it down 169 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:09.040 to six. 170 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:12.040 I think they felt you had pined by sixteen. 171 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:14.720 Yeah, well, Miles Kelly, and this took the year out 172 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:17.319 of both the building in Kentucky. He goes finishes nine 173 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.000 for fourteen, thirty points, a wonderful game. He also banks 174 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.720 two threes, not just banked them on back to back 175 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:24.040 possessions off. 176 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:24.879 Balance off seventy. 177 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.800 Yeah, he was fall literally he was falling. It was 178 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.920 like are you tripping? No, throwing it in the basket 179 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.559 from thirty feet out. But so you could just tell 180 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:34.720 the energy from the team got zapped a little bit. 181 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.080 They were definitely and I think something that needs It's 182 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.039 not an excuse, but I think something that needs to 183 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.320 get overlooked. And it sounded like Mark Pope talked about 184 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:44.200 in his show Jackson Robinson. It sounded like, not only 185 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:46.320 was it an injury and knew what happened in the 186 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.960 moment was very emotional for the whole team. I think 187 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:51.960 what you say described him as inconsolable. So I think 188 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:54.240 that's something they didn't get back from Norman to like 189 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.200 three am, and they Thursday morning and having that deflating 190 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.039 news probably already was weighing on them. And then to 191 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.159 come out in this game. The energy is great, You're 192 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:06.240 getting some stops early. I think it was only five 193 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:09.480 four five to four at the first stop, and then 194 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:12.200 a kid comes in and hits two circuit shots. 195 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:16.639 But meanwhile Kentucky was playing some of the worst basketball. 196 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:20.240 Terrible it has all I thought the game turnovers just 197 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:23.679 ugly turn the first I mean the first six minutes 198 00:09:23.720 --> 00:09:25.879 of the first half, second half, excuse me, they had 199 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:27.200 six unforced turnovers. 200 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:28.960 Yeah, and I questioned the game plan a little bit. 201 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:30.399 I don't know if it was the game planner, if 202 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:33.200 it was the nerves. But they their game plan in 203 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.480 this game, which we've heard all year, we're gonna shoot 204 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.480 thirty five threes. We know it hasn't happened. They tried 205 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:40.320 to muscle in their way to the paint. They tried 206 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:43.519 to go in the paint in Kentucky, Kentucky. Yes, and 207 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:46.360 Auburn's got obviously jan I Brew might be the player 208 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:48.399 of the year down there. They have didn't play like it, 209 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:50.600 didn't play like it. You never play as well here. No, 210 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:52.960 and then they have the other kid is like Johnson, 211 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:57.279 Cheney Johnson, who's are our dyl and Cardwall I'm sorry, 212 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:00.799 like they have some monsters there out in foul trouble. 213 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:04.879 But I just they took seventeen threes that you're not. 214 00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:07.919 If you're built to shoot thirty a game, you only 215 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:09.879 get seventeen off, you only make four. 216 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:13.279 If some of those were really ill advised, I thought 217 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:16.679 they forced And exactly so, Auburn did a great did 218 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:18.919 a great job running Kentucky off the three point line. 219 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:21.159 Kentucky tried to wild their way in the paint and failed. 220 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:22.960 I don't know if you watch it, and Billy, I 221 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:25.039 know you're listening to radio. But Billis made a great 222 00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:28.399 point when he said Kentucky has not been able to 223 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:31.720 run offense because of Auburn's defense, and. 224 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:33.960 They unfortunately too, though they did get some good looks 225 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:35.200 at the frame, they just couldn't finish. 226 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:38.840 Yeah. The butler, Butler, you can't raise his left arm. 227 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.879 Yeah, he just and he admitted after the game it's 228 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.399 still you know, oh yeah, it's still it's hard. And 229 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:46.039 he looked better in the second half, look more comfortable. 230 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:48.559 But yeah, it was. It was an all system's failure. 231 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:49.639 And Auburn, by the way. 232 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.600 They're really good, especially when they're hitting. 233 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.679 Yeah, a couple of points Aaron touched on that. I 234 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:56.879 was going to say, the beginning of the second half 235 00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:57.639 was unbelievable. 236 00:10:57.720 --> 00:10:58.879 I mean it was melt out. 237 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:02.200 Seven possessions, six turnovers, not a single shot from the 238 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:05.639 fields of them unforced, right, unbelievable. Uh, And it led 239 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:08.600 to Goose Givens saying on the radio that at times, 240 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:10.639 I mean Kentucky just didn't look like they knew what 241 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:13.639 they were doing. I mean they were rattled if the 242 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.440 moment was too big for them. But you know, we've 243 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:18.759 seen a significant drop off when it comes to the 244 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:21.120 bench play for Kentucky, and I think we saw that 245 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:24.080 again where they only scored five bench points. And if 246 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.440 Jackson Robinson is not going to be available for this team, 247 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:30.080 the trio of Colin Chandler, Travis Perry and Trent Noah, 248 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:31.480 one of the three is going to have to have 249 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.200 a good night. Along with otega Oway getting his normal 250 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.399 double digits, Kobe Bray hit. 251 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:41.080 That's about way he was. Just he was off. But 252 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:45.120 Billy and I were talking going into the season, and 253 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:47.120 you look at big picture, you know, they're a five 254 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:52.279 hundred team in the SEC. Uh, they're respected nationally, But 255 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.480 in terms of wins and losses, it's basically what we 256 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:59.960 were expecting. It's just exactly who saw the quad one 257 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:03.000 wins coming. And then the losses to the inferior teams 258 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.519 with air quotes good league. But then who saw the injuries? 259 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:09.879 You know, if I told you in November, okay, by 260 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.200 the time March rulls around, you're going to be missing 261 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:17.080 uh for an extended period. Your top three perimeter players 262 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.960 in Robinson, Creasa, and Butler. Now they get Butler back. 263 00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:23.120 But as you just said, he's at it what seventy 264 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.279 He claims that he said eighty. He's exaggerated. He's at 265 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:29.279 seventy to seventy. When a guy tells you ways one 266 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:34.759 ninety five. But anyhow, if I had told and then 267 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:36.759 Billy to your point, if I said, and by the way, 268 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:40.759 they're going to really need to lean on the true freshman, 269 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:44.000 we would we would be thinking, oh this this could 270 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:44.519 be ugly. 271 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.480 Yeah, but it's not well that they've they've progressed. And 272 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.080 that's a credit to Pope for not limiting his rotation. 273 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:54.200 And he admitted tonight he maybe limited it too much 274 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:56.679 versus Auburn and those guys played too many minutes. 275 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.879 I thought that was fascinating. Doesn't want to hear it, 276 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:04.399 But it's okay, who's who's making a cost on the sideline? 277 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:07.200 Look this is and this was a known with Pope. 278 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:08.600 This is what he did at b YU, and he 279 00:13:08.679 --> 00:13:10.720 said he was going to do it from day one. 280 00:13:10.759 --> 00:13:13.000 That you played eleven guys at b YU last year, 281 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.399 so on paper you're probably thinking inferior talent already. So 282 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:20.039 that's how he coaches. And look, Amary Williams, you had 283 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:21.720 to keep him on the floor in that game because 284 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:25.759 he shut down Jani Broom. He really did nine points 285 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:26.519 in five rebounds. 286 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:29.039 I got Broom from what you know? What do I know? 287 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.759 But it looked to me like he was pressing Mary. 288 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.480 I'm a physic accounty. Yeah, I want to prove myself 289 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:37.960 against to Mars and how many guys seven foot two 290 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.240 sixty is Broom faces? It is? 291 00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:42.799 It is interesting with Broom. All three games he's played 292 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.360 against Kentucky going back to the Cali era have not 293 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:47.799 been good. And he was at Morehead State. I wonder 294 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:49.120 if it's like in his head, like I got to 295 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:51.120 prove you guys passed on me out. 296 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.720 Of the portal. But everybody passed, I know, except for 297 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:56.399 Bruce Pearl. Going to say Bruce Pearl felt like he 298 00:13:56.440 --> 00:14:01.080 had something to prove. Yeah, that's first. Ala Perry passed 299 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:06.360 on him. Yes on. Oh, I wonder if he even 300 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:07.480 had a shot at him. 301 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.200 I remember when his name went in the portal of 302 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.879 a lot of the there's just like the simple Oh, 303 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:15.000 it's got to be Kentucky. He's at Morehead, right, Yeah, 304 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:17.399 it just never came before you. But Cal was also 305 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:18.679 very late to the portal game. 306 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:21.559 Well that's true. Yeah, we're gonna step I will come 307 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:24.759 back and talk more Kentucky basketball. We'll touch on football 308 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.440 as well, maybe even a little baseball down the stretch. 309 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:30.679 Five in a week for the Wildcats and an incredible 310 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:33.320 performance by a sophomore pitcher. All of that and more 311 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:37.879 coming up on the state wide BBI from Pikeville to Paducah. 312 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:40.320 It is the statewide Big Blue and Sider Dick Gabriel, 313 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:44.720 Billy Rutley, Jaron Gershawn. We're talking about Kentucky. He's lost 314 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.200 to Auburn and now coming up next to his LSU. 315 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:51.120 And we know that Jackson Robinson is having surgery this week, 316 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:54.360 so he has definitely done for the I thought it 317 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:57.480 was interesting too that Pope tonight said that he was 318 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.919 given the option of surgery a week or two ago, 319 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.000 but they also said, if you want to try to 320 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.000 play through it, give it, give it a shot. And 321 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.399 he was doing okay until he fell on the floor. 322 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.200 He was actually having a pretty shot. 323 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:10.039 Yeah, I mean during warm ups, I was there, he 324 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.600 didn't It's like, oh, this guy's back. He wasn't missing. 325 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.080 And then he I think he started. I think he 326 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:16.000 went three for seven in the field until. 327 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:18.679 Yeah, he looked pretty good. So uh, but now you know, 328 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.559 you got to put that behind you. I really believe. 329 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.879 And nothing's a given. Well, of course, every win is big. 330 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:30.639 Now Goose is given. That's true. Uh, for seating purposes, man, 331 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.159 they got to you got to protect your home court. 332 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:34.519 Can't lose this, No you can't. Yeah, it's a borderline 333 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:36.600 quad three game. They're eighty two in the net lest 334 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.320 I checked. So you really can't lose this one. And 335 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:42.200 I mean, obviously the NA tournament seating is more important, 336 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:44.639 but SEC tournament they go zero to two this week. 337 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:47.799 It's almost a guarantee you're playing on Wednesday. Yeah, No, 338 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:49.559 fans want to start on no. 339 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:52.200 And that's the way conference tournaments are. And and you know, 340 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.919 people love him air quotes but complain about him all 341 00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:58.120 the time. It seems like they can only hurt you 342 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:01.399 unless you're one of the half nine. That's right. You know, 343 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.440 if your team has got to play its way in 344 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:06.159 off the bubble or play your way into the tournament, 345 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.960 the NCA tournament, then you need the conference tournament. A 346 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:12.000 team like Kentucky. I remember back we got Duke up 347 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:14.759 on the on the telly here, but more than once, 348 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:18.440 Skrzyzewsky's saying, you know, if you lose early in the tournament, 349 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:22.120 it means more rest. You mean more in your conference tournament. 350 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:25.080 You know, you get more rest in prep time going into. 351 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:27.360 No one loved losing the SEC turn more than John 352 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:31.840 cal Perry, but he never did nod well. Yeah, and 353 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:35.960 then he couldn't win tournament game. Remember he said, get 354 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.639 to go home and kiss my dogs. Yeah, a little 355 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:38.200 house on the prayer. 356 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.440 I get to go watch a little hoss in the prayer. Yeah. 357 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:45.879 I mean, look, Kentucky's it's just different with that tournament though, 358 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:48.519 with how they sell out in Nashville. Oh, and they 359 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:51.559 come out and Kentucky has not won an SEC tournament 360 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:55.639 game in Nashville since twenty nineteen because the twenty twenty 361 00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:57.840 two tournament was in Tampa, so they won that one 362 00:16:57.879 --> 00:16:59.840 game against Andy and then they lost to Tennessee. 363 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:03.240 Was where was the COVID year where Nashville they lost? 364 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:05.599 Supposed to be, Yes, there was supposed to be in Nashville, 365 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.480 but there was no tournaments lost, a tournament, not a game. 366 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:13.680 Yeah right, they one game, right game, the opening game? Right? Yeah. 367 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.079 So Kentucky has not gone to Nashville in front of 368 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.240 that sold out basically all Blue Arena and won a 369 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.000 game there since twenty nineteen, and they haven't. I mean, 370 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:24.119 I'm I don't think they're gonna win the SEC tournament 371 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:27.000 this year, but twenty eighteen, their last SEC tournament win 372 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.079 was in Saint Louis, So they actually haven't won the 373 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:34.319 SEC tournament in Nashville since twenty seventeen. Isn't that crazy 374 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:34.759 to think about? 375 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:36.559 This would be a good year, though, to have success 376 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:39.039 in that tournament, no question, just because of the you know, 377 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:41.119 I think we'll look back on this season as the 378 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.519 year the SEC was the greatest basketball conference. And if 379 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:49.000 you could maybe make the weekend of that tournament, I 380 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.880 think you could look back a little bit more fondly 381 00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:52.680 on the season. If you were to get bounced by 382 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:54.359 Mississippis State in the first round. 383 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:57.160 Look, if they end up, if they go one in one, 384 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:59.119 more likely than not they'll be the eighth seed. They'll 385 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:01.759 play their first game at noon on Thursday. If they 386 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:06.359 win Thursday, probably Mississippi State. They play Auburn again. If 387 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:08.680 you go and somehow beat Auburn on Friday, even if 388 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:10.359 you lose, I'm not saying it's gonna happen. 389 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:12.759 Auburn is one of the best teams I've ever seen 390 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:14.160 a burse. Yeah, but you know what, if they play 391 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:18.799 Auburn again, I firmly believe they will play much much better. 392 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.079 After looking at this energy wasn't there No, And you 393 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:24.799 got to think they're embarrassed. They got punked, they got punked, 394 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.640 and yeah, they the energy was lacking. I don't know. 395 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:31.559 Pope talked, but went through all the theories after the game. 396 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:34.079 Was it, you know, the late return to Oklahoma? Was 397 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:36.319 it the Jackson news? What could it have been? But 398 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:39.400 for whatever reason, he didn't have those guys ready to 399 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.920 fight and bring what they needed to against Aubeign. And look, 400 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:44.240 Auburn's really, really good and they'll be hard to beat, 401 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:45.359