WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:02.839 Welcome to the Big Blue and Sider. Dick Gabriel with 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:04.960 you on a Monday edition of our show. This is 3 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:08.359 the usual Big Blue Insider, not the state wide because 4 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.000 of basketball. Tomorrow on the road, the Wildcats take on 5 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.160 Clemson part of the acc SEC Challenge. It is listed 6 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:17.199 as a. 7 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:19.199 Nine to thirty start. You know what that means. 8 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:22.960 It'll be closer to ten o'clock. But just stay up 9 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.800 a little later, you know, pot of coffee, all that stuff. 10 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:27.480 Catcher seven to zero. 11 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:31.519 Just an incredible start for Mark Pope's team. Maybe not 12 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:35.399 that surprising given the schedule. With all due respect, but 13 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:37.759 I don't know how many people expected the Wildcats to 14 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:41.200 be duke or to average one hundred points a game 15 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:45.479 at home ninety five plus overall. Don't know if the 16 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.679 Cats will get that at Clemson. But whatever happens, you'll 17 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:51.759 hear it right here on six thirty WLAP tomorrow night 18 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.399 with Tom Leach and with Jack Gibbons, who's having the 19 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.200 time of his life watching these kids shoot the basketball. 20 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.640 It's just so much fun. And I've I've teased him 21 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.359 here on the show. I just love hearing Jack giggle 22 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:09.560 when when the shots start going down and you know, 23 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.799 he's never met a shot he didn't like. So yeah, 24 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:14.959 it's been a lot of fun so far. So yeah, 25 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.239 that's that's the man. Now. The women play an ACC team. 26 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.200 They play at North Carolina. They go to Chapel Hill 27 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:23.519 on Thursday, and we'll have that one for you right 28 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.239 here as well. Darren Hedrick as the action for you 29 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:30.159 at five pm, four forty five pregame UK women. Kenny 30 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:33.719 Brooks his team off to a great start as well. 31 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.560 Volleyball begins on Thursday as well. The Wildcats last night 32 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:42.959 learned that they will indeed host. They'll play Cleveland State 33 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:44.959 coming up a little bit later on. We're gonna hear 34 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:48.519 from Craig Skinner. We'll have more on from the players tomorrow. 35 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:50.560 But we got a lot to do tonight, a lot 36 00:01:50.599 --> 00:01:53.560 to talk about, So we'll hear from Craig Skinner later on. 37 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:56.200 About drawing into the seam they call it a quarter 38 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:01.719 the regional whatever, with Pittsburgh top seeded, top ranked, and 39 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:04.879 guess who plays Pittsburgh to open up Morehead State. 40 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:07.159 That's right, So you got UK. 41 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:10.319 In the tournament, u OFL hosting Morehead State, and Western 42 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:14.000 Kentucky is back in the tournament, so the state of 43 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:18.520 Kentucky well represented when it comes to college volleyball. 44 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:20.599 Need to get the football. 45 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.800 And we're gonna keep talking about football for a while 46 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:27.560 because there's a lot to do. If your Mark sto 47 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:32.080 if you know this, but an embarrassing performance against the 48 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:37.919 Cardinals of Louisville on Saturday, very disappointing, and I picked 49 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.159 Kentucky by one point in the harrowd Leaders survey. But 50 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:47.639 what I said was presuming Kentucky goes plus two or 51 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:52.680 better in turnovers, otherwise it could be a long afternoon. 52 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:55.439 And guess what they turned the ball over. 53 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:56.479 It was horrible. 54 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.759 The way Kentucky turned the ball over never gave itself 55 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:03.439 a chance. Plus, it couldn't stop the run. Even if 56 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:05.879 the Wildcats don't turn it over, I don't know that 57 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:10.120 they win because they could not stop the run, which 58 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:13.840 is something they did so well early in the years. 59 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:18.039 This has been an incredibly frustrating, as you know, and 60 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:22.879 confusing team compared to what Mark Stoops. 61 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:23.639 Has had in the past. 62 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:27.000 And that in mind our friend Mark's story asked a 63 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.280 great question in the postgame press conference. I wasn't there, 64 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:33.560 but I watched it after the fact, and he talked 65 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:36.719 about the fact that Stoops teams have been known in 66 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:41.599 the past for discipline and finishing games. That's why one 67 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:46.319 of the reasons his program has been so successful. And 68 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.639 we didn't see it this year, did we? And Mark 69 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:51.960 Stoops admitted as much. 70 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.280 Oh, I think this year, you know, we didn't do 71 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:57.520 a good enough job in an in any area. You know, 72 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:01.879 there's just no ways around it. You know, we we 73 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.520 failed in that area. You know, we didn't have the 74 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:08.159 discipline that we needed. You know, we didn't play as 75 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:10.599 good as we needed to. We didn't have a you know, 76 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:16.879 as there's every level needs to improve, you know, an 77 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.480 accountability needs to happen. 78 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:20.079 You know. 79 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:21.680 I think again I've mentioned it. 80 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:25.759 I think you've seen that, you know, throughout the sec 81 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:29.040 the difficulty of just just constantly thinking. 82 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.680 You're going to go to a bowl game every year. Again, 83 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:32.160 it's good. 84 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:34.800 I think it's three of sixteen teams have gone to 85 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:38.319 eight straight. So we've we've been pretty consistent, you know, 86 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:40.920 to that, I'll defend you know what I mean this 87 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:43.079 year there is no defense on that. You know, I 88 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.680 agree with you. It's just not good enough. You know, 89 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:47.720 It's not like you know, we don't know how to 90 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:49.759 how to do it. You know, we got to have 91 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:51.680 good players, we have to have good coaches. We got 92 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:55.399 to all do our part, and you know that that 93 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.240 part excites me. 94 00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:59.759 Toward the end of the news conference, somebody asked Duops 95 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.199 about the fact that the fan frustration is really whipped 96 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.399 up now on social media and elsewhere, and Stoop said 97 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:10.639 he understands the frustration. He is as frustrated as the 98 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:11.319 fans are. 99 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.480 I could promise you that we're going to get back 100 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:14.680 to work. We'll get it fixed. 101 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:21.000 And you know, the the misery index, you know, goes around. 102 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:22.439 You know, it goes around. 103 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:27.120 And you know, for myself, you know it. 104 00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:30.920 You know, I've been around a long time, and I'm. 105 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:36.040 Really concerned and concentrating and excited about the rebuild. 106 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:38.920 Fans got to wait a long time. 107 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:41.680 You know, I get to go to work tomorrow, and 108 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.879 for that, I understand it, accept it, and I could 109 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:49.560 promise you we'll go to work to get the team 110 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.399 back to being a team that they could be. 111 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:51.920 Very proud of. 112 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:55.879 After the news conference, Stoops comes upstairs. This is the 113 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:59.560 way it works every day or every Saturday and does 114 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.480 as ready show with Tom. So that's why sometimes on 115 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:07.000 the radio. He refers to his news conference, but he's 116 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.560 already got his thoughts in order, and he's been talking 117 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:15.399 about changes for quite some time because well, they have 118 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:18.759 to be made obviously, not just in the way they 119 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:22.680 do things, but personnel. They've not done a great job 120 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:27.920 lately within the portal identifying players and you know, doing 121 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:30.279 the best you can with them. So he talked to 122 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:35.439 Tom about the fact that almost immediately changes would begin 123 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:39.279 within the program, but don't look for a change at 124 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:40.720 the top of the coaching staff. 125 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:41.480 There's going to. 126 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.079 Be you know, new you know, incoming freshmen, there's going 127 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:47.519 to be incoming portal, and there's probably going to be 128 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:50.879 some surprises, let's be honest, and and and there's going 129 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:54.079 to be a surprise and uh and you know again, 130 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.439 we won't flinch. It's not like we're gonna like it 131 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:58.720 or anything. If you lose somebody, you don't want to 132 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:00.480 but it's not the end all be ah. It's like, 133 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:04.360 you know, there's ways to replace you know, everybody, And 134 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:06.959 you know, I don't want to say that about. 135 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:08.720 Me right now, because everybody will jump on that bandwagon. 136 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:09.360 Tell me if it. 137 00:07:09.319 --> 00:07:11.519 Replaced me, everybody wants to replace me, right now, but 138 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:14.079 I'm not going anywhere. My butt is going to work 139 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:17.199 tomorrow and I'm gonna try, and I'm gonna be motivated 140 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.399 as hell to get get this thing fixed and get better. 141 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.560 So anybody that's wishful thinking that I'm not gonna be 142 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:27.040 able tomorrow's has got the wrong wish because my butt 143 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:30.279 will be in my office and we will. I can 144 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:34.000 promise you we will attack this offseason and there's nothing 145 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.240 for under lighthearted about it. 146 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:37.519 But I know, you know, if you can't laugh at. 147 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:39.439 Yourself for a moment, you know what I mean, then heck, 148 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:41.959 you know I know, I know it's I know it hurts. 149 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:42.920 You know. 150 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:45.399 I said it in my press conference. I so appreciate 151 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:46.439 the fan base. 152 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:49.519 And I have to admit Big Blue Nation. I was 153 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:54.519 surprised and delighted and then mortified all in one afternoon 154 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:57.839 on your behalf because I just didn't think there'd be 155 00:07:57.959 --> 00:07:58.680 much of a crowd. 156 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:00.040 I thought there would. 157 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:03.040 Be more Louisville fans quite frankly, but I know from 158 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:07.360 talking to my friends and relatives over the Thanksgiving weekend 159 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:14.439 that they were bracing themselves for another major letdown against Kentucky. 160 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.560 They are so tired of seeing their team lose the UK. 161 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:23.240 They weren't nearly as confident as Harry Douglas was. I 162 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:27.959 saw him on one of the shows, probably ESPN. But basically, 163 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.519 Harry Douglas was a terrific receiver in college and played 164 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:35.000 a long time in the pros and I had forgotten this. 165 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.279 But in this Stev got a loose game in seven 166 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.879 Harry Douglas caught three touchdown passes. So that game still 167 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:45.519 frustrates him, and naturally he was going to predict when 168 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.279 they asked him, Yeah, it's a big Louisville win. But 169 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:52.440 I didn't hear much of that from Louisville fans because, 170 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:58.240 as I said, Kentucky's owned Louisville of late plus every year. 171 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:01.240 Jeff Brohm's team every year's only been there a couple 172 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:03.399 of years. But it happened to Purdue. They pull off 173 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:07.519 a big upset and then lose to a weaker team. So, 174 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.720 as one of my relatives said, we don't know which 175 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:12.919 Louisville team is going to show up. Well, the good 176 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:18.000 one did and the bad Kentucky team showed up. And 177 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.240 Stoop's talked about discipline lack. He's talked about it for 178 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:24.399 the last several weeks, lack of on field discipline, lack 179 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.279 of leadership from older players, and I had heard some 180 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:31.240 whispers about that coming from practice. 181 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:34.879 It was a bad mix. That's what happens with. 182 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:39.039 Teams sometimes, and that's on the coaching staff because they're 183 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:40.600 the ones who mixed it up. 184 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:45.519 They have really no perfect way of knowing. 185 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:49.080 What it's going to be like when you pull players 186 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:52.480 out of the portal, mix them with veterans, throwing some freshmen. 187 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:58.600 In the past, they've had tremendous success, ten wins success. 188 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:03.360 You get a guy like Courtney Love from Nebraska, didn't 189 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:06.080 get to play a whole lot of Nebraska, played really 190 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:11.720 well at Kentucky. They get a former All American, well 191 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:16.240 once on an All American always Pops Johnson from Georgia. 192 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:19.519 He spends much of the year injured, so never really 193 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:24.440 got a chance to play the way we expected him 194 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:27.639 to play, with the kind of skill set that brought 195 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:30.039 him to Georgia and made him an All American. And 196 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:32.639 by the way, you got to throw in the fact 197 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:35.159 that Eric Jackson was hurt, and I know it sounds 198 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.960 like an excuse, but he was the pivot man when 199 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:45.759 it comes to the run defense, communicating and making plays. 200 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:51.080 That was a big, big setback losing him at first 201 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:52.720 we thought for a week or two, then the rest 202 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:57.279 of the year that's what happened. But to me, one 203 00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:00.320 of the biggest problems and it will keep up on 204 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.639 being a problem with Mark Stoops and his staff unless 205 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:10.080 they figure out a better way to evaluate talent in 206 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.799 the portal, is the fact that we're now in the 207 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:17.240 portal era. That's not going away. There may be some 208 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:22.080 guardrails put up for nil, but the portal's not going away. 209 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.080 They may tweak it a little bit, but you're going 210 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:28.039 to keep on seeing player movement like this, and it's 211 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:33.799 going to be vital to college sports. And what that did, 212 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:35.039 in my opinion, was. 213 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:38.919 It removed one of the. 214 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:43.799 Great advantages that Stoops and company enjoyed as they built 215 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:48.159 this program. You saw it when he arrived. 216 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:49.919 They weren't very good. What were they no? 217 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.200 Then they started adding players, good players, and they got 218 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.120 better every year after that second year they improved. They 219 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:00.360 got better and better and better because as they were 220 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:05.240 adding good players whom they had evaluated properly as high 221 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:08.759 school recruits, and many of them were two and three stars. 222 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:12.279 But they started landing some four stars thanks to Vince 223 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:17.639 Merrow and Mark Stoops. The bottom line was the talent 224 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:24.159 level grew, and as the talent level grew, the ceiling raised, 225 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:26.120 and so did the floor. 226 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:31.320 They rebuilt this program, they rebuilt the culture, and it 227 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:32.399 took a while. 228 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:36.320 But they did it the way good programs do. They 229 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.679 brought in. People would always ask me, what's going on 230 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:40.639 in Kentucky? Why are they so much better now? 231 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:40.840 Now? 232 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:44.399 I see, I shrug, better players, better players, and more 233 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:48.360 of them depth because they could go out and make 234 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:54.519 it happen with recruiting, evaluation, coaching, game plans. Well, how 235 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:56.480 do you put together a game plan every year? 236 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:57.600 With the new OC. 237 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:01.919 Stoops talked about quite a bit with Tom Leech and 238 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:05.200 in his press conference a lack of continuity on offense 239 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:10.840 at times that was crippling, and not to put everything 240 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:13.919 at the feet of a group, but the offensive line 241 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:19.120 has come nowhere near the quality of the old big 242 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:20.960 Blue wall. And there were two or three big Blue 243 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:25.279 walls that had really good years and then injuries and 244 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:31.679 coaching changes and misevaluations and the old line just could 245 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:36.519 not keep up. Some guys did, some guys didn't, and 246 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:40.360 that is the heart of your team because obviously it 247 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:44.200 decides how long you're going to be on the field offensively, 248 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:47.440 moving the change, scoring points, but it also dictates how 249 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:51.240 long your defense will be on the field, and Kentucky's 250 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:55.039 defense this year spent way too much time on the field. 251 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:00.759 The best defense is less defense, and you go back 252 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:05.200 and look at the most successful stoops teams, Fewer minutes 253 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:08.039 on the field for the defense, and better field position 254 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:10.919 for the offense. I would love to break it down, 255 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:15.440 and I'm sure somebody will field positioned consistently. This year 256 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.759 for Kentucky was terrible, and with an offense that was sputtering. 257 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:24.000 That's why you're averaging, That's what it's amazing if they 258 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:26.200 got more than twenty points in one game. 259 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:29.360 There's a lot to do and we're going to talk. 260 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.360 About it over the next few weeks, you and I 261 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:33.639 and we'll have a lot of guests on to chat 262 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:36.679 about it as well. But here I'll leave you with 263 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.879 this thought, if you go to the break, I came 264 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.480 to realize that people talk about it's Kentucky just a 265 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:46.120 basketball school. No, you know why it's a football school now? 266 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.279 Because you had a clunker of a season right. That 267 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:55.279 followed a lot of success. Eight straight Bowl games, back 268 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:57.919 to back seven wins seasons that back in the day 269 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:01.440 people thought was absolutely impossible, and prior to those, a 270 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:05.519 ten wins season. And yet Kentucky fans want to fire 271 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:10.480 their coach. Now that's what happens at football schools. If 272 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.759 you don't win eight, nine, ten games, fire the coach. 273 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:17.159 Now you know you're a football school. Back to talkson 274 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:20.080 volleyball live here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to 275 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:22.639 the Big Blue and Sider. It is tournament time for 276 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:26.279 the UK volleyball team, and I'm sure you know by 277 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:30.919 now they will host. The Wildcats will a subregional Kentucky 278 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:35.360 at number three seed in the Volleyball Championship Tournament and 279 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:41.000 the Cats will host Western Kentucky, Minnesota, and Cleveland State 280 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:45.399 this week. Matches are on Thursday, beginning at four thirty 281 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:48.639 with Minnesota and Western Kentucky. Then the Wildcats at seven 282 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.080 o'clock take on Cleveland State, and the championship match for 283 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.480 the sub regional the next night at seven point thirty. 284 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:59.279 If you can't get the historic Memorial Coliseum, well, the 285 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:03.480 Wildcats will be on ESPN Plus and the ESPN app 286 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:08.279 twentieth consecutive tournament appearance under head coach Craig Skinner, who, 287 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.200 by the way, is the SEC Coach of the Year 288 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:15.039 once again. Brooklyn Delay is the Player of the year. 289 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:18.240 Last year she was Freshman of the Year. Now she's 290 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.639 Player of the Year. This is twenty five trips now 291 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:24.960 to the NCA Tournament for the Wildcats, and of course, 292 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:28.720 back in the COVID year twenty twenty which stretched over 293 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:32.080 into the spring of twenty one, the Wildcats won the 294 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.639 national championship. Each of the last two years they got 295 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.559 to the sweet sixteen, and quite frankly, last year a 296 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:41.399 lot of us thought the Cats would go farther than 297 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.519 the sweet sixteen. They did too, but it didn't happen. 298 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:49.240 They're looking to go farther this time. Oh and I 299 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.639 told just seven seven thirty whatever on Friday that could 300 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:59.360 potentially change based on what they call TV selection. So 301 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:02.559 I'll have the information for you here and on Twitter 302 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:06.720 so well. UK Volleyball on Twitter and at UK Athletics 303 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.480 dot com. Craig Skinner and his team meeting last night 304 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:14.319 at the Coliseum to watch the selection show, and it 305 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:16.720 was not one of the teams that had a live 306 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:20.759 camera pointed at it, like, for instance, Morehead State, which 307 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.920 got the short straw, the shortest straw of all. The 308 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:30.960 Eagles will play Pittsburgh in pittsburgh opening game. Pittsburgh, top seeded, 309 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:35.559 top ranked Moreheads say, look, just take a set off 310 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:37.079 the Panthers and go from there. 311 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:38.039 But that's gonna be tough. 312 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:42.119 Pitt is really really good. But you know, you got 313 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.880 to see Moreheads kids celebrating some of the other teams 314 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:48.640 as well. But Kentucky's become such a fixture now in 315 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:52.000 the nca tournament that they don't burst into chairs. You know, 316 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:55.400 they applauded, they were happy, they smiled, They knew they 317 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:57.759 were gonna host, they knew they'd be in a tournament, 318 00:17:58.039 --> 00:17:59.599 and now they want to get down to business. 319 00:17:59.640 --> 00:17:59.880 You know. 320 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.279 Craig Skinner talked to us afterwards and told us how 321 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:07.759 Kentucky's first opponent he knows the coach pretty well. 322 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:10.720 Well, it's cool because a guy used to play against 323 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:12.759 in college is the head coach at Cleveland State, so 324 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:15.720 we get to relive a little rivalry here. But Chuck 325 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:18.200 Voss is a friend of mine and we played against 326 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:19.599 he was at Ohio State. I was at ball State, 327 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:22.720 So we had some rivalries, but I mean it's every 328 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:25.680 team in this tournament has a challenging draw in one 329 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.160 way or fashion or another, and you know ours is 330 00:18:28.200 --> 00:18:29.960 no different. And you know, get the chance to play 331 00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:31.759 at home, which is awesome, and be in front of 332 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:35.000 our crowd again or a home crowd again. And you know, 333 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.319 on the other side with Western and Minnesota, both have 334 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:40.519 proven to be good team. So the challenges is beating 335 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:42.680 Cleveland State and then then moving on to the next 336 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:43.279 tough challenge. 337 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:46.960 So Chuck Voss, the head coach at Cleveland State, leading 338 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:51.839 his team to its sixth Horizon League Tournament championship. On Sunday. 339 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:55.640 Cleveland State be Green Bay three to two to win 340 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.200 the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was 341 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:02.960 the first for the Since the twenty seventeen season. Voss 342 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:06.759 has coached Cleveland State to all six of its Horizon 343 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:11.599 League Tournament titles. Liebro Emma Walker for Cleveland State was 344 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:15.440 named the tournament MVP. So we'll, I'm sure say that 345 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:19.319 name a lot, including Niah Hall or Nia Hall and 346 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.839 Lake and Voss both made the All Tournament team. Kentucky 347 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.279 should win, but you just never know. In a sport 348 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:31.480 like volleyball, where momentum changes so quickly. It's unlike any 349 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:36.039 sport I've ever covered. So again Thursday and Friday, we'll 350 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:38.680 have it for you in ESPN. Plus the Wildcats opening 351 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:42.680 up with Cleveland State after Minnesota, and Western Kentucky, which 352 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:43.640 has a really good team. 353 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:46.799 Square up, a boy, the Big ten is really really good. 354 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:47.599 Up next. 355 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:52.519 Ken Spencer of WHAS six thirty WLAP welcome back to 356 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:54.680 the Big Blue in Sider joining us now is a 357 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.240 longtime buddy and friend of the show. And as I 358 00:19:57.240 --> 00:19:59.079 always say, a guy knows what it's like to get 359 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:01.440 hit in the mouth and a foot college football game. 360 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:05.160 That is Ken Spencer of whs over in Louisville formerly 361 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:08.920 WTVQ here in Lexington. And as I mentioned before, Kid, 362 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:11.400 in your job, you cover both ends of the interstate, 363 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:14.599 and you and I have talked all season long about 364 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.000 how this Kentucky football program. 365 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:20.960 Is just sagging. Can I assume you weren't surprised by 366 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:22.079 the outcome Saturday? 367 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.559 Actually I was a little surprised. My final score prediction 368 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:32.400 was Louisville twenty eight fourteen, okay going into the game, 369 00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:36.240 so I was not surprised that Louisville won. I was 370 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:38.920 not surprised that they were. They won by a couple 371 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:43.960 of touchdowns, but I was generally surprised with just the 372 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:48.200 complete physical dominance in the game by the Cards over 373 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:48.799 the Cats. 374 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.720 And look, I. 375 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:53.160 Didn't think that Louisville was going to win despite Kentucky 376 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.480 being the much more physical team. Like I just if 377 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:59.759 you never really see that out of this Kentucky football team, 378 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:03.039 can't expect them to show that kind of dominance over anybody. 379 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:06.559 I mean, think about how many times Murray State got 380 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.279 for the quarterback, let you know, to go yeah, and 381 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:14.359 so so I wasn't surprised about that, but I was. 382 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:19.039 I was certainly surprised by that dominant physically in the 383 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:21.880 game and just how easy it look like we kind 384 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.960 of talked about like, look, Kentucky just kind of looks 385 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:25.839 like a team that's just ready for the season to end. 386 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:26.799 Yeah. 387 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.759 They played like it, yeah, looking for a place to 388 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:30.400 fall down. 389 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:34.839 Yeah, and you know through the years, and I was, 390 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.880 I've talked about this last week. Buddy of mine and 391 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.880 my brother always look them up in Louisville at the 392 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:41.000 U of L game, and they. 393 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:43.480 Always said the same thing. Your linemen are so big. 394 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:48.319 I don't know if size was the difference, but certainly execution. 395 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:51.359 And attitude were the difference in the trenches on Saturday, 396 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:51.799 were they not. 397 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:55.319 Yeah, And I think that's kind of been a I 398 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:58.279 think that's kind of been a sign of a lot 399 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:00.319 of things over the course of this season in for 400 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.440 this Kentucky football team. I mean, you know, we make 401 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:08.720