2024-06-27- KSR - Hour 1

Published Jun 27, 2024, 4:06 PM

It's a Pardon My Take takeover with Big Cat and PFT Commenter talking NBA Draft and are also joined by Rick Pitino.

Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington. Welcomes David Lucas June sixth through the eighth, Then catch Josh Blue June twentieth through the twenty second, and don't miss Rocky Dale Davis June twenty eighth and twenty ninth. Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in nineteen eighty seven, and they're still bringing the best in stand up comedy to the area thirty seven years later. Call E five nine two seven to one joke or visit Comedy Off Broadway dot com co Offay.

This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

Good morning, Kentucky. How we doing. It's not Matt Jones. It's part of my take, big Cat and pft here, where's Matt Jones. Matt Jones is in Fallujah?

Really yes, so that's an interesting place for him to go. I thought he would be in Atlanta moderating the presidential debate, cutting Trump's mike off tonight. I thought that was his job. No, I think he I don't think he's gonna make it back. He's doing Fallujah, then he's going to Ukraine. I think he brought a briefcase of cash.

Go Big Blue, Yeah, Go Big Blue, and then he's gonna work his way back to Yeah. America's America. Welcome in for any new listeners today. We are part of My Take, the number one sports podcast. We've been hosting a day a year on Kentucky Sports Radio. I think this is our eighth year.

Yeah, every year since we started the podcast. Our good friend Matt asked us to fill in. And I still remember the first show that we had because it was right after Part of My Take started. We sat down, we were in a studio and we caught all kinds of hell from.

Kentucky fans, all kinds of you thought we were trolling, right, And I know what you're about to say. Let me just say this right now, because every time we host I will see we get a lot of Kentucky Sports radio fans that get very mad and they say turn it off within three minutes. We're in the three minute window here, so let us give a pitch to you to stick with us for two hour stakes. I think it's going to be our best show we've ever done Kentucky Sports Radio. PFT. What you're gonna say, Well, first of all. We know ball.

We know ball, and I think every caller should start out today by admitting that we know ball. Yeah, maybe we turned you off in the past because we said that coach Cal was on the hot seat in twenty sixteen.

You thought we were joking about that. Yep. I think we were just the first to say it, and now you're all saying it. You're listening to two guys that are basically the Steve Jobs of ball. We know. We knew that the computer was going to be big before the computer was big.

So we know everything there is to know about Kentucky basketball. So we want to hear from you. Do you think that this is going to be coach Cal's last season coaching Kentucky.

We called this, We did call We called this. We had him on the hot seat for the last eight years and people say no, no, no, he's going to be fine. And then you all came around to us and you realized that we were right, you were wrong. We're not gonna take a victory lap. No, we're not going to pat ourselves on the back. But for all the people that say that, well, all they do is bits, and everything turns out the bit was we know ball.

Yeah, we were the first to say it, first to think it actually and yeah, so we would appreciate maybe if every caller would start out by just congratulating us.

But we don't need to take a victory lab. But here's the thing. We are on the side of Kentucky because we were proven right. So I think that we are officially members of Big Blue Nation, and being members of Big Blue Nation means that we are going to today take down Arkansas and we're gonna lift up Kentucky. We're here to help, and I want to start with taking down Arkansas for the people. Okay, So here's where I'm going to start, because this was the most pathetic thing I've seen in probably the last year on Twitter last night. Last night, obviously the NBA Draft huge night. It's bigger than the March madness for Kentucky. Under cal you get the number three pick, and Reed Shephard you get the number eight pick, and Rob Dillingham, who got then gets traded to Minnesota. So now it's the Minnesota Timbercats. I like that because you got you got Kat and Rob together. So another another banner night for Kentucky basketball. Two top ten picks and it's crazy.

Two starting players from Kentucky taken in the top ten.

It's amazing, great job. So here is where the pathetic tweet comes in, and here's where I hope Kentucky sports fans will continue on this journey with us for the next two hours. Last night, Arkansas men's basketball tweeted a list of the last fifteen, sixteen years, seventeen years, sorry instead a player coach by coach Cal has been selected in seventeen straight NBA drafts, with a picture of Cal in his Arkansas pull over. That is so pathetic to be to be basically what you're seeing Kentucky basketball is you're seeing what you were and now what Arkansas is gonna be, and that they're celebrating the NBA Draft. Those guys didn't even play for Arkansas. Their Kentucky Rea Shepherd is Kentucky through and through, and they have basically picked up what Cal has become in NBA draft is the most important thing and they've just taken the mantle and they're running with it. That is so pathetic to basically crown yourself an achievement that has zero to do with Arkansas and be like, this is what we care about the NBA draft. Just lockstep. They just care about Arkansas basketball. All they care about is the NBA draft. Kentucky basketball. We care about winning Win on March badness, winning basketball games. And it's funny because they are.

I'm sure that they If you're an Arkansas basketball fan, you enjoyed nothing more than coach cal doing this exact same press tour for Kentucky. Yes, because then they were saying, well, he hasn't won anything, and now they've converted themselves. They're doing it themselves. Amazing accomplishment. Come to Arkansas and get drafted. It's that simple. That's my favorite reply right there. And I'll give credit to Kentucky fans for the most par Kentucky basketball fans never bought into that, correct. They were like, it's nice that our players are getting paid. That's a good recruitment tool to bring good players here. But you guys cared about winning basketball games, and that's why calson longer there. I do think that you need to step up one thing though, if you're going to compete with Arkansas the chicken situation, you can't get bought out by another bigger chicken guy. Chicken, you Kentucky should be the biggest chicken state. Arkansas needs to sit down that you guys need to step up and crush them like the ants they are because you're the original chicken guys.

Well, what if we're just a whiskey state instead of a chicken sam What did what did coach Jim Harbass say? Chicken is nervous bird, nervous little animal. I want to be associated with being a chicken school.

However, he did change his tune on the chicken and he said after buying chickens, they're remarkably industrious birds and they produce eggs every night.

Well, you guys laid in eggs in the tournament. Now you're ready to move on. But I'm happy for Kentucky basketball fans today because you get the moment where again you get the accomplishment. Reed Shepherd one of the best homegrown basketball players in Kentucky history, going three in the draft. He's going to be great in the pros. But you get to watch Arkansas basically celebrate something they had zero to do with, and you get to see how ridiculous it is to celebrate and accomplish it. Like the NBA Draft. When we're talking about college basketball, and we can now as members of Big Blue Nation, the two of us are, we can get back to basics and focus on winning in March. Yeah, you're talking.

Listen, there's two BBC's talking to you right now. There's Big Blue Cat, there's Big Blue Commentary. This is BBC Radio right.

Now, and we are standing firm behind you. Guys. I think you're head in the right direction.

I think you have the tallest coach in Division I basketball now right six. Yeah, that's important for the intimidation prospect. That is a very tall co Yeah, real tall coach. Yeah, your coach could beat up anyone else.

Yeah. The Pope is infallible. The Pope is a fount. Now I should say too that Mark Pope did not have any players from YU get drafted last night. But that's what I'm saying. We're back to basics. I think all Kentucky fans would take winning in March versus winning in June. Yeah.

So, so, Coach Kel had these stats just ready to go off the top of his head last night. He was ready to say seventy percent of the players that we've recruited in the last fifteen years have been drafted seventy three percent of those seventy percent have gone to second contracts, thirty percent of the max contracts in the NBA, or my guys and our kids have earned over five billion dollars in contracts. He just walks around with those stats in the back, visiting you don't want. It's very nice to have that, and it's a good recruiting tool, but that he wakes up in the morning, he's like, my friends are rich.

Yeah, And the most important stat that he forgot they forgot to guard Jack Cokie forgot it. That's the most important stat I don't think you can care about you don't. We're out with the old, in with the new. It's a new day for Big Blue name. I'll say this too. Coach Cal was looking a little old.

Look.

I think I think it's Kentucky fans. We got the best years of Coach Cal and again we squeezed it dry.

I don't want any smoke with the Cal family. I want to be clear, but I'm still terrified of the cow family.

Love them too. I love Brad. Brad's my guysive. We're just trying to defend our big Blue nation and puff out our chest because Today's a big day. Today is the dawning of a new era.

And you've got all the all the old guys coming home. I think Patino said that he would contribute to the NIL fund too, So you're getting, uh, you're getting some of the former guys pitching in.

Everyone's pumped off. It takes a village. I said it when it happened. Uh, you know, the end was was tumultuous. It's been bad the last few years in terms of March Madness, not winning the SEC. But Kentucky basketball is bigger than a coach, and I think what happened at the end of the cal era is col was trying to be bigger than the program. And you guys are going to be just sorry. We are going to be just fine being Kentucky basketball. Don't It's not about one coach at Kentucky Basketball. It's about tradition, it's about being one of the best programs, about being a blue blood. It has nothing to do with who's coaching. It has everything to do with the fans, ourselves and Big Blue Nation. And I think this is going to be a great We're gonna look back and we're going to say this was the best thing that could have happened for Kentucky basketball.

We're supposed to be Kentucky, y'all supposed to be Kentucky, and now guess what we are Kentucky. Yeah, we don't have to worry about about all the marketing that goes around it. We don't have to worry about the flashes. Let's just get back the ball. Yeah, let's just ball out and beat Oakland.

Let's let's be let's let's let's play some defense, Let's put the ball in the cup, and let's win some games. It's that simple. It's that simple. Sometimes ball is that easy ball. And we are knowers of the ball.

We know ball more than anybody else that's ever hosted this program before. They've never had anybody like that. Are experts in basketball host this right, No one like us Jay billis. He's an expert in being disingenuine, disingenuous and legal ease. Yes, we're here to actually, our our legal advice is probably better than Jay billis. So if you have any legal questions, don't wait for Jake. Call us up and we'll answer those questions for you.

By the way, I forgot to I forgot to mention off the top. Uh, I did a bad job as a host. But uh, Kentucky Sports Radio. We're sponsored by TJ Smith Loff is called TJ. He'll make them pay. Yes, we TJ is a close personal friend of ours. He called in last year. We'd love to talk to him again. Uh, he's a He's a wonderful sponsor and we love TJ. If you if you need someone, TJ is the guy to go to.

I yeah, I actually have some questions for TJ if he's around. I need to know if we can sue our producer Hank Yes, just for being a big black ring cloud.

Yeah, so let's see if TJ can can call in at some point. But speaking to Collins, we so we do this every year. We'd like to hear from Kentucky h fans. I know we have a big fan base. We want to have our we love our fans. But today's about Kentucky. So we want to hear from Kentucky listeners. Regular listeners of this show. You can call in eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. So we want to hear from you. And we we usually do our best of on our podcast on Friday, and we want to hear from everyone there. I also want to say he should have said it from the from the start. This is our first time hosting since we've lost Harvey. Harvey was a good friend of ours. Harvey called in a bunch of years. I think Harvey is smiling right now down from heaven on where Kentucky basketball is going in the direction we're going. He might be.

He might also you might also hate the fact that we're hosting the show, but he is definitely happy about No.

I think he's shaking his fingers saying those guys they knew ball.

And maybe maybe he's saying that that they were right. But yeah, you know what, this one's for Harvey. This on this show is dedicated to the memory of Harvey, because guys like Harvey are would make sports great. Yes, people that care that much about it and will defend their team to the end of the earth. This one's for Harvey.

Yeah. So the call in number again is eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. It's the Clark's Pumping Shop phone line to call in. We're going to take callers probably in the second hour. We're going to take a break right now. When we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about the NBA Draft than We have a big, big guest coming up hopefully at ten thirty that everyone's going to want to tune into. I'm telling you right now, for all the people that say they turned it off, you made a mistake. You can't hear me right now, but you made a mistake. Tune back in. Text the person who says they hate us and be like, you gotta tune back in, because this is going to be the best time we've ever done in terms of hosting this show.

You can hear it right now, or you can read about it later. Yeah, it's yours. It's your choice. I think if I were you, I would want to listen live to this.

Yeah, you want to be an idiot later and be like, oh, I didn't even hear them.

And if we have any callers out there that are currently engaged in a feud with a neighbor, I want to hear about some Kentucky feuds. Yeah, those are genuinely good calls. Specifically, a crik and a holler.

A holler. If you're from a holler, you get priority. Yep, absolutely front of the line. Any hollers. Okay, let's take a break and we come back. We will get ourselves ready for our guests, and uh, we'll talk a little bit more about the NBA draft last night, Kevin. Then take it high. All right, we're back Kentucky Sports Radio. Pardon my take take over. Uh, we have a big guest coming up in a minute. If you missed the start of the show. We want everyone to just remind us that we are ball knowers if you call in, because we were the first to put coach Cal in the hot seat, and then we everything that we said was going to happen turned out to be correct, exactly right.

If you had listened to us seven years ago, you would be much happier right now, you'd be in a better place, right better place.

So we do know ball.

The number again is eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. Regular callers, please call in. We want to talk to the real people of Kentucky. Do we want to take a call.

Before we get the inter call and we'll see, uh yeah, if the uh, if we think you're not a regular caller, we might hang up on you because we really want to keep it to Kentucky Sports Radio callers. All right, Shannon, who we got yeah, we got Charlene, Sharlen, how you doing.

Hey guys, good morning. I agree with everything you've said. You know, just to prove that coach cal never really had a true statistician stattician. He didn't even realize last night he called Reed Shepherd one of the best three point shooters in the country, when in fact, Reid was the best percentage three point shooter in the country. That just shows how much you know, like, there's no statistician the team. You know, it's crazy. Secondly, Secondly, what really just I hope someday I won't be angry about it anymore, but I'm still salty because, you know what, because he can't coach defense, because his game plan offensively is something akin to if you make a play, if you got to play, go and make it, And because he just really can't coach at team to wins. We got cheated out of extra games with two very special players, Rob dealing him and Read Shepherd, and I just I don't know if I'll ever get over that.

Tea Ques.

Charlene, you actually sound a little emotional right now. Your voice was quivering a little there. It's okay, this is a safe place like that I agree with you read Shepherd is he should have played into the second third weekend of March Madness and we got robbed of it.

Yeah we did, Yeah, now we did well. I'm not only I mean, I'm angry because I'm a lifelong Kentucky fan and I just I think that he just made a sham of our program, especially the last ten years, and just so hardheaded and wouldn't like make any adjustments or changes when it came to winning. And you know what it isn't Calipari University. It's the University of Kentucky. We were there before him, we were there during him, and we'll still be there long after he's gone. In the late Gray al McGuire from Marquette said.

That yes, that's a fact. It is. And you make a good point, because we should.

There should be highlights that play for the rest of our lifetime of Reed Shepherd making iconic plays in the NCAA tournament, and those highlights will not exist.

Unfortunately.

I don't know if you turn Kentucky into a sham. Kentucky's been relevant certainly since Calston.

You're there.

It's just that they've been relevant for some reasons that you would not. You know, ideally you'd like them to be relevant because they're making final fours, they're winning championships. They've just mostly been relevant because they have all these expectations and then they always fall flat, and then he celebrates things that don't really have anything to do with the program winning. It's been kind of like the Dallas Cowboys for the last seven years. Yeah, and that's it's relevant. You'r relevant, but also like a bit of a laughing stock. And the laughing stock thing comes in because you should have these expectations to be great, you should do great things, but unfortunately it just hasn't worked out.

But I think we're on the right track right now.

Yeah, and say it, well, is not Lexington Big Blue Nation. It's just not going to be the same. I mean, you're gonna go Fayetteville, Arkansas. I mean, come on, don't give me a break.

Lexington is the best.

He he doesn't look right wearing that color, either the Arkansas red or I don't know what it is, but it looks like he's wearing pajamas.

As a bigger man, wearing red is never a good move because you just end up looking like the kool Aid man. The calaid Man, no disrespect, you know, coach cal You.

Know, the only consolation I have is that dude has to listen for the next however many years to the chant from the stands up.

Bitchally Yeah, yeah, come on, come on, count joke.

That's a joke.

And your point about his coaching, he I think his coaching strategy was, let's roll the ball out there.

Yeah, just roll it up. But you know what, there's only one ball.

You're not wrong, You're absolutely right.

Yeah.

Yeah, well, Charlie, he literally said it. He literally said it. If you have a play, go and make that play right. That's what he told him. Told him always right before the game. That's it.

And he also said, uh, that guy Jack Golkie, he can't shoot. Don't worry about him. Not a good strategy, not a good Thank you so much for your calling. Uh there are better days ahead, I can tell you that right now.

Oh I know it. I have never so excited love Mark Pope. Have my picture with him on my profile on ex curly cat number four UK, cat.

Number four UK. I love that.

Where'd you get your picture taken with him?

At an exhibition game in Evansville, Indiana of the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings.

I love that. You're a real me.

My daughter, my little daughter, and I could raise her a Kentucky basketball fan. She's a thirty year old doctor now and I'm just as big a fan as I am, which I thought could never happen. But yeah, there's a picture of the three of us on my profile page on.

I can see it right now. I'm looking at you, sports lover and vintage nineties NBA card seller.

I love that. I love that, Charlene, thank you so much for calling in better days ahead. We are big Blue Nation. Thanks so much.

Marks the Bomb, thank you, Bomb Bomb.

I love Pope, the Charlene. I could hear it in her voice that it's been it's been tough. Yeah, she's she's kind of wearing the years right.

And I want people like Charlene next time we host the show.

I want it to be a victory party.

Yeah, I want us to have Champagne live on the air, I'll say, and celebrate Kentucky being back.

I'll say it right now. Kentucky basketball is gonna win a title before Arkansas. I agree, fact, I agree. Hey, is Kentucky back right now? Oh? So bad. I think we're back, so back, by the way. I don't know when, Shannon, When did you guys start charging people to comment on the site? Oh the paywall?

Yeah, I think that happened when Matt sold the site to someone else.

Fun and all that money to Ukraine. Whatever happened to free speech? Yeah? You ever hear something called the First Amendment? We can get you to log in. I just logged. I just I just I just paid. I paid. We've got to reimburse you now. Yeah, our our bandlets said, tell me this is the only episode I skip, also giving my exact examples from today's episode. Oh, that guy's smart. That guy's smart. Yeah, that guy's smart. Someone asked his Mark Pope on the hot seat.

You know, might be you know what I think. I think we should be at Kentucky. The expectations are different from b YU.

Yeah.

You gotta win now. Yeah, you've got a lot of energy. You're saying all the right things right now. I need to see it on the court.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, Shannon, did someone on this show call him coach Poops? Say it again? I'm sorry I was. I was taking a call from our our special guest. Someone said, I mean our own guy have said coach Poops? Oh yeah, who said that?

Uh?

I think when during a conversation of trying to match together Stoops and Pope, that that came out of somebody.

Yeah, mistake.

I like that because you you have to have like a celebrity couple named from like Branjelina.

So it's coach coach Poops. Yeah, I like that. Okay, that that that that's fair. I was just making sure that there was no slander because we are Mark Pope. Guys.

Yeah, get a little producing on the air here. Our special guest called in. Uh, we're going to get a call back in about four minutes when we take So we're up against the heartbreak here, all right, So.

Let's do a heartbreak and then we have a very very special guest who is going to call in. You do not want to turn off the radio. I can guarantee you that it is the first time he's ever called into this show. And we back right after this. TJ Smith, personal injury attorney, called TJ He'll make them pay.

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio present it by Stockton Mortgage.

Here's Matt Jones. All right, we're back part of my takeover Kentucky Sports Radio. We're waiting for our very very special guests to call back in. He shouldn't have any moment now we're waiting. Do you want to take another call while we wait for him. Well, I'm hoping he calls in any any moment. People are saying it might be Jack Golkie, who is a personal friend of ours. He did work out with us. Love to have Jack Golkie.

You guys wouldn't stoop to that level.

I mean, it's not like we had Sam Decker on the show, yeah in twenty sixteen.

Now, we wouldn't do that to you, guys. I do love Golkie.

I wonder if Kentucky fans, if there's a small part of them that we're like, you know.

What, respect respect to Golkie the guy.

He was awesome and Golkie actually might be the man who's responsible for the uprising of Kentucky basketball.

That's true.

You can point at that moment and say, thank you, Golkie, you saved Kentucky.

He's a Franz Ferdinand of Kentucky basketball. Yeah, was that the ol Gabrielle Prince. He's a Gabrielle Princi and then everything was great for that. Yes, everything worked out right after that happens, So you'll be good. What nineteen fourteen, Yeah, well really good years after.

I think we traced the rise of Tom Brady directly back to Gabrielle princip assassinating the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Everything that's, everything good that's happened in the world has been because of the start of World War One. Yes, a lot of bad stuff too, but you can just you know, God bless the broken road that brought us back to glory.

Yes, Shannon, has he called back in? Do you want to try to call him?

Oh?

Maybe Shann's talking to him. You might be Talking's good. I feel like that's good. Okay, here we go. All right. So, for the first time ever in Kentucky sports radio history, we want to welcome on a friend of ours who's been on part of my take. He's a legend in the state of Kentucky. He's a horse racing Officionado. It is Saint John's head basketball coach, Rick Patino coach. Are you there.

I am good to be with you, guys.

It's great to hear from you. We're very excited to have you on We're So we've hosted this show eight years in a row whenever Matt is on vacation, and we were the first to say that cow was on the hot seat eight years ago. So today has been a victory lap for us, and we thought there's no better guy to have on to pump up Big Blue Nation your relationship with Mark Pope than coach Rick Patino. So let's start there. I have some Saint John's questions as well, but what are we getting out of Mark Pope as a basketball coach?

Well, obviously I'm extremely biased because he was my captain of a national championship team and was a great captain, a tireless worker, and I absolutely love him and what he did for a program. But that being said, when I was not working, I traveled out to see him coach a small school Division I school, a Grand Valley of something like that, and I was blown away for how good a teacher he was. And then I watched every game I could at BYU and love their offense.

Was.

It was great ball movement, great player movement. And I just think Mark does a fabulous job at communicating with his players. He has a great way about it and he has a quality that very few of us have. He has incredible humility and for somebody who at a very young age just as a tireless work and his accomplishing things, he's always maintained the same humility that he had back when he was a player. And Mark would you know, obviously guys like Antoine and those guys are all guys from inner cities. And my language wasn't the greatest either, But every day would Mark if he made a mistake, he would say frick and constantly frick, frick frick. And finally, after a weekness, I said, Mark, I can tell you whatever God that you pray to, he knows what means. So why don't you say it or drop it?

They're just words. Yeah, it doesn't matter if it's A, if it's an R, if it's a you. I think the messages get across coach. When when they hired Mark Pope, you you were saying that, you know what, it might be time for Rick Patino to cut a check to Kentucky's nil program.

Is that something that you're actually considering doing well?

I actually cut a check to the football program because I'm a casual friend of of Mark and and Eddie gran and I cut a check to the football program, but I would definitely cut a check if Mark needs me for anything, no matter what. Except for my firstborn Michael, he could have it. He's just the first. Absolutely, I absolutely love Mark and would do anything for you for his program. I'm very I had. I always called University of Kentucky Camelot for me. I never had a bad year, never had a bad day. They treated me like a king. They treated me with great respect, so I only had Obviously I didn't get treated great when I was at Louisville, but sitting back on and examining it today, I totally understand why. So I am very, very fond of the University of Kentucky rooting for football. I sent the baseball coach at text wishing him good luck. So I'm very bullish on Mark in the football program and hope they do great.

I love it, And I think the thing that Kentucky basketball fans should be excited about, and maybe you can speak to this more is Kentucky basketball in the last few years now. Obviously Cal had success at the beginning of his run, but in the last few years, it feels like the actual coaching x's and o's. Maybe wasn't there all the time Mark Pope, if you watched him at BYU, the guy knows how to coach basketball. And maybe you could speak to this specifically, but like being able to coach guys and put them in the best sets to be able to drop winning plays the end of games. I feel like Mark Pope is the perfect guy for that.

He is he look Mark Pope is. He tried to become a doctor and it wasn't his Niche. Mark Pope was a Rhodes Scholar candidate, and he's just an extremely bright person. And combining his credentials about being bright, he's an excellent teacher of basketball. He also has you know, he was also a terrific basketball player that got the maximum of his abilities because he gave it all every single day. A great leader, he showed great leaders. Everybody in the team just thought he was the best guy in the team in terms of never said a negative word about a teammate, never said a negative word about his coaching staff. Loyal to the point that you couldn't quite believe it. And he and his and his wife and children are the same way. Just wonderful wonderful people. And you know, look, how did a terrific job. But what happens with a lot of coaches. I mean there are exceptions in the rule. I think Bill self and I think Mike Shuzhevski. You know, you run out of familiarity, breeds can tempt you there a long time, You get a little stale. You need another journey. And so everybody, this is this is now Mark Pope's time, and cal cal was great for the University of Kentucky, brought them a lot of success, and we wish them certainly well at Arkansas. And then now it's time to move on and have a whole different brand.

Yeah, yep, you said it.

Uh, coach, do you have any message for the Kentucky fans that are listening right now? I don't know if you've had an opportunity to address them over the last few years here, but that we've got a lot of them listening right now, that that care about you, that.

Care about program.

Look, I love the Kentucky fans to me are very very special.

Uh.

They were and treated me my family with great reverence. I got nothing but great things to say about the Kentucky fan. I totally get it today. Why they were bitter at me of going to University of Louisville. I was going back because the reason I was going back is I loved Kentucky so much from my UK day and wanted to relive that love of love of the sport. But right now they have a fabulous program with all sports, and I think that I think that's going to be a special special time for Mark Pope and the University Kentucky walkouts because I think he's good. I think the fans are going to fall in love with Mark because the thing about him, the Pope didn't matter. The name on the back never mattered to Mark. He could care less about individual glory, could care less about it if anybody mentioned that he played a great game. It's always about team. It's always about Kentucky and Jeff Shepherds and Ron Mercer's and Nash Burns and all those guys that I coach. It was always about Kentucky, Telfrey, Fellhouse, Farmer, all about them. And I used to always kid those guys in the locker room. They always give every time they put the jersey on. Telfree would tear up and I said, something wrong with you Johnny and not feeling well. He said, no, every time I put that uniform, Mom, I just came believe I'm putting it on. I said, we'll get over John. We got a big game man. Yeah, that's great.

Yeah, playing for the playing for the name in the front of the jersey is important, especially in today's college basketball. So, speaking of that, you have practicing about twenty minutes, How is your team looking this year? Because it looks like you guys added some really talented players. You were right on the cusp last year. It was your first year. How how do you feel like this team is going to shape and put and be put together when you guys start playing ball in November.

Well, we're much bigger with seven to one seven foot six ten six ' nine a backcourt. I never thought I'd coach another guard as fast as Peyton Siva, but I have a young man from Utah, Daveon Smith, who is faster as faster, if not faster than Peyton Siva. I have Kadari Richmond from Seaton Hall as a first team All Big East Basketball player, sime And Wiltshire who's a sophomore now who's also a terrific god. So the backcourt is really strong, the wings are very strong, and the centers, although they don't have great experience, a very big, big and talented and athletic. So I'm really bullish on this basketball team. We were supposed to play Kentucky but couldn't work it out, and I'm hoping that we can come to Lexington next year for our thirtieth reunion and Kentucky can go back to the Madison Square Garden the following year.

I that Yeah, Kentucky, quick duck and Patino. I love it. You step up to the plate, give give the people what they want. Coach.

Are we planning on wearing more suits this year? That's very important for us.

I wore all suits the whole season, just about with the exception of a white out where I wore a white jacket and jeans. Outside of that, I wore suits the whole year.

I like that.

It doesn't feel right when you look on the sidelines and you see coach Patino wearing like a polo shirt.

We want to see the suits every game. Coach.

I'm definitely gonna be in them, and you know what, I believe in it. It's something I've done all my life, So why not continue. Why change? There's certain things you have to change. You have to change the way you coach players today, the way you run your offenses, defenses, treat them off the court as well. But certain things should not change. And that's one of those.

Yeah, coach, in these spring and summer practices, what are you looking for this early on as you're putting a team together. What are you keen on in practice that's telling you, Okay, we could have a good team this year.

You know, I made a mistake last year. I did not have my team ready early in the year because I was just focused on player development, working on this skill development, and I didn't work on a lot of team things defensively, and we were not ready early. We were ready late, and it probably stopped us because the NCAA no longer cared about the last ten games of the season. They were treating the first ten equal to the last ten. So now I understand that I don't think the net means a whole lot. I think it's really quad one wins, quad two wins, making sure you don't lose like we did to Michigan, a quad three. You never expected Michigan to be a quad three game. But it was, so I'm gonna have the team more ready defensively going into September.

I love it, Coach. I have one last question. I missed you. I saw you were at Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes. I was there as well. Yep, how did you do? I hope you did better than me. I lost about twenty thousand dollars that weekend. Not great, not great. I was. I thought I had figured it out. I did. The one thing you can't do on a horse racing weekend is win the second race of the first day, because then you think you got it figured out, and then I don't think I want to race for like fifteen races in a row. But how did you do? And and what do you guys? Do you have some horses coming up?

I do. I'm racing tomorrow. I have a horse called Agalos to Great, who's the name of my agent in Greece, And Agalos the Great is running at Aqueduct getting ready. It's a prep race coming off of long vacation to get ready for a big steak at Finger Lakes. I was. I believe I was two for twenty two and getting destroyed. And I went back and tried to renegotiate my contract with Saint John's. But I did. I did get out on the last race when I was leaving, and if you could win the last race, you could cut your losses in half.

Yeah, that way? Was it the last last race or the second? I won the second to last race on Saturday. That was like a like a fourteen to one shot, and I was like, oh man, maybe I did figure this was it.

Yeah, this was a it was a long yeah, I think it was the same ars.

Yeah, it was on the turn he came out of.

Note. Yes, yeah, yes, it was, Yes, it was. That's right.

Yeah. You need to when you have a bad weekend and at the tracks, you need to just turn to our our good friend Mike Ropoli and be like, come on, let's go.

I got. I told my wife I'm never I'm never going to the track again, and she said I've heard that now eleven hundred times.

Right, horse racing for the rest of the week. That's what I do. And then I wait for them. So you said, Aglos, there he's racing at Aqueduct tomorrow. What race is he in? Because I'm gonna I might sprinkle a few Nichols on him.

You know, I don't know. I think it's the fifth race. I'm actually traveling to Tampa for unfortunately for a funeral, and I won't see it, but I know it's I think it's the fifth race. My other friend Chris marra hoo holds, his family owns the Giants. He has a horse in the race, and we're betting dinner to see which horse finishes out of who.

I like that. I like coach.

I'm actually I'm taking a trip to Greece next week and I was hoping that you could you could maybe teach me something to say, a good phrase to say, or any tips about.

When are you going to be When will you be there.

I'm going to be there Saturday through I believe Saturday full week.

I'm going July the sixth to see them try and qualify for the Olympics. I try to help the federation a little bit there. And you're going to Athens.

I'm going to be traveling around a bit. Yeah, Athens, then checking out some of the beaches too.

Great, So I'll be you say, you have to understand the greetings they always say, Kelly Matta for a good morning, Kelly Spata for for afternoon, Kala Nita, this good night, and you always just by just just saying yes us, that's hello, goodbye, Paula, Hello, you're welcome. Hello. Uh polsise, Uh that you got about seven eight expressions and of course the firm expression that you have to use if somebody cuts you off. Malacca.

Okay, okay, malay. I love it. Well, coach, I know you got practice coming up. I want to thank you so much for calling in.

Uh.

We're excited about Mark Pope, excited about Saint John's this year. Thanks so much, and have a great practice.

All right, guys, tell Mark I love them.

Okay, thanks so much. That was coach Rick Patino calling in. Kentucky sports radio history has been made full endorsement Hatchet buried, hatchet beary. Well, no, I wouldn't say so, you know, thanks for us on this day. Yeah, Rick Patino is always welcome on this day. Yes, but uh, thank you to coach Patino. I told everyone they got to they got to stay tuned in. For all the people who uh usually say they turn it off after two minutes, I think we deliver. You can tell this guy loves Kentucky. Yes, he really cares about the state of yes.

And he kind of it sounds like he kind of feels bad about going to Louisville.

Yeah, he's like, I get it.

Well, maybe not, he doesn't feel bad, but he understands the hate that he got from Yeah, Louisville.

Yeah, and so you know, you know, it's good to see that. You know, everything's being minted and he's clearly rooting for Mark Popez. Are we all right? We're gonna take a break. When we come back, we'll finish up hour one. We also want to hear from you, Kentucky sports fans. Eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. That's a Clark Pumping Shop phone number. We're gonna take a break, quick break. We'll be back right after this.

Hello, Kentucky, we're back. It's the part of my takeover. We want to hear from the people of Kentucky.

So give us a call. Eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. We made history today, pft. I feel good about it.

I'm looking at Twitter right now and it looks like that that might have made some news there Applecross, Kentucky.

You're talking about it. Shout out to.

The guy that's listening to us right now with his cell phone on his clip on his belt, like your new quarterback has right, that's the new style. He's stocking shelves in a grocery store. So if you listen to us right now, uh we we certainly appreciate.

Yeah, he's there. The someone tweet is a video guy just in the grocery store. No headphones on. Just listen to the show. That guy rocks. But yeah, that that was That was very cool. I don't think that we ever thought that Rick Patino would call HIMO Kentucky Sports Radio. All it took was Matt Jones going to North Korea. That's it. That's it. So and then you know magic can happen. He loves you guys. Yeah, that much is very clear.

Have you seen, by the way, the picture of Brock vandergriff the quarterback for Kentucky. No, let me so this is this, This is the pick right here, that's the quarterback.

Dude. That he might be a hoss, he is a certified This is a big hoss.

And he's got the cell phone clip on his belt. That's quite a move for a high school kid. He me, yeah, he is a fifty year old high school kid.

I love it. Yeah, I wouldn't. He looks he looks like if you went and tried to date his daughter, there'd be there'd be some hard questions.

Oh, he's got some shirts that he takes, some prom pictures of him holding like an over under shotgun, and he's just he's intimidating the hell out of his daughter's date.

Yeah. Yeah, So you're in good hands with Kentucky football, which got an an IL check from Rick Patino. We found out there we go poops. Yeah, the marks, the poops or the mark poops are here to stay. H Okay. So we got a great second hour. We do want to take more calls in the second hour. You call into the Clark's Pumping Shop. Uh, phone number eight five nine two eight zero two two eight seven. I also want to say the guy who tweeted us, uh, let me see what was his actual who The guy who was in the grocery store that's a Kentucky branded tweeted the day that's for Sean with mer uh he wins. Kentucky Branded tweeted the day We'll back right after this hour two. Pardon my takeover Kentucky Sports Radio

In 1 playlist(s)

  1. KSR

    590 clip(s)

KSR

Matt Jones and the KSR crew bring you the latest in UK news and views Mon.-Fri. from 10 to noon.
Social links
Follow podcast
Recent clips
Browse 590 clip(s)