Matt and Billy recap the Cats' 85-65 loss vs Ohio State at MSG.
Welcome everyone. This is the Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Kentucky gets absolutely destroyed in Madison Square Garden eighty five sixty five. It was a pretty brutal performance by the Cats, and I don't know not one that it's certainly the first dud of the Pope era. If I'm nine to two to eight zero, twenty two eighty seven will be taking your calls through the next hour or so. So, I mean, there's it's hard to approach a game like this because it was a complete meltdown. I mean, Kentucky was really really bad, both offensively and defensively. I There's a lot of different ways you can go with this, but I'm gonna let's take a little big picture here at the beginning. You know, when when this team was was built and sort of Pope created it. I said, at the time it was built, I thought we were one one player short from being really good. And you know, at times this year it's felt like maybe O Way could be that guy and that they could they could go and he still may. I mean, it's it's hard to tell, but it was. Honestly, when I looked at the roster, it was games kind of like this that that I was worried about, because while I don't think Ohio State is necessarily good, they are athletic, they are physical, and there is clearly a brute blueprint on how to play Kentucky now really starting with Billy's Western Kentucky team, all the way through Gonzaga and U and Clemson and now Louisville. In this game, even Colgate that there has been kind of a that the way to play this team is get physical with them, make them beat you off the dribble, and then let them see if they can finish at the room. And we've had halves where we've been successful. Second half against Gonzaga, scored ninety three against Louisville. I think in general they scored pretty well, but we haven't. It has definitely caused us problems, and today was the worst. They shot twenty eight percent from the field, nineteen percent from three, and you saw, I think, for the first time this year, this team looked like a team of mid major guys playing against guys who were significantly better athletes. I was worried that we might look like that quite a bit this year. I don't think we have, but I do think that's what we look like tonight. And you know, when Pope was hired, I went back and watched some of his BYU games because I had seen them play a couple times. I watched when he beat Kansas at Kansas. At one point I think he was up like twenty in that game. And then I watched a game where they played on the road to maybe Baylor, where they lost by a twenty And I went back and watched those games and it was very And you may remember in the preseason me saying I think there are gonna be some times we demolished teams. I think there's gonna be a couple times where we beat teams that maybe are better than us, and that's happened with Duke and Gonzaga. But there are also gonna be times if you look at Pope's record where they just lay an egg, and if you go back and look at Pope's time at BYU and even at Utah Valley State, sometimes they just would lay an egg, and tonight was one of those eggs. I think this is gonna be an issue going into SEC play. They're gonna be a lot of teams we play, maybe most teams we play that are more athletic than us, and that physical athletic style just really seems to give this team trouble offensively. Now, in the defensive end, that was a total demolition. I mean, Ohio State kind of got whatever shot they wanted and we just couldn't. I mean, they would switch ball screens, make sure they got Brea Robinson or carr on whoever they wanted to have the ball, and it was layups. I mean layups. The defensive drop from Butler away and to some extent Williams. Although even Williams is a step slow to those other guys, it's pretty significant. And if they get them isolated at the top or off a screen, they just get taken. And Mark's gonna have to adjust to that. I don't know if this team. You know, at Gonzaga they played a little zone. I kind of thought we might see that at some point, but then we didn't. So just both sides are collapse, you know, and there's I think you can right. Look, I thought I said before the season started, if they went eleven and two in the non conference, that would be great. Well that's probably gonna go, so you gotta be happy about that. And They've beaten the two harder teams and lost to the two worst teams. But I'm a little concerned about you know, they haven't shot threes. Well, you know, in a little it's like six or seven games in a row they haven't shot threes. Well. You know, Pope talked a lot about in the postgame of them trying to do what they're not good at, and I think what he's getting at is they were trying to basically beat beat their guys off the dribble, and that's not the strength of the team. And he's completely right about that. I don't know that any of our guys except maybe Butler, are really good going off the dribble, but I do you know, against against Gonzaga, they beat they beat them back door. That was part of what made them. They've just made great cuts to the basket. But Ohio State had clearly scouted that and they were not allowing that to happen. And we just really struggled finding a way to score. And it's just something to watch going forward. You know, this Florida team that we play, it's gonna be two weeks from today, it's gonna be a great test. You're at home. In this SEC, Kentucky's gonna have to hold Servant home. They're gonna lose a bunch of road games, so they're gonna have to hold Servant home. It's eleven am. It's a Florida team that plays physical, right, we got two weeks to get ready for that, because I think that is gonna be a real like sort of symbol of what SEC play is gonna be. Like. This Ohio State team isn't good, although with Bradshaw and the way the Thornton guy played, they're better than their forty point loss to Auburn would show. They are athletic and they are physical, and that just seems to really give this group difficulty. So I'm not giving up on the season, you know, I'm not giving up on certainly not giving up on Pope. I mean, this year has already been significantly more successful than I even thought it would be. But as far as this team and what they can do this year, it is a little concerning to see five or six games in a row where a certain style of defense has clearly worked against us, where it's likely the case we're going to see this all year, and we're in a conference that has a lot of teams built to play exactly as Ohio State played. The question is just gonna be a we're gonna be able to rise to that task. You know, Pope said he thought this would be the sort of lynch pin or turning point of the season. You know, I think I agree with him. He is obviously hoping and I'm hoping and I'm even expecting that it will be a turning point for the positive that they sort of realized, Look, this is what we're going to see. We've got to find a way to scheme around it. We can't break down, try to go one on one, you know, to use a term where you used to. We can't play like Cow's teams did. We don't have the dudes to do that. Our guys aren't good enough to play like that. But the question is can we come up with a system to counter it, because at least as of today, we didn't. We didn't have that EF. I'm nine twenty two eighty seven. Will take your calls, you know, I try to find something positive. Say shout out to otego Away who went Billy thirteen for thirteen from the free throw line. That's pretty good.
That is pretty good.
But yeah, that all you got that? Well, I mean, I don't know what else you do. We didn't We didn't have one guy on the team shoot fifty percent from the fee, not one in Ohio State shop fifty eight as a team. So and Aaron Bradshaw, a former player here, had his best game, maybe of his career. I'm not sure he's I mean, I don't know. Maybe he had one game at Kentucky last year that was that good. I can't remember one, and of course he played excellent. Joel Justice sitting over there on the sidelines, what is that was that him?
Oh?
I didn't see there.
Was a guy that looked like I know Joel was at n C State last year, but I think look up and see if that was him, if he If it wasn't him, his twin was sitting there on the sideline. I hadn't followed where he was.
I associated a coach at Ohio State.
I thought that was him. I thought that was him sitting there on the sideline. Yeah. So, you know, a couple of guys with UK ties got the last laugh and kind of what's what's disappointing is you know our fans took this game Seriously, we had a lot of Big Blue Nation in the crowd. You know, Ohio State there might have had they might have seven fans there because they were all caring about this football game. And yet they still they still ended up winning eight five nine, twenty two eighty seven. Tennessee, after an absolutely horrible start at Ohio State, has just made it twenty one to ten going into half. Uh. You know, if they cover seven and a half, Milly, this will be one of my better gambling days in history. So oddly, I'm kind of I want Tennessee to lose, but I need to get them within seven. We'll see what you think. Rest of the playoff game has kind of been a dud, but the Cats also threw up a dud. We'll take a break and be right back. It's a Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Welcome back. It is a Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Two things before we go to the break. First of all, I'm gonna read you a quote that Mark Pope said on the postgame show. If you unofficial one, a lot of you all listening on podcasts may have not heard that, so let me read this. He said, we're gonna this way, he said to Tom Leach. We're gonna lose a lot of sleep over this. It's hard to go into a break with a loss like this. We've got to find a way to do better when we are under duress like this three like this is this is gonna be one of the lynch pin moments in the season that's going to change us for the better. So you know, that's that's definitely different than We're fine. We're built from March. But you know, we'll see what ends up happening. Secondly, somebody sent me a picture Billy the college game day bus and crew, not not the Herb Street people, but like the people who literally drive it around right they are that they are in Corbin right now. They they showed me the bus is parked at like a a Well. I don't want to say where it's parked because I don't want people to all like show up there, but it's parked in Corbin right now.
Wow, what a place to visit on your way.
Well, probably I'm sitting there thinking what they're gonna do? So where's the best game next week? The best game next week will probably be whoever wins Ohio state Tennessee versus what Oregon maybe in the Sugar Bowl or whatever it is that's.
In New Orleans, matter Georgia Notre Dame or.
Georgia Notre Dame in Atlanta. So they probably left Columbus and the easiest way to get there right is to probably drive through Corbett right down through Tennessee, would you think. Yeah? And they might be based in Charlotte. That may be another thing. They might be based in Charlotte, and so because ESPN has a lot of production stuff in Charlotte and they're driving back to Charlotte. But either way, if you drive around Corbin tonight, you might get to see the Game Day boss. Isn't that exciting? Yeah?
Only if I could see the guys, you know, the equipment managers.
You don't think seeing the truck would be exciting.
No, I'd like to yell at the bear, you know, or something like that.
He doesn't work for He hasn't worked for Game Day in like two years? What? Yeah, he's I think he's been on Fox for at.
Least Well, that's news to me as some of that watches Game Day every Saturday.
Clearly don't watch it much. Who's up first? Casey, Casey, go ahead, Casey.
What's going on? Boys sitting here watching the games? And not how you doing?
But fellas doing good? What's going on?
Not too much? Soaked in this L didn't feel good about it, just on the internet taken in about tonight went so good from the nation to not.
Yeah.
I had somebody write me during the break and say, what do you think about the fans on the internet? This is just my take on internet comments after the game. I've watched this for since Twitter started. I think they're getting worse by the day. And I think that's as the board. By the way, I don't think it's just Kentucky fans. I think it's fans in general. I think the toxicity of especially Twitter, but even Facebook, that has been part of politics, is now coming to sports in such a crazy way that like it's just who can be the most outrageous? And I looked at it for a minute and then I was like, man, why am I look at that? No, there's no reason to look at that, So whatever is the reaction. I was in a bar full of Kentucky fans and kas Paraday and people were disappointed, but they were not like Cussinger and they were just like, well, I hope we get better. So I don't think that's representative of those fans.
Oh yeah, exactly. I mean like last week we was the straight Cats, and this week we were two games to the to the negative, I guess, so to speak. And now the world's ending, Like what do you mean we're straight cats? Now we're only two l's and now now we can't do anything. What do you want us to do?
Yeah? I mean there's some concerning stuff from tonight, but you know, let's say we had beaten Ohio. Let's say we had beaten Ohio State, beat Clemson, lost to Gonzaga, lost a duke, Like that's what we thought was gonna happen. Well, now the opposite happened, right, but we ended up kind of with exactly the record we hoped.
But what Twitter had rather the other happened, they would they have been happy.
I just don't. I think you have to remember it's still a relatively small set of people that's on on social media and it is not representative. Yeah.
Fact, well, me and my boy Darren, we just wanted to give you a shout out. Glad you're doing what you do. Keep being happy, do your thing, love y'all.
Boy appreciate it, Thank you very much. Yeah, I will say, though, Billy, I'm not sure that me watching the games like a case bar, I don't feel like I have a very good record.
With that is are they losing when you watched the game at the bar?
They got destroyed today And I watched the whole game against Duke. I was there the first half, got nervous, went home, and then we came back and won Missouri last year. Remember we all got there and watched it to try to turn the vibes around, and that was bad. We lost by about fifty. If so, I don't feel like I have the best record there. I think the bar maybe does better without me watching there.
The owner of a sports bar not watching the games at his sports bar, that's well.
I mean, I think it's like it's like when uh, it's like when the teachers. If the teacher's there, the kids won't speak freely. Maybe that's the problem.
Okay, they're playing tense because you're at the bar watching them.
I think they know I'm at the bar, and it makes him play tennis. Yes, who's next?
Bill?
Bill? Go ahead? Bill? Hey, Matt, how you doing good.
Yeah, the that was I mean, as poorly as we played, I cannot believe how many layups we missed.
We missed a lot.
I mean that alone, that alone could have made a difference.
I think when Robinson missed too. Robinson missed too where there was no one near, like he literally just the ball slipped out his hands twice.
You know, It's just it's you know, it's one of those things. I mean. The really bad thing about it is I grew up in Lovelow, Kentucky, but I moved to Columbus thirty years ago. So I get to hear this about this tomorrow at church. So I'm thinking about State.
Do you think they're gonna care though? You think they're gonna talk about this tomorrow? Their football?
They know, they know, they know I love my Wildcats. They tell me last week, you know, take it easy, honest, take it ease because of what I happened with Auburn, you know. And I'll tell you one thing if if I mean, I saw what Auburn did to Purdue today, and Purdue is not a bad team, and they beat him by I think over twenty.
So I mean, you know what's odd though, is I think we're actually good. They're great. I think Auburn's the best team in the country. But I actually think we're going to match up better with Auburn than some of these other teams because Auburn still wants to their physical but they're going to play faster. I mean, Ohio State they scored, but their tempo, I mean they slowed it down, and we were never really able to get in a rhythm.
We can get into a flow. We couldn't a rhythm. I mean, it was you know, and it's just you know, I mean it's frustrating, but like you said, it's one game. If you would have said, going in getting ready to go in nasty Sea play, if we'd be eleven and two, which is where we should be, we probably thought we would have you know, won maybe one of the one of either Duke or Gonzaga and then either clemsoner Ohio State, and so, you know, it's just it's just, I don't know, it just makes you and you can hear it in Mark's voice in the press conference or in the postgame show with with Tom just I mean he just sounded like he was, you know, totally lost almost I mean it was it's surprising.
It's surprising, I mean, and I appreciate the call. I mean, they cut it to six in the second half. They'd gotten down fifteen and they cut it to six, and that was their moment, right, like, that was their moment if they were gonna have a shot to win. That was their moment to either, you know, just keep it around six and then make a run. And then Ohio State called a time out, great time out by their coach and scored eight straight points and then it was basically over at that point. By the way, Billy I was going crazy in the bar when I saw they screwed up the score.
The three pointer that they didn't call or are you talking about it?
No, they had a free throw that we made that they gave to Ohio State. So it was we were supposed to be down ten or we were supposed to be down eight or something, and they had us go down ten and then they came and hit a three, and like the score was wrong on the screen for multiple minutes, and it was driving me crazy because I wanted to tell someone, but there was no one for me to tell, and I was looking around at everybody at the bar, going their score is wrong, and they were looking at me like you would have drunk lunatic like on the street, going the score is wrong, and I said, I know it's wrong. I know it is wrong, and then like five minutes later they changed it and it was wrong. Yeah.
That's probably the worst part of being the only one.
I feel like I was the only one that noticed, Like it stayed on the screen forever. Everyone watching the game seemed to think that was the score, and I'm like, I know this score is wrong, and then finally they did finally change it, which made me feel better. Who's next?
Michael's next?
Michael, Go ahead, Michael, Hey man, I want to start out by saying, Marry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you at KSR, and appreciate everything you do. Thank you mane.
Tonight tonight actually reminded me of the Patino days where we're gonna live and die by the three. But also I think tonight we actually missed kerk. Tonight was the one night that I think HERR could have made a difference.
Yeah, I mean, you may be right, you know, I we do live and die by the three, but I don't think we lost this game because we didn't shoot three well. I mean a lot of our threes were not good. Like they were contested, you know what I mean. Like it wasn't like we got a ton of open looks and just missed. We missed a handful, but I don't think we got a lot of good shots, to be honest with you, and and we we were not good. And let's be real, we haven't shot over thirty percent from three in six games, you know, so that worries me a little bit, I'll be honest. Yeah, I appreciate the call. I mean, I you know, this team looks so good from three early on, just just you know, making it left and right, and they're just not there and they're not even getting off. I mean, we took twenty two threes. That's you know, that's not a ton for the style we play, I don't know, shooting the ball well, which is weird because they've got good shooters. But I also believe there's a huge drop when we go to our bench, just a huge oh yeah yeah. And I think the you know, all coaches do this, but we got to really reconsider the put the whole second string in six minutes into the game. That has now cost us in multiple games this year. I don't think this team's good enough to just take all the starters out and go and put in four reserve guys at once. They just I mean we went from up I think we're up four to down five in like two minutes.
Well, like Chandler and Perry, they just they don't see him ready.
Well, but I mean all Minor wasn't good. I don't think Garrison played well at all. And Braya is good as a complimentary piece, but when he's the centerpiece of the offense. I mean that that lineup they went, it was it was Perry, Oway, Braya, Garrison, and Almanor that that that lineup, it was like a nine to oh run immediately. I mean, you basically took your three best players off the court. I just don't think you can do that with this team. You can't take Carr, Robinson and Butler. I don't think they should ever be off the court at the same time, all three of them, and and and and you know, if you look at the numbers, our four best players for plus minus are Butler, Carr, Amari Williams, and Robinson, and all four of them were on the bench at the same time, and they went on a nine to ozer run.
Yeah, I was surprised by Butler tonight. I mean he did get in some foul trouble, but I mean he had thirty three in the previous.
Game and his guy. But but really they would switch that they did a good job of They would get Butler's that Thornton, they would get him off of him. They would they would do a ball screen and all of a sudden somebody else would be guarding him and it was it was over. Just nothing worked. Matt, Matt, what's up, Matt, hey man, how are you doing doing good?
I think the big thing when we talk about like this team just doesn't have a go to bucket getter, I think we initially thought that that was gonna mean like more in crunch time, like game tighter down one, who's gonna go get a bucket to go win the game. I think where it shows up mostly is like when we just go on these long, like cold spouts where we just can't get a bucket because running the zoom action is so hard, like Mark Pope's offense is so hard and exhausting. If we're just missing shots and getting beat on defense, I think our team just gets tired at times. It's so hard to continuously run the zoom action, run through screens, set screens, and I think our team gets tired and they get a little selfish, and that's when we get a little shot chuck in at the end, which is why they really start a huge scoring ground.
Today, I don't think I think that's pretty good analysis. Honestly, I think we really struggle. I appreciate the call. We really struggle to get our own shot when we need a basket. You know, if you think about the col years, the difference between the really good teams and the teams that weren't as good is if they had a guy who could go get his own shot in key moments, and when we didn't have that, those were the teams that lost in the first round or the second round. When we did have that, we were tough to beat. We just don't have that right here. And you know, he runs such a crisp offense that most of the time it's okay, But tonight we had we didn't have a guy to do it, and we had a lot of guys who were trying to do it and it wasn't working. Who's next, Gary, go ahead. Gary.
Hey, Matt, thanks for letting me in. I appreciate it. I hear I hear other callers, I hear you calling in, and I just feel like I got a different take on this game. We definitely played bad, but.
I feel like that that they played like an NBA team that was in the playoffs, and we played like a regular NBA team that's playing any regular NBA game.
What do you mean we didn't have that take.
They were up on us on every exchange, on every pick. I mean they were up. Honest, they were physical, they were putting hands on us. Referees were letting them do it, which is fine, but they were all upon us and we couldn't get an inch. And I feel like on defense we weren't doing that to them. And I feel like it was night and day.
Well, but I mean that's how everybody's going to play us. I mean, you know, I think I think you're I would disagree that they weren't like if you're suggesting it was like an effort thing, but I do agree with them, Yeah, I would disagree. I think we were giving effort. I just think we have got to find a way to score when they are when play teams that are extending out past the three point line. We scored in the second half against Gonzaga a lot using cuts. We scored against Louisville. We scored against Louisville in part because our guys were as good, if not better than the Louisville guys. But in this game, we could not get free. And I worry about that because these other because these other, these teams in the SEC are gonna be like that, even the bad teams in the SEC are gonna be really athletic, And I just I worry a little bit that this team has the looks of like a really really really good like you know how, sometimes in the NCAA tournament, a team like Creighton will make it and they might be top ten and then they play like Mississippi State, and Mississippi State just beats them because there's so much more athletic than they are. I kind of worry about that with this team. I'm not sure we have the kind of SEC level athletes, So we're gonna have to out scheme these guys, and tonight it just didn't happen.
So you feel like it's an athleticism I do.
I think this is the least athletic Kentucky team in a long time. I mean, now, that doesn't mean that they're not good. I think they're better than like the last four Kentucky teams, probably, but they are probably the least athletic Kentucky team. I'm trying to think, what was the least athletic Cow team? Was it? Maybe the Oscar one with Severe and all those guys. That's probably the least athletic team. But you had a dude like Oscar, you could just go get a bass. We just don't have that, dude. And I think it's stretched. I don't think we're athletic, and I think when we play these teams that are super athletic, we're just struggling right now.
I sure do love Hope and I love this team, I really do.
But tonight was was disappointing. I because the whole.
Time, I'm like, all right, we've done this against Gonzaga, We've done this against other teams, but we're gonna in the you know, the second half, we're gonna you know, we're gonna switch it up.
We're gonna change something.
And I just felt like, and I don't feel like Pope did anything wrong.
I just feel like that the intensity didn't change.
They kept getting shots and they were hitting some great shots. But they played us like a top ten team. So I feel like, either we're not a top ten team or they are.
Does that make sense?
Yeah, well, I appreciate car. I think that it's in the it's somewhere in the middle. I don't think we're not, Like, I don't know what we are yet. Ask me after the Florida game. I want to see how we do against I think the Florida game is a big test. I mean, if you're good, you got to win that game at home. And let's see how we do though, because they they will be athletically a tough match for us. Do you agree with me like that this is the least athletic Kentucky team in a long time. Yeah.
I was thinking about the Oscar teams as well. Jacob Toppin was he around for that.
But he was a he was a great athlete. Yeah. I mean, like, just think about how many dudes we have that don't go up and dunk. I mean, like, like like even guys like Jackson Robinson who does dunk sometimes, and and bray and like they'll talk, but like they don't get high above the rent, Like do we have anybody that you think is like a high flyer?
No, no, not really.
And now and and on defense, Lamont Butler is an elite defender and always a pretty good defender. The other guys get beat athletically, so we're just not very athletic, but we're very skilled and we're very smart. So it's it's literally the mirror opposite of a giant camp very teem. No I mean it. I mean Cal had these elite athletes who when he could bring them together and they were had high basketball like you, because they could be really good, but they weren't. There was a lot of scheming going on. Well this is a lot of scheming, really really skilled, really smart. But I just don't think they're very athletic. Whereas I think hope in future years will have good athletes, but this group is just not great athletes. If I'm nine two eight oh twenty two eighty seven, let's take a break. We'll be right back to the local toy Dealers KSR post games walk back. It is a local twenty dealers KSR post game show. If I'm nine two eight oh twenty two eighty seven. Text Machine seven to seven two seven seven four five two five four one person rights, Matt, do you think you cannot watch the games because you don't have a shower to get into a ksbar?
Uh?
Yeah, I mean I Well, the thing was all my friends are there. It was like our Christmas party, so I talked to them a lot of the game. Apparently I did miss We did play one three one a couple of plays. I must have missed that because I was hanging out with my friends. But if I had not, if they had not been there, Billy, there's no way I could have stayed when we were losing, I would have gotten up and left.
Well, I'm glad you stay, friends, but I can't.
I cannot watch a game in public when we are losing. I just can't. On television if I met the game for some reason, that doesn't bother me. But on TV in public, if we're losing, I can't watch it. And that's ridiculous because I'm a grown man, and should I shouldn't. It should not affect me like it does that. It is just ridiculous. It's ridiculous that I let this stuff affect me like it does, but I know I'm not the only one listening that is that is like that when person rights Matt, Do you think it was the Wilson basketball that caused the problem? You know, college basketball should have one ball, but they don't. The Wilson ball, We've talked about this before, is very slick, right, Like, it's a very slick basketball. It's very different than the ball they use that Kentucky uses during the SEC. They don't use it anywhere really except in the in the in postseason play because that's in I guess it's the n c a A basketball, which is in c a A sanctioned for the tournaments. But then in the regular season, the home team gets to pick the game the ball, So the ball does matter. Now. With that said, Pope talked after the Champions Classic. I believe it had a unique ball. It was like a front was it a Franklin ball or something Billy that they used in that one something some something they don't use in anything else. And Pope said they practiced with it to get ready, so presumably they did that with this Wilson ball too. So I know I can't It's a long way of saying I cannot blame the basketball. What's next?
James is next?
James?
Go ahead, Hey man, thanks for making that came. Don't ever feel bad. Don't ever feel bad to go in homes during a game because I almost got kick out of the bar six months ago in the first half. I went home watched the rest of it. I feel like we should have went zone way earlier.
Yeah, and we shouldn't.
Do one three one. At that point there was thirty fil goals made by Ohio State. Four was from three points. If that's not if that's not a recipe for two threes on, I don't know what it.
Yeah, I kind of agree, first of all, clearly, I didn't even realize they played, though, because I in the second half was kind of hanging out and talk a lot with my friends. But in the but you're right about we went one three to one in part against Gonzaga because we couldn't stop their driving kick. That really wasn't the issue. This might have been a two to three, It might have been like a two three zone kind of game.
Have they made so many six to eight foot jumpers? I think they still, I think they're right now. I don't know.
They didn't make a bunch of those, but it was usually after having beaten our guy off the dribble and then just that kind of shot that you know, Ramel Bradley was really good at and read last year was good at. Yeah, that little shot is is what killed them.
But don't ever get upset to.
Going on with it.
Was it was awful.
Well, I appreciate the call. It was a shame because the atmosphere was great at the bar. I mean it was full, like but not just full people standing and it was excited, and they just they could never get it could never get really rhythm going or noise in there, probably like what it was like at Madison Square.
Guard.
Who's next?
Brian?
Brian, go ahead, Brian, Hey, Matt Aarons, this is this is my fifth call.
I don't know anyway. The thing of it is is like, you know, I'm excited for this team. This is the greatest team I've had since I've had season takes, and I've been a season taking older since twenty nineteen, and I.
Think of it is like.
I've I've not been.
This might be the most upsetting game that I've had in terms of my expectations for the teams, because I've had Caliperi's expectations going forward, and then I kind of knew what they were. You know, you kind of knew what you're gonna get. And this one here, maybe I've build it up a little bit more, but this one kind of slammed me down. And that being said, I'm still excited for what the future is going to be because I think I feel like pocus scheming. Maybe we didn't do good in this game, but I think he's trying to teach a lesson lesson. I didn't believe that this team was going to be thirty eight and one or thirty seven and one. They're gonna drop a couple games, and I feel like this is a part of this scheme.
Well, I mean, I don't think by twenty in New York is a part of Pope's scheme or playing. I mean, I think they just got beam. But I also agree that there that they can still be good, really good. I mean, I you know, I picked Kentucky this week to go twelve and six in the SEC. I still probably would say the same thing when I said it. It's funny how people's emotions change When I said it two days ago. I had a ton of people say, why are you so pessimistic? But bah and now I bet I had people go, We're not gonna win eight games. I mean, people overreact so much. I still think twelve and six is a good is probably a good number. But I don't think they this was part of a grand plan. They just got their tails kidded tonight.
No, you're not wrong.
And I guess it's points like, as a fan, I expect them that there's going to be some losses. We're going to drop some losses. But as a fan, I have to be optimistic going forward. I feel that with this loss, Pope is going to do the best job he can do teaching these guys going forward.
Yeah, I agree, right.
And that's my thing is, like, you know, I have to be more optimistic than I was. And we knew what was going to happen with cal Perry, we knew how we were going to progress forward in the future. And with with Pope, maybe there's more some kind of uh just uh, you know, some kind of optimism that this there that wasn't with Calipariy because we knew what was going to happen.
It was fifteen years and.
Yeah, well I mean, look, I appreciate the call. I think we're going to be fine. I do want to see how they've got to find a way to score against these teams that play the defense at Ohio State play. I'm gonna be honest with you. I think defensively, we're not gonna get a whole lot better. Okay, I feel about I feel defensively about this team kind of like I felt about last year's team. Last year's team was a lot more athletic than this team, but they couldn't guard anybody and they never were able to guard anybody all year, and people didn't like that. I said all year, I don't think they're gonna get better defensively now that the reason they weren't good defensively is different reason than this. We didn't have rim protectors. We have rim protectors, but I'm not sure all of a sudden, our defenders are gonna be able to to guard, you know, slide their feet and stay one on one better. So I have a feeling we're gonna give up high seventies, low eighties pretty much every game. But we've got to find a way to score, because when we're scoring sixty five, we're not going to beat anybody, I mean, anybody scoring sixty five, because we're gonna be giving up sixty five or more almost every game in the SEC. Who's next, Zeke? What's up? Zeke? Hello? How are you? Zeke?
I'm doing well?
How about you good?
What's going on?
Well?
First off, I just want to say I am a kid, so you.
Know that's okay? What what? What? What? What? So what? I'm glad. I like what kids call it's billy that hates you.
Uh So, first off, I just want to say, uh about what's his name?
Who are you talking about?
Uh?
The guy from Direxels Williams Williams. Okay, there is one thing about him, like I feel like he's making some bad decisions. Like when we were down my nine. Instead of like passing it out or doing something, he just drove in and took a shot.
That was a bad shot. That was that was a big possession. It's interesting you bring up that possession. That was a big possession we'd cut. I appreciate the call. It's you're getting. I'm getting feedback. I'm sorry, Zeke. I can't keep you on there because there's something in your background there. Uh, that was a big possession though what Zeke's talking about. We'd cut it to six, they call cut time out, they come down, get an a and one cut it to nine. We really need a basket on the next possession, and he does one of his back to the you know, back back back hook shot, doesn't even hit the rim. Leads to a fast break and they scored. It's an eleven point game. And I remember thinking that's such a terrible shot in in the at scenario, I don't know what he's doing. And then the next time down he got the ball at the top of the key, and I thought he was gonna dribble down and shoot a layup. Instead, he dribbled down, got trapped through a pass and it ended up in a contested jumper. And you know, I know a big part of this offense is the idea that the center, you know, initiates a lot. But man, when it looks bad, it looks really bad. Who's next? Tim, Tim? Go ahead? Tim? Hey, Matt, Hey, what's up?
Yeah? So I was wondering if you had watched Auburn tonight.
He was on one of the televisions for at the Bar, and I would check the score, but I didn't really watch any of the game. I know they won by like thirty. Yeah, they're great.
Absolutely, they absolutely crushed Purdue. And my other point was if you had been told that you started like until you started eleven and two to start the season, would you have taken that?
Of course? Yeah. I mean I thought we were gonna lose three. I thought we were gonna lose three. I said two would be a huge success, So yes, I would certainly am taken it. Now the SEC is better than I thought it was gonna be. I thought it was gonna be really good, but it's even better than I thought. So whereas I thought we would lose five or six, I still think we're gonna lose six, but I think it becomes a lot harder, Like we're gonna have to be better to lose six than I thought. I mean, bottom line, we're halfway through the season, or at least you know, we're through the non conference except except for one game. We are better than I thought we would be when the season started, So I can't help but be happy about that. But are we as good as maybe people thought we were after they Gonzaga game? Maybe not? I agree that, Yeah, appreciate the call, but we are If if I were to go back to when the season started as to what I thought this team was gonna be, I think we're better than what I thought that we were gonna be. So I do consider that a success. And I also think we are better than the sum of our talent. I think part of why this game, I mean, this game was a bad loss, but part of why I'm not shocked is I don't think our individual players are that great. I think what they have become collectively is really impressive. Because I said, all ye, we don't have one pro on this team. So to be as good as we are without one pro, I think is pretty pretty impressive. We'll take a break. If I'm nine to two eighth, twenty two eighty seven or high state driving again on Tennessee, I have mixed emotions. I'd love to see Tennessee get destroyed Billy, but I need plus seven.
And a half, so that's a touchdown, so that's gonna be tough to get.
Oh did they just score a touchdown? The spoiler alert you're ahead of me. All right, Well, take a break. We'll be right back there. It is Local Toy Dealers KSR Postgame Show, final segment Local Toy Dealers KSR Postgame Show eight five nine two eight zero twenty two eighty seven One person rights Matt. Billy was on vacation all of last week. Do you think he uh was as soft as our basketball team was tonight? That's rude? What why would they say that? First of all, I don't know that our best well, our basketball team is a little soft tonight. Billy's not soft. He's taken vacation. How was your vacation, Billy? Where'd you go? It was great?
I went nowhere. I have not logged onto Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for six days.
I mean, you didn't go anywhere? No, so you did you didn't? You told me you didn't go online for six days at all? Still haven't, Okay? And then what did you do all day?
I did some Christmas shopping? I uh, you know, reconnected with my faith. You know it was. It was a very introspective week for me. Old Billy r Sports Really what do you mean?
What?
What do you mean? Like?
I read a book and like it was what did you read?
Well?
It was the one that I told you about unfade this. You know, Bob Rotella's golf is not a game of perfect Read that another time. And uh, you know, just watched a couple of Christmas movies relaxed, Well, good for you.
Are you like becoming like a hippie? No? No, but you know I start doing yoga? Or are you gonna?
I already do yoga?
So I beat you there, you already do yoga. Okay, you're gonna subscribe to Goop You're gonna do no?
No, not Goop.
No.
It was a good time, all right?
Well good, well you Uh, I can see this is like I don't know, meditating.
Uh, Billy, well rested, Billy, well good.
I'm glad. Well, now you get to pick up and we actually don't. I mean, Tucky only plays once from in the next two weeks, you know, you play New Year's Eve, but otherwise two weeks. And Pope said, this is a hard loss to take with two weeks, and and that's kind of true. It's tough to lose a game like this and then not get to play and play again for ten days. And uh and not until we play Brown next Tuesday. So who's up next?
Hunter?
Hunter, go ahead, Hunter, Hey, mat Hey, Billy, how you guys doing that?
Doing good.
Yeah, I just got a couple of points regarding the game. Barring a couple plays and then stretch when we cut the six os, you just kind of dominate us both offensively defensively.
You know, when we have a guy.
We got, we have a double team, and they're being able to beat that and get a jump shot. Like, there's just really nothing we could have done defensively, in my opinion, and this game really does. I'm not one of those people on Twitter it's like cancel the season, you know, I'm not that at all, but it does concern me because all the SEC teams are gonna look at this game and be like, this is how we beat them. And so we've got to learn to be able to over to counter these and be able to fight those teams because these teams are really we're going to struggle with.
I mean, I agree with you, I I we're gonna see this all year, right, We're gonna see this all year, and we're gonna have to find a way to counter it. And and we've seen it now a number of games in a row. I think when we're shooting well and some other things that we can but tonight, what worries me about tonight is that we just couldn't even get shots off, you know what I mean, Like, we didn't even get good shots, much less didn't make them. We didn't even get good shots. And that's that's a little worrisome to me going forward. But we'll see. Appreciate the call. Let's do four more. Who's next? Billy?
Drew is next?
Drew? What's up? Drew up? Matt sub Billy.
Frustrating, frustrating game tonight, but at least the team in Orange is getting smacked around on the grid iron.
Yeah, I do like that, although there's not much trash we can talk because when you lose like this, But I do like all that they show the Tennessee phase in the crowd. They sure do look cold, I mean, not that far south. But anyway, go ahead.
Before I get into it. I've been thrilled with the Mark Pope era so far, so I want to give major props to a guy who's basically created a team from scratching about two weeks. I definitely agree with you that I think we're I think we're way ahead of schedule where we are, and I don't think this night changes that at all. But a couple of things I just wanted to share. I feel like the dirty secret of kind of can Tucky Basketball's decline, if you will, since twenty eighteen nineteen hasn't really been an offensive problem. You know, it's easy to talk about offense, but we're still tenth in the country and offensive fishing efficiency according to Genpom. You know, I look around, you know, at everything, all the all the numbers and things like that. The reason for consistent inconsistency is shout out to Ryan Lemon, like, it's been defense. You know, I know that, you know that it's top twenty in offensive and defensive. Those are typically your best teams in the country, and we've only been top twenty in the in the country and since twenty eighteen, which was twenty eighteen nineteen, the last time we went to the Elite eight. This year we're sixty first. Last year we were one hundred something. It's been a real trend for us not to get stops over the years, and obviously very concerned going into what might be the best league ever this year being able to get stopped consistently.
To agree with you, I think defense is I think the common denominator of the last few years, I think you've hit it. You go look at the best coal teams. They were always good defensively. This we haven't been in a while. I don't think this team is gonna get a lot better defensively. I'm gonna be honest with you. I just don't think they have the players. Yeah, and so because of that, we're gonna have to be really really good offensively and then hope we get matchups in the tournament that are favorable, because I just don't say I mean, again, this is not I'm not trying to be disrespectful to any of these kids, but I don't think there's anything Kobe Brea Andrew Carr. I don't think there's anything they can do to get better defensively at this stage of their crews. I really don't. I mean, they're both They're who they are. Jackson Robinson I think can be a little better, but not a ton and so you got Butler, no way, They're pretty good. But the other dudes, they are what they are. And Williams is a rim protector, but he can't slide his feet, so when he gets put on a guard, he gets beat. So like I don't know how that's gonna get much better. So I think our best chance of success is where our offense is going to have to get really efficient.
Completely agree, And that that leads me into kind of the second point that I was going to bring up, and I guess said, I hope this guy. I hope he turns it around because this team needs him desperately, especially in conference play. But I'm I'm pretty close to being over Jackson Robinson. I mean, he's he's Justin Edwards with better pr through twelve games.
If we go look at I don't think that's fair. I don't think I mean, I don't think that's fair. I think he's a lot better player. I think he's he's being asked to do stuff that Like, you know, you're asking a guy who is very talented but was probably the third best player on his BYU team last year year, well maybe the second best player on his team, to ask him to be the best player on a top ten team. And that's an ask I thought he could get. Maybe he can't, but he can still be really good. But look, if you're asking just Jackson Robinson to put a team on his back and win, I'm not sure that's gonna happen. Although he played really dagon well against Gonzaga, right, so, like he's he's won US games before. But I think if you're wanting him to be a first or second team All American now, he's just not that good. If he was, he'd be in the NBA.
No, yeah, I completely agree, But would would you rather? I would almost rather go down swinging with Brea at no point, No way.
No way. He can't. He can't create his own shot. I mean, Robinson at least can get his own shot. He doesn't always go in, but he can get it. Breya can't get his own. Kobe Brea open is one of the best shooters I've ever seen, but he's he doesn't hit a lot of contested ones. He had a big one against Louisville. But generally whether or not it's in or not with Kobe Bray is a question whether or not he's open. He's open in it's contested less so so no, I mean, I think you'd be better off with with Butler or Away as your main. Like Kobe Bray is a six man for a reason, that's what he is, and he's a great six man, but he if he's the centerpiece of your offense. Then we're really going to struggle.
Yeah no, And I'm at more braa from from from more of a space and perspective to open up the lanes more for Oway Butler to be able to be.
I he's getting and I appreciate the call he is getting. Watch watch Bray on offense. The moment they get down the floor. His man is attached to his hip because they know he can't beat him off the dribble. So it's tough. Teams are keying in on here. Three, Who's next?
You know, Pope has praised Robinson for his defense a lot of games too.
He's been he was not good tonight, but he's been better than I thought he would be on defense. He wasn't good tonight though, And I'm not really sure why that is.
Brandon, go ahead, Brandon, Hey, Matt, first time, long time?
Who are what's up.
All right tonight?
You know?
I just I think like I was the one of that say. I'm from Hiltonhead Island, South Carolina, and uh, we have two bars here. It's Captain Woodies and the snack Bar. Big kucky fans come everywhere, And I'm like you when I go there and watch a game. It's pediful. We are down by eighteen or whatever else, and then I go home. We end up coming back going that's what happened to Gonzaga game. But I just want up with all these fans here. I just want to say that it's a one off. It was just a terrible game. Just a terrible game all the way across the board, and we'll rebound, we'll figure out away. It's not that, man. I think your points on the athleticism and stuff, that's probably a good point. Defensively, Bradshaw's got eleven points in the first half. Were not really good defensively. But when you shoot twenty three shooting sixty.
You're not gonna win. That's true. You're not gonna win a lot like that. I appreciate, appreciate the call. Yeah, you're not gonna win with that, with that shooting percents. Like I said, go back and look at Mark Pope's history. He puts he does about two of these a year, just complete done. And I don't know why that is, but you know, that's just been his history. He throws up a couple of these. I think it was either last year or the year before he lost by like eighteen at home to like Central Florida or something, and you go, what you were like a for scene the turf what But that's just what they do sometimes And I don't know why that is, but it does seem like that's something that happens. Two more, who's next, Bones, Bones, what's up? Bones?
What's going on?
Guys?
Uh So, I just wanted to say, like anybody's worried or concerned about what's going on with Buck prob like, just stop a thing. Ninety nine percent of us were guilty the second he got hired. Then he goes ten and one, lose the clus and doesn't really matter. And then even losing to Ohio States tonight about twenty is terrible, but at least it wasn't at home. And like you said, if he throws like these two duds a year now is probably the best time to do it. But I'm wanted to bet by the end of the year we're not going to be great defensively, but we're better than there are. And then on my last point, Billy, I'm glad you had a great vacation. In the book of Bone. You got to lose yourself to begin to find yourself. Love you guys. Thanks Ah, how.
Bone to you to your families listening. Don't google Book of Boone. It's gonna be something you are on a Google on a Saturday night. All Right, one more, Who's next? Jerry? Jerry finished strong.
Matt, I'll do that. I'm a first time caller, started listening to you. I met you in Bowling Green when you all were down there, and I mentioned to you that I was listening to you when you were an interviewing Patrick Patterson. Oh what an interview listened. I took an old radio out by a metal pole the only way I could get you, and I sat by that metal pole for an hour waiting you to get on your Oh yeah, I love you man. Listen to me, Well, listen, you helped me get through cancer, and as other people have said, you've helped me. I kind of referned my faith in ways and politics. You really taught me about that. I was kind of a one sided hater until I listened to your explanation. But I've tried to call you or three times.
Let me just say God bless you man, though. That's that's one of the nicer things anyone has said. To me, so thank you very much.
Well, I'm totally honest about that, and it really happened. I got to listening to you and to the other guys and thinking, wow, there's other views rather than mine, and they have good viewpoints. And as far as Mark tonight, I love the guys a coach. I've meant through a lot of coaches. I'm seventy eight years old now, and we might, I might think, if I'm not trying to be negative, but I think the trip to New York, he and his wife meeting there and all of that, going to Hamilton to play and everything might have kind of got into him too other than other things. Although as I was with the Tis, that could be wrong about that so well, I mean on that point.
On that point, Jerry, about being distracted, you know, I mean, I saw some people saying, Ay, they shouldn't have gone to Hamilton or whatever. I mean. At the same time, you can't just sit around six in your room, stare straight ahead and go what are we gonna do? But like, look, they may have just the experience may have been too much in this case. You know, a lot of these dudes, I don't think any of them ever played in Madison Square Garden except for except for Lamont Butler, who's played in the Final four, there's probably nobody who's even played in an environment like that, with the history of a place like that, So you know that might have had a small impact. And Jerry, I don't know what your health situation is now, but I'll be praying for you and thank you for your very kind.
Well. Thank you, and it's good to listen to the show. I listened to the morning show, all the shows that you do, you can do podcasts sometimes.
Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it. So with that, Kentucky goes down to Ohio State eighty five sixty five. Hopefully this is the least successful game we will have during the season, and we won't have one like this, but I will say we'll probably have at least one of these during conference play where we go, what in the world just happened. I think that's just the way it's gonna be when you have a team like this. But I also think we're gonna have some big wins as the year goes on as well. Thank you all very much. Billy, nice to have you back our schedule. Next week, we will do the show Monday from Chsbar. Then we are off Tuesday and Wednesday for Christmas. Be back Thursday at Chsbar and then in Glasgow on Friday at Don Franklin. We will see you guys later. If I don't talk to you on Monday. If you're not there, remember I host Trivia Monday, but also have a Merry Christmas. We'll see you guys later on. This has been the local Toyter Dealers KSR postgame show