March 19, 2025 • 17 mins
Welcome to episode thirteen of Behind Kentucky Basketball presented by UK Federal Credit Union! Travis Perry sits down with Michelle Knezovic to discuss his journey to Kentucky, his identity as a player, and how this years team chemistry has blossomed, and how he is preparing for his first NCAA Tournament game. Tune in as we dive into these topics and more on this episode of Behind Kentucky Basketball.
Presented by: UK Federal Credit Union
Presented by: UK Federal Credit Union
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So I'm going to take you back. I'm going to
take you back to Little Travis and know a lot
of inclination knows you because obviously you're a Kentucky born kid.
We talked a little bit about this before we started
the podcast. But the gym that you have next to
your house and you're able to walk right next door
and play basketball, tell me about how that came to be.
Was that mom's idea? Was that dad's idea? Is that
your idea of, hey, we need a basketball court right
(00:20):
next to the house. Was I gonna be able to
get shots up whenever I want?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It? Definitely wasn't mom's idea. It so we were My
dad got the job at Lion County whenever I was
in whenever I was in sixth grade, he got the
middle school job, and so we moved to Lion County
and we were going to build a house. But it
was like right before COVID whenever we started trying to build,
so it took forever to get off the waiting list
and get get to get around to get in a
(00:45):
house built. So in the meantime, we built a big
polebarm building that was supposed to be it was it
was supposed to store like our jet skis or four
wheelers or ranger or whatever stuff we had for where
we lived. It was supposed to be a storage play
for that, but three quarters of it turned into a
full size half court basketball gym with a big, regulation
(01:08):
sized goal and everything. So that was kind of the
first addition to our property that we put out there
where we're going to live. So that was that was
pretty neat, and since then it's just been like a
great tool for me, my teammates, whatever it is. You know,
I can get up in the morning and walk down
just a couple hundred steps, and I'm at the gym
late at night, i can go down there. So it's
it's something that is every basketball players a dream for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Welcome into another episode of Behind Kentucky Basketball, Travis Perry
joins me. Now, we are filming this the day after
the selection show, so kind of a busy time for you.
But first off, Travis, how are you doing this morning,
a fresh off the selection show?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah, I'm doing good. You know, get to experience my
first selection show, so that was a lot of fun
and I just excited to go, hopefully make some noise
and March.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Do you have any fun memories of like watching the
selection show growing up, obviously rooting for Kentucky or seeing
where they were going to be in the bracket.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, definitely. I always was tuned into it watching it
and was so ready for my dad to get home
from work that day, so he had all the brackets
so that I could fill out like thirty of them
and hope that I was gonna make it perfect. One
that year obviously never worked out, but that's one of
my best memories, just waiting for him to get home
and doing the brackets together.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I always hated that Thursday the tournament started because you
had school and then like you wanted to watch basketball.
Did you remember like having school and wanting to watch games?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah? During high school, I was always the kid that
had either my phone like on my friend's back, or
would just go sit in our locker room for hours
and just watch all the games. So I normally normally
found a way to watch the games for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, you guys got to be all together last night
for the selection show. Once you find out your matchup,
you guys are going to play true the Sun Belt Champions.
What is that process kind of like for you guys,
you know, fresh off the SEC tournament and then you're
going straight into NCAA play, but something that you haven't
experienced before.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, it's it's definitely uh, definitely something different. But you know,
I think our our staff and the support staff does
a great job of being prepared for whoever it is,
so we already have have the scout that we'll need
for it. Like right after it was it was announced,
coach mcel was going around telling us, telling U stuff
about their players, like they were definitely prepared for whoever
it was gonna be. So that's something that's that's really
(03:33):
neat and good about our staff. So I think it'll
just be be a good time of getting prepared for him.
I think that's the main thing. You know, we had
Ah had had a week at the SEC tournament, so
we we obviously had to prepare for all s C
SEC teams there and then just trying to move on
to the to the next test.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Is it weird to think that a year ago you
were playing in up against Trent Noah uh in high
school and now you guys are both about to head
to your first round.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, no, it definitely is. Whenever whenever I look back
and see that now is is about to be State
Tournament Tom, It's it's wild to think, uh, just how
different really my life is in a year. But it's
also a lot of fun. You know, those were some
of the best times I had in my life. And
now getting to make more memories, like last year we're
at the State tournament in the hotel all watching March Madness,
and then now I'm about to play in it, so
(04:16):
it's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And having Trent on your team now, I'm sure you
guys like that a lot better than playing against each.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Other, no doubt. Yeah, definitely definitely is a lot more
fun that way. Getting to play with him and just
kind of experience the same things, you know, growing up,
having the same same dreams and desires sort of, and
being able to lim out together. It's been a lot
of fun.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
As you head into this first tournament, I mean, we
talked about filling out brackets when you were younger, but like,
what is maybe your your expectation or what do you
think it'll feel like when you when you step onto
that court, or when you get to Milwaukee and just
see all the signage across the city and how much
a big blue nation is going to show up.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, I think it'll be uh, I think it'll be
really exciting. You know when we're talking about that, I
kind of think about like every year whenever we got
to go to uh the Sweet sixteen for a rup, Like,
it was just just so exciting to get to walk
out on the floor and you're not really prepared for
the emotions you're gonna have there, Like how how exciting,
how grateful you are going to be to be in
that moment. So I think that's kind of what it'll
(05:16):
feel like, just just grateful for the opportunity that we
have and we know that no matter how you shake it, like,
we're gonna have six games left together. So that's that's. Uh,
that's something that we really really take the heart and
want to want to make the most of.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I know the season's obviously not over, but regular season's over.
You've done the SEC Tournament and you know, this team's
faced a lot of adversity and that's really changed your
role on this team. You know what, what were maybe
some of those moments, like when when you got to
take on a bigger role, you got your first start
and rep arena and have been a key piece to
this team and winning with guys like lamont Out and
kerr Out and even Jackson Out.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, it's it's definitely definitely different than I expected, but
you know, it's it's still just just a lot of fun,
a lot of learning. Kind of just just being thrown
into the fire a little bit earlier than I expected
and just having to learn on the f lot And
that's been a lot of fun. And our staff and
especially my teammates have done a great job of just
just getting me prepared for those moments and having confidence
(06:15):
in me in those moments. I mean, it's there's time, Flin,
it's hard to have confidence out there. So I feel
like our our team has done a great job of
building everybody up, whether it's our our three freshmen. Like
as a freshman, you need a lot of confidence from
your teammates to go out there and perform well. And
I think we've got a great team that leans on
each other to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Having the three of you, you know, Colin, Trent and you.
Is it nice that you guys can kind of relate
because you all have your minutes have significantly increased with
the injuries. Like talking about that and kind of having
your group of freshmen.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, no doubt. We definitely have many conversations about that,
just about like what we're experiencing, the hardships, the fun
parts of it, Like it's it's fun to be able
to go out there and compete and compete with your guys.
There's also many hardships along the way. So having guys
to relate with, to be able to talk to that
are are going through the exact same things as you
is really really unique and something that I'm very grateful for.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
You talk about the tough season you guys played in
the SEC arguably the best basketball conference in the last
twenty years. I mean, fourteen teams made it in. When
you were watching the show last night and you saw,
right Texas get in, who was kind of on the bubblo,
Oklahoma got in, I mean, does that give you a
little bit of confidence of you know, you're playing in
(07:28):
the league night in and night out, and you're like,
with this SEC is tough, it's physical, it's a gauntlet
of a schedule, and then you see the committee views
it the exact same way with fourteen teams getting in.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, it definitely definitely gives us little bit of confidence
going into it, like every night as a pretty much
as a quad one game like those are those are
very tough games obviously, just being to compete against teams
like that when you look at their net rankings, like
every single game is a high net game, So that
definitely gives you confidence going into it. I think we're
battle tests. I think we're prepared as well everybody in
(07:59):
that year this year, So I think it'll be fun
to see how it plays out. In more to how
the SC teams. SEC teams will do.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, fourteen teams, I mean just a ton of teams
and san I do know that the NCAA they put
something out where you know, nobody could be matched up
in the first round, and even if you are matched
up in the round of thirty two, Sweet sixteen or
Elite eight, it'll depend on how many times that you
played them in the regular season. So I mean, you know,
you guys have already played Alabama three times. It's like
you see them in a tournament. But I guess there
(08:26):
is maybe a silver lining in knowing the teams. With
so many SEC teams, you guys know them in and out.
If you were to face one down the line.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Definitely. Yeah, there's definitely both sides of it, but yeah,
it'll be it'll be interesting to see the teams that
maybe you've seen multiple times or at least seen one
time in the tournament and just just kind of get
to match up with them again. I know, not looking
ahead too much, but if we got to the Sweet
sixteen Weld we could possibly play Tennessee there, that'd be
a pretty good matchup to have them for the third time.
(08:53):
But yeah, it's just pretty cool to see the bracket
and see how it could all shake out for the SEC.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
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(09:20):
by one of their seven local branches to open an
account today. Federally insured by MCUA. So I'm going to
take you back. I'm going to take you back to
Little Travis and know a lot of inclination knows you
because obviously you're a Kentucky born kid. We talked a
little bit about this before we started the podcast. But
the gym that you have next to your house and
(09:41):
you're able to walk right next door and play basketball,
tell me about how that came to be with that
Mom's idea was that dad's idea is at your idea of, hey,
we need a basketball court right next to the house,
Is I going to be able to get shots up whenever.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I want it? Definitely wasn't mom's idea it so we
were My dad got the job at Line Countye whenever
I was in whenever I was in sixth Gearde, he
got the middle school job, and so we moved to
Lion County and we were going to build a house.
But it was like right before COVID whenever we started
trying to build, So it took forever to get off
the waiting list and get get to get around to
(10:14):
get in a house built. Uh So in the meantime,
we built a big polebarm building that was supposed to
be it was it was supposed to store like our
jet skis or four wheelers or ranger or whatever stuff
we had for for where we lived. It was supposed
to be a storage place for that, but three quarters
of it turned into a full size half court basketball
(10:35):
gym with a big regulation size goal and everything. So
that was kind of the first addition to our our
property that we put out there where we're gonna live.
So that was that was pretty neat, and since then
it's just been like like a great tool for for me,
my teammates, whatever it is. You know, I can get
up in the morning and walk down just a couple
hundred steps and I'm at the gym. Late at night,
(10:55):
i can go down there. So it's it's something that
is every beast while players dream for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
So I think BBN needs to know this that the
gym was built before the.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
House, well well before the house. It was there probably
a year and a half, two years before the house
was up.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
So it's kind of similar to hear you, guys, if
you live in the Wildcat Lodge, you can walk right
next door, get shot up. It's just like home for you.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, I was about to say that, it's it's literally
just like I'm getting to walk across maybe a little
bit nicer gym now, but still still the same idea
for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So when you were in high school, you know you
mentioned your teammates, would you guys like go over there
and practice and then what would happen if your dad
walked over because he was the coach? I mean, what
was that like?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah, we we would during COVID we were in there
a lot, Like we played played pick up in there
all the time. We would have have the best guys
from my area come down, Like guys would drive over
an hour to come down there and play with us.
So that was pretty fun. But now we would go
out there a lot just just hang out, especially me
and Jack and Brady, my closest friends. We had a
(11:55):
bad game, we were definitely in there and Dad wouldn't
come in on there. We bocked the door if it
was a game.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Sorry, mister Perry, you're locked out.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So what has it been like for them this year?
I mean, you knew, you knew you were coming to
Kentucky and then coach Pope comes here and them being
able to watch this season and how fun it has been,
I mean the most ranked wins, right, What has it
been like for your parents? And what has it been
like for you to kind of watch your parents and
get them to experience this and your dad not being
(12:26):
a coach but being a fan watching you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, it's it's definitely been different from my dad. You know,
he's been he's been coaching me forever, but they've just
been suer excited. My whole family has to be able
to just experience with me. They know there's so many
hardships that come along with it, but also a lot
of a lot of fun times. And they've been great
about supporting me through the hardships, about being there for me,
just instilling that confidence in me all throughout it. And
(12:52):
they've been here pretty much all the games they can
get to. It's tough with my dad being the high
school coach, but he's been at pretty much all of me.
He worked our whole schedule around around our schedule. They're
already making their plans to go to go to Milwaukee,
so they've they've been there every step of the way
and it's been been really neat to see them in
the crowd every game. Like I remember going to Mississippi
(13:12):
State there was it was all it was a white
out there, so it was all Mississippi State fans and
then just a couple of people up there in the
blue behind the goal, and I could see my parents
and my little brother up there. So there's been some
neat moments like that, but they've been there every step
of the way for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
That's a that's a great moment. I wonder there's probably
a picture of a video out there somewhere where you
see the white out and then maybe like a couple
of blue dots in there.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Yeah, my dad said my little brother wouldn't cheer whenever
we would do something good because he was so scared
that everybody around him was gonna be be mad at
him or something. So yeah, there's definitely been some cool
moments for him.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I feel like that's fair because you've gotten to experience
all of these SEC fan bases as you've traveled, and
they're intents like the SEC, Kentucky's intents, Auburn's and tents,
Tennessee's and dents. I mean, what has that been like
just to see the fan bases and every school that
you've traveled to, those different and environments.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It's been It's been really awesome, especially you know, getting
to experience it as a as a Kentucky Walker. You know,
they have I would say a little bit more of
a hatred for us. The fans just want to see
us do bad. So we've kind of embraced that villain
role on the road, and just our motto has just
been leaning into each other, like it's just the fifteen
guys we have and the coaching staff we have and
(14:23):
and that's it. That's all we have to lean on.
So that's been been kind of the moto for us
thout the year.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
What has it been like, you know, working with a
guy like Lamont Butler, who's who's played point guard and
played a lot of college basketball. I mean, we were
talking the other day about the shot he hit in
March Madness, right, he's so experienced. But being able to
learn from him in your role.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
This year, Travis, it's been it's been huge for me,
I think personally. You know, Lamont is one of the
most experienced guards, especially in the college basketball world, and
he's just just so good on both sides of the
ball of kind of dictating the game to how he
wants it to be played. And there's there's a obviously
a lot that I've tried to pick up from him
on the defensive side of the ball and offensively, just
(15:05):
just how he's so so aggressive and getting to his
spots is something that I'm really working on, trying to
trying to do great at just I feel like he
can get wherever he wants and he's always gonna get
to where he wants to be on the floor, and
that's something that's big in this in this game. So
just being able to watch him, compete against him, learn
from him every single day, it's been huge for my development.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
What about going against him in practice, how tough is that?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
That is slightly less fun, But that's that's been been
great as well. You know, he's like, there's there's no
time to h to take a playoff, take a break.
I would almost say it's it's a little bit more difficult,
or it definitely is more difficult than playing in the
games because he's just picking you up all the time
and he's exactly in practice how he is in the game.
(15:49):
So it's been really cool to compete against.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
And we talk about your freshman year, you know, Trent's Collins,
but then having so many guys who are seniors fifth years,
who's their last year of eligibility playing college basketball. You know,
the dynamic of this team to have so many guys
who can give you advice and and have maybe that
you know, it's your first year here, but being able
to learn from them, what has that been like for you?
You know, guys like Andrew Carr, Kobe Jackson, you know,
(16:14):
not just Lamont, but those other guys too.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, it's been awesome just kind of getting to see
their different experiences. They all they all got here through
their hard rug, but they all had different experiences to
get here. So just being able to, uh to learn
about them and and learn from them in that way
has been cool. But also I think it kind of
kind of motivates us as well to uh to speed
up our learning process as freshmen, because we look at
(16:36):
them and realize that this is their last possible year
they can play college basketball. Like as much as we're
getting these memories for the first time, some of them
are getting these memories for the first time as well,
So UH just kind of gives you an extra layer
of motivation to play hard for them that you know,
us three freshmen can come back and play a couple
more years and this is their last run. So it
makes us want to go out there and put it
(16:57):
on the line for them every night.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Is it crazy to think that you're you're freshman year,
you know, is ninety five percent done?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It is. I feel like it has flown by, Like
I feel like I look back and I'm just getting
here in the summer. But it's also a lot of fun.
Like We've had so many memories, so many great wins,
a few disapointing losses. But that's that's what it takes
to make a great season, I think. And you know,
it's been really exciting to this one and hopefully we
(17:24):
can hopefully we can make some more exciting moments.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Awesome. Well, Travis, I know we're all so excited to
see you guys in Milwaukee and cheer around the Big
Blue Nation. Thanks for joining us on the podcast today.
This is behind Kentucky basketball. We'll see in Milwaukee.
So I'm going to take you back. I'm going to
take you back to Little Travis and know a lot
of inclination knows you because obviously you're a Kentucky born kid.
We talked a little bit about this before we started
the podcast. But the gym that you have next to
your house and you're able to walk right next door
and play basketball, tell me about how that came to be.
Was that mom's idea? Was that dad's idea? Is that
your idea of, hey, we need a basketball court right
(00:20):
next to the house. Was I gonna be able to
get shots up whenever I want?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It? Definitely wasn't mom's idea. It so we were My
dad got the job at Lion County whenever I was
in whenever I was in sixth grade, he got the
middle school job, and so we moved to Lion County
and we were going to build a house. But it
was like right before COVID whenever we started trying to build,
so it took forever to get off the waiting list
and get get to get around to get in a
(00:45):
house built. So in the meantime, we built a big
polebarm building that was supposed to be it was it
was supposed to store like our jet skis or four
wheelers or ranger or whatever stuff we had for where
we lived. It was supposed to be a storage play
for that, but three quarters of it turned into a
full size half court basketball gym with a big, regulation
(01:08):
sized goal and everything. So that was kind of the
first addition to our property that we put out there
where we're going to live. So that was that was
pretty neat, and since then it's just been like a
great tool for me, my teammates, whatever it is. You know,
I can get up in the morning and walk down
just a couple hundred steps, and I'm at the gym
late at night, i can go down there. So it's
it's something that is every basketball players a dream for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Welcome into another episode of Behind Kentucky Basketball, Travis Perry
joins me. Now, we are filming this the day after
the selection show, so kind of a busy time for you.
But first off, Travis, how are you doing this morning,
a fresh off the selection show?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah, I'm doing good. You know, get to experience my
first selection show, so that was a lot of fun
and I just excited to go, hopefully make some noise
and March.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Do you have any fun memories of like watching the
selection show growing up, obviously rooting for Kentucky or seeing
where they were going to be in the bracket.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, definitely. I always was tuned into it watching it
and was so ready for my dad to get home
from work that day, so he had all the brackets
so that I could fill out like thirty of them
and hope that I was gonna make it perfect. One
that year obviously never worked out, but that's one of
my best memories, just waiting for him to get home
and doing the brackets together.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I always hated that Thursday the tournament started because you
had school and then like you wanted to watch basketball.
Did you remember like having school and wanting to watch games?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah? During high school, I was always the kid that
had either my phone like on my friend's back, or
would just go sit in our locker room for hours
and just watch all the games. So I normally normally
found a way to watch the games for sure.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, you guys got to be all together last night
for the selection show. Once you find out your matchup,
you guys are going to play true the Sun Belt Champions.
What is that process kind of like for you guys,
you know, fresh off the SEC tournament and then you're
going straight into NCAA play, but something that you haven't
experienced before.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, it's it's definitely uh, definitely something different. But you know,
I think our our staff and the support staff does
a great job of being prepared for whoever it is,
so we already have have the scout that we'll need
for it. Like right after it was it was announced,
coach mcel was going around telling us, telling U stuff
about their players, like they were definitely prepared for whoever
it was gonna be. So that's something that's that's really
(03:33):
neat and good about our staff. So I think it'll
just be be a good time of getting prepared for him.
I think that's the main thing. You know, we had
Ah had had a week at the SEC tournament, so
we we obviously had to prepare for all s C
SEC teams there and then just trying to move on
to the to the next test.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Is it weird to think that a year ago you
were playing in up against Trent Noah uh in high
school and now you guys are both about to head
to your first round.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, no, it definitely is. Whenever whenever I look back
and see that now is is about to be State
Tournament Tom, It's it's wild to think, uh, just how
different really my life is in a year. But it's
also a lot of fun. You know, those were some
of the best times I had in my life. And
now getting to make more memories, like last year we're
at the State tournament in the hotel all watching March Madness,
and then now I'm about to play in it, so
(04:16):
it's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And having Trent on your team now, I'm sure you
guys like that a lot better than playing against each.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Other, no doubt. Yeah, definitely definitely is a lot more
fun that way. Getting to play with him and just
kind of experience the same things, you know, growing up,
having the same same dreams and desires sort of, and
being able to lim out together. It's been a lot
of fun.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
As you head into this first tournament, I mean, we
talked about filling out brackets when you were younger, but like,
what is maybe your your expectation or what do you
think it'll feel like when you when you step onto
that court, or when you get to Milwaukee and just
see all the signage across the city and how much
a big blue nation is going to show up.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, I think it'll be uh, I think it'll be
really exciting. You know when we're talking about that, I
kind of think about like every year whenever we got
to go to uh the Sweet sixteen for a rup, Like,
it was just just so exciting to get to walk
out on the floor and you're not really prepared for
the emotions you're gonna have there, Like how how exciting,
how grateful you are going to be to be in
that moment. So I think that's kind of what it'll
(05:16):
feel like, just just grateful for the opportunity that we
have and we know that no matter how you shake it, like,
we're gonna have six games left together. So that's that's. Uh,
that's something that we really really take the heart and
want to want to make the most of.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I know the season's obviously not over, but regular season's over.
You've done the SEC Tournament and you know, this team's
faced a lot of adversity and that's really changed your
role on this team. You know what, what were maybe
some of those moments, like when when you got to
take on a bigger role, you got your first start
and rep arena and have been a key piece to
this team and winning with guys like lamont Out and
kerr Out and even Jackson Out.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, it's it's definitely definitely different than I expected, but
you know, it's it's still just just a lot of fun,
a lot of learning. Kind of just just being thrown
into the fire a little bit earlier than I expected
and just having to learn on the f lot And
that's been a lot of fun. And our staff and
especially my teammates have done a great job of just
just getting me prepared for those moments and having confidence
(06:15):
in me in those moments. I mean, it's there's time, Flin,
it's hard to have confidence out there. So I feel
like our our team has done a great job of
building everybody up, whether it's our our three freshmen. Like
as a freshman, you need a lot of confidence from
your teammates to go out there and perform well. And
I think we've got a great team that leans on
each other to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Having the three of you, you know, Colin, Trent and you.
Is it nice that you guys can kind of relate
because you all have your minutes have significantly increased with
the injuries. Like talking about that and kind of having
your group of freshmen.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, no doubt. We definitely have many conversations about that,
just about like what we're experiencing, the hardships, the fun
parts of it, Like it's it's fun to be able
to go out there and compete and compete with your guys.
There's also many hardships along the way. So having guys
to relate with, to be able to talk to that
are are going through the exact same things as you
is really really unique and something that I'm very grateful for.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
You talk about the tough season you guys played in
the SEC arguably the best basketball conference in the last
twenty years. I mean, fourteen teams made it in. When
you were watching the show last night and you saw,
right Texas get in, who was kind of on the bubblo,
Oklahoma got in, I mean, does that give you a
little bit of confidence of you know, you're playing in
(07:28):
the league night in and night out, and you're like,
with this SEC is tough, it's physical, it's a gauntlet
of a schedule, and then you see the committee views
it the exact same way with fourteen teams getting in.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, it definitely definitely gives us little bit of confidence
going into it, like every night as a pretty much
as a quad one game like those are those are
very tough games obviously, just being to compete against teams
like that when you look at their net rankings, like
every single game is a high net game, So that
definitely gives you confidence going into it. I think we're
battle tests. I think we're prepared as well everybody in
(07:59):
that year this year, So I think it'll be fun
to see how it plays out. In more to how
the SC teams. SEC teams will do.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, fourteen teams, I mean just a ton of teams
and san I do know that the NCAA they put
something out where you know, nobody could be matched up
in the first round, and even if you are matched
up in the round of thirty two, Sweet sixteen or
Elite eight, it'll depend on how many times that you
played them in the regular season. So I mean, you know,
you guys have already played Alabama three times. It's like
you see them in a tournament. But I guess there
(08:26):
is maybe a silver lining in knowing the teams. With
so many SEC teams, you guys know them in and out.
If you were to face one down the line.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Definitely. Yeah, there's definitely both sides of it, but yeah,
it'll be it'll be interesting to see the teams that
maybe you've seen multiple times or at least seen one
time in the tournament and just just kind of get
to match up with them again. I know, not looking
ahead too much, but if we got to the Sweet
sixteen Weld we could possibly play Tennessee there, that'd be
a pretty good matchup to have them for the third time.
(08:53):
But yeah, it's just pretty cool to see the bracket
and see how it could all shake out for the SEC.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
All right, listen, everybody, we need to take a brief
moment to think. Our podcast sponsor uk Federal Credit Union,
as the official credit union of the University of Kentucky.
UKFCU understands that students need support, and that's why they've
created the Student Rewards Account, which offers them five percent
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thirteenth to twenty five. Visit UKFCU dot org for stop
(09:20):
by one of their seven local branches to open an
account today. Federally insured by MCUA. So I'm going to
take you back. I'm going to take you back to
Little Travis and know a lot of inclination knows you
because obviously you're a Kentucky born kid. We talked a
little bit about this before we started the podcast. But
the gym that you have next to your house and
(09:41):
you're able to walk right next door and play basketball,
tell me about how that came to be with that
Mom's idea was that dad's idea is at your idea of, hey,
we need a basketball court right next to the house,
Is I going to be able to get shots up whenever.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I want it? Definitely wasn't mom's idea it so we
were My dad got the job at Line Countye whenever
I was in whenever I was in sixth Gearde, he
got the middle school job, and so we moved to
Lion County and we were going to build a house.
But it was like right before COVID whenever we started
trying to build, So it took forever to get off
the waiting list and get get to get around to
(10:14):
get in a house built. Uh So in the meantime,
we built a big polebarm building that was supposed to
be it was it was supposed to store like our
jet skis or four wheelers or ranger or whatever stuff
we had for for where we lived. It was supposed
to be a storage place for that, but three quarters
of it turned into a full size half court basketball
(10:35):
gym with a big regulation size goal and everything. So
that was kind of the first addition to our our
property that we put out there where we're gonna live.
So that was that was pretty neat, and since then
it's just been like like a great tool for for me,
my teammates, whatever it is. You know, I can get
up in the morning and walk down just a couple
hundred steps and I'm at the gym. Late at night,
(10:55):
i can go down there. So it's it's something that
is every beast while players dream for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
So I think BBN needs to know this that the
gym was built before the.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
House, well well before the house. It was there probably
a year and a half, two years before the house
was up.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
So it's kind of similar to hear you, guys, if
you live in the Wildcat Lodge, you can walk right
next door, get shot up. It's just like home for you.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, I was about to say that, it's it's literally
just like I'm getting to walk across maybe a little
bit nicer gym now, but still still the same idea
for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So when you were in high school, you know you
mentioned your teammates, would you guys like go over there
and practice and then what would happen if your dad
walked over because he was the coach? I mean, what
was that like?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah, we we would during COVID we were in there
a lot, Like we played played pick up in there
all the time. We would have have the best guys
from my area come down, Like guys would drive over
an hour to come down there and play with us.
So that was pretty fun. But now we would go
out there a lot just just hang out, especially me
and Jack and Brady, my closest friends. We had a
(11:55):
bad game, we were definitely in there and Dad wouldn't
come in on there. We bocked the door if it
was a game.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Sorry, mister Perry, you're locked out.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So what has it been like for them this year?
I mean, you knew, you knew you were coming to
Kentucky and then coach Pope comes here and them being
able to watch this season and how fun it has been,
I mean the most ranked wins, right, What has it
been like for your parents? And what has it been
like for you to kind of watch your parents and
get them to experience this and your dad not being
(12:26):
a coach but being a fan watching you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, it's it's definitely been different from my dad. You know,
he's been he's been coaching me forever, but they've just
been suer excited. My whole family has to be able
to just experience with me. They know there's so many
hardships that come along with it, but also a lot
of a lot of fun times. And they've been great
about supporting me through the hardships, about being there for me,
just instilling that confidence in me all throughout it. And
(12:52):
they've been here pretty much all the games they can
get to. It's tough with my dad being the high
school coach, but he's been at pretty much all of me.
He worked our whole schedule around around our schedule. They're
already making their plans to go to go to Milwaukee,
so they've they've been there every step of the way
and it's been been really neat to see them in
the crowd every game. Like I remember going to Mississippi
(13:12):
State there was it was all it was a white
out there, so it was all Mississippi State fans and
then just a couple of people up there in the
blue behind the goal, and I could see my parents
and my little brother up there. So there's been some
neat moments like that, but they've been there every step
of the way for sure.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
That's a that's a great moment. I wonder there's probably
a picture of a video out there somewhere where you
see the white out and then maybe like a couple
of blue dots in there.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Yeah, my dad said my little brother wouldn't cheer whenever
we would do something good because he was so scared
that everybody around him was gonna be be mad at
him or something. So yeah, there's definitely been some cool
moments for him.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I feel like that's fair because you've gotten to experience
all of these SEC fan bases as you've traveled, and
they're intents like the SEC, Kentucky's intents, Auburn's and tents,
Tennessee's and dents. I mean, what has that been like
just to see the fan bases and every school that
you've traveled to, those different and environments.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It's been It's been really awesome, especially you know, getting
to experience it as a as a Kentucky Walker. You know,
they have I would say a little bit more of
a hatred for us. The fans just want to see
us do bad. So we've kind of embraced that villain
role on the road, and just our motto has just
been leaning into each other, like it's just the fifteen
guys we have and the coaching staff we have and
(14:23):
and that's it. That's all we have to lean on.
So that's been been kind of the moto for us
thout the year.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
What has it been like, you know, working with a
guy like Lamont Butler, who's who's played point guard and
played a lot of college basketball. I mean, we were
talking the other day about the shot he hit in
March Madness, right, he's so experienced. But being able to
learn from him in your role.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
This year, Travis, it's been it's been huge for me,
I think personally. You know, Lamont is one of the
most experienced guards, especially in the college basketball world, and
he's just just so good on both sides of the
ball of kind of dictating the game to how he
wants it to be played. And there's there's a obviously
a lot that I've tried to pick up from him
on the defensive side of the ball and offensively, just
(15:05):
just how he's so so aggressive and getting to his
spots is something that I'm really working on, trying to
trying to do great at just I feel like he
can get wherever he wants and he's always gonna get
to where he wants to be on the floor, and
that's something that's big in this in this game. So
just being able to watch him, compete against him, learn
from him every single day, it's been huge for my development.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
What about going against him in practice, how tough is that?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
That is slightly less fun, But that's that's been been
great as well. You know, he's like, there's there's no
time to h to take a playoff, take a break.
I would almost say it's it's a little bit more difficult,
or it definitely is more difficult than playing in the
games because he's just picking you up all the time
and he's exactly in practice how he is in the game.
(15:49):
So it's been really cool to compete against.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
And we talk about your freshman year, you know, Trent's Collins,
but then having so many guys who are seniors fifth years,
who's their last year of eligibility playing college basketball. You know,
the dynamic of this team to have so many guys
who can give you advice and and have maybe that
you know, it's your first year here, but being able
to learn from them, what has that been like for you?
You know, guys like Andrew Carr, Kobe Jackson, you know,
(16:14):
not just Lamont, but those other guys too.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, it's been awesome just kind of getting to see
their different experiences. They all they all got here through
their hard rug, but they all had different experiences to
get here. So just being able to, uh to learn
about them and and learn from them in that way
has been cool. But also I think it kind of
kind of motivates us as well to uh to speed
up our learning process as freshmen, because we look at
(16:36):
them and realize that this is their last possible year
they can play college basketball. Like as much as we're
getting these memories for the first time, some of them
are getting these memories for the first time as well,
So UH just kind of gives you an extra layer
of motivation to play hard for them that you know,
us three freshmen can come back and play a couple
more years and this is their last run. So it
makes us want to go out there and put it
(16:57):
on the line for them every night.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Is it crazy to think that you're you're freshman year,
you know, is ninety five percent done?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It is. I feel like it has flown by, Like
I feel like I look back and I'm just getting
here in the summer. But it's also a lot of fun.
Like We've had so many memories, so many great wins,
a few disapointing losses. But that's that's what it takes
to make a great season, I think. And you know,
it's been really exciting to this one and hopefully we
(17:24):
can hopefully we can make some more exciting moments.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Awesome. Well, Travis, I know we're all so excited to
see you guys in Milwaukee and cheer around the Big
Blue Nation. Thanks for joining us on the podcast today.
This is behind Kentucky basketball. We'll see in Milwaukee.
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