April 12, 2024 • 42 mins
Live from the Moonshine Trail
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington. Welcomes Ian Learra March twenty
eighth through the thirtieth. Then catch Jay Jarden April fourth
through the sixth, and don't miss Michael Yo April twelfth
and thirteenth. Comedy Off Broadway opened and downtown Lexington in
nineteen eighty seven, and they're still bringing the best and
stand up comedy to the area thirty seven years later.
(00:21):
Call eight five nine two seven one joke or visit
Comedy off Broadway dot com Comedy Off Broadway.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome everyone, It is Kentucky Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Friday, April to twelfth.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I am Matt Jones here at Barrel House Distilling right
off of Manchester Street, part of the Moonshine Trail which
we'll be promoting today.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Moonshine Trail dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You gives a shot on the clarks Puppet shop fulk
line eight five nine two eight oh twenty two eighty seven.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We'll take your calls.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Go ahead and get in a vision Auto glass text
machine is seven seven two seven seven four five two
five to four in this distion sponsored by the t
J Smith Lowveus.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You call TJ. He'll make them pay.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
So Mark Pope is the new coach at the University
of Kentucky. And it happened last night. It was a
for me personally, an absolute shock. I knew he was
one of the candidates, but I thought if he was hired,
it would be at the end of the process. And
I was, to be quite frank with you, completely taken
(01:22):
off guard. And everyone I know around UK Athletics was
taken off guard when it occurred. But he is the coach.
He will be the eighth coach, only the eighth coach
in modern NCAA basketball or modern Kentucky basketball history. I mean,
there are graphics at say twenty third, but a lot
of those were a long time ago, and they coached
for like a year and they were a player coach
(01:43):
in the modern college basketball. Only our eighth coach of
all time. So let's start with this. There's a lot
to get to. First of all, Mitch Barnhardt is coming
on the show at eleven o'clock, So Mitch Barnhart will
be on here to interview at eleven o'clock, so that'll
be something.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
And then now I'm listen, well, I'm gonna give you
my opinion and meant about the whole thing, because I
do think this is how I'm gonna look at it.
Everybody's free to look at their own way.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
But let's just start with the reaction I was. I
was shocked, and at first, I'll be honest, a little panicked,
like we're not really doing this, are we. Over the
course of the night, though, I tried to sort of
talk myself into it, because that's what I do. I'm
not gonna be I'm not gonna be negative forever. So
I do think there's a path to success With that said,
(02:29):
I was shocked.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
What about you?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think shocks the good word. I mean, it's it's
not the the sexy higher that I think would have
gotten it all excited.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Come on, you know, not Mark Mark.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Okay, not the sexy higher. But you know, as we
get into it, we're gonna go.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
He checks a lot of boxes that Mitch Barnhart wanted.
Maybe not what the fans were looking for, but what
mich Barnhart wanted. He checks a lot of those boxes.
He loves this place, he wants to be here. He'll
work his butt off, He'll work very hard. We have
nothing to do. But after the shock, we're off get
behind this guy Dru.
Speaker 6 (03:03):
I was just very shocked by the decision.
Speaker 7 (03:05):
When it was leaked that Pope was a candidate, I thought, okay,
kind of get him, get maybe yes from him. You
have him in your back pocket down the road. Now,
maybe we wait on Donovan, we make some calls some
of these guys the people have been calling Tier two.
But you know, it's good to maybe hear Pope's yes
if we have to get to him. I did not
expect for a couple hours later for that decision to
be made to be Mark Pope. I actually yesterday knowing
(03:27):
I need to get a list ready, could people be asking?
I wrote my top ten and Pope was actually tenth.
So I'm not that anti Pope, but that shows you
where he was in my pecking order. I was just
just a little surprised it was in the same day. Hey, Hurley,
here's one hundred million. No, okay, Mark Pope. It was
just it seemed like a very quick Hurley to Pope.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
For me, it was very quick. I mean, let's be real.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Scott Drew told him no at like eight o'clock yesterday morning.
They then went all in I think on Danny Hurley
and got to know about two o'clock yesterday afternoon, and
Mark pop Pope was the coach at what nine and
nine thirty last night, So that's a huge turnaround. I mean,
that's a quick turnaround to get two no's and then
(04:05):
end up at Pope when they did. All right, So
I'm gonna I'm gonna go through the timeline of what
happened in et cetera.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
But Shannon, first, what about your reaction.
Speaker 8 (04:12):
I was very surprised at how quickly it happened. I mean,
let's keep in mind this time last week, John cal
Perry was still our coach.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I mean, that's a really interesting point. That seems like
ten years ago, and it was a week ago.
Speaker 8 (04:26):
So I would have preferred for Mitch to have reached
out and talked to maybe a couple of other coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And I think they did talk to a lot of people.
Speaker 8 (04:32):
But go ahead, well okay, but I would think maybe
a couple of more weeks, you know, and and still
see what's out there, and you know, maybe wait for
Billy Donovan's situation to open up. I don't know, maybe
he has talked to him, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, So I'm gonna give you what I think was
the process. And this is informed speculation, but it's you know,
I wasn't there, so I don't know all of it. Uh,
and then a couple of things I might have done differently,
and then how we ended up with Pope.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
All right, So number one.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
They started with a list of about seven to eight guys.
I called them Tier one. I don't think that's their
official term, but that's what I called them. That list
included I think Jay Wright, Brad Stevens, Frank Vogel that's
in the NBA, Danny Hurley, Scott Drew, Billy Donovan, and
(05:22):
I think at one time maybe Natoates was on that list,
but that got taken off for reasons that have nothing
to do with basketball, and I don't know what they are.
And to be quite frank with you, I think it's
personal life stuff. So I'm just staying out of it.
So that leaves you. They get a note from Jay Wright,
I think Brad Stevens says something like we're gonna be
playing till the end of June, so sorry. Then I
(05:45):
think a Vogel. It was also a timing thing. So
now you're down to three. Really, so you're down to Drew, Hurley, Donovan.
I think they talked to all three of those guys
in parallel. Okay, I don't think any of them got
an official offer, but they talked to them all parallel.
I think they thought Drew was the most likely Danny
Hurley was the longest shot. Donovan made clear he wasn't
(06:08):
gonna really engage on it till their season was over
and they play next Wednesday, So then Drew and I
think Hurley became the focus.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Drew. I think they felt like they were gonna.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Get so they bring the family here, right, don't know
why decides no, said he needed to pray on it.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
They ends up telling them no. They go all in
on Hurley.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
They offer him what I think was the largest package
ever for a college basketball coach. He says, no, I
don't really know what you can do there. So then
they're left with the choice do you wait on Billy
Donovan and he might tell you no. Remember at one
point he told him yes and it ended up no. Right,
But but they decide not to wait. Personally, I would
(06:50):
have waited too. I would have waited, but I think
the worry was let's say you wait, and let's say they.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Win the two play in games.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Now you're waiting another two weeks, and I don't think
Mitch Barnhardt wanted to do that. He's gonna be on here.
I don't know if he's gonna talk about other candidates.
My guess is he's not, because, like, you now have
a coach, what's the point of talking about But like
I'm all asked about the process. But nevertheless, that's how
you get. So now once you decide not to wait
(07:21):
for Billy, now you're in a second tier of coaches.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
All right.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I don't know all the names that were on that.
I do know there were at least three names that
it was decided we're not gonna be content, We're not
gonna be interviewed for background related reasons, all right, Pearl,
Miller Beard, So that I think is the debate, Like
(07:46):
they can't make those people come who didn't want to come.
So then the question is would you have called Bruce
Pearl my view NCAA problems? There are no rules now,
so like even if Bruce Pearl broke rule, there are.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
No rules now. So I don't know, Chris Beard.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I I don't think that ended up could have worked
because I think when I when his name got flown
out of there, a lot of our fan base, especially women,
didn't like it. Okay, everybody can have their judgment about
whether that's what good bad, but that's just I think
the case. So then, so really it is do you
call Bruce Pearl or not? Personally, I didn't want Sean Miller.
(08:26):
That's just my personal opinion.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So it's just do you want Bruce Pearl or not.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Once the decisions not to talk to them, they talked
to a few other guys and they decided Mark Pope
was the one they wanted the best out of those people.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
And Ryan, I think that's how we ended up here.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, And like we said, you know, Mitch wants a
guy I think that he can work with. You know,
I think the last couple of years with Mitch and Cal,
I think Mitch decided this guy that I hired this
time is gonna be somebody that I can work with,
that wants to be here, that loves this place. So
that's why I think Mark Pope became the leading candidate
in Mitch's eyes.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So my take on it is this everybody that most
of the fan base, certainly last night, I have not
looked at the message boards and social media today. I
don't know if it got better, but last night the
reaction was overwhelmingly negative. I will tell you I think
the people at UK know that, okay, but I think
(09:19):
there's also a view of he's our guy. We're gonna
do everything we can to make him win. I announced
this on Twitter. You may not have seen it. Two
donors have already stepped in to pledge that they will
pledge upfront four million dollars in NIL to help get
the roster started.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Well, that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I mean, say whatever else you want their team. There's
a belief out there that no school last year spent
more money than four million dollars on the in IL
and basketball, so immediately, in theory, we would have.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
The highest NIL payroll. You know, there was some talk
that maybe Arkansas pledged three to five.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
The AD then got up there and said, well, we
don't have anything. Yeah, so we'll see. But I think
this will drew definitely if at least put Kentucky at
the top of that.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
Oh, that was wonderful news. I think the biggest concern,
well it is the biggest concern with Pope is just
getting the talent.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Hell.
Speaker 7 (10:13):
I don't know if anyone knows BYU. They actually play
a really good brand of basketball. He's a really good
x as and O's coach. They finished ahead of Kentucky
and Kim Pom this year, just throwing out there with
like no stars, so man, the man can coach basketball.
I was just worried he doesn't really have a recruiting pipeline.
He's only been at Utah Valley. BYU hasn't really done
much in the area where there's a lot of talents,
rich pipelines to tap into. But if you're putting four
(10:34):
million in his pocket to start, that gets me excited
that he can have a shot at this with getting
the talent, because if he gets the pieces, we know
he loves Kentucky, we know the energy's there, and he
has a good basketball mind. It's a matter of Kenny
recruit and for a million will help him.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I just want to say this for fans, when you're
evaluating this, and I am not going to tell anybody
how to evaluate it, I would admit when I.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Heard last night, my reaction was no, please don't do that.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I'm being honest with you. Now, maybe it's coping I'm
in a much better place today, all right. With that said, though,
when you're evaluating it, this is what you really need
to understand. You can't talk theoretically about people. You need
to talk about what they were actually deciding. Cow's gone, right,
Cow's gone, and he wasn't coming back, and I want
(11:21):
I'm firm believer in this. He's a grown man. He
walked his ass away. I wish him luck, but like
nobody pushed him away, he left. He made that decision.
We have to live with it. He has to live
with Part two. All these people told you no. They
decided not to wait on Billy. On a personal level,
(11:42):
I'd have waited at the same time, though, if you
wait two weeks and they say no, then we look
not great. But that I would have waited, but they
decided not to. They also decided. The other thing is
Bruce Pearl, they decided not to talk to. That's really
those were the choices. Like, the choice wasn't to pick
(12:04):
this magical person that doesn't exist. The choice was wait
on Billy, don't call Bruce Pearl. Those are the choices
amongst the other guys. If you look at the other
guys like you're talking like shocka smart, etc. I don't
think Mark Pope seems like a crazy choice in that
group because he.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Played here, etc.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
So the question just be as you're evaluating this, would
you have waited on Billy? Would you have called Bruce Pearl?
Those are really the only two to me questions. My
answer is yes to the first one, probably to the
second one. But I'll finish with this. And I'm not
being a listen And though I was called the dude
(12:43):
that tried to ruin college basketball for two years, which
was ridiculous, everybody knows I'm not a sunshine pumper.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
But if he's gonna be the coach, even if you
hate it, don't you want it to succeed? We all do.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
We have to have it succeed Chucky fans. First, we
have to have it succeed like that. We can't have
him come here and fail. Here's what he is as
a coach, brilliant offensively. There's a video I posted fourteen
minutes of his offense. It's the exact opposite of everything
we've done, so we should prepare ourselves. It's gonna be
(13:17):
exactly the opposite of what we've watched the last few years.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
For good and bad. It's good. They're gonna run out
of bounds plays. They're gonna have sets.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
They're gonna have drawn up plays, right, They're gonna have
guys cutting to the basket. Every single person is gonna
be able to shoot. Every person on the floors shoot.
They'll play five out. They led the nation in threes
for most of the year. I think at the end
we might have even passed them, but we it was
right there with us in them in Alabama. The one
(13:48):
thing we don't know is he was at a school,
a Mormon school where you have to sign a pledge
not to have sex to go to the school.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
It ain't easy to recruit there out immediately.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
He's not bringing that pledge with him, right.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
We don't think they're gonna make the players sign that pledge.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Hen, Let people make their own decisions on that.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Coach shading you're not going there.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Absolutely not anywhere but there.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
So we don't know if he can recruit. We don't,
and that to me will be the question. I want
to see what his staff is. I will tell you
as we speak. They are talking trying to talk to
a couple of big name assistants that everybody in this
room knows whether to work. I don't know, but they're
but they are as we speak doing that. The question
(14:36):
for me Ryan is he's gonna be able to bring players.
We need to prepare ourselves. The players ain't gonna be
as good as we've had.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
They're not. We're not gonna go get ten of or
you know, five of the top thirty guys. That ain't
gonna happen.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
But can they make the second weekend?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
That's the question. No, I'm serious.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It's a lot of fun to watch Reed Shepherd, Rob Dillingham,
Cason Wallace, tied to Washington, etc.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
But if we lose to Oakland and Saint Peter's, it
was fun.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
But what difference is about we're gonna have a different
kind of guy here now. And I do think Ryan,
our fans we got to get in that mentality because
it's gonna be different.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
On the basketball court, you know, he won at Kansas,
he beat Baylor this year, he beat Iowa Stadium. He
had some really good wins this year with a really
good team.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
He led us at people forget this.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
When he was at Utah Valley, he led us at
ten at halftime at Reperena now we came back and
beat him, but they like he led by ten at halftime.
Speaker 7 (15:29):
I had an assistant coach that has coached against him
texted me last night and it was like, I can
see the reaction online.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
He was even on your Twitter space.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
But he's like having gone against that guy, he knows
basketball and they're a hard team to coach against in
game plan four with the stall they play.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
I had a person who knows him very very well
send me this last night. He said, I'm gonna give
you my honest opinion about Mark Pope.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And this is somebody that you guys would all know.
He won at Utah Valley.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
He was disappointing a little bit at BYU, but then
he changed his recruiting philosophy and his thoughts on how
to build a roster, and they were really good this year.
He can coach like heck, he runs some of the
best stuff in the country. He's a solid guy. I
don't know if he's a good recruiter. At b YU,
you cannot be a good recruiter. You just have to
(16:18):
do what you do, which includes losing, using a lot
of Mormon missionaries and doing the best you can.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
The issue for me is recruiting.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
If he gets players that are a half as good
as cow, he'll do as much, if not more, with them.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
The question is can he get dudes? That's my tip,
that's my take.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Well talk about then that's where.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
The nile comes in. To me, that's where the nile
comes in. He didn't have that.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
And if I'm them, they gotta talk to the fans.
They gotta win you people. This is a huge crowd here.
The goal for this for Mark Popovitch Marthart has got.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
To be to win you all over.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
If they do that, some boosters that were not involved
in the program in the last few years, and it's
always the same couple that people get mentioned, but it's
a lot more than two. It's more like twenty. I
think they'll be back now, don't you.
Speaker 7 (17:11):
You know that group too, Yeah, and part of it,
and we all know the resume and the concerns. But
he is gonna bring a passion and a fire that
I think the last regime lost, which will led to
those results. I think that energy and that work ethic
is a lot of what's been missing. And yes, he's
Mark Pope and not a Hall of Fame coach, but
I think they'll do a lot for him and getting
fans back and get in IL support because they'll see
(17:33):
him going to work as soon as he.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Gets here and really wanting to make this work.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
If I tried to put myself in these shoes, I
was last night before I went to bed. Because what's
made KSR successful over the years is I try to
say what would the average fan think?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Okay, that's what I try to do. I'm not a
media member.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm also not on the UK payroll, so I try
to say what would an average fan think?
Speaker 3 (17:55):
And here's what I thought going to bed.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
The average fan loves Mark Pope the human being, and
loves that a dude that played here is gonna be
the coach. The average fan is scared to death that
it's not gonna work, and the average fan is probably
upset that they feel like Barnhart rushed it it is
now those things aren't gonna change. So now the question
(18:19):
is can Mitch, Mitch and Pope get fans past that right,
because when the game start, none of this is gonna matter.
The national people that are mocking us, let them keep mocking.
If we win, it ain't gonna matter. If we lose,
they're gonna keep market. So it's all about winning at
this point, at least in my mind. Are we're gonna
(18:40):
take a break, We're gonna take calls. We're gonna mitch
on at eleven and we'll go from there. We'll be
ready back. This is ks R at the Moonshine Trail.
If the Barrel House is still in coming, welcome back.
Take you sports radio. All right, let me go over
(19:02):
some comments that people are writing. I think there a
lot of the questions are very similar. Let's go over
one of them, says Matt, You've always said, don't hire
a person.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Just because they went here. Isn't that this? Yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I don't think you hire a person just because they
wit here. I think that's usually a mistake. But we did,
so now we gotta make it work, right, I mean,
perfect example, Hubert Davis and John Shire. I'm not sure
that I think I think thought either one of those
guys was gonna work. I still don't know if they're
gonna work. But Hubert Davis has been to the championship game.
Now John Shire that they're keeping getting good players. So like,
(19:37):
I don't know that I would have done that but
they did it and they're committed to trying to make
it work. Ryan, I kind of think that's what we
did it, so now we got to try to make
it work.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, you want it to be a Hubert David or
John Shire, not a Rod Indiana.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Yeah. Well there's a ton of those over Patrick Ewing.
There's a ton of those over the years.
Speaker 7 (19:56):
I keep seeing that comparison, though, Shire and Davis were
assistance of those schools for like a long time, like
maybe in David like a decade, in Shire like six
seven years. So it's not really the same as just
pulling Pope from Utah and putting them in Lexington. The
people that are making that comparison, that's.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
True, But Pope actually has been a head coach. No,
that's what I mean.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
You could look at it differently, like he's a head coach.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
You can look at that.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
I'm just saying it's not the same. Whatever you think,
it's a different It is different.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
You could look at it as better or worse depending
on one person. Writes Matt, he's never won an NCAA tournament. Game,
how do you hire a coach has never won an
NCAA tournament?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Game.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Fair question. I mean, that's a fair question. You just
have to determine that. And that's gonna be a question
I'm gonna ask ask Mitch. I will say, and I
know people don't necessarily what they were as good as
we were last year. I mean, to be honest with you,
they were pretty much. I mean, we had a little
(20:49):
better seed, but like they maybe even had a couple
wins that were better than ours.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Ranked ahead of us in the final day, so we were.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Probably similar teams. One person writes, what's it going to
be like for us to go recruit and not be
with the top top guys. Well, I'm not willing to
conceive we won't be with the top top guys, but
we don't know we will be right, But let me
just say, what if the top top guy's done for us?
(21:19):
Remember my comment the other day, You know, meny five stars,
we're in the final four this year.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Two?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You know how many started for one of the final
four teams one?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So I mean, it's a different world.
Speaker 8 (21:32):
How many times do we heard fans say that they
wish that our players would be here for two or
three years.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
We got this might be the type of roster that
he could put together.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Shannon, that's a great point. I've heard people for years
calling this show. I want guys who've been here for
a while. I want guys who love the name on
the front of the uniform, not the back of the uniform.
I want guys who know how to play, who are coached. Well,
you're getting all that. You're getting all that, and now
we'll see if we wanted it. I think something to
note Jeff Shepherd and Mark Poper college roommates. Okay, Jeff
(22:04):
Shepherd and Mark Pope are lifelong friends. If there was
ever gonna be a chance Ree Shepherd would come back,
this is it now. I don't think that kid should
come back because he feels an obligation, but if he
was gonna come back, this would probably be the best
way to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
There's no doubt that that helps that connection. Jamal Mashburn's
kids in the Transfer portal, James Blackman's kid in the
Transferred Portal. There's some good players out there with Kentucky
ties that maybe could get us all excited for the roster.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
That there's a lot of stuff that happened under Cow
that it's impossible to know if this will be better.
I do think, however, and this is crazy, but I
do think there'll be a lot more money in the
program than there would have been otherwise. And I do
think you'll see a lot more former players. Now the
question is, well the.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Cow players, Yeah, and I don't know the answer.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
It'll be interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
All right.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
We will take your calls right after this. We are
here at Barrel House distill Ain't on Manchester Street's KSR.
(23:17):
Welcome back Tucky Sports Radio. Here live at Barrel House Distilly.
We are here for the Moonshine Trail. Let me tell
you quickly about the Moonshine Trail. By the way, Big
ups to Moonshine Trail. Who's getting probably more listeners than
they ever thought they'd get on this advertisement today. The
Moonshine Trail dot com Six distillers around Kentucky that each
(23:39):
have a different type of moonshine. Barrel House here, Regeneration
Distilling in Winchester, Kentucky, Mountain Moonshine in Revenna, Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Where's Revenna? Irvin?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
All right, Irvin, Kentucky, Kentucky. Miss Distillery in Whitesburg, Polly Hollow.
Although I'd say at Polly Holler Distillery in Pike County
and back Woods Moonshine Museum in Babyville. Those are the
six things on the Moonshine Trail. We have a sample
from all of them up here. That Drew I'm sure
is going to take as soon as Mitch cuts off
the air, because I don't want him drunk while Mitch
(24:11):
is on the air.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Disrespect mister Barnhart on such a significant day.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
All right, so let's go. I've done a lot of talking.
By the way, here's the one part of news. Matt
Orlander reports cal Perry taking his whole staff to Arkansas,
same guys, replacing John Welch.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
That was the X and O guy with Brad cal Perry.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
All right, I'll have one. I'll drink to that.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
Somebodies who are going to replace somebody. Welsh would be
the wrong guy.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You know what's the good news about that.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I'd heard some chatter that maybe Kenny would think about going.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
That would have helped him.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Yeah, no offense that staff replacing Welch with Brad good luck,
great value can touch. Let me be clear, I do
love Orlando. I'll take like Orlando. I think he's great,
But for me all right, good luck.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
That's that. I'll just uh, you took. You took.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
The one thing that came in that was a positive
last year was that offense. And the guy who did
the offense is leave it. So that's a you know,
that is what it is.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
Did you take the shovel with him?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
All right? Who's up first? Got Joe up first? I'm
interested to hear what people say.
Speaker 9 (25:19):
Let's go Joe, Hey, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Guys? What's up?
Speaker 9 (25:26):
It's a lot of my points got wind taken out
of him. But I think one thing ks R should
be excited about is there gonna be able to communicate
with somebody. It's probably gonna come on the show at
least once or more a week with your talk.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah, let me just say that's I think that will happen.
But that's not why I will or won't be happy.
I've said this over and over. It's all about winning.
If he comes on the show every week and we lose,
that doesn't make me happy, right, So you know I
I want him to win. I know Mark Pope, right,
and I appreciate you called Ryan.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
You know Mark.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You knew Mark Pope is a player you worked with
Mark Pope on television for a couple of years.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
What's he like as a human being.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
He's an awesome dude. I mean, you talk about a
it's super smart too. Wasn't he a Rhodes Scholar?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I think he is, without question, in my opinion, the
smartest person to ever play a Kentuckey. He was a
finalist to be a Rhodes Scholar, and he went to
medical school for two years and dropped out to be
because he wanted to pursue his dream of coaching. I
always say there are people that are sports smart and
real life smart. Mark's the smartest real life person that
(26:37):
I've ever known to play here just being you know. Now,
that doesn't mean he'll be a great coach, but he
is very smart.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
He's very funny too, just a great guy to be around,
you know. I covered him in ninety six, but then
in ninety seven he was part of our crew a
Wlax that we went on the road for March Madness.
Like he was took his shirt off on the ski
slope at Salt Lake City that year during one of
our live shots. I mean, he just kind of crazy
stuff like that. We all got to know him as
a person just generally a great, great guy.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
Is that where you got the shirt thing from? Did
Pope started it off?
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
He's very dorky, Shaman. I mean, there's a video of
him rapping to Hamilton. There's a video where he put
on his UK basketball uniform. You've seen the dorkiness. I
know you don't usually like dorkiness.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (27:22):
I think it's very dorky. As you said, I think
we've got Scott Drew. We're gonna get another dork. So
either way, we're gonna get a dork.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
Look, he may crush it here, you know, and right
now we might as well just embrace it because it
is what it is. I just didn't love how quickly
he was. That's just kind of where I stand it.
But I'm gonna embrace him. I hope that he does well,
but we'll see. Tom will tell if he wins, everybody
will be happy. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
I have to stand up for one thing. We're not
gonna have Hamilton slander. Yeah me, love doesn't discriminate between
the Sinners and the Saints. Matt, I mean, at this
press conference, I'm ready to challenge him if he wants
to to go bar for Barrio.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
There's an online Mark Pope versus Drew and Hamilton Berg.
I would like to see that.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Who's next? Randy is up next? Randy? Go ahead, Randy.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
Good morning, guys. Hey, I'm not like everybody else. Last
night I was one of your twenty three thousand on
your Twitter space and was really kind of frustrated with
the hire because I felt like it was an emergency
or need jerk reaction. After listening to you and reading
and I think, you know, Danny Hurley hadn't done anything
(28:30):
before he went to Yukon.
Speaker 11 (28:31):
Correct.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
I know he won some NCAA tournament games maybe, but
I thought if we didn't get the Tier one and
Tier two, maybe we went pod Golden at Florida.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I think there's some things that would I think there's
some things that would have made that impossible.
Speaker 10 (28:46):
Right, Okay, But but I think this is our Todd
Golden Hier. He's fifty one. He's going to put energy
in the program and let's go.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
It's all I can say, guys.
Speaker 10 (28:56):
I'll be down there next to your chair in the morning.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Appreciate the call. Look, let's put it like this. If
he doesn't do x's and oh's well, this will fail, right, Like,
he's not gonna be able to win by personality the
way in some ways cow was at times like he's
not gonna be able to just recruit the top ten
players in America and hope works. He's gonna have to
be good x and oh, every single person today should
(29:19):
watch that video I tweet out.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
It's called uh they play basketball like a video game.
And the guy it's not the most well put together video,
he's kind of it's slow, but they show the way
they run offense.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And Kelvin Sampson, this is Kelvin Sampson's probably the best
defensive coach in the country. Kelvin Sampson in that video goes,
this is the hardest team to play against in the
country because nobody plays like they do.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Yeah, and they've got that you know, for all you
shot chart people that would make those go viral. It's
threes and twos and they get wide open layups because
they cannot leave any of their shooters. So as long
as he can get the right personnel, and it's gonna
take a lot better than what he had with their
brand too basketball. It's kind of like that what everyone
likes with that NATO. It's it's a layup or a three,
and it's just a matter of getting the right people
to perform it.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
At this level.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
My biggest concern isn't can't he get a roster this
year because he's probably not gonna bring too many recruits.
They have one kid who was a top thirty five
player who went on a two year Mormon mission and
is now coming back. Does he decide to follow Mark
Pope or does he go to BYU?
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I don't know, but you know, well, who's next? Darren
is up next? Darren? Go ahead, Darren, good morning?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
May can you hear me?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yes?
Speaker 12 (30:38):
Mad, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 13 (30:39):
I got up this morning.
Speaker 14 (30:40):
I actually went to bed pretty early last night, and
I got up this morning, and I've been burning my
phone up the last twenty four hours wondering who he's
gonna get. But uh, my reaction was probably the same
as everybody else.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I was shocked. I was just like you.
Speaker 14 (30:55):
But listen, let's give him a chance. I mean, he
he knows what it is to put that jersey on.
He knows what Kentucky is, he knows what it means
to us fans. He would played under probably the best
coach that we've ever had, you know, arguably, and.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Let's give him a chance.
Speaker 14 (31:13):
I mean, you know, let's see what he can do.
Speaker 12 (31:15):
I believe, and you know we got the nil to
back him up.
Speaker 14 (31:18):
I mean, you know, hey, don't don't think he can't
get recruits.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We got money and we're Kentucky.
Speaker 14 (31:23):
I mean, if John Shire can do it, we can
do it.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Appreciate the call. That's that's actually a fairly positive call.
So we got at least one very positive I will
say on the Anile money. I keep getting text during
the show. He's gonna have everything he needs to build
a roster. I think there's a really good chance we'll
have I don't this isn't guaranteed, but I think there's
a really good chance.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
We'll have more in iow of money than anybody next year.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Now, it might take a year for that to work
itself out, right, because you still gotta he's not gonna
have anywhere, Like we're gonna be old next year, Like
I hope people rise, I gonna have the oldest team
in the country.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Cause I don't know. I bet Travis Perry.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Stays, oh yeah, yeah. I mean, if I'm Travis Perry.
You just you just drew your dream coach for how
you play, don't you think?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Yeah, that's him.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Also, the other guys even show up for his championship.
I'm sure he's I shouldn't say I'm sure I don't
know him, but I mean I would be excited for but.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
We're I have an old team next year. The effect
on recruiting and Nile is probably gonna take a year
to really figure out one way or the other.
Speaker 7 (32:27):
I think the staff, now that money is there, we
know Pope's got the energy in the UK connection. He
needs somebody with some actually recruiting contacts. Like I said,
Pope's been getting people in Utah. We need you to
start going to Texas, Atlanta, the Northeast. You need people
that already have these contacts recruiting.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
It at b YU has one major advantage and one
massive disadvantage. The massive The major advantage is you get
the best Mormons. No, it sounds like I'm joking, but
there's usually one or two really good Mormons a year,
and you get him. One year, that Duke sto one
of their Mormons, and he was great, and then he
(33:02):
crushed him. You get the Mormons so every year there's
like one or two Mormons that are really good and
you get them right. But the hard part is getting
the non Mormons because, like Shannon said, I'm coming in
your house. You're top ten player, Shannon, great place here,
we got everything you need, great fan base, by use,
a massive university. All good you in Oh, I love it.
(33:24):
Man offensive style, you're gonna get a hundred. Okay, you
can't have sex.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
No, I'm sorry, that's a that's a get.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Out of my house.
Speaker 6 (33:31):
He'll kill her.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You can't drink no what?
Speaker 15 (33:36):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Right, So he's not gonna I don't think Mitch Mitch
Wherhart's religious.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
I don't think he's gonna make him do that here.
So you know our faith.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
This listeners are laughing right now.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I don't know how you listen to faith this, but right.
But Drew and I have talked about I only bet
on Mormon teams.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Mormon.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Mormon Mormon teams cover more than any other team in
the in the country randomness. So Drew first thing he
texted me, goes, do we bet on Kentucky every game?
Speaker 13 (34:05):
Now?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
You're great?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Hire for fade this. That's exactly right. Shady Rays is
a Kentucky based company. You can get sunglasses. If you
lose or break them, they'll replace them. You can buy
two pairs, use a code KSR for fifty percent off.
They got him in Lexington and Louisville at the summit.
It's all there. It is Shady Rays dot Com. They
are a big investor in the state. They've done amazingly well.
Started right there in Simpsonville. Shady rays dot Com. Best sunglasses,
(34:29):
best prices at Shady Rays. We are here at Barrel House,
Mitch Barnhart. At eleven o'clock. We'll take a break and
be right back to Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back Tucky
Sports Radio. Here at Barrel House.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Tociling. You know, those of you that showed up, didn't.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Know you all were gonna get to speak for the
fan base with these TV stations here. So there's gonna
be a lot of postgame interviews, I think, where people
will say, what do you think of the new hire?
Speaker 3 (34:57):
We're go find out here in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Mitch Barnhart will join us in the next segment, but
I want to give people a chance to talk.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
So who's next up next to his hunter?
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Rick's still going at his pace I love it, Hunter,
Go ahead, Hunter, Hey Hunter.
Speaker 16 (35:11):
Hey Matt for first time, first time call her?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Who are?
Speaker 16 (35:15):
I'm a big Mark Pope fan, so I kind of
want to stick up for him a little bit. His
two best teams were actually his first two years, and
the first year the reason why he do any March
games was because he got upset by UCLA, who ended
up in the final four. So I wouldn't count that
too hard against him.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
They lost in the first four in Dayton, right in
that in my career.
Speaker 10 (35:36):
No, no, they made it to the actual game. UCLA
played in the first four though, gotcha?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
And was that the year the year U Sail had
played in the finals or whatever against the semi finals
against Zaga.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Okay, yeah, gotcha, go ahead team.
Speaker 16 (35:50):
Then the second year they had three first team all WCCs,
so they were another great team. They were eighteenth and
the eight people and then COVID canceled the tournament. So
you're I believe he showed out at least one or
two wins out of that teams, and I don't think
he can blame him too much for that. Then, going
to recruiting, I think if you look at his transfers
he can recruit with about anyone considering it. It was BYU
(36:12):
he got Jackson Robinson from Arkansas. In this past year
he got Marcus Adams Junior from Kansas, a bunch of
non Mormons who were looking to go other places, but
still came to BYU. So I think a lot of
our fans who were giving him a lot of crap,
you know, need to give him a chance.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
All right, Well, I appreciate the call. I didn't know
any of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
You see, It's good to have people who he must
have worked.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
He must be an agent. Who's next? Up next is
Joshua Joshua, go ahead, Joshua.
Speaker 12 (36:45):
Hey, good morning, Cass.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Sorry thanks taking my call.
Speaker 17 (36:48):
So my wife this morning took me to the d
MV here in Louisville to get my license renewed. Standing
next to a guy we're in a Kentucky shirt. I
gave him a little thumbs up and said Mark Poe.
He looked back at me and smile and says, man,
I'm pretty excited. And for the next ninety seconds.
Speaker 12 (37:01):
We're just giddy about Mark Pope being our next head coach.
I'm super excited. I think he is not the sexy choice,
but he is the correct choice. If he can bring
Jackson Robinson, like the callers said before, with him, if
he can get a guy like Wade Taylor out of
the transfer portal, who announced fifteen minutes before the Mark
Pope news broke last night that he hit the portal,
(37:23):
if we can getting here too, I'm super excited. I'm
all in, I'm Mark Pope. God bless you guys. Go
cats well.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I will tell you we've taken four calls, and everybody
knows we don't screen calls. They've all been pretty positive.
I'm surprised. I was expecting some people to go go nuts.
If you go online, it's only people going nuts, So
that's a good sign.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Who's next?
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Chris is up next?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Chris? Go ahead, Chris.
Speaker 15 (37:51):
Hey, guys, I I also am super positive. I am
thinking that Coach Pope's gonna restore us to our deserved
relevance and show the national media what we're really about, that.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
It's not university at Cal. And then show Cal.
Speaker 15 (38:08):
I think Mitch wants to show Cal that ads can
win championships, but coaches also got to be a part
of that. And then to all my friends who tell
me to stop calling so much. I hope you hear
my voice in your dreams.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Appreciate to call.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Oh, Chris, you know, we haven't talked a lot about
it because so much has been going on. But that
comment that Mitch or that cal made at the press
conference where he said administrations win championships like that was.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Clearly a shot at Barnhart there, didn't you think.
Speaker 7 (38:43):
I don't know if how many people picked up on
it here, but he started saying Lexington just shortly after
the drama. We had a couple summers ago, and we
felt it then, and he took it to Fayetteville. So
it shows how strange that relationship really was.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Yeah, clearly. Well that's a whole nother drama for another day.
Right now, now it's Mark Pope. What's next?
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Tyler?
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Is up next? Tyler?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
I mean I will be I'm telling you the fact
the first six calls of all be positive is not
what I saw coming.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Janda. We'll be honest with you, Tyler. Go ahead, Tyler.
Speaker 11 (39:13):
I'm keeping the train rolling. So first off, thanks for
all the extra coverage. This week has just been a
roller coaster and you know, being able to listen to
you on the extra times is great, but no, so
I've talked to myself into now overnight that I am
excited as well. First off, like with the the hardest
part about Kentucky is the circus that is Kentucky. And
(39:34):
I don't think anybody in the country we could guarantee
that they would know that other than Mark Pope, so that,
I mean, he already has that going for him, and
that's the hardest part.
Speaker 13 (39:44):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (39:44):
And with recruiting, I mean, I get it, but we're
Kentucky now. We only need to get one or two
solid recruits a year that you know, It's not like
cal We don't need that every year. So that's that's
another positive. And also it just kind of lowers the
expectations for next year, which is a good thing because
if we did get at Danny Hurley, at Billy Donovan,
(40:05):
you know, we would be expecting the world like we
have in the past fifteen years, and if we were
let down again it would hurt even worse. Now we
we know we might not get that the first year,
so that's that's another positive. And and just my last
point is with Danny Hurley, the caller hinted at it earlier.
If you look with. You know, everybody thinks he's the
(40:25):
top coach now, which he is, but he felled at
Yukon before. I mean, it took him a while, and
he they missed.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Determined their first four years he was there. You're right, Yeah,
you're right.
Speaker 11 (40:35):
And then he lost in my first round.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Let somebody else cope and I appreciate the call. I will.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
That's good stuff, I will say. All right, I know
there's more people negative than are calling.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
I will saving all of our negative calls with the
second album.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Maybe so, but let me say this. I want everybody
I like to think positively sometimes. So let's just dream
about what would be an awesome moment, all right? For
anything else you think? Mark Pope's a Kentucky guy, right,
Mark Pope loves this place. Mark Pope wore our uniform
on the BYU floor to make a to make a video.
I want you to picture next January or February when
(41:11):
Arkansas comes into town. All right, Cow's gonna come into town.
He's gonna be wearing red. He's gonna have with him
on the sidelines a staff that I think some of
whom at times didn't help him out. And they're gonna
come in here, probably with some big name recruits. What
if Mark Pope coming there with the ninety six team
(41:34):
sitting there on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
With him, What if we were to beat their ass
here and Rubberena next year?
Speaker 6 (41:41):
Can we wear dinnam?
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I mean it would be kind of awesome ride, wouldn't it?
Speaker 4 (41:48):
You march out the ninety sixteen before the game or
at halftime, maybe even Coach Patino comes out and he
voices his support for Mark Bope.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
That way, the drama here will never end quickly? One
more before they Who's next?
Speaker 5 (42:01):
John?
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Is next? John? I just got like a minute.
Speaker 12 (42:05):
Thirty, real quick thirty. I think the pressure.
Speaker 13 (42:08):
I think the pressure is off, and I'm looking forward
to this. The one thing I think is different now,
this is a real Kentucky person, a real guy who
understands the one thing that makes Kentucky different from everybody
else is us, Me, You, Drew Shannon, everybody that listens
and watches, that lives this twenty four seven, three sixty five.
(42:32):
Pope understands that better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
All right, Mitch, thank you very much. Mitch Barnhart.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Next here at Barrelhouse, Tocilio's Kentucky Sports Radio
Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington. Welcomes Ian Learra March twenty
eighth through the thirtieth. Then catch Jay Jarden April fourth
through the sixth, and don't miss Michael Yo April twelfth
and thirteenth. Comedy Off Broadway opened and downtown Lexington in
nineteen eighty seven, and they're still bringing the best and
stand up comedy to the area thirty seven years later.
(00:21):
Call eight five nine two seven one joke or visit
Comedy off Broadway dot com Comedy Off Broadway.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome everyone, It is Kentucky Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Friday, April to twelfth.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I am Matt Jones here at Barrel House Distilling right
off of Manchester Street, part of the Moonshine Trail which
we'll be promoting today.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Moonshine Trail dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You gives a shot on the clarks Puppet shop fulk
line eight five nine two eight oh twenty two eighty seven.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We'll take your calls.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Go ahead and get in a vision Auto glass text
machine is seven seven two seven seven four five two
five to four in this distion sponsored by the t
J Smith Lowveus.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You call TJ. He'll make them pay.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
So Mark Pope is the new coach at the University
of Kentucky. And it happened last night. It was a
for me personally, an absolute shock. I knew he was
one of the candidates, but I thought if he was hired,
it would be at the end of the process. And
I was, to be quite frank with you, completely taken
(01:22):
off guard. And everyone I know around UK Athletics was
taken off guard when it occurred. But he is the coach.
He will be the eighth coach, only the eighth coach
in modern NCAA basketball or modern Kentucky basketball history. I mean,
there are graphics at say twenty third, but a lot
of those were a long time ago, and they coached
for like a year and they were a player coach
(01:43):
in the modern college basketball. Only our eighth coach of
all time. So let's start with this. There's a lot
to get to. First of all, Mitch Barnhardt is coming
on the show at eleven o'clock, So Mitch Barnhart will
be on here to interview at eleven o'clock, so that'll
be something.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
And then now I'm listen, well, I'm gonna give you
my opinion and meant about the whole thing, because I
do think this is how I'm gonna look at it.
Everybody's free to look at their own way.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
But let's just start with the reaction I was. I
was shocked, and at first, I'll be honest, a little panicked,
like we're not really doing this, are we. Over the
course of the night, though, I tried to sort of
talk myself into it, because that's what I do. I'm
not gonna be I'm not gonna be negative forever. So
I do think there's a path to success With that said,
(02:29):
I was shocked.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
What about you?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think shocks the good word. I mean, it's it's
not the the sexy higher that I think would have
gotten it all excited.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Come on, you know, not Mark Mark.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Okay, not the sexy higher. But you know, as we
get into it, we're gonna go.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
He checks a lot of boxes that Mitch Barnhart wanted.
Maybe not what the fans were looking for, but what
mich Barnhart wanted. He checks a lot of those boxes.
He loves this place, he wants to be here. He'll
work his butt off, He'll work very hard. We have
nothing to do. But after the shock, we're off get
behind this guy Dru.
Speaker 6 (03:03):
I was just very shocked by the decision.
Speaker 7 (03:05):
When it was leaked that Pope was a candidate, I thought, okay,
kind of get him, get maybe yes from him. You
have him in your back pocket down the road. Now,
maybe we wait on Donovan, we make some calls some
of these guys the people have been calling Tier two.
But you know, it's good to maybe hear Pope's yes
if we have to get to him. I did not
expect for a couple hours later for that decision to
be made to be Mark Pope. I actually yesterday knowing
(03:27):
I need to get a list ready, could people be asking?
I wrote my top ten and Pope was actually tenth.
So I'm not that anti Pope, but that shows you
where he was in my pecking order. I was just
just a little surprised it was in the same day. Hey, Hurley,
here's one hundred million. No, okay, Mark Pope. It was
just it seemed like a very quick Hurley to Pope.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
For me, it was very quick. I mean, let's be real.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Scott Drew told him no at like eight o'clock yesterday morning.
They then went all in I think on Danny Hurley
and got to know about two o'clock yesterday afternoon, and
Mark pop Pope was the coach at what nine and
nine thirty last night, So that's a huge turnaround. I mean,
that's a quick turnaround to get two no's and then
(04:05):
end up at Pope when they did. All right, So
I'm gonna I'm gonna go through the timeline of what
happened in et cetera.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
But Shannon, first, what about your reaction.
Speaker 8 (04:12):
I was very surprised at how quickly it happened. I mean,
let's keep in mind this time last week, John cal
Perry was still our coach.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I mean, that's a really interesting point. That seems like
ten years ago, and it was a week ago.
Speaker 8 (04:26):
So I would have preferred for Mitch to have reached
out and talked to maybe a couple of other coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And I think they did talk to a lot of people.
Speaker 8 (04:32):
But go ahead, well okay, but I would think maybe
a couple of more weeks, you know, and and still
see what's out there, and you know, maybe wait for
Billy Donovan's situation to open up. I don't know, maybe
he has talked to him, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, So I'm gonna give you what I think was
the process. And this is informed speculation, but it's you know,
I wasn't there, so I don't know all of it. Uh,
and then a couple of things I might have done differently,
and then how we ended up with Pope.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
All right, So number one.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
They started with a list of about seven to eight guys.
I called them Tier one. I don't think that's their
official term, but that's what I called them. That list
included I think Jay Wright, Brad Stevens, Frank Vogel that's
in the NBA, Danny Hurley, Scott Drew, Billy Donovan, and
(05:22):
I think at one time maybe Natoates was on that list,
but that got taken off for reasons that have nothing
to do with basketball, and I don't know what they are.
And to be quite frank with you, I think it's
personal life stuff. So I'm just staying out of it.
So that leaves you. They get a note from Jay Wright,
I think Brad Stevens says something like we're gonna be
playing till the end of June, so sorry. Then I
(05:45):
think a Vogel. It was also a timing thing. So
now you're down to three. Really, so you're down to Drew, Hurley, Donovan.
I think they talked to all three of those guys
in parallel. Okay, I don't think any of them got
an official offer, but they talked to them all parallel.
I think they thought Drew was the most likely Danny
Hurley was the longest shot. Donovan made clear he wasn't
(06:08):
gonna really engage on it till their season was over
and they play next Wednesday, So then Drew and I
think Hurley became the focus.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Drew. I think they felt like they were gonna.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Get so they bring the family here, right, don't know
why decides no, said he needed to pray on it.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
They ends up telling them no. They go all in
on Hurley.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
They offer him what I think was the largest package
ever for a college basketball coach. He says, no, I
don't really know what you can do there. So then
they're left with the choice do you wait on Billy
Donovan and he might tell you no. Remember at one
point he told him yes and it ended up no. Right,
But but they decide not to wait. Personally, I would
(06:50):
have waited too. I would have waited, but I think
the worry was let's say you wait, and let's say they.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Win the two play in games.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Now you're waiting another two weeks, and I don't think
Mitch Barnhardt wanted to do that. He's gonna be on here.
I don't know if he's gonna talk about other candidates.
My guess is he's not, because, like, you now have
a coach, what's the point of talking about But like
I'm all asked about the process. But nevertheless, that's how
you get. So now once you decide not to wait
(07:21):
for Billy, now you're in a second tier of coaches.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
All right.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I don't know all the names that were on that.
I do know there were at least three names that
it was decided we're not gonna be content, We're not
gonna be interviewed for background related reasons, all right, Pearl,
Miller Beard, So that I think is the debate, Like
(07:46):
they can't make those people come who didn't want to come.
So then the question is would you have called Bruce
Pearl my view NCAA problems? There are no rules now,
so like even if Bruce Pearl broke rule, there are.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
No rules now. So I don't know, Chris Beard.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I I don't think that ended up could have worked
because I think when I when his name got flown
out of there, a lot of our fan base, especially women,
didn't like it. Okay, everybody can have their judgment about
whether that's what good bad, but that's just I think
the case. So then, so really it is do you
call Bruce Pearl or not? Personally, I didn't want Sean Miller.
(08:26):
That's just my personal opinion.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So it's just do you want Bruce Pearl or not.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Once the decisions not to talk to them, they talked
to a few other guys and they decided Mark Pope
was the one they wanted the best out of those people.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
And Ryan, I think that's how we ended up here.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, And like we said, you know, Mitch wants a
guy I think that he can work with. You know,
I think the last couple of years with Mitch and Cal,
I think Mitch decided this guy that I hired this
time is gonna be somebody that I can work with,
that wants to be here, that loves this place. So
that's why I think Mark Pope became the leading candidate
in Mitch's eyes.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So my take on it is this everybody that most
of the fan base, certainly last night, I have not
looked at the message boards and social media today. I
don't know if it got better, but last night the
reaction was overwhelmingly negative. I will tell you I think
the people at UK know that, okay, but I think
(09:19):
there's also a view of he's our guy. We're gonna
do everything we can to make him win. I announced
this on Twitter. You may not have seen it. Two
donors have already stepped in to pledge that they will
pledge upfront four million dollars in NIL to help get
the roster started.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Well, that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I mean, say whatever else you want their team. There's
a belief out there that no school last year spent
more money than four million dollars on the in IL
and basketball, so immediately, in theory, we would have.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
The highest NIL payroll. You know, there was some talk
that maybe Arkansas pledged three to five.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
The AD then got up there and said, well, we
don't have anything. Yeah, so we'll see. But I think
this will drew definitely if at least put Kentucky at
the top of that.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
Oh, that was wonderful news. I think the biggest concern,
well it is the biggest concern with Pope is just
getting the talent.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Hell.
Speaker 7 (10:13):
I don't know if anyone knows BYU. They actually play
a really good brand of basketball. He's a really good
x as and O's coach. They finished ahead of Kentucky
and Kim Pom this year, just throwing out there with
like no stars, so man, the man can coach basketball.
I was just worried he doesn't really have a recruiting pipeline.
He's only been at Utah Valley. BYU hasn't really done
much in the area where there's a lot of talents,
rich pipelines to tap into. But if you're putting four
(10:34):
million in his pocket to start, that gets me excited
that he can have a shot at this with getting
the talent, because if he gets the pieces, we know
he loves Kentucky, we know the energy's there, and he
has a good basketball mind. It's a matter of Kenny
recruit and for a million will help him.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I just want to say this for fans, when you're
evaluating this, and I am not going to tell anybody
how to evaluate it, I would admit when I.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Heard last night, my reaction was no, please don't do that.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I'm being honest with you. Now, maybe it's coping I'm
in a much better place today, all right. With that said, though,
when you're evaluating it, this is what you really need
to understand. You can't talk theoretically about people. You need
to talk about what they were actually deciding. Cow's gone, right,
Cow's gone, and he wasn't coming back, and I want
(11:21):
I'm firm believer in this. He's a grown man. He
walked his ass away. I wish him luck, but like
nobody pushed him away, he left. He made that decision.
We have to live with it. He has to live
with Part two. All these people told you no. They
decided not to wait on Billy. On a personal level,
(11:42):
I'd have waited at the same time, though, if you
wait two weeks and they say no, then we look
not great. But that I would have waited, but they
decided not to. They also decided. The other thing is
Bruce Pearl, they decided not to talk to. That's really
those were the choices. Like, the choice wasn't to pick
(12:04):
this magical person that doesn't exist. The choice was wait
on Billy, don't call Bruce Pearl. Those are the choices
amongst the other guys. If you look at the other
guys like you're talking like shocka smart, etc. I don't
think Mark Pope seems like a crazy choice in that
group because he.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Played here, etc.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
So the question just be as you're evaluating this, would
you have waited on Billy? Would you have called Bruce Pearl?
Those are really the only two to me questions. My
answer is yes to the first one, probably to the
second one. But I'll finish with this. And I'm not
being a listen And though I was called the dude
(12:43):
that tried to ruin college basketball for two years, which
was ridiculous, everybody knows I'm not a sunshine pumper.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
But if he's gonna be the coach, even if you
hate it, don't you want it to succeed? We all do.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
We have to have it succeed Chucky fans. First, we
have to have it succeed like that. We can't have
him come here and fail. Here's what he is as
a coach, brilliant offensively. There's a video I posted fourteen
minutes of his offense. It's the exact opposite of everything
we've done, so we should prepare ourselves. It's gonna be
(13:17):
exactly the opposite of what we've watched the last few years.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
For good and bad. It's good. They're gonna run out
of bounds plays. They're gonna have sets.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
They're gonna have drawn up plays, right, They're gonna have
guys cutting to the basket. Every single person is gonna
be able to shoot. Every person on the floors shoot.
They'll play five out. They led the nation in threes
for most of the year. I think at the end
we might have even passed them, but we it was
right there with us in them in Alabama. The one
(13:48):
thing we don't know is he was at a school,
a Mormon school where you have to sign a pledge
not to have sex to go to the school.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
It ain't easy to recruit there out immediately.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
He's not bringing that pledge with him, right.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
We don't think they're gonna make the players sign that pledge.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Hen, Let people make their own decisions on that.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Coach shading you're not going there.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Absolutely not anywhere but there.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
So we don't know if he can recruit. We don't,
and that to me will be the question. I want
to see what his staff is. I will tell you
as we speak. They are talking trying to talk to
a couple of big name assistants that everybody in this
room knows whether to work. I don't know, but they're
but they are as we speak doing that. The question
(14:36):
for me Ryan is he's gonna be able to bring players.
We need to prepare ourselves. The players ain't gonna be
as good as we've had.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
They're not. We're not gonna go get ten of or
you know, five of the top thirty guys. That ain't
gonna happen.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
But can they make the second weekend?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
That's the question. No, I'm serious.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
It's a lot of fun to watch Reed Shepherd, Rob Dillingham,
Cason Wallace, tied to Washington, etc.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
But if we lose to Oakland and Saint Peter's, it
was fun.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
But what difference is about we're gonna have a different
kind of guy here now. And I do think Ryan,
our fans we got to get in that mentality because
it's gonna be different.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
On the basketball court, you know, he won at Kansas,
he beat Baylor this year, he beat Iowa Stadium. He
had some really good wins this year with a really
good team.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
He led us at people forget this.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
When he was at Utah Valley, he led us at
ten at halftime at Reperena now we came back and
beat him, but they like he led by ten at halftime.
Speaker 7 (15:29):
I had an assistant coach that has coached against him
texted me last night and it was like, I can
see the reaction online.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
He was even on your Twitter space.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
But he's like having gone against that guy, he knows
basketball and they're a hard team to coach against in
game plan four with the stall they play.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
I had a person who knows him very very well
send me this last night. He said, I'm gonna give
you my honest opinion about Mark Pope.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And this is somebody that you guys would all know.
He won at Utah Valley.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
He was disappointing a little bit at BYU, but then
he changed his recruiting philosophy and his thoughts on how
to build a roster, and they were really good this year.
He can coach like heck, he runs some of the
best stuff in the country. He's a solid guy. I
don't know if he's a good recruiter. At b YU,
you cannot be a good recruiter. You just have to
(16:18):
do what you do, which includes losing, using a lot
of Mormon missionaries and doing the best you can.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
The issue for me is recruiting.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
If he gets players that are a half as good
as cow, he'll do as much, if not more, with them.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
The question is can he get dudes? That's my tip,
that's my take.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Well talk about then that's where.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
The nile comes in. To me, that's where the nile
comes in. He didn't have that.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
And if I'm them, they gotta talk to the fans.
They gotta win you people. This is a huge crowd here.
The goal for this for Mark Popovitch Marthart has got.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
To be to win you all over.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
If they do that, some boosters that were not involved
in the program in the last few years, and it's
always the same couple that people get mentioned, but it's
a lot more than two. It's more like twenty. I
think they'll be back now, don't you.
Speaker 7 (17:11):
You know that group too, Yeah, and part of it,
and we all know the resume and the concerns. But
he is gonna bring a passion and a fire that
I think the last regime lost, which will led to
those results. I think that energy and that work ethic
is a lot of what's been missing. And yes, he's
Mark Pope and not a Hall of Fame coach, but
I think they'll do a lot for him and getting
fans back and get in IL support because they'll see
(17:33):
him going to work as soon as he.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Gets here and really wanting to make this work.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
If I tried to put myself in these shoes, I
was last night before I went to bed. Because what's
made KSR successful over the years is I try to
say what would the average fan think?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Okay, that's what I try to do. I'm not a
media member.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm also not on the UK payroll, so I try
to say what would an average fan think?
Speaker 3 (17:55):
And here's what I thought going to bed.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
The average fan loves Mark Pope the human being, and
loves that a dude that played here is gonna be
the coach. The average fan is scared to death that
it's not gonna work, and the average fan is probably
upset that they feel like Barnhart rushed it it is
now those things aren't gonna change. So now the question
(18:19):
is can Mitch, Mitch and Pope get fans past that right,
because when the game start, none of this is gonna matter.
The national people that are mocking us, let them keep mocking.
If we win, it ain't gonna matter. If we lose,
they're gonna keep market. So it's all about winning at
this point, at least in my mind. Are we're gonna
(18:40):
take a break, We're gonna take calls. We're gonna mitch
on at eleven and we'll go from there. We'll be
ready back. This is ks R at the Moonshine Trail.
If the Barrel House is still in coming, welcome back.
Take you sports radio. All right, let me go over
(19:02):
some comments that people are writing. I think there a
lot of the questions are very similar. Let's go over
one of them, says Matt, You've always said, don't hire
a person.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Just because they went here. Isn't that this? Yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I don't think you hire a person just because they
wit here. I think that's usually a mistake. But we did,
so now we gotta make it work, right, I mean,
perfect example, Hubert Davis and John Shire. I'm not sure
that I think I think thought either one of those
guys was gonna work. I still don't know if they're
gonna work. But Hubert Davis has been to the championship game.
Now John Shire that they're keeping getting good players. So like,
(19:37):
I don't know that I would have done that but
they did it and they're committed to trying to make
it work. Ryan, I kind of think that's what we
did it, so now we got to try to make
it work.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, you want it to be a Hubert David or
John Shire, not a Rod Indiana.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Yeah. Well there's a ton of those over Patrick Ewing.
There's a ton of those over the years.
Speaker 7 (19:56):
I keep seeing that comparison, though, Shire and Davis were
assistance of those schools for like a long time, like
maybe in David like a decade, in Shire like six
seven years. So it's not really the same as just
pulling Pope from Utah and putting them in Lexington. The
people that are making that comparison, that's.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
True, But Pope actually has been a head coach. No,
that's what I mean.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
You could look at it differently, like he's a head coach.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
You can look at that.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
I'm just saying it's not the same. Whatever you think,
it's a different It is different.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
You could look at it as better or worse depending
on one person. Writes Matt, he's never won an NCAA tournament. Game,
how do you hire a coach has never won an
NCAA tournament?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Game.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Fair question. I mean, that's a fair question. You just
have to determine that. And that's gonna be a question
I'm gonna ask ask Mitch. I will say, and I
know people don't necessarily what they were as good as
we were last year. I mean, to be honest with you,
they were pretty much. I mean, we had a little
(20:49):
better seed, but like they maybe even had a couple
wins that were better than ours.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Ranked ahead of us in the final day, so we were.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Probably similar teams. One person writes, what's it going to
be like for us to go recruit and not be
with the top top guys. Well, I'm not willing to
conceive we won't be with the top top guys, but
we don't know we will be right, But let me
just say, what if the top top guy's done for us?
(21:19):
Remember my comment the other day, You know, meny five stars,
we're in the final four this year.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Two?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You know how many started for one of the final
four teams one?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So I mean, it's a different world.
Speaker 8 (21:32):
How many times do we heard fans say that they
wish that our players would be here for two or
three years.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
We got this might be the type of roster that
he could put together.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Shannon, that's a great point. I've heard people for years
calling this show. I want guys who've been here for
a while. I want guys who love the name on
the front of the uniform, not the back of the uniform.
I want guys who know how to play, who are coached. Well,
you're getting all that. You're getting all that, and now
we'll see if we wanted it. I think something to
note Jeff Shepherd and Mark Poper college roommates. Okay, Jeff
(22:04):
Shepherd and Mark Pope are lifelong friends. If there was
ever gonna be a chance Ree Shepherd would come back,
this is it now. I don't think that kid should
come back because he feels an obligation, but if he
was gonna come back, this would probably be the best
way to make it happen.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
There's no doubt that that helps that connection. Jamal Mashburn's
kids in the Transfer portal, James Blackman's kid in the
Transferred Portal. There's some good players out there with Kentucky
ties that maybe could get us all excited for the roster.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
That there's a lot of stuff that happened under Cow
that it's impossible to know if this will be better.
I do think, however, and this is crazy, but I
do think there'll be a lot more money in the
program than there would have been otherwise. And I do
think you'll see a lot more former players. Now the
question is, well the.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Cow players, Yeah, and I don't know the answer.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
It'll be interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
All right.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
We will take your calls right after this. We are
here at Barrel House distill Ain't on Manchester Street's KSR.
(23:17):
Welcome back Tucky Sports Radio. Here live at Barrel House Distilly.
We are here for the Moonshine Trail. Let me tell
you quickly about the Moonshine Trail. By the way, Big
ups to Moonshine Trail. Who's getting probably more listeners than
they ever thought they'd get on this advertisement today. The
Moonshine Trail dot com Six distillers around Kentucky that each
(23:39):
have a different type of moonshine. Barrel House here, Regeneration
Distilling in Winchester, Kentucky, Mountain Moonshine in Revenna, Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Where's Revenna? Irvin?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
All right, Irvin, Kentucky, Kentucky. Miss Distillery in Whitesburg, Polly Hollow.
Although I'd say at Polly Holler Distillery in Pike County
and back Woods Moonshine Museum in Babyville. Those are the
six things on the Moonshine Trail. We have a sample
from all of them up here. That Drew I'm sure
is going to take as soon as Mitch cuts off
the air, because I don't want him drunk while Mitch
(24:11):
is on the air.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Disrespect mister Barnhart on such a significant day.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
All right, so let's go. I've done a lot of talking.
By the way, here's the one part of news. Matt
Orlander reports cal Perry taking his whole staff to Arkansas,
same guys, replacing John Welch.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
That was the X and O guy with Brad cal Perry.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
All right, I'll have one. I'll drink to that.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
Somebodies who are going to replace somebody. Welsh would be
the wrong guy.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You know what's the good news about that.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I'd heard some chatter that maybe Kenny would think about going.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
That would have helped him.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Yeah, no offense that staff replacing Welch with Brad good luck,
great value can touch. Let me be clear, I do
love Orlando. I'll take like Orlando. I think he's great,
But for me all right, good luck.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
That's that. I'll just uh, you took. You took.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
The one thing that came in that was a positive
last year was that offense. And the guy who did
the offense is leave it. So that's a you know,
that is what it is.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
Did you take the shovel with him?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
All right? Who's up first? Got Joe up first? I'm
interested to hear what people say.
Speaker 9 (25:19):
Let's go Joe, Hey, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Guys? What's up?
Speaker 9 (25:26):
It's a lot of my points got wind taken out
of him. But I think one thing ks R should
be excited about is there gonna be able to communicate
with somebody. It's probably gonna come on the show at
least once or more a week with your talk.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah, let me just say that's I think that will happen.
But that's not why I will or won't be happy.
I've said this over and over. It's all about winning.
If he comes on the show every week and we lose,
that doesn't make me happy, right, So you know I
I want him to win. I know Mark Pope, right,
and I appreciate you called Ryan.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
You know Mark.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You knew Mark Pope is a player you worked with
Mark Pope on television for a couple of years.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
What's he like as a human being.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
He's an awesome dude. I mean, you talk about a
it's super smart too. Wasn't he a Rhodes Scholar?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I think he is, without question, in my opinion, the
smartest person to ever play a Kentuckey. He was a
finalist to be a Rhodes Scholar, and he went to
medical school for two years and dropped out to be
because he wanted to pursue his dream of coaching. I
always say there are people that are sports smart and
real life smart. Mark's the smartest real life person that
(26:37):
I've ever known to play here just being you know. Now,
that doesn't mean he'll be a great coach, but he
is very smart.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
He's very funny too, just a great guy to be around,
you know. I covered him in ninety six, but then
in ninety seven he was part of our crew a
Wlax that we went on the road for March Madness.
Like he was took his shirt off on the ski
slope at Salt Lake City that year during one of
our live shots. I mean, he just kind of crazy
stuff like that. We all got to know him as
a person just generally a great, great guy.
Speaker 6 (27:03):
Is that where you got the shirt thing from? Did
Pope started it off?
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:07):
He's very dorky, Shaman. I mean, there's a video of
him rapping to Hamilton. There's a video where he put
on his UK basketball uniform. You've seen the dorkiness. I
know you don't usually like dorkiness.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (27:22):
I think it's very dorky. As you said, I think
we've got Scott Drew. We're gonna get another dork. So
either way, we're gonna get a dork.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
Look, he may crush it here, you know, and right
now we might as well just embrace it because it
is what it is. I just didn't love how quickly
he was. That's just kind of where I stand it.
But I'm gonna embrace him. I hope that he does well,
but we'll see. Tom will tell if he wins, everybody
will be happy. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
I have to stand up for one thing. We're not
gonna have Hamilton slander. Yeah me, love doesn't discriminate between
the Sinners and the Saints. Matt, I mean, at this
press conference, I'm ready to challenge him if he wants
to to go bar for Barrio.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
There's an online Mark Pope versus Drew and Hamilton Berg.
I would like to see that.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Who's next? Randy is up next? Randy? Go ahead, Randy.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
Good morning, guys. Hey, I'm not like everybody else. Last
night I was one of your twenty three thousand on
your Twitter space and was really kind of frustrated with
the hire because I felt like it was an emergency
or need jerk reaction. After listening to you and reading
and I think, you know, Danny Hurley hadn't done anything
(28:30):
before he went to Yukon.
Speaker 11 (28:31):
Correct.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
I know he won some NCAA tournament games maybe, but
I thought if we didn't get the Tier one and
Tier two, maybe we went pod Golden at Florida.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I think there's some things that would I think there's
some things that would have made that impossible.
Speaker 10 (28:46):
Right, Okay, But but I think this is our Todd
Golden Hier. He's fifty one. He's going to put energy
in the program and let's go.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
It's all I can say, guys.
Speaker 10 (28:56):
I'll be down there next to your chair in the morning.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Appreciate the call. Look, let's put it like this. If
he doesn't do x's and oh's well, this will fail, right, Like,
he's not gonna be able to win by personality the
way in some ways cow was at times like he's
not gonna be able to just recruit the top ten
players in America and hope works. He's gonna have to
be good x and oh, every single person today should
(29:19):
watch that video I tweet out.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
It's called uh they play basketball like a video game.
And the guy it's not the most well put together video,
he's kind of it's slow, but they show the way
they run offense.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And Kelvin Sampson, this is Kelvin Sampson's probably the best
defensive coach in the country. Kelvin Sampson in that video goes,
this is the hardest team to play against in the
country because nobody plays like they do.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Yeah, and they've got that you know, for all you
shot chart people that would make those go viral. It's
threes and twos and they get wide open layups because
they cannot leave any of their shooters. So as long
as he can get the right personnel, and it's gonna
take a lot better than what he had with their
brand too basketball. It's kind of like that what everyone
likes with that NATO. It's it's a layup or a three,
and it's just a matter of getting the right people
to perform it.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
At this level.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
My biggest concern isn't can't he get a roster this
year because he's probably not gonna bring too many recruits.
They have one kid who was a top thirty five
player who went on a two year Mormon mission and
is now coming back. Does he decide to follow Mark
Pope or does he go to BYU?
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I don't know, but you know, well, who's next? Darren
is up next? Darren? Go ahead, Darren, good morning?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
May can you hear me?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yes?
Speaker 12 (30:38):
Mad, I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 13 (30:39):
I got up this morning.
Speaker 14 (30:40):
I actually went to bed pretty early last night, and
I got up this morning, and I've been burning my
phone up the last twenty four hours wondering who he's
gonna get. But uh, my reaction was probably the same
as everybody else.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I was shocked. I was just like you.
Speaker 14 (30:55):
But listen, let's give him a chance. I mean, he
he knows what it is to put that jersey on.
He knows what Kentucky is, he knows what it means
to us fans. He would played under probably the best
coach that we've ever had, you know, arguably, and.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Let's give him a chance.
Speaker 14 (31:13):
I mean, you know, let's see what he can do.
Speaker 12 (31:15):
I believe, and you know we got the nil to
back him up.
Speaker 14 (31:18):
I mean, you know, hey, don't don't think he can't
get recruits.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We got money and we're Kentucky.
Speaker 14 (31:23):
I mean, if John Shire can do it, we can
do it.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Appreciate the call. That's that's actually a fairly positive call.
So we got at least one very positive I will
say on the Anile money. I keep getting text during
the show. He's gonna have everything he needs to build
a roster. I think there's a really good chance we'll
have I don't this isn't guaranteed, but I think there's
a really good chance.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
We'll have more in iow of money than anybody next year.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Now, it might take a year for that to work
itself out, right, because you still gotta he's not gonna
have anywhere, Like we're gonna be old next year, Like
I hope people rise, I gonna have the oldest team
in the country.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Cause I don't know. I bet Travis Perry.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Stays, oh yeah, yeah. I mean, if I'm Travis Perry.
You just you just drew your dream coach for how
you play, don't you think?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Yeah, that's him.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Also, the other guys even show up for his championship.
I'm sure he's I shouldn't say I'm sure I don't
know him, but I mean I would be excited for but.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
We're I have an old team next year. The effect
on recruiting and Nile is probably gonna take a year
to really figure out one way or the other.
Speaker 7 (32:27):
I think the staff, now that money is there, we
know Pope's got the energy in the UK connection. He
needs somebody with some actually recruiting contacts. Like I said,
Pope's been getting people in Utah. We need you to
start going to Texas, Atlanta, the Northeast. You need people
that already have these contacts recruiting.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
It at b YU has one major advantage and one
massive disadvantage. The massive The major advantage is you get
the best Mormons. No, it sounds like I'm joking, but
there's usually one or two really good Mormons a year,
and you get him. One year, that Duke sto one
of their Mormons, and he was great, and then he
(33:02):
crushed him. You get the Mormons so every year there's
like one or two Mormons that are really good and
you get them right. But the hard part is getting
the non Mormons because, like Shannon said, I'm coming in
your house. You're top ten player, Shannon, great place here,
we got everything you need, great fan base, by use,
a massive university. All good you in Oh, I love it.
(33:24):
Man offensive style, you're gonna get a hundred. Okay, you
can't have sex.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
No, I'm sorry, that's a that's a get.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Out of my house.
Speaker 6 (33:31):
He'll kill her.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
You can't drink no what?
Speaker 15 (33:36):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Right, So he's not gonna I don't think Mitch Mitch
Wherhart's religious.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
I don't think he's gonna make him do that here.
So you know our faith.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
This listeners are laughing right now.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I don't know how you listen to faith this, but right.
But Drew and I have talked about I only bet
on Mormon teams.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Mormon.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Mormon Mormon teams cover more than any other team in
the in the country randomness. So Drew first thing he
texted me, goes, do we bet on Kentucky every game?
Speaker 13 (34:05):
Now?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
You're great?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Hire for fade this. That's exactly right. Shady Rays is
a Kentucky based company. You can get sunglasses. If you
lose or break them, they'll replace them. You can buy
two pairs, use a code KSR for fifty percent off.
They got him in Lexington and Louisville at the summit.
It's all there. It is Shady Rays dot Com. They
are a big investor in the state. They've done amazingly well.
Started right there in Simpsonville. Shady rays dot Com. Best sunglasses,
(34:29):
best prices at Shady Rays. We are here at Barrel House,
Mitch Barnhart. At eleven o'clock. We'll take a break and
be right back to Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back Tucky
Sports Radio. Here at Barrel House.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Tociling. You know, those of you that showed up, didn't.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Know you all were gonna get to speak for the
fan base with these TV stations here. So there's gonna
be a lot of postgame interviews, I think, where people
will say, what do you think of the new hire?
Speaker 3 (34:57):
We're go find out here in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Mitch Barnhart will join us in the next segment, but
I want to give people a chance to talk.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
So who's next up next to his hunter?
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Rick's still going at his pace I love it, Hunter,
Go ahead, Hunter, Hey Hunter.
Speaker 16 (35:11):
Hey Matt for first time, first time call her?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Who are?
Speaker 16 (35:15):
I'm a big Mark Pope fan, so I kind of
want to stick up for him a little bit. His
two best teams were actually his first two years, and
the first year the reason why he do any March
games was because he got upset by UCLA, who ended
up in the final four. So I wouldn't count that
too hard against him.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
They lost in the first four in Dayton, right in
that in my career.
Speaker 10 (35:36):
No, no, they made it to the actual game. UCLA
played in the first four though, gotcha?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
And was that the year the year U Sail had
played in the finals or whatever against the semi finals
against Zaga.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Okay, yeah, gotcha, go ahead team.
Speaker 16 (35:50):
Then the second year they had three first team all WCCs,
so they were another great team. They were eighteenth and
the eight people and then COVID canceled the tournament. So
you're I believe he showed out at least one or
two wins out of that teams, and I don't think
he can blame him too much for that. Then, going
to recruiting, I think if you look at his transfers
he can recruit with about anyone considering it. It was BYU
(36:12):
he got Jackson Robinson from Arkansas. In this past year
he got Marcus Adams Junior from Kansas, a bunch of
non Mormons who were looking to go other places, but
still came to BYU. So I think a lot of
our fans who were giving him a lot of crap,
you know, need to give him a chance.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
All right, Well, I appreciate the call. I didn't know
any of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
You see, It's good to have people who he must
have worked.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
He must be an agent. Who's next? Up next is
Joshua Joshua, go ahead, Joshua.
Speaker 12 (36:45):
Hey, good morning, Cass.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Sorry thanks taking my call.
Speaker 17 (36:48):
So my wife this morning took me to the d
MV here in Louisville to get my license renewed. Standing
next to a guy we're in a Kentucky shirt. I
gave him a little thumbs up and said Mark Poe.
He looked back at me and smile and says, man,
I'm pretty excited. And for the next ninety seconds.
Speaker 12 (37:01):
We're just giddy about Mark Pope being our next head coach.
I'm super excited. I think he is not the sexy choice,
but he is the correct choice. If he can bring
Jackson Robinson, like the callers said before, with him, if
he can get a guy like Wade Taylor out of
the transfer portal, who announced fifteen minutes before the Mark
Pope news broke last night that he hit the portal,
(37:23):
if we can getting here too, I'm super excited. I'm
all in, I'm Mark Pope. God bless you guys. Go
cats well.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I will tell you we've taken four calls, and everybody
knows we don't screen calls. They've all been pretty positive.
I'm surprised. I was expecting some people to go go nuts.
If you go online, it's only people going nuts, So
that's a good sign.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Who's next?
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Chris is up next?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Chris? Go ahead, Chris.
Speaker 15 (37:51):
Hey, guys, I I also am super positive. I am
thinking that Coach Pope's gonna restore us to our deserved
relevance and show the national media what we're really about, that.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
It's not university at Cal. And then show Cal.
Speaker 15 (38:08):
I think Mitch wants to show Cal that ads can
win championships, but coaches also got to be a part
of that. And then to all my friends who tell
me to stop calling so much. I hope you hear
my voice in your dreams.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Appreciate to call.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Oh, Chris, you know, we haven't talked a lot about
it because so much has been going on. But that
comment that Mitch or that cal made at the press
conference where he said administrations win championships like that was.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Clearly a shot at Barnhart there, didn't you think.
Speaker 7 (38:43):
I don't know if how many people picked up on
it here, but he started saying Lexington just shortly after
the drama. We had a couple summers ago, and we
felt it then, and he took it to Fayetteville. So
it shows how strange that relationship really was.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Yeah, clearly. Well that's a whole nother drama for another day.
Right now, now it's Mark Pope. What's next?
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Tyler?
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Is up next? Tyler?
Speaker 2 (39:04):
I mean I will be I'm telling you the fact
the first six calls of all be positive is not
what I saw coming.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Janda. We'll be honest with you, Tyler. Go ahead, Tyler.
Speaker 11 (39:13):
I'm keeping the train rolling. So first off, thanks for
all the extra coverage. This week has just been a
roller coaster and you know, being able to listen to
you on the extra times is great, but no, so
I've talked to myself into now overnight that I am
excited as well. First off, like with the the hardest
part about Kentucky is the circus that is Kentucky. And
(39:34):
I don't think anybody in the country we could guarantee
that they would know that other than Mark Pope, so that,
I mean, he already has that going for him, and
that's the hardest part.
Speaker 13 (39:44):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (39:44):
And with recruiting, I mean, I get it, but we're
Kentucky now. We only need to get one or two
solid recruits a year that you know, It's not like
cal We don't need that every year. So that's that's
another positive. And also it just kind of lowers the
expectations for next year, which is a good thing because
if we did get at Danny Hurley, at Billy Donovan,
(40:05):
you know, we would be expecting the world like we
have in the past fifteen years, and if we were
let down again it would hurt even worse. Now we
we know we might not get that the first year,
so that's that's another positive. And and just my last
point is with Danny Hurley, the caller hinted at it earlier.
If you look with. You know, everybody thinks he's the
(40:25):
top coach now, which he is, but he felled at
Yukon before. I mean, it took him a while, and
he they missed.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Determined their first four years he was there. You're right, Yeah,
you're right.
Speaker 11 (40:35):
And then he lost in my first round.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Let somebody else cope and I appreciate the call. I will.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
That's good stuff, I will say. All right, I know
there's more people negative than are calling.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
I will saving all of our negative calls with the
second album.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Maybe so, but let me say this. I want everybody
I like to think positively sometimes. So let's just dream
about what would be an awesome moment, all right? For
anything else you think? Mark Pope's a Kentucky guy, right,
Mark Pope loves this place. Mark Pope wore our uniform
on the BYU floor to make a to make a video.
I want you to picture next January or February when
(41:11):
Arkansas comes into town. All right, Cow's gonna come into town.
He's gonna be wearing red. He's gonna have with him
on the sidelines a staff that I think some of
whom at times didn't help him out. And they're gonna
come in here, probably with some big name recruits. What
if Mark Pope coming there with the ninety six team
(41:34):
sitting there on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
With him, What if we were to beat their ass
here and Rubberena next year?
Speaker 6 (41:41):
Can we wear dinnam?
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I mean it would be kind of awesome ride, wouldn't it?
Speaker 4 (41:48):
You march out the ninety sixteen before the game or
at halftime, maybe even Coach Patino comes out and he
voices his support for Mark Bope.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
That way, the drama here will never end quickly? One
more before they Who's next?
Speaker 5 (42:01):
John?
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Is next? John? I just got like a minute.
Speaker 12 (42:05):
Thirty, real quick thirty. I think the pressure.
Speaker 13 (42:08):
I think the pressure is off, and I'm looking forward
to this. The one thing I think is different now,
this is a real Kentucky person, a real guy who
understands the one thing that makes Kentucky different from everybody
else is us, Me, You, Drew Shannon, everybody that listens
and watches, that lives this twenty four seven, three sixty five.
(42:32):
Pope understands that better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
All right, Mitch, thank you very much. Mitch Barnhart.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Next here at Barrelhouse, Tocilio's Kentucky Sports Radio
Host
Matt Jones
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!