2025-04-11 LEACH REPORT

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast of the Leech Report is presented by Boone's
Butcher Shop in Barnstown at one hundred Old Bloomfield Pike,
family owned and operated since nineteen forty six, with fresh
meat cut on site daily. Boons Butcher Shop. Good Friday. Everybody,
welcome into our show, presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises.

(00:22):
It's another rainy day, but supposed to be sunny for
the weekend, so if you're going to get to get
out to Keeland, you'll enjoy a little chilly but not
bad and the sun will make it feel pretty well.
If you're heading over to the spring showcase for UK football,
tomorrow should be a nice day for that. Again, just
a little cool, but nice sunny day. Chance to get

(00:45):
a look at the Wildcats before next season. I'm sure
a lot of attention will be focused obviously on the
quarterbacks and that'll be coming up tomorrow. We will talk
UK baseball to lead off the show today. They have
a big series this weekend. This is a chance for
kind of a resume reset if you will. Number two

(01:07):
Texas is in town and Kentucky could certainly use a
series win against a team like that to offset some
tough beats in recent weeks in SEC play and even
the one Tuesday night down at Louis. We'll also chab
with Mike Decursi from The Sporting News in the second
half of the show and wrap up the tournament for

(01:28):
this year and talk a little bit about the Cats
heading into next season, and Kara Heisenbuddle from out of
Keenland will join us as well. Wildcat News of the
Day a service of Giuseppes of Lexington in the Big
News if you're waking up as a Wildcat fan is
for star point guard Cayden Lewis has de committed from Kentucky,

(01:48):
one of three members of the second freshman class for
Mark Pope, so now it's Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson
as the Kaden. Lewis just did the typical verbiage in
his announcement, thanking coach Pope in the UK for recruiting
him and just felt he needed to reopen his recruitment.

(02:10):
So maybe it's because you know, Jalen Lowe's coming in
with two years of eligibility left, so maybe it's something
to do with that. Who knows, But now Mark Pope
is looking for I would assume a point guard to
fill that slot. I mean, Travis Perry played a good
bit last season, but I would think they would want

(02:31):
to have one more point guard, especially the way the
point guard position was hit with injuries this year. Of course,
you know Jasper Johnson can slide over and play that spot.
He's a combo guy. Otega Oway. I know Mark Pope
said several times during this season he thinks there's a
lot of playmaking skills there in always skill set, and

(02:56):
if they could tap into that, it would certainly help
Otega from an NBA standpoint if he could do some
of that. So you know, who knows they could go
that route and use that scholarship for another option. We'll
see that plays out over the next few days, but
Kaden Lewis has decommitted. UK Football Spring Showcase presented by

(03:17):
Kroger Tomorrow at ten am at Kroger Field, Admissions free.
You can park in the red, blue, green, and orange
lots and get a look at coach Stoop's team for
the twenty twenty five season. They really haven't talked a
lot about a lot of individuals this spring, just preferring
to kind of keep the message to the blue collar
approach of doing the work and letting their actions speak

(03:41):
for them. That most notably will happen once the season starts,
but it does give you, as a Kentucky football fan,
a chance to get a look at some guys, especially
getting new guys. Law the wide receiver from Alabama. Patterson
has been getting out of buzz at the running back spot.
Was on the team last season, of course, and got
to rail by an injury. So you know, those are

(04:03):
some of the guys that you know the in addition
to the quarterbacks that you'll no doubt be keeping an
eye on. Women's basketball got a transfer commitment yesterday, Asia
Boone from the Liberty team that Kentucky played in the
NCAA tournament. He averaged ten points a game, shot thirty
seven percent from the three point line. It was the
Conference USA Freshman of the Year five eight guard. Nice

(04:23):
pick up there. We mentioned Kentucky baseball taking on number
two Texas six to thirty first pitch, and the rain's
supposed to move out this morning, so they should be
good for the whole series. As far as weather, UK
Radio and Darren Hendrick will have the call. It'll be
on SEC Network Plus tonight and then on the main
SEC network for noon starts on Saturday and Sunday, and

(04:44):
of course Darren will be there on the call for
all of that action. And then tonight Jasper Johnson and
Malachi Moreno are playing in a Nike Hoop summit out
in Portland ten o'clock Eastern on the USA Network. Links
to the stories that we talk about each day, you
can find those on the bud Light Leach Report page
at Tom Leechky dot com. Darren Hedrick's gonna join us

(05:06):
when we come back, talk a little UK baseball ahead
of the big Series with Texas. Our opening segment a
Wildcat News always presented by Giuseppes of Lexington, and if
you go to open Table you can make a reservation
for Giuseppes sometime soon. You haven't been lately, or if
you haven't been at all. It's right there off Nicholasville Road,

(05:27):
just out past Man of War. They've been in business
for about thirty years now, handcut steaks, homemade pasta, fresh seafood,
chipped in a lot of locally sourced ingredients for their
sides and as well as the beef. So check that
out at Giuseppes Lexington dot com. Kind of make your
scouting report for what you're going to have when you
head to Giuseppes Full selection of wines and bourbons two

(05:50):
and Scott the Bartender makes it fantastic Espresso Martiniz. So
check it all out at Giuseppes of Lexington. We'll be
right back with Darren Hedrick on the Leech Report, presented
by Bobcat Enterprises. Guests on the Leads Report come to
you have you the Club Blueinile dot com hotline. Their
sister organization, Commonwealth Causes is back with another bourbon raffle.
This one's coming up on April twenty fourth, and it'll

(06:13):
feature an incredible twenty thousand dollars worth of bourbon, including
the legendary Pappy van Winkle six bottle set, the Blanton
Complete Set and the Weller six bottle set. Several lucky winners,
big bourbon, big prizes, But the tickets are limited, So
secure yours at Commonwealth Causes dot Org. That's Commonwealth Causes

(06:34):
dot RG and that helps And Club Blue is the
nil partner for UK is let us go to the
Club Blueenile dot Com hotline. Bring on Darren Hedrick, the
radio voice for UK baseball and women's basketball, and you'll
be on the call tonight with Kentucky taking on number

(06:55):
two Texas out of Kentucky. Proud Park coach Madison's gonna
work this one with you, ar.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, I think we can get the Hall of Famer
to come out this weekend for a few innings. Look
forward to calling the game with him this week in
we've missed him over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully
he can help us turn this thing around.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
He can bring the good mojo and you will need
it against the number two ranked Longhorns. Give us a
scouting report on Texas and what the challenges will be
for Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, Texas says a little bit of everything, Tom. That's
how They're twenty seven and four on the year. They're
eleven and one in the SEC, and they are coming
off a very impressive sweep of the Georgia Bulldogs. Until
that sweep, Kentucky had been the only team that had
beaten Georgia and SEC play basically. But yeah, Texas. They
can hit. They've got Ethan Mendoza three sixty one average.

(07:48):
They got a couple of guys that have hit double
digit home runs. They're pitching is Their depth in the
bullpen is not as deep as we've seen some other
teams this year, Tom, but they're starting rotation may be
the best that Kentucky has faced this year. The staff
era is three to three. Jared Spencer throwing to not

(08:08):
eight starts, He's four and one, struck out fifty eight batters.
This is a team that can pitch and they're built
to win big this year.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Kentucky could have won the series against Georgia, could have
won the series against Auburn, could have won the series
against Ole Miss, but they don't put you in the
NCAA tournament based on what you could have done. So
I was saying that this is a great opportunity for Kentucky.
If you could get this series, you could win this one.

(08:37):
That offsets a lot of those near misses.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Oh, there's no question about that. And Tom, when you
think about where Kentucky is right now, five and seven
in the league, they've had the lead in all twelve
SEC games. Just what you're talking about, but you got
to piece it together, and talking with coach Menngi on
the radio show, it kind of feels like Kentucky's playing

(09:02):
a shell game. Right now where you put the ball
under one of three cups and you shuffle them around
and you got to follow the ball and stay with it.
And for Kentucky, maybe it's one night with a pitching
doesn't quite measure up, and then the next night, maybe
it's the offense that goes into a lull or the
situational hitting. The execution is it where you need it
to be. And so you look at their last four

(09:23):
games against Ole Miss and Louisville, all top eleven opponents,
three one run losses, and right now it's just figuring
out a way to turn that around. The pitching has
been better, so right now it's just trying to play
that shell game and keep their eye on the ball
and figure out how to turn these one loss games
into one run or two run victories.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
I was listing last Saturday and at bottom of the
ninth you get a two out hit with runners I
think on second third and get thrown out at the plate,
and I thought, sure that was going to be the
walkoff win there. And it's been that close a lot
of times.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah, yeah, it really has. I mean that loss you
referred to, they had three runners thrown out at home
in that game, and one of them was a bunt
that wasn't properly executed, and then some other ones were
just really good plays defensively by Old Miss. And that's
what they're going to face this weekend against Texas. Texas
will not beat themselves and Kentucky's going to have to

(10:23):
execute at a high level in order to win this series.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Eer the first couple of SEC series can tell you
was having to win Slugfest. But the pitching has improved,
has it not? I mean, Ben Cleaver's been solid along,
but the rest of the pitching has improved some, hasn't it.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (10:39):
I think so. I've actually been really encouraged when you
look at what they've done against really tough offenses against
Old Miss and Louisville. They've held I want to say,
going back the last four games, they've allowed four runs,
three runs, five runs, and four runs, and so you're
in a chance to win all of those games, like

(10:59):
you talked about. So that's kind of where that show
game comes into effect. At one point you're winning slug Fest.
Well now you're starting to come up short in some
low scoring games with the pitching has measured up. But
just talking about a few guys real quick. Scott Rouse
and Nick McKay are settling into their roles. You talked
about Ben Cleaver, the slim Reaper. He's been their stopper

(11:21):
in that weekend rotation. They've got a chance to win
every time he starts, and they're starting to find some
key pieces and it's going to be fond tonight to
see Nate Harris, the freshman, make his second sec start
against probably the toughest line up he's faced all year.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
Big opportunity for a young guy like that. One quick
thought on women's basketball. They pick up a transfer, Asia
Boon that played for Liberty against Kentucky in the tournament.
Any early scouting report on what she'll bring to the squad.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
Well, she definitely can shoot the three pointers. She was
the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, I believe, I know.
She was second team all conferences past year average double
figure scoring. She was their top three point shooter, I
think on that Liberty Flames team, and we didn't get
to see much of her in lindsay A tournament. She

(12:13):
was injured in the first quarter, like the first five
minutes of the game, and so she missed the majority
of the contests. With Kentucky. But she'll outstanding ball handler,
which is what coach Brooks is looking for. She's a
dynamic scorer. She's just going to add to the depth
of that backcard along with Josie Gilvin from Western Kentucky.
And so you start looking at the roster for the

(12:36):
Cats and find that point guard that you're looking for
and maybe some depth on the post with Clara Strack
and Sianni Key, and you've got a roster that can
go out and wins ballgames next year.

Speaker 1 (12:47):
Darren Edrick will be on the call for Kentucky Texas
this weekend, first pitch, six thirty tonight, Eastern Time on
the UK Radio Network. Darren, Thank you, Tom, Thanks so much.
Darren Eddrick joining us here in the Clark's Pump and
Shop studio. Return Refresh and Refuel at Clark's and they
have a new loyalty rewards program you'll want to get
signed up for, so when you go to clarks you

(13:08):
can build up your points and get some discounts on
fuel and items in their stores. Will be right back
to talk a little bit about the weekend coming up
at Keenland. It is the Leech Report Radio Network presented
by Bobcat Enterprises. Twent If I passed the top of
the hour, we welcome Kara Heustin Buddle to the program
from Keenland and a lot of special events going on

(13:28):
this weekend. In addition to the great racing Grade one
makers Mark Mile today at a Grade one the Jenny
Wiley tomorrow along with the Grade three Stone Street, Lexington.
It is College Scholarship Day today and that is always
popular with the college students in this area to get
and their parents to have the chance to get some

(13:49):
free money for college.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
That's right, tom So our college students they can go
online and register and they get free mission into Keemlan today.
We have lots of swag and giveaways for the students
down in the North Terrace and then when they get here,
they're automatically entered to win scholarships. We have two ten
thousand dollars scholarships and ten two thousand dollars scholarships in

(14:12):
addition to lots of other great prizes that will give
away throughout the day.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
And they just have to sign up to have a
chance to win, right, That's right.

Speaker 4 (14:21):
They just have to sign up on our website and
they'll get their QR code to scan at the admission
gate and Tom when you see these students call their
parents and let them know they won ten thousand dollars,
it's quite a moment. They're so excited.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
I remember Nick Nicholson when he was president there, told
me a story about a young man who won one
of the scholarships but was a little hesitant to call
his parents because he had told them he couldn't come
home that weekend because he had to study. But he
did win money while he was there, not just at
the windows. The hill did not get to open last weekend.

(14:58):
There was no racing until Sunday, and the hill is
obviously very popular with the younger crowd, especially at Keeland.
Are you guys going to get to open it up
this weekend?

Speaker 4 (15:10):
That's right, the hill is open this weekend. You know,
Rainer Sean, We're going to give it a go. But
it looks like the weather is going to be so
much better this weekend and a time to be outside
and enjoy the bluegrass tradition of tailgating.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, and it's a very popular spot and folks can
go online and find out more about it at Keenland
dot com. There's also a new feature this year, a
little more of an upscale tailgating area. It's a premium area,
but it's a way to do it in a really
stepped up way.

Speaker 4 (15:44):
That's right. We have Race Day Social on the Hill,
which is a high end tailgating experience. So if you
want to come and enjoy tailgating but don't want to
try to prepare food and things like that, you can
just go Park on the Hill. You can buy your
ticket to Race Day on our website and you'll have
food and beverage, live music and all of that before

(16:05):
the races get started for the day.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
So what else is on the agenda for Keenland this weekend?

Speaker 4 (16:11):
You know, we have Sunrise track side on Saturday morning,
which is always a fan favorite. No reservation required, folks
can just come out to the track and enjoy morning workout,
kids activities. And then on Sunday we have Heroes Day
and so this includes emergency management folks, veterans of course,

(16:32):
our military and police, fire and medical professionals. But just
go online and reserve their tickets and include your entire
immediate family. You get free admission for the day grandstand seating.
We're serving lunch in the North Terrace and we'll honor
some really special people on that day.

Speaker 1 (16:50):
So that's coming up on Sunday, And if you fall
into that category, go to Keeyland dot com and you
can find out all the details on that ar Heisenbaddle.
Thank you for the info.

Speaker 4 (17:02):
Thanks Tom.

Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's Keeland dot com is the website. Yesterday we told
you about the horse Brea from three that was running
in the first race, a two year old ended up
running fifth, but the pedigree for that horse suggests that
it should do better around two turns longer distances, so

(17:25):
keep an eye on Brea from three could still develop
into a nice horse. And then there was another horse
we assume a name for a Kentucky player. D Book
assuming its name for Devin Booker won the sixth race
at odds of fifty four to one yesterday. So hopefully, hopefully,
if you played the Kobe Brea hunch bet you also

(17:46):
played the one on d Book and ESPN's mock draft.
By the way, the latest one has Kobe actually projected
going in the second round fifty fourth overall halfway home.
On this edition of the Leech Report, presented by Bob
Cat Enterprises, they have four locations around the States. So
when you need to buy a rent heavy equipment, that's
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(18:07):
of you and have loaders, excavators, skid steer loaders, et cetera,
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Bobcat Enterprises you'll find the one that's closest to you.
We'll be right back with Mike Decursi. It's the Late
Triport presented by Bobcat Enterprises. And we go to the
club Bluenile dot com hotline and bring on Mike Decursi
from Sportingnews dot Com and the Big Ten Network does

(18:28):
the brackets for Fox Sports during the season. You follow
him on x at TSN Mike and Mike. The poor
Houston fans forty two years apart, they had the national
championship in their grasp. Their team did twice and let
it slip away.

Speaker 5 (18:46):
They sure did, But this time I think, honestly they
got everything out of what they had. It just was
the idea in this circumstance. I mean, they had beaten
the best team in college basketball two days earlier. But
when you're in the circumstance that Houston is trying to
squeeze every last piece of success out of a group

(19:10):
of players who aren't as talented as the teams they're playing.
It inevitably runs out. I mean when I say inevitable,
I mean like we're talking about almost uninterrupted truth that
if you don't have the NBA level talent, that you don't.

Speaker 3 (19:27):
Necessarily have to have the best players. But if you
don't have any of those players.

Speaker 5 (19:31):
You're not winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. It hasn't
happened really in my lifetime that we go back to
the start of the actual NBA draft, which I don't
remember the exact year, sometime in the sixties because they
had the territorial draft and all that, but you go
back to when they just started drafting straight up, and

(19:53):
so we're well into my into my very very much
my youth.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
There's never been a team that's won the nc.

Speaker 5 (19:59):
Double A Men's Basketball Championship without a top thirty NBA
pick on its roster.

Speaker 3 (20:05):
It's rotation, I should say.

Speaker 5 (20:07):
That's I mean, that's that's pretty much saying. When I
stood close to Kelvin Sampson on Monday night, about an
hour after the game, and he said this team was
built to win the NCAA Championship.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
This team was built to win six games.

Speaker 5 (20:22):
My first thought was, thank you for giving me the
ending to my story, because it wasn't. Everything he said
about that team was true. They were mature, they were tough,
they were together, they were as connected as any team
in America. But just that those players make a difference
in the end at some point, in some way. And

(20:42):
you look at the Mark Clayton close out to force
the turnover from Emmanuel Sharp. Eventually those guys are going
to do something that you can't take away, and that
you know that That's been true for all of Kentucky's titles.
It's been true for all of everyone on titles. I mean,
you think back to the ninety sixteen and Tony Delk

(21:04):
busting all those shots, and that like Syracuse playing their zone,
they just couldn't stop him. And I could think of
other plays along the way, Anthony Davis and the great
shot blocks and the incredible close that Michael kid Gilchrist
did to block the layup by Kansas. Those guys, eventually

(21:26):
they're going to do something that decides the game.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
It happens every year.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
This was a Houston Florida game that reminded me a
little bit in a way of the Kentucky Wisconsin game
in fifteen. And the way was that in that game,
Kentucky had the three shot clock violations, a great offensive
rebounding team that didn't get a shot up, and Houston
had a great offensive rebounding team and they kept turning

(21:53):
it over. Worst thing you can do. If they just
get a shot up, chances are maybe they get one
or two of them back and score or at least
eat up the more time.

Speaker 5 (22:02):
Absolutely true, But when you think about it, a lot
of those, especially the two Sharp turnovers that were late,
the Emmanuel Sharp turnovers, those were forced.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
The rich made a nice play to reach in on
the drive, Yes, yeah they did.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
They executed a really nice switch on the pick and
roll that led to Uh to the big guy covering
Sharp on the drive, and he got caught up looking
at that, and all of a sudden here came Richard
in from the side, and he didn't see it.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
And then he certainly did not.

Speaker 5 (22:36):
See He didn't conceive of the idea that Clayton could
get into that play because he thought that that that
he was going to be screened and instead Juan Roberts
screened his man and left Clayton free and he was
able to fly into that play.

Speaker 3 (22:55):
It was a phenomenal defensive play.

Speaker 5 (22:57):
And honestly, courtside, there were a half dozen of us
or more who it happened so suddenly and it was
so unexpected that would be Walter Clayton that would come
in and make the defensive play of the game. It
took us a while to figure out who it had
been that had made that play because it was it
was also sudden and so unexpected.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
I thought Florida was really a well constructed team for
this era, and in that you had three outstanding veteran guards.
And before fans get too caught up in you know
what transfer portal rankings are or whatever, the guards started
their careers at Belmont, Florida, Atlantic and Iona, and then

(23:40):
you complimented them with some young big guys that were
versatile could play out on the perimeter. And then they
got a warrior on the glass in Chinulu that came
in as a transfer. So they had a really good
mix of the guards that you need to win in March,
but some really talented and versatile big men.

Speaker 5 (24:00):
Yeah, I think that they they built the team out
of the way. They did out of necessity, and the
best guards that were available to them were players like
Clayton uh And and most recently Elijah Martin. They were
available to them, so they went in that direction. Uh
and the big guys that they had, they they did
a really nice job of finding Thomas Howke uh And

(24:23):
and gauging his interest. I mean, I don't I never
really got the full story on why how grew up
a Florida fan and in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Speaker 3 (24:32):
I don't really I never really quite got that. But
he did.

Speaker 5 (24:35):
He was in He fell in love with the with
the O six oh seven teams that won the back
to back championships when he was younger, and and he
wanted to be a Gator and he's really talented and
but not he was not highly rated coming out of
high school. And they saw it. They saw what he
was capable of. And gosh, he's only a sophomore now

(24:57):
and he's already a significant player. So I I don't
understand how guys get overlooked who are really gifted. I've
seen it happen in my time on the circuit. I've
seen guys that I really liked my experience on that.
Over time, I've found guys and wondered why they weren't
more highly rated, and all of a sudden they became

(25:19):
significant players. So I don't always understand how somebody like
that can get overlooked, but he did. And of course
Condon Alex conn is a little different because he came
from Australia. It's not as easy to evaluate those prospects
because you don't get as many looks at them, and
you don't get.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
It in the same venue.

Speaker 5 (25:37):
But those guys were really huge contributors to that team.
Condon had a really rough tournament after he turned his
ankle in a lot of ways, but down the stretch
of both the Auburn and the Money Night game against Houston,
he was huge defensively. He made really significant defensive plays
and they knew they could trust him to do that.

(25:58):
He didn't score a lot down the street, didn't trust
him much with the ball down the stretch because they
weren't sure what he'd do with it, but he was
really playing him and how together made them so much
more active and so much more dynamic on defense and
really took a lot away from what Auburn wanted to
do inside in Houston as well.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
One quick thought and then we'll get to a break
and come back talk a little bit about Kentucky. But
this would be a provincial thought. But for our BBN
lists who saw and hurt a lot of the hype
for Cooper Flag this year, and it was valid. He
was legit one of the best one year players in

(26:39):
recent memory. But doesn't the gold standard still remain Anthony
Davis and maybe Carmelo Anthony because their teams won the titles.

Speaker 5 (26:48):
Oh yeah, I mean, I will tell you truthfully that
on Saturday night, as the lead was at or near
double digits, in my mind, you're always thinking about, Okay,
am I going to write about And my thought was
that he that I was going to write a column
that said he was going to be playing for the
opportunity to deliver the best freshman season that anybody ever has,

(27:12):
and that that was going to.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Be his opportunity. But he didn't do it.

Speaker 5 (27:16):
Uh, the best freshman season would have carried him through
the moments in the in the second half of the
Houston game when he started to get worn out by
the Houston physicality and started to shoot fadeaways and fallow
rounds and step backs, none of which was successful. He
made one shot, as did the entire team down the stretch.

(27:38):
It was an open three on a kickout.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (27:40):
He busted that one, and that was the only basket
they made in the final ten minutes. And I will
tell you I did not There were there were things
I didn't like about Duke's endgame, from the from the
basically running the same action against the press four times
to UH to the fact that on the final possession

(28:01):
they allowed him to go one on one with the
best defender on the floor instead of trying to force
a switch or getting Maybe you don't maybe they don't
know how to necessarily deal with this with the ball screen,
and they don't want to switch because they want to
keep Roberts on them, and maybe you get some indecision there.

Speaker 3 (28:18):
But they just decided to go straight.

Speaker 5 (28:19):
Up and have him do another fade away and that
didn't make any sense to me.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
And if he'd.

Speaker 5 (28:25):
Made two or three of the previous ones, okay, but
if he had, you wouldn't have been in that position.
So I thought that Cooper had a phenomenal year. I
did not like the final ten minutes, but it's kind
of not surprising. Sooner or later the truth is going
to come out, and the truth was in that circumstance

(28:45):
that they didn't have enough answers for the physicality of
the Houston defense. And that's Houston certainly earned every bit
of its run to the championship game.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
Talo and Mind Decursisportingnews dot Com at TSN, Mike on
X or Twitter if you prefer, We'll take a break
and come back and continue the discussion here in just
a moment. It is the Leach Report, presented by Bob
kat Enterprises back to the clublowinil dot com hotline, and
we chat with Mike de Coursey from Sportingnews dot Com

(29:18):
before we get back to talking about basketball. Mike, we
have the masters on here in the studio, just wondering.
Is there a sporting event that you haven't covered or
attended that would be on a bucket list for you
just as a sports fan.

Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah, I think it'd be the Super Bowl. I've never
been to one.

Speaker 5 (29:37):
I've been to thirty five final fours and two Olympics,
and I think.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
Four or five World Cups.

Speaker 5 (29:43):
But and I did go to a World Series game
when I was in college, so not. The only one
that I haven't been to is the Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
I got to go to one super Bowl, friend took me.
It was a season to get holder for the Panthers
at the time when they got there and lost to
the Patriots. So it was the famous Janet Jackson Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
Oh there you go? Where you Where are you watching?

Speaker 2 (30:07):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (30:07):
Yes, I had the binoculars on watching the as a
Jana Jackson fan and it was like, Oh, did I
just see what I thought I saw? Yes, down in Houston.
Let's talk a little bit about Kentucky and they've picked
up Mohamed Diabat and Jaden Quaintance this week to go

(30:28):
with Jalen Lowe and then Cam Williams earlier. So what
do you think about the transfer class Mark Pope has
assembled thus far?

Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, so far, so good. I think that they're doing
the right things.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
That you know, I've seen a lot.

Speaker 5 (30:39):
Of Jalen Lowe here in Pittsburgh as a result of
being this where I live, and there aren't a ton
of We have a we have a low major program
in Robert Morrison, a mid major and Duquane and a
high major and pitt So those are the only The
one thing about moving back to Pittsburgh. You know, when
I was in Cincinnati, I had so much Xavier, Cincinnati,

(31:01):
you guys, Louisville, et cetera, Ohio State, We're all in
the easy drives.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
And then in Indiana I had Indiana Purdue Butler.

Speaker 5 (31:08):
So I can see all of that easily. Here it's
not as much. But as a result, I did see
Jalen play several times. He's really skilled, has a great feel.
They need to expand his game, they need, but I
think that having better teammates and.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
A system that is structured to him, I think it'll
make him a better player.

Speaker 5 (31:34):
And I also think that the one problem that pitt
had as a team was that they played two small
guards and it really hurt them defensively, and they didn't
account for that in the rest of their lineup. And
that won't be a problem with UK. They're not going
to go out there with with Jalen, who is I
think six' two but, light and then a six to
one guard next to. Him they're going to go out

(31:55):
there with serious wing sized players plus a couple of
shots blockers in the, back and they're going to be
a much better defensive. Team SO i think that his
limitations as a defender are easily covered with what we
Expect kentucky to have as a as a, lineup.

Speaker 1 (32:14):
And one of those cover guys could Be. DIABANTE i
loved that pick. Up just a versatile player who does
just about everything well.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
Right, YEAH i seeing him a.

Speaker 5 (32:29):
Lot and again because of the nature of their, team
they were a very relevant, team and so therefore one that.

Speaker 3 (32:36):
You see a lot. Of AND i thought that he
was really a.

Speaker 5 (32:40):
Solid player who, scored who, rebounded he could block a,
shot really mobile on, defense he can even when given
the green. Light was actually a pretty proficient deep shooter as.
Well SO i think in all those circumstances is, uh

(33:00):
he fits into What kentucky wants to. DO i do
think that's an excellent pickup for The.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Wildcats and Then quaintance you very, young very, skilled yes,
big and you got moreno and another freshman that's coming.
In and Then Brandon garrison hopefully. STAYS i know there's
some fear that he might enter the, portal BUT i
could see him really having a big second year. Here.

Speaker 5 (33:29):
YEAH i don't know why he would want to. Leave
that doesn't that doesn't track at all. Me you're you're
you're walking right into the opportunity to, like if you
do your, job you're going to be the. STARTER A
quaintance is really, talented but he's coming off injury that
will limit his ability to beat out a player who's
already established THAT i think that that that seems an

(33:53):
oddity to.

Speaker 3 (33:54):
ME i. DON'T i don't know why anybody and his
circumstance would even think about, it.

Speaker 5 (34:00):
Considering where he. Is there is no bigger, stage there's
no better, Stage SO i. Don't and, obviously the experience
on this year's, team there was very little negativity around the.
PROGRAM i think it was almost all positivity because of
it being fresh and, new and the team being very
successful and the team having to fight through adversity to

(34:20):
get to that.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
Success SO i don't.

Speaker 5 (34:23):
Know what experience he would have that would want to
make him even consider. It But acquaintance will come in
as a player who remember a year ago or close
to a year, ago the beginning of the, season when
we started talking about this, team before we really knew
everything that they had in, ACTION i talked about the

(34:43):
fact that when you're bringing players out of the portal
and they're big. Guys one of the things you want
to see is do they block, shots because that's that
can be that can be transferred that and In quaints's,
case we're talking about somebody who blocks in one of
the three best leagues in college basketball at a really high,

(35:03):
level and so that's going to be a huge plus
for The. Wildcats you can't replace What Amari williams did
in his ball handling and passing. Capabilities those guys are really,
rare but you're bringing in one of the best shot
blocking big guys that could possibly have been available to.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
You, yeah sort. Of it looks like Coach pope is
looking to get a more physical and better defensive team
in year. Two.

Speaker 5 (35:34):
YEAH i think that's absolutely, true and they're Going they
had the opportunity to be more, selective so to, speak
to be more.

Speaker 3 (35:43):
STRATEGIC i think did the best they could and did
an amazing.

Speaker 5 (35:46):
JOB i, mean don't get, strong but they didn't have
real choice a year. Ago they came into this basically
this week a year ago and started, Saying, okay what
can we get? Done and in this, case they've been
working on it for multiple. WEEKS i spoke To mark
had a one on one with him the week of
The tennessee, game and he explained HOW i, mean even

(36:08):
with that big game going, on.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
They still had to.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
Cross OUT x number of hours.

Speaker 5 (36:14):
During the week to try to talk to various portal
players or to strategize among themselves about who they wanted to.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
Pursue, yeah that is the way you have to, OPERATE
i think these. Days, mike thank you much as.

Speaker 3 (36:28):
Always oh it's a, Pleasure, Tom thank.

Speaker 1 (36:31):
You that Is mike De, Coursey sportingnews Dot com At
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