Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Leech Report Radio Network is on the air with
the voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leech. It's the daily
gathering spot for the Big Blue Nation to hear the
latest news and views on the Cats. If you have
a question for Tom, email Leech Report at gmail dot
com or send a tweet to add Tom Leach Ky.
(00:22):
Now here's Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good Day, everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Welcome in to The Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises.
Glad to have you on board today. A couple of guests.
Second half of the show, it'll be Mike to Corsi
and a lot of subjects to touch on with Mike,
including some new rules for college basketball, so we'll get
(00:46):
his take on those, and then Vince or Jack. Vince
Barrow's gonna have my notes here Jack Pilgrim. In the
first half of the show, we'll touch on the Vince
Barrow's story, among other things. Jack covers Kentucky basketball for
on three Sports and KSR SOL.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
That's the guest lineup for today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Wildcat News of the Day presented by Giuseppes of Lexington
and Jack and many other local media types were at
UK yesterday to listen to otega Oway and Brandon Garrison
talk about year two in the Mark Pope system at Kentucky.
Otega said there's no disappointment in returning to college and
(01:26):
that he is looking to step forward as more of
a leader in his second year since he's one of
the guys that knows how the system works and can
help ease the transition for a lot of new faces.
Nobody they didn't have really much of that last year,
Well didn't have any of that because nobody had been
through Mark Pope's system before and the couple of walk
(01:49):
ons that were holdover players, but nobody had been through
Mark Pope system. So now Oway, Garrison, Noah, etc. Have
an opportunity to be guys that can explain a little
more what Pope's talking about or one of the assistant
coaches is talking about on a given drill or play
(02:09):
or whatever it might be. So we'll get into some
of what Otega and BG had to say yesterday when
we visit with Jack here. In just a bit NBA
Finals Game three tonight in Indy Shake Gilgess Alexander has
been off to a great start. Series is one to one,
but she has been over thirty points in both games,
(02:32):
so he is on track to be the MVP if
OKC wins the series, and a win tonight for the
Thunder would be huge obviously for Indianapolis as well, and
Games three and four tonight and Friday will be at
Gambridge Field House in Indy. An NCAA rules committee is
(02:57):
putting their talked about announced some changes yesterday for college basketball.
Here's one that I think we can all get behind.
A coaches challenge for several items, for out of bounds plays,
for basket interference, for a debate about a defender was
he or she inside the blockcharge arc. Next season, coaches
(03:21):
can initiate a challenge on those items, but they must
have a time out. If they have a timeout, they
can challenge an out of bounds call or a basket interference,
and if they're successful, then they can have one more
challenge and then that it's over. And if they don't
(03:42):
have any timeouts, then they can't challenge. The officials in
the last couple of minutes, can still use the monitor
for basket interference for the block charge arc, but not
for out of bounds so the out of bounds plays
and the one example of REP that just drove me
(04:02):
the craziest I think was a few years ago. I
think it was twenty nineteen Final four game, the championship
game Texas Tech in Virginia, and then felt like they
spent ten minutes trying to determine if one of the
player's fingernails had touched the ball when he swiped to
knock it away. Emphasis or one other change it's tweaked
(04:25):
to the continuity of motion on shots could lead to
more and one place point of emphasis for officials try
to spend less time at the monitor. And then also
to reduce physicality, which is something I'm sure Mark Pope
would endorse that would be helpful to the way his
teams play if he could have some of that physicality reduced,
(04:46):
just for you know, the cuts, not to have it
feel like you're going through one of the drills on
the football field when you're just trying to run through
the lane. And we'll get into all of this when
Mike the course see joins us a little later on
the show. Also CBS's John Rothstein saying that sources tell
him it'll be just one game again for Kentucky and
(05:08):
Arkansas in this upcoming men's college basketball season, and that
game will of course be in Fayetteville. This time links
to the stories that we talk about well. You can
find those each day on the bud Light Leach Report
page at Tom Leachky dot com. Our opening segment of
Wildcat News always presented by Joseppies of Lexington and if
you sit in there expanded lounge area you can enjoy
(05:30):
the live jazz music of Dave Hall every night of
the week.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It is just a perfect.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Way to make a fantastic meal, be a real dining experience.
To make it something extra special. You can check it
out at Juseppes Lexington dot com and see what is
on the menu, make your plans for your next night out,
and then go to Open Table and make a reservation
for Giuseppes here at Lexington. Jack Pilgrim joins us when
(05:55):
we return. It's thee Treport Radio Network, which report coming
to you each day from the Clark's Pumping Shops studio.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
They have a new.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Loyalty rewards program. Get signed up for that and you
get discounts on fuel and items in their stores so
you can return, refresh and refuel for less at Clark's
Pumping Chops. Jack Pilgrim joining us now on the club
blueennil dot com hotline. You read them in on three
Sports KSR with coverage of Kentucky men's basketball. You hear
(06:25):
him on the Sunday morning sports talk show with Anthony
Why Larry Vauto Robinson here in Lexington on Sundays, and
before we get to our discussion with Jack, let me
play you a sound bite yesterday from Otega Oway at
the press session that Otega and Brandon Garrison did with
the local media. This was Otega talking about moving forward
(06:48):
now as he returns to college.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
You know, I'm just gonna get to to work on
my game. I feel like if I just continue to
work on the things that I know I got to
work on, and then on top of that, you know,
you know, the conditioning, the stamina. You know, at the
next level, you have to be in really good shape, so,
you know, because he had to work on that, and
then you know, just mentality wise, I feel like it's
not it wasn't just my only dream to you.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Know, playing the NBA.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
It was a lot of other guys who was there
working out too, so you know the intensity that they're
playing with, you know, I feel like you have to
keep that every single day. So I feel like I
definitely learned.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
That, so take it away yesterday and Jack. Sometimes guys
go through this process where they can do the workouts
for the NBA teams, get the feedback, and I think
they go into it really wanting to go and then
maybe are disappointed that they don't hear what they needed
to hear and they have to grudgingly accept that they
(07:45):
need to go back to college for another year. And
then you have the other side where it's the guy
who is really close and maybe even here is a
little better news then he might have been totally was
going to hear. Going into the process and returning is
a big source of motivation to kind of close the deal.
(08:07):
And it seems certainly like it's the latter for Otaga.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Yeah, absolutely, And you heard kind of speculation throughout the
year that it was just kind of a match made
in heaven in terms of coaching, in terms of, you know,
what Otega needed from a coach and the messaging and
the role and hey, how can I get better under
you know, your leadership and your guidance. You heard those things,
you know folks close to Otaga, and it basically got
(08:33):
to the point where it was, you know, we understand
that the situation at Kentucky is better than a definitely
anywhere we could get in the portal, so that's not
even close to an issue.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
And he talked about that yesterday as well.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
But you know, not having to worry about other options
knowing that the situation is incredible at Kentucky. Obviously the
money is going to be great at Kentucky. If that's
what it boils down to, where Pope can basically take
a step back and say, hey.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
You do what's best for you.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
I'll be hear every step of the way, and he
guidance and he you know, communication need from me. I'm
happy to help. And you know, Tega heard what he
wanted to hear in terms of, you know, kind of
the next steps and hey, you're almost there and you
could be drafted today, but here's what it would take
to be a first round pick. I think he just
knew that there was an ultimate safety net in Lexantana and.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
It would be a really, really, really tough thing for him.
Speaker 7 (09:21):
To pass up on.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
What I've said, I'll see if you agree.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Is that for Otega, it's not like he's got to
go back and show him like, Okay, I can really
play point guard and you know, even though I haven't before,
or I can really you know, extend my range on
threes and shoot them farther away or whatever it might be.
For him, it's get ten to fifteen percent better on
(09:44):
a few things. So, for instance, on the threes he
talked about, you know that they just want to see
him shoot a higher volume of them, basically, and can
you maintain or improve on that percentage that you shot
in the time you've been in college by taking a
few more of them?
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Yeah, how much of it is, you know, the in
tangible side where he you know, somebody asked him, what
about you know what LaMonte Butler brought to the table
is the you know, senior, like the go to guy
in the locker room. And he said, well, you know,
I do plan on being that, but I I plan
on being more intense. My approach is much more intense.
Maybe it's though, you know, those types of things where
(10:21):
an NBA team looks and says, hey, can.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You be the guy?
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Can you be an anchor of a roster? How can
we lean on you to like, hey, you know we've
seen him at game winners, but can you be that guy?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
Time?
Speaker 6 (10:31):
And time again, there's so many of those, like you said,
ten to fifteen percent better at so many little things.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
They NBA teams weren't.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Asking him to drastically change the you know, his shot mechanics.
That was a bit a big talking point just watching
his game. But they said, let's let's try to speed
it up. Let's try to get the shots off quicker.
And you know, the efficiency is there, but how about
the volume.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Can we you know, try to you.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Know, just a little bit better and hear their circumstances
and and you know, there really is a path to
a first round grade if he does continue to work
on those little things.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, I would think the thing with threes is if
he's taking more of them, it's because because if he
takes more of them and the percentage drops and he
is probably gonna quit taking more of them. H So
if he's taking more of them and shooting is as
well or better than he did before, that you know,
(11:24):
tells the NBA that, Okay, this is a guy that's
got now confidence in that shot. Because what he goes
into the league, he's not going in is uh, you know,
the next SGA or whoever he's going in as a
guy who will have a role to play and can
do a variety of things well. But pretty much anybody
(11:44):
in the NBA needs to be able to when you know,
the ball kicks out to you, or you know, you
come open for a three point shot, to be able
to take it and make it, yeah, quickly.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Entire entirely.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
What it boils down to, we need to trust that
you will be able to take and make shots at
an efficient clip. And if you can do that, we
trust that everything else that you do really really well.
And I think that was a big part of the feedback.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Hey, there are.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Things that you do that are better than anybody else
in this guard class right now. The way you know
your intensity, as you talked about the you know, getting downhill,
finishing around the rim. Just that that tough, hard nose
approach that he brings to the table. That is something
that teams just absolutely love. You know, you think of
you know, I'm seeing it through a Celtics lens, but
you know, a Marcus Smart, a guy who was never
(12:29):
known as being this high efficiency guy, but man, you
knew he was going to bring it. You knew he
had those winning traits and that's kind of what a
you know, a long term vision for Otega could be, yeah,
he's got.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
The you know, the body that was stand the contact
and all of that. Pope has frequently talked about him
as a guy who can be a better playmaker. And again,
I don't think that's him being a point guard, but
I think it's him showing some point guard skills. So
when he breaks down a defender gets in the lane,
maybe then you know, rather than take a tough shot,
(13:01):
you're kicking it out to you know, Aberdeen in the
corner or Jasper Johnson on the wing or whatever and
getting just a little higher assistrate.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
And I think that's what was so important about Pope
adding you know, athleticism and playmaking in the portal. You know,
last year's group was you know, great shooters, great you know,
skill guys, but how about some athletes to kind of
create space that you know, Otega can then kind of
shine in that role where he isn't just the only
guy who can get downhill and the only guy who
you know, finishes through contact and around the rim. You needed,
(13:32):
you know, some more complimentary fits around him that should
you know, in in turn allow him to be you know,
kind of show off some of those playmaking abilities.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
We're tackling, Jack Pilgrim or take a quick break, come back,
continue the discussion here. Just a moment on the Lead
Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises. Four locations around Kentucky for Bobcats.
So when you need to buy or rent some heavy
equipment like tractors, forklifts, excavators, et cetera, make it Bobcat Enterprises.
They'll have what you need part for what you have
(14:01):
as well. If that's an issue, go see my friends
at Bobcat Enterprises. Fantastic service. After the sale or the
rental agreement is executed, we'll be right back on the
Lead Report.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
First thing, you just flight the leader role. I'm improving
on that, so I f like that hold my game overall,
just like the confidence point building my game, you know,
just handing on the off season and improving my overall
game just from like shooting him, you know, and just
little things like that. So I f like my game
will improve a lot this upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That was Brandon Garrison yesterday.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
He was also part of that media session Jack Pilgrim
joining us. You read him at on three Sports KSR.
We were talking about Otega in the first segment of
our chat, Jack, what did you think about what you
heard from BG?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Just maturity?
Speaker 6 (14:49):
You know, I think that's just a big, you know thing.
We loved so many things about Brandon Garrison, but there
were so many times that you wanted to pull your
hair out going out, WHOA, why, No, it's really it
and you know, so kind of just fine tuning a
lot of those things and just you know, it was
such a great opportunity for him to learn under Amari Williams,
who was as mature as it comes among big men,
(15:11):
and you know, learning.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The position, and you know, especially what.
Speaker 6 (15:15):
Pope looks out of, you know, looks for in that position.
I thought Brandon Garrison just kind of had a you know,
very mature approach. Said you know, hey, I know exactly
what I'm coming here for. What I'm coming back to.
You know, the conversations that I had with with Mark
Pope this offseason, it was pretty clear about what my
year two goals were, and you know, I was here
on a two year plan.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
What does that look like?
Speaker 6 (15:36):
How can I continue to improve to you know, ultimately
reach his goal of playing in the NBA, which would hope,
hopefully on his end be after this upcoming season, after
a you know, really successful sophomore campaign. I love what
I heard from you know, Otaga about him and just
kind of like, hey, you know, we we see something different.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Out of BG.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
A lot of you know, back and forth conversations between
Otega and Garrison about just kind of what you know,
Brandon leaning on Otaga through the draft process of hey,
what were teams you know, wanting to hear from you
so I can take that info and use it from
my own advantage going into this upcoming season. A lot
of those kind of just you know, growing maturing opportunities
for him.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I think it's going to be.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
A night and day difference for him in your year
two in at Kentucky, year three in college.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, smart move on.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
It's part to take advantage of a teammate's insight in
that area that's been through the process already. Got to
get your take on the other big story of the week,
Vince Marrow leaving for the hated rival.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
So you put up.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
A clip of Vince talking at maybe one of the
pregame shows, and you know at that time committing to
always staying at Kentucky, which is as we always say,
you never say never. What was your take on how
what all came down this week?
Speaker 6 (17:00):
It's it's you know, sad because you knew just how close,
you know, Mark and Vins were and how their relationship
just goes back decades, you know, the young sound connection,
and it just kind of felt like they were just,
you know, one and the same. When you saw Mark,
you saw Vance, when you saw Vince, you saw Mark,
and they were just you know, they just went hand
(17:21):
in hand with what the culture of Kentucky football and
what that looked like in the future. And you know,
it does just kind of leave, you know, why, why
would he feel that right now is the time to leave,
not just for anywhere, but for the bitter rival, for
the you know, knowing what it was going to mean
for fans that just absolutely adored him, probably the most
beloved assistant in the history of Kentucky football certainly, but
(17:41):
maybe even all of UK athletics.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So it's kind of.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
Feels like, you know, the the individual move is part
of a greater move or kind of a greater trajectory
of you know, is he jumping ship before the ship sinks?
Entirely you kind of wonder those things, you know, or know,
maybe it's a culture thing on Mark steub Side where
he says, you know, hey, with the last the last
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Haven't been working.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
You know, we need to change something up, and maybe
that's how you know, we need to rip the band
aid off and change you know, internally as well. So
it could kind of work both ways, but it's it's
definitely a sign of of you know, kind of big
picture things to come.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Jack appreciate the time and folks can find you at
on three Sports KSR.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
What's the find on x at Jack Pilgram KSR. Appreciate you,
easy to find, Thank you, Jack, thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And you also hear them on the Sunday morning sports
talk show here at Lexington each week back with Mike
de Coursi. Guys saw the leads report come to you
on the Club Blue nil dot com hotline. Club Blues
the official NIL fundraising partner for UK, and has a
new initiative called Club Club Blue Kids to get the
young people in your home into being part of the BBM,
(18:59):
and you can sign them up for free by going
to Club Blue Andile dot com and clicking on the
Kids tab.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Will be access to some exclusive.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Events, meet and greets athlete experiences a lot more for
Club Blue kids, where future Wildcats repped the blue and
white with pride. It's Club Blueenile dot Com joining US,
Mike de Coursey from Sportingnews dot Com at TSN, Mike
on X and the big news in college sports that
rolled in at the end of last week Mike was
(19:29):
the House settlement and now we see how this next
phase of college athletics operational tactics will work. What are
your thoughts and the level of optimism that this will
be as significant as the administrators hope it will be.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Well, my level of optimism is very low that this
that this will change what we have had over the
last few years.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
I think it can slow some of.
Speaker 9 (20:01):
The transfer activity down because in this sense, you're looking
at the opportunity to get multi year commitments. I think
they always have had that opportunity, but as is often
the case, the colleges are reluctant to commit as long
to the athletes as they want them to be there.
(20:22):
When we saw the four year scholarship come in, not
many people offered the four year scholarship even though it
was an option once that rule became available.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
So we see the teams and schools.
Speaker 9 (20:38):
Have options available to them that they don't want to
use because they don't they want to protect themselves against mistakes.
And so we will see whether or not they use
that option more frequently. But it is it is not
only available to them, but now it's part of their
deal with the athlete you're talking about.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
You can put buyouts in, you can put.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
These multi year concepts in, and they have to decide
to do that.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 9 (21:10):
But the part of it that I'm still skeptical about
involves taking name, image and likeness.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
I use it as a I call it Cooper Flag.
Speaker 9 (21:19):
Nil, which is I can get ads with insurance companies
and phone companies and beverage companies and sneaker companies because
I'm Cooper Flag. And then there's I call the other
side like PJ. Haggerty and il I'm a really good player,
and so I get money from the collective that wants
(21:39):
me to play for their school.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
And that's the part that won't go away this year.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Because schools were trying to get these deals done as
quickly as possible so that they could have them in
before the House settlement took place.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
So a lot of those.
Speaker 9 (21:57):
Almost every athlete that plays this year will have that
in place. And then there's it comes down to Deloitte
and the new Enforcement arm and whether or not they
try to rescind that concept. Take it back to just
Cooper Flagg, and I also to speak and.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Listen when I say Cooper.
Speaker 9 (22:17):
Flag, I mean it's obvious, right he's He's on television
in multiple ads. But some of that can be more localized.
It can be less money than what we're seeing, but
still legitimate. You're providing a service to me based on
your fame and your prominence, and I pay you fair
(22:37):
market value for it, rather than just the collective gathers
money and uses it to to help attract athletes to
the school.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Athletes are not yet going to be employees. But is
this something like, Oh, you hire somebody to put a
new roof on your house, and you sign a contract
for that work.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Not your employee, but you have a business.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Arrangement and expectations that are there, and you can you know,
go to arbitration or the courtroom or something to settle
it if one side doesn't fulfill their obligation.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
I think that's more like it.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
And I you know, I have been talking for several
years now about how the idea that that they're in
any hurry to make athletes employees is kind of a fantasy.
The colleges really don't want that, and so how could
they have collective bargaining and that sort of thing. And
(23:36):
I did see one one athlete representative type, someone who
wants to be in the business of organizing the athletes,
say look, here's how we can do it.
Speaker 7 (23:47):
We can do it like the screen actors kill again.
Speaker 9 (23:50):
When someone like Brad Pitt signs onto a movie, let's
say it's one that he's not producing, he signs onto
a movie that's being made by I don't know, let's.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
Say Paramounts or whatever. He's not an employee of paramount.
Speaker 9 (24:05):
He works for the picture and he is an independent
contract contractor working on that particular film, whatever it might be.
And so that's the kind of concept that but he's
still represented by SAG. So that's the concept that they
think they can that somethink they can make work in
college athletics. No, you don't work for good old State
(24:27):
you but you work, but you do provide a service
for their football team. And so you can be represented,
and there can be standards, and there can be non competes,
so to speak, and so all.
Speaker 7 (24:39):
Of that is possible if they went in that direction.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
I think we're still many years away from that, and
the perpetual problem for organizing athletes remains, you get me
interested as a freshman, and then I'm gone before we
get the election done. I'm a senior now and I
got a degree and played my four years, and now
all of a sudden, you're you're trying to have a
union election.
Speaker 7 (25:01):
Well, I don't really have a vote anymore because.
Speaker 9 (25:03):
Now I'm so It's It's one of the things that
is an obstacle to organizing the athletes is that they're
so transitory.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
There's a lot of things that get thrown around in discussions,
and at this point, I think there's just so much
we don't know about how this is going to play
out in reality. But one of the things that gets
mentioned is could this gets discussed, could this lead to
diminishing or eliminating of other sports on campus that aren't
(25:35):
the revenue generators.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Do you think that will happen?
Speaker 9 (25:39):
I look, I think having watched what happened during the pandemic,
I don't think there's any.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Doubt that certain schools will.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
Use this as as cover for lack of a better word,
for eliminating sports in which they're not very successful. There's
not much on campus interest there, there's not that much
community interest.
Speaker 7 (25:59):
I don't have any.
Speaker 9 (26:00):
Doubt that that will happen sporadically, but I'm not buying
that it's an entire calamity.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Look, most Olympic sports.
Speaker 9 (26:10):
In many ways have been overfunded because again, they were
generating all this revenue, they couldn't share it with the
athletes because that was against the rules, and so they
had to spend it somewhere, so they over compensated coaches
in some instances, they over invested in facilities and that
sort of thing because that's where they were allowed to
(26:31):
spend the money.
Speaker 7 (26:33):
And it's put a lot of the schools that.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
Are involved in non revenue sports in very good position
going forward to continue those programs. For a lot of them,
it would be wasteful to now withdraw from that because
they've already spent the money on this swimming pool or.
Speaker 7 (26:52):
That track or whatever it might be.
Speaker 9 (26:54):
They're good at those sports, and the other thing that
it draws athletes to the schools. It draws people students
that you want on campus to your school, So I
think we will see some eliminated, but I don't buy
that this will be a calamity for Olympic sports going forward.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
We're talking with Mike de Corsi from Sportingnews dot Com
and we'll take a break, come back continue here in
just a moment on the Leads Report presented each day
by Bobcat Enterprises. Mike Corsi's with us is on the
Clubluenile dot com hotline from Sportingnews dot com, and if
you go there right now, you'll see his latest column,
which is an homage to basketball in the state of Indiana.
(27:37):
One of the stats I love in this story that
you used to illustrate your point about the passion for
basketball in Indiana, and this is connected to the NBA
Finals being back in Indiana for the first time in
a quarter century. Louis Dampier's hometown of Southport, Indiana, has
a population of two thousand and a high school gym
(27:57):
that's seats seventy one hundred.
Speaker 9 (28:01):
Yes, yes, and that is not entirely uncommon in Indiana.
Shocking stat Ten of the twelve biggest high school gyms
in America are in Indiana.
Speaker 7 (28:13):
And I want.
Speaker 9 (28:14):
Detail I left out of the article was that a
lot of the reason that they built so many huge
high school gyms is that if you had a big gym,
that's where they would put the semi states or the
regional final or whatever it might be. Obviously, the final
itself back in the day.
Speaker 7 (28:33):
Went to Hinkle Field House. That's how it got to
be in the Who's Yours movie.
Speaker 9 (28:38):
Now it's at Gainbridge Field House and for a time
during the Damon Bailey years, and Jason Gardner told me
he played there as well. It was at the RCA Dome.
They may actually put a high school championship game into
a dome stadium.
Speaker 7 (28:53):
That's how big the whole.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
Thing the Indiana high school tournament has been. I know
Kentucky has the one full deal with the Sweet sixteen
as well, so there are some other special tournaments around
the country, but Indiana I just never I've been in
this game for forty years, and I lived in a
great college basketball town in Cincy, and wonderful basketball town,
(29:18):
maybe the best basketball big city in Memphis. But Indiana
it's just a little different than everywhere else.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I would take issue with one of the quotes in there.
It's from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. He says, in forty
nine states, it's just basketball, but this is Indiana.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
His math is off. It's forty eight states. It's Indiana and.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Kentucky and they and I think that's why it's good
that that series is big revived. The Hoosiers have lost
a little off their fastball, and I get that it's
not you know, from a you know, national ranking standpoint
or whatever, yet back to you know, what it was
in the glory days of you know, Jobe Hull and
(30:00):
Bobby Knight. But because those are two states that are
probably most associated with the game, with college basketball in particular,
it's good for them to be playing again and doing
it on home courts for the most part.
Speaker 7 (30:15):
Oh, I totally agree. I think that that.
Speaker 9 (30:18):
I think that series was a great one. When I
was coming up in basketball, it really mattered. And of
course the Watford shot to beat the eventual national champions
in twenty twelve was a great moment for Indiana people.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
I think that both lost a little bit.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
I mean, Kentucky has many you know, at that point,
Kentucky was flying.
Speaker 7 (30:41):
They're flying again, so they have a lot of big games.
Speaker 9 (30:44):
Of course, they've got the Louisville rivalry which Indiana. Although
it's a great series, it doesn't match that in terms
of white hot intensity, but it was a good series
for both and I like that they're putting it on
home court. Honestly, Oscar, we have in this we do
have too many games.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
Played on neutral floors. That's what the tournament is for.
Speaker 9 (31:05):
And look, I'm big on Maui and playing the game
at the garden here and there, and I like the
Champions Classic, but I think we've overdone that aspect of this.
UH coaches have to be more bold about being willing
to play home and homes. They've got to do service
for your for your season ticket holders. It can't just
(31:26):
be okay, are you have a season ticket? Oh great, Okay,
you get to see three by games in our league
season and no one else.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
I don't think that's good for anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I think a lot of people across the state of
Kentucky that t have season tickets just stood up and said,
amen to your your thoughts on that one. Let me
shift gears to the rules committee and some changes they're
putting in for next season, coaches challenged for some of
the things that have been going to the monitor for
(31:58):
official reviews that would take an interminal amount of time.
So that's one of them. Tweaked to the continuity of
motion on shots that could give us more and ones.
But what do you think about what is being tweaked
for college basketball?
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (32:12):
I like a lot of this a lot because it
it sort of began for me when they when they
started doing the monitor reviews. Endgame in the final four
and I can't remember who knocked the ball off who
but I think it was Auburn.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
It was and Texas Tech. Oh yeah, okay, you mentioned
it earlier, went about ten minutes.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, and they knocked the ball off of somebody's finger,
like because they swiped at it and it left the
finger of the of the ball handler last. And like
we've been calling that for one hundred years, literally like
one hundred and twenty five years, and it's always been
off the person who has the activity of knocking the
ball out of bounds.
Speaker 7 (32:53):
Well, we might go to those finger reviews.
Speaker 9 (32:55):
Now, if you're down to a final timeout and you
really need the ball and you haven't, you your challenge,
you might still have one of those.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
But like, if I knock the ball tom off of
your leg, that's one thing.
Speaker 9 (33:06):
But if I swipe at it and it leaves your
finger last, that's never been on the ball handling team.
Speaker 7 (33:13):
It's always been on the defensive team. I think it's been.
Speaker 9 (33:16):
Bad for the game because it's illogical to an extent
because of that one hundred and twenty five years of history.
And secondarily it's that concept that we're going to the
monitor and wasting seven minutes to make sure it went.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
Off of somebody's finger. That's just not basketball.
Speaker 9 (33:32):
So this way we limit those two actual did you
knock the ball out.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
Of bounds last?
Speaker 9 (33:39):
Kind of plays, and hey, that's a big possession for us,
so we need to make sure they got that one right.
Speaker 7 (33:44):
I'm good with that.
Speaker 9 (33:45):
If we're going to have replay, that's the kind of
replay that we should.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Have amen to that, and I think it needs to
that kind of thing. The more they can have on
the coaches to make a challenge of some sort is better,
because the officials are an incredibly difficult spot for for
the most part, a huge percentage of the.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Time they're getting it right.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But they have supervisors that grade them on and those grades,
you know, relate to advancing in your job and keeping
your job. And so if that's the case, then you're
gonna go review everything.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Possible, everything to make sure you don't miss.
Speaker 7 (34:26):
Something and get downgraded for it, right exactly. And and
any ball, any ball that was even close.
Speaker 9 (34:32):
Over the last several years, like I said, even those
finger reviews, we were we were looking at and taking
time instead of just two players reach for the ball.
We can't be one hundred percent sure who it went off.
We we think it was this, and like you said,
most of the time they think right, but sometimes they
miss uh, the actual last hand because there are multiple
(34:56):
hands and it's all happening fast and uh.
Speaker 7 (34:58):
And so this does give the team.
Speaker 9 (35:00):
That maybe aggrieved an opportunity to make sure that that's.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Not the case. So I like it.
Speaker 9 (35:07):
I must a little bit worried still about the goaltending reviews,
because I don't like the release wasn't super clear, and
I haven't read the actual rule as it reads now.
I've believed over the last several years that the review
concept on goaltending incentivizes goaltending calls, and that they when
(35:27):
they do that, they often disrupt the actual result of
the play. Northwestern played Penn State last year and they
called a goaltend and called a goaltend on Penn State,
and the immediate aftermath of that play was Brooks Barnheiser
from Northwestern grabbing the rebound and laying it in uncontested.
(35:47):
So then they go and they review the goaltend and no,
we got it wrong, And so then Northwestern loses the
two points from the goaltend and the two points that
they would have gotten from Barnheiser's follow and.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
They ended up losing the game.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
So I don't like that. It doesn't appear that.
Speaker 7 (36:03):
They've made a change to that, but everything else they did.
I'm a huge fan.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Of big step in the right direction. Mike, Thank you much.
We'll talk next week. Thanks Tom Spike, de Coursey, Sportingnews
dot Com at Tsnmike on X Well take a break,
come back with our final segment of the Leads Report,
present it by Bobcat Enterprises.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Let's talk about shufflebing coffee for a minute.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
If you need to start your day with a great
cup of coffee, make it shufflebean coffee. If you haven't
already tried it, pick some up today at a central
Kentucky Meyers store. Order it through Amazon or get it
through this Shufflebean Coffee website Shufflebean dot Us. It's a
Kentucky based company, so that's good reason to give it
a try. But it's really good. They have committed to
(36:48):
excellence from seed to cup is what.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
They like to say.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
And I think it's something that will be a big
hit with the coffee drinkers in your home. So it's
the official coffee of Rapperena in the KFCM Center. You
make at the official coffee of your home by putting
some hustle in your shuffle, with Shuffle being coffee's staying
wild Cat history is some birthdays. Chuck Hayes celebrating a
birthday today, the UK Hall of Famer, Happy birthday Fran Cursey,
(37:14):
coach who led Kentucky to some glory days in the
nineteen seventies on the Gridiron coach Cursey celebrating a birthday
today is teams always have a reunion every year for
one of the home games. The Curses Cats group you
can see their page on Facebook, and UK Softball coach
Rachel Lawson celebrating a birthday today. Wildcat History presented by
(37:36):
Kentucky Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia. They're on Romney Road
in Lexington and at Roadshow Cards dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Father's Day is coming.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Up on Sunday, So give Dad a break and give
him a little lift with products from Cornbread Hemp. If
he's got sore muscles after a tough day on the
golf course, the aches and pains could melt away with
some aches with some bombs and lotions from corn Bread Hemp.
If Dad just needs to relax after a few missed
(38:05):
putts or a tough day at the office, the infused
gummies from Cornbread Hemp could do the trick. Or their
new line of infused Seltzers just thirty calories per can
five grams of sugar for a guilt free indulgence. It's
made with the Kentucky grown hemp, all of their products,
and it's the kind of gift that says thanks Dad
for everything, without the wrapping paper. So go to cornbreadhamp
(38:25):
dot com. If you're at first time customer, put in
the code Toma check out you'll get an extra twenty
percent off corn Bread Hemp. This is the good life.
Have a good day everybody, and we will see you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
All the Leach Report
The Leech Report Radio Network is on the air with
the voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leech. It's the daily
gathering spot for the Big Blue Nation to hear the
latest news and views on the Cats. If you have
a question for Tom, email Leech Report at gmail dot
com or send a tweet to add Tom Leach Ky.
(00:22):
Now here's Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good Day, everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Welcome in to The Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises.
Glad to have you on board today. A couple of guests.
Second half of the show, it'll be Mike to Corsi
and a lot of subjects to touch on with Mike,
including some new rules for college basketball, so we'll get
(00:46):
his take on those, and then Vince or Jack. Vince
Barrow's gonna have my notes here Jack Pilgrim. In the
first half of the show, we'll touch on the Vince
Barrow's story, among other things. Jack covers Kentucky basketball for
on three Sports and KSR SOL.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
That's the guest lineup for today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Wildcat News of the Day presented by Giuseppes of Lexington
and Jack and many other local media types were at
UK yesterday to listen to otega Oway and Brandon Garrison
talk about year two in the Mark Pope system at Kentucky.
Otega said there's no disappointment in returning to college and
(01:26):
that he is looking to step forward as more of
a leader in his second year since he's one of
the guys that knows how the system works and can
help ease the transition for a lot of new faces.
Nobody they didn't have really much of that last year,
Well didn't have any of that because nobody had been
through Mark Pope's system before and the couple of walk
(01:49):
ons that were holdover players, but nobody had been through
Mark Pope system. So now Oway, Garrison, Noah, etc. Have
an opportunity to be guys that can explain a little
more what Pope's talking about or one of the assistant
coaches is talking about on a given drill or play
(02:09):
or whatever it might be. So we'll get into some
of what Otega and BG had to say yesterday when
we visit with Jack here. In just a bit NBA
Finals Game three tonight in Indy Shake Gilgess Alexander has
been off to a great start. Series is one to one,
but she has been over thirty points in both games,
(02:32):
so he is on track to be the MVP if
OKC wins the series, and a win tonight for the
Thunder would be huge obviously for Indianapolis as well, and
Games three and four tonight and Friday will be at
Gambridge Field House in Indy. An NCAA rules committee is
(02:57):
putting their talked about announced some changes yesterday for college basketball.
Here's one that I think we can all get behind.
A coaches challenge for several items, for out of bounds plays,
for basket interference, for a debate about a defender was
he or she inside the blockcharge arc. Next season, coaches
(03:21):
can initiate a challenge on those items, but they must
have a time out. If they have a timeout, they
can challenge an out of bounds call or a basket interference,
and if they're successful, then they can have one more
challenge and then that it's over. And if they don't
(03:42):
have any timeouts, then they can't challenge. The officials in
the last couple of minutes, can still use the monitor
for basket interference for the block charge arc, but not
for out of bounds so the out of bounds plays
and the one example of REP that just drove me
(04:02):
the craziest I think was a few years ago. I
think it was twenty nineteen Final four game, the championship
game Texas Tech in Virginia, and then felt like they
spent ten minutes trying to determine if one of the
player's fingernails had touched the ball when he swiped to
knock it away. Emphasis or one other change it's tweaked
(04:25):
to the continuity of motion on shots could lead to
more and one place point of emphasis for officials try
to spend less time at the monitor. And then also
to reduce physicality, which is something I'm sure Mark Pope
would endorse that would be helpful to the way his
teams play if he could have some of that physicality reduced,
(04:46):
just for you know, the cuts, not to have it
feel like you're going through one of the drills on
the football field when you're just trying to run through
the lane. And we'll get into all of this when
Mike the course see joins us a little later on
the show. Also CBS's John Rothstein saying that sources tell
him it'll be just one game again for Kentucky and
(05:08):
Arkansas in this upcoming men's college basketball season, and that
game will of course be in Fayetteville. This time links
to the stories that we talk about well. You can
find those each day on the bud Light Leach Report
page at Tom Leachky dot com. Our opening segment of
Wildcat News always presented by Joseppies of Lexington and if
you sit in there expanded lounge area you can enjoy
(05:30):
the live jazz music of Dave Hall every night of
the week.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It is just a perfect.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Way to make a fantastic meal, be a real dining experience.
To make it something extra special. You can check it
out at Juseppes Lexington dot com and see what is
on the menu, make your plans for your next night out,
and then go to Open Table and make a reservation
for Giuseppes here at Lexington. Jack Pilgrim joins us when
(05:55):
we return. It's thee Treport Radio Network, which report coming
to you each day from the Clark's Pumping Shops studio.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
They have a new.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Loyalty rewards program. Get signed up for that and you
get discounts on fuel and items in their stores so
you can return, refresh and refuel for less at Clark's
Pumping Chops. Jack Pilgrim joining us now on the club
blueennil dot com hotline. You read them in on three
Sports KSR with coverage of Kentucky men's basketball. You hear
(06:25):
him on the Sunday morning sports talk show with Anthony
Why Larry Vauto Robinson here in Lexington on Sundays, and
before we get to our discussion with Jack, let me
play you a sound bite yesterday from Otega Oway at
the press session that Otega and Brandon Garrison did with
the local media. This was Otega talking about moving forward
(06:48):
now as he returns to college.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
You know, I'm just gonna get to to work on
my game. I feel like if I just continue to
work on the things that I know I got to
work on, and then on top of that, you know,
you know, the conditioning, the stamina. You know, at the
next level, you have to be in really good shape, so,
you know, because he had to work on that, and
then you know, just mentality wise, I feel like it's
not it wasn't just my only dream to you.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Know, playing the NBA.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
It was a lot of other guys who was there
working out too, so you know the intensity that they're
playing with, you know, I feel like you have to
keep that every single day. So I feel like I
definitely learned.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
That, so take it away yesterday and Jack. Sometimes guys
go through this process where they can do the workouts
for the NBA teams, get the feedback, and I think
they go into it really wanting to go and then
maybe are disappointed that they don't hear what they needed
to hear and they have to grudgingly accept that they
(07:45):
need to go back to college for another year. And
then you have the other side where it's the guy
who is really close and maybe even here is a
little better news then he might have been totally was
going to hear. Going into the process and returning is
a big source of motivation to kind of close the deal.
(08:07):
And it seems certainly like it's the latter for Otaga.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Yeah, absolutely, And you heard kind of speculation throughout the
year that it was just kind of a match made
in heaven in terms of coaching, in terms of, you know,
what Otega needed from a coach and the messaging and
the role and hey, how can I get better under
you know, your leadership and your guidance. You heard those things,
you know folks close to Otaga, and it basically got
(08:33):
to the point where it was, you know, we understand
that the situation at Kentucky is better than a definitely
anywhere we could get in the portal, so that's not
even close to an issue.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
And he talked about that yesterday as well.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
But you know, not having to worry about other options
knowing that the situation is incredible at Kentucky. Obviously the
money is going to be great at Kentucky. If that's
what it boils down to, where Pope can basically take
a step back and say, hey.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
You do what's best for you.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
I'll be hear every step of the way, and he
guidance and he you know, communication need from me. I'm
happy to help. And you know, Tega heard what he
wanted to hear in terms of, you know, kind of
the next steps and hey, you're almost there and you
could be drafted today, but here's what it would take
to be a first round pick. I think he just
knew that there was an ultimate safety net in Lexantana and.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
It would be a really, really, really tough thing for him.
Speaker 7 (09:21):
To pass up on.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
What I've said, I'll see if you agree.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Is that for Otega, it's not like he's got to
go back and show him like, Okay, I can really
play point guard and you know, even though I haven't before,
or I can really you know, extend my range on
threes and shoot them farther away or whatever it might be.
For him, it's get ten to fifteen percent better on
(09:44):
a few things. So, for instance, on the threes he
talked about, you know that they just want to see
him shoot a higher volume of them, basically, and can
you maintain or improve on that percentage that you shot
in the time you've been in college by taking a
few more of them?
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Yeah, how much of it is, you know, the in
tangible side where he you know, somebody asked him, what
about you know what LaMonte Butler brought to the table
is the you know, senior, like the go to guy
in the locker room. And he said, well, you know,
I do plan on being that, but I I plan
on being more intense. My approach is much more intense.
Maybe it's though, you know, those types of things where
(10:21):
an NBA team looks and says, hey, can.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You be the guy?
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Can you be an anchor of a roster? How can
we lean on you to like, hey, you know we've
seen him at game winners, but can you be that guy?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
Time?
Speaker 6 (10:31):
And time again, there's so many of those, like you said,
ten to fifteen percent better at so many little things.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
They NBA teams weren't.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Asking him to drastically change the you know, his shot mechanics.
That was a bit a big talking point just watching
his game. But they said, let's let's try to speed
it up. Let's try to get the shots off quicker.
And you know, the efficiency is there, but how about
the volume.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Can we you know, try to you.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Know, just a little bit better and hear their circumstances
and and you know, there really is a path to
a first round grade if he does continue to work
on those little things.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, I would think the thing with threes is if
he's taking more of them, it's because because if he
takes more of them and the percentage drops and he
is probably gonna quit taking more of them. H So
if he's taking more of them and shooting is as
well or better than he did before, that you know,
(11:24):
tells the NBA that, Okay, this is a guy that's
got now confidence in that shot. Because what he goes
into the league, he's not going in is uh, you know,
the next SGA or whoever he's going in as a
guy who will have a role to play and can
do a variety of things well. But pretty much anybody
(11:44):
in the NBA needs to be able to when you know,
the ball kicks out to you, or you know, you
come open for a three point shot, to be able
to take it and make it, yeah, quickly.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Entire entirely.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
What it boils down to, we need to trust that
you will be able to take and make shots at
an efficient clip. And if you can do that, we
trust that everything else that you do really really well.
And I think that was a big part of the feedback.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Hey, there are.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Things that you do that are better than anybody else
in this guard class right now. The way you know
your intensity, as you talked about the you know, getting downhill,
finishing around the rim. Just that that tough, hard nose
approach that he brings to the table. That is something
that teams just absolutely love. You know, you think of
you know, I'm seeing it through a Celtics lens, but
you know, a Marcus Smart, a guy who was never
(12:29):
known as being this high efficiency guy, but man, you
knew he was going to bring it. You knew he
had those winning traits and that's kind of what a
you know, a long term vision for Otega could be, yeah,
he's got.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
The you know, the body that was stand the contact
and all of that. Pope has frequently talked about him
as a guy who can be a better playmaker. And again,
I don't think that's him being a point guard, but
I think it's him showing some point guard skills. So
when he breaks down a defender gets in the lane,
maybe then you know, rather than take a tough shot,
(13:01):
you're kicking it out to you know, Aberdeen in the
corner or Jasper Johnson on the wing or whatever and
getting just a little higher assistrate.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
And I think that's what was so important about Pope
adding you know, athleticism and playmaking in the portal. You know,
last year's group was you know, great shooters, great you know,
skill guys, but how about some athletes to kind of
create space that you know, Otega can then kind of
shine in that role where he isn't just the only
guy who can get downhill and the only guy who
you know, finishes through contact and around the rim. You needed,
(13:32):
you know, some more complimentary fits around him that should
you know, in in turn allow him to be you know,
kind of show off some of those playmaking abilities.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
We're tackling, Jack Pilgrim or take a quick break, come back,
continue the discussion here. Just a moment on the Lead
Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises. Four locations around Kentucky for Bobcats.
So when you need to buy or rent some heavy
equipment like tractors, forklifts, excavators, et cetera, make it Bobcat Enterprises.
They'll have what you need part for what you have
(14:01):
as well. If that's an issue, go see my friends
at Bobcat Enterprises. Fantastic service. After the sale or the
rental agreement is executed, we'll be right back on the
Lead Report.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
First thing, you just flight the leader role. I'm improving
on that, so I f like that hold my game overall,
just like the confidence point building my game, you know,
just handing on the off season and improving my overall
game just from like shooting him, you know, and just
little things like that. So I f like my game
will improve a lot this upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That was Brandon Garrison yesterday.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
He was also part of that media session Jack Pilgrim
joining us. You read him at on three Sports KSR.
We were talking about Otega in the first segment of
our chat, Jack, what did you think about what you
heard from BG?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Just maturity?
Speaker 6 (14:49):
You know, I think that's just a big, you know thing.
We loved so many things about Brandon Garrison, but there
were so many times that you wanted to pull your
hair out going out, WHOA, why, No, it's really it
and you know, so kind of just fine tuning a
lot of those things and just you know, it was
such a great opportunity for him to learn under Amari Williams,
who was as mature as it comes among big men,
(15:11):
and you know, learning.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The position, and you know, especially what.
Speaker 6 (15:15):
Pope looks out of, you know, looks for in that position.
I thought Brandon Garrison just kind of had a you know,
very mature approach. Said you know, hey, I know exactly
what I'm coming here for. What I'm coming back to.
You know, the conversations that I had with with Mark
Pope this offseason, it was pretty clear about what my
year two goals were, and you know, I was here
on a two year plan.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
What does that look like?
Speaker 6 (15:36):
How can I continue to improve to you know, ultimately
reach his goal of playing in the NBA, which would hope,
hopefully on his end be after this upcoming season, after
a you know, really successful sophomore campaign. I love what
I heard from you know, Otaga about him and just
kind of like, hey, you know, we we see something different.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Out of BG.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
A lot of you know, back and forth conversations between
Otega and Garrison about just kind of what you know,
Brandon leaning on Otaga through the draft process of hey,
what were teams you know, wanting to hear from you
so I can take that info and use it from
my own advantage going into this upcoming season. A lot
of those kind of just you know, growing maturing opportunities
for him.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I think it's going to be.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
A night and day difference for him in your year
two in at Kentucky, year three in college.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, smart move on.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
It's part to take advantage of a teammate's insight in
that area that's been through the process already. Got to
get your take on the other big story of the week,
Vince Marrow leaving for the hated rival.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
So you put up.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
A clip of Vince talking at maybe one of the
pregame shows, and you know at that time committing to
always staying at Kentucky, which is as we always say,
you never say never. What was your take on how
what all came down this week?
Speaker 6 (17:00):
It's it's you know, sad because you knew just how close,
you know, Mark and Vins were and how their relationship
just goes back decades, you know, the young sound connection,
and it just kind of felt like they were just,
you know, one and the same. When you saw Mark,
you saw Vance, when you saw Vince, you saw Mark,
and they were just you know, they just went hand
(17:21):
in hand with what the culture of Kentucky football and
what that looked like in the future. And you know,
it does just kind of leave, you know, why, why
would he feel that right now is the time to leave,
not just for anywhere, but for the bitter rival, for
the you know, knowing what it was going to mean
for fans that just absolutely adored him, probably the most
beloved assistant in the history of Kentucky football certainly, but
(17:41):
maybe even all of UK athletics.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So it's kind of.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
Feels like, you know, the the individual move is part
of a greater move or kind of a greater trajectory
of you know, is he jumping ship before the ship sinks?
Entirely you kind of wonder those things, you know, or know,
maybe it's a culture thing on Mark steub Side where
he says, you know, hey, with the last the last
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Haven't been working.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
You know, we need to change something up, and maybe
that's how you know, we need to rip the band
aid off and change you know, internally as well. So
it could kind of work both ways, but it's it's
definitely a sign of of you know, kind of big
picture things to come.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Jack appreciate the time and folks can find you at
on three Sports KSR.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
What's the find on x at Jack Pilgram KSR. Appreciate you,
easy to find, Thank you, Jack, thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And you also hear them on the Sunday morning sports
talk show here at Lexington each week back with Mike
de Coursi. Guys saw the leads report come to you
on the Club Blue nil dot com hotline. Club Blues
the official NIL fundraising partner for UK, and has a
new initiative called Club Club Blue Kids to get the
young people in your home into being part of the BBM,
(18:59):
and you can sign them up for free by going
to Club Blue Andile dot com and clicking on the
Kids tab.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Will be access to some exclusive.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Events, meet and greets athlete experiences a lot more for
Club Blue kids, where future Wildcats repped the blue and
white with pride. It's Club Blueenile dot Com joining US,
Mike de Coursey from Sportingnews dot Com at TSN, Mike
on X and the big news in college sports that
rolled in at the end of last week Mike was
(19:29):
the House settlement and now we see how this next
phase of college athletics operational tactics will work. What are
your thoughts and the level of optimism that this will
be as significant as the administrators hope it will be.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Well, my level of optimism is very low that this
that this will change what we have had over the
last few years.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
I think it can slow some of.
Speaker 9 (20:01):
The transfer activity down because in this sense, you're looking
at the opportunity to get multi year commitments. I think
they always have had that opportunity, but as is often
the case, the colleges are reluctant to commit as long
to the athletes as they want them to be there.
(20:22):
When we saw the four year scholarship come in, not
many people offered the four year scholarship even though it
was an option once that rule became available.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
So we see the teams and schools.
Speaker 9 (20:38):
Have options available to them that they don't want to
use because they don't they want to protect themselves against mistakes.
And so we will see whether or not they use
that option more frequently. But it is it is not
only available to them, but now it's part of their
deal with the athlete you're talking about.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
You can put buyouts in, you can put.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
These multi year concepts in, and they have to decide
to do that.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
So that's part of it.
Speaker 9 (21:10):
But the part of it that I'm still skeptical about
involves taking name, image and likeness.
Speaker 7 (21:17):
I use it as a I call it Cooper Flag.
Speaker 9 (21:19):
Nil, which is I can get ads with insurance companies
and phone companies and beverage companies and sneaker companies because
I'm Cooper Flag. And then there's I call the other
side like PJ. Haggerty and il I'm a really good player,
and so I get money from the collective that wants
(21:39):
me to play for their school.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
And that's the part that won't go away this year.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Because schools were trying to get these deals done as
quickly as possible so that they could have them in
before the House settlement took place.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
So a lot of those.
Speaker 9 (21:57):
Almost every athlete that plays this year will have that
in place. And then there's it comes down to Deloitte
and the new Enforcement arm and whether or not they
try to rescind that concept. Take it back to just
Cooper Flagg, and I also to speak and.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Listen when I say Cooper.
Speaker 9 (22:17):
Flag, I mean it's obvious, right he's He's on television
in multiple ads. But some of that can be more localized.
It can be less money than what we're seeing, but
still legitimate. You're providing a service to me based on
your fame and your prominence, and I pay you fair
(22:37):
market value for it, rather than just the collective gathers
money and uses it to to help attract athletes to
the school.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Athletes are not yet going to be employees. But is
this something like, Oh, you hire somebody to put a
new roof on your house, and you sign a contract
for that work.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Not your employee, but you have a business.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Arrangement and expectations that are there, and you can you know,
go to arbitration or the courtroom or something to settle
it if one side doesn't fulfill their obligation.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
I think that's more like it.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
And I you know, I have been talking for several
years now about how the idea that that they're in
any hurry to make athletes employees is kind of a fantasy.
The colleges really don't want that, and so how could
they have collective bargaining and that sort of thing. And
(23:36):
I did see one one athlete representative type, someone who
wants to be in the business of organizing the athletes,
say look, here's how we can do it.
Speaker 7 (23:47):
We can do it like the screen actors kill again.
Speaker 9 (23:50):
When someone like Brad Pitt signs onto a movie, let's
say it's one that he's not producing, he signs onto
a movie that's being made by I don't know, let's.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
Say Paramounts or whatever. He's not an employee of paramount.
Speaker 9 (24:05):
He works for the picture and he is an independent
contract contractor working on that particular film, whatever it might be.
And so that's the kind of concept that but he's
still represented by SAG. So that's the concept that they
think they can that somethink they can make work in
college athletics. No, you don't work for good old State
(24:27):
you but you work, but you do provide a service
for their football team. And so you can be represented,
and there can be standards, and there can be non competes,
so to speak, and so all.
Speaker 7 (24:39):
Of that is possible if they went in that direction.
Speaker 9 (24:42):
I think we're still many years away from that, and
the perpetual problem for organizing athletes remains, you get me
interested as a freshman, and then I'm gone before we
get the election done. I'm a senior now and I
got a degree and played my four years, and now
all of a sudden, you're you're trying to have a
union election.
Speaker 7 (25:01):
Well, I don't really have a vote anymore because.
Speaker 9 (25:03):
Now I'm so It's It's one of the things that
is an obstacle to organizing the athletes is that they're
so transitory.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
There's a lot of things that get thrown around in discussions,
and at this point, I think there's just so much
we don't know about how this is going to play
out in reality. But one of the things that gets
mentioned is could this gets discussed, could this lead to
diminishing or eliminating of other sports on campus that aren't
(25:35):
the revenue generators.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Do you think that will happen?
Speaker 9 (25:39):
I look, I think having watched what happened during the pandemic,
I don't think there's any.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Doubt that certain schools will.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
Use this as as cover for lack of a better word,
for eliminating sports in which they're not very successful. There's
not much on campus interest there, there's not that much
community interest.
Speaker 7 (25:59):
I don't have any.
Speaker 9 (26:00):
Doubt that that will happen sporadically, but I'm not buying
that it's an entire calamity.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Look, most Olympic sports.
Speaker 9 (26:10):
In many ways have been overfunded because again, they were
generating all this revenue, they couldn't share it with the
athletes because that was against the rules, and so they
had to spend it somewhere, so they over compensated coaches
in some instances, they over invested in facilities and that
sort of thing because that's where they were allowed to
(26:31):
spend the money.
Speaker 7 (26:33):
And it's put a lot of the schools that.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
Are involved in non revenue sports in very good position
going forward to continue those programs. For a lot of them,
it would be wasteful to now withdraw from that because
they've already spent the money on this swimming pool or.
Speaker 7 (26:52):
That track or whatever it might be.
Speaker 9 (26:54):
They're good at those sports, and the other thing that
it draws athletes to the schools. It draws people students
that you want on campus to your school, So I
think we will see some eliminated, but I don't buy
that this will be a calamity for Olympic sports going forward.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
We're talking with Mike de Corsi from Sportingnews dot Com
and we'll take a break, come back continue here in
just a moment on the Leads Report presented each day
by Bobcat Enterprises. Mike Corsi's with us is on the
Clubluenile dot com hotline from Sportingnews dot com, and if
you go there right now, you'll see his latest column,
which is an homage to basketball in the state of Indiana.
(27:37):
One of the stats I love in this story that
you used to illustrate your point about the passion for
basketball in Indiana, and this is connected to the NBA
Finals being back in Indiana for the first time in
a quarter century. Louis Dampier's hometown of Southport, Indiana, has
a population of two thousand and a high school gym
(27:57):
that's seats seventy one hundred.
Speaker 9 (28:01):
Yes, yes, and that is not entirely uncommon in Indiana.
Shocking stat Ten of the twelve biggest high school gyms
in America are in Indiana.
Speaker 7 (28:13):
And I want.
Speaker 9 (28:14):
Detail I left out of the article was that a
lot of the reason that they built so many huge
high school gyms is that if you had a big gym,
that's where they would put the semi states or the
regional final or whatever it might be. Obviously, the final
itself back in the day.
Speaker 7 (28:33):
Went to Hinkle Field House. That's how it got to
be in the Who's Yours movie.
Speaker 9 (28:38):
Now it's at Gainbridge Field House and for a time
during the Damon Bailey years, and Jason Gardner told me
he played there as well. It was at the RCA Dome.
They may actually put a high school championship game into
a dome stadium.
Speaker 7 (28:53):
That's how big the whole.
Speaker 9 (28:55):
Thing the Indiana high school tournament has been. I know
Kentucky has the one full deal with the Sweet sixteen
as well, so there are some other special tournaments around
the country, but Indiana I just never I've been in
this game for forty years, and I lived in a
great college basketball town in Cincy, and wonderful basketball town,
(29:18):
maybe the best basketball big city in Memphis. But Indiana
it's just a little different than everywhere else.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I would take issue with one of the quotes in there.
It's from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. He says, in forty
nine states, it's just basketball, but this is Indiana.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
His math is off. It's forty eight states. It's Indiana and.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Kentucky and they and I think that's why it's good
that that series is big revived. The Hoosiers have lost
a little off their fastball, and I get that it's
not you know, from a you know, national ranking standpoint
or whatever, yet back to you know, what it was
in the glory days of you know, Jobe Hull and
(30:00):
Bobby Knight. But because those are two states that are
probably most associated with the game, with college basketball in particular,
it's good for them to be playing again and doing
it on home courts for the most part.
Speaker 7 (30:15):
Oh, I totally agree. I think that that.
Speaker 9 (30:18):
I think that series was a great one. When I
was coming up in basketball, it really mattered. And of
course the Watford shot to beat the eventual national champions
in twenty twelve was a great moment for Indiana people.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
I think that both lost a little bit.
Speaker 9 (30:36):
I mean, Kentucky has many you know, at that point,
Kentucky was flying.
Speaker 7 (30:41):
They're flying again, so they have a lot of big games.
Speaker 9 (30:44):
Of course, they've got the Louisville rivalry which Indiana. Although
it's a great series, it doesn't match that in terms
of white hot intensity, but it was a good series
for both and I like that they're putting it on
home court. Honestly, Oscar, we have in this we do
have too many games.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
Played on neutral floors. That's what the tournament is for.
Speaker 9 (31:05):
And look, I'm big on Maui and playing the game
at the garden here and there, and I like the
Champions Classic, but I think we've overdone that aspect of this.
UH coaches have to be more bold about being willing
to play home and homes. They've got to do service
for your for your season ticket holders. It can't just
(31:26):
be okay, are you have a season ticket? Oh great, Okay,
you get to see three by games in our league
season and no one else.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
I don't think that's good for anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I think a lot of people across the state of
Kentucky that t have season tickets just stood up and said,
amen to your your thoughts on that one. Let me
shift gears to the rules committee and some changes they're
putting in for next season, coaches challenged for some of
the things that have been going to the monitor for
(31:58):
official reviews that would take an interminal amount of time.
So that's one of them. Tweaked to the continuity of
motion on shots that could give us more and ones.
But what do you think about what is being tweaked
for college basketball?
Speaker 7 (32:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (32:12):
I like a lot of this a lot because it
it sort of began for me when they when they
started doing the monitor reviews. Endgame in the final four
and I can't remember who knocked the ball off who
but I think it was Auburn.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
It was and Texas Tech. Oh yeah, okay, you mentioned
it earlier, went about ten minutes.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, and they knocked the ball off of somebody's finger,
like because they swiped at it and it left the
finger of the of the ball handler last. And like
we've been calling that for one hundred years, literally like
one hundred and twenty five years, and it's always been
off the person who has the activity of knocking the
ball out of bounds.
Speaker 7 (32:53):
Well, we might go to those finger reviews.
Speaker 9 (32:55):
Now, if you're down to a final timeout and you
really need the ball and you haven't, you your challenge,
you might still have one of those.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
But like, if I knock the ball tom off of
your leg, that's one thing.
Speaker 9 (33:06):
But if I swipe at it and it leaves your
finger last, that's never been on the ball handling team.
Speaker 7 (33:13):
It's always been on the defensive team. I think it's been.
Speaker 9 (33:16):
Bad for the game because it's illogical to an extent
because of that one hundred and twenty five years of history.
And secondarily it's that concept that we're going to the
monitor and wasting seven minutes to make sure it went.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
Off of somebody's finger. That's just not basketball.
Speaker 9 (33:32):
So this way we limit those two actual did you
knock the ball out.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
Of bounds last?
Speaker 9 (33:39):
Kind of plays, and hey, that's a big possession for us,
so we need to make sure they got that one right.
Speaker 7 (33:44):
I'm good with that.
Speaker 9 (33:45):
If we're going to have replay, that's the kind of
replay that we should.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Have amen to that, and I think it needs to
that kind of thing. The more they can have on
the coaches to make a challenge of some sort is better,
because the officials are an incredibly difficult spot for for
the most part, a huge percentage of the.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Time they're getting it right.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But they have supervisors that grade them on and those grades,
you know, relate to advancing in your job and keeping
your job. And so if that's the case, then you're
gonna go review everything.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Possible, everything to make sure you don't miss.
Speaker 7 (34:26):
Something and get downgraded for it, right exactly. And and
any ball, any ball that was even close.
Speaker 9 (34:32):
Over the last several years, like I said, even those
finger reviews, we were we were looking at and taking
time instead of just two players reach for the ball.
We can't be one hundred percent sure who it went off.
We we think it was this, and like you said,
most of the time they think right, but sometimes they
miss uh, the actual last hand because there are multiple
(34:56):
hands and it's all happening fast and uh.
Speaker 7 (34:58):
And so this does give the team.
Speaker 9 (35:00):
That maybe aggrieved an opportunity to make sure that that's.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Not the case. So I like it.
Speaker 9 (35:07):
I must a little bit worried still about the goaltending reviews,
because I don't like the release wasn't super clear, and
I haven't read the actual rule as it reads now.
I've believed over the last several years that the review
concept on goaltending incentivizes goaltending calls, and that they when
(35:27):
they do that, they often disrupt the actual result of
the play. Northwestern played Penn State last year and they
called a goaltend and called a goaltend on Penn State,
and the immediate aftermath of that play was Brooks Barnheiser
from Northwestern grabbing the rebound and laying it in uncontested.
(35:47):
So then they go and they review the goaltend and no,
we got it wrong, And so then Northwestern loses the
two points from the goaltend and the two points that
they would have gotten from Barnheiser's follow and.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
They ended up losing the game.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
So I don't like that. It doesn't appear that.
Speaker 7 (36:03):
They've made a change to that, but everything else they did.
I'm a huge fan.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Of big step in the right direction. Mike, Thank you much.
We'll talk next week. Thanks Tom Spike, de Coursey, Sportingnews
dot Com at Tsnmike on X Well take a break,
come back with our final segment of the Leads Report,
present it by Bobcat Enterprises.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Let's talk about shufflebing coffee for a minute.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
If you need to start your day with a great
cup of coffee, make it shufflebean coffee. If you haven't
already tried it, pick some up today at a central
Kentucky Meyers store. Order it through Amazon or get it
through this Shufflebean Coffee website Shufflebean dot Us. It's a
Kentucky based company, so that's good reason to give it
a try. But it's really good. They have committed to
(36:48):
excellence from seed to cup is what.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
They like to say.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
And I think it's something that will be a big
hit with the coffee drinkers in your home. So it's
the official coffee of Rapperena in the KFCM Center. You
make at the official coffee of your home by putting
some hustle in your shuffle, with Shuffle being coffee's staying
wild Cat history is some birthdays. Chuck Hayes celebrating a
birthday today, the UK Hall of Famer, Happy birthday Fran Cursey,
(37:14):
coach who led Kentucky to some glory days in the
nineteen seventies on the Gridiron coach Cursey celebrating a birthday
today is teams always have a reunion every year for
one of the home games. The Curses Cats group you
can see their page on Facebook, and UK Softball coach
Rachel Lawson celebrating a birthday today. Wildcat History presented by
(37:36):
Kentucky Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia. They're on Romney Road
in Lexington and at Roadshow Cards dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Father's Day is coming.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Up on Sunday, So give Dad a break and give
him a little lift with products from Cornbread Hemp. If
he's got sore muscles after a tough day on the
golf course, the aches and pains could melt away with
some aches with some bombs and lotions from corn Bread Hemp.
If Dad just needs to relax after a few missed
(38:05):
putts or a tough day at the office, the infused
gummies from Cornbread Hemp could do the trick. Or their
new line of infused Seltzers just thirty calories per can
five grams of sugar for a guilt free indulgence. It's
made with the Kentucky grown hemp, all of their products,
and it's the kind of gift that says thanks Dad
for everything, without the wrapping paper. So go to cornbreadhamp
(38:25):
dot com. If you're at first time customer, put in
the code Toma check out you'll get an extra twenty
percent off corn Bread Hemp. This is the good life.
Have a good day everybody, and we will see you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
All the Leach Report
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.