July 1, 2025 • 37 mins
Tom speaks to Larry Vaught on the current outlook of Kentucky basketball recruits and Adam Luckett joins in the second half of the show to talk Wildcat football
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast of the Leech Report is presented by Boone's
Butcher Shop in Barnestown at one hundred Old Bloomfield Pike,
family owned and operated since nineteen forty six, with fresh
meat cut on site daily. Boons Butcher Shop Right. Wildcat
News of the Day always a service of just Seppi's
of Lexington. And we will start with Chanda low talking
(00:24):
to the media yesterday Henterese Potter where the two Wildcats
are doing two a week through the summer, kind of
a Meet the Wildcats series for local media to pass
along to you guys as fans. And yesterday we got
to hear from Jalen Lowe. One of the things that's
getting a lot of play is a comment he made
about the Mountain Mamba. Trent Noah might be the best
(00:46):
shooter I've ever seen, said Jalen Lowe at this session yesterday.
That's pretty strong. And you know you do something that well,
maybe that's how you get more minutes than people think
you're going to get. So strong praise there from Jalen
Lowe for one of his new teammates. And then Lowe
(01:06):
also talked about his journey to Kentucky and for Jalen
growing up in Texas and you know they were Kentucky
guys that came out of texasteering Fox, the Harrison Twins,
et cetera. And he said he dreamed coming up in
a basketball family, of playing for one of those blue
(01:26):
bloods schools that and ironically that wear blue. And he
talked about that yesterday and what it means to him
now to be playing at the University of Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I like the duke Kentucky at Kansas, and I
only saw Blue going up, so I was just like,
oh yeah, like you gotta go to blue blad school.
I'm like, oh yeah, this is what I'm gonna do.
Then it never came at first disappointed, but I mean
where I'm at now is just full circle. And I
think me and my pops we talk about that because
I had like a I like a list on top
of my bed of like eight schools I want to
(01:59):
get off from. I got absolutely nine, but Kentucky was
on once. I guess I will go back and find
that paper and cross it off because it is definitely
definitely amazing to be here. But yeah, I saw he
saw guys like Fox go here. I saw the Harrison
Twins go here. I saw, you know, like just Texas
guys going to Blue Blast School. So I just always
(02:21):
kept up with them and watch you know, Blue Blast
and especially Kinsuck.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And he also talked about going through NBA workouts as
he was, you know, at his name in for draft consideration,
and he talked about coming across Slamant Butler and Andrew
Carr and Maury Williams through that process and how they
all just raved about Kentucky and told him he'd do
exceptionally well here. And so he seems thrilled to be
(02:50):
a Kentucky Wildcat. And I think anybody, yeah, and I
understand that. You know, you look at the numbers from
his two seasons at Pitt and you think, well, you
know it's he, you know, is he going to be
able to shoot it well enough for whatever? I think
he will flourish here because of the better talent that
(03:14):
will be around him than he's had to play with before.
And you know, I think a guy like Lowe is
the kind of player that only gets better. You know,
some guys can put up numbers in any situation, but
they really shine when they're part of a group of
guys that have great talent, especially who's a point guard,
(03:37):
who's a distributor as well as a score, and he's
going to have so many great options. So it'll be
you know, interesting to see what his numbers look like
when the season ends, because you know, he could be
a big score. But I suspect the assist rate will
(03:58):
go way up, hopefully any the turnover rates down. I
think three point shooting will be significantly better than it
was at pitt And you know that's a way that
maybe he you know, plays his way into back into
the NBA to stay after just one year here. We'll
see see how that turns out. Also, Rehese Potter was
(04:21):
part of the media session yesterday and he said that
he hadn't really even talked a whole lot with Mark
Pope about what his role is going to be. He
just was excited to get the call to be a
part of a program that he dreamed of playing for
growing up in Lexington, playing at Lexington Catholic. So he
is just thrilled to be here at Kentucky. And you know,
(04:45):
a guy that who knows what he could grow into
in this system. I think values you know, multi skilled
guys and a gay it's that tall that if you
can handle the ball, well, who knows how high the
ceiling could be. So these are interesting sessions each week
(05:05):
as we get to know these guys a little bit
and you hear them talk. So we'll see who comes
up next week. But you can find a lot of
this content on YouTube channels and elsewhere. All the different
outlets that cover the Cats. Links to the stories that
we talk about each day, you can find those on
the bud Light Leach Report page at Tom leitchky dot com.
When we come back, Larry Vott's going to join the program.
(05:27):
Our opening segment of wild Cat, who's always presented by
just Sepies of Lexington. They're located out past Manawar Boulevard
here in Lexington off Nicholasville Road, tucked away in a
spot where they've been for over a quarter of a
century doing it the same way from the start. Fantastic food,
a lot of it locally sourced. You have really special
(05:50):
ambiance live jazz music if you sit in the lounge area,
which has been expanded so there are more opportunities to
do that. Because it's so popular to have the live
jazz music accompany your meal. It's just a really unique
dining experience and you will love it at Jiuseppe to
get to open table and make a reservation. We'll be
right back here on the Leech's Report and it's presented
each day by Bobcat Enterprises. It is the Lakes Report.
(06:13):
We come to each day from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return,
refresh and refuel at Clark's and make sure that you
are signed up for their Loyalty Rewards programming. It discounts
on Phillips and also items in the stores at Clark's.
Joined now by Larry Vatt from your Sports Edge dot
(06:33):
Com and Vaught's Views. We'll start with Little Kentucky men's
basketball and yesterday Jayalen low and Reech Potter did the
media session. Really, I'm really excited about what I think
Jalen Lowe's season is going to look like. Larry, he
(06:54):
talks a lot about you know, growing up and following
programs like Kentucky and wanting to play for, you know,
at some place like this. So he's finally getting the chance.
So I think, you know, that's going to just motivate
him to elevate his game. But he talks about the
you know, the Kentucky guys that he followed that ended
up here, the Harrison Twins and deer and Fox, and
(07:14):
he you know, reminds you, I think, in listening to
him yesterday, a little bit of Deeron similar hairstyle first
of all, but really sounds a bright, engaging, a good smile,
left hander. I was a big Fox fan when he
was here, and by the end of his first year,
it really everything clicked for him. But you know, Jaylen's
(07:36):
gonna be a little more experienced than Deeron was when
he arrived. But I don't know if he's as fast
as Deeron but or has as fast as hands. But uh,
he I think has some other similarities.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yeah, I think so too, Tom. I don't know if
anybody's quite his face as Deeron or quite as quick
with his hands as what he was. But I tell you,
Jalen Lowe I thought was sational at he's press conference history.
I think he's going to be an.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Immediate fan favorite.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
He just has such an engaging personality and such an
infectious smile. And I don't know. I mean, sometimes you
have guys at press conference and they say the right things,
but you kind of leave there wondering, well, I wonder
if he really meant But everything that Jalen said seemed
so genuine. In fact, I called his father after being
there yesterday and told him that I thought he had
(08:23):
one of the best debut press conferences of anybody I've
ever seen at Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Just the what you ought to do in the summer.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
You kind of laughed, had a good time, expanded on
your answers, said great things about fans, teammates, coaches, didn't
oversell yourself, looked every media member and straight eye when
he was answering, And I just thought he was really,
really good. If he's anywhere close as good a player
as he was in a press conference, that he'll be
(08:51):
a seven star for Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Kind of look forward to his first big game when
he comes out and talks to Goose afterward on the radio.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Actually allay, Yeah, I think him and I think Goose
will love him. I mean, in fact, he made us
get a permanent seed at your table.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Well that could work, although I think they needed more
on the court.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I just think he uh. I think a lot of
things are teed up for him to be really good.
I think he's going to flourish where he has so
much more talent around him than he had at Pitt
and where he won't be you know, asked to carry
as as much of a load and can really you know,
focus in on what his best skills are.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, I mean he and it's what he talked about
yesterday that he said he kind of got the reputation
that everybody says Jaylen Lowe likes to shoot a lot. No,
Jayden low likes to pass a lot, he said. He
said he gets more satisfaction of making a great pass
and making a shot. It's just that the situation at Pitt,
Jaydon Lowell had to shoot a lot, and I think
that's a fair assessment on his part. He also talked
(10:01):
about the Kentucky's going to the best guard combination or
set of guards in the in the country, So I mean,
he's not shy about setting some bold predictions and openly
talked about winning the national championship and what Denzel Aberdeen
was going to bring as far as helping do that.
And I also but I think Jalen made it very
(10:21):
clear that he would like to be a passing point
guard and that he's got the guys this year that
he can throw the ball to and of course when
he sat there that Trentoah is the best shooter he's
ever seen in Manufactory. In the two years ago he
played with the guy pet the shot for from three.
I think that kind of raised a lot of eyebrows
(10:43):
and got your attention to.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yeah, that comment got a lot of play, not surprisingly,
and you know that's going to be interesting to see
who if there's somebody in this group that dramatically outperforms
what I think fans, maybe media members are expecting. You know,
otega Oway last year was a guy who comes in
(11:07):
out of Oklahoma and it played, you know well for
the Sooners, But I don't think anybody was talking about
him this time a year ago about being the kind
of player that he turned out to be for Kentucky
and now can take that to maybe an even higher
level this season. And you know, there's a player and
you've got a story at your sports edge dot com
(11:29):
with his dad, Cam Williams, because he committed during the
tournament and then he was the first one, so you know,
all the what's new gets more attention sometimes, so I
think he kind of gets forgotten about or maybe that's
not the right phrase, but just overlooked a little bit.
And yet when they saw on ESPN mock draft for
(11:51):
next year, they've got a quaintance projected in the lottery.
And the only the Wildcat they have projected right now
going in the second round is Cam Williams, who was
a great shore at Tulane. You caught up to his dad,
who's loving the world of Kentucky basketball.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
His dad, Greg, Yeah, is maybe as engaged as any.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Parent I've seen.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I mean, he has hit a big time at Cam's photos, shoes,
and he just loves everything about Mark Povia Kentucky basketball.
And I'm with you. I think with Cam, when I
thought he would probably be a pretty nice player, when
those mock drafts came out and there his names popped
up there, I thought.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Well, that's somebody.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
That I probably didn't give enough credit to. But I'm
not sure that there will be anybody that really will
surprise fans this year because I think the expectation has
a raised so high from last year when we didn't
know really what to kind of expect from bringing in
a group of transfers and everything. But I think this
year everybody just automatically assumes everybody's gonna be as good
(12:52):
as Otaga because that's what Mark Pope did.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
With him last year.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So I think the bar has been raised expectation wise,
and I'm not sure anybody they can surprise fans because
I think they think they're all going to be really good.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I say that's probably a very good point. Quick break
here coming up, and we'll be back and continue our
chat with Larry Vaught. It is the Leach Report, presented
by bobcat Enterprises. Back with Larry Vaught on this Tuesday
edition of The Leacher Report. Another story that you have
up at your sports edge dot com on your page, Larry,
is but Josh Teeter going into the Kentucky Golf Hall
(13:24):
of Fame. I was thrilled to see that news. He's
having a great year, going to be playing in the
PGA Tour event that's over in Louisville later this month,
and very deserving recognition for him to go into the
Golf Hall of Fame here in his home state.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah, he's been a really good player on the various tours,
been involved in leadership councils on the tour, always does
anything he can to promote golf. Huge UK fan and
just as nice as guy as you could ever find.
I was really thrilled to see that both Josh Teeter
and Metally, two of my favorite pro golfers from going
(14:02):
into this year's Kentucky Hall of Fame class because I
think they have been two people that have promoted golf
in this state in a lot of ways for a
lot of years. And Josh Ben for Lexing played at
Moorhead comes back Home all that he can, and at
ice CO Championship when it was the Barbersol, he was
always most popular player in the event. I think that
(14:24):
probably just the same now that it's up.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
In Louisville this year, because he always.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Has a lot of people that like just come seen because.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Of who he is.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Let's talk a little Kentucky football, because you guys on
the Sunday morning sports talk show that you're a part
of each week here in Lexington with Anthony White and
Jack Pilgrim and bol Robinson, you guys had one of
the newest commits for Kentucky football defensive lineman Ben Duncombe
on the line. And then I saw a post on
social media where you had a chance to chat with
(14:55):
the subsequent defensive line commit that Kentucky had, and I
take you've been impressed.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I have.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I think ann R. Stewart and bred White combined to
go find on a couple of pretty good defensive players,
want in Texas, one in Georgia, and Ben Duncan was
really excited about getting the chance to come play at Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
He's a guy that.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Admits that his junior year film was not as good
as what it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
For his senior year.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Said he realized at the end of his junior year
he had to do some things to get bigger, stronger,
and faster, which a lot of people say they're going
to do, but he managed to go out and do
it in the off season, he said. When Annimar Stewart
came to scene on a recruiting trip down there in
January and saw what he had done just since the
season ended, boom, that's when Kentucky offered an aftery. I
(15:46):
think even before he made his visit up here, he'd
already decided Kentucky was where he was going to come
to that he just thought he fit very well into
bred White and an R.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Stewart's style of play.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
And then when he came up here and they could
convinced him a proved to him that he really was
a number one guy in their defensive line list, then
that's settled it for him. And he's a very if
you didn't hear, you can go back and listen to podcasts,
but a very outgoing young man. And I think he'll
be a really good player down the road for Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
And it's been quite a run here in the past
month for Kentucky football. From cars go from zero to sixty.
They haven't quite gone to sixty, but they've gone from
zero to a pretty strong class.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yes they have.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
In some ways, Tom, it kind of reminds me of
a Rich Brooks type of class that not all the
guys have a tremendous amount of stars by their name,
but they all seem to have a lot of potential,
and they all had a lot of really good offers
from other schools too. I think that's one thing Rich
and his staff always were really good at was taking
guys and developing them and taking a three star development
(16:53):
into a five star, which is something that Mark Steups
and his staff have done at times too. But Rich
just kind of made a habit out of being able
to do that kind of thing, and that's what this
class so far kind of reminds me of one of
those classes which put.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Together Larry Vaught as always, Thank you much. All right, Tom,
That's Larry Vott from your sports edge dot com at
Valtz Views on X. We'll be right back with Adam
Luckett talks some more Kentucky football here on the Leech
Report presented by Bobcat Enterprise. It's the Leach Report for
a Tuesday and we are presented each day by Bobcat
(17:28):
Enterprises for locations around Kentucky for Bobcat Enterprises, So google Bobcat.
When you need to buy or rent a piece of
heavy equipment like an excavator or a forklift or skid
steerloader or something like that for a project, They'll have it.
They'll have parts for it. I'll have zero turn moors
for your home lawn if you need one of those,
(17:48):
and they'll give you a fantastic service at Bobcat Enterprises.
So we are welcoming in Adam Luckett to the program
from on three Sports and KSR, where he covers Kentucky
football among other things. And it has been a busy
month for recruiting Adam, So we'll start there. As Kentucky's
picked up a couple of D line recruits in the
(18:09):
last few days. What's your overall take on what they've
gotten done on the recruiting scene since the beginning of June.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Yeah, I think they kind of had a plan here
and it was maybe maybe not something a lot of
people saw coming. I think they really put a lot
of stock Tom into getting a lot of players on
campus and closing these recruitments. Once they got them on
campus for these official visits in June, it was probably
the most visitors they've had. I think that's for sure
(18:41):
of the case in the last few years, specifically in
the kind of this portal era as far as high
school recruiting and official visits in the summer. So I
think to go with get a bunch of guys on campus,
get multiple guys at every position on campus, and try
to close and see where we can see where you
can get And they've gotten some momentum and they've kind of,
you know, they've kind of beefed up here. I believe
(19:02):
they're up to thirteen commitments in June right now, and
then there's a few more guys that they're still going
after as the calendar turns of July today. But overall,
I think the big takeaway was they've had kind of
this new recruiting plan, and it was really they put
a lot of stock, I think, on these official visits,
and now they're in a situation where you look up
(19:23):
and oh, wow, they have thirteen commits to probably sixteen
seventeen here in a week or two, and that they're
sitting from a volume standpoint right where there need to be,
and they could have kind of the face of the
class if they're able to finally seal the deal on
Matt Ponatowski.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
As Kentucky got it rolling, one of the key elements
certainly was the big blue wall, and they would recruit
and develop guys like, you know, a bunch of Stallings
as Luke Fortner and the rest. They get some you know, big,
high number of star guys, but there were also guys
(19:59):
that we're a little under the radar that they developed
into guys that were NFL draft picks. And that's part
of how where I think Kentucky football lost its way
a little bit, is just in that you know, the
offensive line, and they certainly seem to be getting back
to that focus, and yet it's in a different landscape
(20:21):
with transfer Portal in particular, where you know it's harder
to find those recruit and developed guys. And I wonder
if that's part of what they're trying to do in
a different or better way, is identify guys that are
willing that you believe are willing to kind of invest
(20:43):
more than you know, they're not going to bail on
you after one year if things don't go especially well.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Yeah, I think that might be part of the part
of the calculus why they started so slow and why
they may be waited to be super aggressive. Now. I
never think you want to go into June first having
more and commitment. I don't think that's ever anyone's plan.
But I do think I think you're hitting the nail
on the head there with the evaluation process, making sure
(21:10):
who we're bringing in fits our culture, fits what we
want to do, both of either offensive or defensively, and
is going to really be a positive individual in our
locker room and in our organization. I definitely think they are.
They are making sure those kind of teased the teas
are crossed, and those eyes are dotted, and now we'll
(21:33):
see how it plays out year over year, because you
don't never want to overreact, especially in this age when
things are changing changing so much. But I do get
the sense just they don't want to be what happened
last year. They don't want to have like this huge
world class. They don't want to have thirty scholarship players
leave their team and have to bring in twenty five
scholarship players to replace them. And to do that, you
(21:55):
really got to be on your on your stuff in
high school recruiting, and that that the evaluation part goes
goes hand in hand with that. You've got to make
sure you're getting guys that cannot only succeed here, but
but are gonna be willing and gonna fit what you
want to do, both both on the field and off
the field. And so I definitely think that that is
(22:16):
a big part of it. You mentioned that recruit and
develop kind of mantra that blue collar and the offensive
line is an easy one to point at because how
it just fell off a cliff, But they're definitely gonna
have to get back to that. In for Kentucky, you're
never going to win games necessarily with the recruiting ranking.
When you look up on signing day, you're always gonna
(22:37):
be towards the bottom of the conference. Where you really
got to make your hay is kind of winning in
the margins. Some of these guys at the bottom of
your class that you need to have a high hit
rate on them and you need to overachieve because those
are guys typically you're not competing against high level schools
for it. It's really an evaluation win for you. And
so those are the guys you really have to win with.
And those are typically the guys that determine whether a
(22:59):
class is a good one or a bad one.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
And I think with like an offensive line or a
defensive line, uh, and maybe other position groups, I think
that's a you know, realistic goal you can hit. I
would think quarterbacks and receivers in particular, Uh, they're just
going to transfer a lot. Uh, And that's you're just
gonna have to probably uh uh have to live with
that because I think the famous holummy line quarterbacks are
(23:25):
born to transfer is probably true about wide receivers too.
You agree, yeah, I would.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
I would say, so that's quarterback, only one can play, right,
So it's harder and they're.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Usually not gonna have a depth there they're not gonna have.
They're gonna use depth at that position like you are
at other positions.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
So it's harder to stack them receivers. That's a very
uh you know, if they're not getting the bar, they're
not playing, you're I think you're right that the turnout,
you're gonna have some turnover in that. Yeah, but you
want your stability to be built from the inside out
of the program. You want you're in the trenches. You
want to be in a good spot. You don't want
(24:05):
to be going to the portal every year to find
starters on the offensive the defensive line. That's been proven
I think here in the short sample size is it's
not necessarily a good recipe if you're having to do
that year over year. So that's something Kentucky has to
get better out. I think defensive line wise, they've been
pretty good, and they've recruited well year over year, and
(24:26):
they're stacking good recruiting wins. I think we're gonna see
some of those guys on the field this year. Tom
When I look at a guy like Gerrod Smith, I
think can maybe have a big role for the team.
That was a big recruiting win for them. Now he's
in year two, so you're gonna start to see more
of those guys start to play off but offensive line,
they've just they continually need to get better at that.
But the problem is you're all allow on that you're
(24:47):
gonna have to wait a couple of years to get
it because when you get these guys that are not
ready to play, and so you really don't know if
you have a bus of a class until you know
you're three years into their into their stay or in
their their college careers. But that's why it's so important
at those positions to continually address them and sign multiple
guys in like shigning defensive tackles and defensive ends, signing
(25:09):
offensive guards, signing offensive tackles, multiple guys at each of
those positions because it is very much a number of
volume game, and that the more chips you get, the
better your odds are that you're gonna that you're gonna
leave that table with you know, a plus in your
wallet and not necessarily a minus.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Bore with Adam Luckett. Will we come right back? It
is the Leach Report coming to you from the Clark's
Pumping Shop Studio. Return, Refresh and refuel. At Clark's. A
quarter before the top of the hour, we're talking Kentucky
football with Adam Lucky, who covers it for on three
Sports KSR. And we talking about recruiting and looking down
the road. Let's shorten the focus to the upcoming season.
(25:51):
You mentioned George Smith. I think a year two guy
that on the defensive side that could be impactful this year.
There are some other guys that maybe could make a move.
Steven Soles Flash certainly last year until he got hurt.
I know he got like Cam Dooley, they're they're high on.
There's just a couple that come to mind offensively, you know, Jamoori, Macklin,
(26:13):
Fred Ferrier were a couple of receivers that got a
lot of buzz in training camp and then didn't get
a lot of opportunities because they a lot of the
you know, the passards were going toward Key and Brown.
So there's there's names there that maybe could make a
much bigger impact than his forecast at the moment. And
I think about a guy like Maxwell Harriston Adam who
(26:36):
uh played you know, his first season, I can't think
he was as a red shirt freshman and played very
little and then the second year, he could have been
an NFL draft pick by the end of the second year,
ended up being one after the third.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Yeah, he's like I think he didn't place freshman year
and then red shirt freshman year. I think everyone remembers
the Vanderbilt play where he goes in because carry into
Valentine got hurt. And then you Kentucky grabbed a couple
of transfers. You thought they would start opposite Andrew Phillips,
and then it just kind of was Maximoel Harrison's job.
(27:12):
It wasn't even like really a competition kind of when
we got into the fall camp and then he had
that that big year and then he became a draft prospect, right, So, like,
who is the guy that's maybe like he's been here
a couple of years that can maybe surprise you. Tavian
Gadson's a guy on the defensive line that's just like
had some tough injury luck. But I think it's a
(27:33):
guy that they're really positive on, So I wouldn't be
surprised to see him maybe emerge some. I think Souls
is one that potentially has kind of a situational pass rusher.
I think kway Sheets got played some last year. I
think he's gonna be Kentucky starting nickel this year. Kentucky
beat South Carolina out for him on the recruiting trail.
(27:53):
He's a guy they could potentially be see have a
have a big season for them. And then there's a
few us as well. When you kind of start going
down down the list, I think, you know, you quickly
get into this. So who are the transfers? And then
the one that's unique to me is Hardley Gilmore. They
gussed about him last year when he was a freshman.
(28:15):
He bright breaks his collar roll towards the end of
fall camp. You don't really get to see any place
some but he's another guy that I think would I
wouldn't be surprised if you look up and it's like, oh,
this guy's pretty good and then there's one of their
better receivers.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, it's But there's got to be some of that,
I think in the script for Kentucky to overachieved, to
outperform expectations which aren't going to be very high, so
the bar will be set lower. So uh that that's
helpful when you're trying to outperform expectations, but that some
(28:50):
of that will have to happen. Obviously, I think the
quarterback will have to be uh certainly solid at the
at minimum and you know, minimum turnovers. What are some
of the other things that would need to be in
that script.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Yeah, I think I think you would have to look
at the offensive line, tom and it doesn't I don't
think it necessarily needs to be like a Joe More
Award finalist or even maybe a top five group in
the SEC. But you've got to legit I think they
legitimately have to be a solid middle of the pack
seven to eight ninth best offensive line in the league
(29:29):
for them to think for how Kentucky wants to play.
The resources they spent on that position in the offseason,
I think they've kind of pretty much are kind of
they put a lot of last year struggles on their
inability to kind of control the line of scrimmage on offense,
and so that that's number one. Like the offensive line
(29:50):
has to be better. If it's not, if it doesn't
take a sizeable step forward, I think there they could
be in some big trouble. So that's the first one.
I think when you look at Kentucky's schedule and some
of the teams are gonna play. They're they're just gonna be.
They're gonna be. He's gonna feel like they don't have
as much talent as these other teams, I think when
(30:11):
you get into the season. So that's where turnovers to
me become really important. One protecting the football if you're
Kentucky in two like we've heard Mark Stoops talk about
how turnovers can be random, will this be a good
year to have the random plus twelve when you look
up at the end of the season in the turnover column.
I think that's gonna be essential for them. Specifically, if
the offensive line is improved, they're able to control the
(30:33):
pace of the game, They're able to shrink possessions. If
you're consistently winning that turnover margin and you're playing games
like Kentucky wants to play them, they're gonna have a
lot of really good chances, in my opinion, to win
those games if they're controlling the line of scrimmage on
offense and if they're taking the ball away on defense. Unfortunately,
those have been two areas where it's not been necessarily
(30:54):
good strengths. Turnover department's been okay, but the last couple
of years they've had bossy issues on offense, so they
need to clean that up. So play quan football, control
line of scrimmage on offense, create some turnovers on defense.
I think if they do those two things, they're gonna
have a really good chance to exceed expectations, but maybe
a win or two wins.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
When Phil Steele had I think had four Kentucky guys
on his various All SEC teams in his preseason magazine,
I think the one that was highest rated on the
second team was la Ross the punter.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
And you know, people can you know, say it's the
you know, it's the punter that's your your best player.
But the thing is, for the way Kentucky's going to play, Uh,
the punting game needs to be really good this year
and I think it certainly can be.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
Yeah, absolutely, the the field position, hit the yardage, all
of that. La Ross just showed these things last year
where he looked like one of the better punters in
the country when he was on. But he also had
the random, you know shank he would hit two. So
you've got to figure if he can, if he can
get more consistent, he can be a true weapon for them.
(32:02):
And I think that that's right, Tom, I think you know,
I don't think they're going to play the most exciting
brand of football, but this is what they want to do.
I think they've won games playing like this before they
can get to back to their they're kind of their
original I would say, Mark Stoops DNA. I think there's
(32:22):
a path to win games if they're able to fix
some certain areas. But I definitely feel like that's the plan.
They want to get into a lot of games where
it's twenty to seventeen is going to be the winner.
So the first one to twenty one points, it's probably
gonna win the football game. And I think that's their goal.
And if they're able to get in a lot of
games like that, I think the offensive line is the
that position is going to be of significant importance. And
(32:46):
then winning to turnover that I think it's going to
be really really important as well.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
SEC Media Days are coming up here soon. I'm sure
you'll be heading down to Atlanta for that. As Kentuck,
you look around, it's a difficult schedule, no doubt, probably
always going to be most years. You might occasionally get
lucky and catch a couple of teams in a down cycle.
But I heard Van Hiles make this point on the
Sunday Show a couple of weeks ago. There are some
(33:13):
of the teams that Kentucky will face, while very talented teams,
that Ole miss is one that comes up in Game
two that will be working in a new quarterback Tennessee.
You know that that helps. You know, South Carolina's going
to go the other way with Sellers being maybe even
better in a second. You're save Way for Florida with Lagway,
but they're you know, if a team is breaking in
(33:34):
a new quarterback, maybe you have a chance to catch
them in a given game.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Yeah, I think that that certainly. That certainly helps. And
you never know how the schedule is going to break.
You never know when you might get a backup quarterback,
or you never know when you might get a team
that has eight starters out. You never know that you
might have a team that just like Auburn. Let's just
use Auburn as an example. A lot of pressures aren't
Hugh Freeze. What if it goes the wrong way and
(34:02):
it just kind of caves on them and you play
them late in the year, You'd never really know. I'm
not saying that'll happen, but you never know how to
schedule this break, so you can't get too far ahead
in kind of predicting it. But I think it's really
important that Old Miss game seems really important to me. Historically,
under stoops the first SEC game, which is typically in
(34:24):
Week two, that's one of the best games they play
all year. It's the game they be Florida when they
snapped a streak in the Swamp. It's a game where
they've gotten a ton of big home wins. Missouri twenty
twenty one stands out. That was like to me, that
was almost like a catapult for that team to start
a run. It's typically a game Kentucky plays really well
(34:45):
in well. Last year they played probably arguably their worst
game when South Carolina came to town. But Old Mission
is a team they play well. All these games against
Kiffon have gone down to the wire either one either
side could have won. If you can when Austin Simmons
making his first SEC road start, oh Miss is not
going to be as talented as they were last year.
(35:07):
They don't have the roster of aid last year. They're
taking a step back. That's a game for Kentucky. I
think you really have to circle because that game, to me,
is gonna tell it could tell us a lot about
what this season will be moving forward. And to me,
it's a monstrous game, I think for Kentucky because it's
one of their best. I think wanning opportunities at SEC play.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Adam, Thank you much.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
Thanks Tom Adam login.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
You can read him at on three Sports and KSR.
We'll be right back on the lead Repard Radio Network.
Shuffle Bean Coffee is the official coffee of Rupp Arena
and the KFC Center. MA get the official coffee of
your home. It's a group of Kentuckians that got together
more than a decade ago and their commitment to quantity,
they like to say, goes from ceed to cup. Starts
(35:51):
with the best coffee beans, ends up with a fantastic
cup of coffee. You can find it at Central Kentucky
Myers stores. You could order it through Amazon or through
the company's website Shufflebeing dot us and put some hustle
in your shuffle with Shufflebeing Coffee. Congrats to Gabriel Diallo,
the former Wildcat, got his first ever win at Wimbledon
yesterday and it came in straight sets. Is they Wildcat
(36:13):
History said about Kentucky Roadshow sports cards and memorabilia on
Romney Road in Lexington at a roadshowcards dot com. A
couple of Happy Birthday is Dame Keen now on Nebraska
Cornhusker Happy Birthday to the former Wildcat wide Out and
Happy Birthday are born on this day. Tom Parker a
Wildcat basketball legend in the early seventies, Great Shooter had
(36:34):
some fantastic numbers that get a little overlooked, I think
historically so Tom Parker born on this day as well.
Corn Bradhamp has a great deal for the fourth of July.
You can try some of their products and you can
buy one and get the second half off to try
something new. Perhaps what you have to do is put
in the code USA at checkout at cornbreadhamp dot com.
(36:57):
They've got the infused gummies, They've got the sleep gummies
that I love. They've got oils and topicals, and they
have their new infused Seltzers with a five milligram HEMP
infusion for a light, enjoyable buzz without the hangover. You
can get those or more. Buy one, get one half
off Cornbreadhemp dot com. Put in the code USA at
(37:17):
checkout Great Way to Celebrate the fourth with one of
the products from Cornbread Hemp dot com. We'll see you
tomorrow on The Leach Report.
This podcast of the Leech Report is presented by Boone's
Butcher Shop in Barnestown at one hundred Old Bloomfield Pike,
family owned and operated since nineteen forty six, with fresh
meat cut on site daily. Boons Butcher Shop Right. Wildcat
News of the Day always a service of just Seppi's
of Lexington. And we will start with Chanda low talking
(00:24):
to the media yesterday Henterese Potter where the two Wildcats
are doing two a week through the summer, kind of
a Meet the Wildcats series for local media to pass
along to you guys as fans. And yesterday we got
to hear from Jalen Lowe. One of the things that's
getting a lot of play is a comment he made
about the Mountain Mamba. Trent Noah might be the best
(00:46):
shooter I've ever seen, said Jalen Lowe at this session yesterday.
That's pretty strong. And you know you do something that well,
maybe that's how you get more minutes than people think
you're going to get. So strong praise there from Jalen
Lowe for one of his new teammates. And then Lowe
(01:06):
also talked about his journey to Kentucky and for Jalen
growing up in Texas and you know they were Kentucky
guys that came out of texasteering Fox, the Harrison Twins,
et cetera. And he said he dreamed coming up in
a basketball family, of playing for one of those blue
(01:26):
bloods schools that and ironically that wear blue. And he
talked about that yesterday and what it means to him
now to be playing at the University of Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I like the duke Kentucky at Kansas, and I
only saw Blue going up, so I was just like,
oh yeah, like you gotta go to blue blad school.
I'm like, oh yeah, this is what I'm gonna do.
Then it never came at first disappointed, but I mean
where I'm at now is just full circle. And I
think me and my pops we talk about that because
I had like a I like a list on top
of my bed of like eight schools I want to
(01:59):
get off from. I got absolutely nine, but Kentucky was
on once. I guess I will go back and find
that paper and cross it off because it is definitely
definitely amazing to be here. But yeah, I saw he
saw guys like Fox go here. I saw the Harrison
Twins go here. I saw, you know, like just Texas
guys going to Blue Blast School. So I just always
(02:21):
kept up with them and watch you know, Blue Blast
and especially Kinsuck.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And he also talked about going through NBA workouts as
he was, you know, at his name in for draft consideration,
and he talked about coming across Slamant Butler and Andrew
Carr and Maury Williams through that process and how they
all just raved about Kentucky and told him he'd do
exceptionally well here. And so he seems thrilled to be
(02:50):
a Kentucky Wildcat. And I think anybody, yeah, and I
understand that. You know, you look at the numbers from
his two seasons at Pitt and you think, well, you
know it's he, you know, is he going to be
able to shoot it well enough for whatever? I think
he will flourish here because of the better talent that
(03:14):
will be around him than he's had to play with before.
And you know, I think a guy like Lowe is
the kind of player that only gets better. You know,
some guys can put up numbers in any situation, but
they really shine when they're part of a group of
guys that have great talent, especially who's a point guard,
(03:37):
who's a distributor as well as a score, and he's
going to have so many great options. So it'll be
you know, interesting to see what his numbers look like
when the season ends, because you know, he could be
a big score. But I suspect the assist rate will
(03:58):
go way up, hopefully any the turnover rates down. I
think three point shooting will be significantly better than it
was at pitt And you know that's a way that
maybe he you know, plays his way into back into
the NBA to stay after just one year here. We'll
see see how that turns out. Also, Rehese Potter was
(04:21):
part of the media session yesterday and he said that
he hadn't really even talked a whole lot with Mark
Pope about what his role is going to be. He
just was excited to get the call to be a
part of a program that he dreamed of playing for
growing up in Lexington, playing at Lexington Catholic. So he
is just thrilled to be here at Kentucky. And you know,
(04:45):
a guy that who knows what he could grow into
in this system. I think values you know, multi skilled
guys and a gay it's that tall that if you
can handle the ball, well, who knows how high the
ceiling could be. So these are interesting sessions each week
(05:05):
as we get to know these guys a little bit
and you hear them talk. So we'll see who comes
up next week. But you can find a lot of
this content on YouTube channels and elsewhere. All the different
outlets that cover the Cats. Links to the stories that
we talk about each day, you can find those on
the bud Light Leach Report page at Tom leitchky dot com.
When we come back, Larry Vott's going to join the program.
(05:27):
Our opening segment of wild Cat, who's always presented by
just Sepies of Lexington. They're located out past Manawar Boulevard
here in Lexington off Nicholasville Road, tucked away in a
spot where they've been for over a quarter of a
century doing it the same way from the start. Fantastic food,
a lot of it locally sourced. You have really special
(05:50):
ambiance live jazz music if you sit in the lounge area,
which has been expanded so there are more opportunities to
do that. Because it's so popular to have the live
jazz music accompany your meal. It's just a really unique
dining experience and you will love it at Jiuseppe to
get to open table and make a reservation. We'll be
right back here on the Leech's Report and it's presented
each day by Bobcat Enterprises. It is the Lakes Report.
(06:13):
We come to each day from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return,
refresh and refuel at Clark's and make sure that you
are signed up for their Loyalty Rewards programming. It discounts
on Phillips and also items in the stores at Clark's.
Joined now by Larry Vatt from your Sports Edge dot
(06:33):
Com and Vaught's Views. We'll start with Little Kentucky men's
basketball and yesterday Jayalen low and Reech Potter did the
media session. Really, I'm really excited about what I think
Jalen Lowe's season is going to look like. Larry, he
(06:54):
talks a lot about you know, growing up and following
programs like Kentucky and wanting to play for, you know,
at some place like this. So he's finally getting the chance.
So I think, you know, that's going to just motivate
him to elevate his game. But he talks about the
you know, the Kentucky guys that he followed that ended
up here, the Harrison Twins and deer and Fox, and
(07:14):
he you know, reminds you, I think, in listening to
him yesterday, a little bit of Deeron similar hairstyle first
of all, but really sounds a bright, engaging, a good smile,
left hander. I was a big Fox fan when he
was here, and by the end of his first year,
it really everything clicked for him. But you know, Jaylen's
(07:36):
gonna be a little more experienced than Deeron was when
he arrived. But I don't know if he's as fast
as Deeron but or has as fast as hands. But uh,
he I think has some other similarities.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yeah, I think so too, Tom. I don't know if
anybody's quite his face as Deeron or quite as quick
with his hands as what he was. But I tell you,
Jalen Lowe I thought was sational at he's press conference history.
I think he's going to be an.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Immediate fan favorite.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
He just has such an engaging personality and such an
infectious smile. And I don't know. I mean, sometimes you
have guys at press conference and they say the right things,
but you kind of leave there wondering, well, I wonder
if he really meant But everything that Jalen said seemed
so genuine. In fact, I called his father after being
there yesterday and told him that I thought he had
(08:23):
one of the best debut press conferences of anybody I've
ever seen at Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Just the what you ought to do in the summer.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
You kind of laughed, had a good time, expanded on
your answers, said great things about fans, teammates, coaches, didn't
oversell yourself, looked every media member and straight eye when
he was answering, And I just thought he was really,
really good. If he's anywhere close as good a player
as he was in a press conference, that he'll be
(08:51):
a seven star for Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Kind of look forward to his first big game when
he comes out and talks to Goose afterward on the radio.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Actually allay, Yeah, I think him and I think Goose
will love him. I mean, in fact, he made us
get a permanent seed at your table.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Well that could work, although I think they needed more
on the court.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I just think he uh. I think a lot of
things are teed up for him to be really good.
I think he's going to flourish where he has so
much more talent around him than he had at Pitt
and where he won't be you know, asked to carry
as as much of a load and can really you know,
focus in on what his best skills are.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, I mean he and it's what he talked about
yesterday that he said he kind of got the reputation
that everybody says Jaylen Lowe likes to shoot a lot. No,
Jayden low likes to pass a lot, he said. He
said he gets more satisfaction of making a great pass
and making a shot. It's just that the situation at Pitt,
Jaydon Lowell had to shoot a lot, and I think
that's a fair assessment on his part. He also talked
(10:01):
about the Kentucky's going to the best guard combination or
set of guards in the in the country, So I mean,
he's not shy about setting some bold predictions and openly
talked about winning the national championship and what Denzel Aberdeen
was going to bring as far as helping do that.
And I also but I think Jalen made it very
(10:21):
clear that he would like to be a passing point
guard and that he's got the guys this year that
he can throw the ball to and of course when
he sat there that Trentoah is the best shooter he's
ever seen in Manufactory. In the two years ago he
played with the guy pet the shot for from three.
I think that kind of raised a lot of eyebrows
(10:43):
and got your attention to.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yeah, that comment got a lot of play, not surprisingly,
and you know that's going to be interesting to see
who if there's somebody in this group that dramatically outperforms
what I think fans, maybe media members are expecting. You know,
otega Oway last year was a guy who comes in
(11:07):
out of Oklahoma and it played, you know well for
the Sooners, But I don't think anybody was talking about
him this time a year ago about being the kind
of player that he turned out to be for Kentucky
and now can take that to maybe an even higher
level this season. And you know, there's a player and
you've got a story at your sports edge dot com
(11:29):
with his dad, Cam Williams, because he committed during the
tournament and then he was the first one, so you know,
all the what's new gets more attention sometimes, so I
think he kind of gets forgotten about or maybe that's
not the right phrase, but just overlooked a little bit.
And yet when they saw on ESPN mock draft for
(11:51):
next year, they've got a quaintance projected in the lottery.
And the only the Wildcat they have projected right now
going in the second round is Cam Williams, who was
a great shore at Tulane. You caught up to his dad,
who's loving the world of Kentucky basketball.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
His dad, Greg, Yeah, is maybe as engaged as any.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Parent I've seen.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I mean, he has hit a big time at Cam's photos, shoes,
and he just loves everything about Mark Povia Kentucky basketball.
And I'm with you. I think with Cam, when I
thought he would probably be a pretty nice player, when
those mock drafts came out and there his names popped
up there, I thought.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Well, that's somebody.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
That I probably didn't give enough credit to. But I'm
not sure that there will be anybody that really will
surprise fans this year because I think the expectation has
a raised so high from last year when we didn't
know really what to kind of expect from bringing in
a group of transfers and everything. But I think this
year everybody just automatically assumes everybody's gonna be as good
(12:52):
as Otaga because that's what Mark Pope did.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
With him last year.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So I think the bar has been raised expectation wise,
and I'm not sure anybody they can surprise fans because
I think they think they're all going to be really good.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I say that's probably a very good point. Quick break
here coming up, and we'll be back and continue our
chat with Larry Vaught. It is the Leach Report, presented
by bobcat Enterprises. Back with Larry Vaught on this Tuesday
edition of The Leacher Report. Another story that you have
up at your sports edge dot com on your page, Larry,
is but Josh Teeter going into the Kentucky Golf Hall
(13:24):
of Fame. I was thrilled to see that news. He's
having a great year, going to be playing in the
PGA Tour event that's over in Louisville later this month,
and very deserving recognition for him to go into the
Golf Hall of Fame here in his home state.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah, he's been a really good player on the various tours,
been involved in leadership councils on the tour, always does
anything he can to promote golf. Huge UK fan and
just as nice as guy as you could ever find.
I was really thrilled to see that both Josh Teeter
and Metally, two of my favorite pro golfers from going
(14:02):
into this year's Kentucky Hall of Fame class because I
think they have been two people that have promoted golf
in this state in a lot of ways for a
lot of years. And Josh Ben for Lexing played at
Moorhead comes back Home all that he can, and at
ice CO Championship when it was the Barbersol, he was
always most popular player in the event. I think that
(14:24):
probably just the same now that it's up.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
In Louisville this year, because he always.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Has a lot of people that like just come seen because.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Of who he is.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Let's talk a little Kentucky football, because you guys on
the Sunday morning sports talk show that you're a part
of each week here in Lexington with Anthony White and
Jack Pilgrim and bol Robinson, you guys had one of
the newest commits for Kentucky football defensive lineman Ben Duncombe
on the line. And then I saw a post on
social media where you had a chance to chat with
(14:55):
the subsequent defensive line commit that Kentucky had, and I
take you've been impressed.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I have.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I think ann R. Stewart and bred White combined to
go find on a couple of pretty good defensive players,
want in Texas, one in Georgia, and Ben Duncan was
really excited about getting the chance to come play at Kentucky.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
He's a guy that.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Admits that his junior year film was not as good
as what it's going to be.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
For his senior year.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Said he realized at the end of his junior year
he had to do some things to get bigger, stronger,
and faster, which a lot of people say they're going
to do, but he managed to go out and do
it in the off season, he said. When Annimar Stewart
came to scene on a recruiting trip down there in
January and saw what he had done just since the
season ended, boom, that's when Kentucky offered an aftery. I
(15:46):
think even before he made his visit up here, he'd
already decided Kentucky was where he was going to come
to that he just thought he fit very well into
bred White and an R.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Stewart's style of play.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
And then when he came up here and they could
convinced him a proved to him that he really was
a number one guy in their defensive line list, then
that's settled it for him. And he's a very if
you didn't hear, you can go back and listen to podcasts,
but a very outgoing young man. And I think he'll
be a really good player down the road for Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
And it's been quite a run here in the past
month for Kentucky football. From cars go from zero to sixty.
They haven't quite gone to sixty, but they've gone from
zero to a pretty strong class.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yes they have.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
In some ways, Tom, it kind of reminds me of
a Rich Brooks type of class that not all the
guys have a tremendous amount of stars by their name,
but they all seem to have a lot of potential,
and they all had a lot of really good offers
from other schools too. I think that's one thing Rich
and his staff always were really good at was taking
guys and developing them and taking a three star development
(16:53):
into a five star, which is something that Mark Steups
and his staff have done at times too. But Rich
just kind of made a habit out of being able
to do that kind of thing, and that's what this
class so far kind of reminds me of one of
those classes which put.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Together Larry Vaught as always, Thank you much. All right, Tom,
That's Larry Vott from your sports edge dot com at
Valtz Views on X. We'll be right back with Adam
Luckett talks some more Kentucky football here on the Leech
Report presented by Bobcat Enterprise. It's the Leach Report for
a Tuesday and we are presented each day by Bobcat
(17:28):
Enterprises for locations around Kentucky for Bobcat Enterprises, So google Bobcat.
When you need to buy or rent a piece of
heavy equipment like an excavator or a forklift or skid
steerloader or something like that for a project, They'll have it.
They'll have parts for it. I'll have zero turn moors
for your home lawn if you need one of those,
(17:48):
and they'll give you a fantastic service at Bobcat Enterprises.
So we are welcoming in Adam Luckett to the program
from on three Sports and KSR, where he covers Kentucky
football among other things. And it has been a busy
month for recruiting Adam, So we'll start there. As Kentucky's
picked up a couple of D line recruits in the
(18:09):
last few days. What's your overall take on what they've
gotten done on the recruiting scene since the beginning of June.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Yeah, I think they kind of had a plan here
and it was maybe maybe not something a lot of
people saw coming. I think they really put a lot
of stock Tom into getting a lot of players on
campus and closing these recruitments. Once they got them on
campus for these official visits in June, it was probably
the most visitors they've had. I think that's for sure
(18:41):
of the case in the last few years, specifically in
the kind of this portal era as far as high
school recruiting and official visits in the summer. So I
think to go with get a bunch of guys on campus,
get multiple guys at every position on campus, and try
to close and see where we can see where you
can get And they've gotten some momentum and they've kind of,
you know, they've kind of beefed up here. I believe
(19:02):
they're up to thirteen commitments in June right now, and
then there's a few more guys that they're still going
after as the calendar turns of July today. But overall,
I think the big takeaway was they've had kind of
this new recruiting plan, and it was really they put
a lot of stock, I think, on these official visits,
and now they're in a situation where you look up
(19:23):
and oh, wow, they have thirteen commits to probably sixteen
seventeen here in a week or two, and that they're
sitting from a volume standpoint right where there need to be,
and they could have kind of the face of the
class if they're able to finally seal the deal on
Matt Ponatowski.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
As Kentucky got it rolling, one of the key elements
certainly was the big blue wall, and they would recruit
and develop guys like, you know, a bunch of Stallings
as Luke Fortner and the rest. They get some you know, big,
high number of star guys, but there were also guys
(19:59):
that we're a little under the radar that they developed
into guys that were NFL draft picks. And that's part
of how where I think Kentucky football lost its way
a little bit, is just in that you know, the
offensive line, and they certainly seem to be getting back
to that focus, and yet it's in a different landscape
(20:21):
with transfer Portal in particular, where you know it's harder
to find those recruit and developed guys. And I wonder
if that's part of what they're trying to do in
a different or better way, is identify guys that are
willing that you believe are willing to kind of invest
(20:43):
more than you know, they're not going to bail on
you after one year if things don't go especially well.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Yeah, I think that might be part of the part
of the calculus why they started so slow and why
they may be waited to be super aggressive. Now. I
never think you want to go into June first having
more and commitment. I don't think that's ever anyone's plan.
But I do think I think you're hitting the nail
on the head there with the evaluation process, making sure
(21:10):
who we're bringing in fits our culture, fits what we
want to do, both of either offensive or defensively, and
is going to really be a positive individual in our
locker room and in our organization. I definitely think they are.
They are making sure those kind of teased the teas
are crossed, and those eyes are dotted, and now we'll
(21:33):
see how it plays out year over year, because you
don't never want to overreact, especially in this age when
things are changing changing so much. But I do get
the sense just they don't want to be what happened
last year. They don't want to have like this huge
world class. They don't want to have thirty scholarship players
leave their team and have to bring in twenty five
scholarship players to replace them. And to do that, you
(21:55):
really got to be on your on your stuff in
high school recruiting, and that that the evaluation part goes
goes hand in hand with that. You've got to make
sure you're getting guys that cannot only succeed here, but
but are gonna be willing and gonna fit what you
want to do, both both on the field and off
the field. And so I definitely think that that is
(22:16):
a big part of it. You mentioned that recruit and
develop kind of mantra that blue collar and the offensive
line is an easy one to point at because how
it just fell off a cliff, But they're definitely gonna
have to get back to that. In for Kentucky, you're
never going to win games necessarily with the recruiting ranking.
When you look up on signing day, you're always gonna
(22:37):
be towards the bottom of the conference. Where you really
got to make your hay is kind of winning in
the margins. Some of these guys at the bottom of
your class that you need to have a high hit
rate on them and you need to overachieve because those
are guys typically you're not competing against high level schools
for it. It's really an evaluation win for you. And
so those are the guys you really have to win with.
And those are typically the guys that determine whether a
(22:59):
class is a good one or a bad one.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
And I think with like an offensive line or a
defensive line, uh, and maybe other position groups, I think
that's a you know, realistic goal you can hit. I
would think quarterbacks and receivers in particular, Uh, they're just
going to transfer a lot. Uh, And that's you're just
gonna have to probably uh uh have to live with
that because I think the famous holummy line quarterbacks are
(23:25):
born to transfer is probably true about wide receivers too.
You agree, yeah, I would.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
I would say, so that's quarterback, only one can play, right,
So it's harder and they're.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Usually not gonna have a depth there they're not gonna have.
They're gonna use depth at that position like you are
at other positions.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
So it's harder to stack them receivers. That's a very
uh you know, if they're not getting the bar, they're
not playing, you're I think you're right that the turnout,
you're gonna have some turnover in that. Yeah, but you
want your stability to be built from the inside out
of the program. You want you're in the trenches. You
want to be in a good spot. You don't want
(24:05):
to be going to the portal every year to find
starters on the offensive the defensive line. That's been proven
I think here in the short sample size is it's
not necessarily a good recipe if you're having to do
that year over year. So that's something Kentucky has to
get better out. I think defensive line wise, they've been
pretty good, and they've recruited well year over year, and
(24:26):
they're stacking good recruiting wins. I think we're gonna see
some of those guys on the field this year. Tom
When I look at a guy like Gerrod Smith, I
think can maybe have a big role for the team.
That was a big recruiting win for them. Now he's
in year two, so you're gonna start to see more
of those guys start to play off but offensive line,
they've just they continually need to get better at that.
But the problem is you're all allow on that you're
(24:47):
gonna have to wait a couple of years to get
it because when you get these guys that are not
ready to play, and so you really don't know if
you have a bus of a class until you know
you're three years into their into their stay or in
their their college careers. But that's why it's so important
at those positions to continually address them and sign multiple
guys in like shigning defensive tackles and defensive ends, signing
(25:09):
offensive guards, signing offensive tackles, multiple guys at each of
those positions because it is very much a number of
volume game, and that the more chips you get, the
better your odds are that you're gonna that you're gonna
leave that table with you know, a plus in your
wallet and not necessarily a minus.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Bore with Adam Luckett. Will we come right back? It
is the Leach Report coming to you from the Clark's
Pumping Shop Studio. Return, Refresh and refuel. At Clark's. A
quarter before the top of the hour, we're talking Kentucky
football with Adam Lucky, who covers it for on three
Sports KSR. And we talking about recruiting and looking down
the road. Let's shorten the focus to the upcoming season.
(25:51):
You mentioned George Smith. I think a year two guy
that on the defensive side that could be impactful this year.
There are some other guys that maybe could make a move.
Steven Soles Flash certainly last year until he got hurt.
I know he got like Cam Dooley, they're they're high on.
There's just a couple that come to mind offensively, you know, Jamoori, Macklin,
(26:13):
Fred Ferrier were a couple of receivers that got a
lot of buzz in training camp and then didn't get
a lot of opportunities because they a lot of the
you know, the passards were going toward Key and Brown.
So there's there's names there that maybe could make a
much bigger impact than his forecast at the moment. And
I think about a guy like Maxwell Harriston Adam who
(26:36):
uh played you know, his first season, I can't think
he was as a red shirt freshman and played very
little and then the second year, he could have been
an NFL draft pick by the end of the second year,
ended up being one after the third.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Yeah, he's like I think he didn't place freshman year
and then red shirt freshman year. I think everyone remembers
the Vanderbilt play where he goes in because carry into
Valentine got hurt. And then you Kentucky grabbed a couple
of transfers. You thought they would start opposite Andrew Phillips,
and then it just kind of was Maximoel Harrison's job.
(27:12):
It wasn't even like really a competition kind of when
we got into the fall camp and then he had
that that big year and then he became a draft prospect, right, So, like,
who is the guy that's maybe like he's been here
a couple of years that can maybe surprise you. Tavian
Gadson's a guy on the defensive line that's just like
had some tough injury luck. But I think it's a
(27:33):
guy that they're really positive on, So I wouldn't be
surprised to see him maybe emerge some. I think Souls
is one that potentially has kind of a situational pass rusher.
I think kway Sheets got played some last year. I
think he's gonna be Kentucky starting nickel this year. Kentucky
beat South Carolina out for him on the recruiting trail.
(27:53):
He's a guy they could potentially be see have a
have a big season for them. And then there's a
few us as well. When you kind of start going
down down the list, I think, you know, you quickly
get into this. So who are the transfers? And then
the one that's unique to me is Hardley Gilmore. They
gussed about him last year when he was a freshman.
(28:15):
He bright breaks his collar roll towards the end of
fall camp. You don't really get to see any place
some but he's another guy that I think would I
wouldn't be surprised if you look up and it's like, oh,
this guy's pretty good and then there's one of their
better receivers.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, it's But there's got to be some of that,
I think in the script for Kentucky to overachieved, to
outperform expectations which aren't going to be very high, so
the bar will be set lower. So uh that that's
helpful when you're trying to outperform expectations, but that some
(28:50):
of that will have to happen. Obviously, I think the
quarterback will have to be uh certainly solid at the
at minimum and you know, minimum turnovers. What are some
of the other things that would need to be in
that script.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Yeah, I think I think you would have to look
at the offensive line, tom and it doesn't I don't
think it necessarily needs to be like a Joe More
Award finalist or even maybe a top five group in
the SEC. But you've got to legit I think they
legitimately have to be a solid middle of the pack
seven to eight ninth best offensive line in the league
(29:29):
for them to think for how Kentucky wants to play.
The resources they spent on that position in the offseason,
I think they've kind of pretty much are kind of
they put a lot of last year struggles on their
inability to kind of control the line of scrimmage on offense,
and so that that's number one. Like the offensive line
(29:50):
has to be better. If it's not, if it doesn't
take a sizeable step forward, I think there they could
be in some big trouble. So that's the first one.
I think when you look at Kentucky's schedule and some
of the teams are gonna play. They're they're just gonna be.
They're gonna be. He's gonna feel like they don't have
as much talent as these other teams, I think when
(30:11):
you get into the season. So that's where turnovers to
me become really important. One protecting the football if you're
Kentucky in two like we've heard Mark Stoops talk about
how turnovers can be random, will this be a good
year to have the random plus twelve when you look
up at the end of the season in the turnover column.
I think that's gonna be essential for them. Specifically, if
the offensive line is improved, they're able to control the
(30:33):
pace of the game, They're able to shrink possessions. If
you're consistently winning that turnover margin and you're playing games
like Kentucky wants to play them, they're gonna have a
lot of really good chances, in my opinion, to win
those games if they're controlling the line of scrimmage on
offense and if they're taking the ball away on defense. Unfortunately,
those have been two areas where it's not been necessarily
(30:54):
good strengths. Turnover department's been okay, but the last couple
of years they've had bossy issues on offense, so they
need to clean that up. So play quan football, control
line of scrimmage on offense, create some turnovers on defense.
I think if they do those two things, they're gonna
have a really good chance to exceed expectations, but maybe
a win or two wins.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
When Phil Steele had I think had four Kentucky guys
on his various All SEC teams in his preseason magazine,
I think the one that was highest rated on the
second team was la Ross the punter.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
And you know, people can you know, say it's the
you know, it's the punter that's your your best player.
But the thing is, for the way Kentucky's going to play, Uh,
the punting game needs to be really good this year
and I think it certainly can be.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
Yeah, absolutely, the the field position, hit the yardage, all
of that. La Ross just showed these things last year
where he looked like one of the better punters in
the country when he was on. But he also had
the random, you know shank he would hit two. So
you've got to figure if he can, if he can
get more consistent, he can be a true weapon for them.
(32:02):
And I think that that's right, Tom, I think you know,
I don't think they're going to play the most exciting
brand of football, but this is what they want to do.
I think they've won games playing like this before they
can get to back to their they're kind of their
original I would say, Mark Stoops DNA. I think there's
(32:22):
a path to win games if they're able to fix
some certain areas. But I definitely feel like that's the plan.
They want to get into a lot of games where
it's twenty to seventeen is going to be the winner.
So the first one to twenty one points, it's probably
gonna win the football game. And I think that's their goal.
And if they're able to get in a lot of
games like that, I think the offensive line is the
that position is going to be of significant importance. And
(32:46):
then winning to turnover that I think it's going to
be really really important as well.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
SEC Media Days are coming up here soon. I'm sure
you'll be heading down to Atlanta for that. As Kentuck,
you look around, it's a difficult schedule, no doubt, probably
always going to be most years. You might occasionally get
lucky and catch a couple of teams in a down cycle.
But I heard Van Hiles make this point on the
Sunday Show a couple of weeks ago. There are some
(33:13):
of the teams that Kentucky will face, while very talented teams,
that Ole miss is one that comes up in Game
two that will be working in a new quarterback Tennessee.
You know that that helps. You know, South Carolina's going
to go the other way with Sellers being maybe even
better in a second. You're save Way for Florida with Lagway,
but they're you know, if a team is breaking in
(33:34):
a new quarterback, maybe you have a chance to catch
them in a given game.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Yeah, I think that that certainly. That certainly helps. And
you never know how the schedule is going to break.
You never know when you might get a backup quarterback,
or you never know when you might get a team
that has eight starters out. You never know that you
might have a team that just like Auburn. Let's just
use Auburn as an example. A lot of pressures aren't
Hugh Freeze. What if it goes the wrong way and
(34:02):
it just kind of caves on them and you play
them late in the year, You'd never really know. I'm
not saying that'll happen, but you never know how to
schedule this break, so you can't get too far ahead
in kind of predicting it. But I think it's really
important that Old Miss game seems really important to me. Historically,
under stoops the first SEC game, which is typically in
(34:24):
Week two, that's one of the best games they play
all year. It's the game they be Florida when they
snapped a streak in the Swamp. It's a game where
they've gotten a ton of big home wins. Missouri twenty
twenty one stands out. That was like to me, that
was almost like a catapult for that team to start
a run. It's typically a game Kentucky plays really well
(34:45):
in well. Last year they played probably arguably their worst
game when South Carolina came to town. But Old Mission
is a team they play well. All these games against
Kiffon have gone down to the wire either one either
side could have won. If you can when Austin Simmons
making his first SEC road start, oh Miss is not
going to be as talented as they were last year.
(35:07):
They don't have the roster of aid last year. They're
taking a step back. That's a game for Kentucky. I
think you really have to circle because that game, to me,
is gonna tell it could tell us a lot about
what this season will be moving forward. And to me,
it's a monstrous game, I think for Kentucky because it's
one of their best. I think wanning opportunities at SEC play.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Adam, Thank you much.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
Thanks Tom Adam login.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
You can read him at on three Sports and KSR.
We'll be right back on the lead Repard Radio Network.
Shuffle Bean Coffee is the official coffee of Rupp Arena
and the KFC Center. MA get the official coffee of
your home. It's a group of Kentuckians that got together
more than a decade ago and their commitment to quantity,
they like to say, goes from ceed to cup. Starts
(35:51):
with the best coffee beans, ends up with a fantastic
cup of coffee. You can find it at Central Kentucky
Myers stores. You could order it through Amazon or through
the company's website Shufflebeing dot us and put some hustle
in your shuffle with Shufflebeing Coffee. Congrats to Gabriel Diallo,
the former Wildcat, got his first ever win at Wimbledon
yesterday and it came in straight sets. Is they Wildcat
(36:13):
History said about Kentucky Roadshow sports cards and memorabilia on
Romney Road in Lexington at a roadshowcards dot com. A
couple of Happy Birthday is Dame Keen now on Nebraska
Cornhusker Happy Birthday to the former Wildcat wide Out and
Happy Birthday are born on this day. Tom Parker a
Wildcat basketball legend in the early seventies, Great Shooter had
(36:34):
some fantastic numbers that get a little overlooked, I think
historically so Tom Parker born on this day as well.
Corn Bradhamp has a great deal for the fourth of July.
You can try some of their products and you can
buy one and get the second half off to try
something new. Perhaps what you have to do is put
in the code USA at checkout at cornbreadhamp dot com.
(36:57):
They've got the infused gummies, They've got the sleep gummies
that I love. They've got oils and topicals, and they
have their new infused Seltzers with a five milligram HEMP
infusion for a light, enjoyable buzz without the hangover. You
can get those or more. Buy one, get one half
off Cornbreadhemp dot com. Put in the code USA at
(37:17):
checkout Great Way to Celebrate the fourth with one of
the products from Cornbread Hemp dot com. We'll see you
tomorrow on The Leach Report.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
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.