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July 24, 2025 • 38 mins
Tom talks with Jack Givens, Justin Rowland, and Tristan Pharis.
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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good day. Everybody, welcome in.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
It is the Leach Report, presented by Bob Kat Enterprises
for a Thursday. Coming up on the show today, we'll
catch up with the Goose, Jack Gibbons talk to Kentucky Basketball,
Justin Rowland from Cats Illustrated and on three Sports, and
Tristan Ferriss from a Sea of Blue. That's the lineup
for this Thursday. Wild Cat News of the Day presented

(00:27):
by Giuseppes of Lexington. Picking up on something we talked
about yesterday. The story in The Athletic says, quote, the
newly formed College Sports Commission and the plaintiffs, lawyers in
the House versus NCAA settlement.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Have reached a preliminary agreement.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
This agreement would quote classify name, image and likeness collectives
the same as other valid businesses by the nil GO Clearinghouse,
three people informed of the negotiations told The Athletic on Tuesday.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
So that's where it looked like it was headed yesterday.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
It looks like there was maybe some There's been some
resolution now and probably hear something pretty soon coming out
of one of these entities about collectives. What this will
mean its collectives will be able to be treated like
a standard business in terms of proposing an NIL deal

(01:25):
for approval. So there was some thought that there was
maybe this was an effort to get rid of collectives.
Looks like collectives will stay in place so they can
set up deals and be a middleman maybe between businesses
and a lot of a lot of them have operated
very effectively, and since this space was created in terms

(01:48):
of being able to set up deals and then make
the process more efficient, I think so hopefully this will
be good news we navigate through this new world of
college athletics, new phase of college athletics.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
As the street. This is out of CBS Sports.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
I was looking and found this today and I don't
know if it's related to NIL, but kind of feels
like it could be. The One of the best defensive
players for Tennessee's football team, sophomore Boo Carter, he quote,
has missed numerous team activities and was even confronted by

(02:30):
team leaders because of his absences. According to the Knoxville
News Sentinel, you know, Tennessee had the issue with its
quarterback Nico Ima la Ima Mallieva there we Go, who
ended up leaving in They thought that he would be
able to get more money than the Tennessee was willing

(02:52):
to pay him. Turns out he was wrong, But maybe
they're having some locker room issues. I think it was
the Maryland coach at Big Ten media days recently talked
about the issues that they had in their locker room
with some of those things. So I remember Mike Pratt

(03:12):
when this first came about, speculated that that could become
an issue. So don't know that that's the case at Tennessee,
but certainly, as I said, the Maryland coach did talk
about it, and it's something that's certainly going to be
a part of this going forward and being able to
manage that. And you have the right kind of leadership

(03:33):
not only from coaches but from team leaders to help
everybody stay on the same page. And even if you
don't think you're getting paid what you're worth, you take
care of that as a side issue or address it,
and you still are all in with your guys when
it comes to practices and games. So just something to

(03:57):
keep an eye on. But the thing is, you wonder
how something like this there's a couple of cases of
player issues. Again, we don't know what this one is
for bouck Harter that has prompted this, but we do
know what it was with the quarterback, and so it
just seems like the Vauls are having a few issues
in this offseason. And that's the thing that can can
happen when you you know, we all think about predictions

(04:20):
and you know the team you follow, how many games
can they win? They'll win this one, they won't win
this one, et cetera. And a lot of times circumstances
change as you get into a season. Links to the
stories that we talk about each day, you can find
those on the bud like leech Report page that's at
time leech ky dot com. Opening segment presented by Just

(04:41):
Steppis of Lexington. Head there the next time you are
looking for a really special night out or to celebrate
just a special occasion in your life, just off Nicholasville
Road out past man O War Boulevard here in Lexington,
and if you sit in the lounge area, which they
expanded a couple of years ago because it was so popular,
you can listen to Dave Hall and a live jazz music.

(05:01):
It is just a really unique and special accompaniment to
a fantastic dinner at Jiuseppe's. We're gonna be right back
with Tristan Feriss from a Sea of Blue on the
Leech's Report present up by Bob Kat Enterprises. It's the
late Triport and we come to you from the Clark's
Pumping Shop studio. Return refresh and refuel at Clarks and
sign up for their Loyalty Rewards program for great deals

(05:25):
on Phillips and items in the stores. Joining us now,
Tristan Feris from a Sea of Blue dot com to
talking a little UK sports. Tristan Mark Pope did a
media session at the start of the week and probably
the last one night. The player sessions are done for
the summer, so we've got a regular dose of Kentucky

(05:46):
men's basketball news over the course of the summer from
players and culminating with coach Pope. So, any opinions changed,
any thoughts that you didn't have before that you have
now after her all this content.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yes, sir, So it's it's been a good summer. Obviously,
all the excitement about a new team that that biople,
the nation and the fans tend to tend to do
every year. But obviously this team is really really deep.
I think my biggest takeaway from the media availability of
the day. Is he compared Braden Hawthorne and Tayshaun Prince
And if that guys are thirteenth or fourteenth man on

(06:24):
the bench, that's pretty good.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
That is very good.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
And then also I just think just talking about the
team chemistry out how they're coming along, it is really promising.
I know last year they kind of dealt with the
same thing that coming from all these different places, different
countries in some cases, and they came together for a
greater purpose, and I think this team is kind of
doing the same. He talked about the community service already
putting a number of impressive hours. Is for the first

(06:57):
few weeks just help out the community. I'm obviously going
to what the tornadoes hit earlier this summer in the spring.
And then I think the funniest thing was hearing Coach
Polks saying major plus aura and saying that and then
also saying crash out. So he's trying to become hip
in the media availability. So it's pretty It's been a

(07:19):
pretty cool summer though.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
You know, when you see the members of the team,
they usually traveling in large groups. They were at the
Mark and his wife Leanne, We're at the TBT game
and there were a bunch of players there, but maybe
they were all there, but just the shots you could
see some of them certainly. So he seems to have
a good feel in this current space in which we

(07:43):
live with college athletics for being able to, you know,
get guys to to come together. Like I was saying
in the opening segment, if there's you know, issues with
you know, if you don't think you're getting paid as
much as you think you should or whatever, you can
there are ways to address that that you don't have
to bring them onto the court, and he does seemingly

(08:05):
does a really good job of getting all these guys
to get on the same page pretty quickly.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
And I think it comes down to the staff and
his evaluations of the guys. They also look at their
characters off the floor, just because that's just important times
in terms of I mean, if you can't have a
team aspect to a team, regardless of talent, that's one
of the most important parts. And I think that's something
that you've seen from last year's team. Just a lot

(08:31):
of people sacrifice him for the betterment of the team,
and that's something that Mark Pope's teams are always going
to have their characteristic of I think with this team specifically.
It was promising to also hear him talk about the
defense trying to set a foundation earlier in the summer.
We know the defensive issues of last year, so hopefully
those are remedied this season too.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, a lot of the players have talked about how
much better they believe they will be defensively. I think
coach Pope the other days that they still have a
long way to go after the scrimmage they had against
the TVT team, But you know it's early now, and
you know the thing he talked about also, and he's
spent a lot of time talking about just the standards

(09:13):
they're setting in practice and used the phrase that he
was not afraid to blow up practice, meaning that you
know they'll have a schedule, but they'll break from it
if they need to to continue working on one thing
until they get it right, and you know, even at
the risk of not getting as much done on a
given day as you wanted to. I know, in talking

(09:36):
to Goose will be joining us here shortly. He has
always said their seventy eight team didn't have a bad practice.
I would imagine it was probably the same for the
team that coach Pope played on in ninety six that
won the title, you know, and probably similar with others,
but those two in particular, I think that would be

(09:56):
the case. And you know, it's I think it's unrealistic
to expect this team this early to never have a
bad practice when you have so many new faces coming in,
which wasn't the case in seventy eight ninety six. But
if the things he was talking about is talking about,
I think that same kind of standard of what it

(10:17):
takes day in and day out to get ready to
be at your best in April.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yeah, I think he mentioned that he wasn't sure if
coach Patino was literally going to kill them if they
lost the game, or is kill him on the court
in practice. But yeah, he mentioned those expectations, and he's
always he's embraced those from his first press conference. He
knows what they are, and I think he kind of
without saying it, knows this team has a higher potential

(10:43):
than last year does. And I think that kind of
alludes to the fact that there was so much to
cover last year and there is this year as well,
but there's also more returnees to help make this transition
a little bit better with this scene. But just if
you just look at the talent from top to bottom,
there's just more athleticism, there's more ability, and there's more potential.

(11:05):
So I think last year it's team may have entered
with a higher floor than this year's team. This year's
team's got the clear potent higher ceiling.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
What do you think the where do you think the
expectations bar gets put for the upcoming men's basketball season?

Speaker 3 (11:23):
I think if you went to the Sweet seaxteam last year,
I think for Frians that I think if you went
to the Sweet Seats team last year, you have a
more talented team on paper, I think the common expectation
is going to be a lad eight or higher. Now,
the INC Doub Tournament is always random, there's always teams
that get upset. But I think if you're just talking
about fans and early and just looking at how talented

(11:43):
and deep this roster is, if one guy goes down,
you have someone in a different position that can step up.
I think the fans expectations is going to be a
lead eight and as long as they can get a
good draw, that's definitely possible.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
The shift gears on that topic of expectations over to
football and what do you hear and interactions through Sea
Blue dot Com that you guys have with fans in
terms of is there any optimism growing as the season
gets near? That seems to be you know, most times
human nature that even if you don't expect your team
to do well, you kind of get more optimistic as

(12:18):
the season gets closer and have higher hopes.

Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, I think there was a long lull obviously after
the louisvill game that wasn't the best performance, and then
obviously some of the things that have happened since then,
there's not been a lot of interest just based on
how last season went and kind of the disappointment. But
there's also since SEC media days last week there has
been a little bit more optimism. We've heard a little

(12:44):
bit more fan feedback on some stuff, and so, like
you said, even if there's little optimism where there's kind
of a lull and expectations, Kentucky fan base is they're
hotter cold sometimes, but when it comes to supporting their teams,
they are usually for if you're really good with that,
and I think that'll be the case this season. Now, Now,
do does excitement equate to meeting expectations. Now that'll be

(13:08):
up to Mark Stups and the football team, and I
think with as tough enough schedule they have, it'll be
hard to do. But he surpasses expections set expectations before,
and I think to kind of just satisfy the fan base,
he's he's gonna have to do that again this season.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
Tristan, thank you much.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
I appreciate it time. I always appreciate you having it.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
You read them at a Sea of Blue dot com
and following x at Tristan U d A at t
r I s t A n U d A. It
is the Leader Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises for locations
around Kentucky. So google Bobcat when you need to buy
or rent a piece of heavy equipment. They'll have what
you need and give you a fantastic service. After the

(13:50):
initial deal is executed, Bobcat Enterprises will be right back
on the Lead Report. It's the Leader Report for a Thursday.
As we welcome in the Ghost Givens to talk a
little UK hoops and goose. Have you gotten to see
many practices yet?

Speaker 4 (14:08):
Yeah, I've seen three or four, Tom and highly impressed
with what I've seen. No question about that. It's been
fun watching. It's a fun team to watch, and you know,
as soon as they get a little more time together,
they're gonna, i think, become really good quickly.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
I think the practices are going to be fascinating to watch,
especially leading out to the season, because it has to
be so intense, because I mean, you have the depth
on this group is you know much I think, greater
overall depth than he had last season, and so you know,
it's just, you know, football coaches talk about this. There's

(14:52):
no greater motivator than you know, having to fight for
your chance to get on the court. And it's gonna
be a battle for a lot of guys.

Speaker 4 (15:02):
It is going to be. But I think I think Tom,
from what I've seen, the guys are looking forward to
the challenge. I mean, it's not something that anybody on
this team is running away from. And it's it's a
great example. A great example would would be what's happening

(15:23):
at the at the four spot and how three and
four and how Trent Noah has kind of had he
has that attitude. Bring him on, Coach Pope could bring
him on. I mean he's really fighting and started in
that scrimmage against the TBT team. Uh So he's a
great example of what's going on. I think Colin Chandler

(15:46):
has been a pleasant surprise as well, Tom and how
he is working for the minutes that that uh, those
guard spots. And then the other thing that I've been
really impressed with is how our local guys are doing
man Mala Kai and Johnson. I mean those guys, man
are better than I thought they were, So, yeah, the

(16:07):
practices are going to be unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
And yeah, that's what I think.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
I talked to uh Cody Fieger earlier in the summer
from the staff, and one of the things we were
talking about was they want to as fast as they
wanted to tried to play last year. They want to
play faster, get more three point attempts. And to be
able to to play faster, you know, you have to
be able to. I think you have to have two things.

(16:32):
You have to be able to, uh, you know, push
yourself to play as hard as you possibly can, not
to take, you know, any any opportunity to coast at
all or anything like that. And then to be able
to have somebody come in and replace you that can
do the same thing, you know, at close to, if
not the same level, and it seems like they're going

(16:54):
to have a be closer to that situation than they
were last year.

Speaker 4 (16:59):
I think yeah. And I think it goes on both
ends of the floor. You know, with Mark, everybody talks
about his offense, but if you can max out on defense,
especially with this team because we have to be better defensively,
I think that will get more attention from Mark and

(17:20):
the other coaches. When you max out on defense, you're
stopping your guy. You get two or three kills in
a row, you look over that bench and you pull
on your shirt, which is the sign to get me out.
You can come out for a minute, But what you
defending like that, Mark's gonna put you right back in
the game, and you better understand that. So I think

(17:42):
what these guys do on defense is going to turn
more heads as far as the decision makers on the
bench in minutes. I think that's going to carry a
bigger weight than getting on a roll where you make
three or four shots in a row.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
We're talking to the goose Jack Gibbons.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
They will continue to here on the Leach Report presented
by Bob Cat Enterprises.

Speaker 1 (18:04):
It's the lead report presented by Bob Cat Enterprises.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
We're chatting with Jack Goose Givens here on the show
and talking about UK men's basketball current team. But I
want to talk a little bit about the basketball tournament
unfortunately ended too soon with a one point loss for
the guys on This was Tuesday night at Historic Memorial

(18:31):
Colisee and where they had great crowds and great enthusiasm,
and watching that it just was you know, it reminded
you of how much fun it is to have that
particular building rocking. You played two years there and then
two it rup, so you had, you know, but the
same number of time in both of those facilities. And

(18:54):
you know that the flat roof maybe holds the sound
in there. I don't know, but it when there was
a big game at the coliseum, that place just kind
of felt like it rocked. And you know, this was
a great atmosphere. The other night that n I game
back at nine had it. It was a lot of
fun to experience that atmosphere again.

Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, And you know, I try to tell people as
we talked Kentucky basketball and especially the history up Kentucky
basketball going back, I tell them how wonderful that building
was in some ways, I'm sorry to see it changed, Tom,
because it was you walk in that Memorial Coliseum and

(19:40):
you just feel basketball. You just look around and you
can kind of see some of those guys who played
in that building still in there, man. And the crowds
were loud, and the building was dark up in the
stands and it was light down on the so it

(20:00):
was like you were on stage. It was. It was
an unbelievable building to play in and still is. I mean,
it didn't lose anything. And yeah, when that building gets
a nice crowd in it, like like we've had with
this TBT and playing in that building, get that kind
of crowd, that kind of motivated audience that wants to

(20:22):
see the Cats win. They show the love for the
players who are on the team, even though some of
them it's been a wild since they were there. I mean,
it's just a wonderful building. And I hope that TBT
continues because it's it's good for us too, because we
get to watch some basketball during the summer, and I

(20:43):
watched some practices when they when they went against each
other in practice. I don't I don't know if we
can say scrimmages, but they were practicing against each other
a great way for these young guys, younger guys, even
though we have some vets to learn from that that
kind of experience.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, that's a good point.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
And you know, you would see I saw clips of
some of the guys, the past players. They were signing
the big court that is outside the gym at the
Joe Craft Center. Your your autographs on there, and you know,
whenever somebody comes to practice or or comes for a
workout or something, they have them if they haven't already
done it, sign that court somewhere. And I saw some

(21:24):
of these guys that hadn't had a chance to do
it before putting their autograph on there. And it's it's
a cool piece of UK history. And I was talking
a little bit about this with the BBN tonight folks yesterday.
To see Archie and Khalil Whitney come back and have
good experiences, that was a fun part of this because
their time here didn't go quite the way they wanted

(21:46):
it to. And even though they weren't here as long
as you know you were and others, there's still and
you know I've talked about this before. That's that brotherhood,
that fraternity that is there from guys who played in
this program because of how special it is. And Shawn
Woods talked about that after the game the other night too.

(22:08):
This program it is a really special fraternity that you
guys are all a part of.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Yeah, and for those guys you just mentioned, this is
an opportunity for them that they have been just hoping
for since the day they left school here. I mean
a lot of times, we as fans, we like to
hold the players responsible for whether or not their career

(22:40):
here is what we as fans expect a player's career
to be. The fact of the matter is, there are
a lot of other potential issues that creep into it.
And if that coaching player don't quite click, and the
coach has the ability to make the call as to

(23:02):
how many minutes you get for those guys, Whitney and
those kind of guys, it's just great to get back
to be able to finally share your side of the story.
You might be responsible for some of it, but it's
not totally you. And as a big brother in that

(23:22):
family you're talking about when it comes to that basketball team,
you'd like to see your little brothers have a chance
to kind of get their side of the story out there.
And for someone like myself who been there and done that,
it's just good that see the joy that getting back

(23:46):
in front of the BBN brings to those guys, and
that might be as big a revelation, bigger issue for
me as the games themselves. And they you know, I
wish they could still be playing because it was all
great and the Pats was kind of mapped out for him,

(24:06):
but you just like some of these guys have an
opportunity to say, guys, look, I love the Big Blue Nation.
I didn't want to leave, but I had to make
that decision because things weren't working, and those kind of
stories come out at this time of the year in
these kind of situations.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
Let me take you down memory lane just for a
second here, because when I was, you know, thinking about
some of the stuff with the coliseum and went back
and looked up the game story from the Lexington Herald
Leader for what was thought at the time would be
the last game for Kentucky men's basketball in Memorial Coliseum
before the move over to rub and it was the

(24:46):
last at that time, and then later there was the
the n I T game so they had a, you know,
a regular season game in the coliseum, but it looked
like that would be the last one, and it looked
like Kentucky was going to lose the last game in
the coliseum. On March eighth of nineteen seventy six, down
eighty four seventy seven, with a minute twenty three to play,

(25:06):
MSU players went on the radio that was right next
to their huddle and grabbed the mic and said, hey, mom,
we won. H And D. G.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
Fitzmorris did the story for the Hair of Leader. He said, Joe.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
Hall's Liliputian lineup of you, Larry Johnson, Reggie war For,
Bob Fowler, and Marion Haskins nobody taller than six' five
maybe in that. Group, yeah and went on an eight
to one run.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
And you hit the basket to send it to.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
Overtime and Then kentucky ultimately won ninety four ninety. Three
and you guys had to win that game to get
to go to THE. Nit but probably more importantly you
had to win that game because it was the last
one in the.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
Coliseum, yeah we might have been still men playing in.
There if we had lost the last, game we would
we would have played another game in, there that's for.
Sure we're not going to close it down on the.
Loss but, Yeah, tom that brings some great memories. Back
and you know, WHAT i still don't know how in
the heck we won that. GAME i, MEAN i don't.
Know we didn't have a three point, line we didn't

(26:04):
have a shot, CLOCK i DON'T i don't know how
we won. It but that's one of the, really you,
know great things about that, building and that is that
it's just speaks and reeks Of kentucky. Basketball AND i
know some of those guys who played in, there, MAN

(26:26):
i know good and. Well they came in and they
were knocking shots away That Mississippi state took down the.
STRETCH i mean they they made sure they missed them
and somehow directed our balls into the. Basket but you,
know when you're, down what was, it seven.

Speaker 1 (26:43):
Points with a minute twenty, three.

Speaker 4 (26:47):
With a minute twenty three left in those, days without
the shot clock and without there's no way you're going
to win. That AND i was in the game When
Joe dene got on the radio and he was he
is just going crazy to the folks back In starkville
and telling them we won the last game, here we beat,

(27:08):
them and because they had never done that, before they
were celebrating long before the game was. Over but, MAN
i don't, Know, TOM i, mean people ask, me how
did you win that? GAME i still don't know to
this day how we won that. Game but it's kind
of the mystique of Historic Memorial. Coliseum so you, know

(27:30):
the basketball, GUIDs all those great players who had played
in there made sure we didn't close it down on the.

Speaker 2 (27:36):
Loss fun fun trip down memory lane, There, Goose thank
you for the. Time as, always we'll talk next.

Speaker 4 (27:40):
Week Thanks.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
Tom that's The. Goose Jack evans here on The Leacher.
Report we'll be right back With Justin, Rowland Cats illustrated
fourteen away from the top of the hour here on
The Leach, report presented by Bobcat. Enterprises as we welcome
In Justin rowland From Cats, illustrated down the Three Sports
network and start a little football justin we'll start to

(28:04):
get more information coming out of. Football next week really
is kickoff luncheons On monday here In lexington than the
week From. FRIDAY i Thinks Media day a week From.
Saturday his fan, Day Mark stoops did do a national
radio show yesterday and he was asked about the Red

(28:27):
lashley THE semu coaches comments that THE sec is not
that deep and that THE acc, is you, know. Comparable
the part about THE sec not being that. Deep stoops
called it a quote ridiculous quote when he was told about.
IT i don't think anybody IN, uh in THE a
C C it would would welcome they much for to

(28:49):
play the schedule they have than the one they would
play in this, league right.

Speaker 5 (28:53):
RIGHT i Think lashly is confusing parody with with overall
strength and like, so paroity can be spread out over
any conference regardless of how good the conference. Is you
can have a bad conference with a lot of, parody
a lot of teams that win it because nobody can
sustain great and that's what.

Speaker 3 (29:13):
You have in THE.

Speaker 5 (29:14):
Sec the reason you don't have more teams when THE
sec is those six teams that have won it since
nineteen sixty four also have six different national championships since
nineteen ninety, eight.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
And then you Have texas And.

Speaker 4 (29:25):
Oklahoma so it's a.

Speaker 5 (29:26):
Silly, argument but he runs up against that all the
time in, recruiting and it's probably hard FOR, smu which
thinks that it has the financial clout to punch above its.
Weight but he probably hears SEC, sec especially now That
texas is AN sec.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
State, no you're exactly right about. That what are you
hearing out of? Football if? Anything noteworthy as we kind
of move into the phase that leads up to the
opener in a, month not a.

Speaker 5 (29:54):
Whole heck of a lot. NEW i, mean they just
they've got so many new. PARTS i, mean it's just
huped to. FORECAST i think in a general, sense everybody
hopes that the offensive line is. Improved is it going
to be improved? ENOUGH i, MEAN i JUST i feel
like you're banking on the defense a lot this year
because you got so much sixty three percent of the
players on offense or first year players in the, program

(30:15):
and so even if it's Bush hamton's second, year it's
the quarterbacks first. Year for sixty three percent of those,
players it's their first. Year so that defense needs to
come out ready to go and then be.

Speaker 2 (30:24):
OPPORTUNISTIC i THINK i saw a item at your, Site
katzillustrated Dot com where you asked, readers quote what would
boost your confidence In kentucky?

Speaker 1 (30:35):
Football was there any consensus to the.

Speaker 5 (30:38):
RESPONSES i think the two things were an offensive line
that is a, strength AND i would define that as
like middle of the PACK sec or better had you
had a mid tier AT sec offensive. LINE i Think
stoops can work with that just the.

Speaker 4 (30:52):
Way he likes to.

Speaker 5 (30:53):
Play that lets them play complimentary. Football and then some
people went with the ability to get pressure on. Defense you,
know they lose a ton of familiar faces on the front, seven, linebacker.
DEFENSIVE i really the first year in a long time
that you haven't been really familiar with that front. Seven
think about all the guys that stuck around for six,
years et. Cetera but you do bring in a lot

(31:15):
of disruptive pieces Like Mike, Queis Humphrey grace And David
gusta And Cam olds and Maybe Steven soles at linebacker
and some of those other. Guys there are enough pieces
that maybe people think if we're disruptive up, front then
maybe we can have a really good. Defense BUT i
actually feel better about the secondary JUST i, mean they
didn't make any moves in the portal in the, secondary

(31:35):
and they got a lot of guys that are coming
up through the ranks and should be ready to.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
Contribute AND i would think the defensive line has a
chance to be, better and the main reason is because
they weren't healthy last. Year, hayes they lost early against
and wasn't a factor and, really Yeah walker, played but
he wasn't certainly. Himself he wasn't the guy we saw
in the first two.

Speaker 5 (31:58):
Years, yeah, right when you looked at that defensive line
on paper going into last, season that was the reason
for hope last season like this this group could be.
Special AND i think what happened last year with the
defense was when the offense kept banging its head against
the wall over the course of the season for the
defense to, plugate just. Broke you, know if you're not
getting help from the other, unit then eventually it's going

(32:20):
to impact. You AND i think that's what happen along
with the. Injuries So i'm with. You there's there's reason
for hopefulness across the defensive line and the secondary linebackers
a little bit more of a, question but but, yeah
this is a team that the whole is going to
have to be greater than the sum of its, parts
and they're going to have to be opportunistic and they're
going to have to leverage a strength or two because

(32:41):
that schedule is definitely.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
Unforgiven if you are a subscriber To Cats illustrated dot
com And justin and his, team you would be able
to see some updates from basketball. PRACTICE a little intel
there without giving it all. Away could you give us
a tidbit or two about what is something interesting that you're? Hearing,
yeah a lot of.

Speaker 5 (33:02):
It jibed with What pope said the other day when
he met with local reporters. There but you, know it
seems like the shooting has been up and down so.
Far no cause for, concern small. SAMPLE i think the
backcourt has definitely been the. Strength it sounds like with
owayh And Low hope is really pleased with the options
he has back. THERE i did have one person tell

(33:23):
me THAT jq needs to get healthy, quick and that's
not necessarily a knock on the other, bigs but maybe
For garrison wanting to see more consistency and moreno as a,
freshman not as concerning want to see more, consistency but the.

Speaker 4 (33:39):
Fact that.

Speaker 5 (33:41):
SOMEONE i spoke with did say that there is it
is very important to GET Jq quinton's back as quickly as.

Speaker 1 (33:47):
POSSIBLE i thought that was.

Speaker 5 (33:48):
Interesting and he's.

Speaker 2 (33:50):
A guy that you know that the abilities only it's
not like he's seven to, two he's like six, nine
but the wingspan, right and maybe just the the instincts
for doing the blocking shots that are. There, uh that's
a really a, strength a strength of. His AND i
always love it when teams that are good defensively can

(34:13):
finish it off with the great shot, blockers so that
if you allows you to play a little more aggressively
outside knowing that if you get, beat you've got help.

Speaker 5 (34:21):
Inside, yeah And pope says he's blowing up practice to
get to one hundred percent on wedges and legal, contest
legal contact. Now and if you can get that going
and then you Add jaq to the next then it
could be kind of a vintage rim protection team For.
Kentucky but it seems like it's more of A i,
mean you feel great about spots one through, three one

(34:42):
through four, maybe and then it's, like how strong are.

Speaker 4 (34:44):
They going to be down?

Speaker 5 (34:45):
Low, WELL i guess be the, question but it's it's
still super. Early and, YEAH i thought it was. Interesting
they're gonna they're gonna have more ball handling and playmaking
ability at the two and three, Spots and he seems
to be really excited about the Backcourn so.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
YEAH i mean they should be pretty potent there and
have a lot of different. Options that's what's going to
be interesting is you know how he deploys his assets
from game to game because they can come at you
a lot of different.

Speaker 5 (35:15):
Ways that's, Right AND i think Low low is the
one person there hasn't been like an absolute consensus on
like he's going to be a, star but one person
who's familiar with how practice has gone did say that
he's the most important player on the. Team Dyalen lowe
is the most important player because the ability is absolutely.
There we know that he had to become a more

(35:35):
efficient player from his last. Season it fit and a
lot was banked on the system and the situation being
different and helping him out on how he gets acclimated
of playing around much more talented players and much more
talent than he had.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
Last season will be important For Justin. Rowland you'd read
him at Kats illustrated dot. Com you sign up there
to get all the content as football starts to ramp
up here, Soon justin think About Thanks welcome At Roland
rivals ON. X it is The Leech report from The
Clark's Pumping shop. Studio, return refresh and refuel At. Clark's
we'll be right.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
Back you one of those folks that needs to start
the day with.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
A great cup of, Coffee well maybe It's Shufflebean Coffee
company that is based right here in The bluegrass and
they've been a partner of hours for more than a
decade here on The Leech. Report group Of kentuckians came
together to start the company with the goal of producing
the absolute best cup of coffee. Possible starts with the
best of coffee. Beans you can read about the process

(36:33):
and the product At shufflebean dot. Us you can order
some coffee while you're. There you can get it Through
amazon or pick it up At Central Kentucky Myers. Stores
put some hustle in your shuffle with the official coffee
of Rupp arena in THE Kfc Young. Center Shufflebean coffee
stand will Kat history is the service Of kentucky Road
show sports cards and memorabilia there On Romedy road In

(36:54):
lexington and at roadshow cards dot. Com so We're jimmy
and the guys hosted doron Lamb an autograph signing this
week and that's the kind of cool events that they
have there as well as all the sports cards and.
Memorabilia happy birthday To Cotton, nash who was born on
this day From Lake, Charles. Louisiana came to The university

(37:15):
Of kentucky and scored over seventeen hundred points and grabbed
over nine hundred. Rebounds he was the all time leading
scorer For kentucky men's basketball until Dan issel broke the. Record,
Issel Kenny Walker Cotton nash the only two that are
in the top ten in points and rebound with only

(37:36):
three in the top ten in points and, rebounds And
Cotton nash played in THE, nba THE, aba And Major League.
Baseball only thirteen people have played in THE nba and THE,
mlb So Cotton nash was born on this. Day Antonio
reeves has signed a two way deal with The Charlotte,
hornets so congrats to him and Shuffle. Corn Brett hemp

(37:58):
is one of our great partners here on The Leech,
report and you can try there and Few seltzers and
four different fruit flavors right now for a light lift
without the. Hangover you can try their organic full spectrum
gummies if you prefer your, smooth balanced. Relaxation that way right.
Now if you're a first time customer At Cornbread, hemp
put in the kodetam and check. Out you'll get an
extra twenty percent off your first. Order so kick back

(38:20):
and let Corn Bread hemp help you soak up every
second of. Summer Corn Bread, hemp this is the good.

Speaker 1 (38:26):
Life see you.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Tomorrow
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