Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, everybody, welcome in. It's the Wednesday edition of the
Leach Report, presented by Bob kat Enterprises. Glad to have
you on board with us today as we talk UK
sports with Chris Fisher from the Cat's pause, and then
in the second half of the show, Mike, of course
he will join us as he has done throughout the
summer on Wednesdays, and we'll talk some college hoops and
(00:23):
who knows what else with Mike wild Cat. News of
the day always the service of Giuseppees of Lexington, and
yesterday was a day for the folks on the offensive
side of the ball to talk to the media after
practice and offensive cordiator Bush Hampden touched on several subjects,
including Jagger Burton back at center for the second time
(00:47):
in his Kentucky football career. Remember they tried that a
couple of years ago. He had issues with the snaps
and so they went back to Eli Cox and Jagger
has stayed at left guard ever since until now. When
back of the spring they moved him over to the
center position. And I think the young man from Western
Kentucky Whibberley that was expected to be the starter, and
(01:10):
some injury issues that slowed him in the spring, and
Jagger did well and has at the moment held onto
that position. And Mark Stoops has talked about how he
could perhaps enhance his value as an NFL prospect if
he shows the ability to play two positions, especially if
(01:30):
one of them is the center spot. So big opportunity
for Jagger from all accounts, he is seizing that opportunity
with how he's approaching this position switch and how well
he's handled it so far, and Bush Hampden talked about
that yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Obviously one of the hardest positions, you know in football.
There's a lot going on and you mentioned it, from
having a lineup and make calls and identifying fronts then
the execution piece. He's just another guy that he has
all the athleticism if you will, to be a really
good player at the center position, and for repetition, he's
(02:07):
just got to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Burton is one of two players back from last season
that is projected to be in the starting lineup, but
with Burton moving to center, the only one who's going
to be playing the same position that he played last
year's right guard Jalen Farmer. David Gusta goes up against
those guys in the middle of the offensive line from
his position in the middle of the defensive line and
regular scrimmage sessions in practice, and he talked about what
(02:30):
those battles are like.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Jagger is probably one of the best people and best
centers that I've been around. And he's just overall this
a great a great person. And then also farm farmers
of freaking nature and so as a nineteen percent by
sixty six and three point thirty, that dudes a freak.
And then but Jaggers also as freak of his own
NFL as he just makes me just a just a
(02:52):
better player this overall, So.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
That's David Gusta there, Coach Hampden first, and we keep
hammering away this theme of how important improvement in the
offensive line is going to be if Kentucky is going
to surprise the skeptics this fall season, opening up three
weeks from Saturday when they host Toledo. Preseason favorite to
win the Mid American Conference Women's SEC basketball schedule was
(03:18):
released yesterday. Kentucky will open conference play on the road
on New Year's Day at LSU. One home on home
opponent that is Vanderbilt for the Wildcats, this season. Twenty
twenty six, shooting guard Jordan Smith Junior has cut his
list of six schools, and Kentucky is one of them,
along with Duke Arkansas, Indiana, Syracuse, and Georgetown. He is
(03:40):
scheduled to visit for Big Blue Madness. And there's a
picture that has circulated a Otega o Way in a
boot on his right leg. Kassars Jack Pilgrim had a
report yesterday that it's nothing serious. Apparently happened when he
was out at that camp in Vegas run by Chris
Paul and Jason Tatum. So they boots are pretty standard
(04:04):
operating procedure for not from minor issues, just to take
some of the weight off and help the healing process.
So sounds like that's all good for o. Tega t
well past the top of the hour on this Wednesday
edition of The Leech Report, and our opening segment each
day is presented by Giseeppes of Lexington Full Wine and
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Bourbon Selections that they're fantastic barn there's like one hundred
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and make your reservation to get to Gi Seppes. Here
at Lexington, we'll be right back with Chris Fisher. Latrepart
presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises for locations around the
Kentucky area for Bobcats, so google them when you have
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those things too, so check it all out, find the
location nearest you when you need their services, and nobody
will treat you better than Bobcat Enterprises. Joined by Chris
Fisher from Katzpause dot com. And we'll start with a little
(05:33):
Kentucky football Chris, because you have a story up that
is at the top of the page at catspause dot
com right now about a CBS Sports post ranking all
college football teams from one to one thirty six. Kentucky
comes in at fifty seven, which leaves only Mississippi State
ranked lower, and that's right in line with where Kentucky
(05:54):
was voted in the preseason media poll at the SEC
Media Days. None of that, I've said before surprises me
when you have a team that won four games last
season and then is in a position where they've had
so much roster turnover that people don't know, you know,
what to expect from the team. So that's not surprising
to me. Doesn't mean that they can't prove that to
(06:17):
be incorrect. But I think any of those rankings the
Texas won and they go through everybody else in the league,
which the other low, the other one ahead of Kentucky's
Vandy at forty seven. Anything surprise you there?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
No, not really. I think it's it's kind of in
line with what with what we've seen to this point.
And you know, I think Kentucky brought in some good
pieces through the transfer portal, but you know, nothing that's
really gonna make anybody turn their head, especially coming off
you know, a four and eight season last year. But
you know, I think and I think Mark Stoops has
(06:55):
pointed to this a couple of times. You look at
South Carolina and the expectations they had going in versus
you know what the result was. I think they ended
up going I think it was nine to three in
the regular season. They were also picked near the bottom
of the SEC, and I think we see that every
year with both basketball and football and the SEC. A
(07:18):
team that is picked at or near the bottom that
surprises a lot of people. And so Kentucky will have
the opportunity to do that and I think whether they
do it or not depends on several big X factors.
I think the play of the offensive line. I think
quarterback play is obviously huge. And if you look at
(07:41):
the quarterback rankings for the SEC, zat Calsata is typically
ranked near the bottom as well. And so if he
can lean on that experience and you know that you know,
the big time wins that he's had in the SEC previously,
if he's able to surprise to surprise some people, I
think Kentucky may be able to as well.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You mentioned South Carolina a big part of their turnaround.
Those two defensive ends that terrorized Kentucky and went on
to play great throughout the rest of the season on
one side of the ball, and then Sellers nobody was
talking him up and now he's a you know, a
big time NFL draft prospect at the quarterback position for them.
(08:23):
I don't know that Kentucky has any individuals that are
suddenly going to turn into Josh Allen, but for Kentucky
it would seem to be exceeding expectations. Will come from
groups of players, position groups. Overachieving offensive line right at
(08:44):
the top of that list. What are the others that
would be at the top of that list for you?
First position?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, I think you know, linebacker might be in there.
They're so they were so thin at that position. You know,
they move Alex Afar inside and if those guys are
able to perform at a high level, you know, they
brought in Cameron Olds and Sam Green coming off off
of the edge. Those two were highly sought after edge rushers.
(09:13):
If they can have some success getting after the quarterback,
that could change things.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
And also to it is just the lens.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I think that we look at Kentucky through. I think
we could all agree Kentucky was probably better than four
and eight last season. I just think it was a
situation where the culture was not great, and I think
you know, that kind of had a compounding effect as
the season went on, especially when they lost hope of
(09:42):
a bowl game, and you know, the motivation and morale
kind of went down, and you could see those guys
kind of start to quit as the season went along.
And so flipping that culture with the guys that stuck around,
I think is going to be huge for the team
because you know, if that team was motivated, if they
(10:03):
played through the end of the season, and that four
and eight record looks a little bit different, maybe the
perception of this team is different.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
You do have, you know, fifty newcomers coming into the program,
both through the high school ranks and the transfer portal.
So a lot of it is going to.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Be on those guys.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
But a lot of those guys that are experienced, they
played a lot of football, they know what it's like,
and so you just have to hope Kentucky brought in
the right guys with the right mindset to turn this
thing around.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You know, as I go back to think the last season,
I would agree with you they were better. You know,
there was a better team than four and eight. I
don't think it was as good as it was a
hype to be. They had the talent to match the
hype in terms of, you know, one of the most
talented rosters ever, et cetera. We saw how the quarterback
position struggle, We saw the offensive line position struggle. Ray
(10:57):
Davis had moved on to the NFL. There were none
of him at the running back position. They had NFL
caliber talented wide receiver certainly, and on the defensive side
of their two best pro prospects were hurt. So I
do think this year's team doesn't have guys you know
(11:18):
that are if you rank, you know, give them numbers
in terms of talent, nines and tens, But I think
they have more sevens and eights. So in other words,
that kind of comes back to it's going to be,
you know, a group of players that will be able
to overachieve an entire defensive line, an entire offensive line,
maybe more so than great individual talents like a Barrion Brown,
(11:41):
Dame Key, Dean Walker, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Right, Yeah, I think there's something to that I think
they might have a little bit more depth at various
positions than they've had in the past, and we may
not see some of the drop off at those positions.
And I heard of Ladamian Washington talking on I think
it was BBN tonight about how he felt like there
were eight guys that he could count on to to
(12:03):
go in and compete and execute in an actual game.
And the eight is a big number, and that's that's
a good number if you want to play fast, if
you want to play up tempo, and again, those are
guys that have played a lot of football. You look
at the potential jump that Jamori Michaelin could make, especially
with the way he ended last season. And then you
(12:24):
have guys like you know, Kendrick Law and JJ Hester
and those guys and Troy Silato from Clemson that can
come in and just give you some really solid game
reps at that position. And then you have some young
guys I think that could potentially, you know, step up.
Montavid Quisenberry is a guy that has drawn rave reviews,
and so I think that wide receiver corps with Harley
(12:45):
Gilmore coming back from Nebraska, I think that'll be another
huge X factor going into end of this season.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
We'll tyme with Chris Fisher from katspaus dot com. It's
at Chris Fisher twenty four to seven on X switch
over to Bad Basketball, saw an item where Jordan Smith
Junior has cut his list to six and Kentucky's on it.
He'll be coming in for madness. Tyrone Stokes is the
guy that I think most Kentucky fans are probably focused
on in terms of a freshman recruit following you know,
(13:14):
the recruiting of freshmen isn't quite as big a deal
as it used to be with the importance of the
transfer portal. But nevertheless, Kentucky's a program that will have
the opportunity to recruit at the highest level for any
type of players. So what would you think the wish
list would look like for Mark Pope if he shared
it with you. Stokes at the top, probably, but then
(13:35):
what else after that?
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I think Tyron Stokes with the Kentucky connection being the
number one overall prospect. I still think that's the case.
I think he's continued to kind of separate himself. When
he's at the top of his game, there's no one better.
I think Darren Rippy Junior, the five star point guard
who was scheduled to come on an official visit last weekend,
but was forced to postpone due to some bad weather
(14:00):
in the New York area. I think with Taylor and
Kenney probably leaning toward Louisville at this point, I think
Kentucky's kind of shifted their focus at the point guard position.
Caleb Holt is another guy that's probably at the top
of Kentucky's list. They'll battle it out with Auburn and
Alabama to the end. He's already scheduled an official visit
(14:21):
to Kentucky. Anthony Thompson has Kentucky in his top seven,
one of the best shooters in the twenty twenty six class,
and you throw on top of that, he's, you know,
six foot nine, and I think he's really Taylor made
for what Mark Pope likes to do offensively. I think
Indiana's in there, Ohio State, Michigan. He's also scheduled an
(14:41):
official visit to Kentucky. So we're starting to see some
of the gears turn a little bit. It's it's list
cut season. You see guys starting to trim their list down,
and Kentucky's you know, I think firmly in the mix
for ten or eleven different guys. And you know, this
isn't the the star power that we've seen from some
of the other classes. And so I know Mark Pope
(15:03):
wants to build a roster that's full of multi year guys.
And so even if these guys are five stars and
they're top ten or Top twenty, they may not necessarily
be one and done type guys. And so I do
think Mark Pope would like to snag maybe four of
these guys and maybe have them around Lexington for more
(15:23):
than one year and you get some of that continuity
that year two jump that Mark Pope always talks about
in his offensive system. And so I do think Kentucky
would like to maybe prioritize the high school ranks a
little bit more in this cycle, especially if you could
get those guys to stick around.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Chris Fishercatzpause dot Com is where you can read his
work and here in with us here on Wednesdays. Thank you, Chris.
All right, thanks, it's Chris Fisher's. We come to you
from the Clarks Pumping Shop studio. Return refreshed and refuel
at Clark's. Make sure you sign up with their loyalty
rewards program, you get discounts when you refuel and also
items in their stores at Clark's Pumping Shops. We'll be
(16:01):
right back on the lead tri Report Radio network. It
is the lead Triport and we were just talking with
Chris Fisher and he was talking about various position groups
that could be particularly significant for Kentucky football this fall,
and he mentioned the wide receiver group where there's they've
lost the big names in Key and Brown, but as
he noted, coach Ladamien Washington is high on this particular group.
(16:25):
And Coach Washington talked about the receivers yesterday after practice,
and first up, we're going to hear him answering a
question about Harley Gilmour returning from Nebraska, and he's a
player they have a high opinion on in terms of
his talent. So how has he looked in the early
days of practice.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Consistency? You know, I think that's his deal in general
on off the field consistency, and he's doing a really
good job. I'm super proud of him. You know, he's
eighteen years old, which is crazy. He's eighteen years old,
so you know, he's still got the growing pains and
you know the details and consistency, but super proud of
he's a playmaker, you know, one of my most skilled
receivers we have.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Honestly, Coach Washington says he believes he has up to
eight guys that could be available for the rotation at
the white out position. Another one is a freshman from
Boyle County High School, mister football and Tavin Quistenberry.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
Everything comes natural for him. He's a football player, you
know obviously, you know you see the size piece, but
he don't care. You know, he got the heart of
a lion, and it's called football. He makes plays. The
name of the game is making plays. The kid doesn't
say anything. He goes out there. He just does his job,
like I'm truly happy that he's here.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So they made Washington there with some high praise for Quistonberry.
Those guys from Boyle County love the game. So maybe
he's a guy that it was. A freshman will have
a chance. I think these two scrimmages the next two
Saturdays will be a huge for that particular position group
to see if somebody can separate a little bit from
that pack at the white out position. Probably Kendrick Laws
(17:52):
at the top of the list right now from what
Bush Hampden the comments that he has made. We're halfway
home on this edition of the Leads Report. When we
come back, Michael Corsi will join us. We'll talk some
college hoops with him. Our show's presented each day by
Bobcat Enterprises. Shufflebean Coffee is the official coffee of rupp
Arena and the KFCM Center, and you can make it
(18:14):
the official coffee of your home. Just pick some up
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the very best coffee beans, Arabica beans that have fantastic
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(18:36):
of coffee that you get with Shufflebean Coffee. So pick
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Mike Coursey joins us now for his Wednesday visit. You
read him at Sportingnews dot com. During the basketball season,
you see him on the Big Ten Network and on
Fox Sports doing the brackets, and Mike saw an item
where I think it was Rob Doster of the Field
(18:58):
of sixty eight on a podcast listed twelve teams that
he thought could win the national title this season, and
on your Twitter feed at x feed at TSN, Mike
you said, quote, I don't think there's ever been a
year with a dozen teams that could win it. So
the Oster haad Kentucky among the twelve. Would Kentucky be
(19:20):
on your list?
Speaker 6 (19:22):
I'm not sure at this point whether I would look
at them as as a legitimate National championship contender. Is
certainly a Final four contender, without a doubt that, I.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Mean, that is certainly within their capabilities.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
The next step, I think we still have a little
bit to see, but I certainly think I would not
rule it out. I just think that you usually the
teams that win it have a little bit more continuity.
That's something that hasn't really been broken yet. The teams
that do win it, or have won it, I should say,
(19:58):
have a little bit more continuity, players who've been in
their roster and rotation for multiple seasons. And and I
think Kentucky's still working toward that. Uh and and eventually
we'll get there, but the transition process in the modern
game takes a little longer unless.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
You want to build from scratch.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
And I think it was smart for Mark not to
do that. I think it was smart for him to
build an attitude and an energy around his program rather
than just go, Okay, we're gonna go out.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
We're gonna get five six seven freshmen and work and
a couple of.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Transfers with eligibility remaining like an Oktaga and build from there.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Now, I mean, you wanted to get good quickly. You
wanted to show what the standard would be. Uh.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
And they did a beautiful job of that. And I
think they followed up on that beautifully as well.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
And of course now it's about about sustaining that through
the season.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah. I think you make a good point about the continuity.
It's uh, there's there was just no way for him
to achieve that. So he has to do the best
that he can. Maybe he gets to to where I
think he would. You like to be in that area
by next year, depending on whose stays, but it'll probably
happen next season or the season after.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
Yeah, I think that's exactly right. And and bringing in
a player like.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
Jass for Johnson, who has you know, who I think
will play multiple seasons.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
He's a terrific talent, but I don't think he's.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
One of those guys that you would expect to be
an automatic to go after one year. And Debate is
another player who came in and has eligibility remaining. Jaden
Quainton's is another player who has eligibility remaining.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
And Jalen Lowe and.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
All these guys, Uh, you know, they're one great season
away from being significant draft prospects. But there's also for
for all of them, the ability to return next season
if that's the best thing for their for their future path.
And I suspect that for at least a number of
them there will be. And at that point you've gotten,
(22:04):
you've gotten to that level of continuity that that is ideal. Now,
when I say that, I say, when I bring up
the continuity aspect, that doesn't mean they can't supersede that.
I mean we're in a new era, and part of
what has won in this in this brief time in
this new era has been some continuity. You can't had it, obviously,
(22:26):
and then of course this past year Florida did, But
we've only had two three years under these rules and
these circumstances. So this is not like the idea that
you have to have a couple of probs, a couple
of first rounders that's got forty years. This is only
really I mean, I mean I I in reality has
(22:47):
forty years. But that's because in the old in the
old style, teams stayed together longer.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
In this style, we don't really know what the parameters
will be.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Thanks good for there's so much turnover from year to year.
That's certainly in unprecedented times from that standpoint where there's
so much roster turnover from year to year. So the
idea of you know, building a team is you know,
back seventies, eighties, et cetera. That doesn't happen anymore.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Right, It happens faster.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Yeah, Like I said, you don't build over time, right.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Right, And I think it's still we've seen the value
of having guys like a Walter Clayton's been in the
program a couple of years. We've seen that it have value.
But like I said, we haven't had enough of a
sample size to know whether a Kentucky could come in
and say, Okay, that's really nice and that's what we want,
but we're still good enough to do this now.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I wouldn't rule that out at all.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
We know, Mike, how people celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah and
you know, Halloween, Easter, et cetera. How did you say,
celebrate the news that n CAA tournament is not expanding
from sixty eighteens.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
Yes, someone asked me yesterday if I popped any champagne works.
Speaker 5 (24:10):
Uh, you know, it is, it is.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
It was excellent news to come in And unfortunately I
didn't get to write about it because that was babysitting
that day.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Yeah, I took the day off to babysit.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But admirable. Yes, it was a great day.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
But you know, I think that what it does a
lot of people still believe, well, it's going to happen anyway,
And I think it gives more time for those of
us who understand what a terrible idea this is. Uh,
and that and that's a lot of people with a
lot of loud voices in the game.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Just about everybody that I have.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
Seen speak on this in the with it from within
the media, with the exception of Seth Davis of OOPS,
HQ and and and Turner Sports and CBS, just about
everybody has said this is an idea whose time has
not come. And one of the really fascinating things you
mentioned Rob Doster.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
He did a Twitter poll about two three.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
Weeks ago asking fans. I remember exactly how he phrased
the question. I think it was basically, leave it as
it is or expand. It was two options, and I
think it was ninety four percent to leave it as
it is. I did a similar poll probably back in April.
I guess it was ninety one percent in favor of
(25:34):
leaving it as it is. This is just there's just
no push for this. And I was encouraged Tom that
SEC Football Media Days, and very encouraged that someone at
SEC Football Media Day brought up the question to Greg
Sank about basketball and what he thought of expansion now.
And his answer, and he's one of the people who
(25:56):
was most who was certainly earliest and most ardent about expansion,
he kind of said, well.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
We're okay if it stays where it is.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
We're good if it goes bigger, but we're okay if
it stays where it is. I think he I always
said that they were looking for they were worried about
whether or not. The expansions to sixteen eighteen teams in
various power leagues would leave them with not enough bids
for all these teams that they have now, and the
(26:28):
SEC blew that concern away in year one with fourteen
out of sixteen teams. It's clear now if you win,
if you win enough games and you're in one of
those leagues, one of those four leagues, you're going to
get in. And if you leave it to questionable like
Indiana did or Ohio State did or West Virginia did,
you may or may not. And that's really the way
(26:51):
it's always been. And so the concern that they had,
I just wanted them to wait until they did a
couple of tournaments and then if there was a problem,
then think of addressing it.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
But it's clear there's not a problem. The selection process
still works.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
And as we've said before, the TV networks there's no
appetite for paying a lot of additional money for games
that bring them mediocre ratings. Yes, let me ask you,
this is just a wild idea to throw at because
a game that would have more value would be a
game or games later in the tournament. Would there ever
(27:27):
be a day they would consider something in the Final
four or the national championship game, like a best two
out of three or something like baseball has done at times.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
I don't think they would because the immediacy of the
championship is so important. It's so important to what makes
it great, and it's been that way since nineteen thirty nine,
and I think that although it would certainly be an
additional revenue point, I think that they realized that doing
(27:59):
that would hurt and for as long as CBS and
Turner has it, you would have to restructure the entire
tournament to get it off the floor. If you went
to three three games, unless you just said, Okay, we're
going to go three nights in a row, you'd need
to do that in.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Order to get it off the floor before the master.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Starts, right. That would that's always a big concern for
CBS Mike. Of course, he's with US Sportingnews dot Com
at TSN Mike, and if you follow Mike on X
there's some an interesting story that he reposted yesterday from
Adam Zagoria regarding the point guard position in college basketball,
which we're going to talk about when come right back
on this Wednesday edition of The Lead Report. Presented by
(28:39):
Bob kat Enterprises. Thirteen away from the top of the hours,
we continue our visit with Mike de Coursey from Sportingnews
dot Com at TSN Mike on X and I was
looking at Mike's Mike's feed yesterday or this morning on
X and the story he had reposted was interesting. It's
Adam's Agoria story about a scrimmage that Saint John's held
(29:03):
and Rick Patino talked to the media, members, boosters and
others who were there, and he said, the point guard
is totally done in basketball. And as I read this
story and Rick's comments, they don't really come across as
a guy who's just spinning for the fact that he
maybe doesn't have a true point guard on his roster,
(29:26):
because he goes on and says later he said that
he talked to the team and he said, he said,
I asked the team, who's the point guard of the Knicks,
the Lakers, the Celtics, the world champion, the World champions,
the Thunder And he said, the point guard is totally
done in basketball. The days of John Stockton are long gone.
Chris Paul's probably the last one. So you've got to
play with everybody handling the basketball five out and just
(29:46):
create good movement. There are no point guards anymore?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Is that a thing?
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Well, what's interesting about that to me is, first of all,
he's coming off a year in which he Saint John's
experienced a renaissance while playing with a point guard. Kadari
Richmond isn't on anybody's floor if he's not running the
running the offense, running the show. He can't shoot, but
he he could, He could see, he could pass, he
(30:12):
could make things happen, he could he could drive you
back because of his ability had handling the basketball and
shoot from twelve feet, which is something that Shay guil
Just Alexander does really well. I'm surprised that when he said,
who's the point guard of the World Champions of Shake
guil Just Alexander Obviously, who's the point guard of the Knicks?
Jaln Brunson, Obviously, who's the point guard of the Pacers
(30:35):
that just.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Played in the finals? Tyrese Halliburton, I thought there was
an element of they don't really have a point.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Guard to his statements, But there is a case to
be made for his position that it is diminished, and
if you look at last year's final four point guards.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
They are not one of them. Average five assists a game,
not any of them.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
And and Walter Clayon played a lot of minutes, obviously,
and usan from Houston played a ton of minutes. Seon
James played a ton of minutes. I think there are
there are fewer Chris Paul's than there have been in
my career. And I don't mean Chris Paul like there's
only one of those guys, but fewer players who play
like that than at any point in my career, no doubt.
(31:21):
But you also have great players Braden Smith at Purdue,
whose job is to run the offense and who Yeah,
he's going to take a lot of shots, but his
first job is to get the ball to other players.
I think that Kentucky has a guy or two like that.
Jalen Lowe certainly can get his own bucket when it's necessary,
(31:43):
and that's probably the thing he does best. But I
don't know that Kentucky's going to be its best if
the ball doesn't flow to the other players on the offense,
who are terrific offensive players.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, Kentucky played at times at Tennessee, most memorably with
kind of a point center and a Mary Williams is
right it up against the press, and in Mark's offense,
the five man handles the ball, you know, a lot
more than in other systems. And you know, we see
big men do things now that they didn't do, you know,
twenty thirty years ago, in terms of being able to
(32:19):
be skilled with the basketball out on the perimeter. Do
Abat is a guy on this team that I think
they'll probably encourage to, you know, take it off the
board and bring it up some.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
Yeah, that part of his statement is one hundred percent true.
The big guys now you see it all the time.
In nineteen eighty, Kareem abdul Jabar would never have dribbled
the ball up the court, And now we see centers
advance the ball all the time.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I mean they're not always quite.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
As as short on it as a Steph Curry would be,
but they do bring the ball up on a lot
of occasions because it's in their hands and there's an
open floor in front of them, and it's more efficient
than to waste time, precious shot clock time. Whether you're
playing at thirty or playing at twenty four, it can
be a time waste to look around for a smaller
(33:10):
guy to give the ball to it if you can
just bring it up. And I think that has made
basketball more interesting in that sense, because the players have
a greater variety of skills from one to five than
they did thirty forty years ago.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Because the more accurate statement from Rick would it have
been there are no quote ball dominant point guards anymore.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
I think the most accurate statement would be that you
can play without it if you don't happen to have it.
I think that would be the most I mean, but
you have to have other players who can do it.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
So you don't have to force somebody into that role
if you don't have one.
Speaker 6 (33:52):
Yeah, I think you use Duke as an example. Seeon
James had to be the guy who probably advanced the
ball most of the time for them this past year,
but the offense ran through Cooper flag He had to
touch the ball on nearly every possession or it was
a misspent possession because he was the best creator on
the team and the best scorer. And so you look
at that and that's I think that's the point that
(34:14):
probably would be best made. But of course Rick is
really good at creating headlines, and that was his headline
for yesterday. And if you look at this Saint John's team,
he doesn't have Kadari Richmond anymore, and he doesn't have
a guy who's proven at this position. I think Ian
Jackson is someone that wants to be like that and
(34:34):
that his best pro future is if he can get
to that. But he's not there, and so for them
to be successful, they have to find a way around
putting too much on Jackson's plate.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, if you have a guy who has a particular
skill of being able to distribute the ball and set
up teammates. You know, the usually that you think of
that being a point guard most often, but if that's
a skill, you would certainly want to.
Speaker 6 (35:01):
Right absolutely, I mean, and that goes you look at Purdue,
which is getting a lot of number one love from
a lot of teams, and Braden Smith had well over
three hundred assists last year. He's going to end his
career if he plays a healthy senior season, He's going
to end his career among the leading career.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
Assists players in history.
Speaker 6 (35:23):
It's all he has to do is play a typical
season for himself and play the full season and he
will be up there.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
So he's saying that at a time when you have
somebody like that in the game.
Speaker 6 (35:35):
So I think it's I think it's not the same
answer for everybody, but I do think that you're going
to have to have somebody who most of the time
brings the ball up the floor, most of the time
is the one who initiates the offense.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
It's just not exclusive any longer.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Interesting discussion as always, Mike, of course you appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Thanks Tom.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
You can follow him at TSN. Mike readam at Sportingnews
dot com. Leach Report by Bob Kat Enterprises right back
to close it out after this break stand while cat
history of service of Kentucky Roadshow sports cards and memorabilia.
They are on Romedy Road in Lexington and at roadshow
cards dot Com. A couple of happy birthdays, Maxwell Harriston
now with the Buffalo Bills, celebrating his birthday today, and
(36:17):
a happy birthday to Daniel Orton, a one year Wildcat
on Col's first team here played last season with the
TBT team as well as an effort to kind of
get a little reconnection with the BBN. Cornbread Hemp is
a Kentucky company that is constantly innovating and one of
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dot com. Congrats to Brian Milem, new Communications and Media
Relations director for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association after
a long and successful run at WKYTTV and before that WYMT.
He knows and in all caps loves high school sports.
(37:48):
So congrats to Brian. I think he will be outstanding
in that role. That is going to do it for
this edition of the Leech Report. Present it as always
by Bobcat Enterprises. Back tomorrow with the Goose and Justin Rowland.
Kevin Cook's going to join us to talk about his
book on Memorial Connell se him too. See you tomorrow
on the Lates Report.
Hey, everybody, welcome in. It's the Wednesday edition of the
Leach Report, presented by Bob kat Enterprises. Glad to have
you on board with us today as we talk UK
sports with Chris Fisher from the Cat's pause, and then
in the second half of the show, Mike, of course
he will join us as he has done throughout the
summer on Wednesdays, and we'll talk some college hoops and
(00:23):
who knows what else with Mike wild Cat. News of
the day always the service of Giuseppees of Lexington, and
yesterday was a day for the folks on the offensive
side of the ball to talk to the media after
practice and offensive cordiator Bush Hampden touched on several subjects,
including Jagger Burton back at center for the second time
(00:47):
in his Kentucky football career. Remember they tried that a
couple of years ago. He had issues with the snaps
and so they went back to Eli Cox and Jagger
has stayed at left guard ever since until now. When
back of the spring they moved him over to the
center position. And I think the young man from Western
Kentucky Whibberley that was expected to be the starter, and
(01:10):
some injury issues that slowed him in the spring, and
Jagger did well and has at the moment held onto
that position. And Mark Stoops has talked about how he
could perhaps enhance his value as an NFL prospect if
he shows the ability to play two positions, especially if
(01:30):
one of them is the center spot. So big opportunity
for Jagger from all accounts, he is seizing that opportunity
with how he's approaching this position switch and how well
he's handled it so far, and Bush Hampden talked about
that yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Obviously one of the hardest positions, you know in football.
There's a lot going on and you mentioned it, from
having a lineup and make calls and identifying fronts then
the execution piece. He's just another guy that he has
all the athleticism if you will, to be a really
good player at the center position, and for repetition, he's
(02:07):
just got to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Burton is one of two players back from last season
that is projected to be in the starting lineup, but
with Burton moving to center, the only one who's going
to be playing the same position that he played last
year's right guard Jalen Farmer. David Gusta goes up against
those guys in the middle of the offensive line from
his position in the middle of the defensive line and
regular scrimmage sessions in practice, and he talked about what
(02:30):
those battles are like.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Jagger is probably one of the best people and best
centers that I've been around. And he's just overall this
a great a great person. And then also farm farmers
of freaking nature and so as a nineteen percent by
sixty six and three point thirty, that dudes a freak.
And then but Jaggers also as freak of his own
NFL as he just makes me just a just a
(02:52):
better player this overall, So.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
That's David Gusta there, Coach Hampden first, and we keep
hammering away this theme of how important improvement in the
offensive line is going to be if Kentucky is going
to surprise the skeptics this fall season, opening up three
weeks from Saturday when they host Toledo. Preseason favorite to
win the Mid American Conference Women's SEC basketball schedule was
(03:18):
released yesterday. Kentucky will open conference play on the road
on New Year's Day at LSU. One home on home
opponent that is Vanderbilt for the Wildcats, this season. Twenty
twenty six, shooting guard Jordan Smith Junior has cut his
list of six schools, and Kentucky is one of them,
along with Duke Arkansas, Indiana, Syracuse, and Georgetown. He is
(03:40):
scheduled to visit for Big Blue Madness. And there's a
picture that has circulated a Otega o Way in a
boot on his right leg. Kassars Jack Pilgrim had a
report yesterday that it's nothing serious. Apparently happened when he
was out at that camp in Vegas run by Chris
Paul and Jason Tatum. So they boots are pretty standard
(04:04):
operating procedure for not from minor issues, just to take
some of the weight off and help the healing process.
So sounds like that's all good for o. Tega t
well past the top of the hour on this Wednesday
edition of The Leech Report, and our opening segment each
day is presented by Giseeppes of Lexington Full Wine and
(04:26):
Bourbon Selections that they're fantastic barn there's like one hundred
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Scott at the Bar makes a fantastic espresso martini as well,
so make plans to get out to Giuseppes, and you know,
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and you can enjoy a fantastic meal there, enjoy all
the great food that's on the menu, from the homemade pastas,
(04:48):
steaks that are handcut, fresh seafood ship in locally sourced
ingredients too. It's all there at Giuseppes Lexington dot com
for you to check out. So get to open table
and make your reservation to get to Gi Seppes. Here
at Lexington, we'll be right back with Chris Fisher. Latrepart
presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises for locations around the
Kentucky area for Bobcats, so google them when you have
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location nearest you when you need their services, and nobody
will treat you better than Bobcat Enterprises. Joined by Chris
Fisher from Katzpause dot com. And we'll start with a little
(05:33):
Kentucky football Chris, because you have a story up that
is at the top of the page at catspause dot
com right now about a CBS Sports post ranking all
college football teams from one to one thirty six. Kentucky
comes in at fifty seven, which leaves only Mississippi State
ranked lower, and that's right in line with where Kentucky
(05:54):
was voted in the preseason media poll at the SEC
Media Days. None of that, I've said before surprises me
when you have a team that won four games last
season and then is in a position where they've had
so much roster turnover that people don't know, you know,
what to expect from the team. So that's not surprising
to me. Doesn't mean that they can't prove that to
(06:17):
be incorrect. But I think any of those rankings the
Texas won and they go through everybody else in the league,
which the other low, the other one ahead of Kentucky's
Vandy at forty seven. Anything surprise you there?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
No, not really. I think it's it's kind of in
line with what with what we've seen to this point.
And you know, I think Kentucky brought in some good
pieces through the transfer portal, but you know, nothing that's
really gonna make anybody turn their head, especially coming off
you know, a four and eight season last year. But
you know, I think and I think Mark Stoops has
(06:55):
pointed to this a couple of times. You look at
South Carolina and the expectations they had going in versus
you know what the result was. I think they ended
up going I think it was nine to three in
the regular season. They were also picked near the bottom
of the SEC, and I think we see that every
year with both basketball and football and the SEC. A
(07:18):
team that is picked at or near the bottom that
surprises a lot of people. And so Kentucky will have
the opportunity to do that and I think whether they
do it or not depends on several big X factors.
I think the play of the offensive line. I think
quarterback play is obviously huge. And if you look at
(07:41):
the quarterback rankings for the SEC, zat Calsata is typically
ranked near the bottom as well. And so if he
can lean on that experience and you know that you know,
the big time wins that he's had in the SEC previously,
if he's able to surprise to surprise some people, I
think Kentucky may be able to as well.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You mentioned South Carolina a big part of their turnaround.
Those two defensive ends that terrorized Kentucky and went on
to play great throughout the rest of the season on
one side of the ball, and then Sellers nobody was
talking him up and now he's a you know, a
big time NFL draft prospect at the quarterback position for them.
(08:23):
I don't know that Kentucky has any individuals that are
suddenly going to turn into Josh Allen, but for Kentucky
it would seem to be exceeding expectations. Will come from
groups of players, position groups. Overachieving offensive line right at
(08:44):
the top of that list. What are the others that
would be at the top of that list for you?
First position?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, I think you know, linebacker might be in there.
They're so they were so thin at that position. You know,
they move Alex Afar inside and if those guys are
able to perform at a high level, you know, they
brought in Cameron Olds and Sam Green coming off off
of the edge. Those two were highly sought after edge rushers.
(09:13):
If they can have some success getting after the quarterback,
that could change things.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
And also to it is just the lens.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I think that we look at Kentucky through. I think
we could all agree Kentucky was probably better than four
and eight last season. I just think it was a
situation where the culture was not great, and I think
you know, that kind of had a compounding effect as
the season went on, especially when they lost hope of
(09:42):
a bowl game, and you know, the motivation and morale
kind of went down, and you could see those guys
kind of start to quit as the season went along.
And so flipping that culture with the guys that stuck around,
I think is going to be huge for the team
because you know, if that team was motivated, if they
(10:03):
played through the end of the season, and that four
and eight record looks a little bit different, maybe the
perception of this team is different.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
You do have, you know, fifty newcomers coming into the program,
both through the high school ranks and the transfer portal.
So a lot of it is going to.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Be on those guys.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
But a lot of those guys that are experienced, they
played a lot of football, they know what it's like,
and so you just have to hope Kentucky brought in
the right guys with the right mindset to turn this
thing around.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You know, as I go back to think the last season,
I would agree with you they were better. You know,
there was a better team than four and eight. I
don't think it was as good as it was a
hype to be. They had the talent to match the
hype in terms of, you know, one of the most
talented rosters ever, et cetera. We saw how the quarterback
position struggle, We saw the offensive line position struggle. Ray
(10:57):
Davis had moved on to the NFL. There were none
of him at the running back position. They had NFL
caliber talented wide receiver certainly, and on the defensive side
of their two best pro prospects were hurt. So I
do think this year's team doesn't have guys you know
(11:18):
that are if you rank, you know, give them numbers
in terms of talent, nines and tens, But I think
they have more sevens and eights. So in other words,
that kind of comes back to it's going to be,
you know, a group of players that will be able
to overachieve an entire defensive line, an entire offensive line,
maybe more so than great individual talents like a Barrion Brown,
(11:41):
Dame Key, Dean Walker, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Right, Yeah, I think there's something to that I think
they might have a little bit more depth at various
positions than they've had in the past, and we may
not see some of the drop off at those positions.
And I heard of Ladamian Washington talking on I think
it was BBN tonight about how he felt like there
were eight guys that he could count on to to
(12:03):
go in and compete and execute in an actual game.
And the eight is a big number, and that's that's
a good number if you want to play fast, if
you want to play up tempo, and again, those are
guys that have played a lot of football. You look
at the potential jump that Jamori Michaelin could make, especially
with the way he ended last season. And then you
(12:24):
have guys like you know, Kendrick Law and JJ Hester
and those guys and Troy Silato from Clemson that can
come in and just give you some really solid game
reps at that position. And then you have some young
guys I think that could potentially, you know, step up.
Montavid Quisenberry is a guy that has drawn rave reviews,
and so I think that wide receiver corps with Harley
(12:45):
Gilmore coming back from Nebraska, I think that'll be another
huge X factor going into end of this season.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
We'll tyme with Chris Fisher from katspaus dot com. It's
at Chris Fisher twenty four to seven on X switch
over to Bad Basketball, saw an item where Jordan Smith
Junior has cut his list to six and Kentucky's on it.
He'll be coming in for madness. Tyrone Stokes is the
guy that I think most Kentucky fans are probably focused
on in terms of a freshman recruit following you know,
(13:14):
the recruiting of freshmen isn't quite as big a deal
as it used to be with the importance of the
transfer portal. But nevertheless, Kentucky's a program that will have
the opportunity to recruit at the highest level for any
type of players. So what would you think the wish
list would look like for Mark Pope if he shared
it with you. Stokes at the top, probably, but then
(13:35):
what else after that?
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I think Tyron Stokes with the Kentucky connection being the
number one overall prospect. I still think that's the case.
I think he's continued to kind of separate himself. When
he's at the top of his game, there's no one better.
I think Darren Rippy Junior, the five star point guard
who was scheduled to come on an official visit last weekend,
but was forced to postpone due to some bad weather
(14:00):
in the New York area. I think with Taylor and
Kenney probably leaning toward Louisville at this point, I think
Kentucky's kind of shifted their focus at the point guard position.
Caleb Holt is another guy that's probably at the top
of Kentucky's list. They'll battle it out with Auburn and
Alabama to the end. He's already scheduled an official visit
(14:21):
to Kentucky. Anthony Thompson has Kentucky in his top seven,
one of the best shooters in the twenty twenty six class,
and you throw on top of that, he's, you know,
six foot nine, and I think he's really Taylor made
for what Mark Pope likes to do offensively. I think
Indiana's in there, Ohio State, Michigan. He's also scheduled an
(14:41):
official visit to Kentucky. So we're starting to see some
of the gears turn a little bit. It's it's list
cut season. You see guys starting to trim their list down,
and Kentucky's you know, I think firmly in the mix
for ten or eleven different guys. And you know, this
isn't the the star power that we've seen from some
of the other classes. And so I know Mark Pope
(15:03):
wants to build a roster that's full of multi year guys.
And so even if these guys are five stars and
they're top ten or Top twenty, they may not necessarily
be one and done type guys. And so I do
think Mark Pope would like to snag maybe four of
these guys and maybe have them around Lexington for more
(15:23):
than one year and you get some of that continuity
that year two jump that Mark Pope always talks about
in his offensive system. And so I do think Kentucky
would like to maybe prioritize the high school ranks a
little bit more in this cycle, especially if you could
get those guys to stick around.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Chris Fishercatzpause dot Com is where you can read his
work and here in with us here on Wednesdays. Thank you, Chris.
All right, thanks, it's Chris Fisher's. We come to you
from the Clarks Pumping Shop studio. Return refreshed and refuel
at Clark's. Make sure you sign up with their loyalty
rewards program, you get discounts when you refuel and also
items in their stores at Clark's Pumping Shops. We'll be
(16:01):
right back on the lead tri Report Radio network. It
is the lead Triport and we were just talking with
Chris Fisher and he was talking about various position groups
that could be particularly significant for Kentucky football this fall,
and he mentioned the wide receiver group where there's they've
lost the big names in Key and Brown, but as
he noted, coach Ladamien Washington is high on this particular group.
(16:25):
And Coach Washington talked about the receivers yesterday after practice,
and first up, we're going to hear him answering a
question about Harley Gilmour returning from Nebraska, and he's a
player they have a high opinion on in terms of
his talent. So how has he looked in the early
days of practice.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Consistency? You know, I think that's his deal in general
on off the field consistency, and he's doing a really
good job. I'm super proud of him. You know, he's
eighteen years old, which is crazy. He's eighteen years old,
so you know, he's still got the growing pains and
you know the details and consistency, but super proud of
he's a playmaker, you know, one of my most skilled
receivers we have.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Honestly, Coach Washington says he believes he has up to
eight guys that could be available for the rotation at
the white out position. Another one is a freshman from
Boyle County High School, mister football and Tavin Quistenberry.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
Everything comes natural for him. He's a football player, you
know obviously, you know you see the size piece, but
he don't care. You know, he got the heart of
a lion, and it's called football. He makes plays. The
name of the game is making plays. The kid doesn't
say anything. He goes out there. He just does his job,
like I'm truly happy that he's here.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So they made Washington there with some high praise for Quistonberry.
Those guys from Boyle County love the game. So maybe
he's a guy that it was. A freshman will have
a chance. I think these two scrimmages the next two
Saturdays will be a huge for that particular position group
to see if somebody can separate a little bit from
that pack at the white out position. Probably Kendrick Laws
(17:52):
at the top of the list right now from what
Bush Hampden the comments that he has made. We're halfway
home on this edition of the Leads Report. When we
come back, Michael Corsi will join us. We'll talk some
college hoops with him. Our show's presented each day by
Bobcat Enterprises. Shufflebean Coffee is the official coffee of rupp
Arena and the KFCM Center, and you can make it
(18:14):
the official coffee of your home. Just pick some up
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(18:36):
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Mike Coursey joins us now for his Wednesday visit. You
read him at Sportingnews dot com. During the basketball season,
you see him on the Big Ten Network and on
Fox Sports doing the brackets, and Mike saw an item
where I think it was Rob Doster of the Field
(18:58):
of sixty eight on a podcast listed twelve teams that
he thought could win the national title this season, and
on your Twitter feed at x feed at TSN, Mike
you said, quote, I don't think there's ever been a
year with a dozen teams that could win it. So
the Oster haad Kentucky among the twelve. Would Kentucky be
(19:20):
on your list?
Speaker 6 (19:22):
I'm not sure at this point whether I would look
at them as as a legitimate National championship contender. Is
certainly a Final four contender, without a doubt that, I.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Mean, that is certainly within their capabilities.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
The next step, I think we still have a little
bit to see, but I certainly think I would not
rule it out. I just think that you usually the
teams that win it have a little bit more continuity.
That's something that hasn't really been broken yet. The teams
that do win it, or have won it, I should say,
(19:58):
have a little bit more continuity, players who've been in
their roster and rotation for multiple seasons. And and I
think Kentucky's still working toward that. Uh and and eventually
we'll get there, but the transition process in the modern
game takes a little longer unless.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
You want to build from scratch.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
And I think it was smart for Mark not to
do that. I think it was smart for him to
build an attitude and an energy around his program rather
than just go, Okay, we're gonna go out.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
We're gonna get five six seven freshmen and work and
a couple of.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Transfers with eligibility remaining like an Oktaga and build from there.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Now, I mean, you wanted to get good quickly. You
wanted to show what the standard would be. Uh.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
And they did a beautiful job of that. And I
think they followed up on that beautifully as well.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
And of course now it's about about sustaining that through
the season.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah. I think you make a good point about the continuity.
It's uh, there's there was just no way for him
to achieve that. So he has to do the best
that he can. Maybe he gets to to where I
think he would. You like to be in that area
by next year, depending on whose stays, but it'll probably
happen next season or the season after.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
Yeah, I think that's exactly right. And and bringing in
a player like.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
Jass for Johnson, who has you know, who I think
will play multiple seasons.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
He's a terrific talent, but I don't think he's.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
One of those guys that you would expect to be
an automatic to go after one year. And Debate is
another player who came in and has eligibility remaining. Jaden
Quainton's is another player who has eligibility remaining.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
And Jalen Lowe and.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
All these guys, Uh, you know, they're one great season
away from being significant draft prospects. But there's also for
for all of them, the ability to return next season
if that's the best thing for their for their future path.
And I suspect that for at least a number of
them there will be. And at that point you've gotten,
(22:04):
you've gotten to that level of continuity that that is ideal. Now,
when I say that, I say, when I bring up
the continuity aspect, that doesn't mean they can't supersede that.
I mean we're in a new era, and part of
what has won in this in this brief time in
this new era has been some continuity. You can't had it, obviously,
(22:26):
and then of course this past year Florida did, But
we've only had two three years under these rules and
these circumstances. So this is not like the idea that
you have to have a couple of probs, a couple
of first rounders that's got forty years. This is only
really I mean, I mean I I in reality has
(22:47):
forty years. But that's because in the old in the
old style, teams stayed together longer.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
In this style, we don't really know what the parameters
will be.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Thanks good for there's so much turnover from year to year.
That's certainly in unprecedented times from that standpoint where there's
so much roster turnover from year to year. So the
idea of you know, building a team is you know,
back seventies, eighties, et cetera. That doesn't happen anymore.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Right, It happens faster.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Yeah, Like I said, you don't build over time, right.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Right, And I think it's still we've seen the value
of having guys like a Walter Clayton's been in the
program a couple of years. We've seen that it have value.
But like I said, we haven't had enough of a
sample size to know whether a Kentucky could come in
and say, Okay, that's really nice and that's what we want,
but we're still good enough to do this now.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I wouldn't rule that out at all.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
We know, Mike, how people celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah and
you know, Halloween, Easter, et cetera. How did you say,
celebrate the news that n CAA tournament is not expanding
from sixty eighteens.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
Yes, someone asked me yesterday if I popped any champagne works.
Speaker 5 (24:10):
Uh, you know, it is, it is.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
It was excellent news to come in And unfortunately I
didn't get to write about it because that was babysitting
that day.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Yeah, I took the day off to babysit.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But admirable. Yes, it was a great day.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
But you know, I think that what it does a
lot of people still believe, well, it's going to happen anyway,
And I think it gives more time for those of
us who understand what a terrible idea this is. Uh,
and that and that's a lot of people with a
lot of loud voices in the game.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Just about everybody that I have.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
Seen speak on this in the with it from within
the media, with the exception of Seth Davis of OOPS,
HQ and and and Turner Sports and CBS, just about
everybody has said this is an idea whose time has
not come. And one of the really fascinating things you
mentioned Rob Doster.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
He did a Twitter poll about two three.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
Weeks ago asking fans. I remember exactly how he phrased
the question. I think it was basically, leave it as
it is or expand. It was two options, and I
think it was ninety four percent to leave it as
it is. I did a similar poll probably back in April.
I guess it was ninety one percent in favor of
(25:34):
leaving it as it is. This is just there's just
no push for this. And I was encouraged Tom that
SEC Football Media Days, and very encouraged that someone at
SEC Football Media Day brought up the question to Greg
Sank about basketball and what he thought of expansion now.
And his answer, and he's one of the people who
(25:56):
was most who was certainly earliest and most ardent about expansion,
he kind of said, well.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
We're okay if it stays where it is.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
We're good if it goes bigger, but we're okay if
it stays where it is. I think he I always
said that they were looking for they were worried about
whether or not. The expansions to sixteen eighteen teams in
various power leagues would leave them with not enough bids
for all these teams that they have now, and the
(26:28):
SEC blew that concern away in year one with fourteen
out of sixteen teams. It's clear now if you win,
if you win enough games and you're in one of
those leagues, one of those four leagues, you're going to
get in. And if you leave it to questionable like
Indiana did or Ohio State did or West Virginia did,
you may or may not. And that's really the way
(26:51):
it's always been. And so the concern that they had,
I just wanted them to wait until they did a
couple of tournaments and then if there was a problem,
then think of addressing it.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
But it's clear there's not a problem. The selection process
still works.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
And as we've said before, the TV networks there's no
appetite for paying a lot of additional money for games
that bring them mediocre ratings. Yes, let me ask you,
this is just a wild idea to throw at because
a game that would have more value would be a
game or games later in the tournament. Would there ever
(27:27):
be a day they would consider something in the Final
four or the national championship game, like a best two
out of three or something like baseball has done at times.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
I don't think they would because the immediacy of the
championship is so important. It's so important to what makes
it great, and it's been that way since nineteen thirty nine,
and I think that although it would certainly be an
additional revenue point, I think that they realized that doing
(27:59):
that would hurt and for as long as CBS and
Turner has it, you would have to restructure the entire
tournament to get it off the floor. If you went
to three three games, unless you just said, Okay, we're
going to go three nights in a row, you'd need
to do that in.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Order to get it off the floor before the master.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Starts, right. That would that's always a big concern for
CBS Mike. Of course, he's with US Sportingnews dot Com
at TSN Mike, and if you follow Mike on X
there's some an interesting story that he reposted yesterday from
Adam Zagoria regarding the point guard position in college basketball,
which we're going to talk about when come right back
on this Wednesday edition of The Lead Report. Presented by
(28:39):
Bob kat Enterprises. Thirteen away from the top of the hours,
we continue our visit with Mike de Coursey from Sportingnews
dot Com at TSN Mike on X and I was
looking at Mike's Mike's feed yesterday or this morning on
X and the story he had reposted was interesting. It's
Adam's Agoria story about a scrimmage that Saint John's held
(29:03):
and Rick Patino talked to the media, members, boosters and
others who were there, and he said, the point guard
is totally done in basketball. And as I read this
story and Rick's comments, they don't really come across as
a guy who's just spinning for the fact that he
maybe doesn't have a true point guard on his roster,
(29:26):
because he goes on and says later he said that
he talked to the team and he said, he said,
I asked the team, who's the point guard of the Knicks,
the Lakers, the Celtics, the world champion, the World champions,
the Thunder And he said, the point guard is totally
done in basketball. The days of John Stockton are long gone.
Chris Paul's probably the last one. So you've got to
play with everybody handling the basketball five out and just
(29:46):
create good movement. There are no point guards anymore?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Is that a thing?
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Well, what's interesting about that to me is, first of all,
he's coming off a year in which he Saint John's
experienced a renaissance while playing with a point guard. Kadari
Richmond isn't on anybody's floor if he's not running the
running the offense, running the show. He can't shoot, but
he he could, He could see, he could pass, he
(30:12):
could make things happen, he could he could drive you
back because of his ability had handling the basketball and
shoot from twelve feet, which is something that Shay guil
Just Alexander does really well. I'm surprised that when he said,
who's the point guard of the World Champions of Shake
guil Just Alexander Obviously, who's the point guard of the Knicks?
Jaln Brunson, Obviously, who's the point guard of the Pacers
(30:35):
that just.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Played in the finals? Tyrese Halliburton, I thought there was
an element of they don't really have a point.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Guard to his statements, But there is a case to
be made for his position that it is diminished, and
if you look at last year's final four point guards.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
They are not one of them. Average five assists a game,
not any of them.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
And and Walter Clayon played a lot of minutes, obviously,
and usan from Houston played a ton of minutes. Seon
James played a ton of minutes. I think there are
there are fewer Chris Paul's than there have been in
my career. And I don't mean Chris Paul like there's
only one of those guys, but fewer players who play
like that than at any point in my career, no doubt.
(31:21):
But you also have great players Braden Smith at Purdue,
whose job is to run the offense and who Yeah,
he's going to take a lot of shots, but his
first job is to get the ball to other players.
I think that Kentucky has a guy or two like that.
Jalen Lowe certainly can get his own bucket when it's necessary,
(31:43):
and that's probably the thing he does best. But I
don't know that Kentucky's going to be its best if
the ball doesn't flow to the other players on the offense,
who are terrific offensive players.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, Kentucky played at times at Tennessee, most memorably with
kind of a point center and a Mary Williams is
right it up against the press, and in Mark's offense,
the five man handles the ball, you know, a lot
more than in other systems. And you know, we see
big men do things now that they didn't do, you know,
twenty thirty years ago, in terms of being able to
(32:19):
be skilled with the basketball out on the perimeter. Do
Abat is a guy on this team that I think
they'll probably encourage to, you know, take it off the
board and bring it up some.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
Yeah, that part of his statement is one hundred percent true.
The big guys now you see it all the time.
In nineteen eighty, Kareem abdul Jabar would never have dribbled
the ball up the court, And now we see centers
advance the ball all the time.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I mean they're not always quite.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
As as short on it as a Steph Curry would be,
but they do bring the ball up on a lot
of occasions because it's in their hands and there's an
open floor in front of them, and it's more efficient
than to waste time, precious shot clock time. Whether you're
playing at thirty or playing at twenty four, it can
be a time waste to look around for a smaller
(33:10):
guy to give the ball to it if you can
just bring it up. And I think that has made
basketball more interesting in that sense, because the players have
a greater variety of skills from one to five than
they did thirty forty years ago.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Because the more accurate statement from Rick would it have
been there are no quote ball dominant point guards anymore.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
I think the most accurate statement would be that you
can play without it if you don't happen to have it.
I think that would be the most I mean, but
you have to have other players who can do it.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
So you don't have to force somebody into that role
if you don't have one.
Speaker 6 (33:52):
Yeah, I think you use Duke as an example. Seeon
James had to be the guy who probably advanced the
ball most of the time for them this past year,
but the offense ran through Cooper flag He had to
touch the ball on nearly every possession or it was
a misspent possession because he was the best creator on
the team and the best scorer. And so you look
at that and that's I think that's the point that
(34:14):
probably would be best made. But of course Rick is
really good at creating headlines, and that was his headline
for yesterday. And if you look at this Saint John's team,
he doesn't have Kadari Richmond anymore, and he doesn't have
a guy who's proven at this position. I think Ian
Jackson is someone that wants to be like that and
(34:34):
that his best pro future is if he can get
to that. But he's not there, and so for them
to be successful, they have to find a way around
putting too much on Jackson's plate.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, if you have a guy who has a particular
skill of being able to distribute the ball and set
up teammates. You know, the usually that you think of
that being a point guard most often, but if that's
a skill, you would certainly want to.
Speaker 6 (35:01):
Right absolutely, I mean, and that goes you look at Purdue,
which is getting a lot of number one love from
a lot of teams, and Braden Smith had well over
three hundred assists last year. He's going to end his
career if he plays a healthy senior season, He's going
to end his career among the leading career.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
Assists players in history.
Speaker 6 (35:23):
It's all he has to do is play a typical
season for himself and play the full season and he
will be up there.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
So he's saying that at a time when you have
somebody like that in the game.
Speaker 6 (35:35):
So I think it's I think it's not the same
answer for everybody, but I do think that you're going
to have to have somebody who most of the time
brings the ball up the floor, most of the time
is the one who initiates the offense.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
It's just not exclusive any longer.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Interesting discussion as always, Mike, of course you appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Thanks Tom.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
You can follow him at TSN. Mike readam at Sportingnews
dot com. Leach Report by Bob Kat Enterprises right back
to close it out after this break stand while cat
history of service of Kentucky Roadshow sports cards and memorabilia.
They are on Romedy Road in Lexington and at roadshow
cards dot Com. A couple of happy birthdays, Maxwell Harriston
now with the Buffalo Bills, celebrating his birthday today, and
(36:17):
a happy birthday to Daniel Orton, a one year Wildcat
on Col's first team here played last season with the
TBT team as well as an effort to kind of
get a little reconnection with the BBN. Cornbread Hemp is
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He knows and in all caps loves high school sports.
(37:48):
So congrats to Brian. I think he will be outstanding
in that role. That is going to do it for
this edition of the Leech Report. Present it as always
by Bobcat Enterprises. Back tomorrow with the Goose and Justin Rowland.
Kevin Cook's going to join us to talk about his
book on Memorial Connell se him too. See you tomorrow
on the Lates Report.
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