August 12, 2025 • 38 mins
Tom talks with Lee K. Howard, Ben Roberts, and more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
God, everybody, how you doing. Welcome into the Leach Report,
presented by Bob kat Enterprises as we talk you K
sports with you for the balance of this hour. Ben
Roberts from the Lexington Herald Leader, where he covers Kentucky
men's basketball. We'll join us in the second half of
the show wkyttvs. Lee K Howard with us. In the
first half, we'll talk to Kentucky football and more with
(00:23):
Lee K while cat News of the Day, a service
of Giuseppes of Lexington and the men's basketball schedule has
been completed for Kentucky Nownce. It came yesterday of the
annual multi team event and this year it's called the
BBN United tip Off Classic. They always put a name
on it. It was the Kightly Classic one year. It is,
(00:46):
per the NCAA's rules, a way to have a four
team event where everybody will play everybody else. So it's
not really a tournament where it's not at all a
turn but it's a round robin where everybody plays everybody else,
and it's a way to get two more games on
your schedule when you have a multi team event. So
(01:09):
they could call it the Shannon the Dude Classic, which
maybe they will one of these days, but it is
a chance to add two more games to the schedule.
So anyway, it's a long winded way of telling you
that the schedules complete and they have added two games
that will occur prior to the matchup with Louisville, as
we suspected what happen because you didn't figure they were
(01:31):
going to open the season with u of L the
very first year of the series being resumed after the
Dream Game. This would have been in November of eighty three.
The season did start with Kentucky playing Louisville at Raparita.
I went to the game. Kentucky had lost in the
Dream Game, dominated the first game in the once the
(01:53):
series was started. I think it was sixty five forty four.
There's a big picture of Sam Boui on the cover
of Sports Illustrated from that week blocking a shot as
he didn't score much but dominated the game from a
rebounding and shot blocking and passing standpoints, so big boo
on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That was the only
time I can remember the Kentucky UFL game actually opening
(02:15):
a season. So Kentucky will open with two games in
rapp Arena. The week preceding the UFL matchup, they'll play
Nichols out of the Southland Conference, and then they'll play Valparaiso.
They used to be in the Horizon League. I can't
remember which league they're in now. Nichols actually was a
third in the Southland last year and had a nice team.
(02:36):
Valpo was kind of middling. And then the other game
is Eastern Illinois and I think the lowest rated team
of these three out of the Ohio Valley Conference. That
will be on November the fourteenth, so in between the
u OFL game and the Champions Classic. So those are
the three additions to the Kentucky men's basketball schedule. It's
now complete. Now we just wait for times. And then
(02:58):
there are a handful of conference games that are either
Tuesday or Wednesday matchups, and I assume before the season
that will get set. I can't remember if that can
carry over into the season or not, but anyway, the
times of the games is the next big piece of
information to get. Rick Patino was on the podcast that
(03:20):
CBS's John Rostein does, and Rick yesterday was talking about
the game between his Saint John's squad and the Kentucky
team that is coached by his captain of the ninety
six championship team, Mark Pope, and he said it's quote
no different than coaching against your son, which he will
do when Saint John's takes on Xavier. Kentucky is the
(03:43):
quote Roman Empire of college basketball, something he has said
many times before. So that is just serves to underscore
how much fun that matchup is going to be on
the Saturday before Christmas down in Atlanta, between Kentucky and
Saint John's, which at the moment are both I think
regarded as top ten programs heading into the season. And
(04:04):
one more note on Kentucky men's basketball, the Wildcats have
set another official recruiting visit, this one for the second
week of the football season. It'll be the weekend of
the Old Miss Game September fifth and sixth. Maximo Adams,
we'll take an official.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Visit to UK.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
He's a four star forward six seven, two hundred from California.
He is also setting up visits to Carolina, Duke, Texas, Kansas,
and Michigan State. Links to the stories that we talk
about each day you can find those on the bud
lightly Triport page at Tom Leachky dot com. Our opening
(04:39):
segment's always presented by Just Sepees of Lexington, located out
off Nicholasville Road, just past Mana War Boulevard, just tucked
away on a little side road, and it is just
a fantastic spot. Some of the best pasta you'll have.
It's a homemade the stakes are handcut right there on site.
They ship in fresh seafood, a lot of locally sourced
(05:00):
ingredients for the side, so the food's fantastic. Sell's the ambiance.
Sit in the lounge area, enjoy the live jazz music
from Dave Hall at just Sepi's.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Beat report coming to you each day from the Clark's
pumpin Shop studio. Return, refresh and refuel at Clark's and
make sure you sign up for their Loyalty Rewards program.
Get the app on your phone, then sign up for
Loyalty Rewards and you'll get discounts when you are refueling
at Clark's and items in the store too. It's Chacking
(05:30):
with Lee K. Howard from WKYTTV and he was at
Joe Craft Center and Historic Memorial Coliseum last night covering
the release of Kevin Cook's book on the coliseum and
nice signing ceremony with a bunch of former Wildcat players
and broadcasters around the program. And it's a fun night
(05:51):
to be a part of. And Lee k that was
quite a collection of Wildcat folks.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, it really was. And Tom, don't sell yourself short.
You were one of the celebrities on hand.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
That I was, right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I I failed to get by there and get your autograph,
but maybe I should have. No, that was that was
such a neat That was such a neat event that
you know yourself there Ralph Hacker as well, and then
not only UK basketball legends, but you had you had
some other sports there as well, football, baseball, and and
so I haven't obviously had a chance to get through
(06:31):
that book or look through the book, but I want
to because you know, I've always known that Memorial Coliseum
is more than just a venue and a and a
sporting venue, but it's you know, obviously a memorial to
too many Kentuckians that lost their lives in war. And
so I that was such a neat event last night
that they held that and kind of assembled people together.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
And as the author.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Kevin Cook, who we spoke to afterwards told us he said, uh,
he's kind of an old school guy that having something
physical that someone can hold and keep and put on
a bookshelf is something that helps to preserve kind of
the legacy of Memorial Coliseum long after he's gone and
long after you know, the people that were there are
(07:12):
associated with UK.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The football representation to which you reference came of the
person of Dereck Ramsey from baseball was Doug Flynn. Did
you know both of them played basketball at Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
That's right, Yes, I did know. Well, I knew that
that Doug played on the freshman team basketball.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
That's right, You're right, and then Ram played in seventy six,
which was the last year of the coliseum. Actually, there
were some injuries and coach Hall turned to the football
team and added a couple of players for depth, and
so Dereck Ramsey and safety outstanding safety from Louisville, Darryl Bishop,
(07:51):
both were added to the team for a few games
to help them get through a time when they were
short on bodies. I think Ram played in it at
least one game. I don't know. If I can't remember
if Daryl did or not. I'll have to look on
John Scott's site. But yeah, both of them actually did
have a basketball connection as well. And then the other
thing was interesting out of that. I was talking with
(08:12):
chat with Tom Hammond, and I told him because Tom,
you know, grew up in Lexington and worked at LAX
for many years and so he covered tons of games
there before he was doing the SEC broadcasts. And I said,
Memorial Coliseum is still the best place I've ever watched
a basketball game. Just part of it, maybe it was being,
you know, a kid getting to go there. Tom said
(08:33):
it was the same for him, and he's seen a
lot more than I have.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
In terms of venues.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
You know, it really is.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
It's you know, obviously it's got a historic's pre historic
presence and everything about it, but it is just such
a neat venue, and especially now with all of the
upgrades and now it's you know, caught up to the
to the year, the twenty first century. Now it's such
a really nice venue. And for the women's basketball programs
and volleyball and gymnastics and all that, they have a
(09:02):
really really nice venue to call home. But I think
there's been a lot of people who have said, you know,
why don't they just play one exhibition men's basketball game
in there a year and get and really kind of
bring that back, and it's you know, it's one of
those things. Obviously logistically with the number of people that
would show up, it wouldn't hold a lot of people,
but I think it would be a neat deal just
(09:23):
because it is, like you said, one of the great
venues in college basketball.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Uh, it's it's It would be a little like I think,
like they talk about Cameron Indoor, how great it is
when they're playing Carolina or you know, a big game
against somebody else. When they're playing the worst team in
the ACC on a Tuesday night, it's not anything all
that special. I don't think anywhere. And I think that's. Yeah,
(09:49):
they would never move like a Tennessee game to the Coliseum,
but boy, if they did, you would get a field
in for what it's like.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yeah, I mean that when it's when it's packed and
I went to one or two games women's games this
year where they pretty well filled it up and and
the acoustics are different, and you know, you talked about
a home court advantage, that would be something. You know,
they would never do it for the Tennessee game. They
need to sell too many tickets to uh, to have
a game like that, But I think you could fill
(10:19):
up even even if it was, you know, a Tennessee
State or Tennessee Tech at one of those schools. I
think you could fill that that arena up for a
men's game, and I think it would be well received
and it be it'd be fun, just kind of as
a throwback.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
We got a little taste of that with the n
I T game int O nine because it was a
game that had some significance and it was pretty cool.
I do remember that that was in one of the
all time great dunks. Anybody who hadn't seen Perry Stevenson's dunk, Yeah,
he looks like the guy from the Fantastic Four that
can stretch.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, it's uh, it's amazing. Anyway, Well, shift gears to
to talks of football. Here is where chatting with Lee K.
Howard from w k y T TV, you've had a
chance to between media day, fan Day, other post practice
and post scrimmage events to hear a lot from Kentucky
football coaches and players. Anything in particular that has struck
(11:19):
you as being especially interesting.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah, you know, I'm kind of keeping an eye on
the defense. I think that Brad White has good group
coming in, both a mix of guys that that have
been there, who are who have grown through the program,
like ty Brian. I think that's that's a big year
for him. And and then I like some of the
and you know David Rayner. I want to see what
Rayner can do now that he's healthy and back, and
(11:45):
I think that's a group to watch.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
I think they've they've added some.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Really really good players on that defensive side of the
ball with mcquese, Humphrey Grace and Landon Watson from Marshall,
and so I really am interested to see what the
d can do. And I think that this is a
group that even though they don't have the same amount
of I guess years of experience in the system, I
(12:11):
think that they can really make some noise. And so
that was an issue at points last year, was Kentucky
stopping to run. And so I think that this is
a group that I'm kind of keeping an eye on
to see what they can do against the SEC competition,
particularly it.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Is the Leach Report for this Tuesday. We're gonna take
a quick break and come back and chat with Lee K. Howard.
Leach Report's presented by Bobcat Enterprises for locations around the Bluegrass.
So when you need to buy or rent a piece
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(12:45):
sale or after the rental agreement is executed. Bobcat Enterprises.
We'll be right back twenty four past the top of
the hour Leach Report for Tuesday. We're chatting with Lee K.
Howard from WKYT TV here in Lexington. Talk a little
Kentucky football right now. The defense you mentioned as an
area particular interest, the offensive side, the defense has a
(13:06):
fair number of familiar faces. You mentioned TYD Bryanders, you
know alex Afari Rayner, you mentioned D J. Waller, j Q.
Hardaway on the corners, love it at safety us. Up front,
there's a lot of familiar names.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I'm back on the football side or on the offensive side.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Excuse me.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Over half of the starters surely are going to be
new faces up front. You're gonna probably have three of
the five offensive linemen at least that will be newcomers.
The quarterback. That's four running backs five, right, and then
probably at least a couple of the receivers maybe.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
So yeah, yeah, I mean a.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Lot of new on offense.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
It absolutely will be. You know that.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
You just talk about your tackles with Josh Braun, who
I think a lot of people are are skipping pack
and all sec performer a couple of years ago. I
think the tackles with him, and she has Pete who
everybody knows about and who's been talking about. Those guys
are going to be I think a dominant force. And
I think they're going to get this this offensive line
(14:21):
kind of back to what it's been a couple of
years ago. And and as we've found out that, you know,
Mark Stoop's offense runs through that offensive line, and if
they're good, then the whole offense operates in a in
a good manner, and if they're not, they struggle. And
so that's that's another thing to watch. If if they
can get that offensive line not only with the starters,
(14:43):
but some depth and you know, operating well, then you
got a guy like Dante Daldell who comes in at
running back and can really perform and and I think
Dowdell's going to be a lot of fun to watch too,
because you kind of need that power runner. You need
that guy who can get you, you know, the extra
three couple of young guards when you're at fourth and
one or you're near the goal line.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
And I think he can be that kind of a guy.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And then you mentioned Tom the receivers, that's gonna be
a lot of fun. They you know, for so many
years we've got used to the the Dane Key and
Barryon Brown show, and those guys were great, don't get
me wrong, but it got to the point, especially last year,
where other teams were just keen on Dame because they
knew that's where the ball was going. Well, this year,
you've got a whole room.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
I think. I think la Damian Washington, the.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Receivers coach, that he's got like eight guys deep, from
you know, Kendrick Claude to Troy Selato to Jimori who's back.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
So that's going to be a fun room to watch.
And then obviously the.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Running back that's that's the that's the thing, you know,
Ken Zack Calzada distribute the ball to all these guys.
So you had so many new guys on offense, and
and that's going to be you know, it's it's the
great unknown, right, So we'll find out against Toledo how
that looks. But I think that they at least have
the tools and the weapons, uh to put guys in
positions to score points and to run an effective offense.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Last season, they were in second and third long way
too often. I don't have the percentages, but I just
felt felt like it was quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
They struggled in the red zone, struggled in a lot
of third and short. That's where it seems like a
I think the the a lot of emphasis was put
starting with the O line to be better in those areas.
And if they are, that's you know, part of how
what the script looks like to be better than people
(16:33):
think they're going to be is to clean up. It's
not like they have suddenly found you know, Josh Allen
or Benny Snell uh to lead the way on either
side of the ball. It's, as Brad White used the word,
I think, a collective effort defensively and similarly on offense.
And so they have to collectively execute well to uh
(16:55):
just really be good on all those small and you know, fine,
the tails kicking game, well yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
I think I think he said it's like kind of
the sum of all the parts, and who knows, there
could be a guy who who rises up and becomes
that kind of a player, you know, just because he's
surrounded by other good players. But you're right, I think
that the collective group here that they've assembled on both
sides of the ball, You're exactly right. They have the ability,
I think, to compete. You know, there're no no team
(17:25):
in the country anymore is two three is three deep
in any position. That's just not the nature of the
of the business now, because you know, if you're stuck
third on a depth chart, you're transferring somewhere else. But
I think comparatively over the last couple of years, this
is one of the deeper teams that Stoops has put together.
And I think they went out and they did a
(17:45):
really good job through the transfer portal identifying the right players,
you know, and if you don't we saw last year
that can really bite you if you if you go
out and and identify.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
The wrong guys. So I think they've got a good
team to put on the field this year.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
You can watch Kay Howard's work at wky T TV
here at Lexington.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Thank youly Kay.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
All right, thanks Tom.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
We are halfway home on the Leads Report, and we'll
be right back. It is the Lads Report, coming to
you from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, Refresh and Refuel.
We welcome in Ben Roberts to the program. He covers
Kentucky men's basketball for the Lexington Herald Leader, and his
latest post at Kentucky sports dot com is about what
(18:28):
is happening now for the Kentucky men's basketball team because Ben,
they finished up their summer practices last week and they
don't start practicing again until what around the twentieth of September,
I think he wrote.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
Yeah, yeah, it'll be it'll be late September, about a
month after they get back to campus. But they get
a little break here, probably their closest thing to a
break until March or April. But it's still not much
of one because they'll be back on back in Lexington
late next week and kind of start all a whole
new itinerary before those September practices.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Begin, and that's when they'll do some things like last
year they went down and did a service project and
then had a day with some fun on the lake.
Stuff like that. I guess coming up for the guys, right.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Yeah, they're they're all expected back on campus on August
twenty first, which I believe is Thursday of next week,
and then they're gonna have kind of like a kind
of like a team meeting. Assume there will be kind
of a team dinner, more of like a form we'll
get together, and then the next two days they're gonna
they're gonna go do something very similar to what they
(19:38):
did last year, which is yeah, they they they built
some houses in the in the hazard area, and then
they spend a day on Laurel River Lake down there
near the forest.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
And you know, I remember.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Talking to guys even late in the season some of
some of the NCAA tournaments kind of asking them about
kind of reflecting on their highlights of the season and
kind of their their biggest personal moments, and several guys,
including a lot of the seniors, uh, looked back at
that weekend and.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Said that that.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
That, you know, when they think back on their their
brief Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Career, that'll be one of the highlights.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Just getting to know the guys a little better and
and just all of all of them being together, and
everybody said that just really helped with the team chemistry.
So I assume that's what Pope and the staff are
going to be going for again this season.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
He and his staff seemed very intentional about those things,
to to build a team, to have a team bonding events, because, Uh,
this conversation with somebody last night, we've it's there's still
a lot of one and done. It's just with older guys.
Fans always were so frustrated with the freshman one and dons. Uh,
(20:50):
but it's it's still that And so you have a
guy for you know, a lot of guys maybe for
only one year, you hope a little more, but you've
got to find a way to make them care about
each other in that one year.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, you do.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
And you know, sometimes that's more difficult with the veterans,
with the seniors and upperclassmen that it is with the
with the eighteen year olds. And I've talked to talk
to coaches both on this staff and the previous staff,
and and also just guys around, especially around the SEC.
You know, when you get a twenty two to twenty
three year old coming in with with that much college
(21:24):
experience and just you know, more more life experience.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Uh there. I don't want to say they're setting their ways,
but they.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
They're kind of setting their ways, and you know, they
they've had those experiences before and and they they kind
of have a preconceived.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Notion of of what they're walking into.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Whereas you know, you you have an eighteen year old
coming in straight out of high school.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
They they're kind of a blank slate.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
So it works a lot like that on the court
where you're trying to teach older guys new things, but
it certainly works like that off the court too, And
and that's something that I don't I don't know if
it's a challenge. I think Mark Pope would say it's
a good challenge to to to kind of bring those
guys together that come from such diverse college backgrounds and
(22:09):
obviously some guys who have no.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
College background at all. But yeah, I think that's one of.
Speaker 5 (22:14):
The big Obviously that that eight weeks on the court
is super important in the summer, but as Pope said
throughout last summer and last season, it's the stuff like
this off the court that's that's just as important.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Maybe even more important at the stage you.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Make an interesting point with the older guys versus freshman
because when a freshman player comes in, he is you know,
they're all dreaming of getting to the NBA. But the
freshman kid knows that, you know, there's there is still
time and if it doesn't work here, I can go
somewhere else these days, whereas you know, a guy that
(22:48):
does at the end of the line is you know
he You've got to make sure you have guys that
are one hundred percent invested in the the team goals
and pursuits, uh and not so focused on their individual
plan because it's their last shot to show somebody something
(23:11):
for the NBA. And so that you know, I think
not only the stuff that Mark does here once he
has the guys on campus, but in you know, putting
the team together. And from all accounts, he's done a
really good job of making that evaluation in the first
two teams of guys that can really you know, work
together and sometimes you know, sacrifice some something individually for
(23:35):
the good of the whole.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
And and I think last last season's team was a
perfect illustration of that. And I think a guy like
Kobe Brea is a great example. You know, he came
in probably the most coveted shooter in the transfer portal
last year, one of the most coveted players, and you know,
didn't start and was fine with it and and played
his role.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And then as the season went on and.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Some injuries piled up and and Kentucky's team dynamic looked.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
A little different.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Had to play a little different role and and had
to become a better defender and and kind of had
to had to had to lead the team to be
a better to be a better defensive team.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Uh, based on his own defense.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
And that's something that that you know, Pope and the
staff wanted out of him early and something that they
thought was.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Really important for his personal development.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
But it's something that he didn't I don't know if
he didn't quite see it, but but maybe he didn't
quite fully realize it until later in the season and
and then obviously it worked out for for.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Everybody in the end.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
But yeah, I mean, it's it's every every case is different,
and then when you have all those seniors like they
did last year, everybody's case is different. But there again,
there are kind of those preconceived notions about about what
your own what your own case is.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Absolutely, yeah, I think that's makes a lot of sense.
We're talking with Ben Roberts, he covers Kentucky Ben's basketball
for The Hair Leader. Will be right back to continue
the discussion. It is the Leads Report, presented by Bob
kat Enterprises.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
My dad was AU coach when I was born. My
godfather is Don Lucas. I was born in the gym.
I went three times a day, six am twelve five o'clock.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
That's just what I do.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
And it's just naturally built in me. And it's amazing
to see that these guys, a lot of these guys
have that built into them.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Also.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's Jalen Low, the Kentucky point guard pit transfer, and
he is talking about his background as he prepares to
come in and lead Mark Pope second Kentucky basketball team.
We're telling Ben Roberts from The Herald Leader Kentucky sports
dot com, what have you heard about how those eight
weeks of summer workouts went for Jalen Low.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah, I've heard, you know, just kind of talking to
his teammates and some others. I think people were really
impressed with him, impressed with his his quickness with the
ball all and his you know, if you watch Pitt
play last season, uh so much was on his shoulders offensively,
(26:11):
everything ran through him. You know, he's he said, you know,
he doesn't want uh Kentucky fans to think that he's
just a guy who just goes out there and jack
shots all came along. That that's what he that's what
he does. He said, he wants to be a pass
first guy. He wants to be a facilitator. And that's
part of the reason he came here is he wanted
to go somewhere that he could show off more of
(26:32):
those playmaking point guard skills and and be surrounded by
kind of a versatile group of of scorers.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
And and he was willing to take.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
A back seat as a score And that's something that
we didn't see from him last season because because he
just wasn't in an offense where uh that was I mean,
their best offense was give jayaln Low the ball and
and and basically try to make something for himself. So
(27:02):
I think his teammates right now are are really liking
playing off of him.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I think this eight.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
Weeks was a really good learning experience from what I've
heard for everybody just to get a feel for each other.
And that's another thing that we saw last season with
with Lamont Butler and and when he was healthy with
Kirk Crisa, with with guys just trying to get the
timing down and get the tendencies down. You know, that's
something that I think uh is is an overlooked part
(27:30):
when when you're when you're trying to put these new
teams together of you know, it's all about timing and
knowing your teammates and knowing how they play and knowing
what they're gonna do before they do it. And you
can only learn that by getting reps on the court.
And with Jalen's obviously, I mean I think everybody's got
him pretty much sharpied in. It's the starting point guard
on this team. You know, I think these eight weeks
(27:52):
were probably as important for him as as they were
for anybody. And and you know, from what I've heard,
people were really pleased with with the way you performed.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You want the guy that's going to or a young
lady as well that's going to be touching the basketball
the most or the football in that sport to understand
what you as their coach have as a vision for them.
So you talked about what Jalen had said, and you know,
(28:21):
he's it was people to understand that he's he sees
the role of the point guard as being more of
the traditional role and not where he's you know, shooting
and looking to score as much. Maybe you're certainly shooting
is the shots that he took at Pitt last year.
So that's good to hear. I think made the comic
yesterday I saw where Zach Calzatta with the football team
(28:44):
used the phrase game manager himself and describing what his
role would be and understands that it's to you know,
move the chains and just you know, take the easy
pass and not try to be, you know, make some
kind of statement every time you're coming down the court
or going out on the foot. So all that it's
a long winded way of saying that it sounds like
Jalen Lowe is trending in the direction that they want
(29:07):
him to go. And you mentioned the eight weeks of
you know, being able to guys to work together, understand
each other, get comfortable with the system. Andrea Jellovich is
going to be playing ketchup when the players come back
as you said next week, he may be with them
by then, If not then probably shortly thereafter. It sounds
(29:29):
like h and coming over from Croatia to join Mark
Pope's team. And so what's what's the ramp up going
to look like for him? Do you think how quickly
can he really get brought into the mix?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I asked asked Pope about realistic expectations for another player
a couple of weeks ago, and he reminded that he
doesn't like to talk about realistic expectations. But I think
in in Andrea's case, you know, and he's talked about
this before.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
He for the last two years.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
He's been in a pro system, he's been in one
of those situations where basketball is basically his job, even
though he was still technically an amateur. So I don't
you know, I think they think he's one of those
guys who can come in and kind of hit.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
The ground running.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
From a from a getting involved with the team standpoint.
It's really interesting with him because you know, it's hard
to We've seen some guys come over and have uh
you know, some some good success pretty immediately ut out.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Of that situation.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
But but it's hard to know, the competition level that
he was playing against, and how it's going to compare
to the type of schedule Kentucky's playing against.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
I just think he's a total wild.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Card on this team, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I think you know, you.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
Look at March April and then you look back at
the season, I think you could.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I think you can make a case.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
For having a lot of different results for him. I
think a lot of that has to do with how
some of those other players kind of in his.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Position group perform.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
But you know, he's he's still a guy that that
people He's been on the NBA radar for a couple
of years now. He's a guy that has that kind
of talent, and his skill set seems to seems to
lend itself very well to especially Pope's offensive approach. So,
you know, I don't think they're they're too concerns from
(31:27):
from people I've talked over there about.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
His ramp up process.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I think it's just a matter of getting him and
getting him around the team and and seeing exactly how
that specific skill set is gonna gonna kind of mesh
in with everybody else. Uh. But you know, they're at
the luxury of having so many not only so many
bodies in the front court there, but so many versatal pieces.
Uh when you're talking about Diabate and Garrison and and
(31:52):
obviously Quaints when when he's healthy Moreno who's who's I
know has turned some heads uh in this eight we
So they got a lot of different pieces to work with,
and Yellowtch is going to be in a spot where
he can kind of, uh you know, find his way
and not have too much on his shoulder dright away.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I think it's kind of human nature to direct a
majority of the focus towards the new players that you
haven't seen before and how are they going to fit in.
Cam Williams, a transfer from Tulane, as one of those guys.
He had an interesting comment in his interview session this
summer about how he looks at otega Oway as Cam
(32:35):
goes about charting his own course.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
I want to be like pretty much as good as
on ones player as he is, so I try to
play him as much as I can to, like I
would say, upgrade pretty much every basketball aspect that I can.
He really knows how to type a defense and the
different gaps and a defense, so I kind of just
try to take up any type of like you know,
placed out that he may have that's not in my
game and.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Try to apply it to That's sounds like good thinking
to me. If I'm coming in as Cam Williams, I'd like,
I'm want to follow that guy because he's off to
a good start already.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Cam seems like a really smart guy, and I you know,
I wrote about this earlier this summer. I think he's
the one who's been the most overlooked of this entire group.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I mean, it's hard to say overlooks when we're sitting
here in August to nobody. You know, we're not playing.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Nobody's playing a game for three months, and nobody's really
seen these guys to any great extents, you know, in
the fan base. But just the circumstances of his commitment
and then everything that came after it, I feel like
he's overlooked and I feel like he's gonna play a huge,
huge role on this team, and I think it could be,
you know, different, even though he's kind of said he's
(33:44):
kind of emulating him to different skill sets than Kobe Brada,
but I could envision a similar role where Cam doesn't
start for this team. But you know, on some nights
might be the most important player, and then when you
look back at the end of the season, it is
certainly in that top tier of who when this Kentucky
team was on, Cam Williams was on. And whether that
(34:05):
be offense or defense or both in some games, which
I think you're going to see some really big performances
out of him, but I think you're gonna see some
some of those some of those games where he's a few,
you know, eight ten points over a stretch, or make
some big defensive plays. Just a guy who seems to
really have a good head on his shoulders, seems to
(34:26):
have a really good plan for himself and and like
you like you played that clip there, you know, trying
to kind of shadow Otega. He's also talked about watching
a lot of Kobe Braa and what he did last season,
So he seems to be really smart about taking pieces,
different pieces from different people's games and and obviously seeing
(34:49):
a real place for himself in Mark Pope's system, and
you know, committing to Kentucky before the previous season was
even over, knowing this is where he wanted to be,
and when you get that in your head like that
and you can kind of get that out of the way.
And I mean, this is a guy I feel like
I started preparation for this season in March, and I
(35:10):
think that's really gonna pay dividends for him.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Right off the.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Baut Yeah, they talk about getting the right people on
the bus. It's like he jumped on and sat there
right in the first seat behind the driver.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yep, yep, he was waiting on everybody else to get on.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
And yeah, Ben, thank you much for the time.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
As always, all right, thanks a lot of time.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
And as Ben Roberts does a fantastic job covering Kentucky
Ben's basketball and you get to read him a Kentucky
sports dot com and yeah, the pages of the Lexington
Harold Leader. It is the Leads Report, and we're present
up by Bob Kat Enterprises.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Well, big news from corn Bread Hemp today. They have
launched a brand new infused gummy flavor that tastes as
good as it feels. Cherry lime, chill, sweet tart, bursting
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This is a Good Life, Lee Trevard presented by Bobced
Enterprises and Shufflebean Coffee is one of our longtime partners
here on the show. Group of Kentuckians got together more
than a decade ago to form the company with a
commitment to outstanding quality, starting with the very best of
(36:48):
coffee beans. They like to say they follow the process
from seed to cup and you can read all about
it at Shufflebean dot us. You order some of their
product there, you can get it through Amazon or pick
it up at a central Kentucky Myers store. Hole Bean
cured capsules, got an already ground whatever you prefer. Just
take a shot at was shuffle Being Coffee and you're
going to be thrilled with the results. Little Kentucky man's
(37:12):
basketball history lesson here. One of our listeners, ll Cool
John Good buddy of our friend Freddy Maggert. He said
that he knows Darryl Bishop got in a game against Vandy.
I was having trouble remembering about Darryl because he actually
didn't play with Dereck Ramsey played with Elmore Stevens on
the seventy two team, which was Coach RUP's final team,
(37:32):
and Daryl did score eight points played in five games.
He and Elmore Stevens helped out that year and then
it was just ram himself that signed up on played
two games for the seventy six team. We're talking about
this if you were with us at the start of
the show about former Kentucky athletes who were part of
(37:53):
the Memorial Coliseum book signing last night. Derek Ramsey was
one of them because as great as he was on
the football field, he also got a little taste of
Kentucky key basketball as well. That is going to do
it for us. Have a great day. Everybody will see
you tomorrow on the Leads Report,
God, everybody, how you doing. Welcome into the Leach Report,
presented by Bob kat Enterprises as we talk you K
sports with you for the balance of this hour. Ben
Roberts from the Lexington Herald Leader, where he covers Kentucky
men's basketball. We'll join us in the second half of
the show wkyttvs. Lee K Howard with us. In the
first half, we'll talk to Kentucky football and more with
(00:23):
Lee K while cat News of the Day, a service
of Giuseppes of Lexington and the men's basketball schedule has
been completed for Kentucky Nownce. It came yesterday of the
annual multi team event and this year it's called the
BBN United tip Off Classic. They always put a name
on it. It was the Kightly Classic one year. It is,
(00:46):
per the NCAA's rules, a way to have a four
team event where everybody will play everybody else. So it's
not really a tournament where it's not at all a
turn but it's a round robin where everybody plays everybody else,
and it's a way to get two more games on
your schedule when you have a multi team event. So
(01:09):
they could call it the Shannon the Dude Classic, which
maybe they will one of these days, but it is
a chance to add two more games to the schedule.
So anyway, it's a long winded way of telling you
that the schedules complete and they have added two games
that will occur prior to the matchup with Louisville, as
we suspected what happen because you didn't figure they were
(01:31):
going to open the season with u of L the
very first year of the series being resumed after the
Dream Game. This would have been in November of eighty three.
The season did start with Kentucky playing Louisville at Raparita.
I went to the game. Kentucky had lost in the
Dream Game, dominated the first game in the once the
(01:53):
series was started. I think it was sixty five forty four.
There's a big picture of Sam Boui on the cover
of Sports Illustrated from that week blocking a shot as
he didn't score much but dominated the game from a
rebounding and shot blocking and passing standpoints, so big boo
on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That was the only
time I can remember the Kentucky UFL game actually opening
(02:15):
a season. So Kentucky will open with two games in
rapp Arena. The week preceding the UFL matchup, they'll play
Nichols out of the Southland Conference, and then they'll play Valparaiso.
They used to be in the Horizon League. I can't
remember which league they're in now. Nichols actually was a
third in the Southland last year and had a nice team.
(02:36):
Valpo was kind of middling. And then the other game
is Eastern Illinois and I think the lowest rated team
of these three out of the Ohio Valley Conference. That
will be on November the fourteenth, so in between the
u OFL game and the Champions Classic. So those are
the three additions to the Kentucky men's basketball schedule. It's
now complete. Now we just wait for times. And then
(02:58):
there are a handful of conference games that are either
Tuesday or Wednesday matchups, and I assume before the season
that will get set. I can't remember if that can
carry over into the season or not, but anyway, the
times of the games is the next big piece of
information to get. Rick Patino was on the podcast that
(03:20):
CBS's John Rostein does, and Rick yesterday was talking about
the game between his Saint John's squad and the Kentucky
team that is coached by his captain of the ninety
six championship team, Mark Pope, and he said it's quote
no different than coaching against your son, which he will
do when Saint John's takes on Xavier. Kentucky is the
(03:43):
quote Roman Empire of college basketball, something he has said
many times before. So that is just serves to underscore
how much fun that matchup is going to be on
the Saturday before Christmas down in Atlanta, between Kentucky and
Saint John's, which at the moment are both I think
regarded as top ten programs heading into the season. And
(04:04):
one more note on Kentucky men's basketball, the Wildcats have
set another official recruiting visit, this one for the second
week of the football season. It'll be the weekend of
the Old Miss Game September fifth and sixth. Maximo Adams,
we'll take an official.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Visit to UK.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
He's a four star forward six seven, two hundred from California.
He is also setting up visits to Carolina, Duke, Texas, Kansas,
and Michigan State. Links to the stories that we talk
about each day you can find those on the bud
lightly Triport page at Tom Leachky dot com. Our opening
(04:39):
segment's always presented by Just Sepees of Lexington, located out
off Nicholasville Road, just past Mana War Boulevard, just tucked
away on a little side road, and it is just
a fantastic spot. Some of the best pasta you'll have.
It's a homemade the stakes are handcut right there on site.
They ship in fresh seafood, a lot of locally sourced
(05:00):
ingredients for the side, so the food's fantastic. Sell's the ambiance.
Sit in the lounge area, enjoy the live jazz music
from Dave Hall at just Sepi's.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Beat report coming to you each day from the Clark's
pumpin Shop studio. Return, refresh and refuel at Clark's and
make sure you sign up for their Loyalty Rewards program.
Get the app on your phone, then sign up for
Loyalty Rewards and you'll get discounts when you are refueling
at Clark's and items in the store too. It's Chacking
(05:30):
with Lee K. Howard from WKYTTV and he was at
Joe Craft Center and Historic Memorial Coliseum last night covering
the release of Kevin Cook's book on the coliseum and
nice signing ceremony with a bunch of former Wildcat players
and broadcasters around the program. And it's a fun night
(05:51):
to be a part of. And Lee k that was
quite a collection of Wildcat folks.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, it really was. And Tom, don't sell yourself short.
You were one of the celebrities on hand.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
That I was, right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I I failed to get by there and get your autograph,
but maybe I should have. No, that was that was
such a neat That was such a neat event that
you know yourself there Ralph Hacker as well, and then
not only UK basketball legends, but you had you had
some other sports there as well, football, baseball, and and
so I haven't obviously had a chance to get through
(06:31):
that book or look through the book, but I want
to because you know, I've always known that Memorial Coliseum
is more than just a venue and a and a
sporting venue, but it's you know, obviously a memorial to
too many Kentuckians that lost their lives in war. And
so I that was such a neat event last night
that they held that and kind of assembled people together.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
And as the author.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Kevin Cook, who we spoke to afterwards told us he said, uh,
he's kind of an old school guy that having something
physical that someone can hold and keep and put on
a bookshelf is something that helps to preserve kind of
the legacy of Memorial Coliseum long after he's gone and
long after you know, the people that were there are
(07:12):
associated with UK.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The football representation to which you reference came of the
person of Dereck Ramsey from baseball was Doug Flynn. Did
you know both of them played basketball at Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
That's right, Yes, I did know. Well, I knew that
that Doug played on the freshman team basketball.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
That's right, You're right, and then Ram played in seventy six,
which was the last year of the coliseum. Actually, there
were some injuries and coach Hall turned to the football
team and added a couple of players for depth, and
so Dereck Ramsey and safety outstanding safety from Louisville, Darryl Bishop,
(07:51):
both were added to the team for a few games
to help them get through a time when they were
short on bodies. I think Ram played in it at
least one game. I don't know. If I can't remember
if Daryl did or not. I'll have to look on
John Scott's site. But yeah, both of them actually did
have a basketball connection as well. And then the other
thing was interesting out of that. I was talking with
(08:12):
chat with Tom Hammond, and I told him because Tom,
you know, grew up in Lexington and worked at LAX
for many years and so he covered tons of games
there before he was doing the SEC broadcasts. And I said,
Memorial Coliseum is still the best place I've ever watched
a basketball game. Just part of it, maybe it was being,
you know, a kid getting to go there. Tom said
(08:33):
it was the same for him, and he's seen a
lot more than I have.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
In terms of venues.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
You know, it really is.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
It's you know, obviously it's got a historic's pre historic
presence and everything about it, but it is just such
a neat venue, and especially now with all of the
upgrades and now it's you know, caught up to the
to the year, the twenty first century. Now it's such
a really nice venue. And for the women's basketball programs
and volleyball and gymnastics and all that, they have a
(09:02):
really really nice venue to call home. But I think
there's been a lot of people who have said, you know,
why don't they just play one exhibition men's basketball game
in there a year and get and really kind of
bring that back, and it's you know, it's one of
those things. Obviously logistically with the number of people that
would show up, it wouldn't hold a lot of people,
but I think it would be a neat deal just
(09:23):
because it is, like you said, one of the great
venues in college basketball.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Uh, it's it's It would be a little like I think,
like they talk about Cameron Indoor, how great it is
when they're playing Carolina or you know, a big game
against somebody else. When they're playing the worst team in
the ACC on a Tuesday night, it's not anything all
that special. I don't think anywhere. And I think that's. Yeah,
(09:49):
they would never move like a Tennessee game to the Coliseum,
but boy, if they did, you would get a field
in for what it's like.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yeah, I mean that when it's when it's packed and
I went to one or two games women's games this
year where they pretty well filled it up and and
the acoustics are different, and you know, you talked about
a home court advantage, that would be something. You know,
they would never do it for the Tennessee game. They
need to sell too many tickets to uh, to have
a game like that, But I think you could fill
(10:19):
up even even if it was, you know, a Tennessee
State or Tennessee Tech at one of those schools. I
think you could fill that that arena up for a
men's game, and I think it would be well received
and it be it'd be fun, just kind of as
a throwback.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
We got a little taste of that with the n
I T game int O nine because it was a
game that had some significance and it was pretty cool.
I do remember that that was in one of the
all time great dunks. Anybody who hadn't seen Perry Stevenson's dunk, Yeah,
he looks like the guy from the Fantastic Four that
can stretch.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, it's uh, it's amazing. Anyway, Well, shift gears to
to talks of football. Here is where chatting with Lee K.
Howard from w k y T TV, you've had a
chance to between media day, fan Day, other post practice
and post scrimmage events to hear a lot from Kentucky
football coaches and players. Anything in particular that has struck
(11:19):
you as being especially interesting.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah, you know, I'm kind of keeping an eye on
the defense. I think that Brad White has good group
coming in, both a mix of guys that that have
been there, who are who have grown through the program,
like ty Brian. I think that's that's a big year
for him. And and then I like some of the
and you know David Rayner. I want to see what
Rayner can do now that he's healthy and back, and
(11:45):
I think that's a group to watch.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
I think they've they've added some.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Really really good players on that defensive side of the
ball with mcquese, Humphrey Grace and Landon Watson from Marshall,
and so I really am interested to see what the
d can do. And I think that this is a
group that even though they don't have the same amount
of I guess years of experience in the system, I
(12:11):
think that they can really make some noise. And so
that was an issue at points last year, was Kentucky
stopping to run. And so I think that this is
a group that I'm kind of keeping an eye on
to see what they can do against the SEC competition,
particularly it.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Is the Leach Report for this Tuesday. We're gonna take
a quick break and come back and chat with Lee K. Howard.
Leach Report's presented by Bobcat Enterprises for locations around the Bluegrass.
So when you need to buy or rent a piece
of heavy equipment, you google Bobcat Enterprises, go find the
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(12:45):
sale or after the rental agreement is executed. Bobcat Enterprises.
We'll be right back twenty four past the top of
the hour Leach Report for Tuesday. We're chatting with Lee K.
Howard from WKYT TV here in Lexington. Talk a little
Kentucky football right now. The defense you mentioned as an
area particular interest, the offensive side, the defense has a
(13:06):
fair number of familiar faces. You mentioned TYD Bryanders, you
know alex Afari Rayner, you mentioned D J. Waller, j Q.
Hardaway on the corners, love it at safety us. Up front,
there's a lot of familiar names.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I'm back on the football side or on the offensive side.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Excuse me.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Over half of the starters surely are going to be
new faces up front. You're gonna probably have three of
the five offensive linemen at least that will be newcomers.
The quarterback. That's four running backs five, right, and then
probably at least a couple of the receivers maybe.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
So yeah, yeah, I mean a.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Lot of new on offense.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
It absolutely will be. You know that.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
You just talk about your tackles with Josh Braun, who
I think a lot of people are are skipping pack
and all sec performer a couple of years ago. I
think the tackles with him, and she has Pete who
everybody knows about and who's been talking about. Those guys
are going to be I think a dominant force. And
I think they're going to get this this offensive line
(14:21):
kind of back to what it's been a couple of
years ago. And and as we've found out that, you know,
Mark Stoop's offense runs through that offensive line, and if
they're good, then the whole offense operates in a in
a good manner, and if they're not, they struggle. And
so that's that's another thing to watch. If if they
can get that offensive line not only with the starters,
(14:43):
but some depth and you know, operating well, then you
got a guy like Dante Daldell who comes in at
running back and can really perform and and I think
Dowdell's going to be a lot of fun to watch too,
because you kind of need that power runner. You need
that guy who can get you, you know, the extra
three couple of young guards when you're at fourth and
one or you're near the goal line.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
And I think he can be that kind of a guy.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And then you mentioned Tom the receivers, that's gonna be
a lot of fun. They you know, for so many
years we've got used to the the Dane Key and
Barryon Brown show, and those guys were great, don't get
me wrong, but it got to the point, especially last year,
where other teams were just keen on Dame because they
knew that's where the ball was going. Well, this year,
you've got a whole room.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
I think. I think la Damian Washington, the.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Receivers coach, that he's got like eight guys deep, from
you know, Kendrick Claude to Troy Selato to Jimori who's back.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
So that's going to be a fun room to watch.
And then obviously the.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Running back that's that's the that's the thing, you know,
Ken Zack Calzada distribute the ball to all these guys.
So you had so many new guys on offense, and
and that's going to be you know, it's it's the
great unknown, right, So we'll find out against Toledo how
that looks. But I think that they at least have
the tools and the weapons, uh to put guys in
positions to score points and to run an effective offense.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Last season, they were in second and third long way
too often. I don't have the percentages, but I just
felt felt like it was quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
They struggled in the red zone, struggled in a lot
of third and short. That's where it seems like a
I think the the a lot of emphasis was put
starting with the O line to be better in those areas.
And if they are, that's you know, part of how
what the script looks like to be better than people
(16:33):
think they're going to be is to clean up. It's
not like they have suddenly found you know, Josh Allen
or Benny Snell uh to lead the way on either
side of the ball. It's, as Brad White used the word,
I think, a collective effort defensively and similarly on offense.
And so they have to collectively execute well to uh
(16:55):
just really be good on all those small and you know, fine,
the tails kicking game, well yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
I think I think he said it's like kind of
the sum of all the parts, and who knows, there
could be a guy who who rises up and becomes
that kind of a player, you know, just because he's
surrounded by other good players. But you're right, I think
that the collective group here that they've assembled on both
sides of the ball, You're exactly right. They have the ability,
I think, to compete. You know, there're no no team
(17:25):
in the country anymore is two three is three deep
in any position. That's just not the nature of the
of the business now, because you know, if you're stuck
third on a depth chart, you're transferring somewhere else. But
I think comparatively over the last couple of years, this
is one of the deeper teams that Stoops has put together.
And I think they went out and they did a
(17:45):
really good job through the transfer portal identifying the right players,
you know, and if you don't we saw last year
that can really bite you if you if you go
out and and identify.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
The wrong guys. So I think they've got a good
team to put on the field this year.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
You can watch Kay Howard's work at wky T TV
here at Lexington.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Thank youly Kay.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
All right, thanks Tom.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
We are halfway home on the Leads Report, and we'll
be right back. It is the Lads Report, coming to
you from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, Refresh and Refuel.
We welcome in Ben Roberts to the program. He covers
Kentucky men's basketball for the Lexington Herald Leader, and his
latest post at Kentucky sports dot com is about what
(18:28):
is happening now for the Kentucky men's basketball team because Ben,
they finished up their summer practices last week and they
don't start practicing again until what around the twentieth of September,
I think he wrote.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
Yeah, yeah, it'll be it'll be late September, about a
month after they get back to campus. But they get
a little break here, probably their closest thing to a
break until March or April. But it's still not much
of one because they'll be back on back in Lexington
late next week and kind of start all a whole
new itinerary before those September practices.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Begin, and that's when they'll do some things like last
year they went down and did a service project and
then had a day with some fun on the lake.
Stuff like that. I guess coming up for the guys, right.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Yeah, they're they're all expected back on campus on August
twenty first, which I believe is Thursday of next week,
and then they're gonna have kind of like a kind
of like a team meeting. Assume there will be kind
of a team dinner, more of like a form we'll
get together, and then the next two days they're gonna
they're gonna go do something very similar to what they
(19:38):
did last year, which is yeah, they they they built
some houses in the in the hazard area, and then
they spend a day on Laurel River Lake down there
near the forest.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
And you know, I remember.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Talking to guys even late in the season some of
some of the NCAA tournaments kind of asking them about
kind of reflecting on their highlights of the season and
kind of their their biggest personal moments, and several guys,
including a lot of the seniors, uh, looked back at
that weekend and.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Said that that.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
That, you know, when they think back on their their
brief Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Career, that'll be one of the highlights.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Just getting to know the guys a little better and
and just all of all of them being together, and
everybody said that just really helped with the team chemistry.
So I assume that's what Pope and the staff are
going to be going for again this season.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
He and his staff seemed very intentional about those things,
to to build a team, to have a team bonding events, because, Uh,
this conversation with somebody last night, we've it's there's still
a lot of one and done. It's just with older guys.
Fans always were so frustrated with the freshman one and dons. Uh,
(20:50):
but it's it's still that And so you have a
guy for you know, a lot of guys maybe for
only one year, you hope a little more, but you've
got to find a way to make them care about
each other in that one year.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, you do.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
And you know, sometimes that's more difficult with the veterans,
with the seniors and upperclassmen that it is with the
with the eighteen year olds. And I've talked to talk
to coaches both on this staff and the previous staff,
and and also just guys around, especially around the SEC.
You know, when you get a twenty two to twenty
three year old coming in with with that much college
(21:24):
experience and just you know, more more life experience.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Uh there. I don't want to say they're setting their ways,
but they.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
They're kind of setting their ways, and you know, they
they've had those experiences before and and they they kind
of have a preconceived.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Notion of of what they're walking into.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Whereas you know, you you have an eighteen year old
coming in straight out of high school.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
They they're kind of a blank slate.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
So it works a lot like that on the court
where you're trying to teach older guys new things, but
it certainly works like that off the court too, And
and that's something that I don't I don't know if
it's a challenge. I think Mark Pope would say it's
a good challenge to to to kind of bring those
guys together that come from such diverse college backgrounds and
(22:09):
obviously some guys who have no.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
College background at all. But yeah, I think that's one of.
Speaker 5 (22:14):
The big Obviously that that eight weeks on the court
is super important in the summer, but as Pope said
throughout last summer and last season, it's the stuff like
this off the court that's that's just as important.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Maybe even more important at the stage you.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Make an interesting point with the older guys versus freshman
because when a freshman player comes in, he is you know,
they're all dreaming of getting to the NBA. But the
freshman kid knows that, you know, there's there is still
time and if it doesn't work here, I can go
somewhere else these days, whereas you know, a guy that
(22:48):
does at the end of the line is you know
he You've got to make sure you have guys that
are one hundred percent invested in the the team goals
and pursuits, uh and not so focused on their individual
plan because it's their last shot to show somebody something
(23:11):
for the NBA. And so that you know, I think
not only the stuff that Mark does here once he
has the guys on campus, but in you know, putting
the team together. And from all accounts, he's done a
really good job of making that evaluation in the first
two teams of guys that can really you know, work
together and sometimes you know, sacrifice some something individually for
(23:35):
the good of the whole.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
And and I think last last season's team was a
perfect illustration of that. And I think a guy like
Kobe Brea is a great example. You know, he came
in probably the most coveted shooter in the transfer portal
last year, one of the most coveted players, and you know,
didn't start and was fine with it and and played
his role.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And then as the season went on and.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
Some injuries piled up and and Kentucky's team dynamic looked.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
A little different.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Had to play a little different role and and had
to become a better defender and and kind of had
to had to had to lead the team to be
a better to be a better defensive team.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Uh, based on his own defense.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
And that's something that that you know, Pope and the
staff wanted out of him early and something that they
thought was.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Really important for his personal development.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
But it's something that he didn't I don't know if
he didn't quite see it, but but maybe he didn't
quite fully realize it until later in the season and
and then obviously it worked out for for.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Everybody in the end.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
But yeah, I mean, it's it's every every case is different,
and then when you have all those seniors like they
did last year, everybody's case is different. But there again,
there are kind of those preconceived notions about about what
your own what your own case is.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Absolutely, yeah, I think that's makes a lot of sense.
We're talking with Ben Roberts, he covers Kentucky Ben's basketball
for The Hair Leader. Will be right back to continue
the discussion. It is the Leads Report, presented by Bob
kat Enterprises.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
My dad was AU coach when I was born. My
godfather is Don Lucas. I was born in the gym.
I went three times a day, six am twelve five o'clock.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
That's just what I do.
Speaker 6 (25:18):
And it's just naturally built in me. And it's amazing
to see that these guys, a lot of these guys
have that built into them.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Also.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's Jalen Low, the Kentucky point guard pit transfer, and
he is talking about his background as he prepares to
come in and lead Mark Pope second Kentucky basketball team.
We're telling Ben Roberts from The Herald Leader Kentucky sports
dot com, what have you heard about how those eight
weeks of summer workouts went for Jalen Low.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah, I've heard, you know, just kind of talking to
his teammates and some others. I think people were really
impressed with him, impressed with his his quickness with the
ball all and his you know, if you watch Pitt
play last season, uh so much was on his shoulders offensively,
(26:11):
everything ran through him. You know, he's he said, you know,
he doesn't want uh Kentucky fans to think that he's
just a guy who just goes out there and jack
shots all came along. That that's what he that's what
he does. He said, he wants to be a pass
first guy. He wants to be a facilitator. And that's
part of the reason he came here is he wanted
to go somewhere that he could show off more of
(26:32):
those playmaking point guard skills and and be surrounded by
kind of a versatile group of of scorers.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
And and he was willing to take.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
A back seat as a score And that's something that
we didn't see from him last season because because he
just wasn't in an offense where uh that was I mean,
their best offense was give jayaln Low the ball and
and and basically try to make something for himself. So
(27:02):
I think his teammates right now are are really liking
playing off of him.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I think this eight.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
Weeks was a really good learning experience from what I've
heard for everybody just to get a feel for each other.
And that's another thing that we saw last season with
with Lamont Butler and and when he was healthy with
Kirk Crisa, with with guys just trying to get the
timing down and get the tendencies down. You know, that's
something that I think uh is is an overlooked part
(27:30):
when when you're when you're trying to put these new
teams together of you know, it's all about timing and
knowing your teammates and knowing how they play and knowing
what they're gonna do before they do it. And you
can only learn that by getting reps on the court.
And with Jalen's obviously, I mean I think everybody's got
him pretty much sharpied in. It's the starting point guard
on this team. You know, I think these eight weeks
(27:52):
were probably as important for him as as they were
for anybody. And and you know, from what I've heard,
people were really pleased with with the way you performed.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You want the guy that's going to or a young
lady as well that's going to be touching the basketball
the most or the football in that sport to understand
what you as their coach have as a vision for them.
So you talked about what Jalen had said, and you know,
(28:21):
he's it was people to understand that he's he sees
the role of the point guard as being more of
the traditional role and not where he's you know, shooting
and looking to score as much. Maybe you're certainly shooting
is the shots that he took at Pitt last year.
So that's good to hear. I think made the comic
yesterday I saw where Zach Calzatta with the football team
(28:44):
used the phrase game manager himself and describing what his
role would be and understands that it's to you know,
move the chains and just you know, take the easy
pass and not try to be, you know, make some
kind of statement every time you're coming down the court
or going out on the foot. So all that it's
a long winded way of saying that it sounds like
Jalen Lowe is trending in the direction that they want
(29:07):
him to go. And you mentioned the eight weeks of
you know, being able to guys to work together, understand
each other, get comfortable with the system. Andrea Jellovich is
going to be playing ketchup when the players come back
as you said next week, he may be with them
by then, If not then probably shortly thereafter. It sounds
(29:29):
like h and coming over from Croatia to join Mark
Pope's team. And so what's what's the ramp up going
to look like for him? Do you think how quickly
can he really get brought into the mix?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:43):
I asked asked Pope about realistic expectations for another player
a couple of weeks ago, and he reminded that he
doesn't like to talk about realistic expectations. But I think
in in Andrea's case, you know, and he's talked about
this before.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
He for the last two years.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
He's been in a pro system, he's been in one
of those situations where basketball is basically his job, even
though he was still technically an amateur. So I don't
you know, I think they think he's one of those
guys who can come in and kind of hit.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
The ground running.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
From a from a getting involved with the team standpoint.
It's really interesting with him because you know, it's hard
to We've seen some guys come over and have uh
you know, some some good success pretty immediately ut out.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Of that situation.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
But but it's hard to know, the competition level that
he was playing against, and how it's going to compare
to the type of schedule Kentucky's playing against.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
I just think he's a total wild.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Card on this team, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I think you know, you.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
Look at March April and then you look back at
the season, I think you could.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I think you can make a case.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
For having a lot of different results for him. I
think a lot of that has to do with how
some of those other players kind of in his.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Position group perform.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
But you know, he's he's still a guy that that
people He's been on the NBA radar for a couple
of years now. He's a guy that has that kind
of talent, and his skill set seems to seems to
lend itself very well to especially Pope's offensive approach. So,
you know, I don't think they're they're too concerns from
(31:27):
from people I've talked over there about.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
His ramp up process.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I think it's just a matter of getting him and
getting him around the team and and seeing exactly how
that specific skill set is gonna gonna kind of mesh
in with everybody else. Uh. But you know, they're at
the luxury of having so many not only so many
bodies in the front court there, but so many versatal pieces.
Uh when you're talking about Diabate and Garrison and and
(31:52):
obviously Quaints when when he's healthy Moreno who's who's I
know has turned some heads uh in this eight we
So they got a lot of different pieces to work with,
and Yellowtch is going to be in a spot where
he can kind of, uh you know, find his way
and not have too much on his shoulder dright away.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I think it's kind of human nature to direct a
majority of the focus towards the new players that you
haven't seen before and how are they going to fit in.
Cam Williams, a transfer from Tulane, as one of those guys.
He had an interesting comment in his interview session this
summer about how he looks at otega Oway as Cam
(32:35):
goes about charting his own course.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
I want to be like pretty much as good as
on ones player as he is, so I try to
play him as much as I can to, like I
would say, upgrade pretty much every basketball aspect that I can.
He really knows how to type a defense and the
different gaps and a defense, so I kind of just
try to take up any type of like you know,
placed out that he may have that's not in my
game and.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Try to apply it to That's sounds like good thinking
to me. If I'm coming in as Cam Williams, I'd like,
I'm want to follow that guy because he's off to
a good start already.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Cam seems like a really smart guy, and I you know,
I wrote about this earlier this summer. I think he's
the one who's been the most overlooked of this entire group.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I mean, it's hard to say overlooks when we're sitting
here in August to nobody. You know, we're not playing.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Nobody's playing a game for three months, and nobody's really
seen these guys to any great extents, you know, in
the fan base. But just the circumstances of his commitment
and then everything that came after it, I feel like
he's overlooked and I feel like he's gonna play a huge,
huge role on this team, and I think it could be,
you know, different, even though he's kind of said he's
(33:44):
kind of emulating him to different skill sets than Kobe Brada,
but I could envision a similar role where Cam doesn't
start for this team. But you know, on some nights
might be the most important player, and then when you
look back at the end of the season, it is
certainly in that top tier of who when this Kentucky
team was on, Cam Williams was on. And whether that
(34:05):
be offense or defense or both in some games, which
I think you're going to see some really big performances
out of him, but I think you're gonna see some
some of those some of those games where he's a few,
you know, eight ten points over a stretch, or make
some big defensive plays. Just a guy who seems to
really have a good head on his shoulders, seems to
(34:26):
have a really good plan for himself and and like
you like you played that clip there, you know, trying
to kind of shadow Otega. He's also talked about watching
a lot of Kobe Braa and what he did last season,
So he seems to be really smart about taking pieces,
different pieces from different people's games and and obviously seeing
(34:49):
a real place for himself in Mark Pope's system, and
you know, committing to Kentucky before the previous season was
even over, knowing this is where he wanted to be,
and when you get that in your head like that
and you can kind of get that out of the way.
And I mean, this is a guy I feel like
I started preparation for this season in March, and I
(35:10):
think that's really gonna pay dividends for him.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Right off the.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Baut Yeah, they talk about getting the right people on
the bus. It's like he jumped on and sat there
right in the first seat behind the driver.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yep, yep, he was waiting on everybody else to get on.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
And yeah, Ben, thank you much for the time.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
As always, all right, thanks a lot of time.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
And as Ben Roberts does a fantastic job covering Kentucky
Ben's basketball and you get to read him a Kentucky
sports dot com and yeah, the pages of the Lexington
Harold Leader. It is the Leads Report, and we're present
up by Bob Kat Enterprises.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Well, big news from corn Bread Hemp today. They have
launched a brand new infused gummy flavor that tastes as
good as it feels. Cherry lime, chill, sweet tart, bursting
with flavor. It is the perfect combo those warm Kentucky
days that we're not done with yet. So they're not
just any gummies, they're USDA organicflour only and perfectly dosed
(36:05):
to give you balanced relief and relaxation without feeling overwhelmed
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you are a first time customer, put in the code
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(36:26):
products third party lab tested, made with Kentucky grown hemp. Cornbreadhamp.
This is a Good Life, Lee Trevard presented by Bobced
Enterprises and Shufflebean Coffee is one of our longtime partners
here on the show. Group of Kentuckians got together more
than a decade ago to form the company with a
commitment to outstanding quality, starting with the very best of
(36:48):
coffee beans. They like to say they follow the process
from seed to cup and you can read all about
it at Shufflebean dot us. You order some of their
product there, you can get it through Amazon or pick
it up at a central Kentucky Myers store. Hole Bean
cured capsules, got an already ground whatever you prefer. Just
take a shot at was shuffle Being Coffee and you're
going to be thrilled with the results. Little Kentucky man's
(37:12):
basketball history lesson here. One of our listeners, ll Cool
John Good buddy of our friend Freddy Maggert. He said
that he knows Darryl Bishop got in a game against Vandy.
I was having trouble remembering about Darryl because he actually
didn't play with Dereck Ramsey played with Elmore Stevens on
the seventy two team, which was Coach RUP's final team,
(37:32):
and Daryl did score eight points played in five games.
He and Elmore Stevens helped out that year and then
it was just ram himself that signed up on played
two games for the seventy six team. We're talking about
this if you were with us at the start of
the show about former Kentucky athletes who were part of
(37:53):
the Memorial Coliseum book signing last night. Derek Ramsey was
one of them because as great as he was on
the football field, he also got a little taste of
Kentucky key basketball as well. That is going to do
it for us. Have a great day. Everybody will see
you tomorrow on the Leads Report,
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