2025-12-10- LEACH REPORT

Tom talks with Chris Fisher, Jeff Piecoro, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good day, everybody. Welcome into the Leach Report, presented by
bobcat Enterprises. The Cat's got a win last night or
North Carolina Central, and we'll talk about that, not so
much the breaking down the game, but just a lot
of the storylines that came out of it and what
is moving forward for the Wildcats. And we'll do that

(00:22):
with Chris Fisher from KATS Illustrated, and we'll do that
with Brandon Ramsey from On three Sports, and we'll bring
in Jack Bikoro as well, and we'd pick in addition
to talk a little basketball. I want to talk about
his take on the hire of Will Stein. And I
think I'm right on this that I know the Will's

(00:43):
dad and Jeff are good friends. I believe they roomed
together when they were teammates in the early eighties. And
we'll talk about all of that coming up on the
show today. Wildcat News of the Day presented by Joseppies
of Lexington, Kentucky. Role os one three to sixty seven
as expected against what is now a three and nine

(01:05):
North Carolina Central team. Jasper Johnson had his best game
as a Wildcat to this point with twenty two points.
Otega Oway really good last night, twenty one points, seven rebounds,
one point. He had four in a row, four steals
and one block, and he talked after the game about

(01:26):
his one on one meeting with Coach Pope and how
Pope is pushing him to lead do more from terms
of leading this group, and in particular lead with the
way he plays defense, and Pope saluted him oh way
for the job he did on Gage Lattimore with the
leading score for UNCC, who had an average almost twenty

(01:51):
points per game, and went one for ten with Otega
on him in the first half of that game last night,
so Otega down their leading score. He'll have a similar
assignment probably coming up on Saturday. We'll talk about in
a minute. But I thought Oway was really good and
just served to underscore. We'll talk about this with one

(02:11):
or two of our guests. The comment that Pope made
on the radio show Monday night about Otega having a
great practice on Saturday, and I thought it was noteworthy
and it didn't get much attention. I guess it's because
you know, Mark's very positive guy, and maybe people took
it as just trying to build up Otega. But it
seemed genuine and I asked him, got him to elaborate

(02:33):
a little bit on it in the pregame yesterday, and
he talked about Otega in that practice the day after
the Gonzaga game, really locking in on some of the
small details. And for a guy like Otega on a
team that's much younger than last year, a lot of
the other guys, those younger guys take their cues from him.

(02:56):
So it doesn't always have to be, you know, a
vocal leader, and it doesn't have to be you how
you play in a game, but how you're doing just
everything all throughout the week can lead up to games
and in practices, and that that was a good example
of Otega embracing that. So that's why I thought that
was a significant comment on Mounday led into what maybe

(03:18):
we saw last night and perhaps moving forward, because I
don't know how comfortable Otega is in that role, but
if he isn't, is it all uncomfortable. He can get
out of that box and out of that comfort zone,
and I think really be good in that role, and
that could be meaningful for him moving forward as far

(03:40):
as a teammate at the next level. But we'll get
into some of that with guests one of the real
highlights of the game came the very last basket. Zach Taw,
the walk on from Madisonville, earned his spot on the
team through a student tryout in Pope's first year, and
Mark Pope told a great story after the game about

(04:00):
Zach and something that happened in the pregame.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Zach gave our pregame speech, and we all know Zach's story,
Like he just is this incredible kid who's working so
hard to get in law school here at the University
of Kentucky. He's taken the els at twice. He's got
a qualifying score. So if anybody has any in with
the law school here at the University Kentucky, Zach Taw,
you want to have him in the next class man.

(04:25):
He's just an incredible young man. So he's really special.
And so he gave a speech before before before to
our team before the game, and he talked about how
for his brothers, if somebody asks him to run through
a wall, he would do it, and he had tears
in his eyes because it's in his heart. And he
talked about what it means to wear this jersey and

(04:48):
we're still trying to understand that in this late in
the early part of the season. But he's an incredible example.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
And so you know, when you.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Have a guy talk about that believe that bleed, that cry,
that share that with his team, it's only appropriate that
he's gonna roll into the game and get a shot
in the in the in the deep corner, you know,
and and bang it, because it's how he's built. He's
really special and I'm grateful for I'm grateful we get
to coach him, gratefully he's on the team.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
A great story and you heard the start of the applause.
It certainly seemed to resonate with the fans who were
there last night, and there weren't as many of them
as is normally the case. There said in the pregame,
the again Zaga game was a little like a big
argument between a couple, and in this case, the couple
was the Kentucky basketball program and its fans. And you know,

(05:37):
arguments passed and you get through them, you work through it,
but in the short term, maybe you don't speak for
a day or two or something. And Mark Pope had
a very stern demeanor last night on the sideline, and
at one point Brandon Garrison had a turnover and didn't
hustle back, and Pope sent him to the bench and
he didn't play again the rest of the night. And

(05:58):
I think that's something that has become a talking point
out of that game. One thing at the end of
the line, and then we'll get to our first break.
Pope did mention at the end of his news conference
and at the end of the post game on the
radio network that he is very confident in the upside
of this team and he believes they will get it
figured out. When we come back. Chris Fisher will join

(06:20):
the program little later, Brandon Ramsey and the Jeffilcorro. After that,
it is the Leech Report and our opening segment always
presented by Giuseppes of Lexington. They have holiday gift cards.
Somebody's hard to buy for, a Giuseppes gift card could
do the trick. So go to Giuseppes Lexington and you
can find out how you can get the gift cards.
They could email them to you or they'll fix them
up in a nice envelope. It really looks special and

(06:43):
it can be perfect for a gift for somebody that's
hard to buy for on your list this Christmas season.
We'll be right back on the Leach Report Radio network.
Lee Trepard presented by Bobcat Enterprises with four locations around Kentucky.
So when you need to buy or rent heavy equipment,
excavators and forklifts and tractors and Bobcats, they need to

(07:04):
be your go to guys and ladies. And you can
find the closest location to you and get great service
from Bobcat Enterprises by just typing them into Google and
you'll find the location that's closest to you. Chris Fisher
joins us now with on three sports and rivals and
with a brand new handle on x Chris Fisher Ky

(07:26):
because some nasty person out there hacked into it, as
happens too often. So somebody someday, somebody's, some enterprising young
person's going to invent a key on your keyboard that
you can strike and send something back to those people
and blow up their keyboard. But that's a discussion for
another time and another platform. What were your takeaways from

(07:49):
what you saw last night down TV or at upp arenas.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah, I thought it was a step in the right direction.
I think it was good for Kentucky to uh after
two abysmal shooting performances, just to see the ball go
through the hoop a couple of times, uh twelve made
three pointers. You know, you know, maybe that builds some

(08:14):
confidence going to Indiana on on Saturday. But I also
thought it was a step in the right direction for
Mark Pope and just kind of you know, expressing his
uh discontent if you will, on the sideline. And you know,
it looked like he was sending a clear message to
certain guys and holding them accountable. And you know, I

(08:36):
can understand not making shots. I can understand not playing well.
I can understand not playing with confidence, But for the
life of me, I cannot understand why anyone wouldn't play
hard after that pitiful showing in Nashville. If, if, if
that is not the wake up call, then that wake

(08:59):
up call has never gonna come, because you know, that
was an embarrassing performance and so to to not play
hard after that is really really scary. But but yeah,
they came out and and played well and made shots
and and did what they were supposed to do and
took care of business against a lesser opponent. And we'll

(09:21):
see what happens on Saturday.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
And Brandon Garrison became the personification of what you're talking about.
In the game last night, commits a turnover. Uh, maybe
in the moment, he's feeling sorry for himself and he
didn't hustle back and they get an easy basket, and
Mark Pope turned into a different version of Mark Pope

(09:43):
at that moment, and he became a little with a
little bit of uh, you know, the captain from the
ninety six national championship team. And it's and I always think,
whatever you have, whatever your approach is as a coach
or as a player, you have to be who you are.
And so there's some of that from Mark. I'm sure

(10:03):
that it would be different from how fans handle it.
But there's also you know that was in that in
that moment, and it's you know, it's unfortunate for Garrison
that he became the guy that's being the talking point
for that. But you'll have to fight his way through
that now because you know, that's that's the situation he
put himself in because of what happened in that moment.

(10:25):
But I think fans certainly just wanted to see that
glimpse of Mark Pope get away from his normal personality.
Maybe their normal personality is not taboo, but they felt
motivated to do that on Friday night, and I think
that there was a connection made there. I assume you agree.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, I think fair or foul. I think in a
lot of ways, Brandon Garrison has kind of become emblematic
of this team's struggles this season, and not just you know,
not not only not playing well, but also maybe just
not playing as hard as they should. And nobody knows
what it means to where the Kentucky Jersey like Mark

(11:07):
Pope and I have to believe as much as he
loves this job, loves this program, loves this team, it
has to be eating him alive inside when they're not
representing the jersey the way.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
That they need to.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
And so it was good to see some of that
fire and just you know, burn a time out and.

Speaker 1 (11:30):
Say Okay, enough's enough.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
And you know, if you're not gonna play hard, then
you're gonna be sitting next to me, And so, you know,
I think that needs to be the attitude of the
team going forward. There needs to be other players on
the team as well, holding their their teammates accountable. I
think that's the only way that you see real.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
Change and doesn't mean Park Pope turns into Bobby Knight,
God forbid. But it just there was just a genuine
reaction and that's usually what resonates not only with fans,
but with his players probably too.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah, and you know, one thing I've noticed with Mark Pope,
whether it's walking through the tunnel on the way to
the game, or you know, his look on the sideline
during the game, or kind of his demeanor in the
post game, he had a look of a man that
was defeated, almost as if he knew his message was

(12:28):
not for whatever reason, was not resonating with these guys.
And so you know, maybe that's that's what it takes.
Maybe they need to, you know, stop seeing the softer
side of Mark Pope and be introduced to to something else.
And you know, he had the outburst that at Ole
Miss last season, where you know, they were getting blown out,
and you know, he showed up to the to the

(12:49):
presser with a bloody hand, and you know, I think
there were some fireworks in the in the locker room there,
and so we know he he has that in him,
and and yeah, maybe it was just time for the
for the players to see that.

Speaker 1 (13:05):
Jasper Johnson had his biggest scoring game to this point
with twenty two. And Jalen Lowe is the guy that
they missed his ability to break down a defense and
set up teammates, And he got a limited run in
the second half last night, so he's trying to, you know,
work his way back, but he certainly gives them something
that they need with that ability to break down a

(13:25):
defense and set up teammates for good shots. Can Jasper
become that because he's the second best guy to low
or maybe the equal, I don't know, of getting inside
of a defense.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
Yeah, I had that thought earlier this season. You know,
Mark Pope is an offensive coach, and you know, if
the if the defense, if the defense and the effort
isn't going to be consistent, maybe it's time to lean
into that. Put the guys on the floor that you
know can get you buckets and just try to outscore
the other team. And I think Jasper Johnson is one

(14:01):
of those guys. Without Jalen Lowe especially, this team really
struggles to get paint touches, and like you said, Jasper
Johnson is one of those guys. He has a slithery game,
He can you know, break down the defense, he can
get into the lane, he can score at the rim.
We saw the variety of ways that he can put
the ball in the basket. He's struggled a little bit

(14:23):
with his outside shot, but you know, maybe if he
can find a rhythm. I don't believe that these guys
are as poor as shooters as we've seen to this point.
I do think, you know, what, water finds its level
and this team at some point this season will shoot
it better than they have.

Speaker 4 (14:41):
And so if he's.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
Able to find a consistent outside stroke, I think that
makes Jasper Johnson that much more dangerous.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
But you know, I think.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
He's one of those guys. He's a streaky player in general,
and you kind of see him go through periods of
where he's riding that wave and last night played really
really well and started to see.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
The ball goes to the basket. Chris, congrats on the
new gig with On three and Rivals and we will
talk to you next week.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Thank you at Chris Fisher K Why it's the Leech
Report coming to you from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return,
Refresh and refuel at Clark's Rand and Ramsey. When we
come right back twenty six past the top of the hour,
it's the Leech Report for a Wednesday, as we welcome
in Randon Ramsey, the former coach, and he now covers

(15:31):
college basketball, high school basketball on a variety of platforms
that will tell you about in a bit, but the
one you probably see most often is through on three
Sports and KSR and God bless you, Brandon. You actually
went back through the tape of the Gonzaga game and
broke it down. We're not going to spend time going
through that, but that had to be right up there
with getting a root canal.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
It was something like that. Yeah, it wasn't the most
fun film to go back and watch, but you know,
sometime those you know, have the most peaking points from them,
and hopefully there'll be some things that Kentucky can take
from that game moving forward and will be better for it.
But yeah, certainly not the most fun I've ever had

(16:14):
breaking down a game. That's that's absolutely true.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
So what's your take on what you saw or heard
from last night? Moving forward? When they jump back into
the deep end of the pool Saturday against Indiana.

Speaker 4 (16:28):
Yeah, I think you know each of these games obviously
becomes more and more needed in terms of just simply
getting a win against a quality opponent. You know, you
have to build the resume at some point, and now
that you're getting into mid December and you already have
several of these opportunities behind you with losses that there's

(16:52):
only a couple more here in the non conference schedule
with Indiana on Saturday in Saint John's the following Saturday.
So obviously you have to start holding that resume at
some point going into what will once again be a
difficult SEC slate. But hopefully you saw Kentucky take a
step in the right direction last night. I know that
there was really nothing that the cast could do against

(17:14):
North Carolina Central, one of the weaker teams in college basketball.
If I make anybody feel a lot better about the season,
but you know, just gaining a little bit of confidence,
seeing the ball go in, a little bit, getting some
you know, it appeared that coach Pope was maybe able
to send a couple of messages with some with some
playing time last night as well. So hopefully, you know,

(17:36):
you can build a few of those things in the
positive direction and put yourself in a position to get
a very important and needed win. Not it's for the resume,
but certainly kind of for Big Blue Nation morale on
Saturday as well against the Indiana team that's had a
pretty good start of the season.

Speaker 1 (17:53):
We will talk about the matchup with the Hoosiers and
more when we come right back with Brandon Ramsey and
you can follow him at b Ramsey KSR on x
It's the Leads Report. We'll be right back. Laitch Re
presented by Bob Cat Enterprises. We're talking hoops with Brandon Ramsey,
the former coach does the breakdowns of UK games for

(18:16):
on three Sports and KSR talks a lot of hoops
and a lot of places and Brandon, where else can
folks find your work?

Speaker 4 (18:24):
Yeah? Obviously you can follow me on Twitter at b
Ramsey KSR. All the written work goes on Kentucky Sports
Radio dot com. Also have a YouTube show on the
Tentuky Sports Radio YouTube channel which you can subscribe to
and then also go subscribe to the Brandon Ramsey College
Basketball Show on YouTube as well. That's where I do
all the the Gonzaga breakdown you were talking about, and

(18:46):
a lot of other kind of talk talk, film breakdown
sort of things. Are on the Brandon Ramsey College Basketball
Show YouTube.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
From the Gonzaga game. I made note of a post
that you had prior to the game last night, since
you were going to be coming on to talk about
and it was something you noticed from the breakdown of
the tape against the Zags that you say in your
post is starting to stand out on film. Kentucky's inability
to get paint touches leads to deeper three point shots.

(19:14):
Deeper three point shots have a lower percentage of going in.
And I thought that was a great point because they're
missing the best guy at doing that, just playing in
limited stretches right now, Jalen.

Speaker 4 (19:26):
Low Right, Absolutely, yeah. I think that's that's been an
underlying theme of Kentucky season so far, obviously injuries in general,
but certainly missing your most dynamic playmaker in Jalen Lowe,
and obviously now that he's even back in the games,
playing limited minutes, kind of still getting his seat underneath him.

(19:48):
And I think that this team, with you know, maybe
a lack of other playmakers and a little bit of
a lack maybe even in terms of depth of shooting,
you really needed a guy like Jalen lower need a
guy like Jalen Low to make things a little bit
easier on everybody else around him. And obviously to this point,
we just really haven't been able to see that. And

(20:10):
I think that in order to create that spacing, Kentucky
sort of happened to this inch further and further out
beyond the three point arc. And that's part of why
they've struggled at times, certainly against the better teams to
find success from beyond the arc is because it's quite frankly,
they're shooting twenty five twenty six foot three point shots

(20:30):
instead of being able to pill up on the line
a little bit more.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
A couple of things. One, I'm just watching this clip
from your post and you point out and the clip
you use is Cam Williams three that ends up being
a step or two farther out than if he had
been right at the line. He's a guy shot forty
on one hundred and forty one three point shots. He
has to be going through something unlike he's ever gone

(20:55):
through before. Shoot.

Speaker 4 (20:57):
I'm sure, yeah, I say, now right, yeah, it's one
of those things that I think as you as you
see the missus pile up, I'm sure it's impacting his
confidence a little bit. I'm glad to see him still
letting it fly a little bit, because, yeah, I think
at some point you just have to assume that the

(21:17):
Hall of the averages swings back in your favor. I mean, yeah,
he is playing at Tulane the same as playing at Kentucky.
Obviously not but still for the most part open catch
and shoot threes or open catch and shoot threes. And
like you said, this is a guy that made sixty
plus of them that I think forty one point two
percent last year as a freshman. So you have to
assume that not only is he going to be better
than the nineteen percent that's that he's shooting right now,

(21:40):
but then he'll find his way into the mid thirties
or something like that, at least at some point this season.
And then obviously if he doesn't, it's going to be
harder and harder to play him consistently because quite frankly,
the main reasons he's in there is to is to
make open catch and shoot threes.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
Was telling this with Chris Fisher earlier. I get your
take on it. We saw Jasper Johnson a big game
last night, and he has the other than Low the
best ability on the team to get inside of a defense.
Now the thing he can score, but he has to
make better decisions instead of shooting a hook shot over

(22:17):
a seven footer against North Carolina, he has one assist
in about forty some minutes against Power for competition, you
get to the shot at that on Saturday. But you know,
he's a freshman. He's learning how to play a different game.
Can he be a guy that could become a quality

(22:38):
backup point guard? True point guard?

Speaker 4 (22:42):
He absolutely has the skill set because like you said,
he is without a doubt the most dynamic creator on
this team not named Jalen Low, and quite frankly, at
times he can probably make some plays and maybe even
a Dalen Low can make because he is so so
talented with the ball in his hands. I mean something,
Even going back from evaluating him in high school in
the AU, I've always said that that Jasfer Johnson plays

(23:05):
basketball at a pretty high degree at difficulty. You know,
he he doesn't always make things as easy on himself
with some of the shots he takes and decisions he makes.
But like you said, he's also a freshman and then
and those things are going to come over time. As
he continues to play more and more, so he certainly
has the talent and the skill set to be that

(23:25):
secondary creator that that Kentucky desperately needs, regardless of how
many minutes Jayalen Low is able to play throughout the
rest of the season. So I definitely think that continuing
to watch Jasper Johnson's development as we get into really
the teeth of the of the schedule here heading in
decise plays and be very important.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
We'll get your view. Had something from your former coach perspective,
Mark Pope said on the radio show Monday would take
Away and had his best practice in his time at
Kentucky after the Gonzaga game, And I thought that was
noteworthy just simply because of the fact that it came
the day after the Gonzaga game and took it maybe
as a sign that it was a little bit of

(24:06):
an epiphany for Otaga. And so Pope elaborated a little
bit more on the pregame last night about how on
a young team, guys are looking to a player like
Otega to take their cues from him, and that's probably
a new space for him to learn how to operate
in and get comfortable in. I think he could be

(24:27):
really good at that. But what's your take on that
line of conversation from coach Pope and then what you
see out of Otega's game maybe last night, Well.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
I think you've seen it now where last night I
thought Otaga played as well as he had this season. Obviously,
sure that came against probably the weakest opponent that Kentucky
will play all season, but still it's good to see
him make some shots. It's good to see him make
make some good decisions off of the balance, and I
think that it does start for somebody like him and
bringing it in practice every day that I think he's

(25:02):
going to have to get comfortable in that leadership role
that maybe he's probably never had up to this point.
Obviously at Oklahoma, but then coming in last year to
a situation where even as a junior, he was one
of the younger guys on the team because Kentucky had
so many seniors and fifty year seniors, and in that
situation he wasn't needed to bring that leadership And now

(25:23):
all of a sudden it does rest on his shoulders
as a second year guy Kentucky, as a senior, as
a guy with the pro future everybody's sort of looking
to him for some answers, especially as the going gets tough,
and I think maybe early on in the season he
just wasn't prepared for that, and hopefully, hopefully now you're
seeing him blossom into to a role like that. And
I thought he had some good quotes in the post

(25:44):
game last night as well, and he seems to be
embracing some of that, hopefully. So I think that can
be a big difference for Kentucky going forward, if they
can find some leadership and a guy like Otago.

Speaker 1 (25:55):
Away last thing with Kentucky next facing Indiana, you're familiar
with a who'sier. So they beat Penn State last night
one hundred and thirteen to seventy two, after losing to
Minnesota and Louisville last week, and they did it by
making seventeen of thirty one threes I think to five
for Penn State, and a player that Kentucky tried to get,
Lamar Wilkinson, made ten of them for forty four points.

(26:18):
So otag it did a nice job on Latimore. I
would assume he'll get Wilkinson on Saturday. I mean, Wilkinson
just went all Bubba Parum on Penn State, And what's
your take on this matchup Saturday.

Speaker 4 (26:31):
Yeah, it's it's going to be one where Kentucky fans
are going to remember that name in la Mar Wilkerson
because he was obviously a major target in the transfer
portal and now he's gonna his name's gonna be circled.
After scoring forty four points last night, I believe that
was an Assembly Hall record, And it's a very different
Indiana team than we've seen the last couple of years.

(26:52):
With the weather shooting the basketball. You mentioned them making
seventeen threes last night. It's certainly going to be something
that Kentucky's going to have to do a better job
than they've done all seasons so far in terms of
guarding the three point line. And then with a star
like Wilkerson, you're really gonna have to make sure that
you're you're keen on him and making making my pard.
So it's gonna be a it's gonna be a battle.

(27:13):
I have rupp Arena on Saturday, but we all know
that Kentucky certainly needs to win, so we'll we'll see
how it goes. I'm definitely looking.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
Forward to this, Brandon, Thank you much.

Speaker 4 (27:24):
Yep, anytime.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
Tom thanks at b Ramsey KSR on X and you
can read him it on three Sports KSR. Jeff Picaro
joins us. We come right back, so late report for
the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, refresh and refuel at
Clark's fourteining away from the top of the hour, Jeff
Pacaro joins the program force director of WTVQ TV here

(27:48):
in Lexington and my broadcast partner in the UK Football Game,
so the UK Radio Network, and we'll start with football
pick because Will Stein's the new head coach of the Wildcats.
Before we get to that, you have a connection to
his dad, right, Matt, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (28:04):
Yeah, Matt. Remember back in the day, we used to
have two and three days and we had to live
in a tower at on campus and Matt was my
roommate back in eighty one and eighty two. And I
tell you what, the guy was, the snack king impresario.
He had so much stuff I'd never heard of, like

(28:26):
potted meat and things like that. He had everything in there.
It was was pretty awesome. Was like living in a
a convenience store.

Speaker 1 (28:35):
You had your own little Clark's Pumping Shop right there
in your dorm room.

Speaker 5 (28:38):
Yeah, it was awesome.

Speaker 1 (28:41):
One of the cool things I saw yesterday. They did
a video of Will being in the you know, the
whole day leading up to his introduction as the head
coach last week, and there's one scene Will walks into
the Joe Craft Center there across from the stadium, and
she's his day. They have a hug, and then a

(29:01):
couple of moments later you see Matt his dad and
it's an embrace with the equipment manager, Tom Kalanowski, like
they are two long lost brothers and we're you know
you and I gave we're all big Tommy Kay fans
because he's been there since like seventy seven and he

(29:22):
is a guy who doesn't do anything for acclaim, but
deserves more of it for how good he is at
his job. And the testament to that is how he's
continued in that job through multiple coaches, and they all
would sing his praises and that was just a cool
thing to see that connection there with Matt and t
k And I'm sure that's obviously been passed down to Will.

Speaker 5 (29:46):
Yeah, you know, Tom is kind of like Bill Kitely
was in basketball, you know, every and you never hear
anybody say anything bad about him. Now, Tom was a
stingy sob when I played, but he's really he loosened
up with the.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
Players with the equipment, the swag and stuff.

Speaker 5 (30:03):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, with the equipment. Yes if you
needed like a sock or jock Treveri and he was
like it was like he was giving out gold bouleyon
back of the day. But yeah, he's changed his to
it a little bit late. But he's just a fantastic.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
Guy, really is.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
Oh Pratt tell the same stories about Kylee and the
gentleman who preceded him and George Jucles, So it's part
of the job, I guess. But this is a guy
that clearly will Stein understands the challenges that he's taking
on here and embraces them, and that's a good thing.
I think, what else do you like about the hire?

Speaker 5 (30:42):
Well, I think that that Will's a lot like his
dad was a little undersized, huge heart, just an engine
that's always running and played what he played. And I
think coaches with a chip on his shoulder that you know,
too small, too slow, you know all that about guys
who worked superstars and just played for the love of

(31:04):
the game. You know, and I think that shows what
I like Tom is is the guy he and the
guys that we've heard so far. He's brought in younger
guys who kind of understand social media and the impact
that NI l and especially this transfer potal. You know,
like like Mark wanted to coach football would when he

(31:27):
you know, when he was at Kentucky. It's all he
wanted to do. He didn't want to be a general manager.
He didn't want to have to deal with a hundred
free agents, which you have to now. But you know,
the the younger generation so to speak. You know where
those guys get off my lawn guys. But these guys
kind of embrace this and and I think that's what
you need going forward in schools or people that understand, uh,

(31:49):
you know, the metrics of what football has become, and
they they bring that youthful exuberance to to the job. Uh.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
They have retained a few folks. Anwar Stewart's gonna stay,
Like Derek Shay was slated to stay as tight ends coach,
but see he has taken the post at Texas A
and m big loss. Mike Hartline, it was, that's exactly
what the title was quantity control maybe, but I think

(32:19):
he's a rising star as a coach, and so I
was glad to see them keep him around, and he
and Cutter had a good relationship this year.

Speaker 5 (32:28):
Yeah, he's kind of like that quarterback Whisper. You know,
he's that guy they can go to the quarterbacks for instance.
You know, you've got your main coach, which was Bush,
who's the offensive coordinator. But Mike's the guy that's been there.
He's been in the trenches here. He knows you know,
he knows the system, he knows the Southeastern Conference. Just

(32:50):
a great sounding board for these guys and a guy
with a lot of wisdom. Was a really nice player here,
and I think, like you said, he's got a huge
future ahead of him.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
I think the next big hire is going to be
the defensive coordinator. Everybody's waiting to see what direction that
will goes with that. I asked his dad if he
was going to suggest to his son that maybe they
go back to the wide tackle six that Matt played in.
He said that would not be happening, And.

Speaker 5 (33:20):
Thank goodness, but that's.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Going to be an interesting hire with you know who
he ends up getting for his d C.

Speaker 5 (33:27):
Yeah, and I think that it's someone who's still coaching,
obviously possibly even in the NFL. But whoever that person is,
I thinks still coaching and wants to finish coaching, and
then it will be announced a huge decision because different
than Mark. You know, Will's an offensive guy and the guy,
whereas Mark was the defensive kind of guy. So he

(33:49):
really has to bring somebody in who you know, by
by retaining and I think that was huge for what
he's done. And it's someone that that Ann mah is
going to have to, you know, along with and be
kind of on that same page with. And if it's
the person that I'm thinking of, then I think that
it's going to be a great hire for the University
of Kentucky.

Speaker 1 (34:10):
Well, I'm sure you'll probably break that on Channel thirty
six rather than the Leach Report when when that time comes.
So I won't ask you to tell me who it is.
But what were you surprised that when Will said he
was not going to continue to call plays he was
going to have an OC to do that.

Speaker 5 (34:30):
Well, yes, and no. You look at a guy like
Ryan Dad Ohio State, who called plays for the first
four or five years that he was there and it
just becomes too much because as a head coach you
have to be in control of everything. You have to
be able to delegate to your coaches and trust them.
So he's bringing in a guy that he trusts, that's

(34:52):
done it before. Now he's going to have a lot
of input, just like Mark did. Mark and Brad would
be together on the sidelines, and you know this be
together at practice talking a lot. I think Will does
the same thing with Joe and is in the other
offensive guys and let's the defensive skuys coach defense. That's
why I think it's going to be someone who's very experienced,

(35:13):
who's done this job before and has done it for
a long time and is one of the better defensive
minds in all of college and pro football.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
That is Jeff Mcoro WTVQTV here at Lexington and the
UK Network.

Speaker 5 (35:27):
Thank you, Jeff, all right, buddy, anytime, Thank.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
You buy is the Lates Report. We are presented by
Bobcat Enterprises and one break to get to before we
close it out. On this Wednesday, Stan Wildcat History nineteen
fifty five, Bob Burrow grabbed thirty four rebounds against Temple
and a Kentucky loss at the Coddiseum. It tied Bill
Spivey's school record for most rebounds in a game. How

(35:54):
did he get so many rebounds? Because there were one
hundred and twenty one missed shots. Kentucky was twenty of
ninety two, Temple was twenty seven of seventy six. They
had enough bricks to build another coliseum that night. I
think I said one hundred and twenty one and thirty
one misshots. Happy Birthday to Cameron Mills or a Wildcat

(36:16):
History notes presented by Kentucky Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia.
They're on Romedy wrote in Lexington and at Roadshow cards
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Cornbreademp dot com be r ead thirty. That's the code
bread thirty to get the discount. Reports say that Kentucky's
showing some interest in a high scoring guard from Martin
County six y five. Braxton Keigley, was on an unofficial
visit last night. According to reports, average thirty four game
last season when he was at Prestonsburg Ty Bryant, all

(37:24):
SEC's second team by the league's coaches. Four interceptions led
the SEC. This year. Seth McGowan chosen for the Senior Bowls.
Good luck to him as he pursues his NFL dreams.
That will do it for us. We will see you
tomorrow on The Leads Report Radio Network, presented by Bob
Kat Enterprises