Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
God Day.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Everybody, welcome into the Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises.
For the final time in twenty twenty five, we do this.
We will chat today with Chris Fisher from Cats Illustrated,
Keith Farmer from LAX eighteen and BBN Tonight, and Christy
Thomas from the UK Sports Network ahead of a big
(00:25):
game tomorrow night for the Kentucky women's basketball team. So
let us jump right into it with the Wildcat News
of the Day presented by Joseepies of Lexington and Mark
Pope talked to the local media yesterday ahead of Kentucky's
first SEC game coming up on Saturday at Alabama, and
one of the first questions for coach Pope was about
(00:47):
how a couple of his guys that are fighting through
injury or coming back from injury are doing.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We just had three practices in thirty six hours and
JQ was in every single moment of the live play
went full yesterday. J Low was in all the things
we wanted him to be in and then he was
doing some extra condition on the side. Both those guys
are doing great.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Talk about learning about the team and learning about yourselves.
Was there a particular game or maybe a moment to
help deform that decision to maybe look at a.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Different Yeah, I think as we're just so you take
all of them into account, you know, you know, I
think we we we learned a lot from setbacks and successes.
So I mean, I'll get as specific as I can
with you. I think we walked out of Michigan State
with some some really uh serious lessons about what we're
(01:52):
trying to earn for ourselves on the offensive end, and
I think that's been something that we've reflected on a lot,
and he's maybe been a defining feature for us. And
also our uh you know kind of ore on the
catch focus early in games with every single college basketball
player was really important. From there, I think that was
(02:12):
a I think that was kind of a beginning of
us getting into a space where we could really grow
that way. I think the Nashville debacle was something that
you know, kind of touched us deep to our soul
and and kind of tested the resolve of this group
and and made us kind of redefine who we were
going to be as human beings and as a team.
(02:33):
So I think there's great takeaways from that. I think
Indiana and Saint John's both with with second halves that
were elite level basketball. In both cases, I think confirmed
some of the work that the guys had been doing
and and some of the direction we were going. And
I think that you know, the way our guys are comfortable, uh,
(02:55):
you know, approaching the game on offense. The defense has
been an evolving piece that we're learning about one every day.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Mark Pope yesterday talking to the local media, and some
interesting insight there about how his thinking has transformed or
altered over the course of the first couple of months
through some really low points. Those two games he mentioned
Michigan State and Gonzaga, when Kentucky was beaten so soundly
(03:23):
in both of those. I mean, you look back at
the North Carolina game and they're playing well at a
win last night to start conference play against Florida State,
and Caleb Wilson had a huge game, and you know,
Kentucky defended Wilson very well and should have won that game.
So obviously played well enough to have won. And that's
(03:45):
one that you know, you don't feel as bad about
as you to Gonzaga and Michigan State seemed like they
started to find their footing, start to develop an identity
and those last two big wins over Indiana and Saint John.
So con be interesting to see how this carries over
on Saturday down into Alabama with the matchup there. Kentucky's
not the three point dynamo that it was last season,
(04:10):
setting a record for three pointers at UK, but they're
going up facing Alabama team that just made twenty two
of them in a win over Yale and maybe getting
their best player back, Labaron Filon, who missed that game.
So interesting storylines and we'll get it deeper into that
on Friday tomorrow, will have a best of show and
(04:31):
then Friday will be back live and Goose will join
us and Mike mccorsi and we'll do a deeper dive
into Kentucky and Alabama and the start of SEC play
all across the league coming up on Saturday. A couple
of transfer portal names popped up yesterday for Kentucky football.
You knew it was going to be starting both the
(04:51):
outgoing and the incoming here in the next few days.
The reports say that defensive line and JV and Campbell,
highly talted recruit, he is going to enter the portal
did not play. I don't know if he played at
all last season or certainly no significant amount. And then
wide receiver Troy Stillatto the transfer from Clemson who was
injured off and on throughout the season and really did
(05:15):
not make much of an impact. He is going into
the transfer portal as well. Officially announced UK did the
hiring of Colby Smith as the running backs coach, and
then the reports that Chad Wilt is going to be
hired to coach linebackers, coming in from spending the last
two years at Michigan State, but had a couple of
stints working with new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman when he
was at Army. When we come back, Chris Fisher will
(05:38):
joined the program little later, Keith Farmer, Christy Thomas. That's
the lineup for the New Year's Eve edition of the
Leach Report and this opening segments presented by Giuseppes of Lexington.
They had their bullet Barrett barrel pick available that you
can buy a bottle of and take home. They're also
working on a new Russell reserve barrel pick. Great time
to make a plan to get out to Giuseppes and
(06:00):
have a really special night out for a special occasion
that's coming up in your life. Go to open table,
make your reservation now for just sepies. We'll be right
back on the Leach Report, sixteen past the top of
(06:20):
the hourly reports presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises with
four locations around the Bluegrass. When you need to buy
or rent a piece of heavy equipment a Bobcat, an excavator,
a forklift, tractors, something like that, well you just call
up the folks at Bobcat Enterprises and they will take
great care of you. Zero turn moors for your home
lawn too at Bobcat Enterprises. Chris Fisher joins the program
(06:42):
from Cats Illustrated and at Chris Fisher two four eight
on X. Now. I know you had a little issue
with that. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
It's at Chris fisherky.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
At Chris Fisher Ky. Okay. I know you had some
issues and that seems to be going around. I'm seeing
it happen to other people as well, so uh, knock
on wood that it doesn't happen here for us. Uh, Chris,
let's talk a little bit about what you're hearing from
Mark Pope we at the radio show on Monday or
the news conference yesterday. Heading into conference play.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
It's it almost feels like a new season and and
and that's not unusual heading into conference play, but for
Kentucky specifically, you're getting Jalen Lowe back, You're getting Jaden
Quaintan's back, and that's gonna kind of change the dynamics
of this team, not only as far as who plays.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And who's in the rotation, but maybe what this team
look like looks like and how they play.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
I think, you know, this looked like a completely different
team against Saint John's than we had seen up to
that point, and so you know, they're they're kind of
getting thrown right into the deep end. You know, playing
at Alabama and the league opener, that's gonna be a
tough one. Alabama's extremely talented and play an exciting brand
(08:03):
of basketball and Kentucky hasn't had much luck there in
Tuscaloosa here in recent years. And so but again, I
think it just feels like a completely, you know, new
season for Kentucky going forward.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
That makes a lot of sense, And it's an interesting
case study for a coach in Mark Pope obviously in
this case, to have built teams a certain way throughout
his career and now to approach year two here at
Kentucky in a much different way, and he talked a
(08:39):
little bit about that at one point during the offseason
about some foundational changes they were making, I can't remember
the exact quote, but a much more defensive oriented team probably.
I'm guessing that maybe the Alabama games maybe had a
significant influence on that. Not maybe the only ones, but
three losses to the Tide, and they got progressively worse
(09:00):
the three and they now have built a team that
is going to be relying heavily on offensive rebounding, and
particularly he mentioned the other night that rim protection last
season was the stat that most correlated to winning, which
probably influenced his approach. I'm guessing, and they should be
(09:20):
much better at protecting the rim with quaintans available now,
But it's not going to be the kind of shooting
team that he's used to coaching, obviously, isn't so far.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Yeah, I think the Alabama games for sure, probably the
Auburn game at home and even the loss, the home
loss to Arkansas, I think are the ones that really
stick out in my mind as Okay, this may not
work at the level that it worked at BYU or
in the Big twelve, and Mark Pope certainly made those adjustments.
(09:51):
And then you factor in, you know, the injuries early
in the season with this team and kind of having
to change how you play, and I think, you know,
defense and rebounding and the rim protection.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
With Jaden Quainton's and mal Chay Moreno, I think.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Is are going to be the strengths of this team
going forward, especially with you know, Jalen the uncertainty surrounding
Jalen Lowe and his shoulder injury, and you know, it's
it seems like a thing that could kind of go
at any time and you know, really in kind of
random situations, and we kind of saw that with Lamont
Butler last season as well. But defense, rebounding, in rim
(10:31):
protection I think are going to be a strength of
this team going forward.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Mo Diabate will certainly be a part of that.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
He was, you know, such an important piece for Alabama
the last couple of seasons, and so you know, as
a coach, you kind of have to adjust on the fly,
and I think, you know, Mark Pope certainly had his
vision for how this team was going to be built,
probably when he got to Kentucky, and then probably had
another vision after last season, and then with the injuries,
(10:58):
you know, that was probably forced to change as well.
But certainly think that this team has a very, very
high ceiling defensively, that effort against Saint John's was some
of the best defense out of any Kentucky team that
I've seen in a.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Really, really long time.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Doub Chris Fisher from kass Illustrated dot Com at Chris
Fisher ky on X and you mentioned Lowe's shoulder. It
feels like some of the comments from coach Pope after
the last game about Jasper Johnson that maybe the next
big box to check off or one of them anyway,
(11:37):
is see if they can develop Jasper Johnson as a
reliable backup at the point because he's the guy. You
know that they really can't effectively run the same offense
they run with Low without Low on the floor unless
Jasper grows into being able to play that role for
(11:58):
short stretches and then may be an occasional longer one. Right, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Think that's right.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
You know, it's kind of like football, you know, coach
bringing in a quarterback to run his offense, and then
that quarterback gets injured and then you have another quarterback
who has a little bit of a different skill set, Well,
you can't really run that exact same offense. And so
I think that's kind of the situation that Kentucky is in.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They they've tried to.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Kind of jam Denzel Aberdeen and Jasper Johnson kind of
into that spot, and it's had some high points and
low points. I think to this point, I think, you know,
both of those guys are probably better suited off the
ball for their shooting and for their scoring. But Jasper
Johnson has certainly shown an ability to create in pick
and roll situations, whether for himself or for others.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
And I think.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
Outside of Jalen Low, he's really the only guy that
has shown a propensity to get all the way to
the rim from the.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Perimeter, you know, kind of using the dribble.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
And so I think Kentucky probably he needs to use
that to their advantage. But I think we've seen some
growth from Jasper Johnson in that department, coming off screens
and shooting the ball or getting to the rim creating
for others.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I think I think it was a development game. I
think he had seven.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Assists or sis assists or something like that, and had
another high assist game recently as well, and so I
do think he's growing in that regard.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
And you have to remember he's just a freshman, and.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
You know, he's kind of being forced to play out
a position a little bit, and you got to give
him some some kudos for his willingness to take on
that role.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
And it seems like this team is because even if
they're more inside oriented and playing two bigs for long stretches,
they still have to make a respectable number of threes
to stay in time to obviously they'll you know, you
can't have a team like Alabama make fifteen and you
make you know, three four and have a high percentage
(13:56):
of winning those kinds of matchups with that disparity. So
you do that well, you don't do it with you know,
five out and passing and cutting maybe like Pope's teams
typically have. So you have to do it with breaking
down the defense and then that leads to opportunities for
load to find somebody.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Right, Yeah, And I think, you know, up until the
Bellerman game, it felt like Kentucky was probably one shooter short.
But if Cam Williams, you know, if he can shoot
that the ball the way he has recently. I think
that also solves a lot of your problems. The first
ten games, I think he had made six three pointers.
(14:36):
He was under twenty percent from beyond the arc after
shooting over forty percent as a freshman at Tulane last season.
All of a sudden, he's over sixty percent with eleven
made threes in the last three games. You know, we've
talked on this show several times about kind of the
water finding its level, and it seems like Cam Williams
has kind of found the range at least here recently.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
He looks a lot more comfortable. He looks a lot
more confident.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
And I'm not saying he's gonna make eight three pointers
per game for Kentucky, but if he can find that
level of consistency I think from the perimeter, I think
that'll go a long way in opening up Kentucky's offense
as well.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Chris Fishercatzillustrated dot Com at Chris Fisher Ky. Thanks and
happy New Year.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
All right, you two.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thanks, It is the Leech Report coming to you from
the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, refresh and refuel at Clark's.
Keith Farmer joining us when we come right back. What
(15:44):
is said past the top of the hour on this
New Year's Eve edition of The Leech Report, as we
welcome Keith Farmer to the program and Mark Pope. I
was talking yesterday about the denim uniforms that are coming
back from ninety six for the Tennessee game on Ferry seventh.
Keith and anybody who was watching LA X eighteen yesterday
(16:05):
saw the new uniform for male anchors that was debuted
by you, Larry Smith.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Right, yeah, yeah, how about that?
Speaker 7 (16:12):
Not even the same brand, but certainly pretty close to
the same cloth. And I don't know, I just like
to think of it as it's like maybe some sort
of journalism hall of Fame jacket. You know, maybe they
like the Hall of Fame for the NFL, those yellow
jacket Yeah, exactly, exactly. Maybe someday you'll have one time and.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
A man can dream. I thought that was funny. I
caught the end of the newscast last night, and the
dinner uniforms are It's gonna be wildly popular, I'm sure
for that Tennessee game to you know, bring them back
and to just go in with the celebration of the
(16:51):
ninety six team. I'm sure it's happening that day. But
I was telling I guess you and Maggie we were
doing the Bada Tonight segment on Monday, how I remember
fans hating him when they came first came out back
in ninety six. Time has an interesting way to change opinions.
Speaker 6 (17:09):
I think it was just one of those things.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
Everybody was like, how are they supposed to sweat and
denim and and how are you supposed to like really
play isn't that going to be kind of awkward? And
I don't know, I think it grew on people a
little bit. But other people were just you know, the
traditionalists were like, I don't know about this, you know,
and it grows on you for sure, and you know,
(17:31):
to have it coming back now, I think it's the
people that realize it actually could happen, you know, and
it's just a little bit of a trim on a
on a uniform and everything. So yeah, I think a
little nostalgia. And you know, obviously we're in that day
and age where kids like to play in different uniforms
and and such, so I think it's it's a little
more acceptable now to see different style uniforms.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, I'm always kind of thinking that kind of stuff.
The more the mary or anything that makes sports a
little more fun is h Yeah, a good thing.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
We're gonna coming up at the heartbreak at the bottom
of the hour, so we'll take that and then come
back and continue with Keith Farmer from l e X
eighteen and BBN tonight. And if you miss the shows
on BBN tonight, you can also go to bbndnight dot
com and catch up on what you missed, the features
from Keith and Maggie and the rest of their team,
and we're going to talk about their big edition of
(18:23):
Game Day this weekend and what's coming up there in
the SEC preview. So we'll get into all of that
when we return with Keith Farmer on The Leech Report
Radio Network second half of our New Year's Eve show
(18:47):
here on The Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises. Christy
Thomas will join us a little later to talk about
the start of conference play for the UK Women. You're
a TV guy, Keith Farmer, who we were visiting with
l exaighteen bb in tonight, So tell me why the
number eleven team in the country against the number five
team in the countries on SEC Network Plus tonight. Somebody
(19:07):
dropped the ball.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
That one.
Speaker 7 (19:09):
Yeah, that one I can't tell you about. That is
a strange one. There are a couple of games that
the UK women are playing that are just mind bogging
I think. Uh the South Carolina game is also maybe
an SEC Network Plus or an USPN plus. It's just yeah,
I don't don't get that one. You would think that
they would even know ahead of time, you know, the
(19:30):
chances of these teams being as good as they are
and and what a match up means, and and to
put it on regular TV instead of that streaming service.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
But uh, maybe they'll learn from this.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Season perhaps, And you can, uh you don't have SEC
Network Plus, you can tune in Darren Headrick on the
UK Radio network for the call tonight or tomorrow night
from Baton Rouge and sync it up. Uh if you
are watching anyway and go to uh a UK lex
dot com slash sink. So I'll do get that plug
in there.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
I'm sorry, Yeah, I was gonna just say I will
say this too. You know, you see where they put
games on like NBC, and then they'll put some on
Peacock because they're trying to get you to pay for
that subscription. So really another reason they're gonna put some Yeah,
another reason they're gonna put those good games on there.
Just you know, from a one TV guy to a
radio guy.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yep, I think you're onto something there.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Parcel TV guy, TV guy too.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, a little bit. We're chat with Keith Farmer about
the start a conference play, not only for the women's
team but the UK man down at Alabama on Saturday,
and it's a really fascinating matchup because Alabama's made twenty
two out of fifty four from the three point line,
and it's a Kentucky team that's not shooting the threes
at the level they did last year. Although the emergence
(20:47):
of Cam Williams seems like a huge point in this
team's favor heading into league play, right.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Oh, certainly.
Speaker 7 (20:55):
I mean, if he can I know that that coach
Pope was joking, but he was like, if we can
just get eight of ten, you know, three point shooting
from him every night, that would be great. And it
doesn't even have to be that good, you know, I'd
like to see the percentage better, but if he can
knock down three or four, that would certainly extend things
out and open up that middle a little bit more,
(21:16):
or even if Jaden Quaintance is down low and kicking
it back out.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
I just think we.
Speaker 7 (21:21):
Learned a lot from this team in that Saint John's
game where it was finally healthy and you had a
Jaden Quaintance that was a big presence on the inside.
You had a Jalen Lowe who was so shifty, so
fast that that he's able to get into the interior
and kick back out to some of those three point
shooters and control the pace of play. So real exciting
(21:47):
as kind of Chris was talking about, you know, being
that that new season. We always remember how how coach
Patino loved this long break during Christmas where he could
really work the guys.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
I'm sure the.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
Guys didn't like it, but they usually came out better
teams on the other end of it. So it we'll
find out what the start of SEC play.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, they fear that you've between low and say Jasper Aberdeen,
you could get a couple of threes a game there.
Brandon Ramsey from KASR and on three had this kind
of formula a few weeks ago that I talked about
where he kind of came up with a formula of
what how Kentucky could get to a threes a game
pretty reasonably. And you know, so let's say that group
(22:29):
of guys, you know, Cam, maybe he's getting you a
couple on average, and then they, I think, really need
to get Colin Chandler Trent Noah to find their stroke again,
because that's the role they can play for this team
is to help in that area, and they're both capable
of doing it.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it's just that we hadn't
seen it happening, you know, not that it can't.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Start falling for them. But I really liked what they
were doing with more of that.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
Bully ball and that smash mouth ball, getting on the
inside and you know, get Mo, get Jaden down there
down low, occasional kickouts. But I just really like the
fact that they were starting to develop an inside game
and a real you know, affinity for going after the
offensive rebounds.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
So you know, that could be big in this game.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
When you talk about an Alabama team that is throwing
up so many threes, I mean, over fifty is a
lot of three pointers, and so they're not going to
shoot a lot of midbrains. They're either going to take
it long or they're going to take it to the rim.
So then if you've got Jaden Quaintins and Moe on
the inside to maybe swat away some of those shots.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Marino Brandon Garrison.
Speaker 7 (23:43):
I just think that this could be the right formula
to beat this Alabama team. You know, really guard them
at the three point line and then you know, destroy
them when they get inside.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You figure that you're not going to be likely to
outscore them on threes, but you hope to stay in range.
So where do you you gain your advantage if you're
the opponent. And I was looking at numbers from Alabama's
three losses and they got crushed on the boards in
all three, gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, and
that's something that certainly could be a strength for Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And then you kind of alluded
to this earlier. They've had their own share of you know,
like injury problems and they're trying to get guys back
in time for this start of SEC play. So you know, again,
I like your formula of knocking down the three when
it's available, but I still would like to see them,
you know, attack the boards win that battle, as you said,
(24:36):
against Alabama, and you know, and then score on the
inside the shift.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Here's to a little football. College football playoffs resuming tonight
with Ohio State Michigan and will Stein his aspires to
be there with his the first team. He'll be head
coach of somewhere down the road here at Kentucky, and
he's putting together and finalizing his staff and then the
portals about to kick in. But with the staff part,
(25:02):
at least from your days working in the Louisville market,
you're gonna have a lot of guys that you're already
connected to.
Speaker 7 (25:09):
Yeah, one of them being the head coach. Will Stein
covered him in high school when he was at Trinity
and certainly at the University of Louisville and then Colby Smith,
the new running backs coach. I covered him during his
time there. He was a hard runner, and he's obviously
translated that into his coaching. I know, you know, if
you look at his bio. When he was at Rutgers,
(25:30):
he helped Isaiah Checko kind of get some of his
career highs and some of his bests. And now here
he is running part for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
So good to see that he's got that connection.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
He's got the connection of having coached, you know, with
the Dolphins in the league, so that certainly can help
in the recruiting trail. And then Pete Knacta, that's a
really interesting situation because I used to watch him on
the sidelines along with Cornell Berberge's kid on the sidelines
when Brian Station and knactas his dad was, you know,
leading them to the state tournament, to a state title.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Game in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
And just remember him, you know, being kind of like
a ball boy on the sidelines and helping out and
then all of a sudden he ends up at the
University of Louisville and he spent so much time there.
So I'm looking forward to seeing him back in Lexington
and helping out the Blue.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
A little bit of with Will. It's a little bit
of putting the band back together, it.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
Is, isn't it.
Speaker 7 (26:24):
And it's just so interesting that that you're getting that
many guys that you know, really wore the red and
white for so long to come to the rival. But
it is such a different business nowadays, not only with
the coaches but also with the players as we see
them go through the transfer portal so much so I'm
(26:44):
looking forward to It's also interesting just in the fact
that he's got that he's really creating a different style
of staff, you know, where you're able to have so
many on staff now only ten can go out recruit, right,
but but you just don't have those quality control guys
now it's just their assistant running backs or something that
they're They're going to be out there on the field coaching.
(27:05):
And I'm really excited about what I've seen him put
together so far and looking forward to seeing them in
the spring.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
We'll have that army of guys in blue polos like
Saban used to have the army of guys in the
maroon polos down in Alabama.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
Correct, Yeah, yeah, and no doubt, and you know, we're
certainly hoping that that will comes back here in the spring.
And he's wearing a National championship ring that looks really
good as well.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to because I've you know, just
seen I havn't sat and watched a whole Oregon game,
so I'm looking forward to doing that tomorrow and their
matchup with Texas Tech.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Keith.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I appreciate the time so much. Oh, you guys have
your SEC preview. Tell us a quick word about that
coming up this weekend.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Yeah, really quickly.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
We have normal BBN game Day at nine am on Saturday,
and then following that at nine thirty a half hour
special on the SEC. It's got just a preview of
what's ahead. And then I've also got a really interesting
story with Malachai Marino. I don't want to say too
much about it, but it's just you're going to learn
the heart of gold that he has for some former
students at Great Crossing High School and you'll hear from
(28:08):
some of those students as well.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
So really looking forward to everybody seeing that.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, I think Gabe's daughter was there at the time
working with maybe special needs kids, and Malachi was it
was a part of that. And just nice correct, nice
young man.
Speaker 6 (28:24):
You're right along the line what this story is all about.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Well, look for that and that's coming up on the
SEC preview portion or game Day.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
That'll be on the SEC Preview.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Special, So that between nine and ten am on this
coming Saturday on LAX eighteen, the official UK station. Keith,
thank you very much. Happy New Year to you and
the family.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
Tom, Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
To yours sixteen away from the top of the hour.
It is the Leach Report Radio Network. We are presented
by Bobcat Enterprises and we'll be right back with Christy
Thomas from the UK Network as we talk about the
start of SEC play for Kenny Brooks and his UK
Webmen's bath bsketball team tomorrow night at LSU. Thirteen away
(29:18):
from the top of the hour. It is the New
Year's Eve edition of The Leech Report, coming to you
from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, Refresh and Refuel
is at one of the Clark's locations in Nicholasville last night,
and we were part of a new TV spot that
they're working on with some of the guys from UK Basketball,
(29:38):
so look for that coming up soon. Right now, look
for Christy Thomas to join our program from the UK
Sports Network where she has worked a lot of the
UK women's games, heading into the start a conference play
tomorrow night at LSU. Nothing like jumping right into the
deep end of the pool at the number five team
in the country.
Speaker 8 (29:55):
Right Well, I know, I said listen that we were
just talking about this on the cast of the host
game on Sunday that you know, when you start SEC play,
that's hard enough, but to do it on the road
against the diffrect team of the country, Yeah, that that
is not easy. So this will definitely be their toughest
test today.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, different kind of We talked a lot about this
with the men's team, and they're playing differently, certainly true
to a extent, certainly for the women because everything ran
through Georgia Amore last season. So how is this team
evolving with new cast somewhat new cast of characters.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Yeah, there was a ton of question marks for this
team and it was all centered around what do you
do without Georgia Amore and what really what does Kenny
Brooks do without Georgia Aymore. He's had her for, you know,
for so long and they've had such a really special relationship.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
What do you do?
Speaker 8 (30:48):
And Tony Morgan has really stepped in and been such
a bright spot for this team. And what's been interesting
about her play is you can actually physically see her
confidence growing every single time she steps out on the floor.
And I think by the time this is all said
and done, we're all going to say, wouldn't it have
been nice if Tony had been with Kenny Brooks for
(31:09):
another couple of years, and had she been under him,
I think she would have been equally as good as Georgia.
She's a little bit different in that she's a little bigger,
she's a little more athletic than what Georgia was. So
but she really is is finding this really nice balance
of distributing and then knowing when to insert herself that
(31:30):
she has to score, and Georgia was really good at that.
So you know, her being under Kenny Brooks has really
changed her as a player. And you know, she's a
very complete player for this team, and they're very unselfish teams,
So you know, I think that's the beauty of it
as well too, that no one was expecting Tony to
come in and be Georgia. They just wanted her to
come in and be Tony, knowing that the pieces around
(31:50):
her would be able to help.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
There was always that reference to from coach Brooks about
Georgia as as many me because they've been together for
so long and just kind of we're of one mind.
Why is Tony flourishing in this particular connection in her
first year?
Speaker 8 (32:09):
Nextion is the right word, because that's something that he
does that is not necessarily unusual, but not every coach
does it. And when they do shoot arounds, when they do,
you know a lot of these young ladies will come
out before practice and get some individual time in. They'll
stay after practice. When you go to a shoot around
before a game, they'll be out there, you know, as
(32:29):
early as they possibly can to not get into the
other team shoot around time and start shooting. And when
they do that, he's out there with them and he's
working one on one with them, and he's talking to
them individually, one on one, and that's very important to
him in his system because he wants them to know
that he has their back, that he supports them. So
when you've got a young lady like I think Clara
(32:49):
Strack is a great example. She's a great scorer, she's
an excellent defender, she does so many things well, he
is he wants her to shoot the three, and he
wants her to do that at a very high level.
And the only way to be able to do that
is number one, to practice it right, but then number two,
to know that your coach has confidence in you to
shoot that anytime you want, even when you're not making it.
So that's something that they work on an awful lot.
(33:11):
He said, there's no way you can have that confidence
in yourself as a player unless you know your coach
has that confidence in you. So there has to be
some connection there, and a lot of that starts in
those places in the gym when there's very few people
in there. It's just the player, it's just a couple
of managers, it's the coach, and he's really in there
working one on one with them and fine tuning little things,
(33:33):
and Tony has has really understood that, and she's very coachable.
If you're not coachable and you're not willing to listen
and you're not willing to take the coaching that he's offering,
then two things are going to happen. One is you're
not going to perform. But then number two, you're not
going to have that relationship that you really want or
that he really wants with his point guard. And that's
something that you know, he's kind of gotten the total
package with Tony in that way that she wants to learn,
(33:56):
she wants to be better, and she's coachable.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
You think keianny Key is back for the game tomorrow night.
Speaker 8 (34:03):
You know they're kind of lead, they're listing that as
day to day. I think if anybody has anything to
do with it, she absolutely will, and I think she
wants to. They were playing it safe against Costra, so
I do think we could potentially see her in the
line up. Maybe not as many minutes is what she's
used to playing, but you know, she gives them a
different look. When they don't have her in the starting lineup.
They're starting Asia Boon, so now you're starting a guard
(34:25):
in place of a post. So that certainly gives that
team a much different look. So you know that her
length and athleticism they in the post. They definitely need
her in there.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I saw a post on X yesterday I can't remember
from whom, but it listed the the numbers that Claire
Strack is posting, and I think said the only player
with fifteen plus points averaging fifteen plus points, ten plus rebounds,
two and a half plus blocks, one and a half
plus steals. Not only in women's basketball, but in the
(34:56):
men's game too.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
She's a stat stuff. I mean, you know, she's someone
that's so fun to watch play because she's versatile. She
you know, as a post player, she's she's long and lean,
but she runs the floor so well. She has great
court vision, she can handle the basketball, she's got to.
She can shoot and score at all three levels. She's
really very smart, and she's a great passer, and I
(35:19):
think sometimes, you know, her passing gets a little overlooked
because she does so many other things so well. But
she's a great passer. So she and Tianni Key in
the game together are really can really work a high low.
She understands she's going to be double and triple teams
in the post sos. She can find her teammates on
the perimeter. They've been shooting the ball really well from
the three point line on the last couple of games,
(35:41):
which everybody's been waiting on that. I think that's something
we knew this team could potentially be a good three
point shooting team, and now we're really seeing that. So yeah,
I mean, she's she's a stat sufferer. She's the kind
of player that you kind of had this expectation that
she's going to do everything and it's not too much
for her. You know, she's not somebody it really she'll
(36:02):
shine in that environment where you know she knows a
lot to expect it of her, and she's okay with
that number.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Eleven, Kentucky at number five LSU on SEC Network Plus
and the UK Radio Network tomorrow eight Eastern in Baton Rouge,
and then come next September, Christy Thomas and the UK
Football Network pregame show team will be debuting the will
Stein Era at Kentucky. So what do you like best
(36:28):
about what's happening with Kentucky football right now?
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Well, it's all feeling kind of fresh, you know. I
think that's what I like, is that things are feeling
fresh and new and exciting, and there's a lot of
unknown and I think that's something that we've kind of
faced the last couple of years anyway, with the transfer portal,
really not knowing what you've got, and I think this
unknown will be a lot of fun just to try
to see what. You know, as you're watching Oregon play
in the playoffs and you know, seeing what they're putting
(36:53):
out on the field, you know, you get a little
bit of the sense of maybe what we could see here,
and it's all very exciting. So, you know, change is
hard for a lot of people, and you know, it's
affecting a lot of people in that building that we've
known for a long time, so you know, there's some
sadness associated with that. But then I think at the
same time too, this is this is a program that deserves,
(37:14):
you know, to win and deserves to do it well
and look good on the field doing it, and I
think that all the pieces are being put into place
for it to be very exciting.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Run Christy Thomas from the UK Sports Network and we
thank you for your time. Happy New Year.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
Yeah sank to you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Lates Report presented by Bob kat Ed Enterprizes. We'll be
right back. Last chance for twenty twenty five to take
advantage of a great deal from cornbrandhamp dot com. If
(37:52):
you're a new subscriber, you can get thirty percent off
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(38:13):
The sleep gummies that I think are fantastic, The oils
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wellness is what they're preaching at Cornbread Heamp, and you
can get a great deal right now on your first
three months with a subscription cornbredheamp dot com. This is
the good life. This day. In nineteen seventy six, Kentucky
(38:35):
won the Peach Ball over North Carolina twenty one zip
in the freezing cold in Atlanta, with thirty seven thousand
Kentucky fans making the trip down there to see Kentucky
play in a bowl game for the first time in
twenty five years. Wild Cat History Notes presented by Kentucky
Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia. They are on Romney Road
in Lexington at roadshowcards dot com. It'll be twenty twenty
(38:57):
six the next time we talk Best of show tomorrow
back here live to previous Kentucky and Obama on Friday
with Goose and with Mike Decorsi's We'll see you that
Happy New Year, everybody,
God Day.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Everybody, welcome into the Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises.
For the final time in twenty twenty five, we do this.
We will chat today with Chris Fisher from Cats Illustrated,
Keith Farmer from LAX eighteen and BBN Tonight, and Christy
Thomas from the UK Sports Network ahead of a big
(00:25):
game tomorrow night for the Kentucky women's basketball team. So
let us jump right into it with the Wildcat News
of the Day presented by Joseepies of Lexington and Mark
Pope talked to the local media yesterday ahead of Kentucky's
first SEC game coming up on Saturday at Alabama, and
one of the first questions for coach Pope was about
(00:47):
how a couple of his guys that are fighting through
injury or coming back from injury are doing.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We just had three practices in thirty six hours and
JQ was in every single moment of the live play
went full yesterday. J Low was in all the things
we wanted him to be in and then he was
doing some extra condition on the side. Both those guys
are doing great.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Talk about learning about the team and learning about yourselves.
Was there a particular game or maybe a moment to
help deform that decision to maybe look at a.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Different Yeah, I think as we're just so you take
all of them into account, you know, you know, I
think we we we learned a lot from setbacks and successes.
So I mean, I'll get as specific as I can
with you. I think we walked out of Michigan State
with some some really uh serious lessons about what we're
(01:52):
trying to earn for ourselves on the offensive end, and
I think that's been something that we've reflected on a lot,
and he's maybe been a defining feature for us. And
also our uh you know kind of ore on the
catch focus early in games with every single college basketball
player was really important. From there, I think that was
(02:12):
a I think that was kind of a beginning of
us getting into a space where we could really grow
that way. I think the Nashville debacle was something that
you know, kind of touched us deep to our soul
and and kind of tested the resolve of this group
and and made us kind of redefine who we were
going to be as human beings and as a team.
(02:33):
So I think there's great takeaways from that. I think
Indiana and Saint John's both with with second halves that
were elite level basketball. In both cases, I think confirmed
some of the work that the guys had been doing
and and some of the direction we were going. And
I think that you know, the way our guys are comfortable, uh,
(02:55):
you know, approaching the game on offense. The defense has
been an evolving piece that we're learning about one every day.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Mark Pope yesterday talking to the local media, and some
interesting insight there about how his thinking has transformed or
altered over the course of the first couple of months
through some really low points. Those two games he mentioned
Michigan State and Gonzaga, when Kentucky was beaten so soundly
(03:23):
in both of those. I mean, you look back at
the North Carolina game and they're playing well at a
win last night to start conference play against Florida State,
and Caleb Wilson had a huge game, and you know,
Kentucky defended Wilson very well and should have won that game.
So obviously played well enough to have won. And that's
(03:45):
one that you know, you don't feel as bad about
as you to Gonzaga and Michigan State seemed like they
started to find their footing, start to develop an identity
and those last two big wins over Indiana and Saint John.
So con be interesting to see how this carries over
on Saturday down into Alabama with the matchup there. Kentucky's
not the three point dynamo that it was last season,
(04:10):
setting a record for three pointers at UK, but they're
going up facing Alabama team that just made twenty two
of them in a win over Yale and maybe getting
their best player back, Labaron Filon, who missed that game.
So interesting storylines and we'll get it deeper into that
on Friday tomorrow, will have a best of show and
(04:31):
then Friday will be back live and Goose will join
us and Mike mccorsi and we'll do a deeper dive
into Kentucky and Alabama and the start of SEC play
all across the league coming up on Saturday. A couple
of transfer portal names popped up yesterday for Kentucky football.
You knew it was going to be starting both the
(04:51):
outgoing and the incoming here in the next few days.
The reports say that defensive line and JV and Campbell,
highly talted recruit, he is going to enter the portal
did not play. I don't know if he played at
all last season or certainly no significant amount. And then
wide receiver Troy Stillatto the transfer from Clemson who was
injured off and on throughout the season and really did
(05:15):
not make much of an impact. He is going into
the transfer portal as well. Officially announced UK did the
hiring of Colby Smith as the running backs coach, and
then the reports that Chad Wilt is going to be
hired to coach linebackers, coming in from spending the last
two years at Michigan State, but had a couple of
stints working with new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman when he
was at Army. When we come back, Chris Fisher will
(05:38):
joined the program little later, Keith Farmer, Christy Thomas. That's
the lineup for the New Year's Eve edition of the
Leach Report and this opening segments presented by Giuseppes of Lexington.
They had their bullet Barrett barrel pick available that you
can buy a bottle of and take home. They're also
working on a new Russell reserve barrel pick. Great time
to make a plan to get out to Giuseppes and
(06:00):
have a really special night out for a special occasion
that's coming up in your life. Go to open table,
make your reservation now for just sepies. We'll be right
back on the Leach Report, sixteen past the top of
(06:20):
the hourly reports presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises with
four locations around the Bluegrass. When you need to buy
or rent a piece of heavy equipment a Bobcat, an excavator,
a forklift, tractors, something like that, well you just call
up the folks at Bobcat Enterprises and they will take
great care of you. Zero turn moors for your home
lawn too at Bobcat Enterprises. Chris Fisher joins the program
(06:42):
from Cats Illustrated and at Chris Fisher two four eight
on X. Now. I know you had a little issue
with that. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
It's at Chris fisherky.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
At Chris Fisher Ky. Okay. I know you had some
issues and that seems to be going around. I'm seeing
it happen to other people as well, so uh, knock
on wood that it doesn't happen here for us. Uh, Chris,
let's talk a little bit about what you're hearing from
Mark Pope we at the radio show on Monday or
the news conference yesterday. Heading into conference play.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
It's it almost feels like a new season and and
and that's not unusual heading into conference play, but for
Kentucky specifically, you're getting Jalen Lowe back, You're getting Jaden
Quaintan's back, and that's gonna kind of change the dynamics
of this team, not only as far as who plays.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And who's in the rotation, but maybe what this team
look like looks like and how they play.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
I think, you know, this looked like a completely different
team against Saint John's than we had seen up to
that point, and so you know, they're they're kind of
getting thrown right into the deep end. You know, playing
at Alabama and the league opener, that's gonna be a
tough one. Alabama's extremely talented and play an exciting brand
(08:03):
of basketball and Kentucky hasn't had much luck there in
Tuscaloosa here in recent years. And so but again, I
think it just feels like a completely, you know, new
season for Kentucky going forward.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
That makes a lot of sense, And it's an interesting
case study for a coach in Mark Pope obviously in
this case, to have built teams a certain way throughout
his career and now to approach year two here at
Kentucky in a much different way, and he talked a
(08:39):
little bit about that at one point during the offseason
about some foundational changes they were making, I can't remember
the exact quote, but a much more defensive oriented team probably.
I'm guessing that maybe the Alabama games maybe had a
significant influence on that. Not maybe the only ones, but
three losses to the Tide, and they got progressively worse
(09:00):
the three and they now have built a team that
is going to be relying heavily on offensive rebounding, and
particularly he mentioned the other night that rim protection last
season was the stat that most correlated to winning, which
probably influenced his approach. I'm guessing, and they should be
(09:20):
much better at protecting the rim with quaintans available now,
But it's not going to be the kind of shooting
team that he's used to coaching, obviously, isn't so far.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Yeah, I think the Alabama games for sure, probably the
Auburn game at home and even the loss, the home
loss to Arkansas, I think are the ones that really
stick out in my mind as Okay, this may not
work at the level that it worked at BYU or
in the Big twelve, and Mark Pope certainly made those adjustments.
(09:51):
And then you factor in, you know, the injuries early
in the season with this team and kind of having
to change how you play, and I think, you know,
defense and rebounding and the rim protection.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
With Jaden Quainton's and mal Chay Moreno, I think.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Is are going to be the strengths of this team
going forward, especially with you know, Jalen the uncertainty surrounding
Jalen Lowe and his shoulder injury, and you know, it's
it seems like a thing that could kind of go
at any time and you know, really in kind of
random situations, and we kind of saw that with Lamont
Butler last season as well. But defense, rebounding, in rim
(10:31):
protection I think are going to be a strength of
this team going forward.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Mo Diabate will certainly be a part of that.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
He was, you know, such an important piece for Alabama
the last couple of seasons, and so you know, as
a coach, you kind of have to adjust on the fly,
and I think, you know, Mark Pope certainly had his
vision for how this team was going to be built,
probably when he got to Kentucky, and then probably had
another vision after last season, and then with the injuries,
(10:58):
you know, that was probably forced to change as well.
But certainly think that this team has a very, very
high ceiling defensively, that effort against Saint John's was some
of the best defense out of any Kentucky team that
I've seen in a.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Really, really long time.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Doub Chris Fisher from kass Illustrated dot Com at Chris
Fisher ky on X and you mentioned Lowe's shoulder. It
feels like some of the comments from coach Pope after
the last game about Jasper Johnson that maybe the next
big box to check off or one of them anyway,
(11:37):
is see if they can develop Jasper Johnson as a
reliable backup at the point because he's the guy. You
know that they really can't effectively run the same offense
they run with Low without Low on the floor unless
Jasper grows into being able to play that role for
(11:58):
short stretches and then may be an occasional longer one. Right, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Think that's right.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
You know, it's kind of like football, you know, coach
bringing in a quarterback to run his offense, and then
that quarterback gets injured and then you have another quarterback
who has a little bit of a different skill set, Well,
you can't really run that exact same offense. And so
I think that's kind of the situation that Kentucky is in.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They they've tried to.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Kind of jam Denzel Aberdeen and Jasper Johnson kind of
into that spot, and it's had some high points and
low points. I think to this point, I think, you know,
both of those guys are probably better suited off the
ball for their shooting and for their scoring. But Jasper
Johnson has certainly shown an ability to create in pick
and roll situations, whether for himself or for others.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
And I think.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
Outside of Jalen Low, he's really the only guy that
has shown a propensity to get all the way to
the rim from the.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Perimeter, you know, kind of using the dribble.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
And so I think Kentucky probably he needs to use
that to their advantage. But I think we've seen some
growth from Jasper Johnson in that department, coming off screens
and shooting the ball or getting to the rim creating
for others.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I think I think it was a development game. I
think he had seven.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Assists or sis assists or something like that, and had
another high assist game recently as well, and so I
do think he's growing in that regard.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
And you have to remember he's just a freshman, and.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
You know, he's kind of being forced to play out
a position a little bit, and you got to give
him some some kudos for his willingness to take on
that role.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
And it seems like this team is because even if
they're more inside oriented and playing two bigs for long stretches,
they still have to make a respectable number of threes
to stay in time to obviously they'll you know, you
can't have a team like Alabama make fifteen and you
make you know, three four and have a high percentage
(13:56):
of winning those kinds of matchups with that disparity. So
you do that well, you don't do it with you know,
five out and passing and cutting maybe like Pope's teams
typically have. So you have to do it with breaking
down the defense and then that leads to opportunities for
load to find somebody.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Right, Yeah, And I think, you know, up until the
Bellerman game, it felt like Kentucky was probably one shooter short.
But if Cam Williams, you know, if he can shoot
that the ball the way he has recently. I think
that also solves a lot of your problems. The first
ten games, I think he had made six three pointers.
(14:36):
He was under twenty percent from beyond the arc after
shooting over forty percent as a freshman at Tulane last season.
All of a sudden, he's over sixty percent with eleven
made threes in the last three games. You know, we've
talked on this show several times about kind of the
water finding its level, and it seems like Cam Williams
has kind of found the range at least here recently.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
He looks a lot more comfortable. He looks a lot
more confident.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
And I'm not saying he's gonna make eight three pointers
per game for Kentucky, but if he can find that
level of consistency I think from the perimeter, I think
that'll go a long way in opening up Kentucky's offense
as well.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Chris Fishercatzillustrated dot Com at Chris Fisher Ky. Thanks and
happy New Year.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
All right, you two.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thanks, It is the Leech Report coming to you from
the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, refresh and refuel at Clark's.
Keith Farmer joining us when we come right back. What
(15:44):
is said past the top of the hour on this
New Year's Eve edition of The Leech Report, as we
welcome Keith Farmer to the program and Mark Pope. I
was talking yesterday about the denim uniforms that are coming
back from ninety six for the Tennessee game on Ferry seventh.
Keith and anybody who was watching LA X eighteen yesterday
(16:05):
saw the new uniform for male anchors that was debuted
by you, Larry Smith.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Right, yeah, yeah, how about that?
Speaker 7 (16:12):
Not even the same brand, but certainly pretty close to
the same cloth. And I don't know, I just like
to think of it as it's like maybe some sort
of journalism hall of Fame jacket. You know, maybe they
like the Hall of Fame for the NFL, those yellow
jacket Yeah, exactly, exactly. Maybe someday you'll have one time and.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
A man can dream. I thought that was funny. I
caught the end of the newscast last night, and the
dinner uniforms are It's gonna be wildly popular, I'm sure
for that Tennessee game to you know, bring them back
and to just go in with the celebration of the
(16:51):
ninety six team. I'm sure it's happening that day. But
I was telling I guess you and Maggie we were
doing the Bada Tonight segment on Monday, how I remember
fans hating him when they came first came out back
in ninety six. Time has an interesting way to change opinions.
Speaker 6 (17:09):
I think it was just one of those things.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
Everybody was like, how are they supposed to sweat and
denim and and how are you supposed to like really
play isn't that going to be kind of awkward? And
I don't know, I think it grew on people a
little bit. But other people were just you know, the
traditionalists were like, I don't know about this, you know,
and it grows on you for sure, and you know,
(17:31):
to have it coming back now, I think it's the
people that realize it actually could happen, you know, and
it's just a little bit of a trim on a
on a uniform and everything. So yeah, I think a
little nostalgia. And you know, obviously we're in that day
and age where kids like to play in different uniforms
and and such, so I think it's it's a little
more acceptable now to see different style uniforms.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, I'm always kind of thinking that kind of stuff.
The more the mary or anything that makes sports a
little more fun is h Yeah, a good thing.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
We're gonna coming up at the heartbreak at the bottom
of the hour, so we'll take that and then come
back and continue with Keith Farmer from l e X
eighteen and BBN tonight. And if you miss the shows
on BBN tonight, you can also go to bbndnight dot
com and catch up on what you missed, the features
from Keith and Maggie and the rest of their team,
and we're going to talk about their big edition of
(18:23):
Game Day this weekend and what's coming up there in
the SEC preview. So we'll get into all of that
when we return with Keith Farmer on The Leech Report
Radio Network second half of our New Year's Eve show
(18:47):
here on The Leech Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises. Christy
Thomas will join us a little later to talk about
the start of conference play for the UK Women. You're
a TV guy, Keith Farmer, who we were visiting with
l exaighteen bb in tonight, So tell me why the
number eleven team in the country against the number five
team in the countries on SEC Network Plus tonight. Somebody
(19:07):
dropped the ball.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
That one.
Speaker 7 (19:09):
Yeah, that one I can't tell you about. That is
a strange one. There are a couple of games that
the UK women are playing that are just mind bogging
I think. Uh the South Carolina game is also maybe
an SEC Network Plus or an USPN plus. It's just yeah,
I don't don't get that one. You would think that
they would even know ahead of time, you know, the
(19:30):
chances of these teams being as good as they are
and and what a match up means, and and to
put it on regular TV instead of that streaming service.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
But uh, maybe they'll learn from this.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Season perhaps, And you can, uh you don't have SEC
Network Plus, you can tune in Darren Headrick on the
UK Radio network for the call tonight or tomorrow night
from Baton Rouge and sync it up. Uh if you
are watching anyway and go to uh a UK lex
dot com slash sink. So I'll do get that plug
in there.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
I'm sorry, Yeah, I was gonna just say I will
say this too. You know, you see where they put
games on like NBC, and then they'll put some on
Peacock because they're trying to get you to pay for
that subscription. So really another reason they're gonna put some Yeah,
another reason they're gonna put those good games on there.
Just you know, from a one TV guy to a
radio guy.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yep, I think you're onto something there.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Parcel TV guy, TV guy too.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, a little bit. We're chat with Keith Farmer about
the start a conference play, not only for the women's
team but the UK man down at Alabama on Saturday,
and it's a really fascinating matchup because Alabama's made twenty
two out of fifty four from the three point line,
and it's a Kentucky team that's not shooting the threes
at the level they did last year. Although the emergence
(20:47):
of Cam Williams seems like a huge point in this
team's favor heading into league play, right.
Speaker 6 (20:54):
Oh, certainly.
Speaker 7 (20:55):
I mean, if he can I know that that coach
Pope was joking, but he was like, if we can
just get eight of ten, you know, three point shooting
from him every night, that would be great. And it
doesn't even have to be that good, you know, I'd
like to see the percentage better, but if he can
knock down three or four, that would certainly extend things
out and open up that middle a little bit more,
(21:16):
or even if Jaden Quaintance is down low and kicking
it back out.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
I just think we.
Speaker 7 (21:21):
Learned a lot from this team in that Saint John's
game where it was finally healthy and you had a
Jaden Quaintance that was a big presence on the inside.
You had a Jalen Lowe who was so shifty, so
fast that that he's able to get into the interior
and kick back out to some of those three point
shooters and control the pace of play. So real exciting
(21:47):
as kind of Chris was talking about, you know, being
that that new season. We always remember how how coach
Patino loved this long break during Christmas where he could
really work the guys.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
I'm sure the.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
Guys didn't like it, but they usually came out better
teams on the other end of it. So it we'll
find out what the start of SEC play.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, they fear that you've between low and say Jasper Aberdeen,
you could get a couple of threes a game there.
Brandon Ramsey from KASR and on three had this kind
of formula a few weeks ago that I talked about
where he kind of came up with a formula of
what how Kentucky could get to a threes a game
pretty reasonably. And you know, so let's say that group
(22:29):
of guys, you know, Cam, maybe he's getting you a
couple on average, and then they, I think, really need
to get Colin Chandler Trent Noah to find their stroke again,
because that's the role they can play for this team
is to help in that area, and they're both capable
of doing it.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it's just that we hadn't
seen it happening, you know, not that it can't.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Start falling for them. But I really liked what they
were doing with more of that.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
Bully ball and that smash mouth ball, getting on the
inside and you know, get Mo, get Jaden down there
down low, occasional kickouts. But I just really like the
fact that they were starting to develop an inside game
and a real you know, affinity for going after the
offensive rebounds.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
So you know, that could be big in this game.
Speaker 7 (23:21):
When you talk about an Alabama team that is throwing
up so many threes, I mean, over fifty is a
lot of three pointers, and so they're not going to
shoot a lot of midbrains. They're either going to take
it long or they're going to take it to the rim.
So then if you've got Jaden Quaintins and Moe on
the inside to maybe swat away some of those shots.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Marino Brandon Garrison.
Speaker 7 (23:43):
I just think that this could be the right formula
to beat this Alabama team. You know, really guard them
at the three point line and then you know, destroy
them when they get inside.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You figure that you're not going to be likely to
outscore them on threes, but you hope to stay in range.
So where do you you gain your advantage if you're
the opponent. And I was looking at numbers from Alabama's
three losses and they got crushed on the boards in
all three, gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, and
that's something that certainly could be a strength for Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And then you kind of alluded
to this earlier. They've had their own share of you know,
like injury problems and they're trying to get guys back
in time for this start of SEC play. So you know, again,
I like your formula of knocking down the three when
it's available, but I still would like to see them,
you know, attack the boards win that battle, as you said,
(24:36):
against Alabama, and you know, and then score on the
inside the shift.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Here's to a little football. College football playoffs resuming tonight
with Ohio State Michigan and will Stein his aspires to
be there with his the first team. He'll be head
coach of somewhere down the road here at Kentucky, and
he's putting together and finalizing his staff and then the
portals about to kick in. But with the staff part,
(25:02):
at least from your days working in the Louisville market,
you're gonna have a lot of guys that you're already
connected to.
Speaker 7 (25:09):
Yeah, one of them being the head coach. Will Stein
covered him in high school when he was at Trinity
and certainly at the University of Louisville and then Colby Smith,
the new running backs coach. I covered him during his
time there. He was a hard runner, and he's obviously
translated that into his coaching. I know, you know, if
you look at his bio. When he was at Rutgers,
(25:30):
he helped Isaiah Checko kind of get some of his
career highs and some of his bests. And now here
he is running part for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
So good to see that he's got that connection.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
He's got the connection of having coached, you know, with
the Dolphins in the league, so that certainly can help
in the recruiting trail. And then Pete Knacta, that's a
really interesting situation because I used to watch him on
the sidelines along with Cornell Berberge's kid on the sidelines
when Brian Station and knactas his dad was, you know,
leading them to the state tournament, to a state title.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Game in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
And just remember him, you know, being kind of like
a ball boy on the sidelines and helping out and
then all of a sudden he ends up at the
University of Louisville and he spent so much time there.
So I'm looking forward to seeing him back in Lexington
and helping out the Blue.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
A little bit of with Will. It's a little bit
of putting the band back together, it.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
Is, isn't it.
Speaker 7 (26:24):
And it's just so interesting that that you're getting that
many guys that you know, really wore the red and
white for so long to come to the rival. But
it is such a different business nowadays, not only with
the coaches but also with the players as we see
them go through the transfer portal so much so I'm
(26:44):
looking forward to It's also interesting just in the fact
that he's got that he's really creating a different style
of staff, you know, where you're able to have so
many on staff now only ten can go out recruit, right,
but but you just don't have those quality control guys
now it's just their assistant running backs or something that
they're They're going to be out there on the field coaching.
(27:05):
And I'm really excited about what I've seen him put
together so far and looking forward to seeing them in
the spring.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
We'll have that army of guys in blue polos like
Saban used to have the army of guys in the
maroon polos down in Alabama.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
Correct, Yeah, yeah, and no doubt, and you know, we're
certainly hoping that that will comes back here in the spring.
And he's wearing a National championship ring that looks really
good as well.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to because I've you know, just
seen I havn't sat and watched a whole Oregon game,
so I'm looking forward to doing that tomorrow and their
matchup with Texas Tech.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Keith.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I appreciate the time so much. Oh, you guys have
your SEC preview. Tell us a quick word about that
coming up this weekend.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Yeah, really quickly.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
We have normal BBN game Day at nine am on Saturday,
and then following that at nine thirty a half hour
special on the SEC. It's got just a preview of
what's ahead. And then I've also got a really interesting
story with Malachai Marino. I don't want to say too
much about it, but it's just you're going to learn
the heart of gold that he has for some former
students at Great Crossing High School and you'll hear from
(28:08):
some of those students as well.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
So really looking forward to everybody seeing that.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, I think Gabe's daughter was there at the time
working with maybe special needs kids, and Malachi was it
was a part of that. And just nice correct, nice
young man.
Speaker 6 (28:24):
You're right along the line what this story is all about.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Well, look for that and that's coming up on the
SEC preview portion or game Day.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
That'll be on the SEC Preview.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Special, So that between nine and ten am on this
coming Saturday on LAX eighteen, the official UK station. Keith,
thank you very much. Happy New Year to you and
the family.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
Tom, Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
To yours sixteen away from the top of the hour.
It is the Leach Report Radio Network. We are presented
by Bobcat Enterprises and we'll be right back with Christy
Thomas from the UK Network as we talk about the
start of SEC play for Kenny Brooks and his UK
Webmen's bath bsketball team tomorrow night at LSU. Thirteen away
(29:18):
from the top of the hour. It is the New
Year's Eve edition of The Leech Report, coming to you
from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, Refresh and Refuel
is at one of the Clark's locations in Nicholasville last night,
and we were part of a new TV spot that
they're working on with some of the guys from UK Basketball,
(29:38):
so look for that coming up soon. Right now, look
for Christy Thomas to join our program from the UK
Sports Network where she has worked a lot of the
UK women's games, heading into the start a conference play
tomorrow night at LSU. Nothing like jumping right into the
deep end of the pool at the number five team
in the country.
Speaker 8 (29:55):
Right Well, I know, I said listen that we were
just talking about this on the cast of the host
game on Sunday that you know, when you start SEC play,
that's hard enough, but to do it on the road
against the diffrect team of the country, Yeah, that that
is not easy. So this will definitely be their toughest
test today.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, different kind of We talked a lot about this
with the men's team, and they're playing differently, certainly true
to a extent, certainly for the women because everything ran
through Georgia Amore last season. So how is this team
evolving with new cast somewhat new cast of characters.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Yeah, there was a ton of question marks for this
team and it was all centered around what do you
do without Georgia Amore and what really what does Kenny
Brooks do without Georgia Aymore. He's had her for, you know,
for so long and they've had such a really special relationship.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
What do you do?
Speaker 8 (30:48):
And Tony Morgan has really stepped in and been such
a bright spot for this team. And what's been interesting
about her play is you can actually physically see her
confidence growing every single time she steps out on the floor.
And I think by the time this is all said
and done, we're all going to say, wouldn't it have
been nice if Tony had been with Kenny Brooks for
(31:09):
another couple of years, and had she been under him,
I think she would have been equally as good as Georgia.
She's a little bit different in that she's a little bigger,
she's a little more athletic than what Georgia was. So
but she really is is finding this really nice balance
of distributing and then knowing when to insert herself that
(31:30):
she has to score, and Georgia was really good at that.
So you know, her being under Kenny Brooks has really
changed her as a player. And you know, she's a
very complete player for this team, and they're very unselfish teams,
So you know, I think that's the beauty of it
as well too, that no one was expecting Tony to
come in and be Georgia. They just wanted her to
come in and be Tony, knowing that the pieces around
(31:50):
her would be able to help.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
There was always that reference to from coach Brooks about
Georgia as as many me because they've been together for
so long and just kind of we're of one mind.
Why is Tony flourishing in this particular connection in her
first year?
Speaker 8 (32:09):
Nextion is the right word, because that's something that he
does that is not necessarily unusual, but not every coach
does it. And when they do shoot arounds, when they do,
you know a lot of these young ladies will come
out before practice and get some individual time in. They'll
stay after practice. When you go to a shoot around
before a game, they'll be out there, you know, as
(32:29):
early as they possibly can to not get into the
other team shoot around time and start shooting. And when
they do that, he's out there with them and he's
working one on one with them, and he's talking to
them individually, one on one, and that's very important to
him in his system because he wants them to know
that he has their back, that he supports them. So
when you've got a young lady like I think Clara
(32:49):
Strack is a great example. She's a great scorer, she's
an excellent defender, she does so many things well, he
is he wants her to shoot the three, and he
wants her to do that at a very high level.
And the only way to be able to do that
is number one, to practice it right, but then number two,
to know that your coach has confidence in you to
shoot that anytime you want, even when you're not making it.
So that's something that they work on an awful lot.
(33:11):
He said, there's no way you can have that confidence
in yourself as a player unless you know your coach
has that confidence in you. So there has to be
some connection there, and a lot of that starts in
those places in the gym when there's very few people
in there. It's just the player, it's just a couple
of managers, it's the coach, and he's really in there
working one on one with them and fine tuning little things,
(33:33):
and Tony has has really understood that, and she's very coachable.
If you're not coachable and you're not willing to listen
and you're not willing to take the coaching that he's offering,
then two things are going to happen. One is you're
not going to perform. But then number two, you're not
going to have that relationship that you really want or
that he really wants with his point guard. And that's
something that you know, he's kind of gotten the total
package with Tony in that way that she wants to learn,
(33:56):
she wants to be better, and she's coachable.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
You think keianny Key is back for the game tomorrow night.
Speaker 8 (34:03):
You know they're kind of lead, they're listing that as
day to day. I think if anybody has anything to
do with it, she absolutely will, and I think she
wants to. They were playing it safe against Costra, so
I do think we could potentially see her in the
line up. Maybe not as many minutes is what she's
used to playing, but you know, she gives them a
different look. When they don't have her in the starting lineup.
They're starting Asia Boon, so now you're starting a guard
(34:25):
in place of a post. So that certainly gives that
team a much different look. So you know that her
length and athleticism they in the post. They definitely need
her in there.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I saw a post on X yesterday I can't remember
from whom, but it listed the the numbers that Claire
Strack is posting, and I think said the only player
with fifteen plus points averaging fifteen plus points, ten plus rebounds,
two and a half plus blocks, one and a half
plus steals. Not only in women's basketball, but in the
(34:56):
men's game too.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
She's a stat stuff. I mean, you know, she's someone
that's so fun to watch play because she's versatile. She
you know, as a post player, she's she's long and lean,
but she runs the floor so well. She has great
court vision, she can handle the basketball, she's got to.
She can shoot and score at all three levels. She's
really very smart, and she's a great passer, and I
(35:19):
think sometimes, you know, her passing gets a little overlooked
because she does so many other things so well. But
she's a great passer. So she and Tianni Key in
the game together are really can really work a high low.
She understands she's going to be double and triple teams
in the post sos. She can find her teammates on
the perimeter. They've been shooting the ball really well from
the three point line on the last couple of games,
(35:41):
which everybody's been waiting on that. I think that's something
we knew this team could potentially be a good three
point shooting team, and now we're really seeing that. So yeah,
I mean, she's she's a stat sufferer. She's the kind
of player that you kind of had this expectation that
she's going to do everything and it's not too much
for her. You know, she's not somebody it really she'll
(36:02):
shine in that environment where you know she knows a
lot to expect it of her, and she's okay with
that number.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Eleven, Kentucky at number five LSU on SEC Network Plus
and the UK Radio Network tomorrow eight Eastern in Baton Rouge,
and then come next September, Christy Thomas and the UK
Football Network pregame show team will be debuting the will
Stein Era at Kentucky. So what do you like best
(36:28):
about what's happening with Kentucky football right now?
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Well, it's all feeling kind of fresh, you know. I
think that's what I like, is that things are feeling
fresh and new and exciting, and there's a lot of
unknown and I think that's something that we've kind of
faced the last couple of years anyway, with the transfer portal,
really not knowing what you've got, and I think this
unknown will be a lot of fun just to try
to see what. You know, as you're watching Oregon play
in the playoffs and you know, seeing what they're putting
(36:53):
out on the field, you know, you get a little
bit of the sense of maybe what we could see here,
and it's all very exciting. So, you know, change is
hard for a lot of people, and you know, it's
affecting a lot of people in that building that we've
known for a long time, so you know, there's some
sadness associated with that. But then I think at the
same time too, this is this is a program that deserves,
(37:14):
you know, to win and deserves to do it well
and look good on the field doing it, and I
think that all the pieces are being put into place
for it to be very exciting.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Run Christy Thomas from the UK Sports Network and we
thank you for your time. Happy New Year.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
Yeah sank to you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Lates Report presented by Bob kat Ed Enterprizes. We'll be
right back. Last chance for twenty twenty five to take
advantage of a great deal from cornbrandhamp dot com. If
(37:52):
you're a new subscriber, you can get thirty percent off
your first three months with a code new Leaf inn
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up take advantage of great deals. If you're a fan
of the infused gummies and Seltzer's, you can get them there.
(38:13):
The sleep gummies that I think are fantastic, The oils
and topicals that give you really from daily or from
some makes and pains. But Bailey, it's all about daily
wellness is what they're preaching at Cornbread Heamp, and you
can get a great deal right now on your first
three months with a subscription cornbredheamp dot com. This is
the good life. This day. In nineteen seventy six, Kentucky
(38:35):
won the Peach Ball over North Carolina twenty one zip
in the freezing cold in Atlanta, with thirty seven thousand
Kentucky fans making the trip down there to see Kentucky
play in a bowl game for the first time in
twenty five years. Wild Cat History Notes presented by Kentucky
Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia. They are on Romney Road
in Lexington at roadshowcards dot com. It'll be twenty twenty
(38:57):
six the next time we talk Best of show tomorrow
back here live to previous Kentucky and Obama on Friday
with Goose and with Mike Decorsi's We'll see you that
Happy New Year, everybody,
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