2025-05-22 - BBI

052225 Thursday The 50th anniversary of the Ky Colonels' ABA championship; (11:30) is North Carolina lowering academic expectations to help Bill Belichick? (19:00 Aaron Gershon of the Cats' Pause; (39:00) EKU football coach Walt Wells; (1:00:00) sports podcaster Vinny Hardy and communication in the cockpit is vital -- not matter what your name is...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the big New one. Sider Dick Gabriel with
you on a Thursday and right off the top, let
us remind you there is still time to get over
to Kogerfield today or you could do it tomorrow, but
be sure you can get over there if you would
and help Jagger Burton from the UK football team Trent
Noah from UK basketball. They are spearheading an initiative to

(00:22):
help LAX eighteen UK Sports and Campus Marketing to pull
together donations of supplies for the victims of the recent
tornadoes in our state. They're going to be there tonight
till eight o'clock and then again tomorrow from eleven am
to one pm. All donations will be directed toward tornado

(00:44):
relief efforts in southern Kentucky. Rakes, shovels, trash bags, cleaning supplies,
paper goods, flashlights and lanners, lanterns, non perishable foods, and
if you don't mind, including their pet food, dogs and cats.
They're victims, not quite like humans, but they also need

(01:05):
to be looked after in situations like this, So over
at Cogerfield, the blue lot that runs alongside Alumni Drive,
they will be there till eight o'clock tonight, then again
tomorrow from eleven am to one pm, all part of
tornado relief efforts in southern Kentucky. You heard this yesterday afternoon,

(01:26):
after we'd already put our show to bed, of course,
But Shake Gildess Alexander, the former Wildcat, is not only
the NBA scoring champ at thirty two point seven points
per game, but he is the league's most valuable player
and his team tonight takes on Minnesota in Game two
of the Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves led by Julius Randall,

(01:46):
of course, but SGA is having himself a season. He
was great last year. Some thought he should have been
the MVP last year, but he wins it this year.
Seventy two straight games twenty or more points, fourth longest
in NBA history. That kind of streak. Oscar Robertson did

(02:07):
it last in nineteen sixty three and sixty four. Wilt
Chamberlain had two streaks like that in the early sixties.
Just incredible. And now if they can win a championship
Oklahoma City, Shay Gilgess Alexander would join a pretty impressive
list of people to lead the league in scoring be

(02:28):
named the MVP and win an NBA title. He would
be the first guy to do that since Steph Curry
did it back during the twenty fourteen fifteen season. And
you've got names like Bob Coosey, Bill Russell again, Chamberlain,
Willis Reed did it, Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic, Michael Jordan, Shack,

(02:50):
Tim Duncan, and of course Lebron. Can you imagine six
six guard doing this. Most of those guys are bigs.
This guy's a skinny six to six guard. It was
so much fun to watch at Kentucky. Wasn't he so
root for the ok City Thunder? But there's a Wildcat
on every team, a former Wildcat in all four of

(03:11):
the NBA Final four team, So it's a fun time.
It's of course playoff time here in to be watching
the NBA. We need to also point out speaking of
former Wildcats, and then once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.
But dan Issel, Louis Dampier and their Kentucky Colonel's teammates
on this day fifty years ago, won the nineteen seventy

(03:37):
five ABA Championship. They beat the wicked Indiana Pacers one ten,
one oh five in Game five in Freedom Hall, man
I hated the Pacers. I should because one year the
Colonels were favored and the Pacers beat him in Game
seven for the ABA title. Indiana was so good. Finally
the Colonel's breakthrough under Hubie Brown and win the championship.

(04:02):
Hubie Brown had been an assistant coach for the Milwaukee
Bucks team that won the NBA Championship back in the
early seventies with a kid named leu Al Sinder, who
of course later was traded due to the Lakers and became
Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But John Y Brown hired him away,
thinking well, this guys had to win a championship, and

(04:23):
he did. And about a year and a half ago,
I had a chance to chat with dan Issel about
what that meant to him, to be able to along
with Louis and Hubie and artist Gilmour win the ABA title.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
You get, that's a special, special moment, I think for
all of us. Hubee says to this day it's the
best team he ever coached. And you know that was
the only championship that Louie and I and artists won,
so it's very special, and you know, it just makes
you wonder what would have happened if that team had

(04:59):
stayed together and it had been one of the teams
that went into the NBA at the time of the merger.
But you know what, my my very favorite moment in
my basketball career.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, you know, John Y. Brown a great business man,
there's no question. And you know I said it was
a bad business deal, and you know that day it
might have been, but it lacked a little bit of forethought,
didn't it? Or was that too easy to say now
because you know the NBA then surely isn't what it
is now?

Speaker 2 (05:33):
No, No, not even close.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
People.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Younger people will find this hard to imagine. But at
that time and even later in a lot of markets,
major markets, the NBA Finals were on tape delay after
the eleven o'clock news, So no, nothing close. And John did,

(05:56):
John did make the right business decision at the time time.
But it would have been great if Kentucky had an
NBA team today.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Dennis it was my first college basketball hero. It was
so great to be able to eventually meet him, get
to know him, become friendly with him. We chat on
the radio every once in a while, and looking back
on the ABA days with him, it was just a
lot of fun and yeah, hard to believe it was
fifty years ago today and what a great team that was.

(06:29):
But they took four teams into the NBA from the ABA,
and they had to pay up to be a part
of it and sign a terrible deal where they couldn't
share in TV revenue for like twenty years or something
crazy like that. But the Nets and the Pacers and
the Nuggets and the Spurs did it, and now they've

(06:49):
won championships. Well, the Pacers haven't won an NBA title yet,
but they do have those three ABA titles from the
early seventies, but the Colonels have the seventy five title
and we sell rated today. I sent him for Tom
Leach on The Leach Report earlier today, and one of
his guests, as he is each week generally on Thursday,
is Jack Gibbons, Tom's broadcast partner, and I asked him

(07:11):
a follow up question to a topic they discussed last week.
And I've talked about this on the show a little bit.
Otega Oway getting advice, getting some direction from NBA experts,
the people who are checking him out and talking to him,
trying him out. He's trying to decide does he keep

(07:34):
his name in the draft. And I've mentioned it several
times and a lot of people have. Antonio Reeves did
this and was told, you know, you're either not going
to be drafted or you'll be way late in the
second round. So he comes back to college armed with
the knowledge of what he needs to do to better
himself for the NBA and it's not mutually exclusive. We

(07:58):
learned that, didn't we Antonio Reeves at the best season
of his college career his last year at Kentucky, and
clearly it helped himself, but it helped the Wildcats enormously.
So if Alwa can do that kind of transition, imagine
how much better he's going to be this coming season
if he comes back to Kentucky. And I talked to

(08:19):
Jack about that, because you know, that kind of information
and that kind of interaction with the NBA was not
only not available but against the rules back then when
Jack was playing. But just you think about Jack had
a brief career in the NBA because he was an
undersized forward and didn't develop himself as a guard, And

(08:42):
had he known more about what he needed to do
and how to do it, he would have spent a
lot longer in the NBA, and we talked about that
a lot of times.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
Our fans get all been out of shape because guys
go and they're going to test the waters. Then you
start to worry and wonder and you know, get but
this is something that benefits these guys. I mean they know,
and I think Oldway knows that he has a little

(09:10):
ways to go before he's ready for the league. But
like when I was at Kentucky, you get kind of
penciled into a spot and you get used to play
in a certain system. And I worked really well in
our system, but man, I would love to have had

(09:31):
these guys kind of tell me, Man, you got to
increase your ball handling. But I mean, yeah, you can
shoot it if you jump all right for guys six
five and playing against guys six eight, you jump all
right and all of this stuff. But you know, at
your size six four sixty five, you're going to be
a point guard. You got to handle that ball. You

(09:52):
got to get out on the floor and learn how
to defend these quicker players, which I had to try
to do in the NBA. And believe me, when you
doing it for a job and everybody's trying to make
a living. It's a very difficult place to change your
whole style of play. So yeah, I think it's good.
Old Wait, Well, hear some stuff that he won't hear

(10:14):
from his from his girlfriend, he won't hear from his parents,
he won't hear from all those people around him who
are advising him. He'll hear some stuff that he really
needs to hear and hopefully that'll help him get better
the rest of the summer and going into next season.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
And that has got me really excited about seeing Otago away,
including his brand new teammates, but seeing Otaga Oway and
what he's going to do this season. I believe he'll
be back, and most experts do, not that I'm an expert,
but people who keep an eye on this sort of
thing believe he'll come back. It makes more sense financially anyway.
But can you imagine if he makes the same kind

(10:52):
of leap and Antonio Reeves made with a college game,
how much better he's going to be up next? What's
going on in North Carolina with Bill Belichick? Well, that's
a great question. There's a new lead on that story,
it seems every day, including the former coach of the
Tar Heels Mack Brown implying that they have relaxed academic

(11:14):
standards at North Carolina the Harvard of the South for
Bill Belichick. We'll talk about that coming up at the
bottom of the hour. Aaron Gershan of the Cat's Balls.
Later on EKU coach Walt Wells and podcaster Vinnie Hardy
here on six point thirty WLAP Welcome back to the
Big blone Cider coming up in a few minutes, Aaron
Gershan of the Cats Balls. I mentioned North Carolina going

(11:36):
into the break. Mack Brown appeared on Sirius XM radio
on a podcast or radio show actually with Dusty devorceek
and Danny Canell and talked about why North Carolina has
a chance to be successful quickly with Bill Belichick despite
all the stuff that's going on with the girlfriend. And
one of the things that Brown brought up, I'll play

(11:57):
the comment for you in just a minute academic, and
he basically said they seem to have lowered the academic
standards to help Belichick and reminded me instantly of two things.
Number One, Notre Dame did this back in the eighties,
and it was when Lou Holtz was there, and it
clearly helped Holtz with his recruiting, and then conversely, they

(12:18):
had a new chancellor come in, I think, and raised
the academic standards at Notre Dame back to where they
had been over Holtz's strenuous objections, and that's when he left.
He won a national title and almost won another one
at Notre Dame when they had lowered those academic standards,
but Ray re raised them or put him back, and

(12:40):
that was it for Holtz. He took off, and as
you know, he lan landed at the South Carolina at
one point. The other thing it reminded me of was
the academic scandal at North Carolina a few years ago,
when it was discovered that students all over campus, not
just athletes, were basically enrolling in bogus courses where they

(13:02):
hardly had to do anything in order to make good
grades and helped their GPA. Obviously, there were athletes involved,
and people immediately assumed that these were classes created four athletes. No,
there were more non athletes in these classes than athletes.

(13:23):
But it was a real scandal. And this is a
school that is clear, as I said before the break,
considered itself in an IVY League type of school, even
though it is a state institution, and look, it's a
school with a lot of money, and it is a
great institution academically. But they prostituted themselves, the powers that
be at North Carolina, to get out from under that scandal,

(13:47):
at least with regards to the NCAA, by admitting or
basically saying, these classes or this class in particular, was
part of our regular curriculum. That's how they get out
from under serious NCAA penalties. Because if they hadn't said that,

(14:08):
then a lot of these athletes were going to be
declared ineligible. Championship banners we're going to be taken down
and things like that. But in order to avoid that
for their athletic department, the academic side of campus had
to admit or forced itself to admit that, yeah, these
are bogus classes. This is part of what we are.

(14:32):
It's not exactly the Harvard of the South. As I said, Now,
if Belichick is going to benefit from academic standards that
are lowered, well they're just going to shrug that off obviously,
and I have to assume it's true. But keep in mind,
now a lot of schools do that. There are ways
to do this legally. In fact, this happens in the UK,

(14:54):
believe it or not. And I say that without sincerity.
There is a process, and it's not about athletics. Let
me be clear about that. I've had it explained to me.
If you don't have the proper board scores essentially to
get into the UK and a lot of other schools,
you can appeal. There is an appeals process. But within

(15:15):
that process, athletics are not a factor. It's not like, hey,
we need to let this person in because he's a
great football player, she's a great basketball player. It's a
case by case deal and a lot of kids are
allowed in when ordinarily they might not be, and a
lot of them prosper. Some of them don't. But you

(15:38):
know what, a lot of the kids you get in
normally don't prosper either, So again, case by case. But
I just find it interesting that Mac Brown freely spoke
about this on Serious XM.

Speaker 4 (15:49):
It was time for me. North Carolina didn't have ni
O money, and I said, we were kind of a
slow bleed. We weren't able to recruit the top kids
like we were when we first got there. So it
was time for them, and it was time for me,
So it's kind of like a divorce. Everybody was ready,

(16:09):
it's just who and how and how you split at
the end. So it was best for me to get out.
We always built programs on fit, and in our last
couple of years there, we were having to get parents
with money. We were trying to get kids over at
three point zero because that's who we could get. We

(16:30):
signed twenty six players at North Carolina are next to
last year high school players, and didn't pay them a penny,
so those kids I felt guilty. We even had Omaria
and Hampton and he got offered a million plus to
leave and he stayed for three hundred thousand. I told
him should leave because it was just crazy as you

(16:51):
were looking at those things. As far as North Carolina
and Bill Belichick, now he's arguably the best coach ever.
They've committed money to it, they've helped them with academics,
they've lowered those standards some so there's absolutely no reason
that they shouldn't be successful. And anymore. They've changed the roster.

(17:14):
I think they've signed maybe sixty something new transfers, so
you've got chances to succeed at the highest level, and
I expect them to do that, and I'm proud for him.

Speaker 1 (17:25):
There's going to be pushback on that, you know there
will be. We'll keep an eye out for it. But yeah,
that's Mac Brown. Courtesy of Sirius XM. One other note
about football. Jim Yersay has died. You may have seen this.
He is the owner, was the owner of the Indianapolis Colts.
Only sixty five. He had had substance abuse issues in
the past and don't know what the cause of death was.

(17:46):
Way too young, sixty five, but I didn't know this.
He had assembled one of the greatest collections of valuable
guitars in the world, guitars owned by David Gilmour, Bob Dylan,
Kurt Cobain. And at one point he turned down one

(18:07):
billion dollars that's billion with a B for his offer.
This was back in July of twenty twenty three. It
was of course somebody in Dubai who offered to buy
it and then it would have been moved to Dubai,
but Hearsay turned him down. Can you imagine, because he
wanted to exhibit the instruments to the public here in

(18:30):
the US and he didn't need the money. He's a
rich guy owned the Colts. He was the owner when
they took Peyton Manning got him a Super Bowl win.
But yeah, Jim Ayersay, I didn't know this. I knew
he had a band, but I didn't know he had
that kind of collection of valuable guitars. But apparently guitar
aficionado's all over the world they knew about Jim Hearsay.

(18:53):
No telling. Now what's going to happen to the collection.
Aaron Gershan of the cash Balls is coming up next
right here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the
Big Blue Sider. Joining us now as he does each week,
is Aaron Gershan of the Cats Pause part of the
two four seven network, and Aaron, earlier today you were
talking a lot of football. Let's talk a little basketball first,

(19:16):
Mark Pope, and he had kind of led on in
his news conference last week. He wasn't quite done with
his roster, and sure enough he lands Brandon Hawthorne. You've
written about him. What should we know?

Speaker 5 (19:29):
Yeah, I think, and I'm not trying to oversell it,
but I think when you look at like a similar timeline,
similar body, similar, Okay, how do we want this kid
to project? I go and look at Adu Sierro. Deuciero
was a very late riser in the I believe twenty
twenty two high school class. He was a guy who

(19:49):
his frame wasn't fully built out. He needed to add
a lot of weight, frankly, added a lot of strength,
and he even I think grew two or three inches
from his freshman year here at UK to this past
year at Arkansas. And we'll see if it's the NBA
or Arkansas for him next year. So that's what I
kind of think of because Hawthorne's a kid that was

(20:10):
a three star prospect outside of the top one hundred
and fifty in two four, sevens or eight kings back
in December and November when he had initially signed with
West Virginia, and as his body started filling out a
little more, as he started to play even better on
the court, you know, he shot up to now where
he's the thirty third best player in the country. Now

(20:32):
is that, Yeah, he's the thirty third best player in
the country. But I don't think that's going to equate
itself on the court this year. I think I don't
think you're going to see him play all too much.
I think there's going to be you know, a lot
of work in that weight room, a lot of work
in the practice gym. He's going to be a big
part of the practice a big part of scout team
in practices for Kentucky. But I don't expect to see

(20:53):
him all that much unless injuries pile up or you know,
Kentucky has a big lead or a big deficit and
they're kind of just rolling at the bench a little bit,
pretty similar to what a dude's role was here his
freshman year. You know, Kentucky did have the injuries at
the point guard positions and that forced him to play
a little bit that season. But you know, the plan
in that year was not for a dude to play much,

(21:15):
and he didn't. I think they'll play even less than
that if everything goes right at Kentucky. But he's a
guy you can definitely get excited about his future. I mean,
he's six foot nine, may not be done growing quite yet.
He's been a guard most of his high school career
because he was six to five a year and a
half ago. So he's a guy who can play multiple positions.
He's a seven foot three wings fan like similar I

(21:37):
think a do also had a seven to three wings.
Spanner has one. So that's the guy I kind of
compare him to. Will he be as good? I don't know.
Is it going to be a thing where he is
not too happy about sitting on the bench all the
year and he transfers out. Possibly it's it's college basketball
and in twenty twenty five, But he's a guy who
can at least get excited about his future and his ceiling.

(21:58):
I'm just not quite sure if at all he's going
to have that much of an impact on the court
this year. But I think you're going to see that
growth and body transformation every time you look at him,
and that's what makes me really excited about his future.
And to just add the thirty third best player in
the country, yeah as your fourteenth man, like, sign you up.
Anyone should be signing up for that any day.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
All Right, you've given us a lot to unpack. Let's
start first of all with did you know how much
I like I do THEO?

Speaker 6 (22:27):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Sure I wish he had stayed here, but this kid, yeah,
he paralys them a lot, but he has not built
that way. As you mentioned, no needs to be in
the weight room. From what I've read it's aid one
seventy five, which means probably won seventy. But at this age, nutrition,
weight room coaching, they can put on good muscle pretty quickly.

(22:48):
So he has a bit of a string being.

Speaker 5 (22:51):
Right now, right, Yeah, no question about it. He definitely
needs to add some weight, add some strength, and I'm
sure that is the first thing. And really that's going
to be just the main focus for him this whole
season at Kentucky. And you know, again he's gonna, of course,
he's gonna come in with the attitude of oh I belong,
I'm going to compete for minutes. I just I don't

(23:11):
know how realistic that really is, especially with how deep
this roster is. So yeah, he's definitely got work to
do in that gym, and he's not quite ready yet.
But you know, he also he comes from this Huntington Press,
he comes from this program. He's from Beckley, West Virginia,
but played his last year. I think just as last year.
It could be two years at Huntington Prep and at
the school that's developed Andrew Wiggins, Keldon Johnson obviously former

(23:35):
Cat Darren Peterson the number one player in this twenty
five class, setting the campus, played there for a year
before transferring to a different prep school like Thomas Bryant
a center for the Pacers now, but to Indiana. Miles
Bridge is not.

Speaker 1 (23:50):
Leave.

Speaker 5 (23:50):
He was at Michigan State first round picking the Hornets.
I think he's still yet still in Charlotte. So it's
a program that's produced a lot of good basketball players.
And you know, Kentucky's definitely hoping with the with their
weight program or their strengths coaches program, whatever they go
and have Hawthorn do in the gym, it kind of
just unlocks them more and more.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
You touched on this as well. Uh, this being the
age of basketball where there's you know, free and open
movement every hour on the hour, you do wonder about
a guy with this kind of rep who could have
gone and probably got more minutes maybe elsewhere wherever he
would have gone. He's still going to be skinny and young.

(24:33):
But this is a deep roster. And whenever you ask
Pope about it, what does he say, I want to
play all of them? And in times it looks like
he's trying to do that. Of course you can't really
do that, but you do wonder about will this young
man and time will tell if he has the patience
it takes now to do what he wants to do.

Speaker 5 (24:55):
You know what I mean, It's college It's just what
college basketball is nowadays. I mean, you don't have much
of that. You don't have much of the guys that
are willing to sit out and then give it another year.
I mean even and I don't blame him at all,
and this is not a dig at them, but Travis Perry,
a kid who's from Edieville, Kentucky, dreamed of playing here
high school all time leading scorer in the state. You know,

(25:16):
he went one and done here because the playing he
didn't see the pass two enough playing time and he
played his minute last year and getting four or five
starts is probably more than what Hawthorne is going to
play this coming year. Yet Perry had enough and went,
you know, to another SEC school. And so you can't
ever rule that out, especially when you look at how
Kentucky's roster's built. Not only would the death on this

(25:39):
year's roster, but go look at who's go look at
next year Kentucky and again guys are going to portal.
There might be draft decisions, but the only two guys
for sure who are off the after this year will
be Denzel Aberdeen who's entering his senior year. And then
if Otega's oway is back, he's entering his senior year.

(26:00):
As long as the health stuff is say okay, we'll
be the lottery pick he's expected to be since he
you know, he was just simply ineligible for the draft
this year or his age. So that's another spot. You know,
obviously guys could portal out. You know, maybe Brendan Garrison
establishes himself as a pro. He wasn't McDonald's all American.
It's in there, so you know there's going to be

(26:20):
other roster movement for sure. But I mean he tases
not only a monster to get over as far as
Duth goes this year, but just on paper for next year.
So we'll see, you know what his attitude is about it.
But you know he clearly you got to give him
credit for accepting the challenge this year because you go
look at his FI finalists. If you picked he obviously

(26:41):
picked Kentucky, so you know, he picked the school at
where he wasn't gonna play much. But he also could
have picked Duke or it would have been the same story.
But then you know, West Virginia has a new coach
and they're still needing some bodies there. Virginia Tech has
been really bad the last couple of years. They definitely
would have played a top thirty five prospect right away
and then coming down year with the coach on the

(27:02):
hot seat. So you know, those three schools he demply
could have played right away, but he opted to develop
and have the Kentucky grand attactually his name, So you
got to give him credit for at least going in
knowing what's ahead of them.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
You mentioned that he is one of these guys who,
in terms of his size, is a late bloomer. Was
six' five suddenly. Sported Anthony davis is the best example of. That.

Speaker 7 (27:25):
Clear.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
Yep but that, happens it. HAPPENS i don't know much
about his skill. SET i, mean does this mean he
is a LIKELY a? THREE i don't know that it'll,
yeah four without the, muscle but with a handle of
a one or. Two.

Speaker 5 (27:41):
Yeah all the quotes from you, know the recruiting guys
over at two four seven AT, espn his high school,
coach they all can see him kind of they see
him kind of position position list where he can play
like you, said he'd played a little bit of the,
two the three to, FOUR i think it'll PROBABLY i
think he fits most his current size as a, three

(28:02):
which honestly is good for him Because, kentucky if that's
where they have any question marks after the starting, lineup
it's probably. That but you, know still again finally be
enough to play this year unless they're.

Speaker 6 (28:13):
Injuries SO.

Speaker 7 (28:16):
I see him as a.

Speaker 5 (28:17):
Three but you, know you, know he's six y nine right,
now six eight right, now six nine depends depending on
where you. Look if he shoots up two inches Like
juciero did and he's at six ten six, eleven like
you're probably looking at a. Four so it's going to be.
Interesting it's all going to depend on his, growth both
heightwise and then in the weight.

Speaker 1 (28:37):
Room Aaron gershan of The Cats. Pause we'll come back
and talk more With aaron in just a minute here
on six THIRTY. Wlap welcome back with chatting With Aaron
gershan of The Cats. Pause covers The wildcats, football, baseball,
Basketball uh he does it all and earlier today talked
to The kentucky football defensive coordinators for a piece it's
going to run in a. Yearbook the. Yearbook business never slows,

(28:59):
down does and in terms of always looking, ahead there's
always something else you got to. Do.

Speaker 5 (29:04):
Right, yeah, yeah we're in really good shape so. Far
but you, know these were two big things to knock
down With, Bush handsed And Brad. White but, yeah it
doesn't really. Stop you feel like you're in a good
spot and then a week later, like oh, CRAP i feel.
Behind so that's kind of how it.

Speaker 1 (29:19):
Goes when you went into your interviews with the, coordinators
what was on your? Checklist? What and people have to
read about their answers into your, Book but what were
you looking?

Speaker 5 (29:30):
For, yeah it's kind of just, look there's so much,
new especially we'll start on, OFFENSE i, mean outside Of
Jalen farmer and maybe Jagg Er burton if he wins
the starting center, job which it looks like he probably,
will it's gonna And Mary. Macklin it's nine new starters on.
OFFENSE i, mean it's it's just crazy turnover and then

(29:51):
not that doesn't even go into all the new depth
they've added at multiple positions on that side of the.
Ball so it's really getting a feel of What bush
hand and remember this Is handen's first time kind of
helping hand pick. Players last, year he got here After,
kentucky the most of their portal work was already. DONE i,
ACTUALLY i don't even know if they added another offensive

(30:12):
player in the portal after spring ball last, year or
at least not off the top of my. HEAD i
THINK i know they had A Dj, waller but that
was a. Corner so really the first time For bush
to hand pick some guys and really get guys he
feels are good fits for his. Offense so shouldn't get
a feel of that for, sure and you can read
about it there and then just kind of get his
perspective on some of these new guys that maybe they

(30:32):
don't like talking. To are like talking about after a
spring practice to get on those video reels for the
players to eat. Up so you, know that was the
focus For, bush and then same With. Brad when you
look at their unit defensive, line it's, just, look we've
been used To Dean, WALKER kV soxson, Nine Trayvon ripko
for years and all those guys are now. Gone you,

(30:54):
know you do bring Back Khalil saunders And Josiah, hayes
but otherwise it's the whole new room there so getting
the feel for what he kind of expects. There it's
different in terms of you, know you look at THEIR
d line on, paper it's a lot smaller than it
was last, year but a lot, quicker a lot you,
know maybe makes you, more it just gives You i'm

(31:15):
losing track of the Words i'm coming, for but, versatile
that's What i'm looking. FOR i think you could be
more versatile with mixing guys in and out and how you,
attack you, know how you get to the, quarterback how
you get in the. Backfield it's going to be you
could do it in a vrid of ways where you
kind of knew you were kind of just relying on
pure strength and size with the last couple of Groups
sea line, Lives so you, know digging into that a,

(31:36):
bit you, know talking about the outside linebacker and inside linebacker,
rooms like the depth is. Thin just trying to get
the trust level on the guys who are going to
be playing a lot there and then you know the
secondary that bring a lot, back so you, know good
to have continuity. There and there are a lot of
guys you know on this. Roster you, Know Willie rodriguez
on offense is the one everyone talks, about but you

(31:56):
go look at some of the freshmen who played well
last year now as, possible there's a lot of them
were on special, teams but they're gonna be key defensive
players this, year Like Cam dooley And, Inquise she's got
so h you, know trying to get a feel of
a lot of newness because, honestly not only the not
only do the fans need, It FRANKLY i need it
because there's just so much new about this.

Speaker 1 (32:18):
Team, yeah a lot to, say a lot to write.
About i'm curious about Ham dan because for several, reasons
you AND, i along With Billy rutledge talked all year
about the offense and football in. General but what kind
of a read did we get this last season on

(32:38):
Ham dan as AN oc on The kentucky offense because
of you, know the, injuries THE o, line h in
THE qb that got banged up and got happy feet
by the end of the, year you, know whatever problems
or issues they had in the receiver's. Room you, know to,
me it's not exactly a do over For bush Ham.
Dan But i'm wondering will we get a more accurate

(33:00):
picture of what his offense would look like, here you
know WHAT i.

Speaker 5 (33:03):
Mean, yeah Maybe i'm being too easy on, him BUT
i Kinda he's the one GUY i don't really JUST
i can't give him much of blame for at all
of what happened last, year for everything you just, mentioned
and and the fact againy like this roster was put
in place with the guys That Liam cohen wanted in his,
system and the group was signed or committed in Early

(33:24):
december When Liam cohen going back to THE nfl was
not even on anyone's. Radar same With Jamury macklin adding
him to the, mix and obviously he does have history
with Bush, handen but still that was the guy that
was already. Here the running backs were all you, know
in place that were in. Place we're all already, Here
so he had no say on that roster offensively last.

(33:47):
Year then you mix in the issues they had on
the offensive line that he, inherited and and all the
injuries that no one can prepare. For so it was
just a really sticky situation for him last. Year you,
KNOW i think people can, say, oh you could say
the same About Rich, skangarillo but that was there was
some real play calling issues there were last, Year i'm

(34:09):
Not i'm not sure it was really down to play.
CALLING i think it was just a lack Of jimmy's And.
Joe's so now this year where you add all these
transfers that you had a big role in helping bring
here and, say, yeah they fit in my. System And
i'm sure you know and you'll read why he Thinks
Zach calsata was the right guy for him like, that
that's a that's on bush hand and. Shoulders now Now

(34:30):
i'm judging. Him now it now comes down, To, okay
if this offense doesn't, improve not as only on, scoops of,
course it's on it's on bush hand a bit, too
and it'll be on the players. Also but hopefully it
doesn't come to. That hopefully it just kind of works
out and there's a study. Improvement but you, know you
go look at What hamden did At Boise, state and
they had the number six rushing off in the. COUNTRY

(34:53):
i know they had ash And GenZ and the quarterback
from ark who's now At Arkansas, green but still you
don't do that without some help from your offense. Coordinator
he had a really good he had a thousand yard
rushier and every. Year he'd been the coordinator up until last,
year and then what he did at the end of
the year At missouri when he took over play calling
With Brady. Cook AND i talked To Brady cook AT
sec media days last summer and he kind of credited

(35:16):
hand and for being the guy that turned his college career.

Speaker 6 (35:18):
Around SO.

Speaker 5 (35:21):
I THINK i just don't put too much of this
on his shoulders from last. Year but this year it'll
be a different. Story he'll be looked at differently for
sure because it's his.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
Guys oh, yeah but he still got AN o line
and right now is a big question mark and whatever
he can do or wants to, do it's all going
to hinge on, them go through.

Speaker 5 (35:39):
Them yeah, Yeah, look it looks better on, paper but
you are relying on guys to make the steps From
Bowling green In New Mexico, State and you, know If
Evan wibberley is the starting center From Western, kentucky, like
there's still a lot of unknown and injuries, happened and
how much does have some of the guys Like Alba
selm And Malachi wood and the guys you're relying on the,

(36:00):
depth how much have they improved where if you get
in another bad injury, situation they can plug and play
and be much better than they were a year. Ago so,
yeah definitely still plenty of question. Marks there's more questions
and answers on this team as a. Whole that's why
you know they're probably when we go down or when
THE sec votes on the, ballots AND i Guess july In,

(36:23):
Atlanta i'm Expecting kentucky to be fifteenth or sixteenth on
those just because there's so much.

Speaker 1 (36:28):
Unknown, Wow, WELL i guess that's.

Speaker 5 (36:31):
FINE i, mean, yeah, yeah BECAUSE i Mean bandy beat
them last year and they bring back a ton of,
guys and THEN i think they'll be ahead Of Mississippi
state because they were two and ten last year and
they're in the same.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Boat, WELL i think The vegas over and UNDER i
saw on wins Where kentucky was four point, five that's.
Correct didn't really surprise. Me i'm guessing it didn't surprise you.

Speaker 5 (36:51):
Either not with the. Schedule, yeah the schedule now you,
know and that's.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
The, thing and you know there's still. Pushing they're gonna
get their ninth.

Speaker 5 (37:01):
GAME i, mean we made it's gonna.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Happen we may be looking back at those years That
kentucky got ten wins and try having to remind ourselves
how it, happened you know WHAT i.

Speaker 5 (37:12):
Mean, yeah, yeah it's gonna be really hard going. Forward
but you know, THIS i do think though to a certain,
extent the portal and nil does even out things a little.
BIT i, mean you've seen new champions last couple of, years,
RIGHT i, Mean Ohio state's always in, it but they
hadn't won it all in ten. Years, Uh michigan had
won their First NATIONAL championip in a, while and they

(37:33):
Played washington in the title. GAME tcu made the title.
Game georgia hasn't been nearly as dominant the last two
or three. Years alabama, obviously Between saban retiring and even
before he, retired they started to look more, human, like,
uh those programs always going to be, there but like
the chance to have a year Like South carolina had last,

(37:54):
year What missouri has done the last two, years like
that's there For kentucky. Still they just gotta find the right.
Players they got to coach. Better, honestly it sounds it sounds,
elementary but it's, true like they just need to do
the little things better and get what they need and
they have a chance to be like A Missouri South
carolina and be in the mix every year in THE. Sec,

(38:16):
well AND i think that's what they were.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
Right, exactly and that's what they got to get back.
To AND i really believe in some of the comments
That stoops has made and and and some of the you,
know the ex players who talk to people over. There
they got to get back to that blue collar mentality
and you know all the comments And stoops has made
since then and put it all on. Himself you. Know
he sets the tone and the ground rules and he's

(38:39):
got to make it. Happen so we'll see if it works.
Out but there's a lot that can happen between now and.
Then Aaron groshan will keep an eye on. It thank, you.
Sir we're talking next.

Speaker 5 (38:48):
Week ye then they.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
Come number two is up next WITH eku football Coach
Walt wells and Podcaster Vinnie hardy all ahead on six
THIRTY wlapt stacat.

Speaker 5 (39:45):
Show Anything Can Do, Anything.

Speaker 8 (39:51):
Don't welcome back to The Big Blue.

Speaker 1 (40:49):
Sider joining us down our celebrity hotline is e K
u football Coach Walt wells AND uh Coach welcome. Back
we we chatted right after your spring game at the,
stadium but we haven't had a chance to check any.
Since when you look back on the, spring what did
you think about what you? SAW a lot of new
faces and a lot of new. Places right, Right.

Speaker 6 (41:08):
We got a lot of you, know we had TWENTY
i want to say twenty seven to twenty eight people
leave us whether through twenty four of them were through,
graduation which is big these. Days but we had some
obviously going To portal and take off from, us so
we had a lot of replacements to. Do AND i
really like what our coaches and our players did as

(41:30):
far as just developing and understanding what the position that
they play, takes how it fits into our, defense our,
offense our special. Teams AND i thought we had a
really good spring. Practice SO i was really after watching the,
film sitting down and evaluating the. Players we just got
out of school this past, week SO i just got grades,

(41:50):
Today so we're sitting there going through all, that which
looks like it's been quite honestly like it's gonna be
the highest semester.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
Ever.

Speaker 6 (41:56):
Wow so So i'm a you, know in the fall
was and then the spring is going to break that.
Record so you, KNOW i like where our football team
is in the culture that we have right, now the
character we have on the. Team you, know we've got
some inexperience and we've got to continue to do. That
we added some pieces into portal here the last two
or three weeks and now we're getting ready For tuesday

(42:21):
After Memorial day to get them all back and get
them going in summer school and working out and training
and getting ready for this.

Speaker 1 (42:27):
Fall, well you finished in a rush last, year and,
yeah you've got a lot of new. Faces but as
you mentioned culture and we all know ABOUT eku football.
Culture but controversial loss in the, playoffs we don't need
to get into. That but you guys were rolling by
the end of last. Year can you with all these new, Faces,
walt how tough will it be or will it be

(42:48):
tough to pick up where you left?

Speaker 6 (42:50):
OFF i think you know that to be determined to be,
honestly we need to see them through the rest of the.
Summer we need to see them in training. Camp you,
know we don't start. Easy we go To, louisville you,
know just don't have a great football team over. There uh,
then but we do get A scs team coming Into
Bailey zaffi's old, Team Houston christians before he went To,

(43:13):
Western so, uh you, know we get them coming in
before we head over To, marshall and so you, KNOW
i think we can you, know survive some things and get.
Going and then the four game we go straight into
conference play down At West, georgia who's probably the most
improved team in the. Conference and so we're gonna find
out real quick where we are those week two and.

(43:33):
Four and AND i like our football. TEAM i, like
LIKE i, SAID i like where we're at right, now
knock on wood and not a lot of major, injuries
so we should be. Okay uh coming, Back we've just
got to see how these young people developed and we
get you, KNOW i just met with our coaching staff.
YESTERDAY i gave them. Off they're off for the next
four or five, days and, UH i just met With

(43:55):
the last THING i said was the, guys we have
to do a great job developing this summer and how
we can develop. Them and you know that we've got
to have great plans and because they are, young and
we got to understand that they are young and be
patient with. Them but we also got to they gotta
go be ready to.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
Play, yeah we're talking with. Ek you had football Coach Walt,
wells The colonel's coming off an eight and five, season
uh six and two in the, league six and zero at.
Home got off to that rough start last, year TWO
d one Opponent's Mississippi, State Western. Kentucky those were not.
Pretty but as you, said, well actually it was just
like this. Year this coming. Year you opened up early

(44:35):
in the year With West georgia a conference, game and
you were impressive in that, win which tells, me coach
that your guys were able to refocus within a span
of a few, days which MEANT i felt like you
had pretty good leadership on that ball club to be
able to put those losses behind you and jump right
into conference play with a good, win you, know and

(44:56):
if you, can if you can duplicate that this, year
that's a great that's a great.

Speaker 6 (45:00):
Advantage that that's you hit the nail on the. Head
that's the biggest thing when you're, playing you, know The
louisville's The marshalls like we are this year is you,
KNOW i, mean they're they're a.

Speaker 7 (45:11):
Challenge you, know we go there to.

Speaker 6 (45:12):
WIN i, mean make no bones about. It just like
we Played Mississippi state In western last, Year kentucky and
and Uh cincinnati the year. BEFORE i, mean we're going
to win and make no mistakes about. That but the
reality of it, is if it doesn't, happen you the,
disappointment the the dealing with the, loss and maybe even

(45:36):
a couple of, losses that that is something that you
have to fight. Through and you, know we try to tell,
them like, listen we want to win those games more than,
anything like and we don't play any game on our
schedule to. Lose but that doesn't affect our, goals which
are to be undefeated At Roy Kids, stadium win THE
Uac conference and and then go to playoffs and win

(45:59):
a national. Championship that has no effect on that. Whatsoever,
right there's so the only if we, win it has
a positive, effect but if we, lose it has no
effect on. It so don't you, KNOW i get, it
it's important all, that but it's a long. Season you
have to fight through all. THAT i, mean it's hard

(46:19):
to go undefeated in the season wherever you're AT, sec you,
Know big, ten, anywhere it's hard TO i, mean look
At Ohio, state they went it last year they lost To.
Michigan everybody thought it was, devastating, right and they put it.
Behind you have to snap and clear and go to
the next one because and that's what life, is to

(46:39):
be honest with. You but but we have, to you,
know understand that and have a. Maturity AND i think you're.
Right the leadership on our football team last, year the
seniors that we, had especially out of those twenty, four
there was sixteen of them that had been, here you,
know four or five, years and that makes a difference
because they, are you, know guys that have been through

(47:00):
the whole, program the whole, system the whole time we were,
here AND i think that made a difference and gave
them a sense of pride and they played with that,
pride you, know from The Tarleton state game all.

Speaker 1 (47:12):
Yep talking TO eku football Coach Wald. Wells five of your, players,
coach have been named to The Kentucky Pro Football hall
Of Fame Collegiate All Commonwealth. Team it's part of a
great program with The Kentucky Pro Football hall Of. Fame
they were always recognized collegiate. Players FIVE eku colonels have been.

(47:32):
Named four of them are on the defensive side of the, football,
coach is that going to be the trademark for THIS
eku team coming? UP i know it's just the, spring
but when you look at the experienced guys coming, Back Jeremiah,
bailey Gave Fletcher, Veto, Tisday Jeheim, ward those are some
special players on. Defense there's no.

Speaker 6 (47:53):
QUESTION i think the experience we have on our football
team right now comes from the defensive side of the. Football.
Uh although we did lose a. LOT i mean we
lost you, Know Darien baker And Ryan jackson and marve On,
field three starters up front or two starters, upfront and
in a really quality sub. Uh you, know we Lost

(48:15):
Manage marcelli's to THE uh to the. Portal we Lost
Mike smith to The Dallas, cowboys and so you, know
you hear all, that you, know holy. Cow but there's
a lot of guys that had played last. Year AND
i thought we made a great improvement in our defense last.
Year you, KNOW i Thought Jake, johnson our defensive, coordinator
did a great, job AND i just think we had

(48:37):
the opportunity to build on that and become a better. Defense,
YES i like where our defense. IS i like our Secondary,
uh you, know you got veto back, there Jaheem ward
is a really good. Player we picked up a young
man THAT i think is gonna be a group player
for us in the portal From Cumberland university Named Derek.
Taylor you, KNOW i think as we, Continued Caden smith

(48:59):
from Uh Taylor county has really come on as a freshman.
Linebacker and he played a little bit last, year probably
GOT i don't, know a couple of hundred snaps and
now he's you, know he looks looks to be a.
Guy you, know he's got to go through camp and
win that job out, Right BUT i mean he's learning
how to play the. Position Braden sullivan and the list goes.

(49:20):
ON i think we've got enough talent on that side
of the ball and experience that we. Should you, know
that's that's who's gonna have to carry us early. On
they're gonna have to do, that and you, know and
it's no easy task first, game you. KNOW i, mean you, Know,
jeff he's gonna have all these big deep shots drawn
up and then crossing the route deep crossers and play action.
Pasts he's gonna have all the trick. Plays you, Know

(49:44):
it's LIKE i told him, YESTERDAY i, said if y'all
Think jef's gonna take it easy on, us y'all. Crazy
he's just trying to score one hundred and fifty on.
Us and AND i, said so we we, better you,
know make sure we know what we're doing and ready to.

Speaker 1 (49:56):
Go and, so.

Speaker 6 (49:58):
You, Know i'm excited about our. DEFENSE i like the
what where we how we competed but all. Spring But
i'll tell you our offense started coming together there towards
the end and and it became an ebb and flow
of you, know both sides of the ball having some.
Success and SO i like to see where our offense,
improved because you, know we lost our two starting tackles

(50:21):
and our starting. CENTER i, mean so we're you, know
we're gonna Be we're gonna be young up front and
and that's okay as part of. IT i mean both
of both our tackles went to THE, cfl and our
center is is uh got HIS nba and is working
For Eceland. Hole, now, yeah, Yeah john will be very very.

(50:44):
SUCCESSFUL i promise you.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
That Wal wells is the head coach at E. K
you will come back and talk more with a coach
on the other side of the. Break here on six
thirty w L A. P welcome. Back we're talking with Wal.
Wells he's the head football coach AT Eku and prior
to the, break you were rattling off the names of
some of the kids who have had the opportunity to
go on to THE nfl and THE. Cfl and that's been,
happening as you well know coach for decades under way

(51:08):
back under Coach kid and there have been a lot
of colonels who have gone on to successful pro careers
and now in this day and, age AND i gotta,
HELL i gotta think this is such a plus for
you guys at THE fcs level to show, kids, look
you know you can play at this. Level the pros
are going to see. You they're gonna find. You with,
technology with the, internet everything's ON tv, now you know

(51:32):
you're gonna get your. SHOT i got to, think is
that even an issue anymore to try to convince.

Speaker 6 (51:37):
Kids, oh it's always an issue because you, know it's
even worse now because they're recruiting your. Players, yeah so
you're trying to keep your. Players so The Houston texas
first overall pick all, right which was a thirty fourth
pick in the second round or thirty four pick. Overall
he played his first two years.

Speaker 1 (51:57):
Here, WOW i forgot about, that.

Speaker 6 (52:01):
And so you, know and then he went To Iowa
state and had a decent junior, year but then had
a breakout senior year and he could have done that
here and probably would have went in the second round
just like. That but you, KNOW i mean it's. Hard you,
know the other things he got we couldn't compete. With
and you, know no will ill will to. Him he

(52:22):
moved on our starting linebacker last, year true, sophomore you,
know All conference. Player he's In virginia, now Freshman All,
americans true freshman that we started at guard after The
western game and maybe Freshman All american is gone off to,
produce and so you, know you just you, know those

(52:45):
are the things you can't. Control and you, know everybody asked,
me how do you handle? That, well you just you
do everything you can to keep. Them you hope that
they want to, stay and if they, don't then you
wish them good. Luck can you better have somebody else
to replace? Them and that that's the hardest part, now

(53:06):
is maintaining those like our Safety Mike Smith i'm sure
everybody in the country came after him last, year but
he stayed because he KNEW i have one year. LEFT
i can't risk. It i've been noticed. HERE i mean
we've had you, know the last three, years we've had
all thirty two teams at one of our fall, practices

(53:26):
our training camp, practices we've had we've had them here
at all thirty two teams here at least three times
in the. Fall and because they know what you, know
what's coming out of here now, again and they know
what's come out of here in the past with Coach
kid And Coach hood and all, them and so you,

(53:47):
know they just keep coming and looking, in you, know quite,
FRANKLY i mean geographics help. Us we're thirty miles south
OF uk who always has, guys and so they're, LIKE
i better not better not you, know know about the
guys At eastern BECAUSE i know they've got some players down,
there and we'll have some this. Year But Mike staateen
did That Peyton collins had opportunities to. Leave was shocked

(54:11):
he didn't get picked up in THE, nfl but he
had multiple opportunities in THE ufl and THE, cfl and
so he chose THE cfl and he's up THE SUCs
one right, now along With Vincent monland who's At. Montreal
and then we Got Willie taylor who played FOR us
three years, ago who's you, know won A ufl, championship
so you, know and then we've got other guys on

(54:32):
The titans And jaguars and here we. Go but but
it's it's you, know it's a credit to our football,
coaches you, know our assistant coaches recruiting and getting out
and developing that, talent finding the, talent developing the. Talent
but it's also a credit to those young men that
stayed and believes in what we're, doing you. Know and

(54:52):
the big thing that they can't see is the benefits
of staying somewhere and having the success they had and
then being able to come back and come back and come.
Back not that those other guys can't come back, either
but you, know when you stick around and finish, something
there's a sense of accomplishment and those are the things

(55:13):
that we're, losing uh in this portal. Era and you,
know it is what it, is AND i know it's
not you, know everybody wants to talk about tampering and
there is coaches At. TAMPA i know, that but really
it's these. Agents like we lost we lost our guys
due to. Agents, yeah and neither one of our those

(55:37):
two guys had met their. Agents what's it's just A
dm and, hey, YEAH i can get. You this amount
of money is if you go into portal nuts and you,
know if a kid didn't have great, means, yeah you,

(55:58):
know what's he gonna? Say you, know, yeah people in
our town that support it and help us with our
N il colective and things like. That but we don't
have it like you, Know kentucky has, it or we
don't have it Like pursue Or virginia or. Wherever we
don't have the record that they're going to. Have, YEAH i,

(56:19):
mean it's just where it's. At and so you, know that's,
what in my, opinion the problem with, it because for
every one of those two guys that want To virginia or,
produce there's another fifteen guys that don't go. Anywhere, yeah
and he's aged to preach out to.

Speaker 1 (56:36):
Him it's. Dangerous, yeah. Yeah too many too many kids
and too many, kids too many sports jump into the
portal with nowhere to.

Speaker 6 (56:45):
Land you, know, uh and they think they think it's,
that they think it's they're gonna land and be. Fine,
YEAH i, mean you, know and it's just like everything
you have TO i MEAN i tell recruit this all the. Time,
hey when you come, here it comes because You it's
gonna be hard. Here we're gonna make it hard on you.
Here that's just how we, are. Okay and there's gonna

(57:05):
be days that even though we haven't done, anything you
just aren't happy. HERE i, mean that's just how life.
Is you're not happy every day of your, life you
know WHAT i. Mean so what are you gonna? Do
are you gonna? Quit or you gonna fight through? It you,
know you better make sure you're in a place that
you feel like you can fight through, it and you're
fighting through it for the right cause and for the right,

(57:26):
things and you know some of the and then they
get these guys call and, say, HEY i can jump
this in your lap one hundred thousand. Dollars, well who
isn't gonna try to take advantage of? That and then
when they, don't they'll blame it. Up they'll blame they'll
tell them the truth and, say, oh you're just not
that Good i'm. Sorry, Yeah and what's The what's these

(57:48):
eighteen to twenty two year olds are finding out is
not everybody in.

Speaker 4 (57:52):
The world is.

Speaker 6 (57:52):
Believable not every everybody in the world is gonna do
what they, say and there's costing them their, education which
in the long run is what they're gonna, need because
only two percent go to THE nfl, Anyway AND i was.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
Gonna say that there's in some, instances you, know kids play, six,
seven eight years, Ridiculous but in most, instances there's no going.
Back you make the wrong decision and there's no Going
it's nothing but, regret AND i fear for the kids
are going to spend the rest of their life blaming
other people for their own bad. Mistakes you, Know, well.

Speaker 6 (58:28):
It's going to get to a, point AND i totally
agree with. You it's in me and some other coaches
we're talking about. This it's going to get to a
point to where there's going to be some, things some
serious things, happen and Now i'm talking about, mentally and you,
KNOW i hope none of that, happens but you, know
the trend would be going towards that way because these

(58:51):
kids are going to get depressed because they left good
situations and situations where they could get their degree paid.
FOR i, mean if you're in A DIVISION i, school
let's just say you're At. Kentucky you've got all the,
food you've, got all, this you've got all, That you've
got your, money you got, this you're getting your ref,
share you're getting all these. Things, right whether you're the

(59:12):
best player or the worst, player you're getting all those.
Things and you jump into portals to find something better
and it's not. Better, Right how are you who's going
to help you deal with? THAT i, mean because you're
still young. NOW i hope your, PARENTS i hope a,

(59:34):
COACH i hope somebody. Does but what if they. Don't
what if those you, know we know there's plenty of
kids that don't have that. Available what's going to start
happening to those?

Speaker 7 (59:42):
Kids?

Speaker 6 (59:43):
Exactly AND i get, it they you, know the Average jojo, said,
well they got to hike their boots up and go to.
Work and, YEAH i agree with. You but if we
could slow this process down a little bit and figure
out a way to make it as much of the
best for them and for us as we, Can Because
i'll be honest with, you it's killing. Coaches, yeah it's

(01:00:07):
killing it's killing coaches because you don't ever. Stop you,
know maybe it used to be a time you could
go out and you, work you, know you do your
day's work and then you take off and hit the
golf course and or you, know go see your kids
play baseball or whatever it. Is and now it's you,
know official. Visits, yep da da. Da now you got

(01:00:28):
to have aficial visits for high school kids because you
got to get, them like, now earlier than Than. December
now it's got to be In. May and you, know
it's just when does it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Stop it's the never ending. Story And i'll tell you,
what five years from, now, wherever wherever we, are we
need to look back on this period of college, athletics
AND i bet you we're shaking our heads and scratching
our heads and talking about how wild it. Is but
we could talk about that for another couple of hours.
Forever always a. Pleasure thank you so, much AND i

(01:01:00):
hope to see you.

Speaker 6 (01:01:00):
SOON i appreciate you having me. On SORRY i was
a little running a little light. There, ah you're an,
academic you're.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
Good, YEAH i. UNDERSTAND i have a good.

Speaker 6 (01:01:08):
ONE i appreciate it you. Too Happy Memorial.

Speaker 1 (01:01:11):
Day Weal well's THE eku had football coach and as he,
said The colonel's open up With Louisville august Thirtieth, Saturday
august thirtieth over at of, Course Cardinals stadium and we'll
come back and talk MORE uk sports with Podcaster Vinnie
hardy here on six THIRTY Wlap welcome back to The
Big blue And. Cider joined now by a guy who's

(01:01:31):
been on the show several, Times Vinnie. Party he is
a podcaster and a coach of a Catch Talk wednesday
along With Terry Brown believe In kentucky with our Buddy
Aaron gershawn And Jalen, witlow the FORMER uk. Quarterback, vinnie
how's your spring?

Speaker 7 (01:01:46):
Going so, far so, Good dick enjoying. It got a
little vacation in a few weeks, ago and you know
how all ramps up the game.

Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
Before you know. It oh, Yeah, WELL i need to
ask you just to get your take on a bunch
of STUFF uk, related including the latest kid to commit
To Mark. Pope Brayden hawthorne was at one point A
West virginia signee or at least a commit and the
next thing you, know he's reopened his recruiting and he

(01:02:18):
joins At kentucky roster that is just phenomenally, deep right,
Now what do you make of all?

Speaker 6 (01:02:22):
THIS i was.

Speaker 7 (01:02:28):
SURPRISED i, mean and we see how this every, spring
we see the the, premature unnecessary hanks about how the
team's going to come, together and there's never a need
to worry about. It i'll say, continually if we're at
Big Blue madness and we'll have seven, players that's When i'll.
Worry and that's Never it's never gonna. Happen and so you,

(01:02:52):
know you keep, thinking, well the roster, complete is, complete
and you, Know AARON i talked about this last. Night
he thought it was kind of complete maybe After aberdeen
and you, know we thought they were. Done and to
get a kid with this much upside and seemilarly the
right mindset of you, know you saw the, quote IF

(01:03:14):
i can come in and, play, Fine if, Not I'll
i'll work and you, know contribute next. Year if he
comes in with that, mindset you've got that ability as
the fifteenth man on your. Bench, YEAH i, mean you
gotta love.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
That you just don't hear that, anymore do? You for obvious.
Reasons you, know if IF i, PLAY i. Play IF i,
Don't i'll just put my head down and go back to. Work,
uh you know you want to see it. Happen that's
kind of old, school isn't. It it? Is and.

Speaker 7 (01:03:46):
It's refreshing the word because it's just. RARE i.

Speaker 5 (01:03:49):
WAS i was taking aback just reading it because guys
can just up and. Move and we saw it with
a Kayten lewis and at that POINT i didn't even
think the back court was all that.

Speaker 7 (01:04:03):
Crowded you, know it wasn't that big of a log
in to, me and he decided to move. On we
saw it With Travis, perry who it was more of
writing on the wall situation with. Him and to See
hawthorne come in and, Say i'm not worried about. It
IF i can do WHAT i need to do and
get to, play great and if, Not i'll be ready

(01:04:25):
in you, two that was. Wow that's that's wisdom beyond your.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
Years what does this tell you about The Mark pope
brand of energy within the program?

Speaker 7 (01:04:34):
Now it seems to be just you, know the. Positivity
we see it at every press conference and all the,
interactions AND i think it's just growing you, know guys,
talk recruits. TALK i think the word. Spreading, Yeah Andrew

(01:04:54):
carr And Lamont butler right after the lost Of. Tennessee,
look if you can come To, kentucky you can take it,
there just impromptu on their, own going into spills about
this right after a rich and. Lost their college career is,
over and this is what they're saying about the opportunity
that they had At. Kentucky it's just. Unbelievable it was, priceless,

(01:05:18):
absolutely and it's not. Fake you, know they're not forced
or being pushed to say, it and you, know let,
me let me get this queue and say WHAT i
need to say right. Now, no they just went into
that on their, own.

Speaker 1 (01:05:31):
UNSCRIPTED i really Loved Kobe bray's take on not giving
his uniform back as. Well then you love.

Speaker 4 (01:05:38):
That.

Speaker 7 (01:05:39):
Yeah, Absolutely that's where we're gonna have a tough time
getting it because you, know they they as fast as
the season went, by they only had one. Year you
Heard Mark pope constantly talk ABOUT i WISH i had more,
TIME i WISH i had more. Time it looks like
they were able to at warp speed still soak up

(01:06:02):
what they were, experiencing, right.

Speaker 1 (01:06:05):
Right And i'm curious, too And pope talked about, it
AND i had a chance to talk With Cody, figer
an assistant, coach the other night about this as. Well
now with staff in, place system in, place, video they
can look back on from this past, year you, know
with new players and with the older players as well

(01:06:25):
the returning, players the process should be accelerated a little,
bit don't you?

Speaker 6 (01:06:31):
THINK i think so.

Speaker 7 (01:06:33):
Too and was it in coach coach press the other
day where he said the year two as a, staff
we're gonna be. Better and that's SOMETHING i hadn't even thought.
About we hear it for players year, one the year,
two the, jump the, improvement all of, that and then
he talked about them as a staff because he didn't

(01:06:56):
he Knew figure of, course and of Course Mark, fox
but he hadn't worked with you, Know Alvin brooks and
hard And McLean and all those.

Speaker 1 (01:07:04):
Guys so the.

Speaker 7 (01:07:06):
The jailing in the chemistry that he talks about and
expects from them as a staff is just you, know
we're not even going to think about, it but they're
they're kind of factoring that in to improvement as.

Speaker 1 (01:07:19):
Well, yeah we're talking To Annie hardy he is a,
podcaster a, broadcaster and he is a co host Of
Catch Talk wednesday And believe In. Kentucky and of course
we're talking about The. Wildcats it can't start fast. ENOUGH i.
Know for basketball, fans this kind of reminds me of
the old days because football has been a little. Wobbi

(01:07:39):
we'll talk about football here in a, minute but there's
so much energy now about basketball coming off this past,
season plus the brand new, roster and it's it's kind
of old, school isn't.

Speaker 3 (01:07:52):
It?

Speaker 7 (01:07:55):
Definitely definitely It's as basketball, fans it's kind of what
we were accustomed. TO i think we just grew up expecting, to,
uh you, know be, relevant be contending every single. Year
for me as a, TEENAGER i always kind of gauged,
it you, know we had the five for, me the
five core games they always played of, Course, Louisville North, Carolina,

(01:08:22):
indiana And tennessee. Twice those were the. FIVE i always
said that if they go five and, THIRTY i want
to win those. Five but if if they went to me,
realistically if they went four and one or five and
zero in those, five where you knew they were going
to be. Good the rest of the year based on
how they did in those five, games and that's it's
kind of back to that for me as far as

(01:08:43):
the excitement looking forward to, it the. Expectations matter of,
fact you, Know indiana's coming back on the. SCHEDULE i about.

Speaker 1 (01:08:50):
That, yeah uh you you're excited about, that.

Speaker 6 (01:08:55):
You, know And i'm.

Speaker 7 (01:08:57):
Not and there's probably maybe the generation a little bit
older than.

Speaker 9 (01:09:01):
Me that.

Speaker 7 (01:09:03):
They were really upset to see it. Go But i'm
owed us to remember. It and you, know you, Know
Derrick Anderson duncan on the, guys you KNOW i. WAS
i grew up in that, era you, know in the,
nineties SO i enjoyed. IT i wasn't as upset when
it went, away BUT i owned us to remember it
being a. Thing And i'm glad it's, back even though

(01:09:25):
they're still not what they. Were it'll be cool to
see it come.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
Back, Well, INDIANA i had not kept up his end
of the. DEAL i, mean it's not. Fun it's like
the UK u of l. Rivalry at one. POINT i
remember When horror Of horrors that game is relegated TO espn,
two just because you, know both teams kind of struggled
for a little, while you, know BASKETBALL i think you'll

(01:09:50):
read college basketball is much better off when the blue
bloods are the blue bloods, again right.

Speaker 7 (01:09:58):
Yeah and the they're going on forty years without a,
title and that's just, UH i, mean, goodness. Gracious, yeah it's.

Speaker 1 (01:10:08):
Almost hard to imagine given given the amount of talent
high school talent in the state Of indiana.

Speaker 7 (01:10:16):
Right, right for, boys, girls the, whole all up and
down the. State, uh you, know And kentucky's gotten some
of their players that come down. HERE i, mean you
Know Mark tigue In napolis on the point guard that
won a national championship for The. Cats you, know go
back To Kyle, Macy Roger harden for. Years, yeah and

(01:10:38):
for them not to be able to to kind of
keep it, going you, know same thing With. Georgia you
got all those talent there and they're never really great in.
Basketball that's really. Weird and they've been through several coaches
and it just hasn't reignited.

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
Itself for him Is Vinnie hardy is a, podcaster a
broadcast and we will come back and Talk kentucky football
in just a minute here on A Big Blue sider
six THIRTY. Wlap welcome. Back we're talking With Vinnie. Hardy
he is a co host Of Catch Talk wednesday With Terry,
BROWN I believe In kentucky With Aaron gershaw And Jalen.

(01:11:15):
Wolow you also hear him talking To Vinnie hardy on
he Is Vinnie. Hardy you also hear him talking To
Van hiles every now and, Then why don't we talk
a little bit of? Football this is a big question
mark season coming up and a lot of people think
it's going to be pivotal For Mark stoops in terms
of his stay At. Kentucky do you think it's going

(01:11:37):
to be that? DRAMATIC i think it could.

Speaker 7 (01:11:41):
Be to, me is you, know we just talked about
how excited you are for the basketball expectations every, year
and we were starting to getting doses of that in
football you had a couple of ten wins.

Speaker 1 (01:11:55):
Seasons.

Speaker 7 (01:11:56):
Yeah, Yeah kentucky's getting talked, about not at All bamma,
level but not down at the doormat. Level and you
get talked. About and we shouldn't care what people think of,
us but we we. Do when outside of we're talking
good About. Kentucky that made you so good to turn
on a show or fine bomb whatever is you're watching
they're talking positive About. Kentucky, oh as far as this

(01:12:20):
year for, me it's kind of it's kind of like you,
know you you you have a, diagnosis you get some,
tests rent and you're waiting to see what the results,
are and that that. Nervousness, OH i hope it's good,
news but you know it could be bad news health.
Wise it's kind of Where i'm, at a very small

(01:12:42):
portion of me thinks where they could prove everybody wrong
and you, know get the bad taste out of their
mouth and win seven eight. Games and then there's part
of me that, Thinks, god this is it's been trending
them the wrong way for a.

Speaker 1 (01:12:56):
While and.

Speaker 7 (01:12:58):
The schedule is ridiculous. Again you Into september and all
Through october is just just. Brutal, Yeah and in that,
part you, know the dread of the bad results from
the doctors kind of just it's like that cloud is
just hanging OVER i.

Speaker 1 (01:13:16):
Think AND i don't know about, you AND i hate
to be, pessimistic but you, know as hard as they are,
working have, worked will work On kentucky. Football just the
way the league is so much tougher now they're going
to add another conference. GAME i wonder how, many if
ever ten win seasons we're going to see in the.

(01:13:36):
Future you, know it's just it's harder and harder on
The kentuckys of the, world you, know those Those South
carolina And, missouri those teams sort of in the middle
of the, pack you know What i'm saying.

Speaker 7 (01:13:48):
Exactly and for for, me the the two they just
had were the first ones i'd. Seen you, Know i've
Met Sonny collins And Deck. RAMSEY i was just born
in seventy. SEVENTH i didn't see ten and. One my
dad talked about that AND i was able to meet
more And brian and those. Guys so to see you,

(01:14:11):
know ten and one and the victory Over iowa And Penn,
state that was my, whoa this Is that's the best
it's ever been for. Me so you know it's that
was what forty three when that. Happened so, yeah that's you,
know that's a that's a good bit of time between
ten wins.

Speaker 1 (01:14:31):
Seasons, yep, yeah it's, uh it's it's gonna be, tough but,
uh they got a lot of new faces and it's
gonna be weird because it's almost like a blackout of
information between and the spring and when words starts kind
of leaking out prior to what they call camp In.

(01:14:51):
August how are these guys gonna come? Together that's gonna
be a great, mystery isn't?

Speaker 3 (01:14:56):
It it?

Speaker 7 (01:14:57):
Is and it's chival, yeah for any kind of, success
and that you, know we have every year to bonding
and team building. Exercise every team does. It and this,
year like you, said for so many new faces coming
in trying to acclimate and for. It and think he's
trying to get back to the way they were procedure,

(01:15:20):
wise routine, wise because sounds like that it kind of gone.
Awry so trying to get back to the way they
were for those that are, there and then acclimating all
the new guys into, hey this is the way it
has to. Be it's a lot that's going to have
to go on and you, know go smoothly for it
to translate into the.

Speaker 1 (01:15:38):
Field how important do you think it is For kentucky
at some point to be able to move away from
being so dependent when it comes to quarterback on the?
Portal Because i've talked about this a, Lot vinie this.
Spring you, Know Drew barker was the answer before he got.
Hurt he was supposed to be the guy who took

(01:16:00):
over as a starter as a sophomore and held the
job for three you, know progressive, years three fruitful years
and give them a chance to build depth at. Quarterback
but he gets hurt and now the next, thing you,
know it's it's juco transfers and and, uh you, know
try portal transfer stuff like, that and they haven't been

(01:16:22):
able to break that. Cycle you, know do you think
that's a real? Problem BUT i mean it does happen
across the, country doesn't.

Speaker 7 (01:16:28):
It it does WHAT i think it would definitely help
some checky because we've we haven't seen, that like you,
said Since Drew barker when he was gonna step in
and then you, know got. Injured that and the continuity

(01:16:49):
at off of the coordinator go hand in, hand and
we haven't seen a lot of. Either you, know we're
finally getting you two Of Bush, hampdon so maybe that
can you, know go well and then the quarterback situation
can work yourself. Out and you, KNOW i think they
there's a correlation. THERE i do, Believe, gabe and we
we haven't seen continuity from. Either that's, True.

Speaker 1 (01:17:14):
That's, True and, uh you, know it all just kind
of washes together at some, point as you, say WITH
o c's and, QB's and you, know and and it
works out in the short. Term Will levis had a
great first year and then you, know the old line
leaves for the most. Part AND i truly, believe again
not pointing, fingers BUT i do Think, vinnie it's been
in the last three years primarily about the old. Line

(01:17:36):
what do you, SAY i think so.

Speaker 7 (01:17:39):
Too that's that's. CAVOTAL i, think you, know Jager burton
is gonna have a lot of pressure placed on him
as a leader to you, know a veteran guy now
to kind of show these new guys coming in how
we have to be as a. Unit levis year, two

(01:18:01):
If liam had been, there what would that have been?
Like we'll never know what, ever we go again with
THE ocqv, thing but THAT o line look moving, forward
but still you, know not forgetting the big blue ball
in their identity and just they all have a bad

(01:18:22):
taste the whole team four and. Eight nobody likes, that
but as an old, line specifically when The South carolina
game happened and exposed them and we saw what we
saw the rest of the, year no doubt they want
to prove that that's not who they.

Speaker 1 (01:18:38):
Are, well and FORTUNATELY i heard one of the players
in an interview we did say exactly what you just.
Said nobody ever wants to go through that. Again the
four win, season which tells you where they had been
prior to that, year what the expectations, were and you
know what they Believe kentucky football ought to. Be SO
i think that's a huge. Plus Benny hardy is a hug.

(01:19:00):
Plus you can hear him On Cats Talk wednesday With
Terry Brown believe In kentucky With aaron Ger. Sean follow
him On twitter At Vinnie. Hardy thank, you, sir good
talking to.

Speaker 6 (01:19:09):
YOU i, Appreciated.

Speaker 7 (01:19:11):
DICK i always want.

Speaker 1 (01:19:12):
To be on with. You that'll do it for, now
thanks to my Guests Vinnie hardy To Coach Wald, Wells
Me kayu And Aaron. Gershwan tomorrow, night The Chain gang
will join me here in the, garage will solve some
of the world's problems and probably create a. Few that'll
do it though for, Now thanks so. Much that's. It
good night from the garage And Lexington.

Speaker 6 (01:19:31):
Fight to Zero.

Speaker 5 (01:19:32):
Niner you are cleared for.

Speaker 9 (01:19:33):
Takeoff roger Huh la departure frequency one two three point
Nine Roger hi request vector over by flight two Zero
niner clear For victor three two.

Speaker 5 (01:19:44):
Four we Have Clearence, Clarence, Roger, roger what's our?

Speaker 1 (01:19:47):
Vector?

Speaker 3 (01:19:48):
Victor take that sack, anything do.

Speaker 7 (01:20:33):
Anything, anything attack.

Speaker 8 (01:20:57):
ANYTHING i think.

Speaker 1 (01:21:03):
Toast tap

Speaker 5 (01:21:15):
The donating to the