2025-07-17 - BBI - Big Blue Insider with Dick Gabriel

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Big Blue Insider.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Dick Gabriel with you.

Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm here in Atlanta at SEC Media Days at the
Omni Hotel. Of course, the Wildcats and everybody else in
the SEC coming through this week. Mark Stoops and his
players among the last to appear today here in Atlanta,
coming in on Thursday morning.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Coming up in our.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Next segment, we'll hear our conversation to our being the
guys on the UK beat guys in gals who cover
the Wildcats primarily back in the state of Kentucky to
make the players and the coaches available to us prior
to the podium stuff. So we had a chance to
do back and forth with Mark Stoops. But we do
have some comments from Stoops that he delivered on the

(00:40):
podium and they appear in four or five different rooms.
This was the room where he talked to basically TV
and radio people. But one of the questions I asked
Stoops about was the front seven. There are a lot
of new faces on the d line and at linebacker,
and a lot of experience in a defensive secondary. But
because of a lot of the guys who came through

(01:00):
the portal, Stoop said he likes what he has the
fact that he not only has talented players, but he
has a lot of them.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know, Tavion was a guy last year. You know,
Josiah wasn't healthy last year. Tavion wasn't healthy last year.
You know, of course we get David, you know from
Washington State, that's a great player inside. You got mcketh
on the edge. You know, you have Girad you know,
you know Smith, you know, second year growing and getting
better in the program. You know, you add Cam Old,

(01:31):
Sam Green.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
I feel like there's a lot of bodies there, so
I really feel like we're in pretty good shape.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Somebody else asked Stoops about the fact that when you
have to bring in so many people through the portal,
you have to really look at how you're doing business
that way, how you recruit. Do you have to tweak
the way that you evaluate people and talent.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
I don't necessarily want to think we want to do
that every year right where you have that many, But
for this year I think was needed. You know, I
think the fresh faces, the experience that they brought in,
you know, the attitude, the leadership, you know, I think
that's very important that we have the continuity on the staff,
you know, with the coordinators in place, and so, you know,

(02:14):
I think it's a it's a fresh mix. It's definitely different,
and you have to alter, you know, what you do
each and every year. I think it's at times going
to be inexact science. We try to do the best
we can. But I definitely can speak for this group,
and I feel very good about this group, certainly about
the people they are, their work ethic, their commitment to

(02:35):
each other, the teammates that they are, and the experience
that they have. I mean, you know, we are far
from perfect, as you know, but I love the group.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
I also have stoops about the fact that the three
players he brought here with him today described him as
a player's coach, and he's been described that way through
the years by a lot of different players. I talked
to you, so I asked him, essentially, in his mind,
as a former player now a coach, what does that
mean literally and what does it mean to him to

(03:04):
hear himself described that way.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
The first thing it means is relationship. I think everybody,
you know, every coach, everybody's a player's coach to some extent.
I mean, these guys these gentlemen that are here, these
coaches that are in front of you, they all connect
with their players, and I certainly do and I want
to and I always have. It's it's extremely important to

(03:27):
me to have strong relationships with the players. It's obviously
hard because you have so many people in your organization
coming and going and all that, but it's still most important.
And they have to trust you, you know, and part
of that is being and leaning on them and being
hard on them when you can. You know, in this
day with the portal and with Nil and everything everybody

(03:49):
talks about, you know, how does it affect you?

Speaker 2 (03:52):
It can't.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
To me, it can't, you know, if we have to,
it's my job to hold them accountable, to make sure
they're doing the right things. And you know, if they're
a great one, then they want that, you know, they
want to, you know, be disciplined when they have to.
But I also think just just just you know, having
them be a player led team, giving them the you know,

(04:16):
resources to make sure to develop them to be great leaders,
to be a player led team. And so we do
many different things to try to connect with them. But
you know, I'm glad they feel that way. I always
want to be that way and be connected with them,
but there's also a time when you have to be
heavy handed as well.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
A couple of the players they brought in Alex Afari,
a defensive back turned linebacker, and Josh kat Is, a
tight end. Afari was actually born in Italy, grew up
in Ghana, moved to the States, and started playing football
in middle school. He signed up because he thought he
was signing up for soccer. He said, they put a
helmet on my head, and I had no idea what

(04:55):
was going on.

Speaker 5 (04:56):
At first, they have practiced, they had put a helmet
on me and some soda pay. I'm like, this is
not what I signed up for. But then he didn't
let me quit. He he let me stay with it,
and I'm just blessed to be here now.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Turn into a really good college football player. And last
year moved from d back to linebacker and talked about
the transition.

Speaker 5 (05:15):
It's going great. I'm closer to the ball. I can
make more plays when I'm closer to the ball. So
it was a great transition and I feel like this
is the year for me put on put on some weight.
I'm at two thirty now, so I feel good boy
this year.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
Last year, Kentucky, of course, struggled through a four win season,
and a lot of the guys who run that team
are back in Afari. One of them said that one
of the differences this year maybe it's because they had
to struggle last year. He said, this team is one
of the closest he's ever played on.

Speaker 5 (05:50):
I feel like we going as the team, you know,
I feel like this is the closest our team has
ever been since I've been here, and I feel I
truly feel that that way, Like once we all know
each other in a personal level, I feel like if
you really know your brothers, then in the game days,
you want to fight a little harder for them.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
A far a part of an experienced defensive backfield. He
says he feels good though about the front seven in
front of him.

Speaker 5 (06:15):
I feel great, And you know, the coaches did a
really good job and recruiting and bringing the right people
to Kentucky, and I feel like they played a lot
of football, have a lot of It's just a lot
of experience, you know what I'm saying. And I feel
like he's just there's gonna be They're gonna be good
for us. I'm excited about them.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
Tight end Joshkatis also making the trip, and he talked
about how he has evolved as a player and a
person under Mark Stoops.

Speaker 6 (06:42):
I think I've changed an incredible amount since I've been here,
maturity wise.

Speaker 5 (06:47):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (06:48):
You know, I came from a great program, great school,
and they taught me a lot of stuff. But getting
to play on their coach Stoops, he doesn't only develop
you as a football player, but he develops you as
a young man, uh and ends you and looks forward
to sending you off into your future career. And so
they've done a great job. I think I've gotten better
in every aspect as a player, and they obviously challenge

(07:12):
you to be the best man. You can be thankful
that I'm in a leadership position now and when I
look back at my Kentucky experiencing career like I'm just
super blessed to be able to wear the Blue and whites.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Naturally.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
Catus got a question about Zack Calzada, the quarterback who
came through the portal, and he was asked about how
does a guy like Zack Calzada, how does a quarterback
set about trying to ingratiate himself with his teammates and
just getting to know everybody and letting them get to
know him.

Speaker 6 (07:46):
Yeah, I think it's just a small things. It's being
open to getting to know everyone. It's sitting down at
the lunch table, putting your phone down and having genuine conversation.
It's putting an extra work, whether that's on Saturdays, I'd
say that's something we've done really good. You know, we
only get so much time to work with the coaches.

(08:07):
It's in the leader's hands to go do that extra work.
And so he stepped up as one of the quarterbacks
and has done that. You know, I think when I
get back, I got to stay for this leadership council tomorrow.
But then on Saturday, we're gonna have a voluntary seven
on seven with just the players, no coaches. But that's
just what it takes. I mean, that's what we respect.

(08:28):
We respect those players that are come in that are
willing to work and body our core values, which are attitude, toughness,
disciplined and pride and really get to know everyone. So
he's done great. He's a great guy. I'm good friends
with him off the field. So he's done a lot
of great things.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
G Atis, of course, was the guy who plucked the
ball out of mid air and fell into the end
zone for a touchdown. They're winning play at Ole Miss
a big upset of the Rebels down in Oxford, and
he talked about that game, talked about the fact that,
you know, it could have gone either way, but that
was just a great example of how things go in

(09:09):
the Southeastern Conference.

Speaker 6 (09:11):
I think that game just kind of shows what the
margins are like in an SEC game. You know, one
small mistake, one fumble, one drop pass can lead to
a winner at loss. And that's something we can learn
from that. We got to be intentional about every snap,

(09:31):
every single play. We got to have eleven guys on
the same page. So that's what we're that's what we
learned from at the guys that got to experience that.
And then we have a lot of experienced players coming
in that have played a lot of snaps, so they
know that as well, and they're embracing that they get
to get to play in one of the best conferences
in the country. Uh So, yeah, we're really excited about it.

(09:51):
And I learned from it, and so did some of
my teammates.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
I asked Josh cattis about the fact that, for once
in a great while, the Wildcats have an offensive coordinator
back for the second year in Bush Hamden.

Speaker 6 (10:05):
I love it. You know, I've gone through three head
coaches in high school, three offensive coordinators in college. It's
nothing new to me. But it's really nice to have
that familiar face and that familiar offense and have some
of that continuity. Obviously, you said, I mean, there's fifty newcomers,

(10:26):
so they're gonna have to learn the offense. But we're
a player led team and that's what coach Stoops wants,
and that's what Coach Hampden challenges some of the offensive
leaders do and make sure that those some of these
new guys pick it up fast, play fast, and help
us win games. So it's really nice. I love Coach Hamden.
I like him on and off the field. I like

(10:47):
playing for him, and I think he's a brilliant play caller.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
So coming up next, more from Mark Stoops from Atlanta
SEC Media Days at the bottom of the hour. It's
the best of the Big Blue Insider here on six
thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider
Dick Gabriel with you in Atlanta at SEC Media Days,
And as we mentioned in our previous segment, prior to
the players and Mark Stoops heading for the podium and

(11:11):
the different interview rooms, we got a chance to talk
to them those of us on the UK beat in
a separate breakout room. And you heard some of the
comments from a couple of the players earlier. Well, here
is part of our conversation with Mark Stoops in the
breakout room earlier today.

Speaker 7 (11:26):
Mark, we haven't talked to you though since Vince left.
It seemed like that was kind of tumult like how
it was communicated. All that seemed kind of awkward at
the end there. What was that process called?

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Well, I don't think you know, anybody that's you know,
making a decision to leave the program. I think I
don't think there's any like perfect way to do that,
you know, So I don't hold any animosity towards that
at all, or towards Vince. I greatly appreciate our friendship
and what he's done to help us build this program
for twelve years, and you know, he was instrumental in a.

Speaker 8 (11:56):
Lot of ways.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
But you know, with that, I said the same thing
about myself about everybody in our program. I mean, it's
about the program. It's about so many individuals and so
many people that, you know, I think that's what the
focus on in this program, and these student athletes and
everybody there were resilient. You know, you just got to
pick up and move on quickly. And so I greatly

(12:20):
appreciate him, you know, I still I think the world
of him, But we moved on quickly.

Speaker 7 (12:25):
The perception, at least has been that the position coaches
had taken on kind of more active role in choosing
who they were recruiting at their positions versus maybe the
past where events was running those things. Is that accurate?
Is that fair to say that those changes were made.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
Nothing was structurally different, nothing at all. I think you
can understand the landscape has changed in the last three
or four years, the last two three, you know, and
so recruiting is is definitely much different. It's imperative that
we don't miss on guys. You know, when I was

(13:00):
position coach, and you know, I think I've told you
this story many times, but I could go back to
you know, some places I've been where there was some
pressure on you to sign guys. And at my position group,
I was so critical because the last thing on earth
that I wanted to do was bring somebody into the program
that couldn't play to the standard that we want. I think,
you know, so has it changed, not at all. But

(13:21):
we have to be very detailed, very precise on who
we're bringing in, and so position coaches and area coaches
have always been involved, always, and sometimes that doesn't get
a lot of attention, but those coaches don't care, you know,
they just do their jobs. And so nothing really drastically
structurally has changed. I think it's fair to say the
landscape changes year to year, and also the number of

(13:46):
players that we take out of high school with the
portal being so important.

Speaker 9 (13:49):
Well, speaking of the landscape changing, where it's the first
time we've talked to you since the Revshair went into effect.
There was a lot of uncertainties before. Do you know
how it's going to work? Or you comfortable?

Speaker 10 (14:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (14:01):
I really, you know, it's new, you know, I think
every coach that's that spoke here this week, I saw
bits and pieces. But all of us are you know, waiting,
cautiously optimistic that this will work, you know, as we
move forward, all of us as far as the way
we monitor it. Everybody's staying within the budget and you know,
penalties if you exceed that and things of that nature.

(14:21):
But it excites me because hopefully it'll level the playing
field and not just the people with excess and il fhonds,
you know, So that excites me and I think we
you know, the proof is into putting this this this summer,
I like. I just like the approach. I like the
way the recruiting has gone and the communication to the

(14:45):
discussions with student athletes and you know, trying to stay
within that framework. But I think it kind of levels
things out well.

Speaker 9 (14:52):
Speaking of the Nile though, last year you talked a
lot about having the fundraise and the kind of burned
it put on you. Is that gone? Is that alleviated
by the house settlement? How do you feel about where
you are?

Speaker 3 (15:01):
And yeah, the house settlement definitely helps in that area. Again,
if everybody plays by the same rules, then it'll all
be even. And I think you can understand and right
that that that probably always hasn't been the case, right,
you know, for a long time, So hopefully that will
even things out. But as far as myself personally and
things of that nature, Yeah, the transition you know was different,

(15:22):
you know, two years ago, three years ago, and even
last year. This season, I think I've been on the
record as saying it's been much better. I've really greatly
appreciated the help Mitch Barnhart and his staff and our
fundraising arm of the institution has done an amazing job
of helping and I greatly appreciate that and it let

(15:42):
me kind of, you know, put my concentration back on
the team, and you know, I'm grateful for that and
just you know, ready to coach Mark.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
Last year, between the Georgia and all Miss games, you
all were playing as well as anybody in the country literally,
and then things kind of got away. What I know,
there are a lot of new faces. What lessons from
first half of the year to the next half could
the staff.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
Use this year?

Speaker 3 (16:05):
Well, I think there there's always things you learn, and
we always have to get better in certain situations. And
you know, uh, I don't like to talk about, you know,
injuries and different things because they are excuses quite quite honestly,
but I think it's fair to say going into last
season that the injuries that we had to for the
previous spring put us behind it ball. If you remember

(16:26):
going in the spring of twenty four. We we we
couldn't even tackle. We didn't have any physical practice. It
carried over to the to the you know, uh summer
in preseason camp and and through camp, and and it
didn't help us. I mean again, I don't I've never
talked about that much. I mean, I mean, but just
the way we practice, the approach everything. You know, we
we have to have the adapt we have to have

(16:46):
the numbers, we have to have the strength. You have
to say, you know, somewhat healthy, and it is what
it is. But yeah, I think it's fair to say
you always learn and adapt and try to get better.

Speaker 9 (16:55):
What did you see how the quarterback room Apart.

Speaker 3 (16:58):
Quarterback, I'm excited. You know, Zach Calzada has a ton
of experience. He's played a ton of reps. Cutter bully
is everything that I've talked about since he's been here.
I just love everything about him, and you know, his
youthful exuberance and the way he plays and his talent
and Zach and him will will continue to compete and play,

(17:22):
you know, this summer and we'll see where it goes.
You know, I love having bo Allen back. He gives
us a guy just you know, a steady person. It's
very smart and knows our offense very well and very
comfortable with as well. While we bring along the young
guys for another year. So but you know, just like
all of our guys, they're working hard, trying to get better,

(17:42):
trying to compete, trying to gel and get on the
same page with the with the receivers and tight.

Speaker 7 (17:47):
Ends were covered by current transfer coort standard. Hardly's offseason
was unique. Are those conversations like with him when he
left and then bringing him back.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
And yeah, I mean, you know, Hardley is a great
young man. I think you know he he I don't
want to speak for him. I think he's on the
record of saying I don't I don't think he really wanted.

Speaker 11 (18:04):
To leave, you know.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
There there's sometimes things that happen that that I don't
need to get into and speak for him. H But
I've always had a strong relationship with Hardley and and
he has with our staff. And he's a great young
man that's young, and that that's continuing to mature and
continuing to get better, just like all of our players
in our in our program to some level. Right And
uh So we're we're glad to have him and you

(18:27):
know he came back and fit right in and and
it's trying to improve mark on.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
The injury front.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
Just how healthy are as a team and in the
fall time, we're.

Speaker 3 (18:35):
We're we are relatively healthy. You know, we're in a
good spot. I you know, I can't think of anybody,
you know, right off the top of my head here
right now that that won't be full go day one.

Speaker 11 (18:45):
So that's a good thing.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
You may consider an effort through the portal to not
just supplement but transform your offensive line. You know, how
happy now you've been with those guys for a couple
of months. You brought in a lot of experience.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
How happy you with that?

Speaker 4 (18:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (19:00):
I definitely. I think we all understand that we needed
to improve in that area, needed to get some depth.
And you know, I really feel comfortable with that area.
The one thing about the transfers in general, and it
certainly pertains to the offensive line group, very mature players,
a lot of playing experience, a lot of snaps under
their belt, but very mature and they're here. You know,

(19:22):
it's all business, and you know they've been a great fit.
I love the leadership that they brought in. I love
the way they you know, the first rule of the
leaderships take care of oneself, right, and they do that
and then they have an impact on their position group
and also within the team. So I'm very happy with
that group.

Speaker 8 (19:38):
Mark.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
Through the years, you've been the new guy, You've been
the guy that's has taken a program to ten wins
a few times today, what do you anticipate and what's
going to be your message about a team coming off
a season you'd clearly weren't happy with.

Speaker 3 (19:51):
Well, I think it's it's it's very fair to say
that we needed to take a good look right at
what went wrong. So I think I've been very open
about those things. I don't want to dwell on it.
When I've stood here before after ten win seasons, it
was all about this next year, right, So I think
it's fair for me to address last year, but not
dwell on it, you know. And so you know, anytime

(20:14):
you have a season like that, you better take a
good look at yourself. So certainly we evaluated everything within
the program as we always do, you know, because if
you're coming off a really good season, you have to
make sure you're capitalizing on the things you're doing well
and maybe continue to exploit those things and get better
in areas where you fall short, try to get better.
So it's really no different. I think I'm okay talking

(20:35):
about it, you know what I mean, But I don't
want to dwell on it because again, I've stood here before,
you know, two times after ten win seasons which didn't
happen a lot around here, and all I was worried
about was the next season.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
Right, So that'll do it for now. From Atlanta up next,
it's the Best of the Big Blue Insider.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
We'll have more from.

Speaker 1 (20:50):
Atlanta over the next few days next week, but that'll
do it for now. Stay tuned to the Big Blueing
Sider on six point thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome
back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Shay
Gildess Alexander, a former Wildcat, is not only the NBA
scoring champ at thirty two point seven points per game,

(21:10):
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, 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

(21:31):
straight games with twenty or more points, fourth longest in
NBA history. That kind of streak. Oscar Robertson did it
last in nineteen sixty three and sixty four. Wilt Chamberlain
had two streaks like that in the early sixties.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Just incredible.

Speaker 1 (21:50):
And now if they can win a championship, Oklahoma City
Shay Gildis Alexander would join a pretty impressive list of
people to lead the league in score, he 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 to fifteen season. And you've

(22:12):
got names like Bob Coosey, Bill Russell again, Chamberlain, Willis
Reed did it, Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic, Michael Jordan, Shack,
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

(22:34):
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
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

(22:55):
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
five ABA Championship. They beat the wicked Indiana Pacers one

(23:15):
ten to one oh five in Game five in Freedom
Hall man I hated the Pacers 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.
Hubi Brown had been an assistant coach for the Milwaukee

(23:38):
Bucks team that won the NBA Championship back in the
early seventies with a kid named Leuel Sinder, who of
course later was traded to the Lakers and became Kareem
Abdul Jabbar.

Speaker 10 (23:50):
But.

Speaker 1 (23:52):
John Y Brown hired him away, thinking well, this guy
knows how to win a championship, and 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 8 (24:09):
You, Dick, that's 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 that Louis and I and
and Artist won, So it's it's very special. And you know,
it just makes you wonder what would have happened if

(24:31):
that team had stayed together and 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 (24:48):
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's too easy to say now
because you know the NBA then surely isn't what it
is now.

Speaker 8 (25:06):
No, No, not even close. People. 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.

Speaker 12 (25:28):
And John did.

Speaker 8 (25:29):
John did make the right business decision at the time.
But it sure would have been great if Kentucky had
an NBA team today.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
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.

(26:02):
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

(26:22):
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 celebrated today. I said in 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 a follow up

(26:45):
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

(27:07):
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

(27:31):
learned that, didn't we Antonio Reeves at the best season
of his college career is last year at Kentucky, and
clearly it helped himself, but it helped the Wildcats enormously.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
So if Olway can do.

Speaker 1 (27:45):
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 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

(28:08):
because he was an undersized forward and didn't develop himself
as a guard, and had he known more about what
he needed to do and how to do it, he
would have.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
Spent a lot longer in the NBA. And we talk
about that.

Speaker 13 (28:22):
A lot of times. 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 that. But this is something that benefits
these guys. I mean, they know, and I think Oldway
knows that he has a little ways to go before

(28:45):
he's ready for the league. But like when I went
at Kentucky, you get kind of penciled into a spot
and you get used to playing a certain system. And
I worked really well in our system, But man, I
would love to have had these guys kind of tell me, man,

(29:07):
you've got to increase your ball handling. What I mean, Yeah,
you can shoot it if you jump all right for
a guy 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're going to handle
that ball. You got to get out on the floor
and learn how to defend these quicker players, which I

(29:30):
had to try to do in the NBA. And believe me,
when you're 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, we'll hear some stuff that he
won't hear from his from his girlfriend, he won't hear
from his parents, he won't hear from all those people

(29:53):
around him who are advising him. He'll hear some stuff
that he really needs to hear and hope that'll help
him get better the rest of the summer and going
into next season.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
And that has got me really excited about seeing Otago away,
including his brand new teammates. But seeing otega 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

(30:25):
of leap and Antonio Reeves made with their 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, Mac Brown, implying that they have relaxed academic

(30:47):
standards at North Carolina the Harvard of the South. For
Bill Belichick, you're listening to the best of the Big
Blue Insider. More to come here on six thirty wlap. Hey,
it's Dick Gabriel and you're listening to the best of
the Big Blue Insider. So I mentioned North Carolina going
into the break. Mac Brown appeared on Sirius XM radio

(31:07):
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
the comment for you in just a minute, academics. And
he basically said they seem to have lowered the academic

(31:30):
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
had a new chancellor come in, I think, and raised
the academic standards at Notre Dame back to where they

(31:52):
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 them back, and
that was it for Holtz. He took off, and as
you know, he land landed at the South Carolina at
one point. The other thing it reminded me of was

(32:15):
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
hardly had to do anything in order to make good
grades and helped their GPA. Obviously, there were athletes involved,

(32:39):
and people immediately assumed that these were classes created four athletes. No,
there were more non athletes in these classes than athletes.
But it was a real scandal. And this is a
school that is you know, clearly, as I said before
the break, considered itself in an Ivy League type of school. Well,

(33:00):
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, at least with regards to the NCAA, by
admitting or basically saying these classes or this class in particular,

(33:26):
was part of our regular curriculum. That's how they get
out from under serious NCAA penalties. Because if they hadn't
said that, then a lot of these athletes were going
to be declared ineligible. Championship banners were going to be
taken down and things like that. But in order to
avoid that for their athletic department, the academic side of

(33:48):
campus had to admit, or forced itself to admit that, yeah,
these are bogus classes. This is part of what we are.
It's not exactly the Harvard of the South. As I said, Now,
if Belichick is going to benefit from academic standards that

(34:09):
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 this. There are ways
to do this legally. In fact, this happens in the UK,
believe it or not. And I say that with all sincerity.
There is a process and it's not about athletics. Let

(34:30):
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.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
You can appeal.

Speaker 1 (34:40):
There is an appeals process. But within 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 and

(35:00):
when ordinarily they might not be a lot of them
prosper some of them don't.

Speaker 2 (35:05):
But you know what, a lot of the kids you get.

Speaker 1 (35:07):
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 12 (35:17):
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 was kind of like a divorce. Everybody was ready,

(35:37):
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

(35:57):
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 Omari
and Hampton and he got offered a million plus to leave,
and he stayed for three hundred thousand. I told he
we should leave because it was just crazy as you

(36:18):
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.

(36:41):
I think they've signed maybe sixty something new transfers. So
you've got a chance to succeed at the highest level
and I expect them to do that, and I'm proud
for him.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
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 Serious XM. One other note
about football. Jim Yarsay 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.

(37:14):
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

(37:34):
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

(37:55):
to exhibit the instruments to the public here in the
US and he didn't need the money. He's a rich
guy own the Colts. He was the owner when they
took Peyton Manning got him a Super Bowl win. But yeah,
Jim Yersay, 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 officionados all

(38:17):
over the world they knew about Jim Heresay.

Speaker 2 (38:21):
No telling.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
Now, what's going to happen to the collection? You're listening
to the best of the Big Blue Insider. Our number
two is next here on six thirty wlap Hey, it's
Stick Gabriel. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Our
number two Taking a little time off, so please enjoy
the best of the Big Blue Insider joining us down
our celebrity hotline as EKU football coach Walt Wells and

(38:43):
coach welcome back. We chatted right after your spring game
at the stadium, but we haven't had a chance to
chat with you since. When you look back on the spring,
what did you think about what you saw?

Speaker 2 (38:54):
A lot of new faces and a lot of new places.

Speaker 10 (38:56):
Right right, 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 liked what our coaches and our players did

(39:19):
as 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 today, so we're sitting there going through

(39:41):
all that, which looks like it's been quite honestly, like
it's gonna be the highest semester ever. So so I'm
a you know, and 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

(40:02):
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 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 fall.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
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 tough

(40:38):
to pick up where you left off?

Speaker 10 (40:41):
I think you know that's 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,
definitely don't have a great football team over there, but
we do get a SCS team coming into Bailey's Affies
old team Houston Christians before we went to Western, So uh,

(41:04):
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 four. And

(41:24):
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 The last thing I

(41:45):
said was the guys, we have to do a great
job developing this summer at 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 they got to go be ready to play.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Yeah, we're talking with ek.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
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, uh, well,
actually it.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
Was just like this year. This coming year.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
You opened up early 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.

(42:45):
You know, and if you can, if you can duplicate
that this year, that's a great that's a great advantage.

Speaker 10 (42:51):
That you hit the nail on the head. That's the
biggest thing when you're playing, you know, the Louisville, the
Marshalls like we are this year is you know, I mean,
they're they're a challenge. You know, we go there to 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. But I mean we're going

(43:12):
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 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

(43:34):
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 the playoffs and
win a national championship. That that has no effect on
that whatsoever. Right there, there's so the only if we win,

(43:57):
it has a positive effect, but if we lose, it
has no afffect on it. So don't you know, I
get it, it's important all that, but it's a long season.
You had to fight through all that. I mean, it's
hard 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

(44:18):
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 be honest with you, 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,

(44:40):
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 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 yep.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
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 named.

(45:22):
Four of them are on the defensive side.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
Of the football.

Speaker 1 (45:26):
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, jehem Ward, those are
some special players on defense.

Speaker 10 (45:42):
There's no question. I think the experience we have on
our football team right now comes from the defensive side
of football. 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 to two stars
up front and in a really quality sub uh. You know,

(46:04):
we lost Manage Marcellus to the UH to the Portal.
We lost Mike Smith to the Dallas Cowboys, and so
you know, you hear all that, you know, like 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

(46:26):
we had 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. Jehem 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

(46:47):
we continued, Caden Smith from 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
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

(47:09):
and the list goes 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 pass. He's gonna

(47:30):
have all the trick plays.

Speaker 9 (47:32):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (47:33):
You know, It's like I told him yesterday. I said,
if y'all think Jeff's gonna take it easy on it,
y'all are crazy. He's just try to score one hundred.

Speaker 2 (47:39):
And fifty on us.

Speaker 10 (47:40):
And uh, and I said, so we we better, you know,
make sure we know what we're doing and ready to go.
And so, uh, you know, I'm excited about our defense.
I like them where we how we competed but all spring.
But I'll tell you our offense started coming together there
towards the end and and in came a d and

(48:00):
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 and our starting center. Oh, I mean, so we're
you know, we're gonna be We're gonna be.

Speaker 12 (48:15):
Young up front.

Speaker 10 (48:16):
Yeah, and that's okay as part of it. I mean,
both of both our tackles went to the CFL, and
our center has uh got his NBA and is working
for eceland Ole.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
Now you're going there, you go all of us.

Speaker 10 (48:29):
Yeah, yeah, hell, John will be very, very successful.

Speaker 1 (48:34):
I promise you 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.
You're listening to the Best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty w l a P.
It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to the Best of the
Big Blue Insider.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
Welcome back.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
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 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

(49:11):
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.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
The pros are going to see you. They're gonna find you.

Speaker 1 (49:24):
With technology, with the Internet, everything's on TV. Now you
know you're gonna get your shot. I got to think
is that even an issue anymore to try to convince kids.

Speaker 10 (49:35):
Oh, it's always an issue because you know, it's even
worse now because they're they're recruiting your players. Well, 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 here.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
Wow, I forgot about that, And.

Speaker 10 (49:58):
So you know, 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 moved on our

(50:19):
starting linebacker last year, true sophomore, you know, all conference player.
He's at 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

(50:40):
you know, you just you know, those 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 and you better have somebody else to replace them.
And that that's the hardest part now, is maintaining those

(51:04):
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, our training camp practices,

(51:25):
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 know, they just keep

(51:45):
coming and looking in. You know, quite frankly, I mean
geographic 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 he didn't

(52:08):
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 success one right now,
along with Vincent Manland 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,

(52:28):
and then we've got other guys on the Titans and
Jaguars and here we go. But 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 the big thing that they

(52:50):
can't see is the benefits of staying somewhere and having
the success they had and then being able to come back,
come back, 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 that we're losing, uh in this portal era.

(53:13):
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

(53:33):
those two guys had met their agents. Watch it's just
a DM and hey, yeah, I can get you this
amount of money if you go into Portal nuts. And
you know, if a kid doesn't have great means, yeah,

(53:55):
you know what's he gonna say?

Speaker 2 (53:56):
No question?

Speaker 12 (53:57):
You know.

Speaker 10 (53:58):
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 Due or Virginia or
or wherever. We don't have the record that they're going
to have. Yeah, I mean, it's just where it's at.
And so you know that's what, in my opinion, the

(54:23):
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 him.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
It's dangerous. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
Too many too many kids and too many kids, too
many sports jump into the portal with nowhere to land,
you know.

Speaker 10 (54:43):
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 want to.
It's gonna be hard here. We're gonna make it hard
on you here. Yeah, that's just how we are, okay.
And there's gonna be days that, even though we haven't

(55:05):
done anything, you just aren't happy here. I mean, that's
just how life is. 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 things, and you know, some of the and
then they get these guys call and say, hey, I

(55:27):
can dump 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.

Speaker 2 (55:40):
Life's tough that way.

Speaker 10 (55:42):
Yeah, And what's the What these eighteen to twenty two
year olds are finding out is not everybody in the
world is believable. Not every everybody in the world is
going to do what they say, and it's casting them
their education, which in the long run is what they're
gonna need, because only two percent go to the NFL anyway.

Speaker 1 (56:04):
And I was 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.

Speaker 2 (56:14):
You make the wrong.

Speaker 1 (56:15):
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.

Speaker 10 (56:24):
You know, Well, 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 then I'm talking
about mentally, and you know, I hope none of that happens,

(56:44):
but you know, the trend would be going towards that
way because these 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. Yeah,
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,

(57:08):
whether you're the 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.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
Right?

Speaker 10 (57:23):
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 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 kids exactly, and I
get it. They you know, the average Jojo said, well,

(57:44):
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 the best for
them and for us as we can, because I'll be
honest with you, it's killing coaches. Yeah, it's killing it's

(58:05):
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 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,
d d da da da. Now you got to have
aficial visits for high school kids because you got to

(58:28):
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 stop?

Speaker 2 (58:37):
It's the never ending story.

Speaker 1 (58:38):
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.

Speaker 10 (58:53):
Of hours forever.

Speaker 1 (58:55):
Always a pleasure. Thank you so much, and I hope
to see you soon.

Speaker 10 (58:58):
I appreciate you having me. Sorry, I was a little
running a little light there. Ah, you're an academic.

Speaker 2 (59:03):
You're good. Yeah, I understand. I have a good one.

Speaker 10 (59:06):
I appreciate it you too. Happy Memorial Day.

Speaker 1 (59:08):
Well, well's the eku had football coach and as he said,
the Colonel's open up with Louisville August thirtieth, Saturday, August thirtieth,
you're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel.
Welcome back to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
Joining us now for the last time as a staff

(59:29):
writer for the Cats.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
Boss. I'm sure we will hear from Aaron Gershawn.

Speaker 1 (59:33):
Again, but he is moving on to a new job
in Florida in the very near future, so we wish
you luck on that. We'll come back to that though, Aaron,
we do need to talk about what's going on. Of
course you and I talked about I guess it was
last week. Will Kentucky takes some good talkers to SEC

(59:53):
media days, and it looks like they've made some pretty
good choices, right Yeah.

Speaker 14 (59:57):
I mean I definitely love the Josh Chatus Tay. I
think that that was a no brainer. I mean, that's
the guy who's entering year four in the program, you know,
has been through three offensive coordinators. He's been through you know,
two okay years, I guess by the new standards at
Kentucky's one really not so good year, but kind of
been there for all of it, has a really good personality,
So completely agreed with that. Pick Al Safari is a

(01:00:21):
very good young man. He's a versatile player. Another guy
who's been through it here for three years. He's a
little bit on the quiet side, so utably interesting to
see if the media down there in Atlanta, which is
I believe, No, he's from Ohio. I always get if
he's Georgia, Ohio. He's from Ohio. But you know, that's
a guy that'll be interesting to see if they could

(01:00:42):
get him the crack a little bit. And then Jordan
love It is a is a very good ambassador of
the program. Obviously the guys in state, guy who's been here,
another one who's been here for multiple years, uh seven
career interceptions, so you know it makes sense, you know, selfishly,
I know I'm obviously not going to be there, but
I love I wanted them to send is I ah
Pe because I just think that's a golden opportunity. And

(01:01:03):
you do see, you know, some of these schools across
the league sending their incoming transfers. I saw Jackson Arnold
who transferred from Oklahoma to Auburn is going to represent
the Tigers. So you know, it's not unheard of to
send these new transfers in to media days. And I
just think with all the stuff that's out there with Kentucky,
I think that would have been a golden opportunity to

(01:01:24):
get some really good clips out there and get some
good things rolling and market a guy who think you
guys are just gonna love you. You've already I think
popped them once and you'll just or twice maybe, and
you'll just continue to see that throughout the year. I mean,
that guy is as unique as they come. So I
thought they they missed an opportunity there. Now that I'm

(01:01:46):
an s I D are going to be an s
I D, I just that would be something I would
have done. But you know, flosses event she knows what
she's doing. But obviously it's a little bit interesting that
that they with Afari, But I get it because he's
been with the program for long.

Speaker 1 (01:02:03):
As you know at media days and I went last year,
but I hadn't been in a while, and I used
to go every year to both football and basketball. One
of the I don't know if traditions is the right word,
but what happens is media people, of course talk to
each other out in the hallway and oftentimes is hey,
have you talked to so and so? Or did you
hear what such and such said in this room? Maybe

(01:02:26):
you can get him to repeat it in your room
or something like that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
And I really thought Pete.

Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
Would be the guy that everybody said, have you heard
from this Kentucky old lineman? Ask him about this or
that or whatever. But you know how good his opportunities
And I think the guys they chose are good. In
the good news is they all contributed.

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
They've all made plays, no question.

Speaker 1 (01:02:48):
And I talked at Linked about Katis earlier in the
week because I rewatched. I don't know if you did,
but I rewatched that Kentucky Old Miss game on UK
Takeover Day on the SEC network, and everybody remembers that
Caddis made that grab of the loose ball fell into
the end zone for the winning touchdowns, one of the
most important touchdowns in UK history. Literally, I had forgotten

(01:03:12):
Aaron that he dropped a wide open pass and.

Speaker 2 (01:03:14):
A crucial point in the game.

Speaker 1 (01:03:16):
Yeah, they did, and it was such a painful moment.
The director twice went to a tight shot of Caddis.
You could see the agony on his face. Yeah, that's
why you felt so good.

Speaker 2 (01:03:27):
For him when he scored that touchdown. So I wonder
if it's got to come up, I would think.

Speaker 14 (01:03:32):
Yeah, you would think you would think so. Especially look
Kentucky's I believe they're either they're definitely on the last day.
I know last year they closed shop. I think they
might be closing shop again, uh this year. So it
is like a really good last day question right there,
and it'll really get brought up. I mean that play,
like you said, I mean it saved last year from

(01:03:54):
being a winless SEC season and also gave them what
was it was it their highest ranked winning program history
since LSU. I believe it's the highest strength to win
program win of the Stoops era. So yeah, yeah, just
a moment, like you said that, I'll definitely go down
in UK history despite you know, last year not going
well at all. I mean, you'll always have that. And
you know, his head's up play there, you know, saved

(01:04:15):
it from being the storylines being Kentucky's coming in coming
off a last place finish in the SEC.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
Yeah, and it was the highest ranked win on the
road for Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
That's right, nineteen seventy eight.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
So there are different different ways to categorize it. Talking
to Aaron Gershan as a Cat's blows SEC football media
Days coming up next week, Alex.

Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
Safari I spoke.

Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
To him, among many others a lot of people did
on UK Media Day last year about his move from safety.

Speaker 2 (01:04:46):
I think it is two linebackers.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
They wanted him closer to the ball. He is a playmaker,
but undersized as SEC linebackers go. I asked him, how
do you think it's going to go, and he just
basically said, wait and see, which, on the one hand,
sounded confident. On the other hand, he had no idea.
I thought he did fairly well, but that was a
defense that struggled at times, made but really played well

(01:05:10):
at all miss But now there's not that year of
experience at linebacker behind him.

Speaker 2 (01:05:16):
That's only a plus, you know, Huote.

Speaker 14 (01:05:18):
Yeah, especially and especially given obviously don't like the way
it played out. But when Derek Jackson went down for
the second half of last year, Alex Farry was in
the starting lineup, and there was even one game, I
believe it was Murray states that jaman du Mus Johnson
didn't play either. So with out your two starting inside backers,
and Afari really got to play, you know, at both

(01:05:39):
levels inside linebackers position. And I thought, like you said,
I thought it was okay. I thought for sure there
were some adjustment and adjustments you know, being made on
the fly, some missed assignments, some mis gaps whatever. You know,
when I talked to Brad White now that our football
yearbooks out, he read the Q and A there about
how we thought a Fari transition. You know, he was
pretty complimentary. He just thinks, like you said, the reps

(01:06:02):
that he got there the starts, I think there's seven
of them, is only going to help him a ton
going into this year where they're really going to need him.
Because not only is he penciled into the starting lineup,
but you go looking that inside linebacker room and you know,
Brad White was confident about the death and that's his
job to be confident about the depth, and look, I
hope he's right. But it gets pretty thin after Afari

(01:06:26):
and David Rayner. I mean you're talking Landon wantson the
transfer from Marshall, who really has only played a lot
of football in one season, and then you're looking at
guys like Grant God for you, another guy who was
an outside backer that moved in that has I think
has one career start and is under his belt and
that was against Murray And it gets even thinner from there.
So they're really going to need him to not only

(01:06:48):
stay healthy, but be productive there.

Speaker 1 (01:06:50):
Afari has started eighteen games over the last two years,
including six last year, moving two linebackers, third on the
team in total tackles even though he didn't start every game,
and led the team in tackles for loss with eleven,
And that's what I like the most about him because
being a little bit on the small side six two

(01:07:10):
to two twenty seven, he is faster, I think than
your average SEC linebacker. And that enables Brad White to
bring him off the edge if he wants to, and
that kind of thing. So plus I had forgotten about
this Aaron. He had ten tackles against both Tennessee and Louisville,
so always around the ball. That's that's huge.

Speaker 14 (01:07:32):
Yeah, and he's a guy too that I'm glad you
said that about Louisville specifically. Like you go watch the
tape of that Louisville game, where you go watch the replay.
I don't think any Kentucky fan wants to go back
and watch that game, but you're gonna see a lot
of guys who they were done with the season. There
was in a there were different levels of effort in
that game. That be with a you know three and

(01:07:53):
to oh team early in the year, or even a
team that was you know, six and five like they
were going into that game twenty three. I mean, I'm
not going to name any names, but you could see
it all over the field. You didn't see that a
second from Alice Afari. He was all over the field
making plays and had showed up in the box score
and look, Louisville ran the ball all over Kentucky that day.

(01:08:15):
But Afari was super productive, and again he wasn't the
issue in that game in Tennessee even. I mean that
was game Kentucky actually played pretty darn well on the
defensive side of the ball. The offense really just couldn't
give them enough time to take a break when Kentucky
was down to three DBA or three corners by the
end of that football game with all the injuries that
piled up. So, you know, Ifari had some really good

(01:08:38):
moments late in the year as he got more and
more comfortable, and I think, you know, having not only
two off seasons now training at that position, but sixth
career starts through and knowing he's going to be the guy.
He's a senior on a defense that yes there are
some other seniors, but not that many seniors outside of
a couple others that have been in the program as

(01:08:58):
long as he has. I mean, it's really off in
my head him and loved it right. I mean, Hardaway
even has been here for three years but started his
career at Cincinnati, So he's going to be counted on
in a ton of different ways, and I think you'll
see him take a big step and be a lot
more comfortable at that spot.

Speaker 1 (01:09:15):
Aaron Gershaan of the Cats Pause, we will step out
and come back and talk a little basketball. But Aaron,
on the other side of the break, it's Dick Gabriel
and you're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
It's Dick Gabriel and you're listening to the best of
the Big Blue Insider. We're talking with Aaron Gershaan of
the Cats Pause. He is wrapping up his career with
the Cat's Pause this week before moving on to work

(01:09:37):
at a college in Florida as a sports information director.
So you're going to a small school down there, but
you'll keep an eye, of course on the big school
up here when it comes to basketball, that is the Wildcats.

Speaker 2 (01:09:48):
And you had a chance to chat earlier this week
with the Cam Williams.

Speaker 1 (01:09:51):
You had already done I think an interview with him
and also Jaden Quaints. Let me start first with Jaden.
I had forgotten Aaron we all I know that he
had committed to be a Wildcat and play for John Calli.
Perry had second thoughts when Perry left goes to Arizona State.
So it was weird when he said, yeah, it's good
to be back. But this is a guy once his knee.

(01:10:13):
The plan is once his knee recovers, once he recovers
from knee surgery, he will be one of those defensive presences.
That's the word back under the bucket. And all these guys,
Aaron are talking about defense, which we did not hear
in the summertime last year.

Speaker 2 (01:10:30):
What do you make of that?

Speaker 14 (01:10:32):
Huge First of we'll just starting the second point first.
It has been a talking point of every single player
that has spoken so far this offseason about defense, and
you did not have those same talking points when we
were doing these last summer. Not that I don't think
there was a lack of effort there. I just think
they didn't have the guys who had the decorated pass

(01:10:54):
on that end of the court. And I think even
you know, go back and look at the stats from
Mark Pokes time at by you and even Utaw Valley
extent like he was. None of his teams wherever elite
or even great defensively, they were good to average to
below average defensively. And I think last year was kind
of you talk about learning, learning, and just experience and growing,

(01:11:17):
which you're going to see, you know, guys like Brendan Garrison,
Trent No and Colin Chandler hopefully take a jump as
they grow in the system. I think Mark Pope had
to grow and learn when he got to this conference
and got to a place like Kentucky just how much
he needed to emphasis emphasize on defense and get guys
that can really bring it physicality wise. It's not effort

(01:11:38):
alone is not going to do it. You got to
bring in some just dues to win on the defensive
end here, and Jaden Quainton's you know, circling back and
tying it all in. That's what you're looking for. A
guy who averaged two and a half blocks per game
at sixteen years old in the Big twelve six' nine
of the seven three. Wings then a guy really who
if he wasn't if he was eligible for THE nba,

(01:12:02):
draft would have been probably a first round pick this,
year even maybe over the. Injury but if he hadn't got,
hurt probably still would have been. One and, now as
long as he's healthy and in place to his, capabilities
is going to be either a lottery pick or first
round pick in the twenty six. Drafts so you know
that's a talent that you, know frankly they didn't have

(01:12:22):
last year in the front court or really. Anywhere it's
a guy that you, know and you talked about how
he said it feels good to be. Back he's a
guy from EVERYTHING i, heard wanted to be, here even
through the coaching. Change it was more so On kentucky's
end With Mark pope trying to start. Over, hey let's
kind of just blow this thing up and do it,
all you, know from, Scratch and that's kind of what happened,

(01:12:43):
there and that's why he saw. That quainton's obviously money,
talks but he Chose Arizona state Over arkansas or over Even,
louisville who was in on. Him SO i think this,
MOVE i, mean, look if he's healthy that he could
BE i think probably on, paper he gonna be the
biggest impact maker of anyone they got in the, portal

(01:13:03):
just because of what he can do in the defensive
end and even on the offensive end as. Well but
as we, know those, injuries you just got to just
get them on the, floor let's see what. Happens because
you don't want to you don't want to jinx, it
and you you just as an ACL i, mean had
the Surgery, march so we'll. See but you got to
love what he. BRINGS.

Speaker 10 (01:13:22):
H if you're.

Speaker 1 (01:13:23):
Healthy one thing you need to understand anybody does is
you cannot compare other athletes and their injuries and their
recovery and their timeline to any. Other everybody's.

Speaker 2 (01:13:34):
DIFFERENT.

Speaker 1 (01:13:35):
H i've recovered from three knee surgeries, myself and they
were all.

Speaker 2 (01:13:38):
Different.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
Uh and please keep in mind, that you, know a
CL's as tough as they. Are it's the rehab that
is the. Key That i've HAD a dot surgeon tell,
me you, know the surgery itself is, routine putting the
knee back together unless they've. Shredded everything is fairly. Routine
it's the, rehab you, know and everybody's different. There but,

(01:14:00):
uh keeping My kentucky had not this past baseball, season
but the year before had a left fielder who blew
HIS acl playing summer baseball and was back in Time
kentucky into The World series as An All star left.
Fielder so you, know you just got to just got
to take it as it. Comes AS i, mentioned you
would already talk With Cam. Williams how do you see

(01:14:20):
him fitting? In what is his game and what Did
kentucky fans.

Speaker 14 (01:14:23):
Expect, yeah he's a, look he was a not only
a really good, shooter but did it at a high
volume last year right where you were looking AT mo
diabase for, example and sans a like probably only took
twenty six. Threes how accurate is that forty six to
two point p forty six point mark and we'll. SEE
i think he's definitely gonna take more than twenty. Six

(01:14:43):
but With Cam, williams he took over one hundred and
sixty threes and was that four? Percent LIKE i understand
it was that too lane and not AGAINST sec, defenders
but you know forty one percent that volume is is.
Elite and that's the guy who you go look at
a shot, chart he all ends of the three point, line,
corner straight away wing WHEREVER i mean. ELBOW i mean

(01:15:04):
that guy is just a knockdown shooter and he's a weapon.
There and he has really good. SIZE i mean he's
six' to eight with a. Long wings fan he averaged
over a block per game last year on the. DEFENSIVE
end i think that's something in his game. That's UNDERRATED
so i think he's a guy that YOU, know nba
he's definitely GOT an nba body AND an, nba PROTOTYPE
which i know has. Excited scouts he's a guy that's

(01:15:26):
definitely gotten some buzz in, the draft, you know early
mock drafts for twenty six who see his name kind
of late first in early. SECOND round i don't it's
gonna be interesting what his role is going to be on, this,
TEAM though i think they're gonna have be a good
three point shooting. TEAM overall i don't know if they have,
any elite elite shooters on. This roster if there, IS

(01:15:46):
one i think it's gonna end Up, being campbellians which
is what he did, Volume wise, AND yeah i think
the volume. Was there he's the only guy on this
roster that has high volume three point shooting in their
career that has been highly sick successful.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
AT it i only got about a, minute left but
there's time enough for you to tell us about how
much you've enjoyed working For The cash Pause And darryl
byrd and Covering. THE wildcats a great opportunity for you
at the early stage of.

Speaker 14 (01:16:12):
Your, CAREER yeah i wish i'd more than. A, minute
no you can't, control it, But gosh i've loved every second.
OF it, i mean it's been nothing but outstanding cover,
this program, you, know, basketball football everything here at, this
level so many, amazing experiences, You know so thankful. To
you obviously you gave me a Chance With big Blue

(01:16:33):
and tier in twenty nineteen and obviously been on radio
seemingly every, week SINCE and i can't appreciate. That enough And,
then darryl, you know giving me my first full, time gig,
you know, after college after one year working at a
smaller Paper. In indiana so it's been. A blast i
have so Many memories i'll look fondly. Back on and,
you know as we go down this path a sports,

(01:16:54):
information director, you know you never know could end up
back HERE at uk or IN. The sec that's the.

Speaker 2 (01:16:59):
Goal at the end of.

Speaker 14 (01:16:59):
The day but, you know this is a position to
get your foot in the door and make a little.
More Money and i'm excited to get. That rolling, But
man i'm gonna.

Speaker 2 (01:17:08):
Miss, it well thanks for all.

Speaker 1 (01:17:09):
Your time best of luck to you and your better
half And. To barkley great new for. A dog, safe
travels but keep in touch and we will do.

Speaker 2 (01:17:17):
The same, oh, yeah absolutely that'll do it.

Speaker 1 (01:17:21):
For now thanks for joining us for this special edition
the best Of The Big.

Speaker 2 (01:17:24):
Blue insider. That's it good night from the Garage. In lexington.

Speaker 11 (01:18:05):
Tapping the, thinking back tack tack it down by Atom

(01:19:05):
in comtomtomating story bo

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