Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'man Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught, coming to you
from Clark's Main Street Market Studios and beautiful downtown Lexington, Kentucky.
And we are now proud to be joined by our
volleyball coach, eight time SEC champion volleyball coach, Coach Skinner,
Craig Skinner, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Coach, Good morning guys. How you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
We're doing pretty good. We're doing pretty good. The season
ended for you all you get you did get number
eight and I'm I'm proud of that. Larry Vaught told
me it may be a portion of the championship, but
I held on for hope. I said, no, we're not
getting a portion, man, We need the whole SEC chip.
That's what you that's what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Craig, Well, it was this very rewarding year and you know, luckily,
you know, in a lot of hard work, we're able
to capture number eight in a row here in the
SEC and make it run in the tournament. And you know,
only one team gets end up happy at the end
of the tournament. But you know, maybe a good run
to the lead eight and and uh you know, so
(00:59):
it was a heck of a run.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
And it hasn't been very long since the season ended
to a very good Pittsburgh team, I should say, but uh,
you know, things we're looking for number nine. The season's over,
we're starting over. The transfer portal has already been kind
to you already. Were you where Craig Skinner in the
Kentucky's volleyball team at right now?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, it's it's actually, you know, it's it's a relaxing
time in some ways because you know, most our team
is home and you know, hanging with friends and family
and getting ready for Christmas this week. And but you know,
the transfer portal has definitely been active, and we have
benefited so far with the edition of Lizzie Carr and
hoping to announce another one here in the next day
(01:41):
or so. And uh, you know, so it's weren't a
good spot looking forward to, uh, you know, getting going
in twenty twenty five, and you know, it's definitely takes
some time to reflect and enjoy the you know, the
things we've accomplished this past year.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Craig, you talk about Lizzie, she's six six, she's played
it perdue, terrific players. I mean, I even think I
remember her winning the Sportsmanship Award and the Big Ten
as a freshman, which I thought was really really impressive.
But tell us a little bit about her and how
much did you lean on her brother to get her
here to Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Oh Man, Well, uh, she is she is a first
of all, great family, great person. Uh, you know, the
best of Lizzie Carr is still yet to come. And
she's a versatile player. She's tall, but she she's played
both on the right side a Purdue and in the middle.
You know, she you know, certainly give her, you know,
(02:38):
opportunities at both to kind of see what she can do.
But you know, definitely some added height at the net
that that we have missed a little bit. I mean,
I know we've had, you know, Megan Wilson at six four,
and you know, but middles are six two six' one,
and you know, when you're going against some of the
most physical athletes in the country, it's it's nice to
have some imposing presence at the net. And she is
(03:00):
definitely going to bring that for us.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
And you're starting our rea starting off, like you said,
trying to replace a couple of people. You you got
two big ones that you got to replace. And I
know Emma came in, she set records, and how do
you continue to do that every time a great one leave,
When the all time Kentucky greats and volleyball leave you
you replace them, and then we have another great one
we got to worry about replacing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Well, you know, the senior class, there was six of them,
so we have a big chunk of a roster. And
and uh, you know, Haley Melby's decided to move on
in the transfer portal as well. And you know, she
was a great player and had a significant role in
all three of our championships, but when she was here,
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It's difficult.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I don't think we replaced semmc grom. You know, you
certainly don't expect anyone to be her, just like we
didn't expect them to be Madison Lily.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But you know, with Avis Sarafa who's been here two years,
Cassidy O'Brien is coming in January, we have a couple
of great setters with great resumes high school to come
and have the opportunity to be the starting UH setter
in the program. So I feel good about that. Eleanor Bevin.
You know, her abilities in the back row is certainly
something that we will miss, and her leadership and composure
(04:13):
and Aaron Lamb and Megan Wilson the senior years that
they had to help us make a run. You know.
So we've got some you know people. I mean, we
have you know, eight returning players plus three freshmen. We've
added one in the transfer portal, and and you know,
I believe another one's gonna be you know, announced today
or tomorrow, and we'll probably add you know, one or
(04:33):
two more to get you know closer to you know,
fourteen players on the roster for next season and and
go from there. But you know, I really like the
talent that we have returning, love the freshmen we have
coming in and the transfers coming in. I think, you know,
our crowd is certainly going to love watching this twenty
five team next year.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Greig at one or Bevin, I think is probably one
of the more I don't underrated, underappreciated. I don't know
what the right word is for her, with what she
did for you in your in your four years and
the move she made this year changing positions like she did.
I mean, the intangibles of losing her, are they going
(05:13):
to be a lot greater than what most most people
realize trying to replace what she gave.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
You absolutely, Larry. I mean, you know, the stabilization and
the comfort that she allowed other people around her to
play with is really something you don't realize how good
it was until it's gone, and we're going to realize
it pretty quickly. You know, she's not practicing the gym
with us, not on the court with us. That's stability
that she gives you, and you know, allows people to
(05:40):
play free and and uh, you'll not have to worry
about too much because she just is so good and
has such a good iq of the game and her
technique and the way she you know, receives serve and
Doug Balls is literally unteachable almost so you have to
do that by committee and she you know what people
like you know, Trinny Wark and Kim bring in. He's
(06:02):
a thick pen possibly and you know, potentially another you know,
ds leberro in the transfer portal because that position is
so important for teams trying to be really good. And
you know you'll see today in the National Championship. You know,
Louisville has great players in that position. Penn State has
great players in that position. We've had great players in
that position. You just can't be consistently good without them.
(06:25):
So we will definitely miss elling her.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
But the good thing is you also may have what
might be the best player in the nation already, but
if not, certainly could be the best player in the
nation next year with with Brooklyn coming back, I mean,
how did how do you feel she progressed this year?
And I know you never think, no matter what they do,
that they are at their best. So tell us what
you're going to push her forward to get even better
(06:49):
own next year? You know, she looked pretty darn good
this year to me, Craig, Well.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
When you're National Player of the Year finalist of one
of four people, I'd say you're in a.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Pretty good spot.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
So I guess the older you get, the margins for
improvement get smaller, and you know she's gonna, you know,
try and get better at you know, little things. You know,
her her shot selection, you know, continues to improve. You
know from where it was her freshman year. Her service
eive is better. We got to take another step forward.
I think in that area, her blocking can take another
(07:21):
step forward. And then consistency. I mean you saw her
serve takeover matches at times and then you saw her
struggle to get in at times. So I mean that
consistency of being a threat at the service line is
going to be important.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think that there are times when you know, we
we because Brooklyn is so talents, we relied on her
quite a bit having a little bit more balance, especially
like when you get to the Sweet sixteen Elite eight
final four. You got to have balance to win those matches.
And you know, so that she's not taking seventies five
swings a night, but you know, not that she doesn't
like that, because we like her doing that too, But
(07:58):
you want to be, you know, a little bit more
deceptive for the team on the other side of the
net at times.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
And you are right on one thing. I'll let Anthony
get back. But her serve receives seemed it kind of
looked like it had to improve this year out of
necessity because it seemed like teams just kept serving her,
which I understood, but it seemed like that improved even
as the season went on this year.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
She's a great receiver for her position. I mean, being
six two sixty three, the way she is to have
that type of agility to research, see service significant and
she has a natural ability at it and just be
you know, that's one of those things that takes a
long time. It's like shipping and putting and golf. It
just takes a long time to get the feel of
angles and touch and feel. And so when she's only
(08:46):
had two years a full time volleyball, imagine what she's
gonna be able to do in that skill. You know,
with another year, another two under her belt, she'll you know,
be pushing you know, people about some of the best
players in the country.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
And coach, I've grown to watch him with a lot.
I mean, she's obviously one of the best players in
the country. So at her position as a setter, you
get to see her perform a lot. She's she's moved on.
Uh who are you who you look into? Is Ava?
Or is it committee? Just because her her leadership in
general being the calm on the court, and plus her
position also brings leadership as well. Are is there gonna
(09:20):
be committee? Is someone gonna be uh expected to step
into those big shoes or or are you still scratch
of your head?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
I mean you know again, Ava has been here a
couple of years and she's got, you know, a great
chance to to be a you know, a starting seenter
for us. And again Cassie O'Brien, you know, but you
know therefore you know there again, I think that, you know,
when people like Elner Bevan Emmigront play every single set
of their entire career, again, you don't realize. It's like,
(09:49):
you know, you know, in football, you have a quarterback
that makes easy slant throw, you know, five yards slant.
I mean sometimes that people think that's easy.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
It's not.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
And you know, you don't realize how goodquarterbacks are at
little things like that until they're gone.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And same thing with em.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
She makes the easy set look easy. She makes a
tough set look easy, and you know, when you don't
have that, it brings a little bit more instability and
what are we gonna do next? And who's gonna who's
gonna do that? So you know, you certainly have competition
at the spot to make each other better, but you
know we're gonna have to make up for it in
some areas too and in other ways that to win
win games.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
What I want to know, Craig goes, what We've really
what I really liked about Emma when she's been on
radio with us, she more than holds her own with Anthony.
Kwhy are you going to have somebody kind of feisty
and spunky like anth that can come in and just
kind of, you know, maybe intimidate Anthony a little bit
and we can get her own radio with us to
talk volleyball.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Oh. I don't think there's any doubt we can find
someone like that. I mean, I can think of some
personalities like Jordan Daily and Molly Tuzzo and and you know,
even Brooklyn can throw some things his way, and we'll
find someone. I don't think anyone needs to go through
life unscathed and without challenge. So we'll find someone for
Anthony to pick his pocket a little bit and cokay, good,
(11:06):
we need that.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And coach for my last question before we get trut here.
I know it's been a long season with this transfer, portal,
ni l and all those type of things going on,
probably up until a couple of days ago when Brooklyn
got the bad news that she she was not selected
as probably the best player in the country. Doesn't mean
she is, She just wasn't selected. What is going on
(11:28):
with Cravey Skinner. Now this holiday season, do you get
a little time off wor or do you keep grinding?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
That's that's a good that's a funny question because when
the phone rang, I was like, oh man, I think
I'm supposed to be on the radio, when I was
actually in the garage cleaning the garage because we just
got our gross painted and their stuff everywhere. So I'm
trying to pick stuff up, throw things out, and uh,
that's a little that's a little therapy for me. So
I'm doing that right now. And we're going to Florida
tomorrow to visit with my brothers and my mom and
(11:56):
spend a few days down there and then come back.
And uh, actually got a chance to go to the
Green Bay Packer Bears game in early January in Lambeau,
which I've never been up. Eli's a big, big fan
of them. He's a Randall Cobb fan, you know, from
day one when he was at Kentucky. And and so
one of our student manager's moms works in the front
(12:18):
office of the Packers. So we're lucky enough to get
invited and we can't wait for that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Why are you from Ohio? So it probably won't be
too too cold for you. You may be a little
bit used to it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, yeah, well I don't know about that type of cold.
So if if anyone's used to that, I got to
better get their melon checks.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah. Well, it was a great year, Craig. I appreciate
you taking some time with us, anxious to who the
next recruit you may be, are transfer that you might
be adding, got some suspicions, but I know it's going
to be really good. I know you've got to got
a lot of good players back. And I always appreciate
your time with us.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Absolutely, and I'm looking forward to next year. And you
know our fans are gonna be excited to watch Kentucky
volley MO one twenty five. I have no doubt. So
thanks a lot, guys, appreciate having Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
All right, thanks coach, Thank you. We will be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports
Talk on news radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports stock. I'm Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught. Stockyards Bank is
your trusted partner since nineteen o four, So on head
on over to syb dot com for all your banking
and financial needs. Like to thank coach UK volleyball coach
(13:38):
Craig Skinner for joining us this morning to talk volleyball
and Larry Vaught. I always liked talking to Coach Skinner
and I do remember Madison Lily, but I do not
remember her exit that much and the void because I
really wasn't a huge volleyball fan because we did not
have the volleyball players on as often we had Craig
(13:58):
on a lot, but we hadn't had the volleyball team
on as often as we've had the young ladies on
this year. Are you not concerned? You think Craig is
not concerned? You got faith in Craig that replacing Emma
and what five other seniors and transfer portal person.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, but I think he's got a really good nucleus
coming back and adding he's got three good freshmen coming
in and now adding Car already. And I think, just
from what I've heard, the one transfer that he's expecting
to make a decision announcement today is going to be
a really really good player too. So yeah, they've got
a lot of talented pieces. Now how he'll fit them
(14:38):
together as a team, because, as he said, the biggest
thing to replace is the fact that for four years,
every match, every set, Alan or Bev and Emogrom were
out there. Neither one ever injured, neither one ever sick. Well,
I take that back. They never let I'm sure they
were both were hurting at time, but they let it
kept on from playing and they were out there every time.
(15:00):
And Bevin was a terrific liberro and then she moved
this year so that Molly Tuez could become the regular
at that spot, and Alan was just back there receiving
serve acing when she did, serves out leaves his all
time leader and aces at Kentucky and Grome was just sensational.
So yeah, it's going to be hard. But remember when
(15:22):
Madisonola did leave with thought, we'll never see anybody it's
probably as good. It's what her and I also remember
Gabby Curry was liberro on that national championship team. We'll
never see anybody as good as them. Well, Groome and
Batman step in. They won four more SEC championships in
a row with them there, So just like they did
with Lilli and Curry, so they've been pretty good. So
whoever's coming in has got some big shoes to feel.
(15:44):
But I think you saw Avasapa played pretty well in
NCAA tournament when she got some chances, and he's really
high on some of the recruits that he's got in
and I think cars six ' six just gives them
a dimension they haven't had in delay. I think could
have been very well the best or one the player
(16:06):
for the National Player of the Year this year. I
think being a sophomore probably hurt her a little bit
in the voting, to be honest, But when you've got
her to build around fantastic then I also think Asha Thigpant,
who was the freshman this year and was hurt toward
the end of the season, if they can keep her
healthy for a whole year, I think she'll be a
really dynamic player too.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Uh yeah. Speaking of Emma Groham and some of those people,
and emmcgroham was a center, maybe you can educate me
really quickly. Maybe the center position is at like the
quarterback because she sets everybody up. So I was wondering,
was Emma Grohm groomed to be a center and because
of her leadership. They moved there there because I'm thinking
if she moves Ava Sarafa in there, then you do
(16:50):
you have to have the leadership, is kind of my question.
Like a quarterback. You can throw a football, you can
do everything a quarterback has to do, but that leadership
aspect is the one that kind of the quality that
kind of gets you over the hump.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yeah, all these players have always been setters, but all right,
there's there's a unique skill set also, not only be
in the ceter but being I mean they always talked
about Basis and Lille and then the same with emmcgram
first one of the gym, last one to leave the gym,
always working, trying to get things better, and both had
really good personalities to fit well with their teammates. Both
(17:24):
got along with Craig really really well. I had good
relationships where they could say things to him and he
could talk to them and they could work things out.
So just to step in and do all of that
we will see now. Like I say, Athas Sarafoi have
two years of playing under emmagrom or with emmcgrom that
she's learned. But I also think it's interesting that Cassie Robinson,
(17:45):
the high school center by most considered the best high
school ceter in the nation. This year, it's coming to
school in January. You don't see many volleyball players that.
The last one that I can remember was Gabby Curry
came semester early and it paid out for her. Now
Robinson's coming, and one of the reasons that she wants
to or O'Brien, let me take it back, it's O'Brien.
(18:08):
The one of the reason that she is coming early
is so that she can be around Emmigrom all that
she can before in the leaves here to try to
learn from him. So to me, that's a player that's
pretty intent on trying to get her craft as good
as it'll be, and that'll be a really interesting battle.
And whoever doesn't win it, it'd be urst to see
what Craig might do with them.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
That is interesting. We got about thirty seconds before we
have to go to break. But I did want to
ask you last week you were in studio, and I
appreciate you again for sitting in. Did you get to
go to gymnastic blue and White?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I did not. I had an engagement. I need to
be back and Dan before so, but I'm hoping to
get to, like, say, a couple of those matches during
the season with you. Hopefully we can get that work
to out to go to a couple of them.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
All right, when we come back, we're going to talk
women's basketball because it seems like coach Brooks is figuring
a few things out over there, and that'll be a
bright spot to end this show on. We'll be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports
Talk on news Radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty w LAP.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I am
Anthony White along with the great Larry Vault. This hour
Sunday Morning Sports Talk is brought to you by country
Boy Brewing. Who is this Bow Robinson? Albert King falls Once.
(19:35):
I'm from Christmas in Soulsville off the Stax label, Memphis, Tennessee.
See I knew it. Thank you? Well, what did you know?
I knew that was King?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
All right, I just like to get funky on Christmas.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I know you've been doing a great job. You do
a great job every week, but you are doing an
outstanding job today. Give yourself a pat on the back,
Larry Vaught, since you and I are here together, I
did want to bring up Kentucky women's basketball unless you
still have something on. If you can call in, if
you would like to eight five nine to eight zero,
(20:13):
two to eight seven eight five nine to eight zero cats.
If you still are frustrated about yesterday's are disappointed about
yesterday's men's basketball game, you can call it in to
talk about that, or you can continue with us, because
we're going to talk about women's basketball because I like
what Kenny Brooks is doing over here, and that team
is ten and one and Larry Vaught. What I did
notice about the Perdue game and the Belmont game is
(20:37):
that first thing every time I look at the score
in the stat book, first thing I go to look
at is Georgia a more minutes played. And you know
what Kenny Brooks has listening to Sunday morning sports talk.
You know why Larry Vaught, because it don't save forty.
It don't save forty in there anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
We you know she got and found trouble this last game.
It's why I had to set her out. Why they
had kind of a rough start but she got two
thousand in the first three minutes, which that's the first
time that has happened to her. So hopefully he won't
be setting her out for that reason anymore. He'll be
sitting her out kind of more strategic or to rest
her at all. But if Drill didn't have any choice,
but she only played three minutes in the first quarters
(21:17):
for our numbers were way down that game, well.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He only he set her five minutes again its perdue,
and she had zero files. See at least he got
that five minutes, but that was the.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Yeah, five minutes for the whole game. Yeah, so I
think that's more like what I would like to I
don't think he wants to play her forty minutes. But again,
if you ask Georgia, she'd be fine with playing forty.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And that's what it seems like. But what I'm hearing
is that maybe Lawrence has taken some of the some
of the rollovers as a distributor or a ball handler,
which is given Georgia a chance to get away from
the ball a little bit and not be so dependent.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Some And then Cassidy Road comes in. What she does
a lot of times she takes over that primary ball
handling role because right now that George is scoring a lot.
She was sensational in that second half against Belmont and
is the reason they won that game, because Belmont really
played well against them. But Georgia, I think it was
at seven seven threes in the game and she was
(22:18):
just on fire. From out of three points, she took
a couple, he just pulled it up and let her
rip and got nothing but that she was really fun
to watch her reactions and all too so. But but
there again, they are a little bit like Mark Pope's team.
They're not they're not blessed with great depth. They're issues.
They get two people they were really expecting to be,
(22:39):
you know, the twenty five thirty minute a game type
players that are both out hurt and that's changed everything
that he has done. And he did talk about the
end of the night that he is going to have
to try to figure way to see if he can
go to his bitch more. But you feel there's a
drop off and you're trying to games and the people
(23:02):
that are going to be playing. I know it's hard
to do, but that's why those coaches get that money.
But that was a good comeback win for him to
get at Speilmont, a team that seems to always give Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Trouble, and it seems like we're getting ready. Well, we
got worded about a week a little bit or more
than a week before we start conference play, and I
that was exactly where I was kind of headed with
that conversation. Was our men's basketball team. We get a
lot of credit for some of those games we pulled
off and always coming back and having an opportunity to
win the game, making adjustments, And it seems like our
identity might be setting itself up or people are either
(23:35):
game planning us to cause all the problems our basketball.
Our men's basketball team does not seem to be getting better,
maybe stagnant at best. So I'm not sure everybody thinks
this is a ceiling. I'm not sure my question was
or my not concern, but comparison is it seems like
the basketball team is figuring things out. Everything went through
(23:56):
Georgia and we were going to live and die by
whatever Georgia did. We just happened to come up with
a ten to one record at this point. You know,
we haven't played a whole lot of tough competition. We
did beat a good Louis of a team, But I
just feel like our women's basketball team is figuring a
couple of things out. We're a little over a week
away from conference play, and I was trying to feel
(24:18):
good about that. You made me feel as if that's
fools gold that we're looking at right now, these last
couple of wins for fools gold, and Nown'm upset again.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
No, I'm not saying necessarily full of fools go. I'm
just saying they kind of are what they are. But
I think Kenny Brooks does a good job. I'm really
utilizing his players' strengths and trying to camouflage those those
weaknesses and play a lot of passions. Bea has she
hits a little bit. One are three points with thirty
(24:51):
you know she gets on the corner boo because there
must have been twelve fifteen seconds left on the shot clock.
She just lets it rip and nothing but nett. And
last week when you were not here, we had Josh Peterson,
the assistant women's coach, on with us. He said that
was one thing about her, says she has no conscience.
If she misses one, she's sure she's gonna make because
(25:11):
she thinks she's gonna make every shot, so she didn't
have any fear at all let that fly. And that's
a good and bad thing both. But she's played really
well for them too, and they've been good. It's just
you kind of wonder going into the SEC do they
have quite enough depth night in and night out to
hold up against some of these teams that you know
(25:31):
are really going to try to manhandle them and push
them around. It's like what they're gonna do Mark Pope's team.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, And that was more also a concern that the
bigs stracking them. Are they getting to where they can
handle the pushing around, the bully ball down on the
block or is it still step away and facing up
to the basket.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Strak is doing better and about holding her own in there,
and I think Clara Silva, the girl from Portugal, who
is still kind of trying to adjust to that and
is not playing the number of minutes that I think
I probably anticipated she might be by this point of
the season. But she's showing some signs, but still not
(26:14):
quite where I think he would like her. I know,
not where Kenny would like her to be or where
I guess maybe he hoped she would be at this
point of the season, and.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
You said, where would you like to see Clara Silva
gets some minutes that has it she's would she have
against bail Mine eleven and sixteen. So if you want
to get some minutes where we're going to get him from,
I know you like to see Stracking us Silva on
the floor together at points.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Well, not necessarily a gather. I thought she might be
able to give Strack a little bit more breather, but
at times you could because when you could play then
that cause also it has it come out a little
bit because you can put Strack out at the forward
and it has to have a breather or They've talked about,
you know, at times, and I didn't know if I
would ever do it or not about playing Silva stracked
and has it all together and going really big with
(27:02):
Hassett moving out to the three, which would shoot suit
her fine because like I say, she likes to shoot
the ball, but she's also been really good at rebounding,
so he just kind of kind of balance on the
best in camp. But Stil, I think, is going to
have to play more in sec play because you know
there'll be games, there'll be foul issues and all like that.
So I think she's going to have to play more
(27:23):
when they start conference play.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
And so I'm looking forward to the conference play. I am.
I want to make sure that we go ahead.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
They've got Western Kentucky coming up on the twenty eighth,
I believe it is, and after that they'll get into
their conference play too.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah, they will opening the Mississippi State. Yeah, Mississippi State
on January second, Thursday, January second to seven pm, and
you can catch that on the SEC Network Plus. So
we'll stay in tuned with that. I did want to
get to some more questions that came up on Twitter
about the men's basketball team, and I think we pretty
much covered the concerns about the last game. I once
(28:06):
you look at when or not we talked about being
down or with fifteen minutes left in the game we
went down. We got down by eleven and like three possessions,
but we were six points and we kept getting it
back down to one point. I just don't think we closed.
I don't think the effort was there. Were you seeing
with the men's basketball game where you saying that it's
something that can be fixed with effort or are you
(28:30):
looking at it the way a lot of people are saying,
we've reached our potential. We're really not as good as
a shooting team as Mark Pope thinks we are, and
that's our identity. A lot of people are feeling like
these last couple of games have been in our identity.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
It does worry me about the shooting, whether early in
the season that we maybe got a little too excited
about how good a shooting team that they might be,
and at times maybe they will be the game in
and game out they're not going to shoot for from
three point range, and I also that does concern me
(29:05):
a little bit thinking that. But I think yesterday the
biggest issue, even when you would kind of get back
into the game, they just couldn't get stops on the
defensive end. I mean, think about his Ohio State was
trying to slow the game and slow the pace and
still scored eighty five points.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, Gregory comes in and he says he was when
Jack Pilgrim's here. He asked me to ask Jack Pilgrim.
He thought that, you know, we pressed a couple times,
and once was a full court press, and he thought
that we probably should have applied more pressure and not
let people get into half court sets and set up
against us. He wants forty minutes of hell. Is that
(29:45):
a solution or if it's available, do you think that's
something that Mark Pope is gonna explore or do you think,
like I said, I, maybe he has things under control.
Maybe he's not concerned about those things the big nation
is concerned about. Maybe he just knows the guys were flat,
being on the road, being in Madison Square Garden. Maybe
they were just flat.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, And you've been the one that's told me that
sometimes it just happens, no matter how hard you try
to as a player, but there's just some games that
happens to you. And that's kind of what it looked
to me. Like they just came out and I don't know,
I don't think there was any conscious lack of effort.
I just think that inspirational play just wasn't quite there.
(30:26):
But again, I kind of get it. Auburn and did
Ohio State by thirty eight. I mean, I thought when
I came out and I saw that the Vegas guys
who do this for a living made Kentucky a nine
point favorite. If I'd have been a betting man, they'd
had all my money because I'd like steeling and give
Ohio State and you only have to give nine points.
I thought that would have been steelin. I thought Kentucky
(30:47):
was probably gonna trounce them too, So I can see
how college guys might have all been thinking that same thing.
And I know you've told me that sometimes when you
get into a game and it starts that way, it's
just not as easy to flipped that switch and everything
come flowing back, is what others of us think it
should be, That it's just not that easy to get done.
And that's just what it looked to me like yesterday.
(31:09):
It was just kind of an overall I don't know,
be called systems failure or whatever, but they just were
not into the game. And I hope that's just the
one that we just right off in the season's over, say, oh,
that was the fluke on the wrong side of things
right there. They they're a lot better than that. They
just didn't show it that day.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
That that basketball math gets you in trouble every time.
Larry Boynt, don't worry. My grandmama always told me, boy,
worry about yourself, don't worry about other people. Keep your building.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Before you told me that, but still it got lost
on thirty eight. I mean I couldn't. I just thought
I should have known better. I know you give me
that lesson before, but it just happens.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I know, before we go to break a last basketball
point that was to be made. And I've said this
couple weeks back, and it seems to be getting worse.
I thought Mark Pope would corral this a little bit
and harness it and bring it back in. There is
a lot of iso ball being played, and it's a
lot of io ball being played when we're struggling, like
(32:10):
we're down, and it's doing nothing but making his work
his game playing, his system is built off of everybody moving,
working together to get someone open and get a good look.
And everybody does something different on the floor. So if
we got to get braid a shot, we want to
have them coming on screens. We don't want you coming
up one pass and shooting, or we don't want you
coming up no passes and shooting. But it does seem
like there's a bunch of iso ball being played, and
(32:32):
we're playing that when we are struggling the most, which
is making us struggle more, Which is concerning to me
and I just wanted to know.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Yeah, I think that's the point Mark tried to make
after the game. Lifesnyke too, that instead of sticking with
the system when things aren't going well, they're just kind
of reverted and just go do let me go see
what I can do instead of running through the system
and seeing what the team can do. And that's something
I think he'll be preaching to them a lot between
now and the start of the SEC because, yeah, they've
got to kind of get back to what they were
(33:02):
more like early in the season. Now, in fairness, a
lot of these teams are just letting them do that.
Either they're knocking, bumping and I'll Kentucky went to the
foul and it too like a thousand times yesterday. But
they're just going to get used to that because teams
are just not going to let them run through there
that easy. They're going to have to figure out, Okay,
how we're going to compensate this, How do we correct
and still do what we need to do knowing this
(33:22):
is what teams are going to do to us.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Absolutely, that is Larry Vaughn and we'll be back for
the last segment to close up this holiday edition of
Sunday Morning Sports Talk. We'll be back after this. You're
listening to stock Yards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on
news radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Welcome back Stockyards Banks Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught here to close
out this holiday edition of Sunday Morning Sports Talk. Larry Vaughn,
I have a dilemma before we get out of here.
I have to pick up some things. I got a
whole dilemma, and I think I need you in Bo
(34:04):
Robinson's help. I need to find my sister a gift
within the next twenty four hours.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
And okay, well I've already well first of all, so
I don't forget this. I need to shout out my
in turn that helps me some here at home. Bailey Rucker,
a senior basketball player at Center College. You had twenty
seven points eleven for eighteen shooting, five rebound, three steals,
one assist and the Hoops and Hawaiia Invitational last light.
(34:33):
It almost brought her team back from twenty four to
six first quarter deficit, but still great game for Bailey
but I've had several of our listeners text me suggesting
that they that you get acquainted with online shopping, that
that can solve your dilemma in a hurry, that you
could buy something by one o'clock today.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Well, so one o'clock today is the deadline to get
it by christ.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
I mean just but within the next hour, you could
solve your Chris his issues. Just go online, let Bo
help you there, or call Bo's sister. She can help
you for sure. And just do your shopping online and
take care of it. You have all kinds of millions
of choices, and you never do anything. You just do
it while you're still sitting there in the studio.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
I'll do you one better, Anthony. I ordered some house
slippers for my dad and the size was not going
to work for him, so I have to return them
via Amazon. I have them in my car right now,
and I'll be willing to cut you a deal on them.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
You bought so they're going to fit a woman. I
don't know, I said, my sister help you out. Just
have something that ain't a whole lot of help. Larry
Vaught's help was Larry voss help was a whole lot better.
But Larry Vass, that is where this all began. I
started on Amazon put all this stuff in the cart.
For the past two weeks, there's been stuff in the cart.
(35:48):
I'm pretty frugal, so I've been going around price matching
everybody I look up. And now I'm like, now it's
starting to say if you don't order within the next
eight hours, you won't get it by Christmas. But I
tried that last year, and all the stuff I ordered
two days prior to Christmas didn't come into like the
twenty sixth, they didn't come to the day after. So
that's where I now. I'm kind of a little skeptical.
(36:09):
I may just stop in a per perfume shop and
just pick her up some perfume. I don't think I
can go wrong with perfume.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Both that might be because with an Amazon on strike,
they may not be delivering anything.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
So here's what you need to do, Anthony. You need
to get the Bathroom body Works app on your phone. Okay,
sign up for that, get the points, Go buy your
sister something that Bathroom body Works, and then you get
the points for a future gift and get a little
more of a discount the next time you're in this situation,
but I have to or.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Do they drink country boyd No, No, she does not drink. Okay,
she absolutely that.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Le's that out then, okay, let that out.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Okay, So I have to go inside to the store again, bo,
when you're talking about Bathroom body Works, I'll have to
go inside of the store.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
So here's what you need to do. Go to Kroger,
get you a couple of Bathroom body Works gift cards,
and then you get at the field points for Kruger.
Then that'll help you get to Cleveland and backcount Gas.
You gotta find the workarounds on these deals.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Or I could just go to Clark's popping shop too.
Ah yeah, that may be the plan. But I think
I think I'm gonna give cards you guys out of
all that talk and the one thing I got out
of it because I think I'm gonna do gift cards.
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Can't get wrong.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
That'll just that'll save you all.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
The head That's gonna say, nobody's ever unhappy with the
gift card.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
That saves you the headache.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
That is both Robinson and Larry Vault here to close
out this holiday edition. We appreciate you all. We appreciate
for Jack Pilgrim, for Craig skinner landon Watson, Larry Vault,
Bo Robinson. I am Anthony White and this has been
Stockyards Bank Sunday morning Sports Talk on news Radio six
thirty wla P
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'man Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught, coming to you
from Clark's Main Street Market Studios and beautiful downtown Lexington, Kentucky.
And we are now proud to be joined by our
volleyball coach, eight time SEC champion volleyball coach, Coach Skinner,
Craig Skinner, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Coach, Good morning guys. How you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
We're doing pretty good. We're doing pretty good. The season
ended for you all you get you did get number
eight and I'm I'm proud of that. Larry Vaught told
me it may be a portion of the championship, but
I held on for hope. I said, no, we're not
getting a portion, man, We need the whole SEC chip.
That's what you that's what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Craig, Well, it was this very rewarding year and you know, luckily,
you know, in a lot of hard work, we're able
to capture number eight in a row here in the
SEC and make it run in the tournament. And you know,
only one team gets end up happy at the end
of the tournament. But you know, maybe a good run
to the lead eight and and uh you know, so
(00:59):
it was a heck of a run.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
And it hasn't been very long since the season ended
to a very good Pittsburgh team, I should say, but uh,
you know, things we're looking for number nine. The season's over,
we're starting over. The transfer portal has already been kind
to you already. Were you where Craig Skinner in the
Kentucky's volleyball team at right now?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, it's it's actually, you know, it's it's a relaxing
time in some ways because you know, most our team
is home and you know, hanging with friends and family
and getting ready for Christmas this week. And but you know,
the transfer portal has definitely been active, and we have
benefited so far with the edition of Lizzie Carr and
hoping to announce another one here in the next day
(01:41):
or so. And uh, you know, so it's weren't a
good spot looking forward to, uh, you know, getting going
in twenty twenty five, and you know, it's definitely takes
some time to reflect and enjoy the you know, the
things we've accomplished this past year.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Craig, you talk about Lizzie, she's six six, she's played
it perdue, terrific players. I mean, I even think I
remember her winning the Sportsmanship Award and the Big Ten
as a freshman, which I thought was really really impressive.
But tell us a little bit about her and how
much did you lean on her brother to get her
here to Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Oh Man, Well, uh, she is she is a first
of all, great family, great person. Uh, you know, the
best of Lizzie Carr is still yet to come. And
she's a versatile player. She's tall, but she she's played
both on the right side a Purdue and in the middle.
You know, she you know, certainly give her, you know,
(02:38):
opportunities at both to kind of see what she can do.
But you know, definitely some added height at the net
that that we have missed a little bit. I mean,
I know we've had, you know, Megan Wilson at six four,
and you know, but middles are six two six' one,
and you know, when you're going against some of the
most physical athletes in the country, it's it's nice to
have some imposing presence at the net. And she is
(03:00):
definitely going to bring that for us.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
And you're starting our rea starting off, like you said,
trying to replace a couple of people. You you got
two big ones that you got to replace. And I
know Emma came in, she set records, and how do
you continue to do that every time a great one leave,
When the all time Kentucky greats and volleyball leave you
you replace them, and then we have another great one
we got to worry about replacing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Well, you know, the senior class, there was six of them,
so we have a big chunk of a roster. And
and uh, you know, Haley Melby's decided to move on
in the transfer portal as well. And you know, she
was a great player and had a significant role in
all three of our championships, but when she was here,
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It's difficult.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I don't think we replaced semmc grom. You know, you
certainly don't expect anyone to be her, just like we
didn't expect them to be Madison Lily.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But you know, with Avis Sarafa who's been here two years,
Cassidy O'Brien is coming in January, we have a couple
of great setters with great resumes high school to come
and have the opportunity to be the starting UH setter
in the program. So I feel good about that. Eleanor Bevin.
You know, her abilities in the back row is certainly
something that we will miss, and her leadership and composure
(04:13):
and Aaron Lamb and Megan Wilson the senior years that
they had to help us make a run. You know.
So we've got some you know people. I mean, we
have you know, eight returning players plus three freshmen. We've
added one in the transfer portal, and and you know,
I believe another one's gonna be you know, announced today
or tomorrow, and we'll probably add you know, one or
(04:33):
two more to get you know closer to you know,
fourteen players on the roster for next season and and
go from there. But you know, I really like the
talent that we have returning, love the freshmen we have
coming in and the transfers coming in. I think, you know,
our crowd is certainly going to love watching this twenty
five team next year.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Greig at one or Bevin, I think is probably one
of the more I don't underrated, underappreciated. I don't know
what the right word is for her, with what she
did for you in your in your four years and
the move she made this year changing positions like she did.
I mean, the intangibles of losing her, are they going
(05:13):
to be a lot greater than what most most people
realize trying to replace what she gave.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
You absolutely, Larry. I mean, you know, the stabilization and
the comfort that she allowed other people around her to
play with is really something you don't realize how good
it was until it's gone, and we're going to realize
it pretty quickly. You know, she's not practicing the gym
with us, not on the court with us. That's stability
that she gives you, and you know, allows people to
(05:40):
play free and and uh, you'll not have to worry
about too much because she just is so good and
has such a good iq of the game and her
technique and the way she you know, receives serve and
Doug Balls is literally unteachable almost so you have to
do that by committee and she you know what people
like you know, Trinny Wark and Kim bring in. He's
(06:02):
a thick pen possibly and you know, potentially another you know,
ds leberro in the transfer portal because that position is
so important for teams trying to be really good. And
you know you'll see today in the National Championship. You know,
Louisville has great players in that position. Penn State has
great players in that position. We've had great players in
that position. You just can't be consistently good without them.
(06:25):
So we will definitely miss elling her.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
But the good thing is you also may have what
might be the best player in the nation already, but
if not, certainly could be the best player in the
nation next year with with Brooklyn coming back, I mean,
how did how do you feel she progressed this year?
And I know you never think, no matter what they do,
that they are at their best. So tell us what
you're going to push her forward to get even better
(06:49):
own next year? You know, she looked pretty darn good
this year to me, Craig, Well.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
When you're National Player of the Year finalist of one
of four people, I'd say you're in a.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Pretty good spot.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
So I guess the older you get, the margins for
improvement get smaller, and you know she's gonna, you know,
try and get better at you know, little things. You know,
her her shot selection, you know, continues to improve. You
know from where it was her freshman year. Her service
eive is better. We got to take another step forward.
I think in that area, her blocking can take another
(07:21):
step forward. And then consistency. I mean you saw her
serve takeover matches at times and then you saw her
struggle to get in at times. So I mean that
consistency of being a threat at the service line is
going to be important.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think that there are times when you know, we
we because Brooklyn is so talents, we relied on her
quite a bit having a little bit more balance, especially
like when you get to the Sweet sixteen Elite eight
final four. You got to have balance to win those matches.
And you know, so that she's not taking seventies five
swings a night, but you know, not that she doesn't
like that, because we like her doing that too, But
(07:58):
you want to be, you know, a little bit more
deceptive for the team on the other side of the
net at times.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
And you are right on one thing. I'll let Anthony
get back. But her serve receives seemed it kind of
looked like it had to improve this year out of
necessity because it seemed like teams just kept serving her,
which I understood, but it seemed like that improved even
as the season went on this year.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
She's a great receiver for her position. I mean, being
six two sixty three, the way she is to have
that type of agility to research, see service significant and
she has a natural ability at it and just be
you know, that's one of those things that takes a
long time. It's like shipping and putting and golf. It
just takes a long time to get the feel of
angles and touch and feel. And so when she's only
(08:46):
had two years a full time volleyball, imagine what she's
gonna be able to do in that skill. You know,
with another year, another two under her belt, she'll you know,
be pushing you know, people about some of the best
players in the country.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
And coach, I've grown to watch him with a lot.
I mean, she's obviously one of the best players in
the country. So at her position as a setter, you
get to see her perform a lot. She's she's moved on.
Uh who are you who you look into? Is Ava?
Or is it committee? Just because her her leadership in
general being the calm on the court, and plus her
position also brings leadership as well. Are is there gonna
(09:20):
be committee? Is someone gonna be uh expected to step
into those big shoes or or are you still scratch
of your head?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
I mean you know again, Ava has been here a
couple of years and she's got, you know, a great
chance to to be a you know, a starting seenter
for us. And again Cassie O'Brien, you know, but you
know therefore you know there again, I think that, you know,
when people like Elner Bevan Emmigront play every single set
of their entire career, again, you don't realize. It's like,
(09:49):
you know, you know, in football, you have a quarterback
that makes easy slant throw, you know, five yards slant.
I mean sometimes that people think that's easy.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
It's not.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
And you know, you don't realize how goodquarterbacks are at
little things like that until they're gone.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And same thing with em.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
She makes the easy set look easy. She makes a
tough set look easy, and you know, when you don't
have that, it brings a little bit more instability and
what are we gonna do next? And who's gonna who's
gonna do that? So you know, you certainly have competition
at the spot to make each other better, but you
know we're gonna have to make up for it in
some areas too and in other ways that to win
win games.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
What I want to know, Craig goes, what We've really
what I really liked about Emma when she's been on
radio with us, she more than holds her own with Anthony.
Kwhy are you going to have somebody kind of feisty
and spunky like anth that can come in and just
kind of, you know, maybe intimidate Anthony a little bit
and we can get her own radio with us to
talk volleyball.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Oh. I don't think there's any doubt we can find
someone like that. I mean, I can think of some
personalities like Jordan Daily and Molly Tuzzo and and you know,
even Brooklyn can throw some things his way, and we'll
find someone. I don't think anyone needs to go through
life unscathed and without challenge. So we'll find someone for
Anthony to pick his pocket a little bit and cokay, good,
(11:06):
we need that.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And coach for my last question before we get trut here.
I know it's been a long season with this transfer, portal,
ni l and all those type of things going on,
probably up until a couple of days ago when Brooklyn
got the bad news that she she was not selected
as probably the best player in the country. Doesn't mean
she is, She just wasn't selected. What is going on
(11:28):
with Cravey Skinner. Now this holiday season, do you get
a little time off wor or do you keep grinding?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
That's that's a good that's a funny question because when
the phone rang, I was like, oh man, I think
I'm supposed to be on the radio, when I was
actually in the garage cleaning the garage because we just
got our gross painted and their stuff everywhere. So I'm
trying to pick stuff up, throw things out, and uh,
that's a little that's a little therapy for me. So
I'm doing that right now. And we're going to Florida
tomorrow to visit with my brothers and my mom and
(11:56):
spend a few days down there and then come back.
And uh, actually got a chance to go to the
Green Bay Packer Bears game in early January in Lambeau,
which I've never been up. Eli's a big, big fan
of them. He's a Randall Cobb fan, you know, from
day one when he was at Kentucky. And and so
one of our student manager's moms works in the front
(12:18):
office of the Packers. So we're lucky enough to get
invited and we can't wait for that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Why are you from Ohio? So it probably won't be
too too cold for you. You may be a little
bit used to it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, yeah, well I don't know about that type of cold.
So if if anyone's used to that, I got to
better get their melon checks.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah. Well, it was a great year, Craig. I appreciate
you taking some time with us, anxious to who the
next recruit you may be, are transfer that you might
be adding, got some suspicions, but I know it's going
to be really good. I know you've got to got
a lot of good players back. And I always appreciate
your time with us.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Absolutely, and I'm looking forward to next year. And you
know our fans are gonna be excited to watch Kentucky
volley MO one twenty five. I have no doubt. So
thanks a lot, guys, appreciate having Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
All right, thanks coach, Thank you. We will be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports
Talk on news radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports stock. I'm Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught. Stockyards Bank is
your trusted partner since nineteen o four, So on head
on over to syb dot com for all your banking
and financial needs. Like to thank coach UK volleyball coach
(13:38):
Craig Skinner for joining us this morning to talk volleyball
and Larry Vaught. I always liked talking to Coach Skinner
and I do remember Madison Lily, but I do not
remember her exit that much and the void because I
really wasn't a huge volleyball fan because we did not
have the volleyball players on as often we had Craig
(13:58):
on a lot, but we hadn't had the volleyball team
on as often as we've had the young ladies on
this year. Are you not concerned? You think Craig is
not concerned? You got faith in Craig that replacing Emma
and what five other seniors and transfer portal person.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, but I think he's got a really good nucleus
coming back and adding he's got three good freshmen coming
in and now adding Car already. And I think, just
from what I've heard, the one transfer that he's expecting
to make a decision announcement today is going to be
a really really good player too. So yeah, they've got
a lot of talented pieces. Now how he'll fit them
(14:38):
together as a team, because, as he said, the biggest
thing to replace is the fact that for four years,
every match, every set, Alan or Bev and Emogrom were
out there. Neither one ever injured, neither one ever sick. Well,
I take that back. They never let I'm sure they
were both were hurting at time, but they let it
kept on from playing and they were out there every time.
(15:00):
And Bevin was a terrific liberro and then she moved
this year so that Molly Tuez could become the regular
at that spot, and Alan was just back there receiving
serve acing when she did, serves out leaves his all
time leader and aces at Kentucky and Grome was just sensational.
So yeah, it's going to be hard. But remember when
(15:22):
Madisonola did leave with thought, we'll never see anybody it's
probably as good. It's what her and I also remember
Gabby Curry was liberro on that national championship team. We'll
never see anybody as good as them. Well, Groome and
Batman step in. They won four more SEC championships in
a row with them there, So just like they did
with Lilli and Curry, so they've been pretty good. So
whoever's coming in has got some big shoes to feel.
(15:44):
But I think you saw Avasapa played pretty well in
NCAA tournament when she got some chances, and he's really
high on some of the recruits that he's got in
and I think cars six ' six just gives them
a dimension they haven't had in delay. I think could
have been very well the best or one the player
(16:06):
for the National Player of the Year this year. I
think being a sophomore probably hurt her a little bit
in the voting, to be honest, But when you've got
her to build around fantastic then I also think Asha Thigpant,
who was the freshman this year and was hurt toward
the end of the season, if they can keep her
healthy for a whole year, I think she'll be a
really dynamic player too.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Uh yeah. Speaking of Emma Groham and some of those people,
and emmcgroham was a center, maybe you can educate me
really quickly. Maybe the center position is at like the
quarterback because she sets everybody up. So I was wondering,
was Emma Grohm groomed to be a center and because
of her leadership. They moved there there because I'm thinking
if she moves Ava Sarafa in there, then you do
(16:50):
you have to have the leadership, is kind of my question.
Like a quarterback. You can throw a football, you can
do everything a quarterback has to do, but that leadership
aspect is the one that kind of the quality that
kind of gets you over the hump.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yeah, all these players have always been setters, but all right,
there's there's a unique skill set also, not only be
in the ceter but being I mean they always talked
about Basis and Lille and then the same with emmcgram
first one of the gym, last one to leave the gym,
always working, trying to get things better, and both had
really good personalities to fit well with their teammates. Both
(17:24):
got along with Craig really really well. I had good
relationships where they could say things to him and he
could talk to them and they could work things out.
So just to step in and do all of that
we will see now. Like I say, Athas Sarafoi have
two years of playing under emmagrom or with emmcgrom that
she's learned. But I also think it's interesting that Cassie Robinson,
(17:45):
the high school center by most considered the best high
school ceter in the nation. This year, it's coming to
school in January. You don't see many volleyball players that.
The last one that I can remember was Gabby Curry
came semester early and it paid out for her. Now
Robinson's coming, and one of the reasons that she wants
to or O'Brien, let me take it back, it's O'Brien.
(18:08):
The one of the reason that she is coming early
is so that she can be around Emmigrom all that
she can before in the leaves here to try to
learn from him. So to me, that's a player that's
pretty intent on trying to get her craft as good
as it'll be, and that'll be a really interesting battle.
And whoever doesn't win it, it'd be urst to see
what Craig might do with them.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
That is interesting. We got about thirty seconds before we
have to go to break. But I did want to
ask you last week you were in studio, and I
appreciate you again for sitting in. Did you get to
go to gymnastic blue and White?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I did not. I had an engagement. I need to
be back and Dan before so, but I'm hoping to
get to, like, say, a couple of those matches during
the season with you. Hopefully we can get that work
to out to go to a couple of them.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
All right, when we come back, we're going to talk
women's basketball because it seems like coach Brooks is figuring
a few things out over there, and that'll be a
bright spot to end this show on. We'll be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports
Talk on news Radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty w LAP.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I am
Anthony White along with the great Larry Vault. This hour
Sunday Morning Sports Talk is brought to you by country
Boy Brewing. Who is this Bow Robinson? Albert King falls Once.
(19:35):
I'm from Christmas in Soulsville off the Stax label, Memphis, Tennessee.
See I knew it. Thank you? Well, what did you know?
I knew that was King?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
All right, I just like to get funky on Christmas.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I know you've been doing a great job. You do
a great job every week, but you are doing an
outstanding job today. Give yourself a pat on the back,
Larry Vaught, since you and I are here together, I
did want to bring up Kentucky women's basketball unless you
still have something on. If you can call in, if
you would like to eight five nine to eight zero,
(20:13):
two to eight seven eight five nine to eight zero cats.
If you still are frustrated about yesterday's are disappointed about
yesterday's men's basketball game, you can call it in to
talk about that, or you can continue with us, because
we're going to talk about women's basketball because I like
what Kenny Brooks is doing over here, and that team
is ten and one and Larry Vaught. What I did
notice about the Perdue game and the Belmont game is
(20:37):
that first thing every time I look at the score
in the stat book, first thing I go to look
at is Georgia a more minutes played. And you know
what Kenny Brooks has listening to Sunday morning sports talk.
You know why Larry Vaught, because it don't save forty.
It don't save forty in there anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
We you know she got and found trouble this last game.
It's why I had to set her out. Why they
had kind of a rough start but she got two
thousand in the first three minutes, which that's the first
time that has happened to her. So hopefully he won't
be setting her out for that reason anymore. He'll be
sitting her out kind of more strategic or to rest
her at all. But if Drill didn't have any choice,
but she only played three minutes in the first quarters
(21:17):
for our numbers were way down that game, well.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He only he set her five minutes again its perdue,
and she had zero files. See at least he got
that five minutes, but that was the.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Yeah, five minutes for the whole game. Yeah, so I
think that's more like what I would like to I
don't think he wants to play her forty minutes. But again,
if you ask Georgia, she'd be fine with playing forty.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And that's what it seems like. But what I'm hearing
is that maybe Lawrence has taken some of the some
of the rollovers as a distributor or a ball handler,
which is given Georgia a chance to get away from
the ball a little bit and not be so dependent.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Some And then Cassidy Road comes in. What she does
a lot of times she takes over that primary ball
handling role because right now that George is scoring a lot.
She was sensational in that second half against Belmont and
is the reason they won that game, because Belmont really
played well against them. But Georgia, I think it was
at seven seven threes in the game and she was
(22:18):
just on fire. From out of three points, she took
a couple, he just pulled it up and let her
rip and got nothing but that she was really fun
to watch her reactions and all too so. But but
there again, they are a little bit like Mark Pope's team.
They're not they're not blessed with great depth. They're issues.
They get two people they were really expecting to be,
(22:39):
you know, the twenty five thirty minute a game type
players that are both out hurt and that's changed everything
that he has done. And he did talk about the
end of the night that he is going to have
to try to figure way to see if he can
go to his bitch more. But you feel there's a
drop off and you're trying to games and the people
(23:02):
that are going to be playing. I know it's hard
to do, but that's why those coaches get that money.
But that was a good comeback win for him to
get at Speilmont, a team that seems to always give Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Trouble, and it seems like we're getting ready. Well, we
got worded about a week a little bit or more
than a week before we start conference play, and I
that was exactly where I was kind of headed with
that conversation. Was our men's basketball team. We get a
lot of credit for some of those games we pulled
off and always coming back and having an opportunity to
win the game, making adjustments, And it seems like our
identity might be setting itself up or people are either
(23:35):
game planning us to cause all the problems our basketball.
Our men's basketball team does not seem to be getting better,
maybe stagnant at best. So I'm not sure everybody thinks
this is a ceiling. I'm not sure my question was
or my not concern, but comparison is it seems like
the basketball team is figuring things out. Everything went through
(23:56):
Georgia and we were going to live and die by
whatever Georgia did. We just happened to come up with
a ten to one record at this point. You know,
we haven't played a whole lot of tough competition. We
did beat a good Louis of a team, But I
just feel like our women's basketball team is figuring a
couple of things out. We're a little over a week
away from conference play, and I was trying to feel
(24:18):
good about that. You made me feel as if that's
fools gold that we're looking at right now, these last
couple of wins for fools gold, and Nown'm upset again.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
No, I'm not saying necessarily full of fools go. I'm
just saying they kind of are what they are. But
I think Kenny Brooks does a good job. I'm really
utilizing his players' strengths and trying to camouflage those those
weaknesses and play a lot of passions. Bea has she
hits a little bit. One are three points with thirty
(24:51):
you know she gets on the corner boo because there
must have been twelve fifteen seconds left on the shot clock.
She just lets it rip and nothing but nett. And
last week when you were not here, we had Josh Peterson,
the assistant women's coach, on with us. He said that
was one thing about her, says she has no conscience.
If she misses one, she's sure she's gonna make because
(25:11):
she thinks she's gonna make every shot, so she didn't
have any fear at all let that fly. And that's
a good and bad thing both. But she's played really
well for them too, and they've been good. It's just
you kind of wonder going into the SEC do they
have quite enough depth night in and night out to
hold up against some of these teams that you know
(25:31):
are really going to try to manhandle them and push
them around. It's like what they're gonna do Mark Pope's team.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, And that was more also a concern that the
bigs stracking them. Are they getting to where they can
handle the pushing around, the bully ball down on the
block or is it still step away and facing up
to the basket.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Strak is doing better and about holding her own in there,
and I think Clara Silva, the girl from Portugal, who
is still kind of trying to adjust to that and
is not playing the number of minutes that I think
I probably anticipated she might be by this point of
the season. But she's showing some signs, but still not
(26:14):
quite where I think he would like her. I know,
not where Kenny would like her to be or where
I guess maybe he hoped she would be at this
point of the season, and.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
You said, where would you like to see Clara Silva
gets some minutes that has it she's would she have
against bail Mine eleven and sixteen. So if you want
to get some minutes where we're going to get him from,
I know you like to see Stracking us Silva on
the floor together at points.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Well, not necessarily a gather. I thought she might be
able to give Strack a little bit more breather, but
at times you could because when you could play then
that cause also it has it come out a little
bit because you can put Strack out at the forward
and it has to have a breather or They've talked about,
you know, at times, and I didn't know if I
would ever do it or not about playing Silva stracked
and has it all together and going really big with
(27:02):
Hassett moving out to the three, which would shoot suit
her fine because like I say, she likes to shoot
the ball, but she's also been really good at rebounding,
so he just kind of kind of balance on the
best in camp. But Stil, I think, is going to
have to play more in sec play because you know
there'll be games, there'll be foul issues and all like that.
So I think she's going to have to play more
(27:23):
when they start conference play.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
And so I'm looking forward to the conference play. I am.
I want to make sure that we go ahead.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
They've got Western Kentucky coming up on the twenty eighth,
I believe it is, and after that they'll get into
their conference play too.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah, they will opening the Mississippi State. Yeah, Mississippi State
on January second, Thursday, January second to seven pm, and
you can catch that on the SEC Network Plus. So
we'll stay in tuned with that. I did want to
get to some more questions that came up on Twitter
about the men's basketball team, and I think we pretty
much covered the concerns about the last game. I once
(28:06):
you look at when or not we talked about being
down or with fifteen minutes left in the game we
went down. We got down by eleven and like three possessions,
but we were six points and we kept getting it
back down to one point. I just don't think we closed.
I don't think the effort was there. Were you seeing
with the men's basketball game where you saying that it's
something that can be fixed with effort or are you
(28:30):
looking at it the way a lot of people are saying,
we've reached our potential. We're really not as good as
a shooting team as Mark Pope thinks we are, and
that's our identity. A lot of people are feeling like
these last couple of games have been in our identity.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
It does worry me about the shooting, whether early in
the season that we maybe got a little too excited
about how good a shooting team that they might be,
and at times maybe they will be the game in
and game out they're not going to shoot for from
three point range, and I also that does concern me
(29:05):
a little bit thinking that. But I think yesterday the
biggest issue, even when you would kind of get back
into the game, they just couldn't get stops on the
defensive end. I mean, think about his Ohio State was
trying to slow the game and slow the pace and
still scored eighty five points.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, Gregory comes in and he says he was when
Jack Pilgrim's here. He asked me to ask Jack Pilgrim.
He thought that, you know, we pressed a couple times,
and once was a full court press, and he thought
that we probably should have applied more pressure and not
let people get into half court sets and set up
against us. He wants forty minutes of hell. Is that
(29:45):
a solution or if it's available, do you think that's
something that Mark Pope is gonna explore or do you think,
like I said, I, maybe he has things under control.
Maybe he's not concerned about those things the big nation
is concerned about. Maybe he just knows the guys were flat,
being on the road, being in Madison Square Garden. Maybe
they were just flat.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, And you've been the one that's told me that
sometimes it just happens, no matter how hard you try
to as a player, but there's just some games that
happens to you. And that's kind of what it looked
to me. Like they just came out and I don't know,
I don't think there was any conscious lack of effort.
I just think that inspirational play just wasn't quite there.
(30:26):
But again, I kind of get it. Auburn and did
Ohio State by thirty eight. I mean, I thought when
I came out and I saw that the Vegas guys
who do this for a living made Kentucky a nine
point favorite. If I'd have been a betting man, they'd
had all my money because I'd like steeling and give
Ohio State and you only have to give nine points.
I thought that would have been steelin. I thought Kentucky
(30:47):
was probably gonna trounce them too, So I can see
how college guys might have all been thinking that same thing.
And I know you've told me that sometimes when you
get into a game and it starts that way, it's
just not as easy to flipped that switch and everything
come flowing back, is what others of us think it
should be, That it's just not that easy to get done.
And that's just what it looked to me like yesterday.
(31:09):
It was just kind of an overall I don't know,
be called systems failure or whatever, but they just were
not into the game. And I hope that's just the
one that we just right off in the season's over, say, oh,
that was the fluke on the wrong side of things
right there. They they're a lot better than that. They
just didn't show it that day.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
That that basketball math gets you in trouble every time.
Larry Boynt, don't worry. My grandmama always told me, boy,
worry about yourself, don't worry about other people. Keep your building.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Before you told me that, but still it got lost
on thirty eight. I mean I couldn't. I just thought
I should have known better. I know you give me
that lesson before, but it just happens.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I know, before we go to break a last basketball
point that was to be made. And I've said this
couple weeks back, and it seems to be getting worse.
I thought Mark Pope would corral this a little bit
and harness it and bring it back in. There is
a lot of iso ball being played, and it's a
lot of io ball being played when we're struggling, like
(32:10):
we're down, and it's doing nothing but making his work
his game playing, his system is built off of everybody moving,
working together to get someone open and get a good look.
And everybody does something different on the floor. So if
we got to get braid a shot, we want to
have them coming on screens. We don't want you coming
up one pass and shooting, or we don't want you
coming up no passes and shooting. But it does seem
like there's a bunch of iso ball being played, and
(32:32):
we're playing that when we are struggling the most, which
is making us struggle more, Which is concerning to me
and I just wanted to know.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Yeah, I think that's the point Mark tried to make
after the game. Lifesnyke too, that instead of sticking with
the system when things aren't going well, they're just kind
of reverted and just go do let me go see
what I can do instead of running through the system
and seeing what the team can do. And that's something
I think he'll be preaching to them a lot between
now and the start of the SEC because, yeah, they've
got to kind of get back to what they were
(33:02):
more like early in the season. Now, in fairness, a
lot of these teams are just letting them do that.
Either they're knocking, bumping and I'll Kentucky went to the
foul and it too like a thousand times yesterday. But
they're just going to get used to that because teams
are just not going to let them run through there
that easy. They're going to have to figure out, Okay,
how we're going to compensate this, How do we correct
and still do what we need to do knowing this
(33:22):
is what teams are going to do to us.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Absolutely, that is Larry Vaughn and we'll be back for
the last segment to close up this holiday edition of
Sunday Morning Sports Talk. We'll be back after this. You're
listening to stock Yards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on
news radio six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Welcome back Stockyards Banks Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony
White along with the great Larry Vaught here to close
out this holiday edition of Sunday Morning Sports Talk. Larry Vaughn,
I have a dilemma before we get out of here.
I have to pick up some things. I got a
whole dilemma, and I think I need you in Bo
(34:04):
Robinson's help. I need to find my sister a gift
within the next twenty four hours.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
And okay, well I've already well first of all, so
I don't forget this. I need to shout out my
in turn that helps me some here at home. Bailey Rucker,
a senior basketball player at Center College. You had twenty
seven points eleven for eighteen shooting, five rebound, three steals,
one assist and the Hoops and Hawaiia Invitational last light.
(34:33):
It almost brought her team back from twenty four to
six first quarter deficit, but still great game for Bailey
but I've had several of our listeners text me suggesting
that they that you get acquainted with online shopping, that
that can solve your dilemma in a hurry, that you
could buy something by one o'clock today.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Well, so one o'clock today is the deadline to get
it by christ.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
I mean just but within the next hour, you could
solve your Chris his issues. Just go online, let Bo
help you there, or call Bo's sister. She can help
you for sure. And just do your shopping online and
take care of it. You have all kinds of millions
of choices, and you never do anything. You just do
it while you're still sitting there in the studio.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
I'll do you one better, Anthony. I ordered some house
slippers for my dad and the size was not going
to work for him, so I have to return them
via Amazon. I have them in my car right now,
and I'll be willing to cut you a deal on them.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
You bought so they're going to fit a woman. I
don't know, I said, my sister help you out. Just
have something that ain't a whole lot of help. Larry
Vaught's help was Larry voss help was a whole lot better.
But Larry Vass, that is where this all began. I
started on Amazon put all this stuff in the cart.
For the past two weeks, there's been stuff in the cart.
(35:48):
I'm pretty frugal, so I've been going around price matching
everybody I look up. And now I'm like, now it's
starting to say if you don't order within the next
eight hours, you won't get it by Christmas. But I
tried that last year, and all the stuff I ordered
two days prior to Christmas didn't come into like the
twenty sixth, they didn't come to the day after. So
that's where I now. I'm kind of a little skeptical.
(36:09):
I may just stop in a per perfume shop and
just pick her up some perfume. I don't think I
can go wrong with perfume.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Both that might be because with an Amazon on strike,
they may not be delivering anything.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
So here's what you need to do, Anthony. You need
to get the Bathroom body Works app on your phone. Okay,
sign up for that, get the points, Go buy your
sister something that Bathroom body Works, and then you get
the points for a future gift and get a little
more of a discount the next time you're in this situation,
but I have to or.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Do they drink country boyd No, No, she does not drink. Okay,
she absolutely that.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Le's that out then, okay, let that out.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Okay, So I have to go inside to the store again, bo,
when you're talking about Bathroom body Works, I'll have to
go inside of the store.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
So here's what you need to do. Go to Kroger,
get you a couple of Bathroom body Works gift cards,
and then you get at the field points for Kruger.
Then that'll help you get to Cleveland and backcount Gas.
You gotta find the workarounds on these deals.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Or I could just go to Clark's popping shop too.
Ah yeah, that may be the plan. But I think
I think I'm gonna give cards you guys out of
all that talk and the one thing I got out
of it because I think I'm gonna do gift cards.
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Can't get wrong.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
That'll just that'll save you all.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
The head That's gonna say, nobody's ever unhappy with the
gift card.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
That saves you the headache.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
That is both Robinson and Larry Vault here to close
out this holiday edition. We appreciate you all. We appreciate
for Jack Pilgrim, for Craig skinner landon Watson, Larry Vault,
Bo Robinson. I am Anthony White and this has been
Stockyards Bank Sunday morning Sports Talk on news Radio six
thirty wla P
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