Sunday Morning Sports Talk - January 18, 2026 - Hour 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Anthony
White along with Larry Vaught and Jack Poutin Bo Robinson
coming to you from Clark's Main Street Market Studios in
downtown Lexington, Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm okay, Okay, Well, I'm fine.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Your blood pressures come down. You sound a lot better,
thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Well, hey, that's like we've been talking about all morning.
It's not about how you start, because it's how you finished, now,
mind you. Because of the nature of this business, every minute,
every second is being paid for or not being paid
for as being monitored.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
So it's a little differently than everybody according to Twitter.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
But you got it right before the end of TRUP.
Actually got it right before our guests came on. So
that would have been a curl. That had been a
scary thing because we have a house full of people
and everybody's just sitting here looking at each other.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
But you did get it fixed. Thirty years in radio
and that's been my worst start ever.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Just like we're gonna have a big finish.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, we're gonna have a big finish and we're gonna
pull it out here. Okay, So we're.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Okay, you're not kind of stitious? Are you kind of stitious?
You're not super or kind of or semi because you
just said you don't realize you jink yourself. You said,
that's the worst starting thirty years. Hold my beer, my friend, I.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Don't believe in that stuff. I really don't. Oh, you
don't know. Whatever happens happens. And if it's my fault,
it's my fault. You believe in superstitious?

Speaker 3 (01:27):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Let's some semious.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Let's see what maybe our collar Christie does you know?
Don't we have a collar, Christie?

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well? She on deck, She's not next, she's no, she's
who's up first?

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Your namesake? Your buddy, Larry, Larry? What do you got
for us?

Speaker 4 (01:46):
Or get on the tucky men? But what times women
they on TV? Day? I look for them, must be
on the odd stace again.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I believe they're on if what three o'clock? This is
one of the computer games, as I believe.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Women play at three p m on SEC plus. Yeah,
don't tell me it's eleven forty five this morning.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah it's it's the computer game.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
Yeah, yeah, I can actually look it up. But you know,
why are you know they pay Texas Is that right?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Or who they play A and M all right at
right state?

Speaker 4 (02:21):
All right, mission state, Yeah, City State, Yeah, yeah. You
know a lot of these other teams. So I see
on the Rigord Networks and they kind of put some
girls right, I don't know, just maybe not thinking it
and forget on me in again. How did what do
y'all take on the portal? We've done pretty good, k
I like.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
On football football we're doing We're probably one of the
hottest teams in the portal. We're getting a lot of guys,
uh that should be playing kind of well, not as
much as Indiana are doing, but we kind of getting
a lot of guys who has a lot of upsides
and just need to be put in the right system
if all the pieces are gonna come together.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
We got the best interior offensive lineman twelve and zero.
I don't know about that.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
You want me to be positive, I'm gonna be positive
right now.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
The only question you got is, and I've said this
for years now, it's a money game. And it seems
like Mitch and and Will and those guys are spending
the money where it needs to be spent. It just
kind of sounds seen one. All the pieces have to
fit together. We got a whole lot of new moving
pieces that has to fit together, which is fine coaching
and players, but there's a lot of upside. I'm not
upset with anybody we're bringing in. I would like us

(03:29):
to get a couple more studs. We just got a
receiver from lsu Nick, so that he's starting I think
he started a round that part off. But our rating,
I would say we're in the top ten in the
transfer program, might even be top five.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
For the for the top ten I think right now.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, for the people we're bringing in, So I'm optimistic
what will can do with the guys he's bringing in.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Thank you, Larry, We appreciate it. Man.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Thank you for the cop Uh. Jack Pilgrim, are you superstitious?
Not just a little stitious? Okay, let's just try to
figure that out.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Let's let's stick to the phone lines to see what
Christy has to say.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Good morning, Christy, what do you got for us?

Speaker 4 (04:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (04:15):
I just have one question.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
I just want to know. Why is they're not as
much movement in the half court offense as there was
last year?

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Well, we will Jack, Yeah, let's ask our expert here.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Thank you Christy for the coup.

Speaker 5 (04:29):
Great question, Jack, Well, it's a it's a complicated answer,
and I think one that Pope has you know, subtly
thrown nuggets out there to to answer as delicately as possible.
But I think it comes down to guys just not
being able to not grasping the concepts.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
As well enough.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
And uh, you know, it's it is such a read
and react like you gotta your your basketball IQ has
to be top notch. It has to be you know,
your instincts have to be there. It's it's a trust thing.
It's a chemistry thing. And when you have so many
moving parts and guys that are coming from you know,
all over the place that don't totally totally mesh well

(05:15):
or at least haven't to start with, I think it's
it's much easier said than done to run kind of
a well oiled machine that is supposed to be Mark
Pope's offense. And you know he's talked about simplifying things
down and needing to you know, running a lot of
just calling it as it is, like a lot of
John Calipari stuff, floppies and you know, dribble drive and

(05:37):
just things that are very athlete based and very like
you know, thoughtless, just just just play basketball is you know,
look at how Denzel Aberdeen scored down the stretch. It
was a lot of just working the ball, screens and
scoring kind of like Hooper buckets. I mean it was
like he was like watching him dominate in the game
of LA you know, pick up at LA Fitness on

(05:59):
a Saturday morning.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
Like that's that is.

Speaker 5 (06:01):
That is it can work, and we've seen it work
at a high level all across you know, basketball at
the NBA level college. You know, John Caliperry made it
work for for for years. But I think it is
definitely a personnel based thing and and Pope has has
addressed that is as you know, politely as possible that

(06:22):
I don't think these guys can run it as effectively
and efficiently as last year's group did. So I think
I think as they learn each other and as they
continue to build chemistry. Honestly, when when when Jalen goes
down and you now know what you have at point guard,
it's it is this group the rest of the way.
You're only sixty percent through the regular season. Now you got,

(06:43):
you know the rest of the way to work with
plus the postseason you can kind of dig a little
deeper into your offensive bag and build trust and chemistry
and all those things in practice. So it is a
little bit personnel based, a little bit of you know,
kind of understanding grasping the system, but a but a big,
big part of it is chemistry. I think they just
need to build a lot of that and work together more.
And I think we'll start seeing that quite a bit

(07:05):
more down the stretch and.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Jack Larry as well.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
So Christie's wondering why is there more stagnant on the
offense and it's not as much motion as Mark Pope
I said.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
The past month.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
I think that we need to dumby things down, and
it seems like more Aberdeen is more apt to isolation
or dribble drive. Ol Way probably lives on a dribble drive.
I think Jasper can dance a little bit more. Can
He still a little light, He's still needs to put
on some muscle, but he can knock it down, so
he can stretch the floor to get isolation if he needs.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
Colin Chandler probably spot up, but the majority of the.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
Players that's on the court are not probably knocked down shooters,
probably aren't great passers. Maybe Malachi Jalen Lowe's out so
that takes that away. Maybe Jelivick may be able to
pass out of the post or stretch the floor. But
it seems like our best options with these players we
have are probably dribble drive. Is why there's not a
whole lot of movement driving past driving past driving. It's

(08:04):
not like we're clapping the lane and kicking it out
for three pointers.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
But you recruit gas are you're supposed to run your offense.
Like That's where maybe Pope misfired a little bit on
that this year that he.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Didn't was that his missionary to get the best bang
for you?

Speaker 3 (08:19):
Buck Well, I think Jacket would be the recruit players
that can run your offense. Though, what do you think?

Speaker 5 (08:24):
Maybe I'm wrong, totally agree, Yeah, I think I think
he I think he got a little ahead of himself
over correcting for like, well, my system led to us
getting steamrolled at Alabama, and and it, you know, led
to us getting punked out at Ole Miss and you know,
you know, the Ohio State game. It was kind of
like a hey, well, my system, you know, I think

(08:45):
there's a little bit of ego with it. Where it's like, hey,
my system will carry over to anybody. I just need
to recruit some dudes, and you know, they'll the system
will overlap with their talent and athleticism and we'll be
able to steamroll everybody. We will be the people doing
the punking while also still shooting. Thirty three is a game,
and you know, YadA, YadA, YadA. So I think a

(09:07):
little bit was kind of having to look at himself
in the mirror and go, Okay, I didn't I didn't
totally nail this roster construction, this roster build, but you know,
these are the pieces that we signed, these are the
pieces that we have. Let's let's try to win basketball
games however we can. And that's why Patino, you know,
patted him on the back as hard as he did,
because you know, they turned totally against the offense and

(09:29):
the system itself and just kind of played in the
mud with with the Indiana and Saint John's wins. I mean,
that was that was no offense whatsoever. That was just, hey,
we're going to out tough out physical, uh, you know,
outwork you and and that works. But also we've seen
you know, the Bellerman games where you go sixteen for
thirty from three. We've seen like they they're learning how

(09:50):
to win in different ways, and I think a big
part of that, again comes with with being together and
learning each other and having you know, a lot more
chemistry with one another.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
So it's a.

Speaker 5 (10:00):
Work in progress, still very much a work in progress,
but I think the pieces are slowly but surely coming
together to kind of give us something to be hopeful
for coming down the home stretch of SEC play.

Speaker 1 (10:12):
My bigger question for this team is just to understanding
and know what they expect, and you know, trying to
get my mind right for March. Is So the lineup
we've been running here lately is Cam Williams, Denzel Aberdeen, Otaga,
Malachi and Andrea. Andrea, you stated that dea body is

(10:34):
probably we probably need that grit, We probably need that
toughness on the court at some point. I don't know
who you bring off the court, but I think we
need to start getting to the Larry Vault and I
were talking off eritor. We need to start getting to
the point where these guys can start knowing their roles.
And now that we know Lowe's not coming back, I
guess you really start preparing for not to have JQ,
but does does does Deabody get back in the lineup?

(10:56):
Is Jelavic? Does that change any because I do want
to know what I want our line to look like.
I do want the players that know who's out there with.
But Mark Pope has shown and like I said, he
knows so much basketball, I would hate to question, but
he has shown the starting lineup and this essentially is
just who you start the game with. That's where it
comes across as in my eyes, because even when Lowe

(11:17):
was banged up in and out of the lineup, you don't
start them, but you play in thirty minutes. Like doesn't
make sense, But he has his sense and maybe the
players for like if I start, you know, I'm a
starter at University of Kentucky, Which it doesn't matter if
you don't finish the game or if you're getting double
digit le's put up on you in the first in
the first half.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Are we are we close? Is this the lineup we're
gonna go with?

Speaker 1 (11:37):
If this, if the lineup stays the same way it does,
JQ doesn't come back, or even if he does, I'm
sure he'll be a sixth or seventh man, I'm assuming
from the way Mark Pope has run everything.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
Are we looking at the lineup.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
The williams Aberdeen old way moreno Jellevick lineup or do
you think that changes dear body get back or any
other changes you might think.

Speaker 5 (11:58):
Yeah, it's tough. I think it's totally match up base
like with Tennessee. Honestly, it wouldn't have shocked me to
see Mo back in the starting lineup to kind of
you know, it didn't totally shock me that when the
game settled in and you know, Jalen Carry kind of
started playing in the mud and taking things over as

(12:18):
a you know, strong, physical, big bodied for you know,
that really isn't Yellovich's game. He's the finesse guy. He's
a guy who can you know, he's got nice footwork
and he's he's polished and all those things as a
high basketball IQ kind of European big and going out
to the perimeter and knocking down a three or two.
But he's not a banger like, that's not who he is.

(12:40):
And he got exposed in that way. So that's why
you throw Mo in and see what he has there
and you neutralize some of you know, some of what
Tennessee does really really well playing playing that tough, physical
style approach. So so I do think it's too but
there's gonna be other games where, you know, like the
Alabamas of the World, where you know, Moe couldn't play

(13:01):
in that game. That was a really really tough matchup
for him with just the pace and the spacing and
all that stuff, the shooting, and that probably would have
been the the andre Yeleovich game. So I think it's
going to have to be based on personnel and who
who you're matched up against in the style of play.
But that's why you recruited a team of thirteen capable players,
and you hope that you know there's there's a little

(13:23):
recipe for every single matchup that you take on in
the SEC and then especially going into postseason.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
That is Jack Pilgrim. We will continue this conversation on
the other side of this break. We'll be back after
this year listening to Stockyards Banks Sunny Morning Sports Talk
on news radio six thirty WLAP.

Speaker 6 (13:39):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talking Anthony Wade
along with Larry Vaught and Jack Pilgrim Bo Robinson Stockyards
Bank as your trusted partner, says nineteen o four, head
on over to syb dot com. Far are your banking
and financial needs Larry and Jack. I got a text
message from a friend, longtime friend. It says the thing

(14:09):
they took away from the game yesterday, Larry Vault was
that they liked the toughness they showed at the end.
They're not gonna be bullied bullied around. They're gonna fight back,
and they showed toughness toward the end of the game,
which I think may have you know, for them, that
was the biggest thing they found that It looked like
they showed toughness and grit and it wasn't gonna be
bullied around. Also, you know who else felt that same way?

(14:31):
Former UK basketball Oscar she Way you tweeted that out.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
So did Wayne Turner and saw Aaron Harrison and Perry Stevenson.
A lot of the former players liked what they saw
at the end. I didn't see them tweeting during the
first half.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, but yeah, because they had to show that they
were trying to bully them though, so they but they
figured out. They figured it out at the end. Yeah,
so you could take that away from it.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah, they had it, but as Jack said, they I
think Mark is also maybe Jack would disagree, but I
think Mark in the last few games has become more
open minded about how he has to change lineups and
Hay has to go. And if when you find guys
at work, you stay, you stay with them, but you
have to make some changes, I mean, and that's something

(15:15):
I don't think he was doing a great job of
early in the season.

Speaker 5 (15:17):
Jack, No, and I you know, when you go ten
minutes without scoring a basket against North Carolina and some
you know, some of the situational things of like, okay,
well it has reached a point of disaster and we're
not making any adjustments where we're just watching the game

(15:39):
collapse and unfold right before our eyes. And that's where,
you know, when when you get the complaints about, you know,
how Jasper was being used and you know why, why
is Cam Williams his minutes so up and down and
you know, uh, you know, not playing until there's six
minutes eleven in the first half and playing really well,
hitting a couple of shots and benched the first ten

(15:59):
minutes of the second and then playing the rest of
the game and of the final ten just say, it's
kind of just all over the place, But there is
a responsibility on the player's part to where when they
do get their opportunities, they need to come in and
make shots. Go go do something with your opportunities and
prove to the coaches like, hey, I'm proving you wrong.
You you needed to play me earlier, and I'm here

(16:20):
to make you look dumb like that is the player's
responsibility to to, you know, hold themselves accountable and make
the most of their time. So it works both directions,
but I think both sides could have been a little
bit better throughout the season. But as long as it
gets to a point of clarity at the end of
the season, where you know, I love Trentoa, but is
he a guy that we trust to play extended run

(16:43):
at this stage of the season. Probably not, but you
know there's still enough mystery there with guys like you.
I think this is a perfect example with Yellowvision and Jasper,
where those two were out of the rotation entirely and
getting DMPs and we're going, well, I don't think we've
seen an outside of either of them to justify DNPS like,
at least let them prove that they're they're out of

(17:05):
the rotation and then they get their opportunities and make
the most of it. So I think it's it's very situational,
but I do think that we're learning a little bit
more and more about this team and learning who you
can trust in big moments.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
And before before we lose you to uh the break
or after the break, we can kind of get your
feeling on football. A lot of there's been a lot
of talk about it a little bit, a lot of
talk like there's a lot going on. Jamorrown Wilcox has
finally landed at Marshall this week. But we are looking.
We are looking for dudes stunts. Nick Anderson out of

(17:39):
l s U. We got Brock Coffman coming back played
under Chad Pennington here in Lexington. Freshman transferred back as
a wide receiver.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
CJ.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
Baxter out of Texas, UH Barnes out of UH out
of Oklahoma.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
How do you feel but we are sure.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
Enough that offensive line man we're getting Ohio State office
line Florida's texts ier in Florida, Tennessee's we getting some dudes.
How do you feel about our really quickly are football
transfer portal thus far.

Speaker 5 (18:09):
I love that that he first hit a quarterback and
then has been loading up on the offensive line and
letting everything else kind of fall into place from there. Like,
his system is very player friendly in the sense that
you don't need yet. Yes, you feed the studs, you
go get the best players and do that, but like
it's not a system that necessarily needs a super super

(18:31):
superstar wide receiver to make it all click. Like he
is a a system guy that he wants to add talent,
but also he kind of creates the talent too. If
you have a Willie Rodriguez, if you go get one,
you know, a couple of you know, Nick Anderson is
a great example. You know, can we can we maximize that.
Twenty twenty three, Nick Anderson from Oklahoma where he was

(18:53):
one of the best, you know, best dudes that entered
the transfer port old going to LSU, had some you know,
life stuff happen, some injury stuff happened, and you know,
he hasn't produced at that level, but we've seen him
produce at a super super high level playing high major football.
So I like the pieces that he's added, But I
think the biggest, most important part has been addressing the trenches.

(19:14):
I think the defensive ads. I think Jay Bateman on
the defensive side has really done a bang up job
adding real talent on that side of the football and
letting will Stein just kind of, you know, pick and
choose his guys.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
A big, big fan that.

Speaker 1 (19:28):
Is Jack Pergo, follow him, owns x all social media platforms.
We will be back after this. You are listening to
Stockyards Bank Sunday One is sports Talk on news radio
six thirty WLAP.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
This is the home of.

Speaker 6 (19:39):
The Wildcats, six thirty w LAP. Welcome back Stockyards Bank
Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony Widelong with Larry Vaught
and Bo Robinson. Yes, our Sunday Morning Sports Talk is
brought to you by Country Boy Brewing. Uh yeah, we're

(19:59):
going to transition a little bit to women's basketball. But
the phone lines are lit up. If you'd like to join,
you can join the phone line eight five nine to
eight zero, two to eighty seven. That's eighty five to
nine to eight zero.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
Cats.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
Let's get to the phone line to see what Charles
has to say. Good morning, Charles, what do you got
for us?

Speaker 7 (20:18):
Hey, Anthony, good morning, Good morning, Larry, good morning. I
want I wanted to say, I think Larry, I thank you.
Larry was dead on about that coach Hope easing up
on the rotation. You know, it's dynamic, it's fluid. You
got to change as the circumstanced all scord I agree
with that. The question I have is I've noticed game

(20:38):
after game teams using the pick and roll on us
about maybe the top of the key of the foul line,
and it doesn't seem like we ever adjust to pick
that up. And I know that at least eight points
yesterday were scored on that very, very type of play,
and I just wanted you to comment on that.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Thank you for the call, Charles. I don't know how.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
I guess pick and roll is something that I think
if you're good at it offensively, it's just like anything
else that you're just so good at it, it's hard
for you to find a solution for it you look
at it. I mean, especially at the NBA level when
you look at how many years and everybody knew it
was coming with John Stockton and Karl Loan.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
If you have a good team to do that, I
don't really know.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
If there's a solution for it, but we have the
same problems under Caliperry as well. Maybe we just don't
have a good idea of how to stop it. Charles,
I'm not exactly sure that you can practice it unless
you have people that can give you a good look
at it. Pick and roll in which we don't do
very well as well. I mean jaylen Lowe, I think
in the game, I think we probably could if we

(21:41):
were allowing him in Malachi or him and Jqes hasn't
been on the court a whole lot, but Larry Vo,
I don't know if you would think otherwise. But defending
the pick and roll, I think is a myth because
if you're really good at it, I don't think there's.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
Really a solution for it. Well, I mean what people
like I said, I'm more to the NBA level.

Speaker 1 (22:02):
What teams have you seen a combination You've seen run
to pick and roll and it's been stopped.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
The ones can do it really well, it just doesn't
get stopped.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
Well if the ones running they have two offensive options
when they're right of the pick and roll. I think
sometimes you have to pick the lesser of the two
evils when you're doing that, or and sometimes you can
attack attack it better than what Kentucky has right right,
I think Kentucky has at times done that, but it
seems like especially early in games, they get war out

(22:32):
with that a lot. And then Jack said Gillespie, which
is really good yesterday, just really good early, especially.

Speaker 1 (22:38):
Because if you have if you have a good shooter
like siding you, they pick you and you go underneath,
like like Gilespie, you know you're just gonna sit back
and bombs away. If you try to go over top
of the screen and you try to fight through the
top of the screen, he just slip. He just slips
the screen. You know, there's no heads or anything. He
slips the screen and you got an easy, easy dump

(22:58):
off inside the lane.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
So I don't I don't know, but that's.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
I think that's been You've been around for a long
time covering sports, that's been a lifelong question that everybody's
always asking, how do you stop to pick and roll?
That's why you know, he asked, have you ever heard
of anybody coach a way to stop it?

Speaker 3 (23:15):
They all have different ideas, but if you say, when
it's executed in Kentucky at times has executed pick and
roll really well. Again, like say, a lot of times
you score off that.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah, and if you can, I think you continue to
do that.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
So again, plus you go zone, Yeah, I hope they
don't make shots.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
Yeah, and yesterday probably wasn't a day to go to
the zone when those guys were hot like that. Will
at least uh Gillespie, what did uh the other Uh?
He didn't have such a great day. Boswell didn't have
such a great day.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
Shoot him.

Speaker 1 (23:45):
But I think he was impactful in other ways though,
I mean, just just energy and you know, hounding our
guards and you know, forcing tempo spread in the floor.
So huh at a lot of people are motivating. Let's
before we move to women's basket. Are you motivating by
what you've seen this weekend or is it are you
still there's still something you need to see it well?

Speaker 2 (24:06):
Or do you still need to be convinced.

Speaker 3 (24:08):
You always want to see more. But I mean, they've
won three in a row. I would again, I'd just
like them not to fall quite so far behind. But
I do like the way that they have in the
second half. They've hit shots so well, and I do
like I kind of agree with one thing that Mark Hope.
I heard him talking with Tom Leach about it yesterday.
He said that they're running the same stuff in the

(24:28):
second half they're running the first half. So it's not
what they're running that's not working. It's a matter of executing,
and they're not executing in the first half like they
do in the second half. But he said it's like
he's guys, just suddenly in the second half, think, okay, man,
we got to start doing this better than what we've
been doing. And he was saying it'd be kind of
nice to see him have a little bit more of
that in the first half. Let's execute it better in

(24:51):
the first half. But I also think Mark has done
a better job about kind of going with the right
guys at the right time, just like Diavote maybe was
in the right guy against LSU Mississippi State, but he
was certainly the right guy against Tennessee and Jasper. Of course,
he had no choice yesterday, and when Aberdeen got two thousand,
two and a half minutes and then he put Jasper in,

(25:13):
I was still kind of surprised he took him out
when he did in the first half after he played
about nine minutes, and he kind of helped Kentucky State
of the ship and he was the offense, and he
put Aberdeen back in because man kind of at least
got the game back in the in a margin. And
why what if Aberdeen comes right back in against three foules.
But again, that's why Pope gets eight million dollars a

(25:34):
year because he worked. Maybe that's what got the Aberdeen
lathered up for the second half and that's why helped
lead him to that win.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
Coach Pope gets eight million dollars. Don't make that much.
I thought it was sixish.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
Six age different million dollars.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
That's hold too much. So you couldn't use two million dollars.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
Well, the time you take taxes, take time, take your
taxes out other deductions of what he gives away.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
So six million and it's enough. By the way, before
you all get to women's basketball. Perry Stevenson with the
tweet the other day yesterday, what was it concerning Gillespie.
This is what he put out every time they said Gillespie,
my legs got tired. I still hear because a Perry bud,
you didn't make it do it again?

Speaker 3 (26:17):
Oh that is good?

Speaker 1 (26:19):
Yeah, wow, I didn't think about that.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
That doesn't make sense. Huh.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
See that Gillespie just makes a Kentucky fans just cringe
just in general, speaking of cringing, and I guess when
you go to Baton Rouge, their fan based should cringe
because last second shot. What did you think about Malacamorino's shot?
Like it was a game winner, so it was great money,
But I don't think that's supposed to happen, like it

(26:46):
goes through all of those hands and a true freshman
on the road and bat Ruge just just lets it go.
Watching Christian Latners, No.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
But it looked fluid, like it looks smooth.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
Like he's been doing that as whole, like he'd been
replaying that Christian Latner shot.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
If people want to compare that, let's look at the timing,
because Colin Chandler and Malachi Moraino had less time than
the duke shot. Yeah, because pivoted, uh Christian pivot.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
Five tenths of a second lest at all. But again,
it was Kentucky's third option that they had drawn up
with the other two options were covered, and it took
a perfect pass. I mean, really, when you think about it,
the pass was harder shot, the catch was harder than
the shot. Once he caught it and got turned. It
was a wide open fifteen footer.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
And thankfully the LSU defender his timing was off when
he jumped. That's what I said. It looked like it
went straight through his things. Thank him for that too.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, well, we've seen it happen before.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
I don't think you've given it enough credit.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
Though, Like you said, the hands are all in his
face when he catches, like he could have bobbled the ball.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
That's what I'm saying. Once he made the catch and turned,
the shot was I thought the easiest part of it
the pass.

Speaker 1 (27:54):
No, you're not even facing the basket. You turn around
him when he turned. You got to let that thing
go as soon as you turn. You don't get to
focus on the rim though there.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Look, but those guys, that's what they do. That's why
they're playing at the level.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
They're really a big man. He used to if you
watch Chandler, he's a good shooting. If you see Chandler
from his viewpoint, I know he heaved it with the
baseball pass, but it looked like he was a little
off center because his right leg goes up in the
air a little bit. But to still stay on target
with that. I mean, you got to give him kudos too.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
Yeah, I like, I like the Pope said they practice
have play a lot. It never works, but it worked
the one time that it mattered, So it's all all
that mattered.

Speaker 2 (28:34):
Well, there needs to be a road sign in Georgetown
that says welcome to Georgetown, Kentucky home on Malachi Moreno. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
And did you see the number of people that Cam
Williams had at the game, Anthony, I did not, probably
one hundred and fifty.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
If you would go to there's a website called folksviews
dot com. You could go to it and if you
search back, you can see the photo they took after
the game. Because his dad said some of the folks
actually left with about forty five seconds ago because they
had a coplelyers to drive back home. Yeah, and they
just didn't think Kentucky was going to win. But there's
still well over one hundred there in a picture after

(29:10):
the game. Wow, And his dad talked about that. They
all went up and waited. The ones that stayed went
up and waited by the bus, and when the players
came out, obviously got to see Cam, but they got
to talk to all the players. They all signed autographs.
They were all intrigued with seeing Malachi Marino because he said,
we don't have seven footers in Louisiana. Right, they were
all But then he also said that Pope came out

(29:32):
after all of that and stayed and signed and did
everything with them too, knowing they were all wanting to
get back to the airport and get on the plane
and fly back.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah, they took the time to do that for all
those family and friends that Cam Williams had there. So
that was a pretty cool thing to do.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
Wow, that is neat. I wouldn't expect anything less though
from Poping. No, his staff and the Williams family is
really nice. Actually, Dad was nice enough to come on
with us and yeah, share stories.

Speaker 3 (29:57):
They had a ton of people there. They all say
that I don't.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Even think there's that many people in Twinsburg Heights, Ohio.
She'd behold my whole neighborhood.

Speaker 3 (30:05):
Yeah, like see, I think when they were all there,
there was maybe close to two hundred Yeah, wow, it
was probably one hundred and twenty five in a picture
after the game.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
I'll tell you a funny story about Wednesday. Well it's
not funny, but oh somewhat encouraging. Let me put it
to you that way. I was with a friend of
mine in the hospital on Wednesday night and he suffered
a fall and there was some brain bleeding. So he's
in the hospital, he's in ICU. I went over to
visit with him Wednesday night and he is sound asleep.

(30:33):
Now this is all affected his speech and everything. I
didn't want to interrupt him, but just wanted to be
there for him. So we're watching the first half and
he hears me cussing about the game and just saying
some comments under my breath a little bit, and he
would twitch his toe. I would see his foot move
even though he was asleep right and he wasn't saying
anything to me, And every time I said something, I

(30:56):
want to think it was his response to the game.
We had to say, viewpoint of everything just not going good. Halftime,
I looked over at him and I said, I can't
do this to you anymore. And I turned off the
game at halftime and turned it back on TVG Form
to watch horse racing and I walked out. So you
pulled old a white, huh?

Speaker 3 (31:15):
And you made him miss the ending?

Speaker 2 (31:17):
He missed the ending, and I called him. I called
the following day to check on him. He was much better.
His communication was heavily improved. He knew I was there
watching the ballgame with him. I heard him say that
was a hell of a win. That's a heartwarming story. Yeah,
so he's doing much much better. So for the Sunday morning,

(31:38):
sick and shut in, say a prayer for my friend. Uh,
you all know him very well. I'm not going to
put that out there quite yet. He is doing much better.
But now I gotta go watch games with them first
half and then leave if it keeps working. Good deal,
Larry Vaughn, I know we only got a couple more minutes.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
I did want to ask because of what's been going
on with UK men's basketball. We've been pulling out tough
games all week, you know, kind of turning this thing around.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Guys are gridding.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
You got that same type of feeling for women's basketball
because we've had some it's been they are battling, and
it's how long is it gonna take Key to come back?

Speaker 2 (32:13):
Will she be back anytime soon? By market, it's.

Speaker 3 (32:15):
Not been said. It just keeps saying that she will
hopefully be back.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
You mean hopefully be back at all. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:22):
Oh wow, Yeah, I mean they're I think they're trying
to be optimistic, but there's no real timetable for it,
and without her just makes a huge difference, changes everything
about their defense. But they're playing rotation players have to do.
But like I said, they just battled their guts out
against Oklahoma and did it again against Florida to get wins.
Down the road of Mississippi State. Today we will see
what they were doing. But I'm telling you, Tony Morgan,

(32:46):
I never thought I would ever ever say this, And
maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not sure she's not better
than Georgia.

Speaker 1 (32:53):
I'm looking. I want to go look at her stats
and compare them to Ryan Hirart.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
Well, they're probably not right on Howard, but she's got
better teammates than around Howard.

Speaker 1 (33:03):
Had Ry Ryan uh doubles this. I know it's different
positions to double distance, double digit assists.

Speaker 2 (33:10):
I don't think so on the wreck on the average.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
But she would have had more rebounds.

Speaker 2 (33:14):
Yeah so, but I'm gonna look and see it different.

Speaker 3 (33:16):
But both really really good. But like I said, Tony
Morgan is amazing. It's just flat amazing.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
That's Larry we will continue the conversation after this break.
We'll be back after this year. Listening to Stockyards Bank
Sunday Morning Sports Talk on news radio six thirty wl EP.

Speaker 6 (33:32):
This is the home of the Wildcats. Six thirty double
U L A P.

Speaker 1 (33:42):
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk from Anthony
White along with Larry Vaux and Bo Robinson. We got
guests in the studio, but we'll have them on next hour.
But we were talking UK women's basketball and Larry Vaught
delivered from me bad news and how much does Tianni

(34:05):
being afect house? What I say, Well, it was a
bad news. That was just fact. No, that was not
a fact. You said that they did not say that
she was coming back at all. You make as hondes
as that she's not coming back at all.

Speaker 3 (34:19):
No, I did not say. I said, they just have
not said when she's coming back.

Speaker 2 (34:21):
And now you called it a fact.

Speaker 3 (34:23):
I said, she and it is the fact that they said.
She said, I don't know when she's coming back.

Speaker 1 (34:26):
So how does that how does that affect our chances
or the optimism that we had before she went down?

Speaker 3 (34:32):
Well, she had seventeen points and sixteen rebounds. A game
at LSU gets number five team the nation. Four she
went down. Kimmoky didn't like that at all, didn't like
it at all. So it's just changed their rotation. How
their defense is not as good without her because they
got people playing in different spots. But they are fighting
their way through it. I mean, they beat number five
Oklahoma at home, they beat Florida. Now they took a

(34:54):
bad loss at Alabama the first game without Tianni, and
I'm anxious see what they do on the road today
at Mississippi State without her in another physical game. But
Kayln Carroll the freshman getting better.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
She knocked down some big shots down the streets, getting
better beating Florida.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
Asia Boone is a really feisty I guess that's a
word to use it feisty little player. But she doesn't
play little. She plays big, and she's had to take
on a little bit bigger role for him. And then
our the athlete on campus with the best name of
any UK athlete like they Blue Lexi Blue. She's going
to have to do a little bit more and she's

(35:31):
getting a little bit more playing time. But the roster
is pretty short.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
Yeah, it has shortened, and I was just kind of
wondering how I guess the Tianni's height and just athleticism
just causes probably her Hassett Clara, I mean, all big
once you get inside the lame, are you shooting in
trees with when you got those girls? And plus they
all have offensive ability like Hassei can play inside Outsideiani
can play inside outside. Claricans is known to step outside

(35:57):
the ark and knock it down.

Speaker 2 (35:59):
But I don't know. I had final four aspirations. Who's
having more fun right now? Darren Hendrick or Tom Leach.

Speaker 3 (36:05):
Darren Hendrick I think calling the women's games because I
mean they've been they've been fun, and again they need
Like like with Hazard Mill, she needs to She's not
been shooting great, but she's asked to do so many
things right now with Tianni out, and that's put a
little bit different stress on her. She has to defend
a little bit tougher player than what she was before

(36:27):
and than Tony Morgan. She's just, as I said, just unreal.
And I know you could constantly criticize second guest Kenny
Brooks because he plays them too much. Well, I mean Morgan,
she got fifteen seconds rest the last game I don't know.
I don't know how these female athletes get in so
much better shape than the male athletes do.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
Well, we don't find out our.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
Pope's team can't play ten minutes, they got a rest.

Speaker 1 (36:51):
We'll find out at the top of the hour, well,
asked Crisling, and will ask Delaney at the top of
the hour, we'll find out how they stay in such
good shape because you were never a college athlete, were you? No?

Speaker 2 (37:00):
I was, yeah, bold h Is that an athlete?

Speaker 1 (37:04):
We find out when sick Yards Bank. Sunday morning Sports
Talk on news radio six thirty w l A p.