Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back Stockyards Banks. Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Anthony
White along with Jack Pilgrim and Larry Vault, coming to
you from Clark's Main Street Market studios in downtown Lexington, Kentucky.
Also visit your Clark's Pumping shops, return refreshed and refuse
use your app to pump and shop Larry or Jack.
(00:20):
I was looking over the stats from the Saint John's
game yesterday at noonish, noon thirty ish and kind of
looking at We talked about this quite a bit. You know,
our basketball team has been up and down as far
as the fans optimism. But the one thing I still
(00:44):
do not get. And maybe and I know you talked
about stats and analytics and those things. Maybe Mark poposed
on those things out of the window because his wanting
to take thirty three pointers a game. We took half
that we took sixteen, which is fine with me because
we got the w Also, I'm looking and that where
I think are most of our minutes are going to go.
And That's where I'm going to inquire to you as
(01:05):
to where the minutes are going to go, because it
looks like sixteen three pointers was enough to win the game.
Although we were four of sixteen, but we didn't just
overly take thirty. Then the more you look at the
composition of the roster, I'm thinking our points are going
to come inside the paint because we want we don't
want always shooting outside of the outside of the arc.
We don't want Jayden shooting outside of the arc. Even
(01:27):
Jalen Lowe's little floaters. I'm not sure I want them
shooting outside of the arc unless we have to. So
with that being said, what are we where are we
looking at this? Has Mark Pope reevaluated his his system?
Has he modified it given the you know, the availability
of all the players now? And do you agree with
me that that thirty mark, twenty five, thirty mark or
(01:48):
three pointers is something that you came into the season,
because that's your philosophy is thrown out of the window.
Now we gotta get our points inside of the paint.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, you know, I think Pope will can you to
say that he wants his team to be a high volume,
high efficiency, three point shooting team, and I may just
have to disagree with him. And I think we got
the you know, Patino and Pope kind of say the
same things and just different ways of massaging them like.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You could do.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Patino's just kind of the unfiltered, real truth version of
of you know, kind of some of the politician side
of Pope, and Patino just kind of said, yeah, Pope
thought he assentbled a really really good three point shooting team,
and they're not, and they're never going to be. It's like,
all right, thank you. I just I appreciate hearing the
the honesty from a Hall of Fame coach that's been
(02:38):
around the block a time or two. So yes, thank
you for just acknowledging what we're all seeing that, yes,
this is probably not going to ever get to the
point of the shooting. Thirty three is a game on
high efficiency, but there's still a space for Cam Williams
to be a confident three point shooter Jalen Lowe when
he gets hum and he can hit shots, and you know,
(02:58):
you have some versatility there where there are some some
different guys who can step up and make shots.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
You just need to be capable.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
I just don't think this team's ever gonna be just
the you know, unbelievable other worldly shooters. But as long
as you can be a threat from the outside and
open up everything else for the Otegas and the Jalen's
and the Jaden quaintances of the world to finish and
be dominant around the rim. That's all you ask for.
That's all we ever asked for. Is you know, when
you're just a total non shooter and you they don't
(03:28):
have to hold you accountable from the perimeter, then it
does muck everything up inside and you can't score the
way that the roster was designed to score. So yeah,
I think it's a little bit of mix of both that.
I do think it's going to be a really, really
tough task for Mark to figure out this rotation moving
forward with Jayden and Jalen hopefully back in is for
(03:50):
the long haul, with Jalen being the ultimate question mark
with his shoulder. So I think we're just seeing guys
like andre Yelovich, Trent Noah, you know, even Jasper Johnson.
I'm afortunately, you know. I think there's a space there
where they might want to prepare him for a lead
guard role just in case something happens with Jalen, because
he kind of feels, I don't want to say a
(04:10):
ticking time bomb, but there is kind of a timeliness
to it. Where it could go south in a hurry,
and you don't want to be totally screwed over if
something were to happen. So I think you've got to
keep Jasper warm, but with an understanding that he might
there might not be a space for him to come
in and be a high impact guy for at least
in the short term. So yeah, I think the rotation
is going to get tightened up. I think be G
(04:32):
is probably gonna fall out of it. I think Malachi
stepped up in a really, really big way last night
as the complimentary big next to Jayden, So Moe gives
you that toughness. He's kind of emerges the guy, and
you know where injury Yelovitch was kind of making a push.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
He feels out.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So I think I think this thing is getting cut down.
I think if you know Colin Chandler, we could see
his minutes kind of take it take a little bit
of a hit. So yeah, I don't envy Pope, but
he's in a really tough spot and he's gonna have
to cut some cut some guys.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, and I do think the addition of Jayden and
if we can keep Jalen on the floor makes o
taking more valuable because the attention is not on him.
And I think he plays his best ball when he's
not the primary ball handler. Not primary ballhandler as in
a point guard, but the person that is expected to
put the ball in the bucket on either isolation or
create your own shots. But if you can get Jalen
(05:22):
and Jayden with the attention and gets catched away on
the swing, I think he's a lot more productive that way.
Let's get to the phone lines and see what Alan
Alvin has to say. Good morning, Alvin, what do you
got for us?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Good morning, Marry Christmas, all and and all of that
good stuff. I did want to take part of my
call and talk about the volleyball team. I hadn't been
an advocate watch of volleyball, but this team makes it
easy to watch and to enjoy and to learn about
(05:56):
a game that you know most you know men, quite honest,
we don't follow. But some of the pointers I wanted
to take out of that game against Wisconsin, and the
turning point in the game was when three of the
UK players took and blocked important shot by Wisconsin, and
(06:17):
I thought that that was a turning point in the game.
And then I thought that they just decided to go
to the power game and had Eva Hudson coming off
the ads and handling a sixty five mile now volleyball
the net that the Wisconsin girls couldn't handle. And I
(06:40):
thought that the coach made a decision to just go
and play power volleyball, and I thought that they won
the game for them, and I will be watching that
game tonight as well. Regarding the Protective basketball team, when
Jalen Lowe suffered that injury and went to the locker
(07:02):
room clutching his arm on his shoulder, I need to
find out the message that they used because I shuld
use it for my help, because that guy came back
and played like he wasn't even injured his minutes and
his play was extremely important against Richepino. And then we
(07:26):
was introduced to j Q, who's who.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Was a man child among boys.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
And as Jack Pilgrim just mentioned, I think the lineup
is going to tighten. And I did want to ask
Jack a question. Uh, Jack, you've been a extremely vocal
about moments of disappointment with coach Pope during the season. Uh,
it seemed like that this game had sort of quieting
(07:54):
some of the criticism coming from you and some of
the guys that you have on some of your interviews
after the game, What do you hope that this coach
would do and continue to do moving forward to sort
of take something to play from the game against the
great Rick Patito going into NTC play in the next
(08:15):
week or so.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Thank you for the call album. We're gonna let Jack
answer that question whatever. Want to just thank album for us?
Call Jack Pilgrim. What are the justness you think gonna
be made?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I appreciate the question of a great, great comment, because, yeah, heat,
this team has deserved a ton of criticism up to
this point, Like they have totally underperformed the heart and
the tenacity and all of the things that you know,
Kentuckians pride themselves on watching their basketball programs. They have
not embodied any of it. And you know, that's what
(08:50):
made Indiana so special that that win, how they did it,
That's what made Saint John so special, how they did it.
Knowing that it's like this offensive product still isn't the
most beautiful, pretty stunning thing in the world. Like it's
still it's still a work in progress, and there's a
lot of work to do. And very fortunately you have Bellerman.
(09:10):
You got to take care of business on Tuesday, but
you have a ten day break a you know, get Christmas,
you get a nice little hard reset where you can
go into whatever the the camp Pope, you know, it
was Camp col under John Caliperry. Around the holidays. We
did two a days and really just kind of grinded
it out and kind of you know, tweaked some things
(09:32):
over the holiday season to prepare for a sec play.
Pope has a lot of work cut out for him,
and especially on the offensive end, but man like it.
Patino also deserves a lot of credit for kind of
calling this what it is and saying, hey, this's identity.
Pope thought the identity was going to be something and
it ended up not being the case when he built
(09:53):
the roster, and he's kind of navigating and adjusting on
the fly. And I think Pope deserves a lot of
credit after I have been pushing him, particularly all season long,
Like he I thought that, you know, the pieces didn't
fit in. I think he probably acknowledged that as the
roster was currently constructed, the pieces weren't necessarily fitting fitting,
(10:13):
especially when pre injury or I guess during injury and
you know, now post post recovery with with the new
healthy guys are just kind of having to re establish
an identity of toughness and physicality and you know get
you know, diving for loose balls and you know, kind
of stealing BBN's heart in the in the old fashioned way,
so it's not just you know, knocking down a ton
(10:33):
of threes and you know, running a video game offense
like kind of getting in the trenches and learning how
to win in the mud. Yeah, Kentucky fans don't care
if you win one to zero or one hundred to thirty.
It as long as you're winning basketball games, everything else
falls in a place. And the brand that they're playing
right now is a winning basketball brand of defense and
toughness and rebounding in physicality. May not be the prettiest
(10:56):
thing in the world. They got a lot offense to do,
but this is a product that Kentucky fans can be
currently are very proud of.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And while we have you, while we have you over
here explaining yourself and clarifying yourself, I need clarification, and
Tim Biggs, if you listen, I need to know what
you think because I'm kind of torn what I think
when you keep tweeting out on Twitter on X play
Jaden Quainton's until he can't play anymore? Is that a recipe?
And I'm and you said this all along. If he
(11:26):
can play, why not start him?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Not?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Why not get as many minutes? So I'm not sure
how bad the injury is or how much is healed?
But do you really feel like play him? Just playing
playing play him and he does change the game, like
he's a different type of person, like he's different. I
don't even know if you want to call him a
person and human. But do you think the staff and
(11:51):
at the training staff are airing on caution or do
you are you truly believe man? I mean, if you
cleared them to play, because Tim he said last week,
if he's clear to played him, let the mayor row
give you thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That that is frustration Number one that I have and
have had is you know the gut and you know,
trusting your eyes instead of what the what the data
and the spreadsheets are telling you. You know, be able
to kind of navigate that space with your with your
heart and the you know, just the intangible stuff that
(12:27):
I think Pulpe has really struggled with at times he's
obsessed with the numbers and how everything kind of works
together on a spreadsheet. Jayden, he comes in and he
impacts the game.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
He was clear.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I my understanding going into this game. He was cleared
up to twenty minutes to play. He has been full contact,
cleared to begin the process of a ramp up toward
you know, a return to game action.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Since December first.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
They have been as cautious and patient with this as
possibly imaginable to get to this point point for the debut.
But now that we're here, and now that he has
been cleared up to twenty minutes, playing him four minutes
in the first half with losing basketball, we saw the difference.
And we also saw what happened when you let him
(13:15):
ride a little bit and let him get his feet
under him and kind of just say, hey, he's he's
You paid him the big bucks for a reason. Play
the dude like he's been waiting ten months for this point.
He's itching and scratching and slawn to get back on
the floor. It was my understanding that Jayden has been
desperately pushing to get on the basketball floor, and that's
part of the reason why I took the you know,
(13:36):
shade and sharp nonsense so personally that fans were kind
of just saying, oh, he's just using the program and
blah blah blah. Now I know the kid, and I
know how badly he wanted this, and I was a
little defeated in the first half knowing where Kentucky was
struggling and watching him only get four minutes, and knowing
the type of talent that he is. So yes, it was,
you know, there was a little vindication there in the
(13:58):
second half when he came in. Was the player that
I knew she was playing the minutes that he was
cleared to play. So either there's a little bit of both,
or you got to not be stupid with it and
play him, you know, don't don't play him what the
doctors have cleared it. But don't steps.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
We gotta look like we lost connection with Jack. But
we also have to hit the break anyway, So we
will reset Jack. We will take this break, and we
will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards Banks
Honey Wont Sports Talk on news radio six thirty WLAB.
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty w LAP.
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Anthony
(14:40):
White along with Larry Vaughugh and Jack Pigm. Stockyards Bank
is your trusted partner, says nineteen o four, So head
on over to syb dot com for all your banking
and financial needs. Let's head to the phone lines really
quickly and see what Dennis has to say. Good morning, Dennis,
what do you got for us?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Hey?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Uh, I'm fired up about my ball ball team today.
They're one of my two favorite programs over at u K.
We all know football is together. With that being said, uh, Larry, uh,
there's gonna be some kind of nows but todays, could
you let us know, you know, watch time these these
(15:18):
gals get back to that to the airports tonight or whatever.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
This on here and said at probably about one am,
flexing in time tonight.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
One am. Oh, I'm won't be well, okay.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
Said taking that, I'm guessing if if all goes well, Thennis,
I'm guessing there will be some other opportunities Monday and
Tuesday to greet the team, but we'll see.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
All right, all right.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Well, I'm looking forward to it. And what y'all's good
feelings about to say?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Larry, what I would saying, I'm expecting five sets, just
because all these last games have been and I think
we've been strategic and you know, pulling out wins at
the end, Larry vault. So I think it may take
us probably five matches to or five sets to figure
it out.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Whatever it takes.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
It takes.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
I've been saying national champions since August, so I'm not
getting off the bandwagon.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
Dennis, Well, I mean, why they come out, why they
come out look looked like it looked like deer deer
deer the headlights Thursday night.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I think you probably credit part of that how well
Wisconsin played. I think maybe just credit a little bit
of it to the nerves on Kentucky's part two. And
it was obviously the worst set that they played all
season long, but to turn it around like what they
did is very very impressive.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
All Right, thank you guys, Thank you for the call,
Dennis before Larry, before we get the break and we
got mister thig Pen coming on at the next break.
Do you attest some of the challenges that we've had
this season or do you value more of the challenge
that we had overcoming those challenges as just the resilience
(17:07):
of the team, or as you said, do you think
you know it's sometimes taking us a little while to
focus when we have, you know, rough sets and starting
off like that, or do you just think or do
you give more value to Okay, the resilience of this
team is being personified.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
I think it's just his team's resilience. I think sometimes
you just have to give a little bit of credit
to who they've been playing. Has came out really really
well early. I guess someone's played terrific, but they've never
seen to let it bother when they never get down.
That's a great thing about volleyball. It doesn't carry over
like it as a football basketball, a thing like if
you get your butt whipped that first one, it still
(17:45):
starts zero zero the next one. You know you can
come back and still have a chance. In this team,
and these players are just valuant when they do that.
I've never quite seen a team that just stays right
on task. Because I gotta admit I was a little
show kate for that first set Thursday night, but man,
they made it. They just came back and battled, and
they just don't give up.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
They just kind of refuse to lose and Jack Pilgrim.
I know Dennis asked and Chris kind of alluded, and
I know he didn't want to. It was a good
thing he didn't try and get him ahead of things.
But just from from a player's standpoint, if a many
as many people can get to the airport. The first
time that ever happened to us, it was coming back
(18:24):
from the Outback Bowl. We had lost. It was a
tough game or whatever, but people, it was amazingly Wow.
I never paid attention to that stuff, but it does
mean something to the players, and especially if people can
show up at one o'clock, whoa. I think it would
be huge for those young ladies. So I know it's
late early however you want to look at it, but
try to make that situation happen. And Jacob, have you
(18:48):
finished your Christmas shopping?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (18:51):
That quite quite turned there, mostly but not all the way.
I still got a couple of couple of things to do.
Bless my wife's heart. She just does an amazing job
of getting every cousin and you know, not only just
the immediate family members you got to hit on, but
thinking about the next tier and working there all the
(19:15):
way down. And it just yeah, she crutches at every Christmas.
And I'm very thankful to be able to write my
name on the tag next to next to her, so
should shout out shout out to my wife. But yeah,
I got a couple more things to do. I'm very,
very excited for our first first Christmas with two babies
in the household, in the pilgrim household.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, thank you for your coverage at Jack and you
can start being more positive moving on. And plus we
got Larry Christmas coming around the corner, So Larry Christmas
to you and your family, and we will be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sound and want
a sports talk on news radio six thirty WLAP. This
is the home of the Wildcats. Six thirty w L
A p five eleven sophomore outside hit her Asia Dick
(19:55):
Pennis playing very good volleyball. Larry as the young sophomore
out of North Carolina. But as we are, like I said,
efforting to get a coach Dick pen on. You think
he's more proud now or you think he's nervous at
this point. I don't have kids, so I don't know
how it feels to watch your child perform period.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Probably, I think probably both because you're really happy with
what they have done and proud of how they play,
but you also know how much they want to finish
this off in the right way. So I think it's
a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
The reason I say that because I would be scared,
I don't. I don't. I'm not scared for myself, just
because I feel like I've done all the work and
i've and I feel like I can accomplish a lot
of things. But just with that ultimate uh, that ultimate success,
the the opportunity or not taking advantage of the opportunity,
(20:53):
and you could play your best sometimes and lose.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
There's also that other side, like you could have to
console someone who who's verily hurt. And that's kind of
where I was, just like A, do you just enjoy it?
That's why I was, you know, we were asking coach
Coach Stein's dad when he was on did A are
you gonna be in the like if things don't go well,
it could be it could be rough as a parent,
(21:16):
but I don't know, I never really looked at that aspect.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
It's difficult being a parent watching your child play at all,
because you have a lot of different emotions to go
through there, and I can't imagine what it's like being
a parent of these really high profile athletes. I know
it was difficult enough for me at the level of
my son played now, but I can't imagine like with
(21:40):
your mom and people now that are playing, you know,
the Dennis Johnson's of the world and all like that.
It's got to be really really difficult, very very rewarding,
but also very very difficult and challenging.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
At times.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I think, Okay, well we'll find out, not Larry, because
now we're proud to be joined by coach Tommy Thigpenn.
I was standing football player coach, but in these neck
of the woods known as Asia thig Pin's dad. Good morning,
coach big Pen, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
What are you guys doing this morning?
Speaker 1 (22:09):
We're doing good. We're having a pretty good conversation about yourself.
Uh Asias on the on the big stage today and
you know it's played well to get them there. What
do you what do you feel like? As pops, I.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Couldn't be no more proud. You know when when she
got recruited, guys, she chose Kentucky, Kentucky. She's her dad.
I'm going to Kentucky. I'm winn national championship and that's all.
It stuck in my mind. I was like, Okay, I said,
they hadn't won a national champions since, you know, And
(22:45):
I said, you have, like they go all the time.
And she's like, She's like, I'm going through the school
where I know I can get developed and I can
go and be surrounded with some girls that I notice
gonna have the same ambition as as being and uh,
and here we are. I mean we're going to the
national We're in the National championship and one game away
from winning at home.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
And did she that I guess that ambition or just
desire to be successful that come from you know, watching
or you know, learning about you in your career or something,
or is that something you just trained them? That stuff?
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Your girls Asian and twenty ten, I was at Auburn
and there's a great picture and we won. We won
a national championship. We with Cam Newton. That that Cam
Newton year and so I mean she's talked about that.
She still talk about that is you know, that was
(23:39):
a big deal. I mean, I mean just the crowd,
the energy and all that. So she's seen it before
you know. And I'll tell you that she got a
work at it out of this world. I love and
admire she's She's what I call a self starter. She
gets up. And there were times when we were at
Howling as you hear somebody in the garage at eleven
o'clock at night, and her was her. And I mean,
(24:01):
she just works, man. And then she doesn't I call
her nerves. She party. She doesn't hang out. She goes
to school and little volleyball and that's what she do.
Speaker 6 (24:11):
And Tommy, do you think by being around you and
your coaching and I mean, she kind of reminds me
she has a football like mentality when she plays volleyball.
She's just a physical and tough, doesn't back down from anything.
Do you think some of that rubbed off on hers?
That just a bad perspective on my part.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
She's been around football all her life because and she
used to go to camps. I'm out there to see. Uh.
We got camp at Tennessee when she was a kid,
and boys camp and she would jump out there and
beat him in there and uh, and the dashes and
the sprints and agility and so the jump sept me.
She was she was a competitor's little thing ever since
(24:54):
she was a kid. Man. So yeah, she, I mean
she she grew up around the great Iron. She knows
how to work. She's seen it. She would come over
to the facilities and some of the trainers over there
would work her out. She's been around this thing for
a long time. I tell you.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
The other thing that I really admire about her is
how well she plays her role. Because with the versatilus
that have on this team, some nights you never know
or some matches you never know exactly how much you're
gonna play. But whenever her term comes, man, she just
she's ready to shine. And it seems like the bigger
(25:31):
the match, the better she plays. She just kind of
always been that way.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Also, yeah, she and when she lives for the big game.
I mean even when she was in club, you know
it was you know, it was a five, was the
big team more Metro. Those are the teams just like man,
those are like the two top teams in the country,
and she'd lived to play them. I mean, she always
(25:56):
wanted to play the best teams. So yeah, the bigger
the competition and the more she wants to go out
and shine. So and for hers. You know, it's been
a learning experience. She's always been an outside hitter to
the on the left side, and you know, to go
to the right side. I thought was like, man, it's
totally different than what you've been doing all your life.
(26:16):
But you know, she just wanted to come to Kentucky
and and do whatever role she had to do. She
came here as a defensive specialist, even though all her
life she hit the ball. And I was just like,
why are you going to go to Kentucky when you
know you want to hit the ball. You know you
want to hit the ball. And she was like, I'll
do whatever I got to do to play at Kentucky.
(26:38):
And so she came here as a defensive specialist, and
you know, she played very limited time, and she went
to work every single day. Unfortunately, somebody got hurt. You
only got hurt on the left side. So she got
a chance to go back in at the left side hitter,
and booms, she got on this thing. You know, she
was back in the mix. She was playing a bunch
of them at the end of the season and got
(26:59):
got some freshman honors, and then you know, we got
the greatest player I've ever seen and Eva came here
this year and she was just like, hey whatever, She
said that I'll just rid shirt. And she says, I'm
gonna go and make I'm gonna go and compete every
single day and make everybody better. And in her mind
she was gonna rich shirt, but she's gonna go and compete.
And Coach Skinners just kept saying, was I just can't
(27:20):
find a way that I can't keep her off the court.
She would find a way. I mean, somebody they moved
up to the right side and there's a position she's
never played, and then that's that's that's the side where
everybody the best hitters are. And she her little five
eleve herself. She don't she don't got down.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Hey, coach, she has a sister, I don't know, younger older.
Is there any sibling sibling rivalry growing up with Asian
her sister.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh man, it's so much better now because she's not
at home, so it's it was altiate matter because I
mean she calls and checks in on her. But at home, man,
it's just like, oh gosh, it's just fight, fight, fight
all the time. It's like, I mean, just even just
(28:06):
handing the flights of bread or get a glass of water,
turns into an argument, you know, So it was it
was different. But now because she's not here anymore, and
she's watching her younger sister go to the Saint Pat
that she's doing, you know, she's calling her for encouragement,
and you know, she comes home now and actually takes
her to the to the to the weight room and
works her out and trains herself. So it's it's it's
(28:28):
a lot better now than when they were actually in
the house together.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
And I don't want to forget about asking you about
this because I'm assuming this is something you're pretty proud of.
But you're at the final four, You're on the biggest
stage ever. But then the Asia gets the honor as
the top academics student there with a three point nine
to five grade point average, which I think with my
(28:52):
old math, that would maybe mean she's made one B
since she got the UK, or maybe one A minus
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
But that's true. Go ahead. She takes so much, she
takes me so much pride in her, in her in
her classroom because she wants from the topper and she's
mad that she doesn't have a four point Oh you know,
just like she got a think she got a B
plus or something like that, and she's just like scratching
her head like how did I get a B plus?
So it's she said me And everything she does she competes, man.
(29:22):
I mean, she takes care of her body. She you know,
do the massage, stretched, yoga, you know. For for for her,
it's all about football, not football, but volleyball in her
classes and nothing else. I miss. She's he's driven. I
mean it's the same way she's driven. You know. We
said and always she said to the football players, show
me your grades. Show me the kid, a kid that
(29:43):
really works in the classroom. It's gonna be that same
kid on the court that that you can rely on,
you know, somebody that's sailing in class. Those are the
guys in football or any sports. Those are the guys
that had a bus that do the things that get
you beat. So she takes a lot of pride and
her academics so much, and she wants she wants to
(30:04):
be She is determined to be a doctor. So I'm
not surprised by her bur GPA. She was surprised she
got the honor. She didn't even not expect it. At all.
So it was a great honor to see be a
baby girl, you know, getting a national elite scholar after
the year.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And coach, I want to ask you back in the
you know, I know, back in the nineties when we
were in college a little bit older than me. We
didn't have PlayStation TV, cell phones and all those things.
Did you get four point oh? Where does she get
that from? Because I know there's a copious distractions back
in our days and we didn't have all these electronics.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
No, bro, you and I would go outside so as
we got old, man, we would go outside and we
did the bare minimum. We went outside and played until
the lights came, the lights the street lights went off,
being as we couldn't be were cramming the same thing
in college. But her mom, her mom is her inspiration.
Her mom is is on theminator and academics. I call
(31:01):
her the real life mcguiver. She can, I mean change
your car, engine and electronics in your house and then
she can fix the commode, She can instave tiling that
she can do anything, man, anything you can think of,
her mom can do it. And uh, she takes a
lot of pride in her by watching her mom push
her in. You know, anything she needs in life, she
(31:21):
call her mom financiers. So that's her. That's the that's
where she gets her Her academic mind and or her
intellect is definitely from her mom. Her dad was a grun.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
Okay, Tommy, I know the coach in you, you're bound
to kind of played this match out today, how you
think it might be gonna go where you think Kentucky
can exploit them and all, so kind of give us
the parent coach scouting report on what we're gonna see
here in about five hours.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Well, I know now, I know seven gonna come in
and gonna be on our games, gonna be her best
game today because you know that that young lady either
man that that's my player of the year, they'll give
it to Babcock. And I want the world to see
that number seven is the best player in the country
and not far by. I mean, you can't deny what
(32:16):
BK is. And so you know BK had a quiet
game last game, and she's never had two quiet games
in a row. So today it's gonna be a big
show between those two. And in my mind I know
that that that coach they got over there, he is
as good as anybody I've seen to go in Nebraska
and beat Nebraska at their places unheard of. So I
(32:38):
know he's he's watched tape and found whatever witnesses he
can find. But we watched the same tape as well.
So our coach is just as good as theirs, and
our players are. We're gritty, man. I mean, you can
never count us out. I mean, you can be down
too old, and they'll they'll find a way. And so
I just see it the same way today. No matter
(32:58):
what happens, they don't get they don't hit rattles. You know,
you might beat the brakes off of them in one set,
but then I think you can sit it the other day.
It's like the next said it is zero zero, let's
play again. And so today what I'm gonna do, what
I think I will see is I think we'll see
a team with a whole bunch of fire and energy
and a lot of excitenment, and then whatever happens, I mean,
(33:20):
I know it was gonna be gonna push them to
their limits and it's gonna be a great match. And
I'm praying to God that can that Kentucky pulled this
thing out. Today. We were on a twenty something game
win Street.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
While I stop now and coach, my last question for you,
where are you gonna be watching the match at I'm here? Okay,
I didn't know how it sounds a little quiet and there.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
Man.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
I thought you would wake up in the morning, had
those tunes playing, man, you know, getting prepared all day long.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
No, man, we're here. We've been here since Thursday. We
got here Thursday morning, and uh, I mean we Mare's
no way in the world where we missed it. Got
the whole family here, got a boyfriend here, all here
to support her. In the support Kentucky. I mean, you
can't miss it. This is a once we want to
understand how hard it is to get to a national championship.
That's it's the hardest crap to get here, man, And
(34:11):
it's the most time most people do it one time
in a lifetime. And the fact that we're in it
in her sophomore year, I mean, I couldn't be more
and more proud. And there's no way in the world
I was going to miss this opportunity because it may
not ever come again.
Speaker 6 (34:26):
Well, pretty cool, coach, thank you. You want a national
title as a coach now? You may get to win
one as a father, so appreciate you taking a little
time with morning. We'll be looking for that killer Asia
out there and looking for that smile of hers, because
I know when she's smiling, this team's usually rolling.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Let's go, guys, looking forward to it, and let's go
get this thing.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
All right, haven't we show all the best coaching?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
All right? See you guys.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
We will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards
Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on news radio six thirty WLAB.
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony White,
along with Larry Vaught and producer Bo Robinson. This is
our Sunday one in sports Talk. Has been brought to
(35:12):
you by country Boy Bruing the game the match today.
I don't know. I thought I said it, but I
thought everybody knew, so I didn't think I have to
say it. But it was brought to my attention on
Twitter that we haven't stated what time the volleyball match is,
and it is at three point thirty pm on ABC.
You can catch it on ABC. Bow's too busy to
(35:32):
go produce down there, So I'm assuming it's not going
to be on radio, Larry, I mean both, No, it
is not okay, but you can watch it on TV,
so why not watching it on TV? And Larry Vaught?
One thing I did find out if you watch a
volleyball match at a restaurant or a loud place, it
is extremely difficult to follow. And you want to know
(35:53):
why I find it extremely difficult to follow, Larry Vaught.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
People talking to you.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, yeah, but I can multitask. The reason it's difficult
to follow is because these young ladies cheer whether they
win the.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Set or not.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, And you gotta wait to see. You gotta wait
to see the points pop up on the screen to
see if they wont because the ones that are really
close to the line. Unless if you happen to miss
the person in or out person, then you may be
ahead of the game. But if you miss that part
of it, they always cheer, so it's hard to tell
it if they got the point or not if you
(36:34):
don't have the volume over Yeah I can.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
I can believe that you made me think.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Of that when you were talking to coach digg Pin
about age always smiling that said, they never show I
don't really ever see body language, and it's it's kind
of funny. I mean, they're so good at what they do.
The body language that you may notice is really subtle.
You know, at for a split second, you know you
you miss hit outside or you just mis hit and
(36:59):
then they can and if you can see a little
bit of their posture and the girls rally around, hug
each other, go back to and play the next play.
But uh, but typically they do stay upbeat and it's
rare that they are behind. So I just think it's
kind of fundamental for him.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (37:15):
You remember when Gabby Curry Playton was on the national
championship team. I'm sure don't you. Yeah, yeah, Well when
I first started covering volleyball on a regular basis, was.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
The year that.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
That went heard Madison Lily got to Kentucky and they
talked about coming and want to win a national title.
Of well, it's kind of it's kind of a big
big jumps that you just Kentucky found has won a
conference title, you all are going to come in and
immediately talk. But the more I watched him play in
this happiness, and I mean I knew Gabby, I got
to know Gabby pretty well. I knew her parents and
her dad as a football player, and I knew what
(37:49):
a competitor she was. So I remember asking her after
one match. I said, cav, I just don't get it. Said,
You're out there and I know you want to win
every match twenty five to nothing. But I said, when
you either don't make a good players by your team
that makes you play, you're smiling, you're slapping, but I'll
slapping hand.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
Don't you get mad?
Speaker 6 (38:04):
And she said, yeah, but you just can't let that happen.
It's because you got to focus on the next point.
You can't play mad. And I just always kind of
remember that and volleyball, that's what it is. They just
don't play mad, they play happy.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, someone who does play mad has a doctor that
plays happy. It's Chad Greenway. We'll have him on when
we come back at eleven o'clock. Keep listening, we'll be
back after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Winning
sports Talk on the news radio six thirty WLAP
Welcome back Stockyards Banks. Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Anthony
White along with Jack Pilgrim and Larry Vault, coming to
you from Clark's Main Street Market studios in downtown Lexington, Kentucky.
Also visit your Clark's Pumping shops, return refreshed and refuse
use your app to pump and shop Larry or Jack.
(00:20):
I was looking over the stats from the Saint John's
game yesterday at noonish, noon thirty ish and kind of
looking at We talked about this quite a bit. You know,
our basketball team has been up and down as far
as the fans optimism. But the one thing I still
(00:44):
do not get. And maybe and I know you talked
about stats and analytics and those things. Maybe Mark poposed
on those things out of the window because his wanting
to take thirty three pointers a game. We took half
that we took sixteen, which is fine with me because
we got the w Also, I'm looking and that where
I think are most of our minutes are going to go.
And That's where I'm going to inquire to you as
(01:05):
to where the minutes are going to go, because it
looks like sixteen three pointers was enough to win the game.
Although we were four of sixteen, but we didn't just
overly take thirty. Then the more you look at the
composition of the roster, I'm thinking our points are going
to come inside the paint because we want we don't
want always shooting outside of the outside of the arc.
We don't want Jayden shooting outside of the arc. Even
(01:27):
Jalen Lowe's little floaters. I'm not sure I want them
shooting outside of the arc unless we have to. So
with that being said, what are we where are we
looking at this? Has Mark Pope reevaluated his his system?
Has he modified it given the you know, the availability
of all the players now? And do you agree with
me that that thirty mark, twenty five, thirty mark or
(01:48):
three pointers is something that you came into the season,
because that's your philosophy is thrown out of the window.
Now we gotta get our points inside of the paint.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, you know, I think Pope will can you to
say that he wants his team to be a high volume,
high efficiency, three point shooting team, and I may just
have to disagree with him. And I think we got
the you know, Patino and Pope kind of say the
same things and just different ways of massaging them like.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You could do.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Patino's just kind of the unfiltered, real truth version of
of you know, kind of some of the politician side
of Pope, and Patino just kind of said, yeah, Pope
thought he assentbled a really really good three point shooting team,
and they're not, and they're never going to be. It's like,
all right, thank you. I just I appreciate hearing the
the honesty from a Hall of Fame coach that's been
(02:38):
around the block a time or two. So yes, thank
you for just acknowledging what we're all seeing that, yes,
this is probably not going to ever get to the
point of the shooting. Thirty three is a game on
high efficiency, but there's still a space for Cam Williams
to be a confident three point shooter Jalen Lowe when
he gets hum and he can hit shots, and you know,
(02:58):
you have some versatility there where there are some some
different guys who can step up and make shots.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
You just need to be capable.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
I just don't think this team's ever gonna be just
the you know, unbelievable other worldly shooters. But as long
as you can be a threat from the outside and
open up everything else for the Otegas and the Jalen's
and the Jaden quaintances of the world to finish and
be dominant around the rim. That's all you ask for.
That's all we ever asked for. Is you know, when
you're just a total non shooter and you they don't
(03:28):
have to hold you accountable from the perimeter, then it
does muck everything up inside and you can't score the
way that the roster was designed to score. So yeah,
I think it's a little bit of mix of both that.
I do think it's going to be a really, really
tough task for Mark to figure out this rotation moving
forward with Jayden and Jalen hopefully back in is for
(03:50):
the long haul, with Jalen being the ultimate question mark
with his shoulder. So I think we're just seeing guys
like andre Yelovich, Trent Noah, you know, even Jasper Johnson.
I'm afortunately, you know. I think there's a space there
where they might want to prepare him for a lead
guard role just in case something happens with Jalen, because
he kind of feels, I don't want to say a
(04:10):
ticking time bomb, but there is kind of a timeliness
to it. Where it could go south in a hurry,
and you don't want to be totally screwed over if
something were to happen. So I think you've got to
keep Jasper warm, but with an understanding that he might
there might not be a space for him to come
in and be a high impact guy for at least
in the short term. So yeah, I think the rotation
is going to get tightened up. I think be G
(04:32):
is probably gonna fall out of it. I think Malachi
stepped up in a really, really big way last night
as the complimentary big next to Jayden, So Moe gives
you that toughness. He's kind of emerges the guy, and
you know where injury Yelovitch was kind of making a push.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
He feels out.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So I think I think this thing is getting cut down.
I think if you know Colin Chandler, we could see
his minutes kind of take it take a little bit
of a hit. So yeah, I don't envy Pope, but
he's in a really tough spot and he's gonna have
to cut some cut some guys.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, and I do think the addition of Jayden and
if we can keep Jalen on the floor makes o
taking more valuable because the attention is not on him.
And I think he plays his best ball when he's
not the primary ball handler. Not primary ballhandler as in
a point guard, but the person that is expected to
put the ball in the bucket on either isolation or
create your own shots. But if you can get Jalen
(05:22):
and Jayden with the attention and gets catched away on
the swing, I think he's a lot more productive that way.
Let's get to the phone lines and see what Alan
Alvin has to say. Good morning, Alvin, what do you
got for us?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Good morning, Marry Christmas, all and and all of that
good stuff. I did want to take part of my
call and talk about the volleyball team. I hadn't been
an advocate watch of volleyball, but this team makes it
easy to watch and to enjoy and to learn about
(05:56):
a game that you know most you know men, quite honest,
we don't follow. But some of the pointers I wanted
to take out of that game against Wisconsin, and the
turning point in the game was when three of the
UK players took and blocked important shot by Wisconsin, and
(06:17):
I thought that that was a turning point in the game.
And then I thought that they just decided to go
to the power game and had Eva Hudson coming off
the ads and handling a sixty five mile now volleyball
the net that the Wisconsin girls couldn't handle. And I
(06:40):
thought that the coach made a decision to just go
and play power volleyball, and I thought that they won
the game for them, and I will be watching that
game tonight as well. Regarding the Protective basketball team, when
Jalen Lowe suffered that injury and went to the locker
(07:02):
room clutching his arm on his shoulder, I need to
find out the message that they used because I shuld
use it for my help, because that guy came back
and played like he wasn't even injured his minutes and
his play was extremely important against Richepino. And then we
(07:26):
was introduced to j Q, who's who.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Was a man child among boys.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
And as Jack Pilgrim just mentioned, I think the lineup
is going to tighten. And I did want to ask
Jack a question. Uh, Jack, you've been a extremely vocal
about moments of disappointment with coach Pope during the season. Uh,
it seemed like that this game had sort of quieting
(07:54):
some of the criticism coming from you and some of
the guys that you have on some of your interviews
after the game, What do you hope that this coach
would do and continue to do moving forward to sort
of take something to play from the game against the
great Rick Patito going into NTC play in the next
(08:15):
week or so.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Thank you for the call album. We're gonna let Jack
answer that question whatever. Want to just thank album for us?
Call Jack Pilgrim. What are the justness you think gonna
be made?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I appreciate the question of a great, great comment, because, yeah, heat,
this team has deserved a ton of criticism up to
this point, Like they have totally underperformed the heart and
the tenacity and all of the things that you know,
Kentuckians pride themselves on watching their basketball programs. They have
not embodied any of it. And you know, that's what
(08:50):
made Indiana so special that that win, how they did it,
That's what made Saint John so special, how they did it.
Knowing that it's like this offensive product still isn't the
most beautiful, pretty stunning thing in the world. Like it's
still it's still a work in progress, and there's a
lot of work to do. And very fortunately you have Bellerman.
(09:10):
You got to take care of business on Tuesday, but
you have a ten day break a you know, get Christmas,
you get a nice little hard reset where you can
go into whatever the the camp Pope, you know, it
was Camp col under John Caliperry. Around the holidays. We
did two a days and really just kind of grinded
it out and kind of you know, tweaked some things
(09:32):
over the holiday season to prepare for a sec play.
Pope has a lot of work cut out for him,
and especially on the offensive end, but man like it.
Patino also deserves a lot of credit for kind of
calling this what it is and saying, hey, this's identity.
Pope thought the identity was going to be something and
it ended up not being the case when he built
(09:53):
the roster, and he's kind of navigating and adjusting on
the fly. And I think Pope deserves a lot of
credit after I have been pushing him, particularly all season long,
Like he I thought that, you know, the pieces didn't
fit in. I think he probably acknowledged that as the
roster was currently constructed, the pieces weren't necessarily fitting fitting,
(10:13):
especially when pre injury or I guess during injury and
you know, now post post recovery with with the new
healthy guys are just kind of having to re establish
an identity of toughness and physicality and you know get
you know, diving for loose balls and you know, kind
of stealing BBN's heart in the in the old fashioned way,
so it's not just you know, knocking down a ton
(10:33):
of threes and you know, running a video game offense
like kind of getting in the trenches and learning how
to win in the mud. Yeah, Kentucky fans don't care
if you win one to zero or one hundred to thirty.
It as long as you're winning basketball games, everything else
falls in a place. And the brand that they're playing
right now is a winning basketball brand of defense and
toughness and rebounding in physicality. May not be the prettiest
(10:56):
thing in the world. They got a lot offense to do,
but this is a product that Kentucky fans can be
currently are very proud of.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And while we have you, while we have you over
here explaining yourself and clarifying yourself, I need clarification, and
Tim Biggs, if you listen, I need to know what
you think because I'm kind of torn what I think
when you keep tweeting out on Twitter on X play
Jaden Quainton's until he can't play anymore? Is that a recipe?
And I'm and you said this all along. If he
(11:26):
can play, why not start him?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Not?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Why not get as many minutes? So I'm not sure
how bad the injury is or how much is healed?
But do you really feel like play him? Just playing
playing play him and he does change the game, like
he's a different type of person, like he's different. I
don't even know if you want to call him a
person and human. But do you think the staff and
(11:51):
at the training staff are airing on caution or do
you are you truly believe man? I mean, if you
cleared them to play, because Tim he said last week,
if he's clear to played him, let the mayor row
give you thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That that is frustration Number one that I have and
have had is you know the gut and you know,
trusting your eyes instead of what the what the data
and the spreadsheets are telling you. You know, be able
to kind of navigate that space with your with your
heart and the you know, just the intangible stuff that
(12:27):
I think Pulpe has really struggled with at times he's
obsessed with the numbers and how everything kind of works
together on a spreadsheet. Jayden, he comes in and he
impacts the game.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
He was clear.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I my understanding going into this game. He was cleared
up to twenty minutes to play. He has been full contact,
cleared to begin the process of a ramp up toward
you know, a return to game action.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Since December first.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
They have been as cautious and patient with this as
possibly imaginable to get to this point point for the debut.
But now that we're here, and now that he has
been cleared up to twenty minutes, playing him four minutes
in the first half with losing basketball, we saw the difference.
And we also saw what happened when you let him
(13:15):
ride a little bit and let him get his feet
under him and kind of just say, hey, he's he's
You paid him the big bucks for a reason. Play
the dude like he's been waiting ten months for this point.
He's itching and scratching and slawn to get back on
the floor. It was my understanding that Jayden has been
desperately pushing to get on the basketball floor, and that's
part of the reason why I took the you know,
(13:36):
shade and sharp nonsense so personally that fans were kind
of just saying, oh, he's just using the program and
blah blah blah. Now I know the kid, and I
know how badly he wanted this, and I was a
little defeated in the first half knowing where Kentucky was
struggling and watching him only get four minutes, and knowing
the type of talent that he is. So yes, it was,
you know, there was a little vindication there in the
(13:58):
second half when he came in. Was the player that
I knew she was playing the minutes that he was
cleared to play. So either there's a little bit of both,
or you got to not be stupid with it and
play him, you know, don't don't play him what the
doctors have cleared it. But don't steps.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
We gotta look like we lost connection with Jack. But
we also have to hit the break anyway, So we
will reset Jack. We will take this break, and we
will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards Banks
Honey Wont Sports Talk on news radio six thirty WLAB.
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty w LAP.
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Anthony
(14:40):
White along with Larry Vaughugh and Jack Pigm. Stockyards Bank
is your trusted partner, says nineteen o four, So head
on over to syb dot com for all your banking
and financial needs. Let's head to the phone lines really
quickly and see what Dennis has to say. Good morning, Dennis,
what do you got for us?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Hey?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Uh, I'm fired up about my ball ball team today.
They're one of my two favorite programs over at u K.
We all know football is together. With that being said, uh, Larry, uh,
there's gonna be some kind of nows but todays, could
you let us know, you know, watch time these these
(15:18):
gals get back to that to the airports tonight or whatever.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
This on here and said at probably about one am,
flexing in time tonight.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
One am. Oh, I'm won't be well, okay.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
Said taking that, I'm guessing if if all goes well, Thennis,
I'm guessing there will be some other opportunities Monday and
Tuesday to greet the team, but we'll see.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
All right, all right.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Well, I'm looking forward to it. And what y'all's good
feelings about to say?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Larry, what I would saying, I'm expecting five sets, just
because all these last games have been and I think
we've been strategic and you know, pulling out wins at
the end, Larry vault. So I think it may take
us probably five matches to or five sets to figure
it out.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Whatever it takes.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
It takes.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
I've been saying national champions since August, so I'm not
getting off the bandwagon.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
Dennis, Well, I mean, why they come out, why they
come out look looked like it looked like deer deer
deer the headlights Thursday night.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I think you probably credit part of that how well
Wisconsin played. I think maybe just credit a little bit
of it to the nerves on Kentucky's part two. And
it was obviously the worst set that they played all
season long, but to turn it around like what they
did is very very impressive.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
All Right, thank you guys, Thank you for the call,
Dennis before Larry, before we get the break and we
got mister thig Pen coming on at the next break.
Do you attest some of the challenges that we've had
this season or do you value more of the challenge
that we had overcoming those challenges as just the resilience
(17:07):
of the team, or as you said, do you think
you know it's sometimes taking us a little while to
focus when we have, you know, rough sets and starting
off like that, or do you just think or do
you give more value to Okay, the resilience of this
team is being personified.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
I think it's just his team's resilience. I think sometimes
you just have to give a little bit of credit
to who they've been playing. Has came out really really
well early. I guess someone's played terrific, but they've never
seen to let it bother when they never get down.
That's a great thing about volleyball. It doesn't carry over
like it as a football basketball, a thing like if
you get your butt whipped that first one, it still
(17:45):
starts zero zero the next one. You know you can
come back and still have a chance. In this team,
and these players are just valuant when they do that.
I've never quite seen a team that just stays right
on task. Because I gotta admit I was a little
show kate for that first set Thursday night, but man,
they made it. They just came back and battled, and
they just don't give up.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
They just kind of refuse to lose and Jack Pilgrim.
I know Dennis asked and Chris kind of alluded, and
I know he didn't want to. It was a good
thing he didn't try and get him ahead of things.
But just from from a player's standpoint, if a many
as many people can get to the airport. The first
time that ever happened to us, it was coming back
(18:24):
from the Outback Bowl. We had lost. It was a
tough game or whatever, but people, it was amazingly Wow.
I never paid attention to that stuff, but it does
mean something to the players, and especially if people can
show up at one o'clock, whoa. I think it would
be huge for those young ladies. So I know it's
late early however you want to look at it, but
try to make that situation happen. And Jacob, have you
(18:48):
finished your Christmas shopping?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (18:51):
That quite quite turned there, mostly but not all the way.
I still got a couple of couple of things to do.
Bless my wife's heart. She just does an amazing job
of getting every cousin and you know, not only just
the immediate family members you got to hit on, but
thinking about the next tier and working there all the
(19:15):
way down. And it just yeah, she crutches at every Christmas.
And I'm very thankful to be able to write my
name on the tag next to next to her, so
should shout out shout out to my wife. But yeah,
I got a couple more things to do. I'm very,
very excited for our first first Christmas with two babies
in the household, in the pilgrim household.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, thank you for your coverage at Jack and you
can start being more positive moving on. And plus we
got Larry Christmas coming around the corner, So Larry Christmas
to you and your family, and we will be back
after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sound and want
a sports talk on news radio six thirty WLAP. This
is the home of the Wildcats. Six thirty w L
A p five eleven sophomore outside hit her Asia Dick
(19:55):
Pennis playing very good volleyball. Larry as the young sophomore
out of North Carolina. But as we are, like I said,
efforting to get a coach Dick pen on. You think
he's more proud now or you think he's nervous at
this point. I don't have kids, so I don't know
how it feels to watch your child perform period.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Probably, I think probably both because you're really happy with
what they have done and proud of how they play,
but you also know how much they want to finish
this off in the right way. So I think it's
a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
The reason I say that because I would be scared,
I don't. I don't. I'm not scared for myself, just
because I feel like I've done all the work and
i've and I feel like I can accomplish a lot
of things. But just with that ultimate uh, that ultimate success,
the the opportunity or not taking advantage of the opportunity,
(20:53):
and you could play your best sometimes and lose.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
There's also that other side, like you could have to
console someone who who's verily hurt. And that's kind of
where I was, just like A, do you just enjoy it?
That's why I was, you know, we were asking coach
Coach Stein's dad when he was on did A are
you gonna be in the like if things don't go well,
it could be it could be rough as a parent,
(21:16):
but I don't know, I never really looked at that aspect.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
It's difficult being a parent watching your child play at all,
because you have a lot of different emotions to go
through there, and I can't imagine what it's like being
a parent of these really high profile athletes. I know
it was difficult enough for me at the level of
my son played now, but I can't imagine like with
(21:40):
your mom and people now that are playing, you know,
the Dennis Johnson's of the world and all like that.
It's got to be really really difficult, very very rewarding,
but also very very difficult and challenging.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
At times.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I think, Okay, well we'll find out, not Larry, because
now we're proud to be joined by coach Tommy Thigpenn.
I was standing football player coach, but in these neck
of the woods known as Asia thig Pin's dad. Good morning,
coach big Pen, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
What are you guys doing this morning?
Speaker 1 (22:09):
We're doing good. We're having a pretty good conversation about yourself.
Uh Asias on the on the big stage today and
you know it's played well to get them there. What
do you what do you feel like? As pops, I.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Couldn't be no more proud. You know when when she
got recruited, guys, she chose Kentucky, Kentucky. She's her dad.
I'm going to Kentucky. I'm winn national championship and that's all.
It stuck in my mind. I was like, Okay, I said,
they hadn't won a national champions since, you know, And
(22:45):
I said, you have, like they go all the time.
And she's like, She's like, I'm going through the school
where I know I can get developed and I can
go and be surrounded with some girls that I notice
gonna have the same ambition as as being and uh,
and here we are. I mean we're going to the
national We're in the National championship and one game away
from winning at home.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
And did she that I guess that ambition or just
desire to be successful that come from you know, watching
or you know, learning about you in your career or something,
or is that something you just trained them? That stuff?
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Your girls Asian and twenty ten, I was at Auburn
and there's a great picture and we won. We won
a national championship. We with Cam Newton. That that Cam
Newton year and so I mean she's talked about that.
She still talk about that is you know, that was
(23:39):
a big deal. I mean, I mean just the crowd,
the energy and all that. So she's seen it before
you know. And I'll tell you that she got a
work at it out of this world. I love and
admire she's She's what I call a self starter. She
gets up. And there were times when we were at
Howling as you hear somebody in the garage at eleven
o'clock at night, and her was her. And I mean,
(24:01):
she just works, man. And then she doesn't I call
her nerves. She party. She doesn't hang out. She goes
to school and little volleyball and that's what she do.
Speaker 6 (24:11):
And Tommy, do you think by being around you and
your coaching and I mean, she kind of reminds me
she has a football like mentality when she plays volleyball.
She's just a physical and tough, doesn't back down from anything.
Do you think some of that rubbed off on hers?
That just a bad perspective on my part.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
She's been around football all her life because and she
used to go to camps. I'm out there to see. Uh.
We got camp at Tennessee when she was a kid,
and boys camp and she would jump out there and
beat him in there and uh, and the dashes and
the sprints and agility and so the jump sept me.
She was she was a competitor's little thing ever since
(24:54):
she was a kid. Man. So yeah, she, I mean
she she grew up around the great Iron. She knows
how to work. She's seen it. She would come over
to the facilities and some of the trainers over there
would work her out. She's been around this thing for
a long time. I tell you.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
The other thing that I really admire about her is
how well she plays her role. Because with the versatilus
that have on this team, some nights you never know
or some matches you never know exactly how much you're
gonna play. But whenever her term comes, man, she just
she's ready to shine. And it seems like the bigger
(25:31):
the match, the better she plays. She just kind of
always been that way.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Also, yeah, she and when she lives for the big game.
I mean even when she was in club, you know
it was you know, it was a five, was the
big team more Metro. Those are the teams just like man,
those are like the two top teams in the country,
and she'd lived to play them. I mean, she always
(25:56):
wanted to play the best teams. So yeah, the bigger
the competition and the more she wants to go out
and shine. So and for hers. You know, it's been
a learning experience. She's always been an outside hitter to
the on the left side, and you know, to go
to the right side. I thought was like, man, it's
totally different than what you've been doing all your life.
(26:16):
But you know, she just wanted to come to Kentucky
and and do whatever role she had to do. She
came here as a defensive specialist, even though all her
life she hit the ball. And I was just like,
why are you going to go to Kentucky when you
know you want to hit the ball. You know you
want to hit the ball. And she was like, I'll
do whatever I got to do to play at Kentucky.
(26:38):
And so she came here as a defensive specialist, and
you know, she played very limited time, and she went
to work every single day. Unfortunately, somebody got hurt. You
only got hurt on the left side. So she got
a chance to go back in at the left side hitter,
and booms, she got on this thing. You know, she
was back in the mix. She was playing a bunch
of them at the end of the season and got
(26:59):
got some freshman honors, and then you know, we got
the greatest player I've ever seen and Eva came here
this year and she was just like, hey whatever, She
said that I'll just rid shirt. And she says, I'm
gonna go and make I'm gonna go and compete every
single day and make everybody better. And in her mind
she was gonna rich shirt, but she's gonna go and compete.
And Coach Skinners just kept saying, was I just can't
(27:20):
find a way that I can't keep her off the court.
She would find a way. I mean, somebody they moved
up to the right side and there's a position she's
never played, and then that's that's that's the side where
everybody the best hitters are. And she her little five
eleve herself. She don't she don't got down.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Hey, coach, she has a sister, I don't know, younger older.
Is there any sibling sibling rivalry growing up with Asian
her sister.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Oh man, it's so much better now because she's not
at home, so it's it was altiate matter because I
mean she calls and checks in on her. But at home, man,
it's just like, oh gosh, it's just fight, fight, fight
all the time. It's like, I mean, just even just
(28:06):
handing the flights of bread or get a glass of water,
turns into an argument, you know, So it was it
was different. But now because she's not here anymore, and
she's watching her younger sister go to the Saint Pat
that she's doing, you know, she's calling her for encouragement,
and you know, she comes home now and actually takes
her to the to the to the weight room and
works her out and trains herself. So it's it's it's
(28:28):
a lot better now than when they were actually in
the house together.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
And I don't want to forget about asking you about
this because I'm assuming this is something you're pretty proud of.
But you're at the final four, You're on the biggest
stage ever. But then the Asia gets the honor as
the top academics student there with a three point nine
to five grade point average, which I think with my
(28:52):
old math, that would maybe mean she's made one B
since she got the UK, or maybe one A minus
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
But that's true. Go ahead. She takes so much, she
takes me so much pride in her, in her in
her classroom because she wants from the topper and she's
mad that she doesn't have a four point Oh you know,
just like she got a think she got a B
plus or something like that, and she's just like scratching
her head like how did I get a B plus?
So it's she said me And everything she does she competes, man.
(29:22):
I mean, she takes care of her body. She you know,
do the massage, stretched, yoga, you know. For for for her,
it's all about football, not football, but volleyball in her
classes and nothing else. I miss. She's he's driven. I
mean it's the same way she's driven. You know. We
said and always she said to the football players, show
me your grades. Show me the kid, a kid that
(29:43):
really works in the classroom. It's gonna be that same
kid on the court that that you can rely on,
you know, somebody that's sailing in class. Those are the
guys in football or any sports. Those are the guys
that had a bus that do the things that get
you beat. So she takes a lot of pride and
her academics so much, and she wants she wants to
(30:04):
be She is determined to be a doctor. So I'm
not surprised by her bur GPA. She was surprised she
got the honor. She didn't even not expect it. At all.
So it was a great honor to see be a
baby girl, you know, getting a national elite scholar after
the year.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And coach, I want to ask you back in the
you know, I know, back in the nineties when we
were in college a little bit older than me. We
didn't have PlayStation TV, cell phones and all those things.
Did you get four point oh? Where does she get
that from? Because I know there's a copious distractions back
in our days and we didn't have all these electronics.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
No, bro, you and I would go outside so as
we got old, man, we would go outside and we
did the bare minimum. We went outside and played until
the lights came, the lights the street lights went off,
being as we couldn't be were cramming the same thing
in college. But her mom, her mom is her inspiration.
Her mom is is on theminator and academics. I call
(31:01):
her the real life mcguiver. She can, I mean change
your car, engine and electronics in your house and then
she can fix the commode, She can instave tiling that
she can do anything, man, anything you can think of,
her mom can do it. And uh, she takes a
lot of pride in her by watching her mom push
her in. You know, anything she needs in life, she
(31:21):
call her mom financiers. So that's her. That's the that's
where she gets her Her academic mind and or her
intellect is definitely from her mom. Her dad was a grun.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
Okay, Tommy, I know the coach in you, you're bound
to kind of played this match out today, how you
think it might be gonna go where you think Kentucky
can exploit them and all, so kind of give us
the parent coach scouting report on what we're gonna see
here in about five hours.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Well, I know now, I know seven gonna come in
and gonna be on our games, gonna be her best
game today because you know that that young lady either
man that that's my player of the year, they'll give
it to Babcock. And I want the world to see
that number seven is the best player in the country
and not far by. I mean, you can't deny what
(32:16):
BK is. And so you know BK had a quiet
game last game, and she's never had two quiet games
in a row. So today it's gonna be a big
show between those two. And in my mind I know
that that that coach they got over there, he is
as good as anybody I've seen to go in Nebraska
and beat Nebraska at their places unheard of. So I
(32:38):
know he's he's watched tape and found whatever witnesses he
can find. But we watched the same tape as well.
So our coach is just as good as theirs, and
our players are. We're gritty, man. I mean, you can
never count us out. I mean, you can be down
too old, and they'll they'll find a way. And so
I just see it the same way today. No matter
(32:58):
what happens, they don't get they don't hit rattles. You know,
you might beat the brakes off of them in one set,
but then I think you can sit it the other day.
It's like the next said it is zero zero, let's
play again. And so today what I'm gonna do, what
I think I will see is I think we'll see
a team with a whole bunch of fire and energy
and a lot of excitenment, and then whatever happens, I mean,
(33:20):
I know it was gonna be gonna push them to
their limits and it's gonna be a great match. And
I'm praying to God that can that Kentucky pulled this
thing out. Today. We were on a twenty something game
win Street.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
While I stop now and coach, my last question for you,
where are you gonna be watching the match at I'm here? Okay,
I didn't know how it sounds a little quiet and there.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
Man.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
I thought you would wake up in the morning, had
those tunes playing, man, you know, getting prepared all day long.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
No, man, we're here. We've been here since Thursday. We
got here Thursday morning, and uh, I mean we Mare's
no way in the world where we missed it. Got
the whole family here, got a boyfriend here, all here
to support her. In the support Kentucky. I mean, you
can't miss it. This is a once we want to
understand how hard it is to get to a national championship.
That's it's the hardest crap to get here, man, And
(34:11):
it's the most time most people do it one time
in a lifetime. And the fact that we're in it
in her sophomore year, I mean, I couldn't be more
and more proud. And there's no way in the world
I was going to miss this opportunity because it may
not ever come again.
Speaker 6 (34:26):
Well, pretty cool, coach, thank you. You want a national
title as a coach now? You may get to win
one as a father, so appreciate you taking a little
time with morning. We'll be looking for that killer Asia
out there and looking for that smile of hers, because
I know when she's smiling, this team's usually rolling.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Let's go, guys, looking forward to it, and let's go
get this thing.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
All right, haven't we show all the best coaching?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
All right? See you guys.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
We will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards
Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk on news radio six thirty WLAB.
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Welcome back Stockyards Bank Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Anthony White,
along with Larry Vaught and producer Bo Robinson. This is
our Sunday one in sports Talk. Has been brought to
(35:12):
you by country Boy Bruing the game the match today.
I don't know. I thought I said it, but I
thought everybody knew, so I didn't think I have to
say it. But it was brought to my attention on
Twitter that we haven't stated what time the volleyball match is,
and it is at three point thirty pm on ABC.
You can catch it on ABC. Bow's too busy to
(35:32):
go produce down there, So I'm assuming it's not going
to be on radio, Larry, I mean both, No, it
is not okay, but you can watch it on TV,
so why not watching it on TV? And Larry Vaught?
One thing I did find out if you watch a
volleyball match at a restaurant or a loud place, it
is extremely difficult to follow. And you want to know
(35:53):
why I find it extremely difficult to follow, Larry Vaught.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
People talking to you.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, yeah, but I can multitask. The reason it's difficult
to follow is because these young ladies cheer whether they
win the.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Set or not.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, And you gotta wait to see. You gotta wait
to see the points pop up on the screen to
see if they wont because the ones that are really
close to the line. Unless if you happen to miss
the person in or out person, then you may be
ahead of the game. But if you miss that part
of it, they always cheer, so it's hard to tell
it if they got the point or not if you
(36:34):
don't have the volume over Yeah I can.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
I can believe that you made me think.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Of that when you were talking to coach digg Pin
about age always smiling that said, they never show I
don't really ever see body language, and it's it's kind
of funny. I mean, they're so good at what they do.
The body language that you may notice is really subtle.
You know, at for a split second, you know you
you miss hit outside or you just mis hit and
(36:59):
then they can and if you can see a little
bit of their posture and the girls rally around, hug
each other, go back to and play the next play.
But uh, but typically they do stay upbeat and it's
rare that they are behind. So I just think it's
kind of fundamental for him.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (37:15):
You remember when Gabby Curry Playton was on the national
championship team. I'm sure don't you. Yeah, yeah, Well when
I first started covering volleyball on a regular basis, was.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
The year that.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
That went heard Madison Lily got to Kentucky and they
talked about coming and want to win a national title.
Of well, it's kind of it's kind of a big
big jumps that you just Kentucky found has won a
conference title, you all are going to come in and
immediately talk. But the more I watched him play in
this happiness, and I mean I knew Gabby, I got
to know Gabby pretty well. I knew her parents and
her dad as a football player, and I knew what
(37:49):
a competitor she was. So I remember asking her after
one match. I said, cav, I just don't get it. Said,
You're out there and I know you want to win
every match twenty five to nothing. But I said, when
you either don't make a good players by your team
that makes you play, you're smiling, you're slapping, but I'll
slapping hand.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
Don't you get mad?
Speaker 6 (38:04):
And she said, yeah, but you just can't let that happen.
It's because you got to focus on the next point.
You can't play mad. And I just always kind of
remember that and volleyball, that's what it is. They just
don't play mad, they play happy.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, someone who does play mad has a doctor that
plays happy. It's Chad Greenway. We'll have him on when
we come back at eleven o'clock. Keep listening, we'll be
back after this. You're listening to Stockyards Bank Sunday Winning
sports Talk on the news radio six thirty WLAP
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