Elijah Brown | Kentucky Spring Game | Kentucky Banner Boys | Roster Updates

ROUND of SHOTS #134 - show date 4.19.2026

Roundtable featuring Dave Slone, Terry Brown, and Drew Byous - hosted by Kevin Hale

Topics:
* ROS-tr Spotlight w/ Elijah Brown
* Kentucky Football Spring Game
* Kentucky Football Recruiting Updates
* Kentucky Basketball Portal/Recruiting Updates
* A 'Round w/ the Banner Boys
* Final Shots

@BigBlueNationD1 @TBrown_80 @DrewByousBBN @kevinhale423

ROS Link:
https://linktr.ee/roundofshots

#BBN #KentuckyWildcats #roundofshots #CollegeBasketball #KentuckySpringGame #SEC #sportstalk #SportsEntertainment #FinalShots

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Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:56

You know, Dave, it would be your call to uh set this up. We've got a future Kentucky Wildcat football player joining us tonight. I had to figure out what was the right name for this sec because I think we're on to something as far as bringing potential guests, recruits. We've got people that can help us do that. So the official segment is called Roster ROS. Emphasis ROS. Found a shot. Okay. Yeah, okay. So that's what it is. Dave, how did you figure this out?

SPEAKER_03 1:26

What'd you uh Well, you know, I was lucky enough where he was he was he was already following me on on Twitter. Um, and then you know, I'll I'll I watched his recruitment there for a while, you know, hoping we'd get him because you know, one thing we take pride in in football is is the trenches, you know what I mean. And once we got him and I've seen there was official commitment, you know, I kind of got I kind of got right in MDMs pretty early and be like, hey, you know, it's it's it's gonna be that kind of that that time of the year for us. So um we'd love to have you on as a guest. Um super awesome young man. Uh and we got him worked out and here he is. So we got him worked out. Let's do this.

SPEAKER_05 1:59

Let me uh put my right graphic on because I did spend, I've got to pull it on because I gotta I spent enough time on it. Elijah Brown. Elijah, welcome. How are you tonight? Doing good, how are y'all? Yeah, we're blessed. Good, good stuff. Um, Dave O, ball's yours. Let's let's get this started.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

I appreciate it. This is your first time letting me start off talking, so I'm I'm not I'm not too super used to that, right? Um, Elijah, man, first of all, like I said, bro, uh super appreciated. Um now you're actually live in front of what we believe to be the best fans in the country. You know what I mean? The big blue nation. Uh, this was just an opportunity, you know, for them to be able to put a face with a name, you know, and learn about, you know, uh big signing, literally, you know, like I said before the show started, uh, you know, the big blue nation, we we firmly believe that the trenches wins games, you know, the big blue wall, you know, playing for coach Stewart, you know, on the D line. Like there's there's been some names come through those lines, you know what I mean? There's some guys in the league now who's came through those lines, man. Um, so like I said, man, we're super appreciated to have you on here. Um, basically, I'm just gonna ask you, you know, just a few softball questions, Kevin. Um, like I said, man, and and just to kind of get you introduced uh to the big blue nation, just so they know, you know what I mean? Kind of learn your personality and all that kind of stuff. So are we ready? We got it ready to go. All right, bro. Listen, no pressure, okay? Easy stuff. You know what I'm saying? Um, so can you just kind of tell us, you know what I mean? Like when you really started, you know, taking football seriously? Like, when did you know that like you was ready to take it to the next level?

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Uh, towards my freshman year, um, my coach talked to me, said I need to take this series, uh, got my first offer during that time, and I thought this is really what I need to do, and it's something I could do in my future.

SPEAKER_03 3:41

Right. I hear you, I feel you on that. That's awesome. Um, so can you tell us like, did you have like a like a complete final list? You got like a top three schools that you had, including Kentucky?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Uh, yes, sir. It was that it was Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Auburn. Nice, nice. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Shut down SEC. Okay. Shut down some SEC foes. Because we're gonna see both of them coming up this year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:04

I was gonna ask, are they on the schedule? They both are.

SPEAKER_03 4:08

Yeah, yeah, they both are. Yeah, I believe we go to Norman, and I I think we go, no, Auburn comes. Yeah. So um, so can you just kind of talk about obviously, you know, we heard Will Stein, you know, Coach Stein talk about himself a lot, which is good because he's selling himself. Um, so can you talk about, you know, what really sold you, you know, to Kentucky? You know, we hear about how Coach Stein is all about family, like literally, like you see his kids, the coach and staff kids running around and stuff. But can you talk about, you know, what what actually sold you on coming to Kentucky?

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Oh, when I went there, man, it was amazing. You know, they really are deep about shooting job like family, they treat the teammates like family, and everybody is just is one. And I really love to go to a school like that. So we in right there.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Yeah, that's awesome. You know, like I said, coach Coach Sign seems to be, you know, he's all about that. You know what I mean? He's he's always says he's that kind of guy that like you can literally just come and talk to, you know, as a friend, you know what I mean, not just as a coach. Um, and that's awesome. And as I said, you know, your coach on the D line, Anwar Stewart, right? Like he played for you, okay. You know, he said that he bleeds blue, you know, so he takes that super seriously, you know what I mean. So that's a that's gonna be an excellent guy, you know, for you to learn from in the future for sure. I love Coach Anwar. All right, and uh so obviously I believe there's a show about your hometown. Welcome to Prattville, is that right? Am I saying that right? Yes, sir. There may be a show about that. Yeah, my wife used to love that show like to death. She always used to watch that. Um, so Kenya, I know it's is it is it considered like a smaller, a smaller city in Alabama? Is it kind of bigger?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Kind of like middle, middle, that's small.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Yeah, because we know we all know how it is down there in the south. Yeah, you know what I mean. We know we know football down there is no joke. So all right, cool, man. Well, so basically, like the last question I have, and this is probably the hardest-hitting question I got for you, right? You know, can you can you kind of tell the BBM, you know, like what they got coming, you know, like like like what kind of dog they got coming on that D line? What can they expect?

SPEAKER_01 6:02

They got a big dog coming, man. They got coming, they got somebody that's gonna stop that run, man. I'm coming.

SPEAKER_03 6:07

All right, that's what's up. Because you know that SEC is their run game league, man. You know what I mean? They got them downhill runners, so yeah, man. But look, man, hey, I appreciate it. Um, that's what I have for you. Like I said, bro, like this was just an opportunity to get you out in front of the big blue nation. Um, I'm kind of done running my mouth. I know we got a couple guys that may want to say something to you. So I appreciate you, bro. But you know, I mean, good luck on your season coming up. I know we got you're probably in spring practice right now. So yeah, so man, keep grinding, bro. And we're gonna see you here real soon for sure.

SPEAKER_05 6:35

All right, we'll keep keep the going uh table going. TB, next up, what you got?

SPEAKER_04 6:39

Well, Ija, are you are you excited? I know you talked a little bit about your recruitment process. Was it fun? Was it stressful? What how how was that once those offers started coming in?

SPEAKER_01 6:50

It was fun, man. I I enjoyed every bit of it. I enjoyed it all, man. I made sure I was blessed through the whole thing, and I'm glad I got to go through it. Drew, you got something? We'll go round table. Let's just go around table.

SPEAKER_04 7:00

Yeah, well what we do. What what what we need is another brown in in at Kentucky.

SPEAKER_05 7:05

So there you go, uh Kevin Hill. Yeah, there you got it. The the brown plug is always Drew, what you got, man?

SPEAKER_04 7:12

Yeah, brown, brown, browns stick together, man.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I was uh you guys have done some good good job with the questions at football. I kind of ran out of my my thing, but what what has been the or who has been the biggest impact for you, you know, helping you throughout life, but also like your influence on your college decision as well. Like who who was the biggest influence in helping you choose Kentucky, but also your upbringing in in football as well.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Oh my coach, my coach, uh D-line coach, Coach Bush, and my parents. They really helped me greatly through this process, and I'm so thankful for Dave.

SPEAKER_05 7:44

I'll jump in, man. Keep we'll keep it going.

SPEAKER_03 7:46

Well, any of your time to ask a question, Kevin. I asked him five. You got anything for him?

SPEAKER_05 7:50

I I do. Um thought I'd uh let the guys, everybody else go. Um give us uh, I mean, you're you're you're Alabama, right? Deep in, you know, that state, there's uh, you know, there is the the football school. Um, you know, we can say it of the SEC. And there's another uh big football school. Yeah. Um, but you but you left the state, you're leaving the state. Was there any pressure or consideration to stay home?

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Uh not at all. Um, when I committed to Kentucky, I just knew I could trust Coach Will and Coach Stu to take care of me while I'm going out of state. So I really trust him with me being down there.

SPEAKER_05 8:31

As let me let me do one more, guys. Um, you know, with with uh us having a new coach, Coach Stein, that the dynamic, the energy, everything about Kentucky football is like red hot right now. Are you seeing that, feeling that? I mean, you're on social media, you have to be seeing what you know. Stein is a big guy on social media, um, but the fan base is very excited right now with what's happening football. What has been your relationship so far with DBN?

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Uh it's been great. We have this group chat, we talk to each other, uh, we communicate uh occasionally with the coaches. I talk to him about two days a week. We stay in touch very, very often. Good. What you got? TB Drew, go.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

You want a TB? TV. Go ahead and he's on a delay.

SPEAKER_03 9:17

TV. TV just sometimes I don't know if he's frozen and he just kind of sits there and listening, what's going on?

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Yeah, I uh Elijah, I just want to ask, like from now until the time you get on campus, what are you hoping to improve on and trying to get better for to be ready for that college level potentially as a freshman?

SPEAKER_01 9:34

I gotta get bigger and stronger. I gotta be I'm trying to be ready as soon as I get there. So I'm just trying to focus on everything, trying to get better at everything because I always can be better at everything. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

Do you know do you know kind of what position they're they're looking at? Just kind of that tackle spot.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Uh the nose and a tackle.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

Nose and tackle. I know that that nose, yeah. That's uh that's a tough position for sure. That is the run stopping position. Yeah, I'm in a very important position. Well, Kevin.

SPEAKER_05 9:57

I'm mute. Um, the SEC obviously is uh you know one of the premier conferences, a conference that gets players in the league. Uh the you know, it's just it's a very deep conference, a very talent-rich conference. Uh again, uh Kentucky is not known as a football school, but this dynamic with Coach Stein uh and how uh you know with the portal, everything building, you know, a a new uh you know, basically a new roster each year. Are you chatting it up with your fellow uh recruits or guys that you you want to uh you would like the opportunity to play with? Get them on board, get them in Lexington.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Yeah, I we got this group chat Snapchat. We uh we talk every day, uh, make sure we're okay, just checking on each other every day, talking to each other, building a relationship before we actually go down there to the campus. That's what's up. Very cool.

SPEAKER_03 10:51

Kevin, you stole you stole my question there. Um, so I'm gonna hit hit you with the hardest hitting question everybody wants to know. So it's 45 minutes for game time, you're in the locker room. You know what I mean? Everybody's got that one artist, that one song that that that they listen to to get you know to get them out of right now.

SPEAKER_05 11:07

That's one of my rapid fire questions. So you just took it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

You stole one for me, so I had to go on a pig your brain. You know what I mean? Elijah, what's that? You know what I mean? What's that? What's that song? Now back now back in my day, right? It was Wayne. It was Wayne, everything, right? So uh, so like what's your what's your uh what's your go-to?

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Uh it gotta be any song by Litoni or uh Fat Mac. Any song by them. I'll listen to the game, it just gets me ready, man.

SPEAKER_05 11:33

Now, Dave O share with him what you do on weekends.

SPEAKER_03 11:37

Well, hopefully he doesn't stereotype me like uh like Kyle did, you know, and me. I'm I'm actually a uh I'm a wedding DJ. Um that's kind of what I do. Now see, come on, Eliza. Don't we we ain't trying to jump off on the wrong foot. You feel me? Uh I mean, yeah, that that that's that that's what I do, man. You know, I get behind there, you know. I mean, I get behind the booth and I and I throw down. I mean, don't don't don't let all this fool you. I mean, I got it, you know what I mean? So my dream job is to one day get the Kroger field and you know what I mean, and and take over the decks, you know what I mean, and throw down a Kroger field one day. So you never know.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

What's the favorite wedding song?

SPEAKER_03 12:11

Man, my favorite wedding song, bro. Like, it it really kind of depends, man. You know what I mean? Like, I got I got all different kinds of clients, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 12:18

Yeah, um, I can tell you we're 19 minutes into this show, and uh Elijah's already asking the question. I know.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

I I can tell you, so I got I got like my favorite group thing I like to do, you know what I mean. And so once like the alcohol gets flowing, you feel me? Um, I like to get them all lined up and I try to find that one leader because there's always one person who knows the song. You know what I mean? I I get them all lined up and then we start surfing, you know what I mean? We start surfing, and believe it or not, you know, I get them going right and I get them going left.

SPEAKER_05 12:47

Oh no, no, no, no, no, but pause that. Drew, go back to do what you just did. Drew Smash.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

Come on, yeah. Yeah, all right, just make it so. So that's honestly my my my favorite thing. Uh like I said, bro. I mean, I told you kind of kind of I'm getting up there, I'm touching 40. But you know what I mean? Like at the end of the day, man, believe it or not, man, even even the ones that you know I do weddings for that the early 20s somethings, like they're still down with like the 2,000 bangers, you know what I mean, the 2005. Because I mean, I I ain't trying to hate, you know, I mean, on the music that that that you know, I mean, that that that you mess with right now, but a lot of that is just not good for wedding receptions, you know what I mean? So, yeah, so I mean we kind of we kind of hang around right there.

SPEAKER_05 13:30

So you're saying that uh us old folks who want celebrate good times, you don't play that's basically Kevin.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

What I'm trying to tell you there is we save that for dinner time while the old folks are still hanging around, and then once all the old folks leave, then we turn up a little bit, is what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_05 13:48

I don't know, I don't know where TB is, but yeah here's a comment. And uh this is something that uh is resonating with uh our fan base. I mean, in this person saying he never thought he'd say this, but I I'm I'm so into football right now, and and a lot of the fan base is. Uh, you are coming in in a different a uh what's the right word, a new era of Kentucky football. Obviously, it's a big deal when you bring in a coach and but not just uh any coach, you know, the coach we got. I'm in Louisville, Kentucky. I know Dave Bo is right outside of Louisville. Um, you know, Coach Stein is a Louisville kid. Um the dynamic he brings, his resume is clearly offensively. I mean what he's done, what he did at uh Oregon is just crazy. Putting putting the stats on the you know, um highlight reels and uh players in the league. Yeah, uh, but from a defensive standpoint, are you feeling it what with what he's bringing uh coaching wise? Uh okay. I got we gotta get him to give like two sentence responses. He's being careful, you know what I mean? I is all right, but we're we are too. We don't want to mess this up for him. That's all good.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Uh Drew, from uh no well, go ahead, Drew. Just jump in. No, no, you go ahead. I I was gonna say get to the rapid fire if you're ready for it.

SPEAKER_05 15:10

Yeah, we're winding it down. All right, we'll go. Uh I've got a few rapid fire. And if as I'm saying, these given these rapid fires, if you all have one to come to mind, let's uh let's do it. What is your go-to meal, Elijah? Probably oxtails and rice. I love African food. Oh, but I've never tried oxtails. No, that's that is on my bucket. Okay. Um, if you do karaoke, what's that song? You're gonna get up uh behind the mic and say, Oh man, come on. Probably uh show. That's what what show right now are you binge watching forever? Okay. Uh if you um could go back. I mean, this is a little heavy. Um if you could go back in time anywhere in the past, only to observe, where would you go? Anywhere. I'm talking about like you you want to go back to the pyramids, that the dinosaurs, Fred Flintstone, that, whatever. Uh or if you just want to go back to yesterday, whatever. Probably back to the dinosaur age. Now I gotta add, or I gotta follow that's a follow-up. Why then? Why there?

SPEAKER_01 16:18

I feel like I feel like as if uh no, I feel like some stuff that people tell you isn't true. So I would like to go back and look for myself to see if it's the truth. That's a good answer. That's a good ass answer.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

Damn good answer. You a dog or a cat person? Dog. I got three of them, and one of them's kind of an asshole. You want one?

SPEAKER_05 16:36

I want us to say what he's the first uh the first bad word. Um what would be uh a super strength if you had the uh ability to have a super strength? Uh fly, invisibility, um sack quarterbacks every play. Probably to see in the future by two seconds.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Oh smart that is a good one, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:02

Young man's smart. All right. I guess last question, Kevin. The most controversial food question you could ever ask.

SPEAKER_05 17:09

Uh you know, Maria Maria had it. I'm gonna let her. She gets that last question. Maria do you eat your steak rare, medium, rare, medium, medium? Well, good lord. That's a lot. It's a lot. There's only one right answer. So, what is the answer on your choice of steak? Medium will. My man. There you go. That's that's fair. I mean, I'm a medium, medium rare.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

I used to be a well done, but I've I've you know, I got made in fun of too much, so I dropped it down to a medium will.

SPEAKER_05 17:35

Yeah, what the look at this. Kevin is what the kids call a weirdo. I guess I guess do they? I got a kid. Kids, well, my kids have called me worse. Um, all right. I don't know. T B is he's in Iowa. The uh internet may not be core, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:51

They're lost in the core.

SPEAKER_05 17:52

Um, Daveo, you get the final say because this was your uh you brought this tonight.

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Um, you know, like I said, bro, I mean, I don't have really, I think we kind of bombarded you with enough random questions, you know what I mean. Um, but like I said, bro, like at the end of the day, man, we appreciate you. Um, we know picking a college is you know is a big, big, big choice and a big decision, you know what I mean? And moving so far away from home, you know, I can promise you, man, like the big blue nation got you. Like through the good and the bad, bro. Like, we got you. Um, don't worry about it. Like I said, I I believe, I firmly believe, and everybody's gonna watch this believe, like we're the best fans in the nation, man. So like we got you, bro. We're gonna cheer you on during your you know, your final season down at high school, man. Go down there and kill it and do it. And you know what I'm saying? We're gonna see you in Lexon before you know it, bro.

SPEAKER_05 18:36

So is there any way we can get him? I mean, are players now wearing like logos on um their jerseys? Is that a thing now? Not yet. Not yet. So when it is, can we make sure he gets our ROS? ROR yeah, ROS logo.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Whenever whenever we get some merch, may we'll send you something down there, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Okay, we'll send you something down there. Appreciate it, Elijah. Wish you the best of luck, buddy. Yeah, man. So merch. All right, take take care, man. All right, thanks, bro.

SPEAKER_05 19:01

All right, I think I went well, didn't it? Okay, uh, our first actual big time guest. Yeah, uh, well, hopefully, TB will join us. Uh, good stuff from Elijah.

SPEAKER_03 19:12

Uh as soon as I mentioned the jerk dog, he starts barking.

SPEAKER_05 19:15

So how is Cujo tonight? Man, Cujo one, Cujo two, he's been wild today, man.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

We we grilled out, so he was going crazy. He kept trying to jump him on the grill. My mom's cooking, trying to take hot dogs and burgers off the grill. Yeah, he's a nut.

SPEAKER_05 19:28

All right. Uh yesterday, guys with the Kentucky spring game. Uh, Drew, what was your take and feel and all that good stuff?

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Yeah, I wish I was there. Obviously, couldn't be there, but um, I I watched a ton of the clips. I thought, I thought um, I liked what I saw. Obviously, you can't take a uh a ton away from the spring game just because it's not, you know, necessarily 100% real football. Obviously, it sucks that you know there was a little bit of injuries. You know, Coach Stein said there, you know, none of it is like super long term, just some banged up stuff, and they're not gonna, you know, take those risks in a spring game. But I thought from what I saw and what I heard, I thought Minchie did some good stuff. Um, I think there was some positives about the offensive line, which we expect. I think there were some good plays from the defense. So, you know, it's hard for me to comment on because I wasn't there and I didn't get to see it all. But from what I've I saw and heard, it it sounded like it was pretty good. And um, we'll see what happens over the you know, they get a little break now and then they'll get into fall camp. And before we know it, we'll be Kentucky will be kicking off their first game inside Kroger Field.

SPEAKER_05 20:34

Terry's in the circle. He's not supposed to be in the circle. T Birc. Well, you know what? I'm gonna leave him in the circle.

SPEAKER_04 20:40

Where you been, T B internet man? It's crazy out here in the uh cornfields. I gotta get the uh uh the children of the corn back on it, man.

SPEAKER_05 20:50

Winston. Uh TB, any th we were just talking about the um brain game yesterday. Any thoughts, thinking? It's good.

SPEAKER_04 20:57

I'm glad you know, I'm glad that we're turning the page. You know, uh yeah, everybody seems excited about football. Will Stein seems to have hit the ground running and infused the program with some with some juice, as the kids say. So uh I feel good uh about that, but uh you know, we gotta we gotta see when the season starts, right? That that's the that's the thing. But the the vibes are good, as the kids say.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

Oh do the kids not say that? No, I was laughing at Kevin kept switching screens over.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

I'm just playing here at this point. I'm just playing. I was laughing at Daivo. I was laughing at Davo trying not to laugh.

SPEAKER_04 21:37

All right. Well, you know, I just I I I I think it's exciting. Uh we'll sign, you know, the the signings, the there's there's juice, right? Uh but you know, eventually you're gonna have to play these games. So uh we'll go from there. But signing great folks like uh Elijah, getting another Brown on campus is fantastic. Uh so we're trending in the right direction, I would say, in my expert opinion. All right, there we go. That looks a little more conventional, man.

SPEAKER_05 22:01

All right. Uh Daivo, I guess uh, you know, the next uh segment we got uh are scheduled to have is the uh Bantucky Banner Boy, who have made kind of a noise. We got them connected yet, but I think uh they're they're not here yet. So let's uh let's talk. Uh where's my there you go. Drew, what can you tell us about uh any of the football recruiting updates?

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Yeah, I think obviously um this past Thursday, Kentucky flipped a tight end, Tank Proctor from Auburn. He was originally committed there to Auburn. He's uh per on three, he's a three star number uh five hundred and fifty-four nationally. Number 31 tight end. So I think that was um, you know, pretty good commitment, obviously. And then uh Tristan Hughes, a four-star safety, ranked 373 nationally, 33rd safety, uh, committed yesterday, actually. I believe he was at the spring game as well. So he committed to the staff. And then um obviously we had Elijah on as well. He's a huge time, you know, D-tackle commit as well. And then last Sunday, I don't I don't know if we uh covered it or not, but Jake Naurod, four-star quarterback, number 32 nationally recruit, who is uh the number two nationally ranked quarterback in the country, is committed, huge recruiting win there. So um I think you know we're seeing it really over the last few weeks. Um, Kentucky's closing the deal on some football players. Hopefully they continue to keep going it. And and I'll just keep referencing it every week. Like I say it. This is the this is that time of the year where commitments start to kind of pop, guys start to get committed before the year. Staffs are able to put a lot more effort into time into closing recruitments down. So, you know, just those guys I mentioned were some of the highly caliber players. Um, Kentucky's up in the top 10, I believe, in national recruiting rankings for next season so far, and they're not done or not going to be done anytime soon. So they're gonna keep recruiting a lot of high-level players, and we'll see who wants to join on board for for Will Stein's first official high school recruiting class.

SPEAKER_05 24:00

Yeah, we touched on the with uh Elijah. The the football scene right now is just crazy, and it should be, you know, with the a new coach, um that energy, that uh pedigree that he brings to to us. Uh I mean, right now, as far as our recruits, we're I mean, we're like top 10 nationally, nationally, not just SE nationally, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Yeah, and whenever we talk about the spring game, right? I know there was kind of some chatter back and forth between the dudes down 64 and us uh whenever it talks about spring game attendance. Okay, they had a beautiful day on Friday for their annual red and white game, and they had like 12 people there, you know what I mean? And and then they want to try to blast our spring spring game attendance in a stadium that only could be used half of because the other side's being renovated, and it was 11 o'clock in the morning, and there was a threat of rain and and storms. You know, I think they showed out really good, you know what I mean. So don't start with that.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

This is what I say to that. Yeah, this is what I say to that, Daveo. Uh, there was a Louisville-only store that's sold Louisville-only apparel on Shelbyville Road across from uh the uh Oxmore Mall. They had to close it and then make it half and half. A Louisville-only apparel store could not stay open in the city of Louisville without also selling Kentucky apparel. So uh that's always my Trump card when it talks about you know who's supporting who.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

They won't admit, but they know damn good well it's 50-50 in Louisville. They know this and they won't admit that.

SPEAKER_04 25:28

It's probably more because I I've I've I I've seen Kentucky uh stuff in places that were diehard Louisville areas when I was a kid. So there you go.

SPEAKER_05 25:40

All right. Uh day uh Dave R just text you to see if there's anything you can do to see if the banner boys will be joining us. Um, if not, it might be a short night. Uh, can we switch gears to um the men's basketball team portal recruiting updates? Um, what can you tell us, Drew?

SPEAKER_00 26:00

Yeah, so it's been kind of weird, obviously. Uh, I think last Sunday we all in Big Blue Nation expected that Rob Wright was gonna be our PG one, and uh that slipped out of our hands pretty fast. Obviously, returned to BYU. I think the staff did a pretty good job of pivoting pretty fast. Uh landed commitments from Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. You know, Zoom's a really good player, big size for a point guard, downhill guy. His game really reminds me of kind of a point guard version of Otega Oway. I think is a pretty good comparison, really good out of the pick and roll. Um, but really, talent is is a huge thing with him, former McDonald's, all American. So, you know, he's got a lot of room to grow in. He's obviously not a perfect player, but he's also a very productive player with what he does. Um, I think it's you know a big time pickup, hopefully. And then Alex Wilkins was another one that I think the staff was really high on and and was aggressive on. And it, I think they thought they were close to the the the finishing table. Then it seemed like things might go a different direction, and then ultimately Mark Pope and staff closes him down. You know, he's he's another really talented player. He was very un really new of last year going into Furman. And um, you know, he's got great size, great player, um, who just burst onto the scene at Furman. I don't know if the Furman coaches even had a lot of expectations for him. And then early in their offseason stuff last year, they were like, Holy cow, this kid's probably our best player. Um, only only was a freshman this past year, six foot five, combo guard, really a lot to like, a lot of talent, a lot of size, both kind of point guards. My only kind of worry with them is just, you know, they're both heavy pick and roll point guards, they're both very efficient and and effective out of the pick and roll. It's just not what we necessarily expect from a Mark Pope offense, but maybe we saw it last year. You know, Denzel Aberdeen operated a ton out of the pick and roll. So um, maybe you know, Kentucky's gonna be again out of you know, heavy pick and roll with Malekai as the big, potentially another four guy. So I think those are two huge commitments, probably looking at the starting backcourt, and then we'll see from there. I don't think anything new with Tyron Stokes as much as we all wish. Um, if you got the chance to watch on Friday at the Jordan Brand Classic game, he was uh pretty darn special. I think he finished with 29 points, eight or nine rebounds, and four or five assists, one MVP. He was just he was the best player on the floor the entire night, and he almost didn't even play because um I think he's still dealing with a little bit of a back injury, but shouldn't be anything crazy. Um, and then you know, I think the big one that we're kind of monitoring now is Donnie Freeman, the Syracuse transfer. Very talented player, very good player, but I think there's also a lot of you know, Pope's gonna have to do a really good job with Donnie of taking his talent, but also kind of reeling him in and getting the best out of him. He's he he likes to take a lot of long twos, which is not the necessarily modern style of basketball. You know, it's threes or layups. Um, you know, but he's a talented player, he can shoot it from the outside, not as efficient, but he has a good shot. He can make them, you know, he's got good passing instincts as well. He's very versatile, athletic, switchable guy. So we'll see by him. Um, they're recruiting Sebastian Ranchik. He obviously committed today to Florida State, so he's off the board. And then, you know, they're they're continuing to monitor depth pieces, potentially other guys as well. So I think that's kind of the update of where we're at. I think we're on Donnie Freeman, but you know, potentially commitment watch, but there's a lot of weird things behind the scenes with his recruitment between his agent and just all kinds of things. So I'm I'm kind of losing confidence slowly by what I'm seeing and what I'm hearing, but you never know. I mean, deals can be done really fast, and you know, you just don't know, but there's not a whole lot of optimism like the last 12 to 24 hours in the Donnie Freeman recruitment, but it's also the portal era, it could be negotiation tactics going on behind the scenes that we don't know about to get more money or other things. So, yeah, we'll just have to see how that plays out.

SPEAKER_05 30:07

You know, it's kind of we we know what the the school here in Louisville has done so far in the portal, which is pretty impressive. I mean, clearly they're spending some money because what they supposedly are paying a couple of the guys. I mean, I've heard anywhere from Drew, you can confirm confirm or deny between five and seven million um for two guys. Yeah, um but uh uh TB, when I look at, you know, I don't mean to be the party pooper here, but when I look at what this what we have and what's left to be filled and what's out there, I I'm not dazzled, man. I don't, I'm not feeling it. I have a genuine concern that with this roster, the these current players and what we potentially will could, should, could get uh from the portal, uh you know TB, the third three-year rule that you it's the TB, well, it's not, but on our show, it's the TB three three year. Uh yeah, he's this this is not the team that's gonna get him a uh final four based on how all of our other coaches have done.

SPEAKER_04 31:11

Well, and and the thing is, you know, I get a lot of pushback on my three-year rule. I was on with Dick Gabriel this week uh on his show talking, and uh, as you said, Louisville has filled out their roster and we got to tip our hat. So my thing is people can get mad at me if they want to, but as Kentucky fans, the last thing you want is to get lapped by Louisville.

SPEAKER_05 31:32

Yes. What are you saying, Dave O? Help me out.

SPEAKER_04 31:34

So I sent you a message already.

SPEAKER_05 31:37

Gotcha. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 31:37

Okay, but you know, if the Louisville team is better this year and they win two straight in the series, and we're looking at losing to Louisville for the first time ever three years in a row, people with bigger pocketbooks than me are going to be having some questions.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

So I think they already are need to get this uh together. And I think they already are having you think they're what? I think they already are having a lot of questions, people with the deep pocket books.

SPEAKER_04 32:02

Yeah, and and that's just the way it goes. You know, people can get mad all they want to, but again, not to rehash it, but 85 years of Kentucky basketball, by year three, we know what we have. Yeah, that's period. And that goes back to Adolph Rubb in 1932.

SPEAKER_03 32:16

Do you guys think, you know, it's it's it's it's fair to say that you know, at this point last year, whenever the transfer portal recruits started coming in in commitments, they kind of hit, hit, hit, you know, boom, boom, boom. Figure was putting everything out, booms everywhere, right? But this time they're kind of coming in at a slower rate, but the player quality we believe this year is you know better and more substantial. And we'll look at it. But it seems like that that's what Pope's doing, is really taking his time and not just getting whatever.

SPEAKER_00 32:44

But see, I like to be honest with you, like part of me is like, are they better? Like, we got to remember, like, Jalen Lowe was a very sought-after player in the you know, as a point guard two years. I know he wasn't the most efficient, but like he was damn productive as a point guard. You know, Denzel Aberdeen, he actually wasn't as productive, but you you know, when you look at his his per numbers from you know, if you added minutes to him and you know, performing numbers or whatever, like he was very productive player. You got Otega Oway back. There was a lot of buzz about Modi Abate and Yelovich. You had the Jaden Quaitons thing turned out to be a bad take, obviously, with the injury. Like, I'm sitting here right now, and I put a tweet about it the other day, and there was a lot of people that agree with me, and a lot of people that didn't agree with me. And you know, I I just think the reality of Kentucky basketball right now is like we have expectations as wins and losses. We also have expectations with what the roster looks like. Coach Pope is in in three recruiting cycles as of right now, has coached one McDonald's All-American, and that was Malachi Marino. You know, we talk about it as well with how important continuity is. Kentucky has about zero continuity for next year, other than really Malachi and Cam Williams. And I don't even know if we're necessarily upgrading at at the spots, like guys are just out the door, and then we have new guys coming in. Now, I you know it's hard to say because we haven't seen it on the court of what that might turn out to be. But like, I'll just be honest, from where we're at and the Donnie Freeman recruitment, yeah, it's a good pickup, but everybody like Donnie Freeman's not gonna come in here and save Kentucky basketball, he's been a part of losing basketball for two years at Syracuse, and as productive as a player as he is, it's not like he's going out there and and averaging 25 points per game and 15 rebounds. Like, it's just not in my head. Like, if if you if if if Mark Pope does not get Tyron Stokes, it's really gonna be hard for me to be sold on another year because we have seen this over and over again. We just witnessed the best freshman class of all time in college basketball. Kentucky had zero of them. Didn't I don't know if they even sniffed any of those. None. And and we continue to get to the end of the negotiation table and it falls through. It happens with freshmen, and then people can say, well, Rob Wright wanted to play more money. That's on Pope. Pope has to realize he has to do his due diligence when getting in a recruitment. I'm not putting myself in a spot that I'm gonna be used as leverage. That is a coaching mistake, that's a front office mistake. Those decisions, those things have to be vetted. They have like you cannot put yourself in that situation, and we're to the same point as we were last year. Kentucky misses on their top guys in the portal, they're late to the party for their second guys that are already committed, or they're late in the process, and now we're stuck on recruiting our third, our third-tier guys, our third option guys, and it's gonna be another year of that potentially. And it's it's hard for me to get sold on it and think that we can have the final four expectations or national championship expectations. We can this is not so far anywhere near a final four roster. We can be a good team, we can win 22, 23, 24 games, but we're not gonna be competing for to cut the nets down or to win the SEC. You look at other teams in the SEC. Texas has done a great job, Missouri's done a great job in their roster. So many other teams in the SEC and Kentucky City here was still probably three to four rotational spots that have to be added, and there's not enough of that high-end talent out there. No.

SPEAKER_04 36:15

Well, and the and the thing is too, every coach, you know, when I talk about that three years, finds their guy. Joe B. Hall had Kevin Greavy, who was SEC player of the year as a sophomore, uh Joe B's first year, right? Eddie Sutton had Rex, right? Uh by year uh two, we've got uh Jamal Mashburn for Patino, right? Uh Tubby eventually, I know didn't get back to the final four, but you get a Tayshawn Prince, right? And then uh, you know, Cal shows up with John Wall. You need one guy, you need one elite guy to buy into what you're doing. That's that's what's missing. That's what Drew is saying is you need one of these elite guys. And I've seen clips, I've shared clips of you know, Jamal Mashburn's recruitment was basically, hey, I knew he coached the Knicks and I wanted to play as a freshman. And then Patino was like, Come on down, right? So you need that one guy, and the constant missing out on these top guys, you know, like I'll wrap this up with with this. Like, I'm a Lakers guy, right? What the Lakers do is their philosophy is give us two of the best players in the league and we will figure everything out. That's the get down, right? So after Magic Johnson retired, it was just a bunch of young, really good players. That's not what sells to the fan. With Kentucky fans, we need a dude. Again, 80 years of basketball, we have a dude. Having a bunch of really good role players just doesn't work for how we like to do things.

SPEAKER_00 37:37

No, I um I I my thing is like I just see I I'm getting this sense of like I already see the writing on the wall of like this is we're just gonna be in the same spot as we were in last year. We win some big games because we're gonna have, you know, Kentucky's gonna have a good team. I'm not saying they're not gonna have a good team, it's just what like what are we doing if we just want to be a good team? Like, this is Kentucky, still at the end of the day. Like, Kentucky is built on making Final Fours, winning the SEC, competing for a national championship. And you know, I I had a lot of optimism and a lot of confidence in Mark Polk going into the offseason, and I thought he had a clear vision of we have to upgrade on talent, we gotta go get dudes. Well, where are those dudes at? And we've already ran out of time to get those dudes from the transfer portal. Now you're solely relied on getting Tyron Stokes. He is the only dude that is still left available that you were in a position to get that could legitimately bring in the dude, you know, stereotype to him. Obviously, you know, but also like maybe somebody that we don't know about or Zoom or Malachi or Alex Wilkins can be that dude, but you you can't sell on that. Like that stuff happens naturally. You gotta have somebody that is your dude that you can sell to the fan base that you can have confidence in, etc. I just so we got one of the banner boys joining us.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

What's up?

SPEAKER_03 38:56

What up? How y'all doing? Man, what's going on? We're doing good.

SPEAKER_07 39:00

Yeah, I know the news wasn't as good earlier, but it's still you don't know anything officially.

SPEAKER_05 39:06

Yeah, we we were we're obviously talking deep, uh going heavy with the basketball recruiting, and you know, we're we're just saying right now, we're not I'll speak for me. I or maybe I'll speak for the rest of the guys, we're not dazzled right now. Yeah, we're very concerned with the six eight guys that are currently on the roster, well, counting the Zoom and Alex. Uh we can um so the eight, um, and what's left out there is um, you know, uh is it enough to to uh take us over the hump? And you know, I'm I'm here in Louisville, Kentucky, and we watch the uh the what Louisville's doing. I mean, they are gonna be that's that's the measure, you know, we it's a comparison we can't avoid. And if they're outdoing us, which right now in the portal they have, um, and what do they how many they they beat us what last year? They didn't beat us the year before. They're like they got one, yeah. Just well, let's let's get your take. Welcome. Well, let's go for let's get the backstory with the Kentucky banner boys.

SPEAKER_07 40:09

Give us Yeah, yeah. So actually two of my friends, Gabe and Theo, they were just hanging out one morning and they're like, it was Saturday, and they're like, We should put up a banner that's like come home stokes, and they're kind of like, nah, whatever, it'd be funny, uh, yada yada. And then the next day they were like, Are we really doing this? And they were like, Screw it, we got nothing else to do. Let's go do it. And so then they went to the store, they got the materials, they went a couple places and couldn't find sheets. And so then I went and got the sheets and brought it over there, and within five minutes it was ready, and we put it up, and then somebody posted it on social media, and it kind of like got a little view, like got some views, and we were like, Oh wow, we could actually turn this into something, and then we just kept doing it, and it's been fun, it's been a good time.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Yeah, I mean, you guys blew up, like I was like, dang, I know it was crazy. We we didn't expect that at all.

SPEAKER_03 40:54

It just kept you you made you you you made a Twitter profile and you had like a hundred, and then like next time I check you like damn near three. I'm like, okay, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:05

Yeah, I know it was awesome. We went to bed with like 200 and something followers, and we woke up with like 1.3, and we were like, whoa. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:13

To be honest, it was there a bunch of frat boys the next morning that woke up and like, where the hell are my sheets?

SPEAKER_07 41:18

Yeah, no, like I mean, it was just everybody was just excited.

SPEAKER_05 41:21

Like they woke up and they're they're shivering because they have no covers and then they're shivering.

SPEAKER_06 41:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

Well, no, he did say that at least they were clean new sheets.

SPEAKER_07 41:32

Yeah, no, I yeah, we went and bought them every time they were new, and they they didn't come in just straight sheets. We had to get the whole package with the pillow covers and everything every time.

SPEAKER_03 41:42

We've got we got one check mark so far. We got two more. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, hopefully we get a check mark tomorrow.

SPEAKER_05 41:49

Yeah, uh, so what what's what is tomorrow? What's the or you just and make it a general statement? Was there a just hoping at this point? I hope, yeah. Well, see that see, that's alarming too. We're we're Kentucky and we use the word hope. I mean, hoping hope. Oh my god, this is where you know, I've I've said this on previous shows, and I kind of got some pushback, but I'll I'm gonna stay with it. In this decade, in 2020 till now, maybe before 2020, what have we done lately? We have not been relevant on the national scene. Yeah, people will watch Kentucky when they're on TV, but you know, we're just one of the teams. You got UConn, Hurley doing their thing. I know TV, you're gonna hold on, you're gonna push back a little bit. Uh, but there's just so many uh schools that are have lapped us. Um, you know, and I know the whole blue blood thing, but you know, it it it it's it's kind of uh, and this is me talking, it it's kind of weak for us to play the blue blood card. Oh, but we're a blue blood, you know. So what? What does that that in a in two dollars will get me a McDonald's coat? That's it's nothing. A blue blood. I mean, you could argue who I mean is UCLA a blue blood now. No, I mean what have they done?

SPEAKER_03 43:07

I mean I think I think historically you're always gonna have that label.

SPEAKER_05 43:10

Well, if you're gonna if you're gonna go back to the dinosaurs until now, I guess that's the case. But that is what Elijah said.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

That's why he wants to go back and I wanna go with him too. But so if we're talking about that, then TB, I mean you can help me out on this one. Like, so in this era where you feel me right now, like what what what the hell, what the hell is Pope not or what is he selling to these recruits? Like, why is this JMI? Is this I mean hello? I mean, this is where you're at. Like, do you understand what this is, what this means? Like, why is it just not like an automatic? I'm here, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:46

Go ahead, TV. I I I think we are overselling uh the big blue status going back, you know, 40 years, uh you know, 80 years. Like people came to Kentucky because Adolph Rutt was a Hall of Fame coach and he was putting dudes, they were winning and putting dudes in the league. Okay. Like for us, it's great to say Kentucky, but for most of these guys, it's purely transactional. How do I get to that next step? Right. Like, that's that's the thing. And so what Pope has to figure out is how do I have a successful team and help these kids get to where they need to go, right? Uh, I tweeted during the champ men's championship game. Does Dusty May even know the words to hail to the victors? It doesn't matter because he won a championship, right? Like the stuff that fans get caught up with, a lot of these elite athletes don't have that same that that same thing. Like I've talked about before. Pat Riley coming from upstate New York to play for uh Adolph Rubb, you know, Jamal Mashburn. Coming from New York to play with Patino, is it because he liked horses and Lexington is that great of a city? Or was this an opportunity to get where he needed to go? So what Pope has to figure out is here in the 2020s, how do we set up a program to help the elite of the elite get to where they want to go?

SPEAKER_00 44:54

Well, because part of the problem is with that too, is like Pope Pope's never really coached any NBA guys even before he got here. So like that who's he put in the league? That's yeah, right. And that's the thing. Like, you know, he has nothing to sell really as far as that goes. I mean, yeah, Toby Brea and Amario Williams were second-round draft picks, but it's not like those guys are necessarily killing it in the league either. You know, that that's why, like, part of why I say, like, Tyron Stokes is extremely important. I mean, he's huge for the team next year, like he's much needed, but like Pope needs needs Tyron Stokes as well. Like, he needs a guy to come in as a freshman and you know be what we got used to with Coach Cal, a dominating freshman who can have success, can be a top five draft pick, go on to have success that you can sell to get the ball rolling for recruits, you know, can be that Derek Rose of you know, to help Coach Cal. Like Derek Rose was the one that really got the ball rolling that we saw transition to Kentucky. Like, Pope doesn't have that either. And then he's not really doing much in terms of team stuff on the basketball court contributing to winning. So, like, why would you want to come here? You know, other than just to get a huge paycheck. And we're getting the guys that want to sign up for a huge paycheck, but aren't necessarily serious about the legitimate future of their basketball careers. So as the coach, I I believe so. Yeah, go ahead. Well, can I ask what is your first name? I'm Henry.

SPEAKER_05 46:16

Henry, okay. Yeah. Uh what you're seeing, feeling.

SPEAKER_07 46:19

I mean, I mean, y'all putting the sheets up, but yeah. I mean, I'm I'm a guy I'm always gonna support no matter what, no matter who the coach is. And I do agree that I think Stokes is is a guy that Pope needs. Uh obviously, yeah, he's gonna help our team, he's gonna make us a lot better, but I think for the program alone, it's just a big get. Like it shows that we can do it and it gives us momentum to keep doing it. But I mean, overall, I'm gonna support it regardless. I'm always gonna be here cheering. I'm not, I don't know. I I can't fix it myself.

SPEAKER_03 46:47

So I mean, that's all we can do, you know what I mean? Like, we're always gonna do it, you know. I mean, as frustrated as we were at the end of season, like I was still screaming at my TV in the second half of the Iowa State game, you know, even though I even though I saw what was coming, you know. Yeah, but I mean at the end of the day, it's like, man, like us, it's always makes us sound spoiled, but we deserve we deserve better, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_07 47:08

Yeah, especially with how it's been, but like enough. I do feel that way. So keep talking. Um I mean, I I agree. I just think like I don't know, I Stokes is just a big game, and the the more recruits that we hear our names going out with, like, none of us know what's true and what's not that's out there, so it only it honestly really hurts us until we win that. We just need that one big recruitment that we get. Like, he got Braya, now it's huge, but just another one of those to prove that we can keep doing that.

SPEAKER_00 47:36

Yeah, my my biggest thing is every time we get in the mix recruiting a kid. No, back back when Cal was here, I was like, Oh, Cal's recruiting him, it's a done deal, he's a cat. If if Cal really wanted him, he's a cat. And now we get in a recruitment, and I'm just like, do we have a chance of actually winning this recruitment? Like, can we actually pull it off?

SPEAKER_05 47:53

No, no kid out of high school is interested in the Kentucky program right now.

SPEAKER_00 47:57

Yeah, that's clear. Unless you're signed with Nike and there's around eight million dollars on the table, I guess, and it's only an hour away from where you grew up. Damn, I was hoping to go to bed in a good mood.

SPEAKER_04 48:09

I'm not only damn but look, we can get it back. Like, that's that's the thing, is it's it's going to take uh people with pocketbooks well.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

T B, like, think about it. You know, you get Donnie Freeman in the next couple days if you're able to close that. You get Tyron Stokes. Now, now the ball's rolling. Like now now we're cooking. The problem is, is like I just don't have very much confidence that that actually will happen because of what we've seen in the recruiting.

SPEAKER_04 48:36

Yeah, it's like you know, when Cal was coming and he brought John Wall, and Eric Bloodsoe was like, I'll play with him. And the I'll play with him as well, right? Like, you need the one guy, and and that's what I think we're all talking about. We're kind of putting our hope in Stokes, uh, that he becomes Pope's dude, like I just talked about. Every coach after Ruff had the one guy, right, that really said, Okay, this coach can get it done, be it Kevin Greavy, Jamal Mashburn, like the one guy to keep this rolling. So we're hoping that Stokes is that guy.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

Yeah, and and I'll say this too like I actually have a lot of confidence in Mark Pope as a basketball coach. You're talking pure basketball, the preparation, the offensive stuff, the adjustments, those things. My biggest worry with Pope is the ability to get the dudes in the building and have the talent because we've seen him win some big games. And under you know, the two years he's been here, we've actually probably been at a talent disadvantage against the top programs in the country.

SPEAKER_05 49:34

Well, I mean, let me bring this as a I'm gonna I'm gonna people in the chat. Thanks for hanging with us. Uh, your comments. I'm gonna bring some of these comments up and let everybody have a take. Um, let's see Phillips saying, why not throw a bag at who's that? Mika. Mika Murin. Go ahead, Drew. You're our translator.

SPEAKER_00 49:53

Yeah, yeah. Mika Murinen, he's a really talented kid. Uh, you know, I Kentucky was in on him for a while, but I I mean don't really know. It's kind of faded out. And mom Chilovich, we'll see. Obviously, you know, he's in the NBA draft process, projected first rounder. So if he were to pull out, I mean, obviously he could be in play, but Duke and um Florida have been the ones that are mostly tied to him. He's gonna cost probably five million dollars. So if you miss out on Stokes, maybe you can get in the Mom Chilovich thing. He'd be a great fit. You know, obviously we saw him in Iowa State last year. He's one of the he's probably a better collegiate shooter than Kobe Brea was, which is saying something. I mean, he's he's incredible.

SPEAKER_05 50:33

Um here's my here's my take real quick, Drew, is that once once the portal when the portal opened up, you had these high profile players who could command a high dollar. Now, I mean, if if I'm out in the portal right now and I'm not as elite, I can I in Kentucky's talking to me, I'm gonna get Kentucky's gonna overpay for a player right now, or player. Clearly, they're gonna overpay for you know non-elite players.

SPEAKER_00 51:03

That's in uh this is it's the same recipe that we saw last year was what I was talking about. Missed out on the first tier guys, late to the party, the second tier guys, and then you overpay for your third tier guys, and yeah, the same exact recipe. It might work better than it did last year, but we're we're just in this, we're almost in the same spot that we were in, unless you know you get Donnie Freeman in the next couple days, potentially, and you close on Tyrant Stokes, but we'll I mean we'll see. No, I I agree.

SPEAKER_07 51:33

I think it's just wait and see you don't know.

SPEAKER_05 51:36

Yeah, so uh Michael's hey Michael, thanks for hanging with us. Uh, what if Pope loses to Louisville but wins the SEC or wins the SEC or SEC tournament? Would that save his job?

SPEAKER_03 51:46

I hate hypothetical questions like that.

SPEAKER_00 51:48

Yeah, but uh all right, play along because there's it's year three. He's got to what is he doing that what does he do in March Madness, though?

SPEAKER_05 51:56

Like that's what matters to answer that question. Well, I think even more importantly, yeah, it's what it's what he does after the SEC tournament.

SPEAKER_04 52:03

What's that, D B? What what do I say? Yes, you I'm saying you in the Laker jersey bigger bigger than me. Uh with your yeah, I think people with pocketbooks bigger than me don't want the potential of losing to Louisville three times in a row because it's never happened. So I think it saves his job, but I think it ups the ante if he loses you know the Louisville game this upcoming year.

SPEAKER_07 52:22

So was that B three? I thought we won that that'd be two. We were never going to be able to on the verge of it happening.

SPEAKER_04 52:30

Let me be clear. I thought I I think people are misunderstanding what I'm saying. I understand the Mott Butler team won. What I'm saying is the Mikhail Brown junior team, Louisville won one. Okay, right. If they lose next year, that's two in a row, and then there's going to be the potential of three in a row, which has never happened in the history of ever.

SPEAKER_05 52:48

Back to because this, yeah, this will be.

SPEAKER_04 52:50

What I'm saying is if he goes, if he loses two in a row, now we're having a conversation because last time Louisville won two in a row, we got rid of the coach and brought in Coach Cal and won like 10 of the next 11. That was the response to losing to Louisville two times in a row.

SPEAKER_05 53:05

So the Collins was going to commit until the NL JMI contract fell through. Is that true?

SPEAKER_00 53:10

Is that true now? Is it? I don't know. I'm pretty sure. But I I hate the JMI conversation. Like, if guys wanted to come here, they'll sign the dang contract. If they really wanted to come to Kentucky and the vision that Pope's selling them on, you know, also like it's it's not like Kentucky's any short of money either. The the money is there, the opportunity's there. If guys want to come here, they'll sign the contract. And to be honest, I've heard a lot of conflicting things too that like JMI actually does a pretty good job. It's just that Pope legitimately cannot recruit, but we'll see. I mean, I you know, take that for with a grain of salt, but I I don't think we really know the truth behind the Kentucky recruiting, and it would be nice if we got clarity of like what is JMI's role, what is Coach Pope's role. We don't really have a clear answer.

SPEAKER_05 53:57

What's this uh Landon Van Meter? Who is U of L's dude if they are doing so well? Um I'm not sure what he's I mean. Is he talking about who they got in the portal or I mean clearly yeah, they got the they got the top portal guy, right? So two of their yeah, yeah, two. I mean the top, supposedly, and then or two of their two of the top ten, maybe uh two top ten players. Uh what are you saying, TB? Sorry.

SPEAKER_04 54:24

No, I just I just you know I they had the best player on the court last year. It's potential they could have the best player on the court this coming year. That's all I'm saying. That's and to someone's like, you know, the whole make or break thing, Pope can stay here for 10 years. That's fine. We're never gonna have an eight-win season with Pope, right? We're we're not gonna bottom out like that. But you're gonna look around like Hubert Davis at North Carolina and say, we're winning 20 games, you know. Just this past year, he beat Duke, he beat Kansas, he beat Kentucky. But then it's like, do we want to stay in this purgatory, right? Like Pope's gonna win you 20 games every year, right?

SPEAKER_05 54:57

It's never but he's also gonna lose double digits. Well, right to 12. So 12 to 14.

SPEAKER_04 55:04

Yeah, so that that's that's the thing, and you might get a 25 and five season or whatever the numbers work at. Like, you might get that, but like North Carolina looked around and like, this is not what we're about, right? It had been a long time since we've seen an elite Carolina team, right? And so the powers that be said we have to pull the plug on this. So, as far as I'm concerned, I'm gonna root for all 40 games every year. But what I'm saying is at some point, you've got to say we we can't stay in this 22-win purgatory.

SPEAKER_00 55:32

Kevin, go up to the the Shannon comment. Yeah, I was gonna pretty much simple answer though. That the kids assign their own agents.

SPEAKER_05 55:40

Some of it's let's read it for people who are because we do an audio version of this too. So Shannon's asking, how do agents work with these kids? Are they are agents assigned to them in in the portal? Do they get their own? I'm assuming the agents get a portion of what they make. Just wondering how it works. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 55:56

Yeah. So, you know, kids they they some of them are are through agencies in particular, like real, you know, organization companies that you know work with different things, but uh every kid has their own agent um that does their stuff. I think they make you know 10 to 20 percent or some sort. Um, yeah, that's really it. I mean, the kids choose their own agents, it's not they don't get assigned to them, and that's why you see sometimes some bone-headed mistakes. And the things with college agents, as well as I believe, unlike um professional, like you have to have some type of certification or something for professional leagues. College, you don't need that. Anybody can represent you in college, and that's why you see a lot of weird business things going on behind the deal, you know, behind closed doors and NIL deals with college athletes.

SPEAKER_03 56:43

Ooh, ooh, Kevin. Can we go down to that next question? I really want to answer before TV lays into leaning anybody.

SPEAKER_05 56:49

I'm Danimo, Danimo. Uh, who came up with this whole make or you're talking about this one? Yeah, okay. Make or break for Pope. It was probably TV because TB is very controversial on the show. And he he puts a timeline on all our coaches. It's the TB rule, the TB, TB three year rule. He had one bad year, but now it's make or break.

SPEAKER_03 57:10

Well, I don't I'd argue with well, go ahead, you you tell me. Okay, so here's here's my thinking about this. So let's I know we don't like to bring it up all the time, but Cal's first year, right? Brought in that superstar class, Elite Eight, right? Year one, and somehow loss to West Virginia, right? Next year he had what we had what we'd be equivalent to what Pope had, a very weird year with injuries. That's that was an Earl's Noel year, correct? And then year three, we all know what happened.

SPEAKER_05 57:38

Was no Nerland's Noel was after the yeah, Anthony Day. Oh, okay, okay. What was year two? What was that?

SPEAKER_04 57:46

Cal year two was nine and nine. That was the greater night team. That team only lost one game by double digits all year. For some reason, we have retconned that that team was getting blown out. That team lost by 17 in November, seven, yeah, uh January the eighth, and the largest victory after that, or largest deficit, was losing by four the beginning of March.

SPEAKER_05 58:11

So basically, TB Cal, year one, Elite Eight, year two, final four, year three, national championship.

SPEAKER_03 58:20

And then year four. Okay, yeah. That's my bad. I got excited. I was I was I was ready to put something.

SPEAKER_05 58:26

Kick your dog. Henry, there people are asking this. Is uh check us out, Henry. And can bottom left maybe he came on for just old dude here.

SPEAKER_07 58:40

Yeah, he just wanted to come on and say something about me, I think. Uh, do you know who this guy is? No, I don't. Okay, all right. Well, we'll let you talk. You can talk, you know. I mean, yeah, I agree with everything y'all are saying, though. So I'm actually I need to go finish up an assignment, so I'm gonna give the computer my buddy. He can answer a couple questions. He was helping us with it too. So good luck on the help mode.

SPEAKER_05 59:01

Rotate the the guy, that's right here. Good to talk to you all, though. Oh, you too, and I appreciate it, Hitler. What's the name here? Um Luke. Luke, Luke, what is this? I mean, Dave O TB, do I do we see a hair pattern growing on here?

SPEAKER_00 59:17

With look at this, what y'all get you Drew and Luke get get the hair memo? I I can't control that. I have a freaking afro that grows from my head. I agree.

SPEAKER_03 59:27

Well, Luke, what's the what's what's the vibe like in Lux right now?

SPEAKER_08 59:32

I mean, is this like nervous energy or like I'd I'd say it's becoming more nervous as the days go on. Like the the longer it takes for us to get another guy, like the longer this whole Freeman thing draws out, the more nervous we get. So but I mean our our morale is higher than it was a month ago.

SPEAKER_05 59:48

So okay. Uh what we got? Yeah. Well, now you're the you're the new you're the new left guy on the left, so you have to not just look, you have to answer questions and not appear. Uh so yeah, year two final four, you're two, yeah. That was cow. Yeah, yeah. Don't put the last comment on the screen. Oh, yeah, come on, man. Yeah, what's this story?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:10

Here, Donnie Freeman has arthritis in his feet. He wears special. I don't know if he has yeah, I don't know if he has arthritis. He he he's dealt with like feet injuries. I know that. Um, I don't know. I he might know more than I do. I don't know if it's arthritis or what it is.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:24

Freeman wears orthopedic mamba. All right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:26

Please don't put that line.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:28

Yeah, he always comes in. He's he yeah, he's different. Peanut butter posse is probably one of our most controversial, but I have to. Well, you all can see it. It's yeah, I don't have to really tell it. Yeah, it's it's there. Well, I mean, it was Drew that that used that said the fro brought the game of screen time on that one, weirdo.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:50

Well, I said it was on top of my head, not whatever he's talking about. But it oh, I now okay. Now I literally read it.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:57

Okay, can you ask Luke if they were going to put more banners up? Some of them were falling off.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:02

Um, I mean, we'll put more banners up whenever they need to be up. If there's another guy we're targeting, we'll put one up in five minutes within knowing.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:09

How about how about just anybody with a question mark?

SPEAKER_08 1:01:12

Hey, if we if we air ball on the next couple guys, that's the plan. Somebody come home is the next matter.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:19

How many uh, how many like stored sheets do you guys have just ready to go to be hung up really fast, or do you guys got to run to the store every time?

SPEAKER_08 1:01:27

Do we have any store? We we got a few.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:30

We got a few. I mean, there's Amazon, obviously. Is there a JC Penny's JC Penny's white sale? I know you kids might not even know what that is. T B and I do. Shut up. All right, so that's we got we yeah, you you got the the why can't you be old by yourself? Why you gotta pull me into it? Why can't you be old? Here's old. Check this out, guys. I I'm not the biggest uh birthday guy, but I I do have a birthday coming up Thursday, and it's it's it has slapped me in the face because this this birthday will be the last year before I turn 60. So 59. I'm it's I'm kind of feeling it. I'm I don't know. Stop laughing, true. That's a blessing, man. True's like, you're older than my dad.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:17

You're the same age as my grandpa. I'm laughing at the last comment that the peanut butter dude made.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:24

All right, he and he's his answer. Okay, so let's see. Oh, what was can all right? Oh, we already said that, didn't we? What you're you're the closest to my age. Are you you're in your 50s, right? T V 49, what do you don't know? Never mind. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:38

I'm 48.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:39

Fuck off.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:40

But look, I I love Luke and Henry coming on because it reminds me of my college days where it's like I share with my wife like the bed sheet. She's like, Why are they doing it? I'm like, why not? Like, why because they have that's the perfect thing of college, is like we're gonna do this, it's fun to do, and so I tip my hat to you guys. Luke, what's your major?

SPEAKER_08 1:02:58

Uh I'm a product design major. What's what's the product? What's the product? Anything. Uh, it's a lot like architecture, but rather than buildings, it's uh like physical products, like say a toaster, a chair, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:11

Okay, all right. Some more chests that was there.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:13

It's a wide variety of stuff really new, really new, about five years old.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:18

There you go. Yeah, I know they didn't have it when I was there.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:20

All right, Jordan Williams, Jordan. Thank you for the chat. Let's say Freeman flops. Where do we go for the power forward? Uh yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:29

I genuinely have zero idea. Um, they had the ranch kid that they he was ready to make a decision. Kentucky didn't want to, you know, take his commitment, I guess is is what it seems like. So he committed to Florida State earlier today. So I I don't know. I mean, could that be a situation where then they maybe try to get involved in Mikamuren because his recruitment's been very iffy? It doesn't sound like anybody's really um in the lead for that. Kentucky has recruited him previously. So I yeah, I really have no idea where they could shift to starting power forward. But if they lose Freeman, like like I mentioned earlier, I think Freeman's a good player. Pope's gonna have to do a good job of kind of honing him in and getting the best out of him. But if they miss on Freeman, like I'm gonna be and then you miss on Stokes on top of that, too. Like that that's when I will really start getting uh frustrated and you know negative, I guess about the roster.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:23

Right now, if you're stoked, TB, I get I'm gonna ask you, you're Stokes' agent. How much how much you asking right now for uh for him to uh sign with Kentucky? I mean, you you're you potentially breaking the bank.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:37

I mean, you you you gotta you gotta talk six to seven, don't you? That would that would be my thing on top of Nike money too.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:43

Was it wasn't like two wasn't like two mil from Nike?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:46

Yeah, I think it's I don't know exactly, but that's around there, probably. Man, I'm telling you what.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:52

If I'm Stokes, then that's then that's that's that's nine total. If I'm Stokes' agent and you get automatically get 10, I mean I'm feeling pretty damn good right now. I'm gonna I don't have to I don't have to um I don't have to uh what's what I'm thinking I'm trying to come up with some stupid analogy. I don't have to settle for the medium-sized jacuzzi. Okay, yeah, Stokes is gonna get me a large freaking 16-person jacuzzi now because of what uh he potentially could mean, mean, not get, but mean to Kentucky right now. We're uh are we in desperation mode? Yes, I mean we are. I mean, it's it's sad to say that word.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:35

What I reference of last year, we got we missed out early on the guys we wanted. We're late to the party to the second guys, and here we go. We're desperate trying to close on some of these options we have, or we're gonna pivot to the third tier, third option, guys, and then the overpay comes and it's the same recipe as it was last year.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:53

I mean, you know, I hate to say it, I know, but look what look what Tennessee's doing.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:57

Yeah. Well, all of our our in-state rival, our border rival, conference teams, conference teams, and then you look at uh I mean, you know, uh a school like or not Michigan, who in year two of their coach, what was his first year? What was his record it with wasn't it? It wasn't they were pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:16

They they lost in the round of 32, I believe. Like they were a good basketball team.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:21

But in year two, really, I mean, from top to bottom, they were the team this season. That was the team that really deserved to to win.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:29

And and and and I'm getting it from all sides here, right? Like I'm telling people I I work with and see hey man, Florida is tough. I don't know if y'all can beat Florida and Iowa with their Player being six foot seven out rebounded Florida. Right. And and and we never led a minute. No, we never led a second against Florida. Right. And Pope is talking about fatigue, and Bennett Sturts played every minute of every game going to the Elite Eight, right? I'm talking about, well, you know, injuries, and Iowa State loses their all-American 36 hours before we play, and we and still boat races Kentucky by 20. So it's it's it's it's not just our neighboring states, it's everybody that seems to be lapping the cats at this point. Lapping the cats. But we're gonna get it done because we got we got the use, we got Luke and Henry uh carrying on the tradition of being great Kentucky students. So there you go.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:20

I can answer like one more question, then I also have to go do some homework.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:23

Well no, who will who will be our leading score next year? Oh, we're just now hypotheticals, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:31

I don't even I don't even want to answer that right now.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:33

No, yeah, no offense. Told y'all, baby.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:36

There's no telling Drew, who who would be just throw a name just for the sake of the um out of sake of my own personal needs, uh, I'll say Tyron Stokes. Oh, okay. I think actually Tyron could legitimately lead Kentucky next year in points, rebounds, assists, and maybe steals. All right, Luke, uh, thanks for coming on. Let's get we'll get to it.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:56

Thank you for having us, uh, and we will reach out. Doing good work. We're trying. We're trying. Appreciate you guys. Appreciate you. All right, have a good night. All right, okay. Who we got? Snake in the bushes. I don't know. That's why I was laughing. Now I get it. Weirdo. Weirdo. Uh so our god, seriously, Dave Baker reposted something about Ayman. Uh yeah, that was that was a fake tweet. Yeah, was it a fake? All right, all right. Well, wait till homework, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:31

Well, that's because back in the old days. Man, that's the time you get stuff done, is that Sunday night?

SPEAKER_05 1:08:37

Well, they're busy watching us, hanging out with us because we're we are the Sunday night thing right now for BBN, and we appreciate everyone hanging and watching with us. And I mean, this is again, we have the most passionate fan base. We're yeah, we love uh our Kentucky sports, our Kentucky hoops, football. Uh we got a lot of we got some toxicity. Is that the what I'm saying? But for the most part, our uh everyone, you know, our fan base means well. So Kyle says, Do we suspect some late entries in Portal? We probably touched them, but Drew, answer that for him, please.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:11

Yeah, a hundred percent there will be. There will also be guys that pull their names out of the draft as well, which is not until like four four weeks from now, I think, like the late end of May, last week of May. I'm not really gonna do the whole suspecting and trying to guess names, um, but there will be some. So we'll see. Maybe there's some good players that you know Kentucky could get in and get laid. You know, that can be huge additions. Um overseas. Yeah, yeah. I I I would say Kentucky probably will bring, I don't know, maybe one overseas player or something like that as well. I'm rooting for an age just saying, all right.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:46

So we're saying peanut butter. We can we can still flip, right? Uh, I'm not sure he didn't sign. Oh, Drew, you know, can I oh I don't know. Do I don't know. I I can't I mean, can we um is this uh something we answer or not? No, that's shut down. Yeah, that's all right. Okay, all right. Uh John Mark, do you think Stokes could go to a school like Arkansas? He would fit well with them.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:11

Bro, he could end up in Delaware. We don't know, like the guy is so secretive.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:15

I don't think I don't think Delaware has the money to pay him, but well, I I also don't see Arkansas either because they already have like two wings coming in as well with JJ Andrews and and some probably five-star guys, yeah. And they also already have Jordan Smith Jr. who's a top three player in the class two. So I don't think he would go to Arkansas, but if you're talking like a potential like Michigan or Florida or some of these Nike, you know, schools, like you know, not that they're in the mix right now, but all it takes is one phone call, and you never know if he really doesn't want to go to Kentucky or Oregon or Kansas, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:52

You know, Drew, somebody something somebody brought up earlier that Stokes played um with Johnson in the under 18 US. Yeah, the US C and Oregon was one of the schools that you know I'm saying that was recruiting Stokes. So, I mean, you know what I mean? You know, and we know that Nike money out there to Oregon.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:11

Yeah, so but he also did play, he also played high school ball with Zoom Diallo, too. So okay. Um, I don't know about leverage. Oh I just the I think it was uh I think it just was a bad look towards the program in a lot of different areas. Okay, which I think the number supposedly is about that this year, right? Supposedly. Well, I guess we'll have to see what the roster looks like, like finish-wise.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:44

But didn't we wasn't there reports though that there was other schools that actually spent more basketball last year?

SPEAKER_00 1:11:52

That was that was money spent on entire basketball operations, not just roster. So, like that could be plane flights. Uh you know, I don't know what all goes into that money. Stay dangers at Jeff Ruby's, yeah, something like that, potentially. I but I I think I think it's fair to say Kentucky definitely had the most expensive roster last year. Fair or foul on this one, Drew. Let's give my you're gonna say the name momchilovich, Milan Momchilovic from Iowa State. Six million. Six million. We might need to in a couple weeks if we can't if if Kentucky can't get some guys on the roster. But that's also a lot. He's a great player, but he's also heavily a just a three-point shooter and a post fade guy. So paying six mil for that would be a little crazy, but we might need to. I would I would pay him four to five though. But as this as this k plays out, his his numbers gonna go up, yeah. Because he's a projected first-round draft pick right now, so it's gonna take money like that to get him out.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:55

I don't get why they want to use the brand to recruit, but don't want to pay a premium. It's a job. UK is harder to do than say Florida State. Players are demanding more money, and rightfully so. Um, yeah, yes, that's the the answer is yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:10

Take taking advantage of what's happening. I mean, you know, we're we're we're gonna crap on these players for making this money and the NIL and all this kind of stuff. I've said it before, I'll say it again. You didn't say anything when CBS decided to pay the NCA$2.4 billion to broadcast the tournament when ESPN pays these conferences hundreds of millions of dollars. We didn't say anything when coaches made tens of millions of dollars. So now we get a roster with 12 guys paying, you know, getting 22 million. Now it's like this is not the sport I love. That ship sailed a long time ago. That ship sailed because Oregon, UCLA, and Rutgers are in the same conference. That ship sailed because Stanford and Cal Berkeley are in the ACC.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:50

No.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:50

So, you know, we're gonna be like, oh, these players, everybody else is getting paid. Everybody else is getting paid. And like I shared this week, and I got a lot of pushback over the last 15 years, conferences have our teams have paid out close to one billion dollars in dead contracts to coaches to not to coach anymore. If the system can support a billion dollars total, like 60 million dollars a year for coaches not to coach, they can the system can support a shooting guard making five million dollars.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:20

Right. I mean, which likely will be overpaying them, but it is what it is.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:25

I mean, yeah, it's not over, it's not overpaying. You're you are worth whatever someone is willing to pay you. If you are flipping burgers at McDonald's and you're the best burger flipper, and then Wendy's comes and says, Hey, we notice you flip burgers really well. We'll pay you a hundred thousand dollars to come flip burgers. You are worth whatever someone pays you. Like that's capitalism. We love it, except when it comes to the athletes, right? Which we all know about how much LeBron makes, how much Steph makes. Do you know the evaluation of the Golden State Warriors since Steph started playing? They went from one billion to four point something billion. Yeah, and Steph made a quarter of a billion. Yeah, like we we we look at the athletes. How much money is the SEC bringing in? Enough to pay every school$50 million. What do we what are we doing?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:10

Yeah, but I tell you what, speaking of the SEC, uh they are slowly falling behind because what is what the Big Ten has done, I'm digressing here a little bit. Men's national championship basketball, women's national championship. So it was women's UCLA, they're bringing schools in, you know, from a crazy geographic, but nonetheless, can I you football? I mean, SEC is still bogged down in the owl. All right, so we're we're we're gonna wind this down. I I do want to get some comments in and appreciate everyone hanging with us, and I'll share these comments and we'll get out of here. Drip Van Winkle, very original name. Uh, the fact that UK is relying on a BYU video coordinator to build our whoa, build our roster is the most pulp thing ever. True, you you get first dab at the yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:58

I can't really hate or disagree, I guess, on what he's saying, but I guess you know, I guess we'll see how this thing plays out. I mean, that he should have been hired in December, November, December. Instead, he was hired two weeks before the portal opens, and we just act like everything was gonna go smoothly. You just it's not a recipe for success. And I, you know, Coach Pope's made a lot of decisions in the two years he's been here that just is kind of mind-boggling. But you know, what do I know? He's the head basketball coach at Kentucky, and I'm just uh podcaster, I guess.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:30

You know, but uh Dave O Dave Pope clearly is getting the the benefit of the doubt because he's a UK former UK player, a captain of the national championship team. Okay, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:42

But I mean, it it's it's no no he he he is because of that title, because of what he did. Can't take that away from me. But at the end of the day, he's the man in charge of the Mecca of college basketball. I don't I I I don't give a damn what he did in his past. I appreciate it. Thank you. You'll get your flowers like every other coach. Thank you. But he knows that this is his uh yeah, this is make or break here. He knows this. And and and and at the end of the day, whatever he, whatever decision he makes, you know, he has to sit on it. You know what I'm saying? He ain't spinning on it yet, but he has to sit on it at this point. So so we gotta we he's he's gotta figure something out, man. Um, the patience had war way past then, and he's he's he's gotta get these dogs in here and he's gotta win. If not, it's it's time to go. I've said it over and over again, and I'm still gonna stand on that.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:30

Yeah, but what dogs are out there to get in here? That's his job to figure out. That's that's fair. All right. You know, someone was touching on the fact why why they wait so late to do homework. It's late Sunday night. What are we doing? They're kids.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:42

It's it's early if you're in college. I know, you know, way back when when I was using my stone tablets. Uh yeah, I I was waiting to the last minute. That's that's how that's how I got through.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:52

And when I was in school doing math, I was using this thing called an abacus where I would that fell. Yeah, they don't even know what abacus is, man. No, they don't even know. Uh Jordan was Jordan, unless something crazy happens, this just feels like the beginning of the end. I mean, yeah, it's it it kind of sounds like we've been doom and gloom with uh our basketball talk here, but I mean it's just facts right now. What is there a Zelda?

SPEAKER_04 1:18:16

And there's a chance, there's a chance it could break, right? Like that's why we're all here at sports. There's a chance it could break, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:18:21

I think dumb and dumber part of there is a chance, but yeah, there's a slim.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:25

It's not when we even say it is a slim chance, right? You get stokes, things turn, right? Like that's what it takes. That's what we want, that's what we want to see. That's why we're here. I think part of it is because you know the cal era ended not great, and so Pope waited into it, but that's the job, right? Like every coach that's come to Coach Kentucky has had, yes, it's the job, but they've also had a burden. Like again, Joe B Hall had to take over for Rupp, whose name's on the fucking building, right? Right, yep. Patino had to come in and clean up probation map. I remember the Kentucky Shame uh SI cover story, right? I think a lot of people forget that when uh uh Coach Cal took over, it was another five-year sweet 16 drought, right? True, yeah. Like every coach wades into it, it's up to you to figure out how to get out of it. That's the job.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:09

Yeah, uh Drefang, we're waiting for agent. I'm reading for angels because I'm agent. Um, so we got Florida, not Nike anymore. Well, it's still Jordan, it's pretty much the same thing. Uh Tam, it's just unbelievable in a situation again. I'm so targeted. We're we're yeah, we feel like misery misery loves company. Thanks for hanging with us on this Sunday night. Uh reach out to Tyler. We just read out Tyler and are seen as the portal. He's not in the portal. Who is who is this? Tyler. I mean, I admit I don't know who this is. Who is Tyler?

SPEAKER_03 1:19:40

Is it Vanderbilt?

SPEAKER_05 1:19:41

Vanderbilt. Yes, yes, yeah. He is okay. Now I know. Okay, yeah, okay. I think he's also graduated, too. Thank you so much for screwing up this whole thing. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:51

It's a different age.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:52

It's a different age. Jimmy Jam from Loyal BBN fan show. Thanks, Jimmy. How you guys doing? Like, we're uh we're doing, we're wrapping up. Come and hang with us one night, brother. Uh Trent Noah will be flipping.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:06

He's gonna he's gonna have to be playing a lot of minutes the way that this right now, yeah. Right now, yeah, he's a free man.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:13

Hopefully he don't get fatigued. Jimmy Engler, first time watching the show. Thanks. And he's subscribed. Oh, we always appreciate that. Thank you so much. People, that's another thing. I keep forgetting the shit. People watching us, please give us uh a like, a thumbs up on the show, follow us on our social media. The all the guys here, uh, we appreciate it. We we are, I don't want to sound like cocky or arrogant, but we are kind of the BBN show on a Sunday night, winding down. And you know, if uh anybody's doing shots with us on a Sunday night, they're gonna you're all gonna wake up hungover on Monday morning. All right, so we are wrapping this up. Uh 90 plus minute show. Um, let's do this. This is where people watching final shots. Everyone gets a final take, sport or non-sport. The young one, the kiddo, Drew. What you got?

SPEAKER_00 1:21:06

Final shot, but I'm gonna use my final shot to answer this last comment that was on there. This is a bad place to try to find yourself as a coach. I completely agree. I've said it when Coach Pope was hired, he probably was underqualified for the job. You hope that maybe he could just make things work, and it's not not necessarily I mean, it's working some, but it's not necessarily necessarily working the way we want it to. So we'll see. I'll use my final shot just to say, you know, I'm a Kentucky fan like everybody else. I hope the cats do great. Like, I absolutely I'm the biggest Kentucky fan in the world. You can ask anybody around me. I eat, sleep, breathe, drink everything Kentucky basketball. So like I hope that this works. I hope Coach. There's 8 billion people in this play. You mean you're the the most Kentucky? I'll put myself up there. We'll fight for it. Um, but like, you know, uh we just gotta wait and see what happens. I mean, this portal it hasn't gone the way that I hoped or expected it to go, but it doesn't mean that we, you know, Kentucky still can't get the results that they want, find the players, go win some ball games, go compete for championships. So we'll see. Um, close the deal on some real quick. Um I hate to run up.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:16

Is this true what Goodman has said?

SPEAKER_00 1:22:18

That's a crazy man.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:20

I get so tired of Goodman, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:21

Yeah, I I also like why wouldn't you want to play with Stokes though? Like at the same time, like you you you will you'll answer those uh recruiting quests for us for our questions.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:32

I hate him. All right, Davo, final shot.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:35

Yeah, I don't have a lot to say. Say a prayer for me. I got a I got a big high school prom on Friday, and then I got a gigantic wedding on Saturday. We're saying prayers for you because you you're you got a DJ prom Friday and uh have you ever got a chance to be in a room full of skip this wax surf on high school kids? I don't even think they're even gonna have the attention span of three seconds to get that done. Um, but yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be a wild weekend, so yeah, think about me, please. Jimmy, uh uh reach out to me.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:09

We'll uh we'll uh collaborate. Uh will you stop collaborating, listen? Because TV's here for his final shot rendition. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:19

I got the ice, yeah. There you go. I got the vanilla ice reference. Good job, TV. Yeah, we did.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:23

There we go. Yeah, yeah. Uh my final shot is just enjoy things. Uh, my youngest went to uh uh her junior prom this year uh on Friday, Saturday, Friday, and uh man, I don't feel old enough for that to happen, but uh just enjoy uh and take care of yourself. That's my two cents. I had my colonoscopy a couple weeks ago. Um taking my medications for my diabetes uh to me out the way to they give you a picture when they're done. Like, I really don't know what to do with this.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:54

If we don't if there's no picture to share, then it never happens.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:57

Well, at any rate, Terry, we believe, yeah, yeah. So uh yeah, just take care of yourselves and and enjoy. I know you know we kind of gripe a little bit, but life is a whole lot bigger than even the the sports that we cover. So hug your people, love your people. Uh that's my uh springer moment. I'm throwing it way back to the 90s today.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:19

My final shot, I I try to get one in every now and then. Uh Drew, last night were you were on uh with Kyle, uh their their show. It was not just Kentucky, but you all were like doing WrestleMania watching.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:31

Yeah, I'm not a wrestling guy, so I couldn't butt in much, but Randall, he was he was doing his work talking about wrestling. I was just trash we were on there for three hours again, which was fun.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:40

So I was I I'm a pro wrestler, I've been a pro wrestling fan since I was a kid, and uh you know, WWE was the only game in town for so many years because WCW got bought by WWE. I'm I'm part of I know how the the whole thing worked, but last night WrestleMania, it was a two-night so WrestleMania is going on right now, second tonight two. But last night WrestleMania, this is where WrestleMania, there was there was 82 that there was three, it was almost a three-hour show, but there was only 82 minutes of wrestling. There was so much more advertising and and just so nonsense. I'm telling you what, I hate to be a freaking mark, but yeah, I stopped watching WWE in 2018 because it the sh the it was just shit. And then there was for you wrestling fans out there, and I know there's a few in uh 2019, Cody Rhodes, Young Bucks did a show at Chicago, an independent show that sold out in 30 minutes, and that propelled AEW to basically launch in 2019, which is really the kind of the competitor to WWE. I know you WWE fans like, no, they're not competition, but WWE had a 50-year head start. Uh WWE sucks, right? Just saying it's a better production, and I'm sure it's a better production than AEW. It is better because they got they they are fucking they got the money, they got this whole, but you know what? Tony Khan, who is the owner of AEW, co-owner of Jacksonville Jaguars, they they're billionaires, they're getting this, and they got a big contract with WDB or W Warner Brothers, anyways. I'm that's my my wrestling. I love talking wrestling.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:24

What you gonna do, brother Kevin Hale? What you gonna do, brother? You got the yellow. You don't have the red, but you got the yellow. When I meet you in the squared circle, brother, and I lift you up in front of 50,000 TB maniacs, and I slam you down to the squared circle, brother. What are you gonna do with my name?

SPEAKER_05 1:26:41

What I'm gonna do is sign us out on this Sunday night.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:44

Uh to that point where we're cutting promos now.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:47

Yeah, we're cut. Uh you know what? I'm guaranteed TV can cut a promo. All right, so again, uh great stuff. We had Elijah Davo. That's that was awesome. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:58

He's he's he said he wants to come back on again in the future. So we'll get it.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:02

You know what? We'll challenge him. He'll bring on his buddies with him, his the rest of his the D line and all that stuff. It's always awesome to introduce a segment, a new segment, and we've got potentially some uh some recruits coming on. Um, yeah, you round of shots again. A touch again. Welcome, Drew. Drew is the official fourth guy of Round of Shots. Uh my budget, I can't expand anymore. For we're the four horsemen. Four horsemen the apocalypse, brother. The four horsemen of pro wrestling, the apocalypse, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:31

The wrestling references just keep going. Yeah, we get it.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:35

Welcome. You have, you know, you do talk about hard times, brother. It is all right, for Drew Tb. He's gonna look at all right, Drew TB, Dave O, Kebo signing off on this Sunday night. Thanks for everyone hanging with us. Um, we'll be back next Sunday talking Kentucky Sports. Have a good night, have a good week, peace out, go cat night. See you guys later. Have a good night.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:03

Good night.