WEBVTT - 11-20-25 Wes Miller Show 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:03.480 This is the West Miller Radio Show, live from the 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:07.119 original montgomery In, brought to you in part by Skyline 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:11.440 Chili Feeling good. It's Skyline Time and the original montgomery 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:14.520 In and the montgomery In at the Boathouse, home of 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:19.160 the world's Greatest Ribs. Now, here's Dan Horde, Terry Nelson 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:22.439 and u see's head coach Wes Miller on the Home 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.720 of the Bearcats seven hundred WLW. 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:35.240 It is show time, Pretty good man, a very pleasant 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.680 good evening, everybody, Greetings from the original montgomery In, home 0:00:38.680 --> 0:00:39.880 of the world's Greatest ribs. 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:43.000 Welcome to It's the Wes Miller Radio Show. I'm Dan 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:47.080 Hort alongside former Bearcats stand out Terry Nelson and the 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:49.280 star of the show, the head coach of the four 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.320 and oh UC Bearcats. Let's here it for Wes Miller. 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.000 Appreciate the Bearcat fan here with us here tonight at 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:01.160 the original montgomery In. We've got an exciting game to 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:04.760 look forward to tomorrow night in downtown Cincinnati Heritage Bank 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:08.680 Arena six thirty tip as Cincinnati takes on the sixth 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:13.800 ranked Louisville Cardinals. Is Louisville one of the better offensive 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:16.800 teams that you face in your tenure at UC. 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:22.520 It certainly appears that way studying the tape and looking 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:25.360 at the roster in the way that they're playing. You know, 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:27.840 it's early in the year, but it certainly appears that 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:28.679 way going into it. 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:33.720 Obviously, practices have ramped up leading up into this game, 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:35.920 and they've been doing it in the progression. It's not 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:37.920 just the Louisville game, but you could you've been ramping 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:40.560 it up up until this point a little bit more 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:44.080 emphasis going into a bigger matchup. Is there a mindset 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:46.640 that you want your team to take on going into 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:48.640 this game and every game for that matter. 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:52.600 Really, Terry, I just want us to go out and 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.440 play the way that we practice and really double down 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:59.440 on the things that we practice every day, the things 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:03.560 that we believe in, you know, getting them excited for 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:06.880 a game like this, that's that's not the challenge. These 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:08.919 kids are excited. They're excited to play every time the 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:11.600 ball goes up in the air. But when you're playing 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.480 the sixth rand team in the country and a team 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:15.880 that a lot of people are picking and win the 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.519 national championship, I think there's going to be some excitement there. 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:21.040 But really just want us to double down on the 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:22.520 things that we care about and the things that we 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:23.799 value every day in practice. 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.920 Loueville is coached by Cincinnati native Pat Kelsey in his 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:29.160 second year with the Cardinals. You two have apparently known 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:30.960 each other for a long time, correct. 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:33.160 Yeah, since I was in high school. He was at 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:37.320 Wake Forest working for Skip Prosser through the recruiting process there. 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:41.240 And yeah, we've been, you know, the same coaching circles 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:43.880 for a really long time. Somebody I consider a friend, 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.920 Noah's family here in Cincinnati, comes from a terrific family, 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:50.040 really nice people that I've had the pleasure to get 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:52.959 to know. But I thin I'm sure Pat would say 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:55.760 this too. We're friends and all that kind of stuff, 0:02:55.760 --> 0:02:57.760 And I don't think it'll matter when the ball goes up, right, 0:02:57.800 --> 0:02:59.799 I think both of us, our competitors are going to 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:01.440 want to explain. 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.040 What the grind is like, because neither one of you 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:07.120 were an associate or head coach at a major program 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.160 and walk into a major program. You had to grind 0:03:09.200 --> 0:03:11.920 your way up from the bottom, build programs up in 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:13.960 order to get to the place that you are right now. 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:16.440 What is that like for both of you? Guys. 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:18.760 Yeah, I mean, I don't I can't speak for him, 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.960 but gosh, I mean, you know, we scrimmaged against each 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:23.760 other back when he was at Winthrop and I was 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.320 at Greensboro, and that seems like ages ago now it 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.079 wasn't that long ago. And then we played against each 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:33.600 other once during COVID I think when he was at 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:35.680 went through and then he went on to Charleston and 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:38.000 did a nice job there. Now Louisville and I came here, 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:41.720 but yeah, we were Division one head coaches down and 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.640 basically the same area. He was in rock Hill, South Carolina, 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:47.720 which a couple hours from where I was in Greensboro, 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:49.720 North Carolinas for a long time, and like you said, 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:51.960 we had known each other long before we were both 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:52.560 head coaches. 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.400 What's the difference between North Carolina and South Carolina? 0:03:56.480 --> 0:04:00.560 That'd be besides the border. I don't want to get 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:04.600 any trouble this to night. You know, There's some things 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:06.600 I could say, but I'm gonna keep it mild tonight. 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:09.360 But there's there's a lot of difference. Actually, but rock Hills, 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:12.800 South Carolina, Okay, if we're gonna get into geography tonight, 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:15.920 that's a suburb of Charlotte, so they can in some 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:19.000 ways claim Charlotte North Carolina. There's a lot of differences 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:20.279 between the two states, for sure. 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.080 When Tanel said what's the difference between North Carolina and 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.000 South Carolina? I thought it was the set up to 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:26.560 a joke. I thought there was going to be a 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:26.960 punch in. 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:34.520 What's the difference between Southern California and Northern California? 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:37.440 So you guys are stronger in Southern California. Just you know, 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:38.680 you're about our business. 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.000 We got those knuckles, we don't we don't have to 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.160 pull the stuff out. I'm just saying, ask Corey Blunt, 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:46.240 who's in the audience. 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:46.960 Over here, Yes he is. 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:52.320 So you have a McDonald's All American freshman on your roster, 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.440 and Seanna Bayev and Louisville has one in MIKEL Brown 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:59.760 was taking a look at ESPN mocked NBA draft for 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.360 next year, and he's projected to be the sixth pick 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:04.920 in next year next year's draft. I know you saw 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:08.680 him play in international competition this past summer. Tell us 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.920 a little bit about their young freshman mike Kel Brown 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:12.880 in coaching. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:14.479 I think a lot of us have seen him play 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:16.200 for a long time, because it feels like he was 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:21.159 playing on the Adidas circuit in the seventeen and under 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.800 bracket when he was like fourteen. I mean, seriously, he's 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:27.040 one of the youngest players I ever saw play at 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:30.600 that stage in grassroots basketball. So he's been a guy 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:33.279 that we've been familiar with, all of us in coaching 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:35.279 for a long long time because you saw this guy 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:38.240 out there at thirteen, fourteen, whatever, he was years old 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:41.039 playing against the best players, and there were three or 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:43.840 four classes ahead of him, and he always stood out. 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:47.920 And now he's not the guy that's, you know, shorter 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:51.880 and skinnier than everybody. He's a six to five guard. 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:55.720 I watched him with the U nineteen US team win 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.080 a World championship this summer. I was over there recruiting 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:00.559 in Switzerland, and I thought he was the best player 0:06:00.560 --> 0:06:04.520 in the entire event. He's a terrific player. I think 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:07.520 anybody that watches watched Louisville play, or will watch him play, 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:10.200 will see all that. And so he's a guy that 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:11.279 will have to do a nice job on. 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:15.760 The mar Without giving away your scouting report, obviously, there's 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:19.240 some things that stood out in your initial assessment of 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:21.240 how are you going to attack this team? What are 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:23.160 some things that what is one thing that stood out 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:25.840 about this team that you said, man, we gotta we gotta, 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:27.440 we gotta get a handle with this or else it 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:28.200 can be a long night. 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:31.560 Yeah, there's quite a bit. I mean, I think you 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.280 look at they might be the number one ranked offense 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:38.440 on ken Pom right now, you don't. You don't have 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.600 the best analytical offensive numbers in the country. If there 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:44.200 aren't multiple things right, it's it's not that simple. But 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.280 the way that they shoot the ball is very dangerous, 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:49.880 and it's it's not just you know, one or two 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.839 guys that their whole team shoots it. I said this 0:06:52.960 --> 0:06:55.880 on on the radio. Again this is out of out 0:06:55.920 --> 0:07:02.640 of the compliment, but they have four peri players, all 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.000 guards that if on I think they could be on 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:07.280 almost any other team in the country and they'd all 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:10.120 be the number one option on that team. And they 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:13.920 have four of them all right, So not just the shooting, 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:16.720 but the playmaking it stands out there. They're great in transition, 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.480 they're great when they get an offensive rebound at getting 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:22.600 to that three point line quickly. But there's a number 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:24.360 of things that make them good, which is why they're 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:25.960 having such success to start the year. 0:07:26.720 --> 0:07:30.480 This is the one hundred and first meeting between Cincinnati 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.240 and Louisville. Over the years, it's been an awesome rivalry. 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:37.120 You'll play this year at Heritage Bank Center, next year 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:40.680 at Freedom Hall. Would you like this to be an 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:41.800 annual thing? 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:46.920 Yeah, I think so. I think you know, Listen, I've 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:51.080 talked about or non conference scheduling many times. We want 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:55.480 to play quality opponents. We want to play in great 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:59.320 atmospheres in front of our fans here in Cincinnati or 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.040 on the road. We want to make sure we test 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:03.800 our team early in the year. We want to make 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.880 sure we have the opportunity to build the tournament resume. 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.920 Louisville checks all those boxes, and then you add that 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:13.920 there's history here with the two programs, going back to 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:16.040 the Metro days or when I was growing up, the 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.600 Conference USA days. So I think it does make a 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:20.840 lot of sense, and it's something we'll try to continue, 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:22.240 at least on the Cincinnati end. 0:08:22.520 --> 0:08:24.480 You get to have time regardless of the score. 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:29.640 How do you know your team is playing Cincinnati Bearcat basketball? 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:30.120 Yeah? 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:32.679 I think for us, it's all the things that you 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:37.320 can do to evaluate effort first, you know, like the 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:40.800 effort and the toughness plays. Some of that you can 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:43.319 tell with the eye. I think you guys all know that. 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:46.560 I always think that, like the plays on the ball 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:48.760 are the ways that you can see it the way 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:52.240 we stat and whether that's blocks or deflections or steals 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:54.920 or loose balls or we call like chess to the 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:59.600 ball plays. You know those those you know you can't 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:03.000 play and have a significant amount of plays on the ball, 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:06.240 so that goes hand in hand. I think that the 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.240 rebounding is an area that you can always kind of 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:11.560 tell that that'll be a big thing to watch. They're 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.280 a good rebounding team. We want to be a great 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.280 rebounding team. So those are some of the areas, But 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:19.000 there always is an eye test, like we had to 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:22.120 play in our last game against Mount Saint Mary's where 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:25.199 there's like a fifty to fifty ball bouncing on the 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.280 floor and Dade Thomas just kind of ate the floor 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:30.320 up with his chest eight feet away. Yeah, and I 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:32.840 think those are the plays that tell you whether you 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:35.680 came to compete or not, and who's making those plays. 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.920 I know Louisville's a team that's gonna they're gonna value 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:40.920 those things too, and they're gonna want to make those plays. 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.440 We're gonna want to make those plays. Who's winning that battle, 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:44.520 I think is very important. 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:47.680 It's the Paracats against the Cardinals tomorrow night at six 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:51.679 point thirty again at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati. 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.000 Will take a time out, it's more with Coach Miller 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:56.600 when we continue. This is the West Miller Radio Show. 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:58.560 We're live with the original Montgomery Yeah, and the whole 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:06.200 of the World's Greatest Rips on seven hundred WLW. We 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:08.320 are back at the original Montgomery in home of the 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:11.079 World's Greatest Rips and the West Miller Radio Show here 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.600 on news Radio seven hundred WLW. Getting you set for 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:18.600 Cincinnati versus Louisville tomorrow night at six thirty. The Bearcats 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:21.080 have another home game on Monday night. We've got bear 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:24.120 Cat football coming up on Saturday night at eight o'clock 0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:26.920 against BYU. So it's going to be a very busy 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.600 next few days for UC sports fans. I'm gonna talk 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:33.720 a little bit about Dade Thomas and his shooting two 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:36.840 years ago wasn't very good from outside the arc. Last 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:40.240 year he was good pushed his numbers up over forty 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:44.040 percent so far this year in four games two for five, 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.920 four for seven, two for three, three for three. That's 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:50.400 sixty one percent. Number one in the Big Twelve. Now, 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:52.880 he's not going to shoot sixty one percent for the year. 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:57.080 But how did he go from being not very good 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:00.400 two years ago to being outstanding now? 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:05.439 Well, I think number one his two years ago, the 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.839 year you're referencing, he was a first year Division one 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.560 player and a first year Big twelve player. Right, He's 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:16.160 coming from junior college and that's not as big of 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.480 a transition some you know, we got people in this 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.280 in the room here that played junior college basketball. That's 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.280 different than high school, but it's still a major transition. 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:27.640 And so he could shoot it in junior college. He 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:30.360 went to the junior college National Championship when he was 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:34.640 playing for Kilgore, and and he could shoot it. Then, 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:36.680 he could shoot it his first year here. But I 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:39.360 think a couple of things. One he needed to settle 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:41.640 into the level and the difference in the game. And 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:44.040 then two, he's he works like crazy, guys like he's 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:48.559 absolute machine, lives in the gym. He was one of 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:50.280 those guys early on we had we had to make 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:52.839 rules about not letting him in the gym too much 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.400 to get him off of his feet. Seriously, Oh, no question. 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:59.080 Sean of BIA's like that now. Like I FaceTime Sean 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.720 a couple of last night, I face timed him to 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:03.240 check in on him. I was sitting in my office 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:05.600 and I'd been hard on him in practice, and I 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:07.800 face timed him to check in on him, and he 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:09.640 didn't answer the face time, and I said, well, there's 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:14.000 only two explanations. He's either sleeping or he's in the gym. 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:15.240 So I walk down to the gym and he's in 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.160 there shooting. I mean, we've had the he's in there 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:20.400 too much. Dade was like that, but I think Dada's 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.200 work ethic and then obviously adjusting the level. I mean, 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:26.679 it's cool to watch a guy for a three year period. 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:30.760 Mastapha Chim's a guy that has been outstanding in the paint, 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:31.560 patrolling the paint. 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:33.080 His offensive game has gotten better. 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:36.160 Two years ago or last year, he shot sixty seven 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:37.480 percent from the free throw line. 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:40.120 This year he's got off to a slow start at. 0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:43.480 Forty eight percent. Is it technique or is it just 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:47.040 a different feel? Like, what is the issue with not 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:49.080 getting the rhythm so far early in the season. 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.760 Well, I think, you know, first off, he's getting to 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.920 the free throw line, which I'm really happy with. Correct 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:59.360 he's getting fouled. You know, he's a guy that in 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:01.400 his I wouldn't even call it a freshman year. He 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:03.760 was supposed to be a high school senior year last year. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.120 But he was really young last year playing at this level, 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:09.719 and he was floating around a little bit. And we've 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:11.920 asked him to really try to take that seven to 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.920 two frame, which he's added twenty some pounds too, and 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:19.520 being packful physically in the box on every possession. It's 0:13:19.559 --> 0:13:21.839 not where I want it to be yet, but he's 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:24.600 improving there and you can see him getting fouled getting 0:13:24.600 --> 0:13:26.800 to the free throw line. He'll make. She's a good shooter, 0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:29.640 he's got terrific touch. He's actually a very good three 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:33.439 point shooter. I've really asked him not to be out 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.040 there shooting as much that I want him at the rim. 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:38.360 I want the presence in the box, but there is 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:40.839 going to be some opportunity for him to get out 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:42.839 and stretch and shoot threes. I say all that because 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.080 he can shoot, So I'm not worried about what it 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:48.040 says after a couple games. I think over a significant 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:50.160 period of time, his shooting numbers will be just fine. 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:53.360 He's put on good weight since coming to Cincinnati. Kirk 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.280 Crisa has reduced his weight. He had a foot injury 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.920 last year at Kentucky's hard to exercise, gained a few pounds. 0:14:00.440 --> 0:14:01.840 He's in tip top shape. 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:02.040 Now. 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:03.880 How has that impacted his defense? 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.160 He was in the weight room that they're showing his 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:07.719 abs off to everybody. 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:10.360 I remember those days. 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:12.440 I was going to say something you will never see me. 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:14.760 Do You never have to worry about walking into the 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.600 pitness room and a hotel that we're at and being 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:19.360 exposed to that. I can promise you. 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:21.320 It's because when I walk into the hotel we're at, 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:23.200 I see you at the at the bar drinking. 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:26.680 I pa or possible guilty as Joe. 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:33.320 But no, he's he had a good summer. You know, 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:35.240 A curse said it. I want to have a great, 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.840 a great senior year. I know I need to commit 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:42.040 myself to my work and to my body. And I 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.280 think it started. It didn't happen here recently. It started 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:47.200 this summer and and Mike Rayfelt is the right guy. 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:49.120 If you want to commit yourself, he can give you 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.680 the right plan. So yeah, those two did nice job 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:53.320 working together. 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:55.840 You know, you got one of the premier defenders. And 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:56.760 Sincere Harris. 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:01.320 How do you keep him on the floor without filing 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:05.440 and in ways that are not necessarily him you know, 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:07.400 meeting at the rim or whatever, it's like in the 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.440 back cord, he's going for his steel. How do you 0:15:09.520 --> 0:15:11.560 keep him on the floor because he's impactful when he's 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:12.000 in the game. 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.600 Yeah, I think with Sincere or but you know, we 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:19.560 call him buck or he wants to be called Buck. 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:22.400 I think so we call him Buck. But I think 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:27.640 with him, there's it's it's a delicate act. You can't 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:31.360 take away his aggression, like he needs to be he 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:35.280 needs to be himself. He's a bearcat man, like you 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:37.880 got to let him go out there and make his 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:40.680 mark on both ends, and he needs some freedom to 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.840 do that. So we give him some freedom defensively to 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:45.720 do things we wouldn't let other guys do. And I 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:48.720 think over time that's gonna pay dividends. Same thing offensively, 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:52.000 he's so important to our attack and transition. He's so 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:55.480 important downhill. He's worked really hard on his shots, so 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:57.200 he'll be able to make the good ones this year. 0:15:57.280 --> 0:15:59.120 I think over time they'll have to guard him a 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:02.400 little more than they have in the past. But he's 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:04.680 got to continue to be able to have that aggression 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.880 and that freedom and continue to get more disciplined, right 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:10.480 so to do it without fouling, without getting beat, sometimes 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.360 taking too many chances, to be as aggressive as he 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:15.920 can be on offense, but continue to get better with 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.960 his decision making. I think that's that's the conversations that 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:19.800 him and I are having. 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:24.560 I prefer the Bucks stops here to Buck team now. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:28.240 I love it for his defense. I'll say this about him. 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:31.680 He is fearless. Yes, that's one word that stands out 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:32.880 about his play on the court. 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.640 Oh yeah, there's yeah, there's there's uh, he's not he's 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:39.560 He's definitely fear That's a great way to say it. 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:41.680 I could say other things, but that that's probably pretty 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:42.000 good there. 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.280 Dan Georgia Tech had Carl Brown back in the day 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.400 with Lead the weapon three guy came off the bench. 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:48.520 He was the defensive Stalworth. None of the guys in 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:50.840 the Star lineup can play defense. He came in the 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.080 game and changed the momentum. I know you like the 0:16:53.160 --> 0:16:54.320 historian part of me, Dan, but. 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:55.560 I love those leads. 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:57.720 One of those guys, I like that lead at the 0:16:57.760 --> 0:16:59.960 Weapon three team. Yes, that was also Kenny Anderson. 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.160 Yes for good, Scott, yes good. 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.680 So. In the win over Mount Saint Mary's last Sunday, 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:08.720 Tyler McKinley played very briefly. He was having a little 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:11.600 knee discomfort and nothing that was thought to be too 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:12.520 serious going forward. 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.280 But how is he doing. He's done well, He's practiced 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:19.520 the last two days. Looked like himself again. I'll tell 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.000 you what. When Tyler says, hey, I don't feel right, man, 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:25.520 I react to that, and I think our entire staff 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.119 and our training staff does because he's the guy that 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:31.000 overdoes it. You know you've been you guys have both 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:34.600 been in practice. I mean he's hyperactive and he tries 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:36.280 to do everything you ask. As a coach, if they 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.240 were all like Tyler McKinley, coaching would be really easy, guys. 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:41.800 I mean he's the easiest guy to coach. Anyways, when 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.879 he said that, that concerned me. But I think he's okay. 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:46.200 I think he's had a nice couple of days of 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.160 treatment and then had a good couple days of practice. 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:50.320 You got a guy and Boba Miller that has so 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.520 many talents and abilities, it's like you have to choose, 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:56.000 how are you going to use him? Because he rebounds 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:59.560 the ball so well, he's fantastic in transition, he's an 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:03.880 excellent passer. It's almost like, Okay, we can put him 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:06.520 on with different lineups, but how do we feature him 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:09.480 and not over use him in certain situations. 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:13.800 Yeah, I've said this a lot in the summer in 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.240 the fall, and I think we're still in this process. 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.840 But Baba is one of the most unique players that 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:23.920 I've ever been around, because he can do everything. But 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.040 that that can be tricky because if you if you 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.159 let him or you set it up where he's just 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:33.719 out there doing everything, then he's never doing anything excellent. So, like, 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:37.480 what are the areas that we can choose to focus 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:40.040 on and put him in those positions and work in 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:42.400 this skill development every day that he can do over 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:45.000 and over and over again, because you can get caught 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:49.119 into there's nothing he can't do. And again that we 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:51.400 did this thing in the summer that Bob and I 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:55.280 kept saying Okay, every two weeks, we're gonna do something 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:57.400 completely different, because I just want to see I want 0:18:57.400 --> 0:18:59.480 to see what it looks like. Except for two weeks 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:03.760 of practice, he'd play this position and he would have 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:05.600 these rules, and then we'd go two weeks of practice 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:07.400 and we do something different. In every two weeks, I'd 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:09.760