The University of Kentucky’s rivalry with the Louisville Cardinals always delivers the goods when it comes to producing dramatic storylines.
Generations of fans on both sides of the aisle have their own unique examples of how they were passionately raised to handle the divide between the Commonwealth’s heated foes.
The bad blood has never been isolated to the hardwood, and with a local product like Will Stein taking the reins of the UK program, the stage is set for tensions to rise to all-time highs
both on and off the field.
Stein will step in where Mark Stoops left off in terms of navigating the aftermath of Vince Marrow’s departure. The once-beloved Kentucky football assistant, planting roots in Louisville, has unsurprisingly created ample opportunities for both sides to throw shade at one another. When you also take into consideration Stein’s history with the Brohm Family, the holistic picture is like something from a movie script.
On Wednesday, Jon Hale from the Lexington Herald-Leader treated the BBN to an exclusive one-on-one interview with Will Stein that produced some terrific quotes. One of the main topics of discussion was the abundance of high school talent around the state, specifically in Louisville.
“That’s the No. 1 job for us in recruiting, is to win the state of Kentucky,” Stein told Jon Hale of the Herald-Leader. “It’s about keeping the best players at home. It always will be. It always has been. When Kentucky’s at its best, it’s had great in-state talent playing for the Wildcats.”
A strong statement from the Wildcats’ new head coach, who grew up a Kentucky fan.
Hale noted that the state still has five remaining four-star uncommitted junior prospects that are up for grabs, while also pointing out that the bulk of this talent is housed in the Louisville area.
Dueling it out on the recruiting trail for homegrown talent will be a key element to each program’s success or lack thereof moving forward.
You can read Hale’s entire article with each Will Stein quote by going here.
