LIVE at Century Bank of the Ozarks we catch up with friends, find out Tye is a future Heisman voter and prep for the holiday weekend ahead!
Guests: Scott Tabor and Clay Henry!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 7-3-25
Calipari, Hardaway discuss Arkansas-Memphis charity exhibition, player reunion
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The storied Arkansas-Memphis basketball rivalry may soon return to the spotlight, as coaches John Calipari and Penny Hardaway have publicly discussed staging an exhibition game to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
On a recent episode of the Two Cents Podcast hosted by Hardaway, Calipari made it clear that he’s eager for the matchup—provided it comes with a reunion for his former Memphis players.
“You start with this exhibition, but they’re gonna have all my former players come back,” Calipari said. “I coached 50, 60 guys. I say bring them all back. Now, that encourages me to do this.”
Calipari, who led Memphis from 2000-2009, is still closely tied to the city. Under his watch, the Tigers posted a 214-68 record, made six NCAA Tournament appearances, and reached the 2008 national title game (a run later vacated by the NCAA due to eligibility issues involving Derrick Rose).
Calipari’s relationship with Memphis has sometimes been complicated, especially regarding recognition for that 2007-08 squad. In 2017, he called it “unfortunate” the team isn’t honored with a banner at FedEx Forum.
Hardaway, who took the Memphis job in 2018 and has quickly become a city favorite, sounded enthusiastic about making the game happen
“It would be great for the city, great for both programs, and even better for St. Jude,” he said on the podcast. “We’ll do everything we can to make it work.”
The Arkansas-Memphis series is one of the region’s great traditions, with the teams deadlocked at 11-11 all-time. The last meeting came in the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis, where Memphis earned an 84-79 win.
Their regular meetings from 1991 to 2003 helped cement the rivalry’s reputation.
Memphis fans agree.
“It’s more than just basketball—these games bring the whole community together,” said Tigers supporter Alicia Carter.
If the exhibition becomes reality, it could double as a homecoming for stars like Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans.
“I think it would mean a lot to the city and to the guys who played here,” Rose said in a 2021 ESPN interview. “We accomplished something special, even if it’s not in the record books.”
The charity aspect is significant. St. Jude, headquartered in Memphis, is globally known for leading pediatric cancer research and care.
“A game like this could raise a lot of money and awareness for a great cause,” said St. Jude spokesperson Kelly Schulz.
As for logistics, Calipari’s participation hinges on Memphis celebrating those former Tigers.
“Unless they’re gonna bring back my players, then I’m not gonna do it,” he told Hardaway bluntly.
While details are still being worked out, the momentum is real.
For Calipari, it’s a chance to honor his legacy and reconnect with Memphis. For Hardaway and the Tigers, it’s an opportunity to rally the community and support a world-class cause.
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JJ Bush, four-star linebacker, commits to Razorbacks over LSU, Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas landed a commitment Monday from JJ Bush, a four-star linebacker from Theodore, Ala., who chose Arkansas over SEC rivals LSU and Missouri, capping off a whirlwind of official visits.
“It was great coming to Fayetteville for the third time in my recruiting process,” Bush said, according to a report by Danny West on 247Sports.com. “I like the people around here. The players get along. It’s a culture of banding together. It’s a small town just like Mobile, but it’s better than Mobile. Like everybody comes together as a whole and as a family outside of football, so I like that.”
Bush’s decision was closely watched by recruiting analysts, coaches, and fans alike.
Entering his decision day, he was considered a lean toward LSU, but Arkansas’ defensive coordinator Travis Williams worked his recruiting magic yet again.
Williams, who’s quickly become known for his ability to connect with blue-chip prospects, now has three straight recruiting classes featuring a Top 20 national linebacker, a feat virtually unheard of in Fayetteville.
In the previous two years, Williams signed four-star Bradley Shaw out of Alabama and Tavion Wallace out of Georgia, both ranked as the nation’s 16th linebacker in their respective classes by 247Sports.
Bush, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, began his prep career as a safety before moving into the box. His athletic profile, a rare blend of speed, size, and football IQ, has made him a coveted prospect.
247Sports describes him as a “run-and-hit linebacker with an exceptional athletic profile,” noting his “outstanding range” and ability to track down plays from sideline to sideline.
That versatility was on full display during his junior season at Theodore High School, where he anchored a defense that routinely frustrated opponents.
The road to Bush’s commitment ran through the heart of SEC territory. He took official visits to Missouri at the end of May and to LSU in mid-June, each trip stoking speculation about where he might land.
It was his third and final stop in Fayetteville that proved decisive.
“Arkansas just felt like home,” Bush told local reporters after his visit. “The bond between the coaches, players, and the community is real.”
His comments echoed the growing sentiment among recruits. Arkansas, under Williams and head coach Sam Pittman, has become a destination for top defensive talent.
The commitment is significant for more than just its recruiting optics. Bush is the third addition from Alabama in this Arkansas class, joining defensive tackle Carnell Jackson and safety Keivay Foster.
He also becomes the second linebacker to commit, following Caleb Gordon of Gastonia, North Carolina, who jumped aboard after his own official visit in June.
The Razorbacks remain in the race for another key linebacker, Braxton Lindsey of Rogers, Arkansas, who’s set to decide between Arkansas and Oklahoma in the coming days.
Bush’s pledge nudged Arkansas up a spot to 22nd in the national recruiting rankings, according to 247Sports, while maintaining its standing at No. 8 in the fiercely competitive SEC.
The Razorbacks’ class now stands at 24 total commitments, with several more prospects expected to announce their decisions soon.
For Williams, the commitment marks another win in his rapid ascent as one of the SEC’s premier recruiters.
Since arriving at Arkansas in 2023, Williams has transformed the Razorbacks’ defense, improving its national ranking by a staggering 77 spots in his first season.
His ability to identify, relate to, and ultimately sign elite defensive talent has energized a program that, not long ago, struggled to keep pace with its conference rivals.
Bush’s recruitment also reflects the shifting landscape of college football. Top prospects are increasingly prioritizing culture, relationships, and long-term development over brand-name programs or local ties.
“The people make the place,” Bush said. “It’s not just about football. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself.”
For Arkansas, Bush is more than just a blue-chip addition, he’s a symbol of what’s possible when a program invests in relationships and culture. The Razorbacks’ linebacker room, once a revolving door, now boasts a mix of veteran leadership and burgeoning young talent.
This spring, Arkansas flirted with using a 3-3-5 defensive scheme, putting three linebackers on the field and underscoring the need for depth at the position.
The departures of four linebackers to the transfer portal were tempered by the arrival of recruits like Bush, who’s expected to compete for playing time early in his college career.
“He’s a four-star, and will rise in the rankings. Most people believe he is very underrated,” wrote a fan on TigerDroppings, reflecting the widespread respect for Bush’s abilities.
As the Razorbacks prepare for the 2025 season, expectations will be high for a linebacker corps that blends experience with youth.
The team’s recruiting momentum is palpable, and Bush’s decision is likely to spark further commitments in the coming weeks. For Bush, the journey is just beginning.
“I’m ready to get to work,” he said. “I want to help bring Arkansas back to where it belongs.”
Bush’s story is also a testament to the patience and persistence required in modern recruiting. With scholarship offers from programs like Florida, Michigan, Ole Miss, Miami, Kentucky, and Baylor, he had no shortage of options.
Yet it was Arkansas’ combination of coaching stability, defensive identity, and community spirit that ultimately won him over.
Ruscin & Zach July 2
The boys broadcast from the Daisy National Championships in Rogers. We discuss football, recruiting, the downfall of Red Panda, and a very toilet-centric edition of Grill Bill.
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John Calipari, Penny Hardaway, and culture shift with Razorback basketball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John Calipari reclined into the studio chair, his voice steady but animated as he spoke to Penny Hardaway on the “Two Cents Podcast.”
It’s been a whirlwind summer for the Hall of Fame coach, who’s still getting used to the red and white of Arkansas after more than a decade at Kentucky.
Calipari didn’t sound like a man weighed down by legacy. Instead, he sounded like a coach on a mission.
“I wanna help about 25-30 more families,” he told Hardaway. “And if I get to a point where I can’t have an impact because of this environment or I can’t coach the way I coach, then I won’t do it anymore. I don’t need to do this anymore. But I love doing it. I’ve got a new challenge. I’ve got another place that I can do something unique for young people and still win.”
Calipari’s motivations have always run deeper than banners or rings. For him, coaching is about transforming lives—shaping teenagers into adults, turning high school stars into NBA-ready professionals, and, as he said, “impacting young people.”
At Kentucky, Calipari’s “Players First” philosophy became a rallying cry for blue-chip recruits and their families.
The numbers back up his claims with 15 conference titles, 59 NCAA Tournament wins, six Final Fours, and a national championship in 2012. Few coaches can match his record, but fewer still have made the NBA pipeline as central to their pitch as Calipari has.
But if “winning” is a byproduct of Calipari’s approach, trust is its foundation.
“I’m gonna tell the truth,” he told Hardaway. “The reality of it is, for all of us, if you don’t have trust, you really don’t have anything. They talk about care. Well, that’s all if they know you care about them, you coach them, do what you want. But it all comes back to trust.”
It’s a philosophy echoed in his best-selling book and his frequent media appearances to build trust, tell the truth, and everything else including NBA dreams, tournament runs, even culture will follow.
“You can mold them and coach them and demand and make them uncomfortable as long as they know you’re who you say you are,” Calipari said.
That message resonates in a college basketball era where loyalty is small and the transfer portal looms large.
Arkansas, like many top programs, has overhauled its roster for 2024-25, leaning on a mix of returning talent and transfer veterans.
The Razorbacks bring back key contributors from last year’s Sweet 16 run in Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond, DJ Wagner, and Karter Knox while adding impact transfers like Malique Ewin from Florida State and Nick Pringle from Alabama and South Carolina.
To that, Calipari has stacked the No. 6 recruiting class in the country, headlined by five-star guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas, plus four-star local product Isaiah Sealy. The blend of experience and youth has raised expectations in Fayetteville, but Calipari’s focus remains clear.
“I’m not doing it at the expense of the kids,” he told Hardaway.
For Hardaway, who knows both the pressure and promise of coaching at a basketball-mad school, Calipari’s approach hits home.
On the podcast, the Memphis coach reflected on his own journey and the bond between the two men, rooted in mutual respect and the shared challenge of building programs in a volatile era.
“I look forward to future games, hopefully, with you guys,” Hardaway told Calipari, hinting at possible showdowns between Arkansas and Memphis, two schools hungry for national relevance and led by coaches who see themselves as mentors first, tacticians second.
Calipari’s culture-building is not just a matter of recruiting five-star talent. It’s about setting standards that extend off the court.
“He wants to see the Razorbacks’ feet move fast and heads move slow,” he told the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association, emphasizing poise, composure, and high standards.
The hope is that those habits take root, shaping players who are not just ready for March, but for the NBA and beyond.
“Humility is the key to continuous growth and improvement,” Calipari has said, a mantra that now echoes through the Razorbacks’ locker room.
Still, there are skeptics. Critics have long accused Calipari of prioritizing pros over banners, quick exits over continuity. He’s heard it all before and addressed it directly with Hardaway.
“There are people who say, ‘He don’t care about winning.,’” Cal said in one of his rambling way where the almost interviews himself at times. “How about most NCAA wins? How about Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Fours in there? How about league champion? But ‘I don’t care about winning.’ How good would we be if I cared about winning?”
The rhetorical question lands with a grin but also a challenge.
This balancing act between building a culture and building a winner will ultimately determine Calipari’s tenure in Fayetteville if there are enough wins.
The Razorbacks’ new roster is flush with potential, but the SEC is as tough as ever. Kentucky, Tennessee, and a surging Alabama all loom in a conference where a Sweet 16 appearance is a high bar, not a guarantee.
Calipari knows the stakes, but his blueprint is unchanged.
“Every other coach is looking out for themselves. I’m looking out for you,” he told recent recruits in a story by John Ritter Conn for The Ringer.
Off the court, Calipari’s impact is already rippling through the Arkansas community. Local coaches and fans speak of renewed energy at practices and recruiting events.
National analysts have noted the Razorbacks’ rise up recruiting rankings, and an early projection by CBS put Arkansas in the SEC’s top tier for the coming season. The transfer portal, once seen as a threat to culture, is now another tool for Calipari to mold his roster—and his culture—on the fly.
Penny Hardaway, for his part, sees the competition sharpening.
“It’s good for our game when coaches like John are pushing the envelope,” he said after their conversation.
The two coaches may be rivals, but they share a vision to create programs where trust, honesty, and development matter as much as the win-loss column. For both men, culture is built day by day, conversation by conversation, even podcast by podcast.
There’s hope for another deep March run, but more than that, there’s curiosity of what a true Calipari culture will look like in Fayetteville? Can his philosophy survive the chaos of the modern game, the lure of the NBA, and the pressure of SEC expectations?
“If I get to a point where I can’t have an impact, then I won’t do it anymore,” Calipari said.
For now, though, the impact is undeniable, the challenge fresh, and the sense of possibility as high as it’s been in years for Arkansas basketball.
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