Interview with Richie Farmer, October 9, 2018

Partial Transcript: Uh, first Richie, if you would, uh, just state your name and your years at UK.

Segment Synopsis: Richie Farmer is introduced. He describes his childhood and family life in Manchester in Eastern Kentucky. He talks about his interest in sports, his father's influence as a coach and instructor, and his father's focus on the importance of fundamentals. He talks about the coach of his high school basketball team, Bobby Keith.

Keywords: Ambidextrous; Baseball; Bobby Keith; Brothers; Children; Community; Drills; Eastern Kentucky; Entertainment; Family; Fathers; First grade; Fundamentals; Grade schools; Hitting; Influences; Instruction; Interest; Jump shots; Learning; Left-handed; Little League; Manchester (Ky.); Organized sports; Shots; Sisters; Teaching

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Childhood; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; Families.; Recreation; School sports.; Sports; Sports for children.

Partial Transcript: So then as far as high school, uh, uh, they may have changed the rule now but what grade did you start playing in the high school team?

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about the coach of his high school basketball team, Bobby Keith. He talks about being on the high school basketball team when he was in middle school, which resulted in him going to the state tournament five times. He describes the results of each of these tournaments. He talks about the honor of being named Mr. Basketball.

Keywords: 1988; 8th grade; All-Star Games; Allan Houston; Awareness; Ballard High School; Bobby Keith; Brothers; Celebrations; Eastern Kentucky; Facial hair; Finals; Focus; Freshman teams; High schools; Honors; Junior varsity teams; Kentucky Mr. Basketball; Mr. Basketball; Points; Proud; Rest; Rivalries; Rivalry; Scores; Shaving; Skills; State tournaments; Tired; Winning

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Childhood; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; School sports.; Sports

Partial Transcript: Well, you, you play Mr. Basketball then--that series.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his dream since childhood of playing basketball at the University of Kentucky. He talks about being recruited by schools like LSU, and not really being recruited by UK. He talks about thinking that UK eventually gave him an offer due to his popularity in the state from his time in high school basketball.

Keywords: Awareness; Bill Keightly; Cawood Ledford; Childhood; Children; Decisions; Dreams; Eastern Kentucky; Eddie Sutton; Fans; Heroes; High schools; Influences; James Dickey; Kentucky; Kyle Macy; Legendary; Louisiana State University (LSU); Media; Offers; Popularity; Pressures; Recruitment process; Shaquille O'Neal; Signing; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Speeches

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Childhood; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes--Recruiting; College choice; College sports--Scouting; School sports.; Sports; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Let's talk a little bit about the, uh, transition.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his transition from Eastern Kentucky to the "big city" of Lexington. He talks about some of the scandals that plagued the UK basketball team during his freshman season, including Shawn Kemp being accused of stealing a gold chain, as well as Chris Mills' father receiving a package full of money. He talks about not getting to play many minutes, especially when playing on the road, but how his popularity in the state continued. He talks about their losses that season.

Keywords: "Big city"; 1988-1989; Adjustments; Bench; Chris Mills; Crowds; Deron Feldhaus; Different; Dreams; Duke University; Eastern Kentucky; Eddie Sutton; Fans; Fathers; Freshman year; Gold chains; Home games; Impact; John Pelphrey; Johnathon Davis; Losing; Losses; Minutes; Money; Packages; Playtime; Point guards; Popularity; Rivalries; Rivalry; Road games; Rumors; Rupp Arena; Scandals; Schedules; Sean Sutton; Sean Woods; Shawn Kemp; Stealing; Stigma; Stolen; Surreal; Transitions; UK Invitational Tournament (UKIT); University of Kentucky Invitational Tournament (UKIT); University of Louisville (U of L); Win-loss records

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College choice; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Sports; Sutton, Eddie; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: So after the season, walk me through the events.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about Coach Eddie Sutton leaving and how C.M. Newton communicated with the team during the hiring process for the next coach, Rick Pitino. He talks about his own communication difficulties with Pitino, Pitino's initial attitude coming in, and how he gave a psychological test to all of the team members.

Keywords: Accents; Attitudes; C.M. Newton; Communication gaps; Eddie Sutton; Henry Thomas; Meetings; Motivation; Positive; Psychological profiles; Rick Pitino; Strengths; Teammates; Tests

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Pitino, Rick; Sports; Sutton, Eddie; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Um, you mentioned about he was real positive in that first meeting.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer describes the intensity of the practices and training under Coach Rick Pitino. He talks about Pitino's attitude and aura, as well as the rest of the coaching staff. He talks about feeling singled out and being pushed too far during conditioning which led to him going home. Coach Pitino came to visit him and they had a heart-to-heart talk and Farmer returned to UK.

Keywords: Afraid; Attitudes; Auras; Awareness; Bobby Keith; Clay County (Ky.); Coaching staff; Conditioning; Crying; Difficulty; Drills; Eddie Sutton; Game days; Hands-on; Home; In shape; Intense; Intensity; Positive; Practices; Pressing; Pushing; Quality; Quitting; Rock Oliver; Running; Scholarships; Singled out; Strength conditioning; Swearing; Training; Travis Ford; Treadmills; Unwanted; Weight; Workouts

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Physical fitness.; Pitino, Rick; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's talk--there, there was a game during that sophomore season--

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks more about the beginning of his sophomore season and the transition between Coach Sutton and Coach Pitino. He talks about the team being on probation for the scandals during his freshman season, which prohibited them from playing in the tournaments at the end of the season. He talks about the team accepting Pitino's style of play. He talks about playing in rivalry games.

Keywords: 'Negating talent'; Blame; Buying in; Commitment; Eddie Sutton; Expectations; Friends; Fun; Improvements; Jamal Mashburn; Kentuckians; Leaving; Losses; Louisiana State University (LSU); Minutes; NCAA Tournament; North Carolina; Play styles; Play time; Points; Post-season play; Probation; Rivalries; Rivalry; Roy Williams; Scandals; Scores; Shaquille O'Neal; Sophomore year; Starters; Starting; Statistics; Three-pointers; Tournaments; Turning points; University of Kansas; Win-loss records

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Physical fitness.; Pitino, Rick; Sports; Sutton, Eddie; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Yeah, let's talk about your junior year then, the '90-'91 season and you bring in freshman...

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his junior season, the incoming freshmen like Jamal Mashburn, and how he as an upperclassman prepared them for the intense training they would undergo. He talks about Bernadette Locke as the first female staff member on the men's basketball team. He talks about memorable games from that season and the effect of still being banned from post-season tournaments.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bernadette Locke-Mattox; Carlos Toomer; Coaching staff; Conditioning; Difficulty; Drills; Eligibility; Exhibition games; Females; Gimel Martinez; Helping; Henry Thomas; Impressions; In shape; Intense; Intensity; Jamal Mashburn; Jody Thompson; Jogging; Junior year; Locker rooms; Personality; Post-season play; Probation; Records; Rematches; Schedules; Southeastern Conference (SEC); Soviet Union; Strength conditioning; Tournaments; Training; University of Kansas; Upperclassmen; Win-loss records; Workouts

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Physical fitness.; Pitino, Rick; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: So now you're going into your senior year.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his expectations for his upcoming senior year. He talks about losing in the NIT to the University of Pittsburgh, which angered Coach Pitino and led to them having practice and training three times per day. He talks about UK's rivalries with Louisville and Tennessee.

Keywords: 3-a-days; Allan Houston; Expectations; Kentuckians; Losses; National Invitation Tournament (NIT); New York; Off-season; Practices; Rivalries; Rivalry; Rupp Arena; Senior year; Three-a-days; University of Arkansas; University of Louisville (U of L); University of Massachusetts; University of Pittsburgh; University of Tennessee; Win-loss records

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Physical fitness.; Pitino, Rick; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Well that sets up the, uh, regional final versus Duke.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about the regional final against Duke during which Christian Laettner made his famous last-second, game winning shot. Farmer talks about their expectations before the game, how he felt during the game, the devastation of the loss, and how he feels when remembering it now. He talks about Coach K consoling him after the game. He talks about when Christian Laettner stepped on Aminu Timberlake.

Keywords: Aminu Timberlake; Attitudes; Blatant fouls; Christian Laettner; Coach K; Conditioning; Deron Feldhaus; Devastating; Duke University; Emotions; Flagrant fouls; In shape; Incidents; John Pelphrey; Mike Krzyzewski; NCAA Tournament; Plays; Reactions; Recovery; Regional finals; Sean Woods; Shots; Stepped on; Strategy; Strength conditioning; Team captains; Timeouts; Training; Workouts

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics).; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); Physical fitness.; Pitino, Rick; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Um, not only was that your last college game but also, uh, we talked about Cawood a little bit before, that was his last broadcast--

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about how his last college game was also Cawood Ledford's last game as a commentator. He talks about his jersey, along with the other "Unforgettables," being retired at the end of their season. He talks about how having his jersey hanging from the rafters in Rupp Arena is his greatest accolade. He talks about what he hopes his legacy at UK will be.

Keywords: "Unforgettables"; Accolades; Autographs; C.M. Newton; Cawood Ledford; Clutch; Dreams; Effort; Emotional; Emotions; Last game; Legacies; Legacy; Meaning; Opportunity; Perseverance; Popularity; Proud; Rafters; Remembering; Retired jerseys; Rupp Arena; Statistics; Team players

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; College athletes; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Um, did you consider playing pro basketball at all?

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about why he chose not to try to go into the NBA and chose not play professional basketball overseas. He talks about how became involved in politics, his career as Commissioner of Agriculture, and some of the things he accomplished in that position, including the Kentucky Proud campaign.

Keywords: "Unfortgettables"; Advertisements; Books; Careers; Commissioner of Agriculture; Fathers; Germany; Holland; Home; Iceland; Investments; Kentucky Proud; Lieutenant governors; Money; National Basketball Association (NBA); Overseas; Pro basketball; Professional basketball; Rick Pitino; Successful; Tubby Smith

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; College athletes; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Kentucky--Politics and government; Politicians--Kentucky; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Well, Richie that's--I think that's all I've got.

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his relationship with Bill Keightly and Keightly's legacy. He talks about the differences in quality of high school basketball during his days and now.

Keywords: Bill Keightly; Changes; Encouragement; Friends; Fundamentals; High school basketball; High schools; Kentuckians; Legendary; Mr. Bill; National Basketball Association (NBA); Points; Quality; Scores; Skills; Turnovers

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; College athletes; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky Wildcats (Basketball team); Lexington (Ky.); School sports.; Sports; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: For our viewers, uh, watching, what's, what's going on now in Richie's life?

Segment Synopsis: Farmer talks about his current work and life. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Businesses; Careers; Golfing; Jobs; Sons

Subjects: Employment--Kentucky; Families.; Manchester (Ky.); Small business--Kentucky; Small business--Ownership