It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee.
So I rarely get feedback when it comes to how I let you know.
That we're getting this thing started right.
I think it was a couple of weeks ago I mentioned got I gotta keep it fresh, get creative. Other than saying, hey, let's let's ride, let's get it started. Here, we go go time here and there, we'll throw in the allow me to enter your ears or we're here, we're in your ears. And there was one person who let me know on Twitter that they don't they don't like that, and I get it. It does kind of sound like I'm violating you and I would never do that,
but I get what you mean. But then there's somebody that quickly responded to that person that said, no, they like it. So you know, we're here. We are Coffee and Company, Nick Coffee, Austin Montgomery. You guys, we're all here. We're riding for the next two hours and we're gonna have some fun. So apologies if I've, if i've you know, seemingly made you feel like I violated you by letting you know that I'm in your ears, but I'm also
just telling you the truth. If you're listening to this right now, in one way or the other, you know where I'm at. I'm in your dome.
You know.
You know how I got there through your ears. It's just me.
You know.
If anything is just the hard truth. But do you feel dirty, then that's something that little soap can fix.
Yeah.
I mean, like, look, I think any you may not realize it now, but this experience for you, me being in your ears is only going to make you better. It's only gonna it's only going to going to enhance your life. Sure, So therefore, you know, just just keep that in mind. But it is coffee and company. We got two hours left. As you could expect, a lot of talk so far about what happened last night, Louisville
winning once again. And I wasn't worried about Forest, but I and it wasn't like I wanted to be worried about Wake Forest. I was kind of doing some mental gymnastics leading up to this game with Louisville having a week off, because I feel like Wake was good. I don't think they're elite. I thought Louisville was better, and they certainly showed that last night, but it was you know, I feel like it's just for me, and I can
only speak for myself. What's made this unusual for me isn't Mostly it's the bigger factor that just kind of you know, has me thinking like is this real?
Is no longer? Hey?
Is this team like really good? Because I think they are? Am I getting my hopes? Sub Could they be that good? Because I think they are. Again, we'll never know until we see how far they go. And here's here's the reality, folks. They could lose, right, They could end up they could end up bowing out in like the first round if they're a four or five seed, and you know what, that'd be really tough to take. And you know what, they'd be criticized and the ACC would get a lot
of heat for how bad they are. But you know what, it wouldn't prove that they weren't good. They could just have a bad game. And I'm not trying to set anybody up for that. I'm just saying like, we'll never know, but I'm content in my belief that this is actually a good team, and I believe that they continue to do what they've been doing now for a month. They'll be able to potentially find themselves in the second weekend
of the NCAA tournament. What's got me kind of just, you know, feeling weird and not knowing what to think is the acc itself. I don't believe the league is as bad as it's been made out to be by some, but I also can't deny that it's substantially down compared to what it usually is. And what frustrated me so much about wake Forest is the reason. Louisville won by double digits last night, led by twenty nine against and by the way, some people have been like, well, they
shouldn't have let up. I'm sorry if you think that Louisville falling in the net after beating a fifteen and five team that, to be honest with you, had a better resume than you their wins. I mean, they got a better win than Louisville has right now. They do their way against Michigan is a better win than any that Louisville has. That's not I'm not saying that because
I'm doubting that that Louisville's good. I'm just I mean, resume wise, Michigan is a better win than any lot when the Louisville has and honestly their losses are good as well. Louisville's, I guess, got the better resume when it comes to losses, which just sounds weird to say, but like Louisville should have been able to beat a team who was fifteen and five with a good resume by double digits and not fall on the net rankings, and they did because wake Forest is just I mean,
they're incompetent scheduling. The way they did it hurt the league, hurt wake Forest, and you know last night it technically it hurt Louisville. See, yeah, they could have, they could have stayed locked in in one by forty, but like you shouldn't have to do that, and it was so easily avoidable. That's just what frustrates me. So Wake I think they're pretty good. Now, how good I don't know. And here's somebody asked me this on the text line yesterday and I didn't get a chance to get to it.
But the question was, what's best case scenario the NAA tournament for Louisville the rest of the way, meaning like what should we root for the rest of the regular season within the ACC for the league to get as many teams in and get the best seeds they possibly can get. And I mean, I think right now Duke Louisville safely and Clemson is too.
Clemson's now doing what Louisville did right.
They are a good team with no bad losses, and they're taking advantage of the league being what it is now. Their loss to South Carolina is probably not a good loss, but you know what, they beat Kentucky. That's a good win for him. So Clemson, Louisville, and Duke. I just don't see a scenario where those teams don't make it. Clemson, I'm sorry, not Clemson, but Wake they should be in.
They absolutely should be in, because I mean, the resume is only flawed, meaning they're in the seventies in the NET and the Ken Palm because of who they scheduled in the non conference and that was so easily avoidable. And again, I know people yell at me when I say this because they think the system's flawed. You're right, but the system is what the system is. We can't control that. It's actually been the same for many years now. So choosing to play five of the worst teams in
college basketball was avoidable. You could have played teams ranked in the two hundreds or the one eighties and up, and you probably would be sitting in like the forties or fifties in the net. And you know what, if that's the case, you're not only in, you're not even on the bubble. So it is stupid that it's like that. That's a flawed way of doing it, but that's how
they do it. You can't change that. And when you know how it works, and you either intentionally or you're just too big of a dumb ass to like know what you gotta do, that's your fault and it's now hurting the ACC.
So I would say, Pitt.
Winning last night against Carolina, I don't know what that did, meaning like, I don't know if that Like SMU, I think has a SMU is gonna be the most bubblicious team unless they fall apart because they I mean, I guess technically SMU could could get a win again a Duke or even a Louisville like Louisville will host them, I believe, or no, they don't play a SMU twice.
So SMU they're sitting at fifteen and five. Again, no bad loss, and they I guess technically don't have a good win, so maybe Again that's why I believe they're going to be about as bubbleish as as possible. So they'll play Pittsburgh, They'll play Clemson, and those are really their opportunities meeting SMU.
So if they beat the.
Teams they're supposed to beat, and then they lose to the teams that are going to be favored against them, that are expected to beat them, like Clemson and like pitt I think they're going to be absolutely on the bubble. Carolina is the team that I just don't know what they're gonna do with. And I'll be honest with you, I feel like Carolina broke down last night. I thought Carolina. I mean, Jay Williams did a great job last night.
And I'm not just saying this because we're boys now, you know, but he did a good job show exactly. He did a good job of acknowledging something that I feel like he noticed as a player that maybe a lot of guys wouldn't have in his position as a broadcaster.
Because it's a tight.
Game, you're down four points, with two minutes left, and Carolina I think because they've lost so many close games, and because they've just had a rough season where they come up short against good teams, and because maybe they don't.
Have a great coach.
They just had they had the body language and everything about their demeanors screamed that they had accept the defeat.
Where pitt they're locked.
In, right, they're huddled, they're into it, and I think Carolina just they kind of broke down. So they end up losing last night. That certainly helps Pittsburgh. I think they were already ahead of Carolina seemingly when it comes to the tournament. But Carolina also losing a close game at home to pitt But you just can't keep like, you can't be thirteen and nine and claim you belong
in the tournament. Now again they have all losses against well, they don't actually I lied, because their loss against Wake is not a great loss. They lost to Stanford like not a good loss. Everybody else that's beat them is. I mean, they've got loss. This is what's crazy about this Carolina team. Before they lost to Stanford on the eighteenth of January, their losses were to Kansas by three got beat by Auburn by double digits, who's number one
in the country in the Kent Pom. They got beat by Michigan State in overtime, who, by the way, has the second longest winning streak in the country. Their top fifteen team looked like they're in the driver's seat for the Big ten. Alabama, who is a top ten team. They played them relatively competitively. They lost by six to a good Florida team who's number four in the Kent Pom.
And then Louisville got I mean, Louisville wasn't in a great position as far as the numbers at that time, but they're clearly looking it doesn't look like a bad loss now losing the Louisville at Louisville, and then now they've lost three out of four where they lost to Stanford, Wake and Pitt and then they beat Boston College, a bad team in overtime. So I'm to the point now where I just don't expect Carolina to make it. So I think, to answer your question, best case scenario four.
The acc is is that.
I would say three teams look like they're gonna get in, and it probably won't be something they have to sweat out. As far as where they get seated, that's that's anybody's guest. I think where you look at Lenardi and Jerry Palm and the others that do bracketology, I'm trusting not that they know because they don't know, they're not on the committee, but I think they're right as far as where they're
seeding some of these teams. But the teams that I think are going to be on the bubble, but you really just don't know if they're going to make it or not. It's going to be SMU and Wake Forest. And if Wake doesn't make it, they got nobody to blame with themselves because of their non conference schedule. Now if they slip up and start losing to bad teams,
it's a different conversation SMU. You know again, I mean it's going to be really at the mercy of the committee or maybe what they do in the ACC tournament.
So again, like.
I can't line say that the acs that I believe the ACC is going to get a certain amount of teams in and they're going to prove everybody wrong, because I just don't believe that. But I think in the at the end of the day, if you have three teams that all get in and they're all top six or top five seeds, because Clemson getting a five seed is realistic. And if you've got three teams in the top five seed lines, that's not something the ACC as a league should brag about because.
Again it's the ACC.
However, I mean, you'll look around the country and again the SEC is on steroids this year. But outside of that, I mean, let's be honest, you look at let's see the other conferences out I mean, like the Big East. I mean, Yukon has a word Like Yukon doesn't have a good resume, I wouldn't necessarily be signing up to play Dan Hurley. But like the Big East is not much better than the ACC. Like Marquette, Saint John's, Creighton and Yukon are the only teams that look safely in
the tournament. That's one more than the ACC has, and I think they've got a bigger fall off like teams teams like Nova and Xavier and Providence, they're not going to the tournament. I guess Xavier could. But other than that, like you know, the Big East is not that much different than the ACC. But then there's a big gap.
I think when you get to the other conferences, like the Big Ten, I mean, I don't know how loaded they are at the top of Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland's playing some really good ball, and then UCLA, Right, they lost four in a row, look to be dead, and now they've won four in a row, and I'd be shocked if they don't make the tournament. So I
think every every top league is, you know, their strengths different. Right, the SEC is just stupid loaded, meaning they got a ton of good teams in their top tier. Could all be Final four teams and nobody would be shocked. I'd say the Big Twelve they're also, I guess, kind of in that same in the same tier as far as depth, like the Big Twelve has Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, I mean, even Arizona's got it rolling now eight and one in the league. Texas Tech's having a really good season in
year two of Grant. I can't think of his last name. So Baylor, though they're down, like Baylor's looking like a bubble team. Kansas continues to struggle and has more losses than they typically do this time of year, but they're in the tournament. So you know, I have no issue with anybody claiming that the AC sees down and it's weak. But I do think if you look at really the Big East.
And maybe even like maybe even the Big Twelve, like it's.
It's I understand why people claim it's a better league, but I don't know if it's miles ahead of the ACC like some may may think. All right, real quick, let's go to the text line because this is a really good text that came in and we are going to talk coming up here before too long with doctor Larry Benson proriea physical therapy. He'll join us around four thirty. And also if if you want to give us a call, if you're on hold, stick with us. I promise you
we'll get to you. But Austin, I want you to listen to this text because this hit me. Hit hit me in the heart. Okay, it almost like it was me saying it, because I think this is an absolutely spot on observation that somebody put into words maybe better than I could, because I think it's on the spot on. So this says Nick, I'm a transplant, lived in Louisville for seventeen years. What transplant? Oh yeah, trans meeting. They lived elsewhere now they're here.
Oh OK.
But they could be the other. They could be I don't know what they are. I don't know what they identify as. But I think when he says transplant, he means he didn't grow up here, but he lives here.
Well, he's equal to me.
He lived in Louisville for seventeen years. But I'm originally from the Midwest. I've enjoyed learning about these fan bases as an unbiased listener of sports talk radio in this market. One thing you've said that I never hear anybody else say that is absolutely true is that both sides really do the same thing point fingers in regards to obsession, but both are always paying attention to the rival things they'd criticize the other for doing. They defend their program
for the same thing. You're spot on. But one thing that has become very obvious from an objective view is that Kentucky fans are rare and unlike any they'll ignore their team's success to obsess over their rival. No better example than last night than beating Tennessee. And I seem to see more Kentucky fans talking about Pat Kelsey not being deserving of Coach of the Year. I mean, one, I think there's a reason I've said that for a
long time, Like that's how the rivalry works. It's petty things you'd criticize your program, or things you'd criticize your rival for doing or make fun of them for. You would find a way to accept it and defend it because it's your team. That's not a crazy thing to point out. I think it's pretty obvious. It's because we I mean, that's our team. We're gonna we're gonna ride or die with them, right, and if it's your rival, you'll find anything to take a job at it, because that's how it works.
That's what makes sports great.
So I've always said that, and yet I don't know if I'm the only one that says it, but you know, to me, it's pretty obvious. But one thing that I like, here's how I view it when it comes to Kentucky fans and Louisville fans and who's more obsessed with the other. Another thing that I'd rarely hear anybody else say that I think is rather obvious and it doesn't need to be something we have to shy away from acknowledging. They have way more of them than us. They are a
humongous fan base. We are not, and that's okay. I've never once felt like we needed to have as many of them to be equal, or to be as good, or to compete or any of that. And it's really not even a debate. They have a ton. You can go to the moon, you'll probably run into somebody wearing a Kentucky shirt, and they'll probably tell you that they're a Kentucky fan, even though you already saw them wearing gear. They'll probably just assume you're a Louisville fan and throw
L's down. That's just how they operate. So both sides are obsessed. But I think with Kentucky is there's just so many of them. Therefore it seems as if they are more. But I mean, I guess technically by definition, it would mean that they're a little bit more, a little bit more you know, obsessed. And here's what's here. Here's what he said at the end is what made
me read this. I usually would have just wrote back and said thanks, because I don't want to act like I'm being self serving here but if you go to any college basketball account on social media Facebook, Twitter, x, go to the comment sections of websites if that still exists, and you see any any writer, any analyst praising Pat Kelcey, maybe mentioning that they think he's done a good job and should be a candidate for Coach of the Year.
I am not kidding if you do that and you go find that, which is pretty easy to find, because they're gassing up our boy Pat Kelsey as they should. The majority of the responses that you will see are Kentucky fans upset about it and wanting Pope to beget to be getting the same love. And last night it was noticeable. I mean I was a few beers in having a good you know, just feeling good. I'm in the recliner watching hoops. My team got another good win.
I'm feeling good, and I you know, I now love getting into the weeds on Twitter to see everybody nationally that covers college basketball gassing up this Louisville team and talking up Pat Kelsey.
Oh yeah, and it's it's it's so in.
Your face that the majority of the like the I think there's more people talking about Pat Kelcey online that are Kentucky fans than anybody else because they're just so triggered. And what I don't understand is why, Like I mean, it's one thing if you just disagree. And by the way, pack Mark Pope is still getting more love for that award than anybody else. And I have no problem with it. I think he's done a great job. But they are, they're so triggered by it, and that's what I don't
really understand. And last night they got I think, the most impressive win that they have up to this point with Mark Pope, without Lamont Butler on the road at Tennessee. We had somebody pointed out earlier that may be the most valuable win anybody has beating a Tennessee team at their place. Maybe they end up losing more games in lead play at home because the SEC is that loaded.
But they instead of just enjoying that, they're on the internet battling, fighting, wanting to hold people accountable because they feel like it's wrong to acknowledge that Pat Kelsey's done a good job. And they really know that Pat has done a good job, and they know that Louisville fans should in fact be excited about their program in the future.
So what do they do?
They just they seemingly have Tourette's syndrome on Twitter or about the ACC and how bad of a league it is, and like I don't really see a whole lot of people arguing, but like you're the one that's obsessed with it. Like nobody's telling you, oh, no, you're wrong, the s the ACC is a great basketball league this year.
Who's saying that? Nobody? But you can't help yourself.
And again, I I think the reason it seems to be obsession levels that are just like what what? It's because their fan base is kind of like what because there's so many of them, and they're like, it's they can't they can't help themselves. So I'm glad you pointed that out because I noticed it too, And yeah, if I had to to take a side, and clearly I'm biased as far as which one does a little bit
more keeping up with the other, it's it's Kentucky. But I just I think more than anything, it's because there's just a billion of them and it's a rivalry. But anyways, quick Break will come back on the other side. Doctor Lurry Ben's program Physical Therapy is set to join us. We'll get to your phone calls as we move through. Another hour and a half left with you right here on sports Talks.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
As I mentioned just a moment ago, we are expecting to hear from the one and only doctor Larry beIN's of Proria Physical Therapy. Also going to have doctor Mackelrey on later this week as well, so we're double dipping this week because of our schedule last week.
But he's a busy guy, so there's a.
Few different times where we were expecting to have him and uh, and what I mean is there's some times where I told him, hey, you know, whatever you can make work, make it work. So if we don't get him this sevement, we'll certainly get to doctor Ben's at some point before we run out of time today. But it is Coffee and Company. Appreciate you guys hanging out with us. We are about halfway through here on a
was it Wednesday? It's Wednesday? Right, Yeah, on a Wednesday afternoon, and the conversation we were well, I was reading a text and then kind of reacting to it, and it led to a lot of feedback from from from those on our Ellen and Federal Credit Union text line, and somebody asked a question that I hadn't really thought about, and I think, again, you guys are kind of figuring me out out. I've had very little and look, I
always try to tell it like it is. I don't know if I'm as good at it as I want to be. I'm clearly invested in this rivalry and I love Louisville in a way that you know, probably isn't good for my health long term. And with that, you know, I have a deep, you know, hatred, not on a personal level, but I want to see Kentucky lowse because
they're the rival. But somebody pointed out on the text line that they think that I'm having an even better ability to acknowledge Kentucky's success because of Louisville also being successful this year and because of Louisville having the previous three seasons being as bad as they were. And I never really thought about it, but you're right again. Maybe in my mind, I'm thinking, well, hey, look i'll tell you where I stand what I want to see happen.
But I'll also tell you what I believe is the truth, and I, in all seriousness, I do try to do that. And I do appreciate those of you they call in that are from the other side of the rivalry that do acknowledge that and mention that, because you know, I don't need you to gass me up. But it is something I really if I'm if it's just Homer Radio, I mean, one that wouldn't that wouldn't be good for business, right.
I mean, there's a lot of fans of of of both sides here in this market, and fans of of all different teams.
Really.
I mean, obviously we stick to for the most part, both Red and Blue, but you know, yeah, I mean, look, Mark Pope being an easy guy to like has probably also been a factor. And I just think it's been pretty obvious. They're as good as they are this year because of a variety of things, but his coaching is certainly one of them. I mean, the things that I had, I believe have really helped Louisville kind of navigate their season up to this point, dealing with injuries and playing
such a challenging schedule early on. I think the way both Pope and Kelsey lead their programs and the way they target guys they feel like fit their system, fit their philosophy, and really fit their culture.
It's very similar.
I mean, I think Kentucky going on the road and not being too wide eyed for that environment in knocks Fell and beating Tennessee.
It's really impressive.
I mean that that's I mean, Tennessee is a damn good team, and I know they've struggled as of late, and who knows, maybe they end up losing more games the rest of the way than many are expecting them to, but that that's a really impressive win. And oh, by the way, they also beat their rival Louisville. They beat Gonzaga, which not to maybe this is me being maybe this is me doing the rivalry thing because Gonzaga that actually hasn't necessarily aged as as quite as good of a
win as you would have expected. But you can't control that right at the time. You went there, and you beat them at their place, and that's impressive, especially how it all played out, having to come from behind.
They beat Duke.
I mean, Pope has won games that have real value for your resume, but also it's it's games that really mean a lot to your fan base, and I get it, Like I mean, I wish I could. I mean I wish I was here celebrating Kentucky making a bad hire that might set them back for years. But I don't think anybody with a straight face could tell you they believe that's what's going to happen, given the way things given the way things have started for both sides. All
right again, it's coffee and company. Feel by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Let's go to the on lines five two five, one seventy nine hundred is the number. Let's let's bring in Aaron. Aaron, You're on Sports Talk seven ninety.
How are you?
What's up? Nick? How's it going?
Dude?
Well?
How abut yourself?
Man?
Doing good? Just wanted to say a couple of things. I'm a diehard Kentucky san and always have been. Although I will say I've got a lot of Louisville friends, and originally when you all chose to hire Kelsey, my my friends were down on him. They're like, I can't believe we got a second toier coach hire and blah
blah blah blah. And I totally disagreed with him. I felt like he he he has brought so much tenacity to your alls program, his coaching style, what he makes these players do for him, The output that these players put on the lower the speed they've got, fast big. You all are a fishing for from Stielgo. I mean, you guys pushed the ball, You hit a good percentage
of threes for the most part. Duke is very fortunate that you all are not playing them again, because I would put money on Louisville all day, I have all season long. As far as the coaching coach of the Year goes, obviously you're a homer and I am too. I think Kelsey and Pope are by far the forefront runners. No one's even close. I would have to lean towards Pope, not only because I'm a Kentucky fan, but because of the quality of wins that he has.
Oh yeah, he's not only Aaron.
He's not only had those big wins that I just referenced, but I mean those are wins that I think on paper before the season started. When it comes to personnel, I mean, nobody would have said you'd have gotten blown out. But I mean I think Kentucky again and again. That's why I believe Pope is as deserving as anybody, to be honest with you, because I think a big factor in why Kentucky is where they are is I mean, I think the biggest factor for them is his coaching.
And I think you could say the same. And again, I think we both We know both sides have some good players that really are proud to be playing for both programs, and they're embracing everything that comes to play for programs that care this much about hoops. But you know what, the guys that identified them and are leading it,
that's where it really comes from. So again, I again I'll acknowledge me wanting it to give it to Kelsey is certainly because I'm a fan, But I cannot, even if I tried my hardest, downplay how good of a job Pope's done.
And I'm you know, I've watched a ton of Louisville games this year because of what Kelsey has brought to that program. It is super important. I don't know if people realize this, it's important for Louisville to be good in Kentucky to be good. When we're good, it makes the our community so much better. I live over in Indiana. I'm but I'm like again, I'm a Kentucky fan, and I can't hate Kelsey. I like him. I want to I want to beat you guys, Don't get me wrong.
I want to beat you all every time we play. But I think Kelsey is a class act. He's exciting, and I think you guys are gonna be a big problem in March for other teams to match up with. I would say, you know, yes, the ACC is down, but I think Louisville is really good and I think they've got a shot to go pretty deep. They'll definitely make it to the second but they'll definitely make it to the second weekend and probably knock someone off there,
and they could make it to the Sweet sixteen. They're they're gonna have They're gonna be problematic to guard. They just are. They're a good team. And I wish you guys luck.
Thank you. I appreciate it, Aaron. Good to hear from you.
Yeah, I mean, last night kind of felt like the moment for me where I was and again, I could be wrong. There's so many teams that that you know, you think you know, and then you realize you were wrong. Or you could have been right and they you know, they had a bad game. That's what makes college basketball special. It's really stupid in a way, but it's also special that you can be great in the regular season and certainly that matters because it gets you in a good
position once you get to March. But if you don't deliver in March, especially for programs that really you know, have a have a pretty deep trophy case with accomplishments, you know, it just feels like it was kind of all for nothing. Which again I've always felt like that's that's insane to you it that way, but that's just the way it is, and I know, deep down it does.
I mean, I know, if Louisville had a great, phenomenal season and they still fell short and lost down I don't know, the round of thirty two, I still think fans would be able to say, man, I hate that we came up short, and maybe we finally had our bad game we've been avoiding. But that was a fun ride, So you know, I just again I said this at the beginning of the show. I know other fans are
asking this question. I've been asking the question as well, and only time will tell as far as what really happens. But I think Louisville is going to be a tough out for a lot of teams because they're doing a lot of really good things that are that are easy to recreate, meaning bringing energy, effort, attention to detail on the defensive scout, really working on the backboard and sticking, you know, rounding out to really have an identity that that that is that is a good one and being
consistent with that. So when they do start making shots and Rain Smith gets hot or Terrence Edwards, you know he shoots out of a shooting slump like he did last night, Chucky Hepburn just kind of starts taking over and it's distributing and scoring. That's where you get to not just being a good enough team to you know, to get some respect, but maybe being a good enough team to win some games in March. All right, let's go back to the phone lines. Five two, five, seven,
one seventy nine hundred is the number. Let's welcome in kirk Kirk. You're on Sports Talk seven ninety.
How are you, hey, Nick? Kay Austin My two most favorite personalities.
What's upbod you doing? Guys doing well?
Hey man?
Good good.
I just wanted to just say, man, what a rave we're on. You know, I went to the game last night. I took my son, Dakota, and it was his first official Louisville basketball game. So again, Chris, yes, and he is now officially a christ and Louisville fan for sure.
But I was just telling Nick Austin, you know, you know, I've been an old school louivill fan pretty much since I've been ten years old, and I can pretty much tell from the get go, like from the you know, the Bahamas, from the first game what kind of team we were going to look like or be. And I could tell you from that first even even to Indiana when I could just tell this was going to be a special team.
And to this point where.
We're at it just with the adversity, with the injuries and and how we got through that, how Louisville got through that to now, I just think we do nothing but get better, and I think by the end of the season we're going to be a force to be wrecking with, that's for sure.
Yep.
I can't disagree at all.
Kirk.
Great to hear from you, and a good moment for you last night, taking taking your youngster to his first game. I mean, what an experience, and again, what a good game to be at. Always great to hear from you, Kirk and my father. He told me something pretty consistently throughout the earlier parts of this season, and I didn't I never told him he was wrong, and I disagreed, but I don't know if I agreed with him totally
at the time he said it. But you know, you could see Louisville losing some games but also playing really good teams and showing signs in those games.
That hey, they're only going to get better.
It reminds me of Denny's teams that I briefly, you know, I remember a certain era of Denny's teams doing this, But most of this, really, this brand that Denny had really was established long before I was watching, maybe before I was alive. And that's really challenging yourself. In the
non conference. Louisvell's had one of the mean, there's a reason Louisville is in the ACC in a year that it's so bad, yet they still have a top fifteen strength to schedule because their non conference schedule was that tough. So you know, you were losing a lot of those games. Some of them were ugly, but I think, you know, there was clearly some circumstances at play as to why
those games got a little bit out of hand. And then even though you know, you lost some of the games, they were competitive and you showed some good signs, and I kind of worry, you know, hey, man, they're gonna have so many losses and maybe it's just kind of kind it's gonna it's gonna come to a head and they're gonna maybe not fall apart, but you know, maybe just kind of start to not believe that they could
be a good team. But clearly leadership's really important, I think Pat Kelcey, if you go look at the article that Matt Orlander wrote today with some quotes from Pat Kelsey, he mentioned that he thought in December, when they were losing to Kentucky and they clearly had had a loss to Duke that they played well in for about thirty minutes of it. He felt like they were really getting close to being a good team. And I don't know
if I'd have said that at the time. I was trying to believe that, But you gotta keep in mind Pat Kelsey you know, he played it, or he coached at Winthrop and at Charleston, so they would play those kind of teams every now and then in the non conference and probably get dusted, but he would know, hey, we're not the same caliber team.
We can get better in these games. We can really grow from this.
And they were able to do that in those moments, and now you know they're playing some really, really good basketball. All right, we got to run quick break. If you're on hold, We've got Rod, David Chris. If you're with us, stick with us, don't go anywhere. We'll be back in just a few minutes and we'll get back to the phone calls. It's coffee and Company fuel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
It's right, we are wrapping up the four o'clock hour here on a Wednesday afternoon. It's coffee and Company field by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. We do have some time to get to a couple more callers, So I'm not gonna I'm not gonna have your rapid fire, but just be mindful of the time here, and you know we love to hear from you.
So let's do it.
Let's get to the phone lines five O two, five seven one seventy nine hundred is the number. Let's welcome in Rod, Rod. How you doing this afternoon?
Doing great? Doing great? I'm I'm one of those old Kentucky fans.
Okay.
The best players that were in my day were Butch, Beard West Unsel, Dan Issel.
And Mike Pratt some legends right there.
So that's how that's how old I go back. But uh, what you said before about a lot of the majority of Kentucky fans on the on the on the internet talking about yeah, yeah, that's yeah. The fans over fifty, I think are a lot over fifty years old, are a little bit different than some of these youngsters.
I would totally agree they I think some of the.
Young player young people don't really understand good basketball when they see it. And uh, and and so if you're.
It, I can ask you a question, Rod, because I'm curious. I think you made it.
You made a good point that that I hadn't really thought about from the Kentucky perspective. But I think the younger generation and I'm talking folks that are, you know, even even you know a little bit younger than me. And it makes sense just because of their era that they probably had a harder time accepting that that with Cali Perry got had a great run there, did some good things, but Kentucky basketball needed a new new voice, as Cal said, and a guy that's that's kind of hitting the notes.
Pope is.
And I'm sure regardless of your age, if you're a Kentucky fan, young or old, you're enjoying this this ride so far with Mark Pope, because it's been great. But you know, I think you're right as far as just the differences, and it's nobody's fault. It's just you know, they only know what they were around. The kind of experience.
But there's no coming in.
Kentucky, you know what I mean, Like every coach that they've had more coaches win titles there than any other program. And again that that speaks to just if you're a good coach, you can win there.
Yeah. But if you like, if you like good basketball. Though, back in the seventies in the eighties, you had to you had to appreciate, uh, you had to appreciate what Guinny Crumb did, and you also had to appreciate what Joe B. Hall was doing at the same time. Uh, these guys were winning championships in seventy eight, eighty eighty six, all of these these these back in the back in
those days, and because they were playing good basketball. And that's the problem back nowadays, it's like, you know, you got to be for one team or the other and the other team can't be playing good basketball. But that's not that's not true. If you go back to the Kentucky Louisville teams back in those days, both teams played great basketball, and kind of like right now, you've got two teams that to me are playing really good basketball.
And if you if you don't appreciate that, then you really don't appreciate sport.
I'm with you, That's what I say.
Well said, and yeah, and I you know so so I say some of the older fans are I think you can personally be you know, appreciate good basketball, appreciate good coaching, because so many times you don't have good coaching and you don't have good basketball, and and it's just you know, it's but you've got to appreciate both teams and what they're doing.
Now, no doubt about it.
And I appreciate the call, Rod, I will say this, I think that's that's been pretty evident. Again, you can you can get deep into the weeds on on the World Wide Web and really find anything you're looking for. And I mean, like anything, especially when it comes to fans that that you know, want to get that just only see it from the real vitriol and and real you know, just deep rooted hatred that exists within the rivalry. But I think there there's really been for me, just
in my position. I think there's a lot of folks who just love basketball and clearly their love for the sport came from watching their team Louisville or Kentucky. You know, established sort of their their their mark on the sport. And even if you want to kind of have some fun with the back and forth and the rivalry, I think if you're honest with yourself, we're we're seeing two coaches really put good basketball on the floor every night, and I mean you can find ways to take shots
at the other team and discredit them. And again I have no issue with it, I get it, but you know, I try to be as as as straightforward as I can, and I think I think both teams are doing a great job as far as just you know, not only winning, and Louisville clearly winning even a little bit would have been great this year just because of recent years, Kentucky hasn't really had a big fall. Even when they lost in the tournament early, they were still winning at a
high level. So with all that said, you know, bars are different this year just because of the recency. But people around here know basketball, you know, and I love that. I love knowing that something, and I love sports. That's why I'm so fortunate to be able to do what I do. But basketball is just it's different for me, especially college basketball. But there's no doubt it was said by one of the callers earlier. Everything is better around here when both teams are good. And clearly Kentucky has
the edge right now. They've beat Louisville head to head and they've got a phenomenal resume. But you know, I just I'm enjoying it.
I really am.
So all right, we don't have any more time left here to get to one more call, but we will get to you on the other side if you want to stick with us. We'll let you guys continue to be a part of the show the rest of the way. It's been fun interacting with you guys, so we'll keep doing it. Five two, five nine hundred is the number stick around if you're on hold and we got one more hour left, so don't go anywhere, keep it locked right here.
It's coffee and company.
Feel Buth Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety