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So I lot to talk about last night's college basketball night, first real night. It felt like there were I mean it felt like it because it was there were a ton of conference games going on. Louisville now five games into their ACC slate there four and one, and another big victory for them, not only one that came against a good team. It them up quite a bit when it comes to the net rankings and the Ken Palm
and whatnot. So I can continue to do it, and I will to, you know, to an extent, but I feel like I don't the energy that that I that fans at least myself, and I know I wasn't alone from from the Carolina game. I mean it carried over to the Virginia game and then last night's same thing. I mean, that was a good performance. They're now winning games against solid teams to good teams. I think Clemson is a pretty good team, you know, at least the
numbers say that they are. They did beat Kentucky for whatever that's worth it, and I think it's actually worth something. So you know, they're they're winning and playing good basketball, playing hard, and they're doing it without certain things happening that I felt like those certain things needed to happen for this team to beat maybe anybody, but that's not the case. They're they have really gotten gotten comfortable in this new version of themselves, and I think they've got
an identity. And it's great to be able to win no matter how you're doing it. But man, if they start making shots, if they if they get hot from three, who knows how good this team could actually end up being. And I mean I say who knows, because you know, I kind of feel like they could be pretty damn good.
But I realized that may sound like I'm getting ahead of myself, but just being honest with you, and it's nice to, you know, be crazy again and start thinking, Okay, let's just not make the tournament, Let's get a good seed, and let's go on a run. I mean, who knows if any of that will actually happen. But you couldn't even you couldn't even manufacture some excitement or you know,
projection with the previous few seasons we've had. Now at least you know you're in a much better situation, and this team's only getting better every time I watch him play. All right, let's go to the phone lines BYBO two. If I've seven one seventy nine hundred is the number if you guys would like to jump in and give us a call, And next up is Jerry.
Jerry, how are we doing.
I'm good, Nick, appreciate to allow me to talk.
Of course, my last call, my last call. I guess it's been a couple of weeks ago with you. I said, we was I thought we were gonna go seventeen fourteen, and it's a time I didn't realize that you popped on the computer.
I guess there, and you said Ken pomp said eighteen and thirteen.
After a couple three more wins, I'm hopeful that I'm off about four or five wins, and I'm hopeful we can do a lot better than seventeen and fourteen.
You know, I as a fan.
So I'll just give you the numbers really quick.
Currently, the Ken Palm has Louisville now going twenty one and ten overall and fourteen and six. And to your point about just the numbers, I'm kind of thinking for if you were to end up being accurate with what you'd said a few weeks ago, that would likely mean that they've lost to some teams that like they had no business losen to, which could happen, right, that's basketball.
But yeah, that I would imagine you're thinking a little more, not necessarily more positively, but like they've kind of shown, hey, maybe they can be a little better than we were expecting. Because I was with you when you mentioned that record, I didn't think that was crazy.
Well, as a fan, I'm beginning to relate more and more to the way Kelsey thinks as far as let's just what, Let's just go to the next game, you know, because I think you have to handle it like that with a team like this. I still, I guess I'm still feeling a little jaded from the past two and a half three years, because like when I look at the schedule still today, I see a lot of the games, and maybe I'm looking at it through the last two
or three years lenses. I still look at those some of those games as hey, they're.
Fifty to fifty games, you know.
I mean as a fan, As a fan, I look at the Virginia game coming to to the young and and yeah, I think we should lend that game. But again, they've they've probably learned a little bit about themselves, a little bit about us, and you never know how the damn thing's gonna go. I mean, it's crazy, but I'm excited about them.
I'll say a couple more things.
Uh, I've given James Scott some hell on this on this show, and I still think he lacks a lot. I think he's come a long way. I'll stick by this. I think he long term.
I just don't know unless.
He really makes some huge jumps in his in his offensive game, I don't think he's the kind of guy that can take you where we want to go, which is an elite A to Final four whatever, you know. But I mean I do take my hand off to him and head a little crow with him. Because I mean, he's come so far in the past month is crazy, you know. I think he I think he understands his role, what he's supposed to do, and he stays in that box, you know what I mean.
He couldn't couldn't have said it better.
He knows who he is as a player, he knows where he can help, and he does the He does that those things really really well as of late, and that's a quality, that's a trait that players don't get enough credit for. But to your point, you know, if you're limited.
He is limited.
I think he's very limited, which when you look at the production he's had recently, it's phenomenal. But if you know, at least he's somebody that knows his limitations and sticks with what he does well, I think Kelsey, you know, clearly, I think that they should develop him.
I think his development could go a long way.
I don't know what his ceiling is as far as just being able to score and be an offensive threat other than just dunking the ball, But at least as of now, I kind of feel like you're getting the absolute most you can out of him recently here.
Right, And so I'll say a couple more things I'll jump off here.
I looked at a lot.
Of things today, and I think there's about.
Fifteen or sixteen teams that can win the whole thing.
But I'm gonna give you my dark horse, and then I want to say one thing about agents. My dark horse is a team. It's pretty high in ken palm, but not high in the ap right now. I watched him play the other day. I saw again what they did last night. My dark horse is Michigan, Okay, which is funny because I wasn't for Dusty Mate coming.
Here at all. But I think he's doing a hell of a job. I watched him play Western.
They went nineteen or forty from the three point line.
Wow last night?
Last night you cla on the road. They went fifteen of twenty eight in their last three games Sandwich those two with USC in the middle, they're shooting almost forty eight percent from the three point line. Add add two seven footers to that mix, and they are a dangerous team if they don't have any injuries. Michigan is my dark horse to win the whole thing. I think that guy's I mean, I give him no credit when he wanted when we were talking about bringing him here. I
called him vanilla and everything else. I think Dusty May's doing a hell of a job. If I'm an Indiana fan, I am sick because I held on to Woodson and didn't jump at him.
Probably promise you thought about that.
Okay, And then one more thing, you're talking agents.
I was talking to a buddy today about Pat Kelsey, and I said, what happens with his contract at the end of this year? If his trajectory continues, great point, is he gonna double or triple his salary. It's gonna be one or the other. He's gonna easily double it, and he may triple it or more. And you know, it just depends on you know, if he can go twenty two and nine in a regular season, make some noise in the Act tournament, win a game or two
in the in the n C Double A Tournament. The easiest job in the city is his agents.
No doubt about it.
He's gonna he's gonna cash in. That's all I got, Nick.
Thanks, Jerry good, appreciate it.
Yeah, So a couple of takeaways, uh, and some some reaction to Jerry's call. Then we'll get to the we'll get back to the phone lines. I promise you won't we won't leave you holden too long. But when it comes to James Scott, I off, I agreed with Jerry when it comes to his limitations offensively and if he's out there and he's gonna shoot poorly at the line and just kind of be in the way offensively and sometimes not be effective on the glass, like, you know, you're gonna have to play him.
You need him. You don't have a whole lot of options. But you know, I.
Started to worry, like maybe maybe you go even smaller than you tip than you then you typically are going. But really, since then, James Scott, it's it's not like he's added some new element to his game offensively, but man, he's able to get to his spot, which is, you know, right next to the rim, throw it up and I'm gonna dunk it, and that is I mean, there's not many guys that can do that. But yet here he is getting double double digits and points for the you know,
pretty consistently lately. And it's because of that, and he shot it a little bit better at the free throw line as well, and man, he played like a man possessed last night with those block shots. He was all over the backboard. I still don't know what the ceiling is for him as far as a guy that you know could be a pro, because, to be honest with you, it may sound crazy to say that, but that was
the talk from whenever. You know, when he finished his freshman season for Pat and at Charleston, there were some folks that thought that he he legitimately could blossohim into being an NBA guy just because of his length, as athleticism and how raw he was. And honestly, he's still very much raw, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll eventually
be some great, polished offensive player. But at six eleven, two twenty, I mean, and a guy that can run rim run like that, I mean, he's again, I go back to what I said initially after Jerry's comments about James Scott. For what he is right now, he deserves a ton of credit for doing exactly that, doing those things really well. But Pat Kelsey is getting getting the absolute maximum out of him right now. And that's what
you want. I mean, that's that's that's what you That's what every coach hopes to get is the most they can out of every individual player that they have to work with. And you know, right now, guys aren't making shots. But I feel like this team like you're getting what these guys are giving you. I mean, I don't really, I don't think there's anybody that that that's you know, under underperforming as far as what we know they can do.
Terrence Edwards didn't have a hadn't had a couple of good nights, has had two games where he hasn't scored quite as much, but he's still making an impact in every other way. And Javon Hadley can give you thirty two every you know, I would say that's probably going to be his career high. But you know, this team, they're clicking right now. You know when I say that,
You know that when I talk, But they're ceiling. I don't know if you're gonna be able to get these guys, you know, playing a whole lot better, But it just comes down to like making shots, right Like you're able to win games right now, four straight conference wins against by double digits against teams with a winning record. I mean that, as we discussed earlier, that hasn't happened in
a long time. And you know, I think if you see a few more threes go in for the duo of Watermen and rain Smith, I mean imagine, I mean that could that could take a game from being you know, you win in by eight or nine, or you know, you win a by twenty so and not to say that that's luck, but look, sometimes guys are just going to make shots and sometimes they're not right. I mean,
that's that's basketball. And you know, it's frustrating and maddening if you're getting good looks and you're not making them, and we've certainly seen this team do that this year. But I think they're playing so well in every other area. They're actually getting better looks than they've ever gotten, and sometimes they're not falling, and that's going to happen. But I think there's value in knowing, hey, we're getting what we want and trusting that eventually these shots are going
to fall. And again, what I've seen recently from this team that I never thought we'd see just because I didn't, I mean, I didn't really have any reason to expect it. They're they're having off nights shooting, they're shooting poorly at the line at home, like they did against Carolina, which I say that like I'm bragging.
It's not a good thing. It's an issue.
But they're so they're playing so sharp in every other area they've been able to still just go out there and beat up teams. All right, let's go back to the phone lines. Five way two, five seven, one seventy nine hundred is the number. If you'd like to jump in and give us a call. Let's welcome in, Allison, Allison.
How you doing, Dick, I'm great.
How are you doing well? Good to hear from you. Yeah, you too.
So you know, I remember my love for PK and how it was all about him and I wanted him here so bad, and I just I don't think there was a better fit out there. Listen, go watch Jay Billis did a ninety feet with Dusty May. It's not a fit for us. We needed more than a basketball coach. We needed somebody that had the type of energy that Pat Kelsey cats, that man rides his bike to work in read's books.
If that's what you like, that's what you like.
That's not what we needed at the University of Louisville. We needed somebody that was going to bring exactly what we got out of PK and you know, just some notes from last night, the physicality of that team, and they are so physical. They fight, they crawl, they scrap,
and we haven't seen that so long. And I think you're a epitome of your head coach, and you know your staff, and you see that with Pat and you see that out of his team, and you know, Jerry much respect, man, But give me a fully healthy Louisville team against that Michigan team any day, because the athleticism that we have with the fully healthy team, it's not
even close. And just another point, Nick is chucky, you know, had an off night, but he was a leader on the floor and he's in the gym at eleven pm shooting eight hundred shots, you know, saying I'll never do that again. I mean, we haven't had that type of energy and long and it's just grave, Nick. It's a great feeling and you can just tell every loved it. I mean, when you're walking out of the game last night, the concession stands are chanting cards, the parking garage they're
chanting cards. I mean, I haven't heard that in forever.
It's been a while.
Yeah, absolutely, that's all I got, Nick, and I'll hang up.
And listen, appreciate it. Thank you, Allison. She's right.
The vibes have never been better for Louisville basketball. I mean, I guess they have when Louisville you know, was winning national championships and whatnot. And you know, we've had three of them in the existence of the program. Two in my life or yeah, one in my lifetime, two that
I missed out on. So I just think the reason we're seeing some of those things that she mentioned is because we had Again, like I talked about it yesterday, I didn't mean to get so deep, but the success that Louisville's having now and us getting back to kind of, you know, being alive. I thought it would make me
not even believe that the last three years happened. But in fact, I'm reminded often because I I just am so excited about what's going on now and I hate to even call it a silver lining, but that's made this stuff even more special. So, yeah, the vibes are great right now. And look when it comes to things like Chucky Hepburn doing that. You know he played at Wisconsin. Clearly that's a good program. So I don't act like he came from you know, nowhere, But these guys like
they really feel privileged to be here. They like Javon Hadley having thirty two points last night in front of that crowd with them chanting Hadley like, yeah, he's played at Colorado. That's a decent program, but like that, like Louisville, it's just different and you can tell and these guys appreciate it. And that's why I've said it for the
last few weeks. It's I think always been the case, but it's really stood out that everybody from top to bottom right now within the program, all players, everybody that Pat Kelsey has working for him, they have a level of like, wow, this is awesome.
We're at Louisville.
We're gonna give everything we have because this is such a phenomenal place to be.
Let's make the most of it, like we got this.
I don't want to say it's a dream come true for everybody, but he wouldn't shock me if it is for a lot of folks. And with Chucky, you know a lot like right now, Chucky, I would have never even believed you about Chucky statline, if I didn't see with my own eyes as far as the numbers because you know, I saw I miss some shots, but he was also impacting the game and playing really well in every other phase. Just locking people up defensively, just an
absolute pest on the defensive side. But you know what, for him, he wants to get back to work right after the game and gets six hundred shots up because he missed some shots, Like, that's just good. That's the kind of energy and culture to where you know you're
much more likely to have long term success. And one thing I want to get to on the other side, because Allison's absolutely right, there was something about Pat Kelsey that clearly Josh Hurd knew was going to be very vital in not only winning, but like things we needed as far as the healing process, right somebody, because I don't think Louisville fans could ever get tired of Pat Kelsey talking about how great Louisville is and how lucky
he feels to be here. I mean, it would get a little repetitive, I suppose, but I think it's genuine and that that to me, has been a big, big step in the healing process. We'll get to that and a lot more on the other side. Stick around. If you want to join us, you can five way two five seven one seventy nine hundred. 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 still feels really weird that we have college football playoff games tomorrow and on Friday, but I'm looking forward to it. We've got some good games, at least I believe they're going to be good games. And James Franklin said that he believes that everybody should have to be
in a conference. And I don't think that's like a crazy thing to say, but I guess it's just because until Notre Dame starts scheduling like weak teams, Like if Notre Dame just really decided to no longer play the same put it this way, if Notre Dame no longer had the scheduling arrangement with the ACC where they're required to play four games every year against the conference, I mean, they're kind of in the ACC, which you know is weak,
but it's it is what it is. So if they lost that arrangement and they had a tough time getting other g four teams to play them just because that's a really strong out of conference game. Then at that point then then the committee would just have to say, look, we're sorry, you can't like. You're you're eligible, but because of your schedule, like we can't like doesn't matter. So they you know, that would be the only reason that that would ever like that they would ever need to
join a conference. But they're not going to do that. They're going to continue to schedule. I mean, if the college football world wanted to, well, I guess not because the if the college I was gonna say the college football world wanted to band together and really four Notre Dame to get into a conference, what they would have to do is nobody agree to schedule them. The ACC no longer require I mean, look, the commissioners can tell their schools we don't want you to play them, and
that that is quite literally. What would what would get them to either to join a league. I don't know if anybody would really care to do that, because, let's be honest, you benefit from Notre Dame. That gives you a chance to get a valuable win. You know, Notre Dame is such a unique program because nobody else could be independent and come close to making the playoff, you.
Just wouldn't be able to. And you wouldn't be able to.
Not only that, you wouldn't be able to survive like you need the benefits of playing in a conference in that revenue share, right, like you wouldn't be able to survive without getting a humongous check that you get every year from the league due to your TV network, right like the SEC network money.
And you know the old the grain of rights that each.
Of these conferences, each of these power come conferences have, and even not the power conferences like the ACC clearly has fallen behind and there's gonna be an even bigger gap down the line between what they make annually and what the SEC and the Big ten make. But still they need that money. So Notre Dame doesn't. They have their own net deal with with with NBC. Therefore they're not they don't need that check, so they can do
whatever they want. And they have a schedule in place that that will be comparable enough to those that play in power leagues or even G five leagues, and that'll
you know, if they win, they're gonna get in. So I don't you know, I don't really know what case you could make as to why they would have They have to be in a league, and I'm sure James Franklin's argument was and it was somewhat about you know, competition and whatnot, and what it's like to just be in the grind of a of a conference game every week when you get to a certain point in the scene.
But they're just able to do it where nobody else would be able to and I think that bothers people, right, And a lot of people criticize their schedule, and this year their schedule actually managed to not be that challenging. But more often than not, whenever people claim Notre Dame not being in a league results in them getting a week schedule and just getting the benefit of the doubt,
that's never actually been the case. Like the years they've been able to make the playoff and get blown out, or make the title game in the BCS formula and get blown out, there really was never any claim that they didn't belong there.
They played ay, They've always played a tough schedule.
And if they win a bunch of games, you know, it's one of the frustrating things about the playoff and really just you know when it comes to I guess really just the college football playoff, because there's really no other like if you get beat in the if you're a bubble team and you get in the tournament and get blown out, well sixty eight teams get in, so you getting beat as a bubble team doesn't mean the
committee got it wrong. It just means that you know, you barely got in and you were who everybody thought you were in college football. When the team gets in the playoff and then they get blown out, it's always just automatically left people thinking, well, that means that they didn't belong there. No, it just means they they got there,
but they played a team better than them. So anyways, Notre Dame, I feel like they got as good a shot as anybody left in this whole thing, and I'm kind of pulling for him, which feels weird.
I don't know why.
And I guess what it comes down to is it just it'll it'll leave not the Big Ten or the SEC will not be able to claim that they run college.
Football, and that would be fun. I mean that.
I think that's the reason alone that I would that I would want that to happen and I've never been anti Notre Dame. I know a lot of people don't really care for him, and I get it, but I've never really cared one way or the other, to be honest with you. But real quick when it comes to the let's see if I can pull this up here. Ross Dellingser put together an interesting column earlier that I haven't been able to finish, but I did read about
half of it before we came back from break. But just this alone as wild but from two that listen to this from two thous and in six to twenty twenty two, sixteen of seventeen national champions came from the Deep South, And for a second straight year, the region
is out before the title game. And it's just another example that NIL and the portal, it's dispersing talent and it's even things up quite and it's proved that's played out to be the case there, you know the others like I don't think the portal and the NIL changes within college sports has made those programs that were really successful prior to this new era any worse Like they're not any worse off, it's just others have been able to use this new world and kind of trim that
gap a little bit or even past you at times.
So interesting stuff.
Right back to the louisvill basketball conversation that we were having with their callers there in the first segment, Well open up the phone lines coming up here again. If you guys want to get involved and give us a call, we'll do that probably closer to the five o'clock hour.
But one of the things Allison said about Pat Kelsey was just how it was such a great fit and how other coaches that were candidates or that were offered the job or that fans wanted they may not have been the fit that Pat Kelsey was.
And I mean that's true, and I think.
We all, like I've always thought that fit is a really silly thing to mention, and I still believe it's oftentimes used and and I think it's just a cop out, right, like, well he didn't work, he just wasn't a good fit. Well he didn't win, or she didn't win, Like it's more often than not, that's all it comes down to. Because you know what, if a coach is having a whole lot of success, he's gonna fit in fine anywhere. If a coach is having a lot of success. There's
no scenario where he's not fitting in nicely. I mean, he may do something off the corridor field or you know, scandal related, and that'll just get your ass fired anywhere. But that had nothing to do with about a fit. Like when I hear people say it, well, it just didn't fit.
No, he just wouldn't.
I mean, now, baby, he wasn't good enough because he wasn't a fit, right, Like, maybe those two can work together, but at the end of the day, winning and losing is why you fit.
And I think.
Kelsey is the perfect fit for Louisville fans at the perfect time. Doesn't mean he's gonna win national championships here. None of us know how this thing is gonna work out long term. But I think Josh heard, and again you've had people over the over the last few months kind of ask me, are you gonna.
Apologize to Josh Heard? Are you no? What would I apologize for? One? I never said he made a terrible hire.
I I mean, I you know, you lose a lot of context with tweets or whatnot, But peck peck Kelsey being hired and Josh making that move him even considering him and interviewing him and it working out like it has thus far. Is is a big win for Josh heard in every way. And I'm in no way ever going to try to take anything away from her for hiring Kelsey because he, I mean, he did it, and a lot of people were against it. A lot of people would not have done it.
He did it.
He took a risk, he saw something and clearly right now I think the return is pretty damn good and the future looks pretty bright. But my criticism throughout that whole search was that it just the optics weren't great. He was not a well run search. Doesn't mean you didn't get a guy that's great, it's just you know, and I don't know who's at fault for that or why that ended up happening, but you know, and none of that matters. But like they went after Dusty May,
and Dusty May did not want Louisville. Dusty May knew he wasn't a good fit. And I give him a lot of credit for that because he's right. Doesn't mean he's not a great coach, but like he's you know, he's he knew that, like his personality would not would not be a good fit here and that would impact his ability to win. And that's what both sides want, right He wants to win as a coach and Louisville
wants a winning program. But the two weren't gonna do exist together to I mean, it just wasn't a good fit. So we were lucky that that happened.
Well then.
Josh Shirtz, I mean Josh shirts was offered the job and could not take it, and I think that's awesome. I think that is that's a blessing. That's a win, you know, and I you know, I will be consistent whenever it got down to the names of shirts May and Kelsey.
I mean, go back and listen to the podcast. I wanted Kelsey.
I just never thought they would get to that point, and they did, and it worked out great because now I think they've got a guy who, again it's the perfect fit, and he's a good I mean, I think he's a good enough coach to really succeed here. But clearly he's going to utilize resources he's never had as a coach at a place like Louisville, and he's going to go from being you know, successful at Winthrop and
Charleston to being successful at Louisville. I think that's I mean, who knows that that's gonna end up playing out that way, but so far, I mean, this guy is having success right now. We just mentioned this earlier. And it's not like I'm cherry picking specific, you know, but like this is pretty telling. This This is from Kelly Dickey posted.
This last night.
Louisville has won double digits against four straight conference opponents with winning records for the first time since twenty thirteen. So again, like he's doing this, and that's not say they're going to go win a title like they did in twenty thirteen, but he's doing this with two key components that we're supposed to be big parts of this team. And sure enough, what do they do. They didn't make excuses,
They got back to work. They realize, hey, next man up, let's move forward and try to be the best team we can be. Come to work every day with a good attitude of relentless work ethic, and see what we can do. And right now they're playing better basketball than I would have ever envisioned when it comes to seeing this team get gutted by injuries earlier this year. So you know, Pat Kelsey is a fit for a lot of reasons. One, you know, he seems to really embrace
the crazy that we bring here as Louisville fans. He's hungry, right, this is something he probably didn't expect. Meaning a year ago, I doubt he would have believed you if you told him he was going to be Louisville's head coach. But sure enough, he worked hard, he got the opportunity, and he's he's he's gonna win here did trying, it seems, so, you know, credit to Josh Hurt in a major way.
And and I choose to believe that that Josh Hurt didn't just say, Okay, this guy's been pretty good at Charleston at Winthrop, and he's probably going to be on the cheaper side. We know he won't say no, so we'll keep him in the mix. No, I think clearly Josh Hurd said this guy man, he could get to work and he could have an attitude about him, and and you know, he has charisma that has never been needed more than it is right now. And with all the resources we have, he could really maximize what can
be done here. And again, so far, I think you've seen from day one that this looks like that's what this guy's going to be able to do. And I was really worried because had there had they been a team that, you know, really struggled because of injuries, and it just seemed really obvious that you're missing a guy like Korn Johnson, you're missing a guy like Cason Pryor.
Had that happened, you know, he probably would have been like a decent team maybe five hundred and most people would have, you know, understood that, like, hey, that's not great, but geez, it's a lot better than what we had recently, and there were injuries at play. So but I was because I would have still been super positive about Pat had that been the case, because I would have realized, look, he's probably doing the best he can given what happened
with the injuries. But now here he is a month later or five weeks or so removed from those injuries, and he's got this team playing really good basketball, looking like a tournament team for sure, looking like a team that might be able to make some noise.
And oh, by the way, they're not even shooting the ball well, So.
You know, I I don't just I don't think, you know, Some may say, like it's luck that it worked that it's working out like this because of where Kelsey was perceived to be on the on the on the list, But I think clearly the way this is working out there's there's not only was his resume good as far as the wins and losses at his previous two stops, He's got something about him that is perfect for us,
and we needed that in a major way. Dusty May, I just you know, great coach, but like I don't think he'd be giving us what Pat's given us when it comes to just the non basketball stuff that you know, we kind of need.
We we're a rare fan base. We're not alone in that.
Tier as far as those that are obsessed about basketball, but that's a that's a different type of animal for certain coaches. And respect to Dusty May for knowing that like that, ain't me wouldn't do well there, because that it makes total sense. Another name that was floated out there. It's a good's going to be a good transition here. Because Mick Cronin lost last night, got blown out by Michigan.
Dusty May took him down. Two guys that you know, you heard their names quite a bit when Louisville's job opened up and Mick Cronan, I mean, you guys know how I feel about him, but I'll let you hear what he had to say about his team last night. You tell me if that would have been the kind of energy we needed around here after what just went on the last few the last few years. Stick around, It's coffee and company. Feel about Thorton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine.
Day, UCLA got off to a good start this year in basketball, really bad year last year for Mick Cronin while he was, of course being mentioned for the Louisville job.
By a lot of folks, and you could have done a lot, you could have done a lot worse.
Mc cronin is a good coach, and I never claimed that he wasn't, but I just don't think that his resume was ever really all that impressive. I mean, I couldn't even get started in the conversation about Mick as the coach here, not only because I found him to be very unlikable and he just seems like a miserable man. And I don't want people telling me that I look like him, And you know, that was something on my mind as far.
I forget that that was a thing.
It wasn't a thing, but people try to make it a thing. Let's get that real, Let's get that real clear. But anyways, even if people didn't allege that we looked alike, I just did buyout was insane, Like nobody you couldn't pay that buyout for any college basketball coach and justify it. And if you were going to justify it, or at least attempt to, he would not be the guy. Like, I don't think his resume is really that impressive at all. I think there's context. He's a good coach, but like
his win totals I think are super inflated. He was not good at Cincinnati when they were in the Big East, when it was actually, you know, a great league. He got all of his wins when Cincinnati shifted over to the American Athletic Conference and he was historically known for being a bomb in the tournament. And then he made a final four in the COVID year Like, so, you know,
he's not a bad coach. I just I never in any way thought it would work here, And one of the reasons was just because I didn't think it would be really a good fit at all, because you needed somebody that would be really appreciative of being at Louisville and would be hungry, and he just isn't that. I mean, I think he would value the louis of a job if it was one that you know, I mean, I think he knows louis was a good job, but like he's not one of those guys that's like going to
succeed here trying. He would, you know, probably blame it on Louisville if he couldn't win here. So last night they lost by twenty points to Michigan. And as I mentioned earlier, Dusty May he's also a name that was mentioned for Louisville, and he's doing really well at Michigan and good coach. But you know, if he won here in a big way, then it would have worked out, because you know, it would have.
Been a fit.
But I could see why he would look at Louisville and not necessarily think that, you know, it would be the right place for him when he certainly had other options, like you know, Michigan, which is.
Also a really good job.
So anyways, CrowdIn last night after getting beat by twenty points to Michigan and Dusty May. This is a little montage of him postgame, and I'll just let you hear for yourself.
But we don't play. We're soft. So don't tell me you want to win, Like, just don't tell me you want to win. So don't just don't tell me you want to win.
You know.
And it's every day.
I'm tired of it.
It's every day.
I have the most energy of all of anybody at practice. Every day I have I'm upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players. I mean, I don't need to do anything else. I almost got five hundred wins. I'm only fifty three. I mean, it's a joke.
It's a joke.
But yet I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody.
And that's the problem.
So what the truth of it has been, it's really hard to coach people that are delusional, the hungry dog gets the bumb We got guys that think they're way better than they are. They're nice kids, they're completely delusional about who they are.
So I mean first off, really unlikable guy, right, like weird. I mean, you can respect the hell out of Mit Cronin and you can think he's a phenomenal coach and that I'm dead wrong that he's not elite, But who would say, yeah, he seems like a real nice guy.
He seems like a guy i'd want to hang out with. And look and look, that's not a crime. And to a lot of people doesn't matter.
Like you could be an unlikable guy, but if you went at a high level, your fans are going to ride with you. And if and if you've won at a high level and then you're not and you're unlikable, they'll live with it for a little while. You know that, you know that you can talk down like look at Cal, like Cal went from Cal was the same guy. It just grew really really stale because he stopped succeeding and then he became even more cal like with just you know,
trolling his own fan base, that kind of stuff. So look, Mick Cronin, Look, I have no problem with him saying what he said last night. I didn't bring this up or share this sound to like say he's the worst guy ever, but one not a relikable guy, clearly thinks very highly of himself. He kind of told us without even really you know, me realizing it after playing the sound he pretty much said that he wouldn't be humbled to become a Louisville right, Like he he doesn't need
to do anything else. He already thinks, like as of right now with his win total and he's not even what fifty three, like he thinks that, you know, he's already he's already accomplished everything he.
Needs to accomplish.
I mean, he got one, he got one final four and you know it was during a year where like it wasn't really a season.
Because Johnny choosing.
Yeah, I mean it was you know, it counts and you know, but but like he would have been the worst fit it. Look, he's a good coach to where like we would have been way better than we were with Kenny Payne, and you know, we would have been
a good program. But I think the ceiling is way higher with a guy like Pat Kelsey, who you know, Look, maybe Mick Cronin would have gotten it done and we would have complained early on because he would have talked down to us as fans and he would have reminded us that, you know, look at what I inherited, which would be true, Like he probably would have taken that approach if Louisville was underwhelming in the first couple of years of him being here, and maybe over time it
would have broke through and he would have had us right back to where we once were. Like that's that's not a crazy thing to throw out there, but I think Josh heard one knew they would never would never justify paying to go get mc cronin. But also, I need people to be energized now. I need not only Loivelle to be winning and we're Louisville, so really whoever we get is gonna be way better than Kenny Payne and we'll at least have a pulse again. But I
need people to be energized into Louisville basketball. I need to hit them in the fields, if you know what
I'm saying. And that's something Kelsey brings that that you know was important, and I think we knew that ahead of time, Like we need somebody that's you know, not going to be like any pain and it's going to embrace Louisville and really let us know how appreciative he is to be here, Like we all knew that going in, but Kelsey had that clearly better than anybody else that was in the mix with the job.
If there even was anybody.
Else like him out there that you know, afterside of shirts, he was way different in that regard. And I despite knowing that it was going to be important in this process of the program healing and getting back on track, but now that it's actually happening and I'm experiencing it as a fan, it's more important than I even realized.
I mean, because.
Not only are you watching a team play and their reflection of the guy on the sideline with their energy, their effort, their enthusiasm, everything he says about what he wants to be as a team, as far as the identity and how appreciative.
He is to be at Louisville.
Those guys out there on the floor play, their effort, their energy, their enthusiasm. It's very similar to the guy that leads them every day, and that's a good thing. So I just think, right now, no Louisville fan that I'm talking to is even really thinking about the tournament like you are. But you're not, like that's not what's on your mind when you're thinking Louisville basketball, maybe other than a few times every now and then, because we're
just alive again and it's awesome. Like I'm not thinking about what kind of seed they could get. I mean every now and then, I'm like, well, wait a second, because here's what's happening. I'm in my mind thinking like, oh my god, this is awesome. These guys are good. Like this team beat people up. They're all over the backboard, they're missing threes, but it doesn't matter because they're turning teams over and creating points and man, they've just been
ferocious defensively. Like I'm just kind of getting caught up and everything that comes with watching your team play. Well, it's awesome. So you know, it's a good thing that were you know, it makes sense as to why those are things that stand out more like it's been a while and we can appreciate this more than we ever have because you know, we haven't been close to this
good in a long time. But that's where you can look at the future and think, Okay, look at where we are as of now, given the situation with the injuries and knowing that it's the first year where he just you know, he just had to rely solely on the portal to.
Build a team from scratch.
Like, think of where this thing could be in three years. Like, I mean, who knows, None of us know. We can all guess and speculate, but like I like being able to say where things are now, I can look ahead and I won't be totally stunned if I've got a team that looks like they're going to be consistently in the mix to you know, be one of the top ten programs in the country. Again, I mean, who knows. Again, I have no clue, none of us know if that
will happen. And maybe maybe it's far fetched, and maybe it's me turning into full cardboy here as we wrap up at four o'clock hour, But like just to be able to be crazy like that and get full of yourself as far as your team, Like we couldn't do that in the last couple of years, right, I mean we could, you could, but like you couldn't even fake
he couldn't even fake it. You couldnt even convince yourself in any way, like you believed there was one percent chance that that team wasn't who we knew they were so good vibes, good energy, and again, there's a lot of different ways to coach, a lot of different ways to lead, and timing is important in every aspect of life, and I think the way Pat goes about it and the timing of when this job opened up, it's been it's been a beautiful thing thus far.
Get emotional, not really, Yeah you are, I'm kidding, this is a sports show.
We don't we're you know, We're just we want we don't get emotional here five o'clock covers next right here on Sports Talk seven ninety