10.10: ACC Tipoff - Hour 1

what it is. There's about nine tables here where I'm set up, which is directly like if you're watching, I mean I hope you're not, because that would mean you're not listening. But if you were watching the live ACC Network coverage of this event, and you're looking. You know, the set to directly to the right of the set is where I'm set up at, so you can't see me on television, but behind them that.

city of the state, it's not a city. The state of North Carolina may have more sports talk radio shows than any state in the country.

comfort zone. Not because you know, I don't feel like I should be doing the show here, but anytime I've set up here, I used to be on in the mornings. When I would start at seven o'clock in the morning, there may be one other show that would be going live at that time. I don't know why, but it didn't seem as if anybody would have their live shows

here until like nine other than me. So I guess this is what afternoon looks like here when you're broadcasting live and we don't have a whole lot of space.

So you know, everybody's been friendly. You know, I've actually met John. I made some friends today. I went on a work trip and I made some friends. I feel like I'm I feel like I'm an adult. But you know usually I mean, I'm not kidding you when I say this. There is a live show going on in front of me where the host, like his microphone and mine are maybe six feet apart.

a mic. Then he gets weird, so we'll figure something out. Datum Brown, the UFO basketball sid has has been very helpful and accommodating me in the show and getting these guys on. So we'll make it work. And again we'll take you up until six o'clock today live here from Charlotte. It is coffee and Company. As you know, we are fueled by Thornton's. That's the one downside to Charlotte is

there's no Thorntons here. I mean I was looking. I mean I was just roaming the streets last night in downtown Charlotte, bored out of my mind, just trying to find the Thorntons because I was homesick. Right, you get homesick, you go to Thornton's and everything's okay, But there's not one here. And I know I survived. But if you're back in the Kentucky and area, there's likely one really close to you because they're everywhere, and it's because they're great.

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dot com. So what I want to do coming up here in just a minute, I'll kind of lay out what I feel have been the biggest talking points regarding ACC basketball as we head into this season and of course the first season of the Packkelsea era. And you know, I'm not really gonna walk back what I've said many times and what I really emphasized yesterday, but let me

just go ahead and give you a heads up. No surprise, I would assume to anybody who follows college basketball, but the coaches and a lot of the people here covering the league, you know, it's all about the league being disrespected. And I just, you know, I kind of feel like an outsider because I don't have this internal instinct to defend the league as far as like, wait a second,

the league's getting disrespected. You know, there's some there's some there's some conspiracy against them, and I just, you know, not any not that anybody has said that directly, but like, I think results are results, and the league needs to get a lot better. And it kind of worries me a little bit that instead of just acknowledging that, yeah, we are not what we once were, there's this talking point of like, hey, they need to show us more respect.

Like I don't know, just kind of I kind of feel like I'm I'm an outsider here, like I don't belong because I'm you know, not to say that every person here covering this event that is broadcasting live or whatever, just somebody who's here with the credential to cover the league, not saying everybody is in agreement with the coaches, but like everybody that I've heard talking about it seems to think that.

lost interest. Trust me, That's not the case at all. But what I'm getting at is, like this week, maybe part of it's because I've been traveling, or I traveled yesterday and I've just been you know, it's been not my normal week, But like I have not at all kept up with what's going on in college football coming up this Saturday. As far as the matchups, I mean, I know Louisville plays Virginia. I know there's some other decent games, but you know, I found myself not wanting to listen.

about this matchup in Virginia. The reason I've mentioned the whole just kind of being checked out a little bit as far as everybody else is because it didn't you know, it didn't hit me till today when I started looking at Virginia as far as what they've done so far this year. I'm not going to try to dress them up as some really good team that it's going to be really, really tough to beat, because I don't believe that.

But they do have momentum. I mean, this is sort of playing out for Virginia in a way that is really best case scenario. They probably feel better about themselves than they have in a long time. I mean, they're four and one. They don't have a win we're speaking of, and their one loss is, you know, not a good one. I mean, wouldn't you say John Maryland's one of the worst teams in the Big Ten.

Boston College is you know, I don't know how good they are overall, but they in the first year with and I already forgot their O'Brien coach O'Brien, like they've they've clearly been better than what you typically see from Boston College. And Virginia's beat them by ten. So again, I'm not telling you that they're great and Louisville's going to be in trouble on Saturday. I mean they will be if they don't come ready to play and they let two losses turn into three and really have every

that happens. I mean, I mean again, I said it yesterday, I said it Monday. I think the overall noise and angst in regards to Louisville football, it's already kind of out there. Fans frustrated, disappointed with how the season's gone so far, understandably so. But a loss here, I think it turns that up a lot louder and I hope that we can avoid that. But Virginia, they now know Louislle's beatable. Yes, the teams that Louisville has beaten are both I'm sorry, the teams that have beat Louislle are

both ranked. And I think Virginia knows if they played both those teams they lose, they probably would be double digit dogs to both SMU and to No Name. But Louisville is primed to get knocked off again because they're you know, they're struggling. I mean, I think if you've got one team that's just you know, coming off a loss, you kind of worry. Man. I wish we could kind

of sneak up on them. Man, they're coming off a loss, and you know they're going to be ready to play to get that bad taste out of their mouth, I think. And it all depends on the mindset of the team, and that's impossible to know, but I kind of feel like if you've lost twice, you know, not to say that these guys are second guessing themselves. But the human element is a powerful thing, and Virginia is going to be at home. They've got momentum as a team, probably

the first time in a long time. They've started four and one, and they know that the team that they're bringing in has already dropped below expectations. So I mean, I'm still confident that Louisville will win because I just think that they're better. But you don't want to play with fire here, I mean, you don't. I mean, I know we said it last week, and if we keep saying it every week and it doesn't happen, I mean, I guess they'll just be chalked up as a huge

waste of time. But you've never needed to come out ready to play more so than than this game. For everybody involved. Now, at the end of the day. Fans are fans, But like, again, if you keep playing sloppy like this, I mean, it's not like there's some big consequence, right, It's not as if like nobody's gonna go to any game anymore the rest of the season. But you know, again, I just think it the the the the anger I

think it, and I think it turns to anger. Like maybe some people already are angry, and I'm not doing a great job of describing sort of what I what I hope is not the vibe next week, but a loss here, I mean, I just I think it could get it could get nasty within this fan base as far as just really starting to be, you know, super critical, because here's what here, here's here's the root of I think the disappointment and frustration from fans is that we

all know this team shouldn't shouldn't have these issues.

two straight losses. That you know, if you just a little bit more sharper, if you're just a little bit sharper, you're a little bit more ready to play, you eliminate a few mistakes here and there, even with all the issues you have with defense and not being organized and all that, you'd probably be sitting at five and zero.

And I was talking to somebody earlier here just about louisvill football struggles earlier, one of my buddies who covers Wake Forest, and he said that he really thought Louisville would be the best.

You know, they had a lot of games where one play here or there. If it the other way, they probably don't win. So you know, I don't, I don't believe in like you know, you're it's now balancing out, like as far as it's karma or something like that.

But you know, it was a reminder to me that just maybe throughout the entire brom era thus far, they've just been in a lot of really close games and they found ways to win, they had some breaks go their way, and now you know they're not now what we're seeing as far as the defense being disorganized and you know, some of the questionable play calling at times, that that's new. I don't remember that being you know,

a real frequent thing last year. But again, Saturday, Louisville and Virginia, it's it's a big one and I'm hopeful that they can avoid a three game losing streak. All right, some other things we'll get into here today. You know, I don't I don't know how much people really are following the the nil stuff anymore, Like it's it's still

relatively new. But I think for a while, you know, hearing all these different creative ways NIL was being utilized and how much money was being offered to certain players, I think because it was new and it was just you know, not really regulated, there was a lot of interest in it. But now what you're seeing is that there are companies, you know, trying to to get in the NIL space to do what make money, not to you know, help college athletes. They want to cut They

see that. I mean, it's it's the free market. They see this as an opportunity to you know, to really get into business with college athletes and take some of their money. And there's a really good write up at ESPN in regards to a new company that has been founded recently here and one of them, in fact, yeah, the front man of it is Kendrick Perkins, former NBA player who now works for ESPN. But it's a it's a company that's going to give you upfront money in

exchange for a portion of your NIL earnings. And I mean this is I mean what this is. I mean this is basically high interest payday loan kind of stuff. Right, Like the people who are who are you know, desperate for money because they got to bill to pay and their paycheck's not coming until two days late, two days away. And when they do get their paycheck, they got to get them a lot of money back because they borrowed it. And like, I just I mean, I'm sitting here thinking,

like who would do that? But a lot of people probably will. They'll get preyed upon, and it's you know, all this could have been avoided if the nc double A at one point just just decided to not be so stubborn and actually budge from their you know, archaic

model of amateurism. And I don't really want to say this in their defense because it's not really defending them, but I guess it could give somewhat of a reason as to why they've never once, I mean, Congress had to get involved and tell them, yeah, you can't keep these people from making money, and that's why we're in

the situation we're in now. But the ncuble A doesn't have the resources of the manpower to actually, you know, if they did put a system in place in regards to like, okay, we're gonna we're gonna have an nil you know, nil model that we regulate it all goes through the NC double A and players can make money, you know, in a perfect world if they did put that plan together, they don't have the bodies, the manpower, the you know, the resources to actually you know, govern that.

And maybe they knew that all along, and that's why they've just tried to you know, stick with what they know. But I don't see an end insight to college back college sports when it comes to you know, just and I have no problem with money being involved, but it not being regulated in any way. It's just a mess. And again I don't see you know, I don't see it ending this. You know, the House bill that that that we learned yesterday they actually settled on it. I mean,

that has really nothing to do with n IL. Like that's just that's that's a lawsuit. The NAA was sued because they didn't get you know, they kept earnings from players for many many years illegally, and.

everybody's got the same money. So NIL is still gonna be utilized, and it's going to be really the cherry on top, Like you're gonna these college athletes are going to walk in knowing they're going to make a certain amount of money just because the school now pays. But every school is going to be able to say that, hey, come here are schools going to pay you?

If you remember Zion by the time, and I always it's easy to forget this and it's not really relevant, but by the time Zion got to Duke and was and starting his college career, he'd already been a celebrity for like two years because of the insane highlight reels you would see from this guy in high school, Like it made no sense that a guy with that stature, had feet as quick as he did, could jump out of the gym like he could, Like he was a specimen.

Still is to this day, by the way, but you know him as an NBA prospect, like he was clearly always going to be in a mock draft, looked at as a lottery pick. But if you remember, he was the third highest ranked freshman in on that Duke team initially. Once the seasons like once he got there, sound sealed delivered.

He's had so many injuries in the NBA and he plays for the Pelicans, So like, I've always been a Zion fan, but you know, I kind of feel like his career thus far, when healthy, he's been productive, but he's not always healthy, and he plays for an irrelevant franchise. But hearing that, you know, people around here, people who cover Duke, people who have access to Duke, people who know John Shire say that, like Cooper Flag is quite literally going to be the best freshman they've ever had. Maybe,

I mean that's pretty telling. And look, sometimes we're wrong about freshmen as far as what they're going to be able to do when they first get there, what the expectation should be Like that happens all the time, all the time, but rarely does it happen for somebody who's had this kind of hype. I mean, I'm trying to think of the last guy who entered high school or I'm sorry, entered college basketball with the five star reputation, you know, larger than life superstar, even before they've played

on national television. Most of the guys who have that elite level of of you know, following they usually work out.

be shocked if he is. And it's kind of a reminder that, you know, the freshman impact has kind of faded in recent years because dudes stick around in college a lot longer now because they can make money. But even though there's gonna be twenty five and twenty six year olds, I'm sure playing college basketball maybe on a nightly basis. Maybe that's an exaggeration because that's you know, that's very old, but I still wouldn't be shocked with this eighteen year old kid from Maine ends up being

the star of the sport this year. All right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side again. Don't forget four o'clock. Pat Kelsey gonna join us live here on the show here at acc tip off in Charlotte. But on the other side, we'll talk some football. Greg Madia, I think I'm saying his name correctly, but we'll figure it out for sure, but he's gonna join us. He taught he covers Virginia for the Daily Progress. He joins

us next right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's right, it's coffee and company fuel by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety, coming to you live from Charlotte for the ACC basketball tip off, and Pat Kelsy gonna join us, coming up here at four o'clock. But we now are gonna talk some college football Louisville and Virginia coming up this Saturday as the Cards make the trip to Charlottesville.

And joining us to discuss this matchup, a very important game for Louisville is Greg Media, who covers Virginia for the Daily Progress. How are we doing this afternoon, Greg?

at Uvah that left three players dead. Uh, that that that fronted the rebuild of the program, and and beyond everything that was was tragic that was going on, you know, definitely definitely hurt all the things that's Tony Elliott start to put in place. So, uh, it's it's been you know, they haven't had a normal off season basically until this past winter under this this coaching staff, right the first year Elliot's getting in from Clemson, his staffs getting acclimated.

Players aren't learning new systems. Uh, So there's that to deal with. Then the next offseason it was just trying to overcome and deal with, uh that that tragedy that that ended up canceling the last two games of Virginia's twenty twenty two season. So then you come into this offseason, it's normal, there's football, it's it's it's kind of pick up where you leave off at the end of the season and try to build from there. Uh most of the team is back from last year, coaching staff still

in place. Uh So it felt like it was a normal offseason. They could lead to a little bit more success. I think if they would have been told they would have been told for and won through the first five, they would have signed up for that. For Sture, it's been an encouraging start. First time since twenty nineteen. UVAS is four and one, are one four of their first five games, so impressive start for UVA.

minis mistakes that you saw at times the season ago. Uh. And if he could do that, there was enough, there was enough talentce Flash last season that the team could start to build around him. And that's what they've done. And and he's he's been He's been very good. It's helped it. The offensive line has been better. Uh that that he's taking fewer stacks per game uh than he did a season to go. Uva allowed h three point

five stacks per game last year. It is down to one point six per game this year, so there's been less pressure on him. Uh, he's he's taking care of the ball, which is the biggest thing in the last two wins over both Boston College and Coastal Carolina. And now you know that that's that's that was the first step. And and he still makes the the the wild play at times, but there's been fewer the fewer the head scratching mistaked by him, which that's that's what you want

to see. If you're a Virginia fan. You you wanted to see if if he could become a little bit more mature of a quarterback, and he's done that through the first five games this year.

that could have could have really gone either way. How how do you think coach Elliott is viewing this matchup. I'm sure there's some things he's seen on film in the last couple of weeks that maybe they could exploit. What do you think would be would be ideal to go to go right for Virginia on Saturday in this matchup, something maybe they could take advantage of as Louisville seemingly still trying to figure some things out.

because they don't want him taking as many hits. But I think in this matchup, in order to move the ball against Louisville and maybe control time of possession a little more because Louisville was so good on offense, maybe they involved Kalandria a little bit more in the running game. And I think on defense for Virginia, it's so interesting.

I was talking to the defensive coordinator John Raginsky yesterday and I was asking him and he, you know, look, the personnel's changed, is the system and everything Louisville's doing feel the same. He said, you know, it makes it kind of interesting because you look back at last year and quarterbacks different, the receivers are different, the running backs are different. Because it really makes for an interesting preparation. But knowing Jeff Brohm and his tendencies, he said, a

lot of that is still similar. He said, it's more just trying to get to know their personnel. I think they're concerned a little bit with ja Cory Brooks and what he can do because because he's been so good so soon for Louisville, catching touchdowns and long passes and the big play too, Virginia hasn't seen a passing offense like this yet, and considering that the Cavaliers will be down a few key members of the secondary, that's a

big concern. They're leading Cackler and starting safety Antonio Clary is likely going to miss the game with a knee injury. So that's that's something to watch going in going into Saturday. With with the way Louisville control the football around.

And you're thinking, Okay, if you're looking at Louisville in these first two games, and although it's against very inferior competition, you know, they seem to have a vulnerability at letting quarterbacks run. And the last three games they were able to get a win against Georgia Tech, but Haines King certainly made some plays, and then Riley Leonard did the same thing, and then last week it was Jennings. So you would think Louisville would have been able to tighten

that up at this point, but they have not. So if I'm coach Elliott, I would certainly try to try to exploit that. So when it comes to this Virginia program, I mean, I don't know a whole lot about their you know, the atmosphere that you see at games. I mean, I think they have a unique setup on campus and it usually looks pretty cool on television with the students kind of sitting behind one of the goalposts and whatnot.

But I guess my long winded question is what are you expecting the atmosphere to be like in Charlottesville?

but definitely a lighter crowd. I would think maybe after the Boston College game you'll see an uptick in attendance, just at least a touch, but I don't I don't. I don't think. I haven't heard anything about a sellout or anything like that. It's an interesting fan base, the Virginia one, and you know, they tend to start jumping on when when the team gets good. Right now they're

four and one. I don't know if there's an excuse there or what, but maybe they're still they're still out waiting to see if it get if it can be sustained success for for UVA. I don't know if the fan base is more in wait and c mode than anything else, but I would expect probably a little bit better crowd than than than what Virginia had for Boston College with this this past Saturday.

roster overhaul over the last couple of years. Offensive Lineman departed through the transfer portal. Right, they lost a really good center ended up winning the Rimington Award, and Olulla with Timmy went to Michigan and and played on a team that that went to a national title game. They lost some other talented transfers to the Power four programs, and uh, it was it was it was tough. You know, the only thing that remained in place. You know that the team in twenty one was you know, the big

names Brennan Armstrong and some of those receivers. And it was a very difficult adjustment to go from that that air raid offense that Virginia ran with with Menden Hall and Robert and I to what they were wanting to do with with Tony Elliott and the new offensive coordinator. Uh then does Kit chains right, It was more pro style, more run oriented. So there was some adjusting and it seems like they finally have got that going. Uh this year.

He started to see it at times last year, I think particularly in the Louisville game, right when when Anthony Clandrew was moving around and they were they were able to run the ball a little bit. Get the bottom of leak Washington. This year, the offensive line has much improved.

The group's played together now for for you know, on their second season as a starting offensive line, Uh, together, and you're starting to see them move the football and be really comfortable with some of the stuff they do off play action, Uh, the zone run scheme. So I think it's just taken. It's just taken some time.

the air or on the ground. So to me, I think that would be a big reason. And then Calandrius stays clean with the football while making plays. Right, you can't have the turnover cheka as a team by Louislle against a team like Louisville, who you know, after a turnover could take a shot and then all of a sudden your far down. You know you've already given up some points after giving up the turnover with how quickly

Louisville can can get down the field. So to me, that would be the two keys is keeping the keeping the football clean for Calandria and then also you know, limiting the big plays and slowing Louisville down on the ground.

you know can't happen very often. I would assume, all right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side. Wrap at the three o'clock. I would forget Pat Kelston going to stop by here and join us on the show where the ACC basketball tip off in Charlotte on Sports Talk seven ninety. It's a beautiful day here in Charlotte, North Carolina. I got a chance to kind of, you know, not really do a whole lot, but just I was bored last night, so just went walking around downtown, ended

up getting dinner somewhere. I did avoid the media banquet, just you know, not really not really my scene. But you know, there are a lot of a lot more people here covering this than the previous two years that I've been. One of those was because of COVID stuff going on. But yeah, you know, any time I've ever come to Charlotte, it's been for this event or just

a different acc event, football media days. I think that's pro I think it's just been those two days and I've been here, I've been in the airport like you know, connecting flight. But yesterday and even earlier today, I had some time to just kind of you know, get out

and about. And I can't claim I did anything fun or anything like that, but it is a very nice city, and it's beautiful here the Carolinas, you know, obviously, and it's not a surprise by any means, but a lot of the uh, you know, a lot of the talk around here, you know, just the small talk among people seems to be about those in western North Carolina who, of course, you know, went through just a tragic situation, you know, obviously, not just people who've lost their lives,

but people who you know, lost their homes, that kind of stuff. So it's been it's been an enjoyable stay in Charlotte. And once once I wrap up the show this afternoon, I'll be making my way to the airport and coming home. All right, Jefferson Animal Hospital, Let's keep them in mind if you have pets that do not currently have somewhere that you take them to get checked up on. I mean, I know, you know, if if your pet's not showing signs of something bothering them, you

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get more information. We're gonna take a break coming up here in a matter of you know, a minute or so, because we want to make sure we're back right at four so we can make the most of our of our conversation with coach Kelsey, but he'll join us on the other side at some point. We will talk with Boath, Javon Hadley and Schucky Hepburn, who are also here representing U of L. And I can certainly tell that it's

winding down a little bit. You know, most people who have been here for the last few days, they've completed their coverage. And I wouldn't be shocked considering this show goes till six o'clock if maybe I'm one of the last few standing here, just because you know, most people's days have been.