It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee.
As we've discussed throughout the first couple of hours, last night was uh was as they as they say, the cardiac cards anytime Louis's in a close game, and really hadn't been that way in a while. I mean they've been either winning without much trouble here this season. But the cardiac cards. I feel like that's got to be a thing from like the beginning of Louisville basketball, and you know, it's it's a thing because cardiac arrest.
From eras during like the some games during like the Patino era, too fast pace and like they were close games.
Yeah, the cardiac cards, that's what they're called when they make us, you know, nearly have cardiac arrest. And I wouldn't. I wasn't quite there last night, but I didn't feel good about it. And last night was, in fact, I
think the worst we've seen this team look. But if that if that's the worst they look, and it's because they're just kind of they don't have it, I mean that's not ideal, and you hope that's not something that that lingers, but you know, it wasn't for lack of effort really, and it was I think they just were flat.
They were they were just wasn't their night. And every team at every level, great bad has nights like that, Meaning a bad team can be bad and then have a night where it wasn't their night, and then they're
really bad. So with all that said, the Sea Louis will still be able to find a way to win and really not wanting to be in the situation they were in, but sure enough they found themselves in that situation and they made they made the place necessary at the end to avoid what would have been a real resume loss. That's a positive now bouncing back from it, getting healthier and really getting their edge back. I think to say they've been like flat in the last few games,
I think would be a stretch. They've had stretches of play in these last few games where I think they've they've looked like the team that has been sensational this year for the most part. But I just be like these last few games, it's been, it's been They've been kind of flat compared to where they were the majority of the acc stretch and look maybe that's just they were on fire and and and really were on a role that is going to be hard to recreate. Maybe
that's the case. But still, even even if that, even even even if that, even if they were just like on a heater, that that was unbelievable when they were winning ten in a row, I still think last night, I mean, that was just a very uncharacteristic performance. But again they found a way to win. So the revivals
still in full effect. And there's some things that you see here and there that really make it stand out, or maybe things you've experienced as a fan that really make you kind of reflect on, Wow, it is kind of crazy to think of where we were the last couple of years and where we are now. And one of those things just happened to me during the break because I'm scrolling through scrolling through Twitter here and I see the updated mock draft for the twenty twenty five
NBA Draft. I'm sorry, twenty twenty six NBA draft. I keep forgetting that it's actually twenty twenty five right now, But the twenty twenty six NBA mock draft from Jonavangevoni of Draft Express ESPN. There's a Louisville player Mickel Brown is listed in the top ten here in the mock draft, and who knows if that ends up happening. If so,
I would say that's a good thing for Louisville. But seeing Louisville have a guy projected to be taken in the top ten of the NBA Draft, I mean, I was gonna say, been a while since we've been there? Have we ever been there? I mean, obviously louisll has had number one picks or no. I number one pick with Purvis, Ellison and griff I think was number two or number three. But I don't know. The highest NBA draft pick in my lifetime, I don't know. I don't know.
I mean, is it is it? Maybe it's Samaki. Yeah, Samachi went ninth overall. That was in ninety six. I do remember that because I remember his suit. But other than that, I mean Louisville in my lifetime, I mean Felton Spencer went sixth overall. Forgot about that, and that was in nineteen ninety I was a baby. I forgot
Felton went number two or Felton went number six. But the the highest, yeah, Louisville's had a number they've had one number one pick purpose Ellison, which of course I hate it for purpose, which kind of feel differently about him, given that he doesn't seemingly give a damn about Louisville at all, But to defend him as a player, he did not live up to having a career as like, you know, a guy who you would have expected to
be taken with the number one pick. But I always you know, to call somebody who played in the NBA for over a decade a bust, Like I just think that's that's just wild. But I get you know, when you are the number one pick, there's crazy, crazy expectations
that are hard to live up to. Like guys can guys can reflect on a career after being taken number one where they played fifteen years and everybody would say they were a good player, but a lot of others would still also include, well, yeah, but they didn't they were the number one pick, because that's a that's a
high standard to live up to. So three number two picks griff in eighty, Wes unseld in sixty eight, and Charlie Tyre in fifty seven, and then gosh, I'm I feel like I'm pretty good at you know my UFL basketball knowledge, I did not realize Rodney McRae was the number three pick in nineteen eighty three, and then Felton Spencer number six, Lancaster Gordon was number eight, Bridgeman number eight,
and Don Goldstein back in fifty nine. You remember that fifty nine draft, don't you, Austin Don gold Yeah, like it was yesterday. Don Goldstein went number eight. Yeah, we're watching on the picture screen. Wait a second, I made I made a mistake here Goldstein went number eight, but it was in the second round. How could you forget? Yeah, yeah, my mistake. And yeah, Donovan was number thirteen. I remember te Will being number eleven and Old Clark being number
fourteen two lottery picks. That's why do I remember Earl Clark going before t Will. I don't know, I I remember. And this isn't like a like we've done this on the show before, but I haven't done it in a long time, because it really it's I find it interesting
just to hear perspectives from people. But I also, you know, there's really it only it only stands to make me look like I'm anti Louisville, which I fought against that for a long time during the Kenny Payne era, but like unpopular opinion about Louisville meaning like something that you believe, but you don't really say it around other Louisville fans because you know they would attack you. Not physically, but you know, think about you, Like just imagine yourself at
a tailgate with Louisville fans. Yeah, and you're shooting the you know what, and you've got an opinion that you know everybody there would disagree with because you know it's not a pro Louisville thought. I I've always this is mine. I felt like Earl Clark very good, very overrated, wow, because to me, he could have a no show night and Louisville will be fine. He also played and had really good games. But like Terrence Williams, was that team?
Was that er? Sure? Like he will I mean he decided not to, you know, play with us, and I mean he We'll never know what happened at halftime in that Michigan State game, but sounds like he just decided, yeah, he's done. And that was one of the most painful losses ever when they lost to Goran Suton the suit on. So you know, Clark ended up Clark ended up having a good career in the NBA. Well, no he did not, I feel like I needed to say that, but like he didn't. He didn't live up to be a lottery
a little bit longer. Well, so he had a weird career, said so he got I mean, longevity matters. He got drafted in two thousand and nine, and he played for the Suns for two years and didn't do anything. And then he point I remember him been on the Lakers, right, so check this out. This is what happened. He ended up with Orlando and at that point he at least started playing some because the Suns they traded off his contract. They realized they I mean, they thought they made a
bad investment. So and again just disclaimer. Again, this is why I don't go here. He was a good player, But people I think acted like you bringing up that you thought he went earlier. Like I think people remember Clark as being better than t will or maybe they view them as the same. I believe that Terrence Williams, Unfortunately it sounds silly now because of how he's fallen apart as a human being, But like terre' Williams, in my opinion is the most talented player that ever watched
play at Louisville in my lifetime. Donovan Mitchell is the best player, but he wasn't that at Louisville. Terres Williams was phenomenal. Terrece Williams. Again, I think he would be currently still playing in the NBA at a high level if he wasn't a dumbass. And I hate that for him, but also it's a credit for Rick Patino, by the way, to this day is the only person at every level that has been able to successfully coach Terrence Williams, his
high school coach. Couldn't He left basketball, played football and then came back to basketball and at Louisville. You know, he was kind of a character, but like he was a hell of a player, competitor, really good. NBA was the first player to ever be sent to the D League for disciplinary Like they didn't send you there because you couldn't play, they're punishing you. And then of course he got basically black ball from the league because he
just wasn't a good locker room guy. And then he gets in trouble with the Feds and some fraud schemes. So anyways, Tewell was great and I'll always stand by that. But anyways, Earl in Orlando played with Dwight Howard and that was when the Magic were really good with Dwight, and he got some minutes but never really did much of anything. And then it was with the Lakers in twenty thirteen where he ended up getting a bigger role,
played twenty best year of his career. And then after that he ended up signing a contract with the Calves. They cut ties, and then he was with the Knicks for nine games, the Nets for ten games the following season, and since then he's been bouncing around. So you know, he didn't he didn't live up to his NBA lottery pick, but still a really good player. But I just that's always something and you know what, I just because I'm wasting time, we need to move on to something else.
But the other opinion that I did long ago, this was this was like twenty seventeen, so like this was whenever I think Jerich was still around, and this was still very much like the marketing branding of U of L Athletics, and I always thought it was really stupid, and I was afraid to say it, but I finally said it, and I remember feeling like relief, knowing that, oh my god, I'm not alone. A lot of people actually agree with me. L one C four is really stupid,
not creative, not clever. It's just lame. I mean, I'm not anti l one C four, like yeah, but I just I don't like I you know, like louis first cards forever. Okay, well that.
Was during the era like when Twitter first came a thing in hashtag. Yeah, like you just wanted a hashtag to be or brand, and that's what Louisville's I guess brand was then.
So what I don't understand is like Rick Patino, he had his own Adidas U OFL basketball gear, like for Louisville, I mean, Rick petina on some people realize this or not going it's going back in the day. Like part of how Louisville was able to pay for Rick Patino, he brought him Adidas as a partner. Well, the majority of Rick's In fact, the majority of the Adida's money initially was to pay Rick Patino salary because he brought
them here. We didn't know we were not an Adida school until Rick got here and he got it done. So anyways, which is funny. Then then he thought a lawsuit against him and all that. So but but with Rick, he had some U of L basketball gear Adidas that was not for sale. It was just produced for the program and it said Louisville First like that was sort of their like their thing, and that I think hits Louisville First Cards forever. It just it's kind jumping the shark.
It just it's not the worst thing. I just think it's lame. Like it was hard for me to be like, yeah, l one C four Yeah, I just I just you know what I mean, Like, it just doesn't so you know, teenage me was loving the hand hashtag yeah because because you were. Yeah, and there's nothing wrong with anybody who did it. I don't judge anybody who was embracing what judged me what the school was embracing. I just I
always felt like, man, that's kind of lame. But again, these are like these things or why they're unpopular because I know I am in the minority, and you know it starts to make people second guess you, Oh yeah, no, no, wonder this guy has been just bagging on Kenny Payne for two years. He doesn't. He doesn't like YO one C four, he knows Mad Jones, he's a plan. He doesn't even go here. Yeah, something like that.
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I was always a huge tea will fam and I also loved Earl Clark. I I'll agree pretty great by the way, absolutely, I'll agree with your sentiment that overrated. I like Terrence Williams better, but I thought that Earl Clark would have a much higher NBA ceiling, of course, just.
Because of the translated for sure, the length and everything. Length matters, I've heard absolutely, and he could stretch the floor.
He could get out there and play multiple positions, where it seems like when Terrence Williams was here, it seemed like he was just kind of relegated to that three spot.
Is always.
I never saw him as a great ball handler, and I felt like that's what he had to be in the NBA. He was a little bit undersized to be a small forward, which meant he had to go to the point guard or shooting guard, and I felt like that probably hampered him a little bit, just because he was just always and once again, this is just the way I viewed him. He looked at the guy that had the superstar donk. He would hit, he would hit good threes, a fantastic passer, and a really good defensive,
really good defensive player. So I felt like he would have fit in at the one or two, but he just felt undersized because it just seemed like he played small forward.
In college. He became a good shooter, he was always a good defender, could is one of the best athletes we've ever had at U of L. And the two things about him that didn't I think get enough you know, attention, not that they were like ignored, but he was a phenomenal passer and he was a really good rebounder. I mean just because he was six six and athletic as
can be so hell of a player. But yeah, things have kind of fallen fallen apart from let me let me defend Earl Clark and defend uh guy, because Earl Earl would be the best player on most of the Louisville teams I've watched in my lifetime, but Terrence was better. And I just feel like because I was so surprised that others didn't view it as tea will being that special. I guess that's why I've always felt like, I don't
think that Earl's as good as you guys do. But but it wasn't like I thought he was bad, you know what I mean, right? I mean he was super talented and he was a character too. I mean I I meani. He always had a hive his voice. I remember he had the Earl Clark celebrity game that was going to be played in Louisville somewhere, but they ended up moving into Bulletest High School. Was a wild scene back in like two thousand and eleven because Earl Clark was playing with the Magic Dwight Howard was a was
at Bullet's High School. Duncan On people j R. Smith was there because Chris Smith was at Louisville at the time. It was a wild, wild scene. I got some stories that are that are you know all timersmember. I remember going to the press conference at the I think it was at the Sealbach Ballroom. They had a press conference for Earl. And this time I was pretty early in like media. I had just gotten an opportunity to radio at a different station, but I was doing like one
day a week. I was real big in the blog. I was. I was in the blog world. And you know I didn't cover the team when Earl played. I I mean Earl and I are the same exact age, so Earl, which probably makes people feel older now thinking that. But anyways, Earl, you know, he he's dabbing up c L. Brown, And you know the guys who were in the locker room covering him during his time that he remembered Kendrick Haskins, those guys, And I remember he probably didn't recognize me, but he wanted.
To, so he was like, what's up, playboy. He didn't know my name, so he called me playboy, and I just thought, yeah, I am a playboy. I don't know what he means by that, but like if Earl Clark says I'm playboy, I'm playboy's right. So and then we were leaving Bulletese High School after the event, my wife and I were, and you've heard me tell the story about my piece of crap Mitsubishi.
Eclipse that I think I've heard that one. So I have a Mitsubishi Eclipse that had no air conditioning and it was a convertible and the top of it was was was like black ragtop, and then I had black leather and because it's a small vehicle with very little window room, and because of just how the car is shaped, you can roll the windows down and you get no air. So I could do that, or I could put the top back, but if the sun's down, I'm going to
sit there and bake. Yeah, So I oftentimes would drive with the when it was hot, but the sun wasn't out. It was a no brainer. Go topless, as they say, But not because I wanted to look cool, but because I wanted to breathe air conditioner. So I'm pulling out a Bulletese High School on Highway forty four to take a ride on Barn Road. And as I'm pulling out, I've got the top down. You know who else has a convertible nicer than mine? BMW, It's it's it's uh
j R. Smith, of course, of course. And he's got three women in his vehicle, two in the back seat, one in the front. He's in its convertible. And you know, I think, because we're next to each other and I have a convertible, he thinks I want to race. Oh no, did not want a race. So we take a right I guess he's probably putting in the GPS. He didn't
know what the hell he is. He's in Bullock County and he's taken a right it's gonna take him all the way down bar Chowne Road to probably hit the Snyder and and and he can get back to you know, closer to the areas he's probably familiar with in Louisville. Well, you know, I thought me not accelerating and just letting him drive off was was was the sign that I was not looking. I was not looking. I wasn't looking to go you know, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel running for
Pink slips here. I was just gonna. I was just gonna concede. And then we get to the light and he's not yelling anything, he's not being it. He just like he wants to race. And finally I put the pedal to the medal and he took off and that was it. And I and I humored him really, you know what I mean, like, all right, you want to go? Here we go.
Yeah.
I wrapped it up, and I'm like, this thing may blow up, we'll see. But if this gets if this just gets him away from me to where like you know, he wanted some action and you know fantastic. You never heard the story? No, I have not. That's great, it's funny. I have been doing this long enough, not to where I'm like some seasoned veteran, but like I got stories that I haven't shared in ten years that like I bet nobody's heard, you know what I mean. That's amazing.
Not many people can say they've been in this. Who can say they've been in a street race with two topless vehicles with j R. Smith and Bullet County. I can, and three other women. It's right, and they were, they were, they were, they were great ladies. I'm sure. Just say that what a night. It was? All right. We gotta get to a we gotta get to a break. We'll come back talk a little more about Louisville's win last night,
kind of what it means. We also need to take a look at Kentucky's matchup to night against Oklahoma because it does set up for one of those games that if they win, it's kind of what they're supposed to do, still going to be a quad one because of the SEC but it would be a loss that would probably be up there with one of their worst. But like again, then I would ask, what do they drop a seed line like their resume is so loaded with really good wins, I'm not sure how much they can fall. So we'll
get to that in a lot more. Stick with us, and if you're on hold, we'll get to you on the other side. So stick with us. Fibou two five, seven, nine hundred is the number if you want to jump in. It's coffee and Company. Feel abouth. Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety one.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
All right, so some big news in the NFL as they have announced they will implement the electronic or an electronic system to measure first downs this upcoming season. That it's per Mike Garofolos. So the chain gang will remain on the sidelines as a backup, but they're going to actually use some technology here to see if in fact these guys do are don't make the line to get
a first down or robo chains baby. I mean to see that it is successfully being done elsewhere in the NFL, of all places, not doing it was kind of silly. I mean, it's one of the things in sports where we've had a lot of advancements with how we do things in sports. Technology. You know, technology has been a
big factor in that. But when you you watch a billion but a billion dollar business still just you know, have such a big moment in a game dependent upon a rough guess at best as far as knowing in fact if the ball got where it needed to get for the first down. All right, it's coffee and company, Feiel about Thorn's. If you want to join us on the show, you can five two, five seven, one seventy nine hundred is the number. Let's go to the phone
lines and welcome in Captain Kirk. What's up, brother? Hey?
What's going on? Nick?
How are we doing?
Hey?
Man?
You know I had to call in. I'm nerd now because it seems like Britt Michaels is a hot topic today. So I just wanted to pick yourr a little bit. You know, me and my you know wife have gone to see him over thirty five times. Fancy. I am serious, and I take the dedication that is dedication, and my wife in this area, I can say, is the biggest
Brett Michael's fan. I mean, there might be people that might disagree, but I gotta say but uh, but what you were saying earlier about standing in line, getting the beer, hurry up the song, it's it is just that, you know, Brett Michaels knows how to get everybody up and moving. Great performer. Like some concerts we go to and people are just sitting there and they're they're not standing up and cheering, They're chewing on their jarr tae, and it's it's it's you know, it's but Brett, he just he
knows how to get get the get the steamrolling. And it's just gonna be a great show. So if you ever have a chance to go see him in a you know, kind of a smaller setting like the casinos, man, you need to go, because you will. You will not be disappointed it, that's for certain. So kudos and it's going to be a great show. And thank you so much for all the great radio.
Thank you man.
I love you guys, and keep on rocking, baby, appreciate it.
Thanks Kirk. Yeah, so we had some tickets to give away for Brett Michael's earlier in the show, and we did in the four o'clock hour, and I was just sharing sort of my story about Brett Michaels being at the Hometown Rising concert a few years actually, it's been about five years ago now, and he didn't seem like one of the performers that I would have expect me of all the names. He wasn't like a current or
even like an older country music artist. It was a country music festival, but he was there and I kind of thought it was odd, and sure enough I was there for his performance and he you know, there's a lot of ways you can be, you know, super successful in the entertainment business. In music, you can be you know, a great singer. You can be a great uh, you know,
a great a great artist. You know, maybe it's not so much about your performance, but some you know, there's a lot of different ways you can have I guess you know, you're I don't want to say you're claim to fame because your music in general is why you're is the claim to fame, but maybe sort of what what your your calling card as as a as a as an entertainer, because Brett Michaels can he just he was a guy that, like I didn't expect to be feeling all right, here we go, like this is awesome.
This guy's covering a lot of songs and he's playing some stuff from of course the Poison Days. But like there's there is there's a lot of guys who can guys, gals, artists, whatever, bands that when when they've got a lot of momentum, or maybe they just had a phenomenal run for a couple of decades to where they can tour until they're dead and still fill up shows and all that, and you know, props to them. But you know there's some people who just have the gift of like being entertaining
and being an entertainer. And I never would have thought of Brett Michaels because again, you know, when he was really a big deal, it was a little before my time, but it always stood out to me like this guy, he gets it. I know why if they needed somebody to you know, take the stage midway through the Saturday set, he was more than more than capable of doing exactly that and keeping the energy up. So yeah, shut out Brett Michaels. Who knew we'd have a Brett Michael's Day today.
But here we are, I'm saying here we are, all right. So Georgia they are the first school that I've seen that has at least leaked it made it public. I don't know if they put out a release, but it is now out there and it's gotten a lot of attention.
Today.
They have now put out how they're going to share the revenue that they're going to have to start sharing starting next year. So obviously, the NC DOUBLEA lawsuit, the settlement has required for a lot of money to be paid back to athletes that you know, again what it comes down to, to put it as simple as possible, regardless of what you think or agree, the Supreme Court just I mean, they ruled that what the NC DOUBLEA has done really since the beginning of time is illegal.
Now you can say that that's not you don't agree, but like that's all that matters, right, using these athletes as employees and not sharing revenue with them, as the incident became a billion dollar business mostly because of the nstead of a tournament like that was ruled to be illegal. Therefore, there's a settlement in place, and moving forward, these universities now have to share revenue. Actually I guess, I guess you don't have to. I mean you have to to
an extent. In fact, I need to get the specifics of it, because I'm not sure if it's something that they I mean, all I know is that you can share up to twenty million. As far as like, you know what the required amount is. I don't know. But as I've said, since this became known, that that was going to be, that was going to be the number.
If you are out there not sharing the maximum, it's gonna hurt you because you're going to look like you're not you know, you're you're you're greedy, you don't have enough money you want to you need to be even if it's not true. I guess you could, you know, you could fake it and act like he got all the money, but then when the checks don't clear, then that's that's the worst to look possible for you. That's
why Leonard Hamilton's done. I mean, look, there's a lawsuit currently that he is involved in that Florida State's involved in because he was talking all this nil money that like didn't exist. So the scenario where you're publicly out there saying, yeah, we're not going to share as much as the other schools, like, it may work out for you, but like probably not. Now if you're a big eas school and you don't have football, it's a little different.
So all the schools that want to compete and when at the highest level, are going to be sharing I guess you know, roughly twenty million. Now, how they're going to split it up among football, basketball, women's basketball. That's really each school's own decision. They can decide what they
want to do. So the decision from Georgia is this, It'll be twenty point five million dollars that they're going to share, and they're also using And this is something that I didn't mean, I haven't followed it close enough to know exactly how many schools are going to follow what Georgia did here, but I'm assuming a lot will. But two point five million of the twenty point five million is going to be new scholarships of ALE. So they're using that to basically say we're gonna give more.
We're gonna give more scholarships, because that's one thing the NAA recently it is they're long They're no longer I mean, are they again. It's so hard to keep up with it because it's so different than it used to be, and it seems like it changes all the time. Anytime they put something in motion. It seems like somebody fights it and then the NSAA has to start over. So I feel like it's not accurate when I say it that they've removed the cap as far as scholarships that you
can have. But either way two point five actually what they may be doing is and this isn't even relevant. But now now I'm curious because I would imagine there's certain schools that like they aren't going to be able to they're not going to pay you, like the revenue sharing will not go Like I'll give you the breakdown, thirteen point five million of the of the actual money that's going to be paid to athletes, So actually it's eighteen million overall because two point five million is going
to be scholarships. So eighteen million, thirteen point five of that is going to go to football. I thought it'd be more, to be honest with you, two point seven million is gonna be for men's basketball, nine hundred k is gonna be for women's basketball, and the remaining nine hundred thousand, the remaining nine hundred thousand dollars is gonna be for athletes and other sports. So what's gonna happen here? There are like there's there's there's athletes that will no
longer like they're gonna have less athletes. So that's that. Yeah, that's where I got confused. So there are gonna be less people on scholarship. However, they now have two point five million dollars in scholarship money because there's a lot of athletes on campus across the country at big schools that are not on full rides. Full ride scholarships are
really only for the big sports. I mean baseball. I mean, you got guys that are all Americans that are expected to be drafted that that are not on a full scholarship. I mean it's that's I think people know that. But what this is doing is that the two point five million in scholarships, they're gonna be able to now make it to wear. Okay, we can't pay you, like, we're not gonna we're not gonna share thirteen million with the tennis team or with the baseball team, because we just
you know, that's not how we're gonna do it. But you now no longer have to pay because we're putting you on. I mean maybe I guess that's what the two point five million in scholarship means, but I'm curious to see if others are really the same exact way, because this, to me, to my knowledge, this is the first time we've actually seen somebody publicly have it out there that this is how they're gonna distribute and share revenue.
And you know, for those that think maybe this just gets rid of ANIL, a little change in IL, but NIL is still going to be a factor because again, this is now really just a big stipend the rev share like everybody's getting, you know, how they're gonna do it with like and that's by and by the way, that's why the GM position has become more critical than ever because you're not just out there rounding up in IL money to you know, have have bags of money to give out to players who want to come to
play for you in the portal. That's still gonna be a thing. But the GM, the reason they're gonna make them over a million dollars is because they are responsible for Hey, uh, I know that thirteen point five million is gonna be spread out to probably one hundred different athletes for Georgia football. So the GM's got to figure out how that's gonna all work out, Like how you're gonna split it up like that's a big job. And then also you got to still handle an IL as well.
So in IL, it's really still just gonna be like the cherry on top of the kicker, if you know what I mean, right like the the like, there's gonna be guys who know they're getting really roughly the same in the rev share because they can pick wherever they want they want to go, But who's gonna give the most in IL money that'll probably still be the big factor and where a lot of guys go to school. Speaking of that, Nate ament, he is a top he's
like top five. I'm gonna pull it up here because I he's somebody that Louisville has been in on and recruiting for a while among other schools. He's down to his top five. He's gonna make his decision on April first, and he's got like a crowdsourcing like fundraising thing that I'll be honest with you, I don't care enough to like.
And I shouldn't say don't care about this guy. I mean, he's projected to be the fourth pick in the twenty twenty sixth draft, so if he wants to join mckel brown junior in this class along with Sonny who's coming over from from from Europe, who, by the way, I don't know if you guys saw it, he became like they he entered the twenty twenty five twenty four to seven Sports Recruiting database four star top twenty five player overall.
So like, if Nata Mitt wants to come and play and join those two guys, like hell yeah, and it'd be great to get him. So I'm not saying like I don't care about him, but like don't I just don't get into the weeds when it comes to like
recruiting write ups and whatnot, because especially with money being involved. Now, like these guys are wise When I say guys, I mean these kids, they're wise to utilize those interviews with the guys that work for rivals and twenty four seven Sports and whatnot because they can put stuff out there to like let schools know, hey, looks like we got to up the money. Like they can they can use
it to their advantage. I would do the same thing. So, like I just and another factor like having really good freshmen can help you, no doubt, but like it really is not as big of a priority. I mean, I don't know, they can be really good pieces that help you, but like building your team for one season with three or four top ten recruits, you should still be pretty good. But they're gonna be there one year because they they're
gonna go to the NBA. And like, if you don't have really good pieces from the portal or really good pieces that you retain from your team, if they're not a like, then those freshmen will probably still look like future NBA players and you may have some flashes, but like the scenario where you're in it, you're good enough to like win your league and make a deep run. I just think it's it's gonna be harder and harder to do. So Nata meant he is down to five
schools Louisville, Kentucky, Duke, Arkansas, and who's the other one? Yeah, the other one is Notre Dame, which is kind of random. So those that cover recruiting again, they know more than I than I do. They have continued to maintain that Louisville appears to be the school that you know, among the five that has maybe the best chance right now. And not to say those guys are lying, but like that doesn't do much for me anymore. I just don't, you know, not to be not to be the old guy.
I believe it when I see it, or I'll worry
about him when they get here. That's what That's what guys who didn't used to care about recruiting would say, Like, I don't want to sound like that guy, but I mean, if it's true that this guy just comes down to the highest bidder, Louisville gets him, cool if they don't, Like, I don't really care, So am I lying when I say that I'd love to get him, and it'd be awesome if I can also tell you where straight face that they don't get him, Like I'm not gonna lose
any sleep. I mean, I'm just being honest because again, like I think Louisville can still be really good without getting him, because they've already got They're gonna have some good pieces coming back, believe it or not. Least we hope they've got guys that are sitting out. They can certainly help them when they're healthy next year. Mckel Brown Junior and Pat Kelsey. You know, the proof of concept is there. He has shown he gonna he's gonna be he's been able to win here at Louisville, and you
know he did. He got mckil brown junior before he even really showed that he could be a successful coach here. I mean, I think we all knew he was at least on the right track. But he's gonna announce his decision on April first at the Barclay Center for the McDonald's All American Game, So maybe we'll have more information by then, But louisll appears to be in good shape,
but we'll see. I mean, it would be nice to have three top twenty five recruits, the guys you know for sure that are gonna be here next year, and then you go see what pack and get in the portal like that would be awesome, But it's not, and it really never was a live and die by it unless you're like a Kentucky and that was your model, or if you're a Kansas. But I mean, getting older dudes in the portal is the best way to season
by season, put together a roster that can compete. All right, quick break, We'll come back and wrap it up on the other side right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
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A pretty good slate tonight in college basketball Kentucky. They're at nine o'clock tip tonight at Oklahoma, and let me double check. I don't think the line has moved much now. It's still Kentucky minus two and a half. And for what it's worth, kN palm he has he has, let's see he has this as a I believe a two yeah, two point win for the Cats eighty three to eighty one. Kentucky should win. They're just better, and especially if they've got a healthy team with Butler and Robinson who may
both play. However, Porter Mooser, I mean, Oklahoma struggled. But again, he's as much as I've made fun of him earlier, not really intending to, I just kind of went there talking about how he turned his you know, couple of tournament runs at Loyola into a big time job at Oklahoma, where he's not been successful, and you know, he wasn't successful, and really most of the seasons he coached outside of those runs to the runs in the tournament. But nonetheless
he's a really I like what he does. Exus and O's wise. I think he's pretty good in the half court, and this Kentucky team at times has been really, really, really bad defensively. Sster Jean going to be there, Sister Jean. She, I mean, that's probably why Porter Mooser left. He's tired of being in the back around to her. But he Kentucky's defense is the bad defense we've seen at times. They could they could take advantage of that, because again,
I think they've got some good half court stuff. But you know, Kentucky again, like anytime you worry about man, they're gonna be vulnerable because they're injured or man, their defense looks terrible, they'll come back and steal a win they're not supposed to get or even play better than you would expect against a really good teams. So I still don't have a clue what like the realistic expectation
should be for them as far as the tournament. They're gonna get a good seed and they're gonna be deserving of that seed. But you know, you really don't know what you're gonna get any night with him. All Right, we're out of time. Everybody, enjoy the evening. We're back at it tomorrow, So join us, will you, right? Here on Sports Talk seven ninety