It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's nit coffee.
That's right, hour number two here on a Monday afternoon, Coffee and company fueled by Thornton's our annual Monday Marathon percent about Carriage Forward. So if you've already filled out a bracket, good for you. I have it yet I'm going to I don't know why, but I feel good about my ability to accurately predict a bracket for the first time in a while, which means I'm likely gonna do terrible And of course I'm really excited about betting
on it. But when it comes to a way for you to win money based off your picks, we've got a chance for you to win a lot of money. In fact, a million dollars is up for grabs. So we've got a contest currently going on. We've go to seven ninety Louis dot com. You'll see it right there. It is our basketball Mayhem twenty twenty five percent about Salserita's Fresh Mexican grill. So again, seven ninety leuivel dot com.
I'm sure you've probably already filled out your bracket and have it handy so you know, you can just reference your bracket and fill it out. Or maybe you want to do a little bit, maybe you want to go a little different, which gives me the h gives me the I haven't even asked you this yet, Austin. Are you a multiple bracket guy or you do one? Or do you do brackets at all?
I've traditionally always done too, especially when Louisville's in it, and of course I go with the heart and I put Louisville to win, and then I just kind of go with a little more thoughtful one, and I'll probably do the same this year.
I think a lot of people that watch college basketball are doing it exactly the way you just mentioned. They'll have one that is a little bit more lucy goosey, more so what you want to see rather than what you predict will happen. And then you have one where you feel like, you know, you're just trying to be as objective as possible. And then there's some that fill out, you know, a ton of them, and at that point it just gets too hard for me to keep up
with exactly. I'm not against anybody filling out as many brackets as they want. For me, if I did more than two, I would not I And that's really what makes it fun is to be able to you know, track and see how well you're doing in your bracket, right, Like if you don't have a clue what the root for because on this bracket you pick that. On the
other bracket you get something different. It just becomes to me, it becomes too much work, yeah, for something that you're supposed to, you know, just enjoy.
It's almost the same thing with like fantasy football, Like it used to be fun when you had like six different teams, but it's too many to track.
It's too many to track and keep up with.
And I don't know when you have lesser brackets, I think it makes it fun just because you can be like that is a true bracketbuster because and now your bracket is completely busted because you only had one or two in.
Yeah, I think. I mean the people who love college basketball like us, I mean, we're consuming it year round. We're of course going to fill out brackets, we watch it throughout the season, we bet on it. But I think you know, for me, I don't really you know, bracket the whole like the the whole, like just having
a bracket in front of you. Brackets are great content, by the way, for anything like movie bracket through bracket, like when it comes to just content that a lot of people will will take in and react to, like a bracket about anything is a good way to go. And of course you've got a sixty eight sixty eight field tournament here that's got a humongous bracket. So that's what makes the tournament really cool is the bracket itself.
And I think that's why you see people really. I mean, look, March Madness is a big deal across the country, but college basketball is not a big deal across the country for any time really other than you know, right now. So what I'm getting at is, I think for us, like we're always going to fill out brackets, but I don't think they're is special to me now and I'm sure I'm not alone. And it's because like the thought
of winning your bracket pool is cool. But you know what, I can win money every day betting on college basketball.
That makes sense.
Like I think fantasy football is dying and within certain age ranges, because you know, you can just do daily fantasy and you can bet on games and like that's that's enough of a thrill.
Yeah, and it's it's.
An instant thing. It's it's I mean, it's easy to.
Do and win as much money as you can waiting five months for the season and like a weekend.
And it's more work too. Yeah, like it just you know, I mean, I'm I'll never leave my league voluntarily. They may kick me out because I'm you know, I'm not very good and I at times have been the guy to you know, forget to set the line up, which isn't good. But like I just it's not it's not something I really think about a whole lot, because I'm more worried about, you know, logging into one of these
sportsbooks and making wagers. So again, I will certainly fill out a bracket and follow along and see how I do. But more than anything, I'm going to be thinking about, you know, which games I want to bet on when we get to Thursday and Friday, in fact even tomorrow. In the playing games. I mean, there's probably some good games there too. And n I T. The n I T has been good to me when it comes to wagers,
because I don't I mean, it's probably just luck. But I think in the n I t it's a pretty easy thing to determine, you know, which teams really are going to embrace being there and which teams quite quite literally, you know, clearly don't want to be there, you know what I mean. Like Georgia Tech, they finished the season really strong and they ended up being a weird team that had some good wins. You know, they're only five
and a half point favorites over Jacksonville State. They may lose, but like Georgia Tech is a good enough Georgia Tech has talent that if they're into it, they should be able to not win the whole NIIT, but like they could win a few games, maybe they beat you know, maybe they be Jacksonville stayed by Tundamar.
I don't know.
But anyways, we're not talking about the ant day. We're talking about THENTABL the tournament. And I mentioned this early on in the show for those that weren't with us. I think yesterday was as disappointed as I've been as a Louisville basketball fan in a long long time. And I think disappointment. For you to have that feeling, I think you have to have some level of expectation, and this season was so awesome, and it was because one they were successful. They were a lovable group. This team.
I'm talking about them like it's their funeral, like they're dead and they're not. I mean, they still got a chance to, you know, to make a run.
Here.
They're in the tournament, and that's great. But the disappointment set in because again, there was not a whole lot of expectation really throughout the entire year. Until you know, they proved they were good enough to make the tournament. You didn't have to worry about being on the bubble.
And when they lost games earlier this seas, I was sad, but I don't think disappointment would be one of the emotions I had when they got blown out by All miss or when they came up short against Duke in Kentucky, and when they got killed by Tennessee, when they lost to Oklahoma, even when they lost to Georgia Tech. That
was the head scratcher. But at the end of the day, like that happens, and I couldn't be disappointed because I just I feel like, hey, they're probably they were probably due for a loss, and at this point it wasn't because they came out and didn't give effort. They just they had a bad night. So the Kinny Payne era, I mean, I was disappointed from the beginning, and then it kind of just you know, disappointed, Like it's the
same thing. Expectation is certainly a factor in how you go back and forth on you know, where your emotions are. How could I be disappointed after every Louisville basketball game when I know that the team stunk and was gonna mean they you know, when they we were numb to it, So there was really no I mean I was disappointed overall, but like I was overall disappointed to a level that like I'd already dealt with it, you know what I mean, Like Kenny Payne had ten games left in his in
his in his second and final season. I mean, I couldn't be disappointed in them losing to somebody if I tried, because again, it's not a result I want. But like, I'm not gonna lie to myself and act like they should have won some of these games when I knew they were terrible. So to see and it was such an unexpected jab. I mean, it hit me right in the in the you know what, because I just couldn't believe it.
I was.
I was, I was, I was beside myself and and and I know when we were simulcasting earlier with the crew over at h as Dave Jennings mentioned it, and I couldn't agree more. Seeing your team get seated so wildly off of what you expected and what everybody else expected, and have it be the second game announced in the bracket unveiling.
Oh yeah, that made it worse.
Like I can't really tell you why it made it worse, but like it made it really really. I mean, if you're gonna give me that kind of news, I mean, I guess there's no way. Yeah, there's no good way to do it, but I don't know. Just like as soon as sort of I set down with my beer, I'm like, oh wait, well what you have my way? This can't be real.
We're usually kind of waiting for that.
Yeah, I mean it was. It was a real I mean, I was disappointed, and I still am. I'll be honest with you, I haven't really thought a whole lot about the Creighton game just yet. I'm going to get there, but today's a day where you know, I think it It reminded me of just how it can linger when it comes to being disappointed about louis basketball, because it's
something and I know I'm not alone. It's something that I probably cared too much about, right, Like, it's probably not healthy for me to care this much, but it's it's just how I am, and I you know, I don't think I could be any other way. And I know
a lot of you probably agree. But even during the roller coaster of this year, as I mentioned, with the injuries, and again you know, it hadn't been it han't always been perfect, but I couldn't be disappointed because I still felt like they were it was it was really best case scenario and given circumstances, like it was an awesome ride. But yesterday, what a feeling of disappointment. And I still am in disbelief that it played out the way that
it did. I mean, I was joking earlier, but I also wanted I'll clarify sort of my thoughts on this, because for those who haven't seen it, you could make the case that just by looking at the numbers here and really knowing conference afiliation, that they might have just accidentally swapped Memphis in Louisville. As as stupid as that sounds. And again I can't tell you with the straight face
that like I'm accusing them of that. But if they did it and we found out, which we never would, I wouldn't be shocked because again, look at the difference in these two teams. Memphis in the NET forty ninth they get a five seed, Louisville twenty fourth, they get an eight seed. Again, the NET is created by the nc DOUBLEA, So you can throw out Ken Palm, Torvik, RPI, BPI, NTI at home with your kids, whatever you want to use. The NET ranking is quite literally with the NCAA created. Therefore,
they're going to factor that in more than anything. And to see that big of a difference seed line when one team, yes, Memphis played a tough non conference schedule and they won a couple of games that have value, but to get them a five, it just doesn't make
any sense. If Louisville is an eight, RPI Louisville sixteen, Memphis twenty two, Ken Palm Louisville twenty three, Memphis thirty four, Bart Torvick Louisville nineteenth, Clempson or Memphis forty, and it could keep in mind this Bart Torvik formula is the newest one that they're utilizing that they were supposed to be factoring in this year. Clearly they didn't, and he
referenced it. Bubba Cunningham referenced the Bart Torvick ranking when it, you know, when what they were doing differently this year and no, and reference Louisville when talking about it, and they're twenty one spots off. Memphis gets a five, Louisville gets an eight. And I don't really like to use the ESPN BPI because I think ESPN's formulas all suck.
But Lowell's twentieth Memphis is forty second. I mean again, like yes, maybe let me like, maybe you're valuing Memphis and what they did in their conference because they did win their conference, right, Memphis did, but they won the American Athletic Conference, a conference that's a one bid league, a conference that nobody else was going to get in. I mean, if UAB beats Memphis, that would have been
a bid stealer. So you're telling me that you can get a five seed by because of like if what's a separator between you and other teams is that you won your conference in the regular season, in the tournament, but it's a one bid league. I mean again, and Louisville played in the ACC championship game and they went eighteen and two in that league. And I know the league's down, but it's better than the American by every
single objective, every measure, and also the committee. The Louisville being seated eighth is the only sign they gave you that they didn't respect the ACC. Clemson getting a five shows you that they respected the ACC. Dude, getting a number one overall was going to happen regardless, So it's
not really about like it would have been. I mean, there's just no way to do could be seated anything other than one, But Carolina getting in another sign that you know, you can be who they were and get in despite your league not being great and you not being one of the better teams in your league. It just doesn't make any sense. And again I'm not accusing
them of that. Part of me still thinks that there's no scenario that could actually happen, but crazier things have happened, and that would actually make sense because Louisville being seated eight than Memphis being seated fifth. There's not a single scenario where you could justify how they came up with that. And I'm not even telling you that like Louisville should have been seated way higher than Memphis. Trust me, that's
not what I mean at all. I'm just saying, you know, when it comes down to it, Memphis played in a league that is substantially worse than the ACC, even when the ACC, as we know, is way down, and they have losses to Whichita State, they have losses to Temple, they have lost to Arkansas State on their home floor. So you know, yeah, they did beat Michigan State and that win had a lot of value. They got them in maw if you remember, and they beat Clemson in overtime.
But other than that, I mean, for every good win that they got a lot of credit for, it clearly didn't mean a whole lot when it comes to the numbers. And also they didn't get held account and that is without question one of the most noticeable things throughout the end. If there is one thing they did consistently this year,
they didn't punish you for bad losses. You didn't get pun I mean, like, you can't be a five seed if you're Clemson with losses to Arkansas State, which a tall state and Temple, I mean in a one big league, no less. So again, if you would have told me, and I would, I worried about this here and there. I kept bringing it up, not till like and I kept trying to, you know, get out of the conversation because I didn't want to sound like I was being you know, I didn't want to think about a scenario
where we'd end up here. And I knew some people told me I was crazy when I would act like Louisville could potentially be held accountable, like for the fact that, yeah, they won a lot of games, but man, who they beat don't mean they're bad, but it's just it is what it is. Like I worry about that because I knew going into yesterday Louisville their best win was Clemson twice, and they didn't get their best win until they beat Clemson on a neutral just two days ago or three
days ago. So those are your best wins one win or two wins against the same team, one home, one neutral. And then you beat Carolina, a team that at the time yesterday before the selection show, I didn't think Carolina was getting in, did you, I didn't, So that was something I couldn't really escape. But then I would look at every single bracketologist out there, bracket matrix. You also, again,
you did add value right before selection Sunday. You beat Clemson, and then you played Duke competitively in Charlotte, and I know Cooper Flag didn't play, but man, I really felt like collectively Louisville being up at the half against Duke and clearly competing with them in a good game, I thought that would have removed the the you know, I thought it would have wavered those who were not willing to give them the benefited out because yes, all their
losses for the most part were to really really good teams and they don't have any real big wins.
But man, like, you know.
They showed who they were. But I think everybody else probably did see it that way, other than the ones who matter, which of course is the selection committee. So again two, I mean, it's crazy to think about Austin and we'll never know, but Louisville, if Chucky doesn't hit the game winner against Stanford and we go to overtime and lose or maybe they just don't make that comeback, would Louisvill have been in the playing game I mean.
It's a scary thought, isn't it.
Yeah, because you know you would have not even had the chance to get your best win that you ended up getting that of course, you know just came the day after that. So I mean, I just I don't know. The more I the more I just ramble about it, dude, the more I think, like I'm sounding like that tenfoil hat lunatic because I'm starting to talk myself into thinking the only explanation is they just mixed up the two teams.
Someone got someone forgot about it.
I mean, cause again, I know Clemson Beaton and I know they beat Duke, and those are monstrous wins. Those wins have value. But they also lost to a Memphis team that I didn't expect to be, you know, a team seeded fifth in the tournament. I mean they also lost to Boise, who did not end up getting in, right or did they get in.
I don't think Boise get in.
I don't think Boise did no. So I mean, let's look at Clemson, and again I'm not I'm not even I can't. It's hard to tear down Clemson because you know that's your best win, and the better that they are viewed by the committee, the better it is for you, at least we thought, because again the committee thinks they're a five seed, but Louisll seemingly didn't get any credit for beating them. I mean, South Carolina was a bad loss, Boise was a bad loss. Georgia Tech Louisville had that
same loss too. So I mean, I just I don't know the one thing that really has me usually I don't. I mean, again, getting worked up about this is not going to benefit anybody, trust me.
I know that I'll just let it out.
But I've just never been in a position to where I've seen it with just because again, if you seed in the ACC differently, I'd still hate it and disagree with it. But you know I could, I could live with it because you just told us that our league stunk and we didn't get any value for going eighteen and two. But they didn't do that. They put Caroline in. They gave Clemson a five seed like that, Like it
just doesn't make any sense at all. Real quick, before we get to our next break, let's hear Pat Kelsey.
This was him.
He had a couple of different radio interviews nationally since since finding out his team was seated at number eight, and clearly you could tell by the body language shown by him specifically and some others in the room, and they had the you know, they showed it on on the broadcast. They were stunned and as you could expect, feeling a little slighted.
I'll be completely honest with you, Like when we're watching the selection show, it was like when that popped up, it hurt a little bit. You felt slighted a little bit. You know, it is what it is. At this point do you have the advantage of no choice, but you know, my opinion, we should be playing a twelve ver eleven seed.
I'm totally with him.
By the way, that was that was from ESPN Radio with Matt Jones last night on the on the March Badness Racket Show, and then earlier today I believe this was this morning on Mad Dog Serious xm kelsey was on and also talking about the same thing. Here here's the sound from that.
I don't think there's any question that you know, is your going down the stretch of the season, especially after last night, you know, when we lost in the conference championship game, you turn your attention to the greatest fact to cron American sports, in my opinion, that's the NCAA tournament and keeping your eye on it a little bit as to what the net says, what Ken Palm says, what bracketology says. You know, we're pretty you know, pretty said on hey, we're probably gonna be a six. You know,
there's a chance we're gonna be a five. We seemed to be climbing. There are a few people there was a whisper of a seven. It was like seven. We've lost two games in three months. We went eighteen and two in the conference. We beat Clemson twice. They got a five seed, lost to the number one team in the country in the finals of our conference tournament. And that popped up and it said eight. I was definitely surprised. The advantage of no advantage of no choice is what
we have right now. It's fortunate to be in. We're excited to be playing. It could be a lot worse. We couldn't be preparing tonight and could be out of it all together. So we're excited about the next challenge at hand. You know, we think we should have been playing at twelve or eleven. And you know, obviously We're playing Creighton, who just went to the championship of the Big East Conference championship as well, very very well coached team.
You know, every team in the NCAA tournament's really good. But we have our hands full with a very, very tough first round opponent, and we're fortunately excited to be playing the silver lining fellas would be. We're playing right down the road. So I'm challenging all of Cardinal Nation to what they gotta do to get in the door at rep Arena and make it is red an environment as we can.
So I said this earlier when we were on with Terry Minors. For those who missed, we did a simulcast where Terry and Iward just going together on both stations. We're gonna do the same thing coming up for the first segment of the five o'clock Hour as well. It's
part of our Monday marathon. Person about Carriage Forward. But I do believe Pat Kelsey has shown he's the kind I mean, it may not result in a win, but I believe he's the kind of coach that will be able to I don't want to give you the cliche. We we'll use it as motivation. Chip On the shoulder.
I don't think anybody needs to do that. That's just I think gonna be there because they feel disrespected, which is a good thing, you coming in with something to prove, but also like they'll they'll, I don't, and I'm sure more than anything, it's it's it's two it's two things, right. I'm sure there's a lot of factors that leads into this, But I think this group's mature and they're not like I think they're grown men, like they're you know, they're
very experienced. They played a lot of basketball that helps. But also Pat Kelsey's culture, his leadership style, the way he goes about it. It's infectious to these guys to where they truly do embrace the one game at a time, Like they're not thinking anything about Auburn, they're only thinking
about Creyton. And I haven't thought as much about Crayton as I probably you know, I was gonna say, like I should have, like it's gonna matter in the game, but I thought by now i'd be looking at all of Louisville's potential pass and you know, we know it's pretty clear you got to get past the number two team in the Big East and the number one overall seed in the whole thing. To get to the second weekend, it'll be tough to do, but you know, maybe they
can ride some march magic. I'll tell you what I do love and we'll talk about more. We'll get We'll get a little more of it. On the other side is my man, the tribal chief, Austin Montgomery's got some real confidence in some march magic.
I like it.
It's firing me up. You're feeling, you're feeling they're going to come out and show how wrong the committee was. Right course, good stuff stick around right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
That's right, Coffee and Company are rolling along here on a Monday afternoon. It is our annual Monday Marathon presented by Carriage Forward. A lot of talk about the bracket, which we've done, we've done that, but mostly Louisville situation as they get an eight seed, which not many saw that coming. In fact, that's what really stands out more than anything is those who only matter right, what they decide is how this goes. I mean, it's the committee.
They decide and they can do whatever they want. There's no real there's no they don't have to answer for anything, and it's always been that way. But objective folks, right like not Louisville fans, not acc Hanks, but people who do put together a bracket you know, because they want to and I mean bracketology. They want to build credibility
as somebody who's good at predicting the NCUABLEA. And of course those who I believe should actually be a part of the process, those who literally do it year round. I mean they they thought Louisville, probably at worse, could get a seven. Most said six, some said five, and
they get the eight. So just because everybody else predicted it one way and it went the other way, that doesn't really necessarily prove anything about right or wrong, but it tells you how disconnected this committee was about Louisville compared to others who you know, follow it closer. We're gonna get at the bole lines just a minute. But one thing that I've always said about the selection committee as well as the committee for the NCUAA College Football
or for the college football Playoff. Now, the people who are on this, you know, in these positions. They clearly are successful in that world of college athletics. They're athletic directors at certain schools. Bubba Cunningham is the ad of North Carolina, He's the chairman. You've got Ward Manual, who is that for Michigan in football in the College Football Playoff.
You've got guys, you know, personnel from different conferences around the country, athletic directors and assistant athletic directors I believe at some point have made up this committee who makes this decision. So one, you clearly just have complic of interest. I mean, we can live in a world where like you don't assume that that's a thing, but it is. I mean, like, let's say Bubba Cunningham, like those are
his peers. Those are people that he respects, that he got to know pretty well during the process here because you know, they're on the committee together. Yeah, he may have to leave the room, but those people they know when he comes back in the room and his team's on the bubble, and they're the ones who tell him
we've decided not to put Caroline in. We've decided that this you know, we know this decision is going to take away one hundred thousand dollars of an incentive that you make if Carolina makes the tournament like human beings have. I mean, there's a conflict of interest as a thing for a reason. Like even if you tell yourself, I'm going to be objected by, gotta leave the room, you still have people making decisions that it's really hard not to have some level of emotion that is involved in it.
And I'm not saying we should go the computers and go to robots and have those people decide who makes the tournament. But somebody who you know, that's all they do is watch college basketball and try to assess where the sixty eight field event is throughout the year. They're you think an athletic director is watching college basketball like those lunatics are? They got other They got more important
things to do. Like whenever I saw that the committee for the College Football Playoff received iPads via mail because they needed the condensed version so they can actually watch these teams that they're gonna have to decide if they're worthy or not of making the tournament. Like that not raise a red flag anybody else, Like wait a second, this is the realization that, yeah, the people who make this decision, which is such a big deal. It is
such an important thing. Like they got way more important jobs than even deciding that, like who gets into the playoff and who gets in the Nceblle Tournament. I know again, I'm not taking shots of these people as if they're incompetent as professionals, because clearly they're very successful to what they do. But they got better stuff to do than to be keeping up with college basketball as much as you need to in order to know who belongs and
who doesn't. All right, FABO two five seventy nine hundred is the number. If you guys want to jump in and join us on the phone lines. Let's go to the phone lines, and now will welcome in. Jerry, Jerry, how are you doing today?
Brother? It's all good.
Nick.
I worked with a guy years ago and he'd done and seen everything where I work, and he gave me a quote one time, and this is a quote for all the IU and West Virginia fans out there, okay, And it was real simple. He got passed over for a spot one time. Years later, I got passed over for a spot and he told me one day, he said, Jerry, remember I always remember this if you ain't in the planning, you ain't in the play. Okay. So if you're not in the room, forget about it. It's not gonna happen
for you. You know, North Carolina's ads in the room, he's in the plan and he's in the plane. Okay.
That's just the way it works, as well, said quick.
Looking back throughout the season, I called in here once and I said, hey, Nick, we were six and five, and I said, I think we're going to go seventeen and fourteen. And you you pull it up and you said, well, Ken Pom says eighteen and thirteen. And we hash that out, you know, and as things got better and better, you know you. But anyway, I've looked at it today and I thought, I remember a time where I thought, hell, we might go twenty one and ten. We're going to
get in the tournament. But now, looking back, if we'd have gone twenty one and ten, I think we'd be on the outside looking in.
Right well, for sure, absolutely, And who knows where we would Who knows where we would have been if we lost to stand for the other night.
I mean, I agree, you know, and and so what happens to us if we lose the If we lose to Clemson, you know, does it make us a ten seed all of a sudden. I mean it's crazy. But anyway, reaction to the Duke game real quick, Speaking of past phone calls, I don't know if you recall this or not, but I called in when we were six and five talking about seventeen and fourteen, and I sort of got on James Scott a little bit, you know, and and I was like, Hey, you know, this isn't gonna work.
We're gonna have to recruit over the guy. Blah blah blah blah and all that. Well, guess what, Saturday night, those those feelings came back to me again, and I can't help it. And I love James Scott and I think he's been awesome, you know. But but at the end of the day, again, as I said months ago, he's an offensive liability, plain and simple. And if Pat
Kelsey tells me as a fan, he's a hard worker. Okay, he better get to work because if we want to get to the top of the mountain and to stay off the eight seed line, we've got to have somebody in the middle. Either James Scott, I much improved James Scott that can put his butt down on the block with another twenty pounds of muzzle and learn how to score on the block and then learn how to come out and hit a shot from the elbow or whatever.
He's got to get more versatile offensively, okay, and there's no way around it. If he can't do that, then we got to recruit over him. It's the same with Rus. You know, early on I was super excited about him. But that dude has got to change his shot and he's got to put up a thousand shots a day during the offseason and he's got it.
You know.
It just is what it is. I mean, here's the thing. I am a happy fan. Okay, it might sound half glass half empty, but it's not. I give the staff an A plus for this year, but the talent level, in my opinion, is a B or B minus. And I think Saturday night it showed out like that. Okay, I'll give you three guys, real quick Waterman, Trey Or and Russ. They played fifty minutes Saturday and they gave us seven points and three rebounds. And that's what I'm talking about. When I talk about talent, I mean I
believe me. Like I said, I love the team, but at the end of the day, to get to where we want to get with this program, a lot of things have to change, and it has to be our talent level. And one of the things I've always said is is Kelsey needed to win to be able to attract the talent. He's done that, so you know, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that we can win a game. You know, hey, let's play Auburn. Let's play Auburn Saturday and see what happens. That's all I got. Thanks for that.
Go Cards appreciated Jerry, Go Cards.
Yeah.
I wanted to let Jerry finish because he's usually pretty well planned out, and he was there, he was ready, he was ready to share what he had to say and James Scott and I remember exactly what he's talking about because it hit me at the time. Jerry said that that I can't help but agree with everything. But I also love James Scott, so I can't think of a player that I love. His effort, his energy, his attitude.
I love everything about the guy. But he also at the same time drives me crazy and makes me more nervous than any other player that I felt that way about, because what James Scott like, what he's like, what he's got in his bag, he does that really really well, really well. High energy, he's physical. He isn't the biggest guy, but he's physical, plays his ass off. Will will get on the floor and he will finish above the rim, and he'll rim run like, he will give you everything.
He'll he won't be outworked. And what again, when it comes to just being a guy, you throw it up there. He's near, he's got a knack for finishing, and he's really good at That's a that's a weapon that Louisville has. But every other aspect of his game offensively is absolutely a liability. And I don't think there's anything to do
about it right now. But when he has the ball and it's not above the rim for him, about the dunket, I mean, I'm worried because I think there's a good chance he's gonna You know, there are times where they give it to him, and I've seen him make some good passes and whatnot, But just when he's moving with the ball and there's a decision to be made or a shot to be taken, I just I feel like
it's about to be a bad scenario. So you know, I think James is a perfect complimentary big and he can be a fine player his whole career here if he stays for the entire time by doing just simply what it is he does and continue to do that really well. But that probably won't result in him getting you know, thirty plus minutes a game moving forward. So
I totally agree, and look the talent level. That goes back to why I have felt genuinely unable to be disappointed, because when they do have a setback, they lose or they nearly lose to somebody. Like I think we're getting the absolute most out of all these guys when it comes to their personnel. Like Trey Ore. I mean, yeah, he makes mistakes and he shouldn't miss lay ups things like that, but like, I don't think that he's got like an insane amount of talent, although he's talented player.
You know, same thing with Waterman, and Waterman's injured too, by the way, he's not the same guy you brought in from BYU.
So you know, Duke.
The Duke game the other night was a reminder one you need Rain Smith. Clearly Rain Smith changes how teams defend you. And we'll talk a little bit more a little bit more about Rain later on, But what Saturday reminded you is that, look, when it comes to playing teams like Duke, and you could have beat him too. Maybe you would have beat him if you had your team at full strength, meaning you know you've got they
or you've got rain out there. But if you've got rain and they've got Cooper Flagg, you're still gonna probably have a tough meat. That would be a really tough matchup right, you'd have a tough time winning. I think guys like Nata Mint and the five star point guard who's on his way here that's in the top ten in the country, like those are the kind of guys that can help like Duke has all that's all Duke's players, as far as the majority of the guys who play
their minutes. So you know, I think, you know, in order like Pat Kelsey can win at a high level with the kind of guys he has. Now I think, you know, moving forward, I think he can be a winner. But I think to have Louisville in the conversation of being one of the best teams in the country that's got a chance to potentially cut down nets at a
final four. You take the kind of personnel you have now, and you add a couple of guys that you know, just have some NBA ability, They've got some things in their bag that most don't, and Duke clearly has that with a handful of players. All right, quick break, we'll do this on the other side. We'll finish up the four o'clock hour with nothing but phone calls. We'll go to Kirk, We'll go to Cody, who are both on hold. We'll get to you guys next right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
We haven't talked much about the games Saturday, I'm sorry, Friday and Saturday, the Clemson win and of course the Duke loss, and we can do that a little bit in the five o'clock hour. I don't really have a whole lot to share that. You know, you guys probably don't agree with tough to lose, but obviously I felt like for the most part, they competed and fell short to a team that's just clearly better even without Cooper flag they're Duke's a special group. I mean, they've got
a hell of a team. And you know, had Lowell head Rainsmith could have been a little bit different. Chucky, I think you know didn't clearly didn't. Was not as aggressive and as assertive as you need him to be. I mean, that's the kind of game against that kind of team you need to be healthy. You need your best players to kind of be the best version or close to it of themselves, and LOUI of it, just
didn't didn't quite have that. You know, Terrence Edwards was phenomenal in that game, and I I mean it's a loss, but that's that's that's a performance. I think I'm gonna remember a long time seeing him just give Duke work like that. That was that was impressive. All right, let's go to the phone lines, fib I've sent nine the number you guys want to join us, and I will now go to Kirk. What's happening, man?
Hey? What's going on? Nick? How you doing today?
Buddy?
Doing well?
Doing well? Yourself?
Well, I'm doing pretty good, I guess, but I I just want to know who's sitting on top of that he man Louisville Haters Club. I tell you man, it's it's uh, it's really upsetting to see, you know, the way this is unfolded. But let me tell you man.
You know, back in the day, like I was telling Austin, you know, back in the day in the eighties, when we used to go to the Louisville games, and when they won the championship in eighty six, we all went to the U eighty six you know, celebration, and we had a mantra back then it was called the Cardinal cannonball, and I'm hashtagging that back. We're we're ringing in the Cardinal cannon ball this year and we're gonna run through
this tournament. Show everybody. Eight seed. Who I mean, it's just, you know, unbelievable that we're ranked number thirteen and we come in at an eight seed. Over the last you know, twelve or thirteen years, you know, the thirteenth rates ranked team has been a five seed or less.
So check and check this out, Kirk, Louisville's now tenth. So when the tournament starts, when they play on Thursday at noon, they'll be the number ten team in the country and the apeop pole and they'll be an eight seed, whereas all the other teams ahead of them are ones, twos, and then there's one three. I mean again, the a peopole isn't isn't what's utilized. But doesn't it just show you that the committee seems to be Louisville in a way that nobody else does.
Yeah, it's unbelievable in Louisville, for some reason, has to be the team that has to be you know, made an example of because because you know, the unprecedented, because look we had a title forfeited over what I mean, you know, there's a lot of arguments about it, but
you know, just the unprecedented. But like I said, you know, the last time Louisville lost the game, we went on a twenty ten another ten eleven game winning streak, and I have a feeling we're gonna do it again because I feel like every team has to have that humbling loss. I think louis was gonna pull it together and we're gonna we're gonna ar our ugly heads, bro Hope.
So thank you for the call, Kirk. I appreciate it. Yeah, now that the shock is wearing off and it's clearly a real thing that they got an eight seed. I I've been in disbelief for a good while since it happened, but now that it is starting to wear off, I'm starting to kind of really get, you know, understand how crazy it is that we get to play and rup like that's I mean that Louisville is actually the second closest team as far as their tournament game and where
they're located, Duke is the closest. Not a surprise at all, Right, and eight seeds usually don't get preferential treatment. And I'll say this and we'll get to one more phone call before we got to get out of here. I mean, as much as I think we understandably deserve to be, you know, outraged by this injustice of Louisville being seed to eight, you gotta be mad as hell if you're crating,
or if you're already. I mean, Auburn's not saying they're scared of Louisville, and I don't think they are, but I mean, I think they look at Louisville as a team they could play in the second round and roup and realize that's gonna be a tough It's gonna be tough out for them, especially considering you know that the committee said that the number one overall seed. All right, let's go back to the on lines. Let's welcome in Cody. Cody, you're on Sports Talk seven ninety. What's happening, brother?
Hey?
Nick?
What's going on?
Man?
Just going back to a lot of what you said, brother, about how I just don't understand how a team can be like you said just literally five seconds ago, about how a team can be the number ten overall seed in the Ape Pole, which is the most important one, and then we still get a number eight seed overall in the tournament. I mean, it just doesn't like I'm just not correlating how that makes any sense. And then even going back to what you said again, Nick, I'm
pissed off everybody. I'll be rambling. I'm sorry about what you said as well about how we didn't even have to wait to see how bad we got screwed. Like I think it would almost been a little bit better if we were the last team shown, yep, to where we got to see all the other teams. But it's like, no, the first thing that we get to see is how
Louisville is an eight seed. And again literally going back to what you said again, If I was Auburn, I would be royally pissed because I mean, obviously Auburn is better than Louisville. I mean, nobody's gonna argue that. And I mean, honestly, I'm such an Auburn hater. I would almost rather see Kentucky wins this year. I cannot stands an eye Brew. I cannot stand Baker Mazara that's been in college since the Stone Age.
Dislike, I'll give you that.
I mean, it's it's insane, like, I mean literally everything they do. They have to start taunting, they're up twenty seven and make a lay of and they have to start flexing. That is it's so annoying, Nick. But I mean, going back to what you said, we have every reason to be pissed off that we were screwed. We beat Clemson twice. Clemton gets a five seed and there were number ten overall, and we get an eight seed like
the math ain't mapping man. And my last thing, I'm gonna hang up, and how do they give North Carolina that spot? If it's something about the eighth sec? So if North Carolina is an eleven seeds and louisvell is a number eight seed. You mean to tell me Louisbells only three seeds better than North Carolina who they beat this year, and they were in the same conference and finished second, and North Carolina was fifth and they were
one to twelve in quad one games. I want to hang up and listen to Buddy love it.
Thank you appreciate it.
Cody.
Yeah. Look, that's the one thing that just makes this feel a little bit different than any other time I've disagreed with the committee as far as where they seed my team or really where they seed anybody. Is that there's just you know, the because what you can do, you can you can quite literally decide you're going to seed the team here and do this and then build around it to build your explanation as to how you
got there. Does it make sense like you can you know, you can set up your own seating to justify where you put other teams. Well, the ACC didn't seem to really get any real blowback from from the committee as far as being down. But the only other than Louis the Louis being seeded eight is the only thing that would make you think that they don't respect the ACC because Carolina getting in tells you that that, I mean, brand clearly matters too, and Bubba Cunningham I think had
something to do with it as well. But it's this is one to where you know, there's just no scenario they would be able to justify it, and therefore like just knowing that it's it's just whatever they say, and that's what like, there's no way to mean. I'm not saying we should fight it or file, you know, a lawsuit like West Virginia's doing, but I mean, it's just a different feeling from for selection Sunday for me. All right, quick break, we'll come back and what we're gonna do
on the other side. We'll start the five o'clock hour once again by joining Terry Miners on news RADIOA forty WHS. We'll simulcast for the first segment here in the five o'clock hour, part of our Monday marathon percent about Carriage Forward right here on Sports Talk seven ninety