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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome in Coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety Nick Coffee, Austin Montgomery, the one we call the tribal chief alongside as we get set, I mean today the tournament kind of starts. We've got playing games, but two days away from the best two days of the year my opinion, and certainly yesterday there was a whole lot of bitching, and I was I was doing a lot of it, a lot of interaction from you guys as well. And look, you
can call in and bitch if you'd like. I mean, I wouldn't. I wouldn't want to make that the entire show, but the floor is yours if you guys want to be a part of it. However, you know, today we can turn the page and start talking a little more about this tournament. It's you know, overall, as well as
Louisville's match up with Creighton. I hate that it's Creighton that they've got to play in the first round, a team that played in the big Eiaest Championship, a team that gives you some could give you some problems in areas where you're vulnerable, which will certainly get into that today, but you know, there's nothing you can do about it now.
And maybe it's because Louisville's involved in it.
But Austin, do you feel like I don't know if you've been consuming as much content when it comes to the tournament.
As I had the last couple of days.
But I feel like the noise about the committee is as bad now as it's ever been, mostly I guess because of Carolina, But doesn't just seem like there's more talk about the committee getting it wrong than there has been in a long time.
Yeah, and no, I think you're right. I think even though you're especially you, I know you're a college basketball nut yourself. So yeah, I mean when we when we when the outside noise is kind of really getting that and it's just fun because, like you said, Louisville is a part of it, and we have someone else there to validate it. But you know, now it doesn't seem like we're screaming into an echo chamber like that. We're not the real crazy ones. Other people are noticing too.
Yeah, and I'll tell you what.
The committee being led by the chairman that of course is also the athletic director of North Carolina, Bubba Cunningham. I mean, I thought this was just something people put out there on the Internet and waited for enough people to run with it to where everybody just assumed it was true without looking into it. However, I was listening to who was it? Rich Eisen had he had, I believe, an interview earlier today. I can't think of who it was. One of the coaches that's.
In the tournament.
It wasn't a big name, and and you know, he referenced the whole Bubba Cunningham getting a getting an actual like in incentive if Carolina makes the tournament. I mean, that is the objects of that are insane. That the guy who is leading the committee and the last team that gets in is is the school that he's the athletic director for and he is compensated based off them making the tournament. I mean, it's one of those things
you almost feel like you can't make it up. And yes, he did leave the room, and I mean I believe he did. But one thing that nobody seems to consider. I know I talked to it this a little bit yesterday, but now that like this is actually you know, this
is real. This isn't just something people made up. I mean, even if you are out of the room, those that are there with you on the committee, the guys you're rubbing elbows with your peers, the other athletic directors that are on this committee, like they're gonna they're probably gonna be aware that like that you don't want to inter They don't they don't want you to re enter the room and them have to tell you, oh, sorry, we didn't put your team in. They were the first team out.
I mean you would think that integrity matters and that you know that they would just have to do it and deal with it, and they should. But like I just think the human element is more of a factor and a lot of things in life than people realize. So again, there's way more talking about the committee, mostly
just because of Carolina. But I do feel like, you know, the the and it's not just Louisville, but clearly I think they are viewed to be one of the mostly you know, when it comes to teams that feel like they didn't get the seed that most were expecting, Louisville
is certainly at the top of the list. But Austin and I were talking right before the show because obviously Dan Patt, I'm Dan Patrick, but Colin Cowhart is on before us, which of course Dan Patrick is on prior to that, but Colin was talking about I mean, they've been talking about the tournament quite a bit the last
couple of days, and I noticed it yesterday. Austin noticed it today that when they talk college basketball, I mean, you can we can tell that they really don't follow it that closely and they really don't know what they're talking about. And I'm used to it by now, like it's a known thing that people do this, But.
I'm just curious.
I wonder if those who aren't obsessed with college hoops like we are when they tune into these live shows that are national across the entire country and they're consuming the college hoops content, I wonder if they can pick up on it, meaning, do they realize that, like some of the stuff they're saying is like really generic or maybe sometimes not even true, or do they maybe just
get the sense? Okay, I listen to this guy every day and he's not saying this with as much confidence as he usually speaks on you know what I mean?
Yeah, I think what are the kids like to say?
Now?
It's just if they know ball or not, and you could get down to all morweeds and start and start knowing like they're a wins above bubble and like, what's the other one that sounds like a screwdriver?
The Brent bart Torvik? Oh yeah, is that even a person? Mark Torvik is a person?
Okay, So I've heard I've heard that in the last couple of days more than I and I've heard you talk about it throughout the season. But I mean, especially if you're just like a regular listener to those shows and you start hearing them talk about it, I think if you're not Balloher's like us, and you're you're probably walking away man.
He has very good points.
Get do gets right number one.
I do like that. I do like a chalked final four.
Yeah, I think the So anytime they're talking college basketball, I think that's a good thing because I love the sport.
I wish more people loved it.
I get so I consume so much college hoops during the season that at times I do lose sight of the fact that it's kind of a rare thing around here. Like normally, when we really get into the NFL and we really get into college football, everybody else does too. It's it's really popular nationally. College hoops is really not at all until you get to this time of the year.
So it's not something that's new. But I don't know, I just I wish it didn't bother me, right, because again, if they're talking about the game that I love, and I can tune into all these different national shows, national podcasts and they are talking college hoops, that's content i'd be interested in.
Because I love college basketball.
But there's also something that irritates me because I think, to myself, come on, why don't you guys do this all the time? This is great, Like, don't you realize college hoops is such a special, special thing. So yeah, yesterday I was listening to to Cowherd and Jay Mac Jason McIntyre, the sidekick essentially of Colin Show, and he does this from time to time on a lot of topics in my opinion.
But he was talking about in it was Auburn, and.
You could just tell that he was out there talking Auburn and he didn't know anything, which is okay, Like, I mean, you know, nobody has to be an expert, but you know, I think sometimes you get you deep down know you don't know a whole lot, so therefore when you start talking about it, you're not comfortable.
And that's what happened. And there's just a national show in those guys.
A lot of times they're giving you strong, hot takes that they don't even believe, but they just know that's the job, right, shock jock, that kind of stuff, just you know, embrace debate. That's that's really what a lot of those national shows are. But he was talking about one of Auburn's guards and he couldn't think of his name. Sweet he just said, you know he's got that he's got that great crossover. And I'm like, Wow, like this is this is analysis. And I love these guys that
work for TNT and do inside the NBA. I mean they're great, they're entertaining. We don't need that him on college basketball coverage. Like Charles Barkley's funny. I think he's one of the best characters we've ever had in sports. Love Charles Barkley, Love all those guys, Ernie Kenny. I mean it's it's awesome, but they don't know or follow it at all, and they don't even like try to act like they care. Now, Kenny at times has has tried to you know, and I believe he probably follows
it a little bit more closely than others. He's had a son that played not that long ago.
He really liked Russ Smith because you know, they went to the same high school.
Again it's right or not together, but yeah, they went for a j same coach. Actually guy coached Russ coach him many years before that. So yeah, Like but then because maybe they just like to be funny and they yuck it up. But like even when Kenny's trying to be serious, they just kind of like make a joke and it's it's not the worst thing in the world because here's what's sad. If they're a part of it, there's likely to be more people that are interested in it.
And that's that's that just speaks to people not really caring a whole lot about college hoops like we do. So, you know, I the first couple of years it was whatever. I mean, I'm not gonna it's not going to ruin anything about my experience of watching the n S Double
A Tournament. But I just think if you are somebody that is over top of the you know, I don't and I don't really know who's in charge of college basketball to be honest with you, because you know, A turnery they're the ones who pay the insane amount of money to be able to broadcast the tournament, and they make a lot of money based off of, you know,
selling advertisements. So you know, the NCE Double A. They they really are like, look, if you're gonna pay us this insanely insane amount of money, you can put whoever you want on there.
And this is going to be there last year right on the inside the NBA and I so leaving time.
So it's it's it's really tricky how it's gonna work. So the those guys are staying with Turner, and Turner is going to license slash lease those guys to work for ESPN, okay, which is really I mean, it's it's I'm sure something like that's happened before, but they're gonna be part of NBA coverage while still working for Turner. However, Turner is going to be charging. You know, these guys got fat contracts, and Turner is gonna charge ESPN.
They're going to tax them, yeah, exactly.
So again, the more we talk college the more people are talking college basketball and nationally, the better it is.
But as somebody who you know is.
So obsessed with the sport, it's such a big part of our culture around here, when I hear them kind of like, you know, just whatever about it, it almost is like they're like they're not making fun of it.
But I don't know, it's just you wouldn't see that.
In really any other sport when it gets to the biggest event, which of course March Madness is that for college basketball, and really there can't be a sport quite like college hoops to where it's it's really not even close to what you get as far as popularity, viewership when it comes to the NFL or college football, we know that. But whenever it does get to the NAA tournament, I mean there are a ton of people.
Who watch it.
I mean, nothing competes with the NFL, course, but like it doesn't just go from it doesn't really get paid attention to. People are slightly watching. It goes from okay, nationally, it's not really a needle mover like you would think. But then, man, when you get to the tournament, like we're talking, you know, an insane amount more that do tune in, which again that's that's the way it's always been. But it's here. I mean, we are Today's that the
playing game and you have it. I mean you, I mean I was about to ask a really stupid question. I was asking if you're gonna bets and night. Of course you're gonna bet tonight, right of.
Course, Absolutely, there's gonna there's gonna be the DraftKings open.
Yeah, I mean, what do you I mean this Carolina situation. I mean, they they ended up making the tournament, and they know that everybody is you know, they know that everybody is mad that they're in. They know that they're
kind of the big joke here. Because you know, they're probably I I would assume they'll have more people rooting against them tonight than like ever, because they're not usually like a villain type school, but they're the public views them as a team that doesn't even deserve to be there. So a part of me says that that could give them some motivation, us against the world, backs against the wall,
but I don't believe it. You know, they could still beat San Diego State, and they probably will to be honestly, because I don't think San Diego State's very good and Carolina, for what it's worth, has played good basketball. The only loss they've had, the only two losses they've had in over a month, I think, are to Clemson and to Duke. So you know, Carolina's not worthy to be in the tournament, I don't think. But they're also not like a terrible team.
So maybe we'll see, you know, maybe we'll see a competitive game. But I think this Carolina team you got RJ. Davis has been there forever. You've got I mean Jalen Withers, who's like a six year senior, and clearly you know he's not feeling great about the way things ended in Charlotte. That was just we haven't talked about it on the show, but that was that was insane how that played out. I mean I felt for him, but I also thought to myself, how could you do? Like, how does that happen?
You know?
So I just I think Carolina knows that they probably they were not expecting to get in. I don't know if they believe they should or shouldn't be. I think if you asked, they'd say, yeah, we belong, but like, this isn't a chip on the shoulder. I think this team's kind of defeated. They know they should have never even been on the bubble. They simply should have been a lot better than they were this year, right, Like
they have better players than what they showed. So I think they either get by because you know, they are better than San Diego State, but I or I could see him getting killed too, Like, I mean, you know right now they are favored by four.
And a half. Yeah, that's why I see too. So I don't know what I'm gonna do with that one yet. I'd probably take them to cover, honestly.
Yeah, And it's just because more than anything, I just I'm not very impressed with San Diego State, and I didn't and I didn't really think that San Diego State, I mean shows what I know. I didn't even really see them as a bubble team that you know, people had on the right side of the bubble instead of the wrong side of the bubble.
Where is this game being played? Dayton? They still do all those first fours in Dayton. So Dayton, Ohio.
Tonight we have a Sandy West Coast team traveling to play nine o'clock.
So yeah, and.
Then Saint Francis, PA taken on Alabama State. The winner of that will of course head to Lexington to play to play Auburn. I don't know anything about either of those teams, but I know I'm going to bet on it. I know I'm going to do a little bit of looking into them and then I'm gonna make a wager the.
Red Flash or the Hornets. Yeah, Hornet's buzzing.
I think so Alabama State is favored about three and a half. And I think Alabama State, you know, maybe be careful what you wish for, but they would probably really love the opportunity to play Auburn given that they're in Alabama as well. Yeah, again, be careful what you wish for, sir, we shall see. I will say this in the last I don't know, since I've been gambling on college basketball probably about five years or so now, I don't think I've ever gotten one right in the
first four. I mean because I always in oh yeah, I always do a two leg parlay with just these two games just to kind of, you know, break the ice, kind of you know, get things rolling as far as postseason wagers. And usually I feel like I've done pretty well in the games against like, you know, the elevens, like tomorrow they'll be Xavier in Texas tonight you and ce San Diego State, as you mentioned, But when it comes to the teams that I know nothing about, I mean,
makes totals. And also I think it's like impossible to act really set a line between these two because you really, like, you think you know where each conference kind of ranks, and I think you do have a much clearer picture of where the you know, how conferences stack up with each other at the top of college basketball. But I think when you're down to the bottom, meaning you know this level, I don't even know what conference Saint Francis is in or Alabama State. But yeah, I think it's
impossible to really know. Okay, is this league five spots ahead of this one? You just don't know. So again, I don't know, but I'm gonna guess more than anything. I'm gonna take a guest tonight and see if maybe my wager pays out.
What are these other games that's the n starting tonight too, Yes, And I like.
The NRIT man, I mean, we've got we've got some pretty good matchups in the n I T and that makes me makes me very very excited. And we were talking about uh, I mean, I really think Oklahoma State and Wichita State, like that's gonna be a good game. I really like, honestly Wichita State to cover plus six and a half. Oh okay, I also like Saint Louis and Arkansas State's playing Saint Louis tonight. I like Arkansas
State minus five and a half there. And then there was one other n I T game that oh yeah, Stanford minus six and a half against UC it's.
Cal north Ridge. Yeah, yeah, Cal State. It's right, Cal State Northridge.
And maybe I'm just maybe I'm just doing that because of Stanford giving Louisville all they wanted and nearly beating them the last week. But Stanford did actually start playing better basketball down the stretch. And you know, I'm not going to tell you that they're great, but I think like they're They're a team that know that they finished with some momentum to end the first season with their new head coach. And I feel like they probably aren't as bummed about being in the n i T as
some others. Now again, cal State Northridge clearly is a team that is happy to be in the n T because any postseason appearance is good for programs like that, But they're also not as good as Stanford, Like Stanford has raynad when one of the best front court players really in the country. Oh yeah, So I'm excited we're getting We're getting rolling, baby.
I'm applauding you because like that's what people tune in for.
Like that's somebody that knows ball.
You sure people are tuning in to hear me talk cal State north Vidge absolutely, go Jason McIntyre right now, does he know anybody on Stanford?
You know, it's the kind of coverage that I want.
You know what it is funny because I don't know a whole lot. But if there is an area where I would have more knowledge, really more useless information, ninety nine percent of the time, it would be college hoops, just because that's what that's what I'm a nerd for. And if there's ever a good time to, you know, be the college hoops nerd, I guess, I guess this is the good time.
I can almost guarantee you that cow Herd or j Mac do not know who Maximir now is. There's no way they might. They might have an idea who Stoyakovic's kid is if they were going to sit there and act like they knew ball about California, if they were talking about it. But and that kind of brings me back to that because when I was growing up, I always loved the outside validation, like what is a four letter net work saying about my school? Because I didn't
live here. I lived in Arizona. So like when I'm trying to preach the choir about how everybody is, I always wanted something to show back to them. So when I would tune in and just hear them just like not talk about like the intricacies that I knew because I was on the blogs, I was on all the news.
Because that's where you had to go because you weren't. You weren't.
I was outside As a kids like to say, you don't think that these guys aren't doing it. They're just talking about your normal, like everyday kind of stuff. And you're you're sitting there excited and you got the coverage around. You want to pop on the TV. Let's see what I like what this guy has to say. Let's hear hear what Mike and Mike in the Morning has to say. They're big time, they're on ESPN, and there's no chance that they know or care that rain Smith was out.
Yeah, by the way, that did annoy me that even you would you wouldn't even think that the people calling the games last week knew that rain Smith was out.
Like I know, Cooper Flag being at as a way bigger deal.
But Louisville made it to the championship game without their third leading scorer, and really they're I mean, he's one of the Rain's hard to really it's hard to put into words sort of you know, I think we know he's a lethal shooter that you just can't leave open and teams are going to have to guard you differently when he's on the floor. Everybody knows that, but I feel like I'm not I feel like even saying that, I'm not quite giving rain as full credit as far
as how valuable he is to this team. And you know, to act like you know he was the same impact that Cooper flag is, well, no nobody would do that. But you also you know, like of a lot of the when it comes to Louisville, they've already lost so many guys to injury. So the really of the core four, and that's Rainsmith, Javon Hadley, Chucky Headburn, Terrence Edwards.
That's your core four.
There's none of those four that if you lose them you're feeling like, oh, okay, it's gonna be just fine. But like rain I think in a way he's up there as far as again, they're all really valuable and if you lost one of them, it would be it would be an issue, and it was an issue. But Louisville was able to get by without him last week in a couple of games. And he is going to
play on Thursday, there's no question about that. Now, will he be rusty, will he be able to give you anything close to way what you got when he was healthy. We'll have to we'll have to wait and see. But anyways, let's get to our first break. We'll come back on the other side. We've got an updated schedule for for tomorrow. Actually,
Louisville will have Pat Kelsey's press conference at RUP. There'll be an open practice for fans if you guys want to go to that, and we'll get you all the info that you need and continue to get to get set. I know, tonight and tomorrow it's really the appetizers. But Thursday and Friday, baby, it's gonna be the best two days of the year. But man, if Louisville is the first team out, that is gonna suck. Hang out, don't go anywhere.
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We'll open up the phone lines BABO two five seven one seventy nine hundred, and you could text it on the Ellen and Federal Credit Union text lone FABO two four three eight ninety seventy three. This text says, Nick, is it's safe to say when it comes to the national folks talking college basketball this time of year, it's like you trying to talk Derby. Yes, that's a very
very very good assessment. I would say it's me talking horse racing more than anything, because I can talk Derby, meaning like Derby, the event, what comes with it like that,
that's different. But horse racing is something that I don't know anything about, and I don't really care to know a whole lot about it, right Like I love everything that comes with the Kentucky Derby, But the sport of horse racing is not something that I was really exposed to a lot growing up, and it's never really hooked me, and it's never been something that I'm totally interested in, and that has at times made me feel like, man, like I got nothing to add, I got nothing to say,
because you know, you think if there ever was going to be a time to talk horse racing would be you know, when we host the Kentucky Derby, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet every year, but a couple of years ago, maybe it was longer than that. Actually, I just decided, look, I'm not can't I can't force it. Like,
I'm just going to be pretty transparent here. I mean, instead of trying to talk about it and making a fool of myself, just let's just not talk about it on my end, right, bringing people who maybe could provide some knowledge on the sport and the race itself rather than you know, the event and everything that comes with it. I mean, maybe it's just me and my own bubble. I don't think horse racing the sport is is a real great radio topic in general. I think it's one
of those things that it's a niche. People who love it love it, but it's you know, And maybe maybe that's just me saying that because I'm insecure about the fact that if I was big, if I was tasked to to do some horse racing analysis and to share some thoughts, have some opinions on horse racing, I wouldn't be able to do it. Like I couldn't tell you anything.
You could come on here, start talking horse racing and makeup things as far as like terminology, and I would just assume you're telling the truth because I know nothing, so you know, it's probably not something I should admit, but I'm I'm just telling you the truth. But when it comes to college basketball, you know, not not to brag by any means, because I'm sure other people use their time a little bit more wisely. But me, I watch a lot of college hoops and I love it.
It's what I am. Probably in fact, there's no probably to it outside of.
You know, my family, my friends, my kids, all that stuff, you know, things that you're supposed to just say that are more important.
Outside of all that which is really important.
College bassketball is next in line, all right. So this Creighton team, I will admit I have not watched Creighton play a whole lot this year. I mean the Big East itself. I mean, and by the way, this is something that didn't get Maybe it's just because we you know, maybe because we have our games on the on the ACC network, which is within ESPN, or maybe it's just
because you know, out of sight, out of mind. But there was a lot of talk this year, understandably so, about how the ACC had fallen off, which is true, by the way, like it's it wasn't.
It wasn't a lie.
It sucks to know that the committee decided to not really hold the ACC accountable, only hold Louisll accountable, because again Louisville is the only thing that makes no sense about how they viewed the ACC. But nonetheless, I told myself I was gonna not bitch as much today, so I'll move on. But the ACC got four teams in, and of course Carolina was the last team in. You know, the power conferences are the Big Ten, the SEC, the
Big East, Big twelve, and the ACC. Well, you know, again, there wasn't a whole lot of talk about the Big East. But the Big East. I mean, let's look at what they got. I mean, you have Saint John's the number one team in that league. They won the league. They got a two seed, deserve it. But then Creighton, you know, they finished second in the league at fifteen and five, they're a nine seed. You can they They're an eight seed at fourteen and six in the league. Marquette got in,
there're a seven. Xavier got in. So there's one more team in the dance from the Big East than the ACC. But yet I feel like if you asked anybody of the Power five you know what league is the best, what league is the worst? Everybody would say the ACC. And I'm not here to defend it and act like you know, what's happening isn't reality, because again, the AEC's fallen off big time. But you've got you got club. I mean, Louisville should be higher than an eight, but
they are what they are. But if the thing seated correctly, I think you could make the case that the committee would have you know, well, we'll believe the committee out of it. But like Saint John's is the best team in that league, Big East, But Duke's better, right, Duke's better even without Cooper Flagg in my opinion. Now, Rick Patino against that Duke team, I will never doubt Rick. Maybe he'd win, wouldn't be a big of a shocker. I mean, Saint John's did go thirty and four, eighteen
and two in their league. So second best team is Creighton. I guess Marquette if you go off seed line, are they I mean they're not seeded better than Clemson. Again, Louisville should be at least I mean, Louisville should be a six, like that's you know, five I thought was gonna be a little much. Seven I think would have been fair. But as soon as I saw Clemson with a five, I just thought Louisville should be a six
based off of Louisville sweeping them. So anyways, these two teams, I feel like one of the things that.
I mean, I haven't heard anybody bring it up.
Maybe it is being talked about elsewhere, but they're both entering the tournament with leagues that you don't really know how challenged you were because you didn't do a whole lot of the non conference, which is why when you got into the league and you beat each other up, you really weren't given any benefit of the doubt. I mean again, Creighton is twenty four and ten overall. I mean, looking at their resume here, they hit a tough skid in the beginning of the season. They lost three straight.
They lost to Nebraska, they lost to San Diego State, they lost to Texas A and M. They also lost to Alabama. No shame in that their worst loss comes against Georgetown, which was one of the worst teams in the Big East. Their other losses from then on were all quality of losses. They lost to Marquette on the road, lost to Yukon, lost to Saint John's, lost to Xavier, which that probably helped Xavier become one of these teams
in the playing game. And then they lost to Saint John's in the Biggiest Championship and by the way they did it beat Saint John's. Of the four losses Saint John's has, one of them came to to Creighton. Now again, that happened on December thirty first, So look, when it comes to this, this creating team, everybody's talking about Ryan Kockbrenner, cock.
Brenner, Cockburnner. I just met her. Can I use you? Can I take it to dinner?
First? What Brenner?
Can you believe it took us two days into the week to get that out. I know it.
I mean we were saying that long before we knew we were going to see Cawk Brenner in the dance.
And of course that's what would end up happening, right now, Yeah, of course we would run into a big Cockburnner.
That's right.
And he's he's a large American and he's he's certainly going to be a real, real, uh issue for Louisville. But if I could give you some positivity here, you know, he's seven to one, averages nineteen and a half, eight and a half boards a game. He's he's a shot blocker averaging two point seven. Can impact it, can clearly disrupt around the rim. So I would hope that Louisville, you know, limits him as best they can. But against the big fella from Stanford, how do you say is
named Raynod? Yes, Maxim, He's somebody that I feel like in both games, not really as much in the second game, but when he I mean he was productive as far as how long he was on the floor. He just couldn't get out of foul trouble. I mean he was committing I mean he picked up like eight fouls, it
seemed like in that game. But anyways, you know, he was able to really do his thing when Louisville played them at the Ump Center on the on Senior Day, and and really they kind of made everybody else try to try to try to beat him, and and kind of I wouldn't say they let him get his but that to me, they gave me some I know, Creighton's
better than than Stanford. I'm just saying that was a game where their big fellow was able to really have a strong game, and yet it didn't really put them in a position to where they could they could take advantage of it. So you know, again, i'd say the supporting cast for Creighton is better than Renaud's supporting cast at Stanford. But Stephen ashworth Is is their point guard. He has more total assist on the season than Chucky Hepburn.
So this guy, he's good player. He's he's a senior, he's played a lot of did he start his career there and he started at Utah State, So is at Utah State for three years.
He's one of those COVID guys.
He took advantage of a fifth year and he's averaging sixteen points and six point eight assists per game. So really good player. And you know, well, I can't I can't get it. I can't help. I can't help. But I mean, we never should go after personal appearance, you know, on on this show, because I wouldn't, first of fall, it's not nice to do. Also, I wouldn't want anybody coming after my personal appearance because I'm an easy target. I'm not a I'm not a great looking guy, so but this young man.
It's very odd to me. His he's got like.
I don't know, it's like somebody took the face of a like middle aged businessman and put it on I don't know. There's just something, something that stands out Stephen Ashworth for creating the little point guard.
I say little point guard. He's not little.
He looks little. In fact, they listed him at what six 't one? I'm not sure he is six one six foot But anyways, there's just I don't know, he stands out just it is. It is a different looking kind of dude than everybody else. And I'm not saying because he's a white guy. Clearly there's a lot of white guys that play college basketball. So anyways, it looks
like Freddy Prince Jim. His appearance is not relevant. I just pulled up his pager at ESPN dot com looking at his stats and it just reminded me, Oh, yeah, this guy's kind of he's got an interesting look.
About him, but he's a hell of a player.
Sixteen points a game, just under seven assists total this year he has. Yeah, he looks like a Parks manager. He's got two hundred and twenty six assists on the season. That's that's a lot. Now, he also turns the ball over like crazy, So you know, just some just some numbers to throw at you here when it comes to
this matchup. So Creighton, here's what they don't do. They don't foul, and that that worries me because Louisville, you know, I feel like when they've been at their and by the way, they found ways to win when certain things statistically didn't go their way. Right, They've got a blueprint. There's things they want to do well, there's things they oh they need to do well to beat good teams, but they've also at times still been able to overcome
that here and there. So I don't want act like every game they've played well and won they did a great job at getting to the line. But we know guys like Javon, Chucky and Terrence when they're attacking, they're aggressive and they're getting teams in the bonus early. That's a good recipe for Louisville. So what you have been able to do I think pretty well this year and certainly something that I think makes you feel better about Louisville's chances of winning is if they're getting to the line,
the bonus is you're in the bonus early. That's a good thing, but it's gonna be hard to do because Creighton, again, they don't foul. In fact, they are dead last for any team. And then you know, in fact they're not just dead last as far as fouls per game when it comes to the tournament, but the whole country nobody fouls less than Creighton. So keep that in mind. Now, again, Ashworth, this guy, he's got a lot of assists, but man,
he also has a lot of turnovers. I mean he's he he leads the leads the country in total turnovers as far as you know, like relevant teams, not even just tournament teams, but teams you know you've heard of. So they you know, they don't they don't foul a lot and they give it away. That's a good you know, that's a good recipe if you could take advantage of it. So trying to force them into turnovers would be would
be great. And I don't know how to I don't know what to make of the I don't know what to make of the the foul thing because part of me says that that that means you're really good defensively, or it could just mean that like you concede a lot, like, you know, instead of and by the way, sometimes that's not a like sometimes that's that's not a bad idea, right, you know, if we're going to just give up a
bucket and just let somebody get it. But if you you know, if you just start fouling, like, that's a bad recipe for you more often than not, and it's going to help another team settle in and get more comfortable. But you know, right now, Ken Palm defensive efficiency for this Creighton team, they're sitting at forty second. They're thirty fourth off in offense, they are twenty first in defense, twenty ninth in offense, and the offensive numbers. Let's be real,
they took a hit. The Louisville was in that range. I think it was you needed to be like a top twenty five adjusted offense and adjusted defense, like since since I could be wrong, I think maybe there was one year where it didn't happen, but nearly every year
or maybe every year since ken Palm has existed. The formula goes back to nineteen ninety seven, the national champion and I'm not saying Louis's spurting with a national championship by any means, but the teams that have won it, in fact, the teams that have gone to a Final four have also had this similar profile to where you have your top twenty five in both adjusted offense and defense.
And Louisville, before Rain got hurt, they were top twenty five in offense and now they're sitting at twenty nine, not far from it. So you know, the numbers tell you Louisville should be the favorite here by three, but obviously not really knowing what you're gonna get from Rain
is a real question mark. And again, I just think what stood out to me when looking at both teams overall the resumes, You know, I think they are kind of similar, and I think they ended up on the eight nine line because again, they did well for their league, but the committee doesn't seem to think that the league was really worth much. So, you know, Creighton being the second place team in the Big East and they made it all the way to the championship game after finishing
second in the league. You know, that may just mean that they're good, but it was a product more so of the Big East. Same thing with Louisville. You know, is Louisville again, We'll never know. I think Louisville playing the way they did against Duke without rain for a half and really the whole game that you know, And then it sounds like I'm acting like Louisville won the game.
They didn't.
But I really thought that was a good sign as far as just hey, this team can compete with some really really talented groups that you haven't seen, because Duke was the most talented team you've seen Duke and Clemson for that matter, I'm not really sure about Clemson's overall talent, but those two teams are substantially better than anybody that
you've played since early January. And Louisville again without rain, was able to beat cleb and he got a little slippery laid obviously, but man, they were just beating the hell out of him, like they kind of punked him, to be honest with you, So again, that was a good sign. You want another random stat about these two teams, and this is totally useless information. I do, But if there's ever a time for me to share some useless information when it comes to college hoops, now's the time.
How about this Rain Smith is the best free throw shooter in the country. He's made ninety four point two percent of his free throws forty nine to fifty two at the line.
Wow.
And how about this big Frank Frank anselom i be. He has attempted the fewest free throws of any player in the nation that has played in at least twenty games.
Oh, so there you go, it's gonna help us.
I got look, I got, I got random useless facts for you guys. We'll keep them coming 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 rolling along, wrapping up hour number one as we take you up till six o'clock. Again, we are fueled by Thornton's and you can take us with you wherever you go. Listen live on the Aheart Radio IP Also listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot com. If you want to give us a call, you can five O two five seven one seventy nine hundred. We'll get back to the phone calls coming up here in
the four o'clock hour. You can also text in on the Ellen and Federal Credit Union texta line five two four three eight ninety seventy three members get more at Ellen NFCU. You can learn more and open your account today at LNFCU dot com. All right, so I was out out and about earlier today my made my stop over at the Louisville Men's Clinic.
Got to see the team.
Didn't get a chance to chat with doctor Wood today, but that wasn't what I was there for. I was there to, uh to get an update on my lab work that I got done morning Wood. No, no afternoon or morning with doctor Wood. He was, uh, yeah, he's busy again. I didn't have an appointment. I just needed to stop in because I do the testosterone treatment, and what they do is after you have gone through it for about six every six weeks or so, they'll check
your lab work. They'll do lab work just to make sure that everything is is where it needs to be. And since I've been doing the testosterone treatment for over a year now, I've never gotten a bad lab report. And again now that I'm dealing with the low T that I had, I'm I'm in a much better place. So it's not just low testostrom where they can help you.
There's also I mean, there's really endless. I shouldn't say endless because you may hold me to that, but I mean when it comes to just being a happier and healthier man, they've got a lot of ways they can help you do exactly that. When it comes to hair restoration, weight loss therapy, joint pain, Peroni's disease, low te a, rectil is function, and they have a few different options when it comes to how how you and how they want to treat your rectil dus function. But do you
have a ninety three percent patient satisfaction rate? So when it comes to dealing with something that you probably needed to deal with for a while now, understandably so you've put it off. And I would probably do the same thing if I was in your boat, because I don't.
I mean, I'm sure that's not a comfortable thing. But you know, if you know, you know, and yeah, it's not it's not great, I'm sure, but I'm here to tell you that you can do something about it and it could change everything, not only for you but also for your partner. So it's a little men's clinic check them out online Louisville Men's Clinic dot com and you can give them a call BABO too. Four four four four thousand. All Right, so we've got a lot more
to get to in these next couple of hours. But if you are somebody that enjoys wagering on college basketball, which I know a lot, not everybody does, I can't relate.
But there's a really good breakdown from I believe it was bet MGM that one of their writers put together a A and I don't know if this is really worth I'm usually someone that doesn't put much into trends, Like I've never understood why because this has happened eighty percent of the time in previous you know, in the previous ten matchups between these two teams that you know, again not to say that those numbers are useless, but like I've always just thought, okay, but that's a different team,
this is a different season. However, trends become trends long enough to where you think, I don't know what is causing this thing to continuously play out this way, but there's got to be something. So anyways, I think there's there's a handful of dogs that are barking when it comes to the first round of this tournament. I'm not predicting any major upset just yet. In fact, there's not really there's a couple that I'll probably end up when I fill out my bracket, I'll probably end up going
with as far as winning. But when I say dogs, I just mean when it comes to two point spreads, Like I think there's some teams that are big time underdogs that will compete and maybe win.
So we'll get into all that.
Also, the ACC Network, I don't know if this two and a half minute production is something they're working on for a longer production, like a like a documentary kind
of thing, an episode of a documentary series. I have no clue, but they put to other some really really great behind the scenes footage of this first season of Pat Kelcey leading this program, and you hear from Pat Kelsey, Terren Edwards, Chucky Hepburn, and they kind of tell you from day one how it all kind of came together, how this group kind of you know, got it all role in as far as just buying in and becoming a team that when you watch them, you feel like
they've played together for a decade, right well, these guys just met less than a year ago, which is kind of crazy to think about. But when you hear about Pat Kelsey's sort of his philosophy, how he does this, how he gets his teams together and builds this, I mean it makes sense. And again there's like it's about two and a half minutes, maybe a little bit. It's actually a little bit over two minutes. I want you
guys to hear it. And I know, playing a video on the radio don't make a lot of sense, right, but what you hear from coach Kelsey and Chucky and Terrence, I mean, it's still I think something you guys will be interested to hear if you haven't heard it yet, and it'll remind you how much you love this team, I think. I mean, not that you need the reminder. I think we've all kind of just been blown away by how how fun this first season has been with
Pat Kelsey. It's been it's been awesome. So we'll let you guys hear that coming up a little bit later on and we'll keep it rolling along. We've got two more hours left. It's coffee and company. We are field about Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety