It's time for coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day, now here's Nick Coffee.
Because of how much I believe I love the NCAA tournament, I do feel sort of a of a is yearning a word? I think it is sometimes I sometimes I use a word that I'm like, wait a second, is that a word?
Yearning is a word.
Yes, you're yearning the definition of feelings a feeling of intense longing for something, And so I was actually using it correctly.
I just you know, I.
Thought you said yearning at one at first urinating, I thought.
You said yearning, and then it took that one's not a word, I don't think.
Yeah, So I mean I feel like I'm yearning because I I'm yearning for something tonight because tonight, the instead of like tournament actually starts. But like, I don't think if I was ever gonna be able to really get into the playing games, it would have already happened. And clearly, I mean, I'm gonna watch tonight. I'm I'm a wager. I'm happy we have games, but it doesn't come close to the feeling we're gonna have on Thursday. But I mean I hadn't. I hadn't really thought of it because
I'm trying not to go there. I mean, I think Louisville could easily lose. I mean I don't think. I hope they don't, and I'm confident they can beat Crayton. But yeah, I mean, if Lowell is the first team out, it's gonna absolutely make the whole two days off.
Yeah, I mean ruin the rest of your Thursday. It's gonna ruin Friday too. Yeah, I mean like the tournament, Yeah, it will.
And again, if you lost on Thursday at eight o'clock at night, still suck, but like it would be different.
I mean, you have the whole day to be March madnessed out.
Playing in the first game and losing really his worst case scenario. If you're gonna make it like i'd rather, I mean again, if you had a bet, if you had a good season, you got a decent seed, then you know that that that means you you accomplish something more so than those that are in the play in. But man, I think dealing with a first I don't know, dealing with a loss in Dayton in the playing game would probably just confirm what you you likely knew, which
your team wasn't very good. But it's hope that doesn't happen. But tonight we have games and uh, it probably won't be great action, although I know maybe maybe North Carolina in San Diego State will be a good game. But did you see that Carolina hit some travel issues yesterday? Oh yeah, so they were supposed to fly into Dayton yesterday and it they ended up not being able to
make it until today. So they know it's rare that a team will play the day of travel, but that's what Carolina had to do because of some some travel issues with their with their flight. And of course, you know, a lot are really sometimes there's something perfect about a really obvious joke low hanging fruit, if you will, but yet it still hits. Therefore, I don't care how many
people make the same obvious joke. It's still kind of funny that their flight must have run into a quad one game, Like you get it, I mean, like it's you.
Know, it's it's I don't know.
I won't act as if like I was really just you know, gut busting with laughter. But you know, clearly they've they've had their issue on Jimmy's jet. Yeah exactly. So you know, we'll see what happens in that game tonight, but Thursday's really when it starts. And because you are starting the tournament and you know you could easily lose, that's just a.
I have.
I'm not fearful of Creighton in a way that like, I just don't think they can win. But I think what's happening with me as we get closer, I can't even really let my mind envision any result or scenario. I'm sure tomorrow and of course Thursday morning, I'll be there as far as just you know, being locked in, and you know, probably at that point I will have envisioned a scenario where Louisville wins and we're all excited, and I hope that's what happens.
Again.
You are favored for for a good reason. I think it's a deserve you. You're the deserving favorite for sure. But I just think, more than anything, I just don't want this to be over, right, and if it is over that would suck. I still believe that I will love this group as much Thursday at two thirty if it.
Ends then as I do now.
I mean, I really believe that that even if it ends in an early exit, I'll still not view this season really any differently. But you know, I guess you'll. You'll find out when you find out, right, I mean, I don't know. Creighton good team, certainly not who you want to play. I mean, Louisville felt like they did enough. And I think when I say Louisville felt, I mean not.
Only the coaches and the players, but like.
The fans as well, that you did enough to not only get in, but to where you could still lose in your first round game. But you shouldn't have to be playing the second best team in the Big East. And they probably are saying the same thing. We should and be playing as a non seed against a Louisville team in Lexington that should have been seeded closer to six than eight, or yeah than eight.
So I got a question how much of this for Louisville fans? It is just like optics. Let's just say that there's a different number next to our name that's not eight, and you see us matched up with Creighton, Like, what if we are the four seed and then Creighton is the higher seed? Are we still looking at it like Creighton team's tough, or do we have that extra like mental boost that, oh, we're the four seed, we
should be able to take care of them easily. But now it seems like we have a little bit of not doubt, but a little bit of just kind of second guessing. Because it is a famous eight nine game you're playing up against it almost just as evenly matched, I guess you'd say. But with the caveat of every it seems that everyone's saying that Louisville's way too underseeded.
But it also.
Sounds like I haven't watched Creighton all that much this year either, and again our boy Kalkburner, but like it seems like they also got kind of under seeded as well.
Don't you.
I mean, isn't this the best example the way this played out as to everybody's collectively realizing, Oh, yeah, you don't watch Big East basketball because it's not on any of the ESPN family of stations you're aware of, like the Big East, Who's good, who's bad? If you play college,
if you if you follow college basketball. But like Creighton was the team I thought they were as far as their record resume, but I haven't watched them much at all because again, they're they're not often on I mean, they're never on an ESPN station, So you know, I've seen them a couple of times here and there. But I think a lot of folks are like, yeah, Creighton, they're decent, but you just don't really know because you haven't watched them now.
Also, people feel the same way about like Marquette.
So that was a really good question you had as far as does the seed line sort of make us even though we know we got robbed, do we have that in the back of our mind, fear that maybe the committee was right and we're not as good as we thought we are, and this Creighton team is gonna be a real tough challenge. They're gonna be a tough challenge regardless. But I don't know, if I look, I'm
not doubting this team at all. I just throughout the entire year have have have always tried to remind myself at any moment, you don't really know what's going to happen, and live in the moment, don't take any win for granted because you know who knows you know, And I think we're going to be great moving forward. I have no issue with I mean, I think Pat Kelsey's going
to have a great tenure here. But because of the recent struggles you had in previous years, and you know, really just throughout this entire year, you started, you know, you started losing guys early, and then you didn't know how good you are. You're losing games to teams that are really good, and you're kind of getting better. So I don't know, it's just been a very very rare year that I can't compare to any that I've just
been worried about them losing every game. Not because I don't think they're good, not because I doubt them, it's just, you know, I realized that they could lose, and I think anytime I felt sort of maybe some maybe it's something I don't even realize it's happening, but maybe I am starting to not be as confident in this team because I'm looking at that eight Austin. But anytime I get there, I do get a sense from other Louisville fans like yourself, even that kind of remind me like, no,
the committee got it wrong. We are better than Creighton. We could lose, but we should be able to go take care of business because we know who this team is you know what I mean? So, like I don't know, maybe others, I hope this the team I was gonna say, I hope this team doesn't do that. But I just don't think that they that they're just not wired that way.
I think their maturity. I think the guy leading them, you know that that's one real positive in this overall situation is that I think Pat Kelcey and the crew he is leading, they're the kind of guys that when they hit the floor at rupp Arena on Saturday or on Thursday, there's really not going to be anything in their mind about where they're seated. They're just going to
be focused and ready to play. They never get too high too low, and that's really I think why they've been able to put together such such a such a good season that again we believe, should be better than you know, an eight seed.
All right.
So I talked about this earlier and I haven't yet played it. This is a feature from the ACC Network, and I don't really know where it came from. I just know it's really really well produced. It's very high quality.
I don't know if it's going to be part of like a feature they're doing or if it's going to be part of a of a documentary or whatever, but it's it's it's a behind the scenes look at well, it does show some behind the scenes stuff, but it's actually Pat Kelsey, Chucky, Hepburn and Arren Edwards discussing the beginning of this whole thing, right the revival, when everybody arrived and how they kind of all came together.
And it's about two minutes long.
We usually don't play audio this long, but I feel like it's worth hearing because of you know, this team, and it's it's stuff that you would think without seeing it and watching it play out the way that it did. I think a lot of folks would say, yeah, that's very corny, and maybe it is, but like I know me, I don't, I don't care.
Like I've I have.
Had a the enjoy The enjoyment that I've got from this entire season in this team is honestly like something that I didn't even really like know existed. And I know that sounds dramatic and it sounds over the top, and part of it is just because of how bad we were in previous years, but also like I kind of mean it like this grow like when I think a guy who really felt in a way proud to
be here. They love the fact that they were the ones tasked with bringing this thing back and getting these you know, basically bringing this fan base back from the dead.
You know that's it's just been the perfect.
Storm with everything, and again, hearing these guys talk about it, I thought was pretty cool.
So I'll let you guys hear it as well.
We knew we had a challenge, a daunting challenge in front of us when we took the job here in that we had you know, zero scholarship players on a roster and we had to build an entire roster a very short amount of time.
Well, he first called me, it was like it was like he knew me for years. He'd promised me anything. What thing he did promise me is that we was going to win. And that's all I needed to hear.
Well.
First day on June fifth, when the guys all get together for summer school, we have a major team meeting really lay out our standards and what we want our culture to be. The other thing we do, I think is kind of unique. We present our shields and your shield as each player stands up in front of the team and presents kind of their life, their makeup, who they are, and picture is that of a shield, like one that ancient warrior would use on a battlefield.
That shield meant everything. You know, we all just opened up deep about our feelings and you know what struggles we've been through. You just kind of feel the connectments with our team.
Yes, guys on day one, in that first meeting, to love each other because the power of the unit, which is at the core of our program, is the uncommon commitment to the guy next to you, and it's based on love.
That one word I've probably described coas Kelsey with is energetic. You know, he just always walks in the room. You know, whether it's seven am ten pm, he's always just energetic.
A bunch of stuff. But I was at the front of the line when it came to energy and passion.
That helps us a lot. You know, when he comes around, everybody know that it's going to be loud and it's going to be a lot of energy.
Tad works, it's a lot of.
Skills for taking about another one.
Louisville Athletics is one of the most important things in town and it just runs through the blood of people that live here. It's in their DNA run up.
We've seen Louisville and sweets teams at lead eight final, fourst National championships.
So we wanted to bring the energy back because the fans have been dying to just see Louisville back in the place where it's always been.
People are emotional about how difficult the last couple of years have been and how happy it makes them to see, you know, Louisville raised to prominence once again.
So again, I just I thought that was worth hearing the beginning of this whole thing when they arrived in June. And you know, I didn't really need to hear it from them because I could.
I could.
In my opinion, I think it was pretty obvious that these guys didn't just you know, play really hard and play well together and play for one another.
But I could.
I could since that they knew what they were doing to us, They knew that we had been dead and they were bringing us back. And it was not I didn't want to say it was a gradual thing, because you know, once you could see these guys were going to compete, I mean, fans were, I mean even whenever it looked as if they weren't going to be that good because of the injuries, and they got their butt kicked by Ole miss. Well, then they came out against
Duke and they competed. They were they were ahead for thirty minutes, and you know, that's a moral victory kind of thing.
But also they were fighting. They weren't they weren't going.
To concede and just accept the fact that they had a bunch of injuries and everybody's really only here one year, and you know, expectations are kind of out the window. They locked in and they you know, they kept fighting, and it was a reminder that, yeah, you want your team to win, but if they're gonna lose, man, I can still enjoy watching these guys play because they're they're you know, it's not the same product we saw the
previous regime. So, you know, with all that said and everything, we just had, like that's another reminder for me as to why, like, when this ends, it's gonna be so sad. I mean, I'll be okay, but I just don't want
this to end. And the reason you're able to have this group of guys together in one year, putting this kind of a turnaround together is because of the new world of college athletics, and thank god for that, but also the reason you only get him for one year, and it just feels so it feels like you're being robbed of not having a mult I mean, Chucky Heapburn's one of the best guards I've watched play here in my lifetime. He is not saying he's the best, but
he's one of the best. And usually when I'm talking about guys like that, I'm talking about guys who played here for a long time. And with Chucky we only got a year. Same thing with Terrence. I mean, I wouldn't put him up there as far as you know, being one of the best ever. But he's really good. In fact, he was phenomenal in Charlotte, and he's really
been good all year. So let's hope they can at least get past me one game at a time, right, get past Creighton, and then of course, you know, and we'll see what happens against Auburn if you can.
Get there, all right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side.
I got some numbers I want to share with you as far as just you know, some t ends when it comes to previous tournaments. The seed line thing. I've never been a real believer, but man, history does show you that for whatever reason. You know, for example, like the twelve five is always tricky. You know, it's always different teams and whatnot. But we'll get into that, and there's some more love not surprising for Tyler Shuck out there.
As far as far as getting closer to the NFL Draft, I mean, this guy could be the third quarterback taken in the draft, which I think we know the guy was good, but he didn't really have hardly any NFL momentum at all when it all came to an end here and now he's a guy that again some people think he will be the third quarterback taken.
So a lot more to get to. We'll roll along here.
It's Coffee and Company fuel about Thornton's on Sports Talk seven to ninetey.
Now back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So for those who missed it, we did talk a little earlier about the just some numbers when it comes to this match up with Louisville and Creighton. One thing to keep in mind about Creighton, they they do not foul. In fact, there is nobody that and not only the tournament, but the country that commits fewer fouls than this Creighton team ten point eight fouls per game, dead last in the country. So they also turn the ball over a lot.
Really one guy, specifically, Steven Ashworth, their point guard, fifth year guy, started his career at Utah State, been at Creighton the last couple of years.
A good player.
I mean, he's putting up sixteen points and he's got more total assists than Chucky, but he's very charitable, loves to give it away. So hopefully Louisville can can can force him to turn it over and they can make they can make Creighton pay for those turnovers. So I would say there's a stat there as far as the turnovers that you feel like, you know, could could really could really benefit you if you can take advantage of it.
However, also the fouls.
I mean, Louisville is at their best whenever they are getting to the free throw line a healthy amount of times. So you're gonna probably, you know, not to say you have to get to the line a certain amount of times for you to win this game. But I just think these guys, especially guys like Chucky and Fat if they're you know, they're clearly good. I mean, Chucky's a great player all around, great defender, clearly a great distributor. But he's also at times been a good scorer for you.
In fact, he's i mean he's averaging seventeen points a game something like that, maybe a little bit less than that actually, and he's had games where he's been, you know, above thirty a couple times. So you know, he's a valuable guard in a lot of aspects. But having somebody who you know, at times can go get you a bucket and score or get to the line, there's a
lot of value there. So I just think when those two guys as scorers, when they're getting to the free throw line, everything else seems to kind of open.
Up for him, especially Chucky.
So in order for that to happen, you would probably need to have this Creighton team fouling more than they typically do. Now, Ryan Kulchbrinner is seven foot one. He's averaging you know, how many points is he averaging? Close to twenty, isn't it. Yeah, he's averaging nineteen more four points per game, eight and a half rebound, eight point
eight rebounds and of course two point seven blocks. And I'm sure this will will be mentioned during the broadcast or maybe not, I don't know, but it is wild that the two leaders in college basketball as far as dunks are going to be playing against each other in the first round. Because James Scott last I checked, he was second. Maybe he has since fallen, but Ryan Kalchbrenner has been number one in the country in blocks or I'm sorry, in dunks all year because you know that's
what he does. He's around the rim and he dunks it. So he's going to be a problem, no doubt. And I know that Creighton is better than Stanford, but what I mentioned earlier is that Stanford having raynad Be. You know, I think he's one of the best front court players in the country. Now he's not Caulkbrinner, he's not seven to one, and they are extremely large and effective but in different ways. Sounded awkward, yes, you know, you know, not only long and effective in different ways, but you know,
guy's name Cockbrinner. So it's just just you know, just just a just just my It's.
Not about how big he is, it's about how you use them. But he's also big.
Yes, yeah, I mean, my my immature mind sometimes just gets distracted with things like that.
But but he's seven to one.
In fact, he's he's seven to one and two seventies, so he's a he's a big fellow. So look, I don't want to say, let's let this guy just do whatever and Louisll's gonna be fine if they stop everybody else. But it was nice to see where you have it. You do have you know clearly, uh you know, Louisville does not have a whole lot of size in the front court to throw at teams. Now they can double. And James Scott, you know, he's physical. He does the best he can, but you know, sometimes he's just gonna
get you know. I mean, I do think when James is more often than not found himself in a spot to where he does get score on more often than not, I feel like it's a it's better offense than it is defense. And then Waterman, you know, he's a big physical presence, but he's limited athletically and and not a guy that I would really want defending an agile big
on the wing. Now, with that said, that's not Calburner he's going to be around the paint, so maybe maybe Waterman's out there to just you know, wear him down physically. And I would imagine you're going to bring the double, but you know, with that, there's always the chance that, you know, he could pass out of it. And that's one thing I don't know, And I feel foolish saying this. Here I am talking about how much I know about college basketball and how you know I'm a nerd for it.
If there's ever a time for me to shine with useless information that nobody else may know or care about, it's during the NCAA tournament.
Yeah, I'm know him.
However, I don't really know because somebody asked me, hey, is is Ryan Cockburn or a guy that can really hurt you with his passes out of a double team?
And I don't know.
I mean, when it comes to assists per game, he's only averaging one. Therefore, I would say that he's probably not somebody that's getting a lot of dimes because he's able to, you know, feel the double team coming and dish it off to somebody for an easy bucket. So again, that doesn't mean he can't do it, but his stats didn't don't you know that his stats would not really indicate that that's something that we would need to worry about.
All right, This is another piece of sound I wanted to share with you guys, because if you were on the fence about going to this game, like you know that you could go, you just have kind of thought, Okay, I'll watch from home and I'll make it their Saturday if they get there. And if look that's what you want to do, do it if the hell you want. You know,
people can live their lives, make their own decisions. But I think our man John Fanta, which by the way, I was a big Fanta guy before became the cool thing. He has become the rock star of college basketball. He's a phenomenal human being. I remember having John Fanta on during like the Chris Mack coaching search, Like that's when I first got to know him a little bit. And sure enough, you know, over the years we've kept in touch.
He's been on the show many times, and obviously he's grown and had a phenomenal uprising within his career as
a college basketball analyst, commentator and just overall badass. And he is, like I remember last year we were talking about Trilli Donovan kind of becoming this and Trilly's kind of pull off because Trily, I think realized that if he does ever really get outed, which I think he kind of did, it could really you know, hurt you know, hurt his livelihood as far as like what he does other than you know, just live behind an anonymous account
and break news when it comes to college basketball. So, look, college basketball doesn't have like a Herb Street right like Bill's. I guess it is the closest thing to it. But like, I can't think of any like big time college basketball personalities that you feel like are sort of the you know,
that are above everybody else. But that's saying some Dicky V's one hundred and five years old, so like we you know, so you know, when it comes to just somebody that you feel like, hey, here's a big college basketball story or topic or situation, I want to hear this guy's thoughts on it, right, And I've always felt like college basketball has really lacked that at the national level for quite some time now, and I thought maybe it could be Trillly And I'm like, truly should no
longer be anonymous, Like he should come out and just and just clearly run with it because he could on it. It seemed like for a while there he could independently, anonymously behind a discord account break news about college basketball that nobody else could. Like, he had that kind of rolldex, he had that kind of intel, And maybe you know, clearly, I'm sure he still does, but I just you know, for me, it doesn't seem as if he's been as active anymore. And I think he might have got his
Twitter account hacked and he had to start over. So anyways, truly, I'm still I'm sure is still doing his thing. But like John Fanta, he's like the most lovable, likable guy, and he's a pro. He's passionate about college hoops. Like I feel like this season specifically has kind of become the year of Fanta to where he has I mean, he's emerged, and he's clearly much more well known now than he's ever than he's ever been. And I don't
know a soul that doesn't like him. And if you don't like him, that's that's a you problem, I would say. But he did this. This was his rant on the Field of sixty eight about the first two days of the tournament.
And he included Louisville.
When he talked about the you know, people to not be working on Thursday and Friday because this is such a special day. So again I'm not pressuring you to uh to go ahead and take a PTO day and get your ass to Lexington on Thursday. But after hearing this, you may decide to do it. And I'm sure, I mean I tweeted that video. It's got one point three million impressions, Like that's the Fanta effect that's going on
right now, folks. But here is here's John Fanta earlier this week talking about these first two days of the tournament on Thursday and Friday, and why you know your priority should be you know, should be set up to where you you know you you prioritize hoops and nothing else.
If you're working Thursday or Friday, you're an idiot, Like forget forget it. If you are actually going into the office and trying to do real work, are you kidding me? You're taking off work if you're a if you live in Louisville and your team that hasn't been in the NCAA tournament in six years, and you say, you know you've got that July trip to Disney, and I really want to ride you know, the the Space Mountain or
the Star Wars ride at Hollywood Studios. And I can't afford to take off the one day of work where my team that's been six years in the making. Are you serious right now you're gonna be at that game? And if you are in America watching our network right now, you are not working on Thursday or Friday. And if your boss has a problem with it, tell him they can go see Jeff Goodman and Rob Dolster because I'm not having it.
God, I love John Fanta milf right man. I love John fantas Milk Club. Baby, God, I love Fanta. He's the best man. He is absolutely the best. And it's his time to shine because you know, he got March.
He's got this like boyish like like army childish laugh.
He's so dorms he's so lovable.
Yes, And there's other guy, like I think somebody who is as like who wants to be maybe like the official guy for college basketball. It's John Rostein, but he's a psychopath.
Like I think he mightn't stand rost.
I think Rostein might like there's really not anything you could tell me about Rostein that would be like wild and weird and maybe maybe creepy that I that I wouldn't believe, you know what I mean, Like I'm not accusing him of anything, but there's something there, and.
You're you're deeper in the woods than I am with with college basketball? Does he really like show his face? I've seen video Rosto radically in the past, but all I ever see of his his takes are on Twitter.
You know, so Rostein is So that's another That's another good example. And this is this is just the reality of it. You keep your TV and I don't mean you Austin, I mean everybody when you're talking when it comes to sports, your your programmed. If you're gonna have live sports on, it's gonna be ESPN. It just is sure.
So he doesn't have any affiliation. Neither does Fanta, And you know, like that that's a bigger deal than people realize, not because you know, I'm not here to just kiss ESPN's ass, but they've they've you know, they've not really had any legitimate competition as far as networks out doing them when it comes to viewership.
Now, I think.
Fox has a great crew CBS has a great crew that cover college sports, college basketball specifically, they just aren't in front of as many people. Therefore, like Rostein is on CBS Sports Network all the time talking college hes, but you probably don't.
Go there very often because why would you rite? Yeah, so you know, play exactly, so exactly.
So Fanta is the best, and I'm I'm happy, happy that he is. He's shining.
All right.
So this these are some numbers I wanted to share with you guys that again, you do with this, you do with this, you do whatever you want with this, because I've never really been real I've never been big on trends, Like I think when it comes to making a pick and basing it off of you know, the last nine times something's happened that trend, I just it's never made sense to me because again we're talking about different teams. Like sometimes you'll look at a trend and
it'll be a different coach. Like when when when everything is different, the only thing is the same is the fact that there's a seed line that's the same. Like I just to me, it wouldn't have any impact on the now. Yet these trends are I mean, they're there for a reason, right, it's I mean, I think it probably more than anything, just you know, coincidence. But anyways, I just thought these were interesting and I thought I
would share. So since two thousand and one, there have only been eight first four games with lines of five points or higher. So keep that in mind. So the first four games, they more often than not. Then you know, yeah, says more. Let me see, by the way, I want to give credit to where this is coming from. That's where I was trying to. Yeah, this is from Max Barr,
who covers college basketball for the Believe Network. And so since two thousand and one, there were only there's only been eight first four games with lines of five points are higher. Favorites are seven and two straight up and six and three against the spread in those contests. So Carolina is favored by five at least they were. I think now it may have moved Carolina. They're now favored by four and a half. So again, I like Carolina
to cover there. I probably will bet that and then if they lose, you know, I'll just you know, I'll hope that that means I got a loss out of the way before we get to Thursday and Friday, when there's going to be endless amounts of games to wager on. But some other notable numbers, and that one really wasn't that interesting, But on this one you could you could
do something with. So four seeds in the tournament have gone seven, fifteen and one when favored by eight and a half points or more in the last ten tournaments. So four seeds have only covered thirty one percent of the time when they're favored by eight or more when they take on the thirteen seed. So some games to keep an eye on. Maryland is favored by ten against
Grand Canyon, Arizona is favored by fourteen against Akron. So if that, if history repeats itself as far as what happens there, that tells you that Maryland may not cover the ten, Arizona may not cover the fourteen. I can't bet on Akron because they've burned me twice. I do think they're good. John Gross has done a good job. I think he deserves an opportunity to get back in the big, the big leagues, if you will.
I mean he he had a good run in the in the.
Mac years ago at Ohio University, turned that in and nearly beat Rick Patino's twenty thirteen team, if I remember correctly, and then he went to Illinois and just didn't really break through, but then he got the job at Akron and he's done a really good job there, So I may that may be one of my first plays I've put out there as far as just I think Akron. Again, I don't think they're gonna win, but I think they can cover against Arizona.
So again, just keep that in mind.
Only only thirty one point eight percent of the time have four seeds favored. I'm sorry his have four seeds covered when favored by eight and a half points or more. Here's another thing to keep in mind. Five seeds as six point favorites or more are nine eighteen and two against the spread since two thousand and nine, So just thirty three point three percent of the time since two thousand and nine have five seeds covered when they're six
point favorites or more. Oregon favored by Oregon's favored by six and a half over Liberty. Clemson is favored by seven and a half over McNeice. I don't know enough about Oregon to know what to do there, but I definitely think McNeese state can cover seven and a half. Will Wade, I mean, maybe there's a chance, maybe there's a chance there's a distraction, because obviously he's he's gonna likely be coaching.
His last game there. But I and I'm not anti Clemson.
It's just, you know, I've never really felt like Clemson was that good, to be honest with you, which, again, if that's Louis's best win, then that means the resume isn't even as good as a lot of people in my in my eyes, I guess it's not even as good as people thought it was. But that doesn't mean, you know, you can't control how good your opponents are. So when I tell you I don't think Clemson's very good, it's not like I'm saying that that we're all full
and Louis's not any good. All right, So this one, this one is maybe the game that I have the most confidence in right now. I know the SEC is loaded this year, trust me. We've talked a lot about it, even on the show. We talked about it. But Vandy, I think the Wheels fell off. They did just enough towards the end of the season to get in, but they have not played well lately, they've been getting killed. They don't play any defense, and they've got a Saint
Mary's team that I think will run them. And Saint Mary's is favored about three and a half. So I really like Saint Mary's here. But again, this is the trend so mid major schools, which again Saint Mary's is a mid major. When they're playing as seven seeds, they've gone twenty two to nine and one against the spread since two thousand and four, So again this is the Saint Mary's mid major as a seven, I think they're going to cover, and history says that in that spot,
mid majors do cover seventy one percent of the time. Now, this one is not a great sign for Louisville as small favorites of three points or less over number nine eight seeds are on a brutal skin of eight and fifteen straight up and five seventeen and one against the spread. So Louisville favored by is it still two and a half? Let me double check here, because I think that's where it's at.
I never saw it get the two. I just always saw it at one and a half.
Yeah, So right now, let me just scroll down here on the good old fashioned sportsbook. App Yeah, so Louisville, where we go. I gotta go to the beginning, because, of course, with a first freaking game. Louisville is currently favored by two and a half according to DraftKings. So again I'm not telling you this should make you not confident. It's just, you know, a trend that I thought was
worth mentioning. In these situations where you're favored as the eight seed over the nine by three points or less, those eight seeds are eight and fifteen straight up in their last twenty three games. I don't like that, five seventeen and one against the spread, So you know, keep that in mind, and me again, I don't like that either, but it is what it is. And then another similar
match up Mississippi State. They are favorites over Baylor by one and a half and they're the eight, Baylor's the nine, and then last one, and then we got to get to our last break. Two seeds that are favored by less than seventeen points since two thousand and seven have gone twenty two, eight and two against the spread, So seventy three point three percent of the time since two
thousand and seven. If you're a two seed, and you're favored by less than seventeen, there's a good chance you're going to cover again when by the way, Michigan State, by the way, is favored bout seventeen and a half against Bryan So it's half a point off, but it's still I think worth mentioning. So I kind of like that play just because I think Michigan State is a lot better than I mean, Bryant is the fifteen seed
for a reason. Michigan State, I kind of feel like they could have a they could have an average game
cover that. But then again, you know, the teams that make the tournament, that win their league to get there, most of them lose, right, meaning the teams of the mid major caliber, they get seated like you know, thirteen fourteen, fifteen sixteen, But they also will they've been good enough and have had good enough year, and they have enough confidence that, like, if you don't come ready to play, they may hold you accountable for it for a little while,
which may not mean they'll win, but it may not have them losing by eighteen, which, of course, if that's the case, then you know, then if they lose by seventeen, then technically you know they didn't win, but they covered all right, last break, We'll come back on the other side and wrap it up. It's coffee and company. Feel about Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So, according to Jordan Schultz, he is a Fox Sports NFL insider. Also, I feel like he kind of shoved being Rappaport in a locker.
Yeah, he's again. They got in a fight. Oh kay, Yeah, we're gonna have a Starbucks. We're gonna Starbucks.
Kid, right, We're I have an FN problem if if you know, don't keep my name out of your mouth. But he reports that Tyler Shuck is I'll just read you his tweets. This little quarterback, Tyler Shuck, one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft, has ten pre draft visits and four private workouts lined up with key decision makers including GM's head coaches.
And offensive coordinators.
So, you know, third quarterback being taken in this draft could be earlier then maybe a lot of people are expecting if they really like him, or it could be later just to you know, we know Cam Ward and Shadore Sanders are going to be the first two at least that's the way it appears to be as of now. But with shuck Man, I hope it, hope it works out for him, and really do I mean there's already some people saying that bo Nicks being able to have such a good first season as an older quarterback that
you know, played a lot in college. And you know, maybe the ceiling's not super high because they're not, you know, young and you know raw, But you could still get a quarterback that can really help you, all right, I know somebody who can help you, fellas when it comes to a rec Tyler's function or maybe low testoster on that the Louis of Men's Clinic. They can help you with a lot of things, not just ed or low T. How about Pirnie's disease. That's something that they can help
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It should like yeah, they should appreciate that.
It didn't really roll off the tongue very well. But again, really really appreciate them. And I know there are many of you that hear me mention them quite a bit, because you know that's what we do around here. But you know that I'm saying things that you're probably thinking to yourself, you know what that could be me? Like maybe I have low TI. Maybe maybe you know it
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Have a good one.