3.25: Made it to Tuesday - Hour 3

gonna be freezing. And if it's in the seventies and you're you're on the beach and that winds whipping, like are you I mean you might need to put you know, like a layer on, right, I mean, I know it sounds soft. I'm sure I'll end up, you know, enjoying the sun and you know, showing off this phenomenal body thanks to the Louisville Men's Clinic. But I don't know, like spring in Florida. When I went to spring break many years ago at Panama City when I was like twenty,

somehow survived. But the first year we went, it was warm, like I don't really remember. Well, I was kind of drunk the whole time, so I don't really remember a whole lot about the weather, but I don't remember it being like cold. But the next year we went, it wasn't cold, but it was breezy, like you you know, nobody was getting in any water, and uh, you know, it was better than being back in Kentucky. But anyways, I'll stop complaining because you don't want to hear that, right,

what's complaining do? And when it comes to complaining, that's what a lot of coaches are doing this day and age with the portal and nil and their complaints are a waste of time. But also they have a point that it's way different and it's harder to do their job. They got to make a jugs and that's you know, it's really what a lot of people have to do in every job. I mean, I'm sure there are exceptions, but I imagine a lot of you who've had different

jobs have had to make adjustments along the way. Some were easier to adjust than other than others. But I mean, it's just part of it. So I'll bring that up to start the five o'clock hour because I think of all the different things that are really right in your face that tell you how different college sports is now

than it was five six years ago. I think this graphic that shows where every player starting in the sweet sixteen started their career is the ultimate, Like, damn, this is kind of crazy because there's dudes like, for example, the Kentucky starting five, there was one guy who I couldn't figure out who it was, and then I realized, oh, he's transferred twice, So Kentucky starting five. This is where these guys started their career. San Diego State, Oklahoma, Dayton, Delaware,

and Drexel. I mean, Delaware is where Andrew Carr was before he transferred up to Wake Forest. I mean, you've got a starting five here for Auburn that has one player in the lineup that started his career at Auburn. Everybody else Morehead State, de Kaine, Georgia Tech. And there's a G here that I don't know what that's for. I don't know if that's for. I think it might be for Is it for Greensboro?

at Louisville, ended up at Seaton Hall. Now he's at ole Miss. There's only one starter for ole Miss that's started his career at ole Miss. The others started at Saint Peter's Virginia Tech. Lowiell is mentioned in Vanderbilt. So I think that really is an eye opener, if not that you needed it, that things are a lot different now, but also I think it's it should it should make it to where when you see a guy transferring from a school like Kennesaw State, North Dakota State, Ohio, you're

not worried about can they play. I mean, you never know if they're going to be good or not, but the proof is in the pudding. You you can you can have good. I mean, that's the the all the I'm sorry the Alabama. I mean I just mentioned the Auburn. I mean the number one overall. See that was Auburn. One guy from Auburn. Elsewhere it was Morehead State to Kane, Georgia Tech, and then I think green un see Greensboro. Let's talk about Alabama. Who's going back to the final four.

They've got guys that started their career at Kennessas State, North Dakota State, Ohio. And this is a Power five program, but it's Rutgers the other one. So the only school in the Sweet sixteen that has all of their starters being guys that started their career there. It's a rare program that's successful. And that's Purdue. Purdue's weird, and I mean that in a good way. Matt Painter seems to be a guy that has been able to maintain success

despite all the changes in college basketball. Duke has four. But Duke's also rare because if you're good at Duke, you're likely not going to leave Duke. They have four starters, and by the way, three of them are five star freshmen, I believe, and in fact, I'm not even sure who their four starter is that would be a Dukey. I know the point guard transferred from Tulane. He's the only guy in the starting lineup that did not start his

career at Duke. So I just the visual and again it's not even about and this is what's Maybe it's just my capacity upstairs or lack thereof. You could, like show me a roster and I could, I could, you know, see these guys and then see you know, height, weight, previous school. But seeing the logos of these school for some reason is just what makes it really set in that like, these dudes started their career at at some of them at a lot at a much lower level. Houston,

they've got three starters from that started at Houston. The other tour from Baylor in Oklahoma. And then there's some schools that I like, this is this is the This is the only complaint I have about this awesome graphic that was put together by a Twitter account called NCAA

Buzzer Beaters and Game Winners. They don't give you which school is which, Like I could tell that if you've got four starters who started their career at Michigan State, good chance that's Michigan State, right, But there's one start, there's one Sweet sixteen team that I can't figure out who it is they have. Oh, I think I know now, it's got to be Texas Tech because they've got a Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina Texas Tech, And I think.

So it's no brainer. Loves loves shean Holloway. In fact, Dre and him are still super close. Drey had a baby while he was at Seaton Hall and it's actually a sad story, not super sad, but she and Holloway shared the story that he had to tell his wife to stop getting so close to his players because they're gonna leave, and like it's just gonna make you sad.

So Dre had a baby with his with his longtime girlfriend and coach Holloway's wife got really close, became really close to just Dre, his girlfriend and the baby, and he left, and you know, she was like heartbroken. But it's just the way it is now. Because money matters in every aspect of life. It does matters a lot. We have some that I think don't prioritize it as much as others because maybe they don't have to, or maybe they're just more you know, they have more integrity.

I don't know, but money now matters in college basketball, and I'm torn because, yes, like that sucks for schools that don't have it, because the likelihood of you being successful, especially long term or consistently, if you don't have any nil money, Like I don't even know how it would be possible to do it, you know, with longevity. So

it sucks. But you expecting players to not do what's best for them and their livelihood because you have a great fan base, Like, that's not realistic, right, Like, compare it to really any other aspect of life. If you are playing at let's say Mark Sears, first team All American, he started his career at Ohio the Bobcats, not Ohio State, Ohio, the Bobcats in the MAC like them, expecting to keep him would really just be charity, right, Like, there's no

way he can make them. I mean, it's him leaving money on the table. And most people in their jobs, yeah, they'll they'll take a job that might pay a little less because they realize they've got a great benefits page or they have less stress. Like sometimes you will, you know, it'll it'll be you'll have a range and maybe you'll take the low end of said range because there's other things that come with it that are just really valuable to you that you know, means more than the monetary

side of it. I mean, that's that's life with a lot of people, right Like people I bet right now know they could probably get a job making more money doing something different, but it wouldn't be that big of a difference, and they're comfortable. Well, like if you're at Ohio, think about the ceiling you have to make money through nil compared to the ceiling you would have at a

place like Alabama. Like the expectation, and again it's hard to just all of a sudden overnight realize that you know, you really can't keep anybody that's worth a certain amount

because you can't pay them. But like most people wouldn't do, Like you would never expect somebody to just okay, I'll stay here because you know, because you can keep in mind, if you're not going pro in the NBA and you're not like a guy that could potentially play the game for a decade at the highest level in Europe, the money you can make in college is life changing for you. So when I say I'm torn, I do feel for

fans that literally this changes everything for them. But also like you being mad about it, again, it's got to be a tough spot from an emotional standpoint as a fan, because let me just give me an example. The San Diego State team that went to the championship two years ago, Like that may be the best example of how Hey, it's not just the mid majors in the MAC or

the Swack or the Missouri Valley. You can be in the Mountain West, Hell, you can be you can be in like the Big twelve maybe or the Big East, certainly the Big East. And if you don't have the right money, like you're gonna lose players. Yeah, they're making some money, but they can make a lot more elsewhere and they know that, and them choosing not to do it would just be a gift to you as a

fan in your program. So San Diego State, I mean again, they made the championship game two years ago, and the starting five that championship game has all they all left. Some stuck around for longer than others, like Lamont Butler stayed one more year. Now he's at Kentucky. He's in the Sweet sixteen. Kashaw Johnson left and went to Arizona.

gonna try to jump up again. They have a guy named Magoon Gwoth who is the newcomer of the Year in the Mountain West and no star recruit who has a lot of potential. He at the Portla yesterday. So you've got a coach like Brian Dutcher who clearly gets guys that not everybody else wants, recruits them, develops them, and then he loses them, and you know, he took what he built to a championship game and then it all,

you know, was gone and he continued. You know, now he's trying to build back up to get there, and he's you know, he's unable to even keep guys around because even without runs to the Final four or the national championship game, they're still doing enough to basically use that level San Diego State to then jump up and go elsewhere, and like that's just that's now where you exist within college basketball, which he does suck, but I also, you know, I mean, I'm gonna read for you, this

is a this is the San Diego State. It's not an NIL collective because I get the logo is similar, but there's a there's a San Diego State nil collective Twitter account that has their coach, Brian Dutcher, basically begging for people to donate money for ANIL and I mean it's kind of sad, but like it's what you gotta do. They apparently have somebody that's willing to do like a five hundred thousand dollars match that kind of stuff, so they're trying. But this is a this is a fan

account it's called as tech tracker. It says pay to play, no transfer set out years, zero INCAA regulations, back alley negotiations, fake agent operatives, contacting players mid season, luring them away. College basketball is no longer the beautiful game. It's a cutthroat, backstabbing hell hole between the haves and have nots. So that's one emotional side of it to where that's a

fan going through it coping pretty, you know pretty. It's a hard cope there from that person who clearly realizes the likelihood of us ever really having sustainable success in college basketball. It just seems hard because you've got to have money. So that's a really tough place to be as a fan. But who are you mad at? Because here's where I would feel the ultimate If I was a San Diego State fan, I would feel helpless because

I wouldn't you know, what do you do? But I wouldn't really know who to be mad at because.

But look at what is like, you know, you got these guys are actually the show that is helping you generate the billion dollar that the billions of dollars that you get from the n douablea tournament like them, not getting at least a revenue share of that is illegal. So that's why we're here. So again, take the thought out of your mind. And it's hard to do, I guess because in the previous world, where players couldn't get

paid and they couldn't leave, they were stuck with you. Well, now they have power, they have freedom, they can do whatever they want, like most of us in the world, who can just you know, go quit a job, go elsewhere. Right, So it's just a harsh transition for some, including programs like San Diego State.

it's crazy. They have all the power and it's hard for coaches. But let's just talk about like right or wrong. Why should a citizen not be able to just decide where they want to go to school and play without sitting out? Like there's just no, there's no there's no reason for it to. It all just comes down to because it makes it difficult. It's hectic. Coaches would have to you know, it's just harder. Yeah, all that's true,

But we're talking about right or wrong. Why would a player a nineteen year old, twenty year old not be able to just decide where they want to go to school and play. So what would really get me is just not knowing who to be angry at. I just think it was a certain way for so long, and it was really again an archaic model, the amateurism model, and it got body bag toe tagged, it's dead and gone and everything is so different now. And as it plays out here in the early stages, it is the

haves and have nots and fans really are helpless. But like, if your school wants to be good and they want to compete at a high level, they've got to find a way to get money. Easier said than done, right. Everybody wish is they could just find an easy way, but like you have to invest in a team, really maybe a department that is just out there to raise funds. And that's why you have the collectives and they're important,

they matter. Like Louisville has a great collective. That's why they are believed to have a really big bank roll to go build a roster, or because Louisville. I think what happened is Louisville prioritizes basketball in a major way.

Well we've always known that, but I think, just just a hunch, the reason you're seeing the report from A three Sports that Louisville has apparently eight million dollars to spend on their basketball roster is because I think everybody saw in the last two years combined the last year of Kenny, first year of Pat Kelcey. It's not that we didn't know this, but we saw it firsthand. We

experienced it firsthand. Everything around here is not as good and valuable business life like louis basketball needs to be prioritized not only by the school but by the city. So when Louisville basketball is good and it's it's it's something people want to be a part of, want to go to games, They want to go watch games at businesses,

at sports bars, that kind of stuff. Like I think if there's I mean, I know football is always going to matter a lot as well because it's the biggest payday you get when you open up your stadium and let fans come in. And obviously the TV deals with the with the networks and the football like that's what

really pays the bills. But if there's ever like a moment where Louisville Athletics or maybe the city as a whole, as far as you know, those who want to give money to NIL collectives to pay players because they want to support and they want it to be good. Like if we got down to where okay, you can only you only got this money, and it's got to go here. It needs to go to basketball I mean, I know football matters, trust me, I'm not trying to act like

it doesn't. But this city's rare. Man, when Louisville basketball, I mean you you couldn't go get a seat anywhere last Thursday at noon in Louisville. And it's because Louisll was playing, right, the tournament's always gonna have people coming to watch it, but like it was different because Louisville was back a part of it. And I just think that you now know that, hey, you're gonna get what you pay for in every aspect.

And I know we still didn't have sellouts and that kind of stuff, but each game, the attendance grew, the energy, grew and we made a huge, huge jump in year one as far as getting back to where we want to be, and I think that was evident. Therefore not a huge shock to see that the money's there. I do feel bad because I that, you know, like whenever I seek fans complaining about college sports being terrible because of you know, you got to have money. I mean again,

you gotta have money in every aspect of life. College sports was the pure thing that I guess didn't involve money that made it to where you could, you know, escape reality of the real world. But now here we are money matters. You got to pay to get players, and you know some can and that sucks. Does it mean to respond to the people with this Austin?

to any He just didn't want to be labeled. Honestly, it was a smart move for him because it was you know, and I'm sure he's still got criticism, and everybody gets criticism when you're that level of famous and that successful, but it was something that stood out to me is at that time it was a really big

deal in him turning it down. I didn't know was he'd be in a snob but he just said, look, appreciate the honor, but I don't want any I don't want I want to do as much as I can throughout my career as an artist to not be specifically thought of in one in one genre, you know what I mean. And you know he was, Yeah, he was

more popped than anything. But like and he's you know, there's a there's there's some that have come from I guess his background where you know, he's not somebody who has maybe the same story, the same background as a lot of people who've become super successful in the world of hip hop. But though in those people who you know, I guess, maybe portray something that they're not in order to really get big in that world. They're called culture

of culture vultures the stuff. For me to say, I think he had a good radar for that to where he was at all times going to not try to like, you know, go there to where he could be accused of just trying to maybe be something that he's not in order to you know, take over a certain industry or something. But yeah, I mean again, I don't know what's cool and what's not anymore. But I've always felt like he's really talented. Yeah, and I'm a fan. He's done the rock thing.

but he still hasn't. He's he's kind of like joining people like Morgemall and and stuff, I mean post Alone and Luke Combs. It and something that I knew I needed until I got it, you know what I mean.

it's kind of awesome. And then sure enough, here he is. He's insanely famous, all right, it's Coffee and Company fuel by Thornton's. We're insanely famous too, maybe kind of no, damn right, we are maybe trying to just transition and where nobody would you know, nobody notice, but maybe we're not. You know, we're not famous, but we're having fun again. We're fueled by Thornton's. That's we got that going for us.

So appreciate you hanging out. We got about twenty five minutes left here and I've never put together one of these wagers, but I want to it sounds fun where you go through and you just decide to guess who's gonna win the national championship in these college events as well as pro you know, pro sports, Super Bowl, that kind of stuff. So there's somebody that has the ultimate cash out or ride scenario here. So this this guy put five dollars on Tennessee to win the World Series.

the national championship. That is plus eleven hundred. So that five dollars wager if he cash is out now, will pay him fifty thousand dollars. Or he could let it ride and make one hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars instead.

me back up. I don't think even if I took the cash out and then Duke won, I would feel any way, because I just would know that I put five dollars in and that was the right thing to do, and that risk to get nothing when you had fifty g sitting there off five dollars bet it's just a no brainer, right, I.

season comes to an end. So when I've only got you know, a certain amount left to bet on, I find myself being a little bit more risky, not to the point where if I lose, I'm gonna have nothing

to take out at the end of the season. But I've had this year specifically that I could have cashed out and I and I didn't, And more often than not, I'm like, you were stupid, Like you know, yeah, you could have got two hundred and fifty, but one hundred and thirty was sitting right there, like it's just the safer considering I'm placing such like, you know, twenty bucks here or there. Like to me, it was just I

feel like I've been burned enough by bye bye. I've been burned by being greedy and not realizing, hey, I should just cash out and move on. And usually if I do cash out, I want to I'll try to intentionally not find out what happened in the next one, because it would be a bummer to know that that you know, you were weak and you didn't let it ride.

So if you've already got them in a position to where where they're cashing you out, where you're still making a really good return on what you bet initially, you've already won. Like, if they're offering you a cash out, you've already beat them. Yeah, because they're offering you you know, they're allowing you to concede. Now, you could also bury them if it's a real big payday at the end, but the likelihood of that happening is insanely rare and I've learned the hard way when it comes to that.

So again, think about it that way. If you have bet ten bucks on a five leg parlay and you got one leg riding or to completely cash, but they're offering you, you know, one hundred bucks, and again it all depends on what the odds were as far as what you put together for your parlay. Just know you've already beat them. And I feel like if you have that mindset, you can you can cash out and not look at it like I'm leaving money on the table.

o'clock tomorrow to discuss personnel matters. I would imagine that this will be a new contract for Pat Kelsey.

Maybe we shouldn't even look at it as help. Maybe it's just you know, making life even better than it already is for you. And again, everybody's situation is different. But for me, I didn't realize what low testosterone even meant. I mean, I know what testosterone was, but never even assumed that somebody, you know, as young as early to mid thirties would be dealing with something like that. But that's because I was ignorant to what it all is

and how it works. And there's so many that just assume, well, hey, I'm I'm not sixty, therefore I'm not seventy, so no way I'm dealing with, you know, losing testosterone. But it's very common you lose a certain amount of testosterone that you produce every year when you get older, and it can have an impact on you and some people just

chalk it up like I did. Well, that's just getting older. Yeah, but if your levels are where they need to be for somebody in your age range, that could eliminate a lot of the things that you're dealing with that you're just chalking up to.

Now what I don't know is I mean I doubt he'd do something, or he could do something to where he would, like, you know, put himself in a position to where he ruins his gig at Maryland, because like Villanova, maybe they don't wait around, like maybe they realize, Okay, we get it, Kevin, You're you're in a spot here, but we got to make a move. We got to go build a roster we got to use the portal, So maybe they hire Richard Pattino instead of Kevin Willard,

and then Kevin Willard. You know, Kevin, Kevin Willard has has really Like if I was Villanova, I would do my best right now to try to determine is he really interested or is he just using us to potentially get more from Rutgers or for Maryland. I'm sorry, but let's be honest. Maryland, Maryland doesn't he didn't have a boss right now. Maryland's ad just left to take that job at SMU. So this is just fascinating, at least

to me. Maybe it isn't to you. But there's an interview Kevin Willard, did you know, just a couple of days before he has to play Florida? Or he is so bluntly speaking on things that a lot of coaches say for private conversations, but he is, you know, he's out in the open about it, and if anything, I can just appreciate the transparency. Here's Kevin Willard earlier in a radio interview in DC.

I don't want people making decisions about my program who aren't involved in my program, that make decisions that affect my staff life, my life, but doesn't affect their life. So those are big ones for me because you know, I live it, breathe it every single day, and again, you know, I want I want this place to be the best as you know, this fan base expects that, but it you know, to be personally honest that hasn't been treated that way for a long time, and my goal is to get it there.

That alone puts them in a different tax bracket. As far as resources, now, what is the real kicker here for him is that he's not only you know, he doesn't just want to have conversations with people about what he's going to get as far as resources for his program. He wants it in the contract to where you know they if they break it, you know he can leave

and no buyout. I mean, I don't know, so I don't know if that happens elsewhere, but wouldn't be a shock because there are coaches that have have complained about I was told this would happen and it didn't, so I doubt he leaves. I think he'll be Maryland's coach moving forward, because let's be honest, Maryland's a good job like Villanova. I mean, I don't know, we're in such a weird world. We're a weird world now to where

Nova's got two championships in the last decade. But honestly, money matters in a major way, and they don't have that like Maryland does. And I just I think historically Villanova's a better job, much better job, but Maryland I mean, I feel like that would be I mean, it would be foolish to leave Maryland for Nova. But if he thinks that what he's doing now is not sustainable, then maybe it would make sense to jump because he feels like, Hey, we had a good run here, but this I can't.

I can't keep this going because we don't have the resource.