It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven to
nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee. I'm checking here to see the current
spread for tonight's National Championship game Yukon minus six and a half, which I
believe it's been at for a while now. Well, I guess I don't
know what it opened at, but I remember the first line I saw was
Yukon minus six and a half, and I still feel like that's I don't
know, I guess that's fair. No, Yukon has been dominant, but
they really didn't turn it on against Alabama until towards the end of the game.
But that's kind of what they do, right, Like even really good
teams can can hang with them until you know you can't. But I probably
won't bet tonight because I don't have any like, you know, it's one
game I can't parlay, and I guess I could do a same game parlay
do player props, and that's fun. I enjoy doing that stuff, but
also I kind of just want to enjoy the game, like I don't want
to have any real like I mean this, I have no rooting interest in
this at all at all, I don't care if Ukon wins. I don't
care if Purdue wins. I kind of think it would be cool to see
a back to back title winner just because it hasn't happened in so long.
But I also kind of think it'd be cool for Purdue to win, because
that would be I don't know what it would I don't know what it would
say about college basketball, if anything, but it would be a crazy stack
to throw out there in thirty years or so or even you know, tomorrow.
To be honest with you, that we thought we'd never ever see ever
a sixteen seed beat a one ever, and then it happened twice in each
instance. The next year that team went back to win the national championship.
That's crazy. I mean. So I kind of want to watch it without
any feeling as far as you know. I mean, I'm gonna be into
the game and I'm hoping that it's a good game, but I just want
to watch and see what happens, which you know, I haven't done that
in a while, John, because I now love that we can bet on
sports, and I love having some skin in the game and some emotional interest.
But with this one, I'm kind of just like, you know what,
let's see what happens. I don't want to I don't want to bet
twenty or thirty on Yukon and then if they don't cover, I'll be I'll
be mad. So I kind of just want to go in you know,
sober here. If you knew that Dan Hurley losing tonight meant that he was
going to be the next Kentucky coach, would you be rooting for Yukon to
win tonight for sure? Yes, to answer your question, yes, and
maybe you know. In my mind, to me, he's the He's the
ultimate wild card of candidates for Kentucky just because some would say, well,
he wouldn't leave because he's at Yukon. He's got a monster who would abandoned
something like that. And it comes down to again, as I mentioned,
the personality of the person, not the coach. I mean again, the
coach is the person, you know what I mean. But nobody would leave
a program with that momentum that doesn't look to be slowing down. But if
Dan Hurley's somebody that truly does value being at the tip top of the sport,
and he is that right now as a coach, there's no doubt about
it. And Yukon is phenomenal, but like Yukon doesn't have the national reach,
Yukon does not have the fan base that Kentucky has. They're great,
but like Kentucky's different. And if he values those kind of things that come
with a job, and he doesn't look at it as a bother, he
looks at it as something he would want, then I could see him leaving.
But I don't know if he's that guy or not. Right, Like,
I don't know, because it's all about preferences and everybody has different preferences.
Yeah, I don't want him to coach Kentucky. I mean, in
fact, I wonder, if you're a Louisville fan, like, who do
you hope they hire among the candidates. I think the answer is obvious,
very obvious. It's Scott Drew because he's boring. He would not give them
in any way the cool factor. I'm quite sure he's only you know,
well, do you remember the caller who made a reference to Scott Drew one
time, saying something about his religious views or something. Well, I'm pretty
sure he said something along the line he's only had sex missionary style. Oh,
that's right, yeah, so Texter, I don't caller said that.
I feel like it might have been a postgame show call because things get a
little weird during those shows, right, But like, unfortunately, I've never
It's unfortunate in a variety of ways, but I've never not thought about that
whenever I think of Scott Drew, which is not a visual that I want,
But you know what, like he's that vanilla, he's a good coach.
I don't think Kentucky fans should turn their nose up at him, but
I also understand why they would because again, his national title is valuable.
It's something that like, it's the ultimate accomplishment. A lot of great coaches
have coached and never won a national championship. But all of his other results
that make up his resume, you know why, they're really impressive because he
did a Baylor just like Dusty may wedding at a place that doesn't have the
history of winning is valuable. It's a good sign. But I feel like
when you get to that point, he kind of shows that there's you know,
there's not a whole lot there that you would really you know that you
can just pinpoint like he has one final four I believe it is or does
he have two? I think his only final four was the year they won
it all. So Scott Drew to me, seems like the least dangerous coach
as far as a guy that like he'll win and maybe he'll be better than
Cali Perry, but he won't have the first five years that Cali Perry had.
And there's nothing about like you can be like corny cool, you can
be very self aware, like Pat Kelcey. People can say he was corny,
and maybe he is in the eyes of some as far as like his
press conference, but like he owned the room, not because maybe he's the
coolest guy, but like he was so self aware, was very aware of
the situation and he leaned into it. He was self deprecating. Like even
Kentucky fans listening to that press conference said, man, I think I might
like this guy, but they know once it starts and like the rivalry's on
and he's maybe you know, jabbing him or whatever it may be, then
it'll they'll naturally become haters of his And that's just how this should be.
That's the way it should work. But like, if I'm just from a
Louisville fans perspective. I'm glad you asked that question, John, because it's
now it's now making me think about preferential arrangement here, Like, if you're
a Louisville fan, who do you least want him to get? Who do
you hope they get? Because there's the reality they're gonna get a really good
coach, it's Kentucky. They're not gonna go get somebody that is not want
at a high level. And I still think the names that everybody seems to
be talking about, I'd be highly, highly shocked. I'd wager a lot
of money that I don't have that it's gonna be one of these five names.
And I'm not naming them in any particular order. Scott Drew, Billy
Donovan, Jay Wright, Natoates, and Danny Hurley. I think it's gonna
be one of those five. I don't even know where they'd go after that.
Maybe Bruce Pearl, yeah, maybe. I mean Shaka maybe, but
he's clearly going to be in that secondary list, right So you know,
I think the one I would most like them to get would be would be
Scott Drew because you know he's a good coach, but he doesn't give them.
He's not gonna stir the pot. He's literally the antithesis of John Cowell.
He's boring. He's boring. Look, if he wins at a high
level, nobody would really care. But I think Kentucky became accustomed to like
having a guy with like a lot of flair, and that's Caliperry and he's
sort of a larger than life figure within college basketball. And that's and if
they go get Jay Wright, they're getting it. I mean, Jay Writ's
a really likable guy, but like he's he's a big name, Like Jay
Writes, a brand name in college basketball. Billy Donovan hadn't been there in
a while, but he's a brand name in basketball overall, not just college
basketball. Natoates is the new hot guy on the market, right, I
mean he just broke through with a Final Four. He's the analytical yeah,
but he's got more substance to his run. I mean he yeah, yeah,
But you're right in that aspect. As far as being a new guy
that punched his ticket to the Final four, there's definitely that there. But
this was a breakthrough year for him just because you know, they made it
all the way to the Final four. And that matters. And he's been
good really every year since he's been there, so he's the new guy that
like, if they got him, I could see them really embracing it.
And I think he would kill it. There. Who's the other name,
Donovan, right, Drew, He's the last one? Yeah, Hurley would
I mean Hurley? I think just Hurley's so freaking good that, like you,
that will show that I mean, not that we don't already know this,
that will show that Kentucky can pick and choose whoever they want if they
get Dan Hurley, and and it pains me to say it, but I'm
also a realist. Kentucky is the job that anybody taking it you cannot deep
down consider it to be a shock because it's Kentucky. I mean, that's
just the truth. And there's not many, if any jobs that can say
that at that level. I mean, I think, you know, obviously
Carolina and Kansas, those are the other two jobs that I would put up
there as the top three in the sport. And I don't think there's a
distant fourth. So it would be a statement if they could pull him,
and I don't think they will, deep down, like I don't believe they
will. But again, I'm not gonna sit here and say there's no chance
he'd leave Yukon. Whenever. If he does, I you know, it
wouldn't be that big of a shock. So out of those names we talked
about, the one that I would that I would most want them to get
is Scotch Drew because even if they're good, they're gonna be boring and you
know, not interesting. And the guy that I would least want him to
get is Danny Hurley because I just think one it would be a statement for
them, no doubt, and he's he's on top of the sport right now.
Who do you think they'd be the most impatient with, because I think
it's Natoates. I think if he has if he's underwhelming early, then fans
won't be excited about Natoates. Oh, I'd say the impatience would be I
think they'd be more impatient with Scott Drew, but Natos right behind him.
And then with Jay Wright and Billy Donovan, I really have no clue what
they would realistically expect as two guys that haven't been in the game in a
while, but Billy Donovan coaching college in ten years that's such a wild card,
Like you know that he can do well, but if he can,
he can have to show a job just to the transfer portal and everything else.
Yeah, So I you know, I as far as like who I
would feel the best about not delivering, you know, the guy that I
would be happy with because the guy that i'd be happy with the Kentucky is
the guy that's not winning. Because I'm a Lois a fan, right,
So I would go with Scott Drew for a variety of reasons because he's a
good coach, but like, I don't know if he'd ever break through and
be a frequent participant in the Final four. I really don't. But outside
of that, I'd probably go Billy Donovan, which is crazy to some people,
but it's because of how long he's been away from it. Like I
just never thought it was realistic that he would ever want to be back in
college because again, the things he hated about being a college basketball coach that
made him leave Florida is ten times worse now because of the Portland nil.
So I just feel like it would be an adjustment for him, and I
just think at this point in his life in his career, like he knows
what Kentucky is is a job he does probably better than a lot of coaches,
just because of how close he was when he was in the SEC at
Florida, because of his strong relationship with Rick Ptino, Like he knows,
and I just don't feel like he'd have any interest in entering that world right
now. But I could be wrong, and then I would put I'd put
Jay Wright in the middle just because of the same thing. Like obviously,
Jay Wright is is a really good coach, and anybody who could get Jay
Wright to come out of retirement and coach their team should consider themselves lucky.
But again, the game has changed since he walked away, and Jay Wright
at NOVA was great at the end, but he also had a bunch of
years where he I mean at NOVA Sweet sixteen and an Elite eight in two
thousand and four through two thousand and six those two seasons, and then a
Sweet sixteen in two thousand and eight. He made a Final four in two
thousand and nine that was his really good run, and then he won one
tournament game in five years, and then of course he really got rolling in
twenty sixteen where he won the title. Next year around to thirty two loss.
Next year, won the title, made the final four in twenty twenty
two, which was his last year there. So I mean, he's he's
great. Anybody should you know he would succeed there. I just again,
would it be as quick of a process because of the new world that is
college basketball within isle on the portal. But the two coaches that I think
would actually have the most success there if they took the job is Danny Hurley
and Natoates. I just think they would. They're they're clearly thriving now when
the new world is is you know, still new, but it's I mean,
they're succeeding in that department in a major way, and they're doing it
at places that are I mean, Yukon's a great program, has a lot
of great resources. Alabama not historically a great basketball program, but certainly they
have resources, they're in the SEC, they've got money, they've got a
big fan base. So to see what those two coaches could do at a
place like Kentucky, I think they would really really succeed at a high level.
And of course I'm a loive of fence. I don't want that,
but man, you're like, if it's not one of those five, who
where would they go? Would it be Bruce Pearl Pearl's I think you hit
the nail on the head with Bruce Pearl because again, and he's always he's
always flirted with them, like when he's you know, him and cal have
their relationship, you know, like they're not friendly with each other, they
don't like each other. But Pearl's one of those guys that always talks up
Kentucky and the program and the fans, and you know there's coaches along the
way that do that, and you know they're doing it in case like they
ever end up in a position where maybe they could get the job. So
I think Pearl would abandoned Auburn quickly to go to UK. But I don't
know. Like the Barnhart element is a big factor because he wants to get
a guy that can win. There's no doubt about that. And if any
of these names we've talked about, even if you include Bruce Pearl, those
are coaches that win. But him having such a toxic relationship or really not,
it's a toxic situation because the two didn't have a relationship. Mitch Barnhart
and John Calipari did not have a relationship. They did not communicate Cali Perry
did not see him as his boss, which again that's not good for anybody
in the athletic department. So with that, I think he's going to be
desperate to find a guy that he knows he would work really well with and
they would be aligned, not just you know, in a professional sense as
far as the job and the you know, the objective in hand here,
but also they're really aligned in life outside of basketball, with faith and that
kind of stuff. And that shouldn't be why Mitch Barnhart wants to go get
a coach. But if he can get a coach who has a national championship
in the last few years that he knows really well, I mean, I
think that makes it obvious that that would be the direction he would go.
Here's another one with great postseason success, but they've not won the whole thing
is Mark feu Yeah again, but would he ever leave Gonzaga Again, it's
a lot like he'd be lucky that they would offer him and they should.
I mean, like that's not Again, why do you think it is that
he still never really gets mentioned for jobs. It's because people just assume he
never leave Gonzaga, or maybe they're just not that impressed with him. I
think it's probably a little bit of both. Yeah, I really don't know.
It's it's very weird. I think part of it, too, is
that we're not on the West Coast. I feel like all those West Coast
coaches kind of get shoved on the rug force a little bit, like Tommy
Lloyd and Arizona. Another name that we rarely talk about around here, So
a name that I saw put out there by Kyle Tucker of the Athletic who
I think right now is probably as close as anybody with the Kentucky basketball program.
And it's not because of Cala Perry directly. It's because of you know,
other people that are around that you know, probably aren't the basketball staff.
But he's mentioned Sean Miller at Xavier, and I like Sean Miller was
a fine coach at Arizona. But I just don't know. I don't think
that would be a big hit for Kentucky fans. I could be wrong.
And then we talked about Patino a little bit earlier. I just don't I
don't think that's I don't think that's gonna happen. But man, if it
did talking. Oh my god, it'd be weird, it would be I
kind of want it to happen in a way. But then again, I
don't really want to hate Rick, you know what I mean. And there'd
be no way where I couldn't if he coached Kentucky because then not only that,
not only would you have the Cali Perry wanting to get back back at
Kentucky fans dynamic, you'd have Rick Patina wanting to get back at Louisville.
Maybe not the fans necessarily, but at Louisville the university. Yeah, And
that's what That's what makes it tricky with Rick is because at this point,
you know, he feels a certain way about the whole experience and how it
ended. But at least and I was happy that he did acknowledge this at
one point. I think the last time he had publicly talked about Louisville might
have been I think it might have been an article by Seth Davis during this
past season, and he acknowledged that the people who who you know, in
his mind, railroaded him and ran him out of town. They're not involved
at u of L, and they don't, they don't. They're not like
it was Bevan who's no longer the governor, and David Grissom, who's no
longer a board member. I mean, I think that's who he viewed as
being those that put things in motion to get rid of him. Whether that's
right or wrong, I don't know. I mean I think it is right.
But you know, he knows those people have no involvement, and he
knows that Louisville fans didn't didn't really want that to happen, so but he'd
take it. There's no doubt about it. Patino would walk from Saint John's
to Kentucky. Well, it doesn't make it, make it unrealistic, then
I don't think I don't Barnard, Yeah, that's true. I mean the
last time Rick Patino was in Repperena, when he walked off the floor,
he flipped off the fence, like flipped off Repperenda fans like, imagine if
he ends up actually getting involved in this search and gets the job, that
would be I mean, it'd be one of those things where you say,
look, you can't make this stuff up if you missed it earlier, John
Kella Perry, because again, this is absolutely the way he's wired. He's
about to probably get on a plane. Maybe he's already gone on the plane
since this video hit the internet, but he's about to be introduced as the
next Arkansas head coach. He's gonna be calling the hogs woop, pig suiye,
all that stuff. And he's walking his dog down Richmond Road in Lexington,
which I've since learned is a very busy road with a ton of traffic,
and he's just walking his dog in one of the busiest times of the
day, knowing people would see him. And it's not a coincidence. He
wants to be I mean, I don't know what he's seeking out of it,
but it's like one last stroll before he leaves town. But make no
mistake about it, he's leaving town bitter, feeling betrayed. And again,
what do you think he was. Clearly we know he wanted people to see
him, but what did he hope that with. Somebody like beg him to
say and he beg him to stay, and he could say, Nope,
not doing it. You were you know, you betrayed me. Like I
just I don't know what the end goal is here, but we know this
is not a random coincidence. He wanted people to see him walking down a
very busy road the day that it's clear that he's leaving, whereas he would
probably never do that in any other day. And you know what I'm saying,
like, this is something he's doing now that he would never do beforehand.
Hey, coach, you get things right now. You were saying,
I'm good. Come on, Palm, come on, palm. This dog's
palmer. My dog. My dog is walking me. Come on. And
I know the cow being col like the no walking my dog right now,
my dog is walking me. He sounds like he said all that with a
smile on his head. Yeah, and he like is somebody who was fortunate
enough to have the Denny Crumb era at Louisville that I remember, Meaning I
didn't get a chance to see the great times because I wasn't alive, but
like, my first memory of loving Louisville basketball was when Denny Crumb was the
coach, and I knew, I was very well aware of who he was
and how influential he was to the program and what he meant to college basketball.
Like I knew that at an early age. So you know, I
watched Diddy kind of be forced out, but then they brought in Rick Patino.
And Rick Patino, I mean it didn't end in a good way by
any means, but like Louisville's run during Patino's era, is why Louisville is
still viewed as a top program. I mean, they had a couple of
rough years here lately, no doubt. But my point is this, like
Rick Tino is somebody that like for however many years he coached here, like
he was the man and we had a lot of good times, final fours
in a national championship. I didn't see that with Denny. I knew it
had happened, so it was special. It was unnatural for me to not
like Rick. Like when Rick got at Iona and he ended up at Saint
John's, I don't feel any way of like the hell with that guy.
But I'm also not like I'm now a Saint John's fan. But when I
see him coaching and I see him being interviewed, and I see him being
him and him having success, I feel a level of like, well,
good for him, because I had an emotional connection to him as my coach
as a fan. You're gonna do that same thing with Cal. But what
I don't know, is how's it gonna be when you're coaching, like you're
playing against him. He's bringing his team to Rupperena next year, and you
know that on his way out he felt betrayed. Patino felt that as well,
but it wasn't towards the fans. It was towards people that he believed
shouldn't even be in the position to make that decision. So like when you
see cal being interviewed with a Arkansas hoodie on or an Arkansas you know,
or I don't know, or just a suit and he's on the bench at
Arkansas, or he's got a team picture with you know, Bobby Batrino,
who's now call him a plays down at Arkansas. Something like that. It's
going to hit you in your weird feelings of like, im what's going through
my body right now, Like I don't like this. I want to maybe
punch the picture of him I'm looking at, but like it's unnatural to just
flip the switch like that. But another thing that's different for Kentucky fans is
that this has been growingly getting worse. So maybe you are bitter and you
say the hell with him. I don't know, but it'll be interesting to
see, no doubt. All right, quick break, we'll come back on
the other side. Keep it rolling along again. It is coffee and Company
and we are fueled by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Before
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com or five h two five nine at twenty eight hundred. All right,
it says you could expect a lot of talk today about a story that you
know still just doesn't seem real, but it is. Kentucky is looking for
a new basketball coach and the shock of just how it all came about where
it initially surfaced from on the internet and just where he's going. I mean,
it just still seems weird and just like no way, right. But
then again, once you consider every angle of this situation, it's good for
everybody. Cal won it out. He found a new spot that was willing
to pay him a lot of money, and they still clearly value him,
meaning Arkansas, they think he's worth the money they're about to pay him.
Kentucky wanted a fresh start and they got it now, and they don't have
to pay any money to go do it. I mean, it is a
win win for everybody involved. Now, what I think is interesting is,
you know, five years from now, who's going to look back and feel
better about this playing out the way that he did? Not that anybody would
have rets, because clearly Kentucky with Cali Perry just it was hard to see
them running in this back and being able to really generate excitement for their fans.
But even though Cal does have those embarrassing losses in the last few years,
that really Kentucky's just not used to having. It wasn't as if the
guy was ever wawful as your coach. I mean, in those two seasons
you were a three seed into two seat. Now in college basketball, we're
a little weird with that sport because none of that matters when you lose in
the first round. All right, five about two, five, seven,
one seventy nine hundred is the number. If you want to jump in and
give us a call. Let's go to the phone lines and welcome in.
Joe. Joe, you're on Sports Talk seven ninety. What's up, sir,
A good afternoon. Nick. I called it a couple of weeks ago
when U of L was conducting their search and telling you that I was a
UK fan and I wanted Cal gone, and now now he is, and
I mean, I just I really sympathize with U of L now, because
again, there's not a lot of people out there. I know, I
told you I would call Brands evens. First, I think he'll say no.
I think Hurley would say no. And after that, I mean,
you know, all I would say is this. I mean, I've heard
Patino rumor. As good as he is, I don't think that's a job
for a seventy year old man, and I would agree. The last thing,
and the last thing I'll say is this. I mean, I don't
know who they're gonna get, but I mean, even as a UK fan,
I don't have my head buried in the sand. Then you know you're
not necessar It kind of leads for Arkansas and Musselman leaves a much better historic
program from Arkansas to go to USC. I mean, I hope UK fans
don't necessarily think that Barnhart is going to get his first or second or maybe
even third choice, because if they do, I think they're gonna be terribly
disappointed. Thanks for your time, make Dick, I'll hang up and listen.
Thank you, John. I appreciate the call, sir. Yeah,
you know, it's it is wild because right now and I'm aware that,
like there's no real result to know if this thing is going to be good,
bad, whatever. But Pat Kelsey, in what ten eleven days on
the job, fans are all in on this guy. Not because they think
he's about to win a national championship in a few years, but the bar
was low, and he I think he'd be winning us over even if the
bar wasn't low. When I say the bar is low, I mean Kenny
was lifeless and never acknowledged that he actually wanted to win here, and you
know, I'm sure he did. I don't know how you get the job
without having a level of like, hey, you want to go win and
compete. But obviously engaging with fans can go a long way. Pat Kelsey's
done more of that, I think in ten days than Kenny did at all.
But also kept Pat Kelsey's good at talking, right, he's good at
owning a room, he's good at selling, and he sold himself to us
as far as just you know what. He's all about his values. But
he was not the he was. I mean, he was the fourth choice.
I don't say that to discredit him, but Louisville got their fourth choice,
and right now, vibes are really really strong for Louisville basketball. Now
again, I'm well aware they got to put a team together, the guy
and coached the game, but this was somebody that like got talked about the
least during the search because it just didn't seem realistic that they would go that
route. So Kentucky, you know, I think if they offer Jay Wright,
Danny Hurley, Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, all of those guys turning
them down, if they decided to go that direction, I don't think it
would be a look for Kentucky. That is damn they've fallen. I'm sure
it would be used against them by Louisville fans, and you know, I'm
fine with that, but you know what I mean, Like, those are
guys who aren't Like, if you offer somebody a job that is not currently
working in said profession, it's not the same thing. I mean, wouldn't
you agree, John, Like you're asking somebody to essentially come out of retirement,
which is Jay Wright and Billy Donovan's coaching in the NBA, Like it's
a different profession. And I will say, of all of those guys,
Jay Wright is the guy who is still the most closely connected with the college
basketball game itself. So if you want any of those three, I think
that'd be your best bet in my opinion. So Hurley again, he's the
wild card for me, just because I don't know if he is somebody that
is personally motivated by climbing the ladder in college basketball. And it sounds silly
to say this given what Yukon has done recently and what they're probably going to
do tonight, as well as the fact that they could get their sixth title
tonight in the last twenty five years. But overall, I'm not even talking
titles, just brand. Kentucky basketball has a much bigger brand than Yukon basketball.
It just is. So if he's personally motivated by climbing the ladder in
his profession, him taking the Kentucky job wouldn't be that big of a surprise.
But also I think Yukon would be willing to Yukon would find whatever money
they could find to make sure they don't lose him because of money, wouldn't
you agree, John? I mean yeah, I mean, why would you
want to lose somebody who's potentially gonna win back to back titles to not like
I think if it gets to like, all right, Kentucky's gonna offer him
twelve million a year, which again crazy, but if anybody's gonna do it,
wouldn't it be Kentucky. They feel like they got money to blow right
now because they got rid of Cal by his own leaving for another job.
They don't have to pay thirty three million to get rid of them. But
I think Yukon would just say, look, we're gonna match it. I
don't know where we're gonna find the money, but we're gonna find it.
Like, I just don't think you would find this is you know. I
actually hope they go after Danny Hurley and just so I can see what the
process is like. As far as like is it Is it a bidding war?
Is it him? You know, like I could see Hurley. Do
you think he's like a jerk? No, I think he's probably one of
the most level headed head coaches right now. Yeah, most of the high
major team. He's intense, He's he's not unrealistic. Yeah, he's intense,
and he's not like a big laugher and jokester. But I don't think
he's like a I think because somebody we had a text to earlier who said
Hurley would be great at Kentucky not only because he'd win, but we would
hate him they're talking about. They're saying it as a Louisville fan, because
you know he's I don't think he's an easy guy like to dislike, but
I think like he really is embraced a Yukon verse the world. And I
don't know if that's just him trying to find motivation when it's quite clear everybody
knows that the best team in college basketball, or if he really believes that,
like, wouldn't be shocked if they come after him and he does like
a public decline, you know what I mean, Like We're I'm good,
you know what I'm saying like that would be because he's he's playing that right
now, and I don't know if it's just because again, everybody's trying to
find an edge motivation, but he feels like he you know, Yukon,
and they can't do the underdog thing because nobody that's not real, Like they
would have to clearly make that up in their own mind. But they're taking
any little, any little chance they get to claim the disrespected we're not getting
the love we should get. He's running with it, and like maybe Kentucky
offering him the job would be like the sign of him getting it, and
he could be like, Nope, you'd have to offer Yukon the job too,
because I'm not like something like that, right. I think that makes
absolute perfect sick because that's just But again, I'm basing that off of just
very little amount of things I've seen and heard from him, because he's still
relatively new at the top here. Let's be honest, this dude didn't break
through until last year and now he's about to go back to back winning national
championships, so you know, him turning them down. I don't think he'd
be considered a shock to anybody. But I also can't sit here and tell
you that. I think it would be like a I mean, if a
guy wins back to back national champions championships and he doesn't leave his job in
that place where he where he's employed currently now has six in twenty five years.
As much as it'd be nice to make fun of him for not getting
him, who would get him? Like nobody would right Like he's he's shocked
in until he wants to leave with them. Yeah exactly, but like if
they started getting to the Natots and the Bruce Pearl and who else, I
mean, Sean Miller would shock like I just had. It's such a weird
name. Yeah, I know it is. Patino would never get offered the
job, and I think still if he gets if they're turned down by those
guys or let's say Scott Drew turned him down, we could easily make fun
of him. But also it would it would probably be because like he knows,
he's not built for what that job is, because he's too you know,
this is something that somebody told me about about Pat Kelsey the day he
was hired that really stuck with me and I I've I've kind of tried to
think about it. When we talk about coaches as far as what do they
and I don't know any of these people personally, so I can't tell you
what they really value, what they really like, like what would make them
lean one way to kind of stay where it's low key or want the highest
level. But Chris Mack was too much of a normal guy for this job.
Not to say he would be like the best coach we ever had or
anything like that, but like, you can't be normal at this job,
like you gotta you gotta always be on you got all. I mean,
it's there's so much more to it than just coaching basketball. Well, Pat
Kelsey, we'll see if the guy if you know, if the if the
gas light comes on, because he's gonna be I mean, this is just
different than where he's ever been. But everybody who knows him said, like
he's a nice guy, but like he's not normal like that. He's you
know, he's he's he's somebody that would probably be energized by everything that comes
with Louisville more than overwhelmed by it, whereas others can be overwhelmed. I
think Scott Drew's the guy that would be overwhelmed with everything that comes with Kentucky.
I mean, he they just built him a brand new stadium at Baylor
and it seats seven thousand people. The crowds that we made fun of for
Louisville having the last few years at the Young Center, Baylor gets that on
average. So like he'd be in a totally different planet, and I don't
know if he would want that. But again, as I've said, anybody
taking the job can't be considered this huge shock because it's it's I think it's
the best job in college basketball when it comes to just the ability to utilize
tools to succeed at the highest level. But if you're somebody that would hate
all the other stuff that comes with it, you could say I'd never want
to coach there. It just depends on the person. All right, quick
break, we'll come back on the other side, wrap this thing up at
his Coffee and Company, and we are fiel about Thornton's right here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. Give me that we've got a national championship game tonight.
I guess we'll use the very little time we have left to discuss said matchup.
You asked me about wagering. Do you have any action tonight? Not
yet, but I'm definitely thinking about putting some money on Yukon to cover I
think there's a good chance they'll win this by double digits, as they have
with plenty of their other games, or I guess all their games in the
tournament, and then I may parlay that with the over on points for Zach
Edy and Donovan Klingon. But we'll have to see. I love it hearing
you talk about betting on these games is just makes me so happy. So
let me ask you a question as an Indiana fan, how do you feel
about Zach Edy as a player, or just as I guess you're asking,
as a player. So I've always to him. There's a lot of Indiana
fans that think he's only good because he's tall, and there's times where I've
thought that obviously he has an advantage to being seven foot four, But you
don't get this far and win National Player of the Year twice in a row,
or has he won that yet? This year? He will? He
will? Yeah, you don't get this far without being good and being efficient,
and that's exactly what he is. Yeah. I've found myself in the
last couple of weeks really noticing how rare. He is in a different way.
He is someone that in that frame, a lot of guys are awkward
as players, that are awkward as people because honestly, it's probably at times
really challenging to be the giant among other people. And you know, times
he can look like an advantage, and it is an advantage as a basketball
player. But to me, he's very comfortable in his skin, and he's
a competitor, Like he is an absolute competitor, and you know that's that's
the bare minimum and you would want from a player. But like, he's
different. Man, He's not just a guy that is, you know,
successful, because he's a giant. He works his ass off, he's a
smart player, and you know, I get a sense that he really did
you know, I'm sure everybody involved took it, you know, took the
loss last year hard, but he, obviously, I think has had just
you know, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff. As a guy
who used to play the game and the camaraderie that comes with it, had
such a special relationship with my coach, Like to see him in pain or
break through and get to the final four, like it was cool to see
and like I don't think they're going to accomplish it tonight because I think Yukon's
that good. But Yukon's like stupid good, Like there's not one guy that
you're like, what are you going to do? They got like eight of
them. So hopefully we get a good game tonight and we'll certainly react to
it tomorrow right here on Sports Talk seven ninety