It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now, here's Nick coffee. All right, let's get it started
at five o'clock on a Friday, getting the weekend started. A lot of
you are probably starting your weekend right now, or maybe you already have started
the weekend, and we still have an hour to go as we have.
I think had a fun show thus far. I'm excited for the fact that
Kentucky hired Mark Pope and you know, not Dan Hurley. But what really
excites me about it because who knows Mark Pope could be phenomenal. But both
sides here have a new era that is underway, and sometimes just something that's
new is exciting right now, that'll only last until the new whatever is not
delivering and it's not what you wanted and it's below expectation. We got a
long way to go before we get there. Right, we don't even know
who's gonna be on the team for Louisville or Kentucky. Pat Kelsey again,
he's got some visitors on campus this weekend. We'll talk about some of those
guys and some visits that are set up. I don't even know about Mark
Pope in his situation, I would say the most likely additions to Kentucky's roster
are going to be guys that follow him from BYU. That'd be my guest.
But either way, Louisville was I think underwhelmed with Pat Kelsey, regardless
if you want to say that now when it came to the realization that he
was going to be the guy. Even if you were willing to say,
okay, whatever, just give us a coach and I'll support it. That's
normal. But I don't think that's a guy that everybody said Louisville should be
going after whenever we knew the job was going to be open all season,
and then of course the search actually started. But either way, he's the
guy and we're gonna support it, And so far he's checked a lot of
box that are super important, not only because we're a weird fan base that
just loves I mean, we're just different, we're crazy in the eyes of
some, but he embraces that crazy. And also I think the timing of
it, like we've never needed that more because we've had such a rough two
years with Kenny Payne and really no engagement with the fans and not to say
that would have helped, because if he's still won four games and then eight
games, none of that would have mattered. But I was really in disbelief
when it hit me that they were going to go this route. Has nothing
to do with what I think about Pat Kelsey. I just assumed they were
going to make sure they got a guy who you knew had had some success
at this level before, and instead they have a guy that hasn't failed at
this level before, but he's never been at this level before. So he's
really won the fan base over and I think we all know he's got to
win, and we'll see if that happens. But no matter who gets hired,
you're gonna support it as a fan, even if you're complaining, even
if you're honest with yourself that you don't really like the hire. It's your
coach and it's your team. You are going to support it. That's what
Kentucky fans have done in the last twenty four hours or maybe I guess the
last I get. I don't know, maybe the last eight hours or something,
because last night was wild, and I think they had a real dose
of humble pie because they never thought in a million years, they'd go out
and get a coach that's never won a tournament game. They never thought they
would hire a guy who only is even mentioned as a candidate because he played
there, But that's what they did. But once the disbelief wears off and
you realize that's the guy, you're gonna support it. That's what fans do.
But I do think, you know, for Louisville, like our bar
is low, you know what I'm saying, Like our bar is low.
I don't think you're gonna see this fan base act as if they've accomplished something
substantial if in fact, they win twelve games next year or eight games or
whatever I mean. But there's not a bar that is unreachable for Pat Kelsey
in year one because the bar is so low. And I think, given
what happens in the portal, he could put together a team to maybe make
the tournament like and I don't I still don't think it's hard to say that
when you don't even know who's gonna be on the team. But I don't
think it's unrealistic to say that he could put together a roster that would be
a tournament caliber roster. And he can coach. We know that now can
he do it at this level? We'll see. I have no reason to
think he can't, and I have good reason to believe that he will.
Now, will he win national championships and go to a bunch of final fours?
That's really hard to do. But getting Louisville back to being a successful
program that has some relevance and we are back to having really great crowds at
the Young Center and it being a tough place to play, and really kind
of I don't I don't want to say re establishing our brand because I think
even in the down years we've had lately, and they weren't just down,
they were awful. People who know college basketball still know what Louisville could be
and can be and has been and should be, to be honest with you,
but Kentucky, you know there was a lot of you know, you're
about to see a real search and how it's done because I think they're arrogance
is is Honestly, I don't want to say justifiable, because like being arrogant
isn't a good thing, but like the way they see themselves as a program
is justifiable because they are one of the best programs in the country and the
fact that Scott Drew said no is not something any of them truly thought would
happen. And I think there was some relief because a lot of I shouldn't
say a lot, but some Kentucky fans just weren't really thrilled with that.
I think they knew he'd be a good coach, and he has a national
championship and he recruits really well, but he didn't all fit that job,
and he knew that, and he decided to stay at Baylor maybe because of
that a little bit, but also I just think it was tough for him
to walk away. Obviously, Danny Hurley was never gonna come, and I'm
not even sure they offered him the job, Like there's claims that, like,
you know, whatever they do. I don't know if Mitch Barner ever
actually engaged, because again, in their mind, they never offered anybody,
right, but they just told them to consider it and then you know,
let them know. But Mark Pope, I believe that Mark Pope was always
somebody that Mitch barnehard was high on, and he just you know, he
never wavered from that, and once he realized he wasn't going to get Drew.
I mean, it wouldn't be crazy to think that they just simply went
from Scott Drew to Mark Pope, and that is surprising the Kentucky fans,
but I think that's the way Mitch Barnhart wanted to go about it, and
I think they are in the same position. Louisvels in right. You didn't
like the higher you would have never said, hey, let's go get that
guy a week ago. But that's the guy and you're gonna support him,
and you should like that's normal. But I do think what's different that Louisville
fans don't have to worry about as much is that we're not going to be
looking back at the Kenny Payne era in longing for those days, you know
what I'm saying, Like, we're not so with Kentucky. They may be
able to just completely block Caliperry out of their memory, but it's gonna be
hard to do. He was there for a long time and was successful,
even when he got upset in the tournament. He did it as a three
seed and as a two seed because the team was good. That thing would
run its course it needed to end. I think everybody knows that as much
as I troll at times online about them running him out of town, I
mean, I'm not really sure what the fans could have done. I do
think there's some others that maybe, you know, like I think Mitch Barnhardt,
I don't know if you ever could have could have I guess he could
have just given Cal whatever he wanted. But I think at times like whenever,
let's be real, whenever Mitch made the decision that Cal was going to
be back, and they did it awkward TV interview, there was there was
noise from Kentucky fans that they couldn't believe they're not making a change. But
then change happens, and he's at Arkansas doing the col thing, owning the
moment at the press conference, saying all the things that just you know,
are the col sayings. And he's going to have a much better roster than
Kentucky next year. I have no doubt about that. Maybe that's not sustainable,
but I think even when there's early underwhelming things with the Pope era,
maybe it's a loss. Maybe it's just like him bringing a three star recruit
with him from Baylor or from BYU or something like that. I think it's
gonna be impossible and unnatural for a fan not to think back to, you
know, what you used to have, even though you know it needed to
end. It's just hard to imagine that Mark Pope is going to have a
more successful run at Kentucky than Cali Perry did. And here's the reality,
Cali Perry, despite how it ended and despite the shortcomings at the end,
the guy had a phenomenal run. Even when they didn't make a deep tournament
run, and I know that's really how you're valued. They still did make
a lot of deep tournament runs and they were always relevant. They were always
a team that when they were having a down year and they were maybe you
know, looking more like a five or six seed, if they did mess
around and beat one of the best teams in the country, you weren't surprised
because they always had talent, elite talent that if the light goes on and
these guys, you know, become sophomores late in the season, freshman,
you know, the ceiling's high. With Pope, I think you're gonna be
good, You're gonna be more consistent, You're gonna you're gonna, I think,
play an exciting style of basketball. But I don't think your ceiling's going
to be that high, and you're now in a league where the guy who
used to coach your team is going to be going up against you, whose
teams are going to have that same high ceiling. I don't think NATO's is
slowing down. I don't think Bruce Pearl's slowing down despite the upset to Yale
in the tournament. I don't think that Rick Barnes is gonna not put good
teams together every year. Todd Golden, I think that guy's a future star
of college basketball. So you got Mark Pope, who doesn't have anything close
to the resume that any of those guys have that I just mentioned. And
yes, he's got a better job with probably better resources than any of those,
But is that enough. Can Mark Pope consistently keep you in the top
tier of the SEC top three? He might, or you know, he
could be good, but you aren't the elite program in your league anymore under
him, because that's just not the ceiling you have with a guy like that.
Well never, no, I'm not predicting that's what happens, but what
I just laid out it would be successful for almost anybody but for Kentucky.
Following Caliperry, I don't know all right, I go to if I have
seven one seventy nine hundred is the number. If you want to give us
a call, we'll go back to the phone lines. Had a couple of
people drop off a little earlier because you know, I can get a little
long winded in the opening monologue. So if you want to call back,
go for it. But we've got Allan. Who's on the line. Alan,
Welcome into Sports Talk seven ninety How are you, sir? How you
doing? My friend? I just wanted to call you. I didn't really
know much about you or your show. And then when Louisville lost her coach,
I'm a big blue dial hart to Doug. You fan started listening to
you, and I really enjoy you. Thank you. I think you're honest,
and I think you call it like it is, and I think cal
it was. However cal it goes. He wasn't gonna win here. And
when I first heard Mark Pope, I called my daughter and I thought it
was a joke. A lot of people did. I'm sure I was upset.
And then when I really I'm sixty three and that ninety six team was
my favorite team, and I started looking at his record, what he's doing.
I'm like, you know, with our resources, this may actually work.
And I think CALIPERI, I think he chased the ghosts of Rick Patino
the whole time he was there. He wanted to be loved, he wanted
I think it fueled him. And when we lost in the Wisconsin twenty fifteen,
I don't think it was ever the same because I think he could have
done something Rick didn't do. But I honestly believe that you give me ten
players, I think Rick Patino is the greatest college coach I've ever seen,
and uh, I don't think that. To me, no matter how many
won, I would have still preferred Rick. But I don't think cal was
ever the same. And I kind of know him as a person. He's
fantastic. I mean, he's a nice man. But it was time to
go and Mark Pope's one of us, and when we were chasing the Yukon
coach, the guy can coach. But honestly, it just felt dirty to
me. It's like, we got to pay all this money. I want
somebody did. Yeah, it would be it would be a strictly transactional thing,
and he would know he has a good job, but you would know
you had to really just pay him to do it. He didn't want it.
And I think there's something about Pope that, you know, he values
what the job is and he is going to succeed or die trying because he
knows the opportunity has in front of him. And with cal I don't think
Cal ever really felt like he was you know. I feel like in a
way he kind of felt like Kentucky was lucky to have him, and you
know, maybe he was justified in that feeling with some of his early success.
But I think there's something to be said because I think both I think
Alan. I think both schools now Louisville and Kentucky have guys that know what's
there and they're never going to take it for granted. They're going to utilize
what's there as far as resources, and again, they may not win,
but they'll dot tryan and they're going to appreciate being the leader of those programs.
And that may sound corny to some, but I think that does matter.
I think it matters big, And you know what, I was a
big Kenny Payne fan. I think a lot of Kentucky fans I'll talk to.
We were shocked how he failed there. I really thought he was going
to do good and it really surprised me. And I was a huge Denny
Crumb fan. Man, you know, Denny stayed a little too long,
which I think Cow stayed too long. Yeah. Man, it was a
time man when Denny, when he had it going, they were fun.
The Mill Wagner team. Hell yeah, thank you for the call, Alan
got I appreciate that. I really appreciate you calling in. I appreciate you
saying that I really do this is trust me. This is not like a
humble brag at all. But it just makes total sense that when you were
going, when Louisville was going through their search, we had more people flocking
to listen to shows like this. This one's for sure not only more frequently,
but for a longer period of time. And we've had others call in
and say something similar over the last few weeks. But I've also just had
people write me dms on Twitter or heck, I've run into people and and
you know, I guess they really got well, I don't know. I
was going to say, they really got the full experience of what the show
is, and they liked it enough to where they're going to keep listening,
which is great, but I also like that's not I mean, there was
one day and I think you know which day I'm talking about, John,
the day that I did it from home where it became clear Louisville was missing
on well, Dusty May said no, and then the whole Josh shirtz thing
played out where he couldn't say yes, but he would have said yes.
And you know, I'm a fan like anybody else. I don't think I
ever said anything unfair out of line. I still would tell you right now
Louisville search did not go well as far as optics now at the end.
That's something that I think it's fair to assess in real time. But we
all know that a search and a hire are two different things. But if
the search ends up with a guy that you end up having success with,
and I guess both you can claim are successful. And I think what Josh
did do is have the you know again, it was his fourth fourth choice,
but it was the guy that he knew was super safe when it comes
to a very very important component, and that is he will light us up
in a good way. He will energize us, he will make it quite
clear how much he appreciates the job, and it'll be genuine and he's going
to work his ass off. That's one thing that I think it does come
off when you hear people discuss Pat kelse Er, when you hear Pat Kelsey,
But one of the things that others mention and really go out of their
way. And we had Rob Cassidy from rivals On yesterday to kind of discuss
this, and that was that he's one of the hardest workers. And that's
honestly some of the reason why he has to have a very particular staff.
Not to say lazy guys want to work for him and they can't, but
like he's always on and as an assistant a guy working for him, you
don't maybe have to be at his level because I don't know if that's possible
as far as intensity energy, But it's never ending when it comes to work,
because that's how bad this guy wants to win, and doesn't mean he's
going to win, we'll see. I mean, I think he's got all
the tools to win here and the resources to really thrive. But you know,
Josh really knew the life that needs to be back in this program was
at a love I mean, the desperation for that was that was at a
point I never thought I would experience. And he's already done that and now
we'll see if the guy can go in again. Pat Kelsey is a winner.
I mean, he is a successful coach. The only question is kenn
he succeed at this level and that remains to be seen. Only time will
tell, but you know, for what it's worth, I mean, his
success as a head coach is just simply more impressive than Mark Pope's. Doesn't
mean Mark Pope won't be great. Doesn't mean Mark Pope won't be great and
Pat Kelsey be terrible vice versa. You really never know. But what really
has to surprise Kentucky fans and I think they're they're over it now, like
whatever, what are you gonna do? He's your coach, You're gonna support
him. That's just that's how this works. And that's why these fan bases,
as much as we don't want to say it, because there's awful in
every fan base to an extent, and your rival is gonna really highlight the
awfulness at every turn. That's just how it works. We care about this
stuff more than anybody. And you can be an unlikable guy, you can
be a dork, you can be a robot with no human emotions. Bobby
Petrino, if you're our guy, we're gonna ride with you. That's what
we're gonna do. We're gonna do it. We're gonna do it unless you're
Kenny Payne and you literally are that bad. But there are people that even
going into the Kenny Paine era when the signs were bad, they still held
out hope. And he got a second year and didn't do anything to really
convey that he was ready to bounce back and win big. And you know,
he just kitty failed in every aspect of the job, and he was
a level of awful that like anybody claiming that it's one thing to support him
and go to games. Plenty of people did that. People cheered for the
team because that's unnatural not to. But it got so toxic because you found
people who I think were just feeling as if as a as a fan,
they were supposed to just say, no, he's our guy. I don't
want to I don't want to fire him because he's our coach and I love
him that's that's a level of fan that I just that's not that's not how
I operate. But everybody's different. But then it turned into where like we
have infighting, we have toxicity because people who want to change because they don't
want us to be terrible anymore, are being called like bad fans And that's
just the product of where we were. But overall, if you care,
you show us you care, you work your ass off, and you have
success, we're gonna ride with you. And I think little things about I
mean, just give you an example. Sadderfield, likable guy, but he
didn't really win enough and he never seemed to really be a compatible fit as
far as you know, understanding the fan base, Like he would kind of
make fun and complain about playing games on a Friday without really caring or knowing.
I guess that that's how this program really put themselves on the map with
that opportunity. So there are exceptions, but overall, like if you if
you and race the fan base, you really put a lot of work in,
you make it quite clear how much you care, then fans on both
sides here are going to ride with you. And that helps. That matters,
And with KL it just became to the point where you know, he
didn't really seem to want to be there. I think he was very just.
I think he at the end hated his boss that he didn't even think
it was his boss. And I don't think he liked their fans. At
the end, I don't think he felt good about him. I think on
his way out he was classy and talked him up, which is what you
should do. But again, just to know that Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey
are the coaches here is something that I think is deep down a surprise when
you think about it. But I think by the time we get to I
don't know, mid May, Heck, maybe by the time we get back
to the show on Monday, both fan bases are going to be all in
with their basketball coach and we're not going to have a single clue if it's
going to be great, decent, terrible. But the anticipation, the fact
that it's new is exciting, and I think it's good for the rivalry.
It's good for this business. I can tell you that. All right,
quick break, we'll come back on the other side. Keep it rolling along.
It as a Friday. We are feel by Thornton's right here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. Love it. That's that's my maybe my favorite song in
the world, and it's it's good. It's gonna get you set for the
weekend, no doubt about that. But also you have to keep in mind
tomorrow. I think we're gonna get like our first at least that I can
think of and remember, our first beautiful Saturday. That's gonna feel like fall
or I'm sorry, feel like spring. So good vibes here on a Friday.
All right, let's go back to the phone ones. Fibo 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 Danny. Danny, you're
on Sports Talk seven ninety. How are you? Hey? Good? Nick?
I just want to say you and Kelsey combined have made it really hard
to hate Louisville. I grew up being a still amagant UK fan and you're
rational, insane, and that's kind of annoying because I want you to be
a you know, nut job, but you're not. I guess that's a
compliment. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, like I said, And I
grew up, like I said in Eastern Kentucky, and our thing was always
if if Kentucky couldn't win it, we wanted Louisville to win it. Like
I didn't grow up hating Louisville. It was like, well, at least
it's a Kentucky team. And that makes sense because there wasn't a lot of
Louisville fans around to really kind of engage in the rivalry, right exactly,
then I moved to Louisville. I never disliked louis untid move. You guys
hat I didn't even know. I didn't know that, you know, there
was this hatred. And then I do want to call out and the little
brother comment like, if you're gonna call it, at least have some comebacks.
But then I also want to say too that he calls it you okay,
And you know, we just don't do that. So I'm like,
he's a plant or that's a Louisville guy. So maybe he's got a little
more hate because he grew up in Louisville's whole life, but yeah, we
don't. That's that's how you can always tell. If you say, well
we say u K, you got to say you of l So we don't
say U L and you guys don't say it's one of those it's one of
those things that every it's one of those things that may seem weird, but
you don't if you know, you know right, I didn't have to be
explained. It's UK and uf L like that's just what. That's how both
sides refer to each other exactly. So when you say you a kay,
I'm like, well, I know you're a Louisville fan, or you didn't
actually go to the school, or you're maybe even a plant. But like
I said, as far as you know, speaking, if I can for
UK fan base, like I said, I wouldn't mind getting back to I
was. You know, I'd love it if I you got good again.
I hope both these guys roll and work top ten matchups every year and you
and rock or rock and it's fun again. Me too, Man, Me
too, Danny. I appreciate the phone call, appreciate the kind words as
well. That was a very I think, a genuine compliment. You know,
it went a certain direction to get there, but it was a compliment,
wasn't of John? Oh? Absolutely? Yeah. And it's it's it's
a balancing thing like I I believe that when Kentucky won nine games or eight
games maybe in twenty twenty one, Louisville fans loved it. I mean,
I remember starting my show in the mornings, because I was still on in
the mornings at the time. I remember starting my show telling louisvill fans,
do not take this for granted. This will never happen again. Do not
get stale with this. We now expect them to lose every game, but
make sure you enjoy it because they'll never be as bad. And I know
Kentucky fans, it became probably boring. They probably didn't watch Louisville games like
they used to because they knew they were going to lose. And when the
shock wears off a little bit, there's not as much excitement for it because
it's just the expectation and usually we're all pretty good. Honestly, let's be
real, like, obviously, Kentucky's had more success overall, and Louisville has
had I mean, even when Louisville, when Rick was here, Louisville was
really really good. They just weren't as good as Kentucky in a lot of
those years because Kentucky was at the top or maybe they were better, but
they just you know, couldn't beat him in the tournament whatever it maybe,
or couldn't beat them when they played them. So I think you know,
you'll you'll live with your rival sucking out loud and you being good because that's
where you're fat and happy, you're healthy, right, Like, that's that's
where things are going your way. But if you are also both really good,
not there's there's more contentiousness about, like who's like the lead up?
Right, both teams are good, both teams feel like they legitimately have a
chance to win, and when you do win in that situation, not only
are you beating your rival, you're beating a good team along the way.
So I think fans will probably take it either or right. I think I
think most would tell you I want to because here's the thing. When Kentucky
plays, I wanted to lose every game, Like that's just that's how this
rivalry works. But the best payoff is when both are good and they get
a chance to settle it and play each other. And I guess for the
year dictate bragging rights. And obviously Kentucky's had bragging rights for quite some time,
so you never really root for them to where you can can lead up
to that moment, but when you do end up there, it's I think
it's the best case scenario. And not that we care about this, because
I truly don't believe like we do not care what college bad. I mean,
we do to a point where we'll tell them they're idiots, but it's
not like something we get angry about when national analysts say we are the third
or fourth best rival Robalry, I should say, in fact, I have
a belief as to why it all depends on how you look at a rival
or robal Rie. I should say. What I mean by that is Duke
and Carolina. I totally understand why they are viewed as the biggest and best
rivalry in college basketball, because not only are both programs super accomplished as programs,
they've been stupidly competitive with one another. I haven't looked at the numbers
in a while, but I know, not even that long ago, they
played each other a ton of times, and not only is the win loss
record like almost identical, but the amount of like if you took every point
scored in every game they'd played at one point. I'm not kidding you,
and I'm gonna go look this up during the break because it not that it
matters to anybody, but like, it's crazy. At one point they were
like one point off, Like that's how competitive they've been. And they've all
been really good. They've always been relevant, So like, I get why
they are viewed as the cream of the crop. But I biased, of
course, believe that fans make a rivalry. Players come and go, there's
no personal animosity. Coaches come and go. We had a rare situation with
Rick and Cal that was clearly there was a history there. So that's a
level we'll never get back to you, I don't think, because that's just
you can't make you can't make that up. But fans make a rivalry.
We stay here forever. We are fans of these programs our whole life.
Players come and go, coaches come and go. And I think players can
genuinely feel the rivalry and have and I think they do. I think they
genuinely develop a hatred for the other side. But it's different. It's life
long for us, you know, it's just different. So I believe that
because fans are in fact what makes rivalries what they are. The City of
Louisville, I said a million times. No better time to say it than
today. In the city of Louisville. That is where you truly can get
a sense for what this is because there's so many of us within the same
place. You work with Kentucky fans. If you're a Louisville fan, you
have in laws, you got friends that you know, you love, but
you think there's something wrong with them because they're on the other side. I
mean, it's just it's it's different here, and I think I've explained it
pretty well. But anybody listening that like that knows knows it's just different.
And because of that, I think we're always going to be the best rivalry.
But it has become a little bit stale because Louisville hasn't really done their
part right. I mean, Louisvell's been bad. So if both teams are
good and it's rolling, who knows if Louisville will ever get back on the
winning side consistently. I think they'll certainly win games in this rivalry with Pat
Kelsey here, I believe that. Don't know if it's gonna happen, but
I believe it. But regardles me, obviously, we're gonna care in a
major way who wins on who wins those games. But I can tell you
this, if both teams are good and they're at a high level ranked in
the like maybe the top ten or something, that is going to elevate this
rivalry even more so nationally. Not that it needs to be done, and
honestly not that we care because we know what this is. We don't need
validation. But I just feel like there's gonna be some you know, they
want to call us little brother, that's fine, And obviously you know they
don't have a whole lot to use as ammunition when talking up their coach.
Let's be real. They don't like in Louisville, don't either, but they
have more, They have more to work with when it comes to that.
So the I guess the the uh, there's no picture just yet. But
when we ever see those two next of each other, Mark Pope and Pat
Kelsey, I see there's gonna be a big difference in height. Did you
know that he's six eleven, No, Pat, Mark Pope is six eleven.
Pat Kelsey, I'm gonna guess is five eight. I'm gonna guess five
eight and a six to eleven guy and a five eight guy next to each
other is gonna look weird and they're gonna say little brother, and they're already
doing it. But when little Brother, you know, he hits the weight
room, you know he's looking good and he beats you up once. I
don't know if that'll still be said. It probably will because Kentucky again,
they'll always call Louisville little brother forever. That's just something that they do,
and that's fine. I'm fine with it, like like I understand, like
I get why they say that, and it's whatever. But it is still
crazy to me that they hired a coach that is only on the radar.
Because again this is another another disclaimer. This is not me telling you that
they won't win and have success. But the only reason he's even mentioned by
anybody is because he played there and you knew he'd say yes, meaning Mitch
Barnhart. But Louisville again, I would never, like, I don't think
there's a whole lot to like brag about. When it comes to Pat Kelsey's
resume, it's impressive, but it didn't mean a whole lot for Louisville's level
because it's different. But he has won everywhere he's been. He's won damn
near seventy percent of his games. His winning percentage is sixty eight percent,
Mark Pope sixty three point four. Pat Kelcey his coach twelve years, Mark
Pope's coach ten So maybe maybe some would say, well, if Pope had
more years as a head coach, he'd have more success. Maybe you're right.
I don't know, but Kelsey's been to the tournament four times, would
have gone a fifth time because he won his league when they didn't have a
tournament, won the conference tournament too. By the way, regular season conference
titles Kelsey has six. Pope has zero conference tournament champs. Again five for
Kelsey, Pope with zero. And that's not to say, hey, we
got John Wooden, you guys have the next Kenny Payne. It's just wild
to know the le level of smack talk that was going on about Louisville's search
in Little Brothers search, and we're about to show you how the big boys
do it. We're gonna throw the bag at Dan Hurley, throw in the
bag. He can't say no, it's Kentucky Billy Donovan. Even if he
starts winning in the NBA in the playoffs for the freaking Chicago Bulls. He'll
come to Kentucky. It's Kentucky, Scott Drew. We don't even really know
if we want him, but we'll get him because he's you know, because
it's Kentucky. He didn't want you, which I think was more of a
him thing than you clearly, but that is the That is the first time
in a long time I can remember where there was real venomous smack talk about
about something from Kentucky fans towards Louisville that backfired like that, would you agree,
John, you're an outside it coming. I mean I didn't. I
didn't dig too deep in the receipts, but you know, there were things
just said that are crazy about the search when Louisville was going through it that
actually kind of agreed with what was I going to say. And then there's
some things that were like said at me. But anybody who like listens and
knows anything about my thoughts. I did not want Dusty made of the coach
here, and some people thought that meant I was a hater. I just
never felt like he was. He was a fit for what we for what
this is. He might have had great success, but like I was never
a big fan of Dusty May as the guy here, and that's why I
actually thought, in all honesty that him turning us down, despite it maybe
being a bad look to people, it was a blessing. And you know
it led to some saying, wow, the delusion they think coaches turning him
down left and right is a good thing. And then you know you got
Mark Pope. You got Mark Pope. Good question that comes in on the
text line, who has the well, let me see here, that's not
the one I thought it was. All right said it was from earlier and
I just totally forgot to read it. But he says which fan base is
most likely to turn against their coach Quicker, There's no doubt about it.
It's Kentucky. And it's not because I'm saying they're just insane people and we're
not. We all got some insanity on each side, but their standard was
not lowered and Louisville's I think they still strive to be great. But let's
just be honest. It's a human nature kind of thing. Like, we
know we sucked the last two years. So if Pat Kelsey comes in and
we finish you know, fifth in the ACC that's a win. We're probably
in the tournament and that's not what we strive to be and want to be.
But we're feeling like that feels better than it ever possibly could because of
what happened recently Kentucky, they're gonna not only probably struggle to their standard,
but their coach that left that Again, there's nothing you could do about it.
He was gonna leave any way. It needed to happen. But like,
he's probably gonna be better than you next year, and he's probably gonna
rub it in your face whenever he can, and that's gonna make you,
I think, resent Mark Pope. And he's just got to deal with that.
He'll have time at least some and if he wins, none of that
matters. All right, quick break will come back on you other very little
time. But if you're on hold, we'll get to you to wrap up
the show. So Eric, if you want to stick with us, we'll
get to you. When we say goodbye. It's because we have such little
time left. Let's just get right to it. Go to the phone lines.
Thank you, Eric for waiting patiently. How are you pretty good?
Nick? How are you too bad? Hey? Man, first time caller.
I listened to you periodically. I catch your shows just to keep up
on Cardinal news. And I'm excited about you guys getting Kelsey. I'm a
fan of uk I support Louisville. I want our city to do good.
We've been in a dumpster fire for a long time. But I have to
tell you, I feel like you're reaching for straws and you're trying to just
look for reasons to go after Kentucky. It's crazy. I mean, in
what way you know you thought we were going to get well, you thought
we were going to get Yukon's coach, and I mean you're just throwing it
at us like we should have it. I thought you were going to get
Yukon's coach. I never said that. I said then, I've said for
days, I never thought for a chance he would leave, and in you
know, if he did, I'd be super surprised. Well, I'll back
up on that. I think you were just I think you were just saying
he wouldn't come for eleven million bucks and just trying to drag that out.
Well, I wouldn't leave Yukon either, But yeah, and to be clear,
crazy, I wasn't crazy about Pope either, But at the other side
was like, you know, the coaching lineup out there is thin, I'm
sure and looks and look. Just to be clear, the guys who didn't
come to Kentucky didn't not come to Kentucky because of Kentucky, is because of
them being in really good situations. I mean, I just I mentioning what
I was saying earlier in somewhat of a I mean, I was honestly mocking
Kentucky fans who mocked Louisville Search and felt like that they would never end up
with somebody like Mark Pope. If that makes sense, that makes sense,
you know, it's I listened to your show. I listened to Matt Jones
show, and there's some ridiculousness, of course, yeah, fact, and
that makes it That was what makes it fun. Of course, it's all
fun. Man, it's all entertainment. It's all fun, and it is
crazy to think how crazy we get about it. Right, that's right.
Now, I'll just say this. You did say Pope hasn't won any any
NCAA tournament games. So I'm curious to see how you feel this time next
year. We'll see and hey, let's let the rivalry begin, Let's do
it. Thank you for the call, Eric, I appreciate it. We
are really low on time. Yeah, I mean Lowell's coach had won a
tournament game either. It's just I think Kentucky fans would never have believed that
they would hire a guy who's never won a tournament game. But again,
that's the new world we have here. I think you're gonna see bigger programs
take take bigger risks. I think as far as how it's gonna be viewed,
just because you're not gonna get guys to leave comfortable spots, regardless of
how good your job is, because a lot of people are content now,
more so than they ever used to be. I think, all right,
we're at a time everybody had good weekend. We will talk to you on Monday.