WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:06.639 Rarely do I get a chance to to reference a wager that I discussed previously 2 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:09.679 and tell you, hey told just so that's a winner. That's what happened 3 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:12.960 last night. I felt really good about Seaton Hall as underdogs, and I 4 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:17.280 felt like the love for the Indiana State Star, which I'm not even I 5 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.039 can't. I'm not good with names anymore. I forget. But this is 6 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:22.839 like a villa or something like that. And have a little bit of an 7 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:26.440 excuse with this one because nobody calls this guy by his actual, uh you 8 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:29.760 know, legal name, Big Dufis. They call him by all his nicknames, 9 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.520 which I'm not sure if that's one of them, but Cream, Abdul 10 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:37.399 Jabbar, Larry Blurd, He's got a lot of different nicknames that are pretty 11 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:41.840 pretty clever. And he's obviously not He didn't look like a player, but 12 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.719 he can ball. And I think Indiana State wanting to be there because they're 13 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:49.479 Indiana State, and it being a hinkle that there was just a belief that 14 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.560 that Indiana State was going to run away with it. But Seaton Hall played 15 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:56.640 really well throughout the n I t Their trio of guards were effective all throughout, 16 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:58.719 and they were last night as well. It was nice to see, 17 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:00.799 you know, against the n I T. But still drey Davis, He's 18 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.640 had a journey throughout his college career. A couple of years at Louisville and 19 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.280 then transfers to Seaton Hall, and I know in year one they were not 20 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.840 not great, but this year they should have made the tournament. To be 21 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.719 honest with you, yeah, I agree. So to see him have some 22 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:18.000 success last night on the national stage and be a big part of their win, 23 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:19.519 that was that was good to see. But yeah, Seaton Hall plus 24 00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:25.519 two and a half got a little nervous there when I I mean, at 25 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:27.359 one point in the first half, I was I was feeling as if, 26 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.599 hey, this can't lose. They're up like thirteen, and then sure enough. 27 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:34.400 You know, Indiana State's high powered offense with guys they stretch the floor, 28 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:38.560 they can shoot it. I mean, they're a good team. They're 29 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:41.280 fun to watch too. By the way, that Indiana State team so ended 30 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:44.120 up coming through and for the games tomorrow, which we're gonna talk a little 31 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:46.640 more about these matchups with Aaron Torres. He's going to join us coming up 32 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.000 here in about twenty minutes or so. He's in Phoenix for the Final four. 33 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:55.000 I really really attempted to do money line for n C State, not 34 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:57.959 because I'm just that confident that they're going to win, but I don't. 35 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.799 Again, I mean, INC State is not your typical eleven seed for a 36 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:04.200 variety of reasons. One, they're in the final four. They have more 37 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:07.719 losses on their resume than any team has ever had at this point in the 38 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:13.599 tournament. But they've got talent, and they are really good defensively, at 39 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:17.080 least they've played really good defensively since their run started, which goes back to 40 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:21.479 the ACC tournament to where I think, you know, they'll They're not gonna 41 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:23.960 shut down Zach Eediy because I'm not sure anybody can, but I think they'll 42 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:30.199 do enough to limit really everybody else since especially the guards for this Purdue team 43 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.479 that I think, you know, it'll be a tight game, and Purdue, 44 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:38.120 you know, they don't usually win that many close games. And I 45 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:43.120 don't know if this would be considered a choke because again, you're you're you're 46 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.439 in the final four for the first time ever under Matt Painter, and you've 47 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.120 already this is kind of a breakthrough for them, To be honest with you, 48 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:51.759 but you know, NC State's not your typical eleven seed, but Purdue 49 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.319 losing to an eleven seed would be very Purdue, even though again the wolf 50 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:59.439 Pack aren't your typical eleven. But right now it's NC State plus nine, 51 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:01.639 and I just think that I feel like that's a lot of points. Uh. 52 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:05.680 And the one thing that would keep me from from from making that money 53 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:10.800 line pick is that in c State there's still even though it's not flukey, 54 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:15.960 they're still just rotting some crazy magic and you got to think at one point 55 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.520 that may just completely run out. I think if Burns can get physical with 56 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.400 Eadie, that'll bother him without getting in foul trouble. And then I think 57 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:27.680 you're right, yeah, And I think, honestly, if you know, 58 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.479 Zach Edy's a guy that can defend without fouling pretty well because he's when he 59 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.120 can just wall up and he's not just this guy that you push through. 60 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:37.159 He's a big dude, you know, in every in every aspect, So 61 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:39.560 he can do that and then just use those gigantic arms and just make it 62 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:44.199 tough for anybody to score, so he can he can defend effectively without fouling. 63 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:46.560 But also, you know, Burns. I think it's gonna be really 64 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:50.840 interesting to see right out of the gate if they're matched up against each other 65 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:53.280 and Burns is just simply you know, using his size, his frame to 66 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.080 move him around. You got to wonder, you know, could he get 67 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.759 Eadie in some foul trouble because a lot of guys, you know, they 68 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:05.159 end up going straight up against Edie and they never move him because you know, 69 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:10.599 he's a humongous human being. Will they have a backup, big body 70 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:14.319 that they could throw fouls at him for incy State? Yes, Yeah, 71 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:17.040 So he's not really a backup and he doesn't have the same frame by any 72 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:21.079 means for as as Burns, which I'm not sure anybody does. But this 73 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:25.079 guy, Dara, he to me, is like the X factor in this 74 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:29.519 game for NC State because he's really turned it on in the tournament. Specifically, 75 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:34.160 long athletic big they can he can rim run you throw it up near 76 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:38.959 the rim. He's pretty effective at just dunking it. But also he can 77 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:42.160 stretch the floor knock down some threes. So we're you know, he's been 78 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.480 good for them and certainly been a big part of their run. But I 79 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:47.040 kind of feel like if he's if he's able to give them some matchup problems. 80 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.439 And honestly, you know what you could do is if when you send 81 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:54.160 the double team to Edie, one of the things that he's really good at. 82 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.360 In fact, both these guys and I love this, by the way, 83 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:00.000 because I think the big man position seems to just be fading away right. 84 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.519 Everybody wants to be a guard on the perimeter shoot threes. But these 85 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:06.800 are two guys and Edian Burns that are you know, absolutely old school low 86 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:11.319 post presence where you just you feed the post and you kind of let him 87 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:14.319 go to work. You can run things through them, and Edie and Burns 88 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:18.560 are really good at feeling the double team coming and making some really good passes, 89 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:21.480 especially Burns. But I feel like, if you if you want to, 90 00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:25.879 if you want to wall up with big Burns and just try to use 91 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:29.240 that big you know, because he's he doesn't look as tall because he's round, 92 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:31.079 but I mean he's six y ten six non six ten. But if 93 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:34.399 you could do that and maybe not send the double team to trap Eadie because 94 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:38.480 he'll see over you and he'll pick you apart with his passing, but maybe 95 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:41.519 be like a weak side shot blocker with Diarra. Again, he's got the 96 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.240 link to do it. That's kind of where he thrives. Defensively, their 97 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:46.879 passing goes kind of remind me of David Paget. I used to call him 98 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.480 a point center when they ran the offense through the center position. Yeah, 99 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:53.560 I mean that was so fun to watch, and he was such a mean 100 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:57.079 that's quite literally what his role was. And I think it was this either 101 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:59.879 his second to last year or his last year to where yeah, they would 102 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.279 they didn't really have a guy that was dynamic at creating. In fact, 103 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:04.240 they just had a bunch of combo guards I feel like. But yeah, 104 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:06.800 they could throw it right to him at the high post and you know, 105 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:10.920 he'd face up and either you know, go to work or you know, 106 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.319 get somebody cut cutting back door, or they love the dribble handoff with the 107 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.240 big guy right, he'd catch it at the high post and somebody'd kind of 108 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:23.480 run around and yeah, that basketball is still played. You couldn't get goosebumps 109 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:28.319 again thinking about good basketball exactly exactly, talking little Tom Pat talking some hoops. 110 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:30.120 Pat. Let's let's you know, let's get these juices flowing. Even 111 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:32.959 more so because It's one thing to just you know, remember what it was 112 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:36.160 like. But man, once we I mean, this sounds crazy, and 113 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:41.439 maybe I am getting a little bit ahead of myself, but the bar is 114 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:46.720 so low on the basketball floor to get us excited because of how bad it's 115 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:48.959 been lately. Like, you know, we may bring in some Division two 116 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:53.319 team for an exhibition, beat them by forty like you're supposed to, and 117 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:57.120 you may see people for just a moment acting as if we just won the 118 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:02.120 national championship. It'll feel like it, yes, And you know, it's 119 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:04.879 just crazy to think that those two you know, those type opponents, those 120 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:09.759 type of opponents the Division two exhibition games. Kenny Payne lost more of those 121 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:13.399 games than he did then he won away from the UMP Center. I wonder 122 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:15.959 if any Kentucky fans bought T shirts of those teams, because I saw a 123 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.800 story where ten thousand dollars of Oakland T shirts were sold in Louisville. Yeah, 124 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:25.160 and then another there was another donation. And this is this is not 125 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:29.120 only like next level, Petty, it also makes me think that you are 126 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:30.560 like next level obsessed with the rival which, hey, I'm here for it. 127 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:33.720 That's what makes this rivalry crazy. And I always tell everybody who's not 128 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:38.439 familiar with the rivalry in the city of Louisville is where you're going to really 129 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.319 get a sense for how crazy it is, because there's so many on both 130 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:46.839 sides that coexist together. But there was somebody that every year they claim they 131 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:51.519 send a check a donation to the athletic department who knocks Kentucky out of the 132 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:56.279 tournament. And Oakland shared the story of how they got they got a check 133 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.199 and it was, you know, from you know, an anonymous person. 134 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.399 I'm sure the names more than one. Yeah, and it's it just you 135 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:05.560 know, like that's that is. I mean, I wouldn't have it any 136 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:07.000 other way. But I as much as I love to see Kentucky lose, 137 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.480 and I'll make the jokes, trust me. They owned the rivalry right, 138 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:13.480 They've beaten up on Louisville for many years since Cali Perry got there. I'm 139 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:16.240 gonna get my jokes off somehow so we can talk Robert Morris, Saint Peter's 140 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:22.160 Oakland Now, I mean it's it's yeah, Gardner Webb, that's that's way 141 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:26.519 back in the day. But the sending my own money to a school that 142 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:28.120 beats Kentucky. I don't have enough money to be doing that. No, 143 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:31.360 but but if but if you do, you know, God bless you, 144 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:35.840 because that's that's a story that really does just make I mean that the story 145 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:41.000 of Louisville fans crashing the Oakland student or the Oakland school website buying T shirts 146 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:46.120 the night of the game. I mean, that's something that the coach mentioned 147 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.519 and before they played their next game. And I've already forgot the name of 148 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.120 the coach that beat Cali Perry, but he mentioned that happening, and it 149 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.519 became kind of a viral story, and I just love that there were those 150 00:08:56.600 --> 00:09:00.720 that cover college basketball at the national level, you knowind of just mentioning, 151 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:03.480 Wow, and you thought this rivalry over here was crazy look at this, 152 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:05.840 But like I think people around here were like, yeah, that makes sense. 153 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.440 It's kind of what we do. We do that kind of stuff, 154 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:11.240 and we got a long way to go before we can, you know, 155 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:16.360 feel like we're right there with Kentucky and going to have a good run to 156 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.679 where we can feel like each year we got a chance to go beat him. 157 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:20.440 And look, I guess you have a chance, but I just that's 158 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:26.120 one thing that during the Patino era, they had good teams, they were 159 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:31.080 good, really talented, but man, he just could never really. I 160 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:35.000 mean, I think there was a part of the rivalry during the Patino era 161 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.480 that he was never comfortable in that game because I truly believe that deep down 162 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.840 he never for a second thought that he would ever be booed or disliked by 163 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.039 Kentucky because of what he did there and that day he walked out on his 164 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:50.639 first year at Louisville at RUP and it was overwhelmingly boozed. I think it 165 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:54.840 wounded him. Yeah, it did, and I I mean for fifteen seconds, 166 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.360 there you go. It's another patented Tod Dave Jennings one line which I'm 167 00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:03.559 sure every knows that that reference there. Okay, we don't know the roster 168 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.679 yet, but what are realistic expectations for this Louisville team assuming you can put 169 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:16.360 together a pretty competent roster. So five hundred So I honestly, if we 170 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.240 were going to hold Kenny Paine to a standard of like, hey, you 171 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:22.120 know, you should be flirting with the tournament because you're Louisville and you have 172 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.159 the ability to go get players that would want to come and play for Louisville 173 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:28.720 and there's sixty eight teams that make it. I know, to some it 174 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:33.000 sounds like I'm already setting this guy up to fail and putting the bar too 175 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:37.759 high. But with the ability to go put a brand new team together and 176 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:39.679 not have to really develop players because you're going to go get some juniors and 177 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:43.360 maybe seniors that have played, I think, you know, in my opinion, 178 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.080 and it could change once you see what the roster is and whatnot. 179 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:48.399 But I don't feel like we're out of line to say, hey, you 180 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:52.480 should be competing for a spot on the tournament next year. I mean, 181 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:56.200 I think that's doable given the fact that when the ACC despite some tournament success, 182 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:58.759 let's be honest, it's not the league that it once was. I 183 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:03.519 mean, there's there's there's a good there's enough evidence of that to to you 184 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:05.720 know, to make it look as if, you know, beating Boston College 185 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:09.000 Virginia Tech. I mean, heck, you beat Miami this year, who 186 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:11.639 went to the final four the year before. So I kind of feel like 187 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.759 that would be a reasonable expectation to have out there. And again, we 188 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:20.120 asked Kenny Paine to do that, and you know, he never came close, 189 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.960 never even sniffed it. Well, he told us it was going to 190 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:26.039 take a long time, you see. So I sometimes, Dave, just 191 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.639 think back to the era that just ended, you know, a couple of 192 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.720 weeks ago, and I still am stunned about not only how bad it went, 193 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:41.080 but how Kenny Payne truly did not feel in any way responsible for winning 194 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:45.799 twelve games in two years. It's a level of delusion, and you know, 195 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.039 just kind of being in your own world that I didn't know existed. 196 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:54.639 And I oftentimes try to reference Seinfeld episodes to make comparisons. But you know, 197 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:56.960 George Costanzo one of his more notable quotes, it's not a lie if 198 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:00.919 you believe it. That's Kenny Payne. Belie. Believe that this was all 199 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.919 everybody else's fault and that there was no scenario anybody could have done any better 200 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.440 than him, given you know, the mess, what he inherited and all 201 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:11.480 that kind of stuff. So I the mess can be fixed. As we 202 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:15.360 just said in one recruiting cycle, I mean Pat Kelsey, he put a 203 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:18.519 top five team together, top five class. Pat Kelsey has has shown more, 204 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:22.799 has given this fan base more life than Kinny ever did. And look 205 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:26.279 I know they're completely different people in regards to personality. You don't want somebody 206 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.159 to be fake because I think we have we at times have seen a coach 207 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.240 try to do the raw raw and it's not legit, and you know it's 208 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.600 it's easy to sniff out like Scott Saderfield, right like he was such a 209 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:41.440 you know, could you get any Taylor anymore vanilla? Yeah, that's probably 210 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.559 the better way. It's it just super vanilla. Never too high, too 211 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:46.440 low. And if you win really big, you know whatever, nobody cares. 212 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.960 But whenever things aren't going well and you're worried about you know, improvements 213 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.039 needing to be made in real time, you're worried about the future, you 214 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.480 know, longevity of it. You know, you got to be able to 215 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:58.279 convey. You know, you've got to hate losing. Yes, absolutely, 216 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:01.879 Sadderville the close game to Clemson, Yeah, that one got away was smiling 217 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:05.559 and you know, hugging him in the in the handshake line and all that. 218 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:09.480 I mean it, and that is that sounds so obvious that you need 219 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:13.600 you think you would think anybody in this position that is coaching at a at 220 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:18.000 a place like Louisville would have you know, they they'd be such fierce competitors 221 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.720 because they wouldn't be in the position they're in without that being a part of 222 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:24.559 their DNA. But Kenny never you could never tell. I mean, I 223 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.480 think you you pretty pretty safe. Guess if you heard him after a game, 224 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.360 he was talking about a loss, because that's all he did, was 225 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:33.279 lose. But I mean, he never once even acknowledged in any way that 226 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:37.200 winning was part of the job. I mean, he he went to the 227 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.480 press conference after they lost to Clemson this year and just did a passionate the 228 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:46.039 most the most energy I've ever heard from Kenny Payne, and you'd have thought 229 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:48.799 they won and they lost, and he, you know, quite literally word 230 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:52.600 for word, said, you know, do I wish we could have shot 231 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.519 it better from three? Turned it over less? Yeah, but I can't 232 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:00.639 worry about that because they fought their balls off that Literally he said, word 233 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.279 for word. I'm just like what you realize that literally you were paid millions 234 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:09.000 of dollars annually to win basketball games. And you know, he's not a 235 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:11.519 fault. We didn't hire a philosopher, we didn't hire a guy. You 236 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.360 know, just continue to tell us build culture building. It's broken. I 237 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.799 need you to I mean, like it was, how did he not absorb 238 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.759 more basketball knowledge the ability to coach the game after being an assistant for so 239 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.279 long. That's a great question. And I know that there are people who've 240 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.120 been around him before he was a head coach that do you know, do 241 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.399 believe he has good knowledge of the game. But to me, he's the 242 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.000 well being an assistant and running a program or two different plagues, and not 243 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:41.480 everybody's cut out to do that. And he may be a great assistant coach. 244 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:46.799 Again, there's a former assistant that worked with him at Kentucky that I 245 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:50.320 remember talking to right around the time that that Kenny was hired, and you 246 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:52.120 know, he didn't say anything but great things about Kenny, regarding him as 247 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:58.720 a person, but did say that his specific role at Kentucky for Caliperi was 248 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:03.120 was not like a normalist, distant coach a thing, and it had it 249 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:05.440 had no there were no layers to what he was doing that had anything close 250 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.879 to being like an actual head coach. And these are things that you know, 251 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:11.080 I think are probably common sense to a lot of people. But when 252 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:15.159 I was trying to just figure out how we got here, how could it 253 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:16.519 be this bad? It's that at the end of the day, a coach 254 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.360 is a leader, Like that's that's what a coach is a leader, and 255 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.840 everybody leads in their own way. You can do it, there's different ways 256 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:24.720 to do it. But Kenny Payne was not a leader. I think he 257 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:30.200 was a I mean these That's what made it even odd. Is that more 258 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:31.240 crazy than you'd think, is that as bad as the team was, I 259 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:35.679 think they liked Kenny. You know, they didn't play it like him personally, 260 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:37.720 yeah, but like he did. It was it was more of a 261 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.399 buddy relationship with these players, and that just clearly did not work. And 262 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:45.240 that led to there being such a casualness to everything and just no intensity, 263 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:48.720 I mean, just not locked in at any point. It was very very 264 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.840 nonchalant. And I think it's because they never were really held accountable and occasionally 265 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:54.679 I think he would probably yell at him and you know, try to really 266 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.240 rip them, but they didn't see that as being genuine because that's just not 267 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:02.159 how he typical. You can't be a fake and phony, right, I 268 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.360 mean, people will sniff that out, like David Pagett. You know, 269 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.679 I don't know if it would have changed anything, but if he tried to 270 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:10.639 be Rick Battino to these players. The day that Rick Patino left, they 271 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:12.639 would know that's not at all legitimate because he'd been there for years and that 272 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:17.279 clearly was not who he was. So again, I'm sure it's pretty obvious 273 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.559 to people that, hey, when you're a coach, you're you're a leader. 274 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:22.879 But Kenny, to me, maybe he has a good basketball mind. 275 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:25.879 Clearly he can recruit, He's been able to do that everywhere he's been, 276 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:30.320 and he even did decent and recruiting here at Louisville. But leading and really 277 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:34.799 just you know, I've asked this question, outside of Tony Dungee, who 278 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:41.120 are the winning coaches that aren't type A crazy personalities. It's a great question. 279 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:44.080 Nice guy winners, It's a great question. I think there are some 280 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:45.600 that you know, have this nice demeanor, but I don't like. For 281 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:48.440 example, I think Phil Jackson has never been too high too low, but 282 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.919 I think, you know, his ego has made it to where a lot 283 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.720 of people probably don't see him as somebody that is you know, I'd like 284 00:16:53.799 --> 00:17:00.000 to see him, Tonye coach the Pacers. Let's not have ten all stars 285 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:03.120 on each team of yours. That's A good question, Dave. I. 286 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.319 I so Kenny is more in the Tony Dungee line. Yeah, just without 287 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.240 the wins. I think that's I think that's that's well said, because again, 288 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:11.240 Tony Dungee's one of those guys that you know, he does have the 289 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:14.920 wins, which makes him different than Kenny. But Tony Dungee's the guy that 290 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.400 I've never heard anybody say anything other than great things about and that, and 291 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:21.039 that's that's what everybody was saying with Kenny got the joy great. Everybody loves 292 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:25.759 him, and then you know there's other Likability and being nice and kind are 293 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.559 great qualities to have as a human being, but as a basketball coach, 294 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:30.480 you need a little more than that. And I'm going to miss those. 295 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:33.279 I feel bad for the kids, for those you know, Kenny camps, 296 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:37.079 Oh God, that they're not going to have anymore. All right, quick 297 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.519 break, We'll come back and check in with our man, Aaron Torres the 298 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:42.319 Fox Sports Radio who's live in Phoenix for the Final four. He's there. 299 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.480 You're in Phoenix, right, Aaron, I assumed you were there. I'm 300 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.640 correct, right, I'm literally at the stadium. My my alma mater is 301 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:56.720 having an open practice right now, and I blew him off to some coffee 302 00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:00.240 and company. I about Taurus. I love it coming through cow out through 303 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.119 ors. I won't keep you too long. Let just ask you this, 304 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.079 how is Phoenix as a host city here when it comes to the final for 305 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:10.440 I know you've been in many final fours. You want the honest answer, 306 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:15.480 not ideal. It's a beautiful area. I've been outside since about eight am 307 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:18.160 this morning. It was well chilly. There wasn't a frost morning like in 308 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:22.279 Louisville, but I was probably in the low sixties this morning. Everything is 309 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:26.319 very spread out though, so the stadium, which is in Glendale, is 310 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:33.480 without traffic thirty five minutes with traffic coming back yesterday about fifty minutes to downtown 311 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.200 Scottsdale, which where a lot of the events are. The convention center is 312 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:41.359 in Phoenix, which is about twenty five minutes from Scottsdale. So beautiful area, 313 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:44.039 you know, obviously, I think a lot of people are enjoying, 314 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:45.960 you know, if you're from Connecticut, if you're from Indiana, if you're 315 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:49.599 a new fan, whatever, enjoying the nice weather. But it is a 316 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:53.079 little bit of a little bit of a hassle to get everywhere, but don't 317 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:56.039 want to make it make myself sound ungrateful, still privileged to do what we 318 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:59.759 do. But yeah, I if I was putting it on a scale of 319 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:03.400 one to ten, compared to a New Orleans or Indianapolis, I would say 320 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:07.279 it's definitely. It's in Antonio too, I would say it's definitely behind those 321 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:11.079 three for sure. Well, the team that again you cover when you cover 322 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.000 college basketball overall, but you mentioned you're an alum, You're a yon hu 323 00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:18.119 You're Yukon Huskies are the best team in the country. I don't think it's 324 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:21.319 quite close. Everybody's expecting them to be the ones that cut down the nets 325 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:23.519 on Monday. What do you think has led to them being just so? 326 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:27.640 I mean, I guess what would you say has led to Dan Hurley becoming 327 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:30.960 a guy that not only has a national championship trophy on his resume, could 328 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.119 be getting his second one, but the belief, and I'm one that believes 329 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:37.119 it as well. He could be the next all time great coach in the 330 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:41.160 sport of college basketball. As somebody who follows Yukon closer than most. What 331 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.319 do you think stands out about him that has given him such a quick rise 332 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:49.839 here to the top of college. Oops. I just think the word complete. 333 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.720 I think he's a complete coach. And when I say that, what 334 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:56.079 I mean is and by the way, and I think there's something too. 335 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:59.160 And hopefully, you know, maybe Louisville fans are fortunate enough to see this 336 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.039 with Pat Kelsey is you know, got to make some mistakes at the high 337 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:03.400 school level, got to make some mistakes at Wagner, got to make some 338 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:07.119 mistakes at Rhode Island. But I think two things stand out. I think 339 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:08.440 I know I just said complete. I'll get back to that at a minute, 340 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:11.920 But I think the first thing is as weird as it sounds, self 341 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.599 aware. He's talked a lot in the last two or three weeks about two 342 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.400 seasons ago, the twenty twenty two NCAA Tournament, they lose in round one 343 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.240 to New Mexico State, and they were kind of a grinded out you know, 344 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:27.799 you know, old school biggies when every game sixty three or sixty one 345 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.759 type team. And he admitted he said, I had to look myself in 346 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:34.119 the mirror and say that we can't do this anymore. And so they've been 347 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:38.920 able to bring that defensive intensity, keep that and obviously do do to some 348 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.160 coaching staff changes. Luke Murray, who I know Rus fans are familiar with, 349 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:47.319 came in and kind of runs the offense, and it's just obviously a 350 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.920 much more fluid offense. And there's been an emphasis, you know, on 351 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:53.759 recruiting offensive skill really quickly. Couldn't nick. The other thing that stands out 352 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:56.759 to me is, as I said, the word complete, this isn't a 353 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.079 guy that you know, and this is not a knock on caliperrer Shire. 354 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:04.119 He doesn't just recruit five stars. I mean Alice Caravan was a fringe stop 355 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:08.759 one hundred recruit. He's going to play in the NBA. Donovan Klingen was 356 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:15.200 a fringe top fifty recruit in some circle in some evaluating services. He's obviously 357 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.960 we know what he has become. So I think to me, you know, 358 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:22.079 step Castle was a McDonald's All American, but he was about a top 359 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:25.039 thirty, top thirty five prospect when he committed as a junior. So I 360 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:29.880 just bring all that up to just say, this is a guy that canutily 361 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.319 coach, is not only aware, can only recruit. I think evaluation and 362 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:37.359 development are maybe his two biggest strengths, which is why you see the success 363 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:40.960 that they've had the last two years. Man, the timing of that comment 364 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:44.559 is perfect because we were just talking earlier in the show, when you were 365 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.839 at the level of Charleston and Winthrop like Pat Kelsey was, or Wagner a 366 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:52.240 Rhode Island like Dan Hurley. I mean, you're recruiting a humongous pool of 367 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.640 players, right. There's a lot more unranked two stars, three stars than 368 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:00.000 there are fours and five. So what it actually comes down to is can 369 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:03.519 you evaluate which ones are better fits for you, that fit what you want 370 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:07.559 to do. And when we think of who's a great recruiter, I think 371 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:08.880 ninety nine percent of the time, a lot of people just assume, Okay, 372 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.640 how many burger boys did they get? Where are they ranked in the 373 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.960 rankings? But I think the actual real talent in recruiting is knowing what you're 374 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.200 getting, right, knowing it's a guy that's going to fit what you want 375 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:22.400 to do, you can see the development, and that's it's very, very 376 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:25.599 underrated. And that's why again Yukon they've got good players. Nobody would tell 377 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:27.359 you otherwise, But I knew from the jump this year when I started watching 378 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:33.079 them play in the November December games and the non conference portion of the schedule. 379 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:36.000 You know, they're not guys who you know, we're in that McDonald's 380 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:37.519 game and that had you know, offers from just about every school. But 381 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:41.599 still it all works in this Yukon team. Man, I think they're they're 382 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.240 They're as good as any team I've seen in a long long time. And 383 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:48.359 I guess that next question is when it comes to this matchup against Alabama, 384 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:52.799 I mean, what what would be the recipe for Natos if they could pull 385 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:55.400 off what would be a huge upset? I mean, Alabama's got a high, 386 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.640 high powered offense and Natots is a really good coach himself, but you 387 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:00.039 know what would you what would you expect him to try to throw at the 388 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:06.480 Shukon team to take down the juggernaut. I think it's exactly what we all 389 00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:08.000 think it is. And I've said this all week. People are you know 390 00:23:08.039 --> 00:23:11.000 saying Yukon's unbeatable? Listen, there's no team in the history of college basketball 391 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:15.000 that's unbeatable. And you know, I hate to say it, but you 392 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.599 know, twenty fifteen Kentucky's maybe the best example. So I bring it up 393 00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:22.039 because nobody's unbeatable, but nobody is especially unbeatable when the other team can hit 394 00:23:22.119 --> 00:23:26.680 sixteen threes in one game, which is exactly what they did against clubs in 395 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.200 the other day. And so for u Kanya, we were just in the 396 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.720 media with them, probably about a half an hour ago, and we talked 397 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:34.559 to them and I asked, because I asked one of the players that said, 398 00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:38.279 look, man, you know, everybody knows they want to shoot threes, 399 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.640 but what makes them so successful? And you know, he kind of 400 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.240 took me into a little bit the interesting keys of the offense that that Alabama 401 00:23:45.319 --> 00:23:48.200 runs, but it's also just shooting in transition, shooting before the defense can 402 00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:52.359 get set. So yeah, I think, you know, the question becomes, 403 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:56.559 you know, uh, you know, if I think if Alabama hits 404 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:57.960 nine threes in the first half, you know, like it's a game. 405 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.839 I think if they go for nineteen in the first half, it might be 406 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:07.319 a blowout. But I think that capability allows them to absolutely have a chance 407 00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:08.759 in this game. I do think you've got obviously the more complete team, 408 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:12.160 But when you can hit sixteen threes in a game, which they literally just 409 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:15.720 did the last time they took the court, you can beat anybody, all 410 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:18.759 right. So on the other side, you've got Purdue n C State. 411 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.920 Two big fellaws that have gotten a lot of attention throughout this tournament run big 412 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:26.839 fellas in different ways. Obviously, Zachi he's just a humongous giant. And 413 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:30.079 DJ Burns, I mean, he's a big fellaw. He's round, but 414 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:33.480 he's a baller. This matchup really intrigues me, just not because of those 415 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:37.240 two guys specifically. And I'm not somebody that thinks purduees like a fraud or 416 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:40.440 anything like that, but I think they've just appeared to be more beatable than 417 00:24:40.920 --> 00:24:42.480 a lot of teams with their record. Now, with that said, wouldn't 418 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:45.480 be shocked if they win controllably or comfortably, I should say, against NC 419 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:48.200 State, But I'm of the opinion that NCY State, you know, can 420 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:51.440 win this game. You know, I'm tempted to do a money line wager, 421 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:52.920 and it's not because you know, I'm a big fan of Ive got 422 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.960 Keats, but I just think this NC State team, they're good defensively, 423 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.920 their guard play is good. You know, if Dara can really stretch the 424 00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:03.279 floor and kind of be just that hybrid big that can knock down a three 425 00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:07.759 every now and then, you know, maybe maybe rattle Eady a little bit 426 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:10.880 with his length. Obviously, Eatie's bigger than everybody else. But what do 427 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:12.359 you make of this matchup again? Purdue? Give them credit, they did 428 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:15.960 a great job throughout the season and knock down a really good Tennessee team. 429 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:18.880 But the SINC State team, I'm no longer thinking it's magic. I think 430 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:22.680 that they've They're playing good basketball, and I think they could win this one. 431 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:26.240 Yeah, it's interesting. He's actually said yes. Yesterday at the media 432 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:30.200 bability, He's like, look, we started five to one in ACC play, 433 00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:36.480 and I think they they don't feel like they are some Cinderella and nor 434 00:25:36.519 --> 00:25:40.279 should I mean, that's a huge part of it, right Yeah, no, 435 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:41.480 And I mean Nick, and I was thinking about this yesterday. Is 436 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:45.599 listen. I know the ACC is a little bit down right now, but 437 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:48.039 when you look at the teams that they've beaten, beat Duke twice, beat 438 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:52.559 UNC on a neutral, beat Marquette on a neutral, like these are real 439 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:56.160 teams like Virginia. We can make fun, but Virginia is a competent basketball 440 00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:59.200 team and NC State beat them, And so, like I said, is 441 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:03.400 they're a confident group, not ergant group and not and competent, not like 442 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.559 you know, confident of like, wow, you know, we proved everything 443 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:10.480 wrong. It's just like, no, we we think we're a pretty good 444 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:12.559 basketball team. And it was funny. I was talking to the guys this 445 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:15.759 morning and it's like, even you go back to that Duke game. I 446 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:18.200 mean, they're down by what six at halftime, and they just weren't rattled. 447 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:21.039 And actually, as a matter of fact, Keith even said it in 448 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.160 the Prescotts this year. He said, there has never been a game during 449 00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:27.200 this run that I felt like we weren't going to win in the second half, 450 00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:32.880 and so they're very confident. I do think Edie is a different beast 451 00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:36.519 all together, No pun intended. And I'm with you. I know I've 452 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:38.200 got a little bit of a negative rap on him. I actually think he's 453 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:42.519 an incredibly talented player, and I you know, I it's just it's kind 454 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:45.680 of what we just said about Yukon, right, or about Alabama. Everybody 455 00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:51.000 thinks there's a solution to, you know, stopping Alabama from hitting fifteen threes, 456 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:52.400 but they do in every game. And it's the same with Zach Heaty. 457 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:56.079 Everybody thinks there's a solution, but he's seven for four, three hundred 458 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:59.119 pounds, agile mobile, can go over bull shoulders, all that good stuff. 459 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:02.119 So I think it's going to be tough. I think, you know, 460 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:07.319 what we've seen really the last two games strikes me is that Gonzaga and 461 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:11.599 Tennessee against Crewe were both teams that weren't pretty good position with about seven eight 462 00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:15.279 minutes left and they just you just get more down trying to deal with him 463 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:19.519 for forty forty five minutes. And so that's my only concern is just can 464 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:23.039 you maintain it for forty minutes because obviously in this tournament, no one's been 465 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:26.240 able to Aaron Torres is our guest joining us here on Sports Talk seven nine. 466 00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:29.759 You guys here Aaron right here on Sports Talk seven ninety because he's a 467 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:33.359 part of the Fox Sports radio lineup. Also, Aeron Torres media does a 468 00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:36.839 great job of covering a lot of things, especially college basketball. So what 469 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:38.640 do you make of the Kentucky situation? I know you'd have a whole lot 470 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:41.759 of time here, so I just want to get your thoughts on the decision 471 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:45.759 to continue to, you know, run it back with Caliperry. He did 472 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:49.359 talk about maybe going a little bit different route with going older. They're lost 473 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:52.519 to Oakland. It was I can tell you around here, and I'm sure 474 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:55.200 you sinceed it as well. It was the loudest the noise has ever been 475 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:57.680 in regards to John cali Perry's future. But yet he's gonna be here, 476 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:00.920 and you know, their fans, in my opinion, have never been lower 477 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:06.240 than they are right now. No, there's no doubt. And it almost 478 00:28:06.359 --> 00:28:10.400 feels like, you know, like, and I'm not trying to be sarcastic 479 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:12.279 when I say this, it's like, you know, how like sometimes you 480 00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:15.759 know parents, Oh they're going to get divorced, but you wait till the 481 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.400 kids get out of the house or whatever. It feels like Kentucky fans are 482 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:22.279 just like, we just got to get through next year and ain't going to 483 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:23.960 be back. That's the vibe that I get. And you can absolutely tell 484 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:27.119 me if that's not the vibe that you get locally. But what I you 485 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:32.240 know, Nick, I as devastating as it really was, I never really 486 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.400 thought that he was not going to be the head coach next year. And 487 00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:38.400 I think really the reality of it is that I just don't think Mitch Bumkard 488 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:42.079 was ready to make boat calls to be able to write a check for thirty 489 00:28:42.119 --> 00:28:45.000 three million dollars. You know, I don't think he looked up that Thursday 490 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:48.920 thinking, oh man, I might have to hit up X y Z to 491 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:52.400 get some money to buy this guy out. And so listen, I think 492 00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:56.079 to Jimbo Fisher parallels, I know it's an easy comp but I think it's 493 00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:00.240 a fair cop is. You know, you saw laptop he's been, you 494 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:03.880 could sell. Things were going sideways. They kind of give him this see 495 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:06.720 Joe Fisher. Now, they give him a year. They let him hire 496 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:10.720 Bobby Petrino as his offensive coordinator, but the second it went sideways, they 497 00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:14.200 were kind of in position and ready to make the move. I'm not saying 498 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:15.480 Kal gets fired van season. I'm not going to even say he gets fired 499 00:29:15.559 --> 00:29:19.680 next offseason. But I just think it was such a shocking loss, even 500 00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:22.839 though maybe it should have been that. I just don't think Mitch Barnhard was 501 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:26.480 mentally prepared to make the decision that he had to make. And so I 502 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.640 think they're all giving it one more year, and I think obviously, look, 503 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:32.960 everybody's hoping it works out better. I don't think anybody has real optimism 504 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:36.920 that it will. But yeah, I think I just don't think they. 505 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:40.160 I don't think anybody went into that Oakland game thinking, holy crap, we 506 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:42.319 might have to write a check for thirty three million after this game. All 507 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:45.839 right, last one, what do you think of Pat Kelsey? Obviously not 508 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.759 the first, second, or even third choice for the most part as far 509 00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:52.160 as how the search went down, but he has the fan base engaged here, 510 00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:55.880 Nile money is being raised, and seems like he's a pretty popular guy 511 00:29:55.880 --> 00:30:00.599 in college basketball. Yeah, I you know, listen, I don't know 512 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:03.119 if it's gonna work or it's not gonna work. We never know, but 513 00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.799 I love the enthusiasm. And I'll say this, it's like, you know, 514 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.880 you don't always want to knock the guy on the way out that clearly 515 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:14.240 wasn't the right fit in Kenny Payne. But it got to a point even 516 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:17.279 last offseason where it kind of felt like he was just in hiding, like 517 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:21.359 just wasn't available, you know, and just you know, and obviously you 518 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:22.599 guys had to deal with them in the media and some of the stuff he 519 00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:26.599 said was whatever. It's like, it's just cool to see a guy like 520 00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:30.160 Pat Kelsey. You see him open that office door for the first time and 521 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:33.440 says, this is all mine. And you know, I think a lot 522 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:37.839 of the things that make the Louisville job the Louisville jobs, the fan base, 523 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:44.720 the excitement, whatever. I think the good stuff about the Louisville job 524 00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:48.799 was the stuff that I don't think Kenny Payne either embraced or could handle. 525 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:52.640 And I feel like it's the exact opposite to engage fan base. It's a 526 00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:55.319 fan base that wants you out there, wants you in public, and it 527 00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:57.039 does feel like, at least right now the game hasn't been played yet, 528 00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:02.680 but that Pat Kelsey kind of embraced is You know, what I would argue 529 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:04.200 are the best parts of the Louisville job, But I think what Kenny Payne 530 00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:07.839 would argue were probably the parts that he wasn't necessarily suited for. Could not 531 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:11.640 have said it better myself, Absolutely agree. Kelsey's given this fan base some 532 00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:15.960 life, and certainly they were desperate for it. But yeah, he seems 533 00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:18.720 to not only be checking the boxes that are important outside of basketball, but 534 00:31:18.759 --> 00:31:22.039 he seems to be someone who genuinely like enjoys that aspect and a lot of 535 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.240 coaches, they don't. They don't like that kind of stuff. So Aaron, 536 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:29.240 I appreciate the toime. Brother, enjoy Phoenix, Best of luck to 537 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:30.920 the Huskies. That's who I think is gonna win at all. And don't 538 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.160 take it for granted. Man, you know, I think I got a 539 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:36.880 little caught up in the twenty thirteen title thinking we'd have a lot more of 540 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:41.279 those around here, and things have obviously not been the same since. Well 541 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:42.079 no, and I'll say real quick, I know we got to go. 542 00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:47.400 Is that you know, as a guy, you know, member people forget 543 00:31:47.480 --> 00:31:48.680 and I talked to you hurly about this, but I'll be quick, but 544 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:52.720 but three straight losing seasons, the last two under Kevin Allie and the first 545 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:56.039 under Dan Hurley. And Dan Hurley had to rebuild this thing in the pre 546 00:31:56.240 --> 00:32:00.920 portal area to just bring in eleven new players. And I don't criticize any 547 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:02.279 coach for doing that, but you know he had to build to refreshmen, 548 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:07.960 so to see, because of those depths that the program fell. I don't 549 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:12.759 think anybody is taking this for granted. What I will say is it is 550 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:16.359 pretty surreal to be living in what could potentially be the great Yukon season ever. 551 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:21.200 That seems inconceivable, but they've already set a regular season win total. 552 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:23.839 They won their first Big East Tournament, biggest regular season in forever. So 553 00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:29.160 it's kind of crazy to be in the middle of history with obviously two games 554 00:32:29.160 --> 00:32:32.359 potentially left to go before history is actually made. But if they win this 555 00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:36.599 thing, I think they have to go down as the greatest Yukon team ever, 556 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:38.440 which is kind of crazy to think about everything that's gone on in that 557 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:40.960 program. I agree, good stuff as always, Aaron, We'll talk to 558 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:45.279 you soon, brother, all right, thank you. Tick it all right, 559 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:46.960 that's Aaron Torres again Fox Sports Radio. Let's take a quick time out 560 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:50.400 our last time that we'll come back and tell you goodbye. Get yourself for 561 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:52.079 the weekend right here on Sports Talk seven ninety