It's time for coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety
Holy crap, I don't know who the hell we think when we are get
off our show, idiot. The kids are playing or trail off. The
countries are screwing it up. Gold Play Inner Murals, Brother, Goldplay Inner
Murals. They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not. Who's
the kid here? Who's the kid here? Are you kidding me? Now?
Here's Nick Coffee? Is it fair to say that the Caliperi departure from
Kentucky, which by the way, is now official, was that more of
a circus than Louisville's entire process? I mean, Kentucky's search hasn't really started
yet. I guess it'll start right now. But what a crazy forty eight
hours roughly, In fact, it wasn't even forty eight hours. I think
it was closer to Sunday evening whenever it became real that Cali Perry was talking
to Arkansas and was gonna be their coach and gonna leave Lexington. And then
since since then it just got weird. And I think the uh, the
real truth as far as what exactly has transpired between the two sides. I
guess the three sides Cali Perry, Kentucky, and Arkansas. I don't know
if we'll ever know for sure, but it is over. Caliperry has put
out a video which I did love the fact that the first video they posted,
and I say they because Adam I'm sure he knows how to work an
iPhone, but the person holding the camera, I mean, their arm had
to be tired, as he's just you know, a four minute roughly for
roughly four minutes of him talking about really and honestly, it was it was.
I mean, I don't think he said anything wrong at all. I
think he was It was really just a big thank you to everybody and I
guess goodbye essentially. But he looked really sad. And he'll never say it,
but I think he realized that he I don't know, maybe it was
emotions as far as just being so bitter and knowing because look, everybody knows.
Even whenever he walked off the floor against Oakland, everybody fans administration cal
like everybody knows was aware that this needed to end. It just had run
its course. But again, there was a far from easy extra strategy to
make that happen until you know, Arkansas got involved. So maybe he grabbed
a lifeline to get the hell out of Lexington and then now realized that he
didn't really want to do that. But it's too late, so we'll get
into some of the specifics as to what has happened in the last forty eight
hours allegedly, but it is official. April ninth, the first day of
the college basketball off season. John Calipari is officially done at Kentucky. All
right, Welcome in everybody, Thanks for joining us, hanging out here on
a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Coffee and company. That's us. We are fueled
by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. You make sure you sign up
to become a member of the Refreshing Awards program if you haven't already. My
name is Nick Coffee. The other voice you're going to hear, and his
voice is not at one hundred percent, but that's not going to keep him
down because he's still I mean, even if you've got you know, forty
percent of those broadcast pipes ready for use, it's still better than most because
you've got a golden voice. John. It does feel good to still talk
like mine. It doesn't hurt to say anything. It's just I can tell
that my voice is nasally. You really think it's mostly allergy related? I
hope so. I mean the timing of it makes sense. You don't feel
like sick or anything, though, right, No, no, no,
no, I feel similar to how I did yesterday. Okay, well,
you sound great, you look great, and we're ready to rock and roll
here. I want to ask you this. You are an Indiana fan and
you don't really keep up with Louisville really orkinuy. I mean, you know
enough to be dangerous, but also your job producing this show, oftentimes producing
KSR. You're going to figure out know what's going on just because of work.
But do you have any interest in this this circus? Oh yeah,
I don't get how you can. Because John Cala Perry's been really I mean,
he hasn't been the top name in head coaching in college basketball for the
past fifteen years, but he's one of the top. He's a big brand,
he's an og and really from twenty ten to twenty fifteen, some might
say he was the best coach at college basketball. And he's also a character,
and I don't mean that like to insult him. I mean, I
don't. He's just different. He handles things, does things differently the most
coaches, and it's mostly because he's arrogant and thinks he can just do whatever
the hell he wants. But either way, like that does provide entertainment.
You know, I didn't get hardly any feedback yesterday from any listener about how
much we talked about the Kentucky Circus, And even if I did get a
bunch of it, I wouldn't change what I know we need to do,
which is continue to discuss this because it is a big deal. It's one
of the most talk things talk about things nationally right now. And the layers
to just the mess in the last couple of days. I mean I called
a mess. I mean it certainly seemed like nobody really knew what was going
on, and I still wasn't. I was still surprised to hear Cal address
the fan base the way he did in his video, which if you haven't
seen it, that's how it became official. He had an old video that
I say old video is new today, but it was the initial tweet included
a video that looked like it was recorded on a two thousand and four Motorola
raisor phone, which John may do net even know what that is. Is
it a flip phone? Yes, but it was like the top back of
the day, Like, yeah, flip phones were cool for you know,
for a little two three year run there, it seemed. And the Motorola
Raiser, you google it, you've probably seen one. The Motorola Raiser was
like it was sleek, it was thin, uh, and it just looked
a lot cooler than any of the other flip phones. And I'm sure it
had some advances at that time from a technological standpoint that made it one of
the elite phones at the time, which that's not a smartphone. But either
way, the video quality looked terrible, so they didn't delete it, which
had everybody thinking, oh he took it down, maybe he's maybe he's second
guessing it once again, what's he doing? And it's because the video quality
was so bad, so somebody who you know, knows how to use a
phone was able to upload it in better quality. But I was surprised to
see him really go out the way that he did in that video because it
was the right thing to do. And again I have no issue with anything
he said, And I wouldn't care if he's Nothing he would say would really
impact me, because you know, I'm just here for the entertainment of it,
right, Like I don't care if he tells the fans to go play
in traffic, or if he tells him that he had a great run,
Like, doesn't really matter to me. But he looked really sad in doing
it. And we've got some some of the clips here from this four minute
long video that our news team over there on news Radio eight forty whas put
together. There have been opportunities that have been and presented us, so we're
discussing them as a family. I love coaching, I love coaching young people.
I love this year's team. I loved every day walking in. They've
invigorated me. So they are not in order here like I needed them to
be. But that is him not acknowledging Arkansas as he's telling Kentucky fans and
anybody watching the video that he's moving on. And I don't know if it's
because he's waiting for the official Like it wouldn't shock me if by this time
this segment ends, there is a release from Arkansas stating that he has been
hired as the new head coach, and they're going to have a press conference
tomorrow morning. In fact, I think one of the Fayetteville news stations,
one of the reporters, has put out there that he is expected to have
his presser tomorrow, So he'll probably fly out maybe tonight this evening, I'm
not sure. And because of just how weird this guy any little thing,
people are trying to analyze it as if it might if it may mean something
nobody else is picking up on right, Like he didn't mention Arkansas. Does
that mean that he's just not going to coach anymore? And does that mean
that you know, he's gonna have he's gonna try to go to a different
school. And no, Here's what happened. And I'm sure by now,
if you're somebody that has been trying to follow this thing closely, he talked
to Arkansas on Sunday, I guess had somewhat of an arrangement in place,
and by Monday, which was yesterday, it had gotten out. It was
all over I mean everybody who covers college basketball. I mean, heck,
it was I'm not kidding you. It stole the show of the national championship
hype. I mean the game last night, which we'll talk about in just
a second. I mean, but all of the coverage leading up to the
championship game, no matter where you were at, was it ESPN or was
it you know, the TNT Turner crew, like they talked a lot about
this, so it was clearly that it was. It was essentially done.
And then you see col walking the dog, which, now that twenty four
hours have passed since that video came out, that's an all time moment.
I mean, that has nothing to do with the rival but like you know,
if you're a part of this rivalry and it means a lot to you,
then like you're pretty familiar with a lot of things that happen on both
sides, they get a lot of attention. But him walking his dog in
the middle of the afternoon and what is believed to be the most the busiest
street in Lexington, whenever he knows that the big story nationally, not just
in Lexington, is about him going to Arkansas, Like that was just that
was insane. And then last night, you know, there was some belief
that he was having cold feet and wasn't didn't want to go anymore. So
I'm sure Matt is talking about this right now, which I'm not even going
to tell you where to find him, which I know you can. And
if you're listening to him and not me, I get it. If you're
a Kentucky fan, he's big blue Jesus and this is the first time you're
going to hear him on a platform like this with Cali Perry not being the
coach anymore. So anyways, cal Perry does in fact talk to I guess
some people at UK, and he talked to him yesterday, not Mitch Barnhardt,
to I guess, kind of say will you will you? I don't
know if it was a counter or what it was. It's probably more so
of a because because I think the initial report from Dick Gabriel, longtime Lexington
media member he I guess was on k ET and said that cala Perry met
with UK people yesterday and told them they could match Arkansas and Arkansas or in
Kentucky said no, which that just doesn't make any sense because the contract that
he is going to sign with Arkansas is not a better contract than the one
he has, so how would they match it. I mean that it makes
no sense at all. So there were probably some contingencies, some things he
might have wanted, but it wouldn't have been like a new contract. He
wouldn't certainly wouldn't have been a bigger raise, although I shouldn't say that.
Maybe it was because Cal's arrogance an ego is insane, Like he may think
because Arkansas wants him that that means Kentucky's gonna give him, you know,
a two lifetime contracts or something. I mean, wouldn't shock me. So
what Cal, we're cal screwed up here is that he was talking to Arkansas
and in his contract there's a clause that he has to state he has to
let the university know in some official manner that he is conversing with another school.
Well, he didn't do that. He violated his contract. And I
guess credit to Kentucky, and I'm sure it's Mitch Barnhart that is making this
decision. However, those people talking to Cal Perry were not Mitch Barnhart,
because again, those two don't like each other, they don't have a relationship,
but they they I mean to be frank with you, I think it's
a little ballsy because what they did there is essentially you know, tell him,
if you want your money, you're gonna have to sue us because we
believe we have some cause here to terminate your contract because of how you went
about this. So at that point cal has no options. And look,
you couldn't come back now like this thing, I mean, this thing is,
it's far beyond gone. And even though Kentucky fans I think are kind
of sad that this is over. And I was just telling Ma Thatt this
before the show starts, like there's clearly a level of excitement from Kentucky fans
just because they're gonna get something new. It's a new era, and that
that alone can be exciting. The amount of Louisville fans that have actually ever
watched Pat Kelsey coach a game, I would say it's a very small percentage.
And that's not a criticism, that's just the reality. But louisvill fans
are excited as hell for this new era, and he's certainly done a lot
in what a week and a half to get us more excited. But Kentucky
fans are excited, but they're all so sad just because you know, you
know, regardless of how it ended, something that went on this long,
that did have some really really great moments along the way. That ending alone,
that ending is sad, But it wouldn't mean the Kentucky fans. I
mean, I don't know if there's this. I'm sure there are some,
but I don't I don't know, And I know a lot of Kentucky fans.
I mean a lot of my friends, even some family. None of
them would want them to do anything to try to get him back. I
mean, I think they now look at this as and here's what's crazy.
They know they're probably not going to get Danny Hurley, they know they're probably
not gonna get Billy Donovan, and they're a little worried that maybe Scott drew
in the guy, meaning he's not worthy, although I've seen some mixed reaction
to that. But either way, they just want it to be over with
Cal. And I don't believe it's truly because they hate the guy's guts.
They want him out of town, the hell with him. I think it's
more so just because again that thing ran its course probably three four years ago.
So Cal, I mean, I don't know if he has any regrets.
If he did, he'd certainly never say it. But man, he
looks sad in that video he did, and for Mitch Barnhardt, I mean
even his tweet that I'm about to read to you guys. I mean,
it's what you would expect an athletic director to do. And it wasn't like
he was gushing over Cal and talking about how great he is is. You
know, it was very I'll read it directly. This is what Mitch Barnhart
said an hour ago after Cal's video became public. We we were appreciative of
John Caliperi leading our program for the last fifteen years, adding to the legacy
of championship success in Kentucky. We're grateful to John for as many contributions to
the university and our state, both on and off the court. We're working
diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this
program to our fans and the state of Kentucky. That is about as vanilla
but professional as it gets when it comes to a statement regarding the situation.
But I would have been if I'm a Kentucky fan, I'd have been totally
fine if he didn't say anything about Cal. Because of how Cal handled this
whole thing. I mean just you know, on his way out, just
try. I mean, he won. I think he wanted so clearly to
have like the last word over Mitch. And I mean, I'm not even
sure how popular Mitch Barnhardt is among his fan base, but I mean i'd
say at this point, if you have any level of emotion, rather it
be I mean, if you're you know, if you're sad. As far
as how it played out with the weird forty eight hour window here, I'd
say that you probably just have to blame I mean, probably blame Cal not
anybody else. Yeah, So anyways, it's over, and now I guess
Kentucky search has actually started, all right. Here's here's another clip from Cal's
uh message to uh to I mean, wouldn't you say it on a few
You probably didn't listen to it, John, but it's it's clearly just a
message to the fans, I think more than anything. Yeah, who else
would he? And he didn't, you know, and he didn't think Mitch
by any mean no, which it's kind of like the last laugh. And
I don't think, oh yeah, because Karen mars himself here. No,
you're right, I think I think I think Mitch Chick at the last laugh,
and he would never be one to like, you know, do anything
with said last laugh, just because that's not who he is as a as
a person, it seems. But I mean, yeah, I mean this.
I think Cal. Here's the thing. He could have talked to Arkansas
and had a real arrangement in place, and at that point never you know,
told anybody, it never got out, and then he backed out,
and then he'd still be here. But I think he and we'll get into
some of the theories out there as far as the Tyson Chicken thing, as
far as the guy who I guess is the grandson of the founders of that
company billionaires, which when I say grandson, you'd probably think younger. He's
older, he's like Cal's age, But that's how long you know that company
has been around. But I wonder if he just got intoxicated by the want
that they had for him and the money they'd pay him, and they'd wow
him because you know, I would say, there aren't many schools that,
even if they could afford it, would do what Arkansas is doing. Maybe
I'm wrong, and I'm only thinking about, you know, the recent failures
that he's had. It's not to say he's a bad coach and that nobody
would want to hire him, but Arkansas probably, I mean just didn't think
it would be even remotely realistic because let's be real, outside of you know,
I guess before you get to the realization that this is what's best for
everybody involved and it's a win win for everybody, Kentucky Kentucky or Kentucky Arkansas
and Cal, once you get you know, before you get there, you're
thinking, wow, the hell would you leave Kentucky for Arkansas? And then
you realize the situation and you just you know, you understand. So I
mean, Arkansas probably never thought this could even come about, which is why
they went after Chris Beard Jerome Tang and they talked to Arkansas little Rocks coach
before this ever really got rolling. So I think Cal will be Arkansas's coach.
I don't think he's going to back out at the last minute here and
have no job and you know, no money. But I don't think he
wants to. Like I think there's no doubt that he and his wife have
thought, like, what do we really get ourselves into here, because you
know, maybe the thought of sticking it to barnhard and sticking it to critics,
meeting those in the media and even fans, like is that worth going
to live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Probably not, but you know, and
there's worse places to live. I have family there, and I actually think
it's a pretty nice, pretty nice town. But I mean, one of
the things that cal would never admit, but I believe, because I don't
think he's dumb, one of the things that has to have popped up in
his mind in the last forty eight hours that made him second guess the decision,
give him cold feet, whatever you want to call it. One of
the reasons why he was able to be so successful at Kentucky is because it's
Kentucky, not because of anything. He's elite at good enough coach certainly,
that's been proven great recruiter, and I think he'll recruit well wherever he goes.
But the level that took it, you know, the level that it
got to its highest, was also because it was at Kentucky. He can't
sell Arkansas as Kentucky, and I think in a way that's why he was
so self absorbed in really branding the program him under him. It was more
of a cal program than a Kentucky program. And I don't know if that's
an insecurity. I don't know if that's you know, the way he feels
like it was going to be the most successful in regards to bringing in players.
But he'll be fond at Arkansas, but it ain't Kentucky, and he
you know, he won't have like the you know, it's one thing to
have in ale money, and it's one thing to have, uh, you
know, a high you know, high paid salary, which he's going to
have. And they've got a they've got a good fan base. But when
you're selling Arkansas and you're selling Kentucky, there's a big difference there, regardless
of who you are. And I feel like maybe that, I mean,
I just I think that probably kind of crept up in his mind in the
last couple of days, that like, yeah, you know, I'll probably
you know, I'll probably be able to to win. But he's taking a
step back, no doubt about it. And to be fair to Arkansas,
I mean, there are I mean Kentucky, as much as it pains me
to say, I mean, it's just different. It's I still believe it's
the best job in the country, and that mean anybody would want to run
to take the job, because there's a lot that comes with it that would
you know, Like there's some reaction from the Kentucky fans that I've seen online
that Scott Drew is somebody they wouldn't want because they truly believe that that they
would eat him alive, like he wouldn't be at Like there's no way he
could handle what comes with that job. And I kind of believe that.
So anyways, that's the news that I guess became official right before the show
today. Cali Perry's on his way out. He's gone. He'll be announced
tomorrow morning at Arkansas. And now Kentucky can actually start reaching out to candidates,
which we'll get to some of those candidates who have clearly not been approached
but already making it seem as if they have no interest at all. That
includes Nat OAHs, Jay Wright, even Dan Hurley after last night's championship game,
So we'll get into that. Also, Pat Kelsey is going to be
on the ACC network at four fifteen. Uh, I believe we're gonna at
least I think I'll be able to pipe that in and uh, we can
hear from coach Kelsey and with Yukon we'll talk about them on the other side,
because I still feel like they're dominance. Is it's it's not. I
don't think people realize just how crazy it is to see what they did,
not just this year, but last year too. And I don't see any
signs of them slowing down at all. So again, loaded the rest of
the way. If you want to join us, you can. Five O
two five seven one seventy nine hundred is the number. If you want to
give us a call. Five O two six five three zero seven ninety is
the ln N federal credit you need tex Line keep it locked right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety. I gotta be honest with you. I I know
that song, I don't know who sings it. I feel like I haven't
heard that song since I was in gosh, maybe my senior year of high
school, maybe even junior year. This is cross Fade so far away,
Cross Face play them a few different times, Okay, I remember the name
is to say what year this came out? Because now I'm just not that
it matters at all, not that anybody on this planet cares other than me.
Two thousand and four, Yeah, that was my junior year of high
school. So was this a big hit like radio play or what I believe
it was? It was a hit on rock radio. It wasn't as big
as their song Cold or so Cold whatever on that same album. Well,
the reason I ask is because it was such a like it was a big
All I know is a lot of guys, a lot of people when I
went to high school listened to it and that was kind of there like that
that genre was big at that time. It was, And I just what
stood out to me is that I remember it, but I do not think
I've heard it in twenty years. And this band, after their second album
pretty much faded into oblivion. It still exists and they haven't put out anything
new in a long term. It makes it make more sense as far as
you know, why I've never heard you know, they's just kind of a
distant memory. Good stuff there, all right. It's coffee and company.
We are fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Appreciate you hanging
out with us as we take you up till six o'clock. If you want
to join us on the show, you can five oh two five seven one
seventy nine hundred. That is the number to give us a call text line
five O two sixty five three zero seven ninety. So look, last night's
National championship game, Yukon did what they tend to do is even when they're
playing really good teams like Prdue, like Alabama, they just they never I
mean think about a lull for Yukon. I can't remember seeing one. And
what I mean by that is like a drought or like a stretch of play
where the momentum was really going in the other direction. Yeah, you'll see
a little run here and there, maybe a quick, you know, six
to zero, eight to zero run from another team. But this Yukon team,
they're so consistent and just so sound in every aspect. Like I don't
know what their weaknesses. I think their thirty zero run against Illinois pretty much
solidified who they are as a team compared to the rest of college basketball.
And you may never see it ever again as far as how they dominated these
last two tournaments. But that runs specifically that you referenced, there's no way
that will ever happen again in the tournament. I mean it was against a
good team too. I mean that's it's not like Illinois world beaters, but
they were the second best Big Ten team sure Purdue or outside of Purdue.
So as I mentioned, I don't think they have really any weakness. But
also I don't really know what it is. I'm fascinated by them as a
basketball junkie because they're good at everything, but they're not great at really anything,
right, Like, they're I think they're physical. I think they play,
you know, really good defense as a team, but I mean it's
not freak athletes out there. They've got enough size, but I mean they've
got good size, by the way, but you know, so does everybody
else. To be honest with you, you know, their point guard love
his game to transfer from Loyal and Marymount, then Rutgers and then at Yukon
Cam Spencer is that his name? Yeah, I mean, like, but
he's not somebody that like from a talent perspective, you're like, well,
what are you gonna do? And then Stefan Castle, I think is believed
to be their their best, their best and being prospect. Yeah, he's
a top ten player from last year's freshman class, and he'll get drafted really
high because he's talented, has upside and this draft is really weak. But
I mean he's not to me, I don't know what his strength is.
So it sounds like I'm acting like they're not that good. I just I
can't think of any team that reminds me of this team where you're so solid
to you know, between solid two really good at everything and it. But
it's not one. It's not it's not driven by one player, right,
like they're big guy who by the way, you know, it's a good
matchup between those two guys. But early on he was getting it taken to
him, right, one of the best big the big one of the best
interior defenders in the country was you know, getting abused by by Zach Edie.
And if you think I'm joking about just no longer being able to remember
anybody's name, John, I'm not kidding you. Like it, maybe I
may need to get like a brain scan or something, because I mean,
I I know these people's names. But Donovan Klingon y yeah, Klingon yeah.
And you know he's the reason why Parlay didn't hit last night. Oh
way, he didn't go over thirteen and a half and he wasn't even really
that close. He only had nine I think it's not good. I hate
to hear that, but but either way, he's a good player. But
like they're they're just I don't know, man. Like I think what makes
it so scary for the rest of college basketball is because you're not watching any
individual and thinking, well, it's a once in a lifetime talent. No.
I mean, they're good, but Dan Hurley seems like he's gonna be
able to replicate what he's doing right now the last couple of years, and
that's a scary thing for everybody else. But their dominance was I mean,
I mean, they showed the stat he had. They had the one plus
one point differential and that was the most in the history of the NSAA tournament
after I think the second most was ninety six Kentucky team they mentioned, Yeah,
so the the points, you know, the point differential per game in
the tournament for Yukon was twenty three point three, I believe is what I
see what I see right now. And then the second most dominant team was
North Carolina in two thousand and nine, which was a really good team with
Hansboro with then Yukon twenty twenty three was at twenty So if you look at
I mean just the overall I mean, this is just seeing this list.
Todd Furman posted it last night. Their twelve tournament games in the last two
years, which of course led to two national championships. Alabama and Purdue played
them within fifteen and fourteen. Northwestern played in within seventeen. They beat Statson
by thirty nine. They beat San Diego State by thirty Illinois by twenty five.
Could have been worse, but last year the closest game they had was
against Miami, who is actually the team that has played them the closest throughout
both tournaments, which was thirteen. I mean, they beat San Diego State
in the championship game by seventeen. They beatn Zaga by twenty eight, Arkansas
by twenty three, Saint Mary's by fifteen, Iona by twenty four. They're
just dominant. And it's not like we've never seen it before and we'll never
see it again. As far as two teams going back to back or a
team going back to back winning two consecutive championships, I mean, it's rare.
It hadn't happened since Florida did it, and I'm not I'm not predicting
that, you know, it becomes some you know, common thing that you
see because it's just I mean, for exactly one of the things that kind
of makes it even more when you're when you're the number one seed and you're
the favorite, like you're nobody's gonna nobody's gonna give you credit for like nobody
expected you to do it, like you weren't, you're not an underdog.
But also to know that they're the first number one overall seed to win the
national championship since Louisville won it in twenty thirteen, I mean, that shows
you that it doesn't doesn't always work out that way. But not only did
they go in here is the number one overall seed, they dominated the entire
tournament. And again I I just get the sense that the formula that they've
got role in there at at Yukon is is not something that you're going I
mean, will they be as good next year? I don't know. Nobody
really knows. We don't know what the roster's going to look like. But
Dan Hurley lost I think it was his four of his top five scorers from
last year and still was able to you know, develop guys that were already
there do well in the portal and recruit one elite freshman and Stefan Castle and
look at what they did. So I guess now the question is how long
is he going to be there? I don't see him leaving at all.
I just don't. But I think asking a coach that night, any answer
you get, it's kind of like, you know, what do you expect
him to say? Right? I mean, what would you expect Dan Hurley
to say when he was asked about Kentucky. I mean, I guess he
could say, heck, no, not a chance in hell, But you'd
also have to know that like that was always going to be the answer regardless,
just because in that moment. I mean, imagine celebrating back to back
national championships at a at a place like Yukon. That is now. I
mean, how are they not the premier program in the sport? Because all
the stuff that makes you know, Kentucky a better job, which again it
is the Kentucky's a better program, Carolina is a better pro But that's the
things you'd have to cite to put the other programs ahead of Yukon are things
that happened sixty years ago. In some instances, I think that's what it
is. It's that they have no substantial history past the late nineties. And
the reason all of the other programs have bigger fan bases, bigger reach,
bigger brand, move the needle more is because their fan bases are bigger and
it's been something that's gone on for decades upon decades, Right, So,
you know, Yukon's only na because that they're they're kind of the young kid
on the block when it comes to elite basketball programs with a bunch of national
championships. It's that's only that's only flaw and one thing that did not get
mentioned throughout the entire tournament run that I saw, And I think it's easy
to just kind of forget this, but Yukon did something that I don't think
anybody else would have done. Because we all know how much football drives college
athletics. We love college basketball more than anybody. We love college football too,
But like college football is the only real priority for the vast majority of
high level universities. It's not that they don't care about the other sports.
It's not that they don't. It's not that they don't, you know,
support them, It's not they don't care. But football is its own world
essentially in most athletic departments. So when the shakeup happened with the American,
yeah, with the American Athletic Conference basically becoming a weird mixture of former Big
East teams that you know, needed a new home because the Big East was
kind of you know what, Big East football going away, all that kind
of stuff. They were one of the last people left, right, I
mean, a lot of the Big East schools got out. In fact,
the only schools I can think of in the Big East at the time Louisville
left that aren't in another league is UCF. I'm sorry, not UCF.
South Florida, Memphis or Memphis was never in the Big East. So Yukon
got left behind. Louisville took Yukon spot in the ACC. So Yukon ended
up, you know, being in the American for however many years it was.
And it's because of football, because you're gonna get even if it's not
you know, even if it's not a grant of rights deal that's got a
humongous share like you see in the ACC, the SEC Big Ten, you
still have a football revenue share from an American Athletic conference that is money that
you can't just not have. But they also knew what do we do.
We're Yukon, we're basketball. We've had some success in football, playing the
BCS Bowl Game not even that long ago. But what are we doing in
this league that sucks? That weekends are brand when we thrive and excel in
basketball women's college basketball, we own the sport. Men's college basketball. We've
been pretty damn good regardless of conference affiliation. So what are we doing in
this league just because we need football to be in a league so we can
take some revenue money. I give them a lot of credit for knowing who
they are and doing something nobody else would and paying seventeen million dollars to leave
the American Athletic Conference go back to the Big East, and you know,
I guess regain their identity. And then football think is independent. There's thought
that it may not even like survive but and that's unfortunate, but football does
not do anything in Connecticut like basketball does. So they're independent. You know,
they're role in whether they got Jim More as their coach now, but
like I think they're willing to like, we're not gonna sit here and let
our basketball programs start to slide and slip because we you know, we won
our football team who's never really been that good overall. Like, I just
think what they that seemed like a no brainer to everybody, because yeah,
Yukon belongs in the biggiest they don't belong in the American But most schools wouldn't
have the balls to do that because of the financial I mean again, they
get no TV money from football Yukon none, which is a huge part of
the you know, annual money that you need to bring in to keep these
programs alive. And they also paid seventeen million to leave the American Athletic Conference.
And would Dan Hurley be their coach if they were in the American Athletic
Conference, Probably because at the time they hired him, it wouldn't have been
that tough to get. But I think the conversation about but honestly Hurley was
there, would he be able to do what he's doing now? I don't
know, Maybe we'll never know, but that decision, whoever made it,
rather it be a president athletic director, I mean it, it is something
that I don't know if anybody else would have done it, and their circumstances
are different because again, like there's so clearly a basketball brand in football,
it's kind of like always been whatever. But could they not have joined the
Big East FCS league? I mean, I guess it would have been a
step down, but like, could they not have done that? And you
know, saved them? Question? It's a good question actually because I don't
I didn't even realize the big I know, there's like Villanova is apparently a
really good FCS program. I guess private schools do they have here? I
think when you go to that level, you you are at a point where
you could still have your program, but like you're cutting everything and meaning like
salaries and positions, and at that point it just becomes where you're trying not
to lose money in football. Yeah, that's true, you know, And
that's why a lot of those schools have never made that kind of like jump
to go to that level because it's just it's really not it's not financially worth
it. Idaho from the Mountain West for a long time, they're now FCS,
Are they really? I didn't know that they have been for a few
years now. Interesting, So again shout out to Yukon. I'm not a
fan by any means, but you know, I have a hard time thinking
that many many years down the line when I think of great runs in college
basketball, a sport that I care so much about. I mean, they're
going to be up there just because of not only the fact that they now
have six titles since nineteen ninety nine, but they won back to back for
the first time in a long time, and they dominated so and again.
I just think what makes it seem even more scary for the rest of college
basketball, as I've said, is the fact that I don't see these last
two championship teams for Yukon being something that like, well, that's a once
in a lifetime type of duo or a talent. I mean, these guys
are good, and make no mistake about it, but I think Dan Hurley
can find a caliber player and keep this thing rolling. All right, we'll
talk about Hurley's comments last night. I let you guys hear them and keep
this thing rolling along again. It is Coffee and Company. We are fuel
by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety so. Each day that passes
here. In the last few weeks, there's more and more names you're seeing
that are entering the transfer portal and as far as college basketball, but it
feels like the last couple of days you've seen more names that you're familiar with,
right Like, It's not a guy that you see averaged seventeen points a
game at a little mid major. It's, you know, somebody like Robbie
Avila, who was the Indiana State star who had a lot of wild nicknames,
and all of them I heard were pretty good. And he's in the
portal and I just just I mean Indiana State. And by the way,
did you hear Indiana State may hire? Is it Tom Crean? No?
Man similar though as far as a guy that is out of the game but
head coach for a long time, Bob Huggins, Oh yeah, I mean,
well, I hate to say that they hate. That's my reaction.
I mean, I get your reaction. I just you know, and I
don't know if it will end up happening. But he's pushing for he's pushing
to talk to them about the job. And the latest report I saw,
I believe out of terror HOAt was that they're going to listen to him,
so he'd be somebody they would never be able to get without his circumstance,
and I didn't know this until Josh Shirtz's name became more known throughout the process.
For Louisville Search is that they have no money, like they don't they
they mountain, the Mountain Mountain. It's the Missouri Valley. It's a good
basketball league. I mean again, it's it's not you know, sexy,
big name brands in college basketball. But there's college basketball tradition in that league
that is really strong schools that have have had, you know, basketball programs
that they are very much invested in for generations. Probably always going to be
one big league for the most part. But either way, you know,
Indiana State in that league has the lowest amount of money they can pay coaches
and you know travelers, you know that travel budget, that kind of stuff.
It's the lowest in that league. And it's not even close. And
I don't really close my mind, I wouldn't have guessed that. Yeah,
but I think and I don't really know even what goes into that. I
don't know if it's just because there's a budget that I mean, is it
is it a small school it's fairly small. Yeah, I only have the
Federal prison where they have all the death row in mates in Tara Hope.
Really maybe that's where all the money's going. Tara Tarah Hoad's a small town,
isn't it. Yeah, get right on the western border of Vendio.
So either way, I just assume that he's going to follow Josh Shirtz,
but I don't know, Maybe maybe he's I mean, he's gonna get interest
from a lot. I mean, it would be very like him following his
coach to Saint Louis, a guy that apparently everybody who knows Josh shirts and
his coach or played for him loves him, thinks he's great. So I'd
say that wouldn't be a big shocker. But then again, if you see
the schools involved that are big names like Louisville or Kentucky even I mean,
would he really go to Saint Louis rather than going to play for one of
those bigger name brands that not only he could have more success with, but
like he could probably make more money. So anyways, that's one of the
many names that has entered the portal today, And wouldn't be shocked if we
find out that Louisville's involved, because they got a lot of spots to fill,
and I'm looking forward to seeing how this roster all comes together for Pat
Kelsey. All Right, so my cousin writes in and tells me, and
I'm I'm I think this is good. This is good for me to hear.
But I mentioned just not being able to remember any names anymore. Like
I don't think I've lost that much of my brain power, but I used
to be. It's not just that I can't remember names. I used to
be the name guy. Like if I met you five years ago, I
didn't see you again until then, I may remember your name, like I'm
just it was a weird thing that I don't It doesn't it doesn't give me
any added value as a human being. I can't monetize that skill that I
had. It's just something I just was able to do. And now I've
gone from being somebody that I would consider really strong in that department to now
I'm awful. But my cousin, he tells me it's because I have multiple
kids, from zero kids to three kids. When it comes to names and
numbers and stats, you know, you can go from rain Man to Forrest
Gump. So maybe that's maybe that's what it is. Do you ever call
your kids the wrong name. I mean, I know they're opposite sexes,
but no, I don't. But as far as just like the names of
people that I mean, I don't interact with any I mean, now I'm
gonna sound like a weirdo, and I don't interact with other kids that aren't
mine. But I know, like all of my son's friends at daycare's name.
I know all of my daughter's classmates in her class like, I know
their names. So maybe just balancing all that has just, you know,
made it slip. And another part of it is that like when it comes
to just like athletes, guys in the portal or recruit as I get older,
I just don't. I don't care as much about it, you know
what I mean, Like I don't. It's not something that I spend a
ton of time thinking about. So anyways, fellows, let me tell you
real quick about my friends over at the Louisville Men's Clinic, because I know
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You know what to do? You don't know what to do about it?
Right You're thinking, Okay, what can I can I do? Some
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I don't know. I'm sure the others have tried to google how you can
improve that and probably not had much luck. Because it is something that is
a dysfunction. You need, you need some help and the people that can
help you is the loib of Men's Clinic. They've got a variety of options
when it comes to how you can treat a rectile dysfunction. Pulse wave therapy,
pinpal therapy, oral medications, but it may not just be ED,
could be low testosterone. You can do the weight loss therapy, hair restoration.
It is a full medical clinic for men when it comes to men's health.
A variety of things and services they can help you with to make you
a healthier man. So check them out online Louivilemen's Clinic dot com. FABO
to four four four four thousand. All right, So, well right back
in here in the four o'clock hour, and we're going to try to get
to this live ACC Network interview with Pat Kelsey at four fifteen. I'm going
to see if I can track that down and let you guys hear from Coach
Kelsey. But the Kentucky stuff. I got a question I'm gonna throw out
there. I'm gonna throw it to John because he's he's objective rights, because
I know Kentucky fans will answer it a certain way. I know Louisville fans
will answer it a certain way. But there's something that apparently Mitch Barnhart and
his team at UK are fighting to keep Calip Perry from being able to do.
And I don't know if it's fair or foul on their end. We'll
get to that and a lot more, and we'll let you hear the amount
of coaches that have already at least at this point, publicly said they have
no interest in Kentucky. Stick with us. It's Coffee and company. We
are feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety