WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.640 Be a game that would give me some real anxiety 2 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.280 when Louisville wasn't good, I didn't really care about this 3 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:09.080 game because it was one of many that you know, 4 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.279 you kind of just expected to lose. But to be fair, Virginia, 5 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:18.079 there's no team that has given Louisville more problems in 6 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:21.800 the ACC than this Virginia team, and they didn't give 7 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:23.839 them any trouble a couple of weeks ago when Pat 8 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:25.719 Kelsey went in there and beat them by twenty. They're 9 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.679 clearly down in a major way, and they'll be making 10 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:30.399 a coaching change at the end of the year because 11 00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:32.840 Tony Bennett bailed on them before the season started. So 12 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.880 the ACC needs Virginia to be better than they are 13 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.119 right now, because the league needs a lot of teams 14 00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:42.600 to be better. Like Louisville was a big factor in 15 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:46.960 the ACC's real fall in recent years. In fact, they 16 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:49.719 were the worst team for two straight years in a 17 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:52.520 two year stretch where the ACC was maybe as bad 18 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:54.880 as it's ever been, although maybe this year is the 19 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:57.520 worst year. So Louisville right now has at least done 20 00:00:57.520 --> 00:00:59.719 their part to try to get back on track. I'm 21 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:03.520 sure in a different ACC many years ago, they probably 22 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.959 wouldn't be sitting as the second best team in the league. 23 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.920 But at least they're heading in the right direction. But 24 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:11.560 I think whoever takes over at Syracuse when that job 25 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.799 opens up, whoever takes over at Miami Florida State was 26 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:18.519 bad and now they're they're They're not great, but they're 27 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.319 Leonard Hamilton's having a little bit of a bounce back 28 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:23.799 season right now, but he's also nearly eighty years old. 29 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:28.319 So these jobs who they hire like it could be 30 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:30.079 somebody we don't even know, It could be a name 31 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:32.000 that we're not thrilled by, but whoever it is, like, 32 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:34.840 these teams need to be good again, because I've not 33 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:36.920 seen anything quite like this as far as the ACC 34 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:41.439 in a seven eight year stretch, going from easily one 35 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:43.599 of and at times even the best league in the 36 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:46.640 country to now just being a league that looks like 37 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:50.920 a you know, has been Duke is still creaming the crop. 38 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.599 And I wanted to get defensive for the ACC last 39 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.959 night because I was watching Fox Sports. They had I 40 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.959 think it was the was the Rutgers one of the 41 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:02.159 Big ten matchups Ruggers and somebody else I was watching 42 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:05.040 and Casey Jacobs and former Stanford Whang. He's one of 43 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:07.680 the analysts for Fox Sports, and he was talking about 44 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.840 the ACC during their wrap up show and he said 45 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:14.759 something about Duke, and I thought, that's that's that's asinin 46 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:18.319 and then I realized, wait a second, he's right. He 47 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:21.680 said that Duke this year is like Gonzaga has been 48 00:02:21.719 --> 00:02:24.599 for many years in their league. And more than anything, 49 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:26.719 that speaks to how good Duke is. But also it 50 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:30.560 speaks to how the second best team is Louisville, who 51 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.599 I think is good. Maybe I'm biased, I don't know 52 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:34.680 how good, but clearly they're playing some pretty good basketball. 53 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.240 They've beaten some decent teams along the way, they played 54 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.039 a really challenging schedule, so we'll see how this season finishes. 55 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:42.000 But you know, Louisville was the worst team in this 56 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.039 league by a long shot. Now again, nothing left from 57 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:49.199 those two seasons currently, so maybe that's not worth mentioning. 58 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:51.560 But still, I mean, I wanted to be defensive, like 59 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.280 that's a crazy take, You're out of your mind, But 60 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:56.159 he's kind of right. I mean, Duke is Duke will 61 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:59.159 run the table this year, and they should. I mean, 62 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:01.199 they may slip up and to somebody, but it would 63 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.319 have to be like a big slip up. They are 64 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:05.319 going to play Carolina. I mean, they'll play the other 65 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:07.080 teams in the league that are believed to be, you know, 66 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:11.360 tournament worthy, but even the teams that right now are 67 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:17.199 believed to be in the tournament according to Joey Brackett's 68 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:19.919 we talked about this yesterday, So I don't want to 69 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.159 regurgitate too much, but this is just a real eye 70 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:27.599 opener to where the league is right now. Because Leonardi 71 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:30.960 doesn't see the bracket, he's going off of his opinion 72 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:33.800 and the formula of the net rankings that the NCAA uses. 73 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:36.280 So maybe he's off here, but I don't I wouldn't 74 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:40.039 be shocked if he's actually correct in how he values 75 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:43.719 this league. So Duke is safely and they're a one seed. 76 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:48.639 They're probably the second one seed behind Auburn. Louisville is 77 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:51.439 up to a sixth seed according to Lenardi, which hey, 78 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:53.400 I mean, that's a pretty good spot right now. And 79 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:55.719 although you don't have a whole lot of opportunities to 80 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:58.439 get big wins that are going to significantly boost your resume, 81 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:02.280 you do have a lot of wins likely if you 82 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:04.639 keep playing the way you're playing, and that certainly won't 83 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:06.520 hurt you. So I don't know. Maybe this team's ceiling 84 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:09.159 is like a five or four. We'll see. So the 85 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.639 two teams right now that are safely in as of today, 86 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:14.680 and again it's just Lenardi, So maybe he's wrong, but 87 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:18.240 I'd say just about everybody projecting a bracket right now 88 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.240 would be close to, you know, on the same page 89 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.879 with him. So Louisville is a sixth seed, Duke as 90 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:26.079 a one seed. Those are the only two teams that 91 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:28.920 right now are safely in. There are three teams that 92 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:32.079 are on the bubble. You've got Clemson as an eight seed, 93 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:34.639 and they don't. They're only there because they have that 94 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:36.720 really valuable win against Kentucky, which is a great win 95 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:39.199 for Clemson. So Clemson is in as an eight seed 96 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:41.560 right now. And then you've got Carolina and Pittsburgh as 97 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:46.079 nine seeds, which because you now have the play in games. 98 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:49.439 I still think that's bubble, but it's on the good 99 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:51.480 side of the bubble. A nine seed, I think used 100 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:54.560 to be considered you're really dangerous. Now you don't have 101 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.839 a whole lot of wiggle room, but like you're not 102 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.600 you could lose the game and you're not gonna fall 103 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:01.519 out of the field. But with the issue is that 104 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:05.839 you are right now. You have very little opportunity if 105 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:10.240 you're Carolina, Pittsburgh or Clemson, to really boost your resume 106 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.759 because the league just doesn't give you that many opportunities 107 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.199 to do that. And if you slip up and lose 108 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:17.279 to one of these teams that are in the bottom half, 109 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:21.800 it'll crush your numbers. Doesn't necessarily mean you're out, but 110 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:29.680 like a loss or two to Virginia Cal Florida State, 111 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.120 even I know Wake Forest is playing well and they've 112 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:37.000 got a good record in league play, but they're not 113 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:40.600 even sniffing the bubble right now. So those are losses 114 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.199 that will crush you when it comes to your resume, 115 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:48.120 like the net and all that. So I don't see 116 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:50.519 a scenario where the league only gets two in but 117 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:56.040 three four is certainly a realistic thing, and that's just crazy, 118 00:05:56.519 --> 00:05:59.920 crazy to see. And that's why Louisville's recent run here 119 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:02.199 and they're just winning basketball games, which this is the 120 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:04.560 longest ACC winning streak I think that Louisvill's ever had, 121 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:08.120 which is awesome to see, and clearly It's not like 122 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.480 you're knocking off top ten teams on a weekly basis 123 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:16.759 right now. But you already have cleared what is easily 124 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:21.199 the toughest stretch of play in acc action. So it 125 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:22.959 didn't mean you can put it on cruise control and 126 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:25.639 just expect to go out there and beat anybody like 127 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:27.120 You're gonna have to keep playing well, and I think 128 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.120 this team will do that. So Tomorrow's game against Virginia, 129 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:32.480 it's a much different field than than what it used 130 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:34.480 to be. And that's a good thing. And I'll be 131 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:37.920 honest with you, even though Tony Bennet's not there and 132 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:40.319 Virginia is not good right now, if I didn't just 133 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:42.680 see Louisville go on the road and beat them by twenty, 134 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:44.920 I probably would still have a little bit of worry. Like, man, 135 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.839 this team just always gives us trouble. But again, this 136 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.439 Louisville team with Pat Kelsey, they don't seem to be 137 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:53.720 vulnerable to Virginia, and this Virginia team, to be fair, 138 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:57.480 is not what they once were. Another big game tomorrow, 139 00:06:57.560 --> 00:06:59.560 Kentucky taken on Alabama. That'll be one of the best 140 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:02.800 games of the day in college basketball. In fact, it 141 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:04.720 might be the best game of the day if we're 142 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:06.879 being honest. I mean, yeah, I mean I'm looking here 143 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:10.560 at the kin palm. You've got a handful of ranked matchups. 144 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:14.560 But Bama and Kentucky that one is. That's the two 145 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:17.240 highest ranked teams that are playing each other. Kentucky is 146 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.759 projected to win ninety to eighty nine according to kin Pom, 147 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:23.720 and I haven't Is there a spread up for this one? 148 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:25.040 Have you seen it yet? Let me see? Yeah, here 149 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:28.759 we go. Fan on DraftKings has kentuckypadat Kentucky is two 150 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:31.600 and a half point favorites over Bama here, which I'm 151 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:34.319 not surprised at all. I would have guessed it would 152 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:36.199 have been closer to like one and a half. But 153 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:39.720 what I You know this, there are some games that 154 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:42.560 Kentucky's been able to win this year that really could 155 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:44.160 have gone either way. And I don't say that to 156 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.319 discredit them, because that's a lot of really good, bad, 157 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:51.920 really good teams playing really good teams. That's usually what happens, 158 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:53.879 right it's close, you know, both teams are great, and 159 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.720 somebody's gonna make the place necessary to win. And Kentucky 160 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.040 has done that enough times to where I'm I'm willing 161 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:00.639 to say that that's a part of their identity, like 162 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:02.879 that's that's part of what they do. They find ways 163 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:05.720 to win close games at times when when the games 164 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.720 are played at their style, and it's really been pretty consistent. 165 00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:12.639 The three teams that have been able to beat Kentucky, 166 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.600 they did one thing. They were able to keep the 167 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.040 game from being played at the pace that Kentucky wants, 168 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:22.600 with as many possessions as Kentucky wants. And that doesn't 169 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:24.720 mean you're guaranteed to beat Kentucky because they have found 170 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:26.759 ways to win those kind of games too. Right, They 171 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:30.720 beat Mississippi State, who really wanted to kind of slow 172 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:32.799 them down and beat them up like Georgia did, like 173 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:36.519 Ohio State did. They knocked off Gonzaga where they were 174 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:38.879 getting blown out and then Pope made some adjustments and 175 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:40.879 they found a way to win. So it's not as 176 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:43.200 if they can't win those games. But the only three 177 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.519 teams that have been able to do it, they played 178 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.399 a specific style. Alabama is not going to do that. 179 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:50.960 They're going to be who they are, NATO, It's to 180 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.320 be honest with you. He in my opinion is the 181 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:56.080 I don't want to see the innovator, because I don't 182 00:08:56.120 --> 00:08:58.440 know if that's true, but as far as coaches that 183 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:03.000 really embraced this modern style of basketball where it's we're 184 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.000 doing everything we can to generate a lot of good 185 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:09.440 looks from three shots near the rim or getting to 186 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.080 the free throw line. That is that you know, there's 187 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:13.879 not gonna be any long twos. We're not running sets 188 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.080 to get somebody a mid range jumper. We are out 189 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:20.799 here executing to get those three things in rhythm, threes, 190 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:25.320 free throw line, or if we can get to the rim, 191 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:27.279 we'll do that like that's what they want to do, 192 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:31.320 and others coaches are doing it clearly, Mark Pope and 193 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:33.519 Pat Kelsey. That is their style. That is what led 194 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.279 to them having success elsewhere to get the jobs they 195 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.039 have now. But Natoates broke through at Alabama and made 196 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:41.440 a Final four like he to me is the guy 197 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:43.200 that is kind of the leader of this new era 198 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.360 of basketball. So there's no way they're going to make 199 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:47.240 any adjustments to what they're doing. They're going to come 200 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:49.159 in and play the way they play and hope it 201 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:50.879 works out. And it may work out because they're good, 202 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:55.080 but nobody's been able to beat Kentucky, yet that wants 203 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:58.240 to play the way Kentucky wants to play Florida. Florida 204 00:09:58.279 --> 00:09:59.840 came in, they were hot, and it looked like, man 205 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.120 Florida is is just better at this think Kentucky and 206 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:06.200 Florida is still a good team. But since they're lost 207 00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:08.600 to Kentucky, have they lost two more times? I know 208 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:10.559 they lost to the all S at home the other 209 00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:12.960 night to was it LSU I think no? 210 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:14.279 Was it Missouri? 211 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.320 Yes it was Missouri. You're right, yes, so, and that's 212 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.360 not like a bad, bad loss by any means. But 213 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.120 you know, that's a game at home you should win. 214 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:21.840 If you're like, if you're Florida and you're losing at 215 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:23.519 home to Missouri, you look at the rest of the 216 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:26.879 SEC schedule and you think, okay, well we let one 217 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:28.559 get away. Now we got to go steal one that 218 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.639 maybe we're not supposed to win if we're gonna continue 219 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:35.720 to think we can win the ACC. So that should 220 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.200 be a really good game, and I'm I'm ready for it. 221 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:41.519 I mean, actually, I probably won't be watching it if 222 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.759 it's at the same time as the louisvill game, which 223 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:45.360 I kind of think it is now I'm curious. Let 224 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.120 me see. I know Louisville plays at noon and Kentucky 225 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:52.720 also plays at noon, so I'll probably, you know, keep 226 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:54.600 up with their score here and there, but obviously I'll 227 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:58.240 be locked into this Louisville Virginia game. We also have 228 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:01.799 NFL playoffs coming up here this weekend, which I'm excited about. 229 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:03.200 We'll talk about that coming up a little bit later 230 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:06.120 on here within the within the five o'clock hour. But 231 00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:12.480 tomorrow's tomorrow's theme, the promotion for this game against Virginia, 232 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:14.639 and I'm gonna let me let me see if I can. 233 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.559 I mean, I know, I mean, I know what they're doing. 234 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:17.960 I just want to make sure if they're if they're 235 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.600 branding it for some if if there's a certain tagline 236 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.799 they're using for this game. I want to make sure 237 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:24.759 and get it right. But they they put together a 238 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:29.639 really awesome promo video that is narrated by Cornell Bradley, 239 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.159 who if you know Louisville basketball, and I don't just 240 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:35.279 mean Louisville Cardinal basketball, I mean basketball in the Louisville community. Uh, 241 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.440 he's a legend. The Dirt Bowl, an event that has 242 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.600 gone on for a long, long time here in Louisville. 243 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:44.440 It's I mean, don't I don't feel like, I don't 244 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:45.720 feel like I don't need to give any kind of 245 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:48.720 explanation as to what it is. But it was a 246 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:51.919 really good message that Louisville basketball is not I mean, 247 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.919 this is the city's team. This is not just the school. 248 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:57.759 Obviously it is university and that's that's the huge component 249 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:02.039 to it. But for years, for generatations, Louisville Natives have 250 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:04.440 felt like this is dirt team, like Louisville Basketball is 251 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:06.679 the pro team. And it was a really good tip 252 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.519 of the cap to sort of, you know, the culture 253 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.759 of basketball here in this in this community, which, of course, 254 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:14.600 if you've been around long enough and you're you're you're 255 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:18.039 familiar enough, the dirt ball is a big deal. And 256 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:21.600 I want just let you guys hear uh this this awesome, 257 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:29.039 awesome narration by the legend here Shawnee part the. 258 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:31.720 Dirt bol the heart of Louisville basketball. 259 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.600 This is where the city comes together and where the 260 00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:40.759 game is built on grit, pride and tradition. That legacy 261 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:47.120 doesn't only reside in Shinee Pork, it's here living in 262 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:53.840 this team in every dump and every block in every steel, 263 00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:00.360 every loose ball, in every rebound. Louis basketball is built 264 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:05.600 on the same foundation, gret, pride, and tradition. 265 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:08.279 To honor Daddy, we. 266 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:10.279 Needed more than jerseys. 267 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:16.600 We needed a triviune to work it all started. These 268 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:22.159 jerseys are more than they look. They're a connection to 269 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:27.799 the blacktop rattles, to the name and games that helped 270 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:32.000 build this city's love for battle. They're a reminder of. 271 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:34.360 Work become. 272 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:59.600 This is tradition, this is legacy, this is horrible, vastly walk. 273 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:56.799 Ran. 274 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:02.279 I said, the right, so that part there, when you 275 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:06.799 hear bang, I said, bang, there's many that know exactly 276 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.960 what that is. And when I said when I said 277 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.000 his name, you knew exactly you know what he's known 278 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.559 for a guy who has been on the mic at 279 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:20.120 the dirt ball for decades, probably even you know, I 280 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.919 mean a long long time, probably longer than I even realized. 281 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:25.240 But Cornell Bradley having him be a part of that 282 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.679 was really really cool. And I have a this isn't 283 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:31.559 like a great story, but it was something that I'm 284 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:34.919 glad happened because I at a young age, without really 285 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:36.480 I would have not known a whole lot about the 286 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:39.639 Dirt Bowl, and I wouldn't have known anything about Cornell Bradley. 287 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:41.840 But when I was in high school, it was my 288 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:44.399 soft it was my junior year. We played a game 289 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.240 at Shawnee High School, So North Bullet High School. We 290 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:50.039 went to Shawnee to play game, and we never played 291 00:14:50.039 --> 00:14:52.320 there before. I knew of Shawnee, I knew the school, 292 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:55.279 but I didn't really know what to expect. And we 293 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:57.879 get there and they're doing the you know, they've got 294 00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:00.559 a PA announcer like most high school teams do, and 295 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:04.360 they're introducing the starting lineups. And usually when you're on 296 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:08.120 the road number twelve coffee, like they're not they're not 297 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.879 really gonna gash you up. They're not really going to 298 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:12.000 be into it. It's just like a formality, right like 299 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:15.279 Bucket Johnson like that when you score, like that's that's 300 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:17.159 that's just how it is. And it's not like they're 301 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:19.799 disrespecting you. That's just the way it is. But they 302 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:23.120 usually introduced the road team first, right, Well, he was 303 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:25.200 introducing us like he was I mean, he was my 304 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:27.240 hype man or hype like not just me, but like 305 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:30.600 he had some he had some real real energy and 306 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:32.679 it was it was, and I'm like, this is this 307 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:34.360 is different. And then of course he did it for 308 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:36.480 Shawnee as well, and he certainly turned it up a 309 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:38.399 notch or two for them because he was the guy 310 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:40.559 that calls their games. And I'm not sure if he 311 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:42.000 still does now, but I know he did then. This 312 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.720 was back in like two thousand and four, two thousand 313 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.039 and five, and I just remember thinking, like, man, I 314 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.360 can there's an energy here, like there's this is like 315 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:50.960 knowing when you make a shot, this guy is going 316 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:54.080 to be, you know, hyping you up more than even 317 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:56.679 if you were on your home floor with the local 318 00:15:56.679 --> 00:15:58.840 guy that's doing the PA at your high school. And 319 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:00.320 it was just a cool energy man and he was 320 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:04.000 bringing a lot of a lot of energy. And I 321 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:05.919 made the first shot of the game. I don't think 322 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:08.519 I scored much, but in that game, I made the 323 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:12.120 first shot and I made a three. And you know, still, 324 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.320 this was before I realized that he actually would bring 325 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.799 the same level regardless of who's scoring. So I made 326 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:23.039 a three. He's I think he's on the stage at 327 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:25.320 the high school. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't remember him 328 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:27.960 being at scores table, but anyways, you know, it's an 329 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:30.360 empty gym. We're playing. Yeah, we played at six o'clock. 330 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:31.960 The girls played at seven thirty, so this is a 331 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.039 weekday at six o'clock. There's not a whole lot of 332 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.639 people there, so I wasn't expecting to really hear anything. 333 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.600 After I made a shot and all of a sudden, bang, 334 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:43.000 I said, bang, And he did it after anybody made 335 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.559 a three, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, 336 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:48.759 and like, we never experienced anything like that, you know, 337 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:51.360 at all, and it was just really cool. We end 338 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.840 up winning, and I just remember that. And then my dad, 339 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.600 my father was one who told me like who he 340 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:59.120 was and kind of introduced me to what the Dirt 341 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.279 Bowl was talked about, Errol Griffith and his time. You know, 342 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:04.519 how big of a phenom he was before he got 343 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.519 to Louisville, and how the legends tell the stories of 344 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:10.119 griff showing up at a young young age out there 345 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:12.599 just dominating when he's like fourteen and he's playing against 346 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:14.960 grown men, and just kind of it really got me 347 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:18.000 interested in the culture of Louisville basketball more so than 348 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.880 just Louisville meeting the University of Louisville. And I'm a 349 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:22.480 nerd for that kind of stuff. So like, I just 350 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:24.720 all I've understo, like I understand what the Dirt bol is, 351 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:28.559 and to have the folks at U of L reach 352 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:30.480 out and do this, it's just a really it's just 353 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:33.240 a really cool connection. And there's people who aren't necessarily 354 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.519 like into basketball the way I am that that know 355 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:39.799 what the Dirt Bowl is and know Cornell Bradley so 356 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:42.759 well done and the Dirt Bowl itself. Like what I 357 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:45.359 find fascinating is there's so many guys in Louisville that, 358 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.880 for a variety of reasons, it didn't work out where 359 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:51.680 they were able to have great careers in high school 360 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:54.319 and go on and play in college. And obviously there's 361 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:56.480 been many guys that have that have played in the 362 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:58.839 NBA that are from Louisville, not U of L. But 363 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:01.240 just you know, there's to say we've got countless guys, 364 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:02.519 but there's been a lot of really good talent to 365 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:04.920 come out of Louisvel over the years, especially back long 366 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:09.279 before I was around. And there's guys that again didn't 367 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:11.599 have that same opportunity that it didn't work out for. 368 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.559 Maybe it was grades, maybe they just had some issues 369 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:17.079 in life. That kind of kept them from reaching their potential. 370 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.319 But like I remember some of those guys that I 371 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:21.039 played against, I played with. There's a guy that I 372 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:23.599 played AAU with my junior years. His name is Terrence Britt. 373 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.599 He played at Fern Creek High School. To this day, 374 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:27.279 one of the best players I've ever watched that I've 375 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:31.359 ever played against and alongside with. And you know, he 376 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:34.759 had some academic issues and didn't get recruited by the 377 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:37.200 bigger schools because they just knew he wouldn't qualify and 378 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:40.279 played JUCO briefly, and like, I don't know last i'd 379 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:42.640 heard Terrence had fallen on some hard times, but I 380 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:45.599 remember not that long ago, I was looking at the 381 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.640 paper and he won MVP of the Dirt Ball and 382 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:50.680 I'm like, that's what that is. Like there's guys that 383 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:54.319 didn't have maybe the net, they didn't have the resources, 384 00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:56.799 or they just had some some hardships that kept them 385 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:59.920 from realizing their potential unfortunately. But man, they could hoop 386 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:02.359 and when they want to go show what they can do, 387 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.000 like the Dirt Bowl is for that. And I remember 388 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:08.839 seeing that and thinking, like, man, likes that's one. I'm 389 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.759 not surprised because he was one of the best players 390 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:13.039 I've ever watched. Like I'm not kidding you. I believe 391 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:17.079 better circumstances for him, he'd be an NBA and I 392 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:19.240 don't even think he played past a year Juco. But 393 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:23.480 shout out to Cornell Bradley, and I really hope that 394 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.200 this you know, everything they're doing to get people there, 395 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:28.839 I hope it works out, man, because this team deserves 396 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:30.839 it and the fans, I mean, like, you want to 397 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:32.359 be able to be a part of a game in 398 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:34.480 an atmosphere where it feels like, hey, not only are 399 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:37.519 we winning and this is fun. Look around. This place 400 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:39.720 is more crowded than it's been in a long time. 401 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.160