Louisville Basketball Postgame Show - Morehead State

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
The Louisville basketball game just ended, and now it's time
for you to react. It's the Louisville Basketball postgame Show
on Sports Talk seven to nine days. Now here's Nick Coffee.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good evening, and welcome in to the Louisville basketball postgame
Show here on Sports Talk seven to ninety Nick Coffee.
That is me the company man, mister John Alden, producing
this evening as Louisville moves to one to zero on
the season in the first official game of the Pat
Kelsey era, and it was not much of a game,

(00:39):
just a dominant performance as the Cards win ninety three
to forty five over Morehead State again ninety three to
forty five. They won the first half forty one to
fourteen and dominated the second half fifty two to thirty one.
So that is that is exactly what you need to
get this thing started. I mean, I mean, you could

(01:00):
one by I mean twenty and I think most fans
would have been, you know, pleased. But it wasn't just
the score to night, it was how it looked. I mean,
this team came out and really showed at the very
beginning that they are a reflection of their head coach,
and I know I sound like a broken record because
I've mentioned that many times throughout I guess, you know,

(01:21):
the Pep Kelsey era officially started tonight because you know,
he coached his first game. But seeing them in the Bahamas,
that's the first thing that stood out to me when
when watching them play. And I hate to do it,
but that was the first thing that stood out to
me when I watched Kenny Payne coach this this program
and coach that team in his first exhibition game.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
It was alarming.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
You know, You're seeing something on the floor that is,
you know, reflective of what is on the sideline, and
it was it was concerning, and you know, I wasn't
looking for that, but man, when I saw these guys
in the Bahamas diving on the floor for loose balls
in a game that only Louisville fans are streaming on YouTube,
and they're playing like it's a national championship game, that

(02:01):
was a good sign. And then tonight they came out
and really just were relentless defensively, and I think all
the things that you really believe can make this team
good enough to make the tournament and I don't know,
maybe win a couple of games.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Or something like that.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Clearly, we got a long way to go before we
get there, and Morehead State is not a great team.
But when you think of a scenario where this Louisville
team is not only much better than what we had
the last few years, but a team that wins games
and you feel confident in when they go out and
play good teams, and again, I know more State is
not that, but again let's use our imagination a little

(02:41):
bit here. Try to envision a scenario where you've got
a good record, maybe you're a top twenty five team,
and you've got a good acc team coming to your
house for a game in February. If that's where we are,
I'd say it's because Louisville at that point has shown
that they have a lot of a lot of options.
They're deep, they can have a couple of guys that

(03:03):
throughout the year, any given night they're leading you in scoring, well,
maybe on one night they're off right, they're just not
feeling it. Well, you've got guys that you can go
to that it's no surprise. It's almost the expectation for
them to to really kind of give you the same thing.
There's not a whole lot of separation between many of
these guys on the team, and that's a good thing.

(03:24):
So again, the things that you would envision this team
is good at right. They're they're gonna they're gonna dictate tempo,
they're gonna get up a lot of shots. They're gonna
the games that they play in if they are doing
what they what they're supposed to do. That means there's
a lot of possessions. And the one thing I mean again,
tonight they shot thirty one percent from three may to

(03:44):
eleven of thirty six three pointers. That's not a great
night for them, but it's also not I mean, I mean,
it's not good. But you know, it didn't really matter tonight.
And if you are somebody tonight that watched this game
and you felt like, man, why are they firing up
a bunch of threes? Why are they just jacking it up,

(04:06):
just get used to it. That that is who they
are and that's what they're gonna do. And they made
eleven of them. I feel like most of them were
uncontested looks. But I was watching really when they had that.
There was a stretch in the first half where they
I think missed like nine in a row from three, which, honestly,
if you take away that stretch, I mean they were

(04:26):
pretty they were pretty good outside of that stretch.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
But they hit they hit it.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
There was a stretch in the game where they they
couldn't get it to fall, and I could just you know,
I could feel Louisville fans saying, hey, why are we
keep jacking it up? Well, that's that's who they are,
not saying they're just gonna keep firing it firing it
up at all times. But their identity is going to
be a team that guys out there have the green
light and if the ball's moving and they've got a

(04:49):
clean look and they're.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Set, let it rip, let it rip. That that is
who they are.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
So when you think of teams offensively, and I don't
mean former Louisville teams, just think of a basketball team
that you have followed pretty closely and you had a
pretty good feel for who they were. You knew their
identity and their characteristics. I would imagine if you're listening
to this show right now, it's probably you're probably thinking
of a Louisville team right well, this Louisville team when

(05:16):
you think about them, in Offen like them having the ball,
trying to get into something, trying to really, you know,
get the game played where they want to play it.
It's exactly what you saw tonight. And yes some shots
didn't fall at times, but I mean any given night
they may go I don't know, twenty one to thirty one.
That would be insane, but that's how this team is built.

(05:38):
So a dominant performance Tonight, ninety three to forty five.
Louisvill wins over Morehead State in Pat Kelsey's first career game.
If you are just now joining us, I don't know.
Maybe you just got to the car from the game.
Maybe you just fired up the app to listen on
the Aheart radio app.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Whatever you're doing wherever you are, feel free to give
us a call. Five oh two five seven one seventy
nine hundred. Again, five oh two, five to seven to
one seventy nine hundred is the number if you want
to react to Pat Kelsey getting his first career win.
As I mentioned, there's often times where I'm kind of
piecing together my initial thoughts on the game as we
get this thing started. That's not necessarily the case tonight,

(06:13):
because this game was over pretty quickly, but it was
nice to see even towards the end.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
I mean, you had a.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Shot clock violation right before actually it was around the
two and a half minute mark, because you were waiting
for the under four TV timeout at the end of
the say, at the end of the game, and it
was a shot clock violation that led to that stoppage.
But at that point before the stoppage there to where
they emptied the bench put the walk ons in, I mean,

(06:39):
you still had your starters out there playing as if
the game was on the line. And that's I mean,
that's the kind of stuff that you know, doesn't guarantee
that you're going to beat anybody you play. When you
have that kind of a mindset, certainly you're in a
much better position if you are working that hard. And
they did it from start to finish tonight. But as
somebody who was not there, I mean, it was awesome

(07:00):
them to see the fans that were still in attendance
and the fans that were there. I don't even want
to get into.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
Like the amount.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
I don't I mean, I don't, I do not care,
and I don't want to talk about the total attendance
because obviously I'm sure it wasn't what a lot of
fans would have expected, but the people that were there.
I was watching that game at home, and the atmosphere
it wasn't as if like it was an all time
atmosphere to where you're thinking, man, this place is rocking.

(07:26):
But when when the team was playing hard, diving on
the floor for loose balls, blocking shots, using defense to
create offense, I mean, those that were there were on
their feet loud as hell. And I feel like when
it went to that TV timeout because they got a
shot clock violation, working their ass off on defense, up
fifty points with a couple of minutes left. I mean,

(07:46):
the fans that are there, man, they appreciate that, and
that's just GOODNA mean that to me kind of felt
like one of our moments, if you know what I'm saying,
like when if this thing works out long term, even
if it doesn't, I mean, well I shouldn't say it doesn't,
but I mean, like with this thing, if we are
let me let me rephrase that. If we are twelve
thirteen games in and things are going pretty well, you've

(08:08):
had a really challenging schedule. As we know Loisville does
have in the non conference part of this, and you're
feeling pretty good about it, and the fans are energized.
Each time you have a notable game at home, there's
more and more fans showing up. Like we're slowly but
surely building this thing back up to where it's a
given that anytime this team's playing, there's gonna be a
lot of fans there.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
Not twenty two thousand.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
I'm sure, but like, if we get there, I think
I'm gonna go back to that moment where there was
a shock clock violation. You're up fifty points. I don't
think I'm exaggerating. I don't remember exactly what the score was,
but it was right around fifty. And that's when, I mean,
that's when you had a standing arena of fans just
cheering their ass off.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
You had players, you know, get.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Me, feeling what they've probably never felt before. I mean,
I know some of these guys did play at other schools,
like for example, Chucky Hepburn came from Wisconsin and and
he obviously had a good run there. And and when
and when they're good, they're they have a great atmosphere.
I mean, is it the I think it's the Coal
Center where they play. I mean, if Wisconsin basketball is

(09:12):
in a good place, like I'm sure, I'm sure Chucky's
played in some big time environments during his two years,
three years, whatever it was in the Big Ten, but elsewhere,
you know, I would imagine even though we didn't probably
feel like tonight was like the craziest crowd as far
as the amount of people there. But man, these guys
were playing hard and that place got loud on hustle
plays on May threes. I mean, it was just nice

(09:33):
to be reminded that if you no matter who's there,
how many, I mean again, you want as many people
there as possible. I'm not somebody that's going to criticize
anybody who decided not to spend a couple of hundred
bucks to go see the game tonight, because I understand
that's not a small expense to a lot of people,
especially if you're somebody that's maybe going to try to
get tickets to Tennessee on Saturday, because that's good. You know,
hopefully that place is is rowdy and hopefully there are

(09:55):
a ton of fans there. But it was it was,
I don't know, tonight wasn't a whole lot different than
what we saw in stretches of the exhibition games, but
one it's a real game. And I'm not gonna sit
here and tell you that Louisville be a good team tonight,
because I don't know. We have no I mean Morehead State,
Like a lot of teams in college basketball, they're they're

(10:16):
putting it back together, right. They lost a lot of
guys like everybody does in the portal. Their coach left,
which means they probably had more leave their team than
the average. But what I can tell you is that
Morehead State team, as far as personnel, has substantially better
talent than anybody we have seen play Louisville in these exhibitions,
rather be in the Bahamas or Spalding or Young Harris,

(10:40):
and Louisville was as dominant today, more dominant today I
feel like then they have been have been in any
of those games. And what that tells me is that
Pat Kelcey, we don't have a I don't think we're
gonna have a problem with him being able to get
guys ready, him being able to motivate and bring energy
to get these I mean, these guys feed off of
it clearly. And again I've said it a billion times,

(11:04):
why not say it once more? You can tell these
guys on the floor, the way they play, their style,
their energy, it's it's it's a reflection of the guy
that's leading them, and that's a sign of good leadership.
And when you play with that kind of energy and intensity,
more often than not, you're going to put yourself in
a position and win a lot of ball games. So again,
Louisvill winners. Tonight, ninety three to forty five, It is

(11:26):
the Louisvill basketball postgame show here on Sports Talk seven
to ninety we will have Pat Kelsey's press conference coming.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Up for you here shortly. Usually if we if we.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Follow the same pattern we've had thus far in these
basketball postgame shows, the callers usually get rolling as the
press conference is concluding or after the fact. But you
actually do have some time now to go ahead and
get in if you want. So. Five x two, five seven,
one seventy nine hundred is the number if you've got
thoughts reaction again, Ninety three to forty five was the

(11:59):
score of blowout.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Even bigger than your exhibition games.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
To be honest with you, I don't have the score
in front of me as far as what happened against
Spaulding and Young Harris, but it felt like tonight was
actually more dominant than either of those two games. And
I think these guys, I don't want to act like
they didn't play hard in the exhibitions, because I think
they did. I mean, they won without much issue. But
what made me happier tonight. And I don't know if
it's gonna be if it's gonna be something I remembered

(12:25):
down the line, if it's something that ends up having
like a lot of value, But I just I don't know.
To me, this was a really you know, not that
there haven't already been some good signs as far as
where this thing can can go with Pat Kelce being
the head coach, but there was a level of knowing, hey,
this is really, this is really when it starts, this

(12:45):
is like, this isn't an exhibition, this is a real game,
and we've got to come out here, We've got to
set the tone. And they came out playing so hard defensively,
I mean just everything Morehead State did in the first
half to get their fourteen points points. I mean, one
was a prayer of a three pointer that was thrown
up early on in the game. The other was a

(13:07):
really really well defended shot. That's just like, man, that's
you earned that bucket, you got, you earned all two
of those points that came from that one. And then
they had some free throws. I mean they made one
of twenty one to end the first half because Louisville
was going ten deep at times and just smothering them defensively,

(13:29):
and that wasn't ever a huge like I I knew
going in tonight, Like, even whatever the result is, you
really are going to find out a lot more about
where you are when you play Tennessee on Saturday. And
even if you see some things that you know are
maybe potentially concerning, maybe an area where other teams can
expose you that kind of stuff, you know, we'll react

(13:50):
to it, and probably if it's a negative thing or
if it's a concerning thing, we'll probably be worried about
potential results when you get to the Bahamas, right, But
I mean until we get there and then you've got
tough games before then. But I'm just saying, like, you
can get better, you can improve, so early results, yeah,
we're gonna react to it. And there's a lot of
ball left, so therefore it can be said that you know,

(14:14):
you can improve on it. But I was worried that
Louisville would find themselves at times going up against some
teams where defensively they could be not exposed necessarily. But
like there's certain guys on this team where you can
just tell like they're gonna have a tough time consistently
just getting stops if the guy that they're guarding is
somebody that is a score, somebody that is playing a

(14:37):
role on his team to break you down and try
to go get a bucket.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
But tonight, I mean, they.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Just played so hard that like team like collectively, like
you know, there were certain guys that were you know,
out of I shouldn't say out of a position, but
you know, if somebody did get a little bit of
a lane, you know, the help defense was right there
and just just absolutely pestering. More Head stayed in every way.
I mean, more Head State shot twenty three percent in
this game. Morehead State made twelve shots in the entire game.

(15:06):
Louisville made eleven three pointers. Morehead State made twelve field goals.
And I guess this is a good chance, no better
time than now to check the actual you know, check
the actual numbers. I was trying to wait till a
little bit later on to before we start just rambling
off numbers here, but yeah, twenty three percent.

Speaker 3 (15:24):
Louisll didn't shoot.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
A great either, by the way, forty five percent, which
is not I mean, it's not terrible, but clearly could
be a lot better. And they missed some shots that
you feel like that they typically would make. And I'm
not even talking about three pointers. But at the free
throw line better. Still not great, but sixty four percent
eighteen of twenty eight, I mean they took a step
in the right direction. The free throw percentage was much

(15:46):
better at half. I don't have the half box score
in front of me, but I know at the half
they took a big step in the right direction. But
obviously not as good in the second half. So improvement,
but still something you need to be better at. As
far as what we've seen from this team in exhibition
play and in this game tonight, turnovers Morehead State committed
twenty one of them. Louisville five points off turnovers. Louisville

(16:07):
turned and that look, when you shoot forty five percent
from the field and you shoot sixty four percent from
the free throw line after you shot twenty eight free throws.
Here's how you end up with a score of ninety
three points. You created twenty nine points off turnovers. Your
defense created twenty nine points for you. And that's not

(16:29):
going to be something you can do every night, obviously,
depending upon the opponent, but that's how you dominate games
where you really when it comes to an efficiency, standpoint offensively.
I don't know when Actick did it. They didn't play
well offensively, but you know, forty five percent just looking
at the sheer numbers here like that, that's not great.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
In fact, that's not very good.

Speaker 2 (16:49):
But you still have a ninety three to forty five
score because of how hard you played defensively. I felt
like they were dominating the backboard in this game, and
in the end it was forty nine to forty five,
so you still had an edge, but not as much
as I would have thought. Twelve second chance points for Louisville,
eight second chance points for Morehead, state bench points forty three,

(17:10):
so forty three year ninety three came from the bench.
And this is a h I'm not making a bolt
prediction here because that would be something fools do. After
just one x one game against Morehead State, but just
knowing how the roster is built and sort of knowing
that you you know, you have a lot of guys

(17:31):
that are relatively I don't want to say the same
level when it comes to talent or you know, I
don't know, but I would not be shocked if Louisville
ends up being one of the leaders in the country
and bench points per game. Now, that may not produce
a team that's great because again maybe you know, maybe
you're just in I don't know, Like I don't want
to present that as if, hey, if we do this,

(17:52):
then that's a Final four team, But just given the personnel,
given that they are, Like, if you have this roster,
even if Pat wasn't somebody as a coach that really
wants to utilize depth and wants to be balanced and
play a lot of guys, you'd be foolish not to
because that is your strength. Like, there's not many guys
on this team that I believe have like the individual
ability to take over a game and be a twenty

(18:15):
five you know, point per game kind of guy routinely.

Speaker 3 (18:18):
I mean, not many can.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
That's a lot of points, but you got to utilize
the fact that you can. You can bring in four
new players five minutes into the game and just depending
on how guys are feeling, how guys are playing, or
maybe depending upon the matchup, you may put a better
lineup in after the first break, after the first stoppage
than the one you started with. I mean that that

(18:42):
is truly your strength. I mean Korin didn't have a
great night tonight as far as numbers, just four points,
made two of his five shots in nineteen minutes. Obviously,
Cason came off the bench and did really well once again.
Eighteen points, was five to ten from the floor, had
a double double with eighteen and twelve four assists are
really good floor night overall for case In Pryor. But

(19:03):
you know, when you can go to the bench and
that's that's that's who's coming in, guys who you know,
for a lot of teams would be probably playing thirty
plus minutes, that's that's that's where you are. That's where
you have a chance to, you know, not only beat
a team like this ninety three to forty five, but
like that's that's where you are going to be able

(19:24):
to potentially see yourself beating good teams and maybe having
a You know, when I say special, I'm trying to
toe the line here because I don't want to act
as if what happened tonight means that I think this
Louisville team's about to win, you know, twenty five regular
season games because again it's Morehead State. You know, you
did cover with ease, you win ninety three to forty five.

(19:45):
But I mean this team's going to be a problem
for for for a lot of opponents because of there's
real like even if you've got a couple of guys
that are just you know, not making shots, if they
play within the system and they're bringing it defensively regardless
if shots are falling or not, I mean, it's gonna

(20:07):
be like there's no real like, there's no downtime for
your opponent. And you know, tonight, let's be real Morehead
State's probably an opponent that is a little bit easier
to defend than a lot of the teams are gonna
play this year, including Tennessee who's coming to town on Saturday.
But still, I mean, if they play like that, with
that kind of energy, I think this season's gonna end

(20:29):
up being a pretty special one. And again, when I
say special. What I mean is you're going from winning
four games to eight games to now feeling like, hey,
we'd really have to have a let down here to
not make the tournament. And I know that, Hey it's
one game and you played morehead trust me, I'm aware
of that. But I've said really since the roster came
together and knowing Pat Kelce, his formula, his track record.

(20:52):
I know Charleston and Winthrop is not Louisville, but the
guy has a formula and it's worked.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
He's been effective.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
The only season he is ever had where he did
not have a winning record by a lot was his
first year at Winthrop. Since then, he's been really successful,
wins a lot of basketball games. And yes, I know,
again different level when you jump up to a place
like Louisville. But he also is working with some players
as far as talent that I think, you know, not

(21:21):
to say these are guys that he would never be
able to coach at a level like Charleston, but he's
got a collection of really really nice, like solid players,
and sometimes you'll have guys go off, and you know,
Terrence Edwards, at any moment, he could turn it on
and give you twenty five case in Pryor, a walk
in double double. I mean not to say he's gonna
do it every single night, but like that's never gonna
be a surprise, and I'm trying to find the right

(21:43):
way to articulate it because what really is is gonna
be potentially what I think is going to be the
strength of this team when it's all said and done,
is that on any given night you will have one
of maybe eight nine guys go for nearly twenty and
it's it's not in any way of surprise. I mean,

(22:03):
rayin Smith tonight four of ten from three forty percent,
I mean twelve points. I mean I feel like two
of the ten I'm sorry, two of the six that
he missed. I mean like those could easily have gone in.
And if that's the case, my man would have ended
with eighteen, a quiet eighteen. But he you know, got
hot from three because that's what he can do. Back

(22:25):
to the numbers here, as mentioned, Caseon Pryor led the
way eighteen points and twelve boards, fifteen points for Javon Hadley,
kind of a quiet fifteen, but certainly a good night
for him and James Scott. I mean that guy came
out had the motor running. That was probably as I mean,
twelve points on six of eight shooting, did miss both
free throws, had five boards. I mean, he did all

(22:48):
that in fifteen minutes of action, and I didn't ever
doubt that he had it. But man, he had the
motor running early on. I felt like, other than Chucky
just you know, being a pest as soon is, as
soon as Morehead State got the ball in any situation,
he was just right in their guards and just you know,

(23:09):
just pestering them. That's what he does. It's and that's
what you need. You need somebody like that to set
the tone. But other than that, I thought James Scott
was out there just like I mean, a maniac. When
I say that, I mean that in a good way.
Usually if you call somebody a maniac, it's not a compliment.
But I think he was. I mean he was bringing energy, effort,
enthusiasm higher than anybody else. So quite again, twelve points

(23:30):
and five boards with two assists in fifteen minutes of action,
that's a hell of a night for James Scott. Terrence
Elwards Junior an efficient night, twelve points, made two or
four from three point range, did miss both three throws,
but again twelve points, three boards, three assists, and the
others in double figures. I mentioned Rain Smith knocking down

(23:53):
four threes to give him twelve points. Case In prior
with eighteen, and then other than that you had eight
from Chucky at Burn. I felt like Trey Ore could
ever had such an impactful night, and he did nine rebounds,
three assists. Let me pull up the other numbers here
because he's one of those guys to where and this

(24:15):
is you know, I wouldn't say that I felt like,
I don't feel like he played like a phenomenal game,
but like his impact is not is not always viewed
with just points. I mean, he was one of two
from the free throw line, made just one of four shots,
and I think two of the shots he missed were
one of them was a layup, and I think one
of them was a dunk. But he had nine boards,

(24:35):
three assists, And I'm trying to find the steals here
because I feel like he was all over the place. Yeah,
blocks and steels, those are some valuable numbers here that
didn't show up until I expanded the box score here.
So of the twelve steals you had tonight, caseon Pryor
had three of them. Corn Johnson had a couple of them.

(24:56):
James Scott had a couple. I mean, look, James Scott
plus I mean the plus minus gonna be a little misleading,
but plus twenty three from James Scott six of eight
from the floor, five boards, two assists, one block, and
two steals in fifteen minutes of action. But back to
Trey Ora, Yeah, he ended up with let's see, two blocks,

(25:18):
one steal in twenty one minutes. So I don't know,
I've always felt like he was somebody that was going
to be like this super valuable guy that maybe didn't
score a lot of points but did a whole lot
for you. And I feel like I watched the game
tonight and could remember his impact. But the numbers on
every level aren't necessarily back in it up. But then again,

(25:39):
I mean, not nine rebounds in twenty five minutes of
action is a pretty good day's work. And one of
the best traits you can have as a college basketball player,
really as a basketball player at any level, is knowing
who you are and being content with who you are.
Like he's not trying to take to take over a game,

(26:02):
and you know, go one on one against anybody like
Treila is a fifth year dude who knows my impact
is going to be energy, physicality, rebounding, playing defense, and man,
you can't find many guys like him that are that
selfless that can impact a game and they don't really
need to take a single shot. Like I don't even

(26:22):
remember the bucket that he had. To be honest with
you might have been a yeah, it was the alley oop.

Speaker 4 (26:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
The one bucket that he had was an alley up
that I'm pretty sure he created because he got the steal,
passed it to maybe rain Smith, and he lobbed it
up to him and.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
Uh and got it done.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
I would say, of all the guys tonight and really
as far as exhibition play and tonight's game, the one
player who I'm not saying like I'm worried as if
like you know, this is something that's got to be fixed,
like this is concerning. But Noah Waterman, you know, he
may he made a couple of shots tonight, but he

(26:59):
just he's the one guy that I just don't think
has looked kind of you know, as comfortable as others.
But let's go live to the Pat Kelsey Press comments
right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 5 (27:06):
He is a stud and uh, I'm just really really
proud of him and his guys.

Speaker 6 (27:12):
So that was unbelievable. I thought the crowd was phenomenal tonight.

Speaker 5 (27:16):
Goosebump's moment for me on those times where our teams
made a run and they called a time out and
the place went nuts. Man, Like, you know, I've coached
for a long time in home games and I've never
had a home game like that, and it was it
was something that.

Speaker 6 (27:33):
I'll remember, you know, for the rest of my life.

Speaker 5 (27:38):
You know, I get to make these statements at the
beginning before you guys ask any questions, so I can
kind of say what I want to say. We say
never to lay gratitude. I'm just so blessed to be
the head coach at at Louisville. You know, I believe that,
you know, God is a plan, and I believe I'm
sitting in this chair and the head coach at Louisville,

(28:01):
you know, for a lot of reasons and a lot
of hard work by our staff and things like that.
But I also think that I have this platform now
at a really high level with a lot of cameras
and a lot of people looking at me and a
lot of people listening to me. So I do think
it's important that I acknowledge, you know, uh, where I'm

(28:22):
centered in my devotion to my faith and and to Christ.

Speaker 6 (28:27):
And you know, with.

Speaker 5 (28:30):
All the craziness that's going on in the world today,
and as crazy as the world is, from the bottom
of my heart, I believe with everything I got that
that Jesus is the answer because He is Love. And
I just want to make sure that when I have
the opportunity like this to be at this level and
the coach at a place like Louisville, that I.

Speaker 6 (28:51):
Make sure that that I glorify Him first and foremost.

Speaker 5 (28:55):
Proud of our players, I thought they played really hard.
Their attention to detail on scouting report was meticulous. Over
the last several days. We have an old, mature team
that you know, they amazed me by just their attention
to detail and their focus and scouting reports. And they
did that for young Harris, they did that for Spaulding,

(29:18):
and they did that tonight for Morehead. And you know,
I'm one hundred percent sure that they're going to do
the same thing for a huge, huge game here at
the youm you know that that the nation will kind
of be looking at as we get ready for for
a very very good and uh obviously a well coached
team by a Hall of famer here on Saturday, and

(29:40):
we're looking forward to it. We're fortunate to have that
opportunity and we're excited.

Speaker 4 (29:51):
You've obviously had big wins before at home. What could
you elaborate on what you meant by never had a
home game like this before.

Speaker 6 (29:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
Yeah, I don't want to say that in any way
that say that I'm saying he disparaging about the home games.
I've coached that before because every one of them was
special to me. But man, the exhibitions were cool, but
it's different. It was different tonight. And you know, they

(30:21):
have this magic lighting where it kind of like blacks
out a little bit the upper deck, so like you
couldn't really tell that there weren't a ton of people.

Speaker 6 (30:29):
Up there, but that lower bowl was packed.

Speaker 5 (30:32):
And I'm pretty darn sure I know our fan base
and obviously they know the caliber of the game that
we play on Saturday.

Speaker 6 (30:41):
That I bet if I squint.

Speaker 5 (30:42):
Up there in those like blacked out areas with those
special lights that they have, there's gonna be some people
up there too, so we're gonna need every one of them.
And you know, this, this place, this arena, when it's
buzzing like it was tonight, is a different fence maker.

Speaker 6 (31:01):
It's a factor. Our crowd was a factor.

Speaker 5 (31:03):
Tonight when we got those ovations and the place got
really loud, and it just absolutely changes things. So you know,
I know our fans were phenomenal tonight. I know they'll
accept the challenge to make it one of the most
hostile environments in college basketball on.

Speaker 7 (31:20):
Saturday, Coach, if you could just talk about the defensive
effort in the first half to only allow three makes
only fourteen points allowed in that first half. You play
a high possession game, so the whole team to fourteen
points is almost impossible. Just kind of talk about the
defensive effort.

Speaker 5 (31:38):
Yeah, we said it was really important to try to
get the game on our terms because we play a
very past pace and they're more of a slow paced team.

Speaker 6 (31:44):
There's a million ways to skin a cat. There's a
lot of different ways to win, whether you're.

Speaker 5 (31:47):
Fast paced, slow pace, you play inside, you play outside,
you play five out, whatever it is, there's a lot
of different ways to do it, but we knew if
if we couldn't get stops and they were getting to
the free throw line right then the tempo of the
game would get taken out. We just talked about, you know,
getting stops, which is making a miss, no offensive rebounds,

(32:07):
and defending without follon, which kind of would ignite our
fast break and let us get out and do what
we do best, and that's play out in the open court.

Speaker 6 (32:14):
And our guys really did that. A lot of it
was that attention to detail.

Speaker 5 (32:18):
Their team that runs a lot of set plays, complicated
set plays, things that you really have to be on.
We talked about halving trying to disrupt them, disrupt their
rhythm because they wanted to play in rhythm with their
set plays.

Speaker 6 (32:31):
And then they have a bunch of wrinkles.

Speaker 5 (32:32):
Because with their set plays, they have the set, and
they have a counter to the set.

Speaker 6 (32:36):
They have a counter to the counter, and they have
a counter to the counter to the counter.

Speaker 5 (32:39):
And our guys were on all those and just did
a good job of making them labor to score, limiting
them to one shots. I thought at halftime they had
few too many offensive rebounds. A big kid twenty threes,
a load in there. But that's something that we can
clean up a little bit going into the next game.

Speaker 8 (32:56):
Coach, you know, everyone talks about the shooting ability of
your team, but only knock down a living threes and
shot thirty percent, was still able to get a big win.
What does that say about your team still being able
to score, you know in the nineties, even though you
weren't you know, hitting as many threes as you typically
want to hit.

Speaker 5 (33:13):
Man, I just thought, you know, when we're when we're
hunting great, hunting great shots, right, I don't and great
ones are you know, shots at the rim, get to
the free throw line, rhythm. Threes are things that we
really really value, Like I don't get caught up in
the in the makes and misses. Like we're generating great

(33:34):
ones by sharing the ball. I mean, we had twenty
one assists in five turnovers, and guys were giving up
good for great. They were touching the paint. They're a
help heavy team. We were spraying it getting open shots.
And if we're generating great ones, it's gonna hit. I
mean they missed four or five six in a row.
Keep hunting great, keep hunting great, and uh, at the
end of the day, you know, the consistency of playing

(33:57):
that way is gonna gonna end up being very very
efficient offense. So I didn't even know we only shot
thirty percent. We made eleven threes. I just know one thing,
like we're generating really really good shots because we were
playing selflessly.

Speaker 9 (34:12):
Yeah, I'm just curious. I'm you know, how you go
about a scouting a team like that, a first year
head coach. You know they have you know, they have
a good bit of turnover, you know, from the team
last season. So what was that process like for you?

Speaker 6 (34:25):
Yeah, you really got to dive into.

Speaker 5 (34:28):
Tendencies of personnel, right, I mean they most of their
players come from other places and things like that.

Speaker 6 (34:35):
You know, you.

Speaker 5 (34:36):
Really study, you study the places that the head coach
had been and you know, you just I mean, we
had all summer to do it, right, So, you know,
our staff, and I want to make sure I mention
our staff because all those details on personnel and on
preparation and on scouts, it's the job our staff does.
I mean, those guys are relentless in their attention to

(34:58):
detail and preparing our guys. Like you know, I'm just
the type where I don't prepare for the next game
till this one's over. Like I didn't start talking about
Morehead honestly, until spawting was over.

Speaker 6 (35:09):
I didn't.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
And you know, assistant coach that had that scout, they
do all the work. And then when I walk out
of here, you know, they'll give me the folder with
all the information on it.

Speaker 6 (35:20):
They give me my computer.

Speaker 5 (35:21):
It'll have all the breakdowns, We'll have all the da
da da da da da da, and then my sole
focus is on on Tennessee. I just operate better like that.
If I try to spend too many plates and I
lose focus on what's right in front of me, I'm
I'm I'm less effective.

Speaker 6 (35:33):
My adult add kicks in.

Speaker 10 (35:35):
I think I got it, Pat, How important was it
for you in terms of maybe style points isn't the
right way to say it, but to make a statement
to have this kind of performance in your first game,
kind of given what has happened in the past couple
of seasons.

Speaker 6 (35:52):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not. I don't.

Speaker 5 (35:54):
We don't nobody an organization focus on anything but right
now and what we're doing moving forward, you know, And
I know there's been a lot said about how it
was and how it this like, that's that's over, that's
in the past.

Speaker 6 (36:07):
It's about it's about the next thing. It's about Louisville
basketball moving forward.

Speaker 5 (36:10):
And yeah, I mean, you come out of a game
like that and crowd was great, our player fed off
the crowd, We played well, shared the ball.

Speaker 6 (36:20):
I mean, there was a lot of good things. There
was a ton of momentum today.

Speaker 5 (36:23):
So you always, like, you know, to come out of
games feeling good about all those things.

Speaker 6 (36:28):
But we go back to work tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (36:29):
In preparation, we always say, never accept in victory, which
you wouldn't accept in defeat.

Speaker 6 (36:33):
There's a lot of things that we can clean up.

Speaker 5 (36:35):
Can't give you all of them right now, but once
we watch Tate pour over that, we'll put this game
to bed.

Speaker 6 (36:43):
The first day when we come back, so.

Speaker 5 (36:44):
Our guys will be off tomorrow academics and recovery, and
then we'll have three days to get ready for Tennessee.
The first thing we'll do is focus on this game,
clean up all the stuff, and then we'll turn our
attention to Tennessee.

Speaker 4 (36:58):
There aren't many games that we've had here recently that
we're fifty point leads late. The fans, many of them
were still standing at that point. Do you think that's
just kind of a pent up I don't know, frustration
with the way things have been and a need to
let it out.

Speaker 5 (37:17):
Yeah. Again, our sole focus is now, Like I know,
you're the stuff that will be written about.

Speaker 6 (37:23):
How it was and how it is now.

Speaker 5 (37:25):
I mean, it's the new era of Louisville basketball and
that's all we're focusing on. And I just know the
crowd was elite tonight, the energy was elite tonight. The
standing ovation with up forty something at the end of
the game was awesome. And it's because we have the
best fan base in the country. You can't convince me otherwise.
And I think as they watch our team, I think

(37:49):
it's a team that is endearing to the minds and
hearts of the people of Louisville. I mean, this is
a town that values toughness, that values family, togetherness, community.

Speaker 6 (38:03):
We think we play a.

Speaker 5 (38:04):
Brand of basketball that this city is going to become very,
very proud of. It's not gonna be perfect all the
time the seasons of lifetime. There's gonna be the ups,
there's gonna be downs, but we're excited to be on
this journey. We're excited to have our fan base in
the city of Louisville on this journey with us.

Speaker 6 (38:21):
It's gonna be fun.

Speaker 7 (38:24):
Coach, if you could just your team is very aggressive defensively,
digging for steels, slapping down on the big guys when
they have the ball in the post. But even when
those guys gamble for steels, you don't tend to give
up a lot of easy looks if they don't get
the steal. What you know, like, what is the game
plan with that? Is that more of the players just
making decision on their own. Is that something that you
see schematically defensively when you look at them, like, what's

(38:45):
the process there?

Speaker 5 (38:47):
Well, we we value very much, you know, obviously playing hard.

Speaker 6 (38:52):
When when when you're.

Speaker 5 (38:53):
Playing active defensively, everybody is playing active defensively, it's almost
like there's an extra defender out there.

Speaker 6 (39:00):
So we talk about stance, length, activity talk at all times.
And you know, I thought we did that today.

Speaker 5 (39:06):
We have a lot of guys with great defensive instincts
as well.

Speaker 6 (39:10):
You know, just a couple of them to name.

Speaker 5 (39:12):
Chucky Hepburn is elite in his defensive instincts.

Speaker 6 (39:16):
Cason Pryor is another one.

Speaker 5 (39:17):
He's got elite defensive instincts, and sometimes those guys kind.

Speaker 6 (39:21):
Of go out of the system a little bit. But
you got to let them be who they are, right.

Speaker 5 (39:27):
You don't want to put those guys in a box
and take away one of their some of their true
true gifts. So you know, sometimes they'll get a little
crazy and gamble a little bit and it costs us
on the backside. But again, I'd rather try to reel
them back in a little bit than try to and
try to jeck that into them.

Speaker 11 (39:46):
You mentioned after that first exhibition that that was the
most nervous you'd ever been as a head coach and
had trouble kind of getting into a pregame rhythm. How
did this game compare to that in terms of nervousness,
And we're able to get into a little bit more.

Speaker 5 (39:58):
Man, I'll be honest with you, I was way more
nervous for the exhibition games. I don't know if it's
because maybe I'm in a routine a little bit or something.

Speaker 6 (40:06):
But prayed a.

Speaker 5 (40:08):
Lot this morning and asked for calm and for a
clear mind, and you know, God is great, so it
was awesome. I had a ton of family in from
Cincinnati today. My siblings, my parents, aunts and uncles, so
many people here to celebrate a really cool day. The
guys kind of doused me with water in the locker room.

(40:29):
Josh presented me with the game ball, his first official
win as the head coach.

Speaker 6 (40:34):
At Louisville, and it was I'm very grateful for that.

Speaker 5 (40:36):
It was an awesome time. But again, man, I'm just
a part of this. I have an elite staff. I
have a fun team to coach. Support we get from
our administration. Josh is the leader. We have great tools here,
we have great resources, and we have great human resources,
and I'm.

Speaker 6 (40:52):
Lucky to be a part of it.

Speaker 8 (40:54):
I just wanted to ask you, like you said, you
got Tennessee coming in this Saturday. You spoke about there
was some they were still open there. Just if you
can make a case to the Louisville fans for why
they should come out for the white out against Tennessee
on Saturday at the floors doors.

Speaker 5 (41:09):
Man, I mean, people know, people in this town know,
they know. I mean Josh, Josh and Brian Cloman were
the one that came to me and to go Game
two Tennessee, and I'm like.

Speaker 6 (41:25):
Tennessee game two, They're like, Yeah, it's gonna be at
the City. The City. I'm telling you, PK, like, do
the game, let's play it.

Speaker 5 (41:34):
They're gonna show up, places gonna be packed, it's gonna
be rocking. So I'm like, all right, so Josh promised
me the place is gonna be rocking and almost packed. So, uh,
you guys gotta you guys gotta have Josh's back and
get there and let's have uh, let's have twenty thousand
at them on Saturday.

Speaker 6 (41:50):
Play like I said, a.

Speaker 5 (41:51):
Great team, great team, phenomenally well coached, Hall of Fame
All American point guard.

Speaker 6 (42:00):
They got, they got, they the Noah's Ark, they got.

Speaker 5 (42:02):
Two of everything, and you know, and we're gonna need
the white out, We're gonna need the six man. And
I know the Louisville fan base in the City of
Louisville is gonna step up.

Speaker 6 (42:10):
Let's make Saturday really really special. Is that all right?

Speaker 5 (42:14):
Right?

Speaker 2 (42:18):
I'm not sure he could have handled the postgame presser
much better than that. Uh, let's do this. Let's take
a quick time out and get a get a first
break out of the way. If you guys want to
want to give us a call. We'll get to the
phone calls in just a second. Well after this break,
I should say five two, five seventy nine hundred is
the number, and a lot to unpack there for miss
press conference. Louislle winners tonight, ninety three to forty five,

(42:40):
an absolute beat down against morehead State Pat Kelsey getting
things started one to oher with a big game coming
up on Saturday afternoon taking on the Tennessee volunteers.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
It's a white out.

Speaker 6 (42:51):
I mean I.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Should have looked look this up before, but how many
guys have had their second career game at Louisville as
the head coach? And there aren't because you know what,
there haven't really been that many head coaches here. But
a big test and I am hopeful that that fans
show up in a major way because it's a big game.
Works out perfectly with the football team having a week off,

(43:13):
They've got momentum from their win against Clemson. You know,
Jeff Bromm and his team is going to be at
the game, and I hope that it's packed. But again,
quick break, we'll come back on the other side. Get
to your phone calls. Keep this thing rolling along again.
It is the Louisville Basketball postgame show here on Sports
Talk seven ninety and the number five O two, five
to seven to one seventy nine hundred. How about that
Louisville winners tonight ninety three to forty five over Morehead

(43:35):
State as Pat Kelsey gets things started with a big
time victory and a big time game coming up here
in Game two Tennessee and Town on Saturday at noon.
It is the Louisville Basketball postgame Show here on Sports
Talk seven ninety five oh two, five to seven, one
seventy nine hundred is the number if you want to
give us a call. I feel like I have said

(43:55):
that it's the Have I said football yet?

Speaker 3 (43:57):
I know?

Speaker 12 (43:58):
I think so?

Speaker 3 (43:58):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
As soon as I just said it's the Louisville basketball
postgame show, I'm thinking, like, man, I've probably just been
stuck on football postgame stuff and you know, mixed and
messed it up.

Speaker 3 (44:11):
But hey, if that was if.

Speaker 2 (44:13):
My biggest mistake tonight, as far as just saying something
incorrect or something stupid, or maybe butchering the English language,
if the biggest mistake I made was referring to this
as a football postgame show rather than a basketball postgame show.
Then I think I would call that a good night
for me. But that's that's just me, good night for Louisville,
no doubt. In ninety three to forty five, Pat Kelsey's
press conference, which we just shared with you guys, I mean,

(44:38):
the guy continues to say all the right things, and
I'm sure he is well aware of, you know, how
he could utilize the platform here after games and he
you know, I go back to when he was hired.
We were at Boom Bass. We were doing a live

(44:58):
show at Boomballs, and they had the introductory press conference
for Pat and obviously he killed that. And that doesn't
mean that everybody should just expect this guy to be
the best coach ever. But you know, he arrived in
Louisville knowing that he was not a name that fans
were thrown out as far as like, hey, let's go

(45:19):
get this guy. I mean, let's be real, there are
many many of you listening right now that when you
realized he was like a real candidate, you had to
go look who he coached, where what. And that's I
don't say that to like criticize you or say, like,
you know, look who's laughing now? Trust me, Like I
I just he knew that, and he executed flawlessly in

(45:42):
being relatable, being aware of the situation, having kind of
fun with it, if you know what I mean, referencing
Dusty May, referencing Scott Drew, and that was impressive to me.
And you know, then you learn more about him. And
by the way, disclaimer, I have no clue how it
all works out here, but I know this guy is
going to either succeed here or die trying.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
And I don't want him to.

Speaker 2 (46:06):
Kill himself overworking himself, because you know that would be
terrible and you know, tongue in cheek, I don't really
think that would happen. But like, he will put the
energy and effort into this job as much as you
humanly can, Like that's just who he is. And he
talked about his staff a lot, and he's gonna he's
gonna guess up his guys. He's gonna show appreciation because

(46:29):
I do again, like this is something we didn't know
we needed when he was hired. Now what we need
is louisvill Basketball to get back right, to get back
to winning, to get back to having some value as
far as brand, and it still does have value from
what was created with Denny Crumb many many, many many
years ago. Right as bad as things have been, Louisville

(46:50):
is still a program that, even though they haven't been
relevant lately, people know that Louisville basketball is one of
the most successful programs in the history of the sport.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
I mean people know that.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Even if you're talking about like high school kids that
don't want to come to Louisville because they want to
go to Kansas or to Carolina or Duke, they're aware
of Louisville. So like, that's not just going to go
away with one bad hire that really puts you in
a spot you never thought you'd be. So like, we
need to get back like results, that's what matters most,

(47:20):
but we also needed somebody to gas us up, if
you know what I'm saying, Like Pat Kelcey, I mean again,
like us as fans, Yes, we care, like we you
know I say we like and I hate doing it
because like I'm I mean, I'm not a season ticket holder.
I've I never have been, as you know, as an
adult because of one I wouldn't be able to afford it. Also,

(47:41):
I'm very fortunate to be able to have the job
and career that I have. But like, there are people
who Louisville basketball mean so much to and we had
somebody coaching at the last couple of years that was
a victim. He played the victim role flawlessly. I mean,
we weren't buying it, but like he was a victim.
He felt like everything that went wrong, and everything went wrong,
by the way, was a vict was a product of

(48:02):
somebody else's doing and not his fault. And we're sitting
here thinking like, how could this person not value the
job that he has? How can he not realize dude,
you're the Louisville basketball coach, like this is like you
should be putting everything into this. And I'm not sure
he ever cared when he coached here. I mean so
without like that. That's not something that would have been

(48:25):
listed by fans if there was a questionnaire that Josh
Hurd sent out to fans, which he never would, but
just humor me here, if there was a questionnaire sent
out like, hey, what are some things that you're really
looking for in the next basketball coach that we hire? Again,
not realistic that anybody would ever do that, And Josh
showed that you shouldn't do that because I'm going to
give him credit. Like I think he knew and although
he was in his first choice, like I think he

(48:47):
could tell that this guy not only would put in
the effort and energy, but he would do all the
little things. And I hate even calling them little things
because they're not. They now actually are in my opinion,
they've proven to be things that aren't little.

Speaker 3 (48:59):
They matter a lot. And that is how you handle.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yourself, how you you know, like when you talk about
how great the program is and you talk about how
appreciative you are, And that's what he led his press
conference with tonight by talking about how he's going to
utilize this opportunity in that platform to thank thank God,
and you know, be so appreciative of the fact that

(49:24):
he's here as Louisville's coach, Like that's something we didn't
really know that we needed. Now again, if he doesn't win,
then clearly like it's you know, it would be unfortunate
like that you.

Speaker 3 (49:33):
Got to win.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
But until we get to the point where he's had,
you know, a couple of years to kind of show
where things are, he's doing again what I think I
used to just chalk up as little things and I
guess technically, in the eyes of many, they probably are.
But man, the healing process for Louisville basketball fans is
going much quicker because of the words that this.

Speaker 3 (49:58):
Man is using.

Speaker 2 (50:00):
And it's not even really just about the words he's
using as far as like he's I mean, it's not
like he I mean, he's just being heartfelt. And I think,
you know, and I take him at his word. I
think he's genuine. I think he is somebody.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
I mean, look at it.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
Look look at him in this position. He was at Winthrop,
he was at Charleston, very successful. The pack, to my knowledge,
wasn't fielding calls for jobs of this caliber. But he
was on the radar of Josh Hurd and those those
two met and clearly he made an impression. And now
he's the coach here and I just feel like having

(50:31):
a guy that And I hate this because it's probably
keeping him from sleeping at night. I'm not sure he
sleeps at all. I'm not sure he's ever slept a
wink in his life. You guys seen him like he's
high energy all the time. But he is somebody that
I feel like at every point in his in his
day to day activity, he'll find himself occasionally thinking like, Wow,
I'm the head coach of the Louisville men's basketball program.

(50:54):
This is unbelievable. I have to make this work. I
have to take advantage of this opera a tunity that
I've been given. And that doesn't mean that he's going
to it doesn't mean that things are all going to
be great. But man, until we get there, until there's
been a little bit of, you know, time to really
assess sort of what direction this thing's going. And look,
I know it's gonna be a lot better than what

(51:14):
we just went through. But obviously we all know he
didn't hire somebody to be better than Kenny Payne. If
that's the case, you could have hired anybody. And I
don't say that jokingly, and I don't say that to
be mean. That's just the reality of it.

Speaker 3 (51:25):
So you know that press conference tonight, like if.

Speaker 2 (51:28):
That doesn't get you fired up for Pat Kelsey this
era of Louisville basketball, I mean, maybe you want to
see more than you know, beating a team like Morehead State,
But you know, this crowd tonight, I don't even know
what the attendance is. I don't even want to know.
Don't don't don't call in, don't text and tell me
the number. I mean, you can.

Speaker 3 (51:47):
I don't mean to be a jerk, but like, that's
not why I'm bringing it up.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
But this is a guy who is gassing up the
fans that are there right that. You know, he's talking
about his players feeding off the energy that that was
the UM Center, and man, that that hit me. I
had a real envy tonight of those of you that
were there. And I could have gone. It just didn't
work out with with with with my schedule, and obviously

(52:11):
there's gonna be games that I go to I just
can't stay long. And it actually works out better because
I can go to basketball games and stay longer than
I can football games because I can just walk out
of the UM Center and you know, easily get to
my car or walk back to our studio and do
the postgame show. So I'm gonna be at many games
this year. But tonight I couldn't make it work. But
I was jealous because when they were all standing up

(52:33):
after that shot clock violation with just about two minutes
left in the game, like that was a moment and
I don't know, it's corny, I get it, but that
was a moment like for me, and clearly those that
were standing up, I'm not sure if they were just
intoxicated on a couple of things. Maybe the cold beer
was flowing. Maybe they were intoxicated as well on the
awesome play that we saw from Louisville tonight. But that

(52:55):
that is, that is who we are as a fan base.
We will show up. I mean again, you would have
liked to have seen more fans there tonight, But the
people who go to a Monday night game against Morehead
State when you're coming off of a four win season
and an eight win season, and they're staying there when
the game is clearly over, you're up nearly fifty points,
and you've got your guys out there diving on the

(53:15):
floor forcing a shot clock violation, and you're standing screaming
your ass off as if you know the game just
started and the team went on a run. Like more
of what we saw tonight, I think will get us
back to where you're not selling out every game, especially
games like this. But man, it's like in somebody texted

(53:36):
us in earlier, and I think it's a good point.
They said they were at the game tonight, and it
felt like getting on a bike for the first time
in a long time and realizing, oh, yeah, this is routine.

Speaker 3 (53:46):
This is now.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Like you're not thinking about the last few years. You're
just back in the YOUMP Center cheering your ass off
because the Louisville basketball team is playing hard and they're
on a big run, and like it's kind of a
religion to us, Louisville basketball. So what a night, very
very very very good performance overall. But when it comes
to utilizing what you what you have in game one

(54:11):
to try to build up excitement and enthusiasm from your
fan base to get to your second career game where
you're playing a top fifteen team, playing a future Hall
of Famer on the other sideline in Rick Barnes. I mean,
this is awesome, and I have no doubt in my
mind that there will be a rowdy crowd. I don't

(54:33):
want to get it in numbers, because you know, I don't.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (54:37):
I'm not good at that and I'm usually way off.
But I got a feeling you'll see the lower bowl full.
In the upper level, there'll be there'll be many people there.
You'll be able to see empty seats, like that's my guess,
but hey, prove me wrong. Sell it out, that would
be that would be a tough ask. But the first

(55:01):
question that came in on the text line, by the way,
I haven't even given out that number. If you want
to text it night, you can't. Five O two six
five three zero seven ninety. Again, five O two sixty
five to three zero seven ninety is the number. If
you want a text in, you can also give us
a call five way two five seven one seventy nine hundred.
But the question that came in as soon as we
got back from break was is it possible, Like, is
there any chance they could actually sell this came out
on Saturday. I mean, it's possible. There are tickets for sale,

(55:23):
and if people buy them, it's a sellout. What I
don't know is like can it come together that quickly?
I mean, Louisville basketball, they haven't sold out a game
and I don't know how long. And usually it's because, well,
if things are going really well and the team's really good,

(55:43):
and you've got a big time like a big time
opponent in town, then you'll get some sellouts.

Speaker 3 (55:48):
Like it's it's it's happened but the price.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
Point has always been a little bit more well not
a little bit, sometimes a lot more expensive. I mean,
like tonight, it was not cheap for people to get
in the game. Tonight, it was chief for people to
get in the game against Spaulding. So I hesitate to
say that, like, who knows, maybe they sell it out.
I'm not going to expect that or even think about that,
because you know, it's still a I mean, it's a

(56:12):
financial thing more than anything, and I hate that. That's
where I hate and love that. That's where the conversation
has shifted. And what I mean by that is whenever
there were very few fans there for the Spaulding game,
I think there were more for young Harris, but overall
clearly not great crowds, and tonight, like I don't even
know the number, I don't care, but I know it

(56:33):
wasn't close to full right, So I don't think fans
are now complaining about the lack of attendance because they
want a better product. I mean, this is brand new,
but it went from hey, where's everybody at? And by
the way, like I I don't know, like people who
watch the game and they live like if you're a

(56:53):
Louisville fan and you live in Pennsylvania, you live in
Texas or something, and you tune in to watch these
games and you can't be there because you live far away,
and you see so many empty seats. I am sure
that you are like.

Speaker 3 (57:04):
Well, the hell's everybody?

Speaker 6 (57:05):
Yet?

Speaker 3 (57:05):
What's going on? Do I gotta drop back home?

Speaker 2 (57:09):
I mean, you're just ononer. I don't know, maybe you
bring some buddies with you. But like, I have sensed
that reaction from people at times about empty seats, and
it's those people who haven't been here a long time
or don't live here anymore that are more taken aback
by the attendance. Well lately, really since the Spalding game,
anybody talking about lack of attendance and needing more people there,

(57:31):
they've now shifted it to why is it so expensive?
And I think that's actually a positive for the fans,
if that makes sense, because like, at least we're not
like like, that's a legitimate and understandable reason, in my opinion,
why there aren't way more people there. Like, I don't
know how much money you guys have. I mean, everybody's

(57:52):
financial situation is different, but to take a family of
three to see Louisville basketball in an exhibition game wasn'tsanely expensive?
I mean, so you know tonight, I'm sure it was
just the same thing. And again, it's never good if
you have a half empty arena. It's never good if like, wow,

(58:13):
where's everybody at? Like you don't want that, But if
there's a legitimate reason that is I think an acceptable excuse.
That's probably not what UFL wants to hear. But like
that makes me, as a fan myself, think, Okay, it's
not as it nobody cares anymore. It's not as if
like things have died off to where the people that
are passionate about it have just gone away. It's just

(58:35):
that people are going to be wise with their money.
Like that just doesn't make a lot of sense. I
mean again, if you've got a ton of money, you
could spend a thousand bucks to go to the game
then and it probably doesn't impact you.

Speaker 3 (58:48):
But like two hundred and fifty.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
Bucks just to get in, get parked, get everybody tickets,
and maybe get everybody a drink like that, that's a
lot of money too. I think a lot of people
right now in this economy, and so when I say
it's good and bad, it's good on the Louisville fan side,
as far as like, hey, I'm not worried that we
that we I mean again, whenever we would have full
phone lines and so much just sadness and reaction during

(59:13):
the last era that let me know we don't have
to worry about people not caring. People could have easily
just checked out and not cared, but we had people
staying up till midnight sometimes one am after games because
they care that much. So I don't know how UL
fixes it. I will say this, If the prices are
what they are coming off of what Louisville basketball has

(59:36):
come off of in the last few years, it's because
they have to be like, it's business. There's a price point.
And that's again I'm not a business guy. I'm not
you know, I don't work in don't I don't know
how it even like, I don't even really know who
ultimately decides at the end of the day what the
actual ticket price is.

Speaker 3 (59:55):
But everybody at UFL knows that the basketball product has.

Speaker 2 (59:58):
Been terrible recently, right, we all know that everybody knows
that it's It's just it's an obvious thing. So if
they're asking you to pay fifty bucks per ticket when
you check out on Ticketmaster to go see an exhibition
game or even a game like tonight, it's because they
have to.

Speaker 3 (01:00:15):
Now could be wrong. I mean again, I say that
as if like it's a fact, But it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
Make like if they had some leniency as far as
the you know, the bank account to make games cheaper,
they would do it.

Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
I mean they would. Now would you.

Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
Make the same amount of money. Would you potentially make
more money if you had them cheaper and more people
bought them because they were cheaper, Like, I don't know. Again,
that's something that they decide on. But my hope is
that you get a crowd like you get like like
tonight against these kind of teams throughout to where hey,
maybe it's not filled anywhere close to to you know,

(01:00:58):
to the max, but those there, man, you can tell
there there.

Speaker 3 (01:01:01):
It's it's right.

Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
You know, other teams are gonna have to call a
time out when when the crowd's getting rolling because Louis
was on a run. And then when you have games
like what you've got coming up this Saturday, I hope
that we get close to filling it.

Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
Out or filling it up, like.

Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
I hope that you've got lower bowl full, upper level,
you know, seventy five percentful. Maybe I'm getting greedy here
because you know that hadn't been done in a long time.
But there's no you know, there's no perfect solution in
my opinion, to just automatically go from what we've had

(01:01:35):
in recent years with attendance, what we've had tonight and exhibitions,
to going back to what it was seven years ago,
Like there's I don't I mean, I think it's gonna
take a lot of time, and I think the economy's
got to improve. Like you know, when I say that
it was you know, potentially over two hundred dollars to
go to the game. When you just consider tickets for

(01:01:55):
three people parking and you know, maybe a drink like
a two hundred dollar bill on a Monday night like that,
that's that's a lot of money for a lot of people.
And if you're somebody that like wants to go to
the Tennessee game rather than this game for obvious reasons,
then you would sit out and you would wait until
you know you would you would you would spend whatever
money you can to try to get a ticket for

(01:02:16):
the bigger game.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
It's just how it works, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:02:19):
This text says, Nick, love this team, love their style
of play, and I'm glad you mentioned that firing up
threes is simply gonna be who they are. We're gonna
live with it and die with it. Yes, and no,
I mean I can't look actually, I can't say you're wrong.
My issue is that I don't think like living and
die Like living and dying by something in basketball has

(01:02:41):
always been one of in my in my opinion, again,
I'm sure people disagree. It's to me, it's it's it's
often used in a stupid way, like if you are
doing something really if you have something within your your
you know, if there's a specific trade about you as

(01:03:01):
a team that makes you potentially good, right, if you're
going to be a good team, it's because you did
this really well, and this is your weapon that you
have to use. You're always gonna live and die by it.
I mean that's I mean, every team, for the most part,
lives and dies with what makes them really good. Now,

(01:03:23):
if you've got a lot of things that make you good,
then you have a little bit more versatility. You know,
you can have a you know, you can have one
area of what you do maybe not be at its
best and still potentially win. But Pat Kelsey emphasized that
when asked about how did you you know?

Speaker 3 (01:03:39):
How were you able?

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
And again we talked about at the beginning of the
post game show, I mentioned, look, the reason you scored
ninety three points and yet you didn't have a great
night shooting it from three. You were a total of
eleven of thirty six. Not great, But you can still
score ninety three points because your defense was phenomenal and
you were able to turn that great.

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
Defense into what was it they pull it up here?

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
I mean they had twenty nine points off turnovers, and
Pat Kelcey, I mean, and this is this is something
that has been interesting for me to see because I
haven't watched a Louisville team play like this ever. And
then really are with that many teams that I think
play like this in general? I mean there's more and
more as we is the game evolves. I mean, the
team in Lexington who won big tonight, if you watch them,

(01:04:27):
if you want to, they're gonna be really similar.

Speaker 3 (01:04:29):
To what Louisville does.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
Like they fire up a lot of threes, and there's
gonna be stretches where they miss eight ten in a row.
I mean, that's what Louisville tonight. And you know, I
think you know. I heard Jodie on the call. He
was mentioning how they'd gone cold from three, and that's
never what you want to see. But clearly they have
a system, They have a style, I guess the better
way to put it, they have an identity. So these

(01:04:52):
guys are now programmed tore like, Hey, i might miss
four in a row, but up, I'm getting a clean
look in rhythm, I'm gonna letter, I'm gonna to go.
I got the greenlight. That's what we do, that's who
we are. And I'm sure some people when you see,
you know, maybe eight or ten consecutive misses from three,
you're gonna say, get the ball on the paint or
you know, do something different. And I get it, because
I'll probably be there with you in certain instances if

(01:05:15):
they really find themselves where they can't buy a three pointer.
But again, Pat was able to go out and build
a team based off the way he wants to play.

Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
And that's I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
That's what he has. So yes, some will say live
and die by it. But I think tonight, if you know,
if eleven of thirty six is an off night for them,
and like if this is one of the worst nights
they have from three point range, which it probably won't be,
but if it is, I'd say, you still have a
pretty decent recipe to win. And I love it because,

(01:05:49):
I mean, I'm used to watching a team. Okay, if
things like if a team goes cold from three and
they've shot eight twelve, let's say they've made one of
their last twelve or something, I think most teams would
be in their head.

Speaker 3 (01:06:05):
They would be like, damn, we can't buy a bucket.
Something's gotta give. What's going on?

Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
Like they would start to press. Not the way Pat is,
that's not the way he's building this team. And I'm
sure it's a lot of repetition. It's a lot of
practice to where because keep in mind, a lot of
these guys didn't play that style before, but now I'm
sure it's fun for them, Like they know, hey, if
we keep playing hard, we keep doing what we're doing.
There really isn't like, uh oh, we've missed a few shots.

(01:06:30):
You're gonna keep doing what you're doing. To get the
quality looks from three and he's put together a roster
that if they do that more often than not, they're
gonna make enough to where at the end of the
game you feel like, yeah, it was worth taking thirty
threes because they made you know, fourteen of them or
something like that. Now there's gonna be games where they

(01:06:50):
just they're completely cold, and at that point you are
in trouble. But I'd still think from an analytics standpoint,
the best way to maximize your ability with this team,
the ceiling for this team is playing this way. Are
This text comes in and says Nick, you know Hoop?

(01:07:10):
Thank you, says Nick, you know Whop. Every team has
got to have a guy when you need a bucket,
you have a guy to go to. Who is that
guy for Louisville. I don't think they have one. Well,
thank you for saying I know Hoop. I don't know
if you're being sarcastic or not. And I don't know
how much I know Hoop, but I do. I do
love hoop. Is that the new slang about maybe I
don't know hoop because I've I've later learned that, like
that's now like slang for basketball like instead of just

(01:07:33):
like talking ball, people just they just say hoop.

Speaker 3 (01:07:36):
You heard term.

Speaker 12 (01:07:37):
When I was in college, people would just say hooping
instead of playing basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:07:40):
Yeah, that's like from your grandpa's grandpa, I think hooping,
but hoop. In fact, I haven't heard hoop a whole
lot lately until I mean, I haven't heard hoop a
whole lot until, Like, I mean, it seems like a
very new thing. So you're telling me John like back
in the day, when you know, I say, back in
the day, you're ten years younger than me, Like, hey,
you wanna go are we?

Speaker 3 (01:08:01):
Are we hooping?

Speaker 12 (01:08:02):
Yes, that's what people would say, like bowling green.

Speaker 2 (01:08:06):
Yeah, Like I I guess that's not that old now
that I think about it, But like I'm old, So
what do I know?

Speaker 12 (01:08:12):
What did you say whenever you all went and played
pick up or whatever?

Speaker 3 (01:08:16):
Pick up? Okay' gonna play you wanna go play pick up?

Speaker 12 (01:08:18):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
In fact, the most common thing like about like if
we were gonna go play ball, if we were like
if you know, let's go get some shots up. But now,
like I used to think that that sounded like modern,
Now it sounds ancient now that I'm saying it out loud,
let's go get some shots up. People are gonna think
we're gonna like, I mean, like I practice for real,
or you're gonna like go to the bar and take

(01:08:40):
some shots or something like it. Does you know is
I is I As I say that, it doesn't really
sound modern anymore. But back to the question, I agree,
like I I mean, I think every team does need
to know who that guy is, and if things are
going well for this team, they won't often be in
that situation where you just say, hey, look here, you

(01:09:03):
go get this done for us. Find a good find
because a lot of these I mean, this is gonna
sound corny, but this is very much a team driven thing.
Like you're gonna see guys night in and night out
become a leading scorer and then maybe have five the
next game, because I think these guys production is a

(01:09:24):
product of the way they play, and clearly you have
to have like the skill set, the type of players
these guys are is why they fit well with what
pack Kelsey wants to do. As far as you know,
like just god given talent that you can't get from
a lot of players. I'm not sure Louisville has a
guy like that, And I think there are some guys

(01:09:46):
like I think Cason Pryor is very talented. He's got
a very very nice skill set. But I don't know,
like if he's a guy where, okay, we got one
possession here, let's get out of his way and let
him go to work, Like, I don't know who that
guy is, to be honest with you, honestly, from an
offensive standpoint, I think the guy who has the most
break you down. I'm gonna get my I'm gonna get

(01:10:08):
a free throw or I'm gonna get the three throw line,
or I'm gonna get a bucket is Karan Johnson.

Speaker 3 (01:10:13):
And you know, maybe he's that guy.

Speaker 2 (01:10:15):
I mean, tonight, really quiet night for Korn, and he's
somebody that I you know, he's gonna be really good
this year. I think he's gonna be a valuable asset.
He'll have nights like he did against Spaulding where you know,
I don't know where he comes off the bench and
is one of your leading scores and I you know,
he played but didn't have a huge impact when it
comes to production. But he's the one guy that if

(01:10:38):
you do it like again, the ball's got to be moving,
there's got to be spacing.

Speaker 3 (01:10:42):
You're you know, you got your fore and five.

Speaker 2 (01:10:44):
I mean, in fact, there's nobody on the floor that's
gonna that's that's gonna they can get a rebound, that's
gonna be told, hey, don't take off and run, because
they're gonna have the green light.

Speaker 3 (01:10:51):
To do that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
So it's really just these guys. I think they're production.
The majority of these guys. When it comes to the production,
it's gonna be a product of the way this team plays.
But a guy that at times may not have a
lot of production because that's just not really his game
as much. And trust me, I'm not in any way
saying that Korin doesn't fit with what Pat Kelsey wants to.

Speaker 3 (01:11:08):
Do, because he does. He's a good guard.

Speaker 2 (01:11:10):
He can he can knock it down, he can get
he's he's smooth on the break. But to me, he's
somebody where he's got some tools that maybe the other
guys don't have as far as just hey, one on one,
let me go get a bucket. So I would and
with Chucky, you know, Chucky can score tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:11:27):
He only took.

Speaker 2 (01:11:29):
Three shots, got to the free throw line five times,
and what I love about Chucky is that, like tonight,
he wasn't trying to like get a bunch of shots
and trying to score because he doesn't need to do that,
but I feel.

Speaker 3 (01:11:39):
Like he can.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
So I would say, if you're in a late game
situation and you got a possession here to potentially tie
it up, win it. Whatever one possession you got the ball,
let's go see what happens. I think first option would
be Pat Kelsey drawing something up that's like a very
you know, an execute, trying to execute a set.

Speaker 3 (01:12:02):
But if that broke.

Speaker 2 (01:12:03):
Down, I guess at that point it would kind of
depend on whose hands the ball is in. But I
would say those two guards Koryn, maybe Chucky and then
honestly Casein. He's got the ability. I just don't necessarily
love him, you know, isolation kind of thing. And none
of these guys are guys in my opinion, that would
be double digit scorers if the style of play was

(01:12:26):
that where hey, you know, dribble drive, Hey, just go
just go get a bucket, like just go, just go
take over like that, because that's not who any of
these guys are, but the collection of players and the
skill sets these players have. That's how you can that's
how you can succeed in a way that I think
is you know, high level success. And as we're wrapping

(01:12:47):
things up, getting towards the end of the post game show,
like I'm having to remind myself, hey, it was morehead State.
But like two things. One don't say I didn't warn you.
I'm gonna be feeling a certain way with these results
that I typically wouldn't because you know what, we used
to have to worry about losing to these teams more

(01:13:08):
at State last year, Preston Spradland's team that you know,
had a second half lead against Illinois and the instab
of a tournament, that team.

Speaker 3 (01:13:18):
Would have whooped Louis's ass last year.

Speaker 2 (01:13:20):
I'm not kidding. They would have beat them by double digits.
Not not exaggerating. And that's not like a strong take
because again LOISLLL won eight games lost to some bums
last year. They needed New Mexico State to play four
on five at the end of the game to win
in December, So I guess that wasn't that strong of
a statement. But like, there's something about the experience of
the last few years that makes it almost impossible for

(01:13:42):
me not to say, hell, yeah, we just beat somebody,
a real team. That's you know, that's not an exhibition
ninety three to forty five. But that's just me, you know,
like in the moment, like like that's part of the
healing process. I'm a fan like everybody else. But the
other side of it is, yeah, like I don't care

(01:14:03):
that it's morehead state. Like the way they played the
night was really impressive. You look across the country, which
I'll give you some scores here as we're wrapping up,
teams that a lot of people, you know, expect to
be better than Louisville have struggled. I mean Texas A
and M pre season number thirteen team in the country.
They lost tonight to Central Florida. I mean it's a
Big twelve team, so it's not as if they lost

(01:14:24):
to nobody. But you know, that's the thirteenth th rank
team in the country losing to a team that I
believe was picked to finish near dead last in the
Big twelve. Duke was having a tough time with Maine
for a little while. Carolina they're up thirteen against Elon

(01:14:44):
right now as we speak.

Speaker 3 (01:14:45):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:14:46):
Duke ended up running away with it, but Maine was
hanging in there early in the second half. Looking at
some other scores here, not really you know, Florida State,
which by the way, it sounds like Florida State's going
to have to fire Leonard Hamilton, not like now. But
I was talking with some folks at the ACC Basketball

(01:15:07):
media days in Charlotte that like, Leonard Hamilton is not
gonna just walk and yet like they're getting really bad
really quickly, and they've had good players, and tonight they
did trail. I don't know if they trailed for long,
but like NKU, beating them tonight really wouldn't have been
a big surprise. Fortis they did hold on to win,
seventy four to sixty two. Syracuse, they won by four

(01:15:30):
against a school called Lemoyne. I only know of them
because I know they're very new to the Division one level,
and I think they're actually up there in the northeast,
close to Syracuse. Boston College won by nine against the Citadel,
So you know, I guess some of the games early
on that were close ended up not being you know,
that close. But all in all, super impressive performance tonight.

(01:15:54):
Tough to know really what it means big picture. But look,
when you beat a team ninety three to forty five
in your first real game and you keep them to
just fourteen points in the first half, they missed twenty
of their last twenty one shots in the first half.
I mean, that's that's exactly the type of performance that
you want as you head to a big time game.

Speaker 3 (01:16:16):
In game two, all right, so perdue what happened there?
They won, right, There's no way they lost.

Speaker 12 (01:16:24):
Because it would be taken. They were down, I believe
at one point against Corpus Christi.

Speaker 3 (01:16:27):
Were they not yeah, oh yeah, they were down.

Speaker 2 (01:16:30):
They were down early and then I you know, at
one point, and man, it must have really got away
from Corpus Christi because I'm looking here at just the
scoreboard on ESPN, but in the.

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
Right corner they have highlights.

Speaker 2 (01:16:39):
It was seventy to sixty seven at one point in
the second half, and Texas A and M. Corpus Christie
only finished with seventy three points. It was ninety to
seventy three. So perdue. By the way, Like, I know
you're an Indiana fan, but you're also objective. Isn't the
belief that like they're going to take a huge step
back this year.

Speaker 3 (01:16:57):
Like Memongus won.

Speaker 12 (01:16:58):
To me, I it was weirdly enough, they were project
by the Big Ten media to still win the conference
this year. Yeah, dead serious, preposterous, and I think it
is pretty preposterous. I mean, I think they're gonna have
a hard time adjusting to life without Zach Edy, similar
to how Indiana struggle without Trace Jackson Davis. And I
think tonight was kind of an early sign of that,
even though they did end up winning pretty handily.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
Yeah, I mean, look, Zach Edy, I think was I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:17:25):
Again, I know you're an Indiana fan, so I I
don't want to guess up Purdue and I don't want
to guess up Purdue and Edie. But here's what happened.
They lost as a sixteen seed. So last year nobody
took him serious. And it's because you just all right,
I'll believe it when I see it. And Matt Paynter
until he did break through and make a Final four,
he gave people reason to doubt any team he had

(01:17:45):
that was good because they never won when it mattered.
But I think Zach Edy was one of the best
college basketball players that I ever watched, But yet nobody
would really believe that or feel the same because you know,
Purdue like they were and they would randomly lose to
teams that like they shouldn't lose to, like Northwestern got them.
But like he was dominant last year and held his

(01:18:07):
own in the in the championship game against yukon Uk.
Him is just an absolutely better team overall. So to
just move on from him and have, you know, no
offense to the young man. I know he's local, he's
got some I mean he's from southern Indiana, but Kaufman
Wren I believe is his last name. He's now the
guy that is going to get usage, not to the

(01:18:28):
level that Edie did, but like he's now a guy
that's going to be asked to be a huge producer
for them when it comes to scoring and rebounding.

Speaker 3 (01:18:36):
And he ain't Zach Edy.

Speaker 2 (01:18:37):
Because nobody is like Zach Edy is was such an
impactful player.

Speaker 3 (01:18:42):
But yet he played for Purdue.

Speaker 2 (01:18:44):
They lost to a sixteen seats, So you question, like,
you know, because again they were vulnerable. They lost, they
lost to teams, but they were also able to just
rely on him to be pretty consistent and unstoppable at
times to where like even when nobody else on their
team played good at times, if Edie was doing you know,
the dominant work, like were pretty good. Like I think, dude,
I'm gonna make a bold prediction. I don't think they
finished in the top six of the Big ten this year.

Speaker 12 (01:19:04):
I don't think that's too far from the truth. Now,
when I try to talk about that with some of
the people you know, in my circles, they think I'm insane.
But yeah, I think you're too far off from that.

Speaker 2 (01:19:14):
I'm not taking anything away from these guys because again,
like they they they produced and did and and last
year's team was great and these guys were a factor
in that. But I also know that they were able to,
like Braiden Smith and Fletcher Lawyer were able to have
the stat lines that they had a year ago because
they had a giant in the paint that everybody accounted

(01:19:35):
for ninety percent of the time more than them, if
that makes sense, Like, if there's not a giant to
force feed to, you know, command double teams, Edie was
a good passer to good free throw shooter two Like
if you don't have that, like you're gonna have to
make you're gonna make Braiden Smith and Fletcher Lawyer put
it on the floor and beat you, and they can't

(01:19:57):
do that like consistent.

Speaker 12 (01:19:58):
No, they do have a new giant.

Speaker 3 (01:19:59):
He's seven four.

Speaker 12 (01:20:00):
I don't know how.

Speaker 3 (01:20:01):
He's like a freshman.

Speaker 12 (01:20:01):
Yeah, I can't think of it. Something Jacobson or Danielson
or something like that. I don't know how.

Speaker 3 (01:20:06):
Well will Burn. No, it's a big redhead.

Speaker 12 (01:20:09):
It's like it's like Jacobson or something.

Speaker 3 (01:20:12):
I wish I had the I'm gonna pull it up
here fright in.

Speaker 12 (01:20:14):
Front of me. But they do have a will Berg
as well. But this Jacobson guy, whatever his name is,
he's seven foot four. I don't think he's expected to
of course phil the shoes of Zach Edy as well
as anybody could. But I mean, if he ends up
being a factor for them, that could potentially open up
those guys Braden Smith and Fletcher Lawyer like you're talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:20:33):
Yeah, And that's again it sounds crazy to say this
because like Zach Y didn't he win National Player of
the Year twice? Yes, Like so to say that that
guy is underappreciated.

Speaker 12 (01:20:41):
Like his name is Daniel Jacobson. By the way, I
don't know freshman from Chicago, Illinois.

Speaker 3 (01:20:49):
He's not. I mean, what do you do tonight?

Speaker 12 (01:20:50):
We know, I don't have his stat line.

Speaker 3 (01:20:53):
It's his first it's his first career game, so uh,
you know, nope.

Speaker 12 (01:20:56):
But like he had thirteen points tonight, that's not bad.

Speaker 2 (01:20:59):
I mean it's against you know, Texas A and and
Corpus Christy. But like, again, Zach Edy was really really
really good and one National Player of the Year too straight,
Like there's no case to be made that he was
underappreciated when it mattered. But I feel like a lot
of people said, oh, he's just a big giant, he's
not any good. He just he gets all the calls
and you know, he's a giant. But like, I don't

(01:21:20):
think people realized how impactful he actually was in the game.
And you know, hopefully if you're a Purdue fan, you
can you can find somebody. Cause again, most guys who
are that big is Eadie, they can't.

Speaker 3 (01:21:33):
Even run the floor. He was, He could run the floor.

Speaker 2 (01:21:36):
Like he will play in the NBA differently than a
lot of the guys now that play the five. But like,
I'm not even a fan, like you think I'm a
Purdue Zach edy fan, but like I just always felt
like if people realize most guys who are that size,
they can't play ten minutes without getting a break. Now
it helps that Purdue always played slow, But anyways, tonight

(01:21:57):
ninety three to forty five, impossible to know like what
it means as far as okay, well, everybody else who
was ranked in Louisville, well was not ranked.

Speaker 3 (01:22:05):
These teams are ranked. They struggled, no, but nobody knows.

Speaker 2 (01:22:09):
But given the first night of action, given what we've
seen as far as scores elsewhere, I don't know how
you can't be pleased with what this Louisville team did
in their first real game under pack Kelsey. And uh,
it was awesome and I cannot wait for Saturday.

Speaker 3 (01:22:25):
I am.

Speaker 2 (01:22:27):
Look, I've been wrong a lot. I could be wrong here,
so you know, don't be surprised if I am wrong.
But I do believe that you will see the best
crowd at the KFCM Center for a Louisville men's basketball
game in a long long time on Saturday. And hey,
that don't mean they're gonna win. They got a tough,
tough task ahead of them, but certainly a packed crowd

(01:22:47):
where these guys can feed off the energy. That'll give
them a better chance than if that place is, you know,
halfway full, which I don't believe it will be. I
think we're gonna get a really good crowd, Fingers crossed.
A right, everybody, have a good night. We're back at
it tomorrow at three o'clock.

Speaker 3 (01:22:59):
Join us.

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
That's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety for coffee
and company fuel by Thornton's. Enjoy your evening, everybody, Louisville
one to zero.

Speaker 3 (01:23:08):
It's a start. Have a good night.