On the Brink: Dissecting Coach Cal's Kentucky Dynasty and the Evolving Collegiate Basketball Landscape
Mar 22, 2024
The Beer Brothers
Could the reign of Coach Cal at Kentucky be teetering on the edge of upset and upheaval? That's the incendiary question we put under the microscope in our latest episode, as we hash out the ramifications of a shocking loss that's thrown the Wildcats' leadership into the spotlight. With a lifetime contract at play, John Calipari's place at the helm is dissected against the backdrop of his legacy, drawing parallels with coaching icons of the past and the pressing question of whether his success is inextricably linked to the likes of Anthony Davis. Hot takes and cooler heads collide as we break down the factors that could sway Calipari's future and the direction of Kentucky's storied basketball program.
The conversation doesn't stop there; we venture into the tempest of Kentucky's coaching future and collegiate basketball's altered state. Examining the cracks in Calipari's rapport with the university, we don't shy away from the contentious topics, including his recent tendency to point fingers and the shifting player loyalties in an age where the NBA glitters more alluringly than collegiate camaraderie. We speculate on the Wildcats' ability to claw back their glory in an environment transformed by NIL and the transfer portal, all while debating if any coach can steer this ship back to the storied success Kentucky fans yearn for as the collegiate game we've adored evolves before our eyes.
Of course, it wouldn't be a complete session without broadening the court to discuss college basketball culture at large. We weigh in on how Villanova and UConn approach the game, offering insights on fostering legacies and creating a winning team dynamic. But we're not just about serious analysis; we also slide into a lighter gear with a detour to the ice rink, where NHL's Nikita Kucherov dazzles with his feats, and we pay homage to the wing—yes, the edible kind—with a fun shout-out to our favorite local spot. So, buckle up for a whirlwind tour through the pressing issues shaking up the sports world, served with the raw authenticity and levity you've come to expect from us.
Could the reign of Coach Cal at Kentucky be teetering on the edge of upset and upheaval? That's the incendiary question we put under the microscope in our latest episode, as we hash out the ramifications of a shocking loss that's thrown the Wildcats' leadership into the spotlight. With a lifetime contract at play, John Calipari's place at the helm is dissected against the backdrop of his legacy, drawing parallels with coaching icons of the past and the pressing question of whether his success is inextricably linked to the likes of Anthony Davis. Hot takes and cooler heads collide as we break down the factors that could sway Calipari's future and the direction of Kentucky's storied basketball program.
The conversation doesn't stop there; we venture into the tempest of Kentucky's coaching future and collegiate basketball's altered state. Examining the cracks in Calipari's rapport with the university, we don't shy away from the contentious topics, including his recent tendency to point fingers and the shifting player loyalties in an age where the NBA glitters more alluringly than collegiate camaraderie. We speculate on the Wildcats' ability to claw back their glory in an environment transformed by NIL and the transfer portal, all while debating if any coach can steer this ship back to the storied success Kentucky fans yearn for as the collegiate game we've adored evolves before our eyes.
Of course, it wouldn't be a complete session without broadening the court to discuss college basketball culture at large. We weigh in on how Villanova and UConn approach the game, offering insights on fostering legacies and creating a winning team dynamic. But we're not just about serious analysis; we also slide into a lighter gear with a detour to the ice rink, where NHL's Nikita Kucherov dazzles with his feats, and we pay homage to the wing—yes, the edible kind—with a fun shout-out to our favorite local spot. So, buckle up for a whirlwind tour through the pressing issues shaking up the sports world, served with the raw authenticity and levity you've come to expect from us.
Speaker 1:
3 Guys Around the Table.
Speaker 2:
Well, there's 3 of us and there's a table.
Speaker 3:
You've heard of 5 guys. We're not talking burgers and fries here. We're talking 3 guys, a table and the topics of the day that we want to talk about. It can be anything from this to that, or we can talk to this person to that, but guess what? You'll never know what it is until you listen in.
Speaker 2:
Oh, you're going to know what it is. Today I have a feeling. So there are some of our listeners who love the discussion of UK basketball. There are others that love it. However, it has to be the topic of discussion today. It's going to be entertaining today. Following the first round exit of the UK Wildcats last night Are we talking about the SEC tournament exit or the NCAA tournament?
Speaker 1:
Are we talking about this year or last year? We could discuss it.
Speaker 2:
Or the year before Details. So, like I said prior to this starting, I'm just going to be a point guard and throw it to you guys, because you've got lots of opinions about the lifetime coach of the UK Wildcats and the disappointing performance against Oakland last night. By the way, not Oakland California, I just wondered in case anyone was wondering. It's not Oakland California.
Speaker 1:
I didn't know. There was an Oakland in Michigan first of all.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I don't know if Oakland in California would even play basketball.
Speaker 2:
I don't know that there's a college. They have Oakland City College Maybe it's a college.
Speaker 3:
That's right. I don't know.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank God that Calipari has that lifetime contract I say Pari, you say Perry. That's fine. The only Perry that I like to talk about is Perry the Platypus, or Perry Mason, that's true, well so coach.
Speaker 1:
A million percent.
Speaker 2:
We all agree on coach Cal, as long as we can have an episode where we just talk about Perry Mason and Paul Drake.
Speaker 1:
Oh.
Speaker 2:
OK, I think I'm being something for fun, I think it'll be crickets you just missed the button. There we go. I think it's crickets on Perry Mason. Hey, I don't want to get the coach, hey real quick.
Speaker 3:
I don't want to talk about any of the players, I just want to go back real quick to what you said about you're just going to be the point guard Yep Growing up to us. Well, greg and I are both, you know, pretty, pretty good sized guys. I think our hands are better than our three, seven footers, but I believe we could catch those balls.
Speaker 2:
A lot better than those guys. Is this Chris from Richmond talking?
Speaker 3:
Oh no, If it was Chris from Richmond, I'd be talking like this is what you're up to. I'm going to pay these guys off. I'll tell you what, mitch Barnard, you got to get your guy.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, no, I'm not that guy, all right, so. So we're all happy with Cal.
Speaker 1:
So so here's the question Is Cal the coach this time next year? Actually, is Cal the coach three weeks from now? That's the question.
Speaker 3:
To me it's pretty obvious if Calipari or Ari if.
Speaker 3:
Calipari wants to do what is right for the university and what is right for the program and wants to hold any legacy, he's got to accept the fact that many, many people in business and other sports teams and in life in general often fail to realize that it's time to go. You've got to go out when it's time to go. You can't go out on your own terms all the time. And if that's the only way, he won't be coached if he just signs to go out on his own.
Speaker 3:
So so he's just going to walk away from 33 to 40 million dollars, I think the university will come up with him and say, hey, we'll, we'll have you do this, we'll have you do this and we'll pay you for that. At the time you can be an ambassador. We'll do the Nick Saban thing, Right.
Speaker 2:
And if I'm Nick and coach Calipari, harry Barry, what do I say to that? If you truly love the university and what you built and you want to love the university. He doesn't.
Speaker 1:
I agree with Mark, and I think he could give two craps about the university.
Speaker 2:
Look, at the end of the day if you don't, OK, hold on All coaches are. They're mercenaries.
Speaker 3:
They are. But if you want your legacy to remain, if you want to be remembered as Brett Favre from Green Bay, he's not, though.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, if you look at his statistics, he's not. Yeah, kentucky run Tubby Smith off and Tubby Smith's record was way better, but in the last six years.
Speaker 3:
But Calipari's it, but Cal's legacy can be. We remember Cal from nine to 14.
Speaker 1:
You know what? Cal's legacy is tied directly to Anthony Davis. And if you don't have Anthony Davis done, then what's he done? I mean seriously.
Speaker 2:
I agree. How many championships? One in 15 years. There's, no, there's nothing about a legacy. For one I agree.
Speaker 1:
I mean, look, he's brought in Kentucky's recruiting at a level they've never recruited at Right. The fans at Kentucky could care less. They care about hanging banners up.
Speaker 3:
Correct what we haven't done hung banners up and you know, and OK, so I'm a real this in this world. I think we're kind of getting off to a path that we all agree on, but the question is, will he be here?
Speaker 2:
I think the answer is yes. I think the answer is no, that's very different opinions.
Speaker 1:
I don't think Kentucky will pay him 33 to 40 million dollars to leave. I don't think there's big boosters that want to do that. And without doing that he's not going to quit on his own.
Speaker 2:
I don't think he quits on his own.
Speaker 1:
He. He already said last night he may have to look at the way he's doing things. He's excited about the team he's got coming in. He's already checked out, so I do believe he will be the coach texture.
Speaker 3:
So my take on it is this as well I also believe he'll be the coach. The only way he will get out of there is if he decides to do it for his own legacy or what he thinks is best for the University of the program. The University of Kentucky, and namely Mitch Barnhardt, is not going to pay him 33 million dollars to go away. Right, right, I mean, we've seen that happen other places. What it will. How much they pay at A&M for a fisher to go away? Seventy something is my recollection, but that's the only thing they got at A&M is football, right? Besides, they beat Kentucky twice in basketball this year. It's they paid Jimbo Fisher 70 million to go away. Since they read, they're still paying Griffey Junior. How many years have been 12? At least that's not going to happen here, because the big boosters that would have done that back in the day. First of all, if you're paying somebody to leave, think about that. I mean you're just just throw the money out the window and burn it. I mean, it's right.
Speaker 1:
I mean you got to pay somebody to leave, plus pay your next coach, correct. I mean he's making eight and a half nine million dollars a season, correct?
Speaker 3:
So there's not the boosters up there and the big boosters that would have done that are no longer the basketball fans. They're supporting the football program now and we all know that. We're not going to mention their names, but we all know that the basketball facility is named after one of the big donors, and how frequently do you see him at the football games now? And last night he was sitting with the assistant football coach at the games, so that that that donating family has since moved over to the football scene, donated there and it's backed off. Because let's think about it back when Calipari said I want to knew a practice facility, there was no money to be had. Money didn't come falling out of the woodworks. If this had been Anthony Davis this time here with the money not have come out of just thin air to build that program, if he'd had a beggar's better success recently, I think the answer is yes.
Speaker 1:
I think the answer is yes. I think Kentucky had for a run that only resulted in one national championship. I think Kentucky's run between 08 and 12 and 13 was as good as it could be. I think ever since Wisconsin beat the Willie Coley Stein team, it's been downhill since then, agreed and, and I thought his offense improved this year. But you can't give up 90 and a hundred points a game.
Speaker 3:
I mean you just can't do it. You know, and I don't want to say that that's a complete lack of defense, but it is. That's NBA. Let's just run and whoever scores the most points wins.
Speaker 1:
It's. It's not only no defense. There's no possibility of changing anything either. I agree Calipari is for an elite level coach. I think we all agrees an elite level coach.
Speaker 3:
He is the worst in game manager or manager or change in that I've ever seen he does. He cannot adjust. He cannot make in game adjustments.
Speaker 1:
We've seen it over and over he gets compared to Rick Petino. Rick Petino was one of the best if not the best in game. Yeah, I mean, changes is changes. What? Has to happen in the middle of the game to get things done.
Speaker 2:
He's a little like less miles in football in terms of his biggest contribution during the game is sitting there and cheering. I mean literally he's clapping your hands and saying, come on, guys, let's go. There's not a whole lot of coaching going on for him, but here's the thing.
Speaker 3:
And I want to disagree with you on that in just a different slight way. Less miles with cheer on. Calipari yells and screams, If I hear go one more time. So what he does is and you guys certainly correct me on this I think Petino. Where he was different is he could take a group of guys that had average or better than average talent and he could get them to play to a level that they didn't realize they could play. I mean, look at the players that he had when he first came in. Until he got Mashedburn he really didn't have anybody huge, but look what they achieved with what he had. And look how he took the players he had. He didn't have five NBA players on a roster. He took players and got the most he could get out of them, but he got him to play together and play a strength of ball that fit their style. Well, Calipari wants to play his style and the problem is Calipari will play his style winter loose.
Speaker 2:
He'd rather win playing his way or lose playing his way than win playing the other way, and that just can't be successful in college basketball, does that? Mean the games passed him back, I think it has but adapt In a lot of ways.
Speaker 1:
He don't think he's doing anything wrong but he's not winning.
Speaker 3:
That's the thing.
Speaker 2:
Look, it's Nick Saban in Alabama. Ok, the playing field is now leveled with NIL. Ok, so he's going to stop getting all of the elite players unless he can show that he can get them to a championship game, something that Nick Saban could do. I disagree.
Speaker 1:
He's not trying to do that. No, we're selling the NBA. And that's what he's selling.
Speaker 2:
He's selling the NBA and Saban got tired of having to, you know, complete with us. So are all these high school athletes.
Speaker 1:
Are all of these elite high school athletes that selfish, that? They only care about getting to the next level.
Speaker 2:
Yes, the, the frontal lobe, is not fully developed until you're in your 20s, right. So you're 17, 18 year old kid and you've never had money in your life and you get offered $400,000 to go to a market or wherever.
Speaker 3:
I mean, but here? But I understand that, but that's in everybody. So I'll come back to this. Nil is everywhere, but when you have a coach that stands up and says this is the greatest day in the history of Kentucky basketball because you had five players taken in the first round of the NBA draft, for those people who have been lifetime UK basketball fans, I'm telling you I remember the championships of 78, 96, 98. That was not the greatest day.
Speaker 1:
He's, he's almost as old as you.
Speaker 2:
But that was not the greatest day I remember, 78. He was like an infant in 78. So I wonder how you have the greatest day in Kentucky basketball. I agree with that but the NBA.
Speaker 3:
listen. Uk fans don't care about the NBA news flash. I would say that there are very few people in the state of Kentucky Think about it. We don't have an NBA team here. Nobody cares about the NBA. We don't care. You know, is it pretty cool at the R-Star game that you have six players, or five players? Yeah, but what's that do for me?
Speaker 1:
I mean you came basketball yeah but there's a lot of those players got a heck of a lot better in the NBA than they did while they were.
Speaker 3:
Oh, but since you brought that up, let's talk about the players that transferred out and through the transfer portal. Look how much they got better.
Speaker 2:
before we do that, let me go back and answer the original question and explain my answer. Sure, I'm. I say no, he will not be the coach in three weeks. I think it's somewhere between the what you guys said. I think what's going to happen is he's not going to, you know, resign on his own he doesn't have love for the university. It's nothing like that. What's going to happen is they're going to go to him and say we need to make a change, and he's going to say well, I need my money.
Speaker 2:
And they're going to cash in cash, Right, and they're going to negotiate a settlement through attorneys and the settlement may be OK. We're going to pay you that 33 million dollars, but it's going to be over a 10 year period or something along those lines. It's going to happen. There's no way, with the angst that's going on in an elite program that is known for excellence, that he can continue on. And what sold it for me last night was after the game, and something that you sent to me was when he was asked about. You know what happened in the game. What did he do?
Speaker 1:
He threw the kids under the bus. 100 percent.
Speaker 2:
I sent that to you last night on Twitter.
Speaker 1:
I mean he said kids Didn't play the way they played all the prior C, all the prior games in the year and things like that. There was some. There was some butt-pucker going on with some players, yes, but it's, it's part of the coach's job to get them prepared.
Speaker 2:
You take that on yourself, you, as as the leader of that program. That's an elite program. You say we didn't do our job as coaches. Correct, you own it, and I've never heard that out of him, though.
Speaker 1:
Now. But you know who does say that a lot. Mark Stoops says that a lot, he goes we didn't get our kids prepared. Right, that's what's on me. We got a coach.
Speaker 2:
Better, we got you got to do that, and when you don't do that, to me that's something that it was a smack in the face in the kids. Hopefully the athletic director, if he has any, you know, sense of pride and decency, will say this and acceptable, you know it's just not.
Speaker 3:
But. But see, here's the thing with that is, you can say what you want about our athletic director. You know there's the rumors flying that he has no relationship and does not speak to Calipari. Calipari doesn't get along with the football coach. You know Calipari doesn't get along with the fans anymore. He's kind of removed himself from everything and all he's focused on is those kids in the NBA.
Speaker 3:
So I digress back to the point that what also has bothered me is there's a lot to bother me about college basketball now, but what bothers me most is how many seasons have we gone now that there's been turmoil in the locker room, that that pours out, and I hate social media, okay, but so many times now we're hearing about problems with players, whether it be severe wheeler, whether it be. I haven't heard any this year. Hold on. Whether it be severe wheeler, whether it be Oscar Sheeboy, whether it be, we've had all these problems, all these players. Players leave the team. The one last this year was Reeves, was enrolled in classes and didn't Illinois State or whatever, wasn't going to come back, remember, and they had to go get back, so that's the only one I remember from this year.
Speaker 3:
But why are there constant problems? And how's that getting out of the locker room?
Speaker 2:
Because you got a bunch of elite athletes and you can only play five guys at a time. So that's going to happen.
Speaker 3:
So here's where I go back to this, and you're exactly right. So how many kids on that team right now Do you think came to Kentucky because of one in I L to go to the NBA, or three because they wanted to play at Kentucky? All of them came to go to the NBA, except for reach ever. And he came to Kentucky to play at Kentucky, right, and guess what? He's going to go to the NBA. He's going to go to the NBA because he turned into a good player. He turned into a good collegiate player, probably a good NBA player.
Speaker 3:
But where I'm saying is this we don't know what cows telling these guys and we've heard him say it If you want to go to the NBA, you come to Kentucky. Well, us UK fans don't care about going to the NBA. We care about hanging banners, like you said before. We care about our being the gold standard, we care about the all time wins, we care about these things. The question is now with NIL and the transfer portal, is there a coach out there that could do everything we want that guy to do? That was the patino, that was the Calipari the first few years. Is that coach out there today that could do that for Kentucky?
Speaker 2:
today. If you lead an organization I'm blessed to get to lead an organization with my job If you lead an organization and you set goals for that organization, those goals have to be. You have to have all of your folks buy into what those goals are. If you set a goal that's not consistent with what is best for the organization, then you're going to fail. If the goal that the leader of the program is setting is to you come here, we'll prep you so you can leave here and go make a lot of money, is that what's best for the organization? No, but I don't think that's the problem. That's the issue.
Speaker 3:
Okay. So now we get to go back to what I said before. I'm the curmudgeon in this group and you guys have heard me say this a thousand times. I believe that AAU has ruined college basketball. I believe that NIL and transfer portal has ruined college basketball. But I've come to grips now. I've come to terms with the fact that the basketball, the college athletics that I love and that I've always been a fan of, will never be the same. It's completely different now.
Speaker 3:
Kids don't go to college to win national championships. Kids don't go to college to play at the University of Kentucky. Kids go to college to move on further in life, to go to the NBA, to go to the pros. They don't care about that. There's no education involved anymore. Let's face it. None of this matters. And what's going to happen now with NIL? I'm going to go to UK and, if I let's, just I'm going to throw a name out there. I mean my name's. My name's a DJ Wagner. Okay, I'm going to go to Kentucky so I can go to the NBA. Well, I had a terrible season this year, so now I'm going to transfer to the highest bidder, to where I may be the standout all star on the team, and then I may go to the NBA or I'll go to the next bidder after that, and that's what you've got now. You've got a bunch of mercenaries, like the coaches you said. The players are the same way. Now, greg, what do you think?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean the, the and I I'm not a big fan of the transfer report.
Speaker 2:
I think it's terrible. Well, I would. I guess the question would be do you think those kids from Oakland, do you think they went to Oakland to go to the NBA and of course not.
Speaker 3:
OK, but there's the issue Do you think they're making big money on the NIL?
Speaker 2:
No.
Speaker 3:
Right, but guess what? They had a simple focus, but the focus was to win.
Speaker 2:
But here's the difference. Here's the difference If you're the leader of the organization, you're the leader of the team, you can. You can still accomplish the goals of having a successful team and a program that's built to win championships. And the things that are going to happen as a result of NIL and a result of all these people coming in and going to the NBA. Those things are still very possible to happen. As a matter of fact, it's probably more probable if NBA folks see you having success as a good teammate, as a part of a winning program. Those things still matter.
Speaker 3:
So I see, I don't think so, not in the pros, I don't think so. I think in the pros they just want to win and bring in money. I think the camaraderie, the days of the days of playing as a team and winning championships, when you're that of an elite player that you're so concerned with your money, you can bring in or your future, your career.
Speaker 1:
And listen guys.
Speaker 3:
We all are. But when you throw in the things where kids that are 18, 19, 20 years old can make the decision to sign a $500,000 endorsement deal, they don't do that for the team. The only time I've ever and maybe it does. But remember when Will Levis got that deal with Malone's and what did he do every Monday night? Do you remember this? Two guys, his offensive lineman To Malone's with him, and that was part of the endorsement deal. He said I'll do this for Malone's, but I want you to think about that. These kids now you know they're getting the pickup trucks in the cars and all this crap. That's great, that's for the kids. That doesn't do anything for the team and that didn't do anything for the program Besides. Say, come to Kentucky, it starts at the top. It starts at the top. But what's he telling these parents of these elite players? There's a reason why you're getting the top recruiting classes.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, those kids Get them to the NBA. Those kids want to go to the NBA.
Speaker 3:
But that's it. The kids just want to go to the NBA. So you know he's telling this to look how many players I put in the NBA. He does it publicly. He's done it to the, you know he's done it to everybody.
Speaker 2:
As I go back to my point, if you have your leader of your team or your leader of your organization and they're not setting goals that are aligned to the mission and the vision of the organization, then you're going to fail and you need to replace the leader. But what I'm saying is.
Speaker 3:
We don't know what his vision the organization is.
Speaker 1:
His vision is get them to the NBA.
Speaker 3:
That's all it is. That's the problem. So where do we find? And he's thinking and it was successful, he could bring in the most elite players and they could play so well, they beat everybody else. Well, that's changed. How do you change that going forward? You?
Speaker 1:
change the leader, In my opinion you get the best talent you can get, but you don't rely entirely on 17 and 18 year old kids. I mean, think about who's besides Shepard and Dillingham, who are elite talents. Who's the best player on Kentucky's team?
Speaker 3:
Trey Mitchell, antonio Reeves, antonio Reeves and he's like 38.
Speaker 1:
Right but but, and he's been in college.
Speaker 1:
Who played the best last night, both his kids, who were super seniors, right, right, the two older kids at the two best kids, because they're used. They've played in that environment before. The 17 and 18 year old kids were dear in the headlights. Reed Shepard last night, love him. He played terrible, yep he. He played terrible in the SEC tournament. They're, they're not ready to play. I mean, like the kid from Oakland who was so good Gorky, he had played in, he had played in a hundred games. Right, there's a big difference between and there's an average 23 year old who's played 130 games.
Speaker 1:
Right, it's going to be better right now than an elite 17 year old, 18 year old, who's played 30 games.
Speaker 3:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
I mean it's been proved the last couple of years. So let me let me interject on that. Back to what I say when I use the term AAU. Think about what's going on in rep arena right now Sweet 16. Okay, Sweet 16. I had a college buddy that played in the sweet 16 and he said the most amazing thing he remembers about playing basketball in high school was playing in the boys sweet 16 in rep arena and in pregame warmups. Before the referees came out, he dunked on the goals at rep and that was everything to him. Okay, and this is the kid, the proverbial kid, that grew up with the basketball rim hanging on the front of the family barn. I mean, he really was that kid.
Speaker 3:
Okay, the problem you've got with this you know this, the AAU stuff is they're not playing games. They're not playing high schools. They're being told from the time they're seven, eight years old you're going to be elite. And they get in these elite programs where the parents travel and pay all this money and get all these sponsors and all they're doing is playing tournaments year round against these other teams. They're never put in a situation where they're playing for a championship in high school. They're not playing for championships in any other thing. All they're doing is playing travel basketball against other elite players like themselves. Greg thoughts yeah.
Speaker 1:
I mean, that's my brother Cremugian, like you will tell you. That will tell you that ESPN and LeBron James and that group is is part of the downfall of college basketball. My brother, against NILs, against the transfer portal, thinks people should play three and four years like it used to be back in never going to have a favorite day? Yes.
Speaker 2:
Yes, what we played with a red wife blue ball back in my day, those were still the rules where you had to play three years.
Speaker 1:
You get the best talent that's out of high school. You may struggle for the first year, but when they become juniors you're going to dominate and you develop, that's just not where we're at, so let me ask you a question. So, calipari, I don't think he can change his philosophy. Right To go away from. I want to get the best five freshmen and I can take on the world with him. I think that's going to be a struggle to win with the way college basketball is currently.
Speaker 2:
Yep, let me ask a question Just going back a few years to, in your opinion, what have been the few dominant teams of the last 10 years in college basketball Yukon, yukon, what else, who else? I was thinking of another big East school.
Speaker 1:
In the last 10 years. I think the most dominant team there was was the Willie Collie Stein team. That got beat by Wisconsin in the semifinals. I mean?
Speaker 2:
I mean a program over a course of time. Connecticut's been the best program since 2000. Yukon Fantastic. What about Villanova?
Speaker 3:
Villanova is great. J Wright was there, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:
So J Wright is enjoying common commentary, right yeah, and he's probably not going to go back into coaching. We'd take him. But what was the difference between him?
Speaker 3:
and Villanova. Well, what was the difference?
Speaker 2:
between him and Villanova and Calipari at UK. Very good. What was the difference? To me, it's pretty clear. He didn't have the philosophy of come to Villanova because I'm going to send you to the, you know, uh, we're going to just Danny Hurley at Yukon right now either they're not saying come here, because you're going to the NBA.
Speaker 2:
We're going to build a team, we're going to win championships, we're going to build a legacy. You know we're going to have raft, you know, uh, but you're going to have that whole program I didn't come out of Villanova.
Speaker 3:
The whole program with Yukon. I mean we had Kevin Olly, you know, even back in the early 2008,. Nine, 10s, the guy I can't remember the guy's name before that.
Speaker 2:
You stand, laurel Cal.
Speaker 1:
I cannot stand, joe Calhoun, by the way, but you think about it, but you think about it.
Speaker 3:
They've built a legacy at Yukon. They've been the best program since 2000. Now you know, my fear is that Kentucky could turn the way of Indiana and be irrelevant again.
Speaker 1:
If things don't change. If you if Cal is gone and you make the wrong hire, it could be Louisville.
Speaker 2:
Billy Gillespie.
Speaker 3:
Well, here's the problem. And there's a sports I mean it could be Louisville there's a sports broadcaster in sports broadcaster in Lexington that always says the the rotation of coaches is what a superstar, a mediocre guy and a drunk, and it always happens that way. It means we're ready for the mediocre guy, says we're time for a mediocre guy. I'm going to say one last thing real quick that I read online, which is huge, and it also takes me back to the patino thing. I don't know who this lady is, but she tweeted this out. It's very well thought out and she said I feel like we're in a similar time right now that we are in the last scene of the musical Camelot and Camelot King Arthur is telling a young boy to run and tell everyone about Camelot. In the days that were, Once upon a time, we had a basketball Camelot for one brief shining moment and it's gone.
Speaker 2:
That was known as Camelot. Know that very well.
Speaker 3:
Great musical, by the way, and that's where we're at now, boys.
Speaker 2:
We are not there as a college basketball Well maybe just to get our spirits up a little bit, we should mention that Nikita Kutrov in his last four games has 15 points and is leading the NHL in points.
Speaker 1:
What. I don't know what he's talking about. I don't know who that is Speaking of what I'm like.
Speaker 3:
Soviet missiles.
Speaker 1:
Are you talking about the old wrestler Nikola Volkov?
Speaker 2:
Yes, that's exactly. I'm talking about the best winger in the NHL. I like wings.
Speaker 3:
You eat wings? Yeah, wings are good. Indies wings Shout out to Indies.
