WEBVTT - Lance McAlister with Darrin Horn -- 12/16/25

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<v Speaker 1>Wlw RNL carry or Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lance count Hey, thanks for hanging out tonight. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk some hoops. Truest Arena the site for a Horizon

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<v Speaker 1>League showdown tomorrow night. They're Red Hot Norse hosting Oakland.

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<v Speaker 1>Bring a stuffed toy for a postgame Teddy Bear toss

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<v Speaker 1>and could beat for prizes. It's done in partnership with

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<v Speaker 1>Meyer and Toys for Tot's always a cool scene. The

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<v Speaker 1>Norse of nine and three overall, one in one in

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<v Speaker 1>league play. They are undefeated seven to zero at home

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<v Speaker 1>going into the weekend.

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<v Speaker 2>I saw that. How about that?

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<v Speaker 1>I love stats going into the weekend, the Norse with

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<v Speaker 1>the only team in the country with three players that

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<v Speaker 1>had scored at least one hundred and seventy points this year.

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<v Speaker 1>How about that? For more on the Norse, lets Norse up.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome in their head coach friend of the show. We

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<v Speaker 1>love talking with them. That would be Darren Horne.

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<v Speaker 2>How are you doing great? Lance? Thanks for having me man.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for catching up with me tonight. I look today,

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<v Speaker 1>you guys are averaging almost eighty six points a game.

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<v Speaker 1>That's eleven more points per game than any team you've had. There,

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<v Speaker 1>what's gotten into your offen this year?

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<v Speaker 2>Better players. We just we just got more guys that

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<v Speaker 2>not only can score the ball lance, but I think

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<v Speaker 2>are are willing passers that have basketball lot cue to

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<v Speaker 2>make the right next play. We're just we're getting a

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<v Speaker 2>lot more easy shots. Now. The other thing about that is,

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<v Speaker 2>you know we're still top You know it changes every day,

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<v Speaker 2>but as of Sunday night, top ten in the country,

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<v Speaker 2>and turnover percentage is still top fifteen and steals percentage,

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<v Speaker 2>so our defense is leading to a lot of transition,

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<v Speaker 2>which is easy baskets.

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<v Speaker 1>LJ wells ten games this year with at least ten

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<v Speaker 1>points in five boards. That's top ten in the country.

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<v Speaker 1>I've heard you refer to him when talking with Jim

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<v Speaker 1>and Rick on the post game as a grown man game.

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<v Speaker 1>It really is. And he's a finisher for you guys,

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<v Speaker 1>isn't he.

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<v Speaker 2>He really has been. And I'm so proud of LJ

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<v Speaker 2>because the real truth is that he hasn't been that

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<v Speaker 2>his whole career. Right, We've seen flashes, but we haven't

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<v Speaker 2>seen this kind of consistency or just some games slat

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<v Speaker 2>out dominance from him. And just so proud of the

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<v Speaker 2>growth he's made and the commitment that he's made to

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<v Speaker 2>playing so aggressively and really impacting winning with his presence

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<v Speaker 2>on the interior. And again, I think a big part

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<v Speaker 2>of our offensive success is because he's playing the five

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<v Speaker 2>for us. But this is a guy that can pop

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<v Speaker 2>out on the floor and handle the ball and make

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<v Speaker 2>reads and make the right passes and knock down some

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<v Speaker 2>shots as well.

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<v Speaker 1>In the Saturday whin, you had five guys score at

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<v Speaker 1>least twelve points and record a steal that never been

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<v Speaker 1>done in your Division one era, and you kind of

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<v Speaker 1>alluded to it. It's not a one man show. I

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<v Speaker 1>think you've got four guys averaging between thirteen and eighteen points.

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<v Speaker 1>There's contributions coming from all different directions.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we've been really balanced, Lance, you know, And you

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<v Speaker 2>know we were talking about as a staff today, we've

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<v Speaker 2>got four guys that if they got twenty pointys something

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<v Speaker 2>given night wouldn't wouldn't really be that big a deal, right,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, So when you go into game with that,

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<v Speaker 2>and then maybe maybe a fifth and Tatosher, who's been outstanding,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, when you go into a game with that,

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<v Speaker 2>I do think it's been harder for teams to focus

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<v Speaker 2>on one guy. You know, there's been a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>that in the past where we're actually very interested for

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<v Speaker 2>the game tomorrow and some other games are important league play,

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<v Speaker 2>where teams have really tried to focus on taking out

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<v Speaker 2>a Marquis Warwick or a Trey Robinson or and Sam Vincent.

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<v Speaker 2>That's that's much harder to do with this team because

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<v Speaker 2>of the balance that we have.

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed you had forty four in the paint against

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<v Speaker 1>Bellerman Saturday. You had forty in the paint against Cleveland State.

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<v Speaker 1>I was reading your former player, David Wassler covers you

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<v Speaker 1>guys for North's Illustrated, and he referred to it as

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<v Speaker 1>a paint first mindset. You guys can pound that area,

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<v Speaker 1>can't you.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, well, we're trying to write, you know, we want

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<v Speaker 2>to do that and transition on post speeds and then

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<v Speaker 2>and then even inside out on our threes. And one

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<v Speaker 2>of the things that's leading to is is better offensive

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<v Speaker 2>rebounding as well. So a lot of times ends up

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<v Speaker 2>on paid points putbacks.

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<v Speaker 1>Also, you're eleven games in. Through those eleven, have you

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<v Speaker 1>gotten a I would assume a better feel of of

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<v Speaker 1>combos and subs and getting guys on the court who

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<v Speaker 1>give you what you need in that moment.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I think we're getting there, and we're getting

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<v Speaker 2>there a little stoner maybe than we have in years past.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, still learning some stuff in terms of, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>where strengths and weaknesses are with certain combinations in the game.

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<v Speaker 2>But the biggest thing is we've had pretty good consistency

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<v Speaker 2>from individuals. You know. I think Donovan Rackett Nahari, who

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<v Speaker 2>we just called Donny R because his last name is

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<v Speaker 2>so hard to pronounce, you know, it's been a good

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<v Speaker 2>example of that. He's a guy that's come in. I

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<v Speaker 2>think he's shooting like eighty percent from the field because

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<v Speaker 2>he's happy to just run the floor and finish drop

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<v Speaker 2>offs and get offensive rebound put back. And he's really

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<v Speaker 2>impacted winning for us, you know, in the seventh and

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<v Speaker 2>eighth MA roll and so I think, you know, all

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<v Speaker 2>of those things are starting to add up when we're

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<v Speaker 2>getting a good feel for rotations and putting gods in

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<v Speaker 2>the best possible situations for them to be successful.

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<v Speaker 1>You get Oakland tomorrow night at home for the showdown.

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<v Speaker 1>They're led by their wily veteran Greg Camp, who's in

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<v Speaker 1>is what forty second year, they're averaging eighty four a game.

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<v Speaker 1>They've dropped ninety eight on Toledo one hundred and one

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<v Speaker 1>and Purdue for Wayne, ninety five on Montana. They put

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<v Speaker 1>points on the board.

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<v Speaker 2>As well, So it's really interesting. And you know, over

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<v Speaker 2>his career that's been can't steal right, like their teams

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<v Speaker 2>are going to score for sure. In the last few years,

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<v Speaker 2>he's gone to his zone of his own that has

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<v Speaker 2>made them better defensively and more focused on pounding the

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<v Speaker 2>ball inside. But this team is playing extremely fast. He

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<v Speaker 2>got a couple of really dynamic guards and they still

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<v Speaker 2>have good size and physicality on the interior. So really

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<v Speaker 2>going to be the challenge for us to not only

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<v Speaker 2>slow them down, but to handle their their size and

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<v Speaker 2>their physicality around the basket.

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<v Speaker 1>I noticed this earlier today. I don't want to leave

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<v Speaker 1>it out. It's it's not x's and o's, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>off the court. It's really cool. Your team has partnered

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<v Speaker 1>with Seven Hills Church and your players delivered gifts to

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<v Speaker 1>local schools today. What what a cool way to give

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<v Speaker 1>back to the community.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, our guys have really done a good

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<v Speaker 2>job of that this year. I think this is maybe

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<v Speaker 2>our third project partnering with Seven Hills. He's done such

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<v Speaker 2>a phenomenal job of serving the community and to be

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<v Speaker 2>able to give back the kids and help them have

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<v Speaker 2>a good Christmas with a couple of elementary schools this morning.

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<v Speaker 2>It's it's, you know, something that's important to us. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>the Northern Kentucky community means so much to us and

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<v Speaker 2>is really the reason we have a program and and

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<v Speaker 2>and why our guys want to be a part of

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<v Speaker 2>it is because the Norse nation and to be able

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<v Speaker 2>to give back in our area means a lot. And

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<v Speaker 2>quite honestly, Lance and in today's college basketball world where

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<v Speaker 2>you know, these guys are still in full scholarship and

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<v Speaker 2>don't have any expenses but getting checks every month, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, a good reminder for them to uh have

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<v Speaker 2>appreciation for how great, thankful they are to be playing

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<v Speaker 2>college basketball at a winning program and getting paid and

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<v Speaker 2>be reminded, especially in this time of the year, the

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<v Speaker 2>holiday season, right how important it is. I think others

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<v Speaker 2>can get back very.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, said absolutely. I hesitate to look ahead. I know

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<v Speaker 1>you don't want to do that, but Sunday, another home game,

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<v Speaker 1>you get Chris Mack in College of Charleston. We talked

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<v Speaker 1>to it and it's a noon tip. We talked about

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<v Speaker 1>this back in the preseason. But remind me, how did

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<v Speaker 1>that game come about? Did you you match up with

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Mack and Charleston?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, it was a game that neither one of

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<v Speaker 2>us wanted to play. We were desperate to finish our schedules.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think either one really wanted to play a

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<v Speaker 2>program of our qualities. But I think Chris got talked

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<v Speaker 2>into it because you thought, well, at least the next

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<v Speaker 2>year when I come home, I could just stay home

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<v Speaker 2>for Christmas, right, So, uh, you know, we put the

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<v Speaker 2>game right before Christmas, and you know, if I could

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<v Speaker 2>ran for a second, Lance, you know, when you talk

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<v Speaker 2>about attendance, you know, you always hear things like, well,

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<v Speaker 2>you're not fun to watch, and we're averaging eighty five

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<v Speaker 2>points a game, and well if we were just winning, coach,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, we're notine in three and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>possession away from being ten and two, and well, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just your schedule is better. And you know this

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<v Speaker 2>week we've got you know, one of the other premiere

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<v Speaker 2>programs in our league coming in, and I think one

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<v Speaker 2>of the premiere mid majors in all of college basketball.

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<v Speaker 2>When you talk about success over the last twenty years

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<v Speaker 2>and the resources and what they put into it and

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<v Speaker 2>nil and all those things. I mean, Charleston is really

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<v Speaker 2>the kind of program that all of us are are

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<v Speaker 2>are striving to be. And so we've checked all the boxes,

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<v Speaker 2>and man, we need truus areno as full as possible

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<v Speaker 2>for both of those games to really help our guys.

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<v Speaker 2>And what's going to be two really good basketball games

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<v Speaker 2>to watch.

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<v Speaker 1>Tomorrow night Oakland Sunday, College of Charleston. Tickets nkunors dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>It is always great here in your voice. Always enjoy

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<v Speaker 1>our conversations. You know you're welcome anytime, and best of

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<v Speaker 1>luck tomorrow night.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks, I mean, I appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks coach. There you go, Darren Horne, head coach of

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<v Speaker 1>the Norse. Norse and up they're red hot, nine and three,

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<v Speaker 1>one in one in late play seven and oh at

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<v Speaker 1>home and would like the benefit of the home crowd

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<v Speaker 1>tomorrow night as they try to get to eight and

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<v Speaker 1>oh at home in a showdown versus Oakland. So one

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<v Speaker 1>team averaging eighty nearly eighty six points a game at

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<v Speaker 1>Oakland averaging eighty four points a game. Holy cal wonder

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<v Speaker 1>what the over under total on that game is. Later on,

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<v Speaker 1>after the eight o'clock news, we'll talk with Richard Patino

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<v Speaker 1>in advance of the Musketeers opening Big East play tomorrow night.

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<v Speaker 1>But more coming up next of your reaction appreciation, Foreign

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<v Speaker 1>memory shared of the four new Reds Hall of Famers

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<v Speaker 1>as we roll on with RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Kelsey Chevrolet seven hundred WLW the.

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<v Speaker 3>Nightcap with Gary Jeff Walker where the drakes and conversation

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<v Speaker 3>hit the spot tonight at nine on seven hundred W L.

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<v Speaker 1>We've been duped, hoodwinked, Calm for fifty years. The lung

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<v Speaker 1>hair industry

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<v Speaker 3>Sold us toxins in a bag and made our yards

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<v Speaker 3>more toxic than a bad relation