1. I Will Not Be Taking the Kentucky Job
Dan Hurley, Billy Donovan, and NIT Stu will not be taking the Kentucky job. We’ll see about Scott Drew, reportedly the next name up on Kentucky’s list.
I know, I know. How could I turn down Kentucky? Well, to be clear, I turned it down preemptively. They hadn’t reached out by the time I made clear my intentions to stay at The Barking Crow. And this is why:
No matter how much money Big Blue Nation can pay their general, I think I present the most value to the game by sitting right here and blogging about the NIT. It’s not about the cash for me. It’s about doing important work. Coaching Kentucky simply does not mean as much as convincing the masses of the NIT’s regality.
2. The NCAA T*urnament Stunk!
Speaking of that!
Bad NCAA T*urnament. That’s what people are saying. They’re saying that they were told the lack of first-weekend upsets would make for a good “Sweet” Sixteen and “Elite” Eight. They’re saying they were told UConn vs. Purdue would be a great championship and make up for the boring two and a half weeks before it. They’re wondering whether any postseason men’s basketball tournament can provide excitement, make them feel things, and be played on an actual basketball court instead of in the middle of a football stadium. Their answer?
Yes.
The NIT remains.
3. Solar Eclipses Are Cool (and I Didn’t Even See the Corona)
We decided to stay in Austin for the solar eclipse yesterday, rather than try to get somewhere sunnier (it would have required a lot of luck and a long, long drive). We’re a little east of the interstate, which meant we didn’t have as much time in the path of totality as the rest of the city. How did this work out? Well, through the cloud cover we caught a lot of glimpses of the moon slowly devouring the sun. During the minute of totality, streetlights kicked on and the world got dark and we saw ducks lose their minds and try to go to bed for the unexpected night. We did not, however, see the corona.
My impression, following the experience, is that there are maybe four or five really cool things about a solar eclipse, ranging from cheering on the moon in a crowd of people to experiencing the feeling of wonder that must come from viewing the sun’s corona, always there but never otherwise visible, reminding us how small and unknowing we are. Despite the clouds, we got to experience three or four of the really cool things. We were just missing the corona, and I guess Baily’s Beads and the engagement ring moment. We got a lot of the experience! But not all of it.
This, of course, makes me hungry for more. On the walk back inside, I started looking at hotels in Burgos for 2026. El Cuervo Ladrido.
