On today’s episode of Longshore and McKnight, Barry McKnight is reporting from his hotel ahead of Troy’s NCAA Tournament matchup against Kentucky and John is at mission control. Barry gives his full travel breakdown, from the charter flight out of Montgomery Regional Airport to the “first-class experience” for Troy’s team and staff. Meanwhile, Alabama State, Auburn, and Troy all left from Montgomery earlier in the week, making it a rare moment where three Alabama teams are all in the Big Dance at the same time. The guys dig into NCAA Tournament matchups, starting with Troy’s underdog shot at Kentucky, Alabama’s 23.5-point favorite status against Robert Morris, and whether Auburn should be worried about facing Louisville early. The conversation quickly shifts to SEC dominance, as the league landed 14 teams in the tournament, sparking a debate on whether the conference truly deserved that many bids or if some mid-majors got snubbed.
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As always, the show delivers hilarious side stories, with Barry fuming about his hotel’s cable package, which doesn’t include TruTV, meaning he missed the early tournament games—a nightmare for any sports broadcaster. There’s also a classic travel story involving a past Bracket Challenge winner randomly sitting in first class, leading to wild fan interactions on the flight. Jason Caldwell and Rodney Orr provide Auburn and Alabama analysis, breaking down injury updates, key matchups, and what needs to be fixed for deep runs. And, because no episode is complete without some football talk, they dive into Mississippi State’s lowly 3.5-win total, Alabama’s quarterback battle heating up, and the legendary “one smoothie limit” recruiting scandal from Auburn’s past.
