Breaking Down NCAA Tournament Bracket with Mike DeCourcy & Tom Crean!

00:00:00
Speaker 1: What a journey it's been, not only for the teams of the NCAA Tournament, not only for the Purdue Boilermakers who are the Big Ten champions of the Big Ten Tournament, at least, not only for those schools that eked their way in and are now in playing games. Not only for myself and my colleagues that, thankfully were able to jump standby on an earlier flight yesterday before DFW and all haywire and stranded like half the people that were in town for the Arlington IndyCar Race, the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. Thank goodness that we were able to get on a flight and get back about nine o'clock last night, But also a journey with do we happen to have I guess we'll call it in relation to this program, Eddie, breaking news if you happen to have the breaking news sounder breaking news, at least in terms of this program, because it's happened since we last spoke with you. Thad Mada, after five hundred and two career wins against just two hundred and twenty three defeats a winning percentage just to tick under seventy percent in his career, a twenty four and thirteen mark in the NCAA Tournament, and a pair of Final four appearances that Mada announcing today that he is retiring from coaching in college basketball. Of course, a fabulous career began with his time at Butler, then to Xavier, and then I think most notably, even though he is probably most associated with Butler just because of his deep ties there, in his return, his greatest years obviously come from his time at Ohio State. Mike Conleague, Greg Odin a pair of Final four appearances as I mentioned, and Mike the course he is going to join us coming up in just a couple of minutes, and we can get into some of this. But let me tell you that the two things that I've got a real hunch on here, if you recall and Eddie, I don't remember when it was, it was some point last week. Well, it was going into when Mada was sitting on four ninety nine for a while there, and I had made the comment that like, look, I really want to see him get five hundred because I think Thad Mada knew that this was it. I think, especially once he got five hundred, that Thad Mada just knew. I think people close to Thad Mada knew that he was when you look at all things factored in. He had a fabulous career. He is a tremendous basketball coach. He's a super good and likable dude. He financially speaking, has made a lot of money. So one would have assume that that he's good there. And his health, I mean, truthfully, his health, And I don't mean in the aspect of like an you know, a disease, you know, but the back problems clearly you can tell that it was not and I get it. I mean it gets tougher, you get older, it gets tougher, and you know, for that reason, I understand the decision to walk away from coaching the game of basketball. Now the question becomes where does Butler turn? And the name that I had heard the most, and I think there was a natural assumption amongst a lot of people because he attended Butler, he was part of the basketball program, and he was at Butler. He worked with that at Ohio State, he worked at Xavier under Thadmada. He was an assistant in Indiana under Kelvin Sampson for that brief period and was a head coach in the conference at Xavier, where he went seventy and fifty. Although at that time I'd have to look at they might have been No, I think that's right. Yeah, they would have been big East. But Travis Steele's name is going to be mentioned a lot because his RedHawks of Miami are in the NCAA Tournament. They just completed an undefeated regular season. He is from the area, having gone to Danville High School and all of that. But the more that I've talked to people, and I don't mean just one, but I think that's more a long shot than people think. I think there are some hesitations about Steele and whether or not that would be the guy. I think Ronald Norad, who Eddie mentioned when I got in today, I think Ronald Norad is one that you've got to take a long, hard look at. I have also felt that at some point, and this is no disrespect to Norad. I think Ronald Norid, if he wanted the job, he has earned the right to be able to take a long hard look at that. So that's not to say so I'm making Norid kind of the exception here of what I'm about to say. But if you I think Butler at some point you know, you've grown into a major power fight program, you're in a big time conference, you've got some national pedigree and name recognition. At some point you go ahead and do a national bulletin of who can we get Let's see who has interest in this job. But we shall see about that. But there is a ton of college basketball to talk about. And when it comes to talking about a ton of college basketball, there is nobody better to do it that we wanted to get right off the top with the tournament pairings and the Butler News and everything else than Mike Decursi of the Sporting News and the Big Ten Network, as I always say, the dean of college basketball writers, and he joins us on the job. The house coldbrew coffee guest line, Mike, bottom line, It basically is Christmas season. Man, here it is and you are you are, literally Chris Kringle right here on the radio program. Awesome time of year. How are you?
00:06:14
Speaker 2: I am, well, Jake. But you know the difference is that after Santa Claus delivers all the presents, he gets to put this feed up for the next three hundred days, and I'm still working for the next month at least.
00:06:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's true. That is a good point. Well, that's the whole month is fun And like I said, Mike, it's always funny to me whenever one shining moment comes on. I mentioned this last week. Whenever I watch one shining moment at the end of the tournament, it's very melancholic to me because you're seeing the it reminds me of tournaments of yesteryear and people we've lost and things like that. I know that sounds over dramatic, but it's also interesting how in three weeks when we know who the national champion is going to be, today feels like at that point five years ago. You know what I mean. So much happens over the course of this tournament, which is the ma i'd you go the whole thing.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: Well, you said overly dramatic, but it's really not. And it's really poigning in this particular tournament because there are two teams, Kennesaw State and South Florida that were coached by a young man named Amir Abdur Raheem, brother of Sharif Abdur Raheem, who was a great NBA player, and Amir was a rising star in coaching, and he coached Kennesaw to the tournament a couple of years ago, and then came over and took over South Florida and got them invigorated. I don't think they made the tournament yet under him, And he passed away very suddenly last year. And so to have both of those teams in this field so soon after we lost him is exactly what you're talking about.
00:07:45
Speaker 1: And he was very highly I mean he was really highly thought of, right, not just as he was a coach.
00:07:51
Speaker 2: He was a guy, right, Yeah, a wonderful person. As a matter of fact, the American Conference has now named their Sportsmanship award after him. And he was a guy who was going to be He was on a rocket ship up the charts in college basketball. He was going to be in a major conference at some point soon. It was just going to be a question of taking the time to make the right move, the one that would fit him best, the one that was set up for success, not just the first big paycheck. I think that the coaches sometimes make that mistake, or maybe it's not a mistake. Hey, if I get enough money, it won't matter if they run me out, and if I win, then they'll keep me longer. So or maybe they'll give me one of those contracts with those huge buyouts that the eighties keep growing around like candy in certain places.
00:08:38
Speaker 1: So Mike, one of the places that Mike de COURSI is my guest it was not a buyout, but rather a retirement. But we know now. To lead off the show, let's talk about that, Mada and Butler overall, I guess just assessment of Fad in his career, and then also where you believe Butler turns well.
00:08:56
Speaker 2: I think that first of all, Sad when he left High State, I wasn't sure whether he was going to coach again. At that point, I knew well of his health issues. I've known Sad for twenty five years now, always have admired and respected him and thought that he was on a Hall.
00:09:13
Speaker 3: Of Fame track.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: I didn't think that I knew that he was headed to the Hall of fame if he hadn't had the health issues with his back and the surgery and everything that resulted from that. He was on a Hall of Fame track without a doubt. His record at Ohio State was phenomenal. The work he did at Xavier getting them to the Elite eight, the work he did at Butler to really launch what became the rocket to the multiple final fours that Brad Stevens took them toward. I know that Barry Collier got the program set and going, but it was a really terrific mid major program when Barry left and when Sad in his very short time he said his experience said yeah, we can be a little better than that. We can be a lot better than that. And then ultimately Brad took it to where it went and that got them all the way from the Horizon League to the Big East. And so when he retired or resigned or whatever we call it, when he left Ohio State, I wrote a column then and I just shared it again and I went back and read it and I was like, wow, that column still works. It's like the same, Like everything that impacted him then still impacted. He fought through it at Butler, but it just he just didn't have the same gun, the same juice that he had when he was in his prime. And I thought he did really fine work at Butler, but they just needed more. And I probably wasn't the era, so to speak, for him to be trying to push that rock up the hill because of the influence of Nil and all of that. And I think that really the first thing that every program, like Butler that has not yet been successful in this era, and it is a distinct era from probably twenty four forward, anybody that hasn't been successful has to look first, can how do we afford to be great? That's the first question that they have to answer. Is going out and hiring the biggest named coach is never the most important thing. It wasn't before money and it is and it isn't now. You have to hire somebody that's got the skill and the talent. I always it always amazes me at how many people hire resumes and don't hire coaches. Oh, he's like, okay, he's been really good, really good a long time. But he's never won the NCAA tournament. He's never made the NCAA tournamer whatever it might be, whatever that barrier is, he's never made this Kenny coach. That's the question that needs to be asked. But the first question that needs to be asked is not how to afford that coach, but how to afford a team that can be competitive in the Big East.
00:12:00
Speaker 1: How do we support said coach?
00:12:02
Speaker 2: Right, Yes, that's that's the biggest question for every team that's that's in every conference, but especially I think in a position like Butler's, where they're not a state school, and so where where do we get enough money so that we can afford a team that can be highly competitive in a very good conference. I think you seeing that that's a struggle for a lot of the teams below the Saint John's, Yukon Villanova level that no one else has stepped forward. Providence, Georgetown even hasn't been able to step forward to be great. And I don't think it's that they don't have the right coaches. I think that it's a question of whether they have the money to compete with Florida or Kentucky or whoever it might be out there.
00:12:54
Speaker 1: Do you believe you know? I was just saying, Mike before we brought you on, and then I want to get into the brackets themselves and Purdue notably, but on this stab about a Butler situation. I've talked to a couple of different people from different areas, and you can always tell, Mike when you do it long enough, when you talk to people that don't necessarily cross pollinate, and they kind of tell you the same thing. Then that's when you're like, Okay, there may be something to do this. By that, I mean at no disrespect to him. I don't know that Travis Steele is as lock and Stock a candidate for Butler as people may assume. And Ronald Norad, the former Butler star who has been in the NBA for quite some time now in coaching circles, I think, is one of candidates. But are there others out there that we might be overlooking?
00:13:40
Speaker 2: Well, I think there are capable coaches all throughout college basketball that could do a really good job, and it may be someone that no one's heard of a lot. I'll just give you an example. In the Horizon League. Andy Toole has been at Robert Morris I guess for gosh, fifteen years now, maybe something like that. I don't know exactly the tenure, but his teams are always good and he always finds talent to extent the first time around when he had success at Robert Morrison in the early part of the previous decade and the tens, I guess the early tens, even before the portal guy started getting plucked off his rosters to various high major places and of course then they'd have to sit out. But now they can go in the year and go start for Iowa, like Falvaris did as a forward for Iowa did this past year. That's a guy that I recommended to a high major program in twenty thirteen and he's still There's. Like I said, too many programs hire resumes and don't do the work of hiring coaches, and they do it lazily by hiring these search firms who don't know coaching, They don't know who the talent guys are.
00:15:02
Speaker 1: They know who they.
00:15:04
Speaker 2: They can say, Okay, this guy made this tournament and won these games, and so you can sell that. But I don't have a ton of respect for the search firms in terms of their ability to identify talent. I think that that's a real problem with how now. I don't know what Butler's process is going to be, but the minute I hear somebody hired a search firm is the minute I I'm like skeptical, skeptical about whether that search is going to go well.
00:15:30
Speaker 1: You know, Mike, A couple of years ago, I went to the Horizon League tournament at the Coliseum and I watched matter of fact, I take it back. U might even been a regular season game where Robert Morris was in town to play iund and they were not good. They were having a bad year. They were rebuilding their roster, and I noticed I was with Derek Schultz and he and I both commented on this. The Robert Morris bench, every one of them. Every time a guy would hit a big shot, they were up clapping. They were coming out at every break and every time out high fiving, guys cheering each other on. That sounds so ridiculously elementary YMCA basketball, But I also think that it speaks to coaching because it showed this belief of guys that were working together and even though they might have been in a tough situation, they were all positive. And to me that I have no idea how that translates to x's and o's, but I thought it was impressive for what that's worth a value tool.
00:16:26
Speaker 2: If I have a second, I'll tell you a story about a player that I won't mention the name. Now it's been twenty some years, but there was a high level player who was a draftable player who played for one of the teams that I was covering as a beat writer. And that player was suspended for a particular high profile game and sat on the bench and never did anything of what you just said. And this guy, like I said, was a draftable player, so obviously a significant player for the team, but he got suspended because of an attitude issue.
00:17:00
Speaker 3: Uh and And so.
00:17:01
Speaker 2: I got a call from an NBA team saying, Hey, what was up with that? What? What what's the what's he like, what's what's what's his character? Et cetera, et cetera. And then in reality, he was a great talent, uh a terrific teammate for the most part, and he did he had a bad week or two, I guess, uh and and and was was having some concerns about another player who had emerged as a star and that sort of thing. But that that those teams recognize that. So you're not off at all. You're right on. This is the NBA, that's the highest level of basketball on the planet, and they noticed that stuff.
00:17:37
Speaker 1: What did you notice, Mike, Mike de course, he's my guest, BTN and as well, of course Sports Illustrated talking college basketball, What did you notice about Purdue that spoke maybe to that or what what was kind of the if you will the Sporting News excuse me, Mike on on Mike's credentials or Sporting this. What was it about Purdue that what switch was flipped here and that enabled them to do what they did in the Big Ten Tournament?
00:18:07
Speaker 2: I think that I thought Nathan Baird in The Star did a great job of capturing what was different. They were more invested and engaged over the course of the time in Chicago than they maybe had been down the stretch of February, and maybe maybe that kind of on Wi is fair. Almost I think they realized they weren't going to win the regular season because Michigan's record was just unreachable. Michigan wasn't going to lose five in a row or whatever it would have taken to get anybody back into the mix.
00:18:41
Speaker 4: So I think.
00:18:42
Speaker 2: Maybe a little bit of hey man, we've been doing this for four years. We know which games are gonna matter and and these aren't those And so maybe it was subconscious, but when they got to this, they realized, if we don't invest in this, we're walking out the door having accomplished, you know, with the potential of having accomplished nothing. Despite being four year starters, four year seniors, some of the great players in Purdue history, and we're going to walk out this door. Yeah, okay, we made the final four. That's that happened two years ago. What do we do without Zach? And I think they I think they put aside some of that that competitive lack of fire and said, okay, let's do this. And and Nathan talked about Fletcher Lawyer and how he was engaged in communication on defense. Well, I mean, Fletcher's never been Gary Payton on d right, but being invested and being in terms of communication, communication can make up for a lot on defense because if you're communicating, even though you may not be built to guard the absolute best players, you can still make sure you're in the right place. And therefore the guys that are maybe slightly better defenders are in the right place, and everybody that's in the right place, and it makes it hard for the opposition. And you saw that with Michigan, especially on Sunday. Michigan a team that can be coerced into being stagnant if it's hard. They don't have a lot of ways to take This is where they miss LJ.
00:20:17
Speaker 4: Cason.
00:20:18
Speaker 2: They don't have a lot of guys that say, Okay, I'm putting the ball on the floor, and because you're Fletcher Lawyer, I'm going to I'm going to get past you and get in the lane and make something happening there for myself on a float, or throw it over the rim to a Dayemarra, or throw it back out to Trey McKenny or whatever it might be. That they don't have a lot of that. That's one of the things I harped on a last yesterday in the pregame show and then again last night on the shows we did on BTN to break down the brackets. Trey mckenny's got to be that guy. So they and it still hasn't happened. But because of that, they were the Purdue guys were able to put Michigan into a position where their offense was less productive than it needed to be. Offense hasn't really been a problem for this Purdue team situationally, maybe, but I mean, gosh, you look at the Senior Day game. They scored ninety and lost, so it clearly wasn't that into the court that.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Was the issue. Mike de Coursi is my guest Java House Colbrew Coffee guest line is where you are hearing him of course, TSN, Mike Sporting News where you can read him, Big ten Network where you can see him as well. Okay, Mike with the tournament bracket. Two questions I had here. First, which region to you appears to be the most loaded?
00:21:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, the most loaded is the South, although they do not have they have the least of the number one seeds in terms of regular season accomplishment. They are strongest at the two by far almost. I the guy with States really good, but I think Houston's clearly the best team on the two line. I think their strongest on the three line as well. I was surprised that the number of people that looked at the East and said that's the toughest region. But I think honestly that a lot of people who talk about college basketball in March don't talk about college basketball the rest of the year, right, And so they see the names Duke, Michigan, State, Yukon have all been great, Kansas great, Saint John's, Rick Patino. Oh, that's the toughest region, even if you want to go all the way back. They have UCLA and their ten titles. But it's it's look, it's they're not easy teams by any stretch. But if you saw a Yukon on Saturday night as a two seed, I'm not that super bothered by having to deal with them.
00:22:38
Speaker 5: I didn't.
00:22:38
Speaker 2: I don't have Duke winning that region, although certainly they can, because I didn't pick any of the injured teams. I just I just don't feel comfortable with teams having to reinvent themselves on this.
00:22:51
Speaker 1: So who do you have out of that region?
00:22:54
Speaker 2: I picked Saint John's and I'll probably be wrong, but I looked at it and I said, there's one player in America that I think is built to defend Caleb Boozer. Excuse me, Cameron Boozer, it is It is Zubiechi. Four of Saint John's physical, quick, long, smart, just feels like the guy that can deal with the Boozer's question. And so that's where I went. But I could see really any of sixteens, five sixteens coming out of that region. I think it's the it has the most candidates, but I think that's because Duke is compaired.
00:23:34
Speaker 1: By the way, Mike, I hate to break this to you, but Saint John's is going to get upset by Northern Iowa. Just so you know. Okay, here's my other question. I wanted to ask you, and we're going to have Tom creen on later and I'm going to talk a little more in depth about leagues that best prepared teams for the tournament because they are diverse leagues and so therefore a team has had to play a bunch of different styles right by the time they get to the tournament. And who jumps out at that. But I wanted to ask you, then, give me a team. Saint John's might be this team because of the way that Patino can defend. But give me a team that plays a style that is going to be the most unique and therefore they have the highest odds that each matchup they have their style is going to catch somewhat off guard because it is just so seldomly replicated across the country.
00:24:23
Speaker 2: Well, I think the team that is most uncommon is Iowa. But I don't think that they're talented enough to make it stand up for more than one round. They don't have the size. They certainly are talent enough at the point guard position. Benister is phenomenal, but I don't think they have enough physicality beyond that. But that's the team that could make that I think will win a game and could win two, but probably won't because of the limitations I discussed. That's I don't think we have a Syracuse in the field, a Beheim Syracuse, wherein they not only have that zone that only teams in their league really were comfortable and familiar with, but also significant talent to the CJ Fairs and the Carmelo Anthony's and going all the way back to Derek Coleman, etc. That could make that zone not only problematic but also then overpower you at the other end as well. I don't think they really have that. There's a team in this field that feels like that. To me, there's a lot more similarity in college basketball now than there used to be. But I will say that I think that the teams that are in the Big Ten have probably been the most rounded in that respect in terms of preparation. Because Minnesota had to go to zone because of all the injuries they had, and they played zone almost exclusively. They were never a great zone team, but look, they beat UCLA two weeks ago, so they certainly are capable. They were capable of making you work if you were a They also beat Michigan State this year.
00:26:01
Speaker 4: See, so it was.
00:26:02
Speaker 2: At least a significant enough challenge that the two of the teams that are in the field couldn't conquer it. And then I mentioned the Iowa challenge of having to be dealing with the starts question and how they play and the pace they play. And then the Wisconsin deal where the two guards having to cope with them, especially Boyd and his left hand, and their ability now to just basically attack you from three point range. I don't think I've seen a team that over the last several seasons that could get in a lead or be in a game while shooting and scoring almost exclusively in some instances from three point range. You look at that halftime box of the Purdue game. I mean, I think they've made four field goals inside the three point arc and they'd scored like fifty five points or something like that.
00:26:54
Speaker 1: Okay, last, Mike, I want you to tell me, and don't tell me the school, the school that you have winning the national championship this year that will be cutting down the nets at the Final four in Indianapolis. I want you to tell me, currently the most popular professional athlete in the state that that school represents.
00:27:15
Speaker 2: Hmmm, ah, gosh, Devin Booker.
00:27:22
Speaker 1: Gotcha, Okay, Devin Booker, who I thought the other night was going to break his own scoring record at Gambridge Field House of sixty two points for an opponent in a game. So that means things go well for teams from the Valley of the Sun. Meaning Mike Decorsi says that like it was in nineteen ninety seven, Arizona will win the national championship in Indianapolis. We shall see right there in INDI.
00:27:43
Speaker 2: Yes, it won't be at the old RCA Dome, but Lucas Soil Stadium. And what I remember about that night was it sound like there was a constant wind blowing through the RCA Dome. And I know obviously there, well that's right, those but they had I don't know. I don't know if it was the vending system or something of It's not like the wind was blowing all night. Lucas Oil doesn't have that problem unless they open the windows.
00:28:05
Speaker 1: Hey, I know they wont. Miles Simon didn't have that problem either, let me tell you that much, right. But he get to that.
00:28:11
Speaker 2: Because he put the ball on the floor all the time and got to the lane. I don't think he had a ton of threes that night.
00:28:16
Speaker 1: Lightning in a bottle and that's in that final four though, no question.
00:28:20
Speaker 2: Let me say this before we go. I am so excited to be coming back to Indy. Every final four should be in Indianapolis. There is no second place in terms of the best place to hold the final four, and so really excited to be coming back to town for this.
00:28:35
Speaker 1: Well, we love it, Mike, and I appreciate your time coming on and obviously we will be looking for you BTA Network, watching it on Twitter at TSN Mike and Sportingnews dot com where you can read his column as well. Appreciate it, Mike, Thank you very much. Shake all right, Mike, of course he joined me Jaba House, cold Brew Coffee guest ligne. All right, Ton to get to Ton, to get to including Eddie. Are you ready for it? Do you have some of the sounders people? Kids go crazy for this? We literally I was. I had planes, trains and automobiles coming back from Dallas and literally do you want to know what got me back aside from the airplane, Eddie, I don't know if you know, but the DFW airport Right now, there's all kinds. It's just literally mayhem down there. And then you had weather here, and last night the weather was not great and flights were canceled all over the place, and I was on a later flight that ended up getting canceled. They were going to have me fly back tonight. You know what got me back here today, Eddie? So that you could see this beautiful lobstered face and I could give blood this morning for a blood raw. Do you want to know what got me back?
00:29:41
Speaker 6: I'm going to guess your anticipation of all the sounders that I have for our numbers game.
00:29:45
Speaker 1: You are correct, the gate agent when I went up and said, is there any way I can get on standby on an earlier flight to try to get back in time? And the lady said, sir, this is DFW like. Look around you. Everyone here is trying to get back in time. And I said, I understand. She said I'll take your last name and I said query and she said, oh, wait a minute. Are you doing the numbers game tomorrow? And I said yes, we are the numbers game for the NCAA tournament. And she said, oh my gosh, my kids they love it. And I said, oh, so you live in Indian just and no, I work in Dallas, but it's nationwide. Here. Here's how we're doing this. We do it every year, and I'm not saying we're gonna do it right next but people go bonkers for it. We do it for the eighty five hundred. We do it for the NCAA Tournament. And it's very simple. We have randomly assigned a number for all sixty eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. You give me a number, I give you that team three ways to win three of them. Okay, you can be the double digit seed to advance the furthest and then in the event of a tiebreaker, if like two eleven seeds both make it to the Elite eight, first tiebreaker is the one that loses by fewer points. Second tiebreaker the one that loses to the better seed. Third tiebreaker then would be total number of wins on the season. But so you could be lowest digit seed to advance the furthest. You could be the team that gets blown out by the largest margin in the tournament, or you can get the champion. All three if you win, I Jake Query personally will go and buy a hat of said team that you can then proudly wear around and people are like, so, just out of curiosity, why are you wearing a North Dakota State hat. Oh they got to be by forty eight the tournament and I won that on Quernica. Fabulous, great conversation piece. Envy of your friends, and then the course the grand prize will be not only do you get the hat, but we're going to set you up with dinner at Chicago's Pizza. We're going to set you up with some Java house coffee and again the envy of your friends. And it's all about giving you a reason to root for something other than just the team you.
00:31:53
Speaker 6: Typically root for.
00:31:54
Speaker 1: It's the spirit of the competition and there's no wagering because its you nothing. So that's what we're going to do over the course of today, Big show lined up, though Mike Chap'll going to join us about one o'clock. Will get a quick rehash just on where things stand. There is news in the NFL today as well. For that matter, there is a quarterback that has been traded and maybe it's the third chance to get some juice and he's going to a spot where if you want an offensive shot in the arm, he's going to the right place to do it. We'll get into that with chap Nick Gardner going to join US Butler Basketball and the Butler Radio Network to talk about the situation with that Mada Tom Crean coming up two o'clock hour as well, So we will tell you what qb NFL is on the move next now when we try to figure things out, and we'll talk to Chap about this coming up. What's one of the things we've been talking about with the Colts that has been of note or analyzed or interpreted, and that is what will the Colts get for Anthony Richardson? What is the trade value for Anthony Richardson? Eddie, if you could please look up for me Anthony Richardson's career stats. Okay, we're gonna do a little compare and contrast here. If you look up Anthony Richardson's career stats, tell me the number of starts.
00:33:21
Speaker 6: Oh, this is funny, Anthony Richardson. Are we looking at junior or senior?
00:33:24
Speaker 5: Junior?
00:33:25
Speaker 6: Nothing senior.
00:33:26
Speaker 1: Thank you, You're welcome. Somebody got mad at me for pointing that out the other day. Like enough, we've heard it. I find it odd though. Anthony Richardson's senior Sorry, okay, so number of starts in his career I'm waiting.
00:33:44
Speaker 6: Hold on starts made and his career.
00:33:47
Speaker 1: Fifteen okay, completion percentage.
00:33:53
Speaker 6: Career, fifty point six.
00:33:57
Speaker 1: Touchdowns, passing touchdo downs, eleven interceptions, thirteen rushing yards.
00:34:10
Speaker 6: Rushing yards for Anthony Richardson six hundred and thirty four okay, and ten rushing touchdowns, two fumbles lost.
00:34:23
Speaker 1: Compare that to the following fifty three starts, sixty one percent completion percentage, fifty two touchdowns, thirty two interceptions, and twelve hundred and twenty four yards. That is the career synopsis that I gave you of Justin Fields, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a sixth round pick. This is a guy that has started at least thirteen games in the first three three years of his career and then fifteen in the last two years, and he got a sixth round pick. It makes for it, and that I didn't realize that Richardson's completion percentage was that low. I knew it was low, I didn't realize it was that low. But Justin Field's on his way to Kansas City obviously, to keep the seat warm for Patrick Mahomes and going to go and that allows them to kind of maintain that same offense, if you will, you know what I mean, because Fields is I think he's able to play the similar kind of system that you know, the rollouts and things like that that Mahomes has become accustomed to. Obviously not at the level of Mahomes, but nonetheless you have it.
00:35:46
Speaker 6: I think, Jake part of this is in terms of salary cap and money, because if the Jets released him straight up, they would have had to eat ten million dollars in guarantee money. By trading him, they only have to pay him seven million, City takes the other three and they also get a six round pick for twenty twenty seven.
00:36:05
Speaker 1: But what I mean honestly, and we'll talk with Chap about this coming up, but you know, just in terms of what realistically would be Richardson's trade value, does the which looks more bizarre on me right now, by the way, the wind, sunburn or the band aid on.
00:36:19
Speaker 6: My arm, I would say the sunburn because your your sleeves are a little shorter than whatever shirt you were wearing yesterday. So Farmers Tan, yeah, you're showing off that Farmers Tan.
00:36:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, part of it may be Windburn. The Indy Car debut in Arlington, and this was around. It was a street course race, meaning a temporary circuit made up of actual city streets, and it went around at and T Stadium, Jerry's World as we call it, and then between the Texas Rangers two stadiums, the old one that they had that they've actually had three stadiums, but the ballpark in Arlington which was built in ninety four and is now chalk taw Field, and I think they have like the UFL played there and some college soccer has played there. It still looks like a brand new baseball diamond. It's crazy. The stadium looks brand new. And I was on the balcony of said stadium because the street circuit for IndyCar went right between the two stadiums because across the street is Globe Field, I think it's called Globe Field, Globe Life Globe Life Field. That's where the Rangers new stadium is since twenty twenty. But it was absolutely that as an event. I can't speak for you know how good the racing was because I only was seeing one corner of it and that track was so massive. I couldn't see the action aside from that, but it seemed like people enjoyed the action of it. Kyle Kirk would be getting the win, I think largely because we had him on the show, right, it did him well, that's right. But it was sold out, It was absolutely packed, and the weather was great. It was super windy. They moved the start time up yesterday because of the anticipated win, and it was actually windy or probably earlier on than it was at the end of the race. But you can't predict that. But it was a travel one of those weird travel nightmares getting back. But thankfully we did get back, hopped on an earlier flight, got back, Otherwise Eddie would be missing me for like two days. Eddie, you said you put your twenty first birthday in that stadium.
00:38:29
Speaker 6: I did, and I did spend my twenty first birthday in that stadium. How did you pick Texas Rangers?
00:38:33
Speaker 1: How did you pick a Texas Rangers game to go to for your twenty first birthday?
00:38:36
Speaker 6: So, when I was at the University of Indianapolis in college, I was on the student management radio team, and as a part of the student radio management team, we would go to a conference in the fall and a conference in the spring. The conference in the fall just so happened to be down there in Dallas, Texas and Mark Forrester, who works up in months easy and you grant you. And I connected with him down there and he was like, hey, you want to I know you're a big baseball guy. Are you interested in going to see the Texas Rangers game at all? I was like, sure, why not? You know, I haven't been to the park and I got nothing else to do that night, so yeah, let's go. And he didn't know it at the time, but it was my twenty first birthday and he bought me my first legal beer.
00:39:20
Speaker 1: Did you sit in the section that was the all you can eat? I don't even know what section that is? Right field, upper right fist.
00:39:26
Speaker 6: No, we sat up top behind home plate.
00:39:29
Speaker 1: Who'd they play?
00:39:30
Speaker 6: Honestly, I can't even remember.
00:39:32
Speaker 1: Hold on, how old are you? Twenty seven? When's your birthday?
00:39:40
Speaker 6: September twenty fourth, So.
00:39:42
Speaker 1: You were born on nine to twenty four of ninety eight, ninety eight, Yes, nineteen ninety eight, Texas Rangers. All right, we're going to see who I'm going to guess, right, now, I'm going to guess that you saw them play the Seattle Mariners. That is my guest. You saw them play the Seattle Did they win or lose? Do you remember that?
00:40:01
Speaker 6: I don't think we stayed for the entirety of the game.
00:40:03
Speaker 1: Oh really, I don't think so.
00:40:04
Speaker 4: Yeah?
00:40:05
Speaker 1: Is that because he bought more than just one of your first legal beers? I know? Are you sure?
00:40:10
Speaker 6: I'm sure?
00:40:11
Speaker 1: All right, we'll look it up and I will tell you who they played and when do we have the Sounders ready, Eddie for our big numbers debut. I will let you, as the captain, determine. You can tell me on the other side. What Oddly enough, I guess the Mariners and the Rangers played the Mariners on the day you were born.
00:40:32
Speaker 6: There you go.
00:40:32
Speaker 1: But they're playing the Red Sox on the day you turned twenty one.
00:40:35
Speaker 6: So what you're saying is me and Seattle were meant to be.
00:40:37
Speaker 1: That's correct. You kind of like the Mariners, don't you.
00:40:42
Speaker 5: Yeah?
00:40:44
Speaker 6: You know, I would say they're my American League team.
00:40:48
Speaker 5: Really? Yeah?
00:40:50
Speaker 1: Okay, who's your final four, Eddie?
00:40:53
Speaker 6: I haven't made a bracket yet.
00:40:55
Speaker 1: Let me tell you the I'd like to know this if I'm the only one that falls into this category.
00:41:00
Speaker 6: But I can give you one team that I know that will be in my final four, okay, because I think they're winning at all. I mean Arizona.
00:41:08
Speaker 1: You're with Mike de Courci on this right, Yes.
00:41:10
Speaker 6: They've been the most consistently dominant team all season long, kind of like Yukon was whatever that was two years ago.
00:41:17
Speaker 1: Here is my bracket observation, and brackets are a little bit admittedly like your fantasy team, right, but it is. You know, it's a major topic of conversation this time of year that unifies offices and groups and friends and whatever else. The only right now netpick I have. This year's INCAA selection Sunday, to me, was disappointing is the wrong word. But we didn't have Eddie. Like the main there's always a team that everyone's like, I can't believe they didn't get in, or this team shouldn't be there, or this team got robbed on their seating, or oh my gosh, look at the incredible matchup here storyline. This seemed to be a year where everybody was pretty cool with the entire selection, right.
00:42:16
Speaker 6: Pretty sure Bruce Pearl would disagree with you, but that's about.
00:42:19
Speaker 1: It, which unifies the country because everybody's like, yeah, dude, enough right, yeah we played. How about Auburn hosting a thing about how they played seventeen quad one games or something like that. They were like three and fourteen in those seventeen games. Great? Like what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to like out about how many, like five of the seven hottest girls at North Central I asked out as a senior. Should I have a T shirt that says that one of them went on a date with me? And it happened and there was not a second date? Great? Congratulations? I mean, what are we doing here? My biggest nitpick with the brackets, especially if you look at the bracket, like there's a you printed me out of bracket, right, I had you print me out of bracket and it's the USA Today ESPN Bracket Challenge. Okay, that's cool, right, But the way they've got it, are you looking at the brackets you printed out for me? By chance, Eddie, I have it up. I'll tell you what drives me nuts. It's got the two games and then the little blue line to connect you to the next thing, and those are just bracket holders, and that's where I want to write down the name of the team. And then I get like halfway through it, and I screwed it up because I'm writing on the wrong lines. And then I'm like, wait aboute Who's playing who here? It's very confused. This is not rocket science. Limit the number of lines that are on the bracket. Please. All we need is the three lines that have the little thing, and then you know that's it. What was that you said, Eddie. Eddie's telling me I need to break Yeah.
00:43:59
Speaker 6: I'm trying to work on these numbers, Dad, trying to get as many as we possibly can.
00:44:03
Speaker 1: People go crazy for the number game.
00:44:05
Speaker 6: I know they go crazy for the number game, but you and I go crazy for the sounders.
00:44:08
Speaker 1: And I need to know. I need to set the parameters here. We cannot give away numbers via text. It's got to be you got to call in at two, three, nine, ten seventy. That's number one, and then number two. You got to just give me a number and then I'll give you the school that's a signed to that number. And there are three ways to win. I think, Eddie, that we should begin this around what time do you think, Nick Gard's gonna join us one thirty, one fifteen we do our first set and give away six.
00:44:34
Speaker 6: We got Chappell coming up on right, yeah, one fifteen, right, Yeah, there's a couple that I want to get in here before we start rolling off these. I think I need three more than I absolutely have to get in here.
00:44:47
Speaker 5: Really.
00:44:47
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:44:48
Speaker 1: These are sounders that let people know who they got once they For example, if you get uh, two lane, two lane's not in it, but if they were, we would play a sound effect of a large crashing wave, right, because aren't they the the what are they the green waves?
00:45:04
Speaker 6: Yes, two lanes of the mean green wave.
00:45:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, mean Greens Texas. Right. I didn't think North Texas, North Texas is mean green right, because that's where men Jo Green went. I don't know, all right, Mike Chapel other side, Justin Fields on his way to Kansas City. What's that tell us about Anthony Richardson? And are there still little clean up moves to be made for the Colts? We'll let you know next to think that tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day and it's literally going to be we go for our annual Guinness at Connors and it's going to be like twenty five degrees. And then when I think of I think part of the the love of the NCAA tournament and March maddness comes with the fact that it just reminds everybody like that's when the weather finally breaks and you're out of the doldrum of winter and it's suddenly a nice, beautiful day and you're kind of skip worker, skip school a little bit early that day, watch the early games, and you get the weekend. There's games going until like ten thirty eleven o'clock at night. It's awesome. Then the second weekend comes around, You're like, wait a minute, aren't there supposed to be more games. It's like, oh, I gosh, I forgot. We went from X number of games now to half that and you move along. But Spring break, all of it great time of year, and of course it's also coming right off of and still in the midst of NFL Free Agency. Joining us now on the Java House Colebrew Coffee guest line from CBS four and wx I in Fox fifty nine, and we're going to give away numbers starting out here in about fifteen minutes, So brace yourself for that fun. But Mike Chappel joins us beforehand, chap I will begin with this. We just saw that Justin Fields was traded to Kansas City for a sixth rounder. Does that provide any sort of glimpse And if so, for me, it would be not necessarily positive on the overall value of what Anthony Richardson could fetch.
00:47:00
Speaker 5: Yeah, I was thinking of five all along. And you know, and again, as do I say, whether it's trade or free agency, a guy's value is what some team will pay.
00:47:10
Speaker 2: Uh.
00:47:11
Speaker 5: And then it's been a few years, but Dallas gave up a four for Trey Lance and ar has got more, you know, has has done more in the NFL than Trey Lance did. Well, you have to find a team, uh, that's interested in taking on what would a guy with the men's potential and and and issues. Yeah, I gain. It's funny. I I got my grandson, Uh, we've got a bet and for ten bucks that he believes a r I will get a four. And I said, I said, there's no way, no way, So we'll see. But yeah, I think it should tell people that don't expect to get especially when it's obvious that a team doesn't expect this got to be part of their future. Now, whether they'll cut they are failing a trade, I don't know, but it's very clear that he doesn't has not been kind of put into their future future plans which automatically touch your value. So you think if I I would, I would think that's really good. A four would be I would say, you are you kidding? The type of thing. But yeah, people need to people need to understand that you just don't get followed the draft picks for players that, no matter how good you think they might be in a year or two, that you're willing to get rid of.
00:48:38
Speaker 1: One of the areas that it appears as though, and I don't know if it's because it's just an area that Chris Ballard covets so much and prioritizes, or it's one that he just is still waiting for the right combination. But are they kind of quietly retooling their D line here?
00:48:57
Speaker 5: Chap, yes, And he told us they we're going to uh. He said that he's younger and faster, he said, the front seven, which includes the linebackers. But you know, they they've lost abcom They've lost They're gonna lose uh uh Quittie Pay they lost him Taekwon Lewis. Uh so, yeah, they're and they signed what I'm sitting here, say, I'm doing a story now, trying to recap everything's going on. They they've added four d linemen I believe it is. Is it two ends and two tackles or whatever. But but they're all primarily rotational and depth guys. Argent key until you see something different. Argantee, probably you're starting in opposite law to I. Still they still need Russia. I you know, I if Minnesota wants to get get rid of Jonathan Grenard, you know, send him here and figure out the compensation. I would overpay draft pick wise for him, just because it's something you need. He said, I think you had down your last I think he missed some games. But he's had twelve and a half sacks twice. You know, players not named Matheson Freeny don't have twelve and a half sacks here, So you need that guy. And but but again, and one thing I pointed out in this story I'm doing is, you know, we're early a week into free agency, so there's plenty of time. It's just that when you're deep this deep into free agency that most of the most of the main guys that you consider main guys are gone. You know what you want Joy Bosa, I mean you take him on to you can be that your trainers can handle his next injury. I don't know so, but now that there's still work to do. But again, yes, back on aar. They need, they need to do something. And the defensive line, we knew they were going to redo this and it's it's a huge, huge feel that the Forrest Buckner is coming back. Ballard told us that at the combine that that was the intention. He feels good, and they is guaranteed like a ten million dollars roster bonus for for buck as well. So he's but at some point you can't to replace him. He's getting older, good grovers tours getting older. So they'll never ever ever ignore defensive line. Offensive line, they just won't because if you can't, you know, protect the quarterback and run the ball on offense, you're dead. And you can't get after the quarterback or stop the run, you can't play defense. And we've seen we've seen that too often here. So they're not done. I I'm not really in favor of using a second or third round pick on a defensive end. I mean, how many you know, how many swings and misses do you need before you before whatever whatever, whatever you guys, whatever you do in evaluations is not working. So but yeah, it's the defensive line needed work. It's gotten some work, but it's still needs that one more missing piece.
00:51:56
Speaker 1: They've added two pieces, seemingly to back up or spell relief for Grover Stewart, whose contract he's got a year left on. It's been a really good player, obviously. And again I'm gonna go back to something I mentioned last week. Is that just insurance policy? And I'm hoping I'm saying his name correctly. Derek Naughty, I believe is the last name that I'm saying it correctly. But you know, is that insurance policy there, or is that Hey, we've got to make sure that we've got ducks in a row just in case Stewart for some reason moves on is not available, et cetera. And I'm thinking contractually when I ask it that.
00:52:35
Speaker 5: Way, well, I don't think they saw, hey, forget this guy, then when Buck's gone, we can this guy can move in. And that's not it. This is like primarily this year and they wanted to get quality or experienced depth behind Buck and and Grover. I don't think this is any reflection either one of these guys is that they brought in or even remotely long term parts of what they're doing here. It's just that even if Buck is here and plays for seventeen games, maybe he plays sixty percent of the time. So they rotate guys in there, and unless it's funny, unlike the offensive line who plays every play, the defensive line, you know they they'll play sixty sixty five percent, And if you don't have good people behind him, then when those guys are sitting, it's funny. I remember when the Colt went to Houston last year for the last game, and you know, we were talking to Shane Sticking about, you know, whether Houston would have their starters out there or how they'd rest their their they're really good ends. He mentioned then. I understand he said that that he wouldn't take note of when they're big pass rushers, they Anderson and the other guy. When they were off. He said, when they're off, we're gonna take shots. So if there's if there's a rop off in in efficiency or disruption when you have your guys out of there. People are going to notice it and they'll take advantage of us. So they need to get better. They're gonna miss Taekwon Lewis. I mean, he's he's he didn't have quite the year he normally had last year, but but he's been really good situationally and where he can play multiple positions. But but they need eight or nine guys on the defensive line on game because that's how they use them. But these guys again, you just need people behind Grover. You need people. You know, Buck missed a bunch of games last year and and it showed. It just showed. So you need better people behind them. And that's what they hope they've got.
00:54:44
Speaker 1: Okay, lastly, Chap in terms of the big splashes, the big you know, I was on a flight last night. The pilot comes on, ass folks, give me a little turbulent. I got some storms going through. So you're you're waiting for it, right, You're waiting for the jostle and the up and down. It's always fun, right are we through? And then and then you get back into the calm air. In terms of big splashes here for the Colts in this off season, have we weathered through the turbine that time.
00:55:11
Speaker 5: Well probably, Uh, getting getting Jones and Piercedown were monster. I mean, they made it clear that you know from the start that those are two priorities, and until they got done, you didn't know they were going to get done. I think the Colts were closer to losing Pierson people believe, but to me, the only news you know, I mean, I mean, where where it'll take it'll raise eyebrows at least nationally, is for riches to be traded. And if they if they finded a way to get a pass rusher, which again the main thing, there's going to be a trade probably and let's just say that if they would get Grenard and I'm not saying they said feeders or talks or anything. I'm just saying they do, that would be that would be a tremor u nationally. I don't know how how much of a tremor because this is Indie and they've sort of fallen off the radar, but those are the only two that I really would see. They're not going to cut anybody else. Uh, you know, maybe they re signed Jermaine Pratt that's not going to register anywhere. It would help these guys because they need the linebackers. But those are the only two that I really see that people would say, oh, look what the cols did.
00:56:25
Speaker 1: Chap appreciate the time. As always. I'll let you get to filling out your NCAA tournament bracket.
00:56:31
Speaker 5: Have you got your sell out?
00:56:33
Speaker 1: You know what? I printed it out and then I screwed up on a couple of the lines, and then I couldn't live with myself because it didn't look perfect. But I found myself like just putting a bunch of one and two seeds up there, and then I'll do like three versions till I finally get the one that I like.
00:56:46
Speaker 5: But you just you only do one. You only submit one, right.
00:56:48
Speaker 1: Only you know I don't even submit, Yeah, but I mean I do one, and I'm like, that's my bracket, right.
00:56:53
Speaker 5: So yeah, yeah, my grandson do like three? Ut yeah, not that what I mean. And then you can say, well, I got this on right, Well you got two? Yeah, you're right, just just do one. Be one of those one one one bracket guys.
00:57:05
Speaker 1: I always look for like two upset teams. I'm going with Northern Iowa as one of my upset teams. Not that anybody cares, but I'm just throwing it out there. And then I think, by you can, oh, Santa Clara, Santa Clara makes some noise. Santa Clair's Miami of Ohio win a game or two, that'd be great. Yeah, I mean, especially with all the heat they've taken, be great.
00:57:25
Speaker 5: Apparently they were the last team in is that right?
00:57:27
Speaker 1: Yeah? And I don't understand. Also, u NBC wins their league but then has to play in a playing game. And I'm like, wait a minute, I thought you're automatically in.
00:57:33
Speaker 5: I don't get that.
00:57:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, automatically for a playing game. That makes no sense.
00:57:37
Speaker 5: So you're not automatically in.
00:57:39
Speaker 1: Correct, don't call it a playing game, if you know what I mean?
00:57:42
Speaker 5: Right, Yeah, it's a play is the first round?
00:57:45
Speaker 1: I mean the NCAA would be inconsistent. Chap I hear you, I hear you. Be well, buddy, I appreciate it. Mike Chapel joining us from CBS four and w b X. I n all, right, here we go. This is very simple. Here's how we do the numbers game. Nick Gardner coming up, Butler Basketball Radio coming up in just a couple of minutes. But we're going to do our first installment. And if you've never heard this before, pay attention, but people go crazy for this. They go bonkers for the numbers game, and kids in particular love it. Every team in the NCAA tournament field. Valerie is our official number assigner, but we actually had to skirt around Valerie this year. I apologize for that that. Valerie was busy with work and even though she got them to me, we wanted to get it done just prior to that. My apologies. But here's how we do it. We have sixty eight teams. Every team is randomly assigned a number. You call in, you give me your favorite number, and I will give you the team that that's your team for the tournament. You are assigned to that team. Three ways to win and listen, I just came up with this on my own here, so you know, have a heart. Here's the three ways you win. If you get one of the three winning teams, I'm buying you a hat, a hat from that team. You could proudly wear it to all be the envy of your friends. Your friends want to know why it is you're walking around rocking a UNBC hat. It's because you got it. On the Quarium Company Numbers game, and that alone, I mean the street value of that is astronomical. Three ways to win. You either get the team that wins the national Championship. You get the double digit seed to advance the furthest with tiebreakers involved in case two of them both end up in the final four, whatever it may be, there are tie breakers involved, but the double digit seed to advance the furthest ten seed or lower, and then of course the team blown out by the largest margin. So the reason I do it that way. If you end up with an eleven seed, you end up with a sixteen seed, or you end up with a power team. All of them give you a chance to win a prize. You get a if you're any of those three, and the grand prize. Not only do you get a hat, I'm sending you to dinner at Chicago's Pizza and setting you up with Java House coffee. That's how we do it. And if you are participating and or waiting in the numbers game, please score at home. What numbers have been taken so that we don't get redundant. All right, here's how we do it. Do We have a caller lined up Bettie We've got five lined up. Yeah, okay, who do we have first?
01:00:24
Speaker 6: We'll start with our loyal listener from Ohio.
01:00:28
Speaker 4: Mo.
01:00:29
Speaker 1: Mo from Ohio is leading us off. Hi, Mo, how are you?
01:00:33
Speaker 4: I'm great? How about you?
01:00:35
Speaker 1: I'm good?
01:00:36
Speaker 3: Mo?
01:00:36
Speaker 1: You know the thing about you on the radio. I don't know if you know this or not. You radiate sunshine via the radio. It's negative seventeen degrees and blowing flurries around here. We could use a little Mo in our life, right well, we need to do it.
01:00:47
Speaker 4: The same thing up here at Ohio.
01:00:48
Speaker 1: You know what we need is Mo Mo. Basically, it's what I'm getting at. Okay, what number would you like?
01:00:52
Speaker 4: Mo?
01:00:54
Speaker 5: Forty four?
01:00:55
Speaker 1: Number forty four for Mo, Mo from Ohio? You got Are you a football fan?
01:01:01
Speaker 4: Mo?
01:01:01
Speaker 1: You are right?
01:01:02
Speaker 7: Oh?
01:01:02
Speaker 5: Yeah, yep?
01:01:03
Speaker 1: Okay. What if I told you that you got the program in college football that recruited the best high school player of my youth, a guy by the name of Lars Tate, a running back. Do you know who that is? By chance? I know the name. He replaced a running back by the name of Herschel Walker at the University of Georgia, the Bulldogs. Off the board.
01:01:23
Speaker 6: You could have played on with Tom Crean joining us.
01:01:26
Speaker 1: At too, Jake, that's right? Two or two thirty two thirty two thirty?
01:01:30
Speaker 6: Good call. I'm glad you know. Thank when our guests are coming on?
01:01:33
Speaker 1: Yeah? Okay, who's next? Well? Dan, listen, I need you to pay attention to Eddie if you could, Dan, how are you?
01:01:39
Speaker 5: I'm great? How are you?
01:01:40
Speaker 4: Guys?
01:01:41
Speaker 1: We can't complain? Dan? Do you have a number? Do you know the numbers game? Dan? Or are you a fan of the numbers game?
01:01:46
Speaker 5: I have? This is my third year?
01:01:47
Speaker 1: Oh? Really? Okay? Who did you have last year?
01:01:49
Speaker 2: Dan?
01:01:49
Speaker 1: Do you remember?
01:01:51
Speaker 4: Uh? No?
01:01:51
Speaker 5: I always take fourteen for a j foyd.
01:01:53
Speaker 1: Okay, did you find yourself throughout the tournament? You know, very closely rooting for the team that you got a year ago. So that people you were part of the Quarying Company numbers game.
01:02:03
Speaker 5: Some more than I would have if I had that dick them.
01:02:05
Speaker 1: Oh, I appreciate that number fourteen Eddie. Do we happen to have? Okay?
01:02:09
Speaker 4: That is?
01:02:11
Speaker 1: Let me ask you this, Dan. Do you ever watch USC football?
01:02:15
Speaker 2: No?
01:02:16
Speaker 1: Okay, Well, if you do, they play the band always plays this thing done don don don dona, and it has something to do with Troy, which is actually the school that you got. Troy is off the board. Who's next, Eddie.
01:02:29
Speaker 6: Dennis?
01:02:31
Speaker 1: I believe this might be Dennis the Menace? How are you? Dennis?
01:02:34
Speaker 5: It is Denis Menas. How you doing, Jake?
01:02:36
Speaker 1: Dennis? If I'm not mistaken, you were one of our hat winners from a year ago? Am I correct?
01:02:40
Speaker 5: I got the Arkansas hat?
01:02:42
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, yep, pitch jewy. Now when you wear that proudly, do you find to be the envy of your friends from a fashion standpoint?
01:02:49
Speaker 2: Oh?
01:02:49
Speaker 1: They're green with envy. That's what I'm talking about. See, Dennis, you're the poster Dennis, You're the one person that's the poster child of the numbers game. And I can't tell you how much I'm elated by that. What number would you like?
01:03:04
Speaker 5: Yes?
01:03:04
Speaker 4: I will go. I will go with what Brent with Braden smith Ward last night.
01:03:09
Speaker 1: Forty one number forty one for ooh buddy, this is solid solid, Dennis the Menace. You got a team that just actually played against your who pig Suey razorbacks Vanderbilt off the board for Dennis. Vanderbilt goes to Dennis. They are the five seed in the south. We got one more, Eddie.
01:03:31
Speaker 6: Let's try to get in the rest of the line. We'll go to line three.
01:03:35
Speaker 1: Well, I don't know who line three is.
01:03:37
Speaker 6: I don't either. We're just going round them now, all.
01:03:39
Speaker 1: Right, Roulette style, Hi, you're on the air. Who's this? Okay?
01:03:43
Speaker 5: Brett?
01:03:44
Speaker 1: What Brett? You said?
01:03:48
Speaker 5: Brett?
01:03:49
Speaker 1: Okay? Who's next?
01:03:51
Speaker 4: Right?
01:03:52
Speaker 1: What's that?
01:03:52
Speaker 4: Brent?
01:03:53
Speaker 1: Is it? Brent? Is Brent in the bottom of the ocean? Brent? How are things in the Atlantic? H see? Okay, let's go to the next one.
01:04:04
Speaker 5: Eddie Jr.
01:04:05
Speaker 1: Jr. What's up?
01:04:07
Speaker 3: Hey, Jake?
01:04:08
Speaker 5: How are you?
01:04:08
Speaker 4: Thanks for taking a call.
01:04:09
Speaker 1: I'm well, thanks, j Are you familiar with the numbers game?
01:04:13
Speaker 4: Absolutely?
01:04:13
Speaker 8: Last year, Eddie's own or Eddie's only friend, Alec took sixteen right in front of me on my son's sixteenth birthday.
01:04:21
Speaker 4: So I'm taking.
01:04:22
Speaker 1: Sixteen this year.
01:04:23
Speaker 3: And I think he's friend Alec won.
01:04:26
Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken. If I'm not mistaken, your kid now would be seventeen. Right, that's correct, But I'm gonna go with sixteen, okay, just for the sake of tradition. All right, Well, Jr.
01:04:37
Speaker 5: You got.
01:04:42
Speaker 1: Now you would think that means you got Kentucky, but no, they play in Young Brands Arena, which is KFC. You got Louisville, the Cards, the six seed out of the East. Who's next, Eddie? Jeff, Jeff, you're up? Give me a number, Jeff.
01:04:56
Speaker 5: How's it going.
01:04:56
Speaker 4: I'm going to take number thirty.
01:04:58
Speaker 5: I wore that in high school.
01:04:59
Speaker 1: Jeff, but you got right to it. What high school was that, Jeff?
01:05:03
Speaker 4: Cecina.
01:05:03
Speaker 1: Are you a veteran of the Numbers Game or is this your first go round?
01:05:07
Speaker 5: First go around? I'm on spring break.
01:05:08
Speaker 4: I'm a teacher. We've talked before.
01:05:10
Speaker 5: Uh yeah.
01:05:11
Speaker 1: Do you find let me ask you this, do you find the Numbers Game to be amateur radio or do you find yourself enthralled?
01:05:18
Speaker 5: Well, I mean all the kids love it. I mean my daughter, you know, she's a school right now, but she loves it. And why not the number game? Why not Indiana?
01:05:26
Speaker 1: Jeff? Let me tell you something, Jeff. You are my new favorite listener and you got, by the way, number thirty for Jeff.
01:05:34
Speaker 4: Eddie?
01:05:41
Speaker 1: What the heck is that?
01:05:42
Speaker 6: It's that kid who went viral two three years ago. It's corn got the corn Huskers?
01:05:49
Speaker 1: Okay, Nebraska? You got Nebraska, Jeff Eddie got Eddie's having too much fun. Now now he doesn't own admit it. Eddie acts like he hates this, but deep down you should see the grit on this es.
01:06:01
Speaker 6: I had just enjoyed the research of getting all these different times.
01:06:05
Speaker 1: Listen, Eddie, that's what we do here. Okay. Symbiotic fun is what this show is. That's the theme of this show, symbiotic fun. We used to say educate, entertain. We gave up on the the educate part a long time ago, and entertain is iffy at best.
01:06:18
Speaker 6: I want to give away one more.
01:06:19
Speaker 1: Okay, who do we have? We've got Bruce, Bruce, how are you good?
01:06:25
Speaker 5: How are you doing?
01:06:26
Speaker 1: I'm all right, Bruce? What's new in Bruce's world today?
01:06:31
Speaker 5: Just trying to figure out who to take them the brackets?
01:06:34
Speaker 1: Okay? And then, Bruce, have you called the program before?
01:06:38
Speaker 4: Yes?
01:06:38
Speaker 1: So you actually listened to this radio show I have for years? Is that on purpose or some sort of community service?
01:06:47
Speaker 4: A little both?
01:06:49
Speaker 1: Okay? What number would you like? Bruce?
01:06:52
Speaker 5: I'm gonna go with the best performance ever in the NCAA, Bill Walton thirty two.
01:06:57
Speaker 1: That was although you know what I got news for you. I hate to this to you, even though he obviously went had forty three I think it was forty three against Memphis. He was twenty one to twenty two something like that from the floor. But he actually should have fouled out of the game in the semi finals against Steve Downing for what that's worth. But you said number thirty two, Yes, sir, Bruce, Buddy, I got news for you.
01:07:17
Speaker 4: Man.
01:07:17
Speaker 1: You're doing all right here, all right? Because you couldn't tell, but that sounded like a hawk and it was a red one.
01:07:26
Speaker 6: That's a red tailed hawk.
01:07:27
Speaker 1: And that's a red tailed hawk. That's correct. The Red Hawks of Miami thirty one and one, Buddy Travis Steele their head coach. And could he be somebody in line for Butler. We're going to find out about exactly that because Nick Gardner joins us from the Butler Basketball Radio Network. Other Side, Nick Gardner for the Butler Basketball Radio Network set to join us in just a minute here, you know, Tom Crean's going to join us at two thirty, and I'll just ask him if he has interested in the Butler job, because several people have mentioned that he would be. That seems like it would be a good fit. Actually, I would think that Ronald Norid would be a very high possibility. And Travis Steele, who was at Xavier obviously now is at Miami, has history not only with that Mada with Xavier, with Butler. You know, with student at Butler, his name will be mentioned. But I just I hear more and more that he probably is not as likely a candidate as one would assume. So we shall see what comes with that. Jake Tom Creane knows the state and he might have enough of a chip on his shoulder to show the state fans throughout Indiana what he still has left. That's fair, that's deaf fair. And the Thad Mada retirement is not a huge surprise, obviously, that news coming out just before we went on today. But five hundred and two and two twenty three over the course of his time at Butler in college basketball, six ninety two winning percentage, twenty four and thirteen in the NCAA Tournament, a pair of final fours. But that is the decision to hang it up and joining us now on the Java House COLBRW Coffee guest line. He is the radio analyst for Butler basketball. Nick Gardner joining us and Nick, I will begin with this before we get into kind of you know, looking under the cushions on this, just your overall thoughts on Thad Mada, the coaching career of that Mada, and what you were able to obviously witness from inside the lines and from the inside about that Mada, both as a coach and a dude altogether.
01:09:57
Speaker 3: Well, thanks for having me, Jake. I think with coach Motta, just a remarkable career. Obviously, it was really cool to be able to see him celebrate his five hundredth win recently this past season, and to be able to do that at Butler, a place that you know, means so much to him and his family. And I think he kind of echoed that in the release. You know, his his wife went to Butler University. He went to Butler University. Both of his daughters graduated from Butler University, and and and the fact that it was Butler University is why he came back, you know, out of his retirement to coach anyway, So just a remarkable career that was a coach matter was a guy who he did it the right way.
01:10:37
Speaker 4: He wasn't a guy that.
01:10:38
Speaker 3: Was gonna you know, in the old version of college basketball. He wasn't going to stray outside the lines. He was gonna, you know, do the right thing in recruiting and do the right thing by his players. And then obviously his run at Ohio State is legendary with the talent he had to there, and you know, his ability to tap into the Indianapolis recruiting you know area, and obviously the connection with Odin and Connelly and just just a great guy. You know, he was a players coach. I think he would say one thing about coach mad is he was he knew basketball right, he understood the s's and the o's, but he was elite at getting you in the right mindset to go play your best version. He has an ability to instill confidence in his players that is very unique, and that's why you see so many guys that want to go to bat for him and and that are in his corner long after they've been done playing for him. So well earned retirement, and obviously wishing him the best in his retirement. He's been an excellent asset and a huge part of Butler University basketball for so many years.
01:11:44
Speaker 1: Is it or well, it is to me peculiar, so I will allow you or ask you to elaborate on it.
01:11:50
Speaker 5: Nick.
01:11:51
Speaker 1: You know, Butler just recently, I think three days ago, sent out a release saying that he would return, and now we find out he retires. Why the disparity in a opinion there, That's a good question.
01:12:03
Speaker 5: I don't know.
01:12:04
Speaker 4: Here's what I think. I think part of that is there's a lot of.
01:12:09
Speaker 3: There's rumors and speculation that go on amongst you know, people within any industry. And so I think first and foremost, you know, over the weekend, you wanted to get out in front and say, hey, you know, coachs Minda wants to he we want him back, he wants to come back. Now, I don't know what changed over the weekend. Maybe he did some some more thinking. But but I think one thing that you can appreciate is, you know, some guys may let that linger a little bit longer, and so coach Monda obviously took the weekend. Things changed, there were conversations, and now you wake up today to the news that he is going to retire. And so I'm unsure of what the effect was, but but I will say it's it's it's better to know that now rather than sit on that for a week, ten days, whatever it may be, because these cycles can happen quickly, and now Grant and the administration has an opportunity to go try to find the best candidate to replace the legend that is that.
01:13:05
Speaker 1: Mod Could it be as simple as this, Nick? Could it be as simple as Butler issued that statement to let the world know that they were not firing him and he was welcome to come back if he so chose, even though they may have known that he was leaning this way.
01:13:21
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I think that certainly could have been the case. Again, I think sometimes the optics get in the way of the actual, you know, the way things transact. But I would not be shocked if that was kind of the case to kind of quell some rumors and say, hey, you know, it's a university, we want to have this guy back. And there was some speculation on if he would retire or not, and there has been for a while because he was out of the.
01:13:46
Speaker 4: Game for a little bit. I think that was natural.
01:13:48
Speaker 3: So I don't think you'd be wrong in speculating that that could have been the case.
01:13:52
Speaker 1: Who would you say are the names that we will hear the most with this, and who would you anticipate ormes that are realistic options.
01:14:03
Speaker 4: It's a great question, I think.
01:14:07
Speaker 3: I think obviously Ronald Nord is a guy who was going to be mentioned. He was a guy that was mentioned when Coach Modo was hired in this last hiring cycle.
01:14:16
Speaker 4: You know, you think about other guys with ties to the program.
01:14:19
Speaker 3: Ryan Peden is a guy at Illinois State who has had success in his first head coaching staff, who was an assistant on Chris Olpen's staff. I mean, heck, you think a guy like Chris Olten may be a name that.
01:14:31
Speaker 4: Gets popped up.
01:14:32
Speaker 3: I think there's obviously people within the family. Cameron Woods is a guy who's been a coach at the NBA G League level who was a former player. Alex Barlow, who was on coach modess staff, is a name that's been mentioned at times.
01:14:46
Speaker 5: So I think this is.
01:14:49
Speaker 3: You know, look, Butler's had a lot of coaching searches here in recent memory in my time doing the radio, and this may be one of the more wide open ones that we've seen, just because there isn't necessarily an actual connection there. So I'm excited and as anxious to see who the dogs can land just like everybody.
01:15:06
Speaker 1: Else is Nick. I'm gonna I say this, and I've mentioned this before on the air, but I want to ask you because maybe it's it's maybe I'm off base. I have always had a great deal of respect and really marveled at the way that Butler has been able to seemingly just go without missing a beat from one to the next in this line of secession. And I know that Brandon Miller had a challenge there, but they quickly recovered from that with Chris Holtman. But in staying with those that are connected to it, you know, from Thad to Barry, from Barry Collier to Thad to Todd Licklider to Brad Stevens, you know, the whole lineage here has Butler. Now, if you're going to be in the Big East and you've got a new arena and you've got you know, you've got the money that comes with the television contract of a big time conference and a bigger national brand than you had fifteen years ago, is it time for Butler to do an entire, all encompassing scan the country any literally best coach possible, regardless of connection to the university.
01:16:13
Speaker 4: Yeah, I do.
01:16:14
Speaker 5: I think and and who's this.
01:16:17
Speaker 3: And that's not saying that they haven't done that in the past. I do think there is there's something to be said for having not And look, it doesn't have to be the head guy, but there needs to be a connection. This is true anywhere, and certainly to a Butler. You do need to have some type of connection as to how how the university operates, how do you get things done around there, like being able to communicate that and have kind of a tie that can bind some things together is important anywhere, and it's certainly important at Butler. So I think more importantly of necessarily being somebody like in house or a Butler guy. They need to operate and operate their program in a similar way to what has been successful at Butler.
01:17:01
Speaker 4: And that may be somebody that's been within the program. That may not be.
01:17:05
Speaker 3: That may be a guy who who again maybe he just operates in a similar manner. And you can have some guys on staff that do have a connection to the place. So I think a lot of times when people talk about bringing somebody that is familiar with the university, a lot of that is just talking about how do they operate, what type of personality. Are they Are they a good communicator with you know, the various outlets that you have to do to operate, you know, a big time college basketball program. And so I think the key is to find somebody that can operate within what can be a successful framework at Butler. And look, if they've been at Butler in the past, that's all the better. But most importantly, they've got to be able to be successful in this type of an environment, and oftentimes that is someone who has been there in some form or capacity at some point.
01:17:53
Speaker 1: Nick, what do you think is the biggest challenge of the Butler job?
01:17:58
Speaker 4: Oh? Boy, that's a great question.
01:17:59
Speaker 3: I think obviously, you know, everybody's going to go Budget is a challenge, right You're you're constantly going to have to be you know, and in today's in il day and age, it's hard to retain talent, and so budget is certainly a challenge. I think just just finding that momentum and finding you know, just trying to get over that hump is the biggest challenge right now.
01:18:22
Speaker 4: And how do you do that.
01:18:23
Speaker 3: It's a combination of how you operate, It's a combination of budget, it's a combination of everybody kind of being on the same page, and so it's changing, and it's as much as that landscape has changed over the last few years.
01:18:41
Speaker 4: And even with the results being.
01:18:43
Speaker 3: As they have been, I would say Butler's maybe never been in a better place to advance and grow than they are now, with being in the Big East, with having really good leadership, understanding kind of the landscape of things. And although the results haven't shown it, I'm not sure Butler University and the Butler University Athletic Department has ever been in as good a spot to be successful as they are now.
01:19:05
Speaker 1: Yeah, So that was the other thing I was gonna ask is what's the biggest selling point if they call you. If Butler calls you and they say, hey, Nick, we got a guy in mind and we want you to call and recruit it, what do you say.
01:19:15
Speaker 4: I'd say, Look, we've got a number one.
01:19:17
Speaker 3: You get to coach at Anklefield House in the Big East, one of the best conferences in the country. All that is attractive to the Butler with the Big East Conference. But then you look at the university as a whole and you talk about Jim danco the leadership on campus along with Grant.
01:19:32
Speaker 4: Line deck are in his staff in the athletic department.
01:19:35
Speaker 3: You know, this is a group that's they're hungry. They understand that they're all dead set on getting the basketball program back to where they wanted to be. And so you know, although as I said, those results haven't been is grt. I don't know that the university, the athletic department, the whole campus as a whole has been set up and been in a better position to find that success with all those things in the that have been going on over the last two three four years.
01:20:02
Speaker 1: So does it go without saying that whoever it is that takes over the Butler program now with the retirement of fab Mada, that it's going to be and this is kind of the era of college basketball a roster overhaul.
01:20:14
Speaker 4: Yeah, I would think.
01:20:15
Speaker 3: So it's hard to say, you know, I mean, there are guys who huff in the portal and it's the least likely guy you would think would not have been there, whether there's a coaching change or not. But one would anticipate when you look at the landscape over the last few years, and again a lot of that depends on staff and if there is any retainment, if not who knows, but so often players are tied to coaches and staff and it depends on who comes back. So one would expect if there's going to be, you know, a vastly new staff, and most likely there's going to be a big turnover. But that was probably expected anyways with the results that you had. I think roster turnover is just it is here. It is here to stay, and it's at a volume that we've never seen in the past. And so coaching change or not, most teams are flipping over seven eight guys each and every season.
01:21:06
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm looking here. By the way, Nick Gardner is my guest Java House Colebrew Coffee guest line. He is the analyst for Purdue or excuse me, for Butler Basketball Radio. I'm looking over it here, Nick. Big East representation in the NCAA Tournament. I mean, obviously you got Novah's in there, Saint John's is in there. Who am I missing here? I'm looking over Yukon obviously. Yeah, I think Yukon is gonna win the whole thing. But I want Nick Gardner to tell me which Big East team you feel is most poised for tournament play.
01:21:39
Speaker 3: Oh boy, either of those two, I would say I would I would say it's probably Saint John's just because of how hot they've played lately. Jake, Now, the one thing with Saint John's, they're shooting can leave them astray.
01:21:53
Speaker 1: And I say that that bit him last year, right beatable, Yeah, it sure did.
01:21:57
Speaker 4: It bit him last year. And that's that. Frankly, it was so shocking.
01:22:01
Speaker 3: But you also saw like when they do put it all together. I mean they ran Yukon out of the garden there for the Big East Tournament championship. And so to me, I think just Rick Patino's ability to coach, their ability to put pressure on teams and look, as much as their shooting can let them down, their ability to guard, to put pressure defensively takes away the shooting of other teams. So I would say, especially they're underseated, they probably have a little chip on their shoulder of them at a five seed, boy, that's a dangerous one and one that if you're if you're the one or two, you don't want to have to see them too early. And that's that's a tough matchup for anybody.
01:22:40
Speaker 4: And Patino's got to play really well.
01:22:42
Speaker 1: If you look at Nick in conclusion here, totality of career. Okay, totality of career is Rick Patino the best career in the NCAA tournament. Boy, I mean you got us right?
01:23:04
Speaker 4: Yeah?
01:23:05
Speaker 1: Self? I mean self has been around a long time, right, really good coach. There are some really bright young coaches. But in terms of the old guard and where he's been, you know, he's he's tough to argue, right.
01:23:19
Speaker 4: He's tough to argue.
01:23:20
Speaker 3: And the other thing that I think would be compelling for his argument, Jacobs, his ability to do it like college basketball has completely been turned on it fed the last four years. And as you've seen, you know, I'm saying you know this, it's a reason why coach Mada deserves some praise too. A lot of the guys of his Ilki generation, they saw the changes. They said, man, no way, you know I'm getting out Jay Riot, retirees from Jim Bayhive, Roy Williams, all these different guys. Because I think some of that had to do with the changing landscape and with coach Fatino, and then obviously Coach made These are.
01:23:56
Speaker 4: Guys who didn't run away from that. And then coach.
01:23:58
Speaker 3: Fatino has come back, and I mean he has lit a fire underneath a huge fan base in Saint John's and showed his ability to adjust on the fly and change with the with the changing landscape of college basketball. And he hasn't missed a beat. So it's impressive. And look, you're hard to argue anybody else if you came and said Fatino's the best, I don't know, There's not many others you.
01:24:23
Speaker 1: Could argue with hard who wins it?
01:24:27
Speaker 4: You know what?
01:24:27
Speaker 5: I think?
01:24:30
Speaker 3: I hate saying this shake, but this feels like a Duke here where they come up and win it when there's you know, they're kind of kind of under the radar, even though they're one of the top four seeds. But it feels like, you know, Michigan gets talked about a little more, Arizona gets getting a lot of love lately in those Big twelve teams. But boy, I'll tell you what, Duke is so solid and Cameron Boozer can do so many different things. John Shires are really good coach too.
01:24:57
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go with Duke.
01:24:59
Speaker 1: Okay, I you know you're talking about like Arizona, Michigan, Uh, the school that has been one of my favorite trivia questions. I mentioned it probably weekly on this program. The school that has been to the most final fours without ever having won the national championship is Houston, and it feels like this could be another year for that nick where Houston goes and then it's like, well, add another one where they got close. But you know, people don't talk about them a lot either, and they're they're they've had a hell of a year.
01:25:31
Speaker 3: They've been a really good year, and you know, they're one that I was like, I would put them second as a team that I would choose to win it simply.
01:25:38
Speaker 4: Because I feel like they're a little different.
01:25:40
Speaker 3: They're a little better offensively this year, right Kelvin there, you know what you're gonna get with the Kelvin Santon team on the defensive.
01:25:47
Speaker 4: End, their ability to rebound.
01:25:48
Speaker 3: But with Flemington Point, they've got some dynamic playmakers. It feels like that offense may be a little bit better this year. So that's another one. And then obviously the experience too. Those guys have been through the battles up deep in the tournament each of the last few years. Kelvin Sampson is a guy who's been able to retain talent a lot better in this day and age of Pollo troops. So that's another dangerous team that I think we could see here in India.
01:26:12
Speaker 4: In a couple of weeks.
01:26:13
Speaker 1: Nick, appreciate the time as always. I know it's got to be busy right now around Butler basketball and with other stuff you got going on, but certainly appreciate the time anytime.
01:26:21
Speaker 4: Jake, appreciate to you, Buddy, appreciate it.
01:26:23
Speaker 1: Nick Gardner joining us on the Java House Colbrew Coffee guest line. All right, Tom Crean, coming up bottom of the two o'clock hour, we got to get back into obviously, you know what took place with Purdue and the Boilers deserve all the credit in the world. We will get into that coming up certainly top of the hour. A couple more numbers to give away. Other side, Eddie, Yeah, let's do it all right, two three, nine, ten, seventy telephone number for our numbers giveaway, and then what took place. Speaking of numbers and why they finally fell the way up Purdue, we'll get into that in fifteen. We'll get right to it. Here here are the numbers that are taken, so if you're on hold, pay attention. These numbers are not available. Fourteen, sixteen, thirty, thirty two, forty one, and forty four. Those numbers are off the board. We will begin with Frank.
01:27:13
Speaker 5: Hi, Frank, Hey, Jake, how are you doing?
01:27:16
Speaker 4: You know what?
01:27:16
Speaker 1: I'm good? Frank? I had to get blood today. That sucks, but an An'm okay? Right?
01:27:21
Speaker 3: Oh?
01:27:21
Speaker 4: Good?
01:27:23
Speaker 1: Does that mean good that I got to get blood or good that I'm doing? Okay?
01:27:27
Speaker 2: Well?
01:27:27
Speaker 4: Both?
01:27:28
Speaker 1: All right? What number would you like, Frank?
01:27:31
Speaker 5: Number eighteen?
01:27:33
Speaker 1: Is there a significance to the number eighteen in your life? Frank?
01:27:37
Speaker 5: If there was a number war at a community center basketball team?
01:27:43
Speaker 1: Okay? Are you driving right now? By chance?
01:27:47
Speaker 4: No?
01:27:47
Speaker 5: I'm not?
01:27:48
Speaker 1: Okay, Well, if you were, then you most likely your car would be sitting on four round objects made of rubber that probably were made in this city. The twelve seat in the Midwest. Akron is off the board. Akron is gone. Jim is up next. Hi, Jim, Hey, how's it going, Jacon? You know I can't complain Jim yourself.
01:28:10
Speaker 2: I'll do it excellent.
01:28:11
Speaker 3: Even in the snow on a Monday.
01:28:12
Speaker 1: You sound like you're in a good mood.
01:28:13
Speaker 4: Jim.
01:28:13
Speaker 1: Are you a happy guy in general?
01:28:16
Speaker 3: Uh?
01:28:16
Speaker 8: You know I was happy to see the Boilers win convincingly yesterday.
01:28:20
Speaker 1: So, yeah, it was very impressive, very impressive, Jim.
01:28:24
Speaker 6: Jake. He's also excited he doesn't have to see me in the numbers game like he did in the fantasy football league.
01:28:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, Jim, you took were you knocked out by Eddie in our fantasy league?
01:28:33
Speaker 4: Yeah?
01:28:33
Speaker 2: I was the White Sox team and Eddie knocked me out in the playoffs.
01:28:37
Speaker 1: Man, So you were sitting just to my left during the draft. By the way, we had fun in our own little rebel corner over there. Right, that's right, Yeah, that's right, all right, Jim. What number would you like?
01:28:48
Speaker 2: Is A thirteen available?
01:28:52
Speaker 1: Thirteen is available?
01:28:53
Speaker 4: Jim.
01:28:54
Speaker 1: Here's a little trivia question for a Jim, you're ready?
01:28:56
Speaker 4: Oh, yes, Sirta.
01:28:57
Speaker 1: Do you happen to know in what other city? I's Indianapolis? I have had a broadcast career. You happen to know what city I worked in before Indianapolis, even though I'm a native to here.
01:29:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was Saint Louis, Right, Jake, that is correct.
01:29:11
Speaker 1: The Billikins are off the board, Jim. Appreciate your listening and proving it there. Greg with three g's up next? X Hi Greg, how are you?
01:29:21
Speaker 5: Hey?
01:29:22
Speaker 1: Greg? What number would you like?
01:29:25
Speaker 5: Number twenty three? Please? Sir?
01:29:27
Speaker 1: Are you a Michael Jordan fan?
01:29:28
Speaker 4: Is that it?
01:29:30
Speaker 9: No?
01:29:30
Speaker 5: No, It's my wife's birthday and when it always comes to Mars, I got to do some for it because always Mars madness. She feels like I don't take care of her.
01:29:39
Speaker 6: So we're doing twenty three.
01:29:41
Speaker 1: Well, now you've got a team to root for. Number twenty three, Eddie, if you could please the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the five seed in the Midwest that I think are as well coached as anybody in college basketball. Gary, Gary, what number you need?
01:29:57
Speaker 8: Yeah, Jake, I take number seventeen. And hey, Jake, before you give me the team, you and I have a lot in common. We're big fans of doctor Eugene White.
01:30:08
Speaker 1: Doctor White is the best.
01:30:10
Speaker 4: Gary.
01:30:10
Speaker 1: Doctor White.
01:30:11
Speaker 5: Hey, yeah, I have.
01:30:12
Speaker 8: I used teaching Washington Township and I'm marrying university now, but I had the opportunity to go with doctor White to Washington, DC a couple of times. And I'll tell you you talk about knowing his way around on the airport.
01:30:25
Speaker 5: Oh my gosh, you know you.
01:30:28
Speaker 1: Can't keep up with him.
01:30:29
Speaker 5: Well, he knows everyone.
01:30:30
Speaker 1: He does know everyone. Doctor White, who was my high school principal, later went on to become superintendent of both Ips and what's the Washington Township president of Martin University Library. You know, works with the library. Everything you name it, He's done it in this town. Gary, there, listen, all of us could aspire to be one tenth the person of doctor Eugene White, no doubt about it. Your team, by the way.
01:30:52
Speaker 8: Just start that night a big.
01:30:59
Speaker 1: Longhorn off the board. Go find your bike in the bottom of the Alamo. Gary, and I appreciate the kind words about doctor Wright as well. Aaron is up next, Aaron.
01:31:09
Speaker 4: How are you doing? Jake Love the show Man?
01:31:11
Speaker 1: Now, Aaron, I got news for I got to ask you something here real quick. Okay, we're a little up against it. Eddie's gonna get mad that I'm going along, But I gotta ask, do you really love the show? Or is that a folksy thing? When people say that to me, I'm out in public, people say hey, I love the show, and then I wondered myself, do they really love that? Or is that just a folksy thing?
01:31:27
Speaker 4: People say, that's God's honest truth. I listened to it every day down here in Florida.
01:31:33
Speaker 1: Well, okay, how are things in Florida, by the.
01:31:35
Speaker 4: Way, funny and beautiful?
01:31:38
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna say, I didn't expect you to say floor. He's in seventeen. Like here, Aaron, what number would you like?
01:31:45
Speaker 4: Number eight?
01:31:46
Speaker 1: You ever drive up to the border just to get yourself some of the free orange juice at the welcome center.
01:31:52
Speaker 7: I do not.
01:31:52
Speaker 4: I'm I'm South Florida. That's a good haul for snow jay.
01:31:56
Speaker 1: That is that is here we go? Number eight, Eddie, number eighth. The dogs out. That would be the Bulldogs also known as the Zags of Gonzaga. The three seed in the West is off the board. Purdue is a two seed in the NCAA Tournament. How they got there and what it means we'll get into it next. What one of the things that I am very curious to ask Tom Crean coming up bottom of the hour. Crane, by the way, was released from his duties as the Indiana basketball coach nine years ago today. That's not why we're having him on. He is, I think the best analyst at ESPN. I I am so impressed by all of these guys. But to be able to I was watching, Oh it's a couple of weeks ago, watching a game, and they go to halftime and Tom Crane's in there, and so they're asking him about different teams. Here's highlights from Texas A and m Here's highlights from Ohio State, you know, et cetera. And to know the the sets but also the personnel of every team is really oppressive. And one of the things that I'm curious to ask him is which league has let me think of how to word this, of all of the conferences in college basketball, I'm curious if, in the opinion of a coach that studies it, if there is one conference that has the most uniformity the way that the game is played amongst all of its teams, and thus its representative may struggle the most in the NCAA tournament because they're going to be seeing a playing style they're not used to playing. I guess that's the easiest way to say it. You know, the Big Ten. We've talked about it with Dave Rebson and am with my to COURSI. The Big Ten is a league that, with the number of teams that they have, you've got to play a number of different ways. You know, I was a little different in the way they play. But the number of ways that you have to play in the Big Ten means that there are going to be very few teams seemingly in the tournament that you're going to see where you're like, man, I've never had to play this way. Saint John's is, you know, a year ago. I think Saint John's learned. Saint John's was so good at the way they play, but then when they had to get when they face teams that knew how to do that defense, and they then had to score and they you know, you can't get into scoring goals. And as Nick Gardener was talking about it plagues him this year at times as well. When you can't shoot the basketball, then all of a sudden everything changes for you. And if you you know, they they defend at an elite level, no doubt about it, but they just hit that, you know, they are prone to those droughts. Purdue yesterday winning and this is the Purdue that we expected them to be. And it would be easy for me, and maybe even irresponsible to me to say or to list the possibility that Purdue, over the course of the regular season with so much I mean, this is a group that has played so many games together. And you know I mentioned before and clearly that that I mentioned was not accurate about the possibility that, you know, there was dissension amongst the troops, if you will, with Purdue between ANIL and everything else. Now, that was I'm not the only one that came up with that. I mean, that was told to me by a couple of people. Never stated as here's what's going on, but rather as, hey, could this be what's going on? Okay? And I do think it's possible that Purdue because they have done a little of everything, this group. I know, they haven't won a national title, but they've been very deep in the tournament. They've had praise and expectation, they've been ranked number one. You know, it is possible that a team goes through periods where they get into a loll they get into a rut like all of us do, where it's like, man, it's there is a lot of hype and expectation, and once they see that Michigan is doing what Michigan's doing, do you then just say, you know what, let's get to the postseason and then see where things go and refocus. And you would like to think that a veteran team has the maturity to not fall into that kind of a trap, but maybe they did. But the other thing that I think they've done, and I talked about it going into the weekend, I think Purdue has done an outstanding job of late. I think they win through a period where getting their three point shooting because they were not three point defending. I think in that situation, when you get into games where other teams are efficiently shooting the three, you try to shoot yourself back into it with them. Because they were having difficulty guarding on the perimeter, getting the switches catching up to shooters, and as a result of that, they were falling. They're getting behind in games, and then they start taking shots that maybe normally they wouldn't take what they have done of late. And a lot of this is Braden Smith. Obviously he's the quarterback of that team and that offense, but it seems like they have now taken their offense and repurposed it back to we are going to go from the inside out. And Oscar Kluff and the way that he has played and he is now showing not that he wasn't already, but he's now showing it consistency, the presence, and the difference that he can make. That was the reason he was the number one center in the transfer portal. Trey Kauffman read, I think just learning. There was an interesting comment made from Miles Turner after the Pacers Bucks game where he talked about zubots, and Miles Turner said, one of the things with Zubots to watch for is Halliburton needs space. Haliburton and we have talked about that on this program. Halliburton is a guy that needs open space. And the reason Turner was so good is because Turner knew how to take advantage of being in the right space to give Halliburton his space. And so will zubots do that? You know, he is a guy in the middle, and I'm trying to think of a synonym for space because truthfully, I'm tired of saying space. But he is territory. Zubats requires and occupies a large amount of territory. Can he get out of that territory fast enough to allow Halliburton to move around and be slippery the way he is? And I think with Purdue Oscar Kloff was doing a little of that with Trey Kaufman Wren, and it took a while with Trey Kaufman Wren, who has very good feel around the basket, to figure out just how to coexist in that. And I don't mean getting along wise. I mean just instinctively and with fluidity around the basket, understand where there's open space. And yes, is it probably even a lazy narrative for me to just simply say here that, oh, that's the difference. Boom, snap a finger and that's what they did. Maybe, but it does feel that way that they now are saying, Okay, if we go into you guys, and you do you guys, start to establish where we're going offensively, then Smith can work the ball around. And Smith can also become when they need a big shot, he'll hit a big shot. He knows what he needs to do for his team. That's why he's a great player and why at the beginning of the year I said he's the best player in college basketball?
01:40:20
Speaker 6: Are the boy the makers better?
01:40:22
Speaker 5: Jake?
01:40:23
Speaker 6: When Braiden Smith isn't looking to score first, because that was the one thing I noticed over the Big Ten Tournament this weekend.
01:40:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what I mean when they're yes to answer your question, I agree with that because I think what they're doing is that Braiden Smith is realizing that if they go inside first or prioritize that, then everything else sets off of that. So yes, and of course he is. It's been a rough and I say this somewhat flippantly, but a rough stretch for Bobby Hurley. Right, He's done at Arizona State and he's going to see in barring something unforeseen, Braden Smith is going to become college basketball as all time assists leader. Now a better trivia question would be whose record did Bobby Hurley break? And I think it's Chris Cortiani. I think can we look that up all time INCAA assist record holders? I think you are correct? Is it Cortiani?
01:41:30
Speaker 4: Yes?
01:41:33
Speaker 5: Man?
01:41:33
Speaker 1: Who is the dude he played with? J and V will know this. Cortiani was in a backcourt with was it Rodney Monroe at NC State? Just a human three point shot? Like the nature of those two. And That's what I'm talking about, though, is the point guard position. To set that kind of record, You've got to have a couple of things. You got to have chemistry of the guys on the floor.
01:42:00
Speaker 5: You have to have.
01:42:03
Speaker 1: Great players that you're throwing to that can convert, and then obviously an understanding of what it is that your team needs. And Courciani was not near the player Braiden Smith is. Braiden Smith is a great player, not just because he the way that he's able to distribute the basketball and get it where it needs to go for Purdue, but also to understand when he needs to do that and when he needs to pull away from that, so to speak, and when he is on the floor he is very in control. That also, I would like to know how often you see a team with eight losses that lands on the two seed line. I mean that is, and not only the two seed line, but I also think because don't they do it this way Eddie, I'm fairly certain of this the one seed. If you're the number one overall seed, as Duke is, then doesn't that mean that you would get the lowest rated two seed the lowest ranked two seed?
01:43:22
Speaker 6: Theoretically, Yeah, so that means that.
01:43:23
Speaker 1: They have Connecticut ranked lower than Perdue and Perdue being in the same region. I mean, well, Michigan's probably the second. I would imagine the second highest seed in one seed, right or as Arizona, I don't know, but my point being, there was a time recently that it looked like the possibility that Purdue could end up as a four seed. A four and there are two. Their body of work is really impressive, and you get caught up by the home losses, but their body of work, you could even make the case that they're you know, some of their best wins were neutral floor, big matchup, big pedigree programs, and.
01:44:11
Speaker 6: It's just so fascinating, Jake, Like when you look at their schedule, like they played significantly better away from Makie than they did.
01:44:17
Speaker 1: At maki Yeah, yeah, which bodes well for this time of year. Right, Absolutely, you have not filled out a bracket yet, correct, Eddie, Not yet?
01:44:29
Speaker 4: No.
01:44:29
Speaker 6: I had the Pacers game yesterday, and then I didn't. I watched the selection show, and then I went to bed pretty much when I went home, had dinner, hung out with Olivia for a little bit, and then we crashed early.
01:44:40
Speaker 1: Okay, I I think it was ten thirty when I got that. Now here's a question for you. I'd like to know what you do in this situation. Tom Crane in fifteen minutes By the way, I mentioned this earlier. I've never I love the Dallas Fort Worth area because I like the weather there. There's a lot of good restaurants and the people are friendly. But man, it's a nightmare traveling out of there. One of the things that I did do in my free time after qualifying on Saturday, I went I have been obviously to Daily Plaza, where the Texas school Book Depository is and where John F. Kennedy was shot. I've been there a million times. I've been to the museum on the sixth floor as well, fascinating. I've interviewed the surgeon that worked on Kennedy, fascinating. The story itself has always intrigued me. I don't know why, but it just always has something about the allure of the old black and white film and the radio, you know, the old AP radio stuff, And I know this makes me weird, But this time I decided to go more and learn about kind of the Oswald side of things, and what I didn't know I clearly knew of, you know, Lee Harvey Oswald. After the shooting of the President, that Oswald then returned back to his neighborhood, which for the sake of discussion. It would be about the same distance if you lived in if something happened in downtown Indianapolis and you were going towards your boarding room in Fountain Square, that's about the distance.
01:46:32
Speaker 4: And so.
01:46:34
Speaker 1: Oswald is involved with the Kennedy shooting. Later that day, it goes back towards his boarding house where he is staying and is stopped on the street by JD. Tippett, who is a Fort Worth police officer or a Dallas police officer excuse me, and recognizes him because Oswald's it had already been in the media, which that part to me was I was curious of once I really sat back to think about it, because I'm like, wait a minute, how did they already know who the suspect was? But JD. Tipptt stopped to question Oswald, Oswald shot him four times fatally. And Oswald then went to basically like the broaderpool avenue of this area, oak Cliff area or the mass Ab avenue, like the little shops, went into a shoe store. They thought something was He realized that people were on to him, so he went into the Texas Theater. He bought a five cent movie ticket for a movie called Warrishell, starring Audie Murphy, the most decorated war hero of all time in US history, who then became an actor. Oswald sat in row s seat sixteen, I think is what it was in that theater, and the police came in and got him. They stopped the movie, and so I went and found the spot where Tippet was shot. Then I went and found the boarding house, and in finding the boarding house actually met the woman who lives there, whose grandmother is the one that was renting the bedroom to Lee Harvey Oswald, who was a strain from his wife at the time. And this woman that I talked to, Pat was eleven years old and lived at the house with Oswald because her grandmother owned the house and so she lived in the house. She's called him mister Lee told me about Oswald, and she still lives in that house and sot She's like, next year you come. She was when I talked to her. She was not at home, but I did see the house anyway. Then I went to the theater and the guy said, I'll take you in and show you the exact seat that Oswald sat in. So I went and did that and loved it. It was very cool, and then coming back last night was I mean, you know, it was kind of mayhem because the weather was not great. And we landed and then I saw that my flight was canceled. So my long witted question is this Eddie. I landed last night. I managed to get on standby, on the standby list for an earlier flight so that I could get out of Dallas before they started canceling flights, anticipating that my eight to forty five PM flight was going to be canceled, which it was. So when I landed, I was in Indie last night. I was getting everything ready for the show today and I got a message from American saying you are now rebooked on a flight for tonight at nine pm. And I'm like, I don't need that flight now. Do you alert the airline? Do you a alert the airline that you no longer need that flight because you made it home on standby? Although I was surprised they did, their computers didn't make that connection. B say, oh, well, you know what, one of the options here instead of getting the flight is getting a refund. Do I do that or c simply alert them I already made it home because you got me on an earlier flight, but thank you for rebooking me. Which one would you go with? Either A or C? I went with C because I thought, you know what, I was fortunate enough to get on standby to get on that early flight home, and it is entirely possible. I know what that's like to stand there wondering if you're going to get on the flight. And so if I don't let them know I'm not going to make this flight, then that's going to deny somebody in an earlier opportunity to know that they're getting on the stand by flight. So I figured karma in that regard meant that I needed to pay that forward right in looking at the bracket, Eddie, there are always a couple of teams that you feel like can surprise people. I think Santa Clara. Santa Clara had a really good year. I think they I could be wrong in this. I think they split with both Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. I mean, the West Coast Conference has three teams in it in you know, two at large's and an AUTO and Santa Clara. I think did Santa Clara or Gonzaga? I think and Zaga won the conference tournament but Santa Clara, by defeating Saint Mary's to get to the finals got them in. But I think Santa Clara could could surprise Kentucky and then give Iowa State fits. I think b Yu's pretty good, and I think Byu could see Perdue for example. And I don't know why, but I just have this feeling that Yukon is the one that wins it. And I think if I had to pick one, I would go with Yukon. Do you believe in this eddie? If a team gets really far, like, for example, Vanderbilt in Arkansas through the SEC Arkansas and this is applicable for Purdue, and we could talk to Tom Creene about this. Does it hurt you when you make a deep run into your conference tournament and then get beat? Does it wear you out? Good question? I mean four games in four days? Is that going to hurt Purdue? Does that mean momentum carry it through? These are nineteen twenty twenty one, twenty two year old guys.
01:52:07
Speaker 6: But I mean, well, they play Friday, right, so they've got some time to recover.
01:52:11
Speaker 1: Who's that Purdue? Yeah, I mean I get it, And I don't know anything about Queen's right, other than everybody thinks it's in Queens, New York, and it's actually North Carolina because Charlott's to Queen City. Yeah, in Miami, Florida, Missouri. I mean that could be tricky, right.
01:52:27
Speaker 6: I was upset Jake when I was watching that selection show yesterday going into it, I was like, okareat I said it last week on the show. Wisconsin was my underrated team to potentially make a final four run in the NCAA tournament because I really like the two guards. They've got No. One winters should be coming back for the NCAA tournament, and they have another guy in rap and they've got another big that can alter shots at the room. They can rebound really well, they can shoot, and.
01:52:53
Speaker 1: I like you even saying tournament. I don't really know.
01:52:58
Speaker 6: I think it just kind of happened. Is this new thing for you probably the last two years, maybe three years, I don't know, But Wisconsin was my underdog team to make the final four in my Cinderella team.
01:53:12
Speaker 1: High point.
01:53:13
Speaker 6: And I saw they got seated up against each other in the first time, was like, oh oh really, Oh yeah. I was heartbroken for that because I don't know which way I want to go with it.
01:53:24
Speaker 1: Okay, here's another upset special for you.
01:53:26
Speaker 6: A team that I like to make the Final four, and GMV is probably gonna get a sports arousal as I say this. If he's listening is Saint Louis. I think the Pelicans are one of those teams where if you've got a big man like Rabbi Avula that can impact the game. He can shoot threes. Not a lot of teams in college basketball have floor spacing fives.
01:53:46
Speaker 1: But they seem to cut. I don't disagree with you, but man, it's been a rough last three weeks for them, right.
01:53:53
Speaker 6: I know, I get it. I understand it. And if you look at the top four seeds in their region, you've got Michigan, Iowa State, Virginia, Alabama two, three and four right there. Don't really scare me all that much because I was Stave. Virginia, Alabama have all been jekylin Hyde this year. And you get a break or two next thing, you know, could have a nice little run.
01:54:13
Speaker 1: I wouldn't. Okay, here's one. If I'm Illinois, I'm worried. If I'm Illinois, I'm worried, not because of North Carolina or Virginia Commonwealth. I think Penn is scary.
01:54:30
Speaker 6: Because a Fran McCaffery, and I forgot that Saint Louis would have to be Michigan in order to make a run in the tournament. So imagine that Josh Shirt versus Dusty May round two.
01:54:40
Speaker 1: That's the the J and V matchup of all time. Right Yeah. I saw Northern Iowa played Indiana State this year and I kind of liked their roster.
01:54:50
Speaker 6: I know the popular picker, the Zips.
01:54:53
Speaker 1: Are they really Yeah?
01:54:54
Speaker 6: John Grossbe the Morning Show and Kevin Mark and I think James all had the Zip in their sweet sixteen.
01:55:04
Speaker 1: Don't sleep on Texas Tech either. They're very well coached. Tom Crean ESPN College Basketball Analyst Tournament breakdown next. Yes, I can only imagine, or I can't even imagine, for that matter, what the schedule must look like for Tom Crean this time of year in terms of understanding the bracket, looking at the teams, I think he does a remarkable job of being able to talk about a number of them in his work at ESPN. Of course, he needs no introduction in this state. The former Indiana and Marquette basketball coach joining us now on the Java House, Colebrew Coffee guest line coach. I'll get right to this with this bracket, and that is what was your overall just assessment of the selection committee and the way this bracket laid itself out.
01:55:54
Speaker 2: I didn't think there were many surprises. I really didn't.
01:55:57
Speaker 7: And I think going into the week, like a case like Miami Ohio, I think the only way they were truly in was to be the automatic qualifier, and I really do, and I think the bottom line is like once they didn't win, yeah they belong in there, but they were going to put them in date. I mean, it just it was about as clear as could be. And I think that's kind of where it's at is that you really, really, really really have to earn your way in in a special way as a mid major outside of being the automatic qualifier to get into that tournament. And it's only going to continue to grow that way. It's just going to continue to expand and you're going to have I mean, the first four is a great example. You've got NC State, You've got SMU, you've got Texas, and then you've got Miami Ohio. And that's kind of how it's going to be whether the tournament expands someday or not, it's going to be set up for the high majors. But I do think with that being said that they did a good job. The only one that I was I was surprised that NTI State went to Dayton, and I was a little a lot surprised that SMU was able to get in over either. I still thought Auburn would end up in date, but whether it be Dayton or Oklahoma, I was a little surprised that they got in. And then I think some of the seedings were a little wild, but you know, especially like with Saint John's being a five. But I think overall it did a great job. And when you look at that bracket and when you look at it come out, you go, mayn there's a lot of really good teams, because for the last few weeks it's really kind of shifted to whether there's just certain teams that are head and shoulders better than each other. Then all of a sudden you see the conference tournaments and you see the brackets come out and say, no, there are a lot of good teams. So I think, more than anything, last part of that is I'd have to go back and really look at it. But I would say this is a huge matchup driven tournament over the highest seed teams, higher teams going into the first weekend. You know, it's always a matchup driven thing unless you're really talented when you get into the second weekend, but the first weekend, I think more than ever, it's very matchup writing.
01:58:12
Speaker 1: Okay, So with that, is there a team you know we know coach that like Duke is great, we know Arizona's great, you know, I mean obviously we know that the ones and the twos how good they can be. Is there a team that jumps out at you though, where you look at them and say, maybe that from a league we're not as familiar with, but they play stylistically away that might catch people off guard because they play a unique brand of basketball that isn't necessarily replicated across the board in one of the power forwards.
01:58:42
Speaker 7: Oh absolutely, South Florida comes to mind right away, no question about it. And I did a game for them a few weeks ago, and it's unbelievable how hard they play, how quick and fast they play. They're aggressive defensively, they shoot it quick. Everybody thinks it's a three point shooting team.
01:59:00
Speaker 2: It is, but it's a layup team.
01:59:02
Speaker 7: It's a drive through the elbows team, it's a attack the rim team, it's a get foul team. It's just a really quick, fast paced team. And I think when people are looking at the brackets, it's really interesting because this because in this quick turnaround more than ever, when you've got a style of play that you are not used to seeing and now you've got to get ready for it mentally, physically, emotionally. There is a big part of this too, and you've got to get ready for it in a day and a half. And that team is conditioned to be to play at a certain pace because they've been conditioned at it all year. Everybody can say, well, you know, the timeouts are longer, that's a.
01:59:42
Speaker 4: Bunch of nonsets.
01:59:43
Speaker 7: If a team is really in great shape and they are really committed to their style and you're not used to that, it can become a real problem for a team. And that's where South Florida could really sneak in there.
01:59:55
Speaker 2: And there are others, but.
01:59:58
Speaker 7: That's a big one. If there's any other ones you want to talk about, I'd be happy to. But that's that's somebody that sticks out to me and I've seen them in person.
02:00:06
Speaker 2: Well, I just think it was impressive.
02:00:08
Speaker 1: I've always thought this in kretm if I'm wrong, you know, the Big Ten, for example, with the number of teams now in the Big Ten, one of the advantages if you're coming out of the Big Ten is there are very few styles you haven't seen yet, Right Like, Iowa plays a totally different style than you know, whoever, Michigan or whatever. I mean, I'm just throwing out teams. But so, what I wanted to know is is there a league that you of the leagues that are represented in the NCAA tournament, is there a conference that you look at it and you say that conference across the board offers the least versatility of style and thus may have less prepared its representative versus other conferences.
02:00:50
Speaker 5: In this tournament.
02:00:52
Speaker 7: If you took uh, no, I was going to say, I was going to say the SEC. But now, because Florida is so good, Alabama's got a very fast pace. You can score in Alabama. You can definitely score in Alabama. You can get fouled by Alabama that they play so fast. Now, because everybody's different, right, Like, it's some of the similar teams, like in the Big Ten, with Illinois the way they shoot the ball, with Wisconsin the way they shoot the ball, they can create a lot of problems, especially Wisconsin. They lose it withero point three seconds to Michigan. The other day they beat them at Michigan, and those two games, they've made thirty one threes against Michigan, and I'm not sure if it's half of them have come from the front line, but it's really close if it's not half. And I just think those are the kind of styles of play it's that can create a problem. But I don't think I don't think there's any league right now, of the power leagues that's not used to something when you haven't played Saint John's or when you haven't played Yukon and the way that they can get up and suffocate you. And we just saw it with Yukon drilling Saint John's a couple of weeks ago, and then Saint John's just would not let up on Yukon this past Saturday night. Those things are hard to deal with, But I don't think there's any league that hasn't seen enough, especially with all the great non league games there are now.
02:02:13
Speaker 1: Tom Crean my guest. Of course you see him on ESPN. He is on the Java House Colbrew Coffee guest line. Coach. Purdue played four games in four days, and certainly it looks like Matt Painter, you know, reawakened what it was that we expected from Purdue at the beginning of the year and where they played some of their best ball away from Mackie oddly enough. But is there from a coaching standpoint, when your team would play like Ford, you know, you go into that. Is there a danger there in exerting all of that to win the Big ten tournament and then have to turn right back around into the Big one?
02:02:46
Speaker 2: Only if it was Thursday out west and and I forget where they go?
02:02:50
Speaker 4: Where do they go?
02:02:51
Speaker 1: They are, eddiewhere they played. They're playing on Friday, right.
02:02:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're Friday. I just don't remember what city.
02:02:56
Speaker 1: I've got to look and see what city because this one doesn't have the sites. Can you look at the city, Eddie. I don't think it's out west though, Eddie's looking here, but so, but if it is out west, that is that of concern.
02:03:11
Speaker 7: Arkansas has got to go to Portland, right, and they got to play an early game, and they just played those games like that is a little bit of a concern when they got to go off that far. Saint John's played Saturday night, they got to go to San Diego, and again I don't.
02:03:25
Speaker 4: Have the days in front of me, but to St.
02:03:26
Speaker 1: Louis, by the way, Yeah, that's no, that's no issue.
02:03:29
Speaker 2: And it's a Friday, right.
02:03:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's good. That's good news right now.
02:03:33
Speaker 4: I love their matchups.
02:03:34
Speaker 7: I love their matchups because Missouri and Miami are two different teams. But if you and they're going to try to overpower you with drives, right like, Missouri.
02:03:47
Speaker 2: Really wants to go at you.
02:03:49
Speaker 7: They want to, they want to bring their bigs, but they those teams will have a hard time dealing with Matt's ball screen schemes. Michigan has a hard time with it. I thought this when Purdue lost to Michigan. Whenever they played, I thought Purdue was way closer to beating Michigan than it looked like on the scoreboard. Michigan got hot, they got some things done, and Purdue almost got away a little bit that first time from what was working.
02:04:14
Speaker 3: Well, they didn't get away from.
02:04:15
Speaker 2: It yesterday and the way they attacked Michigan's bodies, because that's how you do it.
02:04:20
Speaker 7: You beat Michigan one of two ways. You either go and attack them like Duke did and like Purdue did a lot yesterday, like you go into their bodies, you back them up, or you beat them on a high pick and roll spacing with your five pick and pop type things, which is what Wisconsin has done. And to me, that's where Michigan's vulnerable. So like here's Purdue. There's so many styles of play that Purdue can play because of what Trey kafferin Ren can do. And everybody said, well, Fletcher Lawyer's got to do this, and he's got to do the ah, he's got to be good.
02:04:52
Speaker 4: He doesn't have to be great.
02:04:53
Speaker 7: Braydon Smith has to continue to attack, play out of the pick and roll, make the decisions that he makes. And then because Oscar Kloff, now he becomes an incredibly hard matchup because he can overpower you inside, he can step out and shoot, and I think Purdue could really get hot here. The the issue that they have at times is they can get stuck on the pick and roll coverage, where now Oscar Kluff has to recover or he has to go out and guard a big and he's not that good at that. You know, it was a lot easier last year when Trey kaufferin Red was guarding the Fox. You know, when you got Zach Edie. There's not a lot of things that somebody can do that that are going to hurt you in the paint. But you can stretch people out with the shooting. And that's the only thing that I see that can hurt them if they stay on this pace that they're at, maybe somebody that really got up into them physically, but they can just keep back in that ball screen up with Braden Smith and he can operate so well out of it.
02:05:50
Speaker 2: I think Purdue could. I think they could go a long, long way.
02:05:54
Speaker 1: Coach. We heard earlier today, obviously the Thad Moda deciding to retire from coaching in college basketball one hundred and two career wins, nearly seventy winning percentage of parafinal four trips. Wanted to just get your overall thoughts on the career of Fad Bada.
02:06:09
Speaker 2: Big time Hall of Famer.
02:06:10
Speaker 7: I've said that since I was coaching against him in the Big Ten, I saw him coach. A few weeks ago when I was up at Marquette to get an honor from Marquetta and then a lot of our.
02:06:20
Speaker 2: Former players are back. They honored our first Big East team.
02:06:23
Speaker 7: I saw what he's doing there, you know, dealing with the injuries. I thought he did an incredible coaching job this year. He had a lot of injuries, he didn't have great shooting. He made guys better, you know, he brought confidence, like to Michael kid Led the country and rebounding or second and the rebounding and the confidency unleashed in him was incredible. Watching Philly Bizjack, the way that he plays, He's he's a huge winner than a winner everywhere that he's been and no question in my mind with what he's done over a period of time. Some of these other guys are in the Hall of Fame that bad Modis should be in there and do time as well. That he is a tremendous coach. He was always always hard to go against because he's a little like Matt Painter, Like Matt will really adjust what he's doing to the personnel that he has, you know, and that could always really do a good job of recruiting his personnel, but he would also change. He would also play to the personnel, so you were constantly happen to There was no patterned way you were going to play against or beat Ohio State. You had to continue to adjust it constantly. And I thought he was phenomenal at that. He's had a great career.
02:07:35
Speaker 1: You know that league and you know this state. Would you be interested in the Butler job?
02:07:41
Speaker 7: Well, I think the way that's come down now, I would answer it like this. I think for the announcement to come out now, after saying that he was going to come back, I would think this is all set and they know exactly what they're doing, So it would be I don't mind hypotheticals, but that one doesn't even seem like that would be a reality one to me because I would just think that they have that figured out, or because the timing is just too you know, because they had announced he was coming back right.
02:08:07
Speaker 1: Correct, three days ago, I believe, And I wondered if maybe that wasn't the university just wanting people to understand that this would was his decision, you know, And I would think at that point they knew, right, he deserves that.
02:08:20
Speaker 7: I mean, I got a lot of respect, especially in that state, when people know how to handle their business in the athletic department right, and they did a good job with that. I give Graham a lot of credit for that. However it played out, and I don't have any knowledge other than.
02:08:34
Speaker 2: Then just what I've read and seen, but for that to be able to announce it on his own terms, that was really really important.
02:08:42
Speaker 1: So obviously you haven't talked to anybody there.
02:08:44
Speaker 7: Oh no, not at all. No, No, I would think that I would think that is done. I would think that that that that would be. But I'm not who would your guest be?
02:08:54
Speaker 1: Because I you know, my first thought was steal from Miami, and then other people told me that probably no, that's probably not so much the case. I think Ronald Nora would seem to make sense. But who would be your guests?
02:09:06
Speaker 7: Well, I would think if it's not a total in house person from Butler, I wouldn't rule out John Gross of Acron. He's had done a tremendous job. It's got the ties. It would it would It would surprise me if it wasn't somebody that that was a part of that fabric of I don't want to say it's the Butler way because it continues to evolve. But it would it would surprise me at this point the way it's all come down if it wasn't somebody that they had earmarked for this. And so yeah, Ronald Nora and all those guys, but anybody that fits that bill, that's good.
02:09:36
Speaker 2: But John Gross has.
02:09:37
Speaker 7: Done an incredible job at an incredible job. And I'll actually have their game. I'll be with Westwood one on.
02:09:45
Speaker 2: Uh Friday, so I'll see their game against Texas Techer call their game. But he's done a great job.
02:09:52
Speaker 1: Texas Tech's really well coached too. That'll be a great matchup because Gross, he's one of the best in the country today.
02:09:57
Speaker 7: McCaslin is one of the when he's doing with that team, and I you know, they've lost three in a row, but to lose JT. Toppin who was probably going to be the Big twelve Player of the Year after being that last year and what he does is a player, and then to ring off three.
02:10:10
Speaker 5: Wins in a row after that.
02:10:11
Speaker 7: I had one of the of the cools after they've run after they beat iwas state for Fox. I called there was an analyst for the TCU Texas Tech game. He could he could beat some people. There is no doubt about that. If people are looking at their at their at their at their pools, I would not sleep. Now. The problem is you don't You don't know if Christian Anderson is going to be one hundred percent, And I'm not sure they could go on without him because he's one of the great guards in the country. But if he's healthy and he's cleared and he feels good, that team can beat a lot of people because of the case of play, the way they shoot it. He's just outstanding coach and they.
02:10:49
Speaker 1: Just they seem to always know where the loose balls are. They just are a very well prepared basketball team, no question about that, no doubt, uh, coach. I know it'll be a busy time, man. I don't know how much sleep you'll get over the next couple of weeks, but I love every minute of it, and I certainly enjoy your perspectives, your coverage as well. We'll be watching and listening throughout March. Badness appreciated, Jake, appreciate it. Tom Green joining us on the Java House coldbrew Coffee guest slang. JFV is in the house. I saw him just a little bit ago, and we will find out what he's got cooking on the program. We'll do it part as part of the crossover brought to you by the good guys that love heating and air Love dash HVAC dot com three one seven, three five three twenty one forty one. Just one of your sounders, Eddie. Maybe could be right. We will continue to give away numbers tomorrow thanks to Tom Crean. Really good stuff there. J ANDV has arrived. John, what's on the Big Program today? On the Big Show Today? The former Gardner Purdue now the buckets on the Show today. You got to say it again because your mike would not No, it wasn't it should have been.
02:11:55
Speaker 5: That was my fault.
02:11:56
Speaker 1: No one, that's okay, Chris Kramer, former boy of the Maker. Now today, will you my back here real quick because Eddie the other day Eddie mentioned to me, he goes, yeah, your MIC's not on, and I said, I know I turned this on.
02:12:05
Speaker 9: I know it because it sticks that button sticks over there. See I have to look down and make sure that the red is not on when I don't want to be heard. So it's not just me, No, it is not it absolutely sticks, but no Chris Kramer, buckets, Stephen Holder, little Colt stuff here too kind of interesting. It's going to get lost in the shuffle, and it should for basketball. I'm glad that it is a little bit this week. But outside of Daniel Jones and Alex Pierce, I think you're gonna have Pierce on it at some point coming up here, right, I believe so.
02:12:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you look at what the Coults have accomplished.
02:12:38
Speaker 9: It's not really making anybody get the warm and fuzzies about this upcoming season.
02:12:42
Speaker 1: It's kind of rinsing repeated.
02:12:43
Speaker 9: Yeah, well we knew it was going to be that way, just because they're quote running it back.
02:12:48
Speaker 1: But you better hope that that Sauce Gardener.
02:12:51
Speaker 9: Sauce Gardner seems like he's your best recruiting angle right now, trying to get guys in here and maybe they he can help find, you know, some uh, some defensive end, some edge rusher of significance that they need.
02:13:04
Speaker 1: By the way, when's the last time, John, you had to get blood? I had to do a blood draw this morning and I'm still reeling from it. No, really, I'm not a fan.
02:13:13
Speaker 9: Did you have to you look all red and did you were you in the sun yet? You were in the sun this week from my blood draw.
02:13:19
Speaker 4: Uh?
02:13:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was for the IndyCar race in Texas. It was both sun and wind. I don't know which is a little both. What was that race?
02:13:27
Speaker 4: Like?
02:13:27
Speaker 1: Nice venue? It was, It was sold out, it was packed, it was cool. It was great.
02:13:33
Speaker 4: Uh, it was.
02:13:33
Speaker 1: It was good to see a new event like that where they put it together and the market bought into it, and it was it was absolutely packed. Is it better than the Texas Speedway event? Used to be good question? Because man, those when you would get those cars side by side on that high bankdval was pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome. But in terms of the atmosphere, it was great and went right between the two, you know. The My broadcast position was the old ballpark when the Rangers played, and so during the like the day time, I basically had the keys to the stadium. It's great. Just went in and sat down. There were taking seats out and I could have I could have brought you back a seat. So that was the ball that's nothing new, and that's the old one rack to the ballpark. The track went right down the street that divides the two.
02:14:14
Speaker 9: So essentially the Rangers, who I think have been in the World Series one time in their existence twice.
02:14:21
Speaker 1: I had to look it up. Yeah, I forget, so they have.
02:14:23
Speaker 9: They have essentially how many decades of Major League Baseball had three stadiums in this amount of decades, that's incredible.
02:14:31
Speaker 1: Yeah. The parking lot that they use is where the first one was, where like nol Ryan threw his you know, seventh nomber, and then the ballpark which was it still looks brand new. It's built in ninety four. Yeah, and so it lasted for twenty six years and they tore it down or they threw the Rookie didn't tear it down. It's right there, correct, And then right from the new one, it's a cool looking park. They use it for college soccer and high school f ball in the UFL.
02:15:01
Speaker 9: Last year, you guys ever watched The Rookie with Dennis Quaid, which is a good film. It is based upon the existence in Major League Baseball of Jim Morris. But do you ever notice how stone Dennis Quaid looks throughout that movie what he calls.
02:15:15
Speaker 1: Looked.
02:15:15
Speaker 9: Yeah, he's just like he's always got that befuddled look like, wait, like I just left his brothers. Well, it's it's like yeah, it's like I don't know if he's allowed to go there. It's like Sam the Butcher and Brady Bunch, remember when he played Dopey and when they did Yeah, yeah, that's that's exactly what Dennis Quaid looks like throughout.
02:15:37
Speaker 10: The Rookie's that Sam the Butcher. Yeah, we forgot the apple. Where's the poison apple? That's Mike Brady right now.
02:15:49
Speaker 1: Mark, Mark Millard came back in town, right.
02:15:51
Speaker 9: I guarantee you the cop had seen Mike Brady out in about dressed like that before. Now, my guy, I don't know, but the Butcher here is a new thing at.
02:16:04
Speaker 1: All. Right, John's up next. I'll be back with you. We'll give away more numbers tomorrow at noon until three on the fan. Thanks for listening to Quarry Company.