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Speaker 1: All in the Natty, brought to you in part by Skyline Chili on ESPN.
00:00:06
Speaker 2: 1530, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
00:00:10
Speaker 1: 23 minutes after 5 o'clock, this is ESPN 1530. We are broadcasting from the mercantile, immersive.
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Speaker 3: Event venue, downtown Cincinnati.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: Big 12 basketball media days are happening in Kansas City. That's where Scott Springer, who covers... UC Sports for the Cincinnati Inquirer and Cincinnati.com is, and kind enough to give us a few minutes.
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Speaker 3: How's KC? How's Big 12 Media Days?
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Speaker 2: Well, it's winding down. They're going to kick everyone out here in a bit, like two hours. I got two hours to get my work done. It's been kind of hairy because... Full transparency, I covered the Scott Satterfield press conference remotely here while I'm watching some of the interviews. And then I talked to the UC women's team and Katrina Merriweather and Jared Calhoun and the guys that came with him, Tylan Riley and Jaden Hastings and Miles Colvin. So running around a lot, trying to do several different things. And we're always spinning plates, but nothing new if you do this for a living, right?
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Speaker 1: That's exactly right, and you do it well. The Bearcats have been picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll. That seems about right.
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Speaker 3: What do you think?
00:01:24
Speaker 2: Oh, I guess if you're looking at it right now, you don't know. Everyone has flipped the roster except for the big money teams. So right now, how could you put them any higher? I think they have the capability of being better than people think. I don't want to jinx them at all. I'm not going out on the limit saying this is the Final Four team. But the similarities to me are that was a group that no Nobody knew anything about. And they came in and somehow meshed and got along and turned it on. Now, do they have future NBA players here on this team? I don't know. They sure look like they play very well together. You called the game against Ohio State, and I didn't get to see the Illinois game because we were up in Morgantown trying to figure out where the pass defense went. But, you know, you scored 95, 96 points against Illinois, and they've got pros on that team. So I think they're optimistic over that. You know, defensively, you don't want to give up over 100 points, obviously, so you've got to shore some things up. I like what he's doing with the scheduling. Oakland's coming in. A few years ago, Oakland beat Kentucky. Oakland plays zone. He's setting his guys up against what he expects to see later in the season. What's there not to like about Jared Calhoun?
00:02:46
Speaker 1: That seems to be the consensus. I don't want to get into the legal weeds of injunctions and executive orders and court motions because all that stuff is.
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Speaker 3: is really, really boring.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: MJ Collins, though, did play on Saturday. What does he bring to the table that they would be missing if he's not able to play?
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Speaker 2: Well, he brings a lot of maturity. He's been around, and he played at Utah State last year and was their top scorer, 17.5 points a game. So that can only help. Again, I know they played in the Bahamas. They weren't playing in the top competition. Again, I didn't see the Illinois game, but I think he fouled out with eight points. But I just think he brings more veteran leadership. And, you know, you got some guys maybe that maybe need a year or two. But who knows? They're either going to grow up really quick or they'll have MJ Collins around. I just think they're a lot better with MJ Collins. And, you know, what I don't understand, and, you know, I'm far from a lawyer. I'm tired of reading legal documents and all that. But how in some states can you have guys that are part of this 2022 class that are– Somehow able to play, but yet they can't play in Ohio or they can't play in this state or that state or whatever. So I know the Ohio Supreme Court, I believe, has said, There was a deadline today, 5 p.m., where they were supposed to hear from both sides on, you know, how to evaluate this executive order stuff. But, you know, for now, he was eligible to play under Mike DeWine's, the governor's order. And same with Philip Vorvichnin from Xavier. And I think both teams are better with those guys. And that only makes for a better crosstown shootout, right? It's nice to have a couple of guys you've heard of.
00:04:35
Speaker 3: No question about that.
00:04:36
Speaker 1: Scott Springer from The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com from Kansas City, Big 12 Basketball Media Days.
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Speaker 3: What is going to be this team's biggest weakness?
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Speaker 2: Biggest weakness? Well, I mean, you'd have to say defense if you're looking at the most latest game. But I don't know. I think that all changes as the year goes on. And I like the way that they have an offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator, kind of like football. So I think they'll only get better. I love the way offensively what they're not to like. They move the ball, a lot of backboard stuff. So, you know, they're going to have to step it up defensively and be rugged. I think that's the one thing. I mean, you stand in front of him in person, and he's a large man and muscular, and he likes pushing around, and he throws it down with authority. And he mentioned looking at some of the old Bearcats that used to do that, and I mentioned Jason Maxfield to him, Eric Hicks, and I'm not sure if he knows who those guys are or was even born then.
00:05:37
Speaker 1: Yeah.
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Speaker 2: They were basically six foot six guys that were dunking on much bigger guys. And he's six, nine. You know, when you have guys like him, I don't know that you need seven footers.
00:05:55
Speaker 1: The, the tournament has expanded. So it's never been easier to make it. Is that a, and the answer to this question may change in three or four weeks, but, but where we stand right now, is that a reasonable expectation to see Cincinnati pop up on the screen on selection Sunday?
00:06:14
Speaker 2: I don't think Jared Calhoun thinks of anything other than that. I know Brett Gormark forever was pushing 76, and I think that's the goal.
00:06:25
Speaker 3: It seems.
00:06:27
Speaker 2: doable i don't know you know maybe we get to january february and you're hovering around 500 again but you know and and i don't want to be ripping west miller or the talent or whatever but there were very good talented players and and he brought in some good guys and had some big high rankings and then january and february became a letdown had some big wins you know there at the fog, not every team beats Iowa State. So some huge wins, but also some curious losses. And in particular, what I've harped on in the last five minutes of games, if they didn't have the lead, I think he was like four and 61. And I was told by a staff member on this team, that ain't going to happen with these guys. And I heard him at practice the other day, and I don't want to divulge too much, but the gist of it was, the clean version of it was, we don't lose close games. So I think that's a priority. Now, maybe they will lose close games. They're certainly going to be in them because you know the league. It's not easy. Same with football. It's not easy.
00:07:38
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:07:43
Speaker 2: The 45-42 football game, if UC makes a stop and kicks a field goal, wins 45-42, fan base is okay. But lose 45-42 in the way they did, fan base not happy. So it's kind of like your boy Bill Cunningham has said often in Cincinnati, they're with them win or win.
00:08:02
Speaker 3: Yeah. Since you mentioned football, should they have gone for it on fourth and three?
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Speaker 2: Uh, hindsight.
00:08:09
Speaker 3: Sure.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: Yeah. I thought they would actually, you know, and they started to took the time out and, uh, then I went, sure. Then, then you kind of think it's a fake, but I don't know that he would have made it. But still, you kick the ball down to the one, you got to make a stop, and you got to make a stop the third nine from the two. And, you know, I get it. You know, everybody's frustrated, and that's just a miserable way to lose. You almost rather would have been beaten by three touchdowns than lose that way. West Virginia could have easily been in the same boat had UC made the stop and Rusnak hit the field goal. So four and two, a lot of four and two teams, but... You know, when you got four of six against, you know, top 25 teams, you didn't make it easy on yourself. So they're going to need some home field advantage, certainly on Saturday at Nippert. They have won big games at Nippert. Iowa State last year.
00:09:09
Speaker 3: It's possible.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: Texas Tech's awfully good. They're deep. They're good. It's going to take a superlative effort and no turnovers. And you're going to have to turn over them.
00:09:22
Speaker 3: No question. Enjoy the rest of your stay in KC. I appreciate the time as always. Thank you, boss.
Speaker 1: All in the Natty, brought to you in part by Skyline Chili on ESPN.
00:00:06
Speaker 2: 1530, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
00:00:10
Speaker 1: 23 minutes after 5 o'clock, this is ESPN 1530. We are broadcasting from the mercantile, immersive.
00:00:19
Speaker 3: Event venue, downtown Cincinnati.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: Big 12 basketball media days are happening in Kansas City. That's where Scott Springer, who covers... UC Sports for the Cincinnati Inquirer and Cincinnati.com is, and kind enough to give us a few minutes.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: How's KC? How's Big 12 Media Days?
00:00:38
Speaker 2: Well, it's winding down. They're going to kick everyone out here in a bit, like two hours. I got two hours to get my work done. It's been kind of hairy because... Full transparency, I covered the Scott Satterfield press conference remotely here while I'm watching some of the interviews. And then I talked to the UC women's team and Katrina Merriweather and Jared Calhoun and the guys that came with him, Tylan Riley and Jaden Hastings and Miles Colvin. So running around a lot, trying to do several different things. And we're always spinning plates, but nothing new if you do this for a living, right?
00:01:14
Speaker 1: That's exactly right, and you do it well. The Bearcats have been picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll. That seems about right.
00:01:21
Speaker 3: What do you think?
00:01:24
Speaker 2: Oh, I guess if you're looking at it right now, you don't know. Everyone has flipped the roster except for the big money teams. So right now, how could you put them any higher? I think they have the capability of being better than people think. I don't want to jinx them at all. I'm not going out on the limit saying this is the Final Four team. But the similarities to me are that was a group that no Nobody knew anything about. And they came in and somehow meshed and got along and turned it on. Now, do they have future NBA players here on this team? I don't know. They sure look like they play very well together. You called the game against Ohio State, and I didn't get to see the Illinois game because we were up in Morgantown trying to figure out where the pass defense went. But, you know, you scored 95, 96 points against Illinois, and they've got pros on that team. So I think they're optimistic over that. You know, defensively, you don't want to give up over 100 points, obviously, so you've got to shore some things up. I like what he's doing with the scheduling. Oakland's coming in. A few years ago, Oakland beat Kentucky. Oakland plays zone. He's setting his guys up against what he expects to see later in the season. What's there not to like about Jared Calhoun?
00:02:46
Speaker 1: That seems to be the consensus. I don't want to get into the legal weeds of injunctions and executive orders and court motions because all that stuff is.
00:02:55
Speaker 3: is really, really boring.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: MJ Collins, though, did play on Saturday. What does he bring to the table that they would be missing if he's not able to play?
00:03:08
Speaker 2: Well, he brings a lot of maturity. He's been around, and he played at Utah State last year and was their top scorer, 17.5 points a game. So that can only help. Again, I know they played in the Bahamas. They weren't playing in the top competition. Again, I didn't see the Illinois game, but I think he fouled out with eight points. But I just think he brings more veteran leadership. And, you know, you got some guys maybe that maybe need a year or two. But who knows? They're either going to grow up really quick or they'll have MJ Collins around. I just think they're a lot better with MJ Collins. And, you know, what I don't understand, and, you know, I'm far from a lawyer. I'm tired of reading legal documents and all that. But how in some states can you have guys that are part of this 2022 class that are– Somehow able to play, but yet they can't play in Ohio or they can't play in this state or that state or whatever. So I know the Ohio Supreme Court, I believe, has said, There was a deadline today, 5 p.m., where they were supposed to hear from both sides on, you know, how to evaluate this executive order stuff. But, you know, for now, he was eligible to play under Mike DeWine's, the governor's order. And same with Philip Vorvichnin from Xavier. And I think both teams are better with those guys. And that only makes for a better crosstown shootout, right? It's nice to have a couple of guys you've heard of.
00:04:35
Speaker 3: No question about that.
00:04:36
Speaker 1: Scott Springer from The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com from Kansas City, Big 12 Basketball Media Days.
00:04:41
Speaker 3: What is going to be this team's biggest weakness?
00:04:46
Speaker 2: Biggest weakness? Well, I mean, you'd have to say defense if you're looking at the most latest game. But I don't know. I think that all changes as the year goes on. And I like the way that they have an offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator, kind of like football. So I think they'll only get better. I love the way offensively what they're not to like. They move the ball, a lot of backboard stuff. So, you know, they're going to have to step it up defensively and be rugged. I think that's the one thing. I mean, you stand in front of him in person, and he's a large man and muscular, and he likes pushing around, and he throws it down with authority. And he mentioned looking at some of the old Bearcats that used to do that, and I mentioned Jason Maxfield to him, Eric Hicks, and I'm not sure if he knows who those guys are or was even born then.
00:05:37
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:05:42
Speaker 2: They were basically six foot six guys that were dunking on much bigger guys. And he's six, nine. You know, when you have guys like him, I don't know that you need seven footers.
00:05:55
Speaker 1: The, the tournament has expanded. So it's never been easier to make it. Is that a, and the answer to this question may change in three or four weeks, but, but where we stand right now, is that a reasonable expectation to see Cincinnati pop up on the screen on selection Sunday?
00:06:14
Speaker 2: I don't think Jared Calhoun thinks of anything other than that. I know Brett Gormark forever was pushing 76, and I think that's the goal.
00:06:25
Speaker 3: It seems.
00:06:27
Speaker 2: doable i don't know you know maybe we get to january february and you're hovering around 500 again but you know and and i don't want to be ripping west miller or the talent or whatever but there were very good talented players and and he brought in some good guys and had some big high rankings and then january and february became a letdown had some big wins you know there at the fog, not every team beats Iowa State. So some huge wins, but also some curious losses. And in particular, what I've harped on in the last five minutes of games, if they didn't have the lead, I think he was like four and 61. And I was told by a staff member on this team, that ain't going to happen with these guys. And I heard him at practice the other day, and I don't want to divulge too much, but the gist of it was, the clean version of it was, we don't lose close games. So I think that's a priority. Now, maybe they will lose close games. They're certainly going to be in them because you know the league. It's not easy. Same with football. It's not easy.
00:07:38
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:07:43
Speaker 2: The 45-42 football game, if UC makes a stop and kicks a field goal, wins 45-42, fan base is okay. But lose 45-42 in the way they did, fan base not happy. So it's kind of like your boy Bill Cunningham has said often in Cincinnati, they're with them win or win.
00:08:02
Speaker 3: Yeah. Since you mentioned football, should they have gone for it on fourth and three?
00:08:08
Speaker 2: Uh, hindsight.
00:08:09
Speaker 3: Sure.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: Yeah. I thought they would actually, you know, and they started to took the time out and, uh, then I went, sure. Then, then you kind of think it's a fake, but I don't know that he would have made it. But still, you kick the ball down to the one, you got to make a stop, and you got to make a stop the third nine from the two. And, you know, I get it. You know, everybody's frustrated, and that's just a miserable way to lose. You almost rather would have been beaten by three touchdowns than lose that way. West Virginia could have easily been in the same boat had UC made the stop and Rusnak hit the field goal. So four and two, a lot of four and two teams, but... You know, when you got four of six against, you know, top 25 teams, you didn't make it easy on yourself. So they're going to need some home field advantage, certainly on Saturday at Nippert. They have won big games at Nippert. Iowa State last year.
00:09:09
Speaker 3: It's possible.
00:09:10
Speaker 2: Texas Tech's awfully good. They're deep. They're good. It's going to take a superlative effort and no turnovers. And you're going to have to turn over them.
00:09:22
Speaker 3: No question. Enjoy the rest of your stay in KC. I appreciate the time as always. Thank you, boss.
