Aaron Torres and Jason Martin talk College Basketball conference championships, NFL Free Agency, and the World Baseball Classic!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Steve Desager.

Speaker 3 (00:06):
Welcome man, everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday Aratorris,
Jason Martin. We are broadcasting live. Yes, we are live,
eleven pm Eastern, Fox Sports Radio Studios. College hoops largely
in the books. As de Sager just told you some
NBA action nuggets up to on the Lakers at Crypto

(00:29):
dot Com Arena. Twenty three seconds left, Luca Doncers with
the ball. We will obviously keep you updated on that one.
Clippers and Kings just tipped off, and as Disager just
told you, World Baseball Classic Japan up five to four
in the fifth inning in the quarterfinals. There Jason Martin

(00:51):
and our Nashville studios Jay Martin, My man, what's going on, buddy?
How you doing doing well?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Man?

Speaker 4 (00:55):
How are you? It's been a nick big one, been
a busy one. There's been a lot going going on,
even without football. There's a ton going on. But there's
some football going on too.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Oh it's spring football started? Has it started?

Speaker 4 (01:07):
A new UFL? No? I mean you know what, Actually,
let me correct myself. I don't know, and I don't care.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
I actually did think that's what you were talking about,
and then I realized that, oh no, there is still there's.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
Like actual stuff happening in leagues.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
That that matters a lot of Kyler Murray news this week.
I know you're not on social media. A lot of
mean Kyler Murray memes this week. Yeah, a lot of uh,
you know, let's just say the short jokes were flowing
on social media this week. But we'll get to Kyler later.
We'll get to Toua later. You asked me how my
day was. I don't know, if you know, I feel

(01:44):
like Michael Jordan I took that personal. I feel like
Disager had a little extra oomph in the Saint John's destroys.
You con in the Big East Tournament? Why did the
Huskies even show up?

Speaker 4 (01:55):
People have been waiting for this all day, especially since
it happened. And this is the Yukon Show of Record.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
It is the Yukon Show of Record and Deutsch. I'm
just gonna give Deutsch directions on air. We have one
college basketball game on air right now, the Big West.
It's on ESPN two. Let's get it on this TV here. Yeah,
so where the Yukon Show a Record. We will talk
about Big East in a second, but it is worth noting,
by the way, at Crypto dot Com Arena, the Nuggets
have taken the three point lead nine seconds to go.

(02:25):
We'll keep you updated on that Yukon was in the
running for the potential fourth number one seed. They will
not get it after losing on Saturday night at Medisine
Square Garden. But I will say this, Jamart, I thought
you brought up a great point in our pre show
prep our pre show kind of conversation is that, you know,
taking out the Yukon element of it. It felt like

(02:47):
coming into the day that the four number one seeds
were pretty set, and I bring up the Yukon part
because the conversation was if Florida loses and if Yukon wins,
is there an argument for Yukon to have the fourth
number one seed. Well, Yukon loses. But in an interesting
day in college hoops, the four teams that are projected
as number one seeds, three of them survived, one of

(03:09):
them did not. The Florida Gators lost at the SEC
Tournament in the semi finals to Vanderbilt. Shout out to Vanderbilt,
who all of a sudden is good in literally everything.
But then to a point that you brought up. Wisconsin
had Michigan on the on the ropes. Excuse me, Michigan
survives to play for a Big Ten title. On Sunday,

(03:29):
Duke wins the ACC title in dramatic fashion, a game
that really Virginia gave them all they could handle. They
win by four, and then the Arizona Wildcats were up
big Houston comes back. Arizona wins by five at the
Big twelve Tournament.

Speaker 5 (03:43):
But I thought it was a.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Great point by you, because even last week on this show,
I was kind of saying that I felt like there
was a sizable gap between those top four and the
rest of college basketball. All four were either on the
ropes or lost outright in the case of the Florida Gators.
And you talk about a tournament that's going to start
in a couple days, you talk about a bracket that
is coming out on Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening, and all

(04:08):
of a sudden, you look at how close some of
these results were. It feels like it might be a
little bit more wide open than maybe many people, including
myself a week ago, gave it credit for.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, So even if it's not, my point is this
is good for tournament interest. Yes, whether it changes anything
in terms of the seating is almost irrelevant. What you
know now is these teams have been in dogfights. All
of them have been in dogfights. Florida of course lost,

(04:38):
Michigan escaped hitting that buzzer beater. Duke outlasted Virginia, but
that thing went down to the wire. Arizona and Houston
was a battle. Like all four of those teams that
everybody loves struggled or just they had to earn it.
And so I think it's good for all those teams
in terms of facing something like this going into the tournament,

(05:00):
geting one last gut check in. But the bigger thing
is just you see these behaemos that are going to
be at the top of a lot of brackets, but
you have also seen them in the last handful of
days have to really fight to win in one of
these conference tournament scenarios. I think that's good just for
the casual fan, and I think that's good for anybody

(05:20):
that just kind of hasn't watched college basketball all season,
but this week all of a sudden remembered the sport exists.
Because a lot of people do that they have now
seen the apex of college basketball this year, all really tested,
and I think that's a good thing for the tournament.
I think it's a good thing for those teams. Again,
I think that that may really prove out to be

(05:42):
big for all of them. But more than anything, it
does it creates, even if it's an illusion, it creates
an illusion that the tournament is wide open now. Whether
or more wide open, I should say than otherwise maybe
expected now. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen.
That doesn't matter when we're just talking about interest in

(06:02):
the tournament itself.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
Well, and I think it's especially important coming off of
last year, and for people don't remember last year, just
the second time ever that all four number one seeds
ended up advancing to the final four, and then as importantly,
it wasn't just the number one seeds. I don't have
the stats off the top of my head, but if
I believe correctly, in the Sweet sixteen, obviously all four
number ones advanced, all four number threes advanced, all four

(06:28):
number fours advanced, and the only non maybe there might
have been a five, but the only one to two
in three that did not advance was Saint John's lost
to Arkansas coach by John Caliperi, and they were a
ten seed, I believe, and they were the quote unquote
plucky underdog. And obviously no team coached by John Caliperry

(06:48):
is truly an underdog just because of the talent that
they're always going to have. And so you come off
last year and I do think that it was a
big conversation and I think a fair conversation of the
with the way the sport has of that the way
college sports have evolved, with players now staying longer in
college because of nil and of course the transfer portal
allowing good mid major players to come up to the

(07:10):
high major level. I think it was fair to ask
last season if Cinderella was truly dead. And I only
bring it up because we're gonna find out over these
next couple weeks.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
Is it?

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Is it not? But coming off of that year last
year where there were essentially no upsets, I do think
it is good going into this tournament that to your point,
it feels like it's more wide open. And I'll tell
you, you know, you look at some of these teams that
are gonna be two seeds, three seeds, four seeds, whether
it's Yukon, which has a couple really bad losses over
the last couple weeks. We actually talked about that last week.

(07:44):
I don't think Houston's as good as they were a
year ago, and they're gonna be probably a two seed.
You know, you saw Virginia tonight. Good team, but they
they're not gonna overwhelm you. They're gonna be a three
to four seed whatever. The only point I'm trying to
get to is that I think not only is the
top line maybe not as good as we thought, but
I do think it sets up for more surprises in

(08:05):
round one. Again, we're going to find out, but it
doesn't change the fact that I think it sets up
for what should be a very entertaining opening weekend. And
I do think there's actually gonna be less chalk than
a year ago. If that's your thing, then I think
this will be a tournament for you.

Speaker 4 (08:20):
Yeah, And I mean I think that's good now. I
think again, ultimately, once we get to the final four,
I still think that most of the behemoths are at
least some behemoths are gonna be there. It may not
be all chalk. It could be all chalk. Again, but
as long as you get some bumps along the way
with some of these teams that likely we'ren't going to
win but are higher seeds. That I think is mainly

(08:41):
what the country really likes seeing in that first week.
If we can get a good mixture of craziness but
then really high quality, high level basketball once you get
down to the elite eight in the final four, I
think that's the ideal scenario for the NCAA tournament.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Really quickly. Have spent a little bit more time maybe
the normal watching college hoops the last couple of days.
Is there a team that stands out to you? Is
there not a team that stands out to you? By
the way, we did just have a three pointer at
the buzzer at Crypto dot Com Arena, Los Angeles. It
was a two excuse me to tie the game at

(09:19):
the buzzer. The Los Angeles Lakers have forced overtime against
the Denver Nuggets. This, of course, in you know, the
Saturday night game, Austin reeves the rare intentional miss at
the free throw line that actually worked. It never works,
It never works, except for ar fifteen. He gets his

(09:39):
own rebound, puts it in and the Lakers and Nuggets
are headed to overtime at Crypto dot Com Arena. By
the way home run in the World Baseball Classic as
Venezuela has taken the lead seven five. Venezuela is ahead
in a quarterfinal matchup over Japan, and of course is

(10:01):
the reigning World Baseball Classic champion. Sixth inning three run
home run by Venezuela, Venezuela up seven to five. So
to your point, Jmart, no football except for Kyler Murray,
except for two well we'll talk about them in a minute,
but a lot of really fun sports action. Back to
college hoops really quick. Yeah, having watched these teams, is

(10:25):
there one or it could be two, or it could
be three, or it could be six. Is there a
team that has stood out to you having a chance
to watch these teams a little bit closer the last
week or so.

Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yeah, I mean, I really do like Arizona. I don't
love them in the tournament just because they haven't had
a whole lot of success in the tournament in recent years.
But this year could be different. Any year can be different.
I don't know if you can look at history when
you have a new roster, Seemingly every year.

Speaker 3 (10:53):
Let me ask you this, Yeah, do you think because
I do think college sports is so unique because of
exactly what you said, the the roster's turnover year over year.
But it does feel like there are some of those teams,
right Texas A and M in college football clemsoning obviously
used to be a thing back in the day in
college football. Do you kind of buy that, like, even

(11:15):
if the players change, kind of the ethos becomes like
this is who we are expect the worst, and it
has a trickle down effect even if the players are changing.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
Yeah, I mean, I think that there's probably something to
it if the players hear the history long enough. But
the one thing that doesn't change a lot in big
time programs long term is the staffs, the coaching, especially
the head coach. So like, I know he's won titles
or he's won a title, but like Bill Selt's not

(11:46):
a great tournament coach to me, and we've talked about
like Matt Painter in the past had struggled as a
tournament coach, and Rick Barnes notoriously not a particularly great
tournament coach, even though he's had a couple of runs.
But like, there are some teams that like, when I
see them in the bracket, I just remember upsets. Surprisingly enough,
Duke is one of them because Duke had lost a
couple of strange upsets. But they've had a ton of

(12:08):
success obviously in the tournament. But yeah, I mean, I
think there's something to it. But I also think like
the turnover between these teams today is so much greater
than it was even ten years ago in terms of
a roster turning over almost entirely. It feels like year
after year, even with the before the transfer portal became

(12:28):
the transfer portal. It just I think that you have
a better chance to escape that kind of history. But
it does feel like there's some sort of curse on
some of these teams, some of these schools in various sports,
because it's like the jersey, the number or the name
on the back of the jersey doesn't matter, because the

(12:50):
name on the front of the jersey is known for
finding a way and that is definitely you know, I
think it's just a fun thing about sports to be
able to look at it and be like, is there
trend here? Like we don't really know. It just seems
like there are some things that are awfully coincidental about
some of these teams.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah, And the one thing I will say about a
school like Arizona, you know, it is very much in
the ethos of that community, and the players might not
know it, but they hear about it. For people who
don't know the history. Arizona has not made a Final
four since two thousand and one, and I believe they
made like four from like eighty eight to one.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
So yeah, but how many one seeds. I mean, they've
play had so many big time seeds too.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
I could text my buddy who covers Arizona. He told
me the stats. It's unbelievable.

Speaker 4 (13:37):
I know that.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
I believe just since twenty eleven, maybe I believe they've
lost four times in the Elite eight. Man, I know
they've lost twice by one point in the Elite eight.
In recent memory, I was at one of the games.
It was a Western Conference Regional FI. It was a
Western Regional final against Wisconsin in twenty fourteen. Ironically, I'm

(13:59):
watching this Lakers game. Aaron Gordon was playing for Arizona
at the time, but they lost in overtime by one
to Wisconsin. They lost by one to Yukon and Kemba
Walker in twenty eleven. They played Wisconsin again the following
year in twenty fifteen. So that's just recent, you know,
I guess relatively last fifteen years. But yeah, no, so

(14:19):
that is something that again the players you know, frankly
probably don't remember, don't whatever, but it is history that
they are at least aware of, and so I'll be curious.
And it is funny because I think, you know, Arizona
fans and I've talked to again people who cover the
team of like, you know, there is the balance of
enjoying a historic thirty two and two season for them,

(14:42):
obviously they just got to the Big Twelve, but first
Big twelve regular season title, first Big Twelve tournament title,
But there is also this thing in the back of
your head of if there's another disappointment in March, you know,
what does it all mean? We'll see if they get there.
I am, by the way with you. I do think
Arizona is the best team in college basketball. I mean,
their resume is pretty incredible. They beat Florida in the

(15:03):
out of conference, they won at Yukon, beat Ucla in LA,
beat Alabama, Uh, beat Allburn. Does that mean anything?

Speaker 4 (15:12):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Sure, we'll talk about that in a minute. And then
obviously in the Big Twelve, two wins over BYU, two
wins over Kansas, two wins over Houston, on and on,
so an incredible season for them. I will know. It
was kind of interesting. Their starting point guard, the Big
Twelve Player of the Year, Jaden Bradley, got hurt in
this game, came back, looked like he fell on his wrist,

(15:35):
and he played. So he's obviously good to play. But uh,
but that is something to monitor, just to see if
we get any news on that as you get set
to fill out your brackets. Starting tomorrow, Fox Sports Radio
er Torris Jason Martin, we are broadcasting live from the
Fox Sports Radio studios, keeping the updated Lakers one twenty
one to eighteen. They have the lead at Crypto dot

(15:55):
Com Arena in overtime, and Venezuela has taken the lead,
as we just said, in the World Baseball Classic against
Japan in a quarterfinal. It is the bottom of the
sixth so still plenty of time. There one college basketball
game going on right now, Big West Championship. J mart
uc Irvine one point lead over Hawaii. Fox Sports Radio

(16:17):
er towards Jason mart we'll come back, Jimer. We should
talk a little bit about the Auburn Tigers and the
Miami RedHawks. I actually just saw a funny tweet al Ritia.
But it is the big story. It is the big
bubble story. Miami takes a loss. Are they out? Auburn
takes it's sixteenth loss? Are they out as well? We'll
discuss that.

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(18:09):
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Lakers and Nuggets tied at one twenty five in overtime
and Austin Reeves intentionally misfree throw slash rebound slash putback
sent this to a regular overtime. We'll keep you updated there.

(18:29):
And in the one college basketball game going, Hawaii with
the four point lead over UC Irvine, winner gets the
big West Auto bin j Mart real quick before the break,
we did reference a couple things. Is that it feels
like going into selection Sunday, we know that the four

(18:52):
number one seeds and the Lakers did just hit a
bucket to take a lead, and the Lakers or I
guess there was a time I'll call We'll updated on
that one, all right, So feels like it was a
Luka Doncics bucket by the way, that gave them the lead.
So I was gonna say, feels to me like the
big story going into Selection Sunday is the fate of

(19:15):
Miami of Ohio and to a smaller degree, Auburn. And
let's start with Miami Ohio. So we talked about them
last week. They finished the regular season last Friday before
we came on air at thirty one to zero, I
said they were definitively in. They then go to the
MAC Championship and lose their opener there to UMass. Obviously

(19:36):
not a great win. They're thirty one to one. I
have actually very strong opinions on if they'll be left
in or out, but want to hear your thoughts first. Sorry,
I just saw video Rick Patino drinking a beer at
the postgame presser today, So good for you, Rick Patino,
good for you.

Speaker 4 (19:55):
Better time than it was when he was calling out
his guys. They're being Scott. Yes, absolutely, yeah, this is
definitely an advantage.

Speaker 5 (20:05):
Man.

Speaker 4 (20:05):
I don't know, like I'm very curious to get your
thoughts on this, because I agree with you. It felt
like if you can't put them in a sixty eighteen
tournament with a bunch of mid teams, they haven't done
anything that distinguished Yes, and they couldn't get anybody to
play them, was the thing, right, That was the big

(20:25):
argument was they had, you know, put out everything they could, smoke,
signals and everything under the sun to get somebody just
begging them, hey, please play us. But there's no advantage
to a big school to play a team that could
potentially beat them. That isn't going to help their resume
either way. And so they couldn't get any games, but
then to go lose in the first round of the

(20:47):
conference tournament.

Speaker 5 (20:49):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (20:52):
I'm afraid now they are going to be left out.
But man, I don't have a defense position on what
I think is going to happen here. I'm so curious
to hear what you have to say in terms of
what you think should happen, I think if I had
to bet on it right now, I think they might

(21:13):
eeke in. But it's it's it certainly has changed over
the past week.

Speaker 5 (21:21):
All right.

Speaker 3 (21:21):
So a couple things. One, we are Fox Sports Radio
using our Fox Sports bracketology. Mike de Coursi has has
Miami Ohio not only in, but as a nine seed,
so that would be comfortably in.

Speaker 4 (21:34):
Okay, and that good.

Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, that is oh that is a bracket from this
bracket is older than I thought.

Speaker 5 (21:39):
It was.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
My bad all right, we'll get We'll get back to
Mike de Corsi's bracket in half a second. I will
say ESPN is doing a better job of updating theirs
in the moment. And I will say Joe Lonardi does
have Miami of Ohio going to dayton as one of
the last four at large teams in. So I am
going to give you in a opinion that isn't based

(22:02):
in fact, but is based in logic. But it is
just an opinion, But it is an opinion that I believe.
Is why Miami of Ohio will not get left out
is I think there are a few human element reasons
that come down to this, and let me be clear.
I understand human element is not a UH indicator or

(22:25):
a metric. I understand that eye test is not a metric.
And I understand that if you look at Miami of
Ohio on a piece of paper, there is obviously ways
to punch holes in their arguments. Most notably, they did
not play, let alone beat a single Power Conference team. Now,
as to a point that we talked about last week
that you just referenced, Travis Steel has been very vocal

(22:45):
and they have like somebody did a freedom of information Act,
they really did reach out to dozens of Power conference
teams and no one, you know, was interested in playing them.
So my human element thought process here is two things.
Is really three these guys and girls in the committee.
They're all ads, right, and so I think they all

(23:08):
understand to a degree a couple things. One this could
one day be them. They're all in power conferences for
the most part. But there's a couple of mid major guys,
a couple whatever, and I think they're like, wait a second, now,
I'm either at a mid major school. I was at
a mid major school. Are we really about to leave
a team that went thirty one and oh in the

(23:29):
regular season. Now, So I think there's part There's that
part of it. There is the part of if I
am the selection committee chair, how about this? And I
know that for the next twenty four hours I have
to do interviews justifying everything that we decided. I'm looking
at those guys and girls in the room being like,

(23:50):
you're gonna throw me out to the wolves and make
me the bad guy because we left out A thirty
one and oh team thirty one and one now over
a It doesn't just have to be Auburn, which stunk.
But you know, every team that Miami of Ohio is
competing for an at large bid with is basically a
twelve thirteen, fourteen lost power conference team, right, And so
I just think if you're the committee chair, you're like,

(24:11):
we're really doing this. But I think what it really
comes down to to me is it is the most
basic question that I think essentially becomes unanswerable. If you
are that committee chair having to do interviews and you
just left Miami of Ohio to the tournament, why would
you play? What is the point of playing the regular season?

Speaker 4 (24:29):
Right?

Speaker 5 (24:30):
Right?

Speaker 3 (24:30):
And it's the most obvious part. But again and It's
part of like what we talk about with college football, right, Like,
what's the point of Miami playing Notre Dame if beating
them doesn't count? And I just think, how if you
are on that committee, can you sit there and say
they played thirty one games, they won every single one
they lost in the conference tournament, Like, what is the

(24:50):
point of playing a regular season? And then to take
it a step further, why wouldn't you just rest your starters,
rest your guys, not even worry because nothing else matpen.
And it's not just Miami of Ohio. It's essentially, you
know what, eighty percent of college basketball that's in a
one big league and is playing basically for you know,
the only weather getting in is to play for a

(25:11):
conference championship through the tournament. So again, I know those
are human element kind of made up things, but I
just I think at some point the human element does
outweigh any negative on an actual piece of paper, If
that makes sense.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Yeah, I mean I agree, Like again, if they go
if going undefeated is not good enough, when no one
will agree to play them, then do they just disband
the team? Like if you can't get an NCAA tournament undefeated,
through your entire regular season, where you desperately did everything
you could to improve your strength to schedule you are,

(25:48):
you know what you are in terms of the conference
sure in and the games that you can actually get
on your schedule. If that's not enough, if you also
didn't have to go win the conference tournament, then right, like,
there's no point in the thirty one games that you
won at all. And I find that insane. So, I mean,

(26:08):
I think that that actually makes the case easier. And
it's just the bigger thing is like nobody's gonna be
upset writ large, at least that you know, Auburn gets
left out outside of likes a few people in the
SEC and Auburn fans.

Speaker 3 (26:27):
And some I don't even think alburn fans were that mad,
but keep going, right.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
Yeah, we talked about that last week and I agree
with you. So what's the what's the win here in
terms of leaving them out? And I don't think there
is one. So the easiest thing and of course you
get the story of hey, this team went undefeated in
the regular season. But if that's not enough to get
you into the tournament, I don't know how you square that, Like,

(26:53):
how do you how do you evaluate that? Like, what
what on earth is a team supposed to do in
that case?

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Well, and let me jump into I think the other
thing that helps them is that basically every other bubble
team gagged this week. Yeah, and frankly just they stunk
all season. And listen, again, I'm not a super math guy,
but like, basically the people that love doing math are saying,

(27:21):
this is quite literally the worst bubble that we've ever had.
But just looking at Joelenardi's bracket, because again I can't
find Fox's most updated one. Last four and including Miami
of Ohio. Missouri lost the opening round of the SEC
tournament SMU one on Tuesday at the ACC tournament and
then lost on Wednesday at the AEC tournament. Texas lost
the opening game of its tournament. By the way, Texas

(27:44):
A and m last four by lost the opening game
of their tournament, and so that's the other part too.
By the way, Indiana lost to Northwestern in their conference tournament.
See and Hall couldn't get a win of note at
the Big East Tournament. Cincinnati lost early in their conference tournament.
So I could go on and on. We don't have
to go through everybody's resume. But that is another part too,

(28:05):
is the idea, that is the idea that it's not
only just what they did, it is what everybody else
did on the bubble. And again, to your point, I
think it's pretty tough for a committee chair and it's
not only his decision or her decision. I understand that,
But to come on a show and explain, well, Texas
went eighteen and fourteen and lost their their conference ernament

(28:28):
opener and lost a bunch of games down the stretch.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
But Texas, yeah, well yeah, and that becomes the argument,
and that's not no one wants to say that.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
Yes, so we will see selection show six pm Eastern
time tomorrow. Yeah, Fox Sports Radio Aer towards Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
I actually do have one quick take on Auburn. We'll
get to that next before we do though. Final final time,
first time on our show this evening, Steve di Seger,

(28:58):
what is trending?

Speaker 2 (28:59):
And you will be here for our I will be
radio real quick.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
I'm hosting with Dan Bayer. Dan Byer will join us
at ten to twenty this evening Pacific one to twenty
Eastern to preview what we'll be doing on air. Let
me say this, I think you've worked a bracket show
with us maybe once or twice. This guy does so
much work for that show and deserves I just come
in and react to what he's talking about.

Speaker 5 (29:21):
He loves this.

Speaker 4 (29:22):
Dan Byer does work.

Speaker 3 (29:23):
Oh my, I know you're being sarcastic, but like awesome.
I mean, you talk about quad ones wins, this quad
two losses, that conference quarterfinal loss. He does a ton
of work. I can't wait to talk to him about it.
In the ten o'clock Pacific one o'clock hour, he'll be
joining us to saga. I cut you off, please go ahead.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
A non major conference team who's on the bubble and
probably doesn't have enough squad one win. San Diego State
lost its conference final today.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
That was not good for the Aztecs.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
Usually you get an as TAGS team with fifty two
guys that are six foot ten and long armed, and
it doesn't matter if they don't score. They could block
you to the rebounds weren't there this year. If this
was it, that's too bad. Aztex did lose to Utah
State in the Mountain West Championship, and going on right now,
it is Hawaii fifty two fifty over UC Irvine in

(30:13):
the Big West Championship. Nine and a half minutes to
go after that game, midnight Eastern time, the WHAC Tournament
final in Las Vegas with Utah Valley against cal Baptist And.

Speaker 4 (30:24):
What a game.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
In the NBA in La, the Lakers were trailing late
against the Denver Nuggets. They foul Austin Reeves. LA's down three.
He makes the first free throw, has to miss the
second one ABC with the call and then when it

(30:53):
to overtime and the Lakers have a chance. You know,
Denver's defense had a foul to give. They chose now
to in a tie game late and then back puts
it up.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
Put it, don't you puts up a second.

Speaker 4 (31:08):
Lakers by two.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
And it wound up after the time out in the
in bed a Laker victory by two in overtime, beating
Denver one twenty seven one twenty five game winner to
Luka Doncic. He had thirty points. Reeves tied it at
the end of regulation had thirty two. Lakers have won
five straight. They win the tiebreaker against the Nuggets this year. Yes,
Nicola jokicch with a triple double again. His teammate Jamal

(31:35):
Murray fouled out one of fourteen shooting from the floor tonight,
thirty six minutes on the court, five points, six fouls
for Denver. Orlando won its seventh straight edging Miami. Atlanta
won its ninth in a row, killing Milwaukee. Boston sent
Washington to an eleventh straight loss. The late game late

(31:58):
first half as Sacramento leading the Clip in LA fifty
four to forty five earlier wins for the Spurs and
the Sixers. As for the college hoops, the ACC Final
did go to number one Duke seventy four to seventy
over Virginia Big Twelve winner Number two Arizona beat fifth
rank Houston seventy nine seventy four, And in New York City,
Saint John's took the Big East over Yugon seventy two

(32:20):
to fifty two. Conference championships to UNBC to Prairie View
and Howard to Akron on a late three pointer and
to Kenesaw State. And what a ballgame going on Fox
TV right now? Final quarter final of the World Baseball Classic.
Venezuela has taken the lead on Japan. Its two outs

(32:40):
in the bottom of the seventh could be Venezuela Italy
in a semi final coming up in a couple nights.
Italy is five and zero in this tournament after eliminating
Puerto Rico today eight six. By the way, Ronald Acunya
Venezuela a leadoff homer in this game off Yoshinobu Yamamoto
of the Dodgers, who eventually went four with five strikeouts.

(33:01):
This bullpen for Japan is reminding me of the Dodger
bullpen last year. Any chance Yamamoto could come back in
like the postseason and this maybe pitch the ninth or something.
But by the way, say a Suzuki in the Cubs
for Japan limped off early in the game after he
was caught stealing knee entry.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
Back to you, Thank you very much, Steve Sager. This
is Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Saturday into Sunday or
towards Jason Martin broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios.
PayPal It's Bracket Challenge season. Be sure to complete your
Turny bracket at Fox Sports Radio dot com beginning on
Sunday night when the bracket comes out at six pm Eastern.

(33:37):
Complete compete against our Fox Sports Radio hosts and against
your fellow listeners to see who has the best bracket.
Visit Fox Sports Radio dot com to register and get rules.
The winning bracket in the Fox Sports Radio Bracket Challenge
will win a thousand dollars gift card, and a perfect
bracket will win you a million dollars all out of

(33:57):
already spaniards. Check no, that last part isn't true, but
you do get a million dollars with a perfect bracket.
You can pre register now and also be sure to
fill out your bracket between Sunday and Thursday morning at
Fox Sports Radio dot Com. It's all presented by Weebel
Trading and Investing, Built for you. We'll come back wrap
the college Basketball Hour, and we also got to rip

(34:19):
into some other big stories this week. Bam out of Bio,
Kyler Murray to a tongo Iola will discuss all that next.
Er Tors Jason.

Speaker 7 (34:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 3 (34:39):
Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio Er Tors Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios,
Fun Night in Sports. Another home run in the Venezuela
Japan game that is a quarterfinal in the World Baseball
Classic Japan. The defending championship t rails eight to five.

(35:01):
Venezuela has the lead. Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in
overtime and in the second to last auto bid that
we'll be handed out today. In college basketball Saturday into Sunday,
Hawaii up by three against UC Irvine in the Big
West Final. For those that want to stay up late,

(35:23):
we have the Whack Finals starting right around midnight Eastern
Utah Valley versus Cal Baptist. So before the break, we
were talking a little bit about Auburn. First of all,
I gotta find this tweet. I just saw it was
really funny. Our buddy Trey Wallace actually reshared it into
my timeline. Let's see, I can find it really quick.
It was so UNBC, as Desagers told you, J Mart

(35:45):
told us J Mart. UNBC did win the America East
earlier today. UNBC, of course became the first team to
first sixteen seed to beat one seed. And I don't
know if you remember this, this was twenty nineteen. It
was a while ago, but they became famous because their
Twitter feed was pretty much dunking on everybody.

Speaker 4 (36:07):
It was it was funny, man, that guy whoever was
handling that really just had his pulse on, like what
was going to go viral? Like it was big time.
It was all. It was all very funny. It it
actually got major traction.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
Well, I bring it up because Trey Wallace just tweeted
this into my timeline from the UNBC official Twitter account.
Just realized the best part of having an auto bid
is that we don't need one of our relatives going
on TV to explain why we deserve to be in
over a thirty win Miami RedHawks team. I think that's

(36:46):
in reference to the Pearl family. It's just a hunch.
You know, they didn't name names, so you know, they
could be I guess talking about somebody else. But All
bird of lost on the second day of the SEC tournament,
it was Wednesday. They fall to seventeen and sixteen, and

(37:07):
I'll say this, I don't think that they are going
to get in. You know, again, just using Joe Lonardi's bracket,
they are one of the first two teams out. Let
me just say this though, I don't think they're gonna
get in, and especially like a Miami Ohio, losing actually
does matter because it's one less spot that would have
gone to another team Auburn.

Speaker 5 (37:29):
I wouldn't.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
I don't think I would be as mad about Auburn
getting in as some other people are and would be
in some other teams, only because they do have some
actual legitimate wins. They did beat Florida, they did beat
Saint John's early in the season, they beat Kentucky, they
beat Arkansas, and so this isn't like a super bold

(37:50):
take and I don't think it will end up mattering.
But what I was thinking about is this, jmart is,
we're not comparing Auburn to like a Yeah, I guess
we are in this case Miami of Ohio, and I
think Miami of Ohio is in. But most of the
other bubble teams are in like the thirteen fourteen loss range.
And so to me, it's like you're seventeen and sixteen,

(38:11):
but you at least have a couple good wins as
opposed to like an eighteen and fourteen Indiana team that
beat nobody. In eighteen and fourteen Texas team that beat nobody. Again,
this is the least bold take that has ever been
put on Fox Sports radios airwaves. And I will add
that I don't think they're going to get in that
large bid. This is just one. Like I wouldn't be
as fired up about it as others if they did

(38:33):
get in, assuming of course, that they didn't get in
over Miami of Ohio. It's not one that I can
get super fired up about because to the point we
made about Miami of Ohio a few minutes ago, all
of these bubble teams are incredibly flawed.

Speaker 5 (38:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
Again, like when you have teams of losses, that's where
you lose me. Like, if a few of you get in, okay,
a few of you don't get in, Okay, I'm not
gonna argue against or four in any of you because
none of you, all of you have had the opportunity
to do something that you have not been able to do,
and some of you are going to be left out

(39:08):
in that scenario. So like let's say Auburn gets in,
I'm not going to be upset about it unless Miami
of Ohio somehow didn't get in. Outside of that, like,
it's more or less malaise for me when it comes
to teams like that because unlike college football, where it's
much harder, at least for now, to get a spot

(39:31):
in the college football playoff. And you're talking about teams
that have like three losses total, A lot of them
have two losses all of that. They're trying to kind
of decipher all this and figure it out. That's different
because you've obviously done something during the course of the year.
These teams are like, go ahead and put us in

(39:52):
the tournament because we play in a big conference. Like,
yet you do, but you didn't do anything in that
big conference. So what does that mean? Like, it's not
a participation. Shouldn't ribon because you play into Big Ten.
It shouldn't be the old green participation ribbon if you
play any SEC either, like it like, do something to
distinguish yourself past the fact that you belong to one

(40:14):
of these mega conferences. So like, yeah, I expect the
coach to try and make the case and not just
sit back and do nothing. I understand that from the
optic standpoint. It's like, yeah, you've got to show that
you care and you're gonna fight and all that good stuff.
Just don't expect us to follow that. Like don't expect
us to also be part of that train, to be
part of that parade. Like we're not going to be there.

(40:36):
We're not even gonna watch it as a matter of fact.
So get in, don't get in. I just I'm not
going to shed a tear either way. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
I won't pore people with too many details. But the net,
which is the metric that all these committee that the
committee uses, it is so rigged for the Power Conference teams.
And you could tell with a sixteen lost Auburn team,
with a fourteen lost Indiana team, fourteen lost Texas still
on the bubble. Sports Radio Air Tors Jason Martin broadcasting
live for the Fox Sports Radio Studios. You know what

(41:04):
else is rigged? Bam Adebayo. Welcome man, everybody, Fox Sports Radio,
Fox Sports Saturday into Sunday. Air Tors Jason Martin. We
are broadcasting live. Yes, we are live from the Fox
Sports Radio Studios. Lakers winning overtime World Baseball Classics still
going on one auto bid, maybe about to be clinched.

(41:27):
Hawaii up by four with thirty two seconds to go
against UC Irvine in the Big West. The Wax Championships
still to come by the way, Jamie, we were talking
a minute ago about Miami of Ohio and just you know,
what's the point of even playing the regular season only
conference tournament matters. I looked it up because I was like,
I feel like UC Irvine is always in this conference tournament.

(41:51):
They have won, they have finished either first or second
since twenty nineteen every year but one, and have just
one NCAA Tournament bid to show for it. So it
just shows you how hard it is in these small
schools in these small conferences. Excuse me to actually get
into the NCAA tournament. Don't expect you to have any
hot UC Irvine takes, but it's just like it's no.

(42:13):
But it's just like when you have a season like
Miami of Ohio, it should be rewarded transparently. We should
be getting more of these small schools in That's not
gonna happen, unfortunately, but I do hope and I do
think Miami of Ohio will get in that large bid.
When the bracket comes out at six pm Eastern on Sunday.

(42:35):
Speaking of the bracket, should mention as always it's Bracket
Challenge season. Be sure to complete your turny bracket at
Fox Sports radio dot com begetting Sunday night. That's tonight
if you're on the East Coast. Compete against our Fox
Sports Radio hosts and against fellow listeners to see who
has the best bracket. Visit Foxsports Radio dot com to
register and get rules. The winning bracket in the Fox

(42:56):
Sports Radio Bracket Challenge will win one thousand dollars gift card,
and a perfect bracket will win you a million dollars.
You can pre register now and then be sure to
fill out your bracket between Sunday night and Thursday morning
at Fox Sports Radio dot com. It's all presented by
WEE both trading and investing, built for you. Talk to
a lot of college basketball in hour one. Let's go

(43:17):
ahead and switch gears to the association, because there was
certainly a game and certainly a performance that caught everybody's attention. Yes,
this story is a few days old, but I think
the conversation about it. By the way, we do have
a final in the Big West. Hawaii is your Big
West Tournament champ. They are headed to the NCAA Tournament.

(43:38):
There were I believe about twelve thirteen auto bids handed
out today. One more for those of you on the
on the East Coast. I know it's already Sunday, but
we have the Whack Final coming up. Col Baptist versus
Utah Valley. Will keep you updated on that one second
to last auto bit of the day with Hawaii getting in.
So the story of the week in the NBA, and

(44:01):
I don't think it. It's not a bad one, but
I don't think it quite landed the way that the
Miami Heat, Eric Spolster and bam Adebayo wanted. And I am,
of course talking about bam Ada Bio on Tuesday night,
so I will tell you this, Jmart I was at

(44:21):
an event on Tuesday night. I was actually in your
part of the country.

Speaker 5 (44:25):
I was down.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
I was down in Kentucky at an event and it
was at a sports book. And I bring it up
because I'm kind of hosting an event, and you know,
I'm you know, it's a sports book. There's TVs everywhere.
I'm facing the TVs. I'm talking to two or three people,
they have their backs to me, and I just see
flash on the screen. It says bam Ada Bio scores

(44:47):
eighty three points and I was like, God, did anybody
else see that? Bamata Bio eighty three points and they
were like no. And by the time everybody turned around
and I literally did the jaw drop finger point, it
was off the screen and people were like, Torres, you
must be seeing stuff here. And sure enough we looked
it up. Bam Adabio scores eighty three. Now the context
of the eighty three does matter, and we.

Speaker 4 (45:08):
Want it does well.

Speaker 3 (45:10):
I was gonna say, let me just I imagine if
you're listening to Fox Sports Radio, if you're listening to
sports talk radio at this hour of the night, you know.
But I bring it up because it was a game
that bam Ada Bio in this game, let me see,
just make sure I have it all correct. Forty three
attempts from the field. He had also forty three attempts

(45:34):
from the free throw line, which was an NBA record
seven of twenty two from three. And it is worth
noting late in the game, the Miami heat up by
twenty twenty five thirty maybe not thirty, but they were
up a significant margin. They were fouling to get the
ball back, they were force feeding him the ball. He
played forty two minutes in a game that wasn't close.

(45:56):
He gets his eighty three. But I'll just say this
and I'm to toss it over to you in half a second.
I think when everybody started to dig into it, it
didn't quite you know, they you know, they did the
whole gatorade bath and you know, celebration on the court.
I don't think it quite landed the way the Miami
Heat thought. And I think there were a lot of

(46:17):
people that, frankly, to quote Rob Parker because I saw
him say this on the odd couple, don't call him
bam out of bio, call him sham out of bio,
because it was a freaking sham. On Tuesday night when
the Wizards played the Heat go ahead.

Speaker 4 (46:29):
Jamurtin, Yeah, it was a fraud. I mean, look, he
scored eighty three points. I've heard he's a really nice guy.
That should have absolutely nothing to do with how you
evaluate the eighty three points he scored. You gave some stats.
I'm gonna give you some more. I grabbed these over
the course of the last couple of days people that
did some much more detailed research than me. There have
been eleven forty point halves since nineteen ninety seven. Eleven

(46:54):
of them. Bam at a bio was eleventh in field
goal percentage. That's dead last. Oh wow, he was tenth
from two and tenth from three. That's next to dead last.
He was first and missed three pointers, and he was
first in free throw attempts. Insane among seventy plus point games,

(47:17):
of which there have been sixteen. Dead last in field
goal percentage, dead last in field goals made, dead last,
and three point percentage. Eighth in free throw percentage. So
there's nothing here, man. He had sixty two points in
the final three quarters.

Speaker 5 (47:34):
He was two of.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
Fourteen from three. They were dominating the game. On top
of it, it's a team that was actively tanking at least. Well,
I don't know, maybe Adam Silver would try to disagree
with me there, but I feel like that Washington was
actively tanking in this situation, and I saw a lot

(47:57):
of people in the moment try to defend it. And
when I first saw it, I just went to the
score sheet, and when I saw the free throws, I
just said, Okay, that's a problem because thirty six or
forty three, I mean, great, that's great efficiency from the
free throw line. But that is a much different story
than scoring eighty three. Like, I do not think that

(48:20):
there is a comparison between that eighty three and Kobe's
eighty one, and I don't think most basketball purists are
people that have watched both games, or certainly watched Kobe's game,
will say that because most of what Kobe was doing,
almost all of it, as a matter of fact, was
coming in a competitive game that was in single digits late.
There was also I saw a video a few days

(48:41):
ago where a very let's just call him, a high
paid sports analyst for a large sporting network that also
might be trying to run for president, was calling for president,
it's Lord, that might be the one thing gets me
out of the country. But this individual, he was burying

(49:08):
Luka Doncic when Luca had seventy three.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
Oh wow.

Speaker 4 (49:12):
There's a lot of video that you can go back,
and he is just bearing him. He's calling it embarrassing.
He's talking about it's abysmal. You're playing against the team
that's no good. Mind you this seventy three when Luca
was in Dallas. This game was going back and forth,
like Luca was trying to win the game in this scenario,

(49:34):
almost all the way to the end. And this individual was,
I mean, he was railing against Luka Doncic, saying that
it was an embarrassment to the sport of basketball. That
should be a shame that there was no defense being
played on the other side all this, And then you
juxtapose that and this video did it beautifully with the

(49:54):
same individual's comments after BAM's eighty three. Let's just suggest
there was a difference in how those two things were
talked about. And I don't think there is any question,
and we can go and look at the stats, because
I have lucas seventy three way more impressive than BAM's
eighty three. And look, this is nothing against Bam. I

(50:16):
had a bio as a human being. But this right
here was the very definition of an artificially created record
where for whatever reason, the team just decided to kind
of get behind this thing in the end, and they
were playing against the team that had no interest in
trying to stop it whatsoever. I don't know why anybody

(50:37):
needs to come out and try to fully defend this
dude had eighty three. Nobody's gonna take that away from him,
and good for him, but bad for bad for him,
because this thing was just the more you look into it,
the worse it looks there.

Speaker 3 (50:52):
So a couple things. One because I know the immediate
pushback is, you know, a Kobe you know it was
an eight. You know they dominated in the rat you know,
the famous eighty one point Raptors game. Okay, so let's
get some facts on Kobe really quick because I wanted
to look it up. So first of all, when Kobe
and the Lakers play the Raptors, they won by eighteen points,

(51:12):
but they trailed by seven points after the first quarter.
They trailed by fourteen at the half, and then it
looks like they were up. They outscored him by twenty
in the third quarter, so they won by twenty. So
they were up by about six or eight going into
the It.

Speaker 4 (51:29):
Was a single digit game with like six or seven
minutes left or something like that.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
Yes, they won big because Kobe scored eighty one. By
the way, I am looking at the box score right now,
Kobe attempted twenty free throws, so half of what Bam
attempted and then was seven of thirteen from three, So
eight fewer three point attempts, twenty three fewer free throw attempts.

(51:54):
So Kobe literally would have got one hundred that night.

Speaker 4 (51:57):
Yeah, easy, easy.

Speaker 3 (51:59):
And let me say this, Jmark, because my other reaction
to this is, like you said, is that you know, whoever,
whether it was the media, whether it was bam Adebayo himself,
whether it was Eric Spolstra, I was gonna say, like disappointed,
isn't I don't know what the right word is because
like I get it, he sort of got to defend

(52:19):
his guy, But like, what is Eric Spolser doing? Like whatever?
What I was gonna say was to me, this is
such a metaphor for the modern NBA of Like I'll
give you an example. Remember when Bronni was drafted and
we all knew it was a sham. But you know,
and go back to those highly paid people that are

(52:40):
on ESPN, this is not nepotism. You know, he had
the heart condition at USC, he was a McDonald. He
averaged one point six points per game or whatever it
was at USC. Okay, if his name, as we know,
was Bronnie Smith, he not only would not have been drafted,
you know, probably would have been booted out of U
see and told to go play somewhere else.

Speaker 5 (53:02):
You know.

Speaker 3 (53:02):
So and it's like, to me, it's just such a metaphor.
This bam ada bio thing for the NBA because the NBA,
and I use this term but it's kind of applicable.
They live in their own bubble, and I use it,
you know, I say applicable because they literally had a bubble,
but they live in this bubble where it just feels

(53:24):
like they're always trying to pull the wool over our eyes,
like you know, Oh, no, things are just as competitive
as a competitive as they were thirty years ago.

Speaker 4 (53:33):
No, that's just Kevin Durant's cricket bill.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
Well that's what I'm saying. No, No, No, it's seriously, it's
like everything. No, No, the All Star Game, it's just
as competitive as it always was. No, it's not, Oh
the level of competition. Guys care just as much. No,
they don't playing against plumbers, playing against you know. It's
like it's just like this thing where and and it's
like I'm not trying to be a fe like I'm

(53:57):
really not trying to just pigeonhole all NBA players, but
it's like they just live in this alternative universe where
it's just like we have to accept these certainties or
these things as fact that are not fact. And bam
Adebayo cool you got any three. No one will ever
take it away from you. It was not the same

(54:17):
as Kobe. It was not the same as the best
offensive performances that we have ever seen. You brought up
Luca with seventy three. You know, Brandon and I were
talking to the break like, you give Steph Curry twenty
one to three point attempts and forty three file shots
and you're following late Steph Curry could score one hundred.

Speaker 4 (54:36):
Dude, bam at a Bio scored four field goals in
the last seventeen minutes of that game.

Speaker 8 (54:44):
Oh my I didn't even know that. She's he made
four field goals, folks. Think about that now, four field
goals in the final seventeen minutes of that game. And
in the final three quarters he scored sixty two.

Speaker 4 (54:58):
My man lived at the free throw line, lived at
the free throw line, and the refs had no problem
helping to roll out the red carpet to make sure
he got there too.

Speaker 3 (55:10):
You know, I just I don't know if there's anything
else for me to add. It was just such a
bad look all around. It really was it. And again,
you know, and the crazy part was you watch the postgame,
you listen to Eric Spolster. Eric Spolster goes to the podium.
This was after the heats subsequent game, so they obviously
have played since then, and he says, I apologize for nothing.

(55:32):
I do it again. It's like, why are you trying
to you know, let's use the Jason Martin line, stop
may trying to make fetch a thing like, yeah, it's over, bro,
Why are you trying to pretend that this is something
that it wasn't Listen, no one will ever take that
out of the record books. I get it. It doesn't
change the fact that it is not what they sold

(55:53):
it to us to be. You cannot fool us. I
don't care what you say. It isn't the same. It
isn't real basketball.

Speaker 4 (56:01):
Can I be real?

Speaker 3 (56:02):
Yeah, I'm talking in circles.

Speaker 4 (56:03):
So take I think Bam Bam had eighty three points
he did not score? Sure, does that make sense? He
has eighty three in the box score for eternity. He's
a career twenty point a game scorer or something like that.
Like he's not a big time threat, but he's got
eighty three in the record book, and good for him.
That's gonna be there forever. You had eighty three points.

(56:26):
Just don't try to tell me you scored eighty three points,
because I think scoring does not occur almost half the
time at the free throw line. If you're gonna go
for a record like that, really.

Speaker 3 (56:38):
Quick, because I want to keep talking. Bam, we do
have an upset. At the World Baseball Classic. Venezuela has
knocked out the defending World Baseball Classic champion, the team
from Japan. Japan. Of course, one let's say.

Speaker 4 (56:53):
Were you gonna give me a mascot there? WBC?

Speaker 3 (56:57):
Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm still have.

Speaker 4 (57:00):
This Japan Japans.

Speaker 3 (57:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know. I'm just glad I
caught myself before I, you know, maybe said something that
could have gotten me in trouble. But yes, we do
have an upset. Maybe we talked Venezuela, or we talked
to the World Baseball Classic on the other side, because
it has been a fun event. Let's put a bow
on this, bam at of bio thing. I don't even
remember what what was the last point you made for
I forget just that I.

Speaker 4 (57:22):
Think he had. I mean, yeah, he had, but he
didn't score eighty thirty.

Speaker 3 (57:26):
Let me ask you a question for real, same set
of circumstances of intentionally fouling, feeding guys the ball uh
tanking team that doesn't care. How many guys do you
think you get eighty points in that situation in the NBA?
I think there's at least fifty like you his name, yeah,
Luca Shay Steph, you know, I don't know SGA. You said, sorry, no,

(57:53):
it's okay, But I mean there's a mean Kevin Durant.

Speaker 9 (57:56):
I mean, yeah, yeah, it's just I mean, if if
Bam at a Bio can do BAM's not an offensive player.
I know, if Bam can do it, then I imagine
twenty five to thirty of them could get ninety.

Speaker 3 (58:09):
That's what I'm saying, man, and so Hugain bam at
a Bio with eighty three points on eighty three points
on Tuesday as the Miami Heat get the win. But sorry, man,
you can't pull the wool over eyes. You just cannot
congrats like you said. I think you said it very well.

(58:30):
Bam at a Baio. The box score says eighty three.
He didn't score eighty three. It is what it is,
but it is not what they want us. It is
not what they want to make it out to be
Fox Sports Radio Air Toards. Jason Martin, broadcasting live from
the Fox Sports Radio studios. Let's come back. When we do,
we will talk a little bit of World Baseball Classic.

(58:50):
As I just mentioned, the defending champion, Japan, no mascot,
just Japan, just country, has been upset in the quarterfinals.
Venezuela advances. We will come back talk about what has
quickly become a very fun event here over the last
couple weeks. Air Tours, Jason Martin.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 3 (59:18):
Welcome back, everybody. Fox Sports Radio Air Tours. Jason Martin,
we are broadcasting live. Yes, we are live one am
Eastern from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Little before one
am Eastern, I should say it is selection Sunday on
the East Coast lot of college basketball to react to
tell you what? Why don't we Let's get it over

(59:40):
the news desk Steve de Seger, What in the world
is trending at twelve twenty seven Eastern time?

Speaker 2 (59:45):
A ton? Can we just say that much? We'll start
with the baseball as the quarterfinals are done at the
World Baseball Classic and in front of thirty five thousand
very loud fans in Miami. Tonight on Fox TV, Venezuela
upset defending champion Japan, which ha had been four to
oh in this tournament eight five. The final pitcher, Ranger
Suarez of Venezuela with had new contract, a huge one

(01:00:07):
with the Red Sox. He was out in the third
inning tonight, down five to two, and yet the bullpen.

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
Could not secure that lead.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
Once Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Japanese starter from the Dodgers, was
out after his four innings five strikeouts, the bullpen for
Japan allowed five runs in the next two innings. Will
You're abra you of the Red Sox three run homer
in the six Venezuela against Italy in a Monday night
semifinal on FS one. Italy is five and oh in

(01:00:37):
this tournament after holding on against Puerto Rico today eight
to six. The US Semifinal is Sunday nights on FS one.
The Americans will have pitcher Paul Skeen starting against a
SUPERB lineup of the Dominican Republic. Now to college basketball,
and yes, the late game is underway in Vegas. The
WAC Conference Championship game Cal Baptist out to a fourteen

(01:01:00):
lead on first place Utah Valley. Already, Hawaii has won
the Big West. Number one Duke took the ACC earlier
this evening seventy four to seventy over tenth rank Virginia.
Number two Arizona beat Houston to take the Big twelve,
and Saint John's dominated Yukon to win the Big East.
To the NBA SUPERB Game in LA, the Lakers in

(01:01:21):
overtime edged Denver one twenty seven one twenty five, five
straight wins for the Lakers. Luka Doncic the game winning
shot thirty points. The Lake Game has the Clippers at
their arena in LA going to the fourth quarter trailing
big against the Sacramento Kings, who on the road this
year are five and twenty eight. But the Kings lead

(01:01:42):
the Clippers in LA ninety two seventy five going to
the fourth. Precious Hichuwa with twenty five points. Kawhi Leonard
has thirty one of the seventy five for the Clips.
Boston sent Washington to an eleventh straight loss, won eleven
to one hundred. Atlanta won it's nine eighth game in
a row, killing Milwaukee won twenty two to ninety nine,

(01:02:03):
Jalen Johnson a triple double, and Orlando won at seventh straight,
edging Miami in South Florida one twenty one to one. Seventeen.
The Heat had won seven in a row. Bam Adebayo
twenty points tonight victories for the Spurs and Philly. NHL
wins for Dallas in overtime for Buffalo in a shootout,
Rangers beat Minnesota four to two.

Speaker 3 (01:02:23):
In tennis to Neil Medvedev beat.

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Carlos Alcarez, who was sixteen and ozer this year, but
lost his semifinal at Indian Wells in Southern California. The
NASCAR poll at Las Vegas went to Christopher Bell. Kyle
Larson won today's O'Reilly race. In Major League Soccer, San
Diego tied three to three at Dallas and the New
York Giants side wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who was cut
by Atlanta.

Speaker 3 (01:02:46):
Back to you, Thank you very much, Steve Saga. Fox
Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday into Sunday, depending on what
part of the country you are air towards Jason Martin.
Jamartin before we get to the World Baseball Class. I
did have a question for you to Sega, just reference
we talked before the break bam Adebio and to Sega,
just reference bam Adebaio this evening or Saturday evening again,

(01:03:08):
depending on where you are. Twenty points, six of fifteen
from the field, two of seven from three, six of
ten from the free throw line, So shot seventy five
percent less free throw so thirty three less free throws
than the night than a couple nights ago. He has
combined for thirty five total field goal attempts his last

(01:03:29):
two games, after shooting forty three twelve three point attempts
his last two games after attempting twenty two the other night.
Do you think do you think that like do you
think that they got the pushback and have scaled?

Speaker 7 (01:03:45):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
They said all these things after, you know, they played
up against Milwaukee on Thursday. That was two nights after
bam got eighty three, and they said all these right
things of we you know, we have zero regrets, we
do it again, blah blah blah blah. I do wonder
if the pushback, I don't know how bad it got.
I don't know if it got to them or not.
But I find it very interesting that bam Adabaiyo has

(01:04:09):
not only played two very pedestrian games, but too like
he's not even the focal point games over the last
two games. So tonight he shot, he took fifteen let
me see here, fifteen field goal attempts. That was tied
for second most on his team. Jim Hawk has took

(01:04:29):
more field goal attempts than bam Adabaio today. Do you
think the pushback is a byproduct of it? Do you
think it's just that that's actually who bam Adebayo really is.
What do you make of that? Seeing that over these
last couple of games.

Speaker 4 (01:04:41):
I mean there's definitely been some added probably tension and
pressure just to Bam in his own psyche and maybe
to Spolshra and.

Speaker 5 (01:04:51):
The organization a little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:04:52):
But more I think it's just more probably Bam most
likely in his heart of hearts, knows what happened. Yeah,
he knows what that night was, and I think he
knows what it wasn't. And I think that the hardest
thing to take is criticism that lands because it's real
and it's right and it's not coming from a bad place,

(01:05:14):
and it's not coming from a hate Bam at a
bio place, or because there's no reason to hate Bam
at a bio. This whole thing just left a sour
taste in your mouth, and an eighty three point night
shouldn't do that, and so I think it, if anything,
it's probably more a function of, yes, this is closer
to the player that Bam is, especially on the offensive

(01:05:37):
side of the ball. He can he's very inconsistent. He
can be streaky, but he's pretty inconsistent, and he's not
a high volume score by any means. I think this
is maybe as much kind of in his own head.
He maybe just feels a little bit off because of
the conditions surrounding the last handful of days in his career.

(01:06:01):
I don't know that. I don't think it's a concerted
effort on the part of the team or anything like that.
I think it's a byproduct of a lot of stress
more than anything else, mixed with the fact that, again,
he's not a particularly gifted offensive player, and so when
you add those two things together, you're likely to have
some pretty unimpressive lines.

Speaker 3 (01:06:23):
Totally fair. Just thought it was worth noting because he
did play again tonight and again they played against Milwaukee
on Thursday, and in that game, after the game, you know,
Spolstra again referenced, I wouldn't change anything, blah blah blah
blah blah, this and that. So I figured it was
just worth a quick question since we were just talking
about it, Let's switch gears to the the you know,

(01:06:44):
one of several stories that was noteworthy from this evening.
World Baseball Classic just went final. Japan was the defending champion.
They are out against Venezuela. Just your thoughts in general.
I mean, it could be on the World Baseball Classic,
it could be on on the upset we saw on
Saturday night. But you know, it was a fun It's

(01:07:05):
been a fun event since it's implementation. It's it's been
an awesome event to watch these last few weeks. I've
enjoyed the heck out of it, including the upset here
on Saturday night.

Speaker 4 (01:07:16):
Yeah, I mean, it's been good, And I think last
night kind of was the night where a lot of us,
or a lot of people who weren't watching before that
point probably tuned in because they may have heard about
it through something. It might have been a conversation at work,
They might have seen it on a newscast local or
otherwise or whatever. But like the fact that it was

(01:07:36):
Canada and America coming off of what we had seen
in the Winter Olympics. Yeah, and just to whole like
Canada want to get back at him. I feel like
there was some added interest to that and it needed that.
I think going a little bit further into the tournament,
it also needs I mean, let's be real, at least
in this country, it needs America to be a part
of it, I feel like for and there was a

(01:07:59):
danger there midweek after the mistake that happened, and then
you needed Italy to beat Mexico, and boy, Italy just
came through in a big way with that. I think
it was a nine to one win over Mexico that
kept the US alive and put them in that spot
to go ahead and do what they did last night
in advance. But yeah, I mean it's been great, It

(01:08:20):
really has. The coverage has been very very good when
it comes to just the actual baseball action itself, but
the crowds have been very very good. You could see
how much the guys in the tournament itself care and
are going all out, and it is awesome because this
is what all This is the All Star game that

(01:08:42):
you want. Yes, that's the best thing, because you have
the best in the world here. It's essentially an All
Star bracket put together built internationally. It's not one night,
even though again I think the NBA did themselves a
lot of favors with what they did this year, and
I think we both ended up enjoying that a lot more.
But this is the perfect All Star Game because not

(01:09:04):
only is it giving you the best in the sport
and giving you obviously being able to wrap yourself in
your flag whatever that is, and root for a team
that helps. But this is the leadoff to the MLB season.
If you get down with baseball over the next couple
of weeks, if you get excited in this, if you

(01:09:25):
already have, if you've been paying attention and kind of
getting into it a little bit, well, guess what. MLB's
around the corner to give you six months and that's
the perfect way to lead into the season. We said
this a couple of weeks before that tournament started, before
the World Baseball Classic started, that this is ideal for baseball,
and it really really is because the other thing that

(01:09:46):
it is doing is it is providing a platform for
players that we are going to see in the major
leagues with all these different teams in the MLB, to
get a showcase in front of an audio and that
then we'll say, hey, I know who that guy is.
I might tune in watch that game. It's a good
thing for baseball all around, and it's been a great,

(01:10:08):
great experience so far.

Speaker 3 (01:10:10):
Do you think that that has a trickle down effect,
like you know with with with hockey, right it was
an incredible gold medal match, team USA beats Canada in overtime.
I don't know if it's moved the needle lot hockey
or not, but I don't know why. I do feel
like for baseball it is a little bit different. And
maybe it's just because even if you're not a baseball fan,

(01:10:30):
maybe you're just a little bit more familiar with the names.
Maybe you are a little bit more familiar with the backstories,
even if you don't love baseball. You know Shoho Tani,
you know Akunya obviously Yamamoto started in the game tonight
for Japan, and that name sounds familiar if you even were,
you know, casually watching the World Series last year and
that's let alone obviously the American stars Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge,

(01:10:55):
stuff like that. So you know, I don't know if
there's a definitive, you know, metric to prove if there's
a crossover. But I do feel like, again.

Speaker 4 (01:11:05):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:11:06):
I just I feel like baseball is kind of on
a little bit of an upswing right now. We had
a great seven game World Series, Dodgers are back to
back champions, A lot of people don't like how the
roster was put together, and I think, you know, whether
it's a World Baseball Classic or an incredible World Series
which you and I were on for Game seven to
four last year, it does feel like baseball just kind
of on an upswing in general.

Speaker 4 (01:11:27):
Yeah, it is. I think that again, like this is
this is a good kind of springboard into the season,
but coming off of one of the best World Series
of the century so far, one of like the two
or three at worst, and just the drama involved in
so many of those games, and I do think that

(01:11:50):
that captivated people outside certainly of those two fan bases.
But just you rallied around somebody, A lot of us
I think rallied around Toronto, not but Steve, not because
we despise the Dodgers in the way that they were
made up for me much just because I'm an Atlanta
Braves fan. So no, I just don't want to. I
do not want to face the rat of Steve de

(01:12:12):
Sager for commenting on the way that the Dodgers were
actually built, because I know that they were not built
like they're the only team that was built this way
in any way, shape or form. I completely and totally understand.
Also think most people rooted against them, But either way,

(01:12:32):
it was a great deal. And then the World Baseball
Classic adds to it and again gets a benefit from
us already kind of being in an international mood because
of the successful Winter Olympics that had just taken place,
and then so it gets the boost from that. The
NBA All Star Game as well gives you a little
bit more of an international flavor as well, So you

(01:12:53):
get some good international stuff to lead you into the
World Baseball Classic. That then actually the MLB season can
kind of drift and catch the slip stream and go
right on past into its season. So yes, baseball is
on an upswing and it has kind of the perfect
lead in show you go back to the Great lead
INDs on Thursday Night for NBC way back in the day.

(01:13:15):
I mean, Cheers was on at nine, but you know
when you got a lead in from at that point,
I guess it would have been Cosby. It would have
been The Cosby Show at eight, and then you would
get whatever came in at eight thirty would be able
to hold an audience at least try to hold an audience,
and then Cheers would be your lead in for your
new nine to thirty show, and that would be your
springboard shot. Like, you can't get a better lead in

(01:13:37):
right now than the World Baseball Classic if you are
Major League Baseball. So it's a cushy spot for them
to be in, and I hope they've maximize it. I'm
really looking forward to the season.

Speaker 3 (01:13:47):
Can I do a hard pivot and talk NBC sitcoms
for less than thirty seconds?

Speaker 4 (01:13:51):
You know who you're talking to?

Speaker 3 (01:13:53):
So yes, Okay, Vanderbilt basketball, which we'll play for the
SEC title. Okay, yes, you know where I'm going with this. Yes,
Vanderbilt basketball has a player named Chandler bing Yeah on
their team, And I'm sorry every time when I'm just
have a Vanderbilt came out in the background and I'm

(01:14:13):
not thinking about it, and they're like, and Chandler bag
goes in for the dug Every time I laugh, I'm
sorry every single time.

Speaker 4 (01:14:20):
No, it's never not going to be funny, That's what.

Speaker 3 (01:14:23):
Yes, yes, could it be any more funny?

Speaker 4 (01:14:26):
The same thing I was about to say, It's like,
could Vanderbilt be any more impressive? Yeah, Like the jokes
go on and on and on. The parents have to
just I need the story of how Chandler, But I
know it's out there. I would say, why do we
go with Chandler Bang?

Speaker 3 (01:14:40):
They're either totally oblivious or the least oblivious people that
have ever existed. I would lean more towards to here's
the thing. So, okay, we gotta get to Disager. It's
it's twelve forty two. We can maybe discuss Chandler bing
an hour three, But all right, yeah, I mean I
will just say every time they mentioned his name, I laugh.

(01:15:00):
Every single Fox Sports Radio aer toards Jason Martin, broadcasting
live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. We'll come back.
We will get it over to Steve de Sager. Could
he be any more ready for his update? The answer
is no fuck.

Speaker 7 (01:15:15):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 3 (01:15:31):
Welcome back, everybody, Fox Sports Radio er towards Jason Martin.
Make sure to subscribe to the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel.
Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube. You'll see our
best videos from all of our shows. Don't stop there,
Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. Let us
know whose takes you like, whose takes you don't. Just
search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube. Let's get it over

(01:15:54):
to the news desk. Every week around this time, Steve
Desager gives us his extended update to Seger.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
Take it away, Sir Chandler Bing of Vanderbilt is a
freshman for this team. Three points a game this season.

Speaker 3 (01:16:07):
So okay, So he's a freshman. So he's about probably eighteen,
So that means he was born in twenty two thousand
and seven, two thousand and eight.

Speaker 2 (01:16:15):
But it's been in syndication, whether it was on Live
within Live, whether it was on with new episodes within.

Speaker 4 (01:16:21):
But I mean his parents obviously watched it live.

Speaker 5 (01:16:23):
It is so.

Speaker 2 (01:16:24):
When he, an Atlanta native, announced his commit to Vandy
a year ago, he said, I've actually never watched an
episode of the show.

Speaker 3 (01:16:33):
Well, I believe he's never watched what I I find hard.

Speaker 2 (01:16:37):
The parents weren't super fans. They weren't thinking of the character.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
He said.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
He hasn't hasn't had a problem with the jokes. It's
just the jokes kind of right themselves, don't you agree?

Speaker 3 (01:16:48):
Yeah, I made several unfunny ones right before.

Speaker 4 (01:16:50):
So the last name is being and they picked there
not big fans of the show. They weren't thinking of
the character, and they named him.

Speaker 2 (01:16:59):
Chan And apparently he's a distant cousin of Hall of
Famer Dave Bing but has never met him. Oh who knew?

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
Did Chandler have a cousin named Dave on the show?

Speaker 2 (01:17:11):
Yeah? Those lost episodes. We have number one two, not
only remaining number one, but they have the Crown of
ACC title is after edging tenth ranked Virginia in Charlotte
Tonight's seventy four to seventy even though Cameron Boozer was
three of seventeen shooting from the floor. But the ACC
network lets us know that Duke University is the first

(01:17:34):
school in that conference's long history to win a football title,
women's basketball title, and men's basketball title in the same
year in the ACC. Meanwhile, number two Arizona is champion
of the Big Twelve after beating fifth ranked Houston seventy
nine seventy four in Kansas City, where they're actually on
a hardwood.

Speaker 4 (01:17:54):
Court now this weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:17:55):
Imagine for Arizona co Opete and Braden Burry's the first
fresh duo to each score at least twenty points in
the title game of any major conference tournament since the
ACC Final of two thousand, when Duke had Carlos Boozer
and Jason Williams doing so. The late game that's going
on right now is in Vegas, late first half the

(01:18:17):
WHAC Tournament final. Second place col Baptist is leading twenty
two twenty against first place Utah Valley, which barely made
it into this tournament. You might ask, how does a
first place team barely make it into the tournament? You see,
they are leaving this conference this summer, departing for the
Big West home of Hawaii, U see Irvine and others.

(01:18:39):
And there was believe it or not, a court ordered
preliminary injunction saying you need to pay the exit fee
you agreed to or else you are not playing in
the conference tournament this week men or women, and so
as they leave the WHAC conference soon they did this week.

(01:19:01):
Utah Valley did pay the whack one million dollars in
escrow and they have made it into the title game
its late first half.

Speaker 4 (01:19:09):
Tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:19:09):
There was a women's basketball championship game tonight in Conference USA.
Missouri State upset Louisiana Tech and the final score was
forty three to thirty eight. And Louisiana Tech had been
seventeen and one in conference this year, but in the
final shot twenty three percent from the floor and was
held to twelve points in the second half. Meanwhile, a

(01:19:33):
pretty incredible women's basketball team is playing this week, Team
USA at the Feeble World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.
The American women a stock roster put together by Sue
Bird three and zero so far. They won against Italy
today ninety three to fifty nine in the blowout. Page
Beckers with twelve points, Caitlin Clark with twelve points, Chelsea

(01:19:55):
Gray eleven points, eight assists. The American women tomorrow will
be facing New Zealand. As for more of the men's
hoops news, did you see the Michigan game today? Semifinals
of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. Number three Michigan
with a last second three pointer to beat number twenty
three Wisconsin sixty eight sixty five. And then somehow UCLA

(01:20:17):
made it a game without its top two players. Eighteenth
rank Purdue eventually put away Ucla seventy three sixty six.
So Big Ten Final tomorrow and SEC Final tomorrow. In
the SEC semifinals, number twenty two Vanderbilt wipe the floor
with number four Florida ninety one seventy four was the final.
I'm a tempted to say it wasn't that close. And

(01:20:38):
then number seventeen Arkansas in overtime beat Old Miss ninety
three to ninety So we do have a little more
going on tomorrow. Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament this Sunday,
and I'm speaking to the man who will co host
our coverage starting six pm Eastern will be getting the reveal.

Speaker 3 (01:20:56):
Absolutely Dan Byer, who is the lead anchor in that soot,
will be joining us here in about twenty minutes to
preview what to expect on selection Sunday should be a
really fun show with Dan Byer. We'll come back, We'll
reset college hoops. Dan Byer joins us heading into an
awesome day bracket coming out tomorrow air tors Day Smart

(01:21:16):
Fox Sports Radio Welcome in everybody hour three tours of
martin Fox Sports Radio. We are broadcasting live. Yes, we
are live one am Eastern Time from the Fox Sports
Radio studios. Bernie Fratto will follow us in just an
hour from now, and in twenty minutes Dan Byer, who

(01:21:37):
will anchor our Fox Sports Radio NCAA tournament bracket reveal
at six pm Eastern three Pacific on Sunday, we'll join
us to preview the bracket. Should mention. However, you listen
to us, whether it's Foxsports Radio dot Com, whether it's
your local affiliate. You can also listen on the iHeartRadio
app stream us wherever you happen to be. Catch us

(01:21:59):
and all of our Fox Sports Radio shows live twenty
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you have to do is just search Fox Sports Radio
in the app to stream ust live all day, every day,
and be sure to select Fox Sports Radio as one
of your presets in the iHeart app so it always
plays at the top of your screen. Jmart, it is
Selection Sunday on both the East Coast and in the

(01:22:21):
Central time zone where you are located. NCA tournament bracket
will be out at this time tomorrow. Let me just
I'll give you the floor. What is most intriguing to
you about this year's either the selection show, which will
happen at six pm Eastern, or the bracket in general
come Sunday.

Speaker 4 (01:22:44):
I mean the Miami of O highest story we already
talked about earlier. I mean, certainly just enter out. There's
been some debate. I'm hoping that it's just going to
be in and we're just gonna be able to move
on from that. But that'll be a self inflicted wound
if indeed they were to go to the opposite direction there,
I guess. I mean, most of the expected number ones

(01:23:08):
haven't done anything to cost themselves anything there. I don't
know if there's going to be one thing that I'll
say this, who's going to get the toughest road of
the ones? Because oftentimes it's not the team you expect
it to, be sure, so we'll look at the brackets
after the fact obviously and kind of be able to
sort of parse that through. But I do want to

(01:23:29):
see the roads for some of these one seeds and see,
you know where there might be a match up here
and there that could cause them some trouble. But as
I said, now were one I am. I'm feeling good
about the tournament interest level from the public from a
standpoint of not just because it's the tournament, because it's

(01:23:49):
always going to do well, but the fact that we
have seen these expected number ones across the board, all challenged,
one beaten, one with a three to save, you know,
a game against Wisconsin, Duke having an outlast Virginia, and
then Arizona having to do what they did against Houston
to win by five in the Big Twelve Championship. Like,

(01:24:11):
I think that that stacks up well because when you
see those teams on the one line, it's going to
be easy to remember what took place just a handful
of days ago. Whatever your thoughts on the conference tournaments
and its relevance and all all of those kinds of things,
I think that that helps the tournament out. The only
thing I would say is do you think the one

(01:24:32):
lines were affected at all by anything that we have seen.
Do you think Florida does that matter in the grand scheme?
Or do you feel like the one lines were already
largely settled before we even got to this weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:24:44):
So I don't know if they were settled before we
got to the weekend itself. I think that the Florida
was the fourth number one, along with as you referenced, Duke, Michigan,
and Arizona. Yeah, blanket on that for half a second,
and so, so I guess what I would say is
I think they were largely set. I think those other
three outside of Florida. So again, Michigan, Duke, and Arizona,

(01:25:07):
I think they could have literally lost the opening game
and it would not have mattered. Instead, the opposite happened.
Duke wins the ACC tournament, Arizona wins the Big Twelve,
Michigan playing for a Big Twelve title on Sunday. I
do think Florida it would have taken the right circumstances
for them to lose. I think it would have been interesting.
Florida played Kentucky in their opener, they didn't play well.

(01:25:29):
If Yukon had won today, listen, I'm not gonna get
into the math of it. It's kind of boring, but
Yukon did beat Florida head to head during the regular season,
and I think there would have been an argument. I
think the other thing too, is like if Houston had
won the Big Twelve Tournament, they beat Kansas on Friday
night they took care of they would have in theory

(01:25:50):
taking care of Arizona in the Big Twelve Tournament, I
think there could have been an argument for Houston for
the fourth number one seed instead. I do think it
will go to Florida, even though they lost its Even
though they lost, I don't think that either of them
will get jumped.

Speaker 5 (01:26:06):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:26:06):
What is sort of interesting to me is that it
looks like Florida will be that fourth number one seed
in the South. And what I think is worth noting
is that the games will be played in the city
of Houston. But for people don't understand, basically there is
a host team or a host school for every regional

(01:26:28):
right so you know, let's see here, like IU Indy
is the host of the Final four in Indianapolis. So
I bring it up because for the opening round games
and for the regionals, if you are a host school
you cannot play in that regional. Well, Houston is not
the host school, and there is a Houston regional and

(01:26:51):
so it will be interesting because it looks as though
Houston will be the two seed in Florida's region and
in theory they could be playing Sweet sixteen and Elite
eight games in the city of Houston to go to
a Final four. Now, I don't think they are anything
as close to as good as they were a year ago.
I don't know if it'll end up mattering, but that
is one thing that'll be interesting to me with the

(01:27:13):
when the bracket comes out, do they get that? Do
they get that, you know, beneficial regional? And then I'll
just say this too. I think there's some other interesting
things that have kind of emerged over the last couple
of days. And again I am not a bracketologist. There's
just so much math that goes into it now it's
too much for me. But like, and you and I

(01:27:34):
were texting about this team, and with good reason. Saint
John's the what they did to Yukon today, they're trending
to be a five seed. Like I get it, Yes,
like I get it. They didn't have a great out
of conference resume. And let me even say this, this
is very random, but I will say this is that
about seven eight years ago Jmart one of the metrics

(01:27:56):
that did go into seeding and bracketology and where to
teams replacing all that, there was a focus on the
final ten games of the season, and probably within the
last four or five six years, they stopped doing it.
And the insinuation it makes sense is that, hey, a
great win in November or December should not count less

(01:28:18):
than a great win in late February or early March.
So every game is essentially, in theory weighted evenly. But
I bring it up to say I do think there
is something too, and I personally would not have a
problem if the top ten or final ten games of
the season, excuse me, was a metric that was included.
By the way, it's also noteworthy for some of those

(01:28:39):
bubble teams, like in Oklahoma was playing really well down
the stretch. They probably don't have the resume, but if
last ten was included. I just bring it up because
I kind of would like to see that because the
NCAA tournament, Yes, it's a reflection of the season, but
it's also a reflection of who are the best teams
and what are the best matchups right now? You know,

(01:29:01):
on March fourteenth, March fifteenth, And so I just look
at a team like Saint John's being a five seed
and saying, Okay, I guess through the totality of their season.
You know, the computers would say that that's accurate. But man,
oh man, oh man, imagine being the one seed that's
got to play them in the sweet sixteen or something
like that.

Speaker 4 (01:29:17):
You know, yeah, again, like that's that's part of It's
like which one is going to have to deal with that,
because that's a team. That's if you're looking for a
team outside of a top three seed that can make
a run, it's that team. Like they're absolutely built to
cause several big wigs some serious just it's gonna be

(01:29:40):
it's gonna be really, really tough to knock them off.
They played discipline basketball, but I mean they dismantled Yukon.
And you predicted it. You said Ukm's gonna lose by thirty.
You weren't quite right because it was only twenty, but
the point was made. Like, if you had to bet
right right now, who goes further Yukon or Saint John's

(01:30:02):
in the tournament.

Speaker 3 (01:30:03):
So I think the answer of Saint John's, what I
will say is as down as I am on Yukon.
It was funny. We I have a couple of buddies
were kind of in a Yukon group chat and they
had a couple buddies that were at the game, and
then they were down pretty bad. I'm not gonna lie
after that game, and and you know, we kind of
talked it out on my way in. I just called them.
They were kind of back at the hotel whatever, and

(01:30:25):
I only bring it up because they were down in
the dumps, and then we really talked through it. And
I will say what I think is actually very interesting
about this specific college basketball season is that those four
teams on the one line, they are all front court based.
In other words, like the strength of their team is
the front court. And obviously we know the history of

(01:30:47):
college basketball is it's usually guards and the back court,
which is what leads to success last year with Walter
Clayton and Florida, obviously Kemba Walker with Yukon. You know,
you go on throughout the history of this sport, it's
it's great guard play in March and so I bring
that up as it pertains to Yukon because they're good
enough in the front court, but their backcourt hasn't been

(01:31:12):
what Yukon fans thought it would be. But they have
capable players and so this isn't like a Homer thing.
I'm actually more down on them than probably, you know,
you know, the average fan would think. But I do
think because of the specific matchups that they can face.
And it's also worth noting they beat Florida early in
the year. This is Yukon. They you know, they they

(01:31:34):
you know, they lost to Arizona without their starting center
Terris Reid, who's kind of their most consistent player of late.
So I just bring it up because they have shown,
certainly in the last couple of weeks that they can
lose to bad teams. They lost to a below five
hundred Marquette team just the other you know, last Saturday,
on the final day of the regular season. But I

(01:31:55):
don't think there's really like a lot of matchups that
I'm like, oh, they're going to be completely outmanned. And
I do think it's worth noting. I know, Yukon just
beat Saint John's by a million a few weeks ago,
but I do think Saint John's is not only a
bad matchup for them, but I do think it's one
of those They play each other a lot. Saint John's
has confidence against them, and so as bad as it

(01:32:16):
was today, I don't know that I would predict it
without seeing the draw first, but I don't think it's
inconceivable that as bad as it looked for Yukon, that
they could have success when the draw actually comes out.

Speaker 4 (01:32:27):
So we'll talk and we can get Dan Bayer's opinion
on this as well when we bring him in into
the next sigment. But is there anybody and we don't
know what the seedings are obviously right now, but is
there anybody that's sort of off the beaten path that
has your attention in terms of all, right, this is
the kind of team that can beat one of the

(01:32:47):
bigger guys, even though they can maybe they probably can't
win the tournament, But a couple teams that you think
could maybe make a deep run that aren't, you know,
household names to most of the country.

Speaker 3 (01:32:59):
So I'll say this. You know, first of all, it
stinks that Brandan Deutsch just stepped away because he's big
on UCLA now Ucla. Their two best players left the
game today in the Big twelve Big Ten tournament. Excuse me,
I will say it. I'll give Mick Cronin some credit,
you know, since that that very viral rant when they
played Michigan State a few weeks ago. Ucla prior to

(01:33:23):
today had gone six and one, beat Nebraska, beat Illinois
at home, and they're playing really well. I don't know
that I love them, but I could see the scenario
and I'll say this, and actually we could bring in
Brandon for half a second talk Ucla at a second.
I'll say this. A couple actually BYU has the guy
who will probably be the number one pick in the draft,

(01:33:44):
aj De Bonsa. They have a lot of injuries, but
that dude quite literally can go for forty on any night.
I think that is always going to give them a chance.
And then I know it's not really like a surprise
team because they'll probably be a two seed. I think,
guy was it's actually really good and they're one that
it's like they always win a lot of games, but
how good are they really?

Speaker 5 (01:34:04):
Well?

Speaker 3 (01:34:05):
Listen, they they took Arizona right down to the wire
last night. You know, they they had a very successful
regular season, beat Houston in the regular season, split with
Kansas in the regular season, beat Texas Tech in the
conference tournament. So I know, Iowa State to two seed.
I know that's not very sexy, but they're probably one.
Brandon really quick. We were just talking about teams that

(01:34:28):
could make a run that are cut a little bit
off the beaten path. I know you like UCLA and
I mentioned them while you were gone. Do you have
any you have any bold? Ucla takes here, the West
Coast guy here, so.

Speaker 10 (01:34:37):
Well, it depends where they get seeded, right and which
which region.

Speaker 3 (01:34:42):
But if they.

Speaker 10 (01:34:42):
Play and like if they get a favorable region that
includes maybe Arizona, who I think they match up very
well against, or Duke, who obviously their backcourt is depleted,
I think they could pull off an upset. I think
it's gonna be tougher for them. They're gonna be seven seed, right,
so it's gonna be tougher for them to win the
two matchup, right, which would be the round of thirty two.

(01:35:03):
Then it would be the number one team you know
in that I think they could. It depends, like Yukon,
I think they match up well against. It just really depends,
but they're playing better than I think anybody in the
country at full strength, and their point guard doesn't turn
the ball over and that's when Cronin teams are really good.

Speaker 3 (01:35:21):
Fair Enough, Ucla did lose in the semi, said a
really quick Tyler Bilodeoh, who's their best frontcourt player, did
not play today. They said he'd be back to the tournament. Deutsch,
Is there any update on Donovan Nett. There's no like
major issue, right, Yeah, I don't think so.

Speaker 10 (01:35:33):
I read somewhere from one of the Beat reporters that
covers the team that he could have came back in
the game, and that's for caution. They just kind of
held them out and they still almost be Purdue by
the way.

Speaker 3 (01:35:42):
Ye so, and I do think it is worth noting
if you're filling out a bracket tomorrow or you know,
throughout the week monitor injuries. Duke has two players, Caleb
Foster and Patrick Gongba, who set out two starters that
John Shire just said non negotiable. Caleb Foster's probably their
best guard. He probably wouldn't be back until a late
tournament run. But I'd be curious if we get clarification

(01:36:05):
on Patrick Gong Bo's kind of the front court player
alongside Cam Boozer. I was gonna say Carlos Boozer, and
then like I will say, Jaden Bradley, the Big Twelve
player of the Year for Arizona, did go down with
a nasty wrist injury. He came back in I thought
he looked a little timid, so I just think that's
worth noting as well. But yeah, those are some of

(01:36:25):
the teams that I like. Question now, who does Dan
Byer like? Dan Byer will be hosting Fox Sports Radio
when the bracket comes out at six pm Eastern Time
on Sunday, and in just minutes he's gonna join us
to talk a little bit about the show and his
thoughts heading into selection Sunday. Dan Byer joins us.

Speaker 1 (01:36:43):
Next, don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 3 (01:36:51):
Welcome in everybody, Fox Sports Radio Er, Torres, Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live. Yes, we are live here at
one am, he Stern. We're gonna bring in Dan Buyer
here in half a second. But before we do, it's
Bracket Challenge season. Be sure to complete your bracket at

(01:37:12):
Foxsportsradio dot Com beginning on sun Compete against our Fox
Sports Radio host and against fellow listeners to see who
has the best bracket. Visit Foxsportsradio dot com to register
and get rules. Winning bracket in the Fox Sports Radio
Bracket Challenge will win a thousand dollars gift card, and
a perfect brackt will win you a million dollars. You

(01:37:33):
can pre register now and be sure to fill out
your bracket between Sunday night and Thursday morning at Fox
Sports Radio dot com. All presented by Weebel Trading and
Investing built for you, Dan Bayer in just a second,
but I'll tell you what. Sega's got a late night tomorrow,
So let's let's get you out of here a little
bit early to sagre what is trending here At one
twenty five Eastern time.

Speaker 2 (01:37:54):
Dan Byer, no doubt keeping at tabs on the livgolf
tournament that has returned from rain delay, and say, okay,
we got live coverage on FS one going on right now.
They're midway through the final round and Bryson Deshambo is
two shots back of Joaquin Neeman. So there, and yes,
the late college hoops game going on early second half
in Vegas, the WHAC Tournament Championship. It's tied first place

(01:38:17):
Utah Valley against second place cow Baptist tied at thirty three.
Already we had Hawaii win the Big West. Kennesaw State
took Conference USA after going ten and ten in conference
play during the season. Akrons twenty nine and five got
a late three pointer to edge Toledo to win the
MAC Conference. Prairie View A and M, which was seventeen

(01:38:39):
and seventeen this year, won the SWACK Final. Howard takes
the MEAC Final. In fact, this was the call from
the good folks at Howard. We got a hold of
w HBC ninety six point three. Our editors are superb
and there you have it.

Speaker 11 (01:38:54):
You Bison are the MEAC simps.

Speaker 3 (01:38:58):
This is the beat bird. Howard University a vice it Ah.

Speaker 8 (01:39:03):
You're MEAK champions for two thousand and twenty six.

Speaker 2 (01:39:08):
Also, UNBC took America East. Utah State won the Mountain
West number one Duke ACC Champs after edging Virginia seventy
four to seventy. Number two ranked Arizona beat Houston seventy
nine seventy four to win the Big twelve. The Big
East winner in New York City was Saint John's over
Yukon seventy two to fifty two big upset at the

(01:39:28):
World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Japan, which had been four to
zero in this tournament, which was defending champion of the Attorney,
lost eight five to Venezuela. Even though the starting pitcher
for Venezuela, Ranger Suarez, who has a big new contract
to move from the Phillies to the Red Sox this year,
he was out in the third inning down five to two,

(01:39:48):
and the starter for Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the Dodgers,
went four innings five strikeouts, but his bullpen right after
him allowed five runs in the next two innings, So
going to a Monday Nights semifinal Venezuela and the Red
Sox will you or bray you who had a three
run homer in the sixth to night Ronald Acunya with
a leadoff homer in this game, Shoeotani made the final out.

(01:40:10):
He had hit a leadoff homer bottom of the first Tonight.
Cubs outfielder Sea Suzuki limped off early in this game
after a knee injury as he was caught stealing. His
replacement did hit a three run homer in the third.
Some of the Venezuelan players said it sounded like we
were in Venezuela. It was loud thirty five thousand fans
in Miami, Italy. Meanwhile, the next opponent five and oh

(01:40:32):
after eliminating Puerto Rico eight six today was eight two
in the fourth inning the loss to starter Seth Lugo.
Don't forget FS one has USA and Dominican Republic. The
amount of talent that is going to be on that
field Sunday night for a semifinal is immense, starting with
the US starting pitcher Paul Skeins tomorrow. Miami's hosting the
semis on FS one Sunday and Monday nights, and it

(01:40:55):
is hosting the Tuesday night final. The final will be
on Fox TV. By the Way, Way, Angel shortstop Zach
Netto at twenty six homers last year, injured his hand
on a slide at spring training NBA SUPERB game in
La Is. The Lakers in overtime beat Denver Luka. Donzich says,
best atmosphere since he became a Laker. Game winner for
him thirty points. Orlando won at seventh straight, edging Miami,

(01:41:18):
which had won seven in a row. Atlanta won its
ninth in a row, dominating Milwaukee. NHL Dallas in overtime
beat Detroit three to two. Ludwig Oberg leads the players
by three strokes. The New York Giants side wide receiver
Darnell Mooney. NASCAR poll for Las Vegas tomorrow went to
Christopher Bell.

Speaker 3 (01:41:35):
Back to you, thank you very much, Steve Sag to Saga,
We'll see you tomorrow. What I'm on with Dan Bayer
Fox Sports Radio error towards Jason Martin. We are here
till two am Eastern, but starting at five pm Eastern,
Dan Byer will take his seat and in the Walter
Cronkite role for all of America, he will reveal the

(01:41:58):
bracket to America at six pm Eastern. I'll be co pilot,
Dan Byer. I know you're up late, are you, Scott?

Speaker 11 (01:42:07):
You know?

Speaker 3 (01:42:07):
Are you scrubbing team sheets and looking at net rankings
and quick? How many quad one wins does Houston have?

Speaker 11 (01:42:14):
Go I'm too locked into whack Vegas right now to
see two teams playing for the championship as they both
leave this conference in the dust for the Big West
next year. In Utah Valley, and cal Baptist, And of
course the story leading into the Whack Tournament was was
Utah Valley even going to be able to play because
they didn't pay their million dollars that needed to be

(01:42:36):
an escrow because they were leaving the league. But this
is the drama that we now get in March of
twenty twenty six.

Speaker 3 (01:42:43):
Really quick, before we get to bracket stuff, tell us
because I've had the privilege of working with you here
for a few years on Selection Sunday, and I am
always in awe. I mean the sincerely of the amount
of prep work that you put in, the amount that
you know about all these teams in real time as
there it comes out. I like to joke, I just
get to jump in and throw out a take, and

(01:43:03):
then when the bracket's done, you and I kind of
break it down how much prep work goes in because
for people who haven't listened, one, you need to listen
at six pm Eastern Dan and I will be on
at five. But also just the amount of work that
you put in. Man, I'm so appreciative of it because
it's I think it's a really good product that Fox
Sports Radio puts on air.

Speaker 11 (01:43:22):
Well, I appreciate that, and I feel that we both
are passionate about college basketball, and unfortunately, in the mainstream
of what we get in sports right now, I think
college basketball falls to the wayside. We talk so much
NFL and what a great week it was for NFL
free agency, But it's the greatest week in sports to
me because of what we have this week in championship

(01:43:45):
week and then with the brackets coming out tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (01:43:48):
So there is a lot of work.

Speaker 11 (01:43:49):
But there's a lot of work that happens throughout this
season as well when the season tips off in early November,
because there are great games to watch, and there are
games that you watch and you can mark and say,
all right, well that game could be interesting down the
line when it comes to seeding and.

Speaker 5 (01:44:04):
How the brackets play out.

Speaker 11 (01:44:06):
So it is I wouldn't say that I planned four
months for the show, but throughout the week you kind
of start to settle down and settle things in and
how the bracket's going to go. And the great thing
about I think what we do tomorrow is mean CBS
does a great job in unveiling the bracket, and they
always do, except the one year when they did it alphabetically.
And it was just a complete mess. But there is

(01:44:28):
so much drama to it. But there's drama at the
top and there's drama at the bottom. And I think
that's what I follow really over these last couple of
days of.

Speaker 5 (01:44:37):
Who can I mean, we're not talking just last four in.

Speaker 11 (01:44:41):
We're talking last four in, first four out, next four out,
and then there's another four it's usually those twelve or
sixteen teams that are hovering around that cut line that
you're trying to follow this week. So when we talk
about following and prepping for the show, we kind of.

Speaker 5 (01:44:55):
Know what's going to happen at the top.

Speaker 11 (01:44:57):
And I think that there are some other teams that
had performance in that could make us scratch our head
and say, could they jump a couple of seed lines?
But it's also really just who's going to be, you know,
team number sixty seven and who's going to be team
number sixty eight. That's where a lot of my focus
goes in this final week of the year.

Speaker 4 (01:45:12):
All Right, damn Miami of Ohio. Are we going to
have any kind of story there or are they going
to get in and we're not going to have much
of an issue?

Speaker 11 (01:45:21):
Yeah, I think that they're I think that they're in.
And one of the things that I do do, which
is great. I don't know if you guys remember when
bracketology actually came out, but I swear it was about
thirty years ago when Joe Grenardy started doing this stuff.
And now there are so many bracketologists that you can
look at that go over the data and can go

(01:45:42):
over the points and guys, I sat here and I
looked at about twelve different brackets, probably within the last
two hours or so. None of them had Miami of
Ohio out. I would say at least three of them
had Miami of Ohio in final in their last or
and the others have them comfortably in. So that's a

(01:46:04):
bit surprising to me because I actually think the story
with Miami of Ohio is putting them in Dayton on
Tuesday or Wednesday. I think it would be a great
move for TV ratings. I think it would be the
school that we would all want to see, and it
would allow them that opportunity to play, which I think
has been a bit of a call on social media
as well, like all right, Miami of Ohio, if you

(01:46:26):
want to prove it, here's your opportunity. To do so,
and I think it would be great for the tournament.
I think on Tuesday night and Dayton or Wednesday night
and Dayton, if Miami of Ohio is playing in one
of those games, I think it's great for the tournament
and whether they deserve to be in that final four. Jason, again,
a lot of brackets have them further in the bracket

(01:46:47):
than people would believe. But I just think that Miami
of Ohio should for the good of the tournament, because
I think that's all what we would want to see.
We would want to see Miami of Ohio against Texas
or Miami of Ohio against Auburn if it came down
to that. Part of it is a TV show as well,
But if you're gonna put them in the tournament, I
think they have to play in Dayton Tuesday Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (01:47:07):
Dan Bayer joining us this evening. Dan Byer of course,
hosts the normal Sunday show five to eight Eastern, two
to five Pacific. The bracket will come out on Sunday
and myself, Erin Torris will be joining them. Erin tors
Jason Martin here at one thirty four Eastern time. Let
me ask you this, Dan, you and I've been doing
this for a while. I don't know if this topic

(01:47:27):
has ever come up, but you know, you mentioned it
being a made for TV thing. This year it's Miami
of Ohio one way or another will be the story.
Last year it was North Carolina getting in as the
last team, and everybody seemed to think that it was
a byproduct of their their ad Bubba Cunningham being the
committee chair, do you believe, just your personal opinion, do

(01:47:49):
you believe that there are certain either brackets made with
TV in mind that maybe aren't the most balanced. Do
you believe that there are certain teams that are only
let in for the talking point of it, Because I
guess Miami able hire one way or the other will
be the talking point come six, you know, twenty five

(01:48:09):
Eastern time tomorrow. But I'll be honest, I am the
conspiracy theorist that thinks stuff gets made for us to
talk about and specifically for TV.

Speaker 11 (01:48:18):
Yeah, I think that I think the committee has shown
throughout the years. I mean, just don't know how brackets
are set up. We've talked about the point. I think
they moved a little bit away from it, but I've
always felt that there was a there was a money
Sweet sixteen where one region is usually.

Speaker 5 (01:48:33):
Loaded up with blue bloods if you will.

Speaker 11 (01:48:36):
Now they may not be the traditional blue bloods of
a Kentucky and Kansas in Duke and North Carolina, if
you will, but we're talking about name brand schools, and
I feel that the tournament sets up a region like that.
So in the second weekend you have a marquee region,
and it was usually the one jim Nantz was gonna
be calling. In a lot of times that was Duke,

(01:48:57):
but sometimes it was North Carolina and Aaron's. Sometimes even
maybe Yukon was was a team that had to deal
with some of that.

Speaker 3 (01:49:04):
But real quick, if you remember last year we had
Arkansas Kansas and then Arkansas Saint John's in back to
back games. Just down on mine afterward, you and that
was gonna be.

Speaker 5 (01:49:13):
My next point is there's always first round matchups.

Speaker 11 (01:49:16):
Remember in just even looking and I've got last year's
bracket sitting in front of me as well. When we're
looking at you know how things are set up or like, oh,
this could be this could be a juicy matchup here,
And you're right, that was bottom left hand corner. In
the West region, they have those matchups set up, so
it's always been a made for TV event in that regard.

(01:49:38):
They try to get great matchups in a one to eight,
one to nine possible matchup, right we some of the
one seeds probably don't feel necessary as as lucky or
fortunate because of who they could possibly play. So that
has always been to me a part of it. And
even if you set it up with the one, you know, one, two, three,
and four with popular teams or name brand teams, you're

(01:50:00):
going to get two or three of those schools through
to the sweet sixteen, so that kind of helps your weekend.
I know a couple of years ago when we had
the Faus and the San Diego States and Yukon was
what they were four seed that year and ended up
cutting down the nets where it wasn't all named brands.
But that's chaos, and so I think the when they
set up the bracket there is TV in mind, not

(01:50:21):
only in the first and second rounds, but also in
the sweet sixteen.

Speaker 4 (01:50:24):
Dan, which of the ones are the prospective ones do
you like the best? I think both of us kind
of said earlier we were pretty big fans of Arizona.
That's that's kind of where I land right now, I
will know how open the tournament is. But in terms
of just the most complete teams that I've watched throughout
the course of the season, Arizona is the one that

(01:50:45):
seems to stand out to me.

Speaker 11 (01:50:47):
Yeah, I agree. If it's not this year, when is
it going to be? Right are you guys talking about
Duke's injuries earlier? You know, for as dominant as Michigan was,
it hasn't been an easy couple of days for Michigan
in this this NCAA tournament. And Michigan can be dominant,
but they don't necessarily shoot the three that great that well,

(01:51:07):
and so at some point maybe that could come back
to buying them. But I do think that it's there
for Arizona, and this is you know, just like you
guys said, this is also on the heels of an
Arizona team that you know, was taken to the wire
by Arizona by Iowa State last night and Houston almost
came back and gave them a push on Saturday. But
I think, if not now, when is it going to

(01:51:28):
be for Arizona.

Speaker 5 (01:51:30):
So if you're gonna go number.

Speaker 11 (01:51:32):
One seeds, I just think I think they have the
least amount of questions. Plus you also look at their travel.
Nothing out of the ordinary for them, at least to
the Final four. They could go to San Diego, the
regionals in San Jose. That's not awful for them, So
they should have significant home court advantages in those scenarios.

(01:51:53):
So yeah, I think it's I think it's right there
for Arizona.

Speaker 3 (01:51:56):
I tell my buddy who covers Arizona member. Of course,
they won the Final four in ninety seven in Indianapolis,
and everyone knows the twenty nine year anniversary is the
most important one in all walks of life. So I
mean it's only natural that this is the year they
get back and potentially cut down the nets. Dan, we
got about a minute left and then we're gonna have
to let you get out of here. Dan Bayer, of course,
will anchor the selection show. Show starts at five Eastern

(01:52:20):
bracket revealed at six. My question for you is, over
the next eighteen hours, as we get this bracket out,
who is the single most intriguing team to you?

Speaker 11 (01:52:29):
Yeah, I think there's a couple of things still at play,
even though we've got just five games left. The Big
Ten title game in the SEC title game are the
real headline Steelers. The intriguing one to me is VCU,
and we're at the fifteen year anniversary of their final
four run.

Speaker 5 (01:52:48):
When you look at what VCU has at stake, They've.

Speaker 11 (01:52:50):
Got a championship game tomorrow against Dayton in the A ten.

Speaker 5 (01:52:55):
If Dayton wins that game, it may.

Speaker 11 (01:52:59):
Knock VCU out in terms of an at large bid.

Speaker 5 (01:53:03):
So that's the intriguing portion of this.

Speaker 11 (01:53:07):
VCU really would have benefited if Saint Louis could have
won that game today where they were seconds away from
doing so, or less than a second away from doing so.

Speaker 5 (01:53:17):
If you lose this not a big deal.

Speaker 11 (01:53:19):
Billikins are already in the tournament and VCU can get
an at large bid. But to think that three teams
from that league could get in if Dayton ends up
getting in, I think is something worth watching. And we're
going to know the result, Aaron, So if Dayton ends
up winning, But you know, when our show starts at
two o'clock, it's going to be a part of what
we're going to be talking about in the first sixty
minutes because VCU has an opportunity to play themselves into

(01:53:43):
the field. But they could also with the loss be
the ones to knock themselves out of the field because
of that bid stealing possibly coming from the Dayton Flyers.

Speaker 3 (01:53:52):
Sunday afternoon, we have the IVY Championship, SEC Championship, the
A Ten as Dan just referenced, the American and it
will all conclude Purdue Michigan Big Ten Championship leading into
the bracket reveal six pm Eastern. Dan Byer will be
on at five pm Eastern along with your myself erin Torres,

(01:54:13):
and we'll be taking up until eight Eastern time. Full
bracket reaction. Dan, We appreciate the time. Like I said,
I know you got to get back to to you know,
produce team sheet right now. And remember December twenty first,
that was when they had that big win that we'll
be discussing, So make sure but also get some rest.
We appreciate your time and I'll be talking to you tomorrow.

(01:54:35):
Can't wait to do it again and can't wait to
have a bracket in our hands.

Speaker 11 (01:54:37):
Can't wait to cap off the greatest weekend sports on
the calendar. There is no argument. Thanks guys, appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:54:43):
That is Dan Byer. You will hear him five pm
Eastern time. Bracket reveal at six right here on Fox
Sports Radio iHeartRadio app. Wherever you get your Fox Sports
Radio content, We'll come back wrap the show. Erintorus Jason
Martin taking you up till two am Eastern Fox bar.

Speaker 7 (01:55:00):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 3 (01:55:15):
Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio. Eric Torris, Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Yes,
we are live one forty eight Eastern Time, twelve minutes
from now. Bernie Fredo of The Bernie Fredo Show cannot
wait to hear what he has to say about the
world of sports. Obviously, Selections Sunday. Selection Sunday is coming

(01:55:41):
up on the East and Central time zones. It is
Selection Sunday. You will have a bracket in your hands
at six Eastern Time, and one last time, I'll give
you the details. It's Bracket Challenge Season. Fill out your
turny bracket at Foxsports Radio dot Com beginning Sunday night,
that is yes tonight on the Eastern and Central time zones.
Compete against our Fox Sports Radio hosting against fellow listeners.

(01:56:02):
To see who has the best bracket. Visit Fox Sports
Radio dot com to register and get rules. The winning
bracket in the Fox Sports Radio Bracket Challenge will win
a thousand dollars gift card. A perfect bracket will win
you a million dollars. You can preregister now and be
sure to fill out your bracket between Sunday night and
Thursday morning at Fox Sports Radio dot com. It's all

(01:56:23):
presented by Weebel Trading and Investing, Built for you, Jamar.
We got one segment left. I think we pretty much
covered everything. I mean, there was definitely some noteworthy NFL.

Speaker 4 (01:56:35):
News from the week.

Speaker 3 (01:56:37):
Kyler Murray Minnesota Viking. Are they taking down the Packers,
the Lions, and the Bears in that division this year?

Speaker 5 (01:56:44):
With Kyler?

Speaker 4 (01:56:45):
Or what I mean? I'm hearing a lot of like, man,
Kyler's is going to be great. He's going to be
the next this, He's going to be the next that.
What's changed exactly?

Speaker 3 (01:56:55):
Like uniforms, that's it.

Speaker 4 (01:56:57):
I mean, yeah, he's got talent, but he's still got
this same issues he's had before. He's not particularly durable.
We there have been questions at times about his dedication.
I'm not saying that he wouldn't come in trying right
now to you know, show something otherwise. But I look
at the other side of that division and the rest

(01:57:18):
of that division. It's just like, Kyler's your answer that
that's going to be the way that you're going to
do it. The guy that lost his job did. Jacoby
Bursett is the one that we're talking about now. I
understand you're going to be able to get him for
pretty low money, but like and Kevin O'Connell's, I mean,
he's obviously a really talented head coach and they have

(01:57:38):
a lot of weapons there. But I mean, just call
me skeptical.

Speaker 5 (01:57:44):
How about that?

Speaker 4 (01:57:45):
Like, I just not rooting against it. There were some
good things. It did seem like Kyler was trying a
lot harder after the call of duty days and all
that kind of stuff. But it just I don't, I don't.
I don't see why we're over reacting all of a sudden.
It's like, yes, he's available, but does that does that

(01:58:09):
make sense? It doesn't seem like it does right.

Speaker 3 (01:58:12):
Doesn't move the needle for me, man. I mean, listen,
and I know you feel the same way, because we've
talked about this, gentleman. I think it obviously at this point,
probably says as much about JJ McCarthy as it does
about Kyler Murray. That is obvious. It has been obvious
since the season ended. That Kevin O'Connell, you know, he
said it publicly. Hey, everybody has to compete for their spot,

(01:58:35):
even the quarterback, and they had said they were going
to bring in a veteran quarterback. But to answer your question, no,
I don't think it moves the needle. And let me
also add this, when you think of NFC North cold,
mostly outdoors, physical, Dan Campbell, I don't know that Kyler Murray, you.

Speaker 4 (01:58:54):
Know, fits the mold.

Speaker 3 (01:58:57):
Yeah, I don't. I don't know anybout it this way. I
don't think he's walking into lambeau Field week eighteen, negative
twenty degrees, with the season on the line and just
marching the Vikings up and down the field. That's I
guess what I would say about that. Not rooting against him.
I think it's largely over. I said it last week.
It would not shock me if at this time next week,

(01:59:18):
next year, excuse me, he is in a spring training
for the Oakland A's or the Sacramento A's or the
Vegas A's or whatever we're calling him now, doesn't really
do much for me. Really quickly Tua to the Atlanta Falcons.
Obviously Michael Pennix is there. We only got about two
minutes left. J Mart, what'd you make of that move?

Speaker 4 (01:59:37):
Well, I mean, Stefanski knows what it's like not to
have a quarterback depended on it's so, I mean, that's
kind of what it feels like to me. When I
saw it was just like man out of the frying pan,
but not out of the fire, right Like, I mean,
for sure, this is the same kind of thing that
we have already seen repeatedly for Kevin. Stefanski goes in.

(01:59:57):
It's like, we don't know what Pennix is, but we're
you know, we kind of think we might. And it's
not anything spectacular. And of course Miami fans have been
waiting to get rid of tour for a couple of
years now. We're talking durability yet again, and consistency yet again.
The weapons that he had in Miami, he couldn't get
them anywhere. So I understand the Drake London's a really

(02:00:20):
good player. Kyle Pits is a nice tight end obviously,
but John Robinson's a pretty talented guy. But I don't know, man,
it just seems like these these are situations where maybe
there wasn't a better option. But I don't see either
one of them knocking down the door of the super
Bowl this year.

Speaker 3 (02:00:38):
I yeah, I think it's fair to say that I
feel much the same Atlanta Falcons with Tua and Michael
Pennix and Minnesota Vikings Kyler and Kyler and JJ McCarthy. Oh,
by the way, Max Crosby, I guess.

Speaker 5 (02:00:53):
He's a raider. Is he a raider?

Speaker 3 (02:00:54):
I don't know, he's not a raven. I know that.
I'll tell you what, Jabart, we gotta get out of here.

Speaker 5 (02:00:58):
Well.

Speaker 3 (02:00:59):
I thank the crew, Mary mack on the board, producer
brand and Steve de Sager for my partner Jason Martin,
Thank everybody for listening. Thank you to Dan Byer, who
just joined us moments ago. If you missed any of
today's show, make sure to download the podcast will be
available shortly after we get off air wherever you get podcasts.
And we covered a lot. We covered a lot of
college basketball, bam Adebayo and more, Coming up next, Bertie Fratto.

(02:01:22):
Stay tuned.

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