March 18, 2025 • 46 mins
On a Tuesday edition of The Best Of The Doug Gottlieb Show: Doug and Dan Beyer discuss whether or not the First Four should be considered a part of the NCAA Tournament.
Former UNC Tar Heel and NBA champion Brandon Haywood joins the show to talk about UNC's chances in the play-in game, the Denver region and other major headlines around the NCAA Tournament.
Doug welcomes Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl onto the show to talk about his top-ranked Tigers in the NCAA Tournament and the connection that Doug and Coach Pearl has going back many years.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at
Box sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR Booming Up America.
Doug Gottlieb Show Fie Sports Radio coming to you from
(00:25):
the tyrack dot Com studios. Tyrack dot com. Well we
get there, unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road has
protection over ten thousand recommended installars tyrec dot com. It's
the way tire buying should be. Hey, welcome in, we
are we are joining you on. It's really weird, right
does the nc It's always been this whole thing, like
(00:46):
does the ncaa term and start? Now? Does it not start?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Now?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
How do we look at it? What does it look?
You know? Is this the And the only thing I
can tell you is if you you know, if you
go buy our our bracket challenge, you know, if you
go buy our bracket challenge, then no, it doesn't start tonight,
right because our bracket challenge, Well, you can you have
(01:13):
till Thursday to get the bracket in. Like basketball, Tractor
Supply knows that a winning season takes practice, team working,
it can do attitude. It's Bracket Challenge season, and Fox
Sports Radio is Bracket Challenge is live, so be sure
to complete your bracket at Fox Sports Treda dot com
right now. The winning bracket in the Fox Sports Radio
(01:33):
Bracket Challenge will win twenty five hundred do gift card
to Tract to Supply, and a perfect bracket will win
you a million dollars. So fill out your bracket now
until Thursday morning before the games begin. Visit Foxsportsradio dot
com to register, to get rules and to fill out
your bracket. It's all sponsored by Tractor Supply for life
out here. So are you guys okay with saying that
(01:55):
the NCAA Tournament doesn't begin today like these are the
play games in order to be in the unca tournament
to win today? By are you okay with that?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I mean, I don't sure, I'm fine with it.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I what's your hesitation?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
No, I just I feel like it's obviously we all
enjoy Thursday. I just I'm one for I don't think
seventy six is as bad as people think it is.
Once we went to sixty four, or from sixty four
to sixty five and then to sixty eight, it felt
like the cat was out of the bag. And my
(02:34):
point is is, I woke up this morning and I'm like, Okay,
what about if there was a game going on right
now for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and
I wouldn't hate it that much. Granted, if it was
Alabama State in Saint Francis, maybe I'm not as locked
into that. But if coming up in two hours, Doug,
we had San Diego State in North Carolina, and then
(02:54):
tonight we had Texas and Xavier. At tomorrow we had
more of the same, I'm totally fine with that, which
then I think would add value to the NCAA tournament.
So while we may not like this opening round game,
and I know you love Dayton, you love that arena,
and by all accounts they do a great job of it,
I feel a little bad that they kind of get
tossed to the side when I actually think that if
(03:17):
you do expand this tournament, it could add some value.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So okay, so can I meet you halfway on something?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Sure? Huh?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, I think I'm actually okay with expansion from this standpoint. Okay,
I think you take we knew obviously pretty early on,
and we actually practiced at ud Arena when we were
playing I don't think we're playing Wright State. I think
it was when we played oh when we've played Ohio State.
(03:43):
We had a couple of days in between games and
we called the guys Dayton. They're like, sure, use the
gym use whatever you want. They were awesome. So so
we're practicing there and I told you guys, like, look,
here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna win the horizon
the tournament. We're gonna play here in the first four,
and then we're gonna go play Duke. I got literally like,
this is what it looked like because I knew what
(04:04):
our numbers look like at a conference. And the more
I thought about it, the more I thought, Okay, if
we're gonna do it, let's do it the right way.
Here's the right way. Okay. The teams that win their
conference tournament get to be in the field of sixty four,
including the swack champion, including you know all of these
(04:28):
all of these sixteen seats, right will they'll be the
sixteens and the fifteens whatever. And then what you make
those extra games for are all play in games, all
of them playing games. So are they the NCAA tournament
if you want to call it the NCAA tournament, great,
sure they are. But the reality to it is that
(04:48):
I would love that too. And I like Carolina versus
San Diego State, right, two teams who are in the
final four. But truthfully, you have the super elite high
major against I mean, let's not call San Diego State
a mid major anymore, but they're somewhere in that lower
level high major sort of program that's been amazing for
the last twenty five years. Like you see your Vine
(05:13):
playing today, why not you see your Vine against Indiana? Sure,
I have those. I would love them to be all,
especially now that we have a Power four, and then
maybe you throw in the Big East into the power force.
You have the Power five against everybody else, and those
all of these ancillary games be not be what's called
(05:36):
AQS automatic qualifiers, and that I'd be okay with. I
don't think it's that big a thing because you're not
really in the NCATE tournament, and I think the big
thing is that we need to we should one protect
that you win your conference or conference tournament, however you
want to select that you do it. You get one
team automatically in I think that's great. And then the
(05:58):
other part too, it is and by the way, you're
kind of given like if Alabama State is playing Duke,
you're kind of giving Duke almost a double buy because
they don't play right. And then the last part is
you answer the questions that we have all season long.
And look, there's three hundred and sixty four teams, so
(06:21):
the idea that we don't have to expand I still
think it keeps the bracket hole. You just have more
teams playing in for your playing If you win, you
become a twelve seed or a thirteen seed, I don't
know what the numbers look like. And you do that
across the board, you win, you become an eleven seed,
and I think it makes for a more competitive field
(06:41):
and it still values the regular season it and as
long as you secure some of those those play in
spots for some of the mid majors. Again, I'd just
like to use the UC your vine because I know
their team and I think they're very, very good and
worthy of be in this field that I would be
all for.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
And I think that it's important for people that don't remember,
or people that have maybe not been familiar, just didn't know.
People have forgotten. The reason the tournament expanded in the
first place was because the WHACK split up into the
Mountain West. The WHACK was a sixteen school league. However,
(07:22):
they did not want they did not want to lose
in at large bid for one of the schools, right Doug.
So you had an automatic bid go to the WHAC.
And now this new conference that formed from the WHAC
called the Mountain West that we all know and love now,
that also got an automatic bid. But they weren't willing
with the new conference to take away an at large
(07:43):
bid to a school, so they said, well, let's make
it sixty five and then they put it on the
worst teams in the bracket to go and play a
first four game, the two sixteen seeds that we had,
and then that was their way of figuring out. Then
when they saw how that worked, well, gosh, we could
have another one, and then we could have another sort
of opening round game if we did it at the
(08:05):
eleven or twelve seed line. But it really started because
they were not willing to give up the at large
spot for the sake of an automatic bid from a
new conference.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Okay, so how many more games would this create if
we went from sixty eight to what was.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
It, seventy six? Yeah, I would create four more.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Okay. So here's always been my idea. I've been dy
Arena is amazing, cool area, also centrally located. You know,
not only do you have Dayton to fly right out
of after the game. It does and they fill it
up and with Xavier playing there, it's going to be
kind of awesome. But I think what you do is
you rotate the historic venues for the other ones. You know,
(08:47):
like what makes college basketball cool is yes, home court advantage.
We talked about that earlier this week. But also you
know the Palaestra in Philly, Hinkle, which got a chance
to host tournament tournament games in the co bid year.
Fog Allen used to host tournament games a long time ago,
right like you, every year you rotate you wanted to
(09:07):
date and every year, fine, Daton's one and then the
other site is pick historic venue and move it around
the country. And I thought that I think that'd be
really cool, especially if you have it high major versus
mid major, and you have some of these historic teams
like in North Carolina coming into town.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, I think that when they are discussing this, they're
kind of meeting you halfway in terms of, yeah, you're
gonna need another site to do it, because you'd have
four games in one place and then four games maybe
in another. But I also think that they want to
have the ability to put teams closer to a western region,
so and it would allow your TV window to be
(09:46):
a little bit bigger if you wanted to go on
a West coast sort of thing where you could have
a later night game. I think that's also what they're
looking at. Yep, So I think you'd probably see something
west of the Mississippi with that. The funny thing is,
Doug is with the bubble this year and outside of
Green Bay, the team that I watched the most of
the season was Ohio State, and they aren't a tournament team.
(10:09):
I know, you played them the way that they played
at the end of the year, like they just completely
I don't know, it's just a mess. They're seventeen and fifteen,
but they're on the bubble in fact there were so
much on the bubble they were the third team out
according to the selection committee. So then that is the
question is do you want to see a team like that,
like when we're expanding that way? And I guess my
(10:31):
argument is it's not to allow that team the opportunity
to get into the tournament when maybe they don't deserve it.
And it could be Ohio State, it could be Indiana,
it could be West Virginia, whatever team you want to
put in. It's just the fact of I would like
to just see those teams play with something on the line.
It's why I watch the conference championship games. So in
(10:51):
terms of like watching those games, I get why people
who are against expansion would point to the bubble this
year because I don't even know if you get the
seventy two teams that you say it should get in there.
But you put something on the line, you put something
meaningful in it, I'm going to be interested in it.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, I'm I'm totally okay with that. And and oh yeah,
by the way, one of the things that we're learning
and we kind of talked about it yesterday. I know
it's on Fox. I know the brands that are in it.
You know, with this new Crown tournament, that thing's going
to be a mess because half the teams aren't gonna
have most of their guys playing because they're they're literally
in the transfer portal. And some of the other teams
(11:26):
have coaches that have been fired. Right, So whereas everybody
plays in the NCAA tournament, I I actually have evolved
on it, and I've never been expansionist. I still think
because the value to the tournament is in that bracket.
I still think you keep the bracket hole. You just
have to play. You got to win a game to
earn the right to be in the tournament. And I think,
(11:47):
you know, like you said, it would put a tremendous
amount of pressure on the teams, on the players and
the coaches. I think be a good watch. And I
do think that the multiple sites and like why not, yeah, like,
oh literally, why not.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I'm also going to take this opportunity to pat myself
on the back and and not saying on the Doug
Gottlieb Show because I said it ten years ago before
you came the Fox Sports Radio Doug, but because of
this expansion of the bracket, I thought that a sixteen
seed would beat a one seed, and the reason being,
and I'm not saying that this happened, I.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
The opposite, by the way, just so you know I
was I've been wrong.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The reason I thought was because of how it expanded,
where now we essentially have six sixteen seeds, so really
two of those were fifteen seeds. If for how the
bracket expanded, all of those schools were always in the tournament.
So we just assigned the two worst fifteen seeds and
we put them as sixteen seeds. Now, I don't know
(12:40):
if UMBC was would have been one of the two
fifteen seeds. FDU played in the first four two years
ago and then they went beat Purdue. That actually may
have helped them in that game against the boiler Makers.
But it's just the point of when you're putting those
first four sixteen seeds, it actually means that the other
two sixteen seeds that are in bracket actually probably our
(13:01):
fifteen seeds and maybe a little bit better than people think.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Well, I will say this, okay, and I mean this
in all sincerity, and you know, because you've watched our
teams play, like by the end of the season, had
we had Yonatan Levy. Levy, who's our starting center, who
joined us midseason, wasn't healthy most of the run, and
Anthony Roy broke his ankle off for leading the country
and scoring. Have we had both of them? And we
(13:25):
played and won the Horizon League Tournament and not you know,
And and then played like I don't think we could
beat Duke. They just we we do not have that,
you know. But I thought, I thought the opposite again.
I thought all of my thoughts were the opposite of it.
And I thought because Division one basketball had expanded so
(13:46):
much that this instead of playing the two hundredth best
team or two hundred and fortieth best team, now you're
playing like the three three hundredth best team. I thought
that was too big a hill to climb. What I've
come to learn and I actually use Wichita State's Final
four team as the great launching point, which is that
(14:09):
team wasn't healthy all season long until they won the
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. They beat Gonzaga in the second game,
who was a number one seed, and Gonzagat nearly lost
to Southern in the first game, and similarly to Virginia,
Gary Bell was the starting guard for Kevin Pangos is
(14:32):
their best player. Their two guard was Gary Bell. Gary
Bell got hurt in that game against Wichita, so two
things happened at once. Wichita got healthy and Gonzaga had
a big injury. And then Wichita made I think thirteen
threes in that game, and I want to say the
most they had made all year long was nine in
a game. And so the point is that between the
(14:54):
three point shot between an injury here or there and
an addition here or there, and now you factor in
that schools at our level, we can get junior college
players or guys that played Naia and they have an
extra year of eligibility, so you can. We didn't, but
well we'd like to in the future have twenty four
(15:15):
to twenty five year old guys playing against you know,
teenagers who play for some of these elite teams. It does,
in fact give you a chance. And then we've seen
it play out as such with you, you know UMBC.
I mean that that deal was they lost DeAndre Hunter, sure,
and and you know FDU had had old at older players,
(15:40):
older players, and they pulled off a magnificent upset. So
now it does it does get me to what I
wanted to get to in this opening part of the show,
It's Doug Gottlieb Show. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio
and also available on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
This is the best of the Done Dot Leap Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's the Doug Gottlieb Show. You're on Fox Sports Radio
and as the first four tips off tonight, we have
the NCAA Tournament tipping off on Thursday, and a guy
who this is what happens when it's yours school. Like
I remember when Oklahoma State was the last team out,
and I, you know, like I had I haven't played
at Oklahoma States in two thousand. Like suddenly I became
the guy that everybody wanted to talk to you about
(16:25):
Oklahoma States trials and tribulations. Brendan Haywood's a great player
at North Carolina. Okay, it's been a minute since he
was at North Carolina, but you know, like you've got
to answer all questions about the heels. He joins us
in Denver where he's he's working for CBS and Turner
covering the NCAA Tournament as he has. He joins us
(16:46):
on the Doug Gotlieb Show here on Fox Sports radio, Brendie,
give me, give me your give me your thoughts when
you saw North Carolina in the field. What was your
honest reaction, man, my career.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Answer, because I honestly, I don't think we're gonna get in.
I heard all the talk last four hours, not enough
quad one wins. I watched a lot of the games
that we lost, and some of them were tough losses.
So I was I was worried. I was very worried.
And in the fact that it was like the first bracket,
Dr Konda popped up like right away, I was just
(17:19):
I was just relieved. I was relieved for myself. I
was relieved for the fan base, and I was relieved
for the coaching staff and the kids.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
You and I both have a great affinity for Hubert.
He's an awesome dude. But did you think this was
an NCAA tournament team? Did you like, not about the
numbers and all that other stuff that they do, but
did you think, yeah, this is a tournament team.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I do? I do.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
I mean I watched the way that and does you
know this, especially not as your coaching The way that
you play at the beginning of the season is a
lot different than the homecoming teams play at the end
in Carolina Mayson when they've made some changes in storing
line that they included Withers even though he had a
mental area and AHC tournament and when you bring you
(18:07):
switched up that start in five you saw how they
were able to play better in accix. So I think
right now they're playing like an NCAA tournament team. Is
their resume all the way worthy? I don't know, and
quite frankly, that's none of my business. But we're here now,
and I do think not only can they win in
the playing game. We're not technically the playing but we're
fair the playing game. I think they can win a
(18:28):
game with you after Ben.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Yeah, there's there's no real correlation there between do you
belong in the tournament and can you win in the
NCAA tournament? Right Like that's that those things actually don't
necessarily go hand in hand. They play San Diego State tonight.
Santy State also kind of reputation wise is different than
who they actually are. Any thoughts in the matchup as there?
(18:50):
I think four I was looking at bet online, who
I know you joined us on behalf of their four
and a half point favorites against the Aztecs.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Yeah, I think when you look at Carolina, obviously we
need r J. Davis to play well, hit shot. He's
our leader, he's our guy. It would really help that
Ian Jackson to get back to giving us that pop
off the bench that he was giving us before. He
had a stretch in the season where he was flat
out incredible ACC tournament, he was kind of missing a
(19:19):
little bit, and this guy is a pro. Ian Jackson's
gonna probably be a first round take if he wants
to come out this year. So when I look at
this team, if r J can come out there and
set the term with the starting line up, and Ian
Jackson can give us that pop off the bitch that
I know he's capable of, I think this team can
go out there and win.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Brendon hey with joining us on Doug Gottlieb Show, join
us on behalf of bet Online. Of course, you can
also see him this weekend covering the Denver the Denver games, Right,
So are you equipped to call games in altitude? That's
a big question. Are you equipped to call these games
in altitude?
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Brennan, I can definitely call games in altitude. I wouldn't
want to do anything athletics right now, But how to
because I remember the list those Denver games, and that's
going to be different for these guys. If you've never
played in Denver or played in altitude, dug me, and
you have both played in both, it's different. And the
first and if I can just describe it for the
(20:15):
common person at home, the first three to five minutes
of the game, you feel like there's a man in
your lungs with a lightning. It's hard to breathe, it's burning,
you're gasing it for breath. Your mouth is incredibly dry.
It is a different experience getting used to playing in altitude,
especially on a stage that's big, because you're already going
(20:35):
to be charged up and your and your energy is
gonna be on one thousand and now you have this
altitude problem.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Also, I think tomorrow is the practice day, right, so
you're gonna you're gonna watch you see San Diego practice
and you're gonna watch them come out and you can
be like, no way, no way, no way. And now,
look they take on Michigan, there'll be a substantial underdog.
But you see San Diego as one of the teams
(21:00):
that they they win games in layup lines where they're
laying it. They're literally laying it up, and the other
team's looking down there at the other end going like, nah,
no chance, you know, And yet they slice you up,
slice you and dice and win thirty games.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Listen, man, I can tell you this as somebody that
fell victim to that track. I know it was a
long time ago. It was twenty plus years ago. I
was a three seed for the Carolina car Hills and
we were looking at Weaver State like, no way, it's
not gonna happen. We're gonna beat these guys. We're gonna go.
(21:37):
We're not scared of anybody in our bracket. We were
looking all the way to the final four. They had
a player. His name was Harold Arsenal.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Harold and his show Arsenal. He's he literally became a
household name with the nickname because of one game against
you guys.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
And guess what he was about sixty six And our
coach made an honest mistake he said, this guy's sixty six,
but he played bigger than that. He'd really be six
eighty sixty nine if he had a neck. And we
thought that as eighteen nineteen year old. We thought that
was the funniest thing in the world. We're laughing all week.
We're running around with our shoulders shrugged up to our
(22:15):
ears like we're Harold to show Arsenal all week, and
we did not take that opponent seriously. And I'm still
watching that game. It can't believe that we lost in
the fashion that we did as Harold to show Arsenal
cooked us up to a Ford Foinet fifty and drug
us around the gym. So Michigan, if you're looking down
at the other end of the court, or if you're
thinking you could just show up and win in the tournament,
(22:37):
it don't happen like that, my boy. Make sure you
are prepared and the mindset is right. That gig still
hunts me.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Doug, I can only imagine here courtesy bet Online. Is
Brendan Hayward Chris. He played thirteen years in the NBA,
member of the MAVs national NBA championship team in twenty eleven.
Of course, he's a great player at North Carolina and
check out Thatt online for the most up to date
game lines, futures, and props on the upcoming NCAA Men's Tournament.
(23:05):
When you check out the landscape. Who's impressed to you
the most? You know, like you're doing both, you're covering
college or covering pro. You watch games, who do you
stick and stay with that? You watch a team like,
you know, look, I don't know the whole thing, but
I know that that's a squad that's going to play second,
third weekend.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
Well, this is gonna not gonna endear me. Go to
Carolina family. But first and foremost, when I watched Dude,
When I watched Dude, obviously, Cooper Flag is one of
the best players in all of college basketball.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
But it's not because of his offense. It's because of
everything else that he does at such a high level.
It's the fact that if Cooper Flag is three for fourteen,
he'll still have eight rebounds, seven assists, three steels, and
four blocks like he And then you watch the rest
of the team. They defend at such a high level.
They make you take tough shots and they get easier
(24:00):
shots on the other end. So Duke is very impressive
to me. There's the reason why they're while they're top
five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. And the other
team that stands out to me is Florida. When you
watch the guard player like Okay hit the special and
then they then you see the wave of big men
that they're able to throw at you, and then some
of those big men can step out and hit the three,
(24:21):
so they have floor spacing. They're a great offensive rebounding team,
which is huge this time of the year getting extra shots.
I mean, they just were systematically taking SEC teams apart
in the SEC tournament, and so I'm very impressive, impressed
with Florida, and I actually think that it's going to
be Duke VERSU Florida the championship. And for the love
(24:41):
of my group chat, I'm praying that Florida wins that
matchup because I cannot take any more grand Hill bragging.
I cannot take it. We've already lost three of these guys.
I cannot take Grant Hill bragging. Got anything to do anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
This season, Ben, Hey, when you check them out on
CBS and Turner over the weekend. In the meantime, check
got bet online for all the latest odds and prop
bets for the NCAA tournament. Brendan, enjoy the games. I
think you got some really good ones, really intriguing ones.
Thanks so much for joining us on Fox Sport Tradio. Ah,
you too, that's my gooy, Brendan. Hey, we're joining us
on the Doug Gottlieb Show. Hey, I think we got
(25:15):
a little time to have Dan Byer have a little remorse.
Let's play some buyers remorse? Shall we.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Some have remorse?
Speaker 7 (25:24):
I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
I engage, but.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
There's nothing quite like buyer's remorse.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Doug. One's personal, and you're involved in it. Another one
will expand, but a bit of remorse. On this Tuesday,
as we are on the eve of the NCAA Tournament,
I am kicking myself for not canceling my ESPN Plus
subscription and I only got to watch GB Phoenix basketball
this year. And now that the season is over, they've
(25:58):
renewed me for another month. Yes, it's the deadline. Should
have done it a week ago, but they Yeah, they
got me for eleven ninety nine. Now I'm like, well,
the PGA Championship comes up in May. You could get
streaming options for that. So I'm like, all right, well,
(26:20):
I guess I'm gonna keep it for golf Second Major
because that is through ESPN. But yeah, I'm out eleven
ninety nine because I wasn't quick enough to cancel the
old subscription. I mean, there's no college basketball to watch
anymore on ESPN. Plus they ever do that you ever
just they get you.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
They do get you. Yeah, thats all the time with
subscript could have got out Breakfast Brito. Well that's the
other Like, I'm sure have you downloaded the March meadis SAP?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yet I haven't.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Well, I think then you do, and then like you're
like oh, and then like in July, like what do
I what I gotta get rid of some marchmadus AP.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
I think it may be in my like sports grouping
of this, but this goes to a bigger, bigger deal.
Of course, I did watch a bunch of Green Bay
Phoenix basketball this year mentioned earlier. Also watched Ohio State.
My remorse now during bracket time is that enko to
watch enough of certain schools. And what I mean by
(27:15):
this is I feel like I watched a bunch of
BYU games. I know if it's because they were later
at night, but I feel like I took in more
BYU basketball the Big twelve, whereas I didn't take in
enough of Texas Tech. I feel like in the SEC,
I think I saw a lot of a lot of Auburn,
(27:35):
saw some of Florida and Tennessee and Alabama, those top teams,
but maybe not as much of Missouri. Didn't see tons
of Mississippi State. Although I'm still smarting from when New
Mexico State beat Yukon a few years ago in the tournament,
when Chris Jans was the coach of the Aggies at
that point and pulled the upset. So like, I feel like,
(27:56):
all right, I like Mississippi State in this game against Baylor,
but I honestly I haven't seen a lot of Bulldogs,
a lot of the Bulldogs this year. So there's my
remorse when it comes to bracket time. I feel there's
just certain teams that I know better than others, and
I missed out on others that I should have maybe
focused a little bit more on. Fair Enough, I am
the moron.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
What else? Anything else? You remorse?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Love?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I don't know, Sam you got you're looking at me.
Speaker 7 (28:23):
I wanted to weigh in on the first remorse because
I think I've done that at least sixteen different times
with Peacock. It was four ninety nine that I would
see dinged on my debit card, and I'm like, gosh,
darn it, didn't I didn't cancel my Peacock. So I
got thirty days to look at something on Peacock and
then I never do, and then the next month comes
(28:45):
and I just it's one of those things where I
just I should just cancel it on the first day,
knowing that they will give me the subscription for thirty days. Correct,
I'm just too lazy.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Correct, And I feel now I can't cancel this ESPN
Plus because of the PGA Championship that's coming up and
that I will watch in mid May. And again, that's
usually only a Thursday Friday deal anyway, So I'm saving
it for two days of maybe a couple of hours
of watching and that's about it. But yeah, they got me,
(29:15):
They got me. But it was always fun scrolling through
the matchups trying to find the GB game like that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Absolutely, couldn't you put it down as a favorite, like
a favorite your favorite team.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I don't know. I honestly, I don't know if they
if they do that or not, so obviously I didn't.
But it was also I.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Think that was a no for Bruce. Did you think
that was a no for Bruce.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Was yes, yes, it's like I love you, but well, I.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Do have a secret weapon there. One of his best
friends in the world is in Milwaukee, and you know,
do you know what talks more than anything? Right?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Huh moulah. It's funny because I had you talked about
me and obviously your relationship with Bruce Pearl, but on
the type of guy that he is. When he was
at Milwaukee, I was still working back in Wisconsin and
I had his home phone number. Now it was kind
of still pre cell phone time. Yeah, but it wasn't
(30:19):
It wasn't odd he wouldn't know my name. It was
but where I would call and and a family member
would pick up and then we'd be able to talk
to him. So yeah, it was always very accessible. I
didn't have that with other coaches around the area at
that time.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I've never understood the the like close practice, the layers
to get to people like you're a basketball coach, Like
people always ask me like, hey, come to practice, Like
can I Yeah, it's not like secrets to go to
not like we're like, okay, guys, here's the nuclear coachch Okay,
(30:56):
here's you know we're playing back boy, I didn't. I
Sunshine's the greatest disinfected. That's what I It's a statement
made previous to me, and I believe it to be true.
No one's got anything else are remorseful for. You're gonna
be remorse everybody remorseful for their bracket, right as soon
as your team lose, Like, oh, I suck my bracket sucks.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Sucks.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Video had the best sports talk lineup in the nation yet.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
What about you, Doug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports
Radio coming to you from the tyret dot com studios
tyret dot com. What we get there? Unmatched selection, fast,
free shipping, free road has protection over ten thousand recommended
sellars tyrat dot com. So why tire buying should be
welcome in? Uh, we're expecting to have Bruce Pearl here
joining us, and it's really interesting, right. Bruce is somebody
(31:55):
who I knew through actually through my dad, and my
dad had his friends in Milwaukee because when my dad
coached at Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM when I was just a
baby seventy five through eighty and when Bruce took the
job and then later took them to the Sweet sixteen,
(32:17):
he was kind enough to call my dad and connect
with him and kind of pick his brain a little bit,
and kind of a friendship was struck up. Bruce's Jewish,
my family's Jewish. Obviously there's there's that connection as well.
What's fascinating about Bruce is he's obviously an incredible salesman, right,
and he has this remarkable amount of energy that just
(32:40):
kind of lifts people in the room. He just kind
of turbo charges everywhere he goes. But what I didn't
know is that he's a really good basketball coach. You know,
a lot of times what happens is when you're when
you're the type of guy that says funny things and
has that energy and is waving your arm arms of
the sideline and just everything is about energy and enthusiasm,
(33:05):
and he says these fun quips, you make the assumption
they're like, oh, okay, well that covers for the fact
that they don't know. They just go out there and
play kind of roll it out and just go play hard.
And then, as you guys know, because I've done the
radio show, from Israel. I was set to be his
(33:26):
assistant with the Maccabi games, and my son who's now
turned sixteen this week. Like when you agree to take
a job, it wasn't a job, wasn't paid, but a
volunteer spot as a coach or as an assistant coach
for the games. You do so over a year in advance, right,
(33:47):
So it was like it was probably May the year before, right,
So this is May of two thousand and eight, and
I'll never forget. I'm driving and he calls me and
you know, and I was He's like, hey, you want
to be my assistant and go to Israel next summer.
And if you've ever had a phone conversation with Bruce,
(34:09):
it's like the reason he's such a good recruiter. They're like, yeah,
I'm in like whatever. So fast forward to the next uh,
probably spring right, not even right about now, but actually
probably early early spring, like February, and he was the
head coach at Tennessee, and the summer before we'd had
(34:30):
tryouts and been to Knoxville and been on he had
this boat that we were out in the lake on
and it was actually kind of cool. How about this one, guys,
I had to catch a flight to fly home. He
took the whole team out on a boat, a couple
of boats out in the lake outside of Knoxville, and
I was like, hey, BP, I gotta go catch up playing.
(34:52):
He's like, no problem. He like signals over to one
of his boys and they have like another boat. Took
me to a little smaller boat, took me to a
jet ski and I had like a backpack and a
travel back and I'm on the back of the jetski.
Pulls me up to a little launch spot and then
(35:12):
all of a sudden there's like a there's like a
town car waiting for me. Takes me to the airport.
Again to the airport. I was like, this is the
most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. But
I couldn't. You know. My wife at the time was like,
You're not leaving me with three kids under three and
going to Israel with Bruce Pearl for a month. So
I didn't go. But he always credits me. He's like
(35:33):
he was my assistant coach, Like, yeah, I coach with
him like in training camp, which was cool, and I
learned that there's a method to it and he really
knows basketball but I forever wish I was at his
actual assistant. And what's crazy about it is one of
his players is now the head coach at one of
his rivals at Florida, who's also a one seat. The
(35:55):
whole thing is bizarre and cool and if you know BP,
you know they're like yeah tracks. Bruce Pearl joins us,
now head coach of the Auburn Tigers on the Doug
Gotlab Show on Fox Sports Radio. Did I go boat
to boat to jet ski or boat to I don't remember.
I just remember going from the boat to the airport
in really strange fashion.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Well, Doug, it's it's great to be with you, and
I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, it
was back in two thousand and like eight eight eight
y when we when we had that summer training camp
in Knoxville, and we had a great couple of days
and we were we were we'd worked pretty hard, and
so that Sunday when everybody was leaving, we just decided
(36:37):
to take a little time and get out of the lake,
get out of Tennessee River and boats and jet skis
and we were all tied up and we're having too
much fun, and you know, I just can remember you
basically bought your clothes with you. Yes, she said, no,
I'm gonna I'm gonna go. And so I've never seen
anybody with a suitcase and a jet ski.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
And I don't know how you made that on time,
but you made it.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Oh listen, that's just one of the one of the
one of the many planes, trains and automobiles, like dude,
because I like to catch planes where the door literally
hits me as I as I as I get get
on get on the plane. You know, it's interesting. There's
so many coaches that have been in this profession that
they're just like, I can't do this. This is just agents, runners, transfer,
(37:24):
portal like so much stuff. It feels like not only you,
but even your league has kind of embraced the new
era of college sports. What's it like for you? Could
because people forget like you went from assistant coach Division
two head coach, climbed the ladder in Division one to
(37:45):
Final four at Auburn and number one team in the country.
So you've been in this racket for well over thirty
five years. What's it what's the experience like for you
in this new era of college basketball?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Well, you know, Doug, it's the SEC are slogan, is it?
So of it just means more And the toughest league
in the country is the one you're in. Okay, So
when you were in the Horizon League this year at
green at Green Bay, that was the toughest league in
the country for you. And so what that means was
we recognized that the SEC was going to be committed
(38:20):
to supporting student athletes in the ERAa of NIO. Obviously,
you know football is going to you know, take the
lion's share because of you know, just how much revenue
is driven from those football programs. But the basketball programs
weren't terribly far behind. And the difference between our league
and most other leagues, well, let's just say specifically take
(38:42):
the ACC for example, really only Duke or Louisville or
Clemson or a couple other schools were committed in the
area of NIO for their basketball programs and the others weren't,
and as a result, they're telet level dropped off. Still
great coaches, still great programs. Is in the SEC sixteen
schools invested, I mean really invested. And yeah, you know, look, Doug,
(39:09):
I still look at this as this profession as ministerial.
You know, recruiting has become more transactional. At the same time,
you know, I'm a free market guy. I'm a capitalist.
I believe in this republic, in this country, and I
believe that you know, the market is going to set
with some is worth and all. All that's happened is
we have recognized finally that these student athletes are are
(39:33):
really of greater value, value than what they were really
appreciated for. Everybody else was making money except the student athletes.
That was wrong. The NCAA was slow to adjust. Now,
of course, you know, we have a situation where there
are no guard lines, there are no guard rails, we
won't really have it. We did not really have a
national chip in football this year. Ohio State had as
(39:55):
had the largest, and I also did Texas, so did
a couple of schools. They were the schools that advanced.
And you know, in basketball it won't quite mean the
same because we're not all playing by the same rules.
I hope Congress can get some legislation done, get some
anti trust protection in this so we can pay the
student athletes. But on a more you know, on a
(40:18):
level that we're all playing by the same rules.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
On one hand, you get a top seed. On the
other hand, you've lost three of your last four. I
think that the only question with losing is has it
adjusted or hurt the confidence level of the team into
where you actually stand in the landscape. Do you know
the answer to that?
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I don't know that great question. I don't know the
answer to it yet. You know, But I don't think
we're winning, Jeff, because we're confident. And I don't think
we've lost because we've lost our confidence. Now, we did
miss some free throws in our last game against Tennessee
that would have made a big difference. Okay, and sometimes
(41:01):
conference the three free the line, you know, can can
be a factor. But the three teams you lost to,
we lost to a four seat at six A and M.
We lost to a two seed in uh Alabama and
lost to a two seat. So we lost to all,
you know, really really good teams. But all I can
tell you is the practices have been good, the attitude
has been really good, and we're you know, we're excited
(41:23):
about playing and we're you know, we're in a good
position to finish this thing right.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Having been to the final four income Oh, so close
right losing it just a crazy, crazy controversial call. Uh,
you know, you've won this thing at the Division two level,
But how do you not get ahead of yourself? Right?
Because I just wonder, like you all, every coach has
that and even you know, as players, you have it
where you think of all the things you should have done,
(41:47):
and I've done this, we would have won the national championship.
How do you not get ahead of yourselves to to
game five in game six when you got to worry
about games one through four?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Well? Did you know the answer to that? It's really simple.
Right now, I can only see four other teams in
this tournament, and that's Saint Francis and Alamama State, Creighton
and Louisville. And we are in a tournament. We're going
to play two games, and one of those four teams
or five including Auburn, is advancing to the sweep sixteen.
And that's what we're focused on, truly, what we I'm
(42:18):
not even sure what's next weekend. You know, I think
Michigan States in two. I think I was States in
our bracket too, But I mean, I'm really not looking ahead.
I'm just taking a look at this right now and
making our making sure our team is at the same time.
But I will say this, I've never been a one seat,
but I was born to be a twelve seat. Okay.
I was born in a twelve seat, Okay. And so
(42:41):
but we do have a team that I feel like
I should get to the final four. I'm going to
feel like we should. I feel like we're good enough
to And what you would like to have happened is
you would like along the way, if you do lose,
you would like for somebody to beat you, like somebody
really played exceptionally well, and as a result of playing
(43:02):
exceptionally well, we lost. And that's like the position to
put my team.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
In right down, Yeah, it is. It is weird. Right
twenty years ago, you took UWM to the Sweet sixteen,
right now, and you know, and and it was all,
it was all, we're the Hunter. Now you're the Hunt dead.
That's that. That's an amazing kind of transformation. But it's
it's different for you. It's different for Auburn now. I
I Aubert was a one seed. We played against him
in the second round in ninety nine. Chris Porter, Doc Robinson,
(43:33):
Scott Poulsen I think was his name, he lived. Oh
he lit us up in Indy, really close game. We lost.
But it's a it's a different thing because because the
crowd turns on you, right like if you that game
is closed, all of a sudden you look up, You're like,
hold on, wait, why how do we get How did
this become a road game? Have you ever experienced Have
(43:55):
you experienced that yet in the tournament where you've experienced
being in a road game, but when you're the favorite
and suddenly the crowd turns on you because everyone cheers
for the upset.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Yeah, well we we felt that way last year in Manzaga.
Uh against against Uh when we're we're against you, but
you know what, we're gonna have plenty of people from
Auburn and Lexington. The crowd made sure that the crowd
may turn on us. That's fine. Uh. And I've been
across turned on me my whole life, So I don't care.
(44:25):
I have Doug. Doug I want to be. I want
to be the coach that everybody else in the league hates. Okay,
because you know why they You know when the road
teams actually like opposing coaches. They like opposing coaches that
can't beat their team. I'm gonna bring a team and
that's gonna be able to beat you tonight. And I
don't care if you like me or not. Get over it.
And so I've been booting my whole life. That's like
(44:46):
my name is Bruce. So they when I come out,
they're already brewing me. And so I'm I'm used to it.
Speaker 6 (44:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
I know you got to go, But I got two things. First,
I'm thinking late October exhibition game. We raise money. Hold on,
we raise money for any Israeli cause you would like. Okay,
we get mister Gruber to sponsor it at the Rest Center,
and then we go and we and then we go
in my treat, we go to lambeau Field afterwards.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Let's let's talk about it.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
Let's talk about it. Is a no give me a yes, Bruce.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Hey, listen, I as you know, I I try to
raise a lot of money for Israel, obvious Israel, Kai,
but when it comes to Auburn basketball, I gotta raise
the money money.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Hey, we can do we can do that, listen, we
can definitely, we can definitely do that too. Last thing,
have your birthday?
Speaker 2 (45:39):
Yeah, how about that? Hey, Listen, when you become a
senior citizen, do you stop celebrating birthdays? That's what I
want to know. Because I'm now a senior citizen. My
Brandy makes so much funny. I'm getting all kinds of
mail from Medicaid, I'm getting all these AA r P cards.
I now can get a senior cit again, early bird discount,
and being Jewish, I'm looking for all that. I'm looking
(45:59):
for for a discount on a media or I'm looking
for that senior citizen discount. I can say that.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
By the way, we know what your age is. Fitzing
all over yourself, Bruce. Best of luck. We'll see you
in San Antonio, hopefully on the sidelines. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Have birthday. I missed you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
I missed you. You in the kitchen, all right, we'll see
it actually in Le Lambeo Field in October. I did
make the pitch. I gotta
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at
Box sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR Booming Up America.
Doug Gottlieb Show Fie Sports Radio coming to you from
(00:25):
the tyrack dot Com studios. Tyrack dot com. Well we
get there, unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road has
protection over ten thousand recommended installars tyrec dot com. It's
the way tire buying should be. Hey, welcome in, we
are we are joining you on. It's really weird, right
does the nc It's always been this whole thing, like
(00:46):
does the ncaa term and start? Now? Does it not start?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Now?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
How do we look at it? What does it look?
You know? Is this the And the only thing I
can tell you is if you you know, if you
go buy our our bracket challenge, you know, if you
go buy our bracket challenge, then no, it doesn't start tonight,
right because our bracket challenge, Well, you can you have
(01:13):
till Thursday to get the bracket in. Like basketball, Tractor
Supply knows that a winning season takes practice, team working,
it can do attitude. It's Bracket Challenge season, and Fox
Sports Radio is Bracket Challenge is live, so be sure
to complete your bracket at Fox Sports Treda dot com
right now. The winning bracket in the Fox Sports Radio
(01:33):
Bracket Challenge will win twenty five hundred do gift card
to Tract to Supply, and a perfect bracket will win
you a million dollars. So fill out your bracket now
until Thursday morning before the games begin. Visit Foxsportsradio dot
com to register, to get rules and to fill out
your bracket. It's all sponsored by Tractor Supply for life
out here. So are you guys okay with saying that
(01:55):
the NCAA Tournament doesn't begin today like these are the
play games in order to be in the unca tournament
to win today? By are you okay with that?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I mean, I don't sure, I'm fine with it.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I what's your hesitation?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
No, I just I feel like it's obviously we all
enjoy Thursday. I just I'm one for I don't think
seventy six is as bad as people think it is.
Once we went to sixty four, or from sixty four
to sixty five and then to sixty eight, it felt
like the cat was out of the bag. And my
(02:34):
point is is, I woke up this morning and I'm like, Okay,
what about if there was a game going on right
now for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and
I wouldn't hate it that much. Granted, if it was
Alabama State in Saint Francis, maybe I'm not as locked
into that. But if coming up in two hours, Doug,
we had San Diego State in North Carolina, and then
(02:54):
tonight we had Texas and Xavier. At tomorrow we had
more of the same, I'm totally fine with that, which
then I think would add value to the NCAA tournament.
So while we may not like this opening round game,
and I know you love Dayton, you love that arena,
and by all accounts they do a great job of it,
I feel a little bad that they kind of get
tossed to the side when I actually think that if
(03:17):
you do expand this tournament, it could add some value.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So okay, so can I meet you halfway on something?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Sure? Huh?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, I think I'm actually okay with expansion from this standpoint. Okay,
I think you take we knew obviously pretty early on,
and we actually practiced at ud Arena when we were
playing I don't think we're playing Wright State. I think
it was when we played oh when we've played Ohio State.
(03:43):
We had a couple of days in between games and
we called the guys Dayton. They're like, sure, use the
gym use whatever you want. They were awesome. So so
we're practicing there and I told you guys, like, look,
here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna win the horizon
the tournament. We're gonna play here in the first four,
and then we're gonna go play Duke. I got literally like,
this is what it looked like because I knew what
(04:04):
our numbers look like at a conference. And the more
I thought about it, the more I thought, Okay, if
we're gonna do it, let's do it the right way.
Here's the right way. Okay. The teams that win their
conference tournament get to be in the field of sixty four,
including the swack champion, including you know all of these
(04:28):
all of these sixteen seats, right will they'll be the
sixteens and the fifteens whatever. And then what you make
those extra games for are all play in games, all
of them playing games. So are they the NCAA tournament
if you want to call it the NCAA tournament, great,
sure they are. But the reality to it is that
(04:48):
I would love that too. And I like Carolina versus
San Diego State, right, two teams who are in the
final four. But truthfully, you have the super elite high
major against I mean, let's not call San Diego State
a mid major anymore, but they're somewhere in that lower
level high major sort of program that's been amazing for
the last twenty five years. Like you see your Vine
(05:13):
playing today, why not you see your Vine against Indiana? Sure,
I have those. I would love them to be all,
especially now that we have a Power four, and then
maybe you throw in the Big East into the power force.
You have the Power five against everybody else, and those
all of these ancillary games be not be what's called
(05:36):
AQS automatic qualifiers, and that I'd be okay with. I
don't think it's that big a thing because you're not
really in the NCATE tournament, and I think the big
thing is that we need to we should one protect
that you win your conference or conference tournament, however you
want to select that you do it. You get one
team automatically in I think that's great. And then the
(05:58):
other part too, it is and by the way, you're
kind of given like if Alabama State is playing Duke,
you're kind of giving Duke almost a double buy because
they don't play right. And then the last part is
you answer the questions that we have all season long.
And look, there's three hundred and sixty four teams, so
(06:21):
the idea that we don't have to expand I still
think it keeps the bracket hole. You just have more
teams playing in for your playing If you win, you
become a twelve seed or a thirteen seed, I don't
know what the numbers look like. And you do that
across the board, you win, you become an eleven seed,
and I think it makes for a more competitive field
(06:41):
and it still values the regular season it and as
long as you secure some of those those play in
spots for some of the mid majors. Again, I'd just
like to use the UC your vine because I know
their team and I think they're very, very good and
worthy of be in this field that I would be
all for.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
And I think that it's important for people that don't remember,
or people that have maybe not been familiar, just didn't know.
People have forgotten. The reason the tournament expanded in the
first place was because the WHACK split up into the
Mountain West. The WHACK was a sixteen school league. However,
(07:22):
they did not want they did not want to lose
in at large bid for one of the schools, right Doug.
So you had an automatic bid go to the WHAC.
And now this new conference that formed from the WHAC
called the Mountain West that we all know and love now,
that also got an automatic bid. But they weren't willing
with the new conference to take away an at large
(07:43):
bid to a school, so they said, well, let's make
it sixty five and then they put it on the
worst teams in the bracket to go and play a
first four game, the two sixteen seeds that we had,
and then that was their way of figuring out. Then
when they saw how that worked, well, gosh, we could
have another one, and then we could have another sort
of opening round game if we did it at the
(08:05):
eleven or twelve seed line. But it really started because
they were not willing to give up the at large
spot for the sake of an automatic bid from a
new conference.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Okay, so how many more games would this create if
we went from sixty eight to what was.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
It, seventy six? Yeah, I would create four more.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Okay. So here's always been my idea. I've been dy
Arena is amazing, cool area, also centrally located. You know,
not only do you have Dayton to fly right out
of after the game. It does and they fill it
up and with Xavier playing there, it's going to be
kind of awesome. But I think what you do is
you rotate the historic venues for the other ones. You know,
(08:47):
like what makes college basketball cool is yes, home court advantage.
We talked about that earlier this week. But also you
know the Palaestra in Philly, Hinkle, which got a chance
to host tournament tournament games in the co bid year.
Fog Allen used to host tournament games a long time ago,
right like you, every year you rotate you wanted to
(09:07):
date and every year, fine, Daton's one and then the
other site is pick historic venue and move it around
the country. And I thought that I think that'd be
really cool, especially if you have it high major versus
mid major, and you have some of these historic teams
like in North Carolina coming into town.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, I think that when they are discussing this, they're
kind of meeting you halfway in terms of, yeah, you're
gonna need another site to do it, because you'd have
four games in one place and then four games maybe
in another. But I also think that they want to
have the ability to put teams closer to a western region,
so and it would allow your TV window to be
(09:46):
a little bit bigger if you wanted to go on
a West coast sort of thing where you could have
a later night game. I think that's also what they're
looking at. Yep, So I think you'd probably see something
west of the Mississippi with that. The funny thing is,
Doug is with the bubble this year and outside of
Green Bay, the team that I watched the most of
the season was Ohio State, and they aren't a tournament team.
(10:09):
I know, you played them the way that they played
at the end of the year, like they just completely
I don't know, it's just a mess. They're seventeen and fifteen,
but they're on the bubble in fact there were so
much on the bubble they were the third team out
according to the selection committee. So then that is the
question is do you want to see a team like that,
like when we're expanding that way? And I guess my
(10:31):
argument is it's not to allow that team the opportunity
to get into the tournament when maybe they don't deserve it.
And it could be Ohio State, it could be Indiana,
it could be West Virginia, whatever team you want to
put in. It's just the fact of I would like
to just see those teams play with something on the line.
It's why I watch the conference championship games. So in
(10:51):
terms of like watching those games, I get why people
who are against expansion would point to the bubble this
year because I don't even know if you get the
seventy two teams that you say it should get in there.
But you put something on the line, you put something
meaningful in it, I'm going to be interested in it.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, I'm I'm totally okay with that. And and oh yeah,
by the way, one of the things that we're learning
and we kind of talked about it yesterday. I know
it's on Fox. I know the brands that are in it.
You know, with this new Crown tournament, that thing's going
to be a mess because half the teams aren't gonna
have most of their guys playing because they're they're literally
in the transfer portal. And some of the other teams
(11:26):
have coaches that have been fired. Right, So whereas everybody
plays in the NCAA tournament, I I actually have evolved
on it, and I've never been expansionist. I still think
because the value to the tournament is in that bracket.
I still think you keep the bracket hole. You just
have to play. You got to win a game to
earn the right to be in the tournament. And I think,
(11:47):
you know, like you said, it would put a tremendous
amount of pressure on the teams, on the players and
the coaches. I think be a good watch. And I
do think that the multiple sites and like why not, yeah, like,
oh literally, why not.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I'm also going to take this opportunity to pat myself
on the back and and not saying on the Doug
Gottlieb Show because I said it ten years ago before
you came the Fox Sports Radio Doug, but because of
this expansion of the bracket, I thought that a sixteen
seed would beat a one seed, and the reason being,
and I'm not saying that this happened, I.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
The opposite, by the way, just so you know I
was I've been wrong.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The reason I thought was because of how it expanded,
where now we essentially have six sixteen seeds, so really
two of those were fifteen seeds. If for how the
bracket expanded, all of those schools were always in the tournament.
So we just assigned the two worst fifteen seeds and
we put them as sixteen seeds. Now, I don't know
(12:40):
if UMBC was would have been one of the two
fifteen seeds. FDU played in the first four two years
ago and then they went beat Purdue. That actually may
have helped them in that game against the boiler Makers.
But it's just the point of when you're putting those
first four sixteen seeds, it actually means that the other
two sixteen seeds that are in bracket actually probably our
(13:01):
fifteen seeds and maybe a little bit better than people think.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Well, I will say this, okay, and I mean this
in all sincerity, and you know, because you've watched our
teams play, like by the end of the season, had
we had Yonatan Levy. Levy, who's our starting center, who
joined us midseason, wasn't healthy most of the run, and
Anthony Roy broke his ankle off for leading the country
and scoring. Have we had both of them? And we
(13:25):
played and won the Horizon League Tournament and not you know,
And and then played like I don't think we could
beat Duke. They just we we do not have that,
you know. But I thought, I thought the opposite again.
I thought all of my thoughts were the opposite of it.
And I thought because Division one basketball had expanded so
(13:46):
much that this instead of playing the two hundredth best
team or two hundred and fortieth best team, now you're
playing like the three three hundredth best team. I thought
that was too big a hill to climb. What I've
come to learn and I actually use Wichita State's Final
four team as the great launching point, which is that
(14:09):
team wasn't healthy all season long until they won the
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. They beat Gonzaga in the second game,
who was a number one seed, and Gonzagat nearly lost
to Southern in the first game, and similarly to Virginia,
Gary Bell was the starting guard for Kevin Pangos is
(14:32):
their best player. Their two guard was Gary Bell. Gary
Bell got hurt in that game against Wichita, so two
things happened at once. Wichita got healthy and Gonzaga had
a big injury. And then Wichita made I think thirteen
threes in that game, and I want to say the
most they had made all year long was nine in
a game. And so the point is that between the
(14:54):
three point shot between an injury here or there and
an addition here or there, and now you factor in
that schools at our level, we can get junior college
players or guys that played Naia and they have an
extra year of eligibility, so you can. We didn't, but
well we'd like to in the future have twenty four
(15:15):
to twenty five year old guys playing against you know,
teenagers who play for some of these elite teams. It does,
in fact give you a chance. And then we've seen
it play out as such with you, you know UMBC.
I mean that that deal was they lost DeAndre Hunter, sure,
and and you know FDU had had old at older players,
(15:40):
older players, and they pulled off a magnificent upset. So
now it does it does get me to what I
wanted to get to in this opening part of the show,
It's Doug Gottlieb Show. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio
and also available on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
This is the best of the Done Dot Leap Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's the Doug Gottlieb Show. You're on Fox Sports Radio
and as the first four tips off tonight, we have
the NCAA Tournament tipping off on Thursday, and a guy
who this is what happens when it's yours school. Like
I remember when Oklahoma State was the last team out,
and I, you know, like I had I haven't played
at Oklahoma States in two thousand. Like suddenly I became
the guy that everybody wanted to talk to you about
(16:25):
Oklahoma States trials and tribulations. Brendan Haywood's a great player
at North Carolina. Okay, it's been a minute since he
was at North Carolina, but you know, like you've got
to answer all questions about the heels. He joins us
in Denver where he's he's working for CBS and Turner
covering the NCAA Tournament as he has. He joins us
(16:46):
on the Doug Gotlieb Show here on Fox Sports radio, Brendie,
give me, give me your give me your thoughts when
you saw North Carolina in the field. What was your
honest reaction, man, my career.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Answer, because I honestly, I don't think we're gonna get in.
I heard all the talk last four hours, not enough
quad one wins. I watched a lot of the games
that we lost, and some of them were tough losses.
So I was I was worried. I was very worried.
And in the fact that it was like the first bracket,
Dr Konda popped up like right away, I was just
(17:19):
I was just relieved. I was relieved for myself. I
was relieved for the fan base, and I was relieved
for the coaching staff and the kids.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
You and I both have a great affinity for Hubert.
He's an awesome dude. But did you think this was
an NCAA tournament team? Did you like, not about the
numbers and all that other stuff that they do, but
did you think, yeah, this is a tournament team.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I do? I do.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
I mean I watched the way that and does you
know this, especially not as your coaching The way that
you play at the beginning of the season is a
lot different than the homecoming teams play at the end
in Carolina Mayson when they've made some changes in storing
line that they included Withers even though he had a
mental area and AHC tournament and when you bring you
(18:07):
switched up that start in five you saw how they
were able to play better in accix. So I think
right now they're playing like an NCAA tournament team. Is
their resume all the way worthy? I don't know, and
quite frankly, that's none of my business. But we're here now,
and I do think not only can they win in
the playing game. We're not technically the playing but we're
fair the playing game. I think they can win a
(18:28):
game with you after Ben.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Yeah, there's there's no real correlation there between do you
belong in the tournament and can you win in the
NCAA tournament? Right Like that's that those things actually don't
necessarily go hand in hand. They play San Diego State tonight.
Santy State also kind of reputation wise is different than
who they actually are. Any thoughts in the matchup as there?
(18:50):
I think four I was looking at bet online, who
I know you joined us on behalf of their four
and a half point favorites against the Aztecs.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Yeah, I think when you look at Carolina, obviously we
need r J. Davis to play well, hit shot. He's
our leader, he's our guy. It would really help that
Ian Jackson to get back to giving us that pop
off the bench that he was giving us before. He
had a stretch in the season where he was flat
out incredible ACC tournament, he was kind of missing a
(19:19):
little bit, and this guy is a pro. Ian Jackson's
gonna probably be a first round take if he wants
to come out this year. So when I look at
this team, if r J can come out there and
set the term with the starting line up, and Ian
Jackson can give us that pop off the bitch that
I know he's capable of, I think this team can
go out there and win.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Brendon hey with joining us on Doug Gottlieb Show, join
us on behalf of bet Online. Of course, you can
also see him this weekend covering the Denver the Denver games, Right,
So are you equipped to call games in altitude? That's
a big question. Are you equipped to call these games
in altitude?
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Brennan, I can definitely call games in altitude. I wouldn't
want to do anything athletics right now, But how to
because I remember the list those Denver games, and that's
going to be different for these guys. If you've never
played in Denver or played in altitude, dug me, and
you have both played in both, it's different. And the
first and if I can just describe it for the
(20:15):
common person at home, the first three to five minutes
of the game, you feel like there's a man in
your lungs with a lightning. It's hard to breathe, it's burning,
you're gasing it for breath. Your mouth is incredibly dry.
It is a different experience getting used to playing in altitude,
especially on a stage that's big, because you're already going
(20:35):
to be charged up and your and your energy is
gonna be on one thousand and now you have this
altitude problem.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Also, I think tomorrow is the practice day, right, so
you're gonna you're gonna watch you see San Diego practice
and you're gonna watch them come out and you can
be like, no way, no way, no way. And now,
look they take on Michigan, there'll be a substantial underdog.
But you see San Diego as one of the teams
(21:00):
that they they win games in layup lines where they're
laying it. They're literally laying it up, and the other
team's looking down there at the other end going like, nah,
no chance, you know, And yet they slice you up,
slice you and dice and win thirty games.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Listen, man, I can tell you this as somebody that
fell victim to that track. I know it was a
long time ago. It was twenty plus years ago. I
was a three seed for the Carolina car Hills and
we were looking at Weaver State like, no way, it's
not gonna happen. We're gonna beat these guys. We're gonna go.
(21:37):
We're not scared of anybody in our bracket. We were
looking all the way to the final four. They had
a player. His name was Harold Arsenal.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Harold and his show Arsenal. He's he literally became a
household name with the nickname because of one game against
you guys.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
And guess what he was about sixty six And our
coach made an honest mistake he said, this guy's sixty six,
but he played bigger than that. He'd really be six
eighty sixty nine if he had a neck. And we
thought that as eighteen nineteen year old. We thought that
was the funniest thing in the world. We're laughing all week.
We're running around with our shoulders shrugged up to our
(22:15):
ears like we're Harold to show Arsenal all week, and
we did not take that opponent seriously. And I'm still
watching that game. It can't believe that we lost in
the fashion that we did as Harold to show Arsenal
cooked us up to a Ford Foinet fifty and drug
us around the gym. So Michigan, if you're looking down
at the other end of the court, or if you're
thinking you could just show up and win in the tournament,
(22:37):
it don't happen like that, my boy. Make sure you
are prepared and the mindset is right. That gig still
hunts me.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Doug, I can only imagine here courtesy bet Online. Is
Brendan Hayward Chris. He played thirteen years in the NBA,
member of the MAVs national NBA championship team in twenty eleven.
Of course, he's a great player at North Carolina and
check out Thatt online for the most up to date
game lines, futures, and props on the upcoming NCAA Men's Tournament.
(23:05):
When you check out the landscape. Who's impressed to you
the most? You know, like you're doing both, you're covering
college or covering pro. You watch games, who do you
stick and stay with that? You watch a team like,
you know, look, I don't know the whole thing, but
I know that that's a squad that's going to play second,
third weekend.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
Well, this is gonna not gonna endear me. Go to
Carolina family. But first and foremost, when I watched Dude,
When I watched Dude, obviously, Cooper Flag is one of
the best players in all of college basketball.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
But it's not because of his offense. It's because of
everything else that he does at such a high level.
It's the fact that if Cooper Flag is three for fourteen,
he'll still have eight rebounds, seven assists, three steels, and
four blocks like he And then you watch the rest
of the team. They defend at such a high level.
They make you take tough shots and they get easier
(24:00):
shots on the other end. So Duke is very impressive
to me. There's the reason why they're while they're top
five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. And the other
team that stands out to me is Florida. When you
watch the guard player like Okay hit the special and
then they then you see the wave of big men
that they're able to throw at you, and then some
of those big men can step out and hit the three,
(24:21):
so they have floor spacing. They're a great offensive rebounding team,
which is huge this time of the year getting extra shots.
I mean, they just were systematically taking SEC teams apart
in the SEC tournament, and so I'm very impressive, impressed
with Florida, and I actually think that it's going to
be Duke VERSU Florida the championship. And for the love
(24:41):
of my group chat, I'm praying that Florida wins that
matchup because I cannot take any more grand Hill bragging.
I cannot take it. We've already lost three of these guys.
I cannot take Grant Hill bragging. Got anything to do anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
This season, Ben, Hey, when you check them out on
CBS and Turner over the weekend. In the meantime, check
got bet online for all the latest odds and prop
bets for the NCAA tournament. Brendan, enjoy the games. I
think you got some really good ones, really intriguing ones.
Thanks so much for joining us on Fox Sport Tradio. Ah,
you too, that's my gooy, Brendan. Hey, we're joining us
on the Doug Gottlieb Show. Hey, I think we got
(25:15):
a little time to have Dan Byer have a little remorse.
Let's play some buyers remorse? Shall we.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Some have remorse?
Speaker 7 (25:24):
I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
I engage, but.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
There's nothing quite like buyer's remorse.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Doug. One's personal, and you're involved in it. Another one
will expand, but a bit of remorse. On this Tuesday,
as we are on the eve of the NCAA Tournament,
I am kicking myself for not canceling my ESPN Plus
subscription and I only got to watch GB Phoenix basketball
this year. And now that the season is over, they've
(25:58):
renewed me for another month. Yes, it's the deadline. Should
have done it a week ago, but they Yeah, they
got me for eleven ninety nine. Now I'm like, well,
the PGA Championship comes up in May. You could get
streaming options for that. So I'm like, all right, well,
(26:20):
I guess I'm gonna keep it for golf Second Major
because that is through ESPN. But yeah, I'm out eleven
ninety nine because I wasn't quick enough to cancel the
old subscription. I mean, there's no college basketball to watch
anymore on ESPN. Plus they ever do that you ever
just they get you.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
They do get you. Yeah, thats all the time with
subscript could have got out Breakfast Brito. Well that's the
other Like, I'm sure have you downloaded the March meadis SAP?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yet I haven't.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Well, I think then you do, and then like you're
like oh, and then like in July, like what do
I what I gotta get rid of some marchmadus AP.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
I think it may be in my like sports grouping
of this, but this goes to a bigger, bigger deal.
Of course, I did watch a bunch of Green Bay
Phoenix basketball this year mentioned earlier. Also watched Ohio State.
My remorse now during bracket time is that enko to
watch enough of certain schools. And what I mean by
(27:15):
this is I feel like I watched a bunch of
BYU games. I know if it's because they were later
at night, but I feel like I took in more
BYU basketball the Big twelve, whereas I didn't take in
enough of Texas Tech. I feel like in the SEC,
I think I saw a lot of a lot of Auburn,
(27:35):
saw some of Florida and Tennessee and Alabama, those top teams,
but maybe not as much of Missouri. Didn't see tons
of Mississippi State. Although I'm still smarting from when New
Mexico State beat Yukon a few years ago in the tournament,
when Chris Jans was the coach of the Aggies at
that point and pulled the upset. So like, I feel like,
(27:56):
all right, I like Mississippi State in this game against Baylor,
but I honestly I haven't seen a lot of Bulldogs,
a lot of the Bulldogs this year. So there's my
remorse when it comes to bracket time. I feel there's
just certain teams that I know better than others, and
I missed out on others that I should have maybe
focused a little bit more on. Fair Enough, I am
the moron.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
What else? Anything else? You remorse?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Love?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I don't know, Sam you got you're looking at me.
Speaker 7 (28:23):
I wanted to weigh in on the first remorse because
I think I've done that at least sixteen different times
with Peacock. It was four ninety nine that I would
see dinged on my debit card, and I'm like, gosh,
darn it, didn't I didn't cancel my Peacock. So I
got thirty days to look at something on Peacock and
then I never do, and then the next month comes
(28:45):
and I just it's one of those things where I
just I should just cancel it on the first day,
knowing that they will give me the subscription for thirty days. Correct,
I'm just too lazy.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Correct, And I feel now I can't cancel this ESPN
Plus because of the PGA Championship that's coming up and
that I will watch in mid May. And again, that's
usually only a Thursday Friday deal anyway, So I'm saving
it for two days of maybe a couple of hours
of watching and that's about it. But yeah, they got me,
(29:15):
They got me. But it was always fun scrolling through
the matchups trying to find the GB game like that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Absolutely, couldn't you put it down as a favorite, like
a favorite your favorite team.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I don't know. I honestly, I don't know if they
if they do that or not, so obviously I didn't.
But it was also I.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Think that was a no for Bruce. Did you think
that was a no for Bruce.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Was yes, yes, it's like I love you, but well, I.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Do have a secret weapon there. One of his best
friends in the world is in Milwaukee, and you know,
do you know what talks more than anything? Right?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Huh moulah. It's funny because I had you talked about
me and obviously your relationship with Bruce Pearl, but on
the type of guy that he is. When he was
at Milwaukee, I was still working back in Wisconsin and
I had his home phone number. Now it was kind
of still pre cell phone time. Yeah, but it wasn't
(30:19):
It wasn't odd he wouldn't know my name. It was
but where I would call and and a family member
would pick up and then we'd be able to talk
to him. So yeah, it was always very accessible. I
didn't have that with other coaches around the area at
that time.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I've never understood the the like close practice, the layers
to get to people like you're a basketball coach, Like
people always ask me like, hey, come to practice, Like
can I Yeah, it's not like secrets to go to
not like we're like, okay, guys, here's the nuclear coachch Okay,
(30:56):
here's you know we're playing back boy, I didn't. I
Sunshine's the greatest disinfected. That's what I It's a statement
made previous to me, and I believe it to be true.
No one's got anything else are remorseful for. You're gonna
be remorse everybody remorseful for their bracket, right as soon
as your team lose, Like, oh, I suck my bracket sucks.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Sucks.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Video had the best sports talk lineup in the nation yet.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
What about you, Doug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports
Radio coming to you from the tyret dot com studios
tyret dot com. What we get there? Unmatched selection, fast,
free shipping, free road has protection over ten thousand recommended
sellars tyrat dot com. So why tire buying should be
welcome in? Uh, we're expecting to have Bruce Pearl here
joining us, and it's really interesting, right. Bruce is somebody
(31:55):
who I knew through actually through my dad, and my
dad had his friends in Milwaukee because when my dad
coached at Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM when I was just a
baby seventy five through eighty and when Bruce took the
job and then later took them to the Sweet sixteen,
(32:17):
he was kind enough to call my dad and connect
with him and kind of pick his brain a little bit,
and kind of a friendship was struck up. Bruce's Jewish,
my family's Jewish. Obviously there's there's that connection as well.
What's fascinating about Bruce is he's obviously an incredible salesman, right,
and he has this remarkable amount of energy that just
(32:40):
kind of lifts people in the room. He just kind
of turbo charges everywhere he goes. But what I didn't
know is that he's a really good basketball coach. You know,
a lot of times what happens is when you're when
you're the type of guy that says funny things and
has that energy and is waving your arm arms of
the sideline and just everything is about energy and enthusiasm,
(33:05):
and he says these fun quips, you make the assumption
they're like, oh, okay, well that covers for the fact
that they don't know. They just go out there and
play kind of roll it out and just go play hard.
And then, as you guys know, because I've done the
radio show, from Israel. I was set to be his
(33:26):
assistant with the Maccabi games, and my son who's now
turned sixteen this week. Like when you agree to take
a job, it wasn't a job, wasn't paid, but a
volunteer spot as a coach or as an assistant coach
for the games. You do so over a year in advance, right,
(33:47):
So it was like it was probably May the year before, right,
So this is May of two thousand and eight, and
I'll never forget. I'm driving and he calls me and
you know, and I was He's like, hey, you want
to be my assistant and go to Israel next summer.
And if you've ever had a phone conversation with Bruce,
(34:09):
it's like the reason he's such a good recruiter. They're like, yeah,
I'm in like whatever. So fast forward to the next uh,
probably spring right, not even right about now, but actually
probably early early spring, like February, and he was the
head coach at Tennessee, and the summer before we'd had
(34:30):
tryouts and been to Knoxville and been on he had
this boat that we were out in the lake on
and it was actually kind of cool. How about this one, guys,
I had to catch a flight to fly home. He
took the whole team out on a boat, a couple
of boats out in the lake outside of Knoxville, and
I was like, hey, BP, I gotta go catch up playing.
(34:52):
He's like, no problem. He like signals over to one
of his boys and they have like another boat. Took
me to a little smaller boat, took me to a
jet ski and I had like a backpack and a
travel back and I'm on the back of the jetski.
Pulls me up to a little launch spot and then
(35:12):
all of a sudden there's like a there's like a
town car waiting for me. Takes me to the airport.
Again to the airport. I was like, this is the
most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. But
I couldn't. You know. My wife at the time was like,
You're not leaving me with three kids under three and
going to Israel with Bruce Pearl for a month. So
I didn't go. But he always credits me. He's like
(35:33):
he was my assistant coach, Like, yeah, I coach with
him like in training camp, which was cool, and I
learned that there's a method to it and he really
knows basketball but I forever wish I was at his
actual assistant. And what's crazy about it is one of
his players is now the head coach at one of
his rivals at Florida, who's also a one seat. The
(35:55):
whole thing is bizarre and cool and if you know BP,
you know they're like yeah tracks. Bruce Pearl joins us,
now head coach of the Auburn Tigers on the Doug
Gotlab Show on Fox Sports Radio. Did I go boat
to boat to jet ski or boat to I don't remember.
I just remember going from the boat to the airport
in really strange fashion.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Well, Doug, it's it's great to be with you, and
I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, it
was back in two thousand and like eight eight eight
y when we when we had that summer training camp
in Knoxville, and we had a great couple of days
and we were we were we'd worked pretty hard, and
so that Sunday when everybody was leaving, we just decided
(36:37):
to take a little time and get out of the lake,
get out of Tennessee River and boats and jet skis
and we were all tied up and we're having too
much fun, and you know, I just can remember you
basically bought your clothes with you. Yes, she said, no,
I'm gonna I'm gonna go. And so I've never seen
anybody with a suitcase and a jet ski.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
And I don't know how you made that on time,
but you made it.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Oh listen, that's just one of the one of the
one of the many planes, trains and automobiles, like dude,
because I like to catch planes where the door literally
hits me as I as I as I get get
on get on the plane. You know, it's interesting. There's
so many coaches that have been in this profession that
they're just like, I can't do this. This is just agents, runners, transfer,
(37:24):
portal like so much stuff. It feels like not only you,
but even your league has kind of embraced the new
era of college sports. What's it like for you? Could
because people forget like you went from assistant coach Division
two head coach, climbed the ladder in Division one to
(37:45):
Final four at Auburn and number one team in the country.
So you've been in this racket for well over thirty
five years. What's it what's the experience like for you
in this new era of college basketball?
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Well, you know, Doug, it's the SEC are slogan, is it?
So of it just means more And the toughest league
in the country is the one you're in. Okay, So
when you were in the Horizon League this year at
green at Green Bay, that was the toughest league in
the country for you. And so what that means was
we recognized that the SEC was going to be committed
(38:20):
to supporting student athletes in the ERAa of NIO. Obviously,
you know football is going to you know, take the
lion's share because of you know, just how much revenue
is driven from those football programs. But the basketball programs
weren't terribly far behind. And the difference between our league
and most other leagues, well, let's just say specifically take
(38:42):
the ACC for example, really only Duke or Louisville or
Clemson or a couple other schools were committed in the
area of NIO for their basketball programs and the others weren't,
and as a result, they're telet level dropped off. Still
great coaches, still great programs. Is in the SEC sixteen
schools invested, I mean really invested. And yeah, you know, look, Doug,
(39:09):
I still look at this as this profession as ministerial.
You know, recruiting has become more transactional. At the same time,
you know, I'm a free market guy. I'm a capitalist.
I believe in this republic, in this country, and I
believe that you know, the market is going to set
with some is worth and all. All that's happened is
we have recognized finally that these student athletes are are
(39:33):
really of greater value, value than what they were really
appreciated for. Everybody else was making money except the student athletes.
That was wrong. The NCAA was slow to adjust. Now,
of course, you know, we have a situation where there
are no guard lines, there are no guard rails, we
won't really have it. We did not really have a
national chip in football this year. Ohio State had as
(39:55):
had the largest, and I also did Texas, so did
a couple of schools. They were the schools that advanced.
And you know, in basketball it won't quite mean the
same because we're not all playing by the same rules.
I hope Congress can get some legislation done, get some
anti trust protection in this so we can pay the
student athletes. But on a more you know, on a
(40:18):
level that we're all playing by the same rules.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
On one hand, you get a top seed. On the
other hand, you've lost three of your last four. I
think that the only question with losing is has it
adjusted or hurt the confidence level of the team into
where you actually stand in the landscape. Do you know
the answer to that?
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I don't know that great question. I don't know the
answer to it yet. You know, But I don't think
we're winning, Jeff, because we're confident. And I don't think
we've lost because we've lost our confidence. Now, we did
miss some free throws in our last game against Tennessee
that would have made a big difference. Okay, and sometimes
(41:01):
conference the three free the line, you know, can can
be a factor. But the three teams you lost to,
we lost to a four seat at six A and M.
We lost to a two seed in uh Alabama and
lost to a two seat. So we lost to all,
you know, really really good teams. But all I can
tell you is the practices have been good, the attitude
has been really good, and we're you know, we're excited
(41:23):
about playing and we're you know, we're in a good
position to finish this thing right.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Having been to the final four income Oh, so close
right losing it just a crazy, crazy controversial call. Uh,
you know, you've won this thing at the Division two level,
But how do you not get ahead of yourself? Right?
Because I just wonder, like you all, every coach has
that and even you know, as players, you have it
where you think of all the things you should have done,
(41:47):
and I've done this, we would have won the national championship.
How do you not get ahead of yourselves to to
game five in game six when you got to worry
about games one through four?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Well? Did you know the answer to that? It's really simple.
Right now, I can only see four other teams in
this tournament, and that's Saint Francis and Alamama State, Creighton
and Louisville. And we are in a tournament. We're going
to play two games, and one of those four teams
or five including Auburn, is advancing to the sweep sixteen.
And that's what we're focused on, truly, what we I'm
(42:18):
not even sure what's next weekend. You know, I think
Michigan States in two. I think I was States in
our bracket too, But I mean, I'm really not looking ahead.
I'm just taking a look at this right now and
making our making sure our team is at the same time.
But I will say this, I've never been a one seat,
but I was born to be a twelve seat. Okay.
I was born in a twelve seat, Okay. And so
(42:41):
but we do have a team that I feel like
I should get to the final four. I'm going to
feel like we should. I feel like we're good enough
to And what you would like to have happened is
you would like along the way, if you do lose,
you would like for somebody to beat you, like somebody
really played exceptionally well, and as a result of playing
(43:02):
exceptionally well, we lost. And that's like the position to
put my team.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
In right down, Yeah, it is. It is weird. Right
twenty years ago, you took UWM to the Sweet sixteen,
right now, and you know, and and it was all,
it was all, we're the Hunter. Now you're the Hunt dead.
That's that. That's an amazing kind of transformation. But it's
it's different for you. It's different for Auburn now. I
I Aubert was a one seed. We played against him
in the second round in ninety nine. Chris Porter, Doc Robinson,
(43:33):
Scott Poulsen I think was his name, he lived. Oh
he lit us up in Indy, really close game. We lost.
But it's a it's a different thing because because the
crowd turns on you, right like if you that game
is closed, all of a sudden you look up, You're like,
hold on, wait, why how do we get How did
this become a road game? Have you ever experienced Have
(43:55):
you experienced that yet in the tournament where you've experienced
being in a road game, but when you're the favorite
and suddenly the crowd turns on you because everyone cheers
for the upset.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Yeah, well we we felt that way last year in Manzaga.
Uh against against Uh when we're we're against you, but
you know what, we're gonna have plenty of people from
Auburn and Lexington. The crowd made sure that the crowd
may turn on us. That's fine. Uh. And I've been
across turned on me my whole life, So I don't care.
(44:25):
I have Doug. Doug I want to be. I want
to be the coach that everybody else in the league hates. Okay,
because you know why they You know when the road
teams actually like opposing coaches. They like opposing coaches that
can't beat their team. I'm gonna bring a team and
that's gonna be able to beat you tonight. And I
don't care if you like me or not. Get over it.
And so I've been booting my whole life. That's like
(44:46):
my name is Bruce. So they when I come out,
they're already brewing me. And so I'm I'm used to it.
Speaker 6 (44:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
I know you got to go, But I got two things. First,
I'm thinking late October exhibition game. We raise money. Hold on,
we raise money for any Israeli cause you would like. Okay,
we get mister Gruber to sponsor it at the Rest Center,
and then we go and we and then we go
in my treat, we go to lambeau Field afterwards.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Let's let's talk about it.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
Let's talk about it. Is a no give me a yes, Bruce.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Hey, listen, I as you know, I I try to
raise a lot of money for Israel, obvious Israel, Kai,
but when it comes to Auburn basketball, I gotta raise
the money money.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Hey, we can do we can do that, listen, we
can definitely, we can definitely do that too. Last thing,
have your birthday?
Speaker 2 (45:39):
Yeah, how about that? Hey, Listen, when you become a
senior citizen, do you stop celebrating birthdays? That's what I
want to know. Because I'm now a senior citizen. My
Brandy makes so much funny. I'm getting all kinds of
mail from Medicaid, I'm getting all these AA r P cards.
I now can get a senior cit again, early bird discount,
and being Jewish, I'm looking for all that. I'm looking
(45:59):
for for a discount on a media or I'm looking
for that senior citizen discount. I can say that.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
By the way, we know what your age is. Fitzing
all over yourself, Bruce. Best of luck. We'll see you
in San Antonio, hopefully on the sidelines. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Have birthday. I missed you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
I missed you. You in the kitchen, all right, we'll see
it actually in Le Lambeo Field in October. I did
make the pitch. I gotta
Host
Doug Gottlieb
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.