April 4, 2023 • 33 mins
Jason and Mike interview with UConn's Forward Alex Karaban as he reacts to his team winning the championship.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:25):
Sports Radio Yukon or your national champions defeating San Diego
State seventy six to fifty nine. Right now we head
right to the locker room. Alex Caravan five points, five rebounds,
three blocks starting forward for the Huskies. Now a national champion. Alex,
(00:45):
Congratulations man, how you feeling? It feels amazing right now.
I don't think the feeling is that any I think
it's really gonna hit when I lay in bed tonight.
But that to nonbelievable feel, and I think everyone is welcome,
deserves that. It's something I can't be taken away from us. Yeah,
for now, on the rest of your life, people need
to introduce you as national champion, Alex Caraban. That's like
(01:07):
it's like the title that you keep the rest of
your life. I'll definitely take that title. I don't want
that to change at all. So this one, you guys
got ahead, but you know a little little anxiousness could
see it in Coach Early's halftime interview. What was that
speech like at halftime as you guys got ready to
go back out yet to continue what we were doing,
(01:29):
to not let up. You know, it was third team
that could come back and they weren't going to give up,
and they definitely showed that during the second half, and
we had to stick to our identity, continue doing what
we were doing and to not let them put off
the gas and kind of defensive zero zero. Now did
I get this right? One of your high school coaches
asked you for a dunk tonight pregame. Why didn't you
to dunk once? He did? And I need a text
(01:50):
and say unfortunately that did not happen. You signed it
by saying champ right, Yeah, National champions champion. I hope
he appreciates that. But you got the three block shots
a big game, and for you guys, the story of
dominance throughout this tournament. When during that non conference part
of the calendar, did you guys realize you had something
(02:11):
special going I say after the tkaty five tournament when
we'd beat Oregon Alabama, and I always say those three
teams were poised for a big time year and they
had a lot of hype going into the year, and
we want to add ourselves into that hype and show
where we were made of. And I think after that
it really took off from there. You know, seeing you
guys and the closest you have with with with Coach
(02:33):
Hurley is awesome. Tell me a story about coach about
the closest is something that says, you know, when I
think about coach, this is a story that comes to mind. Honestly,
I just think you gotta go. You just got to
watch the practices during the season. I think you could
come up with thousands of stories just from watching him
in practice. You know, he looks like a madman in practice.
(02:54):
And I love him to death. I asked a little
bit love it. But you know the intensity that he
goes at, the passion that he in this game. You know,
he does some bizarre stuff. You know, he'll throw cones
around the gym, he'll pull he'll do pull ups on
the rim and like when we messed up, he'll he'll
just start. He he'll honestly hop into drill and show
us how to do it. And you know, I love
him for that, and I love his intentionally, I love
(03:15):
his passion, and I just love the love that he
has for the game. Every time I look at him,
I get a little bit of Mark Strong from Kingsman
out there. So like so there might there might be
a little bit of chaos and involved there. Now. One
of the things that you know has become famous for
the year is that your recruiting trip to Yukon wasn't
the greatest. Yeah, you still show up and now you're
(03:36):
a national champion. How did that go down? And what
made you stick to uh do Yukon and becoming a Husky? No,
um for that my visit, My all my visits were great.
It's that that second visit it was all about academic
So you know it wasn't my favorite one to go
all the academic meetings, but you know, Yukon always felt
(03:56):
like the spot for me and if um it felt
like home. Honestly, hey, you lost your shoe during the
game time there were happening to you before. You will
lose your shoe in the middle of the game. No,
that did not and I was very pissed off it
happened during the national championship. Yeah, but now you can
sell that shoe on eBay and make a lot of money.
That is true, But I think I'm gonna keep thee
(04:16):
from memory. I'm not gonna anyone going to work with that.
So so what do you do to celebrate? Who? Just
really enjoy time with our teammates. I mean, how was
the last time we were playing basketball together? And now
we got one month really before the semester and to
enjoy us before everyone moved on to the respected journeys.
(04:37):
So just enjoy the time that we have with one
another and really just try to embrace the moments. Alex
Caravan three blocks, five points, National Champion, Thank you so
much for stopping by. Congrats and look forward to talking
to down the road. Thanks so much. I have a
great night, enjoy, Thank you. Thanks Alex. Coach is a lunatic.
It jump throwing, like throwing cones around on the rimy,
(05:02):
Come on, dude, pull ups on the right. Yeah. I
like how he says, Oh, coach will step in and
show us how it's done. I'm like I do that said, Hey, listen,
let me show you. Let me show you, Let me
show you, litt this is how we do this. Drill
all right, this is how we do. Let me give
me a glove, give me glove. Me show you to
be slightly more accomplished. I don't know. I'm pretty. I'm pretty.
I'm pretty softball baseball accomplished. I step into a drill
and show yeah, I know, I know the kid dominated
(05:25):
the rec leagues. Let me show you how this. Let
me show you how to pop up slide. I can
show you that a little bit up just about hey
hey hey hey he got under it. But yeah, but
look that's what we've heard. Like when we talked to
Casey Jacobson last hour. You know, Casey has done college
basketball games forever and has talked about Danny Hurley, and
I said, I said, what stands out to you? But
he goes Just watch him pre game and you can
(05:45):
see the love and the relationship he has with his
team with with with his team, like everybody is close
and and and players love that. You know, most coaches
love their players, but this is something different. It's like
he really bonds with his dudes. And he said, and
he also looks insane during practicing. Well, this is double
this is double confirmation. We've gotten on, Daniel, but legitimately,
(06:06):
like you know what a play like, your practice coaching
the same thing, right, you see that intensity if you're
laid back and hands off and we see this, you know.
That was one of my favorite things. When I used
to get to get out on the road for training
camp tours for the nfl IS, you could tell there
was a distinct difference between the coaches who were getting
into the drills, going to each position group and making
(06:31):
sure they got their eyes on and instead of just
waiting for a report after practice. No, you're down there
with the offensive lineman walking across two fields to get
over there where they're working in a little pit off
to the side, because you want to see it. Hands on.
Hurley's that guy that is in the gym and is
immersed in every one of those those drills and that
(06:53):
that play is right. It's about buying right, getting your
kids to buy in that you're coaching. If you're getting
in and showing technique as a pose. D No, no no, no,
not like that. Here's a video clip from the time
of Mansky video. Yeah no, no no, here's me. You know,
trying to show your high hat you're wearing in that
tom a man. Yes, that's a very high Yeah, it's
got of a big deal. But that's that's the thing
about coaching, and this is what people forget. And this
(07:14):
is something from youth level up to up to a
level of college basketball in the NBA. There's different kinds
of success, and we tend to default, or we did to. Hey,
here's the coaches that are the geniuses, that have the
right system and here's a drill we're going to do
(07:36):
where you're going to do this, this, this, and this,
and then we have another drill where we're gonna work
you too exhaustion and you're gonna do this and the
muscle memory, and we tended to fault towards those. Those
are the geniuses, right, the success what's the John Wooden quote,
um and one percent inspiration perspiration, Right, That's how it
always used to be. You work hard, you work hard,
you work hard, and you keep doing it, and you
(07:56):
keep doing you keep grinding. And that was one way
to look at it. But now in the last few years,
you look at successful coaches and you can do it
very differently. There's lots of coaches that can look up
a drill on YouTube and put it out there and say, oh,
I like this, you guys. Anybody can do that. Anybody
can do that, put out a drill and go hey,
we're gonna do this, You're gonna run. But being able
(08:17):
to communicate and to be able to connect with each
player individually, because each players are individuals, and that's a
lesson that. Look, that's something I've always prescribed myself to.
Every girl is different that I coach, and and to
try to find a way to make them the best
version of themselves that they can be. That's kind of
what it is, and that's the way that you can succeed.
(08:40):
That now is starting to become much more acceptable. That
it's about the relations because you look, talented players come in, right,
It's not it's not like Yukon got talent, gets way
more talented players than others. Look schools like Duke certainly
they get the McDonald's All Americans and North Carolina to
get McDonald's All Americans. But it's when they come in,
how do you make them better? And we always used
(09:01):
to default to this was that way, the one percent
inspiration nine percent perspiration. But now that's not the case.
And maybe having shorter practices is something that work. Right,
Why is Mike Brown runaway Coach of the Year in Sacramento, Right,
what's one thing he does shorter practices? Players love him
for that. Right. You don't need to have every practice
be a two and a half hour monster practice where
we're gonna do this and this and this. Hey, they
(09:22):
love Mike Brown. The team's winning. Why, Hey, I get
as much out of you in ninety minutes that I
would get if we had another forty five minutes. So
if we go hard for ninety and you pay attention, hey,
that works. So there's different. It doesn't always mean work
to exhaustion. But in some ways your coach needs to
be able to get with every player and connect with
every player. And you just heard that story that Alex
Caraman told about him. Look, hey, doing pull ups on
(09:43):
and doing this and jumping in and showing you this
is how we'll do it. This is how we do
You can tell that he connects with his players, and
that's and to me, that's better. That's way better than
just saying, hey, we're gonna go out here and do
these and do these drills and then You're gonna get
out there and have all the funereticals because you're good anyway. Right,
you're coming in, you you gotta know that, right, you
gotta know that coming in this guy you're you're not
(10:03):
bringing a guy into you kind of teach him how
to play basketball. You're bringing a kid in who is
pretty good. Okay, how do we bang out the dens?
How do I connect with you and get you to
buy in? And there's twelve to fifteen people that Danny
Hurley's got to do that with that All coaches have
to do that with And you can see the results
for Danny Hurley now, and then you see other coaches
and and you know it's they have different ways and
(10:24):
for the longest time, look the same thing with Syracuse,
like Jim Behan was a guy that let his assistance
do all the coaching, which is great for recruiting and
it's great for for being Now Adrian Autry stepping in
and the players all know him. But if you're a
little bit removed from practice, can you still do that?
Can you still do? You need to be down on
the floor with them and going through everything so they
hear your voice all the time. Not that there's a
right and a wrong way. But this way that Danny
(10:46):
Hurley is is now becoming way more appreciated than it
used to be. And it because I wouldn't be surprised
to find out what kind of drills you well, we
do that. Oh okay, that's pretty much stuff that everybody does.
But they all do it to a great level, or
they're all able to figure out any circumstances situation, because hey,
I buy into coach, and I'm a happy player, and
I always believe a happy player is a good player.
(11:07):
And I buy into that, and I buy into what
he's got, and I buy into my teammates. And what
did Alex Harriman just say there at the end, this
is our last time to play basketball together. We have
another month before people graduate, and this is this is
what we're look this was our last time to play together.
So you tell me that's not a program that everybody
is all in for each other on forget it, man.
That's everything you need to know about Yukon was in
(11:27):
that interview with Alex. But I mean, that's that's a
hell of a perspective from a freshman guy, right, The
one missed opportunity for me, and this would have been
the selfish moment, is that he is a product of
the IMG Academy. Since I was wandering around there a
couple of weeks ago when my daughter was there for
a soccer showcase tournament thing, and I'm walking past the
bad incase, I'm like, what else is going on here?
(11:49):
Because you look it up and you see tuition and
you see what the program is about. I think I
want to I want to know behind the scenes, what
else is going on? What do you got? Man? Everything
you need to know was Alex Caraban, Right, I mean,
that's that's that's the team in a nutshell, and that's
where hey, okay, hiring a guy who's going to be
that kind of person. And look, look, we talked about
(12:10):
Danny Hurley two weeks ago saying, you know, this is
a guy that's got to get credit for being one
of the top two or three coaches in all of
college basketball. Why because everywhere he's been has been the same.
He started out as a head coach at Wagner College,
State An Island, Yes, Staten Island, Wagner College. All the
camps I went to at Wagner College. First year with
Wagner wasn't great. Second year twenty five games, gets a
(12:32):
gig at Rhode Island. First couple of years Rhode Island
was just okay. After that twenty win team, NCAA tournament
team okay, gets a gig at Yukon right now, three
different levels low level D one, mid level D one,
high level D one. First two years at Yukon just
kind of okay. After year two twenty win teams and
now culminating with a national champion here in twenty twenty three.
(12:54):
Everywhere he has gone, he's been successful. And that's not
about a system, and it's not about how this is
about getting people at all walks of life right again,
low level, mid level, high level, wherever you're coming from,
to come and play and play at a high level
for you. I mean Danny, I mean that's he's he's
like that old new school guy, you know, coming from
the blue blood coaching. He did his dad coaching. As
(13:15):
long as he has his brother coaching, brother a big
star in college basketball. I mean it's there for man,
Danny Hurley. See now they're ready for the six man
tag team. Now that he's got his title, the title
belt that he could put around the other question when
he was at Rhode Island. How long do you think
he's spent in Kohog or at the Tennis Hall of
Fame Tennis you twitter at? How about a fresca? Mike
(13:36):
has swallen down The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmen's there you go? Why does Yukon win?
Alex Caraman basically just told us. Coming up next, we
have more on the National Championship Game and the biggest
thing to know coming off it? What's next? We'll tell you.
This is Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harman weekdays
(13:57):
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific and tj oh Hello,
Gary Newman, Fox Sports Radio. Chase The Smith Show with
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buying should be. Well. Not to toot my own horn here,
but boy, did I have a big weekend into Monday.
A predicting college basketball? Right? What did I What did
I predict? What did we do? I said? San Diego
(16:06):
State was gonna win, a perfect trifectation, Sana State was
gonna win. They won. Yukon was gonna win, They won.
LSU was gonna beat Iowa in the women's game, Yeah,
LSU one. Yukon was gonna win this game. Yukon won.
And my big one was what did I tell you?
And the bonus? Another prediction. LSU and Iowa was gonna
(16:31):
be the highest rated women's basketball game of all time.
Right this justin? According to national numbers by Nielsen, LSU's
win over Iowa in the national Championship on Sunday, the
most viewed NCAA women's basketball game on record. What was
(16:52):
it like? Nine nine nine nine nine nine, A one
three jump over last year which, oh, by the way,
pretty big game with South Carolina and Yukon. So what
I tell you, man, that's five for five? That's fine?
Could I have bet that in Vegas? Could I have
bet that? Hand? I want to bet these four results
(17:13):
and this is gonna be the highest rated game in
basketball cause I'm sure that some book would have had it.
You could bet a lot of stuff Like if I
had done that, Like, could I have won a lot
of money? That? Would I have gotten big odds on that? No? No, Jason, Yeah,
you would have lost your parlay because you had the
Mets today. I would not have had the Mets that.
I'm not gonna have the Mets on a Monday after
a four game series where they went three and whatnot.
(17:35):
I'm not gonna do it. No, Legitimately, I maybe you
wouldn't have had huge odds, but if you're bet enough,
it would have been a nice pay. It's I mean,
that's been different. End the bold prediction because three games
is a six to one return Okay, four games, what
is it? Ten to one? And then you add your
(18:00):
which could have biffed which I think that one was.
I don't think you would have gotten great odds on that, Okay,
but I would have because I think given the trajectory
and the Caitlin Clark effect and the Kim Mulkey love
hate relationship because you respect the coach. Yeah, right, but
but let's face it, there's a lot of people that
have a liking problem. Sure, but the fact that she
(18:21):
stole Charlotte Flair's wardrobe, Charlotte who fell to Ria Ripley
on Saturday night for the women's title kind of a
big deal. Kind of big deal, but she came out
with the ruffles of whatever. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Games,
and I'm adding on it. So you had the five
game parlay, would would have given you a nice payout here,
(18:43):
you know, five teen parlays twenty two to one would
have screwed you. Wow, I could have really done something,
but you didn't. You know, we went in. You had
the big shot, the miracle shot. Yes, the on that
game was you want to talk about on watchable. But again,
(19:04):
I mean, to be good just has to be close.
We need a big moment down to be close. But
that one man, that was not a pretty game, but
a great comeback from San Diego State. And that one
this game against Yukon, they got it down to six
and then that was as far as it went before
the seventeen point finale. Now, speaking of big moments, yeah,
(19:25):
tonight marks the end of an era. Now it's not
that we're not going to see him. We'll see him
on our TV's on Thursday. But Jim nance Jim broadcasting
his final national championship game. He and Tony Robo, after
a long run, will no longer broadcast the national championship
game in college basketball. Jim Jim, the ball is round, Jim.
I can't like like they they they're able to they
(19:48):
bounce it on the ground, Jim Jim, Jim. They could
complete passes after bounce the ball on the ground. Jim.
I don't believe this, Jim, Jim. This is huge, Chip
Chip Jim Jim, Jim, this is fanom so. But yeah,
I don't know, I don't know where to go with that.
It really was Tony Rubble. So Jim nance stepping away
(20:09):
from broadcasting college basketball. Now he's gonna go only on
have seven jobs. Uh. This is how he signed off.
The very last words he said on the air, has
a college basketball play by play man, Uh, throwing to
one shining moment after the end, after the final call,
the Huskis are champions. This is how Jim Nance signed off.
(20:29):
And it's getting a lot of attention because hey, I
gotta say, after thirty years doing the national championship game, yeah,
you gotta do it the right way, Tom more than
I mean, this is a walk off guy of moment.
And it's a lot. It's not Jim Nance. It's it's
not Jim Jason. That's actually good call by and it's
not love a very animated very I like his reference
(20:52):
to Forkliff. It's not it's not Jim Jim Michael's Nance. No, listen, listen,
what listen? No, it wasn't. That was Marv Albert and
he was doing the game with Dan Deared or are
you sure yes it was Marvel? Maybe Nance was over chaperoning,
you know, like standing above. Let me ask you this,
let me ask you this serious question. How do you
spell Nance? Uh an a n C okay for Jim Nance?
(21:15):
How do you spell very different Jimmy g E n
D N A n C. I mean, the guy is
a legend. He's walking away and what's trending is Jim
Nance n A n C E. And then he's got
not in and then you got no, it's not Nance,
it's the guys, but not television for thirty pleep in years,
you see his name at the beginning of every game.
(21:37):
He has Nance. Your Jim Nance even says I'm Jim Nance.
You're literally acting like you're never gonna hear the guy
and ever again, people are going crazy, dude, You're literally
gonna hear him in three days calling the masters. Oh yeah,
guy's not going in now. When the when the PGA
players and live golfers brawl day one, now he'll be
calling that, come on in if you will now so
and then you got tight shirt trolling him or me
(21:58):
with the by any way, this is how Jim Nance
signed off for the final time from the Final four.
One thing I learned through all of this, because everybody
has a dream and everybody has a story to tell,
just trying to find that story. Be kind. You've told
it better than most. Let me tell you you can't.
(22:20):
I tell you one other thing. I mean this. I've
been trying to play off bellow friends. But to you,
everybody in the college game, I'm CBS family and my
family and all the viewers. Thank you for being my friend.
See you Thursday. I have a dream saying Abba, you
(22:44):
know what I like? It wasn't you've done it better
than anybody? Jim. It's you've done it better than most,
Bill raft Bill rafter. He's only gonna go so far
with his praise. He's not even gonna tell you half.
You've been the best guy ever, Jim. Let me tell
you which is what you saying. That's you've done a
fair job. You've done better than congratulations at a job.
(23:05):
Yeah done, You've done better than most. And I would say,
you know what blank your onions? Bill? How about that? Okay?
I mean serious, you've done it better than most. Not
you're the best that. This is what you say, whether
you believe it or not, that's what you say about
the guy. Hey, you know nobody ever better thirty five?
How do you not like that? I love that. Good
for you, Bill Raftrey, You're better than most. In fact, him,
(23:27):
let me give you a list of good I think
who are better than you. Oh, can we right here?
Bob cost Us number one? Yeah, I mean people forget
he did Saint Louis basketball. Uh, al Michaels, I mean,
come on, miracle on ice, Let's go here. Hey, why
is it? Why are you in my ear about let
Jim talk. I'm going people that because he's better than most.
Let me tell you other people, I think he's not
better than I an eagle. I'm about that because I'm
(23:49):
gonna have to say legitimately if he'd pulled out a list,
because here's my top five, you're on it. Dick Enberg, Right,
guess where we are on my top five? But I
guess he by Mac. I guess guess you've done it
better than most it. Yeah. I mean, hey, this is
like at the end of my law okay Knockwood, at
(24:11):
the end of my life. If I'm on my deathbed
and my wife is holding my hand and I say, boy,
you've had some kind of great run having we and
she said, yeah, I said you were. You know, you
were the best. I love that I got to spend
all my whole life with you. And she'll say to me, yeah,
you're better than most. I mean, I don't, well, that
means that she was running a parallel line. I can't die,
but I gotta know what that means. Wait, no, I
(24:32):
can't put me up. Hug me back up, Go away
from the light, Go away from the light. Man, do
it better than most is with the rept I mean
now that you're bringing that into the marital status, I mean,
I mean, that's that conversation takes on a whole new,
whole new meaning there, Bunny. Do you think Tony Rommel
put that on the on the prompt and onions? Just
(24:54):
read it. It's like Burgundy. Oh don't you, Romo said
to maccardigo, Bill, Bill, I got I can you get
this in on the final broadcast? You're better than most? Oh?
Great thing. I mean you're getting emotional. Here are you dying?
And tell you why? I just look it. It's just
think about this for a second. That guy every National
(25:16):
Championship since nineteen ninety one. Okay, it's been doing NCA
game since the mid nineteen the eighties, and it's weird
for me. And I'll say this because when's the last
time I heard Jim Nance call a National Championship game.
It's been a decade because we've been on Monday night,
and before that I maybe heard him do a couple
and then before that it hasn't been since two thousand
or you know, two, so I haven't heard it, but
(25:39):
but I respect what he's done. Look at obviously football
and hearing him every Sunday. Jim Jim, Jim Jim. Could
I be the guy now? Jim? Can I take your place?
But I understand you know how how good is and
whether or not I think he's the best. If I
was sitting across from I would still say you're the
best man, and no one's gonna no one's gonna hold
you to that. What's gonna hold you to anything? On
(26:01):
you said Jim was the best, You're saying goodbye to
a guy that's done for over thirty bleeping years and
you're what you're coming with this? Ah, you're better than
most ranks. Number one. Al Michaels, as part of the
Barrett's Summit a couple of weeks ago, started going through
all his broadcast partners, said, you know, I've worked with
over one hundred partners, and he started naming some of them,
(26:23):
so you're thinking, all right, they've got to be the best.
And then he goes and then there's O. J. Simpson
and Bruce Jenner. Any paus that he gets gets the
appropriate responses, goes all through that. But I've had that
happen like I've gone through. I've been in the slot
on Fox Sports Sunday and the Fantasy Show, the Fantasy Freaks,
all of that for a very long time. I've been
(26:45):
a lot of people that have come in and worked
with me for maybe a football season or through the
off season, and then you know, someone would sit back
and come back in NFL analysts, And I've had people
asked that question, Hey, where do I rank with partners
you've had on Sunday? What are you responding? You say
you were one of them? The hell you gonna tell
(27:06):
you the best? I'm gonna say, you're a jerk. I
don't know. I didn't like work. It was like you
were one of them. Read into that what you will
play play it again? A I just want to hear
Bill Refferens say you're better than most guns to play
it again? Changes gets hit, the ball is loose, and
(27:26):
it's a lot that is Nance's best work. And Jason,
I now know how to spell it okay, good. I
was n a n z E very good. That's nets
non z. Are you sure I think so? Yes? N
A N t s NA that that's not that's not
not not to not How do you spelled? Then? N
A N t Z. There's no way like the movie ants, Yeah,
(27:50):
except with an N on the front. Fun facts. The
Grasshoppers scene where he's talking about like these ants can't
know they can overcome us. One of the best in
movie history. It is true history Top five. Jason watch no, no, no,
I would say, you know, at that moment, better than most.
I don't know better than most, Jason. He's literally depicting.
He's like, if they know they're more than us, they
(28:10):
can take us over. It's iconic. Now let's break down
the actor James Wood. No, let's not find me a
Hopper card. So tonight was Jim Nance's last NCAA tournament broadcast.
Can you guys name his first his first Francia broadcast
(28:31):
mid eighties? Um, I'll give you the year. Okay, it
was eighty six, eighty six his first game? What was
big in eighty six? Oh? Did he do that? Eighty
six was Navy and David Robinson. Um, they lost a duke.
That was also Cleveland State, UM Navy beat Syracuse that
(28:53):
year too, that was, but that was everybody beat Syracuse.
I'm gonna say, Navy, David Robinson, you are wrong. Oh wow,
that's a good though. I mean that's look at me No.
One eighty six. That's pretty good though. Yeah, Ken the
Mouse McFadden. Sure. How about a second round game between
Duke and Old Dominion? That was That was his first
tournament game. How about Duke in eighty six? Duke and
(29:15):
eighty six? Was Johnny Dawkins on that team? Was that
Johnny Dawkins eighty six? Was that Jay Billis? Was Jay
Billis on that team? Yes? He was? Wow, look at
that buddy, Johnny Dawkins and Tommy Amaker was on that spot.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harman weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
(29:36):
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app.
Really Jim Nancy's or time we don't get one more?
You know what? He stopped running up the hill. That
was the symbolish here said, to hell with it, I'm
not doing it anymore. For everybody here at CBS and
(29:57):
all you live golfers. That's good. Just find a rough
going at Augusta coming up in a few days. I'm
not even gonna say your names. Took all that money
and left a tour that was making you rich. Congratulations
to the Yukon Huskies for the last time. I'm Jim Nance.
That's n A N t Z out blank. You Raftree
one of the better than most my ass to listen
(30:21):
to this. Call time now for the Play of the night,
brought to you by Progressive Progressive making things even easier.
They'll help you bundle your home and car insurance together
so you can save on both. Learn more Progressive dot
com or call one eight hundred Progressive. Yes. No, the
play of the night clearly has to be Jim Nance
signing off from CBS College Basketball for the last time.
(30:42):
Right again. We're gonna see him a couple of days
and he's still gonna see him doing it. Puts in
a box, Yeah, this is it. It goes to the
vaulting yep, puts the game in a box. So here's
Jim Nance and uh and of course the best part
is Bill Raftery when he decides I got to jump
in and say something, and I'm gonna kind of diminish
(31:02):
what your accomplimence have been for the last thirty years.
Here's the play of the night. Look up, come for
Bruce rang He just hit one outs. Well, nance was
pumped today. Sound like Johnny Nimbus from Living Maddie. Oh boy,
(31:25):
how many hits we have today too? That's all we
got too, Black Blake hits. Harry. I don't think, Jason,
did they end the game when it was ten to
zero or they kept going yeah, mercy rule. It was yeah, mercy, Yeah,
they they Yeah, they have mercy. You guys both like
John Stamo, I mean you got uker guys, Bob hughs
brew Is RADI yes, the Mets lost today. Tend nothing
but see, Jason, your guys team already struggles and they
(31:46):
have a pitch clock. So what are you gonna do?
We're three and two? What are you talking about? Strugg
three and two? You almost lost half the season to No, No,
there's one hundred and sixty two carry was halfway losers
right now, way losing d that's the Phillies arrow arrow
in five. Oh gosh, you guys have been in third
place for the last five years. All right here it
is here is Jim Nance and your play of the night.
(32:08):
One thing I learned through all of this, because everybody
has a dream and everybody has the story to tell,
just trying to find that story. Be kind. You've told
it better than most. Let me tell you you can.
I tell you one other thing. I mean this, I've
been trying to play off devil friends. But to you,
(32:31):
everybody in the college game, my CBS family and my
family and all the viewers, thank you for being my friend.
We have traveled down the road, he says. He says,
be kind, and Raftree says, you've done it better than most.
My friend. Ah, you had a good run, my friend.
Thanks for being my friend. Accept you Rafterree? The hell
(32:52):
is that crap? Do you think he pulled out a chair,
He stood up, grabbed his chair and cracked him over
the back. You've done it better than most. Oh, my god,
Dad's is taking Raftree down. It's the best onions. One
final time for Bill Raftery. You shut up, shut up,
shut up. Don't say a word. Mike Harman, Alex tishert,
(33:15):
Justin Frostburg, Steve to Sailor, and everybody here at Fox
Sports Radio. See you Thursday for the Masters. Ben Maller
is next, and hey, Ben Maller has been one of
my best friends for a long time. He's better than most,
better than most, Fox Nancy
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox Sports
Radio dot com, or stream us live every night on
the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR. You're listening to Fox
(00:25):
Sports Radio Yukon or your national champions defeating San Diego
State seventy six to fifty nine. Right now we head
right to the locker room. Alex Caravan five points, five rebounds,
three blocks starting forward for the Huskies. Now a national champion. Alex,
(00:45):
Congratulations man, how you feeling? It feels amazing right now.
I don't think the feeling is that any I think
it's really gonna hit when I lay in bed tonight.
But that to nonbelievable feel, and I think everyone is welcome,
deserves that. It's something I can't be taken away from us. Yeah,
for now, on the rest of your life, people need
to introduce you as national champion, Alex Caraban. That's like
(01:07):
it's like the title that you keep the rest of
your life. I'll definitely take that title. I don't want
that to change at all. So this one, you guys
got ahead, but you know a little little anxiousness could
see it in Coach Early's halftime interview. What was that
speech like at halftime as you guys got ready to
go back out yet to continue what we were doing,
(01:29):
to not let up. You know, it was third team
that could come back and they weren't going to give up,
and they definitely showed that during the second half, and
we had to stick to our identity, continue doing what
we were doing and to not let them put off
the gas and kind of defensive zero zero. Now did
I get this right? One of your high school coaches
asked you for a dunk tonight pregame. Why didn't you
to dunk once? He did? And I need a text
(01:50):
and say unfortunately that did not happen. You signed it
by saying champ right, Yeah, National champions champion. I hope
he appreciates that. But you got the three block shots
a big game, and for you guys, the story of
dominance throughout this tournament. When during that non conference part
of the calendar, did you guys realize you had something
(02:11):
special going I say after the tkaty five tournament when
we'd beat Oregon Alabama, and I always say those three
teams were poised for a big time year and they
had a lot of hype going into the year, and
we want to add ourselves into that hype and show
where we were made of. And I think after that
it really took off from there. You know, seeing you
guys and the closest you have with with with Coach
(02:33):
Hurley is awesome. Tell me a story about coach about
the closest is something that says, you know, when I
think about coach, this is a story that comes to mind. Honestly,
I just think you gotta go. You just got to
watch the practices during the season. I think you could
come up with thousands of stories just from watching him
in practice. You know, he looks like a madman in practice.
(02:54):
And I love him to death. I asked a little
bit love it. But you know the intensity that he
goes at, the passion that he in this game. You know,
he does some bizarre stuff. You know, he'll throw cones
around the gym, he'll pull he'll do pull ups on
the rim and like when we messed up, he'll he'll
just start. He he'll honestly hop into drill and show
us how to do it. And you know, I love
him for that, and I love his intentionally, I love
(03:15):
his passion, and I just love the love that he
has for the game. Every time I look at him,
I get a little bit of Mark Strong from Kingsman
out there. So like so there might there might be
a little bit of chaos and involved there. Now. One
of the things that you know has become famous for
the year is that your recruiting trip to Yukon wasn't
the greatest. Yeah, you still show up and now you're
(03:36):
a national champion. How did that go down? And what
made you stick to uh do Yukon and becoming a Husky? No,
um for that my visit, My all my visits were great.
It's that that second visit it was all about academic
So you know it wasn't my favorite one to go
all the academic meetings, but you know, Yukon always felt
(03:56):
like the spot for me and if um it felt
like home. Honestly, hey, you lost your shoe during the
game time there were happening to you before. You will
lose your shoe in the middle of the game. No,
that did not and I was very pissed off it
happened during the national championship. Yeah, but now you can
sell that shoe on eBay and make a lot of money.
That is true, But I think I'm gonna keep thee
(04:16):
from memory. I'm not gonna anyone going to work with that.
So so what do you do to celebrate? Who? Just
really enjoy time with our teammates. I mean, how was
the last time we were playing basketball together? And now
we got one month really before the semester and to
enjoy us before everyone moved on to the respected journeys.
(04:37):
So just enjoy the time that we have with one
another and really just try to embrace the moments. Alex
Caravan three blocks, five points, National Champion, Thank you so
much for stopping by. Congrats and look forward to talking
to down the road. Thanks so much. I have a
great night, enjoy, Thank you. Thanks Alex. Coach is a lunatic.
It jump throwing, like throwing cones around on the rimy,
(05:02):
Come on, dude, pull ups on the right. Yeah. I
like how he says, Oh, coach will step in and
show us how it's done. I'm like I do that said, Hey, listen,
let me show you. Let me show you, Let me
show you, litt this is how we do this. Drill
all right, this is how we do. Let me give
me a glove, give me glove. Me show you to
be slightly more accomplished. I don't know. I'm pretty. I'm pretty.
I'm pretty softball baseball accomplished. I step into a drill
and show yeah, I know, I know the kid dominated
(05:25):
the rec leagues. Let me show you how this. Let
me show you how to pop up slide. I can
show you that a little bit up just about hey
hey hey hey he got under it. But yeah, but
look that's what we've heard. Like when we talked to
Casey Jacobson last hour. You know, Casey has done college
basketball games forever and has talked about Danny Hurley, and
I said, I said, what stands out to you? But
he goes Just watch him pre game and you can
(05:45):
see the love and the relationship he has with his
team with with with his team, like everybody is close
and and and players love that. You know, most coaches
love their players, but this is something different. It's like
he really bonds with his dudes. And he said, and
he also looks insane during practicing. Well, this is double
this is double confirmation. We've gotten on, Daniel, but legitimately,
(06:06):
like you know what a play like, your practice coaching
the same thing, right, you see that intensity if you're
laid back and hands off and we see this, you know.
That was one of my favorite things. When I used
to get to get out on the road for training
camp tours for the nfl IS, you could tell there
was a distinct difference between the coaches who were getting
into the drills, going to each position group and making
(06:31):
sure they got their eyes on and instead of just
waiting for a report after practice. No, you're down there
with the offensive lineman walking across two fields to get
over there where they're working in a little pit off
to the side, because you want to see it. Hands on.
Hurley's that guy that is in the gym and is
immersed in every one of those those drills and that
(06:53):
that play is right. It's about buying right, getting your
kids to buy in that you're coaching. If you're getting
in and showing technique as a pose. D No, no no, no,
not like that. Here's a video clip from the time
of Mansky video. Yeah no, no no, here's me. You know,
trying to show your high hat you're wearing in that
tom a man. Yes, that's a very high Yeah, it's
got of a big deal. But that's that's the thing
about coaching, and this is what people forget. And this
(07:14):
is something from youth level up to up to a
level of college basketball in the NBA. There's different kinds
of success, and we tend to default, or we did to. Hey,
here's the coaches that are the geniuses, that have the
right system and here's a drill we're going to do
(07:36):
where you're going to do this, this, this, and this,
and then we have another drill where we're gonna work
you too exhaustion and you're gonna do this and the
muscle memory, and we tended to fault towards those. Those
are the geniuses, right, the success what's the John Wooden quote,
um and one percent inspiration perspiration, Right, That's how it
always used to be. You work hard, you work hard,
you work hard, and you keep doing it, and you
(07:56):
keep doing you keep grinding. And that was one way
to look at it. But now in the last few years,
you look at successful coaches and you can do it
very differently. There's lots of coaches that can look up
a drill on YouTube and put it out there and say, oh,
I like this, you guys. Anybody can do that. Anybody
can do that, put out a drill and go hey,
we're gonna do this, You're gonna run. But being able
(08:17):
to communicate and to be able to connect with each
player individually, because each players are individuals, and that's a
lesson that. Look, that's something I've always prescribed myself to.
Every girl is different that I coach, and and to
try to find a way to make them the best
version of themselves that they can be. That's kind of
what it is, and that's the way that you can succeed.
(08:40):
That now is starting to become much more acceptable. That
it's about the relations because you look, talented players come in, right,
It's not it's not like Yukon got talent, gets way
more talented players than others. Look schools like Duke certainly
they get the McDonald's All Americans and North Carolina to
get McDonald's All Americans. But it's when they come in,
how do you make them better? And we always used
(09:01):
to default to this was that way, the one percent
inspiration nine percent perspiration. But now that's not the case.
And maybe having shorter practices is something that work. Right,
Why is Mike Brown runaway Coach of the Year in Sacramento, Right,
what's one thing he does shorter practices? Players love him
for that. Right. You don't need to have every practice
be a two and a half hour monster practice where
we're gonna do this and this and this. Hey, they
(09:22):
love Mike Brown. The team's winning. Why, Hey, I get
as much out of you in ninety minutes that I
would get if we had another forty five minutes. So
if we go hard for ninety and you pay attention, hey,
that works. So there's different. It doesn't always mean work
to exhaustion. But in some ways your coach needs to
be able to get with every player and connect with
every player. And you just heard that story that Alex
Caraman told about him. Look, hey, doing pull ups on
(09:43):
and doing this and jumping in and showing you this
is how we'll do it. This is how we do
You can tell that he connects with his players, and
that's and to me, that's better. That's way better than
just saying, hey, we're gonna go out here and do
these and do these drills and then You're gonna get
out there and have all the funereticals because you're good anyway. Right,
you're coming in, you you gotta know that, right, you
gotta know that coming in this guy you're you're not
(10:03):
bringing a guy into you kind of teach him how
to play basketball. You're bringing a kid in who is
pretty good. Okay, how do we bang out the dens?
How do I connect with you and get you to
buy in? And there's twelve to fifteen people that Danny
Hurley's got to do that with that All coaches have
to do that with And you can see the results
for Danny Hurley now, and then you see other coaches
and and you know it's they have different ways and
(10:24):
for the longest time, look the same thing with Syracuse,
like Jim Behan was a guy that let his assistance
do all the coaching, which is great for recruiting and
it's great for for being Now Adrian Autry stepping in
and the players all know him. But if you're a
little bit removed from practice, can you still do that?
Can you still do? You need to be down on
the floor with them and going through everything so they
hear your voice all the time. Not that there's a
right and a wrong way. But this way that Danny
(10:46):
Hurley is is now becoming way more appreciated than it
used to be. And it because I wouldn't be surprised
to find out what kind of drills you well, we
do that. Oh okay, that's pretty much stuff that everybody does.
But they all do it to a great level, or
they're all able to figure out any circumstances situation, because hey,
I buy into coach, and I'm a happy player, and
I always believe a happy player is a good player.
(11:07):
And I buy into that, and I buy into what
he's got, and I buy into my teammates. And what
did Alex Harriman just say there at the end, this
is our last time to play basketball together. We have
another month before people graduate, and this is this is
what we're look this was our last time to play together.
So you tell me that's not a program that everybody
is all in for each other on forget it, man.
That's everything you need to know about Yukon was in
(11:27):
that interview with Alex. But I mean, that's that's a
hell of a perspective from a freshman guy, right, The
one missed opportunity for me, and this would have been
the selfish moment, is that he is a product of
the IMG Academy. Since I was wandering around there a
couple of weeks ago when my daughter was there for
a soccer showcase tournament thing, and I'm walking past the
bad incase, I'm like, what else is going on here?
(11:49):
Because you look it up and you see tuition and
you see what the program is about. I think I
want to I want to know behind the scenes, what
else is going on? What do you got? Man? Everything
you need to know was Alex Caraban, Right, I mean,
that's that's that's the team in a nutshell, and that's
where hey, okay, hiring a guy who's going to be
that kind of person. And look, look, we talked about
(12:10):
Danny Hurley two weeks ago saying, you know, this is
a guy that's got to get credit for being one
of the top two or three coaches in all of
college basketball. Why because everywhere he's been has been the same.
He started out as a head coach at Wagner College,
State An Island, Yes, Staten Island, Wagner College. All the
camps I went to at Wagner College. First year with
Wagner wasn't great. Second year twenty five games, gets a
(12:32):
gig at Rhode Island. First couple of years Rhode Island
was just okay. After that twenty win team, NCAA tournament
team okay, gets a gig at Yukon right now, three
different levels low level D one, mid level D one,
high level D one. First two years at Yukon just
kind of okay. After year two twenty win teams and
now culminating with a national champion here in twenty twenty three.
(12:54):
Everywhere he has gone, he's been successful. And that's not
about a system, and it's not about how this is
about getting people at all walks of life right again,
low level, mid level, high level, wherever you're coming from,
to come and play and play at a high level
for you. I mean Danny, I mean that's he's he's
like that old new school guy, you know, coming from
the blue blood coaching. He did his dad coaching. As
(13:15):
long as he has his brother coaching, brother a big
star in college basketball. I mean it's there for man,
Danny Hurley. See now they're ready for the six man
tag team. Now that he's got his title, the title
belt that he could put around the other question when
he was at Rhode Island. How long do you think
he's spent in Kohog or at the Tennis Hall of
Fame Tennis you twitter at? How about a fresca? Mike
(13:36):
has swallen down The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmen's there you go? Why does Yukon win?
Alex Caraman basically just told us. Coming up next, we
have more on the National Championship Game and the biggest
thing to know coming off it? What's next? We'll tell you.
This is Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harman weekdays
(13:57):
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific and tj oh Hello,
Gary Newman, Fox Sports Radio. Chase The Smith Show with
my best friend Mike ja don take one guess what
the song is about? Um, I don't know automobiles. It's
(14:18):
not about anime? No, oh gosh, and play every second.
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no no, it won't sound anything like it. We're gonna
call the song Cars and it's by me Gary Newman. Okay,
but it's okay, but you realize the Cars are really
popular band. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, but we're gonna
kind of piggyback on their success. Here's you. If you
heard that new song Cars, people will think it's by
the band Cars. But then they hear my voice and say,
(15:02):
that doesn't sound like the guy from the Cars. But
the song is called Cars, And then I'm a superstar
and maybe he's opening for the Cars. Well, I mean, look,
he can't fall to good strategy. No, even if it
got people to listen once, like nowadays, this would be genius. No,
because everybody would you get credit for the listen. They
get a couple of bars in and then you start singing,
(15:22):
it's like, wait, that's not it's not them, it's not
the Cars, it's not the Cars. That was lightning McQueen
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buying should be. Well. Not to toot my own horn here,
but boy, did I have a big weekend into Monday.
A predicting college basketball? Right? What did I What did
I predict? What did we do? I said? San Diego
(16:06):
State was gonna win, a perfect trifectation, Sana State was
gonna win. They won. Yukon was gonna win, They won.
LSU was gonna beat Iowa in the women's game, Yeah,
LSU one. Yukon was gonna win this game. Yukon won.
And my big one was what did I tell you?
And the bonus? Another prediction. LSU and Iowa was gonna
(16:31):
be the highest rated women's basketball game of all time.
Right this justin? According to national numbers by Nielsen, LSU's
win over Iowa in the national Championship on Sunday, the
most viewed NCAA women's basketball game on record. What was
(16:52):
it like? Nine nine nine nine nine nine, A one
three jump over last year which, oh, by the way,
pretty big game with South Carolina and Yukon. So what
I tell you, man, that's five for five? That's fine?
Could I have bet that in Vegas? Could I have
bet that? Hand? I want to bet these four results
(17:13):
and this is gonna be the highest rated game in
basketball cause I'm sure that some book would have had it.
You could bet a lot of stuff Like if I
had done that, Like, could I have won a lot
of money? That? Would I have gotten big odds on that? No? No, Jason, Yeah,
you would have lost your parlay because you had the
Mets today. I would not have had the Mets that.
I'm not gonna have the Mets on a Monday after
a four game series where they went three and whatnot.
(17:35):
I'm not gonna do it. No, Legitimately, I maybe you
wouldn't have had huge odds, but if you're bet enough,
it would have been a nice pay. It's I mean,
that's been different. End the bold prediction because three games
is a six to one return Okay, four games, what
is it? Ten to one? And then you add your
(18:00):
which could have biffed which I think that one was.
I don't think you would have gotten great odds on that, Okay,
but I would have because I think given the trajectory
and the Caitlin Clark effect and the Kim Mulkey love
hate relationship because you respect the coach. Yeah, right, but
but let's face it, there's a lot of people that
have a liking problem. Sure, but the fact that she
(18:21):
stole Charlotte Flair's wardrobe, Charlotte who fell to Ria Ripley
on Saturday night for the women's title kind of a
big deal. Kind of big deal, but she came out
with the ruffles of whatever. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Games,
and I'm adding on it. So you had the five
game parlay, would would have given you a nice payout here,
(18:43):
you know, five teen parlays twenty two to one would
have screwed you. Wow, I could have really done something,
but you didn't. You know, we went in. You had
the big shot, the miracle shot. Yes, the on that
game was you want to talk about on watchable. But again,
(19:04):
I mean, to be good just has to be close.
We need a big moment down to be close. But
that one man, that was not a pretty game, but
a great comeback from San Diego State. And that one
this game against Yukon, they got it down to six
and then that was as far as it went before
the seventeen point finale. Now, speaking of big moments, yeah,
(19:25):
tonight marks the end of an era. Now it's not
that we're not going to see him. We'll see him
on our TV's on Thursday. But Jim nance Jim broadcasting
his final national championship game. He and Tony Robo, after
a long run, will no longer broadcast the national championship
game in college basketball. Jim Jim, the ball is round, Jim.
I can't like like they they they're able to they
(19:48):
bounce it on the ground, Jim Jim, Jim. They could
complete passes after bounce the ball on the ground. Jim.
I don't believe this, Jim, Jim. This is huge, Chip
Chip Jim Jim, Jim, this is fanom so. But yeah,
I don't know, I don't know where to go with that.
It really was Tony Rubble. So Jim nance stepping away
(20:09):
from broadcasting college basketball. Now he's gonna go only on
have seven jobs. Uh. This is how he signed off.
The very last words he said on the air, has
a college basketball play by play man, Uh, throwing to
one shining moment after the end, after the final call,
the Huskis are champions. This is how Jim Nance signed off.
(20:29):
And it's getting a lot of attention because hey, I
gotta say, after thirty years doing the national championship game, yeah,
you gotta do it the right way, Tom more than
I mean, this is a walk off guy of moment.
And it's a lot. It's not Jim Nance. It's it's
not Jim Jason. That's actually good call by and it's
not love a very animated very I like his reference
(20:52):
to Forkliff. It's not it's not Jim Jim Michael's Nance. No, listen, listen,
what listen? No, it wasn't. That was Marv Albert and
he was doing the game with Dan Deared or are
you sure yes it was Marvel? Maybe Nance was over chaperoning,
you know, like standing above. Let me ask you this,
let me ask you this serious question. How do you
spell Nance? Uh an a n C okay for Jim Nance?
(21:15):
How do you spell very different Jimmy g E n
D N A n C. I mean, the guy is
a legend. He's walking away and what's trending is Jim
Nance n A n C E. And then he's got
not in and then you got no, it's not Nance,
it's the guys, but not television for thirty pleep in years,
you see his name at the beginning of every game.
(21:37):
He has Nance. Your Jim Nance even says I'm Jim Nance.
You're literally acting like you're never gonna hear the guy
and ever again, people are going crazy, dude, You're literally
gonna hear him in three days calling the masters. Oh yeah,
guy's not going in now. When the when the PGA
players and live golfers brawl day one, now he'll be
calling that, come on in if you will now so
and then you got tight shirt trolling him or me
(21:58):
with the by any way, this is how Jim Nance
signed off for the final time from the Final four.
One thing I learned through all of this, because everybody
has a dream and everybody has a story to tell,
just trying to find that story. Be kind. You've told
it better than most. Let me tell you you can't.
(22:20):
I tell you one other thing. I mean this. I've
been trying to play off bellow friends. But to you,
everybody in the college game, I'm CBS family and my
family and all the viewers. Thank you for being my friend.
See you Thursday. I have a dream saying Abba, you
(22:44):
know what I like? It wasn't you've done it better
than anybody? Jim. It's you've done it better than most,
Bill raft Bill rafter. He's only gonna go so far
with his praise. He's not even gonna tell you half.
You've been the best guy ever, Jim. Let me tell
you which is what you saying. That's you've done a
fair job. You've done better than congratulations at a job.
(23:05):
Yeah done, You've done better than most. And I would say,
you know what blank your onions? Bill? How about that? Okay?
I mean serious, you've done it better than most. Not
you're the best that. This is what you say, whether
you believe it or not, that's what you say about
the guy. Hey, you know nobody ever better thirty five?
How do you not like that? I love that. Good
for you, Bill Raftrey, You're better than most. In fact, him,
(23:27):
let me give you a list of good I think
who are better than you. Oh, can we right here?
Bob cost Us number one? Yeah, I mean people forget
he did Saint Louis basketball. Uh, al Michaels, I mean,
come on, miracle on ice, Let's go here. Hey, why
is it? Why are you in my ear about let
Jim talk. I'm going people that because he's better than most.
Let me tell you other people, I think he's not
better than I an eagle. I'm about that because I'm
(23:49):
gonna have to say legitimately if he'd pulled out a list,
because here's my top five, you're on it. Dick Enberg, Right,
guess where we are on my top five? But I
guess he by Mac. I guess guess you've done it
better than most it. Yeah. I mean, hey, this is
like at the end of my law okay Knockwood, at
(24:11):
the end of my life. If I'm on my deathbed
and my wife is holding my hand and I say, boy,
you've had some kind of great run having we and
she said, yeah, I said you were. You know, you
were the best. I love that I got to spend
all my whole life with you. And she'll say to me, yeah,
you're better than most. I mean, I don't, well, that
means that she was running a parallel line. I can't die,
but I gotta know what that means. Wait, no, I
(24:32):
can't put me up. Hug me back up, Go away
from the light, Go away from the light. Man, do
it better than most is with the rept I mean
now that you're bringing that into the marital status, I mean,
I mean, that's that conversation takes on a whole new,
whole new meaning there, Bunny. Do you think Tony Rommel
put that on the on the prompt and onions? Just
(24:54):
read it. It's like Burgundy. Oh don't you, Romo said
to maccardigo, Bill, Bill, I got I can you get
this in on the final broadcast? You're better than most? Oh?
Great thing. I mean you're getting emotional. Here are you dying?
And tell you why? I just look it. It's just
think about this for a second. That guy every National
(25:16):
Championship since nineteen ninety one. Okay, it's been doing NCA
game since the mid nineteen the eighties, and it's weird
for me. And I'll say this because when's the last
time I heard Jim Nance call a National Championship game.
It's been a decade because we've been on Monday night,
and before that I maybe heard him do a couple
and then before that it hasn't been since two thousand
or you know, two, so I haven't heard it, but
(25:39):
but I respect what he's done. Look at obviously football
and hearing him every Sunday. Jim Jim, Jim Jim. Could
I be the guy now? Jim? Can I take your place?
But I understand you know how how good is and
whether or not I think he's the best. If I
was sitting across from I would still say you're the
best man, and no one's gonna no one's gonna hold
you to that. What's gonna hold you to anything? On
(26:01):
you said Jim was the best, You're saying goodbye to
a guy that's done for over thirty bleeping years and
you're what you're coming with this? Ah, you're better than
most ranks. Number one. Al Michaels, as part of the
Barrett's Summit a couple of weeks ago, started going through
all his broadcast partners, said, you know, I've worked with
over one hundred partners, and he started naming some of them,
(26:23):
so you're thinking, all right, they've got to be the best.
And then he goes and then there's O. J. Simpson
and Bruce Jenner. Any paus that he gets gets the
appropriate responses, goes all through that. But I've had that
happen like I've gone through. I've been in the slot
on Fox Sports Sunday and the Fantasy Show, the Fantasy Freaks,
all of that for a very long time. I've been
(26:45):
a lot of people that have come in and worked
with me for maybe a football season or through the
off season, and then you know, someone would sit back
and come back in NFL analysts, And I've had people
asked that question, Hey, where do I rank with partners
you've had on Sunday? What are you responding? You say
you were one of them? The hell you gonna tell
(27:06):
you the best? I'm gonna say, you're a jerk. I
don't know. I didn't like work. It was like you
were one of them. Read into that what you will
play play it again? A I just want to hear
Bill Refferens say you're better than most guns to play
it again? Changes gets hit, the ball is loose, and
(27:26):
it's a lot that is Nance's best work. And Jason,
I now know how to spell it okay, good. I
was n a n z E very good. That's nets
non z. Are you sure I think so? Yes? N
A N t s NA that that's not that's not
not not to not How do you spelled? Then? N
A N t Z. There's no way like the movie ants, Yeah,
(27:50):
except with an N on the front. Fun facts. The
Grasshoppers scene where he's talking about like these ants can't
know they can overcome us. One of the best in
movie history. It is true history Top five. Jason watch no, no, no,
I would say, you know, at that moment, better than most.
I don't know better than most, Jason. He's literally depicting.
He's like, if they know they're more than us, they
(28:10):
can take us over. It's iconic. Now let's break down
the actor James Wood. No, let's not find me a
Hopper card. So tonight was Jim Nance's last NCAA tournament broadcast.
Can you guys name his first his first Francia broadcast
(28:31):
mid eighties? Um, I'll give you the year. Okay, it
was eighty six, eighty six his first game? What was
big in eighty six? Oh? Did he do that? Eighty
six was Navy and David Robinson. Um, they lost a duke.
That was also Cleveland State, UM Navy beat Syracuse that
(28:53):
year too, that was, but that was everybody beat Syracuse.
I'm gonna say, Navy, David Robinson, you are wrong. Oh wow,
that's a good though. I mean that's look at me No.
One eighty six. That's pretty good though. Yeah, Ken the
Mouse McFadden. Sure. How about a second round game between
Duke and Old Dominion? That was That was his first
tournament game. How about Duke in eighty six? Duke and
(29:15):
eighty six? Was Johnny Dawkins on that team? Was that
Johnny Dawkins eighty six? Was that Jay Billis? Was Jay
Billis on that team? Yes? He was? Wow, look at
that buddy, Johnny Dawkins and Tommy Amaker was on that spot.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harman weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
(29:36):
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app.
Really Jim Nancy's or time we don't get one more?
You know what? He stopped running up the hill. That
was the symbolish here said, to hell with it, I'm
not doing it anymore. For everybody here at CBS and
(29:57):
all you live golfers. That's good. Just find a rough
going at Augusta coming up in a few days. I'm
not even gonna say your names. Took all that money
and left a tour that was making you rich. Congratulations
to the Yukon Huskies for the last time. I'm Jim Nance.
That's n A N t Z out blank. You Raftree
one of the better than most my ass to listen
(30:21):
to this. Call time now for the Play of the night,
brought to you by Progressive Progressive making things even easier.
They'll help you bundle your home and car insurance together
so you can save on both. Learn more Progressive dot
com or call one eight hundred Progressive. Yes. No, the
play of the night clearly has to be Jim Nance
signing off from CBS College Basketball for the last time.
(30:42):
Right again. We're gonna see him a couple of days
and he's still gonna see him doing it. Puts in
a box, Yeah, this is it. It goes to the
vaulting yep, puts the game in a box. So here's
Jim Nance and uh and of course the best part
is Bill Raftery when he decides I got to jump
in and say something, and I'm gonna kind of diminish
(31:02):
what your accomplimence have been for the last thirty years.
Here's the play of the night. Look up, come for
Bruce rang He just hit one outs. Well, nance was
pumped today. Sound like Johnny Nimbus from Living Maddie. Oh boy,
(31:25):
how many hits we have today too? That's all we
got too, Black Blake hits. Harry. I don't think, Jason,
did they end the game when it was ten to
zero or they kept going yeah, mercy rule. It was yeah, mercy, Yeah,
they they Yeah, they have mercy. You guys both like
John Stamo, I mean you got uker guys, Bob hughs
brew Is RADI yes, the Mets lost today. Tend nothing
but see, Jason, your guys team already struggles and they
(31:46):
have a pitch clock. So what are you gonna do?
We're three and two? What are you talking about? Strugg
three and two? You almost lost half the season to No, No,
there's one hundred and sixty two carry was halfway losers
right now, way losing d that's the Phillies arrow arrow
in five. Oh gosh, you guys have been in third
place for the last five years. All right here it
is here is Jim Nance and your play of the night.
(32:08):
One thing I learned through all of this, because everybody
has a dream and everybody has the story to tell,
just trying to find that story. Be kind. You've told
it better than most. Let me tell you you can.
I tell you one other thing. I mean this, I've
been trying to play off devil friends. But to you,
(32:31):
everybody in the college game, my CBS family and my
family and all the viewers, thank you for being my friend.
We have traveled down the road, he says. He says,
be kind, and Raftree says, you've done it better than most.
My friend. Ah, you had a good run, my friend.
Thanks for being my friend. Accept you Rafterree? The hell
(32:52):
is that crap? Do you think he pulled out a chair,
He stood up, grabbed his chair and cracked him over
the back. You've done it better than most. Oh, my god,
Dad's is taking Raftree down. It's the best onions. One
final time for Bill Raftery. You shut up, shut up,
shut up. Don't say a word. Mike Harman, Alex tishert,
(33:15):
Justin Frostburg, Steve to Sailor, and everybody here at Fox
Sports Radio. See you Thursday for the Masters. Ben Maller
is next, and hey, Ben Maller has been one of
my best friends for a long time. He's better than most,
better than most, Fox Nancy
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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