April 2, 2025 • 37 mins
On today's episode, Jason chats with CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein to get all the Tournament insight you need ahead of this weekend's Final Four. Jon breaks down each of the remaining four teams and explains why he is sticking with his pre-tourney picks of Houston over Florida in the final. Jon examines Duke's season and answers whether Jon Scheyer is the next Coach K, and if Cooper Flagg is outdoing Zion Williamson's sensational year with the Blue Devils. Plus, Jon reacts to some of the latest moves on the transfer portal and sheds some knowledge on which Tournament stars could see success at the next level.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
What is up, Straight Bar fam, It's name Jason McIntyre.
Straight Fire for Wednesday, April the second. No, boy, we
got a great podcast today. John Rothstein CBS Sports does
a lot of stuff on college basketball. Maybe like we're
going heavy on college hoops the last few weeks. Maybe
too heavy. I don't know, we'll find out. I love
(00:32):
this stuff. We talked of betting on the Final Four. Obviously,
Rostein is mister college Basketball over at CBS Sports doing
some viral videos. We had friend for schill on Jay
Billis Jeff Goodman. I mean, we are hitting it hard.
I reached out to my boy jim Jackson. He's like,
I'm in Vegas calling games. I was like, all right, fine,
I can hold off Jimmy Jimmy jack Before we get
(00:53):
to Rothstein, just one quick note on the Final Four.
I saw the most interesting I've seen and I've you know,
I got Duke in the money line parlay. I tease Duke.
I was gonna go bet heavy Duke minus four juice.
I think it's like minus one thirty nine, so it'd
be like one hundred thirty nine bucks to one hundred
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Is that Duke.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Last played a top twenty five Ken Palm defense in
February and they lost and I was to Clemson on
the road. They will face a top ten defense against Houston,
which is number I think let me say, is isa
it one? Yeah, Houston's number one defense in the country
and number two is Florida a number I'm sorry. Number
(01:43):
ten is Florida. At number eight is Auburn. So Duke,
which hasn't faced a top twenty five defense since Clemson
in let me get the exact date, February eighth, we'll
face one on Saturday. Now, will that be a shock
to the system because they've played some kind of lesser
like Alabama does not have a good defense. We know
that who else Duke beat to get here Arizona's defenses
(02:06):
and Baylor's defense is like fifties, So this will be
a bit of a step up. And that's the only
reason I held off on going like extra heavy. And again,
Duke has cash for every single round. Now, I know
they didn't beat Arizona with the spread I think was nine.
They only won by seven, But I'm not betting them
with the spread with these huge numbers, right, you're doing
moneyline parlay. You're teasing them, and I know you don't
(02:27):
tease basketball, but whatever, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I like Douke a lot, but this.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Gave me a moment of pause. Houston, of course playing
at home, essentially not home. But Houston is close to
San Antonio. It's a couple hour drive. I've never been
to San Antonio. But it can't be. It's not that bad.
Houston will certainly have a crowd edge, as Rostin agrees.
But anyways, real quick only NBA note I had was
(02:53):
you see this late last night, Steph Curry goes for
fifty two against re Memphis. Fifty two, I mean twelve threes.
The guy's thirty seven, and I joked on social media
and of course has pissed so many people off. Boy
Michael Jordan had quit twice by the time you know,
Curry's thirty seven. By the age thirty seven, Jordan quit twice.
(03:16):
Magic Johnson HIV long gone. Isaiah Thomas had been out
for five years. He retired at I think thirty two
after an Achilles' injury. Larry Bird, all these greats from
yet and Curry's now hanging fifty two at the age
of thirty seven, Like, at what point do we start
to be like, dude, yeah, he's definitely top ten. I
have him top ten all time. I think more people
(03:36):
should but you know, we'll see. But the more interesting
thing is Golden State with the wind has passed Memphis,
which has lost four straight in the West. Now that
sets up Thursday night's big one, Warriors at Lakers at Crypto.
I mean, Golden State's able to pull that one off.
(03:58):
The Lakers have an extra day arrest, which is nice that.
I mean, that's gonna be a big game for seeding.
If the Warriors win that, then they could be top four.
Lakers need to secure that because remember they have two
more against okac okayc's just dismembering teams. But yeah, their
Thursday big one for the Lakers and the Warriors, and
of course Curry and Lebron and Lucas should be a
banger of a game. All right, Without further ado, let's
(04:19):
get to our guest, CBS Sports's John Rosstein.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsportsradio dot
com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Live.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You know, Jason likes to think he knows everything when
it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I know what sports fans want, but for.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Everything he doesn't, he knows the guy who does.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Let's just say I know a guy who knows the
guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
All right, let's welcome into straight fire. One of the
biggest names in college basketball.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Man.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Listen, we've been on a run getting great guests, and
this guy has been dominant during the tournament. He was
profiled in The Athletic He's got these viral videos going
on where people quiz him on who won the national
championship in like nineteen ninety four. I listen, I'll tell
you about a game I used to play my buddies
in sixth grade. But it's talk. Come in, John Rosstein,
CBS Sports. You've seen him throughout the coverage of the tournament. John,
(05:19):
you're dominating, man. How are you.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I'm great, Jason, Great to be with you, man.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, it's very exciting. The tournament's coming to an end here.
I think a great tournament. I'm just curious. Macro level
zoom out. I know you love it. All these chalky
teams going through it doesn't bother you. Right, you're still
loving the basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Well, I think the flip side when you don't have
the great Cinderella run or the great Cinderella upset like
we had a couple of years ago, maybe with Fairleigh
Dickinson beating Purdue, where Saint Peter's beating Kentucky. The flip
side of that is you have these made for TV games,
and I know for working at CBS now for almost
twenty years, that's what people want to see in the
(05:59):
second weekend. You want to see the best of the best.
So we may have, for the second time ever for
one seeds in the final four. But with that said,
even though there isn't the element of surprise that maybe
we're used to during March Madness, we have a made
for TV Final four, Auburn against Florida on one side,
the teacher against the pupil, Bruce Pearl and Todd Golden,
(06:20):
and then a heavyweight showdown in the other game between
Houston and Duke.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I am curious nobody cares about brackets, but I mean,
since everybody's alive in the bracket contest, because everybody had
three or four number one, how did you do in
your brackets? Because listen it's weird when you follow college hoops.
I mean, I'm gambling on it in November December, you
feel like you know more and then all that's out
the window because it's been chalky. But how have your
brackets gone?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I have three out of the four in the final four,
and the fourth team that I didn't get was Michigan
State and they made the lead eight. So for once,
I don't have to burn my bracket by like the
second day of the tournament. Usually it's what happens.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yeah, all right, let's dig in quickly to the games
before we get to the portal. Let's start with Auburn Florida,
a rematch. Florida won the earlier meeting. They did it
without Martin, who's been pretty damn good in the tournament.
A lot of people kind of it seems to me
that the public is doubting Florida a little here because
they needed to rally against yukon the rally against Texas Tech,
and the public seems to be gravitated toward Auburn here.
(07:16):
I think Florida wins this one.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Your thoughts, Yeah, I picked Florida to go to the
national title game, so I'm not gonna waiver from that prediction.
The thing that really stands out to me about Florida,
and I've talked with Todd Golden about this several times
the last couple of weeks is the front court depth,
because you look at the chemical makeup of that front court.
They have four guys Condon, how Chinilu and hand logged
in two log minutes against Jeni Broom. There is significant
(07:41):
more depth up front for Florida. And this is a
Florida team that really has been put together with a
slew of mid major transfers operating in the backcourt. It's
unique to see because you know, prior to the portal error,
very rarely would a mid major guard but of big
numbers at the mid major level be able to train
fanslate directly to the power conference level. Florida has obviously
(08:03):
proven that that's not the case anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, it's strange. In the NFL, we love like Tom
Brady's sixth round quarterback, Oh my gosh, Russell Willson mid
round quarterback. College basketball has a billion of these stories.
I mean the Walter Clayton I read, I think it
was Pat forty. Walter Clinton was a no star recruit
who went to Iona and now he's arguably one of
the best players in the country. Like that's the essence
of March, these guys coming out of nowhere. I'm curious,
(08:27):
do you think we were Cinderella, you know, is kind
of I don't want to say dead, but because if
you're a low major player or a mid major and
you have one or two good games in March, you're out.
You know, all the FIU FAU guys are gone now
they're at Michigan and so forth. I'm curious, do you
think Cinderella's kind of sort of dead here?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I think it's gonna be harder to keep mid major
teams together for its number of years like it was
in the past. Now, with that said, we have still
went through the NCAA Tournament in the last couple of
years and had some of the biggest upsets in the
history of the sport. I mean, even year, if you
really want to look at it. McNeice won the game
at one against Clemson and New Mexico beat Marquette, a
(09:07):
team again that started out as a top ten team
to start the year. The New Mexico is a terrific team.
Their point guard Donovan Dent has already committed to UCLA,
so they obviously have great players, but there's still were
elements of surprise again if Derek Queen misses that shot,
Colorado State's and the Sweet sixteen, so we still do
have some of that. But I think one of the
(09:27):
things we're seeing is the non Power conference schools that
have a chance to have obviously the necessary financial backing,
like a New Mexico, like a Colorado State, like a
McNeice under Will Wade there and who's now at NC State,
They're gonna have a leg up when it comes to
putting together a roster that can be competitive.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's interesting all those three examples you mentioned, so Dent
and New Mexico awesome season and then Dents out to UCLA,
kind of it upgrade. Yeah, Will Wade now for McNees,
I don't is he bringing any of his guys to
Clemson or No.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
We're still waiting on that, and obviously some staff members
are going. But you know, there's not been a slew
of commitments yet FORENSI State, but I would expect that
to change by the end of the week. And Nico
Medved as well went to Minnesota, but this is the
landscape that we're in right now. It's about upgrading. And look,
you and I have been in media for a long time.
There's been times where we've been presented opportunities to upgrade
(10:18):
and obviously bolster our status, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Everybody should have that opportunity. And here's the bottom line,
players getting paid. It should have happened a long long
time ago. And I think that's really ultimately really good
for college basketball because now college basketball is able to
retain these guys for an extended period of time. That's
all good for the sport. What isn't good for the
(10:40):
sport is the volatility that comes when they can move
around every single year. And that's why I think if
we're looking, if we're going to compare it to the
coaches world, coaches have to pay buyouts when they want
to leave a job, or somebody has to pay a
buyout if they want to be transportable. I think when
we do that now, if we did that moving forward,
when these play sign these nil deals with certain schools
(11:03):
and they would have to pay a buyout if they
wanted to have freedom of movement, that might stabilize things
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's interesting theory. I'm trying to think that that would
actually do you think two year deals is reasonable? Hey, yeah,
you know we're plucking you from Quinnipiac. We want a
two year commitment. Like, yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Think that's fair. I'm not like, you know, somebody like
Jay Billis, who has the legal background, can probably speak
to it better than I can. But I just think
that we can't like when in professional sports, and have
we ever seen, you know, a professional system where everybody's
a free agent every single year and there's no salary cap.
It is not sustainable for the long term.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That being said, in the short term, the ratings for
the first two rounds were the biggest since I believe
ninety three, which was like Fab five territory. They've kept
that crew together for two years. I haven't seen Sweet
sixteen ratings yet or Elite eight. There were a few
good games, not a lot of amazing ones. But I mean,
how much do you think these twenty two, twelve, three,
twenty four year olds. I think Baker Mazara from Auburn's
(12:03):
twenty five. Yeah, these older players are simply better sorry
than eighteen nineteen year olds.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, well, we were just talking about, you know, a
couple of minutes ago, about the volatility off the court.
Everything leading up to the actual games is filled with volatility.
But the games themselves are as good or better than
they've been in a really, really long time for the
points that you mentioned, because we have older, more experienced
players right now playing the lion's share of the minutes.
(12:31):
So the on court product in college basketball right now
as good as it's been in a long long time.
And look at what's on deck on Saturday. You have Auburn,
the team, at least resume wise, that's been the best
team all season, with one of the top two players
in the country in Jenni Broom. Then you have Florida,
a team that ripped through the SEC Tournament, which is
the best power conference that we have seen in our lifetime.
(12:52):
With fourteen bids. They are going monoing mono in the
final four. Then you have Duke, the most talented roster
in the sport, number one player in the draft in
Cooper Flag, a loaded roster and it's Duke. It's obviously
the blue blood program that's synonymous with college basketball going
up against Houston two and a half hours away from
its campus and Houston has been a program under Kelvin
(13:14):
Samson again that has been in a situation where it
is you serve Kansas and Baylor as the flagship program
in the Big twelve in two years. In two years,
Jason against Big twelve competition, Kelvin Sampson and Houston are
thirty nine and five.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Wow. Yeah, that's interesting you mention Kansas. I'll saw you're
right up about how Bill self has like a whole
new roster and a lot of these jabbronis on social
media are like Jason, it was so much better when
I could track Paul Pierce for three years at Kansas
and Mike Bibby and all these guys. And I get that.
I totally get that. But you know what, like you
got to just change with the times, like things have
(13:52):
been changing for years, and like, what are you gonna
dump college basketball now because guys are jumping around, I
don't know. I think you just have to ex accept
it for what it is.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
No, I agree with you, and again, you're going to
adapt or you're going to die. That's the bottom line
when it comes to college basketball right now. And you know,
I know there's a lot of coaches that are frustrated
with it. But until the guardrails are put on where
we have a little bit more stability, this is the
way things are going to be moving forward in the sport.
And you know every week, you know, like I rank
(14:21):
forty five teams right the top twenty five which I
submit to thep and then another twenty five. The most
difficult thing for anybody to do who covers the sport
going into the next season is finding forty five teams
because the rosters are so in flux. It's going to
change daily, it might change hourly, but it is something
that you have to be nimble with because everything is changing.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, it's like John, think about it. Since I don't
know if you're a big chat GPT guy, and I
was slow to adapt, but within the last six months
my Google searches have to be down like ninety percent.
It's like I don't want to put in a Google
search look for the right link. I'm just chat gpting
like everything. Hey, I want these pants. What's the best
place to get a boom? You get the answer quicker.
So you got to adapt and like, sure, I miss Google,
(15:02):
but like that's just where we are now.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Now.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Let me ask you, there's a freshman at Auburn. I
know we've been talking about the older guys, mister Pettiford.
I absolutely love his game. I think he's a pro.
I think he probably could leave this year, but he
might stay. I'm curious, does he play enough defense to
hang with Clayton? How do you think Auburn is able
to contain arguably the best guard left in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Well, I think to Hot Pettiford is filling the role
of what we've seen the last couple of years in
terms of having a dominant scoring option off the bench
and Jason. If you look at prerequisites for scores off
the bench associated with national championships teams, it has been
a common thread for a long time. Twenty twenty one
(15:46):
Baylor had Adam Flagler, twenty twenty two Kansas remember had
Remy Martin. Twenty twenty three, Yukon had Joey kal Katerra,
and then obviously Yukon went to the bench and had
the players that had last year under Dan Hurley on
one of the great teams that we saw, you know, really,
you know, in our lifetime. So that has been something
common into Hot Pettiford is filling that void. You know,
(16:10):
I know you and I have went back and forth
on x over the years about my player comparisons. He
reminds me a lot of Selim Stodemeyer, who was at
Arizona twenty years ago under Loud Olson. Six' one left
to you had a quick twitch like just an instant
offense type. Guy SO i think this is one of
the players that you, know we're gonna look at this
weekend and see as somebody who could change the game Against.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Florida interesting That stottomeyer is a good. ONE i was
thinking more Like Jeff, tigue who wasn't a righty but super,
shifty great ball, hinderer kind of, COCKY i don't. Know
but Does pediford defend enough because this could be one
of those games where it's, like do if he's able
to Force clayton into a four for fifteen, game, Boom
he's a lottery, pick you, KNOW i, KNOW i know
the fears Of oklahoma people like him more Than. Pettiford
(16:54):
where are you on those two?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Freshmen, well you, KNOW i think Jere jeremiah few years
is obviously objected to be higher in the. LOTTERY i
try not to look too much at the draft until
we get through the tournament BECAUSE i don't want to
take away obviously things for the. Tournament but Obviously fears
was an impressive, freshman And pettiford's playing on our team
and is playing with one of the top two players
in the. Sport but the game that really got me
with the Hot pettiford was that game Against houston the
(17:17):
First saturday of the regular season at The Toyota. Center
it was felt like A march, game And pettiford was
the one that made big play after big. Play it
was his second college, game and this guy you could
tell was just made for the big. STAGE i think
what's awesome about This final four, is you, know we
want to, see especially on The saturday where we have the,
(17:39):
doubleheader the best players. Play and if you think about,
It Room Clayton flag universally first Team All americans and
they're all playing in The final. Four and then obviously There's,
canipple There's Mala watch who has been great in THE ncaa,
tournament And, HOUSTON i think is obviously more of the
hole is greater than the of the. Parts L. J
(18:00):
fryer was obviously In All american as, Well but we
have star power in this final. Four we have blue
blood caliber brands With duke and With. Florida florida, obviously you,
know won multiple national championships Under Billy. Donovan but how about,
This in the last thirty one, years three different coaches
have Taken florida to A final. Four Todd, Golden Billy,
Donovan Lon.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Kruger, wow, yeah he's. Good you got the. Stats all,
Right let's quickly go To. HOUSTON i Think Kelvin samson
might be double the age Of John, shire SO i
Thought samson may be called the best individual player of the.
Tournament the inbounds play to Beat, perdue although that was.
Phenomenal that is That i'm looking for edge For. HOUSTON
i think they have a slight edge in the. Backcourt
(18:39):
BUT i Like duke in this, game BUT i do
Think samson could throw a wrinkle at. Him for, instance
they have three guards that start they're all like six to.
THREE i don't know that you can start three guards
Against duke with this incredible size and length. Upfront your, thoughts, well.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Let's look at a couple of you, know, anecdotes From
Kelvin samson the last couple of years and why he
might be so prone to obviously being A. PAS i
think to win this basketball, GAME i picked to You
houston to win the national. Title Kelvin sampson does not
always need the best players and the best talent to.
Win let's rewind mc clock back to twenty twenty. Two
he's the head coach At. Houston they Lose Marcus sasser
(19:14):
And Tremon mark the season ending. Injuries houston then goes
into THE Ncaa, tournament Beats illinois in the round of
thirty two With Kofi, coburn then in The sweet sixteen
beats To, arizona the one seed that Had Christian, Coloco Dalen,
terry And Ben mathern and lost To villanova And Colin
gillespie And Jay, wright which Was Jay wright's last victory
(19:37):
At villanova in The elite. Eight and then remember last,
Year houston had a lead On duke in The sweet
sixteen Before jamal shed twisted his ankle and sprained his
ankle and all of a sudden obviously came back to
win that. Game so this is a little bit Like
phase two between these two. Programs it's a little bit
of the FEELING i had in like twenty fifteen When
(19:58):
wisconsin was playing for a second time in The Final.
Four there are certain times in college basketball where everything
aligns to give you the epic matchup in the second
game of The Final. Four we had it in ninety
one When duke Beat. Unov we had it in ninety, two,
obviously When indiana Played. Duke we had it in two
thousand and four When yukon Played, duke when A Mecca
(20:20):
oka four hit that layup in the closing. Seconds we
have that On saturday. NIGHT i understand why people, say, like,
well we don't have This Steph curry run For, davidson
we don't have The gonzaga run of ninety. NINE i get,
That but what we have is as appetizing A final
four as we've had in a long.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
TIME i will say it sounds like you Like houston in,
this AND i get. IT i think Ken pom has
it as a two point. Game Bark, torvik another site
that does, analytics Has houston by, one which surprised. ME
i will, Say, john you have to admit If duke somehow,
LOSES i think that's a bit of a ding to
The national title. GAME i know you the purist and
everybody will still Like houston And i'll watch, it BUT
(20:59):
I i think the masses would kind of want to
See Cooper flag in the title. GAME i.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
UNDERSTAND i understand what you're saying from the. PERIPHERY i get.
It you, know it's probably comparable to. This remember in twenty,
fifteen If kentucky Played duke in The National title, Game
kentucky would have been going for forty to oho and
it would have Been Kentucky duke in The National Title,
game and it Was Duke. WISCONSIN, YEP i understand what you're.
Saying for people from the periphery to bring in eyeballs
(21:25):
On monday. Nights people might Say Duke auburn Or Duke
florida would be box. Office but if you follow college,
basketball you have an appreciation For. Houston And houston has
been at bat year after year after. Year this is
the third season in a row that The cougars have
been a one seed in the NC Doublea. Tournament, chason
(21:46):
how about? This Since Kelvin sampson was hired At, houston
The cougars are eighteen and six in THE Ncuba tournament
and have advanced to the second weekend every season since twenty.
Eighteen the last Time houston and didn't advance to the
second weekend was twenty eighteen When Jordan poole made that
miracle shot For michigan in the round of thirty.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Two Jordan, pool my.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Guy Fox Sports radio has the best sports talk lineup
in the. Nation catch all of our shows at Foxsports
radio dot com and within The iHeartRadio app SEARCH fsr
to listen live all right.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Quickly Cooper flag Or Zion, williamson who had a better
freshman year At duke is a heated discussion in some text.
Threads i'm in AND i. Did by the, way ask CHAT,
gbt which claims it's a toss.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Upisode, YEAH i will go With Zion williamson because of
the caliber of THE. Acc THE acc that year had
three number one seeds in THE Caa, Tournament, Duke, caroline And. Virginia.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Wow THAT i gotta, Say i'm surprised Because Cooper flag,
BETTER i would, say, Defensively Uh, Cooper, YEAH.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I Mean Zion Zion. Williams Zion williamson was like a.
Phenomenon it was like when THE nWo came To Monday
nitro in the mid.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
NINETIES i still remember the lost Of Michigan. State that
pissed me off BECAUSE i Had, duke BUT i also
Had houston last year When shed turned the, ankle which.
Hurt So i'm guessing you're Going houston Versus florida for
The National.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Championship, look that's WHAT i said at the start of the,
Tournament SO i don't want a waiver from. That i'm
sticking with my waver picks because, No i'm not gonna.
Waiver i'm sticking with my rhythm. PICKS i Said houston
Over florida in the title, game So i'm sticking With
houston Over. Florida but, LOOK i think anyway you slice,
it we're gonna have three awesome games In San. Antonio
San antonio is an awesome city for The final. Four
(23:31):
i'm really looking forward to getting down there, tomorrow and
obviously we're gonna have some great coverage ON cbs all.
Weekend And i'm JUST i, think you, know very rarely
do you get a scenario where like the combinations can
happen anyway and you know you're gonna get a great
title game like last. Year going in everybody wants to
See yukon Play. Perdue everybody wants to See ed Against
(23:51):
klinging this. YEAR i think any combination will be a great.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
COMBINATION i am curious when you look At john show
kind of what he's accomplished. Already we got people instantly
calling him the next coach K i think it's a
little premature your thoughts on how he's. Done or is
it just that he's got a stacked team with the
best player IN i don't, know the best freshman and
maybe the last five years in college. BASKETBALL i don't
(24:14):
know he.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Has a stacked. Team but think about other instances in
history where it's been very difficult to follow a. Legend
John shire has made it look. Seamless John shire has
Led duke right now to three seasons in a row
with at least twenty seven. Wins John shire has also
been in a situation where he has now tied the
(24:35):
record for most wins by a head coach in their
first three seasons on the. Job the other two coaches
that he's sharing that mark, with which is now eighty nine,
victories Is Brad stevens At butler And Brad underwood at
steven F. Austin so he has made it look seamless
in terms of the succession plan From Mike krzyzewski To John.
(24:56):
Shire oh that's.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
INTERESTING i am curious that you mentioned The houston. THING
i forgot about that slight home court. Advantage would do
you think the crowd will be Pro houston or.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
There will be a lot of. Red there will be
a lot of. Red now do always? Travels, yeah there
will be a lot of red In San.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Antonio, okay So, john we can wrap up with. It
so in WHEN i was in sixth, grade me and my,
buddy we would play this, game you, know because we
didn't pay attention in, class where we would name AN
nba player and then you would have to say where
he went to, college and we would try to trick each.
Other we were in Northern, virginia so a lot Of
georgetown And. Maryland do you mind IF i throw a
(25:31):
couple of names at. You i'm not trying to trick,
you but it's, fun you, Know And i'm sure if you,
COUNTED i WOULD i WOULD i would fail on. Some
so we'll start with an easy. One he had an
AWESOME nba. Career Jamal, crawford you play a.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
College.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yeah, see we'll start with a. Layup all, Right we'll
go with, another probably quasi easy. One Michael Finley. WISCONSIN
i THOUGHT i could get you because he's An illinois.
Guy let's go With Alan, Houston. Tennessee, YEAH i can't
tricky with A New york. Nick now we'll go with
a little. Obscure, okay this is probably gonna upset some
(26:08):
people That i'm asking, you but he's been a powerful
in the league long. Run PAUL Millsap.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Louisiana Tack, oh we got it pretty.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Quickly, yes impressive BECAUSE i know you're a huge obviously basketball,
fan and you know all these DAYS i can't ask
you Like Baron. Davis, yeah, yeah that too. Easy let's
go with a guy they had an awesome. Backcourt Sam, Cassell.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Florida, state him And Bob.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Sarah, yes oh, boy see this guy knows his. STUFF
a little slightly off the, radar could be. Tricky Chauncey Billups.
Colorado nothing could get this. GUY i don't know if
this one's totally. Fair, Actually i'll ask it Sir Valiant.
BROWN i don't even know if he made THE, nba
but his great name and you might know, It Sir Valiant.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Brown it sounds like a manager for professional. WRESTLING i
just sort of.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Does.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Umm he was one of the leading scorers in the
country who was a little point. Guard he was just a,
Bucket Sir Valiant.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Brown, No.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
George, washington The colonials too. Obscure they didn't make the,
league so that's not totally. Fair Marcus, pfizer easy one for,
You iowa, Stated, Yeah Vin Baker, hartford, ooh, yes anybody
in The northeast you're really good. At. Uh does the
Name terry De herring a? Bell of course it. Does.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
SURE A Seaton hall ninety three they lost To Ralph
willard And Western kentucky in a round of thirty. Two
the point guard on That Seaton hall Team Danny.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Hurley so this is probably the nerdiest thing THAT i.
Admit my wife makes fun of me. Constantly but when
One Shining moment would, PLAY i would record It john
SO i could watch it. Later now this was pre,
YouTube like two thousand and, five very, nerdy losory, stuff
but that's How i'll go back and watch like the
(28:00):
early nineties One shining. Moments, YEAH i mean those are
some LIKE i get goosebumps still watching that Because i'm
such a hoops. NERD i am just, curious where are
you on one shining? Moment will you like hummet to?
Yourself does the wife make fun of? You do you find?
YOURSELF i mean my.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Wife my wife is you, know the person in the
world that just humbles me every single, Day like you feel, like,
obviously you know you're getting great. Assignments you're working THE ncaa.
TOURNAMENT i did a number OF ncaa tournament. Games the
first week of the. Tournament my wife went, Skiing so you,
know that's probably why our relationship. Works she tells, Me she's,
like it's great that you love your, job but you're
(28:37):
not that. Important.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Yeah so my son's birthday is in the middle Of
march madness almost every, year AND i tell the, Wife i'm, like,
listen this is just a tough one for. ME i you,
KNOW i can't miss the. Tournament so we usually try
to do the birthday early in the day That saturday
when the second round, starts OR i convince him to
push it to after the tournament and we could do
a Bigger we could do a bigger. Birthday just give
(28:58):
me some.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
College basket is greater than being. Social it's better than being.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Social AND i know you you put all these tweets
out that people love. You you're now Making are you
making money on these t shirts that you're.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Doing you don't have to BE i know The, no
the proceed the proceeds go to, CHARITY a, charity mission,
continues a. Charity it helps our veterans when they return from.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
War, wow that's the.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
IMPORTANT a portion of the portion of the proceeds goes to.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
That, yeah that is really cool. Man congrats on. That
John rossty AND, cbs he knows. Everything he's going to
be at the final. Four let's wrap up lastly with the.
Portal obviously you're going to be down there work in
the hotel. Lobby have you heard the latest about This
mara situation AT? Ucla not to get too, granular but
they're out here in our.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Backyard, YEAH i, mean this is a situation THAT i,
think you, know when a Die maar went To, SPAIN
i think, things you, know, Change but it was a
quick decision from WHAT i, understand when he came back
and now is his life in the transfer, PORTAL ucla
got the best point guard in the country and maybe
in All america next, year and they lose obviously their starting.
CENTER i, MEAN i think there's a pretty good nucleus
(29:59):
in Place jason FOR, ucla because if you think about,
it you Have Donovan, Dent Sky clark And Trent perry,
back and you're gonna Have Eric daley And Tyler billdo.
Back BUT ucla needs to add a starting caliber front court,
guy and NOW i think also needs to add another scoring.
Wing SO i THOUGHT ucla with The daimarra back was
a consensus top, seven, eight nine ten team to start next,
(30:22):
season and then without him now they're probably somewhere in
the top twenty. Five.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
YEAH i don't want to hammer the, kid BUT i
have heard some you, know he would take himself out
of games because he wasn't in great, shape AND i
Don't i'm not as high on him as. Others let
me last, Question, john we haven't HAD i, believe a
national champion west of The mississippi in like twenty five,
years something ridiculous like. That, yeah all signs point TO
byu being absolutely. Loaded next year they get the best
(30:49):
player on the country in. Aj have you heard whether
or not the point guard is coming? Back the six
to nine kid Who i'm spacing on his.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Name coming, Back Oh Jaegor, Demon, yes, yes no word.
YET i know he's forecasted as a as a high
pick in the. Draft no word on that. Yet i'm
not who he's coming back or. Staying BUT i will say,
this even without, yet even Without Yegor, demon Who i'm
forecasting to, GO i think with the potential Of ajdabansa
(31:18):
coming in and the pieces that should return FOR, BYU
byu is in position to be a top ten team
to start next, season without, question without Yaeg Or demon coming.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Back now you're on the trail like The adidas camp
and all that fun. Stuff i've only seen some videos OF.
Aj what are we talking, here, like do you have
like AN? Nba he?
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Is he is going to be in the conversation to,
be you, know one of the top picks in the
twenty twenty SIX nba. Draft BUT i also am somebody
who doesn't get all that caught up in what somebody
is forecasting to be in THE nba when it comes
to college, basketball because think about, This Anthony edwards' team
didn't make THE ncaa. Tournaments Van simmons' team didn't make
(31:55):
THE ncaa. Tournament Markel fultz's team didn't make THE ncaa.
Tournament these are all guys, who again were number one
picks in the. Draft And, jason, look you know, Me
i'm a college guy through and. THROUGH i sometimes get
annoyed because that conversation sometimes usurfs what's going on in
the actual. Sport we'll deal with THE nba, draft or
the experts will deal with THE nba draft after the
(32:18):
season is. Over but college basketball is not THE. NBA i,
mean look At houston's, team for. Example there's a couple
of guys who obviously might be able to play at
the next, level but that is a team of, really
really good college players who's been exceptionally well coached that
again has superseded everybody that's been put in its.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Path. Yeah, no that's a good point because how you
build your team is. Fascinating do you want to just
load up on one And don's or maybe two and?
DOUNS i, mean do you want to get a bunch
of program?
Speaker 3 (32:46):
GUYS i, mean like you were talking, about like you,
know you live in obviously you Know, california and you
obviously are paying close attention to what's happening AT. UCLA i,
Mean Amari, Bailey Hayton, watson these guys were all one
in on, players but they weren't good enough in college
to be better Than Jalen, clark Than Haimi. Hawke is all.
(33:07):
THAT i, mean this is all just the way it.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Goes, yeah where In europe right now Is Amari bailey?
PLAYING i know he, IS i don't.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
KNOW i remember he was like a two way guy FOR.
Ab but like, again and everybody's you, know entitled to
do whatever they want to. Do but if that guy
stayed in college FOR nil would be one of the
best players in the country right, now hundred.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Percent, now, Listen i'm not speaking out of. Pocket If
Mick cronin was on The herd last week and we're
talking off Airon i'm not going to mention, it but
he had a player leave early and then he ran into,
him and let's just say the player was kind of
wishing he had stayed in. College i'm sure you.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Yeah, yeah you.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Know.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Jason here's the thing, Too because these guys can get
paid right, now and because the forum is what it,
is it's better to be in college. Basketball And i'm
not just saying this BECAUSE i cover college basketball every
single day for a. Living it's WHAT i. Do because
you can finally get paid and you have the forum
of playing ON, cbs playing ON, tnt playing ON. Espn
(34:05):
you don't need to go To europe or go to
THE G league, anymore or go to THE nba on
a smaller. Contract you can make hundreds of, thousands millions
of dollars playing in college.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Basketball and by the, way this goes to THE d
two and three, guys because what's A Duncan robinson with
the big leap To. Michigan now he's in THE. Nba
make it Big Buck dalton connect from what Northern arizona
or some obscure place To tennessee player of The year
in The, sea like it can. Happen what's his, Name,
sturtz who's going To. Iowa that's one of the best
stories of college. Basketball how good are they going to
(34:35):
be next?
Speaker 3 (34:35):
YEAR i, mean we gotta wait and see what the
roster looks. Like that's the. Thing it's going to take.
Time it's portal. Combat it is portal combat every single. Day,
AGAIN i have an idea of what rosters are gonna look.
Like But i'm gonna be sending into my editors AT
fandle every single day for changing The ross team forty.
Five we already we already talked about. It we, Said,
johnny we can only publish this once a. Day you
have to send in your changes every. Day but it's.
(34:57):
Awesome it keeps the offseason. Relevant and, this this is one,
thing and this is the best way to sum it.
Up we are not going to see programs anymore in college.
Basketball you are building a team year two, year and
that's the way you have to approach. It, AGAIN i
think we've got some really interesting things already happen in the.
Portal Bryce hopkins going To Saint John keyan's to the
edge of. FOUR i think will fore of the one
(35:19):
of the best four or five combinations in the country next,
year as long as he's. Healthy Donovan dent going TO.
UCLA i felt for, years AND i don't want to
disparage you, know anybody that's been playing this, position but
UNTIL ucla Got Donovan dent and had an adequately Replaced
Tiger campbell a couple of years. Ago Love Tiger. Campbell
so now all of a sudden and, again you, Know
ucla is gonna get a really good post, player AND
(35:39):
i think they're gonna, get you, know a good wing as.
Well but if you add those two, Things, ucla even
without A, daimara should be really really. Good and here's
the thing, too we love talking about the, posts the,
edits the, videos the announcements because it's what's obviously hot
In april and May i'm gonna leave you with. This
twenty nine from the four final four teams played in
(36:03):
The Elite eight last, week double figure. Minutes, okay Twenty
we're in the program the year prior for, refreshmen and
only five were first year. Transfers retention still. Matters so
even though we want to talk about the portal who's going,
where it is far more important to retain the players
that are in your current.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Program yeah, no that's. Huge final last question for real this.
Time so you mentioned Fan duel AND i just REMEMBER
i saw earlier AND i wrote this up For Fox Cooper.
Flag you can get plus money on him to score
twenty or more points Against. HOUSTON i like that, bet
But houston has tough. Interior D i just remember what
the kid E. K i think it's. Great grammy, yea, yea.
(36:43):
Yeah he destroyed them inside and there's no front court
depth To. HOUSTON i can See Cooper flag easily topping.
Twenty and also there is the idea That samson could
Treat flag Like. Jokic, hey we're gonna let him get.
Whatever we're not gonna Let procter hit five. Threes we're
not gonna Let james hit three. Threes we're not going
to let K nipple go. Crazy it's almost, like, hey
we'll Let Cooper flagg get, his but we don't want
(37:05):
the other guys to get. Theirs your thoughts On Cooper
flag twenty or more, Points.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
The bottom line is this is just the chess match
is going to be. Fascinating it's one of those Great
final four games that again you get every couple of
years that it feels Like Houston duke is going to
be like the build up The Holy field And.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Tyson oh, boy all, Right John, Ross TEAM, cbs thanks a,
Lot John Enjoy San, antonio my, man.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Thanks for having. Me jay
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
What is up, Straight Bar fam, It's name Jason McIntyre.
Straight Fire for Wednesday, April the second. No, boy, we
got a great podcast today. John Rothstein CBS Sports does
a lot of stuff on college basketball. Maybe like we're
going heavy on college hoops the last few weeks. Maybe
too heavy. I don't know, we'll find out. I love
(00:32):
this stuff. We talked of betting on the Final Four. Obviously,
Rostein is mister college Basketball over at CBS Sports doing
some viral videos. We had friend for schill on Jay
Billis Jeff Goodman. I mean, we are hitting it hard.
I reached out to my boy jim Jackson. He's like,
I'm in Vegas calling games. I was like, all right, fine,
I can hold off Jimmy Jimmy jack Before we get
(00:53):
to Rothstein, just one quick note on the Final Four.
I saw the most interesting I've seen and I've you know,
I got Duke in the money line parlay. I tease Duke.
I was gonna go bet heavy Duke minus four juice.
I think it's like minus one thirty nine, so it'd
be like one hundred thirty nine bucks to one hundred
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Is that Duke.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Last played a top twenty five Ken Palm defense in
February and they lost and I was to Clemson on
the road. They will face a top ten defense against Houston,
which is number I think let me say, is isa
it one? Yeah, Houston's number one defense in the country
and number two is Florida a number I'm sorry. Number
(01:43):
ten is Florida. At number eight is Auburn. So Duke,
which hasn't faced a top twenty five defense since Clemson
in let me get the exact date, February eighth, we'll
face one on Saturday. Now, will that be a shock
to the system because they've played some kind of lesser
like Alabama does not have a good defense. We know
that who else Duke beat to get here Arizona's defenses
(02:06):
and Baylor's defense is like fifties, So this will be
a bit of a step up. And that's the only
reason I held off on going like extra heavy. And again,
Duke has cash for every single round. Now, I know
they didn't beat Arizona with the spread I think was nine.
They only won by seven, But I'm not betting them
with the spread with these huge numbers, right, you're doing
moneyline parlay. You're teasing them, and I know you don't
(02:27):
tease basketball, but whatever, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I like Douke a lot, but this.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Gave me a moment of pause. Houston, of course playing
at home, essentially not home. But Houston is close to
San Antonio. It's a couple hour drive. I've never been
to San Antonio. But it can't be. It's not that bad.
Houston will certainly have a crowd edge, as Rostin agrees.
But anyways, real quick only NBA note I had was
(02:53):
you see this late last night, Steph Curry goes for
fifty two against re Memphis. Fifty two, I mean twelve threes.
The guy's thirty seven, and I joked on social media
and of course has pissed so many people off. Boy
Michael Jordan had quit twice by the time you know,
Curry's thirty seven. By the age thirty seven, Jordan quit twice.
(03:16):
Magic Johnson HIV long gone. Isaiah Thomas had been out
for five years. He retired at I think thirty two
after an Achilles' injury. Larry Bird, all these greats from
yet and Curry's now hanging fifty two at the age
of thirty seven, Like, at what point do we start
to be like, dude, yeah, he's definitely top ten. I
have him top ten all time. I think more people
(03:36):
should but you know, we'll see. But the more interesting
thing is Golden State with the wind has passed Memphis,
which has lost four straight in the West. Now that
sets up Thursday night's big one, Warriors at Lakers at Crypto.
I mean, Golden State's able to pull that one off.
(03:58):
The Lakers have an extra day arrest, which is nice that.
I mean, that's gonna be a big game for seeding.
If the Warriors win that, then they could be top four.
Lakers need to secure that because remember they have two
more against okac okayc's just dismembering teams. But yeah, their
Thursday big one for the Lakers and the Warriors, and
of course Curry and Lebron and Lucas should be a
banger of a game. All right, Without further ado, let's
(04:19):
get to our guest, CBS Sports's John Rosstein.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsportsradio dot
com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Live.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
You know, Jason likes to think he knows everything when
it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I know what sports fans want, but for.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Everything he doesn't, he knows the guy who does.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Let's just say I know a guy who knows the
guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
All right, let's welcome into straight fire. One of the
biggest names in college basketball.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Man.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Listen, we've been on a run getting great guests, and
this guy has been dominant during the tournament. He was
profiled in The Athletic He's got these viral videos going
on where people quiz him on who won the national
championship in like nineteen ninety four. I listen, I'll tell
you about a game I used to play my buddies
in sixth grade. But it's talk. Come in, John Rosstein,
CBS Sports. You've seen him throughout the coverage of the tournament. John,
(05:19):
you're dominating, man. How are you.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I'm great, Jason, Great to be with you, man.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, it's very exciting. The tournament's coming to an end here.
I think a great tournament. I'm just curious. Macro level
zoom out. I know you love it. All these chalky
teams going through it doesn't bother you. Right, you're still
loving the basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Well, I think the flip side when you don't have
the great Cinderella run or the great Cinderella upset like
we had a couple of years ago, maybe with Fairleigh
Dickinson beating Purdue, where Saint Peter's beating Kentucky. The flip
side of that is you have these made for TV games,
and I know for working at CBS now for almost
twenty years, that's what people want to see in the
(05:59):
second weekend. You want to see the best of the best.
So we may have, for the second time ever for
one seeds in the final four. But with that said,
even though there isn't the element of surprise that maybe
we're used to during March Madness, we have a made
for TV Final four, Auburn against Florida on one side,
the teacher against the pupil, Bruce Pearl and Todd Golden,
(06:20):
and then a heavyweight showdown in the other game between
Houston and Duke.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I am curious nobody cares about brackets, but I mean,
since everybody's alive in the bracket contest, because everybody had
three or four number one, how did you do in
your brackets? Because listen it's weird when you follow college hoops.
I mean, I'm gambling on it in November December, you
feel like you know more and then all that's out
the window because it's been chalky. But how have your
brackets gone?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I have three out of the four in the final four,
and the fourth team that I didn't get was Michigan
State and they made the lead eight. So for once,
I don't have to burn my bracket by like the
second day of the tournament. Usually it's what happens.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yeah, all right, let's dig in quickly to the games
before we get to the portal. Let's start with Auburn Florida,
a rematch. Florida won the earlier meeting. They did it
without Martin, who's been pretty damn good in the tournament.
A lot of people kind of it seems to me
that the public is doubting Florida a little here because
they needed to rally against yukon the rally against Texas Tech,
and the public seems to be gravitated toward Auburn here.
(07:16):
I think Florida wins this one.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Your thoughts, Yeah, I picked Florida to go to the
national title game, so I'm not gonna waiver from that prediction.
The thing that really stands out to me about Florida,
and I've talked with Todd Golden about this several times
the last couple of weeks is the front court depth,
because you look at the chemical makeup of that front court.
They have four guys Condon, how Chinilu and hand logged
in two log minutes against Jeni Broom. There is significant
(07:41):
more depth up front for Florida. And this is a
Florida team that really has been put together with a
slew of mid major transfers operating in the backcourt. It's
unique to see because you know, prior to the portal error,
very rarely would a mid major guard but of big
numbers at the mid major level be able to train
fanslate directly to the power conference level. Florida has obviously
(08:03):
proven that that's not the case anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, it's strange. In the NFL, we love like Tom
Brady's sixth round quarterback, Oh my gosh, Russell Willson mid
round quarterback. College basketball has a billion of these stories.
I mean the Walter Clayton I read, I think it
was Pat forty. Walter Clinton was a no star recruit
who went to Iona and now he's arguably one of
the best players in the country. Like that's the essence
of March, these guys coming out of nowhere. I'm curious,
(08:27):
do you think we were Cinderella, you know, is kind
of I don't want to say dead, but because if
you're a low major player or a mid major and
you have one or two good games in March, you're out.
You know, all the FIU FAU guys are gone now
they're at Michigan and so forth. I'm curious, do you
think Cinderella's kind of sort of dead here?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I think it's gonna be harder to keep mid major
teams together for its number of years like it was
in the past. Now, with that said, we have still
went through the NCAA Tournament in the last couple of
years and had some of the biggest upsets in the
history of the sport. I mean, even year, if you
really want to look at it. McNeice won the game
at one against Clemson and New Mexico beat Marquette, a
(09:07):
team again that started out as a top ten team
to start the year. The New Mexico is a terrific team.
Their point guard Donovan Dent has already committed to UCLA,
so they obviously have great players, but there's still were
elements of surprise again if Derek Queen misses that shot,
Colorado State's and the Sweet sixteen, so we still do
have some of that. But I think one of the
(09:27):
things we're seeing is the non Power conference schools that
have a chance to have obviously the necessary financial backing,
like a New Mexico, like a Colorado State, like a
McNeice under Will Wade there and who's now at NC State,
They're gonna have a leg up when it comes to
putting together a roster that can be competitive.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's interesting all those three examples you mentioned, so Dent
and New Mexico awesome season and then Dents out to UCLA,
kind of it upgrade. Yeah, Will Wade now for McNees,
I don't is he bringing any of his guys to
Clemson or No.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
We're still waiting on that, and obviously some staff members
are going. But you know, there's not been a slew
of commitments yet FORENSI State, but I would expect that
to change by the end of the week. And Nico
Medved as well went to Minnesota, but this is the
landscape that we're in right now. It's about upgrading. And look,
you and I have been in media for a long time.
There's been times where we've been presented opportunities to upgrade
(10:18):
and obviously bolster our status, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Everybody should have that opportunity. And here's the bottom line,
players getting paid. It should have happened a long long
time ago. And I think that's really ultimately really good
for college basketball because now college basketball is able to
retain these guys for an extended period of time. That's
all good for the sport. What isn't good for the
(10:40):
sport is the volatility that comes when they can move
around every single year. And that's why I think if
we're looking, if we're going to compare it to the
coaches world, coaches have to pay buyouts when they want
to leave a job, or somebody has to pay a
buyout if they want to be transportable. I think when
we do that now, if we did that moving forward,
when these play sign these nil deals with certain schools
(11:03):
and they would have to pay a buyout if they
wanted to have freedom of movement, that might stabilize things
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's interesting theory. I'm trying to think that that would
actually do you think two year deals is reasonable? Hey, yeah,
you know we're plucking you from Quinnipiac. We want a
two year commitment. Like, yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Think that's fair. I'm not like, you know, somebody like
Jay Billis, who has the legal background, can probably speak
to it better than I can. But I just think
that we can't like when in professional sports, and have
we ever seen, you know, a professional system where everybody's
a free agent every single year and there's no salary cap.
It is not sustainable for the long term.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That being said, in the short term, the ratings for
the first two rounds were the biggest since I believe
ninety three, which was like Fab five territory. They've kept
that crew together for two years. I haven't seen Sweet
sixteen ratings yet or Elite eight. There were a few
good games, not a lot of amazing ones. But I mean,
how much do you think these twenty two, twelve, three,
twenty four year olds. I think Baker Mazara from Auburn's
(12:03):
twenty five. Yeah, these older players are simply better sorry
than eighteen nineteen year olds.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, well, we were just talking about, you know, a
couple of minutes ago, about the volatility off the court.
Everything leading up to the actual games is filled with volatility.
But the games themselves are as good or better than
they've been in a really, really long time for the
points that you mentioned, because we have older, more experienced
players right now playing the lion's share of the minutes.
(12:31):
So the on court product in college basketball right now
as good as it's been in a long long time.
And look at what's on deck on Saturday. You have Auburn,
the team, at least resume wise, that's been the best
team all season, with one of the top two players
in the country in Jenni Broom. Then you have Florida,
a team that ripped through the SEC Tournament, which is
the best power conference that we have seen in our lifetime.
(12:52):
With fourteen bids. They are going monoing mono in the
final four. Then you have Duke, the most talented roster
in the sport, number one player in the draft in
Cooper Flag, a loaded roster and it's Duke. It's obviously
the blue blood program that's synonymous with college basketball going
up against Houston two and a half hours away from
its campus and Houston has been a program under Kelvin
(13:14):
Samson again that has been in a situation where it
is you serve Kansas and Baylor as the flagship program
in the Big twelve in two years. In two years,
Jason against Big twelve competition, Kelvin Sampson and Houston are
thirty nine and five.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Wow. Yeah, that's interesting you mention Kansas. I'll saw you're
right up about how Bill self has like a whole
new roster and a lot of these jabbronis on social
media are like Jason, it was so much better when
I could track Paul Pierce for three years at Kansas
and Mike Bibby and all these guys. And I get that.
I totally get that. But you know what, like you
got to just change with the times, like things have
(13:52):
been changing for years, and like, what are you gonna
dump college basketball now because guys are jumping around, I
don't know. I think you just have to ex accept
it for what it is.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
No, I agree with you, and again, you're going to
adapt or you're going to die. That's the bottom line
when it comes to college basketball right now. And you know,
I know there's a lot of coaches that are frustrated
with it. But until the guardrails are put on where
we have a little bit more stability, this is the
way things are going to be moving forward in the sport.
And you know every week, you know, like I rank
(14:21):
forty five teams right the top twenty five which I
submit to thep and then another twenty five. The most
difficult thing for anybody to do who covers the sport
going into the next season is finding forty five teams
because the rosters are so in flux. It's going to
change daily, it might change hourly, but it is something
that you have to be nimble with because everything is changing.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, it's like John, think about it. Since I don't
know if you're a big chat GPT guy, and I
was slow to adapt, but within the last six months
my Google searches have to be down like ninety percent.
It's like I don't want to put in a Google
search look for the right link. I'm just chat gpting
like everything. Hey, I want these pants. What's the best
place to get a boom? You get the answer quicker.
So you got to adapt and like, sure, I miss Google,
(15:02):
but like that's just where we are now.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Now.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Let me ask you, there's a freshman at Auburn. I
know we've been talking about the older guys, mister Pettiford.
I absolutely love his game. I think he's a pro.
I think he probably could leave this year, but he
might stay. I'm curious, does he play enough defense to
hang with Clayton? How do you think Auburn is able
to contain arguably the best guard left in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Well, I think to Hot Pettiford is filling the role
of what we've seen the last couple of years in
terms of having a dominant scoring option off the bench
and Jason. If you look at prerequisites for scores off
the bench associated with national championships teams, it has been
a common thread for a long time. Twenty twenty one
(15:46):
Baylor had Adam Flagler, twenty twenty two Kansas remember had
Remy Martin. Twenty twenty three, Yukon had Joey kal Katerra,
and then obviously Yukon went to the bench and had
the players that had last year under Dan Hurley on
one of the great teams that we saw, you know, really,
you know, in our lifetime. So that has been something
common into Hot Pettiford is filling that void. You know,
(16:10):
I know you and I have went back and forth
on x over the years about my player comparisons. He
reminds me a lot of Selim Stodemeyer, who was at
Arizona twenty years ago under Loud Olson. Six' one left
to you had a quick twitch like just an instant
offense type. Guy SO i think this is one of
the players that you, know we're gonna look at this
weekend and see as somebody who could change the game Against.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Florida interesting That stottomeyer is a good. ONE i was
thinking more Like Jeff, tigue who wasn't a righty but super,
shifty great ball, hinderer kind of, COCKY i don't. Know
but Does pediford defend enough because this could be one
of those games where it's, like do if he's able
to Force clayton into a four for fifteen, game, Boom
he's a lottery, pick you, KNOW i, KNOW i know
the fears Of oklahoma people like him more Than. Pettiford
(16:54):
where are you on those two?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Freshmen, well you, KNOW i think Jere jeremiah few years
is obviously objected to be higher in the. LOTTERY i
try not to look too much at the draft until
we get through the tournament BECAUSE i don't want to
take away obviously things for the. Tournament but Obviously fears
was an impressive, freshman And pettiford's playing on our team
and is playing with one of the top two players
in the. Sport but the game that really got me
with the Hot pettiford was that game Against houston the
(17:17):
First saturday of the regular season at The Toyota. Center
it was felt like A march, game And pettiford was
the one that made big play after big. Play it
was his second college, game and this guy you could
tell was just made for the big. STAGE i think
what's awesome about This final four, is you, know we
want to, see especially on The saturday where we have the,
(17:39):
doubleheader the best players. Play and if you think about,
It Room Clayton flag universally first Team All americans and
they're all playing in The final. Four and then obviously There's,
canipple There's Mala watch who has been great in THE ncaa,
tournament And, HOUSTON i think is obviously more of the
hole is greater than the of the. Parts L. J
(18:00):
fryer was obviously In All american as, Well but we
have star power in this final. Four we have blue
blood caliber brands With duke and With. Florida florida, obviously you,
know won multiple national championships Under Billy. Donovan but how about,
This in the last thirty one, years three different coaches
have Taken florida to A final. Four Todd, Golden Billy,
Donovan Lon.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Kruger, wow, yeah he's. Good you got the. Stats all,
Right let's quickly go To. HOUSTON i Think Kelvin samson
might be double the age Of John, shire SO i
Thought samson may be called the best individual player of the.
Tournament the inbounds play to Beat, perdue although that was.
Phenomenal that is That i'm looking for edge For. HOUSTON
i think they have a slight edge in the. Backcourt
(18:39):
BUT i Like duke in this, game BUT i do
Think samson could throw a wrinkle at. Him for, instance
they have three guards that start they're all like six to.
THREE i don't know that you can start three guards
Against duke with this incredible size and length. Upfront your, thoughts, well.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Let's look at a couple of you, know, anecdotes From
Kelvin samson the last couple of years and why he
might be so prone to obviously being A. PAS i
think to win this basketball, GAME i picked to You
houston to win the national. Title Kelvin sampson does not
always need the best players and the best talent to.
Win let's rewind mc clock back to twenty twenty. Two
he's the head coach At. Houston they Lose Marcus sasser
(19:14):
And Tremon mark the season ending. Injuries houston then goes
into THE Ncaa, tournament Beats illinois in the round of
thirty two With Kofi, coburn then in The sweet sixteen
beats To, arizona the one seed that Had Christian, Coloco Dalen,
terry And Ben mathern and lost To villanova And Colin
gillespie And Jay, wright which Was Jay wright's last victory
(19:37):
At villanova in The elite. Eight and then remember last,
Year houston had a lead On duke in The sweet
sixteen Before jamal shed twisted his ankle and sprained his
ankle and all of a sudden obviously came back to
win that. Game so this is a little bit Like
phase two between these two. Programs it's a little bit
of the FEELING i had in like twenty fifteen When
(19:58):
wisconsin was playing for a second time in The Final.
Four there are certain times in college basketball where everything
aligns to give you the epic matchup in the second
game of The Final. Four we had it in ninety
one When duke Beat. Unov we had it in ninety, two,
obviously When indiana Played. Duke we had it in two
thousand and four When yukon Played, duke when A Mecca
(20:20):
oka four hit that layup in the closing. Seconds we
have that On saturday. NIGHT i understand why people, say, like,
well we don't have This Steph curry run For, davidson
we don't have The gonzaga run of ninety. NINE i get,
That but what we have is as appetizing A final
four as we've had in a long.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
TIME i will say it sounds like you Like houston in,
this AND i get. IT i think Ken pom has
it as a two point. Game Bark, torvik another site
that does, analytics Has houston by, one which surprised. ME
i will, Say, john you have to admit If duke somehow,
LOSES i think that's a bit of a ding to
The national title. GAME i know you the purist and
everybody will still Like houston And i'll watch, it BUT
(20:59):
I i think the masses would kind of want to
See Cooper flag in the title. GAME i.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
UNDERSTAND i understand what you're saying from the. PERIPHERY i get.
It you, know it's probably comparable to. This remember in twenty,
fifteen If kentucky Played duke in The National title, Game
kentucky would have been going for forty to oho and
it would have Been Kentucky duke in The National Title,
game and it Was Duke. WISCONSIN, YEP i understand what you're.
Saying for people from the periphery to bring in eyeballs
(21:25):
On monday. Nights people might Say Duke auburn Or Duke
florida would be box. Office but if you follow college,
basketball you have an appreciation For. Houston And houston has
been at bat year after year after. Year this is
the third season in a row that The cougars have
been a one seed in the NC Doublea. Tournament, chason
(21:46):
how about? This Since Kelvin sampson was hired At, houston
The cougars are eighteen and six in THE Ncuba tournament
and have advanced to the second weekend every season since twenty.
Eighteen the last Time houston and didn't advance to the
second weekend was twenty eighteen When Jordan poole made that
miracle shot For michigan in the round of thirty.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Two Jordan, pool my.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Guy Fox Sports radio has the best sports talk lineup
in the. Nation catch all of our shows at Foxsports
radio dot com and within The iHeartRadio app SEARCH fsr
to listen live all right.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Quickly Cooper flag Or Zion, williamson who had a better
freshman year At duke is a heated discussion in some text.
Threads i'm in AND i. Did by the, way ask CHAT,
gbt which claims it's a toss.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Upisode, YEAH i will go With Zion williamson because of
the caliber of THE. Acc THE acc that year had
three number one seeds in THE Caa, Tournament, Duke, caroline And. Virginia.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Wow THAT i gotta, Say i'm surprised Because Cooper flag,
BETTER i would, say, Defensively Uh, Cooper, YEAH.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I Mean Zion Zion. Williams Zion williamson was like a.
Phenomenon it was like when THE nWo came To Monday
nitro in the mid.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
NINETIES i still remember the lost Of Michigan. State that
pissed me off BECAUSE i Had, duke BUT i also
Had houston last year When shed turned the, ankle which.
Hurt So i'm guessing you're Going houston Versus florida for
The National.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Championship, look that's WHAT i said at the start of the,
Tournament SO i don't want a waiver from. That i'm
sticking with my waver picks because, No i'm not gonna.
Waiver i'm sticking with my rhythm. PICKS i Said houston
Over florida in the title, game So i'm sticking With
houston Over. Florida but, LOOK i think anyway you slice,
it we're gonna have three awesome games In San. Antonio
San antonio is an awesome city for The final. Four
(23:31):
i'm really looking forward to getting down there, tomorrow and
obviously we're gonna have some great coverage ON cbs all.
Weekend And i'm JUST i, think you, know very rarely
do you get a scenario where like the combinations can
happen anyway and you know you're gonna get a great
title game like last. Year going in everybody wants to
See yukon Play. Perdue everybody wants to See ed Against
(23:51):
klinging this. YEAR i think any combination will be a great.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
COMBINATION i am curious when you look At john show
kind of what he's accomplished. Already we got people instantly
calling him the next coach K i think it's a
little premature your thoughts on how he's. Done or is
it just that he's got a stacked team with the
best player IN i don't, know the best freshman and
maybe the last five years in college. BASKETBALL i don't
(24:14):
know he.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Has a stacked. Team but think about other instances in
history where it's been very difficult to follow a. Legend
John shire has made it look. Seamless John shire has
Led duke right now to three seasons in a row
with at least twenty seven. Wins John shire has also
been in a situation where he has now tied the
(24:35):
record for most wins by a head coach in their
first three seasons on the. Job the other two coaches
that he's sharing that mark, with which is now eighty nine,
victories Is Brad stevens At butler And Brad underwood at
steven F. Austin so he has made it look seamless
in terms of the succession plan From Mike krzyzewski To John.
(24:56):
Shire oh that's.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
INTERESTING i am curious that you mentioned The houston. THING
i forgot about that slight home court. Advantage would do
you think the crowd will be Pro houston or.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
There will be a lot of. Red there will be
a lot of. Red now do always? Travels, yeah there
will be a lot of red In San.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Antonio, okay So, john we can wrap up with. It
so in WHEN i was in sixth, grade me and my,
buddy we would play this, game you, know because we
didn't pay attention in, class where we would name AN
nba player and then you would have to say where
he went to, college and we would try to trick each.
Other we were in Northern, virginia so a lot Of
georgetown And. Maryland do you mind IF i throw a
(25:31):
couple of names at. You i'm not trying to trick,
you but it's, fun you, Know And i'm sure if you,
COUNTED i WOULD i WOULD i would fail on. Some
so we'll start with an easy. One he had an
AWESOME nba. Career Jamal, crawford you play a.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
College.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yeah, see we'll start with a. Layup all, Right we'll
go with, another probably quasi easy. One Michael Finley. WISCONSIN
i THOUGHT i could get you because he's An illinois.
Guy let's go With Alan, Houston. Tennessee, YEAH i can't
tricky with A New york. Nick now we'll go with
a little. Obscure, okay this is probably gonna upset some
(26:08):
people That i'm asking, you but he's been a powerful
in the league long. Run PAUL Millsap.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Louisiana Tack, oh we got it pretty.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Quickly, yes impressive BECAUSE i know you're a huge obviously basketball,
fan and you know all these DAYS i can't ask
you Like Baron. Davis, yeah, yeah that too. Easy let's
go with a guy they had an awesome. Backcourt Sam, Cassell.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Florida, state him And Bob.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Sarah, yes oh, boy see this guy knows his. STUFF
a little slightly off the, radar could be. Tricky Chauncey Billups.
Colorado nothing could get this. GUY i don't know if
this one's totally. Fair, Actually i'll ask it Sir Valiant.
BROWN i don't even know if he made THE, nba
but his great name and you might know, It Sir Valiant.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Brown it sounds like a manager for professional. WRESTLING i
just sort of.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Does.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Umm he was one of the leading scorers in the
country who was a little point. Guard he was just a,
Bucket Sir Valiant.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Brown, No.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
George, washington The colonials too. Obscure they didn't make the,
league so that's not totally. Fair Marcus, pfizer easy one for,
You iowa, Stated, Yeah Vin Baker, hartford, ooh, yes anybody
in The northeast you're really good. At. Uh does the
Name terry De herring a? Bell of course it. Does.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
SURE A Seaton hall ninety three they lost To Ralph
willard And Western kentucky in a round of thirty. Two
the point guard on That Seaton hall Team Danny.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Hurley so this is probably the nerdiest thing THAT i.
Admit my wife makes fun of me. Constantly but when
One Shining moment would, PLAY i would record It john
SO i could watch it. Later now this was pre,
YouTube like two thousand and, five very, nerdy losory, stuff
but that's How i'll go back and watch like the
(28:00):
early nineties One shining. Moments, YEAH i mean those are
some LIKE i get goosebumps still watching that Because i'm
such a hoops. NERD i am just, curious where are
you on one shining? Moment will you like hummet to?
Yourself does the wife make fun of? You do you find?
YOURSELF i mean my.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Wife my wife is you, know the person in the
world that just humbles me every single, Day like you feel, like,
obviously you know you're getting great. Assignments you're working THE ncaa.
TOURNAMENT i did a number OF ncaa tournament. Games the
first week of the. Tournament my wife went, Skiing so you,
know that's probably why our relationship. Works she tells, Me she's,
like it's great that you love your, job but you're
(28:37):
not that. Important.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Yeah so my son's birthday is in the middle Of
march madness almost every, year AND i tell the, Wife i'm, like,
listen this is just a tough one for. ME i you,
KNOW i can't miss the. Tournament so we usually try
to do the birthday early in the day That saturday
when the second round, starts OR i convince him to
push it to after the tournament and we could do
a Bigger we could do a bigger. Birthday just give
(28:58):
me some.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
College basket is greater than being. Social it's better than being.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Social AND i know you you put all these tweets
out that people love. You you're now Making are you
making money on these t shirts that you're.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Doing you don't have to BE i know The, no
the proceed the proceeds go to, CHARITY a, charity mission,
continues a. Charity it helps our veterans when they return from.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
War, wow that's the.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
IMPORTANT a portion of the portion of the proceeds goes to.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
That, yeah that is really cool. Man congrats on. That
John rossty AND, cbs he knows. Everything he's going to
be at the final. Four let's wrap up lastly with the.
Portal obviously you're going to be down there work in
the hotel. Lobby have you heard the latest about This
mara situation AT? Ucla not to get too, granular but
they're out here in our.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Backyard, YEAH i, mean this is a situation THAT i,
think you, know when a Die maar went To, SPAIN
i think, things you, know, Change but it was a
quick decision from WHAT i, understand when he came back
and now is his life in the transfer, PORTAL ucla
got the best point guard in the country and maybe
in All america next, year and they lose obviously their starting.
CENTER i, MEAN i think there's a pretty good nucleus
(29:59):
in Place jason FOR, ucla because if you think about,
it you Have Donovan, Dent Sky clark And Trent perry,
back and you're gonna Have Eric daley And Tyler billdo.
Back BUT ucla needs to add a starting caliber front court,
guy and NOW i think also needs to add another scoring.
Wing SO i THOUGHT ucla with The daimarra back was
a consensus top, seven, eight nine ten team to start next,
(30:22):
season and then without him now they're probably somewhere in
the top twenty. Five.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
YEAH i don't want to hammer the, kid BUT i
have heard some you, know he would take himself out
of games because he wasn't in great, shape AND i
Don't i'm not as high on him as. Others let
me last, Question, john we haven't HAD i, believe a
national champion west of The mississippi in like twenty five,
years something ridiculous like. That, yeah all signs point TO
byu being absolutely. Loaded next year they get the best
(30:49):
player on the country in. Aj have you heard whether
or not the point guard is coming? Back the six
to nine kid Who i'm spacing on his.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Name coming, Back Oh Jaegor, Demon, yes, yes no word.
YET i know he's forecasted as a as a high
pick in the. Draft no word on that. Yet i'm
not who he's coming back or. Staying BUT i will say,
this even without, yet even Without Yegor, demon Who i'm
forecasting to, GO i think with the potential Of ajdabansa
(31:18):
coming in and the pieces that should return FOR, BYU
byu is in position to be a top ten team
to start next, season without, question without Yaeg Or demon coming.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Back now you're on the trail like The adidas camp
and all that fun. Stuff i've only seen some videos OF.
Aj what are we talking, here, like do you have
like AN? Nba he?
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Is he is going to be in the conversation to,
be you, know one of the top picks in the
twenty twenty SIX nba. Draft BUT i also am somebody
who doesn't get all that caught up in what somebody
is forecasting to be in THE nba when it comes
to college, basketball because think about, This Anthony edwards' team
didn't make THE ncaa. Tournaments Van simmons' team didn't make
(31:55):
THE ncaa. Tournament Markel fultz's team didn't make THE ncaa.
Tournament these are all guys, who again were number one
picks in the. Draft And, jason, look you know, Me
i'm a college guy through and. THROUGH i sometimes get
annoyed because that conversation sometimes usurfs what's going on in
the actual. Sport we'll deal with THE nba, draft or
the experts will deal with THE nba draft after the
(32:18):
season is. Over but college basketball is not THE. NBA i,
mean look At houston's, team for. Example there's a couple
of guys who obviously might be able to play at
the next, level but that is a team of, really
really good college players who's been exceptionally well coached that
again has superseded everybody that's been put in its.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Path. Yeah, no that's a good point because how you
build your team is. Fascinating do you want to just
load up on one And don's or maybe two and?
DOUNS i, mean do you want to get a bunch
of program?
Speaker 3 (32:46):
GUYS i, mean like you were talking, about like you,
know you live in obviously you Know, california and you
obviously are paying close attention to what's happening AT. UCLA i,
Mean Amari, Bailey Hayton, watson these guys were all one
in on, players but they weren't good enough in college
to be better Than Jalen, clark Than Haimi. Hawke is all.
(33:07):
THAT i, mean this is all just the way it.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Goes, yeah where In europe right now Is Amari bailey?
PLAYING i know he, IS i don't.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
KNOW i remember he was like a two way guy FOR.
Ab but like, again and everybody's you, know entitled to
do whatever they want to. Do but if that guy
stayed in college FOR nil would be one of the
best players in the country right, now hundred.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Percent, now, Listen i'm not speaking out of. Pocket If
Mick cronin was on The herd last week and we're
talking off Airon i'm not going to mention, it but
he had a player leave early and then he ran into,
him and let's just say the player was kind of
wishing he had stayed in. College i'm sure you.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Yeah, yeah you.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Know.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Jason here's the thing, Too because these guys can get
paid right, now and because the forum is what it,
is it's better to be in college. Basketball And i'm
not just saying this BECAUSE i cover college basketball every
single day for a. Living it's WHAT i. Do because
you can finally get paid and you have the forum
of playing ON, cbs playing ON, tnt playing ON. Espn
(34:05):
you don't need to go To europe or go to
THE G league, anymore or go to THE nba on
a smaller. Contract you can make hundreds of, thousands millions
of dollars playing in college.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Basketball and by the, way this goes to THE d
two and three, guys because what's A Duncan robinson with
the big leap To. Michigan now he's in THE. Nba
make it Big Buck dalton connect from what Northern arizona
or some obscure place To tennessee player of The year
in The, sea like it can. Happen what's his, Name,
sturtz who's going To. Iowa that's one of the best
stories of college. Basketball how good are they going to
(34:35):
be next?
Speaker 3 (34:35):
YEAR i, mean we gotta wait and see what the
roster looks. Like that's the. Thing it's going to take.
Time it's portal. Combat it is portal combat every single. Day,
AGAIN i have an idea of what rosters are gonna look.
Like But i'm gonna be sending into my editors AT
fandle every single day for changing The ross team forty.
Five we already we already talked about. It we, Said,
johnny we can only publish this once a. Day you
have to send in your changes every. Day but it's.
(34:57):
Awesome it keeps the offseason. Relevant and, this this is one,
thing and this is the best way to sum it.
Up we are not going to see programs anymore in college.
Basketball you are building a team year two, year and
that's the way you have to approach. It, AGAIN i
think we've got some really interesting things already happen in the.
Portal Bryce hopkins going To Saint John keyan's to the
edge of. FOUR i think will fore of the one
(35:19):
of the best four or five combinations in the country next,
year as long as he's. Healthy Donovan dent going TO.
UCLA i felt for, years AND i don't want to
disparage you, know anybody that's been playing this, position but
UNTIL ucla Got Donovan dent and had an adequately Replaced
Tiger campbell a couple of years. Ago Love Tiger. Campbell
so now all of a sudden and, again you, Know
ucla is gonna get a really good post, player AND
(35:39):
i think they're gonna, get you, know a good wing as.
Well but if you add those two, Things, ucla even
without A, daimara should be really really. Good and here's
the thing, too we love talking about the, posts the,
edits the, videos the announcements because it's what's obviously hot
In april and May i'm gonna leave you with. This
twenty nine from the four final four teams played in
(36:03):
The Elite eight last, week double figure. Minutes, okay Twenty
we're in the program the year prior for, refreshmen and
only five were first year. Transfers retention still. Matters so
even though we want to talk about the portal who's going,
where it is far more important to retain the players
that are in your current.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Program yeah, no that's. Huge final last question for real this.
Time so you mentioned Fan duel AND i just REMEMBER
i saw earlier AND i wrote this up For Fox Cooper.
Flag you can get plus money on him to score
twenty or more points Against. HOUSTON i like that, bet
But houston has tough. Interior D i just remember what
the kid E. K i think it's. Great grammy, yea, yea.
(36:43):
Yeah he destroyed them inside and there's no front court
depth To. HOUSTON i can See Cooper flag easily topping.
Twenty and also there is the idea That samson could
Treat flag Like. Jokic, hey we're gonna let him get.
Whatever we're not gonna Let procter hit five. Threes we're
not gonna Let james hit three. Threes we're not going
to let K nipple go. Crazy it's almost, like, hey
we'll Let Cooper flagg get, his but we don't want
(37:05):
the other guys to get. Theirs your thoughts On Cooper
flag twenty or more, Points.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
The bottom line is this is just the chess match
is going to be. Fascinating it's one of those Great
final four games that again you get every couple of
years that it feels Like Houston duke is going to
be like the build up The Holy field And.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Tyson oh, boy all, Right John, Ross TEAM, cbs thanks a,
Lot John Enjoy San, antonio my, man.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Thanks for having. Me jay
Host
Jason McIntyre
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