Previewing Spring Training with Gene Watson and KD's return to Austin

Join Craig Way and Cameron Parker for Thursday's show! They talk MLB Spring Training with Gene Watson, preview KD's return to Austin against the Spurs, Wemby's devastating injury news, and hear from Texas Women's Basketball coach Vic Schaefer.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I can tell you that Cameron Parker and myself have
meant a little bit. We got a little bit chilly,
as did everybody else in their building. Yeah, not the
best day to have a fire drill. It turned out
to be more than just a drill, but there was
no fire. With that, we say good afternoon and welcome
you to the program here on thirteen hundred the Zooe.

(00:21):
My name is Craig Way. Glad to have you with
us this afternoon. Us includes the producer Cameron D.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Parker.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
The D on the birsdy ptificate stands for.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Dallas or in this case delivering the play by play
on Saturday on the LHN SEC Network Plus telecast of
Longhorn Baseball against the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday. We'll
get to that in a moment, just in case somebody

(00:50):
who's going await a minute. It when the fire, but
it was a real fire drill. There was a water
main pipe burst beneath the building in the parking garage.
Now it's okay, no big deal, except that Cameron's car
and my truck from leave Johnson Ford were both parked

(01:12):
down there along with others and everybody with in the
mad scrambled to move their vehicles. I don't know how
flooded it's going to get down there, but at least
it's all out of that. So so we all had
to go outside and stand around in mid thirties temperature
thirty four to thirty five thirty six degrees depending on
which area, the Greater Austin area, and you just out
there in a sweatshirt, a long sleeve crew neck shirt.

(01:36):
That's that's all you were throwing on. You didn't even
put your coat on. You even bother put your coat on.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
Well, you know, it's happened a couple of times where
the fire sirens have gone off, and so far, I
don't think we've had an actual fire. Some of us
just been testing, you know, usually at to come in
once a year and you know, verified.

Speaker 5 (01:57):
And usually do that.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
To do that outside of normal business hours, it's not
very conducive about That happened during a live radio show.
And also I found out how many people in our
building have no idea what time we're on the air,
because what.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Are you doing right now?

Speaker 5 (02:11):
Shouldn't it shouldn't it's on two o'clock two to five pm. People.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
I actually had somebody come up me and say listen,
and I'm sitting here making notes and going over things,
and they were like, listen, I know you're on the
air right now, but we do have a fire drum.
And I'm like, look like, do I look like I'm
on the air right now? I know we're not on
the airtil it's oh okay, So maybe.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
That should be a little bit troubling.

Speaker 5 (02:33):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, yeah, but we are here and we are on
the air until five o'clock.

Speaker 5 (02:39):
Fire thing.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
All right, let's bring up to date on several things. First,
the reason why I mentioned about Cameron and the baseball
matchup with Dartmouth is because Cameron will be on the
call on the LHN slash SEC Network Plus telecasts, Right,
is that the best way to describe it for Texas Baseball?

(03:02):
So yeah, yeah, you should know. There have been time
changes for two of the three games, and we thought
this might be coming because of more inclement weather forecast
for the area, mainly Tomorrow night into Saturday. So listen up,

(03:25):
here's what In case you haven't heard, here's the changes
for the series. It is still planned as a three
game weekend series. It is still planned to be played
on three days, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at this time, At
this point, there is not a plan for a double
header on any of the days. Sunday looks like the

(03:48):
best weather day. Temperature could even get into the low
to mid sixties on Sunday. However, I think this was
due to darkness, travel schedule. The game was originally scheduled
for noon, and it is still scheduled to be played
Sunday at noon, which tells me they've got a flight

(04:08):
that evening, probably to get back to Hanover, New Hampshire,
although they probably have to I would guess fly to
Boston maybe if they're on southwestn't going to Manchester, New Hampshire,
then bus in on that something like that, because I
think that's that the Southwest airlines to New England.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Hubs are Providence in Manchester. But I digress.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Anyway, they they probably have to fly home on Sunday evening. Yes, six, Yeah, Oh,
they're on a six o'clock flight. Look at you finding
that out? Okay, all right, yeah, So yeah, Sunday's game
is noon. There will be no doubleheader Sunday. That's the
best weather day. Now you get Friday and Saturday. Friday
is supposed to be six thirty Friday night, Tomorrow night

(04:49):
Saturday two thirty.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
Was it originally scheduled.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
For two o'clock two o'clock.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Those have now been pulled forward to one one o'clock tomorrow,
one o'clock tomorrow instead of six thirty noon Saturday. So
whatever your tickets say, understand that your Friday ticket now
works for Friday afternoon at one o'clock, and your Saturday

(05:18):
ticket works for noon, and then Sunday is noon as schedule.
So just to let you know that, listen got to
be flexible this time of year. Questionable weather, iffy weather,
things like that. We saw that on Tuesday, tried but
could not even get the game started against Houston because
a really cool weather moving in the front was moving in.

(05:39):
We saw the flags just turn at a ninety degree
angle and really start blowing the other way out of
the north and raining, and it was just miserable.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Nobody would have been happy with that, so they called
it off.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
They didn't play Texas Saltball couldn't play on Wednesday at
home against Achron, so neither of those games were able
to be played.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Don't know.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
I've been asked, is there the possibility of something being
made up another game possible, but there's no official word
on any of that. So that's where it is right now.
And so again it is one o'clock tomorrow, and yes,
the game will be broadcast here on thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Roger Wallace and Keith Moreland will have the call.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
I'll be on a plane with Long Worn Basketball headed
for Columbia South Carolina because of the Saturday night game
between Texas and South Carolina, so that Roger and Keith
have to call tomorrow as well as on Saturday. Like
I said, Cameron will be working. Are you working with
Nathan Thornhill, ty Harrington? Oh, you'll be with the coach, Okay,

(06:47):
all right, So that's on Saturday there with the coach,
all right. So that and so the telecast of that
with Cam and Tye will be on Saturday, and of
course you'll be able to hear both games as well
as the Sunday game. I'll be back for the Sunday
game to join Keith to call that one for you
on Sunday at noon, as the long Ones have a

(07:10):
Saturday night basketball game, and for folks will go wait.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Whoa whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. Cameron Parker
is the engineer for Long One men's basketball. What's the deal?

Speaker 1 (07:20):
I would say we were able to make a nice
step in substitution so that to make Cam available to
call the game for the telecast the baseball game on Saturday,
and please to have our old friend and former basketball
engineer Mike Purl joined us so he will make the
trip with us. Mike did a couple of games first

(07:42):
last year. I think he's going to do another one
when you're in Greenville, South Carolina with women's basketball for
the SEC Women's Tournament. The men have their regular season
finale at home against Oklahoma. Mike will be with us,
but that one is our engineer, so he'll go with
us tomorrow on that So hopefully that gets everything up
to speed for there. The other programming note to remind

(08:03):
you of is tonight at six o'clock Long Worn Weekly
with Rodney Terry out at Pluckers, the West Campus location.
We're there every Thursday, except when the team gets weathered
in in Oxford, Mississippian can't get back and they have
to go straight to Baton Ruge like they did a
couple of weeks ago, three weeks ago, as time is
beginning to fly. But we will be there tonight with

(08:28):
coach Terry. We take your questions. We talked basketball, and
we always have a special guest. We've had a couple
of coaches on recently, we've ever different players. We have
a player on the night, Trey Johnson, the Long Worn's
Outstanding Freshman, the current SEC Freshman of the Week, where
he is the Freshman the Week for the fourth time

(08:50):
this season. I'm sure he's going to be a freshman
All American when everything's said and done. He's leaning the
SEC in conference scoring per game at just a sh
under twenty points per game. So Trey Johnson will join
us at Pluckers at six. So we encourage you to
come on out, get there early, to get your place,

(09:10):
and you can hear Trey, and you can hear a coach,
and we'll have questions and all that kind of stuff.
That's coming up tonight. But Long Worn Weekly at six
o'clock at Pluckers the West Campus location here in Austin
at twenty two to twenty two real grand that is
at six, all right, We've had a lot of things
to get to on the program. I want to get

(09:30):
to some NBA topics with Cam and gets to get
his thoughts on that. Also some women's basketball and men's
college basketball notes and updates to get you updated on
the long ones place in things. In the four o'clock hour,
our MLB insider Gene Watson from the Chicago White Sox

(09:50):
front office joins us there is an actual Major League
Baseball game going on right now. It's a spring training game.
I wish I could pull it up my laptop. It's weird.
I have the MLB package, I have direct TV, but
it doesn't allow me to pull it.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Up on my laptop.

Speaker 5 (10:07):
Are you blacked out from it?

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Well, it's because they're not at home, but on my
laptop I can because of MLB restrictions or something with that.

Speaker 5 (10:16):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
Anyway, it's too complicated. Yeah, yeah, today, So Dodgers and Cups.
Yamamoto's pitching for the Dodgers today, so, but anyway, it's
Dodgers and Cubs. But that's the first And remember those
two teams are going to Japan to open the season
on March eighteenth in Tokyo, and the starters both are

(10:41):
natives of Japan. Ammanaga to pitch for the Cubs, Yamamoto
to pitch for the Dodgers. I think that's a really
cool thing, so that they get to get a jump
on the others in terms of that since they have
to open the season early, and I think the teams
are going to have like some exhibition games in Japan
against Japanese major like the Hirosia mccarp and yeah, Yomiuri

(11:05):
Giants and you know the Cheap a Lot Whales and
you know those those teams, your cult swallows, you know,
the Japanese league teams. So they're gonna do that in
addition to playing a couple of games against each other
before they come back. But we'll talk some Major League
baseball with Gene Watson. Uh, we've got, like I said,

(11:27):
college baseball to get to. There's a lot of topics
and of course, as always, as always, we're happy to
have your input on our text line. You need only
text the word Texas follow by your question or comment
to eight one five three zero. So text the word
Texas follow by your question or comment to eight one
five three zero.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
Standard messaging and data rates may apply.

Speaker 1 (11:51):
Also, we have that talk back number and you're gonna
want to have that talkback number handy as well. We're
gonna tell you about something else coming up a little
later in the program. It is that they're Thursday afternoon.
Happy to be with you here.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
I'm thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 6 (12:06):
It's the Craig Way Show with the voice of the
Texas Longhorns in Hall of Fame broadcaster Craig Way.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
It's Thursday afternoon. I'm staying warm.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
Got a lot of things to get down to get to,
starting with Victor Wibgnon had done for the season shut.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
Down by the Spurs.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
So if you are holding tickets as Cameron Parker is
for tonight's game at Moody Center between the San Antonio
Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, you are not going to
get to see Wemby.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
No Victor women Yama tonight. They're shutting him down.

Speaker 1 (13:03):
Do you ever see those commercials for deep vein thrombosis
or veins are just like throbbing.

Speaker 3 (13:14):
He's got that in his right shoulder. The Spurs today.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Said that the condition, it's the form, it's a form
of a blood clot was discovered when when he returned
to San Antonio after the All Star Game, it's typically
treated with a blood thinning medication, so that means you
can't play as a result of that. So it precludes

(13:41):
him from participating in a contact sport like basketball. If
you got blood thinners going on, you don't want to
be out there where you could like be shedding blood.

Speaker 3 (13:50):
Happens that way.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
So this started, and he said, well, they're just now
finding this out. It really started pretty recently. Started feeling
symptomatic of it recently, but he thought he'd feel better
after two days off following the All Star Game, and
then the symptoms persisted.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
He let the club know.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
They engaged in a battery of tests and it revealed
the clot. The Spurs say they're optimistic he'll be fully
recovered and ready to go next season. Chris Paul The
quote from him was, it's tough. Tough more than anything,
I think, for all of us knowing how much he
means to our team, but more so knowing how much
he means to the game and how much he loves

(14:33):
to play. He was averaging twenty four points, eleven rebounds,
four assists, four blocks, leading the league three point eight
to be exact in forty six games, but the team
said in the statement that the updates on his condition
would be provided as appropriate. So it's a tough deal

(14:54):
for the Spurs fans, for Victor wibin Yama. We're gonna
hear some comments from Kevin Durant today right with regard
to this matchup and kat returning back home, but this
becomes the headline portunately from the Spurs perspective.

Speaker 3 (15:09):
In the NBA perspective, is that Wemby's done for the season.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
Yeah, I mean, I was super excited to see Wemby
take on Kevin Durant tonight, Katie's homecoming to Moody Center.
First time playing at Moody Center, obviously, first time playing
I think may have played a preseason game a little
while back at the Irwin Center, but it was going
to be such a spectacle to night and then of
course be able to see Wemby the freak that he is.
This this kind of sucks Craig first and foremost. I

(15:35):
hope it's nothing serious, and judging off of what the
Spurs have said and what Sham said to day on
ESPN that you know, medicine will help take care of this,
rest will take care of this, and he'll be ready
to go come the offseason. There's also a part where
you know, you get to the All Star break. San
Antonio was twenty three and twenty nine. Yes, they made
the darreon Fox trade, but that was more of a
trade for down the road, not this season. You know,

(15:58):
a lot of NBA fans were wondering, Okay, so when
is the Wenby injury gonna come? When is the oh,
we're gonna shut him down because of some you know,
wrist or go load manage and go load management. Well
here we are now, I you know, maybe it is
serious and stuff. But also looking at where they're out
in the standings, Craig, you know they're they're three and

(16:19):
a half games back out of the playing spot. But
the bottom three teams, of course, you know, have the
chance that at the same mod to get the number
one pick. Looking at that, there are eleven games from that,
so you know it'll be tough to make the plan.
It'll be tough to make the bottom three. But it
seems like, you know what, why not just tank possibly
for a better draft pick. Who knows, maybe you do

(16:40):
get a shot at Cooper flag or four, five and six.
But not surprising that this is happening, but hopefully Wenby Uh, well,
you know it's nothing serious because he's going to be
a huge part of this league, and it does sound
like it is truly nothing serious.

Speaker 1 (16:57):
Update on Anthony Davis for you, Maverick. He's improving.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
It's good. It's getting better.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
On that left adductor strain, so making good progress. You
have the reevaluate him in two more weeks. He's going
to be out at least two more weeks. That happened
in the third quarter of his first game with the
Mavericks a couple of weeks ago, and he missed his

(17:29):
first three games as a member of the Mavericks due
to an abdominal strain that he suffered on January twenty eight,
four days before the trade. And one of the things
that's got the Maverick van base all soured. In addition
to the elephant in the room, the biggest thing is
just you know, trading Luka Doncic. But in addition to

(17:51):
that was the knowledge that Mavericks ownership and management knew
that ad was injured, that they knew when they made
the deal. Well, he had already been out of the lineup,
so and now this adductor it's adds. He did not
abductors not it's called adductor strain. He's going to miss

(18:13):
a minimum of ten games, including seven over the next
two weeks. He's played in forty three games, so he's
gonna fall short of the sixty five game minimum to
be eligible for awards like All NBA and Defensive Player
of the Year, those kinds of things. If you're wondering

(18:34):
about their other big guys, Daniel Gafford had that Grade
three mcl spraing Derek Lively at the stress fraction of
the ankle, they're gonna miss probably the majority, if not all,
of the rest of the regular season. So then the
Mavericks went out and signed seven foot Moses Brown to
a ten day deal. Since they have no they've got

(18:57):
quite a quite a glaring yea of anybody to play
the center position right now.

Speaker 3 (19:04):
What is your recollection of Moses Brown.

Speaker 4 (19:06):
NBA journey man, just out there for some depth, you know,
I will say Mavericks only two games back from that
sixth spot. I think ideally you don't want to be
in the play in because if you're in the play
in and you win, you're either facing OKC in the
first round now who they have beaten, So I don't
think Dallas is you know, much afraid of the Mavericks
or the thunder excuse me, but then you're playing Memphis
in the first round. You also don't have home court advantage,

(19:28):
so they would love to be able to sneak into
the five and six spot, you know, hopeful the Lakers
keep losing. For the Mavericks, the Clippers on a three
game win streak, so it's a tough spot to be
thrusted in that play in, which is likely where they'll
be at considering what two more weeks until all those
guys are reevaluating. It doesn't necessarily mean they're going to
be out for much longer, but doesn't also mean they're

(19:49):
going to be ready to play on March seventh. And
it's a Mavericks team that you need those three guys
such a huge part, especially of course Anthony Davis. They
can you know, they can say healthy. They are scary
playoff team, Greg, But the question always is if can
those guys be on the court at the same time,
And if you're in the playing there's no guarantee you're
going to be able to advance. I mean right now,

(20:11):
they would play the Kings in that first playing game,
which I think is is very winnable, and then they
might have a shot against Golden State. Steph Curry can
drop forty anytime. You got Jimmy Butler and there now,
all of a sudden, Golden State's a little bit scary.
You have one bad night or you know, hey, Anthony
Davis missed that first playing game with aductory injury. Now
you lose your playing Sacramento for a spot at the

(20:33):
at the sorry Golden State for the spot the eighth seed,
and Steph Curry drops forty at you. Jimmy Butler's fighting
people on the team, and all of a sudden you're
at the playoffs. And then there you go, Nico Harrison,
there you go, Dumont, that big trade you wanted to make. Well,
now you're at the playoffs while Luca and the Lakers
are in so a lot of stake here for the Lakers,
for the Mavericks if they can get healthy, because if
they're healthy, Craig, look out. But you know you're running

(20:55):
out of time here and right now the Mavericks eight seed,
a game and a half of missing the plane.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, did you you didn't see Lakers Hornets last night?

Speaker 4 (21:05):
Did that I did not watch. I had friends updating
me about Lucas status. Think he had six turnovers in
the first five minutes or five turnovers in the first
six minutes? Was he one of fourteen one of nine
from three? Missed two big threes down the stretch As
the Charlotte Hornets, who are fourteen and thirty nine now,

(21:26):
defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
Lucastill wound up with fourteen points and eleven rebounds. He did,
he did, and but the Lakers, and it wasn't just Luca,
it was the rest of the group. Blew a thirteen
point third quarter lead when and I were watching it,
and in the fourth quarter they were still in position
to win, but they forgot to guard LaMelo Ball, who
hit a giant three and made an unbelievable move to

(21:51):
the basket of with a little finger ball.

Speaker 3 (21:53):
It's it really was impressive.

Speaker 1 (21:55):
Lebron hit one big three and then the Lakers were
within three and they were inbounding with six seconds to go,
and they inbounded, they didn't even look at Luca.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
They went straight to Lebron. He missed a three.

Speaker 1 (22:10):
I think they got the rebound and kicked it right
back to Lebron again, who launched another three.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
And missed that one, and that was the game. It
was that kind of thing.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
So anyway, the Lakers, yes, lost to the Hornets, who
now have won a grand total of fourteen games this season.
One other thing, see what happened to the Bucks Bobby
Portois twenty five game suspension for violating the league's anti
drug policy, so he's out for the vast majority of

(22:42):
the rest of the regular season. He said, well, what
was he taking? He tested positive for the drug tramadol,
which is a medication used to treat severe pain among adults. Listen,
most drugs like stuff like that are used to treat
severe pain. His agent says, was an accident.

Speaker 3 (23:06):
Of course, it's an accident.

Speaker 5 (23:07):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
I'm devastating for Bobby right now because he made an
honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant.
Bobby unintentionally took a pain medication called tramadol, thinking he
was taking a pain medication called torra dol. Torra Dol
is an approved pain medication that he has used previously,

(23:29):
and that teams and players use for pain and inflammation
at times. Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication
and was just recently added to the band's substance list
this past spring. The trama doll pill he took came
from an assistant of his with a valid prescription for
the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was torre Dol.

(23:53):
This was again an honest mistake that was made because
of the similarity in the names of the drugs and
the fact that they both saw a very similar part.
Bobby was using this anti inflammatory pain reducing medication to
deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall,
and believed he was taking tordohl to alleviate some pain
in preparation for that night's game. He's not going to
assist appeal the suspension. I can believe that that is

(24:18):
an honest mistake. I can believe that. But again, I
think this always always rolls back to the individual, the athlete,
with the never ending question are you absolutely sure of
what you're putting in your body?

Speaker 3 (24:35):
Absolutely sure?

Speaker 1 (24:36):
Now, it was a quote unquote assistant the game and
that said, hey, it's tordol. Don't want to follow up,
just to make sure, just to make sure, because this
is what you're messing with. Twenty five games is a
lot of money too for him. So I can believe
it was an accident. I can also believe that you

(24:57):
know a little more advance work on that check and
it make absolutely certain.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
Of what you're putting in your body.

Speaker 4 (25:06):
And not only that, Craig, I mean, this is the
devastating loss for a Bucks team that is in the
playoff front. They're the five seed, they got a game
and a half back from the Pacers. Bobby Portis might
be the third most important player on this team. I
would argue he's even more important than Dame Lillard some
Knights because of his ability to stretch the floor, play defense,
and rebound for twenty five games. Now, now you're out.

(25:28):
And so if the Bucks have a stretch where Giannis
or Dame Lillard misses some games all of a sudden,
Milwaukee's kind of in a tail spin. They can find
themselves in the play in and then you're playing either
at Boston at Cleveland in the first couple of rounds,
or even if you're the sixth seed, you're playing at
the Knicks in the Garden against a very good jilln
Brunson and Anthony Towns type team coach by tips. So

(25:52):
this is you know, this is as bad as it
is for the Mavericks losing Ad and Gafford and Lively
for the Bucks losing Bobby Portis is worst case that
could happen would Bejanni's getting reinjured again. So this is
a real tough look for a bus team that is
entering a pivotal, pivotal offseason depending on how far they
go in the postseason.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
If I was Bobby Portos' agent, I think I would
have amended that statement to say Bobby uh unintentionally took
a paigin a medication called tramadol. The pill he took
came from a now ex assistant of his.

Speaker 3 (26:30):
You keep that guy on assist.

Speaker 5 (26:34):
Like, what would you classify as an ex assistance?

Speaker 1 (26:36):
Well, he said it was an assistant. I know, but
what is that like just like that more professional name
for like.

Speaker 3 (26:42):
My boy driver and bodyguard, and.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
He's my boy Steve. He's not he's not very bright.
Yeah yeah, and now he's not under my employee anymore.

Speaker 4 (26:51):
I wonder, Craig, if this is like, hey, do you
think how how rigorous do you think the testing policy is?
Do you think if I took some tramadall I could
get away with it? Yeah, well why do you try
it didn't work out?

Speaker 1 (27:00):
That'd be a gigantic mistake on the part of Portis
if he thought that way. And like I said, I'm
inclined to believe that this was the case. But it's
still an epic fail on Portois's fault for not completely
vetting that medication. That's that's all I say about that.
All right, maybe that's you going inconceivable. I don't know,

(27:23):
but the rest of Inconceibile is next here on AM
thirteen under the Zone, Craig Wade, alongside the producer Cameron Parker,
reminders of a couple of things to let you know
the long worn baseball series with Dartmouth. The times for
the Friday and Saturday games have been moved up in
anticipation of inclement weather. So the game tomorrow, which was

(27:47):
scheduled for six thirty, is now going to be one
o'clock tomorrow afternoon, one o'clock tomorrow instead of six thirty,
and Saturday's game has been moved up to noon. It's
a noon start time, of course, airtimes here on the
Zone will be fifteen minutes prior to first pitch, So
tomorrow afternoon it'll be twelve forty five pm with the

(28:11):
airtime one o'clock first pitch, and Roger Wallace and Keith
Moreland will have the call tomorrow and Saturday, as I'll
be on my way to Columbia South Carolina with men's
basketball to get ready for the men's game on Saturday night.
So tomorrow afternoon, twelve forty five airtime one o'clock first pitch,
Texas against Dartmouth. Saturday's game eleven forty five am. It

(28:34):
is a noon first pitch for game two of that
series Texas and Dartmouth.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
And again Roger and Keith have the call of that one.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
Of course Saturday night here on the Zone as well
as on ninety eight point ONEFM. Cavett Long Worn Men's
basketball Texas at South Carolina's long runs try to continue
the upper trend. They're coming off the winter for Kentucky tour.

Speaker 3 (28:58):
That end. We're gonna hear a little bit later on
this hour.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
We're gonna hear from Kevin Durant, of course, the former
long Worm, but he's here in town because the Suns
are playing the Spurs tonight at Moody. We'll hear some
about that a little bit later, so excuse me. That'll
be Friday and Saturday. Sunday. The game between Texas and

(29:23):
Dartmouth will have a noon first pitch Sunday, even a
noon first pitch, that was the time that was originally scheduled.
Because Dartmouth has a six o'clock team flight to catch,
so as a result, that game will be played at
its scheduled time of noon on Sunday. So it's Tomorrow

(29:46):
one Saturday at noon, Sunday at noon, it's basketball Saturday
night seven o'clock airtimes seven thirty tip off from Colombia,
and as I mentioned, Sunday at noon for baseball, and
then on Monday night will be Texas women's basketball. They
will be back in actual We're gonna hear from Vick

(30:07):
Schaeffer coming up this hour as well, the long warn
women's head coach of the team that's now up to
number two in the country with their third consecutive win
over a top ten team last Sunday beating LSU and
Notre Dame is now the new number one team in

(30:28):
the country. Michael vopol does a great job covering women's
basketball for ESPN dot com did power rankings Now, these
are different than the actual AP pole, although some mirror
the same. For example, Notre Dame. Notre Dame is number
one in the Power rankings, moved up from number two
to number one. They beat Duke, and they're in line

(30:53):
perhaps to wind up with the number one overall seat
if they continue to go. Texas, like in the AP poll,
is in those power rankingsber two at twenty six and two.
As Michael writes, Texas is playing very well, coming off
three consecutive wins of her top ten teams. But give
credit also to the individual play of sophomore star Addison Booker.
She's led Texas and scoring and rebounding in the past

(31:14):
five games, averaging eighteen and a half points and just
under ten rebounds. USC has number three, moved up three
spots from six to three. UCLA has dropped to number
four from number one, Yukon five, South Carolina dropping from
four to six, and I think the game Cocks are
also number six and the AP rankings as well.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
LSU seven.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
It's interesting what Michael vopl wrote about LSU said the
Tigers might not mind being a bit under the radar.
There are only two losses are on the road at
South Carolina and Texas. LSU is third in the SEC,
with the teams right behind Kentucky and Alabama still coming
up on the Tigers schedule. LSU remains a team no
one wants to play in the postseason.

Speaker 3 (31:58):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Ohio State number eight, North Carolina up six spots from
fifteen to nine.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
These are in the Power rankings.

Speaker 1 (32:05):
NC State is number ten, then it's Kentucky eleven, TCU twelve,
highest ranking they've ever had, most wins tc has ever
had as well. They're really good right now. Duke is thirteen,
Kansas State fourteen. They've had to play without Aoka Lee,
they're outstanding center who has been out since January nineteenth

(32:26):
with a broken bone in her foot. And then Oklahoma's fifteen.
Tennessee is sixteen, so that's the Power sixteen. They're off
of that. Updating the baseball thing for the Dodgers of
Jundro three to nothing lead in the first spring training
game of the season with the Cubs have come back
and really just teed off on Bobby Miller, who struggled

(32:49):
down the stretch of last season. They've scored five runs
and still batting on the top of the third. So
there it is in the Cubs leading by a score
of five to three, that is in the top half
of the third Inningcome all right, let's hear from Kevin Durant.
Some things from kd. First of all, getting an opportunity

(33:12):
to come back and play a regular season game where
he played his college basketball at such a high level,
or any national Player of the Year honors his one
year here in Austin as the Wooden Award winner, then
a spentth Award winner All America, and all of those
kinds of things. And he was asked about if he
could describe his level of excitement to be coming back

(33:33):
and playing in Austin.

Speaker 7 (33:34):
Extremely excited, you know, just to come back here and
play a game, or regular season game. I think I
played a preseason game here before, but to play a
regular season game where we need every one of these games,
it should be fun.

Speaker 5 (33:48):
Would he tell you met with the Texas team.

Speaker 7 (33:52):
I didn't need with him. I went to practice. I
didn't need with him. I can set what's up to
a few of the guys. But it was good to
be around the group. RT has been. They've been working
hard all season, trying to finish the season off right.

Speaker 5 (34:06):
So it's good to be around him.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
Yeah, And so the follow up question, since he was
talking about Rodney Terry talking about RT, was what makes RT?
What makes Rodney Terry the right fit at Texas.

Speaker 7 (34:20):
But he's a people person. He's about relationships. He's about
better relationships not only with the player, but their family
as well. And he understands that this is a major
part of these young men's life, is coming to college.
And so for parents to trust him to help lead
their kids shows the character that he has as a

(34:40):
as a person. And then on the basketball floor, he's
been around you know, all levels, you know, high level
NBA players, he's been in a low major D one schools,
head coach and mid majors, you know, so he's experience
and they can help any kid. And you know so,
But the relationship piece is probably the biggest part.

Speaker 5 (34:58):
Now.

Speaker 1 (34:59):
Lots of excitement about Trey Johnson, and Trey is gonna
be with us tonight at Pluckers for Long Worn Weekly
with Rodney Terry at six o'clock tonight. If you want
to come out to see Trey Uh, he'll be on
with us for a couple of segments during the program
tonight Pluckers the West Campus location here in Austin tonight,

(35:19):
and and Kevin duran has seen Trey Johnson play has
been very impressed with him. I was asked, is there
any advice he would give to Trey at this point?

Speaker 7 (35:31):
It looks like Trey has got to handle you know,
he's conducted himself like a pro already. You could tell
when I was at practice yesterday, just his work has
already at that level of you know, focus that you
know it needs to be at in order for you
to be a great player for a long time. So
just keep doing what he's doing, and you know the game,

(35:54):
He's gonna learn more about the game with more experience.
So you know, in these games, the last few games
of the conference, play is huge, you know, because they're meaningful.
They canna always be probably you know, late game type
of type of games, you know, so you learn the
most about your team and about yourself when you're playing
critical games like that.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
There are those who would make the comparisons between Kevin
Durant and Trey Johnson simply in terms of scoring.

Speaker 3 (36:20):
There trace of guard, and you know.

Speaker 1 (36:22):
He's his game is is a bit different, but the
comparisons are there because of how they can take over.

Speaker 3 (36:28):
Game and and score.

Speaker 1 (36:30):
So Kevin was asked us he's see any similarities between
his game and Trey Johnson's game.

Speaker 7 (36:35):
Probably just the mentality of just wanting to be great
and the work ethic, you know, that will to win.
You know, he can tell us that he got that
determination to go out there and win. He's passionate about
the game of basketball. So yeah, I see some similarities there,
and you know, he's similar to a lot of players

(36:55):
in that regard, but this as approach to the game,
I think I think we're similar in that area.

Speaker 3 (37:01):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (37:02):
Then he was asked about his time in Austin. There
were some epic games between Texas and Texas A and M.
There were other big games. Texas Tech did a huge
crowd here when he played, and of course on the road.
Never forget at Kansas when he think scored twenty five
points in the first half but turned his ankle and
when the locker room came out, tried to go in

(37:24):
the second half, and the Kansas fans at Allen Field
House gave him a.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
Standing ovation tried to go.

Speaker 1 (37:28):
You could tell he wasn't quite the same afterword, and
Kansas ended up winning the basketball game. But he was
asked about what if he could pick out a favorite
memory from his time in Austin.

Speaker 7 (37:39):
I had so many great memories off the court, but
on the floor, they had to be the Texas A
and M game. I think it might have been my
last game in the Earlin Center.

Speaker 2 (37:54):
That was.

Speaker 7 (37:54):
Yeah, that game right there stood out the most. Was
Texas A and M.

Speaker 5 (37:58):
Was like a thrown on our side.

Speaker 7 (37:59):
It was there was a veteran team that was experienced.
We were a young group and they scored one hundred
points on us the first that first game and back
then a hundred points. That's a lot of points in college.

Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
That was the game he's talking about. Was there his
final game at the Irwin Center? Double overtime winever A
and M. That's the one where he hit the gigantic three.
And I said, there's your National Player of the year
right there, because he and A. C. Law were in
a battle for National Player of the Year honors. And
then what does he remember about playing in front of
the fans at the Irwin Center and in Austin.

Speaker 7 (38:33):
I mean, if I mean the fans that came in
every game, you know, it was that was an NBA
like arena, you know, and it was that size. And
I'm coming from high schools that I graduated with twelve people,
you know, and I played in a church auditorium my
whole you know, for most of my high school career.
So a step up from that, you know, there was

(38:54):
a huge step up for me. I felt like I
was playing in the NBA arena, so every game every night,
just being able to walk out here and see the
energy from because it was packed most of the night.
So we see that energy for basketball when it's labeled
a football school.

Speaker 5 (39:07):
It was.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
It was pretty cool to see.

Speaker 7 (39:10):
And you know, so every moment I think and the
drum was pretty was dope to me. And they showed out,
Our fans showed off. I want to say, a Texas
Tech game, Texas and m games, they start camping out
and when I start seeing that, that experience was cool
and the fans really ride around us as we got
later into the season.

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Yeah, there it is thoughts from Kevin Durant and it'd
be good to see him back playing in an arena
in Austin again, as he'll be on the floor tonight.
That's an eight thirty tip off, by the way tonight,
So if you come out with the pluckers, still got
plenty of time to get back and watch the game
or watching their pluckers or whatever. I'm planning to be
back home watching the game tonight camera Parker's tickets.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
You're going excited, aren't you? Yeah? Okay, all right.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
Up next, we're getting from Vick Schaffer, Texas Women's head coach.

Speaker 3 (39:59):
When we continue here on thirteen under.

Speaker 5 (40:01):
The Zone, we're back.

Speaker 6 (40:07):
It's The Craig Way Show with Hall of Fame broadcaster
and voice of the Texas Longhearts Craig Way.

Speaker 3 (40:16):
Hey, it's getting downright, ball me.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
It's up to thirty nine degrees thirty nine degrees now,
it's going to fall off here pretty soon. In fact,
by the time we get off the air, it'll be
like probably back around thirty seven or so something like that.
So the temperature is falling off, but at least it's
warmed up a little. But again because of what's happening
with more inclement weather expected, that's why they moved up

(40:41):
the start time in of Mars game. To one o'clock
for Texas baseball against Dartmouth Saturday at noon, and then
Sunday at its originally scheduled time of noon, So one
o'clock noon and noon, and you'll hear all three games
here on the zone. Let's jump back to women's basketball.
Longhorn's head coach Vic Schaefer meeting with the me.

Speaker 5 (41:01):
Okay, good afternoon, everybody.

Speaker 8 (41:04):
Uh, hope y'all are doing well, staying warm. We've we've had,
I mean, we know what today is. Today's Thursday. I
think we uh, you know, we had had. This is
our first buye uh during the season, and so we
don't play tonight for the first time in conference play

(41:28):
February twentieth, So we we took Monday and Tuesday off.

Speaker 5 (41:33):
We came back yesterday.

Speaker 8 (41:34):
And practiced and we'll practice skin today and tomorrow morning
and then over the weekend to get ready to go
to Georgia on Monday. Obviously proud of my team, but
work's not done. Lots to play for. Uh, we've got
we've got to really fok us up and continue to

(41:58):
take it one game at a time and get ready
for a really good Georgia team. They've got three really
good guards at the top of their stat sheet, got
a nice five player inside that's their fourth leading scorer.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
And so.

Speaker 5 (42:13):
We'll have to go in there and play on the
road and play well.

Speaker 8 (42:15):
Anytime you go on the road in this league, you're
not ready to play, you won't get beat, you'll get embarrassed.
So we've we've got to be we've got to prepare,
and we've got to go in there and play well.
And so I'm excited to see my kids today and
watching practice and hopefully well we'll have a good, good
day of prep. They've been really good about it all

(42:38):
year long. I think that's how you get through the
gauntlet of the last four games, because they have been
so intentional each day, understanding each team that we had
to go through was unique, brought something different to the table,
and so there were certain things we had to adjust
to and maybe do differently from one game to the next.

(43:01):
And again, that says a lot about this team. So
I'm proud of them. But it's just February twentieth, y'all.
We have a lot, a lot left on the table,
a lot on a plate, a lot to play for.

Speaker 5 (43:16):
Thanks coach. If you guys use the Rais Hand feature.
We'll get to questions. Danny, you want to start us off.

Speaker 9 (43:25):
Yeah, often when you give your team a break, I'm
sure there's kind of some hesitance here. Well if you're
when the players get back about just kind of how
they're looking practice and stuff like that. But what did
your players show you when they kind of as they
kind of eased off the break you've given them this weekend.

Speaker 8 (43:40):
Well, we've only had one day of practice and that
was yesterday, and I'll just say it was a typical
practice after a day or a two day off, and
we'll leave it at that.

Speaker 5 (43:50):
So, you know, that's why it makes you to see
them today.

Speaker 8 (43:56):
You know, the first day is always a little a
little different, and so we'll get back at it today.
And again, we did a lot of running yesterday as
far as with the ball and you know, up and
down and playing and and so we'll just get them
back a little bit and then we'll get back at
it today.

Speaker 9 (44:17):
Now that you had a couple of days to go
over film, what did you like from what you saw
from Justice against LSU And you know she earned herself
some more playing time going forward.

Speaker 8 (44:28):
Well, I certainly liked her shot blocking, and I think
she had six rebounds, and so those are all things
that are good. I think again, she's got a you know,
she's got so much, so many things she can get
better at. She just a block out on a free throw,
went one for five or one for six from the field,

(44:51):
and you know, she needs to make some of those shots.

Speaker 5 (44:54):
But that won't ever change unless you get in the
gym and work on it.

Speaker 8 (44:58):
And so we'll just we'll keep trying and keep encouraging
her because I think she can impact our team and
impact the game in a real positive way, and we
need her to you know, with Amo out and potentially
done for the year, you know, we're just her and Jaquelina.
It's a two day tryout every week before we play somebody.

Speaker 5 (45:21):
And obviously you saw down the stretch.

Speaker 8 (45:24):
I went with four guards against LSU, and you know,
we still you could.

Speaker 5 (45:30):
See both bigs at the same time.

Speaker 8 (45:33):
I think Taylor proved the other night that she's capable
of guarding a four player. She did a nice job
Withmorrow and so you could see that combination as well.

Speaker 5 (45:44):
But I need Justice to play, you know, I need
her to play.

Speaker 8 (45:47):
I need her to to be the player that that
I recruited and make the impact that I felt like
she could make as a freshman. I think the kids
more than capable. And you know, I think she did
some really good things on Sunday. And then there's things
that that you know, I think she can work on

(46:08):
and get better at, and they're not that hard to
get better at. It just takes a little bit of
work and a little bit of focused. So really loved her.
You know, her shot Blox, I think she had two
block shots and six rebounds. She had a great pass
to Taylor, And again, I think that's what the kid
brings to the table. You know, she sees the floor.

(46:30):
She has a really good feel for the game. And uh.
You know, again, I love the kid. I need her
to to make me play her and uh, and so
we'll just keep encouraging her and keep.

Speaker 5 (46:43):
Working with her.

Speaker 8 (46:44):
And again, I think the kid's got a chance to
be really special.

Speaker 5 (46:48):
Thanks Daniel. Let's go, Terry, Terry, go ahead.

Speaker 10 (46:52):
That's good afternoon.

Speaker 11 (46:53):
So I have an observation I want you to confirm
or just talk about. So after over the last couple
of months, this team has been playing at.

Speaker 10 (47:05):
A high level, maybe a level that.

Speaker 11 (47:07):
You have never seen before in a team. And you know,
Madison talked about playing free. And then I realized when
I was processing that, well, Madison's playing three, Rory's playing three,
Shaye Holly's playing three, Kyla, whoever you put on the court,
Kaylor Jones, They're all playing their best basketball. Then I realized, well,
wait a second, you know again, it's my observation.

Speaker 10 (47:30):
I'm looking over. I'm not in the court, not in
the huddles.

Speaker 11 (47:32):
But coach Schaeffer is coaching different, it appears. Is this
something that is just your guys are in to flow
the entire team. You know, they always say the good
and the bad. It's always about leadership. And so I'm thinking, okay,
is did coach do something differently? Or you guys are
just in a moment of a greatness that there's no

(47:58):
answer to it. It's just this is your time time,
and uh, you're gonna run with it.

Speaker 8 (48:04):
Well, I uh, I think you know, we've we've got
some older kids that you know, are very mature, and
they they understand, you know, Taylor Jones, shall Olly, they
know this is it for them, you know, and and uh,

(48:29):
and then I'll even throw book in with that group.

Speaker 5 (48:31):
I mean, they just they're pros.

Speaker 8 (48:34):
I say this all the time, not necessarily pro basketball players,
pro in the workplace. They they bring it every day.
They have a have a routine, they have a workout routine.
They come in and get shots.

Speaker 5 (48:47):
Kyla. Kyla's in here in the morning at seven point thirty.

Speaker 8 (48:50):
You know, working out uh in the morning before she
ghost class. I just think, you know, when you've got
a nucleus, it's not all of them, it was all
of them, we'd be way better. And that's the thing
that encouraged me about this team. Y'all think we're playing
at this unbelievable level. I look out there and I

(49:12):
see a team that could be so much better. I mean,
I think we can still improve and be so much better.
And that's not to say we're not playing at a
high level. I just think we can be better. But
I just think when you have a nucleus of kids
that come in every day and have a way of.

Speaker 5 (49:33):
Doing things, this is what you get. You know.

Speaker 8 (49:38):
Shay, Holly, Rory, Harmon Booker, Booking, Rory are in here
every day.

Speaker 5 (49:45):
Getting up shot.

Speaker 8 (49:46):
Shae is for the most part, Kyla comes in the morning,
Taylor's out working out twenty thirty minutes for practice every day,
getting shots Jordan Lee, shots with Blair, you know, like
Madison does with her every day.

Speaker 5 (50:01):
You know, Elena is out there with Rory every morning.

Speaker 8 (50:04):
So I just think that when you have kids that
are really bought in, you know, it's not all of them,
but sometimes on a team. Sometimes on a team, y'all,
you have certain players that carry you and the rest

(50:24):
of them are along for the ride. You know, they
don't do what everybody else. You know, they don't do
what the front line players do. But that's why they're
front line. And it's I've seen it so many times.
But you've got to have enough of them, and we do.
And so again we're constantly trying to improve, get better,

(50:46):
watch film grow.

Speaker 5 (50:49):
You know. That's the thing with kids today. They don't
want to be uncomfortable. That's just it.

Speaker 8 (50:55):
They don't and so, but the only way you grow
is when you're uncomfortable.

Speaker 5 (51:01):
The only way you can get better is through failure.

Speaker 8 (51:04):
But sometimes they grow up in environments where they're not
allowed to fail, or they don't experience it, or when
they do, they're they're not they don't acknowledge it. And
so it's really hard to grow and improve and get
better in that type of environment. And you know, I

(51:25):
think our kids are are so special. Again, I love
I love that group that's constantly working every day. I
said this yesterday. Sarah Graves brings a value to my
team that's immeasurable and I appreciate her so much. And

(51:47):
so you know, I think each kid has a value.
They bring something to the table, but in my mind,
I think some of them can bring so much more.
But are our veterans in Madison, You know those kids,
they're pretty consistent every day and that's why we're where

(52:08):
we are right now.

Speaker 5 (52:11):
Thank you, Thank you. Let's go to Jeff. Go ahead,
jeh Nick.

Speaker 11 (52:18):
How important is it to control the small details when
you're building an ELEAD team?

Speaker 8 (52:25):
You just can't put a value on it. And that's
what I'm That's what I'm talking about. You know, the
little things. You know all that up and I see
us do so many little things wrong. Free throw blockouts,
filing forty feet from the rim in a two possession

(52:47):
game when the clock's your friend, or taking a quick shot,
or taking a shot that you don't practice taking, so
why are you taking it?

Speaker 5 (52:57):
In a game.

Speaker 8 (53:00):
You know, I just see it all and you know
it's it's you constantly are coaching. You know, I'm constantly
You've heard me say is I'm constantly coaching against the
ghost and you know, worrying about what somebody might do
or could do, talking about our opponent. And but you know, Jeff,

(53:24):
those little things that's what really separates to me the
good from the great. The great do them and they
understand the value of doing them. They they understand that
coaching a maniac. He's not crazy. He understands I got
to do this better and it ain't that hard, and

(53:46):
it's going to help us win.

Speaker 5 (53:47):
It's going to really help us be as good as
we can possibly be.

Speaker 8 (53:51):
And I think you know, when you can get them
to understand that and realize that, you know, better chance you.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
Got importantly told us that she's really focused on details
off the court.

Speaker 10 (54:06):
Do you see her in particular? Does she have a
focus on details on the court as well?

Speaker 5 (54:11):
No question, Jordan Lee's focused on everything.

Speaker 8 (54:15):
You know, She's been so impactful to our program on
both ends. And you know, again it's a kid that
invests in her game. Y'all heard me say this. The
game's real fair, you're going to get out of it
what you put into it. And that's another kid that's
in every day getting shots up and you know, works

(54:39):
really hard, doesn't take place off guards, understands the importance
of defending. She communicates better than anybody on my team
as a freshman and so, and isn't afraid of the
big moment, you know, that's the thing.

Speaker 5 (54:56):
She's She's made some big s Jos's some big games.

Speaker 8 (55:01):
Had a big three the other night against LSU, and
she just I don't think for her age the moment
it's never too big for But then in the same breath,
that's why she's a straight a student at the University
of Texas. That's why she's going to be a great
doctor one day. You know, she may even be a
researchers and figures out the cure for cancer. I mean,

(55:24):
she's just she's that elite as a as an individual.
So everything in her life is like that. And again
that's that's that's that's what separates you and gives you
a chance to be elite, gives you a chance to
be great. Lots of good people, lots of good players,

(55:45):
but when you're wanting to separate your separate yourself to
being great and elite. These are the things that you're
that we're talking about. Thanks Jeff, Let's go to Eric.

Speaker 12 (56:00):
Kind of piggybacking off of Jeff's question, you're three freshmen
now twenty eight games into the season. Do you still
view them as first year players? You still coach them
like first year players? Are you know now through twenty
eight games, are the expectations raised because they've you know,
Dartner been through a full season.

Speaker 8 (56:15):
Yeah, I think you've seen where you know, Preston's playing
a lot more now. But that's a kid too that
when you coach her, she looks you in the eye,
you know, yes, sir, no, sir, yes, yes, ma'am no, ma'am,
Like she's listening, you know, when you coach her and teacher,

(56:35):
she's listening. She wants to understand. But she's progressively gotten
so much better and she's hard to deal with. And
obviously Jordan's kind of been pretty consistent all year and
then Justice, you know, we're trying to get her where
she can be fairly consistent too.

Speaker 5 (56:57):
So again it's it's how you practice.

Speaker 8 (57:02):
And again, those kids, when you practice every day with
your hair on fire and you're trying to be you know,
like Jordan Le, she don't want to turn the ball over.
And you know, if she didn't think she had a
turnover and somebody puts one in the stat sheet, she's like,
when did I do that?

Speaker 5 (57:19):
That's her paying attention to detail.

Speaker 8 (57:21):
Like she knows I don't like it when you turn
the ball over, so she don't want to turn the
ball over. And so just think again, those kids are
all you know, some get it sooner than others. You
just want them to get it. And you know, each game,
I think they've grown and matured and learned from their experience,

(57:44):
and I think that's why they're impacting our team right now.
I mean, you think about those kids, they're just freshmen
and they're out there playing big minutes against big teams.

Speaker 5 (57:55):
It's pretty special. Eric, let's go to anim Hi. Coach,
you talked about this being Taylor and she's last year.
What are your hopes for them for the end of
the season and then beyond that.

Speaker 8 (58:13):
Well, Taylor I think has a chance to get drafted,
and she's certainly gonna have a chance.

Speaker 5 (58:18):
To play.

Speaker 8 (58:23):
Overseas, but I think she'll have a chance to play
in the league. She's really skilled, very talented, great hands,
She's really good around the rim and can face up
and make the fifteen foot or two. And so I
think she's she's somebody that has a real value in

(58:43):
the league where the league doesn't have a lot of
players like her, Shae Shaye. I hope she'll go into
coaching and join my staff, but I think she's probably
got other ambitions in the business this world.

Speaker 5 (59:01):
But she'd be somebody I'd love to have on my
on my staff.

Speaker 8 (59:06):
She's she falls in the line of some of my
former players that bring a lot to the table, and
you know, Shae Holly brings a lot to the table
in my mind. And uh, but I may lose that battle,
but she is, uh, you know, she's She's just one.

(59:26):
That's all she's done. She's just a winner. And I
think she's made maybe one b in her life in
the in the school of business here at Texas.

Speaker 5 (59:36):
So again elite.

Speaker 3 (59:41):
Yeah, that's a great way to describe she, Holly. Uh.

Speaker 1 (59:45):
As a student athlete, I made lots of bees. Did
you make lots of bees? Bees were okay for me?
You know, I was already with bees. Shae has made
like he said that, perhaps only one. She's always been
in brilliant student and a really good coach ball player. Yeah,
I could see her possibly being a coach as well,
but I think she's probably on to other business oriented pursuits.

(01:00:10):
All right, we have more coming up here on thirteen
to under the Zone.

Speaker 5 (01:00:18):
Back to the Craig Way Show.

Speaker 6 (01:00:19):
Connect with Craig through the text line by texting Texas
to eight one five three zero followed by your message.
Standard message and data rates may apply.

Speaker 1 (01:00:30):
Yesterday on the problem we were talking about that meeting
between conference commissioners for the Big Ten and the SEC
and athletic directors, or as the Athletic described and in
its summation today, the Big Ten SEC Intergalactic Dominion Summit

(01:00:50):
was the way they described it, and in their recap
of it they get into a little more detail than
what we originally read yesterday, for example, and what we
were in yesterday was I think ESPN and Sports illustrated.
But the Athletic, which does a great job of covering

(01:01:12):
college athletics, laid this out on some points. For example,
Number one, both leagues support and talk about the Big
Ten of the SEC. Both leagues support changing college football
playoff seating to get rid of those awkward first round
byes for conference champs last season. If the seating had
been based on nothing but committee rankings in the new

(01:01:34):
twelve team format, Number one Oregon would add its by
then draw on the winner number eight in the anniverses
Number nine, Boise State, rather than having to immediately face
fuming mad Ohio State in a rematch. This could begin
changing as soon as next week when the Power to
meet with the other FBS commissioners. He said they think
it'd be in the league's best entrance interests to preserve

(01:01:58):
buys for the conference champs, but the power to have
the ability to overrule anybody else's college football playoff interest anyway.
Also part of the CFP decision making, at least theoretically,
is Notre Dame avok Weather's that name.

Speaker 3 (01:02:13):
Again.

Speaker 1 (01:02:13):
Under the Power twos favorite system, the independent Irish would
be eligible for buys, and last year would have been
a NIU lost away from getting one. That's one major point.
The other major point is the possibility this is something
I haven't heard, but I can't say as I'm surprised
to hear this college football playoff wait for it play

(01:02:37):
in games alongside or instead of conference championships, as has
been discussed. Both leagues aren't looking into this in case
the CFP expands, and then they go lol in case
because I think everybody's expecting to expand. And if these
leagues decide to grant themselves multiple automatic bids each and

(01:02:58):
again they go lmao. If they decide to grant themselves
automatic bids, those bids could then be on the line
in games like a Big ten number three versus the
number six showdown the day before selection Sunday. They said, also,
let's get silly quote. The SEC has discussed a more
radical idea four play in games matching number one and

(01:03:21):
number eight, number four, number five, number two, number seven,
number three, number six South Carolina and iking taxes out
of the playoff before it even begins. Right, Well, I
assume this would mean for SEC teams taking autobids and
then Texas making it. And is that large anyway? Point
number three sing along if you know the words. The
SEC is moving closer to a nine game schedule. We've

(01:03:41):
been hearing this for a while, so we'll see. Automatic
bids could diminish concerns about losses overly damaging contenders, which
will mainly be a major storyline whenever Alabama has damaging losses.
And number four no annual Big ten SEC challenge just yet,
heartbreakingly natural rivals you see and Mississippi State have yet
to meet in football. And five finally, something that relates

(01:04:06):
to what has ironically been college sports most urgent matter
for like one hundred and seventy years now. Without collective bargaining,
there's no way to actually wrangle transfers. Power two hunting
for now more on this issue, it says later. So anyway,
that's that's a list that they did on that. They

(01:04:27):
said in response, I think the MAC and Conference USA
should meet with each other then start issuing orders about
who they think can and can't make the playoff.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
Yeah, good luck with that. So there we go.

Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
It'll be interesting to see how this goes if indeed
this comes up over the next couple of weeks there
that they think could happen in the coming days and
weeks about changes to the college football playoff structure. All right,
we'll be back to wrap up Power number two here
on the thirteen hundred. This is glad to have you
with us here on this Thursday afternoon. All right, programming

(01:05:00):
reminders for you. First of all, Longhorn Weekly with Rodney
Terry coming away tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:05:07):
That will be at six o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:05:11):
So it's coming up a couple hours from now at
Pluckers at the West Campus location. There at twenty two
twenty two Rio Grant. Now, as always, we invite you
to come out and you know, talk some basketball. You know,
you can submit questions there for coach Terry. We always
you know, get to those and we'll do that. So

(01:05:33):
that's with Rodney Terry at six o'clock. Oh, did I
mention that Trey Johnson's going to be there. That's right
tonight the long Horn's outstanding freshman, who is, by the way,
in the midst of his fourth SEC Freshman of the
Week honor, will be with us as well. So Trey

(01:05:53):
Johnson will be there with us tonight. I had a
career high thirty two points in the Winter Kentucky last Saturday,
so very cool. So that'll be tonight at six o'clock
and Pluckers the West Campus location. By the way, the
Longhorn basketball team, and I mentioned this earlier, but it
does bear repeating.

Speaker 3 (01:06:16):
If you're one of those people, and I'm one of
quote unquote those people who.

Speaker 1 (01:06:24):
Follows nerdically to coin a word, what's going on with
other quote unquote bubble teams, positive bubble bubble in, negative
bubble bubble out teams as it relates not only to
those teams possibly being there for the NCAA Basketball Tournament

(01:06:47):
next month with selection Sunday less than a month away,
but also as it relates to the Longhorns. So I
guess it's a college basketball version of scoreboard watching, if
you will, like in baseball or the NFL when they're
trying to keep up with stuff. Of course, the NFL

(01:07:07):
has kind of remedied that with what they've done in
recent years with the shutting down, if you will, of
being able to scoreboard watch because they start on that
last week of the season, they'll start all of the
games at the same time. Now baseball does it as
well on the last day, but there's a lot of

(01:07:29):
scoreboard watching that takes place in the run up in
the days to the final day of the regular season. Well,
with regard to college basketball, the scoreboard watching really begins
during the month of February, and here we are twenty
days into the month and there's a lot of that

(01:07:52):
in terms of not necessarily just scoreboard watching itself, but
bubble watching. Last night, my wife and I sat down
and we watched a lot of college basketball. We watched
my alma mater in North Texas, who have a good year.
They're nineteen and six. They're still chasing Memphis in the
American Conference standings, and to be honest, North Texas I
have to win the tournament in Fort Worth to get

(01:08:15):
into the field of sixty eight, even though Jay Bill
has had them I think ranked fifty fifth amongst his
top sixty eight teams in the country. But as we know,
the top sixty eight teams don't make the sixty eight
team NCAA tournament field. We know that because of the
automatic bids. With thirty four automatic bids going out the

(01:08:36):
thirty four conference winners, that leaves thirty four at large
bids to be awarded. So you know, and in that league,
the American probably only the tournament chion. Memphis will probably
would probably get in if they don't win the tournament.
I North Texas should win the conference tournament, the Memphis

(01:08:58):
would probably get in as an at large. But anyway,
so we watched some of that, but mainly we were
watching games that from the periphery could affect Texas. First
of all, little more than just the periphery. Auburn and Arkansas.

(01:09:19):
And if you were a Longhorn fan, and I said
this the other day when Arkansas lost to Texas A
and M and when Oklahoma lost at home to LSU
kind of a devastating loss there in terms of at
large NCAA tournament hopes, I said, if you're a diet
in the wool Longhorn fan, you don't need to be
prided to rut against Arkansas to Oklahoma. In fact, in fact,

(01:09:43):
if either of those two and this goes for Texas,
A and M clearly as well would help Texas by
winning a game, you probably would have to be coaxed
into rooting for one of those. Now, it didn't matter
with Arkansas and A and M last week. You know

(01:10:03):
one of them was going to win and one of
them is going to lose. The one that the thing
that would benefit Texas the most would would be A
and M beating Arkansas, which they did. And then Texas
fans got to be happy because A and M lost
to Mississippi State in Startville the other night. But A
and M's fortunes down the stretch of the regular season

(01:10:24):
are not really going to have much of anything to
do with with the Longhorns fortune. The two split their
games during the year, and in fact, if A and
M is doing well, that really bumps Texas a little
bit in the computer and helps out with the net
rankings and all that stuff. So all of that might matter. However,

(01:10:44):
when we're dialing into the bubble, which doesn't include A
and M. Clearly they you know, even I think Joe
Lenaradi had them as a two seed this week before
they lost to Misissippi's team. They may fall off of
that a little bit, but they're still going to be
probably a three seed or a four seed or something
like that, depending on how they finish up. So if
we're dialing into the bubble, we're looking clearly at Arkansas,

(01:11:06):
and we're looking clearly at Oklahoma, and we're looking at
some other teams that could be effected. I give you
another example, Iowa. Iowa probably would have to really get
on its horse and do something to get into the
real heavy duty conversation. However, it did help Texas that
Iowa lost to Oregon. Last night, Orgon's going to be

(01:11:26):
in the field. I think they were ranked eighteenth or
something like that. Their net ranking is good. They're kind
of in the middle of the pack of the Big ten,
but they're going to get in the NCAA tournament. So
what they do is really not going to affect Texas.
But Oregon beating Iowa helps because it hands the Hawkeyes
another loss.

Speaker 3 (01:11:46):
Same story with Arkansas.

Speaker 1 (01:11:48):
Now, I completely get and agree with Joe Lenardi's projections
when he says last night, it was interesting to hear
this as the telecast was going on and Dave Pash
was doing the play by play on that, and he's
working with Jay Williams, and they pulled up Lenardi's projection

(01:12:14):
and how the computer formula figures into percentage possibility. It's
more than just if they do this, they're in or
out or whatever, push into the bubble or whatever. Joe
Lonardi had Arkansas currently at a thirty one percent chance
to get into the NCAA Tournament. If they were to

(01:12:34):
have beaten Auburn, the number one team in the country,
that percentage chance would have gone up to fifty two percent.
Now that would affect Texas even more so. Than normal,
even though the two were scheduled to meet again next week,
but it will be in Fayabel. However, a loss would
only drop it two percentage points because it was the
number one team in the country, so they would only

(01:12:59):
drop the two twenty nine percent. But at this point,
if you're a Texas fan, you'll take every little bit
of help you can get. So Arkansas losing Auburn, and
they did push Auburn, but they only had I think
one field goal in the final four or five minutes
of the ball game and a couple of free throws
in Auburn was able to finally keep them at arms
length and win the game by seven points. So that

(01:13:22):
definitely did not hurt Texas. Auburn losing Oklahoma getting smacked
by Florida the other night did not hurt Texas at all.

Speaker 3 (01:13:32):
It was in a similar situation.

Speaker 1 (01:13:33):
Auburn losing to a really good, top five ranked team
like Florida probably wasn't going to hurt them that much,
but it helps Texas in terms of that.

Speaker 3 (01:13:44):
So anyway, those are the.

Speaker 1 (01:13:46):
Kinds of bubblicious topics that you pay attention to you're
following the other games. Rodney Terry was asked this on
that media zoom earlier this week and he was asked
if he or does he have a staff member pay
attention to that, and he said, well, you're aware of

(01:14:06):
it going on, but you know, he tells his guys
live where your feet are and you take care of
the here and now that's true. I can also tell
you with the Gas they have on staff a graduate
assistant and assistant coaches. They're all fully aware of what
else is going on around in college basketball.

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
They're keeping track of that, all right.

Speaker 1 (01:14:26):
So there's some thoughts in college basketball. And again, Longhorn
Weekly coming your way tonight and that'll be at six
o'clock at Plucker's the West Campus location here in Austin,
and we're going to talk MLB baseball. Are you aware
that Major League Baseball Spring training games actually began today

(01:14:49):
and they get going in full force tomorrow. Will visit
with Gene Watson our MLB inside from the Chicago White
Sox front office.

Speaker 3 (01:14:54):
When we continue, I'm thirteen under the zone.

Speaker 1 (01:14:57):
Hey, they are playing spring training baseball out in Arizona,
Dodgers and Cubs today. There's gonna be a full schedule
tomorrow and if we're talking baseball. It means we're talking
with our MLB inside it From the Chicago White Sox
front office, that is Gene Watson. Hey, listen, it's Arizona.
It's always good weather for baseball, right, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:15:17):
You know it's been.

Speaker 2 (01:15:18):
There have been cool mornings, but for the most part,
it's been really good and the players are all very
excited and it's actually gone by pretty quick at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:15:28):
All right, I want to get your thoughts on several
different things.

Speaker 3 (01:15:33):
First of all, we talked a lot about.

Speaker 1 (01:15:37):
The spending that not only the Dodgers but other teams
that had and Rob Manfred came out this week or
late last week and said he didn't see a real problem.
They were doing it within the rules of the game,
but he could understand the angst of some of the
fans of some of the other teams with regard to that.

Speaker 3 (01:15:56):
He had that, as he called him, conflicting feelings.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
But the players, and I know you're around the players
all the time, they say they really don't have a
big problem. Of course, you would expect them because the
player are gonna get the money. For example, Brent Rooker
of the A's said quote teams spending money is never
bad for baseball and never bad for players ever in
any situation. That was one of the things he had said,

(01:16:20):
and a couple other guys have said it as well.

Speaker 3 (01:16:24):
You know, Manfred said.

Speaker 1 (01:16:25):
His quote was the Dodgers had gone out and done
everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to
put the best possible team on the field, and that's
a great thing for the game. That type of competitive
spirit is what people want to see. All of that
is true, but also I know there's the concern for
fans about teams that might be left behind and that
sort of thing. Have you found out early in your

(01:16:47):
time out of Arizona that that while it might have
been a topic of conversation, is going to be something
that's probably going to be on down the road Geno
after the CBA expires in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (01:17:00):
Craig, what I think it comes down to mostly is
that you know, every year in October there's a winner
and there's a loser, and the teams that win want
to try to win again, and the teams that lose.
Where they are as an organization really dictates the type
of winner that they're going to have as to how
close they feel they are to getting into that upper

(01:17:25):
tier of players. And when you talk about last year,
I mean, look how difficult it was for the Dodgers
to just beat the Padres, and you've got the Phillies
in the National League. And when you look at the
Yankees and what the Astros had done over the last
seven playoff series, you know, the Yankees pushed in financially
to try to build a team that would be the

(01:17:45):
Houston Astros, and they did.

Speaker 5 (01:17:47):
And so it's really.

Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
More about the halves and the have nots and those
ten twelve fourteen teams that really think we have a
legitimate shot to win a World Series and the others
that think like ourselves, that are in a rebuild at
this point.

Speaker 5 (01:18:01):
And so.

Speaker 2 (01:18:03):
I don't think that you can say that the owners
have never spent.

Speaker 5 (01:18:07):
What has changed is that these.

Speaker 2 (01:18:09):
Ownership groups are now more they're larger groups that have
you know, like the Dodgers owners have tons and billions
and billions of dollars, and so they're they're willing to
supersede what the luxury tax or the competitive balanced taxes
may be to build out a world championship team. And
I think the Dodgers personally right now are looking at

(01:18:30):
it like we have a chance to win multiple world championships.
But I do believe that you have to have and
you have the have nots, and the have nots are
kind of saying, you know what, this isn't our time.
Let's continue to build within the draft, build within international signings,
and then when we get to that opportunity to have
a chance to win, we take advantage at that point.

Speaker 1 (01:18:53):
Here's something I've never asked you before, but I started
thinking about this the other day because Cameron and I
were talking about the fact that ESPN did a thing
where they ranked the thirty teams coming out of the
out of the free agency period and in the spring
training and you know what they're They're over under on
wins probably would be.

Speaker 3 (01:19:11):
And at the top they had the Dodgers.

Speaker 1 (01:19:13):
But the ESPN bet said that while there's still if
you're going to bet on a team to win, then
they would be the one to bet. However, they quickly
add that they're still not the field, and you would
still take the field even as good as the Dodgers are,
you would still take the field to do this, And

(01:19:35):
they offer up as evidence the fact there has not
been a repeat World Series winner since the Yankees in
ninety nine.

Speaker 3 (01:19:41):
And two thousand.

Speaker 1 (01:19:42):
So my question to you was going to be, why
do you think there has not been a repeat World
Series winner when we are in a period, as you
so eloquently stated, of haves and have nots, Why has
there not been a back to back World Series champion
in more than twenty years twenty five years going on?

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
I would tell you, just from our twenty fourteen fifteen team,
a lot of people will know you that had we
won in twenty and fourteen, we wouldn't have won in
twenty and fifteen. And I think most of it has
to do with just managing the success of it. You
don't you know your players, You have the parade, and
you typically the season ends and your players go home,

(01:20:20):
they take a small trip with their family, and then
they're in the weight room and in the cages on
the mounds working out. When you win a World Series
and you have the parade, the distractions that come to
your twenty six man roster with winning are immense. And
you're talking about all the national media spots, all the
shows traveling all over the country, and you look up

(01:20:40):
on January fifteenth, and you're just ready to go to
work and spring training is a month away. And the
other thing is that you don't really stick up on
anybody in April and may I mean you have a
bullseye on your back from day one, and so there
comes a lot of pressure with that. Managing success is
probably one of the toughest things to do, especially in baseball.

(01:21:02):
But I think we've got a season this year where
you've got three really talented teams in the National League
and you've got five or six really talented teams in
the American League.

Speaker 3 (01:21:13):
And comes to lie.

Speaker 2 (01:21:15):
I think the incentive for those organizations to improve their
Major league teams is going to be greater. And I
think we're in line for a great playoffs in twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 1 (01:21:24):
Visiting Regene Watson, our MLB insider, talking some baseball, you
brought up the Astros. I want to get your thoughts
on a couple of things we mentioned this last week.
Jose Al Twovey said he was willing to move from
second base to left field if it meant bringing back
Alex Bregman.

Speaker 7 (01:21:40):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:21:40):
Bragman, of course, has signed with the Red Sox, and
Houston did reach an agreement this week on a minor
league deal with Brendan Rodgers second base been third player
selected overall, one spot behind Bragman in the twenty fifteen
draft as well, So there was that. And then on
top of that, uh you Regman, uh talking about this

(01:22:04):
whole business, because there's been a lot of conversation about
Raffaeld Devers and Gregman and who's going to play third base,
and and that Devers has made his position on it
quite clear. Uh, but Bregman says, hey, I'll go, I'll
go anywhere. I mean, I'll play anywhere, doesn't it doesn't
matter me. He said, I'm excited to be is his teammate.
Are are are you expecting to see Bregman play a
different position? And and uh in in Alex core wanting

(01:22:28):
to keep Raffaeld Devers happy, keeping him on third base.

Speaker 5 (01:22:34):
For a little bit maybe, And you know, and Alex
is that way. I mean, my son.

Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
Played against Alex in high school. And he's a tremendous
team guy. And and while it's a huge loss for
the Astros that he's gone, not only in the community
and in the clubhouse and on the field, just what
a great person Alex Regman is what I think that
a lot of the decision that went into Reregman not
being back with Houston is they feel like they made
a fair offer and they have camp Smith, one of

(01:23:00):
the top rated prospects in baseball waiting in the wings,
and so that type of years of commitment when you
are where they are after this incredible run, probably makes
the most sense for them. But I think when you
look at the situation in Boston, you know, Devers is
one of the arguably you know, stat cast, analytics, everything

(01:23:20):
you want to the eye test is one of the
more lesser defensive third basin of the game, and Alex
Bregman' is a gold clove third basement. So I think
that there will come a line in the stand where
the Boston Red Sox to do what they think is
best for them to.

Speaker 5 (01:23:34):
Win a World championship.

Speaker 2 (01:23:35):
But for the meantime, I think Alex Bregan is a
team player and he's going to do whatever he has
to do to help him win games.

Speaker 3 (01:23:42):
There are trivals.

Speaker 1 (01:23:45):
The Yankees have agreed on a two year contract EXTENSI
with Aaron Boone. It's so interesting, isn't it, Gino. Aaron
Boone's name early to mid last season was one of
the ones. It seems like we always hear this with
the Yankees every year about hot seat for the manager,
hot seat for the manager, and the Yankees really turn
it on and get to the World Series. And now

(01:24:07):
the Yankees have agreed on a two year contract extension
to go through twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 3 (01:24:11):
They made that announcement today.

Speaker 1 (01:24:13):
About your thoughts on Aaron Boone's place and what he's
done with the Yankees, I don't.

Speaker 5 (01:24:19):
Think Aaron has ever really worried about.

Speaker 2 (01:24:21):
I think anybody that takes that job, and you know,
I've known Brian Cashman for twenty six years, and even
Brian when he took that job, I think they know
what comes with the seat. And I think Aaron Boone
has known all along what comes with the chair, but
I don't think he's ever worried about it. I mean,
Aaron is a tremendous baseball man, He's a great leader.

Speaker 5 (01:24:42):
He knows what comes with the territories.

Speaker 2 (01:24:44):
I think we all know that it doesn't really change
that much sentiment within the eyes of Yankee.

Speaker 5 (01:24:49):
Fans, good or bad.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
I mean, there's always going to be pressure with that
seat if you had a ten year deal. And so
I just think it's a great commitment to Aaron and
the Yankees have got great club and they're going to
go out and play very good baseball this season and beyond.

Speaker 5 (01:25:04):
All.

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
Right, now, this is this is a little bit, just
a tiny little bit off topic. But going across town
to the Mets, there was a story today. I don't
know if you saw the video of it. So here's
One Soto who really wanted to wear number twenty two.
It just so happened that the guy with the New
York Mets was wearing twenty two is none other than
Brett Batty, the former Lake Travis Cavalier, and baby said.

Speaker 3 (01:25:26):
Yeah, you could have it. It's okay, you could have it.

Speaker 1 (01:25:28):
So One Soto takes him outside today and shows that
we bought him a brand new Chevy Tahoe. He's got
this beautiful suv just as a thank you. Now, you know,
I understand things are relative. He signed a seven, one
hundred and sixty five million dollar contract, but it was
still a nice gesture. And we saw the deal. What
was it where Otani gave up for Joe Kelly. I

(01:25:50):
guess he bought his wife a Porsche. I think last year.
I mean so players, Baseball players are pretty generous with
one another when it comes to such things, aren't.

Speaker 2 (01:25:58):
They've seen great things like this. And the one thing
that we always when we're evaluating players, especially young players,
is the first thing we evaluate is what kind of
teammate they are. I have never understood the number thing
I've never understood, you know the importance of digit. I
think when you're on the field, you know your ability

(01:26:22):
and the things you do on the field or what
matter the most. But this was an opportunity for Brett
Bady to show one so to what kind of teammate
he is and vice versa, and that can create some
great centers you within the clubhouse. They have a lot
of fun with it and you find out who guys
are as teammates and and Brett certainly got the better

(01:26:42):
end of that deal. But I've seen a lot of
really really good gifts like this. They're always fun to watch.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
You've also seen over the years, having you because you
worked in a major league clubhouse in your early and
upcoming days, you've seen how players would take care of
the home clubhouse manager. Visiting clubhouse manager. Keith Morland always
tells the story about how when he went to a
Dodger stadium there was always a let's just say, there

(01:27:09):
was a bottle of the beverage that he enjoyed that
was in his locker when he got there every time.
I mean, the stories go on and on about this.
And I know you remember the late great Joe Maco
and all of the great clubhouse people with the Rangers
and how they would how they would take care of
both home and visiting teams coming in.

Speaker 2 (01:27:28):
Well, I can tell you I wouldn't be in baseball
today if it wasn't for Bobby with Kenny rogers Field
pal Merrow, because when I moved home in nineteen ninety three,
they helped me start a small, fifteen year old select
program where I didn't have to charge the payer players
to pay. And you know, we went forty seven and
thirteen and the Astros called me for a scouting job

(01:27:50):
from there. And so I've seen the residual of the
kindness of players. And you know the great thing when
they go on the road and they buy the rookies
the suits, they go down to a men's warehouse and
by the suit, so there are a lot of things
like that behind the scenes that take place. You know,
Nolan Ryan was incredibly kind to me in the four
years we were together, and so it's something that you

(01:28:12):
cherish for the rest of your life, for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:28:14):
There's one other thing I want to ask you about,
and this was when I was reading these computerized projections
on what a ESPN called their stock Watch. They ranked
all thirty Major League teams and the Astros at six
and the Rangers at seven. And what they do is
they have two things, expectation and reality. And what they

(01:28:34):
wrote about the Rangers was expectation big bounce back and
this sounds similar to some of the things you've said reality.
After winning it All in twenty twenty three, the Rangers
entered last season with the Hall of Fame injured list,
at least on the pitching side, and the health outlook
never really got better. The lineup regressed in the wrong
way and the result was the season that began with
the ring ceremony and then with a sub five hundred

(01:28:55):
third place finish. With Texas just behind Houston in this
pecking order, things are looking up still. The Rangers need
Jacob de Grom to hold up Kumar Rocker and Jack
Lder to develop them more than anything, though, I have
to figure out a bullpen mix with a lot of
possibilities and few clear cut roles. Do you see that
as being one of the biggest question marks for the Rangers.

Speaker 2 (01:29:16):
Well, let me just say this, ten, twelve, and fourteen
for Bruce Boche, he knows what bounced back years look like.
I really think this is one of the sleeping giants
in baseball. I was talking to Dayton Moore, the senior
advisor the general manager this morning, and I told him,
you know, I haven't really looked at you guys, but
in looking at you guys, this team has a chance

(01:29:39):
to be sneaky good this year. And they their minor
league system is kind of in a stage of they're very,
very good at the high A, Double A level, with
a little bit of mix at the Triple A level.
So they've got the pieces now to go out and
make the trades to improve this club in July. But
this is a very talented baseball team, and you've got
Jack Ladder of Kumar Rocker, They're going to have an

(01:30:01):
impact in it this year. Jacob Dugron are obviously one
of the best pitchers in the game, of baseball, and
they have a very motivated roster. I don't think people
are talking about the Texas Rangers enough for twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (01:30:13):
He's Gene Watson.

Speaker 1 (01:30:14):
He's our MLB insider with Chicago White Sox joints this
weekly to talk about the big league game, which is
drawing closer. Like we said, Dodgers and Cubs on their
way today. Everybody's getting into the act this weekend, Gino,
I appreciate the time.

Speaker 3 (01:30:26):
Thanks so much. We'll look forward to doing it again
next week.

Speaker 5 (01:30:29):
All right, Craig ke here, thanks so much.

Speaker 1 (01:30:31):
All right, that is Gene Watson from the Chicago White Sox.
We've got more coming up as we continue here on
this Thursday afternoon.

Speaker 3 (01:30:38):
Here on thirteen hundred the.

Speaker 6 (01:30:39):
Zone, it's the Craig Way Show with a voice of
the Texas Longhorns and Hall of Fame broadcast there.

Speaker 1 (01:30:51):
Craig Way, all right, thanks again to Gene Watson, joined
us to talk Major League Baseball as Gino does every week.
Let's shift back to women's basketball. Now, you heard some
from Long Warren's head coach Vic Shaffer last hour. Let's
here of the conclusion of that some more with the
Texas head coach for the women's basketball team, Big Shaffer.

Speaker 13 (01:31:10):
So much emotion these last couple of weeks, and now
you get a little break to exhale. But college basketball,
we love to look to the future. We love to
look to the tournament, the projections, all that. How do
you kind of keep your your team in line with
the with the now?

Speaker 8 (01:31:25):
Yeah, I just like I said, you just got to
keep your head down and keep grinding. You know, you
can't get too far ahead. You know, we've got a
three game season right now, and we've just we've got
to bear down and focus because two of them are
on the road. Our next two games are on the road,
and it won't be easy, and so we've got to

(01:31:47):
really really lock in and focus on what it's going
to take to win and be on the road and win.

Speaker 5 (01:31:56):
And so.

Speaker 8 (01:31:59):
You know, with this group, you know, they know me,
and they know I'm I'm not going to allow them
to be getting ahead of himself. So I know, you
guys and other people around you know, the country and
friends and relatives want to talk about all the other
stuff that really ain't that important right now in February twentieth,

(01:32:22):
you know what's most important today is our practice.

Speaker 5 (01:32:24):
That's it. Can we get one percent better today and
that's it.

Speaker 8 (01:32:31):
We just need to keep keep our head down and
keep working and you know, everything will take care of itself.
But you work so hard to get yourself in this position,
and we got to finish the deal.

Speaker 14 (01:32:46):
I guess a little off topic, but when you have
a player excuse me, like three who can still play
kind of at home on Monday, how do you handle
these kids who are going home and may have some
distractions with friends and families wanting tickets.

Speaker 9 (01:33:03):
I know last year she'y got to go play in Arizona,
and Jordana gotta go to Florida, and Deanna go to
go play at Houston. You give these players like a
pep talk about staying focused as each player different. How
do you kind of handle going home when these players
aren't used to playing in front of friends and family.

Speaker 5 (01:33:20):
Yeah, you know, I don't.

Speaker 8 (01:33:22):
I don't typically make it a big deal, you know,
we uh, it's just kind of part of it. I'm
glad they're going to get to go, you know, back
in their area. Their families travel so much during the
course of the season, so it's nice to be able
to take her close to home in Atlanta. But I

(01:33:44):
don't worry too much about these kids. You know, they
they understand there's, uh, there's a role they have on
our team, and you know they need to play their role,
and uh, you know when you go back home, it's
not let me go out and try to get already,
you know, it's I mean to go out and keep
doing what I'm doing to help my team win. And

(01:34:05):
our kids have always been pretty good about that, So
I don't I don't typically worry too much about that.

Speaker 5 (01:34:10):
To be honest with you.

Speaker 11 (01:34:12):
Don't you want to ask you about a very special
program at Texas called the Neighborhood Longhorns Program. The impact
that the players and his team has on the younger generations,
whether it's going in to their schools, signing their autographs.
In this I saw that you did the ten to ten.

(01:34:33):
There's going to be so many kids in the arena
and this team is going to have an effect on
a future generation that we likely will never see. But
it's gonna their stories are going to be based on
who they the player that they love to watch. You know,
you know Texas, and so I'm curious as you talk

(01:34:54):
to the team or this days you're going through the season,
do you guys ever talk about the impact that these
players have on kids in school, kids who might not
have the opportunities that the players might have.

Speaker 10 (01:35:09):
And how special is the neighborhood long run?

Speaker 8 (01:35:13):
Well, obviously, we we have a great affection for the
Neighborhood Longhorn program, and you know, we've been able to
have a game each year and through our game, people
like Nile, Maxwell, Silver Spurs and so many friends of

(01:35:36):
the program. Nile reaches out to so many car dealers.
We've been able to help raise quite a bit of
money for them. And again, you're talking about an organization
that impacts young people. I talk to our kids all
the time about making time after a game, you know,
doing what we do when the game's over, going out

(01:35:57):
to the stands and you know, taking pictures and autographs.
It may be the same person each game in every game,
same autograph, same picture, but you just never know.

Speaker 5 (01:36:10):
What that impact is going to be on that young person.

Speaker 8 (01:36:13):
And you know in life, you know, young people are
our leaders of tomorrow and for us, the opportunity that
God gives us putting us in this position that we're
in here at the University of Texas, my players as
student athletes, myself, and my staff as coaches. I believe that,

(01:36:39):
you know, we need to we need to do our
part and and try to make a positive impact on
young people. And I think our kids are absolutely fantastic
at it. I think they're so good at it. There's
not enough time in this media for me to tell
you about the job they're doing. Help and coach some

(01:37:00):
of these little teams in the city, in some of
the leagues that these kids play.

Speaker 5 (01:37:06):
In the emails that I get commending and.

Speaker 8 (01:37:11):
Our players and the time that they're spending with these
young people, so it's just another it's another circumstance of
pride for me with these players. I'm so proud of them.
They're all pretty, they're great kids, and I think that's
what separates them and allows them to be a lead,

(01:37:33):
is they are great kids and they understand spending time
with someone or saying hello or taking a picture of
sign an autograph. You never know what the day was
like for that individual, but you just spending thirty seconds
with them.

Speaker 5 (01:37:51):
Might make their entire day, week, month, year.

Speaker 3 (01:37:54):
And so.

Speaker 8 (01:37:57):
There's a real value that we place that place on
that here at Texas, and I think our kids are
great at it.

Speaker 15 (01:38:05):
Yeah, coach talking about kids meeting their heroes.

Speaker 5 (01:38:08):
Did book?

Speaker 15 (01:38:09):
Was she able to hook up with KD while he
got in?

Speaker 5 (01:38:12):
You know, I feel confident she probably did.

Speaker 8 (01:38:15):
I don't know that from yesterday we had you know,
I don't know if she saw him. Tuesday, that was
our day off, and then Wednesday we practice, so they
were over there. I think the Phoenix was working out
when we were working out, So I don't know if
she got seen or not. But I'm sure there'll be
a time when she'll get to And I know the

(01:38:37):
kids are all fired up by going to the game tonight.

Speaker 15 (01:38:40):
Yeah, and along those lines, you know, KD had some
really nice things to say, not only about women's basketball
in general, not sure program about book the other day.

Speaker 10 (01:38:51):
Do the girls hear that and do they did?

Speaker 15 (01:38:53):
They give him a little extra charge knowing that, you know,
a guy like KD is respecting what they're doing.

Speaker 8 (01:38:59):
I'm sure they heard it. You know, they're they're they
don't miss too many things. So you know, we really
appreciate him and appreciate his trust and confidence, and you know,
we're glad that he's paying attention He's somebody that we
obviously hold in extreme high regards and high esteem, and
his opinion matters, and uh we we have a lot

(01:39:22):
of respect and admiration for him, and uh so we
appreciate his kind words.

Speaker 5 (01:39:28):
And you know, he always I have to say, he.

Speaker 8 (01:39:31):
Always makes time for us, whether he's here for a
football game and it's Saturday afternoon, one hundred degrees on
the field and everybody's clamoring for him, and he sees us.
He always makes time for us, my kids taking a picture,
small conversation.

Speaker 5 (01:39:46):
I mean, he's always so good.

Speaker 8 (01:39:48):
And uh again, we appreciated him coming to the NCAA tournament,
you know, last year.

Speaker 5 (01:39:54):
So he's a special, special man.

Speaker 8 (01:39:57):
And again my kids, they appreciate him and love him
for that.

Speaker 1 (01:40:04):
All right, coming up, Cam will be back to wrapping
up as I head over the Pluckers to get ready
for tonight's show with Roddy Terry and our special guest
Tray Johnson. And Cam will wrap it up when we
come back on thirteen Under the Zone.