November 7, 2025 • 16 mins
Jason Kinander from the Field of 68's Hook Em Hoops podcast joins the show to discuss his takeaways from Texas Men's Basketball season opener.
They discuss the promising debut from Texas' centers, potential combinations in the backcourt, and the potential of this year's group under Sean Miller.
They discuss the promising debut from Texas' centers, potential combinations in the backcourt, and the potential of this year's group under Sean Miller.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to the Craig Ways Show, where we welcome
in Jason Canander. He's a sports reporter and anchor at
WIBW in Manhattan, Kansas, and one third of the Hookham
Hoops podcast, who covers Texas men's basketball. Is a part
of the Field of sixty eight Media network.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Jason, thanks for doing this. It's great to see you, Jake.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It's awesome to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Man well TSCB Sports Reunion. Glad to see that you're
back in Austin and doing well. Always down to talk
Texas hoops. So excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Hey, you haven't gone fully wildcat purple on us yet,
have you?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
With all your time in the Little Apple.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, no, no. So I'm in Topeka now.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I was in Manhattan last year as just a Manhattan reporter.
Now I'm in Topeka covering all the sports we cover
so ku K State Chiefs, Royals, all our local high schools.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
And no, I am far from K State fan.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I have a lot of respect for their programs, but no,
I'm definitely not a K State fan.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
No, I know where your loyalties lie. Jason.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And look, we had a long, you know, offseason anticipating
watching this Texas basketball program kind of trying and rebuild
as as you can do in just one offseason in
modern college basketball with a new coaching staff led by
Sean Miller, and now we get to unwrap this Duke game.
A lot to learn and just curious what your kind
(01:25):
of initial takeaways were from from the game Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
This team's gonna be good. This team's gonna be good.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I was already higher on this roster than most people were,
and and that's not just a preseason optimism type of thing,
like I wasn't very high on the last.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Two Texas rosters.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
This team is constructed to beat teams or at least
contend with teams like Duke. They're not going to beat them,
you know, the first week in November. But what I saw,
the biggest positive that I saw on Tuesday was that
the pieces are there on the roster.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
There is not going to be person and l issues
this year.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
There is height that can compete with the tallest teams
in the country. There are lengthy guards who can defend
some of the best shooters in the country, some of
the best free level scorers in the country.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And there is shooting on this roster.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Even though it didn't really make itself apparent on Tuesday.
Texas has multiple outlets of scoring. It's not just going
to be Trey Johnson Jordan Pope as a pure scorer
off the bench man, He's going to be a lot
of fun. So that was really the big thing that
I saw was that the pieces are there.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
They don't quite fit.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yet, but they might fit pretty well by March.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I was excited with what I saw.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I didn't expect to win, but you know that exceeded
my expectations, I'll say.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
And I was already high on this roster.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, and I think a lot of people are really
high on what this Duke team is going to be
able to do, which which certainly feeds into I think
those takeaways. Let's talk about Madis Boca Titus. I mean,
how impressed were you by by the game he had
what he sort of fled in that spot against Duke.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, I got to call my shot a little bit.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
When we talked about Texas's transfer class on the hook
of whose podcast, I said he was my favorite ad
because he has such a high ceiling. We saw the
flaws in his game just as much as we saw
the things that he's already good at I think that
he needs to be a little bit more physical. I
think that he needs to be a little bit more
(03:25):
controlled in the paint. We saw a couple of travels,
but as I said, with the Texas roster, reigns true
with Madus.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
The pieces are there.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
He has the height to compete with any center, any
big man in the country. He has very versatile skill set.
He has the softest touch I've seen from a Texas
big man not named Dylan de Sue and so Modus Voketitis. Man,
they really struck gold with him, and for me, the
most exciting thing about him is the fact that he's
(03:55):
only a sophomore, and that doesn't make him a guarantee
to stay until he's He could go back overseas, he
could declare for the NBA Draft, he could go to
another program. But the prospect of this kid starting where
he's at now, imagining what he could be by senior
day a couple of years down the line, that's an
(04:17):
All League SEC player without a doubt in my mind,
if he stays for all three years.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I mean, just the fact that we're having that conversation
after a game like that, I think speaks to to
what he flashed and how excited you know they are
about him. And then you look at what a player
like Dalen Swain can do and making an impact. That's
another piece joining with an experience group in the back
court that I think Sean Miller is still just trying
(04:40):
to find the right combinations for at the right times.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It's early, Yeah, it is early. It's early.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That's why, like I said, I didn't expect them to
win that game against Duke. They're not They're not connected
enough to win a game like that. And from a
coaching standpoint, you know, they just haven't figured out the
rotations that have that are going to work the best
for them team. Yet the rotations that are going to
work the best, though, are going to have Daylan Swayinn
on the court ninety nine percent of the time because
(05:08):
he does things that most college basketball players just can't
do it his size. He's an above average ball handler
at six foot nine, he can guard all five positions,
he can stretch the court. He showed on Tuesday that
he's a better shooter than advertised. Man, if he can shoot,
you know, thirty seven thirty eight percent from three this
year on the volume of shots he took on Tuesday.
(05:30):
This guy's going to be really good. He already is
really good. I mean, there's a reason why Sean Miller
wanted him so much, and so Dalan Swayn's gonna be
at the heart of everything that Texas wants to do
this year. My thing is they need to find a
way to get both him and Tremont Mark going at
the same time, because the more you can play those
guys at the same time late in the game, there
(05:52):
are few teams with the defensive personnel. You know, two
lengthy guards who defend hard like that. You know, if
they're both scored enough to where you can keep them
on the court and they're both satisfied, you know, with
the splits that the balls in their hands not in
their hands, then you know those two are really valuable pieces.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Swayin especially.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You know Sean Miller teams play fast, and that was
what he harped on after the game in the press conference.
Offense didn't play fast enough. I didn't share, you know,
not enough assists, not enough motion. That's something that you
know they're obviously going to work towards remedying, but how
much will that pace change kind of the the way
Texas will look, if that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I mean we saw in the last couple of years
Texas's pace was slower, he was a little stagnant, they
struggled out in a fast break. That's going to be
the exact opposite this year, especially because they.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Have some high flyers on their team.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Cam Heidi and Simeon Wilcher are some guards who are
going to you know, not only they're going to be
more than just shooters. Those are guys who can hit
the three and are going to be asked to do
it a lot more than they were asked to do
it on Tuesday. But those two guys can also go
and get you some quick bursts and lead the fast
break and start, you know, uh, turning defense into offense.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
And so I think that the speed that this.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Texas team is going to play with wasn't well represented
on Tuesday because they didn't.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Control the pace of that game.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And so we'll get a better look in some of
these lesser non conference games like tomorrow, We'll get a
better look at how fast they really want to play.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's gonna be dang fast.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
It's gonna be complete opposite of the last couple of years,
and that really excites me from a fan standpoint.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Hey, I promise this is going somewhere in your in
your local news roles. Have you ever had to fill
in and cover the weather?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
No, thank god, No.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I'm gonna ask you to to do that for a
moment and just forecast what what this team will look
like and what we're going to be talking about come
conference play with this Texas group. The strength yeah, the
strength of the Oh sorry, we're gonn to say.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I said, like, I don't want to sound too optimistic,
but like, the SEC's way more wide open than people think.
And I wouldn't be that surprised if they're, you know,
in that top half of the standings, not necessarily competing
for an SEC championship. But I wouldn't be surprised if
they finished above the five hundred and SEC play.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I'll just say it. I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I think that this team is the perfect mix of
veterans and young guns and good coaching and personnel that
can beat any team at any given night. I think
that this team can compete this year for all every
month the conference playing. They're not gonna be, you know,
knocking on the door of the bubble like they were
last year. I think that this team's gonna be safely
in the tournament at least as an eight seed.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And it's you know, that's pretty confident for this early
in the season. But I was just gonna sort of
go down this road. The strength of this team will
be what when we talk about them come tournament.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Time, Okay, I see, Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
The strength of this team I think is going to
be the big men. I think that Manus and Lacina
Triori are going to be of the best, like one
of the best big men combos in the SEC.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And that's not something that you can say lightly.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Look at last year if Jeni Bruman doing card well,
look at you know, Ruben Chinleu and Alex Condon, like
those are the best center duos, big men duos in
the country.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
And I really think that if.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Triory can stay out of follow trouble and get his
conditioning up and Vocatitis can play more control than the
paint and be a little more physical, I really do
think that that's going to be a true strength of
this team, especially contrary to years past.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, I think it'll be balanced.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I think they have enough guys that can kind of
pick up the scoring torch on different nights, and we'll
see how that kind of materializes. A lot of that
has to do with finding those right combinations. You know,
who are your closers. If you're Sean Miller. All right,
what about the flip side? What might the drawback or
Achilles heel of this team be?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
They don't have a guy who they can just.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Count on to go win them the game late tremam
Mark did it at times last season down the stretch,
and you can even say that that saved Texas season
against Texas A and M and Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But Texas right now, I don't look at that.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I can't look at that roster and say that there's
a guy who I would like, without a doubt, put
the ball in their hands at the end of the game,
like right now, Jordan Pope probably, and I feel all
right about that because he was pretty lights out on Tuesday.
But they don't have like and you can't expect to
have a Tree Johnson every year, but like, they don't
even have a Max Asmis this year. And I think
(10:34):
that's my big concern is some of the best players
in the country play in this conference. There are going
to be guys averaging close to twenty points per game.
I don't know if Texas has somebody who's going to
average more than twelve points per game this year, and
there are ways that you can win like that, but
it definitely concerns me that there's not a clear alfa
on this team.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Okay, I know we talked about a lot of the
guys already. If there's someone that we only barely brushed
by or didn't talk about much yet that he should
be if we watch this back in a few months, who's.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
That Kendall Weaver.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Without a doubt, I've already been thinking in my head
that I haven't mentioned him yet and that he needs
to be mentioned because he's going to have a huge
role on this year's team. He's going to start, it
appears it looks like he's going to be tasked with
guarding the team's best defend the opposing team's best offensive
guard at times more often than not, and so Kendall
Weaver is going to be very important, especially from a
(11:25):
defensive standpoint. Shawan Miller teams are very strong defensively, and
he's going to be that anchor. The other piece that
I want to mention is Nick Cody. People didn't expect
him to start on Tuesday. He started, and he locked
up cam Boozer in the first half. The offense definitely
needs work. He's got no bag down low. But Nick
Cody plays hard, he's physical. He gives you strong minutes
(11:47):
when he's on the court man, especially on defense. And
I mean that's why he started on Tuesday. That's why
he's going to be on the court a lot, especially
late in games, because he gives you good minutes. He
plays physical, hard basketball, and he's a smart offensive player.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
We saw that in the first half against cam Boozer.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
So Nick Cody and Kendall Weaver two guys who don't
get the acclaim that everyone else does, but we'll.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Both have huge roles on this Texas team.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
We're talking with Jason Cananders, one third of the Hook
Them Hoops podcast grew along with Tommy Yarsh and Zach Davis.
There what was the range of outcomes you guys kind
of put on this Texas season before it started, and
you know how much has that changed after seeing the
Duke game?
Speaker 4 (12:26):
If at all, So none of us, like we all
think that this is safely an NCAA tournament team. We
all think that this is really safe, like they're not
going to be on the bubble like last year. This
is a deeper roster. I feel better about the coaching,
at least. I can't speak for the other two guys,
because I mean, we all like Rodney Terry, but I was.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Probably a little more hard on.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
The fact that change probably needed to happen changes here,
and I think that we're going to see progress. I
think that, like I said, Texas is going to be
an eight seed or better. I wouldn't be so prized
if they drop a couple of these, Like the Virginia
game is gonna be tough. They should win that, but
if they lose, you know, it's not the end of
the world. They lost to Ohio State last year and
(13:09):
ended up making the tournament, So.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
You know the range of outcomes.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I would say anything from like I guess the three
seed in the.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Best world case scenario.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Ever, you know, if the SEC's stacked like last year
and Texas is at the top half of that, and
then you know the bottom half, I guess would be
just knocking on the door of the tournament like Sean
Miller's Avier team last year. But I really have a
hard time in envisioning this roster, with this coaching staff,
in this wide open of an sec having that heart
of a time making the tournament.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
So now they get Lafayette and the home opener on
Saturday FDU Kansas City Rider. It's kind of that road
to Maui chapter of the season for this Texas team
at home. Besides wins against those four teams, what do
you want to see from the Longhorns.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Yeah, stay healthy, figure out who your best rotations are,
give guys confidence who need it, play the young guys.
It doesn't seem like anybody, well, it doesn't seem like
I mean, Declan Duru's not red shirting because he played
on Tuesday. Cody's obviously going to play a lot. He
wasn't a red shirt candidate. You know, if John Clark's
not going to red shirt, I'd like to see him
(14:20):
in these games. You know, I'd like to see anybody
who is playing this year on the team and has
any chance of getting on the court and conference play.
I want to see what they're made of. These next
couple of games against lower competition.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, Jason, are you getting to a game this year
at any point? Come on down.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
We love a goal, that's the goal. Yeah. I want
to get back to Austin January or February.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
See some see some guys, and especially catch a Texas
basketball game. I've only been to one as a fan ever.
It's my senior year Senior Day. Had a great time,
so I'd love to go back.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, he gave away some tickets earlier. Where were you
for the talk pack feature? I'm I'm giving you a
hard time? Thanks for thanks for stopping by, Jason. Where
can they find you and the guys on Hook Them Hoops?
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Yeah, so we're all on X. I'm at WIBW Jason.
You can find Tommy and Zach's handles on there too.
We are doing shows every week every other week. We're
still trying to figure out our posting calendar during non
conference play, but we're running it back for a third year.
We're excited to be doing it, and we're really fortunate
to have this opportunity.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Feel at sixty eight so I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, you guys do a great job, Jason, Thanks for
stopping by. Really appreciate the time.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Thanks Jake, keep up the great work. See us new men.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
That is Jason Cannander of hook Em Hoops. Great podcast.
Keeps me up to date on Texas men's basketball. Always
great to catch up with Jason and the guys. All right,
coming up next. I know a lot of you are
on your way to watch some Friday night lights. As
we wrap up the program on this Friday afternoon, we'll
tell you what Jerry Forres thinks with his computer predictions
(15:56):
of some of the biggest high school games on the
slate right here on sports Ready Am thirteen hundred Zone
Welcome back to the Craig Ways Show, where we welcome
in Jason Canander. He's a sports reporter and anchor at
WIBW in Manhattan, Kansas, and one third of the Hookham
Hoops podcast, who covers Texas men's basketball. Is a part
of the Field of sixty eight Media network.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Jason, thanks for doing this. It's great to see you, Jake.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It's awesome to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Man well TSCB Sports Reunion. Glad to see that you're
back in Austin and doing well. Always down to talk
Texas hoops. So excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Hey, you haven't gone fully wildcat purple on us yet,
have you?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
With all your time in the Little Apple.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, no, no. So I'm in Topeka now.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I was in Manhattan last year as just a Manhattan reporter.
Now I'm in Topeka covering all the sports we cover
so ku K State Chiefs, Royals, all our local high schools.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
And no, I am far from K State fan.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I have a lot of respect for their programs, but no,
I'm definitely not a K State fan.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
No, I know where your loyalties lie. Jason.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And look, we had a long, you know, offseason anticipating
watching this Texas basketball program kind of trying and rebuild
as as you can do in just one offseason in
modern college basketball with a new coaching staff led by
Sean Miller, and now we get to unwrap this Duke game.
A lot to learn and just curious what your kind
(01:25):
of initial takeaways were from from the game Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
This team's gonna be good. This team's gonna be good.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I was already higher on this roster than most people were,
and and that's not just a preseason optimism type of thing,
like I wasn't very high on the last.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Two Texas rosters.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
This team is constructed to beat teams or at least
contend with teams like Duke. They're not going to beat them,
you know, the first week in November. But what I saw,
the biggest positive that I saw on Tuesday was that
the pieces are there on the roster.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
There is not going to be person and l issues
this year.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
There is height that can compete with the tallest teams
in the country. There are lengthy guards who can defend
some of the best shooters in the country, some of
the best free level scorers in the country.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And there is shooting on this roster.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Even though it didn't really make itself apparent on Tuesday.
Texas has multiple outlets of scoring. It's not just going
to be Trey Johnson Jordan Pope as a pure scorer
off the bench man, He's going to be a lot
of fun. So that was really the big thing that
I saw was that the pieces are there.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
They don't quite fit.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yet, but they might fit pretty well by March.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I was excited with what I saw.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I didn't expect to win, but you know that exceeded
my expectations, I'll say.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
And I was already high on this roster.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, and I think a lot of people are really
high on what this Duke team is going to be
able to do, which which certainly feeds into I think
those takeaways. Let's talk about Madis Boca Titus. I mean,
how impressed were you by by the game he had
what he sort of fled in that spot against Duke.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, I got to call my shot a little bit.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
When we talked about Texas's transfer class on the hook
of whose podcast, I said he was my favorite ad
because he has such a high ceiling. We saw the
flaws in his game just as much as we saw
the things that he's already good at I think that
he needs to be a little bit more physical. I
think that he needs to be a little bit more
(03:25):
controlled in the paint. We saw a couple of travels,
but as I said, with the Texas roster, reigns true
with Madus.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
The pieces are there.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
He has the height to compete with any center, any
big man in the country. He has very versatile skill set.
He has the softest touch I've seen from a Texas
big man not named Dylan de Sue and so Modus Voketitis. Man,
they really struck gold with him, and for me, the
most exciting thing about him is the fact that he's
(03:55):
only a sophomore, and that doesn't make him a guarantee
to stay until he's He could go back overseas, he
could declare for the NBA Draft, he could go to
another program. But the prospect of this kid starting where
he's at now, imagining what he could be by senior
day a couple of years down the line, that's an
(04:17):
All League SEC player without a doubt in my mind,
if he stays for all three years.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I mean, just the fact that we're having that conversation
after a game like that, I think speaks to to
what he flashed and how excited you know they are
about him. And then you look at what a player
like Dalen Swain can do and making an impact. That's
another piece joining with an experience group in the back
court that I think Sean Miller is still just trying
(04:40):
to find the right combinations for at the right times.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It's early, Yeah, it is early. It's early.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That's why, like I said, I didn't expect them to
win that game against Duke. They're not They're not connected
enough to win a game like that. And from a
coaching standpoint, you know, they just haven't figured out the
rotations that have that are going to work the best
for them team. Yet the rotations that are going to
work the best, though, are going to have Daylan Swayinn
on the court ninety nine percent of the time because
(05:08):
he does things that most college basketball players just can't
do it his size. He's an above average ball handler
at six foot nine, he can guard all five positions,
he can stretch the court. He showed on Tuesday that
he's a better shooter than advertised. Man, if he can shoot,
you know, thirty seven thirty eight percent from three this
year on the volume of shots he took on Tuesday.
(05:30):
This guy's going to be really good. He already is
really good. I mean, there's a reason why Sean Miller
wanted him so much, and so Dalan Swayn's gonna be
at the heart of everything that Texas wants to do
this year. My thing is they need to find a
way to get both him and Tremont Mark going at
the same time, because the more you can play those
guys at the same time late in the game, there
(05:52):
are few teams with the defensive personnel. You know, two
lengthy guards who defend hard like that. You know, if
they're both scored enough to where you can keep them
on the court and they're both satisfied, you know, with
the splits that the balls in their hands not in
their hands, then you know those two are really valuable pieces.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Swayin especially.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You know Sean Miller teams play fast, and that was
what he harped on after the game in the press conference.
Offense didn't play fast enough. I didn't share, you know,
not enough assists, not enough motion. That's something that you
know they're obviously going to work towards remedying, but how
much will that pace change kind of the the way
Texas will look, if that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I mean we saw in the last couple of years
Texas's pace was slower, he was a little stagnant, they
struggled out in a fast break. That's going to be
the exact opposite this year, especially because they.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Have some high flyers on their team.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Cam Heidi and Simeon Wilcher are some guards who are
going to you know, not only they're going to be
more than just shooters. Those are guys who can hit
the three and are going to be asked to do
it a lot more than they were asked to do
it on Tuesday. But those two guys can also go
and get you some quick bursts and lead the fast
break and start, you know, uh, turning defense into offense.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
And so I think that the speed that this.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Texas team is going to play with wasn't well represented
on Tuesday because they didn't.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Control the pace of that game.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And so we'll get a better look in some of
these lesser non conference games like tomorrow, We'll get a
better look at how fast they really want to play.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's gonna be dang fast.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
It's gonna be complete opposite of the last couple of years,
and that really excites me from a fan standpoint.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Hey, I promise this is going somewhere in your in
your local news roles. Have you ever had to fill
in and cover the weather?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
No, thank god, No.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I'm gonna ask you to to do that for a
moment and just forecast what what this team will look
like and what we're going to be talking about come
conference play with this Texas group. The strength yeah, the
strength of the Oh sorry, we're gonn to say.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I said, like, I don't want to sound too optimistic,
but like, the SEC's way more wide open than people think.
And I wouldn't be that surprised if they're, you know,
in that top half of the standings, not necessarily competing
for an SEC championship. But I wouldn't be surprised if
they finished above the five hundred and SEC play.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I'll just say it. I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I think that this team is the perfect mix of
veterans and young guns and good coaching and personnel that
can beat any team at any given night. I think
that this team can compete this year for all every
month the conference playing. They're not gonna be, you know,
knocking on the door of the bubble like they were
last year. I think that this team's gonna be safely
in the tournament at least as an eight seed.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
And it's you know, that's pretty confident for this early
in the season. But I was just gonna sort of
go down this road. The strength of this team will
be what when we talk about them come tournament.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Time, Okay, I see, Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
The strength of this team I think is going to
be the big men. I think that Manus and Lacina
Triori are going to be of the best, like one
of the best big men combos in the SEC.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And that's not something that you can say lightly.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Look at last year if Jeni Bruman doing card well,
look at you know, Ruben Chinleu and Alex Condon, like
those are the best center duos, big men duos in
the country.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
And I really think that if.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Triory can stay out of follow trouble and get his
conditioning up and Vocatitis can play more control than the
paint and be a little more physical, I really do
think that that's going to be a true strength of
this team, especially contrary to years past.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, I think it'll be balanced.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I think they have enough guys that can kind of
pick up the scoring torch on different nights, and we'll
see how that kind of materializes. A lot of that
has to do with finding those right combinations. You know,
who are your closers. If you're Sean Miller. All right,
what about the flip side? What might the drawback or
Achilles heel of this team be?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
They don't have a guy who they can just.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Count on to go win them the game late tremam
Mark did it at times last season down the stretch,
and you can even say that that saved Texas season
against Texas A and M and Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But Texas right now, I don't look at that.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I can't look at that roster and say that there's
a guy who I would like, without a doubt, put
the ball in their hands at the end of the game,
like right now, Jordan Pope probably, and I feel all
right about that because he was pretty lights out on Tuesday.
But they don't have like and you can't expect to
have a Tree Johnson every year, but like, they don't
even have a Max Asmis this year. And I think
(10:34):
that's my big concern is some of the best players
in the country play in this conference. There are going
to be guys averaging close to twenty points per game.
I don't know if Texas has somebody who's going to
average more than twelve points per game this year, and
there are ways that you can win like that, but
it definitely concerns me that there's not a clear alfa
on this team.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Okay, I know we talked about a lot of the
guys already. If there's someone that we only barely brushed
by or didn't talk about much yet that he should
be if we watch this back in a few months, who's.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
That Kendall Weaver.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Without a doubt, I've already been thinking in my head
that I haven't mentioned him yet and that he needs
to be mentioned because he's going to have a huge
role on this year's team. He's going to start, it
appears it looks like he's going to be tasked with
guarding the team's best defend the opposing team's best offensive
guard at times more often than not, and so Kendall
Weaver is going to be very important, especially from a
(11:25):
defensive standpoint. Shawan Miller teams are very strong defensively, and
he's going to be that anchor. The other piece that
I want to mention is Nick Cody. People didn't expect
him to start on Tuesday. He started, and he locked
up cam Boozer in the first half. The offense definitely
needs work. He's got no bag down low. But Nick
Cody plays hard, he's physical. He gives you strong minutes
(11:47):
when he's on the court man, especially on defense. And
I mean that's why he started on Tuesday. That's why
he's going to be on the court a lot, especially
late in games, because he gives you good minutes. He
plays physical, hard basketball, and he's a smart offensive player.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
We saw that in the first half against cam Boozer.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
So Nick Cody and Kendall Weaver two guys who don't
get the acclaim that everyone else does, but we'll.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Both have huge roles on this Texas team.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
We're talking with Jason Cananders, one third of the Hook
Them Hoops podcast grew along with Tommy Yarsh and Zach Davis.
There what was the range of outcomes you guys kind
of put on this Texas season before it started, and
you know how much has that changed after seeing the
Duke game?
Speaker 4 (12:26):
If at all, So none of us, like we all
think that this is safely an NCAA tournament team. We
all think that this is really safe, like they're not
going to be on the bubble like last year. This
is a deeper roster. I feel better about the coaching,
at least. I can't speak for the other two guys,
because I mean, we all like Rodney Terry, but I was.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Probably a little more hard on.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
The fact that change probably needed to happen changes here,
and I think that we're going to see progress. I
think that, like I said, Texas is going to be
an eight seed or better. I wouldn't be so prized
if they drop a couple of these, Like the Virginia
game is gonna be tough. They should win that, but
if they lose, you know, it's not the end of
the world. They lost to Ohio State last year and
(13:09):
ended up making the tournament, So.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
You know the range of outcomes.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I would say anything from like I guess the three
seed in the.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Best world case scenario.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Ever, you know, if the SEC's stacked like last year
and Texas is at the top half of that, and
then you know the bottom half, I guess would be
just knocking on the door of the tournament like Sean
Miller's Avier team last year. But I really have a
hard time in envisioning this roster, with this coaching staff,
in this wide open of an sec having that heart
of a time making the tournament.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
So now they get Lafayette and the home opener on
Saturday FDU Kansas City Rider. It's kind of that road
to Maui chapter of the season for this Texas team
at home. Besides wins against those four teams, what do
you want to see from the Longhorns.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Yeah, stay healthy, figure out who your best rotations are,
give guys confidence who need it, play the young guys.
It doesn't seem like anybody, well, it doesn't seem like
I mean, Declan Duru's not red shirting because he played
on Tuesday. Cody's obviously going to play a lot. He
wasn't a red shirt candidate. You know, if John Clark's
not going to red shirt, I'd like to see him
(14:20):
in these games. You know, I'd like to see anybody
who is playing this year on the team and has
any chance of getting on the court and conference play.
I want to see what they're made of. These next
couple of games against lower competition.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, Jason, are you getting to a game this year
at any point? Come on down.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
We love a goal, that's the goal. Yeah. I want
to get back to Austin January or February.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
See some see some guys, and especially catch a Texas
basketball game. I've only been to one as a fan ever.
It's my senior year Senior Day. Had a great time,
so I'd love to go back.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, he gave away some tickets earlier. Where were you
for the talk pack feature? I'm I'm giving you a
hard time? Thanks for thanks for stopping by, Jason. Where
can they find you and the guys on Hook Them Hoops?
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Yeah, so we're all on X. I'm at WIBW Jason.
You can find Tommy and Zach's handles on there too.
We are doing shows every week every other week. We're
still trying to figure out our posting calendar during non
conference play, but we're running it back for a third year.
We're excited to be doing it, and we're really fortunate
to have this opportunity.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Feel at sixty eight so I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, you guys do a great job, Jason, Thanks for
stopping by. Really appreciate the time.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Thanks Jake, keep up the great work. See us new men.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
That is Jason Cannander of hook Em Hoops. Great podcast.
Keeps me up to date on Texas men's basketball. Always
great to catch up with Jason and the guys. All right,
coming up next. I know a lot of you are
on your way to watch some Friday night lights. As
we wrap up the program on this Friday afternoon, we'll
tell you what Jerry Forres thinks with his computer predictions
(15:56):
of some of the biggest high school games on the
slate right here on sports Ready Am thirteen hundred Zone
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