Men's Basketball Wins Fifth Straight, Mick Cronin's Meltdown, MLB Updates

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
From Booty Center in Austin.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's the Texas Longhorns against the Lashu Tigers in Southeastern
Conference basketball action.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Longboards inbound the swing.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
And traffic at a shot block, got it back in trouble,
reverses it back out in front into the corner. Height
drives around traffic for a slam duck. Nick Cody off
to Pope top of the arc. Pope a step back
three pointer.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Good.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Paw warns with a basketball up by five, but you
three LSU zone drive it in the middle of it,
whilt around the Pope and to test it three and
it's good. Third converted three pointer of the first half
for Jordan.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Pope into the front board.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Now is Pope between the legs and the dribblest the
left side, sends it to Bopa.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Titus down the lane for.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
A slam duck and a time out of Lshu from
on Mark trying to be that guy, and it is
knocks down the three. Mark it's the three pointer, so
the left side.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Both knocked down on the hands.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Mark steals it away from Mosley into the front court.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Wiltrip in the corner. Heidi White open for three.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
You bat.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Time out LSU text us up by seventeen. He look
backs it out with tend to shoot. Now drives into
the paint, goes around traffic again, scores off the glass.
He went right around Pablo Toma, then scored off the glass.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I'll front Jordan Pope trying to drive in steps stops and.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Goes madus booking tinys down.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
The line, gets the bucket in one.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Now the kind of weaver weaver off the camp, hiding, hiding,
steps around Toma down the lane for a slam. Dump
went around Tama and threw it down.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
It's on the floor.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
And now to tron Mark Mark trying to drive it
on Suton, who has four piles, goes up high off
the glass too for miss it got us on rebound
the follows there, how about the follow there for tron
Mark he has sixteen tacks us up eight again, eighty
one to seventy three, with three forty to go, three
seconds to out the McKinnon, He'll drive in and puts
it in at the busser.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
It'll count. The Longhorns will gonna three pointy point for
a final score eighty eight eighty five. And with that
it's a five game winning streak.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
It's an eight and five record in the SEC, seventeen
to nine overall, and perhaps inching further up the ladder
in the minds of the NCAA tournament selection committee when
it comes to seating. Good afternoon, everybody, welcome to the
program here on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.
My name is Craig Waite. Thanks very much for joining us.

(02:30):
Thanks to the producer Jay Carman, who crafted that montage together.
You'll hear another one coming up three o'clock hour with
long worn Baseball getting a run rule win last night.
Speaking of baseball in the four o'clock hour, get an
update on baseball spring training going on from our MLB
insider Gene Watson, who is out in Glendale, Arizona with

(02:53):
his club, the Chicago White Sox. Gino also has a
pretty important responsibility. He is the advanced band for the
United States for the World Baseball Classic, so he's got these.
He'll be out in La I think later this week,
and we're just around the corner from the WBC, so
we look forward to that.

Speaker 5 (03:11):
What an epic run of international sports we get this year.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, I know, between that and the Olympics and everything
that's going on to the NBA All Star Game. And
by the way, I didn't even mention it. On Monday,
aar I said, did you even watch the All Star Game?

Speaker 6 (03:26):
I didn't watch them. I wasn't going to mention it
if you didn't bring it up just now.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Okay, I will be honest with you.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
I flat forgot about it, you know, with the crazy
weekend that I had, and the travel issues and getting
doing the baseball season open on Friday and getting to Columbia, Missouri,
which was a challenge, but got there to call the
men's game Saturday and back to do the baseball game Sunday.
My wife and I were just thinking about a quiet
dinner at home, and that's exactly what we did. We

(03:53):
just did music on totally forgot about the All Star Game.
I don't know that I would have watched it, you know,
from starting to finish.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
I know I wouldn't have.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
I might have watched some of it out of carrier,
and I hear it was an improvement over what had happened.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
But I've heard nothing about it. I missed it at
the wedding.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Supposedly it was an improvement.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Guys were playing more defense and trying harder and all
that kind of stuff, and the format seemed to work,
so that's good if it works out that way. But
I've never been a real big fan, and maybe this
turns it a little bit away from it. I've never
been a real big fan of games where there's virtually
no defense played and it's driving in slam dunks, or
in the NHL All Star Game when final scores like

(04:35):
eleven to seven. You know, in the Pro Bowl, when
they weren't playing defense, at least it almost simulated what
was going on. But now they've gotten completely away from
I have zero interest in watching flag football with the NFL.
The Baseball All Star Game is the one thing that
I'll still watch because it most closely approximates a game.

(04:56):
And the only reason why I say most closely is
because you're getting into from pitcher every inning, so it's
a bullpen game. But you get that in the regular season,
you get bullpen games, So it's never.

Speaker 5 (05:06):
Not fun to watch some of the best pitchers face
the best hitters.

Speaker 6 (05:10):
Is It don't matter what the scoreboard is in a
regular season game or whether it's the playoffs on the line,
so that never loses its entertainment value.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
For me.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
That's true. That's true. So there's that.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
So any anyway, in the four o'clock hour, will visit
with Geene Watson to talk about that. But we get
a lot of basketball and other baseball to break down
coming up. In the next time, we're gonna hear from
Vick Schaeffer. The Texas women leave late this afternoon. I'll
be on the plane with them headed up to Arkansas.
They play the Arkansas Razorbacks tomorrow evening. And some pretty

(05:40):
interesting revelations from Vic about the whole coach rant thing
that has been played and replayed. And we had another
coach rant last night, by the way, on the men's side.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
Which we'll get to. So maybe it's an epidemic.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Maybe coaches are feeling the heat a little more. In
the case of Vickers, just total frustration, total frustration with
his team last Thursday, but now he's kind of turned
the page on them.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
We hear this every year around this time from TV analysts,
especially former coaches, that these are the dog days, right.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, college basketball February is a tough month, a tough month, and.

Speaker 6 (06:18):
Officials tempers are shorter, Coaches tempers are shorter with their
own teams with officials, and it's just you gotta grind
through it and you see some more of the h
It's called the human side of these coaches coming out.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, And I will say this, The rant that we're
gonna hear from the coach that we're gonna hear from
later came on the heels of something I've never seen
a coach do in a basketball game.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
Ever.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
It's the kind of thing you might see a littly
dad do. And in fact, I will the true confessions.
I warned my youngest son in a game that if
he continued to act the way he was acting, because
he was really frustrated himself, if he continued to act

(07:03):
the way he was acting, I would do what the
coach who did what he did last night did.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
I ended up not doing it. You were coaching, no,
just being a fan, just being a fan.

Speaker 5 (07:15):
But so you would have come down from the stands
and said, son, you're done.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
I'll explain it when we get to it a little
bit later on. I will do that, all right. First,
let's hear from a Loggorn's head coach Sean Miller. Texas
did get the win eighty eight eighty five. They looked
great at the end of the first half. Probably I
would say as good a four minute sequence of basketball
as they played this year. Now, yeah, you considered the
opponent LSU and what they've been through, and they had

(07:42):
a great second half against Georgia in the home game.
They had a really good down the stretch against Missouri.
They've had games where they played incredibly well in stretches
near the end of the first half.

Speaker 1 (07:54):
Was about as good as they played.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
But in the second half they did not play well
to start the second half, and then of course there
was you know, and then in that second segment there
was a twelve oh run by LSU. He pulled down
to within four, and then it was back and forth

(08:17):
and Texas pushed it back out to ten, and then
LSU closed within three in the winning moments. In Texas
may made enough free throws. They missed some free throws
down the stretch too, very uncharacteristic of a team that
was shooting eighty percent in conference play going in to
last night's game.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
We jinxed them. We talked about it yesterday.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know what, you may be right about that. In fact,
they can tell you right now. I've got the updated
stats in front of me. They went from eighty to
seventy eight percent in conference played with last night's game.
But that's not too bad seventy if they can pick
up the pace a little bit.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
But it didn't. He didn't go that well.

Speaker 2 (08:52):
But anyway, they had the ups and downs of the game,
but in the end the final analysis, they won the
game eighty eight eighty five. And as I mentioned, they've
now won five in a row. It's the first time
the Texas has won five consecutive conference games since twenty twenty,
first time since And I know I saw a graphic

(09:12):
come up last night that said twenty twenty one when
they were talking about six, but that included non conference
in that this is the first time in conference play.
Long Wins had a late second half of the season
third similar to this one in the Big Twelve in
twenty twenty, just prior to the shutdown and won five
in a row. Then, So they won five in a row.

(09:33):
So there's times when they look really good in times
not so much. After the game, Long Worn's head coach
Seawn Miller with his thoughts on this.

Speaker 7 (09:42):
Well, the first thing, I just want to really thank
our crowd. I thought we had a great home crowd
led by our students. You know, it's not as if
we have ten opportunities or home games left. When man
real quickly we're down to two left, and you know,
excited to see the same version of the crowd we
had tonight those last two. But I thought that was

(10:03):
you know, the home court atmosphere and advantage that we needed,
and I thought that really worked to our favor. Especially
eight pm tip on a weekday. It's never easy and
it's not something that we take for granted.

Speaker 4 (10:17):
Book. You guys all are very familiar faces at this point.

Speaker 7 (10:22):
You've kind of watched our team and you know, you
almost at halftime could have predicted what was going to
happen ahead of time. You know, we had a big lead.
You know, we have to guard against complacency. We have
to set the tone. You have to be a two
way team, meaning you have to be able to connect
defense with offense and offense with defense. And you know,

(10:42):
in the first half, I thought we really did a
great job. And when we had fourteen fouls, we were
far from perfect, but we had both defense and offense
going and in particular, playing most of the first half
without Dalen Swain. I thought it was a great sign
for our team that we were able to do that.
And halftime we talked a lot about, you know, setting

(11:03):
the tone and we have an tendency to come out
sluggish or foul more in the second half, maybe not
be that same team defensively, and that's what we did,
and I credit Lsu, but I also feel like we
can be better. We can do better. We have recently
been better than that. And our defense in the second
half took a heck of a punch. I mean very

(11:25):
seldom do you win a conference game, you know, when
a team in the second half was nineteen to thirty
from the floor. I mean, if you go five on
zero and meaning there's no defense, you're just dry running
your plays and you're taking some jumpers. Nineteen to thirty
is pretty good. And they did that against the set defense.
So a learning opportunity. We have to keep growing and

(11:49):
getting better. Sometimes the second half like the one we
played is a lesson, and it's great to be able
to learn lessons when you win. I think the second
thing is down the stretch. Key free throws you know,
got away from us. If we would have been able
to hit those, the game would have been more towards
ten points than it was, you know, one possession game,

(12:10):
So again the importance of making and converting free throws.
We shot thirty four, made twenty three, and we definitely
left some opportunity there.

Speaker 4 (12:20):
I also want to credit Matt.

Speaker 7 (12:24):
I think it's very difficult to lose your starting point
guard like LSU has. If you watch them in November
and December in their non conference season, you know, he
was a terrific point guard and they have a lot
of pieces around him that were set and ready.

Speaker 4 (12:39):
I thought they were a tournament team, and.

Speaker 7 (12:41):
You know, none of us in this league can afford
to lose a key player for the entire season and
feel like, hey, we're still okay.

Speaker 4 (12:48):
And so he coaches a great game. He's doing a
really good job with his team.

Speaker 7 (12:53):
We watched them in the last game at Tennessee with
Alt McKinnon and they were right there. Tennessee really had
to push at the end to beat them, So we
knew that it was going to be a tough game.

Speaker 4 (13:04):
And that's the thing about the SEC. Every test is equal.

Speaker 7 (13:08):
You have to be ready, and I think we're just
fortunate to be able to leave this with a win
and hopefully, you know, it hardens us for our next
opportunity at Georgia.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
So there's some thoughts from John Miller. Will hear more fhem.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
We're also gonna hear from Yorick Malagi, long RN's assistant
coach when we visited with him in the post game,
and Tremont Mark, who had eighteen points in a big
part of that Texas victory. All right, up next in
advance of Texas Women at Arkansas, we'll hear from head
coach Vick Shaeffer when we continue on Sports Radio AM
thirteen under the zone of the iHeartRadio app. Okay, on

(13:46):
a yacht Rock Wednesday, why not lead off with the
Godfather Michael McDonald and Doobie Brothers.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
They were taking it to the streets.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
So there it is, after all, a yacht Rock Wednesday
here on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 1 (13:59):
You know, Vic Shape told us he likes you rock too.
He likes old Southern rock, to likes.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Heavy metal, really like ac DC and some of those
other ones as well, and he likes the way his
team bounced back from the disappointing performance on the loss
last Thursday at Vanderbilt to play well enough to.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
Win at Tennessee.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
So naturally on a media zoom, he's going to be
asked about all of those things, and we're covering all that,
but let's hear from Vic Shaeffer some opening thoughts from
him from today's media zoom.

Speaker 4 (14:36):
Got to get ready to go back on the road
for our game that we have to make up.

Speaker 8 (14:41):
So supposed to be our second bye this week, but
because of the ice storm there in Fayetteville a couple
of weeks ago, we've got to make this game up
on Thursday. So obviously, really proud of my team, proud
of our kids for getting the w on the road
at Tennessee and a you know, a really tough environment

(15:02):
against a really good team, and you know it's just
it's it's life in the SEC, and it's life at Texas.
Really you get everybody's best shot every day, every night,
and you know, I'm proud of them for finding a
way and and really having poised down the stretch.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
I thought we were very poised down the stretch.

Speaker 8 (15:27):
We certainly, you know, Tennessee made some big shots late
after we got up ten, but just Bookers stepping up,
making some big free throws at lying and then Jordan
making one out of two, and then a great defensive
stop by our team, Breeze sticking her hand in and
getting a steal to finish off the game. I think

(15:49):
we forced twenty two turnovers, seven in the fourth quarter.
So just really really proud of our kids. And you know, again,
it's a great win. Anytime you went on the road
the SEC, it's it's big, and you know, it's just
the gauntlet continues. Got to go to Fayetteville tonight and
UH and and play a team that's really playing well.

(16:10):
They've three of their last five losses have been by
single digits and they're they're much improved. Coaches doing a
great job with them, and those kids play extremely hard
all the time for forty minutes, and so you know,
we've got to be prepared and ready to go and

(16:31):
play on the road. Home teams always shoot it better
at home and they always played better at home, and
so it's a road game for us. We've got to
go in there and do what we do and if
we do that, we'll be fine. But we're we we
know we got our hands full. We have a lot
of respect for for Arkansas and and UH again they're

(16:52):
getting better. You know, they're way different today than if
we'd have played them two or three weeks ago. Uh,
their their stats are way to different, their points is
are way different.

Speaker 4 (17:04):
And so again that's coaching.

Speaker 8 (17:06):
She's doing a great job with them, and they're getting
better each and every day, each and every game. So well, well,
we've got practice there in a little bit and then
we'll get on a plane and go to Fatmill.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Vick was asked about the tough moments element of a
college basketball season. All coaches go through it, no matter
how successful they are, no matter how well things are going,
they go through some tough moments moments in the season,
and he was asked if it helps him kind of
appreciate what they have accomplished and what they continue to

(17:44):
do well and the success that the program continues to have.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
Yeah, no question.

Speaker 8 (17:50):
I think for me having done it as long as
I've done it and seen what I've seen, once you
step back and really look at it, which on a
day off on my that's I have a lot of
reflection for the previous week and to see what we did.
You know, we went through that three game gauntlet of Oklahoma, LSU, Kentucky,

(18:11):
two top tens, one top five and another top fifteen,
and you know, you you then you have to go
on the road and play number five. You know, going
three and one in that stretch is not that bad.
I mean, I know we want to win them all,
but man, that was a tough gauntlet, tough stretch for

(18:32):
our kids. And so, you know, I have a great
deal of respect for the league, for the coaches in
this league, for the players, and you know, understanding what
we are doing, what we see each and every day,
you know, to know what we're doing and dealing with,

(18:53):
especially these players. You know, it's it's a thirty one
game gauntlet of a season. You know, we had such
a tough non conference schedule, and you know, they're humans
just like I am, and the grind and the weight
of the expectations can sometimes be a lot, but that's Texas.

(19:15):
That's what you sign up for, and it takes special
people to be able to handle that, coaches and players alike.

Speaker 4 (19:22):
And this is as we know from the saying, this
is not a place for the timid of the week.

Speaker 8 (19:29):
And so, you know, I think there's so many learning
lessons throughout the course of the season, and you know,
My job is to continue to help these kids grow.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
And and so I think that's what we've always been
able to do.

Speaker 8 (19:45):
Our teams continually getting are getting better throughout the course
of the season. This team will do that as well.
I don't think there's any question we can we can
play better than we're playing. But at the end of
the day, we're twenty four and three, ranked fourth in
the country. I don't the sky is falling, even though
sometimes we can all act like it and think like it,

(20:05):
but it's not. And these kids are doing all they
can do. And you know, again, on Mondays, it's a
day of reflection for me. You know, I think again,
I have to acknowledge that as well.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
So in this ever changing world of the student athlete
and the relationship between the coaches and the student athlete,
I'm here to tell you I've had several different coaches,
not just a Texas but other places tell me how
much more input they're either allowing or they're just flat

(20:42):
out getting from families and quote unquote representatives of some
of the student athletes, and how they have to deal
with that. So, with this change in the dynamic, and
certainly with the way that some kids have changed. The
question was put, does he have to consider perhaps changing

(21:04):
his style and how he deals with the team.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
You know, I think about that a lot.

Speaker 8 (21:10):
And I can't tell you how many people have all
you know, tell me all the time. Man, Kids are changed,
kids have changed things.

Speaker 4 (21:18):
You know. People are different, parents are different and all that.
But I truly believe at.

Speaker 8 (21:23):
The end of the day, parents entrust us with their
daughter because they know we're going to teach them life lessons,
We're going to hold them accountable, We're going to develop
them on and off the floor. Again, I think the
proofs in the pudding with what we've done and how
we've done it. When you look across the country, the
only thing harder than building it is sustaining it. And

(21:45):
when you look across the country, there is not many
programs that have been able to sustain the level that
we've sustained in the last ten eleven years, year in
and year out, living in the neighborhood of the top five,
top ten.

Speaker 4 (22:02):
And it's really hard. You know, you've heard me say
winning is really hard.

Speaker 8 (22:07):
Well, it's really hard to sustain it at the level
that we've sustained it.

Speaker 4 (22:11):
I don't know how many elite eates. You'll know that.
I know we've been to three.

Speaker 8 (22:15):
Final fours in the last ten years, not ten years,
last eight years, seven years, and so you know, I
just think we've always taken great pride in and you've
heard me say this is not what you do, but
how you do it that separates your you know, separates
us from the rest of the country.

Speaker 4 (22:37):
And you know, I just don't.

Speaker 8 (22:42):
I think that's why there's been some great coaches across
the country in a number of sports, basketball, football, they've
just thrown their hands up and going, man, I can't
do it like I can't coach the way I used
to coach, and I'm not going to compromise my values
to cater to what we all want to say is

(23:06):
today's kids, today's climate, today's parents, whatever, And so they
just quit. I mean, you can look across the country.
It's happened. There's been some great coaches, and so I
think I know what works, and I know how we
develop kids on and off the floor. I know how
we love them, and you know, I think again, I'm

(23:31):
proud of of how we've been able to sustain excellence,
how we've been able to develop kids, players and you know,
we've always said we've never apologized for being demanding. And
I know that we love these kids, we love on them,
we love them. You know, part of love is discipline.

(23:54):
And again, but I also think too, every team is different.
We've always known that everybody's different on your team, with
so many different personalities, and so I think, you know,
you've got to be in tune more and more with
your student athletes because they feel it too. You know,

(24:16):
they feel the expectations. And you know, sometimes it's fair,
sometimes it's not, because you know, they are kids and
they're in the developmental stage of their life. But you
just have to always remember this your future, your future
is not not predicated on chance.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
It's predicated on choice.

Speaker 8 (24:39):
And you know, I think we've done a great job
getting kids ready for the real world. And again, the
level that we've been able to sustain is not easy.
In fact, it's very difficult. But it's the only way
I want to do it. It's the only level I
want to live at. My conscience won't let me allow

(25:00):
for slippage, if that makes any sense. My conscience won't
allow for me to turn my head and allow anything
less than excellence. All in commitment, loyalty, accountability. That's who
I am and that's what's always worked and why I

(25:22):
think our teams have always been so good.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
We don't, you know.

Speaker 8 (25:27):
I look at how different coaches across the country. You
can see them on TV. You see how they talk
to kids, you know the language they use, and that's fine.
If it works for them, that's fine. That's not how
we do things here. And so again, I think you
have to understand growth happens when there's uncomfortability, and you've

(25:53):
got to teach people how to get past being uncomfortable
and teach them to know man failure.

Speaker 4 (26:00):
That's where growth happens. That's where real growth happens.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
You know.

Speaker 8 (26:06):
I told my team yesterday, my my uh you know,
I coach out of the fear of failure. I'm so
afraid of failure, Like I don't.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
I don't. I don't want to ever fail. I don't
want to let down my team, my kids, my assistant coaches.

Speaker 8 (26:23):
If my parents were still on this earth, I would
I would not want to let them down, the colonel
or my mother.

Speaker 4 (26:30):
I don't want to let down my parents.

Speaker 8 (26:32):
I certainly don't want to let down CDC, who entrusted
me with this program and hired me people like Kathy
Harston CP coach Conrad Like I wear that every day
and sometimes I think, you know, I really worry more
about that than I should. And uh, you know, but
at the end of the day, that's where growth, you know,

(26:54):
where if you you really understand what that means, fear
of failure, when you when you when you really understand that,
and you you you understand the value of that, I
think that's that's a good thing. And you know, I
we had a thought for the day yesterday, you know. Uh,

(27:20):
fear fuels courage, you know, encourage, sustained motivation, and and
I think for for us, living that, you know, and
understanding that really can be a good thing, you know,
because again I fear, I don't want to let my

(27:40):
players down, and that drives excellence for me, you know,
I don't I uh, you know, I just I really
believe in all that and and I understand we don't
want to fail. But when you do fail, and it's
going to happen in athletics, that's when you've got.

Speaker 4 (27:56):
To profit from it. You've got to learn from it.

Speaker 8 (27:59):
And and teams that fail and learn and they respond
stronger and stronger edge and every time. So you know, again,
fear fuels, courage, encourage, sustains motivation.

Speaker 4 (28:17):
And for me, that's me and so I'm I'm, I'm
that's my That's what drives me.

Speaker 8 (28:26):
And that's what you know, I'm hoping that we can
continue to do because sustaining it at this level that
we've sustained it at is is certainly demanding and challenging.

Speaker 2 (28:37):
Well, here's some more from Vick Shafer. Interesting comments from
the Texas women's head coach.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
Again.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
They fly to Arkansas late this afternoon. The game is
tomorrow evening at six thirty from Bud Walton Arena. Will
be on the air on the Zone at six fifteen
up next Inconceivable on a yacht Rock Wednesday afternoon on
sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone of the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
From UFCU Dish Faluk Field.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
It's the Texas Logorns against the Lamar Cardinals in the
first mid week non conference game of the season. This
one has hit well out to left and you could
say good night to it. Carson Tinny. His first home
run is a Texas Loghorn line drive shot of the
left field wall.

Speaker 1 (29:23):
And the Lawhorns are on the board. It's three to one.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
Lamar transferring him from Stanford and drives one up the
middle of base. It the Sarah with an RBI single
in from third to score is Casey Borba and the
Loghorns back within a run.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
Now at three to two, the bitch swung on and.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
A groundball chop back of him, and it'll go to
be a tough play for Mendoza throws across his body
in time.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
He got him Jan the inning.

Speaker 2 (29:45):
Heck of a play made there by Ethan Mendoza going
the opposite way behind the back scoops it up. The
fires to first and the Cardinals go in order.

Speaker 4 (29:55):
In the third.

Speaker 9 (29:56):
Here's the two to one, and that one has swung
on and drilled into right field going back in. That
ball will short hop the wall and now it gets away.
Mendoza's rounding third. He's gonna score.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
The throw to third.

Speaker 9 (30:08):
Rodriguez in there with an RBI triple. Here's the one,
and that one is cute to short. That's gonna get
the run home. The throw to first is in time.
The two swung on, drilled down the right field line,
slicing away, and that's gonna fall. The long Hord's gonna
take the lead. Misplayed in right field by Valentine. Two
runs will score, and but Sarah's going to third another

(30:31):
triple in Texas leads it six to four. That one
is swung on, drilled into left center field, slicing and
that's gonna short hop the fence to Plantier's on his
horse rounding third. No throat from short and Texas ads
again as Larson has an RBI double first pitch and

(30:52):
this one is hit well in the center field going
back in.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
That ball is gone.

Speaker 9 (30:57):
Second home run as a long for Carson tiny and
that was a laser just to the right of the
Yetta yard.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
It just swung on drilled.

Speaker 9 (31:07):
Down the right field line.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
This might do it into the corner.

Speaker 9 (31:10):
One run scores, two run scores to Plantier coming.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Home and that will do it.

Speaker 9 (31:16):
A three run base hit Fromattox Monsur and his Longhorn debut,
and Texas wins it by run rule.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
Fourteen to four is your final score, and with that
the long runs are now four and oh thanks to
Roger Wallace coming in to out of the bullpen for me,
as I headed over to Moody Center to call the
basketball game last time between Texas and LSU. Roger had
his day job duty to do as a sports anchor

(31:48):
there at KXN, so he had to do his six
twenty pm sports cast, and so that's why I started
the baseball broadcast with Keith Morland over at ufcuish Foulkfield
did the first half of it, the first four and
a half, and he actually even more and a half
because it was a run rule. Roger ended up only
calling two and a half innings of baseball. However, as
I correctly predicted going into the break after the top

(32:11):
of the fourth, when Texas was down four to two,
I said, everything is about the change. Now it's gonna
give me good. It's all gonna flip because Roger Wallace
is coming in here.

Speaker 1 (32:19):
And he did. And how long was that bottom of
the fip About thirty minutes.

Speaker 5 (32:23):
Or so, thirty five minutes, yeah, twelve batters.

Speaker 2 (32:26):
Yeah, So they had a six run inning there. It
turned out Texas with a fourteen to four run rule victory.
After the game, Keith Morland down on the field with
head coach Jim schloschnikle.

Speaker 10 (32:38):
Just your evaluation of the pitching, because I it's so
interesting to watch young guys in that first outing because
it's a fourth game, so other guys had pitched, but
these guys that hadn't been out there, which.

Speaker 11 (32:49):
You think, Well, I mean, I actually thought Jason did
a great job. I mean, he threw strikes. He walked
the leadoff hitter at that second inning, and then you
got to give the guy credit.

Speaker 5 (32:58):
For staying on the ball down the line and uh
that left field line, and.

Speaker 11 (33:02):
Then he made some good pitches and then gave another
one up down the right field line. Then a ground
ball single that gets through. I thought he I thought
he did a good job. He through strikes. Cozart did
what he's done all you know. I'm sorry Walker. Uh,
he's just so reliable as a strike thrower and changes
the look. And then Cozart just went out there and
did what he's done since he stepped on our campus.
And that's just throw strikes. So multiple pitches for strikes.

(33:24):
Being control of himself comes from a baseball family.

Speaker 3 (33:28):
Him do that.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Oh yeah, did you see him waiting on the hitter?

Speaker 4 (33:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 11 (33:32):
When when the guy that with Valentine I think was
having too good at bad against him, and Tiny just
held the glob up and uh, and Cozart was ready
to pitch when as soon as the guy got in
the box, Yeah, that's that's good for us.

Speaker 10 (33:44):
And then you saw some depth of your team tonight
you had to go to some depth with the pack had.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
Started coming up a little lame, and so you saw
some depth of your team.

Speaker 11 (33:52):
Yeah, pack's uh, he's he's just cramped up a lot.
So he's got a lot of Uh, got a lot
of learning to do about how hot it's gonna be
here in Austin, Texas. But I think you would you
would understand this like that. That game had a chance
to be super frustrating because we were squaring balls up
and the rightfielder made a great catch, a rod got

(34:13):
exactly and and Larsen Larson smoked the ball, and so
in all you used to say, you're always fighting frustration
in boredom. Right, we could have easily gotten frustrated and
let that game get away from us.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
But I thought our offense did.

Speaker 10 (34:26):
A nice job well congratulately some of the victory thanks.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
From Longhorns would win the Michigan State Spartans come to
town for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday series.

Speaker 1 (34:38):
At ufcuish farm Field.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
All Right, Long Worn men's basketball, as we mentioned getting
the win last night, holding on for an eighty eight
eighty five win over LSU. Longhorns had that great end
of the first half run that staked them to a
fifteen point a half time lead. They were up by
as many as seventeen. They were still up sixteen early
in the second half before LSU had a twelve oh
run cut it to four and then was just a

(35:00):
grinder down the stretch. But the Long Warne is able
to get the win. After the game, I visited with
York Malagi, the Long Orange assistant coach, to talk about
the ups and downs and the finishing ups of this one.

Speaker 1 (35:10):
We talked about this being a grind in this league,
night in, night out, doesn't matter the record.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
It seems like teams run into that and this was
another tough, hard fall game today.

Speaker 12 (35:22):
Well, it's the number one league in the country for
a reason. We had like top We had ten teams
that are raked in the top forty internet. But this
team is a scrappy team that were without two of.

Speaker 4 (35:32):
The best players, but they've showed them a lot of fight.

Speaker 12 (35:34):
At Tennessee, they were up most of the game all
the way to like the twelve minute mark against Tennessee,
So we knew this.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
Would be a hard fought game. It definitely was not
over at.

Speaker 12 (35:43):
Halftime, but just fortunately obviously not happy with the second
second half the way we defended, but glad to get
the win and very hard to win.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Great into the first half and building that big league
what key that is.

Speaker 12 (35:55):
Well, I thought we were really dialed in, especially those
last two four minute a war.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
It's defensively, you know, we rebounded.

Speaker 12 (36:03):
We guarded the three point line, we guarded without filing,
and then unfortunately those first four minutes. Man, I just
didn't like the way we set the tone coming out
of the half. And you know, we've got one of
the oldest teams in college basketball. I think we have
to start playing like it more consistently, you know, like
we can't act like we're first and second year guys.

Speaker 8 (36:22):
You know, going to the free throw line, we've made
more free throws than they shot and we didn't shoot
well not so it was huge going to line.

Speaker 12 (36:30):
Yeah, I mean that's that's been one of the things
that we've been the lead at all year, is top
of the country and getting to the free throw line
and making them.

Speaker 4 (36:37):
And you know, we we call it stripe work.

Speaker 12 (36:40):
The guys they trust their process, they trust their routine,
and they get to the free throw line. They do
a great job stepping up and making them. But the
confidence comes from the work.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
I keep asking the players and the coaches with every win,
is the momentum palpable?

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Do you feel it now? At five in a row?

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Does this team feel some real generative momentum as each
game approaches?

Speaker 12 (37:03):
You like to think so, but man, you know, every
game is like a one game season. To be honest
with you, I mean, it's so hard to win an
sec you like to think, but you can't get it.
You know, as soon as you get comfortable, you know
you can lose. You know, four in a row, you know, so,
I mean it's.

Speaker 4 (37:17):
Just just trying to get the next one, the next one,
the next one. You know, just one game.

Speaker 12 (37:21):
Seasons and hopefully you know, I think you guys, obviously
you know it's good to get.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
An off week by week.

Speaker 12 (37:28):
Last week I thought we played well at Missouri for
a little lectu of the second half.

Speaker 4 (37:32):
Tonight we got to win.

Speaker 12 (37:34):
George is gonna be really homewardy to try to get
revenge against us.

Speaker 4 (37:37):
We know how good they are. We'll respect it. We
played well on the roll this year, so I know
our guys would be up for the challenge.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
Well, I would say enjoy this one at least for
a little while anyway, right, absolutely, we wire tonight. Now,
we always like to visit with a long run assystem
coach to get his take and then of course we
know we're going to hear from the head coach.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
Sean Miller.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Talked about the impact of Dalan Swain's found difficulty when
he picked up the fourth foulon the second half and
how that impacted the LSU comeback.

Speaker 7 (38:07):
Yeah, and they did a good job attacking Dalen. You know, Dylan,
you know is a terrific player.

Speaker 4 (38:13):
I mean we have rowed his back.

Speaker 7 (38:16):
I mean tonight he only played twenty one minutes and
he scored twenty one points and had ten rebounds. But
concentration when you're the guy is really meaningful. You know,
a made field goal isn't as detrimental to your team
as a personal foul. And when Dalen got two quick ones,

(38:37):
the first foul was just you have to front the
post and be alert and ready.

Speaker 4 (38:43):
He was behind in the post and.

Speaker 7 (38:44):
He fouled, and then you get a second one, which
was just a tough call or tough foul.

Speaker 4 (38:49):
Next thing, you know, it changes the game.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
Did oh?

Speaker 7 (38:52):
When you have three fouls, you know you're chasing a cutter,
you make plays, you're giving great effort, you're really cognitt up,
showing your hands, you know, nothing silly.

Speaker 4 (39:03):
And there was a lot of contact on his fourth foul.

Speaker 7 (39:06):
When you're him, it's more important to not foul in
that situation than anything else. So again, it's an opportunity
for us to talk to him about it and learn
because that situation is going to occur again down the stretch.
But yeah, look, one of the things I'm the most
proud of about our team tonight is we did play

(39:26):
almost the entire what last ten to twelve minutes of
the first half without him, and you know, we were
up fifteen in a half. We really had some guys
step up, and I really credit Tremon Mark. I thought
that he's played some excellent games here at Moody and
this was one of his best games of the season.
Because it was a chaotic environment around him, we weren't

(39:47):
necessarily playing well and he just seemed to be the
steadying force throughout the game, and it's just great to
see him play that way under those circumstances.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
He was also asked if this game was giving him,
you might say nightmares thinking about the Mississippi State game
that got away from them in the overtime loss to
the Bulldogs.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
In doubt, it did.

Speaker 4 (40:10):
Remind me a lot of that.

Speaker 7 (40:11):
It was like, you had this lead, and you felt
being that you're the home team, and it just felt like,
you know, you're a play away from being able to
secure the victory, and yet you weren't able to get the.

Speaker 4 (40:22):
Key stop or make the play.

Speaker 7 (40:24):
And then the fouls with Dalen involved certainly hurt us
down the stretch.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
But it did.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
And I like to tell you that we did some
things differently, but you know, the free throws are a
big deal. We can all as coaches take that part
of the game for granted. It helped us beat Missouri
at Missouri and tonight, you know, we were fortunate to
be able to win missing what I think was four
consecutive key free throws.

Speaker 4 (40:49):
To win the game.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
When Swayin went out of the ballgame, the father Vila
and also he had a little bit of an upset
stomach in the first half as well. What did Sean
Miller tell the other key players when Swaying was off
the floor.

Speaker 7 (41:03):
Well, I mean, one thing about college basketball is you
know you're only.

Speaker 4 (41:07):
As strong as your weakest link.

Speaker 7 (41:09):
I mean, you have to win as a team, and
oftentimes a couple of key players get a lot of credit,
but you're you're winning as a team and when things
don't go well, you lose as a team. Is the
thing about basketball, Because it's such a two way sport.
Everybody's responsible for offense and defense that you know, you
can't be reliant on just one player the starting group.

Speaker 4 (41:31):
You need everybody, even the guys off the bench. Tonight, Sim,
Nick and Kendall.

Speaker 7 (41:36):
Statistically they didn't produce a lot of points, but I
thought each guy make key plays.

Speaker 4 (41:43):
You know, sim for example, is doing a better job.

Speaker 7 (41:46):
He had four assists in one turnover, and there are
times defensively when he did a good job. I thought
Kendall made some great hustle plays. You know, Nick Cody
came in spelled modest, had a great backdoor pass. So
you know, though three guys that don't start, we need
them to play well, and I thought even tonight it
didn't show up statistically, but I thought they helped us win.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
So with the ups and downs of this, how would
Sean Miller describe this victory?

Speaker 7 (42:14):
You know, I think we found a way, is how
I would describe it. You know, there's often games that
I can point.

Speaker 4 (42:19):
To where you know, we were better in the second
half than we were in the.

Speaker 7 (42:22):
First, or there's a pocket of fort to eight minutes
that just seem to let the game get away from us,
and because of that we end up maybe not being
able to get to the end.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
Tonight was a lot like that.

Speaker 7 (42:35):
There was a lot of good that we did, especially
the first half, and I just think the standard that
we're trying to reach, especially defensively. I mean, again, I
credit LSU. I thought they're players, and I thought they
did a good job executing. But if you just look
at it, you know, they were nineteen of thirty from
the field in the second half. It's tough, and you know,

(42:56):
nineteen of thirty four for eight from three, ten for
thirteen from the foul line. And the other thing is
they played the entire game of five turnovers. So we
won this game because of our offense, not on defense.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
Best if he's got any sense of complacency or maturity
with what they had to do in the second half.

Speaker 7 (43:15):
I thought we were in short towards the end. You know,
we've won enough games now, and I think with winning
comes confidence. I don't know if we're a group that
you know, lacks confidence at the end of the game. Again,
if we make our free throws in the final three
or two minutes, you know, the game is more of
a ten point spread than three.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
But you have to be able to convert those, and
we didn't.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
You know, Tremon Mark was one of those guys who
missed a couple of free throws, but he also made
some as well, and he had eighteen points in the game.
So we visited with him after the contest. Big effort
by everybody tonight. Described first of all, the end of
the first half. You guys had a huge run to
get the big League.

Speaker 1 (43:57):
What was clicking? What did you see? What was everybody
seeing there that big run.

Speaker 3 (44:00):
At the end of that, we were able to get
defensive stops and get out and run for easy breaks.
I think, uh, one time I got to steal and
then I passed it to sim sim passed it to
cam Heidie for an easy three ball. We were getting uh,
stuff like that. So those that's what That's how we
got that big lead, and the fans played a big part.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Of that too.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
We were able to get out and run.

Speaker 1 (44:21):
And do some spectacular things.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
Clearly they made a big run in the second half
to if you get it close, but you got got
some important stops down the stretch.

Speaker 8 (44:31):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
It's are things said during timeouts about not just what
you have to do, but also just being mentally tough
when you're out there.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
Oh yeah, it's a lot of.

Speaker 3 (44:40):
Things said that you know we have to do, but
we already know we have to do. It's just about
the about the matter of fact of us, you know,
doing it on the court when we.

Speaker 4 (44:48):
Have to do it.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
So I think we struggled a little. We struggled a
lot in the second half, but we showed our grid
a little bit in those last four or three minutes
of able to get stops and just close the game out.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
Do you guys feel some momentum right now with five
in a row, Yeah, we feel a little.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
Bit momentum, but we still have to get better. You know,
we still have to be able to play a full
forty minute game without a lot of mistakes and stuff that.
But it's gonna we're gonna We're not gonna play mistake.

Speaker 1 (45:15):
Free, but we start to clean some things up. T Mark,
thanks for the time. Congrats on the big effort in
the big win. Yes say, I think.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
We'll have more on the Loghorn win last night against LSU.
We'll hear more from Sean Miller coming up as well.
But up next we turn to women's basketball again, Texas
women in Action tomorrow night. Now, we've got one thing
to get to with Vic shaf for a couple of things,
and we'll get to we'll do that coming up with

(45:43):
Vic and again next hour. A reminder Gene Watson to
talk Major League Baseball with us when we continue here
on sports Radio AM thirteen under the zone of.

Speaker 1 (45:50):
The iHeartRadio Act.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
I have the great Ken Carnes. They're more level and
I got rock. Wednesday here on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Of the zone.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
Texas Women's basketball leaves for Arkansas later this afternoon. I'll
fly out for there with him and call the action
tomorrow night at six point thirty here on the zone,
Logrorns head coach Fic Schaeffer again the enduring, ongoing theme
and he knows this, this is probably going to stick
around for a little bit. The rent that he had

(46:24):
a last Thursday night and the criticism of his team,
and he did bounce back and say a lot of
nice things about his team with the win at Tennessee
on Sunday, and he's been more measured in some of
his comments. But he was asked about how it is
that his team can respond to that type of harsh criticism.

Speaker 8 (46:41):
I don't know that my team particularly liked it. I've
had teams in the past that would have taken that
and really, you know, you know, wore it and said,
hey man, we gotta we got to get better.

Speaker 4 (46:57):
You know, we gotta be better. We gotta you know,
you know, and do that. And and each team is
different and this team is different too.

Speaker 8 (47:07):
And even though we went to Tennessee and we went
on Sunday, you know, in hindsight, uh, you know, I
don't know that I would do that again with this team.

Speaker 4 (47:20):
And again it's it's knowing your team, understand your team.

Speaker 2 (47:24):
And.

Speaker 8 (47:26):
And and so uh, you know, I'm not too old
to say I know it all. Uh, and I'm certainly
not too old to not learn. And and so you know, again,
I think my biggest, uh, you know, one of the
biggest challenges that I have is that I want it
so badly for these kids, and you know, quite frankly,

(47:49):
probably want it more than they do in some regards.
And and and I don't probably handle that well sometimes.
And but again I take personal my job, my responsibility
to teach these kids real world lessons. And it gets

(48:11):
harder and harder, Bob, to do that in today's collegiate climate.
And you know, I'm not saying I'm perfect, because I'm not.
But I'm trying to teach them real world expectations. And
you know, again, I think you learned something about your team.
I always say that when we go on the road,
I tell them, Hey, we're gonna learn something about our

(48:33):
team tonight. You know, when we go to South Carolina, LSU,
go on the road, play all these teams, you know,
I tell them, we're gonna learn something about our team.
And you know, I think I learned something about my
team as well. And again, every team's different, and this
team is different. And that's not in a bad way.
These are great kids, man, these are these are some

(48:55):
of the best kids ever. They come from wonderful families,
great parents, and and so sometimes you know, you know, again,
hindsight's always twenty twenty, right, But you know, uh, I've
done that in the past, and my teams have really
responded and and taken it the way I wanted them

(49:15):
to take it. I think this team responded. I'm not
sure they took it the way I wanted them to
or I thought they would take it. And so again,
as a coach, you have to understand that and and
step back and and you know I've done that, and
uh so again it's this team really plays really hard.

Speaker 4 (49:35):
I think they want to win, and they want to
they want to do well.

Speaker 8 (49:39):
And you know, again it's a it's probably a fault
of mind that I, uh, you know, want it so
badly for them. I know the investment that my staff
and I put into this program and and we want
you know, everyone to do that as well. And and

(50:00):
you know, the life lessons that I try to teach
these kids throughout the course of the season. You know,
that's the thing that that I really, uh try to
do because at the end of the day, while we're
all trying to win the national championship here at Texas.
The biggest win for me is when these kids leave me,

(50:23):
there is nothing that they can possibly do. Nothing that's
going to happen in their life down the road that's
gonna they're not going to be able to navigate. That's
the big win for me. And and and so having
them ready for the real world is the ultimate ultimate goal.

(50:45):
And uh, you know, I feel really good about what
we do and how we do it here. Uh and
and getting these kids ready for the real world. So again,
you know, I love this team. They've got a chance obviously,
and again that it's uh, you know, they they play
really hard for the most part, uh most nights.

Speaker 4 (51:08):
And and so we just we we ran into a
gauntlet that night.

Speaker 1 (51:12):
You know, give.

Speaker 8 (51:13):
Vanderbilt credit, man, they played really really well, and you know,
we didn't handle some adversity and and and and ended
up you know, we.

Speaker 4 (51:22):
Just didn't play well. I think.

Speaker 8 (51:24):
To finish that up, just the challenge, y'all in coaching.
The challenge in coaching is to to help kids grow
mature and get better. And the only place that you
grow mature and get better is uh, getting uncomfortable and

(51:47):
the same is true for me as a coach. You know,
I grow and I learn and I get better being uncomfortable,
being put in uncomfortable situations. That's where real growth happens.
And it's hard sometimes for anyone, not just student athletes,
not parents, anyone. When you get uncomfortable, that's when your

(52:12):
defense mechanism is, WHOA, I don't like this, or I
don't want to go I don't want to deal with this.
But that's where growth happens. That's where players really grow
and get better is when they get uncomfortable. And that's
the challenge for coaches is to teach kids to get
past their comfort level so that they can grow and

(52:34):
they can get better.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
And so it's it's you know, it's challenging for sure.

Speaker 2 (52:42):
So then he was asked, you know the fact that
his players were you know, all heard what he had
to say after the Vanderbilt game, especially the ones that
were sitting right there with the podium with him as well.
But he was asked, how does he know his players
did not like what happened when what he had to
say after the game, Well, I don't think everybody took

(53:04):
it the same way. I think we had different players
take it differently.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
Some were.

Speaker 8 (53:11):
Some were completely understandable, and and uh, you know, and
then others might not have taken it quite that way.
So I think anytime you have a locker room with
different people, different people absorb and take things different with
different ways. But at the end of the day, my
concern is for everybody. I listened to everybody, and you

(53:35):
know that's you know, my job to be in tune
with my players and my team. And again, I think
you learn about your team, you learn about throughout the
course of the season, You learn things about your team,
and uh, and so you learn from it, you grow
from it, and you move on and uh, you know,

(53:56):
I've had so many be quite honest, I've had a
ton of text messages from across the country of support
and then you know, but that's not the end all
for me. I'm I'm I care about these kids so much.
Y'all have heard me say this. They are my world.
This is who I am. It's not what I do,

(54:19):
this is who I am. And I care so deeply
about these kids. I want it so badly for them
again to a fault, And you know, for me, I'm
not too old to say I know it all.

Speaker 4 (54:33):
I'm not too old to say that I'm not perfect.

Speaker 8 (54:35):
I'm not too old to say, you know that if
I make a mistake, I make a mistake and I
own it. And and so I think again, everybody responds differently,
and you know, I think for me, uh, that was
a lesson for me in this instance.

Speaker 4 (54:54):
And you know, we move on.

Speaker 8 (54:57):
And I've had that those real I've always had real
conversations with my team and they've always told me, coach,
don't sugarcoat things, be real.

Speaker 4 (55:06):
I've had teams, my team's here at Texas tell me
that more than not.

Speaker 8 (55:11):
And so.

Speaker 4 (55:13):
But again, I think too, there's so many things, so
many variables.

Speaker 8 (55:21):
That happened throughout the course of a season, a day,
a week in these kids' lives, and that all plays
into their you know, their mental state and how they might.

Speaker 4 (55:34):
Take certain things. And no different for us as coaches either.

Speaker 8 (55:38):
Just to be honest with you, we're we're all in
this together, and we all have things in our life
that you know, affect us in different ways. And then
we've got to come up here and be a part
of this, try to win championships, try to be the
best we can be because that's the expectation at Texas
and and so it's you know, you get into mid

(56:02):
February and you've been in the grind. We've had such
a tough non conference schedule to go with this grind
of a sixteen game SEC schedule, and it just, you know,
it can be a lot. And I think for me,
like I said, reflection, Monday is always a good day
for me, and it helps me to you know, really

(56:25):
step back and again, I have great respect and admiration
for these kids.

Speaker 4 (56:30):
And you know, it just wasn't our night and on
Thursday night, and you know that's it.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
Well, here's some more from Vick Shaffer coming up next hour,
up next a little bit of a different twist. We'll
get to that here on thirteen under the Zone. Continuing
on a yacht Rocker Wednesday. Why not include the Grateful Dead?

Speaker 4 (56:58):
You're going to do that.

Speaker 1 (56:59):
Cameron Parker is very much alive. I know folks haven't heard.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
Him that much on THEIRS, but that's why I wanted
to come back with that, because Cameron's here, He's alive
and well he was with his last night over at
Moody and called some softball over the weekend. So how's
your world these days?

Speaker 1 (57:18):
And baseball too. It's great, Craig.

Speaker 13 (57:20):
It's the overlap season, so we're running like chickens with
their heads cut off.

Speaker 2 (57:24):
Hey, by the way, did you hear the story this
morning about the dog that rant got into the cross
country ski and raced to the finish line and almost one? Yeah,
almost one? Well, we told the story coming out of Inconceivable.
The dog he's a Czechoslovakian wolf dog I think is
what they called a wolf.

Speaker 1 (57:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (57:43):
And the woman that won the gold medals, so it's
not that big a deal because they're not fighting for
medals or anything big, she said, but if that happens
in the finals, it could really call someone.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
The medals are a really good result.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
But one of the competitors said Nasgle was the dog's
names that appeared intent on finding fame instead of concentrating
on the race.

Speaker 1 (58:07):
Plant.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
He said he was chasing the camera that goes up
and down the finish line, and the owner said he
was probably looking for company. I said he was crying
this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving,
and I think he just wanted to follow us. Nagle,
who is a very good boy, is yet to comment
on this performance.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
On that, I know you don't have a dog.

Speaker 4 (58:29):
I do not.

Speaker 1 (58:30):
You have a straight cat that hangs around, right, we did?
I think a coyote got him? Really?

Speaker 4 (58:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (58:35):
Yeah you think? Are you not? We don't know.

Speaker 13 (58:38):
We did not find a dead carcass. But one day
the cat was there, the next it wasn't, and it
hasn't been back. Has been back because we have a
lot of wildlife and our property for in round Rock
for some reason, skunk's coyotes, you know, bob cat, cats, deer.
Last night, driving back from Moody, I think I stew
warhawks assist in round Rock because I passed either some

(59:00):
wild pigs or wart hogs alongside Sambass Road, which was
I thought I was tripping after the Texas went over
LSU last night. But yeah, we think a coyote got
him because we see the coyote, but we don't see
any of the cats.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
Now, before we get to what I wanted to bring
you in here for, I want you to hear something else.
Have you seen Mick Cronin's rant I did?

Speaker 1 (59:21):
Okay? For folks, you don't know this is the coach
at UCLA.

Speaker 2 (59:24):
Now, this isn't a rant on his team, But what
he did do in the game was something I've never
ever seen a coach do. He pulled a player off
the floor because it was going to be a flagrant one,
and as Seth Greenberg Sattle Sports, he turned it into
a flagrant two, so banished him to the locker room.

(59:46):
And so then Mick Cronin's motor always runs a lot anyway,
And so afterwards gathered in the hallway, and someone from
the media decided that thought it was a good idea
to ask him what he thought of an opposing team's
student section with them. I think, is this an absolutely

(01:00:06):
asinine question? Apparently McK cronin did as well.

Speaker 1 (01:00:10):
What was your thought in the student section?

Speaker 4 (01:00:12):
Channing Booker's name, I could give.

Speaker 14 (01:00:14):
A rat's ass about the other team student section overall
the way that I would like to give you a.

Speaker 4 (01:00:23):
Kudos for your worst question I've ever even asked.

Speaker 1 (01:00:26):
All Right, did you like this?

Speaker 4 (01:00:28):
Should take it the preparation? Do you really think I
care about the other I don't think you care about
the other? Question your voice? No, you are here?

Speaker 14 (01:00:36):
You are come on, dude, no reason, Yes, you were
everybody's standing here listening to you. Everybody this is on camera,
they can hear you. I answered the question. I could
give a rat's ass about the other team student section.
I coach UCLA. I don't care about Michigan State students.

Speaker 4 (01:00:53):
Who cares?

Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
Are you raising your voice to me?

Speaker 2 (01:00:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:00:59):
You are.

Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
I don't think I've heard anything quite like that before.

Speaker 13 (01:01:06):
I feel like he could have just left it with like,
I don't care not to brate the reporter, right, I
think went a little bit too far. There are you
raising your voice to me? I mean, it's such a
bad look on crown it and you know he always
has these tirades and these moments through the past few years.
But you know, the reporters, they are covering your program
that is struggling. You know, you're you said they was

(01:01:27):
a top twenty five team. Now the losing by double
digits to.

Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
A lot of teams, now, yeah, yeah, I thought Seth
Greenberg on ESPN said something pretty familing. So these frustrateds
doing this, and quite frankly, they're struggling because they haven't
recruited as well. I mean he just kind of said
that almost as a throwaway line, but it's true. So
uh yeah, So I figured, you know, here's the Jerome
Tang incident gets him fired, and the guy who replaced him,

(01:01:52):
the interim coach, is a guy that Eddie Orrin and
I know very very well, Matt Driscoll, who liked Jerome Tang,
was on Scott drews aff at Baylor. Matt Driscoll got
a head coaching job at North Florida. Didn't work out
for him there, so he's on that staff there. Fun
guy and a good guy to talk to you. So
I'm glad, glad for him for him stepping into a

(01:02:13):
tough situation.

Speaker 5 (01:02:14):
And they beat the breaks off of Baylor.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
Yeah they did. They dominated a lot of that game.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
So anyway, all right, the reason why I asked Cameron
to come in is because the Genesis Invitational begins tomorrow.
That's Tiger's tournament there, Pacific Palisades. Tiger's going to play
in it, right, No.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
He's not playing this week.

Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
Oh I saw him at that. Oh well no, no, no, no,
that's right. They asked him about Augusta. Yes, I just
wanted to get your your take on him where we
are with him. I mean, do you think I said
a long time ago that this is how long ago
is Rod Babers and I kind of had a gentleman's

(01:02:53):
wager where there was nothing really wagered on that. I
said he would never pass Jack Nicholas's record of eighteen
majors because he's just too injured and banged up and
all this kind of stuff. I said, he may pass
him for all time wins, but I don't think he's
going to pass him for the majors. Rob thought he might.
I think it's pretty clear that's not gonna happen there.
But where are we with Tiger right now?

Speaker 13 (01:03:14):
I think we are still in love with a golfer
who just doesn't exist anymore. I mean, Tiger, he's the
greatest golfer I think of all time. What he was
able to do in this generation will never be matched.
I mean, even with Scotty's doing all the comparisons just
kind of remind you, you know, Sky is the first
player to do this since Tiger, and then it's like, yeah,

(01:03:34):
Tiger did this for like three straight years in a row, right,
and Scotty's just maybe like five percent of what Tiger's
been able to do. But we still we still are
in We hope that Tiger will when they return to
what he used to be. And it's just you know,
you hear him talk. He's had multiple major back surgeries.
You know, he was asked like, do you are you

(01:03:54):
able to like fully swing on golf club? He's like sometimes,
you know, he's not in the range, out the range,
you know for six hours a day grinding away his
body physically can do that. Now, we'll still see him
at Like he was asked, will you play at the
Masters this year? Is it off the table? And he
said no, So he might show up, but he might
finish ten over par. Right, you know, he's still he

(01:04:16):
still is one competitive son of a gun, and he's
gonna want to play in these events.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
But he's not Tiger Woods anymore.

Speaker 4 (01:04:22):
Folks.

Speaker 13 (01:04:22):
You know, he's just past his prime. And you know
it sucks, but it does make the tournament's more fun
when Tiger is there. Even if he's not playing great,
it's still up one to kind of see a glimpse
of what he.

Speaker 4 (01:04:31):
Used to be.

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
Yeah, do you think we'll ever see him regularly? And
for him, even when he was healthy regularly, they didn't
meant he didn't play every PGA Tour stop, but even
a representative number of PGA Tour events.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Will we ever see that again? I don't think so.

Speaker 13 (01:04:48):
I think if we can get Tiger to play the
four Majors and then maybe the Genesis once a year,
or some of these smaller tracks, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
Like Players Championship or something.

Speaker 13 (01:05:00):
The courses, that would be great for Tiger because you know,
the PGA Tour has gotten so long and he just
doesn't have the speed to keep up with the ball speed.
Like let him go up to play Colonial where you
need to iron in your hand for most of the
tea boxes, RBC Heritage, where it's on a bomber's paradise.
It's more about shot shaping in ball striking. I would
love to see Tiger play those events. I think what

(01:05:21):
will end up seeing Craig is he'll play the Masters,
He'll play the US maybe he'll play the US Open, PGA,
the Open Championship, and we'll probably start to see him
play a little bit more on the champions Tour.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
But honestly talked about that.

Speaker 2 (01:05:33):
He referred to that and talked about having to use
a golf cart in the future, So he's not gonna
do that right now, even though in the rules, I
guess he could, but he's not going to.

Speaker 13 (01:05:41):
I don't think he said he might do in the
Champions Tour. He definitely will not pull a John Daily
and use it on the PGA Tour. I think, honestly,
the most Tiger we're going to see him play, at
least for this year next year, is probably going to
be in the TGL you know, the golf similar to
the league that Arizon, you know, Tuesday Wednesday nights on US.

Speaker 1 (01:05:57):
But I think that's the most we're going to see
from Tigers. Okay, Actually, surprisingly kind of like this.

Speaker 13 (01:06:02):
It's fun if you're in the right Yeah, headspace for it,
if you know what you're getting into.

Speaker 1 (01:06:06):
Yeah, there's some stuff would like with it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
Actually, yeah, yeah, Well, I mean the mere fact you
got Matt Barry hosting, if you start with that, yeah,
I mean, but otherwise.

Speaker 13 (01:06:15):
I mean, you know, Marty Smith doing sideline interviews. Let's say,
all right, you're right about that. Thank you for dropping
by and stopping by. Of course, it's Cameron Parker, former
producer of this program.

Speaker 2 (01:06:28):
He's graduated up to bigger and well, let's just say
more responsibilities here in the building. All right, we'll be
back to wrap up the hour and thirteen under the zone.
So the log warns get another win five in a row.
That's the important thing that in the fact they're eight
and five in the SEC now and continuing to climb
up that ladder, as we mentioned, for NCAA tournament consideration.

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
And this is good because let me tell you this finishing.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
Stretch of the eighteen game conference schedule for the log Worns.
The five games left, four of the five games are
against Quad one opponents. Only Oklahoma, who's a Quad two opponent,
is the one that's not a Quad one and it
starts this Saturday going to Georgia. Georgia of course coming

(01:07:13):
off the win over Kentucky, so it's not going to
be an easy path for them. They still have to
go to College Station, they still have to go to
FAVLA Arkansas, and they have the defending national champions at home.

Speaker 1 (01:07:26):
They have to deal with Florida at home.

Speaker 6 (01:07:27):
So I don't know if there's a team that's playing
much better basketball than Florida right now outside of those
top couple of teams in the country.

Speaker 5 (01:07:35):
I know Michigan just picked up way in at Purdue.

Speaker 6 (01:07:38):
They look really really good, but Florida just over the
last month or so, there's not twelve teams.

Speaker 2 (01:07:43):
Better. If you ask me right now, give me three
of the fourth final floor final four participants right now,
I'd say Michigan, Duke in Florida.

Speaker 5 (01:07:51):
Okay, I think I.

Speaker 6 (01:07:52):
Believe in Arizona a little more than Duke, but Duke
is not far down my list at all.

Speaker 5 (01:07:56):
So I'm with you on Florida.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
So Arizona's back to back losses don't scare you. They
don't scare me too much. By the way, speaking of scary,
you know, I got home and I saw the end
of the Arizona state upset of Texas Tech. I have
not seen an update on JT. Toppin, but yeah, that
looks serious. It looks serious. And they kept wanting to
dance around the fact that it looked like it was

(01:08:18):
a knee thing. They kept saying, well, maybe the hamstring. No,
it was the backside of the knee, which usually means,
you know, ligament issue with the knee. We'll see, hopefully
it's not. I mean, I don't want to see anybody
get hurt there.

Speaker 5 (01:08:29):
I was in that awkward situation once as a broadcaster.

Speaker 6 (01:08:32):
I was calling a D three quarter final at Johns
Hopkins on ESPN Plus, and I saw what was, you know,
pretty clearly a bad knee injury, and the play by
play announcer was kind of like, well, we don't know,
it could be a cramp, and I'm like, I don't
want to make this. I don't want to make my
coworker look bad. But I'm thinking, that's no cramp. That
is a major, major deal.

Speaker 1 (01:08:50):
Yeah, that's serious business there.

Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
So the long Wards do get the win. They're now
seventeen and nine, they're eight and five in the sec
The Dalen Swain wound up with a double double last night.
You wouldn't have known the way things were one in
the first half. He was actually ill for a time
in the first half, half to come out late and
a half started the second half. Then he got into

(01:09:14):
foul trouble and had to sit out for a while,
but still wound up being important. But as Sean Miller mentioned,
there was a positive stretch where other guards stepped in
to help pick up the slack when Swain was out.

Speaker 7 (01:09:28):
I thought Jordan Pope did a really good job, you know,
surprised he missed free throws at the end. He's usually
a guy knocks him in That happens from time to time.
I know he was disappointed that he missed him, but
you know, he was five for eight from the floor.
He was three for three from three tonight. I thought
all like, while Dalen was out, I thought Jordan rose
and made some big shots. And you know, he finished

(01:09:50):
with really almost the quiet eighteen points. I've already talked
about Tremon, you know those two. And you know Matus
got off to a slow start from the field, but
again a lot like sway. You know, he ends with
seventeen points and ten rebounds. It's hard to get seventeen
and ten and the SEC is a big guy and
Modest is pretty much doing that night in and night

(01:10:11):
out for us right now.

Speaker 2 (01:10:14):
One other thing that Sean Miller was asked about the
transformation of this team when they started conference playing. Remember
they were zero and two in the league. They were
two and four in the league. They were three and
five in conference play before this five game winning streak.
So he was asked, what does he change? Has he
changed anything significant since conference play began in January?

Speaker 7 (01:10:34):
No, I don't think a lot of things have changed.
I think we've improved. You know, we're just better overall.
You know, up until the night, what I would tell
you is quietly, we're getting better on defense. I thought
in the second half we gave that back here tonight.
But we're just more sure of ourselves, more steady. We've
been around each other. That's the negative about being in

(01:10:55):
a program for just one year, nine months, ten months.

Speaker 4 (01:10:59):
You know, time not necessarily on your side.

Speaker 7 (01:11:01):
I said that a lot in November and December, and
if you look at some of the things that have
changed since then, it's been really significant. And tremon Mark
is not the same player today as he would have
been in at Thanksgiving. So as we've been together more,
we've improved, no doubt about it. And I'm anxious to see, like,
can we take one more step here down the stretch,

(01:11:24):
because I think that's what we're in search of.

Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
You might have missed it late in the game. Jordan
Pope missed it. It was a defensive assignment, well, the
switch on Max McKinnon and he did not pick him up,
and McKinnon knocks down a wide open three.

Speaker 6 (01:11:38):
They made some tough shots, but yeah, that one you're
talking about was as open as it gets.

Speaker 1 (01:11:41):
And Sean Miller not too pleased with him as all
at all with that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:46):
He came out for a time and then came back in,
and so he was asked about, you know, his demeanor
and how he dealt with him. What was going through
his mind when that happened with Jordan Pope missing that
defensive assignment late and then his bounce back after sitting
for a bit.

Speaker 7 (01:12:04):
Actually, my thoughts were, there's this hill that's right outside
of Moody between Moody and BBR.

Speaker 4 (01:12:08):
I don't know if you guys see it.

Speaker 7 (01:12:10):
Yeah, yeah, A couple of our teams actually train like
they do conditioning on it, and I was wondering if
we could get them to go out there at the time,
out run a couple of hills and bring them back
and then put it put them back in, you know,
for missing the switch. That's actually was actually on my
mind when it when it happened. But it's just accountability.

(01:12:32):
It's it's nothing personal. It's not I can't believe it,
I hate.

Speaker 4 (01:12:35):
You you well, that's not it.

Speaker 7 (01:12:38):
It's you know, what we talk about is to switch,
and on that particular play, it's crucial you switch because
if you don't, McKinnon is going to shoot a three
are we clear.

Speaker 4 (01:12:49):
Is everybody on it? You know, talk about echo the call?

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
You heard it?

Speaker 7 (01:12:54):
Did you tell your teammate, did you remind your teammate?
Did your teammate remind his teammate?

Speaker 4 (01:12:58):
Are we in it?

Speaker 7 (01:12:58):
Are we locked in on the like the details of
the game, and then you go out and you miss
that switch and he makes a three.

Speaker 4 (01:13:04):
Oftentimes that's the play that does you in.

Speaker 7 (01:13:07):
So it's it's not about getting upset with him as
much as to your point, just trying to make sure
he understands the severity of missing that as a basketball player.
It's the difference between winning and losing and having him
to be more alert in that scenario.

Speaker 4 (01:13:24):
So, long story short, that's it.

Speaker 2 (01:13:28):
Next, he was asked about Lasina Treyri, who had to
miss another game, his third straight game with that soreness
in the knee. So is he still listed as day
to day or is this going to be a more
pronounced absence.

Speaker 7 (01:13:41):
No, he could be available for the Georgia game, and
we're just trying to make sure that once he comes back,
that he doesn't come back and then have a setback
because we've we brought him back too early.

Speaker 4 (01:13:52):
It's it's knee soreness. It's not like a two to
four week or anything like that.

Speaker 7 (01:13:57):
It's just making sure that his swelling's down, that he's
confident that he can practice a couple of times, and
then that when we bring them back, we can keep
them with us. So yeah, my hope is that he
could be available as soon as Georgia next.

Speaker 2 (01:14:12):
Coach Miller asked about how about the big picture of
winning five in a row in conference played, first time
Texas has done it in the se see, first time
they've done it in any conference in six years? It
seven years goes well, twenty nineteen, twenty twenty, So six years,
six seasons go and he's asked about the big picture
of this.

Speaker 7 (01:14:33):
We're in a high expectation environment. That's what draws you
to Texas as a student athlete, as a coach, it's
it's things are in place here to do amazing to
accomplish amazing things in your sport, and the building blocks
of that sometimes happened quietly, and I think this year
there are a number of good things that we're working

(01:14:55):
to solidify and grow and build and reach that standard
of excellence that so many coaches and sports on our
campus are already at we recognize that that's what we're
chasing and trying to grow. And that's why I brought
up a couple of games ago that we had a
number of guys on our team who had never won
three consecutive conference games. I didn't really say that in

(01:15:16):
a detrimental way at all, as much as you know,
we're we're chasing something that hasn't happened before. That's healthy,
that's good, and I think that right now, you know
what you just said, that's good. That's something that everybody
in our locker room can take a lot of pride
in that we've we've been able to accomplish. And I
think that's why, you know, improving and being better and
being ready is.

Speaker 4 (01:15:37):
So important in sports. You know, you look at the
Georgia game. We're not there.

Speaker 7 (01:15:42):
We have to figure out what we did wrong in
the second half of the LSU game, fix it, grow
from it, learn from it, and go in there prepared
on Saturday and really go against a great challenge.

Speaker 2 (01:15:57):
So it's the Georgia Bulldogs next on the scale, and
coach Miller was asked for his thoughts on that.

Speaker 7 (01:16:03):
Yeah, I mean, for us, it's really straightforward we have
two home games left, that's Florida in Oklahoma, and we
have three road games left, and the first one of
these three on the road is at Georgia. We respect everybody.
Georgia is an excellent team. They went to Kentucky and one.
They've had some great wins this year. When they're playing well,

(01:16:24):
it could beat anybody in the country. Mike White does
a great job. And it's their home game. This is
the first time we've played a team twice this year,
so we beat them at home, and I'm sure they're
eager to get home and play us on their home court.

Speaker 4 (01:16:38):
So we have to be ready to go. And when
our team is not ready to go, we don't have
the margin to overcome that.

Speaker 7 (01:16:45):
So I think learning from the second half of tonight's game,
having a couple of really good days of practice, and
staying hungry and determined to show up at Georgia ready
ready to compete.

Speaker 1 (01:16:57):
And finally one more from Sean Miller.

Speaker 2 (01:17:00):
This stretch of five games, like I said, four against
Quad one opponents and then the other against Oklahoma's Senior
night a Quad two opponents. How important is senior leadership
going to be down the stretch?

Speaker 12 (01:17:11):
Here.

Speaker 7 (01:17:12):
We've relied on them, as you know, almost the entire
year in different ways, you know, and it's your last chance.
You know, you're not You're never coming back down this
path again. You know, you have two games in Moody
that can go a number of ways. It can be emotional,
it can be draining sometimes, it can be confusing for
a young young player, a guy who's twenty two, twenty

(01:17:34):
three years old, but it also can be incredibly exciting,
right that this is the best time of your life
and you're you're gonna you're gonna make it special as
we head towards March. And I have great faith and
confidence in Tama and Jordan and Kendall that that's a
big reason why they're here. That's what they've set their
sights out to accomplish a long time ago. So they're

(01:17:57):
they're guys who show up every day in work, and
I have no doubt that they're determined and focused for
the stretch run.

Speaker 1 (01:18:06):
Okay, So there it is from Shawn Miller.

Speaker 2 (01:18:08):
Reminder Longhorn Weekly with Sean Miller will come your way
tomorrow night. Following the Texas women's basketball game at Arkansas,
Roger Wallace will host it tomorrow as I'll be in
Fayetteville with the Texas Women. Roger will hosted, and we'll
hear from Vic or excuse me from Shawn tomorrow night,
and I'll bring you a little sneak peak of it
tomorrow afternoon, absolutely because Jake will be in here hosting

(01:18:31):
the program. All right, up next we shift to baseball
and visit with Gene Watson, our MLB insider.

Speaker 1 (01:18:37):
I'm thirteen under the zone in rates wait a block.

Speaker 2 (01:18:42):
Well, if you've heard me say it once, you've heard
me say it a thousand times. If it's February, it
must be baseball season, right it is. On the college level,
Longhorn's off to a four and oh start, number three
in the country, number two in the National Collegiate Baseball
Writers Association rankings in Texas will take on Michigan State

(01:19:03):
this weekend at UFCU Dish far Field, but Major League
Baseball in the throes of spring training and joining us
from Arizona, home of several teams, including his own organization,
the Chicago White Sox in spring training. Our MLB insider,
our Temple High School graduate and super Syntex native. Our

(01:19:26):
good friend and my friend for over forty years now,
Jean Watson, I'm sorry to even bring that up because
all it does is make both of us feel older
when I say that.

Speaker 1 (01:19:36):
But I'm glad to have you on anyway.

Speaker 15 (01:19:39):
Good to see Craig.

Speaker 4 (01:19:40):
Everything good. I'll tell you what it is freezing out
here right now?

Speaker 1 (01:19:43):
Is it really?

Speaker 15 (01:19:44):
It is some kind of cold we got. We got
layer upon layer. It's still it's still freezing. So yeah,
we're making our way today.

Speaker 2 (01:19:53):
Do you recall many times when you were at spring
training down in Florida. I always remember the afternoon showering
occasion again when I was covering Ranger spring training in
the late eighties there to early nineties. I went six
straight years from like eighty seven through ninety three, and
I remember, I remember we'd get the afternoon shower and

(01:20:15):
they'd get humid as all get out, But I didn't
remember getting really that cold. Do you remember a lot
of incliment weather when you were in Florida before your
time now at Arizona, Oh, my gosh.

Speaker 15 (01:20:25):
A lot, and covering the Florida State League just out
of spring training. It was standard four o'clock VP was
going to be sprained out because of rain, but they
always seemed to get their games in and that was
one of the bigger concerns when Tampa moved over to
Seiinborough Field last year was how would they deal with
the daily rain. And they actually did a great job
with it. But out here in Arizona this does not

(01:20:48):
happen much. We had a little bit of snow a
couple of years ago, but it is some kind of
cold here today.

Speaker 2 (01:20:54):
One thing I wanted to ask you, and it got
some other topics to get to, but I was reading
the story this morning about the Mets deciding to hold
out Francisco Alvarez. Uh, you're the guy you know very well,
Luis Robert, who just the Mets picked up from your
ball club from the White Sox, and then Hora Polanco

(01:21:15):
and Lake Travis and Brett Batty. They're not going to
play in h at least not the early games in
spring training. Corny to their manager Carlos Mendoza, Batty felt
something is right hamstring a couple of weeks ago, so
they're going to slow play this deal. And my point,
my question for you is we do see teams do

(01:21:38):
have a gradual up here. That's what spring training is
all about. Is the gradual in clide on that. But
how important is it for ball clubs too, eventually, while
still in spring training, get their chief guys on the
field and get them into spring training games so that
they can be ready to go for the coming season.

(01:21:59):
Is there is there a point a game number, a
week number that did you think about that it's kind
of important to get those guys on the field.

Speaker 15 (01:22:08):
Well, I think it's really important, especially if you have
a group of twenty six to thirty that are in
competition and you know, they ring together. And that's kind
of the situation we have here. We have a number
of new players into our camp, Blue Angel Lacuna, you know,
Maria Commy.

Speaker 2 (01:22:28):
Picks.

Speaker 15 (01:22:28):
I mean, we got a number of new players, and
so getting those guys together and spending as much time
together as possible to kind of, you know, get the
culture and the makeup going is really really important. And
that's one of the dynamics of the World Baseball Classic
is players are going to be leaving next week from
camp and some may not be back till the nineteenth
or twentieth of March, and so when you're trying to

(01:22:50):
formulate that chemistry and that team aspect, it can sometimes
be very difficult, and that's what a lot of teams
are going to be facing this year. But early on,
you know, for your regular guys that have been together,
it's not that big of a deal. It's more of
a workload management standpoint and just getting them ready for
the last five or six games. But from a team standpoint,
it's really important. It's going to be a real struggle

(01:23:12):
for a lot of teams this year. Who's you know,
when you think about the Dominican, Japan, the United States,
those teams that have a chance are really advance and
work late in the spring training, it's gonna be hard
for your team to contet chemistry going all.

Speaker 2 (01:23:25):
Right, you brought up what I wanted to get to next,
and that's the World Baseball Classic because you were very
very closely involved with in an advanced man and you'll
be out in California this weekend with things going on,
and the first thing I wanted to ask you about
it with regard to the US team is.

Speaker 1 (01:23:46):
How important.

Speaker 2 (01:23:47):
I mean, we're talking about guys who are veterans who
know this thing in and out or know what it likes,
what it's like to get themselves ready, But how important
and is the chemistry element and is it something easily
put together or does it Does it take a little
time for all of these mega stars to kind of

(01:24:09):
fall together, not just with the US but also with
the international teams.

Speaker 15 (01:24:14):
Yeah, I think with US, with the Japan, with the Dominican, Mexico, Venezuela,
I don't think you have the same issues that you
might have with a team like Team Italy and Great
Britain where these guys Brazil, where these guys are literally
coming together for the first time and not really knowing
each other. The thing and doing a lot of research

(01:24:36):
early on, especially the huge packets, which is where I'm
going to be, is that every team has one guy
that can beat you on any given night, and.

Speaker 4 (01:24:45):
Some of these rosters, I mean, there's guys that can.

Speaker 15 (01:24:48):
Get big ins, and there's every team has some big
name players that can beat you. So this isn't going
to be a walk in the park for any one
team to win this tournament. This is this is international
competition where on any given night you can get beat
by a good pitcher or you can get a big
hit from a hitter, And so I think it's going
to be a really fascinating event this year. I think
everybody would tell you that the United States and Japan

(01:25:11):
would probably be the favorites to be in the final,
But the Dominican Republic Mexico.

Speaker 1 (01:25:16):
They're no jokes.

Speaker 15 (01:25:17):
Their rosters are very, very good, and Italy kind of
loves the underdog tag and they've got some really good players,
and so it's going to really be exciting event, especially
coming off the Winter Olympics where there's a lot of
international competition flavor in the world right now, I think
this World Baseball Passic has a chance to be one
of the best evers.

Speaker 1 (01:25:36):
What did you expect from a guy like Paul Skins.

Speaker 15 (01:25:40):
Well, I mean, first of all, you know Paul Skins
to rescoogle. Those guys, they know who they are as pitchers.
There's really no like telling them how to, you know,
pitch to hitters. They're going to pitch to their strengths.
I would tell you that early on they're probably going
to be working about a eighty five to ninety percent
workload and then every now and then reach back again.

Speaker 2 (01:26:03):
Yeah, yeah, And and uh, I would say to your
point about the international guys. Uh I was reading this
story about a key player for each of the teams.
And it's weird to look and see Jack Tagley known
who we just saw playing for the Florida Gators, and
then and then of course get into the Bigs and

(01:26:23):
and and he's playing for Team Italy and and uh,
that'll be interesting to see.

Speaker 15 (01:26:29):
Yeah, Jack Kagle, old Vini Pasquatino at our starting catcher
Kyle Till, who is no walking the park. Kyle Till
has a chance to be one of the more impactful
players in all of Major League Baseball this year. There's
the middle of the order line up this capable of
beating you on any given night. And so, uh, they're
gonna be really really fun to watch.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
Another example of a guy and a team that to watch.

Speaker 2 (01:26:51):
Maybe uh, Gino Venezuela Ranger Suarez is going to pitch
uh for them. Pablo Lopez, the Twins starter, we learned
yesterday as a torn you. So he's likely going to
need Tommy John surgery. So uh, here's a Venezuelan team
that has h your old pal Salvador Perez as the captain.
You have Ronald Lacuna Junior, Jackson Curio. Uh and there

(01:27:12):
it looks like this Venezuelan team will be competitive.

Speaker 15 (01:27:16):
Very strong offensively, and you know they're going to descend
Salvador Perez as a captain on any field. Uh and
give me a knight. Rangers Lorez can beat any lineup.
And so again, you know the Dominican, Venezuela, Japan, and
the United States are probably throw Mexico in there. There's
five really good teams that anybody can give a night.

Speaker 2 (01:27:36):
And what have you learned from your old pal Bobby
Witt Junior about how he feels about this and being
a part of the US team.

Speaker 15 (01:27:43):
Well, I think he's excited because he's going to be
a bigger part of it this time around. Last time
you didn't get a lot of playing time, got minimal
playing time him and Brady Singer both. I think him
being a bigger part of it, getting more at bats,
and you know, this is a guy that's going to
be a part of this one, the next one, and
probably the one after that. And so you know, growing

(01:28:03):
up as a Team USA guy and being a part
of all the USA Baseball junior teams, I know he's
got to be super excited to be on the field
with this caliber of talent that they're going.

Speaker 2 (01:28:13):
To have talk of baseball with Gene Watson here on
thirteen hundreds. All right, let me shift back to the bigs.
We do know that Tony Clark has resigned as the
head of the Major League Players Association, and there's internal
investigations and all that sort of stuff, and all of
that will be sorted out and found out over time.
What I'm interested in getting your thoughts on, Geno, is

(01:28:36):
how this impacts.

Speaker 1 (01:28:39):
The union, how it impacts what you think might be
down the road.

Speaker 2 (01:28:43):
Obviously, everybody's pointing the twenty twenty seven is a critical
date because of what's happened with free agency. The deputy
executive director today, Bruce Meyer, says it's not going to
weaken or distract the Players Association as they prepare for
the negotiations with MLB on this new collective bargaining agreement

(01:29:04):
for last year.

Speaker 15 (01:29:05):
How about your thoughts on that, Well, I think both
sides ultimately want to get the most important thing is
to get a deal for the fans and to you know,
keep the product on the field. Major League Baseball is
absolutely thriving right now in all facets. It's it's a
very young, very talented game. And I think that the

(01:29:25):
Tony Clark situation doesn't erase the fact that that both
sides are hopeful to get a deal done and they're
going to work tirelessly to get that done.

Speaker 4 (01:29:34):
The issues are what the issues are, and.

Speaker 15 (01:29:37):
So I think this players Association is probably going to
work hard to find, you know, the right leadership. I
think the player's voices are important. Obviously the Veterans Committee
will have a big say in it. But but it
doesn't change anything in the fact that this game is
clicking on all cylinders. They've incredible bright young stars, attendance

(01:29:58):
is high, TV viewer is high, and so they'll they'll
work tires to try to get a deal done. That's
bess for everybody in so it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:05):
Sounds like GINO.

Speaker 2 (01:30:06):
You're not surprised to hear this quote from the deputy
executive director Bruce Meyer, because of course the CBA is
going to expire in December. It is thought the owners
may lock out the players without a new deal. But
here's the thing I thought was pretty interesting. Meyer was

(01:30:27):
asked if the union would at least listen to offers
that could involve a salary cap. Of course, they've never
really entertained that peasant. His quote was, and here's the quote,
we have a duty to the players and otherwise to
listen to anything the league offers. We will evaluate, analyze
anything that's offered. Our position, and the historic position of

(01:30:50):
this union for decades on the salary cap, is well known.

Speaker 1 (01:30:53):
It's the ultimate restriction.

Speaker 2 (01:30:54):
It is something that owners and all the sports have
wanted more than anything in baseball in particular.

Speaker 1 (01:30:59):
There's a reason for that, because it's good for them
and not good for players.

Speaker 2 (01:31:02):
But the mere fact he said we will listen to
anything the league offers, we will evaluate and analyze anything
that's all for it sounds like, even though we know
that's kind of the big boulder in the road between
the two with regard to the possibility of a salary cap,
it sounds like they're at least open to listening to

(01:31:22):
what it might entail.

Speaker 6 (01:31:25):
I think.

Speaker 15 (01:31:25):
I think as long as the revenues continue to remain similar.
I mean, if you have a salary cap and you
have a floor, and it forces teams that are spending
you know, forty to sixty million dollars to spend one
hundred million dollars, that's that's more generated revenue for the player.
If you look at you know, arbitration after two years

(01:31:46):
instead of three, because players' careers are shorter now than ever,
if you look at that, if you look at free
agency after four years instead of six, I think there's
a way to appease the whole as opposed to, you know,
everything is working for the veteran of eight or plus
more years. I think when you come up with revenue
streams for the players that's practical as a whole for

(01:32:10):
all seven hundred plus players.

Speaker 4 (01:32:12):
I think that you have to stay open minded to it,
and I know that.

Speaker 15 (01:32:14):
They're certainly going to work towards working on all those
minor details that won't impact the overall players revenue as
a whole.

Speaker 2 (01:32:23):
He's Gene Watson, our MLB insider. I bet you can't
wait to get to California to warm up, right.

Speaker 15 (01:32:28):
We're going to go see Rock Schilawski on Friday and Saturday.
TCU is going to be in town, and then we'll
head to California next week to see Tyler Spangler and
then head off to Houston for the World Baseball Classic.

Speaker 1 (01:32:41):
So far, looking forward to visiting with you.

Speaker 2 (01:32:43):
We'll talk again next week about what's coming up in
the WBC and I appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (01:32:48):
Geno, thank you.

Speaker 15 (01:32:49):
Okay, Greig, thanks so much.

Speaker 2 (01:32:50):
That's Geen Watson, our MLB insider. He joins us each
week to talk baseball, especially now that we're into the
throes of spring training. And just around then from the WBC,
the World Baseball Classic. All right, we're more.

Speaker 1 (01:33:03):
Coming up.

Speaker 2 (01:33:07):
Here on a yacht Rock Wednesday. The Great band America.
Do you know the genesis of America? How where they're from?
I'm gonna guess it's America, right, you're going to guess that.
The truth of the matter is they were Americans, but
technically speaking, they were only from the United States in

(01:33:31):
one form, and that they were military kids.

Speaker 1 (01:33:34):
They were living in England.

Speaker 2 (01:33:36):
And Duie Banell, who put the group together, he said,
we were playing a lot when we were at the American.

Speaker 1 (01:33:40):
High School in England as military kids.

Speaker 2 (01:33:45):
But they all missed and longed for America, and he
loved the dryness and the heat of the Arizona Desert.

Speaker 1 (01:33:51):
Hence a horse with no name comes from that.

Speaker 2 (01:33:54):
But yeah, but they adopted the name America, he said,
because as our home country.

Speaker 1 (01:33:59):
Even though we were living in England. That was the deal.

Speaker 6 (01:34:02):
That's among my favorite yacht rock songs that there is
right there, Sister Golden Hair.

Speaker 1 (01:34:06):
Yeah, it was. It was a big hit in nineteen
seventy five.

Speaker 4 (01:34:09):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:34:10):
One other things. I didn't get a chance. We didn't
have enough time I wanted to get into with regard
to this Tony Clark thing. Yesterday, all we heard was
that it was an abrupt resignation. Today we find out
a little more. While we also heard that he was
being investigated. Well, here's the investigation. It's an internal investigation,

(01:34:34):
which the investigation revealed an inappropriate relationship with his sister
in law, who was hired by the union in twenty
twenty three. Now, the statement that was released last night
from the union said, quote, the strength of this union
is and always will be the solidarity of our membership.
We have a long history of fighting for the rights

(01:34:55):
of every player, and we're committed to make making sure
we can continue that fight successfully. During the union's and
internal inquiry, which came in the wake of a wide
ranging and still open federal investigation into the finances and
other alleged improprieties by the MLBPA, the relationship which includes

(01:35:19):
by the way nepotism under the improprieties. The relationship between
Clark and the woman came to light, according to sources,
and they prompted him to step down after more than
a dozen years as the union's leader. So ESPN had
reported on this investigation, and the Player Association hired a

(01:35:42):
former US attorney to serve as an outside council, and
in the course of the inquiry, the disclosure of the
relationship was seen as crossing a red line by player
leaders who were already skeptical about Clark's future due to
the federal investigation. So it sounds like he's getting mess
here and he stepped away. But as we were talking

(01:36:04):
about with Gene Watson, the Player Association says, that's not
going to have any impact at all on what we're
doing and trying to get a new collective bargaining agreement.

Speaker 5 (01:36:12):
But the timing of it is so interesting. Good timing,
isn't it. Yeah, I mean it's almost too interesting to
be coincidental.

Speaker 1 (01:36:20):
Yeah, yeah, So not good timing there on that.

Speaker 2 (01:36:25):
As I mentioned, the Texas women's basketball team is preparing
to leave this afternoon. It'll be late this afternoon. I'll
fly up to Targansas with them for the game tomorrow night.
One of the players who is seen as a key
player is a freshman. It's a Leah Crump. Now, Crump,

(01:36:48):
of course had been injured and she was out with
the foot injury for a while and then came back
and she was red hot at first. Of late, she
has not been as hot in terms of the shoeing.
Defensives have kind of clamped down on her as well
as obviously on the obvious two key pieces Madison Booker
and Rory Harmon, but even on the freshman Clump and

(01:37:11):
and maybe Crump is having to.

Speaker 1 (01:37:15):
You know, go through that freshman wall, as they say.

Speaker 2 (01:37:17):
And Vick Schaeffer was asked about Aliyah and how to
get her level of play back up to where they
want it.

Speaker 8 (01:37:24):
Yeah, again, you've got to understand there's great coaches in
this league, and they're going to prepare and scout you,
and so you know, letting the game, you know, understanding
the game, letting the game come to you.

Speaker 4 (01:37:38):
Understanding you're on a really good team.

Speaker 8 (01:37:40):
You're on the floor with four other really good players,
and and so I just think, you know, it's it's
really not rocket science with her it's just understanding that man,
just let the game come to you where you're you're
going to get some some great opportunities and just not

(01:38:00):
not trying to force some things sometimes.

Speaker 4 (01:38:03):
And and so she's she's gonna be fine. I think the.

Speaker 8 (01:38:08):
Opportunity to play is going to pay off for her
so much more down the line than not playing and sitting.
And so, you know, she's had some great games for us,
and then she's had some games where you know, maybe
maybe wasn't her the best. But again, I credit our
opponent as much as anything. I just think you know, people,

(01:38:31):
people game plan, people have a scouting report on you,
and you know, again our our opponent has been really
good too. So uh, I don't worry about Aliah. You know,
kids a great shooter. She's gonna she's gonna make a
bunch of great shots for us. And uh, you know,
I think she's getting better on the defensive end too.

(01:38:53):
She's she's she brings a lot to the table and
and I don't worry about her at all.

Speaker 2 (01:39:00):
Obviously, we'll hear more from Vick Schaeffer tomorrow. Like I said,
I'll be flying up with the Texas women late this
afternoon and they'll be in Arkansas tonight and they'll have
the on site preparations for tomorrow evening's game against the
Arkansas Razorbacks. And you can hear that right here on
thirteen under the Zone. And again that comes away at

(01:39:21):
six point fifteen with the airtime six point thirty with
a tip and then following that Longhorn Weekly with Sean
Miller to recap the winds of LSU and Missouri and
to get ready for the trip to Georgia to take
on the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend. We'll be back to
wrap up today's edition of the program right here on
thirteen under the Zone.

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