July 15, 2024 • 10 mins
Former Xavier standout Paul Scruggs will be a part of Zip 'Em Up at this year's TBT, which will be played at the venue formerly known as The Shoemaker Center.
Paul joined us to talk about being back in town, his professional career, playing in the TBT, memories of his time at XU, and more.
Get TBT tickets here.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Paul joined us to talk about being back in town, his professional career, playing in the TBT, memories of his time at XU, and more.
Get TBT tickets here.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey, very very special. Shoutout to you folks listening to us in
Batavia. Twenty one after three.This is ESPN and fifteen thirty. We're
broadcasting from the ESPN fifteen thirty MadewellRestoration Studios. Folks at Madewell Restoration can
help with anything your home's exterior needs. Just go to Madwell Restoration dot com.
(00:24):
We had Paul Scruggs and then welost Paul Scruggs. So we'll hopefully
get Paul Scruggs back and chat fora few minutes with the former Xavier musketeer
who is if I'm not reading thescreen incorrectly, he's with us now.
The Basketball Tournament continues for the eleventhyear. Last year, the last couple
of years, early Round games tookplace at the Centas Center. They are
(00:46):
moving over to a fifth third overat UC's campus. Zip Them Up,
which is a team made up ofmostly former Xavier players, will take the
court on a Friday night against TakeoverBC. That game starts at six pm.
Great chance to watch some awesome basketballthis weekend. Tickets available at the
tournament dot com and part of ZipThem Up for the second consecutive year is
(01:07):
one of the more decorated players inXU basketball history. Paul Spruggs, who
is with us right now. Paul, it is good to have you.
Good afternoon. How are you goodto be here? I'm doing great.
How are you I am? I'mreally well. I appreciate you doing this
second straight year joining zip them up. Give us an idea of what what
made you want to come back andgive it a go for a million bucks
(01:29):
for a second straight year. Solast year getting on the team, it
was just really for me to getmy name back out there that I was
back hooping again and that I'm doingbetter than what I was doing when I
was injured. And this year it'sjust man, coming back in this being
a year overseas and coming back fellowshipand with the players that I played with
(01:52):
a few years ago, or justseeing new faces and new coach coach faces
and things like that, just gettingacquainted with those people. So yeah,
man, just getting back today,just getting in the swing of things there,
and yeah, it's fun. Whatis it like joining a team where
you know there are obviously some guysthat you've played with and then some guys
that you haven't played with, andyou've got to all come together for a
(02:14):
common goal. What's that experience like? You know, it's a great experience,
man, because you create new friendsout of that, the people that's
on the team that's knew that younever knew before. You can create possible
brotherhood out of that. You know, it's a special experience to have,
you know, especially in this gameof basketball that we played today. You
(02:36):
know, it's a wonderful opportunity.Last year and obviously you guys maybe didn't
go as far as you would haveliked, but you were back on the
floor at the Centas Center, andlook, we all know your career got
cut short during that n run atthe Cintas Center in that game against Florida.
How cathartic was it to be backon the floor and at least go
out uninjured in the building you playedyour college ballin. Oh Man, it
(03:00):
was wonderful. You you know,it almost brought tears to my eyes just
being back in that place again,man, where I've been the past five
years of my life there, youknow, and that's that's that'll always be
like my second home, you know, Xavier and everybody there is like family.
Tell me, so, now thingsmove over to UC this year and
(03:23):
you go inside fifth third. That'snot a home away from home, but
it's an arena you've played very wellin. So the Skyline Charlie Crosstown Shootout,
the last time you played in thatbuilding, I think most who watched
would say you were the best playeron the floor. It was the shootout
played without many fans in the stands. What do you remember about that then?
(03:45):
You know, we just played thatgame like any other game and went
out there and took care of business. What I can remember most from it
is just everybody smiling at the endof the game and having fun with the
game. You know. Yeah,a game like that, and you had
to go through an entire year ofplaying, you know in empty gyms or
mostly empty gyms. But what standsout when you think about the environment because
(04:10):
it was a good game. Youwere terrific. It was the weirdest Skyline
Chili Crosstown shoot out of all time. Though, Yeah, you know,
because the fans make makes the game. You know, the fans being there
makes it make it a hectic ornot headtic. So yeah, I think
just the fans not being there whichmade it weird. Uh, But yeah,
(04:32):
we won't see that no more.Yeah, you got that right.
Uh. Paul Scruggs is with uspart of a zip them up competing in
the TBT, which starts on Fridaynight. Uh the end of your career,
you get hurt, which was unfortunatefor all parties involved. The team
itself goes on to win the nI T and amid all that, there's
(04:53):
a coaching change. Uh, justdescribe what that time in your life was
like. For me, it wasreal chaotic. You know, it was
real chaotic. But I mean Ihad a good support system over there at
Xavier and my family supported me alot. So now I give thanks to
(05:14):
Xavier and my family for helping methrough those rough patches of my life.
But yeah, man, it wasjust really a chaotic time. Have you
gotten a chance to spend any timeor get to know Sean Miller at all?
No, I haven't not yet,Not yet. I planned on doing
that this summer when we get downthere. Now you're playing professionally in Poland.
(05:35):
How closely are you able to followyour college program. I'm able to
follow it pretty close, but notas close as I like to because you
know, there's a six hour timedifference there in Poland. So yeah,
sometimes I miss some games and sometimesI catch some games, or I just
(05:55):
call the next day and asked oneof the players that I played with,
how did everything go and things likethat. Poland. Now your team won
the league title, right, youguys were league champions, all right?
So you, I'm sure had alot of opportunities to play in a lot
of different places. Why did yousettle on professional basketball in Poland? You
(06:17):
know it it was the right opportunityfor me and for where I was coming
out at the time. It wasthe right place to go for me.
You know, I had the rightcoach there and just the right pieces to
the puzzle that we have. Soyeah, uh, what is what is
like for a kid from Indy?What's what's life like in Poland? Not
(06:42):
a life, not a lot,honestly. But I mean it's a nice
time. It's a nice time becauseyou know, I was out there by
the Baltic Sea, so like duringthe summer and stuff like that, I
would go walk on the beach andeverything and it'll be nice weather. But
man, during the winter it wasvery cold, very cold. I mean,
(07:03):
I've never been to Poland. Idon't know a lot about Poland.
But but I would imagine Polish wintersare are kind of rough, right,
and then there's the whole language barrier, Like do you get out at all?
What's that like? I got alittle bit and explored a little bit.
You know, it wasn't nothing toocrazy, but uh, yeah I
(07:23):
got out. I would say thefood. The food there is definitely like
really good. Yeah, what issurprised a lot of people? What is
the go to? Like, giveme, give me a couple of things
that when you go back for thisupcoming season, when you go back,
you look forward to get Well,I'm not going back to Poland this season.
(07:47):
No, I won't be getting anything, no, sir, I'm going
to Israel. One Israel, allright, yes, sir. But I'll
say, okay, like a Polishdumpling, right, they're pretty good.
They have a lot of them.You can put different things in them,
like mashed potatoes, onions and bacon, or you can just have like a
(08:11):
pork dumpling with cheese in it andstuff like that. Okay, take me
through the decision to go play inIsrael. You know, man, it's
just like I said about Poland,It's just the right decision. At the
time of my life, the rightcoaching staff and just being at the right
(08:31):
place at the right time. Youknow, that is a part of the
world where I know they love theirbasketball. Can we say the same about
Poland? Yeah, Poland. Polandhas some die hard pans, for sure.
They definitely have some diehard pans,especially the fans that for the team
that I played for, they traveledeverywhere we went, no matter if it
(08:52):
was like seven, eight or ninehours, they traveled with us and everything.
So yeah, the fans hard man. All right, Uh well,
look, best of luck this weekend. Awesome to have you on this show.
We appreciate when you head over toIsrael. Please be safe, okay,
and we'll be rooting for you.Man, Thanks so much, all
(09:13):
right, thank you? All right. Paul Scruggs part of Zip Them Up
for a second consecutive year. Thosegames happening at fifth third. They get
underway on Friday. The Zip ThemUp squad plays at six o'clock. Is
the two seed six o'clock on Friday. If you want tickets. Those are
fun games. They were a lotof fun at Sentas last year. I
went and saw him at ud Arenalast year. You can get tickets and
(09:35):
find out more at the tournament dotcom. Twenty nine away from four o'clock
five point three fifteen thirty is ournumber. You could also send a tweet
at Moeger thanks to a Delta Dental. Delta Dental is building healthy, smart,
vibrant communities for all good a Deltadentaloage dot com. I did notice
this, so we we you knowwe we pump up our social media accounts
(09:56):
here and I got a I noticedthat threads there's now a desktop application.
I'm more likely to expand my socialmedia horizons if I could do it on
my laptop, and I can nowdo that on Threads. So I haven't
totally committed, but I might.UH sports headlines and more. Reds took
(10:20):
a picture, maybe the best inthe draft with the number two overall pick
last night. Some didn't like it. I think I do for two basic
reasons. Next on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's esp
Hey, very very special. Shoutout to you folks listening to us in
Batavia. Twenty one after three.This is ESPN and fifteen thirty. We're
broadcasting from the ESPN fifteen thirty MadewellRestoration Studios. Folks at Madewell Restoration can
help with anything your home's exterior needs. Just go to Madwell Restoration dot com.
(00:24):
We had Paul Scruggs and then welost Paul Scruggs. So we'll hopefully
get Paul Scruggs back and chat fora few minutes with the former Xavier musketeer
who is if I'm not reading thescreen incorrectly, he's with us now.
The Basketball Tournament continues for the eleventhyear. Last year, the last couple
of years, early Round games tookplace at the Centas Center. They are
(00:46):
moving over to a fifth third overat UC's campus. Zip Them Up,
which is a team made up ofmostly former Xavier players, will take the
court on a Friday night against TakeoverBC. That game starts at six pm.
Great chance to watch some awesome basketballthis weekend. Tickets available at the
tournament dot com and part of ZipThem Up for the second consecutive year is
(01:07):
one of the more decorated players inXU basketball history. Paul Spruggs, who
is with us right now. Paul, it is good to have you.
Good afternoon. How are you goodto be here? I'm doing great.
How are you I am? I'mreally well. I appreciate you doing this
second straight year joining zip them up. Give us an idea of what what
made you want to come back andgive it a go for a million bucks
(01:29):
for a second straight year. Solast year getting on the team, it
was just really for me to getmy name back out there that I was
back hooping again and that I'm doingbetter than what I was doing when I
was injured. And this year it'sjust man, coming back in this being
a year overseas and coming back fellowshipand with the players that I played with
(01:52):
a few years ago, or justseeing new faces and new coach coach faces
and things like that, just gettingacquainted with those people. So yeah,
man, just getting back today,just getting in the swing of things there,
and yeah, it's fun. Whatis it like joining a team where
you know there are obviously some guysthat you've played with and then some guys
that you haven't played with, andyou've got to all come together for a
(02:14):
common goal. What's that experience like? You know, it's a great experience,
man, because you create new friendsout of that, the people that's
on the team that's knew that younever knew before. You can create possible
brotherhood out of that. You know, it's a special experience to have,
you know, especially in this gameof basketball that we played today. You
(02:36):
know, it's a wonderful opportunity.Last year and obviously you guys maybe didn't
go as far as you would haveliked, but you were back on the
floor at the Centas Center, andlook, we all know your career got
cut short during that n run atthe Cintas Center in that game against Florida.
How cathartic was it to be backon the floor and at least go
out uninjured in the building you playedyour college ballin. Oh Man, it
(03:00):
was wonderful. You you know,it almost brought tears to my eyes just
being back in that place again,man, where I've been the past five
years of my life there, youknow, and that's that's that'll always be
like my second home, you know, Xavier and everybody there is like family.
Tell me, so, now thingsmove over to UC this year and
(03:23):
you go inside fifth third. That'snot a home away from home, but
it's an arena you've played very wellin. So the Skyline Charlie Crosstown Shootout,
the last time you played in thatbuilding, I think most who watched
would say you were the best playeron the floor. It was the shootout
played without many fans in the stands. What do you remember about that then?
(03:45):
You know, we just played thatgame like any other game and went
out there and took care of business. What I can remember most from it
is just everybody smiling at the endof the game and having fun with the
game. You know. Yeah,a game like that, and you had
to go through an entire year ofplaying, you know in empty gyms or
mostly empty gyms. But what standsout when you think about the environment because
(04:10):
it was a good game. Youwere terrific. It was the weirdest Skyline
Chili Crosstown shoot out of all time. Though, Yeah, you know,
because the fans make makes the game. You know, the fans being there
makes it make it a hectic ornot headtic. So yeah, I think
just the fans not being there whichmade it weird. Uh, But yeah,
(04:32):
we won't see that no more.Yeah, you got that right.
Uh. Paul Scruggs is with uspart of a zip them up competing in
the TBT, which starts on Fridaynight. Uh the end of your career,
you get hurt, which was unfortunatefor all parties involved. The team
itself goes on to win the nI T and amid all that, there's
(04:53):
a coaching change. Uh, justdescribe what that time in your life was
like. For me, it wasreal chaotic. You know, it was
real chaotic. But I mean Ihad a good support system over there at
Xavier and my family supported me alot. So now I give thanks to
(05:14):
Xavier and my family for helping methrough those rough patches of my life.
But yeah, man, it wasjust really a chaotic time. Have you
gotten a chance to spend any timeor get to know Sean Miller at all?
No, I haven't not yet,Not yet. I planned on doing
that this summer when we get downthere. Now you're playing professionally in Poland.
(05:35):
How closely are you able to followyour college program. I'm able to
follow it pretty close, but notas close as I like to because you
know, there's a six hour timedifference there in Poland. So yeah,
sometimes I miss some games and sometimesI catch some games, or I just
(05:55):
call the next day and asked oneof the players that I played with,
how did everything go and things likethat. Poland. Now your team won
the league title, right, youguys were league champions, all right?
So you, I'm sure had alot of opportunities to play in a lot
of different places. Why did yousettle on professional basketball in Poland? You
(06:17):
know it it was the right opportunityfor me and for where I was coming
out at the time. It wasthe right place to go for me.
You know, I had the rightcoach there and just the right pieces to
the puzzle that we have. Soyeah, uh, what is what is
like for a kid from Indy?What's what's life like in Poland? Not
(06:42):
a life, not a lot,honestly. But I mean it's a nice
time. It's a nice time becauseyou know, I was out there by
the Baltic Sea, so like duringthe summer and stuff like that, I
would go walk on the beach andeverything and it'll be nice weather. But
man, during the winter it wasvery cold, very cold. I mean,
(07:03):
I've never been to Poland. Idon't know a lot about Poland.
But but I would imagine Polish wintersare are kind of rough, right,
and then there's the whole language barrier, Like do you get out at all?
What's that like? I got alittle bit and explored a little bit.
You know, it wasn't nothing toocrazy, but uh, yeah I
(07:23):
got out. I would say thefood. The food there is definitely like
really good. Yeah, what issurprised a lot of people? What is
the go to? Like, giveme, give me a couple of things
that when you go back for thisupcoming season, when you go back,
you look forward to get Well,I'm not going back to Poland this season.
(07:47):
No, I won't be getting anything, no, sir, I'm going
to Israel. One Israel, allright, yes, sir. But I'll
say, okay, like a Polishdumpling, right, they're pretty good.
They have a lot of them.You can put different things in them,
like mashed potatoes, onions and bacon, or you can just have like a
(08:11):
pork dumpling with cheese in it andstuff like that. Okay, take me
through the decision to go play inIsrael. You know, man, it's
just like I said about Poland,It's just the right decision. At the
time of my life, the rightcoaching staff and just being at the right
(08:31):
place at the right time. Youknow, that is a part of the
world where I know they love theirbasketball. Can we say the same about
Poland? Yeah, Poland. Polandhas some die hard pans, for sure.
They definitely have some diehard pans,especially the fans that for the team
that I played for, they traveledeverywhere we went, no matter if it
(08:52):
was like seven, eight or ninehours, they traveled with us and everything.
So yeah, the fans hard man. All right, Uh well,
look, best of luck this weekend. Awesome to have you on this show.
We appreciate when you head over toIsrael. Please be safe, okay,
and we'll be rooting for you.Man, Thanks so much, all
(09:13):
right, thank you? All right. Paul Scruggs part of Zip Them Up
for a second consecutive year. Thosegames happening at fifth third. They get
underway on Friday. The Zip ThemUp squad plays at six o'clock. Is
the two seed six o'clock on Friday. If you want tickets. Those are
fun games. They were a lotof fun at Sentas last year. I
went and saw him at ud Arenalast year. You can get tickets and
(09:35):
find out more at the tournament dotcom. Twenty nine away from four o'clock
five point three fifteen thirty is ournumber. You could also send a tweet
at Moeger thanks to a Delta Dental. Delta Dental is building healthy, smart,
vibrant communities for all good a Deltadentaloage dot com. I did notice
this, so we we you knowwe we pump up our social media accounts
(09:56):
here and I got a I noticedthat threads there's now a desktop application.
I'm more likely to expand my socialmedia horizons if I could do it on
my laptop, and I can nowdo that on Threads. So I haven't
totally committed, but I might.UH sports headlines and more. Reds took
(10:20):
a picture, maybe the best inthe draft with the number two overall pick
last night. Some didn't like it. I think I do for two basic
reasons. Next on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's esp
Mo Egger News
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