October 1, 2025 • 10 mins
Tony talks with NKU basketball players ahead of Hoops and Scoops next week at NKU on ESPN 1530!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Since e three to sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored
in part by Cinci Shirts Cincy Shirts all since the
All Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back our two since he three to sixty, thanks
to our friends at Cincy's Shirt. You're listening on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Your talkback's coming up in
just a little bit. We have a Zach Taylor press
conference will air at two o'clock this afternoon, Austin, Are
you ready to talk a little basketball? Yes? You got
the fever yet?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
College basketball right around the corner.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
The North are going to be the best team in
the Tri state area.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I feel like every year college basketball creeps up on
us more. Now we've got Red's playing in October, the
NFL season, college football, and then before you know it,
exhibitions are starting. College basketball season is starting, and we're
lucky enough today to talk some hoops and scoops with
NKU basketball. This is happening in October seventh next week
(00:59):
at Truest Arena, six o'clock. The door's open. Uh, there's
kid friendly games, cheering, dance performances, team introduction at seven
o'clock basketball activities and Austin free wits frozen custard. Oh
so you got an opportunity to get a schedule, poster
autographs from your favorite NKU players, and we're lucky enough
to have a couple of those players in the building today. Uh,
(01:21):
Tay Dozers here, Donovan ode is here, Fellas, what's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Uh, let's start Donovan with you. You guys are transferring
in to n KU and it's a different world of
college basketball. What is that transition? Like when you're you're
out in the market and you find a new home
and a team and now you've got to come and
get acclimated with not only a roster and a coaching staff,
(01:49):
but a city. How how difficult is that transition? How's
it been for you?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, man, this is my second time doing it, and
I definitely say I'm better this time. But like, of course,
it's different. You know, it's new personalities, new scenery. You know,
just with me even being kind of far from home
as a Texas kid coming to Kentucky, you know, so
it's different. So just really being able to adapt wherever
I'm at and be able to make friends and be
able to just be myself forever, which is really important
(02:16):
to me.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So freshman year at McNee state is there, and then
you go to cal State Fullerton. How early in the
process did you hear from NKU and and what made
NKU the destination ultimately for you?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, heard from NKU around the middle to the end
kind of you know, Coach Simon hit me and we
were just had a really good conversation talk to the
head coach, Coach Horn, and I just really felt at
home with the staff, you know, the things that they
were telling me, just what the past success they've had,
and I just felt like it was a it was
a place where I could put my chest in for
my senior year.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And yeah, I played football the University of Cincinnati, but
being a basketball fan. While UC's arena was being updated,
they played their home games for a year at Truesst Arena.
It's an unbelie area. It's an unbelievable atmosphere. How excited
are you now getting in the city and getting to
play at truest Arena? How excited are you looking for
(03:08):
for the fans and and everything about this basketball program?
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah, definitely, man True Serena is is really beautiful. This
will be my fourth year in college, so I've seen
a lot of different arenas and truest arenas. Is nothing
short of a P four arena in my opinion. I
feel like it's just a it's a special place where
I feel like the fans will will definitely have a
good time with this upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And yeah, uh, Tay dozers here as well. Tay grad
transfer from Georgetown, But you're a Louisville native, so you're
back closer to home. Same thing for you. What what
was it about n k U in this process that
that made it feel like the right fit for you
to come play college basketball.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
With it being close to home and automatically give it
like a boost to it. And then just seeing the winning.
As Donovan said, just winning matters to me and one
of the like in my last year of college off
of winning.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
So it was perfect for me.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
To have a chance and nk u's had a chance
to play in the NCAA Tournament. The we we we
often joke around here that it feels like once March
comes around, n k U rises up to the occasion.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I know you're you're still getting into the system, but
your head coach Darren Horne. What is it about him
that that is going to give you guys the best
chance to play your best basketball in advance in the
to the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
Just his experience, Like like I said, him winning, he
holds us to the highest ends. He's not going to
let us have a day off or he like last practice,
he said, that's kind of like we had a slow start.
It's like that's a losing culture. We're not going to
allow that anymore. And just like stays on top of
us making sure it was like the best, especially when
it comes to March.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I've always thought nk u's done a great job scheduling
of playing really top tier competition early in the season
and oftentimes it gets you ready for for league play
to where at the end of the year you're you're
playing at your best. Talk about that, Talk about the
ability to go to NKU and play against some of
the best competition in that non conference and then get
(05:07):
yourself ready for conference play. How much does that help?
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Like it helps big, Like going out there playing like
some of the top competition. It shows you where you're at,
where you need to be, how to get better, and
just being ready for come March.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How important are things like what's going to happen with
hoops and scoops for fans and kids especially to come
out to the arena in today's world of college basketball,
because there's so many new faces on a roster. How
important is it to be able to connect with the
fans during an event like that, to to not only
meet them, but to showcase a little bit of what
you guys can do, have a chance to get in
(05:41):
front of them, so while the season gets here, it
doesn't feel like so many new faces.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah, I think it's very important to interact Like like
you said, it's like new faces. Oh, fans don't really
know anyone yet, but coming in and interact, seeing how
good of like people we are, how good they are.
I heard crazy things about the fans, just how crazy
they like, how much they love the sports, especially in
Highland Heights.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So it's important, very important.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
What what can fans listening now? What what can they
expect from your game individually?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
What are you bringing? Excitement? Excitement?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Donald?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
What are you bringing nothing sort of what tastes it?
Really exciting?
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know?
Speaker 4 (06:17):
But I'm definitely gonna bring I'm gonna bring a lot
of energy, you know, a lot of defense and a
lot of scoring and getting my teammates.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So how how difficult is it? And it's in the
first time you've done it, so much of it. It's
one thing to have good players on a team, but
the culture and being able to play as a as
a group of five, how difficult is that? How much
time does that take? Uh to get on the same
pages as guys you haven't had a chance to play
with as much.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Yeah, definitely, just with the how things are going now.
You know, like almost every year everybody a lot of
guys chances are getting like with ours race when you
have like what eight nine transfers, So just it starts
in June.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Man, Like just building.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Those relationships where there's on off the court, I feel
like both are just really important, you know, just really
understanding your brother, understanding the guy next to you, Like
our coach was saying the other day, like he wants
us to know how much siblings everybody has and stuff
like that. So just just really just being able to
understand people more on and off the course. So whenever
we're in the situations of tough situations, we'll be able
(07:19):
to have each other's backs and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area, how much have you
guys had a chance to explore it? What are your
what are some of your favorite things?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yeah, uh, this is Daddy kind of surprised me from Texas,
you know, from Dallas, live in California for a little bit. Yeah,
I feel like nobody really knows how nice Cincinnati actually is.
It's very slept on place, even the north of Kentucky area.
Very clean area, nice area. So nothing surprising, being like
I'm not too far away. Yeah, you're closing off, but
(07:49):
nothing surprising. It's been since he's kind of bigger than
I thought. But other than that, nothing really surprised me.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The the the role of college basketball in today's world,
as we mentioned that, the comings and goings and the culture.
How important is is the locker room? We're talking culture
a lot in Cincinnati sports right now with the Bengals
going through some hard times and and you rely on
that culture that's built in for a school and a
(08:18):
team as Northern Kentucky has been that is always playing
their best at the end of the year. How much
in basketball do you rely on culture?
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I say it's one of the biggest things, because when
it comes down to it, you get in a tough game.
If you're not connected with your team, you're just gonna
fall apart and you're gonna lose a game. So I
think it's one of the biggest things.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Can I thank you guys enough for coming in? I
know you guys are looking forward to next week. What
is what's happening right now from a basketball standpoint? What
what are you guys doing from practices? When do those
run up to? Because again I know, I think it's
early November. The season is getting underway. You guys head
to Tennessee on November eighth, so this is coming up quick.
(08:59):
What are you guys doing and right now from a
basketball standpoint to get ready? What are you able to
do with with regulations?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Yes, so we had our first official practice last Monday,
so us being able to go have longer hours of practice,
being able to play more and just really put ourselves
in game, in more in game scenarios which will help
us obviously for the long run.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Can I thank you guys enough? Man Tuesday, October seventh,
the Truest Arena doors are going to open at six
Awesome for kids. There's gonna be cheer dance performances. The
team introduction start at seven basketball activities.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
What's that mean?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Is it a little scrimmaging or just more you guys
just showing off a little bit. You're just gonna show
off a little bit. Free Wits Frozen Custard. Fans are
gonna get a chance to get a poster on autographs,
and everyone in attendance is gonna get a voucher for
a special ticket offer and Wits Frozen Custard while supplies last.
It's Hoops and Scoops again. October seventh, the truest arena guys,
(10:00):
Best of luck man, Thank you guys so much for
coming in and we'll be following.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Along this season. Definitely, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
There we go. That's Cincy three sixty. We're just getting
started out. Number two. Your talkbacks next thanks to Cincy
shirts on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Now your
chance
Since e three to sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored
in part by Cinci Shirts Cincy Shirts all since the
All Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back our two since he three to sixty, thanks
to our friends at Cincy's Shirt. You're listening on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Your talkback's coming up in
just a little bit. We have a Zach Taylor press
conference will air at two o'clock this afternoon, Austin, Are
you ready to talk a little basketball? Yes? You got
the fever yet?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
College basketball right around the corner.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
The North are going to be the best team in
the Tri state area.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I feel like every year college basketball creeps up on
us more. Now we've got Red's playing in October, the
NFL season, college football, and then before you know it,
exhibitions are starting. College basketball season is starting, and we're
lucky enough today to talk some hoops and scoops with
NKU basketball. This is happening in October seventh next week
(00:59):
at Truest Arena, six o'clock. The door's open. Uh, there's
kid friendly games, cheering, dance performances, team introduction at seven
o'clock basketball activities and Austin free wits frozen custard. Oh
so you got an opportunity to get a schedule, poster
autographs from your favorite NKU players, and we're lucky enough
to have a couple of those players in the building today. Uh,
(01:21):
Tay Dozers here, Donovan ode is here, Fellas, what's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Uh, let's start Donovan with you. You guys are transferring
in to n KU and it's a different world of
college basketball. What is that transition? Like when you're you're
out in the market and you find a new home
and a team and now you've got to come and
get acclimated with not only a roster and a coaching staff,
(01:49):
but a city. How how difficult is that transition? How's
it been for you?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, man, this is my second time doing it, and
I definitely say I'm better this time. But like, of course,
it's different. You know, it's new personalities, new scenery. You know,
just with me even being kind of far from home
as a Texas kid coming to Kentucky, you know, so
it's different. So just really being able to adapt wherever
I'm at and be able to make friends and be
able to just be myself forever, which is really important
(02:16):
to me.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So freshman year at McNee state is there, and then
you go to cal State Fullerton. How early in the
process did you hear from NKU and and what made
NKU the destination ultimately for you?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, heard from NKU around the middle to the end
kind of you know, Coach Simon hit me and we
were just had a really good conversation talk to the
head coach, Coach Horn, and I just really felt at
home with the staff, you know, the things that they
were telling me, just what the past success they've had,
and I just felt like it was a it was
a place where I could put my chest in for
my senior year.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And yeah, I played football the University of Cincinnati, but
being a basketball fan. While UC's arena was being updated,
they played their home games for a year at Truesst Arena.
It's an unbelie area. It's an unbelievable atmosphere. How excited
are you now getting in the city and getting to
play at truest Arena? How excited are you looking for
(03:08):
for the fans and and everything about this basketball program?
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah, definitely, man True Serena is is really beautiful. This
will be my fourth year in college, so I've seen
a lot of different arenas and truest arenas. Is nothing
short of a P four arena in my opinion. I
feel like it's just a it's a special place where
I feel like the fans will will definitely have a
good time with this upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And yeah, uh, Tay dozers here as well. Tay grad
transfer from Georgetown, But you're a Louisville native, so you're
back closer to home. Same thing for you. What what
was it about n k U in this process that
that made it feel like the right fit for you
to come play college basketball.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
With it being close to home and automatically give it
like a boost to it. And then just seeing the winning.
As Donovan said, just winning matters to me and one
of the like in my last year of college off
of winning.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
So it was perfect for me.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
To have a chance and nk u's had a chance
to play in the NCAA Tournament. The we we we
often joke around here that it feels like once March
comes around, n k U rises up to the occasion.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I know you're you're still getting into the system, but
your head coach Darren Horne. What is it about him
that that is going to give you guys the best
chance to play your best basketball in advance in the
to the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
Just his experience, Like like I said, him winning, he
holds us to the highest ends. He's not going to
let us have a day off or he like last practice,
he said, that's kind of like we had a slow start.
It's like that's a losing culture. We're not going to
allow that anymore. And just like stays on top of
us making sure it was like the best, especially when
it comes to March.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I've always thought nk u's done a great job scheduling
of playing really top tier competition early in the season
and oftentimes it gets you ready for for league play
to where at the end of the year you're you're
playing at your best. Talk about that, Talk about the
ability to go to NKU and play against some of
the best competition in that non conference and then get
(05:07):
yourself ready for conference play. How much does that help?
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Like it helps big, Like going out there playing like
some of the top competition. It shows you where you're at,
where you need to be, how to get better, and
just being ready for come March.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How important are things like what's going to happen with
hoops and scoops for fans and kids especially to come
out to the arena in today's world of college basketball,
because there's so many new faces on a roster. How
important is it to be able to connect with the
fans during an event like that, to to not only
meet them, but to showcase a little bit of what
you guys can do, have a chance to get in
(05:41):
front of them, so while the season gets here, it
doesn't feel like so many new faces.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah, I think it's very important to interact Like like
you said, it's like new faces. Oh, fans don't really
know anyone yet, but coming in and interact, seeing how
good of like people we are, how good they are.
I heard crazy things about the fans, just how crazy
they like, how much they love the sports, especially in
Highland Heights.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So it's important, very important.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
What what can fans listening now? What what can they
expect from your game individually?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
What are you bringing? Excitement? Excitement?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Donald?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
What are you bringing nothing sort of what tastes it?
Really exciting?
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know?
Speaker 4 (06:17):
But I'm definitely gonna bring I'm gonna bring a lot
of energy, you know, a lot of defense and a
lot of scoring and getting my teammates.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So how how difficult is it? And it's in the
first time you've done it, so much of it. It's
one thing to have good players on a team, but
the culture and being able to play as a as
a group of five, how difficult is that? How much
time does that take? Uh to get on the same
pages as guys you haven't had a chance to play
with as much.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Yeah, definitely, just with the how things are going now.
You know, like almost every year everybody a lot of
guys chances are getting like with ours race when you
have like what eight nine transfers, So just it starts
in June.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Man, Like just building.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Those relationships where there's on off the court, I feel
like both are just really important, you know, just really
understanding your brother, understanding the guy next to you, Like
our coach was saying the other day, like he wants
us to know how much siblings everybody has and stuff
like that. So just just really just being able to
understand people more on and off the course. So whenever
we're in the situations of tough situations, we'll be able
(07:19):
to have each other's backs and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky area, how much have you
guys had a chance to explore it? What are your
what are some of your favorite things?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yeah, uh, this is Daddy kind of surprised me from Texas,
you know, from Dallas, live in California for a little bit. Yeah,
I feel like nobody really knows how nice Cincinnati actually is.
It's very slept on place, even the north of Kentucky area.
Very clean area, nice area. So nothing surprising, being like
I'm not too far away. Yeah, you're closing off, but
(07:49):
nothing surprising. It's been since he's kind of bigger than
I thought. But other than that, nothing really surprised me.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The the the role of college basketball in today's world,
as we mentioned that, the comings and goings and the culture.
How important is is the locker room? We're talking culture
a lot in Cincinnati sports right now with the Bengals
going through some hard times and and you rely on
that culture that's built in for a school and a
(08:18):
team as Northern Kentucky has been that is always playing
their best at the end of the year. How much
in basketball do you rely on culture?
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I say it's one of the biggest things, because when
it comes down to it, you get in a tough game.
If you're not connected with your team, you're just gonna
fall apart and you're gonna lose a game. So I
think it's one of the biggest things.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Can I thank you guys enough for coming in? I
know you guys are looking forward to next week. What
is what's happening right now from a basketball standpoint? What
what are you guys doing from practices? When do those
run up to? Because again I know, I think it's
early November. The season is getting underway. You guys head
to Tennessee on November eighth, so this is coming up quick.
(08:59):
What are you guys doing and right now from a
basketball standpoint to get ready? What are you able to
do with with regulations?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Yes, so we had our first official practice last Monday,
so us being able to go have longer hours of practice,
being able to play more and just really put ourselves
in game, in more in game scenarios which will help
us obviously for the long run.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Can I thank you guys enough? Man Tuesday, October seventh,
the Truest Arena doors are going to open at six
Awesome for kids. There's gonna be cheer dance performances. The
team introduction start at seven basketball activities.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
What's that mean?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Is it a little scrimmaging or just more you guys
just showing off a little bit. You're just gonna show
off a little bit. Free Wits Frozen Custard. Fans are
gonna get a chance to get a poster on autographs,
and everyone in attendance is gonna get a voucher for
a special ticket offer and Wits Frozen Custard while supplies last.
It's Hoops and Scoops again. October seventh, the truest arena guys,
(10:00):
Best of luck man, Thank you guys so much for
coming in and we'll be following.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Along this season. Definitely, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
There we go. That's Cincy three sixty. We're just getting
started out. Number two. Your talkbacks next thanks to Cincy
shirts on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Now your
chance
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