January 30, 2025 • 11 mins
Chad Brendel of Bearcat Journal joined us to talk about the Bearcats, the lack of rebounding, Dan Skillings' struggles, and whether or not it's time to give a chance to a player who very rarely sees the floor.
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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
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We'll answer that question at four twenty twelve away from four.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty on Moeger. Chad Rendel joins
us on Thursdays in Today's Thursday. Talk about UC sports
this time of year, usually basketball, maybe weaving some football
today as well, or you know what, shad your buddy,
(00:20):
your your employee. Keegan nickoson on yesterday, I got my
Bearcat journal fixed. We talked about UC hoops for ten minutes.
We kind of covered everything. If you'd rather talk about
something else.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I mean, we could do five unpaid minutes that we
haven't done that in a while. I did hear mo.
If you see Bob Huggins on Sunday, that means six
more weeks of bad basketball.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's very well done. Unfortunately, that covers pretty much the
rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, that was That was exactly what I was getting at,
six more weeks of bad basketball. As you know how
it is going to be there Sunday, Like I'd put
it in a thousand percent, he's there.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, if you see him, you might ask him when
he plans on getting a haircut. But that's that's that's
a different story. Far be it for me to tell
someone what to do with their hair because because I
don't have.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It, don't have any he's in his hippie phase.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
He isn't good for him. Good for him, he'll be healthy.
He'pe He's okay.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
How that's that's that's that's generally how avid recyclists look.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
What is more unfixable, uh, Bob huggins current look or
West Miller's basketball team.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
The crazy part is, like I do think there is
a way to fix West Miller's basketball team. Bob Huggins
just needs a haircut. But I don't think he's never
really listened to anybody ever in his life before. So
unless he decides he wants haircut, he's probably not going
to get one. There is there's a way to like
(02:02):
get back to respectability, and it's defensive rebounding. You know,
I know people don't want to hear that. They want
to hear offense and you know, scoring eighty points. But
this team's not going to do that. We have seen
them not this year. On the rebounding front, we have
seen them be a great rebounding team like that. That's
where I was the most off that I've maybe ever
(02:24):
been in my career. Well, I thought this could be
a top five rebounding team in the country. They were
number one in the Big Twelve in offensive rebounding last year.
They were better than Houston on the offensive glass. Last
year they were thirty fifth in the country in defensive rebounding.
They lost John Newman and replaced him with a better
(02:47):
rebounder in Dylan Mitchell. This should be a team that
fights in scraps and claws on the glass. I have
never seen a team go after rebounds with less conviction
than I have seen from this team. They don't extend
their arms, they don't grab the ball. It's like they're all,
all of a sudden, they're all Tyrannosaurus rexes, Like they
(03:10):
just kind of they reach out a little bit and
if it lands right in their hands, then they got
a rebound. And if it doesn't, then the other team
can have it. Like that part of it. It just
blows my mind because we have seen them do it.
We have seen this team be a great rebounding team.
A year ago, they returned almost everyone. The reason you
(03:31):
return almost everyone is so that you stay really good
the things that you're really good at, and you work
on and hope to improve the things that you're not
as good at. They're not as they're twice as bad
on offense in relation to Ken Pom as they were
a year ago. And they've fallen completely off the cliff
(03:51):
on rebounding and it doesn't make any sense though.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
They can't reach their potential on the glass without Dan
skilling participation. I think in three of the last five
games he's had one rebound. That's not his only issue.
What has happened to a player who I thought by
now might challenge for All League honors?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I don't know if it was something as simple as
to take the next step. He needed to be a
better and more consistent offensive player, and his focus is
on that. But he hasn't been good on offense either.
I mean the past two games, I think he's made
one basket, and he's made one more basket in each
game than you and I on the Utah road trip.
(04:35):
And both of those were like, they weren't good baskets.
They weren't that you know, they were typical like some
of the you know stuff we've always seen from Dan
one foot kind of whirling the ball up off the
backboard and it drops in. He but he hasn't done anything.
So I don't even know what the path to get
him back on track is. But this is the guy
(04:57):
that scored eighteen points each in the first three Big
Twelve games, and now he can't score at all, Like
it's unbelievable. And his defense he was as bad defensively
against Utah as I've ever seen in a game from
a high level college basketball player. He was lost. His
(05:18):
footwork was terrible, his effort was terrible. I mean, guys
just blew right by him. He was out of position,
he couldn't get around screens. That's been a problem for
a month. I don't even know where to begin with
getting Dan Skillings back on track because all of it
is out of whack. There's not anything. Usually there's like
(05:41):
when a guy's in a slump, usually there's still some
things that he's doing well, and you know, maybe he's
not scoring or you know he's having a little bit
of difficulty. Here you look at a guy and he's
getting picked on on defense and you're like, well, yeah,
he gave up twenty five, but he scored eighteen. Like
that's not ideal, But don't get that fixed. Know how
to fix Dan Skillings right now? He's broken.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, I think that's well put on a team that
is struggling for answers. Why does Ravon Griffith never play?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I mean, the easy answer a couple of weeks ago
was because what Raymond gives you more than anything is
defense and rebounding. And at that time, this was a
top ten defense, and you know, the rebounding hadn't gotten
to a point where it was like press the panic button.
(06:36):
So at that point it was he's not a guy
that's going to give you a lot of offense, and
they were struggling to score. So you look at that
and you say, you know, there's not really a great
way to use him to make the team better. But now,
(07:00):
I mean, I don't know what. I don't know what
it hurts right that they're not defending, they're not rebounding,
they're not doing any of the stuff that that you
really believe is supposed to make this team good. So
throw them out there, give him a try. Especially DJ
Record's hurt, like CJ's hurt, Connor Hickman's hurt, there can't
(07:23):
be a couple of minutes for Ravon in there.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah, that's the thing. I mean, it might seem desperate,
But they should be desperate. Desperate if if you put
him in the game and he goes oh for four
and four minutes and his guy scores on him eight times. Okay,
Like why I've heard Wes say a lot of really
good things about Ravon in practice. Well, when your team
(07:46):
is struggling, if the dude really is doing what you're
asking in practice, how do you not give him? Give
him a shot? How do you not give them and
and and and let them know you're going to play tonight?
This is your shot. You know, you're you're going to
go in after twelve and let's see what you can
give us. And if you can't give us anything, right
back to the bench, and if you can, we'll build
(08:06):
upon that. I that's you know, he's not a new
guy to the program. He's been a part of his
program now for a while. I I'm not here to
tell you that I think he's the answer because they
have so many different issues. But it's interesting to me
that it's not even something that at least to this point,
they've tried.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah. I mean he did say in the pregame that
before Utah that with CJ down, there was a chance
Ray was going to see some minutes he didn't see him.
But at least now it's it's it's being broached. So yeah,
maybe you see him Sunday against West Virginia like there
was at least again there was at least some reasoning
(08:45):
behind why I didn't think we were seeing him a
couple of weeks ago. But now, I mean, you could
use it if he really has helped you rebounding in practice.
But are you sure if heck could use some help
there right now, why not put him out there and
see if he can get on the glass and and
and at least mix it up a little bit?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Uh, really quick? Today Scott Sadderfield spoke, Uh, you had Yeah,
he spoke today. You had him on Monday night?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
What night was that? Monday night? You had him Monday night?
You had him on.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
By the way, he seemed as at ease as as
I've seen him in a setting like that in uh
in quite a while, I know, off seasons different than
than in season.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
They've they've introduced a lot of transfers. Had four of
them speak today. Are the players they've brought in any good?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I think so? Uh? Mainly that one of them's name
is Mick Doom Yes, uh, and I like that.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
No.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I do think they got better in the secondary where
they just, you know, desperately needed to get better. I
don't know that that Kywee Walker is just going to
come in immediately and replace Corey Kiner, because I think
Corey Kiner was special and his ability to absorb contacts,
find a way to keep moving forward, continue to you know,
(10:06):
pick up some tough yards maybe when it wasn't wasn't
the right you know, it wasn't ideal, wasn't the perfect situation.
But he's a similar type back, so I think he
can help. I think the biggest question is going to
be did they get legitimate help at wide receiver? And
you know, we spring football starts in about six weeks,
(10:27):
so hopefully we get a better feel for that as
as they get out on the field, because you know,
it's it's it was their biggest need last year and
it didn't feel like they addressed it to the level
that they needed to address it. So they took another
swing at it again this year. Let's let's see what
it looks like.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, definitely need this. It's the understatement of the millennium
more explosiveness on offense. It's always good to talk to you. Jan,
thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's always good to talk to you. Mo. It's great
to see you today, and I look forward to seeing
you against it.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You'll see me on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I look forward to it, okay, and Bob Huggins.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And Bob Huggins will be there yes and his and
his hair. He sort of looks like Sean Connery in
The Rock before he you know, before he got his haircut.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
It's kind of what he's looking like these days. It's
that's great, Bob. You're in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Bob, thank you got ched so much. It's coming up
on four o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty. Make sure you
got a Chad's website, Bearcat journal dot com. Claig worn
Snowe and Jess Baseball on the moves the Reds have made,
including the one yesterday which most of us really really like,
and justin vive A Cyclones Alzheimer. By the way, Scott
(11:39):
Sanderfield's on with me at five twenty. Rick Patino's already
lecturing UK fans. Not already, he's lecturing UK fans again.
We'll talk about that Next on ESPN fifteen thirty
We'll answer that question at four twenty twelve away from four.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty on Moeger. Chad Rendel joins
us on Thursdays in Today's Thursday. Talk about UC sports
this time of year, usually basketball, maybe weaving some football
today as well, or you know what, shad your buddy,
(00:20):
your your employee. Keegan nickoson on yesterday, I got my
Bearcat journal fixed. We talked about UC hoops for ten minutes.
We kind of covered everything. If you'd rather talk about
something else.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I mean, we could do five unpaid minutes that we
haven't done that in a while. I did hear mo.
If you see Bob Huggins on Sunday, that means six
more weeks of bad basketball.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
That's very well done. Unfortunately, that covers pretty much the
rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, that was That was exactly what I was getting at,
six more weeks of bad basketball. As you know how
it is going to be there Sunday, Like I'd put
it in a thousand percent, he's there.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, if you see him, you might ask him when
he plans on getting a haircut. But that's that's that's
a different story. Far be it for me to tell
someone what to do with their hair because because I
don't have.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It, don't have any he's in his hippie phase.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
He isn't good for him. Good for him, he'll be healthy.
He'pe He's okay.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
How that's that's that's that's generally how avid recyclists look.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
What is more unfixable, uh, Bob huggins current look or
West Miller's basketball team.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
The crazy part is, like I do think there is
a way to fix West Miller's basketball team. Bob Huggins
just needs a haircut. But I don't think he's never
really listened to anybody ever in his life before. So
unless he decides he wants haircut, he's probably not going
to get one. There is there's a way to like
(02:02):
get back to respectability, and it's defensive rebounding. You know,
I know people don't want to hear that. They want
to hear offense and you know, scoring eighty points. But
this team's not going to do that. We have seen
them not this year. On the rebounding front, we have
seen them be a great rebounding team like that. That's
where I was the most off that I've maybe ever
(02:24):
been in my career. Well, I thought this could be
a top five rebounding team in the country. They were
number one in the Big Twelve in offensive rebounding last year.
They were better than Houston on the offensive glass. Last
year they were thirty fifth in the country in defensive rebounding.
They lost John Newman and replaced him with a better
(02:47):
rebounder in Dylan Mitchell. This should be a team that
fights in scraps and claws on the glass. I have
never seen a team go after rebounds with less conviction
than I have seen from this team. They don't extend
their arms, they don't grab the ball. It's like they're all,
all of a sudden, they're all Tyrannosaurus rexes, Like they
(03:10):
just kind of they reach out a little bit and
if it lands right in their hands, then they got
a rebound. And if it doesn't, then the other team
can have it. Like that part of it. It just
blows my mind because we have seen them do it.
We have seen this team be a great rebounding team.
A year ago, they returned almost everyone. The reason you
(03:31):
return almost everyone is so that you stay really good
the things that you're really good at, and you work
on and hope to improve the things that you're not
as good at. They're not as they're twice as bad
on offense in relation to Ken Pom as they were
a year ago. And they've fallen completely off the cliff
(03:51):
on rebounding and it doesn't make any sense though.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
They can't reach their potential on the glass without Dan
skilling participation. I think in three of the last five
games he's had one rebound. That's not his only issue.
What has happened to a player who I thought by
now might challenge for All League honors?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
I don't know if it was something as simple as
to take the next step. He needed to be a
better and more consistent offensive player, and his focus is
on that. But he hasn't been good on offense either.
I mean the past two games, I think he's made
one basket, and he's made one more basket in each
game than you and I on the Utah road trip.
(04:35):
And both of those were like, they weren't good baskets.
They weren't that you know, they were typical like some
of the you know stuff we've always seen from Dan
one foot kind of whirling the ball up off the
backboard and it drops in. He but he hasn't done anything.
So I don't even know what the path to get
him back on track is. But this is the guy
(04:57):
that scored eighteen points each in the first three Big
Twelve games, and now he can't score at all, Like
it's unbelievable. And his defense he was as bad defensively
against Utah as I've ever seen in a game from
a high level college basketball player. He was lost. His
(05:18):
footwork was terrible, his effort was terrible. I mean, guys
just blew right by him. He was out of position,
he couldn't get around screens. That's been a problem for
a month. I don't even know where to begin with
getting Dan Skillings back on track because all of it
is out of whack. There's not anything. Usually there's like
(05:41):
when a guy's in a slump, usually there's still some
things that he's doing well, and you know, maybe he's
not scoring or you know he's having a little bit
of difficulty. Here you look at a guy and he's
getting picked on on defense and you're like, well, yeah,
he gave up twenty five, but he scored eighteen. Like
that's not ideal, But don't get that fixed. Know how
to fix Dan Skillings right now? He's broken.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, I think that's well put on a team that
is struggling for answers. Why does Ravon Griffith never play?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I mean, the easy answer a couple of weeks ago
was because what Raymond gives you more than anything is
defense and rebounding. And at that time, this was a
top ten defense, and you know, the rebounding hadn't gotten
to a point where it was like press the panic button.
(06:36):
So at that point it was he's not a guy
that's going to give you a lot of offense, and
they were struggling to score. So you look at that
and you say, you know, there's not really a great
way to use him to make the team better. But now,
(07:00):
I mean, I don't know what. I don't know what
it hurts right that they're not defending, they're not rebounding,
they're not doing any of the stuff that that you
really believe is supposed to make this team good. So
throw them out there, give him a try. Especially DJ
Record's hurt, like CJ's hurt, Connor Hickman's hurt, there can't
(07:23):
be a couple of minutes for Ravon in there.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah, that's the thing. I mean, it might seem desperate,
But they should be desperate. Desperate if if you put
him in the game and he goes oh for four
and four minutes and his guy scores on him eight times. Okay,
Like why I've heard Wes say a lot of really
good things about Ravon in practice. Well, when your team
(07:46):
is struggling, if the dude really is doing what you're
asking in practice, how do you not give him? Give
him a shot? How do you not give them and
and and and let them know you're going to play tonight?
This is your shot. You know, you're you're going to
go in after twelve and let's see what you can
give us. And if you can't give us anything, right
back to the bench, and if you can, we'll build
(08:06):
upon that. I that's you know, he's not a new
guy to the program. He's been a part of his
program now for a while. I I'm not here to
tell you that I think he's the answer because they
have so many different issues. But it's interesting to me
that it's not even something that at least to this point,
they've tried.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah. I mean he did say in the pregame that
before Utah that with CJ down, there was a chance
Ray was going to see some minutes he didn't see him.
But at least now it's it's it's being broached. So yeah,
maybe you see him Sunday against West Virginia like there
was at least again there was at least some reasoning
(08:45):
behind why I didn't think we were seeing him a
couple of weeks ago. But now, I mean, you could
use it if he really has helped you rebounding in practice.
But are you sure if heck could use some help
there right now, why not put him out there and
see if he can get on the glass and and
and at least mix it up a little bit?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Uh, really quick? Today Scott Sadderfield spoke, Uh, you had Yeah,
he spoke today. You had him on Monday night?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
What night was that? Monday night? You had him Monday night?
You had him on.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
By the way, he seemed as at ease as as
I've seen him in a setting like that in uh
in quite a while, I know, off seasons different than
than in season.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
They've they've introduced a lot of transfers. Had four of
them speak today. Are the players they've brought in any good?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I think so? Uh? Mainly that one of them's name
is Mick Doom Yes, uh, and I like that.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
No.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I do think they got better in the secondary where
they just, you know, desperately needed to get better. I
don't know that that Kywee Walker is just going to
come in immediately and replace Corey Kiner, because I think
Corey Kiner was special and his ability to absorb contacts,
find a way to keep moving forward, continue to you know,
(10:06):
pick up some tough yards maybe when it wasn't wasn't
the right you know, it wasn't ideal, wasn't the perfect situation.
But he's a similar type back, so I think he
can help. I think the biggest question is going to
be did they get legitimate help at wide receiver? And
you know, we spring football starts in about six weeks,
(10:27):
so hopefully we get a better feel for that as
as they get out on the field, because you know,
it's it's it was their biggest need last year and
it didn't feel like they addressed it to the level
that they needed to address it. So they took another
swing at it again this year. Let's let's see what
it looks like.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, definitely need this. It's the understatement of the millennium
more explosiveness on offense. It's always good to talk to you. Jan,
thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's always good to talk to you. Mo. It's great
to see you today, and I look forward to seeing
you against it.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You'll see me on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I look forward to it, okay, and Bob Huggins.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And Bob Huggins will be there yes and his and
his hair. He sort of looks like Sean Connery in
The Rock before he you know, before he got his haircut.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
It's kind of what he's looking like these days. It's
that's great, Bob. You're in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Bob, thank you got ched so much. It's coming up
on four o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty. Make sure you
got a Chad's website, Bearcat journal dot com. Claig worn
Snowe and Jess Baseball on the moves the Reds have made,
including the one yesterday which most of us really really like,
and justin vive A Cyclones Alzheimer. By the way, Scott
(11:39):
Sanderfield's on with me at five twenty. Rick Patino's already
lecturing UK fans. Not already, he's lecturing UK fans again.
We'll talk about that Next on ESPN fifteen thirty
Mo Egger News
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