March 24, 2025 • 33 mins
Number, Word and Song of the Day. College Basketball Tournament Awards. LA Times UCLA Insider Ben Bolch
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Bum Me you, Petros in Money, second hour of a
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Speaker 2 (01:31):
It's a Modello meets a lot of Monday and you
know it's not a real meat if it's not made
with Modello. Modelo meets a lot. As a reward for
those with a fighting spirit, we hope to be rewarded
by our friend martender Brand at Do the Stadium on Thursday.
But first we have to get Matt inside the venue.
We're working on it. Have to get him inside the
(01:51):
venue selling meeches. Enjoy your mechi's and don't forget to
bring your friends well. Hashtag Rodello USA the mark. I'll
be a five minute need me all right, Matt? It is
now time for the word of the day.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
How his words the word of the day.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Today's word of the day is gratitude. We own it.
We owe a debt of gratitude. It's owed, not owned
to McK cronin yes, maybe he looks like Scott Hamilton,
but we love mc cronein. Oh, that's a good call,
Yeah he does. It was a great year for UCLA,
bouncing back, making the tournament, fighting it out in a
(02:38):
tough league, in a new league, and we appreciate mc cronin.
We'll see who stays and goes. We're going to talk
to Ben Bulch about it this area era hour.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Are you asking a question or Ben Well.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
We're gonna find out. We're gonna ask him about a
Daimarra was very intriguing player. As he develops, we can
all agree he's intriguing.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Welcome to college basketball, buddy.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yes, you have to have tall players, but he's really tall.
And Mick has said he doesn't want to leave. He
likes to tearing on sunset every day. He would have
to be fired to leave, that's what he said. And
you have to give it to Tennessee. They were better.
But I still think as the baseball season is upon us,
(03:21):
we should thank UCLA Men's Hoops for the content, the
content for great sports talk, which after all, is the
most important institution.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
We are all involved in great sports talk.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So we thank that great irishman mc cronin. Thank you
for the interviews, Thank you for the fiery anger in
the post games. Josh Lewin wishes he was wearing a
flame retardant suit for a great help to Great Sports Talk,
and a help to great sports talk is a help
(03:54):
to everything that is right and for humanity on planet Earth.
How do you know this? Because I am involved in
Great Sports Talk and I know how pure are purposes, coach,
That's how I know it. Question me for a million dollars.
I knew you were going to come out here and
ask me about offense on Great Sports Talk. Our responsibilities
(04:14):
are staggering, and we appreciate a man like mc cronan
helping us with our cause by creating stories. Thank you,
Bruins Men's hoops. Thank you to UCLA PR, especially that
guy with the nice hair, Alex. Yes, all we have
(04:35):
is the residue of Matt and Kate's Big ten teams,
which is cool. There's like four left. Oh, let's go
tom Izzol Michigan State, but we got Dodgers. Good luck
to all the young people.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Petros and money the best show in town.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
May you hear grouper heavy water water. I'd rather be
sleeping at tournament's end. A big thank you to mc cronch.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You're still pushing that one. Well, I just figured, after
twenty years, maybe you would shift to another song to
see if you can find some headway with something else.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, it is an interesting conundrum, Matt. You know, you know,
you pound your head against the wall years. But the
pounding of the head becomes a tradition, sure, you know,
much like anything else. Indeed, like the drinking of the
milk at the brickyard.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
All right, it is time for the number of the day.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Here's my number, the number of the day.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Number of the day is one.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Now I preface this by saying, I am sorry to
report that I was not attacked.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Are you self reporting?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
No, I'm just apologizing ahead of time by saying, this
would have been a much better story had I actually
been attacked, as opposed to simply pursued. But this morning
is I made my way to the water by myself.
Ocean is alive with activity, pot of dolphins straight in
(06:00):
front of me, puffs jumping through waves. I marvel at
that for a moment.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It's glorious God's creatures. Lucky. How lucky am I to
be here? Right? Now in the Smith and God's creatures.
Every morning, waxing down that surf.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Come off, jump in, wait for a few waves to crash,
start paddling straight out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Make sure that morning wood goes down the second to
hit that cold water. Yeah, get past the breakers, swim
out past the breaker, watch the world die.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
And as I'm making my way over to where the
guys I usually surf with were already set up and
catching some waves, I hear this very loud snort behind me,
like very loud, startles me a little bit, And there
is a big ass sea lion with its head poked
(06:48):
out of the water, maybe like one hundred feet behind me.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Is it like that antagonistic sea lion and Santa Cruz
that they stole that dude's board, beat up that surfer
and took his board.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
So thankfully I had read about this and on surf
lines one of those places had this story the demoic
acid problem that's happening right now, and like it's really
bad here in southern California. A lot of dolphins are
washed up dead on the shore. Sea lions are sick,
and thanks to thankfully me understanding that there's something going on,
(07:22):
I knew that if infected, it's like rabies, okay, that
these typically indifferent to us creatures can get a little wild.
So I turn around and this freaking sea lion is
closing in fast, and it is making a damn bee
line for me. It's got its head up and it's
kind of like Kacy and its head all over the place.
(07:44):
I don't know what to do. I'm like, all right,
do I sit up so only my legs are in
the water, But then I exposed part of my you know,
my board, like that sea line you were talking about
commandeered that person's surfboard up in Santa Cruz. Do I
stay on my stomach and just try to pass as
hard as I can over to the group where the
other people are, and maybe it doesn't want to be
in a pack of seven or eight people. But then
(08:06):
my head and my vital organs are in the area
of this large sea len's probably clocking in it like
two hundred three hundred pounds head, And if it takes
a bite, it's not just on my foot or my leg,
but maybe my freaking neck or my head. And next
thing I know, I mean, it is like a freaking cartoon.
You know when you turn around and then all of
a sudden, the thing is right on you, and this
(08:27):
thing is right next to me and it's head. They swim, well, yes,
turns out they're a lot better at swimming than my
freaking weak ass, and it's just kind of staring at
me and trying to figure out what the hell I am.
And in those two to three seconds, I basically thought,
you know what, like I get I get bit by
(08:49):
a shark or something. Okay, but like, really, the radio
show today is gonna be like, yeah, MAT's that here
because he got bit by a freaking sea lion and
he's in the hospital. And this sea lion was some
sort of demoic acid.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
We call you, we'd call you from the to the hospital. Yeah.
I mean, I'm just glad that the ocean gives you
the opportunity for middle life heroism, live of action, just
heroically knowing about that sea lion. It was heroic doing
the research. I had an upset stomach for the next
(09:23):
hour that I was in the water staring him down.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
You stayed in the water, of course, Oh my god, yeah,
it was. It was so be careful, folks, there's sea
leans out there. They're coming for you. It's coming for me,
but for whatever reason, he decided to turn away. At
the last second.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
A sea lion did attack a man and ox Gnard yesterday.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, thankfully I was able to escape with nothing but
some cowardice.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
He kicked the sea lion and the growing that just
was like please, please leave me alone. Please. It was
just straight cowardice, that's what That's how I escaped it.
It's a big animal with very sharp teeth. Yeah, and
it's not a cute like it is cute, but it's
not cute, idol. Anything that moves in the ocean better
than you is going to do you dirty, exactly. The
(10:09):
only thing that you can get away with is a manatee.
Oh the cow of the sea. We don't have those
here that I know of.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
All right, Ronnie, this is the song of the day. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Kurt Vile presents our song
of the day called Freeway. Because the Petros and Money
Show is returned to r AM radio frequency, where a
flex alert begins the week on an I'm a Horse
Modello meets you a lot of Monday with great sports talk.
Gassed up for the Freeway Series between the Dodgers and
Angels and Anaheim for the annual tune up before the
(10:47):
regular season begins later on this week. And Tim Kats,
who's right here across from me. We'll host Marongo Casino
Dodgers on Deck. That's coming up this afternoon at five o'clock.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Thanks, Ronnie, are you ready? We'll be right back with
the Tournament of Awards. Beware of the sea lions, especially
the rabid lactic acid sea lions coming after you.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Man am for giving away a pair of tickets to
the home opener Thursday versus the Tigers between now and Wednesday.
Your chance to win tickets to the home opener between
now and Wednesday Tomorrow. We'll be on again from two
to five Wednesday, we will be on very short show,
(11:37):
sliver of a show with the Clippers in New York
taking on the Knicks. So that day will be a
one to three thirty show. So between now and then, yeah,
chance to win a pair of tickets.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Oh you get loose for two and a half hours? Matter?
Oh yeah, loose enough? All right, it is time for
the Tournament Awards. Yes, the headline riders for the websites
and newspapers are in trouble, the men and women riding
(12:12):
the teases and bumps at the TV networks scrambling for
material because no Cinderella teams advanced to the Sweet six team,
no double digit seeds like the Loyola Ramblers or the
DCU Rams or Saint Peter's Peacox are alive and key.
The closest thing to is Cinderella would be a tense
(12:33):
seeded Arkansas Razorbacks. And no one can imagine an SEC
team coached by John calib Pari Calip Perry as an underdog,
let alone a Cinderella. So with sixteen teams in fifteen
games remaining, we present our annual NCAA Tournament Awards. The
(12:58):
Best Mascot award goes to the tiny UNC Greensborough, whose
women played Saturday at Galen Center against the women of
Troy Well. USC had its dorky horse costume Traveler walking
around with its fight on fingers. Greensborough's mascot, Spiro the Spartan,
stole the show tye in for the Petrosen money show listeners.
(13:22):
Zero Saltie, a fine Greek American who pitched for the
nineteen seventy eight USC National Championship team and Spiro's dad,
the late Tony P. Salties basketball star at USC who
led the Trojan Men to their only Final Four in
nineteen fifty four. The USC women played Mississippi State and
(13:42):
Galen at seven to night for a spot night in
the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Think Jane Daniels and his mom will be there tonight.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
That was a fun little video that was. Man, did
you see how sad Juju was when the mom moved
between them? Right? That mom is bad nightmare, but she's
gotten him this far.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Fair point.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
The Worst Mascot Award goes to Saint John's for having
Spike Lee sitting courtside all dressed up like a freaking mascot. Now,
if he went to Saint John's, we'd given the benefit
of the doubt. Spike Lee went to Moorhouse and n
why you in the Giant Boob Award category after Rick
(14:28):
Patino's Saint John's, Oh my god, the team was eliminated.
Talk about a pair. He went out watch his son,
Richard Patino lose for New Mexico to Tom Izzo of
Michigan State, and there was a woman standing behind back
and to the right of Patino on his right camera
(14:52):
left Yeah for an hour back into the left Yeah
now being offered two hundred thousand dollars by Cam Soda
to take it off, kind of like the boob lady
at that hockey game. Right. In recent memory, the nd
Memoriam Award CBS did a nice job on a tournament
(15:14):
opening Thursday morning honoring the recently departed Great Gumble. The
CBS announcers played tributes to Gumby, and of course, the
music bed during the segment was provided by his favorite man,
the Rolling Stones. Classy move with Gumbles passing and with
the retirement of referee Ed high Tower, we had extinguished
(15:35):
the rug doctor reward for twenty twenty five, but the
rug doctor reward has been rejuvenated by a liberty coach,
Matt Oh my god, the paint Richie McKay. The Flames
lost their opening game from Friday to Oregon, but a
screen grabbed from McKay's walk off interview at halftime broke
the internet over the weekend. Kay's hairline has been artificially
(15:58):
enhanced by by something It's like bubble paint almost though, Matt,
you know it had some girth to it. You can
see for yourself in social media with Richie McKay and
Kansas coach Bill Sealf both in the mix. Will be
prepared for a rug Doctor Award in twenty twenty six,
(16:19):
God willing and speaking of Bill self, his Jayhawks get
the end of the Raiders of the Lost Dark Melting
Nazi Award. They truly melted down. Kansas was the preseason
number one team, went to the tournament as a disappointing
seventh seed, lost to the ten seed Arkansas and Matt
(16:40):
The Crocodile Tears Award goes to Yukon's Danny Hurley, the
coach of the twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four
National Championship Luskies. Hurley's team lost in the second round yesterday,
and I expected more from him in the postgame media sessions.
He was tearing up in the press room like the
losing players and fans cry and march madness. He's a
(17:03):
great coach and he's got a brutally honest way of
evaluating his team had opponents. There's a great sixty minutes
piece on Hurly a couple of weeks ago where he
comes up much more likable, but he's crying after a
second round loss with a team that began the season
zero and three and MAUI. You know, I didn't even.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
You know, I would say going into the year. You know,
there's a lot you know, rewiring and things have gotta
be you got to do in the off season because
you just just get caught up in this title way
of a success that we've had and and you know,
you just, uh, you lose perspective. You know, you struggle
(17:47):
with the ego at times because you've no you know,
you've been on this incredible run. So uh, it'll be
nice to get to a to a normal off season
and just get back to uh, you know, myself as
a coach and not have to throw out first pitches.
You should only be ringing stock market bells and throwing
(18:09):
out first pitches when you win the major championships. So
you know, I won't have to do things like that.
I'll be able to just kind of you'll focus on
the upcoming season, make better decisions with all aspects of coaching.
But yeah, I mean when I saw the you know,
I h all right, when I was asked about the
thirteen in a row, Oh.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Jesus, all right, bring them back. Yeah, you know I
went thirteen in a row. Did I mention that to me?
Something's not right? Maybe those were tears of joy. Maybe
he was happy the season was finally over. I don't know.
The future is now. Ward goes to modern day guard
(18:47):
Nick Davidson, who has played for Steve Alford at Neva Arino,
but is now in the transfer port as the portal
is open for business. Davidson has schools from all major
conferences contact his agent and we will talk about the
portal and everything going on inside of it when it
comes to UCLA and who Mick Cronin can keep and
(19:09):
not keep with Ben Bolch. This very out the future
of the tournament awards. They will resume next Monday. We'll
get Cooper Flag involved. Juju Watkins who slept alone. I
(19:32):
mean it's not like they're twelve. No, it's not like
they have to leave room for Jesus when they're slow dancing.
I mean, twenty five, did Jow Watkins talk to Jade
and Daniels? Why not? Twenty five?
Speaker 4 (19:44):
She's a She's not a co ed at the the
the tri del chapter, she's freaking Juju.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I mean, did you see the chemistry though between them?
When they were actually sitting next to each other.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
That I mean, there was something there.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
That.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Mom's a real sea blocker.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Right looking at the camera, knowing where it was, sparking
at the camera like stay away her us makes.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Her own money. This is a girl that has her
own thing going. This is the perfect girl for your
son millionaire. This isn't some Instagram model with an augmented ass.
This is one of the great women's basketball players around,
maybe in the history. Where where's the problem, mom? I mean,
come on, who's gonna be good enough for him? You
(20:31):
want him to have kids? Right, geez, they.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Have Hall of Fame kids.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
If Michael Thompson were going on this, right, that's the
that's the theory. Talk about perfect Can you believe it?
Look at her? She's so short. What is Mikey doing?
I don't know. He seems happy, Michael happy. No, she's
(20:57):
too short. You can't and be happy with sh legs.
All right, we'll be right back with Ben Boltz to
talk about that transfer portal. Thank you for listening, everybody.
It's Petros some money on an Amah horse, Monday on
the MODELOI. It's a lot of Monday. Beware of the
sea lions.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Not made with Modello, a reward for those with a
fighting spirit. Modello the mark of a fighter making our way.
Another hour fletched out today, So if you're just checking
in this hour got on an hour early. Anything you
miss you can always relive through the Petrosy Money Podcast
at that iHeartRadio app PMS on demand, and of course
you can stream the show live there as well.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
All right, Matt joining us right now, a man who
is on top of uca LA athletics. Nobody does a
better job covering a team in town then Ben boltch
does covering you c LA football and men's basketball in particular.
I don't know if he's gonna jump over to the women,
(22:08):
that's right, I don't know. I mean they are the
number one seed generational team they say for Corey close.
But either way, there's a lot to discuss in the
aftermath of this year, with Mick Cronin making a return
to the NCAA Tournament but an exit in Lexington Media
Sharp Knife, Ben bolt joins us in your Southern California
(22:32):
Toyota Dealer celebrity hotline on the Petrosen Money Show. It's greging, Ben,
how are you what an introduction.
Speaker 7 (22:40):
Yeah, appreciate that. And to answer the question, yes, if
the women make it to the Elite eight, I will
be making a quick trip up to Spokane and I
will be jumping on the bandwagon to cover the bruins.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
You're gonna stay in that hotel right next to the
ice skating rink. You're gonna have the time of your life.
You know they're gonna make.
Speaker 7 (22:59):
A hotel up there, the Davenport. I don't know if
you ever stay up there. It's one of my favorite hotels.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
I've never stayed at the Davenport. I've always just stayed
in the one that has the spencer's in it, right
next to the ice skating rink. All right, I think
that's the one you should stay at.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
This at Davenport, I only stayed at one where a
guy was shot and killed while I was there covering
the Washington Spring Games.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
So again I got there's only one thing, the one
next to the freaking ice skating rink. The Spencer's in it.
I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to
say it has been Spokane hotel talk. Is Kate's gonna
chime in? Or what which one did the guy and
vision quest work at all. Right, Ben, First and foremost,
what kind of year would you characterize it? As with UCLA,
(23:42):
you always have such a great media ride covering Mick
Cronin and the UCLA basketball team, and there's always stories.
How would you characterize this year?
Speaker 7 (23:53):
You know, coach Cronin said it was a good year
because they bounced back and got to the nca Tournament.
But come on, this is UCLA basketball. You gotta you
gotta do a little bit better than that. They got
to the second round. I think my benchmark. You know,
you gotta you gotta at least try to get to
the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, right, So I
think this was a disappointment. I do think some context
(24:15):
is needed. He was right, Uh, you know, they had
kind of a failed euro experiment a year ago and
a losing record, had to reload with a ton of transfers,
and you know, did much better this year. But as
I said, this is UCLA basketball, so you got to
do better than losing in the second round, so I think.
But the big takeaway is they are primed to do
(24:37):
that next year if they can get the pieces they
need in the transfer portal. And that's that's kind of
the drama that's unfolding as we speak, that the portal
open today. Mick Cronin is gonna get busy and you know,
we'll see what he can do.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
How Ben, when you get into that, like how normal
not normal? And and maybe what we're hearing is it
accurate or not with how much Mick had to do
in terms of getting the money, in terms of working
the portal versus some of these other blue chip program coaches,
because it's sounded like, you know, not just from him,
but from other people around the program, that he really
(25:12):
had to bust his ass and do a lot to
try to get this thing right.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
On that front, yeah, he deserves a lot of credit.
He's been out front and center with the Men of Westwood,
which is the nil collective for basketball. He's always wearing
the T shirt. I think he's got hats, he's got
backdrop that says Men of Westwood. He works it as
hard as anybody I've ever seen. So you know, they
went from basically scrounging for pocket change to have an
(25:39):
award chest in one year. And to your point, I
think a lot of the credit goes to mccronin.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Dan first and foremost a Dai Mara, right, as far
as players individually goes, that's the first guy we think of.
He's the most interesting, and he's the one that's probably
come the furthest that we've seen throughout the year. And
he was kind of noncommittal to you over the weekend
when you were talking to all the individual guys about
(26:06):
coming back. What do you think is going to happen there?
Speaker 7 (26:09):
Well, that's that's the biggest intriguing piece as far as
the guys they have on the team and want to
bring back, because I wrote, you know, he is priority
number one, and I think that they're going to have
to sell him on multiple fronts. With the nil money
he's probably going to command, I think, well into you know,
seven figures. And then you know, playing time. I mean,
(26:32):
you know, one of the things that befuddled the fans
and the media. I think, you know, for the second
half of the season, once we saw what Adai mar
could do, whyren't you starting this guy playing in twenty
five plus minutes per game? And you know, there always
seemed to be some reason. It was either the matchups
weren't good, his conditioning needed work or he was sick,
and he was sick, you know, a couple of times,
and that's obviously a legitimate excuse. But still to me,
(26:55):
he's the biggest, best player and biggest difference maker on
the team. And I think, you know, instead of saying
he can't do this against you know, this small guard, no,
you flip the script and say they can't defend my
best player. So that was a little bit of a
head scratcher for me. But I think, you know, if
he comes back next year, they're going to rectify that.
He's going to be the centerpiece of everything they do.
(27:17):
And but you know, how does he fit in with
Tyler Billodeou and Eric Daly, Right, I think that's the
big question because those are the guys that you don't
want to try to get on the court at the
same time. But the problem is Eric Daily can't really
defend the three, So they're going to have to figure
out something there to try to get those three guys
on the court at the same time.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I think we then had heard that, you know, and
I know he didn't have a huge impact this year,
but you know what their recruit was that Trent Perry
had way higher offers to go somewhere else not UCLA
in terms of nil money.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
What do you think that looks like? How big?
Speaker 4 (27:52):
You know, I don't know how big we can project
a piece of the future Trent Perry is. But is
that someone they need to re recruit.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (27:59):
Absolutely, I think he's got an amazing future. He could
be a very big piece of this team going forward.
They always say, you know, the biggest leap you take
is between year freshmen and sophomore years. And I see
the potential in him to be, you know, a star
all big ten type players, so you definitely want to
hold on to him. But I think there's no doubt
that Mick Cronin besides Daimar, he has got to go
(28:22):
hunting for a star stud point guard in the portal
to really take over this team and take it to
the next level because the guard play was kind of
the big missing piece for this team this year, and
they cannot go into this another year that, you know,
hoping Dylan Andrews can get back to the form he
had the second half of last year when he was phenomenal,
(28:44):
just never really recaptured that this year, so you can't
kind of go into a season with hope as a strategy.
Love Dylan Andrews great brewer and tries his hardest, but
he's you know, just not there right now, and you
can't bank on the potential. You have to go with
a known quantity, so that, you know, besides, Laura getting
that point guard to me is kind of that's kind
of one A and one B for me.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Ben Boltch is our guest Mick Cronan's favorite beat rider
on the Petros and Money Show, joining us right now.
Well you have well you know, I mean you're the
only one when you're on Yeah, I mean you are
the only guy when you're on the road with him,
and so that that has to make it great and
also horrible too. Uh what is it like going back
(29:28):
and forth with Mick in that way, because, uh, he
seems to hold you accountable if he doesn't like your questions,
but you bounce back pretty well.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
No, Yeah, it's we have a great working relationship. And
I've said this multiple times to many anybody who's asked
that Mick Cronan is the is the coach I've enjoyed,
you know, covering the most in my long career. He
tells it like it is He's always accessible, he's funny,
he's humorous. You know, I always from the beginning, I've
called him, uh, you know, Ben ben Ou with less
(30:00):
hair but a better sense of humor. Right, So I
think that's that's kind of held up and uh, that's
kind of how I still characterize him. So I've you know,
enjoyed covering him for this six these six seasons, and
and hope he's there many more.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
What was the if you if you knew if there
was you know, I mean, most of the vacancies have
been filled now, I think, if not all of them,
But what was the market like when when all these
jobs were popping open for Mick? Obviously the big one
that that some had tied him to was was perhaps
Indiana having an interest.
Speaker 7 (30:30):
Well, you know, there is still one out there in Villanova,
you know. And I think you said some UCLA fans
are a little bit skittish about that. Coach Cornan has
been emphatic that they're going to have to make him
leave UCLA. Of course, we've heard coaches say things like
that before. However, Coach Cornan does pride himself on being
a sure teller, So i'd be I would be somewhat
surprised if he did leave. You know, you always have
(30:51):
to kind of have the caveat of anything can happen.
But I think he really does love it UCLA. You know,
the same guys he turns left on sunset. Uh, So
you know you can't do that up there in Philadelphia.
You'd have to keep going for about twenty five hundred miles.
So I think I'm going to take him at his
word at this point. I think he realizes that next
(31:12):
year he's got a core there that can compete to
get to the final four if he adds. You know,
I got to say the point guard. They need it.
They clearly need a wing to replace Kobe Johnson and
Lazarus Stefanovitch. And then frankly, I think they need another
seven footer because we saw I will say, you know,
when they played Michigan, their two seven footers really did
(31:33):
beat up mar and he could have used some help there.
So I think they do need another big man. Those
would be my three kind of big pieces that they're
going to need in the portal.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Just last thing for you, Ben, because you said it
earlier in the conversation about you know, going from from
pocket change to a war chest. Like when you say
war chest, I think up, go out and outbid some
of those biggest numbers. You say they need a point guard,
And I think about the rumors that were circulating that
maybe Kansas was prepared to offer brit Ayden Smith somewhere
in the neighborhood of three to four million dollars.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Is that is that kind.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Of like the warchest you're talking about, or what kind
of war chest does Mick have to play with here?
Speaker 7 (32:09):
Well, you know, I don't have the specifics, but I
will say I think they're going to be prepared to
go seven figures on some of these top guys and
and you know, in particularly bringing back bar for that
and the point guard.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
You know.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
So I don't have an exact number on the on
the whole thing, but I do think they're going to
be in a good place to be competitive. And then
you know, Mick Cronan is as great as anybody on
selling people on the UCLA experience and that's so that's
a big factor as well. It's not just all about
the money, right, So I think there's some advantages there
and Coach Coronan knows how to use them well.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
In matters time he could be having high tea at
the Davenport and Spokane. You don't want to miss that.
La Times superstar rider Ben Boltz really does do a
great job whatever he's doing, but especially for us covering
UCLA men's basketball and of course the football team. Ben.
Thank you so much and have a great week. We
(33:06):
appreciate you jumping on today.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
Always a pleasure, gentlemen, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yes, sir, yet, well, you know, I mean sometimes the questions,
sometimes you make statements with your questions, like hey, why
do you why do you suck so hard? Yeah? You appointed?
Question is what they call it. We'll be back with
another hour of great sports Talk, Great sports Talk, Story
(33:31):
of the day, We'll have quick hits, fun fact that
in Alive guy, and we're off early because Dodgers Freeway Series.
How's the stream stream commencing broadcasting on AM five to
seventy LA Sports and streaming on the iHeartRadio while it's.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
The longest running afternoon sports show in the city.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
No congratulations necessary. All traces of Fred Rogan have been removed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
This is Petros in Money, Thank You, Thank You, hosted
by Petros papadae.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Gas terrible person, He's the worst.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And Matt money Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The pipes, the pipes, the pipe.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Don't miss an episode. We're with you. Yeah, follow the
petros in Money show.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Wherever you get your podcasts now Here's Petros Papadacus and
Matt money Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Cannot be sensible and popular at the same time, then
I will always choose virtue rather than friends.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Bum Me you, Petros in Money, second hour of a
Modello Meet you a lot on Monday, as we are
on a flex alert, going to Dodger Freeway Series Baseball
five o'clock, Dodgers on Deck six, seven pm, first pitch,
same schedule tomorrow. You hear the Jacob Miller You know
that means anything you missed could be podcast through the
iHeartRadio app. Petros and Money on demand available there, as
(01:10):
is streaming the show live so no matter where you
are in the world, as long as you have that app,
you pop that AM five seventy LA Sports button. You
got Petrosen money interacting immediately with us as we do
the show live. Any other place you want to procure
the podcast is great, but the iHeartRadio app brings you
pms on demand and live in the month.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
It's a Modello meets a lot of Monday and you
know it's not a real meat if it's not made
with Modello. Modelo meets a lot. As a reward for
those with a fighting spirit, we hope to be rewarded
by our friend martender Brand at Do the Stadium on Thursday.
But first we have to get Matt inside the venue.
We're working on it. Have to get him inside the
(01:51):
venue selling meeches. Enjoy your mechi's and don't forget to
bring your friends well. Hashtag Rodello USA the mark. I'll
be a five minute need me all right, Matt? It is
now time for the word of the day.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
How his words the word of the day.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Today's word of the day is gratitude. We own it.
We owe a debt of gratitude. It's owed, not owned
to McK cronin yes, maybe he looks like Scott Hamilton,
but we love mc cronein. Oh, that's a good call,
Yeah he does. It was a great year for UCLA,
bouncing back, making the tournament, fighting it out in a
(02:38):
tough league, in a new league, and we appreciate mc cronin.
We'll see who stays and goes. We're going to talk
to Ben Bulch about it this area era hour.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Are you asking a question or Ben Well.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
We're gonna find out. We're gonna ask him about a
Daimarra was very intriguing player. As he develops, we can
all agree he's intriguing.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Welcome to college basketball, buddy.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yes, you have to have tall players, but he's really tall.
And Mick has said he doesn't want to leave. He
likes to tearing on sunset every day. He would have
to be fired to leave, that's what he said. And
you have to give it to Tennessee. They were better.
But I still think as the baseball season is upon us,
(03:21):
we should thank UCLA Men's Hoops for the content, the
content for great sports talk, which after all, is the
most important institution.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
We are all involved in great sports talk.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So we thank that great irishman mc cronin. Thank you
for the interviews, Thank you for the fiery anger in
the post games. Josh Lewin wishes he was wearing a
flame retardant suit for a great help to Great Sports Talk,
and a help to great sports talk is a help
(03:54):
to everything that is right and for humanity on planet Earth.
How do you know this? Because I am involved in
Great Sports Talk and I know how pure are purposes, coach,
That's how I know it. Question me for a million dollars.
I knew you were going to come out here and
ask me about offense on Great Sports Talk. Our responsibilities
(04:14):
are staggering, and we appreciate a man like mc cronan
helping us with our cause by creating stories. Thank you,
Bruins Men's hoops. Thank you to UCLA PR, especially that
guy with the nice hair, Alex. Yes, all we have
(04:35):
is the residue of Matt and Kate's Big ten teams,
which is cool. There's like four left. Oh, let's go
tom Izzol Michigan State, but we got Dodgers. Good luck
to all the young people.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Petros and money the best show in town.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
May you hear grouper heavy water water. I'd rather be
sleeping at tournament's end. A big thank you to mc cronch.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You're still pushing that one. Well, I just figured, after
twenty years, maybe you would shift to another song to
see if you can find some headway with something else.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, it is an interesting conundrum, Matt. You know, you know,
you pound your head against the wall years. But the
pounding of the head becomes a tradition, sure, you know,
much like anything else. Indeed, like the drinking of the
milk at the brickyard.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
All right, it is time for the number of the day.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Here's my number, the number of the day.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Number of the day is one.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Now I preface this by saying, I am sorry to
report that I was not attacked.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Are you self reporting?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
No, I'm just apologizing ahead of time by saying, this
would have been a much better story had I actually
been attacked, as opposed to simply pursued. But this morning
is I made my way to the water by myself.
Ocean is alive with activity, pot of dolphins straight in
(06:00):
front of me, puffs jumping through waves. I marvel at
that for a moment.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It's glorious God's creatures. Lucky. How lucky am I to
be here? Right? Now in the Smith and God's creatures.
Every morning, waxing down that surf.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Come off, jump in, wait for a few waves to crash,
start paddling straight out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Make sure that morning wood goes down the second to
hit that cold water. Yeah, get past the breakers, swim
out past the breaker, watch the world die.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
And as I'm making my way over to where the
guys I usually surf with were already set up and
catching some waves, I hear this very loud snort behind me,
like very loud, startles me a little bit, And there
is a big ass sea lion with its head poked
(06:48):
out of the water, maybe like one hundred feet behind me.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Is it like that antagonistic sea lion and Santa Cruz
that they stole that dude's board, beat up that surfer
and took his board.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
So thankfully I had read about this and on surf
lines one of those places had this story the demoic
acid problem that's happening right now, and like it's really
bad here in southern California. A lot of dolphins are
washed up dead on the shore. Sea lions are sick,
and thanks to thankfully me understanding that there's something going on,
(07:22):
I knew that if infected, it's like rabies, okay, that
these typically indifferent to us creatures can get a little wild.
So I turn around and this freaking sea lion is
closing in fast, and it is making a damn bee
line for me. It's got its head up and it's
kind of like Kacy and its head all over the place.
(07:44):
I don't know what to do. I'm like, all right,
do I sit up so only my legs are in
the water, But then I exposed part of my you know,
my board, like that sea line you were talking about
commandeered that person's surfboard up in Santa Cruz. Do I
stay on my stomach and just try to pass as
hard as I can over to the group where the
other people are, and maybe it doesn't want to be
in a pack of seven or eight people. But then
(08:06):
my head and my vital organs are in the area
of this large sea len's probably clocking in it like
two hundred three hundred pounds head, And if it takes
a bite, it's not just on my foot or my leg,
but maybe my freaking neck or my head. And next
thing I know, I mean, it is like a freaking cartoon.
You know when you turn around and then all of
a sudden, the thing is right on you, and this
(08:27):
thing is right next to me and it's head. They swim, well, yes,
turns out they're a lot better at swimming than my
freaking weak ass, and it's just kind of staring at
me and trying to figure out what the hell I am.
And in those two to three seconds, I basically thought,
you know what, like I get I get bit by
(08:49):
a shark or something. Okay, but like, really, the radio
show today is gonna be like, yeah, MAT's that here
because he got bit by a freaking sea lion and
he's in the hospital. And this sea lion was some
sort of demoic acid.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
We call you, we'd call you from the to the hospital. Yeah.
I mean, I'm just glad that the ocean gives you
the opportunity for middle life heroism, live of action, just
heroically knowing about that sea lion. It was heroic doing
the research. I had an upset stomach for the next
(09:23):
hour that I was in the water staring him down.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
You stayed in the water, of course, Oh my god, yeah,
it was. It was so be careful, folks, there's sea
leans out there. They're coming for you. It's coming for me,
but for whatever reason, he decided to turn away. At
the last second.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
A sea lion did attack a man and ox Gnard yesterday.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, thankfully I was able to escape with nothing but
some cowardice.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
He kicked the sea lion and the growing that just
was like please, please leave me alone. Please. It was
just straight cowardice, that's what That's how I escaped it.
It's a big animal with very sharp teeth. Yeah, and
it's not a cute like it is cute, but it's
not cute, idol. Anything that moves in the ocean better
than you is going to do you dirty, exactly. The
(10:09):
only thing that you can get away with is a manatee.
Oh the cow of the sea. We don't have those
here that I know of.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
All right, Ronnie, this is the song of the day. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
Singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Kurt Vile presents our song
of the day called Freeway. Because the Petros and Money
Show is returned to r AM radio frequency, where a
flex alert begins the week on an I'm a Horse
Modello meets you a lot of Monday with great sports talk.
Gassed up for the Freeway Series between the Dodgers and
Angels and Anaheim for the annual tune up before the
(10:47):
regular season begins later on this week. And Tim Kats,
who's right here across from me. We'll host Marongo Casino
Dodgers on Deck. That's coming up this afternoon at five o'clock.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Thanks, Ronnie, are you ready? We'll be right back with
the Tournament of Awards. Beware of the sea lions, especially
the rabid lactic acid sea lions coming after you.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Man am for giving away a pair of tickets to
the home opener Thursday versus the Tigers between now and Wednesday.
Your chance to win tickets to the home opener between
now and Wednesday Tomorrow. We'll be on again from two
to five Wednesday, we will be on very short show,
(11:37):
sliver of a show with the Clippers in New York
taking on the Knicks. So that day will be a
one to three thirty show. So between now and then, yeah,
chance to win a pair of tickets.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Oh you get loose for two and a half hours? Matter?
Oh yeah, loose enough? All right, it is time for
the Tournament Awards. Yes, the headline riders for the websites
and newspapers are in trouble, the men and women riding
(12:12):
the teases and bumps at the TV networks scrambling for
material because no Cinderella teams advanced to the Sweet six team,
no double digit seeds like the Loyola Ramblers or the
DCU Rams or Saint Peter's Peacox are alive and key.
The closest thing to is Cinderella would be a tense
(12:33):
seeded Arkansas Razorbacks. And no one can imagine an SEC
team coached by John calib Pari Calip Perry as an underdog,
let alone a Cinderella. So with sixteen teams in fifteen
games remaining, we present our annual NCAA Tournament Awards. The
(12:58):
Best Mascot award goes to the tiny UNC Greensborough, whose
women played Saturday at Galen Center against the women of
Troy Well. USC had its dorky horse costume Traveler walking
around with its fight on fingers. Greensborough's mascot, Spiro the Spartan,
stole the show tye in for the Petrosen money show listeners.
(13:22):
Zero Saltie, a fine Greek American who pitched for the
nineteen seventy eight USC National Championship team and Spiro's dad,
the late Tony P. Salties basketball star at USC who
led the Trojan Men to their only Final Four in
nineteen fifty four. The USC women played Mississippi State and
(13:42):
Galen at seven to night for a spot night in
the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Think Jane Daniels and his mom will be there tonight.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
That was a fun little video that was. Man, did
you see how sad Juju was when the mom moved
between them? Right? That mom is bad nightmare, but she's
gotten him this far.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Fair point.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
The Worst Mascot Award goes to Saint John's for having
Spike Lee sitting courtside all dressed up like a freaking mascot. Now,
if he went to Saint John's, we'd given the benefit
of the doubt. Spike Lee went to Moorhouse and n
why you in the Giant Boob Award category after Rick
(14:28):
Patino's Saint John's, Oh my god, the team was eliminated.
Talk about a pair. He went out watch his son,
Richard Patino lose for New Mexico to Tom Izzo of
Michigan State, and there was a woman standing behind back
and to the right of Patino on his right camera
(14:52):
left Yeah for an hour back into the left Yeah
now being offered two hundred thousand dollars by Cam Soda
to take it off, kind of like the boob lady
at that hockey game. Right. In recent memory, the nd
Memoriam Award CBS did a nice job on a tournament
(15:14):
opening Thursday morning honoring the recently departed Great Gumble. The
CBS announcers played tributes to Gumby, and of course, the
music bed during the segment was provided by his favorite man,
the Rolling Stones. Classy move with Gumbles passing and with
the retirement of referee Ed high Tower, we had extinguished
(15:35):
the rug doctor reward for twenty twenty five, but the
rug doctor reward has been rejuvenated by a liberty coach,
Matt Oh my god, the paint Richie McKay. The Flames
lost their opening game from Friday to Oregon, but a
screen grabbed from McKay's walk off interview at halftime broke
the internet over the weekend. Kay's hairline has been artificially
(15:58):
enhanced by by something It's like bubble paint almost though, Matt,
you know it had some girth to it. You can
see for yourself in social media with Richie McKay and
Kansas coach Bill Sealf both in the mix. Will be
prepared for a rug Doctor Award in twenty twenty six,
(16:19):
God willing and speaking of Bill self, his Jayhawks get
the end of the Raiders of the Lost Dark Melting
Nazi Award. They truly melted down. Kansas was the preseason
number one team, went to the tournament as a disappointing
seventh seed, lost to the ten seed Arkansas and Matt
(16:40):
The Crocodile Tears Award goes to Yukon's Danny Hurley, the
coach of the twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four
National Championship Luskies. Hurley's team lost in the second round yesterday,
and I expected more from him in the postgame media sessions.
He was tearing up in the press room like the
losing players and fans cry and march madness. He's a
(17:03):
great coach and he's got a brutally honest way of
evaluating his team had opponents. There's a great sixty minutes
piece on Hurly a couple of weeks ago where he
comes up much more likable, but he's crying after a
second round loss with a team that began the season
zero and three and MAUI. You know, I didn't even.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
You know, I would say going into the year. You know,
there's a lot you know, rewiring and things have gotta
be you got to do in the off season because
you just just get caught up in this title way
of a success that we've had and and you know,
you just, uh, you lose perspective. You know, you struggle
(17:47):
with the ego at times because you've no you know,
you've been on this incredible run. So uh, it'll be
nice to get to a to a normal off season
and just get back to uh, you know, myself as
a coach and not have to throw out first pitches.
You should only be ringing stock market bells and throwing
(18:09):
out first pitches when you win the major championships. So
you know, I won't have to do things like that.
I'll be able to just kind of you'll focus on
the upcoming season, make better decisions with all aspects of coaching.
But yeah, I mean when I saw the you know,
I h all right, when I was asked about the
thirteen in a row, Oh.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Jesus, all right, bring them back. Yeah, you know I
went thirteen in a row. Did I mention that to me?
Something's not right? Maybe those were tears of joy. Maybe
he was happy the season was finally over. I don't know.
The future is now. Ward goes to modern day guard
(18:47):
Nick Davidson, who has played for Steve Alford at Neva Arino,
but is now in the transfer port as the portal
is open for business. Davidson has schools from all major
conferences contact his agent and we will talk about the
portal and everything going on inside of it when it
comes to UCLA and who Mick Cronin can keep and
(19:09):
not keep with Ben Bolch. This very out the future
of the tournament awards. They will resume next Monday. We'll
get Cooper Flag involved. Juju Watkins who slept alone. I
(19:32):
mean it's not like they're twelve. No, it's not like
they have to leave room for Jesus when they're slow dancing.
I mean, twenty five, did Jow Watkins talk to Jade
and Daniels? Why not? Twenty five?
Speaker 4 (19:44):
She's a She's not a co ed at the the
the tri del chapter, she's freaking Juju.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I mean, did you see the chemistry though between them?
When they were actually sitting next to each other.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
That I mean, there was something there.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
That.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Mom's a real sea blocker.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Right looking at the camera, knowing where it was, sparking
at the camera like stay away her us makes.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Her own money. This is a girl that has her
own thing going. This is the perfect girl for your
son millionaire. This isn't some Instagram model with an augmented ass.
This is one of the great women's basketball players around,
maybe in the history. Where where's the problem, mom? I mean,
come on, who's gonna be good enough for him? You
(20:31):
want him to have kids? Right, geez, they.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Have Hall of Fame kids.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
If Michael Thompson were going on this, right, that's the
that's the theory. Talk about perfect Can you believe it?
Look at her? She's so short. What is Mikey doing?
I don't know. He seems happy, Michael happy. No, she's
(20:57):
too short. You can't and be happy with sh legs.
All right, we'll be right back with Ben Boltz to
talk about that transfer portal. Thank you for listening, everybody.
It's Petros some money on an Amah horse, Monday on
the MODELOI. It's a lot of Monday. Beware of the
sea lions.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Not made with Modello, a reward for those with a
fighting spirit. Modello the mark of a fighter making our way.
Another hour fletched out today, So if you're just checking
in this hour got on an hour early. Anything you
miss you can always relive through the Petrosy Money Podcast
at that iHeartRadio app PMS on demand, and of course
you can stream the show live there as well.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
All right, Matt joining us right now, a man who
is on top of uca LA athletics. Nobody does a
better job covering a team in town then Ben boltch
does covering you c LA football and men's basketball in particular.
I don't know if he's gonna jump over to the women,
(22:08):
that's right, I don't know. I mean they are the
number one seed generational team they say for Corey close.
But either way, there's a lot to discuss in the
aftermath of this year, with Mick Cronin making a return
to the NCAA Tournament but an exit in Lexington Media
Sharp Knife, Ben bolt joins us in your Southern California
(22:32):
Toyota Dealer celebrity hotline on the Petrosen Money Show. It's greging, Ben,
how are you what an introduction.
Speaker 7 (22:40):
Yeah, appreciate that. And to answer the question, yes, if
the women make it to the Elite eight, I will
be making a quick trip up to Spokane and I
will be jumping on the bandwagon to cover the bruins.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
You're gonna stay in that hotel right next to the
ice skating rink. You're gonna have the time of your life.
You know they're gonna make.
Speaker 7 (22:59):
A hotel up there, the Davenport. I don't know if
you ever stay up there. It's one of my favorite hotels.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
I've never stayed at the Davenport. I've always just stayed
in the one that has the spencer's in it, right
next to the ice skating rink. All right, I think
that's the one you should stay at.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
This at Davenport, I only stayed at one where a
guy was shot and killed while I was there covering
the Washington Spring Games.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
So again I got there's only one thing, the one
next to the freaking ice skating rink. The Spencer's in it.
I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to
say it has been Spokane hotel talk. Is Kate's gonna
chime in? Or what which one did the guy and
vision quest work at all. Right, Ben, First and foremost,
what kind of year would you characterize it? As with UCLA,
(23:42):
you always have such a great media ride covering Mick
Cronin and the UCLA basketball team, and there's always stories.
How would you characterize this year?
Speaker 7 (23:53):
You know, coach Cronin said it was a good year
because they bounced back and got to the nca Tournament.
But come on, this is UCLA basketball. You gotta you
gotta do a little bit better than that. They got
to the second round. I think my benchmark. You know,
you gotta you gotta at least try to get to
the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, right, So I
think this was a disappointment. I do think some context
(24:15):
is needed. He was right, Uh, you know, they had
kind of a failed euro experiment a year ago and
a losing record, had to reload with a ton of transfers,
and you know, did much better this year. But as
I said, this is UCLA basketball, so you got to
do better than losing in the second round, so I think.
But the big takeaway is they are primed to do
(24:37):
that next year if they can get the pieces they
need in the transfer portal. And that's that's kind of
the drama that's unfolding as we speak, that the portal
open today. Mick Cronin is gonna get busy and you know,
we'll see what he can do.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
How Ben, when you get into that, like how normal
not normal? And and maybe what we're hearing is it
accurate or not with how much Mick had to do
in terms of getting the money, in terms of working
the portal versus some of these other blue chip program coaches,
because it's sounded like, you know, not just from him,
but from other people around the program, that he really
(25:12):
had to bust his ass and do a lot to
try to get this thing right.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
On that front, yeah, he deserves a lot of credit.
He's been out front and center with the Men of Westwood,
which is the nil collective for basketball. He's always wearing
the T shirt. I think he's got hats, he's got
backdrop that says Men of Westwood. He works it as
hard as anybody I've ever seen. So you know, they
went from basically scrounging for pocket change to have an
(25:39):
award chest in one year. And to your point, I
think a lot of the credit goes to mccronin.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Dan first and foremost a Dai Mara, right, as far
as players individually goes, that's the first guy we think of.
He's the most interesting, and he's the one that's probably
come the furthest that we've seen throughout the year. And
he was kind of noncommittal to you over the weekend
when you were talking to all the individual guys about
(26:06):
coming back. What do you think is going to happen there?
Speaker 7 (26:09):
Well, that's that's the biggest intriguing piece as far as
the guys they have on the team and want to
bring back, because I wrote, you know, he is priority
number one, and I think that they're going to have
to sell him on multiple fronts. With the nil money
he's probably going to command, I think, well into you know,
seven figures. And then you know, playing time. I mean,
(26:32):
you know, one of the things that befuddled the fans
and the media. I think, you know, for the second
half of the season, once we saw what Adai mar
could do, whyren't you starting this guy playing in twenty
five plus minutes per game? And you know, there always
seemed to be some reason. It was either the matchups
weren't good, his conditioning needed work or he was sick,
and he was sick, you know, a couple of times,
and that's obviously a legitimate excuse. But still to me,
(26:55):
he's the biggest, best player and biggest difference maker on
the team. And I think, you know, instead of saying
he can't do this against you know, this small guard, no,
you flip the script and say they can't defend my
best player. So that was a little bit of a
head scratcher for me. But I think, you know, if
he comes back next year, they're going to rectify that.
He's going to be the centerpiece of everything they do.
(27:17):
And but you know, how does he fit in with
Tyler Billodeou and Eric Daly, Right, I think that's the
big question because those are the guys that you don't
want to try to get on the court at the
same time. But the problem is Eric Daily can't really
defend the three, So they're going to have to figure
out something there to try to get those three guys
on the court at the same time.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I think we then had heard that, you know, and
I know he didn't have a huge impact this year,
but you know what their recruit was that Trent Perry
had way higher offers to go somewhere else not UCLA
in terms of nil money.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
What do you think that looks like? How big?
Speaker 4 (27:52):
You know, I don't know how big we can project
a piece of the future Trent Perry is. But is
that someone they need to re recruit.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (27:59):
Absolutely, I think he's got an amazing future. He could
be a very big piece of this team going forward.
They always say, you know, the biggest leap you take
is between year freshmen and sophomore years. And I see
the potential in him to be, you know, a star
all big ten type players, so you definitely want to
hold on to him. But I think there's no doubt
that Mick Cronin besides Daimar, he has got to go
(28:22):
hunting for a star stud point guard in the portal
to really take over this team and take it to
the next level because the guard play was kind of
the big missing piece for this team this year, and
they cannot go into this another year that, you know,
hoping Dylan Andrews can get back to the form he
had the second half of last year when he was phenomenal,
(28:44):
just never really recaptured that this year, so you can't
kind of go into a season with hope as a strategy.
Love Dylan Andrews great brewer and tries his hardest, but
he's you know, just not there right now, and you
can't bank on the potential. You have to go with
a known quantity, so that, you know, besides, Laura getting
that point guard to me is kind of that's kind
of one A and one B for me.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Ben Boltch is our guest Mick Cronan's favorite beat rider
on the Petros and Money Show, joining us right now.
Well you have well you know, I mean you're the
only one when you're on Yeah, I mean you are
the only guy when you're on the road with him,
and so that that has to make it great and
also horrible too. Uh what is it like going back
(29:28):
and forth with Mick in that way, because, uh, he
seems to hold you accountable if he doesn't like your questions,
but you bounce back pretty well.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
No, Yeah, it's we have a great working relationship. And
I've said this multiple times to many anybody who's asked
that Mick Cronan is the is the coach I've enjoyed,
you know, covering the most in my long career. He
tells it like it is He's always accessible, he's funny,
he's humorous. You know, I always from the beginning, I've
called him, uh, you know, Ben ben Ou with less
(30:00):
hair but a better sense of humor. Right, So I
think that's that's kind of held up and uh, that's
kind of how I still characterize him. So I've you know,
enjoyed covering him for this six these six seasons, and
and hope he's there many more.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
What was the if you if you knew if there
was you know, I mean, most of the vacancies have
been filled now, I think, if not all of them,
But what was the market like when when all these
jobs were popping open for Mick? Obviously the big one
that that some had tied him to was was perhaps
Indiana having an interest.
Speaker 7 (30:30):
Well, you know, there is still one out there in Villanova,
you know. And I think you said some UCLA fans
are a little bit skittish about that. Coach Cornan has
been emphatic that they're going to have to make him
leave UCLA. Of course, we've heard coaches say things like
that before. However, Coach Cornan does pride himself on being
a sure teller, So i'd be I would be somewhat
surprised if he did leave. You know, you always have
(30:51):
to kind of have the caveat of anything can happen.
But I think he really does love it UCLA. You know,
the same guys he turns left on sunset. Uh, So
you know you can't do that up there in Philadelphia.
You'd have to keep going for about twenty five hundred miles.
So I think I'm going to take him at his
word at this point. I think he realizes that next
(31:12):
year he's got a core there that can compete to
get to the final four if he adds. You know,
I got to say the point guard. They need it.
They clearly need a wing to replace Kobe Johnson and
Lazarus Stefanovitch. And then frankly, I think they need another
seven footer because we saw I will say, you know,
when they played Michigan, their two seven footers really did
(31:33):
beat up mar and he could have used some help there.
So I think they do need another big man. Those
would be my three kind of big pieces that they're
going to need in the portal.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Just last thing for you, Ben, because you said it
earlier in the conversation about you know, going from from
pocket change to a war chest. Like when you say
war chest, I think up, go out and outbid some
of those biggest numbers. You say they need a point guard,
And I think about the rumors that were circulating that
maybe Kansas was prepared to offer brit Ayden Smith somewhere
in the neighborhood of three to four million dollars.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Is that is that kind.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Of like the warchest you're talking about, or what kind
of war chest does Mick have to play with here?
Speaker 7 (32:09):
Well, you know, I don't have the specifics, but I
will say I think they're going to be prepared to
go seven figures on some of these top guys and
and you know, in particularly bringing back bar for that
and the point guard.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
You know.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
So I don't have an exact number on the on
the whole thing, but I do think they're going to
be in a good place to be competitive. And then
you know, Mick Cronan is as great as anybody on
selling people on the UCLA experience and that's so that's
a big factor as well. It's not just all about
the money, right, So I think there's some advantages there
and Coach Coronan knows how to use them well.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
In matters time he could be having high tea at
the Davenport and Spokane. You don't want to miss that.
La Times superstar rider Ben Boltz really does do a
great job whatever he's doing, but especially for us covering
UCLA men's basketball and of course the football team. Ben.
Thank you so much and have a great week. We
(33:06):
appreciate you jumping on today.
Speaker 7 (33:08):
Always a pleasure, gentlemen, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yes, sir, yet, well, you know, I mean sometimes the questions,
sometimes you make statements with your questions, like hey, why
do you why do you suck so hard? Yeah? You appointed?
Question is what they call it. We'll be back with
another hour of great sports Talk, Great sports Talk, Story
(33:31):
of the day, We'll have quick hits, fun fact that
in Alive guy, and we're off early because Dodgers Freeway Series.
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