Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Final Four is this weekend, well Saturday, and then
the championship game Monday. Here to talk about it with
us is Mike Miller from the Field of sixty eight
daily college basketball newsletter. Mike, A favorite time of the
year for college basketball, Maven's the Final Four, right.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, especially if your team is still in it and
if your bracket has a chance to win. I think,
you know, it strikes me that it's almost a little
bit like that last that first Monday after the NFL
season ends, when people go crazy looking for updates on
their team, you know, with the transfer portal. Now it's
(00:40):
just as interesting if you're a guy a fan of
a team is not in the Final Four. But this
Final Four does have something for everybody. So that's my
long winded way of saying, it's the best of both worlds.
How about that.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, that's good. Now, just for full disclosure, you're a
Houston guy at least that's where you operate out of
So are the kuph here's your team? Or are you
agnostic or who's your rooting interest?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I am a Kansas graduate, so it was a rough
year quote unquote for me. I mean most years or
most Kansas years are a good year, great year for anybody,
But I do live in Houston. Houston was my pick
to win before the season started. Now I was well
informed because in case you don't know, every predictive metric
(01:26):
had Houston as a team to beat this year. Yeah,
before the season started, Ken palm Ev and Maya bark Torvik,
they all picked Houston. And it makes sense. You know,
they had four starters returning, they had their six man returning.
They've got really an unprecedented run of success over the
last six years under Kelvin Sampson. You know, they haven't
(01:49):
won a title, but they've been incredible. You know, they've
gone they've won at least thirty two games east of
the last four years, in thirty three games in twenty nineteen,
they've been to the Sweet sixteen. This is now. This
was now their seventh straight year for the Sweet sixteen,
(02:09):
you know, and they've been in the Big twelve for
the last two years. So it's not even like they've
been playing against chumps the last two years. So there's
a lot to like about Houston. But if I have
a hunch what your next question is going to be,
I don't think they can beat Duke. And here's why
I think I worry a lot about their backcourt size.
(02:32):
I think that Houston's terrific pressuring defense, pressuring offenses and
rening good shots, and Houston excels at extending possessions of
their own. But they've got a backcourt with l J.
Cryer and Milos Suzan and Manuel Sharp and Maleike Wilson,
and those guys are shorter than every single one of
(02:54):
Duke's starting guards. You know, Duke is really tall, and
that has been and the secret sauce for Duke this
year is that they're so long and so athletic at
every position, but especially for their guards. You know, their
guards are all six six or taller, and they're all
six to six and cover some ground. So Houston's going
(03:16):
to have to hit an incredible amount of threes, which
is possible, you know, they are. They do shoot about
forty percent from three. But I really worry about their
guards getting off good shots, and they're going to have
to slow the game way down, and they're going to
have to hope Duke isn't hitting shots. And that's a
lot to ask if you're Houston. Houston has to play perfectly.
Duke does not.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, Duke was very impressive and dismantling Alabama in the
semifinal rounds maybe the most impressive game of the tournament
in many ways, as they really manhandled Alabama. We'll talk
more about that with Mike Miller with the Field of
sixty eight College Hoops newsletter in a moment. I want
to circle back to Kansas because I was one of
(03:59):
those that's been underwhelmed with Hunter Dickinson. I think every
team he was on in college underachieved. Now that you've
had a couple of weeks to digest his reign and
lawrence when both KU teams he was on underachieved, do
you sort of dampen my enthusiasm for that opinion or
is it just happenstance for poor Hunter.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I don't know if it's happenstance, but I think it's
not dissimilar from what Bill Parcelshi' say. You know, your
record is who you are, you know, and Hunter is
a really skilled, productive player, but he is so limited
from what he can do from a defensive point of
view that it really puts everyone else in a bind.
(04:45):
You know. And part of the thing this year is
they thought they meaning the Kansas staff thought they'd surrounded
him with more shooters. Now it turns out Zeke Mayo
was really really good at home and could be hit
or missed on the road. Ryland Griffin had like two
stretches where he could hit perimeter shots. A J store
(05:06):
is a complete bus. Dwan Harris's three point shooting regressed
drastically this year, and kJ Adams can't hit a shot
outside of twelve feet. You know, if you have Hunter Dickinson,
you have to spread the floor around him. But then
more worrisome is what happens on defense because he's not
a room protector. He can alter shots and Kansas's interior
(05:27):
defense was about as sturdy as anybody's. But he can't
hard hedge, he can't get the guys in the perimeter.
He just is who he is, and he's a guy
who there's certainly a ceiling for him in any team
that was with him. I think they had high hopes
for him, but he was a guy whose production always
(05:49):
masked his limitations. And honestly, I think last year Kansas
was better than they were this year. They would have
been fine last season had Kevin Color not gotten hurt
because with it when they had mccolor and Johnny Furfy
and Dwan Harris. They have three guys and Marco Jackson.
(06:10):
They had four guys who could get a rebound and
initiate a break. You know, this year they didn't have that.
You know, this year they slowed it down more, they
played out at half court more. You know, the defense
was fine, but man, the offense was was a slog
some days. And you know, the thing is this team
was close for a lot of games. They played okay
(06:31):
enough to win like every one of the games they
lost since March when that was to Texas Tech, to Houston,
Arizona and Arkansas. They played well enough to win any
of those games. But that was the hill of their season.
They weren't good enough in the end to win those games.
And that was the difference.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
All right, Michael, Let's go to the other semifinal. Florida
and Auburn, obviously very familiar with each other, and Auburn
back for a second time under coach Bruce Pearl, Flora
to back for the first time in a while. How
do you see that matchup playing out?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
If you're kind of going off vibes, it sure feels
like it's Auburn's vibe to be in a good spot
to win this game. You know, they got good news
with Johnny Broom where he came back from what looked
like was going to be a serious injury that finished
up that second half against Michigan State on Sunday. There,
(07:27):
you would think a team like Auburn, which has a
lot of guys who are experienced, a lot of guys
who tend to play loose and care free, are going
to actually come in focused on this one because they
lost to Florida at home earlier this year in a
game where they really didn't play well. It was a
game where College Game Day came to their campus and
(07:49):
they just kind of laid an egg and Florida played terrific.
And the thing that will be interesting for me is
if Florida actually has a good start for once they
started slow in their last three and CUAA tournament games.
You know, they got they really got pushed by Yukon.
Maryland was in it for about twenty five minutes. And
(08:10):
then you know, if if Walter Clayton doesn't go Steph
Curry against Texas Tech, it's Texas Tech against Auburn, So
you feel it feels to me like if you're a believer,
momentum and off court kind of things influencing how you play.
It feels like Auburn has the edge in that regard,
and the other factor is ill. I'll be used to
(08:31):
see how Florida shoots them Dome. You know, they they're
a team that takes a lot of threes. They've got
four guys and their starting lineup who can stretch it.
When they bring in Thomas Hawk Howe and for Yaleu,
they'll have five guys who can shoot in the perimeter.
But Dome shooting is different. I actually haven't seen yet
what kind of ball they're going to use for the tournament.
(08:53):
It's been a it's been hit or miss for all
and slated the balls have been I don't know. If
you're Auburn and you're looking at this and you're two
and a half point underdogs, I think you feel pretty
good about it. I think you're in position to play
fast and loose and and probably come away with a win,
would be my guess.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Well, if you extrapolate that out, then Mike, Monday night,
it'll be Duke at Auburn for the championship. You talked
about Duke's length and being a problem for Houston, as
Auburn may be better equipped to handle that.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Probably, you know, and and obviously, uh, Duke beat Auburn
earlier this year, and that was at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
You know, it was a game where Cooper Flag was terrific.
But that was not the same team really that Duke
(09:50):
is using. Now, you know, they're they're much more connected there.
Their freshmen are definitely not playing like freshmen. And that
was a an Auburn team then that kind of struggled
to figure out what its rotations were. I can't see
Duke being too bothered by Auburn, even though they're going
(10:12):
to be big enough and physical enough to match Duke.
It just seems like Duke's way too talented. You know,
when you've got three NBA lottery picks on your roster
and another first round pick and Tyrese Proctor and an
experienced senior and Sion James, that's really hard to overcome.
It seems like this is going to be Duke's here.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Well, Mike let me very often too. Something has nothing
to do with the final four. We were talking the
other day with Patrick Engels from the Buckeye Sports Bulletin
about Buckeye basketball. An underachieving year for sure for Ohio State.
From your perch there at field of sixty eight, what
do you see with Jake Diebler in this Ohio State program?
(10:55):
Seems like they're just kind of stuck in a run
of mediocrity here.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I don't know, you know, he's He's certainly a coach
who was in the right place at the right time.
Last year Ohio State was due for some positive regression
after they fired Chris Holtman. Last year in Ohio State
played well enough to get Deebler the job. Now, the
(11:22):
question is, is Deebler in the same boat that Rodney
Kerry was in at Texas. You know, they've got they've had,
They had plenty of talent this year. The Big Ten
was pretty good and was not a league where you
could kind of mess around and still get in as
we saw from teams like Indiana. So there's probably a
(11:46):
little bit of good will for him, But I don't know.
It's I don't have the top of my head who
their rooting class has coming in. I think it's an
okay class, maybe not a great class, but they're going
to be a team that has to return Bruce Thornton
and hope he doesn't go pro. They're going to be
a team that's going to have to pick up at
(12:06):
least a couple of good players from the Portal. And
they got to address their front court. You know, the
front court was a mess this year. Sean Stewart was
not a difference maker for them. When they thought they
got him from Duke Aaron Bradshaw already went back into
the Portal. He was a non factor. You know, they've
got to get something up front, and they're in the
wrong league, you know, between the Big ten and the SEC.
(12:30):
Those are not leagues where you're trying to just rebuild
on the fly. You better have a plan coming in
or you're going to get showed up and end up
missing the tournament for something like that.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
That's Mike Miller with the Field of sixty eight College
Hope's newsletter. You can look that up on any of
the socials and online to get signed up with them. Mike,
We appreciate you taking time for us.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Hey glad to do it. Thank you.
The Final Four is this weekend, well Saturday, and then
the championship game Monday. Here to talk about it with
us is Mike Miller from the Field of sixty eight
daily college basketball newsletter. Mike, A favorite time of the
year for college basketball, Maven's the Final Four, right.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, especially if your team is still in it and
if your bracket has a chance to win. I think,
you know, it strikes me that it's almost a little
bit like that last that first Monday after the NFL
season ends, when people go crazy looking for updates on
their team, you know, with the transfer portal. Now it's
(00:40):
just as interesting if you're a guy a fan of
a team is not in the Final Four. But this
Final Four does have something for everybody. So that's my
long winded way of saying, it's the best of both worlds.
How about that.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, that's good. Now, just for full disclosure, you're a
Houston guy at least that's where you operate out of
So are the kuph here's your team? Or are you
agnostic or who's your rooting interest?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I am a Kansas graduate, so it was a rough
year quote unquote for me. I mean most years or
most Kansas years are a good year, great year for anybody,
But I do live in Houston. Houston was my pick
to win before the season started. Now I was well
informed because in case you don't know, every predictive metric
(01:26):
had Houston as a team to beat this year. Yeah,
before the season started, Ken palm Ev and Maya bark Torvik,
they all picked Houston. And it makes sense. You know,
they had four starters returning, they had their six man returning.
They've got really an unprecedented run of success over the
last six years under Kelvin Sampson. You know, they haven't
(01:49):
won a title, but they've been incredible. You know, they've
gone they've won at least thirty two games east of
the last four years, in thirty three games in twenty nineteen,
they've been to the Sweet sixteen. This is now. This
was now their seventh straight year for the Sweet sixteen,
(02:09):
you know, and they've been in the Big twelve for
the last two years. So it's not even like they've
been playing against chumps the last two years. So there's
a lot to like about Houston. But if I have
a hunch what your next question is going to be,
I don't think they can beat Duke. And here's why
I think I worry a lot about their backcourt size.
(02:32):
I think that Houston's terrific pressuring defense, pressuring offenses and
rening good shots, and Houston excels at extending possessions of
their own. But they've got a backcourt with l J.
Cryer and Milos Suzan and Manuel Sharp and Maleike Wilson,
and those guys are shorter than every single one of
(02:54):
Duke's starting guards. You know, Duke is really tall, and
that has been and the secret sauce for Duke this
year is that they're so long and so athletic at
every position, but especially for their guards. You know, their
guards are all six six or taller, and they're all
six to six and cover some ground. So Houston's going
(03:16):
to have to hit an incredible amount of threes, which
is possible, you know, they are. They do shoot about
forty percent from three. But I really worry about their
guards getting off good shots, and they're going to have
to slow the game way down, and they're going to
have to hope Duke isn't hitting shots. And that's a
lot to ask if you're Houston. Houston has to play perfectly.
Duke does not.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, Duke was very impressive and dismantling Alabama in the
semifinal rounds maybe the most impressive game of the tournament
in many ways, as they really manhandled Alabama. We'll talk
more about that with Mike Miller with the Field of
sixty eight College Hoops newsletter in a moment. I want
to circle back to Kansas because I was one of
(03:59):
those that's been underwhelmed with Hunter Dickinson. I think every
team he was on in college underachieved. Now that you've
had a couple of weeks to digest his reign and
lawrence when both KU teams he was on underachieved, do
you sort of dampen my enthusiasm for that opinion or
is it just happenstance for poor Hunter.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I don't know if it's happenstance, but I think it's
not dissimilar from what Bill Parcelshi' say. You know, your
record is who you are, you know, and Hunter is
a really skilled, productive player, but he is so limited
from what he can do from a defensive point of
view that it really puts everyone else in a bind.
(04:45):
You know. And part of the thing this year is
they thought they meaning the Kansas staff thought they'd surrounded
him with more shooters. Now it turns out Zeke Mayo
was really really good at home and could be hit
or missed on the road. Ryland Griffin had like two
stretches where he could hit perimeter shots. A J store
(05:06):
is a complete bus. Dwan Harris's three point shooting regressed
drastically this year, and kJ Adams can't hit a shot
outside of twelve feet. You know, if you have Hunter Dickinson,
you have to spread the floor around him. But then
more worrisome is what happens on defense because he's not
a room protector. He can alter shots and Kansas's interior
(05:27):
defense was about as sturdy as anybody's. But he can't
hard hedge, he can't get the guys in the perimeter.
He just is who he is, and he's a guy
who there's certainly a ceiling for him in any team
that was with him. I think they had high hopes
for him, but he was a guy whose production always
(05:49):
masked his limitations. And honestly, I think last year Kansas
was better than they were this year. They would have
been fine last season had Kevin Color not gotten hurt
because with it when they had mccolor and Johnny Furfy
and Dwan Harris. They have three guys and Marco Jackson.
(06:10):
They had four guys who could get a rebound and
initiate a break. You know, this year they didn't have that.
You know, this year they slowed it down more, they
played out at half court more. You know, the defense
was fine, but man, the offense was was a slog
some days. And you know, the thing is this team
was close for a lot of games. They played okay
(06:31):
enough to win like every one of the games they
lost since March when that was to Texas Tech, to Houston,
Arizona and Arkansas. They played well enough to win any
of those games. But that was the hill of their season.
They weren't good enough in the end to win those games.
And that was the difference.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
All right, Michael, Let's go to the other semifinal. Florida
and Auburn, obviously very familiar with each other, and Auburn
back for a second time under coach Bruce Pearl, Flora
to back for the first time in a while. How
do you see that matchup playing out?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
If you're kind of going off vibes, it sure feels
like it's Auburn's vibe to be in a good spot
to win this game. You know, they got good news
with Johnny Broom where he came back from what looked
like was going to be a serious injury that finished
up that second half against Michigan State on Sunday. There,
(07:27):
you would think a team like Auburn, which has a
lot of guys who are experienced, a lot of guys
who tend to play loose and care free, are going
to actually come in focused on this one because they
lost to Florida at home earlier this year in a
game where they really didn't play well. It was a
game where College Game Day came to their campus and
(07:49):
they just kind of laid an egg and Florida played terrific.
And the thing that will be interesting for me is
if Florida actually has a good start for once they
started slow in their last three and CUAA tournament games.
You know, they got they really got pushed by Yukon.
Maryland was in it for about twenty five minutes. And
(08:10):
then you know, if if Walter Clayton doesn't go Steph
Curry against Texas Tech, it's Texas Tech against Auburn, So
you feel it feels to me like if you're a believer,
momentum and off court kind of things influencing how you play.
It feels like Auburn has the edge in that regard,
and the other factor is ill. I'll be used to
(08:31):
see how Florida shoots them Dome. You know, they they're
a team that takes a lot of threes. They've got
four guys and their starting lineup who can stretch it.
When they bring in Thomas Hawk Howe and for Yaleu,
they'll have five guys who can shoot in the perimeter.
But Dome shooting is different. I actually haven't seen yet
what kind of ball they're going to use for the tournament.
(08:53):
It's been a it's been hit or miss for all
and slated the balls have been I don't know. If
you're Auburn and you're looking at this and you're two
and a half point underdogs, I think you feel pretty
good about it. I think you're in position to play
fast and loose and and probably come away with a win,
would be my guess.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Well, if you extrapolate that out, then Mike, Monday night,
it'll be Duke at Auburn for the championship. You talked
about Duke's length and being a problem for Houston, as
Auburn may be better equipped to handle that.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Probably, you know, and and obviously, uh, Duke beat Auburn
earlier this year, and that was at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
You know, it was a game where Cooper Flag was terrific.
But that was not the same team really that Duke
(09:50):
is using. Now, you know, they're they're much more connected there.
Their freshmen are definitely not playing like freshmen. And that
was a an Auburn team then that kind of struggled
to figure out what its rotations were. I can't see
Duke being too bothered by Auburn, even though they're going
(10:12):
to be big enough and physical enough to match Duke.
It just seems like Duke's way too talented. You know,
when you've got three NBA lottery picks on your roster
and another first round pick and Tyrese Proctor and an
experienced senior and Sion James, that's really hard to overcome.
It seems like this is going to be Duke's here.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Well, Mike let me very often too. Something has nothing
to do with the final four. We were talking the
other day with Patrick Engels from the Buckeye Sports Bulletin
about Buckeye basketball. An underachieving year for sure for Ohio State.
From your perch there at field of sixty eight, what
do you see with Jake Diebler in this Ohio State program?
(10:55):
Seems like they're just kind of stuck in a run
of mediocrity here.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I don't know, you know, he's He's certainly a coach
who was in the right place at the right time.
Last year Ohio State was due for some positive regression
after they fired Chris Holtman. Last year in Ohio State
played well enough to get Deebler the job. Now, the
(11:22):
question is, is Deebler in the same boat that Rodney
Kerry was in at Texas. You know, they've got they've had,
They had plenty of talent this year. The Big Ten
was pretty good and was not a league where you
could kind of mess around and still get in as
we saw from teams like Indiana. So there's probably a
(11:46):
little bit of good will for him, But I don't know.
It's I don't have the top of my head who
their rooting class has coming in. I think it's an
okay class, maybe not a great class, but they're going
to be a team that has to return Bruce Thornton
and hope he doesn't go pro. They're going to be
a team that's going to have to pick up at
(12:06):
least a couple of good players from the Portal. And
they got to address their front court. You know, the
front court was a mess this year. Sean Stewart was
not a difference maker for them. When they thought they
got him from Duke Aaron Bradshaw already went back into
the Portal. He was a non factor. You know, they've
got to get something up front, and they're in the
wrong league, you know, between the Big ten and the SEC.
(12:30):
Those are not leagues where you're trying to just rebuild
on the fly. You better have a plan coming in
or you're going to get showed up and end up
missing the tournament for something like that.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
That's Mike Miller with the Field of sixty eight College
Hope's newsletter. You can look that up on any of
the socials and online to get signed up with them. Mike,
We appreciate you taking time for us.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Hey glad to do it. Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com