Ben Criddle talks BYU sports every weekday from 2 to 6 pm.
Today's Co-Hosts: Ben Criddle (@criddlebenjamin)
Subscribe to the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle podcast:
Apple Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-sports-with-ben-criddle/id99676
Today's Co-Hosts: Ben Criddle (@criddlebenjamin)
Subscribe to the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle podcast:
Apple Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-sports-with-ben-criddle/id99676
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports with Ben Kretel at its time for the.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Cougar Beat, getting the dish from the local reporters that
cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back Cougar Sports one O three nine ninety eight
three GSP and the fan Ronald, the three man Weaver
here sean Walker of Ksil calls by my side, AP
our version of AP next to me as well, Brett
always bringing the hammer by my side as well. You
heard the Insurre. Gonna get into a little Cougar Beat.
Need to catch up with one of our favorite guests,
the Godfather, I call him the Godfather. The Daily Heraldy
(00:29):
and Darnel Dixon will welcome in momentarily. But this Cougar
Beat segment is gonna be brought to you by odon Menswear.
That's right, odio n menswear dot com. If you're a missionary,
let us give you a free gift. What's your mission call?
You're gonna get a free shirt, that's right, You're gonna
get a free pair of socks. All you have to
do is go to any of the four locations along
the Wasatch front, Orum, Drapel, Riverton a bottleful and you
(00:52):
can claim and get that free gift today. If you're
getting married like ap they got the wedding bundle, you
can still get that too. It comes with the Elevators suit.
It's to suit, the shirt, to shoes, the belt and
tie all for five hundred dollars. You don't want to
miss an opportunity for them for you to earn their
business again. If you're going to prom that's still going
on homecoming, you can get a suit, shirt and tie
(01:13):
all for three fifty as well. You gotta get go
in store to claim these, but you can schedule your
appointments today at Odion menswear dot com. You want to
look good, feel good and do good, and you do
that with the Sports Performance suit. It's the Elevate suit.
Elevate your suit game today with Odeon Menswear. Without further do,
let's get out to the hot line. Welcome in Double D,
the Daily Herald in Double D. How we live in today.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
We'll always good to be with you guys on a
Thursday preceding a BYU.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Game one hundred percent before we get into the football.
You know, maybe I'll get chastass for us. Okay, I'll
take it on the chin. We do have a big
event going on that will be attending. Marriott Madness is tonight.
They're competing in a NBA All Star like event. I
know that had to definitely come from Kevin Young himself.
And then they'll have the Blue and White Scrimmage tonight
nine days of way from BYU men's basketball starting their
(02:02):
exhibition game against Nebraska on the road in Omaha. Double ed.
Just your thoughts on Marriott Madness tonight.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Believe events really aren't for the media, They're for the fans,
and uh, you know, Mark Pope was quite the showman.
I don't think that Kevin Young is quite the uh
you know, top coat and tails kind of guy that
maybe Mark Pope was. But the entertainment that's going to
be provided for us as media is being able to
watch this team together for the first time, and in
(02:32):
Kevin's first year, we got to go in and watch
a couple of parts of practices before the season started.
In the summer, we haven't had a chance, so we
haven't seen anything other than what everybody else has, the
clips that BYU's put on the on the internet, and
you know, seeing ag debonsa play this summer for Team
USA and the U nineteen tournament but seeing all of
(02:55):
these players together is going to be kind of a
treat as as far as this is the first time,
and you know, it's just a scrimmage and it's not
going to be a big deal, but it will be
the first chance we get to see him. And this
is a team that's very hyped and a team I've
seen as high as number seven in a lot of
preseason holes coming out, and so it's going to be
(03:18):
at least a chance to kind of see them all
together and see what they've been working on for the
last several months.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
One hundred percent, no doubt about it. Darnell Dixon of
the Daily Herald Online in the Coogar Beat Double D.
You mentioned it just a second ago projecting's highest top seven.
I think they'll come in seven, no lower than eight.
Whenever those posts come out. When was the last time
BAU men's basketball is ranked in the top twenty five if.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Ever to start the season? Man, it's been a while.
I don't know that answer. I think they probably did
during Dave Rose's tenure, maybe once or twice been ranked
at to start the season. You know, you have to
go probably back to the mid eighties or early eighties
(04:01):
when they were getting ranked. Maybe a little bit more,
but it's it's unusual, but it's just the kind of
program that Kevin Young has put together with the kind
of talent that he's brought to Probo. You look at
that roster and it really it doesn't look a lot
like b WHATYU teams used to look like. And I
don't mean that in terms of, you know, black and
white faces. I just mean the talent wise. They just
(04:22):
seem to have spots built by guys who would probably
ever have considered b YU before. And so Kevin Young
has opened up a whole new recruiting aspect and we'll
see if it pays off. But it sure seems like
this team is built with a lot of talent and
for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I think you're right there, Darnell. The talent on this
team seems pretty undeniable. Aj De bonsa rob right the third,
Tyler Moruss got some buckets, the me highlight. Mihilo Boskovich,
we can't leave him out. Nate Pickens. We saw what
keep It KTA and Richie Saunders did last year. I
think Dominique Diomande could be a little bit slept on
Sam with Canard Davis, Mumu, Xavian Staton. I think the
(05:03):
talent is right there with this BYU basketball team. What's
the number one question that you have about this team
heading into the season, Because I got a feeling, Darnell
that it's not necessarily about the talent that coach Kevin
Young has assembled. But what's your number one question that
you're kind of taking into the preseason if.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
You will, Well, it's got to be chemistry, and that
is built over time, and it's built by players buying
into the process and what Kevin Young wants them to do.
And it's really interesting when you look at his background.
He comes from the NBA and so he got to BYU.
When he said something the players went, well, he was
(05:43):
coaching in the NBA. I knows what he's talking about.
And then he has a year like they had last year,
and the new guys coming in probably realized, Hey, Kevin
Young knows what he's talking about. It if he tells me
to do something, I better do it because the proof
is in the results. And so as they buy into
what the process is with Kevin Young, that puts that
(06:03):
chemistry to work and you know what kind of a
team they'll have. Is it going to be a little
more top Heavy's scoring, I think, is a question I
have because you have Richie Saunders and Aj Debonson, whoever
one figures will be the top two scorers. But last
year's strength was in the numbers and they had eleven
guys they would play in a game, and that was crazy.
I've never seen that from a BYU team. How deep
(06:25):
will they be and how deep will the scoring be,
We don't know yet, but certainly Aj and Richie are
the two most prominent scores that they have coming back,
but they have a lot of players who can score points.
Dawson Baker off the bench. You can put Rob right
as a guy that when we saw him playing the
Marriage Center last year, he put up more than twenty
against the Cougars. While he's playing at Baylor, so he
could fill it up. So I think that the distribution
(06:47):
of points on a given night will be interesting to see,
and the minutes as well. As he digs into the bench,
you know, do we get to see Couldieve and Bop
get in there during the preseason, because we've heard great
things about what he's been doing in his development. Over
the summer, and then the newer guys Canard Davis and
you mentioned the Nick Pickens and Dominic Deumnde. Where do
they fit into this roster and what minutes will they receive?
(07:10):
So there's a lot to be determined. And Kevin Young
is the kind of guy who kind of goes by feel.
He doesn't win to the season saying this is how
I'm going to do it. He kind of lets the
players figure out where they're going to be and where
he wants them. Because I remember talking to him last
year and we asked him midway through the season, did
you think he'd be playing eleven players in a game
this time? He said, no, I didn't really think that
was what I was going to be doing, but that's
(07:32):
how it evolved. So he's I think he's really good
at adjusting his expectations based on what he's seeing on
the court, in practice and in games. So we still
have to see a lot of that come up and
see how that all develops.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, and it sounds like for all of the discussion
and the hype and the you know, the preseason hype
videos and all of that stuff around guys like AJ
and and what Xavier could potentially be Rob Wright. I mean,
people forget he's only a sophomore, right, but he's a
young guy.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
But maybe in a lot of.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Ways, this season comes down to I know we've talked
about Richie Saunders a lot. He'll be a senior, so
this kind of speaks to the point. But maybe in
some ways it comes down to sort of that magical
senior class, right, six seniors that have all played a
lot of college basketball, whether it's be at BYU like Richie,
or just in general with guys like Cuba or Nate
(08:23):
Pickens you see riverside transfer or that kind of thing.
Is it is it fair to say, Darnell that this
team may be just as dictated or just as kind
of motored.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I don't know at a better word than that, by
this group of seniors as much as the phenomenal, phenomenal
freshman like aj Debontsa.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I always borrow the borrow the best points that
Mark Pope made one of the things he said all
the time with seniors or magic, and I think this
group has the potential to be that way this year.
And you do that not only by how you play
on the floor, but how you lead on and off
the court. And all of these players that are going
to be seniors, Richie and and Dawson and Keva Keva,
(09:08):
I mean, they've all been there, they've all done that.
They can all lead by not only example, but by
showing the way and especially with the newer players to
follow along with with what is penciled in by the
coaches and how they figure things out. So the senior
class has a lot of responsibility to do that. And
and you know, certainly a j it's interesting because a
(09:29):
dynamic for him is he's a freshman expected to be
a leader, and this may be his only year in provo,
so it'll be interesting to me to see how he
handles that mantle, how much he leads, and how much
he follows the lead of guys like Ritchie and Kiva.
But certainly, certainly the senior class is going to have
a big impact on how this program finishes this season.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yeah, no doubt about it. As well, the seniors and
obviously the high level come and talent is what's going
to lead b Why you no doubt. As we have
Darnel Dixon on lone Cougar Beat segment here on one
O three nine and ninety eight three double d This
was ass last year, and Kevin Young wasn't very declarative
on it. Righty a coach the team that was wearing
(10:11):
the white jerseys, Hey, is that the projected started five?
He's like, Oh, no, don't know. It's pretty obvious. I
think who the start in five is gonna be, right,
Kaba no doubt, Richie no doubt, Rob Right, no doubt,
ag no doubt, which leaves Canard Davis Junior. That's probably
who's going to be in the white in that regard.
Do you think Kevin Young will give the declarative answer
(10:31):
in the post game when it's as if that will
be the starting five, because I don't think you can
really hide who that fit starter is.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Probably not, but he probably won't be very declarative about it.
I wouldn't think he likes to to kind of, you know,
let like I said, let the players sort of determine
how that happens. And as far as his system is concerned,
being a starter's great, but you might end up getting
more minutes off the bench, and you might be part
of that group of five down the stretch that you're
(11:03):
playing important minutes as well. And that's something you're take
into account. Who does he want on the court in
that last couple of minutes, And there may be other
guys that emerge. I mean, Mahailo Boskovit's had some really
big late minutes last season coming into the game. I'm
thinking about was at West Virginia where he went down
the lane and dunked in the last second. But a
lot of these guys are going to be able to
(11:24):
make contributions at certain points in the season, and sometimes
that varies. You know, you don't go into the season
saying here's my starting five, here's my rotation, and this
is how it's going to go the whole season. You
have injuries, you have ineffectiveness, you have issues with sickness.
All those kind of things can impact that, and so
I think we'll see a variety. But I'm with you.
I think that those five guys you mentioned are probably
(11:47):
going to be the starters, but I wouldn't be surprised
to see others make headway and play important minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, and speaking of you know, you've got tonight's scrimmage,
You've got the Nebraska and North Carolina coming up in
the exhibition games. What are you wanting to see.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
From this BYU basketball team through those three events.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
What kind of progress do we want to see from those?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, I think it's an interesting discussion just because they
haven't really had this setup before. They've had the secret
scrimmages that we weren't allowed to watch, and so the
coaches wanted those with certain expectations and they wanted to
see certain things, but we didn't get a chance to
see those, and so we all all got secondhand information
on how something happened or who did what. And so
(12:33):
I feel like for those two exhibition games, first one
being on the road, you want to see how the
team comes out in a hostile a little bit hostile environment.
You want to see how well they've been able to
adapt defensively. That's one of the things that talking to
the coaching staff this summer, they really put a lot
of emphasis on the perimeter defense, and they feel like
(12:54):
they can play better perimeter defense. And you look at
that sweet sixteen run last year. It was despite the
fact they were giving up fifty two to three pointers
in three games. I mean, they really needed to shore
up that exterior part of the defense. And so that's
something I think we need to kind of pay attention
to does Canard Davis kind of take that role as
(13:17):
a stopper. Are the rest of the players a little
bit better defensively? Can Rob Right's quickness help them on
some of those good point guards. And then and then
North Carolina, you know that that's another game against a
really talented program. That'll be the first time they'll play
in front of the home crowd. I'll be it up
at the Marriots or at the Delta Center. But I
think that's what we're looking for. And they'd say they
(13:38):
have a great shooting team, and we know shooting kind
of comes and goes, but it'd be nice to see
them hit some threes and get some things going on
the outside to open up the inside for Keba and
some of the bigger guys. So those are a couple
of things that during and then the rotation, I think
that's the thing we all want to see is who stars,
who plays, who's earned minutes, who's impactful when they get
into the game. That's you know, when you come off
(14:01):
the bench, it always seems like there's more pressure on
you not to make a mistake. And so that's something
to watch too. When they bring someone like Dawson Baker
off the bench, I would expect him to have a
pretty long leash, but maybe Nate Pickens, Dominicu Dumont, they
don't have as long a leash because they're new. So
that's something else to keep an eye on.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
You definitely bring up a good point guys leashes in
that regard. I think Dawson Baker will have a long
release I think than anybody else coming off the bench
in my opinion, because of Kevin Young, and when Kevin
Young was raving about Dawson last year, what I mean
raving is you insert him in the Baylor game in
overtime after missing you know a handful of shots and
to close it out. Same with Utah, right, you insert
(14:41):
this guy to take the final shots. So he trusts
Dawson and like his game. So I agree, I think
that leash is definitely gonna be there because we've seen that.
In that regard, I want to ask you, though, what
do you feel like this Tyler Moruss and Alexi how
are they going to fit into the mix? Because I
look at those two guys and I'm looking at like
these matchups and skill sets right in the Big twelve
and hard play and wing depth and shooting, and those
(15:03):
two guys can shoot the lights out of the ball.
Like I don't think a lot of people know who
Alexi is, and they're going to find out, if not
this season, definitely next season. But Tyler Moruss as well,
My goodness, they brought in him and he's Everything I've
heard in workouts from my sources is that Tyler has
been killing it.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, those are two guys that are going to have
to find their niche in this offense, and you expect
them to be really good shooters. I know Tyler when
he first got here, he said he kind of struggled
a little bit with the pace and what they were
doing in practice, but then once he got it, he
got it. And Alexi comes in acoustic with a really
big reputation as a shooter and some European experience. I
(15:44):
feel like both of those players are going to be
key to what Byu does because there'll be games when
the main players, the starters, are not hitting threes and
you want to be able to bring guys off the
bench that can put pressure on the defense, and both
of them can can do that. And so Tyer even
talked to me when I did an interview with him
for a story this summer. He said, he feels like
(16:04):
he's a pretty good defensive player too, and at six
foot seven, that gives you some flexibility defensively where you
can put him on a forward or shooting guard and
maybe even a smaller guard and cause some issues. So
that's why these things, the Blue and White game and
the exhibition games is important, at least in my mind
for me to see kind of where all those guys
(16:25):
fit in and what their skill sets are. And I
feel like last year Kevin Young was a master at
choosing the moments when to put those guys in and
when to utilize their talents where they're strong. And so
those are some things again to be looking at in
these exhibition games and tonight at the Blue and White
one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Darnel Dixon of The Daily Hero on the Line and
the Cook could be Let's transition to football now is
to talk a handful of good stuff about basketball, And
just a reminder for those that aren't listening or just
tuning into the interview, the Blue and White Scrimmage is night.
It's free. You can show up to the Marriott, it's
free charge and I come check out this highly talented,
high level projected to be top ten bo E men's
(17:05):
basketball team U of A b YU. B yu's won
the last five matchups I got, AP looked at it.
Excuse me, last four it will be. I think it
will be the last five. But BYU is I lost
the game in the Arizona what over six thousand days
I think is what AP had he put it out
there the statury day I always brought to you by
banderwealthbandwelf dot com. How do you see this one playing
(17:26):
out on Saturday double D between by U and U
of A, especially if there's bad weather projected to be
bad weather. They've discussed maybe moving the game up. Your
thoughts on everything going on, maybe down there and Tucson potentially.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yeah, I've been to Tucson. It's a pretty cool stadium.
I had a good time down there in a game
I covered way back when I think I remember Arizona
one that I won on a field goal, like a
fifty four yard field goal late, and I feel like
this team b YU is going to have to kind
of survive the first quarter. I think arezon one, who's
(18:02):
gonna come out super pumped because they know they've lost
to BYU most recently last year they got a little
bit whipped in Cougar's area the Ubert Stadium, and so
I feel like they're going to be up for the game.
Bo He's gonna have to weather that. I still want
to see the run game established itself better at all.
They put up some decent numbers, and I know Pro
(18:23):
football focus has been really high on the offensive line
for BYU, and Hans Olsen's posted on social media that
they're killing it. And I just look at three point
two yards per carry against West Virginia before that final
thirty two yard run by lj and in the last minute.
That doesn't really matter. And I just feel like I
want them to be stronger and establish it more. And
(18:43):
certainly in a wet weather game, you want to be
able to control the line of scrimmage and not have
to throw the ball quite as much. But I feel
like Aaron Rodrick has really put himself in a good position.
He's starting to get a good feel for what this
offense can do under bare and what plays work best,
and how to put him in positions to be successful.
And I still feel like this offense can move the ball.
(19:05):
I know Arizona's defensive numbers are good, but I don't
think they've played a lot of great offenses. And and
b YU will be tested. This is this is what
you got into the Big twelve four is to be
able to play important games on the road against good
teams and come out on top. This is the opportunity
that they've been waiting for, and it's a it's a
great opportunity to go on the road and get a win.
(19:26):
And I wish, and I wrote about this before, but
I wish that the NCAAA football community was more like
the NFL in terms of a win is a win.
In the NFL, you win by one, you win by
twenty five, doesn't really matter. It's a w. And in
college football, we know it's not like that. It's a
it's a you have to impress people, and you have
to put points on the board, and and you have
(19:49):
to have big margins of victory. And you know, BYU
is one. You know, aside from obviously the Portland State game,
which was against a really poor opponent, the other four
games they won three of those four by double digits.
So you think that's a pretty good win. But BAU
fans want more and they know Kilani's not gonna put
extra points on the board. He's not gonna go for
(20:10):
points down the stretch. He's not gonna embarrass the opponent.
So I feel like in the Big twelve, you get
a win, it's a win. It doesn't matter that you
won by seven or four or two or it's fourteen.
Get the W. That's what's important in the Big twelve.
So that's what the mindset has to be for BYU
headed down to Arizona. Just get the W and move on.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Darnelle. I know you've got your press hat.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I see it every time we log into a zoom
meeting at the same time, but I want you to
take off that take off that press hat for a
quick minute and put on your BYU coaching hat if
you will. If you're a BYU coach, say an assistant coach.
What concerns you more about this Arizona team? Is it
their air assault? Because a lot of people talk about
Nola Fafida, what he's done, thrown for over seven thousand
(20:54):
passing yards fifty seven touchdowns, one of the best passers
in Arizona program history. Or this Arizona defense which has
been particularly good.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I think against the pass.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
They haven't allowed a passing touchdown yet this season, just
seven total touchdowns on the year in five games. Which
of those sides concerns you a little bit more that
air offense or that air defense.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I would say that it's the Arizona defense. And the
reason for that is because in Jay Hill I trust.
I feel like last year Byu really made it difficult
for Noah Fafida to be successful. I think they're going
to do the same thing on Saturday, and so it's
going to be you know, and also I'm looking at defensively,
teams have been stacking the line trying to stop Ya's
(21:42):
run game. And last game against West Virginia, we saw
what Byu could do in the passing game to make
teams pay for that and bear bach Man three for
three hundred and fifty one yards. Do teams continue to run,
blitz and stack the line and try to force Byu
to pass or do they back off a little bit
and maybe play some zone and see if the you know,
(22:04):
if the run game is as good as b where
you can make it. So the teams the Bay's played
so far definitely have been run blitzing and stunting and
trying to stop that run. And if by you can
continue to make defenses pay, if Aaron Rodberts could call
those plays that Barre can find Chase Roberts and Parker
(22:24):
Kingston and those guys, that offense is gonna be difficult
to stop. But I do feel like everyone's defense has
been good and that's gonna be a challenge for the offense.
But I believe that BYU's defense under J Hill will
be able to slow down Arizona's offense.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
In J Hill, everyone trust, haven't seen him broken yet.
And if you get him in the first half, maybe
you didn't get him in the second half. I look
at that, and I know people can be like ron No, No,
I'm telling you look at a game where you've been like, yeah,
the offense and coordinator stop J Hill. He's always been
able to make adjustments every single game. It's in the
games that BYU has lost, I feel like the offense
(23:01):
has played very poorly with turnovers, or the offense had
a critical turnover in the second half. In the regard, I
feel J Hill has been a genius, as his players
have said, As people have raved about no doubt about it,
Double D. Before we let you go, what's the best
way we can support you? What you do and how
you do it?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well? Word Harold extra dot com. And we have a
nice BYU Arizona special section coming out in Saturday's paper
with some features and information on the game, great photos
and all of that. If you still subscribe to a newspaper,
or when I feel something tactile in your hands, that's
what you do. You go get a newspaper and pull
(23:40):
it out and read it. And we've got that for you.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Support your local newspaper always, always and forever. Support your
local newspaper. Will take JT's words and give a little
spin on it. For that, Double D. Hopefully we'll see
you down at Marriott Madness. If not, we'll catch up
with you soon. Brother.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
All right, guys, thanks a lot, We'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
That was Darnel Dixon and the Cougar Beat, and that's
second one was brought to you by odon Men'swhear. If
you're looking the Elevators Sue game today, we need to
do it with Odeon. If you want to look good,
feel good and do good, go check out them today
at odon Men's where that's O D I O N
menswear dot com. Four locations along the Wall, Statch, Front, Arm, Drip, A,
Riverton and Bountiful. Your missionary, let us give you a
free gift when you bring your mission call into any
(24:20):
of the four locations that I just mentioned, you'll get
a free shirt, free pair of socks.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
With that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Curbs should call, we'll go to break. Let's get into
my interview with ci Alia Sarah on the flip. You're
listening to Cougar Sports on one O, three nine and
ninety eight three
Sports with Ben Kretel at its time for the.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Cougar Beat, getting the dish from the local reporters that
cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back Cougar Sports one O three nine ninety eight
three GSP and the fan Ronald, the three man Weaver
here sean Walker of Ksil calls by my side, AP
our version of AP next to me as well, Brett
always bringing the hammer by my side as well. You
heard the Insurre. Gonna get into a little Cougar Beat.
Need to catch up with one of our favorite guests,
the Godfather, I call him the Godfather. The Daily Heraldy
(00:29):
and Darnel Dixon will welcome in momentarily. But this Cougar
Beat segment is gonna be brought to you by odon Menswear.
That's right, odio n menswear dot com. If you're a missionary,
let us give you a free gift. What's your mission call?
You're gonna get a free shirt, that's right, You're gonna
get a free pair of socks. All you have to
do is go to any of the four locations along
the Wasatch front, Orum, Drapel, Riverton a bottleful and you
(00:52):
can claim and get that free gift today. If you're
getting married like ap they got the wedding bundle, you
can still get that too. It comes with the Elevators suit.
It's to suit, the shirt, to shoes, the belt and
tie all for five hundred dollars. You don't want to
miss an opportunity for them for you to earn their
business again. If you're going to prom that's still going
on homecoming, you can get a suit, shirt and tie
(01:13):
all for three fifty as well. You gotta get go
in store to claim these, but you can schedule your
appointments today at Odion menswear dot com. You want to
look good, feel good and do good, and you do
that with the Sports Performance suit. It's the Elevate suit.
Elevate your suit game today with Odeon Menswear. Without further do,
let's get out to the hot line. Welcome in Double D,
the Daily Herald in Double D. How we live in today.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
We'll always good to be with you guys on a
Thursday preceding a BYU.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Game one hundred percent before we get into the football.
You know, maybe I'll get chastass for us. Okay, I'll
take it on the chin. We do have a big
event going on that will be attending. Marriott Madness is tonight.
They're competing in a NBA All Star like event. I
know that had to definitely come from Kevin Young himself.
And then they'll have the Blue and White Scrimmage tonight
nine days of way from BYU men's basketball starting their
(02:02):
exhibition game against Nebraska on the road in Omaha. Double ed.
Just your thoughts on Marriott Madness tonight.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Believe events really aren't for the media, They're for the fans,
and uh, you know, Mark Pope was quite the showman.
I don't think that Kevin Young is quite the uh
you know, top coat and tails kind of guy that
maybe Mark Pope was. But the entertainment that's going to
be provided for us as media is being able to
watch this team together for the first time, and in
(02:32):
Kevin's first year, we got to go in and watch
a couple of parts of practices before the season started.
In the summer, we haven't had a chance, so we
haven't seen anything other than what everybody else has, the
clips that BYU's put on the on the internet, and
you know, seeing ag debonsa play this summer for Team
USA and the U nineteen tournament but seeing all of
(02:55):
these players together is going to be kind of a
treat as as far as this is the first time,
and you know, it's just a scrimmage and it's not
going to be a big deal, but it will be
the first chance we get to see him. And this
is a team that's very hyped and a team I've
seen as high as number seven in a lot of
preseason holes coming out, and so it's going to be
(03:18):
at least a chance to kind of see them all
together and see what they've been working on for the
last several months.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
One hundred percent, no doubt about it. Darnell Dixon of
the Daily Herald Online in the Coogar Beat Double D.
You mentioned it just a second ago projecting's highest top seven.
I think they'll come in seven, no lower than eight.
Whenever those posts come out. When was the last time
BAU men's basketball is ranked in the top twenty five if.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Ever to start the season? Man, it's been a while.
I don't know that answer. I think they probably did
during Dave Rose's tenure, maybe once or twice been ranked
at to start the season. You know, you have to
go probably back to the mid eighties or early eighties
(04:01):
when they were getting ranked. Maybe a little bit more,
but it's it's unusual, but it's just the kind of
program that Kevin Young has put together with the kind
of talent that he's brought to Probo. You look at
that roster and it really it doesn't look a lot
like b WHATYU teams used to look like. And I
don't mean that in terms of, you know, black and
white faces. I just mean the talent wise. They just
(04:22):
seem to have spots built by guys who would probably
ever have considered b YU before. And so Kevin Young
has opened up a whole new recruiting aspect and we'll
see if it pays off. But it sure seems like
this team is built with a lot of talent and
for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I think you're right there, Darnell. The talent on this
team seems pretty undeniable. Aj De bonsa rob right the third,
Tyler Moruss got some buckets, the me highlight. Mihilo Boskovich,
we can't leave him out. Nate Pickens. We saw what
keep It KTA and Richie Saunders did last year. I
think Dominique Diomande could be a little bit slept on
Sam with Canard Davis, Mumu, Xavian Staton. I think the
(05:03):
talent is right there with this BYU basketball team. What's
the number one question that you have about this team
heading into the season, Because I got a feeling, Darnell
that it's not necessarily about the talent that coach Kevin
Young has assembled. But what's your number one question that
you're kind of taking into the preseason if.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
You will, Well, it's got to be chemistry, and that
is built over time, and it's built by players buying
into the process and what Kevin Young wants them to do.
And it's really interesting when you look at his background.
He comes from the NBA and so he got to BYU.
When he said something the players went, well, he was
(05:43):
coaching in the NBA. I knows what he's talking about.
And then he has a year like they had last year,
and the new guys coming in probably realized, Hey, Kevin
Young knows what he's talking about. It if he tells me
to do something, I better do it because the proof
is in the results. And so as they buy into
what the process is with Kevin Young, that puts that
(06:03):
chemistry to work and you know what kind of a
team they'll have. Is it going to be a little
more top Heavy's scoring, I think, is a question I
have because you have Richie Saunders and Aj Debonson, whoever
one figures will be the top two scorers. But last
year's strength was in the numbers and they had eleven
guys they would play in a game, and that was crazy.
I've never seen that from a BYU team. How deep
(06:25):
will they be and how deep will the scoring be,
We don't know yet, but certainly Aj and Richie are
the two most prominent scores that they have coming back,
but they have a lot of players who can score points.
Dawson Baker off the bench. You can put Rob right
as a guy that when we saw him playing the
Marriage Center last year, he put up more than twenty
against the Cougars. While he's playing at Baylor, so he
could fill it up. So I think that the distribution
(06:47):
of points on a given night will be interesting to see,
and the minutes as well. As he digs into the bench,
you know, do we get to see Couldieve and Bop
get in there during the preseason, because we've heard great
things about what he's been doing in his development. Over
the summer, and then the newer guys Canard Davis and
you mentioned the Nick Pickens and Dominic Deumnde. Where do
they fit into this roster and what minutes will they receive?
(07:10):
So there's a lot to be determined. And Kevin Young
is the kind of guy who kind of goes by feel.
He doesn't win to the season saying this is how
I'm going to do it. He kind of lets the
players figure out where they're going to be and where
he wants them. Because I remember talking to him last
year and we asked him midway through the season, did
you think he'd be playing eleven players in a game
this time? He said, no, I didn't really think that
was what I was going to be doing, but that's
(07:32):
how it evolved. So he's I think he's really good
at adjusting his expectations based on what he's seeing on
the court, in practice and in games. So we still
have to see a lot of that come up and
see how that all develops.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, and it sounds like for all of the discussion
and the hype and the you know, the preseason hype
videos and all of that stuff around guys like AJ
and and what Xavier could potentially be Rob Wright. I mean,
people forget he's only a sophomore, right, but he's a
young guy.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
But maybe in a lot of.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Ways, this season comes down to I know we've talked
about Richie Saunders a lot. He'll be a senior, so
this kind of speaks to the point. But maybe in
some ways it comes down to sort of that magical
senior class, right, six seniors that have all played a
lot of college basketball, whether it's be at BYU like Richie,
or just in general with guys like Cuba or Nate
(08:23):
Pickens you see riverside transfer or that kind of thing.
Is it is it fair to say, Darnell that this
team may be just as dictated or just as kind
of motored.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I don't know at a better word than that, by
this group of seniors as much as the phenomenal, phenomenal
freshman like aj Debontsa.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I always borrow the borrow the best points that
Mark Pope made one of the things he said all
the time with seniors or magic, and I think this
group has the potential to be that way this year.
And you do that not only by how you play
on the floor, but how you lead on and off
the court. And all of these players that are going
to be seniors, Richie and and Dawson and Keva Keva,
(09:08):
I mean, they've all been there, they've all done that.
They can all lead by not only example, but by
showing the way and especially with the newer players to
follow along with with what is penciled in by the
coaches and how they figure things out. So the senior
class has a lot of responsibility to do that. And
and you know, certainly a j it's interesting because a
(09:29):
dynamic for him is he's a freshman expected to be
a leader, and this may be his only year in provo,
so it'll be interesting to me to see how he
handles that mantle, how much he leads, and how much
he follows the lead of guys like Ritchie and Kiva.
But certainly, certainly the senior class is going to have
a big impact on how this program finishes this season.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yeah, no doubt about it. As well, the seniors and
obviously the high level come and talent is what's going
to lead b Why you no doubt. As we have
Darnel Dixon on lone Cougar Beat segment here on one
O three nine and ninety eight three double d This
was ass last year, and Kevin Young wasn't very declarative
on it. Righty a coach the team that was wearing
(10:11):
the white jerseys, Hey, is that the projected started five?
He's like, Oh, no, don't know. It's pretty obvious. I
think who the start in five is gonna be, right,
Kaba no doubt, Richie no doubt, Rob Right, no doubt,
ag no doubt, which leaves Canard Davis Junior. That's probably
who's going to be in the white in that regard.
Do you think Kevin Young will give the declarative answer
(10:31):
in the post game when it's as if that will
be the starting five, because I don't think you can
really hide who that fit starter is.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Probably not, but he probably won't be very declarative about it.
I wouldn't think he likes to to kind of, you know,
let like I said, let the players sort of determine
how that happens. And as far as his system is concerned,
being a starter's great, but you might end up getting
more minutes off the bench, and you might be part
of that group of five down the stretch that you're
(11:03):
playing important minutes as well. And that's something you're take
into account. Who does he want on the court in
that last couple of minutes, And there may be other
guys that emerge. I mean, Mahailo Boskovit's had some really
big late minutes last season coming into the game. I'm
thinking about was at West Virginia where he went down
the lane and dunked in the last second. But a
lot of these guys are going to be able to
(11:24):
make contributions at certain points in the season, and sometimes
that varies. You know, you don't go into the season
saying here's my starting five, here's my rotation, and this
is how it's going to go the whole season. You
have injuries, you have ineffectiveness, you have issues with sickness.
All those kind of things can impact that, and so
I think we'll see a variety. But I'm with you.
I think that those five guys you mentioned are probably
(11:47):
going to be the starters, but I wouldn't be surprised
to see others make headway and play important minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, and speaking of you know, you've got tonight's scrimmage,
You've got the Nebraska and North Carolina coming up in
the exhibition games. What are you wanting to see.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
From this BYU basketball team through those three events.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
What kind of progress do we want to see from those?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, I think it's an interesting discussion just because they
haven't really had this setup before. They've had the secret
scrimmages that we weren't allowed to watch, and so the
coaches wanted those with certain expectations and they wanted to
see certain things, but we didn't get a chance to
see those, and so we all all got secondhand information
on how something happened or who did what. And so
(12:33):
I feel like for those two exhibition games, first one
being on the road, you want to see how the
team comes out in a hostile a little bit hostile environment.
You want to see how well they've been able to
adapt defensively. That's one of the things that talking to
the coaching staff this summer, they really put a lot
of emphasis on the perimeter defense, and they feel like
(12:54):
they can play better perimeter defense. And you look at
that sweet sixteen run last year. It was despite the
fact they were giving up fifty two to three pointers
in three games. I mean, they really needed to shore
up that exterior part of the defense. And so that's
something I think we need to kind of pay attention
to does Canard Davis kind of take that role as
(13:17):
a stopper. Are the rest of the players a little
bit better defensively? Can Rob Right's quickness help them on
some of those good point guards. And then and then
North Carolina, you know that that's another game against a
really talented program. That'll be the first time they'll play
in front of the home crowd. I'll be it up
at the Marriots or at the Delta Center. But I
think that's what we're looking for. And they'd say they
(13:38):
have a great shooting team, and we know shooting kind
of comes and goes, but it'd be nice to see
them hit some threes and get some things going on
the outside to open up the inside for Keba and
some of the bigger guys. So those are a couple
of things that during and then the rotation, I think
that's the thing we all want to see is who stars,
who plays, who's earned minutes, who's impactful when they get
into the game. That's you know, when you come off
(14:01):
the bench, it always seems like there's more pressure on
you not to make a mistake. And so that's something
to watch too. When they bring someone like Dawson Baker
off the bench, I would expect him to have a
pretty long leash, but maybe Nate Pickens, Dominicu Dumont, they
don't have as long a leash because they're new. So
that's something else to keep an eye on.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
You definitely bring up a good point guys leashes in
that regard. I think Dawson Baker will have a long
release I think than anybody else coming off the bench
in my opinion, because of Kevin Young, and when Kevin
Young was raving about Dawson last year, what I mean
raving is you insert him in the Baylor game in
overtime after missing you know a handful of shots and
to close it out. Same with Utah, right, you insert
(14:41):
this guy to take the final shots. So he trusts
Dawson and like his game. So I agree, I think
that leash is definitely gonna be there because we've seen that.
In that regard, I want to ask you, though, what
do you feel like this Tyler Moruss and Alexi how
are they going to fit into the mix? Because I
look at those two guys and I'm looking at like
these matchups and skill sets right in the Big twelve
and hard play and wing depth and shooting, and those
(15:03):
two guys can shoot the lights out of the ball.
Like I don't think a lot of people know who
Alexi is, and they're going to find out, if not
this season, definitely next season. But Tyler Moruss as well,
My goodness, they brought in him and he's Everything I've
heard in workouts from my sources is that Tyler has
been killing it.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, those are two guys that are going to have
to find their niche in this offense, and you expect
them to be really good shooters. I know Tyler when
he first got here, he said he kind of struggled
a little bit with the pace and what they were
doing in practice, but then once he got it, he
got it. And Alexi comes in acoustic with a really
big reputation as a shooter and some European experience. I
(15:44):
feel like both of those players are going to be
key to what Byu does because there'll be games when
the main players, the starters, are not hitting threes and
you want to be able to bring guys off the
bench that can put pressure on the defense, and both
of them can can do that. And so Tyer even
talked to me when I did an interview with him
for a story this summer. He said, he feels like
(16:04):
he's a pretty good defensive player too, and at six
foot seven, that gives you some flexibility defensively where you
can put him on a forward or shooting guard and
maybe even a smaller guard and cause some issues. So
that's why these things, the Blue and White game and
the exhibition games is important, at least in my mind
for me to see kind of where all those guys
(16:25):
fit in and what their skill sets are. And I
feel like last year Kevin Young was a master at
choosing the moments when to put those guys in and
when to utilize their talents where they're strong. And so
those are some things again to be looking at in
these exhibition games and tonight at the Blue and White
one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Darnel Dixon of The Daily Hero on the Line and
the Cook could be Let's transition to football now is
to talk a handful of good stuff about basketball, And
just a reminder for those that aren't listening or just
tuning into the interview, the Blue and White Scrimmage is night.
It's free. You can show up to the Marriott, it's
free charge and I come check out this highly talented,
high level projected to be top ten bo E men's
(17:05):
basketball team U of A b YU. B yu's won
the last five matchups I got, AP looked at it.
Excuse me, last four it will be. I think it
will be the last five. But BYU is I lost
the game in the Arizona what over six thousand days
I think is what AP had he put it out
there the statury day I always brought to you by
banderwealthbandwelf dot com. How do you see this one playing
(17:26):
out on Saturday double D between by U and U
of A, especially if there's bad weather projected to be
bad weather. They've discussed maybe moving the game up. Your
thoughts on everything going on, maybe down there and Tucson potentially.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yeah, I've been to Tucson. It's a pretty cool stadium.
I had a good time down there in a game
I covered way back when I think I remember Arizona
one that I won on a field goal, like a
fifty four yard field goal late, and I feel like
this team b YU is going to have to kind
of survive the first quarter. I think arezon one, who's
(18:02):
gonna come out super pumped because they know they've lost
to BYU most recently last year they got a little
bit whipped in Cougar's area the Ubert Stadium, and so
I feel like they're going to be up for the game.
Bo He's gonna have to weather that. I still want
to see the run game established itself better at all.
They put up some decent numbers, and I know Pro
(18:23):
football focus has been really high on the offensive line
for BYU, and Hans Olsen's posted on social media that
they're killing it. And I just look at three point
two yards per carry against West Virginia before that final
thirty two yard run by lj and in the last minute.
That doesn't really matter. And I just feel like I
want them to be stronger and establish it more. And
(18:43):
certainly in a wet weather game, you want to be
able to control the line of scrimmage and not have
to throw the ball quite as much. But I feel
like Aaron Rodrick has really put himself in a good position.
He's starting to get a good feel for what this
offense can do under bare and what plays work best,
and how to put him in positions to be successful.
And I still feel like this offense can move the ball.
(19:05):
I know Arizona's defensive numbers are good, but I don't
think they've played a lot of great offenses. And and
b YU will be tested. This is this is what
you got into the Big twelve four is to be
able to play important games on the road against good
teams and come out on top. This is the opportunity
that they've been waiting for, and it's a it's a
great opportunity to go on the road and get a win.
(19:26):
And I wish, and I wrote about this before, but
I wish that the NCAAA football community was more like
the NFL in terms of a win is a win.
In the NFL, you win by one, you win by
twenty five, doesn't really matter. It's a w. And in
college football, we know it's not like that. It's a
it's a you have to impress people, and you have
to put points on the board, and and you have
(19:49):
to have big margins of victory. And you know, BYU
is one. You know, aside from obviously the Portland State game,
which was against a really poor opponent, the other four
games they won three of those four by double digits.
So you think that's a pretty good win. But BAU
fans want more and they know Kilani's not gonna put
extra points on the board. He's not gonna go for
(20:10):
points down the stretch. He's not gonna embarrass the opponent.
So I feel like in the Big twelve, you get
a win, it's a win. It doesn't matter that you
won by seven or four or two or it's fourteen.
Get the W. That's what's important in the Big twelve.
So that's what the mindset has to be for BYU
headed down to Arizona. Just get the W and move on.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Darnelle. I know you've got your press hat.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I see it every time we log into a zoom
meeting at the same time, but I want you to
take off that take off that press hat for a
quick minute and put on your BYU coaching hat if
you will. If you're a BYU coach, say an assistant coach.
What concerns you more about this Arizona team? Is it
their air assault? Because a lot of people talk about
Nola Fafida, what he's done, thrown for over seven thousand
(20:54):
passing yards fifty seven touchdowns, one of the best passers
in Arizona program history. Or this Arizona defense which has
been particularly good.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I think against the pass.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
They haven't allowed a passing touchdown yet this season, just
seven total touchdowns on the year in five games. Which
of those sides concerns you a little bit more that
air offense or that air defense.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I would say that it's the Arizona defense. And the
reason for that is because in Jay Hill I trust.
I feel like last year Byu really made it difficult
for Noah Fafida to be successful. I think they're going
to do the same thing on Saturday, and so it's
going to be you know, and also I'm looking at defensively,
teams have been stacking the line trying to stop Ya's
(21:42):
run game. And last game against West Virginia, we saw
what Byu could do in the passing game to make
teams pay for that and bear bach Man three for
three hundred and fifty one yards. Do teams continue to run,
blitz and stack the line and try to force Byu
to pass or do they back off a little bit
and maybe play some zone and see if the you know,
(22:04):
if the run game is as good as b where
you can make it. So the teams the Bay's played
so far definitely have been run blitzing and stunting and
trying to stop that run. And if by you can
continue to make defenses pay, if Aaron Rodberts could call
those plays that Barre can find Chase Roberts and Parker
(22:24):
Kingston and those guys, that offense is gonna be difficult
to stop. But I do feel like everyone's defense has
been good and that's gonna be a challenge for the offense.
But I believe that BYU's defense under J Hill will
be able to slow down Arizona's offense.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
In J Hill, everyone trust, haven't seen him broken yet.
And if you get him in the first half, maybe
you didn't get him in the second half. I look
at that, and I know people can be like ron No, No,
I'm telling you look at a game where you've been like, yeah,
the offense and coordinator stop J Hill. He's always been
able to make adjustments every single game. It's in the
games that BYU has lost, I feel like the offense
(23:01):
has played very poorly with turnovers, or the offense had
a critical turnover in the second half. In the regard, I
feel J Hill has been a genius, as his players
have said, As people have raved about no doubt about it,
Double D. Before we let you go, what's the best
way we can support you? What you do and how
you do it?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well? Word Harold extra dot com. And we have a
nice BYU Arizona special section coming out in Saturday's paper
with some features and information on the game, great photos
and all of that. If you still subscribe to a newspaper,
or when I feel something tactile in your hands, that's
what you do. You go get a newspaper and pull
(23:40):
it out and read it. And we've got that for you.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Support your local newspaper always, always and forever. Support your
local newspaper. Will take JT's words and give a little
spin on it. For that, Double D. Hopefully we'll see
you down at Marriott Madness. If not, we'll catch up
with you soon. Brother.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
All right, guys, thanks a lot, We'll see you soon.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
That was Darnel Dixon and the Cougar Beat, and that's
second one was brought to you by odon Men'swhear. If
you're looking the Elevators Sue game today, we need to
do it with Odeon. If you want to look good,
feel good and do good, go check out them today
at odon Men's where that's O D I O N
menswear dot com. Four locations along the Wall, Statch, Front, Arm, Drip, A,
Riverton and Bountiful. Your missionary, let us give you a
free gift when you bring your mission call into any
(24:20):
of the four locations that I just mentioned, you'll get
a free shirt, free pair of socks.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
With that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Curbs should call, we'll go to break. Let's get into
my interview with ci Alia Sarah on the flip. You're
listening to Cougar Sports on one O, three nine and
ninety eight three
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
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