December 25, 2025 • 56 mins
Ben Criddle talks BYU sports every weekday from 2 to 6 pm.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is Cougar Sports with Ben Krittel and it's time for
the Cougar Beat getting the dish from the local reporters
that cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on one of three
nine and ninety eight three ESPN. The Fan Ronald the
three man Weaver here holding it down for Ben krittle
It is a Christmas Eve addition Wednesday, December twenty fourth
edition of Cougar Sports here in the Utah ESPN Radio Network.
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let's get out to the hot line and welcome in.
I call him the Godfather. Uh, he holds it down
here for us as a lot of wisdom. We got
Darnel Dixon of the Daily herold. Thanks for joining me
today double D for a Christmas Eve edition.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Problem appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I need to know what are traditions in the diction home.
What do you guys do? Do you do? You do
the pajamas? Did you do the pajamas? The Christmas cookie, gingerbread?
You know, house decorations. What did you guys do during
you know, the holiday season growing up with the kiddos.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, we're pretty traditional, you know. We do the pajamas,
and we do the Christmas story and we sing some carols.
My recliner that I'm sitting in right this very minute
is about five feet away from the tree. And uh,
it's difficult for me to get to my chair because
of the gifts that are kind of taking up the
(03:04):
room around it. So yeah, we're pretty traditional as a family,
and we don't have any little kids anymore. So we're
actually not even going to open gifts until a little
bit later in the afternoon because my wife is is
working at the hospital for a little while on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I do I do remember your wife working at the
hospital when the baby girls born. Army you texted me
and I went right down the hall and I was like,
I think I just passed her. So shout out to
your uh, to your wife and all the all the
medical people that help during Christmas, even Christmas Day. They're
very important, and you know, I never will never want
to forget about them, Double d.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Since the last time we had you, it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
A lot happens, and you know, just a span of
twenty four hours we talked to you.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You know, obviously we talked to you on Friday.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
B Yu, you know has the home and home now
in order, Dame Agent de Bonce, I had a thirty
point triple double. You know, let's just let's just start there,
you know, order Dame schedules the home and home with BYU.
I don't think they had any team to do with
people them still opting out of the Pop Tards Bowl,
those players are going to declare for the draft.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
But are Provo?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Are your people happy, Darnell? Are the fans happy that
Notre Dame is finally going to becoming a Provo? And
then by you will go back to South Bend the
following year?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
I think so on this sixty minutes or so that
the game takes place in Provo next year will be
a good, good game between two really good programs. The
ancillary stuff though that, I just feel like Notre Dame
is way too entitled as a college football program, and
I don't think it's fair what they're doing in terms
(04:41):
of signing an agreement with the College Football Playoff Committee
that they get certain considerations. I think they need to
join a conference, not because it's going to benefit them
that much, but because they need to play by the
same rules as everyone else does. And so that's it
gets in my crawl a little bit. And I hope
BYU wins by seventy. But you know, like I said,
it's it's going to be it's going to be a
(05:03):
good football game between two really good programs, and I
think it'll draw a lot of fans, uh, you know,
to watch on TV. It'll be an event. And so
it's cool and I'm glad that the two teams are
playing after we all know that Notre Dame dodged the
Cougars for about a decade with a return game to Provo,
and fortunately Brian Santiago is savvy enough to get the
(05:26):
Irish to come to Provo first to make sure we
get that game in and then b y, you should
probably do it. Notre Dame did Oh, we have to
change our schedule because of the Big twelve, and we'll we'll,
we'll play you in a few years down the road.
But anyway, that's a that's probably a little bit too much.
But I do feel like it will be a good
football game and it's it's a game that will draw
a lot of attention around the country.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Look, I'm totally okay with the competitive the petty nature.
I think it's okay for Brian to do it exactly
what he did. You weren't going to play Notre Dame
ever again unless they came to Provo first, and I
would not look at Bau sideways if they played the
game one and then say you know what, Unfortunately, we
just can't come to South Bend in twenty twenty seven.
Things are just not gonna work out our way. I
(06:10):
don't blame the Cougars at all. Look, hey, I'm all
about being petty. In the nature of the world, it happens.
If you do it unto me, I'll do it unto you.
I know the scriptures don't say that that's not what
I should be preaching. But to me is just that
that's a funny thing. But no shot up to Brian
to get this first in provo, because we all know
double D if you would have went to South Bend first,
(06:31):
nor to Day, probably would have pulled out the following
year and not come to provo. They just don't want
to come. But I'm greatful the Marcus Freeman and Pete
Beviqua agreed on this and that that fighting Irish. We've
been calling him to quitting Irish. They can't quit because
they'll have to come next year. So but maybe what
they'll do is Bau will beat them by seventy Like
(06:51):
you said, it's so bad that they'll quit and say, hey,
we don't want you to come to South Bend.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
That could happen. Who knows college football is like that.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Llege football is like that. Let's go to the next
big news topic. Kline Sataki announced yesterday as the team
is in Orlando doing the festivities. LJ Martin not going
to play in this game. Had offseason surgery on that shoulder.
As we know, it was a problem. He was dinged
up a little bit towards the end of the year.
Still had a phenomenal end of the season with the
way he was running. You think of that Cincinnati game
(07:21):
TCU to be injured the way he is, and even
against Texas Tech the second time, I still thought LJ
did the best of what he could with what he
was giving. I don't feel like he played terrible, but
got that surgery. Will be on the sideline, won't be playing.
He has a decision to make whether he's gonna come
back for his senior year or declare for the draft.
W Is LJ Martin being out a big deal? A
(07:43):
lot of people are really nervous, and if you look
at the depth chart that was released, there's no either.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I think it's a big deal, and you know in
some ways, it kind of works in Buyu's favor because
as they head into this this game, good Jordan, the
tech won't really know the game plan. You think you
can't look back at at game video from BYU's past
games and determine what the game plan will be offensively,
(08:11):
because by you lean so heavily on l J. Martin.
You know, when when Harvey junga BYU's running back coach,
was it Timfu? I joked that by or that tim
Fu had three plays give to Harvey, throw to Harvey,
fake to Harvey. And that's kind of how it went
with this year with l J. Mean, they really used
him a lot. I didn't look up the numbers beforehand,
(08:33):
but I know that you know, coming in he was
averaging this season. He was before the season averaging about
thirteen carries a game. I think he had quite a
bit more than that. This season. They threw to him
a lot. The threat of him in the running game
did allow for some nice play action ability. So, like
I said, in some ways it works in Boway's favorite,
(08:53):
but otherwise we just don't know what we don't know.
Like you mentioned earlier about you know can ken Enick
now we Nick put in fifteen carries. Can jovesa DEMONI
who the last time we saw himmy fumbled and they
did never played him again. You know, is he going
to make an impact? Is Cionemo actually going to play,
but they'll kept him off the depth chart to be KG,
(09:15):
I don't know. I'm reminded a little bit of what
I think it was twenty twenty two. So J Mava
Peters playing quarterback because of all the injuries, and that
initial game plan against SMU worked really well. B Why
he's up twenty four ten running that kind of option
offense and SOLj was not throwing the ball that much,
but eventually SMU figured it out and stopped BYU. So
(09:36):
I'm hoping that Aaron Roderick has a plan B in
place for coming out, maybe taking advantage of the fact
that in this in this game, particularly that Jeorgia Tech
doesn't really know what BYU is going to do.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, you have to think that this is some somewhat
of an advantage because Okay, they've relied on LJ. They
have no idea who else Becker is not allowed of Hape.
You bring up the SMU game, I remember that of Okay,
who's gonna start, you know, sol J, Mava Peters and
SMU was struggling. I mean they made the adjustments eventually,
but he was running all over him in that first
half and they were let him throw the ball to
(10:12):
he threw a pick. You know, everything was fine until
that once he saled it over the middle to the safety.
Aaronroddics said, knew, we're gonna hand it off. And Chris
Brooks got healthy towards the end of the season. And
you wonder if it's gamesmanship, you know, you keep see
on a off and then you bring him out there
because they really don't know. So right now, Enick, nowhewey
is RB one until otherwise stated, but I would love
(10:33):
to see one go out there and help BYU. And look,
you played great last year. I thought of Alamo Bowl
and the reps that he had. He didn't play terrible,
But no, LJ you could have you know, you could
LJ no problems or you could have some problems. I
guess we'll we'll find out. How do you healthy? Do
you think Barre will be going into the this week?
Got rolled up on and we know in that Texas
(10:53):
Tech game in the first play, I think Barre will
be above eighty eighty five percent. A big part of
Bau's game is Bear's ability to run.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I think he could be limited.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's possible. I do think that the fact that it's
going to be three weeks between games will help him heal,
but that doesn't necessarily help him in terms of sharpness
because he may not be practicing a bunch. So you
know there's a trade off there that, yeah, you want
to get him healthy, but you also want him to
feel comfortable in what will be a new offensive game
(11:24):
plan with l J. Martin on the lineup. So I
think that he'll be able to play. I don't know
how much they'll run him, I hope. I think what
they'll probably do is is running back by committee. We
know that works sometimes, sometimes we don't know how that
will work. The receivers should all be pretty healthy, and
(11:45):
Bear should be able to get the ball out on don't.
I don't think that the Jeergia Tech defense is anything
particularly special, So I expect the Cougars to move the
ball regardless. But you know, when you want to get
in the end zone, when you want to get that
key third or fourth down, it's certainly nice to have
someone like Lja Martin in the lineup that you rely on.
These other guys have just not been in those situations before,
(12:06):
so it's all going to be kind of new. And
as we head into the new era of college football,
every year is a little bit different every year. As
BYU plays in these kind of bowl games, you've got
to remember it is an exhibition, and you know it
doesn't really matter in terms of schedule and national perception.
There's a lot of programs where a lot of guys
(12:28):
are opting out. I don't think that'll be the case
with BYU, but we'll see on Saturday who's going to
play and who's maybe taking a look at their future
and deciding it's not worth the problems of getting injured
and maybe hurting your chances of the future. So that's
what we're looking at in college football. And I'm still
looking forward to the game. I still think that Jorda
Tech is a pretty good foe. And the Pop Tarts
(12:51):
Bowl has always been pretty popular and gives us an
opportunity to go out and grab our favorite pop tart
for the pregame snack.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
What's your favorite pop Tart? Since you bring up the
pop darts.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I've always been partial to Strawberry.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
The classic.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, he can't go wrong with the classic.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Uh, you're gonna have to make sure you tell the
g man they're gonna I don't know if he's looked
at the list dart now, but I was looking at
the media just the taste testing that they're gonna give
on Friday camping, you know, stadium deep fried pop tart,
deep fried pop tarts deep Uh, you know that's music
(13:29):
in my ears, having served in the South, I don't
know if you ever had a deep fried twinkie. Oh
my goodness, heart attack, delicious, one on one, deep fried oreo,
you name it. Give me all the diabetes. I'll get
my health right with, you know, game day man's health
when I get back later. Goodness, creacious, there you go. Yeah,
glad of other favorit classic pop tarch, Strawberry, that's the
(13:50):
one tree. Alexander has been raving about that ever since
they got into the pop tarchs. Body says, if it
ain't Strawberry, I don't want it.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
But you mentioned Georgia tech. Good offense.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This quarterback Haines King, he can he can run it,
he can throw it, he can do whatever. I mean,
anytime you throw for twenty seven hundred yards in the
season and you almost rush for a thousand as well,
and you almost have thirty total touchdowns, you're a good quarterback.
Bear's kind of done the same thing. Maybe not with
the rushing yards, but he will move on you for sure.
What is the BAU defense need to do and who
are the key impact players to limit him?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Because he can scoot. He can really scoot, Darnelle when
you look at the tape.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, I think that the linebackers are going to be
under some pressure to make good reads and be in
good coverage as well as spying on King and make
sure he's not running wild. I like the fact that
you've given Jay Hill about three weeks to prepare for
this game. I think the game plan will be really good,
and I think it's an opportunity for the defensive line
(14:51):
to kind of show their growth and to be able
to put pressure on King when he drops back. So
those are those the two, you know, position groups I
think are going to be under some pressure. But again,
I think He'll is going to have a good game
plan for this this game and the defense has been
really good all year, you know, I know that the
(15:12):
College Football Playoff Committee based BYU's place in their rankings
solely on how they played against Texas Tech. And we're
going to find out a lot this weekend as Oregon
plays Texas Tech and the College Football Playoffs to see
how a team like Oregon who has a great offense
can can compete against that Texas Tech defense. But BYU's
(15:36):
defense was really good in both of those Texas Tech games.
It was, you know, a thirteen to seven, thirteen ten
game and those those two contests, and if the offense
had been able to put something together, it might have
gone down differently toward the end. But the BYU defense
has been terrific this year and I think they're going
to do that again on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, when you give j Hill time for a game plan,
is he able to bottle you up?
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Is he able to bottle you up the right way?
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So see if he bottles up Haines Kings did it
last year? Sure, there literally there was a viral video.
I don't even know where the pressure's coming from. I
don't know what they doing and know that the heck
they're doing, What the heck, what the heck they doing?
Looking I don't know. And as the NFL quarterback, he's
starting with the Browns right now. You know they had
a wide receiver dB that was playing with the jaguarster
(16:19):
he had season and his surgery. So I want to
remind fans that those are two good football players. I
know they had a team, but it was really only
two dudes out there through making place the entire season
for Colorado. You did that and now they're playing at
the highest level. So give Jay Hill a lot of credit.
Let's transition durned out of BALI I said volleyball, basketball
and then went finished with the little volleyball because a
(16:41):
new coach has been hired in Cougar Country. The thirty
point triple double from aj de Bonca first ever thirty
point triple double on BYU history. Danny Ings came close
twenty seven, ten, and thirteen. What do you make of
the thirty point triple double? And it was the first
one since Kyle collins were dating back to March in
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I saw all of Kyle collins Worth triple doubles in
that that season, and I remember that one, and I
also remember he got sick and barely played the next
week when they were they were trying to get to
that inn it final four. But Kyle was the kind
of player that the game just revolved around him. Hit
(17:22):
the ball in his hands, he was getting rebounds, taken
it off on the break himself. And when you look
at Aja's game, it's kind of like that. I mean,
you have the ball in his hands a lot. He
gets the rebound and takes himself up the floor. He's
aggressive to the basket. And that's that's what Kevin Young
said about AJ's game, because he was just aggressive and
(17:44):
you know, he's got to have teammates to make shots,
which Aja acknowledge as well. And it's it was an
impressive performance because to put up thirty and then the
score that was the eleven of thirteen from the field, Yes,
that's ridiculous. You can't defend that. And certainly, you know,
the competition was not great. Eastern Washington is not a
great basketball team. But to put that sort of effort
(18:08):
and to put the month of December that he put
out there, it was pretty amazing. You know. So at
the end of the regular season and or the non
conference season and had the Big Twelve play, AJ is
a really dominant player during the last month and done
(18:29):
a really good job of taking on the responsibility of
being a playmaker as well as a scorer. And he's
got so much to his game. He's so explosive. Sitting
there in the Aurea and watching him with that follow
jam the other night, the crowd just goes nuts. I mean,
it's just it's just what in the world is happening?
(18:50):
This is b WHYU were watching, right? I mean so yeah.
Aj has had a terrific non conference schedule and things
will get tougher because the Big Twelve these are really good.
But I like By's chances and making some good performances
and put themselves in a good position when we get
to March.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
He's the first freshman in Big twelve history with a
triple double. That's per ESPN Insight. That that makes sense
and thinking people around and national guys, Big Board, NBA
guys are starting to realize this is going to be
the number one overall recruit. They tried to make it.
Darren Peterson, Ah, he's got the best refined game. Oh
you look at this and hope I'm starting to see
(19:30):
from CBS Sports, starting to see from everybody the best
wing National Player of the Year Chase. You're starting to
see all of that coming to the mix, is starting
to come to fruition, honestly, and you mentioned, you know,
the month of December. I think he's averaged and this
is per Justin Young, right, you know, Justin Young does
a great job of recruiting. AJAST average twenty seven point
(19:52):
eight points per game in the month of December, eight rebounds,
five point seven assists, two point three steals on sixty
six percent, and it's just sixty five point nine, but
that's sixty six percent, shooting seventy seven point nine percent
from the freight throw line, twenty nine point four percent
from three two point five turnovers, and one foul Darnell
the entire month.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
And he was arguing with the ref last game because
he got the foul in the Eastern Washington game, telling
him knowing he the only reason he didn't pick up
a technical foules because he didn't wave his hand, but
he was just shaking his head throwing his hands up.
So one foul is ridiculous. That's the biggest thing in
this stands out to me that he picked up one foul.
He definitely is one of one.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
He is in the last time we saw anything even
remotely close to this for BU basketball was in twenty
eleven the Jimmer for Dad. Plus AJ's handing out new
shoes to staff members and teammates and you know, so
he's had a pretty good month of December for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Definitely, Santa Claus came early for the BAU staff managers.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Everybody. Gregor Belt got his pair, took a picture of that. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Didn't think that tweet was gonna blow up, but he did. Age.
Everybody loved that. AJ gave back, and he's given back
to the fans. So fans enjoy it while it lasts,
because it won't be around forever. I can guarantee you that,
no doubt about it. Here were Darnell Dixon of The
Daily Herald and Little Cougar Beat a Christmas Eve edition
of Cougar Sports on your Utah ESPN Radio Network Double
(21:20):
d Lists Finish up. I gotta talk a little volleyball
with you. A new volleyball coach has been hired. Rob
Robin Neilson is now the head coach of the boy
Umans volleyball team, and I feel like changes are already occurring.
Alex Bauer pulled out of the portal since they she'll
be returning back to BYU.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
This is a home run higher I believe.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
It is. And as we broke down a lot of
the candidates, there were some really strong candidates, including Rob
as well as Ryan Malar, former gold medalist and BYU
players coaching at Eastern Illinois, and there were some good candidates,
but I think Rob was somebody who it makes a
(22:01):
lot of sense. I love his experience as not only
a women's volleyball coach, but coaching with the men's national
team is a big deal. He's a former Cougar. I've
known Rob for a long time and he's kind of
a His approach is very quiet and focused. He's not
a real yeller, screamer, demonstrative kind of guy. But he's
(22:24):
obviously a really good volleyball coach. And when you're replacing
someone like Heather Olmsted, who won like eighty five percent
of for matches over the course of her career, you
need somebody to step in and do it right, and
you know Rob has got a lot of work to do.
It is great that Alex decided to come back, because
you know, when you have a setter, a veteran center.
(22:46):
That's a great start. He's going to be headed, you know,
to talk to some of the recruits that they've already
got committed to see. You know this is but he's
gonna put his own stamp on the program, and so
he'll bring in some of his own staff and some
of his own players. And it's an interesting time for
BYU women's volleyball because they've been so good for so long.
(23:08):
When they make a transition like this, you know, there's questions,
you know, can can they continue to maintain to be
a really good volleyball program? And I think Rob is
a guy who can do that.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, definitely a guy that can and do that, especially
when you won a national championship as a player too.
You can't take that experience away. When I read that,
you know that there's all of that encompasses experience into
what a coach should be. Got to ask you this,
double d any chances that the Big twelve freshman of
the year comes back, you know, are you able to
you know, I know a couple of people have already committed.
(23:39):
I haven't seen anything or got any update. I know
one of the girls has already committed to TCU. Is
there any way you can get her back? She had
a phenomenal season. Tough to lose a player like that
after one season.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, it is. It's disappointing because you know, Sully was
a really good freshman. Yeah, and you have to did
or that she would have, you know, continued to get
better and being an elite player. She has committed to
SMU and we'll be playing there next year. According to
what I've read, it is and you just move on.
(24:13):
I mean, that's that's just the place and the and
we live in a college sports world where moving around
is kind of is the norm now and not the exception,
even in women's sports. And so we wish Silly well
and b Yu just has to move on and find
players to step up and make some contributions. And I,
(24:35):
you know, I honestly don't know. You know, Rob probably
had some players committed to him to go to Utah State.
He may bring some of those. I expect there to
be quite a bit of turnover on the roster as
he gets to the point where he's comfortable with what
he's working with and they work his system. But it's
it's like I said, it's been a really good program
over the years high level, and when since moving to
(24:58):
the Big twelve, things have been a little tougher because
you're not beating up on Portland and Santa Clara and
Pacific like you were in the West Coast Conference. You're
playing some really good volleyball programs. And YU held its
own they you know, they they got to the NCAA
tournament and had some big wins against ranked teams. And
Rob is the guy that's in charge of trying to
(25:20):
keep that going and maybe making a little better.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Yeah, definitely gonna be the guy in charge.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Are now gonna have to keep that going for Thank
you for the update on on Suley. Yeah, he's gonna
have to bring in his guys. And that's the air
of the nil on the transfer portal these days of
both And I did the numbers, and I've looked up
multiple studies. Kid averages about one point seven one point
eight times they transfer before they find their home, and
that's about two times, and we've seen that. Go look
(25:45):
at football. You can look at Darius last year. You
can look at Keilan Marion, you can look at Harrison Taggart,
you can look at multitudes of people you can look
at volleyball, you can look at soccer, as he stradding
me A Lopez. There's so many BYU players that you know,
end up finding a new home, and there's other players
that come.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
To North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Right, I know that was crazy? Right you see is
it in North Carolina? That's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
I know you're looking like, oh, okay, uh, but but
that's what I mean, and that that happens.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Look, killing Marion is of going to Miami, Miami Beach,
Texas A and m They're now the quarterfinal of the
college football playoffs. The PORTI it's going to give it
to b YU. But at the same darn darn time, Darnell,
like we talked about, it's going to take it too.
He's now at SMU. I think that's a good spot.
You know, is he at North Carolina? Quiland Marion went
to you know Miami. They're good spots where people go.
(26:32):
So this has to make you wonder about football. Can
you retain these guys? You know the new sat down
up als like, can you keep him? Can you keep this?
Siciliacnas if I Zach Glasker decides to come back for
his last year, can you keep him or is he
gonna end up elsewhere? That's just that's the state we're in.
If if people test the waters for their market, market
raid and you know they're not getting it, they will
(26:55):
be gone elsewhere. And I've been shocked by a lot
of the moves across all the b YU athletics, but
I also understand that's just today in times we live
in now.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
You know what's interesting is is you know, every college
football program, every major program, has a general manager. And
you know why now, there's just so much to organize,
especially in football when you start looking at a roster
of one hundred kids and you're trying to figure out
who's staying, who's going, and who do we want to retain?
Who are we going to say, hey, thanks for playing,
(27:24):
but you need to find someplace else to go. And
it's difficult in most sports, but football seems to be
probably the most complicated because of this er number of
athletes that you're dealing with.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Definitely too many athletes, too many numbers don't want that job.
But shout out to Dave George and uh, you know
what is it that I'm trying to remember? Goodness, gracious
basing the guy that for basketball the chief of staff.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Goodness, gracious, I don't know why my brain.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Is given a far Dug Stewart, but you pray that
all those guys, yeah, Doug, all those guys and you know,
George and every everybody across is is taking care of that.
You know you, Travis Hanson and and the b A
Legs department, they do a phenomenal job. So you got
to give credit double D before I let you go.
What's the best way we can support you what you
do and how you do it?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, Harold Extra dot com is where all of our
work is done.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
I'm working on a big twelve men's basketball preview for
next week when the Cougars get get into it, and
it's it's interesting to look up to see how other
programs have been handling the non conference slate and who's
gonna play and who's been you know there, there's so
many changes on those rosters as well, and so that's
(28:37):
that's what I'm working on next.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Definitely a preview.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
You and I are going to have to put in
their request for TCU's Tanner tools and to talk to
Tully his journey from b YU to u VU back
into the Big two of TCU b y you will
take them on in a home game here not to
not too far down the road. So a lot of
talent everywhere across all of college athletics from Utah all across,
(29:01):
so I will definitely keep it tuned in. Go to
Herald Extra dot com slash sports to see Double D
and to see Brandes sy Gurney the g Man. They
do great work over there, Double D mayor Christmas. Happy holidays, brother,
We'll catch up with you next week. It was well,
that was Darnel Dixon of The Daily Hair. Appreciate him
joining me today for a special Christmas Eve edition of
Cougar Sports here on one on three, nine and ninety
(29:23):
eight three. That second was brought to you by Orthroposo
Utah dot com. Guys, if you are in pain and
you're dealing with an injury or muscular skeletal pain at
Orthropros were providing a ray of orthopedic and sports medicine
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(29:44):
five through in eight or go to Orthroposofutah dot com
dis schedule your appointment there we'll go to break. Don't
go anywhere. Still a lot more to get to on
a Christmas even no excuse me. December twenty fourth edition
of Cougar Sports here on one O, three nine and
ninety eight three. Welcome back to this so marches right
around the corner and the Cougars are.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Written on metal of it.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
It's time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports
with Ben Cripples. Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on
one O three nine and ninety eight three ESP and
the fan Ronald the three man Weaver here bringing you
a special edition of Cougar Sports, a Christmas Eve edition.
Here Brett always bringing the hammer, joined me in the
(30:25):
first hour, be holding it down for the rest of
the show. Happy holidays to everybody. Merry Christmas. First of all,
that's the most important thing. Please be safe while you travel,
as we're live from our Bandwelth Studios of Bandwealth. All
he asks, that's your schedule for Q and a obligation
to invest with our tax mart Wealth Advisors PA certify
financial planners today if you want to save money in
(30:46):
your taxes, Blaye Anderson and his crew can help aid
and support you at Banderwealth banterwealth dot com.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
All right, let's just get right into it. Little basketball.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Aj De Bonsa recorded a triple double, first thirty point
triple double in BYU history. Another guy came close, Danny Ainge.
He had twenty seven ten and thirteen. AJ had thirty three,
ten and ten. The crowd was going crazy. Man, I'm
gonna ask the guy right now. Let's get out to
the ESPN the Fan Hotline and asked a color analyst
for bou Men's Basketball friend of the Program, Great friend,
(31:17):
Mark Durant. Mark, I know you guys had our close
view of it. I would not have wanted to be
Mihailo Boskovic on Monday to be able to take that shot.
He could have been a hated man in Provo if
it didn't go down.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Yeah, there's as different ways you can feel pressure in
the basketball game, and that was a unique one.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
But there was a lot of pressure and everybody.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Everybody knew, and the fans knew, and the team knew,
and we had about five guys ready to check in.
So it was kind of all or nothing on that
shot because AJ was coming out and the Mihailo.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Stepped up and hit a big shot. That was a
cool moment. That was that was fun.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
You know, we kind of got a little spoiled with
Kyle Collinsworth. I think he had twelve triple doubles over
his career, so he started to think, well, maybe that's
something that's normal. But the triple double is pretty rare,
and for a freshman to do it is incredible, and
(32:20):
to get thirty plus points and do it is even
more rare and incredible.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
So another another amazing thing we see from AJ.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
And we're not even halfway through the season, so you know,
as there's more to come.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
But man, that was a cool moment.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
And de Wly was a cool moment.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I want to be too early, Mark, and it's my
job to push his you know, agenda and this this
narrative and driving that message of that chip. I'm already
I'm already sold. I think I've seen enough. I think
I've seen the number one pick in the twenty twenty
six NBA Draft. I've seen enough fit the skill set
at the next level. I know scouts has he has
(32:57):
to do it. In conference play, of course, and in
the tournament. But that's all just going to be validating.
I think AJ's already proven, Hey, I'm gonna play I'm
gonna be able to play this way at the NBA
because he's done it on NBA courts, He's done it
in the Marriott Center. I mean, do you want him
to do it internationally? For crying out loud, I think
that's the last thing we would maybe need to see. Wait, oh,
by the way, he already did that. He won the
gold medals. So what else do you need to see
(33:19):
from him?
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Yeah, I mean I'd hate to be the guy who
passes on him because you're gonna look dumb down the road.
And yeah, I mean the thing about him is, I
think it's gonna be easier for him the next level
with the way the NBA plays and how they call things.
I mean, it just suits him so well. He's got
(33:42):
all the tools. I've looked for weaknesses. You think, well,
maybe his three point game is not where it should be,
and then he hits you know, a couple of tough
ones last night, and and he'll.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Get better at that. But he's got he's got it all.
Speaker 6 (33:56):
I mean that little kind of back down pull up
with a defender jump shot is as good as I've
ever seen. It's just so cool. It's a cool shot.
It's an NBA shot, and he can just live on that.
Good luck trying to block it. And then if you
do try and jump the gun, you're gonna put him
on the line, or he's just gonna step through with
(34:17):
that big drop step or euro and get to the
hoop where he shoots an amazing percentage at the rim
drawing contact. I mean, you just kind of expected to
go in. But those are hard shots he's shooting. He's
shooting almost sixty percent from the field, which is incredible.
And then of course he's got the amazing dunks and
(34:38):
all that. But he's a great defender, and he's showing
that he can be a great offensive rebounder. A couple
of those putbacks he's had have just been off the charge.
Maybe the best dunk I've ever seen in that one
put back.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
And so I've tried to figure out what you could
do to.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Stop him, and a lot of really good coaches so
far have tried to stop him, doing a lot of
different things on him, trying to be real physical with him,
double team him. Whatever they've done. He's figured out and
and learned how what he can do against those those
teams and those coaches and those defenses. And he'll he'll
get better and better. I mean, it's just now a
(35:17):
matter of just getting more experience for him. And as
he does, he's going to put that in the in
the mental bank and and he's just he's just going
to be an all time great, not just.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
The b YU.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
I think he'll he'll have one of the great NBA careers.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
That's how highly I think of him.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
And I've always kind of hesitated to put too much
on guys that are that young, But like you, I mean,
there's there's been nothing to dissuade me from the fact
that he has greatness in him and will be a great,
one of the all time greats at b YU.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
And will be a great NBA player.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
So I'm just kind of it's cool to be watching
it up close where kind of all beginning and see
his see him him kind of just do his thing,
and you know, twenty thirty forty years from now, we're
gonna be saying, yeah, I saw aj play in person.
I saw when he got the triple double and all
those things, and that will be, you know, a pretty
(36:13):
cool bit for BA you fans to be able to say.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Yeah, definitely will be right now.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
I mean, it's very obvious it's going to be between
him and until you find out more health wise about
what's going on with Darren Peterson. But Cam, Cam Boozer,
and aj AJ is right behind Cam for scoring leaders
in all of college basketball. Cam's at twenty three point
three and AGS at twenty three point one. If he
keeps doing this, he's gonna be the next gym or
he's going to be the Nasimith Player of the Year.
(36:38):
He's got a great opportunity to win that award if
he keeps us up.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
So we will definitely definitely see.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
But I got to ask you this, you know, because
you've done this with Greg a long time. I don't
know if you guys have had this discussion maybe on
sparking something that dunk by aj It was nice it's
up there and being and have a DISCUSSI as we're
going back and forth, and Jonathan Savinard even pushing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Me, says, well, then you got to give my call
his credit. Where does that dunk rank? Long time?
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Because the only child's baptism where you catch your body
was nice too, Mark, and is against a rival on
a neutral site. AJ's is up there, But then I
forgot about my calls.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That don't Why do you rank that dunk?
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Yeah, I mean it's hard. Those are all amazing. Trump
Place Ted had one that is kind of calling kind
of shook me at the time. They're all cool, kind
of in their own way. I mean, Yoli doing it
against Utah and just going through two defenders and that picture,
(37:41):
I mean, that's iconic, and and Mike Hall seemed to
defy all the laws of physics and just kind of
raise and throw that one down. But I'd probably i mean,
recency bias, I'd probably go with AJ just because it
wasn't just the dunk, the athleticism and the coolness of
(38:03):
the dunk, but how he was able to reach back
and kind of grab it with one hand and then
in the same motion kind of gathered in that hand,
bring it back over to the middle, and then with
the rebounder in front.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Of it, and then to throw it down.
Speaker 6 (38:21):
I mean, just it wasn't just about sheer athleticism. It
was a really skilled and amazing basketball move.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
With one hand to bring that ball.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
I mean, he was I didn't think he could even
get his hand on it for the rebound, and he
got it corraled it, brought it under control back to
the to in front of himself.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
And then throw it down.
Speaker 6 (38:45):
I mean that was just a It just wasn't kind
of an overpowering.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Wow, athletic dunk. It was like, how did he do it?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
I mean, that was such a hard play to make,
just to control the ball and then to be able
to throw it, and it was so out of nowhere.
I mean, you just weren't expecting it. He didn't have
the ball in his hands. It was a miss three
and you're like, oh, I miss three. And then you're
just you're like, what happened? What just happened? And it
was it was really cool. So I mean they're all great,
(39:18):
They're all good in their own way. But I think,
just fresh off the off, the memory of watching that
play and the difficulty of that dunk was I think
probably the best dunk I've seen in person.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
I will say this the only two dunks, and I
know I'm a wee we lad, but the only two
dunks that have ever got me off my feet were
the only Child's dunk and then the a J dunk
I was at the I was at both games. One
I was a fan back in the day, and the
other is a media member. And I will say this,
and I broke rules, and so do other media members.
I I reacted one hundred because I didn't.
Speaker 6 (39:51):
Yeah, well, I feel sorry for your media guys that
are supposed to be all calm and collective. I mean, uh,
there may they may want me to be that way,
but I.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
I don't got I don't have it.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
No no, no, no no no no no no no no.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
It shouldn't be. You guys are the home broadcast. I
don't think it should be. You guys are objective. You
guys say a good play. I've listened to you guys. Look,
look you have to be honest. Kelowne going crazy, Brian
Sanciago de dabbed up. Uh you know the pulla tu
And look, I'm giving people a testament.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Guys. We have to be objective.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
But I was next to Sean Walker and Jake Hatch
was there, and then you know Stu for Byu. Oh
my goodness, and I I like I grabbed Sean and
this and I looked at other people on the front
where I won't name them.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
I know Sean wouldn't care, and we were just like WHOA.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
If you didn't react to that, if you didn't move
as a human, then you just don't have emotions. In
my opinion, my friend Kaylea Keiso, she's been going viral
because she was under the rim getting caught in four
K like look like just no one thought that, like
when you saw that, And I don't know what's better,
Like Mark, is the dunking better or the staredowns every
time he stares down. I'm really trying it myself just
(40:58):
as a competitor of having played pickup her like not
like he stared downs or even better.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
When he makes these dunks up. Man, he's a phenomenal athlete.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
I know, I wish I could have ever done anything
in my career that I could have stare at someone down.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
But oh yeah, I'm not have her.
Speaker 6 (41:14):
But listen, you know, I do get excited when BYU
does things like that, but sometimes you just have to
get excited about the play that you just are, regardless
of the team. I mean, there's been some dunks against
BYU that I really thought were amazing, and I really
enjoyed them because it's just I mean, sometimes you just
got to respect the game and the player and what
(41:37):
he does and regardless of what's on his uniform. So yeah,
that was I think anybody who saw that, regardless of
your feelings about b why you had to respect that particular.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
PLAYA fans will get mad at me.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
But when Darren Darien Williams gave him what the business
last year on one of those plays and one of
those dunks, I.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Said, oh, I said, oh.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
That's nice as it's a bad bet as a very
very bad ben. He's a, Hey, you gotta respect that.
I love that you say.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
And that's something that Greg he has even talked about.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
You know, at the end of the day, you got
to give credit to the athlete.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
You have to do.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
You have to have respect for the game. It can't
just be the y on the shirt. It has to
be all of college basketball. You know, there's some BA
basketball players that have been baptized, there have been something,
have gotten their ankles took and look, that's the game.
Sometimes you're on a highlight for someone else and sometimes
you put someone on your highlight.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
It goes both ways. Here with Mark Durant, the BYU
color analysts.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Let's change topics though still in basketball, but really off
the court. I need to know what pair of shoes
did Aj get for you? If he did get you some,
he got Greg some On Monday, I saw him. I
took a picture of to put it on my Twitter.
Man even better human to get everybody on the staff, contributors, managers.
(42:55):
He got everybody at Christmas gift, which I thought was
phenomenal and that really touched one of my friends. Mussey
is one of the managers, and you know, he was
just it was really cool to talk to him and
just hear how Aj is so competitive on the court,
but when he's off the court, who he is as
a person is ten times that.
Speaker 6 (43:14):
Yeah, I've yet to receive my my Christmas shoes, but
I'm not I'm not expecting anybody. Aj is awesome. I mean,
I just pinched myself. I think, is this real life?
When I watch him out on the floor, and I
think at times you just kind of take for granted
(43:35):
that he's on By's team, but but he's a huge deal.
I mean, we were walking the streets of New York
and crowd would gether and want his picture, and you
know he's getting he's getting a hug from Lebron after
the game of the Jazz game, and he's doing commercials
with Shaq. I mean, he is a superstar and he
(43:56):
chose to come to b YU. Still I can't I
can't fathom that that happened. And and he's such a
great representative of BYU. I mean he's always talking about
BYU and and the opportunities and and all the good.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Things about it. I mean, what what what what?
Speaker 6 (44:15):
You know, whatever money he is getting by he's getting
his money, their money's worth and getting a bargain with
AJ with the publicity and the exposure and the games
they're getting and and and the nightly highlights. I mean,
so as a player, he's terrific. But I love it
that that he's a great teammate. I mean, he gets
(44:35):
thirty three last night and I never once thought, well,
he's he's getting his right, He's he's getting his shots up.
I mean, he's so efficient and he's not you know,
he's not a black hole out there.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
He's not.
Speaker 6 (44:50):
Everything's got to go through him. And he's making his
teammates better. I mean, Richie gets over twenty points last night,
and Rob was right.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
There with him, and and move is right there.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
You got seventeen and and you know it's not all
about AJ and he gets to the triple double and
ten assists. I mean, he's making his teammates better. And
you can see when when they do stuff, he gets
excited when they do stuff.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
He loves his teammates, and.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
And he's very respectful, and I mean, you just couldn't
say enough things about him, and the fact that he
wants to share the good things that are happening to
him and the things he's getting and resources with his
teammates and the coaching staff and managers and all.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
That says a lot about the kid.
Speaker 6 (45:33):
I mean, I just I don't have anything bad to
say about his game or him as a person. He's
handling all this intense, intense media exposure perfectly. I mean,
he's doing it all the right way. So I'm gushing
about the kid, but I you know, just sometimes, like
I said, I got pinched myself that this is real
(45:53):
life for BYU and that fans get to see him
and and you know, we'll see what happens with the
conference play and all in the postseason. But whatever happens,
he is a great young man and represents BUYU so
well and it's amazing to have him here.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Will be an all time great generational player, generational talent.
And I love that this has happened at market BYU
because the fear was of guys. When I say guys
like AG, I mean the publicity, the talent, you know,
could there be egos, very culachable, not entitled at all.
That's the biggest thing in this day and age, especially
(46:30):
with nil and high level players. That was a worry,
especially with by and the culture. And he is fitting
in and thrived in this and that's I love. What
I love more than anything of on the court is
when he's walking back to the huddle and Kevin Young
needs to tell him something, but Tim Fanning will void
Nate Austin, Chris Burgess. He's so attentive and he's so
(46:50):
listening and he says yes, and then he goes and
he does that. And I said, man, to be that humble,
to be that open minded is really tough to find
in this day and age. You know, when you look
at college athletics, because these kids sometimes are their parents' bosses,
right well, with the paychecks that they pay and how
hard that they've worked. So sometimes you know parents for
maybe forget the parent or people in your group can't.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
Tell you anything. That's not the case at all, Mark
what they.
Speaker 4 (47:14):
J Yeah, I think that's right.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
And you know, from my experience watching greatness and great players,
they kind of have two really defining characteristics. One is
that they are supremely ultimately and just confident.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
They believe in themselves.
Speaker 6 (47:41):
And you think, well, you know, they got a big ego.
Speaker 4 (47:45):
No, it's they know what.
Speaker 6 (47:48):
They've got and have a complete belief in themselves. But
along with that, and this is important to have this
second characteristic because they have a thirst to know more
and to get even better. And if there's a coach
or someone that can give them insight or they can
(48:10):
learn something new, they have a thirst for that.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
And so you can have an have.
Speaker 6 (48:17):
Enormous confidence and yet still be humble enough to want
to learn more and to absorb all the information just
to be the best you can be.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
And from what I've seen from.
Speaker 6 (48:30):
Aj, he's kind of got that and from what everything
Coach Young has told me about him, and he's super
coachable and Coach Young likes having him out there because
it's almost an extension of himself out there. He just
has a good knowledge of the game, and Coach Young
can trust him to do the right things, make the
right decisions.
Speaker 4 (48:47):
And and do what's best for the team.
Speaker 6 (48:50):
So yeah, I mean, super confident kid as he should be,
because because why not, why wouldn't you be, But also
humble enough to know that he doesn't know everything, that
he can get better and can learn more about the game,
and he has a thirst for that.
Speaker 4 (49:06):
So I think it's really cool.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Definitely really cool for sure.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Here with Mark Durant, the BA you call it analysts
on the line here with this on Christmas Eve, Christmas
Eve edition of Cougar Sports Wins A December twenty fourth mark,
last couple of things and I'll let you get out
of here. The biggest thing that this team needs to
improve on going in a conference play next Saturday, January third,
Crazy that we're in twenty twenty six, already eleven am
(49:30):
now to standard time. They will tip off to begin
Big twelve play on the road against Kansas State in Manhattan.
Speaker 6 (49:38):
Well, you know, I think they're they're in a good spot.
I mean, but you know, there's some consistency issues. Obviously,
There's been a lot of talk about first half, second
half team, and again last night, they just they didn't
look they didn't look good, particularly on defense in.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
The first half, and I worry.
Speaker 6 (49:59):
You know, you can get away with that sometimes, but
I worry that with the level of competition in the
Big Twelve, which is just off the charts, man. I mean,
there's so many good things in the Big Twelve that
you can't afford to have, you know, five or six
minutes where you're not you know, you can't have those lapses,
I guess and expect to recover. But LBA, he's done
(50:21):
a good job of having tough halfs or tough times
and winning games still. But I just don't think you
can do that or expect to do that in the
Big twelve. There's just two good and so you need
a little more consistency on both ends for forty minutes. Obviously,
bench plays a little bit of an issue. You've got
(50:42):
Beato Aukman and coming in and he's he's I love,
I just love having him because they need some size
and shot blocking and rebounding to spell Cata and so,
but overall, bench play you know, this four game stretch
was nice to get Tyler Moruss and like I say,
costed some time and some confidence and you know in
(51:03):
the hollow and they're not going to need a lot
from the bench with this team, but you know there's
going to be forty fifty bench minutes and you need
to have some production or at least that have some
threats out there. So teams can't just focus on the
Big three. And so there's a couple areas. Certainly you
can get better, but that that starting five is is
(51:24):
really really good, and I think can can win and
win the Big twelve.
Speaker 4 (51:29):
Now that's good.
Speaker 6 (51:29):
That's tall order a lot of good teams, but they
certainly be ways a team that will be in the
mix and we'll have to be dealt with. And but
in a lot of ways, I think this team run
is just scratching the surface too. So I think they
can get better, which is exciting. And and we'll see
how It's going to be tough. It's tough for everybody
(51:49):
in the Big twelve. But I'm excited to see what
this team can put on the floor and have a
lot of confidence in this group of a young man.
It's certainly with coach and his staff, I think they'll
be ready to go, and this preseason will have done
a good job of getting them ready for the rigors
of a Big twelve play.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
They've been tested in a non conference, They've experienced different atmospheres, venues,
parts of the world, and they've passed all the tests
as far Man. You just wish, if you wish, if
they'd had two more minutes in the Yukong.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
Game where they have passed all the tests. But they've
learned a lot about themselves.
Speaker 2 (52:24):
And I'm just gonna tell everybody in a Big twelve,
look out for BYU Kansas State. You gonna have to
look out Arizona State. You tall the boys up north
TCU Texas Tech.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
All of these games.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
Number one Arizona man Bo has an opportunity to finish
I think as a top five team in the country.
If you take down the likes of Kansas number one, Arizona,
number eight, Houston, number three, Iowa State, all of those
games that you get some of them at the MC,
the best college basketball place that I've experienced atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
On the planet. It's a privilege to cover this team
and talk to you.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
Mark.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
I'll let you out of here on this the hard
hitting jade journalism question. I need to know what are
the Christmas traditions? The Christmas Song and the Durant home.
What are you guys doing for Christmas?
Speaker 4 (53:10):
Well, uh, you know, we got some different things.
Speaker 6 (53:13):
We got some movies we'd like to watch, you know,
Elf and Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation, great movies.
Speaker 4 (53:20):
I mean that's always funny singing.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
Yeah, Papa Elf, the North Pole, those are those are
good thing.
Speaker 6 (53:32):
It's so funny, so fun I was in New York
City the other day and I just yeah, I went
in the Empire State Building and pressed all the buttons
on the elevators. But yeah, but really it is just
about family and being together and Christmas Morning together. And
my son and his three kids were from They live
(53:52):
up in Idaho. They were down for this weekend, so
we got to spend some time with them. But it's
just about family, man, It's about being grateful and uh,
and being around family and and loving each other. And uh,
I'm a I'm a blessed man round around as you know.
And uh, you know, I'm just so grateful to be
able to call the BYU games and to associate with
(54:13):
b YU and and be around BYU fans.
Speaker 4 (54:15):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (54:16):
It's it's an honor for me, and I know it's
you know, it's a real cool thing for me to
be able to do.
Speaker 4 (54:21):
I don't take it lightly. And it just makes me.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
It makes me feel happy to be able to do that,
and and it's important to me and my family and anyway,
I'm kind of rambling on.
Speaker 4 (54:33):
But it's I'm just grateful.
Speaker 6 (54:34):
I'm grateful to you for all that you do and uh,
and just uh to be a part of b y
U sports in general and a little bit and UH,
it's blessed my life.
Speaker 4 (54:44):
So I'm grateful for it.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
It's a blessed my life too.
Speaker 2 (54:46):
Man, right back at you, I'm blessed you to be
able to talk to you and uh, to cover this
great team, this great coaching staff, Tyson Jackson, information.
Speaker 3 (54:54):
Director, does a great job.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
And to be able to tell the story this is
bo your basketball team, and tell your story through your eyes.
That's one of the reasons I got into journalism is
the story and the relationships, not about the money. It's
about the story and the connection that you build with people.
And I felt that, well, Merry Christmas, Mark, Happy holiday,
is Happy New Year, and we will definitely catch up
with you in a few weeks kicking off twenty twenty six,
and we'll see where BYU is that in conference plan
(55:17):
in a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
I definitely think it's going to be glorious.
Speaker 4 (55:20):
All right, my friend, I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
Thank care yeap, I'll let you go.
Speaker 2 (55:24):
That was Mark Durant, everybody and a little talking basketball
college basketball here on Cougar Sports. It was brought to
you by one of our favorite sponsors, Premo Golf Apparel.
Premogolf Apparel dot com. Guys, Primo Golf Apparel's biggest sale
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We'll go to break, don't go anywhere. Let's get into
our flour. Still a lot more to get to in
that five o'clock Ouverhill from Big Cred Interview with Scott
Mitchell next, and then I will take it back over
Laine Allen to close out the show. You're listening to
(56:05):
Cougar Sports on a Christmas Eve edition, Wednesday, December twenty fourth,
right here on one O three nine.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
In ninety eight, three
Is Cougar Sports with Ben Krittel and it's time for
the Cougar Beat getting the dish from the local reporters
that cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on one of three
nine and ninety eight three ESPN. The Fan Ronald the
three man Weaver here holding it down for Ben krittle
It is a Christmas Eve addition Wednesday, December twenty fourth
edition of Cougar Sports here in the Utah ESPN Radio Network.
We're live from our Vanderwolf Studios Banderwalth. All he asks
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let's get out to the hot line and welcome in.
I call him the Godfather. Uh, he holds it down
here for us as a lot of wisdom. We got
Darnel Dixon of the Daily herold. Thanks for joining me
today double D for a Christmas Eve edition.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Problem appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I need to know what are traditions in the diction home.
What do you guys do? Do you do? You do
the pajamas? Did you do the pajamas? The Christmas cookie, gingerbread?
You know, house decorations. What did you guys do during
you know, the holiday season growing up with the kiddos.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, we're pretty traditional, you know. We do the pajamas,
and we do the Christmas story and we sing some carols.
My recliner that I'm sitting in right this very minute
is about five feet away from the tree. And uh,
it's difficult for me to get to my chair because
of the gifts that are kind of taking up the
(03:04):
room around it. So yeah, we're pretty traditional as a family,
and we don't have any little kids anymore. So we're
actually not even going to open gifts until a little
bit later in the afternoon because my wife is is
working at the hospital for a little while on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I do I do remember your wife working at the
hospital when the baby girls born. Army you texted me
and I went right down the hall and I was like,
I think I just passed her. So shout out to
your uh, to your wife and all the all the
medical people that help during Christmas, even Christmas Day. They're
very important, and you know, I never will never want
to forget about them, Double d.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Since the last time we had you, it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
A lot happens, and you know, just a span of
twenty four hours we talked to you.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You know, obviously we talked to you on Friday.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
B Yu, you know has the home and home now
in order, Dame Agent de Bonce, I had a thirty
point triple double. You know, let's just let's just start there,
you know, order Dame schedules the home and home with BYU.
I don't think they had any team to do with
people them still opting out of the Pop Tards Bowl,
those players are going to declare for the draft.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
But are Provo?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Are your people happy, Darnell? Are the fans happy that
Notre Dame is finally going to becoming a Provo? And
then by you will go back to South Bend the
following year?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
I think so on this sixty minutes or so that
the game takes place in Provo next year will be
a good, good game between two really good programs. The
ancillary stuff though that, I just feel like Notre Dame
is way too entitled as a college football program, and
I don't think it's fair what they're doing in terms
(04:41):
of signing an agreement with the College Football Playoff Committee
that they get certain considerations. I think they need to
join a conference, not because it's going to benefit them
that much, but because they need to play by the
same rules as everyone else does. And so that's it
gets in my crawl a little bit. And I hope
BYU wins by seventy. But you know, like I said,
it's it's going to be it's going to be a
(05:03):
good football game between two really good programs, and I
think it'll draw a lot of fans, uh, you know,
to watch on TV. It'll be an event. And so
it's cool and I'm glad that the two teams are
playing after we all know that Notre Dame dodged the
Cougars for about a decade with a return game to Provo,
and fortunately Brian Santiago is savvy enough to get the
(05:26):
Irish to come to Provo first to make sure we
get that game in and then b y, you should
probably do it. Notre Dame did Oh, we have to
change our schedule because of the Big twelve, and we'll we'll,
we'll play you in a few years down the road.
But anyway, that's a that's probably a little bit too much.
But I do feel like it will be a good
football game and it's it's a game that will draw
a lot of attention around the country.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Look, I'm totally okay with the competitive the petty nature.
I think it's okay for Brian to do it exactly
what he did. You weren't going to play Notre Dame
ever again unless they came to Provo first, and I
would not look at Bau sideways if they played the
game one and then say you know what, Unfortunately, we
just can't come to South Bend in twenty twenty seven.
Things are just not gonna work out our way. I
(06:10):
don't blame the Cougars at all. Look, hey, I'm all
about being petty. In the nature of the world, it happens.
If you do it unto me, I'll do it unto you.
I know the scriptures don't say that that's not what
I should be preaching. But to me is just that
that's a funny thing. But no shot up to Brian
to get this first in provo, because we all know
double D if you would have went to South Bend first,
(06:31):
nor to Day, probably would have pulled out the following
year and not come to provo. They just don't want
to come. But I'm greatful the Marcus Freeman and Pete
Beviqua agreed on this and that that fighting Irish. We've
been calling him to quitting Irish. They can't quit because
they'll have to come next year. So but maybe what
they'll do is Bau will beat them by seventy Like
(06:51):
you said, it's so bad that they'll quit and say, hey,
we don't want you to come to South Bend.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
That could happen. Who knows college football is like that.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Llege football is like that. Let's go to the next
big news topic. Kline Sataki announced yesterday as the team
is in Orlando doing the festivities. LJ Martin not going
to play in this game. Had offseason surgery on that shoulder.
As we know, it was a problem. He was dinged
up a little bit towards the end of the year.
Still had a phenomenal end of the season with the
way he was running. You think of that Cincinnati game
(07:21):
TCU to be injured the way he is, and even
against Texas Tech the second time, I still thought LJ
did the best of what he could with what he
was giving. I don't feel like he played terrible, but
got that surgery. Will be on the sideline, won't be playing.
He has a decision to make whether he's gonna come
back for his senior year or declare for the draft.
W Is LJ Martin being out a big deal? A
(07:43):
lot of people are really nervous, and if you look
at the depth chart that was released, there's no either.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I think it's a big deal, and you know in
some ways, it kind of works in Buyu's favor because
as they head into this this game, good Jordan, the
tech won't really know the game plan. You think you
can't look back at at game video from BYU's past
games and determine what the game plan will be offensively,
(08:11):
because by you lean so heavily on l J. Martin.
You know, when when Harvey junga BYU's running back coach,
was it Timfu? I joked that by or that tim
Fu had three plays give to Harvey, throw to Harvey,
fake to Harvey. And that's kind of how it went
with this year with l J. Mean, they really used
him a lot. I didn't look up the numbers beforehand,
(08:33):
but I know that you know, coming in he was
averaging this season. He was before the season averaging about
thirteen carries a game. I think he had quite a
bit more than that. This season. They threw to him
a lot. The threat of him in the running game
did allow for some nice play action ability. So, like
I said, in some ways it works in Boway's favorite,
(08:53):
but otherwise we just don't know what we don't know.
Like you mentioned earlier about you know can ken Enick
now we Nick put in fifteen carries. Can jovesa DEMONI
who the last time we saw himmy fumbled and they
did never played him again. You know, is he going
to make an impact? Is Cionemo actually going to play,
but they'll kept him off the depth chart to be KG,
(09:15):
I don't know. I'm reminded a little bit of what
I think it was twenty twenty two. So J Mava
Peters playing quarterback because of all the injuries, and that
initial game plan against SMU worked really well. B Why
he's up twenty four ten running that kind of option
offense and SOLj was not throwing the ball that much,
but eventually SMU figured it out and stopped BYU. So
(09:36):
I'm hoping that Aaron Roderick has a plan B in
place for coming out, maybe taking advantage of the fact
that in this in this game, particularly that Jeorgia Tech
doesn't really know what BYU is going to do.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, you have to think that this is some somewhat
of an advantage because Okay, they've relied on LJ. They
have no idea who else Becker is not allowed of Hape.
You bring up the SMU game, I remember that of Okay,
who's gonna start, you know, sol J, Mava Peters and
SMU was struggling. I mean they made the adjustments eventually,
but he was running all over him in that first
half and they were let him throw the ball to
(10:12):
he threw a pick. You know, everything was fine until
that once he saled it over the middle to the safety.
Aaronroddics said, knew, we're gonna hand it off. And Chris
Brooks got healthy towards the end of the season. And
you wonder if it's gamesmanship, you know, you keep see
on a off and then you bring him out there
because they really don't know. So right now, Enick, nowhewey
is RB one until otherwise stated, but I would love
(10:33):
to see one go out there and help BYU. And look,
you played great last year. I thought of Alamo Bowl
and the reps that he had. He didn't play terrible,
But no, LJ you could have you know, you could
LJ no problems or you could have some problems. I
guess we'll we'll find out. How do you healthy? Do
you think Barre will be going into the this week?
Got rolled up on and we know in that Texas
(10:53):
Tech game in the first play, I think Barre will
be above eighty eighty five percent. A big part of
Bau's game is Bear's ability to run.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I think he could be limited.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It's possible. I do think that the fact that it's
going to be three weeks between games will help him heal,
but that doesn't necessarily help him in terms of sharpness
because he may not be practicing a bunch. So you
know there's a trade off there that, yeah, you want
to get him healthy, but you also want him to
feel comfortable in what will be a new offensive game
(11:24):
plan with l J. Martin on the lineup. So I
think that he'll be able to play. I don't know
how much they'll run him, I hope. I think what
they'll probably do is is running back by committee. We
know that works sometimes, sometimes we don't know how that
will work. The receivers should all be pretty healthy, and
(11:45):
Bear should be able to get the ball out on don't.
I don't think that the Jeergia Tech defense is anything
particularly special, So I expect the Cougars to move the
ball regardless. But you know, when you want to get
in the end zone, when you want to get that
key third or fourth down, it's certainly nice to have
someone like Lja Martin in the lineup that you rely on.
These other guys have just not been in those situations before,
(12:06):
so it's all going to be kind of new. And
as we head into the new era of college football,
every year is a little bit different every year. As
BYU plays in these kind of bowl games, you've got
to remember it is an exhibition, and you know it
doesn't really matter in terms of schedule and national perception.
There's a lot of programs where a lot of guys
(12:28):
are opting out. I don't think that'll be the case
with BYU, but we'll see on Saturday who's going to
play and who's maybe taking a look at their future
and deciding it's not worth the problems of getting injured
and maybe hurting your chances of the future. So that's
what we're looking at in college football. And I'm still
looking forward to the game. I still think that Jorda
Tech is a pretty good foe. And the Pop Tarts
(12:51):
Bowl has always been pretty popular and gives us an
opportunity to go out and grab our favorite pop tart
for the pregame snack.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
What's your favorite pop Tart? Since you bring up the
pop darts.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I've always been partial to Strawberry.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
The classic.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, he can't go wrong with the classic.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Uh, you're gonna have to make sure you tell the
g man they're gonna I don't know if he's looked
at the list dart now, but I was looking at
the media just the taste testing that they're gonna give
on Friday camping, you know, stadium deep fried pop tart,
deep fried pop tarts deep Uh, you know that's music
(13:29):
in my ears, having served in the South, I don't
know if you ever had a deep fried twinkie. Oh
my goodness, heart attack, delicious, one on one, deep fried oreo,
you name it. Give me all the diabetes. I'll get
my health right with, you know, game day man's health
when I get back later. Goodness, creacious, there you go. Yeah,
glad of other favorit classic pop tarch, Strawberry, that's the
(13:50):
one tree. Alexander has been raving about that ever since
they got into the pop tarchs. Body says, if it
ain't Strawberry, I don't want it.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
But you mentioned Georgia tech. Good offense.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This quarterback Haines King, he can he can run it,
he can throw it, he can do whatever. I mean,
anytime you throw for twenty seven hundred yards in the
season and you almost rush for a thousand as well,
and you almost have thirty total touchdowns, you're a good quarterback.
Bear's kind of done the same thing. Maybe not with
the rushing yards, but he will move on you for sure.
What is the BAU defense need to do and who
are the key impact players to limit him?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Because he can scoot. He can really scoot, Darnelle when
you look at the tape.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, I think that the linebackers are going to be
under some pressure to make good reads and be in
good coverage as well as spying on King and make
sure he's not running wild. I like the fact that
you've given Jay Hill about three weeks to prepare for
this game. I think the game plan will be really good,
and I think it's an opportunity for the defensive line
(14:51):
to kind of show their growth and to be able
to put pressure on King when he drops back. So
those are those the two, you know, position groups I
think are going to be under some pressure. But again,
I think He'll is going to have a good game
plan for this this game and the defense has been
really good all year, you know, I know that the
(15:12):
College Football Playoff Committee based BYU's place in their rankings
solely on how they played against Texas Tech. And we're
going to find out a lot this weekend as Oregon
plays Texas Tech and the College Football Playoffs to see
how a team like Oregon who has a great offense
can can compete against that Texas Tech defense. But BYU's
(15:36):
defense was really good in both of those Texas Tech games.
It was, you know, a thirteen to seven, thirteen ten
game and those those two contests, and if the offense
had been able to put something together, it might have
gone down differently toward the end. But the BYU defense
has been terrific this year and I think they're going
to do that again on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, when you give j Hill time for a game plan,
is he able to bottle you up?
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Is he able to bottle you up the right way?
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So see if he bottles up Haines Kings did it
last year? Sure, there literally there was a viral video.
I don't even know where the pressure's coming from. I
don't know what they doing and know that the heck
they're doing, What the heck, what the heck they doing?
Looking I don't know. And as the NFL quarterback, he's
starting with the Browns right now. You know they had
a wide receiver dB that was playing with the jaguarster
(16:19):
he had season and his surgery. So I want to
remind fans that those are two good football players. I
know they had a team, but it was really only
two dudes out there through making place the entire season
for Colorado. You did that and now they're playing at
the highest level. So give Jay Hill a lot of credit.
Let's transition durned out of BALI I said volleyball, basketball
and then went finished with the little volleyball because a
(16:41):
new coach has been hired in Cougar Country. The thirty
point triple double from aj de Bonca first ever thirty
point triple double on BYU history. Danny Ings came close
twenty seven, ten, and thirteen. What do you make of
the thirty point triple double? And it was the first
one since Kyle collins were dating back to March in
twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I saw all of Kyle collins Worth triple doubles in
that that season, and I remember that one, and I
also remember he got sick and barely played the next
week when they were they were trying to get to
that inn it final four. But Kyle was the kind
of player that the game just revolved around him. Hit
(17:22):
the ball in his hands, he was getting rebounds, taken
it off on the break himself. And when you look
at Aja's game, it's kind of like that. I mean,
you have the ball in his hands a lot. He
gets the rebound and takes himself up the floor. He's
aggressive to the basket. And that's that's what Kevin Young
said about AJ's game, because he was just aggressive and
(17:44):
you know, he's got to have teammates to make shots,
which Aja acknowledge as well. And it's it was an
impressive performance because to put up thirty and then the
score that was the eleven of thirteen from the field, Yes,
that's ridiculous. You can't defend that. And certainly, you know,
the competition was not great. Eastern Washington is not a
great basketball team. But to put that sort of effort
(18:08):
and to put the month of December that he put
out there, it was pretty amazing. You know. So at
the end of the regular season and or the non
conference season and had the Big Twelve play, AJ is
a really dominant player during the last month and done
(18:29):
a really good job of taking on the responsibility of
being a playmaker as well as a scorer. And he's
got so much to his game. He's so explosive. Sitting
there in the Aurea and watching him with that follow
jam the other night, the crowd just goes nuts. I mean,
it's just it's just what in the world is happening?
(18:50):
This is b WHYU were watching, right? I mean so yeah.
Aj has had a terrific non conference schedule and things
will get tougher because the Big Twelve these are really good.
But I like By's chances and making some good performances
and put themselves in a good position when we get
to March.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
He's the first freshman in Big twelve history with a
triple double. That's per ESPN Insight. That that makes sense
and thinking people around and national guys, Big Board, NBA
guys are starting to realize this is going to be
the number one overall recruit. They tried to make it.
Darren Peterson, Ah, he's got the best refined game. Oh
you look at this and hope I'm starting to see
(19:30):
from CBS Sports, starting to see from everybody the best
wing National Player of the Year Chase. You're starting to
see all of that coming to the mix, is starting
to come to fruition, honestly, and you mentioned, you know,
the month of December. I think he's averaged and this
is per Justin Young, right, you know, Justin Young does
a great job of recruiting. AJAST average twenty seven point
(19:52):
eight points per game in the month of December, eight rebounds,
five point seven assists, two point three steals on sixty
six percent, and it's just sixty five point nine, but
that's sixty six percent, shooting seventy seven point nine percent
from the freight throw line, twenty nine point four percent
from three two point five turnovers, and one foul Darnell
the entire month.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
And he was arguing with the ref last game because
he got the foul in the Eastern Washington game, telling
him knowing he the only reason he didn't pick up
a technical foules because he didn't wave his hand, but
he was just shaking his head throwing his hands up.
So one foul is ridiculous. That's the biggest thing in
this stands out to me that he picked up one foul.
He definitely is one of one.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
He is in the last time we saw anything even
remotely close to this for BU basketball was in twenty
eleven the Jimmer for Dad. Plus AJ's handing out new
shoes to staff members and teammates and you know, so
he's had a pretty good month of December for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Definitely, Santa Claus came early for the BAU staff managers.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Everybody. Gregor Belt got his pair, took a picture of that. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Didn't think that tweet was gonna blow up, but he did. Age.
Everybody loved that. AJ gave back, and he's given back
to the fans. So fans enjoy it while it lasts,
because it won't be around forever. I can guarantee you that,
no doubt about it. Here were Darnell Dixon of The
Daily Herald and Little Cougar Beat a Christmas Eve edition
of Cougar Sports on your Utah ESPN Radio Network Double
(21:20):
d Lists Finish up. I gotta talk a little volleyball
with you. A new volleyball coach has been hired. Rob
Robin Neilson is now the head coach of the boy
Umans volleyball team, and I feel like changes are already occurring.
Alex Bauer pulled out of the portal since they she'll
be returning back to BYU.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
This is a home run higher I believe.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
It is. And as we broke down a lot of
the candidates, there were some really strong candidates, including Rob
as well as Ryan Malar, former gold medalist and BYU
players coaching at Eastern Illinois, and there were some good candidates,
but I think Rob was somebody who it makes a
(22:01):
lot of sense. I love his experience as not only
a women's volleyball coach, but coaching with the men's national
team is a big deal. He's a former Cougar. I've
known Rob for a long time and he's kind of
a His approach is very quiet and focused. He's not
a real yeller, screamer, demonstrative kind of guy. But he's
(22:24):
obviously a really good volleyball coach. And when you're replacing
someone like Heather Olmsted, who won like eighty five percent
of for matches over the course of her career, you
need somebody to step in and do it right, and
you know Rob has got a lot of work to do.
It is great that Alex decided to come back, because
you know, when you have a setter, a veteran center.
(22:46):
That's a great start. He's going to be headed, you know,
to talk to some of the recruits that they've already
got committed to see. You know this is but he's
gonna put his own stamp on the program, and so
he'll bring in some of his own staff and some
of his own players. And it's an interesting time for
BYU women's volleyball because they've been so good for so long.
(23:08):
When they make a transition like this, you know, there's questions,
you know, can can they continue to maintain to be
a really good volleyball program? And I think Rob is
a guy who can do that.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, definitely a guy that can and do that, especially
when you won a national championship as a player too.
You can't take that experience away. When I read that,
you know that there's all of that encompasses experience into
what a coach should be. Got to ask you this,
double d any chances that the Big twelve freshman of
the year comes back, you know, are you able to
you know, I know a couple of people have already committed.
(23:39):
I haven't seen anything or got any update. I know
one of the girls has already committed to TCU. Is
there any way you can get her back? She had
a phenomenal season. Tough to lose a player like that
after one season.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, it is. It's disappointing because you know, Sully was
a really good freshman. Yeah, and you have to did
or that she would have, you know, continued to get
better and being an elite player. She has committed to
SMU and we'll be playing there next year. According to
what I've read, it is and you just move on.
(24:13):
I mean, that's that's just the place and the and
we live in a college sports world where moving around
is kind of is the norm now and not the exception,
even in women's sports. And so we wish Silly well
and b Yu just has to move on and find
players to step up and make some contributions. And I,
(24:35):
you know, I honestly don't know. You know, Rob probably
had some players committed to him to go to Utah State.
He may bring some of those. I expect there to
be quite a bit of turnover on the roster as
he gets to the point where he's comfortable with what
he's working with and they work his system. But it's
it's like I said, it's been a really good program
over the years high level, and when since moving to
(24:58):
the Big twelve, things have been a little tougher because
you're not beating up on Portland and Santa Clara and
Pacific like you were in the West Coast Conference. You're
playing some really good volleyball programs. And YU held its
own they you know, they they got to the NCAA
tournament and had some big wins against ranked teams. And
Rob is the guy that's in charge of trying to
(25:20):
keep that going and maybe making a little better.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Yeah, definitely gonna be the guy in charge.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Are now gonna have to keep that going for Thank
you for the update on on Suley. Yeah, he's gonna
have to bring in his guys. And that's the air
of the nil on the transfer portal these days of
both And I did the numbers, and I've looked up
multiple studies. Kid averages about one point seven one point
eight times they transfer before they find their home, and
that's about two times, and we've seen that. Go look
(25:45):
at football. You can look at Darius last year. You
can look at Keilan Marion, you can look at Harrison Taggart,
you can look at multitudes of people you can look
at volleyball, you can look at soccer, as he stradding
me A Lopez. There's so many BYU players that you know,
end up finding a new home, and there's other players
that come.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
To North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Right, I know that was crazy? Right you see is
it in North Carolina? That's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
I know you're looking like, oh, okay, uh, but but
that's what I mean, and that that happens.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Look, killing Marion is of going to Miami, Miami Beach,
Texas A and m They're now the quarterfinal of the
college football playoffs. The PORTI it's going to give it
to b YU. But at the same darn darn time, Darnell,
like we talked about, it's going to take it too.
He's now at SMU. I think that's a good spot.
You know, is he at North Carolina? Quiland Marion went
to you know Miami. They're good spots where people go.
(26:32):
So this has to make you wonder about football. Can
you retain these guys? You know the new sat down
up als like, can you keep him? Can you keep this?
Siciliacnas if I Zach Glasker decides to come back for
his last year, can you keep him or is he
gonna end up elsewhere? That's just that's the state we're in.
If if people test the waters for their market, market
raid and you know they're not getting it, they will
(26:55):
be gone elsewhere. And I've been shocked by a lot
of the moves across all the b YU athletics, but
I also understand that's just today in times we live
in now.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
You know what's interesting is is you know, every college
football program, every major program, has a general manager. And
you know why now, there's just so much to organize,
especially in football when you start looking at a roster
of one hundred kids and you're trying to figure out
who's staying, who's going, and who do we want to retain?
Who are we going to say, hey, thanks for playing,
(27:24):
but you need to find someplace else to go. And
it's difficult in most sports, but football seems to be
probably the most complicated because of this er number of
athletes that you're dealing with.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Definitely too many athletes, too many numbers don't want that job.
But shout out to Dave George and uh, you know
what is it that I'm trying to remember? Goodness, gracious
basing the guy that for basketball the chief of staff.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Goodness, gracious, I don't know why my brain.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Is given a far Dug Stewart, but you pray that
all those guys, yeah, Doug, all those guys and you know,
George and every everybody across is is taking care of that.
You know you, Travis Hanson and and the b A
Legs department, they do a phenomenal job. So you got
to give credit double D before I let you go.
What's the best way we can support you what you
do and how you do it?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, Harold Extra dot com is where all of our
work is done.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
I'm working on a big twelve men's basketball preview for
next week when the Cougars get get into it, and
it's it's interesting to look up to see how other
programs have been handling the non conference slate and who's
gonna play and who's been you know there, there's so
many changes on those rosters as well, and so that's
(28:37):
that's what I'm working on next.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Definitely a preview.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
You and I are going to have to put in
their request for TCU's Tanner tools and to talk to
Tully his journey from b YU to u VU back
into the Big two of TCU b y you will
take them on in a home game here not to
not too far down the road. So a lot of
talent everywhere across all of college athletics from Utah all across,
(29:01):
so I will definitely keep it tuned in. Go to
Herald Extra dot com slash sports to see Double D
and to see Brandes sy Gurney the g Man. They
do great work over there, Double D mayor Christmas. Happy holidays, brother,
We'll catch up with you next week. It was well,
that was Darnel Dixon of The Daily Hair. Appreciate him
joining me today for a special Christmas Eve edition of
Cougar Sports here on one on three, nine and ninety
(29:23):
eight three. That second was brought to you by Orthroposo
Utah dot com. Guys, if you are in pain and
you're dealing with an injury or muscular skeletal pain at
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(29:44):
five through in eight or go to Orthroposofutah dot com
dis schedule your appointment there we'll go to break. Don't
go anywhere. Still a lot more to get to on
a Christmas even no excuse me. December twenty fourth edition
of Cougar Sports here on one O, three nine and
ninety eight three. Welcome back to this so marches right
around the corner and the Cougars are.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Written on metal of it.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
It's time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports
with Ben Cripples. Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on
one O three nine and ninety eight three ESP and
the fan Ronald the three man Weaver here bringing you
a special edition of Cougar Sports, a Christmas Eve edition.
Here Brett always bringing the hammer, joined me in the
(30:25):
first hour, be holding it down for the rest of
the show. Happy holidays to everybody. Merry Christmas. First of all,
that's the most important thing. Please be safe while you travel,
as we're live from our Bandwelth Studios of Bandwealth. All
he asks, that's your schedule for Q and a obligation
to invest with our tax mart Wealth Advisors PA certify
financial planners today if you want to save money in
(30:46):
your taxes, Blaye Anderson and his crew can help aid
and support you at Banderwealth banterwealth dot com.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
All right, let's just get right into it. Little basketball.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Aj De Bonsa recorded a triple double, first thirty point
triple double in BYU history. Another guy came close, Danny Ainge.
He had twenty seven ten and thirteen. AJ had thirty three,
ten and ten. The crowd was going crazy. Man, I'm
gonna ask the guy right now. Let's get out to
the ESPN the Fan Hotline and asked a color analyst
for bou Men's Basketball friend of the Program, Great friend,
(31:17):
Mark Durant. Mark, I know you guys had our close
view of it. I would not have wanted to be
Mihailo Boskovic on Monday to be able to take that shot.
He could have been a hated man in Provo if
it didn't go down.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Yeah, there's as different ways you can feel pressure in
the basketball game, and that was a unique one.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
But there was a lot of pressure and everybody.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Everybody knew, and the fans knew, and the team knew,
and we had about five guys ready to check in.
So it was kind of all or nothing on that
shot because AJ was coming out and the Mihailo.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Stepped up and hit a big shot. That was a
cool moment. That was that was fun.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
You know, we kind of got a little spoiled with
Kyle Collinsworth. I think he had twelve triple doubles over
his career, so he started to think, well, maybe that's
something that's normal. But the triple double is pretty rare,
and for a freshman to do it is incredible, and
(32:20):
to get thirty plus points and do it is even
more rare and incredible.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
So another another amazing thing we see from AJ.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
And we're not even halfway through the season, so you know,
as there's more to come.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
But man, that was a cool moment.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
And de Wly was a cool moment.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I want to be too early, Mark, and it's my
job to push his you know, agenda and this this
narrative and driving that message of that chip. I'm already
I'm already sold. I think I've seen enough. I think
I've seen the number one pick in the twenty twenty
six NBA Draft. I've seen enough fit the skill set
at the next level. I know scouts has he has
(32:57):
to do it. In conference play, of course, and in
the tournament. But that's all just going to be validating.
I think AJ's already proven, Hey, I'm gonna play I'm
gonna be able to play this way at the NBA
because he's done it on NBA courts, He's done it
in the Marriott Center. I mean, do you want him
to do it internationally? For crying out loud, I think
that's the last thing we would maybe need to see. Wait, oh,
by the way, he already did that. He won the
gold medals. So what else do you need to see
(33:19):
from him?
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Yeah, I mean I'd hate to be the guy who
passes on him because you're gonna look dumb down the road.
And yeah, I mean the thing about him is, I
think it's gonna be easier for him the next level
with the way the NBA plays and how they call things.
I mean, it just suits him so well. He's got
(33:42):
all the tools. I've looked for weaknesses. You think, well,
maybe his three point game is not where it should be,
and then he hits you know, a couple of tough
ones last night, and and he'll.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Get better at that. But he's got he's got it all.
Speaker 6 (33:56):
I mean that little kind of back down pull up
with a defender jump shot is as good as I've
ever seen. It's just so cool. It's a cool shot.
It's an NBA shot, and he can just live on that.
Good luck trying to block it. And then if you
do try and jump the gun, you're gonna put him
on the line, or he's just gonna step through with
(34:17):
that big drop step or euro and get to the
hoop where he shoots an amazing percentage at the rim
drawing contact. I mean, you just kind of expected to
go in. But those are hard shots he's shooting. He's
shooting almost sixty percent from the field, which is incredible.
And then of course he's got the amazing dunks and
(34:38):
all that. But he's a great defender, and he's showing
that he can be a great offensive rebounder. A couple
of those putbacks he's had have just been off the charge.
Maybe the best dunk I've ever seen in that one
put back.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
And so I've tried to figure out what you could
do to.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Stop him, and a lot of really good coaches so
far have tried to stop him, doing a lot of
different things on him, trying to be real physical with him,
double team him. Whatever they've done. He's figured out and
and learned how what he can do against those those
teams and those coaches and those defenses. And he'll he'll
get better and better. I mean, it's just now a
(35:17):
matter of just getting more experience for him. And as
he does, he's going to put that in the in
the mental bank and and he's just he's just going
to be an all time great, not just.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
The b YU.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
I think he'll he'll have one of the great NBA careers.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
That's how highly I think of him.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
And I've always kind of hesitated to put too much
on guys that are that young, But like you, I mean,
there's there's been nothing to dissuade me from the fact
that he has greatness in him and will be a great,
one of the all time greats at b YU.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
And will be a great NBA player.
Speaker 6 (35:50):
So I'm just kind of it's cool to be watching
it up close where kind of all beginning and see
his see him him kind of just do his thing,
and you know, twenty thirty forty years from now, we're
gonna be saying, yeah, I saw aj play in person.
I saw when he got the triple double and all
those things, and that will be, you know, a pretty
(36:13):
cool bit for BA you fans to be able to say.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Yeah, definitely will be right now.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
I mean, it's very obvious it's going to be between
him and until you find out more health wise about
what's going on with Darren Peterson. But Cam, Cam Boozer,
and aj AJ is right behind Cam for scoring leaders
in all of college basketball. Cam's at twenty three point
three and AGS at twenty three point one. If he
keeps doing this, he's gonna be the next gym or
he's going to be the Nasimith Player of the Year.
(36:38):
He's got a great opportunity to win that award if
he keeps us up.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
So we will definitely definitely see.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
But I got to ask you this, you know, because
you've done this with Greg a long time. I don't
know if you guys have had this discussion maybe on
sparking something that dunk by aj It was nice it's
up there and being and have a DISCUSSI as we're
going back and forth, and Jonathan Savinard even pushing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Me, says, well, then you got to give my call
his credit. Where does that dunk rank? Long time?
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Because the only child's baptism where you catch your body
was nice too, Mark, and is against a rival on
a neutral site. AJ's is up there, But then I
forgot about my calls.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That don't Why do you rank that dunk?
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Yeah, I mean it's hard. Those are all amazing. Trump
Place Ted had one that is kind of calling kind
of shook me at the time. They're all cool, kind
of in their own way. I mean, Yoli doing it
against Utah and just going through two defenders and that picture,
(37:41):
I mean, that's iconic, and and Mike Hall seemed to
defy all the laws of physics and just kind of
raise and throw that one down. But I'd probably i mean,
recency bias, I'd probably go with AJ just because it
wasn't just the dunk, the athleticism and the coolness of
(38:03):
the dunk, but how he was able to reach back
and kind of grab it with one hand and then
in the same motion kind of gathered in that hand,
bring it back over to the middle, and then with
the rebounder in front.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Of it, and then to throw it down.
Speaker 6 (38:21):
I mean, just it wasn't just about sheer athleticism. It
was a really skilled and amazing basketball move.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
With one hand to bring that ball.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
I mean, he was I didn't think he could even
get his hand on it for the rebound, and he
got it corraled it, brought it under control back to
the to in front of himself.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
And then throw it down.
Speaker 6 (38:45):
I mean that was just a It just wasn't kind
of an overpowering.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Wow, athletic dunk. It was like, how did he do it?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
I mean, that was such a hard play to make,
just to control the ball and then to be able
to throw it, and it was so out of nowhere.
I mean, you just weren't expecting it. He didn't have
the ball in his hands. It was a miss three
and you're like, oh, I miss three. And then you're
just you're like, what happened? What just happened? And it
was it was really cool. So I mean they're all great,
(39:18):
They're all good in their own way. But I think,
just fresh off the off, the memory of watching that
play and the difficulty of that dunk was I think
probably the best dunk I've seen in person.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
I will say this the only two dunks, and I
know I'm a wee we lad, but the only two
dunks that have ever got me off my feet were
the only Child's dunk and then the a J dunk
I was at the I was at both games. One
I was a fan back in the day, and the
other is a media member. And I will say this,
and I broke rules, and so do other media members.
I I reacted one hundred because I didn't.
Speaker 6 (39:51):
Yeah, well, I feel sorry for your media guys that
are supposed to be all calm and collective. I mean, uh,
there may they may want me to be that way,
but I.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
I don't got I don't have it.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
No no, no, no no no no no no no no.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
It shouldn't be. You guys are the home broadcast. I
don't think it should be. You guys are objective. You
guys say a good play. I've listened to you guys. Look,
look you have to be honest. Kelowne going crazy, Brian
Sanciago de dabbed up. Uh you know the pulla tu
And look, I'm giving people a testament.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Guys. We have to be objective.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
But I was next to Sean Walker and Jake Hatch
was there, and then you know Stu for Byu. Oh
my goodness, and I I like I grabbed Sean and
this and I looked at other people on the front
where I won't name them.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
I know Sean wouldn't care, and we were just like WHOA.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
If you didn't react to that, if you didn't move
as a human, then you just don't have emotions. In
my opinion, my friend Kaylea Keiso, she's been going viral
because she was under the rim getting caught in four
K like look like just no one thought that, like
when you saw that, And I don't know what's better,
Like Mark, is the dunking better or the staredowns every
time he stares down. I'm really trying it myself just
(40:58):
as a competitor of having played pickup her like not
like he stared downs or even better.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
When he makes these dunks up. Man, he's a phenomenal athlete.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
I know, I wish I could have ever done anything
in my career that I could have stare at someone down.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
But oh yeah, I'm not have her.
Speaker 6 (41:14):
But listen, you know, I do get excited when BYU
does things like that, but sometimes you just have to
get excited about the play that you just are, regardless
of the team. I mean, there's been some dunks against
BYU that I really thought were amazing, and I really
enjoyed them because it's just I mean, sometimes you just
got to respect the game and the player and what
(41:37):
he does and regardless of what's on his uniform. So yeah,
that was I think anybody who saw that, regardless of
your feelings about b why you had to respect that particular.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
PLAYA fans will get mad at me.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
But when Darren Darien Williams gave him what the business
last year on one of those plays and one of
those dunks, I.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Said, oh, I said, oh.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
That's nice as it's a bad bet as a very
very bad ben. He's a, Hey, you gotta respect that.
I love that you say.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
And that's something that Greg he has even talked about.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
You know, at the end of the day, you got
to give credit to the athlete.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
You have to do.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
You have to have respect for the game. It can't
just be the y on the shirt. It has to
be all of college basketball. You know, there's some BA
basketball players that have been baptized, there have been something,
have gotten their ankles took and look, that's the game.
Sometimes you're on a highlight for someone else and sometimes
you put someone on your highlight.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
It goes both ways. Here with Mark Durant, the BYU
color analysts.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
Let's change topics though still in basketball, but really off
the court. I need to know what pair of shoes
did Aj get for you? If he did get you some,
he got Greg some On Monday, I saw him. I
took a picture of to put it on my Twitter.
Man even better human to get everybody on the staff, contributors, managers.
(42:55):
He got everybody at Christmas gift, which I thought was
phenomenal and that really touched one of my friends. Mussey
is one of the managers, and you know, he was
just it was really cool to talk to him and
just hear how Aj is so competitive on the court,
but when he's off the court, who he is as
a person is ten times that.
Speaker 6 (43:14):
Yeah, I've yet to receive my my Christmas shoes, but
I'm not I'm not expecting anybody. Aj is awesome. I mean,
I just pinched myself. I think, is this real life?
When I watch him out on the floor, and I
think at times you just kind of take for granted
(43:35):
that he's on By's team, but but he's a huge deal.
I mean, we were walking the streets of New York
and crowd would gether and want his picture, and you
know he's getting he's getting a hug from Lebron after
the game of the Jazz game, and he's doing commercials
with Shaq. I mean, he is a superstar and he
(43:56):
chose to come to b YU. Still I can't I
can't fathom that that happened. And and he's such a
great representative of BYU. I mean he's always talking about
BYU and and the opportunities and and all the good.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Things about it. I mean, what what what what?
Speaker 6 (44:15):
You know, whatever money he is getting by he's getting
his money, their money's worth and getting a bargain with
AJ with the publicity and the exposure and the games
they're getting and and and the nightly highlights. I mean,
so as a player, he's terrific. But I love it
that that he's a great teammate. I mean, he gets
(44:35):
thirty three last night and I never once thought, well,
he's he's getting his right, He's he's getting his shots up.
I mean, he's so efficient and he's not you know,
he's not a black hole out there.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
He's not.
Speaker 6 (44:50):
Everything's got to go through him. And he's making his
teammates better. I mean, Richie gets over twenty points last night,
and Rob was right.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
There with him, and and move is right there.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
You got seventeen and and you know it's not all
about AJ and he gets to the triple double and
ten assists. I mean, he's making his teammates better. And
you can see when when they do stuff, he gets
excited when they do stuff.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
He loves his teammates, and.
Speaker 6 (45:17):
And he's very respectful, and I mean, you just couldn't
say enough things about him, and the fact that he
wants to share the good things that are happening to
him and the things he's getting and resources with his
teammates and the coaching staff and managers and all.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
That says a lot about the kid.
Speaker 6 (45:33):
I mean, I just I don't have anything bad to
say about his game or him as a person. He's
handling all this intense, intense media exposure perfectly. I mean,
he's doing it all the right way. So I'm gushing
about the kid, but I you know, just sometimes, like
I said, I got pinched myself that this is real
(45:53):
life for BYU and that fans get to see him
and and you know, we'll see what happens with the
conference play and all in the postseason. But whatever happens,
he is a great young man and represents BUYU so
well and it's amazing to have him here.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Will be an all time great generational player, generational talent.
And I love that this has happened at market BYU
because the fear was of guys. When I say guys
like AG, I mean the publicity, the talent, you know,
could there be egos, very culachable, not entitled at all.
That's the biggest thing in this day and age, especially
(46:30):
with nil and high level players. That was a worry,
especially with by and the culture. And he is fitting
in and thrived in this and that's I love. What
I love more than anything of on the court is
when he's walking back to the huddle and Kevin Young
needs to tell him something, but Tim Fanning will void
Nate Austin, Chris Burgess. He's so attentive and he's so
(46:50):
listening and he says yes, and then he goes and
he does that. And I said, man, to be that humble,
to be that open minded is really tough to find
in this day and age. You know, when you look
at college athletics, because these kids sometimes are their parents' bosses,
right well, with the paychecks that they pay and how
hard that they've worked. So sometimes you know parents for
maybe forget the parent or people in your group can't.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
Tell you anything. That's not the case at all, Mark
what they.
Speaker 4 (47:14):
J Yeah, I think that's right.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
And you know, from my experience watching greatness and great players,
they kind of have two really defining characteristics. One is
that they are supremely ultimately and just confident.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
They believe in themselves.
Speaker 6 (47:41):
And you think, well, you know, they got a big ego.
Speaker 4 (47:45):
No, it's they know what.
Speaker 6 (47:48):
They've got and have a complete belief in themselves. But
along with that, and this is important to have this
second characteristic because they have a thirst to know more
and to get even better. And if there's a coach
or someone that can give them insight or they can
(48:10):
learn something new, they have a thirst for that.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
And so you can have an have.
Speaker 6 (48:17):
Enormous confidence and yet still be humble enough to want
to learn more and to absorb all the information just
to be the best you can be.
Speaker 4 (48:28):
And from what I've seen from.
Speaker 6 (48:30):
Aj, he's kind of got that and from what everything
Coach Young has told me about him, and he's super
coachable and Coach Young likes having him out there because
it's almost an extension of himself out there. He just
has a good knowledge of the game, and Coach Young
can trust him to do the right things, make the
right decisions.
Speaker 4 (48:47):
And and do what's best for the team.
Speaker 6 (48:50):
So yeah, I mean, super confident kid as he should be,
because because why not, why wouldn't you be, But also
humble enough to know that he doesn't know everything, that
he can get better and can learn more about the game,
and he has a thirst for that.
Speaker 4 (49:06):
So I think it's really cool.
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Definitely really cool for sure.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Here with Mark Durant, the BA you call it analysts
on the line here with this on Christmas Eve, Christmas
Eve edition of Cougar Sports Wins A December twenty fourth mark,
last couple of things and I'll let you get out
of here. The biggest thing that this team needs to
improve on going in a conference play next Saturday, January third,
Crazy that we're in twenty twenty six, already eleven am
(49:30):
now to standard time. They will tip off to begin
Big twelve play on the road against Kansas State in Manhattan.
Speaker 6 (49:38):
Well, you know, I think they're they're in a good spot.
I mean, but you know, there's some consistency issues. Obviously,
There's been a lot of talk about first half, second
half team, and again last night, they just they didn't
look they didn't look good, particularly on defense in.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
The first half, and I worry.
Speaker 6 (49:59):
You know, you can get away with that sometimes, but
I worry that with the level of competition in the
Big Twelve, which is just off the charts, man. I mean,
there's so many good things in the Big Twelve that
you can't afford to have, you know, five or six
minutes where you're not you know, you can't have those lapses,
I guess and expect to recover. But LBA, he's done
(50:21):
a good job of having tough halfs or tough times
and winning games still. But I just don't think you
can do that or expect to do that in the
Big twelve. There's just two good and so you need
a little more consistency on both ends for forty minutes. Obviously,
bench plays a little bit of an issue. You've got
(50:42):
Beato Aukman and coming in and he's he's I love,
I just love having him because they need some size
and shot blocking and rebounding to spell Cata and so,
but overall, bench play you know, this four game stretch
was nice to get Tyler Moruss and like I say,
costed some time and some confidence and you know in
(51:03):
the hollow and they're not going to need a lot
from the bench with this team, but you know there's
going to be forty fifty bench minutes and you need
to have some production or at least that have some
threats out there. So teams can't just focus on the
Big three. And so there's a couple areas. Certainly you
can get better, but that that starting five is is
(51:24):
really really good, and I think can can win and
win the Big twelve.
Speaker 4 (51:29):
Now that's good.
Speaker 6 (51:29):
That's tall order a lot of good teams, but they
certainly be ways a team that will be in the
mix and we'll have to be dealt with. And but
in a lot of ways, I think this team run
is just scratching the surface too. So I think they
can get better, which is exciting. And and we'll see
how It's going to be tough. It's tough for everybody
(51:49):
in the Big twelve. But I'm excited to see what
this team can put on the floor and have a
lot of confidence in this group of a young man.
It's certainly with coach and his staff, I think they'll
be ready to go, and this preseason will have done
a good job of getting them ready for the rigors
of a Big twelve play.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
They've been tested in a non conference, They've experienced different atmospheres, venues,
parts of the world, and they've passed all the tests
as far Man. You just wish, if you wish, if
they'd had two more minutes in the Yukong.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
Game where they have passed all the tests. But they've
learned a lot about themselves.
Speaker 2 (52:24):
And I'm just gonna tell everybody in a Big twelve,
look out for BYU Kansas State. You gonna have to
look out Arizona State. You tall the boys up north
TCU Texas Tech.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
All of these games.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
Number one Arizona man Bo has an opportunity to finish
I think as a top five team in the country.
If you take down the likes of Kansas number one, Arizona,
number eight, Houston, number three, Iowa State, all of those
games that you get some of them at the MC,
the best college basketball place that I've experienced atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
On the planet. It's a privilege to cover this team
and talk to you.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
Mark.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
I'll let you out of here on this the hard
hitting jade journalism question. I need to know what are
the Christmas traditions? The Christmas Song and the Durant home.
What are you guys doing for Christmas?
Speaker 4 (53:10):
Well, uh, you know, we got some different things.
Speaker 6 (53:13):
We got some movies we'd like to watch, you know,
Elf and Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation, great movies.
Speaker 4 (53:20):
I mean that's always funny singing.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
Yeah, Papa Elf, the North Pole, those are those are
good thing.
Speaker 6 (53:32):
It's so funny, so fun I was in New York
City the other day and I just yeah, I went
in the Empire State Building and pressed all the buttons
on the elevators. But yeah, but really it is just
about family and being together and Christmas Morning together. And
my son and his three kids were from They live
(53:52):
up in Idaho. They were down for this weekend, so
we got to spend some time with them. But it's
just about family, man, It's about being grateful and uh,
and being around family and and loving each other. And uh,
I'm a I'm a blessed man round around as you know.
And uh, you know, I'm just so grateful to be
able to call the BYU games and to associate with
(54:13):
b YU and and be around BYU fans.
Speaker 4 (54:15):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (54:16):
It's it's an honor for me, and I know it's
you know, it's a real cool thing for me to
be able to do.
Speaker 4 (54:21):
I don't take it lightly. And it just makes me.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
It makes me feel happy to be able to do that,
and and it's important to me and my family and anyway,
I'm kind of rambling on.
Speaker 4 (54:33):
But it's I'm just grateful.
Speaker 6 (54:34):
I'm grateful to you for all that you do and uh,
and just uh to be a part of b y
U sports in general and a little bit and UH,
it's blessed my life.
Speaker 4 (54:44):
So I'm grateful for it.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
It's a blessed my life too.
Speaker 2 (54:46):
Man, right back at you, I'm blessed you to be
able to talk to you and uh, to cover this
great team, this great coaching staff, Tyson Jackson, information.
Speaker 3 (54:54):
Director, does a great job.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
And to be able to tell the story this is
bo your basketball team, and tell your story through your eyes.
That's one of the reasons I got into journalism is
the story and the relationships, not about the money. It's
about the story and the connection that you build with people.
And I felt that, well, Merry Christmas, Mark, Happy holiday,
is Happy New Year, and we will definitely catch up
with you in a few weeks kicking off twenty twenty six,
and we'll see where BYU is that in conference plan
(55:17):
in a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
I definitely think it's going to be glorious.
Speaker 4 (55:20):
All right, my friend, I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
Thank care yeap, I'll let you go.
Speaker 2 (55:24):
That was Mark Durant, everybody and a little talking basketball
college basketball here on Cougar Sports. It was brought to
you by one of our favorite sponsors, Premo Golf Apparel.
Premogolf Apparel dot com. Guys, Primo Golf Apparel's biggest sale
of the years here shop their premier joggers, pullos and hoodies,
the same brand that's worn by Phil Nicholson and the
High Flyers team.
Speaker 3 (55:42):
Use that discount code ESPN twenty five.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
That's ESPN twenty five or twenty five percent off now
at Premo golf Apparel dot com. Proppartners of ESPN the Fan.
We'll go to break, don't go anywhere. Let's get into
our flour. Still a lot more to get to in
that five o'clock Ouverhill from Big Cred Interview with Scott
Mitchell next, and then I will take it back over
Laine Allen to close out the show. You're listening to
(56:05):
Cougar Sports on a Christmas Eve edition, Wednesday, December twenty fourth,
right here on one O three nine.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
In ninety eight, three
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