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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
They'll come back.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
This of marches right around the corner and the Cougars
are in the metal of it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
It's time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports
with Ben Cripples.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Welcome back Cougar Sports, one of three nine inety eight
point three ESPN. The Fano'm beencruital broadcasting live from our
orthropros of Utah Studios Orthroprosoutah dot com. If you're in
need of Gurabilem medical equipment orthopedicgur sports Medicine supply.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hitters Uff.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
But he's stopped for the little college basketball talk, and
I'm gonna talk to MBA in this segment too, because
I feel like Kyu is getting courted by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm like, man, what's going on? Please, No, don't do it, Kevin?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
And they again and they got and they got a
war chest of money out there they're willing to spend
and I know that they've they've definitely reached out to
k Why why wouldn't you if you have the Phoenix Suns.
And we'll talk that as well in this segment with
a former BYU. Great It's gonna be brought to you
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Golf Apparel dot com. Let's get out to the hotline.
Welcome in former BYU Great the bucket getter himself, Kevin
Nixon is on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
What's up, keV?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Hey, what's happening? Fellas?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm just living the dream right now.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
There's a little bit of fear in my heart right
a little bit of fear in my heart that Ky
could could end up going back to the Valley of
the Sun. But I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll realize the
money wouldn't be worth it. No matter how much that
organization is willing to pay him, it wouldn't be worth it.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's that's my hope.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
I'm one hundred percent with you. I if I could,
if I could talk to Kevin right now, had him
right in front of me, I'd tell him, that's not
what you want. That's too much of a grind. It's
a you know, it's an it's a year round thing.
Look how many games you're playing, like often you're on
the road. I mean, it's just it's that's really hard.
It's hard to be a family guy. It's hard to
(02:23):
I mean, that's but he probably would look at me
like I was crazy.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
I'm I'm a little concerned too, to be honest with you,
I don't know. It's when you when when you have
an organization they you know, they're throwing money at him,
and they're they're they're they're chasing him really hard. I'm
sure it's I'm sure he's super conflicted right now. So
I wouldn't want to be I would want to be
in the shoes to have those opportunities, but I wouldn't
(02:50):
want to be in the shoes to have to make
a decision one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
This is tongue in cheek, but it's okay, go ahead
and take the job. By Kevin, not you, Kevin next
to Kevin Young, Kevin You you'll just be back in Provo.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You're late.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
That seems to be the trend of the Phoenix Suns.
They just fire you after the year.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, that's true. Maybe that's maybe that's how we pitch it.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
To him, to say, hey.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Your everything's you got everything you need right here. You
don't need to go mess things up for a year
and make it complicated. Just stay here and let's just
keep this. Let's get this great thing we got going going.
So I'm with you on.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
That run, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
BYU is doing some special things. Obviously in the off season.
Projected starting lineup for John Rostein and other basketball insiders
put Rob Right the third at point the two, guard,
Dawson Baker at the three, Richie Saunders at the four,
ag De Bonsa at the five, Keva Cata looking at
(03:46):
that starting five, and you put in the rotational pieces too,
Kadima Boop, I don't know if you've got eyes on
the NBA Africa Academy prospect. But I've been told he's
an NBA prospect. Dominique Diomande the Washington transfer as well
as me Hailo Bucketvich and others.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Like, they've got a pretty good roster here. I mean,
what do you make of it?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
How far can this team go just in player talent
alone this next season?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Well, I mean all those names that you mentioned, you know,
the ones that we know are are just proven, proven players.
That's a that's a pretty crazy, you know, top five
guys on a you know, probably you know, one of
the top five or six starting fives in the country
potentially kind.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Of depending on on maybe one.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Last piece Uh to kind of go into into that
starting five.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean I I look at it and and I'm
not I'm not really convinced that that Aj is gonna
play much of a of a five. I think he's
probably gonna be more of a four slash three Richie.
Richie kind of take more of a shooting guard role
a little bit. Obviously, rob Is is uh is your one.
(05:12):
He's gonna have the ball in his hands. He's he's
an incredible point guard. But man, that's a that's an
incredible lineup. It's just a it's a matter of, you know,
maybe getting one more really big piece that's a that's
a consistent piece potentially. Darien Williams hearing that. It's kind
of down to to tech and by you. But you know,
(05:35):
Dawson obviously is a great, a great, a great shooter,
a great uh playmaker. But I think he's the type
of player that you know, maybe maybe he's a maybe
he's a sixth or seventh player, first or second guy
off the bench. But you know what, it's the top
five guys, regardless of.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
How you look at it.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
We're we're gonna need them to be healthy. But I
think they're all proven players. And you roll the ball
out with those guys on the floor, you feel like
you got a pretty good chance to win.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Kevin Nixon former BYU great talking some college NBA basketball
right now here on your Utah ESPN Radio network. keV
BYU's doing something special right now. It's taking advantage of
maybe a free market, no guardrail system. Donors, big time
donors that have yet to be named. Like let's be honest,
(06:28):
like we don't know who the donors are. Everyone points
towards Ryan Smith, but like Ryan is essentially he just said, well,
I'm not doing anything, Like why am I the only
person that's being named here? Are there other big time
donors that we're not familiar with. Maybe they're a little
bit behind the scenes. They were the donors that maybe
(06:49):
built the Marriott Center adnets Because last time I I,
you know, I inquired about this, I don't think Ryan
Smith was part of the big money that I even
built the Marriott Center.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
And is that an accurate depiction?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I don't. I don't know the ins and outs of
of Ryan's involvement with that. I know he was heavily
involved at the time, and he may or may not
have I don't have I'm not privy to that information.
But I can tell you this. It's it's old money
and it's new money, and I'm not going to pretend
(07:26):
to know everything about it. But I do have a
little bit of information as far as like who some
of these donors are and and you know, the the
great thing about it is a lot of these guys.
If it was me, I'm I'm not gonna lie if
I was the one throwing millions of dollars at the
bad basketball program. You would know it. I would let
(07:47):
everybody know, Hey, I'm I'm helping build this thing, and
I you know, i'd be front and center.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
And it's kind of an attack vector though, keV.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It's kind of a if you as soon as you
open yourself up to that, Like you may have Utah
Utah State fans, Baylor fans, Texas Tech fans all of
a sudden coming to tp your house. You know, they'd be, uh,
they may be willing and ready to attack your shoot.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I had I had.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Texas Tech fans getting mad at me giving me bad
Google reviews at my orthopedic supply company. Yeah, because I
posted a video of one of their their players spitting
on a b YU player. So they went to my
Google reviews and started giving me one star Google rest
of service.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I'm like, what crazy?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
You know that trip, that trip from Lubbock to to
your office must have been a long one.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
So uh, I'm looking at these zip codes like, wait
a second, love it, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah? Yeah, And that's that's the that's just unfortunately, that's
kind of the world that we live in, and social
media is you know, it's there's a lot of great
things about it. But man, there's there's you know, Twitter,
and some you know, in some parts of Twitter, it's
just a cesspool, and and the things that people you know,
(09:04):
you know, these these guys that sit behind a computer
screen say whatever they want to whoever they want, and
uh want nothing more than to to get under people's
skins and cause grief to other people. I that part
of it. I you know that. And that's the thing.
And honestly, you know I I know, uh you know
a couple of the donors pretty well, and they would
(09:26):
I can tell you this. They don't want to be known.
They don't want to be They love b YU, they
love BYU Athletics, and and that's good enough for them.
It wouldn't I don't think it would take too much
to figure out who some of these people are. But
they they really don't want to be in the spotlight.
It's not about them. Uh.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
They they love b YU, they love the athletic.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Department, and they love you know specifically you know, you
know b YU football and b YU basketball is what
they really throw their money at and and they love
to do it. They they're able to do it and
they love being a part of it. So if it
if it meant getting you know, if Mountain City started
getting one star reviews, I'd be pretty upset as well
(10:11):
as a result of something that was said. But but no,
I mean it's the program is in great hands. And
and if the money wasn't there and people weren't willing
to to step up and help support.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
It and and try to make the you know, b.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
A basketball is as great as it could be, and
get the players that we really want to be competitive
on a national level and and potentially play for national
championships a year in and year out. You know, if we
didn't have that, they then you know, I mean we're
we're really we really are blessed to have that type
of a situation. And there's there's plenty of of donors
(10:49):
that want to help, and and you know, I know
they're still looking for more. But obviously it's it's a
it's a unique situation. It's something you know, I can
prompt like if the conversation we had five years ago,
I promise you had never got to this to this point, right,
you know, we talked about how how good could be?
Why you being athletics and and nil and and this
(11:13):
the way that the you know, college landscape is, you know,
college basketball, college football landscape is. We would have never
thought it'd get to this point so fast, but here
we are. So you know, I just think, you know,
guys that guys that are willing to help out, don't
you know, just want to do it. In the background,
I say, we, you know, let's respect that and just
be thankful that they have the means to be able
(11:34):
to help us, you know, be better and.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Do better, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Kevin Nixon talking some ball here on ESPN the Fan.
Give us an update on Mountain City. What's going on
with Mountain City? And we're getting into April right now.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I'm sure you.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Guys have a busy schedule for all those bucket getters
along the wass Atche Front.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Give us an update.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Yeah, I mean, we're we're heavy into our our our
summer spring and summer au season. You know, we've got
a lot of little guys that are still playing. We'll
play through through the spring, but our high school stuff's
uh full force right now. Utah Gold is uh, we
just had our first tournament over this past weekend that
uh here in Utahn. We travel next weekend to Indianapolis
(12:19):
and and a lot of our Mountain City teams are
traveling as well. So it's just a really busy time
and and but it's an exciting time. We got a
lot of good players in our program, and and we're
excited to to go out there and compete with with
other teams in the in the country. But but it's
a it's a good.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Time, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
You have some rising stars in your crew, uh in
like maybe the older group that is maybe getting some
recognition some scholarship offers. Give us a little feature on
some of your prospects coming out of Mount City.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Well, uh, you know, Utah Gold we've uh, you know,
we probably you know, we've got five or six kids
that are probably Division one level type players, you know,
one of our top players. We lost a couple of
really good players, uh to the Utah prospects. We we
partner with the prospects is uh and so we we
(13:14):
want to give them, uh, you know, an opportunity to
play at the highest level that they can. I feel
pretty confident that we're right there with them though. But
Simming in Super Charaga, he's uh he plays at orum
uh sixty six wing incredible player, just really developed into
a into a really good basketball player. He's a Division
(13:36):
one kid. There's no question. Will openshaw I was played
with US six' ten kid out of out Of Tempe
High school B. Yu hopefully will be in the. Mix
just got offered By. Stanford we've Got Isaiah drisdom his.
Uh his Dad tim played at played At. Utah we
still love. Him But, Uh isaiah is an incredible point.
(13:58):
Guard h tons of. Talent it's got a number Of
division one offers Cal utah among. Others Jax clark out
of out Of american, four six' nine, power forward, super
athletic just scratching the surface of what he. Can do
six Or seven division. One offers so, you know we've
(14:20):
got we've got a good group of guys that that
we're going to battle with and we were. Pretty excited.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Love It Man Mountain, City Zone, kevin nixon, former by
you're great talking some ball with us HERE on espn
THE fan i reflect, back on, you know one of,
the conversations one of THE questions i posed here with,
the roster how robust, it is who's? Being retained what else?
Is missing do you think? Right now from THE by
u basketball roster. Is there, you know some people have,
(14:49):
brought up, you know backup point guard that's one maybe a.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Four man maybe, you know kind of a four to.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Five, man well what do you see what's missing right
now that they that could be added to the to
the roster to make it a little bit, more, robust
deep and uh capable of GETTING to i think what.
They want they want to get to a final four.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
This, year.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Yeah the ones that you mentioned are probably the two
you know OTHER than i think THEY'RE really i think
they're chasing a kind of a big time starting four
and are willing to kind of throw some money. At
HIM and, i say, kind of that's. That's funny they're
willing to throw money at. Some guys SO so i
(15:33):
think that's probably number one is to try to try to.
SECURE that I think i think one one IN one
a is is to kind of finalize Things. With richie,
you know it's he's he's he hasn't, you know he
hasn't kind of, wighed in hasn't posted much and kind
of sitting in. The background so the kind of the longer,
(15:54):
it goes, the more, YOU know i Feel like richie's
going to be A, by U BUT i i would
feel a lot more confident if, he would if they
get all the all the you, know workings uh kind of,
figured out and then, of course, you know k wise the,
other one but, you know starting for and then and
then it's. The BACKUPS it's i think they need probably
(16:17):
a backup that they feel confident that that we'll be
able to step in. And play, YOU know i think
with some of the guys that they, you know they
they have some young guys that that they're bringing in
and tons of talent and PROBABLY future. Nba players but
maybe in the same Situation that cannon was in. Coming
in it's no question he's got a huge right future,
(16:38):
in basketball is.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
Probably gonna play IN. The nba but but.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
You know eighteen nineteen year old kids can it can
be hard to play at the level that they need,
to play and so, you know are, they ready? Who knows,
we know we know a j is, for sure but
but we probably need, you know maybe, a, season uh,
you know big a center that that we can we
know we can kind of. Count on and then definitely
(17:04):
a backup, point guard somebody that can come in and
and kind of take Over For rob, last year we
had the luxury having two guys that that were excellent
ball handlers and and really could help. With pressure this
year it, feels, like uh, you know we have, good
Pieces but rob goes out and it's like somebody's gonna
have to really. Take over so a backup. Point guard,
(17:28):
You know i'm hearing a few names out there that,
you know our experience a little bit older and and
would probably uh fill in as a as a backup.
Pretty well but you really want you want your. Starting
five you want five guys that that are that, you
know that can that we're gonna be able to count
on as as being, you know backup players and, you
know be able to, fill in, you know in case
(17:50):
some type of injury were to occur to a starter
and can can kind of, you know hold the post
until you know they. Get back those are the types
of players that you're, looking AT and i KNOW the
byu is looking, you know specifically for a backup big
and a backup.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Point guard so the.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Portal closes we know, this week there's no doubt. About
it right on the, twenty four, Twenty, fourth yeah, twenty
fourth right, this, Week. Yep kevin two Guys that i've looked.
AT that i believe b why you.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Can have it.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Would, Thrive Right, darien williams we know what he did
to wood mag down. The stretch he Just He texas
tech and just him and. Hurt, Everybody right he's. A
baller there's. No doubt you talk about a starting four
as you're starting for you want to talk about a
Guy like foods that can shoot, the three that, can
defend that can.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Do everything that's. That kid there's.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
No doubt do you get him if, he's available or
do you get a guy that has a few more
years THAT has nba played that also will. Be Drafted And,
andre stojakovic that's alsos in the portal that as, we
know we know.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
The resume so which guy do?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
You, get.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Well that's different players. FOR sure i think, FOR me
I think williams would be probably the GUY that i,
would chase even though Even though stoyakovich is, you KNOW
future nba guy and will will we'll play at a
(19:21):
super high. LEVEL eventually I just i LOOK at i
look at this TEAM and, I know, i know you
know we're we're supposed to look down. The road these
are four, year players five year Players but i'm just
looking one year at. A time you almost have to
write BECAUSE because, I mean, I mean oker, Last year
yegor has, one year and we we kind of, knew THAT.
(19:43):
Right a j's got, One year richie's got one more,
year left, You know kaba one. More year rob has has.
Multiple years but the way that, things go it's like
there's there's there's probably a really good chance that if
he continues, to develop he's going to he's going to
(20:03):
demand a lot, of money and he'll have a lot,
of options and and, you Know maybe probos the right place.
For him he loves it here and wants. To stay
but if you can't Get dolln hall, to stay, you probably,
you know maybe aren't going to be able to keep
a Guy Like rob wright. To DAY so i think
you just have to look at it like who's gonna
what's the? BEST fit i Think putting darien at, the
(20:25):
FOUR allowing aj to play the three a little bit
more on, the perimeter and just kind Of, letting darien,
you know do the inside outside stuff And and kava
just rim protect uh and and run the floor. AND
rebatd I just i think that starting five would be
just kind of the perfect blend. Of, Players uh and
(20:49):
so that's, for me that's that's PROBABLY what i would go.
Go FOR but i think if, you could if you
get if you could get, them both obviously. Take them
BUT if i had to choose one of, THE two
I think darren would probably be a.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Better fit you bring up a really good point About, down,
hall right like how aggressive did we try to Retain
down were we able to tell him or give him
the playing time that he thought he he he needed
in order to develop at a high level rather than
coming off, the bench, you know, twenty eight, twenty five
if he's really hot getting into thirty minutes?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Per game what do you what do you.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Think that that, Conversation, was like HE'S at uva right
now and he got a, payday too he got he
got paid to go To The who's rising Program. The
cavs they look that that's a, good program a high
level basketball program IN.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
The acc so what do you think that? Conversation, was, like.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
WELL and i need to be a little. Careful here
it's it's WHEN what b why you had to make
a decision on on what this year was going to?
Look like AND and b why YOU just i DIED
that uh AND and I know i don't follow them.
(22:04):
AT all i THINK it's i think it's a. Pretty
move you go and you try to get the best
possible player to, replace uh to replace yegor high profile SOMEBODY,
that's uh that that you know can do. It all
and they they wanted to, you know that's that's that's
(22:25):
what they chose. To do they wanted to chase a
point guard that was that was A rob wright type.
Of player they were able to. Get him as soon
as they started. Chasing THEM dallan i think in his mind, Was.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
LIKE i'm i don't WANT to i have.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
ANOTHER year i don't want to play second fiddle. To
somebody and so as soon as, that happened it, was,
like okay who? Wants me And and i'll be honest
with you there the list. Was long the list. WAS
long i mean he did it didn't take long, for
him like. It was it was a situation where once
he's in the portal and everybody knew he was in,
(23:03):
the portal there. He was you could see that his
value as far as what he what he can get
in the market was going to, you know be double.
Or more WHAT what yu was was probably going to,
pay him and why. Wouldn't you, you know it's Like
b y's a. GREAT place i. Understand it he's accomplished a,
(23:24):
lot here but at the, same time on a personal
level and a level of being able to to go
feel like you could go somewhere and be the player
that you know that you, can be and to go
to To, A virginia i mean there was others that that,
you know he could have made the, same amount maybe
a little bit more to go to go to. Other
(23:46):
places and so as soon as, that happened it was
it was it was a decision that, you know if
by you would have come to him, and, said hey
we got this much money, for you this is what
we think. You're worth you're going to be our starting,
point guard and we're going to move forward with this
and we're going to go try to win. This thing
it didn't happen, that WAY and i respect both sides
for what they did because that's just that's that's part
of the game and that's how. It Works but dallan's
(24:07):
going to be an amazing Player. At virginia they've got
a they've got a seasoned veteran that's that's. A leader That's.
THAT'S uh i think they're going to get their money's
worth out. Of him and, AND honestly i feel like
b why he is going to do. THE same i
think whatever they whatever They're paying rob is IS is
uh is probably at market uh or or maybe maybe
a little. Bit ABOVE and i think he's gonna he's
(24:30):
gonna produce and he's going to be the type of, Player,
That uh we're gonna look back on it and, be,
like yeah we're Thankful for dollan and everything, he did,
but man we're Glad that. Rob's here so that's kind of.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
My, thought yeah GREAT breakdown.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I made we had a question last week about who
we're going to miss the most from, the roster, And
uh i'm gonna pose the same question. To you you have, the,
graduates right you have the like Players like Trevinell And,
foos traya like These guys Traced were they're all really
good basketball players that contributed in a. High level you
(25:04):
have the freshmen that, are transferring, You Know cannon Catchings And.
Elijah crawford you Have a dollon that's Going. To virginia,
you know there's a lot, of, attrition right a lot.
Of turnover which player that's, either graduating going to the
yegor also going to.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The league do you THINK b yu is going to
miss the most? Next year? And, why.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Well, that's uh you really put me on the spot
because all those guys are GUYS that i they're all
good worked with in one way.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Or, another yeah and and.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
They're all they're they've they've all been huge to TO
b ye. Basketball success so, you know that's that's a really,
hard one. YOU KNOW i I just i FEEL like
i explained, You know dallen's value and and and how
much uh, you know if you know if he was
here that how much he. Would help he's got to
(25:56):
be right. Up there but but also, it's like, you know,
For me fus is the type of player that, YOU
know I don't i don't think, his career, you know
went exactly how he kind of envisioned or. Wanted it
but he had some incredible moments and there was some
games That without fus we probably. Don't win and especially this,
(26:20):
you know this, past year there was times where because of,
the matchups because of, you know, you know, certain situations
he just wasn't uh he wasn't going to be prominent
in certain games based on matchups, and so but when
when it was a good MATCHUP for Us and fus
was put in a situation where he was getting the
(26:40):
ball and able to kind of do what, he does
he really. Helped us AND so I think i think
we'll miss that probably more. Than anything but, you know
it's that's a that's a tough one because like all
the guys that, you met all the guys, that left
OR like, I mean cannon's a just think how Much
better canon's going to be this, more confident more, you know.
(27:03):
Physically stronger somebody's going to reap the benefits of him
transferring from FROM. B yu and and how do You,
replace tredon uh one of the greatest all time uh
you know shooters AT d yu and one of the
best shooters that it's ever played. COLLEGE basketball, i mean
and then you know HOW much I. LOVE trey, i
mean Holy. Cal trey trey was a guy that didn't
(27:26):
get any run and then just gets thrown into it
and just was ready and just just.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Had an had an.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Incredible year from, my perspective Like without trey doing what
he did from the mid mid point of the season to,
the end we don't we don't have the success that.
We have those are all guys that are are. Huge
pieces so we're going to miss them all and the
and the, challenge is, you know how do we? Replace,
them yeah we can go out there and get a
j and we Can get rob and we Can bring,
(27:54):
richie back and we can bring, You know boskovich Back
in dawson and bring them the new guys and and
that and bringing it, you know Even Potentially. Darren williams,
but man those are those were pieces of the puzzle
that made us so. Much better so that's a that's a.
Tough ONE so i just gave you, an answer and
the answer. Is EVERYBODY but i KNOW that's i know
you wanted me to, say somebody, but no it's, you know.
(28:17):
Pro pros all THOSE guys, I think i think down
obviously would would have been great. Coming BACK and i
Think bos bruce is a guy that we that we're
gonna miss and and we. Love him but all those
guys we love so that.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
YOU know I picked allen in, the debate many picked
him of what mag because of the concept what like
that they're gonna miss the POST and i don't think
there's a right or wrong answer and.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
All this it just depends on what.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
You think, but like, for me back up, point guard,
you know someone that's gone through the refining fire of
a couple Of tournaments big twelve, PLAY like i think.
That's irreplaceable they, get old stale adage.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
And EXPERIENCE like i.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
LOVE it i still think. IT'S valid i think it's
true in. COLLEGE basketball i just.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
THINK and I and i think with the, YOUNGER guys,
I mean i think it's leadership is. VERY underrated a
guy that can come in and knows how to kind
of navigate a locker room and motivate guys and be
the team guy when maybe things aren't going his way
and still be the guy that people. Look to. That's
underrated and Then and dollan has that that's what he
that's what he.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Has no doubt. About it know if Sands or butt's.
About it one, last thing Even though ron was looking at, me, like.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Hey we gotta, get out we gotta, get out we.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Saw a movement towards This and i've gotten pinged on
it a few times right over the last. Two years
the Question, is ben are we going to be replacing
Our quotation Mark b why, you, guys right and what
what's the composition of by you guys that is going
(29:50):
to remain on the roster in the.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Modern era and that's a difficult question for me.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
To answer and, Like honestly i'm sitting, Here thinking, i'm
like maybe one third of the raw still will be
like your TRADITIONAL b, yu Guy The, dallen Halls the Tanner,
tool Sins The, richie, saunders right like even going in
Into The, Dawson baker like, you know these types of
guys that, you know maybe, go elsewhere come back or.
(30:15):
They're retained they come, here initially but then. They're retained.
YOU know i wonder what that looks like going forward
if this nil transfer, portal Continues This air.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
New, ERA.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Yeah i don't know what it's going to, look LIKE
but i FEEL like i feel that it's it's going
to be really important TO be. Byu success and it's
not that it's not that it has to be your,
top kids like you look at, you know we always,
talk about, you know the twenty twenty team and and
how those. Are all, you know you're kind of YOUR
prototypical byu, type players local lds kids OR or lds
(30:51):
kids that want to GO to byu kind. OF thing
i think to continue to get the fan support and
to get kind of everybody behind. THE program i think
there Has to you have to have that because if,
you don't then it's doesn't it doesn't FEEL like buyu.
At all and so, you know my hope is that
(31:13):
they will really continue to focus on that and really focus,
on recruiting, you know THE top lds kids and doing
everything they can to and not take them, for granted
not to, you know throw throw less money at him
because they do they GROW up yu fans or have
a desire to PLAY, at buyu pay him what. They're
worth get the best. KIDS here i just think that
there's enough really good L e s kids out there
(31:35):
to want to come in and PLAY at byu and
can make. A difference so that's. My hope and and,
YOU know I think kevin sees that. AS well i
think he knows that, that's IMPORTANT and i hope he's
hope he sticks around long enough to make, that happen
or whoever whoever comes in, AFTER him i hope that that's.
What happens and. THAT'S uh i think that'll be Key
for bays success in. The future that's kind of, my thought.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
My Man, Kevin Nixon Mountain. City hoops nobody does. It
better always love talking ball with. Your brother let us
know if you need anything. From us, great segment great
interview as always.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Appreciate, it guys have a, great day.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
My Guy. Kevin nixon ladies.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
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(33:00):
let's go, to break but please don't. Go anywhere guys
still ton to get to On a. Monday edition, april
twenty first Edition Of cougar sports HERE On Espn the
fan
They'll come back.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
This of marches right around the corner and the Cougars
are in the metal of it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
It's time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports
with Ben Cripples.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Welcome back Cougar Sports, one of three nine inety eight
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Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hitters Uff.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
But he's stopped for the little college basketball talk, and
I'm gonna talk to MBA in this segment too, because
I feel like Kyu is getting courted by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm like, man, what's going on? Please, No, don't do it, Kevin?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
And they again and they got and they got a
war chest of money out there they're willing to spend
and I know that they've they've definitely reached out to
k Why why wouldn't you if you have the Phoenix Suns.
And we'll talk that as well in this segment with
a former BYU. Great It's gonna be brought to you
by Premo Golf Apparel Premo Golf.
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You may love the way you feel, the way you look,
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Golf Apparel dot com. Let's get out to the hotline.
Welcome in former BYU Great the bucket getter himself, Kevin
Nixon is on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
What's up, keV?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Hey, what's happening? Fellas?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm just living the dream right now.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
There's a little bit of fear in my heart right
a little bit of fear in my heart that Ky
could could end up going back to the Valley of
the Sun. But I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll realize the
money wouldn't be worth it. No matter how much that
organization is willing to pay him, it wouldn't be worth it.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's that's my hope.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
I'm one hundred percent with you. I if I could,
if I could talk to Kevin right now, had him
right in front of me, I'd tell him, that's not
what you want. That's too much of a grind. It's
a you know, it's an it's a year round thing.
Look how many games you're playing, like often you're on
the road. I mean, it's just it's that's really hard.
It's hard to be a family guy. It's hard to
(02:23):
I mean, that's but he probably would look at me
like I was crazy.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
I'm I'm a little concerned too, to be honest with you,
I don't know. It's when you when when you have
an organization they you know, they're throwing money at him,
and they're they're they're they're chasing him really hard. I'm
sure it's I'm sure he's super conflicted right now. So
I wouldn't want to be I would want to be
in the shoes to have those opportunities, but I wouldn't
(02:50):
want to be in the shoes to have to make
a decision one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
This is tongue in cheek, but it's okay, go ahead
and take the job. By Kevin, not you, Kevin next
to Kevin Young, Kevin You you'll just be back in Provo.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You're late.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
That seems to be the trend of the Phoenix Suns.
They just fire you after the year.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, that's true. Maybe that's maybe that's how we pitch it.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
To him, to say, hey.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Your everything's you got everything you need right here. You
don't need to go mess things up for a year
and make it complicated. Just stay here and let's just
keep this. Let's get this great thing we got going going.
So I'm with you on.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
That run, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
BYU is doing some special things. Obviously in the off season.
Projected starting lineup for John Rostein and other basketball insiders
put Rob Right the third at point the two, guard,
Dawson Baker at the three, Richie Saunders at the four,
ag De Bonsa at the five, Keva Cata looking at
(03:46):
that starting five, and you put in the rotational pieces too,
Kadima Boop, I don't know if you've got eyes on
the NBA Africa Academy prospect. But I've been told he's
an NBA prospect. Dominique Diomande the Washington transfer as well
as me Hailo Bucketvich and others.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Like, they've got a pretty good roster here. I mean,
what do you make of it?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
How far can this team go just in player talent
alone this next season?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Well, I mean all those names that you mentioned, you know,
the ones that we know are are just proven, proven players.
That's a that's a pretty crazy, you know, top five
guys on a you know, probably you know, one of
the top five or six starting fives in the country
potentially kind.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Of depending on on maybe one.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Last piece Uh to kind of go into into that
starting five.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean I I look at it and and I'm
not I'm not really convinced that that Aj is gonna
play much of a of a five. I think he's
probably gonna be more of a four slash three Richie.
Richie kind of take more of a shooting guard role
a little bit. Obviously, rob Is is uh is your one.
(05:12):
He's gonna have the ball in his hands. He's he's
an incredible point guard. But man, that's a that's an
incredible lineup. It's just a it's a matter of, you know,
maybe getting one more really big piece that's a that's
a consistent piece potentially. Darien Williams hearing that. It's kind
of down to to tech and by you. But you know,
(05:35):
Dawson obviously is a great, a great, a great shooter,
a great uh playmaker. But I think he's the type
of player that you know, maybe maybe he's a maybe
he's a sixth or seventh player, first or second guy
off the bench. But you know what, it's the top
five guys, regardless of.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
How you look at it.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
We're we're gonna need them to be healthy. But I
think they're all proven players. And you roll the ball
out with those guys on the floor, you feel like
you got a pretty good chance to win.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Kevin Nixon former BYU great talking some college NBA basketball
right now here on your Utah ESPN Radio network. keV
BYU's doing something special right now. It's taking advantage of
maybe a free market, no guardrail system. Donors, big time
donors that have yet to be named. Like let's be honest,
(06:28):
like we don't know who the donors are. Everyone points
towards Ryan Smith, but like Ryan is essentially he just said, well,
I'm not doing anything, Like why am I the only
person that's being named here? Are there other big time
donors that we're not familiar with. Maybe they're a little
bit behind the scenes. They were the donors that maybe
(06:49):
built the Marriott Center adnets Because last time I I,
you know, I inquired about this, I don't think Ryan
Smith was part of the big money that I even
built the Marriott Center.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
And is that an accurate depiction?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I don't. I don't know the ins and outs of
of Ryan's involvement with that. I know he was heavily
involved at the time, and he may or may not
have I don't have I'm not privy to that information.
But I can tell you this. It's it's old money
and it's new money, and I'm not going to pretend
(07:26):
to know everything about it. But I do have a
little bit of information as far as like who some
of these donors are and and you know, the the
great thing about it is a lot of these guys.
If it was me, I'm I'm not gonna lie if
I was the one throwing millions of dollars at the
bad basketball program. You would know it. I would let
(07:47):
everybody know, Hey, I'm I'm helping build this thing, and
I you know, i'd be front and center.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
And it's kind of an attack vector though, keV.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
It's kind of a if you as soon as you
open yourself up to that, Like you may have Utah
Utah State fans, Baylor fans, Texas Tech fans all of
a sudden coming to tp your house. You know, they'd be, uh,
they may be willing and ready to attack your shoot.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I had I had.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Texas Tech fans getting mad at me giving me bad
Google reviews at my orthopedic supply company. Yeah, because I
posted a video of one of their their players spitting
on a b YU player. So they went to my
Google reviews and started giving me one star Google rest
of service.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I'm like, what crazy?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
You know that trip, that trip from Lubbock to to
your office must have been a long one.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
So uh, I'm looking at these zip codes like, wait
a second, love it, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah? Yeah, And that's that's the that's just unfortunately, that's
kind of the world that we live in, and social
media is you know, it's there's a lot of great
things about it. But man, there's there's you know, Twitter,
and some you know, in some parts of Twitter, it's
just a cesspool, and and the things that people you know,
(09:04):
you know, these these guys that sit behind a computer
screen say whatever they want to whoever they want, and
uh want nothing more than to to get under people's
skins and cause grief to other people. I that part
of it. I you know that. And that's the thing.
And honestly, you know I I know, uh you know
a couple of the donors pretty well, and they would
(09:26):
I can tell you this. They don't want to be known.
They don't want to be They love b YU, they
love BYU Athletics, and and that's good enough for them.
It wouldn't I don't think it would take too much
to figure out who some of these people are. But
they they really don't want to be in the spotlight.
It's not about them. Uh.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
They they love b YU, they love the athletic.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Department, and they love you know specifically you know, you
know b YU football and b YU basketball is what
they really throw their money at and and they love
to do it. They they're able to do it and
they love being a part of it. So if it
if it meant getting you know, if Mountain City started
getting one star reviews, I'd be pretty upset as well
(10:11):
as a result of something that was said. But but no,
I mean it's the program is in great hands. And
and if the money wasn't there and people weren't willing
to to step up and help support.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
It and and try to make the you know, b.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
A basketball is as great as it could be, and
get the players that we really want to be competitive
on a national level and and potentially play for national
championships a year in and year out. You know, if we
didn't have that, they then you know, I mean we're
we're really we really are blessed to have that type
of a situation. And there's there's plenty of of donors
(10:49):
that want to help, and and you know, I know
they're still looking for more. But obviously it's it's a
it's a unique situation. It's something you know, I can
prompt like if the conversation we had five years ago,
I promise you had never got to this to this point, right,
you know, we talked about how how good could be?
Why you being athletics and and nil and and this
(11:13):
the way that the you know, college landscape is, you know,
college basketball, college football landscape is. We would have never
thought it'd get to this point so fast, but here
we are. So you know, I just think, you know,
guys that guys that are willing to help out, don't
you know, just want to do it. In the background,
I say, we, you know, let's respect that and just
be thankful that they have the means to be able
(11:34):
to help us, you know, be better and.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Do better, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Kevin Nixon talking some ball here on ESPN the Fan.
Give us an update on Mountain City. What's going on
with Mountain City? And we're getting into April right now.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I'm sure you.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Guys have a busy schedule for all those bucket getters
along the wass Atche Front.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Give us an update.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Yeah, I mean, we're we're heavy into our our our
summer spring and summer au season. You know, we've got
a lot of little guys that are still playing. We'll
play through through the spring, but our high school stuff's
uh full force right now. Utah Gold is uh, we
just had our first tournament over this past weekend that
uh here in Utahn. We travel next weekend to Indianapolis
(12:19):
and and a lot of our Mountain City teams are
traveling as well. So it's just a really busy time
and and but it's an exciting time. We got a
lot of good players in our program, and and we're
excited to to go out there and compete with with
other teams in the in the country. But but it's
a it's a good.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Time, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
You have some rising stars in your crew, uh in
like maybe the older group that is maybe getting some
recognition some scholarship offers. Give us a little feature on
some of your prospects coming out of Mount City.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Well, uh, you know, Utah Gold we've uh, you know,
we probably you know, we've got five or six kids
that are probably Division one level type players, you know,
one of our top players. We lost a couple of
really good players, uh to the Utah prospects. We we
partner with the prospects is uh and so we we
(13:14):
want to give them, uh, you know, an opportunity to
play at the highest level that they can. I feel
pretty confident that we're right there with them though. But
Simming in Super Charaga, he's uh he plays at orum
uh sixty six wing incredible player, just really developed into
a into a really good basketball player. He's a Division
(13:36):
one kid. There's no question. Will openshaw I was played
with US six' ten kid out of out Of Tempe
High school B. Yu hopefully will be in the. Mix
just got offered By. Stanford we've Got Isaiah drisdom his.
Uh his Dad tim played at played At. Utah we
still love. Him But, Uh isaiah is an incredible point.
(13:58):
Guard h tons of. Talent it's got a number Of
division one offers Cal utah among. Others Jax clark out
of out Of american, four six' nine, power forward, super
athletic just scratching the surface of what he. Can do
six Or seven division. One offers so, you know we've
(14:20):
got we've got a good group of guys that that
we're going to battle with and we were. Pretty excited.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Love It Man Mountain, City Zone, kevin nixon, former by
you're great talking some ball with us HERE on espn
THE fan i reflect, back on, you know one of,
the conversations one of THE questions i posed here with,
the roster how robust, it is who's? Being retained what else?
Is missing do you think? Right now from THE by
u basketball roster. Is there, you know some people have,
(14:49):
brought up, you know backup point guard that's one maybe a.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Four man maybe, you know kind of a four to.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Five, man well what do you see what's missing right
now that they that could be added to the to
the roster to make it a little bit, more, robust
deep and uh capable of GETTING to i think what.
They want they want to get to a final four.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
This, year.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
Yeah the ones that you mentioned are probably the two
you know OTHER than i think THEY'RE really i think
they're chasing a kind of a big time starting four
and are willing to kind of throw some money. At
HIM and, i say, kind of that's. That's funny they're
willing to throw money at. Some guys SO so i
(15:33):
think that's probably number one is to try to try to.
SECURE that I think i think one one IN one
a is is to kind of finalize Things. With richie,
you know it's he's he's he hasn't, you know he
hasn't kind of, wighed in hasn't posted much and kind
of sitting in. The background so the kind of the longer,
(15:54):
it goes, the more, YOU know i Feel like richie's
going to be A, by U BUT i i would
feel a lot more confident if, he would if they
get all the all the you, know workings uh kind of,
figured out and then, of course, you know k wise the,
other one but, you know starting for and then and
then it's. The BACKUPS it's i think they need probably
(16:17):
a backup that they feel confident that that we'll be
able to step in. And play, YOU know i think
with some of the guys that they, you know they
they have some young guys that that they're bringing in
and tons of talent and PROBABLY future. Nba players but
maybe in the same Situation that cannon was in. Coming
in it's no question he's got a huge right future,
(16:38):
in basketball is.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
Probably gonna play IN. The nba but but.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
You know eighteen nineteen year old kids can it can
be hard to play at the level that they need,
to play and so, you know are, they ready? Who knows,
we know we know a j is, for sure but
but we probably need, you know maybe, a, season uh,
you know big a center that that we can we
know we can kind of. Count on and then definitely
(17:04):
a backup, point guard somebody that can come in and
and kind of take Over For rob, last year we
had the luxury having two guys that that were excellent
ball handlers and and really could help. With pressure this
year it, feels, like uh, you know we have, good
Pieces but rob goes out and it's like somebody's gonna
have to really. Take over so a backup. Point guard,
(17:28):
You know i'm hearing a few names out there that,
you know our experience a little bit older and and
would probably uh fill in as a as a backup.
Pretty well but you really want you want your. Starting
five you want five guys that that are that, you
know that can that we're gonna be able to count
on as as being, you know backup players and, you
know be able to, fill in, you know in case
(17:50):
some type of injury were to occur to a starter
and can can kind of, you know hold the post
until you know they. Get back those are the types
of players that you're, looking AT and i KNOW the
byu is looking, you know specifically for a backup big
and a backup.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Point guard so the.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Portal closes we know, this week there's no doubt. About
it right on the, twenty four, Twenty, fourth yeah, twenty
fourth right, this, Week. Yep kevin two Guys that i've looked.
AT that i believe b why you.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Can have it.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Would, Thrive Right, darien williams we know what he did
to wood mag down. The stretch he Just He texas
tech and just him and. Hurt, Everybody right he's. A
baller there's. No doubt you talk about a starting four
as you're starting for you want to talk about a
Guy like foods that can shoot, the three that, can
defend that can.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Do everything that's. That kid there's.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
No doubt do you get him if, he's available or
do you get a guy that has a few more
years THAT has nba played that also will. Be Drafted And,
andre stojakovic that's alsos in the portal that as, we
know we know.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
The resume so which guy do?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
You, get.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Well that's different players. FOR sure i think, FOR me
I think williams would be probably the GUY that i,
would chase even though Even though stoyakovich is, you KNOW
future nba guy and will will we'll play at a
(19:21):
super high. LEVEL eventually I just i LOOK at i
look at this TEAM and, I know, i know you
know we're we're supposed to look down. The road these
are four, year players five year Players but i'm just
looking one year at. A time you almost have to
write BECAUSE because, I mean, I mean oker, Last year
yegor has, one year and we we kind of, knew THAT.
(19:43):
Right a j's got, One year richie's got one more,
year left, You know kaba one. More year rob has has.
Multiple years but the way that, things go it's like
there's there's there's probably a really good chance that if
he continues, to develop he's going to he's going to
(20:03):
demand a lot, of money and he'll have a lot,
of options and and, you Know maybe probos the right place.
For him he loves it here and wants. To stay
but if you can't Get dolln hall, to stay, you probably,
you know maybe aren't going to be able to keep
a Guy Like rob wright. To DAY so i think
you just have to look at it like who's gonna
what's the? BEST fit i Think putting darien at, the
(20:25):
FOUR allowing aj to play the three a little bit
more on, the perimeter and just kind Of, letting darien,
you know do the inside outside stuff And and kava
just rim protect uh and and run the floor. AND
rebatd I just i think that starting five would be
just kind of the perfect blend. Of, Players uh and
(20:49):
so that's, for me that's that's PROBABLY what i would go.
Go FOR but i think if, you could if you
get if you could get, them both obviously. Take them
BUT if i had to choose one of, THE two
I think darren would probably be a.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Better fit you bring up a really good point About, down,
hall right like how aggressive did we try to Retain
down were we able to tell him or give him
the playing time that he thought he he he needed
in order to develop at a high level rather than
coming off, the bench, you know, twenty eight, twenty five
if he's really hot getting into thirty minutes?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Per game what do you what do you.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Think that that, Conversation, was like HE'S at uva right
now and he got a, payday too he got he
got paid to go To The who's rising Program. The
cavs they look that that's a, good program a high
level basketball program IN.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
The acc so what do you think that? Conversation, was, like.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
WELL and i need to be a little. Careful here
it's it's WHEN what b why you had to make
a decision on on what this year was going to?
Look like AND and b why YOU just i DIED
that uh AND and I know i don't follow them.
(22:04):
AT all i THINK it's i think it's a. Pretty
move you go and you try to get the best
possible player to, replace uh to replace yegor high profile SOMEBODY,
that's uh that that you know can do. It all
and they they wanted to, you know that's that's that's
(22:25):
what they chose. To do they wanted to chase a
point guard that was that was A rob wright type.
Of player they were able to. Get him as soon
as they started. Chasing THEM dallan i think in his mind, Was.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
LIKE i'm i don't WANT to i have.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
ANOTHER year i don't want to play second fiddle. To
somebody and so as soon as, that happened it, was,
like okay who? Wants me And and i'll be honest
with you there the list. Was long the list. WAS
long i mean he did it didn't take long, for
him like. It was it was a situation where once
he's in the portal and everybody knew he was in,
(23:03):
the portal there. He was you could see that his
value as far as what he what he can get
in the market was going to, you know be double.
Or more WHAT what yu was was probably going to,
pay him and why. Wouldn't you, you know it's Like
b y's a. GREAT place i. Understand it he's accomplished a,
(23:24):
lot here but at the, same time on a personal
level and a level of being able to to go
feel like you could go somewhere and be the player
that you know that you, can be and to go
to To, A virginia i mean there was others that that,
you know he could have made the, same amount maybe
a little bit more to go to go to. Other
(23:46):
places and so as soon as, that happened it was
it was it was a decision that, you know if
by you would have come to him, and, said hey
we got this much money, for you this is what
we think. You're worth you're going to be our starting,
point guard and we're going to move forward with this
and we're going to go try to win. This thing
it didn't happen, that WAY and i respect both sides
for what they did because that's just that's that's part
of the game and that's how. It Works but dallan's
(24:07):
going to be an amazing Player. At virginia they've got
a they've got a seasoned veteran that's that's. A leader That's.
THAT'S uh i think they're going to get their money's
worth out. Of him and, AND honestly i feel like
b why he is going to do. THE same i
think whatever they whatever They're paying rob is IS is
uh is probably at market uh or or maybe maybe
a little. Bit ABOVE and i think he's gonna he's
(24:30):
gonna produce and he's going to be the type of, Player,
That uh we're gonna look back on it and, be,
like yeah we're Thankful for dollan and everything, he did,
but man we're Glad that. Rob's here so that's kind of.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
My, thought yeah GREAT breakdown.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I made we had a question last week about who
we're going to miss the most from, the roster, And
uh i'm gonna pose the same question. To you you have, the,
graduates right you have the like Players like Trevinell And,
foos traya like These guys Traced were they're all really
good basketball players that contributed in a. High level you
(25:04):
have the freshmen that, are transferring, You Know cannon Catchings And.
Elijah crawford you Have a dollon that's Going. To virginia,
you know there's a lot, of, attrition right a lot.
Of turnover which player that's, either graduating going to the
yegor also going to.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The league do you THINK b yu is going to
miss the most? Next year? And, why.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Well, that's uh you really put me on the spot
because all those guys are GUYS that i they're all
good worked with in one way.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Or, another yeah and and.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
They're all they're they've they've all been huge to TO
b ye. Basketball success so, you know that's that's a really,
hard one. YOU KNOW i I just i FEEL like
i explained, You know dallen's value and and and how
much uh, you know if you know if he was
here that how much he. Would help he's got to
(25:56):
be right. Up there but but also, it's like, you know,
For me fus is the type of player that, YOU
know I don't i don't think, his career, you know
went exactly how he kind of envisioned or. Wanted it
but he had some incredible moments and there was some
games That without fus we probably. Don't win and especially this,
(26:20):
you know this, past year there was times where because of,
the matchups because of, you know, you know, certain situations
he just wasn't uh he wasn't going to be prominent
in certain games based on matchups, and so but when
when it was a good MATCHUP for Us and fus
was put in a situation where he was getting the
(26:40):
ball and able to kind of do what, he does
he really. Helped us AND so I think i think
we'll miss that probably more. Than anything but, you know
it's that's a that's a tough one because like all
the guys that, you met all the guys, that left
OR like, I mean cannon's a just think how Much
better canon's going to be this, more confident more, you know.
(27:03):
Physically stronger somebody's going to reap the benefits of him
transferring from FROM. B yu and and how do You,
replace tredon uh one of the greatest all time uh
you know shooters AT d yu and one of the
best shooters that it's ever played. COLLEGE basketball, i mean
and then you know HOW much I. LOVE trey, i
mean Holy. Cal trey trey was a guy that didn't
(27:26):
get any run and then just gets thrown into it
and just was ready and just just.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Had an had an.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Incredible year from, my perspective Like without trey doing what
he did from the mid mid point of the season to,
the end we don't we don't have the success that.
We have those are all guys that are are. Huge
pieces so we're going to miss them all and the
and the, challenge is, you know how do we? Replace,
them yeah we can go out there and get a
j and we Can get rob and we Can bring,
(27:54):
richie back and we can bring, You know boskovich Back
in dawson and bring them the new guys and and
that and bringing it, you know Even Potentially. Darren williams,
but man those are those were pieces of the puzzle
that made us so. Much better so that's a that's a.
Tough ONE so i just gave you, an answer and
the answer. Is EVERYBODY but i KNOW that's i know
you wanted me to, say somebody, but no it's, you know.
(28:17):
Pro pros all THOSE guys, I think i think down
obviously would would have been great. Coming BACK and i
Think bos bruce is a guy that we that we're
gonna miss and and we. Love him but all those
guys we love so that.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
YOU know I picked allen in, the debate many picked
him of what mag because of the concept what like
that they're gonna miss the POST and i don't think
there's a right or wrong answer and.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
All this it just depends on what.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
You think, but like, for me back up, point guard,
you know someone that's gone through the refining fire of
a couple Of tournaments big twelve, PLAY like i think.
That's irreplaceable they, get old stale adage.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
And EXPERIENCE like i.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
LOVE it i still think. IT'S valid i think it's
true in. COLLEGE basketball i just.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
THINK and I and i think with the, YOUNGER guys,
I mean i think it's leadership is. VERY underrated a
guy that can come in and knows how to kind
of navigate a locker room and motivate guys and be
the team guy when maybe things aren't going his way
and still be the guy that people. Look to. That's
underrated and Then and dollan has that that's what he
that's what he.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Has no doubt. About it know if Sands or butt's.
About it one, last thing Even though ron was looking at, me, like.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Hey we gotta, get out we gotta, get out we.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Saw a movement towards This and i've gotten pinged on
it a few times right over the last. Two years
the Question, is ben are we going to be replacing
Our quotation Mark b why, you, guys right and what
what's the composition of by you guys that is going
(29:50):
to remain on the roster in the.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Modern era and that's a difficult question for me.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
To answer and, Like honestly i'm sitting, Here thinking, i'm
like maybe one third of the raw still will be
like your TRADITIONAL b, yu Guy The, dallen Halls the Tanner,
tool Sins The, richie, saunders right like even going in
Into The, Dawson baker like, you know these types of
guys that, you know maybe, go elsewhere come back or.
(30:15):
They're retained they come, here initially but then. They're retained.
YOU know i wonder what that looks like going forward
if this nil transfer, portal Continues This air.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
New, ERA.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Yeah i don't know what it's going to, look LIKE
but i FEEL like i feel that it's it's going
to be really important TO be. Byu success and it's
not that it's not that it has to be your,
top kids like you look at, you know we always,
talk about, you know the twenty twenty team and and
how those. Are all, you know you're kind of YOUR
prototypical byu, type players local lds kids OR or lds
(30:51):
kids that want to GO to byu kind. OF thing
i think to continue to get the fan support and
to get kind of everybody behind. THE program i think
there Has to you have to have that because if,
you don't then it's doesn't it doesn't FEEL like buyu.
At all and so, you know my hope is that
(31:13):
they will really continue to focus on that and really focus,
on recruiting, you know THE top lds kids and doing
everything they can to and not take them, for granted
not to, you know throw throw less money at him
because they do they GROW up yu fans or have
a desire to PLAY, at buyu pay him what. They're
worth get the best. KIDS here i just think that
there's enough really good L e s kids out there
(31:35):
to want to come in and PLAY at byu and
can make. A difference so that's. My hope and and,
YOU know I think kevin sees that. AS well i
think he knows that, that's IMPORTANT and i hope he's
hope he sticks around long enough to make, that happen
or whoever whoever comes in, AFTER him i hope that that's.
What happens and. THAT'S uh i think that'll be Key
for bays success in. The future that's kind of, my thought.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
My Man, Kevin Nixon Mountain. City hoops nobody does. It
better always love talking ball with. Your brother let us
know if you need anything. From us, great segment great
interview as always.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Appreciate, it guys have a, great day.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
My Guy. Kevin nixon ladies.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
And gentlemen that was brought to You By Primo Golf
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(33:00):
let's go, to break but please don't. Go anywhere guys
still ton to get to On a. Monday edition, april
twenty first Edition Of cougar sports HERE On Espn the
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