IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular (Weekend of February 15, 2025)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Broadcasting from Alito to Alton, Champagne to Chicago, and Robinson
to Rockford. This is the Sports Spectacular, your home for
everything Alinai Sports, powered by Alanai guys dot com.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yep, he's Brad Sturty, He's Mike keg Lee, I'm Larry Smith.
We are the Alani Guys. Glad you're here with us.
Another great show coming up. Man, it's a big, big,
big basketball weekend. Spartan's coming in town. Tom Izzo trying
to break the record. We'll talk about that, but listen,
we've got a lot to talk about. Kofey Colburn in
the house. We'll hear from Kofe Dion Thomas, the all
time legend, all time leading scorer. I don't think that's

(00:42):
ever going to change. He's standing by here a bottom
of the hour. We get his thoughts. Also, a new recruit,
Kim Thomas class of twenty twenty six out of the
Cincinnati area. Kendrick Prince, our director of recruiting at ALTI
guys dot Com, caught up with him. We'll talk with
him and Mike talk to another legend, the great third head.
On the Idle Line Eye podcast, we'll hear part of

(01:04):
that as well, but fellas first off Illinois getting back
on the wedding track, getting to win big winn at
at Minnesota last week and homing at Ucla tuesday. Do
you feel they have now finally turned the corner and
we're back to where we were a month ago.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
I maybe maybe I'm gonna I'm gonna hedge that. I
do think they're getting closer. I think you're getting closer,
and so now you just have to kind of put
some strengths and wins together to kind of show that
you're there. But they're getting They're much better, there's no question.
Just being healthy is the biggest thing. And get healthy,
you know, start finding your roles and getting back into that,

(01:43):
getting back into the flow as they were, you know
a month ago.

Speaker 4 (01:47):
Yeah, these guys haven't really played that many games together,
and then they had the injuries and all sorts of
things hit and illness, et cetera. So it will be
good to see them getting to re gel together. There's
a lot of opportunities for them to get better as
the season closes out, and you just hope that you

(02:09):
don't have a weird epidemic or something of weird disease
because If anybody's going to get it, it's going to
be the Aliini. They just have to get a little
bit of lucky with the health.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, COVID's trained pie and it hits in Champagne first, right,
I mean it's, you know, the newest variant that you
hadn't heard of because it's your first.

Speaker 5 (02:27):
But I think what's intriguing about this team.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
We'll get Dion's thoughts here a little bit when he
joins us, is that you know, last week they scored
ninety points for the ninth time this season, right, and
it still wasn't a complete game. They score eighty plus
against UCLA, only the third team this season to do
that against the defensive minded Bruins, and again it was incomplete.
And that's I think what for me is that it's
just what happens. I guess Oregon, the Oregon game is

(02:51):
what happens. What happens when these guys, if they can
get to March or get to New York next week
against Duke and they're finally all healthy and on the
same page, that's to me. It's a scary part is
we've have to see the best out of this team,
and we're more than twenty games.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
In Yeah, you really haven't. And that's a that's I
guess that's scary for both sides. Bratt Underwoo's probably going,
I think we're good. I think we're good, but you
know it's tough. But you know, you look at this team,
I think it comes down to you see the potential
being you know, one of the worst. If you're looking
at like a bottom level team shooting the basketball. They're

(03:27):
making twenty eight percent from three. This team is fourteen
and one when they just make twenty eight percent from
behind the three point line. Twenty eight percent is not
a huge ass. They're fifteen and two or sixteen and
two when they make twenty five percent. So we're not
asking a lot. You're gonna win most of the games
if you just make twenty five percent from three.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah, they you know, it's there's not a lot for
them to be really really good. Value the ball a
little more, create less unforced turnovers, you know, keep that
from happening. You know, take a little bit better shot selection,
and that takes probably eighty percent of the problems away

(04:08):
from the Aliini and this team has the ability, they
have the ability to score at incredible rates even when
they're turning the ball over. The problem is is that
the other team gets an easier chance to score when
those turnovers happened.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, what a deficty struggle it was. We talk about
UCLA defense. Tuesday night. Illinois was pretty good too for
the first thirty five minutes until they went just bonkers
and hit like what ten in a row or something
to close that sixteen point margin down to two and
they still get to win after that. You know, here's
the thing with Illinois as we come down the stretch
here and get ready for March in the postseason and

(04:43):
to really see what this team is made of.

Speaker 5 (04:45):
But they began this week.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
They had six Big Ten games remaining, five of them
against teams sitting in front of them in the standings.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
Obviously, it took care of UCLA. Now they're gonna have
Michigan State.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
They're at Wisconsin and then Iowa Purdue in Michigan to finish.
So this is a team right now that when you
look at it, they still have a shot, maybe not
at a Big Ten title, but they have a shot
at that top four spot and the double by in
the tournament.

Speaker 5 (05:11):
And on top of that, next week they'll be playing Duke.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
In New York, so a great litmus test not only
for where they are right now, but to see what
they've learned against one of the elite teams in the
country as they head into March.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, no question, they have the opportunities in front of them,
you know. I mean, the reality is they have games
that they can win. And the cool thing also is
they still have you know, the home games. You know,
a lot of home games against quality opponents where you
win those. That's where you're supposed to win, right You're
supposed to beat teams at home. You win those home games,
and now you feel really good about where you're at.

(05:43):
It gives them a great opportunity to may possibly get
to that double buy and get in the Big ten tournament,
raise up and be maybe a they. I mean, I
think three seed is still there if they went out.
I think even two seed is still I know people
think that's crazy, but because the wins they will have
at the end of the season, I mean, they could
really climb those seed lines right now.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
And if they do get some consistency and start to
play a little better and get used to one another again,
there are plenty of upsets every single night in college basketball,
and there's no reason why the ALIGNI I couldn't climb
the ladder, like Brad said, and with the with the
fact that there's no really team that's turned into last

(06:29):
year's Yukon. Maybe Auburn's close to that, but there's really
there's They can keep moving up, but they have to
take care of the small details, and that's not easy
for a young team.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, and here's one thing about this Illinois team. They
seem to get up for the big games. So I
have no doubt that they'll be ready to go against
Michigan State. Same with Duke, same with Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan.
It's the teams that aren't ranked or they're behind them
in the standings. Those are the games that I worry about.
Michigan State coming in this weekend, it's another big night,
sold out, it'll be jam packed. If you thought it

(07:02):
was loud Tuesday for Kofee Coleburn and again we'll hear
from Kolfe in a little bit, it is going to
be louder if you can imagine that for Terren Shannon
Junior as it is his turn. Guys, let us talk
about where this program is that you have two, two
former All Americans who played in consecutive years for this
program raising their banner in the same week at two

(07:22):
different games.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
I mean that it's just it's so special.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, if you look at it, if you go three years,
you go back one year, You've had three guys, Io Desumu,
Kofee Coburn, and Terrence Shannon all getting their banners, you know,
getting the banner. That's impressive run of talent. Terreed Shanner
was probably most you know, we always talked about download
Kofee Coburn being the incredible force of nature on the

(07:48):
fast break. Arret Shannon was also an incredible force of
nature with his speed and just power and athletics. It
was so much fun to watch that guy. And so
it's it's great to see him get get his due
because you know, he had a lot of obviously a
lot of issues, you know in Illinois, not not necessarily
his issues, but things that are surrounding him. And so yeah,
he had he had to work through, and he handled

(08:09):
his Big ten tournament and NCAA run last year was
was special.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, those both gentlemen provided a line I fans with
incredible memories and you when you throw the fact that
you had Io there, you know, before them, or overlapping
with Kofe. What a what a run Brad Underwood has
had at recruiting people to the ALIGNI and and that's

(08:34):
what it takes because you look at the eighties and
you have that same type of situation, and and you know,
hopefully we can add guys to that list in the
ensuing years to go along with them.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, well, I think if Mores and will Riley stay
for the sophomore years, I think they could be looking
at that list. Definite, definitely All America potential. Next year
we could see, who knows, if he makes some deep
run here deep in the year kJ maybe you could
still get a nod. We'll see what happens with that
Michigan State coming in. Of course, the controversy will win.
In East Lansing last month where Yakachona's you know, at

(09:10):
two fouls in the first two and a half minutes,
two more fouls quickly. Fourth quarter had a season low,
I think with three points in that game only nine
minutes play because of all the fouls. And also Tom
Izzo last week he tied Bob Knight's record for the
winningest Big Ten coach ever. He had a chance to
break that at home Tuesday night, but Indiana, of all teams,
they came out and shocked him, and so now he'll

(09:31):
try to break that record in Champagne.

Speaker 5 (09:33):
Just adds to the emotion of this game.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
And again, if you get a win, that's one more
you need for Illinois before they go to a tough
place to play at wis Content, where they've done well lately,
and then on to New York.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, this is a This is a huge game for Illinois,
a lot of fronts. I do think they will match
up well against Michigan State if kJ is on the floor.
You saw they were obviously much better when he was
on the floor up in East Science thing. So this
is a team that's a little more healthy than they were.
Obviously they're going to have. You know, it's almost you
hate to say these games are must win. When you're
at home against a team that's ahead of you in

(10:06):
the standings, if you want to make that right, make
that next level and get to that top four seed,
this is a game you have to win.

Speaker 5 (10:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (10:13):
Yeah, there's really no other way to say it. This
is an important game for NCAA seeding. It's an important
game for the Big Ten, you know, getting the seeds
set up for the tournament. Michigan State is playing a
very tough part of the schedule. Illinois needs to get
a W here, and you have to defend your home court.

(10:34):
The home court losses are inexcusable, particularly in the Big
Ten season.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah, and that's what USC loss. They still think you're
going to look back at the season and say, if
we only could have had that one.

Speaker 5 (10:45):
That's going to cost them something.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
Maybe it's a seed line in the Big Ten tournament,
maybe it's a seed line in the NCAA tournament. But
that's a costly game right there, and it could be
a painful lesson learned for this ALIGNI team. So again,
Michigan State at Illinois can't wait for that one coming
up Saturday night. Then they hit the road at Wiscontin
next week and then Saturday and I will be yes
up in Manhattan next week, will be at the Madison

(11:07):
Square Garden, the famed Madison Square Garden, to take c
Illinois take on Duke and a team that I really
think they can play very well against this team, and
we will see quick time out right now.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
We got a lot more to come.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
We'll hear from Kolfe Colbert as he had his jersey
raised to the rafters a Tuesday night. Also the women's
basketball team. Let's not forget to talk with these ladies.
On the verge of another twenty win season. They could
be setting.

Speaker 5 (11:28):
Some records, more records themselves before the season is out.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
It's unbelievable what they have done with all the injuries
and yet they just keep on winning. It's coming up
next right here, the Sports Spectacular Power and buy a
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Speaker 4 (13:23):
That was KOFE.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
Cobert And boy what a sight that was to see
his family there, his mom in the house, a state
farm center.

Speaker 5 (13:29):
Just some great stories, uh coming out of uh just.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
What And Brad Hunderwood, guys, if you listened to the
Brad Underwood presser and if you those of you listening,
if you haven't, we've got that for you on the
front page of a line I guys dot com. Brad
Underwood postgame, you say, le presser about fifteen minutes in
he's talking about Kvie and and he's working not to
get emotional. This he talked about this. This really meant
a lot to him to see where he came from

(13:53):
in high school to where he is now, to know
that he had a role in that.

Speaker 4 (13:57):
It's great to be able to come here and see
the cope and you showed up here to you think
today was possible?

Speaker 8 (14:01):
No, no at all?

Speaker 9 (14:02):
Why not?

Speaker 8 (14:03):
I mean I never had these high hopes, you know.
I feel like this just came from like such that
we've had as a team. And like I said, this
relationship with the coach is them being able to push
me in like like, let's caring for me, you know,
being you know, you know, bringing that family, that family y.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
Yeah, this is uh. Brad and Kofe were so tight.
I mean they have such a great relationship. You can
see that Kofe. Kofe is one of those guys. Though,
if you've ever you know, I've got to be around him. Obviously,
I was lucky enough to be around him for a
few years. And he's such a like just a you know,
he's a massive dude, but he's like a big, lovable
teddy bearry. It was a teddy bear that could knock

(14:37):
you into the third row with just a this was
putting a slight plick of his finger. But he was
just an amazing dude and just a nice guys, always smiling.
And I love Underwood's quote about him. Kofe never has
a bad day and that just sums him up.

Speaker 4 (14:53):
And he was He's so important to this program. Io
made it cool to come back and be an Aliini player,
and for a while it wasn't cool, but Kofe came
here and he brought the ws because the man was
walking twenty ten and you had to compensate for him

(15:17):
at both ends of the floor. And when Kofee came
to help Io out, the Aliini became a force in
college basketball. And regardless of the fact that he maybe
hasn't had the greatest pro career, he will go down
as one of the great aligni for what he did
to help turn this program around. Along with Io and

(15:38):
Brad Underwood.

Speaker 5 (15:39):
Yeah, there's no question.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
My one wish is that they would have made a
deeper run in the tournament and so the rest of
the nation could appreciate him. I think he's kind of
the forgotten all American people forget just how amazing he
was and not getting the calls. Remember the game against
Northwestern at home, when the referees told Brad Underwood, well,
we can't call every foul against him. Yeah, I mean,
that's that's how dominant that he was. So kudos to Kofe.

(16:03):
And again this weekend Saturday, it's Terarren Shannon's to turn
as we talk about that, and we'll have more on
that of course on Atlanta guys dot com. Speaking of
dominating the Alani women's team right now, seven straight wins
as they host Nebraska on Sunday and then had out
west for a couple of games against top ten teams
at UCLA at usc Guys, it's incredible what Seana Green's
doing with this team with all the injuries that she

(16:24):
keeps pushing the right buttons. The players are dialed in
and they just keep winning.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, it's it's really stunning. I mean, I thought there
you went into the season. You thought they were gonna
be good, right, I mean you thought they were gonna
be good. But then okay, Makaira Cook's down and you
go down the list and Gretchen Dolan and it's like,
what what where are all the players? You know, they
lose the big girl Letty Esk and salists and you know,
it's like they've had illnesses, they've had injuries, people out
for the year. It's like and yet they just keep grinding.

(16:52):
They just keep finding a way to win. Sometimes this
isn't pretty, but they just get it done. And so
it's it's a testament to Seana Green. And I will
tell you this. If you want to watch something fun,
watch the sideline. No sideline, no bench mob has more
fun than the ALIGNI women on the sideline. They have
a blast.

Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah, Shawna has done some amazing things because there's so
many potential excuses for this team not to achieve this year,
and yet they have achieved. Now they'd like to do
more and we will see where the season goes. But
to get a team with that many injuries of key
players as as successful as they've been really notes the

(17:34):
dedication of that that staff and the players you.

Speaker 5 (17:37):
Know what I don't.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
You guys know, I really don't get into the top
twenty five rankings. I mean it's really it's more than anything.
It's just bragging rights for the fan base. But I
was really disappointed last Monday when Illinois did not make
either AP or coaches pull in the top twenty five
in the country because they had won six in a
row and they've done it with the injuries, and there
went into the week sitting.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
In fourth place in the Big Ten. Spite all of this.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
I mean, they have a shot at getting the double buy.
I mean, you would have thought that was possible healthy,
but with all the injuries, like you said, and then
Genesis Fryan goes out last week.

Speaker 5 (18:10):
So it's uh.

Speaker 2 (18:10):
But you know, but you got to win this game
against Nebraska, you got in Michigan, then at home when
you come back from LA. The two LA games will
be really really tough for these teams, uh, for these
for the squad to try to get wins out there.
But the thing is we know they'll be prepared and uh,
and a couple of marquee games. The UCLA game is
on Big ten Network, the USC game is on f
S one. UH.

Speaker 5 (18:29):
These are all again next week Thursday and Sundays.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
Be sure to watch out for those next week while
the men are into UH in New York.

Speaker 10 (18:35):
UH.

Speaker 5 (18:35):
What we want to get one.

Speaker 2 (18:36):
More thought out of here to some listeners, Brad go ahead.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yeah, I just want to offer our condolences to the
Pittsfield community. One of the most you know, it's not
all about sports. You know, we talked a lot about sports.
But one of the best basketball players, freshman girl named
Ryce Ramsey, she passed away in a car accident this week.
Earlier this week, she was extremelyented, couple state titles in
junior high had already been MVP of a high school

(19:04):
varsity tournament. I'm as a freshman really talented player and
just off our condolences to her family in the Pittsfield community.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
We appreciate that. We second that thought. Deon Thomas is
up next.

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And again airfare.

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Speaker 1 (21:31):
Now back to the Alani Guys Fort Spectacular.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
Hey, welcome back here, Larry, Mike and Brad Here in
the Alanti Guys powered by Alana Guys dot Com Sports Spectacular.
Talking a lot about just what a big weekness is
for Alani basketball. Not only on the court obviously, big
win over the Bruins the other night, We've got this
week at Michigan State coming in, nuff said, but also
the jersey ceremony. I mean you you know the banners

(22:01):
now we're starting to add to these banners the rafters
of State Farm Center and some of the all time
greats we've enjoyed watching over the years, and we're still
thrilled at the friend of the show is one of
those guys up there, all time leading scorer in the
ALNNI basketball history, and I think that's not going to
change anytime soon because unfortunately, anybody getting close, they're gonna like, oh,
I gotta get out of here, go get paid the NBA.

Speaker 5 (22:21):
Deon Thomas is joining us. Dean, good to see you,
my friend.

Speaker 10 (22:23):
How are you, Larry, Thank you for having me in.
Thank God, I'm doing great. And unfortunately I have to
agree with you. I don't think that thing's gonna get broken, man,
in this new day and age of jumping into the
NBA or jumping the other institution so quickly.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
Yeah, yeah, it's just not. So here's the thing. We
are happy.

Speaker 5 (22:44):
We can always call you also score, you know.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
But I do love the way you attack this as
a veteran and somebody who's been there. You do encourage
those other guys you love when they when your records
are broken. I want to get to the team in
a moment, but We've got this unique situation where you
were there today night with Colby. Colbert was there, his
banner was already up, but it is the official raising
of the banner Saturday night is Terrence Shannon Jr.

Speaker 5 (23:08):
First things first, you you've been through this.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
What what is that like to be uh, there on
the floor with a filled arena, packed house, to see
your name and your jersey put up among the all
time greats.

Speaker 10 (23:21):
It's it's surreal. I mean, you're in a space where
you can see all of the people, you can hear
all of the fans, you can feel all of the fans,
but it feels like you're the only person in the arena.
I mean, it's it's really odd to describe, but to

(23:43):
have that adulation from the crowd, that appreciation for the
accomplishments and the things to done, both personally as well
as for the team, is nothing short of amazing. And
I mean it's one of the best feelings, best feelings
you could ever have.

Speaker 2 (23:59):
I can't imagine, and I think probably very few people
listening can imagine, because we haven't accomplished the things that
you have. And if you we do get an honor,
it's it's you know, five people saying great, great job.
You know, that would be a surreal feeling, I think,
And to be on the court where it all happened.
You know that that building, there's so many amazing memories.

(24:20):
First off, it's I remember driving by it as a kid.
I just was always amazed at just the architecture of it.
And then just again all the amazing moments inside KOFE.
This week, you got a chance, I know I saw online.
You got to share to laugh with him. You know
it's you know him very well already. What did you
say to him on Tuesday night?

Speaker 10 (24:37):
Well, when we first walked out on to the court.
When I walked out to him, I got up from
behind the radio stand. He was the first thing he
said was you told me this. He's like, you remember.
I was like, yes, you know, I remember because freshman
year when he hit campus, we were standing on the
floor and I pointed up to my jersey and this

(24:57):
and there were afters, and I told him that should
be your goal. Yeah, it's easy to be a great
basketball player. That is that it's very hard to get
up there in the rafters, So that should be your goal.
And you know, he was like, well, you know what
I what do I have to do? It's the work.

(25:17):
It's the work. It's to be in the good teammate.
And that why shouldn't say it's the work, it's the
right work. It's being the good teammate. It's going out
there and representing not just himself or his family, but
the university, the name on the front of the jersey.
And he did a tremendous job doing so during his
three years at Illinois. For those that don't know Kofe Koburn,

(25:41):
this is a young man that came to Illinois with
a very limited basketball background. You know, I mean I
started playing my freshman year in high school. He started
playing less than I think he was a sophomore when
he started playing. Now, he has some god given talents
and size and all all of those things. But just
because you have the physical doesn't necessarily mean you have

(26:04):
the drive. Doesn't mean you have the skill. Uh. And
he worked really hard in order to be able to
get to the level that he that he he's still growing.
I shouldn't say that he's at because he's still growing.
And when we were out there on the floor, we
shared a moment about him continuing that hard work because

(26:25):
his you know, he's still playing, he's still loving living
life right now. And you know, I always tell all
of the guys, take care of your money, you know,
take care of your money, because Jimmy Collins. This is
one thing that he told me. He was like, at
the end, when the ball stops bouncing, you want to
do what you want to do and not do things
because you have to do them. And the only way

(26:47):
you can do that normally is by taking care of
your finances. And another thing I just told, make sure
you come back around because this is this is your home.
These people love you the you know, their kids kids
are going to remember you, you know, and you've earned that.
So to make sure that he stays around and he
stays connected. But he's a great young man. I don't

(27:08):
expect anything less than that from Kofe.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
You know, it's funny what you're you're saying that, and
that's something that I've heard in from so many other people.
I've never heard of bad word said about Kofe in
terms of uh personally, teammate work ethic attitude on the court.
I remember the freshman year he accidentally knocked out the
official celebrating a dunk and you can spend his space
a bother me, right. He just it just was one

(27:32):
of those accidental things he was celebrating. He's such a
big guy. Just happened, but it was so special to
see him, uh there and to see the love shown.
And you're right, and I think that one thing with
with him with Io, with Terren Shannon. First off, it
goes to Brad Underwood and his staff. Yea, And in
a very short amount of time, you've had three guys
all make All American status and your banners go up

(27:53):
and you're still growing the program like this. They're not
done doing whatever they're going to do. But I think
it's it's the testament to the work ethic. It's a
testament I think to again where this program is as well.
And for those of us who watched h you know,
those who I'm a little bit older than you, I
remember you in high school and watching you and your
your years and going on to play professional overseas, and

(28:15):
but the guys in the eighties and nineties my generation
watching them, Uh, it's it's it's refreshing to see Ellinois
basketball back to that level again where we're having these
kinds of opportunities.

Speaker 10 (28:26):
I agree. One. You know when I was when I
got into basketball my freshman year at Semeon, I started
playing attention to Illinois. You know, before before that, you know,
everything in Chicago was the Paul Right, so you want
watching the Paul Mark Guire's from my you know, from
my neighborhoods. So I had an opportunity and that was

(28:47):
kind of my focus. But then as I got into
high school, especially when they were talking about Benji was
going to go to Illinois before he, you know, unfortunately
was killed. This is when I started paying attention to Illinois.
So now I'm watching this and I'm watching it grow.
The Nick Nick and Irvin of course leaf Semeon, Golde, Illinois.
We were flying high, you know then the flying Alni

(29:11):
My years were great, the two thousands were great, and
then we hit a wall. And I am a die hard,
a line I fan, as I tell people when I
when I die, I want to be cremated and sprinkled
on the quad. I'm an aligna. Now I was told
I'm not supposed to do that, but we're gonna make
that happen anyway. Wait, we have ways exactly We're going

(29:37):
to figure out how to make that happen. But no,
and what people don't understand, even a lot of our
own fans, is the history of our program. I mean,
I'm sure you've heard this. We're the eleventh ranked basketball
program in the history of the NCAA. We don't know that. No,
you know, most of our fans don't even know that.

(29:59):
So to be back on this stage, first, I got
to take my hat off to Brad Underwood and not
just this current staff, but the previous iterations of his
staff as well, because they're the ones, you know, the
chen Coleman's and guys that really got this thing going.
You mentioned Io Desumu, Well, I don't think we are

(30:20):
where we are today if not for Io Desumo stand home.
Uh he was at catalyst that really kicked things off.
Kofe came after that, and now we have, uh the
European branch coming through with yakachonas uh Asievich and and
then of course Will Riley from Canada. But we are

(30:41):
in such a place and as you mentioned, still growing,
still getting back. This team is still getting better. I
mean it's amazing how different they look from one one
day or one game to the next, and you see
the potential, you see the the ceiling that this team has,

(31:01):
and they're still striving to get there, which is a
positive thing seeing we're here almost in mid February and
they're still getting better. So it's great to be back
to where we were, where I feel we should have
always been. But you know, things happen on the administrative side,
and people don't understand when you know, Brad Underwood says

(31:23):
this perfectly. They can go out and win games, meaning basketball,
but your administration wins championships. Josh and what Josh Whitman
has done since he has come on to this campus, well,
return to this campus because a former football player of
course in alum with not just basketball or football. Look

(31:46):
at women's basketball. Golf has always been great, but look
at the strides that they're making women's golf, I mean
across the program, and all of that filters from the
top down and it allows Brad to be able to
bring in the staff, bring in the players that have
made it possible for us to be sitting where we
are today.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah, totally agreem talking with Deon Thomas, so once again
he is a color man, we should say The Alani
Radio broadcast and has done so much in his career.
Student of the game, expert of the game, we should say,
you're exactly right. And I think that's one thing that
we saw a glimpse of the other night with UCLA
in that I thought kJ finally looked the best he
had looked since he had his injury.

Speaker 5 (32:25):
A month ago.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Still going to tighten up the ball and not so
many turnovers, try those things. But to your point, we
still haven't seen this team at its best, and yet
they've already scored ninety points nine times this season. You know,
I tell people all the time, it's a very different
era right now in college basketball. There's a lot of parody.
I think I do think Auburn's the best team in
the country. They're not unbeatable. Same with the Duke, and

(32:47):
we're going to find that out next week. But there
are thirty teams right now. You can say these thirty
teams had the capability of winning six games.

Speaker 5 (32:55):
In a row in March, ILLINOI is one of those teams.
They've proven that because even you.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
Know, the only game they haven't been even the Alabama game,
which was kind of the first early test.

Speaker 5 (33:05):
Since then, they haven't been out of games.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know, even the games that didn't play well, they
still were in them, they just didn't finish.

Speaker 10 (33:12):
Bro No, and you nailed it right on the head.
N Pom put out a I think it was a
top ten or maybe it was even you know, teams
that could win the national championship by all of his metrics,
and Illinois was in that mix. And rifle it should
be in that mix because this is a team offensively
that when they're going there's there's almost no one in

(33:35):
the country that they can't beat, you know, a matter
of finding that consistency, not firing up too many three
point shots, because they're big enough, strong enough, long enough
to get downhill and finish when they do that and
they're springing the ball out. Now you have guys that
are not just good three point shooters, that are great

(33:57):
three point shooters. I mean Ben Humber cows Humber count has.
You know, they have this shot calendar that they use
for practice and shoot. He ranks up there with NBA shooters. Wow,
you know, I mean by those metrics because they use
this program that measures with NBA guys, He's right in
the mix with them, you know. So they have a

(34:18):
ton of guys on this team, Trey White, that can
shoot the ball. I mean, guys that can just fly
out shoot. But again, like I said, they're long enough
in order to be able to get to the basket.
And when you have someone like Thomas lives Eastovich that
can step outside, I mean, he becomes another playmate. He's
a point five. He's alwayost like the poor man's Jokis
right now as he continues to grow and learn how

(34:39):
to play this game as well. So there's a lot
of really positive pieces to this current Illinois team. And
when they decide to lock down on defense, surprise, surprise,
they can do that too, And I think that's one
of the things that sets them apart from some other teams.
As you how kyl and Biswell had a string there

(35:03):
where he sat shut down some of the top scorers
in the country, Sears and some of the other guys
that he went up against and shut them down. So
when this team decides to put everything in motion, they're
really really hard to beat. And you mentioned this earlier
when we were off air. This is a team that
really gets up when they're playing against high level competition.

(35:25):
So this weekends, this week's a tough week. They just
knocked off U c l A, who had won seven
games in a row. They lost in a controversial game
to say the least, that but in the Breslin Center.
So now you have Michigan State coming on your court
and where you can make up some more of that
ground on some games that they kind of gave away

(35:46):
when they were sick and kind of beat up. So
now they get an opportunity to really make up some
of that ground against some pretty heavy Quad one teams
this next couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah, I think they every game except one, the Iowa
game I think is the only non quad one game
if I'm correct, and you and to your point, They've
got their destiny in their own hands. I'm not worried
about where, because I know March they're gonna be there.
But going into the u c l A game, six
games left on the Big Ten schedule, five of them
against teams sitting above them in the standings. They took
care of one of UCLA. They still sit again Michigan

(36:18):
State this weekend, and then that they've got to they've
got Purdue, Michigan Michigan State still or I'm sorry, h
Purdue Michigan and uh.

Speaker 10 (36:27):
Why lost Michigan was next week?

Speaker 5 (36:31):
Here we go? Sorry, that was committy track up.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
Hey, I want to get your thought before I let
you go, before we run out of time. You you
have been in this situation in February in your basketball life,
in so many different roles.

Speaker 5 (36:44):
Where do you feel the psyche is in this team
right now?

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Like you said, they went through a downstretch with injuries
and with illness where the guys can't practice. They you know,
Tomas lov can't even run right now. I mean, you
know he's doing all he can in between. Where are
they from in a mental standpoint going into the next
weekend and Madison Square Garden and the final big non
conference litmus test that Underwood put on the schedule right now?
Do you feel they're in the right place where they're

(37:06):
finally coming back together.

Speaker 10 (37:07):
I actually believe they have finally gotten past that illness
and injury stage, even though with Thomas lav Is still
getting getting over this ankle injury. I believe they're now
coming out of that and that's a good place. I mean,
in the post game, we had Thomas slav and I
asked him a very similar question to the one you

(37:30):
just asked me, and you could hear and see the
excitement in his voice about what's coming, because, like he said,
we're finally now all back on the court. I mean,
even he played the last game in the gamest prior,
he has not practiced. He's been getting treatment while he
was there so he'd be ready for the game. So

(37:52):
he finally feels like he can even slide back on
the floor in practice. Trey White is back in practice,
Dre Gibbs law Horn is now feeling better, and then
of course Jonas is no longer playing with that brace
on his left arm, so this is the second game
that he's taking that thing off. So I think they're
finally getting right, which is the norm. You always have

(38:15):
these little bumps in the road around this time, but
you would hopefully they come at the end of January
in the beginning of February, so when you move into
late February, March, and into April, then you're pretty much
at full strength. So I think I believe that they're
in a right mindset and in a good place, positive
place moving into the rest of the season.

Speaker 5 (38:33):
Yeah, that's good, that's where I feel. I'm glad.

Speaker 2 (38:36):
You're much closer to the team than I am. Glad
you feel the same way. I think this is a
team that I still say very special. I think they
have sony pieces. I love Morez in the starting lineup.
I hope they keep that go ahead. I'm totally a
game changer.

Speaker 5 (38:49):
Game changer.

Speaker 10 (38:50):
Well, first of all, I love the young man. Yeah
that he is. I mean, he of course committed to
Illinois when he was in sixth grade and everybody thought
that this was nuts and it was crazy, but he knew.
And you always want people on your team that want
to be there, yeah, you know, and then you they
want to be there, but not just that they work

(39:12):
in order to be there. And if you ever talk
to Brad about Morez, the first thing he says is
he comes in with the right every the right attitude
every day to get better. He's always asking questions. I mean,
he's always asking me questions, you know, about different things
that I see, you know, And the game has changed
a little bit, and it ain't changed that much. The
more it changes, the more it stays the same. But

(39:33):
he's really he's been willing to learn and to take
lessons and apply them to his art. And this I'm excited.
Like you said, I was waiting for this big, the
big combination to hit the floor together. I spoke to
Brad earlier in the year and he mentioned that this
was what he wanted early in the season, that he

(39:55):
wanted to be able to do this, but Morez hadn't
come along yet. Yeah, he's here. He brings a different
tough level of toughness, activity, rebounding. And if you look
nationally at the rankings, when those two guys are on
the floor together, Illinois is the number one defensive team
paint defensive team in the country. Yeah, because they don't

(40:18):
let you. And then Marez has the ability to switch
and gyuard guys out top. And then you have both
of them a great shot blocker and Tommy is more
uses his size more so than a shot blocker to
distract the round the basket. But you just get two
guys that can protect the paint, which allows Kyl and
Boswell and those other guys to really fly around outside.
So this team is in a great place, Larry, And

(40:41):
a lot of that is because they're young guys like
mares are now older guys and they're playing like it.
And this team is really really coming.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Together yeah, love what he's done. Love Will Riley. I
think bolts two. I know, in the era of Nil
and Portal, you can never project to next fall. But
among my prayers every night, I pray that mores and
will stay around for those software seasons because those two
on this team next year, I mean, no matter who
else is around, they have a chance to be very
very special and and really I think both have a

(41:11):
shot at some All American consideration as sophomores next year.
But their maturation and continue to grow in the game.
Uh deon it as always man, you and I as
you know, we always get together.

Speaker 5 (41:20):
We can talk forever. Great to just to talk with you.
We appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
Enjoy this another banner ceremony Saturday Night with the with
Terren Shannon Jr. I think that's well deserved and and
his full story. I hope that people remember his full story.
What he went through in his final season should be
remembered by everybody.

Speaker 10 (41:37):
And it was amazing. It was that hit, the way
he handled that. I don't know very many people that
could have t Shannon is one of the best young
men that that I know. So I'm I'm with you.
I'm glad all of this worked out for him, and
I can't wait to have him back on campus.

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah yeah, And I think as loud as it was
Tuesday night, I think it even louder somehow Saturday night
because you've got people again.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
Sweet people would love for him as well. Deon, great
to talk with you, man. Enjoy this moment.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Look forward to getting together with you in New York
when we go to root on an Orange and Blue victory,
uh against those Blue devils next Saturday.

Speaker 10 (42:16):
All right, love it sounds good.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
All right?

Speaker 5 (42:20):
See the Deon Thomas.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
You want to us here on the Sports Spectacular and
again the game, big game Saturday night against the Spartan.

Speaker 5 (42:25):
Stay with us.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
This is the Sports Spectacular the Alani Guys dot Com
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Speaker 14 (42:31):
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(42:54):
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Speaker 2 (43:00):
Slash your way, Hi, this is Larry Smith, proud native
of Central Illinois. It's been an honor to have reported
on the world's biggest sporting events for the past three decades,
and as a lifelong Aliini fan, it's a privilege to
now be with Ilini Guys dot com my friends and
I put this together with one goal in mind to
have the best Ilini centric website around. Great features, podcasts,

(43:20):
insider stuff. I know a little something about telling athletes stories,
and these guys know a lot about the Aliini. It's
a perfect match. Come over and check it out Ilini
Guys dot com.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
It's the heart of basketball season. We're in conference play,
and of course we're getting into February almost to March,
and so what happens is we've got March Madness, which
means we've got bubble talk, Mike Ncuba basketball tournament bubble talk,
and I'm excited to talk about some of these blue
blood teams, tames that maybe aren't as I don't know,

(44:02):
maybe they're just bloody right now and be mattered. How
about North Carolina Mike in or out.

Speaker 4 (44:10):
I gotta think they're right now, They're not in it's
a that conference. The weird thing is and I thought
I would never say this in my lifetime, but the
ACC is so weak it doesn't allow you to make
up ground. And you know it used to be that
the ACC was a murderer's row. Could you could have
two good weeks in the ACC and find yourself in

(44:30):
the tournament? No more?

Speaker 3 (44:33):
Yeah, you know, you look at them, they're they're fiftieth
in the NCAA net. They're fourteen and eleven overall, which
means they probably can't afford it. If they there's three
more games, they're probably they don't have a chance. Right
out of their next whatever seven games counting the ACC tournament,
at least they have one Quad one win. They're one
in ten against Quad one opponents, only six Quad one

(44:55):
and Quad two wins together. So I think they're out
right now. I would agree with you. I think they're
definitely on the outside looking in. Obviously there's a chance
to play themselves in, but like you mentioned, don't have
the number of marquee games that going forward that they
probably are gonna need to win unless they beat Duke
at the end. Obviously that's a that's a big one.

Speaker 4 (45:16):
All right.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
What about Arkansaw not a blue blood but they've got
the old coach cal there, and they've played a lot
better of late.

Speaker 4 (45:24):
Yeah, they've got the opportunities be in the SEC. They
can make it up. Right now, I probably wouldn't have
the men. I'd have them maybe one of the first
three or four teams out of the tournament. I think
it's ironic that most a lot of the team, I
shouldn't say most, but a lot of the team is

(45:44):
the Kentucky team moves south and they are now looking
at the new Kentucky team that is probably gonna make
it in and maybe even you know, be a four
or five or six seed, and Arkansas could be on
the outside looking in. And I think there's gonna be
a lot of Kentucky fans who are gonna say we

(46:05):
told you so.

Speaker 3 (46:06):
Yeah, yeah, no question. The one thing I'll say about
Arkansas they're they're forty one in the net. They've they've done,
they're playing much better of late. They've got three Quad
one wins three and seven agast Squad one, four nine
against Quad one and Quad two, and they are currently, uh,
you know, they're a team that's probably in that eleven
seed range if they're if the tournament was today, bracket

(46:28):
matrix has them probably an eleven seed, which I think
is fair at the moment. Now, they they definitely have
some work to do, though, I think if they want
to feel good about their chances on selections Sunday and
but again in that conference, boy, they've got they've got
a lot of opportunities to get marquee wins. Yes, but
you still have to go out and beat those teams,

(46:48):
which isn't always easy. There's a team in this team.
I'm gonna throw this this in an ad lib, Mike,
this is not our list of teams we are going
to discuss. How about Kansas State. Is Kansas State like
the hottest team in basketball right now? I think I
was looking over the last six games. They are the
number one team in the country in advanced metrics, in

(47:08):
point differential.

Speaker 4 (47:10):
Well, when when Coleman Hawkins starts cooking, you know it's
he's He's a heck of a player. And I gotta
be honest with you, as a as a guy who
watched him in the Lini jersey for four years, I'm
rooting for Kansas State unless they're playing the Aliini. I
would love to see them in the tournament, and I

(47:30):
would love to see them make a mini run and
then maybe Illinois puts them out of it.

Speaker 3 (47:36):
Yeah, they you know, Kansas State seventieth in the net
obviously moving up. So that's really though. Thirteen eleven overall,
four and five and four Quad one wins, four and five,
six and nine against Quad one and Quad two. But
they're making a huge jump and they're definitely a team
on the rise if they get hot here. I think
their team, you know, you look at them with the
wins they have gotten over the last couple weeks that

(47:57):
they're an intriguing team that might be able to sneak
their way in. Definitely a team that's come on the
radar of late. So all right, here's another one. We
got another big team in the SEC. How about Texas?
Where do you see the Longhorns.

Speaker 4 (48:14):
I don't know that they're a team that I can't
figure out. Obviously they're not they're not winning in a big.

Speaker 3 (48:21):
Game, neither can Rodney Terry.

Speaker 4 (48:23):
Yeah, that's that's exactly. I wonder if they're looking back
and saying, you know, we got this guy in there,
you know, how is he in trouble? I mean, do
you know, are they are the boosters going to be
behind him.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
I haven't heard much. They're they're thirty third in the
in the net, they are probably sitting on Most people
have them in that ten to twelve range of as
a seed. I'd see them as eleven. Maybe they're only
three and eight against Quad one, they're six and ten
against Quad one, Quad two, eight eight Quad four games,
they're eight. No there, so I guess they got that

(48:57):
going for them. But you know, yeah, Tech, this is
again in a conference where they have a lot of
opportunities for wins. But sitting at fifteen and ten definitely
work to do. They're definitely not They're a team that's
right on that bubble and we'll see how they see
how it plays out. Now here's my last I got
to pick on our team here and I'm gonna throw
this one out there. What do you think of what

(49:18):
we kind of talked about this in the in the break?
How about Georgia? What do you think of Georgia and
that team? Is that another like Jekyl and High team
or what they are?

Speaker 4 (49:28):
Another Jekyl and Hide team and you do not want
to face them on the wrong night. You know, they're
one of those classic teams, you know that they've got
I don't know that they have a high ceiling, but
in an individual game, they have a pretty high ceiling
and they have a pretty low floor. So you don't
know what you're gonna get on any given night. But
when they come to play, you're like, how did they

(49:49):
win that game? And then three nights later you're like,
how did they lose that game? And I actually will
now tune them in occasionally just because I have no idea,
so it could be a very good game.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Yeah, I think i'd see them. See that. They're also
in their team on that eleven twelve line, you know,
ten to twelve, somewhere in that range. On most of
the brackets they're ranked. Let's see thirty fifth, I think
in the net sixteen to nine, only two and nine
against Quad one teams, only two and nine against Quad
one opponents, five and nine against Quad one and two.

(50:22):
So yeah, they're a team that, again, a team that's
gonna have to finish well even you know, records solid
at sixty and nine, but they're gonna have to get
some more Quad one wins. I think a Quad one
and two wins to kind of move up that that
into that bracket and feel good about where they're at
on selection Sunday, Is there anybody what you got? Anybody else?

Speaker 4 (50:42):
Mike No, I'll be honest with you. You look through the
Big Ten and this week, you know, Rutgers just didn't
play well. You look at the talent and I think
to myself, two of the most talented freshmen to come
through in years, and we're not going to get a
chance to see him in an NCAA game. And pike

(51:02):
l is a good coach, So I do you get
any theories on what's going on there?

Speaker 3 (51:07):
It's hard to win when your stars are young and
you don't have veterans to kind of help them through that.
And I think that really and people don't appreciate that.
You know, these guys are special, but the supporting cast
is very, very, very inconsistent. And so when you have
a very inconsistent supporting cast, you don't have guys you

(51:28):
can count on, it really is hard to win behind
those freshmen, and I think that's what we're seeing with Rutgers.
I don't think Pichael's a bad coach. I think he's
a great, really good defensive coach. Over years, he's shown
that but they really needed a guy like you know,
Big Cliff to stick around and help nurture these guys
and teach them how to win.

Speaker 4 (51:48):
And that goes to show you that budgeting for nil
is really important.

Speaker 3 (51:52):
It really is. So all right, we're back right after this.
We're gonna pay art inil bills.

Speaker 16 (52:01):
Now back to the ALIGNI Guys Sports Spectacular.

Speaker 5 (52:10):
Our number two here on the sports spectacul.

Speaker 2 (52:12):
They're powered by Alani Guys dot Com, Larry Smith, Mike
Can't Lee, Brad Sturdy, Glad you're here with us still
and no matter where you're listening all around the state,
all around the Midwest. Thanks for checking in here this weekend.
Big recruiting news has been the story for the past month.
Ever since Illinois left Orlando after that big Citrus Bowl
win over South Carolina, Brett Beidelman has been taking that
street cred to the streets to get the next round

(52:34):
of a LINEI in this class of twenty twenty six
shaping up very nicely. One of the most recent commits
Cam Thomas, the six to two and fifteen pound linebacker
out of Lakota West High School in the Suburbs. The
Suburbs suburban area of Cincinnati, following his teammate Grant Beerman,
the class of twenty twenty five commit a linebacker. Thomas
comes in as somebody who would have liked to have

(52:56):
gone possibly to Ohio State. They relate to the table
and so Thomas taking the offer right now and a
lot of stuff right now. The analysis on Thomas's game
you can find right now on a LINEI guys dot com.

Speaker 5 (53:07):
Just some really great stuff. We talked with Thomas ourselves.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
Kendrick Prince, the a LINEI Guys structor of recruiting, catching
up with Thomas to talk about his commitment and looking
forward to being in a line I.

Speaker 17 (53:17):
Let's listen in What has it been like today since
you've committed today? What has it been like for you
today since you your official commitment?

Speaker 18 (53:26):
Uh, today has been pretty hectic, you know what I'm saying.
My phone's been going crazy all day. Uh again, messages
all day, congratulations all day. People been coming up to
be in school all day.

Speaker 17 (53:36):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (53:37):
You know, it's been a pretty fun day.

Speaker 18 (53:39):
The past few weeks have been pretty like like nerve wracking,
just like ready to you know what I'm saying, like
release it, you know what I'm saying coach McDaniels came
to the school like probably like two weeks ago. Uh,
we had a we had a conversation, told him I
was gonna commit, but I wanted to wait a couple
of weeks to the contact period it was over, and

(54:03):
just didn't want it to get didn't want it to
get flooded and like all this like random offers and
stuff coming out. So so like I've known for a
couple of weeks. But yeah, it's been exciting today.

Speaker 17 (54:14):
Let me ask you this, and I can't wait to
hear your response. You said at school and a lot
of your friends were congratulating. Dude, you're a Buckeye country.
How is that possible for them to congratulate you because
you crossed the lines to the Orange and blue. So
did you get any feedback negative positive about that? Because
I mean, Illinois out there an upcoming team, Brett beat

(54:35):
them on his staff. They're just they're on fire right now.
So explain how that process worked out.

Speaker 9 (54:42):
I mean, it wasn't like you were think it would be.

Speaker 18 (54:44):
Everybody like everybody knows it's just like the best choice
for me. Nobody has like said anything negative not to
me at least.

Speaker 9 (54:54):
But you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 18 (54:55):
But yeah, yeah, yeah, but everybody's been saying you no
good you know, good things.

Speaker 9 (55:00):
You know, they're excited just as I am.

Speaker 17 (55:04):
Sir, Well, let me ask you this. What was different
about Illinois? I looked at your office and you have
some big time offers and you can tell our listeners
out there what was some of your offers? But what
was about Illinois that separated them from other schools?

Speaker 18 (55:19):
Like it just felt real, like it felt like home,
you know what I'm saying, Like the relationships I built,
you know, with the staff, with the coaches, Like it's
just different from all the other schools that have been
recruiting me. You know, I appreciate and you know, thank
all the schools for what I'm saying, going through this
process with me. But Illinois, you know, so far, has
been the best, the best everything all around.

Speaker 17 (55:41):
So okay, well you mean best everything, like, because you're right,
and I hear a lot of recruits tell me I've
done this for a long time, almost one hundred years.
I'm being sarcastic, but they'll say, I get that family
vibe and you know, and it's great. You know, do
you really feel different. I mean, do the Illinoy coaches
make you feel like, hey, this is the place you
can grow and they can develop you as as a player.

Speaker 18 (56:03):
Yeah, for sure, not just as a player, but also
as a person, you know what I mean. You know,
it was just good energy all throughout the building. You know,
the campus, you know, the people on campus were nice.
It's a beautiful campus as well. But yeah, it just
felt like everything just felt genuine. Everything felt like like
this is kind of how I explained it, Like like

(56:24):
I felt like a priority.

Speaker 9 (56:25):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 18 (56:26):
Like I would go to like I don't know, for example,
like Michigan or Oregon like like I'm just I'm just
you know what I'm saying, Like I'm like everybody else there,
you know what i mean. But like when I went
to Illinois, like I felt like, you know what I'm saying,
like real genuine, like you know what I mean, Like
you felt real you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 17 (56:46):
Okay, So having those two schools are big time programs.
And you just mentioned that you visited Illinois and Oregon
And this is why I'm having you on us a
guest because Illinois has literally beat on Oregon in Michigan,
not just for you, but a lot of recruits. And
I guess that's nice to hear because a lot of
fans will say, hey, you know what these kids go there.

(57:08):
If you go to Oregon, Michigan or Alabama. And I'm
not criticizing those programs, you are, You're just another four
or five star kid that they can easily replace. And
you know what that's going Yeah, exactly, And you know
what you're going to get from them, and I'm sure
the coaches are probably you know, drawing out a plan
for you with that. Now, having said that, with the
other recruits, you know, you have a teammate, Grant Barriman

(57:29):
that committed to Elmo. Did he have any influences you
with that on your decision?

Speaker 10 (57:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (57:35):
For sure.

Speaker 18 (57:36):
I Mean it wasn't the like the main you know
what I'm saying, the main like deciding like factor, you
know what I mean.

Speaker 9 (57:44):
But it definitely played a part.

Speaker 18 (57:46):
Grants my guy, Like I'm very close to Bard, we
have a great relationship.

Speaker 9 (57:50):
But yeah, I definitely played a part for sure.

Speaker 18 (57:53):
Yeah. Yeah, we complement each other on the field. Yeah,
I speak very highly Agerent.

Speaker 17 (58:02):
Well, you and I talked earlier in the week. You know,
Illinois received another strug committed in Victor Singleton and which
people are surprised about. And you mentioned to me the
fact that you guys been on the field together. What
does that potentially can look like? And for the listeners
out there, you know, there's tons of recruiting sites and
I'm just going to refer to rivals dot com. They

(58:24):
have the University of Illinois twenty twenty six recruiting class
ranked ninth in the country and the number one team
in the country's Oregon and the other Big ten school
is Penn State at number five. And since you've committed,
they've jumped up three or four spots. And now the
fact that Victor's there, have you had a chance to
talk to him? And what does this say about were

(58:45):
the direction of the football program? Because I just mentioned
Grant and I didn't mentioned the other twenty twenty four
kids in the class, because they have a kid who's
a quarterback, Michael Clayton, who's a fourth star recruit who's
just outstanding as well. I mean, was just happening right now, man?

Speaker 18 (59:03):
Uh, Like I said, Illinois special, you know, and it's
cool having other Ohio guys, you know, joining me.

Speaker 9 (59:12):
You know what I'm saying, Like I'm I'm like, I'm like,
I'm bred.

Speaker 18 (59:15):
Ohio, you know what i mean, Like like, I'm very
strong about Ohio. I think the best, the best players
in the country come from Ohio.

Speaker 17 (59:22):
So easy, man, easy, Illinois guy. I gotta be careful
with that, baby. I'll give you your.

Speaker 4 (59:30):
Okay.

Speaker 9 (59:32):
Yeah, yeah, this is cool.

Speaker 18 (59:36):
You know, I haven't really had a chance to talk
to a lot of the guys yet. You know, it's
still pretty early, but you know, I'm excited to, you know,
start building relationships with him and you know, talking to
having conversations with him.

Speaker 9 (59:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (59:49):
So, so during the season, did you watch some of
the games? Was a favorite game that you had that
you liked milnoy and things that, like, hey, this is real.
I'm gonna ask you about the Bowl game in the
second But was their game throughout the season that you
really enjoyed watching them play? You thought, man, this is
where I should be at.

Speaker 9 (01:00:06):
Uh.

Speaker 18 (01:00:07):
When I watched the Michigan game, they like, it kind
of shocked me because I didn't I really think they
were gonna to be honest, and then they just kept
stopping them and kept like.

Speaker 9 (01:00:19):
You know what I'm saying, like he just kept beating them,
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 18 (01:00:21):
But when I went to the Purdue game, that game
kind of like made me think like, Okay, like this
is like this is something nice. Like when they like
when like when Purdue started to come back and Purdue,
uh like started to you know what I'm saying, like
take over the game. Illinois, like they like slowed down
for a minute, and then like when that.

Speaker 9 (01:00:40):
Overtime happened, it was just crazy.

Speaker 18 (01:00:42):
Actually, uh I got the the stop when they when
they stopped them on the goal line on video. I've
been watching that video. I watched the back a couple
of times. But yeah, that Purdue game was pretty nice, man.
Yeah that was pretty dope. You know, they stayed, you know,
they kept their poise.

Speaker 10 (01:01:01):
So what about this?

Speaker 17 (01:01:02):
So what about beating then SEC School in South Carolina?
I know that game had some fire to it. People
are still talking about it. It was the second thirty
first A lot of the recruits who live in Florida,
they run the game. That was impressive. And one of
the things that I love about coach beating on when
I get on social media, I mean, he's different than
other coaches. Man, he embraces social media, the way he

(01:01:25):
this is probably not professional stage, the way he clowns
South Carolina fans. It was priceless as a recruit. You're smiling.
Not the best as a recruit. What does that make
you think about? Hey, this guy is different man.

Speaker 9 (01:01:38):
I like that.

Speaker 18 (01:01:38):
I like that, I like that energy. I like the
trash talk. I like the rebend people's face when we win.
Uh yeah, that's just yeah, that's just that's the part
of the game, like don't lose, you know what I'm saying.
But but that game, But that game was surprising too,
because saying, excuse my language, they were predict like they
were predicted to get there as well, you know what

(01:02:00):
I'm saying. But when I was like, when I was
watching the games that they want, I'm like, I'm like, okay, yes,
I'm going here.

Speaker 17 (01:02:09):
Here's a lot of my last questions. And don't be
bad about this. I've seen the game film. I've watched
tons of them. Today, this is your chance to tell
the only fans what they're getting, how good you are
when you get on the field. What can they expect
to see from you as a football player, A.

Speaker 9 (01:02:27):
Game worker.

Speaker 18 (01:02:29):
Player, that can make plays, a player that can uh
chase chase down the ball carrier, uh can create plays,
can create plays for my teammates.

Speaker 9 (01:02:40):
And I'm just a ballplayer. Really, I don't really know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 18 (01:02:46):
I'm pretty pretty athletic, I'm pretty pretty mobile. I can
move around the field. Well, you know, I like to
use my past rush. I think that's one of my specialties.
But you know, I'm still growing as player. I still
have lots of work on you know what I mean.
So like, but but I could definitely tell you that
I'm a game markers for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:03:07):
Once again, that is Cam Thomas, the twenty twenty six
verbal commits to the Fighting A Line I and Brett
Bielman's team coming out of the Coota West High School
in the Cincinnati suburbs. You can hear that entire interview
on the Kids Recruiting Roundup podcast wherever you do get
your podcasts. We appreciate Kendrick Prince, director of recruiting for
Alani Guys dot com, for doing that interview for us.

(01:03:27):
All Right, We've got much more to come, including a
chat with the great Luther Head still on the way
on the Sports Spectacular slow down.

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Speaker 3 (01:05:16):
We're back on the show here, Mike Keg there, Smith
Bretton Street. Tony Cordarrow is our producer this evening, and
I just, uh, Mike, football season's over. It's kind of sad,
you know what I mean, It's a sad time. The
Super Bowl ends, and you know the bad part about
the Super Bowl is we couldn't really debate any of
the calls because it wasn't really competitive, So all we

(01:05:38):
did was talk about the Kendrick Lamar Show at halftime.
I mean, that was the only thing on. Everything else
was like wow, I didn't know that they you know,
you know, they became like Mahomes isn't Jordan and that
was our thing and he's not Brady and all this stuff,
and Mike, what what are your thoughts at the end
of the Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (01:05:55):
Well, I got a lot of thoughts. Oh God, First off,
the whole thing, I really get the don't I don't
think Brady's the goat. I don't think Mahomes is the goat.
I think football is the most team oriented sport there is,
and you have to have a defense to be a
great quarterback. Or you can be a great quarterback, but

(01:06:18):
you probably won't win a Super Bowl if you don't
have a great defense. And stinky quarterbacks can occasionally win
a Super Bowl if they have a great defense. You know,
Brad Johnson has won a Super Bowl. Trenton Dilfer has
won a Super Bowl. So I look at I look
at like the total picture. Obviously, Brady's one of the greats.

(01:06:39):
Mahomes is one of the greats. But I just don't
think you worry about these guys while their career is
still going on. Let him, Let Pat Mahomes play his
whole career and then you see how he compares to Brady,
to Montana, to you know, the the guys of the
past who are so great.

Speaker 3 (01:06:57):
Yeah, I think it's it's way too early started annointing
any of these guys that are you know, they're winning,
you know now, I mean, because we don't know. I mean,
you know, for for all we know, who knows, maybe
the Josh Allen might win like six super Bowls exactly.
He's young enough that could legitimately happen. So you know,

(01:07:18):
it's hard to say, you know, he's the this guy
or that guy. But I think Mahome's off to the
best start probably from as a winning quarterback. I mean,
I think that's fair to say.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
So.

Speaker 3 (01:07:27):
Yeah, But the one thing is that the defense is
really important, and Kansas City's defense had played fairly well
this year, but I don't know if they had, they
just didn't have the defensive talent that Philadelphia has. Philadelphia's defense,
and we've talked about this, that was the thing where
we thought Philadelphia had the equaliser was the better defense.
We just thought Mahomes would be able to overcome it

(01:07:48):
and read, you know, be able to overcome those things.
Clearly that had not happened. He was running for his
life from a fore man. They didn't even have to
blitz to chase him down. I mean, they were there
was nothing there.

Speaker 4 (01:07:58):
Yeah. The interesting thing is now Trent Dilfer was a
quarterback who couldn't throw accurately, but he does understand the
game of football. And I'm going to steal from him
because it was the best analysis I think I've heard.
And he said, Basically, in a game of football, when
you get into the into a game and they the

(01:08:22):
defense can put pressure on a quarterback with just four guys,
that allows the defensive back the seven guys in the
backfield to not only cover their guys, but they can
actually have their eyes on the quarterback the whole time.
And he said, when you are able to play a
zone defense and have seven guys watching the quarterback, it

(01:08:47):
makes an average quarterback, he said, like myself, irrelevant. And
then he said, even a guy like Mahomes and Brady,
they can't do as much because when they throw the ball,
you know, many times they take advantage of the fact
that a defender's out of position, they aren't watching, et cetera.
And he said, so basically, you saw the Eagles with

(01:09:10):
that defensive line being so dominant over a porous, an
injured Kansas City line that they were able to throw
the to throw the they were able to watch him
throw and break on the ball just as fast, if
not faster, than the receivers. And I hadn't really thought

(01:09:30):
about it that way, but that matches what we saw
on TV because Mahomes was playing so bad. I think
I texted somebody and said, did he get concussed? And
maybe it was just that everybody knew where the ball
was going.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
Yeah, I think you're right. It just they were reading
it very well. And I do think I don't know
as you kind of look at it, you know, if
you look at the you know, recently, offenses have been
kind of you have to have a really good offense
to win, and I think that, but I think that
at the end of the day, you also you had

(01:10:05):
your defense has to be able to get teams three
and outs to get off get off the field because
the least one.

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
More time than they do, and you know, and you.

Speaker 3 (01:10:14):
Have to get off the field and you can't. The
other thing I think that is kind of lost. It's
not always just defense too. It's like it it is
so hard to if you don't make chunk plays, if
you don't get big plays and get I mean you
saw the Chiefs. I mean even when they start, they start,
they made a couple of plays down the field at
the end, but during the game, I mean, it was
like a six yard game and it's like whoa a
big game? Maybe it's like everything's dank and dunk. They

(01:10:38):
can't get anything down the field where the Eagles they're
able to get. You know, they were able to extend
those get the big you know, they stopped the run,
They did a great jobs stopping Barkley, but they were
able to get plays down the field. And you know,
whether it's a J. Brown, Devontae Smith w or it was,
that really definitely changes the way the game works. It
makes it so hard on that defense to get those

(01:10:58):
to get those stops. So does that mean that so
are we are ready to anoint the Eagles the next dynasty?

Speaker 4 (01:11:04):
That's what Isn't that what we're supposed to do in
every Super Bowl? Yeah? I will tell you though, that
defense is young enough that they're just entering their prime.
So you can see the temptation of doing that. They
do have a good team in their division and the Commanders.
They also have a Detroit Lions team that most likely

(01:11:25):
won't be as injured defensively when the playoffs come around
next year.

Speaker 3 (01:11:31):
And you've got the Vikings aren't bad. Yeah, solid team
and what is what if the forty nine ers you
remember the forty nine ers have been like the team
that was going to be the next team. Maybe they
get healthy, if they have a healthy season, they're definitely
a team that could come out of the there.

Speaker 4 (01:11:47):
And Dak Prescott must have been hit in the head
because he said the Cowboys are close. He didn't say
what they were close to them.

Speaker 3 (01:11:54):
He didn't say what they were close. Isn't that far
from New Orleans? That is what he meant. It's like
easy to get there, it's a short flight.

Speaker 4 (01:12:01):
But they're close to the Gulf of America. I think
that's what exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:12:05):
We're just right down there. We can be in the
Gulf of America.

Speaker 4 (01:12:08):
Yeah, I really think, don't you think though, Like when
you look at this game, it was one that we
all got fooled by the fact that the Chiefs have
figured out a way to get things done, but they
hadn't run into a defense. And I really think that
Eagles defense, for at least for three quarters of a game,

(01:12:29):
they looked like the eighty five Bears or the eighty
six Giants or the Rave Ravens, and they looked tough.

Speaker 3 (01:12:36):
They just dominated that they were just had no idea.
You saw Mahomes. He was scared to death back in
the pocket. I mean just didn't know what to do.

Speaker 4 (01:12:42):
I was just scared to death for him.

Speaker 3 (01:12:43):
No, well, I thought he was going to get killed
and then he never went. He would never catch Brady
for sure. But yes, but you know, this happened to
the Chiefs the last time they lost the Super Bowl
was basically Tampa Bay. Remember, they were able to just
get so much pressure on him, he was running for
his life. It was the same type of thing. The
offensive line was. They weren't as good, and they had
beeped up their offensive line hoping they wouldn't have that again,

(01:13:04):
and obviously it it didn't work out for him. But
you know, I do think it's gonna be interesting. I
still don't. I mean, you look at how many close
games there were, easily could have seen the Ravens beat
the Bills, you know, the way the Bills could have
seen the Bills beat the Chiefs very easily with a
couple of catches. And then you know, I I don't
know that. I don't know that the Bills, and this

(01:13:25):
sounds crazy. I don't think the Bills get run out
of the stadium like the Chiefs did. I agree with
you because I think they would have been better offensively.
They would have had a better chance of doing something offensively.

Speaker 4 (01:13:36):
The Chiefs offensive line struggled and then they had injuries
on top of it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:41):
Bad combination.

Speaker 4 (01:13:42):
Yeah, that a bad combination when you're facing that front
four and and boy those you give Georgia players a
couple three years to adjust to the NFL, they get
pretty tough.

Speaker 3 (01:13:53):
Yeah, exactly, No, I agree, I totally agree. Yeah, So
I do think they could have had different because I think,
you know, they could have done more because Ken say
didn't do anything for three quarters, I mean did nothing.
I mean it was like almost like they weren't out there.
So it's like they weren't playing offense. They just give
them all back to Philadelphia every time.

Speaker 4 (01:14:13):
But it did it remind you of the the Joe
th Eisman Redskins against the Bears a little, That's what
That's what it reminded me of. They just couldn't get
anything going, you know, and and it just it didn't matter.
And and I have to be honest with you, at
ten to nothing, it occurred to me like, are the
are the Chiefs going to score today?

Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
Because well we were I was looking up as my
wife looks at me and goes, has there ever been
a shutout in the Super Bowl? I was thinking that.
I looked and I said, no, no, there hasn't but
three So I don't know, but you know, it wasn't
It wasn't gonna but it didn't happen anyway. Cowboys, Yeah,
we do want to offer our condolences to the uh
Chicago Bears family, the McCaskey family. You know, one hundred

(01:14:57):
and two years old Virginia McCaskey passes a way. You
know a lot of Bears fans, I know listen to
the show and you know Arcandolens is there, and you
know what does this do for the Bears moving forward?

Speaker 4 (01:15:08):
Well, it's really going to be interesting. You know. It's
people theorize that the that it could be split up
among eleven or whatever, you know, airs. They've got to
figure out what they're going to do. Could you get
the Ryan family, who is so influential with the Northwestern program,

(01:15:30):
Could they you know, start buying up ownership shares and
maybe become the owners. I think there's going to be
an interesting off season drama there. And I I think
the mccaskeys are one of the last of the You know,
we we make our money on the NFL team owners

(01:15:52):
as opposed to this new type of owner, who I
just dropped five billion on a football team. I might
I got nothing else to do, And so I don't
know if that type of ownership model has the finances
to compete in the long term in the NFL anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:16:07):
I would agree with you. I think it's sometimes just like,
as you're playing the NFL, is their fun money, Yeah,
And I think those are the guys that are the
most successful now.

Speaker 4 (01:16:14):
Meanwhile, you and I are digging around the couch trying
to get pizza money.

Speaker 3 (01:16:18):
Well, yeah, pizza is expensive now though, So yeah's tough pizza.

Speaker 4 (01:16:22):
Football teams they're all expensive.

Speaker 3 (01:16:24):
All expensive, especially if you go a deep dish.

Speaker 10 (01:16:27):
Oh yeah, all right, we'll be back right after them.

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Speaker 7 (01:17:19):
Eight hundred four four eight oh eight two eight, eight
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eight zero eight twenty eight little NBA talk.

Speaker 3 (01:17:34):
Here and Mike as as guys, who are you from Illinois?
Are we ready for the bulls to just tear it down,
Just burn it all down and start from scratch.

Speaker 4 (01:17:44):
Uh. Look, you've seen it with other teams that you know.
The Detroit Pistons now are starting to come back. They've
got a team stocked full of high draft picks. Indiana
Pacers are better. The Bulls need to burn it down.
They need to trade every asset that could be that
could possibly get them a draft pick, possibly get them

(01:18:08):
something and they just need to start over. And to
be honest with you, if I were Billy Donovan, I
would be looking to get back into the college game
or do what you really do when you want to
be a great coach, go to ESPN for a year,
rehab your image there and then pick your job, whether
it's NBA or college that you'd like.

Speaker 3 (01:18:30):
Yeah, I just don't see it. And I know it's
almost like they built around Zach Lavine, and I never
saw Zach Lavine as being, you know, a he He's
a fine player, he's not your star guy, you know.
So it's always interesting to see how this how it
plays out in the NBA because it is so you know,
it is one of those things where yet if you're

(01:18:51):
not and I was listening actually it was Colin Kawer
talking about the NBA draft. Now, if you're not one
of those top teams, like getting that top pick, you
get Wemby, you get somebody like that. Lebron obviously was
a game changer, those types of things. If you're not
that team, you it's a crapshoot.

Speaker 8 (01:19:10):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:19:10):
This isn't like the NFL draft either, So it is
really hard to build through the draft. You got to
sign the right guys, you got to get lucky, and
you gotta lose big, I think before you can kind
of do that. I mean, has there ever been a
franchise more just resting on the laurels of one player
than the Chicago Bulls. I mean that it's basically it's

(01:19:31):
Michael Jordan's era and then everything else about the Bulls.
I will say, Dereck Rose did almost get there right injury,
but really the Bulls are just Michael Jordan's and everybody
else doesn't matter. I mean, and I hate to say that,
it's just reality. That's the only time they've really been
you know, you know Rose had the time before the injury,

(01:19:52):
but you know it's just it's.

Speaker 4 (01:19:54):
A took care of that with his extensive minutes, and
he'll probably do the same thing to the nixt oh.

Speaker 3 (01:20:00):
For sure, no question. That's where Brunston is gonna be
in the same mode. So Lakers, how about the Lakers trade?
You know, they make the big trade get Luca. Then
they wanted to get a guy to run the ball
screen lobs and all those things and get to the rim.
And the Dalton connect was on his way over to Charlotte,
and he's back, and so because they didn't pass physical,
the Williams Williams didn't pass physical. It's always interesting to

(01:20:23):
see this happened in the NBA. So what happens now?

Speaker 4 (01:20:27):
You think you get cousins. You know, the old Kentucky player.
I think he's playing Turkey go pulling back, pulling back
from Turkey bringing. I mean, look, Jilil Okafer's back in
the league.

Speaker 3 (01:20:39):
Hey, Kofy Kofe Coburn from I'll.

Speaker 4 (01:20:42):
Tell you right now, if you need somebody to get
I would just tell code. I would just get Kofe
and say, look, you just got to get every rebound
you possibly can. I don't care what you do beyond
get a rebound, and then if you get the ball
in the lane, dunk it. Beyond that, you do whatever
you want. You get some popcorn, you have some hot dog.
I don't care rebound and dunk in the lane.

Speaker 3 (01:21:03):
Instead, they have the vaunted Alex Lynne back. So yeah,
we'll see, we'll see how that goes. How about another note,
how about uh Marshall falk right, he goes to where
where's he going.

Speaker 4 (01:21:19):
With coach Prime?

Speaker 3 (01:21:20):
Prime?

Speaker 4 (01:21:21):
Prime? I tell you, you know, falk Is another guy.
He he certainly was prepared on his TV stuff. He
was never a guy who, at least I never got
the impression he was a guy who was just winging
it or not putting his time in. So that bodes
well for a guy who wants to coach. And at
his peak, you know, when you consider you know, catching

(01:21:44):
the path, catching the ball, and then obviously his skills
as a running back, he's probably top five all time
if you if you get both modes of gaining yards together.

Speaker 3 (01:21:56):
Yeah, I mean he was MVP, right, I mean, this
guy was MVP of the league. He was, and his peak,
he was fantastic. He was one of the most fun
players to watch in the He was like a past
catching version of He's like poor man's Barry Sanders a
little bit, but past catching was on another level. You know,
they could use him in the passing game. So he's fantastic. So,
I mean, there's a lot of street cred there on

(01:22:17):
that staff man. What have you got three three Hall
of Famers or something on their coach ex of I
guess that's pretty good. I guess you're gonna go big,
go go big, or go home. Right In Colorado.

Speaker 4 (01:22:27):
Yeah, and they landed a QB out of the portal.
So we'll see where coach Prime is next year. There
was a lot of people who said when Shadur was gone,
so was he. He's proved those people wrong. Now we'll
see if he can be successful without his son.

Speaker 12 (01:22:41):
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Speaker 7 (01:22:58):
Eight seven seven nine two seven three three eight oh
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That's eight seven seven nine two seven thirty three eighty.

Speaker 16 (01:23:14):
You're listening to the Sports Spectacular powered by a line
Guys dot Com on the ALIGNI Guys Radio Network.

Speaker 5 (01:23:21):
Now let's get back to the studio Larry.

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
McK and Brad here in the sportspec tackular Luther head
part of the great two thousand and five to the
went all the way to the National Championship.

Speaker 5 (01:23:30):
I went down to the final minute in the Edward R.

Speaker 2 (01:23:34):
Jones Dome. They're in downtown Saint Louis. Before North Carolina
finally got that victory. I still recall like it was yesterday,
Marvin Williams taking that Aaron Crazy reverse at tenth by
Rashad mccantz putting in for the layup, and it was
the difference in what to not to be a seventy
five to seventy win by the Heels over Illinois twenty
years ago. Luther Head was an All American guard on

(01:23:56):
that team. And talk with Mike recently on the Eye
Any Loti podcast. Let's listen end of part of that.

Speaker 4 (01:24:02):
Because you played, you guys played at an intense level.
It looked like if you were scrimmaging against a bunch
of kindergarteners, you would have played really hard.

Speaker 3 (01:24:11):
How did you guys keep your your sharpness.

Speaker 19 (01:24:15):
Just when we worked on the practice, Man, we just
go hard and do that in the game. We don't
get to a game and say, okay, we can take
that off because we played against or with a good team.
We got to step it up. We want to play
the way that we play.

Speaker 4 (01:24:31):
Yeah, when we go back and we look at that
year and a Lini fans, we sit back and we think, okay,
that was probably that In the eighty nine team were
probably the two most magical years in ALIONI basketball, and
you guys reached a pinnacle that nobody's ever reached that
championship game, at least in modern ALIGNI history. What what

(01:24:54):
is your favorite memory about that season when you look
back as one of the guys who was who accomplished
all those great things.

Speaker 19 (01:25:03):
Come back home on the road man, and seeing all
the fans on every drive back that you drive down
the highway, seeing all those fans, man, and everybody just
taking it in at the same time. It was so
fun and everybody got the t and be a part of.

Speaker 4 (01:25:20):
Everybody talks about probably that one game against Arizona, which
I think may be a memory of college basketball until
there's no college basketball with that incredible rally. You ever
reflect back on games like that and think about them,
or how do you as the guy who was one
of the guys in the middle of all that, how

(01:25:41):
do you deal with it?

Speaker 19 (01:25:44):
Definitely, I'm just thinking about it, man. It was one
of the best experiences I've had. I would say that
a game to remember being done many points and then
coming back I can remember like it was yesterday.

Speaker 4 (01:25:57):
Now as fans we were all like, oh, it's probably over.
What did you guys hold on to that made you
not give up in a situation that most teams would
have said, Yeah, you know what, we gave it are all,
but we didn't win. How were you guys able to
somehow keep together and then make that rally?

Speaker 19 (01:26:20):
Now that's what I man just playing the way we play.
We never stopped that. Obviously some things that went wrong
throughout the game, but we kept playing the way that
we played and eventually something happened, and it did.

Speaker 4 (01:26:34):
You had two fantastic and different coaches. What in what
ways were Bill self and the Bruce Weber? What ways
were they similar when they were coaching in.

Speaker 19 (01:26:46):
The ways that they wanted the best for us And
he's going to work hard in practice no matter what,
and you're going to get you click the stuff done,
and pretty much a lot of ways was different was
the style of play and a different different ways we

(01:27:06):
did things on the court.

Speaker 4 (01:27:10):
Yeah yeah, now, and when that flowing style, but you
guys got up and down the court just like lightning.
Do you think it would have been that way if
coach Self had still been there or do you think
you guys would have played a different style of ball
which probably didn't make much difference to guys as talented
as you guys.

Speaker 19 (01:27:29):
Yeah, I get that question a lot. I don't know
the way that our team ended up being. I think
he would have maybe sped it up a little bit coach, so,
but don't know. It's hard to say because his style
was very effective.

Speaker 4 (01:27:42):
Also, when we do ALNI guys functions in Champagne, Anny
Battle will show up to represent the eighty nine team,
Marcus Griffin will represent the self era, and then we'll
have d Brown who represents you guys. And the argument
always goes, is of those three teams, who would win

(01:28:06):
if you played? Now, I'm just wondering for you, as
a guy who's been knows a line I basketball, who
do you think would win when you go up against
the eighty nine team or you go up against Marcus
Griffin and that big Peoria Manual inspired team.

Speaker 19 (01:28:25):
Like I said, all tends a good man, But definitely
I think we just would have won, just because I
don't know. We did things a lot different.

Speaker 9 (01:28:34):
Man.

Speaker 19 (01:28:34):
I can't take it away from us because we asked
to get to the championship and that's all we need
to say.

Speaker 4 (01:28:42):
Those are some of the most heated arguments in They're
hilarious to watch because all three days were so dang good.
So it was always it's always interesting to get a
view of that now when you watch this modern college
basketball with nil and instant transfers, what goes through your

(01:29:05):
mind as a former player who had to play in
the old days when you didn't have the ability to
make money like that and the ability to snap your
fingers and you're going to some other school to play.

Speaker 19 (01:29:19):
It's totally different. Back in our days, it was something
to think about, definitely something to think about. It's way
different but much better. Man, Kudos to those guys men,
and I'm proud of them the way that they're handling
in there and they think to get these things we
never did.

Speaker 9 (01:29:34):
And it's just.

Speaker 19 (01:29:38):
It makes you feel appreciated when you made something like
that change to see other people enjoy it.

Speaker 4 (01:29:46):
If they would have let you guys make some money
off of your name when people were buying Luther Head jerseys,
when they're buying Dee Brown or Darren jerseys, you guys
should have got a percented of that and maybe it
wouldn't have gotten so crazy nowadays.

Speaker 19 (01:30:05):
Yeah, something we could talk about any I have a
conversation with.

Speaker 4 (01:30:11):
That was hard to understand why the n C doua
A didn't do that when you look at that four
five team and everything you guys accomplished. Many times people
will argue the two best teams that never won a
championship or the two Illinois teams that never won a championship.
Do you still do you guys still get together often

(01:30:32):
or hang out or do you talk a lot with
your teammates from that era?

Speaker 19 (01:30:38):
Yeah? We talked. Like I said, everybody got there on
family and things. But yeah, everyone wants to good talk
some that, and it's more frequent because it's one person here,
the one person that wasn't there. Yeah, pretty much.

Speaker 2 (01:30:53):
All of them.

Speaker 4 (01:30:54):
You played six or so years in the NBA? How
hard was that to adjust to that level of play?
Most people couldn't even stick in the NBA, let alone
be there over five years. Did you have to do
anything different to stay in the NBA?

Speaker 19 (01:31:12):
No, definitely, my senior year plus just being around my
teammates for as long as I did, and planning away
and practicing the way that we practiced now it was
very similar.

Speaker 10 (01:31:22):
I just had to keep.

Speaker 19 (01:31:23):
Going and work harder, and because I was used to
playing on those stages, just the attention we got playing
in the National Championship, So yeah, I was pretty much
used to it.

Speaker 4 (01:31:36):
Now for a LINI fans nowadays, where are you living
at now and what are you up to on an
everyday basis?

Speaker 19 (01:31:46):
I'm back and forth from Chicago, Houston, work on kids, man,
scouting here and there. You know, whenever my numbers called,
I just asked him go with it. Man. I'd love
to hear from people, see whats going on. Any way
I can help.

Speaker 4 (01:32:02):
Yeah, when you're scouting, and obviously you played in the NBA,
what do you think about the opportunities for any of
the players in terms of Evasich or even Will Riley?
Do those gentlemen look like NBA players to you? And

(01:32:25):
what do you look at as a former NBA player
if you were scouting them, how would you view them?

Speaker 19 (01:32:33):
I think the table those guys, they've done so this far,
and plus, like you say, things are different. There's a
lot of places basketball and a lot of places that's
wanting the first So I think those guys have good
chance to be a person.

Speaker 4 (01:32:53):
And as we look at this team, ten new players
this season and they're trying to gel had you ever
been in a situation where that many players were brand
new and how they came together to gel into a
unit during the season, if you had anything similar to that,

(01:33:16):
I'm going.

Speaker 19 (01:33:16):
To pro playing pro a year, it was like that.
Mostly for me, it was always a brand new team
starting together. Other than my first two years and he's
the rest of my years new team every year. You
have to get it just very.

Speaker 4 (01:33:31):
Fat How did you do that?

Speaker 17 (01:33:33):
Adapt?

Speaker 4 (01:33:34):
Guys like that.

Speaker 19 (01:33:35):
Jeff Kevinien on the same level, on the same focus,
same purpose, were out here to be seen at the
end of March.

Speaker 4 (01:33:49):
Yeah, if you had to predict where do you think
this team this year is going to land? But do
you think they have the ability to make some noise
in the tournament or are some of their issues gonna
cost them?

Speaker 19 (01:34:05):
Yeah? I think last I checked that you're reading with thirty.
I had to check them a while, But yeah, man,
they keep playing. Like I say, Man, they play against
the number one team and they played a good game,
and then they played against another team and then a
team that they obviouslysbediing. You know, they're just playing the

(01:34:27):
team's love. They gotta start playing on playing the way
they play each and every day.

Speaker 4 (01:34:34):
That's such a challenge. When you were growing up and
playing in high school, what was it that made you
decide you wanted to come down and play with coach
self and be a fighting a LIONI what was the
important points that made that decision for you?

Speaker 18 (01:34:55):
I don't know.

Speaker 19 (01:34:55):
It's close at home, and everybody is saying it was
hasn't been done in a while. Anybody wanted to go
down there, That's what people were saying from Chicago. Ouse. Man,
I don't love them. When I visited, and you know
people came to Chicago divisionally, I just it just felt like,
oh man, I liked it. It wasn't a TOUGHI.

Speaker 4 (01:35:16):
Were there any other schools that impressed you? Or were
you just a champagne all the way?

Speaker 19 (01:35:21):
Temple? I was a Temple round. I wanted to go
that bad Michigan I liked. I loved it a lot,
especially at Court and the whole five to five things
that was on my mentions in Mississippi State. I wanted
to go there just because that's where got happened. My
family and I thought about that a lot, but no.

Speaker 2 (01:35:42):
One came close to the all the great Luther had
again all American guard for that finding a Line I
team back into twenty two thousand and five as they
finished second in the nation. What a great run thirty
seven and two that ALIGNEI team. They were rock stars
that year. We appreciate that. Hey, the whole interview you
can hear on the I on the Line I podcast,
you can download that anywhere that you get your podcast.

(01:36:05):
All right, we make our big picks for the weekend.

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(01:38:21):
up to the top of the hour, end of the
show where we make our picks.

Speaker 5 (01:38:25):
Uh, Starney, how do we do? Last week?

Speaker 3 (01:38:28):
Mike tied for first with all us?

Speaker 5 (01:38:31):
How how did he do that?

Speaker 3 (01:38:33):
Because we missed everything. It's called super Super Winner, superl
m v P and prop bets. We missed them all.

Speaker 4 (01:38:40):
It's called tiger bloody we I think.

Speaker 3 (01:38:44):
It's better to say we tied for last with Mike.

Speaker 5 (01:38:51):
Let's that's right, That's right. I mean it was it
was boy, it was brutal. I mean, when how bad
is it?

Speaker 2 (01:39:00):
Because here's the thing when you've got and my wife
had some show on this week and I don't know
what it was, but they it was a show with
some women on it, and they were saying, you know,
I really don't think about football, but I know, I
just I really felt bad for Kansas City, and I
just said, well, the one moment she said I would,
I was telling the screens stopped scoring.

Speaker 3 (01:39:17):
Let them score once.

Speaker 4 (01:39:20):
Yeah, it was tend to nothing when it hit me
that there was no chance for Kansas City. Yeah, it was.

Speaker 3 (01:39:26):
That was bad. They just domination. You know what, I
don't feel bad for the Chiefs fans because the Raiders
haven't been in Super Bowl since well I don't Mike
was a little kid, so and neither of the Cowboys.
So just long.

Speaker 2 (01:39:40):
For the Raiders there. Cell phones had been hadn't been
in existence yet.

Speaker 5 (01:39:43):
That's how it was. It's been a really long time.

Speaker 4 (01:39:45):
And no question.

Speaker 2 (01:39:46):
Funniest thing I matter super Bowl party. Briefly, I don't
care what super Bowl parties. I roped into one. Beautiful people,
my neighbors.

Speaker 5 (01:39:51):
They were great. We had we stayed for the first half.

Speaker 4 (01:39:53):
It's fine.

Speaker 5 (01:39:54):
But someone's had a great quip.

Speaker 2 (01:39:56):
This guy is a Bears fan, and he said, well,
at least we know what Mahome would look like if
the Bears were sparned of to draft him so many
years ago.

Speaker 3 (01:40:02):
Just like that, no line thirty for.

Speaker 5 (01:40:04):
His life exactly so so, but hats off to the Eagles.
Jalen Hurts loved that story.

Speaker 2 (01:40:11):
You know, loses his job in Alabama due to injury,
goes Oklahoma and now here he is two super Bowls,
one championship, MVP, gorgeous fiance. He's a great young man.
What an ambassador for the game. I just, you know what,
hats off to him and the Eagles and Godless. So
all right, let's get to this week's picks. It's all hoops.

Speaker 5 (01:40:32):
Let's start in the Big Ten Michigan State at Illinois.

Speaker 3 (01:40:36):
What a fun matchup. This is tom Izzo going for
the Big Ten record for wins, trying to pass Bob Night.
Wasn't able to do it against Indiana at home. But
I like Illinois here. I think Illinois is getting healthy,
getting whole, and that's why I think they're gonna be
able to pull this one out.

Speaker 4 (01:40:53):
Yeah. I like Illinois as well. You just don't want
to get a couple of calls against you like they
got when Joe Paterno won his life game and there
was just bad call after bad call. So let's go Illinois.

Speaker 2 (01:41:05):
Yeah, I think it only ran out of their quotas
of a bad use them all up in these lanting
last month. So we'll see KG actually play thirty minutes
in this one. I'll take Illinois as well. To beginning
to write the ship, they understand how important it is. Obviously,
the emotion with Terrence Shannon Junior's jersey, we raise the Rafters.
I'll take the Alina before they hit the road. Wisconsin
at Purdue.

Speaker 3 (01:41:25):
I'll tell you what, Playing in Maci Arena is not
for the faint of heart. And this is why I'm
going to take the boiler Makers over the Badgers. I
think Badgers are playing well. They've had a really good season.
Greg Guard is really overachieved with this group. But I
just think Purdue at home is going to be tough
to beat.

Speaker 4 (01:41:39):
As we've seen, that place is a deafening place to
play at if you haven't been there. It's worth going
there if you feel like you're coming out of a concert.
And I don't think Wisconsin is good enough to beat
this Purdue team. Not at Mackie.

Speaker 5 (01:41:55):
Yeah, produce at home.

Speaker 4 (01:41:56):
I agree with you.

Speaker 2 (01:41:57):
At Wisconsin, I'd give the Badgers a shot, but I
think think it's forduing this. They did lose it home
against Ohio State, we know that, but I think they
take your business in this one to the SEC.

Speaker 5 (01:42:06):
Now number one versus number two. Auburn at Alabama.

Speaker 3 (01:42:11):
This is one where I love Alabama. On offense, I
think they're just fantastic. They're so fun to watch. But
I think Auburn pulls this one out even at Alabama,
and I think Auburn gets to win.

Speaker 4 (01:42:23):
I like Auburn a lot, but I think Alabama is
gonna be up for this with a home game and
they're gonna come out of this with the victory.

Speaker 2 (01:42:31):
I'm gonna take the home crowd spurring them on and
give me the extra bit of jish to get over
the hump against the Tigers. Listen, I know Auburn already
lost a game. They should lose another couple of games
as well, just to kind of know what that feels like.
Bruce Pearl, I know all the Altin nation feels about
him three decades later. Fantastic coach. But I'm gonna take
Alabama in this one to now the Big East as

(01:42:51):
Saint John's coming off a loss against Villanova a couple
of nights ago at home against Creighton.

Speaker 3 (01:42:56):
In this one, give me the Johnnies. They have Patino.
I think he's the best coach in college basketball.

Speaker 4 (01:43:03):
I'll take that bet and I'll even raise it one.
I think he's the best coach in basketball period. I'll
take Saint John's as well.

Speaker 2 (01:43:12):
Yeah, I can't go against Beatino. I think he's just fantastic,
and like we've said before, we all got baggage.

Speaker 5 (01:43:18):
Whatever he did was ten years ago. Let it go,
let's move on.

Speaker 2 (01:43:21):
This guy's fantastic and I can't wait to see what
his team does on like thirty seconds too. So yeah,
exact exactly, all right, I guess we all. Producer Tony
tell us, we got to go. Listen, appreciate all the
guests who came by. Man, it was jam pack a
lot of visitors. We enjoyed them. Hope you did as well. Uh,
enjoy the weekend, enjoy the game, stay safe, take care
of each other. We will talk to you next week

(01:43:44):
and the same place, same station.

Speaker 5 (01:43:46):
See you.

Speaker 16 (01:43:47):
This has been a presentation of l NBC Sports LLC
and Revision Sound. Catch us next week on the ALIGNI
Guys Radio Network. Don't forget to visit aligni guys dot
com for more sports news and insight.

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