This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports
fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your Most Prized Possessions katz R
two SAG at iHeartRadio Station. A good afternoon, Welcome down the ball here
on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm jagon Zalez, your host in studio for
the next couple of days as Steve is on the road and at the Sweet
sixteen in LA. I've got Sammy here to work with me. Run the
board in line, make sure that I don't say anything bad, right.
Oh yeah, of course. That's the main job. That's the main job,
and the toughest job. Oh, and the toughest job. But even
though Steve's not here in the studio with us, We've got a loaded show
today, a lot of stuff to talk about, going in a lot of
different directions. In a couple of minutes, we're gonna play Jed shit man,
where's your head at? Good? You're not doing your job? Okay,
you didn't keep me from saying that. Oh you got a Sweet sixteen
Tommy Lloyd's press conference in La from the from the Sweet Sixteen, We're gonna
play that pretty much in its entirely. We edited out a couple of non
essential questions, and then at three twenty Francisco Romero, he's the Spanish play
by play announcer for the Houston Astros. Baseball get started in earnest tomorrow,
even though there were a couple of regular season games between the Dodgers and Padres.
Next week, we'll talk to Francisco about I think his like seventeenth season
or something like that, a whole bunch of seasons he's been doing this,
but he's still a young guy, so I don't know, it's been a
while, but anyways, Then at at three point thirty five, we're gonna
get Steve on the phone from La We'll talk about what's going on over there
and what he's been seeing. The Arizona's practicing in the last hour, so
we'll get thoughts from Steve. Then our usual breaking news at the top of
the four o'clock hour. At four to twenty, we're bringing in John Court,
the Arizona gymnastics coach. They're going to the regional next week in Fayetteville.
They've had a great season, broken a bunch of records. We'll talk
John Cord about his team this year. I'm sure he's very happy with where
where he is and that program's really really come a long way. And then
finally, uh, at four thirty five, Ryan Hansen calling in from LA.
He'll be doing the game tour with Brian Jeffers. But let's go ahead
and go straight to the uh, the Tommy Lloyd press conference, which is
can play played in its entirety, and then we'll go to break and we'll
uh, we'll bring in Francisco Oman. But here's Tommy in La at the
press conference today. Hey, Tommy, Jeff Eisenberg with Yeah, who's sports
Believe it or not. There were some former Arizona players who weren't that excited
when you were hired three years ago. Can you just kind of describe what
your reaction was back then to some of the stuff that was said and how
you won some of those guys over Well, you know, they had a
right to feel that way. I mean, you know, this is a
it's an amazing program, and it's an amazing legacy and amazing tradition, and
you know, I probably, you know, did I not know myself so
well? I probably would have wondered what the heck are they doing when hiring
an assistant from the WCC. And yeah, so, I mean I I
think that's all justified. And and I knew that, you know, me
just talking or whatever wasn't going to earn people's respect. We needed to come
and do a great job on a day to day basis and and run run
the program in a way that our former players will be proud of our Our
former players are a huge part of you know what is put our program in
such a great position, you know nationally. I mean, these guys are
they're you know, the passion they have for Arizona and the talent they have
for basketball players. The great coaches that we've had, you know, from
Fred Snowden to Loodles and to Sean Miller, you know what I mean,
those guys have all made my job better and and and the former players are
the ones you know that's the blood, sweat and tears. So those guys
had a right to feel that way, you know. I I wasn't an
Arizona guy at that time, but I tell you what I am now.
Brian Peterson with Asy Desert Swarm going into the NCAA tournament, you mentioned a
lot about having the extra rest from coming home from the PAC twelve and being
able to kind of reset. You were the first game of the second round
and you were home before most of the games were even played. Can that
same rest factor be a benefit to you again, Well, you hope,
So, you know, I mean, I think, you know, anytime
you can try to find an advantage, you try to wrap your arms around
it. I feel like, you know, for this time of year,
where we're pretty healthy, we're pretty rested, which is a little bit of
a luxury. But you know, just because you had an extra day or
a few extra hours, that doesn't mean you have a significant advantage this time
of year because the other team's really good. I mean they're they're really really
good and uh and you know they're playing for something as well, so you
know, it's good to get back catch our breath a little bit and uh
and you know, have kind of a normal week of preparation for us,
you know, because we're used to playing on Thursday Saturdays. It's basically what
we do in our conference. So all in all, yeah, i'd say
I feel we feel like we're in a pretty good place. Stand in the
fourth row over here. Yeah, Tommy, Steve Riverolsports two sound dot com.
Was there a point in maybe January February where you said to the guys,
Okay, guys, we can be better to show it well for sure.
You know, I think you think there was a point yesterday in practice,
you know that that that I felt like that. But but you're right
and that I also know that these seasons are long, and it's really hard
to be trending in a positive direction the entire time. Part of growing over
the course of a season is struggling and dealing with adversity and staring it straight
down and acknowledging, hey, we might have some weaknesses. We got to
get better or or we're not doing a good enough job, whether it's as
a coaching staff or as players. So we took some of those, you
know, maybe some of those tough stretch because we were we were on the
road for basically a month. We didn't play a game in McHale, So
I think that just kind of threw us off our rhythm a little bit.
We got a little tired, and you know, we played some teams that
played really well. But I think that adversity has helped make us a better
team today. You know, you're here, Jordan knows the essay Today's Sports,
you know, trying to get over that hump of getting this team in
its first final four and over twenty years and you have guys that have been
to the final four or four have has the team kind of just look to
shot and it's Caleb just about you know, hey, like what do we
need to do this weekend to make sure that we end up going back to
Arizona. I mean, first off, I don't see a hump. I
mean, I don't see a hump. I mean, I'm just a basketball
coach at Arizona in my third year. I see opportunity. So you know,
we look at opportunities, you know, as a privilege, and we
want to take advantage of them. With that being said, one hundred percent,
we understand that every opportunity doesn't ensure you're going to be successful or you're
going to be able to take that next steps is going to be really challenging.
So uh and and to be honest with you, we're we're I know
it's boring, but we're a one day at a time, one game at
a time, you know, cliche coach, cliche team, and and so
we're one hundred percent focused on Clemson and we haven't looked anything beyond that.
Coach Luke Glynten here with twelve Sports out of Phoenix. I believe deep runs
in the Big Dance always require teams to win in different ways. It seems
you have done that this team has done on the first two games of the
tournament. And how would you assess this team's ability to win in different ways,
whether it be on the defensive end or the offensive end, especially when
we look at these first two games of the tournament. When when when we
build a team, I mean as a staff, I mean, I think
the first thing we always think about is we want to give our team as
many chances to win games as possible. So you know, I mean,
whether that's the defensive end, the offensive end, uh uh, you know,
a secondary lineup you might use, you know. I mean, we're
trying to think of everything we can to give our self opportunities to win.
So I mean, I think with that mindset, you know, you're you're
you're not afraid to play different styles. And because you understand I understand,
Hey, these other coaches are really good and and and they're they're going to
come out with game plans, and you know, we're not always going to
be able to to play you know, one hundred percent, you know,
in our comfort zone. So you know, we we got to We've got
to be comfortable, you know, being uncomfortable. So I think our guys
have done a really good job these first two games, and even even down
the stretch of the season, we were seeing I mean, every game it
seems like we were seeing a new coverage, a new type of defense.
You know that maybe the team hadn't even done that much, you know,
so we were getting the kitchen sink, and you know that's not easy to
play against on a nightly basis. But I think our guys have handled it
pretty well. Hi, Tommy Addison colback here with Arizona PBS just kind of
I don't know I got here. I don't know if you're right asked this,
but kind of looking at Clemson, their slower paced team. I likes
to shoot the mid range, shoot the three ball a lot, and your
team has kind of struggled with that in your past life in Princeton. How
do you guys kind of plant how do you guys plan to speed them up
and play Arizona basketball well? I mean, whatever their paced, their tempo.
What I see when I see Clemson and I see an incredibly physical team
that has a conviction to assert their physical will on you. And you know,
I mean I don't really you know, And I'll sit there when I
watch them on film and it's like, Wow, these guys are playing extraordinarily
slow. I see they have I have a couple, you know, elite
perimeter players. I see they have, you know, two really good big
guys. I see they have good size at the other positions, and they
play with effort and toughness, you know, possession by possession. I mean,
that's what I see when I watch Clemson. Tommy, I know you
mentioned it before, but Matt Painter mentioned in their win over you toss the
benefit of having an international trip before the season, and you've said the same
thing as well, and I could you just go in depth about like what,
like what helps get with that trip to get your team here. Well,
you know, it's the first time and I've traveled a lot. I
mean, obviously, if you guys know my coaching background, I've in recruited
internationally for years and I love traveling, and I've taken my family on you
know, around the world trips. You know, we really valued my wife
and I, you know, traveling with our kids and making that part of
our life. But to be able to take our teams the first time I've
done a foreign trip and uh and I didn't want to just do one of
these foreign trips where you go play a couple you know, RinkyDink select teams.
We wanted to go play national teams. We wanted to go to places
of substance where our guys could learn. So, you know, we got
the opportunity to go to Israel and and Abu Dhabi and it was an awesome
trip and an amazing way to you know, get everybody in our group.
We had a group of like fifty people, I mean, to get them
connected, get them out of their comfort zone. And we fully participated and
everything Israel had to offer, and it was an amazing trip and in an
amazing way to kind of kick off our journey, you know, and especially
you know, in light of what's happening and over in that part of the
country or part of the world right now. You know, it's a it
was a really impactful trip for us and I'm hopeful you know, you can
do those trips every four years. I'm hopeful in four years, you know,
I'm optimistic that the world's going to be in a better place. That
region of the world's going to be in a much better place. And I'm
hopeful that Arizona can make a return trip over there because I think that would
be really really cool on a lot of levels. Jason sheer wad kind of
authority really every game and especially in this one. How important to this team
overall this season? Has Kishaw Johnson been defensively especially? I mean Key's been
tremendous. I mean, his his toughness and versatility and effort he gives on
the defensive end are are are almost second to none, you know, And
and I don't you know, we're a team with a lot of good players,
you know, who scores a lot of points, and I think a
lot of attention gets focused on that and and maybe you know, his impact
on the defensive end just gets lost in the shuffle. But but not on
me. I mean that dude is a bad boy, and and he gives
it everything. He's got, every possession and uh and and so you know,
he's really really helped us at that end of the floor. He's helped,
you know, kind of grow our identity there. And uh and you
know, and I don't even know. I don't think he was even first
team All Conference defense, you know, which is crazy, you know,
I mean, like, I mean, wow, in trusts me. Any
coach in our conference or any coach in the country that had Keishaw Johnson on
their team would value what he brings in the defensive end. And he's he's
I mean to me, he might not be All Packed twelve first team defense,
but he's he's definitely all first team All American All Defense in my opinion.
Coach, I'm curious, how would you describe this team's poise? We
know March madness can be crazy, never fully know what to expect. How
would you describe from your perspective, the team's pois? I mean, I
love our poise. It's something we talk about all the time, you know,
you know, I mean, poise is built from confidence and belief and
and I think we have those two things, you know. But you're right,
this tournament tested, This tournament tested and and and one of the you
know, the the crazy things about these test is you don't always know what
the response is going to be. I mean, you you can have an
idea and I trust our poise, I trust our belief and confidence. But
you know that doesn't mean that it's always gonna gonna show up in the moments
you need it to. And and that's that's what makes these games, I
guess, such a spectacle. It was kind of in the same vein about
Kishaw's defense. Bradley in the last round in particular, you know, he
came out and did some pretty right things defensively. And having the guy that
you can turn too off the bench, that can bring that same sort of
defensive intensity, how important is that? I mean, you know, Jaden
was spectacular, you know, all both games up in Salt Lake, and
you know, he made some awesome plays defensively, and just he just makes
plays and has a knack for, you know, really understanding the scouting port
but also having the courage to to make you know, in the moment,
impactful decisions on the defensive end. And you know, I think you could
go down the list of our guys individually's defenders. You know, Bradley's exceptional,
Kylon Boswell is great, Caleb is much improved. Umar you know,
we rely on him so much to to clog up the paint and protect the
rim and and and kJ Lewis is like, I mean, the guys a
dynamo defensively. I mean he so you know, then you add Pellet of
that mix, who you know is you know, I mean, I think
the best things he does is at the defensive end of the floor. I
mean, I think you're you have the makings of a great defensive team.
That was Tommy Lloyd at the Sweet sixteen press conference. We'll talk to Steve
Rivera about the press conference what he thought of all of that. Steve's gonna
be calling in at three thirty five. Actually when we come out of break,
it'll be more like three forty, and so we'll break that down when
we get Steve on the line in the meantime pit. A couple of minutes
got from Cisco Merrow from the Houston Astros. He's the Spanish language play by
play guy. He's a Tucson guy. So he's an Astros guy, and
I'm a Dodger guy. So we have a little and your Dbat guys who
have a little fun with that. But everybody starts their season tomorrow, I
think, yeah, opening right, and so we'll talk to him about starting
another season with the Astro, so be sure to come back for that and
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Steve Ravia and Jacob Solids they have their eye on the ball on Tucson's
Sports Stay Chat Fox Sports fourteen fifties. Welcome back time to the ball here
on Fox Sports fourteen fifty I'm Jacob Zalez. You're in studio. Host Steve
is on the road in UH Los Angeles. We'll be talking to him in
a few minutes from there and on the phone. Now, we've got Francisco
Merrow from the Houston Astros UH. Francisco play by play announcer for Houston Spanish
language play by play guy over there, entering his seventeenth season doing this job,
which is impressive that alone for Francisco. So welcome to the show,
and we appreciate you being here. Thank you, thank you so much.
I know I heard you, but yeah, World Few Champions twenty seventeen,
in twenty two, Yeah, we know all about those. Francisco. Now,
I'm sure you're very proud, and I know you grew up a Dodger
fan like me. You can't help it. You got you know, you
got a good job with these guys. I'll I'll let you pass again at
some point, but you know, we somehow we got to get you back
over to the Dodgers or something like that. But just tell us about your
preparation for this season, and then we'll get to talking about the team itself.
But what you know, how do you start preparing, What do you
start preparing, what do you have, what do you prepare for? What
do you do well? First of all, I'm going to tell you something,
Jay, in two thousand and when the new owner bought the team really
got us how excited about uh the minor leaguers and all the stats that they
did, how they work. So every since then, I've been really following
the minor leaguers and the development teams. So that's how I start preparing.
And so a year after years, during the off season, you know,
we take a look at who's coming up, who's who's there. But with
the actros in in this era in the last few years, it's uh maybe
one or two that that that get to break into into the team because of
how good they've been. And so it all feeds out from behind, uh,
from way from the years past in what the team has done and how
they have all the players. So that's how we start preparing. And once
it gets to spring training, then you know, we take a look at
other teams our own league. The schedule has changed, a little bit.
Now we play everybody, all the National League teams and all the American League
teams, so that that's very exciting to get to play everybody. We don't
visit every team, but we still play everybody. So that's how the preparation
is. In terms of me of my own I do a few podcasts and
a little bit of videos and interviews. So I like to pre produce everything
that I do, and so season that starts everything that I produce. It's
ready to go. Just go do the interviews and plug in and all that
stuff. But it's always exciting. It's always like the first day of school,
but tomorrow. And you know this, it never gets old. It
will never get all. Working in Major League Baseball. It's a blessing.
It's not a job, it's a life. And so my family comes along
with me, and so we all get ready. The whole family gets ready.
Even my dad and two sons already called me, a, you got
to get that league ready for me with the passwork. I don't want to
miss the game. It's the family. Yeah, So you guys are starting
at home. You got the Yankees coming in, you know, to the
two top teams in the American League that are going to be going at it
right away. That's got to be fun to just jump right into it.
It is, it is fun. I mean, you know what happened in
twenty two when the Yankees fans started yelling, we want Houston and then they
got Houston. So it's answered into a rivalry, a very fun rivalry which
we also broadcasters enjoy it a lot. And so, I mean, Houston
fans are very nice. They're very good fans. They're a nice kind of
fans. But we have a lot of fun with that. And especially you
know when we have to be the team like the Yankees that are good,
very good teams here. It makes so tell us a little bit about what
what kind of things you might be expecting from the team. Maybe some new
guys that to that we should keep an eye on over here. And uh,
you know, your your favorite, I think your favorite to win at
least from a betting standpoint, your favorite to win the most games in in
in the American League. You're going to be very good. What what do
you what are you looking forward to? Who are you looking forward to seeing?
Look, first of all, Hew, they have to be healthy,
and second of all, the lineup had to change much. I'm looking forward
to watching Hater Uh you know, close games. He's exciting. And also
we got newcatcher, Keratini comes from the Brewers. He caught a lot of
good UH pitchers, so he should be good with our rotation. And also
our new manager, Joey Spotta, former Dodger and Lute Baker, got us
a championship ring and now he's with the Giants, I believe, but as
an advice role. But so Hater is definitely one that I would like to
see. There's a few young people there and also a former wildcata Uh Caesar
Sala Star may make a trip to the major leagues. Again. Always good
to see a former Wildcat in the majors, whether it's with the Astros or
with somebody else. But the team, like you said, it's a very
good team, hasn't changed much. This era of the Astros have has been
very good to the city, to the team. So there isn't a lot
of opportunities for for a lot of young kids because all the positions are mostly
taken. And I hope to see Uh in a break at first base start
off better than he did last year, So it'll be a good team and
you can never count out a two and and you're done about the heck of
behater. You just enjoy every that that Alberts has. So it's an exciting
team. It's an exciting time for the Astros and hopefully, you know,
we get to go far further and in the playoffs and I'm not a world
serious run wouldn't be bad. Yeah, another one absolutely. So you know
you've been around the Astros for a long time, you know, they you
know, like everybody else, you know, they go through a tough time
and all of sudden they build up yet good when win a couple of World
series. But the hard thing is to stay good. What what do you
think has been the key to the fact that you know, not only have
did they get good, they've stayed up there? They haven't you know,
you know, you know, done well, then gone backwards and come back,
you know, because so many teams do that. You know, teams
come and go. I mean the Rangers came out of nowhere, you know
to win a World Series. I mean, you know, what do you
how how do you think that the organization has been able to stay where it
is the way the way it has the last several years. You know what,
it's the development side that you know, the answers. You know,
they lost a couple of first round picks because of some things that they were
accused of and and so, but they developed players. They have a great
system. And like I said, they even got us broadcast us interested in
how they developed players in two thousand and eleven. There's so many things we
could talk about this all day, like, for instance, the piggyback system
and their pitching system. Uh, how they go about the health, how
they go about housing all those little things behind uh you know that are the
are they're the that are not on the field don't make a difference. And
the assets have developed the players in a way that makes them winners. And
you know, we have lost the springer Correa High and the team is still
winning. They developed the players and they make them winners, and and these
guys want to play. And so I think that's there's no secret, juice.
But the thing is the secret. I think the way they develop the
players, the way they bring them up, the way they make them,
you know, their mindset, their mindset into championship mindset. So I think
that's how they do it. And you know what, I've had front road
with that, and I talked to the guys who do the stats and and
all that moneyballs out. It's exciting. I mean, I believe in that
one hundred percent. So you get to make this side with Doctor Baker.
You mixed that with old school, and man, you get a great team.
Yeah. Yeah, No. Look, as much as I hate to
say, it has been a great organization for for a number of years now.
I know we had that thing that happened, but you know, you
kept coming back and winning, so you know, you got to be very
proud of that. So going into this year, you've talked about some of
the young guys that you know the need to develop. As you said,
you got a new manager. Tell us a little bit about him. Okay,
Joey Spottery. Actually he comes from the Yankees. He was drafted by
the aukland A's out of Puerto Rico, and so he paid his dues as
a bench coach, and uh, he's there with the system. He was
the bench coach to Doctor Baker. He was under a J. Hinch Uh
so great uh schooling from two Green managers and so he I think he's ready
to do it. And actually took. One of the things is that he
was the one running UH spring training for the last few years, so he
knows is and out. But most importantly, he has the respect of all
the players. And so I think and I think that that has a lot
to do with what he was retained as manager and given that position. Because
he's a young guy. He gets along with everybody, and he speaks two
languages, and so he gets along with everybody, and he knows the system,
he knows his baseball and I think he's ready for us. What you
know, we always ask because you know, what kind of a manager will
he be? You know, Dusty Baker, you said, you just said
the words a minute go old school, right, guy had been around a
long time. Now you've got a young guy. Is there an adjustment that
the players need to make with that? Or you know, how do how
do the players, you know, handle a change like that. Well,
you know, when you bring somebody from the outside, maybe there are changes
you need to make. But as I also mention, he's been with the
organ station in twenty eighteen and he's the one who was running a spring training.
You know, how you run training, you have to divide the squad,
you have to do diffending. He was the m per se for spring
creaking for the answers, so the players are very, very familiar with him.
And so I think you have a huge advantage there that that you just
follow the line that you've been, that you've had for a long time.
So I think that's the biggest advantage the actuals have with with Jeorge Spotah.
Yeah, I got a question. So for Jay's Dodgers this year, it
seems like year in and you're out, the expectation is to win World SERIESES
or whether it's the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA Championships, And it's seemed
as though the Astros have put themselves in a position year and and you're out
to win World serieses? Is that the expectation when it comes to the clubhouse
and the fans, is it's World Series, World Series or bust year and
and you're out? Yes it is, it is And it's World Series or
bust. In Houston, people are excited. And I'll tell you a little
story. Uh, you know before I used to go back and forth Sustan
in Houston because I used to go back in colliors on a football basketball and
my daughter will go to schollin Sarita. In her first year here in Houston.
Uh, she went to school. The first day she came back home
was she said, Dad, everybody loves the Astros here. Of course everybody
we're in Houston. And so he was so excited and and and and that
tells you. I mean, you say Astros and I wear my rings proud
here. I mean not not not to bully or nothing, but but it's
people love that. People like to see that, people are excited. It's
it. It's a heck of a of an era to be an Astra fan
and to work for the Astros and to be an actress player because this town
just you know, the buses I'll say go Astros, and the billings let
up and say Astro. The Mayor's office as the lights with the orange and
blue. So it's a very exciting time. And uh, you know,
as a fan, I hope everything every fan in the world, whatever sports,
you will get to experience something like that. I mean, being in
the parade twice, it's unbelievable and undescribable. And so it's it's something very
exciting. And as I said, Astros are are are eight in Houston in
the area, so we'll talking to Francisco Metto the play by play voice for
the Houston Astros Spanish language play by play voices. I don't know how much
of a purist you are. I'm you know, I'm sixty four years old,
so I'm you know, very purest you. I remember, the first
game of the year was always the Cincinnati Reds on the first Monday in April,
you know, at ten o'clock in the morning, two some time.
The Dodgers and the poject started their season last week in Korea, and then
now they came back played some more spring training games. Did you like that?
You know what, I'm like you, I'm a purist. I really
liked when when the Reds would have started the season. But again, at
the same time, it's my industry and I really, I really liked that
is globally advertising marketing. Because we're going to Mexico City here, we're going
to play against the Rockets in Mexico City. So as much as I am
a purist, as much as I uh that I don't like when the catchers
get fined or for blocking the play. Yeah, as much as I like
people going into second base sliding. I really also like the global aspects of
the marketing and Major League Baseball is doing, because I mean, I grew
up in Mexico till I was twelve years old, and I would have loved
to have seen a Major League game in Sonora and a Merci or whatever.
So I like that aspect of it too. And it's also, you know,
us being under the umbrella of the game. I think it benefits all
of us. Yeah, no, it doesn't, and I agree with that
part. I just have trouble that there were two regular season games last week.
I know, I think I'd be back to Australia a few years ago.
Also that is that where they were in where I think I think you're
right. So anyways, well just just a point because I you know,
Greg Hanson was in here yesterday and we talked about but we both hated that,
but it is what it is. So well, Francisco, thanks so
much. Good luck on your season this year up until you play the Dodgers
in the playoffs or in the world. It would be the world, you
know, that would be a World Series. But I hope you have a
great time, and I said good luck to you. And it's It's always
fun having you on the show. Maybe I'll try and get you around the
All Star break or something like that, if we can catch you at a
break. Yeah, of course, of course. And one thing before I
leave it, I like for you guys to help me out with our Spanish
Arizona Spanish social media. I'm only twenty short followers of a thousand on our
Instagram, okay, so it's easy Athletics esp follow it. I just interviewed
our head football coach. It's a by name will Interview, so it would
be fun for you guys to watch it and Twitter, Instagram and Facebook,
so you know, just give me the one thousand followers on Instagram is asy
Athletics EESP. And then yeah, so we'll see about the African Dodgers.
Hopefully we'll get Hi out of the world. All right, sounds great,
Francisco, best of luck, safe travels to you, Thank you, thanks
for inviting me. Thank you guys. We'll see you all right. That's
Francisco to Meto the Spanish language, a play by play announcer for the Astros
going into a seventeenth year. I had the number right, Yeah, that
isn't that cool. I don't remember anything, but I remember that. But
he's a great guy. He does a lot of stuff for the U of
A. He doesn't play by play STU for the U of A football especially,
But we'll well, we'll get back with him a little later down the
road. So, okay, coming up in about five minutes, we're gonna
have Steve Rivera here reporting in from Los Angeles. We'll get some of his
thoughts on the Tommy Lloyd press conference that we played for you, just a
little rider, be right back. You're an Arizona men's basketball fan. You
know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at
the Ludolsen era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot, it was
a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches,
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the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot Rivera
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apply online today at a Team security dot net. Steve Rivera and Jacon Salez
they have their eye on the ball on Tucson's Sports Big Chef Fox Sports fourteen
to fifty streaming live I the iHeartRadio WAP. Welcome back to the ball here
on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Your host Jacob Zal is in the studio in
Tucson and on the phone out of La. We got Steve Rivera at the
Sweet sixteen attending the press conferences today. I'm guessing Stevie, you're at the
Tommy Lloyd press conference, because if you're not, we have a problem.
Right, I was there. I had a question. You should have played
that question when they talked about My question was whether he he had a talk
with the guys in somewhere in January and February, Uh, see if they
should be playing better. Yeah, and that's kind of my story for the
moment. Yeah, that's what we did. We did play the We played
the We played the press conference, and it's entired except for those two questions
where you got asked about proposition bets, Uh, there'll be a breaking news
item. But then he didn't really have an answer for those. But yeah,
but we you know, we did play the rest of it. You
know, I thought the question coming right out of the box was funny.
I thought that guy should have waited at least one question in before he asked,
Tommy, nobody thought you should have been hired in Arizona. What do
you think? I thought that was that was a little crazy, But I
missed I missed that one because I was still looms. That is funny.
I can read that, you know the Yeah, the question basically was a
lot of people thought you should not have been hired at Arizona. You know,
what do you think? And he said, well, he said,
you know, I was. I was an assistant coach in the w you
see. See I could see why people would think that. But in the
end he said, I'm an Arizona guy. Now maybe I wasn't an Arizona
guy then, but I am now. So it was I wonder if that
question it was this was. I have to ask who asked that question?
But you know what, you know what I've learned over the years day as
the sports writers, we're a bunch of dummies and we're out of shape.
Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll go with you on
that. It was. It was an interesting, interesting talk. But let's
talk about the you know, the one that you asked, because you're talking
about and we've talked about it. Steve A. Bunch of times that at
some point they've got to make up their minds that they're going to be better
and play that way every game. And and you know, and and whether
and we we went into this tournament doubting whether they could do it six times
in a row. Right, No, you're right, that's that's one of
the reasons why I asked the questions. Although what gave me the idea was
the coach from Clempston who said that exactly that in his opening statement. They
were ten and one going into the ACCUS season and they thought they were full
of it, right they're you know, got thinking they're they're the stuff,
and they got beat three three in a row against good teams and they got
bad team, and then you wonder just how good are we? So Arizona
and Clemson are kind of similar in that because we don't know which Fundson or
which Arizona team will show up and and that kind of is the doubt that
everybody has about these two teams. Right No, absolutely, So what you
talk to some of the guys in the locker room, what what are we
going to hear? What? How where are their brains on all this?
Because if we think that they got to think that. Yeah, no,
that wasn't really the topic. It's going to be a very good game.
Conson is better than we know because guess what we don't know. I mean,
how many comes you see comes in this year? I bet you know
more than once zero zero exactly, So who knows about them? They said
they've seen Arizona a few times because of the time zones and and things like
that. A couple of guys said they saw Arizona because they have friends in
the Pac Pac twelve. It's all the game, but there's a lot to
know about it. We'll see what happens. The most popular guy today was
Caleb Love. Obviously you know why North Carolina presses here, and they had
a lot of questions for Caleb. I'll probably do that story for Friday or
Saturday, uh if they win, but we'll see. I think the game
tomorrow and my story is is who are who is this team? And and
the centers with with with Ballo and Crebas are going to play a big role
because they're going to have to defend on the perimeter. Yeah no, and
that and that and that's the deal is that? And uh you know we
saw that. Uh you know Umar had enough trouble with it last week that
they went they went small to be able to cover Dayton's guy out on the
perimeter a little bit right right. No, No, In fact I asked
him about that. He said, yeah, he at homes. He had
to go get homes and he did an okay job sometimes and that okay job
sometimes. So we'll see how he handles the number four. And I think
it's uh, I forget the other guy's name. Who's who's avaging nineteen points
a game? Right now? They'll been saying, what's the what's the thought
among you know, because we're look, we know you're Brian Peterson, Jason
Share, all those guys are there the other media, what are their impressions
of Arizona that they're that they're good at times and not so good in others,
or not so good not the right word, that they're mediocre or whatever.
They're not the Arizona team. You're kind of suspect U. But they're
very capable. I mean, someone said earlier that if Arizona can get through
this next game or two, they have a very good chance to win the
national title. And I don't disagree with that, but but are you gonna
trust them? I mean, that's been my word all you're right, right,
right, No, that has been all year. And that's a very
big if. You know, if they play like that, you know,
every game, and you know, I know last against you know, against
Dayton, they played like that for thirty five minutes right right, and they
had that stretch for Dayton, you know, you know, cut into the
lead, and I know some fans thought it was a little dicey, but
uh, you know, you think that that this team has to show up
in you know, for for the full forty minutes. I was with my
My My Wednesday gang at lunch and one of the guys said, you know,
they don't really have to play their best to beat Clemson, and I
said, don't even think that, don't even say that, you that,
But again, how many times have you see Clemson right right? And that's
the thing, it's you think of Clemson, you don't think of North Carolina.
You don't think of Cambries. If they were ten and one at one
point, they're pretty damn good. And they beat North Carolina, they beat
us some pretty good, they beat Alabama, they beat South Carolina, so
they're capable of The funny thing about it. This is all about reputation,
right then has this reputation? Well what rotas well? They're good Clemson?
Okay, we don't really know North Carolina. Who's up killing well North Carolina.
No one has this knowledge of Clemson. And how do you know about
a team when you've never seen them? Yeah? Yeah, now, well
you saw Alabama and they're there. Talk a little bit about the the other
game where we know what's being said about that game. Yeah, well there's
a lot of talk. It should be it should be a fun game.
North Carolina is the blue blood here. I wouldn't be surprised to shoot if
Alabama beats them. Yeah, Alabama's playing very well. They shoot the ball
extremely well, and it takes just one good game from the three point line,
which they do, uh to get to get through this because we've seen
it before. Those things are put to are fatal or not fatal, but
deadly when they fall, right. And obviously you know Jayden Bradley was at
Alabama last year. Is he getting a lot of those questions like Caleb Love
is getting about North Carolina? Yeah, he had a lot of people around
him too. Yeah, I think again, if they Win. That's another
story for me on Friday Saturday. Because no, there's true. There's a
lot of storylines here, a lot of them. Yeah, you're you're you're
at the well, it's the crypto arena, right, what dot com?
Crypto dot com arena. I have no idea what the hell crypto is.
I can't afford it. Guessing it looks the same, right, it's still
you know, purple all around and all that kind of stuff. Yeah,
you know, uh, let me say something that editorially though, because we're
downtown, you know, Peterson, everybody's downtown. We're all staying downtown.
Man, La, I would never live here, and if anybody seems that
there's a problem with the homelessness in Tucson, come to downtown La. Yeah.
No, I hear you, I hear you. What you just see.
You can just see the pictures on on online and of of what's going
on down there, and there's a lot of discussion of that. So absolutely,
Yeah, it sounds sounds like but you know, is the Because we
were talking again at lunch and Arizona is one of the favorites there as even
though there's gonna be a lot of Arizona fans in the house. There's gonna
be a lot of fans rooting against them because their favored to be Clemson.
So you know, you want to talk about it. Is this kind of
a home game for a Zona. No, it's not, it's not.
It's not gonna be I think you know, we talked about this earlier this
week, Jay, and we've been there. I mean, I've been here
for thirty some years watching the crowd turn on turn on a favor. If
you're an underdog, good for you because you have a lot of people and
we've seen Arizona fans storm the arena and it means nothing, right right,
No, well didn't mean anything in uh in Las Vegas a couple of weeks
ago, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, so, uh you we haven't
had chance much to talk about the rest of the tournament. There's some good
games other places. We had had Greg Hanson in here and we were talking
about some of the great games that are going on. Purdue looks unbeatable.
All of a sudden, when we were all thinking they're going to be out
early. Whoa, whoa, I picked them to the national championship. Jay,
Let's let's yeah, I know they did. I know you did Sammy,
And I'm I'm trying to give you props without giving your problems. I'm
trying not to acknowledge that you did that and still alive. Yeah, you
know. And then then there's Yukon doing what Yukon is doing. Uh.
Hey, we had Josh Passner on yesterday, well a couple of things.
I don't know if you'd heard, but we had him on first and he
talked about he thinks Iowa State, Uh it will beat Yukon before you get
to the final four. Well, I do like them as an underdog.
I would say, I'm not sure if they can meet you come, but
oh, I like if you're playing very well in the Big twelve. You're
doing very well. Yeah, but you know, Jay, whatever you do,
don't touch you, don't don't be my ko. D wait, Steve,
do you have Duke? Do I have Duke? Yeah, he's got
used to he ad. He's asked me to stay away from his boys.
Don't again. I make no promises on that. I knew it. I
knew it took Josh passwords convince you. Yeah, exactly, why did you
have to call him? Well, call Josh and say you screwed me.
But it is what it is. That's not your Friday though. You know,
if I don't have a good day on Saturday, maybe I'll just No,
I'm not you know, I'm taking something on Friday, so I'm after
But all right, So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about,
you know, the overall sense of of what what's gonna happen over there?
You said you do you think Alabama could beat North Carolina? You know
Arizona game. I do you even know what the number is on that one?
But if it should be a fun game, I mean, just like
the Clemson games. It's funny that your group that your group a Clemson.
It's only Clemson. Well, I don't sense the nervousness about this game that
I sensed all of last week. Oh there's a nervousness you think, so,
at least from me. No, Jay, I agree with you,
because no one knows about Compton. You liking this For two years ago member
Arizona was storming, doing very, very well, and then Houston came up
and slapped the crap out of them. Yeah, it's it's similarly because you
mentioned Houston because in the first round Clemson everyone was on New Mexico. Right,
they were the darling of the tournament already and they hadn't even played a
game, and then Cleansing rolls them. And then they go against the Baylor
team. Everyone's like, oh, Baylor could be a sleeper final four team.
Uh. Coach Drew's a great coach. And Clemson again beats him by
I think nine or ten, and still nobody talks about him. You're doing
more than studying that you of ade is good? Yeah, you're right right
when it comes March, Steve, I lock in, Well, okay,
no, but you're right. Everyone everyone thinks that they're not good enough,
and then they're not good enough and then they win again. I'm sure they
think they're not good enough. Now let's see what happens. Well, you
know who thinks they're good enough is the team that is playing uh in l
A too, Carolina. Yeah, because they've seen them all year, they've
same conference. They're probably them and Duke are probably looking at all Arizona fans
and like, you guys, you guys better take them seriously. And that's
I'm not worried about that because it's a sweet sixteen game. But I am
a little worried in the fact that they just might be good enough. Yeah,
they just might be good Okay, let's let's a super sickond that they
are good enough and Arizona lose it, is it a disappointment? Yes?
Yeah, I think it is at this point because we've we've won the game,
right one because it wasn't Baylor, right or somebody liked it that they
lost me because it was Clemson team that everybody, as we said, everybody
thinks it's it's just Clemson. So if they lose to Clemson, I think
it's gonna be worse than losing to Houston a couple of years ago. Yeah.
No, I think because just on reputation alone. Yeah. And I
think too from a non avid fan like Jay myself or even Steve you cover
the team. They see Clemson as a football school, as a as a
team, as a as a school that isn't known for their basketball. And
again, they haven't watched them, they haven't done any research on them.
And if Uve goes and loses, even by one, if it's a good
game, it's automatically a disappointment to the I agree, regular fan. I
agree more more fans need to be like Sammy and March exactly, exactly,
all right, Steve, we got to hit the road top of the hour,
so appreciate play a good game tomorrow and we'll talk to you again probably
on Friday. All right, thanks a much. All right, that keep
vers, So we got to get the heck out of here. We're gonna
come back top of the hour breaking news reviews. Yes, this report is
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