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 SAD at iHeartRadio Station. Good afternoon, Welcome down to the ball here
on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm the host for the day, Jay Gonzalez.
Steve is on the road again, headed to LA for the Sweet sixteen
to catch a Cat's so there. He's somewhere, probably around and a blythe
or so right now, so it might be in the middle of nowhere.
Not again again again. We're gonna try and get him on the phone a
little later. But I'm been wanting to get this guy in the studio for
a long time. I'm going to say an old friend, but not that
you're old. Greg just said we've known each other for a really long time,
going on forty years, which is crazy. But Greg Hanson, a
columnist with the years on Daily Star, sort of a part timer now,
is probably spending more time on the golf course than then at the computer right
six this morning, guys in the rain, Oh my god, So Greg's
here, And then we've got Analysa's here running the board for us today,
and Leise had had a weekend in San Jose, so back from that alive
and you look, well, thanks. It was a wedding, so it
takes a lot out of it. I bet it does. So lots to
talk about today. We've got to I think a pretty good show. We've
got Josh Passner coming in, former Arizona player, Georgia Tech and Memphis coach
ESPN basketball analysts. He'll be with us in the first in the first hour
to just talk about this sweet sixteen and you know, his thoughts on what's
going on in the tournament so far. Josh's always got stuff to say.
He's a natural, isn't he yes him, Yeah, oh yeah, he's
got two feet worth of him stacks the paper. Yeah. I told him
the first time I saw him in studio, you know, the two guys
next him had like, you know, three or four pieces of paper and
he had like a mountain of a mountain of paper. And I made fun
of him, but you know, you knew that he you know, he's
a workaholic, does the stuff, and you know, I mean I remember
one time we he came and spoke to a group that I was a part
of, and he had three cell phones, not two. Three. Yeah,
I guess your recruiter. Yeah yeah, they probably look Richardson. I
know I had multiple. Yeah yeah, so but you know, so we
know Josh, so Josh will be on here and then as I as I
mentioned, we're going to get As of now, we've got Steve's scheduled to
come into four fifteen. Trying to get another guest that hopefully we hear from
here, but if we don't, that'll be the schedule for today. Lots
going on, lots to talk about. We got the NCAA tournaments. Bring
football started today, spring practice, Major League Baseball is getting ready, well
kind of started. Okay, you're you're a peurist. Right to the two
Dodger padres games in Korea last week, they really they counted. And now
the Dodgers come back during the Freeway series with with the Angels and then they
resumed their season. I hate that. I hope they don't keep doing it
every year, but I bet they do, because it's it's like Larry Scott's
specific rim basketball game. Yeah it didn't work. Yeah, and the games
are on too sometime they're on at three o'clock in the morning. It's not
like you got viewers, right. I caught the tail end of the second
game because it went three and a half hours, because it was a fifteen
to eleven game. But I caught the last inning because I you know,
I woke up at a little after six o'clock and it was still on.
So it's not I mean, I don't understand other than let's go to Korea
like you said, you know, like Larry Scott tried to do, or
the you know, playing NBA games in China or whatever, or now NFL
games. Yeah, maybe five or six per year in Europe. Yeah,
yeah. So anyway, I didn't like that either. I mean, I
don't like the fact that there's these stats already. We had to do our
draft last week instead of this week. You know, I hated that,
you know, to get it ahead of those game. So I hated that.
Anyways, let's greg your thoughts on what's going on so far in the
tournament. I think it's very chalky. You know, you got one double
digit seed and then after that nothing lower than a six. I'm surprised by
that. But to me, what came through from the weekend was when Yale
and Colorado were playing simultaneous and Yell won and Colorado lost. That was I
was standing up in my living room jumping up and down and yelling at the
TV set. That's more excited than I've been at a ball game for a
long long time. That was awesome that they were on at the same time.
I had one on my phone one on the TV. Yeah. Yeah,
we did the two TV thing in my house, which I never do.
You know, with n Cuba tournament. You know, I've got one
TV. Now, I'll do it for college football, like if Arizona's playing
and I want you don't want to see another game at the same time.
But for the for the tournament, I'll just I'll flip channels. But we
had two TVs and we were doing that and that was cool. It's funny.
What a sucker I am. And I'm guessing most people are for the
underdog. Yeah who listened, right, and somebody like, you know what
that was the whole year to me? Yeah? Or Oakland? You know
when Oakland took down Kentucky. They're still talking about that. Yeah, but
they're still talking about Oakland because you know, do we fire John cal Party,
do we not. I don't know that they can, but or that
they even will, just because of the money involved. Yeah, so Oakland,
Oakland spends one point eight million dollars a year in basketball. Entucky spends
twenty four millions. That's that's it's crazy. But it's all about who plays
better that night. Yeah, and Oakland had the best player on the floor,
that guard that three point shooter. Yeah. Yeah, man, he
better enter the portal and come to his own He could, right, he
could, and he could come. Yeah, he's been around. He's got
a high hairline. He looks like he's been around for a while. I
thought that was pretty funny. But it was fun, I mean the first
even though there weren't as many big upsets as you'd normally see, I thought
it was still a lot of fun. I think the games were compelling.
That that Houston Texas and m game on Sunday night, I mean that was
crazy. I unfortunately had Houston minus the points in that. I was very
upset that they blew a i think an eleven point lead in the last few
minutes of the game, which pissed me off. And the sun Devils we
had Doug Tamerroll on yesterday, and I resisted, resisted any Sun Devil jokes
because you know, he's he's running the Final four meet up there. I'm
work for him up there. Yeah, I'm going up there to work.
So I didn't I didn't want him to give me the crap assignment like Candy
Nott credentials or something like that. So completely stayed away from from me any
ash jokes. Right, you know their last Sweet sixteen it was nineteen ninety
four. Wow, issue that was who had idiagu or Mario Bennett? Wow?
No, it was ninety five, Well, who's counting when you're going?
Before that it was eighty one, Yeah, Byron Scott and those guys
forty three years too? Sweet sixteen? What are they gonna do? What
do you think? I mean? Do you I mean, what can you
do with Bobby Hurley? Right? I mean he's clearly not getting there?
Right? Nine years? You know, I mean he's had a couple of
good years. He was in the tournament, I guess last year. But
what do you do with that? And there's no film can who can you
get to come in? They've got the most bland guys ever, Herb Sandick,
Rob Evans and then Hurley is not Bland obviously, but before him they
set the standard. There is no standard. Yeah, my, my one
of my visions of Herb Syndick because it was at the at the Pac twelf
tournament when it was still at the MGM Grand at the MGM Arena, and
they had just been eliminated, and it was you know, we had come
out of the arena, games were over, we were hungry. We go
over to that food court that was there in the you know, and there's
Herb sendeck. He did a big mac. We saw him sitting alone,
sitting alone, he did a big mac, looking at his phone and just
there and he got fired when he got home, right, yeah, believes
so then it wasn't that when he and it was like, you know,
would Ludelson have been sitting there McDonald's, you know, by himself, you
know, having a big mac after after getting eliminated from the tournament. No,
Lut's always had the day they got eliminated in his suite. The next
day he would have a press conference. And the one I remember more than
he was nineteen ninety two in Atlanta, East Tennessee statement, right, and
you know Luke wasn't really welcoming questions. But I remember I asked him on
what do you say to people who are criticizing you or whatnot? Right?
And he goes, show me your resume. He was always ready with that
stuff. You know, he was always very well. I was telling the
story yesterday the answer he gave me because we were talking about that eighty seven
loss at home Shawn Elliott sophomore year at home in the NC DOUBLEA Tournament.
And I'm sure you were at the press conference and I asked one of the
first questions. I said, you know, you've lost however many double digit
leads in the second half all year long. Have you figured out or do
you know why that happened all year? And he said, you saw the
games? You tell me. And I'm like, I'm not the coach,
right, And that was that was the answer to that. And you know,
I mean, look, he he built his career. He had a
great career. I guess if you know, when it goes bad, he
has he can do whatever he wants. But I just remember some of those
times. Yeah, yeah, and he I mean, and just he hated
losing obviously, so you know, what the hell? But yeah, of
course it did and and you know, I mean Did's legend, so you
know, his fine. But we had our experiences with him, both of
us did, and it was it was always interesting, that's for sure.
I mean, he's he was mad at me for a really long time after
the Alabama loss the last game that I covered, a lost to Alabama in
the second round in Long Beach when and not because of anything I asked him,
just because of my story when Judd Butschler said they weren't ready and he
thought it was a you know, he thought it was a shot at him
when when Judd said that, and he got mad at me for jud saying
that. And I'm like, Judd said it, I didn't say it.
You know, he didn't talk to me for a really long time after that
one after they qualified for the Final four and ninety four. Yeah, in
the sports arena, right, he went off for at least a half hour.
Remember that about the Tucson media, Yeah, because they just had to
two back to back first round exodus. Yeah, And I remember I was
sitting by a guy from the Chicago Tribune and about halfway through, he goes
the Tucson newspapers like the New York Post never was but anyways, sorry,
we're digressing. So, you know, back to the tournament though, it's
you know, I I like I like the I like the Sweet sixteen because
you know, without all those UPSs, you've got some really good games.
You know, the the the Houston Duke game I think is going to be
a war, you know, you know, uh who uh, there's a
there's a whole bunch of them that I'm like, these are gonna be fun.
I'd rather see Houston playing Duke than than James Madison. Yeah, right,
stuff like that. You know, when when you when you've got to
when you get to the second weekend, those are the games that you want
to see at least I do. What do you got Houston? I've got
Houston, I I you know, I say their thirty five victory though,
was it like thirty five points? Yeah, the Duke looked really good.
I don't think it's going to be as easy as you might have thought going
in because they looked really good against but it was James Madison. And how
over matched were they I don't know. I mean, everybody said James Madison
was really good, but they absolutely and they went what I'm looking at the
record thirty one and three, but they didn't face anybody like Duke along the
way. Duke's really good. Duke got as many good players as Houston.
Yeah, so I I mean, I'd still take I'd still take Houston.
But you know, I watched Houston lose by thirty to Iowa State. I
watched that game and I'm like, Okay, you guys aren't any good,
right, you know. And it was the morning. It was the morning
after you know, Arizona had lost to had lost to Oregon, and I'm
like, everybody's losing, so, you know, to me, it was
kind of like, I hope I watching that game, I was like,
Okay, Arizona fan, what do you have to say about this? If
you're pissed off that Arizona didn't get Oregon? And then that's kind of where
where I was. But you know, you got I'm like North Carolina State
all of a sudden, you know, what the hell? You know,
they got a big dude in the middle. They were just talking about.
I was listening. He's a big dude, they say. They listen him
at two seventy five, and somebody said he's he's well over three and change,
well over three and change. But Purdue Gonzaga all of a sudden,
Gonzaga is something. You know, there's just a whole creton A tendency.
I mean that whole right side of the bracket. I think they're all good
games. So those are all on on Friday night, so I'm looking forward
to that. What struck me about the toughness of the field was the Athletic
today ranked one through sixteen. Yeah, and they had fifteen Clemson and sixteen
North Carolina State, and I thought I wouldn't want to play either of those
teams in the ranked fifteenth and sixteenth right right now? That's yeah exactly.
They have Arizona. I think they were Yeah, they were at five.
You know. Look, and you know Arizona can win this thing. I
mean, I you know, I think we think they can. The question
is will they Will they play like they need to play? You know,
I thought Dayton was a bad matchup for them, and they played defense like
crazy. Yeah, there's two ways to win. You win, You win
it by getting to the final four, and then the final four is a
different win. Yeah, yeah, exactly, that's true. All right,
we're going to take our break. We're coming up. Josh Passner is going
to join us. We'll kick some more of this around. We're here with
Greg Hansen and analyis. Here a lot of stuff to talk about, a
lot of great matchups. We'll see what Josh thinks of those ESPN analysts.
I think one of the really good ones to come along recently. Boy he's
a natural. Yeah, he really is, all right, So stick around.
Josh Passner coming right up. Make the right choice for your home when
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dot com to schedule your free evaluation Today. Steve Rivera and Jacin Saliz they
have their eye on the ball on Tucson's Sports Big Jet Fox Sports fourteen fifty
streaming live. I mean, iheid radio. Wap hell, welcome back to
turning the Ball on Fox Sports fourteenth fifty. We're trying to get Josh on
the phone. Gowhead and dial him up again, and lease, go ahead,
hit the button, all right, so, uh we'll get him on
here in a second. We're texting back and forth. He missed our call,
then we missed him calling us back. So this is the live radio
that you get once in a while. But I'm here with Greg Hanson,
a longtime columnists at the airs on the daily start, somebody I got a
chance to work with for a very long time. And God, now I
think that's that's a different call. Try it again. Analy got a call.
Yeah, it's what part of it is. Our is our phones.
Okay, here we go, Hey, Josh, is that you? I'm
here all right, man? Sorry about that. A little screw up.
We first started having trouble with our phone and then you we called you,
you called us. We got to figure it out. Thanks for Thanks for
doing this, man, I appreciate it. I've got I don't know if
this is a price per I got. Greg Hanson sitting here is my guest
co host today. I think you maybe know Greg from days gone by.
Of course, non'll be telling Hello, Greg, how you doing. I
had to ask you a question. Are you willing to be the new head
coach at Utah State? You know what? Do you haven't in there?
Greg? Yes? I do. I'm being serious. I was. I
think that's a great job. Look at you, Look at what here?
Greg? Do you really have it? I mean no, I've been serious,
Greg. Do you really have an in Yeah? Two of the former
head coaches there were my high school coaches, and uh, they've got a
lot of influence in the richest sky in town, the biggest support of the
athletic department played high school baseball with me. So if you don't mind calling,
if you don't mind, I think it's a great job. If you
don't mind calling when when you're after the show, and let me know if
I can get in there. Oh, they'd probably hire you tonight. Let
me know by the way that Josh, you know this is on the air
right are on the air right now. I'm sorry, man, told I'm
giving our time. It's all good, but I was, Hey, it's
a good job. There's no doubt. I'm being serious. It's a good
job. And Greg can get me in there or I got nothing else.
Hey, I got nothing else going on right now? Okay, Josh,
But then you got to hire me as your PR guy over there, right,
Hey, whatever it takes, but you know what, and I'll I'll
see if Tommy Lloyd wants to be my assistant exactly. But I'm only going
to do it remotely because I'm not moving up there. Okay, just too
damn call that's Greg. Ask Greg if I were you out to ask Greg
if i'll just part of the thing in Utah State. They hired me,
and I'll bring Tommy Lloyd with me as he can be my associated coach.
I have to move, That's right. Greg, would be a big I'd
be in big trouble too if all that came together. Well, John,
Okay, so Josh, we got your job. So now let's uh,
let's talk about the NCUAA tournament. You know, it's been an interesting week.
Greg and I were talking about not as many upsets, but still,
but I think the Sweet sixteen is really interesting. What what do you think?
What what's your general impression of what's going on so far? Yeah?
No, I mean, look, first of all, I think it's been
a great tournament the first obviously last week, from Tuesday all the way through
Sunday. The play it from the excuse me, the first four all the
way to Sunday to the finishing of round to thirty two, just absolutely tremendous
games, great matchups, great finishes, which sets up for a great you
know, Sweet sixteen and Elite Eights coming up on Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Sunday of this week. I said it when the brackets were announced that
Thursday, excuse me, Yeah, the Thursday Saturday, North Carolina Arizona,
you know, for this upcoming Thursday Saturday, assuming they both win Thursday and
in the Elite eight game Saturday, I had said that Arizona North Carolina had
the easiest path to get to the Elite eight, and then those two playing,
it's a complete toss up. I gave the advantage Arizona just strictly based
on on the crowd support being in the West Coast. They're being in Los
Angeles that Arizona would draw and as great knows better than most, you know,
the fans that would travel to that game and be there in Los Angeles
to support Arizona. So I think both those teams are going to the Elite
Eight. I've got and it's a toss up with it. Like I said,
as vantage Arizona based on crowd support. I've got Yukon playing Iowa State
in the Elite Eight, with Iowa State actually beating Yukon. I just I
love Iowa State. I think they're very similar to University of Houston. I
love University of Houston. I think they're going to win the entire national championship.
And I've got for Due as my other team going to the Planal four.
So I've got for Due Arizona with a slight edge over North Carolina just
based on fans support Iowa State and University of Houston. With Houston playing Iowa
State in the championship and then Houston winning it all. You know, that's
not a bad I mean, that's that's a great feel for that, you
know, But there's a lot of teams that you can put in there and
say that would be a great Final four. Is there a team that's your
impression of them has changed dramatically after the first weekend, Like for me,
it's Purdue, and you know, you know, I was on I was
like everybody else, thinking, Okay, Purdue, they have a history of
of you know, flaming out early. Now I think they can win the
whole damn thing. After watching him a couple of times, Well, no,
I was gonna say about Purdue. Look the whole thing with Purdue,
because I I did. I covered a Big Ten basketball this year with NBC
Sports Peacocks. I saw a lot of Purdue, and I saw a lot
of Big Ten teams and a lot of Big Ten basketball and Purdue Zach ed
he's been outstanding all year long, back to back, you know, National
Player of the Year and he's just been a tremendous player. But the X
factors for Purdue are Braden Smith or point go guard and Fletcher Lawyer there they're
kind of their two guards. They did recruit this kid, Lance Jones from
Southern Illinois, who's a great athlete. Gives them an extra dimension. But
the X factor is Brayden Smith and Fletcher Lawyer. Braydon Smith's one of the
top five point guards in college basketball this year. And you know last year
when they lost in that first round, part of it was the play of
Fletcher Lawyer Brayden Smith. Now those two were freshmen, they didn't play well.
And or if you look at the year this year, when when they
lost Perdue, at any point they lost this year, it was quickly because
Braden Smith and Fletcher Lawyer didn't play well. So it really comes down to
those two playing well, to those two making shots, you know, making
open threes, not turning the ball over. And I just think that with
those two being a year older, Brayden Smith just being one of the toughest
guards in the country, I just do not perceive, do not foresee Purdue
not getting to the final four. And I would tell you this Utah State
going back to Utah State with Greg Hanson, you know, as we were
trying to as I was hoping to have the job finished in the next sixteen
minutes, the next Utah State head coached. But but, but but in
all seriousness, Utah State's really good this year. I mean, Danny Sprinkle
did an incredible job, and Purdue just manhandled them, you know what I
mean, I mean just completely just blistered them. And and that's a really
good Utah State team that was has good players and older veteran players, that's
extremely well coached. And it wasn't even I mean, it was just a
you know, they smashed them. So that should tell you a lot about
Purdue right there on what they did to Utah State and me understanding how good
Utah State is this year, this past season. I'd love to see Matt
Painter win the national title. He seems like one of the nicest collected guys
in college basketball. He's page his dues. You know, he beat Loot
and Loot's last game. Yeah that's right. Purdue eliminatede Arizona in two thousand
and seven, and he was a beginner then and here he is seventeen years
later. He's had like five first round clunkers. I'd love to see him
winning. Yeah, that is correct. I was on the bench in that
game when Purdue beat US with Matt Painter, but Matt's had mats and Matt
Painter is an incredible coach, one of the very best to do it greg
probably the only thing missing on his resume as a Final four appearance, and
that's as we all know, that's so hard to do. But I would
tell you that, you know, there was a stretch there at for due
or they were they were wanting him fired. This was in kind of the
twenty eleven. I don't know the exact years, but it was early in
the twenty tens, eleven, twelve or thirteen four somewhere in that area.
Get three tough years and they were not happy with him at all. And
credit to his administration for sticking by him and didn't caught up in anything.
And I don't know if he would have survived in today's climate. You know,
they might have been gone it because you know, within today's climate,
you know, guys are being let go very quickly. And so really credit
to his the athletic director and their administration on sticking with Matt and it's sure
paid off. That's what's rare about Clemson. Brandell was just like you were
talking about Painter. He was on he was on the he was on the
line for about three years, and they kept re upping him and they finally
got to the I think they won one tournament game into twenty one, and
they re upped him through twenty six. So I mean his winning percentage,
and here they are, he's the winning He's the winningest coach in Clemson history.
And and again I agree Greg, I mean, it's I love it
when guys are maybe going through a little threats of struggles and instead of just
kicking him to the curb or firing them, they you stick with them another
year or two and and it usually works a out when you have a good
coach. And you know, that's that's just part of the profession. And
I was so credit to Clemson's administration for stick and buy them, and it's
obviously paid off. He's you know, he's in the sweet sixteen. Is
a very very good coach. Arizona's going to have their hands full now.
I think Arizona's going to win the game. They're just more talented now with
Clemson's an extreme is a high level execution team both in the half court,
on the both ends of the floor offensively and defensively, and they have good
players. Now they can't if this becomes a track meet, it's all about
Arizona. But if it becomes a grinder, the smash mouth execution just strictly
in the half court. Clemson can give them problems because they do that as
well as anybody, and the way they execute on both sides of the ball
and in more of a half court controlled setting. So I hope you a
good game, but I think in the end, Arizona will just fail to
overpower them. They've got the more they've got, you know, the deeper
talent, more talent, and that should prevail when it's all said done.
Did you get to watch all or most of the Arizona Dayton game. I
watched some of it. I was able to watch parts of it. Yes,
I didn't watch the entire from start to finish, but I was able
to watch some parts of it. I watched the part where the stretch.
I watched they got Arizona got up. They look like they're going to go
win, going away, and then and then I kind of thought we're And
then I saw the part where Dayton came back. And I think that's been
one of the issues with Arizona. I says, their ability to to stay
consistent. I thought they let their foot off the gas. They've done that
sometimes this year where they've gotten the lead let their foot off the gas,
maybe have gotten complacent and then the next thing you know, it becomes a
basketball game. But credit Arizona, they're able to pull away late. Credit
to Tommy Lloyd. This is his third year as a head coach, this
is his second Sweet sixteen, and you know he's he's done some remarkable things
in his first three years. And they've got a great shot of going to
the Final four this year. Great great best best chance they've had in his
three in Tommy's three years, or maybe the best chance in Arizona's time in
the last five or six years to be able to get to the final four
based on their on their path to get there. We're talking to Josh Passner,
former Arizona player coach as well as a coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech
now with ESPN. Hopefully Greg can get me the duke. My resume and
you're supposed to get me that job, but it's only a million a year.
I'll take it. Let's go, let's go. I'm ready to go.
I'm ready to get that coaching. Let's go. Greg the future Utah
State coach. So you mentioned that you think Houston's gonna win it, but
Duke has looked pretty impressive. Talk to us a little bit about what you
think of that matchup Houston. Look, I've been down on Duke, you
know, and I've said that. I mean, they lose to they lose
their couple. You know, they lost North Carolina in the acc't in the
ACC regular season final game with the a SEC Championship on the line, regular
season championship in Cameron Indoor, they lost the game. I hadn't think they've
been playing well. Then the next the next time they played was a was
in the a SEC tournament and they lost. Didn't look good. So I'm
not as high on Duke. I think though. When the matchups came out,
I thought they got a great draw to get to the Sweet sixteen Vermont
and either Wisconsin or James Madison, and I just thought it was it was
a great draw for them because of the Sweet sixteen. And you know,
look, James Madison just they got they beat Wisconsin, but they had they
weren't going to be able to hang around if Duke plays for their potential,
Duke's really good. They're like Arizona's in terms of talent, even more so
than Arizona is in terms of pros, they got a there's nobody on the
tee, on the on the the remaining sixteen teams that had as many pro
prospects as Duke does. So if they played their ability, the they are
talented enough to to win a national championship. I mean they've got they've got
three possible first round draft picks on their team. So I said that they
say they haven't played up to their potential, they haven't played to their to
their ability, and you know, they still got some work to do,
but they've got a's gonna be a heck of a game. Or Simmy Uston,
I just think the way Houston is, you know, they they just
they just suffocate teams defensively, and that's what makes it tough. And I
think so I got Uston winning at all. I'm a big Kelvin Sampsons fan.
I think he's the national coach of the Year, and you know,
they're really good. I think it'll be a tough one for Duke to beat
Houston, all right, and then what just one more We just got a
few seconds. But he said, you like Iowa State beating Yukon and I
was state king the national championship game. I do like Iowa State. I'm
a big fan of Iowa State. I think they're very similar to Houston.
I love Yukon like I'm Yukon's outstanding. But it's as Greg knows, it's
so hard to repeat as national champions. We've experienced that, right, And
I just don't. I just think i Was State's gonna have got a real
shot. I'm beating Yukon in the Elita. All right, man, Well,
I've got all my betting advice that I need for this weekend. Josh,
thank you. I appreciate all of that, don't. I don't want
to be responsible for that. That's why when you're depending on eighteen to twenty
four year olds to make a shot or two, I don't recommend betting,
but but don't put me on that. But I'll give you my expertise analysis
on that. Did you just get off the phone with each your own Yeah?
Exactly, exactly, exactly, Well, Josh, I appreciate you doing
this with us. Very fun and good luck on that Utah State job.
Will come on, Greg, Ice you have over there and logan. I'm
ready to go. Greg. I'm already texted. I already texted my money
there and I'll uh, well, we'll send them the uh we'll send them
the audio four percent of the commission. Don't worry, all right, Josh,
Hey, thanks again, appreciate it. We'll keep it out for you
on ESPN and good luck with that. Thanks guys, appreciate having me on.
Thank you. That's one of the funniest things that's ever happened on this
show. I mean, that's right up there with with when the Dia Barnes
announced on our show that she was pregnant with her second kid. And I
mean that, you know, Okay, all right, Greg gets on.
You got to see what you know. See, here's the thing. The
whole thing was divine intervention. Right. I brought you in. I invited
you to come on the show. You said yes, came off the golf
course to say yes. Get Josh Pastner on the show. And now this
this is gonna happen. It's gonna be. It's meant to be. He
sounded serious. He sounds very serious. It is a good job. Yeah,
it can be, of course. You know, Jion Sprinkle got a
you got the Washington job out of it, of course, And yeah,
I mean he's got some familiarity over here, so yeah, be a good
place, good landings for him. Yeah, all right, all right,
we're gonna take a break and we're gonna see if Josh sends the resume over
so we can get that thing going. So we'll be right back and we'll
take your cause five to two zero forward. No, we're gonna have Steve
Rivera gon. We're gonna get Steve on from the road in California. So
stick around for Steve. If you're an Arizona man's basketball fan, you know
it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the
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Teamsecurity dot Net streaming live I mean iHeartRadio app. This is I on the
Ball with Steve Rivera and Jacobzalez. Not Fox. It's fourteen fifteen. Welcome
back on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Jay Gonzalez.
My uh, my usual host is not here, although he is on the
phone. We're gonna talk to him in a secondment. I've got Greg Hansen
from Theirs on the Daily Star, old buddy of mine and longtime Tucson Calmness
joining us as a guest host. And Lisa is running the board. And
as we said, Steve Rivera on the road to LA about to hit rush
hour traffic over there hanging out with with our friend Brian Peterson in the car.
But Steve, thanks for joining us, man, We appreciate it.
You're here. Good afternoon, guys. I've been listening to you, guys.
The only one that makes sense has been a lease perfect Why I'm here?
Why would today be any different? Steve here? Okay, I'll gonna
say why why would today be any difference from any other day? That's true?
So Jay, Jo Jay, please, I beg of you. Do
not touch Houston. You promised me yesterday you would not touch just because joshin
Houston doesn't make it. Don't touch him. I don't know what to tell
you, Steve, because you know, Josh gave out a lot of information
there and and it was all very useful information. And Gregg, you've been
around Jay long enough. There's one door in that room. He hasn't picked
anything right. He might have picked the right door to get out. I
wonder if you would sing Willie Nelson's song on the road again. Yeah,
you know what that? By the way, Greg, it's not intro.
He's he's wild. He's now he's relishing all of this. He loves all
of this. I already I already told Greg. I I already told him
that if if if Otani would have been and it was in Yankee pinstripes,
I'd want him banned like yesterday. Greg knows that because the Jew So,
uh, boy, what are you thinking today? You heard Josh? What
do you think of his sort of his analysis and who he's got going places?
Well, it's funny because I listened to to Greg asked the question about
Utah State, whether he was in jest or not, and then it went
out and then the phone went out. But he'd be a nice little fit
for that he needs. But you know what you say the truth, guys,
wouldn't you guys agree that he'd better just stay out of coaching for a
little while longer enjoy enjoy this part of it because coaching sucks. But he's
a twenty four to seven guy. I don't know. Yeah, he must
be going crazy. He's a perfect personality to be a coach. Tef.
He loves, he loves that. I was telling the story about that,
you know, the time he came and talked to our group and he had
three cell phones when a lot of people didn't even have one cell phone.
He I think he loves I think he'd much rather coach than do this.
He got pretty excited. I don't know if you heard him. I don't
know if he thought we were off the air. I think he did.
When I told me we were on the air, it was like it didn't
matter. He you know, he's kept going. He wants he'd love to
be the UTAs state basketball coach. Well, well there's so many openings now
that he could have a chat for something, right USC. Yeah, us,
he just opened up, so he left the s m U. Yes,
confirmed, Yeah, it's it's it's all over the it's all over the
breaking news. Yeah. Well it's all right. We'll talk about it some
more. But yeah, there's all kinds of jobs open, so you know
this he's been out a year, right, this is the time for him
to come back. Yeah, He's got more energy than Energizer money, right,
and who wouldn't want that kind of energy in their program? Seriously,
that's what he has to find the right program. He has to find the
perfect fit. And maybe you touched it is that perfect. But I know
you know what he would be good at. And I'm not saying this.
I'm not a New Mexico guy. If Patino does go to Louisville, maybe
there, Yeah, I could see him doing that one too. I think
this part of the country is great for him because he's got some chopping.
I know he's been you know, at Memphis and in Georgia Tech, but
he built his he started building his career here and I think he would like
him back here. Let me say this, and I think Greg may Or
may not agree with me, but but we all love Josh. Everybody who
doesn't love Josh one of Arizonas or tu Son's favorite sons. But Josh needs
is to get somebody like Roz that's his right hand man and to to help
him. Yeah, and he knows everybody, so he could probably hand pick
a guy. But maybe he's blind to that. Who knows. Well,
that's that's it right there. Someone needs to tell him. You need a
you need one or two guys to help you guide you, uh to where
you need to get to. Yeah, like like Steve Robinson is for Tommy,
right, I mean I think, I mean think about that. What
what you know? Having a guy like that, it says a lot of
things. One it says I'm comfortable with who I am as a as a
coach, and I'll bring a guy in like that. And two, I
want that knowledge. I need that knowledge, and I'm going to bring in
a guy who and I'm not going to be threatened by that. You could
get he knows Lorenzo. You know what that's that's a great, great name,
A great name. Uh great great name. Yeah for for Josh.
Look, we're this is kind of funny. We're getting Josh a job.
I mean, this is great. I told Greg that that that was one
of the one of the coolest things that happened on our show since uh,
since Ada told hers she was pregnant. That that, I mean, it's
right up there with that. That was funny as heck. That says a
lot. That was like three years ago. That was one of the first
things that happened to us. All right, Steve, so your your thoughts
on Have you had any more thoughts on on this matchups the matchups coming up?
I mean, you got a great game with the North Carolina Alabama game.
I think that's a great game. Yeah, it should be a great
game. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama beats some I'm not sure they will,
but uh, they're fun to watch. Obviously, it's going to be
Both games are going to be a highly scored game. Game. Arizona,
I think should be able to handle handle pumps in. I don't know much
about them except that they've done very well in the front court, which could
be, you know, bode well for them, because if Arizona gets in
talut trouble with Preevous and with Bollow, who knows what will happen. Uh,
But you know, maybe the guys that we think that the most valuable
guy is Pele will show up and do really well. I agree, when
Pele plays well, Arizona plays well. And when they've had those clunkers he's
had, he's had clunkers and we've right, I mean, that's something we
picked up on kind of probably maybe halfway through the non conference season, looking
at having my cowa stuff, and he had Pally like up way up on
his list of the most valuable uh uh uh impactful players, And we thought,
really, and then we started thinking about it. And as you said,
when he plays well, they're really good. When because he's doing so
many different things, you know, I really trust Jay Billis's evaluations. And
twice I've heard him say is an NBA player really off card? That's interesting.
He's repeated that several times. And I kind of think Billis knows what
he's talking about. I mean, yeah, I'd like to think he knows
what he's talking about it sometimes I think he doesn't, but I know he
knows more than I did. Right, he got his first Can't Even game
and he said he's well many of the base didn't think he's smart when he
had Sean against the wall. There was that. But but you know,
I mean, but he watches a lot of basketball and and he's not going
to say that if he doesn't truly believe it. And so I mean I
I had never heard him say that, but certainly if he is saying that,
and see, I don't think Peally like that. I think Pelly is
a good overseas guy. But he's got a nice three point shot, right,
but he's got to be standing. He's aggressive defensively. What I The
one one thing I don't like about him is the stupid turnovers. And he's
got a couple of those every game and sometimes more. And it's the times
that he has more that they that they struggle when he does that. The
one thing I wanted to ask Josh about we didn't have time for was he's
coached against Caleb Love. What what does he think about Kayleb? Yeah?
Is he a team maker or a team breaker? Yeah? Well, yeah,
he's been a question the US, the Arizona people, you get about
sixty percent saying he's a maker and the other one saying he's a breaker.
Yeah, no, you would, You absolutely would, I said so,
and some who say, yeah, he's a little of both. And but
when he's a maker, they're pretty damn good, right. I mean again,
he's that he he and when he and Kylin are playing great, they're
they're like almost unbeatable. Right. I don't care if you've got Zach Edie
or whoever you've got. When their front. When their backcourt including Pelle,
is playing really really good. They're really really good, and and that's what
Arizona fans are waiting for. I don't know if you guys believe in poetic
justice, but it wouldn't it be poetic justice to see it on Arizona on
Saturday afternoon. I can hardly wait for that. I really want to see
that. I really want to see that for sure. So Greg, Greg,
Greg, I'm not gonna ask you who hadn't final for because we already
went through that. What do you? What do you have? I like
Purdue. I want anybody but Yukon. Yeah, so I'll take Iowa State.
But I really like Purdue because EDI's a once in a lifetime player and
he's improved so much. If you can't win a national title with Zachi,
when are you ever going to win it? Yeah? I think I think
my opinion of Purdue has changed dramatically. And again I was on that bandwagon
of they're going to lose early and they I mean, I you know,
I watched them in there in their game with with the Utah State and I'm
like, as Josh said, hold Kyle, who's going to be these guys,
if there if you could say that about Gonzagas right, about a number
of teams that played this, Yeah, you know, a game we're not
that's not getting talked about a lot because everybody's got an iron Purdue and in
the in the Midwest. Is that Tennessee Creighton game? I mean a two
you know, a two three. I think a lot of people had Tennessee,
you know getting to the final four out of that bracket. Uh,
you know, because you thought they'll beat Purdue if they have to play Purdue.
Now I'm not so sure that that would happen. But that's a that's
another great game. The next days are gonna be a lot of fun to
watch Creighton to beat Oregon on that night because Oregon was on. They had
two guys playing the best games of their lives and they still beat them.
Right, that's only could beat almost anybody. Yeah. Absolutely, Now it's
a again, it's a it's a fun bracket. And again, nobody's talking
about Illinois, be Deniowa state. You know, you just kind of discount
Illinois because iway stated has been so damn good over the last two weeks.
Well, I really hope Illinois loses their coach is like mc cronin, just
a scathing wild man. I think I'm losing you, guys. I think
you just dropped him. All right, you're out of here, Steve.
If you listen to us on the radio. Uh, we appreciate the time
that you gave us, and you're gonna hear rush hour anyway, So we'll
we'll finish it up. But glad you should have seen us last week when
he was on the road. City you've driven, I'm sure you've driven that,
and he was yet like one word in and we're like, Steve,
we're hanging you up. And they would get a text message and all that
stuff. So yeah, no, but again, I really love this.
I really love the bracket and where we are right now, so that a
lot of a lot of great games. I'm parked in front of the TV.
Then you know, Thursday and Friday for sure, for sure. Great,
all right, we're at the top of the hour. We're going to
take our break, we're going to come back, and Lisa's got has got
some breaking news. We've given you a little bit of a hint of it,
and we'll we'll go through some of that stuff and then at four fifteen,
Jim Rosboro is going to join us. We finally reached him and he's
gonna We're gonna get him in here and talk about mainly about the cast,
but he's also had a great exciting season with the Pima women's basketball. So
we'll get Roz in here at about four fifteen, so we'll stick around