This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports
fourteenth fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio Whip Surgery on
the Ball. Hey, welcome back to On the Ball here on Fox Sports
fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's Jay, and I'm hoping Jay has some
brick news. This is High on the Ball Breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen
fifty. Your dreams come true, Steve, I've got some breaking news,
man. This is another one of my dreams. You're wow. Okay,
your hopes coming Okay, there you go. Okay. The Red Arizona Men's
basketball Red and Blue Game has been set. It keeps getting earlier and earlier
in the year. This year it is September the twenty ninth, which is
a Friday at seven thirty pm. And McHale obviously you know, to be
the usual or the you know, the dunk contest, uh scrimmage and all
the introductions, all that kind of stuff. But September twenty ninth, September
twenty nine, seven thirty I'll be sure to uh to mark your calendar for
that. Let me see if it says when when tickets are gonna go go
out. It doesn't say, but there you go. The Arizona Red and
Blue Game. September twenty ninth. The preseason AP Football Poll is out.
Arizona is not in it. Arizona didn't even get a vote in it.
But it looks a lot like what you would expect it to look like Georgia
in this order. Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and LSU
make up the top five. You know, usual suspects. USC is in
at six, Penn State, Florida State, Clemson, and Washington make up
the rest of the top ten. Also in the rankings, you've got Utah
at fourteen, Oregon at fifteen, Oregon State at eighteen. So you've got
five teams and one of those teams, one of those teams, you say
Arizona is gonna beat Yeah, I think, uh, you know, to
get to sex Yeah, I think, uh, you know what I mean,
it's gonna you think. I think they're gonna they're gonna be Utah,
Organ State upset Huge upset Utah or Oregon State. Both of those games are
in twos. Okay, there'll be a game where you know, everybody gets
fired up for a game and they'll beat they'll take one of those teams out.
You know, they're they're upset of the year. They always win one
like that, they do, but they haven't last you know, from you
know up they started. You know they did it again last year. The
previous five years, no, but you know they were doing that on a
once a year in a regular basis. If if you're asking me to pick
which one to be Oregon State, yea more so than Utah. But they
need one of those. Well, but they've beaten some good Utah teams in
the past when they get them here. Yeah, look at you played in
the trend. An play a trend all right. While we're talking about rankings.
Uh, the Arizona soccer team UH got voted uh to be sixth in
the Pac twelve UH in UH the preseason coaches Paul, which is good because
you know, packed off soccer is really good, like a lot of the
this is her third year, third year, and she's he's she's grown it
slowly, right, and this is the this is the highest they've been ranked
since uh, you know, going into seasons to twenty twenty. According to
the release from the UFA, they've got twenty three players back from last year's
team and eight newcomers. But they already they had a friendly with Pepperdine got
beat. Their season starts UH on Thursday. They are They're at Iowa State
on Thursday. We'll see if we'n get h coach Morris on the show this
week. If not, we'll get as soon as we can. There's a
media availability with her tomorrow, but it's during our practice or during a show,
so we can't do that. Okay, strange story coming out of I
don't know if you call it out of the NFL. Let's just say coming
sort of coming out of Hollywood. But Michael oher So, the guy who
was the subject of that book and movie, The Blind Sign, has has
filed a lawsuit against the two people that kind of took him in. Took
him in, but apparently, according to the lawsuit, may have been taken
advantage of it. According to this lawsuit, where he's he's alleging in a
in a in the fourteen page a petition filed in probate court in Tennessee,
he's alleging that they told when he signed some documents, they told him he
they were adopting him as a part of their family when what the what the
document? And he had just turned eighteen years old, so he's still pretty
much a kid. When it turns out he signed was a conservatorship, which
basically gave them the legal authority to make business deals in his name. Knowing
he was going to be like, would be okay, I didn't watch a
movie. I know everybody else has. I didn't watch a movie for I
don't know what. It's this. It's this sappy, touchy movie. Look
in this homeless kid took me into their family. YadA, YadA, yadda.
One of the things that he is alleging is that a family made all
the money off the book in the movie and he got none of it.
Yeah, there's an issue that, right, So there's some stuff and he
he he wants some of that. Feels like he's been uh, let's say,
defrauded of a bunch of that. Yes, did you go to the
NFL and did he make some money? He probably did, whether he's you
know, okay financially, but he's suing the parents, the pursuing the two
parents, but the sad the petition alleged that the two eyes. I guess
that's finishing use their power as conservatives to strike a deal that paid them and
their two bird children millions of dollars in royalties from an Oscar winning film that
earned more than three hundred hundred million dollars, or got nothing for that story.
You know what this tells me? This tells me more problems, more,
more money, more problems. Had not made this money, you wouldn't
here. And this is the fourteen years after the bat right, fourteen years
after the fact that this thing has come out. Although I think and even
though it hadn't seen the movie, you always heard some rumblings up that it
wasn't why whenever the movie wasn't what it was? Right here, here's here's
a quote from the from the complaint. Because the lie of Michael's adoption is
one upon which co conservators Leanne Towey and Sean Towey have enriched themselves at the
expense of their ward, they undersigned Michael lower. Michael Or discovered this lie
to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of twenty twenty three, when he learned
that the conservatorship to which he consented on the basis of that doing so it
would make him a member of the Two Family. In fact, provided him
no familial relationship with the Two Eyes, so he's not a part of their
family there. It's kind of like the Britney Spears. Sure, sure what
he's alleged, sure that they that they want They earned a bunch of money
off this movie and stuff, and he got no. Yeah, that's a
little difficult, a little difficult. So we'll see what happens. Not a
little but it's you know again, it's just kind of a feel good story
that's gone yea and writing the crapper. Anyways, so we're talking about compensation
and money. Probably the best running back who did not have a team to
play for until now, Zeke Elliott, assigned a one year deal with the
Patriots. It's a according to Adam Schefter, it includes a three million dollars
base salary, a one million dollars signing bonus, and the deal can be
worth up to six million dollars with How would you label his career to this
point, Uh, typically typical of a running back, a guy who gets
out there, gets a bunch of yards, gets to be used up,
gets a bunch of things, and then gets kind of kicked to the side
because they feel he's kind of used up. Yeah, and he but he
hasn't had has been He has been great for a couple of years. He
hasn't been that guy they thought he would be, almost like hardly the guy
that they thought he would be. Yeah, so what do you how would
you How would you do if you walked into walked into a college class and
standing at the front of the room to be as your instructor? It was
Peyton Mann. It depends on what the class was. Class is. Well,
he's been he's been given the title of professor where is the professor in
Professor of Practice at the University of Tennessee in the College of Communication, and
he'll be teaching some communication classes at Tennessee. I think it'd be pretty cool
knowing a reputation that he's kind of funny, kind of clever. Uh,
probably gonna be funny and clever in your class. Yeah, it's funny,
it's funny. Did we have We didn't have him on the show though.
When we talked to Sean Elliott when he got his degree, Remember we had
him on Zoom and Bruce and I were talking to him and he said,
how was it when you were in class? With ub dudes, you know,
and did they know who you were? Well, eventually they knew who
he was, Right, it is, Sean's in our room, charging our
class, and no one bothered. No one bothered him out of respect.
But you know, I'm sure they were kind of like, you know,
Sean's in my class. Yeah, yeah, it'd be kind of like that.
Yeah. I don't have you ever had any well back in the day,
any fame people. No, you know, I didn't. I know
my my my wife had Steve Current a class, uh, because I think
he took some journalism classes. I think my wife had had curR in a
class. But I never had anybody that I thought was like a football players
in any of my classes. Well, let me put this, I might
not have known if I did a bunch. Why did you go to class?
Did you go to class? There were no online classes. I had
to go sometimes I had to go. Who's this kid? He comes in?
Sometimes? Buddy of mine who was going to UNLV at the time,
during you know, the late seventies and whatnot. He used to be the
He had a cat class with a guy named Sydney Green. He was a
player and he was the designated guy who would have to go look for Sydney
and he didn't show up for class. Hey, Dale, go find Sydney
him, get him in, get him and bring him the class Sydney Green.
Yeah, so that was kind of funny. So Payton manny Man professor
practice in uh the University of says. His brother Eli immediately tweeted, easy
a kind of funny stuff. Uh, before I get to a kind of
a serious one. Drear Jackson, guy who at the forward at the Pima,
who had been on who came on our show. Yeah, he's uh,
he's uh signed a letter of intent a Tarleton State University. Is that
the kid from Alaska? Yes? Okay he was guy. Yeah, why
did you come to Why did you come to Tucson to play? He kind
of reminded me of Alaska. So he's he's gonna he's gonna be in a
Division one school. He's at the Carlton State. Is that is in the
wax? Yeah? Yeah, he was one of the better players, well
the first said, according to the release from PEMA, the first two time
All American and program history. Yeah. Nice, good for him. All
right, Well, looks like showing up as a very serious story a wander
Franco, twenty two year old, really good player for for the the Tampa
Raise. Sounds like he might be in some rubble. He's been put on
the on the restricted list for the for the Raise, UH pending an investigation
into, according to reports, an alleged relationship with a minor. Yeah,
I saw. I didn't see that part of it, but it was kind
of like you do it with something bad, because he played and then he
took him out. They took him out. Yeah, or he didn't play
and then took him out. So he's on the restricted list and won't be
playing for who knows how long. But it sounds like serious stuff and they're
going to figure it out, so we'll see what happens there. Did you
see did you see the picture of Kyler Kyler Murray no sporting what looks like
a sports bra? Oh? I did? That was him? Yeah,
I just saw, Is this a sports brad? I'm thinking I just flipped
the chat. That was Kyler Murray. And to me, it wasn't so
much the sports bra, it was how heavy he looked around them. Didn't
I didn't know. I just didn't even pay attention. I didn't know.
Now I know, he's, you know, recovering from a knee injury,
and he's been limited in what he can do. But if he's getting close
to playing, he looks pretty out of shape to me. He does.
He certainly doesn't have the let me just say this, he's got some stuff
hanging out the sides of his shorts. Well don't know, we all.
I mean, I'm one to talk, right, but nonetheless, you know,
this guy's supposed to be an elite athlete. Certainly doesn't look like an
elite athlete to me. Right, what's today twenty twenty three, I'll tell
you a year. Do you think he'd be in the league In twenty twenty
five, he'll be somewhere. Well, I think he'd be playing baseball.
Maybe maybe he'd do that. He's will do that. You know, I've
talked about the small quarterbacks and you see him everywhere now. But that's dangerous.
I mean, that's dangerous. And then finally, ESPN officially announced that
Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Doc Rivers will be their number one NBA
broadcast team, and then the number two team will be Ryan Rucco, Richard
Jefferson, your friend and JJ Reddick. Will be the number two team.
Oh yeah, they're both Reddick and I think they've done some games together.
Very smart dudes, very clever dudes. I like Reddic a lot. I
like Richards Richard a lot because he's he's he's a sarcastic, little snarky guy.
Not a little, but he's just he's always been that guy. He's
always been that guy. From the practical time I wrote my call him a
senior year, junior year, whatever it was, I've said, this dude
has a communication not a gift, because all he does is talk a lot
of crap. I can't say the real right word. And he's good at
it, and he's and he's a good looking dude and people love him and
you know, very well spoken. Yeah, you know when you when you
see him analyzing you, he does his homework, and that's all you're looking
for in a guy in that pure do the work. Yeah, him the
work. Let us know that, you know more than I can him and
j you can do well. I'm sure they're gonna give and if they haven't
already given each other grief from Duke and Arizona Arizona. Yeah, so so,
Richard Jefferson making a nice name for himself out there. Is he a
guy spe his career? Do you think he's the guy that would end ever
trying to enter into coaching or anything. No, he will, No,
it's too much work for that for him. No, he's gonna loves Yeah,
No, because he had a chance. He had a chance when he
retired, because Luke was still coaching and he said that he wouldn't do that.
Yeah. Again, they're best friends, or they were at least,
right. All right, Well, let's let's take our second break, our
second make our first break of this hour, and we're gonna come back.
We're gonna get Troy Hutchinson's gonna come on. He was at the scrimmage of
football scrimmage on Saturday. We'll get some of his thoughts on I guess I'm
pretty sure he's probably watching the basketball game too, So we'll pick his brain
on when he saw over the weekend and today. So stick around. For
more than twenty years, the Window Depot has provided the best price and the
biggest inventory on Insta vital windows, and now the Window Depot is more than
a window store, offering homeowners and contractors, a one stop warehouse offering interior
and exterior doors, granted in courts, countertops, in stock cabinetry, and
skylights. To finish your project. Their team of professionals will help with everything
from free kitchen design to custom orders from leading manufacturers like mill Guard in Jelwyn.
Order online or find a location near you at the window deepot dot com.
Steve Rivera here to talk about Doroto Rock and Materials. I needed a
lot of gravel for my driveway, so I called Eric at Doroto Rock.
He found out the amount and color I needed and boom, it was taken
care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commercials work.
I heard one of his on the radio. Doroto Rock and Materials provides
a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel,
soil, and sand for residential and commercial use in the Tucson area. They
are locally owned and have been around for more than fifteen years. Give them
a call at five to zero four zero zero four two three three. We
are Beads of Courage. Come ride with us for the fortieth El tourte at
Tucson. Beads of Courage provides innovative arts and medicine programs for children coping with
serious illness, their families, and the clinicians caring for them. Let's ride
together. Find us at Beads of Courage dot org. Where do you buy
exercise equipment Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better
and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people
who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is
to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals, your health
and fitness to serve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the lead nange and
exercise equipment on twenty seconds just west of Wilmot. If you think now is
not a good time to buy a refinance at home, think again. Interest
rates are at all time loans on most loan programs, and Paul Volpie of
Noble Home Loans is ready to help you find the option that best fits your
needs. If you're looking for your dream home or want to get cash out
to refinance on a current home, visit volpetem dot com. It's volpe team
dot com. I've six two six today. It's summertime. In the summer
leagues are wrapping up. Volleyball, softball, baseball, swimming, and pickleball
are coming to their season end. Come down and visit the cool and relaxing
Creative Awards idea center to pick out your awards for the champs and MVPs.
It's also time to replenish your corporate apparel with new Polos caps and safety t
shirts with your corporate logo to make your team look sharp. Creative Awards also
has a large selection of brand names like Nike, Eddie Bauer, New Era,
and Carhart just to name a few. Believe it or not, it's
corporate holiday gift season time for your clients too, with over one hundred thousand
items to choose from. Come visit Creative Awards, Inc. Two twenty eight
West Drachman Street or online at Creative Awards az dot com. Neck pain,
back paint, car accidents, headaches, sports injury Burnella's Chiropractic's goal is to
help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle. Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities,
therapeutic procedures and massage therapy not only reduced paints, but helps the body
heal itself as well as provide other health benefits or Nellis Chiropractic. We use
a natural approach to improve an individual's health and well being. Don't suffer any
longer or Nellis Chiropractic Today. Did you know sports cards that memorabilia are setting
records sales last month in nineteen fifty two tops Mickey Mantle so for twelve point
six million. Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting cards
is a family fun hobby that can be very profitable. If you want to
start a collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are
one of the leading card shops in the country and have served our local community
for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards.
It's that time of year, Summer in Tucson. Time to take control
with Temperature Control for all your air conditioning needs. We'll keep you cool during
all the hot streaks. All you have to do is in control with Temperature
Control where we handle everything you need with prompt response, affordable pricing, and
sound solutions. We also excel in plumbing and electrical work. We handle everything
you need. Give us a call at five two O eight one five five
six six five or visit our website at temp dashcan dot com and remember stay
in control with temperature control need concrete. Hardworks Concrete has it. We have
more than twenty five years of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and
patio floors are our specialty and handle masonry work and retaining laws. We're locally
and family owned. Just let us know what you need, how you want
it, and we'll take care of it. Leave the hard work up to
us. We're Hardworks Concrete. Call us at five one two nine six two
five six six zero or visit our website hardworks Concrete dot com. We'll put
the work in for you. Solids. They have their eye on the ball
on Tucson Sports Station Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back to I
on the Ball here o flock Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rogaroff. He's
Jackinsaw's nonofo. We have Troy Hutchinson from Gowayscats dot com. Troy, Howai
good? How about you? Guys? Fine? Did you did you get
the heat stroke on Saturday? No? But I got a really good sunburn.
I mean I am burnt and Tanny, Now, did you not put
sunscreen on. I did, but you need more than one layer apparently,
see see justin Okay, we're supplying in with sunscreen all the time. Yeah,
he's my wife scolds Hi when he doesn't he springing everywhere. Okay,
what'd you make of the scrimmage? Or did you make anything of the scrimmage?
You know, I think one of the things you walk away taking from
the scrimmage is been fruit offensive line play or Arizona, especially on the starting
group when you look at uh Jonah Salvenia Jordan Morgan on the outside, that
could be the best tackle combination in the Pac twelve. And then going into
the guard position, Wendell mos dropped from three sixty to three forty. And
the big Raymond Polito freshman who's six six, three thirty seven ish very good,
very quick. He was, you know, a tackle coming into Arizona.
But they've moved him to the right guard position and he's looked really good
there. And even Josh Baker kind of showed improvements in terms of getting the
ball to Jayden Well. Jed did talk about the offensive line and made the
comment that you know, uh, you know, it's our I think he
said it's our strongest position and when will you when was the last time that
was ever said at Tucson, Which he's correct about that, but you know,
I mean that's obviously if they want to do anything else, that's got
to be a key. And it's been a really long time since Arizona has
had that kind of an offensive line, at least what we're seeing on paper.
Yeah, you know, when they first got here, that offensive line
during that first season, I know I wrote about it is probably one of
the worst stairs on his hat in its football history. And just to see
how it progress from that point at one and eleven and how they've been able
to add talent in depth to that line is really impressive. And now you're
looking at a unit that I think personally could finish in the top half of
the pack twall, maybe in that four to five range. And when you
look at the offenses in the Pac twall, that's saying a lot. And
it all really starts with the guys on the outside and just how quickly Jona
Salvini has been able to pick up the right tackle position, going over from
right guard to right tackle. I mean, it looks really smooth for him.
Yeah, So I didn't notice them because I don't know what I'm looking
for, but it was very obvious that the running back situation looked good,
just offensively. Offensively, they look good. Yeah, you know, it
looks good. It looks like everybody finally kind of has a full grip of
the playbook, especially Jit and do Laura. He's making quick decisions, which
I think is making openings for the running backs, because you're so concerned about
the passing game that it's led to holes for the running backs like Jonah Coleman,
like Michael Wiley and guys like ray Sewn Luke who have the sixty seven
yard run. They're finding holes and a lot of that is credit to the
offensive line, but also Jed and Delora making reads apple line of scrimmage,
which Jed talked about how he feels more comfortable with Jayden making those calls and
how he's making quicker decisions against whatever coverage the defense is thrown at him.
You know, we know that they've got, you know, a bunch of
running backs and let me say a bunch of bike mainly four probably you know
running backs that you can talk about, Michael Wiley, Jonah Coleman, dj
I can't remember his last name, and then a speedy Luke. But you
know, when you have a guy like Michael Wiley, who I think it's
going to be a key to everything, don't you kind of hang your hat
on him and use those other guys only as needed, you know. I
think that's an interesting thing to look at because last year he had seven hundred
yards rushing and over eleven hundred yards total offense. I think he is the
main back and he will get most of the carries. But when you look
at a guy like DJ Williams than Jonah Coleman in the red zone for Arizonans
has a successful season this year, they're gonna have to feed them the ball.
I think Coleman only got around three hundred and forty yards last year.
DJ Williams around that same mark. But maybe the yardage doesn't go up,
but the touchdowns increased. Because one of the keys from the scrimmage was Arizona
was four for four went in the red zone and there are two for two
with the starting offense and both times DJ Williams and Jonah Coleman were in the
game. I think Coleman even got a rushing touchdown. But they're very big,
physical backs, and you know, Scotty Graham talked about it. If
you want to score in the red zone, you got to establish the run
and make teams think about that first before the pass. Well, when you
say that, it throws me back to the ninety eight team where Calvinifon scored.
I don't know, you had like fifteen twenty touchdowns, but you know
he was a fullback and he wasn't running the ball up and down the field,
but they would get to the red zone and you knew he was getting
the ball and he put it in the end zone a whole bunch of times.
Is that Is that what we're talking about? Yeah? I think so.
And I think you could see maybe one or two of those two guys
out there on the field for Arizona. And look, I mean you could
do many different things with Jayden behind you know, center there. He's the
guy that can run, and they've said that they want to get him to
run a little bit more of this season. So maybe going back to RPOs,
you know, rich Rod days and trying to get into the red zone,
but always having the threat of a big physical back being able to pound
it in is a good thing for Arizona and just the improvement on the line.
I don't think last season they were able to get that push at the
line of scrimmage that they needed. Yeah, yeah, no, no.
And now defensively, what do you see? You know, defensively, I
think they're taking steps forward. There's a lot of good that came from the
transfers with you know, justin flow of Orange, Pottu and so many more
Tyler and Manoah. I think it's a matter of depth and you see more
death and seeing guys that they're able to rotate in and out. Last year
they kind of did that parts then when they had freshmen that had games under
their belt, but it looked ugly at times, and buy a season's end,
it was an improved defense. This year, you have those same guys
that have experienced starting that you're going to see in an outation and veteran guys
from other conferences that have been at power of programs that can kind of,
you know, steady the defense a little bit. But the major question mark
for me right now is at the secondary position, at the safeties, specifically
outside of Isaiah Taylor. Nobody's really separated, and I think it's kind of
like a log jam there with Gunner Maldonado, Genesis Smith, and DJ Warnell.
Nobody's really stepped up to the plate. Nobody's kind of hurt themselves yet.
But you've got to figure out that second safety spot. Well, Yeah,
and I think I think Jed talked about that after practice last week.
I mean, is that a good thing or a bad thing that you have
that level of competition where those guys are all kind of kind of equal.
I think it's a little bit of both, because I do feel that Warnell
and Maldonado have the same issue is where they're good at tackling, they're good
at stopping the run, but they do struggle and ask coverage. Isaiah Taylor's
their best coverage safety and he's shown it during spring and training camp. And
then a guy like Genesis Smith is kind of you know all over in terms
of has done everything really well. But until you get games under your belt,
until you put them out there in live action, even if it's against
the NAU, you just don't know what to expect from a true freshman that
hasn't experienced a college game. Yeah. Yeah, so you must really like
what you've seen so far. Yeah, I do I think this again,
I said it last year, but in terms of just NFL talent, I
think this is the most NFL talent Arizona's hat going back to the Mike Stoops
days. No disrespect to coach Rodriguez, but they had a lot of good
college guys. These guys that Jed has, there's a lot of good NFL
potential on the roster right now. And that's that's kind of what the coaching
staff is sort of about. They recognize NFL talent because a bunch of them
have been around the NFL. That's kind of what they're selling. And then
and it looks like they're getting those guys for sure, and they're you know,
doing it in many different ways. You know, you have the big
guys up front like Jordan Morgan, Jonas Abnea, and Raymond Polido, but
then you have guys like two star linebacker Kamu Kayu. I probably mispronounced that,
so my bad on that. I'm going to get better on that.
But the kid was a two star linebacker at a Hawaii. He's a true
freshman this year and kind of got overlooked. But when you look at him,
he's six one six two about two fifteen. I mean, he seems
the size of a college level linebacker, and at this point last season,
he's ahead of where Jacob Manu was and we still have that ended for Jacob.
Yeah, okay, no, no good. Can we transition to to
basketball? I know you saw it this morning? Yeah? No, yeah,
definitely. What'd you like? What'd you see? You know, it's
hard to tell when you're playing a team that you don't know much about and
it's an overseas game. But Arizona, I mean, they got off on
a fast start often started to flow pretty quickly for them, and one of
the main takeaways for me was the play of Kashad Johnson. Everybody talked about
his defense, but just how he flowed in with the offense. I'm not
sure he's gonna average twenty four points of the game out of Arizona when you
know, coming into conference play, but just how his offensive game flowed through
the Tommy Lloyd's system was really surprising to see and really good for Arizona.
I think he's a good fit for them. And then also Polius Morowski is
the true freshman from Lithuania. He had a good game, ten points in
the first quarter, I think he finished with seventeen. Just a really good
shot and you know, did some good things defensively. You know, I
was saying that I was looking for what it looked like, not so much
you know, the score of the game and whatnot. It just looked like
what Arizona has looked like since it's been you know, under Tommy Lloyd.
A lot of the same different you know, with different parts, but pretty
much looking pretty similar. I mean that's what I thought I saw at least.
Yeah, a lot of ball movement, but one of one of them
takaways. Also is the defense looks improved. I think you have a lot
of really good defenders on this team. Obviously Palla Larson, Umar Ballo coming
out, but Kashad Johnson, you have Jaden Bradley in Caleb Love. Those
guys are really good defenders, as well as kyl and Bobswell. This team
has the potential to be his best defensive team. I know it's only been
three years, but that first season they're pretty good defensively, and if they
have the solid defense and you know they're going to pick things up offensively,
this could be a very dangerous roster. So I think you were there when
Tommy talked about the trip right a week or so ago. Correct, What
did you think of Bala when he walked in. You know, when I
saw him sit down, one of the things that jumped out were his arms,
and I thought he got more muscle in his arms. I'm like,
wow, that's very impressive. But when he watched today, he also it
looks like he gained in the stomach area and he just seems slower out there.
It's not the same Umar from last season. Now we are, you
know, months away from the season tipping off, so I don't think it's
anything to panic about. But he did have a hard time keeping up and
down the floor with the team, and at times he didn't even see him
on the screen. Well, yeah, you know that that was the thing.
I didn't notice any of that, but you know, you know,
if he does have time, if that's an issue, he does have time
to to work that out. But he looked good. He looked I remember
we saw him in the summer last year and he looked pretty good. He
looked pretty good. You know, if we're noticing, I'm sure that they're
not sure of course. Yeah, you know, I thought the guard play
was steady. We Uh. Steve and I talked about Philippe and he just
looked he's looking like a guy who's going to contribute because he just looks more
in control of himself, more confident of himself out there, at least he
did today. Yeah. You know, he also had summer events going over
with his national team and he played pretty good in that, and today he
looked good out there. It looked like he knew where to be where.
Last year kind of had the deer in headlights feeling when he was out there,
kind of a panicked feeling. I don't think there was any of that
in this game for phil episode. That's a good sign moving forward. And
also Kylan Boswell and Caleb love how they played off of each other. None
of them had a big game, but they were able to have ball movement
and play off of each other. Four shots, the shots and fall.
But it's really promising to see how the two guards have kind of collaborated so
far. Yeah, No, I think it's going to be a fun season.
Another fun season, and then come March and anybody can guess what we'll
have. You like the starting lineup, it was funny. Hey, remember
Tommy said Doug read into the starting lineup at all, and I think he's
correct on that. Do you remember what it was? I could see it
was Dylan Anderson was at center. Then they had Philip at guard at one
of the guards Jaden Bradley, Kasha Johnson, and Pella Larson, and I
believe Okay, that's kind of a big yeah. I mean, yeah,
you know, it's just do you feel Philippe in there? Was I thought
was fun and interesting? Yeah, But you know, I was telling I
was telling Steve that I thought Philippe looks like a like a more maybe a
more athletic or more confident version of Pelly Larson out on the perimeter. Yeah,
I think a little bit more offensively skilled and more polished than Pella was.
But you just have to have that confidence. And even though Tommy Lloyd
is an offensive coach, if you're getting hurt on the defensive ends, he's
not going to tolerate that. He does want two way players. So there's
a lot of growth there, but a lot of promise. Okay, we
got a minute left. What do you expect to see this week at football?
You know, what I'm looking to see is if one of the safeties
will start to step up in that role. I know Dwayne and Keene is
looking for the same thing. Who's going to be the guy to separate themselves?
And also, even though I would imagine Justin Flow will be the starting
linebacker for Arizona if he can progress and take a positive step forward, because
right now, Daniel Hamuli has been working with the ones alongside Jacob Manu,
and Hamuli looks pretty good. He was a four star recruit coming out of
Washington when he transferred over to Arizona. Just a very talented kid. And
right now their best pass cover linebacker. Can Justin Flow step up and make
a push for that starting file? Ask you what that said, because we
talked about it's a couple of times Jay and I hear about Justin Flow looks
great, fun to talk to, fun to listen to. But is he
the guy that we all heard about? You know, I think he is.
But it's a matter of how much are they keeping them contained during training
camp? How much of it is Justin Flow issues in coverage, and how
much is it keeping them contained? Because he's the guy that goes one hundred
and twenty per one hundred percent of the time and we've seen them, you
know, accidentally light up a few players in practice because he's going so hard,
so they don't, you know, they have to reel him back in
a little bit. And Coach Nansen talked about that, So how much of
it is that? And I just want to see that moving forward because I
would imagine again he will be a starter, but can can he kind of
play within the system? Okay, okay, good to know. All right,
Choy, thanks so much, have a good one, guys, All
right right, thank you from go Asy Cats stop com If you want to
read him, please do. That's where her Modano is as well. You
know, good stuff from fighting these guys. I mean they you know,
they go to these practices every day. They pay a lot of attention to
it, and it's great to have them on fill us in on what we're
missing. I just don't have the eye for it. So right time,
let's take our next break. We'll be back and we'll take your calls.
Five to zero four one, six seventy four forty. Some basketball stuff going
on today, some football stuff, So give us a call five to zero
four one, six seventy four forty. If 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 Ludolson era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot,
it was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players,
coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them,
competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty
five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how
he built the program into a national powerhouse. Want one Email me at Steve
dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Ride with us. All skill
levels are invited to join ol GROUPO Youth Cycling for our Fall FUNDO on October
twenty nine. Your race fee supports programs that empower all youth, regardless of
socioeconomic background. Call us at five two O, four two nine, six,
one three eight for more info. Hey walk at Nation. Jake Fisher
here, I gotta tell you about my winning team over at Arizona Health Insider.
I was able to get a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles,
no co pays, nationwide coverage and I get to pick my own doctor
for less than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting
gouged on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders
five two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five
zero six eight six six fare down. What's your goal a new career or
career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. PEMA Community College
can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule.
With over one hundred programs to choose from and financially aid available, It's time
to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want.
PIMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right
for you. Learn how at PIMA dot etu slash someday. It's so hot
and sticky. I can't stand this humidity. I'm melting. So you can
either check for hot flashes and duck or call picts rocks, cooling, eating
and plumbing. It's not hot flashes. We're calling picture rocks, cooling,
eating and plumbing right now at five to zero. Or for zero or zero
six nine picture rocksoling, eating, and crowning. The holidays are fast approaching
after a difficult year where shure everyone could use a little financial help. Pyramid
Federal Credit Union is bringing back to the Holiday Helper Loan, a low interest,
short term loan that can help get you through the holidays. In support
of our community, Pyramid is making a donation to the Community Food Bank of
Southern Arizona from each alone. For more information or apply online, visit Pyramid
seu dot com slash Holiday Helper. All those are on approved credit. Other
restrictions may apply. Pyramid Federal Credit Union Insured and CUA need more affordable auto
and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs when mayhem
happens. They've got you covered at the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Go
see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised in Tucson and a proud graduate of
the University of Arizona. He's been an All State agent for twenty five years
and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients. Home Today
at five two zero three two three nine three three three for anano and home
quote and let him save you money and make sure you have the courage you
need. You're in good hands with the Edmund Marcus l State Agency. Looking
for an exhilarating adventure NEWDL Tour Day Tucson this year. Join Mad Arizona on
November eighteenth and be a part of bringing an end to drunk and drug driving.
Head to mad dot org slash azy to register today and together we'll ride
towards a future of no more victims. That's m add dot org slash a
Z. Do you want to be part of a winning team. A Team
Security is looking for friendly, outgoing event security guards and events staff to be
a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of
Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We want you to
join the action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in
the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are perfect for those looking
for a part time or a second income. Come be a part of a
winning team the A Team Apply online today at a team security dot net.
Steve Rivera and Jaken Salez they have their eye on the ball on two Sons
Sports Stage yet Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live. I mean iHeart Radio Warm.
They welcome back to twy on the Ball. Here a Fox Sports fourteen
cookie. I'm Steve, he's Jay. We have thirteen minutes. You haven't
called in, and you listen to give us a quick call and let us
know how we're doing. If you like us, don't like us, trap,
don't open that door with that'll kill fifteen minutes. If you don't like
it, that's fine. There's a long list there might be. The people
are afraid to call it, call us. We'd like to hear from you.
The more people who call us, the better the show COEs exactly.
You don't have to listen to it. Would actually be amused if you told
us how full of crap you think we are. It'd be kind of fun
to know, so we can being full of crap that we are. That's
okay, you know what, Steve. It's good that we know we are.
Yeah, we're good at that. Right. It's one thing. It's
one thing you fell crap and you don't know it. If you think you're
not, when you do know it and you know you are, and you're
okay with it and you just go with it. That's that's so much better.
People still is cool. It's like, you know, cool, he's
a jerk, but he's my jerk. That's right, that's right. It's
might baby. It's baby with it. That's my baby. You want to
do some more jet for stuff if you want, Well, let's let's go
back to uh. Coming out of the scrimmage, he had some just in
general comment the folks, is this his first his introductory remarks in the in
the post scrimmage pressure right there on the field, here's uh, here's what
Jed had to say. I thought it was a good scrimmage. Most important
thing we did was stay healthy, which, as you guys know by now,
in scrimmage situations, that's always what we look for first and foremost.
A lot of things we can correct on the film. Just wanted to get
a lot of people on tape. We played everybody that was our planned today.
We wanted to see as many reps as we could. We had one
hundred and thirty five reps today if you count special teams, And to me,
it was a matter of how can we see as much football as we
can't see to help our guys be where would they want to be and see
where we feel like they fit in best. A lot of young so veteran
transferred guys that we haven't seen get tackled very much. So all of that
was good and that was really the goal of today. So I think that
offensively, we had a lot of good ball plays today and especially our one
group. And then I feel like overall, in the second half of this
scrimmage, the defense came back and battled pretty good. So we'll see what
the take looks like. But a lot to learn from for sure. Yeah,
that's pretty much jed right, he's mister optimistic, No, and he
looked fine. It was long. One hundred and thirty five play was a
pay they start, you know, they warmed up me being the cage veteran
that I am, should a half hour lead. They hadn't even started yet.
Yeah, you don't want to stay out there longer than I had to.
And then they went to one hundred and thirty five plays a lot.
It's a long day, and you know what, I to me, that's
a sign that they've really got a sense of what they want to be accomplishing,
and they're trying to accomplish that it, you know, and they don't
get you know that many opportunity really, you know, people forget that there's
there's camp and then there's preparation for the first game. So their camp,
their fall camp is one more week and with the scrimmage on Saturday, then
they get in the game prep. Yeah, no question. You know.
In fact, why we're trying to line up some guests for this week and
maybe next uh, maybe we try to get ahold of Don Brown because they're
week zero next week, two weeks next week from Saturdays Saturday, so maybe
we get him on the show. Was still a popular dude down here.
Let me ask you something. This is a weird question. So we went
to practice and Don Brown was on on the field. Was he yelling?
How much of a yeller was he? And to what degree was he a
young he was learned? There's the difference. He was loud. He was
loud, but I don't think a yeller or he was like loud in somebody's
face and yelling at somebody. He was loud from the standpoint of you know,
coaching. Yeah, you know you could hear him, and you can
you knew that the kids responded right, right, right, so no,
I know you went there, but you've been here. You covered him a
Keena does the same thing, but kind of different. He's he's always motivating.
It seemed like he's always he's always teaching, teaching, coaching, explaining.
What's the difference between him and Don Brown? Not a lot of different
where I wanted to go with, not a lot of difference because because there's
a like a lot of the guys on Stoop Mike Stoop staff yelled at guys,
They yelled at guys and yelled at him, tried to yelled at him
for what they were doing, yelling at specific guys. Whereas Akeena when he's
yelling, he's loud, but he's coaching. Yeah he's not. He's not
criticizing, he's coaching, he's explaining. And I think Don Brown was a
lot of that. I thought more from a from kind of a wider angle.
By that, I mean, you know more about you know, a
group of guys doing certain things. That's the impression I got. We always
heard Don Brown. Yeah, uh, And he was totally different off the
field too, because very good storyteller, very compelling, very like your grandfather
telling him deliberate about what he so, uh yeah. The reason I asked
that because I'm doing something on a keena later and we were there when he
for the media day and he was fantastic, and I asked, jed about
him because he's been here forever, coming gone and you just know the impact
he's having. Right. I like what he said. I listened to the
clip. I like what he said when when uh he asked David Shaw about
him and he said and he was kind of very low key about what he
is and he said he's he's what David Shaw said times fifty. Yeah.
Yeah, I was surprised and I didn't get a follow up because I was
the last question. Had he not known him before, I would assume that
he did. Yeah, maybe that's another question askally. I don't know,
okay, so uh jed was. I would also asked, you know,
are they where they thought they should be or where they would hope hoped it
would be in camp in terms of the progress that they've made, were the
things that they're working on here was the answer to that? Oh yeah,
in terms of what we've put in, where where we want to be,
in terms of our installations, in terms of our execution, we could always
be better. I think that our guys have a much better feel of the
offense of the defense this year than they did a year ago. I think
that's showing up. I would say it is showing up what we've asked of.
Our quarterback is beginning to show up. His control at the line of
scrimmage, his ability to his decision making, scramble when needed. But continue
to work. I'm playing in the pocket and get better, I would say.
Defensively, they're in your two of the system. They're still working out
some of the changes, but you could see him playing faster, and that's
really what I'm looking for. At camp. We're three weeks away from opening
day. We have seven great camp days ahead of us, four of which
will be in pads and with mentality, we need to really use this week
as our week to get technique, fundamentals and toughness down, and then the
following two weeks we'll figure out how we start game planning. And now we're
in that twenty hour rule after that. You know, it's funny listening to
I don't know why, just listening to this clip, it dawned on me
why you feel coaches need to have at least three years two kind to get
settled. Get settled because, as you mentioned in one of the other clips,
the first year they're just they're just they get here. They really don't
get to recruit a lot. Sure, they go with what they got and
they're starting and why he calls a year zero, right, there's like you're
just trying to get through the season and start to implement your way of doing
this, your system, your offense or defense. A second year, you've
got you've got really your first recruiting class. But they're all brand new,
right, they're all new to the system, whether they're transfer portal guy or
you know, freshman recruits. So that first year, so that second year
is really there as he as he has said Auch, the first year that
you're working with guys that you've picked. Sure, sure, right, and
you're still they're all still new to this. Yeah, it's the second year
of your system, and the guys are the guys who were left over have
it. But the guys that you went out and picked for this system,
it's their first year. And now you're into this third year where all those
guys now have had a full year in the system. In this case,
he's you know, they're only in the second year with this defensive coordinator.
You know, they're in their third year of the offense, but really the
second year with their players who are gonna be key players for him. It's
really it's really a long process, and you know, you almost even say
you need even one more year after that where you feel like the learning is
over and the guys are used to the system and they're doing well, especially
especially I'm not trying to give Jeddah and allaby, but it was very c
by, especially when you're the team before you got here sucked. It was
right right and Deon. There's a few coaches go into a situation where it's
all rosy, right, if there's a reason why you're getting the chance of
being a coach, and you sort of understand, and that why I still
think it's kind of crappy the way it went down up there in Colorado,
but you understand why. He just says, let's clear house. Yeah,
it's clean house, and start as fresh as we possibly can. Ja,
I don't know if you'll agree with me here and and and it's okay if
you don't. But I asked, like like some guys, and I asked
Jake on the show. Can we know what Deon did publicly? Right?
He went in and we saw the clips. He's fine going in and says,
if you don't want to be with here, we don't want you here.
Get the hell out. Here's your chance of baggage in ABU. But
it happens except the coaches that they don't go in there, don't public They
don't do a publicly because roster's turnover. Yeah, it's very it's very parent
turned. They turn over. They just don't turn over the way the deal
the way. We don't see it. We don't see it. We don't
know we see it. We just don't well, we see it at the
end, but we don't see the details of it as it's happened. So
I think there was more more deal making the public than anything else, because
we've come on, we've seen cars come and go, We've seen in basketball
come and go. Right right, this last clip we want to play because
we we alluded to it during the conversation with Troy Hutch and Sid talking about
the offensive line and why he feels he's got a good one. Here's what
I had to say about his offensive line. Yeah, I think the offensive
line is a strength for our our team. I don't know how many times
that's been set in Tucson over the years. But you look at Jordan Morgan,
you look at Jonah seven eh, you look at Josh Baker, then
you look at putting guys in. Really whoa Whoa came in here as a
true freshman and started the last six games last year. Now you've got Polido
coming in, who's done a great job. Now you've got veteran guys that
are six, seven and eight, So now you have depth. Right,
all eight guys or three hundred pound plus. All guys are giving you power
and if we're able to move guys around and be able to give you multiple
position value. So coach Carroll has done an incredible job of not only recruiting
the right players but then developing him. Yeah, you know, and he's
right. I mean, I can't ever remember going into a season thinking this
offensive line is really really good and that's really really good. I mean,
it turned out that ninety eight offensive line was really really good, but we
didn't know that going in. And it's very rare when you say that at
Arizona, like he said, you know, it's very rare. You hear
that. I mean, they got a bunch of big guys. And that's
the thing that we've always talked about with Arizona. You know, they don't
they never have the size on the lines that you know, you know with
the US season, the Washington's, Utah recently, you know, Oregon,
because those guys go, you know, that's where they start, right they
go get elite recruits on the lines, and Arizona just has never been able
to get those guys. They brought some guys in and they you know,
they've they're developing them into you know, in the big guys, which you
know, again you have to give credit to to the strength coach, the
guy that came in from from Alabama, because he's he's you know, he's
giving. He's got this team some side. Right. No, it's a
lot to look forward to. We'll see what happens early early and that first
those first three games, maybe they beat Mississippi State. Maybe you better go
get the over five? Yeah, what's it? What is it? Plus
over six? Plus? No? No, no, no, what's the
odds that the over five over five is like a plus one or something?
What about over six? I'm sure it's gonna be one fifty maybe two,
Yeah, I would think it. Yeah. Still, we can talk about
this tomorrow. But but you know, I'm leaning more that way than the
other way. I sacrificed the dinner. I just more time with you,
that's all. Yeah, I love you, Steve. All Right, that's
that's our show. We'll be back tomorrow. We'll get as much cool stuff
as we possibly can. We're working on, you know, some Arizon coaches.
We've got some TV guys coming up this week, so we'll we'll just
be putting it together for you, and we hope you listen, listen to
the podcast, give us a call and we'll we'll just talk. So thanks
for being here today. We'll see you tomorrow.