This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Son Fox Sports
fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your Most Prized Possessions kat z
R, TUCSA and iHeartRadio Station Yet. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to
I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's
Jay, and we're late because we don't have the kids. Do we have
a shower on our own pre sading. You're applotting our future and here we
are futures now, Jay, I know it is futures now. Is hey
welcome to Tuesday. I think I hope it's Tuesday. It is Tuesday.
The calendar said that they usually comes right after Monday, after Monday. Yeah,
Hey, I'm excited about today's show. I hope we're able to pull
it off well, because last time we talked about baby, he was asleep.
Oh that's right, we'd call him. He yeah, he was asleep,
so available to us today. Yeah. I talked to him last week
game some times. He says, yeah, I think maybe that could happen.
And then I talked to him this morning. He says, I think
three seventeen's the best. That's a good ker. He'll be taking a nap
because I think that's what he takes his nap. So and that, and
then we're gonna have Joe Lavello, Joseph Levello, Levano, I'm sorry Levan.
He says his name wrong. And he's a friend of mine. Uh
yeah, se point one another women's or girls basketball term. Yeah two two
of the last three years. And last year they were in the open division.
So they didn't win it because I did go to the website. They
have a website like, no, it's it's the jen I saw them tweet
retweet our your your your post here. So no sound point two three champ
two championships in the last three years, and so congratulations to them. As
as we've said before, we like to we like to get the head coaches
on when they win a state championship, right, you know, just one
more little thing that they get at this, right, so they get to
come on talk about their team. And so we'll be talking to him.
Uh in the uh in the four o'clock hour, right, okay, okay,
uh So a lot of things going on. I think the women are
now in Vegas right right to pit tomorrow. Yeah, they open tomorrow seventh
seed. Yeah, their seventh seed, which puts them that what what time
uh there there, I think six o'clock. I think they pig Washington at
that time and we'll see what happens if they can get to the second round
play usc again for the third time. Yeah. Yeah, so you know,
it's it's it's I think it's one of the great stories that we haven't
really seen much nationally or everybody knows locally, well, you know, Juju
Watkins. And there was a conversation on I think it was the Dan Patrick
Show talking about you know, this whole phenomenon that Caitlin Clark created right right
right, and they're saying it's it's really become sort of a movement for you
know, college women's college basketball that you know, it had been going towards
that anywhere, sure Yukon, Yeah like that, you know, there are
you know, the the whole tournament is on the whole bait, but that
Caitlin Clark has brought it to another level. They said, now they need
the next person up to kind of keep that momentum going, somebody who might
threaten Caitlin Clark's record and The first name that came out was Juju wat right
scoring a million plus. You had a fifty point game you know, earlier
this year, is sure. I think Arizona was one of the one that
held her to twenty and so so the thinking being that the Juju Watkins,
you know, becomes the next Caitlyn Clark, the next Sabrina eyan Escu,
you know, uh, the girl at the woman at LSU, Brianna,
the Ree scirl. Yeah, but the scirl, Yeah, the one that
gave King Clark year. You know, yeah, we know, we know
Kelsey Plumb. Well, you saw the ratings, right, did you see
the ratings how they went through Sunday's game with Ohio State through the roof?
I had the game on. Yeah, me too, Oh I watched it
at least so yeah, you know, so it's it. But but that's
the thoughts. So Juju wat is that person. And speaking of that,
we'll cover this in breaking news. But the PAC twelve women's All All Pack
twelve team is out, and so we'll run through that a little bit in
breaking news. There is some Arizona presence on it. Now we'll mention who
that is when when the time comes. But you know, it's you know,
pack twelve women are in the postseason. So the tournament starts tomorrow.
Matchups tomorrow, you got Oregon and Colorado the five and the twelve seed.
At one o'clock, you got Washington State and KEL At three thirty, Washington
and Arizona. Arizona is the seventh seed, so that the favorite team in
that at seven o'clock, and then as U and Utah at nine thirty our
time, and then Arizona again, the Arizona Washington Winter plays USC and the
Arizona's on the side on the side of the brack with USC and New Seald.
You know, okay, so should be should be fun a couple of
days, one day, two day, three day. Maybe if they win
a couple that could get into the tournament. You know, they first they
need to at least beat Washington. Yeah, right, can't lose that,
right, and then if you know, I mean they've shown they can beat
us. See the question is you know us you'll be ready for this?
Sure? Sure, so we'll see that. We'll probably end up watching that's
tomorrow. Is that tomorrow, so we'll be able to watch it tomorrow.
The men play at full time on Thursday, seven thirty our time, our
time, so six thirty their time. That should be a huge game.
Obviously UCLA needs to step up, but should be a fun, huge game
up in Paul. Yeah, you would, I mean you would. You
would expect. You would expect the UCLA would come in to that game fired
up and wanting to beat Arizona. You would expect that. But you know,
you know, when a team that expects success and isn't having it,
you don't know where their mind is at the end of the year. Yeah,
right, Do they just want it over with and go through the motions
or are they going to say, well, you know what, our season
has sucked, so let's go give this all we can and make ourselves feel
better in Arizona. Sure. So, you know it's hard to say what
you sell a team. We will see, but certainly they they've got I
mean, they have to have the talent to be able to beat Arizona.
If you play well and then don't forget that Saturday when they play, you
will see the call your kid in his caller, Uh, the guy who
didn't play is gonna be playing. They're gonna be better, They're gonna be
better Buggie Buggie. Alice didn't play, Caller didn't play. So those guys
will be back. They'll be at home. Arizona's that that's very Look.
I look, Washington Washington stage down to one game. They got to beat
Washington, and if Arizona loses the game, the Washington state is backed up.
And who would have thought that at the beginning of the year. I
think they were picked to finish tenth. You should have had some money on
that one. Yeah, whatever, you're thinking, that's dead money, Yeah,
exactly, that's good. Who's putting money on Washington to win it all?
Yeah? I guarantee you though after the season that that coach won't be
the coach next year. I think. So you think he'll be gone this
they'll find they'll find you win there, you win there, Yeah, you
could win anywhere. Washington job is opening up, you know that too?
Yeah, right, that too. Who knows, But there's plenty of plenty
of time for that to get to Okay. So Thursday, the us U
c l a usc on Saturday, the women play tomorrow. So busy this
week football. I saw some I saw some clips on football. I guess
they're working out a little two days. When do they start officially? I
don't know. He's like, because it's voluntary workouts. Well, okay,
I saw some clips they've been Look, you have to do this. You
can't you know, you can't wait, you can't wait, you know,
and pleasant you know Arizona's guy. You know, I saw I think two
for seven Sports put out odds to win the Big Top next year. Yeah,
and then Arizona had the fourth highest spots. Really ye it was Utah,
Kansas, Kansas State, Arizona. Okay, so I saw a tweet
by someone on some guy, some guy that's kind of knowledgeable. He had
Arizona number two. Uh, it's gonna be fun, all I know that.
And this is like we said before when all this shook down, that
Arizona has this best chance to win a Corn Prince now than it did in
the previous car right absolutely leveled the play, you know. And we still
haven't gotten around to talking about what's going on with the college football playoffs,
and we we should because you know, it impacts Arizona in a lot of
different ways. But the one way, you know, these guys are talking
about the fact that if you if you've seen it what they're what they're talking
about is is the three automatic bursts for the Big twelve and for the Big
Ten and the SEC, and two for the A C C and and the
Big twelve, the ACC and the Big Tall. Okay, and they're saying
how Clemson and Florida State are talking about leaving the ACC And they're saying,
Okay, under this plan, your league gets two spots automatically in the college
football playoffs. Why would you leave that league to go to the SEC or
the Big Ten? But there are six teams going for three spots and you
know, in each league, and now you add to that, and they're
specifically doing it for this reason. For the money. Yeah, well,
to get to with the possibility of the very good chance. Well yeah,
why would you just stay? Yeah? Yeah, sure, which goes back
because why would why would Oklahoma and Texas leave Big twelve of course to become
an also ran in the SEC? Money? Why would USC and U c
l A leave the Pac twelve to go become the fifth and tenth best teams
in the Big Ten? Yeah? Well, it is for the money,
and and that's you know, that's what it is. But it's like cleansing
Florida State. If you stay in the ACC one or both of you in
the playoff every year, Yeah, why would why would you think? Here?
You know? And and and then to the point of Arizona. Okay,
you look at Utah, Kansas and Kansas State where by two four seven
sports are picked to finish ahead of Arizona. Those teams don't scare the crap
out of me. And no, Arizona, you're saying, all we got
to do is be two of those teams and we're in the play Yeah.
Yeah, even by reputation, they don't scare you, right, And we'll
see what happens. But that first year is going to kind of set the
tone for what they do with football wise. Yeah, basketball is it's just
it's a free from basketball. Yeah. And that's what I can't I can't
wait for. And that's gonna be fun. Yeah, you know, it's
gonna be fun. I'm looking forward to to, uh, you know,
having Kansas here, Baylor, this is this may be a dumb statement,
but I've said them before. Uh. I think that Arizona basketball has a
better chance of winning the national title being in the Big twelve than they did
in the Pack two. I agree with that because it sharpens a tool.
On the conversation we're having the other day, sharpens a tool. They'll be
better because they have to be better. They know how to play that tough
style, the varying styles game came in and get them out right right,
there's no I don't think that's a surprise that Kansas has done what has done,
Baylor had did what it done because you have to you have to prepare
yourself for multiple levels of play. They've been through the gauntlet by the time
they get to the tournament and they're ready for anything. And what's Arizona scryptite,
what's Arizona physical team? Physical teams to slow it down? Oh,
we've always said that, Steve, And we've always said how well does the
PAC twelve or PAC ten prepare themselves, prepare them for the n C Double
A. We've always said it does. Loui used to say that, you
know, lou I mean he would complain that the Pack twelve breaths were too
were too soft. And by the time we get to you know, we
get to the tournament, we're facing Yeah, that that you could do,
Yeah, we didn't allow us to do that. A month ago yeah,
exactly. By that time, you're preaking the guy off the floor and said,
how did that have? What? What? You can't do that to
me? Well, yeah, you can in the n C Double A tournament,
right, And and you know I also made the point that you know,
even the Pack twelve BREFs change the way they call game sure in the
n Double A sure they even they reff differently. Yeah, you know the
old guys that we used to see, you know, uh, Richie Biasteros
and all those guys. Also you see him in a DANC double A tournament.
So wait a minute, you didn't make that call in Tucsa. Yeah,
in fact, you didn't do it last week. So I needed to
survive in two so exactly. Yeah, Okay, now, hey, I'm
looking again our guests Mike Bibby in about five six minutes, five six minutes,
and then we're gonna get Joe Louvanovano at four seventeen, talk about all
the great success they've had at the soule point anything. Lastingly, we need
to talk about no figure out again. You know, where there's a you
know, things are heating up with you know, the men's basketball in terms
of teams falling into and they follow if they started the tournament. Now you
know, teams have already started to play games, uh, you know,
to get to get bids. Vegas is going I think the men's men's with
the Gonzaga is playing in theirs. The whack will be beginning there because they're
at the same time as they have. You ever been too busy to go
a week before? No? No, no, too busy to go the
other game? Yeah no no, don't you say, have that right?
Yeah? No. What I what I see is like on the days when
I'm I'm not there for four games in the arena. You saw on Friday
and Saturday. You go around the strip and you see you actually go from
all the bu you know, go over to the Nike store over there at
Caesar's Palace and you'll see every a fan from every team that's in town.
We can't afford that place. I don't go buy anything that guy. I
just go to luck. I just go to look, all right, we're
about to go to break. But yeah, I dug up the odds that
two four to seven sports put out Okay for the Big twelve Conference championship.
They got Utah plus three forty Kansas State plus three sixty, Kansas plus six
fifty, then Arizona and plus seven fifty's Utah three. That's not a bad
bit. That's not a money maker, but it's it's a money maker,
but it's not a huge seven fifty seven sixty seven fifty for a zone I
would do that. That's seven and a half to one. You never know.
Look how they handled Utah. They handled the Utah ASTU right. And
then the rest of the top half of the league after Arizona is a Texas
t Central Florida, Iowa State, Oklahoma State TCU who was in the national
championship few years ago is picknight Well, Colorado eleventh, ASU fourteen Colorado.
You mean you mean deon stuff being picked eleven plus four thousand. No touching
that one. Let's get out of here, you go get it. No,
that's good money exactly, all right. So we're gonna take our first
break. So when we come back, it'll be Mike Bibbie joining us,
and we'll uh, hey, we're hoping. Yeah, we're we're gonna We're
gonna call him and wake him up right now, like that. Make the
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Jacob Solids they have their eye on the fall on Tucsons Sports station chet Fox
Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to win the ball here Fox Sports
fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, he's Jacinsaus. Now on the phone,
we have former U of a all American Mike Baby, Mike, how are
you you? Good? Thing was going on? Not a whole lot.
Good to see you last week, by the way, one of my favorite
guys. You know that I appreciate that. I think it was good to
be around again. Yes, yes, I was thinking as I was watching
them play a ISU are You've gone to a few of those issue games in
the past ninety tam how would Mike Bibby like playing for Tommy Lloyd and that
offense? And I'm thinking I think he'd love it. Yeah, I mean
I could probably adapt to anything. But you know, Tommy Lloyd I think
is doing a good job, and I think loud Olson is one of the
best ever. He could never go against loud Olson. But Tommy Lloyd,
I think is doing a great job with these guys and hopefull they can make
a big run in the in the tournament. What do you like about what
they do? Particularly offensively, because they just they just run up and down
the court and they look like they're having fun. They spread the ball around.
I mean, those are the things that we like as fans. But
you was somebody who's played the position, how you know, how do you
like what they do? It's good to play like that. You know,
a lot of guys, a lot of coaches want these kids to play like
robots, and that's not basketball. So just to let him get out there
and play how they feel and play off of I won't say emotion, but
just off of actions and just play and let it like reaction time. That's
the way basketball is supposed to be played. It isn't. You're not supposed
to go out there and think you're supposed to go out there and just play
basketball. And the way he plays that, I think it brings the best
out of the kids and brings out the best of what they like to do.
I think used to say, you know, one of the best things
is the bench you can if you're not playing well. He had the bench,
but for you guys, it was he let you guys make mistakes and
let you play. That's the best part of basketball. You know, nobody's
perfect, not even in a regular day job, and so for a coach
to have faith and you let you make mistakes. But I've also seen my
son has been put in situations where one mistake and you're out the game.
And I've seen him go through that for his whole college career, and it's
it's breaking my heart to see that just I mean, even if it wasn't
just him, just for any kid to go out there and not be able
to make mistakes. It's hard to play that way. And when a coach
lets make mistakes and be able to play and not afraid to fail, that's
when they bring the best out of you. Mike. When you look back
at you know, the way you played the game as a college player,
and what you see today is what the point guard is doing in college basketball
vastly different about the same? What what what you know? The expectations that
we have of guards, let's say particularly the Arizona guards, right Colin Boswell,
and the things that they're doing. Is it different or is it about
the same? I mean, it depends on who's the coaching or what kind
of team it is. Because the team we had, I mean, we
had multiple people that could bring the ball up. It wasn't just me,
right. A lot of these teams get the ball to one point guard and
have them to start the offense. And like Arizona now present time, they
have the kind of the same thing we had where other people could bring the
ball up to start the office. It doesn't have to be just a traditional
point guard. That's the way we play as well. Yeah, did you
coach that way as well? You must have. I just I mean it
depends on when I coached. I like to get out and run. You
know, we average about ninety two points a game in high school. But
I mean we turned our defense turned into offense. But you know, I
never, I never. I never took guys out for making mistakes. I
took guys out for effort. And you turn the ball over and you don't
run back, you're gonna come out. You're gonna come out for not the
run back, not for the turnover. Right, Well, I mean,
just I just let guys know it's okay to make mistakes. It's gonna happen.
Even pros make mistakes. Just go out there, play, play loose,
you work on this game. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna put them
against you for going out there and trying to make plays. We're gonna have
somebody from South Point here. They want to second title. You want to
you want a couple of how many titles did you win? Think? Five?
Oh? Okay, you know I got a sick Maybe that's not bad.
What what do you think you were doing? What do you were you
doing right? What were you what was your secret sauce? Well, we
always made a tough schedule, so it was always we were always playing teams
from out of state. I can't I mean, I could probably count probably
thirty to forty NBA players that we had went against in high school. RJ.
Barrett, Gottie Barnes, James Wiseman, you could go all the way
down the line. We played all these guys just to prepare them for in
state. We had we had about seventy five game winning streak in state and
we lost by Nico's half court shout. We would have had ninety some games
in a row. But yeah, I just got to prepare it outside like
we I ran. I ran the high school like a college, kind of
like a college and flash NBA program to where we watched films, we we
had shooting around. We'd have a walk through at different ways we're gonna play
these certain games and how we're gonna guard their offense, and I mean the
school stuff. We had Freddy Halls. We had to make sure these guys
were doing their class stuff. But we it wouldn't run like a like a
college program, NBA program, and they succeeded that way, and they were
always prepared. You can never you can never say they were prepared. Yeah,
yeah, that makes sense. And and so you know, going back
to you know, talking about how you know, how the is the game
overall played any different leaders? It just as you said, depending on the
coaches. I mean, when you watch a game, do you see the
same game you played? It's it's it's a different now. You know,
there's a lot more threes being shot, the mid range games kind of taken
out. You know, you have a lot of guys the traditional big man
is gone. Well there really isn't a traditional big man anymore. Traditional big
man is more on the perimeter. The suit read and spread spread the court.
So it's paying that aspect kind of. So we always ask this the
players too, How do you watch the game as a fan or even even
as kind of as a coach, like you know the intricacies of of what's
going on. I watched it like a player, you know what I mean?
Just if you could tell kids are being taught stuff, if they're not
being taught stuff, is they just throwing the ball? They let them use
their athleticism. Like a team that looks like they're really well coached and played
good, like like they're tossed uff as Houston. I like to watching Houston
play because just you can look at them and tell that them that they're all
the way around the good. They have no egos on that team. They
play hard and they're well coached. Yeah, yeah, and they play hard.
They play harder. You get very physical, Yeah, harder physical part
when you when you were in the in the in the pack it was still
ten. It back ten when you were playing when you're in the PAC ten,
even back then, you know, the PAC ten didn't have a great
reputation. There were some there were some years that they were good, but
there was always we were talking about this earlier, the thought that how well
did the PAC ten prepare you for the n C Double A Tournament. Did
you feel like when you were you know, you played in two n C
Double A tournament, did you feel like you had been tested enough, you
know, in your Pack ten schedule to have an idea of what you were
about to face in the NC Double A's you know what I'm trying to get
at, because it's kind of the feeling right now, you know, Arizone
has got some games left that they're not gonna help. It's not gonna help
them in terms of their seeding and all that kind of stuff. So how
did you guys look at that as players? I think the Pack then was
one of the best conferences in the country at the time when we were playing.
That's why I think we got so many teams in the tournament. Coach
Olton in our Coach Olton got prepared for the tournament. It was nothing else
like he we made. He made sure we were already. He made sure
that guys had the confidence to go out there and play. He let us
play to our strength, and so he's the one that compares. I don't
think I mean, you're gonna come across teams that you know, if like
the last couple of years, U of A has lost, and I mean
obviously Arizona's the mortalented teams and some of the teams that they lost. But
that's where it goes sometimes if I wanted and done, That's what makes Mars
Madden is so great. You never know what could happen. So we're talking
to Mike Baby, former Juve All American at the U of A obviously,
so I joked with him. I saw him on Wednesday. Thinks my guy
here didn't speak to and didn't talk a lot when he was a kid play
here, and now guess what he does for a living. He talks a
lot. Right. You sound a little different now because I think you're under
the weather. But tell us what you're up to. Still trying to coach,
getting the coaching and stuff. I do analyst stuff now for the Sacramento
Kings. I coach. I mean I do pre game, halftime and postgame
analyst stuff for the Kings. I just got back this morning on a trip.
I got about, you know, thirty to forty games this season on
that. You know, I never thought. I always thought I've never thought
of doing TV stuff. You know, like you said, I'm not the
one to really talk about I just sit back and observe and stuff like that.
But coaching. Coaching is a lot easier for me. I could come
out there and I could just I was coaching because it comes so natural for
me. But you know, I think this will help me get into coaching.
And it was it's good to dip on dabbling some stuff that that I'm
not really comfortable with doing but still, you know, getting to be comfortable.
You're the media now still still player, still player. How much do
you miss playing, because you know every athlete zero zero zero, Okay,
I played. I've been playing in some leagues with my sons for a little
bit. But other than that, like, I'm glad. I mean,
the money would be amazing to play for the money that guy to play for
now, But as far as getting out on the court and physically going out
there and do that, I'll miss it at all. Yeah. Okay,
Well you were part of the Big three right for a while. Yeah,
so we started to Dick three with a group of us, you know,
IQ who gave us the call, and you know, I grew up on
ICU's music and very influenced me. Uh just watching me. You know,
called me one day and was like, hey, I'm putting together this league.
And he didn't have to say anymore. I said, I'm in if
you're if you're involved with it, and I'm in it. It was very
it was a success. Do you hope to I'm sure you want to coach.
I know that You've been talking about that for a while with me as
well. At the college level, pro level, or does it really matter
whatever, whichever one is gonna call, I will do both. I'm not
going to put uh sin on a just one say one is not the other.
I would do both. Okay, So does one appeal to you more
or or whatever? I mean? I just want to get back and help
the kids and teach kids and help these kids play the right way, because
I mean, you watch a lot. I watch a lot of basketball,
and these kids aren't taught anything anymore. I love the team. Yeah,
right, right? Have you followed Damon's stuff lately, or I'm sure you
follow some of the other guys. I saw that he got hired at Georgia
Tech. You you just see what Popler were in the group text. You
know they have all the former Arizona wildcatster playing the NBA on the group text.
Again, so I see stuff in there. We talk here and everybody
talks here and there, so I see it a little bit of that.
Yeah, and you go to the Sun's game, see Miles at all,
or you guys, I haven't. I haven't. Miles daughter playing in the
same volleyball program as my youngest daughter right now, so I haven't seen him
yet. While you've been here. I've been in it out. You've been
in it out, so I haven't really got to see him yet. Yeah,
okay, okay, Well, Mike, I know you're a little under
the weather. Go back to kick a nap. Appreciate you, Appreciate you,
man, you well, thank you, thank you. Take Mike Baby.
I always loved talking to Mike Baby. He didn't say more talkative than
he used to. Man, even I knew that, look I would,
you know, I mean, yeah, I mean, but you know what
he died. He talked plenty on the court for sure, you know,
because he was a good leader. He was as good as he was as
good as for general as they you know. Yeah, and he didn't do
anything you know in Arizona history. He didn't do anything like Jason Kidd did.
And I think that loot kind of stifled some of that, you know,
the fancy smashy stuff. But he was effective as all hell, asistent,
reliable, effective. I guess what he played, Yeah, the boycott,
right, that's all you want. It didn't look like anything rattled him
from from the get very much. So the first day he very true in
the game. He didn't like it, didn't look like anything in the game
ever rattled. Right, well, I'll give you the game that that didn't
happen is Kansas. Kansas in the biggest game of his career, all Arizona's
lifetime, knocks him off and he's at the free throw and hitting free throws.
Yeah, and and and in the in the championship game as well against
Kentucky. Right, well, he was made. If there was a most
valuable player for the tournament, it was Mike Bibby. Miles had a great
final four and he was the most valuab player of the final four. But
all those pieces, you know, you didn't think You didn't think that three
weeks prior to the tournament starting. I mean you sit here and think,
Okay, who's the Who's who's the better center or Brown? Brown? Yeah,
we're taking every time. But yet you know they wanted after Well,
okay, I'll give you this comparison. Who you take You bet at Davison
or right, that's kind of a push, yeah, bet because their offense
more offensive game with Ben Davison on defense and rebounding was fantastic. Off the
arts, yeah, and then the rest is well, I think you take
the ninety seventy with Dickerson, Miles and Baby, Yeah, j T coming
off the bench exactly, yeah, and then yeah, and then everybody else
knowing the roles, Gene coming in for the power, uh, Donnell kind
of coming into Yeah, all of those guys. It was. I mean,
you want to talk about a team that just fit together, right,
with all the pieces and together. But you have to stop the conversation in
ninety seven because in ninety eight it worked. It worked until it did with
the same people, until it did. They let Andre Miller go off on
him. All right, let's take our next break where to come back.
I will take your calls five two, Daryl four one, six, seventy
four, forty five and give us a buzz house, which you thought of
the Mike Baby interview. We're talking a lot of basketball right now because we're
in the home stretch of the season. Some big stuff going with Arizona both
the man and women this week, and then we're gonna have the South Point
girls coach coming off a state championship, their second in the last three years.
So stick around for all that. We'll grab that. 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 Ludolsen 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 air beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an
insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email
me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this
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We're in a state of free air spring us here, and so are
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team security dot net. Steve Rivera and Jake and Salez they have their Eye
on the ball on Tucson Sports Big Jet, Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live.
I mean, iHeartRadio wapps. Hey, welcome back to Iying the Ball
here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, You're Jay. No kids
today, so expect problems. You already started to kind of weird, but
oh yeah. The first thing is that we did. We didn't realize we
were about to go on. Yeah for sending your lollygagg you no headphones on
all that kind of stuff. But you know, yeh, look behind the
scenes stuff. We're all about it. So we'll let you know everything's going
on. When we don't have the kids, poop happens, Yeah, usually
does they keep us flying up? I mean, yeah, fifteen minutes.
If you guys want to give us a quick call first time callers, we'd
really love to hear from. We had one yesterday or the day before,
Terry or something, Terry new guy. Oh yeah, so no people are
listening. At least they're telling us, oh, yesterday. In fact,
I got and you saw it probably on Twitter. My Bob Hayes observation was,
I did you know what? And I should have been because I was
totally wrong. This is the sad thing, Jake, because I'm almost sixteen
now. I did a book report on Bob Hayes back like when I was
twelve, and I said, I must have forgotten a lot of stuff because
because I knew he was good, and I knew he was obviously fast,
and I'm a cow Back then, I was a cowboy fan, I must
have forgotten all of it. Well, here's the thing. I was so
uncertain of my memory. I didn't argue with you, which is very strange.
I mean, I do remember the world's fastest because you won one hundred
hundred yard dash in the Olympics, the whole bit, and he was If
you'd have said it is Bob Hayes the Hall of Fame. I would have
said, I don't know. Yeah, all right, well I could man,
and I think about it, and my point was, I do remember
that. My point was, and it fell flat, was it's not always
because you're as you can catch a pass, right, we were talking about
that, and that was where it all fell apart and you couldn't. It
was really because of him that other other right, like Ronaldo May. Some
of these guys you know, got a chance because they were willing to take
a chance as if they had another another Bobby on their uh, on their
team. And that's what this, these combines are all about. You could
play, That's why I that's why I haven't. And I've talked to some
agents before. When I did this full time, you can have a season
like let's say Caleb right, he's on nobody's uh, nobody said radar.
He's a Glennie Party and all Americans somehow, but nobody's radar to get drafted.
But we know he can play. But then you go to the combines
and you say, what did I miss? And I didn't realize he was
that good? Or you could score thirty points a year a game or I
average that and not be good enough to play. And you're not good enough
to play. I'll give you a perfect example. The guy that Tommy Lloyd
coached, Uh, the kid who's now the radio guy, and I can't
even and think of his damn nick no, no, no, Uh,
Harrison Marson Adams, the All American first team guy who could play it right
in college and then he got there and he couldn't play it. He was
not the next Larry Bird, right, and you're thinking, how could that
happen? Drew Timmy, another All American, the kid who was the first
Player of the Year at IOWA a couple of years ago, the big tall
Yeah, where's he going? He's in D League? But so you know
what I'm saying, Sometimes it doesn't translate to the next level, right,
And here we are with Caleb who you think might have a spot, and
I just don't know. You don't know, you know, you don't know
how the game translates. Again, if you're the asked me, is Josh
Green going to be in the NBA? And said what about the Yeah?
Uh, you know, and you know TJ again, we used TJ McConnell
all the time. Almost ten years now. But I'm going to say this
about TJ mcconne because we always talk about how, you know, unbelievable it
is. When you saw his court presence, he thought, if somebody needs
a guy like that who just does the work, doesn't ask for anything.
He's really smart on the court. And you know, basically, you know
TJ McConnell was Steve Kurr without a shot. Yeah right right, But you
know you knew that he was that if he got a chance, he was
gonna get there, and he was going to do the work that he needed
to do to make himself into an NBA player who would stick around. And
he's in his ninth year in the NBA. Well he's here's the catch for
me? Knowing that he was gonna be good. Uh, when he had
the red shirt from this tracks fer from Duquane, Uh, would would go
to the game, would go to the practices, and Miller will let him
go in obviously. Uh. And I said, how they look you so
the best players not even playing. I'm thinking who could that be? Who
could that be? And then I realized when the State Star was told it
was McConnell, I'm thinking, how is he the best player against with some
pretty dark good player was on and he says, because he knows how to
play the game. Both he was on. What a love he was bibby
only a biby light biby light because he ran the show. He didn't have
the quickness and he didn't have the shot, but he did everything else and
and he's made it. He's made a living out of that m and that's
all he take. Would you take? How can I say? Height in
this game is important, obviously, but let me it's overrated in my in
my world, I'll give you this, sorry example. Would you take five
uh? Uh? Oh, Carl, I'm getting too old for this.
Uh the five uh hands of Stone and Stokes or five colid Reeves. Oh
you know what I'm saying. You got a big team or you want clid
Reefs. You said hands the stone and immediately came really, I apologize that.
I'm mad at myself. I can't remember this pick sure wor Stokes.
I had to pay the picture for you. You know what he had?
Stokes, the guy, he was giving it all he had out there.
He just sure, but he didn't have a lot to give but his hands.
Word. But you're right, you know again, I'll just the last
new memory of poor head Stokes was the picture that ran in the paper of
him getting his shot blocked by Shack and the ball is hitting Shack's four arm
and and I'm like, you know, but you know, I'm just sad
that that was nineteen ninety So what thirty four years ago? Man, We're
just a bunch of old dudes. Yeah, a bunch of old dudes.
I'm getting depressed. Here, where's my big you know? I you know,
I think I think our I think our our listeners missed the kids because
you know, we're sitting here on the phone right right, we're looking at
the you know, whe's d Wade and you're making fun. You're having fun
on spring break this week. They are They're all gone. Uh and uh,
I know, I there's more than one student that I know that is
upset that spring break and the packball tournament are in two separate weeks. Yeah.
No, of course, because it's usually falls, you know, spring
break, spring break, and they all go, see how much of a
difference or or doesn't matter, if it doesn't matter, they're going. They're
going anyway, they're cutting class. It just means they're cutting class. Now
sure, sure, oh I gotta I can do this on the on the
road. I can do it on exactly. But yeah, you know,
but hey, it's it's gonna be great. I'm still I'm still looking forward
to a week from today. Man, we're out of here, Steve.
What's Tuesday? Oh you are? I gotta go Wednesday? Yeah, it
wasn't gonna go Tuesday, but I'm not Goodnesday. But I'm really looking forward
to this one with you. Get a little a little burn in my heart
because class. You know, I don't if I leave Wednesday, I might
have a show on Tuesday. Now that you're thinking about it, all right,
I have to see if I want to day off another day. It's
gonna be a whole week except for Monday. We're gonna be here Monday.
We're gonna be here Monday and we'll figure out Tuesday you're gone, and uh,
well, if you do what I mean, I can certainly call in
for a segment. We'll just be will be hanging out. I mean,
I'll be doing stuff at the arena. But okay, you can chime in
from over there, over there. It's it's gonna be uh what do you
get in we land in Vegas like a one o'clock you're sure you're gonna be
in the in the arena. You won't be somewhere. I can't talk.
I'm watching the horse. We got what we got work to do in the
arena. You know, it's the day of We got to get it ready
for uh for for the urnment. You know there was one year that it
went. One of the years it was the grand talking about you know what,
you don't know, you don't know, right, So we get there
and it's five six o'clock the night before the first game. The tournament starts
at noon the next day. Right, we get there and they're barely putting
the floor down because there has been a Taylor Swift concert the night before in
the area. So somebody skilled to the toiler Taylor Swift concert two days before
the tournament. So they had to break down Taylor Swift and put in the
court and they were still building court those at the MGM. Yeah, at
six o'clock at night the night before the first game, teams couldn't even go
in there and and shoot do a shoot around DrAk Because we get there.
We get there on Tuesday and every team has a shoot round. There's perspective.
So let's say that was fifteen years ago, about eleven eleven years ago.
So she was playing in front of a twelve thousand stadium, probably that
arena held to and James Gym fourteen fourteen for a concert. You know when
you have the fourth floor. Okay, probably seventeen or eighteen. Okay,
So now she's got this, Marina's you gotta get eight hundred dollars tickets for
for one hundred thousand people. WHOA. But yeah, there was a Taylor
Swift concert the night before there and they were scrambling. They hadn't even put
the tables up for the press and all that. They were scrambling. We
worked till one o'clock in the morning and not getting getting the arena ready.
But again, well you don't know, you don't know, because by the
time people got there on Wednesday morning, man, it was ready to go,
good to go. Yeah. I love that place. I love that
place because you tickets, you can sell them. Yeah. I was having
a conversation with somebody today at breakfast, who is he's going this year for
the first time since they moved it to t Mobile. He just remembers going
to it when it was at the end. Yeah, it's different. Spilling
into the casino after the game and everybody was there. It's different. And
I told yeah, it's a little different. It's still fun, still fun
blast, Yeah, but it's different. Yeah, if you owe anybody money
and Tucson, you better stay away from it. And they're gonna want it.
Yeah. I need some money for the black back table for sure.
But yeah, No, it's a I'm it's such a it's gonna be such
a huge I think there's gonna be more Arizona fans than ever because, first
of all, I think more tickets are available because you see LA's ninety good,
us is any good, They're not coming, Oregon is even hasn't been
that good. How many of their fans are coming. He sounds to me
like more tickets have been made avail well for Arizona fans. And it's gonna
be really and and everybody from Arizona's going. I feel like it's again last
one out. Turn out the lights because it's gonna be a lot of people
over there. It gonna be fun. I'm looking forward to. Yeah,
it should be a lot of fun. Uh, Okay, what's what's there?
Anybody want to call? We have a couple of minutes five two,
four, one, six, seventy four forty Uh, first time colors is
fine. Anybody else want to just give us a quick call? That'd be
great, Uh to hear from everybody or anybody. Yeah, yeah, no,
it's uh, you know again, a lot of talk about the women's
game right now, a lot of chatter on social media about the Caitlin Clark
effect and and all that and all that's going on with that, and it's
it's really interesting. Shannon Sharp made a comment that he knows more women's college
basketball players than men's college basketball players and stuff like that. I'll give you
this question, Uh, who's the who's the kitten Clark of men's basketball?
I think walkin who's going to do a callum? He asked some people,
who's the men's cat and Clark? Maybe? Like famous Wise, do people
go watch a game because of Zach Eu? Probably not, but maybe a
little because he's so big, He's not If not him, I don't think
there is one, well there's not one or anything like her, But who
would be the not even in the just a name, but just a name?
Now you're talking back in the day, somebody like the guy from Duke
Riddick, oh the shoot yeah yeah, he's Williams. Yeah yeah, you
know at Duke that year. You know, the whole spotlight was on him.
You know what, what others have there been like that relatively recently to
see where people turned on the TV to see this guy play. I don't,
I don't think, because there's so many guys who are really really good.
Yeah, but nobody who was not, you know, power Bankerrow,
the guy from Duke, the freshman, he was really good, but he
you know, I didn't turn on a Duke game because I wanted to see
him play. Yeah, okay, I think that's probably sort of that's sort
of where the line is, right, Did I I turned on I want
women's basketball player to watch Caitlyn Clark play. What she's gonna do? What
was gonna do? Yeah? And and uh, well, you're you gonna
watch it again because she's already broken the record? Did you watch him because
she because she broke the paid? I mean, I mean, I'm certainly
gonna pay attention to the women's basketball tournament. Yeah, you know, if
I you know, I'll pay attention to does she win a championship, because
that's kind of the hanging out. Did you see or did you hear William
Schum You can't consider her the greatest of all time if she doesn't win a
champions Yeah, I don't agree with that. I don't agree with that.
No, I don't either. Well, you can consider her damn good.
Yeah, yeah, at the very least. Yeah, I mean all time
that he's certainly one of the greatest of all time. And again, you
know, with Cheryl Miller better maybe maybe, yeah, with Kelsey Plumb better
different times maybe, you know. Yeah, that's kind of extreme, that's
those comparisons. I mean, I saw Sabrina iron Escue the organ the organ
player very good a bunch of times, and I'm like, holy hell,
yeah, you know, you know, we saw her in that three point
thing with you know, with Steph Curry. She's a damn good player.
Well, I think a lot of what Caitlin Clark has become Caitlin Clark because
of Sabrina iron Escue, because she'd garnered. Unfortunately, her thing came in
the COVID years, right, and so it kind of put a you know,
put a damper on on that. But I think a lot of why
people are all over Caitlyn Clark with this is because of what she did.
Okay, there's a really damn good player. Oh no, look here's another
one. It's like it's like when you talk they talk boxers, or even
Jordan and Lebron and blah blah. You can debat this forever, and I
don't like to get to those, but with Muhammad Ali and whomever else,
you know, we all have our favorite. Yeah. You know, a
video came on on my on my TikTok feed a couple of nights. How
old are you, TikTok? I look at TikTok TikTok. Cool stuff on
there, Doctor j. It was like a two minute video of nothing but
Dunk Dunk's Smart movie. And I'm like, I'm glued to it. I
watched it a second time, you know, the one where we went under
the basket and you know, the cradle, the cradle and all this stuff,
and I'm like, and I was like, I think I remembered,
like about actually seeing about half of them. Sure, you know when they
happened, you turned on you turned on the game to watch sure, Sure,
right, And that was because you grew up watching him too. He's
the same about the same age. All right, let's take our next break.
We're gonna be back. We're gonna have some breaking news, I guess,
and then we've got this being old girls basketball co No. No,
at some point, I mean some point, we'll be right back.