Streaming live. I mean, iHeartRadio WAPP. This is I on the Ball
with Steve Rivera and Jake and Salez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey,
welcome back to OIN the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve,
he's Jay. Now we have at least with breaking news just I on
the Ball breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Okay, so starting with
our breaking news today we have the PAC twelve is starting the process of separating
from their commissioner, George Kleavkov. I mean, does the PAC twelve even
really exist anymore? I mean now they don't have a commissioner, no teams.
Well, you know, I'm sure it's gonna be a thing where Okay,
at the end of the fiscal year of the school year, you know,
we're gone, We're done, You're done. They'll probably get, you
know, with with just the two schools left, Washington State and Oregon State,
they'll probably just get somebody from one of the schools to sort of say,
okay, you know, we're running it. And and until they do
decide to do whatever they're gonna do. I mean, they can't, they
can't keep paying claff Cop to do stuff. And at the end of the
day, at the end of the jay, how much a fault is he
for this given the history Steve, It's hard to know because it's hard to
know. As with Larry Scott. That's where I was going. You know,
how much did the schools they trade contributed to what he was doing.
He's going to get the blame and look, Larry Scott, he playoff cop.
You know, Larry Scott was was not a good manager of the conference
for other reasons that we saw, very visible reasons that we saw just how
he he was like in this palace and he had a limo and he you
know, the money that he spent, but they let him do that.
Right in this case, you know, you get a sense that nobody would
And maybe part of it was he wasn't forceful enough in saying, guys or
people, you know, we're in big trouble here. We need to look
at doing these things right. He didn't. It seemed like he didn't have
the ability to direct you're talking about the president, Georgia, to direct the
president. But then again, did he recognize what was happening? Well,
yeah, right, So so when talking to UH or listening to the President
Robins in his explanation that that press comes right, it was more of a
George was being cocky, uh and saying, we're gonna play it close to
the best. We want more money than what you're gonna give us, and
we're gonna hold out until you give it to us. I'm would hold my
breath until until I can't hold my breath and says go ahead, Yeah,
you have to have fun with it and we're gone. I mean, that's
to me, that's that was his issue. Yeah, and would still be
talking about the back twelve going to Vegas having fun. Yeah, yeaha exactly,
No, exactly. And so I think that he's an ego. I
think it's more ego than yeah. Just you know, he didn't seem he
seemed like a guy who had a really good head on his shoulders on this
stuff. Right, come up. But but somehow got away from it.
Yeah, yeah, I can somehow through all of that, they killed a
league, Yeah right, they killed the league that had a lot of history,
and I mean it was a perfect storm of badness, without question,
starting ten twelve years ago. We know a lot of people in that building
who were unhappy with Scott how he handled things, and then they handed the
baton to to kleot cough yeah, and the baton was dropped. Well,
well, I don't know that he ever even had the baton in his hand.
He okay, because the week he comes in you know, Texas,
Oklahoma happens, right, and then you know, and then he gets blindsided
by USC and U c l A. How much of that was because of
him? Right? Yeah, you know, and then then you know the
the TV they they it's by all accounts they mismanaged the TV deal. How
much of that was him? How much of that was the president? And
by that I mean you know there was that whole thing where they got offered
you know, thirty million a year and he's you know, one of the
university presidents said that that's not up more right, So, but again not
surprising that this is kind of the end for Georgia playoff, Right, Okay,
he'll go back to Vegas, and you know, he never moved from
Vegas, so he'll just go back there and he'll get another job, you
know, more in his element, right, right, Maybe I just stay
with him for the pectell. It's kind of sad though, the whole thing
no more pack twelve. Really very sad, Yeah, very sad. I
mean, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna shed it tear at the pack
golf tournament at the end. Think you know what we're gonna do if there
was no place in the final, Well, we'll do is let's get a
group photo. We'll all pull a T. J. McConnell and kiss for
a photo up. We will, you know, because with the guys that
I go with you, we always got our picture. We always take our
picture on you know, on the court at the end of the thing.
We've got one from every year that we worked to tournam Yeah, Anthony and
I did that in Indianapolis after we thought, you know, the paper clothes
blah blah blah, we went to Kissophore because we didn't know if we're gonna
do this ever again. Sure we do. But yeah, it's it's it's
gonna be very sad. It's sad for me too, growing up from l
A Like these are the teams that we saw and that was part of the
reason I wanted to come here right right, And it's I mean, I
guess I'm graduating right in time. But it is sad. I mean that
and I love that about Arizona Sports, that we were playing all these teams
that grew up watching. Yeah, you're right, what do you have anyways
for you? Of a players have invited to the NFL Combine that is Jacob
Cowing, Tanner mclocke, Jordan Morgan, and Michael Wiley, And it is
the most players invites to the NFL Combine for Arizona since twenty eleven. You
know, not to bring up the name again, but Jed Fish did talk
about how they really did come in here and develop players. Sure, and
you gotta give them credit for that. They did. They recruited players,
they developers. Now he took credit for recruiting some of these guys, Wiley
and Morgan in particular, when he did not because he said, we recruited
all those players, Well, no you didn't. You recruited a bunch of
them, you know. Yeah, you recruited Jacob Cowen, Yeah, you
recruited Tanne McLaughlin. But Jordan Morgan and Michael Wiley were already here. But
he did, Yes, they did come in. That coaching staff did a
really nice job of getting players. They've got They've got a bunch of NFL
capable players, and so you know, thank you for that. Yeah,
and he's gotten more in the future with right tempers, and he left behind
a whole bunch of them. Yeah, it's not all bad blood. No,
you know, look to me again. He's he's in. He's in
the rearview mirror for me. Moving forward next, good good luck up there,
have fun, enjoy the rain, and we'll enjoy the sunshine. There's
a little yeah, I would have been surprised if there was not a little
tia, what do you want your coffee? A little bitter? I can't
help us. Well, we were playing that on my mom and dad.
I've seen this. Have a great time, but enjoy the rain. Go
ahead, what else do you have? So dayl and Terry. Last night,
our former Arizona, our former Arizona guard and his bulls beat the Hawks
last night. But he's kind of, you know, flying under the radar.
He scored seven points last night and actually played twenty one minutes last night.
His you know, minutes per games this season has only been at seven
point eight, So we played twenty one minutes last night, and that's why
it was kind of I guess a little bit news were these since he's only
been scoring two point five points per games, and he scored seven and played
twenty one minutes, so maybe it's a new start, right. Seven minutes
to me is probably five more than I thought he was getting so oh really,
yeah, because he hasn't been a he's kind of been just there.
Yeah, as you know, KloCo is no longer on a roster given his
situation. Ben Matheran's killing it in Indianapolis. Yeah, and Dalen Terry has
been a guy that right under the radar, playing on the radar. He
might be better off at a different team, who knows. Yeah, but
we were surprised that he's actually there anyway, right, because he should have
stayed another year, so I think. But he's getting paid a lot of
a lot, and you know, he'll continue to grow and get better and
yeah, yeah, the thing about it that at least there's a group of
kids coming out this year, and there's a group of kids coming out next
year that want that job. Yeah. It's always telling me he doesn't really
have the physicality, so you know, it's always you're always working for your
job and anything. But I just loved watching him play though, so energetic.
Yeah, he's like a bunny hopping around the court. And then something
I thought that also was interesting is that the Orlando Magic. I haven't really
heard anyone talking about this or I haven't seen all my feeds or anything,
but the Orlando Magic or retiring Shacks jersey tonight, which I think is kind
of interesting because he played there for was it one or two seasons and then
got rid to the Lakers and then he had his great career. Yeah,
so that was just kind of the start. But it's kind of like he's
Shacks, so he have to hire his jersey wherever he played, Right,
Like the Lakers are going to retire Lebron's jersey, right, I didn't did
the Miami Championship for the Lakers. I don't know if the Miami Heat have
already retired it or if they planned to retire it. It's kind of like
along the way, you're going to retire the guys. Guy, Yeah,
guys jersey. Weren't you here last week when you talked about the Mamba's jersey
retirement? Oh? Was the statues statue? Okay, Kobe and the Actually
I didn't know this. It was three statues that they only revealed one though,
But there's gonna be one of Kobe and the number eight one in the
twenty four and one with Keanna so but they only unveiled the one of him
in the number eight. Did you watch any of that? I did watch
some of it, Like Genie Buss spoke and yeah, I'm not it's really
sad for you, all of that stuff, honestly, right because he was
your guy, right, he was your guy. Yeah, I'm sure it
was an emotional day in LA. But yeah, what else you have?
I you know, we were talking about this earlier, the Nicks buzzer beater
last night, the Knicks or the Rockets. The shot a buzzer beater three
in the last second and he missed the shot but got fouled, and people
were kind of saying it's not it was very controversial. It wasn't really a
foul. They both made contact. Then they won off free throws five to
one O three the Rockets. So people are just saying that was kind of
controversial, that was all over my feets this morning, that it shouldn't have
been a foul, and yeah, but didn't did THEBA actually come out and
say that was not a foul? Did they say that? I think so?
I didn't. I think I saw something said it sucks. I feel
like they shouldn't do that. I feel like they should just go with it.
If they called a foul, like and they you know, the game's
done. Like I feel like they can't go back on it like that.
Anything else, that's it. I have something big because we watched this last
year. Who was the star of the softball season last year? You remember
Devin No, no, no, there's the Alice Skaggs. No, no,
no, I'll take it overall all called softball. Oh the oh the
picture at Oklahoma. I saw that she got hurt, she got her she
bleowed her knee, she blew out her knee ind Nebraska and she's she's playing
at Nebraska. But she's at Nebraska, she's not playing. She left Oklahoma
and go back to her home state and and she blew out he knee and
she's done for the year. And she was fantastic. Yeah, she was
fantastic. No, she's out. She loves I saw that. I saw
that she's a well. Arizona's five and o right, did you see what
they did? I think five and five and oh five run rules a perfect
game and only allowed one run the competition wasn't you know what you would consider
sure still five, you know, that's pretty good. And they're hosting the
Fiesta Bowl this weekend. Who's who's here? You know who's here, because
that's part of it. They have to be playing better competition. They did
lose a picture I guess last week the two injury or oh yeah, yeah,
one of their one of their young pictures had had a surgery sing a
shoulder surgery or an animal surgery or something something. Yes, I did see
that. I did see that. But again, you know, they've they've
uh struggled in some of these you know, they they've lost some games that
you thought, uh you know, so no, I think, Uh,
they were impressive. They were impressive over the weekend in their own tournament.
But they you know, they've got some games to play coming up. So
we'll see the long term. Stay twice doubleheader. Maybe we should get to
coach on I tried the other day Arkansas. Omaha. She's only available to
us on Mondays because they practiced during our Okay, so we'll have to we'll
have to, uh, we'll have to get try and see a day that
we can get her. Okay, Okay, what time is it you want
to go? Pete Williams is ready for us already. Okay, so let's
go and then come back with Pete Williams. All right, sounds great,
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to schedule your free evaluation today. This is I on the Ball with Steve
Rivera and Jay Gonzalez soun Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast
on the iHeartRadio app Just Surgeon. I on the Bar. Hey, welcome
back to the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera.
He's jacin Zaus Now on the phone. The guy I like to call the
cornerstone of the Arizona basketball program, Pete Williams. How are you? I'm
good. I like that cornerstone. I love it. I know who you
are. I'm great, you're doing well. Hey, you're on Facebook and
and other things like me, and we kind of chat every now and again.
How would how would Pete Williams handle the stuff that you read today?
How would you have handled it in nineteen eighty four? Anything? First of
can you hear me? Okay? Yes? Yes? The the easy thing
would be the last out, you know, get angry and this and that.
But I would have enough mental fortitude to just block it out and would
kind of lean on like a lot of the things I learned from from Coach
Host and not only just being physically tough, but eventually stuff as well.
So it would be easy to last out. But I think I would handle
it pretty well. You kind of respond frequently. I know what you do
on my page? Would I say stuff kind of with your pragmatic way?
I mean you you do it now? Yeah. But here here's the thing.
I do my best to do it in a respectful way, because there
are times, you know, kids, you not. I read some things
and I want to snap because for me, I get it. It's a
way to criticize. We have some people. Oh you should never critic No,
it's fine to criticize as long as you do it in a respectable manner.
But we have some people out there to get on these guys in a
person space, I mean like calling them garbage and trash and stuff like that,
and that really that really irritates me. I want to laugh back at
those things people. So they're not talking about me. They still talking about
what I look at is like my little brothers and everything. Which is a
fine line between criticized, criticizing and appropriate manner and just being just rude and
mean and just just terrible. Actually, do you it sounds like you know
you're you pay attention to that stuff, but it got it would it would
have to be hard if you're playing and you're sitting there and somebody's saying stuff
about you in particular, and it's personal, how do you how do you
not respond to that? Again? Well, there you go. If it's
personal, Well, old, let me back up, because I would like
to see coachos who would have some rules in regards to that. You know,
coachos will be our buffer and just tell us to stay off of it,
or if we're gonna respond, make sure of finding an appropriate way so
again, I like to think I would lean on the teachings of coaches that
Okay, yeah, that makes sense, that makes I would if I wonder
if if the coach tell me has that kind of philosophy, you do you
know of coaches who do that. I'm pretty sure that there's somebody within within
the program that kind of educates these guys maybe prior to each season and maybe
have to do some refreshment courses throughout the season. I like to think somebody
that that's helping them with that. Yeah, that makes sense. Go and
ask me you're back to the basket question. Okay, so we've we've we've
had this conversation a few times and with different people and talking about the center
of today. And you were a center, you know, did you consider
yourself a back to the basket center? Let me ask you that first tech.
No, dude, I was six seven hundred and ninety pounds. I
was forced to play that way because, you know, out of necessity O
our big freshmen, you know, weren't ready to play, ready to ship
you. So I was always a swing player, slashing and driving and cutting.
So it was a new experience to me, especially being as life as
I was of the adjustment, but I didn't learn though. But but you
see these guys now, you see Zach Edy, for instance, he's going
to be the National Player of the Year, but yeah, he probably doesn't
have much of a future in the NBA. Is what is what they say?
Because that player is sort of out of uh lost, out of favor
in the NBA. You know DeAndre Ayton, who all the ability in the
world, and I don't know how much of it is, you know,
just attitude and approach. But the player that the center who parks himself in
the lane, you know, throw the ball into him and he's gonna hit
a little hook shot. That player seems to be being phased out. You
agree with that? Do you think that's the case. There is no there
is no scene to be that player is phased out. Okay, you know,
what do you think of that little credit? Because he does have some
similar face up game. He doesn't use stuff, but he can't face up
and hit a fifteen foot it. But back eighty you look at was it
drew Timmy from the other guy? Right? The biggest one was the big
kid that played in Illinois a couple of years ago. That Kofe whatever his
name was. He was a dominant college player. But in today's NBA,
there's no place for somebody like that. Do you hate that? Unfortunately,
follow me experience the same thing. Yeah, yeah, do you hate that?
Are you disappointed in that? Or are you just kind of like that's
what it is? The low post game is completely gone, and and yeah
I watched NBA games or whatever here and there, but it's so frustrating to
me. But guys just standing in the corner while two or three guys go
up top playing pick and roll and they're just sending the corner with their hands
ready, hoping to get a pass to get a shot. So I'm just
love all the movement. I love seems to run plays, you know,
where all five people are involved in the play. So it's just a different
game. But you know, it is what it is, right right.
We were talking about that earlier with with Arizona. Uh, I'll ask you
the obvious question because I asked it to everybody. H do you trust this
Arizona basketball team? Hey this listen to me. Listen to me. Okay,
we were rolling earlier in the year, and when we got the number
one ranking, that was well deserved. That was absolutely well deserved. But
then we went to a stress when we weren't playing playing well. Now I
wasn't happy about the way we're playing, but I never lost faith because I
know what it's like to go to some trials and tribulation the team. But
that team can eventually find their groove. And now I'm not saying we have
found that groove yet because we're playing we're playing well. Still not as well,
not as well as be worth at the beginning of the year. But
I haven't lost faith that this is a Final four quality team. I still
expect them to get there, and they have just get a chance of anybody
to win the national championship, because I still think they're gonna get better.
Okay, this is a This is a little bit of a quiz because there's
a correct answer to this based on analytics and stats and all that kind of
stuff. All Right, who's the most important in your mind? Who's the
most important player on this team? Who? Who? Who do they win
and lose with? Hey? Hey, here's here's the thing. He gets
a lot of black from people. And and I'll be I love the kids
first of all, and I still get frustrated at times because I think he
settles a D three. I'm not he with a D three when you know
you can still move it a little closer. I don't mind the three,
it's so crazy deep threes. Like a little frustrated with, but I still
think he is the guy and I love with Coelos him right now. Fellows
like the Trays, the Swiss Army Knights doing everything, but Caleb God,
Okay, Well that that that's the answer to the quiz is because you know
what what we what we were we're being told what we found out, what
we found out through again through any one of a number of factors, is
that actually Pela Larson is the most important guy. That Caleb can play a
bad game and they can still win. You know if everybody else plays,
but if Pella plays bad, they they don't play well. And and you
know, because he does so many different things, Caleb is your score.
He's the guy who's gonna handle the ball. Uh you know, but Pella
he's needed in so many areas that if he's not having a good game,
you see, you see it. And that we were shocked when we were
told that. But as as we when we were told that. Since then
we've been watching and this kind of comes come to fruition. Well, I
get all that or whatever. Again, that's all that analytics stuff and that
analytics that junk out is a great player, he does a lot of things
or whatever. But I still think this team lives and died with Caleb Love.
Yeah, which, of course I've said this. I've said this from
the beginning of the season. I'll say it now. Uh. There's two
things that concern me. Ballow at the free throw line. I'm talking down
the road in and important stuff at one and two Caleb going uh uh,
going on his own when when things don't need to go on his own in
a crucial game. Two things that concerned me from here forward or since November
forward. That's just premire. You're right on with that, you know,
those are these two of my biggest concerns. Also, you're right on with
that. Had you ever been with a teammate like Caleb in cop No,
we didn't really have that. We coach, So I've been with some guys
that can just slot out, score to the ball. You know, did
you play with Alex English, Oh yeah, alex Is. Now you're talking
about poetry and motion and literally the poetry motion. A lot of people don't
realize, but Alex was actually legitimate poet off the court because he had a
lot of his writing. Beast he published got played without. Was he one
of those guys? Was he one of those guys? Yeah? No,
no, no, because Alex is just the game for him. He could
see see literally, I was with him. We beat Houston Alice for fifty
four points on Ralph Sampson and chemo Logic one and it was just the easiest,
most effortless for you on your life. He was just everything he did
was easy. Caleb, Caleb works for his stuff. Alex, he was
easy for right for him. That's a That's the thing. I think that's
a great point that Caleb works for his bride. He does, and he
works hard. But the one thing that that Tommy loves about it sometimes is
that he doesn't search for his shots. I think too many times he searched
for the shots. Yeah, I hear that. That's and tom Tommy's made
a point where he's trying to well, at least he's mentioned like, you
know, he would be happy with you know, it's not that the number
of points just have to get twins from every game. He'd be happy with
him getting fifteen points game, but contributing in awe aspect, you know of
the game. Now, he does surprise me every now and then. Why
shouldn't say surprised. I was maybe surprised some up because he he is a
willing past. You know, he's made some passes or whatever. He had
games he had maybe five six assists, which for him is huge, and
also five four so he does contribute all across the game. But yet everybody
sees this is the points, number of shots he puts up, and you
know what some considered the number of bad shots. And we're talking to Pete
Williams, former Arizona great or, as Steve said, the cornerstone of of
Loot's program. Okay, saying one of the great too. I'll take that.
So Pete, we're a question that we get. We we asked ourselves
yesterday and we had some fans come on and ask what this season, what
would be of disappointing and to finish to the season, how far do they
need to go for you to not be disappointed. I want to get at
least minimum minimum the regional finals. That's minimum. You might get to see
them. That happens in l A. In l A. Yes, yeah,
it'll be in la. Uh huh. Are you disappointed in this team
if they don't get to the final four? Now, I would be disappointed,
but not necessarily disappointed in the team, right, you know, because
I know how I know how to term the thing works. Man. You
got the best team going and all it takes is one game. And that's
the scene that concerns me. If they don't make it, the nayfayers will
be out in full of fact, full of fact, you know, and
I won't be one. I would Hey, you know what, we just
get up, just ourself off and get back at it next year. That'd
be my outlook with it. So so let me ask you, because you
watch, you watched thoroughly, what do you think of Jaden Bradley, Because
he's another kind of guy that's off. I love what he I love where
his game is going, you know, I mean in in case it they
are really really bringing it in valuable contribution and what well. I think one
things I love most about it is that they're both so unselfish. There's no
complaining or but I can see no complaining. Whatever they accepted their roles and
they're excelling in their roles off the bench. Yeah, no, I hear
you. And and kJ Lewis I mean just look, you know, I
really really really really like him, especially what he's done over these last few
weeks. I mean he's really come and done some stuff that you know they
have to have, right. The sky is the limit for that kid.
And I love this defensive intensity and I just hope that everybody buy in the
way has particularly on the defensive end of the court. Where where will he
fit next year? Do you think Caleb Love is gone? Is he?
Okay? Okay? You know what that really interested me big time because you
know, you got the kid Carter Bryant coming in. The other kid is
Jamari Phillips, who I think a lot of people really really high on.
But you know, kJ will have a year of experience under his belt and
kJ has a man's body of ready. So all I can say is coach
mooy gonna have another nice problem in his hand. Uh. If these other
two kids are as good as they are supposed to be, and I think
they are with kJ, and then Bradley be back to the I don't know,
it's gonna be some cious competition back there. Man. So let me
ask you, is is what I'm seeing? God Johnson, keishak Johnson.
Is he Pete Williams two point zero? He's very well well could be,
But I think what I you know, I understand they want to, you
know, develop his perimeter game. You know, I get all that,
but I get frustrated to sometimes when I just see him in the corner because
I think he's one of those guys where he should be this professional motion,
constantly on the move, cut and slash and this and that. I think
he can affect offensive rebounding anyore even more that way or whatever. But never
lett, I'm very pleased happen with his team. I just don't like just
standing waiting the ball and shooting. I know they're trying to develop a perimeter
game, but I think he offers more as far as the team successful.
He's cutting, slash and vibing and doing those things right, more of the
stuff that you did back in the day, right right. So let me
ask you, so, have you never really watched you play when when you
played here? Did you what was the furthest shot you ever took? Oh?
Probably no word fourteen fifteen feet at the most right right you were there
three point line. Yeah no, and the way O the way our office
was run between me, Eddie and Morgan, you know, it was just
I was like a triangle with just the three of us between the free throw
lines and lower baseline area right right. And that's what Bradley. I think
Bradley would work tremendously near the basket, attack the basket. Yeah, and
he does. And then I love the way kJ Lewis attacks the basket.
Those two guys are so quick down the lane. It's it's you know,
you start seeming going down the going down the lane, you're not going to
get there, and then they get there better. Yeah, yeah, okay,
anything else there, Pete Yeah yeah, real quick. I'm glad you
guys. I got to get this off my chest and I'm so excited,
would be. I'll get it over real quick. So you know, my
oldest daughter, Heiress is uh thirty two. He's a U kardiac nurse from
Pennsylvania and if Beyonce the doctor at the same hospital in Pennsylvania. They've both
been together as we're freshman the UNLB in twenty ten where their time in Tensulan
just coming up, and the plan all along that time was over they would
start to move further west. Okay, So Lee has an interview the weekend
of March twenty second to twenty fourth in Tucson at Tucson Medical Center. What
makes this even more special? I will get a chance to beat my first
grandchild, little miss Ava, who will be five weeks old tomorrow. I
will get a chance to meet it for the first time. And of all
places, Tucson, Arizona. How crazy is that? That is so cool?
Very cool, very cool. Emc man, that's the place. That's
absolutely good luck and congratulations. Yeah, thank you gentlemen. You guys are
the best in the business than all right, you got to take care.
Saved that clip. We're gonna save that seven music. We're gonna bring their
s's in the business. All right, let's take our last break. We'll
be back. Take your calls five two zero four, one, six,
seventy four to forty will be right back. 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 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 Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from lut 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. Hi, this is
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a part of a winning team The A Team apply online today at a Team
security dot net. Steve Rivera and Jacob sALS they have their eye on the
ball on Tucson Sports Stage Chef Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back
to I'm the ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty I'm Steve. He's Jay at
least for another fourteen minutes. If you like to call, please do five
two zero four one six seventy four forty you'd like to hear from you A
great to talk to there was, Well, he's always he's very pragmatic,
especially if you follow him on Facebook and stuff. He gets involved in the
conversations, doesn't go over the top. He just says, you know,
slower roll, slower roll, and blah blah blah. Yeah. Yeah,
you love guys like that because you know what, he's played the game.
Yeah, right, and he was very good at it. It he's very
good at it, so he could have every reason to go out there and
say, you know, guys shouldt the hell up. I'm really good.
You're not get out of my face. But you know when somebody just kind
of, you know, straightforward understands where people are coming from and then you
know, handles his comments that way, that's refreshing. In fact, he
commented on one of my things after somebody came up, come on and said,
uh and said something kind of negative, but then he got involved.
Yeah, the guy said, well, hearing you say this and all the
respect I have for you, I saw that. Yeah blah blah blah.
You know, the guy kind of took it back this Yeah, yeah,
I don't kick my ass. Yeah, probably, Well, that's it.
The guy's probably going, Okay, he's going to come and kick my ass
and and he probably still can't, right, you know, So that's the
respect they have for him. Yeah, you know, And and again one
of the under appreciated guys for what Arizona basketball is today, no question,
one of the under he and Eddie Smith, uh uh, all those guys
from those first two years. Okay, let me go there, go here.
I don't think we've talked about this. Who would be okay, those
two good, great, great picks. Who would you say would be the
most one of the most underrated players in that time and in not that time,
but in the loot time, in the lut time. Already have an
under and asking because I have my guy, an underrated guy and maybe underrated,
underappreciated, underappreciated. Judd Bushler popped into okay, okay, right because
he you know, again not a flashy athlete. You never think he'd last,
right, but you know it was really good, you know, lasting
in the NBA was a very important part of a couple of teams there,
captain. Yeah, and so I feel like jud Bushlers is one of those
let me okay, Chris Mills. Yeah, Chris Mills, because he was
part of a group that he was so good, so good, but not
but not, I don't know. He was part of that team they went
to Santa Clara with in seventeen and one, and he had some history.
But if you just took out the history, he was exactly. But I
think I think the history the thing that the Kentucky thing sort of shadowed over
shit not it just affected what people thought of him. Yeah, but he
was fantastic good. Yeah, I think I think if you I think I've
heard him before, if you've asked Greg Hansen, you know he would say
Chris Mills is one of the one of the best players. You know,
I agree to come here. The reason I asked this is and he was
a flashy either. He was just he was. He was on the smooth
guy, very right, good word, smooth guy, good work. In
fact, the mat Mewalk texted me before the show, he's doing the game
this weekend and he's gonna get some people. He said, who are the
best three top players all time? You go, Matt, wait, who
are the top three players ever? Are? He's been checking with people.
Well, Sean Elliott, right, obvious talent wise or just that's what I
asked him. What's what's the cherry? Is that somebody who was great for
Arizona for X amount of time or just the best player DeAndre Ayton? Okay,
okay, no, but go ahead, that's okay, and physically talented
player, but for your Arizona, for Arizona's time, his time at Arizona,
for Matt's time and areas, No, no Arizona's time. You go
there, Okay, you can, Sean Elliott your god. Well see now
you gave me a hint. You're probably gonna say, Christian, there's no
there's no, there's no no yours. I'm just k yeah, I I
you know, if you think DeAndre is the guy, well he's so incredibly
talented, right. You know people talk about how great Derek Williams was.
Dere was one hundred times better than for one year. Yeah, that's right.
That's why I have a hard time putting him. You know, in
there, Mike Bibby, Okay, okay, let me give you some line.
Se Sean is the fact on number one whatever, Damon number two,
and Bibby number three, yeah, and and you and you know you can
and you could make an argument for Khalid Reeves. But we talked about that
because he had a fantastic career, but he was so so unassuming good that
Yeah, and he didn't say too words. His good was so easy,
yeah right, his good, his good was just came so easy that it
looked like it was so effortless you thought you didn't realize how good he was.
Where did Jason Terry fall into this? Because he was fantastic in his
senior year. Yeah to me, Jason Terry, Well, he was key
to the ninety seven championship, he was, Yeah, but he was Player
of the Year ninety nine, but by default because they that team didn't have
a ton of talent. No player, they're in college basket, I know,
but that team didn't have a ton of talent. He had to score
thirty a game in order for them to be to compete. Sure, so
you know, would you say Richard Jefferson or Jason Terry? I take Jason
Terry. Okay, Okay, So now was rich Was Richard Jefferson a more
physically gifted player? Yes, the same as DeAndre eight all right, Deondre
and among those guys as physically gifted as any but if you want to give
me. You know, I like I like your I like Damon, you
know, because Damon was here four years, four years, you know,
and and he very he very, he was great. He ran that team,
you know, Mike baby obviously only two years, but damn it.
Without him, they don't even come close to they might even get to the
tournament without him, Okay, and and and Sean Elly. Okay, so
I'll throw a couple more guys, uh, Gilbert, but see again,
a guy who I feel like just had such a short stay and he's good,
was for a very short time, but he shocked the hell You're right,
he shocked the hell out of me in the NBA. Okay, okay,
And then I'll give you another one who who Luke would have said,
had he said four years, would have been the best player ever. Uh
oh god? And and he was good. He was good. He was
a pain. He was a pain in the people don't know that, but
he was. That's what I was. I want. I wanted to rescind
my DeAndre for Damon Stodham, yeah, okay, because I didn't think of
him for the one year. It was just yeah, yeah, if you're
gonna ask me to because what I was trying to think of is just as
a player, you know, I mean that guy. What we saw with
that guy was like you don't see a lot of them, No, no,
no, but they when when you're talking about when you throw everything in
there, great player, Uh for a good amount of time, did all
the things, didn't have a chink in the armor like DeAndre. Like some
days he showed up, some days didn't. Right, Yeah, give me
Damon Stodamayer over over DeAndre. But I like you, I like your Colid
because we mentioned if he had that movie. I just loved him. He
was so smooth, he was smooth. Loved him in fact that Luke Luke
was a better basketball player than a lot of them, except that he was
in physically gift right, he could jump about his high as a kingman phone,
right. But you wanted him on the team because he did so much
right. But yeah, you know, uh yeah, Damon was just yeah,
I mean you know, but and he so underestimated him because he was
so little, right, and you didn't realize all the things that he was
doing. So so he it's Sean Damon Bibby. But I'm gonna go in
if you have to draft Sean Bibby Damon. Oh yeah, I am too,
because Bibby was just so smoothest. Yeah, and and again with with
him, it seems so effortless as well. Bibby Yeah, you know,
I mean, you know, he's three point shooting, right, He's an
underrated three point shooter at Arizona because he made the right he made clutch ones.
I think of all the ones that he made in the in the you
know, in the final four that year. We talked about that too,
because if I'm voting, and I don't know if I remember if I voted
for the Final four, Bibby's the MVP. He's the m v P.
They gave it to They gave it to Simon because he scored an all the
points. But who ran that team, Mike bibby By, you know,
yeah, I mean Jason Terry could have done what what what Miles Simon did,
right, Nobody else could have done when Baby did on that team,
right, So many good players in that time. Yeah, and obviously that's
why they were who they were. Yeah, And in two thousand and one,
to me, that's still the better team of any of them. I
still don't agree with you you have eighty eight. Yeah, because you because
you covered your baby. Yeah. Yeah, they're my boy, they're my
voice. That's an ugly baby, but it's my at least, no,
it's expression. That's baby. It's my baby. Baby. Yeah. Yeah,
this baby is ugly, but it's not there number two of my book.
And yeah and yeah, because you know why and I understand because they
were good at all five spots, which the two thousand and one team,
yea, all five spots were you know, top of the line players.
Yeah, right, Arizona. You know, Tom Tolbert had his time in
the NBA, but he wasn't really a great college player, and he wasn't
a great college center. He was undersized, he was slow. But it
fit with what they did, right, you know, you go player for
player, you know, two thousand and five to two thousand and one to
nineteen eighty eight, and you know nineteen eight, two thousand and one is
going to have it over them on a few spots, right, you know.
I mean Steve Steve Kerr was a great shooter, very slow guard,
but he ran that. He ran ran the point really well. Craig McMillan,
you know, and a tall you know, shooting guard. But he
wasn't a shooting guard. He was He was just a guy who went out
to play great defense. He could make some three pointers. But you know,
are you gonna take Craig McMillan, A, You're gonna take Gilbert Arenas
or Michael Dickerson, you know, Michael Dickerson Gilbert Arenas, right? Are
you gonna Now you're gonna take Seawan Elliott over Richard Jefferson, right, but
then you're gonna take you know, gonna take Anthony Cook over over Woods over
Lauren Woods or or yeah, yeah, same kind of player. Then Tom
Tolbert against Michael Wraik. I'm taking Michael right right right? You know to
be as two thousand and one, eighty eight and then ninety seven, come
on? Who would ever thought that group? And they only got better ninety
eight and then they didn't get That group had two really good starters, Simon
and baby Well Dickerson pretty Dickerson, yeah, because he's floating. He came
and went, he came and went. And then you had Bennet Davidson,
who you wouldn't trust him with a with a five foot or right, but
could jump out of the gym and get you a tough rebound, and and
and and poor old uh Aj Bramlett, who I had to apologize to him
for the way I talked about him when he was here. You know,
you know that that team wasn't didn't have the load of talent that those other
two teams. That's it. That's why Alis and all you guys are gonna
say in in April, third, April fourth, c Steve. I trusted
him all along. I trusted them. I just didn't want to tell you.
I already said it on the record. I don't. This is beauty
about radio. No one remember. But who do you trust in college basketball?
Right now? Nobody? Right? You trust you? I don't.
But I haven't seen them enough to know that. Yeah, well I saw
him last year. And if they're a year better, that's all I need.
That's all I need to know. And you obviously aren't nobody trust for
due No right, you you trust Houston more than you trust for right then
after that, everybody's got five five losses or more, and you know anything
can happen. Did you watch the Kansas came last night? No? I
watched bits and paces of it. I didn't know what the score was.
Until I think I was watching the women's game and the score came maybe score
came across. I'm like, wait a minute. So I watched bits of
in the first half and they're getting as kicked, and I'm thinking Arizona fans
are gonna go ballistic next year when they go on the road and they face
these teams that are physical and they get off and they get beat by by
a Texas Tech or an Iowa Staler that I was staking, or Oklahoma Oklahoma,
No, they won't get No, Oklahoma's not the league, Olaoma State,
Olahoma State. Yeah, No, they're gonna have a tough They're gonna
have a tough time with those losses. Really, it's gonna be fantastic.
It's gonna be fun when they come here every game. I don't know if
it's gonna be fantastic from mice from from the fans side, Okay, because
you're just gonna hear people bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch bitch about you
know, oh, she's stayed in the PAC twelve. I can already hear
that. You can already hear that one. Let's go independent. How many
times you're gonna hear over under but this is gonna get us tougher for the
tournament. Well, yeah, because and that's the thing. You know,
you're gonna feel by the time you get to the end of a big twelve
season, you're prepared, you know what's coming. Whereas how many how many
times did we hear the pack twelve season did not prepare them for the n
C. You're hearing it now every year. You can hear it. We've
heard it every year all the way back to when Pete Williams was playing.
Like, I liked what you said about them making it to the lad eight.
I think that's good. Yeah, that's where your that's your mondo so
long. Yeah, I would like that. It would be fun. I
mean, it'd be in La that's almost where they got to get to.
Yeah, I think so. I think it really is. The thing is
becoming sort of you got to get to there, and I know fans will
be disappointed if they get there and don't, you know, don't get the
last step to the final four? Did you drive to We have no time,
but did you drive to when they played in two thousand and three to
naheih? Did you? And no? Three? No? But you went,
didn't you know I went to ninety eight. I thought you went in
and to watch him in Anaheim and they lost to Kansas. You no,
no, we were watching here. How was that road back? No,
we don't watch the road back from the ninety eight loss was awful. That
was awful. Okay. Plus I had my kid and he was five,
and he knew what they all happened to you. He was so mad.
He was so mad he my brother. All Right, thanks for being here,
everybody. We'll be back tomorrow with some more good stuff. So be
sure. All Valentine's Day we forgot Steve's not giving flowers to anybody. All
Right, we'll see you tomorrow