WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:07.639 This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Ja Gonzalez on Fox Sports 2 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:14.439 fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your Most Prized Possessions kat z 3 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:19.440 R two SAD at iHeartRadio STATIONIA. Good afternoon, Welcome down to the ball 4 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:22.839 here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm your host for the day. Steve 5 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:26.760 Stephen Vera is out. This is Ja Gonzales. Steve is up in Phoenix 6 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:31.480 with some NCAA tournament media project that he's been working on, and it takes 7 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.640 him out of pocket for a little bit. But he's up there doing some 8 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:38.719 media work with this this tournament thing that they're doing, and I'm showing him 9 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:42.799 more about it when we get closer to the tournament. But I've got intern 10 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:48.560 Sammy here to capably and faithfully fill in for Steve Davie. What's up, 11 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.240 Sammy? Not much, man, I'm ready to muck it up, make 12 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:55.320 it fun. I wrote some stuff down, went into went into some Arizona 13 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.079 analytics a little bit, and some deep numbers people might want to know. 14 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:02.719 That could well. As long as you push all the right buttons and make 15 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.959 me look not horrible, we're good. And then we'll try and keep the 16 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:10.079 conversation going, and of course we'll take your calls. Five to two zero 17 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:14.159 four one six seventy four forty five two zero four one six seventy four to 18 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.239 forty give us a call. We're gonna be talking to Arizona basketball here. 19 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:22.159 Coming up in a minute. We've got some clips from Tommy Lloyd's pre Washington 20 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:26.920 State press conference. Today. We're gonna have Michael lev from there Zone Data 21 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:30.959 Star is going to join us at about three to twenty. We'll just talk 22 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:34.599 about all the festivities of the last few days of the last week or so, 23 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.599 a new athletic director at Arizona, Tommy Lloyd's contract, and anything else 24 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.319 that's been going on. He's been out of baseball. He went and he 25 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.319 saw twenty twenty four to five win yesterday or something like that. It's something 26 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.439 awful. But Michael joined us for a little bit and then we start. 27 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:53.159 We're gonna start running through state champions in high school sports, and the first 28 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.400 one up is going to be the Gregory School Hawks. Their coach Craig I 29 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:01.200 think it's Everson might be ever, so we're gonna ask him. Uh head 30 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:07.239 coach over there won his third at at the Gregory School and the school's fifth. 31 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:14.319 So they they basketball. They beat North Valley uh a three point shot 32 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.159 with just under man and left was the was the was the difference against the 33 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:21.159 team that'd beaten earlier in the year by only two. So this was a 34 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:23.439 you know, a hard fought game. And so we'll talk to him about 35 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:27.680 winning his third. That takes me back. It seems like just the other 36 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:30.639 day I was playing high school basketball. That's gonna be sad a little bit. 37 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:32.520 Well, it doesn't seem like just the other day that I was in 38 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.719 high school. It was like ancient times. I'm you know, I think 39 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:39.680 of, you know, the Colisseum and the Parthenon, and I think that's 40 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:44.479 when I those were being built when I was in high school. But Tommy, 41 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:46.960 Tommy Lloyd had his press conference today. One he started off with some 42 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:52.599 non basketball subjects. I guess you could call him that little commentary about his 43 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.319 contract. He talked about hanging with Mike Candrea. Well during this time, 44 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:00.199 the Candrea has been the assistant A d had an interesting take on nil, 45 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:05.840 which will play later in the show because it'll generate some conversation, I think. 46 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:09.039 But he he did you know obviously previewed Arizona, I mean preview to 47 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:13.759 Washington State game, which is tomorrow night, nine o'clock game for those of 48 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.400 you who need an alarm clock. You know, I'm gonna have to go 49 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.280 home and take a nap to be on on my toes. But you know, 50 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:23.159 we're getting towards the end of the season. You know, things are 51 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:25.680 shaping up, and that's kind of what he talked about in this first clip. 52 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.080 Just you know, they're you know, things as he says, things 53 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.520 are shaking out. Let's see, here's what he had to say about the 54 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:36.479 place they are in the season and what he thinks of his team. Right 55 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:40.479 now. You're getting down to, you know, I mean towards the end. 56 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:44.240 So so things are tightening up and starting to take shape a little bit, 57 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:46.520 and and you got to take advantage of opportunities put in front of you. 58 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:51.039 And we have to and you know, our opponents saying and feeling the 59 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.639 same thing. So you know that that's what makes it, you know, 60 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.919 special nights. You know, I like where we're at. I know, 61 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:00.919 you know it hasn't been easy getting here, but but we never asked for 62 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:04.879 it to be easy. So I'm looking forward to you know, game by 63 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:09.719 a game as we go down the stretch of the season and seeing how the 64 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:12.639 scenes plays out. You know, I don't expect us to be perfect, 65 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.840 you know, but but hopefully, you know, we incrementally, we keep 66 00:04:15.079 --> 00:04:18.160 inching forward, and you know, as we get towards the end and you 67 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:21.839 get the tournament time, hopefully we're we're playing really good basketball. I mean, 68 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:26.040 that's my only hope. You know, they're they're on a six game 69 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.160 winning streak right a couple of those games on the road. You know, 70 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:31.839 you want them to get, you know, into a into a rhythm. 71 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.120 Uh And you're saying, you know, being in a rhythm is something that 72 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:38.079 they haven't been. I mean, they look like they were in it in 73 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.920 the first part of the season, but then it was up and down. 74 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:43.560 They went on a streak, they lost four out of nine. At one 75 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:46.360 point or something, they were five and four over a stretch. I think 76 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:49.959 the word that he used was incrementally And for me, at least the last 77 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:54.319 two to three weeks, you've I think it has gone a little under the 78 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:58.360 radar national in terms of what's been going on. Yukon until last night, 79 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:01.360 had been playing high, high quality basketball, you saw produced stumble against the 80 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.800 Howe State, but they've been playing good and there hadn't been this nationwide. 81 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:10.680 Like oh, Arizona's back in the team to beat in the country, and 82 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:13.199 all of a sudden they rattle off two wins on the road, which that 83 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:15.879 road trip is one of the hardest in the country. And now they come 84 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:20.439 back. This game tomorrow's, you would say, maybe one of the biggest 85 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:24.480 games of the season, even though it is at home. Washington State, 86 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.800 they're the last team to beat you of A on their home court, so 87 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.800 it's gonna be an interesting test. But incrementally, Tommy said, hopefully this 88 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.120 team does begin to peak in March. Right, well, you're gonna hear 89 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:40.399 me say some words that nobody ever would have thought would be saying today. 90 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:43.879 You know, at this point in the season, this game against Washington State 91 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.000 tomorrow night for first place in the Pac twelve. I mean, that's an 92 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:49.759 unbelievable statement to make. But when you think about the fact that Washington State 93 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:54.519 handled Arizona pretty well up in Wase, they beat him. You know, 94 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:58.920 Washington State wins this game, it's unlikely Arizona's gonna win the league because they've 95 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.839 lost the tiebreaker, they will have lots of time break to watch the state 96 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:04.040 they would have to pass them to win the league. You know, they 97 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:08.920 still got that LA road trip coming up. They've got Oregon coming to town, 98 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.439 they got to go to Asu. There still a lot of games left 99 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:15.399 for them to maneuver through. And if you want to win the league, 100 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.879 I think you have to win this game. Tommy said his guys are well 101 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:24.920 aware of, you know, where they are in the standings. He said, 102 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.959 They're not dwelling on it, but they are aware. We our guys 103 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:31.120 always, I mean, kind of have an idea you know where everyone's at 104 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.800 in the league. And I think that's important. I mean, you're you're 105 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:39.839 you're competing against eleven other teams for a regular season championship. So I don't 106 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:41.959 think you want to be naive and have your head in the stand But you 107 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:44.759 know, I think we for the most part, as we play it, 108 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:48.360 we understand that every game counts as one one win, one loss, and 109 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:50.519 so we want to stay focused on that. We don't. We try not 110 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:54.160 to get too complicated and say, well, if we win three of the 111 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.120 next four, I mean that that's for you guys. You guys, you 112 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.839 guys can play all those games. We don't, so but yeah, I 113 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.240 mean, I'm sure our guys, you know, I know, our guys 114 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:08.120 know you know what this game means and the potential impact you'd have on the 115 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.560 conference championship. You know, it's been a while since. You know. 116 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:14.079 Look, even early in the season, I mean when there's a last to 117 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:15.560 Washington State, we were like, what the hell? Right, you know, 118 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:18.680 how did that happen? Right? Well, they're good, they are, 119 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:23.480 And I mean we talk a lot about this year's Pack twelve being a 120 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:27.759 little down. USC is not good, Ucla is not not good. Oregon 121 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:32.199 is even not as good to Oregon stands there mediocre. So some teams had 122 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:36.360 to step up in Washington State and Colorado's playing really good basketball as of late, 123 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:41.560 aside from U of A thumping them at home. But those seem to 124 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:46.240 be the three teams that right now, if March Madness were to start tomorrow, 125 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:48.600 those would probably be the only three teams from the Pac twelve that would 126 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:51.399 get it. You'd have to think, right, yeah, I mean you're 127 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:55.480 yeah, you're saying that there's not much beyond that. No, and so 128 00:07:56.199 --> 00:08:01.079 to have Washington State come to Tucson ranked, and like you said, you 129 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:07.680 they didn't think that three weeks ago they'd be playing Washington State for really the 130 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:13.000 Pac twelve Conference championship, right like this the season championship, yeah, I 131 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:18.480 mean the regular season championship. They're on a seven game winning streak. They've 132 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:24.439 won ten of eleven. I mean, they're hot. You know, that 133 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:30.959 streak started with USC back in January they beat Arizona and they've just been on 134 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:33.240 a roll since since. They lost an overtime game to Cal, which I 135 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.200 have no explanation for. Where was that game? Was that Cal? Was 136 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:39.480 that Cal? You know, hard to win on the road, you know 137 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.559 again, Yukon knows that as well as anybody today. I mean, they 138 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:46.159 got thumped last night. So you know, this whole thing of you know, 139 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:50.039 it's hard to win on the road, and it is, and they're 140 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.279 in is what Arizona's got going for it tomorrow now? Yeah, because Washington 141 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:56.559 State they're twenty and six, well, Arizona's twenty and five. Yeah, 142 00:08:56.759 --> 00:09:00.919 you know, the Arizona's eleven and three in the league. Washington State's eleven 143 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.879 and four. I mean Washington State and they played you know, basically the 144 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:07.360 same schedule, so they've got to come here and that that's a big deal 145 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:09.879 for Arizona. That's what I was gonna say. That's the biggest thing of 146 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:15.559 if we've learned nothing this year, it's especially this year. It is extremely 147 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:20.120 hard to go on the road and win college basketball games. And UFA found 148 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:22.320 that out the hard way when they went to Corvallis. They lost to Washington 149 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:26.720 State, and they should they should have that salt in the wounds tomorrow and 150 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:31.080 listen, Washington State's coming to McHale, like you is gonna be comfortable. 151 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:33.679 We love playing at home. We haven't lost all year at home, right, 152 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:37.440 and so that's it's gonna be. It's a nine o'clock tip. That's 153 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:41.360 that's realistically no fun but fun, well, it's no fun for us. 154 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:45.559 I don't think the players really care, but you know, may I don't 155 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:46.960 know. Maybe Washington State guys do because they got to wait here all day 156 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.840 and wait for the game to start. But you know, when you said, 157 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:52.720 you know it's hard to win on the road, it's hard to win 158 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:56.000 on the road anywhere anywhere. You know, we saw last night you come 159 00:09:56.120 --> 00:10:01.200 goes to Creyton and Creighton's rank. So the Cran's a really good team, 160 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:05.679 I think, But but they got thumped. They didn't just lose, they 161 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:09.240 got the hell beat out of them, and it was bad, and it 162 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:15.000 was bad for a long time. You know, Yukon jumped out early. 163 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.279 I think they were up eleven to five or eleven to three or something like 164 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.399 that, and then all hell broke loose and the next thing you know, 165 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.759 Creighton's up by twenty and their places went crazy. They stormed the court. 166 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.519 But Cranon's a really good team and and Yukon went over there and clearly was 167 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:35.759 not ready. Yeah, as someone as two people that but had Yukon last 168 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.639 year, Yeah, it was it was not a great sight to see. 169 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.559 But again, Creighton's one of those teams where they have a lot of guys 170 00:10:43.559 --> 00:10:46.600 that were on their little little run last year, had her back, and 171 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:50.000 they play in a conference where every game is going to be a good game, 172 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:54.039 and frankly, they've been playing really good basketball at ESPN, like in 173 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:58.879 quotes on their lead today is Yukon ran into a buzzsaw and Creighton and that's 174 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:01.879 what it looked like last night. You can't up to last night. Some 175 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:05.559 people would still probably say they're the best team in the country. They looked 176 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:09.480 every part of it right, and that that does just show that no matter 177 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:11.840 your record, no matter where it is, if you go on the road, 178 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.320 you're going to be put to the test. And so that's right. 179 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.919 If you can win games on the road, it's it's that much more Well, 180 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.360 think about this, you know, hypothetically, Let's say the Arizona Washington 181 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:26.559 State game, the first one was in Tucson, and Arizona wins that game, 182 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:30.960 and Arizona's going to Washington State tomorrow. You're thinking they got no shot 183 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:33.159 or a very little shot. You're thinking that Washington State is going to the 184 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.080 likelihood of Washington State winning the game is very high. If this game is 185 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:41.919 in in in Pullman tomorrow, it's here, you know, you'd like to 186 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:43.159 think Arizona's gonna take care of business. They're on a roll. And the 187 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.879 forty five point thing that they did to AFC, that, I mean, 188 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:50.200 that was just mean. It was just mean and nasty. Yeah, but 189 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.159 we don't care, well, no, we don't, of course not, 190 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:56.039 but you know, I mean, just but what they did to AFCU, 191 00:11:56.120 --> 00:12:00.159 it tells you that they're playing pretty damn well. Yeah, and that seems 192 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:03.600 to be the case. A lot of when we get into late February early 193 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:07.200 March is when Tommy does have the guys playing really well. Right the last 194 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:11.720 what two seasons have gone to Vegas and won the Pac twelve Championship and then 195 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.720 in the actual tournament it hasn't been the same. So the the often question 196 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:20.639 of when is your team peaking or are they peaking at the right time. 197 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.559 Coach cal Perry talks about this all the time. I don't want my team 198 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:26.840 peaking in November. That's the last thing I want. I want them You 199 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:31.480 were scared that Arizona had done that. I and I'm I'm still a little 200 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.559 nervous. Let's play this one last clip before the break. We've got some 201 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.600 more. He had some things to say about a couple of his guys that 202 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:41.559 I want to make sure to play. But he talked about he just basically 203 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:46.120 talked about, uh, Washington State, what we can expect to see tomorrow 204 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:48.200 night. They're playing extremely well. I mean, they're they're they're you know, 205 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:52.519 they got a really unique mix of players and their coaching Staf's done a 206 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:54.960 great job putting them in you know, good positions. You know, defensively, 207 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:58.639 you know they're you know, they're kind of running this zone demand defense 208 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:01.559 that people are struggling to figure out a little bit. And and you know 209 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.000 it's not a junk defense because it's legit and they're they're doing a great job 210 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:09.519 with it. And then offensively, you know they're they're you know, they're 211 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:11.559 making sure the ball's in the right guy's hands. They got people playing their 212 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:15.799 roles really well. You know, they have two big guys that are really 213 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:20.679 unique and the fact that they can they can both are comfortable with multiple dribbles, 214 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:22.679 which you don't find a lot of big guys doing these days, and 215 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:28.240 and they're both good passers. So it puts you in in tough situations defensively, 216 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:31.919 you know, where you got to make some decisions. And and you 217 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.360 know they're you know, obviously their guard play. We talked about Rice earlier. 218 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.519 It's it's it's it's you know, it's been as good as we've had 219 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:43.320 in our conference this year. Again, you know, he knows they're good. 220 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:46.159 You know, Tommy's not gonna get caught by surprise, and you'd like 221 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.960 to think that the team's not going to get caught by surprise, and say, 222 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.879 these guys already beat them once, so I think its gonna be ready. 223 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.440 It's just gonna be a matter of okay, who plays better, right, 224 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.360 And early in the season when they lost to Washington State, it was 225 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.600 maybe was the fact that, Okay, Washington State is good, you'vey didn't 226 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:09.320 know how good they actually rire. And now I think the conference you've especially 227 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.080 and even though in the nation they' ranked twenty one in the country, like 228 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:16.320 they're starting to get attention from those that maybe weren't respecting them early in the 229 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:22.000 year. And that respect will be will be seen tomorrow night, and I'm 230 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:24.960 sure Tommy's hoping the fans are going to take this seriously enough to show up 231 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:28.120 at nine o'clock tomorrow night, because that's a that's a tough one. That's 232 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:30.480 a tough game to get started. All right, let's take our break where 233 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.600 to come back? Michael Levell join us from there was a daily start, 234 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:35.080 he's a columnist over there, and get his take on the new ad who 235 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:39.440 he met yesterday, and also talk a little bit about how Tommy's contract came 236 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:43.879 together. So stick around, make the right choice for your home when it 237 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.440 comes to windows and doors. 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Arizona Pest Control is 301 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:26.039 your complete desert pest management specialist tests can't run or hide from Arizona Pest Control. 302 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.440 They use only the latest and most technologically advanced methods of pest elimination available, 303 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:34.200 which minimizes the effects on the environment. Let Arizona Pest Control get rid 304 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:38.119 of your bad bugs, termites, bees, or rodents serving Tucson and Southern 305 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.519 Arizona since nineteen forty seven. Go to azpest dot com to schedule your free 306 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:51.680 evaluation today. Breaking down all the exes at OHS, It's Steve Rivera and 307 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:56.039 Jagin soommits. This is I on the Park on Fox Sports fourteenth fifty. 308 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:02.319 Welcome back on the balling on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm your host for 309 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:06.880 the Dave Jacobzalez that my buddy Steve Rivera is off on a different assignment. 310 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:10.400 I got interned Sammy here and now on the phone, we've got Michael lev 311 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:15.599 the sports columnist at the Airson Daily Star. Michael was with like everybody else 312 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.880 was at the press conference yesterday with Desiree Reed Francois, the new athletic director 313 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.319 at Arizona. So first of all, Michael, welcome, thanks for joining 314 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:26.319 us and give us here, you know, give us your initial thoughts on 315 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.200 the person we met yesterday. Yeah, she was very impressive in the press 316 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:40.039 conference. Like I feel like it was one of those situations where you're wondering 317 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:42.519 is the person going to win the press conference? As they say, and 318 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.920 I feel like she did for the most part. I wouldn't say that it 319 00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:51.559 was like a blowout victory, but a solid and convincing victory. To be 320 00:20:51.720 --> 00:21:00.279 sure. She's very deliberate in terms of what she said and how she said. 321 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.839 It's very much like what's your name, you know, give be your 322 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:11.119 name again and addressing people in that very personal way. And she clearly sad 323 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:17.200 fun this before. You know, like she was very polished. You can 324 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:21.440 tell that she knows how to quote unquote worker room, which I think is 325 00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:26.039 very important in that athletic director position the way that it is now. I 326 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:32.200 mean, it hasn't changed in this regard that much over the years, and 327 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:36.640 I think it's more important than ever that you need to be able to build 328 00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:40.920 relationships in order to raise money, right, I mean that's kind of that's 329 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:42.240 kind of the deal, Right, that's the job, and she has a 330 00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:47.720 track record of doing that, and she's you know, about to undertake that 331 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:52.160 task again, and so much of the job is you know, just getting 332 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:53.480 having the money, right, raising the money, but in her and so 333 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:57.359 she's coming into a place where they're sort of they've sort of been out of 334 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:02.000 money. Maybe that's over stated it, but they're you know, a huge 335 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:06.279 deficits. She's got to fix that, obviously with the help of the administration. 336 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:08.480 But you know, she's in a situation where, you know, it 337 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:11.559 may be tough to raise money because people are saying, well, what did 338 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:15.119 you do with what we've been given you? And why are you in the 339 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:18.720 situation that you're in. She has to fix that, and that's an added 340 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:23.279 challenge for somebody. Yeah, I mean, I think that's one of the 341 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:30.000 main reasons that Bobby Robbins targeted her, as she has shown that she can 342 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:37.720 raise money she can turn around a budget. She can uh, you know, 343 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:42.759 flip a balance sheet in a positive direction. She did that at Missouri. 344 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:47.039 It's not going to be easy for her to do it here. But 345 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:52.039 you know, it's also it's it's it's money, it's spreadsheets, it's as 346 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:56.480 as as Robin said, I mean, there's there's a lot of ways you 347 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.240 can attack the national debt, right you can you can cut, you can 348 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:03.279 grow, you can tax. There's a lot of different avenues that she can 349 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:08.079 pursue. I think naming rights is something that she's probably going to take a 350 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:15.680 long, hard look at as an additional revenue stream. And there's just an 351 00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:26.599 overall need to modernize the Athletic Department's finances and structure and outlook. You know, 352 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:30.000 I mean, things have changed. She herself said, it's like it's 353 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:36.640 like being the CEO of a one hundred and forty million dollar corporation these days. 354 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:41.400 And you know, I don't think that I'm a huge Dave Peky fan, 355 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:44.559 and I think he's a great guy, and I think he did a 356 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:48.079 really good job here, but I also don't think that he's a CEO kind 357 00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:52.880 of guy. And she seems like she's cut out of that mold and that's 358 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.559 exactly what Arizona needs. Is how much do you think how much do you 359 00:23:56.599 --> 00:24:00.000 think being a lawyer helps? Steve and I talk about that a little bit. 360 00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:03.400 To me, it's more from the you know, the way you know 361 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:07.319 a lawyer operates and thinks. You know, they they understand processes, there 362 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:11.039 certain way to do things, in certain ways not to do things. How 363 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:15.359 much does that help in a position like this do you think? Oh, 364 00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:19.960 I'm sure it helps a lot. You know, you're you're arguing right more 365 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:25.599 a case, you know, one way or the other. When you go 366 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.680 and when you go and meet people, you're trying to win them over right 367 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.119 to whatever it is that you know, your job is sort of asking you 368 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:37.680 to do. Whether that's you know, in a lot of cases that's going 369 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:42.240 to be raising money and you know, maybe people are tapped out or they 370 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:47.400 feel like they've given enough, but she's going to go in there and present 371 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:52.119 her case. That's that's why they should give more and what they're going to 372 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:56.960 get out of it. She was very I liked how she talked about surveys. 373 00:24:56.039 --> 00:25:00.640 She's like, I'm a big survey person and going to send out a 374 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:03.119 lot of surveys, so be prepared for that. But then she also added 375 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:08.039 that you know, we're going to listen to the feedback of people, right 376 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:12.839 and we're going to respond accordingly. I'll be very interested to see what she 377 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:18.359 thinks of the game day experience at football games, which I don't know, 378 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:21.960 Like I'm I'm kind of a traditionalist in that regard, Jay, Like, 379 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:25.599 I don't like the DJ and all the loud music, Like you've got the 380 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:27.799 band out there, let the ban, let the band play, Let that 381 00:25:27.880 --> 00:25:33.000 be the main source of the audio in addition to the crowd itself. You 382 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:37.200 know, I've heard a lot of complaints about the noise at Arizona Stadium. 383 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:41.759 So we'll see if that's one of the adjustments. That's what's coming based on 384 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:45.119 what she sees and thinks and based on the feedback she receives from those fans 385 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:49.599 surveys. You know, one of the things that that you know, struck 386 00:25:49.640 --> 00:25:53.920 me a little bit was that you know, she came here because she wants 387 00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:56.799 to be here again. You know, when when you're in Arizona, you're 388 00:25:57.079 --> 00:26:00.640 when you're a two Zona like me, or you're you know, longtime Arizona 389 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:04.319 fan or boostro whatever, that's kind of one of the things that you want 390 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:08.640 to see, right because Arizona is so often people coming to Arizona are on 391 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:12.599 their way to somewhere else. And we know that there's been a bunch of 392 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:18.119 coaches who've who've done that, h one more recently than others. But you 393 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:22.759 know that to me, you know, and that that's one way to capture, 394 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.839 you know, the Tucson community. And and you know, because regardless 395 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:32.680 of whether we think we're big or little or whatever, you know, the 396 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:36.680 Tucson wants people like them, and they want people to want to be here. 397 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:40.240 And and I think that's what Brent Brennan has sold. Uh, you 398 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:42.599 know, Tommy's done, And that's what I mean. Jed Fish sold that 399 00:26:42.680 --> 00:26:45.440 and then you kind of poop pooed it and walked out and walked out the 400 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:49.279 door. How how big of a deal do you think that is for her? 401 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:56.279 I think I have two different schools of thought on this. One is 402 00:26:56.440 --> 00:27:02.039 I think she could be someone who's here for a long time. I think 403 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:07.799 she will have an easy time connecting with the community. I mean, when 404 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:11.359 you start dropping references about loud Olsen in nineteen ninety seven, I mean that 405 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:18.200 goes a long way. Start with, She's also a Mexican American, which 406 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:25.039 I think will will help her to make a lot of positive relationships here in 407 00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:29.960 a community that has a huge Latino population. So I think those are all 408 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.119 sort of you know, on the one side, that trends toward yeah, 409 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:37.079 she's in here, she's in it for the long haul. On the other 410 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.240 side, you know, when you look at her resume, it's kind of 411 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:42.519 fish like, right, Like, she has jumped around a lot. She 412 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:47.480 was only at Missouri for two years. She was at ULV for four years. 413 00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:51.319 She seems like she's very ambious. So you know, this might be 414 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:53.519 a situation where she comes in and she's here for only a few years and 415 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:57.279 she fixes things and she moves on to the next thing. Now, if 416 00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:00.759 she does that, I think that would be fine. Yeah, Like, 417 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:07.720 I don't think people have the same emotional attachment to the athletic director that they 418 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:12.839 do to a successful football or basketball coach who decides to leave on their own. 419 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.359 Soolition right, right, So I don't think people would be all up 420 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:21.720 in their fields if she decided to leave after a few years. If she 421 00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:25.599 does the job that she's been tasked to do, exactly, because I do 422 00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:30.240 believe that in the end, you know, once once the I don't know 423 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:34.480 this hurt that some fans are feeling wears off with Jed. His legacy here 424 00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:37.599 will be that he came here and he fixed the football program, and he 425 00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:42.480 left it in really good shape, and without him, whatever success happens after 426 00:28:42.519 --> 00:28:45.720 that might not have happened. So you know, there'll be fans who ultimately, 427 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:48.720 I think we'll get to that. I mean, that's how people felt 428 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.480 about Larry Smith. They were pissed when he left and went to USC but 429 00:28:52.599 --> 00:28:56.559 they love the guy to you know, till he died because in the end, 430 00:28:56.599 --> 00:28:59.720 he put Airson a football on the map. So you're right, if 431 00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.359 she fix things and goes off to somewhere else, I think that'll be fine. 432 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:06.279 And I think, yeah, maybe fans have probably kind of said, 433 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:10.240 okay, we're fine, keep saying that you want to love your stuff like 434 00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.240 that, but if you leave, you know whatever, we'll we'll deal with 435 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:18.720 that. Yeah, It's just it's just not the same thing to me as 436 00:29:19.319 --> 00:29:23.160 as a football coach or even a baseball coach like k Johnson. You know, 437 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:29.319 people are really really upset, uh with Jay for leaving here on his 438 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:33.799 own. It's just not something that had ever happened before, like Arizona. 439 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:37.160 But an athletic director, I mean, look, they are kind of you 440 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:41.799 know, they are a front facing figure. They're out there in the community 441 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:47.799 a lot. They're they're you know, in the stands. They're the ones 442 00:29:47.799 --> 00:29:51.359 who are on the court, you know, during the during the timeouts, 443 00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:56.240 you know, handing over the trophies or the awards or whatever. But there 444 00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:02.519 just isn't the same attachment to with the athletic director among the fans there as 445 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:06.559 there is to a big time coach. Well, speaking of attachments to coaches, 446 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:10.839 Tommy Lloyd got his five year deal, uh five to six million, 447 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:15.599 five million, escalating the six million dollars. The deal got done. I 448 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:18.079 know, if there were fans out there freaking out because of what happened with 449 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:21.640 Jed and all the narratives you know, tied to that, Oh they're not 450 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:25.279 getting Tommy's contract done? What the hell is going on? It's done. 451 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:29.039 He talked a little bit about it at the top of the press conference today. 452 00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:32.839 You know, what did you hear? What do you know? Uh? 453 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:37.720 Is everybody happy? Uh? You know all of that stuff? Yeah, 454 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:44.279 I think a job well done by Bobby Robbins, I'm sure was very 455 00:30:44.680 --> 00:30:48.920 intimately involved in this particular proceeding considering the timing of it and not you know, 456 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:53.640 not having a full time athletic director in that seat while these negotiations were 457 00:30:53.680 --> 00:31:00.119 going on, a good job by Tommy's people as well, not making this 458 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:04.279 thing very public. You know, agents definitely have a tendency to do that 459 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:08.920 at times to create leverage for their clients. But you know, when you're 460 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:12.599 doing something like that during the seasons, you know, there aren't a ton 461 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:18.279 of openings out there. I guess Ohio State is open right now. Some 462 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:21.480 other jobs could come open, but hey, you know what, we don't 463 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:26.640 have to worry about that because Tommy Wood's not going anywhere. He has stated 464 00:31:26.680 --> 00:31:29.920 many times that you know, this is a place that he wants to be. 465 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:36.279 It fits his DNA, you know, like he's just he's not a 466 00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:41.400 big, ceady kind of guy. Maybe this is this is about as big 467 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.200 a city, uh a big a media landscape is he ever wants to deal 468 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:49.799 with. Yet it's one of the most successful programs in the country, right, 469 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:55.640 so he's kind of got the best of both worlds in that regard and 470 00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:00.160 This is a great and positive development for Desiree. Read francois one last thing 471 00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:05.319 for her to worry about, exactly. I've got the basketball coach locked up, 472 00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:09.240 not going anywhere. Everybody loves him for now anyway, and unless they 473 00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:13.240 flam out in the state tournament and then and then, you know, you 474 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:15.480 know how fans are. But he's done a great job, and I think 475 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:20.039 he's going to continue to do a great job. And he really seems like 476 00:32:21.079 --> 00:32:25.759 he is a great fit for this town, this this culture, in this 477 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:30.279 community. We're talking to Michael lev sports continence that there is on Daily Star. 478 00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:32.400 Michael, let's talk about the game tomorrow just briefly. We only got 479 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:36.039 a couple of minutes. You know, I was telling you, Sammy here 480 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:38.240 words that I didn't think we would be saying. You know, this time 481 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:42.559 of the year. Arizona's playing Washington State tomorrow night with just a couple of 482 00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:45.720 weeks left in the season for a first place in the Pac twelve. I 483 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:50.559 mean, holy hell, you know when it's just I mean, you're you 484 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:52.519 know, you're a you're a Pack ten Pac twelve guy. You were at 485 00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:55.079 USC, you covering USC before this, so you know, history of Washington 486 00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:02.200 State except for that period of time with with us in that period of time, 487 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:07.319 they've just not been any good. And now here we are basically have 488 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:10.160 the same record as there Zona, both overall and in the conference, although 489 00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:14.799 you know Arizona's had a tougher schedule. What are your thoughts on this game 490 00:33:14.839 --> 00:33:17.759 tomorrow night. Well, first of all, I think Kyle Smith has done 491 00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:24.119 a great job and he's definitely someone that I think some bigger programs will look 492 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:31.160 to poach in the offseason because of how well he has coached up to Cougars. 493 00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:38.599 Clearly, this is a big time revenge game scenario for the Wildcats, 494 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:43.480 and they have shown over the last couple of years that almost any time they're 495 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:46.559 in that situation they will come through in a big way. So I think 496 00:33:46.599 --> 00:33:51.039 they're going to win this game. The crowd will be hyped up, They'll 497 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:54.319 be hyped up. When they're motivated, they are really hard to beat. 498 00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:59.960 I'm a little bit worried about the back end of this home stand against Washington 499 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:04.400 just because it's such a tight turnaround. You've got a ninety and Thursday game 500 00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:08.119 and then a noon Saturday game that won't have nearly as much hype or buzz, 501 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:13.119 so I think they could be come out a little bit sluggish maybe in 502 00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:16.079 that game. Then again, you know, we thought they would be fatigued 503 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:22.239 for the Colorado game on the seals of that multiple overtime victory at Utah, 504 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.559 and it wasn't the case at all. They totally powered through it. So 505 00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:30.920 I think all those experiences that they've had over the course of this season are 506 00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:35.559 going to serve them well as we approach March. A little bit of a 507 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:38.920 letdown game concern for Saturday, but they've been through it before and they've shown 508 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:45.960 they can handle it. That speaks to a maturity factor that we you know, 509 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.440 that we really didn't see earlier in the season. It's going through those 510 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:52.800 experiences, learning from them, growing from them, makes you a better basketball 511 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:57.840 club. All right, Michael, appreciate the time. As always, We'll 512 00:34:57.840 --> 00:34:59.880 see you at nine o'clock tomorrow night. Be sure to get a nap. 513 00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:05.400 Thank you, kare talk to you soon. As Michael lev Sports comments that 514 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:08.440 there is a Daily Star, I'm always gracious to join us and always with 515 00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:12.679 great insight as well, So thanks for having him. So we're going to 516 00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:15.679 take our next break. We'll come back we've got a few more Tommy clips 517 00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:17.480 to play. It had some interesting things to say about a couple of his 518 00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:22.599 guys that I want to make sure that you see you're here, and then 519 00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:24.079 we'll take your calls five two zero, four, one, six, seventy 520 00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:28.000 four to forty We'll be right back. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, 521 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:30.400 you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look 522 00:35:30.440 --> 00:35:34.559 back at the Ludolsen era in my new book, Lessons from Lut It was 523 00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:37.559 a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches, 524 00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:39.920 and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, 525 00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:44.679 competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five 526 00:35:44.760 --> 00:35:47.960 years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Lut is an insight to how he 527 00:35:49.000 --> 00:35:53.119 built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot 528 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:58.760 RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this is former while get 529 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:01.960 Leman Huntley with aras on a health imagine how home GM can change your health, 530 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:06.719 your comfort, and your time. 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A team Security is looking for friendly outgoing event security guards and 546 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:21.840 event staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding 547 00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:25.039 services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. 548 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:29.480 We want you to join the Action. A Team offers a fun and exciting 549 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:32.519 opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are 550 00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:37.079 perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come 551 00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:40.039 be a part of a winning team The A Team. Apply online today at 552 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:49.199 a team security dot net. Streaming live on the iHeartRadio app. This is 553 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:53.679 I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen to 554 00:37:53.679 --> 00:37:59.239 fifteen. Welcome back by on the balling on Fox Sports fourteen fifty on Jacobzalez. 555 00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:02.639 My usual co host st Ribera is off on another assignment to this afternoon. 556 00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:07.400 I've got intern Sammy here capably filling in for Steve and giving us some 557 00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:09.960 really good insights so far, and so Sammy, thanks for being here. 558 00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:14.320 Of course, just had to chat with Michael lev about well, about a 559 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:16.880 bunch of things about the Tommy Lloyd's new contract, which look it's done. 560 00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:21.320 It's out of the way, let's move on. Tommy did have a little 561 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:25.440 comment about that at his press conference today and it kind of answered it in 562 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:29.800 the most Tommy way. I mean, obviously, but you know, I 563 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:31.960 mean I don't I don't coach for a contract. I mean I coach for 564 00:38:31.960 --> 00:38:36.199 a Thursday's game. You know, I'm looking forward to that. And you 565 00:38:36.199 --> 00:38:38.280 know, there's obviously a business side to everything, and and you know, 566 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:42.079 I'm pretty fortunate to end up on a good side of it. But you 567 00:38:42.119 --> 00:38:45.559 know, I slept last night like I usually sleep, you know, ate 568 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:51.360 the same microwave dinner I usually eat. So I don't think nothing's really changed 569 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:54.440 in how I'm approaching things. What do you think that microwave dinner is? 570 00:38:54.519 --> 00:39:00.199 Jay? You know, I'm guessing one of those little like raviol and cheese 571 00:39:00.440 --> 00:39:04.599 thing kind of thing. You know that you get a little green box and 572 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:07.920 you just pop it in there three minutes and it's out. I was thinking 573 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:10.440 more of like a Hello. I think he's like a Hello fresh guy, 574 00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:15.559 Like he gets some of those microwavable things from like Costco. I was singing, 575 00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:17.920 like some vegetables, mashed potatoes, and some chicken. But you know 576 00:39:19.079 --> 00:39:22.400 that's a classic answer back in the day, man, it was TV dinners, 577 00:39:22.679 --> 00:39:27.039 the TV dinner with the with the fried chicken, the corn, the 578 00:39:27.079 --> 00:39:30.920 mashed potatoes and gravy, and then the dessert that burned your tongue because it 579 00:39:30.960 --> 00:39:34.280 was so damn hot. So you know, like an apple pie or cobbler 580 00:39:34.360 --> 00:39:37.199 or something like that. But those things took like an hour to cook, 581 00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:39.559 to cook in the oven. So you like, you can't you didn't have 582 00:39:39.719 --> 00:39:44.079 We didn't. I'm from an area that didn't have microwaves, so that'll that'll 583 00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:45.880 tell you how old that is. Gotch So but uh, you know, 584 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:51.920 again, the contract's done. Everybody should be happy. And as as Michael 585 00:39:52.199 --> 00:39:54.880 Michael lev said, you know, it's something that the new ad doesn't have 586 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:59.719 to worry about, right. It's it's all taken care of something that struck 587 00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:04.280 me in I don't know if you've got this, Hammy, but both in 588 00:40:04.360 --> 00:40:10.639 the release regarding Desree read Francois and in the release regarding Tommy's contract, a 589 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:14.920 lot was made of the fact that a lot of this money is coming from 590 00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:16.599 Boosters, and I get it, you know if i'm their PR guy, 591 00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:20.880 saying you need to say that some people don't think you're spending all this money 592 00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:24.159 that you don't have. But to me it also sounded like, is there 593 00:40:24.199 --> 00:40:30.480 more money because things are changing over there? You know, have they gone 594 00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:32.440 out and convinced people that we need to fix this and we need some help 595 00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:36.119 doing it. I mean, all of a sudden, there's all this booster 596 00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:38.880 money being thrown around. Yeah, if you were if all this were to 597 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:43.079 happen, had to have happened like a couple of weeks ago, we would 598 00:40:43.079 --> 00:40:46.039 have been asking, Okay, what is this money situation, Like how deep 599 00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:51.800 is it actually going? What are the size of the pockets of boosters people 600 00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:54.960 at the university? And I think there was some not a lot of time, 601 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.960 but there was some as the dust settled with the whole university money thing, 602 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:05.079 the athletic department and how they spend their money, and obviously probably Dave 603 00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:09.239 Hekey was the fall of that. But having that kind of been a couple 604 00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:13.920 of weeks, now we get into a new athletic director. Everyone's happy, 605 00:41:13.960 --> 00:41:16.039 we get Tommy Lloyd back, We're we have a new football coach, and 606 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:22.320 it seems as though some levels of excitement people now begin to forget about some 607 00:41:22.440 --> 00:41:28.239 of the dollars yep and I have not heard one person say, what are 608 00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:30.760 we doing paying the basketball coach five million dollars a year? No one, 609 00:41:30.840 --> 00:41:35.800 I don't think you'll get one. Yeah, or if somebody says that they're 610 00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:39.159 gonna get smacked down, really yeah. And I mean it's also too like 611 00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:50.199 you'd think that Arizona basket men's basketball is probably the highest maybe liked watched program 612 00:41:50.199 --> 00:41:53.199 at the University of Arizona. And so we quote unquote have had our guy 613 00:41:53.320 --> 00:41:57.639 and now we have our guy for even longer. So no one's going to 614 00:41:58.880 --> 00:42:02.000 get upset, like you said, or speak a bad word about this contract 615 00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:07.159 extension until stuff does hit the fan, which hopefully it doesn't anytime soon. 616 00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:08.039 Right, Well, I'm getting if they go lose in the first round, 617 00:42:08.119 --> 00:42:12.360 people start losing that. That was a question I was gonna ask you, 618 00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:15.840 like what cause I think Arizona fans are very loyal to their team, but 619 00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:21.480 they're no Ohio State fan where in football? If they're not in the the 620 00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:23.039 colleg football playoff every year, coach day is going to be gone. So 621 00:42:23.079 --> 00:42:28.079 what, like, what does it what would it take for people to be 622 00:42:28.199 --> 00:42:31.039 like, is Lloyd on the hot seat? Well, well, to be 623 00:42:31.119 --> 00:42:34.480 on the hot seat is one thing that takes a few years. But let's 624 00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:37.199 remember that. You know, after they lost to Princeton, you know, 625 00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:40.519 there aren't a lot of people saying he can't coach, he can't coach under 626 00:42:40.559 --> 00:42:45.400 pressure. He you know, he what he did, what he did in 627 00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:49.400 the first years with with the Shawn Miller's players. You know, we don't 628 00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:52.800 you know, we don't think he can recruit. People are really on him 629 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:54.159 about that. And you know he owned it. I mean he came out 630 00:42:54.159 --> 00:42:57.320 and said, look that that was on me. I own it. But 631 00:42:58.199 --> 00:43:04.000 they'll they'll turn, they will turn. Now, you know, you keep 632 00:43:04.039 --> 00:43:07.360 winning games and keep you know, giving yourself a chance. Look, Lout 633 00:43:07.559 --> 00:43:10.440 went through a stretch of you know, a bunch of first round losses. 634 00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:15.639 I mean, he was only the second NCAA tournament team ever to lose as 635 00:43:15.639 --> 00:43:20.000 a fifteen seed. When they got beat by Santa Clara. The year before, 636 00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:22.480 they had lost as a I mean, they were a two seed lost 637 00:43:22.480 --> 00:43:27.440 to a fifteen seed. The year before they were a three seed and lost 638 00:43:27.480 --> 00:43:31.079 to a fourteen seed. And you know, nobody said get rid of him, 639 00:43:31.719 --> 00:43:37.320 but it gave him. I don't want to say it tarnished to him, 640 00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:40.079 but for a period of time because then they go to the final four, 641 00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:44.119 and then the next year they lose in the first round again, so 642 00:43:45.079 --> 00:43:49.119 people kind of like it was like they were uncomfortable with, you know, 643 00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:52.679 the first round games because he had lost a few. But there was never 644 00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:54.280 a time they said we're going to get rid of him. Yeah. It 645 00:43:54.320 --> 00:43:58.880 almost feels like because of that there was added pressure. There was never. 646 00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:02.199 There was never like Loot is on his way out right more. We just 647 00:44:02.280 --> 00:44:06.480 we need to win the game. He can't be losing those games, right, 648 00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:08.800 And I think for a while, at least with Tommy again, they're 649 00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:15.679 twenty and five and twenty and five, twenty five, Yeah, because if 650 00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:17.880 yeah they lost three conference games and then Purdue in Florida Atlanta, they're twenty 651 00:44:17.880 --> 00:44:23.119 and five. You know, he's probably going to get to thirty wins again 652 00:44:23.239 --> 00:44:29.239 or close to it, close to you know. I do think Arizona fans 653 00:44:29.239 --> 00:44:35.280 are so unreasonable that they would say get him the hell out of here if 654 00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:37.760 he can't get to the final four. Yeah, And I mean he's already 655 00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:42.239 broken wins records right whatever it may be, and he's going to continue to 656 00:44:42.280 --> 00:44:45.760 do that because he is he is a fantastic. He's a really good coach. 657 00:44:45.840 --> 00:44:49.800 And if you like you and I do, we watch our fair share 658 00:44:49.840 --> 00:44:53.519 of Arizona games. You're you're around him at least a decent mountain. You 659 00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:58.880 kind of understand his persona, and he's a guy that lives, breathes dies 660 00:44:58.960 --> 00:45:02.159 Arizona basketball. And if you don't want that guy coaching your team, even 661 00:45:02.199 --> 00:45:07.159 if it takes a couple of first round, second round exits, then are 662 00:45:07.199 --> 00:45:10.760 you really? Are you really? Yeah? Exactly? Like that's the thing 663 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:15.559 he paid his dues at Gonzaga. He was there for twenty plus years. 664 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:22.480 And if he can continue any any success like he's had in this to two 665 00:45:22.519 --> 00:45:24.800 and a half year span for the next twenty years, Arizona's gonna be just 666 00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:28.079 not be happy to have him. Don't be happy to have him? All 667 00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:30.760 right? He did had I wanted to play some comments he had on a 668 00:45:30.800 --> 00:45:32.960 couple of guys, because yesterday Steve and I have talked about the fact that, 669 00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:38.159 you know, for some reason, there's some thinking that the player of 670 00:45:38.199 --> 00:45:43.440 the year packed up player of the year is at Colorado, which is unbelievable. 671 00:45:43.719 --> 00:45:46.679 They're middle of the pack team. You know, whether whether you're talking 672 00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:53.760 about uh uh, Cody Williams Williams or the other guys, kJ Simpson, 673 00:45:54.760 --> 00:46:00.480 whichever one you how do you put them above Caleb Love? You can't, 674 00:46:00.559 --> 00:46:04.800 right, you know, Cody Simpson had I mean, Cody Williams had eight 675 00:46:04.840 --> 00:46:07.119 points against Arizona in the game up there. Eight points. Now, he 676 00:46:07.119 --> 00:46:09.960 didn't play in the first game when Arizona blasted Colorado, and that was probably 677 00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:14.960 one of the reasons they blasted Colorado. But if you looked on the if 678 00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.199 you watch that game, Cody Williams is maybe the fifth or sixth best player 679 00:46:19.239 --> 00:46:22.480 on the court. You think, where would he start at Arizona. I 680 00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:25.480 mean, he would start at Arizona. He's he's going to be a lottery 681 00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:29.280 pick. I know he's going to be a lottery pick. But he's very 682 00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:34.079 good. Like the whole starting Arizona thing's tough because this team's really found a 683 00:46:34.119 --> 00:46:37.039 groove, found a rhythm. But I mean it is hard. I don't 684 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:39.440 know, it's it's hard to it's hard to play that hard. But he 685 00:46:39.440 --> 00:46:43.320 would he would be in the lineup, I would say. But well, 686 00:46:43.320 --> 00:46:45.320 here, here's here's what Tommy had to say about about Caleb Love, and 687 00:46:45.400 --> 00:46:49.360 he was that there basically, don't you think he should be you know, 688 00:46:49.400 --> 00:46:52.039 player of the year. I mean, I'm gonna let his performance speak for 689 00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:55.639 itself. I Mean, all I can say is he's He's been great to 690 00:46:55.639 --> 00:47:00.320 coach. You know, He's been very consistent in his approach to things. 691 00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:04.480 And you know, I'm proud of him. I'm proud of him. You 692 00:47:04.519 --> 00:47:06.719 know, we have a lot of work to do, you know, so 693 00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:10.239 so we'll share all the you know, all the over the top comments for 694 00:47:10.679 --> 00:47:14.920 compliments for later. But I'm proud of him, and you know, I 695 00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:19.400 think it's a great story and that this is a young man who you know, 696 00:47:19.400 --> 00:47:22.239 obviously has been a talented basketball player for a while, and you know 697 00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:24.400 he had to kind of endure and overcome some tough times. And for him 698 00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:28.760 to see see him come out the other side of that, hopefully better than 699 00:47:28.760 --> 00:47:30.719 he was before, it's really cool and it's fun to be part of that. 700 00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:36.519 Yeah. I mean, look, I like everybody else, you know, 701 00:47:36.559 --> 00:47:37.599 when they said they were getting Caleb Love and I thought, well, 702 00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:42.440 how does that fit with Kylin Boswell and you know everybody else for getting you 703 00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:45.440 know, he had he had the reputation of being, you know, somebody 704 00:47:45.480 --> 00:47:47.800 who didn't share the ball at North Carolina, those kinds of things. He 705 00:47:47.800 --> 00:47:51.920 had been to a final four, and you know, we hear things, 706 00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:55.719 and whether they're legit or not, we hear things and you develop an opinion 707 00:47:55.840 --> 00:48:00.400 of somebody with that stuff, and it's completely unfair. Yeah, but it 708 00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:05.280 happens. Yeah. I mean when he went on that run with UNC, 709 00:48:05.760 --> 00:48:07.920 I'd been for I wanted to go to North Carolina. That was my dream 710 00:48:07.960 --> 00:48:12.719 school. So I grew up watching a lot of North Carolina basketball and still 711 00:48:13.039 --> 00:48:15.039 like obviously being here at the UVA or they're my team, but I'd always 712 00:48:15.159 --> 00:48:17.920 root for you and see. So when they went to the final four in 713 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:22.480 national championship, was like, dang, that team's good. Caleb Love was 714 00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:29.000 kind of the rock behind him and Armando Baycott, and so hearing the rumors 715 00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:31.280 that oh he's back in the portal and he came to Tucson, I got 716 00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:36.320 it really excited. And I know people talk and there's his reputation, but 717 00:48:36.360 --> 00:48:39.880 the fact of the matter is the play that he's put on this year deserves 718 00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:45.079 and I think kind of not by a mile but a decent margin. He's 719 00:48:45.079 --> 00:48:47.559 the best player in the Pac twelve. Yes, and again you know, 720 00:48:47.599 --> 00:48:52.639 the best player on the best team. And he's not just kind of the 721 00:48:52.639 --> 00:48:57.159 best player, he's the best player by a lot. I mean, yeah, 722 00:48:57.199 --> 00:48:59.880 you could, you could argue a little bit. In the last like 723 00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:02.800 month, pell has been right there. I think if Pele is not a 724 00:49:02.840 --> 00:49:07.280 first or second All Pack twelve team, there's something's wrong too. I think 725 00:49:07.320 --> 00:49:09.239 one things with him is he's a little understated. Yeah right, sure, 726 00:49:09.400 --> 00:49:14.760 you know, his game is kind of he does it's it's unflashy. You 727 00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:17.280 don't realize how how much of an impact he's making on the team. And 728 00:49:17.320 --> 00:49:21.719 we've talked about that a lot this this this season. The other person, 729 00:49:21.760 --> 00:49:23.840 the other player you talked about is Jaden Bradley again, you know, we 730 00:49:23.840 --> 00:49:29.480 we we talk a lot about this. Evan Mikawa's ratings and Jaydon Bradley is 731 00:49:29.480 --> 00:49:35.679 the highest rated player for Arizona. Isn't that crazy country? And so Tommy 732 00:49:35.760 --> 00:49:38.960 was asked about just the contribution that Jaydon Bradley has been making. I know 733 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:42.599 it's in him, you know, I think it's just for him kind of 734 00:49:42.960 --> 00:49:45.840 being able to figure out what it looks like it feels like in game situations, 735 00:49:46.280 --> 00:49:47.800 you know, I mean, you know, he did a much better 736 00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:52.159 job, you know, tacking you know, downhill for for simple finishes and 737 00:49:52.199 --> 00:49:54.719 getting on two feet. You know, those are things we know, we've 738 00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:58.960 been trying to encourage him to do. And his shootings really come along. 739 00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:00.760 I mean, you can really see that and feel that. I don't know 740 00:50:00.760 --> 00:50:05.119 if he's ever going to be a high volume, you know shooter, but 741 00:50:05.119 --> 00:50:07.079 but you know, I think, you know, the good shots he takes, 742 00:50:07.079 --> 00:50:09.840 he's gonna have ability to make, and he's shown that over the course 743 00:50:09.880 --> 00:50:14.320 of the season. So I'm I'm really proud of JB and his contributions, 744 00:50:14.360 --> 00:50:16.280 and you know, and and and I know he's a winner, you know, 745 00:50:16.320 --> 00:50:20.079 and I'm glad other people are starting to see that now. And when 746 00:50:20.079 --> 00:50:23.400 you think about it, these two guys came from somewhere else and just you 747 00:50:23.440 --> 00:50:27.599 know, have jumped right in, fit right in. And Tommy's had a 748 00:50:27.599 --> 00:50:30.079 way of doing in the In a couple of years that he's been here, 749 00:50:30.079 --> 00:50:34.920 You've seen him bring guys from nowhere or you know, just out of the 750 00:50:34.920 --> 00:50:37.800 out of the blue and make them really good players. I mean, the 751 00:50:37.840 --> 00:50:45.239 two guards that they had last year, uhh uh. Come on, Sammy 752 00:50:45.320 --> 00:50:51.679 the guy from Texas Courtney Ramy Courtney Rami and uh and Henderson. Uh what 753 00:50:51.800 --> 00:50:55.199 was his name? Oh yeah, Henderson from Yeah, he ended up starting 754 00:50:55.800 --> 00:50:59.519 you know when they went you know when they when they put pelout back on 755 00:50:59.559 --> 00:51:02.159 the bench, come off the bench. He just you know, and look, 756 00:51:02.400 --> 00:51:06.039 the good coach is going to need to do that in this era, 757 00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:10.039 and Tommy's doing that as well as anybody. Yeah, Bradley there, the 758 00:51:10.079 --> 00:51:15.119 advanced stats love him. And he's in Arizona's quote best five man lineup, 759 00:51:15.400 --> 00:51:19.360 right, it's him. It was. It was an interesting lineup, but 760 00:51:19.400 --> 00:51:22.000 he was a part of it. And he he does a lot of things 761 00:51:22.000 --> 00:51:29.199 that come when it's backs against the wall in March and you're down to with 762 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:30.440 five minutes left, he's a guy that's gonna be on the floor. And 763 00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:34.960 we haven't even gotten to kJ Lewis, who has just been spectacular the last 764 00:51:35.280 --> 00:51:37.559 stretch of games. Oh, he's exciting. He's fun to watch. It 765 00:51:37.599 --> 00:51:40.280 did be interesting to see, you know, when he's not coming off the 766 00:51:40.280 --> 00:51:45.159 bench. Sure, he's all right, let's take a break. At the 767 00:51:45.159 --> 00:51:47.119 top of the hour. We're gonna come back. Sam, he's going to 768 00:51:47.199 --> 00:51:51.400 have breaking news. We've got some stuff going on, and then we're gonna 769 00:51:51.599 --> 00:51:53.800 we're gonna talk to high school basketball in the in the second hour, so 770 00:51:53.880 --> 00:51:54.639 stick around for all that