Steve Rivera and Jacob Salis they have their Eye on the Ball on Tucson Sports
Stage Chef Fox Sports fourteen fifty talk about Tie on the Ball. I'm your
host, Jagan Zalas. Steve my buddy, Stea Rivera is on the road
headed to Phoenick for their Alabama I almost forgot where he was going for the
Alabama Arizona game coming up tonight at nine o'clock. You can catch it on
ESPN, or you can listen to our first hour guest, Ryan Hanson doing
the game with Brian Jeffries on Wildcat Sports twelve ninety, the competing station with
us, but nonetheless friendly. So all right, so we've got to do
have some breaking news to cover for with you, and it's not all recruiting
stuff. So well, we're about ready to lisis Eye on the Ball breaking
news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. All right, we did a few little
recruiting tap bits to come in here. But some of the big news of
the day is that Oregon State and Washington State are taking their non football sports,
including men's and women's basketball, over to the West Coast Conference. From
a basketball standpoint, they're gonna be in there with Gonzaga and that that group
of teams. But football is gonna stay separate. They're gonna play a mount
West Conference schedule this next school year, but at least for the twenty four
to twenty five academic year, the the other sports are going to be in
the West Coast Conference. I can't believe it's come to that. There's just
no PAC twelve. It's gone. Unbelievable, it's gone, the last remnant
of it. That's that's one of the all time bungle jobs in sports history.
Yeah, you're not gonna get an argument for me. That's crazy.
That got butchers went from it went from all right, they're just working on
a TV contract this, and then there's just no conferences gone. It's gone.
It's just like that. It's dissipated in a year. Yeah, it's
unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah. So again in Oregon State, Washington State,
they've got seven Mountain West Conference games next year. They're not part of the
conference championship or anything like that. They've got, you know, other games
to fill in their twelve game schedule. I suppose they're considered group of five
if it comes to play. I don't know what I don't think that the
that the college football playoff has decided where they fit. Let's say one of
them goes undefeated. Did they get in a twelve team playoff? I assume
that right, Yeah, they'd have to. Yeah so, but I bet
you they'll treat them like Notre Dame, like an independent, as an independent,
yeah, but not not like Notre Dame in that if they go all
right, in the fact that I think it would happen, for sure,
get into you're gonna be considered closer to a group of five team than a
you know, a true independent. Uh. Fortunately, we don't have any
any news from that awful incident up and up in Vegas today, but I
have to mention that that's just still something to me that's just unbelievable. It's
just unbelieved. I still I'm still trying to wrap my head around around what
all of that is. What are you gonna say? There were more details
that came out about it that he that will that he's being charged with kidnapping
now because he can he outed. No, I don't think he's getting murder
charge. I what I read that was they gave him a deal, saying,
hey, if you give us the details on your ex girlfriend. Now
we will just charge you with Oh, they won't charge you with the murder.
Correct, Well, they wanted all the details on her. Okay,
I'm gonna have to I have to take at the break looked that up,
because that is I can't imagine anyway. Okay, let's get past that.
We did report extensively on on the sudden departure of of uh, the south
Point coach suth point from I don't I don't know football. I'm sorry,
that's not why you brought me in here. Come on, you can't show
up with the breaking news topic and you don't know the person's name. I
had him, I had him. Uh, next move on. Anyways,
they pat Ryding, who's who's been a local coach? He's uh, he's
he's been assistant at Pima. Eric Rogers is the guy who left. He's
left sudden, just suddenly resigned, uh, he said in a statement.
He announced to be with his family. But pat Ryding, he's been he's
been a coach here in town, I included at south Point. He's been
hired to be the south Point football coach. A program that's been pretty good,
even even recently. So Pat right in the new the new coach at
South Point on the on the recruiting side of it, Uh, Dan walkin
a USA today ranks Dion Sanders and Colorado is having the best transfer portal recruiting
class or transfer that means something, class, which is that means something.
There's all these rankings, just like our high school rankings. You now have
portal. Where did they? Where did he have all miss? Look,
let's see if they have done the list? Uh, because Ole Miss has
gotten some dudes. Yeah. Uh, well, this story is about Dion,
so it's about Colorado. Gotcha. I can't say what the what the
recruiting ranks. That's by Dan Wilkin again past guest to the show. Not
on the not moving up on the recruiting rankings as Florida, who in the
last few weeks has lost three five start players uh and and three four star
players. Five of those are flips and one is saying he's not signing today
and he may not sign. Florida is is quickly becoming Nebraska, very quickly
becoming Nebraska. And when you've got Oklahoma and Texas moving in over this year,
you know they're dropping some rungs and uh, and it's not. It's
not going to Nebraska though they got the number one kids in the country.
They did. They got the number one transfer to a Dylan No transfer,
he's a he's a quarterback. Oh yeah, the recruit he was he was
flip from Georgia. Well, he'd flipped from Ohio State and then to Georgia
and now and he went to like four different high schools. I don't I
don't know. Again at a recruiting is different. It's it's way different now
and the stuff that you got to deal with. But that definitely something that
has gotten kind of crazy. Okay, we're slipping over to the NBA because
Shaq last night, uh Shaquille O'Neal on the NBA of Post Games d after
this great shot that Steph Curry made to win the Game of all he shout
into the raptors said he deserves to be in the conversation or the greatest NBA
player of all time, not just not just the top like the greatest.
Okay, what do you go first? What do you think? No?
No, what? No, He's not the greatest NBA player for sure,
but does he deserve to be? Can you be in the conversation. Yes
you say yes, yes, I'm not. I don't know he is maybe
yeah, No, he's the most influential influential basketball player maybe ever, certainly
since Michael Jordan. No, no, no, no, no, no.
Michael Jordan didn't change the game like Steph Curry's changing game. That okay,
all right. Teams play differently, teams construct rosters differently because of inlet
player players played. Let me simplify this. Okay, let me simplify this.
People, after Steph Curry teams and organization gms, they finally realized that
three points are worth more than two. Okay, it took him a lot
of time to figure that three is worth more than two. But the game
is different. It is different. It is different. And when you think
about guys like you know, well again you go to the fact that you
know, a guy like Zach Edy basically has no future in the No,
he doesn't, because the center can't be a guy who plays with us back
to the back, be Anthony David make shots. It's got to be Anthony
Davis. It's got to be a guy, maybe not quite Kevin Durant,
but somebody who's got some of those capabilities to step out, make shots,
run the floor. He can't be a two hundred and ninety pound guy running
up and down the Zach Eady would have been the number one draft pick last
year and he or if sorry, if this was two thousand and one,
Zach Ei he would have been the number one draft back. Well, he's
not gonna get drafted last year, you know, I mean, it's it's
possible that from a back to the basket kind of guy, that DeAndre Ayton
had to be the most athletic non you know, I know what you mean,
center. You know that that plays that game as opposed to the step
out of the Anthony Davis game. Well as athletic as anybody could be.
And he's just kind of a so so guy in the NBA. He wasn't
with the Sons. That's kind of a common misconception. DeAndre Ayton was really
good with the He's now becomes social because the trail lasers are dog water.
Yeah, but with the Suns, he was very good. Yeah, but
he wasn't. He was he was. I mean, let me look this
up, but he no, I hear you, But again not he's not
the what the what the NBA teams are looking for anyway, Yes to no,
he yes, I mean he's not your typical back to the basket center.
He does step out and shoot jumpers. He's not shooting threes, right,
but he isn't Zachy if that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah, so
I mean, look he Okay, last year he ever eighteen points and ten
rebounds. Okay, give me five players who are in the conversation as the
greatest NBA players, Okay, Michael Jordan, Lebron, James, Kareem Abdul
Jabbar, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. Kobe. Steph is better than
Kobe. Okay, all right, I'll accept that. I'll accept that I
didn't even say Steph is better than Larry Bird. Yeah, I'll accept that
Steph might be better than Magic Johnson. Certainly a better shooter than all of
those guys. Yeah, I mean, you know he of course he's not
the best player. But you can talk about him up there. Yeah,
Like at what number? Is it legit? Yeah? To say, like
is he not one? Not two? Yeah? Are there ten guys in
the conversation? Are there eight guys in the conversation for best of all time?
It's two realistically, But like when you're talking about the best of all
time. He's in there. He's one hundred percent. Okay, so you
know you can go you can go to anyone of a bunch of numbers.
You go to ten and say, okay, if Steph Cray is going to
move into the top ten, who you who you're kicking out? Oh God,
I don't know. Yeah right, I mean he's easily top ten.
Yeah, we could sit in here, name ten. I think he's closer
to five than he is the ten. Is it closer to five than he
is the one? Yeah? Is he three? Uh no, probably not
yet, so he's four or five? Yeah? Maybe. I mean I'd
have to look at all this. I don't think it's completely unreasonable to say
he's in the discussion for one of like the best of all time. He's
one of the greatest of all time for sure. Is he the best of
all time? No? No, not, but he's you know, certainly.
You know, I love what It's crazy, like you know, everybody,
a lot of people talk about lebron and losing titles. Most of these
guys like a Michael Jordan a they didn't run into another player like Steph Curry
at the same time. You know what I mean like Jordan got BYRD and
Magic Johnson at the end of their careers, right, exactly, that's true
too, Lebron James ran into peak Steph Curry. Yeah, so they split
the titles. I don't know. Yeah, so Steve Rivera who's on the
road, says, would not Steve Kirby be the influencer he constructed the formula
to use Steph in that offense. Sure, but you need someone to do
it. Yeah, exactly, you obviously do. I mean in the end,
I mean, right, coaches coaches, Steve recognizing that coaches get too
much credit and too much uh the opposite blamee. Yes, the players play
the game. They get too much credit, too much play. But you
know Steph Curry was playing for Mark Jackson, Mark Jackson, and he wasn't
Steph Curry. Steph Curry becomes Steph Curry, Yes, after Steve Kurr.
Uh. Yeah, but again that Steph Steph Curry was like in his third
year, fourth year in the league. He yes, Steve curR is very
influential, but the players got to make thee The players play. Steph Curry
is what Steve Kurk could have been if he had athletic ability. Sure,
I hope he didn't hear that, or I never plays that for him.
He would never come up. He would, he would say that he would,
you would. Yeah, but it's again, this is a conversation that
you'll never ever get to a consensus no on any of it. I thought
it was interesting that Shaq would go on publicly, you know, which is
crazy because older basketball players hate current basketball players. Yeah, they think they
all suck. They think all they do, all they want to do is
launch three. But not just sad. It's like, oh, they couldn't
last in you know, the eighties and nineties, and I mean when we
play it, but when when when they can knock you on your butt?
Not? But yeah, they oh so much physical back then. I mean
sure, if that's what you want to call it, exactly, exactly.
All right, that was fun discussion. Okay, we'll be back. We're
going to have Matt Morano from Rivals at Goysycats dot com. I'll get into
some of the specifics of the Arizona recruiting class, what he thinks of it
and and wear it rates, and then we'll wrap up the show with taking
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Rivera and Jacin saliz they have their eye on the ball on Tucson's sports stage
jet Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live on the I heard radio. Wow,
welcome back to fall here. I fought Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Day Gonzales,
my usual partner in crying. Steve Riverison is late to Phoenix to cover
that Alabama Arizona game tonight up at the Footprint Center. I've got Adam Gonzalas,
my my son, good friend and a former sports information director at Arizona
joining me today. And now on the phone, we've got man Moreno,
who's uh, this is kind of your super Bowl Sunday, Matt covering National
Signing Day. How you doing? I'm doing pretty good. That's fine.
That's exactly the way I explained to somebody who's trying to figure out, like
what to day? Why, what's the significance of today? I'm like,
well, just think of it as like the super Bowl of recruiting, and
that's essentially what it is. But yeah, it's been a long day,
but you know, always obviously lots of excitement for a lot of programs,
including Arizona exactly. So well, let's get to let's get to Arizona first.
We'll get if we have a chance, we'll get to some of the
other stuff. But just overall, I'll just throw it out there, how
do you think Arizona did today? You know, obviously it's hard to compare
it to not compare it to what you knew the class could have been at
one time when you're talking about Elijah Rushing Killina will Height being part of this
group at one point in time, and some of the guys that you eventually
found their way to other schools. But when you look at what Arizona wanted
to accomplish and how they've pieced this thing together, there's a lot of really
strong pieces to this group, and led by Demal Williams, the quarterback who
feels like very much the quarterback of the future for Arizona. He's someone that
Arizona, Jimmy Doherty Jetfish have had their eye on really since they arrived in
Tucson. Demon Williams has been, you know, a big time playmaker up
at Basha in Chandler, and that thought was, like, I think they're
going to have a good chance with him, and he always talked highly of
the program, always talk about his relationship with both Jimmy Doherty and Jetfish,
and it felt like Arizona was gonna have a really, really good shot.
And he commits to ole myths and you go, okay, well maybe not.
But Arizona kind of circled back and fall a part of old myths with
with Demon and he decided you want to stay a little bit closer to home,
and that's a huge, huge win because he's a very talented player.
He fits right in with what Arizona wants to do, and that's kind of
the crown jewel of the class. But there's some other really nice pieces and
maybe to the kind of casual fan, it's not going to look the same
as that class that had T Mac and Noa Fafida and you know, Jacob
Manu and all these types of players. But there's there's no quality within this
group, and I think it's more about, you know, finding pieces to
fit in and kind of fill the gaps as opposed to kind of making drastic
changes like they had to do with that class with t Mac and a lot
of those guys. They needed that class to, you know, build this
thing the way they want. So it maybe doesn't have the same appeal as
some of those classes, but you know, if you really take a deeper
look at it, there's some there's some quality talent within this group, and
I think a lot of guys who are going to spend a lot of time
on the field for Arizona. How important is it for Arizona to get not
only you know this guy out of Arizona, but this guy is your quarterback
of the future, and I mean that's the kind of the top of your
class. Yeah, I mean that's huge. And I think within the state,
obviously, Jet Fish has really kind of made it a point to try
and win the state, and the state's gonna, I think, start to
do this thing a little bit more within state guys and maybe make a little
bit more of an impact there than the previous staff with the Sun Devils.
So it makes it a little bit more difficult. But for Arizona, I
think they've kind of been more established with Jet Fisher of hey, we want
you guys to stay home, and so I think that's helped. I think
he saw that in this class in particularly at one point in time, there
was no other program in the country that had more in state commitments in Arizona,
more commitments from Arizona than you know they in state schools. So in
terms of the top twenty, guys kind of fell apart a little bit,
but still you end up with Dylan Tapley, who was committed to AFC at
one point. We have him, you know, inside the top ten of
the Arizona state rankings at rivals, the Monllalliams obviously mentioned, and then you
got guys at Apollo, which is a very you know, really good group,
and I think all those guys are gonna have a shot to play as
well. So, you know, I think kind of it's it's it's important
now, but it's even more important for the future because if the Mollolliams has
success, and other guys around Arizona who knowing him, He's a very popular
guy, people know him, know them well from around the you know,
some of the bigger schools in the state, high schools in the state.
If he goes to Arizona and does well, I think it's only going to
resonate with a lot of those other prospects within the state to go, hey,
I think I need to take a deeper look at what you know uo
A is doing and maybe take another trip down to Tucson and see what we'll
see what it's about. You know, I think that's going to be really
big for Arizona in terms of in state recruiting. And then you know,
even as he as he spread out a little bit and you go regently,
you know, if he has success, you can see it now with no
Fafida, I think there's a lot of recruits that are looking at Arizona and
seeing what guys like t mac and Nofafida and Jacob Monu and some of the
other players that you know are from the West Coast what they're doing at Arizona
right now. I think they're seeing what they like what they see and they're
going, Okay, I need to take a deeper look at this program.
And I think, you know, there's still a couple outstanding, you know,
recruits out there that are still looking at Arizona that could sign. But
you know, before the end of the week the signing everything's kind of focused
on signing day, but there's a three day period here where recruits have until
Friday to sign and decide, and there's a couple other guys that could potentially,
you know, make that move as well, and so you know,
I think it's all good things. But yeah, having somebody at that position
who's the highest traded guy is going to be a good thing for Arizona,
not only you know, this upcoming year, but in years to come.
And people also forget there's a whole other signing period, the original signing day
in February. But sticking with Demon Williams, what is Arizona's pitch to him?
Because you know, uh Fafitas a freshman, he's a freshman. They
got the kid from Colorado? Yeah, still sitting here. So how do
you get a kid like that? Because I mean nowadays, like you want
to play right away, and you're gonna have to keep recruiting him to stay
there. Even I talked to the we were talking earlier, like you recruit
a kid, they commit, they sign, You got to keep recruiting him
for four years. So what is Arizona's pitch to demand if they've got a
quarterback who's a freshman this year? I will you know. Jeffresh talking Rivals
today a little bit about it, and he was talking about development because he
was asked that question of like, it's a difficult spot for coaches to be
in because every coach will tell you, hey, I want four or five
scholarship quarterbacks, like especially if you're an offensive minded coach, like you want
as many quarterbacks as you can on your roster, and so but it's just
in this day and age, it's so difficult to do because of those reasons
that you mentioned that you know, players feel like they have other opportunities,
and the transfer portal kind of makes that a reality for them where they can
kind of see what else is out there, and more often than not,
they're going to find a spot that will take them. So it is a
difficult spot to be in. But I think the thing that Jeed Fish when
you listen to him talk about the situation and talk about you know what it's
going to look like, I think he kind of focuses on development, and
I think he can point to someone like, no, if if he didn't
say, look he waited a year, he didn't come in and you know,
play right away as a true freshman and take over the starting job,
he took his time, and now look what he's done. And so even
if it's a you know, a year grace period where you can go,
you can have that built in where you know, player will say, Okay,
I'll wait a year, I'll develop over the course of the year and
I'll work on my skill set and I'll learn the system and into what you're
teaching me. I think, you know, I think if you can buy
that and have that afford that time, you know, I think it has
a longer staying power, and so I think for someone like Themaloin is to
take you can come in. You're really great, You're a very good player
right now, You've accomplished a lot of things. You've put up monster staffs
as a high school player. But you know, the college game is a
different level. And so I think you really sell him on development, and
that's what it sounds like has been the pitch to him, and I know
he's talked about that a lot, even going back a couple years when Ariz
when I really first started to get involved, when he was taking his early
visits and looking at his options, he talked about the development and I think
the draw for jett Fish and he talks about this for a reason. He
has those connections to the NFL, and I think there's a lot of trust
in who he is and what he's seen and who he's worked with in the
past. That gives a lot of quarterbacks, in particular, you know,
a reason to want to stick around because they feel like, hey, this
is the person that can get me to that next level. And you know,
everybody who's signing today doesn't matter if they're a five star guy, a
two star guys. Our guy they all believe that, you know, if
they're playing college football, especially at the high level, they feel like they
can get to the NFL and that's their ultimate goal. So I think that
resonates with a lot of players, and I think for someone like Demalllians,
it's like, hey, if you're just fishing, tells, hey, you
can trust me. I've been to the next level. I know what it
takes. Be patient, and we'll get you there. And I think that's
kind of where kind of the pitch centers around. Yeah. To me,
that shows kind of where coach Finish and the whole staff are right now.
They are able to get a Demon Williams and tell him, hey, like
come in and develop first, like they didn't pitch to him, You're gonna
play right away. That shows you the kind of trust that these guys happened
to him and the staff. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean that's that's a
huge deal. Yeah, you know, and in his comments about Williams,
he talked about the fact that you know, he showed his film to you
know NFL, you know, quarterback and head coaches and offensive coordinators and that
when Demon Williams knows he's getting that visibility again that's obviously a selling point.
One of the things that he did talk about was, you know, sort
of the as you mentioned, you know, it's not the it's not the
the marquee class that where they just had to go get it great players at
all the positions that they were out there filling needs. It's sort of a
you know, you get to a certain point and maybe they're there a little
earlier than any of us expected. That they're just now filling gaps as opposed
to revamping a piece of the team like they did with the offense and the
defense in the in the last two years. You know, is that you
know, when you when you look at it that way. Look, we
were all excited when Arizona had, you know, a top ten recruiting class
and all that kind of stuff. Well they don't anymore. But they don't
need to have that class if they're just filling holes and keeping guys that they
have that are good. That's sort of what where Jedfish kind of hung us
at today. That last part, I think is the most important, because
you have to be realistic. If you're in Arizona, you don't have the
deep pockets like Texas A and M or in Oregon, you don't. You
can't. Or you can go out and recruit five stars all they want and
keep those guys rolling in and not care if five stars leave. Arizona is
just not in a position to do that right now. And so you know,
if you recruit over a guy like t Mac, he's going to go,
hey, see you later, and you're not going to necessarily have you
know, the nil means to keep someone like that or to replace someone like
that right away. It took a lot to get a player like that to
Arizona in terms of just effort and resources and all those things. And so,
you know, I think if you're Arizona, it's a little bit of
a delicate situation. I think that's why you're seeing the class that looks like
this because you know, I think you know, Arizona and Jetfish and this
staff have proven themselves as recruiters. They think they can go out and get
guys. But I think there's I think there's a kind of a deliberate element
to how this class came together, and that you understand that a lot of
your top playmakers still have a year to play at least potentially a couple of
years, and so there is that element of like, you can't scare those
guys off because you can't necessarily it's difficult. It was difficult to get them
to Arizona in the first place. You can't necessarily replace from that that easily.
And yes, Arizona's on the rise. I do think it's a very
desirable place for a lot of recruits to look at. But I think there's
that kind of delicate balance that jet Fish and staff have kind of had to
deal with, and that you have to recruit and build for the future,
but you can't necessarily run anybody off either, because it's just a difficult situation
to be in. Because you know, you're talking about NFL those three letters
matter, but NIL matters as well, and that's kind of a big part
of this equation that hasn't been part of it, you know, maybe even
you know, five ten years ago. That is a very big factor and
a lot of the decisions that you're seeing made right now, and there's there's
been some head scratchers in terms of guys flipping on signing day, and you
go, I can kind of pinpoint exactly why that situation played out the way
it did because you look at maybe where they were committed to, and you
go that that fits you a lot more than what the school you're going to
now. And when you look at at school like Oregon flipping someone from USC
or you know, just different schools, or Maryland, you know, flip
potentially flipping a recruit from Colorado, you know, it's just it's kind of
pin points to one thing, and so it's all these things matter, and
I think for Arizona it's a situation where you kind of have to have that
little bit of a delicate balance to make sure that you're keeping everyone happy that's
on the team because they got you to this point, they got you to
nine and three, and you got to make sure they're just as happy as
the incoming recruits. Right. Okay, so you mentioned something, but that's
something new to this whole thing. Are you, as your developing conference ratings,
are you comparing to Arizona is Big twelve this year or the PAC twelve?
It should be looked at the Big twelve rivals. We still kind of
are looking at the PAC twelve until the TAC twelve was officially completely done and
did, which I think many people would say it is now. But yeah,
you definitely have to start looking at the Big twelve, and you know
where Arizona is going to be stacking up. And I think that's Jetfish talked
about this as well. Where I think the thing is they still feel like
they're a West Coast program, and I think that's going to be the big
sell. I think you're going to continue to see them recruit California heavily and
you know, kind of continue to maybe go a little bit east and then
get into tech just even a little bit more as you make this transition to
the Big twelve. But yeah, I mean I think you have to look
at them now in comparison to know how they look to against Baylor and some
of these other schools that are in the you know, in the Big twelve,
and obviously Utah and if you're going to be making that move as well,
and Colorado. But yeah, I think it's I think you have to
start looking at them in that light. And and and I again I think
that they're right where they want to be in terms of the development of the
program, and we'll kind of see where thing has moved from here. But
I think the next class is going to be the one where you really see
Arizona kind of ramp it up again because it just kind of lines up with
you know, some of these players are are going to be moving on and
some of those players that made this ninety three record happen are going to be
leaving the program eventually and getting toward towards the second half of their careers.
And so I think the next class is going to be a really big one
fair zone. I think you're going to see them kind of ramp it up
and really try and you know, get some some top notch players and make
it look a little bit different than what it looked like this year. So
aside from the quarterback obviously, you you mentioned the three guys from uh Apollo,
you know, the in state guys. You know who who do we
right the too early to who to tell? Who are we going to see
on the field next year out of this class? Yeah, I mean I
think, I really think someone like Rashaan Clark, the Arizona was able to
flip him from Calis with Seattle recruit I really had a good senior season.
Maybe you know, fans that aren't as familiar with him because you know,
he was committed somewhere else for so long. But you know, he just
I really like his game. I think he has a lot to bring to
the table. He has good size. I could really play on either side
of the ball, to be honest, but probably gonna start out on defense.
I really like. But you know, just who he is is the
recruit. I watched him quite a bit during the off season, in the
spring and some different events, and I was really impressed by him. I
think he's going to be a really intriguing prospect. And then I know there's
you know, a lot, there's a lot, a lot of talent at
running back for Arizona, but Jordan Washington, running back out of California Long
Beach, California, really put up some gaudy numbers and it's just one of
those guys that just give him the ball and you're like, oh, he's
gone, he's going for a touchdown. And so it's for having done this
for so long. The one thing that continues to seem to translate is high
school production highly productive players, especially in kind of talent rich areas like a
place like southern California. If you're able to produce at a high level and
put up big numbers, it usually carries over to the college game. That
was something that I saw at JJ Taylor. I told a lot of people,
I said, I think he's going to be really good. And he
won missed the California football and put up just kind of insane numbers at the
high school level, and he wasn't playing against lower level teams. He was
playing against good teams. And so Jordan wa Washing's a little bit of a
different player. He's a track guy and has a lot of speed to him,
and and I just I really like what he brings to the tables well.
And again I just go back to that production and you look at that
and to me, that's something that's going to carry over. So I really
would look at him as someone to potentially have a chance to get on the
field. But it'll be interesting to see kind of how they're able to do
that with someone talent at the running backs off so as important in recruiting as
not only the guys you get, but the guys you keep of. Johnny
Nansen today said that Bill Norton is coming back on the defensive line. That
means that's that's one less defensive line guy that you got to go out and
get, at least for next year. How much does that mean to this
to this team and this program to be able to keep a guy like that
in next FRA year. It's huge because of the position. I think every
coach will tell you kind of across college football, offensive and defensive line are
the most difficult spots to recruit too. It's just it's it's really difficult to
find everything that you want in that position. A lot of times it's you
know, many of the things that you want or some of the things that
you want, and you have to try and develop the rest and kind of
make up that ground and make up that gap in their skill set. It's
really difficult to find. Just play especially defensive line is really difficult. You
know, there's only so many guys that fit kind of the mold of what
coaches want, which is, you know, a big guy who is also
fast and athletic. Like there's just not that many guys like that, and
you know, if they're if they're truly lee, you know they're going to
a handful of schools, so you know, it's it's it's huge for Arizona
to be able to keep Bill Norton. I think, you know, just
at that position, it's so key to have, you know, veterans,
to have players who have been to the battles and know what they're doing,
we know the system, because it just makes everything around them easier, and
it's going to make you know, everybody's life around him easier. And so
that's huge. I mean, again you mentioned it takes kind of the pressure
off of having to find someone like that, you know, in recruiting our
he's always doing it in a transfer portal in Arizona has been good about,
you know, doing that in transport, Bill Norton being an example of that.
But you know, to not have to go try and find one of
those guys out of high school is a is a huge advantage for Arizona and
I think a really big deal to get Bill Norton to come back. All
right, Matt, Well, appreciate all the insight, A lot of good
insight there on this class. And again, you know you say kind of
a middle of the road class when you talk about ratings and stuff like that.
But as Jeed said, feeling some needs. We appreciate your analysis on
that triangle. Get some sleep now, man, will you I'll try,
I'll try, Okay with you guys, all right, thank you much.
That was Matt Marnino from Arrivals and Goisycats dot Com talking about the classes.
You know, one of the guys that just does this for a living,
and very well, very well first on what this class and recruiting looks like
for Arizona. Big deal. All right, okay, cool, all right,
let's take our break. We're to come back. Well, love to
take your cost five two zero four, one, six seventy four forty.
Let me see if we can find Steve Rivera out on the road somewhere,
see what's on his mind with this game coming up tonight. Though. Well,
we're right back, La. Don't believe, just last believe, La,
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com streamy Live. I mean iHeartRadio WOP. This is I on the Ball
with Steve Bravera A Gonzalez Block Sports sporteen Welcome back time to the ball here
on Pot Sports fourteen fiftgame'm your host to take Gonzales sitting in with Steve on
the road headed to Phoenix for the Alabama Arizona Games tonight, a quote unquote
neutral sport game that we played as a footprint center of the Sun Arena up
in Phoenix, but should be a good one Alabama, although you know six
and four not a great ranking, but they're in a string of three straight
Top ten games. I'm here with Adam Gonzales, former sports information director at
Arizona, covering of football and as well as other sports. Happens to be
my son as well, but very good at this and appreciate your beating here,
Adam. But you know, let's say let's switch over to basketball.
You know, a big game tonight. What do you think UH need a
bounce back. Not to say that I mean the Cats didn't play like great
against Perdue. I think Purdue just straight up beat Arizona. They just played
better. Wasn't necessarily that Arizona. What we'll get Steve. Steve's calling it
right now to stand by. Well, let's let's get this, so we're
we're on the air. Steve. Okay, So okay, Adam. Well,
Adam was just getting to his thoughts on on on what, you know,
what he thinks needs to happen. I think Arizona need they need to
play better. Not to say they were terrible against Purdue. There was a
ten to fifteen minute stretch where they were pretty bad, especially on defense.
On the defensive end, But I do think it would be nice to see
the Cats, you know, come out, play better, play, more
of more of a complete game. Yeah, where's your brain on this game
right now? Steve? As you're headed up there, Well, I was
gonna Adam did he did he gonna win against Purdue? And I'm a believer
of styles make fight? Did the style that Purdue play effect Arizona plays?
Did this not necessarily? I don't think No, I don't. I don't
really think so. I think it came down to they just they made shots.
That's what it comes down to, in my opinion. And I think
that that's what we I think that's what we talked about, Steve, that
you know these guys that you know made all the you know, the two
guards that just killed them, you know they don't they both had a great
day on the same day. If one or the other doesn't have that kind
of a day, who knows where this game winds up? Well, right,
No, Number I said that, I don't know. At some point
in the in the year, Arizona plays against some team where this dude,
this dude shows up and you don't even know who the dude is, and
he shows up and he scored twenty seven points. Well, it happens,
and it happens right. Washington State was a toyist for that or last week
last year, Washington came to you know, I mean things happened, but
you say, how did that happen? I don't think that's gonna happen to
night because one, they're coming off a loss and and Alabama plays their style.
Yeah, we had we had Ryan Hanson on and he said, they
play the style in the from the from the standpoint of tempo, but they
kind of do it in a little different way. And his his analysis was,
they don't have an Umar Ballow kind of guy that's gonna, you know,
get into the paint and stay there. They're they're big guys step out,
uh and and they do it a kind of a different way. But
nonetheless you're correct in terms of pace. They run up and down the floor.
And I do think there is there is something to there being a good
loss. I don't think there is such a thing as a good loss.
But in this situation for college basketball, when you're playing a non conference game
against Umber three team in Indianapolis, you do get a chance to learn see
what you need to tweak a little bit, and you you know, you
learn a little more from a loss there than you probably would have with a
win. No question, I totally agree with that. So another have you
got? Who is the must have for Arizona to play well but to win?
Boswell? I'm I'm on Collin Kylin Boswell as well. He's got to
play well. He did not have a good game on Saturday. I think
even you know he's he's as they say, the straw that stirs. But
you know, even when he's off the court, you know he's he his
then they still have to feel his influence, Like, okay, Colin bos
was about to come back in and and you know, and and do what
Colin Boswell does? You know the guys that come in for him, Jade
and Jaden Bradley kJ Lewis. You know they come in to hold court to
kind of keep you know, keep things in in uh not in check,
but just not do anything dumb. Well Colin Boswell gets a blow and then
comes back in. Uh oh, you're we're ast you a little bit.
You're in a bad spot. So adam, who's your guy? It's it's
also Boswell, I think, not just from an Arizona standpoint, but from
a personal standpoint, I think he wants to have a big time bounce back
game because I mean, he got benched for a bit, and I think
he wants to, you know, kind of play really well for himself,
for his psyche, but also to get the Cat to win. Yeah,
so I guess they didn't make Cowa yesterday. And see maybe Pale Larson was
the guy. Well that's what we saw pay having my college. You know,
listen Paly Larson when when you're talking about who has the best influence on
the team, he ross the board that it's Pally Larson. And when he
plays bad, it's really bad. Fair. That's a good point, but
right, right, so we'll see what happening. I'm getting in the bad
spot, guys, I'm breaking up, okay, But Will chamber then,
don't forget Will Chamberlain. Will Chamberlain played against like you and me. He
was than everybody. He altered old people, older people than you would know
that. I think that some of the rules are changed because of him,
like the I I think your point with with with Steph changing the way the
game is played, but Will back back in the day, I think changed
things. True, Well, so did George Miken. Well, he's on
the left to all right, Steve work hard, Uh tryes sweeze in a
nap before the game and we'll talk to you tomorrow. I puys. Okay,
have I ever talked to you about how there's a theory out there that
Will didn't actually score one hundred points in a game? What's the theory that
didn't actually happen and it didn't really happen. There's no video? Yeah,
so somebody score book has Yeah, there's like market actually who went to high
school as well? Chamber Really Yeah, it was strangest thing because there weren't
a lot of tall guys around. You know, back in the day you
have to duck his head to walk into a classroom and all that kind of
stuff. But in uh, in Philadelphia, it was a very interesting conversation
I have with that guy. But getting back to the game tonight, you
know you're talking about you know it needs it needs to be a bounce back,
for sure, you know that it has to be that. But you
know, I mean, I think Tommy to tell you across the board,
everybody's got to play better, got to play better. You know, Caleb
Love had a great game, but you know, nobody I think you can
argue that nobody played well defensively and right, yeah, Saturday again, and
that's something that they're gonna have to do. And maybe because you know,
Alabama runs up and down the court, Arizona, that's more in tune with
what Arizona what there guys like to do. So maybe they'll play better defense
because of that. But you know, I don't know, you know that
I think over under one hundred and seventy five points, what do you think?
Yeah? I mean go over? Why would you bet an under on
this? Why would why? Why would you sit there and plug your nose
watching Arizona and Alabama saying hope the sun goes under. That's all it is.
You're plugging your nose and hoping it's certainly going to be you know again,
you know a game that it has some attention. Uh you know,
I know it's very late for the East Coast and they most of them won't
watch it comes on eleven o'clock. Grow up and stay up, but watch
much basketball. It'll get talked about tomorrow when they for sure result. If
you know, if Arizona wins the game, it'll be okay. You know,
Arizona's bounce back, they go to they go to Vegas and play fau
on on Saturday, and so, you know, let's see and then you
head into the conference, into the conference. But I think the expectation is
that Arizona, you know, it takes care of business tonight, get and
and they should. I mean, in the end, Alabama is a six
and fourteen. They've got some they've got a couple of nice wins, but
they've got, you know, some loss. They came off coming off a
tough loss to create. Did you see any of that game? I didn't
see any of the game. So at the end of the game, Alabama
was down three and they had a chance and guy put up a half court
shot. It banked in and out. I mean it was like, there's
a screenshot like the balls halfway down. Yeah. So, and uh,
who's the coach that right? Okay, that's right. He went wild the
other day over something, right, wasn't there. He's a he's a wild
card always. We saw him at the the West Region. Uh, it
was last year, the year before. I wouldn't say last year, I
don't remember. Anyways, it was Brandon Miller. There was that a whole
thing. No, it wasn't. It's two years confused with Arkansas. Okay,
that happened, Muss and they stayed over Musselman. Yeah, yeah,
he's a nut. He's the one that's okay. Hey, I appreciate you
being here today. Yeah, this was fun. I hope you had fun.
Yeah, gave the folks something interesting to talk about. I didn't get
to yell at you about anything really today, you didn't. I didn't give
you I beg I carefully planned that. Yeah. Tell me your call on
the game tonight. Give me a score Arizona ninety five to eighty six six,
Yeah, going over? Yeah, and taking cat and Cats covering.
I think it's six and a half. Is that what I saw? Last
I saw it was seven seven? Okay, all right, I'm taking the
Cats too. I think they'll cover. I don't know about the overunder though,
but who knows what you know that. I don't know much of anything.
All right, thanks for being here. Well, Steve will be back
tomorrow and we'll go back over this game tomorrow, So I'll be sure to
come back tomorrow. See later,