Breaking down all the exes at Oh, it's Steve Rivera and Jagen Salaz.
This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Okay, welcome
back to Wye on the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera,
He's Jiginsaus. Now we have our guy Kevin with breaking news. This
is Eye on the Ball, Breaking News on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. All
right, so we're gonna go ahead and start with some administrative stuff from the
university. Uh, it came out today that President Robert Robbins is going to
take a cut of ten percent of his paypackage of more than one million dollars
and there are some other possible future incentives that he's forfeiting right right as well.
And you know what again, it's it's symbolic more than any well,
not symbolic to him. It's you know, he's not there may be a
night he doesn't buy drink somewhere, but you know, but it's kind of
like, okay, what's you know, what's the president going to do?
Well? Look, who else is going to take a pay cut? You
know, I don't know. Let's go take that call. H right on
the Aaron on the ball. Hi, I like to talk about Arizona in
the tournament coming up? Absolutely, go ahead. What's your name, Terry,
Hey, Terry, go ahead, Hey. Just going back to the
teams that we struggled the most with, Obviously, Washington State and Stanford kind
of have the same resemblance of that size. That seems that we end up
starting to check a lot more three pointers than normal. We haven't been able
to seem to adjust to that at all. You're right, you know,
yeah, you're absolutely exactly. That's you know, that's the matchup thing that
we keep talking about. It's like, it's not that those guys are all
that good, but it just works against Arizona. You know, they've got
a kind of an athletic guy inside where Umar Ballow is. You know,
he's kind of you know, he's not as athletic as those other guys.
Yeah, and I watched that Stanford game last night too, and I couldn't
believe how bad they were. So so do you, giving your evaluation of
the team, which we both think is accurate, what do you think is
going to happen in a week or two. Well, I I'm scared of
Houston because they're so aggressive, even though they're smaller in the guards, but
they're they're just so aggressive defensively. Connecticut I think is the best team.
And Purdue we couldn't. We didn't get beat by Edney, we got beat
by the guard. Right. Well, let me say this. You're picking
teams if they would have to play in the final four. I'm talking about
the first weekend. I think a Creighton would probably give us trouble because they
have a big guy that can kind of neutralize Ballow inside and if really,
if you shut down Love, then the rest of the struggle to become the
mand Yeah. That's a good point. So how so you marked? Okay,
here's the question we asked. He said, what was the first word?
Not not trust? It was I'm a little skeptical or what was the
word you use? I can't remember, but it's the same kind of word.
You too are skeptical. What how far do they need to get for
you to feel? Okay? That was pretty good. No, I wanted
to. I want him to go to the final four. But you know
they're gonna one way or the other. They're going to match up with Tennessee.
They're gonna be in the same. You're going to be four or five
huge game, huge game. Tennessee's got a tough game against South Carolina this
week. Okay, all right, Terry, Hey, thanks a bunch for
the call. We appreciate it. Keep listening. Thank you A good call.
Anyway, So I getting back to to to to Robin's that's a symbolic
it's a symbolic move. You know, people said, what are you gonna
do? Well, here's what I'm doing. Okay. So somebody I heard
today that that he not he now is saying there aren't going to be massive
layouts at the u A as a part of all this. That Robin said
that, oh we did. I haven't seen. I haven't had a chance
to look for that. But somebody I know at you who works at the
o A, what do you mean what's massive though? He said, he's
he said, there's just not gonna be the types of layoffs that they're the
that they're talking about, that they're you know, they're that they're gonna probably
do it you know through uh, you know, not not filling jobs and
things like that, but that people aren't going to be getting laid off.
That's that's all I can tell you. That's what I heard, and I
think I have a pretty reliable source on that. Okay, good, that's
good. Good news. All right, So we do have some Arizona football
news. Obviously, we had four players participate in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis
over the past weekend. Jordan Morgan, Jacob Cowing, Michael Wiley, and
tight end Tamma McLaughlin. Jordan Morgan, who I I would like to remind
people is six foot five and three and ten pounds. Did you watch them?
Oh? Yeah, it was. It was. It was unbelievably good
watching the big boys run that fast. Yeah, and that's who I saw
will run and for and for people who did not watch the combine as it's
that's totally fair not to Jordan Morgan ran his forty and five point zero five
seconds and a one point seven to ten yards split. Yeah he was.
He looked great. Yeah, he looked great. And on a day where
there are a lot of fast guys, six eight dudes running the same same
run. The thing about it too is you, guys, both they're not
running forty yards. I mean they do these testings and they're goodyed five five
yards. They're pushing five yards five yards. But it's good to see that
they do this. I mean it was on the same day that for example,
I believe it was it was Jajob Cowing that had the fifth quickest forty.
He looked good too, Yeah for receivers. But I was on a
day where xavi' Worthy from Texas ran the fastest combine NFL history ever, our
fastest forty time in combine history, when he ran a four point two to
two four point two two. So watch it. No, they were,
they did. The official time was four point two one. Really, so
the four point two two was unofficial based on you know, just yeah.
Yeah. But then after the fact they called it four point point two to
one, which was the fastest ever. The four point two two tied uh
justin Ross. Yeah yeah, Washington. Yeah, but they they they said
officially as a four to one. And so it's how how long did Ross
play in the league. And the reason I'm asking this, Okay, you
run fast, It's like you gotta be able to get Ronaldo iah Man Billy
the Dallas Cowboy bub catch. He wasn't very long though, it wasn't very
long. Just out run him. I'll to you, We'll get the guy
from l U. Former Arizona golfer Jordan Gumberg picked up a win on the
DP World Tour when he claimed the SDC Championship Crown of the past weekend in
the playoff. I just thought that was relevant. That's pretty relevant because yeah,
I mean he's I don't know that I've ever heard his name, and
so, you know, he had to be pretty good because he's he's a
pro now, so getting wins on tours, yeah, so, you know,
good for him. I mean, that's it. It's great to sear
z on the guys go out there. You don't do that. And sadly,
the award winning NFL reporter, one of the first guys to go from
newspaper to TV, Chris Mortenson, passed away this past weekend at the age
of seventy two. I felt like that was right. Yeah, he had
a type of cancer. I think I don't know if it was uh it
was like a throat cancer or or I don't know, but he had he
had a yeah, and had he got a long time ago. So he's
actually was around a quiet yeah quite a bit. I remember when he first
got in the first announced that they said he was big trouble back then,
and he's stuck around for seven years because he was diagnosed in twenty sixteen and
it was star fourth throat cancer. Yeah, okay, that's like, look
look at that. I pulled throat cancer out. I had it. Sometimes
you got that magic and sometimes you don't. Lebron James has broken uh Kareem
Abdul Jabbar's long standing all time NBA scoring record. He is now uh over
the forty thousand point. Yeah, he broked out a well back. But
now now he's extended until he's over forty. He's just gonna keep He's twenty
years, hold on, twenty one years here, twenty one years in the
league, two thousand and three. That's his draft lasts. So it's believable.
I found let me go, let me go back to I started thinking,
was I talking out of my you know what? On the on the
layoffs thing? And an email that went out today from President Robbins Uh said
there there will be no university wide across the board layoffs. We're working with
division and college leaders to reave you budget plans, to develop specific strategies for
each individual unit to right size span. We expect to know more about any
reductions or adjustments, including potential layoffs. In late aprilis fiscal year twenty twenty
five, budgets become finalized. Budget decisions will be communicated by unit leaders,
so they're not saying, okay, cut your thing by ten percent or whatever.
Yeah. Well, he also has a meeting with the governor. I
think this week. I think tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, okay. I
had to get back to that because I started the thing and did I hear
it wrong. That's a that's a worthy thing to want to get correct.
Yes, exactly. We had another record breaking night over the last weekend.
Is Caitlyn Clark ponytail pete, Yeah, ponytail pistol what everyone to call her?
His past Maravich is that crappy? That was? It was on a
technical free throw, like you know what, they should have let somebody else
shoot the free throws right and then let her and then have her hit it
on a basket. I mean, what the script. I usually I would
I would totally agree with you today, but usually I would. Today I'm
not because she hit the she broke the women's record with a three from almost
half court. Yeah, so I think she got her. She got the
moment for that. It was the same thing. Remember when when Shawn Elly
had broke the pack to scoring record, broke it at the free throw line,
like, well, you give a chance to the last regular season home
game number two Ohio State. Yeah, actually a little bit of that.
Yeah, Well it's hard. She's got she couldn't got appel your eyes from
it, right, She's got that got that can't. She's got the women's
basketball people watch because of her last year in the Final four. I mean,
she's got Travis Scott pulling up to the games. I know you got
that. Probably saw that anytime Travis Scott said a sporting event. I saw
his event. I feel like it's a big spectacle that Iowa Jacob State Farm
was there. I was becoming more hit. Yeah, is becoming pretty from
that. Jason Kelsey has retired. One of the greatest centers of all time
has retired and announced officially today in a very teary forty five minute speech.
Forty five minutes, forty five minutes, and it's it's leaveless tank. Dude.
Man, just tell me you're quitting and you can go yeah. Yeah.
But he actually compares football to like your favorite song because they asked him
like why he loves it? And he had this beautiful quote about like why
do you love your favorite song like it just happens like it it's and he
quoted what Tylor Swift will never never, never come back, never getting back
together and the collar never ever getting back together of joking of course. And
then the Broncos are going to cut Russell Wilson when the new league year starts
on March thirteenth. He gonna is he gonna end up somewhere, somebody's gonna
take Someone's gonna somebody to think I'm taking on eighty five million dollars in dead
captain. I found this from from Albert Breer who posted this on on Twitter.
So this is what this was the cost of Russell Wilson's two years on
the Broncos. The draft picks they traded for ninth, fortieth, one hundred
and forty fifth picks in twenty twenty two and the fifth and thirty seven picks
in twenty twenty three, three players Drew Locke, Noah Fense, Shelby Harris,
and one hundred and twenty four million dollars. The money, the money
in the draft picks is the big Yeah, three players. He went eleven
and nineteen with a ninety point eight passer rating and just look you look bad
doing it, right, yeah, right, this year he had his moments,
he had he was more stable this year. I felt like, at
least statistically, at least statistically, So of course, now there's all the
speculation before he'll go Atlanta Steelers at Land, Uh, the Patriots one more
of those four that I saw that people are are are naming as potential landing
places for uh, for him. But Russell will, I mean guy,
talk about it, talk about him, error in judgment off, that's just
skill not so yeah, but not so much him as whoever it then said,
let's go get this guy. Yeah, you know, the the judgment
on that one, the GM or the player of personnel guy or the owner
whoever said that. Yeah, the Chiefs in the same division they're going into
non exclusively franchised tag star corner lugerious snead, meaning that he is a Chief
unless he wants to go out and negotiate a trade with another team, who
will then talk to the Chiefs. So it's kind of like diet free agency
almost. You can go negotiate, but only up unto a certain point.
Hey, I gotta call my dad and see if you can let me,
you know, come over and hang out today. But yeah, so l
Jerry Sneed right now is going to remain in Kansas City, which is huge
for that team. Yeah yeah, I mean yeah, he's important. He
was the entire anchor of that back then for the defense. And then this
was a little bit of a funny one. The Jags are going to uh.
The social media team for the Jags announced that today is the birthday of
number ninety four, full Fatukasi. Happy birthday to Fule He was cut hours
later, the man who turned twenty nine today was cut. And that's gonna
save the Jaguars three and a half million dollars against the cap, but they
will also absorb nine point twenty six nine million dollars in just dead money.
So happy birthday to fight Ucasi. Yeah, happy birthday. Here's the door.
Yeah, and good luck shopping for a new apartment. Wow, that's
awful, man, Come on, you could wait a day, you know,
apparently way to meet a team in the front office for not aligned.
But I feel like if the front office knows his birthday is today, can't
you just wait six hours, exactly eight hours, call him at three am
in the morning. May you catch him after a night out? Who knows
what you know that's gonna get out? Right? Come on man? Yeah,
Arizona, right, yeah, Arizona ranked back in the top five to
five. And then the only last thing I had was the former American League
MVP Josh Donaldson has retired after thirteen years. I just felt like that was
the one who, like you have all kinds of drug problems with the r
hitter with the Rangers, or he's that somebody else Now you're thinking of Josh
Hamilton. Ah, you're right, that's something Josh. Josh here, Josh
there, Josh is everywhere. Yeah, that's all I had. The next
guest, all right, Shelby, Yeah, Shelby masks coming up, uh
bracketwag dot com. But that he is official bracktologist for USA Today among others.
We'll get some of his take on on on the Bracket and just as
a little bit of a preview, he's got Arizona on the two line right
now, so we'll see what he's got to say about there. The Windows
Depot is more than a windows store. The Windows Depot. It's the one
softwarehouse with everything you need for your complete Homer model. Shop the aisles of
pre built cabinets in a variety of colors, granite and courts, countertops,
sinks, skylights and hardware. To complete your project. Need a custom order,
we can help. Our designers offer free design services and can special order
everything you need for your kitchen or bathroom remodel today. Shop the Window Deepot
dot com or find a location near you. The Window Depot more than a
Windows store. Steve Rivera here to talk about Dorato Rock Materials. I needed
a lot of gravel for my driveway, so I called Eric at Dorato Rock.
He found out the amount and color I needed and boom, it was
taken care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commercials
work. I heard one of his on the radio. Dorato Rock Materials provides
a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel,
soil, and sand for residential and commercial use in the Tucson area. They
are locally owned and have been around for more than fifteen years. Give them
a call at five two zero four zero zero four two three three. Where
do you buy exercise equipment Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course,
to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment
from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health,
our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals.
Your health and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the leading
edge and exercise equipment. On twenty second, just west of Wilmot. Did
you know sports cards at Memorabilia are setting record sales last month of nineteen fifty
two tops Mickey Mantle So for twelve point six million, Lebron James Rookie So
for five point six Also, collecting cards is a family fun hobby that can
be very profitable. If you want to start a collection or expand your collection,
check out Showtime Cards. They are one of the leading card shops in
the country and have served our local community for twenty five years. They are
located on e Speedway. That's show Time Cards at Nova Home Loans. We
believe everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the independence that comes with home ownership.
Paul Volpi is ready to help you find an option that best fits your needs.
Whether you're a first time or veteran home buyer or want to get cash
out with the refinance. Nova has a variety of home loan programs to meet
your unique situation. Visit voltpeteam dot com. That's Volpe team dot com or
called five two o six one eight five six two six today in MLS three
oh eight seven Arizona BKO nine two nine four two equal housing opportunity now to
commitment to Lyndrix cyon credit rates and available loan program or subjets to change with
un notice. It's twenty twenty four, a new year, and it's time
to think of recognizing your employees, salespeople, managers, team members and agents
with a Creative award for the great job they did in twenty twenty three.
Come visit Creative Awards beautiful showroom with over one thousand items to choose from.
Creative Awards is located at two twenty eight West Rackman Street and Tucson, Or
visit Creative Awards website at Creative Awards az dot com. It's that time of
year, summer in Tucson. Time to take control with temperature control for all
your air conditioning needs. We'll keep you cool during all the hot streaks.
All you have to do is stay in control with temperature control where we handle
everything you need with prompt response, affordable pricing, and sound solutions. We
also excel in plumbing and electrical work. We handle everything you need. Give
us a call at five two oh eight one five five six six' five
or visit our website at tempdash con dot com and remember, stay in control
with temperature control. Need concrete, hard Works Concrete has it. We have
more than twenty five years of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and
patio floors are our specialty, and handle masonry work and retaining walls. We're
locally and family owned. Just let us know what you need, how you
want it, and we'll take care of it. Leave the hard work up
to us. We're a hard Works Concrete. Call us at five one two
nine six two five six six zero or visit our website Hardworksconcrete dot com.
We'll put the work in for you. Guys, bugs, termites, bees,
or rodents, Arizona Pest Control will hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control
is your complete desert pest management specialist. Tests. Can't run or hide from
Arizona Pest Control. They use only the latest and most technologically advanced methods of
pest elimination available, which minimizes the effects on the environment. Let Arizona Pest
Control get rid of your bad bugs, termites, bees, or rodents serving
Tucson and Southern Arizona since nineteen forty seven. Go to azypest dot com to
schedule your free evaluation today. Streaming live on the iHeartRadio WAPP, This is
I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jaconzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve Rivera. He's Jaginsauce Snow in the phone. We have shall
be messed from racketwag dot com. Shelby. How you doing, I'm no
good her, We'll do We'll find great. How are you on the show?
We saw that you have a bracket and you're pretty diligent with it.
How confident are you with it right now? Before? What? Ten days
before they start doing it? Maybe fourteen thirteen days before they start doing it.
Yeah, I still fairly confident. You never know until flash is Sunday,
but I'm about it. I feel pretty bad about because I can see
them. So we keep saying that there's sort of three teams were kind of
locked in as number one seeds and they you know, want two, three
interchangeable Yukon, Houston, Purdue, and that it's the four seed that's kind
of up for grabs. But what is a team like either Arizona or Tennessee
or North I mean, aside from not losing, but I mean, what
what's in your mind is the most important thing they can help? Equal?
Are they? Yeah? And that they that they have to do to grab
that number four seed? And good question from Steve. How equal or how
close to even are they? They're about as closed you get. All all
three of them are have good resumes or good teams. I've seen them all
play a lot, but sat Bread at Tennessee this weekend was another road big
win that beat Elevant, and Arizona just doesn't have the opportunities left Tendessee does.
So that's why I've moved Arizona down from that one seed to a two
seeds still play out West, uh, but that's too good to overlook.
So we had the mic to course. On earlier he had a nice column
about Arizona and some of the concerns that they that he has on them.
So he pointed out that they they're very good in the bread in the quad
one victories, but surprisingly they're not so good in the quad three with losses.
What's worse? What's can you can your wins override your losses or vice
versa? Yes, I think they can as long as you have an equal
amount of each have one or two quads one wins and four or five bad
losses, then that's not so good. But if you have a squad three
or four lost even and then had four or five quad going wins, well,
I think I perceive what the city has done is they kind of washed
each other out. Yeah, And when teams are having these good ends of
seasons versus when you start hot and you kind of limp into the tournament,
like we're seeing Kansas kind of in a free fall in the rankings, versus
a team like Baylor really starting to climb towards the end of the season.
People talk about peaking at the right time. How do you evaluate the full
totality of a season in your in your bracket versus like just a team that
is peaking at the right end of the season. Yeah, the city out
and said about ten or twelve years ago that the last team matter not as
much as they used to. They he put all the games does the season,
and a hat just picked them out and a random order, and that's
your resume. Doesn't matter where win that took place. So the teams,
if they're good enough, they've got to schedule some good on conference themes and
they gotta win those games, just ken as much as last in the season.
So how much do you put into you know, I mean, is
everything pretty well settled except for obviously, you know, somebody who comes up
and wins a tournament that's unexpected. But let's say Arizona goes to the packed
off turna, they win the league, go to the packed off tournament,
maybe don't win the champ, don't win the tournament. Does that affect them
much at all? Do you think at this point? I don't think so.
I think the committee finishes their picking who's going to be in the tournament
where you're pretty much all of where they're going to be seated by Saturday morning,
So games Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday. They don't even seem
to affect them at all. Yeah, we'll see. I was in the
mock draft for the NCAA about two three weeks ago and they said, no,
that's not the case. And or they have contingency plans for each possibility.
Uh on the Sunday games. You know, the Michigan States show up
or or whomever for those championship games. Yeah, that's right. They the
if the if the result will matter in a team getting in the tournament,
and they have a kid for that. We could have one A ten this
year. We've got Dayton is a good team, but Richmond is the team
leading the conference. So if somebody besides one of those two is there,
and then they're gonna have a bracket made up with that new team and one
if that team loses and on the side, then or it goes so Shelby,
who's the next to Florida Atlantic and or Princeton. If I put some
money on a small school right now, I'm like in Grand Canyon and make
me state. Both of those teams have been taught knot. They've got Power
five coaches that have you know, moved on and are helped in these law
schools. They've got NBA quality talent, they're just not on TV enough for
us to get to see. So that those are the two I really keep
my old McNee can really shoot the level interesting. So what's I don't know,
Maybe do different practologists have different things that are most important to them?
Right? What's at the top of your list? Uh, you know of
on a on a team that matters to you the most when you're deciding where
you're going to put them? And is that different from every you know others.
I've done mock committee this past week and me and five of the guys
and we all kind of different strengths that we go to or that we're looking
towards as being our top notch. I think the amount of big wins.
And had a schedule because the committee harps on that every year you've got to
accomplished and to go and play teams that are squat four for every game,
they're not gonna be as highly seeded as they might like to be. So
we talked about the produce. The Yukons and the Tennessee's North Carolinas and Arizona's
vying for that number of the The number one does could any at any point,
could Arizona fall out of a two, maybe even fall to a three?
Is that out of the question? I think it probably have the question
not enough games left. Unless they were to lose the last two regular season
games and then the first run of the pack Glove Tournament, that's gonna be
They're too good to lose like that. Yeah, no, I agree,
I hear you. Just you're just talking about that a little bit. That
you know, a team like Arizona playing in the league that's just really bad
this year and it has been really bad other years. I mean, how
much does that really hurt? You know, a team like Arizona who's piled
up all those wins at the start of the year, but by the time
we get to now, so many people have forgotten about those. The committee
does it. The committee has team sheets and we've looked at them, to
look at them every day, and those stick out to you. So the
casual I forget, but they're not the ones in the tournament. The pre
having a weaker conference, it will be a detriment because you don't get the
quality or the amount of quality with or opportunities they will have. And say
every twelve but you know, you've got to take advantage of the opportunities when
you do have them, and there's a fairly good job of that. They've
got a couple of questionable losses, but at this point of the seasons,
there's not many teams that don't. So Shelby, how long have you been
doing this? And are are seasons more tough than others to put these things
together? These are different. It's not necessarily they're tough. It was tough
every year. I've been doing it twenty years now, but it's just different.
The che trying to pick who's who's the ultimate to be in the tournament
so interesting? Do you you know, do you see it since with this
bracket right now, could there be a lot of changes, particularly at the
top, you know, with what's left to play? Or do you think
we're getting pretty well settled into into who's where? I think we're pretty much
set. Uh. I mean, they'll beat some other teams here the bubble
that played good over this last week in the tournament, but it all really
depends on the regular season and how you did. It's easier for there to
be movement at the bottom of the bracket, you know, twelve seeds eleven
seeds, ten seeds than one, two three. I think my top twelve
fourteen are set not in order, but I feel confident they'll be there.
Do you do the same thing with like to do with NCB. I'm sure
you do. For the scrub the ones and the twos and twos and the
threes and and how long does it take you to do your bracket? All
day Friday, I've been scrubbing. I put my back out of it every
morning, and during the week it's I'll remind myself, I make notes that
I got to do this Friday. That way, I s all day Friday
doing it and free the rest of the week. But the upcut of the
week, I figured it will be a lot of scrubbing you today. I
don't want to overanalyze what made you start doing this? You know? I
mean, because it's a lot of work, right, and I don't know
how much of a reward you get from it, either through visibility, financially,
whatever. But this is a lot of work. What made you start
doing this? I got mad at Joe Lenardo because he published a bracket Monday
and Thursday, and I wondered how my teams are doing every day so let
me ask you, are you married. I'm not say if you are,
she must love you because he's already married to this braetology. Well, you
don't have to worry about all the bracket allergy groupies. That's pretty good.
So okay, okay, why seriously? I mean, well, you know
what, what's the enjoyment you get out of out of doing this? I
like doing puzzles, and I looked at this as like a big puzzle.
And the reason I started is that was a legitimate reason. Joe only published
his Monday and Thursday. Well, my team played Tuesday night, so by
Wednesday I wanted to know how they did. You know, did that move
their spot in the bracket? And so I just thought give a shot.
And by the end of the year I was the top five of the nation.
So I was like, yeah, I'm pretty good this. I'll keep
doing this. Yeah. So I think that's one of your things. You're
very accurate with it. Last year, I think, how'd you do to
you? Maybe one miss? I had one death and I had three other
teams that I missed by one Steed live. Wow about two Steed lives?
All right, Okay, do you do brackets like for in pools and stuff
like that, since you're such an expert, or is that like an unfair
advantage? And I wouldn't want you in my pool and you would want me
in your pool because John Rothstein said it best better than after anybody else to
say it. We studied and so well, we know, we feel we
know them so much. But march manages a different beaf and when it starts,
I'm gonna fall to the bottom of the right. So, Shelby,
I told my parents the same thing. Parents. I studied so much.
I got the engine wrong, right right. I feel like I'm overqualified to
answer the questions, but not a good, good one. Hey, I
used it? Okay, No cool, Shelby, Thanks a bunch. We'll
probably keep in touch with you throughout the years. Enjoy talking to you.
Thanks much. Shall be masked. Go to it. Bracket bracketology groupies Okay,
bracket Wag. Bracketwag dot com. That's his website. You can cat
you can get him under he's his uh Twitter handle, his bracket Wag.
His name is Shelby Mass. He's also got a Facebook bracketology. Where do
you think those groupies are at the library outside? I'm thinking of those women
that in eighty for eighty for Brady. That's what I'm thinking when he's saying
brack, when he's saying bracket bracket groupies, either that the bracket groupies or
those guys down in the basement the mom's, their mom's house, you know,
Mildred, Where do you think a bag of cheetos sitting in their boxer
shorts figuring out brackets for and filling out like twenty of them for this is
the Big Bang theory? Yeah, you know those guys. Yeah, so
it's fun. It's going to be that fun time. I'm getting that.
I'm getting you stuff by you know where, you know. A week from
tomorrow I leave for the Pac TWEF Tournament. I'm excited. It's gonna be
a lot of I joked about this with with uh with of course. So
what did you think about him saying possibility zags against Arizona. I think Arizona
fan would lose its mind. They don't want to play that. Yeah I
don't. Tommy doesn't. Yeah, Tommy doesn't. But you know who did
we talk to? It was you that it was when you came back from
your from your mock bracket they said they don't make the match ups. Yeah,
the committee isn't looking to put Conspira and Arizona. Yeah, in a
bracket where they've got to face each other. I don't know that Arizona fan
would like that, I know, but he's right. Though they fall in
the seventh line, nine on the eighth line, there's a chance because they'll
be up north. Yeah, it's starting to sound of me that Arizona is
gonna wind up at TC because they don't have anybody left. No, no,
we talked about that, because Tennessee is the right. They don't have
anybody left to play unless Tennessee and North Carolina to lose a couple of games,
right, they don't have any Arizona doesn't have any anything left to boost
their their their their numbers or whatever. So and that win in Alabama for
Tennessee is so impressive the road. All right, let's take our God,
this is our last break already. All right, we'll take your calls five
two, zero, four, one, six, seventy. If you're an
Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years.
Now, take a look back at the Loudolsen era in my new book,
Lessons from Loot, It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty
five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the
man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five
chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Lut is
an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one
email me at Steve Rivera ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this
is formal while get leman huntly with Arizona Health, Imagine how home GM can
change your health, your comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything
you need to transform your personal space and your life. We off a complete
line of cardio machines, multi gms and freeway equipment. I'll certify fitness experts
and technicians will set you up with the right equipment and training to get you
started to keep you going. Visit our shureroom today at twenty second in Wilmot.
Arizona Health the lead edge and exercise equipment. What's your goal a new
career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college PEMA Community
College can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule.
With over one hundred programs to choose from in financial laid available, it's
time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you
want. PEMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's
right for you. Learn how at PEMA dot edu. Slash someday, my
heat and there work in estate of disperre. If there's a hotspot in your
house, you may have leaky duckwork. The Department of Energy says ninety five
percent of homes do. Those leaks can pull in dirt and humidity. I'm
Rondorinus, the owner of Picturerocks Cooling. Ask how we can tackle those leaky
ducks and keep cool air in and dirt and humidity out with aerocal call Picture
Rocks at five two zero four to four zero four zero six nine Picture Rocks
Pulling, keeting and clubbing. The holidays are fast approaching after a difficult year.
We're sure everyone could use a little financial help. Pyramid Federal Credit Union
is bringing back the Holiday Helper Loan, a low interest short term loan that
can help get you through the holidays. In support of our community, Pyramid
is making a donation to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona from each a
loan. For more information or apply online, visit Pyramid SEU dot com slash
Holiday Helper. All loads are on approved credit. Other restrictions may apply.
Pyramid Federal Credit Union Insured MCUA. Do you want to be part of a
winning team? A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing event security guards
and event staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our
outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years.
We want you to join the action. A Team offers a fun and
exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that
are perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income.
Come be a part of a winning team the A Team. Apply online today
at A teamsecurity dot net. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera
and Jay Gonzalez sound Fox Sports fourteen to fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast
on the iHeartRadio app Just Surgery. I on the ball. Hey, welcome
back to I the Ball Hero, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera,
He's Jakinsaw's got our guy, Kevinan for fifteen more minutes. If you
want to call, it will take your calls five two zero, four,
one, six seventy four to forty. Your thoughts on today's guests, Steve,
I'm looking at the box of cupcakes here. There's three of us in
the room. There's four cupcakes missing. Man, Why you gotta do it
like that? You got it? I got it. You gotta say the
inside the outside. Boys. You know, I'm I had my one,
my extra. There were three. There were only three missing when I left
the room. No, I did it before you go? Did you know?
Okay, I guess I didn't know. That's funny. Three go to
twelve? How many went? Or nine? Nine of them or nine of
them? We could reach that three? No, No, I'm probably taking
one home with these. We shouldn't. We could have. Yeah, No,
I'm not taking the I'm not twenty three anymore, so I can't eat,
but I'm not. We're all on mads. Now. That's supposed to
come back to Yeah, we're not supposed to be those things that's supposed to
sugar. Okay, so I agree with you. I think they end up
at the two. Yeah again, and not because of what are they,
you know, good enough to be a number one, deserve to be a
number one or whatever, just that this is the point where it's so close,
right, It's so close that you know, the the determining factors.
Who are you playing the rest of the way out? And Arizona just doesn't
have anybody that that that that wows you. They don't I mean U c
l A and us C. I mean in the normal season, right,
this weekend for Arizona is a weekend where they can really gain some ground,
go to USC and U c l A, you know, and instead it's
kind of like, oh God, you're just playing U c l A and
USC. You suck. I was gonna I was gonna ask you, Steve,
because you're you're a big believer that we're going to lose one of these
two games this weekend. I was, I'm humming it on, I'm himming
it high because I did believe that two three weeks ago. I don't know
if I believe that anymore, but if they do, I think they'll lose
Thursday. I was just saying, we were saying, we're saying that they're
gonna lose one, but we're also saying, like, well, we don't
play anybody the rest of the year, you know what I mean. Yeah,
I know, but but it's just because it's u c l A.
And that's it. It's in u c l A. It's the rivalry Crowdion
was pissed the last time he was here. Remember he got on Justin Spears.
Yeah, I would expect that from you. Speak from you? What
did I say? What did I expect? Nothing less for That's what it
was. I expect nothing less for you. Yeah. And they had them,
I mean A had them by twenty eight nineteen or whatever nineteen. So
we'll see. Uh, And it's always a big game at UCLA. It's
the only time they ever show up for that game. So we'll see.
Yeah. No, I'm not I I too. I think that somehow they're
going to find a way to lose one. But you know, again,
we thought they were going to lose one up in the Mountain Schools. And
that's a tough today. Yeah, it's a tougher trip than than the than
the UCLA said you, no question, right, you know, and they
and they won those two games up there, and look, we talked about
a while, Ucla is going to be up for this was their zone.
Yeah, you know, Arizona's gonna be up for you were true? True
because they because it's it's the last time and they just want to beat the
hell out of them. Take this call, Hire on the air and I
on the ball. Yes, Nico, where you been, hey man,
I've been enjoying the single life. See you're listening to me, Nico,
You listen to me? What's up? Nico? Hey man? That last
gets your head on now. Yeah, man, you seemed like you.
But I don't think it matters where you get placed in the bracket. I
think it's bullshit. Ok Okay, Well it does. It does, Nico,
because if Arizona doesn't play Princeton last year, they play some other you
know, fifteen seed that doesn't can't do a Princeton, does they're still in
the tournament. Or if they don't face Houston the year before in the sweet
sixteen. Yeah, I think it does matter. I don't know, man,
I think you just got to get lucky. Man. Well, you
have to be a bit lucky. You do. And it doesn't matter who
you play. If Arizona faces a team like Princeton or a methodical, slow
down whatever team that is, they're in trouble. They're in trouble. Maybe
they'll win, but they're in trouble. You know this, Nicole. You've
watched enough games for Arizona's history that if the team that plays methodical or slow
down or in the fifties, Arizona doesn't play well. Hey man, I'm
just saying, man, I think you just take clut That's the honest way.
I think you're saying lucky. It doesn't take momentum. You're saying that
the luck gave Arizona the title in ninety seven. Yeah, they played pretty
well. Yeah, but they beat how many number one season they beat three?
Then what were they? Right? There were four? There were four?
And actually you you think that that that wasn't an unluck that was an
unlucky bracket for them because they wind up in a bracket with Kansas, which
at that time was the hands down favorite to win that tournament. Hey man,
okay, I'm not gonna lie. Man, I'm pretty messed up.
And you guys, thanks for calling. Thanks thanks thanks for the curse between
Nico and Gabe Man and Howard spirited spirited callers exactly exactly. But yeah,
I don't know. I think as we were saying, I think Arizona settling
into into a team well setting you said you did you hear Tommy on Saturday?
Tell him about the trending. Obviously one night out of ten they're playing
very well or they you know, spirts, they played very well Saturday.
They played the best probably this year, well, certainly calendar year, this
calendar year, calendar certainly in the in the in the twenty twenty four right
right, and uh hard not to like them. The thing about it too
is Jay and I've said this before, people see the good games and that's
what they say. That's where they Arizona. They don't see him against the
stan Birds or the well, they don't watch like the Colorado game last night.
Why watching that game exactly exactly because a handle and then they wake up
in the morning. What they catch up? You know, they see him
at playing Oregon at noon, you know noon Tucson time, two o'clock Eastern
time. Okay, this is my chances to see Arizona and they see what
they did like, holy hell, these guys are good, right right.
They don't get the total gauge of the whole situation. I think the big
twelves like Tattoo because you don't know what the team you're going to see on
the road or at home. Yeah, Kansas, look at come on fifth
or whatever. I stopped watching Kansas. I'm like, okay, there,
I stopped watching because when when I turned on to my bracket, I don't
want to be soiled by the fact that they've seen them lose these sure these
games. I mean they're still Kansas. Well that was that good play.
I was just gonna see that because when people do their brackets, said,
you know, Mildrid from the mail room wins this thing because she doesn't know
Kansas. Yeah, and then we are are biased because of the blue blood
names. Right now, I hear you. I'm one of those, Dave.
I sit there and start doing a bracket. I can't. I can't
get Kansas out of the tournament, you know, in the on the second
day, kicking yourself if you can't pick due to lose to fairly Dickinson.
My brackets are always chock, always chock. I think a lot of people's
are and I hate that. Yeah, well, because I mean, the
upsets are hard to predict, you, They're They're very hard to predict.
Let's take this call high. You're on the air and I on the ball.
Yes, sir, are you guys today? We're good? Good?
Did you save me a cake or whatever? The heck it? Well?
Can you take it at your diabetic country? This is diabetes and a cup
here. I'll save you too. If that's the case. Everybody's a comedian.
I think if they come in as a number two, I think that's
actually more advantageous. Take some of the pressure off of being a number one.
Because when's the last time you saw all four number ones in the final
four? But do you think number one? Do you think a one is
pressure or is it a sort of a badge of honor? I mean,
which one is it? Or is it both? It's both, absolutely both,
And I think as much as I love Arizona, I think the number
two is probably more appropriate. Yeah, you know, I don't. I
don't want to discount the value of this team, but they have these ups
and downs, and I've been watching you know, the Big twelve, the
ACC the SEC there's so many good teams out there. I mean, this
is going to be a hard, hard tournament to try to really get your
best. I bet you everybody fills out one of these brackets, they'll be
blown up after the first there's always But let's remind you, Rick that Arizona
is one of the only teams I think, the only team that lose has
the number two seed in the first round. The lost in Santa Clara and
they lost last year to do twice. That's what. Yeah, yeah,
but let's on that because Purdue is lost as the two and one. Okay,
in the last two years. We don't cover Purdue. Well I heard
that. You look that young man from Purdue. I mean, he is
an absolute stud whatever his name is seven, yes, whatever, he's seven.
He's seventh plus seed. And he's very good athlete too. I mean
he's just not a tall kid. He's a good athlete. So whoever gets
Purdue in the first three rounds is going to have a lot to h The
only advantage of Arizona place Purdue again, Ballow is much better and he's much
stronger. I think, uh, and I think you're gonna see Ballow just
really step up. He's he's got something to prove and he's looking at the
NBA. Okay, thanks Rick, I'm gonna save you two cupcakes, all
right, and don't forget my insulin while you're at it. Okay, thank
you, And you know what to say about sugar hid now, so I
know you are. You're messed up. I can tell Stephen Nico this is
your mom's fault. Okay, Kevin, this is your mom's faul because she
emailed both It's Steve and I said not to forget that today was your birthday.
I had to give you a hug, and Steve got you some cupcakes.
At least the hug was free, right, Yeah, yeah, the
hug was free. Actually charged for those, and I got them because I
knew I was gonna have at least two. O my gosh, too funny.
Okay, we got a moment for one more last another call. Yeah,
see what happens. But uh, Babow, let's go to the bottle
because he he doesn't even look like Babo from October November. He's slimmed down,
he's running the court much better and a nine straight double doubles. But
you remember back in the day, his body language is better. He was
there. I had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Almost partly
because he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. These cupcakes don't
show it to funny story that you only get from I on the ball because
I'm on the stat crew. So Bobo's got nine rebounds. Okay, I
want to hear the story because he was stuck there for a while. Yeah,
so he's got nine rebounds. And there was there was a tip a
play where number five, the guy who was scoring all the points, goes
into the lane throws up a floater. But it wasn't a it was a
pass, Okay, it was it was It was intended to be an alley
you and uh and Ballow intercepted it. Remember there was like about four or
five minutes left in the game. All right, somebody from the bench comes
over and tried to sell that that was a shot with a block and a
rebound by Bell and we swatted that away. They said, he said,
look, we're a friendly stat crew, but you're not getting that right there
him number ten on a Yeah, he tipped it out right, tipped it
out. That's a rebound, and then he got two more, right,
I got more. That is a rebound. Uh. You know, if
a guy, if it's a controlled tip where they're tipping the ball out and
and they get and they and his team recovers the ball, that's considered a
rebound. So that's that's how he got his tenth rebound. A ball went
up and he tipped it out and he and and and an Arizona guy got
it, So he gets credit for that rebound. Did you watch what do
you guys watch? Bradley better this week Saturday than how he was handling himself.
Yeah, yeah, he's he looks so much, I know, confident,
happy as you said, he was happier on the court. Who uh,
Jane Bradley, Oh, I'm thinking of Buzz Well, never mind Bradley.
He was the same Jay and Bradley. I saw so his first assist
that we talked about, he just handled the ball up. The guy took
a shut and got his assist. So I'm still the jury's out with being
it will be out for a while. So he was not a he was
not a judgeable game for him from my eyes, crissed. He goes downhill
every time he chance he gets and he did give up the ball a couple
of times. So I'll give you a better example the next couple of games.
But you're asking about fantastic he looked. He looked so much more at
ease with himself. Yeah, right on the on the court, Like just
say, there wasn't a whole lot of pressure on him or something. He
was just like, I'm out here to have fun and play, and he
didn't. And I was actually watching him before before the game, you know,
in his warm ups and stuff. And you know, I'm sitting at
the table from forty five minutes before the game till till till it starts,
and I watch these guys and I try and get a sense of you know,
who's slumping their shoulders, who's shooting the ball and not shooting very well,
who's not trying when they're shooting. You know, you see a guy
like Caleb Love who has a who has a routine. You know, he
works his way around the three point line, and the other day he made
like fifteen in a row. So let me tell you because we talked about
this. Yeah, uh, and we don't have a minute. Uh.
You say to bet this that he's not gonna be in the NBA. You
say yes, I say no for extended period of time. So so no
one has n't be in any mocks. So what do you think. We
don't We don't live in the world in the mocro. Yeah, you don't
get he's gonna Okay, I think he's going to get a shot somehow.
Totally agree. I think he's I think he's got a place with a guy
for the much talent and he we've seen it before. He's one of these
guys. Let's see hi him mid March and April him. It's crazy when
he could he could raise his stock or these next couple weeks crazy. It's
crazy when you think how good he is and he's still not considered an NBA
And that's how different. That's how good you got to be. That's how
good you To my point, that's why it's but I never would have thought
Josh Green will be sticking around the NBA and he's still there. But that's
what I was saying. It's a better player. It's about the intangibles too,
because he's very athletes. Yeah, Josh Green, crazy mccuddle is the
only nine I said, you have other day nine years, the only guy
you again, but TJ. McConnell is like Woody Harrison and white Man can't
jump. He's that guy backward hat, the Gray Sox. Right, that's
who he is, and he's working. He's gonna go into his tenth year
next year. All right, we'll be back tomorrow more great guests, so
be sure to come back. Follow us on the podcast, Spotify, Apple
Podcasts, and the iHeart website, and we'll be back tomorrow