This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jag and Zalaz on Fox
Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your most Prized Possessions kat
z R two SA and iHeartRadio Station Yet. Hey, good afternoon, everybody.
Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm
Steve Rivera, He's Jaginsaus. Got a guy sit in for a Friday afternoon.
You're welcome to call it anytime. I hope you get through. I
hope we're paying to the phone lines four one. I already got me coffee.
Don't laugh at my snuff choking on my chips. Okay, Hey,
welcome to Friday Big Game tomorrow. We have a couple of people here on
the show today to talk about it. Yep. Kyle Dodd, who you
know, one of the all time and whould we call him a villain at
Michael Villain paid in the neck. Yeah, you know, one of the
all time guys up there with Don McLain and uh and and some of those
others will be on the show. He's the color color analyst under on ACU's
Radio basketball radio broadcast. So I was a point guard there and just one
of those guys that just annoyed the hell out of you. And he knows
it. We know it. We've talked about it. We've had him on
the show before, and he'll be on today and we'll talk about the game
tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, that's good, and we'll have our usual guy,
Jacob Fisher on the four o'clock hour. Let me ask you, Bruce
was asking this questions and we had Tommy on yesterday right right with the press
quss about the Maybe we talked about it a little bit about the revenge factor
or the motivation to beat them here, right or you think that plays a
part? I think I do. I think in players that does. Coaches
try to avoid it and they openly say, you know, you know,
I'm not concerned about it. But Sam eighteen nineteen twenty year old dudes,
of course they have to. They have to want. The coaches say it
but don't mean it, but because they want, they want. They remember
they walked that. Yeah, Jed jed for the one, the seventy seven
to seventy. He was going for seventy last year. He and even you
knew during the week when he talked about it, that there was something up
his sleeve. It depends on the coach, it really does. It depends
on the coach. Again. You know, we have you know, we've
got history here, Steve, you and I and you know the the the
as U pregame speeches in the early eighties, you know, were legendary and
and and they give they give a lot of credit to that for Arizona turning
around the rivalry, you know, Tom Rogman, you know, just just
the just not being in the locker. But all you heard was, you
know, he and Larry Smith and those guys just made a big deal of
the rivalry. And you know, we're tired of them kicking our asses in
Arizone. Turned around them. I think it just depends on the coach.
Partly depends on the program, Partly depends on the rivalry. Right, you
know, Tommy, you know we said we heard that. Yes, he
kind of downplayed it, right, I'm not thinking about that. I'm not
thinking about the rivalry as much. But I have to think that guys do
more. Now, did DeAndre Aydon give a crap about the rivalry? No?
He didn't, right, right, right? But did TJ. McConnell
Probably probably right? You know, you know somebody who's who plays in it
and experiences it a bunch of times. TJ had the red shirt year and
then he played two years. He was part of it three times. I
think those guys do. But somebody who's not. And that's the problem I
have with the one and done, they don't feel those things. Sure,
that are sort of a big part of all this. Did you definitely pay
attention to stuff like that? Yeah, I think I think it does to
certain certain players more. There's always going to be players that use it more
as fuel. Yeah, it's just everyone's different. I think for a guy
maybe like I don't know, maybe like a Caleb Love, maybe it won't
be to him, but for maybe a guy when we had here to him
it was. Maybe it's a it's a bigger deal to Pelly Larson his third
year year here at Arizona. Maybe it's a big deal to Umar, and
maybe it's let And you know, those guys have to if they want that
to live, they have to bring it to the other guys sometimes, right.
Uh. And for some reason, I think in football and not for
some reason, I think we know why, because it's more of a rivalry.
And sure, it's a big deal in football. You feel like they
pay more attention to it than they do maybe in basketball. And again with
so many one and douns or guys rolling here a couple of years and don't
really experience. Plus the rushers are full of people from Arizona, whether it
be Phoenix or Tucson or whatever, the jack Fishers of the world, it
means something to yeah, yeah, and we'll ask Jake you know again,
you know, and I think we've talked about it before, but you know,
just how much how much did they they play on the hate or how
much did they just say they didn't the fear of losing the game. And
again, let's let's make sure you know, it's not apples and apples and
apples. You know, the football rivalry is different from the basketball rivalry and
has been for Do they have that here in high school? There's some,
there's some you know, point I grew up Sabino Swarrow was a big was
a big rivalry, and that's just because we were in the same you know,
early on went uh well, it took a while for Sabino to catch
up because they were the expansion school. Right Sorrow split up and a bunch
of those kids went to went to Sabino and then football White Sabino's had it
all over, so they won a bunch of state championships, but has had
its time too, so it took a while for them to kind of even
out right. Yea. You know back in the day, you know Amphi
and Tucson High here, you know, particularly football. You know, Rincon
and Swarrow had a huge basketball rivalry. You know, sawar Wana state championship
back in this like the early seventies or whatever. And I'm going way back
to when I was, you know, in high school and stuff. I
think today know you know, South Point and CDO and probably I would Ridge
Iron would rid uh out out of Vail, not MIKEA Mountain, but Sianiga,
you know, I mean we went to the Mica Mountain uh CDO game.
That was you know, that was a big deal. You know how
much of a rivalry was or was it a rivalry just because they were both
really good? Right right? And that's what helps it. Both teams are
being good. Teams want to establish who they are. Yeah, I couldn't
tell you if the rivalries among the schools are as strong as they used to
be. I mean, I think, yeah high, I think way back,
Sunnyside and Pueblo because they were that were in the closest proximity, you
know, I know, Sunnyside and Tucson High. When my brothers were playing
football at Sunnyside, it was a big rivalry, but only because I kicked
their asses every year. And there were very few high schools back then.
Yeah, yeah, there weren't. There weren't high schools. But you know,
I think Santa Rita and Suarrow, sawarw and Paul Verdy. Again,
those schools were in proximity to each other. M Okay, we'll see what
happens on how much it affects everybody tomorrow. I mean, the issue needs
to win some games to even be considered anything in the tournament or for the
tournament. Would you say that Hurley maybe coaching for his job down the stretch
here, I don't know, you know, because well they don't have an
a t right, I don't know who knows. Last year at this point,
it seemed like he saved this job with that win, right he might,
you know. I mean he got off to a good start in the
league, you know, not regularly, but in the league and we even
I mean we even said or I know I said, God, maybe As
was good. And then they went on a loser's streak after that, but
also went to the tournament. If I'm correctly, they went to tournament.
They played TCU very close, they lost and overtime or very close last year.
Yeah, the tournament, because I remember they won the playing game.
They were in one of the playing games, right, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, because I remember we're coming back from from Zacramento
after the first and As still in Arizona is out right right, and they
play teach you very close. If you kind of google it, I think
it happened. Uh. And and he's a he's a good coach. He
just doesn't have he hasn't got any good places. Get the guys. Yeah,
it's very tough nowadays, even even to applaud Tommy. Well, you
get so much fluid people coming in and coming out. How difficult it is
to mesh everybody together in a in a season or months whatever. Uh you
know, But if you're good, you're good, you know, and coaching
matters. It just does, well, of course it does. Did you
get it. I'm looking I'm just about there. I'm trying to get the
page to come out. Okay, it's slowly loading. Yeah. So you
know there was a lot of hope for that team too this year, but
not so much after they started playing very very different place style than Arizona.
So you you live in like Gilbert, right, yep, So what's the
what's the vibe there? Like? Is it all issues? Then? Since
I grew up there, it's been all ASU football. That's a SU football
was right, and that's what it felt like living there, right yeah?
Wow? Yeah, they did get in the tournament. Yeah, they beat
Nevada by twenty five and got in against against TCU and lost by two.
Yeah, I mean it was the last second shot. So yeah. So
yeah, it's it's always been ever since I grew up there, it's always
been as U fans love their football and then basketball is kind of yeah,
yeah, it's it's stopped being a big deal to them really when Arizona kind
of took over the right basketball the basketball. Yeah, it's stopped being important
to them because it was important to them. You know, they had some
really again, really good teams, you know, you know, Fat Leaver
by Byron Scott, Yeah, Lionel Hollins is the name that I seventies.
No, that's early well, it's early eighties. They were in the Pac
twelve by that time. I think the eighty one to eighty two team went
into the NCAA tournament like a two seed with Byron Scott. It's funny he
was talking about that. I saw I heard him on the show yesterday.
He was talking about his Byron Scott. Oh, how he was playing.
You know, yeah, you know I A c was you know, was
really good during those years and and they kind of dominated Arizona in the seventies,
even those teams with you know, with with Elliott Money, those guys
they had trouble being a s U you know, Ned walked the coach.
Yeah, so they had their time. But I think it, uh when
when when Luke and you know turned Arizona into a into a power here.
It kind of like went to the site. Even the even the Freedom years,
he had some good years but really could never put a dent in the
No, he did it there ninety five ninety six. Who's Bennett, Mario
Bennett, Yeah in that team. Yeah, yeah, that's when say he
had a couple of years in there, but not it didn't. It didn't
sustain. Okay, so they played tomorrow seven thirty. Uh, we'll see
you. There should be a fun, fun night of basketball. Softball starts
this weekend, or not starts to continues this weekend, baseball opening for yeah,
right right, nice nice night too. Yeah, where you going?
You're going to any of the games? Not this weekend? I won't Yeah,
well, okay, not to not to put a GPS on you,
but but Arizona breaking out the power of blue uniforms and baseball tonight, which
would be cool. Well, that'll be a different Yeah, a softball you
know, swept a double header last night and they've not gone past five innings
in any of their games. All of them have been run rolls. So
but again the competition hasn't been great. Well, we'll wait and see.
If you're not measured by this weekend, you're measured by the Pac twelve stuff,
right, just as basketball is too. Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna
be a while before we know just how good we we'll get to. You
sent me, I sent you it a while back, and then you just,
hey, look at that. I did not. I did not look
at the date of the art mark mark this down. He doesn't pay attention
to anything I say you're sending. Oh no, look I fell in my
lap. Uh No, we'll talk about this on the other side after we
talked to uh, and we'll I'm gonna ask we'll ask mister Dodd if he
thinks that a is u of a is a blue blood. He might be
nice and say yes, but you know, uh, and then we'll talk
about the blue blood stuff again, because I thought it was a good article.
It was a really good article. And we'll thought of too well,
they clearly thought it through. They explained why they have, you know,
these the tears, the tiers that they have, and uh and I like
the article. I really did. And and we'll we'll, you know,
we'll kick it around a little bit, but you know, it's basically an
article from in the Athletic from back in December. That's too you know,
blue bloods and then tier two, tier three, Tier four, tier six
or something like that, right, And I agreed with it. I agreed
with it. Yeah, Okay, okay, we got a couple of minutes.
Anything else we have to get off our plate here. You want to
talk about you'll talk about the Iowa girl okay, Oh yeah, I won't
talk about that. We'll wait for you news coming out of the PAC twelve,
right, which is not surprising, but it's good. Yes, yeah,
we knew, we knew that was coming. Have you gotten your creditial
requests? I did? I did. I just need to see if I'm
gonna sit stay in the streets or in a hotel room. You know,
if my wife wasn't coming with me, Steve, I'd let you stay in.
That's not happening. He's coming. She was, she there, she
was there, lecture. Yeah, she goes, she goes. Yeah,
the family goes every year, and they enjoyed the turn. I'll find a
place on the poker table, some empty poker. Well, bumber, that
hob doesn't still live over there? Did you guys used to pile in at
his You and Anthony and a bunch of degenerates over there? Yeah, yeah,
but it was away from the strip. No, we're all fine.
Anthony's going to go this year too, and then we have all the yeah
you know mister P and X days. Oh that's right. We need to
get him on the show while we're there. He's we are, we are,
we are trying to get the show at the park MGM, like we've
done the last couple of years. We've put our request in waiting here back
from those guys, so we're shooting for that. If we don't have it
there, we'll have it somewhere. And if you haven't gone to this,
it's a fantastic time to go. It's just the last one obviously, but
yeah, even if you don't go to the games, it's it's it's just
go hang out at the bars outside the arena, yea, or just you
know, and the atmosphere during the week, right, you go walking around
the strip and you neverbody's got their gear. There's like three tournaments going on
there at the same time. It's a lot of fun, a lot of
fun. Again, Keeve said, if you haven't been there, go it'll
be gone for a while. Yeeah, Yeah, we'll be Kansas City.
Okay, let's take the break, all right, let's take our break.
When we come back, Kyle Dodd, the ASU radio color analysts for their
basketball broadcast, will join us. Also, the still still considered a villain
at McHale Center, so we'll get to get chat with him and talk a
little bit about his son Devils and see what's going on for the big game
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today. This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Sports
fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio while Just Surgery I
on the Ball. Hey, welcome back to you Eye on the Ball here
all Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. He's jakinsaf Snow. On
the phone. We have former ASU guard Kyle Dodd, one of the guys
that U of A fans didn't really like. Did you like that that you
were one of those guys that they didn't like? Oh? Man, everybody
loves me down there. I think I think that's a false narrative. Man,
I don't know, Kyle. I enjoyed playing the villain role. You
know, I've told you guys before. You know, sometimes it's the Pac
twelve tournament and stuff. But you know, we uh we had I enjoyed
my games against you, of A. I never had much success, never
had success down there, and uh want only one once up here. So
I don't really know why they hate me so much, but it's been fun
and I love the rivalry. Did they still boo you when you walk into
Michale now as a radio guy in street clows and stuff? Yeah? Some
people do you got you got to still still some of the same people.
It's funny now because like I kind of make fun of myself now that I'm
older, and it doesn't mean quite as much to me anymore. So,
like I'll tell you know, I'd kind of like the movie eight mile eminem
when he does the rap and he tells everything that's wrong with him. I
tell him first what's wrong with me? And then I'm like, Okay,
now, what do you got to say about it? I already know that
I suck. I know I only average four points the game. I know
I was one and eight against you guys? What what what do you done
till everybody's wrong? That's good? That's good. So so we talked about
this off the year. So you're you're not going to be here, but
you were here for a number of events. Uh, you think the comeback
game here might be a little difficult for a issue because of what happened last
year? Yeah? I think so. I mean I think just in general,
just it's so hard to win down there, and what happened last year
was such a insane moment in our history at a issue. So I think
that'll be a little more, a little more juice than normal, and definitely
a revenge game I think for for you of a But you know, I
think Arizona's got a lot there's a lot more to play for at this point
than we do. We're we're basically trying to get seeding, you know,
in the PAC twelve tournament, you're trying to get seated in the NCAA tournament.
So I think it's Arizona's gonna want to get it. And I think
a SU obviously just you know, trying to you know, salvage a good
cool moment in the season to maybe try to steal another one. So Kyle,
like you knows, as hard as it was to say this at the
time, you know, when they got off to that four and oh start
in the league and we were just talking about you know, the league and
that, you know, the USC and UCLA were off to a terrible start,
and I actually said it. It hurt to say, but I said
it, maybe a SU was good, right, and then then they go
lose seven, seven out of eight or six out of seven or something like
that. What the hell happened? Yeah, you know, it's it's a
weird, weird deal. You know, I think college sports in general is
just weird right now with with the transferporter and n I L and and I
think, you know, we had so many guys that were learning to play
together for the first time. They just met each other, you know,
six months ago, and there was obviously up and downs in the non conference,
and then it seemed like after Christmas they really kind of found you know,
figured it out and started playing really well. And then they dropped a
really bizarre game against UCLA and I think we were up seventeen in the second
half and ended up getting five technicals all that, and that game kind of
got away from us, and then from that point on it just seemed like
we've been kind of searching to get it back. And you know, we
we've played well the last two games with one two in a row, and
so hopefully that you know, heading in the right direction. But yeah,
after the start, you know, we figured this might be might be a
fun season after all and be in the mix for the for the fact twelve
And you know, I enjoyed the first part of it, but the last
couple of weeks have been a little rough for a guy that's been in the
rivalry for a long time. What do you make of the rivalry or is
there one? Yeah, I mean, obviously I think just a passion from
the fans is what makes the rivalry. I mean, we have such great
fans that they go at each other. And I mean, obviously the record
in basketball, uh is one sided. And you know, so that's always
you know, the fans on the U of A side always got the upper
hand on that. But yeah, it's just when you get on the floor,
it's just different. I mean, I some of my best friends in
the league when I played are you know, played at U of A.
And you know, I got you know, I love Jason Gardner, one
at one of the best human beings in the league, and glad to see
him every year on the bench. And and you know some of those guys
that we played against it you know, it was all love off the court.
And actually a lot of them hung out and played pick up stuff up
in Phoenix in the summertime, so it was, you know, all love
off the court. But yeah, when you step into that that arena,
and you know, for us on our side, and when you hear that
those U of A chance, it's like another a different feeling. And I'm
sure for you guys when you hear issue. So it's uh, it's been
a really fun thing to be a part of. And I play it up,
I tell you, man, I don't even believe half the stuff I
say, so don't don't ever take it too personals. So let me ask
you, because we talked a while back, a couple a few months ago,
did you have an incident with Luke or somebody. Yeah, so that's
that's where the hatred comes from. I we had the one time we beat
you guys, I think we beat you up here, and there was a
weird deal in the scheduling, almost kind of like this year. We played
again like two weeks later down there, and we put it on you of
a I think they were number two in the country, you know, at
our place. And then we came down there and it was like twenty eight
to four to start the game. The place is going nuts, and I
was just screaming and yelling at my teammates, you know, everybody that watched
me play. I was pretty fiery, and I was just saying like,
let's go, you know, let's go, come on, so just fight.
And there was like a loose ball right after the time out, and
I remember diving like on the pile late and then me and Luke got tangled
or Luke got tangled up, and you know, I just started with flailing
my arms trying to I think I went after Ricky Anderson. I went out
and then and then from that point on, I got booed every time I
touched the ball for my rest of my career. Uh. And it was
it was fun, man, but uh, you know, obviously, uh,
I'm not winning a fight with louz Waald on the street. So maybe
it was that basketball type fight. Let everybody get in the middle of it.
You know, Well, they had to sort of be a badge of
honor for you because it meant that they were one paying attention to you,
and two they felt like they needed to, you know, rattle you a
little bit. So they're booing you when you get the ball. That means
that means you made an impact. Yeah, something like that. I think.
I think, just uh, you know, uh, it's the UFA
fans are so great, excuse me, just so great and so passionate that
I love it and and like that's why I play up to it now.
You know, I still joke around with them and take a little That's why
I I took some shots at people last night. I posted the video of
the Cambridge shot because I know I'm not going to be down there tomorrow to
take the grief. So I just got it all in and uh, you
know, I got I got it, I got it out. Tomorrow was
my dad's eightieth birthday. I would I would love to come down and see
everybody down there, but I got a family comes first, So I'm gonna
be bummed amidst the rivalry. Well, that's good for you. Good for
the year. You got my vote, You got my vote. Let me
ask you. I asked coach Montgomery this a while back in a story I
was doing, what makes what makes Michale Center so tough to play? And
I'll give you his response. Yeah, I mean I think just obviously the
buildings poll, it doesn't matter building poll for the Red and Blue scrimmage or
whatever you guys call it. I mean that place has just always got energy.
You got a good combination of the college basketball atmosphere with the students and
the band and whatnot, and then you got really dedicated like older fan base.
I mean some I tell people all the time, some of the craziest
stuff that has been yelled in my direction, and Tucson was from like an
eighty five year old life, and I'm like, I kind of just like
I want to go up and give her a high five and a hug because
I mean, I'm like, that is awesome that that lady cares that much.
And and I think that's what's great about McHale Center is it's just you
walk in that place and uh, it's just it's just the energy and a
you know, it's it's a way of life down there. Really, Kyle,
I've never let my granddaughter you know what real quick. So Montgomery said,
you know, Steve, they have some pretty good players. That's why
it's so tough to play down there. Yeah, that that also helps you
win a lot of basketball games. And uh, you know, when you're
winning a lot of basketball games, that brings the crowds out. And I
think Tucson would support Arizona basketball even in a bad year. But I think
just the success and the history of U of A basketball, I think is
what brings them out every year. And you know, I don't think that's
going away anytime soon. I tell people my biggest my biggest thing that I
really think where as you missed the boat was the year you know when Lout
left and Harden came and we had won five in a row. Over over
U of A. And I just thought, okay, maybe here's where we
even these things out a little bit. But you know, Sean Miller came
in and reloaded, and then now Tommy's doing his thing, and and I
don't think U of A is going anywhere. I think they're you know,
going to be in the top fifteen, top twenty, you know, every
year from here until you know, we keep doing this. We're talking to
Kyle Dodd, color color analysts for as U Radio. Former player, former
I shouldn't say former villain because I think you still are right down here.
But so tell us a little bit about what you know, what we're seeing,
What are we going to see tomorrow? You know, after this,
you know, losing streak. They've won a couple of games, including a
game at Utah, which is not an easy thing to do. We saw
that, you know, with Arizona going three overtimes with them, What are
they doing now? Yeah, I mean it's a scrappy bunch. I mean
athletic, we really get after the basketball, you know, Bobby Hurley,
you know, like them or or hate them. For U of A fans,
you have to admit these teams always play their tail off, they would
run through a wall form. So we'll play hard. We don't shoot it
very well, which I think has hurt us this year. But when we
do get out and pressure defense and we can generate turnovers, we can get
out on the break and we're pretty good athletically. So I think that's probably
a key for areas on the state tomorrow is try to generate some turnovers.
I mean, if you're if you're taking it out of the net and you're
having to get in a half court game, I don't I don't think it's
gonna end up very well for us. And I looked at you know,
I've been telling people all week that I visited with about U of A.
I mean, I look at U of as as a probably the one of
the most complete basketball teams, if not the most complete basketball team in the
country. They have a little bit of everything. They have great size,
they have the ability to shoot the basketball, they can play and transition,
they can slash, they can execute. The real struggle for them when they've
lost some games is guarding the three point line. Look, you know,
for you for years, for the U of A's sake, we don't shoot
it really well from the three point line. So it'd be great if we
got hot tomorrow and kept us in the game. But you know, we'll
see I think, you know it'll it'll be a battle. Hopefully we can
stay in the game and make it a fun one. So crack this big
mystery for us. You're probably close to the guy Bobby Hurley. Uh,
it sounds like a very good guy. He is you you've a fans just
just don't like him, just don't like him. Tell us who he really
is, you know. Obviously, I think the the fact that he went
to Duke is another reason why, you know, like obviously a su that's
that's double so yes. But honestly, Bobby and all all that you see
on the sideline and the energy and the craziness and and Bobby off the court
is genuinely like a wonderful human being, like very generous, does some really
cool stuff. I have so many cool stories, you know, on the
road and just you know, gracious with this time and people in the public
and people out to dinner and and stuff like that. I mean, there
was a story and uh, I think we were traveling to shoot around at
Washington and we saw a guy on the bus. But we were on the
bus. We saw on the side of the street that had a duke Bobby
Hurley jersey on and he stopped the bus and we're like, what is going
on. He ran across the street and started talking to the guy. I
think he gave him. I don't know what he gave and it was Martie
or something, shook his hand. Nobody knows the story. But this guy
was like, I don't know if he was homeless or what, but he
you know, it's kind of rough and and this guy was like ecstatic and
he's shaking his friend trying to tell his friend I just met Bobby Hurley.
The guy probably didn't believe him, but like just little stuff like that.
He constantly is doing really really cool things. And I mean, I really
love the guy. I think he's perfect for ASU. I don't think we
can do any better for a coach. Well, you just flipped my opinion
of him on that one. That's really cool, you know that, you
know, those are the things that you know, we don't get reported,
we don't see, we don't know, you know, And I know.
I mean I I look the guys who sit behind me at the stat table.
There are relentless on the assistant coaches, and they're probably more relentless or
not head coaches, and they are more relentless on the ASU coach, whoever
it is, whoever it's been over the years, more than anybody. But
last year, did you see the video when he he was very happy,
arms up and then he came back to give the guys grief because given,
yeah, yeah, like I said, we don't have a lot of success
down there, and you don't know what you're gonna win the next time down
there, so you might as well soak it up. And the funny thing
is I told people, I thought you of a fans that was as cool
as I've ever experienced. Like they after the game, like very great,
like they We saw so many people on the way out, and you know,
normally when we actually won down there, it's just like, yeah,
you guys still suck. We still beat you one hundred more times than you
beat you know, blah blah blah. But everybody on the way out of
that game, and we even stopped to eat and saw some people and everybody
was like, you know what, tip tip a hat. It was a
great college basketball game and water shot. I mean it was just crazy,
and it was just very you know, very gracious and defeat. I think
people just I think every he was in shocked. They were like, I
don't think we really believed. I don't even think we believed that we won.
Yeah, well it must have helped you get to the NCAA tournament.
Yeah, beat Nevada and then played TCU very tough. Yeah, I was
a I think that was a season changer because we were right there on the
bubble and you know, to get a win and against your rival and Tucson
that kind of got us back on track. Is is there any thought that
they can still get in? I mean, are they? Are they?
Is it? Did that losing streak just kind of ended for them? Yeah?
I mean our our net ranking and and that stuff is not good.
I mean it would take a you know, five to six game here,
you know, games in a row winning streak or something like that probably get
us back in the conversation. I mean, obviously a quad one win like
tomorrow would be you know, a good resume builder. But again, you
know, I just think it's gonna be so tough to go down and get
a win. But yeah, I mean it's I think Ideally, if I
as you could find a way to slip into the top four in the PAC
twelve tournament and get a buy that first day and just give yourself a chance.
You only have to at that point, you only have to win three
games in three days. Obviously, I say that like we've had a lot
of success in the PAC twelve turn at which we haven't. But I mean
it's, you know, at least you give yourself a chance. But I
think it's it'd be a long shot for them to get back to the dance.
Well, Kyle, thanks a bunch for joining us again. Yeah,
give your dad a big hug from these guys from Tucson tomorrow. Awesome.
And I'll see you guys in Vegas, right you will, Yes, you
absolutely will see you in Tempe. And I'll see you in Tempe. Okay,
absolutely, Yeah, thanks guys anytime. Thanks Thanks Kyle. Don not
so bad, see not so bad. Yeah, he's been great, you
know with us, you know, you know, and I told you and
I see him, Well, I won't see him tomorrow, but you know
when I saw him after he was on the show last year, before the
game, and I saw him at the game. You know, we were
like, buddy, so very cool. I appreciate him coming on right.
Okay, good good, good job. Jay. Let's go take a break
and come back and talk more. All right, We'll be right back.
If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly
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dot net. Steve Rivera and Jacob Salaz they have their Eye on the ball
on Tucson Sports Stage Chat Fox Sports fourteenth lifting. Hey, welcome back to
I and the Bargain on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve. He's Jay.
We have sitt with us thirteen minutes left in this hour. If you
want to call us five two zero four one six seventy four forty this topic
might respond or give you, guys a chance to respond to what we're going
to talk about the blue Blood conversation. We've had and argued about for a
while a while. For a while, I think we've kind of established ourselves
in our ground. Have you after reading the story, did it change your
mind at all? Well, I mean, I'm pretty much in agreement with
with where they put Arizona. They what we're looking at is the December is
the December article that again Steve mentioned that he sent it to me a while
back and I never did look at it. Then it showed up on my
on my Twitter Twitter feed, uh, actually last night, and it's it's
an article where they really set a bunch of tears for basketball. But the
ones of the matter to us is, you know, is there zone a
blue blood or not? I mean we've had that argument a bunch of times,
I know Steve and I have, and I've kind of that kind I
said that they are. But you know, in this article, it it
uh. I like where I like where they where they put Arizona. I
feel that it's uh, it's legit. They don't have them as a blue
blood. They have them sort of on the fringe, on the fringe,
on the cusp, uh, right on the right, on the edge of
being a blue blood. And you know, the thing that I guess,
you know, thinking back to my argument about it, was that I felt
like Arizona, if you're going to consider it, say Michigan, Villanova,
a few of those schools of blue blood. Then Arizona should be considered a
blue blood as well, and these guys kind of drew the line above that
and I and I think that I think that's very legit. Right right,
Well, let me say this because as I recall, and I said,
they were not a blue blood program. Uh, they were again on the
fringe. But in the list that you had compiled back in the day,
you had a list like of twelve thirteen, and that's where the pictue was
right because they are in that because because to me, again it was like
if some of these other schools, like to me, I thought Indiana should
be considered a blue blood, all right, but these guys made a good
point in that Indiana hasn't done anything in a long long time. I mean,
like Arizona has won a national championship in a long time, but they've
been to the final four four times, and they sort of they sort of
bracketed the consideration from about nineteen eighty five forward. So Arizona's been four final
fours in there, so just you know, to give an to give listeners
an idea of where they drew the line. And they have six blue bloods
and nobody's arguing with these six it's Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina,
Ucla, and Yukon. You know they said, well Ucla, you
know, well, they won a national championship in the nineties, and that's
when Arizona won their national championship. Then you think about the ten that they
had way back when, they're definitely a blue blood and even though you know
more recently they haven't. You know, well, they were in a final
four a few years ago. So those six, I'm legit, it's legit.
I agree with those six. And then the next tier we got five
teams, and it was where my argument was that I thought some of these
five teams could be considered blue blood and if they were, then Arizona should
be in there, and I would and I would include I would include Indiana.
Uh, and I would include dude Villanova now because they've done so much
in the age for a long time. No, no, no period.
That's how you that's how you get established time ago. Right, You're you're
an old man because you're an old man, not because you just showed up
on the scene. No, And that's why Villanova's may or may not be.
But how how much emphasis do you put in last twenty years. And
part of it is that that since Jay since Jay Wright left, they haven't
been very good, right, So that's a point that they made in there.
So they said they're kind of but they're not. So the next tier
with five teams Arizona, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, and Villanova,
I'm comfortable with Arizona being bunched with those with those four teams, and they
and they included the Zags and then they did it well. They did Tier
two A and the two B, and they were the only one in the
Gonzaga was the only one in the B And the reason they're not in the
A is because they have not won a national Say they have won one,
then all the teams in the in the Arizona tier have won at least one
national championship. And they made the point that Arizona's only one one. Lois
has won a couple. Indiana, I think it's won three, Michigan States
won a couple of Villanova's won a couple. So they kind of like Arizona's
almost on the edge of falling out of that. So if you're if you're
a Tier three team, now you're thinking the Zags are to B and they
haven't won a title. And the Tier three group they've won titles a bunch
of them. Yeah, I think, uh, I think most of them.
Arkansas, yes, Cincinnati of course back in the day, George,
Yes, all these all these, all these programs. Marquette are pretty one.
One in the seventies, Michigan one one with the you know uh not
they it wasn't the Fab five, but they were Roomy and Robinson in that
group. But you know, Oregon hasn't won one, but they've been in
the final four. The Tier three group has mostly had that had at least
a final form in some multiples. But you know, Steve, I'll just
say I'm comfortable with Arizona is in this and I'm willing to say, you
know, right here or not a blue blood if the blue blood is going
to be drawn where it is with those six teams. Yeah, yeah,
I think that was the issue with us. You put them in a category
of twelve to fifteen, and I know, either you're pregnant or you're not
pregnant. Right they belong or they don't belong to and right now they're not
pregnant. I think in time, in time, they could be. Yeah,
I mean it depends. There's no question that the program is very successful,
right, but you could the Tier threes and Tier fours are they're pretty
they're pretty successful too. But I think I think you can put Arizona above
those guys. And you know, in Tier three, well, let me
run those down, you know, real fast, because there's a whole bunch
of the sty Arkansas, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Illinois, Maryland, Marquette,
Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Produce, Syracuse, Tennessee,
Texas, and George and Virginia. You know, I think I think Arizona
is above all of those. You know, I think you make the argument,
you know, with the four final fours in the whole bit and just
their status in you know, they still you know, they still get a
lot of attention. They're still you know, the game day will come here
and all that kind of stuff. So I think, uh, I think
I like this list And it was put together by a bunch of the staff
at the Athletic. Dana O'Neill was in on that. The one thing about
the staff, and they're very good what they do, very no question about
that. Dana's a great writer. They're relatively young. They're relatively young,
so they're not They're not the plash Keys of the world or the Bob Ryan's,
you know where they have that experience. So I'm wondering if the older
dudes would have a different lineup, a different group of blue bloods, because
I'm sure they would have put Indiana in there. Yeah. I think I
think somebody like you or me probably would have said, how could you not?
Indiana has to be in that group, right, and maybe nobody else
from that from that right here too, just Indiana. Yeah, and he
those Hey, well I talked to you about this last year when they played
in Arizona in in in Vegas and they in now introducing Indiana and they rolled
off all the combats been blah blah blah. And now I'll introduce you to
Arizona, a national championship, a few final fours, and a back twelve
title. Let's start the game. So there's took five minutes. Yeah,
I said, Jay, this, you need to listen to this. Yeah.
No, I no, And I and I think I said all along
that I thought Indiana was more deserving of blue blood status than Arizona for sure.
I mean they've got the multiple national championships, but they've done less.
They've done less in the last twenty years in Arizona. Half true, you
know, so that so that we kind of think it's that recentcy biased type
of things. Of course it is. Yeah, but I did like the
list, so I'm good. I'm good with that, Steve. I'm not
good good that I was losing sleep over it anyways, but I think our
argument is settled, right, Yes, you like those six and then Arizona
in the next group. Okay, all right, I won't call you a
curmudgeon for that. I'll call you that for others. Okay, I wait
to do that. Okay, No, cool? Anything else anybody want to
call? We got a little time five to two, four one, six,
seventy four forty Glad to hear from you about regarding whatever whatever you want.
There was also something else, uh you have the Caitlin thing? Anything
else going on? I wanted to talk about. Uh No, I don't
think so. I know back twelve, we know that that's coming up and
breaking news. Yeah I got some Yeah, I got some good news,
good baking news. But you know, oh, isn't like the top sixteen
come out on tomorrow, Tomorrow, tomorrow. Yeah, because I'm one of
the media guys doing the thing next week for the big media media thing.
That's why I'm buying on a Saturday. It's I don't know, it's seventeenth,
ten thirty, and then we're getting out a call with the commissioner at
eleven forty five just to see what their thoughts are. Right, But it's
ten thirty tomorrow, Okay, the top stright, So we'll get we'll get
a look at the NCAA tournament committees, uh, first iteration of the top
four seeds in each region. We'll see where we'll see if they believe Arizona's
the number one. Yeah, I think don't you are right now today,
just with so many losses you know around the you know, around the you
know three through you know twelve grouping, you know that, and Arizona's on
you know, they're on a nice little winning streak, coming off a couple
of impressive wins on the road. They've got three more home games in a
row that you would think you would expect, all the Washington State one again
last night. Yeah. Right, they're pretty good. I mean they're a
sneaky good. You know they're co right, you know you look good,
you play good? Right? The coach looks like he drives the bus.
See, And that's that's what was your picky percent just your football. That
is exactly your problem. I'm not going to tell you the problem, because
you know what's your problem. You said, God, he walks up,
he's got to sleeves, push stuff. He looks he looks like the bus
driver man. And you how you know what does he what does he look
like as a coach in practice? And how do you get these guys to
play? But they're good. The thing about is I don't want you to
change your perception of because I wouldn't win otherwise, because that's what that's what
you look. Oh God, she's she's not a pretty girl, but Jay,
she can cook and do all these things, and then she's a great
girl. Well you know she's not a bus girl, she's not an airplane
girl. That's good, that's I mean, you do. They're half a
game behind Arizona. Yeah, you know in the league. They were impressive
up in Pullman too, and they're nineteen and six. There's one as nineteen
and five coaches. He's got a pretty good history of success before he got
there. And let me tell you, Jay, Well, I don't need
to tell you this. If you win in Pullman, you're a pretty good
coach. Yeah. That's hard to do. It's hard to do, you
know. Yeah. I mean Calvin Sampson did a nice job over there,
so no and so and Tony Bennett. Right, yeah, it could.
It's a tough thing to do. I would venture to guess that after this
season he's no longer the coach. He's going somewhere else, going somewhere else.
I mean, in its last six games, Washington State has beaten Utah,
Colorado at Washington, at Oregon State at Oregon, at home against Cal
last night they beat him by nineteen. They've got Stanford, and they lost
some guys from last year. Yeah. Yeah, they won other schools and
the one loss and they won three three games before that, and the one
loss in there is an inexplicable overtime loss the Cal of all teams not getting
up for a game, and the Arizona was not the only one they won.
They won up for nine of their last ten and the loss in there
they lost in overtime. You know, get ready, they're coming down here
next week next Thursday night, So you know that's gonna be a that's gonna
be a maybe. Maybe they're just a good team. You know, sometimes
people see these stories and they're like, oh, when are they going to
fall off? But maybe maybe they're just good. You're exactly right, exactly
right, you're getting smarter spending time with us, So I think it's working.
I'll tell you you don't tell your parents. Don't tell your parents were
even hanging out. You need to get away from those guys I called an
old guy on Twitter today. No, I didn't for on the ball thing.
Yeah, well let me check. Okay, we gotta go. All
right, let's sit the road. We're gonna come back and uh we'll have
breaking news right here at the top of the hour with said