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our very own Blaine Anderson and betterwellthy got a great
show for he is always. We're gonna be celebrating the
victory over the TC horn Frogs. It's beautifully ugly. No
matter how you win, a win is a win is
a win, and a good team a great team.
Speaker 4: Has to figure out multiple ways to win.
Speaker 3: When guys are out, when guys are injured, when guys
are a little bit sickly when your stars just aren't
getting buckets. They lacked efficiency, they weren't in the groove.
But we know that this team is a second half
team and they were gritty. I feel like AJ deserves
a ton credit for just how gritty and competitive he is.
Sustained a right shoulder injury in this game, and you
know that can be pretty devastating. Somehow found a way
to push through that, didn't even pull himself out of
the game. So I like this team a lot, and
I think this team, although you know, there are frustrating
elements about this team, whether it's uh, you know, I
don't know what you're most frustrated by. Maybe it was
the rest last night. Maybe it was the fact that
that that by you just couldn't buy a bucket. They did,
they didn't shoot the ball all that efficiently, but they
somehow found a way to win. So you gotta celebrate that.
We're gonna delve into all the knicks and credits, all
the news and notes coming out of Brigham regarding this
particular game, this particular victory. Always recruiting news and notes
coming out of the transfer portal and the acquisitions and.
Speaker 4: Attrition that we're experiencing.
Speaker 3: We'll get into that as well here on your utaih
ESPN Radio network, So keep us dialed in on that
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Speaker 3: You can follow me on x at Cridel Benjamin. You
can follow us at ESPN the Fan without further ado.
Why don't we fired up the ESBN the Fan starting
lineup so I can introduce you to my co host
and the rest of the star start of cast joining
us for this Thursday, January fifteenth edition of Cougar Sports.
Behind the Glass up in Salt Lake City. It was
down at the BYU basketball game and covering fish gritty,
beautifully ugly win over the TC horn frogt Let's welcome
in Ronald the three man weaver to the show was up, Ronnie.
Speaker 5: Ben, how are we doing it? I was, I was
live president down there at the Marriott Centers nine pm.
Timpball Lake Timpoff got the bedleid. That's just how it
is when you work in the field of sports. But
it was a great opportunity for by to pick up
a gut check win. Per Kevin Young in the post game. Look, Ben,
I'm gonna give TC a lot of credit. Derek top
six defensive team in the Big twelve. So I want
to give the horn Frogs credit. They made that tough
for BYU. It wasn't just BYU struggles. They did some
good things last night. But that's good to get tested
because I think their biggest test is gonna come on Saturday.
Is now they turn their attention to Texas Tech. They
haven't beaten them since they've been in this conference. But
you need a good type of win like that with
people under the weather being down a body or two.
I think that all helps the team at the end
of the day.
Speaker 4: I love the breakdown.
Speaker 3: Let's also welcome in Hammertime show Brett always bringing the
hammer Hammer Time.
Speaker 4: How you feel about them? Koog's right now.
Speaker 6: Look, I love Kevin Young, I love aj De Bonsa,
I love BOU basketball. I don't love nine o'clock tips.
I'm I'm just being real with the people. And look,
I'll stay up to do it. I'll stay up to
put out the content that the people want. But I'll
tell you what, man, By the time I got in
bed yesterday and it felt like the longest day ever,
Like get home and we're sitting there kind of waiting
for the game to start, and it doesn't start until nine.
And then they got pushed back because of the I
think it was Texas Vanderbilt, right or even though somehow
Vanderbilt jumped to BEOU in the polls, just for Vanderbilt
to loose to unranked Texas A different story for a
different segment. But uh yeah, when that thing was over,
I was I was ready to go to bed.
Speaker 7: And obviously I'm putting out content. Ron's putting out content.
Speaker 6: We're all still working So I love BOU basketball, don't love.
Speaker 7: Nine o'clock tips.
Speaker 6: But you know what, if it means that by you
gotta win, it's worth it.
Speaker 3: What were you most frustrated with last night during the
bo U TCU game? Was it the first half inefficiencies?
Was it the zebras, the reps? Was it the nine
pm tip off?
Speaker 4: With it? Something else? That is what got your goat?
Speaker 3: What got your te o't what's got you in a
bad mood last night?
Speaker 6: I honestly didn't feel like the officiating was atrocious.
Speaker 7: I honestly thought it was worse in the Utah game.
Speaker 6: But if you do it quantitatively, you had guys closer
to fouling out in the game against TCU than you
did in the game against Utah. And I think, like connotatively,
it's just like it looks worse in the Utah game.
Speaker 7: A because it's the rivalry game. B because Tony Padilla.
Speaker 6: Happened to be in the building, Like I think had
Tony be but yeah, been in the building last night.
Speaker 7: I think they were in a riot in the city
of Provo.
Speaker 6: So I I mean it was unfortunate that Keba and
Richie put up so many fouls I guess and were playing.
I think they both had four fouls in the final
five minutes, and the fact that neither one of them
fouled out, I think speaks a lot to just how
talented those guys are. But I also think you have
to keep in mind that BYU's rotation was even smaller
than usual because you had Beato, because you had Zavian out.
Because of all the guys who were out, more guys
had to play more minutes, and I think that just
got some guys in trouble, so the rest probably.
Speaker 7: I'm probably in the minority on that.
Speaker 6: I think a lot of people were upset with the
officiating last night.
Speaker 7: I wasn't.
Speaker 6: I honestly am not that upset with the game from
last night. I don't have that many gripes. I think
last night was an example of what happens when teams say, hey,
we're gonna do everything to make your big three not
be able to beat us. Now the big three still
showed up at the end. I don't think last night
was a bad game. I think TCU just played good defense.
Speaker 3: Ronald the three man Weaver, what were you most frustrated
with last night?
Speaker 4: And why?
Speaker 5: Yeah? When I look at this one with Brett Benny,
And look I did put this out there right covering
the games. I did get frustrated at a moment with
the officiating, like the stretch, because to me, basketball is
a game of momentum. It killed the momentum for BAU
at times, but it wasn't the whole thing. So if
people feel that I felt the way because I was
saying some things and said I didn't like this stretch
of officiating, not as a whole. You know why, because
the numbers back it up. When you shoot twenty nine
free throws, you can't really say the officials were a problem.
You can't. That's just that's that's a lie per the numbers.
But I will say this, I was more upset at
player execution and in coaching staff because at some point,
and I mean it's in the nicest way, and this
is noticing basketball. Tanner Tuilson was in the game, good
basketball player, But when the entire roster has assists, fouls
and he only has five points and nothing else, I
felt like they did not attack him defensively, then maybe
they needed to. TC did a good job of hiding him.
I know he guarded aj I know ITJ wasn't feeling well,
but I felt schematically at times the execution wasn't there
for the players. And then what I wanted to see
from the coaches was to a target and go at
certain guys on the TC roster, which they did down
the stretch, but that was I think what was more frustrating,
because when I see Rob pushing transition and throw the
ball over Cape's head as they're on a run, that's
not coaching staff, that's player execution. So to me, I
would go players first and guys not stepping up maybe
when they needed to, and then the second half coaches
schematically needing to attack certain players. I don't think the
officials had anything to do with it. I felt by
you just put themselves in bad situations and officials aren't
going to help you out. But when you shoot twenty
nine free throws, that's not officiating in my opinion.
Speaker 4: Thank goodness BYU.
Speaker 3: You can find a way to win when you are
out shot out efficiencied if that's even a word. I mean,
they really like you didn't win this game. From a
shooting standpoint, I guess you can say the twenty nine
free throws, yes, because you were at seventy nine percent
from the charity stripe. That was nice, That was glorious,
That was wonderful. It is hard to blame Zebras right
when you when you get to the line twenty nine times,
and I feel like they called it If you want
to say they called it bad, I think they called
it bad both ways.
Speaker 7: I don't feel like calls went in favor of one
team or the other.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3: To me, I like, I think the most frustrating thing,
like it's and it's not the favorite in my poll.
To me, it's just like when are we going to
figure out how to play a first half?
Speaker 4: Like to me, it's like.
Speaker 3: We are down or or tied during are these first
half runs all season long?
Speaker 4: And I really can't.
Speaker 3: I can't think of any time where I came away
from a first half and like, man, we are dialed today,
we are we are thriving today, we are game plans
working out in the first half. Imagine what this BYU
basketball team could be if we put two halves together.
Speaker 4: That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3: Refs are gonna ref and sometimes shots will fall, sometimes
they won't.
Speaker 4: You got plenty of looks that you liked.
Speaker 3: I just would like to see a little bit more
efficiency in the in the first half.
Speaker 4: That's it.
Speaker 3: I would love to see it. That's what I'm most
frustrated by. But guys, we're gonna delve into this. We'll
get into some sound with Ky what he thought about
the game, what he took away from it. Check out
the ESPN the fans starting lineup. We'll get to Ky
here in the nitty gritty Richie Saunders following that.
Speaker 4: The Todd King he struggled in the first half.
Speaker 3: You know, he he struggled a lot in the first half,
but found his groove maybe in the second half. We'll
welcome in bradon Day Little college Football segment CEO of
Video Mens, where Brian Kiel, former Bway you Great, will
join us at three thirty talk some Bway football j
Drew at four o five for a Cougar beat.
Speaker 4: We have a handy and.
Speaker 3: Handy sports court getting the news and notes coming out
of sports and law with your most trusted injury attorneys,
Garrett and Preston Handy. That's at five oh five, and
the Mark Durant b YU Men's basketball color analyst will
join us at five thirty all that and more here
on your Utah ESPN Radio network. That's your starting lineup,
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Let him earn your business today. Eight oh one four
hundred zero eight eight five. All right, So what happened
in this BYU men's basketball game? Well, number eleven basketball
was led by aj Debonsis twenty five points as they
took down TCU seventy six to seventy on Winston Night
at the Marias Center.
Speaker 4: After trailing thirty six to thirty at the break.
Speaker 3: BYU several dominant second half runs and a thirteen second
chance thirteen second chance points to secure a six point victory.
Speaker 4: Offensive rebounding has been a boon.
Speaker 3: For BYU in these beautifully ugly games where you're trying
to figure out creative ways to win, and second half
point or second chance points have been I think one
of the biggest benefit benefits of this b YU men's
basketball team. De Bonsa finished with twenty five points, as
I mentioned, seventeen from the second half, so second half
team continues to be the theme for this Cougar basketball team.
Along with six rebounds one assists, the freshman also went
seven to seven from the free throw line.
Speaker 4: That's that's nice to be perfect from the line.
Speaker 3: As I mentioned, ba as a team was at about
eighty percent shooting at an eighty percent clip from the
charity stripe. His twenty five points move him past Devin
Durant and Eric Mika to the number nine overall spot
on the freshman all time scoring list for BYU men's basketball.
Does he become the number one all time freshman score
It seems like it's trending that way. He's gonna have
to continue to produce, but it seems like it's trending
that way. Richie Saunders went nine of eleven from the
charity stripe, totaling eighteen point, six rebounds and one assists.
Robert rob Right third added fifteen points and six rebounds
as well as six assists. Keviketa contributed ten rebounds, seven points,
three blocks to assists in one steal. And then Mihailo
Boskovic and Hadim Boop combined for twelve rebounds off the bench.
While baout rebound at TCHU fifty one to thirty six
and outstole them five to three. The horn Frogs outshot
the Kougs forty one to thirty five percent and out
assisted sixteen to eleven. Let's get the commentary from Ky
postgame and get into this. Richie got his fourth foul
early in the second half. Then Aj scored seventeen points
in eight minutes. Was anything said to him to inspire him?
Speaker 4: What was that like? Watching him take over the game?
Speaker 9: Yeah?
Speaker 10: Now means a gut check type win for our group.
You know, it felt like anything that could go wrong
would go wrong. I felt like our whole team at
four fouls, dot AJ was going to die out there,
and they just found a way to.
Speaker 9: Make place.
Speaker 10: You know, he's obviously a great player. You know, we
needed him, and he stepped up. And then Richie, you know,
not being his night, hits that huge three also got
a couple Richie style offensive rebounds that helped.
Speaker 3: So Richie always is on the glass man, That's why
you keep him on the floor. That plus mind is
always in the plus with Richie, even when he's not
hitting shots from the outside. So one thing I was
talking to a number of individuals today about AJ.
Speaker 4: I feel like.
Speaker 3: The best quality of AJ is not necessarily his his length,
his athleticism, his skill set, his polished scoring ability, all
that matters, Like all of that matters. The clay is amazing,
the amount of work that he's put in his meeting.
To me, it's the gritty like competitive mindset that he has.
Speaker 4: Like not everyone is competitive, guys.
Speaker 3: There's two types of competitors too, those that like to
win and those that hate to lose. AJ hates to lose.
Most of us just like to win. Let's be honest.
We just like to win.
Speaker 4: It's fun to win.
Speaker 3: It's fun to do things that we're good at, and
we like to win. It's fun, not everybody. Very few
people hate of whore cannot live with losses. It keeps
them up at night, it makes them angry. They're not
fun to be around. Like they're special humans and they
hate to lose mentality. It works in sports, it doesn't
always work in like business, because you have to create synergies.
Whether you're in the corporate America or entrepreneur like, you
have to create synergies. And even when you lose, stay
positive rights, stay positive, stay positives, stay positive, keep everyone
bought in, body in. But like dude, AJ hates to lose,
suffers the shoulder injury, doesn't want to take himself out.
Speaker 4: I think that's his best quality. I really do.
Speaker 3: So when we're talking about Darren Peterson versus AJ to Bonsa,
I'm looking at who's injured and who has grit, competitive fire,
and who's willing to go out there and play this
fight injury and find a way to win, find a
way to take over the game. That's why I think
AJ's the best player in this next year's NBA draft.
And everyone's gonna say, well, what about the efficiency, what
about plus and minus? What about Darren Peterson? Darren Peters's
such a score he looks like he's at eighty percent.
Everyone's at one hundred percent. He can just get anywhere
on the floor and score at will, all those things,
and I'm like, look to me the competitive fire of AJ.
Speaker 4: Trump's Darren Peterson.
Speaker 3: If I'm an organization in the National Basketball Association, if
I got the number one overall pick, I'm taking AJ
because of the work ethic, but also because of the
gritty competitive Mamba MJ mentality. I see what I saw
in Kobe and MJ in AJ.
Speaker 4: That's what I see. I'm seeing the competitive mindset.
Speaker 3: Okay, I'm seeing the due diligence to put in the
work necessary.
Speaker 4: Like Lebron has superb work ethic, but he's not a killer.
Speaker 3: Lebron is one of the greatest, if not the most
physically gifted basketball players ever to play the game.
Speaker 4: No one's gonna he's from a skill set.
Speaker 3: Athletics say he's like a combo of like Shack, and
he's a combo of KG and Kobe and Magic Johnson.
His ability to destrip at the basketball like he's a freak,
but he's not a killer.
Speaker 4: He's a flopper.
Speaker 3: He's weak, like he doesn't like the physicality of the
game necessary because he's always been the biggest. Anyway, I
see a special thing in AJ and that needs to
be celebrated.
Speaker 4: Let's get back to it.
Speaker 3: Ky rebounding seemed to be a bigger difference in the
second half. Was that a conservative effort or a message
at halftime?
Speaker 9: Now, it's been a message.
Speaker 10: Since I got here a year and a half ago,
and it's been a constant message in the last week.
You know, Mike Tomlin, who I have a lot of
respect for, said something after their playoff loss the other day,
and obviously just step down. But I love guys like
him because they say, how it is, you either do
or you don't.
Speaker 9: Was his message, either do or you don't.
Speaker 10: There's people that do in life, they are successful, and
the people that don't aren't.
Speaker 9: And so, like, I don't really.
Speaker 10: Go philosophical too much on you guys, but like, that
really struck me. And so I'm getting tired with really
getting tired of talking about any followed up by saying
there's too much talking in our business, and so I'm
getting tired of talking about rebounding. Usually, you know, defensively
we talk about it, but offensive we talk about a nauseum.
And so tonight we had twenty one offensive rebounds. You know,
that's how you sustain shooting thirty five percent from the field.
Speaker 9: You know, we had.
Speaker 10: Plus seven on field goal attempts, plus eleven on free
throw attempts.
Speaker 9: You know, that's how you're able to stay in a
night like that.
Speaker 10: Where not every night's going to be your night on
the offensive end. So you got to find different ways,
you know, to win the ball game. And I thought
our guys, I told them they should have confidence because
we can win a lot of different ways. And you know,
that's a tough team. Coach Dixon is a great coach
and hit. They just play really hard, and so that
was a dog fight.
Speaker 11: Man.
Speaker 10: I'm just proud of the guys for pulling it out
because of the rebound.
Speaker 4: I'll be honest.
Speaker 3: You know, there's a couple of things I want to
take away here. All you Star Wars fans are just
loving that do or or not there is no try,
either you do or you don't. You know that brings
true obviously to everyone in the that it's played sports.
You got to get it done and and be way
You've haund a way to get it done. Awesome, you know,
towards the end is I was kind of listening to
you know, Khy close out those comments. It just made
me think about, you know, this collective team and this
culture that he's built and who he's attracted strategically with personalities,
guys that want to buy in and do the dirty work.
And that's special in the transfer portal era, that's not
an easy thing to do. Why because when you when
you include so much money and prestige, and everybody wants
like to be featured and wants to be highlighted.
Speaker 4: Ego Ego.
Speaker 3: Ego is at the forefront of a lot of these
acquisitions via the portal. It's hard to find buying just
is and culture is winning out too on this basketball team.
Speaker 4: So I love that.
Speaker 3: Let's get to number three, coach. You guys go down
nine in the second half. Was there a definitive moment
where the momentum shifted back in your favor?
Speaker 10: I have to I'm have to watch the film to
really give you a great answer on that. So I
don't know definitive, but I thought, you know, the execution
of that full court play where Rob got all the way,
I got fouled right before halftime. I thought that was
big to give us a little bit of momentum, cut
the lead a little bit. So I'd probably say that
for me without watching the tape.
Speaker 4: Without watching the tape, that's what he said.
Speaker 3: Guys, your thoughts, your commentary, anything stand out to you,
Ronald the three man weaver than Brett.
Speaker 4: And then I'll bring up the caboos.
Speaker 5: I really don't know if there was a defining moment.
I just thought, to me, Ben, this is very simple,
like having played in a college game before, I don't
know where a thing shift that. Yes, you can say
the Rob thing at the end, and to be honest
to talk about that play, it look like Rob got
rolled up on two because he was limping, and I
was like, you can't have Rob or I get hurt.
You really just can't have that. But to me, no,
I just thought, if anything, it was just I think
it was AJ's mentality of like you said, I'm not
gonna lose this game, and I think sometimes look mentality,
people can say what they want. There's trash talking and sport.
There is a guy that's better than you, but there's
a guy that is like give me the dang ball.
I'll say that because their kids listening to this program
and get the you know what out my way and
I'm gonna go to work. And I felt like AJ
did that. I mean, if he doesn't score been seventeen
of twenty five points in the first half in an
eight minute stretch, he doesn't do that, they don't win
that game. I mean, you could talk about the free
throws they left, you could talk about Richie getting in
foul trouble. I don't feel like there was a defining
moment because even with the officiating being up and down,
I felt like BYU just say, you know what, We're
gonna play our game. We're gonna rebound, we're gonna block shots,
we're gonna have a mentality of like, we're not letting
you beat us. And sometimes as that does carry you
because this team is already talented enough. So as I
really think about that question, I was really trying to
give you a best answer. I don't think it was
anything in particular. I just thought it was their will
of we're not losing the TCU and AJ's ability to
be like I'm gonna put the ball in the basket
and I dare somebody to stop me, and you could
argue that AJ had his flu game type moment.
Speaker 3: Look, I mean, as a media member, we're all trying
to figure out, Okay, what did you say?
Speaker 4: Coach? Who said what? Who inspired?
Speaker 5: Nothing?
Speaker 12: Really?
Speaker 4: What was the definitive moment? Brett? Did you see something.
Speaker 6: When you first ask what shifted momentum in this game?
The first thing that comes to mind, and I'm not
even being sarcastic or facetious, but four minutes and thirty
four seconds left to go in the game, you know
what happened? That whole stadium got chicken because that dude
missed two free throws in a row. And I think
there was an energy that just shifted just a little
bit because it was tied I think sixty three all
at that point, it was a wash. You had Richie
and Keba both playing with four fouls. It was basically
who wanted it more. At that point, the whole game
didn't matter who's gonna win the final four and a
half minutes. When he missed both those free throws, I
think TCU felt like they lost the little momentum. I
think the building gained a ton of momentum, and I
think BYU fed off of that.
Speaker 7: The rest of the way.
Speaker 6: I think the final three minutes of the game, I
want to say they only missed BOI only missed one.
Speaker 7: Shot, so they really didn't. They just didn't make a
whole lot of mistakes.
Speaker 6: I think down the stretch and you saw TCU miss
a couple of bad shots, turned the ball over at
the end of the day. I think it was energy
and who wanted it more, which kind of goes back
to what Kevin Young was talking about with the Mike
Tomlin and the rebounding. Like I think it was just
a mentality thing. When the energy shifted at four thirty
four left to go in the game, I like.
Speaker 3: That take a lot, and you know it's uh, there
were plenty, plenty of ebbs and flows in this game.
There's there was a lot of competition back and forth
throughout it all. And uh sometimes chicken, it's delicious. Who
doesn't like chicken. I love chicken, You love chicken.
Speaker 4: We all have chicken. That gets everyone hiked.
Speaker 3: All right, guys, A couple of last things before khy
Let's just go here.
Speaker 4: Did you say anything to aj at halftime by chance? As?
Speaker 3: Uh?
Speaker 4: Was that just him realizing he was needed at the moment.
Speaker 10: I think it was just AJ realizing what's needed. You know,
he's I don't have to say a whole lot to AJ.
You know, AJ's a great player. Even on an off night.
The guy still looks like an all world guy, generational
type guy, even when he's sick. He threw me off
with the long sleeves. I'll be honest, that threw me off.
So I was like, li, boy, I don't like when
guys just do random stuff like that. I'm very I'm
so routine driven. I was like, what's happening right now.
Speaker 9: With the sleeves. But you know, he's a tough minded kid.
Speaker 10: Hedn't really say a whole lot to anyone about him
not feeling great, So you know, he just got in
that mode that great players able to get into.
Speaker 3: So once again, this leans into what I went off
on in that first segment of like this competitive mindset,
no complaints, no female caneining. You just go out and
get it done, and you go out and win. You
hate losing, so you go out and find a way
to win. AJ, by the way, had zero points with
the long sleeve on. He had zero points with the
long sleeve on. Boy had missed five straight going into
that break. When they came out of that break, Aga
had taken the shirt off and that's when he scored
his first buckets to the night.
Speaker 7: Yeah, I do think it's like, yeah, that's exactly what
it is.
Speaker 6: However, when Ky says that, I do want to push
back a little bit because keep the same energy the
whole time, K why you didn't really have anything to say.
Speaker 7: AJ wore a headband for what like the first five
games of the season. We've seen a headband.
Speaker 6: Since I don't think so so, so I was a
little curious about why.
Speaker 7: Did he stop wearing the headband.
Speaker 6: We Spencer Linton said pregame the reason AJ was wearing
the shirt was because he was feeling under the weather.
And I don't I don't know the psyche there, but
that was the correlation there.
Speaker 4: But I don't want to say clearly, but.
Speaker 6: All I'll say is BIOI was not playing well while
he had the shirt on. I think it was maybe
a little bit of a psychology a mentality thing where
he's like, you know what, I don't do this every game.
Let me just do what I do every game, even
though I don't feel how I feel every game. Maybe
I'll talk my body into it, and clearly he did
because he popped off.
Speaker 4: Yes, indeed, and look.
Speaker 3: Just aj don't wear your signature shoe ever again, that's
just don't wear that shoe and no more.
Speaker 6: Where we haven't seen him wear it since that game. Yeah, Ronnie,
any thoughts there.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny about just the superstition.
That's I'm not figuring. Oh boy, no, take that off.
And there's another question coming up next. I will discuss
a little bit more about that. But Brett and now
we're talking a few weeks ago about this, and Kevin
Young is very superstitious. He only like wears the Janowskis
when he coaches, doesn't wear any other black Janowski so
he is very much that way. I think even wears
the same black joggers like he is. He is a
very routine guy. Kevin Young is meaning it, so if
he sees that, he doesn't I even joke, which hopefully
we can get you later. Richie Saunders in the post
game at the end of it, I don't know if
if it was cut out, I was like, never, uh,
never show up to a game without a headband, Richie,
And he just chuckled and shook his head. But that's
the thing. Kevin Young doesn't like you getting outside you
know what you're doing. But I agree with Brett. He
did wear a headband, so I don't know if that's interesting.
Speaker 3: Was it a j's choice to take the long sleeves off?
Speaker 4: Then?
Speaker 10: Like again, the sleeves threw me off. And that's why
I hate stuff like that. You do you either wear
or you don't wear it. Okay, right, And so I'm
gonna have to do a quick story.
Speaker 9: I know it's midnight and everyone wants to leave, but
since we're here.
Speaker 10: Dating back to my high school days, shout out to
Brian Flanging and my teammate got a chipped front tooth,
hadn't worn a mouthpiece the whole season, shows up to
the state tournament wearing a mouthpiece, and my coach is.
Speaker 9: Like, planning it. Your too's already chipped.
Speaker 10: So that's how I feel about that.
Speaker 3: Close a couple last things.
Speaker 4: We'll try to wrap it up.
Speaker 3: Going into the game, you wanted to see your team
attack their defense. How do you feel like the execution
went in the second half?
Speaker 9: Yeah, no, I thought good.
Speaker 10: You know the stuff that we spent a lot of
time on I thought paid dividends. I thought the execution
was was good, was impressive with our Rob for the
most part, was very surgical against their aggressive defense. You know,
I'm sure you wish he could have that pass back
he through the Caba in full court, but that wasn't
a coverage base thing. So I thought our guys handled
it well.
Speaker 3: On that note, was it What was it about Rob
where he knew he needed to score in the first half,
Then in the second half he had six assistants.
Speaker 4: Was just distributing like a mad man.
Speaker 10: No, it's a great point, you know, Like and even
the coaches were like, hey man, it's not AJ's night.
Speaker 9: We need Rob to get going. And he was in
the first half.
Speaker 10: And then when AJ, you know, got into his mode,
Rob kind of started to facilitate a little bit more.
Speaker 9: And so I say it a lot.
Speaker 10: But you know, like particularly and I would actually throw
Caba in there too. You know, we got a lot
of you know, Richie, AJ, Rob get a lot of
attention for a good reason.
Speaker 9: But they're just very smart. They're smart players.
Speaker 10: They know how to play the game, they know how
to play together, and I think every night they're kind
of growing their chemistry.
Speaker 3: Finally, how do you feel like, uh, how do you
feel like reverse did Reverse did stepping up with the Sorry,
I don't know if it's just like reverse did stepping
up with Beato being out of the lineup.
Speaker 9: Yeah.
Speaker 10: Now, I thought they were tremendous. We don't win that
game without me high and hadim.
Speaker 9: You know, I just you know, what was it? They
for one?
Speaker 10: They combined for you know, twelve rebounds, you know, nine
points and a block. So I thought their activity was good.
I thought I thought Hadeen was really good. You know,
the guy can't rebound. Man, he's got a nose for
the ball.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 10: Me I hit the big three when we were kind
of struggling, So it was great. It was really good
to see guys coming off the bench and be able
to give us a lift.
Speaker 9: Everyone go home and get some sweep thank you.
Speaker 3: I'll be honest. I k nodded off a few times
in the game. I had to, you know, shake myself
a little bit. Some people were frustrated with an IPM tip,
I hopefully we don't have any more.
Speaker 5: Nope, you're wrong, because I knew you were going to
go there, so I was already prepared to step on.
There's going to be two more laid tip offs that
I'm going to be dealing with Saturday, February seventh against
Houston eight thirty pm, and then nine pm against UCF
February twenty fourth to Tuesday. That's gonna be a tough
one too.
Speaker 3: Well, how much does it cost to get in that
five on five game with you know, all of the
big wigs of what you ask I.
Speaker 5: Don't want any problems with coach Kamard What is it?
Ryan Smith, Bissant. I am good. I will I will
happily observe if they decide to play again, but I don't.
I probably couldn't afford ben.
Speaker 6: I will keep at the Marriott Center because they're like,
oh I got to be at basketball.
Speaker 5: Well, that's normally a Thursday morning crew. Lee Comarda addressed
the media earlier today for women's baskets, say normally has
some morning group, but they just sail with all the
schedules and everything coming back of hey, let's just play.
You know, right after so b Someon was delok. I
saw how Biston played, and anybody that doubted I see
why he's passionate. He can get bucket. Steven still at
at fifty he divulce. That's not me knowing. But yeah,
they were going at it. If you check some social
media for some media members, they were posting it. But
there were some buckets, celestial buckets happening last night after
after the game.
Speaker 3: I know, I know, bad just likes to sit in
that corner three spot right oh oh.
Speaker 5: No, no, no, no, he wasn't just doing that. He
was doing it all because he had a crowd. He
was like Steph Curry ended the game on like a
dirt Novinsky like step back, and he was like.
Speaker 9: He was talking.
Speaker 5: He's like, Ron, I need you, I need to celebrate
with me. So I dabbed him like he was doing everything.
He was driving to the basket, getting and ones doing
other stuff. He was, look, Besot's a competitor. It was
good to see that. You love to see people out
of their element because sometimes you just think older the
athletic director. But no, it was nice to see that
he was. He likes to play basketball, and the coaches
and these other guys like to see Ryan Smith shooting
his his family and friends. Look, these guys are normal
people than the day just because they have a job
doesn't take away. So it was a lot of chirping
from everybody. It was a very fun environment last night
to watch, so if you stayed around, you were entertained.
Speaker 4: Love it, guys, that's our segment.
Speaker 3: I was brought to you by Complete Circuit Electric, Coomplete
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That's Complete Circuit, Electricomplete Circuit Electric utah dot Com. Let's
get into more news and notes. Question Paul, that is
coming up next to this is Cougar Sports on what
three nine ninety eight point three ESPN The Fan.
Speaker 2: The three ESPN SportsCenter.
Speaker 13: Updates starting off in the rafters by you announced it
on Valentine's Day, February fourteenth against Colorado. They will be
retiring the number thirty two to honor the career of
Jim or Fordet Jimmer of the twenty eleven Naysmith Player
of the Year will be the nth Koger with his
number retires, joining the likes of Roland Minson, Kresmirchosich, Mel
Hutchins and Danny Ayne Fordett still hold the record for
most points in a single season with one thousand and
sixty eight in an average of twenty nine point eight
points per game.
Speaker 4: On the actual court, the Kubes were able.
Speaker 13: To slide by TCU, and what was a slow start
for by down six at halftime, aj De Bonsa turned
his game up to an eleven took the horn Frog
to town. Although he was feeling under the weather, finished
with twenty five points and six rebounds of what many
on social media are calling his flu game. Those twenty
five points as a new conference play high for Aja,
topping the twenty four he scored against Kansas State. The
final score from that game was seventy six to seventy.
Elsewhere around college basketball, number ten Vanderbilt felt the Texas yesterday,
leaving room for BYU to slide back into the top
ten with a win on Saturday. Going over to the NBA,
Yegor Joeman continues to launch from deep, and he continues
to make them. He added another five to three pointers tonight,
totaling seventeen points in the NETS loss to the Pelicans.
Speaker 4: With yeg Are hitting those multiple threes.
Speaker 13: He has now tied the NETS rookie record for most
consecutive games with multiple three pointers. He also set a
rookie record for most games with four plus three pointers
by a NET. I'm Cameron Clark and this has been
your ESPN The Fan Cougar Sports Center update brought to
you by Royal Army Brand dot Com. With Royal Army Brand,
you can look good, Feel good, feel good, Play good.
You discount code ESPN to get ten percent off your order.
Speaker 2: When ben Quittal isn't breaking down, Kobe some amounts of
film on his beloved Cougar football team. He's talking Cougar
Sports and he's doing it right here on one O
three nine at ninety eight three ESPN The Fan Good.
Speaker 14: She wants you so bad? What she loves to be
insad Yes, Mom.
Speaker 3: Welcome back Cougar Sports one of three ninety point three
esp The Fan. Then Griddle broadcasting from our Bandwell Studios
Vanderwell dot Com. Don't stand so close to me. That's
what the Todd King number AJ will say last night.
Last night was they were getting fouled and get to
the free throw line and collectively the team had twenty
nine attempts. So the refs at least we're calling. I
know you guys didn't like the refs last night. BUA
fans chiming out on the pole of the day, barant
to you by Royal Army dot Com, Bue Swiker to
by fans four fans take Loyal to the Royal Rip
the why the Right Way purchase your Bay licensed barrel
at Royal Army dot Com. Utilized the ESPN coupon code
to get ten percent off your order. I asked you
the question what we were most frustrated by last night
in the ba U TCU game the Zebras the refs
coming in at fifty four point three percent. I picked
first half inefficiencies that have continued throughout the long and
ardor was colleagues basketball season for the Cougars nine pm
tip off also coming in at twenty two point nine
and so but Billy fans are not like the refs,
but look twenty nine attempts from the charity stripe, don't
stand so close to me than opponent, because the refs
were at least getting something right by allowing AJ and
the crew to get to the charity stripe, which begs
the question right now, okay, one of the things that
we've been debating for it seems like a year. You know,
last year we were talking about who the best overall
recruit was in the two thousand twenty six basketball class.
Twenty twenty five basketball class, it was aj to Bonso
or Darren Peterson. Once again, we're having the discussion Agent
de Bonsa versus Darren Peterson to become the first overall
draft pick in this next year's NBA draft, and everyone's
chiming in on it. I want to play a sound
by Ronnie I sent it to you last night. I
have people saying that there's no offens or buts about it,
that Darren Peterson, when healthy, is the best player in
the country by a mile.
Speaker 4: Yes, his stats are nice.
Speaker 3: Twenty one point eight points per game, four point eight
rebounds per game. The Kansas product right now is looking
good when he's actually playing two assists, one block per game,
one point one steals per game, forty six point seven
percent from the field and forty percent from the three
point line eighty six point four percent from.
Speaker 4: The charity stripe. Many believe that he is the first
overall draft pick in this next year's draft.
Speaker 3: But I'm like, guys, like, are you guys not seeing
what I'm seeing? Like, Look, I have been highly highly
uh just complimentary of Darren Peterson throughout this process, highly complimentary.
Speaker 4: But this man has only played it's in instagram Instagram
eight games this season. He has sat out half of
the season.
Speaker 3: All I've been taught since I started competing in sports,
your best ability is your availability. If you can't stay healthy,
how do you play if you can't stay with these
soft issue injuries and other things they go back to
like high school too. It's interesting because I've been delving
into like Kirk Signetti's commentary and the lead up to
the college football Championship game, and he says he looks
at two things when recruiting, your productivity and your availability
if he sees, especially coming out of the portal, if
he sees that you can't stay healthy. And I know
football is maybe a little bit different than basketball, but
to me, it's it's a baseline, foundational element of why
you acquire certain players. If they aren't available consistently to
play at that level, you can't win consistently. I guess
red flag to Darren Peterson is that his health is
not wealthy.
Speaker 4: It's not it's not good. It's not good for long
term winning.
Speaker 3: And for me, if I'm an invest in anybody, I
want someone that can fight through injuries. I want somebody
that can fight through adversity time and time again and
find a way to win a j To me, his
stats are better collectively, and on top of that, he's
playing and competed in every single game while suffering through sickness,
under the weather and almost dislocating his right shoulder last
night versus TCU. Did you guys see that he fell down?
He gets completely demolished by one of TCU's big men
right to the back of the shoulder and he's writhing
in pain. Obviously, it hurt the shoulder and it looked
like it almost subluxed. It didn't dislocate, but it looked
like it could have sublux. Came back found a way
to I was in the first half and he had
one of his best performances in my opinion, the second
half taken over that game. Let's listen in CBS Sports,
pontificated on this, comparing and contrasting and discussing and highlighting
Darren Peterson.
Speaker 4: Let's sho it in.
Speaker 7: There are people who work in the NBA.
Speaker 4: They do this for a living.
Speaker 15: Their careers revolve around it, selecting players. And we have
seen aj Debondsa be awesome. We've seen it like a
game after game after game, Like nobody's done this in
the Big Twelve as a freshman other than Trey Young.
Speaker 5: We've talked about that just the other day.
Speaker 9: He's unbelievable.
Speaker 15: Cameron Boozer, unbelievable, Darius A Cuff like you go through
this freshman class like is locked and loaded, arguably the
best freshman class of all time. And yet when you
talk to anybody who works in the NBA, even while
Darren Peterson was sitting on the bench coming out of
games holding his legs, they said, that's the guy.
Speaker 9: You don't pass on him.
Speaker 5: He's the number one pick in the draft.
Speaker 15: And though last night, Tuesday Night, wasn't the best example
of that, there were still moments in that game. A
little floater at the elbow, a pull up three in
somebody's eye that like, you don't even take that, and
he took it confidently and buried it. There were so
many moments in the game where it was just like, Okay,
that's that's that's.
Speaker 4: It, that's that's Gary Parrish.
Speaker 3: His sources are telling him that Darren Peterson is the guy,
the dude, the the individual that will be taken first
in next year's NBA draft.
Speaker 4: Last two games, yes, he has looked good.
Speaker 3: Sixteen points, twenty three points, twenty seven minutes, thirty one minutes, respectively,
shooting about forty percent from the field, thirty percent from
the three point line, five and six rebounds respectively.
Speaker 4: One assists, two assists. He's a score. There's been times
where he.
Speaker 3: Distributes for assists, three assists, for assists, three assists. But
to me, he's more of a score than anything. Kenny rebound. Yes,
he's six six, two hundred five pounds. He's pretty robust.
But I love the frame of the point forward. AJ
debonsa that frame to me, and the athleticism to me.
I see the quick twitch as AJ puts on more
muscle mass and lead muscle mass in the weight room. Guys,
that freak is gonna be unstoppable. He's gonna be unstoppable.
Darren has a ceiling, okay, but he'll be a premier
scorer in the league if he's healthy.
Speaker 4: He has consistently had soft issue injuries.
Speaker 3: How do you expect him all of a sudden to
play in the NBA where guys are bigger, faster, stronger,
You're playing more games. You think high school is tough
on your body, You think college is tough on your body.
Speaker 4: Try playing eighty plus games in the season.
Speaker 3: You think Darren's all of a sudden going to be
able to be healthy for eighty plus games? How does
not that devalue him? That alone should devalue him? Am
I off base? If I am I off kilter? Here,
Roddy set me straight? If I'm wrong here, No, you're not.
Speaker 5: I mean, I've been the one that's been harping on
this for a long time and really irritated actually that
you had this complay. I hadn't heard it from Gary Parris,
and I respect Gary a lot. I know that it
got sent, but hearing that it just like it made
me frustrated because it's just so we're gonna take the
game and Iowa State in which he played well in
a game where he wasn't even the best player. And
Brett and I talked about see, he was not like
he He did not shoot excellent from the field, He
did not light it up. It was the other guy,
Trey White, actually looked lit up the game. I understand
that he facilitated, but it wasn't like last night where
guys got in foul trouble. Like I watched that game,
you know, I watched it entirely, and it just daring
to me. Wasn't the best player on the floor. You
could see that he's the better athlete. I won't argue that.
And then it's okay, so we're gonna take a guy
who's had moments but who can't stay healthy and the
guy who's been consistent. It's like, so when do we
get credit for being consistent in our lives? Right? And
one elder Holland said, you get credit for trying yet,
But this is not your job's on the line. Your
career is on the line. You're not taking a chance.
You want to take a chance on the guy that's
injury prone, Go right ahead. And as much as I
love this guy, I'm about to bring up and I
hope people don't think he's catching astray. I felt like
this was and this is Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.
Both are talented, both are greg coming out, but one
guy started to deal with injuries. One guy you know,
had his moments of that. You keep investing, it's like, okay,
you can and then what happens like eventually it's like,
well you move on from it. And to me, I'm
gonna be honest, it might be an extremely hot take.
If Darren Peterson continues to struggle with injuries in college
and at the NBA, it has to be both. It
just can't be one because he can get to the
next level like Pooka did and they got the best
doctors and it could go work out. But if he
struggles now and getting to the next level, if he's
struggling in the first five to seven years with that injury,
he's going to fall off. He just will like your
health is the best, like you have a dollar sign
on your head. That just sucks. Just the way it is.
These guys are an attraction and if you can't perform,
you become less valuable. So to me, it's the same
thing with the draft Darren's a good player. He's still
a top three player. But the more the less he
plays and checking himself out of games and not shown
up and just having quote unquote moments and not being
consistent like AJ, to me, his value drops. And I
don't just say that as someone who covers BYU. I
legit believe that. Like I'm being honest when I say this,
I would take AJ and camp Before over over Darren
because I haven't seen enough. I need him to stay healthy.
I don't want to bring in an injury prone guy
into my organization. It has that ability.
Speaker 11: Now.
Speaker 5: Granted, I know I have to spend the money and
do that because if he does turn out well, I
lose my job. But I'm being serious. I don't think
he deserves to be picked over those other two guys
until he can stay healthy and showcase more. I can
be wrong. We've still got a lot of time left.
But if you can't beat AJ and you're checking yourself
out of the game and losing, that to me, is
that's enough as a guy, as an NBA scout, if
you when you play BYU at the end of the month,
if you can't play the full game beginning to end
health and play well and you're checking out and you're
not playing well is done? Like to me, That's why
I say been that game determines I think who the
number one overall pick would be. If ag goes up
there and balls out, takes care of business and Darren doesn't,
and Darren can't ball out and he's doing the same
thing and he's he's under the weather with his health
and other stuff, it's just like it's it's over. I
think at that point that determines it. So I just
feel like NBA scouts and look, I don't care what
Gary has to say, but I know him on a tangent.
Everybody said, Diegor can't shoot the three. That's all I heard.
That's all I heard. I'll know whe those people are at. Now.
I don't know Brett, Brett and check Tap, but you can.
I want to know where those dudes are at. Because
I tried to tell y'all multiple times that he would
get fixed, and no one wanted to listen to me,
and everybody was yelling, that's people, that's a bad draft pick.
Now everybody loves him. He wasn't a lottery pick. I
sat next to a scout at the Utah game and
I asked, he said, he's a lottery pick. He will
get developed with that shot at the NBA. Don't worry.
I think the same thing could happen. I think all
the noise in that and when it's all said and done,
people will look at it and be like, AJ's the freak,
He's the kid, he's the most consistent. The upside, the
lebron ability is there. We shouldn't lose that for this guy,
especially if his health is not there. Every single man,
in my opinion.
Speaker 3: To me, Darren Peterson reminds me of Grant Hill. Grant
Hill was gonna be a superstar in the NBA and
he was for a time, but just had injuries battlefoot,
ankle injuries eventually, you know, knee issues. You know Penny Hardaway,
another guy was a star for a moment.
Speaker 4: Injuries.
Speaker 3: Okay, There's been plenty of these situations right where injuries
derailed careers.
Speaker 4: You have to be very judicious about this. And I'm
sure they're gonna MRI.
Speaker 3: They're gonna scan him up and down and figure out
what's wrong with him, why it's wrong with him, etc.
Before they draft him at the combine. But I'm telling
you during that process, you wonder does AJ get elevated
because of his freakish athleticism, because of what he's produced
at BA and the run that he's gonna, I believe
lead BYU two in the NC Tournament.
Speaker 4: I'm intrigued.
Speaker 3: Many are saying Darren Peterson is the best player in
the country. I'm not buying it, and nor do I
think he's going to be the number one overall pick.
Let's Go to Break, Don't Go Anywhere RTE segment that
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why the Right Way. Let's go to break. Let's get
into some Richie Saunders sound here coming up next the
top King, What did he have to say about this
BAU basketball team and more. This is Cougar Sports one
of three nine ninety eight point three e stats.
Speaker 2: Let's talk about stats. Ben Kreval and his team of
former players and eight signers give you the latest stats,
data and analytics that are trending in the world of
Cougar sports stats.
Speaker 3: Welcome back Paper Sports one of three nine ninety eight
point three ESPN the Fan. I'm beenfital broadcasting from our
Vanderwelth Studios. Banderwealth dot com get on that free Q
and A, no obligation to invest Q and A with
our tax more wealth advisors, certified financial planners. Nobody does
it better than Bandard. Well, it is time to talk
about stats. Want to talk about Richie Sanders' stats and
delve into some of his comments from the post game.
Richie Sanders struggled in the first half, not his best showing,
but Ry rose and shouted in the second half and
balled out for Brigham. Really liked what I saw from
Richie and the Todd King continues to impress. Noa's answer
butts about it. Most recently, the mock draft from Jeremy
Wu put him at fifty first overall in the next
year's NBA draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker 4: Is he Is he gonna be good enough? Is he
gonna produce enough?
Speaker 3: Is he gonna be popular enough through the NCAA tournament
like he was last year to elevate his play, elevate.
Speaker 4: In some way shape or form his draft stock to
become a first round pick. What's his ceiling? What's his four?
Speaker 3: Real quick guys, what do you think of it? Do
you think his ceiling is end of first round? Is
that a ceiling for him? Or is it more, you know,
second round, middle of the second round type of deal.
Speaker 6: I don't think Richie is going to play himself into
being any higher than he is. And that's not necessarily
a commentary on Richie. That's just a commentary on A
the fact that this is a loaded class and B
I think he's already so far outperformed what people thought
he would be. I don't know what else he could do.
I mean, the guys has multiple twenty point games this season. Like,
I think the other hard part is you're playing with
AJ and Rob and so you're never gonna look like
Superman in the Justice League on the team because you
have two other guys that are right there. And so
I think there's a couple of things I don't even
want to say working against him, because I think I
think where he is and where he's going to go
in the draft. Somewhere between that forty five to fifty
spot is awesome, It's excellent. I'm sure the competitor in
him says I want to be a first rounder.
Speaker 7: Obviously.
Speaker 6: I think where he is right now, I think that's
probably his ceiling.
Speaker 7: Probably just a couple of spots higher.
Speaker 6: But I don't think he'll be an early second round,
late first round guy.
Speaker 3: I was looking up Gordon Hayward again and just kind
of see where he was at. You know, six foot
six and three fourths inches is what he came in at,
you know, in the combine, and he was to eleven
two hundred eleven pounds, so a little bit thicker than.
Speaker 4: Richie. But like we were talking about ceilings and floors.
Speaker 3: Yesterday as far as his his you know, if I
was as an NBA prospect and I was like, can
he be a Gordon Hayward if if he gets you know,
some muscle mass on him, can he get up to
two ten?
Speaker 4: Can he dead up to two fifteen?
Speaker 3: I mean Gordon was playing out two twenty when he
was at his bouncies two twenty five in the NBA.
Does does Richie have the frame to do that. Does
he have the work ethic in the weight room to
do that? Is he taking enough creatine and protein to
get there? I would like to see him shoot for
that is what I'm getting at. And if we see
that ability to take on uh, maybe a little bit
more body weight, good body weight, that that that's where
it could be a possibility for me. But obviously we're
in the middle of the season. At the end of
the season. Now, obviously he's not gonna put on additional weight,
and he's coming in at maybe two hundred pounds still spelt,
still still slight. But I would love to see, you know,
him continue to pack on some good lean muscle mass. Anyway,
let's talk about his stats in this game.
Speaker 1: UH.
Speaker 4: Nice production.
Speaker 11: Uh.
Speaker 3: Not as efficient as he would like from the field,
but at least from the free throw line thirty three
minutes of play, eight of twenty two from the field,
thirty six point four percent from the field, two point
two of seven and twenty eight point six percent from
the three point line, seven to seven from the from
the charity stripe six rebounds one to assist and uh
two personal fouls. Uh and or sorry, I have I
have sorry, I have a J's stat up there.
Speaker 4: Not bad. I got that one wrong.
Speaker 3: Twenty six minutes to play, four to twelve from the field,
thirty three point three percent from the field, one of
six from the three point line, sixteen point seven percent
from the three point line, nine good, nine of eleven
from the charity stripe, but eighty one point eight percent
from the charity stripe, six rebounds, one assist, and then
he had four personal fouls and one turnover. Let's see
what he had to say in the post game, Richie
Sounders the tap king.
Speaker 5: Riche time you guys, I think that rebounded in like
plus eighteen in the second half.
Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean that was a big focus.
Speaker 1: But think the biggest thing that kay I was saying
is he showed the clip of KBA like a minion
and a half a game where he just he dole
on the floor, caught that ex possession, said that's why
we're gonna win this game is plays like that.
Speaker 9: Just all that like just attitude of toughness.
Speaker 5: Was you the told AJ to change out of the long.
Speaker 1: Sleeves, Yeah, I mean just I just had no part
of that. I was wondering why he didn't have that all,
but you know he wasn't. Maybe I just feeling the best,
but he just came out hooped show a lot about him.
Speaker 11: What does it do for this team to win a
game where stylistically it's up and down the grind?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it just it just shows that we
can win in different ways, right, like you know, some
season lows and different categories, but also some really good
stuff with offensive rebounding twenty one oh boards is is
huge and like I'm sure is gonna come in and.
Speaker 5: Talk all about but like that is how.
Speaker 1: You win games like that and powify the guys for
for final ways to win.
Speaker 4: How much of a grind and physical physical was it?
Speaker 9: Physical ally of this game? How much of a crime
was this one?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean just from from the very jump, it
was just it was just a grind. Like again, there's
games like that. We just got to figure out where
to win and it's just not pretty. But at the
end of the day, it's come up with a win,
We're good.
Speaker 16: Was there any l like a rivalry you hangover type
of uh we used for you guys to come out
the way you did, any any lasting.
Speaker 9: Best from that or no?
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 9: I don't think so.
Speaker 11: Were you guys aware that j was a little bit
under the weather at all or did did he let
you guys know going in?
Speaker 9: Uh?
Speaker 1: I mean just a little bit. But we we know
that we're we're team. We got to figure out together
and find ways.
Speaker 5: What do you pick up your fourth with just under
fifteen to go?
Speaker 10: How difficult is it to kind of have to sit
through that?
Speaker 9: Yeah?
Speaker 7: What'd you think of the other guys?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it sucks, There's no way around it sucks.
Just everything's just stickier. Everything's happens. But you know, I mean,
just really happy for for that run that those guys.
I mean, for example, me Hi came in and hit
a Hilo came in and hit a huge shot during
that time, different guys just stepped up and that's what
the team's about.
Speaker 5: He also played most of the final eight minutes without
four of those fouls. Just how do you do something
like that? I mean, that's that's tough for anybody to do.
Speaker 9: I gotta be figured it out.
Speaker 4: I don't.
Speaker 9: I don't have a great answer for you, but I'm
glad to pick up that last Woe man.
Speaker 16: Richie, what are your thoughts heading out to Texas Tech,
a nationally ranked team on the road.
Speaker 17: What kind of challenge is.
Speaker 4: That gonna be?
Speaker 1: Be a great one, just another opportunity to grow, another
opportunity to work towards our our end goal.
Speaker 9: And I mean I love playing that.
Speaker 1: I think it's a fun atmosphere and they do a
great job of packing that place, and I think those
are the some of the some of the funnest games
is playing when you can't even hear yourself think, I'm
excited to go there and go get a win.
Speaker 9: Last question, what was it like to play against?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's one of my one of my really
good friends.
Speaker 18: Man.
Speaker 1: He had some some really good stuff in that game,
and you know, problems to him and for just his
overall this career of finding ways how to to keep
moving forward and through setbacks and all that. But he's
a stud and just got nothing but good stuff to
say about him.
Speaker 9: Thanks me Hi.
Speaker 4: I haven't heard that nickname before from Mahi low me Hi.
Speaker 6: Well, I thought it was a highlight. That's the only
thing I've ever heard my highlight bucket fit. Yeah, I don't,
I don't know.
Speaker 5: That's the one Sean gave him. Yeah, I mean Highlight, Bucketchell, Sean.
Speaker 6: Ge take twelve, Big twelve Boskovich before I made it up.
Speaker 5: But yeah, but yeah, I've been told to not tell
him any of these nicknames because his head's already big,
because he doesn't, you know, not take a shot he
doesn't like. Uh, So I've been told by BYU players
to not give him these nicknames. So I guess we'll
call him me High.
Speaker 3: I was really hoping me Hi was going to get
that block on the defensive end and then transition it
into a three on the opposite end.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that was tough travel bad.
Speaker 4: Yeah, come on, dude, just take the shot.
Speaker 5: He put me high. It was me Highlight, but a
bad one.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, just take the shot. Just take it. You're
right there, you know it's it's yours. Take it.
Speaker 7: He did have that one block that caught was called
a foul.
Speaker 6: However, ball don't lie, as we know, so he did
get that block, which.
Speaker 9: Was also nice.
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let's go to break don't go anywhere. Bradon Day. College football.
All the news and notes coming out of the college
football world. Coming up next, This is Cougar Sports on
one O three nine ninety eight point three.
Speaker 2: It's time to celebrate the figgest team sport known to man,
where modern day gladiators collide for all the chloe on
the Gridire, Let's talk some college football on Cougar Sports
with Ben fred.
Speaker 3: Welcome back in your Sports one of three nine ninety
eight point three es being the fan.
Speaker 4: I'm Edgittal broadcasting from R. Vanderwell Studios. Badabout dot Com,
get on that free Q and A no.
Speaker 3: Obligation to doing vs Q and A with our tax
more wealth advisors or certify financial planners. Nobody does it
better than bad Wealthy and he used to have a
little college football segment. Gonna get into all the news
and notes coming out of the college football world. Maybe
even talk to some Cougars in the pros, like Fred
Warner being activated off the injured reserve.
Speaker 4: That are you kidding me?
Speaker 3: It's great that dude man that he is an alien,
he is not human. He will be activated off injured
reserve ahead of the Saturday's game in Seattle for the
Divisional round, per head coach Kyle Shanahan. Pretty ridiculous, Pretty crazy.
Fred Warner suffered what seemingly was a season ending injury
earlier in the year and now he's back. I was
watching highlights of him running around of practice last night.
But you gotta be Kidney, who is this man? We
used to see that from like Taysom, He'd get injured,
season and injured somehow, get get back and be bigger, batter,
and better than ever.
Speaker 4: What a tremendous feed, Fred order.
Speaker 3: But we're gonna delve into all the news and notes
coming out of Brigham as well as the college football
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Speaker 4: I was talking to a few of them. In fact,
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Speaker 11: Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I could. Back
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Speaker 4: Everyone's welcome, all visitors welcome. Love it. Hey, uh Bringen,
what what's caught you'r?
Speaker 3: During the college football transfer Portal season? As we get
into the lead up of the College Football National Championship Game.
Speaker 11: I would say, what's caught my eye is just that,
I mean, we've retained everybody. What an awesome feat for
And I think we talked about this a little bit
last week. But with everything, you know, losing j Hill
and Gennaro, Like I was really worried about genera obviously,
when we lost J Hill, I thought, like, you know,
a lot of the guys are probably gonna say we
might lose a couple, but Gennaro was the one coach
that I was super worried to lose. Like I was.
I was to the point where I was. I think
I even said on the show, like, if we have
to make him DC to keep him, like that might
be worth it, just because he's so crucial to keeping
guys here and he's been you know, that's just a
hard position with the double minorities to recruit and the
fact that he left. And still we didn't lose any
of our main contributors in that position.
Speaker 9: Obviously we lost.
Speaker 11: Tayban Beasley, but like not our number one to two
that I was nervous.
Speaker 9: About, Like that's huge.
Speaker 11: And then you know this week we started pulling people
out of the portal and Katulu, however, he says his
last name is somebody I'm really pumped about.
Speaker 3: So it's a great day to be a Cougar, There's
no doubt about it. Is there an acquisition that you're
most excited about? Is it the the Hasser's up front?
The three guys And by the way, Pockey Finale is
one of the most ripped offensive lineman I've ever seen.
If you can see the definition of the tri sep
of an offensive lineman, that dude's stacked, That dude's not
the soft, supple offensive lineman of the past.
Speaker 4: That dude's that dude's yoked.
Speaker 11: So Tjon Coromo two point zero is what we're saying this.
Speaker 3: Maybe I'm telling you T John's one of the very
few that had that try shep that definition.
Speaker 4: Pockey Finales got it too.
Speaker 11: Yeah, No, I'm I'm super excited about that. I really think, like, yes,
we're gonna we're gonna notice and talk about the guys
on the edges and you know, some of the recruits
that are giving me more of the skill positions. But
obviously as a former offensive lineman and as something that
I really think that was what what did us in
this year, Like not saying that offensive line wasn't wasn't incredible,
Like I thought they were great, but they weren't elite,
and we needed elite to play against Texas Tech and win.
And I think you know, that was a place they
clearly recognized, the coaching staff did that we need to
go and try and build that even stronger because that
was where I feel like that one spot if we
would have had that offensive line totally locked down against Tech,
I think it would have been a totally different game
on the offensive side of the coin.
Speaker 3: So, uh, what give me your eval as a fan,
as a Cougar Sports insider de Mario Warren, the defensive
back coach, quarterbacks coach, and the passion game coordinator.
Speaker 11: I'm excited about it. I you know, he's got he's
got a lot of experience, but he's also has a
ton of experience in the area. I think, honestly like
it makes a ton of sense in terms of getting
double minorities here. He's familiar, familiar enough with the church
with you know him be coaching the sgu for so long,
even boys, he you know, has got some of that
aspect there. But he's still a double minority, can still bring.
Speaker 9: In a lot of those guys.
Speaker 11: I know. He on his Sports Nation interview, he said
that Gennaro is his best friend in the coaching world,
and so I think, I think it's a really great fit.
I think he's, you know, the best thing we could
ask for in that spot. And I think it's gonna
be a really big thing. And I think he's gonna
bring in some recruiting ties that are you know, we
we haven't had. We might lose a couple that we
that we had with Gennaro, but I think we're gonna
get some some other guys. And I think we're hopefully
we don't have a big drop off there.
Speaker 3: I don't think you will, would your you know, what
do you want from the safeties coach?
Speaker 4: Or let me let me ask you this.
Speaker 3: I've been debating with certain individuals about this. Do you
want to Mario to coach your corners or your safeties?
If you could bring in like a another guy to
coach corners like I had put out my list of
cornerbacks coaches that have some connectivity to b YU. DeVante Cross.
He was a former Virginia cornerback GA at New Mexico.
Current Utah Tech cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell currently at n
C State. Former b YU and NFL cornerback and cornerbacks
coach at b y U Dwayne Walker. Maybe there's Charles Mackett,
Utah State, Preston Hadley, Rob Daniel, Eddie Hecker, Mike David.
Speaker 4: If you could bring back.
Speaker 3: Someone to coach corners in Tomorrio coach to safeties, would
that be a route that you'd be interested in pursuing.
Speaker 4: Or even Brandon Bradley. You know, Brandon Bradley was another
guy on my list.
Speaker 11: I mean, I love those guys. I think if you're
getting a coach just as good or better than Warren,
and you can that it makes most sense to move
them over. I think you go with that, but I
don't think you. I think you go after whoever the
best coach you can get. I think enough of the
guys on the staff can move around that.
Speaker 9: I think.
Speaker 11: I mean, even to Mario said in his interview with
SportsNation that originally it sounded like he was gonna possibly
gonna come when Gennara was still here and he was
gonna be Safety's coach. So obviously that's an option, but
I think it depends on who you're bringing in. I
don't want to go not that I love some of
those guys that you mentioned, but they're not proven. I
think we're gonna we're in an era now with with
the resources that we can go and get a guy
who's proven and then let those other guys still kind
of grow up through those those ranks. Guys like you know,
Eddie Heckert, who's going to be an assistant out there
at Michigan. Let him keep growing up through that route.
I don't know that I want him to be the
Corners coach this year, and let's go get somebody who
is qualified, ready to go right the second and if
you have to move tomorrow for that, I think that's
totally great. But I don't know that you have to
if you played a safeties coach, Grady find a linebackers
coach and let and let k Pop go to safeties,
like I think he could do any of those.
Speaker 3: Okay, So okay, let's say tomorrow is the cornerbacks goes
passing him coordinator. What about Gavin Fowler? You know, I
know he's at Weber State. Would you go and get him?
Tanner Jacobson, would you go get him? He's a former
defensive back and safety and was coaching up at Tyler
Junior College. You have a couple options there that, especially Gavin,
I mean, he knows the defense quite well and is
essentially an internal hire if you get him.
Speaker 4: Back to b YU.
Speaker 11: I would say Gavin was one that I obviously there
was a ton of smoke behind it and the fact
that he hadn't been announced by Weber yet. That was
what I thought was going to happen. I think we
even talked about last week, and I was good with
that because it was the internal it was somebody who's
super familiar with the system, had been coaching with Jay
in that position, so I would be good with that.
I think Tanner Jacobson also brings a totally different type
of experience. I think you do that, but I think
it's better for Tanner to go and and you know,
kind of teeth in another spot, one more level up,
and then it's better for Bau long term, for somebody
these guys to keep growing in their spheres outside and
then come back when it's when it's time and they're
ready at that spot. But I wouldn't be mad with
either one of those guys if that was what it
came down to.
Speaker 3: Brain Day CEO vote on Men's where Bradon, what do
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Speaker 11: Yeah? So right now we've got we're not running any
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Speaker 3: So Transfer Portal I went through the numbers, the acquisitions
and the attritions. If you will, you're over year since
about twenty twenty two. We currently sit at seven incoming
transfers and there are twelve on the out How many
do you think BYU acquires this offseason? Last year was
thirteen and you lost twenty seven. It looks like it's trending.
And look, there's going to be springball too, so you
could see some other players that enter in after springball
and we can add to the list.
Speaker 4: But what do you make of it? You what number
do you think it's going to be both attrition and acquisition?
Speaker 11: Yeah, attrition wise, I think there could be some guys
that after bring you know, if they kind of see
the writing on the wall and move. I don't know
if I could, if there's a number I can think
upop my head. I think in terms of acquisitions, we're
at seven now. I think they're definitely gonna try and
get another two corners, at least, probably a running back,
a couple of other positions if there's other opportunities, I
would guess we end up around end of twelve acquisitions
by the end of it, and then maybe two or
three more guys hit the portal after spring.
Speaker 3: What's your priority right now? Is it a QB two,
is it a CB three? Is it an RB two? Uh?
Where do you have your eyeset as far as positional
transfer portal?
Speaker 11: Uh?
Speaker 3: You know, just your your your your your your, your wants,
your need if you will. If you were the director
of player personnel at DYU, I.
Speaker 11: Would say cornerback, corner back, so seeb because I feel
like I feel like that's the spot that the top
two with from Mevin and Trey are there, but everybody
else is just not proven yet. Like I think the
they're good, they're gonna be fine, but just not proven.
So I think those are the two spots. Running backs
another one. But I am a bigger believer in Cion
Moa than I think the average fan is. But I
still think you want to have depth there because hasn't
proven to be super I think this last year's injury
was flu super fluky. But but I would say corner
is the first position I'm nervous spout, and then running
back next.
Speaker 3: It's uh, it's interesting, right, Like BYU hasn't taken any
poral running backs over the last couple of seasons, But
in the early I want to say, late two thousands
and even early, you know, twenty twenties, it always seemed
like there we were picking up running backs.
Speaker 4: What gives? What's going on?
Speaker 11: Yeah, I think it's interesting. I think it's I don't
know what it is. I would say it's probably that
the coaches believe more in the room than we than
maybe the fans do. I think they think that they've
got that. I also think there's a chance that LJ.
I mean, it would be really hard to get a
guy right now. Back we were getting those guys out
of the portal. There was nobody in the room or
the guys weren't proven in the room. So it's easy
to come in and say, hey, you come, come to
the team and prove yourself and you're gonna be the starter.
That's a lot harder when you have LJ coming back,
even though it's the last two years, so I think
anybody coming is going to come in to be a
depth piece, and then if they're looking at that, they're saying, well,
we've got depth pieces we need, you know, RB one A.
And I don't think there's very many portal backs that
are looking out there trying to come in and compete
with LJ.
Speaker 3: Yeah, just said, you know, in the twenty twenty three
career you got Dion Smith, Aiden Robbins that were added
in twenty twenty two. I want to say, I'm trying
to think of who you picked up in twenty twenty two,
but it was twenty two EnEx Nowahne Houston Hamui, Chris Brooks.
Speaker 11: Yeah, Chris books him, and then the year before that
was a Supa And why can I think of the
other guy that?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 11: Yeah, but yeah, So I do think it's those years
there was more availability, and so people saw it out
of the portal as like a hey, let's come in
and compete immediately, where having a competians LJ isn't most.
I wouldn't say most, because a lot of the guys
in the portal are going in for playing time and
then to come and try and compete with with LJ
would just I don't know that that suits what their
what their goals are.
Speaker 3: You got Devon Aka coming in from Lee High. I
don't know if you've got an eyes on Davon Ekka
and whether or not he would be the guy, a
dude that you'd you'd buy into to be an RB
two RB three Obviously, Shinny Moa and Jovesta de Mooney
they're gonna be the mixed Preston Rex as well. What
about the SUU running back? It's not too far away
hop skipping a jump away. He's got great straight line
speed and he was one of the most productive running
backs in college football this year, albeit at the FCS level.
I think he topped out at like twenty three point
seven miles per hours as fastest speed Joshua Die He's
originally from Everett, Washington in runs a four to three
nine and tallied one eight hundred and thirty one yards
last season.
Speaker 4: And what was it? Uh? I mean he rushed for
a lot of touchdowns as well. What do you make
of that?
Speaker 11: Yeah, I would definitely I would love to have him
come in. I think he's a he's a back that's
a different skill set than l Jencione, A little more
on the I think he's obviously way more proven than Jobasa,
but they run similar, they're more of that you know,
quick quick back. So I would love to get Die in.
Speaker 9: And the fact that he.
Speaker 11: Hasn't sign anywhere yet, I think to a sign that
maybe we're at least trying there. But I haven't seen much,
you know, smoke. I saw it a lot right as
it came out, but I haven't seen anything recently. But
I think it would be It would be awesome to
get die We'll.
Speaker 4: See how it plays out.
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hopping on. Let's get a little keeping up with the
Cougars coming up next. Let's get Brian Keele's comments on
the new hire at BYU the defensive coordinator his former
teammate Kelly Pepinga. Get his thoughts as commentary on on
how he he likes this this particular higher and what
is in store for BYU Cougar Football with k Pop
at the helm of the defense. This is Cougar Sports
on one of three nine ninety eight boy three es.
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Who won't be disappointed. All right, let's get out to
the hotline. Welcome in Former BYU Great. One of the
best athletes to come through Brigham, and I was looking
up the stature. He's ranked fifty fifth all time in
total tackles with two hundred and five and he may
be the fastest linebacker to come through Brigham. Let's welcome
in Brian Keel my former teammate be how the heck
are you man.
Speaker 18: Doing well?
Speaker 2: Brother?
Speaker 18: Thank you?
Speaker 4: Hey, what's what's.
Speaker 3: Keeping the keel zone busy these days? Give us an update?
Speaker 18: Same same stuff since the new year, kids are getting older,
winter sports and in full effect basically keeps us busy
every evening. So other than that, just enjoying the maybe
the pinnafle of BYU sports, maybe maybe the best year
INYU sports we'll see.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean you were part of a great era
for basketball and football combined football. You can make an
argument during that era, the four year stretch from like
you know two your five year five, two thousand and five,
two thousand and nine, that's one of the winningest eras
in BAU football history or part of that. The best
era you know for many was the eighties, late seventies,
early eighties with a national championship and you had you
had Danny Ainge and and great kid in the and
the crew leading them to an elite eight, so that
that that combo was pretty special. Do you think this era,
the Kilani era UH in the last you know, four
or five years, is UH is rival rivalrying the UH
the era that you played in, and maybe even surpassing, uh,
the the best era of college athletics history at YU.
Speaker 18: Yeah, I think, uh, this is gonna be a golden age.
And yeah, the eighties were absolutely amazing. Obviously, it's hard
to beat a national championship. But I'm also you know,
I'm a realist, and I understand that the schedule that
they played in that year wasn't that tough. And uh,
you know that's that's the way that b YU won
it's national championship is a method that I'm totally against.
You know, they were, they were chosen, They won all
their games, nobody else won all their games, and then
they were chosen, right, and and I'm against that. That's
the same that's the same methodology that kept by U
out of the playoffs this year. They were not chosen
even though even though they had earned it. So, you
know what, what is my My point? My point is,
like I think right now, the the talent that is
both on the team and then on the on the
opposing teams, the the strength of schedule, the difficulty of
the schedule, I just I just think it's it's unparalleled,
both both not just football but basketball too. Yeah, this
is going to be the Golden age.
Speaker 3: That's what I'm saying, the golden era of b y
U athletics and what what has has created this golden era?
Would you say, like if you were to, we always
talk about pie chart accountability on the show, you know what,
where do you who do you dole out like the
credibility to the the you know, the merit to in
this process to.
Speaker 4: What and who?
Speaker 18: So well, before I answer that, I'll answer that, but
well back to what you said. You know, like when
you and I played in not five year stretch, you know,
when we were there and maybe the next couple of
years after we were there, Yes, that is that was
a great error too, But this is still the same thing.
We didn't play against the competition that these guys are
playing against now, and and so it's just it's not
it's apples oranges comparison. And so it's just it's really
hard to compare eras. So go back to the to
the question that you just said. Honestly, I think it
is the decision makers being willing to to I locate
the resources be that time or dollar bills to go
match up with the talent and the dedication and the
passion that the bou has always had and I think
that's the difference the last couple of years in football
and basketball that has that has boosted them up. It's
I think it's the combination of the passion that's always
been there and now all of a sudden which has
not always been there, a willingness to allocate resources that's
never been done before. And when when thost teams get together,
great things happen. So that's what we're seeing.
Speaker 4: Resources matter.
Speaker 3: There's no doubt I think in the in times past
when we've maybe heaped criticism, you can look at the
resource critique. We've also discussed on these airways before, like
how by us changing culturally from an honor code standpoint, right,
how they're approaching that, how they're uh maybe approaching recruiting
obviously stuff to find the right fits, et cetera. Being
in a P four uh P four conference helps the
additional revenue money coming from TV and then that being
obviously allocated. As you mentioned, uh Kilan's culture I think
deserves some credit here too, and how it attracts and
retains talent.
Speaker 18: Yeah, and and and before somebody out there that's listening
or who's not listening or anybody as well. They just
they just spent money. That's not obviously they have, but
that's not all that it takes. And and you don't
have to look any further than like say LSU who
was was mediocre at best this season and spent all
sorts of money. And and they're not the only one. Michigan,
you know, Texas was was decent but not great, and
they spent a ton of money. They were right right
there at the top. And the list goes on and on,
and so it's not just spending money. It's both. It's
culture like you just mentioned, and the money and the resources,
the passion, all that stuff, it all goes together. And
uh and so yeah, that's that's what they have there
in Provo. And that's why we're seeing what we're seeing
in the two flagship sports of football, basketball and all
the other sports. They've always been great. They've always dominated,
and it warms my heart to see it. They win,
They win Uffers championships like it's nobody's business, and they
win national championships and it's awesome. And and that's part
of why I love BYU because it's just a place
of excellence everywhere you look, not just sports, not just
the main sports, but all the sports, and not just
the athletic department, the whole the whole university is just
a culture of excellence and I just absolutely.
Speaker 4: Love it, as do.
Speaker 3: Why former b YU great Brian Keel here on your
UTAI ESBN radio network getting a little keeping up with
the Cougars and getting his thoughts on BAU football. Who
is Kelly papinga Brian Keel And what was your reaction
when he became the defensive coordinator for BYU.
Speaker 18: I mean, to me, he's just a great friend and teammate.
Couldn't be couldn't be more excited for Kelly and the
opportunities for him personally, and then also for the program
and and just everything that it means. And it's just, uh,
it's just cool to see somebody that that you you bled,
sweat and cried with on the battlefield twenty years ago
to rise to this level. I mean, it's just so cool.
One of one of the greatest times of my life
was a two month period that I was training after
after the senior right after our senior season in California,
and I lived with Kelly and we were training and
it was just it was one of the greatest times
of my life because it was just it was so
fun to to have no other focus other than football,
improving our bodies, and and then all the hope that was,
you know, the hope, just the hope of what was
hopefully to come for in the next couple months, and
it was just such a fun time. I absolutely loved it.
And I've always loved Kelly, but that was that was
just a fun time. And and it's been really really
cool to see him progressed throughout his career, and I'm
just excited for this opportunity.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Kate Pop's got his opportunity, and I think he's
gonna seize it. He's got a lot of mentors in
his life Afterally Bronco was a mentor of ours as well.
He's going to take components of maybe the Bronco era
what he learned at Virginia. He's got Gary Anderson J.
Hill touch points. Now it'll be probably a combination of
of those coordinators. I'm sure there's other touch points as
well that he's He's mentioned, and he's going to put
his own flair to it. What type of defense do
you think we'll see with K Pop? At the helm
of that defense.
Speaker 18: Yeah, that's a great question. And while you were saying that,
it actually just made me think of something piggybacking off
of what I just mentioned. You know, Kelly and I
we went to this facility and we trained for two months,
and it was it was revolutionary for me. I I
the whole time I was in Provo, I was trying
to gain weight and really couldn't do it. And then
we go to this place. We're there for two months
and I gained twelve pounds and my body fat went down.
I mean just was and and really the difference was
the science. Obviously, you know, you're you're working out twice
a day, so that that was different. But then beyond
that was the science, the nutrition and the science. And
anyway back out of the sign your question. So you know,
Kelly and I were there for two months, and what
did Kelly do? Kelly recorded the workouts and at that
at that point in time, Kelly's plan, outside of trying
to play football, was to go into the support science
sports exercise science, yep, and either be a strength coach
or a trainer or something in that in that realm.
This was before he had decided to go into quating.
Obviously he went, he went to the Cardinals and he
was there for a year and and that. But this
before any of that, and Kelly took notes of the workouts,
understood the workouts. And when we got done training, we
came home and and and still needed to train for
for pro DA and and for the upcoming season, and
Kelly had all the workouts, he had everything diagrammed. What's
my point here, Kelly is the type of guy that
is gonna he's gonna extract all the usefulness from his surroundings.
So going back to what you said, Yeah, we were
all mentored by Bronco and and some people are able
to extract what Bronco has to offer. And Kelly is
the type of guy who absolutely did that. And and
then and then you you know, you go to his
time at Boise and he's the type to extract to
useful information from Boise.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 18: And then the last couple of years with Jay Hill,
who is a phenomenal coach obviously, and I have the
highest esteem for I think Kelly has extracted all of
the information from him, and so I just that's why
I have such by expectations that hope for Kelly because
that's who he is as a person, and he has
that work ethic as well, and when you combine those
things and then there's just high levels of possibility.
Speaker 3: One of the things that we've debated amongst fans, amongst
maybe even former players, is you know what type of
front will be why you be employing it?
Speaker 4: And I'm sure it'll be multiple But this last year
I was I was kind of I was.
Speaker 3: Trying to, you know, kind of look at the percentages
and and I this is a rough count, but I
got it confirmed by a few people there in the building.
It was roughly uh, seventy thirty front with a stand
up outside edge similar to what we played, but not
always the weak side edge. You'd have a strong side
edge stand up uh, you know, kind of like a
now Sea time with baby Jack Kelly off that strong
side edge.
Speaker 9: Uh.
Speaker 3: They they ran a lot of nickel too. They ran
some like three three five in that out of that
thirty front. A lot of us, you know, we've always wanted, Hey,
we want to get in that forty front and b
way fans want that at it and it's what Kyle's
done and Jay did and Gary did it at Utah.
I don't know if that's the future of Vau's defense
or for it's more of this hybrid with a majority
of it being you know, seventy sixty percent of it
being more of a thirty front with a stand up
outside edge two point guy, give me your thoughts on
this and what you would like to see.
Speaker 18: Honestly, I think that that stuff's important, But I think
what's most important is crafting your scheme to to the
personnel that you have. And I think there's a lot
of really clever and really X and O sound football
coaches out there that are just stuck on their scheme
or whatever it might be when they don't have the
personnel to run it. And and so you know, I
personally I like a four down front, but like you know,
in order to in order to run that, you need
you need the person to know and so so that
that's what's going to come into play. They can recruit
who they can bring in and what type of guys
they have, and I imagine that you know, Kelly will
adapt this scheme to to the guys. And I think
that's the reason why we've seen that in the last
couple of years. And that's what I expect going forward
is is, uh, you adapt. You adapt to your X
and o's, to the Willies and the Joe's that you
have on the roster.
Speaker 3: Do you think we're gonna get to a point where
and I've made these these comments before, it's like, typically
with the four down front, like you need you need
some dogs, you need some dudes up there, like you know,
watch that Texas Tech defense are front, but they have
they have two deep there too, So you have to
have at least four dudes at defensive tackle that can
win one on ones and be twitchy.
Speaker 4: You need four dudes at the defensive end.
Speaker 3: Spot that are at that two fifty two sixty range
that have great ability and great band or even just
ridiculous length, et cetera. Twitch It's like, are we going
to be able to find that as a you know,
four round guys?
Speaker 4: Is that the most the most likely year in a
year out?
Speaker 3: Or is it what we've seen over the last thirty
forty years, b YU has been more LBU than it's
been any other position. Quarterback, offensive line, running back. You know,
it's it's tight end. We've had more LBUS. We produce
more linebackers than we do any other position.
Speaker 18: In my opinion, Yeah, I agree with that, and I
think that has been our history, but I don't necessarily
think that's our future, like meaning it's a given that
that that will say the dream and so like to
the point that you were just making, I think if
you look nationally, the two best defensive fronts in my
opinion are Texas Tech and Miami and absolutely just traumatized
quarterbacks with the with the pressure, with the pressure that
they've bring and it's a that's a that's a that's
a William Joe thing. That's just that's just dudes. That's
not scheme, that's not you know, there's some of that
that goes into it, but it's just those guys. Those
guys are just dogs, like like you just mentioned the guy,
the guys that those two two teams have, and I
think now that going back to what we said with
the willingness to allocate resources, I think I think those
that type of dog is in play. And and it's
still yeah, it's got to be a cultural fit and
it's got to be an honor code fit and and
all that stuff, but I think that's in play. I
think it's it's available and could be on the horizon.
I don't. I don't know if it's you know, I'm
not predict predicting or or you know, but I think
that's in play and I think that that's the proven
and in terms of disrupting the quarterback.
Speaker 11: I don't.
Speaker 18: I think that's that's the best way to do it.
But again, you got to have those dogs and not
everybody has them.
Speaker 3: The transfer portal giveth and it takes away b What
use required?
Speaker 4: Seven guys?
Speaker 9: Right?
Speaker 4: Seven dudes? Three of them are offensive lineman.
Speaker 3: You did pick up a linebacker that could replace Jack
Kelly and Kato Lave and all asc player that Vic Soda,
one of our teammates, coached up and he's a you know,
Vick is a fantastic coach.
Speaker 4: Okaiate's gonna come into ball out.
Speaker 3: Jake Clifton linebacker, Kansas State wide receiver, Kyle Casper and
Uh Walker Lyons uh tight end at.
Speaker 4: A USC You know this roster. You watch a lot
of football, Keel.
Speaker 3: You know, if you were to say, hey, there's a
couple of positions or a couple acquisitions in a position
group that you'd like to see, what are they and why?
Speaker 17: Yeah?
Speaker 18: So well, let's just go back to our season. Obviously
we lost to one team. Okay, we lost to Texas
Tech twice. Why did we lose those games? I think
we were competitive enough to win Defensively, I think offensively
we couldn't move the ball, couldn't couldn't generate the points
competitively enough to win those games. Yep, Why why could
we not? Why we Why could we score points on
everybody else but not on Texas Tech? I think it
was a matchup issue. I think that's part of the problem.
I think part of it was having a young freshman
quarterback who had a phenomenal year of record setting year,
just an extraordinary year, but still as a freshman and
and you know, still a little nervous and you know,
not not experienced, not a seasoned veteran to to to
to go against the defense that suffocating. But then the
other issue is and and we've talked about this, it's
it's it's somebody who can create separation at will and
stretch the field. And this is this is an issue
that b YU has always had. If you go back
to our senior year, you know, we we are Our
big competition was TCU and Utah and and it was
tough against those defenses with with athletic secondary for our
receivers to create separation and and score the points that
we scored on everybody else. And and when I watched
us play Text and Tech twice, that's what I that's
what my mind went back to. Is the receiver quarterbacks
back there and there's nowhere to go with the ball.
There's just where you're gonna go with the ball, and
you wants it from the wide angle, there's just nowhere
to go with the ball. And it's it's we need,
we need more guys that can create separation, and that
that's the one thing I think that we'll really take
our team to the next level in my humble opinion.
Speaker 4: So separation in the wide receiver room.
Speaker 3: Separation can occur from like a tight end, right Walker
Lions come from usc possibly Carson Ryan had a pretty
good year, you know it. But but running backs too
can create separation. I mean, Harvey and Curtis, we're really
good at their one on ones, right, you know, to
kind of get break down a little bit more of
this separation. Uh, And where it comes from? Is it
primarily thinking your your wide receiver room?
Speaker 18: Yeah, well, I think in terms of that's not the
only place where separation comes. In terms of what I
think our team is currently missing and has historically missed,
it is that position. It's a guy, it's a it's
a it's just a top end receiver who can stretch
the field and and and stress the defense. And you know,
that's that's something that we really haven't ever had elite
consistency consistently. And today, you know, the game of football
is all about that player, that that wide receiver one
that that that stresses the defense. But the decordinator is
at night late seeking how can I stop this guy.
If I don't account for this guy, it's going to
burn us. And and it just changes the game when
you have that guy. You know, that guy doesn't even
need to get the ball. He doesn't even need to
have eight for ten and a touchdown he took to
change the game. It's just the threat of that guy.
And that opens everything up. But it'll opens it creates
separation for the other receivers, and it opens up the
running game so that the running game is not jet
so so jammed up. And if you go back to
those those two Texas Tech losses, part of our issue
was we could not run the ball. We ran the
ball great on everybody else, if we could not run
the ball against those guys, and it it, you know,
stymied up the rest of our offense. And so they
go hand in hand. And I think for us to
really get to the next level, which is what's what's
what's the next level, it's getting in the playoff and
winning playoff games. That's the next level. And in order
to do that, I think that's what we need.
Speaker 3: Brian Kiel former, by you great talking some BYU football
here on your Utah ESPN Radio network. Last thing before
we let you go, Keel Zone, appreciate you hopping on
talking some ball with me today and excited to see
you know what, b why You not only retain most
of their most of their roster, all their key players,
but they also retain their offensive coordinator, all their offensive coaches.
They lost J Hill and General. Those were two big losses,
there's no doubt out. But much of everything that makes
b why You great over the last five years is retained,
and so I think it leans into your golden era
initial commentary. It's like, man, that's special right that we're
trending in that direction and that all this retention is
happening while all the new resources are coming in. And
so next season, do you think, b why you can
be better? Do you think they will be better than
they were this year?
Speaker 18: Honestly, I do. I think they will take a step
forward to en be better. I think I think with
everything that you just mentioned, it just it gives me
confidence that, honestly, that I really don't know that I've
had before. You know it, it's always just kind of
like a wait and hope for the next season. But
I think we're at a point now where it's this
expectations and if you look at the premiere programs in
the country, which is where we want to get. I mean,
it's it is year after a year, it's just a
given that they're going to be competing on the biggest stage.
And and I think that's I mean, we're not there
yet obviously, but that's where I think we're capable of
getting where I want to get, where I think all
the decision makers down there want to get. And so
that that's what it is. It's this year and and
year out, it's it's expecting the most and then doing
what it takes to then go deliver it. So yeah,
I do. I expect us to be to pick up
right where we left off and take a big step forward.
And the biggest piece of that is that young freshman
quarterback who is phenomenal is now going to be a
second year quarterback and have a year of live bullets
under his belt. And I think he's just going to
be that much better. And that's that's why I'm excited
and so optimistic.
Speaker 3: Actually, I have one the last question for as debating
with John about this recently, is weight gain for a
quarterback good or not good for their throwing strength. We
talked to Bear Bachmeyer. You know, he's a hefty dude.
He's a hefty dude, right, He's got he's got some
girth to him.
Speaker 4: He was listed I think at two twenty and then
it was moved to like two thirty.
Speaker 3: Man, he looked like he was. He was rumbling around
at like two forty this season. Should he drop weight,
gain weight, keep his weight the same? What do you
think and what type of impact does it have on
throw and arm strength?
Speaker 18: I think whatever weight he was at he should try
to hold. And if I were this is just me,
if I was him, I think he should maybe try
to lean up at that weight, and that is more
for elusiveness and wiggle than anything else.
Speaker 4: Yep.
Speaker 18: In terms of in terms of throwing the ball, I
don't think weight, I don't, It doesn't matter. It's just
that's tour and leverage and mechanics and that's I don't
think that's gonna factor in, uh, in throwing the ball,
because I mean, there's there's hefty quarterbacks, there's skinny quarterbacks.
I mean, I've I've seen something. Some of the skinniest
quarterbacks absolutely have rifles for arms. And I played with one.
Sam Bradford was a was you know, the look the
look at the guy was a wet noodle, but he
had an absolute cannon on his shoulder, and you know,
and then and then there's the other end of the
spectral too, So I don't think that matters. But elusiveness,
I think, uh, if you lean that up and develop that,
I mean, how old is Barr's eighteen? Is he nineteen
something like that? I mean, yeah, he's just you're not
your explosiveness is not it's not maxed out at that age,
like you know, that's he's still got several years of
of expl elosive increase and you'll twitch multile fiber and
and so that's the stuff Like if I was him,
that's what I would focus on. And and it's going back.
It's for elusiveness, for es capability be the best quarterbacks,
the best quarterbacks in today's football. They control it and
they can get away mhm. And that that takes. That
takes a capability.
Speaker 4: So keel Zone, best way to support you what you do,
how you do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 18: Just support by U. That's all I care about.
Speaker 4: It's all you care about. No, you're an entrepreneur. What
businesses you run in these days? Keel Zone.
Speaker 18: Yeah, go koogs gokug That's what That's what matters.
Speaker 4: Love it Kel, appreciate you man.
Speaker 3: Support Brigham Baby support uh Brigham Young University.
Speaker 4: There you have it, kill Zone, Thanks so much, buddy.
Speaker 18: Amen, Ye, thank you sir.
Speaker 4: All Right, there you go. That's Brian Keel.
Speaker 3: That segment was rotchy by Dental prose off Utah Dental
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Let's get out to the hotline. Welcome in Cougar Sports
insider representing the Desert News. We got Jay Drew on
the line.
Speaker 17: Jay, Hey you Livin, I'm doing fantastic.
Speaker 3: It's a great day to talk some BYU football and
BYU basketball. Jay, where's your Where's your bandwidth been allocated
over the last couple of weeks?
Speaker 17: I would say mostly the wards basketball. I am working
on a football story right now, but a couple actually,
But yeah, basketball's taken up a lot of my time
and and not to lubb it on Saturday morning for
the that game, so that'll even keep me more involved
with EU basketball. But then looking forward to next week
when YU has a kind of the midweek by they
don't play until Saturday against Utah, so that'll be a
little bit more time to get back into football a
little bit. So that's kind of where I am right now.
Speaker 3: Basketball, bou your ranks tenth in ESPN's latest men's basketball
power rankings. The Apple hasn't been so friendly to BYU.
Speaker 4: What gives J Drew?
Speaker 14: Yeah?
Speaker 17: I think the media voters, guys and gals that vote
on that probably looking at the the game against Utah
where BYU was a you know, double digit favorite and
only one by five. I think that might have nicked
them a little bit. And I think that, let me,
let's face it, up until that point, a couple of
other teams kind of elite frogged them. I think it
was Nebraska and Villanova, if I'm not mistaken. So yeah,
there's just so many elite teams this year. There's so
many teams with zero or one laws that it's just
hard to break into that top ten. There's it's just
it's this is as many good teams as I can
remember in a long time in college basketball.
Speaker 4: Great players, great teams.
Speaker 3: This BYU basketball team the best in BYU basketball history?
Speaker 4: Do you think are you willing to go on record
on that?
Speaker 17: I would say it's the most talented I don't think
it's the most accomplished yet. Uh So when you say
you know best, I you know, until they get to
the lead eight like that Danny H Steve Trumbull, Fred
Roberts team did. Was it nineteen eighty eighty one?
Speaker 12: I think.
Speaker 17: I'm not ready to go that far. In fact, I'm
not even sure. We were talking about this last night,
Darnell and me. If this team is better than last
year's team, obviously, with Rob and AJ, they're probably more talented,
but man, last year you had Foof who was a
really good low post scorer, Dollen Hall was a valuable
guy off the bench, Dawson Baker was healthy, and then
obviously you had Yegor, who you know, was really turning
ahead to the NBA right now. So I think it's
more talented this.
Speaker 10: Year than last.
Speaker 17: But until this group does what last year's group did,
which was get to the Sweet sixteen, I'm I'm gonna
have to say the jury's out on that one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what is missing do you think from this roster?
If you could put your finger on it, what's missing?
Is it a particular style, particular you know, you know,
type of play, What do you make of it?
Speaker 17: I think they're missing a sniper, a guy off the
bench that can come in like Trevin Nell did last year,
hit a bunch of threes in a row. You know,
they were obviously counting on Tyler Maruss and to do that.
And then obviously with Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens getting
hurt and suffering season ending injuries, that's hurt him a lot.
But I would just say, I just don't know if
the Big three is sustainable moving forward of scoring, you know,
almost what is at seventy percent of their points. They
just need some other scoring from somewhere off the bench.
Just one of those guys that can just instant offense
type of guy. Maybe his substitute a little defense. I'm
not saying that Dawson Baker was not a great defender,
because he was adequate, but a guy that can just
come in like he did and give you some points
and or like Trevan Nell did, and I just don't
see that right now. Maybe Davis can pick up offensively
a little bit. He obviously averaged eighteen points a game
at Southern Illinois last year, so we're kind of still
waiting for that. And granted, you know he's not gonna
get the ball. He's not going to be priority one
when you got three superstars on your team. But but yeah,
that's where I think they need just they need something
off the bench. They need I would I haven't looked
it up, but I bet they're one of the ten
least productive benches in the country or somewhere in that range,
or maybe ten percent in that range of teams, so
that that's where they really need some help.
Speaker 3: If yes, me is there anyone that is on the
roster currently that you could that you think could step
into that role and become that bench bucket getter for BYU.
Speaker 17: You know, I mentioned that Tyler Morass had a good
career up in Idaho. I know the costitch is it.
Alexis Alex Alexi. He showed a few signs early in
the season pre seasons on conference. I don't think we've
seen him on the court for quite a while. Uh So, no,
I you know, I mean, it's totally frank with you.
I don't. I just don't see it. I just they're
just gonna have to ride or die with with uh
they got one of the best starting fives in college basketball.
It's not the best with you know, especially when Keba
is going good and out of foul trouble. But there's
just a big drop off now. And you know, obviously
all Matt has come in and been a good valuable
back up to Cada, really valuable because Cada gets in
foul trouble a lot. But he's not a type of
guy that's going to fill up the you know, the
basket with points for you. So yeah, Frankly, I don't,
you know, I don't want to be a negative Nelly.
I don't want to be an e or I want
to be positive, as we've gone over in the past.
But I don't know what about you guys, who do
you see maybe is on that bench that could do that.
Speaker 3: I mean, I keep on leading into Mahilo bucket bitch.
I'm like, like, you're better than this, bro, Step up, bro,
get it, get it straight. Like you have the skill set,
you have the ability to do so much defensively offensively,
got to be that stretch five. Obviously you can block shots.
You've seen that pretty consistently over the last couple of games.
He's got good length. He's never seen a shot he
doesn't like. He's just got to get that stroke back.
And also, you know, have a head on a swivel,
be a distributor when given the opportunity. When if he
does start hitting, you know, defenses will collapse. I'm looking
at my Hilo bucket Vich. I've been saying this from
the beginning. We need myhi low to be my highlight
bucket VICH. If he's not, I agree with you, we're
going to struggle in the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 17: Yeah, And to be fair, he did have a huge
bucket last night in that second half, a huge three
pointer that really got him going, like Kevin said, when
they were struggling a little bit to score. So I
agree with you, Ben, I think it's in him. If
you look at you know, his playover in Europe and
in leagues, and that he could do that. He's definitely
got that ability. I wrote a story about him last
week and had a good conversation with him, and I
think it's just with him. It's just a confidence thing.
I think he knows he can do it. But I
think he gets in there and he gets a little
bit worried about what happens if I missed? Am I
going to get pulled? And that's just every college basketball
player goes through that. It's just something you have to
work through. But I definitely think he has the potential
to be honest with you, When I was just talking
about guys, I kind of forgot about him a little
bit because I picture him more of a as an
inside player, although he does step out and shoot threes
quite often.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: How devastating do you think now that we know what
we know? How devastated was that Dawson Baker injury?
Speaker 4: Hate that one.
Speaker 17: Yeah, I think it's big. I hope it's not the
difference between you know, last year Sweet sixteen and their
state goal of final four or beyond, but it very
melt very well might be. I mean, that could be
the difference. He's you know, Dawson was the what do
they call him the bucket maker?
Speaker 3: I call him Dawson the bucket the bucket baker, the
bucket getter baker, That's.
Speaker 4: What I called. Yeah.
Speaker 17: Yeah, it's just sad because that was a huge injury
and uh it's probably the repercussions are going to be
felt for for quite some time.
Speaker 3: J Drew desrat News here on your Utah ESPN Ready
Network discussing b what you men's basketball and uh uh
b y U athletics and b yu's trending in an
awesome direction right now in both football and basketball, and uh,
you know, I feel like football, Uh, their retention efforts.
Speaker 4: Were pretty pivotal.
Speaker 3: Uh, everyone was fearful what Jay Hill and Gennaro with
their departures. You did retain Gary Anderson, but you lost
two key cogs in uh in the wheel that really
made b Why you.
Speaker 4: Go over the last two seasons?
Speaker 3: Uh, what how would you evaluate the retention efforts of
this coaching staff and the culture that Collotte's built.
Speaker 17: Yeah, I think the retention rate it's been fabulous. I mean, uh,
you know, there are a few guys that have left
that maybe could have helped them. Max Alford. Uh, somebody
on X accuse me of being a Max Alford lover,
but I just think, you know, I thought I was
a valuable contributor when he got in there, and he
helped him out a lot until he got hurt.
Speaker 19: So Uh.
Speaker 17: Of course he's going to Michigan to be reunited with
his uncle, who's the running backs coach there, Tony Alford.
But I would give I would give him an A
A minus maybe B plus uh range for roster retention.
It's in fact, I got a good mine A. I mean,
I can't think of one, especially in the day and
age where everybody's losing guys. I mean we're talking about everybody,
Uh even Texas Tech. To only lose what they've lost
eleven so far and no starters, it's been pretty it's
been pretty great, no.
Speaker 4: Doubt about it.
Speaker 11: Uh.
Speaker 3: Which one are you most optimistic about here in the
next few years? Is it basketball? Is it football?
Speaker 4: Which one has the better trajectory right now in sustainability,
do you.
Speaker 17: Think, Yeah, I definitely think it's football. You know, you
got fair back Niner, you got some really good up
and coming players, Tatsuwalla, it's basketball. You know, it's the
one and done. H You know, obviously aj is probably
not going to be back here next year. Uh, he's
a generational talent. I just don't see by you getting
a guy like that every year. So Rob Wright, who
knows what he's gonna do, but he's obviously a great talent,
and they'll they'll lose Richie. I don't really see anybody
in the pipeline coming up, at least on the roster
is now constituted, that can replace any of those big
three guys. So so yeah, I would have to lean
towards football. It's, you know, football. It seems like a
really solid foundation. They're developmental. They got not only bringing
in valuable transfer portal guys, kind of more plug in guys.
But the basis of this program is and the culture
of this program is still getting guys developing them. A
guy like Parker Kingston who just gets better every year.
Satuala has got a lot better. You go just down
the list. So I think football, I would say, has
a better trajectory right now because of the nature of
the beast I mean basketball. All throughout college basketball, it's
like the Kentucky and the Dukes and byus kind of
joining those is using one and done players, and that's
kind of hard to sustain from year to year to
maintain a high level of excellent as as football, I
think you can do once you get that foundation's set
like BYU have.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 3: It feels like bou basketball is more I don't even
know if this is a word like uh mercenario, Like
it's all it's based on more like acquisition via the
portal UH and maybe recruiting. I mean AJ is a
refreshman UH and football seemingly is more retention base.
Speaker 4: It's more uh.
Speaker 3: Developmental based UH in a get old, stayaled manner.
Speaker 4: It seems like a little bit different. I'm not to
say that there wasn't retention.
Speaker 3: There was with Ritchie and and Dawson and Mihailo and others,
but it does seem like there's a little bit more
mercenarial type of activity in basketball.
Speaker 20: Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 17: I often wonder, you know, Mark Polp's been a little
heat down there at Kentucky in his second year, and
I always wonder of what if Richie had and he
was close to going to Kentucky. What if Richie had
gone to Kentucky, What would the trajectory of these two
programs are where they are right now? I mean, yeah,
I think I just think that was a whoever convinced
Richie to stay, and I guess it was Kevin Young.
I'm not positive that was huge. That's absolutely huge and
really changed two programs pretty pretty uh, pretty immensely.
Speaker 3: You wonder like the type of impact that Richie would
have had the last two years at Kentucky, does it
get Kentucky last year to an elite eight because the
Todd Kings going off does does the that Kentucky team
that has struggled a little bit this year have a
leader to look towards, to be a stabilizing force, a creator,
a facilitator, a culture guy, a glue guy with playmaking
ability to get them into you know, to keep them,
you know, in that elite status of college basketball. So
really point of commentary, and obviously we know what he's
done for BYU over the last two seasons.
Speaker 4: He's been a massive boon. I think you're right, man,
that's like a keystone.
Speaker 3: It would have been a keystone for either one of
the programs, and luckily BYU retained the top king.
Speaker 17: Yeah, for sure, it's I mean you kind of look
at Colin Chandler and the height that he got out
of high school and coming and by you got him,
and then he went on the mission and obviously he
went called Pope to Kentucky. But the Richie Thaunders story
is pretty amazing. I mean, you know, when he signed
with BYU out of watchach Anatomy and then obviously went
on a mission. But I'll bet very very few BYU
fans could have realized just how good this kid could get.
I know I did, and I watched him as freshman
year even at BYU, and you know, that's a role
player for life. So the Richie Thunders story, it's going
to be a good movie someday, and obviously it'll be
sponsored by.
Speaker 3: Tater Talk, no doubt about it, Jay Drew, Ladies and gentlemen, Jay, Jesus,
what are you going to be writing about here? Surely
what's going to be dropping on the Desert News website?
Speaker 17: Yeah, I mentioned I'm going to LOVEX, so I'll be
writing about that game. But then next week earlier, I'm
writing this thing kind kind of like a history of
historical perspective of that week where Kyle Whittingham signed with
Michigan and all that transpired. I'm kind of calling it
the week that shook the college football landscape in Utah
with all the repercussions. I mean, it touched every program
in the state. We were stay Son, Utah, Utah State.
Just one man's decision and all that kind of weaving
that tale of and following those shock waves, trying to
trying to write about that and called a couple of
old buddies Kurk Kragthorpe from the Old Salt tributing columnists
and Mike Sorenson and tapping into Dick Harmon's kind of
knowledge and trying to weave kind of kind of like
almost like a written history, oral history of a week
that will really reverberate for years and years in Utah
college football, no.
Speaker 4: Doubt about it. Jdrew.
Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen, Jay, we appreciate you, We salute you man.
Thanks for hopping on for Cougar Beat.
Speaker 17: My pleasure thanks for having me on.
Speaker 4: That's Jdrew.
Speaker 3: Make sure you're following I X and make sure you're
reading them at the desrat Newsdesratnews dot com. That segment
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It is time to reb between the lines. I want
to get into a few sound by step we didn't
get into a few days ago. When Kelly Pepinka was
announced as the defensive coordinator for BYU, we had Brian
Keel the Keels One, former BYU linebacker, former Boa You're
great discuss what he what he knew, what he knows
about k Pop, his relationship with K Pop, and why
he believes K Pop was the right guy for the job.
Speaker 4: Is great.
Speaker 3: Download the podcast as you get a minute and a
review that interview. So I was like I was kind
of thinking, like I was pondering, like, hey, you know,
K Pop had a great interview with b Way Sports Station.
We need to reach out to the BAU s I D.
We need to get to Mario and k Pop on
to discuss the future. Maybe you're trying to get Gary
Anderson on to discuss the future of the BAU defense
under the tutelage, the mentorship of the leadership and vision
of those three individual alongside Justin Ena Chad K. I
think coach Chad k is also going to be part
of that as well. So very excited about it. But
we're gonna delve into a few of the sound bites,
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Speaker 4: All right, check this out.
Speaker 3: Kay Pop joined the PWAU Sports Nation this past week
and delved into a few elements like this one was interesting.
He states, I feel like I I've been prepared for
this moment for a long time. Let's listen and as
K Pop discusses his emotions on being named the new
defensive coordinator of Bringing Me On University, which.
Speaker 19: When I say, b YU defensive coordinator Kelly popinga what
kind of emotions settle into your mind. I just feel
extremely honored, blessed. I feel like I've been prepared for
this moment for a long time, going back to my
playing days with with Bronco and my coaching days with
Bronco and just his defensive mind. And then I got
a credit you know, Coach Howell and coach Tidwell and
coach Kafusi, those guys that I was around for a
long time, and then just my time to Virginia and
then getting here with Klane. Yeah, I've just learned an
a lot from him, a lot from Jay Jay was
you know, great mentoring this deal, and coach Anderson as well,
Gary Anderson. So I just feel like there's been a
lot of people put in my path along the way
that have really prepared me for this moment. And so
they'll be Yeah, the defense will be I think, you know,
maybe a little taste of Bronco in there, a little
taste of what we've done last year. I mean, I've
just learned so much, but the base of the defense
will be what it's been, and I'd be an idiot.
Speaker 5: To change much of what we were doing.
Speaker 19: But there'll be a little thing here and there, But
I'm just excited and honored for just the opportunity and grateful.
Speaker 3: Coach when I say excited for the opportunity, grateful that opportunity.
Speaker 4: The base of the defense ain't gonna change much.
Speaker 3: There'll be some nuances, some subtleties, but k Pop taking
the bull by the horns, and we're going to see
where he takes us here.
Speaker 4: A couple of things here.
Speaker 3: One of the things that BYU fans and former players
have been impressed by is the retention of the coaching
staff as well as the players. You lost two great
coaches in Gennaro in Jay Hill, but the players has
stayed in provo.
Speaker 4: Why is that?
Speaker 3: Kelly Papinga discussed this a couple of days ago on
how they were able to retain so many of the
key players that were on the ross.
Speaker 4: Let's see what he had to say.
Speaker 19: One of those days where it was constant talk to
the players, letting them know. And at the time, I
hadn't been offered the job, but I was, you know,
Clanie and I had been talking of that whole day
and just kind of feeling the way I knew I
was staying.
Speaker 7: I wasn't going anywhere, and so you know.
Speaker 19: As just a defensive coach, I wanted to keep us
all together as much as I could. And so you know,
calling foll it t out immediately and Schmid immediately, and
all these different players at Glasgow immediately, all these guys
that were key pieces that we knew had a chance
to potentially go to the NFL or come.
Speaker 5: Back or whatever it may be. And yeah, that was
a lot of work.
Speaker 19: And that was like three days of phone calls.
Speaker 5: I was on the phone.
Speaker 19: Basically Thursday, Friday, Saturday for twelve hours each of those days.
And between wow talking to players, talking to coaches, and
I wasn't by myself. All of our other defensive coaches
that were still here were doing the same exact thing,
trying to just keep this intact and letting everybody see
the vision that it is. And ultimately, I just think
the players love Clawonnie. I mean, that's that was the mainstay, right.
They knew that Kalani was going to be here, and
a lot of those guys, I mean you could say
all of them came to play for Kawani. So I
just think and Coachill would say the same thing. Coach
Hill is a very humble guy and he sees things,
he knows how things work. Is that no person or
player is bigger than the program, and so this thing
is going to continue to move forward. And the thing
that's great about it is, I think the players run
this deal right. Obviously, US coaches got to put him
in the right positions and and make sure that we're
making the right adjustments and doing the right things. But
when you have great players in great leadership, I think
everything else else takes takes care of itself. And it
was just one of those days.
Speaker 3: Where they they go K Pop discussing a number of
different things there. Ultimately the retention was it was multifaceted,
but it also ultimately fell uh and and the person
who deserves the most credit is Kalani Sutaki, the figurehead,
the head coach for the Bay Cougar football team. The
culture that he's built is a singular in nature and
really can't be replicated anywhere else. In my opinion, it's
that unique, it's that special. One of the first moves
that K pop made was hiring Damario Warren. Why was
Tomrio Warren the right guy for the job. There was
one guy he said he wanted to go out and
get he got his guy, and tomorrow Warren this is
what he had to say last week.
Speaker 19: For that year, it was it became clear to me
if I ever was in a position to hire him,
that was going to be my first call. And so
initially when Gennaro was here, there was about a day
there where with Jenna and I thought we're going to
be doing this together. And then you know, an opportunity
came for him to go to Michigan. We're going to
have him come coach in safety. So it was going
to be Gennaro at the corners, and that was our
first call no matter what. And then when Gennaro decided
to make his decision, then I immediately called to Mario
back and said, hey, listen, I want you to be
our pass game coordinator with Gennaro leaving, And so that
was that was easy for me to do. There was
nobody on the list. There was one guy, and we
went after him hard to make sure that he got here,
and he did not want to leave Boise State and
Boise State pot back. But ultimately he came met with
the administration, you know, our vice president and president, met
with Brian, met with Klawnie, and he left that day
sold like this. He saw the vision, he sees the
the uniqueness of what Bay you can provide as far
as just a family atmosphere, and I just think he
felt like this was the right place at the right time.
Speaker 7: So I'm excited to get him here.
Speaker 5: And he's already working.
Speaker 19: He's been on the phones with Portal guys all day
to day working on corners. We need a couple of
corners to replace and build our depth. But I think
what people are going to see is a super hard
work or a great recruiter, a guy that's been a
head coach that's very organized and structured. I sat on
a sat in the meeting with recruit recruit the other
day with him, and I was like wow. I mean
just just sitting there and listening to him coach this
kid and the techniques and fundamentals and the details of it.
I was like, this is where and great wanted to
play again?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I was.
Speaker 5: I was just like, we're in great hands.
Speaker 19: Our corners are going to be in great spot and
great positions, and our safeties are going to be coached
by this guy to as well.
Speaker 5: There are past our past.
Speaker 19: Game should be very very good and it's been great,
So just excited to build on that.
Speaker 3: Kind of an interesting note here when it was looking
as if Kelly PIPINGA and Jennar would be co d
c's and they were going to do that thing together
before Jennara took the job at Michigan K Pop, Who's
going to go out and get Tomorio Warren? It sounds
like as a safety's coach. I thought that was interesting.
So you wonder if is that still in the docket?
Is Tomorrio? I know he's listed as a cornerbacks coach
right now, but you know obviously he's gonna be coaching
up the safeties too. Is there if the right hire
is available for cornerbacks, does Tomorrio move over to safeties?
Speaker 12: UH?
Speaker 4: Coach and passing game coordinator?
Speaker 18: Uh.
Speaker 3: You can do it either way. You can keep it
at corners and then you can bring in a safeties coach.
But if you've got a guy on the docket that
you really liked, that would like to be at b
y U H, that can booy up B YU and
recruit at a high level, you may want to take
a look at it. I know certain names have been
floating out and I had a list of guys that
I was intrigued by. One of those guys at the
top of my list is Brian Mitchell, who was my
cornerbacks coach for a season at BYU. Really enjoyed getting
coached up by Brian Mitchell. He's at NC State. I
think I think he's happy at NC State. I think
he's enjoyed his his trajectory as a coach. He's been
a DC as well, and he could leverage and offer
you know, there at NC State for additional money if
b way he comes knocking. But you have to wonder,
is Brian Mitchell, you know, is he an option to
come back to b YU if if the cornerback position
job he is open. I also really like the idea
of bringing Gavin Fowler back. I love Tander Jacobson as well.
Both those guys are currently at Weaver State. Both under
contract right now, though, so you're gonna have to pick
them off out of their contracts. Not to say, I
mean any coach right now that's worth their salid is
under contract. So no matter what, you're gonna have to
go out there and find a guy that fits the mold.
And I do think Gavin would be a nice pickup
nice retention piece for that safety's room because those guys
have been coached up for the last few years. I mean,
Gavin's has over ten years of experience within that program.
That is a robust and not only as a player,
but as a gas like a student assistant, and then
I was an analyst and an assistant safeties coach. He's
definitely a guy that I would evaluate and could be him,
could be that guy.
Speaker 4: So I don't know, Ronnie. You've been hearing a lot
of things.
Speaker 3: You've been reviewing some of these sound bites and some
of these conversations. What's standing out to you right now
about the situation Bali's defenses with K Pop and Damario
Warren heading things up along with Gary Anderson, Justin Ena
and Chad k.
Speaker 5: Well, if you listen to all the commentary around it,
let's just first start with Yerry Anderson, right, because I
was kind of a ackage deal you could say.
Speaker 4: He said the three.
Speaker 5: Amigos, Gary Anderson, Jay Hill, Gennaro right, and Jay was leaving.
Then you know, we get information codyc Per, Kelly Pipink
and then Gennaral was like, Okay, I'm gonna go elsewhere,
and then just to give Cougar fans more information, Eddie
Hacker was supposed to be on the staff at Weber State,
but now is the assistant DB's over there at Michigan.
So followed Jay Hill, who he played for, followed gennaral
go For who he played for his position coach at BYU.
So just want to give the fans that if you're
if you are tuned down and don't know what's going on,
but you're able to keep Gary. And Gary said he
you know, joined him another interview and said, and he
spoke and talked about that. You know, he wants to
be able to do this when he wants and be
the best grandfather, be the best analyst he wants. And
at By used that. So that was one of the reasons.
So it started with that, you kept him, you retained him,
and then after that you promote from within, you promote
Kelly Popinck and with that Kelly Pipinka his you know,
he has a network of people. He said, if he
ever became in charge, and he we just listened to it,
he would go get this go tomorrow, warn and listen.
He said that Boise State fought hard. They fought hard,
and that coach Warren didn't want to leave. You know
that that's tough to when you have something good, ben
and you don't want to leave and things are great
for another opportunity, even if it's good. Sometimes you like
where things are at. You're comfortable. The hardest part in life,
you know, whether that's with the job spiritually, is to
get uncomfortable. It is to leave what you have that's
good for something that's better that you you might not
want to do. You might want to stay put where
you are. And b au kme knocking and Kelly Papingka's
first call is that, and you heard it. He's been
on the phone with recruits all day. Right away he's
on the job. That just shows you the commitment. So
you gotta like this high. You gotta like that he's
going to be coaching. The safety is the secondary. It's
gonna be great. What better way to learn. And I
know that people it might take some time, some adjustment,
but I mean for the fact that General was under
him first, and then Jay Hill, I like this guy
a lot. I really liked that they did that and
the biggest thing that they did and I'm going to
go that route and I have to is they brought
in a guy that's a double minority like the cornerbacks
coach would be why you has to be a double minority.
Speaker 7: It just has to be.
Speaker 5: It always would need to be, I think, or someone
that was maybe a double minority at one point. That's
trend that's converted over because they understand you have to
have that relationship and connect and it's one of the
toughest positions to recruit. And I believe look to me
when I see Trey Alexander, when I see other safeties,
let's get to work coach, like, you know, Trey's very
hyped and Emma Johnson coming back and retweeting that. You know,
when when guys are happy and excited for who the
new defensive excuse me for not only the new defensive coordinator,
but their positions.
Speaker 4: Coach.
Speaker 5: That just told me a lot. So these are good hires.
Still a couple other positions, you know, to work out.
You know, you would love to see, you know who
else is going to be on this staff and those
might come a little bit later, but you have to
think and Ben, I'm making a list right now. But
tomorrow is the last day of the transfer portal, so
you'll have until I think six pm. And the reason
why I say six pm is because business people go
to bed aka the information, coaching staff and directors will
leave the building. But for the most part, BWA used
to retain this entire you know team from what I've
looked at secondary wise, if you lost, obviously a few
pieces on both sides of the ball that's known to happen,
but no key starters that we've heard from the couple
of interviews from Jay and from Brian. I think the
last guy that I'm looking you know, forward to coming
back and I haven't seen anything, and maybe you can
correct me if I'm wrong. With Tasilia Kaana, that's the
last guy really looking forward. You keep him being and
with everything that you brought in, Bo's got a really
good shot going into the Big twelve next year to
be in the title game once again, compete, win it,
and go to the college football playoffs. And it all
starts because you know, you got Kelly p Ping at
the helm, so great higher with Da Mario Warren and
hopefully we'll see what the rest of the Highers are
as we get more towards springball. Crazy to think that
by the time basketball season's over, but not even by
the time basketball seasons over. I apologize when BA used
in the NCAA tournament because they will be. That is
a known fact. They will unless they just completely just
go on a ten game losing streak, which will not happen.
That we will be in springball again. So we or
what just eight weeks away if that, and it'll be
back at it and we'll get to know who these
new editions are. We'll get to talk to coach Papingamore,
and we'll get to talk to Coach Warner. So I'm
excited the countdown has officially begun again.
Speaker 4: Let's go.
Speaker 3: That was a reading between the line segment brought to
you by Premo Golf Apparel Premo Golf Apparel dot com.
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and Ronald you can you can piggyback off of this,
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ESPN the fan. It's because you listeners love the Primo
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your fifteen percent off. Ronald, did we get official numbers
on this?
Speaker 4: By chance? We got to give a Cougar warder to
the Cougar nations?
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, we from the numbers that I got, h
this is what I'll go with from what I was told,
sixteen hundred coupon codes over use. So that is that
is all of you Gugarnation thing like just last year
was over the last two years since they've been so
starting at two thousand, like twenty into twenty three, twenty
fours around there till now. Is that if you do
the math on that, it's about five hundred and thirty
three a years. So Cougarnation people that are listening, those
in the car right now, if you're on the app
the old fashion where you're listening, even on the podcast
late afterwards, thank you very much. I don't think you
guys understand. I don't get to say a lot of this,
but you guys don't understand, like you guys using the
sponsors and like supporting this pays my bills. Like I
never really get a chance to like say that, and
I've been more open about that because I like to
be a private person that regard, because it's just a
weird thing. But I'm not trying to get emotional. But
like I have a family to support, you know, I
have a wife and kid, and so I just want
to let you guys know, like when you guys show
the value of that, they're really the returnal investment for yourself.
But like it really helps us not here at the show,
but it helps me pursue in my life to be
able to do this. So that's why I love this business.
I love this job because it has nothing to do
with me, but it's all about the fans and the
stories I get to tell. So thank you guys for
supporting the sponsors. As always, we always want to give
you guys the best return on investment, and Primo Golf
has definitely seen that.
Speaker 3: Premo Golf Apparel premogolf apparel dot Com utilize that ESPN
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Let's go to break, don't go ready, We're board. I
get to on a Thursday, January fifteenth edition of Cougar Sports.
Here on what O three nine ninety eight point three
e spa stra stad all about it.
Speaker 2: Let's get the latest news coming out of BYU Athletics
with a Cougar Sports press relates.
Speaker 5: This is Ronald the three man weaver, A number eleven
BYU was led by ag Debonsa and it's twenty five
points last night as it took down the TCU horn
Frogs seventy six to seventy at the Marriott Samer After
trailing thirty six to thirty eight break BYU used several
dominant second half runs and at thirteen second chance points
to secure the six point victory. Kevin Young said this
on't matter following the post. It was a gut check
kind of went for It felt like anything that could
go wrong did go wrong, said BYU head coach Kevin
It felt like our whole team had four fouls. I
thought Agen was going to die out there. They found
a way to make the plays. It was not Richie's night,
but he put up a huge three one ter mos BYU.
Devonza finished with twenty five points, seventeen of those coming
in the second half in an eight minute stretch. He
also added six rebounds and one assist. The freshman also
went seven to seven from the free throw line. His
twenty five points moved him past Devin Durant and Eric
Nika to number nine on the freshman's score most. Richie
Saunders went nine to eleven from the freakro line, totally
eighteen points but six rebounds, and also won six Robert
Wright the Third added fifteen points as well six rebounds
and sixty six of the content gave. The Gator contributed
ten rebounds, seven points, three blocks, and two assists and
one steal me highlight as I like to say, Bucket
Hitch Incaden Booth combined for twelve rebounds off the bench
as well. BYU out rebounded TCU fifty one to thirty six,
and was a plus eighteen in the second half on
the glass and finished the game with twenty one offensive rebounds.
EYU improves it is winsterd now to thirteen games in
a row. BYU will travel to Love It Now for
a Top fifteen matchup as they take on Texas Tech.
Speaker 4: Saturday.
Speaker 5: Tip off a schedule for six pm Mountain Center time.
Watch the game broadcast live on ESPN and you can
listen to the play by play with Groug Gavel. For
more Cougar Sports press releases, tune into Cougar Sports have
been Crittle every day from two pm to six pm
here on one O, three, nine and ninety eight three.
Follow me on x Slash, Twitter and Instagram at Ron
the three man we for all things surrounded and related
to YU.
Speaker 21: This Cougar Sports press release was brought to you by
Odion Mensweb. Use the Crital fifteen discount coupon code and
you'll get fifty percent off your order in stores or
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ship game today at Odon Menswear.
Speaker 4: All rise.
Speaker 22: Each time to check in with Preston and Garrett Handy
of Handy and Handy for sports Court. Handy and Handy
are your accident and personal injury attorneys ready to assist
with any related questions.
Speaker 4: You may have.
Speaker 2: Visit them online at Handylawutah dot com. Big Firm Experience,
Small Firm Attention.
Speaker 4: Welcome back to Group Sports.
Speaker 3: Here onto your one O three nine nine eight point
three ESPN The Fan Dial he's stop.
Speaker 4: For a little sports court.
Speaker 3: That's right, big firm experience, fall from attention, It's stop
to play a little judge and jury. What's the vergion
on the biggest headlines in sports?
Speaker 11: A lot?
Speaker 4: It's stop for a little sports court.
Speaker 3: Brought to you by our good friends at Handy Handy,
Big firm experience, ball Firm Attention. Each week, we're breaking
down the real life legal drama, intersecting with your favorite athletes,
teams and leads, contract disputes and alka sideline scandals, courtroom battles.
We're diving deep with Utah's most trusted injury attorneys. We
got Garrett impressed and Handy on the light. Gentlemen, how
you guys doing today?
Speaker 11: Hey?
Speaker 4: Ben, how you doing good to be on Live the Dream?
Speaker 3: Guys, appreciate you hopping on the dream? Hey, no room
for improvement. Knock on wood. Here we go and can't
wait to get into a little sports court with you
gentlemen today, Let's start it off with this one little
Supreme Court ruling here.
Speaker 4: Here's are rather arguments hearing arguments.
Speaker 3: In blockbuster cases challenging transgender sports brand sports bands.
Speaker 4: What's the latest on this one?
Speaker 20: Well, it is the latest because it's been a hotbed
issue for a while. We've talked about many of these
instances where what happens is a transgender female who's a
biological male is playing on female sports team or competing
in female competition. And you know, there was the instance
with the swimmer and Riley gained the Kentucky swimmer, the
woman who you know couldn't win, and so she's been
a real activist in this. And what happened when all
these things were being seen that there were some transgender
females playing in and whether it was high school or
college or whatever, in female on female teams, states began
to pass laws and the majority of these laws were
really basically saying, hey, biological male who is a transgender female,
No problem with that, they're saying, but you can't participate
on female teams and compete against other females. So what
happened when laws like this are passed, activist groups and
even individual plaintiffs they come forward and they challenge these laws,
and they challenge them based on what are constitutional issues?
Really not just oh we don't like these issues. We're
saying these violate constitutional rights. Well, two states that made
it through the appeal system, they made it through the
state system, they made it through what's called the Federal
Court of Appeal system, and the United States Supreme Court
SCOTIS decides to hear these cases. And SCOTIS doesn't usually
hear cases unless they think it's an important issue to hear.
It's an issue of first impression and it needs to
be decided to set a precedent and to give guidelines
going forward with other laws. Well, the state of Idaho,
in the state of West Virginia's cases came up which
were challenged, so people challenging these losses and they were unconstitutional. Well,
the basic arguments are by the people challenging it are that, hey,
this violates Title fourteen Equal Protection clause of the Constitution
where it involves gender rights. And whenever it involves gender,
things need to be highly scrutinized and you can't be
treating you know, you can't be discrimination. That's really what
it comes to down discrimination. Well, the other side, the
ones supporting the laws and these things, they're saying, hey,
there's really no constitutional right that addresses biological males, transgender
females to play on women's teams, that's really the issue,
and you know, it's an emotional issue, it really is.
So arguments were heard, and most of the legal analysis
coming out think that it's going to uphold these laws,
essentially saying yeah, these laws are okay, and transgender females
cannot play on female teams. It's unfair, it's unfair competition,
that type of thing. But the question now that looks
at is if it comes down that way, if it does,
how far reaching is that? How broad is that opinion?
Because I read where only twenty seven states have passed
these laws, and twenty three actually have not paid these
laws and don't have them on the books. So the
question is will this just go to these plaintiffs here
and say, yeah, your banned, these laws are okay, or
is it going to send a message to the other states.
I think it does. It sends a message to these
other states with laws, and it probably sends a message
to states that haven't passed laws. If you pass laws,
they'll probably be upheld. So, you know, one person argy said, hey,
we need this to be a national law. We can't
have it that. You know, transgender females can participate in
one state and they can't in another you know, where
there's a lot of traveling to and their college teams
are traveling all the time, and so how does that
affect it. So it'll be interesting to see how broad,
how broad of a brush there is and how broadly
it applied. But regardless when the decision come down, I'm
not saying there had been a decision, it'll send a
message to everyone kind of with the leaning of the court,
and the court is a conservative court, so large part
they probably will uphold these laws.
Speaker 3: It's perfectly fine for a transgender female though, to play
on a men's team, right if they make the team.
Speaker 20: Well, that's what a lot of people say, they're a
biological I mean, this gets into a lot of issues
that I don't fully understand. And I'm mindful and respectful
and sensitive to individuals that go through this, and they
you know, and I think most people are saying, yeah,
if you claim to be transgender, and you claim to
be a transgender female, that's okay, and everybody needs to
respect each other's rights and boundaries and everything. But then
when it goes into well are we gonna let you
participate in the female sports and female competitions against you know,
female athletes. And the one big one was this uh,
this Pennsylvania University, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania swimmer, six foot four dude
who was just an okay swimmer on the men's team,
and he says these transitions, gets on the female teams
and he wins the national championship, and a lot of females,
you know, we're like, hey, we fought for this our
whole lives, and now we're we're not allowed to win.
So that's where it's really looking like an unfair advantage.
But to your question, sure they can, if they can
make the team.
Speaker 4: That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 20: I don't think there's beenny. I don't think there'd be
any challenges to that.
Speaker 3: Sure, Like yeah, exactly, Like it's like you can still
play sports. It's not like your band from participation of sport.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 20: Yeah, it's a it's a uh, it's a complicated issue
with strong feelings on both sides, you know. I mean,
I know there were a couple of trans gender females
in Utah and it was just a couple, but you know,
I mean their parents argue that this is their chance
to play sports and have competition and do all that,
and it goes to their mental health and mental well being.
And then you ask the question, well, could they have
made the men's soccer team or the men's basketball team
or you know, but that's not who they wanted to be.
That's their argument.
Speaker 3: Let's move on to NCAA basketball players and gamblers being
charged for allegedly rigging games.
Speaker 4: There's a lot of hullablue.
Speaker 3: Like one of the fastest growing markets right now is
just being able to bet on just about anything. And
obviously college athletics is being extremely impacted by gambling. And
these young men and young ladies that are getting into gambling.
It's not a good thing. It's not a good thing
at all. What's the latest in this particular scenario.
Speaker 23: Yeah, this is another big case, another big indictment. I
guess I should say that that's come down. And you know,
we've talked recently. There was the NBA case with Terry Rozier, right,
similar type of case. There was the Chauncey Phillips, you know,
poker ring case. So there's been a lot of these
sports betting cases that we've talked about. This one maybe
what's a little different about it is it involves college
basketball players, and it really involves I mean a whole
bunch of schools involved in this. I think there's gosh,
there are forty schools I think implicated in this. Most
of them are all mid major schools, and none of
our local schools I don't see on this list. I mean,
but just as an example, Ben, I mean schools like Abilene, Christian,
Alabama State, Buffalo, Choppin State, Eastern Michigan, Fordham, Kennesaw State.
I mean, you get the idea, right, and so a
lot of times what was happening is you had some
people on the outside who would contact these players, usually
on underdog teams, and a lot of times it's involved
just the point spread. And so you know, they get
these players on the underdog team to shave some points, right,
not score, you know, keep their their point totals down
so that whether going into halftime or by the end
of the game, they'd win their bets. And I mean so,
I mean there was a like a four hundred thousand
dollars bet placed on a game between Kennesas State and
like Buffalo, right, I mean, it's crazy, who's betting on this,
you know? Or there was another one for Butler to
cover a six point five spread against DePaul. Well, what's
coming out now? I mean talking about DePaul in particular.
I mean, and this just goes back two seasons. This
is all very current stuff, right, I mean, DePaul went
oh to sixteen in Big East Play two years ago.
Four of their players from that team are implicated in this,
and some of these guys are on current rosters and
as of as this news coming down, this is just
today that this in these charges came out. They've been
cut from their teams a few of them already. So anyway,
it's it's again, like you said, kind of just more
of the same. We've we've seen some of this, but
here we are. This is impacting some lower levels of
college basketball.
Speaker 3: I mean there's got to be I mean, I hate
to legalize certain things, right, There'll always be kind of
a market for this stuff, but it's I think the
NCAA president has like asked the federal government to like
to help him, and I can't remember what the specific
request was, but limit the ability of college sports gambling
because it's infiltrating the competitive the competitive.
Speaker 4: Nature of sport, especially at the collegiate levels. So this
is an issue.
Speaker 3: This is a big issue, and more and more young
people are are gambling, literally their their funds away and
going into debt just to gamble.
Speaker 23: Yeah, no, exactly, And that's what they're asking for. And
and one of the one in particular what they're asking
for is a ban on these prop bets. Right, so
you know, I mean, if we're just gonna bet that
Richie Saunders is going to be two points under his average, right,
I mean you can bet on anything right in these
in these games, you know how many minutes played or whatever.
And so they've just made it so easy with online betting,
and and uh, it's yeah, it's all over the place.
But we've got to have some new rules in place.
Speaker 4: All right, let's move on.
Speaker 3: Rams owner and Ingle would legal battle over placement of billboards,
a little marketing and advertising lawsuit.
Speaker 4: What are we at?
Speaker 20: Yeah, exciting stuff for everything. Ye, this is crazy exciting stuff.
So the owner of the Los Angeles Loni Los Angeles Rams,
multi multi billionaire. Uh mister, how do you say his name?
Speaker 12: Uh?
Speaker 20: Cronky, crunky crunky.
Speaker 5: He is, uh.
Speaker 20: Of the Rams, but apparently ye part owner of that.
He fold the lawsuit against the city of Inglewood where
he's claiming they've entered into an agreement with Wild Media.
His sixty billboards around Hollywood Park where so Fi Stadium is.
He's claiming that this violet bill when this thing was
going on, that he put this up, probably saying, hey,
you know, we can't have stuff like that around here.
This is kind of our place to market and that
type of thing and earn revenue. And he he uh,
this advertisement would undergot the exclusive sponsorships table ambush of
marketing around some of the world's sporting events. It's not
just the rams that there's not the charges to play there.
There's a ton of going around. You start putting up
sixty boards, you're gonna make place look like a you know,
like Vegas. The city response there there says, hey, wait
a minute, this is you're being greedy, mister cry We
have a right we want with personal public property as
long as we go through their proper processes to go
through that. And you know, and this is revenue for
the city. And so I guess what it comes down to,
was there an agreement and what part of that agreement
go and does it violate that agreement? So tighting stuff,
we'll see if thingle would get to put up any billboards.
Speaker 3: Yeah, man, your your connection is a little bit uh,
you know, disrupted. But so I don't know if you
want to move to the other spot where you're at before.
But oh sorry, you're okay, You're okay. I can hear
you now, But yeah, you're okay. Disrupted there.
Speaker 20: But fans out there, what I said was really not
too exciting. You didn't You didn't miss a lot about
a more's a multi billionaire. So in a city over billboards?
Speaker 3: All right, let's talk aeron Judge, then all rise legal
when in a trademark lesson case?
Speaker 4: What do we got?
Speaker 23: Yeah, and you know how baseball teams or any team
does this right when a player's got a certain name
and they find some angle right, and they might do
this in the stadium on banners or on you know,
digital displays. And so this started happening in Yankee Stadium
with Aaron Judge as he was becoming popular. This goes
back to about twenty seventeen. And so one was all
rise right when Aaron Judge is up, or the other
one was here comes the Judge and so playing on
this legal theme with his name Judge, So at about
that time, Yankees are using these phrases. There's a guy
in Long Island who runs to the trademark office to
register those two phrases. He's going to put them on
hats and you know, T shirts and whatever and sell
some merch And so this got into a dispute with
the Yanks over this trademark and the Yankees and Aaron Judge.
I guess Aaron Judge had not filed his own trademark
for this, and so part of the argument was, we'll
wait a minute. This is obviously about me, Aaron Judge,
and this is going to be really confusing for consumers.
They're thinking, you know that this is not a this
is official merchandise. He's not an Aaron Judge isn't earning
anything from that. So they fought for what's called the
common law trademark, and they did. They did win their
case in spite of the guy who was going to
make the T shirts claiming that well, you know, I
had no I just I like these phrases all rise
and here comes a judge. I don't know anything about
Aaron Judge. I've never heard of him. I've never been
to a Yankees baseball game. I've never seen him play.
I don't know anything about it. I just I just
happen to like these phrases. This has nothing to do
with Aaron Judge, and the court was not buying that.
So I guess the word is, if you've got a
phrase you want to use, better trademarket, better trademark void
I legal fight.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well yeah, how do you check trademarks? Can we
google that?
Speaker 19: Like?
Speaker 4: You know, is there a trademark website to see if
something's trademarked?
Speaker 23: Yeah, there is the US Patent and Trademark Office, and
so a lot of times. You know, if you've got
one thing that you know, intellectual property lawyers do, right,
is they'll monitor these kinds of things for their clients,
right and see if anybody's filing anything or coming up
so that they're on top of it. But yeah, it's
something you just have to be vigilant about.
Speaker 3: Gotta be vigilant, gotta be proactive. Final thing, here a
little update on the river Side abuse case. X coach
testivies to witnessing abuse.
Speaker 4: What do we have here?
Speaker 20: Yeah, well we quick quick on this. We talked about
this last week and follow This is a lawsuit that
grows out of the acclaim by a gentleman who played
for an all star team back in the seventies and
early eighties that was sponsored by Riverside Church, kind of
the first of its type, an all star basketball team
with really good players that traveled around the country and
even outside the country with sponsorships. Well, years and years later,
this mister Powell comes out with claims that the coach,
Ernest Lorch, who was a multi millionaire lawyer in New
York City, was sexually abusing him and other players. Well,
mister Lorch has since he has since passed away, and
can you hear me?
Speaker 4: Yes, yeh, gotcha?
Speaker 20: Okay, he since passed away. So a lawsuit goes against
Riverside Church, and the issue is this he's soon in
Riverside Church. At Riverside Church is saying, well, wait a minute,
mister Lurch was the bad actor. This guy was the pedophile,
sex abuser. Not you know, we're not on this, but
he's saying, hey, he was under your supervision. He was
the coach of this team. He sat on your board
of trustees. You knew or should have known, that this
stuff was going on, and you could have prevented it. Well,
so now the thing starts to travel this week, and
whenever a trial starts, the plaintiff, the person bringing the lawsuit,
mister Powell, he has the burden of proving everything. He
has to prove the legal arguments. He has to prove
his claims that Riverside knew or should have known about
this going on. He has to prove his damages. He's
claiming PTSD and mental health and emotional damages from this happening.
Speaker 12: Forty years ago.
Speaker 20: Well, one of the witnesses, bombshell witness was an assistant
coach of the team who said he walked in on
mister kring Lurch and saw him actually abusing sexually abusing
a player, and he actually went and reported it to
the pastor of the church.
Speaker 12: Well, here we come.
Speaker 20: Forty years later. They bring him into trial and he
testifies he actually took a bunch of players and said
he wasn't going to keep him there because he didn't
think they were safe. It's reported that it was widely
known around a lot of people that this guy was
a bad dude and there was some appropriate stuff going on. Well,
the defense has attacked this and saying, hey, this was
forty plus years ago. How can you remember all this?
He's bringing this now? Why is he bringing it now
and didn't bring it earlier? So we'll hear from all
the plantiff witnesses. The jury gets to hear all of that,
and then the defense will put their case on and
we'll see what happens. But this is the type of
This is the type of testimony, and apparently there were
a couple of other players that testified. That really goes
to the heart of mister Powell's arguments about Hey, the church,
he was under their supervision, they knew and should have
done something about it.
Speaker 3: Gentlemen, that is our Sports Cord for today. The verdict
is out and we appreciate you joining us for yet
another Sports Cord segment.
Speaker 4: You guys are.
Speaker 3: Better at representing clients that have been injured, whether it's
like workman's comp or auto injury accident.
Speaker 4: Tell us what you do, how you do it, and
why our listener should give you a call.
Speaker 20: Yeah, Ben, we love coming on here. It's a good
time to talk about these legal issues in the world
of sports. Handy and Handy is a personal injury law firm.
We've been around a long time. Garrett and I have
years and years of experience. We represent and help people
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Speaker 3: Give them a call set up at a pointment. If
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Speaker 4: Gentlemen, thank you so much. Always a pleasure talking sports
court with you.
Speaker 12: Hey, Thanks Ben, love it, Thank you, Ben.
Speaker 3: All right, thank you, gentlemen. We'll go to break. That
was a great segment with Garrett and Preston Handy. Appreciate them.
Speaker 4: Head on over to handylaw Utah dot com and get
to know them a little bit better. If you've been
in an accident and you need representation.
Speaker 3: Uh, this is Cougar Sports, Ladies and gentlemen. We'll be
back you listening to your UTAI. ESPN Radio Network one
of three, nine ninety eight point three.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to this So marches right around the corner
and the Cougars are in the metal of it. It's
time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports with
Ben Critic.
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the hotline.
Speaker 4: Welcome in.
Speaker 3: Mark Durant, the best color commentator, the best Twitter x
follow on social media.
Speaker 4: How the heck are you? Mark?
Speaker 9: Wow?
Speaker 18: Thank you man.
Speaker 12: I'm doing great. I'm or may not have just played
nine holes of golf in this beautiful crazy weather, so
I'm a happy man. I don't know that I've ever
played golf this late in the winter in my life.
Speaker 4: It is pretty crazy. What's happening in Utah right now
with the weather.
Speaker 3: Typically we're we're in the thick of the snow right
making snow angels and it's freezing cold.
Speaker 4: What's happened in the Utah. You've been here for a
long time.
Speaker 12: Well, listen, I know we need moisture and snow and
all that. But if we're not going to have it,
I'm gonna enjoy it. And if Salt Lake becomes the
new Saint George, then that's probably okay with me because
I want to move to Saint George. Anyway, I will
save me moving.
Speaker 4: Oh man, where's your golf?
Speaker 12: By the way, I went out to Glenmore. We love
it out at Glenmore. Darcy Olsen is the pro out there.
It's a great place. They got a great youth program.
As you know, my daughter plays. So my daughter whooped
me today, But I'm getting used to that.
Speaker 4: Hey, it's okay.
Speaker 3: Hey, that means you've trained her, well, you've mentored her. Well,
that's what you want. That's what every mom and dad want.
They want their kids to be better than they are.
Speaker 14: Right.
Speaker 12: Yeah, the best thing I ever did, Ben, You're a
young father, So listen carefully, I am is, have your
kids play golf. I tried to get my boys to
play basketball, but I finally learned and my last one,
I said, We're doing golf because I'm gonna have fun.
If I'm gonna watch you, I'm gonna at least have
fun myself. And it's been the greatest thing. We get
to spend so much time together and she's excellent, and
it's just fun.
Speaker 6: Man?
Speaker 11: Is that?
Speaker 3: Like, just because you have to sit next to each
other for I mean typically anywhere from two to four,
sometimes five hours, you actually get to talk to your kids.
Speaker 4: They're not trying to avoid you, right.
Speaker 12: Exactly what other dad of a seventeen year old daughters
to spend five hours without any distractions? You know, with
your child? It's beautiful. Actually the worst me she still
likes me. Ben, I don't know about your kids. If
your kids like you, if they don't like it might
be bad.
Speaker 18: But my daughter likes me, so.
Speaker 3: No, probably the worst decision I ever made. And it
was hard because it was it was before COVID, right,
and like I had purchased an alpine country club membership
in two thousand and ten.
Speaker 16: You know, it was.
Speaker 3: It was it was dirt cheap at the time, right,
And I can't remember what the dudes were monthly, et cetera.
But I had that thing till like twenty and eighteen.
But at that time I was getting free golf. Remember
I used to do the show at Thanksgiving point, I
did advertising for Fox Hollow. I mean I was everywhere,
you know. I was like, well, you know, do I
really need this Alpine country club membership?
Speaker 4: You know what I mean?
Speaker 3: And I sold it, kicking myself, stupid decision. The spirit
was not with me, It was not guiding me at
that time.
Speaker 12: Yeah, they for a while, that long time ago, they
were giving those away man and now now it's it's
a it's a hot commodity.
Speaker 3: Very very hot commodity. I'm kicking myself, unfortunately. But we
all make good decisions. We all make bad decisions. U.
K Why made some good decisions this offseason, not only
retaining talent, but acquired talent. How special has it been
for you to watch arguably the most talented team in
BAU basketball history ball out at the Marriott Center.
Speaker 12: Well, first of all, you mentioned K Why.
Speaker 17: I love that guy.
Speaker 12: I mean he is he's been so great to work with.
He's super kind of me and Greg, and he's just
a super down to earth guy. Love talking to him.
I think he's actually a brilliant basketball mind as I've
watched him and the adjustments and things that he makes
and his game plans, and I just I just think,
how lucky are we to have him? So it's I
think it starts with him, and then because of who
he is, his connections and his ability to communicate with kids,
he's able to bring in you know, great great young
men and super talented basketball players. And it used to
be where, you know, by you wouldn't even get a
sniff from some of these this level of recruit and
now it seems like they're in on almost all the
best recruits and legitimately have a chance. And so that
that goes to a lot of people. Ky and the
school and the resources and the boosters and all that
to make BYU an attractive spot for some of the
best players.
Speaker 9: And the fact that.
Speaker 12: We've got AJ is unheard of obviously. And then even
Rob Wright, you know, coming from Baylor to BYU, I mean,
who would have ever seen that happening? And he he
is one of my favorites man. He is so good,
so consistent, so tough, And of course Richie, who's just
the unicorn nowadays with his loyalty to the university and
all the things he does and how hard he plays.
I mean that Utah game, Ben, I've never seen a
bigger heart on display. He willed the team to victory.
He kind of put the team on his back and
got those big rebounds and made big shots, and so yeah,
I mean, it's it's I've been doing a long time,
you know, Jim or years were fine. Every year's fine.
But the level of play and how this team plays
is about as fun of time as I've had in
those thirty years.
Speaker 4: You mentioned Richie the Todd King.
Speaker 3: I was having a discussion with Jay Drew earlier in
the show and we're like, how pivotal was that retention?
Speaker 4: You know what I mean? Like, what if he would
have ended up at at Kentucky.
Speaker 3: Maybe that Kentucky team goes to an Elite eight last
year and they get through the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 4: If Richie's on.
Speaker 3: That squad this year, they're probably doing a whole lot
better because they have a glue guy, a leader, a
guy that sets the tone that creates.
Speaker 4: Continuity and executes and and.
Speaker 3: Gets everyone bought in to what Mark Pope is building.
The fact that b Yu was able to retain Richie
is probably not not Harold did enough. Is one of
the greatest recruiting efforts that the staff has been able
to execute.
Speaker 4: It really really is.
Speaker 12: And you know, I can't speak to specifics, but I
want people to understand that Richie left a lot on
the table to stay at BYU as good as by
US resources are.
Speaker 9: Uh.
Speaker 12: He stayed because he wanted to and he loves the university,
and so yeah, as a fan, I'm grateful to him
for that. But I think the obviously AJ is is
even a I think a seasoned professional level player right now,
and he could play in the NBA and be an
All Star right now. But so he's he gets a
lot of attention rightly, so top draft pick guy. But
the best thing I think that ever happened to AJ
is Richie to have that kind of leadership and maturity
and how to play the game and to learn from
Richie and to take a lot of the pressure off
of AJ to have to do it all himself.
Speaker 9: You know.
Speaker 12: Obviously those other guys, Rob's great. But I mean, you know,
when you have three really good players, you know, it's
just not all about you. It's not all on your shoulders.
So you can kind of, you know, do your thing
and have some pressure taken off of you, both off
just the mental pressure that AJ must go through, but
just the pressure to play and deliver at all times.
And AJ, like the other night against TCU, he kind
of took over that game. But for the most part,
you know, he can kind of do his thing. And
because Richie particularly is a leader of that team. And
when you know, Ben, like like when you were senior
at BYU, I mean you nobody had played harder than you,
Nobody practiced harder than you. And when you've got a
guy that's that good and sets that tone, like you
have no excuses. If Richie's playing this hard, I need
to play that this hard. If he's doing getting rebound,
I need to do this. And so when you have
a guy like that and that senior leadership who's you know,
all American caliber player and he's doing all the little
things that make people great, then you learn from that
and you have no excuses. And I think it's going
to be the best thing that ever happened to AJ
was to have Richie on this team.
Speaker 3: No excuses, play like a champion. There was a great victory,
a gritty one, an ugly one, a beautifully ugly one.
But when does the win is win over TCU? What
were your takeaways from that matchup late last night? That's
the That's one of the latest games you've probably had
to call recently.
Speaker 12: I guess there's reasons for it. If I'm the horn Frogs,
I'm pretty upset that I had to do that because
it was even later for them their body clock. But
I mean, I just don't get it. I mean, maybe
West Coast, but even West Coast it's eight o'clock Star.
I'm like, what is the point of that? It seems silly,
but I you know, I get there's TV and all
that kind of stuff. But anyway, it was late, but
it's nice and I just had a nice meal before
and got all that out of the way before the game,
so it didn't bother me too much. But yeah, the game,
you know, Ben, I've been kind of waiting for that
game because everybody, every team has a game where it's
just not their night. It's you know, you come off
of a pretty intense rivalry game. It's certainly right for
a letdown, a trap game, whatever you want to call it.
And I just felt like, eventually, these guys are gonna
have an off night and they're gonna lose one, and
it's just gonna be one of those things. And I
was almost resigned myself to that. The great thing about
last night was they had that game. They had their
worst shooting night both from three and from two of
the year, and yet they won. So you can have
your your bad game, the off game you're going to
have and still win. That's pretty good and it shows
you how good they are. And AJ was under the weather,
looked as bad as I've seen him play in the
first half, but man, he found something in about eight
to ten minutes of that second half where he was great.
And he the thing I'm impressed about AJ is whether
it's Yukon or Clemson or whenever BYU needs him to
be great, he has been great. And he found something
deep inside and he was kind of his game where
he will BYU the victory there to get them back
in the lead. And so yeah, I mean it was
it was not a good game. It was their letdown game.
And yet somehow they managed to win it, and so
that's pretty cool. I Mean, you usually don't escape those
kind of games with a win, and so hopefully you
learn some lessons, but you still have a w in
the win column, and so that's that's good for this team.
I expect them to play much better, even though they're
going into a tough, tough place this weekend against Texas
Tech and Lewock. But I think they'll actually play a
lot better and we'll have a chance in that game.
Speaker 4: Mark.
Speaker 3: We've discussed this Big three. Some people call it the
brig Three, the First Presidency. I mean, there's a ton
of different nicknames for this crew. But you know, you
have to wonder, is this the Is this the best
trio in Bou basketball history? Is this better than the
Danny Ainge, you know eighty one team, the Great Kite,
Fred Roberts, I know, I know, I know your your
brother pretty good. You know they they had some good
sad Mike, we've had. I think the mckelly Wesley crew
was good. The Hafa Travis Hanson crew was pretty good.
Is this the best trio in Bou basketball history?
Speaker 18: Yeah?
Speaker 12: If you if you drill down on it, there's actually
been some really good, yeah, really good players, like you
mentioned a lot of them, but I think it's far
as you know, recency bias is a thing, but you know,
I just I can't imagine three better players for Byu
at the same time. I mean, AJ is going to
be possibly a number one pick and so we've never
had that. And Rob Wright, holy cow, I mean that
guy is so good and he's such as He's a
guy that's so consistent too, and he's steady and make
when BYU's struggling, he's the guy that makes a shot
and just lightning quick, impossible to stop him on the
dribble penetration. And then we've talked about Richie. I mean,
you've got three NBA guys, probably two of the guys
first round NBA guys. One guy is maybe a first pick,
first round guy. So as far as talent, pure talent,
I think it's the best three. I mean, they had
a chance last night to have the third consecutive game
where they had three guys over twenty points. Now they
fell short of that, but that was like would be
the first time in thirty or forty years in the
entire NCAA that any three players have got twenty a
piece for three consecutive games, so they came close to
doing that, which says a lot of itself. And the
great thing about it is, you know, they're all you know,
they're all right around the same scoring, you know, right
around twenty points a game. They all shoot right around
the same number of field goals, they shoot similar percentages.
It's amazing kind of the the balance that they've achieved,
because sometimes when you have three excellent players like that,
it's hard to get that chemistry and balance, and guys
are thinking I got to get mine, and you know,
but it's just organically they've found a beautiful balance where
they're all contributing, all shooting about the same amount, all
getting about the same amount of points, and it's just
it's really cool to see how those three have become
like a single super super player, one in one in
one guy. And anyway, it's it's fun. I mean, I'm
waxing trying to wax poetic about it and failing. But
they're they're as good as I've ever seen, and I've seen,
you know, back to the Danny h days. And that's
no slide on anybody. I meantly they're just that good.
And the fact that by us in this possession excuse me,
positioned in the big twelve, in the top ten team
and have those kind of caliber guys, It's like, what
what universe are we living in? And whatever it is,
I'm glad I'm living in it.
Speaker 4: Mark.
Speaker 3: We were discussing earlier today, who we need to step
up on the bench or from the bench.
Speaker 4: We have one of the best starting fives.
Speaker 3: It's not the best starting five in college basketball, you
can make that argument, but we need bench players.
Speaker 4: We need more, We need some consistency there.
Speaker 3: Who's the guy that you're looking forward to in the
next six weeks to maybe step up and take that
baton or or multiple guys to take that baton.
Speaker 4: Who who's most likely.
Speaker 11: To do it?
Speaker 12: Yeah, one of the things I'm concerned about, and it
was evident last night. As good as the Big three
is and Keba is tremendous, it's, uh, you know, you
get a guy in foul trouble or aj was it
wasn't feeling well. It doesn't take a lot to really
hurt you. And uh, so they're walking a fine line
playing so few guys and relying so much on the
Big Three. Uh, so you just kind of hope and
pray nobody gets hurt, or you stay out of foul
trouble or or you're gonna have some problems. But uh,
and answer your question, I think they need to go
all in on Hilow. I think he's a good player.
Speaker 11: Uh.
Speaker 12: He makes big plays, he plays without fear, He made
a Big three, had a huge block last night. He
brings size, he stretches the floor. I think you're all
in on him, and I think it really hurt BYU
that Abdul Ahmed did not play. I hope he can
be healthy because I think when Cava's out of the game,
BYU is a much different team. But with Bed he
comes in and they're not that different. He's He's just
a big human and a great shot blocker. I'm so
pleased with him. So I'm all in on Viido and Mahilo,
and you know, other than that, you're going to have
to kind of hope and you know, hopefully Tyler Moruss
makes a player too, or kostich or or or whoever.
But you know, I think seven, if you have seven
guys that you can count on, I think what you does,
then they should be all right, but you know, it's
a little makes it a little bit nervous when anybody
you know, twists an ankle or is not feeling well
or gets in foul trouble, because it can really turn
on you quickly if you don't have those guys ready
to go.
Speaker 3: I always feel like when we're about to make a run,
like we get it, we get injured, or something like
something crazy happens, you know.
Speaker 4: Like I hate to be that guy.
Speaker 3: I'm knocking on wood right now, all the wood here
in my that's in my surrounding area. But it's like, man,
I just hope we can stay healthy, you know, stay
healthy and strong, nourish and strengthened and built for a
run in the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 12: Well, one of the things you worry about is because
you're not as deep. You know, you're playing those the
Big Tree a lot of minutes, I mean in thirty
thirty five more, and so you worry about getting worn
down a little bit. And just in that TCU game,
you know, Aj was on the floor for a long
time and I was worried that he was injured. And
Rob Wright was knocked and he was limping for a while.
I ate and Richie in the post game had a
big ice bag on his caf and he was in
kind of twisted his ankle late and so yeah, you know,
you find all the wood you can and knock on
it because this team is a potential title contender, uh
a Final four national championship contender with everybody ready to
play and healthy. But if anything goes wrong, then it
might spoil the apple cart and turn the apple cart
upside down because there's just not a lot of room
for error. Uh, there is. They're they're awesome. They could
win it all. I totally believe that, but it's if
one little thing happens, it could change that equation overnight.
So you just hope it doesn't and knock on the
wood and UH and O B y U fans have
had some rough uh rough what ifs in their in
their fandom history, but hopefully this year won't be one
of them.
Speaker 3: Mark Durant Ladies and Gentlemen partner at Dorsey and Whitney LLP.
His specialty is obviously on the radio waves as the
color commentates alongside Greg Rubel on the BYU Sports Netw're
talking hoops, but he's also pretty good at real estate law,
So shout out to Dorsey and Whitney LLP. If you
need any real estate lawyering, then you got to hit
up my guy, Mark Durant. Mark, we always appreciate our
time together. Appreciate you hopping on to give his nuggets
and truth and knowledge and all manner of BYU basketball commentary.
Speaker 12: Well you know I love you and I'm happy to
come on anytime, and I'm excited about this weekend at
Texas Tech. And give give Ron a big kiss for me,
will you.
Speaker 3: I shall give him a big hug, big kiss, big
smooch for you, Mark Durant, Ladies and general, thanks so
so much, brother.
Speaker 12: All right, thanks Ben Tuck.
Speaker 3: All right, guys, that's our show. We're sticking to a
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Speaker 4: You've been listening