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All Manner of Cougar Sports Commentary all matter of breaking news.
Just when you feel like you're a little bit down
to the dumps because BYU basketball is not winning enough
basketball games, BYU Basketball goes out and gets a commitment
from a.
Speaker 6: Five star prospect reloading.
Speaker 4: Furthermore, ajd Bonsa, the projected potential number one overall pick,
goes on record to say, I don't know if I'm
leaving college. I don't know if I'm taking my talents
to the NBA. Are you buying or selling that rhetoric
right now? Could you imagine the hooplaw, the hullabaloo, the
momentum going into two thousand and twenty six, twenty twenty
seven season of AJ says.
Speaker 7: I'm not leaving.
Speaker 4: I'm not I'm not freaking leaving. I'm staying in Provo.
I want to be developed by ky Man. It would
be tremendous, it would be glorious, it'd be fantastic.
Speaker 5: Man.
Speaker 4: I don't I don't know if I'm buying or selling
that one. Furthermore, there's a former BYU great football player
that's coming back to coach the safeties. We teased it,
we've talked about it. It's officially official. We'll break it
down here. On your Utah ESPN radio network, so make
sure you keep us tuned in on that one o
three nine FM Dowt in Utah County, the ninety eight
point three FM down in Sully, Davison, Weeper Counties. He
can stream us espndefan dot Com, ESPN the Fan d
app as well as the tune in app. Download those
apps from the respective app store. Tell you, smart speaker, Hey, smartspeaker,
listened to Cougar Sports. We've Ben Trittal, Hey, smartspeaker, listen
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Speaker 6: Give us a rating, give us a review. We appreciate it.
Speaker 5: When you do.
Speaker 4: Follow me on ex acquital Benjamin, follow us at esp
of the Fan without further ado. Why don't we fire
up ESPN the fans starting lineup and we can introduce
you to our co host and the stars of the
Cashjoni is for this Tuesday, March third edition of Cougar Sports.
He's an SLC behind the glass, putting, pushing all the buttons.
He's their architect of the show. Let's welcome in our
point guard. We got Ronald the three man Weaver. What's up, Ronnie?
Speaker 5: What's up? Guys?
Speaker 7: I'm doing up Harry one to day. I am the
point guard.
Speaker 8: But I'm happy about the commitment because we have another
third member.
Speaker 7: Bruce Branch, the third.
Speaker 9: Ben.
Speaker 8: I like all these thirds that are committee to bya
It makes me feel special, you know, because I'm a
third as well.
Speaker 4: We had GB three, we had Rob Right the third.
Now we got Bruce Branch the third. But the king
of the thirds is still Ronald the three man Weaver
was here first.
Speaker 5: He was the og Parram right left.
Speaker 7: I did not hop into the portal, bin I have
not done that.
Speaker 4: He will not leave you. Now you shall not answer
the portal. Let's also welcome into the show.
Speaker 5: Brett.
Speaker 4: Always bring the hammer, hamber time, show us up hammertime.
Speaker 5: Wait, ron are you saying somebody who's a three is
hopping in the portal? Is that I do.
Speaker 7: Not say anything?
Speaker 8: All I'm saying is that you know I don't hop
in a portal. I'm people, I'm not the highest bidder guy.
I lift where I stand.
Speaker 7: This is screeding.
Speaker 10: Can I add something to the Are we talking about
ajdab like? Can I add something to this? A Jda
Bonds is staying in college. Oh yeah, so everyone's seeing
the story today. However, we put this out on your
Twitter a couple of months ago, and people may have
missed this. This is not the first time Aja has
said this. He said it multiple He did it in
an interview with Yahoo Sports. They asked him something along
the lines of like, do you want Lebron to stay
another year in the league so that you can play
with him? And his first response to that question was, well,
it's it's not a guarantee that I'll be in the
league next year, so I don't know how much I'm
buying it. The one thing I do buy from the
whole thing is that him saying like that his mom
wants him to graduate, which is a legitimate thing.
Speaker 5: However, the funniest.
Speaker 10: Part of all of this is, like, this is the
biggest tanking conversation the NBA has ever had. What if
everyone's tanking and then aj says, Ah, you know what,
I'm staying another year, And then it's like, oh, we
just wasted our whole season for a guy who's not
even in the draft. That would be total chaos and
I would be absolutely here for it.
Speaker 4: Well, let me give you another conspiracy like conspiracy theory.
Like I wonder if aj wants to go to the Jazz,
I really do I wonder if he wants to go
to the gazz.
Speaker 6: I think he went created a good legacy. He came
up to Utah prep.
Speaker 4: Yeah, why long maybe long term vision, right, he wanted
to be closer to Bayu. He's set up his foundation,
He's looking at long term potential, maybe long term roots,
et cetera. Maybe he wants to go to the jazz.
Maybe he wants to be legendary in the state of Utah.
And if the Jazz don't get a lottery pick, why
would he Why would he come out if he wants
to end up with the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 5: What if he doesn't want to go to the youth
What if it's a complete opposite.
Speaker 10: He's like, oh, shoot, man, the Jazz might take me
and I don't want to go to the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying in school? Yeah, But like,
is Utah truly in tank mode yet? I thought they
you know, they've been reprimanded, they've been fined.
Speaker 10: I mean, what is there Like there's like fifteen games
left in the season.
Speaker 5: Like they're not Are they in tank mode?
Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, they're moment it's too late to stop them.
Speaker 8: Yeah exactly, I mean Ben, I'm jumping in because you
know I'm I.
Speaker 4: Mean Adam Silber sending out their own independent physicians to
review the MRI resorts and marketing.
Speaker 7: Well, Ben checked this out yesterday.
Speaker 8: They're trying to play and then they got the jolkic antics,
like they're calling fouls that aren't fouls. It's like the
NBA officials are even helping them tank. The Jas should
have won the game last night. I think, like the
Yolki chet, the Freedo line is crazy. So look, it
doesn't matter if it's the Jazz one in the tank
or the rest.
Speaker 7: It's happening.
Speaker 8: The tank is occurring, and I think this is the
last year of it. Though I like the roster.
Speaker 4: It's not a given though that Aj he's been consistent
of this over the last thirty or so days. It's
not a given. He says that he's going to the NBA.
So Byan are selling that right now? Is my question?
Speaker 6: Bruce Branch the third is committed to b yu h.
Maybe there's something there.
Speaker 4: Maybe Rob right the third would come back and take
another run in it. Right, Like, I don't know Dean
Rugert's coming. He can be a baller, he could be
a player for you. Dawson Baker. Dawson Baker could come
back and hopefully be healthy. I don't know, and I
don't know how severe his injury was. But I think
he's trying to get his eligibility, his eligibility back because
he you know, because of the you know, any number.
Speaker 6: He's had a couple of injuries.
Speaker 9: Right.
Speaker 4: He had a foot injury that kept him out from
playing significant minutes when he arrived, and then you have
this knee injury. So unfortunately, but you never know what
can happen with b YU basketball. Furthermore, they're they're trying
to get the monkey off their back. They're trying to
find a way to win versus Cincinnati, and the best
way to get I think the good juju going is
to go out and do a fireside. Just give back
to the community, get spiritual, get aligned, get back to
the things that really matter. And so BA basketball in Cincinnati,
they're taking on the Bearcats. And night prior to this game,
I think it was last night, they did a fireside
for the local LDS community give back discuss discipleship.
Speaker 5: Who are the speakers?
Speaker 4: I thought I Thaw, Jereed McGregor, k Wis and Dust
and Dawson the bucket getter Baker so always cooking up something.
Shout out to this Cougar basketball team for engaging with
the latter day st n BYU fan base out there
in Cincinnati. I think it's a good thing that you
know what. To me, that's a good sign. We're winning
this game tonight. There's no way we're gonna We can't lose.
Speaker 5: Now.
Speaker 4: Can I tell you a story real quick about firesides.
We were struggling in two thousand and five. Bronco Menden
Hall took over as head coach in two thousand and five,
and we were struggling mightily. I want to say, if
you look at the BAU football schedule, it's just like
we just were just off kilter. I mean, his first year,
maybe it was a tough schedule to start. You had
Boston College, you lost, You beat Eastern Illinois, We lost
to TCU like things just weren't bouncing our way fifty
to fifty one. Then we lost to San Diego State
ten to thirty one. So you're one in three to
start a new era. And I think it was prior
to the New Mexico game out in Albuquerque, we decided
we were gonna do a fireside and that's what started
the firesides at these you know, not remote locations, but
you know, these away locations.
Speaker 6: And then we started doing even at home as well,
and we won two games.
Speaker 4: Then you lost the Notre Dame Air Force UNLV win
Wyoming win. Like we kind of felt like the vibe,
the juju went positive after we started doing our firesides
and maybe being a little bit less focused on ourselves
and more focused on everybody else. They'd still be focused
on your football skill sets, but like going about doing good,
this is a good thing going out doing firesides. I
know there was a time back in like twoy fourteen,
twenty and fifteen where BYU fan said.
Speaker 5: Do away with the firesides.
Speaker 6: We focused too much on the firesides.
Speaker 4: That's why we're only winning nine games, eight games a season,
that's what they said, Like we got to do away with.
Speaker 5: Him at any rate.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't think it had anything to do with
the firesides. I think what you're finding now I was
kind of reviewing because we're gonna get into a rod
sound and a Rod went out and was able to
hire recently over the last few years.
Speaker 6: Who did he hire? Kevin Gilbride?
Speaker 4: Big time higher NFL experience, TJ. Woods, which we all agree,
big time higher cost a little bit of money.
Speaker 6: You lost Matt Mitchell. Who did you replace him with?
Speaker 4: NFL experienced Tyler Hughes's assistant quarter, a veteran coach. You
know what that tells me? Finally BYU has the resources
to allocate to coaches. In years past, you've had to
take maybe the former player approach that didn't have much
experience coaching college football, which was fine, right, we still
won a lot of football games in the Whack in
the Mountain West era with a limited budget. Now you're
seeing an elevated budget, and I think you're seeing just
better overall coaches and better overall retention within those coaches
as well at BYU. So, anyway, just something to chime
in on as we get into this fantastic show, make
sure you keep us tuned in. Guys, We're gonna get
into a ton of content. Check out the rest of
our ESPN starting line of vic cram on the data
aggregation and the newsletter k Y Sound to start us
off to discuss this Bway Cincinnati game. Kelly Papinga addressed
the media yesterday after spring practice Day two. Aaron Roderick
addressed the media as well. We'll get into that. At
three point thirty. Jared bled So, former Boe wide receiver,
was down at practice. I ran into him as he
was leaving. He'll give you his thoughts on this Boa
Cougar football team, Lee Kamar little women's basketball. They're trending
in the right direction. Shout out to Lee Kamar and
his first season as head coach. We'll get caught up
with him. Brady papingat five oh five, and then Dan Horde,
the voice of the Cincinnati Bearcats at five point thirty.
Speaker 6: Are that all that and more here on your UTI
ESB and Radio network.
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All right, let's get into kysound and commentary. K Why
you had a couple possessions down down the stretch to
tie the game.
Speaker 6: What do you need.
Speaker 4: To do better defensively in those situations? Referring to West Virginia.
Speaker 11: Yeah, well, number one, we got a rebound better. You know,
I thought we gave up too many second chance points
down the stretch there. But you know, one on one
defense was poor. You know, Cava got driven right off
the left elbow on the one that was uh troublesome.
Speaker 2: And then uh, you know the.
Speaker 11: One where off blue by Rob Like I'm not sure
what excuse me, I'm not sure what Rob was doing.
He was looking over at the bench, you know, but
like he just kind of had a brain fart in
that moment, honestly.
Speaker 2: So we just gotta gotta be better one on one
man bottom line.
Speaker 11: And then and then you know, in that particular game,
the rebounding obviously killed this which you know, on the
whole throughout the year has been more of a strength
than a weakness of ours. But you know, without Richie,
that's something where other guys got to step up and
help defensive rebound.
Speaker 6: So got a rebound, that's the first thing.
Speaker 5: I mean.
Speaker 4: Mark Durant did, like his own film breakdown with still
shots last night. You know, things are getting a little
bit tiresome, a little bit frustrating if Mark duran is
taking the time out of his busy schedule to go
back check tape and call out lack of effort on
the rebounding end and defensive end, like you know, something
like when Mark Durant the Color Analyst alongside Gregor Bell,
he's getting ted, he's getting his patience is wearing thin.
That man is a positive, very positive human being. One
of my favorite people to interact regarding BYU basketball in fact,
because he is so positive constructive criticism. He gives some
contrustionion constructive criticism, but he's always very positive. He went
out of his way last night to double into the film.
Obviously it's been it's rough go right now, I don't.
I hope it changes. I really do. Like my finger scars,
I'm optimistic. As I mentioned, we're coming off a fireside.
Speaker 6: It's good news. We gotta do something different.
Speaker 4: If it's not in practice, let's do something off the
court that maybe is impactful. But the other thing he
broke down that final defensive possession in which Rob had
a brain fart, that's what he called it. What does
Rob write? Was it a brain fart? Or does Rob
Wright actually care? That's our question right now?
Speaker 5: Does he care?
Speaker 4: Is he lazy or is he truly just not like mentally.
Speaker 6: Like?
Speaker 4: Does he not have a good basketball LIKEQ. Does he
not have a high basketball like que? Where do we
stand in that debate?
Speaker 10: Real quick, I will say I went back and watched
the game yesterday I think it was, and down the
final stretch there is a moment where they get into
a huddle on the court and Rob grabs guys and
it's like, hey, this is what needs to happen. And
I saw that, and I'm like, Okay, how do I
reconcile I've seen you in like it was the end
of the game.
Speaker 5: You already had twenty points.
Speaker 10: At that point, you could have pulled a Darren Peterson
and checked out, but like you were still in the
game and holding guys to some level of accountability. But
then again you see the opposite, which is in game
to the point so much that Kevin is now going
out of his way because he wasn't asked about Rob
right going Adam's way to be like, I don't know
what Rob was doing. I gotta be honest, I really
don't know, because I do see moments where I'm like, okay,
Rob looks like he cares. He just looks like he's
not gonna defense. And then there's all other moments where
I'm like, what are you doing? Or or or is
it all performative?
Speaker 4: And all he really cares about is uh, what.
Speaker 5: Is it he just did?
Speaker 6: Like an nil deal with the Church's chicken?
Speaker 5: What is it? Did you see this? The Canes commercial?
Speaker 4: Kanes raising case? He just dropped his racing. Like the
worst time to an now, I don't care what you say.
Worst time I'm to announce an nil deal is when
like the fan base is like watching your effort and
like saying like.
Speaker 5: Did he just announce that? I think so?
Speaker 10: When does he did a commercial with them? Like three
months ago? Was it three months ago? I don't know
when he announced it. I'm not sure what you're looking at,
but I know he was in a commercial like three
months ago.
Speaker 5: Okay, well, okay.
Speaker 4: Okay, so it was three months ago, Okay, but I
maybe I just came across it.
Speaker 5: I'm like, wait a second, he may.
Speaker 10: Have just announced something else recently. But either way, like
it's it's not a great look.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know. I think there's I think it's
a convenience thing.
Speaker 10: Like I think it's like if you're gonna ask this
much of me, like if we're down twenty and you're
asking me to hustle.
Speaker 5: I ain't doing it.
Speaker 6: For all we know, he was pulling guys.
Speaker 4: Is like, hey, I need you to switch and play
better defense so I don't have to.
Speaker 5: Play the defense. And I'm just playing.
Speaker 4: But seriously, I'm trying to figure out whether or not
he has a good high basketball like you, if he's lazy,
or if he just doesn't care. What do you got, Ronald?
Speaker 8: I really thought about it, you know, because Mark Garrant
did the film and I went back in that game.
Speaker 7: Man, I looked at those clips. I was up late
last night.
Speaker 8: I know I'm not an analyst, but I really try
to prepare hard and put this show together. And look
at that and I'm like, okay, Marcus, you know he's
way smarter than basketball than Iami. Has a better job obviously,
so and then it just came to me, ben selective caring.
That's just what it came back to. It's selective. It's like,
you know, today, I'm gonna play defense in this moment,
how much are you asking?
Speaker 7: It's convenience, that's what.
Speaker 10: You're gonna ask me to do. More than this level.
I'm not gonna do it. But if it's under this level.
Speaker 5: I'll do it.
Speaker 8: Because in the Houston game he was all bought in.
Then the next game, yeah, I'm gonna take some plays off. Yeah,
not gonna do that. I'm not gonna switch. I'm gonna
go under when I shouldn't. And like Mark Durant said,
what did I tell you, Ben? I knew I was right.
Good rule of thumb is to fight over unless the
switch is gonna come or you can't. And then if
you can't get over, get under really really fast, because
switching is not bad. But that's the general rule of thumb.
And He's just like, you know what, Nope, today I'm
gonna switch even though I probably shouldn't. And actually now
today I'm gonna fight over and then and that's the
clip of the West Virginian.
Speaker 4: Like I selective, Well, I feel like that is that
a basketball IQ?
Speaker 6: Thing?
Speaker 5: Then is that.
Speaker 10: I don't think he has a high basketball IQ. I
also think that the thing that ron so is also true.
Speaker 6: I'm leaning towards Yeah, Like.
Speaker 4: I want to give him the benefit of the doubt
is what I want, Like, and so I want to
lean towards he just he's a low basketball IQ, especially
on the defensive end, Like that's where he's got a
low basketball IQ.
Speaker 7: So does Canard have a little basketball i Q?
Speaker 8: Because Canard in that moment that Mark broke down in
that film probably thinks that Rob is gonna go switch
and then realizes that he doesn't. He's like, oh, he's
not going, and then he's laid on the plane and
three happens. Like to me, that's not IQ, that's just
that's that's chemistry and not you know, paying attention in
my opinion, like you gotta know what's going on, like
Ben before you go into these games and switching and
when you have the opponent of Scout on the point,
you know if you're switching screens or not.
Speaker 5: You know.
Speaker 8: So for the fact that Canard is not taken that
screen and then Rob gets delayed and Canar's like, oh
now he's not going. Rob was supposed to follow, So
that's on him, And that's not IQ. You're following your manny,
you're getting screened. And if you can't, what do you
talk to do in basketball? You said it yesterday on
the show in sixth grade, Hey hey help Ben Ben
Ben help Ben Ben Been Hey Like you yelled right,
hey Ben be Ben Cock call caught help and then
Kanar can blitz there. So there's no communication then and
then guys are just being lack of days ago when
they switch.
Speaker 7: That's what it is like. There's a lack of talk
on the court.
Speaker 8: And that's bad because I told you this in the
Marriott Center when it's been quiet, I've heard Kevin youngmore
that i've heard those players, and that is not good.
Like I've heard Kevin yelling way more and I get
it he's a coach assistants, but I have not heard talk.
And this is ever since Richie's gone down from Rob
and AJ and granted that was right when they had
to start getting into leadership role, but they have to talk. Ben,
you have to talk and switch on defense because look,
you're gonna get caught on screens as a part of
the game. Boat you can't do is not communicate to
have the help. And if they do that tonight, they're
gonna lose again. It would they will lose if they
don't play defense and communicate.
Speaker 4: Let me provide a little interesting commentary here. Not once
this season has Ky called out Tim Fanning.
Speaker 6: Okay, so I mean he's only called out the players.
Is that fair. Do you think was it?
Speaker 10: I can't remember if it was this media availability or
if it was the last one where he was talking
about like it could be a coaching issue.
Speaker 5: He didn't say coach like the defense. Yeah, And I was.
Speaker 8: It the UF when he said disappointed what we did
is a coach just staff didn't work?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 10: There it was. It was a media availability. I do
remember that one as well. Okay, but but to your point,
he hasn't called out an individual coach.
Speaker 4: He's only said Rob and he's only said a j
because those are the leaders of the team and those
are the playmakers of the team and he's calling them
to the table. So yeah, I think it's an appropriate question,
like so if it happens again, if the defense struggles
again and say way you lose? Is like is this
more of a personnel execution issue or is this a
coaching architectural scheme issue?
Speaker 6: Like how would you how do you dissect that?
Speaker 5: Is it both?
Speaker 4: And you know, you can give him me out or
you can just kind of soft toss a tidency where
he goes with it.
Speaker 6: And I think it's important.
Speaker 4: I think it's important to figure that out because I
think right now We've probably gone really hard at rob
and I think it's merited. But at the same time,
I want to hear from k why and say, Hey,
how much is this is architectural?
Speaker 5: How much is this scheme?
Speaker 4: How much is it coaching right now? How much accountabilities
on the coaching staff for not So when I see
like consistent poor effort or poor execution in the first
half and then I see poor defense likes well combined
with it, that to me, it kind of feels more
coaching because that's like just consist Like wouldn't you agree
that basketball players can get hot and cold at times? Offensively,
they can be they can be engaged defensively, sometimes they
rebound well.
Speaker 5: Sometimes they don't.
Speaker 6: Like the consistency stems from culture.
Speaker 4: And I think coaching to a degree, So I think
it needs to be asked. So I don't know who's
out there covering this, but obviously we're not there, so
we may have to put in a.
Speaker 6: Request for that question.
Speaker 4: Anyway, Kevin, how did you guys respond in practice today
after really a really discouraging loss, and what do you
expect from the team. This was yesterday, by the way,
he said, the team tomorrow.
Speaker 11: I'll tell you in about two hours. We're about to
go practice right now. But in terms of the film
that I just showed them, you know, they understand, you know,
they there's too many lapses with with with poor effort,
which honestly has not really been an issue with our team.
I think our guys generally played really hard. I thought
in that game, for whatever reason it was, it was
the intensity that was required for forty minutes was not there.
That was my challenge to the group. You know, this
is a good we have a good group of guys.
I mean, it's it's it's uh, it's a prideful group.
Speaker 2: You know, they wanted, they want to do the right thing.
Speaker 11: I just think, uh, you know, it's my job to
continue to teach them what the right things are and
play the guys who are or who are going to
do those right things. So, you know, it's far in
terms of the response, I mean, I wish I had
a crystal ball, but I mean I think every game
we're gonna come in and play well. But you know,
our group understands that. Uh, you know, that was a
good opportunity that we let slip away. That game's over.
We can't win that game.
Speaker 2: Anymore.
Speaker 11: We got to focus on the on the next game,
and that's where that's where my messaging is at.
Speaker 6: Okay, Brett, break that down for me.
Speaker 4: How do you feel about the messaging coming from k
Y Davis team?
Speaker 5: I mean, where was it?
Speaker 10: Was it yesterday when he we were talking about like
throw it all in the trash can and move on.
I liked what he said. We can't go back and
win that game. And there is a balance. There's a
balance with all human beings in terms of like how
much accountability do you take? And are you someone who
when something rough happens, or when you make a poor choice,
you hold onto that anxiety so much so much that
you cannot make a decision going forward. Or are you
the extreme opposite where poor choices don't bother you because
it doesn't matter. I don't ever remember anything poor that
I did. And you have to find the balance of
like understanding I made a poor choice and figuring out
how to move on from it. Ted Lasso be a goldfish, right,
Like you make the mistake, you understand what was wrong,
and then you keep the good and leave the bad.
Speaker 5: I hope that's how it happens.
Speaker 10: We've had a lot of conversations about accountability and how
much is Kevin Young getting on these Well, I think
I always think what someone says in public is a
lot nicer than what they'll probably say in private.
Speaker 5: And to me, if we're hearing Kevin.
Speaker 10: Young say these things about Rob in public, then to me,
the intensity is probably much more fired up in private.
Speaker 5: So I feel the accountabilities there.
Speaker 10: But I'm also with Kevin Young, like you can't just
tear the guys down to the point that like they're
so destroyed and you've laid into it, but like now
they don't want to play basketball anymore, like you still
have a potential future going forward.
Speaker 5: So you have to find that balance.
Speaker 10: And it's hard in your second year as a head
coach to figure it out at a collegiate level.
Speaker 4: But I liked what I heard there. Let's go to
number three here. You went with starting election in the
second half. Are you contemplating a lineup change for Cincinnati?
Could electionally coach take get the start.
Speaker 11: I think when you're in a situation that we're in,
I think everything's on the table. I made that clear
when Richie got hurt. I think it's a you know,
a matchup based thing. You know, you're just trying to
win each game, right, You're not trying to all right, hey,
who she here's who we're rolling with for the rest
of the season at this at this spot, of that spot,
I think you're just trying to win the next game.
Speaker 2: So everything is on the table.
Speaker 4: So if you start a Lexi to kind of replace
Richie he mentioned Richie, Like, everything's on the table with
Richie being out, Uh, do you do you put Keba
on the bench and start me highlow? Do you do
that too, so you can have spacing. I mean, I
know Mahilo his shot like, I mean, it's a little
skawampus for me, like, and he's been inconsistent, but he's
more of a threat to shoot than Camba right now.
Now he's not the rebounder and the defender maybe that
Keba is. But we also know that Keba has been
a little bit, you know, less than himself with injuries
and he just hasn't been himself. So you know, we
suck in the first half. We are not a good
team in the first half. I just wonder if floor
spacing is a little bit better with Mahilo and Alexi
in the game.
Speaker 6: That way right.
Speaker 5: You have.
Speaker 4: Potentially five scores, right, don't you. I think the spacing
would be better, the rebounding could be disrupted there. But
you know, I don't know. I'm open as as k.
Why is I'm open to anything?
Speaker 5: Right now?
Speaker 4: Canard and Alexi like, that's five scores to me, those
are five scores, and spacing to me is better. I've
been getting the itch for spacing and maybe that will
open up more shots for a wide open shots. That's
kind of where I stand right now.
Speaker 8: Roddy your thoughts, Yeah, I hear your point, and I
believe Kevin has thought that same exact thing that you thought.
But I think what he's just said at the end
is gonna trump everything.
Speaker 7: It's a matchup thing.
Speaker 8: I think he's gonna lean on that do or die,
which is why they keep going with Mahilo four spacing,
because what he's not gonna do. He knows how bad
they play in the first half, he knows how much
they struggle defensively. He's not gonna take out a guy
who at least can rebound and can protect the rim,
and they have no rim protector. By the way, if
they take off Caba, it's gonna be honest, Age ain't
doing it. We're not gonna bring up Rob. His job
is to be at the top of the key and Mihilo.
He can't do it without fouling. So it's just that's
not gonna happen, I think. But your point of Kaba
keep Caban then put Mohilo on stuff for Alexi. That
could be a possibility. Here's my fear of that. What
if Rob and Alexi both get in foul trouble, who
do you go to?
Speaker 7: Do you want?
Speaker 8: But I'm also the mindset I think that needs to
happen Ben, because I think it needs to force Kevin
Young to okay. Conar Davis Junior. I am very frustrated
with Kevin with this. You pigeonhold him. And ever since
I've seen Kannar facilitated offense, I've loved everything that I've seen.
Kannard should be a ball handler, sometimes better than Rob.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm being very serious. So I'm
with your point. I would maybe start Alexi putting my
high on the bench, and if Rob Alexi get in
foul trouble, he canardj is gonna be all time because
Canard can create.
Speaker 7: He draws two and passes. He was a point guard
at SIU.
Speaker 8: I know the competition, but Canard is good basketball IQ,
So I'm with putting Alexi in the starting lineup. You
are gonna sacrifice maybe your depth of who could be
at guard. But I think that needs to happen to
force Kevin to see what Canard and AJ can do.
You know why, because you get into the Big TEF
Tournament a week from you know today, Ben potentially is
where they could be playing if I'm being honest, and
then march Mann is you might have that moment where
Canard and AJ might have to be a ball handlerst
with Robin Alexi in foul trouble.
Speaker 7: So I like that take. Let's see if it happens.
Speaker 5: I'm off.
Speaker 4: Are they most more likely to become a better defensive
team or a better offensive team?
Speaker 5: Right now?
Speaker 7: Do you think offensive?
Speaker 10: How much better offensively? And you get what you're score?
Close to one hundred points?
Speaker 5: You know what I mean?
Speaker 4: Though, Like, like that's a good point, Brett, Like I've
I've flip flopped on that debate. Like remember when we
were talking about with Richie going down, It's like do
you go all in green light?
Speaker 6: Mahilo, Alec, sure he gets more minutes all those things?
Speaker 4: Canard uh or do you get your Hadeem boop?
Speaker 6: And we were like, well it's Hadean boop, but like.
Speaker 4: And and it we thought Hadeem would take on a
larger role, but now we've seen it kind of retracted.
Why why because otherwise like take out my Hi Low
and put in Hadeem and Kaba and then you have
you know what I mean, like which one do you
like better to start the game in order to freaking
figure out.
Speaker 5: Our first halves?
Speaker 6: You know, do you want Kaba?
Speaker 5: You want Boop?
Speaker 4: Canard, Rob and aj and with Mahilo and Alexi coming
right off the bench to provide some immediate scoring.
Speaker 5: I mean, if Mahilo.
Speaker 4: Could figure out how the hit a freaking shot, Alexi
can hit bro. I mean, dude, if there's one thing
I know about Alexi, you get him in rhythm. He's
got He's got one of the purest strokes that I
have seen come through Brigham in the modern era. It's pure, baby,
it is pure. It is it is succulent, it is
delicious and celestial. It's fantastic. And you could see him,
you know, I mean there's a reason why why he's that.
Why k why is pushing for more Alexi? I need
more cow Bell is what he's saying right now.
Speaker 10: The interesting thing about Alexi Coastitch is he is now
what we thought he was going to be preseason, and
which may not be earthshaking, but here's what I mean.
Speaker 5: When when we so, Ron and I went to the
Blue White game.
Speaker 10: And we had a lot of takeaways from that game,
but you also understand, like it's a Blue White game,
everything you see at this may not be how a
player actually performs in game when they're actually playing Big
twelve comp tis. But I remember Ron and I going
to watch that game when we were like, dude, this
Alexi kid, he can shoot the three ball, Yes, like
he had a pure stroke.
Speaker 5: He was knocking him down.
Speaker 10: But then once the season started, he he would only
get like three to four minutes at a time, but
he was basically goose egg every single night on his
two shots that he took. And it's so interesting now that, like,
now that he's been forced into a role where he
has to play more minutes, it kind of makes you
go back and say, like, I get it's chicken in
the egg but it's like if he was playing like
was he only struggling because he was playing with so
much fear that if he missed the shot, he was
gonna get pulled. Because now he doesn't really have that
fear because there's nobody else. So I just wonder, like,
would the whole season have been better had Alexi had
a longer leash? He could have made more shots, and
your rotation, I think deepens a little bit. It's a
really interesting conversation with a Lexi coastitch. And you wish
that he didn't have to be this high up on
the roster right now with this much pressure. You wish
that he could be the guy who only played five
minutes and he was a guaranteed two three pointers when
he played those five minutes.
Speaker 4: Yeah, let's take a time out. We'll come back with
more sound from Ky. That segment was brought to you
by our good friends at Complete Circuit, Electricomplete Circuit Electric,
UTAH dot Com, uh Calin Today Rustin Taylor. He's a
big BYU fan. He's a master electrician over twenty three years.
He wants to earn your business. No IF's hands or
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Speaker 1: Do it does ESPN Radio Network on the go by
tapping that app. Download the ESPN the Fan app from
the Apple App Store or Google Play. Today. We need
to become a master of thems. Well, you've come to
the right place, Cougary Sports with Ben Will right here on.
Speaker 7: ESPN Fan and.
Speaker 1: A lot of fause you INCA, you.
Speaker 9: Don't give me.
Speaker 6: All that I need that I need.
Speaker 4: Cougarnation, b A basketball, you have not been giving me
all that I need.
Speaker 5: I need more. B A football, you do a degree,
You've given me all that I need? Right?
Speaker 4: Would you say b A football has fulfilled the need
of cougarnation the last two years?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Bo A Basketball, they did give you all that you
needed last year Sweet sixteen. But remember leading up to March,
like you know, there was a little bit of question
mark of who BOE basketball was. They were on a
nine game winning streak though before losing to Houston, they
were on a much better trajectory than this Cougar basketball team.
Speaker 6: I need a little bit more from I need a
win tonight.
Speaker 10: Can I say this? This may be blasphemous, it may be,
but this is where I'm from. I wish I love
everything about our church. I wish our church had more
music like that, oh hundred again. And I don't need
it all the time, but I think it needs to
be weaved in and yeah, because I sometimes I feel
the spirit different levels in different ways, and sometimes it's
like that and sometimes it's come now found.
Speaker 5: But I wish, I wish we had.
Speaker 4: No you give me Gladys Knight, you know, I mean
seven times Grammy Award winning American singer and actress like
she you know, has been an R and B pop, gospel,
adult contemporary musician and like I don't know if you've
seen her perform, and she's.
Speaker 5: An Atlanta legend.
Speaker 6: I know, all oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 10: So like I believe she did a fire she did
like a y s a thing my parents are at
when they were We need some more of that in
sacram meeting.
Speaker 5: Agreed.
Speaker 6: Look, I'll give you an example.
Speaker 4: Like I did a rendition, so going back to the firesides,
so we would do like a musical number. We'd also
do armies of helium, and so there'd be like a
musical number that you know, maybe one or a group
of people would do, group of student.
Speaker 6: Athletes, football players would do.
Speaker 4: So I did a rendition of you raised me Up
and Oh Lord, my Redeemer.
Speaker 6: So, oh Lord, my Redeemer.
Speaker 4: That was done. So have you heard that song before?
And it's in the same key as you Raised me Up.
There's a transition, and so I combined the two and
I thought it went well.
Speaker 5: I thought it was good.
Speaker 4: It was at the the Probo Tabernacle before it burned
down and became the Provo Temple, and so the acoustics
were insane in the tabernacle was awesome. Anyway, I'm still
looking for like film with that, by the way, so
if there's anyone listening that has the film, the tape
on that one, and it would be great to have
it for posterity's sake because it's like the only I think,
like solo musical number I've ever done. Anyway, you know,
I got reprimanded by someone who's a traditionalist. Sure, you
know after that, like like because I did another fireside
with that musical rendition. I think it maybe did it
one or two more times, and it was kind of
like yes, looking looked down upon, I'm like, dude, like
the you raise me up, I am stronger when I'm
on your should Like it's so like Christ centered like
all the verbiage is all like discipleship and the.
Speaker 6: Lamb and the one in ninety nine.
Speaker 10: I'm like, God, dude, I'm pretty sure if Christ is
there listening to that, he's not going Oh.
Speaker 5: I just I like, I'm sure he's going there. I
love this.
Speaker 4: No, No, we need that's the Jesus side. We knew
need more soul in the Latter day Saint faith. There's
no doubt about it. If you if you disagree, we'll
agree to disagree. Okay, we can.
Speaker 5: I don't even know if we'll agree to disagree. I'll
agree to this. No, no, no, no, no no.
Speaker 4: I'm talking about the cougarnation that's tuning in the traditionalists
that just want that organ and only the hymnals.
Speaker 5: I'm not against the way we have it now. I
just like a little bit more sprinkled in. It's all
I'm saying.
Speaker 4: Well, hopefully we need we need a little bit more
soul in our sacram meetings, but we need a little
bit more defense and holding a little bit more offense
from our basketball team. Ky went into what he's looking
at right now, but that Ryan ellis download him today
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Fantastic fine twine to linens that really doesn't compare to
anything else on the market. All right, let's get back
to the sound. Kay Why addressing the media, Kevin? When
you're having issues or concerns about consistent effort, what ways
do you attack that and directify the situation.
Speaker 2: Honest with our players, for better or worse. I think
everybody would.
Speaker 11: Tell you that, So I just think making sure they
understand the expectation, which this time of year I think
is very clear, and when there's there's slip ups in
that area, I think you have to address it head on.
Maybe maybe ropes get a little bit shorter as it
relates to subbing, and just make sure that they know
that it's their job to make me want to play
them right, like they have to play with the required effort,
like I said, has not. I don't think that's been
a consistent issue for our.
Speaker 5: Group, you know.
Speaker 11: But right now when you're you know, you feel like,
you know, I don't want to see your backs against
the wall. But after two straight losses, you know, you
feel like you got to you got to find something.
Speaker 2: To galvanize the group.
Speaker 11: And and oftentimes beating the drum of just playing harder
than the guy in front of you is a lot
of times the answer.
Speaker 2: And that's kind of been my message to the guys.
Speaker 5: It's crazy. It's just how we've diagnosed it.
Speaker 4: The only reason why Rob right is is playing as
much as he is with his poor defenses because there's
no one there to replace him.
Speaker 7: You said it yesterday, that's it, that's it. Yeahson, because
he bench cannon last year.
Speaker 5: He did.
Speaker 7: He said, yep, that's it. Tree, come on.
Speaker 9: Yeah.
Speaker 7: He looks down, he's like, yeah, I got nobody.
Speaker 5: I mean.
Speaker 4: One of the things that that that led to Cannon
also getting bench is like he wasn't hitting from is
still scoring. So like, I don't I get what you're saying, uh, Ronnie,
And I think there's some parallels. But I also think
that Cannon just wasn't hitting and then he would played
horrible defense.
Speaker 7: It was a mixture of both.
Speaker 6: He was and he wasn't, and he wasn't a facilitator either.
Speaker 5: He wasn't a facilitator, wasn't.
Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, yeah, so uh so yeah, So look that
that's the issue, that's the shoe.
Speaker 6: I think he alludes to that. So it was a
good question.
Speaker 4: Let's get into the follow up here, Kevin, I thought
a big factor was Keba getting into foul trouble. What's
the balance between playing hard and being available to stay
on the floor.
Speaker 11: Well, I don't think those two things go hand in hand,
you know, I mean, do you.
Speaker 12: Uh yeah, I think there's when a guy's playing hard,
sometimes he might pick up an extra fowl or two,
boxing out maybe a little more aggressively, or or maybe
staying back to to swipe at the ball after the.
Speaker 2: Other team gets rebound. Things like that. I mean, no,
it's fair, it's fair.
Speaker 11: But again, I think from a you know, I think
there's a great challenge in in sport, right is, especially basketball,
is to play hard and play intelligent at the same time.
So I don't I don't necessarily see, oh man, you
play hard, that means you're going to be a foul
trouble guy. Like I don't see it through that, lens.
I think you have to have unbelievable discipline, which we'd lack.
The other night, I thought we jumped it. I think
there was ten pump fakes that we jumped on. They
scored on eight of them. So it's things like that
where you got to be extreme discipline at the at
the game plan. I agree with your assessment. The game
did change when Caba got a second foul. If I
had to do it all over again, I would have
left him out there. And those are decisions that obviously
have to make and live with. But Cave was a
humongous part of our team. His energy is infectious, his athleticism,
his rebounding is shot blocking, and I think it kind
of hurt him in the second half. Looked like he
was a little bit out of rhythm defensively, So you know,
he's gotta we gotta keep him on the floor.
Speaker 4: Got to keep on the floor, which you know begs
the questions like, okay, the starting five. Do you guys
want Hadeem in the starting five and b WU fans
want Hadeem in the starting five alongside Keba.
Speaker 6: They want more defense.
Speaker 4: They feel like they have plenty of offense between Are
are you willing to to insert Alexi ahead of Canard?
Speaker 5: Davis?
Speaker 1: Though?
Speaker 5: Is that the third option? No? No, okay, I think so. Yeah,
I see the logic, but I'm just saying, like if
you were to give a third option.
Speaker 4: Canard's not a shooter like he's He's not a pick
and pop guy.
Speaker 6: They tried to get him there.
Speaker 4: He's more, as Ronald pointed out, he's got a good handle.
I've been impressed with his handle from the beginning. He
played a lot of kind of a point forward position
for SIU. He's got that in him. Uh would you
move Canard to the bench? That's my that's my like
thought process is like, could you move Canard to the
bench and put Alexi in to space the floor a
little bit?
Speaker 6: If you do go kind of a defensive.
Speaker 4: Uh, you know d you know in rebounding, you know, effort,
you know, I don't. I mean, Canards a good defender
so or it has been at times. So I don't know,
It's just another option. Like everything's on the table right now,
especially with how bad BA is in the first half.
So I'm just trying to figure this out, Like I
don't know what the best opportunity is.
Speaker 6: I don't know what the best rotation is going to be.
Speaker 9: Uh.
Speaker 4: I think k why has struggled with this. I think
his coaching staff has struggled with this. Tim and Will
and I mean those are the three guys, that's the
three headed and master. Those are the guys that are
deciding who's playing. And uh, obviously Kay, why has the
the end all say all in all of this? So
I just thought, you know, maybe that's a that's an
intriguing lineup. Can you have Canard and Alexia on the
floor at the same time? Or is that too small?
Too small?
Speaker 5: Right?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 6: Small ball?
Speaker 5: It is small ball, small ball.
Speaker 10: I think there's depending on who you're playing, it's not
gonna work against everybody, but like if it if it's
possible against the opponent, then I like, especially to start
the game, like.
Speaker 5: Who was it was it?
Speaker 7: Uh?
Speaker 5: It was a West Virginia. It was at West Virginia.
Speaker 10: Who wasn't that played really small Baylor. That's it was
like that that maybe could have worked against a Baylor.
I don't know, but yeah, there's a world where that works.
Speaker 4: Coach, I know, losing Richie in terms of the Florida
leadership was a huge blow. How would you evaluate the
team's leadership with players you have available now?
Speaker 2: A growth, a work in progress for sure.
Speaker 11: You're asking asking young guys to do a lot aj
to do a lot more from a leadership standpoint.
Speaker 2: Rob Wright, you know, to do a lot more from
a leadership standpoint.
Speaker 11: You know, he's a guy that you know at the
point guard position. I think, you know, naturally, leadership is
part of that role. I think that's an area that
he's continuing to grow to grow in. But I you know,
it's not just it's not just Richie. You know, we missed,
we miss Dawson Baker's leadership, we miss Nate Pickens veteran leadership,
and so that's the hand we've been dealt and we
have to have other guys step up. I think, you know,
I'm I'm a very optimistic person. I think it's a
great opportunity for you know, like a guy like a
j even though he's a freshman, to learn how to
be a leader in a in a very.
Speaker 2: You know, pressure cooker type of situation.
Speaker 11: You know, there's a lot on the line, and he
can I think he can really grow during this time
because of it.
Speaker 2: I've talked to him about that. I think Rob's the
same way. You know, Cave was a guy who's quiet,
but he's a guy who's been here before.
Speaker 5: You know.
Speaker 11: Mihailo is another guy that I think Cannon should be
more vocal because he's a mature player. He has a
high basketball IQ and he's been you know, he's been
through the ringer of the Big twelve. So we need
guys to step up in that area. But it's a
it's a growth moment for for our guys, and you know,
we gotta, we gotta, we gotta answer the call there.
Speaker 4: It's all work in progress. You hate hearing work in progress.
Speaker 6: March second.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I want to punch my myself in the face
that it's so frustrating to have an element as his
Importinan's leadership as a work in progress. And I give
a ton of grace for the injuries, whether it was
Richie or Nate or these tenured Dawson Uh, you know
all these guys that have been there, done that and
played a lot of basketball, a lot of hoop you're
relying on. Remember Rob Writs of sophomore or software he
a J's a true freshman A right. keV is older
and wiser, more tenured, but quiet. Yeah, Alexi Young Mahilo
is older. I mean he played high level ball overseas
and played well.
Speaker 6: But like you know you, is he he has He's
played one year of college ball. Like, is he the guy?
Speaker 5: Is he the leader?
Speaker 4: It's just hard, it's difficult. You hate to hear that.
It's a work in progress. Let's take a time out, guys. Uh,
that's our our final basketball segment for now in this hour.
Speaker 5: Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 4: Still plenty again to you on a beautiful Tuesday edition
of Cougar Sports.
Speaker 6: We'll get in some recruiting news and notes.
Speaker 4: Uh, and what Bruce Branch the third provides to this
BA you men's basketball team for the twenty twenty six
twenty twenty seven season. That segment was brought to you
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Speaker 1: If you're looking for spin, try a press release.
Speaker 7: If you want that truth, you're listening to it on.
Speaker 1: One three nine ninety eight three ESPN. No fan, you're
listening to Cougar Sports with that credil and it's time
for a crew of Cougars and inside look at the
latest news on the recruiting trails surrounding Cougar Athletics.
Speaker 4: Welcome back to Reports one of three nine ninety eight
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Blaine Anderson and his crew one agent supporting your quest
for financial stability and sustainability. I want to get into
a little crewton the Cougars segment here. Get to know
Bruce Branch the third. If you don't know, now you
know the five star Bruce Branch the third has committed
to BYU six foot seven small forward shows the Cougars
over USC but he received offers from Kentucky, Kaansas, Louisville
and many others. We'll get to know him here a
little bit better, but let's he was on NBA today,
if I'm not mistaken, and made his announcement known on
live television. Let's listen in as he tells you give
some thanks to everyone that's buoyed him up. Takes a
village after all, and then he goes into essentially why
he's committing to be why he makes his announcement.
Speaker 13: Before I get to that, I would like to thank
you for having me to blessed the beer to every
player's dream to have this opportunity.
Speaker 9: So first, I would like to thank God.
Speaker 13: You know, without God's love, his insight, I wouldn't be here.
Speaker 9: I want to thank the.
Speaker 13: Clutch family, Lucas Jack Stella. I want to thank Chad
will Performance family count the magic he's hoping them. I
would like to thank Tony Miller the garage back in Arizona.
Speaker 9: He used to train me all the time.
Speaker 2: That Jim.
Speaker 9: I love that dude.
Speaker 13: I like to think you know politic prep my team now.
You know, I love Ryan, I love all the coaches,
love my teammates.
Speaker 9: That they've been so great to me. You really have
a village really one thing. My little brother. No, he's
been there for me.
Speaker 3: Man.
Speaker 13: I love that dude through the ups and downs. You know,
even if he does want to go to my games,
He's always.
Speaker 9: There for me. Love that dude.
Speaker 13: And last but not least, my mama, my heart without
hair out with him.
Speaker 9: All right, I'm sure.
Speaker 5: No, there's no sorry.
Speaker 14: This is this is what it's all about.
Speaker 9: It's it's these moments.
Speaker 14: It's these moments with your family and that you have
been able to build this and to be able to
thank the people that you have stood on and by
and that have stood by you. That's what this moment
is all about. To take your time and your Your
lovely mama is over here watching, and I know how
very proud she is of you because she mentioned it.
I'm so excited to hear about this from you. So
please please take your time.
Speaker 9: Yeah, without here, I wouldn't be here. You know, it
was rough, but thanks to her, I'm here.
Speaker 5: So I love her.
Speaker 9: Man, That's all that matters. But that being said, I'm
sorry about her crying.
Speaker 14: Man, there's no ses here.
Speaker 13: That being said, Thanks year, I'll be playing college basketball
at VYU.
Speaker 14: Okay, no coods cooks.
Speaker 6: There you go.
Speaker 5: That's first bread branch, the third.
Speaker 4: I don't know if we have any post you know
what reason why committity to b Yu, But I'll get
into that in some of the comments that he's made
to other news outlets, et cetera. But a massive get
for BYU. Obviously they've had a good season.
Speaker 6: They have.
Speaker 4: They had a great season thus far. Sometimes like it's
kind of in that borderline good to great season. They've
just got bounced out at the top twenty five and
the eight people, but they're right on the outskirts. I
mean Ken Palm has them at twenty three, that is
twenty one. They're still probably and that they I don't
know where. Lunardi's recent bracketology has them six seed, six
seeds still, so I mean they're there, like they're still
a six seeds.
Speaker 5: So that's a I.
Speaker 4: Mean traditionally, like we are Giddy's Geese, I mean, b Yu,
historically you're a sixth seed. I mean we're like live
the dream, Mom, bring the meat loaf. Each drink can
be merry. It's a beautiful day to be a cougar.
So like you gotta take it, you know, you gotta
balance the expectation with the productivity while also balancing the
five season and the injuries, et cetera. So it's been
a good to great season all things considered, and uh,
but it doesn't seem like it's trending in the right direction.
And therefore, you know, in the in some people feel
like the new generation is fickle. Okay, it's file like.
So when you're not hot right, if you're not hot right,
then then they ain't gonna commit to you.
Speaker 6: They don't want any part of you.
Speaker 4: Bruce Branch is committing to be YU at a time
in which they're they're kind of lowest point of the
season thus far this year, losing eight of the last twelve.
Good little PR move, really nice PR move, a little boosty.
They just hit a nice fireside. Uh, maybe something, somehow,
some way they find a way to get back on
the right track and get their their mind, their body,
their soul right, their basketball soul right for March. As
aj Tobosa said, we'll be straight. We'll be good in March.
Throw February out the window. Let's see what we can
do in March.
Speaker 5: Anyway.
Speaker 6: Bruce Bencher third, Who is he? Why is he important?
Speaker 4: Why I mean, look, this is it's I think this
is the second highest rated recruit in B basketball history,
just behind aj Debonsa.
Speaker 10: Yeah, so he's the sixth player according to two four seven.
I believe he's also sixth according to ESPN one hundred
all time.
Speaker 4: Uh oh no, no, you're talking about I'm just in the
class of the twenty twenty.
Speaker 10: Sixth class, sixth in two four seven and sixth in
ESPN Top one hundred.
Speaker 5: I loved that whole video though, because to your point.
Speaker 10: There's always this commentary commentary on like these kids only
care about the money, and they only care about X
and Y and Z, and they're just worried about getting
to the next.
Speaker 5: Level and all of that stuff.
Speaker 10: And I loved to hear a young man just grateful
to be able to play basketball and to realize how
basketball is changing his life in his family's life.
Speaker 5: And we're not sitting here talking.
Speaker 10: About, oh, well is he going to so and so
because he's making xmount dollar.
Speaker 5: It's like all those conversations are gonna be had.
Speaker 10: I love that we just got to look at a
kid who loves basketball, and obviously I love that he
picked a BYU as a TV guy I do start
to wonder, like, does BYU have somebody at the ESPN networks,
because this is now the third BYU player over the
last year and a half to make their commitment on
national television, and other people have done it, but I
think BYU is the only one to do it with
multiple players and across multiple sports. So I look at
that and I wink a little bit, is some boy
you have somebody over there at ESPN Either way though,
big get for Bou obviously, but to the points, to
the reasons that you just outlined, because I've had this
thought as well, where I was like, are incoming recruits
gonna say, hey, man, I don't know what the Kevin
Young experience. And it looks like because this year is
not a Kansas type of year or a Duke type
of year. Clearly that's not the case. And fans are
sitting there saying, why isn't BYU as good as we
want them to? Be sure, totally understand, but you know
what is still gonna happen. Ajda Bonsa is gonna be
a top three finisher for a Player of the Year.
He'd probably win the thing, and he's probably gonna be
the number one overall pick. And fortunately, recruits, especially this caliber,
are less concerned about what is Joe Lunardi thinks BYU
sed is gonna be. They're more concerned about is how
big is your best guy going to go? Is he
gonna be player of the year? Is he gonna be
a lottery pick? And fortunately, for all of the things
that this bou basketball team is not, they still are
a team who will have back to back lottery picks
and a Player of the Year contender in twenty twenty six.
And that's what a guy like Bridge Branch cares about.
And the rest of this class is loaded, and it's
awesome that you have a marquee crown icing on the
cake with a guy like Bruce Branch picking by U, Ronald.
Speaker 5: What do you got for me?
Speaker 7: The skill set's nice? Ben I said.
Speaker 8: A couple of you said last week with the skill
set was that you know six' seven his shooting Ability,
HONESTLY i mean when you want to talk about shooting,
ability like his shooting is up there With Darren, peterson
not saying he Is Darren, peterson but like the way
he can shoot the basketball on the three at a
high clip and. Score with that being said to play
until your you, know the. Puppeteering you have to, wonder you,
Know i've seen online AND i don't like. IT i
don't like people coming for the coach's, brother you, KNOW
i don't like. THAT i wonder how much the coaches you, know,
brother because he's the director of, recruiting, right how much
is who does he know AT espn Is brett and
you have alluded to because that's the, guy right there
are people behind the scenes that he's not a big.
Speaker 7: Talker i've talked. Him he don't like to talk with his.
Speaker 8: Mouth he liked to talk with his, actions, Right AND
i wonder how much you, know he is a part
of that in getting this to happen because until this
he showed up, Right he's got a lot of. Connections
we've had coaches on you, know with players that have.
Come remember going back To Elijah, Crawford Elijah crawford's head
coach we had on the.
Speaker 7: Program he talked about his relationship With Justin. Young he's
very well.
Speaker 8: CONNECTED i wonder how Much justin is playing in this
and being like we're gonna drop this right here and,
There we're gonna drop aj before, earlier like this is strategically,
planned LIKE, byu and like in public, orations they don't
just do.
Speaker 7: Anything these are all well thought out.
Speaker 8: Things SO i have to believe that this was a
well thought out one hundred. Percent LIKE i told YOU
i said, Yesterday Ben bruce was ready to make his.
DECISION i already, knew he knew where he wanted to.
Go and this is a great gift FOR byu once,
again and a GREAT i, mean anytime you're crying about your,
mom LIKE i was getting emotional behind the, SCENES i
had to grab some tissue because you, know it's, difficult you,
know to to work your.
Speaker 7: Entire life to come from.
Speaker 8: Something he heard him the hot, gym your, brother you
go all in on basketball and it. Worked so happy
for this kid and his, family AND i JUST i
hope this is played before and, Look i'm gonna call
people out to The Jeff goodman is the field of
sixty eights in eighty? Four excuse me and everybody else
and you know those even A espn and all over
start talking about, nil because that's gonna diminish this great
moment because this kid just wants to hoop and he
loves his, family and Look i'm not gonna, say B yu,
guy but can you tell me that that doesn't fit the?
CULTURE i feel like that does because you, know nothing
AGAINST aj and other people that have, Committed BUT i
haven't seen someone yet get that emotional a boy committing TO.
Speaker 7: Byu and, uh you, Know i'm a fan Of Bruce branch.
Speaker 4: Already, Yeah I'll i'll kind of chime in here and
give a little scattered report on him as.
Speaker 5: Well SO.
Speaker 4: I will SAY i think it's higher level than even
like a recruiting coordinator or you, know anyone. Coach the
reason WHY i say that it's because Writer lions was
on The pat McAfee, show. RIGHT espn is B yu's,
friend AND i would say that they're the tentacles and
the the. Familial uh you, KNOW i guess connectivity Is,
uh what do you got for? Me G man Family Von, Kritle,
yeah The.
Speaker 5: Von, hey you Know.
Speaker 4: Ron you know G man's just looking at all my
screens right, now pointing things out that he wants to
talk about. Anyway so What i'm getting at here is
that THAT byu AND espn they go back to nineteen
eighty four and there's been great relationships through independence and
it's awesome to SEE espn going out of their way and,
also LIKE i THINK byu strategically placing these guys in
these positions in a, synergistic symbiotic. WAY i, mean everyone's
looking for, content whether IT'S aj, committing writer lines, Committing
everyone's looking for more content that will draw either new
eyeballs or different geography to the television screen or to
the stream.
Speaker 6: Period so it's, awesome it is.
Speaker 4: Tremendous it's a new era OF byu, athletics and you
love to see these commitments because THE byu brand is.
Strong THE byu brand is getting. Stronger vick AND i
were driving back from springball And vic was just an awe.
Right vic grew up in Orem utah in the eighties
and we thought we had a great brand.
Speaker 5: At that, time and we.
Speaker 4: Did it was, beautiful it was, glorious The Quarterback, Factory
Lavelle Football, Football Danny ainge, era et. Cetera The elite
eight in that era With Greg kiten and In Fred, roberts.
Speaker 5: Etc it was a great.
Speaker 4: Brand it's, becoming you, know an even more expansive national
and worldwide brand in this new, era and it's something
to get excited about the bau brand in the modern
era is in many ways better than it, was maybe
even the.
Speaker 5: Eighties this is a this is a. Glory this is
the glory days OF.
Speaker 6: Byu.
Speaker 4: Now bruce branch the third Announced tuesday ON espn that
he's committing to THE ba basketball program and head Coach Kevin. Young,
Obviously rancher is a top ten player in the twenty
twenty six, class currently number six in THE espn. Rankings
originally the number one player as an adject to, this
a number one player in the twenty twenty seven. Class
he reclassified in twenty twenty six in for twenty twenty
six In november twenty twenty. Five six foot seven with
a seven foot, Wingspan, ronald you love his offensive. Game
he is, polished he is. Refined he is an elite.
Speaker 6: Score So i'm right there with. You big wing archetype he's.
Speaker 5: Got.
Speaker 4: Now NOW byu has three straight recruiting classes with a
five star prospect yegor.
Speaker 6: One and, DONE aj one and. Done Bruce branston, third
one and.
Speaker 4: Done remember when we were discussing the likelihood year in,
in year out OF byu having a one and.
Speaker 6: Done we're. THERE i mean three consecutive.
Speaker 4: YEARS i think we have that on the, dock and
Now aj has teased us and said he may come
back this next. SEASON i don't know If i'm buying
buying that right, Now i'm most likely selling. It Why
branch CHOSE Byu branch HOLDING espny pick bou because of family,
culture strong, academics and a defined development.
Speaker 6: Plan those are the three.
Speaker 4: Factors So young reportedly showed him how players with his
skill set have, succeeded REFERENCING nba stars Like Devin booker
along WITH bau wings Like devansa And Devin. Gilman excuse,
Me brent, SAID i can see myself leading this team
to a.
Speaker 5: Championship it just felt.
Speaker 4: Right so the scouting, report he's an elite three point, shooter,
comfortable comfortable of the off the. Dribble he's good in
pick and roll situations as a primary ball, handler and
he's a good secondary playmaker catch and. SHOOT i think
he can be a catch and shoot guy as. Well
high defensive upside with length and, mobility with that seven foot,
wingspan it gets you very, excited gets you very pumped
up as. Well he's From, Gilbert, arizona started At Perry
High school one back to backstate. Titles now At Prolific
prep In, florida PLAYED aau BALL so For Compton magic
on The adidas THREE Ssb. CIRCUIT au stats fifteen point nine, points,
began five point two rebounds to assist in one block per.
Game he was Also Rising Stars Honors. Honorable he Received
Rising Star honors at The Adidas Euro camp as. Well
so that's a little breakdown of Who Bruce. Branch the
third is he's the second highest recruit IN byu basketball
history only behind A jabotsa for two four seven. Sports
so pretty big get ladies and.
Speaker 5: Gentlemen that was a.
Speaker 4: Great breakdown from all of our our fantastic. Analysts let's
go to. Break we'll welcome in the g Man Brandancy
Gurney on the flip, Side that segment was brought to
you By Vanderwelth banderwealth dot com a little let's talk about,
stats little basketball recruiting report as.
Speaker 6: Well Regarding Bruce.
Speaker 4: Branch the third shout out To Bantererwealth bantererwealth dot, com
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