Speaker 1: Welcome back.
Speaker 2: This of 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 Cripples, one.
Speaker 3: Of Vancouver Sports, one of three nine ninety points three
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hot line. Welcome in Baller shot collar the Brazilian bomber.
We got JT for three Jonathan Tebinari on the line. JT.
How you living?
Speaker 1: I am doing good? Oh I thought I was a mute,
but I am not. I am doing great, my guy?
How are you?
Speaker 3: I'm doing awesome?
Speaker 1: Man?
Speaker 3: Much love to you and your fam. How was Christmas?
How was New Year's good?
Speaker 1: Kirie's over here, the boys over here. He's waving to
have me tell you. Hello. And I don't know if
I will. I don't know if I will tell you that,
but I'll can tell you this. It definitely didn't like
you know, uh, Gingerbread House number eleven. I can tell
you that.
Speaker 3: No, did you really like Gingerbread House eleven? Or are
you certain is that what she liked or is that
what you guys liked her? You guys just you knew
that one was mine.
Speaker 1: I didn't know it. I mean, I knew it was
yours after I tweeted at you or I texted you
or whatever it was. And then I was like, oh,
geez here, we didn't go with this one. That's his.
And so I gotta tell you be that was my favorite.
That was pretty good.
Speaker 3: Hey, man, I like, I try really hard.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 3: You gotta realize, I mean, I'm going against some creative
ladies in that group.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 3: And uh and even Trevor. Trevor's are the good. He
played to the demographic he put like the y up
on the on the roof. It's a it's a competitive
it's a competitive critle Crittle gingerbread competition.
Speaker 1: Man. Hey, And I can tell you I actually I
actually told Kirie about it. I was like, when is
he gonna do? It? Is best Christmas? I'm like, what
is happening here? And so when I finally saw it,
I'm like, oh, I was waiting for this and so.
But I have to say, Ben, you know, since.
Speaker 4: I am now a voting member me and we've are,
you know, the original founding voting members of the Creek
of the Critical Gingerbread House, you need to do pictures.
Speaker 1: You can do video, because that takes too much of
my time. I need you to post pictures of each
house so it makes it easier on the voting. On
the voting, folks, I voted.
Speaker 3: For eleven as well, Ben, just so you know, I
didn't know it was yours. And I'm closer than you think, Ben,
So I just I didn't know yours was eleven, but
I voted for check Brooks.
Speaker 1: Dad, ooh eleven.
Speaker 3: I like eleven.
Speaker 1: ID.
Speaker 3: Hey, man, I'll do better next year. You know, I'm
still learning. You know how to how to post the
you know, the the different houses, et cetera. So I'll
do better next year. Man, it's a new year, it's
a new me. I'll be better next year. JG. Well,
I'll tell you what this bou basketball team got their
first road win in Big twelve play. They still look like,
I mean, a second half team. They always make adjustments,
they're gritty, they're tenacious. They won on the road. They
got a double digit with victory. What did you make
of the of the win over Kansas State? What did
you like?
Speaker 1: So? What I liked is they didn't play particularly well
and it wasn't a pretty game. Richie shot the bull poorly.
Mahilo file Dowald, though he finally made a three, AJ
wasn't very used to and weave you and I actually
the three of us are actually going back and forth
doing a game. AJ took a minute to get used
to Big twelve reffing, but none of thee less day one.
Right then, one of the reasons why you have me
on a program is because one of the success I
had a BYU because of my professional career. Obviously, because
we're closed and so I'll relate to beck In when
we were at BYU together, if you actually stopped to
think about it, then when I was there, we never
lost to the Colorado State, to the TCUs and the
Wyomings and you know, and the Air Forces. Now, why
am I saying this? Because Kansas State is not a
fower house and it hasn't been for a few years now.
And I'm not in no way, shape or form I'm relating,
you know, Kansas State to Colorado State or Wyoming. But
what I'm saying is they're not the household names, you know,
the top ten teams that that Houston and Arizona and
Iowa State are. And so BYU going there and taking
care of business on the road, you know, a game
that they absolutely needed to win to have chances to
win the conference, they just got a job done. It
wasn't pretty, it wasn't great, it wasn't very effective, but
they do nonetheless did it. And so that's that's my
favorite thing of that game, is that they got the
job done.
Speaker 3: They got it done. It wasn't pretty, it was beautifully ugly.
But this team, I mean, they defended well. I mean,
Ronald and I were discussing it, like limiting Kansas State
to hitting I think there it was their lowest three
point makes on the season. I thought that was impressive.
On their home court. That was maybe the most impressive
stat of the day. I guess you can compare to
Cabricida's like sixteen rebounds. But man, what an impressive defensive effort. Ligially,
you guys still there that we still got you JT Yes.
Speaker 1: Sir, Sorry, I don't know what happened. This is where
TBA makes a huge difference, and so does Beto, right, Abdullah,
is the fact that they are able to influence and
change shots and impact the defensive end and defensive rebounding,
in block shots and so on. They are a big presence. Now,
you know, no disrespect to Kadi, but there's a difference
between you having a six seven and a half guy
there that guess can jump out of the gym and
big wingspan, against having a six stand guy there that
has just as big. It's not a bigger wing a
bigger wingspan, it is a massive inside presence. And so
you know, and I'm gonna talk about this on Wednesday
on the pregame show actually about defense. A couple of
the blocks that those guys had actually really changed the
game and impacted b Yu in a very positive way.
And so I couldn't agree more with you on defense.
And again, right, if b YU can then you know,
just looking at their schedule a little quick like obviously
not looking ahead, but if they can go to Utah
and then when they go to you know, when they
go to West Virginia, they go to Cincinnati. If they
can take care of those games on the road, I
have a hard time thinking then that you know they're
going to drop you know, some of these other games
you know, we've if you're looking at the I'm looking
at the schedule right now, mister Weaver, and so as
we look at all it is right now, I have
a hard time thinking that some of these home games,
you know, are not gonna go b y u A.
And then you can give yourself some breeding room so
that you know, an eventual loss at that stack, an
eventual loss at ances you know at Arizona that can
happen as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you need a little bit of a buffer, a
little bit of a booye, no doubt, because you're not
gonna be perfect this season. Uh and uh, I can't
wait to see what happens in Big twelve play this
Uh this Aja Bonds is leading the the the n
cua A right now in scoring. I don't know if
that's a surprise to anybody, but Carlos Boozer, I think,
is right there at number two. Uh. How would you
evaluate the scoring ability of AJ to bonds through essentially
almost like the first half of the season now pretty
much finished up.
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm so. I'm actually that he's scoring as much
as he is, not because he's not capable. I'm just
surprised that, you know, it is the way it is
right now. Did I think that AJ was going to
have to put on the Superman cape for YU to
be just good? Absolutely not. Did I think he was
going to probably have to play, you know, some type
of a role like a green lantern or whatever. Definitely
I think not in my wildest dreams that I think
he was going to have to often be the entire
Justice League and the Avengers altogether by himself. But yet
that's the reality that we live in, right. You know.
AJ has often played the role of Batman the role
of Superman. A lot of times he played the role
of both of them by himself, and so I am
free surprised that he is scoring as much. But Ben,
like I would love to hear from you, right because
you know, I'm a big basketball guy in comparison to me,
you're not. But as more of a fan, Ben than
you are a sports radio guy. Doesn't it feel like
a Jay is just scoring so effortlessly, Like it doesn't
feel like he is forcing, Like, what are your thoughts
on that?
Speaker 3: Dude? I think he's he's just a very creative score
like I've never seen as polished a score into so
many ways. Obviously, he's athletic, he's dynamic enough to get
to the rim as much as he probably wants to.
And he's physical, like for being so like slight like
he's I mean, he's not like really thick and robust.
He's not like a lebron Bill. He looks like he
you know, I mean, he's not Lead Kamard. But he's pretty.
He's pretty spelt, you know, he's pretty thin. But he's
just a creative score and he's got a silky smooth touch.
I love how creative he is in scoring. And you
rarely find polished scores like him in college basketball.
Speaker 1: And I agree with what you're saying. I think that's
a perfect way to say it. He's a very polished
Aside from just the top file saying that he's efficient,
he's a very polished scored. There's no four shots. Everything
is within the rhythm. And one of my favorite things Ben,
I don't know if you notice, but when he gets
pretty pissed off that someone is going to be you know,
just kind of reaching and reaching, he actually lowers his
like he gets super low, like, you know, like they
used to call they used to call Jordan the black cat.
But AJ gets down like a black cat and lowers
his shoulder and good luck and God blessed whoever is
in his way. And so it's that to me, to
your point, that's a great way to put it. He's
a very he's a very efficient, very polished score.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 1: The comparisons to t Mac, you know, are still there,
but he is he is having to be so much
of a ball handler, so much of a point guard
that I maintained that, you know, like in a in
a vacuum, there's a very good chance that he could
be Penny not only team Act. But you know, again,
I don't know if we're ever going to see him.
I have a question for you, Ben, Are we going
to see another gym er before we see another Aj?
Or do we see another Aj before we see another
great question question?
Speaker 3: I mean, geez, like, I mean AJ, like I want
to believe that like that there's another Aja, out there, right,
But like, I really don't think that there there is
like like these premiere first overall NBA draft pick talents.
Like I mean, but once upon a time, b Y,
you got a Sean Bradley, right, you know what I mean?
That he if he would have played one year and
then went to the NBA, he probably would have been
first overall. Right, he was I think number two overall.
But he's a big man, right in a big man era.
Jimmer for dad obviously a top ten pick guard, more
of a shooting guard maybe than a point guard for
a number of different reasons. Uh so, kind of a tweeter,
but not you know, his his defending ability where was
was also kind of a a criticism that he sustained.
But like in college basketball, I want to say that,
b why you can maybe find another Gimmer? Right, Like
would could if this was Richie's team? I think of
it this way, like, if this was Richie's team, could
he have a Gimmer like season? You know what I mean?
Could he as a primary ball handler? Can he be
that guy like Kyle Collinsworth? If Kyle Collsworth had a
great three point shot akin to Richie? You know, could
he have been a Naysmith Award Wooden Award winner, you
know what I mean, Like, I want to say that
b why you can get another Gimmer before they get
another AJ. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm going
with as I'm thinking about this, Agreer disagree with me.
I just it's so hard to find ajs, dude.
Speaker 1: Well, so, you know, to be fair, I think it's
gonna be hard again. Right, there's the beauty of it.
You can just you know, ask questions that are relevant,
you know, but like, for sure, for sure, we are
never going to find another Denny Age that plays at
b YU. While also you know, batting three hundred for
an MLB team, right, no, and so and so. But
I think that makes you wonder because like Jimmer is
the greatest scorer in b YU history, right, obviously Tyler
has the record, but we know the way Jim Ermania was.
I just don't know, man, Like I looked at I
look at Jimmer, and I look at like everything that
he accomplished. Could there be another one? I don't know,
Like there be another a j you know, Like I
don't know either, Like.
Speaker 3: AJ coming to b YU, I think it's more far
fetched than trying to find it Danny or Jimmer, Richie
or conc. You know what I mean, Like you look
at this, you know what I'm saying. Is it sorry?
Speaker 1: Is it then to have Is it far fetched to
have another number one number one ring hid in a
country comes to BYU? Is that far fetched?
Speaker 3: You know? I don't know, man, I was. I was
discussing something with about Michael Smith for instance, Michael Smith phenomenal, right,
I mean just you talk about some of the best,
so he's one of the most underrated, uh you know
in my opinion, uh you know BA basketball players. Ever,
So I don't know, you know, a Kresnimer chose it,
like where would you where would Krasimir go this day
and age? You know, with his his skill set and
things of that nature. So I think it's really hard
to bring in a first overall NBA draft pick to
b Yu and AJ is just unique in that regard
because culture, he loves b Yu, he loves Provo, and
you don't necessarily get that, especially in a one and done.
We're not a one and done university. We've never been that, right,
We've been more of a developmental university, a get old,
stay Old university. But that's why we have the most
NCAA tournaments without a Final four appearance, because we have
a get old, stay old roster that can't get past
the six the sweet sixteen.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think, you know, there's a possibility, a
very high likelihood that that stops this year. And so yeah,
I think we're all hoping for that, right And so,
I don't know. I think this team is exciting to watch.
I you know, I'm happy that things are going the
way they're going. You know, the win on Saturday against
Kansas State, to me proves one thing that this team
can win. You know, games on the road. Win the
Big twelve is difficult. Winning on the road is twice
as difficult, you know, looking at them at the schedule,
let me just take a look at it real quick.
You know, if y U is able to go into
the Texas Tech game, you know, in Lubbock, and they
are one, two, three, four, and they are four and zero,
love and behold, if they win that game at Texas Deck,
I'll say this, man, if they win that game at
Texas Deck, I think they're winning the conference.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Let me ask a question that I let me
ask you this I asked this question to Ronnie. Look,
sports is entertainment. To me, I love it, Like this's
why we have our show. I want to see wins, obviously,
I want to see champions I want to see it all.
But to me, it's like game in day out. What
type of ball am I watching? What type of players
am I watching? To you, who's the most entertaining to watch?
Is it aj to just watch him play? Is it Kba?
The form and fashion which he rebounds? You know, his
double he's a double double machine? Is it the Richie
Saunders way of of of of basketball life? Offensively, defensively,
high motor, the headband, you know, the there's swagger, there's
get up? Is it rob right? The third just the
quick mongoose like reaction, like when he decides to take
you off the bounce he's getting baya, the pump fakes,
the the the adjustments in the key, all those things.
Like who's your favorite player to watch on this squad?
And why?
Speaker 1: I'll probably say it's a j And then that's because
again to your point, you know, like that's wants it
a generation player? Yeah? You know what I mean? Like
that truly is a once in a generation player here,
and so like the way that you handle that is
I watch it in disbelief. And you know, especially when
I'm down there, We've I'm gonna be down there on Wednesday.
We've got to hook it up. You know. I don't
think we have a halftime show because it's on It's
on one of the major networks, and so I'm gonna
come and say what's up to you at halftime. But
like I think it's AJ Ben, Like when you sit
back and you watch AJ, you know, like there's a
difference band between you coming to the Marriotte Center and
watching me and Lee Kamard, you watch J Debonza, you
know what I mean. And so like it's it's it's
pretty special, right And I think you know we've you
and I you know, and b Ham we've talked a
lot about this. I don't think we're ever gonna get
talked about the fact that you know a J chose
BYU and seeing the number one in the draft, because
here's the thing, I am, okay, if Cam Ooser goes
number one, I can make a case for it. If
Darren Peterson goes before AJ. Somebody owes money to somebody,
or there's a Nico Harrison situation going on, because you know,
Darren Peterson hasn't played a minute and so like again,
I will understand if someone chooses the scam because they
already have a guard heavy you know, lineup, But anybody
aside from that bend, we're truly watching greatness in front
of us. And for the next twenty years, it's going
to say, starting at forward from BYU number three, aj
d Bonsa and that from BYU, my friend, it is
going to act go through all of the corners of
the NBA.
Speaker 3: Yeah, pretty crazy, man. Who's more entertaining to watch aj
De bons or Jibber for that?
Speaker 1: You know, I if it's if it's the NCAA tournament,
I'm gonna go with Jim, or if you know, if
it's a season long team, I'm gonna go with it
because Jimmer would give you first, you know what I mean,
Like I would say this, you know, like I could
catch I could catch on fire. Sadly, I never caught
on fire in the NCAA tournament, but like there were
games that I could catch on fire, you know, to
the same levels that Jimmer did, and it was fun
to watch that. But I think long term ban. As
we sit back, you know and take a look at
watching watching AJ, it's you know, it is crazy. Man.
He does something every game that you're like, oh, I
can't believe he did that. And then he does that
up and under and then bibbotfoots Kobe move that it
just blows you away. And so it's a joy to
watch him play. And I'm grateful that. I'm grateful that
he's one of ours.
Speaker 3: Yeah, as in I Jonathan Tabinari, Ladies and gentlemen, thanks
for talking to some BAU basketball with us today in
a little college basketball segment. I'll leave it with this.
You feel like this team is built for a final
four run. Even though Dawson, Baker, and Pickens are out.
Brodie cous Lastky we haven't seen him either. Uh, without
those three, this team is built for final four runs? Correct?
You feel that way?
Speaker 1: As long as they stay healthy. Yes, there's a conversation.
We're gonna have a linked you know, doing the pregame
show on Wednesday. As long as the big three stay healthy,
by U is fine. If one of them something happens,
BYU is in trouble. And I don't mean by a little,
I mean by a lot, and so they are scoring
about sixty six percent of the team's points. And uh,
if you know, if if if one of them has
a bad day or a game, you know, has an
off game, at least they can compensate in other areas.
They can be used as a decoys if they are
not out there whatsoever. That's pretty tough. And so, you know,
unfortunately b Yu just you know, hasn't had the luxury
of have you know, Nate Dickens available and Dawson Baker available,
and it's one of those situations that they're having to
make the best of what they have. But you know,
it's we can't even say that it's being done by
committee because offensively has been pretty atrocious at this point.
And uh, you know, I mean every single non Big
three player is averaging about twenty eight, twenty nine points
a game. Then you look at the players that have played,
I mean just look even at the looking even at
at the game here, they rotated eight players. That means
BYU has less has six five players averaging less than
six points a game. That is just unacceptable. And so,
you know, as long as this Big Three is healthy,
I think they're okay. But if they are not healthy.
You know it's it's going to get interesting.
Speaker 3: Indeed it will. Jonathan devon Ari JT for three love
talking ball with you. Thanks for joining us today for
a college basketball segment.
Speaker 1: Always in Forever, my brother, go kubs.
Speaker 3: Hey, you have it, Jonathan Tebinari. Ladies and gentlemen, That
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On a beautiful Monday, January fifth edition of Cougar Sports.
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