WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.000 Who Fighters best songs. Possibly it's in the it's in 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:06.919 the mix, it's in the conversation. I think it might be. 3 00:00:07.080 --> 00:00:08.880 I think it's it might be my favorite food sid 4 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:11.560 Foods food Fighter song. Excuse me, but Ken Palmeroy is 5 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.560 sitting across from me, Foo Fighters fan. I believe. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, 6 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:20.000 best food Fighters song in the mix, in the conversation. Yes, 7 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.320 that's in the conversation certainly. Okay, fair enough. How are you? Ken? 8 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.679 I'm doing well, Spence. It is your time of year, 9 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:29.600 Ken Pomeroy live in studio for an entire hour, so 10 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.079 buckle up. If you've not filled out your brackets, it's 11 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:35.359 time to get some some tips, some knowledge here and 12 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:37.560 I'll take this opportunity to encourage you to go to 13 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:41.560 ESPN seven hundred sports dot com and join our Brocket Challenge. 14 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:43.960 You can play against us the talent on air. That's 15 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:45.759 where the call us. That's not my term, that would 16 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:49.479 be pretentious. Uh. You don't fill out brackets very often, 17 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.719 if I remember correctly, Yes, yeah, I try to avoid it. 18 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:54.960 I try to avoid it. I mean I filled out one. 19 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:56.719 I do have one here, Spence that I filled out 20 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:02.119 nice against my will. But just to appease folks like you. 21 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:05.280 I have a bracket folks like me. 22 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.560 Yeah, I don't exactly know what that means. 23 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.640 That just means Like when I do media appearances, people 24 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:11.680 are always like, oh, you got in your sweet sixteen 25 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:13.560 in the South region or whatever, and like, okay, I 26 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:17.159 have I have an answer. Okay, that's good for that purpose. 27 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:18.879 I'm not entering a pool of any type. I just 28 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:19.560 want to make that clear. 29 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:22.319 Okay, no pool. Ken Palm is not entering a pool. 30 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:24.560 But coming up in our second segment, we are going 31 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:26.359 to talk about your bracket and I'm going to take 32 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:28.120 notes because I have a family bracket, I have a 33 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:30.719 friend bracket, and then I've got to try to win 34 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.000 this thing again at work, which I've done five straight years. 35 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:37.680 It's not a big deal. Wow, humble brack So North Carolina. 36 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.400 Nobody thought that they should be in, right at least, 37 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.799 that's I felt like most people thought that they, you know, 38 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:45.519 kind of got lucky to get in West Virginia whatever. 39 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.319 San Diego State's a good team. That was not a 40 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:51.480 fair fight. Are you okay with Carolina getting in? I'm 41 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:53.519 assuming that you know that's kind of your your feeling. 42 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:58.040 Yeah, the Yeah, the narrative kind of got out of 43 00:01:58.040 --> 00:01:59.760 control respect to Carolina. I mean, part of it is 44 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:02.840 because their AD is on the is the head of 45 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:07.159 the basketball selection committee, So that was one issue. The 46 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.960 second issues that the AD got a bonus if their 47 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:13.560 team made the field, So that probably shouldn't be allowed 48 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:15.120 if you're on the committee. I don't think it should 49 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.000 be in your contract that if your team gets in 50 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:19.599 you get a bonus. It's a bad look. It's a 51 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:24.680 very bad look. Even though the AD, Bubba Cunningham, was 52 00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:27.159 required to not be in the room for any discussions 53 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:31.759 about Carolina, nonetheless bad look. But the reality was Carolina 54 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:34.039 actually did deserve to be in the tournament. If you 55 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.360 look at some of the more useful resume based metrics, 56 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:40.879 it was really Xavier was the team that got in 57 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:42.599 that shouldn't have got in. But because Xavier did not 58 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:45.759 have representation on the committee, nobody cared about Xavier and 59 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.080 everybody focused on Carolina, And as we saw last night, 60 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:49.639 I mean that's not proof that they should have been in. 61 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.240 But obviously, at their best, Carolina is a very very 62 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:53.719 good team. 63 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.039 I mean I've watched I've watched them here there this 64 00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.199 year and they've they've got some good wins, but like 65 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.639 San Diego State, it's a good defensive basketball team. They 66 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:04.159 could not do a thing against Carolina last night. 67 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.719 This is like a long running issue with Mountain West too, 68 00:03:06.759 --> 00:03:08.680 where it's like, yeah, you think, you know, you look 69 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:10.960 at their profiles and you think some of these teams 70 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.680 should be more competitive than they are in these first 71 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:18.759 round games, and yeah, ultimately that was, I mean, just 72 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.080 a brutal look for the Aztecs. This was not a 73 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:25.080 you know, a great San Diego State team, not on 74 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:26.719 the level of the team you know two years ago 75 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:27.680 they got to the title game. 76 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:29.000 But it's still a team that Yeah, it was a 77 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.560 pretty good defensive team. They got Magoon gwathe back, who 78 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:33.400 is a. 79 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:36.759 Sneaky, fringy NBA prospect Rin protector type of guy, but 80 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:38.879 they were no match for the tar Heels. 81 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:43.039 So Ken Pomeroy, who is one of the most wildly respected, 82 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:46.680 widely and wildly but widely respected college basketball mines in 83 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:49.560 the country, has his bracket sitting on the counter in 84 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:51.520 front of me. I feel like it's like the Holy Grail. 85 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.000 There's this like magical kind of feel around it. But 86 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:56.560 before we get to the bracket, which we'll do a 87 00:03:56.599 --> 00:04:00.680 little bit later. Let's start with general tips and pieces 88 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.199 of advice as people. I know you don't love this stuff, 89 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:04.879 but hey, it's you know, people are going to fill 90 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.879 out brackets, and a lot of people filling out brackets 91 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:11.520 now that haven't watched basketball year. I told you this 92 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.400 is the time of year where I'll get text from 93 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:16.839 my aunts or you know, family members I haven't talked 94 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.079 to in a while, like hey, will you fill up 95 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.680 my bracket? I'm like, just so you know, it's an 96 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:24.279 exercising futility. But you hear things like great coaching, You 97 00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:27.040 hear things like great guard play, you hear things like 98 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:30.279 matchups whatever, just for our listeners that are about to 99 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.000 sit down and fill out a bracket, just generals, generally speaking, 100 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:35.959 thirty thousand foot view pieces of advice. 101 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:40.040 Ken, Yeah, I wouldn't latch onto any one, you know, 102 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.040 hyper specific aspect and pretend like that's going to be 103 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.360 the key to your success. I mean, coaching, of course 104 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:51.439 is important, but it's not an overwhelming quality if the 105 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:54.839 talent isn't there. Like Bill Sell, for instance, outstanding coach, 106 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.480 maybe the best coach the last twenty five years in 107 00:04:57.480 --> 00:04:59.519 college basketball. His team is not very good this year. 108 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.560 There's nothing, no sort of magic potion he's going to 109 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:04.839 come up with to get that team to the final four. 110 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:09.600 The general idea is you want to be just kind 111 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:11.839 of loosely informed on how good these teams are. Like 112 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.319 the NCAA tournament this year really top heavy in terms 113 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.319 of the quality. You know, one, twos and three seeds 114 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.560 are all probably a better quality than they normally are, 115 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.920 so you know, picking against them, picking some sort of 116 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.399 wild upset. 117 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:27.240 You know, I'm not. 118 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.279 Against having fun with the upsets, but if your goal 119 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.079 is to you know, stay in contention for your pool, 120 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.399 you probably want to avoid picking crazy upsets in the 121 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:35.079 first round or two. 122 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:37.600 Well, and also, and you correct me if I'm wrong. 123 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:40.600 It feels like the I went to the final four 124 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:46.360 in Indianapolis back when Florida had Noah and Horford and 125 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:48.879 it was UCLA with are on a falaalow. I think 126 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:51.480 George Mason was the team that made it in that 127 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:55.000 year as a wild card Cinderella, and they got smoked 128 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.639 more often than not. Elite eight final four, the cream 129 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:00.920 typically rises to the top. Is that fair? That's correct, 130 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.040 That's correct, But obviously you do you do get upside. 131 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:04.800 You know, you have the NC State situation from last 132 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:08.120 year where they were like just amazingly lucky to win 133 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.399 their conference tournament and then they got in in won 134 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:12.279 four games in a row and. 135 00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:13.040 Got to the final four. 136 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.240 This year, it seems like it's less likely for something 137 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:20.279 like that to happen, just because there is such heft 138 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:24.360 at the top of the bracket that there just won't 139 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:27.040 be It's gonna be very hard for these teams to 140 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.720 get knocked off early. It's not to say you're gonna 141 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:30.759 have four one seeds in the final four. The chances 142 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:32.879 of that happening are even this year are only like 143 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:38.319 five percent, so so not great, but you're gonna see 144 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:40.439 I would really be surprised if you have any teams 145 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:44.319 in the final four outside of the top three seeds. 146 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:47.720 Let's say, all right, of the four to one seeds. Okay, 147 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.319 here's your cliche media guy question of the day. You've 148 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.600 got Auburn, who's the number one overall seed. You have 149 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:57.199 Duke Cooper flag expected to play on Friday. Duke will 150 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:00.240 learn their opponent tonight as the final play in games 151 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:03.600 are taking place. Then you've got Houston out of the 152 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:06.639 Big twelve of course, and then I told you this 153 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:09.240 a few weeks ago for whatever reason. And this is 154 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:11.639 a problem I run into when I fill out my brackets. 155 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:15.040 I'll watch a team randomly four or five times throughout 156 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:16.800 the year, and they'll blow me away. That was Florida 157 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:19.120 this year. Every time I watched a Florida game, I'm like, 158 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.800 nobody's talking about them, and they're awesome. Well, they just 159 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.519 won the tournament, the best conference in America. So Florida 160 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:27.160 is the other one seed of the four to one seeds. 161 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.759 Which team would you say either is most prone to 162 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.040 be upset early or is the weakest of the four 163 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.319 And why I would go with Auburn. 164 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:37.879 I mean, first of all, they are the lowest rated 165 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:40.879 team in my ratings, so they're the number four team 166 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:43.160 in the country, which is still awesome obviously, but the 167 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.600 weakest of the four seeds. The second issue is that 168 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.399 potentially in their second round game that we matched up 169 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:52.199 with the Louisville team that has kind of themselves been 170 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:54.759 under the radar all year, was kind of badly underseeded 171 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.199 in this tournament, probably should have been a five seed, 172 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:59.040 maybe a six at worse, end up with an eight 173 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.399 But the good for Louisville is that they are playing 174 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.319 in Lexington, Kentucky, which is like an hour drive from Louisville. 175 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:10.160 And so, as you may know, Kentucky is a a 176 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:14.160 basketball crazed state. Sure should be a pretty good turnout there. 177 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.160 I mean, Auburn will have some fans, they'll travel too, 178 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:19.240 but I have a feeling that Louisville will have the 179 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:21.240 lion's share of the fans if they do. If they 180 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:23.480 are able to get by Creighton in their first round 181 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:27.399 game and matchup with Auburn, and so that's easily the 182 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.319 toughest second round game and need these one seeds will have, 183 00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:32.879 so that that could be a potential issue for the 184 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:33.639 Auburn Tigers. 185 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.960 While we're in the South. Does the Committee just take 186 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.919 a vacation during conference tournaments? I mean, Michigan wins the 187 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:43.480 Big Ten tournament, they beat two four seeds, they beat 188 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:45.919 a three seed, and they're on the five line, Like, 189 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.759 does the committee just fundamentally ignore what you do in 190 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:49.840 conference tournaments? 191 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.080 I think they ignore what you do on the weekend 192 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:55.399 in conference tournaments. So yeah, I thought I found it 193 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.720 interesting that you know, there was some complain about you know, 194 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.679 missed like the committee not paying attention to the Big Championship. 195 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:03.399 I mean, the Big Ten Championship game ends like fifteen 196 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.440 minutes before the selection show starts, so it's really not 197 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:08.399 feasible for the committee to go in and tweak a 198 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:10.559 bracket based on that result. I mean, the graphics are 199 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:13.399 surely already made for the for the show, and so yeah, 200 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.840 that game doesn't count. If you want that game to count, 201 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.399 you know, play your championship game on Saturday like most 202 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:23.519 other conferences. So there's that issue. I don't think Saturday 203 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:25.919 counts very much either. I think the committee has admitted 204 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:27.840 much in the past, like it's just so complicated to 205 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:29.679 put these brackets together with all the rules that they 206 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:32.360 have to deal with that for the most part, they're 207 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:34.720 going to lock things in on Saturday unless you get 208 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:38.679 some sort of you know, non traditional team winning a 209 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:40.879 conference tournament that you have to slip into the tournament 210 00:09:40.919 --> 00:09:42.360 and then give another team in that large bid and 211 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.080 maybe another team gets knocked out because of that. But 212 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.639 barring a situation like that, they're mostly gonna say, hey, 213 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:50.200 Saturday morning, our bracket is pretty much locked. 214 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:53.600 You reference Xavier grabbing a bid when you didn't think 215 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:56.679 they should give me just kick the tires on some 216 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:01.039 overseeded teams, underseeded teams, some teams the committee got wrong. 217 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:03.399 Well, it's not even so much that the committee got wrong. 218 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:05.519 They got Louisville wrong based on resume. Some of the 219 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:09.000 other cases are just cases where teams are fundamentally either 220 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:11.399 better in the metrics or worse in the metrics than 221 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:14.080 their resume would indicate. So a seemed like in Zaga 222 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.679 is the prime example of that, and it's not an 223 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:19.360 unusual situation for them. But you know, they get an 224 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:23.399 eight seed, they're ranked ninth in my ratings. You know, 225 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.919 they struggled early in the year against some of the 226 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.039 quality opponents they played. Some of the teams they beat 227 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:30.879 early in the year ended up not being as good 228 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:33.159 as we might have thought. And then they got into 229 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:36.519 conference play struggled a little bit. I mean, the only 230 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:38.919 truly like high end quality wins you can get in 231 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.639 that leaguer agains Saint Mary's. They lost both of their 232 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.519 games in the regular season against Saint Mary's and then 233 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:44.879 ultimately they did beat Saint Mary's in the conference tournament. 234 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:50.559 But it's a team that the fundamental metrics are way 235 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:52.720 higher on them than the resume, so they're more of 236 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.399 a quality of a two or three seed, but playing 237 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:57.159 as an eight seed, they'll get matched up with Houston 238 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.320 in the second round if they're able to get by Georgia, 239 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.320 and you know, Houston will be favored in that game, 240 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:05.159 but it's a pretty tough test for Houston in that 241 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:07.159 second game. And then the flip side of that would 242 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:09.519 be Memphis, who got a five seed, won a ton 243 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:14.159 of close games, plays in a weaker conference, ranked outside 244 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:15.960 the top fifty in my ratings, So what are the 245 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:17.720 weaker five seeds you'll ever see? 246 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:18.720 And then they get. 247 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:20.799 Matched up against Colorado State in the first round, who's 248 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:23.200 one of the hottest teams in the country. So a 249 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:25.080 chance here for you know, if the Mountain West is 250 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.960 ever going to sourage some dignity, certainly a chance here 251 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:30.240 for Colorado State to play a Memphis team who is 252 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:33.799 weak and also possibly probably I would say, missing their 253 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.759 normal starting point guard in Tyree's Hunter. 254 00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:42.360 So BYU fans and members of the BYU media, and 255 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.879 it's just the deal where we have to be upset 256 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:47.919 about everything, whether it's the CFP Committee and football getting 257 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:51.039 it wrong, whether SWIG closes too earlier, they run out 258 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:53.919 of sugar or their basketball team doesn't have the proper seed. 259 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.720 I don't know that six is egregious. I think you 260 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:00.120 could make an argument for a five seed. But to me, 261 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:03.120 the games in Denver, You'd rather be a six seed 262 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:05.440 in Denver than a five seed in like Newark or whatever. 263 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:07.960 So BYU fans can drive down there before we get 264 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:09.440 to the matchup. What do you make of the seed 265 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:10.399 BYU is a six? 266 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:12.519 Yeah, I mean, if you're quippling over a five or six, 267 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:15.480 you need to reevaluate what's important to you in life. 268 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:18.240 In the end, it doesn't it doesn't make a whole 269 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.080 lot of difference. I mean last year BYU is a six, 270 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:23.200 and they were a bigger favorite in their first round 271 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:26.879 game than you know, some four seeds were. So a 272 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:28.799 lot of it depends on the opponent. And the issue 273 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:33.000 here is that their opponent is, you know, pretty formidable. 274 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:36.000 I mean VCU is you know couch by Ryan Odam. 275 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:39.879 Obviously we're familiar with him. It's just a really sound 276 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.320 defensive team, really good interior defense. Tries to take away 277 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:48.399 the three point shot to some extent, so you know, 278 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:51.440 they have the ability to make BYU uncomfortable offensively, which 279 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:55.279 is obviously an issue because BYU really depends on his 280 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:57.519 offense to win games or defense lags behind a little bit. 281 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.840 So so the issue here is more the opponent. But 282 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.720 I would agree, like you're playing at altitude, I think 283 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.679 that is of some benefit. You're playing somewhat close to home, 284 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.879 so you're gonna have, you know, undoubtedly gonna be more 285 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.080 BYU fans at ball arena than there there will be 286 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:12.519 VCU fans. So I think some of those things will 287 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:14.080 help the Cougars in their first round game. 288 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:16.399 Are you a fan of a flavored soda from time 289 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:16.840 to time? 290 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:22.720 I'm I'm not really no, I just you know, I'm 291 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:24.679 at that age where you know you just can't cram 292 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:25.919 a bunch of sugar down your throat. 293 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.679 Sure, I'm not judging. I'm sure swig is a porter. 294 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:31.720 Have you ever? Did you frequent swig? Have you ever 295 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:33.639 tried one of the I've got their menu pulled up. 296 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:37.000 For instance, a Raspberry Dream is doctor pepper raspberry pure 297 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:40.639 quote coconut cream. That's a lot of sugar. Did you 298 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:41.440 frequent swig? 299 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:44.240 Definitely not a frequent I don't really do the soda 300 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:46.600 thing in general. So the soda with more soda or 301 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:51.000 sugar is not my lane. But I have tried what 302 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.000 I believe is called a dirty doctor pepper. 303 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:55.480 Ah, it's pretty good, all right, Okay, let's get wild 304 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:57.720 on a Wednesday with a dirty doctor pepper. But over 305 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:00.039 to the matchup, Ken, Yes, so as you reference, and 306 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:04.840 I'm not saying VCUS Houston at all, but like when 307 00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:07.200 you kind of dig into what they like to do defensively, 308 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.799 they've got three six ten dudes, they've got the A 309 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.200 ten Player of the year. Former Utah State kid Ryan 310 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:15.600 Otum obviously was here coaching Utah State. The line moved 311 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.799 about an hour ago by use a two point five 312 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:20.080 point favorite. Now it opened up at three point five. 313 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:23.159 The Vegas action has gone the way towards VCU. Is 314 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:25.679 this upset alert? How does by you get this win 315 00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:28.720 round one? Yeah, it's not gonna be easy. 316 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.519 I mean it's it's it's gonna be uh, it's gonna 317 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:33.480 be a grind. 318 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:33.960 You know. 319 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.559 That's the other thing with VCUS that their defensive possession 320 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:41.440 length is tenth slowest in the country. So that will uh, 321 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:43.360 you know, it gives you an idea like they just 322 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.440 forced teams to take some time to define good shots. 323 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:49.360 And it also leads to the fact that vcus thirtieth 324 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.879 in the country in turnover eight, so they're going to 325 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:55.200 force some turnovers in those long possessions. They're number one 326 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.279 in the country's shooting defense once you factor in the 327 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.159 value of threes and two's number one in the treen 328 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:02.639 shooting defense against a weaker schedule. So take it with 329 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:05.480 a slight grain of salt. But they are they are 330 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:08.279 not Houston. We don't want to go crazy there, but 331 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:11.360 they are the the A ten kind of version of Houston. 332 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:13.720 And yeah, I mean by he's gonna have to make 333 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:16.440 some shots. It's gonna make some tough shots to earn 334 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:16.960 a win here. 335 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:19.879 Well, the reason I brought up the Houston parallel is 336 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.519 and it wasn't just Houston. Iowa State b Yu beat 337 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:26.519 Iowa State. But as much as there is to like 338 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:30.679 about jegor demon as a pro prospect, every time they 339 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.159 face pressure, he just he can't deal with it yet 340 00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:37.240 he's young. And then Kevin goes to Dollon down Hall 341 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:40.200 and look, Dollen has gone through Big twelve battles. He's 342 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:43.080 a vet. There's a reason Mark wantahum in Kentucky. But 343 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:48.679 what happens if BYU is not knocking down their threes 344 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:52.480 and the VCU pressure gets to them. Because against teams 345 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.320 that don't have elite length like VCU, as we've talked about, 346 00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:58.720 bring in foos, let him go to work. But Treori's 347 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:01.559 six' five, maybe and these three six ten kids are 348 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.679 gonna give them trouble with. Length if THE yu isn't 349 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.000 knocking down shots and the pressures getting to, them what's 350 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:06.360 what's the? 351 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:09.720 Answer, uh they have To they've got to figure that. 352 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.519 OUT i don't know if there is an. Answer, YEAH i, 353 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:13.879 mean but you bring up a good. POINT i MEAN 354 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:18.399 vcu does have size and length of more of A 355 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.000 Power conference. TEAM i mean they actually have this, Kid 356 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:25.720 bamboye who is starts at center and he's not. Much 357 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.559 he's very limited, offensively but he the Brit is he 358 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.200 the kid for Ye but he's the second best in 359 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.000 terms of like. Rate he's the second best shot blocker 360 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:36.159 in the. Country blocks a higher percentage of opponent shots 361 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.200 than anybody in the country except for one. Person and, 362 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:42.759 uh and so that's you, know that's what they're. Facing but, 363 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:47.440 yeah They're, yeah you worry About yegor against the. 364 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:49.039 Defense it's, aggressive enforces. 365 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:52.759 Turnovers kevin's shown that he's not you, know late in 366 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:54.639 the season, Here he's not just gonna Leave yeager out 367 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:56.919 there for starters. Minutes he's gonna make a switch when 368 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:00.519 when they need. It but but it. 369 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:00.399 It will be a. 370 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.200 Struggle BUT i, mean hopefully they're gonna have to figure 371 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.640 out how to make shots because there's no other other 372 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:07.160 way around. 373 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:11.200 This mainly, threes, yeah mainly. Threes mainly. Threes. 374 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:13.200 YEAH i would say they're going to figure out to 375 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.000 make some threes and they're going to get fewer of 376 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.359 those shots than they normally. Do SO i mean that's, 377 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:20.039 why you, know that's why you're just talking about. IT 378 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:21.119 i mean you can kind of figure out why the 379 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:24.240 margin heres is so thin that they don't have, to you, 380 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.480 know go eighteen to thirty six from. Three but if 381 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:29.720 they go you, know at the dude nine of twenty 382 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:31.119 four or something like, that that would be really. 383 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:35.119 Helpful so if they advance PAST, vcu they're most likely 384 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:37.839 going to run Into wisconsin round. Two they get to 385 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:39.680 the sweet. Sixteen what are your thoughts on that? 386 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:43.480 Matchup, Well, wisconsin this is not kind of your Typical 387 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:45.599 wisconsin team of the last twenty five. 388 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.319 Years you, Know Greg guard is really modernized their. 389 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.880 Offense they play at a much faster, pace actually faster 390 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:56.160 than average pace across college. Basketball so you know that 391 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:57.839 this is not a Bow ryan team that's going to 392 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.359 grind a game down to fifty five sixty. Perz they're 393 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:03.640 gonna played normal. Basketball they two love to shoot the, 394 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:07.720 three top twenty in terms of three point. Rate they're 395 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:10.400 not necessarily a great team in terms of percent, percentage 396 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.680 but they're gonna have five guys out there that shoot the. 397 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:16.440 Three they're gonna you, know they're they're. Big stephen Kraw 398 00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:19.279 is a. Guy they can shoot plenty of threes and 399 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:23.119 try to you, know invert the offense and Enforce Kba 400 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:25.640 cato Or fos or whoever it, is to you, know 401 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:29.480