Speaker 1: With then criddle Go Cougars.
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in Utah. Catch me weekdays ten to one on one
oh three point nine and ninety eight point three The Fan.
Speaker 4: What's going on in the world of Cougar athletics. Here
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Speaker 3: Welcome back Cougar Sports one of three nine nine eight
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Speaker 2: But he's not for a little world of blie sports.
Speaker 3: Gonna get into a few more sounds by from AJ
to Bonsa and much more here on your Utah ESPN
Radio network, So don't miss it his prognostications how bwaablefare
in the NCAA Tournament. It's gonna be brought to you
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of Utah. Dental Prosofutah dot Com. Now by is gonna
be a six seed right, They're gonna take on either
NC State or Texas in that playing game. They're heading
out to Portland, Oregon with the opportunity if they survive
in advance in the round of sixty four to play
Kennesaw State or Gonzaga the Three Steed so very excited
about the opportunity, and I think by you received the
fortuitous seating and for fortuitous path to the Sweet sixteen?
Speaker 2: AJ.
Speaker 3: What did AJ have to say about it? What are
your thoughts on going out to Portland? Any ties with
you your family to the Pacific Northwest?
Speaker 5: That feels good. I don't think I actually ever played
a game in Portland. Actually, I played in the Hoop Summit,
so I might see some familiar faces from over there,
but there's no like specific ties over there, besides like
my Nike the Nike headquarters up there and everything like that.
But besides that, I'm just excited to go play with there.
Speaker 2: He's that Nike guy. He's that he's part of that
Nike family.
Speaker 3: And Uh, I think he's His second iteration of his
shoe is much better than his first iteration. Looks like
that one's uh it's a better built uh and hopefully, uh,
they really refined that basketball shoe. It looks like he's
been performing a lot better since he he got the
second iteration of it.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: The AJ debanta what is it? What is it? What
is he a fan of it?
Speaker 6: Not?
Speaker 2: Spider Man is a spider Man.
Speaker 3: Didn't we have a spider Man iteration of his shoe?
Speaker 1: Yeah he did.
Speaker 7: He did beute a spider man and this.
Speaker 3: Yeah, a little spider man illustration on that bad boy?
Speaker 2: Ay J. How do you feel about the.
Speaker 3: Renewed defensive intensity?
Speaker 8: That feels good.
Speaker 5: We definitely find our identity on the defensive side, and
you know, playing a team like you know, Texas or
Anti State come from a different conference, We're definitely to
try to impose out well on the defensive end and
you know, leading our defense to kind of transit into offense.
Speaker 2: Defense to offense.
Speaker 3: And uh, I just I feel like early on in
the season, probably about the I would say the front third,
maybe the front half, I felt like the defense was
still it was still solid. It wasn't elite, but it
was a solid too. Sometimes you have good outings as well,
and then there was a steep drop off. And right now,
if I if I'm not mistaken, Ken Blum has b
yu's adjusted defensive efficiency rating at fifty seven. It's not bad, right,
it's not too shabby. Their top ten in offensive efficiency,
and I believe the data is very clear, like you've
got to be in kind of like that top twenty
offensively and top fifty defensively to make a run, a
deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 2: And Beway's right there. They're knocking on the door.
Speaker 3: They're in that quadrant of efficiency that allows the the
the the men and women of metrics to maybe make
a bet that by you can get to the sweet
six team and maybe even beyond that.
Speaker 2: Aj De Bonsa, what's it like not knowing who you're.
Speaker 3: Going to play and do you prepare for both teams
or just focus on yourself internally?
Speaker 1: No, you definitely have to prepare for both teams.
Speaker 5: So I'm gonna be watching like the technanicyes of both
teams of you know, specific players. But yet again, like
I said, our coach task to do a good job of,
you know, digging deep into both teams, so we're not
just panicking a day or two right before. There's definitely
gonna be a coach on one side and the coach
on the other side, and they're gonna dig and dive
deep in it.
Speaker 2: Got a prep gotta scout this squad.
Speaker 3: As I mentioned, Texas is has a net rating of
forty second. They're eighteen and fourteen on the season, they
were nine to nine in conference play. Their best wins
or versus NC State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma as well
as MISSOI those were both off I believe only one
of those was actually a home game, so three of
those in away settings, and then they got to win
versus Texas A and M on the road. They actually
played pretty well on the road and in neutral sites.
So for whatever reason, they lost a fair share of
home games as well versus some top tier programs. And
their biggest weakness was actually the Quad two games they lost.
They lost earlier in the season Arizona State, they lost
to Texas A and M.
Speaker 2: That was at home.
Speaker 3: They lost to Oklahoma at home, and then they lost
to Ole Miss on a neutral court. They were also
three and one in Quad three. They actually have a
Quad three loss with Mississippi State, a three point loss
at home to Mississippi State, by the way, so that
is Texas. I'm kind of prognosticating the Texas survives in advances,
but that's my prognostication. We'll see if it comes out
and comes to fruition a j What is it been
like from your perspective with Richie Coach Richie being on
the bench.
Speaker 5: Yeah, Like, I mean, he's our vocal leader, so he
gives us a big spark, you know, when coaches are
huddling up right in like the first thirty seconds of
that mediate time out, he tries to gather us, tries
to give us some advice what he sees on the
court from the bench. It's just good that you know,
he could travel with us as our vet, as our
vocal leader.
Speaker 3: Sure it helps, right having Richie coach Richie wearing that
coaching cap final thing from AJ. How has it been
leaning on the older guys that have experienced the NCAA tournament?
Speaker 1: No, everything.
Speaker 5: You know, we have several returners from last year's team
who made it to sweet sixteen. Say, I know what
it takes to get at least to the sweet sixteen,
you know, the whole coaching staff. But even guys like
Rob who played in the tournament last year, we definitely
have some chances that's playing in the tournament. So I'm
definitely gonna be asking him for some time of advice.
Speaker 3: Looking like, I don't think this is a story about
the tenure the Vets right right now, Like, I mean,
I know Rob's been to the nc double A tournament.
He's like a seasoned vet in the NCUBAA tournament, went
to one NCUBLEA tournament. This is gonna be a story
about the guys that have never been here before. Aj
has never been here before, right, Alexi Kostik has never
been here before. Hadeem has never really been there before,
never played in this game. You know it's gonna be
a story about maybe Dominique Diamande, the six foot seven
redshirt freshmen. Those are the guys that got to lift.
Those are the guys that have to be better. Canard
Davis junior guys, these are the guys that need to
step up and and I think pull their weight. I
want to get into the story of Dominique Diamande. If
you missed it, there was a Deep Blue that featured
Dominique and listening to k Y. Kevin Young discussed his
conversation with Dominique earlier in the show, maybe thinking, you
know what, we need to get to know Dominique a.
Speaker 2: Little bit better because he could be a.
Speaker 3: Wild card for Brigham number twenty four on the court
that product oat of Paris, France. Remember he was at
Washington prior to transferring to BYU He's the son of
Christina Diamande. His one sibling Amy. Speaks three languages for
those that know Italian, French and English, and played in
twenty six games for eighty eight boys in France the
Pro Am League Under twenty one league and average sixteen
point six rebounds to assists on one point eight steels.
Speaker 2: He was a gem.
Speaker 3: He was a good find for BYU and now he's
coming into his own. Let's get to know Dominique Diamande
in this Deep Blue segment from BYU TV earlier this year.
Speaker 9: I'm from Paris, Bonn and Rays. I remember, I think
I was four. My mom bought me a small mini
hoop from my bedroom and the DVD and that was
the movie's pay jam and I just fell in love
about like Michael Jordan, and this beautiful sport was basketball.
Speaker 10: I hosted a camp in Paris because I always did
basketball training. He was interested, you know, to come to
one of my camps. He came and I saw intensity,
very intense, but the heart was bigger than everything.
Speaker 4: You can see self determination, a will to be successful
and to just grind through.
Speaker 6: I don't know if you would ever say it, but
to me, that's what motivates to like he's been to
the bottom, and I don't think he wants to go
back to the bottom, you know, And it's very clear
and obvious when you watch him play that he's a
guy you do not have to wind up like he
wakes up ready to go.
Speaker 9: My grandma passed away and suns like that period of
time that started like to be a really a mess,
like in my childhood, in my house, my mom should
start taking drugs, being depression.
Speaker 10: He told me that when he was younger, going home
was like hell, I was just.
Speaker 1: Tacking every day after every day.
Speaker 9: When you were young, you just you just see like
your mom taking drugs, alcohol, medication and biating your dad.
So seeing him getting beat and doing nothing, that was
really hard for me. The anger.
Speaker 10: It was just like here, Dominic's father got hurt, he fell,
and because of that, you know, cops came and domestic
violence got got involved, and Domb's father couldn't stay with
his mother anymore, so he had to go away. Unfortunately,
he didn't have the funds, you know, to get an
apartment right away. He had to stay in his car, and.
Speaker 8: Dom decided to stay with him.
Speaker 9: You don't know what you're going to need the next
day you have school. You know, when you're going back
to school, all your friend's going to ask you. Yeah,
while you're miss school is tough, really tough. There is
so much thing going through in your head, the relationship
with your mom, If your dad's going okay because you
takes care of you, but you think about his mental
health and his physical health.
Speaker 1: So that was really a horror moment.
Speaker 10: For a couple of months, they stayed in the car
and I remember one time he came to Paris and yeah, he.
Speaker 8: Didn't have any food for like two days.
Speaker 1: I started staying with Sebastian.
Speaker 9: My dad texts him, you say, yeah, can you take
care of my son for a couple of weeks started
to be weeks and after some month.
Speaker 8: Cidy was a very honest, loyal person.
Speaker 10: So he and I we used to go, you know,
have lunch or at dinner and talk, you know about
life and dambit.
Speaker 1: Yeah he was.
Speaker 10: He was like an uncle to me, So it's just
normal that I do the same for his son.
Speaker 9: I find out about the susuation of my adult's health.
One day he picked me up like from practice or
school and just told me about his cancer. I just
like start asking God, why him? You've been through all
of this and you're giving like another thing.
Speaker 2: He fast for two.
Speaker 10: Years and then he had a relapse.
Speaker 9: I remember we are like a practice in the morning
and one of my coaches come come to see me,
call me in this office and he say, you're going
to pass away during the night, so we have to
drive you to the hospital to see him. The last time,
we were so close, and I was feeling something was bad,
so I'm just saying, yeah, I know it.
Speaker 8: Dumb was really loved by his dad. He was really
proud of him.
Speaker 10: Before he passed away, he talked to Dom and he said,
you know, whatever happens, you know you got you gotta
stay with Sebastian.
Speaker 8: He's the one who was going to help you. And
he said this to me many times.
Speaker 11: I had known some things about him before that he
was just, you know, a player and needed some guidance.
But when seb said, you know, he's with us now,
I understood, and we've never looked back.
Speaker 8: And I couldn't be happier. He's just a part of
the family.
Speaker 9: It's feeld great to have a family because, like I
think I missed a lot of moments with my my
real blood family when I was younger, and right now,
sometime when I with Seb, his kids, his wife, I
just feel like a ten or twelve years.
Speaker 1: Old, you know.
Speaker 10: I tell him all the time. You know, you're like
my son, my nephew. You became my friend now, you know. So, Yeah,
we have a really close relationship, but it's it's love.
Speaker 8: At the end.
Speaker 11: His story, ninety nine times out of one hundred would
have gone this way, and it didn't. He didn't allow it.
I think that all of the pain and the hurt,
he's used it in such a positive way in the
name of Dad.
Speaker 8: I'm gonna make.
Speaker 11: It and there's no looking back. I have no doubt
in my mind that this kid will go as far
as there is to go.
Speaker 8: He knows the path he has to be on.
Speaker 11: He has the right guy to keep him on that path,
and nothing will stop him.
Speaker 1: All I've been through, I've never alone. God He's with me.
Speaker 9: My relationship with my moms today way better, like way,
way way better. I was able to forgive her first
of all because of God.
Speaker 1: And growing up.
Speaker 9: I started like to see all the stress and the
archives she'd been through too. I think about my dad's day,
I'm just happy. Everything about me is because of my dad.
So yeah, I just want like people to remember everything
we've been through together, in the good way, in the
bad way. But like, yeah, I'm just trying, just like
I said, keep his memory alive with me every day.
Speaker 3: Like I stated before, so much adversity, so much of
her refining fire. But yet the ability to bounce back,
stay positive, put in the work, and create a legacy
for himself and his family is what I wanted to highlight.
And don't be surprised if he becomes one of the heroes,
would be hy U in the NCAA tournament run. I
think he's got the ability. I think he has the
skill set. I think he could be Really he could
be a boon for BYU in the NCAA tournament run.
Because it can't just be just be Aj and Rob.
It's got to be a village, got to be a
collective unit. The cohesion and culture and chemistry and the
maximization of individual talents that that booy up the collective,
that's what it's about. So I think everyone's rooting for
Dominique DIAMONDI. If you hadn't listened to that. If you
hadn't watched The Deep Blue with b YU TV and
Dominique Diamande, go back and listen to it again, because
I think it'll be a story throughout March Madness that
we can lean into. Last year we had an awesome
story and it was a fun story and Richie Saunders
becoming the Todd King, right, maybe it'll be an AJ conversation.
Maybe Rob's out in front, but maybe guys like Dominique
Diamande will become heroes for b YU. Ronald, your thoughts,
your commentary as we wrap up this segment, and it
was a great one. By the way, Bryce and Bryce
were giving away five hundred dollars gift card to Ruby
z in at the gates of Bryce Canda National Park,
good for lodging, food and beverage and a gift shop
purchaser to go to espnfan dot com if you want
to enter and win for a five hundred dollars gift
certificate to Bryce Candan National Park staying at Ruby's en Ronnie,
what do you got for me?
Speaker 7: I apologize, man, it got me emotional over here. You know,
him just talking about his dad and coming from a
struggling situation. You feel you connect with people through their stories,
just some different parts of the world. And you know,
STEP's wife said it ninety nine times out of one
hundred men, they go this way instead of this way,
and Dominique didn't. And you can even send them on
a basketball court. There are times where he checked into
the game, picked up maybe too many fouls, things can
go his way, wanted to maybe be on the court morning.
We said it in the first segment. And man I
love players like Dominique, man I really do, because they
just say, hey, stay ready, they don't complain, they don't
get upset, they keep working hard and the moments have come.
I mean to win Meal twice in the Bigswell Termo
on a fast break, Ben, to be in the rotation now,
to knowing that he's going to have his number called
on Thursday, like it's going to be called it's going
to be because of that intensity, It just it gives
you goosebumps. Honestly, I mean as just a as a person,
as a human being, as a fan of college basketball,
someone who likes to tell these stories, and the Deep
Blue they always do a good job there at bau
TV I'm a fan of Dominique. I'm rooting for him,
I really am. And look, Ben, we won't know until
the season's over. But if this team is which we believe,
is able to get to the Sweet Team Sweet sixteen,
but the magic happens and they're in the the eight,
I think when we get to the offseason, Ben, I
think we need to have a discussion about all these guys, Like,
if all these guys show up in March, maybe that's
drought of you know, four to four weeks to basketball.
That was probably their trial there, you know, refiners fire.
Maybe you need all these guys back. You don't know
until you get to the end. But look, I know
we poke fun at DMP, but d NP's father did say,
it's not start, it's where you finished. What will BYU
basketball finish?
Speaker 2: It is my question?
Speaker 7: And if they finish on the upside, Ben, then I
think that just shows to Kevin Young, the coach, to culture,
the players that they have, and right now they're very confident.
Speaker 3: Let's see what they do to get to a Sweet
sixteen and maybe even Elite eight.
Speaker 2: You need a supporting cast. I can't just be AJ
and Rob.
Speaker 3: Coming up next, Matt nor Lander tells us that of
CBA Sports that that b way you could be going
to an Elite eight this year can be what you
do what has only been done one other time when
they were led by the Nate Smith Award winner Danny Ainge,
former b YU great or you believe the goat of
BYU Basketball, we'll find out. Coming up next, that segment
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aj DEBONTSA Comic Teary. Coming up next, this is Cougar
Sports one of three nine ninety eight point three ESBN
The Fan.
Speaker 4: This is a one oh three nine at ninety eight
three ESPN Sports Center updates.
Speaker 12: Time to put on your dancing shoes because BYU men's
basketball is going dancing after a strong performance in the
Big Twelve Tournament last weekend that saw ajd Bonsa break
the tournament scoring record and also saw him named to
the All Tournament team. BYU was awarded the final six
seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougters were placed in
the Portland Region and will face the winner of Texas
and North Carolina State, who played tomorrow night. Both Texas
and NC State have lost five of their last six,
compared to BYU, who has won.
Speaker 7: Three at their last four.
Speaker 12: That game will tip off Thursday night.
Speaker 2: If the Cougar has come out.
Speaker 12: On top, they will face the winner of Gonzaga and
Kennesaw State on Saturday. Selection Sunday was not as kind
of the women's team as they were among the first
four out of the tournament. All is not lost for
League Camarges squad, though, as they earned a one seed
in the WNIT and we'll face Alabama and m on
Thursday at seven o'clock in the Marriott Center. Making the
turnament is a big deal in all, but winning is
an even bigger one. UYU Track and Field saw two
runners take home national championship status in Fayetteville, Arkansas, over
the weekend at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships,
Carter Cutting plays first in the mile, and Jane headingbrind
once again showed her dominance as she took home the
gold in both the three thousand meter and the five
thousand meter. Overall, it proved to be a winning weekend
for much of PUGAR nation as multiple upsets took place.
The biggest of lich was twenty fourth Ring Gymnastics taking
down number fourteen Clemson on the road. Winning this meet
will give the Cougars momentum as they prepped for the
Big twelve tournament on Saturday in West Value. Utah baseball
continue their winning ways as they top Cincinnati on Saturday.
Speaker 2: To win their first series of the year.
Speaker 12: The Bearcats came into the series ranking fifth in the
nation in RPI, but Garrison Sumner on Thursday and Easton
Jones and Saturday's matchup proved to be too much to handle.
The computers will be down in Saint George tomorrow as
they take on in Utah. Tech Softball also had their
best weekend of the year so far, as they took
home two of three and the trailblaz are Classic down
in Southern Utah. The UU split with Omaha going one
on one and then top Utah Tech. It resumed Big
twelve play this week and travel the Stillwater to face
number twenty one oklahllm Mia Staves.
Speaker 13: The other events this week.
Speaker 12: Saw women's tennis and men's tennis win their matches, and
number seven men's volleyball loose and number eighteen Stanford in
both games. Today, the women's golf team t's off and
the Betsy Rolls Longhorn Invitational which runs through tomorrow in Austin, Texas.
Speaker 2: I'm Cameron Clark and this has.
Speaker 12: Been your ESPN the Fan Couter Sports Center update, brought
to you by Royal.
Speaker 2: Four hundred and five to three one eight.
Speaker 3: That's eight O one four hundred five three one eight,
or visit us at Uthorprosiutah dot com.
Speaker 4: You are listening to ESPN the Fan your home of
Utah Valley Athletics. You are listening to Cougar Sports and
it's time for a Cougar Bytepin. Crittle breaks down the
latest sound bites from Cougar Athletics here on one oh
three nine at ninety eight three ESPN The Fan of
the West.
Speaker 14: Region, where the six seed going to Portland is BYU,
featuring the nation's leading scorer, freshman aj devonsa heat over
twenty five points a game.
Speaker 7: Sitting for this one. Very nice and happy and happy.
Speaker 14: Okay, The eleven seed is going to be determined in
the first four exeth.
Speaker 13: Yes, and those are two bubble teams who made it
into the field, Texas and North Carolina State. Maybe a
little bit of a surprise to see them in the
first four. They were cruising along about a month ago,
but they lost seven of their last nine.
Speaker 7: I'll barely hang onto the bubble.
Speaker 3: They get the sixth seed and they're taking on Texas
and or NC State.
Speaker 2: That was from the selection show.
Speaker 3: And we're gonna get to a few more comments from
those andals, those pundits, those experts that feel like BYU
could survive and advance in this segment, getting into March madness.
This is Cougar Sports, one of three nine ninety eight point
three Yes, been the fan live from our Vanderwell Studios
Banterwall dot com. Get on that free Q and A
no obligation to invest Q and A with our tax
more wealth advisors. So we're gonna listen to Matt Norliner
and see what he has to say about it. Most
BWAU fans, I think are hoping, praying, Hey, right now,
we got to get to the round of thirty two.
If we're losing, that we're gonna be disappointed. But not
all is lost. That It's not like people are gonna
be calling for people to lose their jobs, et cetera. Right,
it's not that. If you get to the Sweet sixteen,
I think most of Cougarnation's gonna be happy, right, Ronnie,
Am I wrong? Or is Cougarnation gonna be happy like
ninety nine percent of it? If b Way gets to
the Sweet sixteen and losers in the Sweet sixteen?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think I think one hundred percent of fans
unless they're crazy, and maybe we should go ninety nine
because you can't go perfect in life, right, But yeah,
I think fans would be I mean, what the amount
of injuries been and everything that happened, I think they
would take that as a big success. And for Kevin
Young's second year, back to back Sweet sixteen appearances, that
doesn't come by. It's hard to get into the tournament
ben yet alone get to the second weekend so if
they did that, Yeah, I think ninety nine percent of
Cougarnation is happy.
Speaker 2: If you get to an Elite eight, you're gonna have
everyone's happy.
Speaker 7: I don't want to have no plans for nobody.
Speaker 3: Everybody's just gonna be, you know, joyous and just celebratory
and all will be well in Zi, no doubt about it.
We're gonna get to Matt lord Norlanders sound because he
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Speaker 3: Matt Norlander, CBS Sports pontificating on BYU.
Speaker 15: I've got Duke winning in the first round Ohio State
over TCU, Saint John's Kansas South Florida to beat Louisville
by the way, Michigan State, UCLA and Yukon moving on
in the second round of the East. I'll have Duke
against Saint John's in the Sweet sixteen. I will have
South Florida into the Sweet sixteen and facing Yukon. Yes,
that is right, Michigan State goes down before the second weekend.
Give me Saint John's over Duke. What am I doing?
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 15: Yukon beats us up and give me the Huskies to
win against Saint John's in another battle between these teams.
A fourth matchup, Huskies to the Final four, going down
to the South Florida. Clemson Vandy, Nebraska upset Alert VCU
beats North Carolina without Caleb Willis in Illinois, Saint Mary's
and Houston all to win their first round games and
then to get to the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 2: I will go Florida.
Speaker 15: I will give you Vanderbilt, I will give you Illinois,
and I will give you Houston. So not entirely chalk,
but very very close. Give me the Gators, give me
the Cougars. That might be the best lead day game
we could possibly ask for. I will go Houston into
the Final four for a second consecutive season. Let's go
to the top right of that bracket. Arizona wins, Utah
State peats Villanova in the eight nine high point over
Wisconsin we got a twelve over five there. I will
go Arkansas to win. I will go Beatyu to win,
no matter who it faces. Get that first round game, Gonzaga,
the you and Purdue moves along. Give me Arizona to
get to the sweet sixteen without any resistance. I will
take Arkansas and Darius Acuff Junior to get to the
second weekend, second year in a row.
Speaker 2: Arkansas does that.
Speaker 15: I will go BYU and aj Debosa going legend into
the sweet sixteen and upsetting Gonzaga in the second round.
Perdue moves along as well. I'm not done with the
upsets in the West. Give me Arizona to the Elite eight,
and then I will take BYU and de Bonsa to
up his college legend.
Speaker 2: All the more.
Speaker 15: BYU beats Purdue in the sweet sixteen, but then Arizona
the ones hen gets it done. They go on to
Indy and then in your.
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean that guy's going rapid fire.
Speaker 3: It's like, man, he's look, I think I'm add eighthd
and Matt Orlander may be, uh, you know, even more
than you and I combined, Roddie, Like if you like
combined forces like than that it would be Matt Orlander
add eighty h oh cow. That guy's going rapid fire
like a freaking machine.
Speaker 7: That's what CBS does have him doing, though they're having
to go rapid exactly, but to go rapid fire, I
think he was the best at doing it though, and
being logical with his takes. I'm watched all of these, Ben,
just to see, but I think Matt Norlander was efficient
to the point and explained it the right way as well.
Speaker 3: Okay, so your thoughts on this, Matt, Matt is buying
in to be yu right now, Elite eight, are you
seeing it? Are you buying or selling what Matt Norlander
is putting down.
Speaker 7: I understand why he's buying. I just think it's tough. Then,
like a Purdue team that has good veteran experience, it's
well coached. I mean, if very well could happen, Ben,
But I mean, Ba, you verywell could lose the Gonzaga
like That's that's the thing. Mark Few is one of
the one of the great coaches in college basketball. So
that's why it's tough, you know. And look, I think
if this team had Dawson Baker, Ben and lost Richie,
I think you can make that argument. I think I
could see a little bit more as just I don't
know if BAU has the depth. You know, we've seen
it before, and granted they'll have a day in between, Ben,
but we saw by you get tired. You know, now
that was three games in three days. Kevin Young says
he's never played that. A lot of these players haven't.
But it's it's different now, and you never know. Ben,
like the three point defense, The defense as a whole
has been better, but ba's three point defense is still
an issue. And if Purdue were to have a magical
shooting day, just like you know Alabama did last year,
it very well could turn. But I think if you
get to Switech sixteen, that's what it is. It BYU
happens to be an Elite eight band, and you know
I'm covering that. I wouldn't be mad by any means,
but I just think that's tough. But but look, if
they were to get that, Ben, I think the Elitia
would be it. I don't think this team has enough
to beat Arizona. They didn't in the in the season,
I don't think they would. I think the Wildcats truly
are a Final four team, and I think that's why
Matt nor Leander and people are picking them. But I
got bau stopping at the sweet sixteen. But I'll be
happy to be wrong. But if they did win another game,
it would be against Purdue or maybe it's Missous brat
Hammer picked to get to the elite A. Now I'll
say this, Ben, if they're in the sweet sixteen planning
against Missouri, I'm gonna pick him go to the lead.
That's not even a question. We won't know that until
Saturday night, obviously, Ben. But more importantly, let's let's just
go one game at the time and see what they do.
And BYU needs to see if they're gonna play Texas
or NC State. I think they're gonna play Texas because
Texas be n C State. I think they'll get them again.
But the reason why I bring up three point defense
been Texas and NC State both can shoot the three
really well. N C State is top ten I think,
or might even be top five and three point makes
and percentage this year Texas and I bathed themselves. I
think their tope hundred or the top hundred twenty five.
So we'll see. But yeah, Ben, I like Matt nor Land.
There's optimism. But de Bonsa can do it. Ajd Bonsa
can be the player to take you to inly eight
and you can thrive off of that. Let's see if
he gets some help. But right now, I think two
games in the second weekend is perfect for BYU basketball.
Speaker 3: Is there are there still BYU fans that think by
is gonna be wanted done?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 7: Yeah, there are fans that still think that. They still
think there are percentages. I mean, look the reason why
I believe they are BO fans. There are national people
who are going on these shows and doing these these
fast brackets, are putting theirs and they don't have BYU
beating Texas. A lot of people have Texas, you know,
upset in BYU, and I think that's kind of crazy
to believe. I know it would be a tough game,
but I think there are people that don't believe in BYU.
And it can be honest. It goes back to the
East Coast West coast things. These people aren't standing up
and by tipped off. I'll counted what they had eleven
home games to think in conference player it maybe eight
or nine or whatever, and you know how many of
those tipped off at eight thirty or nine been like
six of them, seven of them. It was tough. I
know that because I was missing church because the time changed,
because it was it was so difficult getting back at
two am in the morning. And those people aren't standing
up watching that.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 7: If I'm getting back home at two and you have
to think if the game ends at eleven, that's one
am East Coast time, they're not watching BYU. So I
think these veter not these veterans, these national people aren't.
The reason why they might not be bought in is
because they're not looking. So I think they are fans
who are bought in, who do believe in BYU and
that you don't want to see them succeed, do believe
that they wouldn't. So yeah, I'm not surprised, but I
think people are wrong. I think by gets to at
least one game bin and if they lose to Gonzaga,
like you said that's quoted. You lose the number three Gonzaga,
you know you'll choc it up, shake hands and move
on to the offseason and no one will be upset.
You get to the sex sixteen people overly joyous. You
somehow get to the lead eight and no one's mad
in Cougarnation.
Speaker 3: I put out a poll for all Cougarnation to chime
in on how far do you have the BA managed
basketball team going in the tournament and give me a
y round a sixty four, round of thirty two, sweet sixteen,
the Elite eight or better chime in want to hear
from yet. That segment was brought to you by pre
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Speaker 4: You are listening to Cougar Sports with Ben Kredel, and
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American four. I got Ronald the three man Weaver by
my shot. I do want to address a couple of
things here as it pertains to the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 2: Now, when you were looking at.
Speaker 3: The seeding, when you were looking at everything that is
march madness with the bracketology, who's got the biggest gripe?
Speaker 2: Right now?
Speaker 3: Would you say, being left out, who's got the biggest gripe?
Per location, per seeding, the toughest matchups? Would you say,
who's got the biggest gripe? Is it, you know, one
of the one seeds with who they're having to face,
Is it one of the lower seeds? Like who would
you say is the biggest complaint right now, Ronald and
who's listening to them.
Speaker 7: I think the biggest complaint that people are, you know,
are talking about a team that I've recognized obviously, and
this is you know, probably the national because of you know,
maybe the last name Pearl, But I think Auburn probably
is what I forget talked about a lot in the
last couple of days. You know, you've heard that, you've
heard Oklahoma, but probably Auburn's probably the most gripe because
then if they don't lose the Ole miss at home.
I think that was a Quad three loss. If they
win that one, then I think they're in as one
of these first four playing and maybe you know a
few other teams don't get in. But I think that's
what I've heard the most as I've listened to in
just the last twelve hours before our show, is the
gripe has been Auburn. And look, I need to find
a sound clip, but Bruce Pearl, not Bruce Pearl, you know,
his son has accepted the invitation to the n I
t like he says, he's not going to take the
basketball out of their hands. So I think that's probably
the biggest storyline of teams left out if I had
to pick.
Speaker 3: Yeah, some people are saying, like, look, the whole one
seed situation is of note Yukon was the strongest number
two seed, and you know, some people were saying, like,
you know.
Speaker 7: Saint John's St John's I think the.
Speaker 3: Whole Saint John's situation, right, I mean, sure, you know
Patine's over here, like what the Sam Hills going on.
Speaker 2: But you know, there's a there's always a gripe, there's
always something.
Speaker 3: I know a lot of people have been complaining about
Vanderbilt as a number five seed has more reason complain
about it seeding than maybe any other team in the
NCAA tournament. The com Commodo's got stuck with the five seed.
You get that five to matchup, and that's that's not
brewing for success necessarily. The metrics of the Commodores has
been impressive, to say the least. Vanderbilt seventeen and eight
record against the top two quadrants is impressive as well.
Speaker 2: So there's some gripes out there, no doubt about it. Man.
Speaker 3: I feel like the biggest tragedy of the conference tournaments, though,
was UVU men's basketball falling to Cal Baptists and I
know Cal Batans and by played, and maybe that helps
BYU because you can say, look, these are all the
teams that b what you played this season.
Speaker 2: We had what thirteen of them.
Speaker 3: Thirteen of the teams that be what you played are
in the NCAA tournament. Arizona one seed, Yukon, Houston, Iowa
State are all two seeds. Kansas is a four seed,
Wisconsin a five, Texas Tech is a five, Miami's a seven,
Clemson it's an eighth, Villanova's an eight tcues and nine
ucfs a ten seed. Cal Baptists is a third team seed.
So you got all those teams that b YU face
the season on past six. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's.
Speaker 2: A reason why they were six. No doubt about.
Speaker 7: Today had a bit too, he thought that they should
have been Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: Was ticked off. I heard that the same comments.
Speaker 3: So you know what, Look, it's hard to make everybody happy,
and but I think for the most part, this is
a good bracket. There's a healthy bracket, and and they
got most of it right. We're living in twenty twenty six,
so we got to get these uh, these playoffs and
these uh these tournaments and the seeding of appropriate seating
right as we lean more into metrics. The thing that
I love about basketball and the NCUBA Tournament, Okay.
Speaker 2: It's because it's metric based.
Speaker 3: Like they are leaning in to metrics when they are
determining seating. That's what they're doing with this bracketology. Whereas
the college football playoff, cause it's a little bit more
corrupt atle bit more devious, they do not lean into
the metrics like unto the nc DOUBLEA Tournament. So we
need to be football, even though it's the greatest sport,
we are in a state where we need more metrics
involved to balance out the human subjective component. And I
hope that occurs in the future, and you gotta expand
the CFP. So anyway, Also, March Madness Confidential returns with
the behind the scene coverage of six teams in the
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. CBS Sports and TNT Sports are
going to be providing exclusive, in depth access to Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Virginia,
Miami of Ohio and.
Speaker 2: Bring him Young University.
Speaker 3: So, Ronald, you know I've been a conspiracy theorist since
twenty twenty. You have what is my conspiracy theorist mind
telling me about all of this with B why you
getting a little behind the scenes action, getting the proper
seed and getting a proper path to maybe a Sweet
sixteen maybe even there that I say, as a lead
eight runs, I.
Speaker 7: Think you're going with the last one of the NCAA.
Those that march Mandis want AJ.
Speaker 2: Debumm and the TV viewers they want to.
Speaker 7: Want to they want They wanted Aj to get to
an allitiate with the with not having Richie samis the adversity.
They want to see all the behind the scenes of
that band. Rightfully, so Ben, this team was picked to
get to a final four. Look if they did get
to Alitia and had to play Arizona, which probably would
be the case. Who knows is Arizona bigger brand in
the BYU? Some could argue yes, I would say, yeah,
a little bit, but you don't know. But the point
is that's why they wanted BYU's a partist. I'm not surprised. Look,
you're there with the one seed, a seventh seed, a
four seed, a three seed in Virginia, and then a
playing seed in Miami, Ohio and eleven. These are these
are the storylines been around college basketball, and BYU's one
of them. That's why they're going behind the scenes with
that happy to see we saw this last year Trey
Storer with his brand. How big that got, you know?
So this is good, Ben, this is good for BYU.
This is some some good pr some good stuff. But
we're all going to be locked into.
Speaker 3: This good I'm telling you, how long have I said, like, hey,
we need advocacy, and AJ is BYU's advocate right now,
I'm telling you, man, and everyone's taking notice. Everybody like
for how long, dude, who has BYU been been screwed?
I can't tell you how many times BYU has been
relegated to a lesser seed, a lesser bracket because they
don't play on Sunday, Ronnie, Like, I hate to say it,
but like this is probably one of the first times
in BAU basketball history that they did not get relegated
to a lower seed and the favor the community, lesser
bracket and a lesser path, a more difficult path, because
they need they want they they needed agent, they need
regional preference.
Speaker 7: They're going to and then they could go to San Jose.
I haven't seen that in a while. Ben, So Yeah,
I agree with you. And look, it's not even just
that you talk about not playing on Sunday. They want
to see Book of Mormon, my favorite class. They want
to see all of that. How does he.
Speaker 2: Look?
Speaker 7: Look, I know I'm bringing that up. Society wants to
see b why he's pushing that and as they should,
and people want to see, like you've heard it mentioned
on the ESPN broadcast. Book of Mormons is his favorit
classhere they don't play on Sunday, how does the how
does the aspect of by you?
Speaker 3: Because they don't bring up like Mormon housewives and all boy, Please.
Speaker 7: Let's just not anyone divulge into that con No, but yeah,
I know, please no, But they want to see how
does a guy that's not a member of the church
as well buy into this? Like you've heard Kevin Young
and the you know when they do the cut like
he's praying, like they want to see all of that.
Ben last year, remember, and I know we gotta get
the break because we gotta get to Toby. But Dawson Baker, Ben,
you saw him. Unfortunately, it's a stupid rule. Was trying
to make a basketball play, got kicked out and the
camera was still going to the locker room and he
didn't know it and it picked him up in the celebration.
Ben those are behind the same moments that you want
to end up going viral. Right, that was a special
moment that everybody saw. Cougar dation was heartbroken by that. Fans,
how did that happen? And then it's a special moment
of Dawson celebrating his guys. Now you get to see
that with the camera live and they know it's that
it's going to be behind there, and that's what I'm
looking forward to the most. I want to see how
these guys looking what that looks like. You don't get
a chance to see practice. I can say this is
media members, Kevin Young does not do the mark Pope.
We do not get a chance to see or a
tend practice at all. Now you get a chance to
see the behind the scenes coverage on what that looks like.
Speaker 3: Boom, shaka laca, let's uh, let's go to break. Coming
up next, Toby Christian, former Bay wide receiver, gonna be
playing in the alumni game. He's also the mentor coach
of Legend Glaskar Bau wide receiver true freshman coming in
and making some moves, turning some heads. I was able
to catch up with Legend Glasgow and he gave a
shout out to Toby.
Speaker 2: So we'll get caught up with Toby and.
Speaker 3: A little keeping up with the Cougars, talking camp Killane
and springball with Toby and much more. We'll get into
a legend Glasgow, what type of impact he can have
for his his perspective. And it's gonna be brought to
you by Oudion Menswear. Don't go anywhere more to get.
Speaker 2: To you guys.
Speaker 3: Oh that, by the way, that segment was brought to
you by Big od Tires in American Fork. Contact my
guy Ryan Eldrids Big O' Tires in American Fork