Speaker 1: Dental Pros of Utah is located in American Fork at
one ninety eight South eleven hundred East. Dental Pros is
a proud sponsor of Cougar Sports with Ben Crittle, Go
Cougar's This is Cougar Sports with Ben Krittle at It's
time for the Cougar Beat. Getting the dish from the
local reporters that covered Cougar athletics.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on one O, three,
nine and ninety eight three esp and the fan Ronald
the three man Weaver. We salute Brett always bringing the
hammer a farewell he has taken off.
Speaker 3: Appreciate Brett joining us.
Speaker 2: Just a reminder as we get into the last hour
here on your one to three, nine and ninety eight
three network, you ta ESPN, RADED Network that Ben is
going to be back tomorrow. We appreciate everyone that's been
showing up and showing out. We have had a great cast,
the likes of Matt Brown of Extra Points dot Com.
We played the Colonies of Hockey sound from media availability
as well as Andrew Gentry.
Speaker 3: I think that's funny that you know he ran into
j Hill at the airport. I think the guy actually
who we're going to have on the line.
Speaker 2: He actually asked him, you know, the question about the
full circle moment of Michigan and all that and Kyle Whitningham.
That was pretty crazy. But I don't know, I just
feel like the old is community small. I feel like
this whole Michigan Utah BYU thing Andrew Gentry running into
you know, Jay Hill at the airport, like this is
the that's the way it goes. I don't have a
small airport from Chicago, but I can tell you that
after being there, and it's pretty interesting that everybody said
that the lines are going to be long. And I
walked right into Terminal five Delta on Sunday at six
o'clock and my flight boarded at six thirty, and maybe
I'm just blessed and there was no line and I
walked straight through. I've gotten through security going to and
from Chicago within less than ten minutes. I can tell
you that it was probably somewhere between the six of
the seven minute mark. So I guess I'm just blessed.
But you know, all you can be blessed. You can
be blessed because I'm gonna give you an opportunity to
get some tickets. Wu Tank Klang is coming to Utah
First Credit Union Amphitheater September twenty ninth. You don't want
to miss your chance to see the hip hop legends
take the stage again. Listen to Espen the Fan all
week long. I'll be on the radio for the morning
show tomorrow at eight forty five am for your shot
to win a free pair of tickets.
Speaker 3: That's Wu Tank Klang September twenty ninth. Be there or
b square.
Speaker 2: This Cougar Beat segment is going to be brought to
you by Odion Men'swear Odio in menswear dot com. If
you want to elevate your suit game today, you might
have to wait a little bit because it might be
on back order, but you want to do it the
right way. Look, I always said I would only wear
a suit if my job required it and if I
got a church calling.
Speaker 3: Well, both of.
Speaker 2: Those had happened, but I was upset because I didn't
have the right type of suit. I hated the calling
where the bishop made us wear it, and then I
didn't like at my job at the MTC because I
didn't have the flexible the moisture wicking suit now I do. Now,
I choose to wear a suit on Sundays. My wife
loves it. The little kid I have to pick drewsy up,
she runs around. Now you gotta get it today. Go
to Odion menswear dot com to book your appointment or
order your suit online.
Speaker 3: Use that Cridle fifteen discount coupon code.
Speaker 2: You'll get fifteen percent off your order at Odion menswear
dot com without further ado, let's get out to the
esp and the fan the hot line. The second to
last time before we end our show. We got Jaydrew
of the Desert News today. Jay, thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 4: My pleasure is great to be on.
Speaker 3: Of course.
Speaker 2: I mean, look, I gotta have the with this beautiful weather,
this beautiful Tuesday, March twenty fourth, I got to have
the best golfer in the state of Utah that covers
the BYU beat on.
Speaker 3: Have you golf today? Do you got anything planned?
Speaker 2: I know you were looking around the sky yesterday, smile
and I already talked about a little trip.
Speaker 3: I know you're planning some golf stuff, Jay. Yeah.
Speaker 4: I had a company meeting today, so I wasn't able
to get out. Then I had a project due that
I just wrapped up kind of a BYU basketball season rap,
okay article that I did, But yeah, I'm gonna try
to get out tomorrow. It's you just this weather right now.
You cannot pass it up. That's for sure.
Speaker 3: I agree with it.
Speaker 2: I'm thinking of a beautiful walk and maybe some ice
cream with the little one.
Speaker 3: You're not wrong. You can't beat this weather, no doubt
about it.
Speaker 2: You said BYU basketball season recap, you were out there.
Speaker 3: I believe it was in Portland. Take us through.
Speaker 2: Fans are going to say heartbreaking last summer, call it
the most disappointing season in BYU history. That's all left
up there for debate. But how would you recap the
season as a whole.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean there's so many ways to describe it,
up and down. Rocky, it's the word AJ used, disappointing.
I don't. I I saw where some media outlets have
called it a waste of a season. I think that's
way too harsh. I think you can say it was
unsatisfying or disappointing. But I mean they still, you know,
they still did some amazing things, obviously centered around AJ
Debonca and everything that he did. I was just thinking though,
if you'd told me at the start of the season,
if you'd say, Aj Debonsa is going to maintain his status,
is the number one pick in the draft. AJ Debuonca
is going to lead the country in scoring. AJ Debonsa
is going to be a candidate for National Player of
the Year. Aj Debonsa is going to be a consensus
ap all our consensus, all American ap A Smith, all
the different ones that put one out. I would have
said by used final four. I honestly would have if
you had just told me what Aj was going to accomplish.
So he accomplished all that. So I got to say,
in that realm, you have got to say that this
was a wildly successful season. Maybe not imediately, maybe ten
years down down the road, when when you look back
at this season and say Aj debounce has changed BYU basketball.
And so in that aspect, I've got to say that
it was a successful season. Now, because of the expectations,
the anticipation everything, the Final four or bust, all the
logan slogans that were out there. Because of all that,
I will I will admit this was a disappointing season.
Because of those expectations, but I think if you dig
a little deeper, I think a lot was gleaned from
this season that will really help BYU in the future,
that will really set this program up to succeed. We've
already seen it with Bruce Branch committing to play for BYU,
a five star prospect, and and but I just think,
you know, to call it a waste is really way, way,
way too harsh. To say it was not satisfactory. Yeah,
you can go there, but that's kind of where I
stand on it. If that makes sense, it does.
Speaker 2: I agree with you. I don't think I'm in the
conversation of waste. I can hear disappointment. I'll say that
even there are disappointing moments. I think that's fair. That's
on the table. But you just gave all the reasons
of why it wasn't. And we've heard Jason Mcat how
we played that sound. A lot of people are saying
that it wasn't. You know, the numbers of the nial
of influx of all this, they're saying to be why
you get the best return on investment, and it is
Bruce Branch. The third is that the return on investment,
because we've seen it now right, number one year old,
number one high school, number one jugal now have committed
to be all you. Kj's play, kJ, Perry's youet to play.
We're expecting anticipating him to play next season. But if
Age's number one pick yiggor was a lottery pick last year,
top ten, it's just Bruce Branch commits five three five
stars in the last three years. To me, I think
that's what quality and if that is. And I don't
know what the national media wants.
Speaker 4: Yeah, certainly, I mean I don't think the national media
understands how AJ embraced this community and how in a way,
if AJ had not had a good experience at b YU,
if it had gone sour for whatever reason, it would
have been kind of disastrous for BYU. But the opposite happened.
He embraced the place. Everybody loved him, He loved BYU.
And he said that from the podium after the Texas loss,
when he easily could have been discouraged or sad and
you know, vented some frustration. Instead, he basically said what
was really in his heart and on his mind. And
so yeah, I when people talk about return on investment,
I mean, look at the Merihit Center's been packed. Look
at the schedule they were able to put together only
because of AJ schedule that I don't think non conference
schedule that will ever be duplicated because they just do
not have that type of guy that did say hey
we want you know. I mean the fact that they
were put in primetime, that Texas game up primetime when
all the other games were going on. That's the game
that CBS, TBS, all the stations chose to put in
primetime in the East. And it was because of AJ
DEBATSA even over Duke all the other teams that were
playing that day. So yeah, I think I think BYU,
I think it was worth every penny and then some.
I mean, I think he was worth millions more to
BYU in the big picture.
Speaker 3: I agree with you.
Speaker 2: I think when you look back on it five ten
years down the line, you just said, Agy debonds have
changed to bye to have a player like that Jay.
And look, you've covered BYU way longer than anyone else.
You've been doing this this beat a long time. This
is the first time we've seen a player of that caliber.
From everything I've heard in my short time covering come
to BYU be this successful elevate the program and probably
a change Biu's trajectory as long as Kevin Young is here,
probably for you know, all time and eternity. I hate
to go like spiritual and say that, but I believe
as long as Kevin Young c if AG is the
number one pick J, the floodgates are just going to open,
like BYU is gonna get I shouldn't say whatever they want,
but the high level talent is going to be like
BYU's the spot that I can be in, especially if
they the right cultural fit.
Speaker 4: Yeah, certainly. Kevin always uses the phrase proof of concept
and the next time he goes into a home. You know,
obviously with Bruce Bratt, she's already done it. But the
next time he, I mean, AJ Debonca is proven of
concept if there ever was such a thing. The fact
that you know, I mean, as of right now, it
looks like all the momentum is in his favor to
be the number one pick. And I mean that's all
he could ask for, you know, when Kevin Young recruited
him to BYU, and I mean, what more could you
ask for? Of course, they're not going to promise that
you're going to win a national championship and all that
other stuff. But the one thing that they could promise
him was that he would develop and he would be
an NBA, you know, top three pick, which he's certainly
gonna be. So AJ delivered on his promise, and Kevin
Young and Byu delivered on there. So win win, I mean,
I know they didn't get a win in the NCAA tournament,
but win, win all the way around, and on almost
every other aspect that you look at.
Speaker 2: Win, win all the way around. A lot of people
are gonna be happy. And he gave fans the season that.
I mean, you drop forty on Utah forty point triple
double baptisms highlights.
Speaker 3: I mean, look, you're gonna.
Speaker 2: Look back and be like, yeah, the return on investment
was there. Let's discuss the future though we know what
AJ is gonna do the rest of this roster. Where
do they go from here? Your counterpart, Jackson Pain has said,
back to the basket big. It seems like they're missing
that k Baketa was great. I don't know if I
agree with the be too experiment how that worked. Maybe
he doesn't need another year development. I'll be happy to
eat crow if I'm wrong, but you look at the
schools that are competing, even like a Tuggler with Houston,
you gotta even need a freak defensive guy, a guy
that can post up because it just it seems like
the bigs, you know, let him down and it was
to injury a little bit this season as well.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think they definitely need. Kevin said they needed
a more rugged player, more rugged inside players. Kevicaida had
a good career. He was slightly undersized and you know,
otherworldly athletic as everybody saw. He could jump out of
the gym, but he he had some liabilities offensively, He
couldn't shoot free throws very well. But most importantly, he
was not a low post scorer other than on lobs.
He cannot catch the ball with his back to the
basket and make a move and score like Foos could
a year ago, even despite being as undersized as he was.
So yeah, I agree. Kevin Young said it several times
the other night after the Texas lost the Holy Grail,
and college basketball is shooting and they need shooters. And
if you look at March Madness, you look at all
these teams that are advancing, they're the teams that most
of them can hit the three pointer consistently, and byu,
especially when Nitchie went down, But even before that, they
were showing cracks did not make shots. They did not
have consistent shot makers from the outside. Alexa came in
and helped him a little bit in that regard, but
he was wildly inconsistent. So I would say those two
things they need. They needed shot makers, and they need,
like Jackson said, a big, burly kind of a low
post score with some rebounding skills. I personally, I think
they had to keep Beato. I don't know what they're
paying him. It's obviously quite a bit if they got
him out of the G League, But personally, I think
you keep him because not of the starting center. I
don't think he was a starter in a Power Flour
conference on a Power four conference team, But I think
he's a good enough rim protector and guy down there
that can swallow up some minutes, take up some fouls
that you maybe keep him if he's guy, if the
value is right for both sides. But certainly they need
to get a guy that can score down low on
a consistent basis, and obviously they didn't have that this year.
Speaker 3: They didn't.
Speaker 2: I brought up the conversation of you know, could Ali
Khalifa helped the team?
Speaker 1: Now?
Speaker 2: I know Ali, His game shape readiness is different at
Louisville than it was at BYU. But when he was
on a hitting threes, it really stretched a defense. So
we'll see what they do in the offseason. How much
roster turnover do you expect, though, because the guys on
this roster didn't perform, I have to assume that Kevin
and the players themselves are going to probably look at
what's the best for them too. I think he said
it's not just us, it's what do other players want
to do. How much roster attrition do you expect going
into the next season.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I was looking at it. They lose
for five guys if you count aj for sure, then
so that brings eleven guys on the roster right now
or eligible come back, including kJ Perry the junior college transfer,
and Dawson Baker and Nate Pick and some other guys
that are maybe questionable because of the injuries. I think
of that group of eleven, I think six come back
or six or seven ish in that range. So I
don't you know they don't have. I don't think the
turnover is going to be huge like some schools and
the whole rosters turned over, but yeah, I think it's
going to be significant. I think I think some guys
are going to be showing the door basically, you know,
pat on the back, thanks for what you did, but
you just basically don't provide enough value. And that's what
it's all about in this day and age of nil
and rev sharing is is the player's got to provide
value the value that you're paying him. And some of
these guys frankly don't want to name names, but just
did not this year, and that was one of the
reasons for the kind of why the season collapsed a
little bit is I think they overvalued some of these
guys out of the transfer portal that got him in here,
and then they just the talent evaluation was off. These
guys were not as good as they were supposed to
be and and wouldn't be why you suffered a few
injuries and they were in a major hole.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you bring up a good point.
Speaker 2: Whatever the resources allocated to the guys were, it doesn't
matter at this point the season's over. But even then,
it didn't get the return on investment like it did
with other things. I think you did see some stuff
down the stretch from obviously Alexi coach Cunard.
Speaker 3: I think Dominique's defense.
Speaker 2: There's there's a couple of guys who I think if
they wanted to come back, you know, might have their place.
Speaker 3: But we'll see.
Speaker 2: I don't know who it will be, but the name
that has been flowing out there. Kevin was pretty declarative
in the post game, and we know Kevin Young doesn't
say anything Jay that he doesn't want to say. He
says that to your point about shooting more shooting around
Rob Wright, I was like, oh wow, did that conversation
already happen? You know, is he anticipating that? But more
shooting around Rob right? Is if Rob Wright's gonna come
back now he told you. You know, when you're at
the Big Tel Tournament, it's either by you or pro
there's no in between, go to another school. So it's
either Rob Wright comes back for one more year. He's
taken off the go start his professional career. Do you
believe Rob Wright comes back for once one more season?
Speaker 4: B YU, Yeah, I do, I really do. I believe
based on what Kevin. Kevin said of building the roster
around Rob Wright, Uh, with shooters, based on that, based
on what Rob told me. There's a few other signs.
We've just Rob's done something for Coasta Vita. It's been
out there. I think that's pretty much a local Utah restaurant,
So I doubt they would be, you know, putting all
these commercials out there if and all that, if Rob
was was leaving, so all those things stacked up kind
of lead me to believe that, yes, he is staying.
And Uh. And you know, let's one of the things
you guys have probably talked about ad on him on
your show is that these guys can make more money
in college nowadays than they can in the NBA, you know,
especially if you're not a first round NBA draft pick,
and Rob almost certainly wouldn't be. So, yeah, he can
make I don't know what he's making. I'm assuming it's
you know, it's well above a million dollars a year,
and he frankly could not make that in professional basketball NBA,
Europe anywhere. So it would you know, financially, it just
would be if he's going to stay in call, if
he's not going to you know, go to the pros.
It would be really behoove himself to stay at BYU. Yeah,
in college in particular.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're not wrong. And I think he likes BYU.
Speaker 2: And I look, I know this is how it is
when you look at Rob and this is what you know.
Sometimes it looks like on the court maybe I know
people say the body language. He's just a very mellow guy,
so it looks like, oh, he might not like it.
But when he's at the women's basketball game last night
and watching at the WBI T and he's with Tyler,
he's with Xavion, he likes it here in Provo. He
likes the fans, like taking pictures with people, dabbing people up.
But sometimes you know, when you're calm, cool and collected
and laid back, it doesn't get that vibe. But I
think Robin Joyce's time in Provo from what I'm seeing.
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure. I never I haven't had a really
a one on one conversation with Rob since mid January
by on phone, other than the little time we had
after he lost his tooth in Kansas City. But I've
asked him several times how with it going, you know,
as a double minority and all that in provo and
every time he's just said he loves it, loves the
kind of laid back nature of the place. He's okay,
kind of what he called being in a fish bowl
where everybody recognizes you. He said that was something he
had to get used to. But yeah, he's never said
anything remotely negative in my conversations with him about about
being at BYU.
Speaker 2: This is going to be He's gonna be a big
part of the offense if he comes back. I remember
talking to Jordan Brady in the off season and Jordan
straight up said, hey, we expect him to have a
big year and improving.
Speaker 3: He did.
Speaker 2: He had career highs I think in a lot of things.
So I'm not surprised that Kevin Young wants to bring
him back. If that would be the case, j We'll
get you out of.
Speaker 3: Here on this. How does that coexist?
Speaker 2: I guess with you know, the kJ Perrys of the world,
because you have to think with kJ Perry, Dawson, Nate
rob that's I love all those guards. When you look
at what their skill set brings. How do you get
the chemistry and make it co exist?
Speaker 4: Though, Yeah, that's gonna be a big, a big task
for Kevin and his staff. Of those four guys you mentioned,
I wouldn't be surprised if maybe they lose one of
those guys, gotcha, because of what you just said. How
you know, there's only a certain amount of minutes that.
Speaker 3: Go along, so much ball to go around, Jay, right, You.
Speaker 4: Know Dawson can play the two a little bit, and yeah,
other positions, he doesn't necessarily need to have the ball
in his hands a lot like like we know that
Rob does. So it'll be interesting to see it.
Speaker 2: Definitely will be interesting to see Jay. Before I'll let
you go, appreciate you joining us today. What's the best
way we can support you? What you do, how you
do it? Where the socials? Where's the website?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm on mostly on ax at Drew ju and
then on our website Deseret Dot, Calm, Backslash BYU Sports
you can find all my coverage Jackson Pain, Dick Harmon,
Dave McCann. The list goes on and on. Now we
try to cover BYU as best as we possibly can.
Speaker 3: Well, you guys do a good job.
Speaker 2: The only thing I'm gonna make sure I tell Brett
Kenny and all of that none of you four can be.
Speaker 3: On the golf team.
Speaker 2: That is not okay, all those names you mentioned, We
will get smoked in June if all of you are
allowed to be on the same team.
Speaker 4: We're gearing up. I'm throwing out that throwing this out
right now, we are gearing out.
Speaker 3: I do see every year the Desert dudes just comes in.
It takes about it.
Speaker 2: Don't think I've never surprised y'all got some good dudes
that could golf. But you know, make some room for
you know, the three man weave. You know, you need
a little bit of a you need a little bit
of flavor. I can stand out like Rob right in
the group. You know, I can stand out, you know,
a little bit o kJ appreciate your time today. We'll
let you go.
Speaker 4: Thanks for joining you, bet Ronnie, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3: Of course I was Jay Drew of the Desert News
and the Cougar Bead.
Speaker 2: Appreciate Jajo and I had to throw that little joke
there at the and hey, look I got I got
a little bit of flavor. I got some good here.
I got some good melanin in the skin. You know,
I'm a little bit of a vibe so come join me.
Come join me, but you need to join the Audion
Men's where get yourself and elevate suit today. Go to
ODII Menswear dot Com a little bit of them on
their own back order, but that's okay. You want to
look good, feel good, and do good by elevating your
suit game today. You gotta do that Brain Day in
the Squirrell Phenomenal. We'll have Brain Day on Thursday, as
we always do. Use that discount code.