WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:03.919 All right, let's get it. Wednesday afternoon Drivetime, nine minutes 2 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:05.519 past the hour of two o'clock. 3 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:07.280 Another beautiful day. Man, It's been a. 4 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:11.160 Stretch of great, nice warm weather here in downtown Salt 5 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:14.039 Lake City, Utah. It's about forty eight degrees and sunny, 6 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:16.600 and as it is every single day, it's gonna have 7 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.920 you along for the ride. My name is Spence Checketts. 8 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.920 I host this program. It is called The Drive with 9 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:24.320 Spence check Its on ESPN seven hundred ninety two NFM, 10 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.440 proud to be part of Utah's ESPN Radio network. That 11 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.000 young man is named Porter Larson. He produces the show 12 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:32.560 and we've got a lot to do on a jam 13 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:36.119 packed local and national sports day. Not a ton of 14 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.359 local stuff. Last night at the Utah Hockey Club, got 15 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:41.719 a win and a win they need it. Chicago's not 16 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:44.479 very good this year, two to one. So the march 17 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:47.600 toward the wild card continues for the Utah Hockey Club. 18 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:51.719 But tonight bevy of local action jazz taking on the 19 00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:55.520 Sacramento Kings at the Delta Center. University of Utah is 20 00:00:55.560 --> 00:01:00.840 at McHale take on Arizona. Tough task for Josh right out. 21 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:02.799 Of the Gates as the interim head coach for the Uts. 22 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:07.200 Brigham Young is taking on Arizona States, and the Utah 23 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.519 women will take on West Virginia. So we got a 24 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:13.400 lot to talk about on the program today. A lot 25 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:15.239 to talk about on the program today. You'll hear the 26 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.879 Utah men's basketball game on our radio station, our coverage. 27 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.359 We'll get rolling with Ryle's and Sean Mooney at about 28 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.319 six thirty to night and tip off on ESPN Plus, 29 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.239 keep that in mind is at seven o'clock. So a 30 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:30.760 lot of local basketball action to get to tonight. Some 31 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:33.760 great NBA basketball last night that did not include the 32 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:37.280 Utah Jazz. We saw Luka Doncitz take on his old 33 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.920 team in Los Angeles, Lakers and the Maps. Luca had 34 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:42.799 a triple double. Kyrie was awesome, but the Lakers were 35 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.719 able to hold off the Mavericks. The Warriors moved to 36 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.120 six and one with Jimmy Butler in the lineup, and 37 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:52.560 the Grizzlies and the Suns combined for two hundred and 38 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.159 ninety nine points. We saw a great game between the 39 00:01:55.159 --> 00:01:56.879 Bucks and the Rockets. So a lot of really fun 40 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:59.879 NBA basketball last night, and moving over to kind of 41 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:03.599 the stretch run. And I will say, as the guy 42 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:09.439 that oftentimes complains about NBA basketball employing basketball players that 43 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:11.960 don't seem to like to play basketball, some good hard 44 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:16.280 NBA action over the past few days after the All 45 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:18.479 Star break, you kind of see players playing a little 46 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:21.639 bit harder with more intention. And I wish they did 47 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:23.080 it all year, But what are you gonna do. We'll 48 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.560 take it as we can get it. The NFL PA 49 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:29.639 survey was released today. Whatdy Johnson is the worst owner 50 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.879 in the NFL? Eons to New York Jets. I am 51 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.400 a New York Jets fan. The annual Team report Card 52 00:02:36.439 --> 00:02:39.879 survey of nearly seventeen hundred players who graded their teams 53 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:40.919 in various categories. 54 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:42.879 So we do some NFL offseason. 55 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:45.560 The latest on Matt Stafford is the High Speed Ahead 56 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:48.479 to the Raiders. Reports are he's been hanging out with 57 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:51.319 Tom Brady. Are the Giants going to look to stag 58 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:54.599 Matt Stafford? And of course the NFL Combine is going 59 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:57.840 on in preparation for the NFL Draft. We've got free 60 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:00.719 uts there Forrede Reed junior to fote in Rand Keithy. 61 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:04.240 So we'll do some NFL on the program today as well. 62 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:08.479 Good guest list rsl is in action six thirty Mountain 63 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:10.039 Tome Kick rsel Eradiano. 64 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:11.759 We'll get you ready for that game as well. 65 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:14.800 It is soccer season and as you know, we like 66 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.199 to cover all of our local teams and local bases 67 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.159 on the program. We'll start things off today with Christopher Camaraddi, 68 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:22.159 our buddy from the Athletic. 69 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:24.000 We'll do a bunch of anything. 70 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:26.919 Excuse me, we'll do a bunch of everything and anything 71 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.080 with Chris Comaraddi. We may have a special guest live 72 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:34.479 in studio with Chris at three o'clock. Let's call the tease. 73 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:36.240 Won't tell you it is because I don't want c 74 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.919 koo either, but we'll bring in Chris in right off 75 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.520 the bat. Richard Smith joins us at three thirty for 76 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:44.800 an hour live in studio. Good day to have Smitty on. 77 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:46.960 I want to talk to Smithy about a bunch of 78 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:50.639 different topics, both with the Jazz and the NBA. Then 79 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:53.199 get Smitty's thoughts as somebody who's been in our community 80 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:57.039 for forty plus years on the current vacant head coaching 81 00:03:57.080 --> 00:03:59.240 position at the University of Utah. All due respect to 82 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.520 josh I don't think he's a candidate to take it permanently. 83 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:03.120 I could be wrong. 84 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:05.199 I have no idea what direction Mark Harlin's going to 85 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:08.159 go over bringing Smitty today and then the latest on 86 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.000 the utes, basketball, football, women's hoops. Maybe Red Rocks two 87 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:14.840 with Josh for Long on the program, an edition of 88 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.079 that So Chris Camaraddie, Richard Smith, Josh Furlong potentially a 89 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:21.480 very special guest live in studio during the three o'clock 90 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:23.959 hour as well, Me Spence checkets all of you the 91 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:28.000 great listeners, and that young man Porter Larson on a 92 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.279 Wednesday afternoon. If you're Josh Eiler and not, but I 93 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.399 know well if you were, that would be weird because 94 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.319 he has a game to coach. How do you feel 95 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.600 that the first game you're in charge of is potentially 96 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:42.199 one of the two or three hardest places to play 97 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.439 in the country. McHale is a nightmare. 98 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.639 I will say that's a tough place to play. It's, 99 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:53.319 you know, a storied venue. But I think it's also 100 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:57.160 a good opportunity to have a team that is really 101 00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:00.920 energized and you know, ready to play for I don't 102 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:04.240 know what that vibe is like, what that locker room 103 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:06.839 back and forth. It's like between Josh Eilert and those 104 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.639 players and what his culture that he's going to try 105 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:13.040 to establish is going to be. But hey, if you're 106 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:16.480 going to start anywhere, if it's not at home, why 107 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:19.360 not a historic venue on the road, because you really 108 00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:21.680 don't have much to lose as the interim head coach 109 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:24.399 going into a game against a ranked team in that venue. 110 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:27.000 All right, all right, I like that. I like that attitude. 111 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:28.839 Don't forget you can hear that game tonight. It's you 112 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:32.040 tie Arizona. The pregame coverage we'll be get at six 113 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:34.480 thirty and tip off is at seven. All right. Our 114 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:38.360 first guest today will be Christopher Camaraddie Liven Studio on 115 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.360 this beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Before we get the ck, courtesy 116 00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:43.920 of our good friends at Prize Picks, it is time 117 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.279 now for your opening tip. 118 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:48.160 Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check its on utah's 119 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.560 number one Sports talk. Now into the studios of ESPN 120 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:54.199 seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The 121 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.319 opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by 122 00:05:56.360 --> 00:06:00.639 Prize Picks. Use the code ESPN seven hundred and run 123 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:02.720 your game with Prize Picks. 124 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:05.720 Shout out to our good friend at Prize Picks. 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So if you put five dollars on 135 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:32.639 the line tonight with the Jazz, you could do Walker 136 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:37.040 Kessler more or less than two blocks, right Dolmos a 137 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:39.639 bonus more or less than nine point five boards. It's 138 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:41.519 very easy to do. You don't have to worry about 139 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:44.279 the spread over under anything like that. So download the 140 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:47.399 Prize Picks app today and use the promo code ESPN 141 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.279 seven hundred to check out. You'll get fifty bucks. You 142 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:52.399 don't even have to win. It doesn't matter if you win. 143 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:54.680 To lose the five dollars bet, they'll just put fifty 144 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:55.680 dollars in your account. 145 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:56.279 All right. 146 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:00.360 So the big news of the week has been of 147 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:02.560 Utah electing to move on from Craig Smith. The craigsm 148 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.680 Smith era is over the uttarn't action tonight. Josh Eiler 149 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:08.959 interim head coach and his first task is to lead 150 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:12.319 Utah men's basketball into McHale's Center to take on the 151 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:15.480 Arizona Wildcats. This is one of the hardest places to 152 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.800 play in the entire country. And give BYU a lot 153 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.920 of credit an Tony Padilla, the official, a lot of 154 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:25.040 credit for giving that game to BYU at the end 155 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:29.680 with a horrific call. It wasn't a super well officiated game, period, 156 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:32.160 but that call at the end was just a tough 157 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:34.360 pill to swallow. And I think the Arizona fans made 158 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:40.240 their feelings known with a ridiculously, you know, inappropriate chant 159 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:43.040 after the game. But Arizona is going to be grumpy 160 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.120 and it'll be interesting to see how Utah comes out 161 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.560 when it comes to this matchup. Arizona is a fourteen 162 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.519 point five point favor that's a massive spread. The over 163 00:07:52.600 --> 00:07:55.319 under is one fifty two point five. We've talked to 164 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:57.439 a bunch of guests throughout the course of the week, 165 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:01.279 Bill Riley, Sean Mooney, Josh Grant, et cetera. And yesterday 166 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:04.920 bringing on Bill and Sean live in Tucson, my question 167 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.040 was like, how do the players seem how do these 168 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:10.199 young men seem to be doing? And unfortunately neither Bill 169 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.800 or Sean had access to them yet because the players 170 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:16.040 were in route form Orlando. But I'll be really interested 171 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.839 to see how these young men look when it just 172 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:20.439 comes to their body language. 173 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:22.199 How are they going to react to a new coach? 174 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.360 How are they going to react to one of the 175 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:27.079 toughest places to play in all of college basketball? Against 176 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:30.319 the team that Ken Pomeroy still believes and certainly after 177 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:34.480 the chaos, as far as some of the colleges basketball upsets, 178 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:36.879 I always stay lost. Again, Ken Palm still believes that 179 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:40.039 Arizona is the second best team in this conference. Houston 180 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:43.559 has lapped everybody. They're clearly the best team in the 181 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:45.240 Big Twelve, probably one of the best three or four 182 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:48.360 teams in all of college basketball. But according to Ken Palm, 183 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.840 and it was Roxy Bernstein on the show yesterday, Arizona 184 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:53.000 the second best team in the Big Twelve. And so 185 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.519 the Utes with a tough tough task tonight, A really 186 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:58.279 tough ask. Now this feels a little bit if I 187 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:02.039 could draw the parallel, and it's not a perfect parallel, 188 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:05.799 but you know, what sort of improvement, what sort of 189 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:10.679 systematic change, what sort of concepts does Josh Eiler believe in? 190 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.559 And will that manifest itself immediately? You know, Josh coach 191 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.559 under Bob Huggins for a number of years. Bob Huggins 192 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:18.159 seemed to be a little bit of a grumpy man, 193 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:22.919 but a defensive minded coach that really believed in a 194 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:24.879 lot of full core press, a lot of pressure, you 195 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:29.000 you know, right up and down the floor, different sorts 196 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.000 of looks when it comes to a press, different sorts 197 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:33.320 of looks when it comes to wanting to make the 198 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:35.000 other team uncomfortable defensively. 199 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:37.039 I don't know if Josh is that type of coach. 200 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:38.759 I don't know if we're going to see Utah implement 201 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:41.679 some pressure, And honestly, this is probably the wrong team 202 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:43.000 to do it against because they have one of the 203 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:45.879 best point guards in America and Caleb Love, who's played 204 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:48.679 a ton of college of basketball and he's having another 205 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:49.200 great year. 206 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:51.679 He's a pro. Caleb's about sixteen points. 207 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:54.600 Four boards, four assists, his three point shooting percentage of 208 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:55.519 down to thirty percent. 209 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:56.840 But he is a problem. 210 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:58.879 And when you have a league guard like that and 211 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.840 an off guard like Aiden Bradley and even kJ Lewis, 212 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:04.240 they kind of have this three guard, three headed monster 213 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:07.519 with three really really capable ball handlers. I don't know 214 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.679 that Utah will be able to provide pressure to bother 215 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:12.960 this team. I don't think Utah has the personnel. I've 216 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.240 talked about it all week long. You know, we can 217 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:17.919 talk about the lack of results, in the lack of 218 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:21.799 winning that happened under Craig, and certainly when you're the 219 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.159 head coach, the issue is if you have a talent issue, 220 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:28.840 you're also partly to blame for that. In this modern 221 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:32.399 day and age of college basketball, you can't entirely blame 222 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:35.279 the head coach, but the head coach in college basketball 223 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.720 is also in charge of recruiting talent. It's different, and 224 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.480 I do think we're actually moving into a different kind 225 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:44.720 of era of college basketball and certainly college football, but 226 00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:47.639 we're kind of already there, and I don't know if 227 00:10:47.639 --> 00:10:51.840 the mechanisms to acquire talent in college will look exactly 228 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:54.759 like the pros, I mean nil essentially as free agency, 229 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:57.960 we just call it nil. But will we move into 230 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:00.600 this era where you have to have like a salary 231 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:03.799 capologist and somebody that understands the economics and you're actually 232 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:07.240 offering contracts to players in college and it looks a 233 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:09.519 lot like the pros. And I do think if we 234 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:11.080 get there, by the way, it will be very good 235 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:13.080 news because it will solve a lot of issues. I've 236 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.399 been on this for years. Just lean into the pro model. 237 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:19.320 If you want to understand the easiest way to eliminate 238 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:21.759 players coming and going via nil, guess what it is? 239 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:23.639 You sign a two year deal with a three year 240 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:27.320 you know, with a third year option. Okay, so here 241 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:29.879 Gabe Madson. Will use Gabe as an example. I guess 242 00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:32.000 let's use Ezra because Gabe is a senior. But here 243 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.799 Ezrasar is a two year contract to play for the 244 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.120 University of Utah, and then we have a third year option, 245 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:41.279 or hey, you have a third year option as well, 246 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:43.279 and if you want to leave after two years, then 247 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:44.759 you can leave, but at least you know that you 248 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.679 have Ezra for the next two years. And college basketball programs, 249 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:52.559 like college football programs, are starting to hire general managers. 250 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:56.519 They're starting to formulate their personnel to look very much 251 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:00.240 like NBA and NFL front offices, and so as we 252 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:02.399 kind of move into that era, you will have the 253 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:06.399 ability to sign contracts and sign players just like NBA 254 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:09.759 teams do via free agency. I seriously doubt we ever 255 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:14.039 get into an area where you can execute trades. Right. 256 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.639 Can you imagine if BYU and Utah just started trading players, 257 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:21.200 so instead of Utah losing Kiba Keda, it's like, hey, 258 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.320 just send us Richie Saunders. You can have Kbakeda and 259 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:27.080 a second round pick or whatever. It sounds so weird 260 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:30.639 to be talking about this, but ultimately, if college football 261 00:12:30.679 --> 00:12:33.279 and basketball move into the pro model entirely, maybe we 262 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:36.399 do start seeing trades. I don't know, but I do 263 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.320 feel that Craig as a coach is top shelf and 264 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:43.440 high level. I just don't think he had talent night 265 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.360 in and night out. So when it comes to what 266 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:47.279 we'll see now, this feels a little bit the way 267 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.039 we talked about Utah Football's offense when Mike Bajakian took 268 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:53.159 over after coach lud was fired, Like, what is Josh 269 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:55.720 Eiler going to figure out? That Craig didn't, and is 270 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.240 he just going to keep running Craig's concepts because that's 271 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.559 what these kids know, which may tonight kind of interesting 272 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:03.360 and worth tuning in to see if there are any 273 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:08.080 defensive philosophies or offensive concepts that change. You know, is 274 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:11.240 Josh Eiler a coach that believes in different things than 275 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:14.320 Craig believes? And I honestly have no idea, but that's 276 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:15.960 what makes tonight kind of interesting. 277 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:17.320 So Utah Basketball at Action. 278 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.240 You can hear that game on the station starting at 279 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:21.759 six thirty and then tip off will be at seven. 280 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.039 No real new news as far as the coaching candidates, 281 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.399 the two step in and replace Craig Smith have no 282 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:32.360 idea which direction they're going. We talked quite a bit 283 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.320 about some of the young coaching candidates that are coaching, 284 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.200 you know, kind of smaller schools right now that ultimately 285 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:42.600 feel like they could earn a shot of Bryce Drew 286 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:46.240 and Eric Olson. But a lot of people are leaning 287 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:49.639 in heavily to the idea of execut of executes, namely 288 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:53.039 Alex Jensen as your head coach and Andre Miller's your assistant. 289 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:56.480 That seems to be the rumor that's getting the most attention. 290 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:00.320 That seems to be the scenario in situation A lot 291 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.120 of alumni and boosters would lean into we'll talk about 292 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.080 this with Smitty coming up in a little bit. And 293 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:08.440 as I said yesterday with both Bill and Sean, I'm 294 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:10.840 not usually a hey, let's win the press conference guy. 295 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.279 I don't think it's really germane to results. I don't 296 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:16.000 think it's something that's necessary. But I do feel like 297 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:18.600 part of me feels like a little bit with this scenario, 298 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:22.559 trying to win the press conference and win the day, 299 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.120 and win the moment, to inject this college basketball community 300 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:28.559 with a little bit of life, life that we haven't 301 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:30.919 really seen consistently for a long time. 302 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.799 If we're completely honest. 303 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.919 If we're entirely honest, there have just been moments, right 304 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:40.559 Ray Jacaletti Andrew Bogut Boga was a Majeri's recruit. Even 305 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:44.279 Jim Boiling had a Luca Dertcha Luke Neville team that 306 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:46.440 went to the NCAA Tournament as a five seed. They 307 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.399 lost Arizona, but that was a good team. Coach Kriscoviak 308 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:52.159 had a couple of good team Delon Yakub obviously and 309 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.159 Craig had some wins here there Oregon, you know, Arizona 310 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.679 by U, but the moments have not led to any 311 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:01.679 consistent energy brought by the community. And so if you 312 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:04.559 get a release and the University of Utah sends out 313 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.399 an announcement like the new head coach of the Utes 314 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.960 is Alex Jensen and his lead assistant is Andre Miller, 315 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:14.320 I think instantaneously the basketball building up there receives a 316 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:18.200 ton of phone calls from interested consumers wanting to put 317 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:20.120 down deposits for season tickets next year. 318 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:22.519 And I do think that's what this program needs. 319 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:24.840 And I do believe both of those two would be 320 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:28.000 part of culture building that eventually might bring Utah back 321 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:30.759 to where we all want to see Utah basketball be. 322 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:35.399 So we'll have to see Little yacht Rock. On a Wednesday, 323 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:39.320 I told Porter to watch the yacht Rock documentary on 324 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.120 HBO Max because my next guest told me to watch it. 325 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:44.960 I've got to say, you have a pretty phenomenal taste 326 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:46.320 all of your. 327 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:48.360 I'm glad you know. 328 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:49.240 That's how we're starting. 329 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:53.159 Chris Camaraddi Liven Studio log on YouTube right now, We've 330 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.399 got seven viewers. You can see ck in sunglasses and 331 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.799 a shirt that I'm legitimately envious of, which is a 332 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:02.200 T shirt with a picture of Aaron Falk on it 333 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.919 in the Goat Adam Mikholitch and Aaron is trying to 334 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:08.519 fix his ear piece before he goes on television direct. 335 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:10.440 It's an excellent T shirt. 336 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:10.759 Thank you. 337 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:12.039 How'd you get that done? 338 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:17.080 There's a website called tea Public where you can upload 339 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:20.240 high resolution photos and make them look weird and then 340 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:24.159 they'll print a T shirt for you. Okay, so there 341 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:27.600 was a time for a good four or five year stretch. 342 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:29.679 We were making really stupid T shirts as like a 343 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.039 side Joe hustle as a group of friends. 344 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.240 Do you have any other falk teas or is that 345 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:34.840 your only one? 346 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:38.799 I have one. Falk made a once in a lifetime 347 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:42.240 one that I lost that I of you, not of me, 348 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.799 of the real Goat Gordon Monson, No way correct. I 349 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:50.200 haven't seen it since. The reason why I lost it 350 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:54.639 is because, long story short, my bachelor party was in Moab, 351 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.759 and for some insane reason, there was a bachelorette party 352 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:02.120 in Moab as well, and we met at one of 353 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:05.640 two bars in Moab and the groups got together and 354 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.160 they started dancing to country music. Okay, somebody liked my 355 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:10.440 shirt and they asked for it, and I gave it 356 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:11.400 to him. 357 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.119 Very nice of you. 358 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.759 It's now no longer a bar, it's gone. So now 359 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:19.440 there's only one official bar in Moab. This was This 360 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:23.599 was called the Rio, and it was a great time. 361 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.519 So you'll have to ask Aaron about the shirt that 362 00:17:26.920 --> 00:17:28.799 I don't know if he even has it. It's an 363 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:29.480 amazing one. 364 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:31.640 Falk has impressive Moab knowledge. 365 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:32.039 By the way. 366 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.359 I went down to Moab with Falk, our guy named 367 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:36.640 Bench and Trap when we played golf, and I don't 368 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.519 think I had been to Moab since I was in college. 369 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.599 I just have not been that down south very much. 370 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:43.000 And Aaron knew where to eat, he knew where to go, 371 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:43.799 he knew where to stay. 372 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:47.319 A lot of his guys at school at Utah State 373 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:49.519 were Moab amazing stuff. 374 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:51.680 Okay, yeah, without him, I would have been lost. But 375 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:53.640 otherwise we had a great time, great place. We need 376 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:55.480 to get you down there. Hey, let's go. 377 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:59.640 I was thinking about I think the last time, one 378 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:02.359 of the last times I went golfing was when we 379 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:04.440 were at Wasatch Mountain State Park and I wore my 380 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:05.880 Antonio Daniel's jersey. 381 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.720 Yes, and your garden gloves. 382 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:10.519 And my garden gloves. And the sheriff what do we 383 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:14.880 call him? The ward, the marshall, the marshall sorry, you know, aggressive. 384 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:16.640 The Marshall was none too pleased. 385 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.319 Yeah, so yeah, that's right. Did he ask you to 386 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.559 stop playing? Did he kick you off the course? 387 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:26.480 No, he he asked me to I think he asked 388 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:27.440 me to put shoes on. 389 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:28.359 Oh, that's right. 390 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.440 You also didn't have shoes. Yeah, yeah, I remember, Yeah, 391 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:35.319 I remember that entire scenario. You also teed off for 392 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.480 a par three with your driver and it was a 393 00:18:37.480 --> 00:18:38.920 great shot and it actually worked out. 394 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:40.160 Yeah, I think I landed on the green. 395 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:41.000 It was very impressive. 396 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:42.519 So we need to get you down involve. It's a 397 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:43.640 good time, man. We had a good time. 398 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:46.400 And when you get bench and fall together, you never 399 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:47.640 know how it's going to go down. 400 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:49.000 All right, Christopher. 401 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:52.480 Big news of the week this week, Craig Smith has 402 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:55.240 been encouraged to find more constructive things to do with 403 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.599 his time. He's no longer the head coach at the 404 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:00.440 University of your top. So let's just get your reaction 405 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:02.160 to that news and then we'll kind of dig in 406 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:03.680 a couple of dynamics here. 407 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.359 Like everyone else thinks somewhat odd timing, But if you 408 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:09.759 are a smart person who can read the tea leaves, 409 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:13.200 you are getting a jumpstart potentially on a coaching search 410 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:15.559 now as opposed to three or four weeks from now. 411 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:22.119 I understand the the argument of wanting to retain players 412 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:26.759 for the next potential coaching staff, but I think one 413 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.519 thing we can say is the next potential coaching staff 414 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:31.759 needs to make wholesale upgrades on this roster if they're 415 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:35.279 going to be competitive. And there are some pieces I 416 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:39.359 think you can say on this team, but Craig Smith 417 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:42.400 is a good coach. But looking at his track record, 418 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:46.200 even going back to Utah State, he generally performed really 419 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:51.119 well with guys he inherited. Namish Kita is the one 420 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.200 that I can really think of that he brought in. 421 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:56.960 Difference Maker went pro is in. I think he's in 422 00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:57.960 the Celtics rotation. 423 00:19:58.079 --> 00:19:59.079 Yeah minutes. 424 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:01.799 But you know Sam Merrill, he inherited. Sam Merrill is 425 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:04.839 so old our guy. Sam's twenty eight now, which makes 426 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:08.279 me feel very old. Sam committed to Stu Morril. That's 427 00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:11.839 how That's how long ago he came back and played 428 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:14.960 for Tim Durrea, who was Stu's an assistant. Yeah yeah, 429 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:17.240 and then when Tim got fired, you know, Craig go hired, 430 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:19.400 and so on and so forth. So long winded way 431 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.680 of saying, if Utah is going to be good, I 432 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:26.880 understand the fan base's desire to get a somewhat exciting 433 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.359 new head coach. You got to get plenty of very 434 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:32.079 exciting talent. That's the bottom line. 435 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:35.799 Yep, yeah, you're not wrong. And I do believe this 436 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.839 was more of a talent issue than a coaching issue. 437 00:20:37.880 --> 00:20:40.960 I mean, let's keep in mind, Utah basketball was picked 438 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:44.079 to finish last in the Big Twelve this year, and 439 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.559 when you look at you know, the expectation for who 440 00:20:47.720 --> 00:20:50.279 most people thought they would be, and the fact that 441 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:53.519 they're mid table with a chance to still win ten 442 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:56.720 conference games. I actually think Craig did a good job 443 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.240 this year coaching the roster. The problem, Chris, as you know, 444 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.960 this isn't the NBA. Will Hardy did not draft these players. 445 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:06.279 Will hard you to not acquire these players. That's Danny, 446 00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:10.359 that's justin. That's the jazz front office in college if 447 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:12.960 you don't have talent. It also comes back to the 448 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:15.559 head coach. Now, in the new day and age of 449 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:18.119 college of basketball, it's not as on the coach as 450 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:19.759 it used to be because you have to have a 451 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:23.319 healthy economic structure behind you to pay these players in 452 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:25.720 a way you didn't used to. And I still have 453 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:29.240 questions about where Utah's collective is. I honestly don't know. 454 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:33.039 Mark Carlin releases a statement. You hear certain things about 455 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:35.279 where they're at now, the excitement for where they could 456 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:38.799 be moving forward, But from a basketball standpoint, it's pretty 457 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:42.519 clear that economically Utah at this point has just elected 458 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:44.960 not to lean into the basketball financing the way that 459 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:48.920 Brigham Young has. How much of the consternation around Craig 460 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:50.799 and Utah basketball do you think it's tied to what 461 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:52.039 Kevin is doing down south? 462 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:53.680 I think it plays a role in it. I think 463 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:56.960 you'd be a fool if you didn't say that out loud. 464 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:00.559 Either you're up in the night or you're just lying 465 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:03.000 to yourself, and you could potentially be doing both. But 466 00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:08.960 the same way, Byu was gritting their teeth for ten 467 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:12.400 years while Kyle you know, was kind of running the 468 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:17.519 table over them with that, with that win streak, you 469 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:21.599 can't be shown up in such dramatic fashion by your rival, 470 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:26.279 Be so boring, be so irrelevant, and just not have 471 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:28.960 the fan base get apathetic. The fan base has been 472 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.920 apathetic for a long time. Let's be honest. I mean 473 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:35.680 we've talked about I think the last time they had 474 00:22:35.720 --> 00:22:40.200 a really good team, that Sweet sixteen team with Kuzma, Yeah, 475 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:44.640 Delon Wright yaka Perl. They haven't made an NCAA tournament 476 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:47.680 almost ten years. It's so wild, that is insane. Haven't 477 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:50.160 had a player drafted since Kyle Kuzma in twenty seventeen. 478 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:52.759 And I know, and I know the draft thing. You know, 479 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.799 like you need pros, you needah. Not only do you 480 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:59.720 need pros, but you need guys who can go over 481 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:03.279 and play at Barcelona or realmand just like Utah hasn't 482 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:07.039 had it right. And I know who is the dude 483 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:08.680 who wants sat John's that everyone was mad about. 484 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:09.880 Davon Davon Smith. 485 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:10.960 Is he a difference make round? 486 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:11.240 Yeah? 487 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.720 Yeah he's good. Okay, he's really good. 488 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:17.000 But does he make them a top six team in 489 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:17.680 the Big twelve? 490 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:19.880 Probably not, But he gets them a lot closer because 491 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:21.440 he's exactly what they're missing this year. 492 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:23.480 Okay, He's exactly what they're missing this year. 493 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.000 My argument would be, you need at least one or 494 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:29.319 two guys better than a guy like that in order 495 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.160 to really turn this thing around. And I don't think 496 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:35.000 Utah has come close to developing anybody like that in 497 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:36.160 house for a very long time. 498 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:39.079 It's very fair and it's a simple exercise, and you 499 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:41.640 can do it with both the local stuff and nationally. 500 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.720 I mean, whoever wins the national championship this year, whoever 501 00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:48.839 is in the final four, they will have more than 502 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:54.039 two or three high level pros NBA guys, fringe rotation players, 503 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.720 and then maybe a couple of players that can go 504 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:58.079 over to Europe. And we have examples of that that 505 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.880 we can look at with the University of Utah. The 506 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:04.079 s teams Rick ever had had, Andre Pro, Alex Jensen, 507 00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:08.160 European pro Britton Johnson NBA, and europe Mike Doliak made 508 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:13.240 money playing pro basketball. Hanald Metzla like they I mean, yes, 509 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:16.279 probably the best example. So all of these teams that 510 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:18.519 we all watched in the nineties that didn't just make 511 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:21.839 the tournament but made runs, one of them came within 512 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:24.079 a red bull of winning a national championship. They're up 513 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:26.400 ten and at halftime with Kentucky and then I I'll 514 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.720 never forget man. They come out of the locker room 515 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.880 in the second half within five minutes and like their gas. 516 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:34.200 Because Rick was essentially playing seven guys. He wanted his 517 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:37.599 top shelf players playing. And it's not just Utah. I 518 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.279 mean right now, Kevin Young down a BYU has two 519 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:44.400 pros for sure, two NBA guys for sure in Yegor 520 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:47.440 Demon and Cannon Catchings, and a guy in Richie Saunders 521 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:50.160 who's playing his way onto the radars and scouts. He's 522 00:24:50.200 --> 00:24:54.319 really good. He is a European guy for sure. I 523 00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:57.680 think that's probably it. I know Dallen Hall talks about 524 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.599 wanting to play pro basketball, but as John on Kalipara 525 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:02.680 used to say, when somebody asked him, Ami prosy yat, 526 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:04.799 he said, I have twelve go ask him. Right, they 527 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:07.079 all think they can play, but no, to your point, like, 528 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:10.640 if you want to win championships, if you want to 529 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:12.880 compete for championships, if you want to make the tournament 530 00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:16.119 and advance, this is a player's game at the end 531 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:18.519 of the day. Luke Walton took over the Warriors from 532 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:21.000 Steve Kerr and won like thirty seven of thirty nine games. 533 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:23.160 Luke Walton couldn't get a job. He just had that 534 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:26.799 group of players. So the unfortunate reality is the coach 535 00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:28.400 is the one who falls on the sword. He's the 536 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:30.960 one that loses his job because you can't fire the players. 537 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:34.000 This to me is a talent issue, period, and not 538 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:35.720 a coaching issue in my opinion. 539 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:38.480 Oh, it's been an issue for a long time. I 540 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:43.160 mean Larry, Larry inherited, I mean our guy Bill. Next 541 00:25:43.160 --> 00:25:44.799 time you have Bill on, you should ask Bill about 542 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:46.480 his first year on the beat. He covered that first 543 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:49.039 Larry team that will Arm. Yeah, that won like five 544 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:50.319 games back in the PAC twelve era. 545 00:25:50.440 --> 00:25:52.680 Porter Yes, idea, Bill Arm. Let's get Bill on this week. 546 00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:53.000 A right. 547 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:57.480 Larry built it into something that was tangible and it worked. 548 00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:59.799 Chris Hill was a huge Larry guy, made him a 549 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.599 ten paid coach in the nation, which you can make 550 00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:08.480 an argument is is a reach. But Larry proved to 551 00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.400 be able to get to the NCAA tournament and did 552 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.160 it a few times. It's interesting in retrospect that fans 553 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:21.000 were frustrated with Larry when you know Mark Carlin decides 554 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:23.599 to fire Larry I think they were on the hook 555 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:27.519 for about seven million of dead contract money with him, 556 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:30.000 and then I think it's about four with Craig. So 557 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.920 in three and a half years, the athletic Department has 558 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:36.160 had to pay essentially eleven million dollars of dead money 559 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:39.799 to coaches that have been released from their contract for 560 00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:43.480 a school like you taught, that's a lot. It's a lot. 561 00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:48.359 We're not talking about a blue blood program that has 562 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:51.599 cash rolling in. And to your point, I think one 563 00:26:51.640 --> 00:26:53.839 of the main reasons why this move was made was 564 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:58.640 because the apathy within the donor booster supporter base reached 565 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:04.759 a level that was untenable. And what is next is 566 00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:09.559 people going to try to live in the past, which 567 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:13.440 I think is a very dangerous game, especially a thirty 568 00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:16.920 years ago type past. But if those are the people 569 00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:18.920 that are cutting in checks all these years later, you 570 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:21.880 kind of have to listen to them. So how this 571 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:27.319 thing shakes out will see, But safe to say you 572 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:28.960 have to nail the higher man. But you have to 573 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:30.039 nail the higher. 574 00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:33.240 And before we get to what's next, because that's ultimately 575 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:35.000 where I want to go to. In just a moment, 576 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:39.559 there's a little bit of pressure on Mark to kind 577 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:41.119 of get this thing right. Yeah, you know, one of 578 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:43.559 the things that we talked about, and you and I 579 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:46.279 discussed this Tom Homo after he announced that he's stepping 580 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:50.319 down after twenty years, and look for people that are upset. 581 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:53.079 I know there are other sports outside of basketball and football, 582 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:55.200 but these are the revenue generators, and these are what 583 00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:57.960 people watch more than anything and are interested in more 584 00:27:57.960 --> 00:28:00.759 than anything. Shout out to the other coach hires, you 585 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.640 know that were made outside of it. But Tom essentially 586 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:05.480 went five for five. You know when you look at 587 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:08.759 Dave Rose and Bronco Menenhall and Mark Pope and Kladie 588 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.640 Satake and now the early returns on Kevin Young seemed 589 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:12.319 to be positive. 590 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:16.680 And Mark's only hires Craig that didn't work. 591 00:28:17.400 --> 00:28:19.759 He's only outside higher, Yeah, he's only outside higher. 592 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:20.160 Yeah. Yeah. 593 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:21.920 He gave Gavin Peterson the job after Lynn Leu. 594 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:25.640 Yeah yeah, right right, And so ultimately the plan was 595 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:27.960 in place, I believe for Moregan to take over for 596 00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:32.599 Kyle before Mark took his job. So we have Mark Harlan, who, 597 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.880 if we're honest, had a bit of a rough year, 598 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:38.200 a little bit here there, some rough looks. The press 599 00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:40.839 conference after the BYU game took a lot of heat, 600 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:44.240 was reprimanded from the conference, they had to pay a fine, 601 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:49.079 and the one main major higher he made is now over. 602 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:50.880 I don't know how much of it was his call. 603 00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:52.200 I don't know how much of it was boosters. I 604 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.680 don't how much of it was Taylor Randalls one of 605 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:57.440 the Taylor Randall's like an underrated figure and all this stuff, 606 00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:59.799 because that dude is sharp, He's very smart, and. 607 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:01.079 He's he's a sports guy too. 608 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:04.119 He's a sports guy, but he's a wicked, smart businessman, 609 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:08.160 like he understands the bottom line. So were these boosters 610 00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:10.880 going to Taylor and then Taylor going to Mark and saying, look, 611 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:13.640 we got to do something here. Is there something with 612 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:16.279 player retention that they were worried about, which is why 613 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.480 the timing was right now? Like do they want ezra 614 00:29:18.599 --> 00:29:20.880 us Our back? And are there players that feel like 615 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:22.839 they're underutilized that they want to keep. 616 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:24.279 I don't fully know how it. 617 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:26.720 All went down at the end of the day, but 618 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:29.119 it does sound like a lot of this was booster driven, 619 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:35.480 and so the reasons could be varied. We could reduce 620 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:38.160 it to the fact that he didn't win enough. We 621 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:41.000 could reduce it to the fact that the attendance continues 622 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:44.240 to dwindle. And it's a basketball community that I do 623 00:29:44.279 --> 00:29:47.119 think needs a little shot of juice, needs a little 624 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:49.960 shot of life. And that's why let's move over to 625 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:53.920 what's next. When you look at the direction that Mark 626 00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:58.319 could take. Here, there's a list of young coaches at 627 00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:00.720 smaller schools that have done a great jo and kind 628 00:30:00.759 --> 00:30:04.279 of the college basketball ecosystem has always worked like this. 629 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:07.559 You take a small school from a smaller conference, you 630 00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:10.200 get an auto bid to the NCAA Tournament because you 631 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:11.640 won your conference. You win a couple of games, and 632 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.440 your life changes. Craig did it right, and so Mark 633 00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:18.240 has already followed that model. You have names like Eric 634 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:21.000 Olsen from UC San Diego. You have Nico Medved from 635 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:24.000 Colorado State. You have Eric Henderson from South Dakota State. 636 00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:28.359 You have Leon Rice from Boise, Russell Turner from UC Irvine. 637 00:30:28.359 --> 00:30:30.720 This is a list put together by Jeff Borzello. So 638 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.960 that's one avenue the young college coach that's done well 639 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:36.640 at a small school and you're gonna make him rich 640 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:39.240 to coach in the Big twelve. The other avenue, as 641 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:43.440 you outlined just now is the Johnny Bryant, the Alex Jensen, 642 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:45.720 de Andre Miller, the former utes to sit on the bench. 643 00:30:46.519 --> 00:30:51.519 Let's start here. Do you think in our state it 644 00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:55.519 is over sold to need a BYU guy, need a 645 00:30:55.640 --> 00:30:57.720 Utah guy, need a guy that understands the community. Do 646 00:30:57.720 --> 00:30:59.640 you think that's in Do you think it's Do you 647 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.599 think it's overrated? Because every time one of these jobs 648 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:04.440 comes up and Chris, this is what we do. As 649 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:08.000 soon as Bronco left, it was Kilane right. Kevin's different, 650 00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:10.000 you know, but LDS b Yu it's kind of a 651 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:12.400 different thing. Do you think you have to understand Utah 652 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:15.839 to take this job? Urban didn't? 653 00:31:16.359 --> 00:31:21.319 Urban didn't. I don't think so. But if we're talking 654 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:25.559 about the power brokers behind the scenes, they are the 655 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:30.039 folks who presumably were involved during the Heyday and they 656 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:32.599 lived it, and if they're going to have a say, 657 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:37.039 they're going to trend in that direction. They do not 658 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:40.640 want to see the bleachers covered up anymore in the 659 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.000 upper deck. They shouldn't be covered up. They shouldn't be 660 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.640 I mean, like it's been like that for so long 661 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:50.160 it's insane. I personally think the Utah fan base as 662 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:54.799 a whole doesn't show out the same way some of 663 00:31:54.839 --> 00:31:57.119 the other fan bases in this stay tue for basketball. 664 00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:59.440 They they just don't and they haven't for a long time. 665 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:02.759 And maybe it is just being fed up with being 666 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:08.359 so average or below average. But I can tell you 667 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:12.319 the one time I was at the Huntsman Center where 668 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:14.559 I felt like it was at the Marriott Center or 669 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:18.599 up at up in Logan, I can't And I've covered 670 00:32:18.599 --> 00:32:21.960 a bunch of games there for fifteen years. Can't remember it. 671 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:22.920 Yeah, So. 672 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:29.200 There is a lot that goes into this. Like I said, 673 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:32.759 are you willing to go out and pay an Alex 674 00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:37.240 Jensen five to seven million dollars a year to leave 675 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:40.359 the NBA lifestyle to take over at his alma mater 676 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:45.720 knowing that the nil landscape at the alma mater might 677 00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:49.039 be on shaky ground. I mean, nobody's ever gonna come 678 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:52.039 out and talk about what numbers they have because they're 679 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:56.359 afraid of looking bad. But I think the frand for 680 00:32:56.400 --> 00:32:59.440 Scilla tweet caught fire a little bit, and I don't 681 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:02.680 think was wrong in putting that out there either. There 682 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:07.759 are many layers into what constitutes building a winning program 683 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:11.640 in college basketball, in college football, in twenty twenty five now, 684 00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:15.319 and you mentioning the talent, looking at the talent, is 685 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:19.160 there a indispensable player on this roster that absolutely has 686 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:23.440 to come back next year? There's not. No, there's not no, 687 00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:26.880 there's not there's not. I mean, like, you can't be 688 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:31.880 a power for conference team in a market that is growing, 689 00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:37.799 at a school that presumably is in a decent spot 690 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.960 that should be in a better spot when it comes 691 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:43.519 to nil, and not have a single indispensable player. 692 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:47.000 It's a really, really fair point because if you look 693 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:49.200 at the roster, so these are the players, there would 694 00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:51.480 be candidates to come back, and I think you'd like 695 00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:54.359 Ezra Sar back is at the end of the world. 696 00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:56.599 If you don't get him back, it's not. But he 697 00:33:56.599 --> 00:33:58.440 said he's had some real bride moments. He was the 698 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:01.559 best player on the floor in that byu in So 699 00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:04.559 I think you would like Ezra back, but it's not 700 00:34:04.640 --> 00:34:06.599 the end of the world. Keanu Daz is a sophomore. 701 00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:09.480 He has shown Spurts got the same deal. Think you'd 702 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:11.159 like him back, not a big deal if you don't 703 00:34:11.159 --> 00:34:14.880 have him. Hunter Rickson's gone. He's a senior. Of course, 704 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:16.960 when you look down the roster, so is lost and 705 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:22.079 lovery and Gabe Madsen as is Gabe's brother, Mason Shrob 706 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:26.360 Jamps is a junior. Jake Wallen might be the answer. 707 00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:29.000 Jake's sophomore. He was a pretty good player. But no, 708 00:34:29.159 --> 00:34:31.320 to your point, none of these players leaving would kill 709 00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:31.880 your program. 710 00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:35.800 Yeah, and that is pretty damning. I think it is. 711 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:40.079 And the fact that we have to go back to 712 00:34:40.760 --> 00:34:44.519 twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, seventeen to really talk about the 713 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:50.519 last time a Utah team had a potentially a potential 714 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:52.760 NBA player on its roster is pretty wild. 715 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:55.559 It's fair, No, it's very fair. What so let me 716 00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:56.599 get your thoughts on. 717 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.679 So, let me ask you, let me interrupt you. Yeah, 718 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:02.760 is going back in the time machine? Is that the 719 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:07.079 right move for a guy who if we're talking theoretically, 720 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:09.239 and Alex who's been a head coach in the G 721 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:13.199 League only asn't coached college basketball. I don't think since 722 00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:16.000 he was an assistant for Rick at Saint Louis in 723 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:21.480 twenty eleven, almost fifteen years. Yeah, you know, taking Andre 724 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:24.960 Miller out of Grand Rapids or wherever he is G League, Yep, 725 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:31.559 I just I can understand the draw, the desire for, 726 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.679 you know, the legacy to come back, but I honestly 727 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:36.480 just don't know what the right move is. 728 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:41.119 Well, and you also touched on this earlier. Whoever Mark calls, 729 00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:44.039 the first thing they're going to ask is what's your 730 00:35:44.119 --> 00:35:48.039 nil deal? What's the collective? What's the economics, what's the foundation? 731 00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:52.599 The financial foundation around your basketball program? Looks like what 732 00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:54.480 what is it now? And what are you willing to 733 00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:57.920 promise me in writing that it will be if I 734 00:35:57.960 --> 00:36:00.960 take this job, Because it doesn't matter if you resurrect 735 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:04.119 Rick Majaris. If you don't have your NIL in order, 736 00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:07.599 you cannot compete. Kyle talks about it every time he 737 00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:11.599 has a mic, like he leans into yes, like this 738 00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:13.559 is what we need from you as our community if 739 00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:16.039 you want our football team to be good. There are 740 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:20.480 wild reports, mostly on the football side, that top Shell 741 00:36:20.519 --> 00:36:23.719 football recruits won't even answer the phone until they get 742 00:36:23.719 --> 00:36:26.159 like fifty k and then they'll talk to you. 743 00:36:26.519 --> 00:36:28.280 I have no idea if these are true. 744 00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:31.079 I think he was Sharif Shaw, who gave a nice 745 00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:35.239 coach show pep Talk last year and shared some anecdotes 746 00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:37.199 about players that he wanted to get on campus to 747 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:39.800 visit Utah football for like Texas right, and He's like, 748 00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:43.159 I couldn't even get them to talk to me unless 749 00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:45.639 I was willing to like hit their venmo for fifty 750 00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:46.320 k or whatever. 751 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:48.079 Shout Kevin Reynolds, Shout out Kevin. 752 00:36:48.639 --> 00:36:50.199 Yes he is killing and we'll get to that in 753 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:54.719 a moment BYU's football andil situation and BYU fans who 754 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:56.719 like to use the Internet to be brave and killing 755 00:36:56.760 --> 00:37:00.440 our guy Kevin. But it doesn't matter if it's Alex 756 00:37:00.519 --> 00:37:03.400 Jensen or if it's pat Riley or Fitz Brad Stevens. 757 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:06.760 If your nil isn't in order, you're behind the eight ball. 758 00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:09.039 But to answer your question, I've changed my view on this, 759 00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:13.280 and here's why I do think this basketball community needs 760 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.519 a lifeline. I think they need an injection of energy 761 00:37:17.079 --> 00:37:20.639 and you know, just something to jumpstart the basketball community 762 00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:23.360 interest that we haven't had here to your point, if 763 00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:26.320 we're honest, in a very long time, consistently outside of 764 00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:31.280 moments Jacko letty boge boilin Dertcha Neville. 765 00:37:31.639 --> 00:37:34.559 Dea, how dare you n tournament? Dare you? 766 00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:34.800 Yeah? 767 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:35.000 Yeah? 768 00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:37.039 The five seat. They lost Arizona first round, but they 769 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:39.199 were a top five seed in the tournament. You outline 770 00:37:39.239 --> 00:37:42.760 some of Larry's teams. We've had moments, but nothing's been 771 00:37:42.760 --> 00:37:46.159 consistent since Rick was on the sideline. That's just the 772 00:37:46.159 --> 00:37:50.760 bottom line. And because of that, I just think a 773 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:54.800 Alex Jensen head coach, Andre Miller lead assistant would win 774 00:37:54.840 --> 00:37:59.119 the press conference inject life, and I believe the basketball 775 00:37:59.119 --> 00:38:01.199 facility would be in an data with calls for season 776 00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:04.079 ticket deposits. That doesn't answer the question of what it 777 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:05.840 looks like long term, and I can't speak to that. 778 00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:09.199 I know Alex better than I know Andre, and I 779 00:38:09.199 --> 00:38:13.519 think Alex is a very very smart basketball mind, and 780 00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:15.679 he is credited with a lot of development of very 781 00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:20.159 good players, namely Rudy Gobert. Five years ago, when Mark 782 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:23.159 decided to move on from Larry and Alex's name came up, 783 00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:25.320 I said, I don't think so, because I just think 784 00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:26.760 he's going to be an NBA head coach at some 785 00:38:26.800 --> 00:38:29.519 point five years later. I'm not sure he's at an interview. 786 00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:32.719 Back in the day, he had one interview with Cleveland 787 00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:37.360 before they hired Bickerstaff, and he was Quinn's lead assistant 788 00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:39.760 and that was such a successful run here in Saal 789 00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:42.079 Lake under Quinn Snyder. If I'm an owner, I'm looking 790 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:45.239 at his lead assistant. But at this point Alex himself 791 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:47.519 might be resigned to the fact that the NBA has 792 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:50.199 labeled me as a lifetime assistant, and if I ever 793 00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:51.480 want to be a head coach, it is probably going 794 00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:54.280 to be in college, and this would be an opportunity 795 00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:57.000 that I think at this point he would lean into 796 00:38:57.079 --> 00:38:58.760 in a way that I didn't think five years ago. 797 00:38:58.840 --> 00:39:01.559 So I think it makes more sense in my mind 798 00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:03.559 that I thought it did a number of years ago. 799 00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:05.320 So that we're going to bottom line it here before 800 00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:08.360 we go to break because I know you're ready. You're 801 00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:10.960 gonna have to hire the right coach who will bring 802 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:13.119 in the nil money, who has to go get the 803 00:39:13.159 --> 00:39:15.880 right players. Yep. It's as simple as that. And whether 804 00:39:15.960 --> 00:39:19.920 that's Alex Jensen or the dude from UC Riverside or 805 00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:24.960 Irvine or Richard Patino at New Mexico, that's how it works, period, 806 00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:25.719 end of story. 807 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:25.960 Yep. 808 00:39:26.480 --> 00:39:28.639 You have to hire a guy that people want to 809 00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:31.599 give money to to go out and sign and pay players. Now, 810 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:35.199 that's it. That's how it works. So if it is 811 00:39:35.239 --> 00:39:37.000 a guy that has ties to the program and it 812 00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:39.079 works great. And if it's a guy that doesn't have 813 00:39:39.159 --> 00:39:41.880 ties to the program and it works great too. Yeah, 814 00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:43.920 and right now it is an absolute crapshoot. 815 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:48.119 And to your original point, if the Echos and the 816 00:39:48.199 --> 00:39:53.800 Huntsman's and whoever else, the Garfs, the Garfs, the camaradis, 817 00:39:54.239 --> 00:39:55.320 you know, whoever else is. 818 00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:57.079 My other point was going to be, I just think 819 00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:01.880 b YU has a longer history of rich people who 820 00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:05.119 are willing to donate to the university. I think Utah 821 00:40:05.239 --> 00:40:08.880 in a sense is still young there in terms of 822 00:40:09.239 --> 00:40:14.639 significant athletic success. Overall, it is a school that hasn't 823 00:40:14.679 --> 00:40:18.559 reached that echelon as say a BYU that's been swimming 824 00:40:18.599 --> 00:40:22.400 in that pool for fifty years, as opposed to you 825 00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:25.239 can talk about Majeris and then Urban and Kyle, we're 826 00:40:25.239 --> 00:40:28.800 talking thirty years. Yeah, so there, and obviously with BYU, 827 00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:31.280 the reach globally with the church as much wider. And 828 00:40:31.320 --> 00:40:33.519 I'm not saying there aren't rich members of the church 829 00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:36.559 that went to the U. There are, but that is 830 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:38.679 also a very big part of this as well. The 831 00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:42.400 really rich people who want to donate money, they are 832 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:43.960 fewer and far between. 833 00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:46.000 It the you as opposed to, and I think the 834 00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:48.199 data indicates that. So if you're a Youte fan, and 835 00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:53.960 if you're listening, we need to start instantly creating MLMs 836 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:58.000 in Salt Lake that can fool peak companies into believing 837 00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:02.400 that a gel will cure answer or a drink. 838 00:41:02.840 --> 00:41:04.559 Have you watched the Netflix on the on the dude 839 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.519 who wants to live forever? 840 00:41:06.440 --> 00:41:09.360 No, but from Utah? Of course he is, he went 841 00:41:09.400 --> 00:41:12.519 to Of course he is. That doesn't My brother sent 842 00:41:12.599 --> 00:41:15.039 me his book. I'm I'm not reading this and I 843 00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:17.719 haven't watched it either, because you know what, you just 844 00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:20.320 put me in a bad rude. But the data, so 845 00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.920 what I was told by somebody you would know is 846 00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:25.239 that BYU right now has nine seven figure donors. Utah 847 00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:27.079 is too, and I think you can guess who the 848 00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:29.679 two are. But before we catch a break, to your point, 849 00:41:29.880 --> 00:41:31.960 if the Echos and the Huntsmen and the Garths and 850 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:36.360 whoever else up here is donating money at a large level, 851 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:40.800 if they call Taylor President Randall and they say we 852 00:41:40.840 --> 00:41:44.679 want Alex, you got to hire him. I think it's 853 00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:47.480 kind of that simple. Because the people with deep pocketbooks 854 00:41:47.480 --> 00:41:48.760 are running this thing in a way they never have 855 00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:52.840 ye last thing because I wanted to ask you, what, 856 00:41:52.840 --> 00:41:54.840 what's your opinion on kind of the pressure that Mark 857 00:41:54.920 --> 00:41:56.639 is under to get this thing right based off of 858 00:41:56.679 --> 00:41:57.760 the rough year he's had. 859 00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:03.400 Well. So when Mark was hired from UCF, he came 860 00:42:03.440 --> 00:42:06.440 in as a guy who was very, very good at 861 00:42:06.719 --> 00:42:12.239 fundraising and wanted to prioritize facilities. That's talking to folks 862 00:42:12.280 --> 00:42:14.840 down in Tampa. They said that was his bread and butter, 863 00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:18.039 and he's done that. He got the you know, the 864 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:20.400 garfend Zone whatever that's called. He got that across the 865 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:22.239 finish line after Chris Hill put in a lot of 866 00:42:22.280 --> 00:42:24.119 work on that. You know, they broke round on the 867 00:42:24.159 --> 00:42:28.239 gymnastics center, They're working on the baseball stadium wherever that's 868 00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:31.320 going to be up on Sunnyside. But at the end 869 00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:33.440 of the day, Man, I've said this on the show 870 00:42:33.559 --> 00:42:38.400 Ad nauseum, the product is all that matters. Fans want 871 00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:41.519 to pay to see their teams play an exciting style 872 00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:44.400 of sport, whatever it is, and you have to nail 873 00:42:44.440 --> 00:42:49.400 it otherwise. If you don't nail this higher, then people 874 00:42:49.400 --> 00:42:51.440 are going to start to get really, really frustrated. 875 00:42:51.639 --> 00:42:53.519 I think, if we're honest, there are a lot of 876 00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:56.599 people in this community that have put some pressure on 877 00:42:56.679 --> 00:43:00.360 Mark and if this doesn't go well, I'm not making 878 00:43:00.360 --> 00:43:03.039 any sort of grand statement about what's next, but I 879 00:43:03.039 --> 00:43:04.960 think this is bigger for him than most people realize. 880 00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:06.679 No, I wholeheartedly agree, all. 881 00:43:06.639 --> 00:43:09.039 Right, ck Liven Studio. We got a special guest I 882 00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:10.840 think joined us coming up next with Chris. He doesn't 883 00:43:10.840 --> 00:43:12.400 know who it is. I wanted it to be a surprise. 884 00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:14.559 It's brought to you by friends at Burt Brothers. 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More information 899 00:43:57.039 --> 00:44:00.119 online at Burt Brothers dot com or with CK and 900 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:03.000 a special guest live coming up right here on ESPN 901 00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:11.079 seven hundred. I got a Tom Bowter tweet. Wow, this 902 00:44:11.239 --> 00:44:14.360 is a little serendipity according to uh what do we 903 00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:18.800 call him? C K Tommy, Tommy Scoops. 904 00:44:19.159 --> 00:44:22.119 Lance, Now hold on a second, Okay, I'm gonna bring 905 00:44:22.119 --> 00:44:22.280 you in. 906 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:25.679 I'm gonna bring in cording to Tommy Scoops, uh courding 907 00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:28.239 of sources where all saw Lake looking both international and 908 00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:30.920 domestic for a center forward. Amos dabl And signed before 909 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:34.280 the end of the window. Hopefully soon RSL's called around 910 00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:39.960 MLS about Duncan McGuire, Brian White, Willie Ajada and you 911 00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:41.320 know what, not even taking a shot. 912 00:44:41.320 --> 00:44:43.679 The last name Tanny is the first name. 913 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:44.320 Uh. 914 00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:44.800 So there you go. 915 00:44:44.800 --> 00:44:47.639 A little r SL news which is apropos because Chris 916 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:51.000 Camraaddie live in studio and sitting across from me, very 917 00:44:51.039 --> 00:44:54.880 handsome haircut. Trey Fitzgerald on a Wednesday, Hello Trey, good 918 00:44:54.920 --> 00:44:56.079 to be here, Thanks for coming. 919 00:44:55.920 --> 00:44:59.039 To see you guys on Conker Calf home opener day. 920 00:44:59.199 --> 00:45:02.079 Well, let's star art with Tommy Scoops. We got we 921 00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:04.679 got a forward on the way or what I mean? Look? Uh, 922 00:45:04.920 --> 00:45:07.400 Kurt all but admitted it on the show last week. Yeah, 923 00:45:07.400 --> 00:45:08.119 you guys are looking. 924 00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:08.679 Yeah. 925 00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:12.320 No, Kurt had a media breakfast that you did not 926 00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:14.079 RSVP for a few weeks ago. 927 00:45:14.239 --> 00:45:16.000 That's irrelevant, he shared. 928 00:45:16.519 --> 00:45:21.239 Basically, this information is that RSL seeking a forward, maybe 929 00:45:21.239 --> 00:45:25.920 a DP nine, maybe a winger, maybe both, hopefully getting 930 00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:28.440 it done before the April twenty third close of the 931 00:45:28.519 --> 00:45:31.960 current window, because if you wait till the summer, there's 932 00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:34.519 only going to be seven or eight MLS games left 933 00:45:34.519 --> 00:45:35.599 by the end of August. 934 00:45:35.639 --> 00:45:38.800 Who was at the media breakfast? Was it Falking Dens Or. 935 00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:44.960 Who dens has hung up the tape Recorder's basically hung 936 00:45:45.039 --> 00:45:46.519 up his Twitter game too, But. 937 00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:49.239 Out to Den's may the forest Beware of the Originals? 938 00:45:49.320 --> 00:45:52.360 Oh yeah, love soccer and Star Wars. David James there, 939 00:45:52.559 --> 00:45:55.519 DJ made Andy Larson was there, shout out to Andy, Okay, 940 00:45:55.639 --> 00:45:57.480 several did you send me an email about this? 941 00:45:58.199 --> 00:46:01.880 I send you every email. I'm not it's the old well, 942 00:46:01.880 --> 00:46:03.559 I'm not going to give out your email on here. 943 00:46:04.559 --> 00:46:06.960 It's all right, the old st check one which you 944 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:07.599 may not check. 945 00:46:07.679 --> 00:46:10.599 You just gave it out and that's all right. Do 946 00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:12.119 I get a credential this year or what. 947 00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:17.199 Only if your hotmail accepted the application? 948 00:46:17.320 --> 00:46:19.199 Do you want to tell email stories on the radio 949 00:46:19.239 --> 00:46:19.719 today track? 950 00:46:19.960 --> 00:46:20.199 No? 951 00:46:20.280 --> 00:46:21.079 I don't have to. 952 00:46:21.559 --> 00:46:23.880 Do you know what Trey's email was in two thousand 953 00:46:23.880 --> 00:46:24.239 and four? 954 00:46:24.440 --> 00:46:24.920 I do not. 955 00:46:25.079 --> 00:46:28.599 Okay, quick story, anecdotally real quick. So two thousand and four, 956 00:46:28.639 --> 00:46:30.519 Tray is one of the first people we hire for RSL. 957 00:46:30.840 --> 00:46:33.119 We hadn't had our RSL email set up yet, and 958 00:46:33.159 --> 00:46:34.960 I wanted to start a fantasy football league for the 959 00:46:34.960 --> 00:46:35.519 new employee. 960 00:46:35.559 --> 00:46:36.480 So we get to know each other. 961 00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:39.000 So I go to Todd, Titus Brook Bingham, John Kimball, 962 00:46:39.159 --> 00:46:40.320 So I got to try and like, try, I need 963 00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:42.039 your email and he goes, I don't want to tell 964 00:46:42.039 --> 00:46:47.559 you what, dude, we're starting a fantasy football league. You 965 00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:48.880 got to tell me what it is. And he looks 966 00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:52.960 at me and he goes, it's ll cool. Tray. Oh yeah, 967 00:46:53.039 --> 00:46:55.559 oh yeah, at yes, I had that at AOL dot 968 00:46:55.840 --> 00:46:57.719 I do that at AOL dot com LLL. 969 00:46:57.760 --> 00:46:59.519 AOL was still holding on at the time. 970 00:46:59.760 --> 00:47:02.239 It's no for sure, and instantly I'm like, I want 971 00:47:02.239 --> 00:47:04.280 to hang out with that guy, like that sounds awesome. 972 00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:07.119 Spence just wanted to play fantasy football against soccer guys 973 00:47:07.159 --> 00:47:08.159 for his ego's sake. 974 00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:09.800 I can't even tell you how much money I've made 975 00:47:09.800 --> 00:47:13.199 off that dumb league. I've wanted like thirteen times. If 976 00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:15.280 you want to feel good about your football knowledge, play 977 00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:18.519 fantasy football with soccer people. Matt Lennio is like my 978 00:47:18.599 --> 00:47:22.000 farm league. It is awesome. How many how many folks 979 00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:23.480 are we expecting out at the Riot tonight? 980 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:25.920 I think we could see twelve to fourteen thousand out 981 00:47:25.960 --> 00:47:30.079 at America First Field and Sandy tonight. It's obviously clear day, 982 00:47:30.119 --> 00:47:32.239 beautiful day. It'll be a little chilly this evening. Going 983 00:47:32.280 --> 00:47:34.880 to warm up even more this weekend for the two 984 00:47:34.920 --> 00:47:38.119 thirty kickoff Saturday against Seattle, which will be sold out 985 00:47:38.320 --> 00:47:38.760 very nicely. 986 00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:41.599 You just called it the riot, right, It's a riot, Okay, 987 00:47:41.599 --> 00:47:44.280 it's the right. I never called it vivid. It was 988 00:47:44.320 --> 00:47:46.639 Delta Center still is. You know, it always was, it 989 00:47:46.760 --> 00:47:49.239 is now, it will always be the riot at America 990 00:47:49.280 --> 00:47:52.039 First Field. Let's get the online community angry today and 991 00:47:52.039 --> 00:47:54.039 refer to it. Referred to it as America First. 992 00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:55.280 Field credit Union. 993 00:47:56.119 --> 00:47:57.760 I'm aware of it. 994 00:47:57.760 --> 00:48:00.679 It's the same like if you get mad that cocuzesota 995 00:48:00.719 --> 00:48:02.920 because it's also a drug. You're an idiot. You can't 996 00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:04.920 hold two thoughts in your mind at once. It is 997 00:48:04.960 --> 00:48:07.519 a credit union. In addition to a statement that makes 998 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:10.719 people upset, I'm here, RSL striker potential, what do you 999 00:48:10.719 --> 00:48:12.119 think necessary? 1000 00:48:13.599 --> 00:48:16.960 I think you saw last year what Pablo Masteroeni can 1001 00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:19.239 do with a full deck of cards. And I'm not 1002 00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:21.559 saying he doesn't have a full deck of cards, but 1003 00:48:21.639 --> 00:48:27.000 I kind of am right now. I think the offseason 1004 00:48:27.400 --> 00:48:30.840 went sideways for RSL at the most important position on 1005 00:48:30.880 --> 00:48:34.599 the team, and that happens, and you brought in some 1006 00:48:34.719 --> 00:48:37.960 pieces that hopefully pan out. But as we saw over 1007 00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:40.760 the weekend, Man and Trey knows this, like the teams 1008 00:48:40.800 --> 00:48:43.360 that were winning and scoring goals, they were having goals 1009 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.800 scored by guys that came into this league and were 1010 00:48:45.840 --> 00:48:49.760 paid five to ten million dollars. That's where we are now. 1011 00:48:50.320 --> 00:48:53.880 You can't moneyball it anymore. You simply can't. Yep, And 1012 00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:59.079 I think RSL knows that the bones around the number 1013 00:48:59.159 --> 00:49:03.159 nine position is there. But without that, without an alpha, 1014 00:49:03.679 --> 00:49:06.639 I don't know what the ceiling is for this team 1015 00:49:06.639 --> 00:49:10.639 beyond scraping for sevent eight. I don't know, Tray, Are 1016 00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:11.480 we still top seven? 1017 00:49:11.599 --> 00:49:15.840 Is top top nine? Now there's an eight to nine 1018 00:49:15.840 --> 00:49:17.320 play in game in each conference? 1019 00:49:17.360 --> 00:49:20.480 Yeah, that's right, top nine for the playoffs? Yeah, dumb league. 1020 00:49:20.559 --> 00:49:23.159 So there's fifteen teams in each conference. 1021 00:49:23.199 --> 00:49:25.679 That's still too many teams in the playoffs. You just 1022 00:49:25.719 --> 00:49:28.199 want more content for your Apple viewers, and then you 1023 00:49:28.199 --> 00:49:30.920 can lie about the number of viewers. I understand is 1024 00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:34.679 it Ilias man Manuel? Because I had I said Elias, 1025 00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:36.199 and he corrected me. He said it was Ilias. 1026 00:49:36.239 --> 00:49:37.480 I've heard it three different ways, all. 1027 00:49:37.440 --> 00:49:40.880 Right, Anyway, he didn't person so helped me understand this, right. 1028 00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:43.000 So what happened because it felt like there was a 1029 00:49:43.000 --> 00:49:46.519 little bit of buzz around him potentially coming And when 1030 00:49:46.519 --> 00:49:48.719 I looked at simply the release you sent, they'd had 1031 00:49:48.840 --> 00:49:51.119 numbers that he had scored goals and it looked like 1032 00:49:51.159 --> 00:49:54.679 he could be was somewhat of an answer so I think. 1033 00:49:54.599 --> 00:49:58.480 Young young Anderson Julio was the thought there half the 1034 00:49:58.559 --> 00:50:02.119 price five six years younger uh scored a hat trick 1035 00:50:02.159 --> 00:50:04.320 in the playoffs two years ago. Was it was it 1036 00:50:04.599 --> 00:50:09.039 was a pretty good player for New York. Pablo Kurt 1037 00:50:09.159 --> 00:50:12.840 had a exciting in there in Kurt's terms, zoom call 1038 00:50:13.559 --> 00:50:17.960 with this guy. And then after he was traded, and 1039 00:50:18.039 --> 00:50:22.280 this happens, I think more often than not with foreign players. 1040 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:24.960 Is anywhere else in the world do you have a 1041 00:50:25.039 --> 00:50:28.639 say and where you go when you leave a team. 1042 00:50:28.679 --> 00:50:32.400 In MLS, you're traded, much like in every American sports league. 1043 00:50:32.440 --> 00:50:36.480 And and this guy and his agent two days before 1044 00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:38.760 training camp said hey, we're not going to show up 1045 00:50:38.840 --> 00:50:42.639 until you triple my salary. And we said, it's not 1046 00:50:42.679 --> 00:50:43.280 how we were. 1047 00:50:43.239 --> 00:50:44.280 It was a salary demand. 1048 00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:47.440 Yeah, And then he he and his agent they wrote 1049 00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:50.320 a big letter saying that they don't recognize Major League 1050 00:50:50.360 --> 00:50:54.920 Soccers the contractual bylaws that allow you to be traded 1051 00:50:55.079 --> 00:50:57.239 because MLS owns all the player comes. So it's a 1052 00:50:57.280 --> 00:51:01.840 very unique thing. But so he never reported, He got 1053 00:51:01.880 --> 00:51:05.920 suspended and fined and all these things, and I think 1054 00:51:05.960 --> 00:51:09.159 now he's on the verge. According to Tom Bogert on 1055 00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:12.519 the verge of being sold to a very prominent team 1056 00:51:12.519 --> 00:51:15.840 in Brazil. So I think RSL will end up being 1057 00:51:15.920 --> 00:51:18.280 made whole for the for the gam that we sent 1058 00:51:18.360 --> 00:51:20.760 New York for him and a bunch of draft picks 1059 00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:24.760 back on December twentieth. It's a little disappointing, right, Like, 1060 00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:27.920 you know, he sounded like he wanted to come take 1061 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:32.039 Julio's place and maybe compete to take Chicho's place eventually, 1062 00:51:32.079 --> 00:51:35.480 but he was viewed internally as a Anderson Julio replace him. 1063 00:51:35.519 --> 00:51:37.679 Yeah, and if we're being honest, that's as a placeholder. 1064 00:51:38.360 --> 00:51:40.599 He was a guy that could have helped stem the 1065 00:51:40.639 --> 00:51:45.480 tide from January when they reported in camp through conquer 1066 00:51:45.599 --> 00:51:50.000 Calf March April, hopefully get somebody who's going to come 1067 00:51:50.039 --> 00:51:52.239 in and be in Alpha. But he was not the 1068 00:51:52.280 --> 00:51:54.320 guy that was going to be the person who was 1069 00:51:54.360 --> 00:51:57.079 going to replace Chicho Rondo. Is that that's just? 1070 00:51:57.239 --> 00:51:57.960 Is that fair to say? 1071 00:51:58.000 --> 00:51:58.480 Absolutely? 1072 00:51:58.480 --> 00:51:58.679 Okay? 1073 00:51:58.719 --> 00:52:03.039 Yeah, all right, and and sorry to interrupt you please again. 1074 00:52:03.159 --> 00:52:06.280 To get back to where RSL was last year, I 1075 00:52:06.760 --> 00:52:09.840 understand Deandrascoms sale had to happen, and you do that 1076 00:52:09.880 --> 00:52:14.360 ten times out of ten, but you have to have 1077 00:52:14.519 --> 00:52:19.039 somebody come in and take I don't know, bowl by 1078 00:52:19.039 --> 00:52:23.159 the horns, scruff of the neck. I don't know which 1079 00:52:23.400 --> 00:52:27.360 RSL attacker right now instill sphere in an opponent, I 1080 00:52:27.400 --> 00:52:29.440 honestly don't. And there was a time last year where 1081 00:52:29.440 --> 00:52:31.760 you had several and it's just part of it. But 1082 00:52:31.840 --> 00:52:35.159 for RSEL to get back into contention in a league 1083 00:52:35.239 --> 00:52:38.320 now that is spending a bleep ton of money on 1084 00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:41.000 attacking players, they got to nail these moves. 1085 00:52:41.320 --> 00:52:45.840 So the strikers on the roster now, Ilius is on 1086 00:52:45.880 --> 00:52:46.840 the website. 1087 00:52:47.280 --> 00:52:48.920 Well, he's still technically our proper. 1088 00:52:49.039 --> 00:52:50.519 You haven't finalized the sales. 1089 00:52:50.599 --> 00:52:54.800 Forrester for sure, A Jago r Peel Ari Peel? 1090 00:52:55.000 --> 00:52:57.400 Are those the two best strikers on the rosters? 1091 00:52:57.599 --> 00:53:00.719 The two nines right now? There is a first round 1092 00:53:00.800 --> 00:53:04.320 draft pick named his sus Barea who will officially sign 1093 00:53:04.400 --> 00:53:07.639 his MLS deal shortly once his student visa goes to 1094 00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:09.400 being a P one visa. 1095 00:53:09.480 --> 00:53:11.519 You know what his middle name is, I don't hopefully 1096 00:53:11.519 --> 00:53:15.599 starts with Jay JJ Burreah. There you go, you like it. 1097 00:53:17.480 --> 00:53:20.760 And then as you said, Kurt is scouring the league 1098 00:53:20.800 --> 00:53:23.880 and scouring the globe looking for more competition up top. 1099 00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:28.639 I think, to Chris's point, like you've seen a vander 1100 00:53:28.760 --> 00:53:33.280 go from Portland to Cincinnati for thirteen million. Cincinnati also 1101 00:53:33.360 --> 00:53:36.639 signed an international striker named Kevin Dankey for sixteen million. 1102 00:53:36.679 --> 00:53:37.440 I believe. 1103 00:53:38.920 --> 00:53:41.480 Lucha Acosta, who was the MVP two years ago, went 1104 00:53:41.519 --> 00:53:45.199 from Cincinnati to Dallas for five million cash. So yes, 1105 00:53:45.320 --> 00:53:48.360 the price of doing business is going up in this league. 1106 00:53:49.639 --> 00:53:52.400 You remember we bought Chicho almost two years ago for 1107 00:53:52.480 --> 00:53:56.360 six million. That's the biggest purchase in the history of RSL. 1108 00:53:57.280 --> 00:54:00.639 As Pablo has taken a saying before Chicho was he 1109 00:54:00.760 --> 00:54:04.719 was just a guy. Right now, rip Ol and Forster 1110 00:54:04.800 --> 00:54:07.800 Rajago are just guys and they got to perform to 1111 00:54:07.960 --> 00:54:11.679 become what everybody believes they will be. I think between 1112 00:54:11.679 --> 00:54:16.519 Diego Luna, Diego Gonsalves, Dominic Marchuk, there is a belief 1113 00:54:16.719 --> 00:54:19.320 that we can set these guys up for success, but 1114 00:54:19.880 --> 00:54:22.079 clearly we've not seen that in the first one hundred 1115 00:54:22.079 --> 00:54:24.400 and eighty minutes this season. I think Forrester has had 1116 00:54:24.400 --> 00:54:26.159 a couple of good breakaway opportunities that. 1117 00:54:26.559 --> 00:54:27.440 Didn't get finished. 1118 00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.920 And I think tonight you'll see you a different team 1119 00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:34.000 that just plays a little better and more cohesively than 1120 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:35.039 what we saw Saturday tonight. 1121 00:54:35.159 --> 00:54:35.599 Jason. 1122 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:40.079 Two weeks ago, Jason crist and shout out to John Paul, 1123 00:54:40.159 --> 00:54:42.800 you guys have lost JP. We're trying to win JP 1124 00:54:43.039 --> 00:54:45.519 back to becoming an RSL fan, So this is partly 1125 00:54:45.559 --> 00:54:49.800 for him. Jason brought up the conversation that my father 1126 00:54:49.880 --> 00:54:52.480 had with him when Jason went to him and said, 1127 00:54:52.480 --> 00:54:55.119 I'm trading Jeff Cunningham, and my dad said, who's going 1128 00:54:55.199 --> 00:54:58.039 to score our goals? And Jason said it'll be by committee, 1129 00:54:58.480 --> 00:55:01.760 and ultimately that's what happened, right, you trade, I'm gonna 1130 00:55:01.840 --> 00:55:05.960 nail it Sturgis for Robbie Finley. Is that Nate Sturgis 1131 00:55:06.079 --> 00:55:10.920 Robbie Finley client. Yes, Jason went brutus e two on 1132 00:55:11.039 --> 00:55:14.559 his best friend tredon Mela, but you know, Robbie shows 1133 00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:16.480 up and then you know, you never know when a 1134 00:55:16.480 --> 00:55:18.679 hobby air type thing. I know rself fans hate when 1135 00:55:18.719 --> 00:55:20.639 I go back to two thousand and nine, But Chris, 1136 00:55:20.719 --> 00:55:23.559 is there a chance that the way that two thousand 1137 00:55:23.599 --> 00:55:25.599 and you know, seven eight nine team was able to 1138 00:55:25.599 --> 00:55:27.800 make up for Cunningham's goals by committee? 1139 00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:29.400 Is there a chance this group can do that. No, 1140 00:55:29.559 --> 00:55:29.880 there's not. 1141 00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:32.679 I'm going to be with my guy here. I'm just 1142 00:55:33.679 --> 00:55:34.840 where the league is now. 1143 00:55:35.239 --> 00:55:35.679 It is. 1144 00:55:36.760 --> 00:55:38.880 I don't even can I go beyond night and day. 1145 00:55:38.960 --> 00:55:42.760 It is so starkly different than like it is. Wild 1146 00:55:43.159 --> 00:55:45.920 Trade just mentioned a team spent twenty nine million dollars 1147 00:55:46.000 --> 00:55:48.400 on two players. That's wild and they were a team, 1148 00:55:48.559 --> 00:55:50.320 an expansion team a few years ago that were like 1149 00:55:50.519 --> 00:55:52.360 the worse than the history of the league. So it 1150 00:55:52.400 --> 00:55:54.000 turns out if you spend a lot of money, you're 1151 00:55:54.039 --> 00:55:56.480 gonna be really good. And now they're winning Conker Caf 1152 00:55:57.159 --> 00:56:00.320 matches because they're really good. So the same thing we 1153 00:56:00.320 --> 00:56:04.480 were talking about with the running Newts. Spend money, nail 1154 00:56:04.559 --> 00:56:06.599 it and you'll be okay. Yeah, But if you don't 1155 00:56:06.639 --> 00:56:08.480 spend money and you don't nail it, you will not 1156 00:56:08.559 --> 00:56:09.000 be okay. 1157 00:56:09.119 --> 00:56:11.559 So Trey, and if you need a pun on this, 1158 00:56:11.719 --> 00:56:13.639 just pun on it, because I obviously am not going 1159 00:56:13.719 --> 00:56:16.920 to ask you to speak poorly of your employer, and 1160 00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:19.320 nor am I leading you with this question. But I'm 1161 00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:24.039 just wondering if the rsl ethos of development right like 1162 00:56:24.199 --> 00:56:27.480 I'm thinking of andres, you know, and look, that's good economics. 1163 00:56:27.519 --> 00:56:31.320 I understand the business decision, even though as a sports 1164 00:56:31.360 --> 00:56:33.800 fan that wasn't raised with this model, I don't love it. 1165 00:56:33.840 --> 00:56:36.119 I never will. Like if you sell Diego, I'm gonna 1166 00:56:36.119 --> 00:56:38.599 be bummed, But I understand that you kind of have to. 1167 00:56:38.679 --> 00:56:41.519 But to Chris's point, with this money that's being spent, 1168 00:56:41.760 --> 00:56:44.559 is there is it time to maybe take a look 1169 00:56:44.679 --> 00:56:46.519 at the model and maybe adjust it a little bit 1170 00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:49.719 as opposed to being a developmental club, like we're in 1171 00:56:49.760 --> 00:56:51.400 this game, we need to go spend some money to 1172 00:56:51.440 --> 00:56:52.239 get some big dogs. 1173 00:56:52.559 --> 00:56:52.840 Yeah. 1174 00:56:53.000 --> 00:56:59.000 Look, I think if Kurt, Pablo Jason, John Kimball went 1175 00:56:59.119 --> 00:57:03.639 to David Blitzer and Ryan Smith tonight and said, look, 1176 00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:06.239 we found our guy. He fits in our locker room. 1177 00:57:06.679 --> 00:57:07.599 He's the right guy. 1178 00:57:07.719 --> 00:57:09.440 It costs thirteen million dollars. 1179 00:57:09.559 --> 00:57:12.760 I think if Pablo Kurt made the case that they 1180 00:57:12.760 --> 00:57:16.960 could get it done. I do believe our ownership is committed. Look, 1181 00:57:17.039 --> 00:57:20.960 I think besides what you see on the MLS salary cap, 1182 00:57:21.440 --> 00:57:25.239 I think it's probably not well known that this team 1183 00:57:25.320 --> 00:57:29.239 spends I don't know, seven million a year on academy 1184 00:57:29.239 --> 00:57:32.920 and monarchs for that developmental piece. We haven't sold a 1185 00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:36.440 kid to Europe for twenty million, like Dallas or Philadelphia 1186 00:57:36.519 --> 00:57:40.039 or the Red Bulls have started to do. The Andres 1187 00:57:40.079 --> 00:57:42.599 Gomez sale was important not only because it was six 1188 00:57:42.639 --> 00:57:45.440 times our previous highest sale, but because we are now 1189 00:57:45.440 --> 00:57:49.159 a participant in that global market. We I'm sure that 1190 00:57:49.280 --> 00:57:51.480 at some point we will have opportunities to sell Diego 1191 00:57:51.559 --> 00:57:55.559 Luna for big money, and sell Dominic MARCHUK for big money, 1192 00:57:55.599 --> 00:57:59.239 and maybe now Kobe Henry for big money once you know, 1193 00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:02.000 maybe we bought him from the team that is loaning 1194 00:58:02.119 --> 00:58:05.239 him to us, now from friends. This is the one 1195 00:58:06.119 --> 00:58:10.760 silver lining, maybe of the rumored calendar change, is that 1196 00:58:11.639 --> 00:58:15.679 then the biggest transfer market window in the world doesn't 1197 00:58:15.719 --> 00:58:18.840 happen in the middle of our season. It will happen 1198 00:58:19.159 --> 00:58:21.920 at the end of our season. But there's a lot 1199 00:58:21.960 --> 00:58:28.639 of obvious problems trying to play games in fourteen fifteen 1200 00:58:28.719 --> 00:58:33.039 MLS markets in December, January, February. Yeah, so that's but 1201 00:58:33.079 --> 00:58:35.800 that's the that's the trade off is that MLS could 1202 00:58:35.840 --> 00:58:40.679 become an even more prominent economic player in the global marketplace. 1203 00:58:41.000 --> 00:58:45.079 So c k if let's let's let let's give our 1204 00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:47.639 guy the benefit of doubt, Okay, to operate off a 1205 00:58:47.719 --> 00:58:50.639 hypothetical that over the next couple of weeks we hear 1206 00:58:50.760 --> 00:58:53.199 of a big time nine that is signed, a DP 1207 00:58:53.400 --> 00:58:55.920 type nine that is signed. Because if you look up 1208 00:58:55.960 --> 00:58:58.239 and down the roster, there's great depth in the midfield 1209 00:58:58.440 --> 00:59:00.599 right like holding made and that they he seems like 1210 00:59:00.639 --> 00:59:03.280 they have four or five options there. I don't know 1211 00:59:03.360 --> 00:59:05.920 enough about the keeper to have some sort of that 1212 00:59:05.920 --> 00:59:07.880 he gave up four, but the team gave up four 1213 00:59:07.880 --> 00:59:08.599 against San Jose. 1214 00:59:09.679 --> 00:59:10.920 Some acquisitions of the back line. 1215 00:59:10.920 --> 00:59:13.719 If they can solidify nine, what do you think they 1216 00:59:13.719 --> 00:59:14.440 can be this year? 1217 00:59:14.960 --> 00:59:17.960 Well, I'll start by saying it matters who it is. 1218 00:59:18.239 --> 00:59:20.119 And you have to look at the track record of 1219 00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.159 the type of guy they're bringing in. Garth Agerway and 1220 00:59:24.199 --> 00:59:26.519 Chris Henderson brought in a guy from Middlesbrough for like 1221 00:59:26.599 --> 00:59:28.800 twenty two million dollars who scores eight ton of goals 1222 00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:31.519 and guess what he had too in his debut. You 1223 00:59:31.559 --> 00:59:35.519 know when when Garth brought in Raul Ruy Diaz for 1224 00:59:35.679 --> 00:59:38.440 Mexico and Seattle, he was scoring a ton of goals 1225 00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:40.039 in Mexico and guess what he was scoring a ton 1226 00:59:40.039 --> 00:59:42.800 of goals in Seattle. They won MLS Cup, they won 1227 00:59:42.840 --> 00:59:47.400 Conca CAF. Find guys that do it, do it often, 1228 00:59:47.559 --> 00:59:49.639 and do it at a high level, and you'll be okay. 1229 00:59:50.360 --> 00:59:54.280 But you can't go out and give and give the 1230 00:59:54.320 --> 00:59:59.000 fan base that is satiating for some star talent right now, Oh, 1231 00:59:59.079 --> 01:00:01.679 this is going to be a guy who can potentially develop, 1232 01:00:02.400 --> 01:00:04.519 and we already have two those guys on the rostra. 1233 01:00:04.800 --> 01:00:07.119 You need to go out and say, oh, this is 1234 01:00:07.159 --> 01:00:10.280 a dude who who has scored forty goals in Mexico 1235 01:00:10.360 --> 01:00:12.400 in the last two or three years, or this is 1236 01:00:12.400 --> 01:00:15.119 a guy who scored twenty five goals in Brazil the 1237 01:00:15.199 --> 01:00:19.119 last two years, or a guy who scored fifty goals 1238 01:00:19.159 --> 01:00:22.000 in the Netherlands over the last four years. Bring in 1239 01:00:22.039 --> 01:00:24.119 guys who have track records who can do it, and 1240 01:00:24.159 --> 01:00:27.199 as Trey mentioned, the earlier you do it, you don't 1241 01:00:27.320 --> 01:00:30.199 have the lull that all of these guys hit when 1242 01:00:30.199 --> 01:00:32.760 they come in the summer transfer window, because they're adjusting 1243 01:00:33.239 --> 01:00:35.440 in real time in the middle of the dog days 1244 01:00:35.440 --> 01:00:38.320 of summer. As we saw with Diego Gonzalvez last year, 1245 01:00:38.599 --> 01:00:42.159 it takes a very long time, especially for attacking talent, 1246 01:00:42.559 --> 01:00:45.159 to adapt to a league that will beat the crap 1247 01:00:45.280 --> 01:00:47.320 out of its attacking player. Still, it is a very 1248 01:00:47.320 --> 01:00:51.360 physical league, and that's that is part of the acclamation process. 1249 01:00:51.400 --> 01:00:53.000 Do you think they need more than one nine? 1250 01:00:53.840 --> 01:00:55.920 No, I wouldn't say they need more than one nine. 1251 01:00:56.079 --> 01:00:57.760 I think depending on what they want to do with 1252 01:00:57.800 --> 01:01:01.079 Diego Luna. If Diego does want to be sold to 1253 01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:03.719 Mexico or Europe or South America, then we're having a 1254 01:01:03.800 --> 01:01:07.880 much different conversation and that will be a very very 1255 01:01:07.880 --> 01:01:09.880 difficult sell to the fan base because I think you 1256 01:01:09.880 --> 01:01:13.519 can make an argument that Diego Luna is maybe the 1257 01:01:13.519 --> 01:01:19.400 most beloved RSO player hmm. I mean, I'm thinking like 1258 01:01:19.440 --> 01:01:22.079 he's up there with like like maybe Demir Crylocker and 1259 01:01:22.119 --> 01:01:25.239 even before that kind of like the star. 1260 01:01:25.119 --> 01:01:28.800 Talent is Rusty Pierce, Matt Bank. 1261 01:01:29.039 --> 01:01:29.199 Yeah. 1262 01:01:29.440 --> 01:01:31.119 I think Chris is right though. I think you can 1263 01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:35.440 put Diego in there with Demir, with Kyle, with Nick 1264 01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:40.480 absolutely no doubt. And you know him playing with a 1265 01:01:40.519 --> 01:01:44.280 broken nose, a shatter nose, creating six big chances in 1266 01:01:44.320 --> 01:01:46.599 the game, winning assist in that US game a couple 1267 01:01:46.639 --> 01:01:49.280 of months ago. It's part of the legend. It went viral, 1268 01:01:49.719 --> 01:01:52.119 it's massive. This is his team right now, and it 1269 01:01:52.159 --> 01:01:56.199 will be this year, I think, until maybe a bigger 1270 01:01:56.280 --> 01:01:56.800 name comes in. 1271 01:01:56.880 --> 01:01:58.360 I've ever had to tell you I had one of 1272 01:01:58.360 --> 01:02:01.480 those nights where it's like sleep not an option tonight. Yeah, 1273 01:02:01.559 --> 01:02:03.159 not too long ago, and I knew it's one of 1274 01:02:03.199 --> 01:02:04.519 those things, you know. I'm like, all right, I've got 1275 01:02:04.519 --> 01:02:07.039 to figure something out. And I pulled up the Apple 1276 01:02:07.159 --> 01:02:10.400 TV like quick doc they did on Diego. I'm assuming 1277 01:02:10.440 --> 01:02:12.400 you saw it. Yeah, it was really good. It was good. 1278 01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:14.719 It's great. I mean, so he seems like such a 1279 01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:17.760 sweet kid. But obviously it helps that he's awesome, right, 1280 01:02:17.840 --> 01:02:19.880 Like it's one thing to have a player that you love, 1281 01:02:20.119 --> 01:02:21.880 but it helps that he's really, really, really good. 1282 01:02:21.960 --> 01:02:24.559 And look, he just turned twenty one, Yeah, in September. 1283 01:02:25.119 --> 01:02:27.599 He came to us when he was nineteen. He had 1284 01:02:28.000 --> 01:02:31.840 a baby when he was nineteen. He lives apart from 1285 01:02:32.079 --> 01:02:37.519 you know, his kid and his wife. He's trying to 1286 01:02:37.639 --> 01:02:41.079 like build this career. And he's been talking for about 1287 01:02:41.079 --> 01:02:45.000 a year now, very openly about when he was alone 1288 01:02:45.199 --> 01:02:47.280 moving to Salt Lake City and didn't know anybody, taking 1289 01:02:47.320 --> 01:02:50.039 a job at a coffee shop. Just just a tone 1290 01:02:50.119 --> 01:02:51.440 his social skills. 1291 01:02:51.519 --> 01:02:52.119 That's really cool. 1292 01:02:52.119 --> 01:02:54.199 And then he's talked a lot and I think the 1293 01:02:54.280 --> 01:02:58.320 doc you're talking about hones in on this his dedication 1294 01:02:58.400 --> 01:03:02.159 to his mental health and really trying to juggle the 1295 01:03:02.199 --> 01:03:05.599 pressure and the expectation. He started talking about why he 1296 01:03:05.679 --> 01:03:08.320 left his home, which was a very soccer centric home 1297 01:03:08.320 --> 01:03:11.360 when he's fourteen in the Bay Area to start pursuing 1298 01:03:11.360 --> 01:03:16.119 some of these academy opportunities, and he's just he truly 1299 01:03:16.199 --> 01:03:18.519 is an inspiration when you hear him kind of open 1300 01:03:18.599 --> 01:03:21.960 up and talk about his challenges. And then we saw 1301 01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:24.480 it last year in Chicago because he had been benched 1302 01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.880 and Pablo is very much a father figure and a 1303 01:03:27.920 --> 01:03:30.400 mentor to this young guy. And then he scored that 1304 01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:32.679 fourth goal in Chicago, ran right over the bench, had 1305 01:03:32.719 --> 01:03:36.760 a nice embrace with Pablo and those two have become 1306 01:03:36.840 --> 01:03:38.039 very very close over last year. 1307 01:03:38.119 --> 01:03:39.920 Yeah, you move on from him, and you're not bringing 1308 01:03:39.960 --> 01:03:43.039 in reinforcements. This fan base might riot at the Riot. 1309 01:03:43.159 --> 01:03:46.559 Well, it matters that he's an attacking young player. To 1310 01:03:47.480 --> 01:03:51.880 Rsel has done a great job of producing young academy talent. 1311 01:03:51.960 --> 01:03:57.679 That our goalkeepers, defenders, holding midfielders, whatever. There's something about 1312 01:03:57.719 --> 01:04:01.079 the position that with guys who scored goals that have 1313 01:04:01.199 --> 01:04:04.320 tantalizing plays, they endear themselves to a fan base On 1314 01:04:04.400 --> 01:04:09.079 a different level and that matters. And you know, if 1315 01:04:09.119 --> 01:04:13.039 and when Diego Luna does move, I think every RSL 1316 01:04:13.119 --> 01:04:16.320 fan who understands the game will understand him. But it 1317 01:04:16.320 --> 01:04:19.000 will be heartbreaking. But at the same time, it is 1318 01:04:19.079 --> 01:04:20.960 part of the sport that you didn't grow up with 1319 01:04:21.000 --> 01:04:23.840 Spence and it will be cool for us in Salt 1320 01:04:23.920 --> 01:04:28.119 Lake to see him at a different club potentially you know, 1321 01:04:28.239 --> 01:04:31.039 hitting a different stride. Yeah, making maybe more inroads with 1322 01:04:31.079 --> 01:04:33.639 the national team, because that is the reality. 1323 01:04:33.719 --> 01:04:35.960 Yeah, And I understand the dynamic. I just am used 1324 01:04:35.960 --> 01:04:37.719 to We have a good player. Let's hold on him 1325 01:04:37.719 --> 01:04:39.559 as long as we can, unless Donovan doesn't want to 1326 01:04:39.559 --> 01:04:41.079 live in Salt Lake and then he leaves right Like, 1327 01:04:41.119 --> 01:04:42.519 I just want to hold on to the best players 1328 01:04:43.320 --> 01:04:45.920 real quick. I just got an update, a text from 1329 01:04:46.039 --> 01:04:49.880 lifelong RSL super fan JP John Paul Chonger. He says, 1330 01:04:49.920 --> 01:04:53.039 I remain unconvinced, So before I set you loose, make 1331 01:04:53.079 --> 01:04:55.360 a plead to our guy, get him back on RSL side. 1332 01:04:55.920 --> 01:04:57.400 Twenty years of fandom, out. 1333 01:04:57.239 --> 01:04:59.480 The wins that the first game out the window. 1334 01:04:59.360 --> 01:05:02.320 He's our guys out win. 1335 01:05:03.639 --> 01:05:06.440 Let's tell JP to text me at eight thirty tonight 1336 01:05:06.480 --> 01:05:08.199 after the forster a jogo hat trick. 1337 01:05:08.199 --> 01:05:10.639 All right, yeah, love it? Love it? 1338 01:05:11.440 --> 01:05:14.719 And then and then Saturday after ri E Peel's coming 1339 01:05:14.719 --> 01:05:15.199 out party. 1340 01:05:15.280 --> 01:05:16.960 Okay, I love it. I like the confidence. 1341 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:17.480 I look. 1342 01:05:17.519 --> 01:05:20.000 I see these guys every day. I'm biased as well. 1343 01:05:20.119 --> 01:05:24.440 I definitely see glass half full. But I really do 1344 01:05:24.480 --> 01:05:28.320 think these guys are talented and they are surrounded by creativity, 1345 01:05:28.480 --> 01:05:33.400 and sure, can they fail, Yeah, but I don't think. 1346 01:05:33.519 --> 01:05:34.440 I don't think they're going to. 1347 01:05:34.559 --> 01:05:34.800 Look. 1348 01:05:34.840 --> 01:05:37.159 I want us all the stand on our feet and 1349 01:05:37.199 --> 01:05:40.119 shout it out right. I want us all the to believe. 1350 01:05:41.039 --> 01:05:46.000 All right, last thing format tonight, you gotta win, right, Yeah, So. 1351 01:05:46.079 --> 01:05:49.159 No away goals in the first leg, so that tiebreaker 1352 01:05:49.239 --> 01:05:51.960 sort of tips in favor of already Ono. Any scoring 1353 01:05:52.039 --> 01:05:53.360 tie tonight is bad for us. 1354 01:05:53.559 --> 01:05:54.159 We gotta win. 1355 01:05:54.760 --> 01:05:57.800 Uh. If it is tide zero zero after ninety minutes, 1356 01:05:57.840 --> 01:06:00.800 you go thirty minutes of extra time. Way, goals in 1357 01:06:00.920 --> 01:06:04.480 extra time have no value, do not count. Still tied 1358 01:06:04.559 --> 01:06:06.920 after one hundred and twenty minutes, we go to penalty kicks. 1359 01:06:07.159 --> 01:06:10.519 The good news is that RSL has won three straight 1360 01:06:10.559 --> 01:06:15.360 elimination games on Utah soil. Tonight, hopefully Pablo can make 1361 01:06:15.400 --> 01:06:19.559 it a fourth. Only five of eighteen elimination games under 1362 01:06:19.599 --> 01:06:22.320 Pablo have happened at home, almost all of them. 1363 01:06:22.480 --> 01:06:22.679 Wow. 1364 01:06:22.760 --> 01:06:25.960 If you think about the PK shootout losses and all 1365 01:06:25.960 --> 01:06:28.440 these other things in different competitions have been away. 1366 01:06:28.639 --> 01:06:30.960 RSL dot com for tickets. Ck you think they get 1367 01:06:30.960 --> 01:06:31.480 it done tonight? 1368 01:06:32.639 --> 01:06:35.760 Who's in the starting eleven tree? Lots of changes? 1369 01:06:35.800 --> 01:06:38.440 Eight changes from eight changes. 1370 01:06:38.079 --> 01:06:39.519 From the first legger from San Jose. 1371 01:06:39.719 --> 01:06:41.800 Well, that's good. 1372 01:06:41.800 --> 01:06:45.159 To follow up a mecca with the armband again? Most 1373 01:06:45.199 --> 01:06:45.800 likely good. 1374 01:06:45.920 --> 01:06:48.000 A mecca is an absolute stud. 1375 01:06:47.920 --> 01:06:49.920 Shout out in eight bench. That's right, all right, guys, 1376 01:06:49.960 --> 01:06:51.000 great to see Okay. 1377 01:06:50.800 --> 01:06:52.320 Thanks for coming to you, Thanks for having us. 1378 01:06:52.440 --> 01:06:55.239 Trey Fitzgerald, Chris Comradi. Brought to you by Prize Picks. 1379 01:06:55.239 --> 01:06:57.199 It's the best place to get a real money sports action. 1380 01:06:57.280 --> 01:06:59.599 With over ten million members billions of dollars in awarded 1381 01:06:59.599 --> 01:07:02.639 winnings make it a one stop shop for you. Download 1382 01:07:02.639 --> 01:07:04.760 the Prize Picks app today, use the promo cod ESPN 1383 01:07:04.800 --> 01:07:06.679 seven hundred and get fifty dollars when you just play 1384 01:07:06.760 --> 01:07:12.039 five bucks live in studio. After very successful johnts down 1385 01:07:12.079 --> 01:07:15.199 to spring training, where he was in eighty degree weather 1386 01:07:15.239 --> 01:07:19.039 every day looking very tan and very rested. Forty years 1387 01:07:19.039 --> 01:07:22.519 with the Utah Jazz Richard Smith on a Wednesday afternoon, Smittie, 1388 01:07:22.519 --> 01:07:23.280 Happy Wednesday, sir? 1389 01:07:23.280 --> 01:07:25.320 Are you same to you, Spence? It's good to be 1390 01:07:25.920 --> 01:07:28.679 back in Salt Lake for a few days anyway. 1391 01:07:28.639 --> 01:07:30.199 And you got something else coming up? 1392 01:07:30.280 --> 01:07:30.480 Well? 1393 01:07:30.960 --> 01:07:33.599 I always making a priority to stop by the drive, 1394 01:07:33.960 --> 01:07:37.039 you know, whenever I'm in town and make sure that 1395 01:07:37.079 --> 01:07:40.000 I can I can bring your show down to the 1396 01:07:40.840 --> 01:07:43.840 down to the depths where it usually isn't isn't used 1397 01:07:43.840 --> 01:07:45.039 to being when I'm on the air. 1398 01:07:45.440 --> 01:07:47.239 Well, that's not true, as we all know. But what 1399 01:07:47.559 --> 01:07:47.800 are you? 1400 01:07:47.880 --> 01:07:49.800 Are you out again? You have another trip planned? 1401 01:07:50.280 --> 01:07:50.599 You know what? 1402 01:07:50.679 --> 01:07:55.920 You know what doing? Spence? I last year I volunteered 1403 01:07:55.920 --> 01:07:59.920 to work at the the Indian Wells Tennis tournament down 1404 01:08:00.440 --> 01:08:04.239 and Palm Springs, and that's coming around starting on Monday, 1405 01:08:04.840 --> 01:08:06.840 and so we'll go heading back down there. I'm gonna 1406 01:08:06.840 --> 01:08:09.719 work down there as a volunteer. And uh, I love 1407 01:08:09.840 --> 01:08:12.079 you know, you know me, Spence, I love being out 1408 01:08:12.119 --> 01:08:15.519 among the people, you know. And I'm a guy of 1409 01:08:15.599 --> 01:08:18.239 the of the people, and so anything I can do 1410 01:08:18.359 --> 01:08:21.680 to to help out the cause. Uh. That that's where 1411 01:08:21.720 --> 01:08:24.479 you'll find me. So, so last year we did it, 1412 01:08:24.520 --> 01:08:26.720 and and the first few days I worked. The first day, 1413 01:08:26.960 --> 01:08:28.800 who walks right by me? And I do one of 1414 01:08:28.840 --> 01:08:31.880 those double takes with Steve Nash and I go, is 1415 01:08:31.960 --> 01:08:34.640 that's Stevenash? And then like the minute, lady, he walked back, 1416 01:08:34.840 --> 01:08:37.920 you know by. And then the next day, who walks 1417 01:08:37.960 --> 01:08:42.159 by Derk Novitski, you know, just cruising, cruising, uh, cruising 1418 01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:44.880 along the plaza there. So it's it's a it's a 1419 01:08:44.880 --> 01:08:48.880 fun event. It's considered by tennis officionados as the fifth 1420 01:08:48.960 --> 01:08:52.520 major and so everybody plays both the the A t 1421 01:08:52.680 --> 01:08:57.079 P and the w t A play uh, and so 1422 01:08:57.119 --> 01:08:59.439 it's a fun tournament to be be part of. And 1423 01:08:59.520 --> 01:09:02.399 so so we're heading down there, uh this week. 1424 01:09:02.520 --> 01:09:03.840 Yeah, good for you, good for you. 1425 01:09:03.960 --> 01:09:08.520 Well, while you were away, Smidty, we had some news 1426 01:09:08.600 --> 01:09:11.560 drop here locally where the University of Utah is now 1427 01:09:11.560 --> 01:09:14.479 looking for a new head coach, Craig Smith relieved of 1428 01:09:14.520 --> 01:09:17.600 his duties in his fourth year. It's a six year contract. 1429 01:09:17.640 --> 01:09:19.960 He's due roughly five mill a little less than that. 1430 01:09:21.159 --> 01:09:23.239 I think they're still paying Larry. So it's a lot 1431 01:09:23.239 --> 01:09:25.239 of dead money to make coaches that you decided to 1432 01:09:25.279 --> 01:09:28.119 move on from before we get into these kind of 1433 01:09:28.119 --> 01:09:28.760 the nuts and bolts. 1434 01:09:28.840 --> 01:09:30.640 But what was your reaction when you heard the news. 1435 01:09:30.880 --> 01:09:32.680 Well, I was, first of all, I was very surprised 1436 01:09:32.720 --> 01:09:35.439 that it happened during the season. I was at the 1437 01:09:35.640 --> 01:09:39.479 at the Kansas game the week earlier where they played 1438 01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:42.319 well and and and be beat a good Kansas team 1439 01:09:42.319 --> 01:09:44.960 this week not not playing very well lately, but but 1440 01:09:45.039 --> 01:09:48.800 we all know what they're about. And then they had 1441 01:09:48.840 --> 01:09:53.079 the uh, the tough, the tough game against Central Florida 1442 01:09:53.279 --> 01:09:56.000 the other day. Tough, tough way to lose a game 1443 01:09:56.000 --> 01:09:58.920 at the end. But I'll tell you one thing, Craig 1444 01:09:59.000 --> 01:10:03.479 Smith is a very good coach. He works extremely hard 1445 01:10:03.520 --> 01:10:09.359 at it. His teams really get after especially defensively. I'm 1446 01:10:09.399 --> 01:10:11.760 surprised they did this. I don't know if it was 1447 01:10:11.800 --> 01:10:16.800 a move made because of the coaching or they expect more. 1448 01:10:17.199 --> 01:10:19.279 I don't know what you would expect more out of 1449 01:10:19.319 --> 01:10:22.520 this roster. I don't think it's it's a great roster. 1450 01:10:22.640 --> 01:10:25.880 I think it's what it really is when you look 1451 01:10:25.920 --> 01:10:28.640 at the standings, is that they're a middle of the 1452 01:10:28.760 --> 01:10:31.640 road Big twelve team at the moment. I don't know 1453 01:10:31.680 --> 01:10:34.640 if it was an indictment on recruiting and not getting 1454 01:10:35.119 --> 01:10:38.720 better players. I don't know what the thinking was behind 1455 01:10:38.720 --> 01:10:42.279 the scenes, but I think it was, for me, my 1456 01:10:42.760 --> 01:10:48.239 own personal opinion, very premature and very short sighted. When 1457 01:10:48.279 --> 01:10:51.239 you have a good coach like Craig Smith at the 1458 01:10:51.239 --> 01:10:53.680 helm of your program, I think there are other ways 1459 01:10:53.720 --> 01:10:58.000 to go about trying to strengthen and increase what you're 1460 01:10:58.039 --> 01:10:58.800 trying to do with. 1461 01:10:58.720 --> 01:11:02.199 That some good point there, and you know, let's kind 1462 01:11:02.239 --> 01:11:04.199 of dig into some of the elements of this conversation 1463 01:11:04.319 --> 01:11:06.720 before we get into what could come next and what 1464 01:11:07.159 --> 01:11:10.359 that looks like. You know, my instant reaction was just 1465 01:11:10.439 --> 01:11:12.479 kind of gutted for a good man, right, there's a 1466 01:11:12.560 --> 01:11:14.960 personal side of these things that I don't think we 1467 01:11:15.079 --> 01:11:18.000 cover very well on the media side, you know. And 1468 01:11:18.439 --> 01:11:20.319 as you know, you know, my father was never a coach, 1469 01:11:20.359 --> 01:11:22.880 but he was an executive and we uprooted several times 1470 01:11:22.920 --> 01:11:25.920 because of his career. There's a family that has things, 1471 01:11:26.880 --> 01:11:29.159 you know, kind of thrown into a little bit of 1472 01:11:29.239 --> 01:11:31.640 chaos when a father loses a job and you've got 1473 01:11:31.680 --> 01:11:34.039 to figure something out. The money, obviously, is a nice 1474 01:11:34.039 --> 01:11:39.119 parachute in college sports. The reason why coaches negotiate buyouts 1475 01:11:39.159 --> 01:11:42.800 like this is you're hired to be fired oftentimes. But 1476 01:11:43.000 --> 01:11:45.319 like you, I was a little bit surprised. I kind 1477 01:11:45.319 --> 01:11:48.199 of raised my eyebrows a little bit. So let's talk 1478 01:11:48.199 --> 01:11:51.920 about the timing of it and why this could be. 1479 01:11:52.239 --> 01:11:56.279 I've heard people say this gives the program some runway 1480 01:11:56.520 --> 01:11:59.640 to retain some of the players, to get them back 1481 01:11:59.640 --> 01:12:03.520 next year. I honestly don't know on this roster who 1482 01:12:03.560 --> 01:12:05.000 you really want back next year. 1483 01:12:05.039 --> 01:12:05.880 That's just my opinion. 1484 01:12:05.920 --> 01:12:09.119 Because Gabe's a senior, so is lost and I think 1485 01:12:09.199 --> 01:12:12.119 Jake Wallen's a nice player. I think Ezra Asar has 1486 01:12:12.119 --> 01:12:15.359 shown some nice things. But I've heard that's one of 1487 01:12:15.359 --> 01:12:18.960 the reasons I can't coroborate that. I really don't know why, 1488 01:12:19.039 --> 01:12:21.640 because they had just be the two Kansas schools. This 1489 01:12:21.680 --> 01:12:23.720 cannot be made just because they had a road loss 1490 01:12:23.720 --> 01:12:25.880 a UCF, And if it's made because of that, that's 1491 01:12:25.920 --> 01:12:28.520 like in a vacuum, which is unfair. So why do 1492 01:12:28.600 --> 01:12:30.680 you think they decided to do this when there are 1493 01:12:30.720 --> 01:12:32.079 still games left to be played? 1494 01:12:32.159 --> 01:12:36.239 Well, I think one of the things is probably the 1495 01:12:36.279 --> 01:12:41.039 notion that behind closed doors, if they thought and they 1496 01:12:41.119 --> 01:12:45.359 being the athletic department, Mark Harlan and whoever advises him 1497 01:12:45.640 --> 01:12:48.720 or works with him in those kinds of things. If 1498 01:12:48.760 --> 01:12:51.840 they were talking about this and it was something they 1499 01:12:51.920 --> 01:12:57.039 had decided in their minds, we're going to do this anyway, 1500 01:12:57.479 --> 01:13:01.520 it's an eventuality that we've come to the conclusion of doing, 1501 01:13:02.119 --> 01:13:04.840 then you might as well do it, you know, when 1502 01:13:04.880 --> 01:13:08.399 you feel comfortable that that that's the decision we're going 1503 01:13:08.399 --> 01:13:11.720 to make anyway, you cut it clean, you cut it early. 1504 01:13:12.119 --> 01:13:15.039 And then it also gives it gives you a chance 1505 01:13:15.079 --> 01:13:17.800 a leg up on maybe other coaches who are either 1506 01:13:17.880 --> 01:13:21.319 out there or coaches who might be uh interested or 1507 01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:25.680 and or available, uh to get a head up on 1508 01:13:25.680 --> 01:13:28.640 on maybe getting in with them in terms of conversations 1509 01:13:28.680 --> 01:13:32.239 about about the job. The flip side of it for me, 1510 01:13:32.319 --> 01:13:35.560 Spence is when you do this in the college ranks, 1511 01:13:36.239 --> 01:13:41.159 it really in some regards, it really smacks of a 1512 01:13:41.199 --> 01:13:46.520 little bit of urgency by the program, uh, you know, 1513 01:13:46.640 --> 01:13:50.840 a little bit of maybe excitability by the by the 1514 01:13:50.960 --> 01:13:56.159 decision makers that they're they're nervous or they're anxious about 1515 01:13:56.159 --> 01:13:59.680 what's going on, and they're not they don't quite like 1516 01:13:59.720 --> 01:14:02.560 what's happening now, so they're just gonna they're just gonna 1517 01:14:02.560 --> 01:14:05.560 cut the cord. Uh. With that, I don't I don't 1518 01:14:05.640 --> 01:14:09.279 like that feeling. I don't like the fact that that, uh, 1519 01:14:09.319 --> 01:14:13.119 that you're not letting that coaching staff and those players 1520 01:14:13.159 --> 01:14:15.479 see through the end of the season to see what 1521 01:14:15.520 --> 01:14:18.840 could happen. You know, they've had some good wins, but 1522 01:14:18.840 --> 01:14:21.119 but hey, you know the the the other part of 1523 01:14:21.159 --> 01:14:24.880 it also is there they're one and seven on the road, uh, 1524 01:14:24.920 --> 01:14:28.159 you know in the Big twelve. H But but you 1525 01:14:28.159 --> 01:14:30.119 know they look at the standing and say, well, do 1526 01:14:30.199 --> 01:14:33.760 you the Big twelve or sixteen teams and their tenth 1527 01:14:33.920 --> 01:14:36.520 and they're right in the middle. To me, we talked 1528 01:14:36.560 --> 01:14:39.239 about that spence when the season began. That's what I 1529 01:14:39.239 --> 01:14:41.479 expected them to be. I didn't expect them to be 1530 01:14:42.000 --> 01:14:44.159 any world beaters in the in the Big twelve. 1531 01:14:44.640 --> 01:14:44.760 Uh. 1532 01:14:44.800 --> 01:14:46.800 They got a lot of heavy hitters in this league. 1533 01:14:47.279 --> 01:14:50.680 And you know, if they want to make something, they 1534 01:14:50.720 --> 01:14:54.640 want to make something happen now and get ahead of 1535 01:14:54.680 --> 01:14:58.840 the curve. That's probably what I would assume they're they're thinking. 1536 01:15:00.239 --> 01:15:02.720 I'm not sure it's a good look for the university 1537 01:15:03.079 --> 01:15:07.520 when you do that, you know, during a season, because 1538 01:15:07.560 --> 01:15:10.000 to me, then it would say if I'm a coach. 1539 01:15:10.079 --> 01:15:12.279 If I'm a perspective coach and I'm looking at that 1540 01:15:12.359 --> 01:15:15.920 as a possible landing spot for me, the first thing 1541 01:15:15.960 --> 01:15:18.199 I would say would be, Okay, who are the people 1542 01:15:18.279 --> 01:15:21.359 calling the shots? Is it the the booster club, is 1543 01:15:21.399 --> 01:15:25.560 it the athletic director? Are there other people involved in 1544 01:15:25.600 --> 01:15:28.960 that decision making process? And who are they that I'm 1545 01:15:28.960 --> 01:15:31.840 going to be working with that would make this kind 1546 01:15:31.880 --> 01:15:35.760 of a decision during a season with the current coaching staff. 1547 01:15:35.800 --> 01:15:38.560 That's a thing that would would come back to me 1548 01:15:38.760 --> 01:15:41.479 as a question I would want to have answered, you know, 1549 01:15:41.560 --> 01:15:45.439 as a perspective candidate, because that tells me that that 1550 01:15:45.880 --> 01:15:47.920 you know, maybe the you know, the people you're working 1551 01:15:47.960 --> 01:15:51.600 for aren't with you in the row boat when it's 1552 01:15:51.600 --> 01:15:54.520 sinking and aren't willing to stay with you when it's 1553 01:15:54.560 --> 01:15:56.840 not going as well as they want it to, that 1554 01:15:56.920 --> 01:15:59.800 they jump ship on you. And that that's a concern 1555 01:15:59.840 --> 01:16:01.079 that I would have as well. 1556 01:16:01.640 --> 01:16:06.119 For four years of data with Craig and you know, 1557 01:16:06.199 --> 01:16:09.239 some good moments, some good wins, I just I'm sitting 1558 01:16:09.359 --> 01:16:11.159 or shaking my head that we haven't had an NCAA 1559 01:16:11.239 --> 01:16:14.560 tournament team here since twenty sixteen. I mean, it's it's 1560 01:16:14.600 --> 01:16:18.920 nearly been a decade, and ultimately, I you know, I 1561 01:16:18.920 --> 01:16:21.720 think a lot of this, from what I've been told, 1562 01:16:21.960 --> 01:16:23.840 was booster driven. I don't know how much of this 1563 01:16:24.000 --> 01:16:26.800 was just Mark making the call. Uh, you know. I 1564 01:16:26.840 --> 01:16:30.960 could foresee a scenario where the Huntsman's of the world, 1565 01:16:31.079 --> 01:16:34.000 the Echos of the world, the Garths of the world, 1566 01:16:34.680 --> 01:16:37.920 called Taylor Randall and say we're not with this. It's 1567 01:16:37.960 --> 01:16:41.039 not working, it's not moving the direction that we want. 1568 01:16:42.119 --> 01:16:43.760 I know, you're out of town. Josh Grant came on 1569 01:16:43.800 --> 01:16:46.479 the show two days ago and just went scorched earth 1570 01:16:47.279 --> 01:16:49.640 on the entire thing, and he even said he was excited. 1571 01:16:49.680 --> 01:16:50.880 Did they decided to do this? 1572 01:16:51.479 --> 01:16:54.119 I can't coroborate any of this, but Josh's claim is 1573 01:16:54.199 --> 01:16:58.960 several alumni tried to contact Craig toa for help and 1574 01:16:59.079 --> 01:17:01.920 Craig wasn't open to that, which I'm conflicted about if 1575 01:17:01.960 --> 01:17:04.199 I'm honest, because if I'm Craig, I say, I'm running 1576 01:17:04.239 --> 01:17:07.239 a program, I have a team to coach. You know. 1577 01:17:07.479 --> 01:17:10.239 His job is not to uh, you know, kind of 1578 01:17:10.359 --> 01:17:12.600 coout out or whatever the alumni want him to do. 1579 01:17:12.720 --> 01:17:15.199 But when the heavy hitters, the guys that are writing 1580 01:17:15.239 --> 01:17:17.760 the checks aren't happy with the Directionsmitte. If you're Mark Carlin, 1581 01:17:17.840 --> 01:17:19.479 you probably are kind of forced to do something. 1582 01:17:19.680 --> 01:17:21.479 Well, I mean, and and that's the thing. If you 1583 01:17:21.560 --> 01:17:23.680 if you're the head guy, you know, Mark Harland's the 1584 01:17:23.760 --> 01:17:26.880 athletic director, then who are you answering to? And and 1585 01:17:27.119 --> 01:17:31.880 who who is your your constituency? You know, Look, if 1586 01:17:32.119 --> 01:17:35.479 you know anything about basketball, if you're if you're a 1587 01:17:35.520 --> 01:17:38.680 student of the game, if you profess to love the 1588 01:17:38.800 --> 01:17:42.479 game and watch it, and you're sitting courtside and you're 1589 01:17:42.640 --> 01:17:45.479 you're watching these players, and you're watching the teams that 1590 01:17:45.560 --> 01:17:49.680 come through and who you're playing against, you cannot look 1591 01:17:49.720 --> 01:17:52.159 at You could not look at the roster you know, 1592 01:17:52.279 --> 01:17:56.039 for the for Utah this year and and say, oh, 1593 01:17:56.119 --> 01:17:59.520 that's a highly competitive team that's gonna be you know, 1594 01:17:59.640 --> 01:18:02.279 you know, battle for a top four spot in the 1595 01:18:02.319 --> 01:18:03.439 conference standings. 1596 01:18:03.840 --> 01:18:04.119 Uh. 1597 01:18:04.199 --> 01:18:08.920 They they don't have that kind of personnel. So do you, 1598 01:18:09.640 --> 01:18:12.760 as the athletic director and the people making those decisions? 1599 01:18:12.920 --> 01:18:17.359 Is that what you're basing your your your response, your 1600 01:18:17.439 --> 01:18:20.720 your knee jerk reaction to h are you doing it 1601 01:18:20.760 --> 01:18:24.279 because you don't like the way the coach handles his team? 1602 01:18:24.800 --> 01:18:28.039 You do it because you think they're not running the 1603 01:18:28.119 --> 01:18:31.800 right offense, their their defense isn't stout enough in tough 1604 01:18:31.840 --> 01:18:34.239 circum you know, you know, whatever it is that that 1605 01:18:34.279 --> 01:18:38.359 you that you think you're hanging your hat on. But 1606 01:18:38.359 --> 01:18:41.640 but this team, you know, this program the way it 1607 01:18:41.720 --> 01:18:43.760 is at the current time, and and and I can 1608 01:18:43.840 --> 01:18:46.079 see some of this. You know, I'm a Craig Smith 1609 01:18:46.119 --> 01:18:50.000 fan because I know him somewhat not great, but I 1610 01:18:50.079 --> 01:18:52.479 know that he's a very good coach, and I know 1611 01:18:52.560 --> 01:18:56.840 that he works extremely hard, you know, at it, and 1612 01:18:57.079 --> 01:19:00.840 he's got a sincere will uh with his team and 1613 01:19:00.920 --> 01:19:04.039 gets his team to buy into his approach and what 1614 01:19:04.119 --> 01:19:08.359 he's trying to do. His issue this year has been 1615 01:19:08.560 --> 01:19:11.319 that he just doesn't have the horses to stay in 1616 01:19:11.359 --> 01:19:15.520 the race. That that's just that's a fact if you 1617 01:19:15.600 --> 01:19:18.960 study basketball, if you know anything about it. They also 1618 01:19:19.119 --> 01:19:23.720 had what, to me Spence was a very soft pre 1619 01:19:23.840 --> 01:19:27.520 conference schedule, and so that makes their record look maybe 1620 01:19:27.560 --> 01:19:30.359 a little bit better than what the team really is. 1621 01:19:30.640 --> 01:19:33.840 And I understand that also in terms of college scheduling, 1622 01:19:34.279 --> 01:19:37.640 every college team tries to get you know, what they 1623 01:19:37.680 --> 01:19:41.039 call built in wins in November and December to get 1624 01:19:41.039 --> 01:19:46.319 your team, you know, positively affected and get them confidence 1625 01:19:46.439 --> 01:19:52.079 for going into their conference seasons each year. But if 1626 01:19:52.319 --> 01:19:55.239 they made this decision based on boosters and based on 1627 01:19:55.680 --> 01:19:58.560 you know, people who are paying you know, the money 1628 01:19:58.560 --> 01:20:02.399 into Nils or whatever it is, and they're letting those 1629 01:20:02.439 --> 01:20:04.840 guys you know, have a loud voice in the room, 1630 01:20:05.479 --> 01:20:09.439 then then that's really a major problem for the whole 1631 01:20:09.479 --> 01:20:14.640 program in my opinion, because now you're you're you're expecting 1632 01:20:15.399 --> 01:20:19.840 a coach to do miracles with a limited roster and 1633 01:20:19.840 --> 01:20:23.119 and limited resources that they have available to them. 1634 01:20:23.359 --> 01:20:26.479 Yeah, I agree with you on the talent, uh level 1635 01:20:26.520 --> 01:20:28.960 of this team. I just every and I watch every game. 1636 01:20:29.000 --> 01:20:31.079 I watch every minute of every Utah basketball game, and 1637 01:20:31.079 --> 01:20:33.119 I've been to a grip of them this year, and 1638 01:20:33.159 --> 01:20:35.680 I just felt like Craig did not have the same 1639 01:20:35.720 --> 01:20:38.600 amount of talent as his peers did. And Big twelve 1640 01:20:38.600 --> 01:20:41.840 plays specifically, you know teams kind of rolling into the 1641 01:20:41.880 --> 01:20:44.600 Huntsman Center with better players, or you know, Craig going 1642 01:20:44.600 --> 01:20:47.560 out on the road and going into gyms. That Houston game, 1643 01:20:48.039 --> 01:20:51.000 it wasn't even fair, Like, it wasn't even a fair fight. 1644 01:20:51.399 --> 01:20:53.720 At one point, I think they had eight turnovers in 1645 01:20:53.800 --> 01:20:57.199 three baskets because Houston defensively overwhelmed you. They could not 1646 01:20:57.279 --> 01:20:59.399 even get a shot off. So I do believe that 1647 01:20:59.439 --> 01:21:02.079 there is a ten a issue with the current roster. 1648 01:21:02.239 --> 01:21:04.319 Do respect to the young man who are working, young 1649 01:21:04.359 --> 01:21:06.479 men who were working hard to get better. But the 1650 01:21:06.520 --> 01:21:09.000 problem committee is in college that's on the coach too, 1651 01:21:09.760 --> 01:21:13.359 you know. So like of course, ultimately I am with 1652 01:21:13.479 --> 01:21:15.600 you when it comes to, you know, being gutted and 1653 01:21:15.640 --> 01:21:18.279 seeing a good man losing his job. But there is 1654 01:21:18.399 --> 01:21:22.239 part of me that doesn't mind this statement that this 1655 01:21:22.479 --> 01:21:25.920 is not good enough. We are a basketball community that 1656 01:21:26.319 --> 01:21:28.399 once upon a time had a team at the University 1657 01:21:28.399 --> 01:21:31.399 of Utah not just make the NCAA tournament, but make 1658 01:21:31.439 --> 01:21:34.920 deep runs and almost win national championships. And I don't 1659 01:21:34.960 --> 01:21:38.199 think it's a bad thing to want a different standard 1660 01:21:39.279 --> 01:21:41.199 while at the same time feeling bad for a good 1661 01:21:41.199 --> 01:21:42.960 man who's lost his job. I think two things can 1662 01:21:42.960 --> 01:21:43.560 be true there. 1663 01:21:44.000 --> 01:21:47.000 Yeah, well I think again, I think there's a other 1664 01:21:47.119 --> 01:21:50.520 forces that get involved in that. I don't know. Again, 1665 01:21:50.560 --> 01:21:53.319 I don't know pretend to know what the University of 1666 01:21:53.399 --> 01:21:58.239 Utah scenario is in that regard. I'm just surprised that 1667 01:21:58.359 --> 01:22:01.239 it happens you know, during the course of the season, 1668 01:22:02.199 --> 01:22:04.359 when you've been watching this team and you just came 1669 01:22:04.399 --> 01:22:07.560 off you know where you saw that a team that's 1670 01:22:07.600 --> 01:22:11.960 not as talented can go out and uncertain nights, you know, 1671 01:22:12.640 --> 01:22:18.119 give Arizona a run for the money. You know, play 1672 01:22:18.239 --> 01:22:23.479 Kansas very well. You know, play b YU very well, 1673 01:22:23.560 --> 01:22:25.960 which is a very you know. So you know, yeah, 1674 01:22:26.039 --> 01:22:29.439 it's been an uneven season for them. I understand that. 1675 01:22:30.479 --> 01:22:33.560 I have to. I have to guess that they wanted 1676 01:22:33.600 --> 01:22:36.119 to get ahead of the curve on a decision that 1677 01:22:36.600 --> 01:22:41.199 had already been made at some other point, and they 1678 01:22:41.239 --> 01:22:43.399 were just trying to figure out the best way to 1679 01:22:43.600 --> 01:22:46.520 do it and to maybe uh, you know, get up 1680 01:22:47.199 --> 01:22:49.720 ahead of the pack on a new hiring. 1681 01:22:49.880 --> 01:22:51.840 All right, before we catch a break, we'll do pro 1682 01:22:51.920 --> 01:22:54.399 basketball coming up on the other side, Let's talk smitty 1683 01:22:54.439 --> 01:22:57.680 about what could come next. So, you know, one of 1684 01:22:57.760 --> 01:23:01.479 my favorite things about March Madness and the NCAA Tournament 1685 01:23:01.680 --> 01:23:06.880 is watching coaches that get an automatic qualifier spot after 1686 01:23:06.920 --> 01:23:10.479 winning the Horizon or something, win a couple of games, 1687 01:23:10.800 --> 01:23:14.359 and their life changes because they parlay that run into 1688 01:23:14.479 --> 01:23:16.680 a bigger job at a bigger school where you get 1689 01:23:16.680 --> 01:23:18.960 paid in a way that you never have to work again. 1690 01:23:19.000 --> 01:23:21.159 I mean, your life literally changes if you're one of 1691 01:23:21.199 --> 01:23:23.800 these coaches that rises up through the ranks. So there's 1692 01:23:23.880 --> 01:23:27.640 that direction, and Jeff Bordella from ESPN to put together 1693 01:23:27.760 --> 01:23:30.960 list of these young coaches that are in line to 1694 01:23:31.000 --> 01:23:35.199 get a bigger job. U see San Diego, Eric Olsen, 1695 01:23:35.640 --> 01:23:39.680 Colorado State, Nico medved South Dakota State, Eric Henderson, Boise State, 1696 01:23:39.720 --> 01:23:42.840 Leon Rice u c Irvine, Russell Turner. Those are the 1697 01:23:42.840 --> 01:23:47.079 four coaches he lists as candidates for Utah that fit 1698 01:23:47.199 --> 01:23:49.760 the mold of younger coaches at smaller schools that are 1699 01:23:49.840 --> 01:23:53.039 kind of rising through the ranks. Now on the other side, 1700 01:23:53.439 --> 01:23:55.760 the community seems to have latched on to this idea 1701 01:23:55.800 --> 01:23:58.000 of Alex Jensen as your head coach and Andre Miller's 1702 01:23:58.000 --> 01:24:02.920 your assistant. Five years ago, when Mark fired Larry Ciscoviak, 1703 01:24:03.479 --> 01:24:05.880 I was asked about Alex as a possibility, and I 1704 01:24:06.520 --> 01:24:09.039 thoughts many at the time you were working with him. 1705 01:24:09.720 --> 01:24:12.319 He was Quinn's lead assistant. With the work he did 1706 01:24:12.359 --> 01:24:14.119 with Rudy and how many games you guys want, I 1707 01:24:14.119 --> 01:24:16.640 thought Alex would get a look and get an NBA job. 1708 01:24:17.319 --> 01:24:19.760 Five years later, he still hasn't had an NBA job. 1709 01:24:19.800 --> 01:24:22.560 Maybe he views this as I am labeled as a 1710 01:24:22.600 --> 01:24:25.479 lifetime assistant in the pros, and maybe he looks at 1711 01:24:25.520 --> 01:24:27.079 the Utah job. What are your thoughts? 1712 01:24:27.479 --> 01:24:29.560 Well, I don't know. I can't speak for Alex. I 1713 01:24:29.560 --> 01:24:32.680 don't know what his you know, what his druthers would be. 1714 01:24:33.840 --> 01:24:36.840 I think, you know, the whole idea of the concept 1715 01:24:36.920 --> 01:24:41.039 of trying to bring trying to bring back your uh 1716 01:24:41.079 --> 01:24:44.359 your former heroes, you know, to resurrect and save the 1717 01:24:44.479 --> 01:24:46.880 day and and and get you right on top at 1718 01:24:46.880 --> 01:24:50.039 the mountaintop. I think that's I think that's a little 1719 01:24:50.279 --> 01:24:56.399 preposterous to expect that, you know, type of reaction. Uh, 1720 01:24:56.479 --> 01:24:58.880 you know, I think people are just grasping it. Stars Now, 1721 01:24:59.079 --> 01:25:01.640 these guys might have interest, they may come and do it. 1722 01:25:01.920 --> 01:25:04.439 I don't know any of that. I think what you're 1723 01:25:04.479 --> 01:25:06.960 trying to do as a program is you're trying to 1724 01:25:07.000 --> 01:25:10.680 find the best coach that you think can get you 1725 01:25:11.399 --> 01:25:15.720 good players where you can compete. And again, I'm going 1726 01:25:15.760 --> 01:25:20.119 back to what I think in my own opinion as 1727 01:25:20.159 --> 01:25:23.760 to what they were probably looking at in this regard 1728 01:25:23.840 --> 01:25:27.680 with Craig Smith, is that is that they probably looked 1729 01:25:27.680 --> 01:25:29.560 and said Hey, we just don't have We got to 1730 01:25:29.600 --> 01:25:33.319 have someone who can recruit and get in better players 1731 01:25:33.479 --> 01:25:36.199 to be able to compete, you know, the way that 1732 01:25:36.239 --> 01:25:40.960 we think we should be. Because his basketball knowledge is acumen, 1733 01:25:41.079 --> 01:25:45.760 his approach, all those things have proven to be successful. 1734 01:25:47.039 --> 01:25:50.920 Do they think someone else they have on their radar 1735 01:25:51.039 --> 01:25:54.279 can bring in those players? Do you bring in those 1736 01:25:54.359 --> 01:25:56.880 It's not like the old days, Spence, where you're recruited 1737 01:25:57.239 --> 01:25:59.760 and you just tried to recruit on reputation and co 1738 01:26:00.239 --> 01:26:02.800 ing and and the things that you can give to 1739 01:26:02.880 --> 01:26:06.760 a player to help them along their path. Uh, and 1740 01:26:06.800 --> 01:26:09.239 then you know you didn't have to worry about na 1741 01:26:09.399 --> 01:26:12.439 l stuff. Now it seems to be all related to 1742 01:26:12.479 --> 01:26:15.680 how much money you have available. And and you know, 1743 01:26:16.000 --> 01:26:18.199 the whole college thing to me is so out of 1744 01:26:18.239 --> 01:26:21.359 whack and it's so so way out out there in 1745 01:26:21.439 --> 01:26:25.880 space because this is really not college athletics. This is 1746 01:26:25.920 --> 01:26:30.399 now just another version of a pro approach because you're 1747 01:26:30.520 --> 01:26:33.560 in fact it's it's really even you can even look 1748 01:26:33.600 --> 01:26:36.960 at it and and as you study it say that 1749 01:26:37.000 --> 01:26:42.279 it's even more so another step beyond like uh, the NBA, 1750 01:26:42.520 --> 01:26:46.000 for example, which has salary caps in certain restricts in 1751 01:26:46.000 --> 01:26:49.359 in in college you can just offer guys whatever you 1752 01:26:49.399 --> 01:26:51.560 can you have to offer them, and then there's no 1753 01:26:51.960 --> 01:26:55.279 there's no contracts. So the player can come, he can 1754 01:26:55.319 --> 01:26:58.600 come for a freshman year. It doesn't work, it doesn't 1755 01:26:58.640 --> 01:27:00.760 you know, whatever it is, he's playing better than what 1756 01:27:00.840 --> 01:27:03.560 you thought he was or the ni L that you 1757 01:27:03.600 --> 01:27:06.279 have available for him. So he goes to another school 1758 01:27:06.319 --> 01:27:08.439 the next year. You know, he doesn't have to sit 1759 01:27:08.520 --> 01:27:10.760 out a year. He doesn't have to you know, get 1760 01:27:10.800 --> 01:27:12.680 out of conference. You can just do whatever he wants. 1761 01:27:12.720 --> 01:27:15.880 And so you know this this notion of the wild 1762 01:27:15.920 --> 01:27:19.800 wild West in college basketball is really true. And if 1763 01:27:19.840 --> 01:27:22.399 you if you want to be one of those one 1764 01:27:22.439 --> 01:27:25.720 of those guys that is competing, if that's your thing, 1765 01:27:26.199 --> 01:27:28.520 then you have to do like the approach the b 1766 01:27:28.720 --> 01:27:31.760 YU is taken, which is jumping all in and saying 1767 01:27:31.760 --> 01:27:34.600 we're gonna set it up like an NBA program, or 1768 01:27:34.600 --> 01:27:37.119 we're gonna we're gonna get a lot of money in 1769 01:27:37.199 --> 01:27:39.560 the n I L and we're gonna start recruiting guys. 1770 01:27:39.600 --> 01:27:43.159 And you know, there's no way a b YU program 1771 01:27:43.520 --> 01:27:47.520 gets in with a conversation even with an aj debanza. Uh, 1772 01:27:47.760 --> 01:27:49.960 you know, five years ago, of course, there's no way. 1773 01:27:50.279 --> 01:27:53.359 So so if your if that's what your goal is, 1774 01:27:53.560 --> 01:27:56.840 if that's what your aim is toward, then you jump 1775 01:27:56.920 --> 01:27:59.720 all in. And maybe that's what this is about, is 1776 01:27:59.720 --> 01:28:02.920 about out to you saying, Okay, we gotta we gotta 1777 01:28:03.000 --> 01:28:05.840 get we gotta get some headway here. So we got 1778 01:28:05.840 --> 01:28:08.359 to get a new start, and we got to figure 1779 01:28:08.359 --> 01:28:11.479 out how to redirect the program from from where it 1780 01:28:11.560 --> 01:28:12.439 is at the current time. 1781 01:28:12.560 --> 01:28:15.479 Josh Eiler your interim head coach. His first task is 1782 01:28:15.560 --> 01:28:17.680 McHale's center against Arizona tonight. 1783 01:28:17.880 --> 01:28:18.640 That's an easy one. 1784 01:28:19.079 --> 01:28:21.840 Six thirty pre game seven o'clock coverage here on ESPN 1785 01:28:21.840 --> 01:28:24.760 seven hundred. Coming up next, we will talk some pro basketball. 1786 01:28:24.800 --> 01:28:27.520 The Jazz are in action tonight. Luka Doncics put up 1787 01:28:27.520 --> 01:28:30.079 a triple double against his old team. Smindy Liven Studios 1788 01:28:30.119 --> 01:28:32.039 brought to you by Burt Brothers with over thirty years 1789 01:28:32.039 --> 01:28:36.159 of experience and nearly thirty locations. Burt Brothers ASE certified 1790 01:28:36.159 --> 01:28:40.640 technicians bring expertise and professionalism to every interaction industry, leading 1791 01:28:40.640 --> 01:28:43.239 warranties and low priced tire guarantees. 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All right, we got one more big segment 1806 01:29:25.199 --> 01:29:27.279 with Richard Smith live in studio. We're gonna bring in 1807 01:29:27.319 --> 01:29:29.600 Josh Furlong, who covers the University of Utah for our 1808 01:29:29.640 --> 01:29:31.600 friends at KSL Smitty. 1809 01:29:31.680 --> 01:29:32.760 Let's bring an off. 1810 01:29:32.600 --> 01:29:37.720 Air conversation on air because when Alex Jensen was Quinn's 1811 01:29:37.760 --> 01:29:40.000 lead assistant, you were with the Jazz, so you got 1812 01:29:40.039 --> 01:29:43.079 to know Alex. Alex was G League Coach of the Year, 1813 01:29:43.640 --> 01:29:45.920 and you were outlining why it is such a tough 1814 01:29:45.960 --> 01:29:49.439 league to coach you and what kind of strictly basketball wise, 1815 01:29:49.439 --> 01:29:51.560 what kind of coach is Alex Jensen. 1816 01:29:51.640 --> 01:29:56.600 Well, the first thing is he's very organized, he's very 1817 01:29:56.720 --> 01:30:00.439 you know, he learned a ton and worked for a 1818 01:30:00.520 --> 01:30:04.199 lot of years, you know, with a very good coach, 1819 01:30:04.520 --> 01:30:08.640 with a very tough coach and in Rick mcgeris, And 1820 01:30:08.720 --> 01:30:12.199 so he took a lot of the good things, you know, 1821 01:30:12.319 --> 01:30:15.279 the the Rick would bring to the court every day 1822 01:30:15.319 --> 01:30:18.880 in terms of how they approached uh, their their workouts, 1823 01:30:18.880 --> 01:30:21.800 how they approached their player development, how they approached their 1824 01:30:21.880 --> 01:30:25.159 attention to detail. You know, those those are the things 1825 01:30:25.199 --> 01:30:28.159 that that he really has has taken as part of 1826 01:30:28.199 --> 01:30:31.920 his his playbook, so to speak, you know, in the 1827 01:30:32.039 --> 01:30:35.840 in the coaching ranks. But but all you have to 1828 01:30:35.880 --> 01:30:39.159 do is look at any coach and and the and 1829 01:30:39.239 --> 01:30:41.239 the coach right now with Oka see is a good 1830 01:30:41.279 --> 01:30:44.560 example of Mark Dano, who coached the G League team 1831 01:30:44.560 --> 01:30:48.600 for ok C. They hired him as a young coach. 1832 01:30:48.760 --> 01:30:50.720 I think he was the youngest coach in the NBA 1833 01:30:51.199 --> 01:30:55.199 at the time they hired that's right. But they hired 1834 01:30:55.279 --> 01:30:59.840 him because they felt confident that he knew what he 1835 01:30:59.920 --> 01:31:02.880 was doing as a coach, how he was approaching the 1836 01:31:03.079 --> 01:31:07.159 job with with with his team. And obviously they've gotten 1837 01:31:07.159 --> 01:31:09.960 players and they've been able to build their team up 1838 01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:12.479 to what it is now. And and but just think 1839 01:31:12.520 --> 01:31:15.359 of it this way, Spence, and we used to talk 1840 01:31:15.399 --> 01:31:17.800 to the guys about this all the time who are 1841 01:31:17.800 --> 01:31:20.840 on our various G League teams over the years. The 1842 01:31:20.840 --> 01:31:25.279 the the tough part about coaching in the G League 1843 01:31:25.520 --> 01:31:32.479 for a coach is is that nobody who's there wants 1844 01:31:32.520 --> 01:31:33.399 to be there. 1845 01:31:34.279 --> 01:31:35.079 That's a good way to put it. 1846 01:31:35.159 --> 01:31:42.760 Yeah, okay, everybody who everybody, the players, the coaches, the trainer, 1847 01:31:43.880 --> 01:31:47.560 the pr guy, you know, whoever it is, they all 1848 01:31:47.640 --> 01:31:50.560 want to be somewhere else, meaning they want to be 1849 01:31:50.640 --> 01:31:53.319 in a higher profile job. They want to be in 1850 01:31:53.359 --> 01:31:55.960 the n b A or they you know whatever. However 1851 01:31:56.000 --> 01:32:00.439 you would you would uh uh determine that. But at 1852 01:32:00.439 --> 01:32:06.159 the same time, they're also everybody who has chosen to 1853 01:32:06.399 --> 01:32:10.359 be there. In other words, you know, we would speak 1854 01:32:10.359 --> 01:32:13.079 to the guys all time. Hey, Spence, check its your 1855 01:32:13.239 --> 01:32:19.079 you're player, your you're our backup point guard. Well I'm 1856 01:32:19.119 --> 01:32:21.439 giving you some leeway just being a backup on the 1857 01:32:21.439 --> 01:32:22.039 team period. 1858 01:32:22.119 --> 01:32:22.319 Yeah. 1859 01:32:22.359 --> 01:32:27.520 Okay, yeah, but you look at a guy and you say, 1860 01:32:27.720 --> 01:32:31.279 you have chosen to be here, even though we all 1861 01:32:31.319 --> 01:32:35.880 know you want to be somewhere else. And so just 1862 01:32:35.920 --> 01:32:40.039 think of it from a coaching perspective. You've got twelve guys, 1863 01:32:40.159 --> 01:32:43.079 thirteen guys however many they have on their rosters now 1864 01:32:43.359 --> 01:32:46.520 in the G League, and you're trying to coalesce those 1865 01:32:46.600 --> 01:32:50.039 guys and get them all moving in the right direction 1866 01:32:50.880 --> 01:32:55.399 and trying to trying to get something done in a 1867 01:32:55.439 --> 01:32:59.319 positive way in terms of learning, in terms of playing, 1868 01:32:59.359 --> 01:33:03.479 in terms of executing, and ultimately trying to win games. 1869 01:33:04.119 --> 01:33:07.119 At the same time, as a coach, you know, all 1870 01:33:07.239 --> 01:33:11.720 these guys not only want to be in another situation, 1871 01:33:12.239 --> 01:33:15.439 but they're all trying to look out for their best 1872 01:33:15.439 --> 01:33:16.800 interest good. 1873 01:33:16.720 --> 01:33:17.359 Right, really good. 1874 01:33:17.640 --> 01:33:22.720 So they're all moving, you know, in different directions, with 1875 01:33:22.840 --> 01:33:27.359 different motivations, et cetera. So as a coach in that league, 1876 01:33:27.479 --> 01:33:30.359 it's very tough. That's why you get, I think spence 1877 01:33:30.640 --> 01:33:33.000 if you if you're paying attention to G League games, 1878 01:33:33.399 --> 01:33:37.079 you get these wild swings during games where one team 1879 01:33:37.159 --> 01:33:40.279 goes on a twenty one to two run and then 1880 01:33:40.399 --> 01:33:42.600 the other team calls a time out whatever, and they 1881 01:33:42.640 --> 01:33:45.039 come out, and then the next four minutes the other 1882 01:33:45.119 --> 01:33:47.800 team goes on in eighteen and zero run or whatever 1883 01:33:47.840 --> 01:33:51.199 it is. And it's because you're as a coach, you're 1884 01:33:51.239 --> 01:33:54.239 trying to keep all your guys moving in the same 1885 01:33:54.319 --> 01:33:58.560 direction and trying to get the same result, and it's 1886 01:33:58.600 --> 01:34:01.640 a very difficult job to do. So if you have 1887 01:34:01.800 --> 01:34:06.079 done that and you've shown you have success there, then 1888 01:34:06.239 --> 01:34:10.399 to me, that's always been a big factor in looking 1889 01:34:10.439 --> 01:34:13.880 at someone as a potential candidate for some other coaching 1890 01:34:14.000 --> 01:34:16.000 job that they might be interested in. 1891 01:34:16.119 --> 01:34:20.960 What about Alex as a person, his personality, He's always 1892 01:34:20.960 --> 01:34:24.520 struck me as very level headed, very measured, very even keel. 1893 01:34:25.079 --> 01:34:27.479 You reference working for Rick, he also worked for a 1894 01:34:27.560 --> 01:34:32.439 good yet tough coach in Quinn Right, And I would imagine, 1895 01:34:32.439 --> 01:34:35.600 and I'm sure you have insight into this, being an 1896 01:34:35.640 --> 01:34:39.760 assistant coach for Quinn Snyder probably at times was great 1897 01:34:39.920 --> 01:34:42.680 and probably at times you went home not feeling awesome 1898 01:34:42.720 --> 01:34:45.439 about yourself. Right, He's a tough guy to probably work 1899 01:34:45.479 --> 01:34:47.319 for and work with, even though I respect him, he's 1900 01:34:47.319 --> 01:34:51.520 a good coach. So Alex as a person as opposed 1901 01:34:51.560 --> 01:34:53.560 to a basketball coach tell us about. 1902 01:34:53.359 --> 01:34:55.640 That, Well, he's just a he's a quiet guy. 1903 01:34:55.800 --> 01:34:56.720 Yeah, he's. 1904 01:34:58.000 --> 01:35:03.760 You know, a very friend guy. But he's not an exuberant, uh, 1905 01:35:03.840 --> 01:35:06.239 you know person, So he doesn't he doesn't get out 1906 01:35:06.239 --> 01:35:10.720 of his element. Uh very often when I've seen him 1907 01:35:10.840 --> 01:35:15.319 in practices where where things aren't going right and someone's 1908 01:35:15.359 --> 01:35:17.840 not doing what they've been asked to do or been 1909 01:35:17.840 --> 01:35:21.039 instructed to do and doing it a certain way. He 1910 01:35:21.079 --> 01:35:25.119 can be very stern and very direct. Uh, but but 1911 01:35:25.199 --> 01:35:27.359 he does it in a in a manner that is 1912 01:35:27.880 --> 01:35:31.520 respectful to the people around him. And in other words, 1913 01:35:31.560 --> 01:35:34.039 it's not a yelling match, it's not a shouting match. 1914 01:35:34.079 --> 01:35:36.479 It's not a you know, waving your hands all over 1915 01:35:36.520 --> 01:35:39.399 the place kind of making a spectacle type of thing. 1916 01:35:39.880 --> 01:35:42.680 You know. He does it in a very succinct, very 1917 01:35:42.760 --> 01:35:46.399 matter of fact, step by step process to try and 1918 01:35:46.439 --> 01:35:49.760 get to where you're you're you're trying to go. And Uh. 1919 01:35:49.960 --> 01:35:53.439 In that regards, he's a very calming influence, you know, 1920 01:35:53.600 --> 01:35:56.880 for them. I think with the Jazz staff for the 1921 01:35:56.960 --> 01:35:59.000 several years that he was working with Quinn, he was 1922 01:35:59.039 --> 01:36:03.479 a good balance to Quinn's fiery nature. Uh, both on 1923 01:36:03.520 --> 01:36:05.600 the court and and and you know, off the court, 1924 01:36:05.640 --> 01:36:08.319 in practice and and meetings and that kind of thing. 1925 01:36:08.439 --> 01:36:12.319 I think he brings a certain a certain resolve and 1926 01:36:12.439 --> 01:36:16.199 a certain uh steadiness uh that that is uh, that 1927 01:36:16.359 --> 01:36:19.319 is needed. And in a lot of situations, especially in 1928 01:36:19.319 --> 01:36:22.119 the pro game, when you have so many games coming 1929 01:36:22.199 --> 01:36:25.199 at you and and you have so much stuff, you 1930 01:36:25.239 --> 01:36:29.000 know that that's changing almost every day, you need someone 1931 01:36:29.000 --> 01:36:33.600 who's organized, someone who thinks through things, someone who has 1932 01:36:34.039 --> 01:36:37.800 an approach uh that that is a step by step 1933 01:36:37.840 --> 01:36:41.079 approach that makes sense to get you to where you 1934 01:36:41.119 --> 01:36:43.439 want to go. And he's, uh, he's that kind of guy. 1935 01:36:43.640 --> 01:36:45.600 One more thing here, because I didn't get asked you 1936 01:36:45.600 --> 01:36:49.199 about another candidates. I'm using air quotes as candidates because 1937 01:36:49.239 --> 01:36:51.359 I don't know. But it's another guy that you know, 1938 01:36:52.119 --> 01:36:55.039 and that's Johnny Bryant, who currently is the associate head 1939 01:36:55.039 --> 01:36:59.119 coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And they are awesome, and 1940 01:36:59.199 --> 01:37:01.520 Johnny was with in New York right and I think 1941 01:37:01.520 --> 01:37:03.399 a lot of people believe Johnny an up and coming 1942 01:37:03.439 --> 01:37:05.319 young coach. Maybe at some point we'll get a head 1943 01:37:05.319 --> 01:37:09.279 coaching opportunity. I don't know that this is something he 1944 01:37:09.319 --> 01:37:11.439 would be interested in, based off of just where he's 1945 01:37:11.439 --> 01:37:13.199 at in his career. But that's a name people have 1946 01:37:13.239 --> 01:37:14.920 thrown around, you know, Johnny as well, what do you 1947 01:37:14.920 --> 01:37:15.439 what do you think? 1948 01:37:15.600 --> 01:37:19.319 Well, again, I think spends a lot for me in 1949 01:37:19.359 --> 01:37:21.760 my opinion. A lot of that is because Johnny's got 1950 01:37:21.760 --> 01:37:24.880 the ties to the University of Utah, you know, from 1951 01:37:25.000 --> 01:37:29.560 from many many years ago. You know, he's proven himself 1952 01:37:29.640 --> 01:37:33.039 as a very good player development guy, as a very 1953 01:37:33.760 --> 01:37:37.600 very good again, Johnny is a very organized coach. He's 1954 01:37:37.640 --> 01:37:40.319 also somewhat like Alex and that he's more of a 1955 01:37:40.439 --> 01:37:44.800 quiet voice in the room. He's he's not a an 1956 01:37:44.840 --> 01:37:45.720 exuberant guy. 1957 01:37:45.760 --> 01:37:46.640 He's not a yeller. 1958 01:37:48.039 --> 01:37:51.640 He's not a you know, a high energy type of 1959 01:37:51.760 --> 01:37:57.399 personality in the room. He's more he's he's more laid back, 1960 01:37:58.520 --> 01:38:04.520 he's more succinct. He gets his point across very directly. 1961 01:38:04.880 --> 01:38:07.800 He comes from a background where he was in for 1962 01:38:07.800 --> 01:38:11.159 a lot of years in the player development world. Where 1963 01:38:11.199 --> 01:38:13.720 he was he had to be organized, you had to 1964 01:38:13.760 --> 01:38:17.319 have a certain plan of attack, you had to do 1965 01:38:17.439 --> 01:38:21.199 things in a structured manner, uh, in order to try 1966 01:38:21.199 --> 01:38:22.239 and see results. 1967 01:38:22.720 --> 01:38:22.880 Uh. 1968 01:38:22.920 --> 01:38:25.520 And that's what he's that's what he's done at the 1969 01:38:25.560 --> 01:38:30.199 pro level. Paul millsap A knew him, and coming out 1970 01:38:30.239 --> 01:38:35.279 of the last NBA lockout year, Paul talked the Jazz 1971 01:38:35.319 --> 01:38:38.680 into bringing him in as a player development guy, working 1972 01:38:38.680 --> 01:38:42.720 with players individually and skilled development. And and Johnny worked 1973 01:38:42.720 --> 01:38:45.239 his way on onto the NBA bench and as an 1974 01:38:45.279 --> 01:38:48.119 assistant coach, uh and that kind of thing. But he's 1975 01:38:48.199 --> 01:38:52.760 he's always been a very structured, organized guy with a 1976 01:38:52.840 --> 01:38:56.960 quiet leadership and and and you know that would be 1977 01:38:57.039 --> 01:38:59.800 somebody that that would be interesting for because he also 1978 01:38:59.840 --> 01:39:02.840 had ties. You know, he's from the Oakland area originally, 1979 01:39:02.880 --> 01:39:06.279 so he has ties outside of Utah. You know that 1980 01:39:06.439 --> 01:39:10.920 would potentially in that kind of scenario possibly help in 1981 01:39:11.000 --> 01:39:15.319 terms of recruiting and and uh, you know, having contacts 1982 01:39:15.319 --> 01:39:17.720 with people you know in other parts of the country. 1983 01:39:17.880 --> 01:39:20.520 Give us some perspective on how hard it is to 1984 01:39:20.600 --> 01:39:22.960 play at McHale Center, where Utah is playing tonight. 1985 01:39:23.079 --> 01:39:25.840 Well, you know, the mcale Center is an older facility 1986 01:39:26.880 --> 01:39:29.079 where the fans are right on top of you. It 1987 01:39:29.159 --> 01:39:32.119 was built at the same time as the facility at Arizona. 1988 01:39:32.199 --> 01:39:38.359 States that they're identical to each other. The fans in Tucson, 1989 01:39:39.000 --> 01:39:44.479 they are They're very rambunctious, It's funny because the students 1990 01:39:44.520 --> 01:39:47.600 show up, the students get rowdy. But then there's a 1991 01:39:47.680 --> 01:39:52.640 section of the of the of the spectators who are older, 1992 01:39:52.800 --> 01:39:56.119 retired folks who live in Tucson who go to the 1993 01:39:56.159 --> 01:39:59.199 games because they have a lot of money and they 1994 01:39:59.239 --> 01:40:02.359 don't have anything else going on in Tucson. And so 1995 01:40:02.560 --> 01:40:06.159 the Arizona the University of Arizona men's basketball team for 1996 01:40:06.319 --> 01:40:10.520 years has been like their pro team. And so all 1997 01:40:10.600 --> 01:40:15.039 of those people come and they invest a lot, not 1998 01:40:15.079 --> 01:40:19.239 only you know, financially, but also you know, with their 1999 01:40:19.279 --> 01:40:22.479 activity at the games. And so it's an interesting crowd, 2000 01:40:22.520 --> 01:40:25.159 but it's a tough, tough place to play, you know, 2001 01:40:25.439 --> 01:40:29.319 partly because of the crowd, but more more, more importantly 2002 01:40:29.720 --> 01:40:33.399 because Arizona always has very good teams and very good 2003 01:40:33.439 --> 01:40:34.399 talent on the floor. 2004 01:40:34.560 --> 01:40:35.319 Yeah, no doubt. 2005 01:40:35.319 --> 01:40:35.399 So. 2006 01:40:35.439 --> 01:40:38.119 Our pregame coverage for Utah hoops tonight begins at six 2007 01:40:38.319 --> 01:40:41.880 thirty and then tip off for Josh Eilert's first game 2008 01:40:42.159 --> 01:40:45.479 as the coach is at seven against Arizona and the 2009 01:40:45.560 --> 01:40:48.199 McHale Center. I'm sure Josh is like, couldn't you wait, 2010 01:40:48.439 --> 01:40:49.039 couldn't you wait? 2011 01:40:49.199 --> 01:40:52.520 Well, and and think of it too. Spencer the Arizona's 2012 01:40:52.560 --> 01:40:56.640 coming off that that brutal loss to BYU a few 2013 01:40:56.720 --> 01:41:00.760 days ago. I was watching that game, and you know, 2014 01:41:00.840 --> 01:41:04.039 the b YU, to their credit, got the benefit of 2015 01:41:04.079 --> 01:41:06.600 two calls at the end of the game on the 2016 01:41:06.720 --> 01:41:10.520 road in the McHale Center, which which you you you 2017 01:41:10.520 --> 01:41:13.159 wouldn't put that in a movie script because you'd say, well, 2018 01:41:13.159 --> 01:41:16.199 that wouldn't that would never happen. But it happened, UH 2019 01:41:16.399 --> 01:41:19.239 to b wau's benefit. But they took advantage of it, 2020 01:41:19.640 --> 01:41:22.840 and UH and made a payoff with those two Richie 2021 01:41:22.840 --> 01:41:25.880 Saunders free throws at the end and UH and held 2022 01:41:25.920 --> 01:41:28.600 on for for a big win for them, and and 2023 01:41:28.680 --> 01:41:32.720 UH a great win for their program in terms of 2024 01:41:32.880 --> 01:41:33.880 where they're trying to go. 2025 01:41:34.039 --> 01:41:35.880 You think Richie is a pro, You think Richie can 2026 01:41:35.880 --> 01:41:36.760 make money play I do. 2027 01:41:36.840 --> 01:41:38.760 I like I like him, you know, I like him 2028 01:41:38.840 --> 01:41:41.600 Spence because he's got good size as a guard six 2029 01:41:41.760 --> 01:41:46.960 five sixty six. He plays with intensity, He's he is 2030 01:41:47.000 --> 01:41:50.239 not afraid. He comes off those screens and is ready 2031 01:41:50.319 --> 01:41:54.000 to catch and shoot. He's gotten better this year, you know, 2032 01:41:54.159 --> 01:41:56.840 under Kevin Young and his staff. And again we're talking 2033 01:41:56.840 --> 01:42:00.479 about skill development. But but what Richie brings for me 2034 01:42:01.079 --> 01:42:04.239 is he brings an intensity on both ends of the floor. 2035 01:42:04.279 --> 01:42:07.239 He really plays hard, and he really plays with a 2036 01:42:07.279 --> 01:42:12.079 certain level of fearlessness, which I like. I really think 2037 01:42:12.159 --> 01:42:14.960 he's he's been been a terrific player for them. I 2038 01:42:14.960 --> 01:42:19.359 think he's been their MVP this year. Totally agree, you know, 2039 01:42:19.439 --> 01:42:22.640 and I really like him as a pro prospect. 2040 01:42:22.279 --> 01:42:24.640 Because we were debating this earlier, back to the whole 2041 01:42:24.680 --> 01:42:28.720 talent thing, and this is not a hard exercise to do. 2042 01:42:28.920 --> 01:42:30.560 I mean, if you're at home or at work, he 2043 01:42:30.600 --> 01:42:35.119 can just google past National champions or Final four teams. 2044 01:42:35.680 --> 01:42:38.920 Almost all of them, Smitty have at least two or 2045 01:42:38.920 --> 01:42:41.840 three NBA guys in one or two like European pro types. 2046 01:42:42.840 --> 01:42:45.640 The Duke team that won the National championship with John 2047 01:42:45.720 --> 01:42:49.880 Shire and the zu Bec kid maybe your only exception, right, 2048 01:42:49.960 --> 01:42:52.479 I know, John got a little bit of a look 2049 01:42:52.520 --> 01:42:54.399 to be a pro, and I think zu Beec got 2050 01:42:54.439 --> 01:42:57.600 a couple of contracts. But even our teams here, you know, 2051 01:42:57.720 --> 01:43:02.479 Rick had teams with and horn Metal, uh uh, you know, 2052 01:43:02.520 --> 01:43:07.560 Hanno of course, and then Doleiak Britten obviously Andre multiple 2053 01:43:07.800 --> 01:43:11.560 NBA guys, multiple pros, not just NBA guys, but European 2054 01:43:11.600 --> 01:43:13.920 pros as well. How many pros do you think Kevin 2055 01:43:13.960 --> 01:43:16.239 has on that by U roster right now? 2056 01:43:17.239 --> 01:43:19.439 Well, well, totally. There'll be a few guys who will 2057 01:43:19.439 --> 01:43:20.319 play overseas. 2058 01:43:22.159 --> 01:43:22.359 You know. 2059 01:43:22.439 --> 01:43:24.840 I think he's probably got four or five guys that 2060 01:43:24.920 --> 01:43:31.079 will play uh professionally somewhere. I like the Demon kid, 2061 01:43:31.520 --> 01:43:34.439 he's uh. It'll be interesting to see if he's if 2062 01:43:34.439 --> 01:43:38.199 he stays another year, you know, I think he could 2063 01:43:38.319 --> 01:43:43.079 use that personally. I think he's uh. Sometimes he doesn't 2064 01:43:43.119 --> 01:43:48.359 play full speed to me. Sometimes he really shows his 2065 01:43:48.439 --> 01:43:52.840 skill level and shows the things that he's capable of doing. 2066 01:43:53.279 --> 01:43:55.760 For me, he doesn't seem to do it enough. He 2067 01:43:55.800 --> 01:43:58.680 doesn't seem to Sometimes he seems to me to be 2068 01:43:58.720 --> 01:43:59.760 playing in second gear. 2069 01:44:01.359 --> 01:44:01.479 Uh. 2070 01:44:01.560 --> 01:44:03.520 But I like him. I like his skill level, and 2071 01:44:03.560 --> 01:44:06.000 I like his his feel for the game, you know, 2072 01:44:06.039 --> 01:44:09.720 and his size obviously is is is an NBA type 2073 01:44:10.079 --> 01:44:14.000 uh type size for that for that position. You know. 2074 01:44:14.119 --> 01:44:16.319 The other kid, the Catchings kid, it just has had 2075 01:44:16.359 --> 01:44:19.439 such an uneven uh season, you know, I I would 2076 01:44:19.439 --> 01:44:22.159 assume he'd be coming back. You know, there was a 2077 01:44:22.199 --> 01:44:23.760 lot of talk at the beginning of the year that 2078 01:44:23.840 --> 01:44:27.640 he was a one and done kid. I haven't seen that. Personally, 2079 01:44:29.159 --> 01:44:33.239 I think he's played. Uh he's paid too erratically during 2080 01:44:33.239 --> 01:44:36.600 the course of the year. Uh to uh to warrant 2081 01:44:36.640 --> 01:44:39.119 coming out in the draft. Uh you know, but again 2082 01:44:39.199 --> 01:44:42.119 who knows. In this day and age, you never know, Spence. 2083 01:44:42.159 --> 01:44:44.439 It's one of the things that is set up and 2084 01:44:44.479 --> 01:44:48.880 for these kids, uh that that helps them is that 2085 01:44:49.000 --> 01:44:53.359 they can always go into the draft and do workouts 2086 01:44:53.359 --> 01:44:56.279 for NBA teams and then there's a certain date where 2087 01:44:56.319 --> 01:44:58.840 they have to make a decision I'm staying in the 2088 01:44:58.920 --> 01:45:02.880 draft or I'm pulling out. And the smart kids every 2089 01:45:03.119 --> 01:45:06.680 I've always said this for years. Every college kid should 2090 01:45:06.760 --> 01:45:09.359 enter the draft, no matter what year of school they're in, 2091 01:45:09.680 --> 01:45:12.439 because then that gives them a window in the spring 2092 01:45:13.039 --> 01:45:16.359 to go and do do pro workouts. You go to 2093 01:45:16.399 --> 01:45:18.600 the Jazz, you go to the Denver Nuggets, you go 2094 01:45:18.640 --> 01:45:21.479 to the Phoenix Suns. You get a workout. You a 2095 01:45:22.039 --> 01:45:24.399 see where you measure up against the other guys who 2096 01:45:24.399 --> 01:45:26.640 they happen to have in a workout that day. But 2097 01:45:26.680 --> 01:45:31.359 more importantly, you get direct feedback from the NBA personnel 2098 01:45:31.439 --> 01:45:35.600 people who say, Spence, check its you have no left hand. 2099 01:45:36.199 --> 01:45:40.840 You cannot go left. Everybody knows it. It's in a 2100 01:45:41.039 --> 01:45:43.399 bold lettering and the top of it. So you need 2101 01:45:43.439 --> 01:45:46.359 to go back to school and work on that. That's 2102 01:45:46.399 --> 01:45:49.920 what's going to help you in a potential program. So 2103 01:45:49.960 --> 01:45:52.720 they get this kind of feedback and then you can 2104 01:45:52.760 --> 01:45:55.520 always you can take that and go wow, I got 2105 01:45:55.520 --> 01:45:58.319 a lot of good feedback from these workouts and from 2106 01:45:58.359 --> 01:46:01.439 the pro personnel guys. Tell me what I need to 2107 01:46:01.479 --> 01:46:04.079 work on. Now I'm pulling out of the draft and 2108 01:46:04.119 --> 01:46:06.720 I'm going back to school. I don't know why every 2109 01:46:06.760 --> 01:46:09.640 college player doesn't do that. You know, it really makes 2110 01:46:09.680 --> 01:46:11.840 a lot of sense for them, and it's there for 2111 01:46:11.960 --> 01:46:16.159 them to help them make rational decisions about what they 2112 01:46:16.199 --> 01:46:19.479 want to do with their you know, their careers going forward. 2113 01:46:19.600 --> 01:46:24.239 So BYU has some guys will who will be in 2114 01:46:24.279 --> 01:46:26.520 that position I think in the spring, and it'll be 2115 01:46:26.560 --> 01:46:28.800 interesting to see how it plays out for them. 2116 01:46:29.319 --> 01:46:32.800 All Right, let's do a little jazz here, you know jazz. 2117 01:46:33.479 --> 01:46:36.560 You know, finally, well, I mean, ultimately, we all know 2118 01:46:36.640 --> 01:46:39.720 the deal and we're all just kind of riding this 2119 01:46:39.720 --> 01:46:41.960 thing out and hoping for a little lottery luck and 2120 01:46:42.039 --> 01:46:44.920 maybe a little Cooper flag action. So it's tough to 2121 01:46:44.960 --> 01:46:47.640 make it all that interesting. But the latest Jazz young 2122 01:46:47.680 --> 01:46:51.600 player who has played pretty well is Kyle Philipowski, who 2123 01:46:51.680 --> 01:46:55.199 over the past six games he's fifteen points, he's seven boards, 2124 01:46:55.239 --> 01:46:59.079 he's sixty two percent from the floor, and he had 2125 01:46:59.119 --> 01:47:01.800 his first two twenty point double doubles during you know, 2126 01:47:01.840 --> 01:47:04.760 the past six games. So he's looked pretty good as 2127 01:47:04.800 --> 01:47:07.319 of late. He's the latest young player we talked about 2128 01:47:07.399 --> 01:47:11.680 Kyante and Isaiah kind of the the rotational decision will 2129 01:47:11.760 --> 01:47:13.720 Is made to start Isaiah and bring Kiante off the 2130 01:47:13.720 --> 01:47:15.479 bench last time. But what are you seeing as of 2131 01:47:15.560 --> 01:47:17.399 late now that Kyle's getting some minutes. 2132 01:47:17.239 --> 01:47:19.520 Well, and he's going to continue to get minutes. And 2133 01:47:20.000 --> 01:47:22.680 again this is this is all in the area of 2134 01:47:23.439 --> 01:47:26.760 player development and trying to find out which guys you 2135 01:47:26.960 --> 01:47:31.600 think have a chance to continue progressing, continue moving up 2136 01:47:31.600 --> 01:47:34.600 the ladder, might be able to do something for you 2137 01:47:35.319 --> 01:47:38.600 down the road somewhere, you know, in a more meaningful setting. 2138 01:47:39.039 --> 01:47:42.359 And and Kyle Philipowski his his turn is up. And 2139 01:47:42.399 --> 01:47:45.199 so I heard tonight that you know, again market In 2140 01:47:45.279 --> 01:47:48.640 isn't going to play again tonight, so you know, Philipowski 2141 01:47:48.720 --> 01:47:52.039 will probably get some good run again. And and that's 2142 01:47:52.079 --> 01:47:54.279 the way they're playing it. And it's you know, you 2143 01:47:54.359 --> 01:47:57.359 can say they're not trying to win games. You can 2144 01:47:57.399 --> 01:48:01.079 say that they're trying to uh develop guys, you know, 2145 01:48:01.159 --> 01:48:04.640 give them opportunities, and that's where they that's where they 2146 01:48:04.640 --> 01:48:07.000 get them, that's what they've chosen to do. Instead of 2147 01:48:07.279 --> 01:48:11.600 a Kyle Philipowski, who in a so called normal NBA 2148 01:48:11.760 --> 01:48:15.960 setting would be doing this in the G league situation, 2149 01:48:16.439 --> 01:48:19.199 he's now doing it in the NBA situation. So there's 2150 01:48:19.560 --> 01:48:22.159 arguments both ways, because you say, well, you know, he 2151 01:48:22.199 --> 01:48:24.159 really should be at the G League and they should 2152 01:48:24.159 --> 01:48:27.680 be working on specific things with him in terms of 2153 01:48:27.720 --> 01:48:33.159 his improvement and development. But then you say, hey, he's 2154 01:48:33.199 --> 01:48:36.279 now he's playing in the NBA and he's being able 2155 01:48:36.319 --> 01:48:42.720 to to play with against NBA guys, and so he's 2156 01:48:42.760 --> 01:48:48.039 getting that kind of experience that you can't get anywhere else. 2157 01:48:48.079 --> 01:48:51.680 And so that's where you find how how the guys 2158 01:48:51.720 --> 01:48:53.760 can can get better? How can they improve? I think 2159 01:48:53.840 --> 01:48:57.560 the Collier kid has improved this year. Yeah, you know, 2160 01:48:57.640 --> 01:48:59.840 he's he looks like you know, I mean, there's a 2161 01:48:59.840 --> 01:49:02.279 lot of holes in his game, not the least of 2162 01:49:02.319 --> 01:49:05.239 which is his decision making at times on the fly 2163 01:49:05.399 --> 01:49:07.319 and the and the passes to go into the fourth 2164 01:49:07.399 --> 01:49:09.800 row in the stands, and or where he tries to 2165 01:49:09.800 --> 01:49:12.439 make a pocket pass with his three defenders in the lane, 2166 01:49:12.439 --> 01:49:15.159 and it's it's just ill advised. And and and he 2167 01:49:15.319 --> 01:49:18.720 and he's and he's, uh, you know, he's having a 2168 01:49:18.760 --> 01:49:21.399 tough time shooting the ball. So that's something that he's 2169 01:49:21.439 --> 01:49:25.600 gonna have to get get better at. But but he 2170 01:49:25.640 --> 01:49:27.640 looks like he has a feel for the game and 2171 01:49:27.720 --> 01:49:33.199 maybe that's something that uh, uh that will continue to 2172 01:49:33.239 --> 01:49:35.600 improve for him. And and these will be a couple 2173 01:49:35.600 --> 01:49:38.880 of guys that they can work with uh during the 2174 01:49:38.920 --> 01:49:41.960 summer on certain things that they see. And it's just 2175 01:49:42.079 --> 01:49:45.560 part of that developmental package that that the Jazz have 2176 01:49:45.680 --> 01:49:47.800 chosen to go in that direction. 2177 01:49:48.199 --> 01:49:51.600 All right, Smitty, before I set you loose, Uh, let's 2178 01:49:51.720 --> 01:49:54.319 end with this because everybody in the NBA world is 2179 01:49:54.359 --> 01:49:56.840 talking about it. As Luka Doncic faced his old team 2180 01:49:56.920 --> 01:50:00.000 last night put up a triple double uh Oklahoma City. 2181 01:50:00.039 --> 01:50:03.640 But every measurable metric isn't just the favorites. In Vegas, 2182 01:50:03.640 --> 01:50:06.880 they're the favorite, but you know, their net differential is 2183 01:50:06.920 --> 01:50:09.560 flirting with all time and they're still on pace to 2184 01:50:09.600 --> 01:50:11.800 win north of seventy games even though they're forty six 2185 01:50:11.800 --> 01:50:14.840 and eleven. They did lose just the other night, but 2186 01:50:15.159 --> 01:50:20.359 they're the favorite with Luca and Lebron. How much of 2187 01:50:20.399 --> 01:50:23.960 a legitimate threat this year are the LA Lakers? 2188 01:50:24.079 --> 01:50:27.800 Well this year, yeah, we always we always say this, Spencer, 2189 01:50:28.319 --> 01:50:31.640 and it becomes a passe. But it really depends on 2190 01:50:31.680 --> 01:50:35.000 their health. I mean, because they're gonna have to, you know, 2191 01:50:35.119 --> 01:50:39.800 lean on Doncic and James to play forty one forty 2192 01:50:39.840 --> 01:50:43.920 two minutes a game in playoff games, and those guys 2193 01:50:43.960 --> 01:50:46.479 are gonna have to be one hundred percent and they're 2194 01:50:46.520 --> 01:50:49.079 gonna have to be able to to go full bore. 2195 01:50:50.520 --> 01:50:53.960 If they're able to do that, if they're able to 2196 01:50:54.079 --> 01:50:57.439 play in in in games where they're not playing back 2197 01:50:57.479 --> 01:51:01.039 to backs and they don't have to travel issues that 2198 01:51:01.079 --> 01:51:05.119 you have during the regular season, and they're and they're healthy, Uh, 2199 01:51:05.239 --> 01:51:08.720 then you surround them with some some complimentary role players, 2200 01:51:09.000 --> 01:51:13.439 whether it's Hachimura or whether it's the Reeves kid or 2201 01:51:13.479 --> 01:51:17.279 whoever you got uh to help you in that regard, 2202 01:51:17.319 --> 01:51:20.199 But those guys will have to do a lot of 2203 01:51:20.359 --> 01:51:26.119 heavy lifting. Now you can also do that in playoff situations, Spence, 2204 01:51:26.199 --> 01:51:30.439 because playoff games tend to be slower, they tend to 2205 01:51:30.439 --> 01:51:35.319 be less possessions, they tend to be more controlled possessions. 2206 01:51:35.840 --> 01:51:39.359 And with James and and Doncic, you know, those are 2207 01:51:39.399 --> 01:51:42.279 things that could help them during the course of a 2208 01:51:42.319 --> 01:51:45.920 potential six or seven game series where where they're able 2209 01:51:46.000 --> 01:51:50.079 to to save some energy, uh and be able to 2210 01:51:50.119 --> 01:51:52.399 play at a pace that that suits them a little 2211 01:51:52.399 --> 01:51:55.800 bit better. So, you know, I've always said this, any 2212 01:51:55.880 --> 01:52:01.000 team that has Lebron James on it, and he's another guy, 2213 01:52:01.319 --> 01:52:05.000 meaning a top level guy. He had Anthony Davis for years. 2214 01:52:05.000 --> 01:52:08.880 Of course before that had Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. 2215 01:52:09.079 --> 01:52:13.159 But with this team, if Doncic is healthy and James 2216 01:52:13.239 --> 01:52:17.000 is healthy, I don't put anything past him because Don 2217 01:52:17.079 --> 01:52:20.159 Chic is a special talent and James has shown that 2218 01:52:20.159 --> 01:52:23.359 he can he can do this, you know, against anybody 2219 01:52:23.439 --> 01:52:26.520 at any time. And it's still is still getting it 2220 01:52:26.600 --> 01:52:31.119 done at age forty, So you know, is it possible, Yeah, yeah, 2221 01:52:31.159 --> 01:52:34.199 it's possible. You know, will it happen? Well, you know, 2222 01:52:34.439 --> 01:52:36.479 we'll see. There's a lot of good teams in that mix. 2223 01:52:36.680 --> 01:52:38.399 I think there's a lot of teams in the West 2224 01:52:38.760 --> 01:52:42.000 that could come out if they're healthy and playing the 2225 01:52:42.000 --> 01:52:45.119 way that they expect to play. I think it'll make 2226 01:52:45.159 --> 01:52:47.000 for the playoffs to be exciting. 2227 01:52:47.399 --> 01:52:50.399 All right, my friend. Always great to see you. Welcome 2228 01:52:50.439 --> 01:52:52.359 back for a moment. If I don't see you, enjoy 2229 01:52:52.359 --> 01:52:54.199 the tennis tournament. It's good to be Richard Smith. 2230 01:52:54.439 --> 01:52:56.560 There you go. Hey, I can't I can't deny that. 2231 01:52:56.640 --> 01:52:58.760 Spend about twenty two. 2232 01:52:58.640 --> 01:53:04.119 Minutes away from tip off for the Utah Women. They're 2233 01:53:04.319 --> 01:53:07.000 taking on West Virginia tonight. West Virginia very good team, 2234 01:53:07.079 --> 01:53:09.600 number eighteen in the country. Both teams are twenty one 2235 01:53:09.600 --> 01:53:13.239 and six. You can see that game on ESPN Plus. 2236 01:53:13.880 --> 01:53:15.880 We're gonna have the Utah Men's game on the radio 2237 01:53:15.920 --> 01:53:20.039 station tonight. The Utah Men are taking on Arizona Ada 2238 01:53:20.079 --> 01:53:23.359 McHale first game with Josh Eilert on the sideline as 2239 01:53:23.399 --> 01:53:25.239 the interim head coach. After the news came down to 2240 01:53:25.319 --> 01:53:28.239 Craig Smith has been relieved of his duties. 2241 01:53:28.279 --> 01:53:30.239 So busy night on the station tonight. 2242 01:53:30.840 --> 01:53:33.279 Gonna bring in Josh Furlong from KSEL coming up in 2243 01:53:33.319 --> 01:53:36.720 just a little bit fun stuff. Earlier, Chris Comroddie rolled by, 2244 01:53:36.800 --> 01:53:41.520 as did Trey Fitzgerald from RSL Real saw Lake in 2245 01:53:41.760 --> 01:53:46.880 action tonight Aridiano. It's Leg two of the CONCACAFF Champions Cup. 2246 01:53:46.920 --> 01:53:49.159 It is here in our state. It's a home match 2247 01:53:49.199 --> 01:53:52.560 for RSL. That's a six thirty star time. The Utah 2248 01:53:52.680 --> 01:53:55.359 jazzer in action tonight as well. The Jazz are welcoming 2249 01:53:55.399 --> 01:53:58.279 in the Sacramento Kings. That's a seven o'clock tip time 2250 01:53:58.279 --> 01:54:01.840 at Delta Center. And by you is an action they're 2251 01:54:01.880 --> 01:54:04.319 taking on Arizona State, trying to continue their hot streak. 2252 01:54:04.359 --> 01:54:06.319 That's a seven thirty star time and that can be 2253 01:54:06.960 --> 01:54:10.520 seeing on ESPN Plus. So busy, really busy night in 2254 01:54:10.640 --> 01:54:14.760 local action with the Utah Women, the Utah Men, BYU 2255 01:54:14.880 --> 01:54:17.319 and RSL in addition to the Utah Jazz. The Utah 2256 01:54:17.359 --> 01:54:20.760 Hockey Club got a good win last night over a 2257 01:54:20.800 --> 01:54:22.960 bad Chicago team, but that almost got loose. They went 2258 01:54:23.000 --> 01:54:26.079 down one zero, scored two goals one two to one, 2259 01:54:26.840 --> 01:54:29.479 and that's the type of game at this point you 2260 01:54:29.520 --> 01:54:32.279 cannot let slip away. If you missed our Bill Armstrong 2261 01:54:32.359 --> 01:54:35.039 interview earlier this week, the general manager of the Utah 2262 01:54:35.039 --> 01:54:37.399 Hockey Club, it was a really fun conversation. Seems like 2263 01:54:37.479 --> 01:54:40.760 a great guy, and he basically said, this is a 2264 01:54:40.800 --> 01:54:44.800 situation now where we have twenty three game sevens left. Currently, 2265 01:54:44.840 --> 01:54:48.439 the Utah Hockey Club finds themselves three points behind the 2266 01:54:48.479 --> 01:54:52.680 Calgary Flames and seven points beyond the Colorado Avalanche and 2267 01:54:52.720 --> 01:54:54.640 the race for the wild card, so they are right 2268 01:54:54.680 --> 01:54:57.279 in the mix. Man, got to win more a home. 2269 01:54:57.319 --> 01:54:59.960 Gotta make sure you protect to ice. They're gonna try 2270 01:55:00.000 --> 01:55:02.479 to hold off to Saint Louis. Blues are on sixty points, 2271 01:55:02.560 --> 01:55:06.319 Vancouver is on sixty three points, and the Utahey Club 2272 01:55:06.399 --> 01:55:08.279 is on sixty one, so they are right in the 2273 01:55:08.319 --> 01:55:10.920 mix for a wild card, which really would be a 2274 01:55:10.920 --> 01:55:16.000 phenomenal accomplishment for how quickly they had to essentially get 2275 01:55:16.000 --> 01:55:19.439 this team here. Gary Bettman joined our radio show the 2276 01:55:19.439 --> 01:55:21.960 Commission of the NHL and said, the first conversation apt 2277 01:55:22.000 --> 01:55:25.000 with Ryan about this was in March, and they basically 2278 01:55:25.039 --> 01:55:28.079 were able to get it done by May, and now 2279 01:55:28.159 --> 01:55:31.840 they are three points beyond Calgary for a wildcard spot 2280 01:55:31.920 --> 01:55:33.000 in the world of pro hockey. 2281 01:55:33.039 --> 01:55:34.680 So some good stuff, all right. 2282 01:55:34.760 --> 01:55:37.760 Let's get to the latest with the university's athletic department 2283 01:55:37.760 --> 01:55:39.840 with Josh Furlong from cass On on a Wednesday. 2284 01:55:39.920 --> 01:55:41.119 Josh Happy Wedes and man, how are we. 2285 01:55:41.159 --> 01:55:43.840 Doing I'm doing well. How about yourself, Man, I'm good. 2286 01:55:43.880 --> 01:55:44.800 I appreciate the time. 2287 01:55:44.880 --> 01:55:47.479 So now that we've had a couple of days between 2288 01:55:47.520 --> 01:55:50.680 the news, your reaction when you heard that Craig Smith 2289 01:55:50.680 --> 01:55:53.119 had been fired, and where you at with it as 2290 01:55:53.159 --> 01:55:53.920 we sit here today. 2291 01:55:55.119 --> 01:55:56.680 Yeah, I mean, I think it was surprising in the 2292 01:55:56.800 --> 01:55:58.840 terms of the timing, right, And I think that's what 2293 01:55:58.960 --> 01:56:02.399 really surprised everybody the most. It wasn't surprising that Craig 2294 01:56:02.439 --> 01:56:05.560 was fighting for his job the entire time he knew it. 2295 01:56:06.159 --> 01:56:09.039 I think the way that he recruited this year kind 2296 01:56:09.039 --> 01:56:11.520 of indicated that in terms of what he did, he 2297 01:56:11.560 --> 01:56:14.000 knew that this is kind of a lasticch effort. I 2298 01:56:14.039 --> 01:56:15.920 think it was just you know, I think for everybody 2299 01:56:15.920 --> 01:56:19.239 it's just an odd timing to do it. But in retrospect, 2300 01:56:19.279 --> 01:56:21.359 I mean, if you've got your guy that you want 2301 01:56:21.399 --> 01:56:23.159 and you want to act fast, I mean it's it's 2302 01:56:23.439 --> 01:56:24.960 I don't want to call it a perfect timing, but 2303 01:56:25.000 --> 01:56:26.800 I think it's a good opportunity to be able to 2304 01:56:26.840 --> 01:56:29.520 just jump while the irons hot. So, you know, I 2305 01:56:29.560 --> 01:56:31.720 think I think Utah has in a good spot in 2306 01:56:31.800 --> 01:56:35.199 terms of what they're doing. You know, it always sucks 2307 01:56:35.199 --> 01:56:36.520 to be able to fire a guy that a lot 2308 01:56:36.560 --> 01:56:39.600 of people liked in terms of personality, But I think 2309 01:56:39.680 --> 01:56:42.319 Craig was always kind of fighting an uphill battle. He 2310 01:56:42.359 --> 01:56:45.159 didn't quite have the full support of, you know, the 2311 01:56:45.199 --> 01:56:48.359 athletic department the second he was hired. He had a 2312 01:56:48.359 --> 01:56:51.600 fan base that really just wasn't you know, energized by him. 2313 01:56:51.760 --> 01:56:54.079 They obviously wanted an alumni to be able to be 2314 01:56:54.119 --> 01:56:56.560 the coach and bring back some culture there, and so 2315 01:56:56.640 --> 01:56:58.880 I think he was just always trying to fight for 2316 01:56:58.960 --> 01:57:02.239 something that was ultimately never going to pan out. So, 2317 01:57:02.840 --> 01:57:05.039 you know, the timing, the timing stucks by all means, 2318 01:57:05.039 --> 01:57:07.199 but I think that the reality is is, you know, 2319 01:57:07.199 --> 01:57:08.560 you don't want him to get hot in the end 2320 01:57:08.560 --> 01:57:10.119 of the season, and then suddenly what do you do? 2321 01:57:10.199 --> 01:57:12.680 And then you're kind of pinned trying to figure out 2322 01:57:12.680 --> 01:57:15.560 what to do. So it makes sense to just it's 2323 01:57:15.560 --> 01:57:17.439 just a tough situation, and you feel for the guys 2324 01:57:17.439 --> 01:57:19.479 that are on the team that absolutely do love Craig. 2325 01:57:20.199 --> 01:57:21.920 You know, this was a team that the one hundred 2326 01:57:21.960 --> 01:57:24.560 percent bought into who he was and kind of his personality, 2327 01:57:25.239 --> 01:57:26.600 and it's just hard that they don't get to be 2328 01:57:26.600 --> 01:57:28.640 able to spend senior night with him and do different 2329 01:57:28.640 --> 01:57:29.319 things that way. 2330 01:57:29.640 --> 01:57:33.840 So interesting stuff there, Josh, I am unaware of the fact, 2331 01:57:33.880 --> 01:57:36.439 and I guess obviously what you're saying is correct because 2332 01:57:36.479 --> 01:57:39.520 you know he was fired. But elaborate a little bit 2333 01:57:39.520 --> 01:57:43.439 more on just how hot that seat was and when 2334 01:57:43.560 --> 01:57:46.479 you feel like the heat became really really hot. Was 2335 01:57:46.520 --> 01:57:49.239 it last year? Was it two years ago? Like how 2336 01:57:49.279 --> 01:57:51.800 long as you put it, Craig fighting for his job. 2337 01:57:51.840 --> 01:57:53.960 When do you think that battle really really got going? 2338 01:57:55.079 --> 01:57:59.039 Yeah, I think ultimately was last summer. Obviously, as you know, 2339 01:57:59.039 --> 01:58:02.119 the transferportal open up and a lot of these players 2340 01:58:02.159 --> 01:58:04.439 there was a mass exodus. Coaches were trying to leave. 2341 01:58:04.880 --> 01:58:07.239 You know, I don't want to, you know, put words 2342 01:58:07.239 --> 01:58:09.439 into anybody's mouth, but I could see, you know, somebody 2343 01:58:09.479 --> 01:58:11.359 like a Chris Burgess deciding to say, look, I don't 2344 01:58:11.359 --> 01:58:13.319 want to go down with this ship and take his 2345 01:58:13.359 --> 01:58:16.640 reputation once again. That's my opinion. So don't put that 2346 01:58:16.680 --> 01:58:18.640 on me saying that that's what Chris said or anything. 2347 01:58:18.760 --> 01:58:22.840 But I think you're looking at situations like that where 2348 01:58:24.479 --> 01:58:26.479 you were starting to see he was on the hot seat, 2349 01:58:26.640 --> 01:58:29.560 and there was rumblings that you know, people were trying 2350 01:58:29.560 --> 01:58:31.319 to talk to Andre Miller to come work for the 2351 01:58:31.359 --> 01:58:34.800 team and come being the assistant, trying to get something 2352 01:58:34.840 --> 01:58:37.800 in there, and they were just there was just a 2353 01:58:37.920 --> 01:58:42.800 general sense of frustration that he wasn't able to get 2354 01:58:42.880 --> 01:58:44.680 you taught to where they needed to be, especially in 2355 01:58:45.079 --> 01:58:47.039 what we would consider to be a weaker PAC twelve. 2356 01:58:47.079 --> 01:58:48.760 Right if you look at the Big twelve, it's going 2357 01:58:48.800 --> 01:58:51.399 to obviously be much challenged, much more challenge. The fact 2358 01:58:51.399 --> 01:58:53.199 that they were going to the Big twelve with this 2359 01:58:53.319 --> 01:58:56.039 mass exodus, I think everybody just kind of had that 2360 01:58:56.079 --> 01:58:58.439 written out there that this was his you know, last year. 2361 01:58:58.520 --> 01:59:01.520 If he couldn't do anything with this, that doesn't help, 2362 01:59:01.520 --> 01:59:03.439 and so then you get picked as the sixteenth worst 2363 01:59:03.439 --> 01:59:05.920 team in the conference. You know, he was just coming 2364 01:59:05.960 --> 01:59:10.159 into this already just under fire. I know some relationships 2365 01:59:10.199 --> 01:59:13.399 have soured, whether that be from the athletic department with donors, 2366 01:59:14.319 --> 01:59:16.560 with with alumni trying to help him. I know there 2367 01:59:16.600 --> 01:59:20.560 was frustrations all around and some of that look you 2368 01:59:20.600 --> 01:59:23.119 look at somebody like in Craig Smith spot like he 2369 01:59:23.279 --> 01:59:26.600 wasn't always given a great opportunity. He had players that 2370 01:59:26.680 --> 01:59:29.439 got injured that hurt them and take their run. You know, 2371 01:59:29.560 --> 01:59:31.520 you've got this alumni base that wants to come in 2372 01:59:31.560 --> 01:59:33.199 and say, hey, this is how we do it here. 2373 01:59:33.880 --> 01:59:36.119 You understand why a guy wants to come in there 2374 01:59:36.159 --> 01:59:38.399 and say, hey, look I want to do it my way, 2375 01:59:38.520 --> 01:59:40.760 like I with all due respect, like I don't need 2376 01:59:40.800 --> 01:59:42.680 you as a handout ted situation, right, And I know 2377 01:59:42.720 --> 01:59:45.000 that rubs people the wrong way, but I can see 2378 01:59:45.000 --> 01:59:47.800 why somebody would want to do that. So it's just 2379 01:59:47.840 --> 01:59:49.640 a challenge, you know. And I think he felt the 2380 01:59:49.680 --> 01:59:51.520 heat and he was doing everything that he could to 2381 01:59:51.520 --> 01:59:54.439 be able to get there. It just it was just 2382 01:59:54.600 --> 01:59:56.119 never really going to work out. And it felt like 2383 01:59:56.159 --> 01:59:58.760 this was a foregun conclusion no matter where Utah finished, 2384 01:59:58.760 --> 02:00:01.239 barring you know, then finishing in the top four or 2385 02:00:01.239 --> 02:00:03.560 getting d NC tournament and even then, I don't know. 2386 02:00:03.960 --> 02:00:08.119 I just think that Utah needed a galvanizing moment, and 2387 02:00:08.159 --> 02:00:10.760 I think everybody around that and the donors around it 2388 02:00:10.960 --> 02:00:13.600 feel like it had to be somebody related to the 2389 02:00:13.680 --> 02:00:16.039 old era of you know, Rick Majeris and the winning 2390 02:00:16.079 --> 02:00:17.800 times to be able to bring back that culture. 2391 02:00:18.239 --> 02:00:20.279 So some interesting things there. 2392 02:00:20.479 --> 02:00:24.319 And Josh Grant joined the program this week and was 2393 02:00:24.520 --> 02:00:30.319 very clear eyed salient, honest and direct about the news 2394 02:00:30.479 --> 02:00:34.439 in his words, exciting him. And then josh himself talked 2395 02:00:34.439 --> 02:00:37.760 about how a lot of alumni did try to reach 2396 02:00:37.800 --> 02:00:41.359 out to Craig to offer assistance, whatever it is. I'm 2397 02:00:41.399 --> 02:00:43.680 a little bit conflicted about this, Joshua. Let's dig in 2398 02:00:43.680 --> 02:00:45.600 here for a moment, because if you put yourself in 2399 02:00:45.680 --> 02:00:49.760 Craig's shoes, your job is not to answer the phone 2400 02:00:49.800 --> 02:00:52.640 calls of alumni calling to try to help you do 2401 02:00:52.720 --> 02:00:54.680 your job better. Your job is to run a program 2402 02:00:54.760 --> 02:00:57.760 and build a program, and it's so hard to do 2403 02:00:57.960 --> 02:00:59.880 and such a grind, and certainly with the way the 2404 02:01:00.079 --> 02:01:03.600 sport has changed, I actually don't know how much I 2405 02:01:03.680 --> 02:01:06.039 really give a rip about whether or not Craig is 2406 02:01:06.079 --> 02:01:09.239 answering the phones when the alumni call. And I heard 2407 02:01:09.239 --> 02:01:10.920 a lot of alumni I say the same thing about 2408 02:01:10.960 --> 02:01:13.439 Larry Kriskoviak. They had the kind of the same beef, like, Hey, 2409 02:01:13.479 --> 02:01:15.520 we're reaching out, we're trying to help him, and he 2410 02:01:15.560 --> 02:01:18.600 doesn't really seem to be, you know, all that open 2411 02:01:18.680 --> 02:01:21.479 to help. How much of this do you think has 2412 02:01:21.520 --> 02:01:24.920 to do with that at all, Like alumni reaching out. Look, 2413 02:01:25.079 --> 02:01:27.600 it's one thing if your last name is Huntsman and 2414 02:01:27.640 --> 02:01:30.560 your last name is Echols and your last name is Garth, 2415 02:01:31.159 --> 02:01:33.079 and you call the president of the school and you say, hey, 2416 02:01:33.119 --> 02:01:36.359 you know those checks, Well, I'm not writing them anymore. 2417 02:01:36.359 --> 02:01:38.239 If this is your guy, Like, if that's the deal, 2418 02:01:38.239 --> 02:01:41.199 then we have a different conversation. But if like players 2419 02:01:41.840 --> 02:01:44.920 that played twenty five years ago want like tickets or 2420 02:01:44.960 --> 02:01:47.479 access to practice, I don't think that's Craig's job to 2421 02:01:47.479 --> 02:01:48.039 give them that. 2422 02:01:48.039 --> 02:01:49.600 That's just my opinion where you're at with it. 2423 02:01:50.439 --> 02:01:52.439 No, and I completely agree, And I think you know 2424 02:01:52.640 --> 02:01:55.000 the thing that you mentioned there with the donors, You know, 2425 02:01:55.039 --> 02:01:56.560 I know that there was some falling out to an 2426 02:01:56.560 --> 02:01:58.960 extent there where he didn't I don't want to say 2427 02:01:59.000 --> 02:02:01.039 panda's the right word, but you know he didn't kind 2428 02:02:01.079 --> 02:02:03.359 of concede to some of the things that the donors wanted. 2429 02:02:03.640 --> 02:02:05.399 And so that's where you do lose it, right, Like, 2430 02:02:05.439 --> 02:02:07.399 if you can't get the donor support, you're not getting 2431 02:02:07.399 --> 02:02:10.399 the general support there, the money's not coming into the program, 2432 02:02:10.439 --> 02:02:14.680 like you're screwed. So on that side of the vein, like, yes, 2433 02:02:14.760 --> 02:02:18.560 Craig hurt himself there, But to your point with this alumni, Yeah, 2434 02:02:18.560 --> 02:02:20.720 his job as a coach, and obviously, like it's important 2435 02:02:20.760 --> 02:02:24.359 to be able to have a coach that understands the culture, 2436 02:02:24.479 --> 02:02:26.720 understands what it is to be a member of the 2437 02:02:26.800 --> 02:02:30.439 running Utes team, try to pay homage to, you know, 2438 02:02:30.520 --> 02:02:32.600 kind of that era. But at the same time, he's 2439 02:02:32.600 --> 02:02:35.920 there to win games. And you know, I wouldn't fault 2440 02:02:36.000 --> 02:02:38.640 him for not wanting to do it the way that 2441 02:02:39.399 --> 02:02:41.199 some other former player wanted to do it. You know, 2442 02:02:41.239 --> 02:02:43.279 it's easy to come into a job and be like, well, 2443 02:02:43.279 --> 02:02:45.920 our boss did it this way. That's not how it, 2444 02:02:46.399 --> 02:02:49.319 you know, always works for people. Right, there's obviously glory 2445 02:02:49.399 --> 02:02:51.880 days and quite honestly, the Rick Majeri's days would not 2446 02:02:51.960 --> 02:02:54.399 work probably in today's are well. Just a lot of 2447 02:02:54.399 --> 02:02:57.319 the things that Rick Majaris did wouldn't work in today's era. 2448 02:02:57.600 --> 02:02:59.479 But that's not the point. I think a lot of people, 2449 02:02:59.720 --> 02:03:03.399 especial actually alumni, they want to return back to that culture, 2450 02:03:03.880 --> 02:03:06.920 and you know, that culture is a very specific culture 2451 02:03:06.960 --> 02:03:09.119 to a guy that had his perfect way of doing 2452 02:03:09.159 --> 02:03:12.279 it that worked for Utah, Like you said, Larry Kostoviac, 2453 02:03:12.560 --> 02:03:14.800 he was closer to that, I'd say than Craig was. 2454 02:03:15.560 --> 02:03:17.960 He obviously had the ear of Huntsmen, and they you know, 2455 02:03:18.000 --> 02:03:20.079 the reason he got a massive contract that he did 2456 02:03:20.159 --> 02:03:22.640 is because of Huntsmen, because they were, you know, good friends. 2457 02:03:23.319 --> 02:03:25.359 But I think the difference there is is you've got 2458 02:03:25.359 --> 02:03:28.000 a guy that he's already had his back against the wall. 2459 02:03:28.239 --> 02:03:31.039 He's already been told, you know that he's not going 2460 02:03:31.039 --> 02:03:34.560 to get that same support that he's had from previous coaches, 2461 02:03:35.199 --> 02:03:37.439 and so when other people kind of swoop in and 2462 02:03:37.479 --> 02:03:39.000 say here's how to do it, like, you can see 2463 02:03:39.000 --> 02:03:40.319 why he's going to say, no, I'm going to do 2464 02:03:40.359 --> 02:03:42.039 it my way. If I'm going to go down with 2465 02:03:42.119 --> 02:03:43.800 this ship, I'm going to do it my way. And 2466 02:03:43.840 --> 02:03:47.319 so you can't fault unnecessarily to that. I know it's frustrating. 2467 02:03:47.399 --> 02:03:50.159 I know that really rubbed people the wrong ways. You know, 2468 02:03:50.199 --> 02:03:52.800 the fan base absolutely wanted to buy into this team, 2469 02:03:53.159 --> 02:03:55.239 and I think the hard part was is Craig's way 2470 02:03:55.319 --> 02:03:57.680 worked at times, but then they would go on and 2471 02:03:57.720 --> 02:04:00.199 lose these games that were like boneheaded games. You know, 2472 02:04:00.239 --> 02:04:02.640 you go beat Kansas and Kansas State and then you 2473 02:04:02.680 --> 02:04:05.159 go lose to a team like UCF that had only 2474 02:04:05.199 --> 02:04:07.760 won five games in the regular or in the Big 2475 02:04:07.800 --> 02:04:11.600 Twelve conference schedule, and so you've got the situation where 2476 02:04:11.600 --> 02:04:14.199 that was the kind of the model of his career 2477 02:04:14.600 --> 02:04:16.119 where he can go out there and you can go 2478 02:04:16.159 --> 02:04:18.399 beat in Arizona and then you go drop a game 2479 02:04:18.399 --> 02:04:20.239 against a team like an Oregon State and you're like, 2480 02:04:20.239 --> 02:04:23.079 what the heck just happens? So, you know, for me, 2481 02:04:23.159 --> 02:04:25.119 it was just Craig, if he's going to do this, 2482 02:04:25.199 --> 02:04:27.600 he's going to go down with the ship and understand 2483 02:04:27.640 --> 02:04:29.560 that he's going to do it his way. So I 2484 02:04:29.840 --> 02:04:32.800 don't know that I, you know, care too much that 2485 02:04:32.960 --> 02:04:34.520 you know you're not doing it the way that other 2486 02:04:34.560 --> 02:04:36.199 guys do, But I still think you have to kind 2487 02:04:36.199 --> 02:04:38.880 of pay some respect to that. And unfortunately Craig kind 2488 02:04:38.880 --> 02:04:41.319 of put himself on an island that ultimately made it 2489 02:04:41.319 --> 02:04:43.239 so that he had to sacrifice a job for. 2490 02:04:43.359 --> 02:04:45.560 A team that was picked to finish sixteenth in the 2491 02:04:45.560 --> 02:04:48.439 Big Twelve and a team that, in my opinion, has 2492 02:04:48.479 --> 02:04:51.640 a roster that is left wanting. Is there a case 2493 02:04:51.680 --> 02:04:53.680 to be made that Craig actually did a good job 2494 02:04:53.880 --> 02:04:55.520 as the coach of this team this year? 2495 02:04:56.520 --> 02:04:58.760 Oh? Absolutely. I Mean the fact is, if you win 2496 02:04:58.800 --> 02:05:01.640 that UCS game, you're five hundred and Big Twelve play 2497 02:05:01.720 --> 02:05:03.840 and I think anybody would have said that going into 2498 02:05:03.880 --> 02:05:06.000 two weeks left in the season, you would have said 2499 02:05:06.000 --> 02:05:08.920 they're crazy. Right, You beat Kansas in Kansas State, you 2500 02:05:08.960 --> 02:05:10.880 beat b YU, who is now on a tear and 2501 02:05:10.960 --> 02:05:13.359 is in the top twenty five. Like, this was a 2502 02:05:13.359 --> 02:05:17.000 good season, and you're doing it with a team with 2503 02:05:17.239 --> 02:05:19.199 not really a star. I mean, you and I have 2504 02:05:19.199 --> 02:05:22.600 talked about it. Gabe Madson and Ezrasar have kind of 2505 02:05:22.600 --> 02:05:24.760 taken on that leadership role and have been the stars 2506 02:05:24.800 --> 02:05:26.880 of the team. But for the most part, this is 2507 02:05:27.000 --> 02:05:28.760 kind of a team that is greater than the some 2508 02:05:28.920 --> 02:05:31.039 of its parts, right, Like I mean, I think it's 2509 02:05:31.279 --> 02:05:35.279 one of those things where even that UCF game, there 2510 02:05:35.359 --> 02:05:38.119 was more talent on that roster than there probably is 2511 02:05:38.159 --> 02:05:40.319 a Utah top to bottom. And so the fact that 2512 02:05:40.439 --> 02:05:44.279 UCF isn't performing the way that they are isn't indicative 2513 02:05:44.279 --> 02:05:46.079 in the terms of their talent. And so I think 2514 02:05:46.279 --> 02:05:49.800 what Craig did was pretty remarkable. They were in contention 2515 02:05:50.039 --> 02:05:52.880 for a potential buy into the Big twelve tournament by 2516 02:05:52.880 --> 02:05:55.039 getting into the top eight seeds. Now that's a tough 2517 02:05:55.119 --> 02:05:57.399 challenge and you still had a tough slate, But the 2518 02:05:57.439 --> 02:05:59.319 fact that you're even in contention in that in the 2519 02:05:59.359 --> 02:06:01.960 last part of the season kind of shows that he's 2520 02:06:02.000 --> 02:06:04.159 got the chops. It's not perfect, right, Like, there's many 2521 02:06:04.159 --> 02:06:06.399 flaws of what Craig Smith did and the things that 2522 02:06:07.399 --> 02:06:09.439 made it so that it was really frustrating to watch 2523 02:06:09.479 --> 02:06:12.840 turnovers or whatever that may be in consistent play. But 2524 02:06:12.920 --> 02:06:14.960 the fact that he's able to pull together a group 2525 02:06:15.000 --> 02:06:18.159 of players that he has that don't really have a 2526 02:06:18.199 --> 02:06:21.840 star yet and still be almost five hundred and big 2527 02:06:21.880 --> 02:06:24.039 twelve play kind of shows the talent that they had. So, 2528 02:06:24.520 --> 02:06:28.119 you know, it's frustrating for him. They obviously exceeded expectations, 2529 02:06:28.640 --> 02:06:31.199 but you know that's the nature of this sport, and 2530 02:06:31.640 --> 02:06:33.199 you e didn't get them to the nc A tournament. 2531 02:06:33.239 --> 02:06:35.880 So the donors, you know, aren't happy, fans aren't happy. 2532 02:06:35.880 --> 02:06:37.800 They're obviously not turning out as much, and so that's 2533 02:06:37.840 --> 02:06:38.640 the nature of the game. 2534 02:06:39.039 --> 02:06:42.159 Let me ask you, based off your knowledge in your reporting, 2535 02:06:42.159 --> 02:06:44.920 if there's any meat on this bone, because and you 2536 02:06:44.960 --> 02:06:47.920 make some really good points about if you know who 2537 02:06:47.960 --> 02:06:51.800 you want and that coach is available, and you've decided 2538 02:06:51.840 --> 02:06:53.560 to move on from the guy you have, then just 2539 02:06:53.600 --> 02:06:55.680 pull the ripcord, pulled the band aid, off and get 2540 02:06:55.800 --> 02:06:58.960 get the higher done. And maybe that's what has described 2541 02:06:59.000 --> 02:07:01.279 the timing, and maybe that's the point we all should 2542 02:07:01.319 --> 02:07:03.720 kind of lean into and land on. I was told 2543 02:07:03.800 --> 02:07:08.199 part of the timing was trying to lean into some 2544 02:07:08.239 --> 02:07:12.840 player retention on the current roster they want back next year. Now, 2545 02:07:13.000 --> 02:07:16.479 if you just go down the roster, that to me 2546 02:07:16.880 --> 02:07:19.359 is a little bit difficult to believe that you would 2547 02:07:19.359 --> 02:07:22.199 fire your head coach to get Like, I think Jake 2548 02:07:22.239 --> 02:07:24.920 Wallen's a nice player, right, and I think Ezra is 2549 02:07:24.920 --> 02:07:27.479 a nice player. I'm not saying these kids can't play, 2550 02:07:28.159 --> 02:07:31.279 but the bulk of the better players on the roster 2551 02:07:31.359 --> 02:07:34.800 are seniors. You know, ultimately lost in Gabe. You know, 2552 02:07:35.279 --> 02:07:38.399 you know Sharav Jamps is a junior. Jake Walleen as 2553 02:07:38.439 --> 02:07:41.079 a reference, he's a sophomore. Ezra is a junior. He 2554 02:07:41.079 --> 02:07:43.279 could come back as well, Keanu Dawes, who's showed them 2555 02:07:43.279 --> 02:07:46.000 some minutes as a sophomore. Meral Little is a soft 2556 02:07:46.279 --> 02:07:47.800 Do you think there's any meat on that bone that 2557 02:07:47.840 --> 02:07:49.880 they decided to pull the trigger now because they think 2558 02:07:49.920 --> 02:07:51.720 they have a better chance at getting some of these 2559 02:07:51.800 --> 02:07:54.239 kids back without him. That doesn't seem to resonate a 2560 02:07:54.279 --> 02:07:54.720 ton with me. 2561 02:07:56.039 --> 02:07:57.800 Yeah, I mean I think it's a part, right, But 2562 02:07:57.840 --> 02:07:59.760 I don't think it's the top priority. You know, it's 2563 02:07:59.800 --> 02:08:02.880 maybe be like priority see as part of this, I 2564 02:08:02.880 --> 02:08:05.079 mean there's there's pieces there, and you mentioned a couple 2565 02:08:05.079 --> 02:08:07.119 that I would think that they would absolutely want and 2566 02:08:07.199 --> 02:08:10.239 Jake Qually and Keanu does if not just for kind 2567 02:08:10.279 --> 02:08:13.399 of a local angle, you know, if you could keep Ezra, 2568 02:08:13.920 --> 02:08:16.119 I would imagine Azra gets a lot of attention to 2569 02:08:16.159 --> 02:08:18.119 the transfer portal just for what he's been able to 2570 02:08:18.119 --> 02:08:20.840 do the last part. But if you know, if you 2571 02:08:20.880 --> 02:08:23.840 can keep some of that core, then yeah, maybe maybe 2572 02:08:23.840 --> 02:08:27.119 that helps. But as we've talked about, like there's not 2573 02:08:27.399 --> 02:08:30.680 necessarily a player on this roster that's not graduating that 2574 02:08:30.760 --> 02:08:32.479 you're just saying, oh, it's a muff half, right, Like 2575 02:08:32.479 --> 02:08:34.079 it would be nice to have Ezra come back one. 2576 02:08:34.760 --> 02:08:36.880 And I think if you could get him with a 2577 02:08:36.920 --> 02:08:38.880 new coach that can kind of coach him up to 2578 02:08:38.880 --> 02:08:42.239 be even better, that is one hundred percent of guy 2579 02:08:42.279 --> 02:08:44.560 you don't want to lose. But I don't think this 2580 02:08:44.640 --> 02:08:47.760 is the end goal here, right, Like the end goal 2581 02:08:47.800 --> 02:08:49.840 here is to get a coach quickly to be able 2582 02:08:49.880 --> 02:08:52.000 to make sure that you kind of stabilize things you're 2583 02:08:52.039 --> 02:08:55.720 out front, especially if it's the guy that we all know, 2584 02:08:55.760 --> 02:08:57.920 and I'm just gonna say it's Alex Jensen. If you 2585 02:08:57.920 --> 02:09:00.760 can get him, especially while the Dallas Mavericks in disarray, 2586 02:09:01.359 --> 02:09:04.039 it's a perfect time. Then if you do have him 2587 02:09:04.119 --> 02:09:06.920 hired and then he can help with the roster management 2588 02:09:06.960 --> 02:09:10.119 and kind of ease some expectations there, then it's better, 2589 02:09:10.199 --> 02:09:11.760 right like, and then I think it works. But I 2590 02:09:11.840 --> 02:09:14.319 just I don't buy it that the timing right now 2591 02:09:15.359 --> 02:09:18.239 had really anything to do with roster retention. It's a factor, 2592 02:09:18.800 --> 02:09:20.840 but it's not one of those big factors where it's 2593 02:09:20.840 --> 02:09:23.680 like you couldn't wait till later, especially with the roster that. 2594 02:09:23.640 --> 02:09:25.840 They have all right, Before we move on to what's next, 2595 02:09:26.479 --> 02:09:29.479 Josh Eiler's first task as the head coach is McHale 2596 02:09:29.600 --> 02:09:33.199 Center against Arizona, which is wild. Of course, an Arizona 2597 02:09:33.199 --> 02:09:35.399 team that's going to be grumpy after they got job. 2598 02:09:35.439 --> 02:09:36.920 And that was a horrible call. I don't care what 2599 02:09:36.960 --> 02:09:38.000 anybody has to say. 2600 02:09:38.520 --> 02:09:40.600 Yes, there were some bad calls throughout the game, but 2601 02:09:40.720 --> 02:09:42.640 a few things can be true at once. Let's hold 2602 02:09:42.680 --> 02:09:44.439 multiple thoughts on our mind. The call at the end 2603 02:09:44.479 --> 02:09:47.000 against BYU. If I'm an Arizona fan on my rates, 2604 02:09:47.560 --> 02:09:50.119 what do you make of the challenge Utah's in front 2605 02:09:50.119 --> 02:09:51.279 of the end tonight? And what do you know about 2606 02:09:51.319 --> 02:09:53.079 josh as You've kind of dug into it a little bit. 2607 02:09:54.159 --> 02:09:55.960 Yeah, no, I agree with your first time. I mean 2608 02:09:56.000 --> 02:09:58.840 that call was just the fact that you got and 2609 02:09:58.840 --> 02:10:00.640 I'm not getting into these lives. Oh well at that 2610 02:10:00.680 --> 02:10:02.640 point in the game. Like no, it's just not really 2611 02:10:02.680 --> 02:10:05.239 a foul ever, especially with how aggressive they've let these 2612 02:10:05.279 --> 02:10:08.199 guys play. Anyways, this you know, going into Michael Center, 2613 02:10:08.279 --> 02:10:10.920 it's always a challenge, especially for a Utah team. It 2614 02:10:10.920 --> 02:10:13.159 doesn't matter what the coach is, you know, it's just 2615 02:10:13.359 --> 02:10:17.239 always been a difficult place to play. And this is 2616 02:10:17.239 --> 02:10:19.399 for most teams, right You just don't go into Arizona 2617 02:10:19.439 --> 02:10:22.239 and win, And so I think this is a tall 2618 02:10:22.319 --> 02:10:25.439 task for them regardless. Now I'm really curious to see 2619 02:10:25.479 --> 02:10:30.319 where you know, this Utah team. It may show how 2620 02:10:30.399 --> 02:10:32.840 galvanized they are around Craig Smith. That was their guy, 2621 02:10:33.239 --> 02:10:35.000 you know, like I said, they didn't he didn't lose 2622 02:10:35.039 --> 02:10:37.119 the locker room by any means. You know, there was 2623 02:10:37.159 --> 02:10:39.399 a true emotional connection there. So I could see them 2624 02:10:39.399 --> 02:10:42.399 playing really tough for their coach, really trying hard there 2625 02:10:43.199 --> 02:10:45.520 to be able to compete. But once again, it's Arizona. 2626 02:10:45.720 --> 02:10:48.560 You know, I wouldn't expect to win, but we'll see. 2627 02:10:48.880 --> 02:10:50.760 As far as Josh Arlette goes, I mean, this is 2628 02:10:50.760 --> 02:10:53.760 a guy that last year, you know, you have him 2629 02:10:53.800 --> 02:10:56.560 put into the interim head coach position at West Virginia 2630 02:10:56.960 --> 02:10:59.640 kind of win in there, was expecting to be returning 2631 02:10:59.680 --> 02:11:02.920 as head coach. Everybody kind of expected him to be 2632 02:11:03.039 --> 02:11:05.319 this guy that could probably take West Virginia to the 2633 02:11:05.319 --> 02:11:09.000 next level from the East. You know, he understands that 2634 02:11:09.079 --> 02:11:13.760 area Big twelve very well. And then suddenly they decide 2635 02:11:13.760 --> 02:11:16.239 to go in another direction and he's lost without that job. 2636 02:11:16.319 --> 02:11:19.119 And so now he's in a similar position at Utah, 2637 02:11:20.039 --> 02:11:23.560 and you know the writings on the wall where they're 2638 02:11:23.560 --> 02:11:25.560 not looking for Josh Eiler to be the head coach 2639 02:11:25.640 --> 02:11:29.279 moving forward. He's this is very temporary. Obviously, you'd want 2640 02:11:29.319 --> 02:11:31.279 to keep him on staff because I think he provides 2641 02:11:31.319 --> 02:11:34.319 a lot of value. He's a phenomenal coach of biggs. 2642 02:11:34.560 --> 02:11:36.800 He understands the game at a high level. He understands 2643 02:11:36.840 --> 02:11:39.439 the Big twelve at a high level. Coming from it. 2644 02:11:40.159 --> 02:11:41.760 This is this is a guy that you know you 2645 02:11:41.800 --> 02:11:44.560 can build rosters around, and especially as a coaching staff. 2646 02:11:44.560 --> 02:11:46.279 He's a great person to be able to have on 2647 02:11:46.640 --> 02:11:49.600 the rosters. So I'm curious to see how it is. 2648 02:11:49.640 --> 02:11:51.880 You know, he's a great guy, he's a friendly guy, 2649 02:11:52.159 --> 02:11:57.279 he's he coaches with passion, but he's also got the 2650 02:11:57.399 --> 02:11:59.520 voice of the players right like he understands and he 2651 02:11:59.520 --> 02:12:02.680 wants to be able to have them heard. So I'm 2652 02:12:02.720 --> 02:12:04.680 really fascinated to see how this goes. I don't envy 2653 02:12:04.720 --> 02:12:06.680 him by any means. I mean, this is a tall task. 2654 02:12:07.039 --> 02:12:08.920 Any game after you lose your head coach is going 2655 02:12:08.960 --> 02:12:12.560 to be tough, but this is arguably probably the toughest 2656 02:12:13.079 --> 02:12:15.039 game you probably could have had on the schedule to 2657 02:12:15.079 --> 02:12:17.960 be able to put Josh eilerd in to really kind 2658 02:12:18.000 --> 02:12:20.239 of take over as Utah's head coach. 2659 02:12:20.840 --> 02:12:21.640 All right, Josh. 2660 02:12:21.680 --> 02:12:24.560 Of course, now we move over into the space of 2661 02:12:24.720 --> 02:12:28.640 what comes next and a couple of things here. So 2662 02:12:29.760 --> 02:12:34.399 JEFFBORZELOESPN dot com wrote a piece on the coaching carousel 2663 02:12:34.439 --> 02:12:39.199 and college basketball and one of the avenues that teams 2664 02:12:39.439 --> 02:12:42.239 that have a head coaching vacancy that exists in the 2665 02:12:42.279 --> 02:12:45.920 P four space often take is looking at some young 2666 02:12:46.039 --> 02:12:49.960 coaches from smaller programs that have had success. And it's 2667 02:12:50.000 --> 02:12:52.159 a really cool thing when you watch March Madness when 2668 02:12:52.159 --> 02:12:54.960 to coaches, you know, coaching at a smaller school, they 2669 02:12:55.000 --> 02:12:56.800 get an h bid and they go win a couple 2670 02:12:56.840 --> 02:12:58.960 of games and then he's hired by Illinois or whatever 2671 02:12:58.960 --> 02:13:00.439 and he makes a bunch of money, and it's great, 2672 02:13:00.479 --> 02:13:04.600 it's cool, it's really fun. And Jeff has a list 2673 02:13:04.680 --> 02:13:08.680 on his piece that includes UC San Diego's Eric Olsen, 2674 02:13:09.119 --> 02:13:12.920 Nico Medvedad from Colorado State, Eric Henderson from South Dakota State, 2675 02:13:13.439 --> 02:13:17.119 Leon Rice Boise State, Russell Turner from UC Irvine. He 2676 02:13:17.159 --> 02:13:20.119 even has Jared Calhoun on his list. And my guess 2677 02:13:20.199 --> 02:13:23.560 is that's not going to happen. And Mark has already 2678 02:13:23.560 --> 02:13:26.439 gone this route. That's how he decided to bring Craigan. 2679 02:13:26.560 --> 02:13:29.560 It's the very same thing now that is not a 2680 02:13:29.600 --> 02:13:32.720 bad route to take. Okay. Now, on the other side, 2681 02:13:32.760 --> 02:13:35.000 of course, as you know and you've written about and 2682 02:13:35.000 --> 02:13:38.319 you've covered over at KSL, there's the former ute contingent 2683 02:13:39.079 --> 02:13:42.319 that is pining for a Alex Jensen head coach and Andre 2684 02:13:42.439 --> 02:13:46.600 Miller assistant coach. Bench and you know, when it comes 2685 02:13:46.640 --> 02:13:48.640 to either of these routes, the final route is trying 2686 02:13:48.640 --> 02:13:50.600 to grab somebody who's been on the sideline for a while. 2687 02:13:50.640 --> 02:13:52.119 It's kind of a bigger name that wants to get 2688 02:13:52.119 --> 02:13:54.239 back in the game. So of all the routes, what's 2689 02:13:54.279 --> 02:13:55.680 the josh for a long take, what do you think 2690 02:13:55.720 --> 02:13:56.560 Mark Harlan should do? 2691 02:13:58.000 --> 02:14:00.439 Yeah, I mean I think the first time around. You know, 2692 02:14:00.479 --> 02:14:02.600 it's kind of similar to the conversation we had about 2693 02:14:02.640 --> 02:14:05.039 Craig Smith about wanting to do it your way. I 2694 02:14:05.039 --> 02:14:07.079 think Mark Carlin wanted to do it his way and 2695 02:14:07.119 --> 02:14:08.920 didn't necessarily want to say we're just going to go 2696 02:14:08.960 --> 02:14:11.479 the alumni route, right, And so I think that's why 2697 02:14:11.520 --> 02:14:13.279 he wanted to go with this up and coming coach 2698 02:14:13.319 --> 02:14:15.279 that had won at every level, and that's why he 2699 02:14:15.319 --> 02:14:18.439 picked Craig Smith. And I you know, that's still not 2700 02:14:18.520 --> 02:14:21.239 a bad route because you're seeing coaches that do it 2701 02:14:21.279 --> 02:14:24.079 all the time that can succeed. I think we're at 2702 02:14:24.079 --> 02:14:26.359 the point now where if Utah is going to take 2703 02:14:26.399 --> 02:14:28.319 that next level, they have to at least try their 2704 02:14:28.319 --> 02:14:30.079 hand at somebody that the donors want. And I know 2705 02:14:30.119 --> 02:14:32.199 that's a tricky game. You see this all the time 2706 02:14:32.239 --> 02:14:35.439 with coaches and other institutions where when you go with 2707 02:14:35.560 --> 02:14:38.960 the alumni it doesn't always pan out, you know, and 2708 02:14:39.000 --> 02:14:41.039 then you're in a disaster, and now you've just kind 2709 02:14:41.039 --> 02:14:44.119 of changed the name of a guy that people have 2710 02:14:44.199 --> 02:14:48.199 loved forever. So it's risky, but I think Utah's at 2711 02:14:48.239 --> 02:14:50.920 a point now where that money, whether it be nil 2712 02:14:51.560 --> 02:14:54.800 or just athletic support people coming into the Hunting Center, 2713 02:14:55.279 --> 02:14:59.039 that's not coming unless you actually bow down to the alumni. 2714 02:14:59.279 --> 02:15:01.840 And so all those names that were mentioned are great, 2715 02:15:01.920 --> 02:15:04.359 and honestly, you could throw in, you know, Richard Patino 2716 02:15:04.439 --> 02:15:07.560 in there and Blanket, I'm a guy at Grand Canyon, 2717 02:15:07.600 --> 02:15:10.439 what his name is, But you've got there, you go. 2718 02:15:10.720 --> 02:15:13.600 You've got a lot of these guys that you know 2719 02:15:13.680 --> 02:15:16.119 would absolutely be a great fit for Utah in my opinion, 2720 02:15:17.000 --> 02:15:20.399 But in this era where there's been so much apathy 2721 02:15:20.439 --> 02:15:24.079 towards Utah men's basketball, you have to at least pay 2722 02:15:24.239 --> 02:15:27.159 homage to that Rick Vinjerisara, and what better way to 2723 02:15:27.199 --> 02:15:30.199 do that than with Alex Jenson. Obviously, Andre Miller would 2724 02:15:30.199 --> 02:15:31.760 be a great fit there, Johnny Bryant would be a 2725 02:15:31.800 --> 02:15:34.600 great fit there. But I think just the experience that 2726 02:15:34.680 --> 02:15:38.119 Alex Jensen's had. He's a hometown kid, grew up in Centerville, 2727 02:15:38.159 --> 02:15:40.199 went to Viumont, went to Utah. I mean, this is 2728 02:15:40.239 --> 02:15:42.880 a kid that is Utah threw and through. If you 2729 02:15:43.000 --> 02:15:46.399 can get him, and there's been a lot of traction 2730 02:15:46.560 --> 02:15:50.119 about you know him, him being the next guy, this 2731 02:15:50.279 --> 02:15:53.199 becomes a home run for at least perception standpoints right. 2732 02:15:53.479 --> 02:15:55.520 Obviously he's been a great coach. A lot of credit 2733 02:15:55.600 --> 02:15:57.640 to him, or there was a lot of credit given 2734 02:15:57.680 --> 02:15:59.359 to him for what he did with Rudy Gobert and 2735 02:15:59.359 --> 02:16:00.960 made him the defense. It's a player that he is. 2736 02:16:01.359 --> 02:16:03.239 If you can get him to be able to coach 2737 02:16:03.279 --> 02:16:07.279 at the college level alla you know Kevin Young at BYU, 2738 02:16:07.319 --> 02:16:10.239 and take it from that NBA route to the collegiate route, 2739 02:16:10.640 --> 02:16:12.720 then you potentially get a lot more dollars, You get 2740 02:16:12.720 --> 02:16:15.039 a lot more support, and it may fizzle out still 2741 02:16:15.079 --> 02:16:16.880 and you may be back at this conversation in three 2742 02:16:17.000 --> 02:16:19.760 four years, but at least you're getting some sort of 2743 02:16:19.840 --> 02:16:22.840 galvanizing moment to help the university do better. And any 2744 02:16:22.840 --> 02:16:25.039 coach that comes into this has to get some sort 2745 02:16:25.079 --> 02:16:27.960 of level of support from the university, from the donors, 2746 02:16:28.359 --> 02:16:30.000 you know, from whatever it takes to be able to 2747 02:16:30.000 --> 02:16:31.640 get money there, because if you come into this in 2748 02:16:31.640 --> 02:16:34.440 a similar situation, this is not a good job. Nobody 2749 02:16:34.479 --> 02:16:36.440 would want to pick this job because you're destined to fail. 2750 02:16:36.520 --> 02:16:38.440 You've got to be able to have that support. You've 2751 02:16:38.479 --> 02:16:40.559 got to have much more nil money. You can't just 2752 02:16:40.600 --> 02:16:43.520 have two million dollars. I mean by us playing, you know, 2753 02:16:43.559 --> 02:16:45.639 one player two million dollars, and if you're doing that 2754 02:16:45.680 --> 02:16:48.159 against your rival, you have to at least compete. So 2755 02:16:49.319 --> 02:16:52.000 you know, I know they have circled Alex Jensen as 2756 02:16:52.000 --> 02:16:55.360 their priority number one. As I said, there's there's been 2757 02:16:55.399 --> 02:16:59.399 a lot of conversations about him progressing that way. My 2758 02:16:59.520 --> 02:17:02.920 understanding is that they have met already met the things 2759 02:17:02.959 --> 02:17:06.040 of progressing in the right way, and so I think 2760 02:17:06.079 --> 02:17:07.760 if you can go that route and get that support, 2761 02:17:07.840 --> 02:17:10.120 that's the best case. You know, it doesn't matter what 2762 02:17:10.200 --> 02:17:11.319 other great coaches are out there. 2763 02:17:11.319 --> 02:17:13.319 You have to try this route, last thing, and I'll 2764 02:17:13.360 --> 02:17:13.959 set you loose. 2765 02:17:14.760 --> 02:17:14.959 You know. 2766 02:17:15.159 --> 02:17:19.360 One of the conversations and topics talking points after Tom 2767 02:17:19.399 --> 02:17:22.760 Homo announced that he was stepping down after twenty years 2768 02:17:22.920 --> 02:17:26.000 was his hires and we've talked about it with doctor 2769 02:17:26.079 --> 02:17:29.319 Hill as well. When Doctor Hill stepped out, you know, 2770 02:17:29.399 --> 02:17:31.600 and essentially Tom you can make an argument that he 2771 02:17:31.639 --> 02:17:37.319 went five for five Bronco, Dave Rose, Mark, Pope Kalade Satake, 2772 02:17:37.479 --> 02:17:38.360 and now Kevin Young. 2773 02:17:39.079 --> 02:17:40.559 Mark Carlin's only hire is Craig. 2774 02:17:40.799 --> 02:17:44.120 Now, with all due respect to the other sports, were 2775 02:17:44.159 --> 02:17:46.799 just existing in the basketball and football realm because they're 2776 02:17:46.840 --> 02:17:50.360 the revenue generators. There are other hires and both BYU 2777 02:17:50.399 --> 02:17:53.639 and Utah that have worked out, but the one main 2778 02:17:53.879 --> 02:17:57.079 hire Mark has made was Craig, and it, you know, 2779 02:17:57.200 --> 02:17:59.319 obviously is fizzled out. How much pressure is there on 2780 02:17:59.360 --> 02:18:00.600 Mark Carlan to get this one right? 2781 02:18:01.719 --> 02:18:04.000 Well? Absolutely, I mean I think this is this is 2782 02:18:04.040 --> 02:18:08.760 the higher that will likely determine Mark Carland's tenure at 2783 02:18:08.799 --> 02:18:10.559 Utah as well. You know, I think there's a lot 2784 02:18:10.559 --> 02:18:13.879 of pressure on him right now to be able to 2785 02:18:14.200 --> 02:18:16.920 make the right higher here. And when you're one higher 2786 02:18:16.959 --> 02:18:21.200 of high notoriety, you know, phizzle that help that that 2787 02:18:21.239 --> 02:18:23.879 doesn't help you. And I think in this industry you're 2788 02:18:23.959 --> 02:18:26.760 judged based on how well you hire and kind of 2789 02:18:26.760 --> 02:18:29.200 what you bring to the institution. Mark has always done 2790 02:18:29.239 --> 02:18:30.840 a good job of being able to bring donations and 2791 02:18:30.840 --> 02:18:33.120 fundraising to the university. So he's you know, he's doing 2792 02:18:33.120 --> 02:18:35.639 his job as an athletic director. But if you're not 2793 02:18:35.719 --> 02:18:37.920 able to bring in a coach that is sustainable and 2794 02:18:38.600 --> 02:18:41.440 able to get your team to the level that you 2795 02:18:41.520 --> 02:18:45.479 expect them to. You know, NCAA tournaments is always the 2796 02:18:45.600 --> 02:18:50.239 benchmark inside basketball, then you know you're on the hot seat. 2797 02:18:50.319 --> 02:18:50.479 Right. 2798 02:18:50.520 --> 02:18:52.440 As much as coaches have to perform, so does the 2799 02:18:52.520 --> 02:18:56.000 athletic director. And so you know, whether you agree with 2800 02:18:56.040 --> 02:18:58.760 it or not, this Hier absolutely is going to most 2801 02:18:58.840 --> 02:19:01.959 likely determine mark our future at the University of Utah. 2802 02:19:02.000 --> 02:19:06.319 And you know this this will be interesting because he's 2803 02:19:06.360 --> 02:19:09.319 going to do this well, not necessarily having a lot 2804 02:19:09.319 --> 02:19:11.360 of control either, because he's going to have to pay 2805 02:19:11.879 --> 02:19:14.000 respect to what these donors want. And if you're not 2806 02:19:14.079 --> 02:19:16.040 getting that money, you know, this is kind of out 2807 02:19:16.079 --> 02:19:17.639 of your hands. He could go out there and hire 2808 02:19:17.760 --> 02:19:20.319 Richard Patino, he could go out there and hire somebody 2809 02:19:20.319 --> 02:19:22.319 because they're an up and coming coach and you know, 2810 02:19:22.440 --> 02:19:24.879 have a legacy and family name of being able to 2811 02:19:24.879 --> 02:19:27.440 win at the highest levels in basketball. But if you 2812 02:19:27.520 --> 02:19:30.239 still don't get that support from the donors, you're at 2813 02:19:30.280 --> 02:19:32.680 the same level, right, And so I think some of 2814 02:19:32.719 --> 02:19:35.479 this is out of his control, but at the same time, 2815 02:19:35.799 --> 02:19:38.000 this is kind of a position that he's painted himself into. 2816 02:19:38.079 --> 02:19:40.959 He's also been lucky that he's had a head coach 2817 02:19:41.000 --> 02:19:42.920 in the football program that has lasted as long as 2818 02:19:42.920 --> 02:19:45.959 he has. They've identified the heir apparent. You know that 2819 02:19:46.000 --> 02:19:48.000 everything's gone well there. And then in all of his 2820 02:19:48.079 --> 02:19:51.000 other spots, he's been able to keep longevity with coaches, 2821 02:19:51.159 --> 02:19:54.479 coaches that have been with softball or gymnastics, you know, 2822 02:19:54.479 --> 02:19:57.000 where you're promoting. Even with the women's basketball, you just 2823 02:19:57.040 --> 02:19:59.840 had to promote with them. So you know, he's had 2824 02:19:59.879 --> 02:20:01.719 a good time doing that. And so you're going to 2825 02:20:01.799 --> 02:20:05.360 be judged on such a fine uh, you know, timeline, 2826 02:20:05.440 --> 02:20:08.079 especially when that's really the biggest tire that you've made. 2827 02:20:08.520 --> 02:20:10.600 Josh, thanks for the time, man, good stuff, Keep up 2828 02:20:10.600 --> 02:20:11.840 the great work and we'll chat soon. 2829 02:20:12.719 --> 02:20:14.120 Sounds good man, I appreciate it. Having a bit. 2830 02:20:14.319 --> 02:20:16.680 Josh for Long covers the University of Utah for casts out, 2831 02:20:16.719 --> 02:20:20.000 reporting that his understanding is Alex Jensen is the main 2832 02:20:20.079 --> 02:20:23.559 target for the University of You tide coaching job. Are 2833 02:20:23.559 --> 02:20:23.920 you in a. 2834 02:20:23.920 --> 02:20:25.559 Romantic mood today? What's going on? 2835 02:20:25.600 --> 02:20:25.639 This? 2836 02:20:25.840 --> 02:20:27.520 Is this the the Righteous Brothers. 2837 02:20:27.879 --> 02:20:30.799 This is more hollow Oats. I had to keep a 2838 02:20:30.840 --> 02:20:32.799 little uh on track there. 2839 02:20:33.000 --> 02:20:35.479 This is This is Holland Oats covering the Righteous Brothers 2840 02:20:35.520 --> 02:20:37.040 because I believe they wrote this song. 2841 02:20:37.079 --> 02:20:37.559 Oh did they? 2842 02:20:37.600 --> 02:20:38.079 I think so? 2843 02:20:39.319 --> 02:20:42.680 I believe so the Righteous Gemstones Brothers. Is that what 2844 02:20:42.719 --> 02:20:43.280 you're talking about? 2845 02:20:43.319 --> 02:20:47.079 Coming back Sunday Sunday Night, Righteous Gemstones back on HBO. 2846 02:20:47.239 --> 02:20:48.200 That's actually awesome. 2847 02:20:48.239 --> 02:20:49.159 I badly needed. 2848 02:20:50.120 --> 02:20:53.200 Yeah, some hollow Oats uh breakup song, I would. 2849 02:20:52.959 --> 02:20:56.000 Say, which, you know? So what are you trying to do? 2850 02:20:56.079 --> 02:20:56.280 Man? 2851 02:20:57.360 --> 02:20:59.319 I'm just it's it goes with the theme of the week. 2852 02:20:59.360 --> 02:21:02.000 He come in bad coming up next to It's kind 2853 02:21:02.000 --> 02:21:03.159 of a touchy situation. 2854 02:21:03.600 --> 02:21:06.799 Okay, fair enough, now I appreciate that shadowy. Did you 2855 02:21:06.840 --> 02:21:08.440 ever skateboard. 2856 02:21:07.879 --> 02:21:08.319 As a kid? 2857 02:21:08.799 --> 02:21:09.319 A little bit? 2858 02:21:09.559 --> 02:21:11.239 I grew up like a snowboard kid as you as 2859 02:21:11.280 --> 02:21:14.239 you know, my mom is a snowboarder by trade, and 2860 02:21:14.760 --> 02:21:16.959 so a little bit. They put a skate park like 2861 02:21:16.959 --> 02:21:21.360 in Oakley and Rodeoville randomly, and we definitely used it. 2862 02:21:21.399 --> 02:21:25.440 I crash when I'm on bikes, on boards on all 2863 02:21:25.479 --> 02:21:27.879 of the above. I don't have the filter a limit, 2864 02:21:28.840 --> 02:21:30.280 so I crash and Curt myself. 2865 02:21:30.280 --> 02:21:34.120 So there's a group of hooligans outside skateboarding right now. 2866 02:21:34.200 --> 02:21:37.239 Oh and looks like they're creating content and scared to 2867 02:21:37.280 --> 02:21:41.319 go outside now as you do. And they're like skating 2868 02:21:41.360 --> 02:21:44.440 in the middle of traffic because it's rush hour here 2869 02:21:44.440 --> 02:21:48.479 in downtown saut Lake, and rush hour of course brings, 2870 02:21:48.639 --> 02:21:52.840 you know, multiple vehicles, and these hooligans look like they're 2871 02:21:52.879 --> 02:21:56.159 sixteen or seventeen. They've got one dude taking videos and 2872 02:21:56.200 --> 02:21:58.360 the rest are like houcking tricks. I think that's what 2873 02:21:58.520 --> 02:22:00.680 they say off the curve over here. 2874 02:22:01.000 --> 02:22:03.639 You should go out there and Karen do like a 2875 02:22:04.600 --> 02:22:06.000 make a scene, you know what? 2876 02:22:06.200 --> 02:22:10.040 I heard his story, A former friend of the program 2877 02:22:10.079 --> 02:22:12.239 apparently is the Karen of his neighborhood. I'll tell you 2878 02:22:12.239 --> 02:22:15.040 when we signed off, it is not Month. I wish 2879 02:22:15.079 --> 02:22:18.440 it was so badly. I wish it was Gordon. I'm 2880 02:22:18.440 --> 02:22:19.920 not going to say who it is on air because 2881 02:22:19.920 --> 02:22:22.680 he actually still is a friend. But apparently he's the 2882 02:22:22.760 --> 02:22:26.360 dude that if he sees the skateboarders and it's not Bill, 2883 02:22:26.799 --> 02:22:29.639 he's the dude that rolls out and tells the skateboarders 2884 02:22:29.680 --> 02:22:30.200 to chill out. 2885 02:22:30.440 --> 02:22:31.760 I'm not going to go full Karen. 2886 02:22:32.479 --> 02:22:34.239 But if I do drive out and they get my way, 2887 02:22:34.600 --> 02:22:35.879 we might have to have a conversation. 2888 02:22:36.079 --> 02:22:38.680 Yeah, Gettle Street kids speaking. 2889 02:22:38.360 --> 02:22:40.319 Of a righteous gemstone before we get out of here. 2890 02:22:41.319 --> 02:22:44.639 Danny McBride is a hard yes for me. Like whatever 2891 02:22:44.760 --> 02:22:49.159 Danny McBride is in or does, I automatically just watch it, 2892 02:22:49.319 --> 02:22:51.239 give him a bend for the doubt. Who else is 2893 02:22:51.239 --> 02:22:54.760 on that list when it comes to TV like Larry 2894 02:22:54.840 --> 02:22:57.760 David right, Yes, pretty short list. He doesn't do much. 2895 02:22:57.879 --> 02:23:00.200 Just a hard yes yeah. 2896 02:23:00.120 --> 02:23:02.399 Me And since you went comedy with with those guys, 2897 02:23:02.520 --> 02:23:07.440 Jason Bateman, if it's television, I'll watch it. Arrested Development awesome, 2898 02:23:07.440 --> 02:23:10.840 Ozark awesome, he's got the range, he's he's good. 2899 02:23:10.799 --> 02:23:12.600 He does he does all right. Time for us to 2900 02:23:12.639 --> 02:23:13.280 get out of here. 2901 02:23:14.399 --> 02:23:18.639 The Utah men's basketball team is taking on Arizona at McHale. 2902 02:23:18.680 --> 02:23:21.120 Shout out to Josh Eiler, interim head coach, and this 2903 02:23:21.239 --> 02:23:24.520 is his first task, my goodness, So stay tuned for 2904 02:23:24.559 --> 02:23:27.079 that porter what comes our way On a Thursday edition 2905 02:23:27.360 --> 02:23:28.000 of the show. 2906 02:23:28.239 --> 02:23:31.520 On a Thursday, Little Hockey with Neil Smith behind the glass, 2907 02:23:31.520 --> 02:23:35.680 We'll talk some jazz with one Andy Larson, a little 2908 02:23:35.680 --> 02:23:38.479 golf Update with our friend at Paul Pugmyer. And of course, 2909 02:23:39.479 --> 02:23:42.559 as we do each and every day an NBA daily 2910 02:23:42.639 --> 02:23:45.760 is It's is Tim McMahon on a Thursday this time all. 2911 02:23:45.360 --> 02:23:47.799 Right, good stuff, So join us there for this Thursday 2912 02:23:47.920 --> 02:23:49.440 edition of the show, and we'll say good night and 2913 02:23:49.479 --> 02:23:52.079 thank you to Chris Camaraddie, Trey Fitzgerald, Richard Smith and 2914 02:23:52.159 --> 02:23:55.399 Josh Furlong. Missed iny of it websites and option SPN 2915 02:23:55.440 --> 02:23:58.520 seven hundred sports dot com. Download our app ESPN one 2916 02:23:58.559 --> 02:24:01.360 hundred app is free and available the Google play Store 2917 02:24:01.440 --> 02:24:03.799 and the App Store as well on the Apple side. 2918 02:24:03.959 --> 02:24:06.479 Then for what we do four hours every afternoon, support 2919 02:24:06.479 --> 02:24:08.719 our podcast. Please let's call the Drive with Spence. Check its. 2920 02:24:08.760 --> 02:24:10.879 It's available wherever you get your shows. I think it's 2921 02:24:10.879 --> 02:24:12.120 the best way to listen to what we do. You 2922 02:24:12.159 --> 02:24:13.600 listen to what you want to when you want to 2923 02:24:13.600 --> 02:24:15.719 listen to a subscribeer rate reviews, say nice things, give 2924 02:24:15.760 --> 02:24:18.239 us all the stars. He's Porter, I'm Spen saying tonight, 2925 02:24:18.319 --> 02:24:21.239 Utah Hoops coming up next right here on ESPN seven 2926 02:24:21.319 --> 02:24:22.920 hundred and ninety two ANDEFM proud to be part of 2927 02:24:23.040 --> 02:24:24.559 Utah's ESPN Radio network