WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:01.919 All right, what's going on? 2 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:06.599 Drivetime Friday afternoon, seven minutes past the hour of two o'clock. 3 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:09.199 Pretty temperate, pretty warm. 4 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:12.519 It's about thirty eight thirty nine degrees, little cloudy here 5 00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:15.679 in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Might have some snow 6 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:17.960 up in the mountains this weekend, maybe early next week 7 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:23.800 as we are preparing to turn our calendars to February. Gratulations, 8 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:28.039 good work everybody, you made it. And it's weekend time. Congratulations, 9 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.559 Happy Friday. A good sports weekend ahead, a lot of 10 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.520 pro basketball, a lot of college basketball. We have the 11 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:37.920 Utah women in action tonight. It's against Arizona just after 12 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.359 six o'clock. That game can be seen on FS one 13 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:43.799 and of course you can hear it right here on 14 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:46.640 ESPN seven hundred. The Utah Hockey Club is back in 15 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.880 action at home. It's been a busy week for the 16 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.600 staff over at the Delta Center. Shout out to the 17 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:57.159 staff at the Delta Center. After a Jazz game last 18 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:00.000 night against Minnesota, quick turnaround to make sure the ice 19 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:02.359 is ready to roll for the Utah Hockey Club taking 20 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:05.840 on Columbus. Utah Men back in action tomorrow again. So 21 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.840 Oklhomba State on the road three the next four games 22 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:10.239 on the road for the youth. We're going to talk 23 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:13.920 to Utah basketball on the program today, Bring them young 24 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:16.480 back at action tomorrow on the road at UCF. The 25 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:20.120 Jazz will host Orlando tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock Mountain time. 26 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:23.280 If you're looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon, 27 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:26.400 So a lot of basketball, a lot of pro basketball, 28 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:29.359 a lot of college basketball on the program today. NBA 29 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:32.280 Trade deadline, ride around the corner, Caitlin Clark says no 30 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:35.599 to the NBA's infight to participate in the three point contest. 31 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:39.480 And a fun night last night, welcoming back some old 32 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:44.840 friends from the Utah Jazz past iteration Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, 33 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:48.560 Mike Codley who did not play, Nikhil, Alexander Walker and 34 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:50.439 the likes. So a lot of former Jazz players in 35 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:55.280 the building last night. And here's a tease. I'm ready 36 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.760 to tell you about a Jazz player who I like. Yep, 37 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.760 that's right, and it's not Lowry. I'm ready to say 38 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.439 today that one of the draft picks that have been 39 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.840 made over the past two years is starting to show 40 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:10.400 some signs of maybe a long term fit, long term player. 41 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:12.479 I'm ready to do it today. I know, I know. 42 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:13.759 It's been a. 43 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:16.439 Tough year, tough, well, tough three years almost to cover 44 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:19.879 this Jazz team, unseerious about winning. But a couple of 45 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:23.000 interesting storylines I think are starting to emerge, So we'll 46 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:26.000 get to it on the show today. Minnesota started running 47 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:28.639 away from the Jazz after Julius Randall got hurt. 48 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:30.479 You're next fan. 49 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:32.439 One of the five Nick fans in the market, two 50 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.039 are actually on the show, which is weird. 51 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:36.599 You understand why that actually hits. 52 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:40.159 Minnesota was not playing very well, Julius Randall got hurt, 53 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:42.800 and then they ran away from the Jazz. So we'll 54 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.439 talk some Jazz basketball, We'll talk some NBA basketball. Latest 55 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.599 on the NBA trade deadline, the All Star reserves were released, 56 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.400 and of course, as it happens every single year, the 57 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:56.599 ringing of hands, the wailing and gnashing of teeth for 58 00:02:56.759 --> 00:02:59.840 the snubs. Gotta love the snubs, So we'll get to 59 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:03.680 the with that. Of course, we are inching closer and 60 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:06.360 closer to the final football game of the year, Super 61 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:08.199 Bowl fifty nine, which, by the way, you can hear 62 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.680 on our radio station we are your home of the 63 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.240 biggest and best football events, both college and pro and 64 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:16.159 the market. So right around the corner now a week 65 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:19.479 from Sunday, February ninth, Super Bowl fifty nine between. 66 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:21.599 The Chiefs and the Eagles. 67 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:24.960 And it's always interesting to listen and watch to some 68 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:27.719 of the coverage between the conference championship and the Super 69 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:29.680 Bowl to see how people kind of make this interesting. 70 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:32.960 The only real storylines of pro football right now are 71 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.240 coaching staffs that are being filled, and of course some 72 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.080 coaching staffs they still have holes. NFL free agency begins 73 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:40.639 in March twelfth, if you want to dig into that. 74 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.800 There are a lot of conversations going around as far 75 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:47.199 as what can be next in pro football. So Happy 76 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.240 Friday to you. Congratulations you made it. It is weekend time. 77 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:52.479 We'll start things off on this Friday show with an 78 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.759 old friend of mine played his college ball Utah State, 79 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:59.120 played a little pro ball, did some jazz summer league 80 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:01.120 stuff for a minute, and then went overseas and had 81 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:02.960 a really good career and one of the nicest guys 82 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.680 you're gonna meet, really good on the college basketball breakdowns 83 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.439 at Spencer Nelson Oil Partner on Jazz pref and postgame 84 00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:11.400 shows once upon a time on the old station. 85 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:12.759 We'll start things off today. 86 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:14.800 One of the best to ever do it for the 87 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.240 Utes and a Super Bowl champion himself to help Burgess 88 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.000 stops by in the three o'clock hour. The head coach 89 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.879 of the Utah men's basketball team, Craig Smith, will be 90 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:24.079 our guest at three thirty. 91 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:26.199 And then it is the triumph in return. 92 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.399 After spending weeks and weeks and weeks in a skimpy 93 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:31.279 bathing suit under the sun, well, I don't know if 94 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.399 that's true, but Richard Smith has been gone traveling the 95 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:38.000 world enjoying the sunshine. He is now back in studio. 96 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.319 Started at four o'clock today. It's good day to ask 97 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.279 Smitty on because we're gonna do a little a little 98 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:46.879 content on the game last night with players that Smitty knows, 99 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:50.079 with Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles to Kill Alex Alexander Walker 100 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:53.079 and Mike Comley back in town, and then gets Smitty's 101 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:55.199 take on the current situation with Utah Jazz. 102 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:56.839 The trade deadline right around the corner. 103 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:00.079 Our guys spent forty years in the Utah Jazz front off, 104 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:01.759 so what's going on behind the scenes. 105 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:03.279 What are the conversations sound like. 106 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:07.040 And I'll ask Smitty about the jazz player who I 107 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:08.639 am ready to say I am on board with. 108 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:11.680 I have been waiting and we're going to talk about 109 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:12.399 that player today. 110 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:16.720 So Spencer Nelson, Terrell Burgess, Craig Smith, Richard Smith, Me, Spence, 111 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:18.680 check ITTs, all of you, the great listeners, Happy Friday, 112 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:18.959 and that. 113 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.319 Guy Utah outlaw expert. 114 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.839 As we learned during the five o'clock hour yesterday Porter 115 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:27.319 Larson on a Friday, how many sports talk radio shows 116 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.920 can do twenty minutes on outlaws from the state of 117 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.759 Utah dating back to the eighteen hundreds. 118 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:35.560 Probably not very many. Probably not very many. We could 119 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.800 and we could do more. I got like another several hours, 120 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:42.000 but we'll talk sports today. Well we'll leave that for 121 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.360 like a podcast or something. 122 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:46.519 Well, I mean, ultimately it was topical because the Utah 123 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.959 Hockey Club announced that the utahle Laws were going to 124 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:51.399 be an option for the name, and we had to 125 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.600 educate the peeps. I'll tell you what on why that 126 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:54.639 actually works. 127 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:55.360 If they name the team. 128 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.680 If that gets the name, I'll do like a full, 129 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:01.199 a full deep dive and I'll like tell some stories 130 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:03.639 that I've heard some cool stuff. 131 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:06.720 What we'll do if Okay, So here's the deal. Here 132 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:09.480 is our commitment and our pledge to you, the listeners. 133 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:13.920 If the Utah Hockey Club becomes utile laws during one show, 134 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:16.800 we will book zero guests and for four hours I 135 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:20.160 will just ask porter questions about utile laws from the seventeen. 136 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.600 Or eighteen hundreds. That is our pledge to you. That 137 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.040 works for you, I'm on board. Ok maybe a couple guests. 138 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.000 We'll do it for like half the shows, maybe like 139 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:28.040 an hour segment. 140 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:29.839 Yeah, see, you don't want to do four hours where 141 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:31.959 you're the one talking. M m yeah, how's it feel? 142 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:34.120 But my concern is that if we do it on 143 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.920 this space, we got to take commercial breaks. 144 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:38.879 Oh you want four hours? 145 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.839 No commercials, We'll do like a separate thing. Okay, no video, 146 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.120 all right, just the informative deep dive. 147 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:46.680 Fair enough. 148 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.720 So if you missed that segment yesterday, I actually learned 149 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.399 a lot from that dude in there. Whose third cousin 150 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:54.399 is Billy the Kid or is it Jesse James. 151 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.160 I don't remember Cassidy Buch Cassidy, well one of them. 152 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:00.560 So utile Laws we'll see with the High Hockey Club 153 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.959 is named after you all go through the motions of 154 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.959 having your votes not counted but your emails captured by 155 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:08.639 a qual tricks and then they're just gonna do whatever 156 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.720 they want anyway. First guest today will be Spencer Nelson. 157 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:14.800 But the ESPN seven hundred Cash Kickoff is here. It's 158 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.600 time for your shot to win one thousand dollars in 159 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:19.720 cash to pay your bills. That's dollar to five oh 160 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:22.480 eight seven seven seven one thousand. That's dollar to five 161 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:24.839 oh eight seven seven seven one thousand for a chance 162 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:27.920 to win one thousand dollars in cash in this nation 163 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:31.199 wide contest. Good luck from all of us at ESPN 164 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.360 seven hundred. All right before we bring on my guy, 165 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:35.959 Spencer Nelson, courtesy of our good friends and you're good 166 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:37.600 friends too at Standard Restaurants Supply. 167 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:39.360 It's your one stop shop for. 168 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:42.959 All your tailgating needs online at Standard Restaurants Supply dot 169 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:46.199 Com or they're convenient location here in downtown salig City, Utah. 170 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:47.759 It's time now for your opening tip. 171 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:51.279 Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check it's on Utah's 172 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.959 number one sports talk. Now into the studio of ESPN 173 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:57.920 seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The 174 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:00.000 opening tip of the drive is brought to you by 175 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.279 Standard Restaurants Supply, your one stop shop to build the 176 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:08.000 best tailgate in town. Standard Restaurant Supply thirty five hundred 177 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:09.439 Southwest Temple. 178 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:13.319 Utah Jazz welcomed in some old friends last night to 179 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:17.079 the building. The Minnesota Timberwolves rolling in in town. Minnesota, 180 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:20.120 of course, a team that is interesting for us to 181 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:22.560 cover here for a few reasons in the market, namely, 182 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:24.920 the jazzone a lot of their draft capital, including that 183 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:29.120 draft pick this year. And you know, Minnesota, unlike Cleveland, 184 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:30.839 is a team that's been a little bit up and down. 185 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:32.200 They've been a lot better as of late. 186 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:34.840 And you know, that pick at one point looked like 187 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.120 it may be a lottery pick. I never believed that 188 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.559 that was going to be the case, but Minnesota was 189 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:40.440 really up and down. 190 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:41.559 They had some injury issues. 191 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:44.799 Our guy Mike Conley did not play last night, and Mike, 192 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:47.120 when he has played this year, simply looks like a 193 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.200 point guard that is, his age doesn't look like it's 194 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:51.639 really working for him much anymore. 195 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.519 Joe Ingles barely plays for them. 196 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:55.799 But covering Minnesota is always fun because of all the 197 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:59.080 former Jazz players on that roster, and then the potential 198 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:02.960 of the Jazz me maybe in a sneaky way, grabbing 199 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.279 some good draft picks from Minnesota as a result of 200 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.159 the Gobaar deal over the next four or five, six, 201 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:10.840 seven years. So last night a couple of fun storylines 202 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:13.720 to see the crowd chant for Joe Ingalls near the 203 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:15.720 end of the game. I mean, Joe was one of 204 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:19.080 the most beloved jazz men here. The narrative of him 205 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.120 being like the voice of reason in that locker room 206 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:23.960 actually is not very accurate. I could go into story 207 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.080 time and details, but I'll leave most of that off air. 208 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:29.080 But as far as endearing himself to the fans, he 209 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:31.960 certainly did that because, as we've often said out on 210 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:33.639 the show, even though he looks like he lives in 211 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:35.559 his car, he turned out to be a very very 212 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:38.879 good basketball player and started to evolve in a way 213 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:42.519 that really changed that group. Because after Hayward left and 214 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:45.799 Mitchell kind of elevated his game and Rudy was Rudy, 215 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:47.720 the question was, well, who's going to be that other 216 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:50.240 wing alongside Donovan, Because it would have been awesome if 217 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:50.799 it was Gordon. 218 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:52.440 I mean, that's one of the things you always look 219 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:53.600 back on with that group. 220 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.279 If Hayward would have stayed and everything else fell into place, 221 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:58.360 that's a team that throws punches with any team in 222 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:02.440 pro basketball. But while he never became p kward, you 223 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:05.440 know the OKC series where he really took Paul George 224 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.320 out of it, got in Paul George's head, evolved into 225 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:11.039 a really dangerous outside shooter, broke Jazz records for three 226 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:13.919 point shots made, and was a capable defense of a 227 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:15.759 player because of his length and because. 228 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:16.279 Of his intelligence. 229 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.879 Certainly not an athlete doesn't move laterally and he's not 230 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:21.000 gonna dunk on you. But I thought that was a 231 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:24.320 really cool moment. Sounded like the fans gave Rudy Gobert 232 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.559 a lot of love, and Rudy deserves it. His nine 233 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:29.480 years here, I don't think he'll ever fully give the 234 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:31.799 credit for the type of guy he was in the 235 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.159 community and the type of impact he had on winning 236 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.759 for Quinn's group. So nine years here, I don't think 237 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.000 he sold his home. I think he still comes here 238 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:41.879 quite a bit. I could be wrong about that. At 239 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.600 one point he still sold us home and they had 240 00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:47.639 to had minutes between Gobert and Walker last night for 241 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:51.279 all of you, you know media lackeys that at times 242 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:54.679 like to say, well, Walker is all I could not 243 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:59.240 get over well considering the sources. But Walker's rookie year 244 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:02.279 after that trade went down, when you heard like mostly 245 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:04.159 media members who worked for the team like Walker might 246 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:05.360 be better than Rudy already. 247 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:07.799 Now, like, give me a break with that. 248 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.559 Walker still has a marathon in front of him to 249 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:12.279 even be in Rudy's cul de sac. 250 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:14.360 Rudy is a four time Defensive Player of the Year. 251 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:17.360 He is a Hall of Famer, and last night Walker 252 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:19.759 had a really rough game. Walker's had a really good year, 253 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:21.799 but head to head against Gobert, it didn't even look 254 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:22.480 like a fair fight. 255 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:23.919 Rudy goes for sixteen points. 256 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:27.000 He had nine boards, He had five assists and four blocks, 257 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:28.759 six of eight from the floor, four of six from 258 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:32.039 the line. Walker one of six from the floor. He 259 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:34.200 did not shoot a free throw. He did have eight boards, 260 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.840 couple of steals, zero block. Shots didn't really affect the 261 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:39.080 game much. I don't know how much of it is 262 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.240 knowing that you were traded for that player and you're 263 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:43.360 going to try to prove people wrong head to head, 264 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.759 but Rudy dominated that matchup. Anthony Edwards in the second 265 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:51.919 half showed wid Minnesota does have a potential franchise piece. 266 00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:53.480 I mean, a lot of people believe Ant at the 267 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.039 age of twenty three could be that, I'll say, domestic 268 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:00.480 star that the league latches onto, because you know, there's 269 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.039 no Michael Jordan, Lebron's is on his way out, Kevin 270 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:06.559 Durant's on his way out, and a lot of the well, 271 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:08.440 certainly a lot of the better players, if not the 272 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:12.159 bigger stars in pro basketball right now are international players 273 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.159 with Giannis and Jokic and Luca, and so a lot 274 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:17.960 of conversation around pro around pro basketball. Who's the next 275 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.919 domestic star that can kind of be the face of 276 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:21.639 this league. It might be that kid you saw last 277 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:23.919 night had a little bit of a rough first half, 278 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:26.000 second half dominated. 279 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:26.559 The flow of play. 280 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:28.320 He's a two way player, He's a big kid that 281 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:30.919 can really guard. And he took eighteen shots to score 282 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.679 thirty six points. That's a rare thing in pro basketball. 283 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:36.440 Six of nine from three, six of seven from the line, 284 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:40.039 thirty six points, eleven assists, six sports three block shots 285 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:42.360 for Anthony Edwards, who dominated the flow of play in 286 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.399 the second half. Now, if you are a fan of 287 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:47.480 the NBA, and if you follow the New York Knicks, 288 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:49.159 you will not be surprised when I say to you, 289 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.840 Minnesota flew when Julius Randall left the game. 290 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:54.759 Okay, the Jazz. 291 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:58.080 Actually we're up twenty five to ten, marking it hitting 292 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:01.639 some shots and we'll get to Keyonte and but ultimately 293 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:05.480 Minnesota looked a little bit disjointed. And it's not funny 294 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.960 that Julius real got hurt, but it's kind of there. 295 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:10.639 There's a little bit of irony that after Julius went 296 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.000 out with the injury after ten minutes, Minnesota went on 297 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.799 this eighteen or two run. You know, they brought in 298 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:18.480 Naz Reid, who knocked down a couple of threes. Rob Dillingham, 299 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.639 the rookie, had a really, really nice night, and ultimately 300 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:24.679 Minnesota flies by the Jazz one thirty eight to one thirteen. 301 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.440 The Jazz have now lost eight straight basketball games. We 302 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:30.279 did see John Collins play, We saw Lowry Market and play. 303 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:33.000 We saw for the most part, for the first. 304 00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:36.360 Time in a long long time, almost a first choice 305 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:39.480 group for Will to pick from to play in that game, 306 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:43.080 and so starting lineup John Collins, Lowry Markin and Walker Kestler, 307 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:46.600 Colin Sexton, Isaiah Collier was that was the starting five. 308 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.080 Drew Yu Banks, Kyle Philipowski, Bryce sense About, Jordan Clarkson, 309 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.600 Kiante George all got more than double digit minutes off 310 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:52.919 the bench. 311 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.360 So Will went with ten players. 312 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:57.639 Clarkson and Keyante went for twenty five and twenty seven minutes. 313 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:01.440 The rotation is going to be interesting. The Jazz have 314 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.720 the third most starting lineups in pro basketball. A lot 315 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.320 of that is tanking, a lot of that is Hey, Larry, 316 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.320 how's your ankle. He's like, Oh, it's fine. He's like, no, 317 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.639 it's not, Sorry it hurts. You're not playing tonight. But 318 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.759 last night was kind of a first choice group. So 319 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:15.639 I was interested to see a how they would play 320 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:17.240 against a really good team in the West and be 321 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:20.919 how Will would go about as rotations. But Porter, I 322 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.919 am ready, okay, I'm ready on a Friday to tell 323 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:27.200 you that I think the Jazz have found something. Now 324 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.879 we've talked a lot about the go Bear trades, the 325 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:32.320 Mitchell trades. Everybody's saying, wow, what a great trade by 326 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.440 the Jazz. Well, right, now the Mitchell excuse me, the 327 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.759 go Bear trade with Minnesota is Walker Caster and Keyante 328 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:40.200 George in exchange for Rudy. 329 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:41.360 They have other picks. 330 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.159 We'll see what they turn into, but right now, that's 331 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:45.759 not a trade that's lopsided on the Jazz side of things. 332 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:48.600 And then the Mitchell trade brings a bunch of different pieces, 333 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:51.879 including Larry Marketing. And I've said throughout the course of 334 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.879 this rebuild, i feel like the Jazz have found one thing, 335 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:56.480 and that one thing is Loarry Marketing. 336 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.480 And I'm ready to tell you that I think they 337 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:01.519 found another thing. Okay, are you ready? I am. Do 338 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:07.799 you have any guesses on what you're confident about? 339 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.919 What you're There's a there's another player that I think 340 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.039 the Jazz have found that actually is starting to show 341 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.080 some things that I think are real in pro basketball. 342 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:17.480 I've always said, right, so far it's Lowry, and I 343 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:18.960 have questions about everybody else. 344 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:22.039 And I'm ready to say I think they found another guy. 345 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:25.519 It is not Bryce Sensible, it is who I think 346 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.159 is there not only their new starting point guard now, 347 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.440 but potentially an answer to that position moving forward, in 348 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:33.840 Isaiah Callier. So Isaiah has thirteen starts on the year. 349 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:37.240 Will Hardy over the past three four four games now 350 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:40.399 has brought Keyante George off the bench, and to start 351 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:45.200 the season, the preferred backcourt was Keyanty George and Colin Sexton. Okay, 352 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:48.200 as Will talked about during some media availability, he needs 353 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:51.840 more from Keyante George and they have to figure out 354 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:55.480 who Keyante George is as a legitimate player in pro 355 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:58.480 basketball for a team that's actually trying to win. And 356 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:00.360 I can promise you what he's not. He's not a 357 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:02.639 starting point guard for a good team in pro basketball. 358 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:03.200 He just isn't. 359 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:05.960 Never played point guard. We've already talked about this. He 360 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:09.559 doesn't have league guard tendencies. Who I think Keyante is 361 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:13.159 when he's fully baked and everything is kind of you know, 362 00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:16.639 it turned out the best possible scenario for him is 363 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:20.399 a dynamic, combo scoring guard off the bench, and that's 364 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:22.720 I think what Will's is starting to see as well. 365 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:25.679 And so they're trying to figure out if that's kind 366 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:28.360 of a role for Keyante and look, to be fair, 367 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:32.960 Keyante was tasked with a lot last year as a 368 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:34.960 rookie player, like okay, you're going to be our starting 369 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.440 point guard. They decided that early on, and there were 370 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:39.879 moments where it looked really good, really exciting. I don't 371 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:42.519 think it ever looked good from a decision making standpoint. 372 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.080 I don't think it ever looked good from a defensive standpoint. 373 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:47.080 He might be the worst defensive player on one of 374 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:50.360 the worst defensive teams in basketball. But as we've seen 375 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:53.240 from Donovan now in Cleveland, when he says out loud, hey, 376 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:55.120 I'm trying to play defense now, and all of us 377 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:59.639 are like, sweet, pal, thanks, you can eventually learn how 378 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:02.600 to go about your business of becoming at least a 379 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:04.960 good team defender, even if you're not a great point 380 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.559 of attack defender. And the point of attack defense for 381 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.440 the Jazz is atrocious, whether it's Clarkson, whether it's Keyante. 382 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:14.759 You know, most of their perimeter players colin section are 383 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:17.279 not great defensive players. Some of them are undersize, some 384 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:19.160 of them don't try. I do see a lot of 385 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.319 don't try in this team, which at times can be frustrating. 386 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:26.880 But I think Danny ings Justin'sannik as the evaluators, and 387 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:28.680 Will Hardy as the head coach. I think they have 388 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.880 something an Isaiah Callier something that I'm not sure I 389 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.359 saw initially coming out of high school, Isaiah was potentially 390 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:37.720 the top recruit out of high school. He went to 391 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:40.960 Southern cal for one year under Andy Enfield. BRODDI James 392 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:43.480 was on that team, and the more that you heard 393 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:46.039 about how kind of chaotic that was behind the scenes, 394 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:48.200 the more you kind of understand, like, maybe it's not 395 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:51.160 fair to analyze any of these players from that one year, 396 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:54.440 but I think Justin and Danny did their due diligence 397 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:57.799 and when he was available, they decided to go grab him. 398 00:17:57.880 --> 00:17:58.079 You know. 399 00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:01.559 He ultimately was the twenty ninth pain in the first round, 400 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:03.240 second to last pick, and I think, you know, the 401 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:06.839 Jazz were seriously considering not even making it, you know, 402 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:10.599 not even getting involved. But when Isaiah fell, much like 403 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:12.880 bry sense about the year before, I think they did 404 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:15.279 their calculation and feel like there was enough there to 405 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:17.799 take a shot on them. And really, since he's been 406 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:19.480 in the starting lineup, I mean, when you look at 407 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:23.599 some of these splits last night, eleven point seven assists 408 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:26.279 did have four turnovers five to seven from the floor. 409 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:28.079 He has to improve his outside shot. 410 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.079 He's about a twenty seven percent three point shooter, but 411 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:34.279 these numbers are just solid twelve points nine assists, six 412 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:37.920 boards against Golden State twelve points, eight assists, only one turnover. 413 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:41.319 The turnovers are problematic for every guard that the Jazz have, 414 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.920 including this young point guard. He just has lead guard 415 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:47.720 tendencies that nobody else has outside of Patty Mills, and 416 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:49.759 that would have been awesome ten years ago, but it 417 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.680 does nothing for us now against New Orleans overtime twenty 418 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:57.200 points eleven assists. Obviously, the overtime situation inflates the numbers. 419 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.160 Double double against Charlotte eleven points, ten assists, twenty three 420 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.200 point seven assists against Brooklyn. Since he has been inserted 421 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.160 in the starting lineup and Will has been given him 422 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:08.519 big minutes, there's a lot to like about Isaiah Collier, 423 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:11.759 and I think there's more to like about his potential than, 424 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.720 in my opinion, maybe every other young player on the roster, 425 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.440 because as I talked about, they have something in Lowry. 426 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:20.119 Certainly they have something in Lowry. 427 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:22.559 That's why they maxed him out, and ultimately, if they 428 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:27.279 can surround him with some help before his prime is over, 429 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:29.480 then we'll actually see what it looks like. I think 430 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:31.920 it's safe to say Walker Castler has played himself into 431 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:33.920 the future of this franchise, and I think it's time. 432 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.279 To say Isaiah Isaiah Callier has. 433 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:38.680 A chance to be something in pro basketball that I'm 434 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.079 not sure I saw early on. He is a big 435 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.559 body kid that can really get downhill, finishes well at 436 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:46.680 the rim, and at least he's big and strong enough 437 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:49.599 physically on the defensive side where he provides some pushback 438 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.319 at the at the point of attack. 439 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:54.640 It's much better than Keyante, much better. 440 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:57.400 So I'm ready to say today and we're gonna get 441 00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:59.799 some thoughts from our guests that I think Isaiah Qullier 442 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:02.640 may have played himself into a situation where we have 443 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:05.440 to analyze him as part of the future. Improve on 444 00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:08.519 that outside shot, improve on the decision making. He averages 445 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:10.440 about three and a half turnovers a game, that's way 446 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:14.720 too high, but over the past thirteen fourteen games, ten points, 447 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:18.359 eight assists, again, four turnovers, but about four boards, and 448 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:21.200 really a guy who I think has played himself into 449 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:25.680 consideration for potentially the future of the Utah Jazz. All Right, 450 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:28.400 we're gonna bring in Terrell Burgess coming up in just 451 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.400 a little bit, former youthe Super Bowl champ on the 452 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:35.119 program today and then we're gonna bring in Craig Smith, 453 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:37.279 head coach of the Utes. He'll stop by as well, 454 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:41.519 Richard Smith live in studio. So a busy, busy show 455 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:44.400 on the program today, But got my rundown put me 456 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.359 in a good mood on a Friday, not just because 457 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:51.039 it's Friday, but my man, my friend, my guy who 458 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:52.799 hasn't joined us in a long time. But we'll do 459 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.160 some college basketball whatever else comes our way with the 460 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:59.960 legend Utah State pro Hooper overseas and my former part 461 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:03.359 on Utah pre effing Post Spencer Nelson on a Friday. 462 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:05.559 Happy Friday, my friend, how we been. 463 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:11.119 H Spence check. It's so good to be talking to you. 464 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:12.400 It has been a long time. 465 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:12.880 Hey. 466 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:16.880 Of all the introductory things you said, the one I'm 467 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:18.839 most proud of is being your partner on the pre 468 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:22.480 half in post that was it? The overseas YadA, YadA, 469 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.039 YadA YadA, Britton Johnson's friend. That doesn't matter as sent 470 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:28.119 to me. But the fact that you said I was 471 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:31.920 your partner on the pre half and post touches my heart. 472 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:34.519 Well, that means a lot. You're lying, but thank you 473 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.440 for saying that. But I need to start here because 474 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.480 I don't know. Man, I just want to let you 475 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:44.319 know that I'm reading this book about anti gravity, okay, 476 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:46.039 and it's impossible. 477 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:52.599 To put down. It's not funny. It's not funny. It's 478 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:53.279 not funny. 479 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:54.160 It is funny. 480 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:58.599 Hey, all of your listeners, Okay, they're shaking their head 481 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:02.160 and laughing at this same time, they're like speds, How 482 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:04.519 could you say that joke on their But yet they 483 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:09.039 love it. Everyone loves a good dad joke. I love 484 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.720 that joke. Great, great material we like. 485 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.279 Yeah, we need to we need to give our listeners context. 486 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:18.160 You know, when you do late night postgame radio, you 487 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:21.319 get a little slap happy, and so our guy Spencer 488 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.440 and Nelson would entertain us with dad jokes that did 489 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:28.000 not land oftentimes with Britton Johnson, but I always appreciated them. 490 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:31.480 I appreciate that. Thank you will. I mean there is 491 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:36.519 a certain amount of intellectual horsepower required to truly appreciate 492 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:39.039 it dad joke you and I have that. Britt is 493 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.759 just different. He's just built differently. Don't they have T 494 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:43.799 shirts hashtag built different? 495 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:45.200 They do. 496 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.880 I love Internet or intellectual horsepower. Every time we do, 497 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.000 every time we talk, you drop something that I steal 498 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:51.279 from you. 499 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:52.039 So I'm stealing that. 500 00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:56.240 I like that. Yeah, great, great phrase. Intellectual horsepower is 501 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:56.680 a good one. 502 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:58.839 How's your world, man, what's going on with you? What's 503 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.920 what's the deal these days? 504 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:01.000 Man? 505 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:05.039 Life is good, working and family and I mean, you know, 506 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:08.559 the Drill kids are getting older, which I'm grateful for. 507 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:10.400 But at the same time, I don't want them to 508 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:13.079 leave the house, which when they were kids, I would 509 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:15.640 little I would have thought that was that wouldn't be 510 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.000 the case. But now they're teenagers in their blast to 511 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:22.200 hang out with, so that's really good. And then the 512 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:25.880 Aggies are rolling, So still doing radio for the Aggis 513 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.400 and that's been a lot of fun. And man, living 514 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:28.880 the dream. 515 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:32.640 It's been good, very nice. So let's do We'll do 516 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:34.279 some local college hoops. 517 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:35.680 I want to jump around a little bit, and we'll 518 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.160 start with Utah State, but we'll start with their question 519 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:41.599 from a thirty thousand foot view before we get into 520 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.559 topics in a vacuum? What is it about the basketball 521 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:49.400 culture up there where it's almost like like my next gig, Spencer, 522 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:51.440 I want to coach Utah State for one year and 523 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:54.039 then cash in on a big on a big contract 524 00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.240 and then screw that job up and just retire. Like 525 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:59.079 what's the deal about the culture up there that just 526 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:02.720 breeds basketball and has for like twenty or thirty years. 527 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:05.680 I am more than happy to put a good word 528 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:07.559 in to you. I don't know if it goes any far, 529 00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:15.200 but here's the reality. The spectrum is magical. US has 530 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:18.559 a great tradition. I mean, we go back to Stu. 531 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:23.880 But you know Craig, Ryan, Danny and now Jared. But 532 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:26.839 I will say we've got to give the administration a 533 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:31.079 lot of credit over the last four hires. Like Craig's 534 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.960 a great basketball coach, and I know you toass how 535 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:36.400 it struggles and that kind of stuff, but he is 536 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:39.759 a he is a good ball coach. And let's give 537 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:41.960 Tim Durry some props because he had a lot of 538 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.160 good pieces. And then Craig brought Nemi in and he 539 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:47.920 was and he did a great job of coaching those guys. 540 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:50.720 Ryan Otam, you see what he's doing at VCU. But 541 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:54.599 before then, you know he's a good basketball coach. Daddy 542 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:59.000 sprinkle Man, good basketball coach, very different than the previous two, 543 00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:01.200 but a good coach. And I got to tell you, 544 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:03.079 I don't know how much interaction you've been able to 545 00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:06.319 have with Jared Calhoun. But man, he's a good coach. 546 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:08.960 I really like him. He's a Bobby Huggin. He's from 547 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:12.920 the Bobby Huggins tree, and I mean he speaks truth. 548 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:16.640 He's tough, but he has a good relationship with the kids, 549 00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:21.920 and I think he's a really good coach. And so honestly, 550 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:24.480 I think coaching does deserve a lot of credit. That 551 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:27.319 the narrative is, man, you can plug anyone in, but 552 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.720 these guys are are good basketball coaches. So administration has 553 00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:33.000 done a good job. And then the pieces that have 554 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:35.880 stuck around. Now, Danny's amazing thing was no one stuck 555 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:38.240 around and he was able to do it. I guess 556 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:41.920 Mace was here, so that's not completely true Mason and Fish, 557 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:45.640 but from the other ones, I mean it's huge that 558 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:49.839 Jared got Ian and Mason and Fish and Carson templan 559 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.200 to stick around and those guys are playing well. And 560 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:57.160 then inter brought in some great transfers. So Utah State 561 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:00.279 does have a great tradition, a lot of winning. I 562 00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:02.759 mean going back to Stu, but Larry and Rod and 563 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.039 those guys. But these guys are good coaches and you 564 00:26:06.119 --> 00:26:07.680 got to give them credit for what they're doing. 565 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:09.680 No, one hundred percent, And obviously I was being a 566 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:12.920 bit facetious, but just seems like coach takes over and boom, 567 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:15.720 everyone has questions, and more often than not, the teams 568 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:18.920 near the top of the conference, they're either qualifying for 569 00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:21.480 or threatening to be an NCAA tournament team. And it's 570 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:25.400 just wildly impressive because the basketball culture in Saul Lake 571 00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:27.839 is rich with history, but it's been a rough stretch 572 00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:30.519 for not just Craig but other coaches too. We'll get 573 00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:32.079 there in a moment, but I wanted to follow up 574 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:36.160 about Jared Calhoun, who I don't know outside of just listening. 575 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:39.880 I love listening to coaches post game because the ones 576 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:42.440 that don't want to get pithy and sarcastic actually do 577 00:26:42.599 --> 00:26:45.319 teach you. And you know, I think he has been impressive. 578 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:48.119 He seems a little bit more mentally balanced than his. 579 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:50.200 Mentor. 580 00:26:50.279 --> 00:26:53.000 Bob Huggins a great coach, but you never knew if 581 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:55.839 you didn't know what Huggy Bear was gonna do night 582 00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:57.640 in and night out. Jared doesn't strike me as that 583 00:26:57.680 --> 00:26:59.480 type of guy, but as you've been able to get 584 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:02.519 to know him, both on and off the floor. What 585 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:05.039 makes him who he is as a coach and a person, 586 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:08.240 and schematically, how does he like basketball to be played? 587 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:14.319 So I think, you know, as a person, he comes 588 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:16.720 off and everything I know. I mean a family man. 589 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:19.599 He's got a wonderful family. He's got daughters who are 590 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.640 involved in sports and getting involved in the community, and 591 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:27.759 just really good people. Zero ego. Like that's probably the 592 00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:30.839 first thing the first time I met him, he just 593 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:35.200 came across as extremely down to earth and zero ego, 594 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:39.680 which I really appreciated. And then from the standpoint, I 595 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:42.240 think that carries over to the players when I see 596 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:45.720 him interact with the player with the players, same thing, 597 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:49.359 zero ego. Just really straight of who he is and 598 00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:52.319 comfortable with that. And I think in a world of 599 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.279 a lot of facade and things that aren't real because 600 00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:59.519 of social media and that kind of stuff, I think 601 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:02.440 people and appreciate someone that hey, this is who I am, 602 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.000 and I'm comfortable with who I am, And so the 603 00:28:05.079 --> 00:28:08.799 players see that and I think they respect it. From 604 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:13.599 the way he coaches schematically, you know, the big thing 605 00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:16.480 at the beginning of the season was the matchup zone. 606 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:20.000 It's a very unique matchup zone that he runs, and 607 00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:22.640 he's got a couple different zones and kind of hybrid 608 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:26.680 versions of it. But the thought was, Okay, not a 609 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:28.200 lot of teams are going to be able to be 610 00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:30.720 prepared for this because it's a one off compared to 611 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:33.519 the other twenty nine games they're playing this season, and 612 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:35.279 so we're going to be able to kind of throw 613 00:28:35.319 --> 00:28:39.480 teams off with that. Early on, they were I think 614 00:28:39.559 --> 00:28:42.680 conference team. At least the guys that I've seen are 615 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:45.759 more and more comfortable. UNLV was very comfortable with their 616 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:48.640 matchup zone. And one thing that I love is that 617 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:53.240 he's not so stubborn that he won't adapt and he 618 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:56.200 has gone demand at different points in times, which I 619 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:58.519 don't think that's his default of where he wants to go. 620 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.000 But this team is actually a good man, de man 621 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:04.000 defense team. Now they're only playing at a few minutes 622 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:06.559 a game at times, but yet they are able to 623 00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:10.000 switch that up and that has given them some flexibility 624 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.200 to throw other teams out of rhythm and not get 625 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:15.880 used to just playing against the zone offensively. And every 626 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:18.960 coach in the country says this, we want to run, run, run, run, run, 627 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:22.559 but literally that he does, I mean you ONLB plays 628 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:26.680 a slow pace. Every time that rebound is coming, Calhoun 629 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:29.640 is swinging his arms and telling the guards to push it, 630 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:33.759 push it, push it, which opens up easy opportunities for 631 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:37.799 buckets in the paint, layups, dugs. This team actually has 632 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:41.200 a lot more athleticism than you would think, and they've 633 00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:44.759 taken advantage of that, and so it's fast paced. And 634 00:29:44.839 --> 00:29:47.640 then I would say, just quick hitters. It's get out 635 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:49.519 and transition and if you got to play in the 636 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:51.799 half court, then it's going to be motioned. But a 637 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:54.759 ton of quick hitting sets to get ian and I 638 00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:57.359 think there's a little bit of a pro mentality from 639 00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:01.359 there that I like, Like he is specifically targeting guys 640 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:04.000 that he wants to get the ball in certain positions 641 00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:07.039 and then let them make a play. And Ian Martinez 642 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:09.319 has done a good job throughout the season. He struggled 643 00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:12.559 against UNLV Mason has done a good job, and teams 644 00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:15.799 are adapting to that. But get the ball in the 645 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.119 guy's hands, which is a very pro mentality, and then hey, 646 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:22.200 do what you do. And I think the players have 647 00:30:22.279 --> 00:30:24.799 really liked the freedom and flexibility to play that way 648 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:25.200 as well. 649 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:29.400 And also their shot profile appears to be a modern 650 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:31.839 day shot profile as far as what the numbers tell 651 00:30:31.880 --> 00:30:34.680 you need to do to win basketball games. Of the 652 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:38.359 ten or eleven guy Spencer, he plays, you know, more 653 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:41.119 than ten minutes a night. Seven of them seem like 654 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.400 they can shoot it from the outside. And you know, 655 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:45.200 it's not like they hunt it in the way that 656 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.319 the Celtics do, but it does seem like offensively, the 657 00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:53.240 shot profile is a modern day approach to analytically winning 658 00:30:53.319 --> 00:30:54.079 basketball games. 659 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:55.799 Is that kind of driving with what you're seeing? 660 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:57.119 Totally? 661 00:30:57.400 --> 00:30:59.839 Yep. They got a bunch of shooters, now, some of 662 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:02.880 them better than others. Absolutely. Carson Templan went on a 663 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:06.519 streak and he struggled. Maybe who they thought was going 664 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:09.200 to be the best shooter in the year. Tucker Anderson 665 00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:13.000 has really struggled. He's a conundrum in the sense he's 666 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:16.039 shooting like I don't quote me on this, it was 667 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:18.920 like seventeen percent from the three point line at home 668 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:21.960 and then like thirty six on the road. And last 669 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:25.599 year he shot high thirties coming from Arkansas. So he's 670 00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:30.039 really struggled. But Ian man Ian Martinez takes and makes 671 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:35.359 really tough shots. Mason Falslove has shot it better. Drake 672 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.440 Allen struggled a little early on but has really got 673 00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:41.880 a swag. And then the guy who's been the most 674 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:46.079 consistent shooter is their sixth man, dexter Ocano transfer from 675 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:48.839 Oregon State. That's been I mean, he's been huge for 676 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:52.160 him and really consistent providing a boost off the bench. 677 00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:54.440 But he shot it at a really high level. So 678 00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:56.720 your analysis is exactly. 679 00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:56.920 Right, Spence. 680 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:00.160 They shoot, They don't hunt it crazily, but they they 681 00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:02.119 got the guys to be able to shoot it if 682 00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:05.319 it's open, and they move the ball so well that 683 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:07.599 it's open often enough that they're putting up a good 684 00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:08.359 number of threes. 685 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:11.440 All right, let's move over to uts now in Craig Smith, who, 686 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:13.680 as you referenced once upon a time, was up in 687 00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:14.440 Logan did a. 688 00:32:14.359 --> 00:32:14.920 Really good job. 689 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:18.880 Craig as won wherever he's been and this is year 690 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:21.359 four for Craig, and I think it's a five year contract, 691 00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:24.359 so look, the pressure is real and he knows this. 692 00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:26.640 We're gonna have Craig on the show in just on 693 00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:29.519 an hour from right now. And you know, there are 694 00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:33.799 pieces on this roster that individually at times I really 695 00:32:33.799 --> 00:32:35.960 really like, and you know, I'm gonna ask Craig about 696 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:38.119 his rotation. He's tinkered quite a bit with a bunch 697 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:41.319 of different starting lineups, a bunch of different rotations. Gabe 698 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:44.319 Matts in their leading scorer. I mean, teams just sell 699 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:46.960 out on him and he has no space at all. 700 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.359 So you look at the numbers, is thirty one percent 701 00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:51.359 from three? It's like, what gives? It's like, well, everybody's 702 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:53.799 gapping them and blitzing them off screens, ball screens, and 703 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.240 he's got to find a way to be smarter with 704 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:58.680 his decisions. He's been better as of late. They were finited, 705 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:01.440 they were picked to finish last the Big Twelve. They're 706 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:03.400 four and five right now. They had a nice win 707 00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:05.960 here at home over Brigham Young. They're gonna be on 708 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:09.039 the road to Oklahoma State. The Houston game didn't even 709 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:09.960 it was not even. 710 00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:11.680 A fair fight, like it was just rough. 711 00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:16.119 And so look, it's a tough conference obviously, But what 712 00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:19.519 do you make of I'll say, what you know whether 713 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:22.119 or not you feel like there's progress being made down here, 714 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:23.880 and what you know about Craig, do you feel like 715 00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:26.000 still this is the guy to get this thing back 716 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:26.799 to where it needs to be. 717 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:33.039 Great question. So just a couple thoughts. When I saw 718 00:33:33.400 --> 00:33:37.440 Utah was finished last pick to finish last in the 719 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:41.279 Big Twelve, I laughed, No, Craig Smith is going to 720 00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:46.400 finish last. Team is going to finish last. He's just 721 00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:48.440 too good of a coach. And I know people will 722 00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:51.359 be like, well, they're not winning a lot. You may 723 00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:54.559 not have the guys or the horses to finish in 724 00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:57.799 the top three, and they don't. They obviously don't. But 725 00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:00.279 his guys are going to play hard and are going 726 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:02.240 to be well coached, and they're just not going to 727 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:05.480 finish last in the league. I laugh at that, just 728 00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:08.400 because a well coached team and if they play hard 729 00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:10.519 for you, and I know those guys aren't gonna quit, 730 00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:16.159 they're not going to finish last. However, it is it's 731 00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:18.440 a matter of and you know this, in the Big 732 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:22.599 Twelve or in any of the power conferences, it's it's pros. 733 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:24.760 It's it's how can you get one NBA guy on 734 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:26.400 your team? Can you get two? If you If you 735 00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:28.440 can get one, you're going to finish in the top 736 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:29.920 half of the league for sure. If you can get 737 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:32.920 two NBA guys on your team, are pros legitimate pros. 738 00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:35.880 Then you're going to compete for a conference championship in 739 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:38.519 the Big Twelve. But if you don't have two pros 740 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.480 on your team, you're not. And you look at Houston, 741 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.920 you look at Kansas, you look at Iowa State. I 742 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:45.679 mean that it just plays out that way and then 743 00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:49.239 a really good supporting cast and you know, you talk 744 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:51.840 about gage match, and you're right, guys are selling out, 745 00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:55.159 Teams are selling out and taking away. That thirty one 746 00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:59.079 percent is the threes he's taking. I mean, ninety percent 747 00:34:59.079 --> 00:35:02.320 of them are really hard threes to be taking. He'll 748 00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:05.639 get some open looks occasionally, but they're very different looks 749 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:08.760 than some of the other dudes on the team are taking. 750 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:14.679 I think the BYU win at home was huge in 751 00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:20.639 terms of excitement and you know, I'm not saving your job, 752 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:22.320 That's not the right way to say it, but just 753 00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:25.719 reinforcing hey, I'm the guy to do this. I can 754 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:28.440 be here and I can be successful here. And then 755 00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:31.719 they have some good wins against you know, the middle 756 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:34.480 and the bottom half of the Big Twelve, and that's 757 00:35:34.519 --> 00:35:37.440 where I think Craig has to continue to win those games, 758 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:40.239 and I think that he will, and they ultimately where 759 00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:43.400 they finished, They finished like ninth in the Big Twelve 760 00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:47.320 which has sixteen teams, right, and so they're finishing middle, top, 761 00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:50.920 top of the bottom type of thing just because they 762 00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:53.800 don't have the guys. And it's a whole different world 763 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:56.360 now to go get the guys, right. I mean, everyone's 764 00:35:56.400 --> 00:36:00.239 talking about what's going down in Utah County byus paying 765 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:03.960 this amount of money for their for their team. It's 766 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:07.559 professional sports now, and I think the other challenge for 767 00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:10.880 Craig is just allocating the right money to the right 768 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:15.679 guys who can produce. And that's a challenge in and 769 00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:19.079 of itself. And so guys that are getting paid money 770 00:36:19.079 --> 00:36:22.199 on Utah's team, they're not producing, So what happens to them? 771 00:36:22.199 --> 00:36:23.639 And how do you take care of the guys that 772 00:36:23.719 --> 00:36:26.679 are producing next year to keep them around. It's a 773 00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:30.159 huge challenge. But I think he's a good ball coach. 774 00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:34.400 I time will tell I don't have a strong opinion 775 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:36.239 if he's going to be able to turn the ship around, 776 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:38.599 because there's a lot of Utah that's got to be 777 00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:43.000 turned around in just momentum and excitement from where it 778 00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:45.320 was when you and I were around, you know, playing 779 00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:48.559 and growing up. It's just a very different environment up 780 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:49.199 there right now. 781 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:52.159 And you know he is going to get a chance 782 00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:55.159 to see this thing through next season because, according to 783 00:36:55.239 --> 00:36:58.480 Cassel reported today, the Utah Athletics reported a seventeen million 784 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:01.480 dollar deficit this past year. Now, you dig into the 785 00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:04.000 numbers what they receive from the state and it's not 786 00:37:04.199 --> 00:37:07.639 necessarily like, hey, we only lost seventeen mil and the 787 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:10.760 football team and the basketball team are still profitable. But ultimately, 788 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:12.360 I don't think they're going to pay Craig to not 789 00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:14.199 coach next year. So I do think he is going 790 00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:15.079 to get one more year. 791 00:37:15.519 --> 00:37:16.000 But let me. 792 00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:19.119 Follow up with something you kind of alluded to, because, look, 793 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:22.639 the bottom line is, in the modern day and age 794 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:25.559 of college athletics, whether it's football or basketball or even 795 00:37:25.599 --> 00:37:28.920 other sports, you have to have your collective in order 796 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:31.320 to be able to attract talent and be able to 797 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:33.360 pay the players that you need to get here. So 798 00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:36.760 you have the horses, and from my vantage points, Betzer, 799 00:37:36.840 --> 00:37:40.400 almost every single night, almost every single night in this conference, 800 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.519 Craig is going to have a coach on the other 801 00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:43.800 side that simply has more talent. 802 00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:46.679 That's my opinion. Give me your thoughts on that. 803 00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:50.840 Yeah, I'm with you most every night. Maybe not every night, 804 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:54.239 but most every night in the big twelve given right now. Now, 805 00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:55.920 when I heard the numbers, and I don't want to 806 00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:58.880 say publicly because I don't have anything verified, I was 807 00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:01.599 actually pleasantly prize at the number that I heard that 808 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:04.280 Utah had for their collective. I was like, Wow, that's more. 809 00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:06.639 Now it's a matter of just allocating it to the 810 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:09.960 right guys and being able to go get them. Is 811 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:12.239 it less than, you know, the number that you hear 812 00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:14.639 from the valley or from Utah County? 813 00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:14.920 Yes? 814 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:17.159 Is it more than the number that you hear up 815 00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:21.639 in logan yes? Type of things. So it's the collective matters. 816 00:38:21.960 --> 00:38:26.880 What you're paying dudes matters. And that's a whole nother conversation. 817 00:38:27.719 --> 00:38:29.639 But you're right, you have to go get it. And 818 00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:33.239 I may have said this to you before, but it's interesting. 819 00:38:33.519 --> 00:38:39.039 I had this kind of epiphany moment where in Europe. 820 00:38:39.159 --> 00:38:43.480 It's funny I played with a bunch of different guys 821 00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:45.920 in Europe and the same is true now. Is I 822 00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:50.920 still stay decently connected to it? There are not a 823 00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:53.679 ton of dudes. There are some, but there are not 824 00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:56.039 a ton of dudes that played at the blue bloods 825 00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:58.559 that are playing in Europe. A few. I mean I 826 00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:02.039 played with John Shire and the Deuhan was over there 827 00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:05.280 for a little bit. I mean, there are a few, 828 00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:08.920 but what it kind of opened my eyes to. The 829 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:12.719 elite teams in college basketball are one of two things, 830 00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:15.400 and most of it is the latter. Either really old 831 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:18.039 and really experienced, or they've got a couple pros on 832 00:39:18.079 --> 00:39:22.440 their team surrounded by good college basketball players but not 833 00:39:22.519 --> 00:39:25.400 great college players that are going to go play professional 834 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:28.960 and the impact of having I mean, you look at 835 00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:32.199 what Craig did at Utah State. Great coach, but he 836 00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:35.360 had two pros, right, He had Nimi and he had 837 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:37.360 Sam Marrow. Of course he's going to win a conference 838 00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:40.159 championship in the Mountain West. And San Diego State, by 839 00:39:40.199 --> 00:39:42.679 the way, had one NBA dude and then a couple 840 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:44.880 of European pros on their team, so they were really 841 00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:49.960 stacked as well. But in the Big twelve, that's what 842 00:39:50.119 --> 00:39:52.960 it comes down to is how many pros do you have? 843 00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:55.280 How many NBA level guys do you have on their team? 844 00:39:55.280 --> 00:39:57.480 Because I guess if we're going to play on words, 845 00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:59.599 all of them are pros now because they're getting played, 846 00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:02.679 the getting paid to play basketball, so they're not amateurs anymore. 847 00:40:02.840 --> 00:40:06.679 So I'll articulate it better and say, how many NBA 848 00:40:06.840 --> 00:40:09.000 level dudes do you have on your team? And right 849 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:11.159 now they don't have any, right, that's just the fact 850 00:40:11.199 --> 00:40:13.840 of the matter. And a decent number of the Big 851 00:40:13.880 --> 00:40:17.480 twelve does have an NBA guy, or they've got some 852 00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:20.119 European pros. And there's probably a couple of European prosts. 853 00:40:20.360 --> 00:40:22.440 He had Brandon Carlson in the last couple of years, 854 00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:25.880 which was a pro And so can you go get 855 00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:28.199 those dudes, because you're right right now, you just don't 856 00:40:28.199 --> 00:40:31.760 have We talked about intellectual horsepower, he doesn't have the 857 00:40:31.800 --> 00:40:34.639 basketball horsepower to go and finish in the top three 858 00:40:34.760 --> 00:40:35.880 or top five of the conference. 859 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:39.079 Right now, Let's move down to provo here and talk 860 00:40:39.119 --> 00:40:41.719 about a coach that certainly has the horsepower because the 861 00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:45.360 collective is stepped up. According to reports, both yeg or 862 00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:49.880 Demon and Canon Catching's are seven figure players for Kevin 863 00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:53.760 Young and Cannon had a really nice game against Baylor 864 00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:56.239 in Provo, but prior to that it didn't look great. 865 00:40:56.599 --> 00:40:58.719 You can tell why pro scouts love yeg Or. 866 00:40:58.760 --> 00:41:01.679 I mean he's really long, he's really big, he's got 867 00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:03.599 a good feel, he can see over the defense, and 868 00:41:03.639 --> 00:41:05.320 he's averaging six assists a game. 869 00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:07.480 Three point shot hasn't been great. 870 00:41:07.239 --> 00:41:10.679 For him, but you can see why scouts love Diegor 871 00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:13.440 and over the past few games they've started to figure 872 00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:16.280 some things out. Mostly it's a make or miss team 873 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:18.239 in a lot of ways, but three straight wins after 874 00:41:18.280 --> 00:41:20.719 that loss to Utah, they've won four or five. I 875 00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:22.679 think Ken Palm has them of like thirty eight in 876 00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:25.000 the net and thinks they're going to be an NCAA 877 00:41:25.079 --> 00:41:27.039 tournament team. But I mean, talk about a coach that 878 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:30.679 does have horses. But when you have the talent on paper, Spencer, 879 00:41:30.760 --> 00:41:33.159 you got to prove you can coach, right, So what 880 00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:35.159 are your thoughts on what DYU has done this year 881 00:41:35.159 --> 00:41:36.320 and what do you think they can do the rest 882 00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:36.679 of the way. 883 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:40.400 Yeah, expectations mean everything. 884 00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:40.679 Right. 885 00:41:41.559 --> 00:41:44.719 Going into the football season, I think people had really 886 00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:47.679 low expectations and Colonne blew it out of the water. 887 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:52.840 Going into the basketball season, extremely high expectations and they've 888 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:56.559 done well. But because those expectations are so high and 889 00:41:56.599 --> 00:41:59.719 the dollar figures you here throwing around, you're like Okay, 890 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:04.880 that's going to happen. I think Bill finish Well, I 891 00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:09.239 think toughness and physicality have been an issue. I'm sure 892 00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:11.800 they're addressing it and that they've got to address it 893 00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:14.239 even more. You know, when they went to Providence early 894 00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.800 in the season and just got just beat up, and 895 00:42:16.840 --> 00:42:20.639 I don't mean from a score standpoint, just physically just outmanned. 896 00:42:21.039 --> 00:42:24.159 And you've seen that occur. But that's gonna happen when 897 00:42:24.199 --> 00:42:26.719 you've got a bunch of freshmen, I mean, and you're 898 00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:29.840 playing those dudes, and they're gonna have to get tougher. 899 00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:32.480 They're gonna have to get more physical, and especially when 900 00:42:32.519 --> 00:42:34.400 you get into the second half of conference and you 901 00:42:34.440 --> 00:42:38.079 get to the conference tournament than the NCAA tournament, toughness, 902 00:42:38.199 --> 00:42:41.400 I mean, toughness always wins out. And so that's been 903 00:42:41.559 --> 00:42:44.000 kind of the question mark, is how tough that team is, 904 00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.280 and early on I would say not very tough. I 905 00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:49.599 think they're getting tougher. I think kind of the the 906 00:42:51.119 --> 00:42:54.519 bigger picture for BYU, and it's going to be fascinating. 907 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:59.159 You know, are they going to continue down the one 908 00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:05.280 and done NBA almost like John Calipari program strategy and 909 00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:08.599 just continue to try to go after those dudes or 910 00:43:09.159 --> 00:43:13.599 are they going to spread that money around a little 911 00:43:13.639 --> 00:43:16.719 bit more and hit the transfer port of more and 912 00:43:17.880 --> 00:43:20.880 instead of paying the dude whatever three million, four million, 913 00:43:20.920 --> 00:43:24.320 five million, I who knows exactly, spread out amongst two 914 00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:27.159 or three dudes that have played at other Division one 915 00:43:27.239 --> 00:43:30.239 schools and pay them seven fifty to a million. But 916 00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:32.840 they've proven that they can do it already, and I 917 00:43:33.400 --> 00:43:37.079 think that's going to be really interesting to see how 918 00:43:37.119 --> 00:43:39.599 they play out, not just for this year, but I'm 919 00:43:39.639 --> 00:43:42.719 talking about from a program level. Are they really going 920 00:43:42.800 --> 00:43:45.039 to go all in on the one and done model 921 00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:48.039 or are they going to try to fine tune it? 922 00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:50.880 And a lot will depend on the success this year 923 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:54.360 and next year. If they don't have success, And when 924 00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:57.280 I when you're paying that kind of money for a team, 925 00:43:57.760 --> 00:44:01.280 I mean you're winning games in the NCAA tournament. In 926 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:04.159 my mind, I mean that's if people are putting seven 927 00:44:04.199 --> 00:44:07.519 figures into guys. That's the expectation. And if they do that, 928 00:44:07.679 --> 00:44:10.360 they probably continue to go down the one and done model. 929 00:44:10.400 --> 00:44:13.039 If they don't, then it'll be interesting to see if 930 00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:15.840 they pivot and try to spread it more with maybe 931 00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:20.719 less sexy, less flashy names, but guys that have you know, 932 00:44:20.760 --> 00:44:23.400 go get three or four dudes that have averaged thirteen 933 00:44:23.480 --> 00:44:25.519 or fourteen a game at other D one schools and 934 00:44:25.559 --> 00:44:27.840 showed that they can do it, and then you go that, hey, 935 00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:31.519 let's get old model and let's compete that way. So 936 00:44:32.280 --> 00:44:36.199 it'll be interesting, very talented, great coaching staff, a lot 937 00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:37.039 of money behind it. 938 00:44:37.719 --> 00:44:40.960 Last thing, your thoughts on the number one prospect not 939 00:44:41.239 --> 00:44:44.159 just in the class next year, but according to a 940 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:47.920 lot of advanced scouts analyzing aj Debanta, he's probably the 941 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:50.840 best prospect in three or four classes. And I always 942 00:44:50.840 --> 00:44:53.559 get a kick out of seeing people learn about BYU 943 00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:56.280 in real time. So he goes on first tag with 944 00:44:56.360 --> 00:44:59.480 his dad and announces BYU is the landing spot, and 945 00:44:59.519 --> 00:44:59.880 Steven A. 946 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:01.599 Smith has never looked more confused. 947 00:45:02.199 --> 00:45:04.480 But they are going to have four or five months 948 00:45:04.480 --> 00:45:07.400 for the price of seven million dollars a generational prospect 949 00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:08.320 down in Provo. 950 00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:09.559 What do you think about that? 951 00:45:11.559 --> 00:45:14.639 Yeah, that the amount of buzz and the amount of hype. 952 00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:18.079 I mean I was messaging with birds, you know, leading 953 00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:21.800 up to that, and they all along thought that they 954 00:45:21.800 --> 00:45:24.000 were a serious contender, and he felt like it was 955 00:45:24.039 --> 00:45:26.679 going to come down to them and k State and KU. 956 00:45:26.800 --> 00:45:29.079 I guess Kansas made a huge run at the end, 957 00:45:29.599 --> 00:45:32.800 but they felt like they had a legitimate chance and 958 00:45:33.000 --> 00:45:37.679 sure enough it wasn't delusion whatsoever they did. And huge get. 959 00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:42.000 I don't know the kid at all personally, only have 960 00:45:42.159 --> 00:45:48.400 seen him from a basketball perspective, and yeah, extremely talented 961 00:45:48.639 --> 00:45:52.760 for his size, his athleticism, his skill set is shooting ability. 962 00:45:53.760 --> 00:45:56.519 I mean, so we talked about pros making the difference. 963 00:45:57.280 --> 00:46:00.639 He's a pro that can make the difference and he 964 00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:04.960 will be, I mean more than likely next year the 965 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:08.239 most talented dude to step on the floor every time, 966 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:10.880 b what you steps on the court. It doesn't necessarily 967 00:46:10.880 --> 00:46:14.280 mean he's the best player, but for sure the most 968 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:18.360 talented guy on the court in this in terms of 969 00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:21.400 the ceiling and what he's capable of doing. So huge 970 00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:23.480 get for them, and then it'll be a matter of 971 00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:27.480 I mean you know this, you were around the NBA. 972 00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:31.199 When you have that kind of talent, coaching matters for sure. 973 00:46:31.599 --> 00:46:37.159 That managing egos, managing personalities, managing the locker room become 974 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:40.920 equally as important. And so whether it's the pat Riley 975 00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:44.440 or a Phil Jackson, I mean, Kevin young, and fortunately 976 00:46:44.480 --> 00:46:47.719 he's from the pros and so he understands and has 977 00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:52.559 been around the managing of those egos and those personalities 978 00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:56.039 is just as important to keep the culture and the 979 00:46:56.119 --> 00:46:59.719 chemistry of a team together. And that'll be really important 980 00:46:59.719 --> 00:47:01.840 when you start getting that kind of talent in the house. 981 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:04.280 You know, Spencer, you're a father, so chances are you 982 00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:06.119 make breakfast at times for your kids. 983 00:47:06.159 --> 00:47:06.800 Is that correct? 984 00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:08.599 I do. 985 00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:11.920 I Actually, you'd be proud of me. I'm making smoothies 986 00:47:11.960 --> 00:47:13.039 for my kids every morning. 987 00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:14.400 Nice moothie. Nice. 988 00:47:14.400 --> 00:47:16.239 Well yeah, yeah, but yeah, I make breakfast. 989 00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:18.440 Okay, No, I'm just saying, like when my son's in town, 990 00:47:18.480 --> 00:47:20.880 I like to make eggs for breakfast. And I just 991 00:47:20.960 --> 00:47:23.239 realized something recently, and I just wanted to share with 992 00:47:23.280 --> 00:47:25.519 you that you really have to watch what you say 993 00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:27.920 around those egg whites because they just can't take a yolk. 994 00:47:29.840 --> 00:47:32.519 It's not funny. It's not funny. 995 00:47:31.400 --> 00:47:36.280 It is hey. And you know what I was gonna 996 00:47:36.280 --> 00:47:37.760 say to you, I don't know. 997 00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:39.760 I didn't know. 998 00:47:39.920 --> 00:47:41.800 I didn't know how to make a banana split. 999 00:47:41.920 --> 00:47:43.000 But guess where I went. 1000 00:47:43.239 --> 00:47:44.960 Guess where I went to learn how. 1001 00:47:44.800 --> 00:47:45.840 To make a banana split. 1002 00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:46.639 I don't know where'd you go? 1003 00:47:47.559 --> 00:47:48.880 I went to Sunday School. 1004 00:47:51.320 --> 00:47:55.000 Oh man, Okay, now that's good. That's quality. That's quality. 1005 00:47:55.320 --> 00:47:56.280 That's quality stuff. 1006 00:47:56.360 --> 00:47:59.400 That's that's what George Costanza calls leaving out a high note, 1007 00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:00.719 my friends, I'll set you loose. 1008 00:48:00.760 --> 00:48:02.039 Always a pleasure to hear your voice. 1009 00:48:02.039 --> 00:48:05.960 Be well, Okay, Bence, you're the man. Appreciate you and 1010 00:48:06.320 --> 00:48:08.199 keep up the great work. It's an awesome show. 1011 00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:08.800 Thank you, sir. 1012 00:48:08.920 --> 00:48:12.360 The great Spencer Nelson pro hooper overseas was a great 1013 00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:13.760 player in college at Utah State. 1014 00:48:13.800 --> 00:48:15.000 Always appreciate his time. 1015 00:48:15.679 --> 00:48:19.440 Itching closer and closer to Super Bowl fifty nine between 1016 00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:22.079 the Chiefs and the Eagles, the final football game of 1017 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:22.519 the year. 1018 00:48:23.239 --> 00:48:24.760 Never a bad time to talk football. 1019 00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:26.760 Friend of the show joining us now one of the 1020 00:48:26.800 --> 00:48:28.679 best to ever do it at the youth Super Bowl champ. 1021 00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:31.239 Great to have Terrell Burgess back on the program. Terrell, 1022 00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:32.480 Happy Friday, man, How are we doing? 1023 00:48:33.079 --> 00:48:33.840 Happy Friday? 1024 00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:34.280 Thank you? 1025 00:48:34.320 --> 00:48:34.880 I'm doing well. 1026 00:48:34.920 --> 00:48:35.400 How are you? 1027 00:48:35.480 --> 00:48:37.920 I'm well, I'm well. I appreciate the time. Appreciate the 1028 00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:40.519 time today. So let's obviously, you know, we'll get to 1029 00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:42.760 some ute stuff and we'll do some you know, the 1030 00:48:42.840 --> 00:48:45.400 latest with you, But I wanted to ask you, just 1031 00:48:45.400 --> 00:48:47.679 from your vantage point as somebody who's done this on 1032 00:48:47.760 --> 00:48:51.039 the highest of levels, what stands out most about the 1033 00:48:51.039 --> 00:48:54.000 way the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes specifically has 1034 00:48:54.000 --> 00:48:56.559 been able to kind of change our approach throughout the years, 1035 00:48:57.280 --> 00:48:59.840 to simply figure out a way to win, no matter, 1036 00:49:00.199 --> 00:49:02.519 you know, no matter what the style is. Because back 1037 00:49:02.519 --> 00:49:04.840 in the day, as you know, it just was high powered, 1038 00:49:05.840 --> 00:49:09.280 big plays, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelsey, and now he just 1039 00:49:09.519 --> 00:49:12.199 he's kind of grown into this cerebral thinker. 1040 00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:15.239 From your vantage point, what impresses you the most? 1041 00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:19.119 I think just their ability to find ways to win, 1042 00:49:19.280 --> 00:49:23.079 just like you said, I think, and I'm not no 1043 00:49:23.199 --> 00:49:25.760 football guru. I'm just you know, a young kid that's 1044 00:49:25.800 --> 00:49:27.760 been playing football most of his life. But I would 1045 00:49:27.840 --> 00:49:30.000 just say, like from my point of view, from the 1046 00:49:30.039 --> 00:49:32.280 teams that have not been able to beat them in 1047 00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:35.199 the playoffs or like been able to stop them from 1048 00:49:35.239 --> 00:49:38.119 getting to the big game, I think it's just everyone 1049 00:49:38.199 --> 00:49:45.199 tries to like beat them at like their game, and 1050 00:49:45.320 --> 00:49:47.639 like trying, in my opinion, like trying to beat them 1051 00:49:47.639 --> 00:49:49.400 at their game is not going to work because they've 1052 00:49:49.440 --> 00:49:51.960 been there, They've been in that situation many times before. 1053 00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:54.880 Whether they have new receivers or not, like new new 1054 00:49:55.159 --> 00:49:57.440 skill players or not, they're still finding ways to win. 1055 00:49:57.599 --> 00:49:59.880 And I mean they're playing well on defense as well. 1056 00:50:00.119 --> 00:50:02.679 That's going to help. And I think when your defense 1057 00:50:02.800 --> 00:50:05.480 is playing well and you know, like you guys could 1058 00:50:05.519 --> 00:50:08.199 have a one or two off drives and your quarterback 1059 00:50:08.320 --> 00:50:10.920 has the ability to go down and score every drive, 1060 00:50:11.000 --> 00:50:13.000 it's just good all around and it just helps the 1061 00:50:13.039 --> 00:50:14.840 team play better at all times. 1062 00:50:15.079 --> 00:50:19.880 So the AFC Championship game, Buffalo gets the ball with 1063 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:22.199 about three and a half left in three timeouts. 1064 00:50:22.599 --> 00:50:24.400 Did you think they were gonna get it done? 1065 00:50:24.480 --> 00:50:26.039 Did you think it was finally going to be Josh 1066 00:50:26.039 --> 00:50:27.639 a chance to break through or did you feel like 1067 00:50:27.679 --> 00:50:29.440 that was the Chiefs game kind of all along? 1068 00:50:30.320 --> 00:50:32.679 I thought Josh and the boys were going to do it, 1069 00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:34.800 to be honest to you. When I saw the clock 1070 00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:37.920 at when the when the Chiefs had hit their field goal, 1071 00:50:38.239 --> 00:50:40.760 I said, Oh, that's too much time. There's no way 1072 00:50:40.800 --> 00:50:43.039 the Bills don't score here. But because I felt like 1073 00:50:43.079 --> 00:50:45.039 they were driving all game, I felt like they had 1074 00:50:45.800 --> 00:50:49.440 a better command on that game than the Chiefs did. 1075 00:50:49.480 --> 00:50:49.679 It. 1076 00:50:49.719 --> 00:50:51.480 From my point of view. But I guess you know 1077 00:50:51.880 --> 00:50:55.000 I was wrong, and the Chiefs maybe the Super Bowl, 1078 00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:57.760 but yeah, no, I definitely thought Josh and them, we're 1079 00:50:57.800 --> 00:50:59.480 going to score and win the game. 1080 00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:02.679 So the easy thing for lazy media people to say 1081 00:51:02.800 --> 00:51:06.360 is because Josh Allen hasn't broken through, and because Patrick 1082 00:51:06.360 --> 00:51:09.159 Mahomes is only twenty nine, it's gonna be tough for 1083 00:51:09.239 --> 00:51:11.039 Josh to ever get it done. And luck we've seen 1084 00:51:11.079 --> 00:51:13.480 it trelle in Pro football, Peyton Manning. I think it 1085 00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:16.039 was oh to six versus Tom Brady to start his career, 1086 00:51:16.079 --> 00:51:19.800 and he eventually broke through and got a couple you think. See, 1087 00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:21.840 I just feel like Josh is too good to never 1088 00:51:21.960 --> 00:51:22.840 actually get it done. 1089 00:51:22.840 --> 00:51:24.239 And you never know what's going to happen with the 1090 00:51:24.280 --> 00:51:25.360 Chiefs or any other team. 1091 00:51:25.400 --> 00:51:28.280 But what are you willing to say about Josh's chances 1092 00:51:28.280 --> 00:51:30.199 to at some point maybe break through and get a 1093 00:51:30.239 --> 00:51:32.079 Super Bowl or maybe multiple. 1094 00:51:32.280 --> 00:51:34.920 Oh yeah, no, I definitely think he's got the ability. 1095 00:51:34.960 --> 00:51:35.639 I think if you. 1096 00:51:35.599 --> 00:51:37.400 See the way he's played this year, in over the 1097 00:51:37.480 --> 00:51:40.760 last few years, just as a whole, he's got the 1098 00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:43.760 capability of breaking through. I think they just I think 1099 00:51:43.760 --> 00:51:44.679 they have the pieces. 1100 00:51:44.719 --> 00:51:45.760 They just got to get. 1101 00:51:45.679 --> 00:51:48.000 Over that hump, whatever that hump is. I'm not the 1102 00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:50.679 person to make that decision, but I think I think 1103 00:51:50.719 --> 00:51:53.599 he'll break through. And it obviously won't be this year, 1104 00:51:53.639 --> 00:51:55.519 it could not be next year, but I'm sure by 1105 00:51:55.519 --> 00:51:57.840 the end of his career. And I'm not saying like 1106 00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:00.360 ten years down the road when he's finishing it's gonna 1107 00:52:00.360 --> 00:52:01.800 be his last year. It could happen in the next 1108 00:52:01.800 --> 00:52:04.119 couple but I definitely think he'll break through. I don't 1109 00:52:04.159 --> 00:52:06.639 know what it'll take, but as long as he keeps 1110 00:52:06.639 --> 00:52:09.639 playing the way he's playing and they keep the right 1111 00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:11.320 guys around them, I'm sure they'll break through. 1112 00:52:11.480 --> 00:52:14.360 I'm also contractually obligated to ask you about Lamar Jackson 1113 00:52:14.360 --> 00:52:16.920 if we're gonna do lazy media narratives Torell, because of 1114 00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:20.400 course it's the same thing with him, right, like, potentially 1115 00:52:20.400 --> 00:52:23.000 could win another MVP, which would be three, and then 1116 00:52:23.079 --> 00:52:26.320 playoff time rolls around it, and look, there's no shame 1117 00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:28.800 in going up the Buffalo and nearly beating. 1118 00:52:28.480 --> 00:52:29.239 An awesome team. 1119 00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:32.119 But got the same question about Lamar as somebody who's 1120 00:52:32.119 --> 00:52:33.800 played against him and is familiar with him, do you 1121 00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:35.679 think he ever breaks through and gets his. 1122 00:52:37.800 --> 00:52:41.920 I do think that he does. I think for some reason, 1123 00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:43.519 I don't know what it is about the Ravens. They've 1124 00:52:43.599 --> 00:52:45.880 they've usually had had a good defense, and now I'm 1125 00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:48.239 not gonna necessarily say it's their offense their defense at 1126 00:52:48.280 --> 00:52:50.599 not making it. But I definitely think, just like Josh, 1127 00:52:50.599 --> 00:52:52.519 I think he's definitely gonna break through. The Ravens will 1128 00:52:52.519 --> 00:52:55.519 break through. It just is I don't know what it's 1129 00:52:55.519 --> 00:52:58.280 gonna take right now, obviously, like I'm sure there will 1130 00:52:58.280 --> 00:53:01.440 be guys that retire from the Chiefs in the next 1131 00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:03.320 couple of years, so that maybe that could help. I 1132 00:53:03.320 --> 00:53:06.119 don't think that the Chiefs are like unbeatable. I just 1133 00:53:06.199 --> 00:53:08.840 think that I guess no one has found a way 1134 00:53:08.880 --> 00:53:11.039 to beat them in the playoffs in the last seven 1135 00:53:11.119 --> 00:53:14.960 years besides Tom Brady, So I don't know. It's a 1136 00:53:14.960 --> 00:53:15.480 tough one. 1137 00:53:16.239 --> 00:53:16.639 All right. 1138 00:53:17.280 --> 00:53:19.800 Let me ask you about your impressions, because you know, 1139 00:53:19.960 --> 00:53:23.320 Jayden Daniels was out here in the Pac twelve footprint, 1140 00:53:23.360 --> 00:53:26.000 which is dead unfortunately there's no such thing now, but 1141 00:53:26.440 --> 00:53:29.079 you know I'll use at Arizona State before transferring LSU, 1142 00:53:29.159 --> 00:53:32.159 winning the Heisman and then bursting on the scenes. Were 1143 00:53:32.159 --> 00:53:35.280 you surprised to see how poised and mature he was 1144 00:53:35.360 --> 00:53:37.679 all year. What'd you make if you're one in Washington 1145 00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:39.239 With Jayden Daniels. 1146 00:53:39.960 --> 00:53:43.000 I remember when we were recruiting him to come to Utah, 1147 00:53:43.199 --> 00:53:45.519 and I knew that he wanted to play right away, 1148 00:53:45.559 --> 00:53:48.800 but we obviously had Tyler still there and we had 1149 00:53:48.800 --> 00:53:50.960 a couple of quarterbacks in the room, so I knew 1150 00:53:51.000 --> 00:53:53.039 it would be tough for him to play early at Utah. 1151 00:53:53.119 --> 00:53:54.599 But I remember when he was being recruited and I 1152 00:53:54.639 --> 00:53:56.719 was like, Oh, this kid's pretty good. But we played 1153 00:53:56.760 --> 00:53:58.679 him with he was at Arizona State. He was young, 1154 00:53:59.400 --> 00:54:02.280 but needless to say, I wouldn't say I was surprised. 1155 00:54:02.320 --> 00:54:04.679 I would say that a lot of people with his 1156 00:54:04.840 --> 00:54:07.280 last two years at LSU, I think a lot of 1157 00:54:07.320 --> 00:54:08.760 people thought that he was going to come into the 1158 00:54:08.840 --> 00:54:11.760 league and probably just run all the time, like just 1159 00:54:11.800 --> 00:54:13.599 be a running quarterback and not throw very well. But 1160 00:54:13.639 --> 00:54:16.519 I think a lot of people were surprised by his 1161 00:54:17.159 --> 00:54:20.159 ability to throw the ball. He just he played really 1162 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:23.480 well all around, and I'm looking forward to see how 1163 00:54:23.519 --> 00:54:26.480 he does in the future, because I think he's had 1164 00:54:26.519 --> 00:54:29.159 a great start to his career and it's only up 1165 00:54:29.199 --> 00:54:29.599 from here. 1166 00:54:30.280 --> 00:54:32.920 So I thought Philly would beat them, but I thought 1167 00:54:32.920 --> 00:54:35.480 it would be close, and it was not close. 1168 00:54:35.519 --> 00:54:37.079 Philly overwhelmed them. 1169 00:54:37.119 --> 00:54:41.000 And look, it was a great accomplishment for Washington and 1170 00:54:41.079 --> 00:54:44.760 Jayden Daniels. The Washington organization has not been to a 1171 00:54:44.760 --> 00:54:47.559 conference championship game in thirty three years, So if he 1172 00:54:47.639 --> 00:54:49.519 was able and they were able to get that done, 1173 00:54:49.559 --> 00:54:51.000 they would have been way ahead of schedule. 1174 00:54:51.039 --> 00:54:53.760 So I'm not surprised to see Philly in this spot. 1175 00:54:53.880 --> 00:54:56.119 But what stands out most to you about an Eagles 1176 00:54:56.119 --> 00:54:58.079 team Terrell did a lot of people believe is the 1177 00:54:58.079 --> 00:54:59.880 most talented team in all of pro football. 1178 00:55:00.880 --> 00:55:03.320 I would have to say, well, we could just go 1179 00:55:03.400 --> 00:55:06.400 based off the the NFC championship game. And this is 1180 00:55:06.400 --> 00:55:08.880 something that you know, a good friend of mine, Scout, 1181 00:55:09.039 --> 00:55:10.760 used to always talk about and one of my high 1182 00:55:10.760 --> 00:55:15.159 school coaches just always say this, but like, the line 1183 00:55:15.199 --> 00:55:18.079 of scrimmage is a very important thing in football, and 1184 00:55:19.239 --> 00:55:21.760 I think the Eagles just found a way to win 1185 00:55:21.800 --> 00:55:24.320 the line of scrimmage. They they ran the ball very well. 1186 00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:26.679 I think they had what six rushing touchdowns in that 1187 00:55:26.719 --> 00:55:29.320 game or something like that. And if you can't stop 1188 00:55:29.360 --> 00:55:31.920 the run in football, I think it's it's going to 1189 00:55:31.960 --> 00:55:33.880 be a long day, so I'll start there. Their their 1190 00:55:33.920 --> 00:55:37.360 running beings has been very good from all their running backs, 1191 00:55:37.440 --> 00:55:41.199 especially obviously Saquan Jalen Hurts is running really well, and 1192 00:55:41.239 --> 00:55:43.519 they could they can throw the balls as well. So 1193 00:55:43.599 --> 00:55:46.880 I think all around there playing well. Their their defense 1194 00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:49.800 is playing well, and I think they've got a good 1195 00:55:49.800 --> 00:55:51.679 shot to beat the Chiefs. It'll probably be tough, but 1196 00:55:51.880 --> 00:55:53.440 I mean, that's that's what football is for. 1197 00:55:53.559 --> 00:55:55.719 You don't want anything to be a cakewalk, all right, 1198 00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:59.360 Terrell Bird just the safety Okay, You're you're standing there 1199 00:55:59.400 --> 00:56:01.920 in a running back is broken free from the line 1200 00:56:02.119 --> 00:56:05.159 and you have to tackle either Sae Kwon Barkley or 1201 00:56:05.159 --> 00:56:05.840 Derrick Henry. 1202 00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:07.960 Who are you choosing who's tougher to deal with? 1203 00:56:09.920 --> 00:56:10.519 I don't really. 1204 00:56:10.679 --> 00:56:12.400 I wouldn't say that I fear either of them, but 1205 00:56:12.440 --> 00:56:13.079 I mean. 1206 00:56:14.639 --> 00:56:15.079 I don't know. 1207 00:56:15.159 --> 00:56:17.679 I mean, they're both really good running backs. I'd probably 1208 00:56:17.679 --> 00:56:20.480 take I would take either of them, whichever. 1209 00:56:20.159 --> 00:56:20.960 One there you go. 1210 00:56:21.159 --> 00:56:25.199 I mean, like, if I'm being honest. One thing, this 1211 00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:27.599 is another thing Sky used to always say, was limit 1212 00:56:27.639 --> 00:56:29.360 the damage, So I would They haven't made a man 1213 00:56:29.400 --> 00:56:32.280 to run with that leg, So that's where I'm shooting, 1214 00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:34.119 and I would just do my best to not get 1215 00:56:34.159 --> 00:56:35.119 hurtled at the same time. 1216 00:56:35.199 --> 00:56:36.000 I like that, all right. 1217 00:56:36.079 --> 00:56:38.760 Chiefs Eagles super Bowl fifty nine, Kansas City is a 1218 00:56:38.800 --> 00:56:40.360 one point five point favorite. 1219 00:56:41.039 --> 00:56:43.679 The line hasn't moved. I thought there would be money 1220 00:56:43.679 --> 00:56:44.360 one way or the other. 1221 00:56:44.440 --> 00:56:47.119 But it opened up at one point five and that 1222 00:56:47.239 --> 00:56:49.800 was five days ago and it stayed a one point five. 1223 00:56:50.039 --> 00:56:52.320 Here's how I'll pose the question. I'll start here, the 1224 00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:54.559 Eagles win super Bowl fifty nine. 1225 00:56:54.639 --> 00:56:55.079 If what. 1226 00:56:56.519 --> 00:57:02.639 The Eagles win super Bowl fifty nine, if they can 1227 00:57:06.360 --> 00:57:08.280 if they can run the ball the way they've been running, 1228 00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:12.400 the Eagles win super Bowl fifty nine, and not saying 1229 00:57:12.440 --> 00:57:14.239 that they can't pass the ball win. They definitely can 1230 00:57:14.280 --> 00:57:16.360 pass the ball win. But if they run the ball 1231 00:57:16.400 --> 00:57:19.639 and they find a way to get let's say, one 1232 00:57:19.719 --> 00:57:24.280 hundred and fifty to two hundred yards rushing, I don't know, collectively, 1233 00:57:24.320 --> 00:57:27.039 not just by one person. I think I think it'd 1234 00:57:27.039 --> 00:57:29.280 be pretty tough for the Chiefs to win the game 1235 00:57:29.559 --> 00:57:30.239 in my opinion. 1236 00:57:30.679 --> 00:57:33.159 And the Chiefs win Super Bowl fifty nine, and we 1237 00:57:33.199 --> 00:57:34.199 see a three pat. 1238 00:57:34.280 --> 00:57:38.599 If what the Chiefs win super Bowl fifty nine, if 1239 00:57:38.719 --> 00:57:42.360 they can, like on contrary to what I just said, 1240 00:57:42.679 --> 00:57:47.519 contain the Eagles in their rushing game and play the 1241 00:57:47.519 --> 00:57:49.320 way they've been playing in the Super Bowl in the 1242 00:57:49.320 --> 00:57:52.440 fourth quarter of the last few years. I think their 1243 00:57:52.679 --> 00:57:56.199 ability to play well late in their games in the 1244 00:57:56.239 --> 00:57:58.800 last couple of years and the last three Super Bowls 1245 00:57:58.840 --> 00:58:01.199 they won in the last five years, their ability to 1246 00:58:01.199 --> 00:58:03.559 play late in the game and play well has really 1247 00:58:03.559 --> 00:58:07.360 helped them hoist that trophy three times. So I think 1248 00:58:07.400 --> 00:58:09.719 if they can do that again towards the end of 1249 00:58:09.800 --> 00:58:12.000 the game, you know, the last second half of the game, 1250 00:58:12.039 --> 00:58:14.559 I think that'll make sure that they win the game. 1251 00:58:15.239 --> 00:58:17.599 What are you doing these days, Torell Let's I'm sure 1252 00:58:17.639 --> 00:58:19.239 you fans would love to hear an update. I know 1253 00:58:19.239 --> 00:58:22.079 you were with the Bills and you were placed on 1254 00:58:22.159 --> 00:58:24.960 injured reserves, So what's what's what's life like for you 1255 00:58:25.079 --> 00:58:25.480 right now? 1256 00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:27.320 And what are you hoping comes next? 1257 00:58:28.119 --> 00:58:30.039 Yeah, I'm still in California's still training. 1258 00:58:30.079 --> 00:58:30.639 I'm healthy. 1259 00:58:31.119 --> 00:58:34.000 I had a few workouts this season, but there's nothing nothing, 1260 00:58:34.360 --> 00:58:38.239 nothing stuck through, still playing, you know. So I've had 1261 00:58:38.320 --> 00:58:40.239 a little bit of communication with a couple of teams, 1262 00:58:40.239 --> 00:58:43.519 but you know, until until things are set and stone, 1263 00:58:43.559 --> 00:58:46.159 nothing really happened. So just training them in California right now, 1264 00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:49.599 looking to to find a place to live outside of California, 1265 00:58:49.679 --> 00:58:52.199 because I love this place. It'll always be home, but 1266 00:58:52.400 --> 00:58:55.639 just just looking to to find something new. Probably we'll 1267 00:58:56.039 --> 00:58:59.920 make a trip or two out to Utah this this offseason. 1268 00:59:00.079 --> 00:59:02.760 That would be pretty nice to come back and see 1269 00:59:02.800 --> 00:59:04.760 my see my favorite people, see one of my favorite 1270 00:59:04.760 --> 00:59:06.960 cities in the United States, So that'll be nice. 1271 00:59:07.119 --> 00:59:09.039 Who do you keep in contact out this way? 1272 00:59:09.119 --> 00:59:09.280 You know? 1273 00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:10.000 Without this way? 1274 00:59:10.079 --> 00:59:12.199 We have a lot of your former teammates on Zach 1275 00:59:12.360 --> 00:59:14.679 was on not too long ago. Who are your YOUTE 1276 00:59:14.679 --> 00:59:16.760 teammates that you continue to talk to and stay in 1277 00:59:16.800 --> 00:59:17.400 contact with? 1278 00:59:18.199 --> 00:59:21.039 Honestly a lot of them, Okay, I keep it. I 1279 00:59:21.079 --> 00:59:25.079 still talk to Zach. I talked to Julian for two 1280 00:59:25.119 --> 00:59:27.199 I guess two big names. I talked to Soup here 1281 00:59:27.239 --> 00:59:30.760 and there a lot of TJ. Green, Philipia, There's there's 1282 00:59:30.760 --> 00:59:32.880 a lot Sampson, Nakula, There's a lot of guys that 1283 00:59:32.920 --> 00:59:35.039 I still talk to from from Utah. 1284 00:59:35.159 --> 00:59:35.480 CLC. 1285 00:59:35.599 --> 00:59:39.360 Mariner, I don't know's there's a lot. I'd say that 1286 00:59:39.360 --> 00:59:41.280 I stay in contact with a lot of guys just 1287 00:59:41.320 --> 00:59:43.400 because we we had a close knit bond at Utah 1288 00:59:43.440 --> 00:59:45.559 and it'll probably continue for the rest of our lives. 1289 00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:47.400 What are your what are your thoughts on? 1290 00:59:47.480 --> 00:59:49.280 Since you and I last spoke, there was a lot 1291 00:59:49.280 --> 00:59:52.199 of conversation about what would happen with coach with after 1292 00:59:52.239 --> 00:59:54.440 a rough year, and he's announced that he's coming back 1293 00:59:54.480 --> 00:59:56.800 for your twenty one. What's your reaction to your former 1294 00:59:56.880 --> 01:00:00.800 ball coach on the sidelines for another year for these Utah. 1295 01:00:00.840 --> 01:00:04.920 I'm happy for him. I didn't think, if I'm being honest, 1296 01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:07.159 before last season, I thought that would probably be his 1297 01:00:07.239 --> 01:00:11.320 last season, not that I knew anything under the table 1298 01:00:11.400 --> 01:00:13.840 or anything. I just was thinking like that'd be his 1299 01:00:13.920 --> 01:00:17.360 last season. But once we fell short to BYU, I 1300 01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:21.159 think I don't think in my opinion, from my point 1301 01:00:21.159 --> 01:00:23.480 of view, I don't think he would have allowed himself 1302 01:00:23.519 --> 01:00:27.000 to leave with that bad taste in his mouth. So 1303 01:00:27.000 --> 01:00:28.920 I think he's gonna come back with a vengeance this 1304 01:00:29.039 --> 01:00:32.519 year and do pretty well, and in my opinion, maybe 1305 01:00:32.519 --> 01:00:35.039 this will be his last year. But who knows. He's 1306 01:00:35.079 --> 01:00:37.559 a strong man. He probably is still working out like 1307 01:00:37.639 --> 01:00:40.639 crazy now, so I'm sure he's still in good health 1308 01:00:40.679 --> 01:00:41.920 and still able to keep going. 1309 01:00:42.519 --> 01:00:44.360 Since you and I last spoke as well. It's been 1310 01:00:44.400 --> 01:00:46.960 a minute. A coach you know very very well. In 1311 01:00:47.039 --> 01:00:50.559 Morgan Scalley, it was announced that he is the contingency 1312 01:00:50.599 --> 01:00:53.679 plan once Kyle decides that he wants to do something 1313 01:00:53.719 --> 01:00:54.480 else with his time. 1314 01:00:54.599 --> 01:00:56.000 That job is Morgan's. 1315 01:00:56.239 --> 01:00:58.119 I would imagine you have some thoughts on that, Troe, 1316 01:00:58.559 --> 01:00:59.679 what do you think about the plan here? 1317 01:00:59.719 --> 01:01:02.559 And so I'm happy for him, I have. I have 1318 01:01:02.599 --> 01:01:05.079 a lot of respects for him. He's not only a 1319 01:01:05.119 --> 01:01:07.039 great coach, but a but a great person as well. 1320 01:01:07.079 --> 01:01:08.920 And I feel like I learned. I learned a lot 1321 01:01:08.960 --> 01:01:12.679 from college. I think, I don't know. I couldn't say 1322 01:01:12.760 --> 01:01:15.559 enough good good things about him, And I'm excited for 1323 01:01:15.599 --> 01:01:18.760 his future and his family and when he gets a 1324 01:01:18.840 --> 01:01:21.079 chance to take, uh take the reins as the head 1325 01:01:21.079 --> 01:01:23.400 coach at Utah, I'm sure I'll be there, just like 1326 01:01:23.440 --> 01:01:25.880 I am there now, you know, still supporting them and 1327 01:01:26.679 --> 01:01:27.559 seeing them do well. 1328 01:01:27.960 --> 01:01:30.719 Have you ever thought about media? You're you're you're pretty 1329 01:01:30.760 --> 01:01:33.239 good at this, you know. And I and terrelle I interview. 1330 01:01:33.280 --> 01:01:35.559 I know, I know you're only twenty six and hopefully 1331 01:01:35.559 --> 01:01:37.400 you have a lot of football left to play, But 1332 01:01:37.519 --> 01:01:40.880 I interview a lot of former players, and I'll say 1333 01:01:40.920 --> 01:01:43.199 I've interviewed a lot of your former teammates, and I'll 1334 01:01:43.239 --> 01:01:45.440 just say gently at times, it's hard for me to 1335 01:01:45.519 --> 01:01:47.760 drag answers out of them, but you're really. 1336 01:01:47.559 --> 01:01:49.800 Good at this. Have you ever considered that maybe down. 1337 01:01:49.599 --> 01:01:52.840 The road, I've considered it. I think it's I think 1338 01:01:52.840 --> 01:01:55.119 it's very I have a lot of respects for everybody 1339 01:01:55.119 --> 01:01:58.079 in the media from I think my right after my 1340 01:01:58.159 --> 01:02:01.239 rookie year, I did the spring game, and I worked 1341 01:02:01.280 --> 01:02:03.280 with some of the guys from the PAC twelve and 1342 01:02:03.360 --> 01:02:05.639 calling the spring spring game, so being able to see 1343 01:02:05.639 --> 01:02:09.000 it from that view and talking to you and just 1344 01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:11.199 being on the radio and things. It's like, I don't know. 1345 01:02:11.239 --> 01:02:12.519 I think I just have a lot of respects for 1346 01:02:12.559 --> 01:02:14.559 the profession. I think it's really cool. It's not something 1347 01:02:14.599 --> 01:02:16.880 I would ever count out. I think it's pretty cool. 1348 01:02:16.880 --> 01:02:19.599 I just haven't thought about it extensively. But I mean, 1349 01:02:19.639 --> 01:02:21.880 I guess if another person tells me that it I 1350 01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:23.639 sound pretty good on the media, I guess I should 1351 01:02:23.639 --> 01:02:24.679 probably really think about it. 1352 01:02:24.880 --> 01:02:26.679 Yeah you're no, you are, and believe me, I can 1353 01:02:26.679 --> 01:02:28.440 tell when players are good at it. 1354 01:02:28.480 --> 01:02:29.920 I can tell when they want to do it. 1355 01:02:29.960 --> 01:02:31.800 And I can tell when they're on the phone and 1356 01:02:31.800 --> 01:02:35.199 they're scrolling through their mentions or they're swiping right or whatever. 1357 01:02:35.280 --> 01:02:38.840 So your present and I appreciate that. I want to 1358 01:02:38.880 --> 01:02:41.159 move over here because, as I reference, we talk to 1359 01:02:41.280 --> 01:02:44.480 a lot of your teammates, and for my money, Torell, 1360 01:02:44.599 --> 01:02:48.280 your twenty nineteen Utah team may have been the most 1361 01:02:48.320 --> 01:02:51.199 talent and I mean this now, I mean seriously, like 1362 01:02:51.239 --> 01:02:52.920 top to bottom, it could have been the most It 1363 01:02:52.960 --> 01:02:55.599 could be the most talented Utah football team in the 1364 01:02:55.679 --> 01:02:59.920 history of the program. And obviously four undefeated, a eight undefeated, 1365 01:03:00.039 --> 01:03:02.639 and those guys have acclaimed the seasons that are very 1366 01:03:02.760 --> 01:03:05.519 very special. But yet do you guys ever talk about 1367 01:03:05.559 --> 01:03:08.760 twenty nineteen, how many just awesome players you had and 1368 01:03:08.760 --> 01:03:09.440 what could have been? 1369 01:03:10.320 --> 01:03:14.800 Yeah, I think I think the more we talk about it, 1370 01:03:14.840 --> 01:03:17.440 and the more people talk about it, it just makes it 1371 01:03:17.519 --> 01:03:20.559 that much worse that we weren't. We didn't get a 1372 01:03:20.639 --> 01:03:23.159 chance at the to you know, Oh, I guess we 1373 01:03:23.199 --> 01:03:24.800 did get a chance. We just didn't do it, so 1374 01:03:24.880 --> 01:03:26.920 I'll put it that way. But yeah, I think we 1375 01:03:26.960 --> 01:03:28.960 talked about it a lot and we know, but it's 1376 01:03:29.039 --> 01:03:31.599 hard to have no hardware and say that you were 1377 01:03:31.679 --> 01:03:34.320 a good team. So, I mean, if we're being honest, 1378 01:03:34.360 --> 01:03:37.760 everybody plays this game for the love of the game 1379 01:03:37.800 --> 01:03:40.800 and to win, and we won a good amount, but 1380 01:03:40.920 --> 01:03:43.400 just not enough. So I think we were a great team. 1381 01:03:43.599 --> 01:03:45.559 I think I always think that we were a great team, 1382 01:03:46.320 --> 01:03:49.159 and I'm just grateful to be a part of that 1383 01:03:49.559 --> 01:03:53.039 those great four years, and not only just twenty nineteen. 1384 01:03:53.039 --> 01:03:54.119 Before I set you lose. 1385 01:03:54.280 --> 01:03:56.800 And I do have to apologize to all the former 1386 01:03:56.840 --> 01:03:59.760 players who I asked this question too, and I've asked 1387 01:03:59.760 --> 01:04:02.039 you inmates. We asked Zach a couple of weeks ago. 1388 01:04:02.679 --> 01:04:06.920 You know Terrell Burgess, you know, good looking, charismatic kid, 1389 01:04:07.239 --> 01:04:11.199 Utah football player, senior year, really really good. I don't know, man, 1390 01:04:11.199 --> 01:04:13.719 two hundred three hundred K or something like that, Like 1391 01:04:13.800 --> 01:04:16.400 do you ever look at this? You know what I'm saying, Like, 1392 01:04:16.400 --> 01:04:18.400 do you ever look at what college football is now? 1393 01:04:18.400 --> 01:04:21.159 And go, man, I was just a few years too late. 1394 01:04:21.760 --> 01:04:24.440 I know, it's crazy because I was just talking about 1395 01:04:24.440 --> 01:04:26.519 this as one of my friends about how like, oh, yeah, 1396 01:04:26.519 --> 01:04:29.239 our parents just had us too early. But yeah, I 1397 01:04:29.280 --> 01:04:32.360 mean it's crazy to even think about it. I'm happy 1398 01:04:32.400 --> 01:04:35.119 for the for the players now. I think I've always 1399 01:04:35.159 --> 01:04:38.159 thought that college football players deserve to get paid, so 1400 01:04:38.519 --> 01:04:40.679 I'm excited that they're doing it. Is I can only 1401 01:04:40.760 --> 01:04:43.320 just hope that they continue to make the right choices 1402 01:04:43.320 --> 01:04:46.320 and micro decisions with the money they're giving at given 1403 01:04:46.320 --> 01:04:48.840 at a young age, and earn, not just given, earned 1404 01:04:48.880 --> 01:04:51.960 at the young age, and continue to do right and 1405 01:04:52.519 --> 01:04:54.880 help the younger generation be able to just keep going. 1406 01:04:55.119 --> 01:04:56.360 But yeah, no, I'm excited for them. 1407 01:04:56.400 --> 01:04:57.960 I think my senior. 1408 01:04:57.760 --> 01:04:59.280 Year maybe I would have made a little bit, but 1409 01:04:59.400 --> 01:05:02.559 you know, hindsight's always twenty twenty and we'll wi ultimately 1410 01:05:02.599 --> 01:05:05.239 never know that. But I'm not bitter about it. I'm 1411 01:05:05.280 --> 01:05:07.440 really happy for them, and I just I hope it 1412 01:05:07.480 --> 01:05:09.840 continues to just grow the sport. 1413 01:05:10.079 --> 01:05:13.000 Where do you keep that Super Bowl ring? 1414 01:05:13.400 --> 01:05:14.719 I don't know if I should be saying that on 1415 01:05:14.719 --> 01:05:18.800 the rag fair. You're in California. It's here, It's in 1416 01:05:18.840 --> 01:05:22.239 a safe space, it's in a lock box here in California, 1417 01:05:22.639 --> 01:05:24.679 something I don't really take out very often. But it's 1418 01:05:25.320 --> 01:05:29.679 something also to whoever asked, so it's a great accomplishment. 1419 01:05:29.760 --> 01:05:31.639 I'm just happy to be a part of that team. 1420 01:05:31.679 --> 01:05:32.199 Good stuff. 1421 01:05:32.239 --> 01:05:34.360 Hey Drell, Thanks for the time. Man, have a great weekend. 1422 01:05:34.400 --> 01:05:35.400 We'll get you back on soon. 1423 01:05:35.440 --> 01:05:37.800 Okay, yes, sir, thank you. I appreciate it. 1424 01:05:37.880 --> 01:05:41.000 Rel Burgess really really good player for Utah twenty nineteen, 1425 01:05:41.039 --> 01:05:42.880 his senior year just completely blew up. 1426 01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:43.719 Drafted by the. 1427 01:05:43.719 --> 01:05:46.920 Rams one hundred and fourth overall, third round twenty twenty. 1428 01:05:47.320 --> 01:05:49.320 Unfortunately broke his ankle, injured reserve. 1429 01:05:49.400 --> 01:05:51.719 But he does have a Super Bowl ring that Super 1430 01:05:51.760 --> 01:05:54.239 Bowl the Rams won when they beat the Bengals. Spent 1431 01:05:54.360 --> 01:05:56.000 some time with the Giants, spend all the time with 1432 01:05:56.039 --> 01:05:59.360 the Commanders, most recently with the Buffalo Bills, and then 1433 01:05:59.400 --> 01:06:01.920 he was way We've a little bit into the season. 1434 01:06:02.000 --> 01:06:04.920 So now he's back in California training and trying to 1435 01:06:04.920 --> 01:06:05.440 get in shape. 1436 01:06:05.440 --> 01:06:06.400 Hopefully gets a chance. 1437 01:06:06.400 --> 01:06:09.239 He's only twenty six years old and obviously a really 1438 01:06:09.239 --> 01:06:11.920 good player and an excellent player for Utah back in 1439 01:06:11.960 --> 01:06:14.960 the day. Appreciate Threll Burgess the time on the program. 1440 01:06:15.440 --> 01:06:17.599 All right, roll along on the program today. 1441 01:06:17.679 --> 01:06:21.280 Time to talk some Utah men's basketball. The Utes have 1442 01:06:21.480 --> 01:06:24.440 been able to grab a couple of wins in Big 1443 01:06:24.480 --> 01:06:26.880 twelve Play, three straight wins and a couple of els 1444 01:06:26.880 --> 01:06:28.920 to Houston and Baylor. Been a nice home win against 1445 01:06:28.920 --> 01:06:31.960 a really good defensive team in Cincinnati, hitting the road 1446 01:06:31.960 --> 01:06:34.639 at Okay State. Our next guest good enough to give 1447 01:06:34.679 --> 01:06:36.760 us some time. It's rare for us in the afternoons 1448 01:06:36.800 --> 01:06:40.239 because they practice. The head coach of the Utes, Craig Smith, 1449 01:06:40.679 --> 01:06:42.199 on the program, Craig, how are you, sir? 1450 01:06:43.280 --> 01:06:45.079 I'm doing great, Spence, how are you? 1451 01:06:45.320 --> 01:06:46.800 I'm doing well. Appreciate the time. 1452 01:06:46.840 --> 01:06:48.800 It's pretty rare for us in the afternoons to get 1453 01:06:48.840 --> 01:06:50.320 your time, so we appreciate it. 1454 01:06:50.519 --> 01:06:52.440 So let's start just big picture. 1455 01:06:52.480 --> 01:06:55.880 Now, you guys are twenty games in over all, your 1456 01:06:55.960 --> 01:06:57.679 nine games in in the Big Twelve. 1457 01:06:57.760 --> 01:06:59.960 What do you like? What are you working on? Thought 1458 01:07:00.440 --> 01:07:01.679 with your team through twenty games? 1459 01:07:01.679 --> 01:07:05.039 Greig, And it's hard to believe we're already at this point, 1460 01:07:05.119 --> 01:07:08.719 you know, play Oklahoma State, like you said, two o'clock 1461 01:07:09.400 --> 01:07:14.039 on Saturday, and we'll be halfway through conference playoff already. 1462 01:07:14.159 --> 01:07:17.400 So you know, it's gone really fast. There's been some 1463 01:07:17.480 --> 01:07:20.239 really like any season, there's you know, there's been some 1464 01:07:20.280 --> 01:07:25.000 really good moments and some hard moments. It's been a 1465 01:07:25.239 --> 01:07:28.559 you know, preseason, we're gonna pick sixteen out of sixteen, 1466 01:07:28.599 --> 01:07:31.400 so obviously you don't want to be picked in last place, 1467 01:07:32.280 --> 01:07:34.519 but there's nowhere to go but up, I guess from 1468 01:07:34.519 --> 01:07:37.440 that respective. But you know, we had a great summer 1469 01:07:37.519 --> 01:07:40.679 this year. It was really unfortunate lost all three of 1470 01:07:40.679 --> 01:07:42.800 our centers within eight days of our first game. We 1471 01:07:42.840 --> 01:07:46.079 had to really reinvent ourselves and we were playing a 1472 01:07:46.119 --> 01:07:49.159 way different brand of basketball than we've been we had been, 1473 01:07:49.320 --> 01:07:51.519 and you know, it just it's not really how I 1474 01:07:51.639 --> 01:07:54.760 like to play, certainly now being new to the Big 1475 01:07:54.800 --> 01:07:56.920 twelve and being into it, it's really hard, I think, 1476 01:07:56.960 --> 01:08:00.280 to sustain success that way. And we went back to 1477 01:08:00.320 --> 01:08:02.719 the way we were playing all summer and most of 1478 01:08:02.760 --> 01:08:07.199 the fall. And that's big, right. Our teams, no matter 1479 01:08:07.280 --> 01:08:11.639 where I've been, whether it's Utah State, South Dakota, Mayville State, 1480 01:08:11.679 --> 01:08:15.760 we've always been an elite rebounding team. It's just what 1481 01:08:15.800 --> 01:08:19.079 we've done. And now that we've played, you know, inserted 1482 01:08:19.159 --> 01:08:21.880 Jake Wallen into the starting lineup, you know, legit six nine, 1483 01:08:21.920 --> 01:08:27.920 six ten with Ezra and User was a very powerful 1484 01:08:27.960 --> 01:08:30.960 foreman and then lost and lovering at seven to one, 1485 01:08:31.199 --> 01:08:34.399 you know, and then Keanu Dods is really impacting our 1486 01:08:34.439 --> 01:08:36.800 program in a great way. Six y nine and really 1487 01:08:36.880 --> 01:08:40.560 long I'm happy with how we're playing. You know, one 1488 01:08:40.640 --> 01:08:43.319 four the last six, I had a tough loss at 1489 01:08:43.399 --> 01:08:46.199 Houston and had a tough loss at home to Baylor, 1490 01:08:46.239 --> 01:08:48.119 where we just had a ton of open shots. We 1491 01:08:48.359 --> 01:08:51.039 just couldn't make a shot that night, and that happens 1492 01:08:51.039 --> 01:08:53.680 in basketball. But I feel like we're rounding in the 1493 01:08:53.720 --> 01:08:55.600 forum and we're doing some good things. And now we're 1494 01:08:55.600 --> 01:08:58.720 going to continue continue at this weekend because winning on 1495 01:08:58.760 --> 01:09:00.800 the road in the Big Twelve is very, very difficult, 1496 01:09:01.920 --> 01:09:03.199 and so we're gonna have to be ready to really 1497 01:09:03.199 --> 01:09:04.159 compete on Saturday. 1498 01:09:04.239 --> 01:09:07.720 You mentioned something there that that kind of peaked my interest. 1499 01:09:07.800 --> 01:09:09.960 My ears perked up, my intendants went off when you said, 1500 01:09:10.159 --> 01:09:12.039 you know, we're not necessarily playing the way. 1501 01:09:11.960 --> 01:09:13.960 I want to play or I want to coach. 1502 01:09:14.000 --> 01:09:17.840 And I always find it interesting when I am watching 1503 01:09:17.880 --> 01:09:20.359 a team that's coached by a guy who I like 1504 01:09:20.399 --> 01:09:23.439 and respect, like you. And I can remember when Quinn 1505 01:09:23.439 --> 01:09:27.119 Snyder was here coaching those Jazz teams when Rudy Gobert 1506 01:09:27.199 --> 01:09:30.000 kind of evolved into this defensive stopper and they started 1507 01:09:30.039 --> 01:09:32.399 him next to Derek Favors and they didn't have a 1508 01:09:32.399 --> 01:09:35.159 great offense, but Dennis Lindsay used to say, look, if 1509 01:09:35.199 --> 01:09:38.079 they score seventy were fine scoring seventy two, and they 1510 01:09:38.119 --> 01:09:41.239 took the air out of the basketball. And I always wondered, like, 1511 01:09:41.319 --> 01:09:42.840 and I asked Quinn. I was like, is this the 1512 01:09:42.840 --> 01:09:44.520 way you want to coach? Is this the way you 1513 01:09:44.560 --> 01:09:46.039 want to play? Said no, it's the way we have 1514 01:09:46.119 --> 01:09:49.720 to play based on our personnel, right, and then ultimately, 1515 01:09:49.880 --> 01:09:53.000 you know, Donovan's drafted, he takes off and then you 1516 01:09:53.039 --> 01:09:55.000 know they acquire a bunch of good offensive pieces, and 1517 01:09:55.079 --> 01:09:57.399 Quinn changed the way they played and it was the 1518 01:09:57.399 --> 01:09:58.960 way he wanted to coach, and it was the way 1519 01:09:59.000 --> 01:10:01.680 he wanted them to play. But how much of your approach, Craig, 1520 01:10:01.800 --> 01:10:04.199 is catered to the personnel and how much of it is, Okay, 1521 01:10:04.239 --> 01:10:06.279 this is the way I believe basketball should be played. 1522 01:10:07.520 --> 01:10:10.439 Well, it certainly as a head coach. You know, it's 1523 01:10:10.479 --> 01:10:15.640 really interesting. You've got to be who you are. There's 1524 01:10:15.680 --> 01:10:19.000 so many ways to win in basketball or football or 1525 01:10:19.079 --> 01:10:21.880 volleyball or whatever it might be. But I think as 1526 01:10:21.920 --> 01:10:25.600 a head coach, you've got to really have the security 1527 01:10:25.640 --> 01:10:27.600 there of who you are, what you believe in, try 1528 01:10:27.600 --> 01:10:32.039 to recruit to that. At the same time, you know, 1529 01:10:32.399 --> 01:10:34.920 it's like for me, I've always had to be at 1530 01:10:35.119 --> 01:10:38.279 you know, situations when I've gotten hired that maybe weren't 1531 01:10:38.279 --> 01:10:41.479 that quote unquote sexiest jobs, or there are harder jobs, 1532 01:10:41.600 --> 01:10:44.279 or certainly you know, I've always been hired in their 1533 01:10:44.279 --> 01:10:47.920 place where they've been struggling. Unfortunately we've been able to 1534 01:10:48.560 --> 01:10:51.079 flip it around. So like I've always had to kind 1535 01:10:51.079 --> 01:10:56.119 of adapt and adjust based off your personnel, right, based 1536 01:10:56.159 --> 01:11:00.760 off your best players. Who's got talent. So you got 1537 01:11:00.800 --> 01:11:04.319 to be able to fine tune some things offensively, certainly 1538 01:11:04.319 --> 01:11:09.359 defensively as well. And you know, Paul, you know the 1539 01:11:09.399 --> 01:11:12.520 great obviously he's passed away for the legendary football coach 1540 01:11:12.560 --> 01:11:15.960 Paul bear Bryant. You know, I can't always tell you 1541 01:11:16.399 --> 01:11:18.319 what a great player looks like, but I can certainly 1542 01:11:18.359 --> 01:11:19.680 see it. And the first thing you got to do 1543 01:11:19.800 --> 01:11:23.439 is get those guys in the game and and and 1544 01:11:23.520 --> 01:11:27.279 so you know, I've always remembered that quote and thought 1545 01:11:27.279 --> 01:11:29.720 about it, and you just got to find the talented 1546 01:11:29.720 --> 01:11:32.720 guys that are all about the team, that create toughness, 1547 01:11:32.760 --> 01:11:34.800 things that you value, and then you figure it out. 1548 01:11:35.399 --> 01:11:39.520 And I really value defending and rebounding, and I just 1549 01:11:39.560 --> 01:11:42.640 think it's a mentality thing. It's a toughness thing, it's 1550 01:11:42.640 --> 01:11:44.880 an edge thing. It's a way of life. You can't 1551 01:11:44.920 --> 01:11:47.960 do it somedays and that other days and showing up, 1552 01:11:48.079 --> 01:11:50.359 you know, go to work when you don't feel like it, 1553 01:11:50.479 --> 01:11:52.079 like you got to put the time in, you got 1554 01:11:52.079 --> 01:11:55.880 to work hard. I just believe in those things. And so, 1555 01:11:56.359 --> 01:11:58.239 you know, we had had some success or that we 1556 01:11:58.279 --> 01:12:00.520 were shooting a ton of threes, too many for my liking. 1557 01:12:00.600 --> 01:12:04.039 Not that I don't like making threes, right, but but 1558 01:12:04.199 --> 01:12:06.399 it's just you know, the Iowa game, I got a 1559 01:12:06.439 --> 01:12:09.880 little Baylor at Baylor, and it was like, all right, 1560 01:12:09.920 --> 01:12:12.800 we're going back to what I believe in, who we are, 1561 01:12:12.840 --> 01:12:15.520 about what we got to do. And then you know, 1562 01:12:15.960 --> 01:12:19.079 being what's easy to forget, like this is our first 1563 01:12:19.159 --> 01:12:22.439 year in the Big twelve, and every league is a 1564 01:12:22.520 --> 01:12:26.279 little bit different, and so the Big twelve is certainly 1565 01:12:26.800 --> 01:12:28.840 different than the Pac twelve. You know, I had two 1566 01:12:28.920 --> 01:12:32.960 years in the Big ten, right, the Big ten was 1567 01:12:33.039 --> 01:12:35.720 more like the Big twelve, you know, back then, and 1568 01:12:35.800 --> 01:12:37.439 so you learn what do you got to have? What 1569 01:12:37.479 --> 01:12:39.600 are things you need to have? You know, where are 1570 01:12:39.680 --> 01:12:42.439 we strong? Where we got to get better at and 1571 01:12:42.479 --> 01:12:45.159 then what scheme do you have to have because there's 1572 01:12:45.199 --> 01:12:48.119 just so much playmaking in this league. But it's awesome. 1573 01:12:48.159 --> 01:12:50.439 I'm so glad we're a part of it. So anyway, 1574 01:12:50.479 --> 01:12:54.039 going back to your question, you have to adjust your personnel. 1575 01:12:54.520 --> 01:12:56.720 But if it's not necessarily who you are, that could 1576 01:12:56.720 --> 01:12:59.600 be a difficult thing. And so every coach is a 1577 01:12:59.600 --> 01:13:01.840 little bit different style of what they believe in it. 1578 01:13:02.119 --> 01:13:04.239 You got to be confident with it and roll with it. 1579 01:13:04.279 --> 01:13:07.039 And I like what we're doing at this moment in time. 1580 01:13:07.640 --> 01:13:09.640 So I want to talk conceptually for a minutes to 1581 01:13:09.680 --> 01:13:11.359 some of the concepts surrounding Gabe. 1582 01:13:11.399 --> 01:13:12.600 And you know, I. 1583 01:13:12.600 --> 01:13:15.439 Talked about this on air last week and I got 1584 01:13:15.439 --> 01:13:18.600 a little pushback. I'm not saying that Gabe is Stephan Curry. Okay, 1585 01:13:18.600 --> 01:13:21.039 I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is Steve 1586 01:13:21.159 --> 01:13:24.079 Kerr oftentimes talks about, Hey, I want Steph to shoot 1587 01:13:24.119 --> 01:13:26.960 five to seven quote unquote bad shots a game, right, Like, 1588 01:13:27.039 --> 01:13:30.600 I don't mind him forcing up some shots because every 1589 01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:34.840 night every team, he is the first page on the 1590 01:13:34.840 --> 01:13:38.159 scouting report and Greg, as you know, everybody sells out 1591 01:13:38.199 --> 01:13:41.039 to make sure Gabe doesn't have space and when he 1592 01:13:41.159 --> 01:13:44.359 is open. If he misses an open three, I feel 1593 01:13:44.399 --> 01:13:46.720 like this. It's the same feeling when another player misses 1594 01:13:46.760 --> 01:13:48.840 an open layup right, because you finally get him open 1595 01:13:49.119 --> 01:13:51.159 and Gabe doesn't knock it down. He's like, oh man, 1596 01:13:51.159 --> 01:13:53.920 that was a chance. But what are you trying to 1597 01:13:53.960 --> 01:13:56.359 do just to get him some space? Because the shooting 1598 01:13:56.399 --> 01:13:59.760 percentages are down? But if you're not watching, you can 1599 01:13:59.800 --> 01:14:01.399 look at the numbers and say, what's wrong with it? 1600 01:14:01.479 --> 01:14:03.800 Well, what's wrong with them is everybody's gapping them. Everybody's 1601 01:14:03.800 --> 01:14:04.199 blitzing them. 1602 01:14:04.199 --> 01:14:07.880 Theyre running two and three at them, right, So just conceptually, 1603 01:14:07.880 --> 01:14:09.680 how are you trying to get Gable little space so 1604 01:14:09.720 --> 01:14:11.119 he can you know, knock down the shots? 1605 01:14:11.119 --> 01:14:12.079 So you need him knocked down? 1606 01:14:13.159 --> 01:14:15.000 Well, sense, how much time do you, guys? 1607 01:14:14.880 --> 01:14:16.880 As much time as you have, Craig, there's a four 1608 01:14:16.920 --> 01:14:18.159 hour radio show, my friend. 1609 01:14:19.159 --> 01:14:23.159 That is a it's a very it's a great question 1610 01:14:23.399 --> 01:14:28.199 and very insightful. Quite frankly, you know, as a coach, right, 1611 01:14:28.640 --> 01:14:32.359 I've always been I want our guys on on both 1612 01:14:32.399 --> 01:14:36.439 sides of the ball, but on offense, really playing aggressive 1613 01:14:36.720 --> 01:14:40.000 in attack mode. I don't ever want our guys where 1614 01:14:40.039 --> 01:14:42.039 they feel paralyzed, where they're looking. 1615 01:14:41.840 --> 01:14:43.279 Over their shoulder constantly. 1616 01:14:43.960 --> 01:14:45.439 You know what I mean? Is this a good play? 1617 01:14:45.520 --> 01:14:48.199 Is it not? Because then I think, I just think 1618 01:14:48.279 --> 01:14:50.039 I've just been around guys like that, and I know 1619 01:14:50.119 --> 01:14:53.520 what happens, and so I'd rather have to have rain 1620 01:14:53.600 --> 01:14:55.960 them back a little bit than you know, go the 1621 01:14:56.039 --> 01:14:58.520 other way. And so listen, I've coached game for three years. 1622 01:14:58.600 --> 01:15:01.039 This is my fourth year. I know he is. I 1623 01:15:01.079 --> 01:15:07.319 know who he is. He's certainly the alpha, so to speak, 1624 01:15:07.520 --> 01:15:10.560 or option one A whenever the one's getting ready to playoffs. 1625 01:15:10.560 --> 01:15:13.520 Even now, whether his numbers are you know what they are, 1626 01:15:14.159 --> 01:15:17.359 they're still putting their best defender on him. They're still saying, nope, 1627 01:15:17.359 --> 01:15:20.239 we're not letting you get those you know, points or whatever. 1628 01:15:21.720 --> 01:15:23.920 So he's had to adjust to that. Now. He's always 1629 01:15:23.960 --> 01:15:26.560 been that guy last while should for the most part, 1630 01:15:26.600 --> 01:15:28.560 he's been that guy for the last three years on 1631 01:15:28.640 --> 01:15:31.600 the on the perimeter. But we've been able to play 1632 01:15:31.600 --> 01:15:35.199 a little bit differently in the last few years. So listen, 1633 01:15:35.199 --> 01:15:39.520 do I want him firing terrible shots? No, not necessarily. However, 1634 01:15:40.319 --> 01:15:42.840 I want him aggressive. So if he's going to take 1635 01:15:43.199 --> 01:15:44.640 you know, he's going to take a couple of bad 1636 01:15:44.640 --> 01:15:46.760 shots here and there, like it's just what it is. 1637 01:15:46.840 --> 01:15:49.920 I when I first got hired at Utah State, I 1638 01:15:50.039 --> 01:15:52.600 used to have to tell Sam merrill Sam because he 1639 01:15:52.720 --> 01:15:55.079 was so I got to make the right play. I 1640 01:15:55.119 --> 01:15:56.680 got to make the right play, and his mind, the 1641 01:15:56.720 --> 01:16:00.199 right play was always you know if I'm boom, And 1642 01:16:00.359 --> 01:16:03.279 I was like, Sam, look around, this team needs you 1643 01:16:03.359 --> 01:16:07.399 to be super assertive and super aggressive. And so every 1644 01:16:07.479 --> 01:16:09.520 now and then, a bad shot, what you would deem 1645 01:16:09.560 --> 01:16:12.479 a bad shot is probably better than you know, a 1646 01:16:12.560 --> 01:16:15.479 cleaner look by somebody else. And what I was telling 1647 01:16:15.560 --> 01:16:18.840 him that is he was so engrossed in making the 1648 01:16:18.880 --> 01:16:20.800 right play all the time, and I just wanted his 1649 01:16:20.920 --> 01:16:25.680 mentality being a little more assertive or aggressive. And certainly 1650 01:16:26.680 --> 01:16:28.399 after that I didn't have to tell him too many 1651 01:16:28.399 --> 01:16:30.600 times right in a lot of ways. And look, what's 1652 01:16:30.920 --> 01:16:33.000 you know happened that way? So you got to know 1653 01:16:33.039 --> 01:16:34.800 your guys, You got to know your team. But I 1654 01:16:34.840 --> 01:16:38.960 want our guys aggressive, not looking over their shoulder. Now. 1655 01:16:39.000 --> 01:16:41.800 At the same time, with our team, I did have 1656 01:16:41.840 --> 01:16:45.479 to really address that specifically after the Texas Tech game 1657 01:16:45.520 --> 01:16:48.640 at home, I just felt like we were having too 1658 01:16:48.680 --> 01:16:52.359 many guys just shucking up shots and our shot selection 1659 01:16:52.720 --> 01:16:56.600 was I would deem below average, right, and we just 1660 01:16:56.640 --> 01:16:58.600 had to pull the reins back because we just were 1661 01:16:59.359 --> 01:17:01.840 just you know, he's gonna have to defend us. It 1662 01:17:01.920 --> 01:17:03.880 was two and three guys getting all the shot, and 1663 01:17:03.920 --> 01:17:05.720 I just felt like our team wasn't built like that. 1664 01:17:06.640 --> 01:17:08.600 Into our guys credit, we've done a way better job 1665 01:17:08.640 --> 01:17:11.760 with our shot selection. Gab including Gabe and what he's done, 1666 01:17:12.520 --> 01:17:14.199 and he's still going to peel out, which I want. 1667 01:17:14.319 --> 01:17:16.279 He needs to get shot. It's just a matter of 1668 01:17:16.319 --> 01:17:17.800 time before he gets out of this slump. 1669 01:17:17.840 --> 01:17:18.560 I just know it. 1670 01:17:18.960 --> 01:17:21.199 And the other night he showed some real signs, went 1671 01:17:21.199 --> 01:17:24.239 to the free throw line eight times seventh grade, made 1672 01:17:24.239 --> 01:17:26.600 a month or shot with under two minutes ago to 1673 01:17:26.600 --> 01:17:29.680 put us up to it's just a matter of time 1674 01:17:29.760 --> 01:17:32.039 with Gabe. And then he just looked like, you know, 1675 01:17:32.119 --> 01:17:34.520 sometimes when you got a you know, a fifth year senior, 1676 01:17:35.439 --> 01:17:37.159 they feel like they got the weight of the world 1677 01:17:37.199 --> 01:17:39.880 on him. Like one of the Gabe's superpowers is he 1678 01:17:39.880 --> 01:17:42.840 can just let things roll right off his shoulders and 1679 01:17:43.399 --> 01:17:47.239 just go play basketball, just go hoop, and just we 1680 01:17:47.239 --> 01:17:49.800 had a really good talk about that last week and 1681 01:17:49.800 --> 01:17:52.880 and he just looked more himself where he's just going 1682 01:17:52.920 --> 01:17:54.760 to play basketball and not playing with the weight of 1683 01:17:54.800 --> 01:17:58.279 the world on his shoulders. So you know, you need 1684 01:17:58.319 --> 01:18:02.439 scores to be aggressive and not overthinking, and it's just 1685 01:18:02.479 --> 01:18:03.600 a matter of time for him. 1686 01:18:03.880 --> 01:18:05.880 So on the other side, and you kind of alluded to, 1687 01:18:06.079 --> 01:18:09.000 my follow up is obviously and we'll just stick with 1688 01:18:09.119 --> 01:18:11.840 the Warriors parallel, even though people online are going to 1689 01:18:11.920 --> 01:18:14.159 yell at me saying I'm comparing Gabe to Seth Curry. 1690 01:18:14.479 --> 01:18:18.119 But ultimately, you know, it's not just about a shooter 1691 01:18:18.359 --> 01:18:22.399 like Gabe and the attention that he mandates. It's also 1692 01:18:22.479 --> 01:18:24.880 the space that that allows your other players because of 1693 01:18:24.920 --> 01:18:25.520 that gravity. 1694 01:18:25.600 --> 01:18:27.439 So how do you take advantage of that? 1695 01:18:27.479 --> 01:18:30.039 Because you referenced that times maybe the shot selection has 1696 01:18:30.079 --> 01:18:32.760 been great. You know Hunter in the BYU game took 1697 01:18:32.760 --> 01:18:35.359 advantage of some space to knock down some big time shots. 1698 01:18:35.720 --> 01:18:39.039 So when Gabe is mandating all this attention and there's 1699 01:18:39.079 --> 01:18:41.319 all this space due to that gravity, how does that 1700 01:18:41.359 --> 01:18:43.199 benefit your team and how do you take advantage of it? 1701 01:18:44.000 --> 01:18:47.039 Oh, it's huge. I mean obviously he is the respect 1702 01:18:47.079 --> 01:18:49.960 of all of our opponents and they're going to put 1703 01:18:50.000 --> 01:18:53.800 their best defender on him every game. Best tournamentter defender 1704 01:18:53.880 --> 01:18:56.720 is on him every game when he comes off of 1705 01:18:56.840 --> 01:19:00.159 ball screen, they're almost always blitzing them or trapping him. 1706 01:19:00.720 --> 01:19:03.720 And so now that creates the scene because on offense, 1707 01:19:03.760 --> 01:19:06.239 when you can get two guys to the ball, you're 1708 01:19:06.239 --> 01:19:09.119 creating an advantage. It's all about advantage disadvantage, and you're 1709 01:19:09.119 --> 01:19:14.079 creating an advantage for your team. And so now you 1710 01:19:14.199 --> 01:19:17.199 got two guys to him, you're playing four against three. 1711 01:19:19.159 --> 01:19:21.479 Once he delivers that ball, whether he pitches it head 1712 01:19:22.159 --> 01:19:24.199 to the next perimeter player or whether he hits the 1713 01:19:24.239 --> 01:19:27.640 short role. Right with the short role is the guy 1714 01:19:27.680 --> 01:19:30.800 that right sets the ball screen and Lovering is an 1715 01:19:30.840 --> 01:19:33.479 elite passer. So when we can get him the ball 1716 01:19:33.479 --> 01:19:36.720 in the short role, that creates a real advantage for 1717 01:19:36.840 --> 01:19:38.560 our offense. Or he throws it back and now we 1718 01:19:38.600 --> 01:19:41.439 can look inside or skip opposite and play. So it 1719 01:19:41.640 --> 01:19:44.960 just creates a real advantage for our team on offense. 1720 01:19:45.000 --> 01:19:46.479 Now he's got to tighten up with the ball, but 1721 01:19:46.520 --> 01:19:51.680 he's become a much better playmaker slash decision maker. Even 1722 01:19:51.920 --> 01:19:54.800 specifically the first half the other night, oh my gosh, 1723 01:19:54.840 --> 01:19:56.600 every time he touched it, they were sending two guys 1724 01:19:56.640 --> 01:19:58.920 to him. Essentially, and he was able to make a 1725 01:19:58.960 --> 01:20:01.760 lot of the right play that led to a lot 1726 01:20:01.760 --> 01:20:04.199 of easy dunks and wide open threes for us. So 1727 01:20:05.319 --> 01:20:08.119 just a threat for him, and it creates spacing, right, uh, 1728 01:20:08.640 --> 01:20:13.039 spacing his offensive spacing and spacing his offense. And if 1729 01:20:13.039 --> 01:20:17.359 you don't have good spacing on the floor, or if 1730 01:20:17.399 --> 01:20:20.760 you can pick a guy or two out there that 1731 01:20:20.800 --> 01:20:23.880 maybe can't stretch the floor, now you don't really have 1732 01:20:23.920 --> 01:20:26.680 to card that guy, and you can really plug up 1733 01:20:26.720 --> 01:20:31.119 the paint. And so he creates advantages just by simply 1734 01:20:31.119 --> 01:20:33.000 being out on the floor. And then the last thing 1735 01:20:33.039 --> 01:20:37.239 I'll say about Gabe, he's such a selfless guy. Two things. 1736 01:20:37.239 --> 01:20:40.319 He's such a selfless guy. All the dude cares about 1737 01:20:40.319 --> 01:20:42.720 his winning. He just wants to win, doesn't care of it. 1738 01:20:42.960 --> 01:20:45.279 You know, he could. He had a lot of opportunities 1739 01:20:45.800 --> 01:20:49.159 to go other places for more money over the summer. 1740 01:20:49.680 --> 01:20:51.640 And he's like, coach, I am a runningue. This is 1741 01:20:51.640 --> 01:20:54.840 where I want to be right this He's changed my life. 1742 01:20:54.960 --> 01:20:56.840 I love being here, I love living here, I love 1743 01:20:56.880 --> 01:20:59.479 playing in this program, I love playing for you, on 1744 01:20:59.479 --> 01:21:01.680 and on and on, and I think it says a 1745 01:21:01.720 --> 01:21:04.319 lot about the guy. All the guys on our team 1746 01:21:04.359 --> 01:21:09.000 respect him. It's such detail, but he impacts winning just 1747 01:21:09.000 --> 01:21:10.640 by being out on the floor. And he's such a 1748 01:21:10.640 --> 01:21:14.680 good mover without the ball constantly moving, which frees up 1749 01:21:14.720 --> 01:21:15.920 everybody else on the floor. 1750 01:21:16.359 --> 01:21:19.560 So I referenced the BYU game. I was there with 1751 01:21:19.640 --> 01:21:22.720 some family. It was just man. You know, I was 1752 01:21:22.760 --> 01:21:24.840 a student at the U, And I told you, Craig, 1753 01:21:24.880 --> 01:21:26.840 the first time I interviewed you after you took the job, 1754 01:21:26.840 --> 01:21:28.439 I was not going to bring up Rick Majerius every 1755 01:21:28.439 --> 01:21:29.239 time you came on the show. 1756 01:21:29.279 --> 01:21:30.239 So I'm not going to do that. 1757 01:21:30.520 --> 01:21:32.239 You did tell me that, but you can't get I'm 1758 01:21:32.279 --> 01:21:32.720 used to it. 1759 01:21:33.159 --> 01:21:33.960 But I'll just say this. 1760 01:21:34.039 --> 01:21:36.159 I mean, when I was a student in the late nineties, 1761 01:21:36.199 --> 01:21:39.199 we planned our weeks around basketball games, and the BYU 1762 01:21:39.279 --> 01:21:42.600 crowd for the first time, in my opinion, felt like 1763 01:21:42.680 --> 01:21:44.840 I was back in school, you know, twenty twenty five 1764 01:21:44.920 --> 01:21:48.239 years ago. And you said after the game, fans impact winning, 1765 01:21:48.640 --> 01:21:52.039 and you are absolutely correct. So give me your thoughts 1766 01:21:52.079 --> 01:21:54.560 on what it was like that night in the building 1767 01:21:54.600 --> 01:21:56.159 to feel it like that, and what it would mean 1768 01:21:56.239 --> 01:21:58.600 your program if we could get that going more often 1769 01:21:58.640 --> 01:21:58.880 than not. 1770 01:22:00.920 --> 01:22:03.000 Well, I mean a ton and like, listen, we all 1771 01:22:03.039 --> 01:22:06.439 have responsibility. I have a responsibility as head coach. Like 1772 01:22:06.600 --> 01:22:09.079 I think we have a very exciting brand of basketball 1773 01:22:09.119 --> 01:22:11.880 to watch. I think we have a lot of just 1774 01:22:12.039 --> 01:22:15.920 great people in our program. But also no fans want 1775 01:22:16.199 --> 01:22:20.279 like sustained success and to win. And you know that 1776 01:22:20.439 --> 01:22:22.560 night and there's and there's been some of those nights. 1777 01:22:22.560 --> 01:22:24.319 I mean, of course last year with Uyu as well, 1778 01:22:24.359 --> 01:22:27.119 and they were ranked when we played by forget top ten, 1779 01:22:27.159 --> 01:22:30.960 top fifteen, when we beat Arizona, Arizona's ranked number four 1780 01:22:30.960 --> 01:22:33.560 in the country a couple of years ago. That was 1781 01:22:33.600 --> 01:22:36.560 a really good crowd. And that was I think the 1782 01:22:36.640 --> 01:22:39.680 night before our football team played in the Bowl Championship 1783 01:22:39.720 --> 01:22:42.359 in Las Vegas. But fans impact winning. I don't care 1784 01:22:42.399 --> 01:22:45.680 what anyone says. Like players got to go make the plays, 1785 01:22:45.840 --> 01:22:49.239 coaches got to put guys in the right position, recruit 1786 01:22:49.760 --> 01:22:53.239 you know, championship level players. Right, there's a lot of 1787 01:22:53.279 --> 01:22:57.239 facets that go into everybody impacts winning and so but 1788 01:22:57.319 --> 01:22:59.680 when you come into an arena and I remember I 1789 01:22:59.680 --> 01:23:02.000 was in a in the Big ten, the Big Ten. 1790 01:23:02.560 --> 01:23:05.800 I'll never forget this stat the Big Ten at that time, 1791 01:23:05.920 --> 01:23:07.640 I don't know where this is like ten years ago, 1792 01:23:08.439 --> 01:23:12.720 for I think it was twenty six straight years led 1793 01:23:12.760 --> 01:23:18.079 the country in attendance. And guess what they also for 1794 01:23:18.159 --> 01:23:21.279 like twenty five of those twenty six years had the 1795 01:23:21.319 --> 01:23:26.520 best home winning percentage within league play, within league play 1796 01:23:27.039 --> 01:23:30.880 in the country. So, like, what's Big ten country, Well, 1797 01:23:31.000 --> 01:23:33.720 it's cold, it's born in the north, right, there's not 1798 01:23:33.760 --> 01:23:35.760 a lot of crazy, you know, things to do because 1799 01:23:35.760 --> 01:23:37.680 people want to be inside. So what they do they 1800 01:23:37.680 --> 01:23:41.199 go to sporting events, like guys, so they do. And 1801 01:23:42.840 --> 01:23:46.880 so this those road environments and now being in the 1802 01:23:46.880 --> 01:23:49.520 Big twelve and it's early for us. But we started 1803 01:23:49.520 --> 01:23:52.079 at Baylor, right, and they did a promotion they give 1804 01:23:52.159 --> 01:23:55.479 up five thousand free tickets and it was packed because 1805 01:23:55.520 --> 01:23:58.720 their football team was playing their bowl game that day 1806 01:23:58.960 --> 01:24:02.880 December thirty. First, then we played at Iowa State. Oh 1807 01:24:02.880 --> 01:24:05.680 my gosh, that place is electric, right, And then it 1808 01:24:05.720 --> 01:24:08.960 was that TFU not quite you know, but it was 1809 01:24:08.960 --> 01:24:12.199 still a good home court and we played well that night, 1810 01:24:12.239 --> 01:24:17.880 and one at Houston electric. Right. So we've played some 1811 01:24:18.039 --> 01:24:21.880 very tough conference road games and that night specifically when 1812 01:24:21.920 --> 01:24:25.119 we played when we be BYU, Oh my gosh, Like 1813 01:24:25.159 --> 01:24:27.000 those are our guys who remember that the rest of 1814 01:24:27.039 --> 01:24:29.680 the life. That was the sixth biggest crowd in the 1815 01:24:29.720 --> 01:24:33.199 history of the Huntsmon Center, and so it was awesome. 1816 01:24:33.520 --> 01:24:36.920 Your players feel it. They feel the energy, they feel 1817 01:24:36.960 --> 01:24:40.640 the passion, they feel the caring, like there's a lot 1818 01:24:40.680 --> 01:24:43.640 that goes into it. And so you know, we got 1819 01:24:43.640 --> 01:24:46.119 to do our part. It helps to win, there's no 1820 01:24:46.159 --> 01:24:49.800 doubt about that. But we do have an excellent brand 1821 01:24:49.840 --> 01:24:54.000 of basketball. You know, we're top for most of the season, 1822 01:24:54.000 --> 01:24:56.319 we've been one or two and assists. We really share 1823 01:24:56.359 --> 01:24:58.399 the ball, I think now number six or number seven 1824 01:24:58.880 --> 01:25:02.159 in the country. So we have players that are willing 1825 01:25:02.199 --> 01:25:06.039 to sacrifice and play shared basketball and connected basketball. And 1826 01:25:06.199 --> 01:25:09.000 we all know this state is an amazing basketball state. 1827 01:25:09.079 --> 01:25:12.239 The fans are passionate and you can look up and down, 1828 01:25:13.760 --> 01:25:16.479 whether it's you know Utah State, Utah v YU, go 1829 01:25:16.520 --> 01:25:19.239 all the way like it's like people love basketball in 1830 01:25:19.239 --> 01:25:22.479 this state. And so, but they impact winning in a 1831 01:25:22.520 --> 01:25:25.560 great way. It becomes a huge home court advantage and 1832 01:25:25.600 --> 01:25:29.279 it can be daunting. It can be very daunting when 1833 01:25:29.279 --> 01:25:32.600 you're an opponent coming in because they see the games, 1834 01:25:32.640 --> 01:25:35.920 whether they're watching them lit or through the coaches clips 1835 01:25:35.960 --> 01:25:41.239 that they show. It can be a very daunting experience 1836 01:25:41.359 --> 01:25:44.800 and it really tests your metal, your discipline, your toughness, 1837 01:25:44.840 --> 01:25:48.239 and so you know, that's what we envision, that's what 1838 01:25:48.279 --> 01:25:50.039 we'd like to do. There's a lot of things that 1839 01:25:50.159 --> 01:25:53.800 go into it, but fans impact winning without questions. 1840 01:25:53.880 --> 01:25:55.279 I know you got to go. So if you want 1841 01:25:55.279 --> 01:25:57.279 to be super quick with this question, be super quick. 1842 01:25:57.319 --> 01:25:58.920 But it was the one I wanted to. I want 1843 01:25:58.920 --> 01:26:01.800 it to end with because there are pieces Craig on 1844 01:26:01.840 --> 01:26:04.560 this roster, and it seems like every night I watch 1845 01:26:04.640 --> 01:26:07.279 it's like, oh, Keanu just showed me something I hadn't 1846 01:26:07.319 --> 01:26:10.239 seen before, or maybe myro little needs to get more run, 1847 01:26:10.359 --> 01:26:13.680 or while Lean's down the starting like and then Ezra 1848 01:26:13.800 --> 01:26:16.840 has really evolved. I mean that BYU performance was incredible. 1849 01:26:17.880 --> 01:26:21.680 Are you close to landing on your preferred rotation or 1850 01:26:21.920 --> 01:26:24.159 just is it going to continue to be just like 1851 01:26:24.600 --> 01:26:26.600 whatever the night needs and you're going to continue to 1852 01:26:26.640 --> 01:26:28.960 kind of tinker and and just kind of go from there. 1853 01:26:30.159 --> 01:26:32.439 Well, you know, it's a great question, very fair. I 1854 01:26:33.680 --> 01:26:38.000 feel like we're very very sound on our top seven guys. 1855 01:26:38.239 --> 01:26:41.159 You know, since we won four out of six for 1856 01:26:41.239 --> 01:26:45.439 the most we've been pretty steady with who we're playing now, 1857 01:26:45.479 --> 01:26:48.720 there's certainly been you know, the Houston game, guys got 1858 01:26:48.720 --> 01:26:50.760 out of kind of got out of hand. After a while. 1859 01:26:50.800 --> 01:26:52.960 We had a couple of one guy specifically i'd heard, 1860 01:26:53.039 --> 01:26:56.920 so we kind of rotated some things and and and 1861 01:26:57.039 --> 01:26:58.880 then it got to a point where it's like, you know, 1862 01:26:58.960 --> 01:27:01.840 you're playing some guys that just like Katie's young, Jake's young. 1863 01:27:01.880 --> 01:27:04.479 It's easy forget those guys are early sophomore. Yeah, so 1864 01:27:04.800 --> 01:27:07.880 especially Jake doesn't have a crazy amount of game experience. 1865 01:27:08.119 --> 01:27:10.039 You know, Miro little doesn't have a crazy amount of 1866 01:27:10.079 --> 01:27:14.680 game experience. So you know, Ezra is really starting to 1867 01:27:14.680 --> 01:27:18.560 grow into his own and figure some things out. And 1868 01:27:18.600 --> 01:27:21.119 so I feel very good about you know, where we're 1869 01:27:21.159 --> 01:27:24.159 at with our uh. I guess you could say top seven. 1870 01:27:25.119 --> 01:27:27.960 You know. The other night we played a little bit different. 1871 01:27:28.039 --> 01:27:30.319 Lovering has been in some foul trouble here last you know, 1872 01:27:30.399 --> 01:27:32.279 a few games, so we've had to kind of negotiate 1873 01:27:32.359 --> 01:27:35.359 that a little bit. The other night, Ezra had an 1874 01:27:35.399 --> 01:27:38.520 amazing first half, had some constantly turnovers, and then he 1875 01:27:38.560 --> 01:27:40.640 got his fourth file with about ten minutes to play, 1876 01:27:40.680 --> 01:27:43.159 so we took him out. But then, you know, Keanu 1877 01:27:43.279 --> 01:27:45.560 was playing so great and Jake was playing really well, 1878 01:27:46.039 --> 01:27:47.920 so it's kind of like, hey, you got to ride 1879 01:27:47.920 --> 01:27:49.840 those guys, you know, and those guys are good players. 1880 01:27:50.359 --> 01:27:53.319 So I'm excited. I think we're finally kind of getting 1881 01:27:53.359 --> 01:27:57.520 our footing, so to speak, with our role definition, who's 1882 01:27:57.520 --> 01:28:02.239 doing what what what pieces seem to gel better with 1883 01:28:02.279 --> 01:28:05.840 each other, who plays well off one another, and then 1884 01:28:06.039 --> 01:28:07.560 and then there's some things we still got to figure 1885 01:28:07.560 --> 01:28:09.920 out with a couple of spots, so to speak, and 1886 01:28:09.960 --> 01:28:13.439 find consistency so we know exactly what we're going to get, 1887 01:28:13.760 --> 01:28:15.399 you know, on a day to day basis. 1888 01:28:15.760 --> 01:28:17.840 Sounds good. Well, thanks so much for the time. Best 1889 01:28:17.880 --> 01:28:20.119 of luck in league play. I think it's been a 1890 01:28:20.119 --> 01:28:21.920 pleasant surprise for a lot of people to see you 1891 01:28:21.920 --> 01:28:23.319 get the wins you've been getting, and you got some 1892 01:28:23.359 --> 01:28:25.560 winnable ones coming out, Craig, So save travels and we'll 1893 01:28:25.600 --> 01:28:26.560 chat toom. 1894 01:28:27.000 --> 01:28:29.319 Thanks for having me on, Spance. I always appreciate your time. 1895 01:28:29.479 --> 01:28:33.039 He's the pride of Norwich, Connecticut and an adopted son 1896 01:28:33.119 --> 01:28:36.479 of Salt Lake City. After forty years with the Utah Jazz, 1897 01:28:36.840 --> 01:28:40.439 there's no one better to talk some hoops. Richard Smitty 1898 01:28:40.520 --> 01:28:44.319 Smith is back on the Drive on ESPN seven hundred. 1899 01:28:45.119 --> 01:28:48.279 Well, he lives, he lives. It's been way too long. 1900 01:28:48.880 --> 01:28:51.039 I thought he'd ditched us. I thought he decided that 1901 01:28:51.159 --> 01:28:54.079 he was done with the media portion of his long 1902 01:28:54.159 --> 01:28:59.520 and prosperous, well decorated career. But after weeks and weeks 1903 01:28:59.560 --> 01:29:02.159 and weeks broad with a little sunshine on the Ocean, 1904 01:29:03.119 --> 01:29:06.479 Richard Smith has triumphantly returned live in studio for the 1905 01:29:06.479 --> 01:29:09.359 next hour. You look tanned, you look rested, You look 1906 01:29:09.479 --> 01:29:10.800 twenty five years younger. 1907 01:29:11.199 --> 01:29:12.319 Really, where you been, man? 1908 01:29:12.479 --> 01:29:12.720 Really? 1909 01:29:12.760 --> 01:29:13.239 Where you've been? 1910 01:29:13.600 --> 01:29:15.800 First of First of all, I don't know what Porter 1911 01:29:15.960 --> 01:29:18.039 is doing with this with this intro. 1912 01:29:18.439 --> 01:29:21.279 Is that Johnny Cash? Is that old old Johnny Cash? 1913 01:29:21.319 --> 01:29:24.319 That was uh there was you two with Johnny Cash? 1914 01:29:24.520 --> 01:29:25.720 Oh, yeah, the Wanderer. 1915 01:29:25.800 --> 01:29:26.039 It was. 1916 01:29:28.399 --> 01:29:30.119 Appropriate, It's it's appropriated. 1917 01:29:30.399 --> 01:29:30.960 It was a reach. 1918 01:29:31.319 --> 01:29:33.800 Yeah, No, I think it was perfect. Where are you doing, man? 1919 01:29:33.800 --> 01:29:35.199 Where you been? What's going on? Man? 1920 01:29:35.319 --> 01:29:37.359 No, I've been out of out of town spends. We 1921 01:29:37.399 --> 01:29:39.960 had a great, uh great cruise in the in the 1922 01:29:40.039 --> 01:29:42.880 Caribbean for a few weeks. I had a terrific time 1923 01:29:43.640 --> 01:29:46.880 and it was nice to see sunshine in eighty degrees 1924 01:29:47.039 --> 01:29:49.079 and and you know, One of the best parts of 1925 01:29:49.119 --> 01:29:52.159 having a trip like that is, uh, is every now 1926 01:29:52.199 --> 01:29:55.960 and then you're you're sitting near the pool, You're sitting 1927 01:29:56.039 --> 01:29:58.640 up in the sunshine. You look at your phone and 1928 01:29:58.720 --> 01:30:01.600 you get on the weather app and says Salt Lake 1929 01:30:02.159 --> 01:30:03.520 snowing and twenty three. 1930 01:30:03.600 --> 01:30:03.760 Yeah. 1931 01:30:03.800 --> 01:30:06.000 Now you just rubbing it in and you're not endearing 1932 01:30:06.079 --> 01:30:07.319 yourself to anyone around here. 1933 01:30:07.600 --> 01:30:09.399 This is why I'm doing that. 1934 01:30:09.479 --> 01:30:10.279 Yeah. 1935 01:30:10.359 --> 01:30:13.720 Now, Now the flip side is you get off the 1936 01:30:13.800 --> 01:30:16.119 ship to go to the airport to come home, and 1937 01:30:16.159 --> 01:30:18.800 you said, what am I doing? Why am I? Why 1938 01:30:18.840 --> 01:30:21.720 am I going back to do this? I don't know, 1939 01:30:21.800 --> 01:30:26.239 but for me it was because I missed the Spence 1940 01:30:26.560 --> 01:30:31.000 check Its show on the Drive with Porter Larson, and 1941 01:30:31.000 --> 01:30:33.399 and my I was I had to get back here 1942 01:30:33.479 --> 01:30:36.600 because I was getting a little anxious. I was starting 1943 01:30:36.600 --> 01:30:39.279 to twitch a little bit. And uh, but here I 1944 01:30:39.359 --> 01:30:42.720 am here, I am back with you. So everything's normal, 1945 01:30:42.800 --> 01:30:45.720 everything's calm and and and we're back to it. 1946 01:30:45.880 --> 01:30:47.880 So you expect me to believe the only reason you 1947 01:30:48.000 --> 01:30:50.640 left the Caribbean the warm weather so you could come, 1948 01:30:50.960 --> 01:30:52.319 you know, slepping on air with me. 1949 01:30:54.039 --> 01:30:57.800 I have no other reason to do it but to 1950 01:30:57.880 --> 01:31:01.000 come back and talk to you. So this is it, 1951 01:31:01.119 --> 01:31:04.479 and we can talk about the jazz and the trade 1952 01:31:04.520 --> 01:31:08.399 deadline and all the other and and and maybe even 1953 01:31:08.439 --> 01:31:11.720 get in a vote to vote for what the name 1954 01:31:11.760 --> 01:31:14.840 of the hockey team is supposed to, because I'm so I'm. 1955 01:31:14.680 --> 01:31:17.000 So engrossed in that, I can't believe it. 1956 01:31:17.079 --> 01:31:18.640 Do you have? Okay, let's start there. 1957 01:31:18.760 --> 01:31:21.960 Porter and I educated the people yesterday, mostly Porter because 1958 01:31:21.960 --> 01:31:25.000 he loves the genealogy on the fact that Utah actually 1959 01:31:25.079 --> 01:31:28.199 does have a very rich history when it comes to Outlaws. 1960 01:31:28.600 --> 01:31:31.479 Of course, Order's third cousin is Jesse James or Butch 1961 01:31:31.560 --> 01:31:35.199 Cassidy or who is it again, it's but Cassidy. There 1962 01:31:35.199 --> 01:31:37.079 you go, Yeah, no, I do. Now it's turning into 1963 01:31:37.079 --> 01:31:39.600 a bit so. Butch Cassidy is literally Porter's third cousin. 1964 01:31:39.680 --> 01:31:42.880 He has tremendous knowledge of Outlaws in the past. So 1965 01:31:42.960 --> 01:31:45.439 we have the Outlaws, we have the Mammoth, and we 1966 01:31:45.520 --> 01:31:47.840 have my preferred name, which is the name they already have, 1967 01:31:47.920 --> 01:31:50.119 which is the Utah Hockey Club. I think it's classy. 1968 01:31:50.159 --> 01:31:52.640 I think it's clean. I don't think it's corny. I 1969 01:31:52.680 --> 01:31:55.560 don't need an abominable snowman as a mascot. So I 1970 01:31:55.720 --> 01:31:58.439 like the current version, but I'm kind of out an island. 1971 01:31:58.520 --> 01:32:01.119 What do you think? Well, first of all, I'm wondering 1972 01:32:03.359 --> 01:32:06.560 any any other hockey fan around the country, anybody who's 1973 01:32:06.600 --> 01:32:10.720 involved in the NHL, would they accept a team that's 1974 01:32:10.760 --> 01:32:16.520 called the Utah Outlaws relative to what most people's view 1975 01:32:16.760 --> 01:32:22.000 of the state of Utah is around conservatism and the LDS, 1976 01:32:22.159 --> 01:32:25.840 church and and whatever whatever, clean cut people and. 1977 01:32:25.840 --> 01:32:26.800 All that kind of stuff. 1978 01:32:27.119 --> 01:32:30.319 And then they're sitting there in North Carolina or Florida 1979 01:32:30.399 --> 01:32:33.359 or wherever, and they're going now they name their team 1980 01:32:33.520 --> 01:32:36.479 the Outlaws. The Utah oh am, I supposed to believe 1981 01:32:36.520 --> 01:32:38.479 that the Utah Outlaws. 1982 01:32:38.039 --> 01:32:40.039 Well, we have a team named the Jazz, and we 1983 01:32:40.039 --> 01:32:41.760 don't have any jazz music in the city. 1984 01:32:41.880 --> 01:32:42.439 You got that. 1985 01:32:42.720 --> 01:32:44.600 There's nowhere you can go to listen to jazz and 1986 01:32:44.640 --> 01:32:46.960 saut lake. Yet our basketball team is the Jazz, I know, 1987 01:32:47.680 --> 01:32:48.479 or you know. 1988 01:32:48.560 --> 01:32:51.439 The one that's the most egregious to me, Spencer never 1989 01:32:51.560 --> 01:32:54.560 gets mentioned is the Los Angeles Lakers. 1990 01:32:54.560 --> 01:32:57.199 Sure exactly, you know and so but you. 1991 01:32:57.159 --> 01:33:01.279 Know obviously, But having said all that, I I'm with you. 1992 01:33:01.359 --> 01:33:03.840 I'm in your camp one hundred percent. I said this 1993 01:33:04.039 --> 01:33:07.920 back back when whenever, and I still I'm still in 1994 01:33:07.960 --> 01:33:11.039 that camp that if I had a vote, which obviously 1995 01:33:11.079 --> 01:33:15.640 I don't, I would be voting for Utah Hockey Club. 1996 01:33:15.720 --> 01:33:18.039 I love it that it's it's nice and clean, and 1997 01:33:18.119 --> 01:33:21.680 I like the logos they've gotten, the color scheme and everything. 1998 01:33:21.760 --> 01:33:24.199 And I don't know, I've heard you say this before, 1999 01:33:24.239 --> 01:33:27.199 and I'm and I'm in complete agreement with you for 2000 01:33:27.199 --> 01:33:30.000 for once in a while, that makes me feel good 2001 01:33:30.039 --> 01:33:34.520 that the that they seem to me to be overthinking 2002 01:33:35.000 --> 01:33:36.479 the whole process, you know. 2003 01:33:36.720 --> 01:33:38.079 So no, I'm with you. 2004 01:33:38.239 --> 01:33:41.199 And if you go to the next two home games 2005 01:33:41.199 --> 01:33:43.760 for the Utah Hockey Club starting to not against Columbus, 2006 01:33:44.439 --> 01:33:46.640 you can go through the exercise where you can pretend 2007 01:33:46.720 --> 01:33:50.039 to vote on this situation and simply give your data 2008 01:33:50.079 --> 01:33:51.760 to qual Tricks. And they're gonna do whatever they want 2009 01:33:51.760 --> 01:33:54.399 behind the scenes anyway. But they are presenting the facade 2010 01:33:54.399 --> 01:33:57.319 of a fan vote. It's not a real thing. But 2011 01:33:57.359 --> 01:33:59.359 we'll see, we'll see. It's been fun to have the 2012 01:33:59.359 --> 01:34:01.479 hockey team said, the kid was in town the other 2013 01:34:01.560 --> 01:34:04.399 night scoring a game winning overtime goal. 2014 01:34:04.199 --> 01:34:06.399 And you know, we're not gonna do a lot of hockey. 2015 01:34:06.439 --> 01:34:08.680 But I do find myself, you know, could she kind 2016 01:34:08.680 --> 01:34:10.399 of laugh and shake in my head when the Rangers 2017 01:34:10.399 --> 01:34:12.279 coming to town, or the Blues coming to town, or 2018 01:34:12.680 --> 01:34:15.680 Alex Ovechkin is here, Sidney Crosby is here, Like, it 2019 01:34:15.800 --> 01:34:18.199 is pretty remarkable that they were able to get this 2020 01:34:18.279 --> 01:34:20.000 thing done with only a few months turn around. 2021 01:34:20.039 --> 01:34:22.920 Well, that's that's the miracle. Spence and and Ryan Smith 2022 01:34:22.960 --> 01:34:26.680 and his group at SEG like how they came to 2023 01:34:26.680 --> 01:34:30.960 an agreement with the NHL from from March, putting in 2024 01:34:31.079 --> 01:34:34.359 a a letter of intent that they wanted to try 2025 01:34:34.359 --> 01:34:37.439 and purchase an expansion team at some point to the 2026 01:34:37.479 --> 01:34:40.760 next month in April, with Gary Bettman coming to Ryan 2027 01:34:40.800 --> 01:34:42.880 Smith saying, hey, can you uh do you want to 2028 01:34:42.920 --> 01:34:45.680 get involved like next Tuesday? And they go, what what 2029 01:34:45.720 --> 01:34:48.359 are you talking about? And the Arizona team comes here 2030 01:34:48.680 --> 01:34:50.760 and bing bang boom, they're they're in the middle of 2031 01:34:50.760 --> 01:34:53.119 a season this year with with all of that, that 2032 01:34:53.279 --> 01:34:57.199 to me is is nothing short of a miracle of 2033 01:34:57.359 --> 01:34:59.640 just getting it off the ground and getting it going 2034 01:34:59.760 --> 01:35:01.960 and all the stuff they've had to do, all the 2035 01:35:02.000 --> 01:35:04.720 people who I know behind the scenes over there at 2036 01:35:04.760 --> 01:35:08.279 the Delta Center who have scrambled and done the very 2037 01:35:08.319 --> 01:35:10.399 best they can to get this thing going, and the 2038 01:35:10.399 --> 01:35:14.159 fans are responding, and the team is competitive and all 2039 01:35:14.199 --> 01:35:15.039 this kind of stuff. 2040 01:35:15.039 --> 01:35:18.319 It's just it really is a marvel that they've gotten. 2041 01:35:18.079 --> 01:35:20.159 It to this point so quickly, and you have to 2042 01:35:20.159 --> 01:35:22.199 give them a lot of kudos for that. 2043 01:35:22.479 --> 01:35:23.319 No doubt, no doubt. 2044 01:35:23.319 --> 01:35:26.319 All Right, since you and I last spoke, several interesting 2045 01:35:26.399 --> 01:35:29.880 scenarios haven't folded, not just in Jazz Land, but in 2046 01:35:29.920 --> 01:35:32.960 the world of pro basketball. You know, you were one 2047 01:35:32.960 --> 01:35:34.640 of the first people I thought of when the alert 2048 01:35:34.680 --> 01:35:36.520 came down on my phone that the Jazz had made 2049 01:35:36.560 --> 01:35:39.520 a trade. Now players are not involved, but it's an 2050 01:35:39.520 --> 01:35:43.560 interesting thing to consider. There are six teams smitty in 2051 01:35:43.640 --> 01:35:47.800 pro basketball that own a tremendous amount of draft capital 2052 01:35:48.199 --> 01:35:50.279 moving forward over the next five to six to seven drafts. 2053 01:35:50.600 --> 01:35:56.600 Ok See, Oklahoma City's at the top, San Antonio, It's Utah, 2054 01:35:56.960 --> 01:35:58.760 It's Brooklyn, and. 2055 01:35:59.039 --> 01:35:59.920 I think it's Detroit. 2056 01:36:00.079 --> 01:36:02.840 Maybe there's one other team that has So there are 2057 01:36:02.880 --> 01:36:07.159 six teams total. They control multiple picks throughout the course 2058 01:36:07.199 --> 01:36:09.199 of the next five to six to seven drafts. 2059 01:36:09.199 --> 01:36:11.359 So let's dig into the deal. 2060 01:36:11.479 --> 01:36:13.239 Then let's talk about whether or not you think this 2061 01:36:13.279 --> 01:36:16.359 is going to become commonplace. So Utah sends three picks, 2062 01:36:16.920 --> 01:36:20.520 three first round picks to Phoenix. All three picks are 2063 01:36:20.520 --> 01:36:25.079 the least favorable of their picks, Minnesota's pick and Cleveland's picks. 2064 01:36:25.119 --> 01:36:28.039 So they obviously have done their calculation on the Cavs certainly, 2065 01:36:28.079 --> 01:36:30.479 and they've said this year that's going to be twenty 2066 01:36:30.560 --> 01:36:32.680 nine to thirty. Two years from now, they're probably going 2067 01:36:32.720 --> 01:36:34.760 to be really good. Then four years from now, nobody 2068 01:36:34.800 --> 01:36:37.640 really knows, but the least favorable of all three might 2069 01:36:37.680 --> 01:36:40.279 be in the twenties as well. So they're saying, like, okay, 2070 01:36:40.319 --> 01:36:43.000 we're sending three picks to Phoenix that we think are 2071 01:36:43.000 --> 01:36:45.680 going to be, you know, not necessarily great value in 2072 01:36:45.720 --> 01:36:48.560 the late twenties. On the off chance that in twenty 2073 01:36:48.600 --> 01:36:51.880 thirty one, Bookers in his thirties, Durant's probably in a 2074 01:36:51.920 --> 01:36:54.479 retirement home, Beal's done anyway, in the off chance that 2075 01:36:54.560 --> 01:36:58.000 Phoenix is pivoting and rebuilding in twenty thirty one, we'll 2076 01:36:58.039 --> 01:37:00.560 take that chance. So we'll trade you three assets for 2077 01:37:00.600 --> 01:37:03.680 one that we perceive to be as worth the risk, 2078 01:37:03.960 --> 01:37:06.680 I guess I'll say, so break this down for us, 2079 01:37:06.680 --> 01:37:08.159 and do you think this is something we're going to 2080 01:37:08.199 --> 01:37:10.680 see in pro basketball moving forward with all these teams 2081 01:37:10.680 --> 01:37:11.439 with so many picks. 2082 01:37:11.640 --> 01:37:14.399 Yeah, and and and you're exactly right. And the reason 2083 01:37:14.439 --> 01:37:16.600 you do that, the reason you have, you know, this 2084 01:37:16.720 --> 01:37:20.960 famous phrase of assets accumulation is because you're trying to 2085 01:37:21.000 --> 01:37:25.680 get as many many chips in the pile if you will, 2086 01:37:26.079 --> 01:37:28.760 uh that you can. And then when something like this 2087 01:37:28.880 --> 01:37:32.039 comes up, and we've talked about this before on the show, 2088 01:37:32.680 --> 01:37:36.239 you never know. You can control some things within your 2089 01:37:36.279 --> 01:37:38.800 your purview of how you want to do things, who 2090 01:37:38.840 --> 01:37:40.920 you want to take in the draft, how you want 2091 01:37:40.960 --> 01:37:42.359 if you want to move up in the draft and 2092 01:37:42.359 --> 01:37:43.640 move down, whatever it. 2093 01:37:43.520 --> 01:37:45.479 Is, sign a free agent, those kind of things. 2094 01:37:45.800 --> 01:37:49.760 But then there are other things that that affect your 2095 01:37:50.000 --> 01:37:53.760 organization along the way that you have no control of 2096 01:37:53.920 --> 01:37:57.119 that just come at you and you have to be 2097 01:37:57.279 --> 01:38:00.119 ready to be able to react in a way that 2098 01:38:00.199 --> 01:38:04.239 you feel can benefit your organization. And this is one 2099 01:38:04.279 --> 01:38:07.600 of those times. So the Jazz accumulated a bunch of 2100 01:38:07.680 --> 01:38:11.199 draft picks over a bunch of years. You know, when 2101 01:38:11.239 --> 01:38:13.079 are they going to use them, How are they going 2102 01:38:13.159 --> 01:38:16.479 to use them? Who are those picks gonna be? You know, 2103 01:38:16.600 --> 01:38:18.680 some people look at it. Go boy, we got like 2104 01:38:18.720 --> 01:38:21.960 three draft picks in the first round in a year, 2105 01:38:22.399 --> 01:38:24.760 you know, five years from now, where the kid we're 2106 01:38:24.800 --> 01:38:27.600 gonna pick right now is in seventh grade or whatever, 2107 01:38:27.680 --> 01:38:30.039 you know. And it's so it's like that part of 2108 01:38:30.079 --> 01:38:33.640 it is goofy, But you have those in place in 2109 01:38:33.800 --> 01:38:36.520 case something like this comes about. 2110 01:38:36.560 --> 01:38:37.279 So what happens. 2111 01:38:37.640 --> 01:38:41.880 Phoenix is desperately trying to figure out a way to 2112 01:38:41.960 --> 01:38:46.479 get Jimmy Butler from Miami. The big roadblock is because 2113 01:38:46.520 --> 01:38:50.119 of Bradley Beal, who is the most tradeable ASCID or 2114 01:38:50.119 --> 01:38:52.119 at least the one that they would like to be 2115 01:38:52.159 --> 01:38:55.039 able to move, who has no trade clause, which is 2116 01:38:55.239 --> 01:38:59.039 very unusual in the NBA. Very few players get that 2117 01:38:59.119 --> 01:39:02.680 in their contract. But that was something he negotiated when 2118 01:39:02.720 --> 01:39:05.600 he was in Washington. Why they would do that, who knows, 2119 01:39:05.640 --> 01:39:08.560 but that was a decision they made. Now Phoenix has 2120 01:39:08.640 --> 01:39:11.119 it and they have to deal with it. So they're 2121 01:39:11.159 --> 01:39:14.279 trying to figure out a way to move Bradley Beal. Well, 2122 01:39:14.319 --> 01:39:17.640 they have to have some other assets because Phoenix has 2123 01:39:17.720 --> 01:39:23.359 backed themselves into a corner so deep with their roster construction. 2124 01:39:23.840 --> 01:39:27.640 They have no draft picks to speak of. They have 2125 01:39:27.920 --> 01:39:31.680 nowhere to move. This is what they built. They went 2126 01:39:31.840 --> 01:39:35.239 all in on this group, and this group showed last 2127 01:39:35.319 --> 01:39:38.319 year they get beaten the first round by Minnesota. 2128 01:39:38.880 --> 01:39:40.760 This year, they're struggling to just. 2129 01:39:41.520 --> 01:39:43.840 Hopefully get out of the playing thing if they can 2130 01:39:43.880 --> 01:39:45.000 get in the top six. 2131 01:39:45.359 --> 01:39:47.800 But that's not what they're supposed to do. 2132 01:39:47.840 --> 01:39:50.680 They believe they're supposed to be one of the top two, 2133 01:39:50.760 --> 01:39:53.840 three four teams in the West. It's not working out 2134 01:39:53.920 --> 01:39:57.319 to this point in time. So they're struggling like, Okay, 2135 01:39:57.359 --> 01:39:59.960 now what do we do? So they the only thing 2136 01:40:00.119 --> 01:40:02.920 they can figure out at that moment is can we 2137 01:40:03.039 --> 01:40:05.760 use an asset way in the future, meaning the twenty 2138 01:40:05.880 --> 01:40:10.560 thirty one unprotected first round pick, and get multiple assets 2139 01:40:10.600 --> 01:40:14.399 for that. The Jazz are waiting in the weeds. They 2140 01:40:14.439 --> 01:40:17.680 come up, they raise their hand in the classroom. Yeah, 2141 01:40:17.760 --> 01:40:21.800 we have three draft picks. We'll trade you, and Phoenix goes, okay, 2142 01:40:21.840 --> 01:40:25.079 three for one. Okay, we'll do that. So the Jazz figure, Okay, 2143 01:40:25.079 --> 01:40:27.920 we've got all these picks, that's why we have them, 2144 01:40:28.039 --> 01:40:30.479 so we can roll it into something else so we 2145 01:40:30.560 --> 01:40:31.399 think might. 2146 01:40:31.279 --> 01:40:35.079 Be more valuable way down the road. Will it be? 2147 01:40:35.720 --> 01:40:38.920 We have no idea, is it something we might use 2148 01:40:39.800 --> 01:40:43.800 two years from now in another move, we might do that, 2149 01:40:44.079 --> 01:40:46.319 but we've got something we feel is a little more 2150 01:40:46.399 --> 01:40:49.520 valuable than what we have right now. Phoenix is in 2151 01:40:49.560 --> 01:40:52.920 a position where they need multiple assets to try and 2152 01:40:53.319 --> 01:40:57.560 get someone else in their trade scenario with Butler and 2153 01:40:57.640 --> 01:41:00.479 Beal and so they want to make that more So 2154 01:41:00.600 --> 01:41:03.479 you take advantage of that, and you take that pick 2155 01:41:03.520 --> 01:41:05.680 and you put it to the side, and then you 2156 01:41:05.760 --> 01:41:08.439 move on if you're the Jazz, and you wait in 2157 01:41:08.479 --> 01:41:11.920 the wings and you see what happens with those other 2158 01:41:11.960 --> 01:41:14.760 teams in their potential trade scenarios. 2159 01:41:14.880 --> 01:41:18.840 So there are constant rumors surrounding the Jazz, as there 2160 01:41:18.840 --> 01:41:20.760 are this time of year with a lot of teams. 2161 01:41:20.840 --> 01:41:23.640 But I referenced, oh, by the way, the team I 2162 01:41:23.680 --> 01:41:26.840 forgot with additional draft capitals Houston. Then it's Charlotte. So 2163 01:41:26.880 --> 01:41:30.319 there are sixteen. Charlotte has eight, first, Houston has nine. 2164 01:41:31.800 --> 01:41:34.640 The Jazz still have eleven even after the trade. Then 2165 01:41:34.680 --> 01:41:37.880 you're looking at Brooklyn that has fifteen, You're looking at 2166 01:41:37.880 --> 01:41:42.319 San Antonio that has twelve, and Oklahoma City has ten 2167 01:41:42.520 --> 01:41:45.800 thirteen incoming picks, ten that are tradeable and they're awesome. 2168 01:41:45.880 --> 01:41:49.279 So that's difficult. Sam Presty's done a hell of a job. 2169 01:41:49.319 --> 01:41:52.640 But every time somebody talks about this trade deadline, they 2170 01:41:52.640 --> 01:41:55.279 talk about John Collins potentially to Sacramento. 2171 01:41:55.359 --> 01:41:56.840 They talk about Colin Sexton. 2172 01:41:58.079 --> 01:42:00.560 You know, the Lakers are the worst because every player 2173 01:42:00.560 --> 01:42:02.760 that's available that might fit Ins, like, hey, Lakers in 2174 01:42:02.800 --> 01:42:05.279 on Collin Sexon, I don't know, no idea. And then 2175 01:42:05.319 --> 01:42:09.279 obviously Jordan Clarkson's another name. What are the conversations behind 2176 01:42:09.319 --> 01:42:12.079 closed doors Jazz front office right now, Wanne, what to 2177 01:42:12.159 --> 01:42:14.359 do with some of these pieces with twenty seven million 2178 01:42:14.399 --> 01:42:16.640 in cap space and a bunch of draft capital too, Like, 2179 01:42:17.159 --> 01:42:19.800 what do you think they're discussing prior to February sixth. 2180 01:42:19.479 --> 01:42:22.239 Well, first of all, they've gone in this season right 2181 01:42:22.319 --> 01:42:24.800 with the idea that they're going to try and develop. 2182 01:42:24.680 --> 01:42:25.800 All these young players. 2183 01:42:26.000 --> 01:42:28.800 And whether you believe they're doing that or not, whether 2184 01:42:28.880 --> 01:42:32.399 they're making progress or not, you know, everybody has an 2185 01:42:32.439 --> 01:42:35.439 opinion about that. The bottom line is they're not winning, 2186 01:42:36.199 --> 01:42:39.479 and they're not going to win this year. So they 2187 01:42:39.520 --> 01:42:43.920 recognize that. So they're going to try and do anything 2188 01:42:43.960 --> 01:42:47.600 that either helps them moving forward in terms of a 2189 01:42:47.680 --> 01:42:52.239 draft asset or maybe a good young player if one 2190 01:42:52.279 --> 01:42:56.119 comes available, or to try and shed some more money. 2191 01:42:56.279 --> 01:42:57.640 So they don't. 2192 01:42:57.399 --> 01:43:02.319 Care if they have John Collins the roster a week 2193 01:43:02.359 --> 01:43:05.159 from now. They don't care if they have Jordan Clarkson 2194 01:43:05.279 --> 01:43:07.119 on the roster a week from now. 2195 01:43:07.159 --> 01:43:09.760 It doesn't matter to what they're doing now. 2196 01:43:09.840 --> 01:43:13.479 So if they can find a place, a landing spot 2197 01:43:13.600 --> 01:43:18.319 for any of those kind of guys, I've become I 2198 01:43:18.560 --> 01:43:22.920 was partially, but now I'm all in spence on being 2199 01:43:22.960 --> 01:43:26.920 a Colin Sexton guy. He's the most efficient player the 2200 01:43:27.079 --> 01:43:30.880 Jazz have this year to this point. He's played the best, 2201 01:43:31.000 --> 01:43:34.600 he's played the most consistent. He plays with force, he 2202 01:43:34.680 --> 01:43:38.880 plays with energy. I like the way he carries himself 2203 01:43:38.920 --> 01:43:41.159 on the floor. He's one of the few guys who 2204 01:43:41.239 --> 01:43:45.439 brings energy and some level of toughness to the to 2205 01:43:45.520 --> 01:43:49.720 the roster. So for me, you take market In, you 2206 01:43:49.880 --> 01:43:53.239 take Kessler, you take Sexton, You put those three guys 2207 01:43:53.239 --> 01:43:58.560 to the side. Okay, anybody else is fair game. Anybody else, 2208 01:43:58.760 --> 01:44:00.680 especially if you can make a move to get rid 2209 01:44:00.760 --> 01:44:03.920 of some money, whether that's Clarkson who's making fourteen this 2210 01:44:04.079 --> 01:44:07.239 year and fourteen next year, or whether that's Collins who's 2211 01:44:07.279 --> 01:44:10.479 making twenty six if you can move those guys to 2212 01:44:10.640 --> 01:44:14.279 some team that wants them to values them in a 2213 01:44:14.319 --> 01:44:16.800 way that they think they could help them somewhere in 2214 01:44:16.840 --> 01:44:20.560 some kind of a playoff drive, then you look to 2215 01:44:20.600 --> 01:44:22.439 do that kind of thing to get some kind of 2216 01:44:22.439 --> 01:44:26.279 an asset, a future draft pick or another young guy 2217 01:44:26.399 --> 01:44:29.439 or something that's making less whatever it is, you do 2218 01:44:29.600 --> 01:44:32.600 that kind of a move to set yourself up for 2219 01:44:32.680 --> 01:44:35.079 the kind of stuff that you want to do this 2220 01:44:35.239 --> 01:44:40.000 coming summer and beyond, because this year you're not going anywhere, 2221 01:44:40.000 --> 01:44:42.279 so it doesn't matter. So you're trying to figure out 2222 01:44:42.319 --> 01:44:46.479 something that makes sense to add to what you're trying 2223 01:44:46.479 --> 01:44:50.760 to build in terms of opportunities going down the road. 2224 01:44:51.079 --> 01:44:53.520 Let me follow up, since you reference Colin Colin Sex 2225 01:44:53.880 --> 01:44:56.800 and you like what he's bringing. He's twenty seven years old, 2226 01:44:56.840 --> 01:44:59.359 or excuse me, twenty six years old. And I always 2227 01:44:59.399 --> 01:45:03.479 kind of chuckle because we talk about Colin and John 2228 01:45:03.760 --> 01:45:05.880 as if they're in their late thirties, because they're not 2229 01:45:06.039 --> 01:45:07.479 Keyanta or Isaiah or whatever. 2230 01:45:07.520 --> 01:45:07.640 Like. 2231 01:45:07.680 --> 01:45:10.239 He's still very much a young player that's entering his prime. 2232 01:45:10.800 --> 01:45:13.039 His splits on the year about eighteen and a half 2233 01:45:13.079 --> 01:45:17.079 points three boards for assists, and when you look at 2234 01:45:17.079 --> 01:45:19.600 the shooting percentage. He shoots forty eight percent from the floor, 2235 01:45:19.600 --> 01:45:21.800 he shoots forty two percent from three, and takes almost 2236 01:45:21.840 --> 01:45:23.720 four to threes a game, which I never thought it 2237 01:45:23.800 --> 01:45:26.199 would be his deal. So he's put in the work, 2238 01:45:26.239 --> 01:45:29.359 he's improved a lot, and we always have this debate. 2239 01:45:29.439 --> 01:45:30.920 And I have a couple of other names. I want 2240 01:45:30.920 --> 01:45:33.079 to kick the tires with you on. But like the debate. 2241 01:45:33.159 --> 01:45:35.319 Anytime I go on another show, another podcast and they 2242 01:45:35.319 --> 01:45:37.399 want to talk jazz, they all ask me the same question, 2243 01:45:37.600 --> 01:45:41.479 who's around when they're good? And I've always said, well, 2244 01:45:41.520 --> 01:45:44.199 market in for sure, if you know, if they can 2245 01:45:44.399 --> 01:45:46.199 surround it with Lowry's part of the future. 2246 01:45:46.199 --> 01:45:47.159 I think Walker is too. 2247 01:45:47.880 --> 01:45:50.479 Is there a debate in that front office room, like, hey, 2248 01:45:50.520 --> 01:45:52.439 maybe Colin is part of this too, based off of 2249 01:45:52.479 --> 01:45:53.039 what you've seen. 2250 01:45:53.359 --> 01:45:56.600 Sure, I would say definitely, because what he's done, He's 2251 01:45:56.640 --> 01:45:57.920 always been a tough guy. 2252 01:45:58.439 --> 01:46:00.159 He's always brought energy. 2253 01:46:00.760 --> 01:46:05.159 His issue early on in his career was his turnover 2254 01:46:05.880 --> 01:46:10.560 rate and also his susceptible shooting. Now you look this year, 2255 01:46:10.600 --> 01:46:12.960 and again it's half a year, so we see how 2256 01:46:13.000 --> 01:46:15.119 the rest of the year plays out. But on a 2257 01:46:15.159 --> 01:46:19.680 team that's struggling, a team that's having trouble with winning games, 2258 01:46:20.000 --> 01:46:23.319 a team that's having trouble finishing games when they're in 2259 01:46:23.359 --> 01:46:26.680 the fourth quarter and it's still, you know, in the balance, 2260 01:46:26.760 --> 01:46:29.479 and they have trouble doing those things. Sexton is the 2261 01:46:29.479 --> 01:46:32.960 one guy who has shown during this year so far 2262 01:46:33.520 --> 01:46:36.800 that he can be counted on to make good decisions. 2263 01:46:37.039 --> 01:46:39.520 He can be galunted on to make a play when 2264 01:46:39.520 --> 01:46:41.880 you need to make it. He's one of. 2265 01:46:41.840 --> 01:46:44.479 Those guys who just plays hard every night and has 2266 01:46:44.520 --> 01:46:47.560 improved his shooting to the point where you say, well, 2267 01:46:47.560 --> 01:46:53.079 now that's serviceable, meaning he can help a good team 2268 01:46:53.800 --> 01:46:56.680 in terms of how he plays. He's not going to 2269 01:46:56.720 --> 01:46:59.680 be the main guy, but he can be a third 2270 01:46:59.800 --> 01:47:03.159 or fourth or fifth guy on a team that is 2271 01:47:03.279 --> 01:47:07.880 trying to uh, trying to have some level of sustainability 2272 01:47:07.920 --> 01:47:08.399 of winning. 2273 01:47:08.680 --> 01:47:11.520 So you might be able to move him. Maybe you do, 2274 01:47:12.279 --> 01:47:13.000 but at his. 2275 01:47:13.039 --> 01:47:16.640 Age, the way he's improved, he looks to me like 2276 01:47:16.720 --> 01:47:19.119 a guy that's the kind of guy I would want 2277 01:47:19.159 --> 01:47:21.960 to have around, not only because he's shown that he 2278 01:47:22.000 --> 01:47:25.520 can get better, but because of the energy he brings. 2279 01:47:26.319 --> 01:47:28.600 Jazz don't have a lot of guys on their roster 2280 01:47:28.920 --> 01:47:31.479 who when they come on the floor, you go, Okay, Now, 2281 01:47:31.600 --> 01:47:34.079 now we're gonna see something that's for sure. We're gonna 2282 01:47:34.079 --> 01:47:36.640 get it up into a guy. We're gonna run a 2283 01:47:36.680 --> 01:47:39.600 guy down from behind. We're gonna step in and try 2284 01:47:39.640 --> 01:47:42.359 and take a charge. We're gonna push the ball down 2285 01:47:42.399 --> 01:47:45.680 the floor from end to end, a full blast. They 2286 01:47:45.720 --> 01:47:48.680 don't have many of those guys, and Sexton is one 2287 01:47:48.680 --> 01:47:52.720 of those guys, and he's always been that. Now you 2288 01:47:52.800 --> 01:47:56.159 put in this component that if he's shooting, if that's 2289 01:47:56.239 --> 01:47:58.680 if that's a real thing, and he can keep it 2290 01:47:58.720 --> 01:48:02.279 around that forty mare from three, he's an excellent free 2291 01:48:02.279 --> 01:48:06.600 throw shooter, and he's making better decisions, then he's a 2292 01:48:06.680 --> 01:48:10.600 guy who's who's increased his value and has increased his 2293 01:48:10.720 --> 01:48:16.000 ability to be able to help you in a winning effort. 2294 01:48:16.199 --> 01:48:18.520 See, that's what they're trying to see. 2295 01:48:18.520 --> 01:48:21.800 About all these other young guys they've drafted last two years, 2296 01:48:22.079 --> 01:48:24.880 or any of those guys, whether it's a Kiante George 2297 01:48:24.960 --> 01:48:28.319 or a Sensaba or a Collier, they're all young guys. 2298 01:48:28.560 --> 01:48:31.399 Can any of them show that they can make those 2299 01:48:31.520 --> 01:48:36.359 incremental steps of improvement like Sexton has here in the 2300 01:48:36.399 --> 01:48:39.760 first part of his career to show that they can 2301 01:48:39.800 --> 01:48:43.560 contribute to winning. That's what they're trying to find, you know, 2302 01:48:43.600 --> 01:48:46.640 with this younger group of guys. But to me, they've 2303 01:48:46.680 --> 01:48:49.600 got a guy they've found who has shown he can 2304 01:48:49.680 --> 01:48:53.720 do that in Sexton, and I would be surprised if 2305 01:48:54.159 --> 01:48:56.119 that's someone that they didn't want to keep around. 2306 01:48:56.199 --> 01:48:58.760 Okay, so let me kick the tires with you on 2307 01:48:59.119 --> 01:49:02.560 a rotational decision Will has made that I think actually 2308 01:49:02.600 --> 01:49:06.680 means something. I mean oftentimes, like maybe Drew Eubanks gets 2309 01:49:06.680 --> 01:49:09.000 another ten, I don't give a rip. It doesn't really 2310 01:49:09.000 --> 01:49:11.239 matter if like Walker's out, is it going to be 2311 01:49:11.239 --> 01:49:14.560 Philip Philapowski is going to be? You bet like you 2312 01:49:14.600 --> 01:49:17.680 know Sphie makay Luke against Johnny Jus saying all right whatever. 2313 01:49:17.720 --> 01:49:20.680 But over the past four games, Kyante is coming in 2314 01:49:20.760 --> 01:49:24.880 off the bench and Isaiah Collier has started now thirteen times. 2315 01:49:24.880 --> 01:49:26.399 So I want to break this down on a couple 2316 01:49:26.399 --> 01:49:29.159 of different angles than give you the space, because I 2317 01:49:29.239 --> 01:49:31.920 do believe if you're Will Hardy, if you're the Utah Jazz, 2318 01:49:31.960 --> 01:49:34.520 you have to figure out who Kyante George is really 2319 01:49:34.560 --> 01:49:36.079 as a rotational piece in this league. 2320 01:49:36.079 --> 01:49:37.720 If he's going to be around when you're trying to win. 2321 01:49:38.359 --> 01:49:41.279 And I believe Keiante's role in pro basketball is it 2322 01:49:41.359 --> 01:49:43.359 going to be a lot like Jordan Clarkson's has been. 2323 01:49:44.079 --> 01:49:46.880 Colin Sexton is in this, you know, kind of same 2324 01:49:47.600 --> 01:49:49.960 type or of role for a good team, a guard 2325 01:49:49.960 --> 01:49:51.640 you can bring it off the bench that can score. 2326 01:49:52.279 --> 01:49:54.279 Kyante is one of the worst defensive players on the 2327 01:49:54.279 --> 01:49:56.880 team and their second worst in defense at all of 2328 01:49:56.960 --> 01:49:59.439 pro basketball, and Will has been very front facing about 2329 01:49:59.439 --> 01:50:02.520 we need more from Keyonty on defense. He's just not 2330 01:50:02.640 --> 01:50:05.439 a lead guard. He just isn't. He doesn't make great decisions. 2331 01:50:05.479 --> 01:50:08.600 His shots profile isn't great as percentages are down, but 2332 01:50:08.640 --> 01:50:10.079 we do have a bit of a sample size. So 2333 01:50:10.119 --> 01:50:13.399 in four games as a reserve, Kyante is at about 2334 01:50:13.399 --> 01:50:16.319 fourteen point five points, about four boards, five assists. 2335 01:50:16.960 --> 01:50:18.239 The shooting splits are. 2336 01:50:18.199 --> 01:50:20.279 Just not good, no matter if he's started coming off 2337 01:50:20.279 --> 01:50:22.600 the bench, about forty percent from the floor, twenty three 2338 01:50:22.640 --> 01:50:26.560 percent from three. And on the other side, I'm starting 2339 01:50:26.600 --> 01:50:28.760 to like what I'm seeing from Isaiah in a way 2340 01:50:28.760 --> 01:50:31.640 that I don't think I was expecting. So thirteen games 2341 01:50:31.680 --> 01:50:35.079 as a starter now for Isaiah Callier, he's at eleven points, 2342 01:50:35.079 --> 01:50:37.720 eight assists, three and a half turnovers, which was way 2343 01:50:37.720 --> 01:50:40.920 too many turnovers twenty three percent from three. He's got 2344 01:50:40.920 --> 01:50:43.439 to improve the outside shot forty three percent from the floor. 2345 01:50:43.479 --> 01:50:46.199 But you like eight assists, you like eleven points and 2346 01:50:46.239 --> 01:50:48.279 almost five boards. He's a big kid that can get 2347 01:50:48.319 --> 01:50:52.720 downhill and makes better decisions I think than Kyante does. 2348 01:50:52.800 --> 01:50:54.760 So attack this from both angles. 2349 01:50:54.800 --> 01:50:57.239 What we've seen now from Isaiah as a starting lead 2350 01:50:57.279 --> 01:50:59.399 guard and what Will is trying to do by bringing 2351 01:50:59.439 --> 01:51:00.359 Kiante out bench. 2352 01:51:00.680 --> 01:51:03.239 Yeah, well I think that first of all, the Collier kid, 2353 01:51:03.920 --> 01:51:06.920 he's a young kid, but he's always been a point guard, 2354 01:51:07.000 --> 01:51:08.880 so he's always had the ball in his hands. 2355 01:51:08.920 --> 01:51:11.720 He's always been making decisions. Now. When he was. 2356 01:51:11.720 --> 01:51:15.199 Sixteen seventeen eighteen, he was the bully on the block. 2357 01:51:15.279 --> 01:51:17.399 He was bigger than the other kids, so he could 2358 01:51:17.399 --> 01:51:20.800 blow by guys, he could overpower guys, he could get 2359 01:51:20.800 --> 01:51:22.840 in the lane, he could get to the rim, and 2360 01:51:22.880 --> 01:51:26.119 he's always had a decent feel for finding guys on 2361 01:51:26.159 --> 01:51:30.239 the move. Early on in this year, he's been very 2362 01:51:30.319 --> 01:51:34.960 turnover prone. He makes wild passes. Sometimes seen him make 2363 01:51:35.359 --> 01:51:38.640 numerous passes to go right over guys heads into the 2364 01:51:38.680 --> 01:51:43.319 fourth row of the stands literally, and he makes some 2365 01:51:43.439 --> 01:51:47.199 questionable decisions when he gets some traffic, trying to get 2366 01:51:47.199 --> 01:51:50.600 a bounce pass in a pocket pass that's not going 2367 01:51:50.640 --> 01:51:54.319 anywhere because there's three sets of legs there and it's 2368 01:51:54.359 --> 01:51:57.319 not going to get through. But he has a feel 2369 01:51:58.000 --> 01:52:02.039 for trying to move the ball. He's not a shooter 2370 01:52:02.439 --> 01:52:05.680 at the moment. Can he can he improve that? Can 2371 01:52:05.760 --> 01:52:09.199 he get to a Colin Sexton scenario. You know, he's 2372 01:52:09.239 --> 01:52:12.399 only twenty years old. Can he improve that by the 2373 01:52:12.439 --> 01:52:16.239 time he's twenty three, twenty four and be something that's 2374 01:52:16.319 --> 01:52:19.880 serviceable in that in that area because he's a big guy. 2375 01:52:20.479 --> 01:52:23.399 He can hold his own. I don't like the way 2376 01:52:23.479 --> 01:52:26.680 he is postured on defense. He needs to get more 2377 01:52:28.039 --> 01:52:32.880 impose himself more defensively. I don't know if that's his mindset. 2378 01:52:33.079 --> 01:52:35.560 That's one of the things that I'm sure that they're 2379 01:52:35.560 --> 01:52:38.760 trying to flush out is whether they can get him 2380 01:52:38.880 --> 01:52:43.159 up to that that kind of level. He's he's learning 2381 01:52:43.199 --> 01:52:46.960 on the fly. He's got the size, he's got a feel. 2382 01:52:47.920 --> 01:52:52.079 Cante George, I agree with you. He feels to me 2383 01:52:52.279 --> 01:52:55.279 like he's, you know, his his role in the NBA. 2384 01:52:55.880 --> 01:52:58.840 If he sticks in the NBA long term is going 2385 01:52:58.920 --> 01:53:02.479 to be as an off the bed scorer, Jordan Clarkson, 2386 01:53:02.560 --> 01:53:07.199 the Vinnie Johnson Jamal Crawford type guy who can get 2387 01:53:07.239 --> 01:53:11.439 a shot, who isn't gonna defend for you, And so 2388 01:53:11.600 --> 01:53:14.880 that's gonna be a problem. If he's not gonna do 2389 01:53:14.960 --> 01:53:17.960 that part, then the other part, the offensive part, he 2390 01:53:18.000 --> 01:53:20.960 has to do really well in order to make up 2391 01:53:21.000 --> 01:53:23.960 for that. So I don't think he's a point guard. 2392 01:53:24.600 --> 01:53:28.680 I think they're they're they're giving Collier some run because 2393 01:53:28.720 --> 01:53:30.640 that's what they're trying to do right now. They're in 2394 01:53:30.680 --> 01:53:34.920 the developmental stages of their team. So the only way 2395 01:53:35.000 --> 01:53:37.239 we find out is if we throw him out there 2396 01:53:37.279 --> 01:53:40.119 to the Wolves and we see what they got. And 2397 01:53:40.600 --> 01:53:45.520 so far, Calier looks like he's improving some. I still 2398 01:53:45.560 --> 01:53:47.640 don't like some of the decisions he makes, but he 2399 01:53:47.680 --> 01:53:50.840 has a little bit better feel than George does at 2400 01:53:50.840 --> 01:53:53.479 the point, and that's one of the things that Jazz 2401 01:53:53.479 --> 01:53:56.039 are in the process of trying to feel. 2402 01:53:55.800 --> 01:53:57.760 Out quick follow up for catch a break. 2403 01:53:57.880 --> 01:54:00.800 Is it possible to be either a league guard or 2404 01:54:00.840 --> 01:54:04.079 a complimentary wing and play big minutes for a team 2405 01:54:04.119 --> 01:54:04.680 that's trying to win. 2406 01:54:04.720 --> 01:54:06.359 If you can't shoot it from three in the modern 2407 01:54:06.439 --> 01:54:07.319 day and age of the NBA. 2408 01:54:07.479 --> 01:54:09.520 No, that's a that's a good point, and and that 2409 01:54:10.000 --> 01:54:12.319 and that's one of the things that he's, uh, he's 2410 01:54:12.359 --> 01:54:14.439 gonna have to improve on. He's gonna have to show 2411 01:54:14.439 --> 01:54:17.560 because the teams are gonna sag off. The teams are 2412 01:54:17.600 --> 01:54:20.039 gonna go under on that pick and roll. They're gonna 2413 01:54:20.079 --> 01:54:22.640 flatten it out at the line. They're gonna say, hey, 2414 01:54:22.720 --> 01:54:25.720 you make that eighteen footer, you make that twenty three footer, 2415 01:54:26.119 --> 01:54:27.800 you know, you put it up over the top and 2416 01:54:27.800 --> 01:54:29.039 show us he can do it. 2417 01:54:29.159 --> 01:54:31.600 So far he's unable to do that. 2418 01:54:31.640 --> 01:54:33.680 That's one of the things he's gonna have to get 2419 01:54:33.720 --> 01:54:37.479 better on if he's gonna get any kind of sustained run, 2420 01:54:37.960 --> 01:54:40.520 you know, as as a lead point guard in this league. 2421 01:54:41.039 --> 01:54:43.199 All Right, we will catch you quick breaks Mandy's liven 2422 01:54:43.239 --> 01:54:45.920 Studio coming up next. Some old friends were in town 2423 01:54:46.000 --> 01:54:50.399 last night, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Mike Conley, Nikhil, Alexander Walker. 2424 01:54:50.479 --> 01:54:52.720 We'll talk about the Jazz t Wolves game, look at 2425 01:54:52.760 --> 01:54:55.760 to the schedule that lies ahead, and maybe do some 2426 01:54:55.800 --> 01:54:58.720 other NBA trade deadline stuff. But sat out for the 2427 01:54:58.880 --> 01:55:01.920 ESPN seven hundred, one thous thousand dollars cash giveaway. Get 2428 01:55:01.920 --> 01:55:04.479 a thousand bucks to pay your bills. Text pay right 2429 01:55:04.520 --> 01:55:07.039 now to five oh eight seven seven seven to one thousand. 2430 01:55:07.159 --> 01:55:10.279 Text pay to five oh eight seven seven seven one 2431 01:55:10.279 --> 01:55:12.199 thousand for a chance to win one thousand dollars in 2432 01:55:12.239 --> 01:55:14.760 cash in this nationwide contest. Good luck from all of 2433 01:55:14.840 --> 01:55:18.640 us at ESPN seven hundred. All right, Porter, I want 2434 01:55:18.680 --> 01:55:20.840 you to I want you to get Trey on the 2435 01:55:20.840 --> 01:55:22.960 phone and just just tell him that he's dead to me. 2436 01:55:23.319 --> 01:55:25.840 That's all I just you can you can text him 2437 01:55:26.239 --> 01:55:27.399 just say hey, you're dead, dispense. 2438 01:55:27.479 --> 01:55:29.800 Can you do that real quick? I'll give him you 2439 01:55:29.840 --> 01:55:30.079 a pick. 2440 01:55:30.199 --> 01:55:32.680 So some breaking news that should have come through us here, 2441 01:55:32.800 --> 01:55:35.840 but RSL will add Nick Romando's name to the stadium 2442 01:55:35.920 --> 01:55:39.439 Ring of Honor at America First Field against DC United 2443 01:55:39.479 --> 01:55:40.560 on June the fourteenth. 2444 01:55:40.760 --> 01:55:43.479 Nick he started his career. I think no, he just 2445 01:55:43.520 --> 01:55:44.319 played for DC. 2446 01:55:45.439 --> 01:55:48.520 Then RSL traded for Nick Romando after their starting keeper 2447 01:55:48.560 --> 01:55:50.720 Scott Garlic retired to take a real estate job. 2448 01:55:50.760 --> 01:55:53.720 I'll just say it wasn't the story. Yeah, he got 2449 01:55:53.840 --> 01:55:56.399 a real estate gig, Scott Garlic. 2450 01:55:56.520 --> 01:55:58.319 Yes, No, I'll never forget it. This was kind of 2451 01:55:58.359 --> 01:56:01.880 my intro to MLS. We're in a staff meeting and 2452 01:56:02.039 --> 01:56:03.840 the general manager of the time gets a tax. 2453 01:56:03.960 --> 01:56:06.039 It's like, hey, you're starting keeper. 2454 01:56:06.159 --> 01:56:08.319 Scott Garlic has decided to retire because he got a 2455 01:56:08.359 --> 01:56:09.159 job in real estate. 2456 01:56:09.199 --> 01:56:11.479 I was like, wait, what, m well's come a long way. 2457 01:56:11.840 --> 01:56:14.479 It has, but we had to pivot trade for Nick Romando, 2458 01:56:14.520 --> 01:56:16.600 who became the wall of the Wahsatch and so he'll 2459 01:56:16.600 --> 01:56:18.680 have his name on the Ring of honor. 2460 01:56:18.720 --> 01:56:21.079 So excited for Nicky. You got a hot Nick Romono tech. 2461 01:56:21.399 --> 01:56:23.920 He says that that is so well deserved. 2462 01:56:23.960 --> 01:56:27.399 He was such a stable force for ourself for over 2463 01:56:27.439 --> 01:56:30.720 a decade and you know what a great guy and 2464 01:56:31.039 --> 01:56:33.039 still in the community, active in the community. 2465 01:56:33.119 --> 01:56:36.520 And that's a great and deserving honor for Nick. 2466 01:56:36.800 --> 01:56:41.239 Can you imagine sitting in a meeting with Scott Laden 2467 01:56:41.439 --> 01:56:44.039 and the brain trust back in the day and suddenly 2468 01:56:44.079 --> 01:56:47.680 you get a message that Antoine Carr is retiring because 2469 01:56:47.720 --> 01:56:50.000 he got a good job selling homes. 2470 01:56:49.760 --> 01:56:53.840 Hey now, but the question would be, well he got 2471 01:56:53.960 --> 01:56:57.680 into a Scott got into real estate? Was that making 2472 01:56:57.720 --> 01:57:00.600 more money than he was making for RSL? 2473 01:57:00.680 --> 01:57:02.720 And this was MLS in two thousand and seven. 2474 01:57:02.760 --> 01:57:05.159 I mean absolutely, and I believe it's worked out very 2475 01:57:05.199 --> 01:57:07.359 well for Scott, who's a very smart, very nice guy. 2476 01:57:07.479 --> 01:57:11.039 Yeah, I mean, so, you know, hey, that's all. That's 2477 01:57:11.079 --> 01:57:13.600 all part of the real world stuff. And you know 2478 01:57:13.760 --> 01:57:16.279 it was another generation ago, of course. But you know, 2479 01:57:16.319 --> 01:57:18.479 back in Jerry Sloan's day when he was playing in 2480 01:57:18.560 --> 01:57:22.600 the sixties and seventies, most of the star players in 2481 01:57:22.640 --> 01:57:26.199 the NBA had other jobs in the off season that 2482 01:57:26.239 --> 01:57:29.560 they did to supplement their income because they didn't make 2483 01:57:29.640 --> 01:57:32.760 that much money at that time. You know, it's weird 2484 01:57:32.800 --> 01:57:36.359 to think of guys like Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and 2485 01:57:36.520 --> 01:57:40.199 Jerry West and what those guys would be making now 2486 01:57:40.279 --> 01:57:42.319 and what the NBA is paying is. 2487 01:57:43.800 --> 01:57:45.079 A whole nother world. 2488 01:57:44.960 --> 01:57:45.600 It sure is. 2489 01:57:45.680 --> 01:57:47.319 I mean, can you imagine getting a phone call and 2490 01:57:47.319 --> 01:57:49.079 it's like, hey, would you like to buy some car 2491 01:57:49.279 --> 01:57:52.039 life insurance? This is Larry Marketing from the Utah. So 2492 01:57:52.079 --> 01:57:53.640 I'm trying to supplement my income. 2493 01:57:53.880 --> 01:57:58.319 Hey, hey, hot Rod. Hot Rod left the Lakers and 2494 01:57:58.359 --> 01:58:02.560 retired in order to go work full time for Converse 2495 01:58:03.119 --> 01:58:06.399 in the mid sixties because he could make more money 2496 01:58:06.600 --> 01:58:07.960 working for convert. 2497 01:58:07.600 --> 01:58:10.000 That's wild man. That's wild all right, we won't do 2498 01:58:10.159 --> 01:58:12.279 anything on the All start. Let me just ask you 2499 01:58:12.319 --> 01:58:15.000 this the new All Star Game format where it's gonna 2500 01:58:15.000 --> 01:58:18.119 be these All Star players from either conference broken up 2501 01:58:18.159 --> 01:58:20.439 into three teams and they're gonna have a little mini 2502 01:58:20.920 --> 01:58:22.800 tournament and the fourth team will be the winner of 2503 01:58:22.840 --> 01:58:24.279 the Rising Stars Challenge. 2504 01:58:24.720 --> 01:58:26.720 Does this do anything at all? Do you think it 2505 01:58:27.199 --> 01:58:28.000 raises the interest? 2506 01:58:28.520 --> 01:58:30.760 I only bring it up because for NBA fans at 2507 01:58:30.760 --> 01:58:33.720 a certain age, all Star Weekend, once upon a time 2508 01:58:33.840 --> 01:58:34.359 was awesome. 2509 01:58:35.039 --> 01:58:35.239 You know. 2510 01:58:35.279 --> 01:58:38.119 You had Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins going up against each 2511 01:58:38.119 --> 01:58:40.479 other and slam dunk contest. You had Larry Bird winning 2512 01:58:40.520 --> 01:58:43.600 three point shoo shooting contest. You had two All Star 2513 01:58:43.680 --> 01:58:48.359 teams that played hard. And when the greatest basketball players 2514 01:58:48.359 --> 01:58:50.079 on Earth show up and play hard, I am of 2515 01:58:50.119 --> 01:58:52.119 the opinion that it's the greatest game. We just don't 2516 01:58:52.159 --> 01:58:53.079 see it like we used to. 2517 01:58:53.880 --> 01:58:56.399 Yeah, well, it's I don't know what this new format 2518 01:58:56.439 --> 01:58:58.800 is going to do. I don't know if any you know. 2519 01:58:59.119 --> 01:59:01.439 One of the things is when when I was younger 2520 01:59:01.439 --> 01:59:03.319 and you'd watch the All Star Game, there there was 2521 01:59:03.359 --> 01:59:06.479 some affinity for the guys in the West or the 2522 01:59:06.520 --> 01:59:08.840 guys in the East, and you actually rooted for them. 2523 01:59:08.880 --> 01:59:12.920 Now it's just a mishmash of guys. It's in uh, 2524 01:59:12.960 --> 01:59:15.600 you know some you know, level of exhibition that's not 2525 01:59:16.159 --> 01:59:18.960 you know, really compelling. I don't think to the average 2526 01:59:19.279 --> 01:59:22.520 basketball fan, you know, I think you know, more attention 2527 01:59:22.640 --> 01:59:25.119 is probably going to be made, you know, at the 2528 01:59:25.119 --> 01:59:28.119 current moment right now about who didn't make the All 2529 01:59:28.159 --> 01:59:31.000 Star team, right whether you whether you want to argue 2530 01:59:31.000 --> 01:59:33.800 for Trey Young, you know, who should be on the 2531 01:59:33.840 --> 01:59:36.840 All Star team, or you want to argue for Demonta Bonus, 2532 01:59:36.840 --> 01:59:39.840 who's for the second year in a row, has been 2533 01:59:39.880 --> 01:59:43.239 the biggest snub to me like that. That's just unconscionable 2534 01:59:43.279 --> 01:59:45.880 by the coaches, you know, not to put somebody like 2535 01:59:45.960 --> 01:59:48.000 him on the All Star team for the way he 2536 01:59:48.079 --> 01:59:50.399 works and the kind of guy he is. 2537 01:59:50.399 --> 01:59:52.760 And all that kind of stuff. You know. 2538 01:59:52.880 --> 01:59:56.119 But but it's that, you know, a few of those 2539 01:59:56.159 --> 01:59:57.760 guys will get in any way, because some of the 2540 01:59:57.760 --> 01:59:58.840 guys who got voted in. 2541 01:59:59.159 --> 02:00:00.000 Has always happened. 2542 02:00:00.479 --> 02:00:03.600 Somebody has an injury, somebody decides at the last minute, 2543 02:00:03.600 --> 02:00:05.479 I'm not going to play because I got a rest 2544 02:00:05.560 --> 02:00:06.439 for the second half. 2545 02:00:06.560 --> 02:00:07.079 Or whatever. 2546 02:00:07.439 --> 02:00:09.760 So a few of those guys will probably get in 2547 02:00:09.960 --> 02:00:14.680 any way at the last minute, but it's always an 2548 02:00:14.760 --> 02:00:19.680 interesting argument at this moment in time, several days after 2549 02:00:19.760 --> 02:00:22.239 it's announced all the reserves, like who didn't make it 2550 02:00:22.479 --> 02:00:23.319 and who should be in. 2551 02:00:23.720 --> 02:00:27.439 So the Minnesota Timberwolves rolling to town last night, whenever 2552 02:00:27.560 --> 02:00:31.159 one of our former players comes into town, it's fun 2553 02:00:31.199 --> 02:00:33.439 to kind of talk about in reminists or six former 2554 02:00:33.479 --> 02:00:36.560 players or several former players, certainly, but let's kind of 2555 02:00:36.560 --> 02:00:39.119 go down the list here. And you know, when the 2556 02:00:39.199 --> 02:00:42.439 Rudy Gobert trade went down, the narrative around the NBA 2557 02:00:42.640 --> 02:00:45.399 was like, wait, the Jazz got what for? Go Beart, 2558 02:00:46.119 --> 02:00:48.600 And I felt like I was the only voice pushing 2559 02:00:48.640 --> 02:00:51.479 back saying, well, hold on a second, let's just let's 2560 02:00:51.479 --> 02:00:53.880 wait and see, because you know better than anybody the 2561 02:00:53.880 --> 02:00:56.119 way Rudy impacts winning when he's healthy, when he's right, 2562 02:00:56.680 --> 02:00:58.640 Minnesota over the past couple of years has had a 2563 02:00:58.680 --> 02:01:02.119 team that's like right there, kind of like you guys 2564 02:01:02.119 --> 02:01:04.479 did with Gilbert and Mitchell, but not necessarily a team 2565 02:01:04.520 --> 02:01:05.279 that's broken through. 2566 02:01:05.319 --> 02:01:06.560 They've been better as of late. 2567 02:01:06.680 --> 02:01:08.560 Rudy when you look at the numbers more or less 2568 02:01:08.560 --> 02:01:10.720 has been the same player for them as he was 2569 02:01:10.760 --> 02:01:11.000 for you. 2570 02:01:11.119 --> 02:01:11.760 A little bit of a. 2571 02:01:11.760 --> 02:01:15.600 Dip, but you know, as somebody that was there when 2572 02:01:15.640 --> 02:01:17.640 you drafted him and got to know him and watched 2573 02:01:17.720 --> 02:01:20.319 him evolve from this gangly kid who could barely run 2574 02:01:20.399 --> 02:01:22.199 up and down the floor to the best defensive player 2575 02:01:22.199 --> 02:01:22.920 of this generation. 2576 02:01:23.479 --> 02:01:25.439 How should we look back on the nine years when 2577 02:01:25.479 --> 02:01:26.199 we had Rudy here? 2578 02:01:26.960 --> 02:01:31.800 Well, you know that was a team that that that 2579 02:01:32.000 --> 02:01:35.840 grew together. You know, Rudy came in, he spent two 2580 02:01:35.920 --> 02:01:38.560 different stints in in the G League, like you a 2581 02:01:38.640 --> 02:01:44.199 little known Trivia Spence his first G League coach when 2582 02:01:44.279 --> 02:01:46.640 when and one of my jobs at that time was 2583 02:01:46.920 --> 02:01:49.560 with the Jazz was to go with our players if 2584 02:01:49.560 --> 02:01:51.640 they got assigned to a G League team, to make 2585 02:01:51.680 --> 02:01:54.199 sure they assimilated okay, and they were the team was 2586 02:01:54.239 --> 02:01:56.359 going to use them the way the Jazz wanted to 2587 02:01:56.399 --> 02:01:59.079 see improvement and blah blah blah and all that stuff. 2588 02:01:59.680 --> 02:02:03.199 But he with the Bakersfield and his coach there was 2589 02:02:03.279 --> 02:02:06.319 Will Voight, who is now the lead assistant for b 2590 02:02:06.520 --> 02:02:10.079 YU men's basketball with Kevin Young, and he was the 2591 02:02:10.119 --> 02:02:13.319 guy who who helped Rudy a lot in some of 2592 02:02:13.359 --> 02:02:17.840 his footwork and post work and stuff UH at Bakersfield 2593 02:02:17.880 --> 02:02:21.119 at that time. But Rudy, you know, Rudy worked his 2594 02:02:21.159 --> 02:02:24.199 way up the ladder. We've talked about that before and 2595 02:02:24.199 --> 02:02:26.640 and earned his place in the NBA that he has 2596 02:02:26.800 --> 02:02:29.239 now his standing, and that was through a lot of 2597 02:02:29.279 --> 02:02:34.199 his own determination and and hard work and and UH 2598 02:02:34.239 --> 02:02:37.600 and wanting to be as good as he could be. 2599 02:02:38.079 --> 02:02:41.399 And that team grew together. Dennis Lindsay did a great 2600 02:02:41.479 --> 02:02:45.840 job of piecemealing, putting one one guy after another, whether 2601 02:02:45.880 --> 02:02:48.800 it was Rudy, whether it was Uh drafting Donovan was 2602 02:02:49.039 --> 02:02:51.880 bringing in Joe Ingles who had just gotten cut from 2603 02:02:52.039 --> 02:02:54.640 from the Clippers, whether it was getting boy On Bogdanovich. 2604 02:02:55.039 --> 02:02:57.840 You know, all these guys, you know, piecing together into 2605 02:02:57.880 --> 02:03:01.560 a team that for a stretch over five year period, 2606 02:03:01.640 --> 02:03:04.119 had the best, had the most wins of any team 2607 02:03:04.479 --> 02:03:08.399 in the Western Conference, won two division titles, and one 2608 02:03:08.479 --> 02:03:10.880 year I had the best wreck in the NBA. Okay 2609 02:03:11.319 --> 02:03:13.960 stumbled in the playoffs, but I had a team that 2610 02:03:14.039 --> 02:03:17.279 was built to win at that time, and Rudy was 2611 02:03:17.319 --> 02:03:21.680 a centerpiece of that. And then when Ryan Smith and 2612 02:03:21.760 --> 02:03:24.600 his group came in, they decided that you know, in 2613 02:03:24.640 --> 02:03:27.399 their way that that they didn't think it was good enough, 2614 02:03:27.760 --> 02:03:30.680 and so they traded everybody and broke it all down 2615 02:03:30.720 --> 02:03:33.600 and got all these draft picks and assets that they're 2616 02:03:33.640 --> 02:03:36.399 now trying to work through and trying to figure out 2617 02:03:36.399 --> 02:03:39.479 how to rebuild the team. But those got you know, 2618 02:03:39.640 --> 02:03:42.520 Rudy and that group, that was a great group to 2619 02:03:42.600 --> 02:03:45.720 work with. They were all great guys, and they all 2620 02:03:45.800 --> 02:03:48.880 grew together into a unit that was really one of 2621 02:03:48.880 --> 02:03:52.840 the top top five teams in the NBA at one 2622 02:03:52.880 --> 02:03:53.560 point in time. 2623 02:03:54.199 --> 02:03:55.840 All right, let's keep going down the list. 2624 02:03:55.880 --> 02:03:58.199 And I thought one of the really fun moments last 2625 02:03:58.239 --> 02:04:00.880 night was at the end of the game because Joe 2626 02:04:01.039 --> 02:04:03.560 Ingles at the age of thirty seven with a surgically 2627 02:04:03.600 --> 02:04:07.279 repaired knee. I even said postgame last night, after four minutes, 2628 02:04:07.279 --> 02:04:10.119 my knee hurt. Like he is probably at the end 2629 02:04:10.119 --> 02:04:13.600 of his career, and you know, he really will go 2630 02:04:13.640 --> 02:04:15.479 down in history as one of the more beloved, kind 2631 02:04:15.479 --> 02:04:18.840 of like cult figure players we've ever had here. As 2632 02:04:18.840 --> 02:04:20.840 I often say, he looks like he lives in his car, 2633 02:04:20.880 --> 02:04:22.880 But he turned into a really good basketball player, broke 2634 02:04:22.920 --> 02:04:25.600 the Jazz record for three point shots made, and really 2635 02:04:25.720 --> 02:04:29.880 endeared himself to the fan base because you know, I 2636 02:04:29.920 --> 02:04:33.079 remember when that team started to evolve and people would say, hey, 2637 02:04:33.079 --> 02:04:34.640 what do they need And I'd be like, you know, 2638 02:04:34.680 --> 02:04:36.720 they need a player like Gordon Hayward. When he's out, 2639 02:04:37.000 --> 02:04:40.319 like the small Ford spot, I'll always look back. 2640 02:04:40.479 --> 02:04:41.319 You know, we can't do it. 2641 02:04:41.239 --> 02:04:44.159 It doesn't mean anything, but you needed somebody to fill 2642 02:04:44.199 --> 02:04:46.680 that spot. And Joey, I think, became a better player 2643 02:04:46.720 --> 02:04:49.520 than I ever thought he could be. And the OKC 2644 02:04:49.720 --> 02:04:52.039 series where he's messing with Paul George and shutting him 2645 02:04:52.079 --> 02:04:54.680 down a little bit. So he rolls back into town 2646 02:04:54.760 --> 02:04:58.439 last night as he probably exits stage left after this 2647 02:04:58.520 --> 02:05:00.760 year to go down his life and kids when they 2648 02:05:00.760 --> 02:05:02.840 and the kids are in Orlando, they stayed there as 2649 02:05:02.880 --> 02:05:05.560 as he's as he is in Minnesota. Can I ask 2650 02:05:05.600 --> 02:05:09.439 you the same question as you watched Joe go from 2651 02:05:09.560 --> 02:05:12.199 who I called on air Dante Exem's babysitter, when you 2652 02:05:12.239 --> 02:05:15.520 signed it to a legitimate starting, very good small forward 2653 02:05:15.520 --> 02:05:17.039 for you guys, what was that process like? 2654 02:05:17.199 --> 02:05:19.960 No, he was Joe, Joe came in. He was a 2655 02:05:20.079 --> 02:05:20.800 very good player. 2656 02:05:21.079 --> 02:05:23.439 You know, one of the main stays of the Australian 2657 02:05:24.119 --> 02:05:28.439 national Olympic team. UH for a lot of years played 2658 02:05:28.479 --> 02:05:31.159 over in Europe. Was you know, had had a few 2659 02:05:31.159 --> 02:05:34.319 good years over in Europe. Played actually with one of 2660 02:05:34.359 --> 02:05:38.319 the Jazz front office guys, Uh now Sean James. They 2661 02:05:38.359 --> 02:05:41.840 played together over and over in Tel Aviv and and 2662 02:05:42.000 --> 02:05:45.199 Uh had a couple of great years and they're great friends. 2663 02:05:45.680 --> 02:05:49.279 And Joe came over, tried to get in the NBA, 2664 02:05:49.399 --> 02:05:52.800 got cut by the Clippers. Dennis liked him, brought him in, 2665 02:05:52.920 --> 02:05:55.640 knew he shoot, knew that he was a good passer, 2666 02:05:55.920 --> 02:05:57.840 but he had to get his body in better shape. 2667 02:05:57.880 --> 02:06:01.439 And Joe's credit, he looked at him self and realize, Okay, 2668 02:06:01.479 --> 02:06:04.720 this is my shot. I gotta take advantage of this. 2669 02:06:04.800 --> 02:06:07.880 And he took full advantage of it, got in better shape, 2670 02:06:08.680 --> 02:06:12.760 got himself able to move better, and because of his 2671 02:06:12.880 --> 02:06:15.840 length and his size at six ' eight, could pass 2672 02:06:15.920 --> 02:06:20.119 from the wing, could make open shots. And he did 2673 02:06:20.159 --> 02:06:21.960 that for a number of years for the Jazz. 2674 02:06:22.439 --> 02:06:23.640 The other thing about. 2675 02:06:23.399 --> 02:06:27.920 Joe is that he brought an unusual mixture of toughness 2676 02:06:27.960 --> 02:06:32.039 on the floor and getting into guys heads on the floor, 2677 02:06:32.680 --> 02:06:37.760 but then coming off and getting on the bench and joking, 2678 02:06:38.239 --> 02:06:41.760 having fun and making light of situations on the bench 2679 02:06:41.800 --> 02:06:45.520 with his teammates to keep everything loose and fun for them, 2680 02:06:45.920 --> 02:06:48.600 and and he was that way in the locker room, 2681 02:06:48.680 --> 02:06:52.119 on the road, what have you. But it's an unusual 2682 02:06:52.319 --> 02:06:55.479 mixture when you have both of those things that one 2683 02:06:55.520 --> 02:06:58.920 guy can do and do effectively for your team, and 2684 02:06:58.960 --> 02:07:01.520 then be a guy who's willing and the smart enough 2685 02:07:01.520 --> 02:07:04.760 to understand I have a certain role. I'm going to 2686 02:07:04.800 --> 02:07:08.800 fit into this slot here, and I'm just gonna do that, 2687 02:07:09.520 --> 02:07:12.039 and I'm gonna let the other guys do what they 2688 02:07:12.199 --> 02:07:16.399 do to help us to affect winning. And that's that's 2689 02:07:16.439 --> 02:07:20.640 one of his great characteristics was recognizing that and be 2690 02:07:20.840 --> 02:07:24.439 able to put that into effect on the floor for 2691 02:07:24.520 --> 02:07:27.319 a team that was a constant winner while he was here. 2692 02:07:27.439 --> 02:07:30.479 Let me ask a follow off about Joe because and 2693 02:07:30.680 --> 02:07:32.960 I'll tell you off air where this came down. But 2694 02:07:33.039 --> 02:07:36.319 somebody with the organization heard me on air talk about 2695 02:07:36.359 --> 02:07:39.479 what a locker room leader he seemed to be, what 2696 02:07:39.720 --> 02:07:41.319 kind of like a glue guy he seemed to be. 2697 02:07:41.479 --> 02:07:44.359 And I can remember somebody asked Gordon Heyward who his 2698 02:07:44.359 --> 02:07:46.079 best friend was on the team, and he said Joe, 2699 02:07:47.439 --> 02:07:50.600 which I found kind of interesting. And then during the 2700 02:07:50.600 --> 02:07:54.239 whole Rudy Donovan thing. It felt like Joe was kind 2701 02:07:54.239 --> 02:07:55.800 of the only one that was kind of like, dude, 2702 02:07:56.399 --> 02:07:59.560 can we not do this please? What's real about the 2703 02:07:59.600 --> 02:08:01.159 type of locker room guy Joe was? 2704 02:08:01.239 --> 02:08:04.359 Yeah, no, well Joe, Joe remember people forget that that 2705 02:08:04.439 --> 02:08:07.800 in the Gordon Hayward summer when he left, Joe was 2706 02:08:07.840 --> 02:08:11.439 also a free agent, right, and Joe went to Joe 2707 02:08:11.520 --> 02:08:15.520 was in l A and uh Dennis and a couple 2708 02:08:15.520 --> 02:08:19.359 of guys went to l A met with Joe and said, hey, 2709 02:08:19.640 --> 02:08:22.680 we have a meeting with Gordon uh In in a 2710 02:08:22.680 --> 02:08:25.560 couple of days, you know, but we want you to 2711 02:08:25.560 --> 02:08:28.319 come back. We want you to make sure you know, uh, 2712 02:08:28.399 --> 02:08:30.479 you know what what we're trying to figure out here, 2713 02:08:30.560 --> 02:08:34.399 what we're trying to keep together. And Joe told them, hey, 2714 02:08:34.960 --> 02:08:38.159 don't worry about me, Okay, you got to go worry 2715 02:08:38.159 --> 02:08:42.680 about Gordon, get him figured out, make sure he's okay whatever, 2716 02:08:43.119 --> 02:08:46.239 and my my thing, you know, will will be good, 2717 02:08:46.720 --> 02:08:48.520 you know, don't worry about it. And he was that 2718 02:08:48.680 --> 02:08:51.319 kind of guy who's you know, who was always a 2719 02:08:51.319 --> 02:08:54.319 team guy. He was always in on what's going to 2720 02:08:54.399 --> 02:08:57.479 help us as a group, to help us to be 2721 02:08:57.600 --> 02:09:02.159 able to sustain winning you know, on a regular basis. 2722 02:09:02.159 --> 02:09:06.079 And whatever that's gonna be, is that me starting and 2723 02:09:06.119 --> 02:09:09.520 playing thirty six minutes, Is it me coming off the 2724 02:09:09.560 --> 02:09:13.880 bench and playing eighteen minutes, Is it me coming in 2725 02:09:13.960 --> 02:09:17.039 the second quarter and just trying to rattle the other 2726 02:09:17.119 --> 02:09:22.039 team's leading score defensively and then come down on offense 2727 02:09:22.079 --> 02:09:25.920 and make a play here, whatever it's gonna be, I'm 2728 02:09:25.960 --> 02:09:28.640 gonna be that guy who's gonna try and do that 2729 02:09:28.840 --> 02:09:32.159 for our group, not only for the benefit of the whole, 2730 02:09:32.600 --> 02:09:36.159 but also because he felt that that showed some leadership 2731 02:09:36.199 --> 02:09:39.199 to the other guys, that that's how they should be playing. 2732 02:09:39.239 --> 02:09:43.039 That that was part of Joe's value to the group 2733 02:09:43.359 --> 02:09:47.399 that sometimes I think goes unrecognized and that he doesn't 2734 02:09:47.399 --> 02:09:48.399 get enough credit for. 2735 02:09:48.760 --> 02:09:51.159 Yeah, And I've always just kind of wondered exactly what's 2736 02:09:51.159 --> 02:09:53.079 real and what's not because I know at times maybe 2737 02:09:53.079 --> 02:09:57.239 he could great on people with the ability I suppose 2738 02:09:57.279 --> 02:10:01.199 to be very witty and sometimes very sharp, and we 2739 02:10:01.239 --> 02:10:04.279 live in a state where some passive aggressive tendencies exist 2740 02:10:04.359 --> 02:10:06.119 and sometimes people get their feelings hurt. 2741 02:10:06.159 --> 02:10:07.079 Was Is there anything there? 2742 02:10:07.319 --> 02:10:07.399 No? 2743 02:10:07.560 --> 02:10:11.079 But but Joe was great. Joe was you know what 2744 02:10:11.159 --> 02:10:13.439 you saw out there? On the floor. That's who Joe was, 2745 02:10:13.479 --> 02:10:16.359 in the locker room, on the plane, you know, at 2746 02:10:16.399 --> 02:10:19.119 the hotel, on the road whatever. You know, Joe is 2747 02:10:19.159 --> 02:10:21.920 a genuine guy and that's why everybody, everybody on the 2748 02:10:21.960 --> 02:10:25.000 team liked him. The coaches loved him, they loved working 2749 02:10:25.039 --> 02:10:28.760 with him. He understood and he was a good connector 2750 02:10:29.279 --> 02:10:32.800 between the coaching staff and the players. If there was 2751 02:10:32.840 --> 02:10:36.920 ever anything going on, the coaches, you know, Quinn Snyder, 2752 02:10:37.359 --> 02:10:40.439 his staff, Alice Jnson, they could go, you know to 2753 02:10:40.560 --> 02:10:42.560 Joe and go, hey, Joe, you know, we think it's 2754 02:10:42.600 --> 02:10:44.159 such and such as a vibe. 2755 02:10:44.199 --> 02:10:46.000 So no, I got it. I got it. 2756 02:10:46.199 --> 02:10:48.920 And Joe would go and Joe would you know, would 2757 02:10:49.000 --> 02:10:51.479 wait to day or later in the day or whatever, 2758 02:10:51.520 --> 02:10:54.039 would be on the plane and and and he was 2759 02:10:54.079 --> 02:10:56.960 a guy who could talk to the other players and 2760 02:10:56.960 --> 02:11:00.560 and and uh rationalize with them about what was happening 2761 02:11:01.000 --> 02:11:03.479 and and you know what they needed to address as 2762 02:11:03.520 --> 02:11:06.840 a group. But he had that status, right, he had 2763 02:11:06.880 --> 02:11:09.720 that standing. You know, people people know him as a 2764 02:11:09.760 --> 02:11:12.760 guy from Australia and you know, a good player for 2765 02:11:12.800 --> 02:11:15.880 the just but he's a big time guy and a 2766 02:11:15.880 --> 02:11:20.479 big time name in Australia. And uh, you know he's 2767 02:11:20.800 --> 02:11:25.520 he's one of those guys in Australian basketball lore. And 2768 02:11:25.600 --> 02:11:28.239 for him to be able to come here and assimilate 2769 02:11:28.359 --> 02:11:30.880 himself into this culture. 2770 02:11:30.880 --> 02:11:33.119 Meaning the NBA, and then be able. 2771 02:11:32.880 --> 02:11:36.239 To have that kind of a standing within a team 2772 02:11:36.560 --> 02:11:38.920 and within a team that was good and a team 2773 02:11:38.960 --> 02:11:42.159 that was competitive every night, and to be able to 2774 02:11:42.239 --> 02:11:46.319 find that niche where he he created value for himself 2775 02:11:46.439 --> 02:11:49.840 both as a player on the floor in the middle 2776 02:11:49.840 --> 02:11:52.640 of a game and also off the floor as a 2777 02:11:52.680 --> 02:11:57.439 team leader, recognized you know, by by his peers as such, 2778 02:11:57.920 --> 02:11:59.800 you know, was it was a big deal for us 2779 02:11:59.800 --> 02:12:00.479 at that time. 2780 02:12:01.000 --> 02:12:04.039 One more player, with all due respect to Nikhil Alexander Walker, 2781 02:12:04.039 --> 02:12:06.640 who's actually played well in Minnesota, really could not get 2782 02:12:06.680 --> 02:12:08.159 off the bench while I was here very much on 2783 02:12:08.239 --> 02:12:11.359 a Quinn. Let's talk about Mike by Conley, who did 2784 02:12:11.359 --> 02:12:14.520 not play last night and who sadly this is the 2785 02:12:14.560 --> 02:12:16.720 first year I've watched him, and I've thought, okay, all right, 2786 02:12:16.760 --> 02:12:19.680 it might be time. But you know, as I always say, 2787 02:12:19.680 --> 02:12:21.800 play till somebody tells you can't. If somebody wants to 2788 02:12:21.800 --> 02:12:23.960 sign you and page, just keep playing. And I can 2789 02:12:24.000 --> 02:12:26.520 remember Dennis because Dennis used to come on the radio 2790 02:12:26.560 --> 02:12:28.760 show every week. It's hard to believe in this day 2791 02:12:28.800 --> 02:12:31.479 and age of NBA teams being so clandestine that we 2792 02:12:31.479 --> 02:12:34.159 had that access. And I can remember Dennis always he 2793 02:12:34.199 --> 02:12:36.920 used to say one line he said, at some point, 2794 02:12:37.000 --> 02:12:40.199 we'll want to expedide the process with the right vetro right. 2795 02:12:40.600 --> 02:12:42.760 And Mike was the guy you guys decided to go get. 2796 02:12:42.880 --> 02:12:45.399 And I loved it because I love him. Who doesn't, 2797 02:12:45.479 --> 02:12:47.640 not just as a guy, but he when he was 2798 02:12:47.680 --> 02:12:50.600 at his peak, he was among the elite decision makers 2799 02:12:51.000 --> 02:12:52.000 with the ball in his hands. 2800 02:12:52.000 --> 02:12:52.439 Pick and roll. 2801 02:12:52.479 --> 02:12:54.720 Since you got you, you know the deal you guys 2802 02:12:54.760 --> 02:12:58.000 made the trade. Take us through that when you realize, like, okay, 2803 02:12:58.399 --> 02:13:00.800 we've got something. If we can find the right vet expat, 2804 02:13:00.960 --> 02:13:02.680 the process will do it. And then how you landed 2805 02:13:02.720 --> 02:13:03.199 on him. 2806 02:13:03.119 --> 02:13:06.359 That's right and and and Mike was a was a 2807 02:13:06.560 --> 02:13:10.319 very good player obviously in Memphis for over a decade. Uh, 2808 02:13:10.359 --> 02:13:12.840 there was an opportunity to to to go ahead and 2809 02:13:12.920 --> 02:13:15.720 get him. The price was we thought at the time 2810 02:13:15.760 --> 02:13:18.960 it was a little high, uh for what it was. 2811 02:13:19.479 --> 02:13:22.159 But but we had to we had to look at everything. 2812 02:13:22.439 --> 02:13:24.960 We had to put everything on the table. And we 2813 02:13:25.000 --> 02:13:29.119 had to recognize that we had a unique opportunity at 2814 02:13:29.159 --> 02:13:34.000 that moment in time to add a top level point 2815 02:13:34.039 --> 02:13:37.479 guard and a veteran who had been through some wars 2816 02:13:38.159 --> 02:13:40.920 UH to our group that we thought was the one 2817 02:13:40.960 --> 02:13:42.159 piece that was missing. 2818 02:13:42.840 --> 02:13:46.680 He came in, Oh, our group made that move. 2819 02:13:47.840 --> 02:13:50.840 He became He became an All Star his only All 2820 02:13:50.880 --> 02:13:54.640 Star appearance. While while he was with the Jazz UH, 2821 02:13:54.640 --> 02:13:57.359 he instantly became a leader. You know, we we we 2822 02:13:57.479 --> 02:14:00.039 knew his reputation around the league. We knew that he 2823 02:14:00.159 --> 02:14:03.520 was one of the all time great guys UH that 2824 02:14:03.520 --> 02:14:06.359 that other players just rallied around. And he just had 2825 02:14:06.399 --> 02:14:13.119 that certain low spoken, kind of low energy charisma, if 2826 02:14:13.159 --> 02:14:18.079 that makes any sense, that people gravitated to and and 2827 02:14:18.079 --> 02:14:20.600 and he was just one of those guys that fit 2828 02:14:20.760 --> 02:14:24.079 right in seamlessly. And it was a great move by Dennis. 2829 02:14:24.279 --> 02:14:26.960 It was. We gave up quite a bit to get 2830 02:14:27.039 --> 02:14:31.720 him and probably overpaid uh for what you would would 2831 02:14:31.760 --> 02:14:34.680 say was what you were getting in return, but not 2832 02:14:35.199 --> 02:14:38.600 in our judgment at that time. What he brought to 2833 02:14:38.640 --> 02:14:42.079 the group and finished a piece of that puzzle that 2834 02:14:42.159 --> 02:14:45.039 we had been working on for years to try and 2835 02:14:45.079 --> 02:14:48.720 get us, you know, over the hump, and we believed 2836 02:14:48.760 --> 02:14:51.800 at that time and and and stuck by our guns 2837 02:14:51.800 --> 02:14:54.880 that he that was the move to make. And uh 2838 02:14:54.920 --> 02:14:58.159 and Dennis was able to pull it off, and and 2839 02:14:58.239 --> 02:15:00.279 he had an all star year for the Jazz, and 2840 02:15:00.279 --> 02:15:03.239 then we were right there. And I had a couple 2841 02:15:03.239 --> 02:15:06.760 of stumbles in the playoffs. Okay, you don't like that. Okay, 2842 02:15:06.880 --> 02:15:09.279 that's why you didn't like to, you know, whatever it is. 2843 02:15:09.840 --> 02:15:13.239 But you know, to me, I've always felt that you 2844 02:15:13.359 --> 02:15:17.840 can't discount what a team or a group did over 2845 02:15:17.880 --> 02:15:22.279 an eighty two game, six month season relative to what 2846 02:15:22.560 --> 02:15:26.239 happened in three games in one week in the spring. 2847 02:15:26.720 --> 02:15:29.439 It just, you know, you can't do that. Some teams 2848 02:15:29.479 --> 02:15:30.239 get hot. 2849 02:15:30.640 --> 02:15:33.640 Okay, Miami got hot a few years ago out of 2850 02:15:33.640 --> 02:15:36.239 the eighth spot and had a couple of things fall 2851 02:15:36.279 --> 02:15:37.439 their way, and all of a sudden, they're in the 2852 02:15:37.520 --> 02:15:38.279 NBA Finals. 2853 02:15:38.359 --> 02:15:39.920 Okay, they did that. 2854 02:15:40.239 --> 02:15:44.720 The Jazz had had better teams, had winning teams, had 2855 02:15:44.760 --> 02:15:48.439 best reckon in the league, blah blah blah whatever, and 2856 02:15:47.399 --> 02:15:52.880 they stumbled a few times in the playoffs, and and 2857 02:15:52.920 --> 02:15:56.199 then other decisions were made from there about that. But 2858 02:15:56.279 --> 02:16:01.199 Mike Conley played such an important role and stabilizing that 2859 02:16:01.279 --> 02:16:03.159 team at a time when that's. 2860 02:16:02.920 --> 02:16:07.039 What that group needed. And he was really good for 2861 02:16:07.199 --> 02:16:09.800 us in that period of time that he was here. 2862 02:16:10.159 --> 02:16:12.600 You know, to your point, and I discussed this all 2863 02:16:12.640 --> 02:16:16.159 the time. And it's not just an NBA thing. It's 2864 02:16:16.159 --> 02:16:18.720 an NFL thing, it's a Major League Baseball thing, it's 2865 02:16:18.760 --> 02:16:20.319 a hockey thing, it's a soccer thing. 2866 02:16:20.439 --> 02:16:23.920 Like winning is fleeting, success is fleeting. 2867 02:16:23.720 --> 02:16:26.600 And you have to enjoy when you have the opportunity 2868 02:16:26.640 --> 02:16:28.600 to just get Like in the NBA that always say 2869 02:16:28.640 --> 02:16:29.279 do you have a shot? 2870 02:16:29.520 --> 02:16:30.439 You have a shot this year? 2871 02:16:31.079 --> 02:16:33.639 In the years that you can answer that question clear eyed, 2872 02:16:34.159 --> 02:16:38.079 yes are the years that are really fun. But when 2873 02:16:38.120 --> 02:16:41.680 they're gone and you're in this space where jazz fans 2874 02:16:41.719 --> 02:16:44.000 are driving to the stadium most every night, at the 2875 02:16:44.000 --> 02:16:47.120 arena most every night saying we have no shots and 2876 02:16:47.159 --> 02:16:48.639 we know we don't have a shot, and we know 2877 02:16:48.719 --> 02:16:51.120 the deal, we know why they're doing this, it just 2878 02:16:51.159 --> 02:16:53.520 makes you look back on years like you guys had 2879 02:16:53.559 --> 02:16:55.879 with Gobert and Mitchell and Quinn and obviously all the 2880 02:16:55.879 --> 02:16:57.600 way back to John and Carl and some Darren and 2881 02:16:57.600 --> 02:17:01.639 booz year's too. Is really funny that you probably didn't 2882 02:17:01.680 --> 02:17:04.399 appreciate as much because we can be spoiled around here, you. 2883 02:17:04.319 --> 02:17:06.520 Know, well we you know, and I can tell you Spence, 2884 02:17:06.559 --> 02:17:09.719 the those of us who are privileged enough and lucky 2885 02:17:09.799 --> 02:17:11.959 enough to be on the inside and be part of 2886 02:17:12.000 --> 02:17:16.680 those things as they were happening, our group never took 2887 02:17:16.760 --> 02:17:20.639 those things for granted, and we never we never thought 2888 02:17:20.680 --> 02:17:23.440 that we were smarter than the next guy. 2889 02:17:23.440 --> 02:17:25.920 Or knew more than somebody else. You know. 2890 02:17:26.000 --> 02:17:29.239 We recognize that it was all about getting the right players, 2891 02:17:29.280 --> 02:17:33.600 in getting the players to work together, getting the right 2892 02:17:33.719 --> 02:17:36.440 coaching group, whether it was Jerry Sloan or whether it 2893 02:17:36.520 --> 02:17:41.239 was Ty Corbyn, whether it was Quinn Snyder, getting the 2894 02:17:41.319 --> 02:17:46.319 right guys and with a group to work together to 2895 02:17:46.600 --> 02:17:49.319 try and work in the same direction. That is a 2896 02:17:49.479 --> 02:17:53.120 difficult thing to do in pro sports, and one of 2897 02:17:53.159 --> 02:17:56.840 our our responsibilities, going all the way back to when 2898 02:17:56.879 --> 02:17:59.799 Frank Laden was both the general manager and the head 2899 02:17:59.799 --> 02:18:03.479 coach in the eighties, was was the notion that we 2900 02:18:03.600 --> 02:18:06.879 have to get the right kind of guys in the 2901 02:18:06.959 --> 02:18:10.399 spots and they have to have talent, they have to 2902 02:18:10.440 --> 02:18:13.440 have skill, but they have to be the right have 2903 02:18:13.520 --> 02:18:17.319 the right mindset to want to work together as a group, 2904 02:18:17.840 --> 02:18:21.159 and if you can piece that together and do those things, 2905 02:18:21.680 --> 02:18:24.719 then you're gonna have a better chance at some level 2906 02:18:25.120 --> 02:18:28.719 of sustained success. And we had a lot of that 2907 02:18:29.319 --> 02:18:31.479 over those years, and a lot of it was because 2908 02:18:31.520 --> 02:18:34.639 of all the work that was done uh in the background, 2909 02:18:34.680 --> 02:18:37.680 behind the scenes to try and get the right kind 2910 02:18:37.719 --> 02:18:40.319 of guy, whether it was a Jeff Horni sec to 2911 02:18:40.959 --> 02:18:44.319 plug In, or whether it was Carlos Boozer or Memento 2912 02:18:44.479 --> 02:18:47.440 core to plug In and their their skill sets and 2913 02:18:47.479 --> 02:18:50.760 what they brought to the group with their personalities, or 2914 02:18:50.760 --> 02:18:54.479 whether it was you know, a young Gordon Hayward or 2915 02:18:54.600 --> 02:18:58.559 later of Mike Conley guys, Joe Ingles, guys who brought 2916 02:18:58.920 --> 02:19:02.079 other things to the table that helped you as a 2917 02:19:02.200 --> 02:19:06.760 group to be able to have a chance every night. 2918 02:19:07.280 --> 02:19:10.479 And that's what the Jazz are looking for now with 2919 02:19:10.600 --> 02:19:13.680 the young guys. They're trying to figure out and we've 2920 02:19:13.760 --> 02:19:17.120 used this analogy before, Spence, but it's just like the 2921 02:19:17.319 --> 02:19:20.040 old guy mining for gold in the river and you 2922 02:19:20.159 --> 02:19:22.319 put a bunch of you put the big pan in 2923 02:19:22.360 --> 02:19:24.319 the water and you sift it and you sift it 2924 02:19:24.360 --> 02:19:27.319 and all the rocks and the sand and everything comes 2925 02:19:27.319 --> 02:19:29.520 through and you hope that at some point you get 2926 02:19:29.559 --> 02:19:32.319 a couple of gold nuggets that end up in the 2927 02:19:32.319 --> 02:19:36.799 pan and you can use going forward. And that's the 2928 02:19:36.840 --> 02:19:39.639 process that the Jazz currently find themselves in. 2929 02:19:39.680 --> 02:19:39.840 Now. 2930 02:19:40.000 --> 02:19:42.040 Yeah, we do have a couple of recent examples of 2931 02:19:42.120 --> 02:19:45.520 smaller markets being your cousin who drove up to Idaho 2932 02:19:45.559 --> 02:19:47.479 and bought a lottery ticket, came back and won the 2933 02:19:47.520 --> 02:19:51.079 thing with Jokicchen Denver and Giannis and Milwaukee, and we'll 2934 02:19:51.079 --> 02:19:54.719 see what Luca does in Dallas, and we'll end with this. 2935 02:19:55.319 --> 02:19:56.360 You know, Lowry is not. 2936 02:19:56.280 --> 02:19:58.120 Any of those players, but he's the best player on 2937 02:19:58.159 --> 02:20:00.879 this roster. And we've topped about this over the past 2938 02:20:00.879 --> 02:20:03.680 couple of weeks. And Tom Haberstrow, who joins ushow every Monday, 2939 02:20:03.719 --> 02:20:06.520 has some data on this. When teams and okase he 2940 02:20:06.639 --> 02:20:09.280 did this with Shay and Lowry's not Shay. I'm not 2941 02:20:09.319 --> 02:20:13.159 saying that, but when teams ask legitimate star players to 2942 02:20:13.200 --> 02:20:15.440 be part of this process, which part of it is 2943 02:20:15.479 --> 02:20:17.600 you're not playing every night, And part of it is, hey, 2944 02:20:17.639 --> 02:20:19.760 Lowry has your back. Oh it's great, No, it's not sorry, 2945 02:20:19.959 --> 02:20:23.719 it hurts, you know, And what's undeniable is Lowry's numbers 2946 02:20:23.719 --> 02:20:26.760 are down across the board. They just are shooting percentages splitch. 2947 02:20:26.799 --> 02:20:29.159 You can get into the weeds on Basketball Reference. He's 2948 02:20:29.159 --> 02:20:31.360 doing nothing better this year than he did last year 2949 02:20:31.879 --> 02:20:34.079 or certainly the year before when he was an All Star. 2950 02:20:34.559 --> 02:20:37.840 What's the danger of asking a twenty seven year old 2951 02:20:37.840 --> 02:20:40.040 franchise pillar to be part of this? And is there 2952 02:20:40.159 --> 02:20:42.360 a danger that you're wasting part of his prime before 2953 02:20:42.360 --> 02:20:43.440 I set you loose lender. 2954 02:20:43.319 --> 02:20:46.600 Yeah, but it's the danger is if you have a 2955 02:20:46.639 --> 02:20:49.840 guy who's not buying into what's going on right right 2956 02:20:49.959 --> 02:20:53.959 and with lowry market, and all signs point to the 2957 02:20:54.000 --> 02:20:57.239 fact that he understands, you know, he was here, he 2958 02:20:57.360 --> 02:20:59.600 had a chance to play out as a as a 2959 02:20:59.639 --> 02:21:03.040 free agent and uh and choose where he would want 2960 02:21:03.079 --> 02:21:05.239 to go the second half of his career. That's how 2961 02:21:05.280 --> 02:21:09.360 the collective bar agreement works in the NBA. He chose 2962 02:21:09.440 --> 02:21:13.239 to sign the long term extension because he likes playing 2963 02:21:13.360 --> 02:21:17.360 in Salt Lake, he likes the community, he likes living here. 2964 02:21:17.799 --> 02:21:20.920 It's a lot of it has to do with his background. 2965 02:21:20.319 --> 02:21:23.479 And his upbringing, you know, in Finland, and and some 2966 02:21:23.559 --> 02:21:26.040 of the similarities of living in Salt Lake and outside 2967 02:21:26.040 --> 02:21:28.600 of Helsinki and all those kinds of things which are 2968 02:21:28.639 --> 02:21:32.040 real life things, but his family likes being here. He 2969 02:21:32.120 --> 02:21:35.799 knew what the deal was when he signed the extension. 2970 02:21:36.360 --> 02:21:38.840 He knew that it was going to be some growing pains, 2971 02:21:39.280 --> 02:21:41.920 and he bought into that. And that's what you need. 2972 02:21:41.959 --> 02:21:45.680 You need a guy who who understands the landscape and 2973 02:21:45.920 --> 02:21:47.920 is willing to be part of that with you. Yeah, 2974 02:21:47.959 --> 02:21:51.079 his numbers are down this year. I attribute that just 2975 02:21:51.120 --> 02:21:53.399 to being the fact that he doesn't have as much 2976 02:21:53.440 --> 02:21:56.920 help and the other teams are playing are now gearing 2977 02:21:56.959 --> 02:21:59.680 on him, and they know, hey, if we slow marketing, 2978 02:22:01.520 --> 02:22:04.000 then those guys aren't gonna have much of a chance 2979 02:22:04.079 --> 02:22:06.879 to win because of the limited help he has. And 2980 02:22:06.959 --> 02:22:11.159 so part of that is on uh is on that 2981 02:22:11.280 --> 02:22:15.319 cause for other teams targeting him and and him not 2982 02:22:15.440 --> 02:22:18.319 trying to do too much. He's just playing, playing his 2983 02:22:18.399 --> 02:22:21.440 game and and and he'll be fine. He'll be fine, 2984 02:22:22.000 --> 02:22:24.520 And if they can get him some help, then he'll 2985 02:22:24.559 --> 02:22:27.799 be able to also go along with that and hopefully 2986 02:22:27.799 --> 02:22:30.280 be able to see a light down somewhere at the 2987 02:22:30.399 --> 02:22:31.680 end of that long tunnel. 2988 02:22:32.000 --> 02:22:34.120 Smitty, great to see, my friend. 2989 02:22:34.200 --> 02:22:36.280 Welcome back to the real world where it's not a 2990 02:22:36.479 --> 02:22:38.159 greas and sunny every day and you don't have little 2991 02:22:38.239 --> 02:22:40.159 drinks with umbrellas and all you can eat food. So 2992 02:22:40.280 --> 02:22:42.079 welcome back to Islamita with the rest of us. 2993 02:22:42.079 --> 02:22:45.040 It feels like that spence whenever I'm with you. That's 2994 02:22:45.120 --> 02:22:46.959 that's the vision I get, the. 2995 02:22:46.920 --> 02:22:48.719 Great Richard Smith. Before we catch a break. 2996 02:22:48.719 --> 02:22:50.760 It's time now for our you went to golf PGA 2997 02:22:50.879 --> 02:22:53.680 Tour updates, and that's brought to you by our good 2998 02:22:53.680 --> 02:22:55.399 friends of course, that you went to golf for. They've 2999 02:22:55.440 --> 02:22:57.840 got a bunch of deals right now prior to the season, 3000 02:22:57.840 --> 02:22:59.280 which we'll get going here pretty quick. 3001 02:23:00.040 --> 02:23:00.680 Out to Ping. 3002 02:23:00.719 --> 02:23:03.360 The new G four to four zero driver delivers faster 3003 02:23:03.440 --> 02:23:06.959 ball speeds along with Ping's game changing forgiveness. The G 3004 02:23:07.079 --> 02:23:09.319 four to forty irons are designed for more distance and 3005 02:23:09.360 --> 02:23:11.399 control it you went to golf. It's five sixty East, 3006 02:23:11.440 --> 02:23:15.319 twenty one hundred south. Happy Friday to you. Congratulations, you 3007 02:23:15.319 --> 02:23:17.639 made a weekend time, big old deep breath. You got 3008 02:23:17.639 --> 02:23:19.879 out of bed every day right, probably didn't feel like 3009 02:23:19.920 --> 02:23:21.600 it some days, but you did it. And now it 3010 02:23:21.719 --> 02:23:24.719 is weekend time on this Friday afternoon, in the five 3011 02:23:24.760 --> 02:23:27.000 o'clock hour, we've had a really really fun show, really 3012 02:23:27.040 --> 02:23:28.959 busy show with a lot of good guests. It's in 3013 02:23:29.000 --> 02:23:32.360 college basketball right out of the gates today with Spencer 3014 02:23:32.360 --> 02:23:36.360 and Nelson, former Utah State Aggie Talked Utah State, talked 3015 02:23:36.360 --> 02:23:39.600 to Utah and Talk BYU all three of our local teams. 3016 02:23:39.680 --> 02:23:42.719 Utahs day with a big one tomorrow against New Mexico 3017 02:23:42.799 --> 02:23:45.360 up at the spectrum. Utah States won three straight games. 3018 02:23:45.360 --> 02:23:48.840 They are nineteen and two and they're atop the table 3019 02:23:49.120 --> 02:23:51.520 at the Mountain West Conference standing side of things with 3020 02:23:51.600 --> 02:23:57.040 the basketball situation concerning New Mexico and Utah State at 3021 02:23:57.120 --> 02:23:59.719 nine and one, and those two teams meet tomorrow at 3022 02:23:59.760 --> 02:24:01.479 the same spectrum. That was a really weird way to 3023 02:24:01.559 --> 02:24:04.319 articulate that It's Friday, five o'clock hour, a little tired, 3024 02:24:04.639 --> 02:24:07.639 So big game tomorrow for Utah State. Jared Calhoun, another 3025 02:24:07.719 --> 02:24:10.360 Utah State coach, getting a lot of great results early on. 3026 02:24:10.879 --> 02:24:12.879 BYU will travel do UCEF three. 3027 02:24:12.920 --> 02:24:15.479 Their next four games are on the road, so they'll 3028 02:24:15.520 --> 02:24:18.000 see UCF tomorrow and then they're back home against Arizona 3029 02:24:18.120 --> 02:24:20.760 next week on the road against Cincinnati and West Virginia. 3030 02:24:21.280 --> 02:24:23.719 BYU with their recent run of play after that lost 3031 02:24:23.719 --> 02:24:25.840 to Utah. They've shot up to thirty eight in the 3032 02:24:25.879 --> 02:24:28.639 net according to ken Pom, and they're five and four 3033 02:24:28.719 --> 02:24:30.399 in conference fourteen and six overall. 3034 02:24:30.440 --> 02:24:32.000 That's good for tie with Baylor. 3035 02:24:32.440 --> 02:24:34.879 Right beyond Houston, who has not lost a conference game, 3036 02:24:34.920 --> 02:24:37.879 Arizona eight and one, Iowa State, Texas Tech seven and two, 3037 02:24:38.559 --> 02:24:41.920 Kansas six and three. Then it's BYU and Baylor at 3038 02:24:41.959 --> 02:24:45.280 five and four. The Utah crag Smith will join us 3039 02:24:45.280 --> 02:24:47.799 coming up at about fifteen minutes right now, hit the 3040 02:24:47.879 --> 02:24:50.920 road to take on Oklahoma State after beating Cincinnati at home. 3041 02:24:51.040 --> 02:24:54.079 Utah actually has a really interesting opportunity in front of them, 3042 02:24:54.520 --> 02:24:56.159 but they're gonna have to play well on the road, 3043 02:24:56.200 --> 02:24:59.200 you know, in college basketball, certainly in a conference like 3044 02:24:59.239 --> 02:25:02.440 the Big twelve, second probably only to the SEC this year. 3045 02:25:02.520 --> 02:25:04.239 If you want to find you know, eight, nine to 3046 02:25:04.319 --> 02:25:07.639 ten conference wins, you've got to play well at home 3047 02:25:07.760 --> 02:25:08.360 first of all. 3048 02:25:08.399 --> 02:25:10.239 Then you've got to go steal a couple on the road. 3049 02:25:10.959 --> 02:25:14.079 Utah did get one on the road early at TCU, 3050 02:25:14.680 --> 02:25:16.760 but three of their next four games are on the road, 3051 02:25:16.879 --> 02:25:19.200 just like BYU. But their only home again Colorado, was 3052 02:25:19.319 --> 02:25:23.760 very winnable, so at Oklahoma State winnable basketball game home 3053 02:25:23.799 --> 02:25:26.440 against Colorado. Colorado might be the worst team in a conference. 3054 02:25:26.479 --> 02:25:29.360 Oklahoma State two and three in conference play. Then they're 3055 02:25:29.399 --> 02:25:32.760 at West Virginia and at Cincinnati. They've already beat Cincinnati. 3056 02:25:32.879 --> 02:25:35.639 Cincinnati's two and seven in conference. West Virginia is good. 3057 02:25:35.680 --> 02:25:38.639 They're solid at four and five, which is where Utah 3058 02:25:38.760 --> 02:25:40.520 is at thirteen and seven, So that's not going to 3059 02:25:40.559 --> 02:25:43.479 be an easy game. But you come home to take 3060 02:25:43.520 --> 02:25:46.600 on Kansas and Kansas State. Then it's at UCF at Arizona. 3061 02:25:46.719 --> 02:25:50.799 The schedule after the next four games really gets difficult. 3062 02:25:50.879 --> 02:25:54.280 So if Utah has any premon issue of being an 3063 02:25:54.360 --> 02:25:57.760 NCAA tournament team, right now is the time for them 3064 02:25:57.840 --> 02:26:00.920 to get some results. Certainly with games there are some 3065 02:26:01.719 --> 02:26:03.879 It's not really breaking news out of the NBA, but 3066 02:26:04.520 --> 02:26:07.600 with the NBA trade deadline right around the corner, sham 3067 02:26:07.639 --> 02:26:11.799 Shararnia from ESPN is reporting both Golden State and the 3068 02:26:11.799 --> 02:26:15.520 Phoenix Suns are aggressively pursuing Jimmy Butler. 3069 02:26:15.600 --> 02:26:17.200 Now is that a true report? 3070 02:26:17.360 --> 02:26:21.559 Is that Miami planting that story to leverage the situation 3071 02:26:21.639 --> 02:26:24.040 to get a better deal. Who knows, but Jimmy Butler 3072 02:26:24.079 --> 02:26:27.600 and de Aaron Fox now dearon Fox is a really 3073 02:26:27.639 --> 02:26:30.959 really talented point guard from Sacramento, and ultimately they've decided 3074 02:26:31.000 --> 02:26:33.479 to move all along from him, according to reports. But 3075 02:26:34.280 --> 02:26:38.559 nothing nothing new as of now when it comes to news, 3076 02:26:38.760 --> 02:26:40.719 tangible news on the NBA trade deadline. 3077 02:26:40.719 --> 02:26:42.239 Of course, we are just. 3078 02:26:42.200 --> 02:26:44.840 About ten days away, nine ten days away from Super 3079 02:26:44.840 --> 02:26:49.760 Bowl fifty nine. We had Terrell Burgess on earlier. Terrell's 3080 02:26:49.840 --> 02:26:52.040 really really good at the media stuff. He was with 3081 02:26:52.120 --> 02:26:54.399 Buffalo earlier this year. He was part of that great 3082 02:26:54.479 --> 02:26:58.319 twenty nineteen Utah football team and he suffered an injury 3083 02:26:58.559 --> 02:27:01.559 was released. He is now out back in California, trying 3084 02:27:01.600 --> 02:27:04.479 to stay healthy to get potentially another shot to play 3085 02:27:04.520 --> 02:27:08.200 some pro football before he decides what's next. He is 3086 02:27:08.239 --> 02:27:11.840 only twenty six years old, so hopefully ultimately he'll be 3087 02:27:11.879 --> 02:27:14.559 able to get another opportunity to play some football before 3088 02:27:14.559 --> 02:27:16.159 he gets into the next phase of his life. 3089 02:27:16.159 --> 02:27:17.639 But we talked some youute. 3090 02:27:17.440 --> 02:27:20.280 Football, we talked some college football, we talked some Super Bowl, 3091 02:27:20.319 --> 02:27:23.040 some pro football with Terrell Burgess earlier, and then we 3092 02:27:23.120 --> 02:27:25.440 just did an hour in studio with Richard Smith, who 3093 02:27:25.479 --> 02:27:29.360 is now back in town after a number of weeks 3094 02:27:29.360 --> 02:27:32.040 on vacation. So I always appreciate Smitty stopping buy to 3095 02:27:32.040 --> 02:27:35.760 do little Jazz. Jazz were in action last night against Minnesota. 3096 02:27:35.840 --> 02:27:38.520 Some old friends in town and we kind of discussed 3097 02:27:38.559 --> 02:27:42.680 with Smitty the dynamics of watching the Rudy Goberts of 3098 02:27:42.719 --> 02:27:44.520 the world, the Joe Ingles of the world, Mike Conley, 3099 02:27:44.559 --> 02:27:46.920 as well the three main cogs on the team. The 3100 02:27:46.959 --> 02:27:50.319 kil Alexander Walker is also a Timberwolf. But I thought 3101 02:27:50.360 --> 02:27:53.520 Smitty had some really interesting perspective on just how that 3102 02:27:53.600 --> 02:27:56.079 group was able to grow together, what it was like 3103 02:27:56.120 --> 02:27:58.399 to watch Rudy grow together. You know, it's an exercise 3104 02:27:58.440 --> 02:28:01.840 in futility, but I'll always want what the Jazz could 3105 02:28:01.840 --> 02:28:03.799 have looked like if they just decided to do the 3106 02:28:03.840 --> 02:28:06.520 Mitchell deal and then hang out, then hung on to 3107 02:28:06.559 --> 02:28:09.520 go beart, because the Donovan deal did bring you lowry marketing, right, 3108 02:28:09.600 --> 02:28:11.959 and so you know, if you kept Mike Coley, And 3109 02:28:11.959 --> 02:28:15.600 obviously Mike is now in the phase of his career 3110 02:28:15.600 --> 02:28:18.399 where he's in the December of his pro basketball career 3111 02:28:18.399 --> 02:28:21.600 and he's ready to probably step aside. Didn't play last night, 3112 02:28:21.680 --> 02:28:23.559 but when Mike has played this year, he just looks 3113 02:28:23.600 --> 02:28:26.360 like a point guard that's aged, but you know, a 3114 02:28:26.399 --> 02:28:28.319 couple of years, maybe left with Mike Conley. 3115 02:28:28.319 --> 02:28:29.520 If if you hold on to. 3116 02:28:29.920 --> 02:28:32.200 Everybody outside of Mitchell, what does that team look like? 3117 02:28:32.280 --> 02:28:35.760 A lowry marketing Rudy Gobert front court. You know you 3118 02:28:35.799 --> 02:28:38.520 had Boyan Bogdanovitch. You don't move on from him. You 3119 02:28:38.600 --> 02:28:41.840 keep Royce O'Neil, you keep Mike Conley, even Joe. I 3120 02:28:41.840 --> 02:28:43.840 guess Joe was heart of the time. But you know, 3121 02:28:43.920 --> 02:28:46.280 whenever these players roll back into town, it's kind of 3122 02:28:46.319 --> 02:28:50.319 interesting to do some of these exercises to see what 3123 02:28:50.440 --> 02:28:52.239 it would have been like if you decided to do 3124 02:28:52.319 --> 02:28:54.760 things a little bit differently. Does Quinn stay if they 3125 02:28:54.840 --> 02:28:56.760 just move on from Donovan and not go Beart. I mean, 3126 02:28:56.840 --> 02:28:59.879 Quinn obviously didn't want to work for this new ownership group, 3127 02:29:00.120 --> 02:29:03.200 neither did Dennis Lindsay, and then Quinn himself said during 3128 02:29:03.239 --> 02:29:06.639 his postgame press or he just didn't see any traction forward. 3129 02:29:06.719 --> 02:29:08.719 But would there have been more traction forward with this 3130 02:29:08.799 --> 02:29:10.920 team if you just do the Mitchell deal and keep 3131 02:29:11.239 --> 02:29:14.680 go Bear. Who knows rumors out there that John Collins 3132 02:29:14.719 --> 02:29:17.040 is being shocked potentially to the Sacramento Kings. 3133 02:29:17.079 --> 02:29:18.239 Not sure what that would look like. 3134 02:29:18.879 --> 02:29:21.200 I thought somebody made some good points about Colin Sexton, 3135 02:29:21.239 --> 02:29:25.000 because we ultimately talk about Colin oftentimes as a much 3136 02:29:25.079 --> 02:29:28.239 older player, because he's not as young as sense of 3137 02:29:28.280 --> 02:29:32.280 Ba or Kyante or Philipowski or call youer or whatever. 3138 02:29:32.319 --> 02:29:35.000 He's twenty six years old and he's in the midst 3139 02:29:35.040 --> 02:29:37.000 of yet another pretty efficient year. He has become a 3140 02:29:37.040 --> 02:29:39.760 forty two percent three point shooter, and he does bring 3141 02:29:39.879 --> 02:29:41.479 energy in a way that really no one else on 3142 02:29:41.520 --> 02:29:42.159 the roster does. 3143 02:29:42.200 --> 02:29:45.239 Sorry, that's just kind of how it is, I will say. 3144 02:29:45.239 --> 02:29:47.520 And we talked about this a little bit earlier that 3145 02:29:47.680 --> 02:29:50.520 Isaac Callier he's got some juice in them that I'm 3146 02:29:50.520 --> 02:29:52.159 not sure that I thought that he did. When you 3147 02:29:52.159 --> 02:29:54.399 look at his splits over his thirteen starts, he's about 3148 02:29:54.399 --> 02:29:57.920 eleven points. He's about eight assists. You love the eight assists. 3149 02:29:58.280 --> 02:30:01.399 His turnovers are problematic, just like Kantes are. But he 3150 02:30:01.440 --> 02:30:05.040 has league guard tendancies and vision and feel that Kiante 3151 02:30:05.200 --> 02:30:07.200 just doesn't. So Kyante now has been coming off the 3152 02:30:07.200 --> 02:30:10.559 bench for four games, and I thought Kiante was really 3153 02:30:10.559 --> 02:30:12.920 good last night, the best game he's had since coming 3154 02:30:12.920 --> 02:30:15.680 off the bench. Knocked down all seven of shots I 3155 02:30:15.760 --> 02:30:17.120 only turned the ball over once in. 3156 02:30:17.079 --> 02:30:18.200 Twenty seven minutes to play. 3157 02:30:18.200 --> 02:30:20.760 I had twenty three points on seven shots, which is 3158 02:30:20.840 --> 02:30:24.479 ludicris and I played twenty seven minutes, So that's kind 3159 02:30:24.479 --> 02:30:28.479 of a rotational change that I do think actually means something. 3160 02:30:28.959 --> 02:30:30.479 Go Beart eight Walkers Lunch. 3161 02:30:30.520 --> 02:30:32.799 Last night, the head to head matchup between Walker Kestler 3162 02:30:32.840 --> 02:30:35.840 and Rudy Gobert was very one sided. Rudy kind of 3163 02:30:35.840 --> 02:30:38.319 did last night, when Rudy does more often than not 3164 02:30:38.399 --> 02:30:41.399 every single night. Was sixteen points, nine boards, four blocks, 3165 02:30:41.399 --> 02:30:43.600 but he did add five assists. I don't even I 3166 02:30:43.639 --> 02:30:46.520 wonder how many times Rudy Gobert had five assists in 3167 02:30:46.559 --> 02:30:48.639 a jazz uniform. My guess is you could count on 3168 02:30:48.639 --> 02:30:51.799 one hand without looking it up. Walker in twenty seven 3169 02:30:51.840 --> 02:30:54.360 minutes one of six from the floor, go bear, blocked 3170 02:30:54.399 --> 02:30:56.879 him a couple of times, didn't shoot a free throw, 3171 02:30:57.079 --> 02:30:59.319 only had eight rebounds, did not block a shot. 3172 02:30:59.399 --> 02:31:01.000 That was a pretty one sided matchup. 3173 02:31:01.520 --> 02:31:04.959 For the media brigade out here that believes Walker Castler 3174 02:31:05.000 --> 02:31:06.399 is in Rudy Gobert's. 3175 02:31:05.920 --> 02:31:08.799 Category, just stop it. Maybe one day he gets there. 3176 02:31:08.840 --> 02:31:10.239 But I know there are a lot of people that 3177 02:31:10.319 --> 02:31:14.680 cover the jazz right actual things on paper for outlets 3178 02:31:14.680 --> 02:31:17.280 to cover. The Jazz that made the point that Rudy 3179 02:31:17.520 --> 02:31:20.239 and Walker were similar, Walker was far ahead of him 3180 02:31:20.239 --> 02:31:23.479 in certain areas, like that's a silly thing to say. Gobert, 3181 02:31:23.639 --> 02:31:25.600 four time Defensive Player of the Year. He is a 3182 02:31:25.600 --> 02:31:27.799 Hall of Famer no matter how you swing it. So 3183 02:31:27.920 --> 02:31:30.639 Jazz welcomed in some old friends last night. They've lost 3184 02:31:30.680 --> 02:31:33.559 now eight straight games. That is a season high. Jazz 3185 02:31:33.559 --> 02:31:36.680 are ten and thirty six on the year, and they 3186 02:31:36.719 --> 02:31:40.280 are now jockeying with Washington for the title of the 3187 02:31:40.280 --> 02:31:44.000 worst team in pro basketball. Busy night in the NBA tonight, 3188 02:31:44.079 --> 02:31:46.040 a couple of games already going on. Clippers and the 3189 02:31:46.079 --> 02:31:48.479 Hornets are early on, so are the Mavericks and the Pistons. 3190 02:31:49.239 --> 02:31:51.760 ESPN will have the Nuggets in the seventy six ers. 3191 02:31:51.840 --> 02:31:54.000 Will Joe l Embiid actually show up to play against 3192 02:31:54.079 --> 02:31:57.280 Nicola Jokic. He tends to dodge him from time to time. 3193 02:31:57.319 --> 02:31:59.319 That game's about to tip off at about ten minutes. 3194 02:32:00.000 --> 02:32:03.719 We got Bulls Raptors tonight, We've got Celtics, Pelicans, Buck Spurs, 3195 02:32:03.760 --> 02:32:06.559 and the late night ESPN game is interesting only because 3196 02:32:06.600 --> 02:32:10.440 the reports are both these two teams are currently actively 3197 02:32:11.360 --> 02:32:14.360 aggressively pursuing Jimmy Butler, the Sons, and the Warriors from 3198 02:32:14.440 --> 02:32:18.319 Chase Center in San Francisco. Phoenix is a one point 3199 02:32:18.319 --> 02:32:22.799 five point favorite. There kind of a light news day locally. 3200 02:32:22.920 --> 02:32:26.040 The Utah Hockey Club is in action tonight. They are 3201 02:32:26.120 --> 02:32:28.319 at home, which means for the second straight game, you 3202 02:32:28.319 --> 02:32:30.520 get to go through a fake exercise where you're pretending 3203 02:32:30.559 --> 02:32:32.639 to vote for the team name and then you just 3204 02:32:32.680 --> 02:32:34.600 give your information a qual tricks and go from there, 3205 02:32:34.600 --> 02:32:36.159 and then they're just going to do whatever they want. 3206 02:32:36.559 --> 02:32:40.440 The Utah Outlaws yesterday was implemented as a choice in 3207 02:32:40.479 --> 02:32:44.239 lieu of made rest in peace, the Utah Lossatche. Then 3208 02:32:44.280 --> 02:32:46.840 the Utah Mammoth is option number two. Then the Utah 3209 02:32:46.840 --> 02:32:49.559 Hockey Club, which is my preferred choice, and the name 3210 02:32:49.600 --> 02:32:50.159 of the team. 3211 02:32:50.000 --> 02:32:51.879 Now is option number three. Porter. 3212 02:32:51.920 --> 02:32:54.520 If I had to ask you two guests right now, 3213 02:32:54.600 --> 02:32:57.319 when the dust settles and they just decide to do 3214 02:32:57.360 --> 02:32:59.399 whatever they want to do anyway, the name of the 3215 02:32:59.440 --> 02:33:02.200 hockey club here locally will be on I. 3216 02:33:02.159 --> 02:33:06.159 Think if you ask me right now, I believe they 3217 02:33:06.159 --> 02:33:09.920 are moving in the direction of the mammoths. The mammoth, 3218 02:33:10.040 --> 02:33:12.639 sorry no plural. There I think mammoths would be better, 3219 02:33:12.719 --> 02:33:15.559 to be honest, that's another conversation about how this whole 3220 02:33:15.559 --> 02:33:20.360 process has gone. But I think they're inching in that direction. 3221 02:33:21.120 --> 02:33:25.399 But like I said yesterday, the process, I don't like 3222 02:33:25.440 --> 02:33:27.840 how they've done it. I don't like how they've been 3223 02:33:30.120 --> 02:33:35.239 a little I think not transparent in what they're doing 3224 02:33:35.440 --> 02:33:40.000 with the process. Despite all that, they have landed on 3225 02:33:40.040 --> 02:33:43.120 three options, all of which I think move in a 3226 02:33:43.159 --> 02:33:47.239 pretty good direction, pretty good branding, merch all of the above. 3227 02:33:47.639 --> 02:33:49.559 So for that reason, I think they're in a good 3228 02:33:49.600 --> 02:33:52.280 spot despite what I think the process has been. 3229 02:33:52.719 --> 02:33:55.440 Utah Women welcome in Arizona's and I to the Huntsman 3230 02:33:55.559 --> 02:33:57.280 Center here in Salt Lake City. If you're looking for 3231 02:33:57.319 --> 02:33:59.879 something to do, head on up and support the lady 3232 02:34:00.159 --> 02:34:02.959 who are fifteen and five on the year Arizona fourteen 3233 02:34:02.959 --> 02:34:05.479 and eight. That game is on TV on FS one, 3234 02:34:05.520 --> 02:34:07.120 and of course you can hear the game on our 3235 02:34:07.239 --> 02:34:10.239 radio station. Right after we say good night at about 3236 02:34:10.280 --> 02:34:13.879 six o'clock tonight, it's time now for our PGA Tour Leaderboard, 3237 02:34:13.879 --> 02:34:15.559 brought to you by friends that you went to golf 3238 02:34:16.079 --> 02:34:18.000 check out. You went to golf at five sixty East 3239 02:34:18.000 --> 02:34:20.840 twenty one hundred south. The locations as well in Sandy 3240 02:34:20.920 --> 02:34:24.120 Riverdale and Orum go to Worldwide golf Shops shops dot 3241 02:34:24.159 --> 02:34:27.520 com right now. The new tailor made QI thirty five 3242 02:34:27.559 --> 02:34:30.840 woods are the fourth generation of carbon wood technology. This 3243 02:34:30.959 --> 02:34:33.040 driver unlocks a new level of distance that you went 3244 02:34:33.079 --> 02:34:37.040 to golf five sixties twenty one hundred south. Moving day 3245 02:34:37.479 --> 02:34:39.799 technically it's tomorrow, but a moving day for our guy, 3246 02:34:39.920 --> 02:34:43.079 Tony Fenow, Local Project Local West Tye boy Tony Fenw 3247 02:34:43.559 --> 02:34:47.479 jumped eleven spots today. Carting is sixty seven, good for 3248 02:34:47.559 --> 02:34:49.639 five hundred par on the day, now ten under par 3249 02:34:49.879 --> 02:34:53.360 for the tournament and he is tied for fourth. Also 3250 02:34:53.399 --> 02:34:57.280 tied for fourth, Tom Kim, Justin Rose Stepstraca has had 3251 02:34:57.319 --> 02:34:59.879 two sixty fives and he is fourteen under. That's good 3252 02:34:59.879 --> 02:35:03.000 for a three stroke lead over Cam Davis and Russell Henley, 3253 02:35:03.920 --> 02:35:06.440 who are at eleven under. A couple notables for you today, 3254 02:35:06.520 --> 02:35:09.959 Lucas Glover Victor Hovlin are both at nine under par. 3255 02:35:10.600 --> 02:35:14.440 Colin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Shane Lowry, Rory McElroy and Justin 3256 02:35:14.479 --> 02:35:15.920 Thomas are at. 3257 02:35:15.840 --> 02:35:18.159 Eight under par. This is a jam pack leaderboard. 3258 02:35:18.200 --> 02:35:22.639 Sam Burns, Ricky Fowler, Scottie Scheffler, they find themselves at 3259 02:35:22.680 --> 02:35:25.520 seven under par so right in the mix. Jason Day, 3260 02:35:25.559 --> 02:35:28.520 Hedeki Matsuam at five under man. A lot of big 3261 02:35:28.559 --> 02:35:32.280 time players out there today. Ludvig Aber by the way, 3262 02:35:32.319 --> 02:35:34.680 after a rough day with Drew and Wyndham Clark at 3263 02:35:34.680 --> 02:35:36.440 three over is third to last. So some of the 3264 02:35:36.440 --> 02:35:39.799 better players also struggling. So should be a fun weekend 3265 02:35:39.799 --> 02:35:41.879 at the AT and T Pebble Beach pro Am at 3266 02:35:41.920 --> 02:35:46.079 Spyglass Golf Club in Pebble Beach. So there you go, Stepstrawks, 3267 02:35:46.079 --> 02:35:49.239 your leader at fourteen under park. All right, I had 3268 02:35:49.280 --> 02:35:52.280 a little old Utah women's basketball coming your way. Coming 3269 02:35:52.360 --> 02:35:56.440 up next the lady Utes, welcome in Arizona. That game 3270 02:35:56.520 --> 02:35:58.879 is on television on FS one, but of course it 3271 02:35:59.040 --> 02:36:02.360 is on this ratio. Is your home of the Ute 3272 02:36:02.399 --> 02:36:05.200 CESPN seven hundred coming up? Is it our guy Tyson, 3273 02:36:05.319 --> 02:36:06.040 my guy Tyson? 3274 02:36:06.120 --> 02:36:06.680 And then Miley? 3275 02:36:06.799 --> 02:36:07.040 Is it? 3276 02:36:07.159 --> 02:36:10.200 Do I have the broadcasters corrector yes? Tyson? 3277 02:36:10.440 --> 02:36:14.920 Miley Tyson ewing on the call and uh kicking tipping off, 3278 02:36:15.120 --> 02:36:17.360 uh right about six thirty. But we'll we'll hand it 3279 02:36:17.399 --> 02:36:19.079 over to him at six fifteen or so for a 3280 02:36:19.079 --> 02:36:19.680 little pregame. 3281 02:36:19.760 --> 02:36:21.879 All right, there you go, there you go, so happy 3282 02:36:21.920 --> 02:36:25.639 Friday weekend time. Little Utah women's basketball coming up. The 3283 02:36:25.680 --> 02:36:28.079 men are back in action. We caught up with Craig 3284 02:36:28.120 --> 02:36:30.319 Smith today, which we don't get to do all that often. 3285 02:36:31.040 --> 02:36:33.639 But a little road trip to Oklahoma State count up tomorrow. 3286 02:36:33.680 --> 02:36:37.959 That is a one o'clock tip time, and then BYU 3287 02:36:38.000 --> 02:36:40.360 will play an hour later on the road at UCF. 3288 02:36:40.440 --> 02:36:43.360 Then Utah the Utah Jazz play an hour after that. Wow, 3289 02:36:43.559 --> 02:36:46.520 three o'clock start for the Jazz and the Magic coming 3290 02:36:46.600 --> 02:36:49.200 up tomorrow. Give me your So I teased it a 3291 02:36:49.239 --> 02:36:51.200 little bit earlier. I said, I'm ready to talk about 3292 02:36:51.200 --> 02:36:52.719 one player on the Jazz that I like more than 3293 02:36:52.719 --> 02:36:55.840 I thought I would. And the player that I landed 3294 02:36:55.840 --> 02:37:00.760 on was Isaiah Isaiah Callier. There's just there's something about physicality, 3295 02:37:00.760 --> 02:37:03.600 There's something about his feel, there's something about his decision making, 3296 02:37:04.280 --> 02:37:06.680 which is not always great. The turnover numbers for all 3297 02:37:06.680 --> 02:37:09.479 these young guards through the roof, but you kind of 3298 02:37:09.520 --> 02:37:12.040 expect that. My one concern is, and I talked to 3299 02:37:12.040 --> 02:37:15.600 Smitty about this, can you really play thirty thirty five 3300 02:37:15.639 --> 02:37:18.239 plus minutes a night as either a lead guard or 3301 02:37:18.280 --> 02:37:20.840 a complimentary off the ball guard in pro basketball in 3302 02:37:20.879 --> 02:37:22.799 twenty twenty five. If you can't shoot it from three, 3303 02:37:22.840 --> 02:37:23.959 and I don't know the answer. 3304 02:37:23.760 --> 02:37:26.559 To that, that's the main question. But I'm with you 3305 02:37:26.600 --> 02:37:29.239 on on the call your stuff. I think there is 3306 02:37:29.280 --> 02:37:32.239 some promise there. I don't know if I've heard heard 3307 02:37:32.280 --> 02:37:34.079 Deer Smithy mention it, but he plays with such a 3308 02:37:34.079 --> 02:37:36.959 good pace right now, not all the time. There are 3309 02:37:37.000 --> 02:37:39.399 certain units that he works well with, there are certain 3310 02:37:39.479 --> 02:37:43.319 units that he doesn't. But he plays with a feel 3311 02:37:43.360 --> 02:37:48.920 of the game in the half court that sometimes it's 3312 02:37:48.959 --> 02:37:52.520 tough to replicate. It's tough for young NBA guards to 3313 02:37:52.639 --> 02:37:55.239 have that at all. So I'm with you there. I 3314 02:37:55.280 --> 02:37:58.600 think he has shown some positives in that direction. But 3315 02:37:58.680 --> 02:38:01.600 like you said, when you when you can't shoot it 3316 02:38:01.760 --> 02:38:05.319 at a you know, a plus. It doesn't even have 3317 02:38:05.399 --> 02:38:07.120 to be a forty percent three point shooter, but you 3318 02:38:07.159 --> 02:38:10.719 can't shoot it at a thirty five thirty percent clip 3319 02:38:11.479 --> 02:38:13.799 from range. That's going to be an issue at the 3320 02:38:13.879 --> 02:38:17.760 NBA level. But hey, the Jazz have been pretty successful 3321 02:38:17.799 --> 02:38:23.680 about getting guys who don't have great jumpers and turning 3322 02:38:23.680 --> 02:38:25.559 them into two guys that do. Now, I know there's 3323 02:38:25.600 --> 02:38:28.239 different fellas in the training staff and it's not as 3324 02:38:29.200 --> 02:38:31.239 you know, not maybe the same folks there, but. 3325 02:38:33.040 --> 02:38:33.840 There's promise there. 3326 02:38:34.000 --> 02:38:34.639 I'm with you. 3327 02:38:35.520 --> 02:38:38.600 So the Jazz are back in action tomorrow. I'll tell 3328 02:38:38.600 --> 02:38:38.760 you what. 3329 02:38:38.920 --> 02:38:41.159 Every time I fire up one of these Senior Bowl 3330 02:38:41.399 --> 02:38:44.719 media members accounts, they're talking about Karane Reid and Junior Tafuna. 3331 02:38:44.879 --> 02:38:46.680 So a couple of you shown out pretty well. Fun 3332 02:38:46.680 --> 02:38:50.040 to visit with Terrell Burgess early on in the show, 3333 02:38:50.159 --> 02:38:52.399 kind of revisit that twenty nineteen team. The Porter and 3334 02:38:52.440 --> 02:38:55.479 I both think is among the most talented teams, maybe 3335 02:38:55.520 --> 02:38:57.559 the most talented team that I've ever seen here in 3336 02:38:57.600 --> 02:39:00.360 the state of Utah, just on paper. Not a lot 3337 02:39:00.360 --> 02:39:02.159 of news right now in the world of college footballs 3338 02:39:02.159 --> 02:39:02.799 you would expect. 3339 02:39:03.079 --> 02:39:05.360 There's recruiting lists. 3340 02:39:05.479 --> 02:39:08.200 Of course, there are the way too early projections with 3341 02:39:08.280 --> 02:39:10.399 a twelve team CFP in the top twenty five that 3342 02:39:10.440 --> 02:39:12.360 we kind of have some fun with on the program. 3343 02:39:12.920 --> 02:39:14.639 We'll do a lot with the Super Bowl coming up 3344 02:39:14.639 --> 02:39:16.559 next week, super Bowl fifty nine, which, by the way, 3345 02:39:16.600 --> 02:39:18.639 we'll be on this radio station. We are the home 3346 02:39:19.200 --> 02:39:21.680 of the biggest and best college and pro football games 3347 02:39:22.200 --> 02:39:24.280 right here in the market. Kansas City is still a 3348 02:39:24.319 --> 02:39:27.440 one point five point favorite, and the over under hasn't 3349 02:39:27.440 --> 02:39:29.680 moved either. I'm stunned with the amount of money that's 3350 02:39:29.719 --> 02:39:31.760 been on this game every year. I don't really love 3351 02:39:31.879 --> 02:39:35.040 the current climate of where we find ourselves with the 3352 02:39:35.079 --> 02:39:37.159 ability to gamble on sports, but I'm stunned that line 3353 02:39:37.159 --> 02:39:39.360 has not moved. So I'll have a bunch of Super 3354 02:39:39.399 --> 02:39:42.159 Bowl content for you coming up. The NFL free agency 3355 02:39:42.760 --> 02:39:45.040 is right around the corner as well, but we'll get 3356 02:39:45.040 --> 02:39:47.520 out of here for a Friday edition of the show 3357 02:39:47.559 --> 02:39:49.799 and make some space for Tyson and Miley. Coming up next, 3358 02:39:49.879 --> 02:39:53.040 Utah women's basketball taking on Arizona should be a good one. 3359 02:39:53.479 --> 02:39:56.520 Porter what comes our way. On a Monday edition of 3360 02:39:56.559 --> 02:39:57.479 this radio program. 3361 02:39:57.520 --> 02:40:00.760 A Monday edition of The Drive, we'll talks men daily 3362 02:40:00.799 --> 02:40:04.079 assist with our guy Tom Haberstrow, some utes with our 3363 02:40:04.079 --> 02:40:08.040 guy Josh Furlong. We'll talk about that Utah Hockey club. 3364 02:40:08.399 --> 02:40:12.639 The latest in mascot world. They're doing more voting this weekend, 3365 02:40:12.680 --> 02:40:15.440 so who knows what we'll know on Monday with Belle Frazier, 3366 02:40:15.479 --> 02:40:19.799 and then I believe maybe on Monday, maybe during the 3367 02:40:20.120 --> 02:40:24.479 week later on, but Bill Riley going to have the 3368 02:40:24.559 --> 02:40:26.479 Voice of the Utes, Onto Talk Utes for sure, but 3369 02:40:26.520 --> 02:40:29.520 also the Super Bowl week in which his chiefs play 3370 02:40:29.680 --> 02:40:30.840 for the Big One. 3371 02:40:30.920 --> 02:40:33.760 And I got to ask Bill about the upcoming match 3372 02:40:33.840 --> 02:40:37.280 up between the Utes and the Jayhawks. My man's gonna 3373 02:40:37.280 --> 02:40:39.319 be calling a Jayhawks game. I'm not sure every thought 3374 02:40:39.360 --> 02:40:40.920 he'd be doing that, So we'll get to that with 3375 02:40:40.959 --> 02:40:43.959 Bill as well. Congrats to Nick Romando Is announced today 3376 02:40:43.959 --> 02:40:46.040 the Knick's name will be in the Ring of Honor 3377 02:40:46.120 --> 02:40:48.840 at America First Field with the other legends for RSL, 3378 02:40:49.399 --> 02:40:51.680 and we will say good night special thank you today 3379 02:40:51.719 --> 02:40:55.120 Spencer Nelson, Trell Burgess, Craig Smith and Richard Smith. For 3380 02:40:55.280 --> 02:40:56.879 any of this sound you may have missed from the 3381 02:40:56.879 --> 02:40:59.040 show today, you can go to the website, which is 3382 02:40:59.440 --> 02:41:02.680 ESPN's seven hundred Sports dot com. Make sure to download 3383 02:41:02.680 --> 02:41:04.319 our mobile app this weekend take us on the go. 3384 02:41:04.399 --> 02:41:06.559 It's free, it's easy to do. It's the ESPN seven 3385 02:41:06.639 --> 02:41:10.239 hundred app, available in the App Store the Google play Store. Then, finally, 3386 02:41:10.280 --> 02:41:12.959 for what we do every afternoon for four hours support 3387 02:41:13.000 --> 02:41:16.280 and check out our podcast page twenty twenty five. You 3388 02:41:16.319 --> 02:41:18.440 probably listen to pods. Wherever you get your pods ours 3389 02:41:18.520 --> 02:41:20.559 is there so search the Drive with Spence check Its. 3390 02:41:20.559 --> 02:41:23.680 Please subscribe to rate and review, say nice things in 3391 02:41:23.719 --> 02:41:25.239 the comments and give us all the stars, and it 3392 02:41:25.239 --> 02:41:26.959 helps us bring attention to what we do every day. 3393 02:41:26.959 --> 02:41:28.600 If you're a fan of ours, we would appreciate it. 3394 02:41:28.600 --> 02:41:31.440 This weekend, reporter, I'm spent saying and I have a 3395 02:41:31.479 --> 02:41:33.680 great weekend. Begin to yourself, begin to each other. We'll 3396 02:41:33.719 --> 02:41:35.559 talk to you on a Monday Drive and as always, 3397 02:41:35.559 --> 02:41:38.680 you can find that right here on ESPN seven hundred 3398 02:41:38.680 --> 02:41:41.239 and ninety two ONEFM. Proud to be part of Utah's 3399 02:41:41.440 --> 02:41:42.520 ESPN Radio Network.