Speaker 1: Is Cougar Sports with Ben Kretel at its time for
the Cougar Beat getting.
Speaker 2: The dish from the local reporters that cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 1: Welcome back Cougar Sports. One of three nine ninety eight
point three ESB of the Van. I've been Frital broadcasting
from our vand er wealth studios bandedwalth dot com. Get
on a free Q and A, no obligation to a
vs Q and A with our tax more wealth advisors.
Let's band together build our wealth. Let your money work
for you rather than you always working for your money.
Speaker 2: If you don't have to.
Speaker 1: Have a financial vision, you may perish. Get that financial
vision locked and loaded today. Get on that free Q
and A. It is stop a little Cougar beat.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 1: It's gonna be brought to you by Central Garage Central
Garage Utah dot com.
Speaker 2: If you got you know, many of.
Speaker 1: These products and services out there, they they kind of
take advantage of the emergent situation. Okay, whether it's like plumbing.
You know, you get like a highly emergent situation with
like a plumbing need, and they're gonna they're gonna.
Speaker 2: Gage you a little bit it's gonna be very expensive.
Speaker 1: Say think with a garage door opener, garage door, it's
broken down, your wife can't park, it's the winter, and
uh you may get an expensive bill when it's all
said and done. Not at Central Garage. That's right, Central
Garage Utah dot Com. They're gonna take care of you.
Call Kelly if you need a new garage or you
need it repaired, call him today. Eight oh one, six
oh four two nine one nine. That's ETA one six
oh four two nine one nine. That's eight on one
six oh four two nine one nine. They've been proudly
serving Utah for over thirty years now, offering the top
quality garage door products and services. Call them today. Their
skill technicians will take care of you. Let them know
I sent you. You always get the VIP products, VIP service,
VIP discounts. Let's get out to the hotline. Welcome in Action.
Jackson Payn of the Desertrat News. Jackson, how the heck
are you?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3: Hey, what's up then? How you doing? I'm I'm thriving,
ex sad for this game.
Speaker 1: I know, man, I am too. Uh, this basketball seams
has been fun, no doubt about it. You you look
at the most formidable foes. Obviously, you Connel on the
road and a neutral site that kind of was a
home game for them with being so close to their home.
You get Texas Tech on the road. That was a
tough one. We saw what Texas Tech did to Houston.
They got them on their home court. So that's not
a bad loss when you really you know, Choco it
all up. We knew it wasn't gonna be a bad loss,
but you begin to feel a little bit better about
that loss. Now you have U of A at home.
Where would you rank out this U of A game.
It's the number one team of the country, you're at home.
How difficult will it be from you know, is this
the most difficult game BYU's faced all season?
Speaker 3: I think so. It's because it's the number one team
in the country, right, I mean, obviously the Yukon game
was unique because it was cross country travel. You were
down two starters when Caba got hurt pretty pretty early
in the game. It's pretty much a home game for Yukon.
But at the same time, this is the number one
team in the country coming to Provo. I mean that
has happened once before. When when Gonzaga came in twenty seventeen, Yes,
or it's probably I think it's happened a couple other times,
but it hasn't happened in almost ten years. There's a
stigma that comes with playing the top team in the
country and at the same time too, like that Yukon game.
Obviously that was a big national window Fox, but it
was also college football weekend. Might have flown under the
radar nationally, but this is like this, this has some buzz.
Is like the game of the week. This is the
number one team versus the number one player in the country.
Arizona hasn't played in a place like Provo yet in
in the Big twelve schedule. This is gonna be a
real test for both teams. And I mean, if by
gets a win night, we got to be talking about
possibly the best win in program history. Would be just unprecedented.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what what needs that happen in order to get
a win tonight? Do you think at the marriage center
for this team?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Arizona they don't rely some on the three,
so they do a lot of damage inside. So I
think buy has got to really defend the paint well
you're you're gonna need. Obviously Keva and and and Ahmed.
Recently they've they've done a good job protecting the rim
and just having them down there as such a such
a positive presence for for Y's defense. But I think
you're gonna need to see AJ and Richie and whoever
else might start. I mean, I don't know if new
Davis is gonna start start tonight, but if he doesn't,
whoever they throw in there, whether it's Boop or Boskovic,
We're gonna need to see some toughness from this bya
team because it's a really big Arizona team. Like I said,
they do a lot of work down low. By is
gonna have to offer some resistance in the paint area.
And at the same time, I think you're gonna need
a big Richie game. Like AJ. You can count on
him for twenty five a night, it feels like, especially
after he just dropped forty three at Utah against Utah.
But and Rob is kind of the steadying presence of
this team. He always gives you. But Richie, it's been
a little feast or famine with him, and more much
more feast than famine, I should say he's averaging close to
nineteen points a game, but he isn't shooting great in
Big twelve play, and it would just be great to
see him have a legacy night. Obviously he's the villain
and on Arizona side from last year's game when he
hit the free throws to win. But you're gonna need
to see a twenty piece or more from Richie to
get BYU to win tonight.
Speaker 1: Let me ask you this AJ went off right if
forty three points saw a a freshman record, obviously, I
think you You followed pretty closely the Jimmermania era. Uh
and I got to watch that not probably up close
in also from Afar. Will anything ever match jimmer Mania?
Is there anything that AJ can do to match the
one the only Jimmermania year?
Speaker 3: Man, I Jimmermania was just so one of one, you know,
like it was just we all knew Jimmer was an
All American type coming into the season, but for him,
just the way that he played and just he had
this hypnotic jump shot that just caught you in a
trance right like it just it was from like I
was ten years old going on eleven, when when Jimmer
was in his senior year, and for me, the thing
that really resonated about Jimmer is he didn't he wasn't
the greatest athlete, Like, he didn't have a Greek god physique.
He looked like you and me man Like, She's just
kind of a normal looking dude doing incredible things on
the basketball court. So it gave you hope, like, hey,
I can do things incredible things in my life too.
Whereas Ajak of nature, this is one of the best
athletes to ever play at b YU. He's he should
be playing in the NBA right now, but he's bracing
our presence here in Provo. So I think, I mean, clearly,
the better, the more magical year has to be Jim
Er just because you can't even explain it some of
those some of those games, and just the national attention
that he caught and just it was it was a
viral phenomenon, right, I mean, when was the last time
college basketball was just so caught? When? And when was
the last time the entire college basketball world fell so
in love with one person? Maybe Zion in twenty eighteen
with Duke, But I mean, it's it's it's tough to
replicate what Jimmer did and aj two like I think
there's this reverence for Aj where you know, he's the
number one pick, he's the he's the top player in
the country. It's it's not a surprise anymore when b
Yu has the superstar because of what Kevin Young's building.
You know, we just by he just had a lottery
pick in Diegor Demon and they went to the they
went to the Sweetest teen and so and and AJ
has been rumored and then on his way for such
a long time. It's so obviously Aj is the better player.
I don't think anybody's gonna deny that. And I think,
you know, if Aja takes Py to a Final four,
if he wins the Naysmith Player of the Year award,
we can revisit this conversation. But just the magic and
just the it was like a Disney movie with Jimmer,
you know, It's just everything about that year was just
so just magical. I mean, I keep using that word
over and over again. As a writer, I wish I
had more adjective than and better descriptive words, because you know,
I get paid to think of words, but just I'm
at a loss for words with with that Jimmer year,
it was just so much fun. It was such an
incredible year and just the magic of that year won't
be replicated. But like I said, if BYU goes to
the final four, if AJ does some incredible things in
the tournament and down the stretch in the season, we
can revisit that conversation because it all starts tonight, right,
This is fifteen years to the day of Jimmer taking
down San Diego State at the Merriage Center, most electric
night in the history of the Merriot Center. And so
if you get to one night, I mean, maybe maybe
we have another incredible atmosphere on our hands.
Speaker 2: Man, it would be You'd be awesome. I was there.
Speaker 1: I beheld the greatness of Marmania in that game when
he dropped forty three. It's truly an iconic and singular
time for BYU fans everywhere and college basketball fans everywhere.
It was it was awesome to watch, still emblazoned, you know,
just in my mind never you know, it's kind of
this indelible imprint, a memory that is is eternal.
Speaker 2: It seems. Let's talk some football here, fro a monent.
Speaker 1: Now I'm gonna ask you this question here, Like I
was just reviewing seeing what you've been talking about on
Twitter Jackson congratulations to Tyler Huntley on no longer being
the worst Pro Bowl quarterback in history. Sources, Brown's quarterback
Shotter Center has been added to the Pro Bowl roster.
It's about five hours regard as a replacement Sanders of
the first fifth round rookie to make a Pro Bowl
since Puka Nakua. Have you received any hate mail from
Utah fans after this tweet?
Speaker 3: I'll give you one guess, Ah.
Speaker 1: Yes, Look, I mean I don't know often even I mean, Ben,
you know me.
Speaker 3: I'm not a troll. I'm not trying to poke the bear.
But in NFL circles, it's widely known that Tyler Humley
is the worst Pro Bowl quarterback ever. Like he threw
two touchdowns and four picks that year he started like
two games, and Shad Like, I mean, look, I'm not
a shader guy. I've never had been. I enjoyed watching
Byu blow the brakes off of him in Colorado in
the Alimo bole. But like, what are we doing here
with the Pro Bowl?
Speaker 2: Uh? Man?
Speaker 1: I think Sean Merriman for former NFL Gray and he
was surrounded by a little bit of controversy. I think
it is h in his latter years in the NFL.
But I mean he took the twitters like, man, he
used to mean something to go to the pro ball.
Now it's uh, now it doesn't mean the thing. But
I was just like, if I tweeted that out, I
would people would be calling for my job, Jackson Paye,
I kid you not. They'd be calling Broadway, ESPN saying
you need to fire him.
Speaker 2: He's a racist, he's a bigot.
Speaker 1: Like and I it looks it looks like they're just
kind of commenting on the on the feed.
Speaker 2: They're not. They're not asking you to be fired for
such a tweet.
Speaker 3: Right, No, I mean I think people know we journalists
need our jobs, food on table. They're taking city on me.
But at the same time, like, look, I'm not dumb,
like I knew you saw fans would take it personally,
But at the same time, like I'm not trying to
rile them up like it's it's a compliment. You know,
I'm saying that Tyler Huntley's better than ben A. Sanders.
They should be. They should be looking at it the
other way. I don't know what the doom and gloom
is on their ends.
Speaker 1: Well, they're still reeling from the back to back losses
to the BAU basketball team.
Speaker 2: You know, still they're trying to find their way.
Speaker 1: Do you think they're convinced that they're going to be
just as good or better with Morgan Scalley at the
Helm and Kyle Withingham leaving and taking many coaches and
many football players with him.
Speaker 3: Dan Harbor, I mean, look, you see some of the
more confident and outspoken voices on social media. I mean,
I just think the most realistic of fans would have
to think, like, Okay, Kyle Adingham is the best coach
Utail's ever had. He had an unprecedented run at a
I mean, the fact that he stayed at Utah as
long as he did is really impressive and admirable. I mean,
for everything about Whittingham that that BYU fans dislike and
whatever the reasons may be, just you got to show
the respect that he was at Utah for twenty plus years,
like that's to do that in this day and age
is really admirable. And obviously he went to Michigan, he
took everything with him. So I think people aren't gonna
be willing to maybe look at that perspective right now.
But I don't know, Man, Scali's never been a head coach.
It's a tough it's a tough transition obviously, Like you
look at Kilanie. When Kalani got hired at BYU, he
had never been a head coach before, and so that
was it took him a while. And maybe you know,
knock off some of the the the early head coach rust,
I mean, for lack of a better term, like you
got to grow into that position. You know, that's probably
a better way of putting it. And so Scally, I mean,
it's just it's just a matter of how he grows
into that. And sometimes you know, guys take the mantle
they run with it, like like Whittingham did twenty years ago.
But I don't know, it'd be really interesting to see
and I just I don't know. It's not a great
roster coming back for them this year. It was a
really senior heavy group and Whittingham's taken a lot of
their best players, and so it would be a really
cool sports story if if if Scally was able to
rally the truth and go eight and four and defy expectations.
And you know, I think when when you play for
a program and you coach there forever like he is
Utah football, and so if you can pap into that
and some of that passion, I mean, maybe it can
go either way, right, I mean sometimes it's a disaster,
sometimes it works great, as you see was like Kilani
and so I don't know. It's I'm not optimistic about
Utah next year obviously, anytime do why you plays in
Salt Lake is gonna be a tough test. But I
just I don't see. I think I think Utah got
like I mean, maybe an eight and four ceiling next year,
and if that's being generous, but we'll see. You never
know what happens on the portal and maybe maybe Devin
Dampier is the heisman that UH Utah fans think he is.
Speaker 1: Where's the rivalry at from your your vantage point? Obviously
football they've won three in a row. It seems like
they're trending in very much the right direction. Basketball they
got to this year, but they've lost their their fair
share at the Huntsman there was a little bit of
a uh maybe a dip, especially as you went up
to the Huntsman Center. But where do we stand in
the in the rivalry? Right now, do you think there's
like an increased pressure on the on the utes Mark
Carlin too, to make these knee jerk reaction moves in
order to stay competitive, stay relevant, keep their winning ways
that they've uh that they've they've had over the last
decade plus.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think it's hard not to feel
pressure just because it's a rival that the decade before
you you kind of dominated, Right, you still had one
nine straight over by U in football and in basketball,
you know, it's always a toss up with that game.
Larry Larry k had some good teams, Utah made the
Sweet sixteen, they had some NBA guys, Like it's just
there was a whole year where they didn't even play
that whole debacle. Like, I don't know, It's just it's
always gonna be an eventful rivalry. And I think at
the same time, like Utah had an advantage in terms
of conference resources and recruiting being in the Pac twelve
and BYU being independent and WCC and you taugh took
advantage of that, and now you know they're on a
level conference playing field, and BYU seems to have a
better nil base or more vocal or the results of
the nil spending are bringing more positive results. I'm being
very careful how I say this. I don't know if
you can tell. Yeah, I think you know, it's just
I think it's in a game like that, anything can happen.
All three of these past losses to BYU and football
have been pretty close. I think the the twenty twenty
one game, twenty six to seventeen final score, that one
felt like at twenty five point BYU win by the
end of it, and then of course they went on
the field goal. And then last year they win by
three points in a game that you know, maybe both
coaches did some some interesting coaching decisions that could have
left points on the table, right, And so you know
they've they've lost three games that two of those three
probably could have gone either way. And then in basketball,
you know BYU still struggles up on the hill. They
they they won this time, but they won each of
the they lost each of the past two years. I
think Jensen is gonna make these these games against Kevin
Young really interesting. I think it's gonna be a really
competitive rivalry and maybe maybe the results won't show it.
I mean, just maybe BYU wins twenty in a row
in basketball against Utah. Maybe they keep winning in football,
but the games themselves are gonna be close and anything
can happen. And if you look back at the nine
game win streak that Utah held over BYU, obviously you
could tell BYU, I mean, or you could tell Utah
held the upper hand in the rivalry just with everything.
But also seven of those games were toss up games,
right Like, they're only two blowouts, and those nine losses
that BUYU suffered at the hand of Utah. So's it's
a healthy rivalry. I mean, it adds and flows, and
I think b YU right now is the king of
the castle in terms of the state of Utah, and
it's up to Utah on and maybe be more competitive
and figure things out to even the score. But yeah,
I mean, I just for me, like I just I
like when the on field product is really fun and
and and what's the word, uh just I like when
it's it's an endearing product product on the field, and
it feel like that we've we've had that with the
last few football basketball games, and that's all you can
ask for. And so hopefully Utah, you know, I mean,
it'd be interesting if they even things up, but we'll
see what happens.
Speaker 1: I just wonder if Mark Harley kind of felt enough
pressure to say, hey, we got a head coach in
waiting right here, we need to make a move. Let's
bring in the outro capital deal. Let's usher Kyle Whittingham out.
Let's bring Morgan Scalley in. That set off a domino effect, right. Obviously,
Kyweneham goes the ORB, gets the the Michigan job on
at the top five jobs probably in college football per
many tendance and analysts and and a pineers out there,
and with that takes much of you know, some key
roster additions there from Utah. And then obviously he's OC
Jason Beck. And then Jay Hill, the assistant head coach
and defits coordinator of BYU. I don't know if you
saw this just came out, I don't know, three days ago.
Jason Beck's salary three million, j Hill's salary two point
six million. So when I was hearing the rumors ride
and that Jay Hill was being targeted, I was told
that the money wasn't that much more than what BYU
was offering to stay in provo, that there wasn't that big.
Speaker 2: Of a difference.
Speaker 1: He got paid two point six million, and so if
it's not that big of a difference, I say it's
two million upwards the two two point three million or
something like that.
Speaker 2: We don't have verified numbers, but I.
Speaker 1: Was told from a few different sources that hey, they're
not too far off comparatively speaking. So what does that say,
I guess about this this j Hill move in your opinion?
And also what does it say about how competitive b
YU is. I b Yu's at least, you know, boxing
in the same weight class of Michigan. With retention and
acquisition of coaches, what does that say about Bou's future
athletically do you think in the football department?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean with this last Kilwey extension, they really
emphasize the additional resources for the program, and I think
you're seeing that in this transfer cycle where b YU
has kept all of its most important pieces on the roster,
Like just the roster attention that BYU has managed to
achieve this winter has it's unprecedented in this.
Speaker 1: Day and age.
Speaker 3: And you know, maybe maybe it's not all about money.
Maybe that's a naive take, but maybe there's the loyalty
to Kilani into the program and people wanting to win
and you know, unfinished business here at BYU. But also
the money has to factor in because if you if
you throw life chanting money at somebody, it's really hard
to turn that down in a lot of places. And
so I just credit to BYU for ponying up there
and I mean being able. I don't I don't pretend
I've never talked to Jay Hill one on one off record,
right like I've I don't know how he thinks or
what maybe went into his decision making, but maybe you know,
people need a fresh start. Sometimes people need a change
of scenery. And I don't I don't know exactly why
he left for Michigan, but you know, wish I'm the
best there. But it's it's really encouraging to know that BYU,
you know, they made a competitive offer to him, and
they were in the same ballpark as Michigan when it
came to salary. And so yeah, going forward, like when
BYU makes these hires like they can, they can shell
out the big money that they need to bring top
coaching talent to Provo and they're able to keep their
guys like when you when you watch it, Evan Johnson
or a Trey Alexander or at Isaiah Glasker, and you're like,
man Like, at a smaller school, you might be like, Okay,
well it's gonna be fun having him until he leaves, right, Like,
I remember when by You played Delaware earlier this season,
Delaware had a player that was lighting it up for
a bit and at the half time, I'm sure where
the post game show one of the two on CBS
Sports Network, one of the analysts like, well, Delaware fans
a joy him because he's going to be planning a
bigger school next year. And that's a bumber to hear
if you're a fan of a smaller school. But at BUYU, like,
that's not the case. You get these guys, you keep
these guys for life, hopefully, and with the financial and
investment that they're making into the athletics at BUYU, it's
really seeming that way. So yeah, I mean just BYU, Like, look, obviously, Utah,
you could say that the private equity deal or whatever
else they're doing, you could say it's a response to BYU,
but it's also response to just to college football as
a whole. Like Indiana just won the national championship, Indiana
had a lot of financial backing to make that possible.
Vanderbilt has come out of nowhere to be a power
in the SEC, both in football and basketball. Like you
stroke checks, you win games in a lot of these schools,
and so BYU credits to BYU there. They're figuring that out.
They're spending money, but they're also spending money smartly and wisely,
and they're doing it with a vision that's that you
can match. I just think, you know, you can't just
write the biggest checks. You got to have vision, You
got to have a plan. And BYU seems to have
those plays, those things in place along with with a
better financial investment. So I feel very very confident about
by you going into this unprecedented era of college athletics
because you know, it just seems like they're the money
that they're spending is doing the right thing.
Speaker 2: Is Utah officially, little brother? Do you think.
Speaker 3: If you ask the Rock on Saturday, they would say, yes,
they were there was that chance, But uh.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 3: I think you know b YU has had the success
against Utah lately, but also Utah. You know they they
won they beat thee and basketball last year. If they
beat them in basketball the year before. Sure's I think
I think By's going to really blow out Utah and
football a couple of times and uh maybe win a
couple more basketball games before we all start running with
the little brother thing. But you know, it's just that
this is what, this is what makes a rivalry great,
Like it's the pride of it. Obviously the scriptures teach
us to avoid pride, but sometimes look when the Commanders
beat the Eagles, I'm I'm never going to shut up
about It's the greatest thing in my world. So when
when when b Yu beats Utah, I don't blame Cougar
fans for taking their victor relap like do it, enjoy it.
This is what makes sport great, like don't be don't
be a jerk about it. But also like sing your
little brother chance like that's that's that's the fun of it.
So I mean, I think you know By clearly has
the upper hand of the rivalry. But let's let's wait
a little bit on my end before we start saying
little brother just for the you know, just for for
the sake of mercy.
Speaker 1: Hey, what have you been writing about? What can what
can you preview?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 1: In Tyser Swift the head on over to the desrat
News website.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I'll have a lot of coverage about
tonight's game. If if b YU wins, obviously I might
be up all night writing about it because it would
be such an important win for the program. I got
a story. I spent a day with the women's basketball
program a couple of weeks ago, talked to Leekamard for
a bit, talk to a bunch of the players and coaches.
Really excited to put together kind of a deep dive
into the women's basketball program at BYU. That's having an
awesome year. Lee Kamard, perfect tire, They're they're doing awesome things.
Hopefully they make the Instituablely Tournament because that would be
quite the turnaround. And yeah, I mean Lee, Lee's a
great coach. I'm a big fan of leave, always have been,
and what he's done this year has been awesome. And
so I hope, I hope Cougar fans flot to read
that one and appreciate what Lee Kamar one of like
the BYU guys of all time, is doing for the
women's basketball program.
Speaker 1: Love it, check it out, Follow Jackson on Twitter and
read all this stuff at the deser Red News. Jackson
will see at the game today. Thanks so much for
joining us for a cougar beat.
Speaker 3: Yeah any times.
Speaker 2: See you guys there go.
Speaker 1: That's Jackson pain breaking it all down here on a
cougar beat. We're lying from our Bandwill Studios, Betterwealth dot Com.
Get on that free Q and A no obligation doing
vest Q and A with our tax more Wealth Advisors.
And that segment was brought to you by Central Garage Door,
Central Garage Utah dot com.
Speaker 2: Kelly and his crew.
Speaker 1: They've been serving Utah for over thirty years, offering top
quality garage door products and services.
Speaker 2: They have skilled.
Speaker 1: Technicians dedicated delivering fast and efficient solutions, whether it's repairing
or repairing an existing garage or installing a new one.
Calling today, set up appointment, shoot of a text eight
oh one six oh four two nine nine. That's at
one six oh four two nine. That's eight one six
oh four two nine one nine. Central Garage Door, Central
Garage Utah dot Com.
Speaker 2: Let's take a time out, We'll be back. Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 1: Cougar Nation plenty to get to on a Monday, January
twenty sixth edition of Cougar Sports Enter, one of three
nine ninety eight point three ESPN