Speaker 1: Welcome back to this so marches right around the corner
and the Cougars are in the metal of it. It's
time to talk some college basketball on Cougar Sports with
Ben Cripples.
Speaker 2: Welcome back Couger Sports Tonal three Night nine eight point
three ESPN. The man I've been for the broadcasting from
our Vanderwelth studio Bandawell dot comppreciate hereon Bledsoe. Stopping by
pull a segment talking some Cougar football with me Utah
Protective Films Utah Protective Films dot Com for all of
your paint protection film give him a call today it
is stopped for a little college basketball segment.
Speaker 3: Lots to get into as we talked.
Speaker 2: Obviously a ton of football today, but we do like
to dedicate our Tuesday afternoons to some college hoops with
our man Man, the Brazilian Bomber. We'll get to him
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Speaker 1: I think that's phenomenal and so but hey, you know,
we're not here to talk about, you know, becoming daisy maids.
We're talking We're talking about basketball because you know, nothing
has really happened in the football world of BUYU the
last forty eight hours, you know.
Speaker 4: So let's just talk about basketball.
Speaker 2: Ben love this, Let's talk to some who But hey,
give your thoughts real quick on the Kalonishatocki retention and
the future of BAU football.
Speaker 5: You know, so I much like you, I know a
little bit more than the average person. And that's just
because you know.
Speaker 1: Who we are and everything that we've done, and so
to be able to see how everything unraveled and and
the way that that everything's played out.
Speaker 4: You know, probably the only thing.
Speaker 1: That I will say, Ben, is, you know, the tidening
of it always a little bit interesting.
Speaker 5: Just because you know, and I would love to have
you answer me this.
Speaker 1: You know, is buyu's game coming up this Saturday or
one of the top five most important games in program history?
Speaker 2: Oh, no doubt, no doubt about it, much hints. I mean, look,
we weren't able to We have not been to get
over the hump into elites. That is similar to like
similar to basketball. Basketball is the team that has gone
to the NCAA Tournament the most without seeing a final
four BYU football, I think has won more football games
since nineteen seventy two. Well, let's go into the modernor
since like nineteen ninety six, and has not been able
to get over the hump to a bcs KAI type
of championship game, a college football playoff game. Everybody else
has seen and reaped the rewards of great to elite
college football play in a season, we always kind of
sit right there in the great but not elite eleven
and two, eleven and two, eleven and two, eleven and
two so often eleven and one. Remember in twenty twenty
we were on the knocking on the door and we
lost to Tacosta Carolina. We were right there, you know,
and we just can't seem to get over the hump.
I hope this is the year that we get over
the hump.
Speaker 4: And I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 5: And so that is probably the only thing that I
will say that that to me is just a little
bit odd, and that is.
Speaker 4: You know, why now, why go through all of this? Now?
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1: And so but again, none of us ben know every
single possible detail of everything, and so we can all
speculate and that is insane, you know, and you've been
you probably know way more.
Speaker 4: Than anybody else around here.
Speaker 1: But that is the only possible thing that I would say,
is I just the timing of it for me is odd.
Aside from that band, we both know Kalan, and you
know him much better than I do. I you know,
when I was in Disneyland and I saw him and
you and I talked about this.
Speaker 4: He went out of his way to make me feel loved,
to make me feel appreciated.
Speaker 1: And it was just around the time that he did
his devotional talk and you know the title that he said, Is.
Speaker 2: It true that he said you have the quickest shot
release and be your basketball history?
Speaker 4: Come on, man, he and the only one saying that. Yeah,
but it now, Hey, Stevie Wonder can see that.
Speaker 5: And the man is blind, or at least that's what they.
Speaker 1: Say, right, So come on and so, but I would
say this Ben like listening to Killannie, like I wanted
to put some pads in. I wanted to put a
helmet in. I was ready to run through a wall
for the men and so, and we know the type
of man he is. He was absolutely you know, and
knowing a little bit more like you and I do,
knowing little details about what's happening with him with Khy,
with the program no way shaite perform.
Speaker 5: He was like, Hey, match what I just got. And
not only he wasn't.
Speaker 1: Saying that, but he was asking for Hey, let's take
care of all of our guys so we can keep this,
this this train going.
Speaker 4: And so that's the type of man that he is right.
Speaker 1: And you know, after seeing everything, you know, the only
negative things that I have to say about not Kilane
about the entire process is the timing of it for
me is funny, but it's it's very well deserving.
Speaker 3: None of the less love that uh, and I'm excited that.
Speaker 2: You know, all of us have our our specific interpersonal
anecdotes with Kalani. He goes about ministering and making everyone
feel special. He's got a he's got a photographic memory
as well, and all of that aids him and making
us all feel like we're lifting where we stand and
we're supporting Cougar athletics.
Speaker 3: UH, the best way that we can. Let's talk some
BYU basketball.
Speaker 2: Look, I've said this and it is kind of piggybacking
off this colonial take news.
Speaker 3: I wrote a piece last night.
Speaker 2: I said, look, you know b YU basketball and Brian
Santiago set the presidents for what we're willing and capable
of of of investing in our athletic programs, in our UH,
in our in our flagship programs b YU men's basketball
and BAU football.
Speaker 3: Like he's set the standard.
Speaker 2: I mean, he brought in Ky paid him a lot
of money right, got it approved in an NBA staff.
We got the Phoenix Suns nutritionists, we got the Milwaukee
Bucks strength and additioning staff. We have the mental performance
staff from Milwaukee Bucks. We got G League, we got
EuroLeague coaches. We have a robust infrastructure. And then on
top of that, we have nil investment, a robust nil
investment that is probably at worst top twenty five, At
best it's top ten.
Speaker 3: So that's the bar. So that's what we see. And
so we're like, wait, well, what's where's BYU at in
this mix?
Speaker 4: Right?
Speaker 3: Where's BYU football at in the mix?
Speaker 2: And so now we're seeing Okay, now the investment is
the just investment is going to what drives the ship.
Speaker 3: JT.
Speaker 2: I know it hurts to say it, but football drives
the ship. Are you surprised at the investment? Hold on, No,
we surprised at the investment that BYU just made.
Speaker 3: And it's it's fan base to the driver of the
ship at b YU.
Speaker 1: So first of all, let me I'm gonna put a
little bit of that Devil's advo Kate here.
Speaker 5: You know, I love you, you and I go back.
Speaker 4: We know each other longer than our wives.
Speaker 5: No, no what so so come on now, you know
we go back, you know, and I are tight right.
Speaker 1: Don't the way Brian Santiago has been position at this
whole situation, I don't agree with. I don't agree with
at all because here's the situation. How do we not
know that all of this was going to get done?
Do any of us actually know for a fact when
Elder Rathbend was contacted, if and when he was contacted?
Speaker 4: Do we know how everything unraveled? And the answer is
we do not? Okay, And so now again, I absolutely
love Kilane. Okay, and none of what I'm.
Speaker 5: About to say is that football doesn't deserve you know.
Speaker 1: Deserves it's sproped and that football shouldn't be having what
they're having right now. How do we know that this
wasn't going to happen because Brian Santiago, well excuse me,
Tom Homo.
Speaker 4: Okay uh and the athletic.
Speaker 5: Department took care of Kilany last year.
Speaker 4: Now, I am you've seen social media.
Speaker 5: You and Ron have seen social media a lot.
Speaker 4: I showed a lot of support to Kilane. I love Kilane.
Speaker 1: I think Kilani should be getting everything else he is getting.
And then some but the heat that Brian Santiago is getting.
I don't think it's I don't think it's deserving because Brian.
Speaker 3: Should know what he is getting.
Speaker 2: All I saw was Brian set the president the presidents
for for investment in basketball, and then he became the
A D. And now I mean, look, he hasn't been
ad all that long overseeing football, and now when when
when it came down to it, he's willing to advocate
and invest into b y football as you did basketball.
Speaker 3: So that that was my carry that.
Speaker 4: But but but by you saying, come on, JT. It
drives the ship.
Speaker 3: It drives the ship like r you know you've always
said basketball is is?
Speaker 4: Uh is?
Speaker 3: I mean it's your jam like they drive the football.
Speaker 1: Hold on, hold on now, hey, Ron Weaver the third,
go on and pull up all the audios because I
have always.
Speaker 4: Said that football drives the ship. Now hold up now,
I always said that.
Speaker 5: Hell I do have to say that.
Speaker 3: He has said, look, we want the football. Does we
know football is intelligion?
Speaker 4: They running?
Speaker 3: He has said that. I can't confirm it, and.
Speaker 1: Not only Dad, because I wasn't in a privileged position
that I got to do an internship. My entire senior
year where I shadowed and followed Tom Homo, and I
got to work close to Dallan move, I got to
work close with Chad william, I got to work firsthand
with Chad Lewis, I got to see all of the
ins and outs of the athletic department. So I would
be the biggest school in the galaxy. For me to
say that BYU is a basketball school. Now, BYU, and
I've told you this, BYU football would have to implode
to epic proportions, and BYU basketball would have to win
the national championship to even make a dant on BYU
becoming a basketball school. And so my point of this
whole thing is I never doubted for a second that
Brian in the athletic department in BYU were going to
get something done right. And you never doubted that's because
that's everybody knows that BYU football drives the ship.
Speaker 4: Brian himself said right.
Speaker 1: And so I fully, I fully believe that BYU football
is getting exactly what they deserve and they should probably
get even more. And I say that because football drives
the ship, because one so owt Lavelle Edwards game means
that you have to do three sold out BYU basketball games.
The math is very simple on this, and so and
so whats when your football team goes to the college
football playoffs. The playoffs are much much bigger.
Speaker 5: Than if your team wins the NCAA Final Four.
Speaker 4: So it's a simple math situation, right.
Speaker 5: And so now what I will.
Speaker 1: Say, and I completely agree with this, you know, on
the sort I'm looking for on the not the flow,
but on the talk track, which is BYU football, BYU basketball.
Speaker 4: Set the bar because Kilani was.
Speaker 1: Making more than Kevin Young got hired and he was
making here and Kilane was making a little bit more.
Kalani did have a heck of a season and got
a raise, Kevin Young got a heck of a season,
got a bigger raise, and now Tilani had another. They're
amazing historic seasons. And now Kilani is simply saying, look,
we got to keep this going. We got to match
to where things are.
Speaker 4: And I think that's totally fair.
Speaker 1: Again, I'm a total defender of everything that Kilanie has
asked and at everything.
Speaker 5: The only positive Little Black got I can put on
all of this. Ben and as a player been we've.
Speaker 1: Talked about this one football game has the way of
about ten basketball games. You and I have talked about
this before. Tell me if what I'm saying is crazy.
As a player, do you think that every single every
single player in that locker room right now, they have.
Speaker 4: Been at beast this entire week?
Speaker 3: Have they been a beast? Is that what you said?
Speaker 5: Have they been at beast at east?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 4: At at peace? No?
Speaker 2: I mean I think I think they were. You know,
I think they saw maybe Saturday nights into Sunday. If
they monitor social media, their parents, their family friends monitors
social media, they begin to not be at peace in
through Monday. I think I think Kilani tried to placate
some of those anxieties in their traditional pre practice meeting
right and probably you know, during and after practice. I
think he assured the coaching staff and the players everything's
gonna work out. But I don't think they were peaceful.
But now they are, I mean, now they're they're yacked, man.
They are excited. They're gonna engage with fervor, this opportunity
to win a big world championship, to go to the
COLLG football playoff.
Speaker 3: Maybe the timing is just right.
Speaker 1: Well, and I think that that's where I'm not gonna
totally disagree with you. I just don't know right And
and I think that instead of saying, man, I disagree
with you, the timing is terrible, what I will say
has been I don't know if the timing is the best.
And so that you know, you say that they're gonna
be yacked and excited and bee and I'm gonna have
you know that critle courage to just you know, just
go ahead and get that Weaver win, right, however else
you want to paint this. But what I'm gonna say is,
I don't know if it was the best sign. That
is my only thing, the only negative thing that I
have to say. But you know, aside from that Ben
on the Kilaney front, I have a hard time believing
that there is a better person to lead this football team.
Speaker 4: And I love them in I think the world of him.
I think he truly is one of one and I'm
grateful that he's on our side, no.
Speaker 3: Doubt about it.
Speaker 2: B YU basketball, where do we stand right now? What's
the latest? And know Dawson Baker had that left knee injury.
It looks like he's sustained in ACL injury and anti
your cruise shit ligament injury.
Speaker 3: He'll he'll be out for the season.
Speaker 2: I don't think he's got a red shirt available if
I'm not mistaken, so that his career seemingly is done
at b YU, Nate Pickens is out, You're god line
is getting whittled down?
Speaker 3: What does that mean for BYU basketball this season?
Speaker 1: Listen, I've said this for a very long time. You know,
not everybody has agreed with me. But one of the
things that I will say, Ben is to me, this
is the perfect moment where I if I had the
say on any of this stuff, what I would personally
do is I would figure out a way to get
Aj to become a little bit more, a little bit
more point guard dominant, because there is a way that
you can make sure that him and Robert Wright are
playing off each other of being on the court and
so that they are the two primary ball handlers. They
already are, we know that, and so, but I would
try to figure out a way to have Aj, you know,
be the secondary ball had Kindler behind Robert Wright. And
you know, I know, Ron, you and I have talked
about this a lot. AJ Tracy McGrady ag comparisons.
Speaker 4: I still think that.
Speaker 1: The AJ has the potential to be much more like
Penny Hardaway and Tam Mac more than he has the
potential to be a Cavin Garnett and a Team Mac.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you wanted to chime in on that, Ronald,
but you know, like I'm all in on it. Look
as far as the we've discussed this on the show
with Nate Pickens injury, You're like, Okay, well, who's going
to be a primary ball handler behind Rob right the third?
You look at what you have available. C Dawson's has
play point guard, but he's more of a shooting guard.
He was running off screens a little bit uh making
shots and transition from the wing, but he can't handle.
Speaker 3: He's definitely a score.
Speaker 5: To me.
Speaker 2: What you're losing Dawson Baker is his uncanny ability to score.
Speaker 3: His obviously spot up shooting as well.
Speaker 2: I would love to see his release be a little
bit quicker, but he's got good mechanics.
Speaker 3: He's a good score. He's a great shooter. You lose
out on that, you know. Coastick, I don't know what
his status is.
Speaker 2: He looked a little bit shaky early on with his handle,
but he can shoot it. You know, maybe he steps up,
maybe he's the replacement for Dawson Baker as more of
a shooting guard and that quick release coming off the
bench and being the sixth man.
Speaker 3: But Aj, I'm all for it.
Speaker 2: Being a distributor, a playmaker, a ball handler, get him
the ball anyway you can. That dude is so special,
just one of a kind to.
Speaker 6: Hop in here, Ben, because uh, JT and I've talked
about this, I agree with JT stake the more goes
on of the Penny Hardaway just of how you know
he's able to score and like get and play it
all three levels in quite frankly, the defense. This is
none against te Meg, but I think the way Hardaway
could guard compared to Tracy McGrady was a little bit
different in that way that we're talking about. But I
think with Costache with Alexi, confidence I think is the
biggest thing being because the shots there, like you, you
can't guard that. Like Kevin Young said that if you
leave him open or if you don't find him, like
Steph Curry, he'll burn you. And not saying he's Steph,
but that's what he can do.
Speaker 4: He's best off ball.
Speaker 6: I don't know, if he's gonna be better on ball,
that might have to be a skill he develops. But
he's gonna have to step up, Like there's not they
have no choice. Ben, when you look at the depth
of the roster, aj can have it more in his hands,
but Alexi's gonna play based on now merit and like
what has happened, So he's gonna have to step up
and figure it out. He can dribble, but he's a
better shooter than he is. But if there's anybody I trust,
and I think j T would agree with me, I
trust his staff to figure it out. But Alexi's gonna
have to play because they literally now have to turn
to him when Rob goes to the bench.
Speaker 4: Yeah, which which to me one thing that I'm gonna
add to what Ron said to me.
Speaker 1: This whole thing is interesting because you know, as we
look at pedigree, right, when you look at pedigree, Elected
may have the the one of the biggest pedigrees out
of everybody on this team. I mean, he was getting
massive minutes in the Adriatic League. It's not like he
was playing at you know, community college Boo Boo State University.
Speaker 4: He was playing at a really high level in Europe.
Speaker 1: And so for him to not be getting playing times
at the beginning, I was pretty surprised about that.
Speaker 4: And so but as as he gets.
Speaker 5: Like Ron said, you know, necessary, not necessarily by.
Speaker 1: Merit, but because of necessity. It's interesting to see how
that's going to unravel the b YU season because they
are in a situation that they need them point blank.
Speaker 2: Jonathan Tabinari on the l like Cougar Sports one of
three nine ninety eight point three ESPN, the fans talking
by U basketball, Uh, what's up next for the b
y U basketball team?
Speaker 3: And uh, how will they uh.
Speaker 2: The momentum that they created in Orlando to continue their
winning ways? What are we looking forward to? Give me
a little scattering report on the schedule.
Speaker 1: Jt Oh, I'm looking to see what bu Yu does
a game.
Speaker 3: Obviously there's tomorrow well, and then they have.
Speaker 2: They have Clemson on December ninth, the following week at
the the in New York City at the Jimmy B Classic.
Speaker 1: I believe, and then if you guys want to do
something special, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be at that game.
Speaker 2: By the way, I am what are you gonna what
are you going out eastward just for the game. Are
you working to You're gonna double dip?
Speaker 1: No, I have I actually have a working trip that
I was I may or may not have been able
to perfectly time it with with this game. And uh thankfully,
my astfully thankfully my my boss is the East Coast guy.
And uh so maybe we can added this out of
Twitter and but you know we'll be able to go there.
Speaker 4: I have an event.
Speaker 1: Monday, That's right, I have an event on Monday. I
get to go to the game on Tuesday.
Speaker 5: I come back home Wednesday.
Speaker 1: But you know, I think right now these next two
games and for actually most of the games in December,
is can they just go I think it's five and oh,
six and oh and just be able to tune up,
try a few new things for conference and to Ron's point,
to be able to get elect pay ready because they're
gonna need them now. And you know, Ben, to your
point about Baker, he was actually playing minutes as the
secondary ball handler when when Robert Wright came off the bench.
Can't went to the bench. And so to me, it's
going to be a time for.
Speaker 5: You to make sure that that a, let say, is
ready to go or that you're adjusting things in a
way so that AG and the rotation to.
Speaker 4: The way they're gonna do it. It's all set and
ready to go.
Speaker 2: Jonathan Tabinari, Ladies and gentlemen, JT for three, make sure
you following him on X and listening to him every
Tuesday here.
Speaker 3: On the ESPN the Fan. Thanks so much, JT.
Speaker 5: Always and forever go foobs, and glad that Klannis stay.
Speaker 2: Home as in my as in my we got our
guys Kevin Young as well as Kolani Sataki leading our
respective basketball and football programs. That segment was brought to
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Speaker 3: That's eight oh one three eight zero eight zero eight seven.
Speaker 2: Also reminded to remind you guys, you guys got to
be listening to Bryson be a New gam Monday through
Friday at eight twenty a to earn yourself some tickets
to the Salt Lake City Slam double header.
Speaker 3: If you love ball, if your ball is Life.
Speaker 2: Utah Valley University will be playing the University of California
Santa Barbara twelve pm in Utah State University will face
Illinois State University at three pm in Salt Lake City
at the Salt Lake Slam at the Delta Center December thirteenth.
Don't go anywhere, Coagrenation want to get to some college football.
College Football Playoff Committee. Who's coming up next? This is
Cougar Sports one three nine ninety eight point three