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Look BYU taking on another tough opponent, it's gonna be
a quad three at home at some point. I think
this was a quad to might even at the start
of the season, might have been a quad one game.
Look the Big twelve stuff. It doesn't matter who you are,
what you play, how you play it. I've covered this
team for a long time. I've covered this conference since
Bau's gotten into it.
Speaker 3: It's not easy.
Speaker 1: It's not easy, and this is a Colorado team that
didn't have a good outing per Tad Boyle. He said
it was a good old fashioned, a whooping Texas beat down.
They're gonna be motivated. I know it's a young team,
but they're looking for revenge. And what better way for
the Buffs to come into provo to the Marriott tomorrow
and to spoil Jimmer for Debt's retirement. Look, they're gonna
try to play spoiler. We'll see if they're able to
do it. We have a Colorado insider on the line.
Momentarily I'll welcome them in. But this segment gonna be
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so contact our guy Kelly today eight zero one six
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Utah dot com. Without further ado, Let's get out to
the ESPN the Fan Hotline and welcome in Pat Rooney,
he represents the Daily camera over there in Boulder, Colorado.
Speaker 3: Pat, thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you bet, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3: Of course, let's break this matchup down.
Speaker 1: Who are the Colorado Buffaloes and what do Cougar fans need.
Speaker 3: To know about this basketball team?
Speaker 4: That's a good question. Who are the Buffalos? I think
if you ask Tad Boyle, he would tell you that
this is a team without an identity right now. You know,
defense and rebounding is something Tad Boyle has preached throughout
this time. He's in the sixteenth season now at Colorado,
and those are areas that this team has struggled in
kind of mightily. Really throughout the season, even when they're
winning games and non conference play there they were kind
of outscoring people for the most parts, and it wasn't
the defense, so it was winning the games. Now they're
playing better defenses, the offense is struggling a little bit.
They're having a hard time keeping pacing. Quite frankly, they've
been bad on the road, especially of late, getting kind
of run out of the gym in their last few games.
So you know, I in your intro, I do think
Colorado will come out and have a better showing than
the other night. They would almost have to, but for
the most part, they've had a good track record of
bouncing back after ugly games under Tad Boy. I don't
think they're gonna win on Saturday, but I think they'll
put up a better fight.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's gonna be tough on Saturday.
Speaker 1: You mentioned a lot obviously BYU has this this guy
that no one knows, right, no one knows who agent
Bonds aj D Bons. Excuse me, no idea, Richie Saunders.
From your standpoint, you just say you don't think they'll win,
and look, it's a tough matchup. They got a three
headed monster but from your vantage point when you watched
them on tape, what do you see? Because Aj is
AJ right, But I feel like from what I've gathered
from coaches just the last couple of weeks, Houston, Arizona,
you know, everybody that they played, Oklahoma State, even Baylor,
it sounds like it's Richie Saunders who teams are really
worried about, not saying AG's not a good player. We
know he's gonna be a top two pick, but it
seems like the top King, as they call him in provo,
is the guy that they're that they fear.
Speaker 4: You know when I when I watch b YU, and
you know, I think Richie Saunders is is kind of
the guy that that really makes them go, you know,
so be my first chance to watch him in person
this season. They just had the one game last year
as well here in Boulder. But I love Richie Saunders.
You know, I think he's, uh, you're kind of the glue.
You know. It's like you said, AJ Devonsill looking forward
to seeing him as well. He's always going to do
his thingers the reason he's gonna be one of the
top picks in the NBA draft. But uh, you know,
as far as a guy that's a veteran leader, been
through the battles. You know, I think Richie Saunders is
the guy that is going to I don't know make
or break this team in March, but I think he's
the biggest factor for a deep march run out of
by u uh just you know, the he could lead
that team the way he can do a little bit
of everything to help that team win.
Speaker 1: You mentioned Richie making a deep march and man in
his run. We saw what he was able to do
in the tournament last year. BA fans are going to
love hearing that from you. In this know the faux segment.
Look who's going to be tasked with guarding Aj? Who's
going to be tasted guarding Richie on this Buff teams
of this Buffs team. I'm interested to see what the
matchups are going to be tomorrow afternoon.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a good question. The Buffs have been searching
for a defensive stopper, if you will, all year. I
think in the in the case of Aj, Debonsta, either
Bang Got Dak or Sevestian ron Cheek will I will
guess get the opening assignments against him. I would expect,
you know, because BYU, it's unlike Texas Tech. BYU is
not a team that can necessarily, you know, maybe really
make you fret from three point range. You'll find in
those open shooters when you double teams. So I think
we'll see kind of more double teaming on the ball
than we usually see out of Colorado, especially when it
gets to the ball gets to aj and Richie Saunders.
I think one of the big guards, you know, Tableau's
kind of shuffle the lineup so we will see who
is in the lineup, but some combination of either jaaln
On Holland or the other freshman Josiah Sanders, would maybe
get the opening draw against him. But again, I would
think this is a game where we might see the
Buffaloes double a little bit more than they typically do,
just because you know, they played Texas Tech the other day,
and you know, prior to that at Arizona and BYU
teams that can really make you pay if you leave
shooters alone from three point range. And I'm not saying
BYU doesn't have plenty of capable shooters, but the numbers
say that's not an area where they're going to necessarily
beat the Buffs on Saturday, you.
Speaker 3: Think a really good point.
Speaker 1: Cougar's a struggle from three and also not the identity
I think of this team like it was last year.
So definitely can see that on the Scouter report and
AG getting doubled, maybe even tripled. We've seen the tape.
Guys try to do that in the Big Twelve Conference.
From your vantage point of this Big Twelve, com friends,
is this an exciting year?
Speaker 3: I mean, there's so much talent.
Speaker 1: It's always the toughestleague, right I think it's still the
best basketball conference in America. I know the SEC is
going to get the most teams in, but I just
think the Big Twelve, you know, it's it's like the
SEC of football, like anybody can get you on any
given night. But from your standpoint, how do you evaluate
it this season as a lot of projected lottery picks
going into the NBA next season.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that part of it's for sure fun and you know,
like I said, I'm looking forward to seeing your guys
play live on on Saturday. Yeah, you know, I told her,
I think I felt like last year the Big Twelve
was as deep and balanced as any any league in
the country, including the SEC. This year, you know, I
think it might be a little bit top heavy. Obviously,
the middle pack is still very strong. You know, a
couple of teams struggling at the bottom where you know,
the Buffs are trying to stay out of the bottom
bottom at this point. You know, a couple of teams
I think have been pretty disappointing. Baylor for sure, although
they've played better of late. I think Kansas State has
been been pretty disappointing. I think the middle of pack
is maybe kind of what we thought, but it certainly
the top of this conference is as good as any
conference in the in the country. The bus don't get
Arizona until the the end of the regular season, but
you know, every time I tune into them, it's, you know,
you feel like you're watching a Final Four team. And
you could say that certainly about Houston and on a
good night, a lot of the other teams as well.
So you know, I'm still big on Texas Tech. Uh.
You know, they don't maybe have the depth of some
of the other teams, but you know, I still think
that that team is athletic, and you know, even within
that starting five pretty balanced and J. T. Topping can
dominate any game on on on any night, almost the
same way as the Bonds to.
Speaker 1: Is j T Topping the Big twelve Player of the
year in European? I feel like AJ is pretty much
solidifying and locking up newcomer.
Speaker 3: But is j T Topping the Big twelve player of
the year in your opinion?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think that's gonna be an interesting uh interesting.
But I think if you took the vote right now,
I would probably go with j T. But I'm already
doing that. I'm maaging a little bit, you know, I
think maybe, you know, because of Richie Saunders, maybe JT
Topping is a little bit more individually, you know, kind
of responsible for for that team's success that than AJ
is by himself. And but you know, I think it's
a it's it's close. They thin could go either way.
And I'm sure the you know, i'd say, certainly the
jury is not out yet on who exactly that that
person I think I was putting today, I would go
with j T topin, Yes, but uh, it would be
a close vote, and I uh uh, you know, certainly
certainly time you know, to to kind of flip that
over the last month of the regular season here, I
just think JT Topping you know, the way, the way
he can rebound. You know, he's a defensive presence in
the middle, and I think he might be a little
bit more integral, you know, without him. You don't know
if Texas Tech is a top twenty five team. Maybe
they are, but yeah, I think without the bonds to
you know, b Y is still you know, a pretty
good to you because of Richie Saunders, you know, and
maybe kind of close to where they are anyway.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Texas Text still the top of twenty five. Think
I to believe eighteen and six overall, eight and three
conference seventeen. In the net, they're five and six and
Quad one games four to o. In Quad two they
take on number twenty two BAU the last game of
the season. If very well could come down to that,
JT top and a Richie Samders. Look, if I had
to give a vote today, look we were rejective with it.
We do cover BYU. But I think JT right now
is the front runner with Richie behind, and even Joshua
Jefferson might have something to say that about Iowa sait.
It's a lot of good big twelve players in this conference,
but this Colorado team young, I like a lot of freshmen,
but how do you retain all of it? Look at
the day of the nil the transfer portal, it's just
tough to retain high level talent. But I like what
Colorado has and a lot of young guys. Is just
I don't know how you can sustain all of those
guys going to the next season.
Speaker 4: And that's the big question mark. You know, Ted Boyle
has been saying since the outset of the season that
the key is going to be retaining all their guys.
You know, they don't really play and you see, the
only guy who's going to uh kind of exhaust his
eligibility is Elijah alone, you know, a backup center at
this point who's playing sparingly. As far as everyone on
the floor, most of them, you know, are are sched
you know, on paper, Schedu'll be back. He can be
back for multiple years, you know. And this is how
Tad Boyle has built teams, the teams that he's had
success with the Colorado the recruits and developed type program,
and he's talked about the need to retain the young guys.
I just think it's going to be very hard for
this team to do. So, you know, one freshman look
at it is Isaiah Johnson. He's been the team's leading scorer,
has probably played beyond kind of where he was recruited.
He's a little under recruited. Uh, but he's a great shooter,
plays with a lot of poise, uh and and has
has had some big game you know, fearless going to
the basket. He's a wiry little guy, but uh, he
can get to the free throw line, can go through
contact at the rim. You know it is Colorado going
to be able to retain a guy like that for
a couple more years. I don't know that that's gonna
be a big question. There's not a lot of nil
money at Colorado right now, and there's a new ad
as well, so I you know that's gonna be the
big question. Ted Boyle has seemed confident that they're going
to be able to do it. But I think with
every big game Isaiah Johnson has down the stretch, it's
going to get harder and harder to do.
Speaker 1: So you bring up really good point in the day
of nil and this this this kid's fenund with this
freshman sixty one, one hundred seventy pounder from Los Angeles, California,
averaging over sixteen points per game, over two point seven rebounds,
two point five assists. It shoots forty nine percent from
the field. Those are very good numbers. It's going to
be tough. You mentioned the nil Colorado new ad. Your
thoughts on the new ad. I know that that got announced,
you know, not too long ago.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I've met him a few times. Hoping to sit
down with him next week to talk about some basketball matters.
Actually we will hopefully stay tuned for for that down
the road. You know, I've been impressed. He's, you know,
younger guy, a lot of energy. I think in this
day and age is kind of and maybe it's take
nothing way. Rick George has done a great job at
Colorado on the whole during his tenure. He's the outgoing,
kind of retiring athletic director. He's going to kind of
stay on in an advisory role. But I think, you know,
some some some new energy, some new insights, some new
way to approach things. You know, there's I go around
to these for instance, you know, visiting you know, some
of these still in the second year of the Big Twelve.
Some of these venues are still new to me. I
like walking around checking them out seeing, you know, kind
of what all the perks and amenities are. And the
more I do that, the more I see how some
of those amenities are are kind of lagging at Colorado.
So I think someone with with with some of his
kind of administrative and kind of sports business background will
be good going forward. And I'm certainly curious to see
how he handles a basketball program going forward.
Speaker 1: Yeah, new ad, younger guy, that's good. But in this
day and age, you have to pay for players to
stay and pay to play.
Speaker 3: That's the name of the game.
Speaker 1: Here with Pat Rooney on the line, he is covers
all things ready to Colorado buffs at the Daily camera
over there in Boulder, Colorado on the line with his
discussing some basketball news. Let's transition now, Pat, let's go
to football. How long do you think coach Prime will
be there? I like what coach Prime is models, how
he has young men. I don't think I've ever seen
a head coach publicly says I'm gonna find you one
thousand dollars for a mouthpiece. That's an expensive mouthpiece, Pat,
But I love the I love how disciplined Prime is
and what he brings. But how long do you anticipate
him staying. But I love him being in the Big twelve.
I think it's great for the conference.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I'm gonna be honest. So he's stayed
longer than I thought he would. You know, I thought
he might jump at an opportunity to move up the ladder,
or you know, maybe jumping down. You know, the more
I've been around, I think the NFL is less and
less likely. But you know that after his second season,
when they had the good year, solid year with Travis
Hunter and his son Shador Sanders, I thought he might
jump to someone that might, you know, give him more
and I owe money to work with and you know,
kind of more of the person amenities who are just
talking with basketball. So he's already stayed a little longer
than I thought he would. And you know, going forward,
I think it's a matter of his health. I've written
this kind of before and Colins and so forth. At
this point, I think it's less about him necessarily looking
for another opportunity or a bigger challenge or or kind
of any of those other things. I think for him
right now, at this point, it's probably more a matter
of his personal health and how much longer he wants
to do it. You know, he's had some pretty serious
health issues have been pretty well detailed obviously. Last year
with recovering from the bladder cancer took a lot out
of him physically, And you know, I think that's going
to be the biggest thing going forward. If he says hell,
I can see him doing it for several more years.
If he has more else setback, see, I think that's uh,
that would be the big question mark. And I think
it's more a matter of that than you know, kind
of moving up the coaching ladder if you will going forward.
Speaker 1: Yeah, always always want the best for people's health. These days,
we've seen a lot of people from people in our
personal lives to you know, public figures, a lot of people.
I think there was an actor I forgot the name
of the guy who forty eight just passed away, Like, look,
you never want to see that. And we look we
here at ESP and the fan here on Cougar Sports.
You know, wish coach prime, you know all health. I
know him and Kialani have a great relationship. Hope he's
able to keep coaching young man. Because I came from
a very disciplined household. It came from a military background.
I love how coach Prime is all about his business.
If Coach Prime you know where to to, you know leave,
Is there anybody in the program or step down? It
would be due to the health that you mentioned. Anybody
in the program right now? Coaching waiting? What do you
like about what they have on this Colorado Buffalo's football staff.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't like describing this person isn't necessarily a
coach in waiting because he's yet to actually coach a
game at Colorado. But the new offense coordinator, Brendan Mary
and the former head coach at at Sacramento State. He's
bringing in his go go offense. It's going to be run, heavy,
vertical passing. We will see how it works. But given
his coaching background, he's kind of a younger, dynamic guy.
I think if you know, Dean Sanners were to make
a decision or if something were to change in the
coming months or year or whatever, you know, I think
that's the guy would look to. Obviously, has he have
to coach a game at Colorado, so you know, tap
the brakes on that a little bit. But you know,
he so far, the reviews have been, you know, pretty
good about what they've been able to do in recruiting,
and you know, athletes, his attraction to what he's bringing
to the table as far as the offense goes. So
and they have a young quarterback, and you know, if
they do well this upcome and fall, you know, certainly
if they put points on the board, you know, I
think he would be the guy that you would maybe
look at, you know, to kind of take the reins
from Dean Sanders if it came to that.
Speaker 3: What do you like about the offense? You mentioned the quarterback.
Speaker 1: I thought Colorado, even in the ups and downs, I
thought they played well. The competitive nature of that TCU game.
I still look at that game of like I felt
like that sort of things may be unraveled, but I
felt like they were in a lot of games, you know,
before that middle part of the stretch.
Speaker 4: You know, it's just interesting what happened to that team
down the stretch, because they had a good mid season
win against Iowa State at home, and I think it
got them to three and four, and you know, they
had had a new quarterback. It looked like they were
figuring things out right. And they had a bye week
after that. But then you know, they came out of
that bye and just you know, they laid an egg
in the first game after that and can kind of
really never really recaptured that momentum. So that was surprising
to me, especially after that win against Iowa State. They
kind of had a feel of a team that was
was figuring it out a little bit. But I do
like the quarterback Julian Lewis kind of really showed his
potential down the stretch this past year, and uh, you
know they're they're they're kind of hinging on him going forward.
You know, losing Jordan's Seaton, that left tackle, you know,
there's there's no way to sugarcoat that's a huge loss.
Even even with him, that was an average line at best.
You know, maybe maybe above average in some of those
early games, but it still was not a great offensive
line top to bottom, and they're not going to be
better without him, So that was a big loss. If
they can protect Julian Lewis, I think they'll be able
to move the ball. They'll always have a good cast
of receivers. They always seem to have a good number
of athletes there. But as always with Colorado, it is
just gonna come down to how much they've improved. If
they have improved upfront, really on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the game is won and lost in the trenches,
no doubt about it at all. And look I love
I'm looking forward to the bu Au Colorado matchups with
coach Prime, you know, for the US to come as
long as he's there. I love this Robbery Brewin and
in basketball, I love Tad Boyle, great coach, love his
his his mindset and what he stands for. I know
you say you got b YU are winning this one.
Do you think the Buffs keep it close? You think
it's single digits? I know it's a Jersey retirement for
certain b YU basketball great that you know you probably
heard of. But the Buffs is able to keep this
the single digits and does bo you win this one
by twelve?
Speaker 4: I think they'll keep it close for a while. You know,
you know Colorado is they're come off a terrible offensive game,
right and then they've been bad on the road. I
think they're going to be motivated for at least the
start of this game to have a better showing. But
if this turns into a track meet, they're not gonna
be able to keep pace with BYU, So it might
be single digits at halftime. I think BYU pulls away
in the second half. I think it's a double digits
win by the end. But you know, hey, the Buffalost
by thirty fours the other night. I'm guessing it's not
gonna be worse than that.
Speaker 1: No, it can't be worse than thirty four. I don't
think it's gonna be that type of that. I think
they'll definitely be very much improved.
Speaker 3: Now it is.
Speaker 4: You have to have me back on again though.
Speaker 1: All right, Okay, we'll book that bed right now here
on a Friday, the day before Valentine's Day. If that happens,
I did, we definitely will contact you every back on.
I will be just as shocked as you. Pat normal.
Those things don't happen in college athletics, back to back
like that. Look, uh, I just followed you on Twitter.
I look, I I tracked people down. Look, I'm twenty nine,
I'm young. I just have my first kid not too
long ago. I shouldn't say I my wife had the kid.
I was there, you know, supporting, because you know that's
what you do. That's literally what is you do with
the better three force tells you, and you're uh you.
I always say, I'm buying what I've invested in the mortgage,
in the stock. I really don't get to say. You know,
that's what it is, all these fun things. But the
best part that you love about being a girl dad,
because my first child is a girl as well.
Speaker 4: Nice nice best part of our watching them grow, how
little years minor kind of over our grade school now
and seeing how bright and sharp and just witty and
the different personalities between the two of them. It's been great.
Speaker 3: I look forward to those days.
Speaker 1: She's fifteen months, so we're still brand new in the
par but but I love that par uh and enjoy.
Speaker 4: Probably not the first one to tell you this, but
it goes fast. You're not know.
Speaker 1: A lot of people told me that I'm like, wow,
she's gonna be two this year. That was quicker than
I thought. So I respect my olds and everything that
I'm told you're not wrong. I and try and enjoy
every single moment as she's just started to walk, because
I'm gonna look up, like my mom said, and then
I'm gonna be looking at college and all of that
and you know, marriage down the line. Those crazy things
So before I let you go to the Pat, what's
the best way we can support you what you do
and how you do?
Speaker 3: Where can we find you work?
Speaker 4: Buff Zone dot com or Daily Camera dot com? Is it?
The buzzone dot com is kind of our our Colorado
coverage website. But Dailycamera dot com. Click on sports you
have all our coverage from basketball. And you know, my
good friend Brian Howe is the lead on the football
beat and I always putting out you know, really really
great and interesting work on that program as well, So
that would be the place to.
Speaker 3: Go Buffzone dot com or Daily Camera.
Speaker 1: You can also follow him on XEM and give him
a plug here at p Roni zero seven as well. Pat,
thanks for your time today, save travels and hopefully enjoy
your trip to Provo, Utah.
Speaker 4: Yeah, heading out soon and thanks again for having me
anytime of course.
Speaker 3: Okay, we'll let him go.
Speaker 1: That was Pat Rooney of the Daily Camera there in Boulder, Colorado.
Speaker 3: That's our show, guys.
Speaker 1: Sticking to a download the podcast iTunes, Speaker, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Spotify,
give us a rating, give us a review, can't do
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at Dento Pros Toutah dot com. Then, of course, this
segment is brought to you by Central Garage Door Central
Garage Utah dot com. They've been proudly serving Utah for
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new one. Please contact Kelly today at age zero one
six zero four two nine one nine. That would do
it for a another week of Cougar sports. Happy Valentine's
Day to all of you people out there, whether you're
celebrating with your lovely wife, a husband, a significant other, boyfriend,
or if you're celebrating with friends. I know the ladies
like to do Galentines, whoever you with, Please be safe
this weekend. BYU men's basketball ticking on the Buffs Colorado
tomorrow looking for back to back wins.
Speaker 3: I believe they will do so.
Speaker 1: Andrew Peterson and myself will have it tomorrow on the
pregame show one pm to two pm right here on
your Utah ESPN Radio Network. Jimmer Fredett getting his jersey retired.
Shout out to all of our guests that joined us.
Brandon Seegourney of The Daily Herald, Matt brownofextra Points dot Com,
Tad Walsh of the Desert News Look got to talk
about the church stuff. New Apostle Clark Gilbert now an apostle,