Speaker 1: Just great experience.
Speaker 2: So you came specifically for to go to school.
Speaker 1: I did. I did.
Speaker 3: I used to think I was a football player, but
Speaker 3: at five nine I realized I wasn't going to go
Speaker 3: and uh, you know, I was looking at a lot
Speaker 3: of small schools back on the East Coast and dealing
Speaker 3: with twenty degree weathers on a regular base. Decided from
Speaker 3: out my sister had moved out here. She was living
Speaker 3: out here and the only person I really knew. And
Speaker 3: didn't like it at first, but once I got involved
Speaker 3: with athletics at the UVE, it was where I wanted.
Speaker 2: To I didn't like it because it was too hot.
Speaker 1: A different world, you know, coming from New York.
Speaker 3: I was right outside of New York City, and you know,
Speaker 3: coming out here was a different world out here, different lifestyle,
Speaker 3: and the weather was war It was great, but got
Speaker 3: a little hot, but uh, you know it was different.
Speaker 4: Yeah, no, we're on now, we're not nick to hear us.
Speaker 4: No cool, Henry, Henry is the same way did you
Speaker 4: when you first came here?
Speaker 2: Henry?
Speaker 4: I know you came here for a reason, but did
Speaker 4: you have the same kind of feeling that that Pat
Speaker 4: did you know, kind of a kind of a strange
Speaker 4: place to be.
Speaker 5: Yeah, well I was coming from you know, biggest city
Speaker 5: in the country, so it's kind of a different vibe
Speaker 5: at for something to get you. But I think eventually
Speaker 5: you just kind of get used to the community and
Speaker 5: all the people and the cultures and yeah, yeah, same thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, different world. You know, it's just totally different lifestyle.
Speaker 3: And you know, we've never seen anything like it before.
Speaker 3: And you know, food was always different, you know, and
Speaker 3: never had that Mexican.
Speaker 2: Food like yeah, sure, we had that discussion.
Speaker 3: Yes, right, I still today and I still order New
Speaker 3: York City bagels. I get it delivered two days delivery,
Speaker 3: and so I'm still in New York bagels.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Henry, you two or no.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 2: The the food is definitely a big adjustment too.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Well, you're a skinny you don't eat You're a skinny man.
Speaker 4: You're just a skinny dude. You just eat like potato chips
Speaker 4: and fries pretty much, I'm guessing.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Yeah, No, So great to have you, Pat. We're gonna
Speaker 4: talk about a lot of things big show today because
Speaker 4: of you.
Speaker 6: Pat.
Speaker 3: No, I don't know about you got some big time
Speaker 3: guests today, So I'm excited to be here with those guys.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure we've had them on in the past,
Speaker 4: and we always have fun with the guys. So Matt
Speaker 4: Athink is going to come here about three seventeen, talk
Speaker 4: about the best Well team. See what he's up to
Speaker 4: out in California. He has some some businesses out in California,
Speaker 4: so that'll be fun. Maybe give his thoughts on Caleb
Speaker 4: Love and the rest of the guys. Given that he
Speaker 4: you were, you already gone by the.
Speaker 1: Time he was there. You know, he got there.
Speaker 3: I was there through the ninety you know, nineteen nineties,
Speaker 3: so I think from free Man about eighty nine. Yeah,
Speaker 3: I got to see him a couple of times. But
Speaker 3: you know, I think the big question I was just
Speaker 3: talking earlier. You know, maybe he's got some shooting woes
Speaker 3: for our guys right now, and we always know him
Speaker 3: as a great shooter back in the days, and we'd
Speaker 3: love to get that back to UVa's basketball right right.
Speaker 4: So we're going to talk to him, and then at
Speaker 4: four o'clock we're going to go to Joe Salvas Salaban Saliva.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry, new coach at u of A And did
Speaker 4: you did not know him?
Speaker 3: I knew him through the coaching world. He was you know,
Speaker 3: he was after me in the early nineties. You know,
Speaker 3: so I was, you know, obviously following Juve, but you know,
Speaker 3: got to meet him as a coach and obviously followed
Speaker 3: his career a little bit.
Speaker 1: And you know, it's great to have him back.
Speaker 3: Sal was you know, brought that culture into UVE and obviously,
Speaker 3: you know, the coach told me of the Polynesian kids
Speaker 3: and he was one of the legends that came through UVE.
Speaker 3: And you obviously Coach Brennan's done a really good job
Speaker 3: of that culture too, So you know, it's great to
Speaker 3: have him back in our community and.
Speaker 1: Back to what he can bring to us, right, right.
Speaker 4: And then at four seventeen, after Joe, we're going to
Speaker 4: have mister Harvey Mason. Uh so you know see what
Speaker 4: he's up to. He did worked the Grammy's.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a legend now. Yeah, he's a huge timer.
Speaker 4: Yeah, he's a huge, huge in the music industry, a
Speaker 4: big shock the right, he's always been part of that.
Speaker 4: He's the president of the American Music Association or something
Speaker 4: like that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean he's pretty high level.
Speaker 3: I think you know, one of the things you'd like
Speaker 3: to say, you know, remembery part of a Wildcat song
Speaker 3: back in the days that maybe got their career going
Speaker 3: for him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it wasn't the RST that was a big part
Speaker 2: of the business right as band.
Speaker 1: I think it was in the jazz.
Speaker 4: Yeah, so you know, of course the apple doesn't far
Speaker 4: for yeah treat Yeah, no, cool, great to have you.
Speaker 4: What do you think's going on? Just so we have
Speaker 4: you now just for a mineral minut or two. Well
Speaker 4: at uve you kind of like the resurgence maybe with
Speaker 4: the those guys coming back.
Speaker 1: I think it's a really tough situation.
Speaker 3: Anytime you bring a coach in, things are going to
Speaker 3: change no matter who you have. You know, we had
Speaker 3: a lot of kids coming back supposedly, but you know,
Speaker 3: the culture changes and until coach Brennan gets his guys in, yeah,
Speaker 3: we're really not going to know what it's like. And
Speaker 3: you know, we we lost some guys went to Washington,
Speaker 3: we lost a few guys due to injuries, and you know,
Speaker 3: obviously being in the Big twelve for the first time,
Speaker 3: that was a tough situation. So I know it was
Speaker 3: back against them all a little bit and our fans
Speaker 3: can you know, change in a heartbeat.
Speaker 1: Here in Turstan. But sure, I think we've got to
Speaker 1: give him a chance.
Speaker 3: I think he's done a really good job with the
Speaker 3: portal this year and he's bringing in some good kids.
Speaker 3: So hope for great things. You know, obviously have a
Speaker 3: quarterback backs always going to be a great thing.
Speaker 1: But we'll see.
Speaker 4: I think specific to him and what you just said
Speaker 4: is he's going to get his kids in. I think
Speaker 4: one of the problems and to me, and I said
Speaker 4: this almost every show in the in the in the fall,
Speaker 4: that there was a disconnect between the players and the coaches.
Speaker 4: Maybe him specifically, I don't know, but that was just
Speaker 4: my observation because they weren't his guys. They weren't his guys.
Speaker 4: And you would know this because although it's a different
Speaker 4: situation if your guys, if they're not your guys and
Speaker 4: they don't not that they don't want to play for you,
Speaker 4: or they just have a hard time adjusting to you,
Speaker 4: they don't play hard for you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know you got to remember that he
Speaker 1: lost the strength coach. I mean he didn't get here
Speaker 1: till mid January. Yeah, Strength coach left, so your whole
Speaker 1: program's different.
Speaker 3: So it was a you know, shocker to those kids
Speaker 3: that had big expectations have a great year to play
Speaker 3: for a new guy. I have new coaches all across
Speaker 3: the board, new strength coach, So those are things that
Speaker 3: make it hard for young kids.
Speaker 1: And they just didn't respond the way they needed to be.
Speaker 3: And then injury bug hit the defense a little bit
Speaker 3: and coach Keenan did an amazing job.
Speaker 1: But you know, just a little too much for a
Speaker 1: first year. Yeah took as well.
Speaker 4: If one thing, two things, three things are off, it
Speaker 4: throws everything off.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no question.
Speaker 3: And you know it's you had such high expectation. It's
Speaker 3: hard to live up to those expectations. And I think
Speaker 3: that's a big thing for a lot of sports teams.
Speaker 3: They go into the season and think they're going to
Speaker 3: be super because of the year pass, but there's so
Speaker 3: much that goes into the offseason and into that season.
Speaker 3: So but I think he's got to go in the
Speaker 3: right direction, and I'm excited about where he's going. They
Speaker 3: would have some some young young kids throughout the portal
Speaker 3: and you know, hopefully they can respond. And I think
Speaker 3: those kids out of staying believe in him now and
Speaker 3: want to be a part of his system.
Speaker 4: So it should be better at least than the surface.
Speaker 4: You'll figure that out. Okay, let's take a break here,
Speaker 4: come back with the matt Othick on the other.
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Speaker 13: Breaking down all the said. Oh, this is I on
Speaker 13: the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Speaker 4: Hey, welcome back to Wining the Ball here on Fox
Speaker 4: Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. In with me today
Speaker 4: is Pat Nugent from Mike Mountain and now on the
Speaker 4: phone we have mister Matt Optic not How you.
Speaker 6: Doing, I'm good. How you doing today?
Speaker 2: We're doing very well. Thanks.
Speaker 4: I wanting to get your thoughts on this program and
Speaker 4: see what you're up to up in California.
Speaker 2: What are you doing first? What are you doing first?
Speaker 2: And are you still got you know, twenty restaurants now,
Speaker 2: what are you doing?
Speaker 11: No?
Speaker 6: I actually am down to one. I've sold off two
Speaker 6: of them, just own Cross Pizzeria and Salona Beach and
Speaker 6: just spending a lot of my time watching my kids
Speaker 6: play basketball. So it's been a it's been a fun
Speaker 6: couple of years.
Speaker 4: Well, okay, cool, that's the best thing to do, right,
Speaker 4: you know, your Father of the Year trying to be
Speaker 4: so cool. So you have your sites. I'm sure you
Speaker 4: watch a few games from u A. You know you're
Speaker 4: still connected.
Speaker 6: Oh yeah, I can't. I visited for the Colorado game,
Speaker 6: and I was gonna stay for the Iowa State game
Speaker 6: and actually had to get back for my son's high
Speaker 6: school game. But I watch every game and still enjoy
Speaker 6: watching the team and really like the direction Tommy. Tommy
Speaker 6: has the program going.
Speaker 1: Matt, this is Pat Nugent Hate. I'm honored to be
Speaker 1: with you here.
Speaker 3: I'm going to graduate in nineteen ninety, so I was
Speaker 3: the UVE guy and I actually worked all the games
Speaker 3: back in the day with a football manager and able
Speaker 3: to be My job is actually letting their officials in
Speaker 3: the door every game. So pleasure to have you on
Speaker 3: and looking forward to talking to you here. But Steve
Speaker 3: and I talked a little bit about, you know, our
Speaker 3: shooting woes a little bit and being one of the
Speaker 3: all time legend three point shooters here at UVE. You
Speaker 3: got any advice for these guys struggling a little bit.
Speaker 6: Well, I've always said, uh, you know, you're you're oh
Speaker 6: four oh, so no matter no matter how many you've
Speaker 6: made or missed, the next one's going to be a make.
Speaker 6: And I think, you know, the biggest thing with these
Speaker 6: teams this year I think is sometimes shot selection, especially
Speaker 6: early in the year, and if they just take good shots,
Speaker 6: you know they're going to make them, and but you
Speaker 6: have to take them, and you should never hesitate if
Speaker 6: you have a good one. And like I mean, if
Speaker 6: Caleb Love gets hot, I think this guy's the limit
Speaker 6: for this team and he's taking In my view, he's
Speaker 6: played really well the last few weeks, and whether he's
Speaker 6: making them or missing him, he's taking good shots. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Do you think they get frustrated and avoid those shots
Speaker 3: when they're missing them?
Speaker 6: Well, I think I think that's the natural reaction to
Speaker 6: to not take a shot if you've missed four or
Speaker 6: five in a row. But you know, the guys that
Speaker 6: are mentally tough and can can fight through that are
Speaker 6: the ones that end up, you know, doing doing great
Speaker 6: and playing really well in college and then sometimes moving
Speaker 6: on to the pros. But our team, yeah, I mean,
Speaker 6: if we if we can make some perimeter shots down
Speaker 6: the stretch. I love the identity of this team has
Speaker 6: turned into like a physical, defensive basketball team and they're
Speaker 6: really fun to watch.
Speaker 2: No, you're exactly right.
Speaker 4: I think in the history of the program, which of
Speaker 4: course you know, I cover you guys in the early
Speaker 4: nineties and all that there have been few tougher teams
Speaker 4: physically tough because you really didn't need to be. You
Speaker 4: guys out around and outscored and you know, had fun
Speaker 4: on the court and defensively. This is one of the
Speaker 4: more physical teams because they had to be, you know,
Speaker 4: they moved into the big twelve and if you're not tough,
Speaker 4: if you can get your ass kicked right. But they've
Speaker 4: kind of met the challenge. They've met the challenge.
Speaker 6: They really have it. It's when I was there for
Speaker 6: the Colorado game and I got sat real low, actually
Speaker 6: on the floor and got to see these guys. I
Speaker 6: was shocked at the physicality and the way they they
Speaker 6: they play. I mean, it was a lot of fun
Speaker 6: watching a Waka and some of these other guys set
Speaker 6: the tone physically, and like I said, I mean, you
Speaker 6: said it were We were a really good defensive team,
Speaker 6: but we did it a little more with finesse and
Speaker 6: shot blocking. These guys, these guys will beat you up
Speaker 6: and from the guard spot they do the same thing,
Speaker 6: and it's really impressive to watch. And like I said,
Speaker 6: I think it took them a little while to find
Speaker 6: their identity and they definitely have one now. And it
Speaker 6: really flourishing in a really really tough conference with you.
Speaker 1: Know, being in the Big twelve first time.
Speaker 3: You know, all of us, youve a fans, you've got
Speaker 3: used to that Peck twelve system, and it was a
Speaker 3: lot of complain about the you know, the.
Speaker 1: Foul calls, the refs.
Speaker 3: I really think of a fan that you believe that
Speaker 3: veis really adjusted well to that Big twelve contact.
Speaker 6: I do. I think you know, they have the guys
Speaker 6: that can bang around with you, and uh, you know,
Speaker 6: a lot of the calls in the PAC twelve and
Speaker 6: ten for years were pretty soft, you know. I mean
Speaker 6: it was true. We got a lot of soft calls,
Speaker 6: and then when we get into the tournament, you know,
Speaker 6: they let you play a little more physical, and I
Speaker 6: think it hurt us for a few years because of
Speaker 6: the way they called our conference.
Speaker 4: Yeah youah, no question. It's funny you mentioned something earlier. Well,
Speaker 4: if you're a shooter in your zero, you're always thinking
Speaker 4: you're zero for zero, But here the fans are you're
Speaker 4: zero for seven. What the hell are you doing shooting
Speaker 4: that ball? You know, how do you think, honestly that's
Speaker 4: how they feel. How do you think that you would
Speaker 4: have survived. I hear it that you and you probably
Speaker 4: see it on social because you and Pete are kind
Speaker 4: of on social every now and again, and you know,
Speaker 4: Pete gives the guy's grief.
Speaker 2: How do you think you would.
Speaker 4: Have handled the social media today given the situation that
Speaker 4: you played in and even now.
Speaker 6: I mean, I feel for these kids. You know, it's
Speaker 6: it's really unfair. I mean, they're they're they're out there
Speaker 6: doing the best they can. They're they're extremely good players,
Speaker 6: and you put added pressure on the kids when when
Speaker 6: you're you know, hearing that kind of stuff. But I
Speaker 6: think most of them just probably tune it out. You know,
Speaker 6: they've they've played basketball their whole life, and their confident kids,
Speaker 6: or else they wouldn't be at the University of Arizona.
Speaker 6: But it doesn't help. I mean, it's tough on the
Speaker 6: kids when you know you're the narrative is this guy
Speaker 6: can't shoot, this guy stinks, this guy you know, you
Speaker 6: just hear so much of it on social media now it's, uh,
Speaker 6: it's I'm glad I'm not playing in this era. I
Speaker 6: can tell you that.
Speaker 3: One thing I would say, though, man Nil deals a
Speaker 3: change little bit. These guys are making a little bit
Speaker 3: more than when you were back in the days. But
Speaker 3: how do you feel about that? The way these kids
Speaker 3: are being.
Speaker 6: Well now, that part of it, I do wish I
Speaker 6: was playing. I mean, yeah, it's crazy, it's uh. I mean,
Speaker 6: I'm happy the kids are making money, and I think
Speaker 6: it's a little bit out of control and they've got
Speaker 6: to figure out a way to make it fair for
Speaker 6: all the programs. So, you know, some of these programs
Speaker 6: can raise so much money and then others can't. And
Speaker 6: you know, it's not a lot different than than it
Speaker 6: was when I was playing. There's going to be programs
Speaker 6: that are going to be better and because of the
Speaker 6: nil than others. But yeah, I mean, kids just jumping.
Speaker 6: I just don't like the jumping around. You know. I
Speaker 6: was proud. They've played four years at Arizona, and most
Speaker 6: of my teammates did too, and we had, I mean
Speaker 6: a dozen pros on our teams. And but but guys
Speaker 6: were committed to the community and they knew they were
Speaker 6: going to make their money down the road. It's a
Speaker 6: little different now and I and I appreciate the guys,
Speaker 6: you know, making the money because some of them will
Speaker 6: never play professionally. But they're still going to get paid
Speaker 6: in college, and it certainly helps their families and and
Speaker 6: helps them get started life.
Speaker 4: Let me let me throw that because we talk about
Speaker 4: that often. Okay, so you have you have a player X.
Speaker 4: I won't mention any names because it's openly all player X.
Speaker 4: You're getting to check fifty that whatever it is. Uh,
Speaker 4: do you think that at any point effects play? Because well,
Speaker 4: I guess what I'm getting paid if I played poorly
Speaker 4: or not, and you know you have can you have
Speaker 4: the tough teams Kansas is not playing very well. I'm
Speaker 4: sure they're getting paid. Illinois, Indiana. All these guys are
Speaker 4: getting paid money, money, good money, and they're not living
Speaker 4: up to their expectations.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think it puts I think it's kind of
Speaker 6: a double edged sword. It puts extra pressure on the
Speaker 6: kid to perform. It puts pressure on the pressure on
Speaker 6: the coaches to play them. And so if they're not performing,
Speaker 6: I think sometimes the coaches feel like, well, I got
Speaker 6: to play this guy. You know he's getting paid X amount,
Speaker 6: and and sometimes the guy doesn't probably deserve to be
Speaker 6: playing h. So there's a lot of tricky things that
Speaker 6: go on with this money in the centil. I mean,
Speaker 6: I know, I know a couple of local players from
Speaker 6: San Diego that went that played here locally and then
Speaker 6: ended up at SC and getting two fifty or five
Speaker 6: hundred that haven't seen the court this year. And I mean,
Speaker 6: that's just it's amazing to me how they're throwing this
Speaker 6: money around at kids. And like I said, I understand
Speaker 6: the kids wanting to take the money in and how
Speaker 6: it could benefit the programs by bringing in the best
Speaker 6: players possible. But I also think they need to figure
Speaker 6: out how to get control of it. And you know,
Speaker 6: like I just saw a clip of Michael Jordan talking
Speaker 6: about how these pros now are coming in and getting
Speaker 6: money before they've actually proved themselves, and how they they
Speaker 6: didn't they didn't get endorsement money until they became great,
Speaker 6: and I think there's a little of that going on
Speaker 6: in college basketball as well.
Speaker 2: No, that's a good point.
Speaker 4: Let me ask you to because you played for him
Speaker 4: and you knew him fairly well, Uh, Lou, how do
Speaker 4: you think you would have handled this?
Speaker 2: Nil?
Speaker 6: I think it would have been really hard for him.
Speaker 6: He just he was an old school guy and he
Speaker 6: was like, we had to earn our way to everything.
Speaker 6: Every practice we were graded. I mean he he was
Speaker 6: doing analytics way before most people. I mean, yeah, he
Speaker 6: had a plus minus analytics system that we literally every
Speaker 6: single practice had to show up and perform. And if
Speaker 6: you didn't perform and you weren't at the top of
Speaker 6: that list, you didn't play. And so I think for
Speaker 6: him to just be throwing money at kids to get
Speaker 6: him to come to college and then you have to
Speaker 6: play him if they are getting big money, that would
Speaker 6: have been a struggle for him in my opinion.
Speaker 3: You know, Matt, one of the hard things for us
Speaker 3: to loyal u of a fans. I think the turnover
Speaker 3: so much. You know, you can't even get excited about
Speaker 3: our freshman coming in because you don't know where they're
Speaker 3: going to stay. And kid doesn't get off the bench,
Speaker 3: you probably assume he's going to transfer.
Speaker 1: But you know, do you see the one thing I know?
Speaker 3: I'm a high school coach, so culture is everything, But
Speaker 3: I don't see the culture in college basketball anymore. I mean,
Speaker 3: it's obviously the athletes are unbelievable, but do you see
Speaker 3: that effecting the game?
Speaker 6: I do, I and it's one of the things I
Speaker 6: hate the most. Just you know, not not committing to
Speaker 6: the community for a couple of years at least, and
Speaker 6: I mean it's it's tough for the I understand why
Speaker 6: why the fans get frustrated to some degree, because in Tucson,
Speaker 6: I know, well, that community embraces their players, and whether
Speaker 6: they're mad because the guy's missing shots or not, they
Speaker 6: love the players that come through that city, especially when
Speaker 6: I was playing. I don't know if it's changed some
Speaker 6: because of how quickly they exit, but I mean we
Speaker 6: had a we had a serious bond with that city
Speaker 6: and and it you know, it's carried. It's thirty five
Speaker 6: years later. I'm still close to a lot of people
Speaker 6: in Tucson because of my four years there.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, it's a different culture. Back then, you guys
Speaker 4: stayed four years. We got to know you guys. You
Speaker 4: got to interview guys, uh you know, in locker rooms,
Speaker 4: in press conferences, and spend time telling your story. Nowadays
Speaker 4: that's not the case. You know, they bring them to
Speaker 4: us one or two players. We don't get as close
Speaker 4: as we used to, like you guys. You know, so
Speaker 4: that's an issue too. And here, all the while they
Speaker 4: need to sell tickets and the people who buy the tickets,
Speaker 4: want to know the players.
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, I it's it's it's treated so much more
Speaker 6: like you know, professional basketball now, and there's aspects of
Speaker 6: it I really dislike, you know, like I said, kids
Speaker 6: making money and being able to support themselves and their families.
Speaker 6: I totally understand and appreciate that. Some of the other things,
Speaker 6: you know, not being able to get as close to
Speaker 6: the players and letting the media you know, only ask
Speaker 6: certain questions and you know, not digging. Sometimes it's tough,
Speaker 6: you know, when you're a kid like I grew up
Speaker 6: a lot in my four years. They're having to deal
Speaker 6: with the media and deal with scrutiny and you know,
Speaker 6: answer the tough questions. I felt like it made me
Speaker 6: grow as a man. And I think sometimes now they're
Speaker 6: they're just protecting people a little bit too much. And
Speaker 6: you know, I know there's the social media thing now,
Speaker 6: which is out of control. But I'm just talking about
Speaker 6: you know, the local media and getting to know the
Speaker 6: fans and the media and people around there. I wish
Speaker 6: it was a little more open.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's funny you say that because I think Texas
Speaker 4: A and m I hope I'm not speaking, but their
Speaker 4: baseball program. They're saying, no freshmen can talk to the
Speaker 4: media in the whole first year, whether you're good or
Speaker 4: not good, or whether the impact the game or not.
Speaker 4: And I'm thinking to myself, that's not That's just not right.
Speaker 4: And I thought one of the things that I thought
Speaker 4: highly of lout with is that he let.
Speaker 2: You guys speak.
Speaker 4: Sometimes he was upset with what you guys said, but
Speaker 4: it helped many guys started started careers. You Steve, Steve
Speaker 4: was Steve and he became a broadcaster with Channing Fry
Speaker 4: now Richard Jefferson, Sean, all these people have broadcast jobs
Speaker 4: because they learned the game and they were able to
Speaker 4: speak their mind.
Speaker 6: Yeah, he wanted us in front of the media. He
Speaker 6: wanted us to learn how to to to be able
Speaker 6: to handle ourselves. And I mean, as I came in
Speaker 6: as a freshman, I you know, I came from Vegas
Speaker 6: and I had done a little media, but I was
Speaker 6: you know, I learned quickly, and you just you know,
Speaker 6: they they would school us on how to deal with
Speaker 6: it and if you're having a tough time, you know,
Speaker 6: they would help take care of us. But they didn't
Speaker 6: shelter us. And I feel like, you know, the it's
Speaker 6: not just basketball. I feel like everyone is being sheltered
Speaker 6: so much now and I wish it was a little
Speaker 6: more open.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so are you.
Speaker 4: And now you know another thing, because you went to games.
Speaker 4: You've come to games of course, and I've seen saying
Speaker 4: hello to you a few times. There's no Vegas trip
Speaker 4: this year, which is killing a lot of people. There's
Speaker 4: no u c l A truck. You know, there's you guys.
Speaker 4: You guys in California. You can't see us. And you
Speaker 4: know you're a Vegas guy that goes by real quickly,
Speaker 4: go seees the team.
Speaker 6: Yeah, well even the n C two A tournament, always
Speaker 6: looking because I wanted to take my son to a
Speaker 6: game and I see the closest, the closest it might
Speaker 6: possibly be is like Colorado in the first round. So yeah, yeah,
Speaker 6: I mean it's it. It was nice that they they're
Speaker 6: doing the u c l A back and forth and
Speaker 6: the fact that they were in Phoenix. I tried to
Speaker 6: make it there. Of course, again, my son had a
Speaker 6: game that weekend. But that's awesome that they're keeping that
Speaker 6: rivalry going and I'm excited about that. But yeah, I mean,
Speaker 6: not having the PAC twelve tournament in Vegas. I mean
Speaker 6: that was just epic. I mean people loved it there.
Speaker 6: I know, the fans and Arizona loved it, and we
Speaker 6: would sell it out. It was like a home away
Speaker 6: from home for all the Tucson fans. So you know,
Speaker 6: obviously Big twelve is a great conference and the tournament's awesome,
Speaker 6: but not having it in Vegas is tough.
Speaker 2: Let me ask you maybe the last question.
Speaker 4: You're I'm gonna have to date you here thirty four
Speaker 4: years probably thirty four years since you've been able to
Speaker 4: do it, which could make you x about age. And
Speaker 4: you have your pizza place, obviously you had a few
Speaker 4: other ones. How do you how do you keep that
Speaker 4: the juice of of being a competitor.
Speaker 6: Well, I now I've lived through my kids, you know,
Speaker 6: I and I love like Arizona. I every time the
Speaker 6: Arizona basketball or a football program comes on, it's like
Speaker 6: I'm playing again, you know. I. I compete hard that way.
Speaker 6: And and then of course through my kids. You know,
Speaker 6: I coached my son for several years in au and
Speaker 6: now he's a sophomore in high school and he's doing
Speaker 6: really well. And so that's been I mean I live
Speaker 6: for going to those games. He plays tomorrow against Carlsbad
Speaker 6: in a huge game in the Open Division of California
Speaker 6: CIF Playoff basketball, so it's it's his first taste of
Speaker 6: a massive game. So I'm excited for that. Yeah.
Speaker 4: All these guys who played now have kids play. So yeah,
Speaker 4: I didn't mention your age because I'm older.
Speaker 6: That's all right, that's all right.
Speaker 4: Hey, how about how about your how about your lobos
Speaker 4: kind of lobos?
Speaker 6: Yeah, the lobos are good. I mean another Patino don.
Speaker 4: Right right, Well, Matt, thanks a bunch for joining us.
Speaker 4: Appreciate you all the time.
Speaker 6: No, I appreciate you guys, and go wildcasts.
Speaker 2: Yeah, man, we see you on the road somewhere.
Speaker 4: Possibly San Jose is the Sweet sixteen, so maybe take
Speaker 4: a flat up there.
Speaker 6: Yeah I saw that, so yeah, that good possibility.
Speaker 2: Okay, thanks Matt, appreciate you.
Speaker 6: Take it easy, guys.
Speaker 2: Yeap, Matt Athick, thank.
Speaker 4: You former player at u of A late early nineties,
Speaker 4: and let's take a break real quick and come back
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Speaker 13: This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on
Speaker 13: Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on
Speaker 13: the iHeartRadio just search Eye on the Ball.
Speaker 4: Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball here on
Speaker 4: Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve ever. In with me
Speaker 4: today is Pat Nugent and Micah Mountain. How's been in
Speaker 4: that state title?
Speaker 3: I'll tell you when you work as hard twenty seven
Speaker 3: years as a head coach, you know you dream about
Speaker 3: those days, but you really don't think you're ever going
Speaker 3: to get there, and you preach it to your kids,
Speaker 3: you preach it to your program, but you know that
Speaker 3: that night was special for all of you know, the
Speaker 3: Veil community, Micah Mountain High School being only open for
Speaker 3: you know, young Ben a varsity program for three years,
Speaker 3: so it was a.
Speaker 1: Great special thing.
Speaker 3: And someone that's worked as hard as I have, you know,
Speaker 3: to go out on top was even more special.
Speaker 4: You have a heck of a team last last year,
Speaker 4: the previously before that, right, did.
Speaker 18: You this is the thirty year or fourth year, thirty
Speaker 18: years of our So did you see did you see
Speaker 18: this coming three four years ago when you started the
Speaker 18: program that Okay, we have some good kids, we just
Speaker 18: got to get them ready three years later?
Speaker 1: No, I mean when you take over a program.
Speaker 3: We were actually a JV team my first year there,
Speaker 3: played a couple of varsity games just to fill in that.
Speaker 3: You know, that year after COVID was tough finding games.
Speaker 3: But you know, we uh my staff, a lot of
Speaker 3: our guys had left Sianega High School, which was a
Speaker 3: major program. We had done a lot of winning over
Speaker 3: there and you know a few semi finals, and we
Speaker 3: came over with Neimar Hasse who built the program and
Speaker 3: opportunity to just start a brand new program, build everything
Speaker 3: for scratch, you know, and you know, it was a
Speaker 3: great growing experience, buying everything you wanted to buy, share
Speaker 3: your money involved. But you never think you're gonna get there.
Speaker 3: You thought it was going to be. There was plenty
Speaker 3: of nights in that first year thinking what the heck
Speaker 3: am I doing here?
Speaker 2: I was just going to ask you that.
Speaker 4: You know Luke when he first came from Iowa, and
Speaker 4: I used this as an example, maybe a week or
Speaker 4: so into the program, he had his head on his
Speaker 4: hand saying, what the hell did I do?
Speaker 1: No question?
Speaker 3: You know, I remember sitting in my car thinking why
Speaker 3: did I do this? This is a mess, and this
Speaker 3: is going to take forever, and he just you.
Speaker 1: Know, didn't. But you know, we got to go in
Speaker 1: a little bit.
Speaker 3: We had a great group of kids that bought into
Speaker 3: buying going to Micah Mountain and as freshmen, we just
Speaker 3: built that culture. And that that year before was our
Speaker 3: first senior class, so made it to the state semis
Speaker 3: that year and they built that culture. That group was
Speaker 3: the first group that really built it. The twenty four
Speaker 3: graduates and you know, we had thirty one seniors coming back.
Speaker 3: So we lost the CEO in the state semifinals and
Speaker 3: played well, just made a few mistakes, but we knew
Speaker 3: with thirty one seniors coming back, we had a real.
Speaker 4: And they were good the CDO. There's no harm in
Speaker 4: fouling that because I went to that game. I think
Speaker 4: it was the CDO.
Speaker 6: Right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he was a close game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we lost too that year to them.
Speaker 3: We lost by two points the first time and then
Speaker 3: you know, twenty whatever, it was twenty points the second time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was they had a house. That kid was
Speaker 1: an unbelievable kid and he gladys that.
Speaker 4: You then, I don't know why they don't, Well, it's
Speaker 4: his freshman year, right, maybe he turns into somebody like
Speaker 4: a scataboo. I know it's it's kind of stereotyping, but
Speaker 4: he he's got that, he's got that something about him.
Speaker 3: He did, but you know, it's a it's a shock
Speaker 3: when you go into a program Division one program to
Speaker 3: see him on the field was amazing this year, you know,
Speaker 3: his first year out there, and hopefully he continues and
Speaker 3: gets that speed to be that that every day.
Speaker 1: Back.
Speaker 4: There's a couple of things I want to ask us,
Speaker 4: So you you must have had a player or two
Speaker 4: or three, if not more, that kind of we're special
Speaker 4: to get you where you needed to go. Because one,
Speaker 4: you have to have some talent. And then I've always,
Speaker 4: if I've learned anything in this business, coaching matters.
Speaker 2: So you have. I asked you about your secret sauce?
Speaker 2: Have I asked you?
Speaker 1: Man?
Speaker 4: I don't think, because I asked Monaco about your secret sauce.
Speaker 4: I think he said, because he's you've coached with him, right, Yeah,
Speaker 4: And he said the one thing that you you have
Speaker 4: and you preach your meticulous and what you do.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, we try to be organized.
Speaker 3: You know, we try to do everything about the book
Speaker 3: and then be organized and take care of that and
Speaker 3: develop relationship something we learned from Coach told me back
Speaker 3: in the days.
Speaker 1: With developed relationship and.
Speaker 3: Want those kids to go and if those kids want
Speaker 3: to play for you and play for your coaches, that
Speaker 3: that builds a big thing.
Speaker 11: Live me too.
Speaker 4: That's the number one thing. If you have good talent
Speaker 4: that doesn't want to play for you, what's the point?
Speaker 1: Without question?
Speaker 3: You know, we had tremendous talent over the years, but
Speaker 3: they enjoyed playing for us. They enjoyed our staff, and
Speaker 3: they enjoyed our our culture that we created it.
Speaker 1: What's there? You know? Once again.
Speaker 3: You know, as coach told me, you know, he treated
Speaker 3: everybody fair, you know, And I think that's the thing
Speaker 3: we try to preach a little bit. If I have
Speaker 3: anything I was, I always tell people I want them
Speaker 3: to speak highly of me when I'm in my funeral.
Speaker 3: So you know, if they like you, I think that's it.
Speaker 3: So I try to create that. And it's hard when
Speaker 3: you got you know, rosters with sixty kids to have
Speaker 3: a personal relationship with every one of them, and it's
Speaker 3: hard to get that with parents and stuff like that.
Speaker 1: But you know, you gotta have fun out there.
Speaker 3: You got to enjoy working with kids, and you got
Speaker 3: to be enjoyed being at practice, and those kids enjoy
Speaker 3: that and you get that development.
Speaker 4: So did you have that group maybe a five or
Speaker 4: whatever that you said, Okay, maybe we'll ride the backs
Speaker 4: of these guys.
Speaker 1: Oh well, every place we've been.
Speaker 3: I I had fortunate to be with Kadem Carey and
Speaker 3: made it a state champion chip game when he.
Speaker 2: Was They had a group there though, too.
Speaker 3: Yeah, with Martinez, he was after Martinez was after the
Speaker 3: game one year after me, But they had Robbins, Robin
Speaker 3: Josh Robbins was there.
Speaker 1: The Tevis Jared Tevis was there.
Speaker 3: You know, one of the great players I had with
Speaker 3: Aaron Tevis who went on to play at Boise for
Speaker 3: three years.
Speaker 1: He's one of the top players I've ever been around.
Speaker 2: The same kind of build as his brother.
Speaker 3: No, his brother brother was a lot small. Aaron was
Speaker 3: a six or four monster athletic for six.
Speaker 2: Old Okay, so that's why Tevas was probably a pain
Speaker 2: in the neck.
Speaker 13: He was.
Speaker 2: He had to get beat up by he did.
Speaker 1: Yes, Yeah, he never had the height like his brother.
Speaker 1: Brother was a freak guy who has called him.
Speaker 3: Got a chance to play for the Saints and then
Speaker 3: got hurt and his career was over.
Speaker 1: Unbelievable athletic talent.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 4: No, So there's a lot of secrets to the success.
Speaker 4: And you coach them up.
Speaker 2: Coaching.
Speaker 4: They got to believe in you. Coaching matters because you
Speaker 4: can have a group of talented players. I'll say this
Speaker 4: Kansas right now. If they're not into it, if they're
Speaker 4: not you know what about me type of things, you're
Speaker 4: not going to be anybody.
Speaker 2: They're not going to be good.
Speaker 3: Well, you know we were talking with a little bit there, Steve,
Speaker 3: is that you know, the culture has changed, you know,
Speaker 3: you're bringing in these superstars that have different agendas.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, they're not growing in the program, and
Speaker 1: you know, you talk about it.
Speaker 3: I know we're in high school, but these young thirty
Speaker 3: one seniors I had, they grew in the program and
Speaker 3: they knew.
Speaker 1: What it was like.
Speaker 3: There were sophomore Davis juniors and they grow. Now now
Speaker 3: you're bringing these one shot wonders in at the college level,
Speaker 3: and it's hard to get that continuity between the team.
Speaker 1: And it's hard.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you talk about culture continuity, and there's got to
Speaker 4: be some jealousy if Jimmy, If Jimmy Joe is getting
Speaker 4: paid one million and you're almost on the verge of
Speaker 4: being just as good as Jimmy Joe and you're not
Speaker 4: making one million, there's kind of be some friction, whether
Speaker 4: it's believed or not.
Speaker 1: It's the back of your mind, without question.
Speaker 3: I mean, you walk into the locker room a little
Speaker 3: different when Lebron's making a lot of money and you're
Speaker 3: just that fresh rookie on the team. But you know,
Speaker 3: you've got college athletes are pretty close there. There's always
Speaker 3: that one superstar, but most of them there for a reason,
Speaker 3: and they're trying to make it. And you know, ninety
Speaker 3: percent of a marketing to play professionally, their goal is
Speaker 3: to get there. But I'm sure it's hard to go
Speaker 3: into that locker room and knowing that this guy's making
Speaker 3: that and he's not passing the ball to you and
Speaker 3: you don't get that chance to score.
Speaker 1: And I'm sure it's difficult to this level.
Speaker 4: Well, Matt brought up a great point too, because you
Speaker 4: have the Michael Jordan's, Lebron's up that level getting paid
Speaker 4: because they've proven themselves in front endorsements blah blah blah.
Speaker 4: Now you have the young kids who are making x
Speaker 4: amount because they signed early into making money well without
Speaker 4: having to prove themselves.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I met with the UVA staff a
Speaker 1: little bit before recruiting.
Speaker 3: They came to our school and you kind of talked
Speaker 3: just recruiting wise a little bit and how it was going,
Speaker 3: and then they said the same thing. It's really it's
Speaker 3: really difficult because you got a lot of high school
Speaker 3: kids now that back in the days, they had the
Speaker 3: dream to make it to the NFL, but they're realizing
Speaker 3: that right now they can take care of their families
Speaker 3: by going to college.
Speaker 1: So they're looking for that big.
Speaker 3: Payday right away, and then they get there without that.
Speaker 1: Chip on their shoulders.
Speaker 3: So they're happy to make whatever they're making, and then
Speaker 3: they feel like they've made it once they got to.
Speaker 1: The high school, I mean the college level.
Speaker 4: Yeah, there was something that you just said and I
Speaker 4: just lost it while you were talking, oh man. And
Speaker 4: it was not the nil thing. It was more of
Speaker 4: a they're making money. It'll come to me. It'll come
Speaker 4: to me, just just how how you're talking about don't
Speaker 4: get old, don't get old. But you know, it's let's
Speaker 4: move on from that, because it'll come to me at
Speaker 4: some point, Boddy when we leave this place. Uh, you're
Speaker 4: gonna miss You're gonna miss.
Speaker 3: No, you know right now, I need it. It's it's
Speaker 3: been hard, Uh there was. It got harder as we
Speaker 3: got older than times have changed.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 3: You think about when I started a ninety It was
Speaker 3: a different world back in the nineties.
Speaker 4: Sure, and then well I know before I forget this. Okay,
Speaker 4: So you talk about freshmen, you have high school guys
Speaker 4: now and and Patino said this maybe earlier this week,
Speaker 4: and I don't.
Speaker 2: Know how it's football.
Speaker 4: Why recruit high schools when you have a people you know,
Speaker 4: you've seen, you've seen played against other play other places.
Speaker 4: I want to play for you at you know he's
Speaker 4: at Saint John's. That's a providence or whatever. Because now,
Speaker 4: why why get a high school kids because they're not
Speaker 4: going to be as good as the junior guy once
Speaker 4: you try.
Speaker 3: No, it's really bad for football because of the number
Speaker 3: game right now. You know, basketball, you got five kids,
Speaker 3: so you only need one or two. But football is
Speaker 3: really bad. And it's really been a shame for high
Speaker 3: school kids at college because you coach to yeah, junior college,
Speaker 3: but now they have those two extra years. So that's
Speaker 3: a great avenue for high school kids to get to
Speaker 3: junior college, you know, so that that'll be a great
Speaker 3: place for those guys. But reality, for college football right now,
Speaker 3: there's no reason to recruit an eighteen year old kid
Speaker 3: when you can go to the portal and get any
Speaker 3: twenty one, twenty two year old kid. And the thing
Speaker 3: really really is these college coaches don't have time. There's
Speaker 3: no growing process. They got to win now. And you know,
Speaker 3: coach Brendan's been here one year and almost got fired,
Speaker 3: you know, so he's got to go. He's got to
Speaker 3: find guy who's going.
Speaker 1: To go in right now. And I know he didn't.
Speaker 3: He had a good recruiting class, but the numbers weren't big,
Speaker 3: you know, So he's got to go get those transfer
Speaker 3: kids to try to win now. And I think that's
Speaker 3: definitely the hard part right now. If young kids don't
Speaker 3: have an opportunity.
Speaker 4: No, it's hard to feel sorry for them, and maybe
Speaker 4: we do, but it's the way of the world now.
Speaker 1: Way the world.
Speaker 3: And then you know, the like our young man Jimmy
Speaker 3: Leone just signed with U Tip and Jimmy's going to
Speaker 3: do a great job and it's going to be hard.
Speaker 3: But reality for the programs like U Tip and the
Speaker 3: second level is once you get a developer kid, they're gone. Yeah,
Speaker 3: they're using it as a stepping stool too if they
Speaker 3: have a good year. And those guys know they I've
Speaker 3: talked to many those small programs they call themselves, you know,
Speaker 3: tula program because they're going to send their guys for
Speaker 3: a bigger program once they get good.
Speaker 2: You saw it here and Kellen was one of them.
Speaker 2: He was at UTEP.
Speaker 4: You know, bet On himself did a fantastic job at
Speaker 4: you Tip. Guess what, well, now you get Arizona's coming.
Speaker 4: He's coming here, and you've seen here. UTIP is a
Speaker 4: feeder program for Arizona. Arizona's a feeder program for Texas
Speaker 4: or Ohio state.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: It's a it's a doggy dog world.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough, and obviously the money is a major part. Sure,
Speaker 1: and I get it. Kids are leaving you tep to
Speaker 1: go to money and then they're leaving you a to
Speaker 1: get more money.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, tough world.
Speaker 1: Tough world. But as fans we still love it though.
Speaker 1: That's of course, of course.
Speaker 2: But you know it's called world too. Life.
Speaker 4: If you get a job offer X and you get
Speaker 4: a job in the oil passo and you said, okay,
Speaker 4: this is great.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm making money.
Speaker 4: And then some some some program or some some business
Speaker 4: calls you and says, hey, I want to come back,
Speaker 4: gives you more money, and then you said okay, that's cool.
Speaker 4: And then new calls you and you said, okay, there's
Speaker 4: a lot of money.
Speaker 2: It's cool. It's life too.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And in the coaching world too, I mean exactly Coach
Speaker 3: Fish did and unbelieved job. We were devastated when he left,
Speaker 3: but I don't think there's anybody that blamed him.
Speaker 6: You know, you're not on Twitter.
Speaker 1: We're blaming him from where we're at right now, but
Speaker 1: we'll never blame them for leaving.
Speaker 4: Probably right right if you were on Twitter, you know
Speaker 4: that there were a lot of pulled off people.
Speaker 2: Okay, we ready to go get a minute or so?
Speaker 6: Yeah, like a minute?
Speaker 4: Okay, cool, No, that's just the way it is. So
Speaker 4: you're not You're gonna just relax. You're gonna chill for
Speaker 4: a while.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll finding, you know, another opportunity. But I'm enjoying
Speaker 3: my afternoons right now.
Speaker 2: Does your wife love you?
Speaker 1: She does?
Speaker 3: Getting home and you know, I take care of the
Speaker 3: house chores and something I haven't been able to do much,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: And you're gonna work more now than when you work
Speaker 2: to exactly.
Speaker 3: I'm getting a good visit at the grocery store a lot.
Speaker 3: But you know, I'm looking for the summer. You know,
Speaker 3: I haven't had a summer off in a long time.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, looking.
Speaker 3: Forward to getting away, taking some vacations maybe and just
Speaker 3: kind of getting away. And you know, I'm excited about
Speaker 3: you know, things like you know, I'm looking at the
Speaker 3: UVA schedule. I'd love to go to Colorado go watch
Speaker 3: a game somewhere. You know, I've never been able to
Speaker 3: go away to watch a UV play, and you know,
Speaker 3: I go to a lot of all the.
Speaker 1: UV games, but I tailgate.
Speaker 3: But it's hard when I'm working on Saturdays and trying
Speaker 3: to get no sleep and be a part of that.
Speaker 3: So I'm looking forward to a lot of things that
Speaker 3: i haven't had for the last thirty four years.
Speaker 2: Dusty piece safe. It's not bad out here.
Speaker 1: Come on. Yeah, Dusty's living a good life.
Speaker 3: You know, he's got two young boys, so he's got
Speaker 3: a little different I'm gonna be empty nester in another
Speaker 3: three months and we'll see what happened.
Speaker 4: He's all fishing, you're all bright and grocery. Yeah, we'll
Speaker 4: be ready to go there. Let's go and come back.
Speaker 4: No breaking news. We're gonna get Coach Celibate here at
Speaker 4: four o'clock