Speaker 1: Here we go. This is going to be their last time,
the last time. Hello, Joseph dal can you hear me?
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 1: Where are you?
Speaker 2: Well? First of all, you this is the price you
pay if you want live. I know we're live in
the Alamodome. I know there's a bunch of people here.
Speaker 1: Yes, do they know who you are?
Speaker 2: Absolutely, but they're probably like that guy looks seeks like
he's curious on the phone, and who's the idiot on
the other side of it?
Speaker 3: That's exactly right. But you know you're the only LEGITI
media member there. So that's why I had to get
you on the show.
Speaker 2: You know this, right, I appreciate that, buddy.
Speaker 3: All right, So before we lose you again, give us
the vibe. What are they doing right now? You're inside
for the open practice?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's a Shelvin joke that they're not
going to go out there and run plays and stuff.
But you know they're doing shooting drill, they're doing layups
that he's gathering them at mid court right now giving
them some instruction. But you know this is a I mean,
you've just like a it's a glorified practice and it's
there's probably about I don't know, seven to eight thousand
people in here, maybe a little bit more, and you
know they're just going through the you know, they put
on a little bit of a show, they'll talk, do
some interviews with some of the national shows, and it's
it's pretty wild. I mean, it's a great scene because
if you remember back in twenty twenty one when they
made it to the final four, right, these people that
were sitting in here, they were all cutouts. They were
paper cutouts, cardboards because you couldn't have any fans in
the arena. So we've actually got live people in here.
There's a lot of them, and they're just kind of
going through some of the basic drills.
Speaker 3: How much do you think of them being in Indianapolis
last week in a dome setting with you know how
strange domes can be, can be a benefit to them
this weekend?
Speaker 1: Or are we going to make too much out of that?
Speaker 2: You know, they were asked that a little while ago.
We had breakouts with the players and you know, they
were the only regional that had their their games and
a setting like this. So if if any advantage is
probably a small one, and it's not one that they're
going to lean on because you know, you adjust to
it pretty quickly, or at least you try to. But
I don't think that stuff. You know, there's other issues
and other things to look at, especially with this Duke
roster and the fact that they got three freshmen, but
they are three projected lottery pick guys.
Speaker 3: They rim protect, they rebound, they shoot well, they blow
out their opponents. Is there anything that you think the
Cougars can take advantage of against a Duke basketball team
that has been really top three this entire season.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, it's fascinating because you look at it
and I know it's billed as Duke's number one offense
against Houston's number one defense, but Duke plays really good
defense too. They do all the intangibles just as well.
I think where if Houston gets a lot of teams
is with their physical plight. You don't replicate that. You
don't see that a lot, so it's hard to go
into a game where you haven't played them and and
have that. I think also the experience factor. You've got
a lot of guys that have been in these big moments.
If you're too, do you worry about guys? You know,
Cooper Flag and a continent pal and a common maloop
that that haven't played in the final four. What you know,
because if it happens early, that takes them a wall
to get going. You saw what happened in the Tennessee game.
If you jump out to a big lead and gives
you a lot of momentum. But I don't think there's
a lot of things that you from you pick. These
are two really good teams, and I think the winner
of this one goes on to win the national championship.
Speaker 3: Joseph Tort take up more minutes with us from the
Houston Chronicle line from the Animal Dome. What's LJ Crior
jump shot is going to show up in this game
tomorrow night?
Speaker 1: And you think, well, you better.
Speaker 2: Hope it's the one that played against Gonzaga and scored
thirty points of the one that earlier this year against Alabiate.
I'm a sport arety. Uh. You know, he's he's gonna
do things for you regardless of whether he scores. Now,
granted with, you're gonna need all hands, all dick, You're
gonna need your firepower. And that's something Houston Springs that
they haven't had the element of the three point shooting
with prior sharp and and really Milos Uzan. But uh
LJ has sort of battled through things. Uh the last
few games. Uh finished with seventeen against Tennessee, but it
was a hard seventeen and of course he really uh
you know, didn't have much on the board against Produced.
So yeah, they're gonna need this guy to step up.
And he's got a lot at stake. You know, he
knows what's in front of him. He's been there, he's
won a national championship and oh, by the way, if
he wins another one, he'd be the first player in
this three to win it at two different schools.
Speaker 3: Last question for you, who spends most of the night
guarding Cooper flag?
Speaker 2: You know, I think Jay One Roberts is gonna get
that assignment at least the start. I think at some point.
The way that their front court is because maloop is
not an easy one of means a lot of lobs,
a lot of around the basket. You're gonna have Tugler,
Francis and Roberts equally involved. And then that game plan
and that's where it's gonna be dicey, because you can't
you gotta be aggressive you gotta be physical, but you
gotta be disciplined. You can't have that first half against
Tennessee where Roberts out of the bench. Uh, it's gonna
be all hands and all three of them. You know,
I wouldn't even surprised if they even put Federick Blatt
in there a little bit, if you get a big
man to get some minutes where you're not having to
exert the other three and put them in some foul situations.
Speaker 3: Very very very last question, do the Cougars to win
the game have to keep Duke under say seventy two points?
Speaker 1: Can can Can the Cougars win a game where they have.
Speaker 3: To be in a perimeter showdown with the Blue Devils
or does the Blue Devils prevent provide much more offensive
punch than the Cougars.
Speaker 1: Do you know that.
Speaker 2: That's gonna be interesting because they are a reality teams
and teams like Arizona, maybe byu To kind of brought
them down where you think in eighty eight points or
something like that, and they're able to play their type
of games. I think, ultimately, I think this is a
game in the sixties. Pick I pick Houston's sixty seven
sixty two sixty three somewhere around there. I just think
it's another one of those games where Houston's defense rises
to the occasion, and you know we're gonna test the
defense wins championships. But I think for now, with about
a week to prepare, Kelvin's got something up his sleeve,
and I think you see Houston's defense be the deciding
factor in this one.
Speaker 3: Joseph, the interview went beautifully after the fifth time, my friend,
I will see you Monday in San Antonio.
Speaker 1: That's how I encourage I am about this well.
Speaker 2: Be sure to print those those shirts for it that
says always a fifth times of charm on the Maxima Show.
Speaker 3: Mm hmm, that felt personal. Thank you friend. We'll talk
to you later, all right, lads, see it