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Utah dot com. Let's get out to the hot line.
He's uh down at the Big twelve Tournament. We got
j Drew of the Desert News. Jay, how you living.
Speaker 4: Doing well? Best time of the year right now if
you're a college basketball fan and uh, I'm blessed to
be part of it, in the middle of it with
the Big Twelve Tournament in Kansas City, So that's great.
Speaker 1: Yeah. How would you describe the Big Twelve Tournament thus far? Uh?
Speaker 3: You know, the the digital glass uh. Uh I guess
the basketball court, the uh maybe some of the surprises, uh,
the the the individual and collective efforts of these teams.
Speaker 4: What has stood out to you, Yeah, you know all
of the above. I think Iowa State right now, you know,
two wins by something like an average thirty five points whatever,
they've looked really impressive. They just just once this morning,
earlier today, Arizona about to take the court against UCF
for Arizona's debut. Is the number one seed in the tournament.
There haven't been a lot of close games. We've had
the one overtime game. UCF beat one in overtime yesterday.
B yu's games have been really exciting, especially for BYU fans.
They haven't been particularly close. I guess Kansas State was
fairly close until the end. But yeah, it's been you know,
there's just top level talent. That's just one thing that
stands out. You know, obviously BYU fans know about aj
Debosa and Rob Wright, but I mean every team has
a guy and seemingly is going to be going the lottery,
in the NBA lottery. It seems that so just this
is the place to be if you're a college basketball
fan right now in Kansas City. And brett Or Mark
has set it over and over again and He's right.
This is a fantastic basketball league. Even the bottom tier
team so called can jump up and play well and
win some games, as be what you learned in the
latter half of the season. So yeah, all and all,
it's just a great place to be.
Speaker 3: Yeah, isn't this would break your market visions with this conference?
Obviously football is still king, but basketball. He's a basketball guy.
He's an East Coast guy. He was trying to go
get Yukon, he was trying to bring in Gonzaga. He
wants he thinks, he has stated that there is an
undervalued market for college basketball and he wanted to create
the greatest basketball conference in America.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're right. He was what was the DM or
had something to do with the New York the New
Jersey net and uh, he's in Brooklyn NETS now obviously.
But yeah, he's Uh, he's just a mastermind of marketing.
I just watched him on ESPN. They had him on
here after the after the game that just ended, and
he I mean, he's just phenomenal at that and innovative
and really well spoken. I mean, I just you know,
I think the league's in really good hands with Brett Yormark.
The floor. H it's it's received a little bit of
complaints from some of the players. It is a little
bit slippery.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 4: Mitch Harper and I sitting courtside yesterday counted probably about
five or six slips that we saw, not sure if
they were captured on ESPN cameras, but it is. It
is a tad slippery. But you know, it's just it's
just a fun league. It's just everything is pointed towards
entertaining the fans, making the best experience for the student athletes,
and so far, so good. He just seems to really
push all the right buttons to make something new and
something exciting. It seems like every year for the Big
Twelve Tournament.
Speaker 3: Jay, are you buying or selling this new identity of
BYU basketball in the Big twelve Tournament is sustainable?
Speaker 1: They just held West Virginia forty eight points. That's their best.
Speaker 3: Defensive effort all season long. The effort was on point,
the execution was pristine. Are you buying or selling who
this team is playing as they are playing right now
in the Big twelve Tournament?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm buying. I'm definitely buying. I think the usualing
Kadi Moop and Boop and Dominique Diamande especially kind of
as points on defense, and we saw him use Kebacada
in the Tech Tech game, and it's kind of the
same way. I think they're just realizing that they were
giving up too many three pointers and that was really
the way they were getting beat. They were letting teams
get going early. It almost bit them against Kansas State.
People forget after yesterday that the day before they gave
up ninety one to Kansas State and you know, basically
the second worst team in the league. So there is
still some work to do. But yeah, I'm fairly optimistic now.
I can't say I was that like a week and
a half ago, but I'm optimistic. I think BYU can
get to the Sweet sixteen now. I think that's the
type of team they have. I think that's kind of
a realistic expectation. Now, you know, final fource probably out
the window after the Richie and Dawson Baker injuries. But
right now, I don't see any reason why this team
can't really get to the second weekend in March and
in the tournament, just because of what they have and
the guys, especially these role players that have stepped up
and if they can get like enough a great game,
another couple of good games out of Canard Davis. I
think he's the wild card as far as replacing Richie.
A lot of people thought it might be Alex Kostitch
and who really struggled yesterday. I think it was Old
for six from the free three point line. But I
think the key now the more I look at it,
is Canard Davis. I think he's got to step up
and be that third scoring option.
Speaker 3: Yeah, then how does Canard find you know, his groove
a little bit like when he's played well, why is
it that he's played well?
Speaker 1: Do you think?
Speaker 3: And you know, how can he create some consistency on
that front? Reliability on that front.
Speaker 4: I think he senses confidence in the coaching staff. They
run some plays for him early. I can't remember what
game was it where he missed his first five three
pointers and they stuck with him. Yeah, Texas Tech game.
I think I think he kind of thrives off that
confidence that he gets from his teammates and coaches. He's
one of those types of guys that that's important to
him and you know, I other guys that you know,
like like maybe Richie Richie Saunders or Rob Wright could
kind of generate that on their own, but I think
that's really a big deal for Raw or for Kenar Davis.
And I think he's I think he's uh. I think
he's one of those prime time players that when the
spotlight is really intense that he steps up. At least
that's what he's shown here in the tournament and in
that game against Texas Tech. So yeah, it's it's really
and he he just seems a lot more comfortable. I
wrote my article last night that for the first time
all season, uh, since the Duy incident, that d Y
is letting him speak to the media and us. He's
really a wealth spoken, uh, interesting young man. I've I've
been really pleasantly surprised by that and had a good
chat with him yesterday, and so I think I think
he's just more up for Bill in his own skin
right now, and it's paying dividends.
Speaker 3: Jay Drew Live from the Big Twelfth Tournament here on
your Utah ESPN Radio Network, a little Cougar Beat, brought
to you by Central Garage Utah. Central Garage Utah dot Com.
This third iteration of the team Ky has admittedly vocally
and it just stated that this has been a struggle,
This has been really hard for him. He had to
look himself in the mirror and say, essentially, you got
to figure out a way. What have they done? What
did he say yesterday in the post game that leads
you to believe that this is maybe replicable and that
he has figured out what this third iteration the team
can do and will do.
Speaker 4: I think the key word is simplification. I think they've
simplified everything. He called it. He dumbed it down a
little bit. He stopped being so coachy in his words.
I mean, you know, you look at the bench and
they got like they got as many coaches over there
as players. It seems like a support staff. And and
you know, talking to Cannar Davis yesterday, he said, it's
kind of you don't have to remember so much. It's
it's simple, that's returning to the basics of basketball. And
you know, I think maybe maybe they were, like Kevin said,
they were just getting too uh, too particular and too
into the nitty gritty or what's that word you always use,
ben uh the grand grandule are getting too grand But yeah,
I just think they just they're relying on their talent.
I think Kevin's looked back and said, hey, I got
the best player in maybe the country. Uh, on my team.
I gotta we got to do everything we can to
utilize that. And and if that includes playing him summit
point guard and making sure he has the ball in
his hands at all times, uh, so be it. And
and it's worked so far, and uh obviously a really
huge test coming up tonight again Houston. But you know,
so far, it's almost like a completely different team than
we saw eleven days ago at West Virginia.
Speaker 1: Yes, indeed it is j Drew des red News. Jay.
Speaker 3: You mentioned what the ceiling of this team can be.
Is there hope that this team can be better than the.
Speaker 1: Supposed ceiling is? Do they have enough firepower?
Speaker 3: Do you think is there enough good players on this
team to get past the sweet sixteenth?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I you know, I hate to be uh skeptical, but
I don't think so. I think I think that's probably
the ceiling sweet sixteen. And frankly, after what's going on
this year, with the injuries and the mid season Lowell
and all that, I think the YU fans out to be,
you know, tickled pink. If this team makes the Sweet sixteen.
So yeah, I do think that's the ceiling. You know,
it'd be awesome, you know, to see aj debantsa because
him like a Danny Manning from years past or a
Cambell Walker. He just puts a team on his shoulders
and he certainly has the talent to do that and
carries him, you know, to the Final four. But I
just don't think his supporting cast is good enough. After
all that we've just said, as far as you know,
Canar Davis and Rob Wright and Cavacada, they've all stepped
up their games. But I yeah, I just think if
I were talking to BYU fans, I would just say,
just enjoy it. Just enjoy this and realize that how
difficult it is in college basketball nowadays with all the
powerhouse teams and all the money that's there to to
to become a Duke or a Kentucky and and a
blue blood and do that every year. So yeah, they
should just enjoy a Jabot the while he's here. He's
a generational, multi generational talent, and BYU's darn lucky to
have him, No.
Speaker 1: Doubt, He's been great on and off the court.
Speaker 3: He's embraced by Ubay's embraced him, and I think that's
impactful in so many different ways. We've heard AJ state
in a number of interviews now that it's not a
sure thing that he's leaving, that he's going to the NBA.
Are you buying or selling that rhetoric right now? And
what would lead AJ to come back truly? And he
mentions his mom his education. He wants the degree, but
I mean, you can't get a degree in two years,
can you.
Speaker 1: He'd have to be at By for three years or
four years. Possibly give me your insights here.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm not buying it. I think he's just AJ
can tease a little bit. I don't know if that's
the right word. He can let maybe play with the
media a little bit, like be a little coy at times.
You know, obviously he you know, he said that what
he said to a Desert News podcaster last week, and
you know, you got to watch the video kind of
if you read between the lines. So yeah, I don't
think anybody should get their hopes up at b YU.
I I think, I mean, I'm almost certain that he's
gonna go, and frankly, he'd be crazy not to. Why
is he saying it. I you know, I think if
you talk to most guys, very few even like your
Cameron Boozers and you're even last year with Cooper Flag,
I think most of them wouldn't flat out ever say
they were one and done, you know, until the season
was over. So yeah, take it, take it with a
grain of salt. It's kind of fun. It's a good
thing to talk about it. It got a few page views,
if you know what I mean. But I yeah, I'm
you know, I would. I would absolutely you could knock
me over with a sailor if if AJ comes back,
let's put it that way.
Speaker 3: Good news possibly for b what you fans is that
Rob Wright could be returning.
Speaker 1: That's surprise to some.
Speaker 3: Sometimes his body language doesn't always necessarily promote a whole
lot of confidence. That he's happy at BYU, that he's
bought into BYU, that he likes the b yu Wa,
likes playing defense, likes giving superb effort. Now we've seen
maybe a change in that demeanor, changing that engagement on
the defensive, ending that body language recently as the Big
Twell Tournament has has begun. But you caught up with
him in the locker room and got some gems. Give
us a little update on the status of Rob Wright
the Third's return.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I it was, you know, obviously he was in
the locker room a little early because of the tooth
thing and the cut lip after against State game, and I,
you know, I flat out asked him. I said, Rob,
are you happy at b YU Are you are you
do you regret your decision? And he went on, oh,
I'm totally happy. I love it. I love the way people,
it's a family atmosphere. And then I, you know, and
then I just happened to ask him, what, you know,
what's your future, like, do you feel like you'll be back?
You're going to go to the portal. And it's not
a type of question I would have asked him in
like a public from a podium or whatever with a
group interview, but you know, I just kind of seized
the moment and I, you know, basically, you just said, yeah,
if I don't go to the NBA, if I don't
go to pro basketball, I'll be back at BYU. And
I said something like, you mean you're not going to
the transfer portal and he said, oh, no, I won't
be going to the transfer portal. So that was Yeah,
I thought that was pretty interesting. And then he just
reiterated that he's enjoyed his year here at BYU, that
he's learned a lot, he feels like the coaching staff
has helped him improve, and the fact that he gets
to play a lot and gets to play with the
ball in his hands within reason with the superstar on
the court next to him and aj De Bonsa. Yeah,
I was totally positive vibe that I got from Rob
and his future in college basketball being at BYU or
as opposed to nowhere else.
Speaker 3: When Kevin Young took over this BAU basketball program, he
stated something that was very aggressive in that introductory speech
then introductory press conference. He said he wanted to create
essentially an NBA pipeline through Provo, and it seems like
he's doing such. I mean, he's got two, one and
done's under his belt. He's he's bringing Bruce Branch the third.
This is probably one of the most cursed teams from
an injury standpoint that I've ever seen in college basketball history,
and definitely in BYU basketball history. When you take it
all in, I mean it has Ky produced in his
first few years at BYU. Everything that he's promised.
Speaker 4: Absolutely. Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: Obviously the people you know, Jegor Demon's been a phenomenal
pro so far. Uh, you know, he's lottery picked, so
he delivered on that count. Now AJ is probably number
one or number two in the draft. He's uh, you know,
there were obviously some skeptics when A J picked b
Yu and people thinking that he couldn't develop as well
as b y U is maybe another school, and that's
been debunked. He leads the country in scoring. Uh, he
leads all the highlight shows. That seems like so uh
you know, so you're right, Kevin's two for two on
that and you know he's now he's getting a Bruce
Branch coming in. So yeah, I think I think k
Why has Uh it's pretty much what's his pet pet phrase,
something about proof of concept or something like that, and
I think he's going to be able to point to
that and as proof of concept as it were.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you and you and k Y have had some
interesting interactions.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 3: The reason why I love Jay is because you asked
traditionally the hard hitting questions. You know me, I'm always
soft tossing, you know, in the post game, I'm the Weekling.
I'm the I'm the guy.
Speaker 1: You know, I'm a b YU guy, right, it is
what it is, you know.
Speaker 3: But like you've asked some tough questions and he's pressed
back on you, and then you gave him some valid response,
and you know that that dance right of accountability and
asking some hard questions.
Speaker 1: I think it's important.
Speaker 3: But give me your perspective on some of the questions
you've had to ask and the responses you've got from K.
Speaker 1: Why thus sar this season?
Speaker 4: Yeah, it kind of dates back to last season where
there were a few questions I asked him, I think
after the Arizona State game where I thought the effort
wasn't that great and by you kind of coasted to
a win, and that he took a little umbradge with that,
and you know, we had a good talk about it,
and you know, I just think, yeah, we've got a solid, strong,
good relationship. I think there's mutual respect and trust there.
And you know, this year, I think I asked him
a question about taking AJ out of a game that
they ended up losing, and and whether it was a
crucial stretch where AJ wasn't on the floor and and
he gave me his honest assessment on that, So yeah,
I there's no negativity in it or anything. It's just
your typical coach, reporter or relationship. And I respect Kevin.
He gives good answers, He thinks him through, and he
tells you what's on his mind, and that's all you
really can ask as a reporter. And you know, I'm
not trying to antagonize him or anything like that. I'm
way too old and been in this way too long
to do that. I'm just trying to do my job
and he's trying to do his and and sometimes you know,
those two things clash a little bit, but all in all,
it's have a lot of respect for Kevin and what
he's done and how he's handled the media and really
all aspects of his job.
Speaker 3: Yes, indeed, I will have a t I do have
a tongue in chee cheek joke because someone just sent
this to me and it piggybacks off of this provo
right capitol pro lowercase vo that we talked about here
on the show and what many have talked about over
the last couple of years. But my buddy sent this
to me, said, Kevin Young really prepares his entire team
for the NBA. He had them playing zero defense until
the postseason.
Speaker 1: Is that fair when he joke at that? I mean,
you really do prepare like they didn't.
Speaker 3: Really, you didn't play much defense until the post sceum
when it really matters.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, he's he's limited in what he has.
I mean, you know, obviously, I think they try to
play defense. I think, you know, sometimes these teams on
the road, we thought at West Virginia, we saw it Cincinnati.
You get them going early and these guys are unconscious shooters.
It's amazing. I mean, you go back look at that
Cincinnati game. By you've had guys on them, and these
guys are just draining incredible shots. And you even saw
that against Kansas State, like I said, the fifteenth team
in the Big Twelve, that first half, those guys are
just making some incredible shots. So sometimes you just have
to tip your hat to the opponent and say, you know,
these guys want to win too. These guys are on
scholarship too, and and heck me, in this day and age,
these guys are making a million bucks too sort of things.
So yeah, I think sometimes you just have to credit
your opponent and move on.
Speaker 3: J Drew, Ladies and gentlemen, Jay Keys to the game
BYU versus Houston tonight.
Speaker 1: What do you make of it? Can they get a dub?
Speaker 4: I think I can get a dub. I think a
huge key is the start. If you go back last
year in the semi finals, Houston got off to a
fifteen to lead and it was over. I think by
You've got to get off to a great start. It's
going to be a pro BYU crowd. Houston doesn't travel
very well. There are a lot of BYU fans here
as we've seen the last two days. So I think
they got to get off to a good start. And
then I think they got to replicate that defensive effort
and that energy, hustle and effort that they showed the
last two games. And I think there's a shot of
all the first round or the quarterfinal games today. I
think BYU has the biggest chance of an upset. Let's
put it that way.
Speaker 3: Boom Shaka, Laca, J Drew, Desert Red News, Jay. Best
way to support you, what you do, how you do
it for all of our listeners. I know you have
a couple of great articles up. One regarding Rob Right
the third and his hopeful return and that he's happy
and healthy and strong here in provo. Anything else that
we can do.
Speaker 4: Now just find me at Drew j on X or
at Desert dot Tom black backslash by Sports or obviously
today I'll be writing another analysis on on the game
and uh and then go from there.
Speaker 3: Okay, Jay, we salute you man, We appreciate it. Thanks
for hopping on for a cougar.
Speaker 4: Beat my pleasure.
Speaker 3: Great guys, Yeah, thank you man. That is a cougar
beat brought to you by Central Garage Utah. Central Garage
Utah dot com. I love Kelly over at Central Garage, Utah.
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