Speaker 1: You're listening dot ko v O Provo k U d
d HD two one oh three, nine ninety eight three
ESPN The Fan, Utah's home of the La Rams. This
is Cougar Sports with Ben Kretel, and it's time for
the Cougar Beat. Getting the dish from the local reporters
that cover Cougar athletics.
Speaker 2: Welcome back Cougar Sports.
Speaker 3: One of three nine ninety eight point three year is
being the fan. I've been little broadcasting from our Vanderwelth Studios.
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Speaker 2: I love rubys In. I think you will as well.
Speaker 3: You need to get out of Utah County, get out
of Salt Lake County and hit on down to Bryce
Cannon National Park to uh snowshoe, maybe hike pike razor
and horseback ride through the hoodoos of Bryce Kannon, go
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head on down to Ruby's In and stay at Ruby's In.
While you're visiting Bryce Kandan National Park, let's get out
to the hot line.
Speaker 2: Welcome in.
Speaker 3: Baller's shot collar d Sean Walker, beat rider Insider KSL
dot com.
Speaker 2: We got Sean Walker on the line. What's up, Sean?
Speaker 4: I prefer to be known as someone from the same
state that US Women's Hockey Olympic legend Hillary Knight lives in.
Thank you very much, Ben.
Speaker 2: I know we got we got the gold baby.
Speaker 4: Shout out. Shout out to Hillary Knight. Shout it is there.
Has anybody ever had a better seventy two hours in
life like let alone sports but life? Then Hillary Knight,
she gets engaged. Was it like two nights ago? She
scores the game tying goal to become the US women's
talking all time leader in points and goals in the Olympics,
in an Olympics, and then she wins her second gold medal, Like,
come on, man, it's good to be Hill, It's good
to be Hillary.
Speaker 2: Shout out to Hillary.
Speaker 3: Shout out to the women's the women's hockey team getting
that gold medal around their next Congratulations to all the competitors,
all the Olympians out there that are winning at a
high level for the US of a Sean. We've been
talking hoop, We've been talking football. I want to talk
NFL combined with you if you can take a few
moments to discuss Chase Roberts and Jack Kelly right now.
Are you disappointed that more guys weren't invited to the
NFL combined? Do you think two was the right number?
Who's at the accurate number? Did anyone get slided here
from BYU?
Speaker 4: I think, I mean, I think the two no brainers
from b YU will probably Chase Roberts and Jack Hill,
So I don't know if there's necessarily any slights you
can maybe make an argument for a couple of offensive
and defensive linemen, But I also don't really know how
offensive and defensive linemen are judged, quite frankly on the
NFL combine and kind of what they can do, what
they can sell, that sort of thing. I'm not paid
to be in. I know there's a shocking event, but
I'm not paid to be an NFL scout, so I
can't get inside their minds. I know it's weird, it's wild.
But there were two guys I think after Isaiah Bagna,
now not Isaiah Bagna, Isaiah Glaster. Excuse me, I'm getting
years mixed up. After Isaiah Lasker and now I think
he was coming back to BYU for his senior year.
I think there were really two guys that were ultimate
no brainers for BYU that should get drafted, probably will
be drafted, and kind of just needed some eyes, some
tapes and interviews and that kind of thing. And that's
that would say Roberts and Jack Kelly. Again. I throw
they in there a sort of the third guy once
he came back. I think really the noble Aners were
sort of taken up.
Speaker 3: If you are you, how do you think how do
you think these two will test out at the combine.
Do you think they're going to improve their stock, they'll
have their stock drop, or they will they be kind
of neutral.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, ultimately, that's that's the question, right. I
think something like the NFL Combine for a guy, let's
start with Chase. For Chase Roberts, I think the combine
experience has a potential to maybe expose some things that
NFL teams don't like, depending on how he does on
you know, agility drills forty times to speed, that sort
of thing. They're going to look really really heavy at
those things. So Chases needs a goat, he needs he
needs to do what he does best. He needs to
train for sort of non football events, if you will,
things like a forty yard dash, running in underwear, no pads,
that kind of thing. It's different. It's different than playing football.
And I think from people that are close to the
draft and close to hashtag draft season, if you will,
know that this is different than just playing football. But
I you think that Chase has the athleticism, and I
think he can show the speed, and I think he
can show kind of the agility in terms of getting
in and out of routes and that sort of thing
to make him he legitimate and very valuable, maybe even
middle I'll say middle in NFL Draftick. I don't expect
Chase Roberts he selected in the first round, but I
think he could. He could work himself into that position
somewhere in like the two through four, two through five range,
right in there, with a good showing at the draft
com When it comes to Jack Kelly, I think more
eyes on him and more opportunities to show case who he
is and what he is can only help him. I
don't know if there's much he can do to really
hurt his stock knock on blood obviously, hopefully I'm not
chinking him, but I think he just needs people to
see him. He needs, you know, people to see the
kid from Kern who spent most of his college career
we were stayed and then quite his way through a
couple of years in Jay Hill's defensive b YU, to
see who he is and what he's about. I think
people need history, they need to know his story, they
need to see who he is. I think this NFL
graphic experience ultimately should again knock on wood. Hopefully I'm
not thinking anybody, but ultimately it should only help him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel like Chase is gonna come out of
this kind of just even it's like he's a productive, big, strong, quick,
good route running wide receiver. I think Jack is gonna
elevate his stock. I really believe that. I think he's
gonna run a really good forty time.
Speaker 2: Now.
Speaker 3: I'm not talking like he's gonna look like von Miller
at like six three two forty six. I mean, because
he's what I think Jack's like at six one six
two two forty six. But I do think he can
get into that low four to five range, mid four
to five range.
Speaker 2: I remember Von Miller ran like a four four to two.
I think it was. Let me see what was his
four four nine, four four nine.
Speaker 3: So if he gets in I think it was actually
at the combine he ran a four four three, and
then at his pro day run a four four nine.
I would not be surprised if Jack Kelly runs like.
Speaker 2: A four or five to five. Yeah, you know somewhere
right there.
Speaker 3: Like he he has that that explosive get off and speed.
I think he could improve his draft stocks significantly with
a great combine performance. Don't be surprised if he runs
like in the mid four to five range, right, And I.
Speaker 4: Will say this about Chase Roberts as well, is this
is the kind I do think there are experiences at
the draft combine, outside of the underwear Olympics where he
can really kind of make his pay Like this isn't
just this isn't just you know, how fast can you
run a forty how many rescue you put up on
a bench?
Speaker 3: Are?
Speaker 4: What are your agility drills looking like? Like that's what
we focus on, particularly in the media, and then that's
kind of look it's you know, blasted for fourteen hours
a day on NFL network. I think that's all important,
that's all there. But this is also a place where
all where scouts and executive from all thirty two NFL
teams also converts on Indianapolish for a couple of days.
There are interviews, there are tests, they're you know, like
mental aptitude tests. They pull it. They brought you not
only physically but also mentally. And I think Chase Roberts
is the kind of guy who is he can just
sit down in front of some NFL executives, he can
really improve, he can improve his stock just by showing
them who he is. He's the type of guy, uh,
you know, leadership roles, locker room character I think is
sort of some of the cliches that we throw out.
He's the kind of guy that could really sort of
elevate himself by proving that he's not going to be
a head case or a headache if you will, Annie Roster,
that he's just gonna go and do us with us.
He works hard and he's not afraid to show a
little those leadership at times. I think that's where maybe
Chase can really shine if he can just sit down
in front of in front of some NFL teams and
not necessarily stand up and run and the.
Speaker 3: Sean Walker KASELKASL dot com talking some BYU Cougar's in
the Pros and a little Cougar Beat brought you by
Ruby Zen Ruby's dot com. Check out the hot deals
button and stay at Ruby's in right next to Bryce
Canyon National Park. Sean, what have you been working on recently?
What can we find uh as far as your product,
your ridings are concerned at KSL.
Speaker 4: Dot com, I mean it's just where we transition over
to basketball. I think that's what everybody's talking about right
now coming out a game in Tucson over there. What well,
let me let me ask, let me let's let's have
you get started. You are you are the proprietor of
the program, Benja. Then what did you think of that
game last night?
Speaker 5: Uh?
Speaker 4: In Tucson? And maybe I'll follow up in there with
something that stood out in the first game post Richie
Saunders for the Cooter Tagers.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think both teams were a little bit shorthanded.
I mean, co Pete is their best player arguably, and
Richie Saunders is the most tenured, tried and true and
eighteen points per game one of the more efficient scores
in college basketball. So you can make an argument like, oh, well,
you just you're you're you're even in that regard. And
we saw what happened when they they played at the
Marriage Center with the home court advantage and they got
within one score.
Speaker 2: So the way you did, what they typically do.
Speaker 3: They get down at some point in in the first
half of the second half and they come roaring back and.
Speaker 2: Make it respectable. That's what they did.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: From a baseline standpoint. Some silver linings.
Speaker 3: Cannar Davis looked like he could be more involved offensively,
uh getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line,
not just settling for picking pops and three point shots.
And uh in in Keeba had four blocks and a
couple of putbacks, like he's starting to maybe get back
to his old self.
Speaker 2: Hopefully he can be healthy and strong.
Speaker 3: But other than that, k Y has absolutely no confidence
and no trust in anybody else on the bench. Nobody
else they they have, they have four guys that he likes,
and everybody else is like nah nah. You can tell
by how quickly he'll substitute it out when someone makes
a bad decision, takes a bad shot, looks a little
bit off.
Speaker 2: Those are my thoughts on it.
Speaker 3: It was a respectable loss versus one of the best
teams in college basketball. Our offense is great, our defense
is still a question mark.
Speaker 2: That's my synopsis.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think there's plenty left to be desired on
BYU on the defensive and offensively. This team still runs
through Aj Debonsa and Rob Right, a third to a
little bit less of an extent. No sight to Rob.
It's just comparing him to a top three NBA draft pick.
He's not that like Aj. Is that that's kind of
what the team is offensively, and when you throw Richie
Saunders in there, this felt like a team that had
potential to make it into the second second week and
maybe un Final Fourpere and in the NCAA Tournament. But
you put them up against a team like Arizona, and
Arizona has the depth that I think YU only wishes
it had in a lot of ways. I mean, my
guy like Anthony Dulosa can come off of the bench,
uh and go for whatever you want to finishing with
twenty three, twenty five somewhere in there. I mean, and
this is the guy outside of your starting five minus CoA.
P like Arizona has a legitimate depth. I think CoA
is eventually going to come back. They're not quite saying
telling though, is not quite saying how long he'll be out,
but he's not expected to be out for the entire
season when he gets back. In all of a sudden,
this is Arizona team that's the Dash Hotel contender, and
I think still is BYU. There's no shame in not
being that necessarily, but based off of where the expectations
were for this team at the start of the year,
I mean I think teams are trending towards a little
bit of a disappointment, and I think there are a
lot of reasons for that disappointment. Ritchie Saunder's injury is
is big, but the injury bug has hit them pretty
pretty hard. Not just Saunders, but you've got Dawson Baker,
You've got Stay Pickens before that, You've got Brody Kaslowski
getting hurt, who could have been a reliable stub maybe
see some rotation minutes in there. You add that to
a bench that just hasn't panned out very well. This
is one of the lowest scoring benches in NCAA Division One.
You know, we talked before the game a little bit.
I think that that, you know, guys needed to step
up in the absence of Richie Fonda. I didn't really
see anybody step up to prove that they can fill
Richie's minutes. Like you mentioned Canard Davis, Like, yeah, he
showed a couple of nice things in the second half,
but he's been a starter and still was a starter
last night. I guess that's nice, but I just I
don't see where BYU goes to replace those a minute
for Richie. And I think that is a serious problem
for Kevin Young and his staf.
Speaker 2: Sean.
Speaker 3: It's uh about we're getting down to the to the
wire here in the regular season. What do you think
the win lost record will be in these last what
are we having now five games left in the regular season.
Speaker 5: Uh?
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's tough because I mean they got a top
ten team and Iowa State coming into their building on Saturday, right.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: And this Big Twelve schedule is unrelenty. It is tough,
it is, it is terrible in some ways. If you're
not ready for you can get really punched in the mouth.
I mean, I don't think there's an automatic win on
this schedule in Big twelve play anymore. We even thought
a team like Utah that only had one Big Twelve
win go on the road and smack West Virginia last night, right, So,
like this this is a conference that is unforgiving. This
is a conference that you can't just sleep walk through
anywhere literally anywhere, but whether that's in Tucson or Waco,
or Manhattan, Kansas, or Morgantown, West Virginia, Orlando, Florida, Cincinnia, Ohio,
where that is like, I think you got to show up.
You got to play your best. Ultimately, I do think
AJ and Rob have enough talent in them to kind
of eat BYU back into sort of its top half
status in the Big twelve tournament. I think they can
win a couple of games, get above that twenty win plateau.
That's really important. Beyond that, I really don't know. I
really don't know where else is team shows a lot
of it. It's gonna depend I think a lot of
it is gonna ride on both two, you know, the
Big three becoming the Big two. And what can the
Big two do to take the b YU into the postseason.
Speaker 3: What what this BAYU basketball team can be to be
to be determined still, but I know, okay, why has
some fight? Uh? And we're still looking for answers from
the bench. I thought, I hoped, I prayed it could
be a Lexi Costic. I'm losing hope. I'm losing faith
in Mahilo. I'm I'm I'm losing faith in just about
that entire bench lineup trying to find their way. Look,
give me Jared McGregor, give me McGregor, give it to him.
I'm ready to see him. Dominique gain cutting it for me.
Monde in a diamond in the rough, Honi, Jared, just Jared,
And as soon as you get a look Jared, I
want you to just huck it up, baby, Just take
the shot, shoot the jay.
Speaker 4: I love me some Jmac. I will always call for
some more Jmac anywhere and everywhere. Jerry McGregor is one
of my favorite people, let alone basketball players ever. But
I don't necessarily totally disagree with you. But one thing
that hasn't been talked about enough with saunders injury was
we know he's a great shooter, we know he's got
an incredibly high motor. We know he's a just a
dogged defender, right He uses his lines very well, can
kind of do a little bit of everything. But it's
it's his heart. And I do think that Kevin Young
touched on this a little bit earlier in the week
where he said, rich Saunders has really kind of been
the heart of this team for the past two years
that he's been there. He's been the face of Deyu
basketball under Kevin Young, and right, when you lose your heart,
I think Yu's lost his heart in a lot of
ways and they need to figure out a way to
get that back. As much as Richie's points. Points can
be replaced, Revents can eventually be replaced. Again, It's not easy.
This can be replaced. All of those stats can eventually
be replaced. And that's something that that they're working on
really hard at the annex, probably even right now as
we speak. But what is maybe what's a little bit
more difficult to replace is heart. It's soul and YU
needs to find the full of its program song Rickie Sonders,
and they probably need to do it pretty quickly.
Speaker 2: K Y said in the post game.
Speaker 3: That that it's gonna be a dog fight.
Speaker 2: Every time you play b YU.
Speaker 3: Kevin Young said that on his team's identity since losing
Richie Saunders. Do you think opponents feel like it's going
to be a dogfight every time they played b YU?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean they've coaches have said so so far
up to this point in the year. Granted most of
that has been with Ritchie, but they know what It's
tough play for Maria Center is to play. I think
the fans are still going to show up. I think
that I can give them a significant advantage for their
last couple of games here at home in Provo. They
know the talent that aj Devonte is they know the
talent that Rob right. The third still is they know
that there is still talent around them. These guys are wanted,
have been recruited to play Division one basketball and arguably
the best conference in America, the second best league in
America outside of the NBA. Again, to borrow one of
breat your Mark's favorite lines, like, these guys all have talent,
and I think coaches know that, but they're also going
to be scheming around that talent and trying to figure
out how to make themselves successful against that YU talent.
So yeah, like I do think this is still a
dogged team. I do think. I do think that there
is still something in them. It's just they're just still
a little bit shell shocked from a pretty significant injury.
And I mean, eventually they're gonna have to get over it.
Speaker 3: Sean Walker, Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls talking BYU basketball,
BA football topics, real quick storylines, beaca storylines of spring
ball that you're you're going to be taking a long,
hard look at during Camp Kilani twenty twenty six.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I was. I was initially gonna be looking in
the backfield to see what running backs there were to
back up l. J. Martin. We know the Big twelve
rating off of the Player of the Year. He's been
in all everything running back for Kowane team.
Speaker 5: Do what you need?
Speaker 4: More depth in the backfield, though promising signs Devon Eckas
already on campus. You know he's gone to know the team.
He graduated early from Lehigh. This dude is an absolute dog,
and I want to be shocked if he jumped into
the rotation right away. But I think there are other
guys that are definitely gonna get some opportunities gonext On
a moa. Guys like like President Rex is still back there.
We thought good things out of Stil the moon hanging
in the bowl game that you can't totally go unnoticed.
That was my number one storyline. I think he had
it into swing camps. But obviously with the situation that
developed around Parker Kingston and him no longer being with
the team, I think you need to kind of shift to.
Speaker 5: The wide receiver pool.
Speaker 4: This was a group that had now lost its top
two targets, top three targets really in terms of pass
catches with Carson Ryan and Kase Roberts and there from
last season and there there are a lot of reps
to replace right there. So running back, wide receiver, quarterbacks
pretty well settled that. I'm pretty sure we're settled. I
don't think there's any controversy there. Their Boutonnier coming back obviously,
and I really like Nick Watson coming in the potential
backup for him, along with Chasing Bulgey returning as well,
So I think those are fine. But we're going back
in that wide receiver. I think wide receiver is probably
the most present concern for b YU right now, not
who's throwing passes, but who's catching them ultimately from bear Backmeyer.
Speaker 3: Goldie Man, I've been on that train for a while.
The L A l A product Emick Watson, I think
he could possibly overtake the try it and prove Tracon
borgay as QB two. I'm with you on that one, Sean.
I'll ride and die with you on that, and I
think it's very I think it's possible. I think it's feasible.
Speaker 4: Fact he got to campus in like mid November, he
was able to join the team and as soon as
the semester ended in December, so he went through most
of those bull practices with BYU and uh he's already
receiving very rave reviews from Aaron Rodgers. So that's that's
certainly promising.
Speaker 3: I think I'm gonna tag your baby QB two cougarnation,
Nick Watson.
Speaker 2: Let's go.
Speaker 3: Let's go to break, guys. But I appreciate you, Sean.
We got to run.
Speaker 2: But always a pleasure past way to support you. What
you do, how you do it?
Speaker 4: Brother, Now, anytime, guys, call me up anytime, kisl dot com,
Kiss dot com, Bush Sports. If you want to bookmarket,
We're getting do the closing days of the Winter Olympics.
So I promise if you're not interested in that stuff,
all of that fluff that some of our advertisers have
paid for will be gone in a couple of weeks.
Here so Kiss dot Comsaw Sports, you want to hit
the book park?
Speaker 2: Wait what? All right, we'll talk all the.
Speaker 4: Yeah, the Olympic, the Olympic stuff. It's all you know.
The Olympics are going away in about a week and
a half.
Speaker 2: That's true, that's true, very true.
Speaker 3: There you go, all right, guys. I appreciate Sean Walker,
thanks so much.
Speaker 4: All right, thanks guys, there you go.
Speaker 2: That is uh.
Speaker 3: Cougar Beat brought to you by rubysnrubis In dot com.
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Speaker 1: Dope Miss Bryce Larson's Cottage Football Today every morning on
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Speaker 3: Welcome back, Gruger Sports one of three nine ninety eight
point three is being the fan. I'm been little broadcasting
from our Banderill Studios, Banderwealth dot Com. Get on that
free Q and A no obligation to invest Q and
A with our tax smart wealth advisors Today, Blane Anderson
and Screw want to help you age your supporting your
quest for financial stability and sustainability. It is time for
a little keeping up with the Cougar seven going to
welcome in a former BYU great bucket Getter to talk
to BAU Basketball and get into a few stats that
are alarming, to say the least about our bench production.
I don't think Khy trusts anyone outside of aj Rob Kinard,
and now I think Kaba is getting back into the
good graces as he gets healthy. I don't think you
trust anybody else, though. We're going to get into it.
Let's get into a keeping up with the Cougar segment
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Speaker 2: Let's get out to the hotline.
Speaker 3: Welcome man form or BYU bucket Getter, one of my
favorite guests. Let's welcome at Anson Wider to the show.
What's up Anson b?
Speaker 5: See what's up my brother? How are you doing man?
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2: I'm doing good man, living the dream.
Speaker 3: And uh, you know, talking some BYU basketball, BYU football.
Look like let's talk hoop for a moment here. Our
expectations were pretty high, right, pretty high going into the season.
This is still a top twenty five team in college basketball,
at least for the rankings via ca Palm, all of
the data, all the analytics. I think, what a lot
of people like any other year, Right, We're top twenty
five at this record in the Big Twelve. Were happy campers, right,
But something about the expectations got Kugarnation a little bit salty,
a little bit sour, right, now how do you see it?
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's tough, Ben, this is a tough place to
be in, right, because myself included to start the year
this preseason. Right, you have the highest expectations in the world. Right,
you literally have probably the best player of BIU has
ever seen wearing a BIU jersey at eighteen years old
in aj and you have a myriad of role players
around him that are also great in their own right.
You look at Rob Wright, you look at Cannard, Davis Kabakata,
I mean, all these guys who thrived at their previous schools.
I mean, it just seemed like a recipe that was
bound to work on all fronts, whether that be in
conference or during March Madness. Personally, you know, as what
goes with sports is that injury bug. And I mean
it's not just BYU that's feeling it. I mean it's
been a rough week for the Big twelve. You know,
you watch Texas Tech lose their best player and a
JT toppin. I mean it's just it starts to get
to that point, you know in the season where where
longevity and durability starts to really set in and say, okay,
do we have enough pieces from a health perspective to
get us not only through conference but to March. You know,
I love this team. I still think to your point
been that this absolutely as the top twenty five teams.
I think Coach Young mentioned it during his press conference
or his interview on Monday. Hey, listen, he's got a challenging,
daunting task ahead of him. He's got to figure out
how to revamp their style of play mid season while
trying to you know, win games. That's a tough place
to be in as a coach. I don't envy him.
And on top of that, right you're playing in the
best basketball conference in the country. You get no breaks,
you know, and not to everybody. So I feel for
by you. It hurts being a fan just knowing that,
you know, you lose a leader in Richie. But I'm
excited to see what the likes of a Canar Davis
or or Alec or even a Dyamonde Dominique, even what
they would do, you know, with more opportunity.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the question is who does Ky trust. It doesn't
seem like he trusts any one of those guys. Me Hilo,
even though he started him. I think he's just kind
of trying things out. He's seeing what sticks. Alecxi really
quick pull after he turned the ball over, trying to
get the ball to aj Debonsa.
Speaker 2: It doesn't seem like he likes his bench.
Speaker 3: I think last year, how many points did they average
off the bench?
Speaker 2: Vic? How many points did they average off the bench?
Last year? Yeah? Last year thirty, a little over thirty
points a game off the bench, and this year it's
eleven eleven. I mean it's insane. And he doesn't trust
the bench.
Speaker 3: He doesn't trust anyone outside of those three that I
mentioned in a little bit of Kaiva.
Speaker 5: I mean it's a tough place to be. I mean,
you're absolutely right, Ben. When you don't have a strong bench,
you're relying on your front five maybe six to do
all of the work. You lose a huge production piece
in Richie. Who's going to be that next guy? I
was kind of hoping and Boot would have slid into
that role and had a little bit more of a presence.
I mean, I'm still hopeful that he. I think he
probably has the most confidence going in right, he's been playing,
he's got minutes throughout the year. He's one that I
you know, he may have to be one that really
slides didn't start to make plays. The tough part is, right,
is you're trying to generate confidence in guys who haven't
necessarily been playing all year, right, And so it's not
just a matter of Kevin trusting these guys. It's Hey,
when I'm put in the game, do I have the
confidence enough to make a shot? I haven't really been
given this opportunity much prior to today. Do I have
what it takes to stay and it makes shots? Because
that's what the team is gonna need. And also guarding
at a high level, which I think we've seen a
huge drop off in Duius defense the last few games.
Speaker 3: Yeah, at least with Boop, you do have like it
looks like he plays confidently and what he knows how
to do. Like I mean, he's not an offensive player, right,
but he does know how to rebound. He does play
great defense, and he plays with intensity and a competitive fire.
I feel like he's probably the most consistent out of
the crew and plays with some confidence, whereas Mihailo, his
confidence is waivered. You don't know what you're gonna get
from him, Alexi, you don't know what you're gonna get
from him. You just know what you're gonna get from
any one of these guys. Dominique Diamande looks good like
from a tangible length standpoint athleticism, but he he kind
of looks lost a little bit both offensively and defense.
Speaker 2: He doesn't play with confidence.
Speaker 5: Yeah, a lot of these guys look the part what
I noticed been and I'm moms bought on with you. Right,
You're looking at their stats on paper and it's like, okay,
you guys should all be huge factors in a game,
but it doesn't always translate. I think one thing that
we'll see, it was very apparent and watching by you
Aldgainst Arizona, is they have to get some more consistent offense,
some more flow, some more movement. Right, it's going to
be hard if if every game you know, buy you
is relying on AJ to shoot twenty five plus shots
the game, rob Wright to shoot fifteen plus shots the
game just for them to be competitive, that's gonna be
a hard, hard way to win basketball games here on out.
I mean, so it's it's going to take some more
motion in their offense and guys are gonna have to
step up and make plays, whether that be making shots,
getting on the offensive glass and creative sex, creating second
chance opportunities, or just say executing sets. I mean, I
think Kevin Young hit the nail on the head saying, hey,
I'm the challenge is trying to figure out now how
to revamp and we'll see what that what that turns
into us these next few weeks.
Speaker 3: Right now, they're a top twenty five team. Ken Palm
has him as a top twenty five team. When you
watch this team play, and I know it's hard because
you're going against the best of the best. These are
some of the best teams in college basketball. Do you
see a top twenty five team.
Speaker 5: I do see the top twenty five team. I absolutely do.
I think it may not show as much in the
Big Twelve because of the bohemoths of a Big twelve conference.
I think it'll start to show once we truly get
to March madness. I think if the VII you can
stay healthy from now until time for selection Sunday, I
like rolling them, rolling the dicing. It's a non Big
twelve team. Again, like we mentioned, right, some of the
best defensive teams based off just stats all live in
the Big twelve. We're talking about Arizona. No, we're talking
about Houston, We're talking about Text to Tech. These are
all teams that defensively, they were going to give you
AU problems whether Richie was there or not, and we've
seen that, you know what I mean, and sow out.
It's a matter of Okay, can they get to selection Sunday,
win enough games and hopefully going a little run in
their conference tournament and then make some noise against the
team that they haven't seen yet in conference.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I've been discussing kind of florin ceiling for this team
without Ritchie and with the bench just I'm not confident
in the bench. What do you think the flor and
ceiling is for this team in the n C Double
A Tournament?
Speaker 5: Oh? Good question, I think because I think we.
Speaker 2: Can agree this is an nc Double A tournament team.
Speaker 5: Right.
Speaker 2: You're not concerned that they're not going to the n
CUAA Tournament.
Speaker 5: No, I'm not concerned with that. I think they'll get there, right. Yeah,
They're gonna need to win another They're gonna need to
win a couple more conference games, that is for sure.
But I still do I still believe that they get there.
It's looking more and more like, you know they're gonna
have that six, seven to eight type seed and it
gets icy. You never know who that who end up.
You know, you end up facing on the other side
if it's a nine to eight, it's kind of risky, right,
But I do, like I said, I like Kevin's chances
coaching in tournament. I like the fact that you're dealing
with a team that's not seen you before. Once you
get to March Madness, they haven't. Really they can prepare
for you, but it's not something that they've seen, and
so I see as a ceiling. I still think by
you can make a run to the sweet sixteen. I'm
not all the way against that, but again, it's gonna
take some reshaping of the offense and it's gonna need
to be some more comminuity with guys making plays on
all sides.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's an interesting predicament.
Speaker 3: Like I said many times on the show, our expectations
determine our happiness, and right now, b Yu has the
worst luck, it seems in college basketball. Have you ever
seen this many season ending injuries answid I mean Dawson
Baker going down obviously hurt early on in the year,
Nate Pickens prior to that. I don't know if he
was damaged goods when he arrived and or he got
if he got injured. While at b YU, you have
Richie going down, which is devastating. Like this Billy basketball
team was still high powered and efficient offensively with Richie.
Now without him, it's Uh, you're hoping that Kennard Davis
and others can step up. But have you ever seen
this many season any injuries before?
Speaker 5: No, I haven't. I think I think they totalled six
injuries on the BU at your roster.
Speaker 2: Six injuries, I mean, and Xavi and stateon both out too.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 5: I mean we're talking about guys that who were promising
that we I don't even know if they put on
a jersey yet this year, you know, and they're injured
going into the season, So that, I mean, that piece
is definitely alarming. I mean it's hard as a coach.
You don't you're going into your preseason, the regular season,
you know, without a full staff. Uh. Yes, it's concerning.
I've not seen anything like this before, and I think
that's one good thing that that coach Young has under
his belt that hey, we've been like this all year. Right,
we've not been full staff for the entire season, and
we've somehow figured out a way to be a top
twenty five team, and now it's hey, how do we
continue that on? I would love to have seen a
Bernie Kozlowski or a Pickens or even see Staton, you know,
grow and develop, getting some minutes, you know, throughout the
course of the year. But you know, unfortunately that injury blug,
like I said, it hits and it hits hard, and
you're kind of left with whatever or whatever is in
the cupboards to try to figure it out.
Speaker 3: Yes, Indeed, Anson Winder, former b YU great bucket getter,
talking some BYU Basketball here on your Utah ESPN Radio network.
I feel like Canard Davis has to take a larger
role offensively. K Why said in one of the post games,
I think two games ago after Colorado that he had
done into service to Canard by kind of pigeonholing him,
pigeonholing him into a catch and shoot and picking pop guy.
Now we're seeing more sets, We're seeing more action for
Canard coming off screens, you know, putting the ball on
the floor and getting to the rim, getting to the
free throw line, what role do you expect, what expanded
role do you expect from Cannard Davis Junior down the
stretch his last five games and getting into Big twelve
and NCAA tournament play.
Speaker 5: I mean, listen, right, there's no one on the roster
can replace the production that you get from Richie. It's
just and just his leadership, just his presence, right is
a stat in itself. I mean, it's hard to replace.
It really is going to be by committee. It's going
to take. It's going to take Moo Davis is going
to take. It's going to take all these guys collectively
contributing to try to reach that production of Richie. I
did notice in the game against Arizona that yet they
did try to run more sets for for Canard to
get him going, he's going to have to be more
assertivele on offense. I know that hasn't been his his
task through most of the year, but for Uyu to
be successful, he has to to be that third option
because he's the he's the one the next step that
has that ability. So he's gonna have to be able
to stretch the floor make shots. They're gonna lean on
him to create and make plays for others and he
has to space the floor. If he's not a weapon
from the three point line, the floor is gonna shrink,
which is gonna make life even harder for Robert Wright
to touch the paint. It's gonna be hard for AJ
to get to his spots. So right now they're just
fighting desperately to figure out who that third and fourth
option will be. And it's gonna say Tar being a
lot more aggressive to do that. I know, in the
breakdown of shots selection against Arizona, I think b R,
A J and Rob had the most shots. I'd love
to see, you know, five or six more of those
shots from from A J and Rob go to Tanar Davis,
hopefully at the three point line. Right. I think if
he can get some confidence in his shot and space
the floor with his three point shooting, that will only help.
And what can you know what coach Young can create
offensively and soon.
Speaker 3: I just thought about something I want to get your
thoughts on. I didn't prep for this, so I'll give
you a few moments to think about this. I always
say mammals need mentorship, right, and whenever you get into BYU,
whether you're LDS non LDS, you need some like you
need a little pep talk, you need some strategy. Everyone
signs the honor code, right, you read through it and
stuff like that. But sometimes you don't know everything that entails.
You don't know about the culture. You don't know about
the faith, you don't know about the realigs. You don't
know about the fans, you don't know about the ladies.
You don't know about all the things that that could
go could go awrye during your collegiate experience as a
student athlete at BYU, and so like you know, you know,
I've mentored a lot of guys when I was there
at by I've mentored on the after b YU. I'm like,
there probably needs to be like an introductory like third
party mentorship program for all student athletes because these are
flag bearers of the university. You're you're signing up, especially
in the NIL era, you're getting more money, you're getting
corporate sponsorship money, you're getting all these things like I've
of like now more than ever, there needs to be
like this like third party. They don't have to be
a part of BYU, but they have to be like
BYU affiliated, like individuals that know the geography, the culture,
the people, the main players, and what's expected to kind
of prep these guys and even mentor them throughout the process.
Speaker 2: Give me your thoughts on that, man, I.
Speaker 5: Think you hit the nail on the head. This is
one thing had had I had that when I was
at BUYU. Had some of my teammates, I'm sure been
if you had that you at BUYU. Not still you didn't,
But I mean, I think anybody with that type of
just guidance and mentorship would thrive. I think I would
have did way better had someone kind of prepped me
for what I was getting myself into when and for
that reason, as soon as I graduated, you know, I
did my best to stay around the program and to
stay involved in the academic center and the athletic academic
Center to try to be you know, that resource. I
think that's brilliant. I think that's absolutely what by you
need us in a unique place, not bad or good.
And when I use the word unique, I'm just saying
it's just different. You know, when it's best or you
know whoever's coming in, whether that be someone from Utah
for someone from athletes out of the state or out
of the country, I think they would benefit them tremendously
just having some type of guidance or someone to lean
on to say, hey, look, I don't quite understand this.
What can you explain like what this means or how
I go about handling this type of situation. And so yeah,
I totally support that. I'd be something I'd love to
be a part of. As someone who's graduated from YU
and and had success there, you know, I would see
continued success for the program as well. So I mean, whoever,
whoever is on board with trying to build something like this,
I mean, sign me up, because I think it'll only
pay dividends in the long run.
Speaker 3: And the reason why I bring up third parties because
I mean there's certainly individuals within the football program and
the basketball program and the athlete the the athletic department
that I think can fill those roles right to a degree.
But I think think in an official capacity, you may
be limited on what you can and can't say. Does
that make sense a little bit, Like you know, like
in an official capacity, you have to be like, hey,
like you know, you know, there's certain things you gotta do,
and that's it, Like that's black and white. Whereas as
a third party. You're like, all right, hey man, let
me talk about some gray area here. And I'm not
saying like, you know what I mean, like like you
need like some third party like that that is BYU,
tried and true, loyal, strong and truth. That's like, look like,
you know, here's a little bit of like some some
gray like on how to navigate.
Speaker 2: And they talk about the pros and cons and and.
Speaker 3: The the nuances and subtleties and mentorship, right, uh and
uh So anyway, it was just the thought that I
had to, like, you know, I'm gonna pitch that over
to my guy answered.
Speaker 5: No, I think you know, for someone like me who
came in having you know again, I'm not a member
of the faith. I'm than from Utah. I mean, there
are a lot of double negatives against me. Right, It
would have been very nice to have someone there just
as a soundboard to say, hey, look, help me navigate this,
you know what I mean, somebody's gonna shoot me straight,
someone who's not paid by YU to say what sounds good.
Someone who's gonna tell me something that's raw and maybe
not the most pleasant or beautiful way of saying something,
but it's the truth, right, And at the end of
the day, we all need the truth. So yeah, not
even just from a day to day I mean, I
think even from a mentorship program long term. Right, let's
talk about how just handling your money. Right, let's talk
about what you want to do after sports? How do
you go about setting up your yourself and your family?
You For these athletes who have come into a large
sum of money, Hey, what are you doing with that? Right?
Please don't tell me you're just going to buy a
car and then spending the rest on on on dates.
Like let's let's let's be smart with with what we're
doing and make plans for the future that keeps this money,
you know, in house and sustainable long term.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt about it. Ants and winder ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3: Former BYU bucket getterre talking some BYU basketball talking some
mentorship as well. Final a couple of things here. Anson
was as we finish up through segment, this the trajectory
of BYU basketball. I mean, I think everyone's optimistic, right,
like the future looks bright. Give me your opinion on
what has happened here. Okay, I think this is an
interesting study.
Speaker 2: We broached it. Some people think it's controversial.
Speaker 3: I love talking about these things, and you know me
better than anybody because I like delving into these things for.
Speaker 2: The longest time.
Speaker 3: BYU was built a certain way, right, You were a
part of a team over a four or five year
period that that had you know, traditionally, kind of these
LDS baseline players. You know, maybe from Utah, the Greater
Mountain Western region you have Jim or coming in from
the East Coast. LDS didn't serve a mission. There's always
those little like dynamics. You'll have maybe a you go
player or two or or what have you, right, and
you have what I would deem is the double minorities,
or you bring in a guy like Charles A. Buo
who's at a prep school and all you know, it's
like peppering what we're seeing now. And it happened to
the Mark Pope era, uh, the starting five at one
point with the Mark Pope. None of them lds, all
of them brothers, brothers like you had.
Speaker 2: I think it was Rudy Williams.
Speaker 3: It was oh gosh, I was yeah, foos foos is loose, right,
there was a there was like a I mean, it
was awesome.
Speaker 2: It was I celebrated it. It was it was awesome.
Speaker 3: And right now, with all the injuries that have happened
Ritchie Dawson, there's not an LDS.
Speaker 2: Player that's playing right now. Bro, Brody's out. All the
LDIS guys are out right now. It's pretty crazy, bro Like,
And I'm wondering.
Speaker 3: I'm like, oh, what does the future of BOU basketball
look like? And you know me, dude, I just want
good basketball and people to sign up to represent b YU,
be a part of the honor code. But what does
the future view or your basketball look like? From like
a demographic stamper, from a religious standpoint, Yeah, no.
Speaker 5: I think a lot of that went out the window
been when when this NIL era ushered its way in.
And I think you're spot on right, Pope coach Pope
before us and went to Kentucky, Right, he was kind
of bushering in that new era. And then on top
of that, right you factoring in IL and and just
the transfer portal as a whole, And that's changed the
whole dynamic for a lot of schools, not even just BYU.
And I think it's it's forced a lot of schools
who traditionally would recruit a certain way to say, Okay,
we need to get out of the box a little
bit if we want to be successful. Right, there's so
much change that happened for just BYU specifically, whether you
talk about changes in conference, changes in coaching, athletic directors,
just overall landscape, so many changes. I think this is
b why you trying to stay as competitive as involved
as possible. But now it's going to take the the
culture around it to adjust to some of these changes too,
because I think from a football and basketball perspective, coaching
wise and and team wise, they're ready for those changes
and and and those revisions to how we go about
recruiting and building a roster. But now it's just the
culture as a whole within BYU has that has that
thought process changed there as well, because you're SPA been there.
It's definitely a roster now that's it's mixed. It's not
ninety percent LDS anymore like it used to be. And
and that's not that's not a bad thing. I think
it's it's just that variety and diversity that I think
by U needs but also too will help stay competitive
at the end of the day, no doubt.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it was Rudy Williams, Jackson Robinson, Gideon George.
I want to say it was Foos and maybe even
a tiki ali Atiki.
Speaker 2: Was that lineup? And uh it was. It was obviously
it was monumental. I mean it was something that that
had never you know, been seen before. You know, no
lds and there's no traditional BYU guys in the lineup.
So I find it interesting.
Speaker 3: And that's what we're seeing right now, and it's pretty
fun to watch. It's great basketball, Top twenty five basketball.
I just wish we didn't have so many freaking injuries.
But it's pretty crazy to see the bad luck that
has also followed b Way this year.
Speaker 2: I've never seen anything like it. Answered.
Speaker 3: We appreciate you, We love you, man, and can't wait
to catch up with you again soon. We'll be seeing
you later tonight, brother, Thanks for hopping on. And one
last thing, actually, you are one of the assistant coaches
over there at Wassatch Academy. Wassatch Academy has some great
players this year. Give us a little breakdown what's going
on with Wassatch Academy.
Speaker 5: I love it, Thanks, Ben, I appreciate you. Yes, Watside Academy.
We're killing and man, we're on a fifteen game win streak.
We won fifteen games straight. We haven't lost since December eighteenth,
to be exact. The guys are the right seventh in
the country right now. We have three games left, so
we play two games this weekend. We played the number
three team in the country by the name of Arizona
Compass Uh and then we have Utah Prep, the former
school of AJ Debonsa. We play them next Friday. So
we're riding. We're winding down on our regular season. We'll
go to Georgia in March for our conference tournament and
hope to make some noise there. As we all know,
March madness can be a very interesting time for us,
so we're just hoping that to get hot and continue
to ride the waves. I mean, it's been fun to
watch this group. Me personally. I've recruited a lot of
these kids since they were you know, early high school,
even middle school, so I've known them for a long
time and so to see them get to this status
where their upperclassmen and having success, I mean, it's it's
beautiful to see. I think we have we have aspirations
to to not only win our conference, but to go
on and hopefully win a national championship. So we you know,
we're going to continue to put in the work, put
in the time, and and hopefully we can raise a
band are here in the next few weeks.
Speaker 2: Love it man.
Speaker 3: Any players that are getting recruited by the local schools BYU, oh.
Speaker 5: Good question. So we do have two seniors on our
team right now who are uncommitted. I don't know with
how many Utah schools are actually on them, but this
is a shameless plug if you are not to give
him a shout out. We have a seven footer from
Serbian from Serbia by the name of Vukasorenovich. He is
a legit seven feet lesti, super skilled, is having a
great senior season. This is his first year playing basketball
in the States, so he's learned a lot. He's come
a long way, and I think he'll continue to blossom.
And then we have a kid from New York by
the name of Chitty Mwigway who is the six seven
Kawhi Leonard type, long arms, big hands, super athletic, just
wire Reframe who's also un committed as well. So both
guys start for us having phenomenal senior years, and I
expect them to make some some pretty uh robust decisions
as far as where they go to school here in
the next few weeks. And then of course then we
have our three our three headed Monster, which is a
junior County who is going to Yukon next year, Katroll
Hartman who's going to to Creighton, and then Marian mu
Manzel who will be a Stephen F. Austin next year,
uh playing for them. So we've got a great starting five.
I would love selfishly to see more of our guys
go to Buyu just because of the relationship and the
tide I mean nuts family over there. And then I
hope a in the years because you to come, we
can we can see some of our guys wear more
bo jerseys.
Speaker 3: Love it man, ain't so much. Love to you one
love man. We'll catch up with the end soon. Thanks
for hopping off for a little keeping up with the
Cougars and let's get you into an Odion men's wear suit.
I'll send you the deats on that we got to
get you looking good in a new suit.
Speaker 5: Let's go. I appreciate you then, love you brother much.
Speaker 3: Love to you man, that's our segment, brought to you
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