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Speaker 1: Let's get out to the hotline. Welcome into the show.
Speaker 2: We got Jay Drew, Cougar Sports insider representing the Dead
Right News. Jay.
Speaker 1: How you living?
Speaker 3: I'm doing fantastic?
Speaker 1: Jay? Do you need a little cleaning services at the house?
What do you say? Uh?
Speaker 3: Yeah, you couldn't hurt. It's just me and my wife
here were ampte masters, so I'll see.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you guys keep it spick and span.
Speaker 3: Pretty much.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I have to clean up after myself or I
get in trouble getting the dog out.
Speaker 3: No take my dishes to the sink and stuff like that, no.
Speaker 1: Doubt about it.
Speaker 2: Uh, Jay, Let's start off with b YU basketball.
Speaker 1: Got a little bit uh Uh. Cougarnation got a little
bit answer.
Speaker 2: You got a little bit scared Delaware oh and two
coming in and.
Speaker 1: UH had a nice healthy lead in the first half.
Speaker 2: Cougarnation was kind of on their heels, appalled at b
yu's first half.
Speaker 1: What happened in this game in the first half.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that was that was rather shocking. This is a
team that on Friday lost to a Division two team,
Wilmington University, So yeah, it was. It was a shocker.
It was a combination of a lot of things. They first,
they made some unbelievable shots. It banked in three pointers
from the top of the key. They were but you know,
give them credit. They came to play, and they were
not intimidated, and and and they looked good.
Speaker 3: Kevin Young in the post game said that credited them.
He said they had a good game plan.
Speaker 4: He said they basically slowed it down and kind of
played like air Force used to back in the day,
and then just took a three pointer.
Speaker 3: Kind of at the end of the shot clock. And
then they played zone.
Speaker 4: The zone that kind of befuddled by U's offense for
quite some time. So combination of those two things, you know,
I think I think it was Ronie that asked Kevin
Young in the post game maybe someone else if they
were looking past Delaware two towards Yukon on Saturday, and
Kevin Young gave a one word answer.
Speaker 3: And it was maybe.
Speaker 4: So I thought that was pretty honest of him, because
a lot of coaches will never admit that in a
million years.
Speaker 3: But you know, maybe they were some truth to that,
that that they were.
Speaker 4: Caught looking ahead a little bit and and didn't really
take Delaware too seriously. And and for you know, thirty
minutes of the game, it was a it was a ballgame.
It was it was a close game and and then
by you pulled away at the end.
Speaker 2: Any concerns about this BAU basketball team, it's very early, right.
This is a talented team and it's a well coached,
well resourced team. Is there really any concerns about this
BAU basketball team so early in the season, You.
Speaker 4: Know, I there are a few. I you know, it's
gonna be a good team. It's gonna be a great team.
It's gonna be probably a top four in the Big
twelve team.
Speaker 3: Maybe some concerns. Can they can they?
Speaker 4: You know, I've written before this is final four or
bust with with the amount of talent they have on
this team. So right now, is it looking like a
Final four team? I would probably say no, not yet,
but I but I think it can be. The talent
it is certainly there. I think the loss of Nate Pickens,
who's they announced last week is going has already had
surgery and we'll be out for the year. That's a
little bit troubling because Rob Wright played thirty seven minutes
last night at point guard, and beyond him, they don't
really have another true point guard on the roster.
Speaker 3: Dawson Baker can play it.
Speaker 4: A little bit, obviously, AJ and Richie can play some.
It can handle the ball, but that could be troubling
down the road. And then and then another big thing
is the three point shooting has not been great. Richie
picked it up in the second half last night and
was phenomenal. I think it was six of eight from three.
But they've got to be able to hit three pointers.
That's the way college basketball is going right now. And
AJ and Rob Wright and Dawson and some of these
other guys, everybody not named Kevin Kaida probably needs to
be able to hit some three pointers.
Speaker 3: Through you know, through three games.
Speaker 4: Tyler Moross, the guy they brought in from Idaho to
hit threes, has not really done done so.
Speaker 3: So Kevin Young said last night that they're still waiting.
Speaker 4: They're giving him plenty of chances, and they're kind of
still waiting for him to show what he can do.
Speaker 3: So, yeah, there are some concerns.
Speaker 4: The perimeter defense was a little suspect last night, as
you know, as Delaware was casting off and making a
lot of three pointers on him. So but I'm not
overly concerned. I think, you know, you just look at
this roster and this talent, and you know, right now,
they look like they have as much talent as anybody
in the country. So I think better days are ahead,
and I think Kevin Young and his staff will get
it together and they'll and.
Speaker 3: They'll uh, they'll be peaking at the right time. Let's
put it that way.
Speaker 2: A controversial thing happened recently for some b YU fans
and some just college basketball fans. G League players are
getting signed BYU. Just got a commitment from Abdullah Ahmed
out of the Knicks organization in the G League. Former
G League center Abdullah Ahmed committee to BYU yesterday.
Speaker 1: Twenty two year old.
Speaker 2: He has been cleared to play by the NCAA, though
his official eligibility clock is still being finalized. He's expected
to have at least two seasons of eligibility, with a
chance at a third. Akhmed is expected role at BA
for the second semester and set out the remainder of
the season. He will officially shoot up for the Cougars
the start of the twenty twenty six twenty twenty seven season.
Six foot ten big man from Egypt, He's also played
the last two seasons with the Westchester Knicks, the G
League affiliate of the New York Yet New York Knicks,
the same G League affiliate that Jimmer Fernet I think
averaged twenty one point one points for when he was
in the G League but give me your reaction to
this news. Obviously, Aucument's a good player. Uh, he went
straight from high school into the G League. Four points,
five point five rebounds and eight point eighteen point three
minutes per contest is what he averaged. I believe this
last season. What's your reaction to this news? Do you
like it? Do you love it? Do you hate it?
Do you want to see maybe some sort of you know,
by law passed limiting overseas professional players and G League
players from playing college basketball.
Speaker 1: What do you got for me? Jay?
Speaker 4: You know, when I first heard that this could happen,
I guess it was in October and BYU was one
of the finalists, and it was a It was a
topic of conversation at the Big twelve basketball meetings and
a lot of coaches were.
Speaker 3: Kind of saying, ah, this is crazy the Saint right.
Speaker 4: Including Calvin Sampson, who, unbeknownst to him at the time,
was actually in the top four for this for this
guy's services and here he was. Kevin Sampson was kind
of mildly criticizing the fact that this could happen. So
there's a disconnect there somewhere. But I was probably against it.
I thought that's not a very good idea until I
heard Kevin Young at that same most same meetings.
Speaker 3: Basically say that, hey, this has.
Speaker 4: Been going on in European League basketball for a long time.
These guys are being paid over there. They're considered pros,
including Yegor Demon and many many others. The kid that
started for Illinois last year, I think it was, and
so you know, hey, it's the same Kevin was saying,
it's the same thing as long as they're not on
a two way NBA contractor as long as they haven't
played in the NBA yet. The g League is pretty
much equivalent to European the European pro leagues. So when
I heard that explanation, I guess I was, Okay, Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, what's good for the goose is good for
the gander, and you.
Speaker 4: Know, if that's an equivalency kind of thing, and yeah,
I'm all for it.
Speaker 3: I think there's been.
Speaker 4: Some blowback in the last yesterday and today because it's
b YU, because they're kind of the newcomer to this
whole spending spree that's going on in all college.
Speaker 3: Sports, but specifically football and basketball.
Speaker 4: I think of a blue blood like Duke or North
Carolina had done it, I don't think there would have
been that much of a national outcry or anything. I would,
you know, I think people just say, yeah, the rich
get richer. But I think because it's b YU, I
think it's raised some eyebrows, especially on the hills of
the aj De Bonsa, you know, signing and what by
Dyu's collectives basically paid to get aj to provo. So yeah,
I add that all up, and I'm not against it,
but I can see where it is causing some consternation
out there among a lot of people.
Speaker 2: Well yeah, I think there's there's plenty that don't like
either the LDS Church or BYU for that matter, as
an extension of it, that are going to say, hey,
wait a second, this is becoming a professional endeavor, you know,
pay for play. I mean, we've been hearing this now
for a long time since the NIL era, and I've
found it insturting. I don't know if you saw the
podcast with President and Profit of the Church of Jesus
Christ The Letter since down A Jokes and Elder Holland,
two former BYU presidents, discussing BYU's mission, it's impact and
even getting into athletics and commenting on athletics. I think
down h Jokes called it the Lord's University. There was
a lot of Utah fans punching air, you know at
that point. They were not happy, Like, wait a second,
he's calling it the Lord's University.
Speaker 1: You gotta be kidding me.
Speaker 2: And he's talking athletics and how it's making a positive impact.
Speaker 1: This is crazy. A lot of people don't.
Speaker 2: Like it, and I find it interesting that the Board
of Trustees may be maybe really backing this with the
intent of making a positive impact in the communities that
the Athletic Department is is competing in right wherever they go.
Humanitarian efforts, service projects are associated with it, highlighting and
promoting the the the athletes of that institution, their stories
via b a U TV. Except like, all of these
things are making a positive impact, and I think it's
all kind of collected into this, you know, into this
controversial topic for many people that don't like BYU or
don't like the LDS church and they they don't like it.
Speaker 1: They just don't like it one bit.
Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely, b YU and THEYU athletics has always been
a lightning rod of sorts.
Speaker 3: It's you know, you don't.
Speaker 4: Find a lot of people that are ambivalent towards b
YU either you know, in Utah or pretty much among
any of the schools that compete against b YU. People
either love them or they hate them. And it's just
it's a polarizing place.
Speaker 3: For whatever reason.
Speaker 4: And like many of those that you just outlined bed So, yeah,
I just, uh, you know, you're just gonna I think,
like this uh signing of a G League player, it's
it's just gonna further kind of put you know, put
more into that divide, as it were. And I just think,
you know, people are going to continue to choose sides
and and you know, credit BYU for, like you said,
having all these outreach programs that are that are trying
to go out into communities and trying to say that, hey,
it's not all about athletics, it's not all about you know,
trying to dominate on the courts and fields of play.
That it's like this deal that they did at Iowa
State with the rate or collecting shoes for children. It's
sort of a payback for two hundred years ago, how
long it was when when a kind isle and donated
shoes to the handcart companies that were you know, crossing
the planes. So uh, yeah, it's uh, it's a very
interesting topic and uh and I don't.
Speaker 3: Think it's gonna change anytime soon. Uh.
Speaker 4: BYU is just a polarizing place and and it always
has been and I think it always will continue to.
Speaker 1: Be, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2: J Drew here on the UH on your Utah ESPN
Radio Network, ESPN the fan talking in a cougar beat,
and it's brought to you by Bresa Cleaning Services.
Speaker 1: Bresa Cleaning Services.
Speaker 2: Is where you go for all your best, uh, residential
and commercial cleaning services. H Jay, Let's pivot over to
football for a moment. The College Football Playoff Committee, it's
dubbed by U the twelfth best team. They were sitting
pretty in their prior slot. They drop essentially six spots
after losing to arguably a top five team on the road.
Was that deserving? You know, why is it that b
where you dropped so far? And wanted to get your
reaction to it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a very good question. Ben.
Speaker 4: I I thought what would fair in my head as
I was, you know, leaving the game and also over
the weekend, was that they should drop to maybe ten
nine or ten, So twelve was mildly surprising to me.
I think the uh I think part of it is
how they lost. Texas Tech, you know, did kick five
field goals. You know, they turned three of those field
goals into touchdowns, and you know, it's an even bigger
margin of defeat for BYU, and and BYU just struggled.
And there's a lot of byballs are on that game.
Obviously I haven't seen the ratings come out yet.
Speaker 3: But.
Speaker 4: There were you know, it was the game of the
week pretty much, and the Cougars, you know, I don't
want to be too rough on.
Speaker 3: Him, they laid an egg they I mean.
Speaker 4: I know, Texas Tech is a great defense, probably the
best college defense that I've seen in my you know,
eighteen years of covering covering college football at least as
one of the you know, BYU or Utah playing against
that defense.
Speaker 3: Live, watching it live.
Speaker 4: So you know, I just think all that kind of
coupled with the fact that the Big twelve doesn't quite
get the respect.
Speaker 3: That a lot of the other well, the SEC and
Big ten gets.
Speaker 4: So yeah, add all that up and I think that's
why they probably tumbled to twelve.
Speaker 3: And I think there was a little bit of I
don't know if you want to call it predictive that
the committee.
Speaker 4: Says they don't kind of base anything on like predictives
or whatever, but you know, I think human nature, they
probably looked ahead and they probably said, you know, by
US might not you know, beat has to play at
Cincinnati and that could you know that loss could make
him even drop even further. So you know that's another
factor that might have played into it. But to answer
your question, Ben, yes, I was. I was surprised that
they dropped as far as they did from I think
it was from seven to twelve.
Speaker 3: So yeah, that was that was mildly unfair.
Speaker 4: But I can kind of see why the committee did it,
if that makes sense.
Speaker 2: They didn't they didn't showcase well offensively and everybody was
watching right, so from a public relations standpoint, wasn't good
for BYU because they really didn't show any sort of
offensive firepower. They didn't score till late in the fourth quarter,
and so not not a good deal. The only way
they can maybe right the ship is get on a
neutral field and maybe beat up on a or rather
get on a neutral field and compete better or or
or at least, you know, just keep it close versus
Texas Tech and the Big Twelve Championship game.
Speaker 1: If they are a two loss team, say they do.
Speaker 2: Let's say ideally they get to the Big Twelve Championship
game and they lose a second time to Texas Tech,
but it's closer.
Speaker 1: Do you think they get into the playoff?
Speaker 3: Boy, that's a tough question to answer.
Speaker 4: I think it depends on some of the other how
some of the other teams, probably Texas and Oklahoma, some
of the other se team see teams do and if
they have three losses.
Speaker 3: But I'm gonna I'm gonna maybe it's.
Speaker 4: Pollyanna Pollyanna ish of me, but I'm gonna say, yeah,
I think I think if BYU only has two losses
and both are the Texas Tech and they get to
the Big Twelve Championship game, yeah, I'm gonna say yes.
I'm gonna say I think they I think the committee
finds a way to get BYU into the playoff.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think they're gonna take eye test into it in
the in the second go round, if it's not a
competitive game, if it doesn't look better than what was
what we all witnessed in Lubbock. If it's same similar
three score margin, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four points,
twenty point victory, I think they may I test BYU
out right. Well, they're not gonna they can't make a run.
They're gonna eye test them out even though yeah they've
only lost attack. Yeah, that's kind of how I feel.
Look at where where Notre Dame's at right now. They're
eye testing Notre Dame into and in front of BYU
despite strength of records, strength of schedule, you know less
less losses into to a top five team, and so
they're already eye testing Notre Dame into the college football playoff.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, that's a good point.
Speaker 4: And I should have probably put that carve up when
I said, yes, I think they're in two losses, I
you know, backing up, I should have said yes if
they are competitive, if they are if it's like.
Speaker 3: Say a one score game, or.
Speaker 4: If they you know, penetrate that Texas Tech defense and
show that you know, they indeed can move the ball
and that they can make it.
Speaker 3: To the you know, close going into the fourth quarter
sort of thing.
Speaker 5: Jare meser to know, Like even if they let's say
that Texas Tech wins the game like thirty one fourteen.
I'm looking at the teams in front, like Alabama's gonna
play you know, Oklahoma, Georgia's gonna play Texas. If they
lose in BAU beats TCU, you know they're gonna move
up obviously to ten. I just don't think the team's
behind you can jump them above. But even if they
were lose by two scores, but they made it decently competitive,
do you still believe that they would have a team
like Miami who might not meet the title game, or
Georgia Tech or USC jump BYU that late, because like
they said, they don't punish you for losing the conference championship.
But I just don't see how these two or maybe
even three lost teams for the SEC ACC or Big
ten can jump BYU that late.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's also a good point, Ronnie. I think, uh,
you know, we'd have to go back to last year.
Didn't that happen last year where SMU wasn't punished for
losing a conference championship?
Speaker 5: No, they lost the Clemson they still made.
Speaker 4: It twelve the last team in Yeah, So so the
president is there for that? So uh yeah, it's that
age old question is is how much do they take
into you know, consideration the conference championship games or is
that just is that another data point or is that
a you know, triple kind of data point, uh when
they're when they're going over these resumes. So yeah, it's
it's a really fascinating I think, and interesting to see
how it all plays out. But uh, yeah, you know,
I think BYU fans would really have a good, a
good beef with the committee if if, like you said,
they were leapfrogged even though they didn't lose until the
championship game.
Speaker 2: Jay, you're right for the days, right is what have
you been writing about? What are you going to be
dropping on your timeline this week?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I just I did a kind of a lengthy thing
after the basketball game last night about just kind of
what we've learned about the BA basketball team through two
exhibitions and three non conference games kind of leading up
to the Yukon game. So that's online now, and then
I'm working on something on how Bair Doatmeyer will respond.
Uh he probably people probably saw me ask those questions
in the Colonial press conference Monday and then again yesterday.
So that's what I'm working on today, and then I'm
going to try to do a little bit of history
of TCU b YU, specifically TCU's old visits to Provo
in the Mountain West days and how heated those games
were and kind of look kind of a look back
at those leading up to the game on Saturday.
Speaker 2: Love that breakdown, Jay, Any other concerns, anything that stood
out to you from earlier this week, media availability or
the coordinator's corner from the BWAYU football side of things.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it'll be interesting. I just think by you,
you know, they got to get Moa back.
Speaker 4: I don't know, I've read some places where he probably
won't be back, but they've just got to find another
weapon out of the backfield.
Speaker 3: I guess that would be the big.
Speaker 4: Thing that on moa injury is the number one injury
really that has should be concerning I guess for BYU
fans for this whole season.
Speaker 3: I know Jojo Phillips was out and Vader.
Speaker 4: Dominus out over a little bit, but this, this Moa
injury is his absence is really well, it was really
felled against Texas Tech, and I think moving forward it's
going to be felt even more I just you know,
you'd like to see Joe Vesa the Mooney or Enichnawahini
or Preston Rex just one of those guys just step up,
because I just don't think they can run there as
much as they are and run LJ as much as
they are with him being a little bit deemed up.
So that would be kind of be my maybe concern
over this BYU football team moving forward.
Speaker 2: Love the breakdown, Appreciate you hopping on Jay for a
cougar beat. And if you need Bresa Cleaning Services there
at your house, Jay, hit me up. We'll get you
a nice, big fat discount for being one of our
insiders here on ESPN.
Speaker 1: The Fan.
Speaker 3: Sounds good. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1: Guys all right, appreciate you Jay Drew.
Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen that that segment was brought to you
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This is Cougar Sports on one oh three nine ninety
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