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All right, let's get out to the hotline and welcome
in action. Jackson Payne here of the desertrat News. How
you doing, Jackson, I'm doing well. Have to be on yes, indeed,
give me your thoughts on where BYU Basketball stands in
this Big twelve tournament. Do you think they survive and
maybe even thriving this big twelfth ternament.
Speaker 3: How far do they go?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think yesterday was really encouraging. Just what you
saw probably their best offensive performance of the year. AJ
obviously had a historic night, but to have the scoring
that they got from the supporting cast has to be
the most encouraging aspect, and just hoping that they can
keep it rolling. The quick turnaround can be tough in
terms of getting rest and whatnot, but I think it
helps BYU in this instance, just because one you're used
to playing on that funky glass floor, but also you
know you have it's easier to carry the momentum over.
It's a quick turnaround. You know they're already in the
groove and you don't have to throw anything off. So
I think they'll get the job done today if they'll
probably lose to Houston, and that should lock them into
a six seed, which you know, all things considered, can
that was the best case scenario in this tournament. Obviously
winning the tournament would be cool, but at the same time,
you'd be spending a lot of energy and effort that
could probably be best served in the NCAA tournament. But
to stay a six seed and get a couple of wins,
and you know, when you add the Big Twelve tournament
to the season performance, you'd be above five hundred and
the Big Twelve and you know, win two games, lock
your seed in. That's that's as good as it gets
for BYU.
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, it would be a glorious thing for
the Coogs to I think, all things consider to be
a sixth seed, right, because I think there was talk about,
you know, worst case scenarios BAU possibly getting even to
a ten seed with the way that they were playing
at times.
Speaker 4: Yeah, getting wearing the white jerseys on Thursday is huge.
You want to be the higher seed. Following to a
ten would have been pretty catastrophic considering everything with the season.
I think a lot about that Oklahoma team when they
had Trey Young as a freshman. Obviously there's some parallels
there with Trey Young being the best player in the
country but not winning Big Twelve Player of the Year
that year because Oklahoma was bad in Big Twelve play.
They made the tournament, they were a ten seed, they
lost the seven seed Rhode Island with Dan Hurley, and
now BYU doesn't have to worry about that, right, they'll
be a sixth seed, They'll be favored in the first
round and then hopefully you know, the best case scenario
I think for BYU is they go to Portland. They're
close to the West coast, maybe more fans show up there,
and they would play Gonzaga three seed in the second round,
which you know, Gonzaga is Gonzaga, but they're not a
Kinzaga of old, right Like there feels like a more
beatable team this year, and I think BYU matches well
with them. And I mean ideally b YU would play
an eleventh seed, maybe a big steeler from from a
lower league, and then play a fourteen seed in the
second round. That's probably the best case scenario for BYU.
But you know, all all all things considered, they'll probably
play Gonzaga has a three seed and hopefully Bay gets
the job done there. But yeah, I mean, after yesterday,
got to feel a lot better about their ceiling and
their ability to win game than March.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Kansas State is uh is Kansas State
the worst team in the Big Twelve? Though, I mean,
what can we learn from that game? Considering who Kansas
State is? They don't really have a head coach. They
don't have an identity. There's some good players on the team,
don't get me wrong, but how much can you really
read into that Kansas State game?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just think the biggest thing was b YU
had an emotional win over Texas Tech. The last time
they had a top and win, they lost UCF at
home and which should have been some of the most
favorable circumstances of the year for BYU. So I think
it showed that this BYU team, just in a matter
of weeks has grown a little bit knowing that okay,
like you can win a game and not let the
emotional letdown or not let not let the emotional aspects,
you know, like by you can't even gonna take a
quick letdown to a team that probably shouldn't beat them, right,
they did a couple of weeks ago, but they fixed that.
And obviously Haggarty, I think Haggardy's gonna get his and
he certainly did yesterday. But BYU did a good job
towards the end of limiting everybody around him, and that
was probably the game plan. And I just I just think,
especially offensively, like no matter what, you doesn't matter who
you play against, to drop one hundred five points in
the conference tournament is impressive. I don't care who the
opponent is, so I just think b YU at the
same time, like the Kansas State, they're in a weird spot.
They don't have a head coach like you said, but guys,
they're playing for the portal. Like I'm sure guys like
playing with each other. They want to keep it going
as long as possible. Like you could tell that Kansas
State was fighting. I don't think they mailed it end
at all yesterday, and so yeah, I mean, I think
you can just take some take pride for BYU knowing
that they just felt like everyone was clicking. It felt
like the offense was last year at by You peaked
at the right time, right like just they grew together
throughout the season and in March they were playing their
best basketball and yesterday looked like some of their best
offensive basketball the season. And that's like I said before,
I don't care who you play against, Like you got
to have a performance like that in March, and so
Bay should feel good about that. And like I said earlier,
it's a quick turnaround and hopefully that helps BYU momentum wise.
Knowing that they can just keep it going today and
being able to rest some of their guys in the
final minutes yesterday. I think rob Right, by the way,
like getting his twos knocked out might have been a
blessing in disguise for BYU because they kind of forced
them to rest him at the end of that game,
and now he'll have a little more in the tank
for today. They were able to take aj out with
a few more minutes, And I know thirty seven minutes
and forty minutes isn't a huge difference, but I think
just being able to rest guys and maybe giving them
that mental like all right, we're sitting the rest of
the game, so I can go full through out with tomorrow,
I think that helps PYU.
Speaker 2: Yeah, really we kind of feel that way. I kind
of feel like if Rob Right get to be somewhat limited,
will he be as aggressive. We've already had issues over
this season with maybe a lack of effort. He showcased
what he can do when he's on point, when he's
high energy, high effort, just balling out. You wonder if
this injury will limit him at all from an effort standpoint.
Speaker 3: Give me your thoughts on that.
Speaker 4: I mean, maybe he starts out a little more cautious,
a little more calculated in his effort, not effort, but
maybe just doesn't have to dial it up to eleven,
doesn't have to be as aggressive early, and then kind
of the way however the game plays out, maybe he'll
adjust accordingly. Right, Like By's been kind of a slow
starting team throughout the season. Maybe they're just I don't know,
it's just I think I think Rob has put some
good deposits in the bank to where you know you
can count on him the effort or the energy. Maybe
a few times its dips, but it's the conference tournament.
You know you're playing for something. BYU just I just
think that the circumstances making a different. The circumstances make
it different, right, And I think Rob will be able
to play accordingly. And like I said, maybe it's a
little more calculated. Maybe it's a little more cautious early,
but I'm sure if he has the ball in his
hands late with a chance to win, you know he's
not gonna hold anything back. So hopefully they numb him
up and his tooth doesn't bother him too much and
he can go out and play some good ball.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Jackson, I was just looking at Lunardi's latest bracketology
for BYU. They're a six seed, but they'd be matched
up in Portland. Okay, that's good, right, a lot of
BYU fans out there, good lgs contingent, they'd match up
against Miami of Ohio, and then in the round of
thirty two, it looks like they'd get Gonzaga or UC Irvine,
most likely Gonzaga.
Speaker 3: Is that a good thing? Would that be a good
thing or a bad thing?
Speaker 2: Going to Portland facing Miami of Ohio and then possibly
facing Gonzaga.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, I think it
is probably the most favorable three seed that they could play.
I think BYU matches up well with Gonzaga. I don't
think this is as good a good Zaga team as
they've had in recent years. Santa Clair was giving them
some trouble yesterday in the WCC title game. You know,
I think BYA could go in and get the win
over in Zaga if they had the opportunity in Portland.
Is there'll be a ton of in Zaga fans there, obviously,
but there'll be a ton of YU fans too. As
for Miami of Ohio. Like, look, Miami of Ohio is
the best story in college basketball this year. It's been
really fun to watch them. I've watched a ton of
their games because I've been ranking them in the poll
every week, and I really like the Nerf Fund team
and they're everything good about college basketball. I don't think
they've played a team with BYU's length and athleticism, kind
of similar to VCU last year and BYU match up
with them in the first round where it's like, all right,
this is a really good team, great defense, the effort
and the stats are there, but you know, VCU hadn't
played the team with BYU's caliber, and it showed, you know,
BYU's playing with VCU down the stretch of that game,
and so I think that's kind of the same with
Miami of Ohio. But at the same time, like all
the pressure goes on BYU in that moment where it's like,
you know, Miami of Ohio, everybody wants to see, like
what they can do in the tournament if they're a fraud,
if they're real, and BYU suddenly gets put in the
spot where it's like, oh no, like we have to
you know, by you have to figure out how to
get the job done, and it's a tough spot to
be put in for both for both sides, right, like
b YU has the best player in the country, Miami
of Ohio would have to beat them, but also by
you has to be no defeated team. Like It's just
it's a weird pressure spot to be put in, and
I would like to think that the bracketologists would would
be smart enough knowing like, all right, we want Miami
of Ohio to play longer because it's a cool story,
but we also want the best player in college basketball
to play longer. So hopefully they wouldn't knock one of
them out in the first round by matching them up
with each other. But I just think it would be
the off the court kind of mental stuff with playing
Miami of Ohio is would be crazy. And then hopefully,
you know, if BYU does get the job done there,
they could play a little more loose against KAZAG and
get the upset. I think that's kind of what helped
to beat Wisconsin last year, where it's like, you know,
there was a stigma by always loses in the first round.
They beat VCU, the monkeys off their back and they
go in against Wisconsin, and that first half Againt Wisconsonant
was the best half of basketball they played all year,
and so I really think, you know, if they can
get that first round win over I seem like Miami
of Ohio, it helps them against Uzzaga. But at the
same time, as at a college basketball fan, I don't
want to see you why you played Miami Ohio because
I want to see both of those teams playing in
the second round. So hopefully that doesn't end up being
the draw, but if it is, it'll be interesting for sure.
Speaker 2: Jackson Payne dest Red News here on a cougar bead,
little college basketball, college football conversation here on your Utah
ESPN Radio network. I do want to discuss with your
Camp Killani and some of the storylines coming out of
Camp Killane would have been the main storylines you've been
intrigued by.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I haven't been able to go the
last couple of times with basketball and everything. But obviously
I think the defense, like with Kelly Popeinga, I don't
think there's gonna be any crazy changes. They kept a
lot of the same guys. Sounds like the scheme and
the philosophies will kind of stay the same, but on
the offensive side of the ball, right like with Parker
Kingston Gong. We don't have to dive into that, but
just the wide receiver room, like who's gonna step up,
who's gonna emerge guy. There's been some flashes from Kyler
Kasper that have been encouraging. How obviously he stays healthy,
can help Uyu Jojo Phillips. You know you've seen flashes
of brilliance from him at Byu, But can he stay healthy?
Can he take that step and be the number one guy?
The tight ends, the Saliplaga and Lions, I think they're
gonna be a big part of the offense. Running back obviously,
you know Lger Martin's hurt, but you got to get
some guys around him. You got to get a supporting
cast in the backs to maybe take some of the
load off him and backup quarterback too. I mean, this
is a very I mean I think everything with this
year in with spring ball is just building depth. And
I think that's the same for every year, but especially
this year, Like you got to flesh out your receiver room.
You got to make sure your tight ends are able
to you know, do their job, got to make sure
the running backs can support LJ and then backup quarterback.
I think the fact that BYU's had their starting quarterbacks
start every game of the season in the past two
years is tremendous, but it's also kind of fluty. Like
BYU historically, their quarterbacks get hurt, and I know the
supports signed from the training team are doing a good
jobs keeping them healthy. But I think it's more likely
than not that you're gonna see a You're gonna see
a backup quarterback at some time this year. Hopefully Bear
stays healthy, right, but with how physical his style of
play is and just the grind of having just played
fourteen games last year and big tool football, like, who
knows what's gonna happen, You can't you can't count on
a health ever, and so I just think at some
point you might see some backup quarterback action. And so
Trayson Borge he's the veteran, he's been at UY a
few years. Enick Watson he's the freshman. He's off a mission.
He's got some really intriguing talent. I mean, watching them
in fulk in spring ball is definitely kind of intriguing
my eye, just because you know, like I said, you're
probably gonna see one of them in battle this year,
and so hopefully what they do is encourages you for
when that time comes potentially.
Speaker 2: I was just thinking about, you know, A j and
and his productivity.
Speaker 3: I thought it was very mature of him. In the
post game.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you saw this, Chancellor Johnson was
interviewing him and Chancellor said, essentially any if he had
any qualms with not being the Big twelve Player of
the Year, and in a very mature fasts like, look, yeah,
I mean I thought I could have got it, but
they give or gave credit to the best team with
and arguably the best player on that team that that
led him, and we're a losing team where we're a
five hundred team. I thought I was pretty mature of
him to react in such a way.
Speaker 4: Your thoughts, Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, look, I
think the widespread opinion has been A j should have
been a Player of the Year, and if not AJ,
then J T toppin, if not JT Topping, then Joshua Jefferson.
It's like Jayden Bradley wion'ly be a First Team All American,
like a full disclosure, I vote for the All America teams.
I didn't have Jayen Bradley on my All America ballot,
and I think he's a great player. I would have
voted him First Team All be Twelve, but he's not.
Like I just think it's a lifetime achievement, you know,
veteran senior leader on the best team in the conference,
and that's not what the award should be. And you
know there's a precedent for this, right like when I
talked about Trey Young earlier, But when Trey Young was
at Oklahoma, he was the first player in history to
lead the country in points and assists, Like he was
the scoring leader and the assists leader. And he wasn't
Big Twelve Player of the Year because Oklahoma went eight
and ten and they lost the first round of March
and so and they and they picked the best player
on the best team, which was Kansas. All that is
to say, I get why they picked Bradley, And I
think Sean Farnam and Bye team was talking about how
you know, Topping and aj probably got a lot of votes,
but Bradley took away votes from both of them, and
It's just it was kind of a weird votes thing.
But AJ handled it great, right, b Yu. Maybe they
dropped some games they shouldn't have. The UCF loss was inexcusable.
I still think the Oklahoma State loss was inexcusable. B Yu.
Did not deliver the team that that I think AJ
was was hoping for. But I think they can still
have their I think they can still make some magic
happen in March and still be a memorable season. But
I agree with AJ, right he. I just think he's
so mature. I think he's passed every test that BYU
with flying colors. All this talk about the r o
I not being U, the r O Y not being
worth it for AJ is just it's it's ridiculous. I
think the AJA experiment or experience at BUYU is gonna
slam dunk, And I'm I'm getting sick of people trying
to tell me the opposite, because I think everything that
AJ has done, I mean, he's been an incredible player.
He led the country in scoring so at all time
UYU season. He's been a force for good off the court.
He's he's changed the way that BOU basketball is viewed
and now you're seeing guys like Bruce Branch come to
BYU like AJ is a trailblazer at BYU. He's helping
transform the way that by has perceived across the country.
And I know that BYU probably isn't the final four
team for whatever reason that many people thought they could
be this year. But I think the impact of what
A j. De Bonsa did this year at BUYU will
be felt for years to come. And I think that's
the biggest thing a bubble. So he should have been
the big twel player of the year. I get why
they chose Bradley. I don't agree with it, but I
think the way that AJ handled it was was very
mature and more than anything, it's a blessing in disguis
for BYU because it lit a fire under him, like, Okay,
I am the best player. I'm gonna show you in
the court. And he definitely saw that yesterday against Kansas State,
and look, I want to bet against a Jed March.
I think he just he takes his game to another
level when the stakes are highest. You saw in Madison
Square Garden, You've seen it in some many these big
moments this year, and so I just think he loves
the spotlight, and you know by will be in the
spotlight in March and he's going to deliver.
Speaker 3: Jackson.
Speaker 2: You know that that particular articulation, it reminded me of
a tweet that you put out after the last big
win versus Texas Tech at home.
Speaker 3: You said, this is why you never give up give
up on the season. Did you feel that like Cougar
Nation or who did you feel was giving up on
the seasons in particular?
Speaker 4: You know, I just felt like there was some talk like,
you know, just fast forward a football season, like it
didn't work out, blah blah blah, Like I think there
was some name saying And I don't want to blame
anyone for that, because you know, after some of those losses,
like it was tough, like part of being a fan
is riding the ups and the downs, and I think
the downs were just feeling such so brutal for Byu
that it was like, I don't blame anybody for having
the thoughts to maybe jump ship or stop leaving. But
you know, I know people don't want to police storming
the court, but Bo, you beat a top ten team
at home, and they did on Senior night, like I
think it is there. I think it merited a court storming. Obviously,
Boop was waving for fans to come on the court
and join.
Speaker 2: Them and party.
Speaker 4: And it's just one of those things like you know
BYU lost three really dumb games in a row and
then they beat a top ten team at home. And
I know Texas Tech they don't have a top and but
BYU doesn't have Saunders, right and Texas Tech has been
winning games without top and BYU without Saunders, you know,
the results hadn't been as positive. So I don't want
anybody to try and take away the shine off that
win because it was a really impressive win of the
hard fought win. I think the biggest thing is you
saw that BYU got its fight back and got its
group back. And to have a scene like that where
people are storming the court and it's a celebration, it's
a night to remember. Like those are the things that
lasts forever, Like how long have we been talking about
the Gonzaga win in twenty twenty or Jimmer it against
San Diego State like that Texas Tech win for better.
I mean, it's not on that level, but there'll be
a night that people at BYU, who are at that
game will be talking about forever and so to have
a moment like that that's going to stand that test
of time. Like that's why you don't give up on
the season, because anything can happen. I think about trying
to remember the coach's name, Dan Monson. He was at
A He was at Long Beach State for a long time.
He got fired before the conference tournament. They had a
bad year, but then they won the conference tournament and
made the INSA tournament, and it was this crazy thing, like,
you know, you could you could have given up all
the season then, but they went on a run. They
defied the odds and they did something incredible. They went
to the tournament as a like the ten seed in
their conference or whatever. So it's just one of those
things like just it's it's the Jimmy Valvano, right, It's
that don't ever give up, don't ever give up, Like
just anything can happen in sports, and that's what makes
it so beautiful. That's why I love telling the stories
about him. So I don't I don't blame people for
for having some pessimism and feeling maybe as if the
the the good days of bya basketball had passed them by,
but you know, BYU of credit to Kevin Young and
his staff, credit for the players, credit to Richie Saunders
for whatever he's doing on the bench to get BYU
wins whenever he's there. Like, it's just been amazing to
see them kind of respond to the adversity and come
out and maybe reinvent themselves and then rediscover their fights. So
I mean BYU, like BYU fan had every right to
maybe be pessimistic or be down on the Cougars, but
you know, Ba's proved them wrong. They figured out a
way to get the win, and I just it's been
amazing to see them with more of that spark, more
of that fight since that text.
Speaker 2: Second, love that perspective. Jackson Bret your Mark yesterday said
that the Big twelve deserves eight to nine bigs. He
stated that if you're five hundred or above in the league,
you should get in Cincinnati's you know, top twenty five
and analytics. Since December, West Virginia has been flirtatious right
there at the five hundred mark, and they did lose
the Kansas State to kind of end the year, but
they got to win over UCF. What do you think
how many bids do you think the Big Twelve deserves
in this NCAA tournament.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't have a number off the top of
my head. I have to look at it, but I
do think like, if you can go over five hundred,
Like I just remember that first year when YUS in
the Big Twelve, they went ten and eight, I want
to say with Mark Pope, and that was a huge success. Wow,
you went over five hundred to the best basketball conference,
the deepest basketball conference in the country. Going over five
hundred is definitely something to pat yourself on the back about.
And I think if you go over five hundred and
the Big twelve ods are, you probably should be the
inst of the way tournament. But obviously, like look BYU
went five hundred and the Big Twelve, their non conference
is probably what kept them safely in the field with
their wins over people like Villanova, Miami, Clemson. So you
have to if we're going to use that logic to
keep EYU in the tournament, we got to use that
logic to maybe keep some other people out of the
tournament too. And I want as many Big twelve teams
as possible in the tournament obviously, but if you had
some bad losses earlier that are hurting your metrics, like
I don't know, like that should probably be weighing as well.
But at the same time, like if you look the
part of the tournament team down the stretch, you should
probably be in as well. Like BAU women's basketball. BA
women's basketball has been amazing as of late, and they've
had some bad losses too, but you know, they ended
the year looking like a tournament team, And so I
think it's a weird balance to strike, you know, like
you want to take the whole season as as what
it's worth, but also you want to make sure the
I tests, Like I think the Big Twelve has the
most teams playing looking like tournament teams right now, clearly,
like there will be teams that don't make the tournament
that look like they should be, but they won't be,
and that's just how it goes. And so look, the
Big Twelve I think re established itself as the best
basketball conference in America this year. And I mean, look,
Arizonaica win the national title, Houston win the national title.
I always say could go to the Final four. Like
it's just there's a lot of reasons for optimism in
the Big twelve and hopefully there's eight or nine, maybe
ten teams representing the conference as a result.
Speaker 2: One of the things that stood out to me final
thing the formulation Yo Jackson, I believe Rob Wright has
gone on record and essentially stated that he's either going
pro or coming back to Provo Capitol pro lowercase Vo
next season. That would be massive news to get Rob
right the third back at b YU.
Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think it's it's it's one
of those things where it's like anything can change in
a moment, right And I think as of now, I
have to take it for the timing, right Like, as
of now, that's his planned. Maybe he changes his mind,
maybe things stay the same. I don't know, but as
of right now, he wants to stay in Provo, and
that's what he said, and so got it. Take it
for his word. So hopefully he's back, because he would
be a great you're losing Rich, you're losing aj Who,
you're losing Kiba. If you could keep one of your stars,
maybe Davis coming back, but I don't know. If you
can keep a starter at Provo for next year, I
think that'd be a huge, huge boost for YU, so
we'll see how that shakes.
Speaker 3: Out, Jackson. Best way to support you, what you do,
how you do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 4: Yeah, just follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Jackson
five pain and read the des Right News every day.
We've got a lot of YU content coming out from
jjur and myself. So yeah, thanks for all the support.
Speaker 2: As always, you guys do great work. Appreciate you Jackson,
great content. It's always thanks for the conversation.
Speaker 4: All right, Appreciate you bens.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there you go.
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