Hell, everybody to the facilities of the iHeart Media megaplexis is Dick Abrie. It's the statewide edition of The Big Bloon Insider. If here comments from Mark Pope, Hey, get your gas money now right, maybe a ticket also heard comments from the Wildcatch after their draw, and of course comments from Nick Minzio. Next up, well here from Aaron Gershaan and Billy Rutligion on the statewide BBI Border to border.
It is the Big Blue Insider. It's tournament week and a little bit later on Billion Aaron and I are going to go through our tournaments, our tournament brackets, and see how many upsets we're picking after him in mind's a little chalky. As the years have gone on, I have become a little chalkier. But also I have one bracket. I might fill out another one just for fun. But I tried to quote Mike Golick, who was on Mike
and Mike for many years on ESPN Radio. He used to call it and whenever he would say it, they'd put the echo effect on it. The sheet of integrity, one sheet because because the other mic would make out three or four whatever, And they're.
No wrong with that.
But I also just for fun, every once in a while, every year or so, I make out a bracket sheet with just chalk, just to see.
How it goes.
Yeah, and you know what, you know, in terms of contest, it's it's no better. I mean, because there are upsets. But they keep saying, well, you know, the chalk holds more and more. Not not really, yeah.
I mean, you know, you go look at last year the hot the hot upsets for McNeice and whoever they played, and McNeice got steamrolled. And I think I don't know if it was last year the year before, but Oral Roberts was a really really good team and they got crushed and then ended up being Kentucky losing Oakland, which not many people pick. Some did, some did, but I
didn't in my bracket. But I did. If you asked Daryl Byrd and Mark Mathis on the drive to Pittsburgh what I'd said, I told him We're going home Friday Boys winning. I just had a gut feeling all week. I should have put it. I should have been man enough to put it in my bracket, but I wasn't.
That's the true test, isn't it exactly? Let's backtrack a little bit. Uh and Billy was here. We we've talked about Quesch. You covered the game, and I was up listening and watching the call. The Jack Gibbings and Tom, but especially Jack went away hits that shot. Oh my gosh, I thought Jack was going to come out of his seat.
I mean, it was.
Probably a faint after how they choked it.
Oh my gosh, Oh my god.
I was.
I mean, I don't know what y'all's reaction was, but after a while I just started laughing, like they're gonna lose.
Well, I was pretty ticked off, not with the result, not a fan, but the fact I either will start rewriting my gamer. It was already three in the morning or whatever it was, so that was lovely. But no, I just I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that
they couldn't break a simple press. Oklahoma was trying to foul and they're still trying to dribble instead of just hold the ball, Like this is amateur stuff that they were screwing up and good decent handlers, like I know it would take always not a point guard, but look at what he was able to do in the last play. He can handle the basketball, and he has two pivotal turnovers, and I mean, that twelve point leader evaporated in the
blink of an eye. And I'll tell you what though, when they called that time out, I was like, they're just gonna o Teka's gonna win this game. I literally thought that. I'm like, they're just gonna let Otaga win this game. And it's against his former team, like they're probably I mean, think of that. You have to think of it too, Oklahoma did all that work. They probably think Kentucky's dead, right, They probably think we got him.
You think they were thinking that, remembering knowing what Oway was purple?
I do, I really think they got them. I think they're like, there's no way they're overcoming this twelve point lead. Here's what I because they I'll tell you what, the high in their huddle, like they were as if they won the game around absolutely. So that's what kind of what took me to that.
Here's what surprised me the most. Two well two things. Obviously letting him turn that corner, okay, but prior to that, how do you let him get the ball? I know, you know what I mean. I mean, I assumed they would play denial, nothing give guard, not guard the passer a la patino. But no, I thought they might put two people and try to suffocate. Oh way, And you're right. Not only does he get a free catch, he gets a free catch in stride. I don't remember who threw
him the ball, and then he flied. And that's another thing. He outran two defenders. And it's always amazing to me, Billy, how somebody with the ball, dribbling the ball, ball handling, making sure you don't step out of bounds and all that can outrun a defender. And yet he out ran two guys. Now they weren't the fastest guys on the team. And then it's I guess it was Jimmy Diyke's doing the game or whoever said they'll let him turn the corner and he'd and he still put in a really difficult shot.
And that was the plan, right Mike Mark Pope said afterwards they wanted to get him down hill and then give him an option to pass to the corner or take it to the rack, and he did exactly that. You'd think if there was any team that would recognize that, it was Oklahoma after they had just happened to them. But you know that's a that's a type of story movie production crews kind of throw to the side and
say that's not realistic enough. I mean, come on against your old team twice and then to win in the SEC Tournament.
I'll be honest. My jaw was on the ground.
After they blew the ten twelve point lead and Oklahoma went up by one, and I think everybody in Bridgetone Arena had the same reaction, just pure shock. And honestly, the conversation would have been a little toxic going into the NCAA tournament if that's the case.
But they hope can't win a tournament exactly.
And then you know, if cal in Arkansas would have gotten farther than Kentucky had been a whole other thing too, right, But you know, it was just extremely satisfying to win that first game in the SEC tournament. It was it felt like a monkey off the back a little bit.
Now. Did the beat down versus Alabama help? No, it did not. But I'd like to think that game never happened. Yeah, you gotta just I'm with you. Man, Like Lamont didn't
play like going into that game. He almost felt I wrote about it too, like, yeah, you don't want to have your worst SEC tournament lost in program history and suffer your first three games sweep since twenty fourteen to anyone, Like, none of that's anything you want, and you don't want to get embarrassed when you have half more than half the building. It was probably seventy thirty for that game. There were a lot of Alabama fans there, But I.
Thought I thought I saw a little bit of quit at one point.
Yeahpe call that time. None of that's okay.
Hope called time out because he show it too.
So none of that's okay. But like the fact you got that, like Billy said, that monkey off your back, you were able to deliver for those fans who were unbelievable on what Thursday night.
I also think that it overcame against Alabama.
I don't mean interrupted, but sure against Alabama and you were there. I think you never want to be without Lamont Butler, but especially against a team that plays.
The way Alabama.
It was not worth the risk.
You got the head no no, no, no, no by far. But you gotta have somebody who can pressure the ball at the beginning of their play and keep Alabama from being so comfortable on offense because.
That's the way they play off And look, I.
Don't want to give silver linings, but the Kentucky played well in the first half. They did. They hit They hit more threes in Alabama. The biggest problem with the first half was Alabama was able to get to forty seven with only two threes. That was the issue. And then the second half the three started falling and Kentucky's playing on tired legs, Alabama's got five days of rest. It kind of it kind of took over. But I didn't think I mean, I thought the quit in the
second half was the biggest concern. But in the first half, I mean, it was fourteen to fourteen. After that seven minute opening segment, Kentucky goes down nine, they come back with a seven zero run, like they were hanging around. It was only a seven point game at halftime when they wave the goaltend off. So it wasn't like they were awful in that first half.
So do you just throw it out like a bad horse race, Billy?
You do?
And if you want to talk about something awful, we should talk about officiating. I mean, twice player Kentucky players blood over the week or weekend, and both times they weren't called. It was Colin Chandler had to get stitches by his eyebrow all out, Tyler Eulss.
It looked like back in the day.
And then uh otega Oway who if you saw the on his lip post game, you would have thought he got mugged. But the guy didn't get a foul called.
I thought the thing was incidental contract for lack of a better term, I mean I've seen that. I've been hitting the face like that playing pick up. I mean, you know it happens. I thought the always thing, Come on, there was that's a foul.
Yeah. The Alabama the Alabama game was terribly officiated for both sides. I mean there was an offensive foul at in Alabama right in front of us. It was like, uh what it was? It was a terrible and Ainsley almon Or they called a tie up and Ansley Almanor never touched the basketball and it gave Kentucky a free possession. Like it was, it was going both was.
It wasn't the.
Oklahoma game where somebody clamped down on cars arm.
How about how about and they took the ball away from how about this? I am not excusing what happened at the end of that Oklahoma game, Like that was a disaster and they really got to get that worked out because Troy presses the heck out of teams. They pressed as much as almost anyone in the country. But Andrew Carr was fouled. I went back and watched it
three times. On that last turnover, I'm thinking of, Yeah, maybe at the very end of the game in the Yeah, he got mugged, Like, how is that not and especially because it is fouling and I think we've seen this, they've changed the at the end of the game.
Yeah, exactly.
You know how I am about official I am loath to criticize me too, you know, uh, just doing it a little bit. My brother's done it a lot. But it's like I can't defend umpires when people want the robot balls and strikes because they've blown it. They've had They've had more than a hundred years to do it right, and finally people are fed up and they have the technology to do it right.
Now.
Technology is not going to fix what we're talking about. But I have to go to the uh Clemson Louisville game. Did you see the end of the odd How's that not NFL?
Oh it is?
And yet Michigan, Michigan.
You were working. Did you have a chance to see the end of that?
Was that the buzzer beater for Louisville or no? The next game? Yeah, okay, I didn't see it.
Clemson's down to and it was interesting. I tipped my cap to the producer of the telecast. They had a video package ready. I don't remember the guy's name. You you've covered the game, you know his name.
I forgot who shot the ball?
Whoever it is, it's there. It's their key guy in the situation. May Yeah, I think it was Chase Hunter. They had a video package ready of buzzer beaters that this guy has hit through his career. You know, everybody knows he's going there, going to him, and he did it here? Did it there?
Did? I mean at least four? And again.
They let him get the ball and he goes in, and he turns the corner and goes in and he is nailed with a cross body blocked from two different players. Yeah, plenty of contact, I mean body and raking his arm. He ends up prone in midair and slams to the floor and the ball barely gets to the rim and they showed him. Yeah, I mean he's he's like, what.
Yeah, Michigan go. I forget who Michigan State lost to in their Big ten tournament, but they had the very, very similar play half. The whistle's just different at the end of games, and it needs to be fixed. It's got to be the same rules. You don't want to be twenty minutes.
Deciding well you are you are when you do that.
Oh okay, U n C lane violation on that, I'm okay.
That's the rule.
But that's the thing. I'm okay with that. That's the rule. If you're as long as you call it when there's nineteen minutes left in the first half, I'm cool with it. If you're consistently calling it all game fine.
Because if you don't call it the rules, what are you telling the other team, Well, he did it, but we're gonna.
Let We're gonna let this.
We'll let this one go because it's early or it's the end of the game.
Yeah, there was a game. We can tuck. You said a couple of games this year where multiple lane violation has been called. But you know what, at least they're calling all of them, and lane violations happen every game. It's a matter of if they want to call them or not. As long as they call all of them or call none of them, I'm cool.
Well for me, those are easy to call. They're easy to call. Yeah, well, you know it's not a judgment, then don't worry. North Carolina still got in the tournament with their one quad.
One that u c l A. I was we were there for. We were at the un c is only quad one win. It was against u c l A and New York. Do you remember how they won that game. UCLA was up twelve with like six minutes left and then they missed every free throw handed it to them. So that was their one quad win that got They hit the shots, sure.
Yeah, hit shots, but u c LA opened the door.
They never should have had those possessions.
And prior to that point, I remember watching this This is North Carolina exactly.
They're not good. And you talk about West Virginia. They beat Gonzaga, they beat on a neutral court, They beat Arizona on a neutral court. Everyt They beat Iowa State, Number two, Iowa State without West Virginia's leading score. They beat number seven camsas at Allen Field House without West Virginia's leading score and they're out in North Carolina with their one lousy quad one? When is it? But I leave the room when you talk about my team, So I mean, how sure my.
Fowls are still in the room.
But I'm just I'm looking through the pehole now.
Well, you know, through the years, I feel like that the committee's gotten better and better. Uh say, would you will about metrics or whatever? Took a huge step back where you talk about lack of credibility.
Yeah, they I thought they did a nice job on the one twos and threes. I had no issues with any of the one twos or threes. It's the fives. Like Memphis should not be a five. They have a good resume, they have a better resume than people give them credit for it, but not a five resume. And then look Louisville, they don't have a great resume, but they just are better than the eight. I thought they should have been a seven.
Well, like I said, they do have. They probably were, although why not make them a seven in election and instead.
Of U c l A.
Yeah, but just I don't know it's fair. I mean Auburn and Alburn and Tennessee were always going to get the chance to play here. But you could have put them in what the seven in that bracket? I forget this. They couldn't They could have put them as the seven in the Midwest.
I think Louisville fans were thinking they'd be at least a six, if not a five.
But I didn't think they'll get there.
No, I don't know that their resume call for that.
The best wins Clemson.
Are you ready to join us on the dark side here, Dick with your tinfoil hat and we're reminded that these are TV made for TV matchups Selection Committee Auburn anecdote.
Would you about the eighty two NC tournament. That's right, I've been wearing that hat for a long time. Don't you remember that story? I do?
I do.
And now it's just when we get Rick Patino versus John Caliperry in the round of thirty two, everybody's going to be tuned in.
But here's here's the problem I have with that. As I adjust my tinfoil hat, if you want to look for a conspiracy, then it in.
You know. I don't think they did themselves.
Any favors with North Carolina.
You know what I'm saying. Sure, absolutely.
I don't think it improves their ratings or numbers or whatever, but I think it turns people against what they're watching.
There's a governor in West Virginia that would agree with you.
God, he's gonna sue. Who's he gonna sue?
That's my favorite.
I'm gonna sir, all right, we'll take a break, come back and talk more about the seatings, and in a few minutes we're gonna bust out the brackets and find out who's picking, what upsets when and how back with more on the state wide BBI.
From Pikeville to Paduca. It is the big.
Bull in sider did Gabriel Billy Rutledge Aaron Gershawn tournament week? And at the bottom of the hour, we're going to go go through our brackets. Let me ask you this Kentucky banged up as it is. Pat forty of Sports Till traded casting his doubts on social media, and he made it sound like he was not convinced of Kentucky simply because of all the injuries. And I think that's fair. But I do think that with Lamont Butler. I do think a three seed was not out of the picture.
It was not out of the ordinary.
They should have been a three I mean, if we want resumes to matter, like they should. Yeah, exactly who else has beaten Duke in Florida?
Well, what was interesting about it is Kentucky has a pile of quad one wins and then the puzzling losses.
They do have the puzzling losses, but like their quad one wins aren't just like, Okay, they went and got a road win. Oh no, they beat Duke, they beat Florida. Who are the two of the odds on favorites to win this whole thing Tennessee Tennessee twice A and m
who's a top twenty ken Pom team. I mean, by the way they beat Tennessee without Lamont Butler on the road and then they beat him at home without Jackson, Probamson and know Lamont, but they watched Lamont go down and look like he was done for the year, and Trent know What and Travis Perry carried them to victory. That come on, now, Like I love Pat forty, but I couldn't disagree and be more annoyed with that.
You also beat a team that you might meet in the Sweet sixteen twice already in Tennessee.
I love Indy right up in Indy.
Why do you love that matchup?
Well, while Tennessee is good defensively beat them, there are times where they can't hit a shot.
True, And Kentucky about the old hard to beat somebody three times?
Well, I said that several times, and then Alabama Obama proves that cliches mean nothing to NATO.
Auburn just did its old miss too.
So I'd love to see Tennessee a third time and then continue to keep Tennessee out of the final four.
Tennessee scares me a third time, it really does.
Who's who scares you that's going to score the ball?
Like Lanierigler, he's historically bad, But you're gonna Kentucky.
But what if Lamont Butler's healthy.
That's a fair point.
They haven't played and Ziegler even without Lamont Butler healthy, Kentucky he'd be. He went one for eleven against Kentucky and Knox, with Travis Perry carding him after. I'm you know, you just never know what I get it. You know, I really like Island. I like Laniar, but.
He loses his mind, that's right. And yeah, he struggled against Colin Chandler. Yeah in Knoxville.
I know.
It's just Milichick is the one who's not a good matchup for them, and he killed them twice Kentucky, like Mark Publish, all year long, they've struggled with stretched Force for whatever reason. Yes, so that's the guy that scares me, like a Grant Nelson.
But to Milsice, to me, is the most puzzling element of Tennessee's attack because I know he's not Dalton Connect, but they brought him into play a similar role. They just never knew that Connect would be as good. Maybe they thought he would, but I feel like sometimes they forget about Milica's you know what I mean. Well, remember
the game here. They put them on the bench at the end of the game and Kentucky held them down defense like Kentucky just said, okay, like no one else, and Billy said, they have hard time scoring and to put that that guy is here to score and was there to score.
Kentucky went twelve for twenty four from three in both the games. So they have as a great defense, right, So they have the schematic edge that Rick Barnes has seen twice and still couldn't figure out.
Can they do that in the uncate tournament?
Yes? I think I think that.
Do you think so?
If they can get that far, that's my concern is can they get that well, that's.
Our assumption we can do that.
Can I take a detour here for a second, because the University of Kentucky announced five people were to be inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, and Dick Gabriel was one.
Of best five. We should have opened with that.
And Dick, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done for my career. But this is a well deserved honor. This is a long time coming. And for what three or four decades that you've been covering Kentucky, you've done a great job.
Thank you very much.
Echoed that completely.
Thank you so much, very very humbled and very surprised.
And we better have a big party.
I mean, if you're going into a Hall of Fame, I mean we need apps, we need maybe.
An after party.
We have this big, beautiful off maybe some Chinese food for me and Aaron sometime you come in for a statewide show.
I mean, this is true great honor.
Every now and then I stop at China King and uh, I'm China Star, and uh bring in Chinese food that I take home.
So I will do that some night. I will do that.
Some night.
I will treat you all to a buffet. I'll get everything on one side of the menu.
There you go.
But I am humbled and very appreciative, So thank you very much. Yeah, I mean, uh, you know, we've been doing this show for a while.
Yeah, what do you think about in your career? Is it you know, covering the cats? Is it being on TV you is it the radio? In the garage shows we did for three years? It felt like what comes to mind?
That's the thing is I've been so fortunate, right place, right time, you know. And I mean I started my career at the station. It was the flagship station. Next thing you know, I'm doing the scoreboard show. That's how I started on the network. And then when they rejiggered the network some years later, I'm a kyt a partner, and I remember Mike Boskam want to be a sidelines reporter?
Yeah?
Sure, you know, okay, okay, you know now I'm traveling with the team and that kind of thing. It's spent a lot of years doing the basketball pregame show. Then the SEC network rolls around, and I've been doing baseball games for KYT on TV, and you know, UK said want to do baseball?
Yeah sure?
And I had done volleyball. I want to do yeah sure, you know, right place, right time. So that was so much of it. But I like to feel that because of my schooling at UK School of Journalism, and I was studying to be a print guy like Aaron, I was going to be a sports writer.
But when I started coming out.
Of school looking for a job, newspaper jobs were already drying up. And I had done radio in college for the campus station for fun, and I found I heard there was a job open downtown, full time radio sports job, which they just don't exist anymore. And I knew the right people and then walked through the door and they needed somebody today, and I'm like, I'll do it, okay, right place, right time. So that's what I think about.
You let life take you into a different place.
It was good luck and I was ready for I was prepared. I'd like to think so. But thank you very much for your time. All Right, we're gonna look at the brackets when we come back here on the state wide BBI. It is a say wide Big Blue insider Dick Gabrielle, Aaron Gershawn, Billy Rutledge, our UK network producer Aaron of course with a cat's pause, vested interest all in upsets. Now, last year you all didn't fill out your brackets still later on in the week, but I should fill one out at least take.
A shot at one. Yeah, Aaron, why do you start?
Where are we starting?
Let's start with the East? Okay, do you have any upsets?
Baylor over Mississippi State if you want to call that one nine over eight. I I've chalked the rest of the way, except because I'm very low on Arizona. I have Acron winning that game. Wow, I've really I watched that there. I think they're top thirty effishing offense something like that. They're very they have a lot of good guard play. Last year they took they were there in Pittsburgh, worked well while Kentucky was there and they really made
Creighton sweat went out. I'm high on Akron. They went nineteen and one and the Mac's not a joke like. It's a pretty good conference. They went nineteen to one there. So I heard one of the over the weekend. I agree with you anymore, all chalk in the East.
Other than that, okay, mister East in the East, I have all chalk.
So that's that's a little boring. I understand, that's right.
I have.
I hate this because my boy is Neil Price, but I got Baylor beating Mississippi State. I've got Liberty upsetting Oregon. That's just just because I heard.
Liberty is a fun style.
Yeah they are, and I heard the heads over the weekend talking about it. I thought, I've got b Yu beating v c U, and then I've got b Yu beating Wiscon.
I sure do as well?
Is that right? M okay, we got more than one? You got oh?
I thought we were talking. That's what I have as well. Yeah, okay, I thought that's the first round. No no, no, oh yeah no. I have you got b Yu Billy b Yu Bama. Okay. In the round of thirty two, I have Duke Oregon and then BYU Band's.
Sweet Who's coming out of the East Aaron.
Duke Blue Devils. I'm Duke playing Alabama and the elite Eate and Duke same and Billy.
I have Duke as well over Bama. Same. But how shocked would we be if Bama lost. I wouldn't be that shot.
Because they just got shell E. Yu is the one I could see b Yu getting them. Really rad a good team, okay, but that's the only one. I can't see them losing. The Saint Mary's Vanderbilt and obviously Robert I like St.
Marys. I watched them play again zaty other night.
I think Vani will give Saint Mary's a shot. I Saint Mary's got a little too much for that.
Agree. Okay, let's go to the Midwest.
Aaron, Oh, this will be popular BBN. I have all first round. The only upset I have is high Point over Purdue. Very high Point has a number twenty three in offensive efficiency and I lingered on that game and Purdue.
I've watched Purdue.
I'm not high on Purdue. Here's where BBN will hate me. I have Illinois beating Kentucky in the round to thirty two. Okay, Illinois is a really they play a very similar style to Alabama. They're very fast. I think seventeenth in tempo. They have three forwards who shoot over thirty three percent from three, including Big Z's brother Tom is love. They're good man. They scare me. That was when I saw they were the Kentucky six. That's like, hold, I'm wrong because I want to keep.
You know, you do realize Kentucky will game plan for this NCAA tournament game. I do, they will guard three point shooters.
But yeah, well and Orlando and Segua was on the other bench, and uh, Will Riley, Kentucky tried really hard to get there, But I don't know. Hope, Hey, hope I'm wrong. Uh. And then other than that, I have chalked the rest of the way in the Sweet sixteen, IL like Tennessee beating Illinois, Houston beating Clemson, and Houston coming out of the Midwest. I took High Point over Perdue. There we go.
And I really wanted to take McNees over Clemson, but I did. Clemson's a bad matchup for mcnesse, So I picked Clemson. You know, Will Wade was a manager Clemson.
Where is Will Wade going to be coaching next year? C When Bardwell's at Indiana?
Wow?
Well, time heels all I have Kentucky beating Illinois, and then I've got them beating Tennessee in.
Indeed, that's what thirteen.
I have them losing to Kelvin, Sampson and Houston in the Elite eight, and I have Hues, I guess in the final four of them.
Okay, I've got McNeice.
I took McNeese Clemson against my better judgment, But again I was influenced by all the talking. Is I didn't have the nerve. I had my pen on high Point, you know which plays in the Tubby and Donna smith Field Outer Arena, but I don't know why. I couldn't pull the trigger, and I lingered over Kentucky Illinois. But I picked Kentucky to win that game. I thought, if Pope wins one game, he'll win too. I'd love to make any sense. I've never gotten to cover a second weekend.
I'd really enjoyed this never wow.
But otherwise I'm chalky.
The whole way, including sorry, Billy, I've got Tennessee over Kentucky just because of that third time. I don't know why. And but part of it too is I am not really superstitious when it comes to sports. For the most part, I am a little bit, but I rarely pick Kentucky to go as far as I honestly think it'll go, just because I think I'm going to jink them, But I do a few Houston coming at it. I just think they're really good. Are they really hard? All right, Aaron, let's go to South South.
First round? Yeah? All over Texas A and M no kidding. Second, yeah, I think they got really good guard players. A and M's not playing their best basketball. They can't shoot enough for me. I like San Diego State to beat UNC and then beat Ole Miss. But if it's un C, I like Ole Miss, so we have to go back there. But in this hypothetical one, I'll say San Diego State and then I actually I alway states point guards out for this tournament. I forgot, So I have San Diego
State advancing. Again, I like whoever it is san Diego State are Ole Miss? In that scenario, I like to beat Iowa State. Then I have chalked the rest of the way of Auburn beating Louisville, Michigan getting through Yale then in the suites. Yeah, yeah, that would get us to the sweets. I'm sorry, I lost my Oh okay, Michigan State and Auburn and the Elite eight, and I like Michigan State to knock off Auburn is tom is on in March. They're there, they know how to win
that team I like. I like Michigan State winning.
I do have Lotvelle beating Creighton in the first game of the tournament, even though that would be great of them to lose as well. After all that, everybody keeps keeps counting out the three piece suit and Buzz Williams. I've got the A and M beating Yale and then beating Michigan as well, so I've got them in the sweet sixteen, eventually living to Auburn.
I'll say this, you wouldn't see San Diego. I have Michigan, but you see San Diego's number two in the country. I think I saw enforcing turnovers. Michigan's the worst power forward team in committing turnovers, and they rank in the three fifties in the country. I'm not either, but they just won the Big Ten tournament. Dusty May got them playing.
Game.
Yeah it was stinky, but they they also they won that tournament. But as a five seed, I think it was the stinkiness that.
Yeah, I get that, and one final shot in the dark. I have New Mexico over Marquette.
Yeah, I'm back and forth on that one.
I did too. I did too. So you've got young Richard Pettina I do.
Uh. The way that they played in this tournament last year is what scared me off.
I've got uh, you see San Diego, which is not the University of San Diego. It's not the Terrrero's it's U see San Diego. I've got them upsetting Michigan.
Fifth year d one, by the way, is that right? Yep?
Okay, I do have A and M winning after that, So I've got an M and Auburn uh playing each other. I've got on Miss winning because the last couple of times I watched Miss I was I was impressed with them.
I'll be honest with you. You are absolutely correct.
And they announced it last night on CBS that the I s U point guard is out. But I have to stick with it because I picked Iowa State. You know what, were they they were number two in the country.
They were they were wrong. And then West Virginia, who's not in the tournament, beat them. Yeah.
Uh, but that was when they were healthy.
So I've got chalk after that until I'm like Billy, I've got Michigan State beating Auburn.
I do.
No, I have Auburn Michigan State.
Who's got Michigan State? Oh okay, sorry, So we have the same final four so far. Okay, all right, all right, Aaron, take us.
To the West West. I am let's see. Okay, here we go. I had to scroll back on this. I am all chalk at the top. I have Drake beating Miszoo. I'm not I've seen Mizoo in person now three times. Not impressed. That's my only upset in the first round, I think, so sorry, I'd love the cal Patino matchup. I'm going Kansas. I was back and forth on it, but I just think Hunter Dickinson's a matchup problem there for Arkansas. Uh. And then I have a lot of chalk in the round of thirty two. I have all
of it. I have all chalk heading to the Sweet sixteen and then the leit eight that would set up Florida and Saint John's. I would picked the Gators to make the Final four last year as a seven. I'm sure as hell picking them to get to the Final four as a one when they're dobbin it, I'm taking the Gators and playing really well.
Yeah, against my better judgment, I have picked Yukon over Oklahoma despite them being the better seed.
But they got the best coach in the business, Billy.
Yeah, I'm the best in the bank. Don't turn your back on me.
I also have Colorado State beating Memphis at the twelve five game. If February was the month of Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl, March will be the month of Drake. I have Drake Missouri and then also beating Texas Tech. They will make the Sweet sixteen before they lose to Saint John's, who ends up beating Kansas in the second round, not Arkansas, and then I have Florida beating Saint John's to get to the Final four.
Interesting, well, I have Colorado State likewise beating Memphis. I have Drake likewise beating Missouri. I'm like you, Aaron, I mean, they have their moments.
I'm just not impression now, I'm not.
I think Texas Tech is playing really well, that they're dangerous, so I think they beat Drake. But I've got Colorado State beating Maryland. Wow, how about that?
All right?
But then losing to Florida, so it's chalky at the end Florida.
Saint John's and who do it?
I almost did, I've got Florida.
And I was about to say, as much as I've enjoyed watching I don't know if you guys have or not, but I've watched that Red Storm Rising series so good. It's fascinating and part of it. And I tell my wife this, Aaron, and you can relate because you were there, but we stayed when when I went up to cover that game.
Yes, three blocks from the garden. I love going to New York.
I love being able to walk places, to take the subway or whatever. You grew up in that area. But I love going to games in Madison Square Garden. I've done it many times and it's just really cool to see the exterior shots.
I mean, it just gets me.
Plus, Mike Ropoli is the nil guy, right, the billionaire. He's sold two different companies for gazillions of dollars. I actually interviewed him two years ago at Churchill Downs when he had the Derby favorite. So uh, I don't know, it just it just feels like something that's coming together. But I just think Florida as well as Saint John's plays machine as much as Patino Hammer's home defense. I
I just think Florida's got too much. I think their bigs are too good, and honestly, they may have the best guard in.
The I was gonna say two things on that. Walter Clayton, so you're talking about he played for Patino at IONA, I'll say that storyline up two. If I had the vote, Walter Clayton should have been the SEC played the year, not Channiper. That's how good I think Walter clay I'm.
Good with that.
Walter Kelly, he played at IONA. Yes, that's a cool storyline. Yeah, there were three.
Or four IONA players who went off to bigger and better things and untold riches.
And Ricky p just won what his fifth conference championship, isn't it Well it's five different teams, different team six and six total?
Yeah?
Yeah, all right, So now my final four is Duke Houston, Florida, Michigan State.
Is that same as you?
Yeah, we have the same exact I have Auburn instead of Michigan State.
So almost all you're all shock Billy in the final four.
Hey, you're one gross. I didn't realize that until just now.
Well, and I can't remember the last time that happened. I know it's happened at least once. But something happens. I don't know why. Maybe it's because Auburn looks mortal. Auburn lost three of its last four. I don't think that's why it's gonna lose. But I just think that Florida is better than Auburn, and I think Michigan State has what it takes to beat.
I don't bet against that are going to.
Fall, Who's going to be in foul trouble, that kind of stuff.
It just don't. I go with the coach and I nothing against Bruce pro It's terrific. But tom Izzo is special.
Yeah, but don't defense wins championships, guys, Michigan State.
I mean, no, Florida, Florida plays. The thing is Florida's got like Houston, three seven footers who are leading on both ends of the court.
And you know who else plays really good defenses? Houston?
Yeah? Oh yeah, Well let's see where do we have when I have Houston do it in the final four. Here we pick our final four games. Did we say those yet?
We have?
No, we haven't.
Yeah, okay, so what.
Do you got?
Florida beating Michigan State, Houston beating Duke and the Gators not just winning. I think they beat Houston by twenty.
In the wow wow? How I mean?
I was just like watching Florida this I will obviously we saw him here at Rop and we saw what they did offensively. Defensively, Kobe Bryan just wouldn't let them win that game.
Plus they missed twelve out of thirty four free throws.
Watching them against was it zoo that I could see him against? I mean, just watching what Walter Clayton does in every possession. My jaw was dropping. And then went back and watching Alabama and then they made Tennessee's defense look silly twice this year. I am just ten elite players. It's crazy.
The weirdest two game series Florida Tennessee. Yeah, two turns beating the crap out of each other.
Yeah, and then it was it was close game until like the six minute mark in the second Florida. I'm telling you like Florida, the way they're able to roll out conson and Howe in the front court. And now they added the seven footer who got hurt last year back to great coach, and you have Clayton and they didn't even need Elijah Martin. It was just like, Okay, yeah, we'll take him out of the portal, the guy who's been in the Final four. Ben They're done that. Just elite team.
I love this Florida team, all right, Chuckmeister.
Well it makes you think what if what this Kentucky team could have done if they were at full strength?
I mean Florida. I couldn't agree more.
I have Florida beating Auburn, and I have Duke beating Houston. And in the year that Todd Golden was allegedly stalking students at the University of Florida, he will stock the freshman at Duke Young Canipple Young flag.
He will have his team ready and it'll be the Florida.
Gators to row.
Oh my god, that's awesome, which he was cleared of all we're all over.
And he's gonna take down the best coach of the country in the second round.
Well, I've got Houston beating Duke, and I again had my pen lingering on Houston and Kelvin Samson. But I've got Florida, Michigan State and Florida winning it.
So we all have Florida winning. They're just doomed.
They're doomed.
But it's just they they're just unbelievable.
It's amazing and it's a good year for the SEC. I sat down at the which SEC team might.
Let everybody down right off the back, and uh, why do you think a m You don't think there.
They can't shoot.
They're they're the lowest three point percentage team in power for.
But what if they don't shoot a bunch of threes?
They do, that's the thing. They take a lot of threes. They missed a lot of threes. Yeah, the buzz respects the game, the three piece suit. I'm going Vandy. I don't think they've even against Yeah, I think they get I think they could keep it close.
I think it's it's because they failed to play basketball in the final ten.
Yeah, that's everything that did. They beat Kentucky, Butler was barely.
Held, Georgia and Ohio State this year. George is another one. I think that's the one.
I think they're a puzzling team.
Yeah, I think they got a terrible draw with Gonzaga as an eight seed. I think that draw, oh they did. I'm just saying like they deserve to be a nine. But for I think Gonzaga is better than an eight, is what I'm trying to say. You think, I mean they're playing the I mean they I know their conference is stinky, but they beat the heck out of Saint Mary's in that championship game from the same conference, from the same conference.
But what's most impressive is you know how many consecutive years now for Gonzaga.
And you know they've been in the sweet sixteen or longer ten in a round. Yeah, And next after.
Them is the ISOs of Michigan State.
Did you say sweet sixteen? Ten years in a row? Yes, yeah, ten or deeper? Who do they? But they would play Houston, right if if as long as they play Houston, Yeah, they're they're going to beat the hell out.
Of Georgia though maybe so.
Yeah.
Well, when we come back, we will stake a peek at the women's bracket and talk a little bit about Kenny Brooks in his first trip to the nca Tournament with the Wildcats, who have had a terrific season back in a minute on the state wide BBI final segment of our state wide program. We have enjoyed looking at the chalk, and now we're going to take a look at the bracket for We're not going to go through
the entire bracket. But uh what no, but what a year for Kenny I mean to come here is similar to what Pope did not didn't have to build the entire roster. And he also, like Pope pet Colin Chandler him. But Colin Chandler is going to be really good. Georgia Aymore is really good, and Clara Strack no question. So who comes with him the Transfer of the year and a defensive player of the year. Pretty good, not bad, that's said. How far can those two plus.
All the others?
They're thin, they're not terribly strong and physical, but if they're hitting shots, yeah, and they get out of Lexington, I think they can get out of Lexington.
I don't know all that much about the teams are gonna play. I do know that I think I saw something where Kenny Brooks and was a heck of a lot about Liberty because they were in the same conference with music JMU maybe and then they're obviously in the state of Virginia. They might have played Tech here and there. I do know, just from being from Connecticut that Fairfield has a coach that's been a top candidate for every big job, including she was in the running to be
the next head coach here at Kentucky. And they are the twelve coming to Lexington, So that one scares me a little. If they have to play Fairfield, I know nothing about Camper the state. Yeah, so I would say they're ceiling is probably the sweet sixteen because it's very hard to beat ones in the women's side, and they would run into USC who has Juju Watkins is one of the best players I've seen in women's basketball and quite some time. So I'd say their ceiling is the
sweet sixteen. But hey, if in year one, if they can get there, I don't know if they're in where that game would be Birmingham or if it's I don't know where it is, But if they get to the sweet sixteen his first year, I'd be pretty no good. They looked very timid in their first postseason game under
Kenny Brooks in the SEC Tournament. You know, I'm not sure if it was you know, the stage or if it was Oklahoma's physicality, but it was just it was not great, and so you know, I think that'd be a great success if they were to make the Sweet sixteen and play US. See, I think the bar is pretty low right now, and at least when it comes to expectations for the women's team in postseason play.
I agree, and I think you hit it.
I think it was Oklahoma's physicality because the big kid for Oklahoma Beers. I think she was just too much for all lot of teams to handle.
But this is a historically tall and shot block in Kentucky.
True, you know, but there's tall and there's big, and if you could be both, that's fantastic. But I do think if shots are falling, this team can beat anybody, because what do we always say about the NC tournament guards? Right, you got Georgia and they've got the best point but they do you know on this side of of the Mississippi River.
That's problem. Maybe the best guard in America the one one seeds point guard.
Yeah, but you're right about the one that's still as great as a women's game is becoming and as popular that the chasm between the top part, it's not there yet, but it's getting there.
Man, it's getting better and is gonna have a lot to say about it. Let's yeah, that'd be great Kentucky. I mean, regardless what a year he said to start his tenure, I'd be it'd be really.
Fun to see them play sc just for the star power juju and.
Yeah, I think I think they'll get there. Let's say, let's go for it.
Back in the mid eighties, Southern won a national title in the Lexingon So thanks to Billy, Thanks Aaron, thanks to all of you that said good night from Lexington.