Breaking down all the exes and ohs. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to in the Ball Girrel, Fox Forth fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, You're Troy Hutchinson and your one you have one with breaking news.
This is I on the Ball, Breaking News on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Happy money to everyone out there. Here's truly mister goody two shoes on Monday. Feel a little bit weird Monday, and you're still mister goody two shoes.
I guess so. Yeah.
Starting off breaking news, we obviously had Chattita Stubbs on earlier, head coach of Arizona Women's volleyball. They have their NIVC championship matchup tomorrow against Bowling Green six o'clock.
Yes, a m plus go and cheer them on four thousand. I thought she was gonna say like eight or nine, which she's four thousand. It seems good volleyball. Yeah, yeah, that's a that's a real good volleyball crowd. She can get that show out and she said, bear down, show out. Uh to Arizona football.
It's a transfer portal season and this time, Arizona gained instead of lost.
Gained a couple two three We Jose.
State cornerback Michael Dansby committed today as well as a former Texas cornerback, Javeon Cole.
So so, mister recruiting guy, Troy, upgrades not upgrades, do you know? Because again to my point is, you have a guy who didn't play much at Texas. Maybe he wasn't good enough for Texas? Is you good enough for Arizona? One and two? You have another guy Santose State and you hear all the criticism for there getting guys from Sanquose State in New Mexico.
Okay, so what's the big deal? You know?
I think in terms of the guy from Texas Cole, who was an All Conference, All Mountain West performer last season, you go to Texas, there's a lot of those. There's a lot of those types of players. Wait, he was somewhere else before Texas. It was at San Jose State prior to Texas before, so he was that he was under Brennan Texas. Okay, they didn't offer him the first time around. He went to Texas because he had so many big offers. He had Texas USC and others leaves
Texas didn't get the playing time. It's going to go back with Brennan to Arizona. I think that's a great fit. Dansby will see foreign receptions in the Mountain West. Very good corner. But what are you gonna do at the pack Big twelve. I've almost said packed a Big twelve level. And you still have guys out there in terms of Jacob Manu, Terrence Trade and suits and guys like that.
But Arizona still could bring back at the end of the day, do you hear anything, Well, Manu's on a recruiting visit to Washington, which is no surprise.
Of course, the surprise, of course, And why not get wined and dined right before you say I'm going to.
Be And I think that's the biggest thing in Arizona. Fans look at it and say, wow, this is a problem. Well, this is how it is across the country. These players have one more year left, they want to go to a Bilin. They're gonna get winded to nine and see where everything lays.
Good weekend of college basketball. Number one Tennessee survived at Illinois. On the last second show sixty six sixty four. You had you Dayton Dayton dating upsetting Marquee seventy one six.
That's your second big win of the year. Yeah.
Uh, Yukon took care of Gonzaga in New York seventy seven, seventy one. The Florida Gators took care of the Sun Devils eighty three to sixty six.
Uh.
Texas A and m beat per Due seventy to sixty six. Clemson got beat by Memphis on their home court. Was good eighty seventy two. John Miller lost to Cincinnati sixty eight sixty five.
He hates that. And since city rival, I've been grown in smiling. Yeah.
And of course uh in Phoenix Foot Prince Center, UCLA beat Arizona fifty seven fifty four.
Yeah.
It was just a bizarre game. And the old runner was one forty seven. And I said, anybody who, if they keep Arizona in the sixties, they're not gonna win. Arizona's not gonna win. Slow them down, blah blah blah. They didn't even get to sixty. The under was w under easily under. Yeah, it's just Arizona's just not finding a way to hit some shots or score.
And again they're they're in these games late. They just when it's late and it's close, they can't find a way to put the ball in the bucket.
There's only one guy that's gonna do that, and it's Jaydeen Bradley. He's gonna have his ball, the ball in his hand a lot and have to take control. I can't even remember what did you remember the response that I asked for Jane Bread.
It was kind of a wish. She watched. She like, we'll see, Yeah, what could he say?
Right?
But he who would you trust? Honestly?
Who would you trust in that team? I don't even trust Jayden to be honest all them?
That's how bad this. This is how bad? The team is pretty bad?
Yeah, I mean you think without in a heartbeat, what would you say? You know, heartbeat love?
Love? The guy love not even close to saying love.
I think the one, the one thing that he might have to think about is putting love back on the ball and saying our plan of having them mount the ball, screw it, it's not working.
Let's go back to what we were doing. Okay, good luck?
I agree, but no, no, no, no, no, Hey, if you can try to solve the problem, that's maybe a problem solver.
Who does ken do? You don't know until you do it. What?
And you know, we kind of talked about this earlier. Who's the guy on the coaching staff that's missing Cardialvoye? Yeah, the developer, the developer, the good, the good cop to Tommy's back cop.
Yeah? Or the is that? How was? Oh?
Definitely okay, Tommy's the tom him.
Doesn't get like Tommy doesn't get fired up like a Sean Miller. But sitting behind that bench during the pack Call tournament, I remember two years ago when Christian Colloco was on the team. He was getting beat by Stanford Download on the post. He they called him out and he landed into Christian. It's the it's the most I've ever seen Tommy land into a player. And I'm not going to say what he said because there's some coaching
words you don't use. And all of a sudden, Christian sits down for Cardio voice comes over and goes, hey, we still love you. We're gonna need you out there like you're a good player. You are that guy, go out and hill them, You're that dude. Christian goes on to have a great game. Tommy goes up to them and says, see, I told you you can do it. So there's a good cop back. Yeah, yeah, I was.
And last year's shot Tommy into into Kyland was pretty pretty big too.
Yeah. Okay. To the NBA, great Popovich gave an update.
He's recovering well from his stroke that he had November second, So it was at the arena they had a game and it was a mild stroke.
He's been recovering.
He's what seventy something, yeah, seventy five, seventy five. He had coached the first five games, went two and three, and then suffered that mild stroke.
It's weird. It's weird.
And I'm at the age now where I'm trying to figure out my end game, which is many years to come. But a lot of these coaches who have more money than they need, don't know when to end their game.
You know what I'm saying.
And you are you a San antoniosperg Yeah, so you know he's done a lot, been there, done that, one, a few championships, have a great career. And if you wouldn't, if you said goodbye tomorrow, you'd understand, right.
Yeah, some of these people just belcher, what do you what do you say okay, goodbye. What's the point of what continuing?
Yeah, yeah, there's no point unless you really love the game. And it's well, yeah, you'd have to ask them. Know we're speaking for them right now, but you know, maybe you Well the thing is too when you're and I said this, one asked the competitors or the athletes, what do you do to get the juices going to compete? Well, I, coach, and this is what I know. In fact, I was so bored today. I'm thinking I'd be bad in retirement. I just I would be. I know I would be.
So I gotta figure out what I want to do.
Yeah, coach h R. Coach rivera crap on the radio.
So over the weekend, the Maths and Warriors had a really good game. They combined for forty eight threes. Yeah, and the divel Smavericks beat the Warriors. It was like one forty something to something.
Yeah, thirties Yeah, yeah, I was.
I was watching the volleyball game, like I was telling Coach Tubbs, and it was such a fantastic volleyball game and seeing the score on the ticker thing, I needed to change the channel, but I didn't want to change the shadow.
So that was that was Klay Thompson's return to the baby.
Oh that's right, No, he had already done that because they had to celebrated with hats with they gave away the sailor hats.
Oh yeah, yeah.
So NBA Cup coming to a conclusion tomorrow. Chris Middleton missed practice today with an illness. He is he's questionable right now to show up for the final.
Well, I mean yeah, I mean he's he's been the guy over the last year and a half where injuries are kind of plaguing him right now. But in terms of the NBA Cup, I don't know if this is an unmopular opinion.
Can we get rid of it already? Two years? It doesn't work. I listen to it.
Yeah, the Lakers won it last year. They did the little celebration. Nobody cares Lebron even playing. Is he still no? He played, came back. I believe last night they won. IM sure it's just body catching up to him or something. It feels like the league is sports senates saying, oh, it's working while it's working on Oh okay, I don't believe you.
I'm sorry, I don't.
Yeah, I don't even pay attention to that because who watches the NBA now?
Honestly, the best thing that it's done is for teams like Phoenix that are binging up and other teams like that. You're only playing two games a week now, you're getting healthy. Cool, thank you? Okay?
Yeah, and again over the weekend, the Bucks did beat the Hawks one and ten two one O two.
Thunder beat the Rockets one hundred and eleven two ninety six. Bucks.
Hawks are Bucks Thunder tomorrow night for the championship. Like I said, great weekend of NBA. Lebron came back, Sons beat Tildblazers one sixteen to one O nine. And yeah, so outside of the NBA, good another day of NFL football.
Yeah, I have a breaking news. A guy who's been on our show a few times. You might get him on this week, mister Nugent. Pat Nugent retired today the end game, like we were talking about, right, going out on top, which you should and say goodbye.
I don't need this crap anymore. Uh.
You know, champion at at Mike Mountain a week or so ago, right when.
The state title. Yeah, yeah, I'll build that. Michael out from program after building Siana c Yeah, yeah, good coach. I'll probably try to get him on. Maybe I need a co host. See what he wants to do?
Oh yeah, So the forty nine Ers suspended linebacker Devandre Campbell for three games refusing to play in last Thursday's game against the Rams.
Why do you? Why do you refuse to play? I didn't see that.
I'm still unsure about that, but I'm sure it was at a game he didn't want to be a part of it or something.
Yeah, that cost him his party's career. Now it's like, who's that brown?
Brown?
No, No, Antonio. Yeah. The Lions will be without David Montgomery and Alan McNeil for the rest of the season. Big loss for the Lions is they won. Two punch just turned into a one punch with Jimier Gibbs. See what happens with them? They lost to the Bills this weekend. Cheeves quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a high angle spread after being folded up on during the game against the Browns. See what happens with him? They beat the Browns twenty
one to seven, and some other good games. The Broncos beat the Colts thirty one thirteen Bills beat the Lions forty forty two Eagles. Steelers ended in a Eagles victory twenty seven to thirteen. Sur Probably one for me was the Buccaneers beat down on the Chargers forty to seventeen.
Yeah, dismandle them and that that was what that was, seventeen to ten Chargers at one point. Yeah, this rattled on thirty three points.
Right that game and the Buffalo Detroit game was fantastic. I thought that game was a good game, all those points, a lot of points being scored.
But are you shocked, like you know, you look at the Chargers and see a couple bad losses hot start Classic Charger of football. Yeah, I mean that's very very San diego over them, very Charger alike.
So then Monday night football we have the Bears going up against the Vikings, Falcas playing the Raiders, a couple of minor league games. You want to say, if you want to call it that, I like the doubleheaders.
It gives me. I do, but get different options, give us good games.
I mean, there's so many great games in the second half of the second slate of games for the afternoon on Sunday, But some of these crappy games there, yeah, and just move move those better games around. Give the winning teams their time on brundown.
Should probably should have been the the bills and lines, either on Sunday Night Football or tonight.
But we get what we get.
So FAU is going to be approving a twenty two point five million dollar stadium naming rights deal. The Flagler Credit Union will be on the name of the football stadium.
Yeah, that's in Miami, right, fifteen yeah, fifteen year deal. At some point, Arizona was going to do that. At some point they were.
Apparently somebody told me that they were close many years ago before the sports betting became popular with one of the casinos out here in Tucson, and the university said no, no, Yeah, that doesn't surprise me because you know, betting in college wasn't a thing back then.
Right now it's now it's commonplace. Yeah.
Yeah, you think we're gonna get a casino dold soul Arizona stadium That would be the.
Most realistic one raytheon. Yeah.
I don't think they spend money, but maybe not. But you know something, it'll be something. It'll eventually in my lifetime, it'll eventually happen.
It asked.
They got to get out of this mess, and they gotta pay the kids, they gotta do all these crap things.
I don't know. They're gonna put something on Michael Center eventually.
Yeah, it's all for sale. It's a it's a it's a big lot. Come we get it, baby, if you could afford it and come and get it to fire sale.
So Sacramento State is in discussions with Michael Vick to become their head coach.
Yeah, I saw that. I saw Norfolk State earlier. What did you say, Sacramento State. No, it's I thought Norfolk. It's he's a state. Have it on ESPN, the Sacramento State. Yeah, well I thought it was somewhere else.
I also I saw something different too, and then I saw Sacramento State. I said, oh wow, Really he was also interviewing with Norfolk State. Okay, job, But it looks like the discussions with Sacramento State have picked up.
We live in a time. We live in a time which is I'm fine with it. Here's a guy who's convicted of doing whatever he did, and now he's a head coach, and and you can go political and think whatever we live in a time when second and third chances are good.
I guess, and that's the only comment I'll make it. Well.
And also former athletes becoming head coaches with very little coaching experience.
Right well j Reddick that yeah, that and former players becoming not journalists but comment hitters without going to school.
Robert Grif Yeah, that's a ton of them. Yeah, I mean, I.
Don't I feel sorry for you guys, because you guys are going to and I teach some of them, journals of guys, you know, TV people, and now they're getting their jobs taken away by name people.
That was the goal going into college for me, become the next guys Johnson.
But we'll see what happens with that.
So Penn State quarterback Drew Aller is returning for a senior year Penn State.
Yep.
There's a bunch of guys leaving now on the playoff teams. Yeah, and the coach is saying, if you're going, you can't play.
You know, there's two things they need to fix about the transfer portal. One is the re entry if you've already been in there, entering a second time after being at a program or returning to your program just like that, you get to play. They need to set some limits to fix this craziness. And two, let's have the transfer portal open up after the college will Bull playoffs. If you're on a team, I'm sorry, play play on the team.
Just be ready to play. You were there, I mean, yeah, it was kind of weird last year when you had Blanking on his name.
Now, but the Washington quarterback on the sideline during the National championship No, no, Michael be explained, No, I know, I know, I know Pen was his backup. But the quarterback for Washington this year.
Oh, what's his name? I'm not Rogers, Will Rogers, Will Rogers. He was on the sideline during that national chess being transferred in before the championship game. Yeah, I thought that was a bit weird.
Last thing I got wake Forest Dave Clawson resigned as the football head coach.
Yeah probably, yeah, that's how it was written. Something might be saying that he was forced out. Yeah, okay, let's go. We go and get Bruce Pascal here on the other side. About three minutes.
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This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen.
Fifty.
Want to take part in the show? Call up steam now went five to two oh four one, six seventy four forty.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports Sports with fifty. I'm Steve Rivera.
In with me, Today's Troy Hutchinson and Juan Now we have Bruce Pasca from the Arizona do this star?
Bruce? How are you good?
How are you guys?
We're doing fine, thanks Bruce. So we're we're we're watching the game in Phoenix. Uh, and I'm thinking, God, what's up with this team? And these lineups that he has are kind of kind of wampus or whatever word you want to use. What's going through your mind as you're witnessing it? Because I've covered it for a long time, You've covered it for a long time.
What do you see.
Yeah, you know, it's kind of been the same thing all years. Just the offense is not quite right and it's like disjointed parts. I think these still are kind of struggling to find the right flows and the rotation, and you know, ball movement's been compromised. I don't know whether that's some individual things or just you know, lack of togetherness or just or what it is. It's and then I think at the same time, it's just it's
just been tested by really a pretty tough schedule. And you know, in UCLA in particular, was you know, they came into this game leading the country in turnover margin, you know, twenty seven percent opponents turnovers or twenty seven percent of their opposite Their opponents were turning the ball over on twenty seven percent of their possessions. Arizona did
it on thirty four percent of their possessions. It just, you know, they they was a meat grinder kind of deal and they just, you know, they're not ready for that. And and that's you know, obviously disconcerting. And I think, you know, in retrospect, they probably might have toned down the schedule a little bit. But you know, as we all know that in the state and age, you don't you never know until May or Jue what your team
is going to look like for the next year. So these these games, even though they're not set up as far in advance as football, he's still you know, they don't know exactly what they're going to have, and it just it just sort of hit them all at once.
Yeah, you know, Bruce, you look at the turnovers and he pointed out twenty two turnovers sixteen assists. Who on the team, in your opinion right now is that distributor? And do they have one somebody that can make this offense flow?
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, it starts with Jayden Bradley. He's been you know, about what they expected. But but you know, I think secondarily that's kind of where it's breaking down sometimes. And I think they you know, last year, they had you know, some experience really good ball handlers in the middle there, you know, with with pl Larson and you know, even Johnson seemed to adapt pretty well to that, and it just hasn't worked with
this group so far. And that's even with you know, there's been signs of that, but it's again, it's just not quite clicking right, and I think it's you know, it's just been everything looked a little worse because Caleb Glove's been off so much too, and they just can't get you know, very consistent shooting from him, and that's sort of dragged the whole thing down.
I think.
Yeah, let me ask you before the season started, I'm sure you're high on the team because you're close to them, you know what kind of talent, And then you see Townsend, then you see Twentsen kind of not living up, and then Walka doing what he does, and just it seems like the talent level is just not there.
Well you know, I mean, yeah, you know, I did think I still had him in the top twenty, but I didn't rank him as high as other people because they lost four starters, I mean slices. Even in this same age, that's hard to do to replace that many starters. And unless you're you know, really good and what you're getting out of high school or in the portal and you know, Talenton is interesting. He was think really highly
as a as a portal transfer. You know, I think based a lot on the fact that he had two really good games in the tournament, and you know, that you could project that he would play well at this at this level. He's actually he played well against Wisconsin, you know, not not not as well in some of the other losses that Arizona his had and and I think a Waka has been kind of what they expected. It's kind of a banger and a really good instinctive rebounder, tough guy, but he's the one guy on the team
has really brought some toughness. The problem is, of course the creative has been out and now maybe out for who knows how long, and and so they've had to rely on a lot of more than they probably thought they would have to. So that that's that's just kind of been a draw out there, you know. But it's it's it's hard to you know, to go into that portal and you know, I think you know, ever been coming out of it. Those were two pretty good pieces.
Certainly personality wise, they seem to be they're both good guys and all that. It just hasn't, you know, been quite the production that they were hoping for.
You know, a lot of people talk about the transfer editions the four starters from the lineup like he brought brought up, but also what hasn't really been talked about this season, is the coaching changes. You see Ricardo Foye move off the coaching staff, and I've gotten the chance to talk to Riccardo. I know you have as Welber's high basketball mind and a great developer of talent. It's hard to replace that when when you have those coaches.
Leaven and Arizona did it from within and right now, I'm not saying that that's part of the problem, but it is hard to replace a coach like Riccardo voice.
You know, that's a great point, Troy, and I think about that earlier today. Actually the player development point. You know, he's known for that. It's hard for us to tell exactly how that's translating or what's happening, but guys, generally, you know, we're getting better. But I think that the other thing that I thought about without him is he was probably the most fiery of all those guys on the bench. I mean, you know, Tommy Lloyd used to joke about, you know, he's just you know, red blooded,
the Italian guy, just going crazy or whatever. But you know what, maybe that's what the team needs right now, you know. I mean there was that time you know, you guys watched against Saturday. They're up thirteen, they're up eleven, they're up nine. Yeah, it's the kind of not really not really with that killer instinct. You know, maybe there's just a little a little a little more fire in
them might have helped. You know, it sounds kind of basic, but I think in some cases, you know, it can make the difference between a between a stop here there, or maybe even the guy who drives in and picks up a fowl, or just that little extra edge and maybe, you know, maybe he might you know, maybe they would have had more that with him. It's hard to say, but it does make you wonder you're right, because that is probably you know, he hasn't Tommy Wit hasn't had
any changes to his staff. He's had a couple additions, but no subtractions really until Ricardo Ricky left up Up and so that was that was you know, that was significant, you.
Have no oh okay, yeah, And in terms of Kayla Love, you know, we brought this up earlier, how they talked about having him play off the ball, having to move without the basketball and learn how to score without the ball in his hands, similar to like a Klay Thompson, Steph Curry what you see on Golden State. I don't know if it's just me, Bruce, but I don't know
if you've noticed as well. Most of the game, if he doesn't have the ball in his hands, and we had a caller bring this up, he's sitting there at that elbow. There's not a lot of movement. And so is that game plan of what you wanted to do this season? Do you need to toss that out the window?
Well?
And plus, Bruce, I think he was you last week who asked me about his situation. I asked him at the game a week or show ago, you know what's going on with him?
And he says he's gonna be fine. Yeah, yea.
And then you kind of followed up with the question two about him four days later about his playing and he talked to you about defending on the opposite side, being more engaged, being active, and he's none of that.
Yeah, you know, I mean, you know how it goes good. I think it's the old thing too a little bit. When your shot is not hitting, it's hard to keep motivated to do the other things. You know, sometimes guys can work the other way. You know, when they're not shots often to get more determined to grab that rebound or move or whatever or set somebody else up. Yeah, it's but it's not quite happening.
You know.
I think that's you know, as I said before, it's kind of the I think the heart of their ball movement. It may be some of the secondary movements. You know, guys like you know, kJ Lewis, they need to you know, help move the move the ball around a lot. Delors is kind of a catch a shoot guy, so you know, I don't know there, but he has experience with a team that that cut moved a lot at Campbell, and
you know, why aren't those pieces come together? It's it's it's a little puzzling and and and Caleb Love makes it tricky because he's he's uh, you know, he's talented and proving, and he says all the right things, and you know, and he tend to to believe at some point it's going to come around. And I think I certainly thought that, you know, but we're getting pretty deep into the you know, into the season here for for trends anyway, and and it's just not happening so far.
So you know, so if I can't ask you because you you hang around Tommy every now him, you'll hang around it, but you know, your follow a lot. Uh.
And then we see him here on occasion.
Do you think do you think that he's kind of an Aeschex kind of coach, you know, for good about Uh?
What do you think this is eating at him? What do you think he's going through?
Oh?
Yeah, I do.
I actually think that, you know, people sometimes think because he's so affable and genuine and all these you know, kind of upbeat characteristics, he's actually very competitive. I've seen that side of him on a you know, not we don't go to practice usually, but you know, just in certain things and and uh, no, I think it is absolutely you know. I mean I remember even I think even after the UH session might even have been the
old Domini game or one of the early games. And I you know, I just caught him briefly after the press conference and he said, I'm like, I got to get this thing. I got to get this rotation right. You know, this isn't working. He knew it, and it
was bothering him then. And they were they were you know, they hadn't run into the problems that they haven't lost they games at that point, and you know, so it's absolutely going to be But you know, it's it's it's it's tricky because you know, as a coach, do you do do you show that all in the public, you know, you know, or do you want to keep everyone up beat? Maybe maybe he's doing you know, I think he's one of these coaches where behind the scenes he's a little
more negative than he is with us. But you know, it wouldn't you know, I don't really know for sure, honestly I don't, but I definitely do think it is even most there's no question. I mean, if he's never been in this position before. They they've won every game in November till this year, and and most of his teams have been really really good out of the gate and even into January and then usually still pretty good, sometimes level off, but they've never started as obviously anything
close to a whole like this. So it's you know, it's it's it's different. It's very different. And I don't think even that, you know, I think at Gonzago and he was in sitting you know, they certainly had some rough non conference plays here and there. But but then they go in the West Coast Conference and they can figure it out against that competition. This is this is the opposite here, They're going to go to the Big Twelve and it's not going to get any easier.
Yeah, and you know with that, Arizona has two games before the Big twelve play was Samford and Central Michigan. Is that enough time to to fix some Is that enough time to fix some of these issues?
Or is it going to be into Big twelve plays?
Well, here's the problem with to Yeah, yeah, going, well that's that's said.
Okay, they play who the Sford and Central Michigan.
Okay, so so if they win those games, okay, big deal because they've won against those guys. Right, So so now you have the losses against pretty good teams. Guess what they have up up in the Big twelve? Pretty damn good teams. So so if they can't beat these other teams, what's the things that they're gonna be able to survive the Big twelve?
Right?
Right? I mean this is absolutely I thought coming out of Atlantis was a big deal because they had you know, basically two weeks with that just that one game against Southern Utah, and I think they use that to their advantage, and they you know, and they they did show some good things against UCLA. US is just really good defensively and got to them and then they yeah, they did
kind of melt down, which was a problem. But I think, you know, you could argue that X and O's wise and all that they maybe had shown some signs of improvement over this last two week period because they didn't really get any time to work on things after well, they did after Wisconsin and then after Dukelum they went right to the Bahamas and you know, when all that went that didn't go well, they really haven't had a whole lot of time to kind of retrench and you know,
work on this stuff. So now they're at home for this week, two home games, then that bill breaks to the holidays. But you know, when they come back, they'll have a good three or four days to kind of work again on themselves, you know, and maybe going home, and you know, you know, Steve, how it is with the you know, these these guys, I mean maybe going home.
Over Christmas break.
They're gonna go home and instead of everyone telling them how great they are, nobody's gonna be telling them how great they are, and you know, they might sit on them a little bit and maybe they come back it's a different focus. And then they'll have three or four days to to kind of you know, keep working on things as a team. And then and then they get
a home game. You know, fortunately for them, they get a home game against TCU to kind of start that off, and you know, if they can turn things around, maybe look good in that TCU game. Then they go on the road Cincinnati West Virginia feeling maybe a little better about themselves and you know, maybe they can split that trip and uh and feel pretty good.
At that point.
So is December seventeenth or seventeenth, right, sixteen seventeen. Okay, let's go on the record now, Troy, they're gonna make the playoffs, make the instably, No, uh.
What I think they? I think they will. They're going to figure it out, Bruce.
Yeah, I think they'll figure it out. But they're they're they are gonna be trended into bubble territory obviously, But I think they can fiigured out enough and I think they'll still be able to probably win most it's not all their home games, and then you know, if they can pick a few off on the road. You know, I was calculating it today. I mean, you figure six
and five. If they win these two games, and then say they go twelve and eight in the Big Twelve and then win a game or two in the Big twelve Tournament, they're eighteen nineteen wins something like that, maybe twenty. That's probably the schedule they played, that's probably yeah. But considering the schedule they played, that's probably good enough to get them in. But it's going to be that be close.
Obviously they would feel if they went fourteen to six or even thirteen to seven, that would be a lot more less to worry about. But there's there's opportunities for him there, and I think I think this team does have the chance to figure it out and then they get in there. But you know, then again, just slip in the tournament as a bubble team, and you know, a lot of times it's not gonna last very long. But at least they would they would get in.
I'll tell you what.
For the first time I think in Tommy Lloyd's career here at Arizona, the Big Twelve Tournament, which used to be the Pac twelve Tournament for Arizona, but the non the conference tournament is massive this season for them. If you're able to collect wins at the end of the year, I've said some things, maybe make it to the semi finals final game, you feel a lot more comfortable.
Yeah. Well, And the weird thing is it's one of these three tier deals where the top I believe it's the top four teams get two buys, the second four get one by and then the bottom eight get no buys. And they're playing on that Tuesday. And you know, obviously you wouldn't want to play on that Tuesday or even the Wednesday, but maybe in Arizona's case, they might want to play on Wednesday because maybe about the winnable game
that's helped the resume. And then they get on a Thursday and play you know, Baylor or whoever is one of the three four top seeds, and you know if they certainly, if they won that game, it wouldn't even matter if they made it to the final or won, and they would have some quality wins there. So it'll be interesting to see because it could play out a
number different ways. I mean, right now, you project they'd probably be right about one of the last teams to maybe get one by as the top eighteen, but they might not even do that, and then they'd be playing on Tuesday and they'd have to win two or three games and that that would be that would be something that's offer.
Yeah, question, there's a lot. Yeah, one last.
Question before we go, Brush I asked, I asked, and tell me about this, and I've gotten a lot of the feedback from the guys I've talked on the radio. Uh As Caleb love those Arizona goes.
Do you agree? I disagree.
Well, that's certainly been the case so far. I mean, you know, he had a good game against Davidson. They won that easy. He's had pretty good games most of the times and the other times they've won, they should have enough to win without them, but they, you know, they haven't shown it. They don't have that reliable inside out thing, you know, and another way to win. And I think, you know, losing previous is a big, a
big thing there. It's going to be probably even more the case where they they really need more from him, you know, you know, and you know, maybe you know, I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't have said at the beginning of the year but it's just looking like that, just looks like this team doesn't have you know, a whole lot of you know, a lot of go to offense to turn two. So he could be that guy. And I think we saw that last year too as well. I mean he kind of you know, struggled towards the
end of the season and that's when they lost. He actually had kind of a rough game I think at Washington State they lost that game.
You know, just things like that.
You know it has been the case, so it's simple that they listen truth to it, especially the way this team is playing out.
Yeah, okay, Bruce, thanks a bunch, man. We'll see you see you Wednesday.
Yeah, yeah, good talk to you guys.
I think Bruce Pasco daily start, I so wants to get to with this team. And so the good thing is we stop talking about football. Love that, let's go and take a break. Maybe we get a couple of quick calls.
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Steve Rivera, he's got his eye on the ball on Tucson Sports Station yet Fox Sports fourteen fIF day.
Hey, welcome back to Eye the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You're Troy. You're one talk sports A football, you way basketball, A Women's Best women's pay tonight. Women play tonight, believe So, I guess I can't remember where they played. Yeah, there there's issues there too. I mean they got to win more. They're not doing well. Probably less talented than he've been in a while.
Less talented losses against Green Canyon and au we were stamp we station.
Yeah, okay, six o'clock tough man this is if you're a you, a fan, a U, a diehard fan, and you follow the sports, It's been.
A tough semester.
This it's got to be one of the toughest semesters in program, well, in athletics history.
So well that's yeah, well in the last history relative to thirty some years in my thirty seven, I'd have to say yes, because the key, the lynch pin is Arizona. Basketball is always something there's always yeah, and if there was, if football was doing that, we've seen worse, right, women's basketball we've seen worse. But when you have the cornerstone of the programs sucking, yeah, that's it's a bad It's a big deal. And in fact camera who said it
was it erin tourist? What of the basketball now? National guys, the biggest disappointment in college basketball in it right now is Arizona on them.
I don't disagree, No by far. You could say you kind of little, but no, you know what, Ukon is going to be Ukon at the end of the day. Yeah, and they're starting to be you kind of you. If I had a.
Picket team to win a national championship, then it's gotten off on a bad start.
I'm picking and I'm feeling very confident. Yeah, right right, because they do find a way. Tommy, it's you think it's a lineup?
What do you think?
Well, we already talked about your problems. It's a lot of it's a it's a bit to me, it's a big stew.
Of a lot of crap.
It's a lot of problems. It's a lot of detailed problems that have created a massive problem. He tails of, you don't have a passor you don't have a true point guard. He tails of, you're a little soft around the edges.
And you're well, here you go, because you want to ask this question and you can answer the question that you want. Troy is is a true point guard. They have one, his name is Martinez, but I don't think he's the point guard they need.
He's not a power five, well, power five, group of five, whatever you want to call it. Now, he's not a major college basketball point guard.
To me.
He's UA B level San Jose State. He's not an Arizonaal because you can't have a guy that's afraid to shoot the ball.
Yeah, oh got it, Yeah, let's do it. Hello, you're on the Roinine of the ball. Who's this?
This is Victean Vick, gim me give me your wisdom.
Well, I can tell you this, Like Bruce said, Oh, they lost these guys the NBA and they missed Krebs.
That's a bunch of Bologney.
Every team in the nation loses that many players. And guess what you lose that many in high school. You lose your senior quarterback. You got to get another one to compete. And that's why the Micah's and CDOs and South Point are what they are because of coaching and planning and organization and and and you know, getting those
guys ahead of time and and that's just like in football. Uh, the defense got hurt with injuries, but everybody said, oh, they lost Jonah Coleman and they lost Jordan moore Na. You had sufficient guide. Maybe you weren't gonna go canon one or eight and two, but to go three and eight you with a talent you had. And the same with Tommy. You brought in guys to replace those guys you lost. You were banking on Trey. Either it's a bad callon Evel or or the guys just aren't responding
to you. This year. But don't give me and cream as sucks. He was he can't catch a cold last year, he can't catch one this year. We talked about it last year, Steve and I called that one.
Yeah, no, what's talking. He's had his opportunities. He hasn't lived up to one. And maybe it's maybe injury, but that would be.
And it ain't the foot injury either.
He's that apple time to get better and shoot that girl on the on the girl's basketball team has a bad foot injury. She's out there grinding and jumping and all that stuff. So I'm not blaming that either.
That's a bunch of bull.
That's a bunch of bull. And and and and being so weak this game with U c l Ac like text you getting the ball taken away like that, that was like me playing against my daughters at nine years old.
Just it was.
It was bad. It was bad.
And you and you commented on my story too, given the that was pretty critical about him.
Yes, it was that.
That's just bad.
And and I mean, I don't know do you blame that on coaching, because, like I said, Bruce is full of it. Every team loses that many players. Georgia football loses players, Alabama football player, Ohio State. Everybody, it's a new Norman And that was from coming from Troy.
The new norm was let me ask you real quick, are they gonna make the player make the tournament?
No?
No, they aren't there. I'm watching Hallmark Christmas movies and guess what that magic can't rubbing off?
Right?
Well if they get an N I T and right thing going, No, you don't do that. No here, no here, Like we saw the show they went in there and book bounced in the first round.
Is it book now? Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, real quick. I want you guys. Are gonna be over there Thursday.
Yes, we'll be at the casino on Thursday.
Okay, drop by it to wish you guys a merry Christmas before I hit out back.
Galleis okay, great, great, we'll see you then, thank you, thanks.
For the call.
Okay, you take care of your car.
Vic Victor, you can't argue with him, and you can't. You can't say, well, soften it up, and well you can't. They've never Tommy has never been in the situation. No, some guy sending me a note last week. So if you've never been in the situation, how are you gonna get out of this? Well, you have no choice but to get out of this.
We got another call the guys America Christmas. Before I hit out back, jalais.
Hello, you're on the air the Hey, how you doing good? Who is this Howard?
Oh?
Here's the show.
I'm gonna say it's Howard from now on because because Nico and Gabe do not need to say who they are, because you and I steve the first syllables out of their name, especially Nico, we know who it is.
Yeah, his voice, and I'm.
Gonna just I'm gonna comment and vict I agree with him one hundred percent. I mean, I can't disagree with anything he said about the basketball team.
Yeah, I mean it's hard to what you see is what are you getting? I mean, I asked the guys here, give me a positive. You have a positive?
Well, yeah, I do have one, but I'm on your bandwagon. I do like Henry, but because his name starts with the nation. Now I'm kidding, Henry is pretty good. But if Henry's leading your team in points at halftime, you're in trouble. And they were. He had six points, everyone else had four.
So I know a little bit to that though. So if Henry is pretty good, if that is the good of the season, pretty good going three of eight and one of four from the three point line and four turnovers, that's not good.
No, I'm saying, but at halftime, if he's your leading school, or at halftime it was six points, that's a problem.
I'm just saying that that's your one positive. That's a problem too on the season.
Right, No, I know, same thing, But I just I'm I've pushed the panic button, but I still think they can. You know, they're just gonna have to be red gangbusters in in the Big twelve. They just just no room.
What gives you? What gives you hope that what you've seen that they'll do that?
You know they're softer on the edges. You guys said that, that's that's true everything you said, And I haven't seen any hope. But who knows, Maybe tom Tommy's got some kind of magic secret sauce.
Who knows.
Well the he goes, he'll say, we can't do any worse.
Guys, Right, No, No, you're right, you're right.
Well, Howard's bock bottom, thanks a bunch man. We'll say you're going down to.
I don't know. We'll we'll see what happens. Okay, thanks for now, I know and at least.
Yeah, thank you. Yeah, the positivity here is not good.
You hear that term at the end of it though, rock Bottom and a lot of programs like, I know, it's not it's not a great year of Arizona. But you have the talent, yea do something. A lot of programs would still like to be in Arizona situation.
Of course, of course. But the thing is, uh, you're not used to expectations. Arizona's fans are not used to this. Yeah, rock Bottom is relative right, Uh what if they don't have the talent? What if what if we just think they do because it's at Arizona.
I'm gonna be what if the talent at the front court with and revs are even a walk up?
Just this isn't very good. Yeah, and you're going the Big twelve, there's big They're gonna show you that you're not any good. You're not any good.
Cres.
You know, I'm not gonna go as bad as as Vic said with Crevas and that he sucks. He still needs a lot of work to get done and foot injury aside blah blah blah because he was having a hard time catching the ball.
He was at Stokes like, yeah, yeah, you know then those.
Right, the same situation in the newer version of that Stokes yeat of catch the ball going deep and ballo would have not have helped this situation.
No, because he had his own issues.
So out of the twenty two turnoers that they had on the roster yesterday, eleven of them came from uh I Waka.
Townsend and Henry Basar. Yeah. Yeah.
And there were a couple of times when the shore guys with the balls were taken away from them just on the front court, at the back court.
It's just slapping us, slapping us all around and the carelessness of the basketball as you see how Henry stood like. And that's my point of what I'm just trying to make they start. Had a good game. He had nine months three of eight shooting, but he turned the ball over four times and there was three turnovers where he just bounced it off his foot out.
Of bounce, and then he took some meal advice shots. That isn't good basketball. No, No, that's not a good performance. No those the people say if those shots go in it's it's over.
The thing is that you don't want you don't want them tak.
Yeah, you don't want them taking nothing that not in time and circumstance. Exactly time and circumstances. Yeah, okay, we gotta go. Thanks one for paying attention to what time we gotta go. Hey, good show today, Thanks One, and you Troy. Whatever your day, we'll get it right event Thanks guys. We'll see guys tomorrow.