Monday, March 17, Hour 1

This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services Insure your most Prized possessionets.

Hi, Good afternoon, everybody.

Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. I was waiting for mister Quinn, but I think I am messed up. But in today with me is one as my co host one, you didn't get any FaceTime, but you're here.

I'm here and our boy Ray, How would do Big Ray? Big Ray? He's got that army look at him right now. Welcome everybody. Yeah, A lot of stuff going on, right Arizona a number four seed in the East, but playing in the West.

Were you surprised at all where they landed?

Uh?

Well, not sorry seating, but maybe the region?

Uh yeah, kind of yeah, kind of because well I was selfishly hoping they'd get to Denver. Yeah, because I wanted to get to Denver, just get their easy hoabe relatives up there. But I'm not gonna go to Seattle. I think this is the first time telling everybody I'm not gonna go to Seattle. This will be the fourth tournament in thirty four years I've missed something like that, so but I'm okay with that because it is what

Yeah.

We we sat down with UH with coach Brennan here for about twenty minutes and otherwise today talking about this. The spring break is spring training or whatever, you know, spring football. It's gonna be totally different. We'll talk about that later. Uh and UH, just one take away from that, what did you do? What did you take away from that? Crist Covers talk more about it.

Given the season that happened last year, there's still a lot of excitement. You can see it on his face. He's working hard. I was gonna it makes me a little bit more optimistic.

I didn't ask any questions because that's not my lane, and it's just not my lane right now, or it's just not my lane further.

Uh.

The question I wanted to ask and I didn't ask any questions was does he feel any pressure in I don't even know how to pass him? Does he feel any pressure this spring to get some some steps since out of it? But that's obvious, yes, right, Uh, but would want that right right, So I'm gonna wait for that question to come in the in the fall, because that's when the pressure starts. You know, it's not already there, right, right, And what's you gonna say?

The yeah?

But we'll wait for that to be us later because to me, it's a do or die season for.

Him for sure, going into the second season. Failed to meet expectations last season. Yeah, not a lot of expectations this season, so a little bit more of a curve to it.

Well, expectations from whom I think just in general, I would say, I think I'm gonna leave it at that, because obviously the fans they want to see wins, and so does the team, the coaches, but it's it's the second year, second year, but I think that the expectations are coming from the a D and then fans who thought they were cheated last year with a what would have been a pretty good team. Right, So we'll see, we'll see. I'm not gonna talk about it this spring.

One outside observation, not from today, is that there's been a lot, in my opinion and what I've seen a lot of community outreach, especially before like other sporting events with Arizona Athletics, like before softball, before baseball tomorrow, they have these autograph sessions, so I think maybe it's a little bit of reaching out to the community and also maybe just introducing who's on this team this year because there was a mass exodus and the football entrance.

Yeah, oh, they're having a lot of those signings. Okay, I thought maybe with the team. Oh really, I didn't know that.

Yeah, before some of the softball games and even before some of the basketball games.

Yeah, Forfeita and some of the other players out there. Why do you think to.

Reach out to the fans kind of get them back into it, into the spirit of Arizona football.

They also sent an email I think it was an email or posted something on Facebook. Uh, season tickets. I can't remember what it was, But can you contribute to the player fund? The player fund, I think that has a lot to do with it too. They need to find ways to get these guys some more money. Good luck with all that theme.

To the new reality.

Yeah, yeah, and we talked a little about that too, talking about money and situations like that.

So we'll move beyond.

But the big news, of course is Arizona a four seed going to Seattle to be in the East. If they get through the through the Seattle bracket, they'll get to New Jersey. And good luck with the fans there because it's going to be tough two weeks to get to here to there, and I think if they get to the final four, I'll be able to make that.

We'll see what happens.

Yeah, I'm eyeing San Antonio. I'm sure all of two songs eyeing San Antonio. Yeah, so we'll see. Did it surprise me?

No?

They should have been a four. They played well enough to be a four. This weekend they Houston. I don't know if you read my column.

Do you read me? No, shame on? No, it pops up every now, it pops up. Yeah, I'll read it.

Yeah, Okay, So I wrote that there was no shame in that gloss, not at all. They played their butts off. And but I've covered this team for thirty some years, directly and indirectly. Uh, anytime you tell Arizona that they're not good enough, they show up. It's the it's the teams like the Akrons and the teams that they think they don't have to show up that they just win.

The Buffalo's, the Wichita States, the Presidents, the Princeton's, the Santa Clara's, the East Tannessee States.

So we'll see how he gets them ready, gets them ready for Friday afternoon.

The only thing I think most fans were disappointed by were those final five minutes.

It just looked they looked tired. Yeah, it looked like they ran out of gas. Didn't you see that game here? Yeah, exact same game.

I think I think a little bit more of foul trouble here in Tucson, whereas not so much in Kansas City. But regardless, right, they played a great thirty five minutes.

Right right.

The unfortunate part is they played for forty right, race, So you agreed, kind.

Yeah, I thought so.

I mean, you know, they they played Tech really well and then they you know, getting to Houston, everybody knew was going to be a tough matchup. Yeah, and so I thought that, like you guys said, is like, they played a great thirty five minutes, but it's a forty minute game.

Right right, and Houston's damn good. Yeah. I think that's why there was no shame to me, because damn good.

Uh.

And sometimes guess what, the best team wins.

Yeah, the better team wins on most days, it takes it takes an almost perfect performance for the underdogs to win, right, And it wasn't perfect for Arizona.

No, No, it's a couple of slip ups. There wasn't maybe bad call, but it's in real time. It's you can't tell if he touched the ball or didn't touch the ball on the turnover and they hit their shots.

Again, and then it's just you don't put yourself in that position to give it to the ref to decide a game, and not that that call decided the game, but you just can't put yourself in that position.

Right, right, Okay? And then the women didn't get to pick to the n C doa tournament, right and that was no big shock?

Now are you covering that?

Uh?

The the tournament, the end. No, as far as I know right now, I'm not okay because Kim does Kim does that? You usually Kim Okay.

So they're gonna play Thursday, I believe, Thursday, Thursday afternoon here at McHale.

Uh the w B I E something, w B I T something. Uh. They take on in state rival and in state right, and they lost. That's kind they lostuff there in the flag Staff.

That's kind of a shocking in state rival Northern Arizona, and they got to you know, redeem themselves from that loss earlier. We'll see what happens because there's kind of like a lot of underlying stories there right involving the idea the team the postseason.

I don't know if you saw, but uh, Jada Jadah Williams most likely not to play, more than likely not to play coach because of the injury that's been bugging her all season, and it's still bugging her through the practices.

I didn't see that. Who reported that? I saw?

I saw it on X I think leave from Kim or or I saw I saw it retweeted by Desert Swarm.

Uh.

That's a big that's a big blowing and it's nothing official.

It was more than likely, more probable, not gonna.

Oh, they didn't say that. Someone said it. Someone else said it.

Not that.

Okay, that's a tough blow if that's the case, because they obviously everybody they don't have much. No, you know, they haven't had much. That's probably the problem. Well, that's not probably the problem. That's a problem of what's going on over there, and unfortunately for Adeo, that's just tough.

Okay.

So that's Thursday. Men play at four forty five on Friday on True TV. People already complaining, what the hell's True TV? Do you know what True TV?

I have it? I have it, I have it. That's good.

Yeah, I watched that stuff True TV. But guess what it's it's the nable A tournament. If you go find if you want to watch, you gotta find it.

Yeah, I mean most fans like going to the dirt bags and the general bends and uh so, I'm sure a TV a TV monitor in too.

Someone.

Yeah, you might have to go get some wings. And what's a game with a bunch of people, But that's be with a bunch of people. I'm not gonna say that their fourteen point favorite. I'm not gonna say it's gonna be easy because I've been here too many times. Nothing's ever easy in the tournament. He's just gotta be ready. We'll see wi, Sha'll see. It is one game at a time, one game left. You sound like a coach do I one game at a time, blah blah blah.

Yeah, it's the reality, but it's true. It's the reality. It's true. You just gotta say it differently. There's no way to say it differently.

Okay, cool, If you guys want to call five two oh four, one, six, seventy four forty, we have a couple of minutes here. We're gonna have Reggie Geary here in the first hour at three seventeen obviously former you a football basketball player and analysts now and you know a guy who's in the system at McHale. And then at four to seventeen more basketball with Richster Brad Alice from Wildcat. Oh, I don't want to say a thirty. I'll find it.

So well.

You'll obviously have a lot of days in between now and Friday to talk about the acting game. Just my my first question to you is what's something that is going to hinder Arizona come Friday?

What something that could get in the way stopping the three point shot? They'll probably take enough. They'll probably shoot what twenty five to thirty right, accron and if they hit ten fifteen, I could spell disaster for Arizona.

They haven't.

Let me ask you something, okay, both to you guys, who is Arizona? This is this basketball team? Who is Arizona?

I'd say gritty they play, I mean that defense.

Sometimes it's stifling, man, Okay, So sometimes so they're sometimes gritty, Okay, yeah.

I think that's a perfect word right there. Sometimes sometimes they are a great team. Sometimes they're bottom tier team, right. Sometimes they're a scrappy team, and sometimes they get guessed in the final five minutes.

So there is that. So the reason I ask is that's what they're That's what they are? You say it, right? What are they not.

A great three? Point shooting team in opinion. Okay, that's one a great three point defending team.

That's two.

Consistency if you're can have to work sometimes and inconsistent and inconsistent.

There you go.

There's three. So could those three things? And I know people say you're always negative. I'm just telling what the reality is, right, Uh, with one of those two three things, and there's more, show up what happens?

Oh, they're out for sure.

Yeah, and aquin has its own issues, right, They're not as talented, they're not as tall. Everyone has a lot of advantages, so they have to play out of their mind too, and sometimes that happens sometimes.

Well, ireciate it enough.

That that one game at a time, one game left mindset means a lot more to it. Sure may mean a lot more to a thirteen seed than a four seat.

And they don't have anything to lose at all. You've ever been broke? You ever been broke? Try not to be, but you've ever been broke? You're a college student, Guess you've been broke? You know you've been I've been broke? Sure you ever?

You ever?

You ever mess with the guy who's been broke? No, I've seen them really they don't mess around. They they have nothing to lose. They they want to they want to find a way to eat. They want to find a way to get by, right, So what do they do. They do whatever it takes, whatever it takes, whatever it takes. And that's what these lower seeds do because you know, and there these guys didn't show up by accident. They have a pretty good record. Look at those other teams,

Exactly what do you know about acron I M to be honest, nothing right now outside of them shooting a lot of reason and like them to run exactly.

So you don't know. We don't know. Most people don't know.

In this Oh we could beat them, no, okay, man, Oh maybe maybe not.

They're they're a school in the heart of a basketball town, Cleveland, Ohio on a game win streak. There you go that they know how to win, and they've done it for a straight games.

They only won the championship game by a bucket. So yeah.

And also, let me say this, I think people in the public who mayrate a lot of them are picking Akron to win, and not so much because Akron is good.

It's because it's the inability to believe in Arizona. Yep. Because why they've seen this before. I've seen it before, We've seen it before, We've all seen it before.

The reputation of them not coming through in these types of games is very obvious.

Yeah, I mean I believe I don't remember the exact stat but Arizona is the worst, yeah, worst when it comes to losing or I get maybe the best to losing to lower tier seeds.

And you say the worst because they are the worst. I mean it's last year. It came out again, right. They lose when they're the lower seed. They lose regularly to higher seeds yep. Yeah, and they're the ones that have done that the most in all these tournaments.

From Loot to Sean to Tommy. Now, it's not a trend. You want to keep them.

And I think what else is scary about it too, is you've also seen that kind of inconsistency to close out games.

Very much so and you know that very much.

So that's for right, that's four and and and sometimes you have habits, right, ray you have. You probably came here the same way you've been coming here to work, Uh you senor you with your name, goody T shoes, gatty tissues, you you've come here. We all have tendencies, right, we do the same things, those four things. That's kind of who they are. You don't just so, okay, we're gonna forget that. No, if I walk with the limp, guess what I do. I walk with a limp. I'm

Arizona limps to finish the finish line most games, and sometimes the team pushes you down and you lose that.

Well, just recently, I mean there were three five Hilosophy I think there was. And when they had those ten point leads twelve point leads, did you kind of think, Okay, this one's gonna be enough and are they gonna hold on?

You know what?

Are they gonna hold on? And because what you've seen it before, right, it's it been the trend of the season. Okay, hey, we're going over. I'm talking too much. We're gonna take a break, come back and get a whold of bread.

Giggrey.

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Breaking down all the xys and ohs. This is I On the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports fourteen fifty.

Hey, welcome back to my in the Ball drel Fox Sports Sportune fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. Your one got ready with us? Now we have Reggie Geary, former U of A basketball player mid nineties, analyst on the other station until ninety Redge, how are you.

I'm good, see you, I'm good. Thanks for having me on.

Yes of course, let me ask you a question. I kind of talked to you over yesterday. I think because you do a great job on the radio at the other station. When you're not doing that and you're just kind of watching them from home on a regular day, do you watch the game differently?

Yeah? I probably would, you know.

You know, I just keep in mind, first of all, I love basketball and just kind of following the Pats and just following basketball in general. But you know, after after playing nine years professionally, after leaving the U of A, I coach for fourteen years, you know. And so I was with coach Loud Olsen or you know, coach Olson for a couple of years here at the U of A for two years of an SMU. I coached in professionally as the head coach.

In the NBA Development League. I'm head coach in Japan. So removing that head coaching or that coaching hat is very difficult for me. So I don't think I necessarily look at it as a casual viewer. I don't think I'm as in depth as some of the coaches just because but I always have that lens on as a coach kind of when I'm watching things.

So so you're kind of you could be a team you could be a team guy when you do it on the radio with with Brian. So when you're at home, Oh no, do you kind of cheer underneath the desk up there?

And I'm sure you do at home?

Oh yeah.

I mean I'm not smart enough to hide my feelings. I show my emotions and and my lesions pretty I'm

But I have to call it as I see it sometimes as well.

Yeah.

So so I don't know if you read me on Saturday afternoon enough to the game, but but I thought, and I want you, I want your true assessment of this, of your assessment of the game. I thought they played very well, you know, well enough to win. They just had to face Houston. They played good enough just you know, obviously Houston's very good. There was no shame in that loss. Kind of gets them ready for what's ahead. So that's just how I felt. Did you feel the same way or what did you see?

No, exactly, I'm exactly with you there, there's no there's no shame whatsoever. You know, the way the team Tommy has prepared the team and they've conducted themselves. This year has been fantastic. You know.

Obviously we got off a little bit slower start and expected where people were kind of wavering on what's gonna you know, to be the full story for this issue of a team. And you know, after a couple of adjustments in the lineup and just things just settling in. Keep in mind with all of these teams, there's so many new faces and new roles and responsibilities for players.

It just takes time. And so once.

Arizona did get their footing under them, obviously we went into league play and you know, that has been a fantastic experience. You know, there's been a little slippit yere but I here towards the end of the Big Twelve, but a lot of that is due just to the quality of teams that we see in this league and so, but Kansas City, you know, besides coming home with the hardware was the success. You know, Tommy had mentioned it.

That was, you know, a really good win for the Cats.

And then Houston. You know, Arizona won't see a better defense in my mind in intblay tournament. So the preparation that that did for them and just playing under that kind of pressure, under that kind of intensity will definitely only help them going forward.

Hey, Red, you want asy desert swarm.

Just looking back at that Houston game, What's was something that kind of prevented the Wildcat from getting that victory and something that they might have to fix going forward.

Looking at Akron, Yeah, it was.

A little bit of deja vu from the first from the first game here in McHale Center.

You know, you kind of get to those five minutes and if you guys hear me on the radio or just hear me in general, I always talk about those five minutes being championship minutes. You know, that's kind where championships are won or loss for the most part, that's where everything is magnified. Turnovers, poor decisions made, buckets, everything is magnified at that point. And I just think Houston right now, just being a thirty win team, Kelvin Stampton coach,

Just just maybe take value.

In the basketball just a little bit more, not that they don't, but just doubting a little bit more in the last five minutes, knowing that, hey, we got to get a shot up. We can't have back to back turnovers and possessions if we want to, you know, really do the thing that we want to do.

So really good.

Teachable moments thing they can correct on. But that was probably the big difference. Using just was a little bit better in that area.

So teachable moments here we go with the tournament, you know, they're all important tournament because they went what twenty two and sevens like that, whatever it was. Uh, and no one will remember that unless they do well in the tournament, right, because everyone's measured in the tournament.

So, so you played it four. I think you played in four? Right? This is two good too? Not so good?

What's what's the difference in being good in the first game and not being good in the first game, because you know here that first game is crucial.

Yeah, it is crucial. You know a lot of you know, as you mentioned, you know, I've been in six at all for as a player and two as a coach, and everyone with that first round matchup being that with Arizona, the prestige and the brand, there's definitely a little bit of pressure that comes with that. And so the pressure is the big thing. And just because you you're playing an opponent that you're supposed to be more time than not.

Ranches it up. And so, uh, if you're able.

To survive that, things feel it's much lighter going forward. It's much easier to advance going forward. It's just getting past that first one because you know, just looking at you know acting, you know, here's a team that doesn't possess a ton of size, but at the same time, they shoot a lot of three, they play very fast. They've won a lot of games here, so after a

It's funny ninety three because I won't talk about those losses, but you know, in ninety three, ninety four, ninety four, you guys went to Sacramento. I think it was I played the Greyhounds.

I think I can.

I'm just kind of reminiscing now and that once you won that game, I can remember, like the relief in in Loot's mind, the relief and the players because you got through that and it rolled you to the final four.

Yeah, I mean, when when you have those when you have those those missteps or those missed opportunities a year before the next time you get there, You're you're just locked in. You know, we were so focused on task, so focused on making sure this does not happen again, that we were going to leave no doubt, you know. And that's how you have to uh, that's how you have to address the tournament.

You know.

I remember, even maybe a year or two ago, I want to say, I remember an uf A player saying, man, we didn't be our first game was going to be so hard. That is the recipe for that, exactly Exactly.

You treat the first opponent like their duke, like their miss, like you know, a a highlite major, and you handle your business. Is the way to go about that.

So you know.

There's gonna bring the correct you know, correct attention and focus. I don't envision acron being a problem, but it's the tournament and you just got to be ready for anything.

Yeah, they're there for the reason for a reason.

Yes, you know you talk about lessons and taking that from the Houston game into the acting game. How does he ever get to a point in your mind where lessons really don't matter anymore.

Where you just need to start showing results.

Well, I don't think the lesson part ever ends. I think maybe saying this was a moral victory or this was a moral win, or I think it's too late in the season for things of that nature.

But in terms of learning.

Now, because you can learn something in the first half is gonna help you in the second half in my mind. And so these guys are young, they're student athletes, student being the main word there. These are all moments for them learned from and and try to process and then be better within the next play, next half, next game. So that learning thing never stops, if that makes sense.

So let me ask you.

I kind of joked it with yesterday with you uh a TV time. Right, So you're looking at the court. Is the Arizona basketball team to your left or to your right on their bench to the left right.

To my left the last couple of games that we've been on the other side of the court, which is nice the kind of matters, but more more times than not, there there's my left.

So were you Were they close to you? On Saturday?

We were actually across the way from oh so we were kind of closer to ESPN, So okay, so we were looking at them.

So the reason I asked that question because I wanted to have perspective, the perspective. Did you see Tommy kind of go off on the team. I'm sure you saw some videos since.

Yeah, I mean we keep an eye on that. I'm always looking at the huddles.

I'm always looking for body ling, which I'm looking for, Uh, Tommy's interactions with the officials, you.

Know, anything that I can.

You know, glean from those interactions to share with our listeners, you know, and I think it's appropriate, I will.

Yeah, I think there was there was a couple of moments that, yeah.

Like you know that Tommy's definitely trying to tune the guys up and make sure he gets their attention. Whether it was I believe there was a there was one fast break like a two one, one, three on one for Houston where d trans I didn't think everybody was sprinting, and I think Tommy picked up on that, and you know, any kind of jumped the guys. But nothing, nothing crazy.

Right right now, because that's my next story for tonight, because that was a rare thing you saw, people saw it on TV.

Right, it was like, who is this dude?

Uh?

It was It was funny, but it was good. I mean it was good.

Yeah.

It shows the seriousness and the intensity of the situation. You know, as you're playing for championships, you're on a big stage, you're gone through a long season, there's some things you still shouldn't be doing at this point. And at the coach I know when a guy does that, or you know, and you know it could be for something negative or positive, you just want to make sure you're forcing it on the moment.

Sure should I can see you doing that?

Yes, yeah, well yeah, I was that way as a three year my three years here at you as a captain.

It was a role that I did in my nine years as a professional athlete. I always felt confident enough that if I'm doing the right things, that I'm working hard, that I'm in a position that I could speak to others about what, you know, in an appropriate way of how they should be doing things.

I thought, if you, if you do things the right way.

And in your heart's in the right place, I think coaches them and your players realize when you get on them or encourage them, it's coming from a good place. So I did it as a player, I did as a coach, and that I try to do it now is just as a as a fan.

You know who's around the team.

Just going off of your experience you've obviously played in coach in the tournament, how hard is it to settle into the games? Especially that first round game when you know you're playing maybe a little bit lesser opponent, but you got to show out. What is it hitting that first shot? Is it maybe just like a pregium ritual.

Well, now you want to try to make it as normal as possible because you know it's a tournament. You're going to be excited, and so both teams are going to be going to be coming out there excited. It's, you know, the first team that can settle down, that's kind of the first team that's going to make a run. I think where an.

Arizona has an advantage over an.

Acron say is is scheduling and being in the Big twelve and having to strength to schedule and being on a big stage as much as we have. Keep in mind we have twenty or twenty plus squad one games. That means we say twenty big time games We've been to Lawrence, We've gone to Cincinnati, We've been in Ames, We've been in Provo.

You know what I mean.

So, you know, playing on a big stage, that's why you come to Arizona. This team is battle tested because of all those experiences, just for the fact when they get to the tournament that they can settle down quicker than Akron, who will be excited as well playing against an Arizona on a big stage on national TV.

Yeah, yeah, what would be your advice, guy, because you know, obviously you were close to lut I wrote a lot about lout He was the same every game right emotionally, he was like a flat line. He would give you, guys speech or whatever. But it wasn't a raw raw. It was just every game is the game?

Right?

Uh?

Well, how would you handle your team or how did you handle the team in playoffs?

Yeah?

I mean, no, everyone and these guys aren't dumb. You know, they understand the magnitude of situation. You know, a big thing with coach Olsen and you know it's just how you take great pride in in the name of the front of Jersey, take great pride in the brotherhood. You guys have done this year. You work so hard to get to this point, you know, do don't do yourself a disservice by taking anybody light to go out there

Out with the guys. This is a really good group of.

Young men, and I think they they want to do bigger things and and they were prepared for that. And it's in a lot of different scenarios, and so I don't think there's gonna be any panic in this situation that anything occurs.

Yeah, yeah, okay, are you covering? Are you going? What are you doing?

So as right now? No, I won't be I'll be here for the women's game.

Eye up, I believe it. I believe it's Thursday night at WBIT. So I'll be here in town on supporting, supporting Ada and the ladies and helping to bring home it out on some more hardware for their program.

Okay, Well, thank you bunch man as always, see you soon.

Yeah, see you soon, guys, Thanks goding On.

Thank Reggie, Gary Farmer UA Best Will Player, mid ninety sco Final four, a couple of first one losses, and a Sweet sixteen.

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This is I on the wall on Fox Sports. Forts want to take part in the show Call up Steve now went five to two OHO seventy.

Hey, welcome back to the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.

I'm Steve. You're one.

You got ready at the control. If you guys want to call please do? I want to kind of know how confident are you guys?

I think they'll get to the sweet sixteen. I think that's a.

Fair gauge, right, and then after that, who knows, it's how gravy after that?

Oh?

How confident are you?

Me?

Personally not that confident because all the things we said, well, no, I believe we or Arizona it's past achron. But that second round matchup probably more than likely against Oregon concerns me because they don't have the best record against Oregon. It's about fifty fifth. Are you talking about history?

Yeah? History? Uh. Dana Almonds a great coach.

He always has a team prepared in March, and uh, I just I don't feel confident. Yeah, well I think this and this year just well, especially because I just realized is in Seattle.

That's what a couple hours drive for Oregon fans? Few hours?

Yeah?

Okay, is that a neutral court?

Uh, it's a neutral court, just not a neutral uh arena arena for the fans. But Arizona's proven that that really doesn't matter. That's true because you know they they've had a ton of fans and what does that mean? Not a damn thing. So we'll see, we'll see. You got to get by the first one. But you're so, you're so so on the suit sixteen. I think it was a poll. Someone did a poll earlier, and I think that was the majority of the they thought they could get there.

Okay, you know, I do believe that's the ceiling for Arizona because of what you've seen. That's their resume is kind of put you there.

Yeah, I think they are a perfect sweet sixteen team. Not sure if they're in the lead eighteen.

Yeah, well, they're slated as one of the top six sixteen teams.

Are right in the in the tournament, they were. I believe they were the sixty sixteen.

Team, right and today that we're not gonna have any breaking news. Did you have come prepared for some Oh you have? Okay, you do.

So.

They're twenty one in the in the polls. I'm sorry if I took that from you. Twenty one in the polls. The polls mean nothing. I said that today and at this point because they just aren't and we'll see the the Ken Palm and all that stuff.

They have them in the top sixteen and then they've they've stayed around that area.

Yes, this season mostly even though they were in the in the polls at all. I mean, they are who they are. Yeah, we got a call. Hello, you're on the air nine the ball.

Who's this? Hello, you're on the air nine in the ball. Who's this?

VIC?

What's going on? I got your message yesterday. I didn't want to get into a debate with you.

Well, I'll tell you what I mean, the question just asked one, and I've got disagree with almost everybody in Tucson. I mean, I wasn't happy with that Houston game. They played tough, but all the time we use baseball analogies. That's like playing tough and baseball and then you're short stopped booting three balls in the ninth inning to lose it. I mean they played three and they have I think three turnovers and three stupid shots at the end.

Yeah.

No a coach, and Reggie answered Juan's question grade as a coach, you can't be happy with that. I wasn't happy. Yeah, I can't play tough for thirty five minutes and then blow it like that.

In fact, in fact, I wrote that story, and there was a time or two I'm thinking Viking like this, like this, I got to get Vicut the art the ledge here. But thankfully you probably have a one story house. You'll survive that leap.

Yeah, I do.

I do.

But it's a cactus on the bottom. So that shows you where this tournament is going.

Well, I totally I understand that, but those those who are like Vic I get that because you want to win the game and and then moral victories don't mean much to you, guys.

I know that's just who you are. I know that.

So so, And have we seen him play a forty minute game? I don't know. I want in the man, I don't know.

If we have this that's a good question, that's a good question. I think are they played thirty let's say thirty.

I think the closest game would be the game at b YU.

Yeah, by you're right, that's right.

One I can put Baylor Baylor.

Yeah, yeah, just if you're if you're saying that Arizona play front of thirty thirty five minute great game?

Yeah, Baylor Baylor. So yeah, maybe maybe three four.

So let's see. And if they do the thirty five minutes, is that enough to be then Oregon or no? Or do we falter in that?

Yeah? No it's not.

But let me tell you something, because you're a coach that used to play vic Uh, how many times did you have a perfect game?

You know?

Man?

Quite a bit?

Who no, No, No, I mean I mean where you went away satisfied with you know, hey, I gave one hundred percent. I didn't boot any balls. So yeah, there was there was times when when we all played great together. And like I said, I never obviously never played in the level like these guys, but you can't doubt that they played thirty five thirty thirty five minutes and then just poop the bed or whatever your analogy is.

And that's bad.

Well, no, I get that, but Vic, when you play a tougher team, a tougher team, and Houston's a tougher team, you're gonna you're gonna get beat by tougher teams.

And and that's why.

Though that Reggie's Towan. That's where you you've got to say to yourself, Hey, we can't have two turnovers in a row. We've got to do this or we've got to do that. And it just doesn't seemed like like we do that. I mean, those three balls at the end, those three three he's work. Wow, I mean me, you and Juan could put together a better game plan than those three shots.

Thanks for confidence. Confidence, No, I get you, I hear that.

But but if if thirty five minutes the game is enough to get us to the sweet sixteen, we're in.

Yeah, okay, there's those your those your morayal victory.

Okay, okay, all right, we'll.

See you guys.

Hey, and everybody got a root for Grand Canyon girls. I told you my cousin Alyssa Dudazo Frescott's top three point shooting. The Nation take on Baylor. So okay, they take on Baylor in Waco. So a little shout out to one of the local teams and h and a local girl there.

Okay, are you going to Thursday's DA game?

I'm going to Thursday's a DA game.

Yes, okay, good, Okay, we'll talk to you soon. Thank you, Okay you.

Vic is a grumpy old dude. He's younger than me, but he's a grumpy old dude. But I get what he says, and he's right.

He's right.

Most Arizona fans are grumpy old whatever do do dads?

Uh?

But I don't know, I'm gonna have to change career trajectory is you're You're over here saying I sound like a coach. He has enough confidence to I can put a game plan together in a live uh.

And that's what I'm hearing. Yeah, Yeah, we all hear what we want to hear. I hear Arizona's in San Antonio. That's what I hear.

Yeah, you know, Will Will them there. It's a tough world. The funny thing about is you are you in social? You're on social, You're on Twitter though, right the mean people Facebook kind of like the mean old people. Uh uh, Where's I gonna go with it? Oh, that Arizona's in the toughest bracket. I don't know, but that they're all tough. When you have alburn, you have all these number those number ones are legit number ones. Yeah, you know, they're

Yeah, Akron stuff, Yeah, Akron is gonna be tough, possible, orient is gonna be tough. All these teams are tough because the most teams have nothing to lose, right, We've talked about it, and that's we're gonna keep saying it because we're at that point and no, uh, moral victories like no.

No, no, especially in that first game.

I mean, the first game is the one who in this town, you it shakes.

You so just hypothetical, because you know you love to live in worlds of hypotheticals. Per Tommy Lloyd, uh Arizona wins that first game but loses in the second round.

Are we okay or no?

I speak from the fan perspective, No, No, they won't be a appointment. It's a disappointment. Yeah, even a Sweet sixteen lost.

They play who I think, Duke, Yeah, no, that'll be okay, it'll be better. It'll be much better if they lose to Duke, if they get by e lead eight, Yes, Sweet sixteen.

I don't know. Depends how they play, and I don't know hypotheticals.

Well they The last time I remember going to Sweet sixteen and covering the game was the Louisville game in eighty nine, two thousand and nine, I think it was, and Russ Penola and Mirke Dunlough for the coaches, Chase Budingers and all those guys.

They it was.

It was an okay team most just nothing special about it. They won the first two, they got to Louisville, go out to Miami, got beat by Louisville, crushed by Patino, and that was kind of like, Okay, we're happy blah, blah blah because that team.

Was was horrible.

I mean, it's one of the worst ones in Arizona program, one of Loot's final one because he was not around.

Yeah, but that's different. This is this team. This team it's there, it's it's there.

But the thing is we talked about the deficit deficiencies, right, that's a heck of a lot of deficiencies to overcome. I mean there's probably equal amount of pluses they're negatives.

That's a heck of a lot of negatives, right, Yeah.

And I think like one of the things too, is like, you know, kind of getting back to like Akron being on that a game win streak and like them them.

Winning a close one.

It feels like they know how to win, whereas Arizona like knows how to hang on.

I know.

And guess what if you're in your thirty five minute frame and you got five minutes left and they're within seven, that's two and a half shots pretty much, and that's what they do. Yeah, you're thinking, oh man, can they hang on? That's scary and.

Every Arizona fan is gonna feel that no matter yeah, what the game is, you go into those final five given this season's history.

Which way is it gonna go?

Are we gonna pull away or are we gonna let them?

Well again, speaking from a fan.

Yeah, you've been with me with Jay right, and who's more snake bit to Jay because he's something. You can't be too happy because they're gonna bite you somehow. Football or basketball, you can't be too crazy because something's gonna happen that's gonna disappoint you.

And that's why it's hard for the fans to get invested because you want to you want to see Arizona win.

Sure, but they.

Well, you're an Arizona fan and you're a young one. You're you're lucky your heart's still young because if you're older, I mean that, and a lot of them older fans were.

Oh no, not again, Oh no, not again.

Well I've gotten to that point really, Oh yeah, what started that? So it was those two heartbreaking losses to Wisconsin. Those were tough just because I was young. I'm passionate now. It was one of my first teams and you go lose, which saw State, you go lose to uh Buffalo, you lose to a Princeton and now you're like, well.

Yeah, it was used to Houston when you're a number one, right, Yeah, and then you lose to Houston.

I knew Houston was a was going to hang around.

What about Clemson? Clemson last year's team.

I wasn't really confident in so I wasn't surprised by that Clemson game.

Why wouldn't you?

I I looking at the way Clemson played, I thought they could beat us.

Well, this team is no different than last year's to me, no, not at all. It's pretty much the same team.

Maybe a little bit more athleticism this year and a little bit more experience, but.

It's not more inconsistent too.

Yeah, I hate Davis to watch an inconsistent team.

You know, it's it's rough.

Yeah, it's like your wipe telling you bring home some milk, milk and bread, and you do it three times and missed it four times. I don't know, but I trust you to get the milk. I'm getting the milk on my own. Yeah, we gotta go. Let's come back there with some breaking news.