Thursday, January 30, Hour 1

This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services insure your most prized possess yets.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera and today with me is Troy Hutchison. Goazycats dot com. Welcome to Thursday. Show should be a fun different show. We have Judi McDermott from the First Tea Organization here coming in about three seventeen, and then at four seventeen we have Hod Rabino from The Devil's Digest. We holds up a pretty frequent guest, especially when Arizona faces Arizona State from time to time. Right,

Yeah, you know, Elijah Arenas UH decided to reclassify at Arizona Louisville USC. I think uh US is on that list. I want to say, like Arkansas, you know, some other team. Arizona was the favorite to land them because but because of Gilbert Arenas having the ties.

But that's the only there's the only remain reasons.

And he did take some visits to Tucson and that relationship seemed pretty good with UH Gilbert and coach Tommy Lloyd from where it was previously when Tommy Lloyd got hired. But at the end of the day, you have to look at Nil and the fact that Arenas as a family, they are a Adidas family. Arizona's a Nike school, so you have that factored in. So that's why Louisville was maybe the slight favorite against Arizona, but now it's USC.

He's headed to USC and at the end of the day.

It's an I l I'm sure there's a nice nil package for mister Arenas waiting in southern California.

Yeah. Yeah, I didn't break my heart. I was neither here nor there for me covering the team. He would have been kind of crazy with Gilbert here a lot. But you know, let's just be saying that too bad. And I know a lot of people are disappointed.

I mean, very talented player, but I don't think this is the you can't miss guy. The can't miss guy is Colled Pete. Still, no matter the recification really for Tommy and this recruiting because number one player in the state of Arizona, top ten player in the country. You know, I think Arenas when they reclassified, he was in the

Weeks ago playing He's on high Okay and did fairly well. I guess you get in foul trouble had around twenty two points. He looks a little body wise to walk Townsend in between maybe uh.

Yeah, I think a little bit more I don't want to say skill, but a little bit more balanced.

I'm talking about physical. Yeah, just the way he looks. Yeah, yeah, probably much better than those two. Yeah.

You know an another one that he kind of reminds me of is maybe a little bit of a Brandon Nashley the degree in terms of the body.

Okay, so the length less less uh less bulky I saw him on tape. To me, it's just kind of strong being.

He's strong, but I don't I think there's room to grow there in terms of the strength.

Yeah, okay, well, so we'll keep an eye on that one. And then and you guys can lament that Arenas Arenas kild didn't come here.

How much do you think Arizona fans are panicing if Arena's not going?

I don't so I don't give a crap about and I don't give a crap, which means zero to one percent of who we're recruiting, because you know, I've seen stars come here and don't turn into stars. I've seen TJ. Mccotto come in, who was in the Star become the best player in the last ten years or whatever decade, ten or plus plastic. So to me, recruiting means nothing. How much are they those who followed, Probably you are because they're a bunch of sorry to say, Detroit, a

Okay, good, good for now. I think he will be talented. But I remember back in the day when Mike baby son decided to go somewhere else and everybody started panting it.

He was not good. He wasn't he wasn't great, he wasn't good at all. Yeah, we know this kid is, yes, he is very but I think this and we already we're already going to see the lebron kid come here Bryce. Yeah, right, So he was taken for one of these reasons, right, because he's close with Arenas is close, Yeah, very close.

And he's closer with a bunch of other recruits that you know will be in twenty five, twenty six and so on and so.

Forth, so they might help for down the road, right, Yeah, I thought that was some of the purpose of him committee. I mean, it's to me, it's mostly the purpose.

I mean, you look at Bryce James, and he's a high three star recruit. I don't think he starts on his high school team still was averaging five six points a game. He's he's not a guy that you're gonna plug in and he's gonna play right away.

He's going to be here for a while. Yeah yeah, and and for a while, and it may not go beyond this place.

No, And honestly, in my opinion right now, does not have the talent for the NBA level, but has his eye, so maybe he grows into that. But it's going to be a project. Yeah, yeah, we'll see. I mean, and that's not a bad thing. It's just it is what it is. It is what it is, and it may be the process that Brownie could have used when he was at USC in terms of a process, but he was a much higher level recruit, a little bit more talent. And you know how the buzz going on that.

Well, there's no boar buzz. No, there's no bore buzzer. I think he got some playing time recently and it wasn't very good. Yeah, I think.

I think he had fifteen minutes and went like two for twelve too.

Yeah, and just didn't have that Jenniser Couah on the court. No. I mean he's young. He should still be in college, to be honest, and he was barely in college when he played. I mean he barely played when he was in college. Yeah, so we'll see. That's why I don't like recruit and I don't really you know, Okay, good players blah blah. So we'll see. If you're a fan, if you're a recruit follower, give me a call. Five two oh four one six seventy four forty. Let let

You know, fans get frustrated when they don't see the stars right there, the number of four or five stars whatever. You looked at Jeed Fish's recruiting class where this is a football comparison, where they got the Tetro macmillan. Everybody's so excited, But the rest of that class was so darn good. They had so many guys that were low three stars, high two stars. Like was a high three star.

Coach the kids.

You need a mix. You needed the proper mix of how it fits into yours staff.

And that's why Luke did what he did so well. You know, he got a couple of guys the Richard Jefferson's and babies and found people around him that could get better from them, you know, and might be made everybody better. Richard just played because he was talented, uh, and helped, you know, he had Luke and he had arch A Riot and he had lour Woods and those guys. So it was a it that's it.

Well, and going back to his last team that had a deep run in terms of that five to oh four team of honor, Danovitch probably wasn't that high.

Of a No. No, he came out, he came out of nowhere Europe. Yeah, and it looked out well, that panned out. Yeah. I think what was his name was a Daniel Dylon. Yeah, in Australia. I think he was somewhat high recruit and that didn't pan out. No, he was from Australia, went to Kentucky. He was okay, yeah, are you serviceable? Yeah?

You know.

And you have some guys that panned out, some guys that didn't Chris Rogers, Yeah, they didn't pan out.

No, and more and more ways than one because he was more of a pain in it. He was a basketball player, so kicked. It's a balance, yeah, no, no, no, are these star stuff, don't you know? Don't I don't care about that. You know, when you buy a nice sports car, I hope one day actually you figure out it's not worth it because you have to pay a lot of insurance well, you gotta you gotta make sure that nobody touches it or scratches it. You got to worry about a lot of crap that you wouldn't have

I want to be surprised if it's close yeah, yeah, okay, I think that's taking it for them in their situation.

And taking it I mean by losing now you know, you know because the issue at home after a big win emotions, yeah, yea yeah.

But you know this, AAU team does have talent. I mean they brought in one of the higher recruiting classes in the country. But you entered Big twelve playing they're what two and seven?

Yeah? Well, like I said, I don't know, maybe seven years ago, Arizona has gone and gone into Tempe with very good teams and come out loser. And I wrote that one day. Subcup fans was, what the hell are you talking about? I said, good teams go up there and get beat. Yeah, it happens all the time. It's just because if you're not emotionally ready, you're gonna get beat.

Same thing for Arizona fans. That didn't happen during the little Cinnaria. You didn't You didn't yet what four?

Very rare, rare? Five? I mean you go up there and lose all time I'm talking is all time record against Oh yeah, yeah, it was very very rare up there over the twenty five years where Shawn, it happened quite I think he went five and five or six and six. It was very, very weird, strange that it would happen. Now, Tommy, I think he has a winning record. But let's see how how it depends. Now, Well, if you remember, Arizona had a big, big lead entire I think was it Tommy's or was it Sean's twenty two

Recently right, they won, They won the game, but they were up at like twenty two twenty five.

Yeah, and then they gave up big lead. And guess what the if there's a if there's a a flaw in his game and coaching is giving up those big leads or whatever they're or however they're happening. They're happening, and have happened, have happened.

And one of the main issues at the start of the season, it's been one of those bunts.

Do you listen watch Evan Maaya, Evan Micaw you watch him his website. Don't even know what I'm talking about, No, I don't. Oh, he's one of the great ones. And he's a basketball analyst, kid, a kid like you, smart dude, smartly not like you or me. He's just a smart computer guy. And he talks about you see where he is no where top ten teams. Arizona's not in there,

I mean I'm I'm very much old school, which is, you know, RPI and strength to schedule. The quads fall into that. You know, they factor that in. I think at the end of the day, you're gonna have mistakes. You're gonna have when you're having people come up with a bracket and have their selections. You're gonna have things that you don't like. Seeds that are that should have been higher are going to be lower, and guys that should have been lower A going to be higher, and

Yeah, but yeah, yeah, yeah, but Arizona was definitely well, there were one, right.

There were one, and they deserve to be a one. I'm just saying Houston was lower than what they should have and I think Kansas felling in the second round that year.

I want to see where Arizona is in this overall eighteen He's ranking ranking eighteen sounds about right right right behind Kentucky and right ahead of Texas A and m uh, there's Houston, Duke, Auburn, Iowa State, well, Florida. Hey, there was a lot to like about Iowa State. Yeah, yeah, And there was a home tough.

With them, and they're missing a player, and I don't think a lot of people realize that.

Oh no, you know, one of the first things that Tommy did said that, and we understand that they were without a player. One of the best shooters didn't shoot well yeah, yeah, yeaha Arizona had something to do with that, but not the player. So we'll see what happens when the good names.

It's going to be a different, different environment there, Yeah, no question, that's that's going to be a madhouse.

Are you you're going to be the lead writer for Go Easy on Saturday? Because you haven't gone to home games much?

No, I have been under the weather, but I've still been riding at home and this was my first time being able to go to back to back to Big twelve games after getting pneumonia, but fully back.

Yeah, stay, stay with her. Yeah yeah, no, hugs for you. Okay, whole time. We gotta go, We gotta go, let's go. We're gonna talk to Judy McDermott on the other side.

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This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifding want to take part in the show called up Steam now at five two oh four, one, six, seventy four forty.

Hey, welcome back to My on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Barbera, He's Troy Hutchinson. Now on the phone, we have Judy McDermott, the executive director of the first te program. Judy, how are you, Judy? Can you hear me?

Can you hear me?

Yes? I can hear you. Thank you very much. Hey, how did you Dago? How did you daygo? Pretty casual?

I'm sure, yes it was. It was very nice see Classic media day to see you today, Steve.

Yes, but but yeah, and that's why I'm asking because you get to see me right, No, but I'm as well. But I'm asking it actually because you were a long time executive director with the two soun Compute stores having to handle the Cold Guard Classic. Now it's somebody else's deal and you kind of are the benefactor or a benefactor of the event.

Correct. Yeah, it's nice to be there as a participant recipient, not running the show today, right, right.

Right, You were part of the initial agreement. It's been eight years, right, this is year number eight.

Yes, yeah, so I was on board when we signed col of Guard to the title sponsorship. So it's great that they're still with us andtributing to the comput community. I mean, they've been great partners.

Yeah, and that's why wanted to go with it eight years later. What you guys created or started is still going on and very important to the community because they raise so much money.

Absolutely, and it's just so important. I mean, just you know, creating the awareness for colon cancer because it's so curable. So you know, obviously Colon Guards here and they have a product that they you know, they encourage everybody to get screened, no matter how they do it. And it's all the survivors that come to the tournament and you know, it's absolutely amazing and so many people are affected. You know, as you saw in the video today. You know, Kenangaway

So sure, you know, like you said, it's very important with the colon cancer research and the awareness there that you guys are able to bring forth. Going back to the impact that it's had not only on the community, h I don't know if you guys have seen numbers in terms of people getting screened for colon cancer. But do you guys know those type of numbers, the impact that you've seen from.

I don't know them because I'm not, as you know, affiliated with the tournament anymore. You know, Cola Guard obviously has all those numbers, and I'm sure they're all available, but I know the increases. You know, it's happened. I mean even our first tea kids have gone home after the Cola Guard Classic and being in their booths and things and gone home and told their parents about oh yeah great, and their grandparents. It's actually a pretty cool,

You've been around the town for a long time like me and let me. I had Eric Rhodes on here, I don't know, a week or so ago, ten days ago maybe, and we talked about the impact. Do you like the Arizona Bowl, the Eltorta, Tucson, the some of the bigger sporting events that are here now. The road Runners kind of too, and there's some other ones. Of course I'm gonna miss some that I shouldn't. But how

I think Tucson just you know, has the community you know, wants to support everything and they don't want to lose anything. I mean, because you know, that's what we talk about. Obviously, Phoenix is the big city and you know, and they're a massive city when you talk about just you know, across the United States, so you know, we shouldn't be

Yeah. And and then you have the group that you led for a number of years, the Gooky Stores, who kind of like you know again lock arms and go at it a pretty full force.

Oh they work hard, and they're all volunteers, and they all have businesses on their own, and you know, they really put their heart and soul into selling the golf tournament,

Right, I don't know.

As a resort guest.

I'm going to have Aaron Kelly on tomorrow. He's the tournament chair, so he'll talk more about this. But let me let me ask you, and maybe my observation is wrong or just incorrect. Artist has been around so much and they're kind of they're they're very visible with them with the hats and with the screenings and all that that they that sponsorship of all the sponsorships that I've

Totally? Well, and the fact that they bring all the survivors in as well, you know, they're all there wearing the blue and everybody bringing in and you know, Katie Kirk's been here the last two years to help support because her first husband died of colon cancer, so she's a spokesperson and so yeah, the visibility is there, and you know, and they love to bring in the survivors. You know, they're just not writing the chaps to have

Neat in terms of you know, First Tea and your work there. Can you give us some detail about that and that organization and how you guys are able to help out the youth here in Tucson.

Absolutely?

So.

First T is actually a national organization and First T Tucson is a chapter of First T. There's about one hundred and fifty chapters across the nation and there's like four or five international chapters as well. But first he is based out of Jacksonville, Florida. You know where the PGA tour headquarters are. There's the World Golf Foundation that started it with the LPGA and USGA and the Masters and the PGA of America. So they're all lockstep with

It's kind of like the modern day boys and Girls club, right because you know they go to totally.

That's that's I tell people a lot. Steve is you know it's a boys and golf club at a golf course.

Cool. Let me ask you, do you still search out or hope to get to volunteers And I have a story, That's why I ask absolutely.

So we always need coaches to help our kids. Basically we do everything in group lessons, so more more coaches we have. It's a six to one ratio, so we have one adult to six kids, and so if we just had one more coach, we can basically have six more kids participate because unfortunately, we do turn kids away from a lot of our classes because we feel capacity.

Yeah, and it's very easy. Let me tell you. If you remember a few years back when when the paper closed and I was kind of trying to find my way. After the MDA left, I had nothing to do, so I said I could be volunteary. You said, sure, go go for let's do it. So it very got cleared, very easily. You know, you do your paperwork and YadA YadA. And I think my second golf he says, Yeah, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. They'll be fine. You know, they're just learning and it's pretty easy.

Yeah, we're looking for mentors for these kids. And you don't have to be a great golfer to be a part of her tea. Thankfully we have that. We have that later for the kids who want to move through the program.

Right right now, as you're very opening and all that stuff. They said today and I did the story for BIZ Tucson regarding the tournament. They raised more than seven hundred thousand, and you know your years have been a lot like that, right at least five hundred thousand through the years and seven hundred and maybe even more. And how important that money is locally?

Oh, it's so important. Because what's so great about what the Conquy stores do giving away money is you know a lot of other organizations don't give to sports and sports is so important for kids, no matter what the sport is. I mean, you've learned live skills from you know, any sport you play. And it's really neat that the conquistators are there, especially on an emergency basis for kids that might qualify to travel and go somewhere.

And make it the honey for that.

But you know, but you know, and unfortunately with the vandalism in this town too, and obviously it's everywhere, but you know, the kids that they might have a snack bar that got broken into and then they'll help them buy the equipment to you know, put the snack bar all back together and stuff and really run the gamut from you know, building gyms to just a little bit of money to buy a kid a baseball glove.

Sure no, And it's into the millions now because of all the years they've helped.

Oh absolutely, Yeah, it's crazy that it's it's pretty impressive and like say it, you know, nowadays it's just so tough to get donated from a lot of corporations and things. You have to go through these online portals of things and still all this stuff out and upload it, and the Concustos really make it easy for these organizations that are you know a lot of them are truly run by volunteers and parents and guardians and things, so they make it easy to give kids money so they can play sports.

So if somebody wants to donate, if somebody's listening, now, what is there a certain website that they go to? Is it through their concu stores or how do they help in terms of that donation process?

Through through young for first.

For the first T two soon we're all spelled out. First T twoson dot org is our website, and we have a donate button there that helps our kids immensely, as you can imagine because we keep the costs low. And then with the Conquy statores. Even on the Colo Guard Classic dot com, you know, they have a donate button there where you can donate. But even if you just buy a tournament ticket to the Colo Guard Classic,

Along those lines, I just lost my thought, you know, how it gets it is to get old, especially for me, especially for me in terms of oh, I know what it was. We're two sons a big small city, right, you know, a million and a half a million whatever, But it's a small you know, community and the community that's giving you. Do you find it even at your

Well, I'm glad I'm not in college athletics. I can't imagine trying to raise money for athletics and then trying to raise money for athletes. I mean, I just can't even imagine.

Yeah, no one, and you used to be an athlete a long time ago.

That was a long time.

Yeah, imagine you being in an athlete now.

If golfers, if the golfers or athletes, we still could have that controversial talk, right right right, Well they're going to be Tiger help Tiger helped that.

Yeah, no, no, but like now I don't know what the percentage is going to be, which kind of shocked me about you know, the two the twenty million dollars coming in next year or beyond, where every every sport is going to have a piece of the pie. Yeah, and then I thought it would be all equal. It's not all equal equal the golf situation, the baseball, the softball are not going to get a bigger piece of the pie.

You know, it's a lot of it's going to be going to football, men's basketball, the money makers, Wow, get you more money?

You know.

Blows my mind.

Yeah, it did mine when I first heard it. I'm thinking, how is that because little Johnny and little Susie worked just as hard on other sports they do. Yeah, I want you to say something controversial.

I can't even go there.

Those smart ladies, smart ladies. It's just it's just.

Hard to fathom, you know, it's just hard to.

Fathom and hard to fathom it has come to this point where where these people, yeah, where the athletes are getting what they're getting, and you're thinking what, Yeah, I.

Mean when I played college golf, I was happy to get you know, free.

Golf boy, yes, yes, no, and and a scholarship if you had one, right, yeah.

And now imagine you get what you want and then you say, well, you know what, this university is going to give me a little bit more than what I have for so so I'm gone.

And we never even talked about Remember there was even talk last year. Will Caitlyn Clark even go to the w NBA because she's already making so much money playing basketball in college?

Right, she'd take a pay cut.

That's because of all the sponsorships and don't yeah, taking a pay cut to play in the w n B A What a.

World we live in? What a world we live in? How are things okay? Other than that? With your partying shot here with the first anybody can join or tell me how can they just be part of it?

Anybody can join. You can go to first T two soun dot org and sign up to be on our mailing list or give us a call at five two o six two eight one five five and like say, we really are the first first stop for junior golf in southern Arizona. So if you want to play tournament golf and you don't want group lessons with First team. We do that too with two Sun Juniorgolf dot com as well. So we have a tournament here at Randolph

You know, I have a pretty good dig, right, you know, what do you do for I'm on the radio. What do you do for a living? Judo? Well, I managed a golf youth golf pretty pretty good.

Well and it's fun.

You know.

We have a new fund that was there today, uh at the BDIA day for the Coolo Grade Classics. She's going to go play college golf at Texas Southern next year in Houston. So really proud of her. And she grew up in our program, right really she wants she wants to be a pilot and they have an AA program there. Nice, nice exciting.

You get to inspire the young ones of the world.

It's fun from the little little little ones to the teenagers.

Oh I bet, yeah, I bet. Thank you Judy as always good to see you. Thank you guys, all right, take care, bye bye. Judi mc dermott from the First Team program executive director, let's go come back and to the side maybe we'll take some calls or get some calls. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludelsen era in my new book, Lessons

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Breaking down all the xs and os. This is I on the ball with Steve Rivera on Box sportsporteen.

Fifty, doctor and everybody. Welcome back to Iron the Mall. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Troy Hunterson. Good talk to miss McDermott. Uh with the big obviously tournament here coming about six weeks, five weeks in early March, sleep for every early March. I wanted to talk to you real quick. I want to ask you a difficult question, only in as much as not to answer, but to be politically however you want to be uh huh uh. Arizona a good basketball team?

Yes, it was, and in terms of right now, in terms of today, in terms of today, Arizona is a good basketball team. That probably like three weeks ago, I would have said, we'll see. If you asked me that a month ago, I would have said, no, Well you said. I even said they were going to make the tournament.

There three weeks ago. It was before the Texas Tech Game, and you thought they'd sweep that trip, right, And so now it's three or weeks ago. Now they're moving right along. So they're good. What do you mean? What do I mean by good? And what do you mean by good?

I think they're a good team that has the potential to play in E Lite eight given the right matchup.

Okay, hold that thought real quick. You're on the eye on the ball. Who's this?

Hey?

What's up?

Is Vick Vick Vic? So I get I get a note from Vic from the Arena story, And are you okay? I just want to make sure you're okay.

I'm not okay. I'm hurting here a little bit, man, Tory, What do you think?

No, honestly, I get why you're hurting. He's a talented player. But here's my thing. One, it's about nil and money. It always comes down to that in recruiting nowadays. Uh two, next season you have the potential to have Carter Brian back, you might have kJ Lewis back, you might have Cole Pete, and you might have Jayden Bradley.

Where's the ball gonna go?

There's only so many basketballs, and you know Arenas he has a high level scorer, but you're not going to get that opportunity with so many guys that can do that. So where you know, there's only one basketball and I think you get grab.

You think that misses out on Burry's and CoA, we're in trouble or we're okay.

I don't know about Burry.

I think you know he's a he's a development prospect, very good prospect, five star recruw. I think CoA that's the one you need to get even if even if Tommy misses out on them. In today's college basketball, you have the transfer portal that really mitigates the recruiting flaws.

So do you think that that Muscleman promised Elijah, Hey, here's the ball, you take it.

I guarantee that's one of the conversations. Muscleman's a very good coach. That factors into that as well. I think right now Muscleman is probably a better coach than Tommy Lloyd on paper in terms of what they've done in your career a long time. And then two is you know they nobody says it. Then you're near home, nobody says an nil number. But I promise you he got to get an al deal and it's going to be a free flowing system, just like Tommy Lloyd is a free flowing system.

Before you ask your next question, Uh, you're you're an older man. You're not as old as me, but I want to say, I'll give you forty five. You're play older than that. How does an old man like this worry himself about recruiting.

A You know what?

It keeps me, young man, Steve, I love it.

You're gonna have a heart attack worried about you kids coming to you.

Of A Now I can I can uh still go to the bar with Troy and talk recruiting and and shoot the bull and stuff and uh if he honestly, keeps gets you young, get gets you out of the house, going to the games and and all that stuff. And that's the real reason why.

As my dad would tell me and party tell you.

No, no, and I get it, and I'm fine. But I was a big Guill fan. I saw him in high school and went to his games. And obviously King came here, and you know, he had a pretty cool career here, and so I was kind of hoping the kid would come and stuff. Just rooting, just a fan standpoint of Bruton.

Okay, and last question. We got a couple of minutes and no more calls. I asked, de Troy, do you destroy do you Droy think this team is a good team? Do you think Arizona basketball is a good team right now? Right now? Just good?

Just good?

But it is one of those teams, Steven, and you said it, and I kind of believe it. They do have the opening to get better and maybe make that little run hopefully. I mean, as we're all going to root for him in the next few weeks here, you know, the kid o Waka getting better as we see Townsend

Know, no, and it never does. It never does.

But you know what, So yeah, it is a good team and it has the potential to get better.

Okay, well that's good. And we're not even February yet, so we have time exactly. Yeah, okay, Vic, go back to uh go go back to worrying about recruiting.

Oh I'm reading everything on Twitter and I'm dying inside. Man, tell him, all right, you guys.

Okay, thanks. You know what, the one thing that he talks about that I was just thinking about. He talks about these guys kJ can get better because he hasn't really had a kJ a year. Uh, Townsend can get better. He's had a uh maybe a C level season.

A Walker is getting better. I give him a bee. I give a Walker. I don't think a walka could be that impactful in terms of Oh, he's huge player, he's huge. Uh so that's okay.

You give him a B. I'll give him bee. You give be a That's fine. Jayden's been okay, steady B plus whatever. Henry, he might as be plus B in the b SO. And then Caleb, who knows he's had a a sometimes his dog ate his homework one day. You know, they're certain up and downs, right, So there's a lot to like in terms of this. If this team gets better, if this team gets better, they should be a lot better because they're still room to get better.

I think the exciting part of four Arizona fans is you're seeing the others get better. You're seeing Carter, Brian get better, You're seeing kJ Lewis get better, You're seeing Henry, vas Are, Jade and Bradley get better every day, and then you have the potential, Well what if Caleb turns it on in the postseason and the others are already clicking.

Yes, that's X factor, no question. And I've said this before, Troy. I don't know if you were with me last week when I said this. And then Caleb needs, absolutely needs to show up in March. Yeah, you know, as long as though the guys kind of can play to some of their potential, Caleb absolutely they need his scoring.

I think they can get by to get to at least at Sweet sixteen, depending on the matchup with Caleb being up and down, but from the sweet sixteen on, you need them to be on.

You need them to be on.

Can they be is UCLA's tournament team I think as of right now.

So can they beat UCLA again?

I think they could because I think the others are better than what they were when they first played us.

And they have on the ropes. So they're gonna play UCLA type teams in the second round, second round, third round. See probably one of those teams. So my point is can they beat them to advance? They're gonna play a lower division, lower division team in the first round, and we know how that goes. Sometimes they just didn't get up for right but the second round they're gonna be equal or better than they are. Can they play that team? I think they could.

Now the question is can they Can they get over that sweet sixteen? For Tommy Lloyd, that's the hump for him right now. Can you get past the sweet sixteen? And for that to happen, Caleb needs to play well?

Yeah, without question, that's he is. He is like one of my friends. He is the straw that stirs the drink or he's he's the bigxedup drink that you know that doesn't want a straw. It's just kind of strange. I mean, it's just kind of strange because you need he needs to show up.

You notice one thing that Tommy's done this year and he's never really done in the past. And he still lets love shoot I'm not saying he's not is he's not letting him shoot him out of the game. If he starts out one for five, he sits him down. He's not letting him go one for twelve, one for thirteen, one for twenty whatever. Well he was one for ten before he hit that, but he kept on sitting him

Out of the game.

You're not seeing that. You're seeing Tommy with a quicker trigger of pulling guys this season than he has in the past.

Yeah, well, how has it worked? So so they're getting better? Well, they're getting better, Troy. They were a fifty five foot shot away from losing that game.

They were, but against the number three team in the country. They look pretty good for most of that good. Yeah, no, they did to your credit, Yes, here's here's interesting. It looked pretty good without Caleb without I'm saying without having to need Caleb Untilia.

You know.

So there's that, and I totally agree with it. You played with them, and you played with him for a long time physically and otherwise without Caleb having.

A good game. And but that's the Caleb difference maker there is. You went through the final stretch of that game. You're in a tight game, right against the number three team in the country. So we'll say that's an Elite eight game, right, and you go through a three minute and forty one second scoring drought and Telly hits that three.

Point the buzzer. So where was that game played too soon? Is that a factor? Oh? For sure? For sure?

But you okay, you can say it was a factor. But they let both sides play. It's not like no, no, they played no. But they played with a comfort zone. They played in a comfort zone with with a little blanky. It's not going to be the same with Baylor. It's not going to be the same at I was. I was staying in the names, oh for sure. So you know it is what it is. Mkale was an and Kale was fantastic. Then that's that's the best MA Center I've seen since the Florida game and what was that

Yeah, and in that game, if you want to commit to me, to me and what I can remember, that was unbelievably the best and now I've heard in a long time too.

Yeah, I mean for me again, it goes UCLA Selim Stottlemeyers shot, unbelievable, Derek Williams block shot, one of the loudest I've ever heard Michail that Florida game and this Iowa State game is almost at that level.

It's easily one of the best, top five teams, top five games in a long long time, very much, you know, And no one talks about the past like you know they whatever the Derek Williams shot or whatever, it's the best moment of McHale history. Shut up. It was yesterday. You remember yesterday. I just think you have Houston coming up now, Yeah, which is gonna be even better. That's Kelvin and Kelvin Okay, we got about I don't know, we got about half a minute, So thanks for coming