This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteenth fifth.
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And good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and today is Troy Hutchinson Hutchison Hutches and no end you got it down. I just said, hey, thanks for getting off the couch and not away from your computer. We see if you got our guy Ryan with us today Thursday. Good show Today pulled the one out of my You know what. Today we have Khalil Tate, mister Colorado in. He just has to answer his phone and will be good.
I hope he does. Uh So, Khalil Tate, the guy who made it famous coming off the bench right and having this spectacular game and then kind of just didn't see the bench again until it was senior year or whatever it was and something came in. But we won't go there right now. I'll talk to him about the good old days, what he's up to now, things like that. Cool, And then in the other one, we're gonna talk to Pima's Basketball women's basketball coach Todd hold House, pretty good coach,
obviously very good coach hack. In fact, the start their season here this weekend, I think in terms of maybe a exhibition game or two. What's going on with you of a there, mister Troy Hutchison. Yeah, you know, they got Colorado coming in this weekend, so very fitting. Khalil Ta going to be the tip off coin toss alumni that represents Arizona this weekend. And you know, seventy degrees in Tucson one o'clock tip, well gets better than that.
Seventy degrees here in Tucson.
Seventy degrees. I thought it'd be seventy five, and that's even better or just whatever, but it's gonna be nice. Man. Finally, finally something has broken, and maybe he stays there. I'm not sure it'll come back. Today's actually pretty nice too.
Yeah, you know, a beautiful day, and maybe it's a sign of things to change, for it was in all their lock out there on the football.
Winter will come January one, Winter will come January one, midway through yeah, midway through February tenth. Baby, Yeah, maybe for two days we'll get winter. Welcome everybody, you guys, if you guys want to call. Please do now that we have time, because you guys are starting to call like at the last minute on every show and then they got three fifty four and try to get in and we have no time.
So you call on.
We don't have another caller on, I mean a guest on me can call now if you're like five to two o four one six seventy four forty. I know that a couple of people will shut out yesterday because they called in too late and we had to get out of the show. So if you want to do it, please do five two oh four one six seventy four forty again. Kalil Tate will be here at three fifteen and then Todd hold House will be here at four fifteen. So looking forward to both of those. So big game
right sold out. Still not sure if I'm going to go probably righte about it later. I'm not sure. I don't know if I've given up on this team. I was a little a little snarky over the weekend with my story because you know, last year was last year and now this year's this year, and it doesn't look good.
Yeah.
No, you know when you go on the road to BYU, Yes, BYU was the favorite, but I know a lot of people out there that thought, you know what, maybe they're chance could give them some trouble BYU's offense then looked great going into the game, and yeah, after that's that first half and went all downhill in the first three minutes of the second half, and it seemed to spiral out of control. And when they panned over to Brett Brennan after the fumble where it made it twenty four to seven, there was.
A look of what do I do?
That's what his look was.
That's what it was, very like, what's going on?
What do I do? You know?
What's a plane? Leave?
Yeah?
When are we getting out of here?
Yeah? Well that's kind of the looks I've seen. I didn't I missed that one, but the looks I've seen the previous week with Texas Tech and then the one at Kansas State, it was like, you know, we showed up. The players looked like this, the players shut up, grew up by seven, were down by twenty. Does get the hell out of dodge?
Yeah, you know, it not only spiraled out of control, but man, you got to go back to the play calling.
A lot of passing.
There's that what was a first intent on the Arizona's one yard line with under two minutes left in the game, down thirty four to nineteen. Yeah, let's pass on first down. Let's pass on second down, third down, fourth down, pick six.
Yeah, run the ball. You're not winning in the game, do you.
I've asked my guests previous this week, what are the top two or three things that are wrong with his team?
I think number one is the offensive play calling. Rather it be Matt Akinstino Baber's. The scheme just isn't working. I don't think the scheme fits the stringths noa fa fida. And they kind of mentioned that that they got to put them in a more successful situation. And when they see that during this week, when Matt Atkins was up there on the stand.
Wouldn't they have stuck this three weeks ago? You would think by other situations. But when a coach has his scheme that again has helped out with the players. They said it was a collaborative scheme together. Uh, some coaches are stubborn. You know eventually it'll work. When does eventually not come?
So we had a caller yesterday, I think it was colored Don who said Okay, they did last they did well last year with their pay calling blah blah blah. Why didn't they go to the did you hear this conversation? Why don't they go to the players at the beginning of the year saying, Okay, give me a few plays that worked. We'll go with those. You guys are comfortable with them, and we'll see how it goes. You were telling me that maybe that happened.
That's apparent.
According to Brett Brennan and Dino Babers, that's exactly what took place. They took a little bit of what Jed Fish and his staff did at Arizona previously and what they wanted to do here at Arizona and made it a collaborative playbook.
I don't see it. I don't.
You haven't seen the place.
I have not, obviously, I have not seen the playbook. But I haven't seen anything similar to what we saw last season.
What would you look for? What would you look for in terms of plays or maybe they're doing the plays, they just not good at it.
I think the short yardage situation in terms of getting no ifafia in the right situation, and that is the six yard routes the seven yard routes. Yeah, getting guys open quickly, getting the ball out of his hand like that. There's too many for verts. There's too many deep posts in the offensive playbook right now, because when you look you look at a deep post, you look at a four vert and maybe one short yardage pass. There's not a lot of short yardage opportunities for Noah out.
There right I'm sure you've heard this a time or two. He's too short. He can't see over his line. He had the same issue last year. He was short last year and he could see over sign or you'd assume that White's the difference this year.
I think the difference again is there's a lot of passes inside fifteen yards that were there for him, and right now it's a lot of arn bombs and a lot of deep balls. And I don't think hythe necessarily is the issue there. But his deep ball isn't his strength. He has a little bit of a flutter to that deep ball. He can get it there, but it's not as sharp as a short game.
And his trajectory directory is totally different, I think than last year because he is sure he has to get it in the air a little farther.
Up, and then you have to heat onto the ball a little bit longer, which causes havocan the ball.
And he's doing that, right, I think I saw we had Michael Live on yesterday. I don't know if we talked to him about this time. Last year it was two point five in and out of the pocket getting released, and now it's a little over three.
Yeah, I mean you're having cases where he's stepping back ten feet.
Right, Yeah, that's that looks weird. Yeah, yeah, he steps back ten feet maybe more and kind of sometimes running for his life. He's had protection, but then when he gets hit it's start good.
No, And then you have the delayed handoffs, which I know callers have been mentioning about that that that is a scheme situation there. I don't think necessarily No f Vida is sitting back there at Saint Juan. I'm not going to handle the ball off yet. That is one hundred percent their scheme. We saw that in spring and spring practice. We saw that in training camp. The delayed handoffs is part of their offensive scheme.
Yeah, there was another question that I had for you brought up yesterday. We talked about the backups and oh the backup. Yeah, okay, so another guy calls in, maybe you've been somebody else maybe not done, So okay the guy, the guy hasn't been playing, well, why not bench him?
I think you lose the team if you do that.
I think it's one of those situations where fans want to say, well, you're gonna lose the team if you don't bench this player. No, it's completely opposite all that. This team is so closely knit and a lot of these guys came back for no McMillan. Yeah, if you bench him, you're going to lose the locker room. And to be Frank, you don't have the talent behind them. Two benches starting quarterback that just won Pack twelve Freshmen of the Year.
Well, Frank, I think you're right because last year they brought they came together because of those two. Uh you know, Dolora was in struggling, blah blah blah. They brought in And I said this on the record, you know the Stanford game. I think all of a sudden they started playing harder for Noah. At least it appeared that way to me. Some people are a couple of people are poo poot on me, but a lot of people said that's true.
Yeah, No, they did, and it was clear as day. And I don't think they're not playing hard. I think, to be honest, I think it's the opposite of that. I think they're over trying well. I think, especially Noah, where he's forcing the situation where in the past he's been a highly intelligent football player that makes the right reads.
The right reads aren't being made because he's thinking, you know what if I don't score right here, or if I don't get this ball down field, what what is that going to be in terms of put us in the position right right?
No he and he is one of those guys. He's part of the guy who studied a lot in school very well because he didn't want to fail. And I've been guilty this. So you try so hard, then you fail because you're worry about it too much.
Yeah, and you know, Dino mentioned it in one of his prest conferences previously. It's like a golfer when you go out there and saying I'm going to rip one. I'm going to rip it right down the middle, hit at three point fifteen, and then you know, you clank it to the left or flink it to the right where you just go out there and you take a nice easy swing three hundred right down the fairway.
Sure, yeah, yeah, we'll see. I mean, another test. I think it's going to be just a tough test here that it was on the road the last couple of weeks or a week last week. Colorado's kind of deceivingly good or deceptibly good to a degree.
I mean, you have a lot of offensively offensive you have to question, you know, the opponents they played. Yes, they played Kansas State very well at home, lost a close game. But when you look at this Buffs team,
the one thing that still remains the same. No offensive line should lays been on the ground several times throughout the season, and there's been a I don't want to say a hesitation to run the football, but they haven't shown the ability to have any type of ground game, so they rely heavily on the passing game.
Yeah.
No, it's it's a very frustrating time of year for Arizona fans. I'm not so sure for people who cover the team, because it's none of their business to just cover the team. Yeah, that's it, you know, I should be at least, you know, no, no fist pumping underneath the table.
Yeah, but you know, stuff happens.
Yeah, I know, stuff happens. And now there are three and three, right, everyone's pointing to them being three and three last year and that's when it took off. Okay, if that's what you're gonna hang.
Your hand, hand on, it's a it's a different three and three though.
Oh yeah yeah, no, no, no, this this is this is me trending with weight on my back, waiting my gut when I when I was at this weight and I was losing weight instead of gaining weight, right, yeah, last year it trended nicely. This weight, it's not training nicely well.
And you know you mentioned that perfectly because last year you had the Mississippi State game.
It's like, whoa, what's going on?
Right?
Then you have the Stanford game.
He wins that game, Okay, you bring in Noah, they lose a close one to a top ten USC team that they probably should have won. They lose a very close one to national runner up Washington, and you're feeling good about yourself this this three and three. You choked the game against Texas Tech that you should have had.
Well, let's start the beginning. Played kind of weird against New Mexico.
Yeah, played weird against New Mexico, played weird NAU, struggled against Kansas State, got the good win against Utah, yeah though their quarterback wasn't there, right, And uh then you choke away a game against six is deck and you get blown out against YU.
It's a different feeling, right, No, Inconsistent is not a good thing to have because it starts with complacency and apathy and all that stuff. Never mind that it's a it's a sold out stadium, and I hate to pooh poo it, but but it's not because there came to watch Arizona or they're going to watch Arizona.
No, it's not a sold out crowd.
Back because I look at back in the mic stoop stays in terms of when I really could remember watching games, those crowds were intense. They were into the game, no matter right what the score was. That Iowa game was insane. Right, That's not the type of app I'm swear I'm expecting this weekend.
No, No, this is gonna be Hey there's Dea. Hey, well there's Dea. Yeah, you know this is more of a curiosity sold out and to.
Be honest, all eyes on Tetroo McMillan and Travis huenter one v one U twenty scouts.
Do we think that's gonna happen?
Yeah?
Yeah, I mean Dion being a former corner and being very confident in himself. I'm sure he has the same confidence in Travis Hunter and believes he's the best corner in the country.
You're gonna see him one on one.
I hope to see it. It should be a good, good matchup. I hope it happens more than a few times. That was all the time. Let's see Dey'll test their strengths on one on one. Okay, let's up. Let's take a break and come back and see if you can get hold of a clill tape.
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This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Want to take part in the show. Call up Steve now at five to two oh four seventy four night.
Hey, welcome back to Eye on the Ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and Today's Troy Hutchison and with us on the phone is Khalil Tate, the original Colorado Slayer. How you doing, Khalil?
I'm going well about yourself?
Fine? Thank you? I mean, sure you're like mister popular this week because Colorado's coming into town and you're gonna be the designated captain, the honorary captain. How do you feel about all this?
Man, it's a really good you know, whenever I get a chance to go down to Tucson and you know, soak in everything about what's going on down there, it's always a blessing and I'm always on there.
Yeah.
No, what a great time, What a great time. I texted you this morning of this afternoon and I said one of the things I wanted to talk to you is I think, and you could disagree with me, that your your path to becoming the starter and becoming who you were here is a lot like Noah. You were on the bench, the quarterbacks gets hurt, you come in and do what you do the c little magic, and Noah did the same last year. Do you see a similarity.
Yeah, I mean it's just like any other university. You know, whenever you have a starter, you know, you have a backup as well, right, and it's always important that that backup be ready to go in whenever because they already say, you know, you're one chap away. So it's it's definitely a lot of similarities. You know. I think he's doing a great job, and I think obviously he's going to continue to grow and develop and get better. But I think I see a lot of similarities for sure.
Yeah, you were, yeah, you know, kind of going back to Arizona Colorado in that matchup. What was it about the buff slogo that made you turn it on every single time, because not only was the first game, but then you did it to them through the air the next time around.
Yeah, well, I mean it's it's pretty interesting because whenever we played them, it was always i guess like towards the middle of the season, you know, it always was a very ours was a big test and you know, us figuring out where exactly we stood, you know, in the conference, in the Pac twelve as it was, so
it was always a big deal. You know, it was always important for us to make sure that, you know, we got this game because you know, this game determined a lot and how the season would go on for us.
Could you take us back to that first time you came in you had a few runs, Just that moment of or that feeling of kind of elation or what was going through your mind when you're going through all those runs.
Really, I mean a lot of people don't remember, but it was a really close game. You know, Philip lindsay he actually want to say rest for like two eighty. So it was whenever we scored, they scored. Yeah, So it was never It wasn't a situation where you know, we were just blowing them out at the gate. It was you know, as soon as we scored, they went on a you know, fourteen play drive and you know took a lot of clock and we had to score.
So at the time, I was just trying to you know, do what I could to help my team and you know, put us in the best position to you know, put boys on the board. And that's kind of how it happened.
You know, through all those big runs and all those big scoring plays, the one that stands out to me is the end of the game where arizonnderneath of the first down on third, I believe in five, third, and six, and you ran right through the Colorado defender to pick up that first down. What was that moment like for you to be able to celebrate that win with the team and really lock the game down there in the final drive.
Yeah, well it's super big.
You know.
I think whenever you go into an hostile environment, as in an away game you know, bout to Colorado, which I love dearly, it's always important to you know, really at the tone. And I think you know, throughout that game we held our own and I think towards the end of the game, you know, Coach Fritchard, he caught on my number and I had to you know, knew not to let my team down and really had to bear down and you know, get to it.
Yeah, no question. Uh, it's funny. I'm sure I heard the story that you were you had been jumping at the bit to get in all season and obviously took an injury for you to have had to happen. Would you've gunn in anyway at some point?
I mean I don't think so. I mean, you know, like I said, I was the backup, so you know, whoever started, usually they stay in the game until you.
Know something until otherwise.
Yeah, So unfortunately you know my good friends still to this day, Brandon, he got injured, so I was the next man up, and you know, I knew I had to hold my own for a quarterback room, but as the team as.
Well, right, Yeah, no question.
You know, Steve brought up the point with you and uh sharing a lot of similarities in terms of being once a backup and taking over that starting role and the energy of the team kind of shifting. But you also share a similarity where you know, you have this highly successful per season and high expectations. You go into the next year with a new coaching staff and you kind of have to maneuver and figure out, you know,
their system along with what you can do. What would be your advice to a guy like Noah Fafida who is going through that similar situation of learning a new offense and learning a new staff.
Yeah, well, I mean I think it's a learning curve, you know. I think obviously, when when you are thrown onto the scene whatever, you're able to hold your own like Noah did or he's doing this year and as well as last year, it's always a big deal, you know, but also is high expectation, you know, So him having a year he had last year. You know, I definitely think he's he's in the works of, you know, getting back to the origins of you know, what really works.
And I think that, you know, just being able to lean on your teammates. Obviously, it's a long season, you know. I think right now we're in the middle of the season, so it's not definitely not over. A lot of things can can change, which I feel like will and I also did last year. But yeah, so I think he's doing well. I think that the more he's able to lean on his teammates, which I think he has, I think this game would be a very big game. And then turning that page and getting over that hump.
Have you guys met each other?
Have you kind of you know, said hello, Yeah, we have a.
We have a pretty cool relationship. You know, we talk actually maybe like a few times a week, maybe once a week. We talked pretty often.
Yeah, he's a he's a so call guy like myself.
He went to stay right and I went to share and got a dinner. So we're un familiar with, you know, the area that he's gone up in as well as you know, just having a relationship with him. And like I said, we speak often obviously, you know, our friendship is is uh, you know pretty it's private, so a lot of people wouldn't know that, but yeah, we speak. He speak pretty often.
Yeah. So you had a big role obviously front and center being the quarterback. We had We had George bul Ulu from back in the day. We had really two Tima back in the day a few days ago. Uh, can you talk to the pressures that it is being the quarterback one and two? Maybe if it's different than being the quarterback here?
Yeah, well, I think that for one, you know, what you always hear when you go to u of A is you know, even being a just a college fan in general, you know, whether that be any sport. We're quote unquote a basketball school, right, so whenever our football team does well, right, the first person that we usually look look at is the quarterback, right, So there is
some expectation, you know, it's very high. I think that the people that have been in position have all done well for you know, what they had to work with.
I think that, you know, being a quarterback at the u of A is a very precedious honor because we think about it, you know other than you know, back in you know PAC ten and pack A Pac ten and Pac twelve, whether than UCLA, USC on the West coast really, which which I would consider our actually you know, Utah, etc. But you know, other than California, Arizona is like, you know, a premier West Coast state, right, So it's a lot of eyes on the West Coast, a lot of eyes
on Arizona, and it's always a big deal to be able to lead that team out there and you know, be deciding quarterback at the U of A.
You know, you mentioned the close relationship with with no if Afida there. It really has shown with coach Brennan and coach Jetfish over the last several years, the ties and bringing back former alumni and former players and getting them to talk to current players and getting those relationships on their way. How important is that for a football program to embrace its history like Arizona has over the last several years.
I think it's a big deal. You know, I think whenever you have a university alumni is kind of what keeps it going, you know, having that having those alumni that are able to you know, stand for those pillars that whatever university you go to, it's a big deal to have and be able to speak highly of the university that they attended, you know, because alumni is kind of, in a sense, what keeps the program going because you know, without alumni, you don't have any past, right, so it's
a big deal. I think they they've been doing a pretty good job at you know, keeping the all the alumni upbeat up to day. You know, they send various emails throughout the week and they always keep us intact on what's going on. We also have you know, different different meetings throughout the year that we that we partaking. And I think they're doing a great job.
So so let me ask you this, because we have Rich trod every now and now and then on the show, we all know his personality. Did do you still talk to him at one and two?
Do you did you?
What was your your your career with him? What you know, how did that go? Yeah?
Well I still talked to Rich Trold. Actually, I think last time I talked to him was maybe earlier this season. I think I may have wished I think I wished him a good luck. He in my former coach role Smith, my quarterback coach. But no, our relationship was really cool. I mean, you know, whatever. You know, you're a quarterback of the team. If we don't have a relationship with the with the head coaches, it's probably not gonna work out more times than that. So, yeah, me and him,
we had a really great relationship. With me obviously early on it was it was a little tough, you know, because I was like, you know, I came into college at seventeen years old, so I went through my landing curves and also too, you know, he went through his landing curves and learning how to have a super young quarterback, right, So it was it was a learning curve for the both of us. But you know, I mean I love that guy. We speak often.
Yeah, yeah, you know, you bring up the relationship with Rod Smith, and a lot of people always look at quarterback coach in terms of head coach relationship. Not a lot of people talk about quarterback quarterback coach relationship. But you know how important was Rod Smith to you in your career here at Arizon and really getting you here in Tucson.
Yeah, I mean, well, Rob, he's such a great guy.
He just helped me.
He helped me maintain my confidence. Like I said, you know, I came into it was when I was seventeen. You know, I turned seventeen in October like now, and then I left high school in three years, three and a half. So when I got to Tucson in January, right, I was only I was the first seventeen. I did seventeen
for maybe what two or three months. So he did a great job really just making sure that I was I never got down on myself, you know, because obviously going from high school to college is a big deal, but you know, doing so at the age of seventeen, you know, it's it's an even bigger deal, you know. So he did a great job and really just manufacturing you know, my play manufacturing you know, everything that we
talked about off the field, and really helped it. Did a great job and you know, grooming me and becoming a man.
And I am sure no question when you look back at your career here, what do you think? What do you think? How would you write that story in a sense of what is the what is the question if you look back at your career, how would you write your story kind of reflecting of your career here?
Yeah, well, I mean personally, I think I did great for you know, what I had to work with yeah, I think that. Obviously I wanted it to go better. I wanted things to you know, go better, and you know, and maybe differently, but with what I had to work with, I think I did well. You know, I think I like, I take a lot of pride in not putting a
finger at anybody. I think I've always had a lot of character and you know, even you know, like I said, being being so young and being thrust into that into that line light, you know, whether it be the sports regustrative cover magazine or you know, just winning you know, different awards and preseason awards, whatever, it was a big deal for me, you know. So I think that, you know, my time at Arizona was was lovely out of great times. I always had a lot of family and fans come
to the game. I think I brought a lot of a lot of energy to the Tucson community. And I think I brought a lot of memories to them as well.
Oh yeah, no, no question, and one of them a lot of them weekends Colorado and other games too. So let's just talk. You're what are you after now? You like, Denzel? What's up with that?
I mean, I do a little bit of everything, but Yeah, I'm currently working in Hollywood. So I've been on the show All American that's on the CW, been on bel Air, which is on Peacock, and a few other shows that I've been you know, trying to put my put my foot in and you know, really just make sure that I'm doing everything that I can do to you know, continue to push my push my name out there.
How did they find you?
I mean really just you know, I got in from you know, obviously being a football player, and you know my name is uh it rings a little bit of bet sometime. So they had like an open tryout and I win, and they liked me a lot. They already knew who I was. So it was more so of like, you know, we love to work with me. You know, I love to bring you on. So I've done work with them a lot, you know a lot of things to game changing films. Who's like our third ds, Like
they're like a third party consultant. They work with different different TV shows, different movies, you know, whatever they need athletes, whether that be football, baseball, basketball, tennis, et cetera, et cetera. They're they're the ones to go to. So yeah, that's what that's what I've been up to.
Uh as a late and uh, you were about five years too short on the n I L stuff. You would have cried, you would have crushed it.
I heard about it. I hear about it often a lot of people. A lot of people bring it up to me. But you know, and your reparations are coming soon.
So yeah, yeah, maybe last last year there was one thing. Oh you still you're still trying to get out on a field, right, I guess you had some workings over the summer for sure.
Yeah.
So I just did a camp. I did mini camp with the Commanders this offseason in May, which went well, you know, this is my first time I have received full time so uh signs and I signed with them. They brought me in. I did camp, got to you know, be out there with guys like Jay and Daniels, who you know I played against when he was at NSU, and also too, we recruited at the U of A, which we actually we kind of almost would have had
him if everything would have worked better. But yeah, he was when he went on his visit on his recruitments to sign, I met his family, so yeah, we had a bit of rapport and yeah, when I got out to Washington, he was he was going to me a lot on different you know, different concepts, different routes and whatnot, and you know we continued our friendship that we do have. But yeah, I'm still out there.
You know.
I think it's just a matter of time.
You know.
I think for myself coming out during COVID obviously, you know, I couldn't change anything about that. But coming out there in COVID definitely did not help anything. But I've been I've been chomping away since then. I've spent time in Philadelphia with the Eagles, I'll spend time in Canada and the CFL and Toronto and Edmonton now Washington. So I'm just, you know, just waiting on the opportunity.
You know.
I like to think that it's just like when I was at the U of A, Like a lot of people thought whatever about me before I started playing, and then once I started playing, it was like, oh, this guy is actually pretty good. So it's the same situation. I think in due time, once I get an opportunity in the NFL, it'll be the same thing like, oh
where did this guy come from? And you know, I'm glad to glad to have a conversation with you guys, because you guys are my firsthand and you guys can even use the sound bite going forward like he did tell us.
So it's a matter of time, you know.
Obviously it's a lot that goes into you know, getting picked up and you know, making an active roster and practice squad, et cetera. But I know in due time, when I get that opportunity, it'll it'll it'll all make sense and it'll you know, be even better for my story.
You mentioned Jen and Daniel's recruiting visit to to soon. I'm just curious, was that post as U or before he commit to you? What time frame was that with Jaden Daniels in Arizona?
So this just when he was in high school and he was coming out of high school. Yeah, this one, well we had Rich Rod obviously as our head coach in Rod Smith and our Rest of Peace coach McGee as well. Yeah, he will to visit and he was, Yeah.
He was.
He was edging on coming to U of A. Like I said, I know that was his I want to say, going into his senior season. Like I say, you know, I met his family, which are great people, and you know, he's a great kid himself. So yeah, I was, I want to say, going into his junior year. I going to his senior year, so I had to be of my math's like maybe twenty twenty seventeen.
Yeah, yeah, twenty seventeen, so.
Yeah, something like that.
Yeah.
So yeah, yeah, yeah, we almost had him. Yeah.
Well yeah, how thing things change when he's doing get them. Okay, Hey, Khalil, appreciate your time. Have fun this weekend in Tucson on people here love you, so enjoy it all right, thank you guys, have a nice one. Yeah YouTube be well, thank you. Good luck with your acting career too. Well, what a cool thing.
Yeah, appreciate that.
Great great Khalil Tate. Let's take a break here and come back.
Now.
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Breaking down all they says and ohs, this is I on the ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty eight.
Hey, welcome back to the ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty I'm Steve Riverta, You're Troy Hutchinson, no in and our guy Ryan with us today Thursday, and already Thursday, a couple of days before the game. Hey, the game was going to be halftime body by now in two days hopefully, hopefully yeah, hopefully who knows what these games takes a long good to talk to Khalil, Yeah, I hadn't really talked to him much when he was here outside of the time when he was here for the
for the for my paper or for my publication. So good. I think that the Daniels thing came as a surprise to you.
Yeah, you know, shocking. You know, Arizona was in on the recruitment for that.
Rich Rod obviously, Uh what am I trying to say did a lot with a little in terms of players on the field, So being in line for a high profile player which was a five star recruit at the time, little shocking, you know.
H yeah, well imagine what could have been? How do you come here? Whatever? But we all make decisions and in that system, if Richard was here in that type of system, right right, right right, and we all know how it all went right, it went to pretty badly. But good for Kalol. He's doing well outside of you know, football, doing with this with his acting and all little stuff. Maybe he has still had a chance in the NFL. Never lived without a dream, chip and chair, you know,
chipping and chair. What are you talking about? Like the court choker poker. Yeah, okay, of course, I'm so great at it. Courtships. Yeah, anybody want to call, here's your chance, because I don't want you to get shut out at the end of the end of the hour of five to two four one forty. If I heard uh, I think it was Team Money trying to call in yesterday McGill try to call it yesterday. We couldn't get to
you because it was too late. So if you're listening and you want to call, please do what's your thoughts on tomorrow on Saturday's game?
Give it?
Let us know, give us a call. That'll be fine. Uh, which have been up to you? You've been writing it all for for your what was your latest kind of.
The latest, you know, going on the message boards and uh writing a little bit of stuff there in terms of breaking down the offense and what's going on, what's the offense and how Arizona could go about fixing it, you know, so, uh, a lot a lot of chatter on the message boards.
So I'm not a chatterboard guy. I don't really give a crap of all that stuff. That's like this stuff you at the bar, you know whatever. There's a lot of that. Huh oh, for sure, you know, and that's where the funn is.
Well, there's a lot of fans that already want a head coaching change, clearly already want an offense coordinating change, and how do you go.
About fixing it is the biggest question with your offense.
But geeks, hey, you're gonna call You're on the air and I and the ball. Yeah, this is James James. What's up? James?
Not much looking forward towards the game tomorrow and a nice win the game on Saturday, Tyler, Yeah, I guess on Saturday. I guess I was wrong on that.
Yeah, yeah, no, No, you think they're gonna win?
I think they have a great chance. I think the crowd is gonna be out, have a good atmosphere, and uh, I think the Cats are gonna pull off a victory.
Okay, Okay, what what's gonna be the difference?
Uh, the offense is gonna come back together and look better like they did the first week versus the last few.
Okay, well that's what I think that needs to happen.
Yeah, and then I think the defense is gonna get to get to uh Shador Sanders and uh good sacks and create havoc back in the in the in the back in the field with them, and I think they're gonna take care of business.
See.
To me, that's the key to this game is the front line and Arizona's ability to get to shut door because Colorado's offense line has been terrible this season. So if they're able to create pressure, get to him and put him on his back and force Colorado to do something different, that that could be successful for Arizona.
James, do you you always go to the games, don't you? You're a ticket holder?
Yeah?
Okay, well how would.
You watch me?
I bought season tickets last year, but I protested last year. This year I have season tickets though.
Well, okay, you protested Astyr Why because I.
Wasn't a fan of the DeLaura staying at QB.
So I love that's right, I remember that. Yeah? Wait because of his situation, right correct? Yeah? I may remember that now now and.
Then if you notice now he's not playing in college anymore.
No, no, he didn't. They didn't want him at Texas State.
No, they said goodbye at Texas State.
Yeah.
I thought you of a would have done that, but they didn't.
Right, No, there was a lot to that story, and there had to be Uh So okay, no, James, thanks for calling. I always called, always called. The women's basketball season starts share pretty sure. I know you're big with that, and of course Tom, we're always I'm.
Super excited for the women's team this year. I think they are going to have a good squad and they're gonna give the Big twelve a lot of havocs.
Okay, I'm gonna write that down. Keep calling, keep calling. Ja good to hear from you, Yeah, yeah, yeah, anybody else will call. We have a we have a few minutes. We got my name in is ten minutes. Yeah, okay, so you've got to call. Please do five two zero, four, one, six, seventy four forty Uh women's basketball. It's kind of under the radar.
Yeah, under the radar. A little bit of a quiet off season.
Yeah, honestly, which might be good for Arizona energy of Barnes, because the last several off seasons have been very out there, very in the open and chaotic.
Right, no question, And we'll see how the season starts. Uh starts here because she doesn't. It's not a big bench, right, so short roster, very.
Short roster very much like Tommy Lloyd in terms of you know, nine scholarship players. I don't know if it's that exact number for airs on women's basketball, but uh, you know you have Jada Williams returning, you have a couple key returners.
Yeah, there's some talent there, but it needs developing.
And in basketball, I know you went to a media day if that's what it's called last week. I could make it, and I know I asked you for some things. What were your impressions?
You know, I think it's a team that's hungry, a team that's looking to be physical in the Big Twelve. And that's really the overarching theme when talking to players is the physicality of the Big Twelve conference and needing to get prepared to play that physical brand of basketball.
So let me ask you, there's one thing to say it there's nothing to do it, and another thing to be capable of doing it and sustaining it, right right over over four or five months? Right, Yeah, I was gonna fit that bill or we will know.
We'll find out, Yeah, we'll find out.
I think there's gonna be ups and downs, and that's for every Big Twelve team you have five teams in the top ten.
You're gonna take your lumps along the way.
You're gonna have losses where you scratch your head and say, how did they lose by fifteen twenty points there?
And you're gonna have to be okay with it.
Right, They're gonna have to because you have no choice. And it's gonna be crazy. It's gonna be crazy good, I think.
I mean, this is the most exciting basketball conference since the early days of the Big East of Mind.
Man, Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be fun. Look at the top ten, top eleven, whatever was Cincinnati was in there at number twenty. Yeah, it's gonna be crazy good. And I wouldn't doubt last year at this time. I guess maybe in early November, right, you and I went to see him a duke and we were kind of came away like wow. But in my mind not surprising because every year that I've covered the team, and it's been a number of years now, they own November. They own
no December. We guess what happens. Nothing happens in November December.
But the difference is in terms of Big twelve and Pac twelve. And from that point on you're playing the pack whole conference, which was soft throughout the past fifteen years, where the Big twelve, you're gonna be tested weekend and week out.
Sure, sure, and I think that. You know, we had Bruce on a well back a couple of weeks ago, and he makes a great point. Okay, they played this schedule, the Big twelve was used to that schedule. How many Big twelve teams really survive it be outside if your name is not Kansas. Maybe Baylor did a few years ago when they played in the title game Houston kind of maybe. You know, they get beat up to uh so you have to be extremely good to get through it all and last till late March.
Yeah, and you know they've had success in terms of Kansas, Houston, Baylor, but most of those teams, that sweet sixteen mark has been the mark and you get past.
That well Arizona too, Yeah, you know, and Tommy and Tommy as much as everybody likes him, and I like Tommy too, I like him a lot. He's the perfect guy post Sean Miller. Uh give, given the state of the program, given the reaction of the kids to play for him, that he's he's going to be getting up
against it. Where is Tommy the guy? If he is the guy who's going to be the guy, it doesn't make any sense because if he gets stuck at the sweet sixteen for another two years, you can think, Okay, Tommy, okay, Tommy.
Well we've talked about this, that the animal that loop built, the feeding the fire and feeding the flame. The expectations are Elite eight and on at the very least the lead aid and on. And if you're not able to get the get to that point in the next two three years.
Yeah, two thousand and one, what's that? Twenty three years ago was the last final four? You were five ish, I was six six issue. You were just out of diapers, running around to pull ups. Yeah, I would hope the shortiest, but but you know it's that long. I mean, come on, yeah, it's it's not it's not any You were born ninety seven, eighty eight, ninety five, ninety five, Okay, so look my oldest kid. So you were two when they won the title. Yeah, I mean that's a long.
Time and a lot of elite eates where man, they were so close, so close, You're so close to getting over the humping.
You can't get there, right, and that tells you how difficult it is, how magical it has to be, lucky and good and all that stuff.
And meanwhile, you have teams like North Carolina State and so on and so far I that have been to final fours that have made these magical runs, but Syracuse Butler that have been ten to eleven seeds getting into the final four, and Arizona fans are wondering, well, where's ours. We're better than those teams.
Well, yeah, you got to be better in March. Yeah, yeah, you just have to. I mean, come on, you guys have been through it long enough to know that it matters in March. It matters in March, after the Big twelve tournament, after the Back twelve tournament, all that tournament, because that's when the season begins.
I think one of the keys and interesting points to this season is going to see Caleb Love without the ball in his hands. Jaye and Bradley's going to be the guy with the ball in his hands and the true point guard of the team.
How does he succeed scoring without the basketball?
Yeah?
No, I agree with you, because you know how I feel about both of them. There's only one ball, there's two of them and you have the better guy kJ Lewis without the ball too, But yeah, how is love going to feel that that spot of not having the ball all the time. And Jayden Bradley who loves the ball all the time. Yeah, and now he pays going downhill? And how does he developed in the passing game? I think the passing game and then prieve Us with the
toughness is the biggest thing. Give me the times that you and I looked at each other sitting next to each other on press road, thinking, there's Jayden going down to the basket, no pass?
Oh no, I mean we did, like in one game, I think we counted like six seven times that he didn't pass the basketball.
Head down, man, head down, go down, get to the basket. And a lot of times it worked, But a lot of times he could have been a better option.
Better option, easier scoring method. And really it when you do that, it softens the defense and creates more options for yourself in the long run.
Yeah, yeah, you know, two fat guys talking about basketball helped Colors players. This is what the world has come to. I'm okay with it. You know, what the hell do I know? But but I know what I know. I mean this team, excuse me, has to share the ball, the big guys underneath. I really think Anyry's going to play an impact. I like the way he's played in the past. Who knows about Crevius's injury, the seriousness of it, he's been out for a while. Did you talk to him?
I did, and you know he was very uh previous, like very land very do not understand English.
Yeah, you know, I asked him, did you did.
You ask any advice from Henry Vassar who went through an injury last year and had to be benched for a long period of time.
He goes, no, No, I didn't.
Who's that was?
Yeah, that was the end of the conversation, right.
The who's Who's this guy you speak of? Henry?
Yeah?
You know, uh, And I think that's just uh, you know, the European style of play, where you know, you just go out and play.
Man, it's just basket. Yeah.
The interesting is going to be the other guys that the four and five, four spot, three spot, four spot, you know, those big dudes, like the physical that you think that would be physical.
Yeah, I think Townsend is going to be a physical player.
I mean, he's played in big twelve games before going on the road to Oklahoma State, on the road to Baylor and then Toby a Waka. I think that's going to be very key for Arizona. Can he stay out of foul trouble and give it. He's the bigger dude, right, yeah, bigger here dude.
So and he give them that.
You know, they don't need points from him, they just need six rebounds. Yeah, same with Creevous. I don't grievous maybe you know, twelve points, eight rebounds because the guys on the perimeter are going to be the scores.
Honestly for this type of conference.
You know what type of center would be perfect, Caleb TARZOUSI give me eight points, twelve rebounds.
Just rebound the.
Basketball right right, and then that could very well happen. He's that type of guy. Yeah, I think he's better than.
Offensively, I think he's better, But I think Zeus was a little bit more ahead defensively at this point.
End as a sophomore. Yeah, I'll agree with that because we I just remember him as a junior and senior because we see what we remember what we see last, right, But Caleb was not a pro which just wasn't an NBA guy. Beatle Stiff did his job, good guy, fundamentally sound right right? Are we good? We're good to go. Let's go and then come back with breaking news and then we're gonna have toddlehold house on the other side.