Are they the problem?
Thank God, yes, really yes, pitching, pitching. They were number one in offense, number one in defense, twenty seventh in pitching this season, strong great career, had a.
Lot of success to the career I'm going to try to get him.
Was successful last year of Arizona, but this year, you know, some injuries and just couldn't figure it out and in the rotation and it led to an ERA over four.
So his issue was not so much coaching, It was injuries.
Injuries and a little bit of coaching a little bit in terms of not technique, but in terms of just attacking the hitters and game planning was a little bit of a problem there too.
Okay, Well, at the beginning of the year they were struggling, right. I went to go see him in May and he was the ruaid off guy Lefty Carb and Carrol. Yeah, he didn't have a good year. I know, he didn't have one well finish because he didn't. He didn't start well for a long time. He got it.
I think at one point he was down to eighty nine. Yeah, I think that was when I was seeing him, and he got all the way up to two thirty five.
So he had to be hit about to seventy to eighty the rest of the way. Uh so that was an issue at the beginning, right they I think they lost They lost it at the beginning of the year, right. Yeah.
There there was a series against Atlanta. They were up six runs twice against the Braves on the road. They blew that game and they were up I believe five or six runs in the game previous to that against Atlanta. Blew that game as well. So how recent at the beginning of the year, what I'm saying. And then they blew a game at home against Atlanta. So he blew three games against the Braves who finished title with you
and decided and got to go onto the wildcard. Uh having that tiebreaker, So you win those games and you're in the playoffs.
Yeah.
One of their one of their pitchers there was a big signing was Jordan Montgomery. Yep, you thought he was going to be a good addition to the starting pitching. It's terrible.
He was. He was terrible. Where do you come from? He came up to Texas.
He just won the World Series with Texas and then Edward rod Rodriguez got hurt. I'll give him that, but then coming back out a five to six cra almost close to six, just really couldn't get things going.
Okay, you have a volleyball They took down number twenty u YU last night for their first Big twelve win.
Yeah, that was that was kind of big. Yeah, not kind of. It was big because it was the Big Twelve. They had lost two straight, I think, right, and now now it's big time though.
Well, and it's big because the program's kind of been kind of in the flux of where they've been just you know, good to average and not great, and you're trying to get the program back on track. And it's a big win for the head coach and trying to get that program back where it used to be.
Okay, it was on a women's basketball They've been selected to finish seventh in the Big twelve preseason pool.
Yeah, is that fair? I think that's fair.
I think you probably could have gotten lower, you know, lower in terms of like eighth, eighth, eighth, ninth. You do have Jada Williams returning, you do have some returners, but you're losing a lot of role players there, and over the last couple of years it's been a don't want to say hodgepodgs, but sliding door of who's in who's out of rooms of transfers. So when you don't have that cohesion, where do you have to go off of?
Right? So everybody loves idea. I love Idea. She's she's good at what she does. She loves the media type of things where she does the tweeting and all that stuff. She not in trouble. Trouble's too too strong. Where is she?
You know, I don't think you could ever say she's on the hot seat. Give she got to a national championship game, but I remember during that run and after that run, she set the expectations of this is what we are going to be doing, and you haven't even come close to that. So you're talking about first and second round exits in the tournament teams that I've underperformed
with a lot of talent. So right, right now, you're kind of looking for a path back to developing players and getting back to that level.
Right, and she's done it. She's great at it. I think the people that watch the team and follow the team would like less drum, less drama and more offense. Well, you love defense, but you got to put the ball in the bucket, just because I'm curious, Nase, did she end up anywhere?
Not that I saw, I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't exactly tracking that, so I'm not sure where she ended up.
She might have taken a year off for medical babe, and that's what she said she was going to do, right.
Yeah, but it would not surprise me as she ends up at a Power five Power.
Forward program somewhere down the line. Does she good? I think she's talented.
I think it's hard to judge somebody that's that tall and has a little bit of mobility issues. But with the right coaching staff that can help her pay in her offensive post, she could be a special.
Patient on both sides exactly because I think the kids men and women think Kylieo themselves coming out of high school, right, they got to do these things and they can do it right away, and then they get here and they realize, oh no, you know, and just another one of those many good players.
And when you have a coach like idea that is so defensive driven, and that's the struggle. When you come out of high scho defense for men's and women's, you're not used to it. You're not used to the speed, You're not used to the demand on the defensive side of the ball, and when you have a defensive coach, there's no time for waiting around.
You got to develop defensively. Yeah, Okay.
Indiana fevers number one overall pick Kevin Clark. She has won the w n b A Rookie of the Year. She had sixty six out of sixty seven votes from a national media panel.
She I think I saw someone where she got paid pretty well for being kim or something. There was some kind of prize for being near unanimous or I could could have read it run. Yeah. Well, and everyone's I don't know, they just all all eyes on her, right because of the money she's making and the thing. But she's she's bringing a lot of eyes to the to the w NBA, although the ratings have been down because of the playoffs, I mean they're no longer in the Yeah.
And you know, when you have that star player that everybody gravitates towards and turns the college translate that to the pros. And she had a lot of success early on, You're you're gonna have eyeballs on them and people are gonna want to see them and once they're out, ratings go down.
And then Angel Reese got injured, so she's not playing anymore.
Right, right, she was injured, but not near the end of the year. She had a fantastic here too. They fired her coach and she tweeted about that. How sad or you know, the howle instrumental coach was I think was to her.
So staying in the staying with the w n b A. The expansion draft has been set for December sixth for their newest team, Golden State Doalkyrease and then in twenty twenty six. They've also announced that Toronto and Portland will have teams that will be starting play. Okay, cool, I'm not familiar with and Iron it'll follow WNBA too much, so wasn't aware.
Of that yet.
No, I heard about the Portland and Golden State, it wasn't. Didn't hear about Toronto. But I mean, anytime you have expansion in the league grows, that's good for the Yeah.
Right, of course, Chiefs place leading receiver Russie Rice on ir This was today that he was.
I'm a Bronco fan, but Russian Rice is on my fantasy team, so there you go. Yeah, for all you geeks out there, but as a as a Bronco fan, bad news, I say that in terms of endearment.
Saints Derek Carrwood, I would love to reunite with DeVante Adams down in New Orleans.
Yeah, that'd be a good pick up for right right there, or with Rogers somewhere better. There was something I don't know where I saw it, maybe ESPN talking about how the Raiders screw with their wide receivers and have all you most of last twenty years, Jonathan Cooper and lost loss. This this guy, Uh, there's been a few moss this guy, Uh, there's been a few got down, Oh Brown A J. Brown?
Wasn't he with him? Yeah? Uh? And they just went Brown Tonio Brown who just wanted to get get in and get the hell out.
Yeah, you know it hasn't been the receiver haven uh there. You know when it was Derek Carr was there and they had uh, what's the same, Michael Krabtree and other receivering weapons there.
Scrab Tree out of the league. He's been out for a while.
Yeah.
He was a fantastic college player. God I'm showing my age, but he's been on out for a probably a while, right, probably about three years that long. He didn't have a long career then, No, he didn't. What's long career? Probably ten plus? No way? Yeah, oh man, I gotta google that because my age. I'm showing my age because he played against Colt McCoy Texas Crabtree. I'm gonna I'm gonna google that. I gonna say ten plus years. Holy moly, where have I been? I slept through that. It's like
a Dallas episode. Wow, Okay, how many years I'm gonna I'm gonna see here, go ahead, Ryan.
Tonight, we got the Buccaneers and Falcons going going at it for Thursday Night football, John Robinson, Yeah, okay, this should be a good game. The Falcons are actually got too bad.
In a lot of tight games, you know, just win it or lose it. They're in that game and they're going to give you a fight, and they're developing as an organization, and right there with Kirk Cousins, you know you're going to be in the.
Game, right.
Rajon Rondo is joining the Milwaukee Bucks training camp as a guest coach.
Hey, you know, veteran point guard your floor In general, a lot of point guards become coaches, so good for him.
Yeah, yeah, he last last played in twenty two with the think with the Lakers or the Cavaliers. I can't remember where he finished college football. Tonight is actually going underway. Right now. We got Texas State and Troy. They're in the first quarter, and then later on we got Sam Houston and UTEP Go Troy World.
Hi been ten years? How many year? Ten? Ten? God? I just remember him playing two years ago wherever he was. Yeah, I'm thinking this kid could play. Holy moly, I need some memory bills. Great career to ten. Yeah, well, the thing is, yeah, I guess except for Aslad when he went to Arizona and had four catches, Holy moly, time flies for me. Noonder my kids are old. They were just sending me Wow, Holy moly, one of their old kids coming to the houses. What are you guys doing here?
Who are you? Who are you?
Last thing is the game three of the you know, long card is the way right now?
You got the Mets Brewers. Troy said something earlier about go meteor, go Medior. I don't I don't care who wins that they could tie. I don't care what the doing. Okay, Okay, your Braves. Braves are out. I just kind of want had some of the misery here. I'm very sad, not really, but you know.
If they had a better offense, they would have they would have done better, obviously, but they had a real good pitching well staff this year.
But the surprise to this point in Detroit, Oh yeah, Detroit, uh, Kansas City, the Royals that looked great, right And honestly, if the Braves that they didn't get hurt, which is similarly to the Dinebacks, that they didn't get hurt, this season could have been very different for both organizations.
Sure, long, six months, one hundred and sixty two games.
So yeah, okay, cool, anything else that you have You were at the press conference today, What was the gist of that? The basketball press conference?
Yeah, you know a lot of player development talk about the young guys coming in and the transfers coming in and how they could play positions three through five, you know, one through five, you know, and some of the typical stuff about versatility that you hear about the new guys on the roster from players and how the biggest thing to me that I took away was kJ Lewis saying that they've gotten better defensively, and that's been an emphasis is the defensive side of the ball, especially with Tommy
Lloyd being an offensive coach, getting better defensively.
I think it is gonna be critical for this program moving forward. So he has nine dudes. He has one hundred dudes, but he really has nine dudes. Do you think he's gonna go with all nine dudes?
I think at some point you're going to shorten it to you. I think coaches love to say I would love to go nine.
I've never I've never, just real quick, I've never seen a coach not say that and then do it. Yeah, because because it's just not in them. It's great at the beginning of the year, but when you're looking for minutes for guys and trust develops, that's it. That's the word. You can't. You can't do it in the middle of March, in the middle of February. You're looking at is he can make a good be good enough to beat Kansas on the road? Is he going to be able to beat the Houston on the road.
So he's not going to have a stupid tournament over in the middle of a GM Pack game.
Yeah, who's your who's your player that you who kind of hope to see does well.
I really want to see, Uh, what's the name the Anthony de Lasorio, however you pronounce that name? The transfer from Campbell really interesting player kind of has a and I'm not relating them to any way to Larry Bird, but has that style of below the rim, find a
way to get to the bucket offensive skill set. But can he be solid defensively out there for Arizona or is it going to be a case like a Mark Paulison, who you know was supposed to be this defensive wizard from San Francisco and then you get on the court and it's like, okay, you're playing Power five schools.
Yeah, I don't know who developed whoever said that he was a defensive player coming in, it was that's crazy. Mine's going to be Henry. I really liked him two years ago excooting when he came on the scene and looked impressive at times, and then it gets hurt last last year obviously, But I'm not sure how much time he's going to get. But I hope to see that he does a lot of things and gets a chance to play a lot.
One more player is uh Crevas can can he get tougher? I think that's going to be critical for Arizona. If Krevas isn't able to get tougher from what we saw last season, he kind of gets pushed around in the Big twelve, it could be a long year in the Big twelve for Arizona.
Wow, No, I agree with you. You've got the big body, can do a lot of things under the basket. You're asking a lot there because you just don't get tougher or stronger in a year now, But you know when you have to. Yeah, I think that the front court, the back court's going to be fantastic. They might have to live and die there with Caleb and Bradley and kJ and whoever else is back to Bradley, not Bradley. Your refreshmen coming in, Yeah, Carter Bryan car Carter Bryant.
So they're very talented. What was the last time I've covered this thirty some years? They weren't that. They weren't any good. I can't remember. Maybe Shawn's first year maybe, yeah, maybe they were mediocre. I think, yeah, they finished below five hundred. I think I was just gonna say that. I think or at five hundred, but right around that mark, and he was frustrated all head because he didn't have anything left in the cupboard. But yeah, no, I totally
agree with you. We'll see. I think he was gonna go eight seven, eight nine. That's what he does, and it's gonna be a crazy good ride. To me, it's gonna be.
You know what, one thing we can say every weekend in the Big twelve, every week in the Big Twelve is going to be a gauntlet of a game in primetime television and interesting.
To watch without question. Those who have tickets, more power to you because you're gonna have a great time going in to the games. And I know that you and I traveled a couple of times Lesture to Duke. We might go to Kansas. It's gonna be a tough thing because they're at Kansas right before the Big Twelve. Yep. So if we go to Kansas, we're staying in Kansas.
Oh yeah, we ain't coming back. We have to as a because the team will stayed in Kansas for the tournament, and then the tournament, the Big Tournament starts a week after that. I may not have clean underwear for a while. I know they have stores out there stuff right, gotta go to walmartt Walmart. You know I'm joking, of course. Okay, let's take a break, Let's go back, go out, get a hold of Reggie Geary and see what are you stills up with the team?
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Streaming live on the Ihearts Radio AP. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to you lying the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Troy Hutchinson, and we have Renjie Geary from a UA player. We all know who Rechie is, right, How are you.
Doing, ch I'm doing good, Steep. Thanks for having me on.
Yes, yes, we're talking to talk hoops. It's that time of year. Do you when you're doing your radio stuff, do you kind of do they make you kind of add libit or do you know your schedule?
I mean was talking basketball, which is nice. It's something the comfortable land for me.
You know.
Obviously I'm gonna do my homework and prep. I think that's just the old coaching me. So I'm a little prepared for it. But yeah, me and Brian we just kind of have fun with it and I describe what we're seeing and helping. It's something good.
Yeah. No, but I'm talking about because you shared duties with Rhino, right.
I do, yes, Ronald watch most of the home games. I do most of the roadio.
Okay, so that's the schedule. Okay, No, that makes sense to me. So you must really enjoy that because it kind of stirs the juices from your good old days exactly.
You know, you know obviously, you know, having played basketball league team and you know, play for almost twenty years, and then you know winter coaching. So be there with Brian, to sit court side, to be around Tommy and the team. It really keeps me energized. It's basketball, the passion of myne, Arizona basketball in particular, and so still be involved, still be around the guys. Yeah, Keeth me long, It's just something I absolutely love to do.
Reggie. When you look at the way the season ended last year and what they brought in this season in terms of the transfers and freshmen coming in, what do you think the emphasis was for Arizona after the way it exited against Clemson.
Yeah, I think just how things ended, and then obviously you know us going now to the Big twelve. I think Tommy and I think you spoke on this is just being more physical. I think when I went to the transfer portal, they want to look for some physicality. I think they thought maybe at times they got pushed around a little bit, or when the game was slowed down, when the pace and temple would slowed down, that it
was no longer to their advantage. And I think going into the Big twelve in particular, things are you know, they play a little bit of different basketball. They're a little more of a slugtuss So getting bigger I think was a priority, you know, and and we've done that all the way across the board now with Jayden Bradley as the one in kJ Lewis, I think we have one of the best backcourts defensively, especially in the country
where they really set the tone there. So I just think, you know, getting bigger and stronger for those battles is something Tommy and the staff are looking at.
Yeah, would you back in the day when uh, this is a dumb question, but back in the day, would you have kind of welcomed the switch from the PAC ten back then to a different conference.
Yeah, I mean as just as a competitor. I think, you know, we all love challenges, and so you know, if for some reason back in the day we had left the PAC tending on to another big conference, we would have looked at as a challenge. We would have definitely had a lot of a chip on our shoulders saying, you know, this Arizona basketball and this is kind of what we represent and mean, and so taking that into some new arenas and some new cities and new states,
I think we would have been excited. I think the group now is excited for that challenge.
When you were playing back in the day, back in the nineties, what what do you remember from some of those Big twelve matchups that you're able to experience and just going to some of those environments in playing against those teams, Yeah, you.
Knew it was going to be a hostile environment with big clouds. It's either going to be on a big stage. One thing about being an Arizona player, which is to our advantages, everywhere we go, it's the biggest game of the night for that for the for the opposing team, and that arena, so you know that will be being new to us, but just going to and you know, going to these new arenas. Obviously, the Big Twelve, if you ask around, experts will tell you it's the number
one basketball conference in the country. So you know there's gonna be some challenges there. But yeah, you know, that's worry about being an areason A player. You always have a target on your back. Nothing's changed, there was just doing it into new places.
I remember we just talked about it. When was the last time you said the Arizona basketball wasn't going to be any good? I can't remember last time I ever said that.
I've never said that. Yeah, I've never said that. I mean, my first content, my first restored election of Ariasona basketball, you know it is probably somewhere in the mid to late eighties. You know, coach also has been here. Obviously, Sean Elliott was later on that time when I was in my eighth grade, started in high school.
And so my.
Whole knowledge of Arizona basketball from the eighties to the day has been a success and excellent and consistency at a very very high level. So I've never had that feeling, even the down years people like to point out really weren't down years. You know, I go back to maybe my last year with coach also as an assistant coach. You know, Coach had stepped away from the team. You know, we still had Chase Budding during Jordan Hill and nick wise, we're still an NBA guys. We still got to the
second week of the tournament. People look at as a down year, and so maybe that's a good thing because extradas are so high. But it's been a very very long time. So I thought Arizona didn't have a good team.
And I was gonna say, you brought it up in terms of expectations being high, and you know that that is what Arizona basketball is and what it's turned out
to be in terms of expectations. How do you, if you're a fan, how do you allow yourself to give a coach like Tommy Lloyd time, especially in today's college athletics world where everybody wants everything now, they want to win now, and but there's a development process through that, and even for a coach like Tommy, when you have all this talent, there is a development side that people really don't give time to anymore.
Yeah, I think you're right there. Everybody, you know, they just expect everything to go well all the time. But I think it's gonna be important that we, as Arizona fan in Tuston community just kind of educate ourselves a little bit in terms of what we're about to go into the pat twelve. For whatever reason, it's been a strong conference in basketball, but it hasn't been the strongest, and we've been very dominant there for for a number
of years. We're going to the Big Twelve. We know that's not going to be the case, and I think understanding as a fan base that hey, we might lose two for six eight league games this year, and that doesn't necessarily mean we're a bad team, you know. I you know, I haven't really looked as much closely as I wanted to, But the Big Twelve is gonna have eight to ten teams that qualify for the insul A Tournament. You can have eight teams in the top twenty five.
So understanding that, yo, there's gonna be some struggles potentially. Obviously we all want team to go undefeated, but there could be nights where you know, there's gonna be some rough patches in the schedule. Not to panic. We're gonna be okay. We're still a good team. We're just in a much different and tougher league.
Reggie, you've been around here for a long time, ninety two, ninety five, whatever it was. Uh, the thing, I was just gonna ease the pain here. You know, fans, the fans are gonna okay, we're just this good. They want to win. They want to win all the time. Yeah, no, they do.
They do, And it's important. It's important. Like I said, we try to educate the fan base as much as possible that these things can occurve. But that doesn't mean
that you know, all is lost. But more important that understands that that when these things start happening and the fan base gets a little agitated and they start going on to the you know, social media and some of the websites, and you know that they don't allow these third parties or these outside voices to really penetrate their group.
I know Tommy and his staff work very very hard to make sure that you know that kind of messing, that kind of negativity that sometimes fan bases do, doesn't permit in your team, doesn't affect your team in a negative way. That you seek your nose down that you realize, hey might be occurring. But our goal is what end of the year playing our best basketball and see what that means.
And you know, I don't know about you guys, but this Big Twelve conference really has a feel of the old Big East in terms of the powerhouses that you have in it, the number of highly ranked teams, and it feels like a situation where, like you said, Reggie, where you could be staring at a team that has seven, eight, ten losses and there's still a top three, top four seed and then caa tournament and have a legitimate shot
of getting to a national championship game. Where you have so many teams that have that capability.
Yeah, I mean, I've been telling you the Big Twelve is just murderous road right now. You know, there's just so many quality teams, so many quality coaches that had levels of success, and so we're just gonna have to be on it night in, night out, never getting too high, never getting too lots, just because as you said, you could come in third in the Big Twelve and still be a three seed with a real chance to make
a deep run. So staying focused, not getting down the earth and we have those tough stretches will just be pro bodily important.
No, no question. I've said this a long time since they've come into the league. Just a long time to do with end of the year thinking exactly what you're saying, four or five losses, maybe even six, but it's going to prepare you for March, and guess what, it all matters in March. The one thing that that I think that that Bruce brought up last last week, and I thought it was pretty good from Bruce that Okay, you get you get beat up. You maybe you you lose a game or two or six or whatever. How much
are you going to be beat up? And and then that you get beat up for the tournament, which is important, and you get run down and now here you go, even though you played better or competition, now you're just kind of worn out. Major concern.
Definitely a concern, you know when you're coming to it, you know, a league like the Big Twelve and then going from league play playing canvas on the final game of the year on the road, going straight into the conference tournament. I mean, it's just it really is Murders where he's just gonna have to see how you come out, and you have to come out, you know, intact and healthy, so you can definitely lose it into the tournament in your in your league tournament, play just what you say,
just because you are so beat up. So you know, you know, watching the minutes, you know, really being on top of guys and their bodies, and Chris Rounds and and Jessica Costi, they do an excellent job there and they're just gonna have to really be on their job this year because it couldn't be about not only for Arizona, but we're.
All big twelve teams right. Well then remember they only have nine dudes, at least nine scholarship guys.
Yeah, I mean, uh, you know, I I know we have twenty players on the team, but you probably go to that heavy rotation, there's probably about nine guys, and so yeah, they're gonna have to look at that. I'm sure there's gonna the opportunity where guys are gonna have to step up and be you know, Conrad and Martinez
or or based out. There's gonna be there's gonna be a time where someone's gonna have to step up and and luckily in the past They've done a great job of that, and they're gonna gonna need to continue to do that.
You know.
I think luckily for Arizona, as you transition to new conference, in this gauntlet of a conference, you're not in a situation where you're welcoming in a top five, top two recruiting class full of freshmen. You're welcoming in Carter Brien who's phenomenally talented. You have you know, the kid out of Phoenix who's very talented as well. But you have Caleb Love back, you have Jaden Bradley back, you have
kJ Lewis back and welcoming back that veteran presence. How important is that for a basketball team not only entering a new conference, but just entering a tough situation like Arizona is.
Yeah, I mean to have like as you mentioned, your core guards, uh Jayden, kJ and Caleb and Caleb being a player of the year, you know, a fifth year guy, that's huge, you know what I mean, because your guards are your your are the players that can really settle your team down. They control things, they have the ball on your handle lot and so for Arizona to have three you know, experienced quality player there is definitely kill
our advantage. And so you know when when we look at some of the other players, they've had it, you know through the transfer border. You know, Trey Townsend and Anthony del orso you know, they've had some really really good pieces to go along and some some some pieces that have some experienced So yeah, Carter, Brian and some of the other freshmen, they're gonna have their opportunities, but it's going to be at that backcourt and some of these trapsmen are going to really be the hardest team.
Okay, I could be talking out on my you know what right here, but in ninety six you were the point guard for that team. They made it through the street sixteen was shot away from beating Kansas up in Denver. You had and at the top of my head, you had Joe mclaan. You had Corey, but those are more three guys.
Uh.
Then you had Miles who was a freshman. You had Michael, who are probably in the back court with you too. So you have them, but I think they're a lesser role obviously. I think now Kj's there, they have Bradley and they have Love kind of a three headed type of thing in the back court looks really strong. Can you is there any correlation there or no? Because you you were kind of ball dominant back then.
Yeah, I mean that that was that three guard offense that we ran in ninety four to great success. You know, it really was a nice balance we had. Obviously, you know, Damion and Kalid were more of our scoring punch. I was the defensive guy and assist guy. But you know, we could use our quickness and really pushing tempo. And I think you know what, we looked at our scoring average, it was very It was very similar to Tommy Lloyd's team last year, which was one of the tops in
the country. So we had that ability to play fast and I and I do see that a little bit. You know, Caleb Love he reminds me a little bit of Kalid Reeves, you know, big bodyguard, you know, who could really change the game with his scoring, can make it look easy at time. Than Caleb has definitely shown that in an Arizona uniform. You know, Jada Brawley and David steiermar not not too many similarities there that James more of a kind of a setup. He kind of
set the team up defensive guy. But I think this year, We're all going to be real excited to see his growth and changing. It was his growth a consistent score. You know, these guys are showing the ability to score, but not on a consistent ninth and ninth basis. If they can do that, and I know they've worked very hard this summer and accomplishing that. If they able to do that, this team really going to take the next level.
So from a scoring standpoint, you know, kJ and Jade really haven't got to that that Damian cult level quite yet, but we know it's there and they just need to show it.
So you went to ninety four, sneaky guy, I was talking in ninety six, which of course is good because that's a good compression. Ninety seven. You know, you had Bibby and Simon and Terry for three guards. But let me ask you about Love specifically. You played in the league, you left here, you played in the league for a little while, and Love was told to come back right to get improved. What would you hope to see from him?
Given we know he can score, but he's more of a volume guy than he is a consistent guy.
Yeah, you know, I'm a big klea left fan, especially how he conducted himself last year. You know, I didn't know, I know a little bit about him. I'd heard a couple of things about him, but his maturity, the way he went about his business on a day to day, what he was at to do for our team, you know, in all honestly, he was asked to take a lot of tough shots. And and I know people say as a volume guy, but we asked him to take a
lot of shots. We needed him more importantly to take a lot of shots on some nights, and maybe that won't be the case this year, but just more of the same. You know, he was a better athlete last year than I anticipated. He was a much better passer than I anticipated. Obviously, I thought his efficiency had gone up in Arizona uniforms in comparison to when he was at North Carolina, and so I was really really happy with him. I think defensively, you know, we saw we
saw it at times. Maybe he could be a little bit more defensively locked in, but once again, we're asking a lot for them on the offensive bit, so we have the law of Caleb. He's responded really really well. I just hope, like you say, I hope he just stays positive this year, continues to be kind of that quiet leader, shows by example and has another big year for us.
Totally agree with you, okay, Reggie is always thank you very much. On a text you a lot and say can you come on today? Can you come on today?
No call man. I love talking about sports where you can talk about other sports too. But anytime you guys want to have me on, please reach out.
I love doing this. Thanks, rach I appreciate you. Take care, does Reggie Geary. We got to go a little overright, ran, so we'll go and come back and kind of finish out the day with a bunch of stuff. If you're an Arizona men'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 from Loot.
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Steve Rivera, He's got his eye on the ball on Tucson's sports station, Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome Buck joining the ball here on Pox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. He's Troy to Sin and we get Ryan for the next ten to twelve minutes. I want to talk a little bit about love. Okay, So we know that he's a heck of a player, right, the heck of a college player. It wasn't surprising to me that when he went to the NBA they said
go back. What they told him? I do not know because we haven't talked to him, right, Because if you're if you're a guy who watches the game, the guy's good and you think, oh, he's going to be great at the next level or good at the next level. They told him go back. So what do you think he needs to work or what did they tell him? Tell him what he needs to work on.
I would think the number one thing they told him is efficiency, being more efficient, being more consistent on the offensive end.
So does that mean take more shots, take less shots, take better shots?
I think take better shots is the key there because we saw several times throughout the season where he kind of settled for threes, started chucking up threes and didn't necessarily let the game come to him and tried to be I don't want to say hero ball, but you know what, he was the only offensive weapon at times.
And Reggie said that and.
It kind of played into that, and he had to do what he had to do. But if you're going to make it to the next level, you can't do that and you can't have that poor of a three point percentage with doing that.
Yeah, there's only one guy that I think that could do that in that stuff obviously, Right, what is no? No?
No?
And that's what point because Davison he carried that team until he couldn't in that year that he was a senior, Right yeah, And you're thinking, who is this kid? Who is this skinny kid? No? Yeah, and I think he needs to involve He did a great job. I thought he did a fantastic job. There were games when he didn't shoot the ball well and you're thinking he needs to give the ball up more that I think they that's one of the things he needs to do that a little bit more. But he did a good job
with that. He let the team in assists, I think, right. So I think you're you're right with the efficiency that he just has to be smarter with his shots. I don't know if that's going to get him to the next level, but it shows that he's coachable with you know, tell him something, you know, don't walk, don't do this, and he doesn't do it. Yeah.
And also get and he did improve defensively. I think that was one of the main things Tommy Lloyd talked about when he came into there, was challenging them on the defensive side of the ball. Uh, making them a very good defender, but get better there because I tell you what, in the NBA, if you're able to be a consistent presence on the offense, then but a great defensive player. And there's something that you could in your add on you're gonna last in the league a long time.
Yeah, if you can score two obviously they need those type of players. We'll see what happens. What is you What are your impressions with with Bradley? He's to me, he's a different cat.
Yeah, you know, and I think we said it a lot last year as he had tunnel vision that first, you know, month and a half, we counted all the time how many how many missed opportunities there were on the floor for them to pass the ball, because he went one on five, one on four, one on three. But as the year went on, actually in the tournament, he started to find those guys. He started a basketball
and become a little bit more efficient offensively. And I asked him today about the passing game in terms of how do you develop that you worked on it and how is that going? And he said the main thing was you have all these coaches that know what they're doing and know what they're talking about, and they were sending him film, Hey, you missed the pass here, you missed the pass there, And they went and stopped doing that until you know it finally clipped, I need the basketball.
Guess what happens, So then they're seeing what we're seeing. Because you and I talked about it a lot when we sat next to each other at the game, I'm thinking there was opportunities because even we had him on the show, I guess after the season and I kind of complimented him, complimented him in a weird way that he plays with his head down and he's full steam ahead. He's a downhill dude. And if he gets in trouble, he throws it away or or he finds somebody, or
he just goes to the basket and gets fouled. He kind of laughed at that. He says, oh, thanks for noticing, But that wasn't the compliment. It was he's putting his head down and going when he needs to not his head down and either get rid of the ball or get a good shot, especially being the point guard.
Yeah, without question, and Low used to have that, you know at the free throw line. That's that's stop signed. Yeah, that's kind of gone out the window. There is no stop sign. But you need to have a little bit of that in your.
Well Okay, and again he's a ball dominant guy, right. He likes to have the ball. Love so is Love and and kJ who is probably better than both of them, is not. But he needs to have the ball. But he's someone that is able to let the game come to him. He's Michael in my mind. He's Michael Dickerson.
And he can affect the game in many different ways where he doesn't have to score.
Right. Well, we all saw the game against Clemson and some other games at the end where he and Bradley saved the day or at least tried to save the day. In Clemson they both did tried to, they just couldn't hit the ball, hit the shot. So I think the key is going to be kJ or at least on that Love is going to score his nineteen whatever you will score his twelve or thirteen. Kg will have you know, eleven and twelve, but still be the best player on
the court in my mind with previous like your guy. Uh. We'll see about the freshmanson Townsend. They have a lot of players. We'll see who's going to stay happy, stay happy? And also they've been so great defensively and offensively in the post the last several years of coach Tommy Lloyd. Can you be great defensively with no Umar Bollo, no Christian KloCo. You don't have that that big sure, sure, but you also don't have that inconsistent offensive player. That's true,
So you know it's a one or the other. In Crevaus is going to be that guy. I think Henry's going to be able to fill in, and some of the other guys that they have brought in who have experience, who have that that not Genesis Quad. But you know that that failed for the game. Whether it happens or not, you can assume it will. But again, Duke Houston, Baylor, Kansas, it ain't.
Easy c l A, Wisconsin. I mean, it's a continent of a schedule for Arizona this year. Yeah, no, I gues say, it's gonna be fun. I'd rather see that than not see that. Yeah, And honestly, this might be one of the last few times we see Arizona have a Duke Homan home a u c l A nutral site because as you go through scheduling, you have to deal with that big twelve conference.
Now, yeah, before you have to deal with you want to schedule tough. I think that Tommy will say yes to that. And you know, it's surprising you didn't call me and said you want to go to Bahamas and kind of go there and go there. I was thinking about doing that. I always thinking about doing that because that's not a bucket list but I but I thought I wanted to because I had never done it. It's one of the few tournaments I hadn't been to. And
and if Arizona plays a Gonzaga. Perfect. Yeah, and that's why I would want to go. I want to have gone, But no, I'm going to the Breeders Cup and said, so my money is going to be somewhere.
Are you a little shot that they haven't gotten that matchup together?
Yeah? No, no, because those dudes don't want to play each other. But I mean, you're not affecting each other's season one. It's one game. No, they just don't want that being uncomfortable. You know, if it happens, it happens. But no, that happened organically or whatever. But no, I can see it. I can see you know, you don't want to face your boss, your good friend, your family friend. Although although I think they're probably putting too much into it,
like thinking too much about it. Just do it. It's competitive, it's good programs, no question which I was going to say, you're right, helps both. There's no lose in that. No, there's no lose. And imagine the press, imagine the fun, and it's gonna it could happen how far as Bahamas two thousand miles. Yeah, that's the bad thing with none of us there to watch it, you know, Bruce, Yes, but not so I.
Think the perfect situation for them. Nobody's there and they and they base each other.
Actually actually for the you know, the national guys who think they know it all will be there or maybe maybe not maybe a lot of tournaments trimans. But if this happens, they could get down there to see that game, and it's it could happen. I wish I were. That's that's the only reason I wanted to go. That's fair. And it's the Bahama, you know, you know this is it's it's I've been to Mali five times with them.
I just I saw the beach once. Because you're too busy writing to go in the game, you're too busy to have fun. But on the other side of it is the Bahamas. It's like the back called tournament. Sure it was Vegas. Yeah, now you're in Kansas City. You know where I want to be. I want to be in Vegas. No, no, I get it. Yeah, yeah you're working. Yeah, but they have a casino in Vegas. I have heard a little bit. Yeah, you know, of course I might
have spent some time. And yes, I've seen you. I've seen like the Sodomo stuff down at the down down when they're dancing and all that stuff, you know at New York, New York where we stayed, the party atmosphere down there at the Central Bar. Yes, Central, the Central Bar was exactly it. Yeah, okay, we got about four minutes, three minutes, four minutes. Yeah, okay, we got a call. Oh, super, we got a call. Who is this? Oh you're on the air. Yeah, this is Nico. What's up?
Hey man? Your show is pretty good, man, but you got to cut out this basketball talk.
Man, Okay, I'm riding. I read it. No tomorrow, man, We've got the Red Blue do you. I don't think you and your dad have tickets? Do you.
To the Red and Blue game?
Man?
It's like watching paint dry.
I won't disagree with you, but hey, some people need to see paint dry. No, I'm talking about regular season. You go to football games.
No, I don't got basketball games. Then I don't want to go to the retirement home.
How do we make you happy, Nico? How can we make you happy? You're in Tucson though, I mean it's kind of retirement village though, right.
Well, yeah, sadly, I'm not gonna argue.
So what's on your mind? Dico?
Hey man, I'm just how many talks some more Texas.
Tex Now we will tomorrow, we will tomorrow. We're trying to get the Texas tech beat writer coming on. We had them earlier this year. We're gonna have, of course and talk to a lot of the games. Are you gonna be there tomorrow?
I'm gonna be there on Saturday?
You know, I'm sorry, Yeah, Saturday, Saturday. I'm gonna go early and sleep, sleep there. What do you think is gonna happen? And what needs to happen?
They just need to win?
Man style points, any style points? No, no, just win.
Okay, you's gonna go around you.
So let me ask you. Were you how shocked were you or not shocked at all about last week's game?
I thought they were gonna get blown at.
Yeah, I don't know. Do you know, Joy, anybody who thought they'd win?
No, I thought it would be a four point game. If Wilson played, then that that's who played. I didn't think they would win.
Yeah. Okay, well, Nico, at least you have high hopes for the football program. Yeah, well somebody as Yeah, No, I get it. Well, thanks for listening, man.
I'll give you credit though, Man, Andy Lopez is a great game.
Well yeah, yeah, he's gonna do it every now and again for me, So it was it was fun. He's a he's a great storyteller.
And this dude you have today, he's pretty good.
Too, don't I don't have to find a way to pay him.
Okay, no, no, no, okay.
Thank you, Nico, thank you. Yeah. You know, somebody else said that they liked having you on the show. I'm thinking, what in the world is the world coming to? People love me? I get it, I get it. You know, you're probably the only one that gets it. You're even kind of styling a little now, you're doing your hair better. Did you have the beard going on? I don't know. If you don't want to even ask if you have a lady in your life. I didn't want to care
to know. Not yet. Okay, we've got one more call. We got one minute, one minute? Okay, no, thanks Niko for calling in. Did anybody else call? Who called it? Oht Mike, Mike asking for Jay. Jay's long gone? What are you talking about? Although we'll be uh, we'll be at the casino here in next weekend, a week from today, a week from today, So looking forward to that. Thanks Troy for coming in. You might be available now that people I want to hear you. I might have to invite you more often.
Always happy, Yes, Go easycatsoaisycats dot com. And also, if you don't mind this, shout out to Alex Hubbert who passed away this last week, my cousin big time. You have a football fan. Shout out to his family and okay, that's elect to them. Our condolences grow. Thank you very much, that's no problem, and we got Ryan. Thank you Ryan again. As usual, we have our pregame show on Saturday. Ryan will be in the house with me.
I'll have Byronevance and David Adams on Saturday at five o'clock on this channel. Thanks so much,