Breaking down all the usays and ohs. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports sporteen fifty eight.
Hey, welcome back to my in the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty Oh Steve Rivera, you're Dave Silvert. Now we have Kobe with breaking news.
Breaking news from sports. Yesterday, Bengals defeat the Cowboys twenty seven to twenty as they moved to five and eight.
Who's your team?
San Francisco?
Me my team this year? Buffalo? Oh you changed teams?
I had change all. I lived in Buffalo, Okay, and San Francisco. Who was growing up San Francisco? Uh, probably the Raiders because I was in the Bay Area and the Raiders were good and the Niners were not in those years, but they got it. They kind of switched. So everybody's always been kind of a Raiders in forty nine.
Ers, so everybody who's listened. I didn't know M a Cowboy fam but I gave up on them twenty eight years ago. You know, rightly so, because I used to live in Dallas before I got here. But uh, the game was the epitome of what their seasons like.
Yeah, did you see that? Blunder I did.
I was watching.
I barely was watching any of the game, and I was watching the final. You know, a few minutes it was tied. I turn on was, oh, it's twenty twenty. It's gonna go overtime.
And they had a chance to put it away. We just had to pick up the ball and get into field goal range and they were done. Yeah.
Yeah, and then that happens what.
I did not see any of the post game, but I'm sure they talked to Jerry So Mike McCarthy's still say but his contract is up anyways.
Sure, sure, I don't see how it would be, but he says it is. But the kid who muffed the recovery, don't you saw the situation, right, Yeah, you've been playing the game for years, years, you're pro, they make give you half a million dollars whatever, and then you do that. You mean, you know you're not supposed to do that. You know, when you were a kid, when did you learn not to put the fork into the right Yeah, until you have, until you got it in the first time.
He said, oh, I could not do that again.
I'm sure you saw the reaction of the coaches. Those are always the best too.
It's like, you know, like that, hell, what are what you doing?
What are you doing?
It's it's gotta be frustrating for the coaches. Can they coach it all the time? And the player, which is you know instinctly the ball's coming towards him and you know, couldn't get out of the way or I'm gonna grab Yeah. Y, had he just recovered it, it would have been okay, but he bounces off.
Yeah, so the hell out of the way.
Bad.
Arizona defensive lineman Tiati enters NCA transfer portal.
Yeah. Like I said, I think there's going to be eighteen maybe nineteen now again to the top of the hour. Week of the first hour, we talked about that. I just thought that there was some disconnect between the players and the coaches. And I think this confirms what I was thinking, because all the good ones are leaving.
He's he's going defensive line. Does it have a list?
Does it have a list? I know, I know does have a list. You probably have to search for it. Yeah.
They got a commitment though from a defensive defensive lineman in Texas.
Yeah, and they also gave a scholarship. We're giving a scholarship. The kid from Washington, another kid from San Jose State saw that, and they have the kid one of the running backs from New Mexico. And so what's the first thing you think of, at least the New Mexico and the San Jose State the situation they're going after those guys.
I know he brought some San Jose State and New Mexico players with him the first time.
Dave, how'd that go? Missus Lincoln?
How did depend?
Ye?
I don't know.
Let's you know, let's again, let's give him benefit of doubt. Maybe just because now we're they're in the Big twelve and they've had a year and people sort of know what's going on. There's going to be a lot of openings. Yeah, you know, I fifteen or sixteen guys are leaving. That means they can fill the roster with that on top of the recruits. So there's there's bodies that will be coming in this way, right.
Kaal and Clark named Time Athletes of the Year.
Yeah.
I think that's a good pick.
She was she she transcended college basketball, YEP, pro basketball, all of it. Because and I wonder how her year two is going to go, because they treated her like crap that first year.
What did you think about her not making the Olympic team.
I was indifferent to it because there was pretty good players. Yeah, in different.
I mean it was it seemed like she never had a break other than the Olympics. You know, she literally went from you know, her college season, championships, you know, and all that stuff, and then the Olympics fell, like maybe the u WNBA started a little bit, and then you know, she plays there, then they have that break and then she comes back.
So it was it was quite a run.
And you're also thinking she one of the top twelve players in the world and in the United States.
Well, I mean maybe not, but you know, she's certainly one of the top twelve most known players in the United States, and not the ratings are that big of a deal. Everyone's watching the Olympics AnyWho. But you know, it would have been nice to see her, and you know she'll be back in you know, LA in twenty twenty eight.
Yeah, but it was more like do you remember when uh, god, the duke guy everyone hates Christian Chris, remember he had the team and they were like he coming on.
Yeah, same type of thing.
Well, the guy from Duke Cooper Flag was practicing with them, but he didn't play right Yeah, right now, he was never in a game.
But it kind of a similar situation.
But you know, if you can take an athlete the year, I'm trying to think of who else, I mean, she was in the news for a lot of a lot of time during this year.
Uh, Tony maybe might he had a pretty good year, judge, maybe not TONI Who else.
Was he last year? I don't remember. I don't remember.
Purdue hires UNLV's coach Barry Odom after he led UNLV to a ten and three record.
Yeah, which is not a shock that he was going to get a new job somewhere. I would not have been surprised had there was Gonna let Go, had had doesby let Go Brennan, that Odam would have been the next guy. She hired him at Dagas, That's right, That's right. She had him at Vegas. He's done very well, uh as opposed to the quarterback who left Vegas for no nil. He now has money more money at Purdue right within.
I l But they also have a terrible team. I mean, weren't they like he had like one on the left. They were not good this year, and you know they've been good.
I mean I think of you know, even Drew Brees and people like that went there over the years. So they've been pretty bad though lately, and they you know, got totally you know, humiliated by both Notre Dame and Indiana and State this year. So for due whatever good in basketball.
Rich Rodriguez may be headed back to West Virginia.
Yeah, which is not a shock to me.
He kind of left under tough circumstances because you know, they love him and love him. He's a native guy, and when you leave kind of like fish and everybody else New mex School guy. Uh men in hall of the pissed that you and the piss that you've It's been enough time now where I'll okay, we need you back.
Yeah.
Well, I mean he had a great run there in West Virginia, then goes to Michigan and kind of flounders and take some time off, comes here and you had a couple.
Of good yeas.
Now what would be his legacy here? I guess it was.
The twenty fourteen team was his big one, right, and they made the Pack twelve.
Champions and you always knew at least I thought that he'd want to jump after something, that that the fires were struck hard, that he would leave. He tried to go to South Carolina for whatever reason. That didn't work. One side says one thing, he says that another.
Well, his legacy, unfortunately, was just kind of how he exited here. Yeah, it didn't look out too well. And then he lands, you know, on his feet where Jacksonville wasn't an assistant someplace?
Maybe, Yeah, he was at he was at I want to say, Louisville or somewhere like that.
Why am I missing this? Jacksonville State's in a bowl game.
Yeah, they won the Conference USA two years into the into the creation of the league.
Yea for getting into the league. He was the coach just as I was leaving TV.
I remember I interviewed him in his office, which I don't think I ever did with Stoops or whoever was before him, like just one on one in his office and then well, coach, I'm actually gonna stop. I'm gonna I'm gonna be leaving here soon. But it's as good meeting. And he was kind of a good old boy.
He was. He was a good.
Interview because remember he did TV for that little stretch he was on CBS.
So he was good with the media.
He was he was a dude.
And I did the story. He hated to lose, like he hated it. And you've seen the you've seen the videos of him going ballistic in the in the press box or whatever. He was just kind of that dude. Yeah, just kind of hated to lose. And he says, well, Steve, you know, my mom used to tell me all that time when I was a kid playing checkers, I used to hate to lose. We'd have to play until I won.
It came from a generation to where you know, he was a little PC, you know, and so he had he had to be careful oh that he was not piece PC. And so when he shows up, you know, and things started happening around the department, and you know, news gets out of different things that were going on, it's like, yeah, this is not can't be acting like riding at university.
University of Michigan's Mason Graham projected top five pick enters the draft.
Potentially enter the Michigan Michigan. Yeah.
He was good last year, Michigan not good this year. Did you see did you have the b YU recruit.
Yeah, I can't pronounce his name if you the bond stuff.
Yeah, he's going there to b Yu.
The potential number one pick for the NBA is going there because the coach coached, Uh, Kevin Durrant, Right.
He said b Yu. He just committed.
I saw that who coached the coaches there coached the game.
But he's he's coached Durant at Texas?
I think?
Right?
Well, yeah, okay, what else said he else?
That's it for breaking news?
Do you see the Yankees have another another left handed pitcher. They just signed two hundred and eighteen million Max Freed, highest contract ever for a lefty.
Two hundred and eighteen million.
They have money to spend now after Sotos?
Could you believe Sotos thing even more than a Tony's crazy? He's crazy stuff.
He's younger, right, what is he twenties? Still like twenty six?
Twenty six?
What do you think?
So young?
What do you think?
I know, I thought he was older than that.
He's been around since I was like nineteen. I think he was on the national right. What I say, you think BELLI chicks and take that job?
What do you? I don't know. Why would he do that, Yeah, why.
Would he do that?
Well, well, there's young girls on campus. He's got a young girl friend.
That's my point. That's my point. I was being joking. Yeah, you know he's still getting some twenty four year old.
Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't know why. There's got to be I haven't. Well keep it up in the story. There's got to be some relationships there.
Well there, I think there is what I think I saw this yesterday on the McAfee show that uh, it's it's in the NFL. He would sell it that it'd be the portal to the NFL. Can I fish right? We got all these ex people, we know how to get you to the next level. You'll be prepared.
He could keep bringing in all his former players, you know, to get pep talks like well, Gronk.
Like well yeah, and then like the idean does in Colorado, Yeah, kind of the influencer.
I don't know.
I don't I just don't see from what you hear about coaches who do not want to be part of the this nil generation and all these transfer portals that are taking lesser jobs.
Why would someone like that.
Who's done so much and seventy two don't forget his age unless he's.
Just not getting the offers, which maybe he's not for Well, there was a theory thrown out. I heard it yesterday.
So Belichick's son is coaching with with Fish up in Washington. He gets this job, brings his son with him, and two or three years down the road, his son takes over. Kind of creates that legacy of you know, next guy, which makes sense if it's true or possible. So it would make sense, you know, bring a son along kind of grooming for the next job.
Yeah, I just don't know. It would be shocking. Would you coach at the this level? You're going to make four million dollars a year? You getting coach it?
What was he making with when he was in the patrons? Probably making at least like seven Sure?
Yeah, sure, but you're But the thing is today you're a competitor, right, You compete or you don't like to compete?
Yeah?
I love to compete.
Depends depends what it is, because if I get a chance.
Yeah, these guys who have competed all their lives, this is their juice, man, This is how they get their drilline going. And that's probably what it is. And he's you know, he's probably well, I'm sure he is totally different with the media than he is with the team because he runs a as you hear old people the former players talk, it's a difficult situation.
And he's, uh, you know, parlayed this little retirement into a number of broadcasting opportunities. He's on mcafeel as you mentioned, and uh, you know, he's doing Peyton and Eli on on Monday Night football. He's got something with Draft Kings. I mean, he's been all over the place here during the football and you.
Wouldn't think from his gonna views that he would be any.
Good exactly, but it's pretty good.
Asked me a question, dude, why didn't Why didn't you guys win this weekend?
We just didn't. We just didn't. We didn't play well. Could you follow up with a little more on that? I just did.
Yeah, I just did.
I'd be come on.
His personality doesn't lend to the media at least being dynamic, but but he is.
It's like Saban Saban. Salmon's totally different than what he was on the field. Well, with the.
Players, I think Saban's great, He's fantastics, really good. He's fantastic. You know, he's a little bit of a homer. I mean, he was pretty upset about Alabama this week not getting to the championship playoff game.
But worst things have happened to him.
Yeah, and did you see Burns tweets he was Greg Burns. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, he was like, shut up, shut up. You know you're Alabama. Get over it.
Don't play you know, Southeastern Louisiana State. You know in November there's that one week when in the SEC where like everybody plays their cupcake game, like in the middle of Jilt exactly. Don't lose the Vanderbilt you're in Yep, you know. Oh I had to stop that at a red night. I should have.
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Today Steve Rivera, he's got his eye on the ball on Tucson's sports station, Fox Sports sporteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to I on the ball here at Fox Sports. What you took you, Steve Rivera in with me today is Dave Silver? Now when if all we have a whole house FEMA Women's Festival Head coach Todd. How you doing.
What I'm doing?
Great?
And I'm so excited that I get to have Dave Silver out here with me too.
I hear you go back, we go.
You can go way back. Actually I taught Scott Driver's ed.
I was telling Steve that this is so Scott is now. It's over twenty years.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Let me let me give you my one Scott Silver story. I don't know if he's listening, probably not because he's busy, but you know he's in the film industry now and he's working for Searchlight and they have a big movie coming Christmas about Bob Dylan called a complete unknown Timothy Shallomey. If you saw him on Game Day, he's making the
picks the other day on It's really good. So tonight the movie, Yeah, so tonight Scott is getting to go to the La Premiere, So Shalla May will be there and all the stars, El Fanning, the director, and then they're gonna show the film and then they're gonna walk They closed down I think it's Hollywood Boulevard. They're gonna close up the streets and there's a huge party. So he'll be home late. But he he when I told him you were gonna be on, He's like, make sure you say.
I had to coach t.
So thus fulling mountain memories are so much fun. Like I see those Oh they're not kids anymore, but.
I think they're kids. I see them out and about around town. It's the coolest thing.
So is that what you did or you do? You coached? I mean you taught drivers in YEP.
When I first moved to Tucsont, I worked in the Flying Well School district.
So I started off.
At Homer Davis for a couple of years, and then I went over to the high school and I taught health and drivers A and PTE classes and weight training and all the all that fun stuff.
So I got to meet a lot of awesome kids.
Wow, very cool. I didn't know that.
So in addition to coaching, women's basketball. What do you do.
Well right now? I'm the assistant AD and coaching basketball.
Oh okay, I've narrowed the scope now assistant AD and women's basketball.
It's not a bad thing, not a bad thing. And you're doing very well.
I don't know how you're doing in the AD, but you're doing very well with the women's basketball team this year. Eight and one. Have a big game tomorrow and then another game on Sunday. That's a big game in a different way. What's going on with this team right that you have now?
Well, it's been a lot of fun so far. And obviously I don't know if I'd have predicted that we'd be eight and one right now or not, but we'll take it. And the kids have come together great. We have a kind of a different team in terms of I think we're pretty strong inside, probably more so than we have been in the past, so we have good
balance inside and outside. I got a post player that's averaging nineteen and ten, so that's always nice on those nights or you're maybe not shooting as well from the outside. But just a fun group and so far, so good, and tomorrow night, like you mentioned, we're going to go up to play Mesa. Masa's ranked number ten or nine in the country. No, rank number eight in the country.
We're ranked number nine in the country. So it'll you know, it's been going on for eighteen years between Pima and Masa, and so tomorrow night's just another chapter in the book.
I think you've got a good mixture of Tucson talents, as you always seem to. Is that still where you're you know, you're basing most of your recruiting is out of the Tucson high schools.
Yeah, I think our philosophy has always been just try to keep the best kids home and then fill in kind of, you know, with pieces from around the area, whether it's Phoenix or you know, we have some from Wyoming.
This year, we have one from California.
So we have a couple from New Mexico, and then you know, we always get a few kids from the reservation as well.
So it's probably fifty to fifty, but it's always kind of.
A blend of what we need and where the kids are, and so we try to keep the best ones home and then build around that.
So do you spend a lot of time recruiting And I asked that in that way, kind of piecing your team together where if they fit or do you go after the best and just try to figure it out well.
As we speak right now, we are on the road. My friend Pete far harder when I hire on the road right now driving to post im Butte High School to catch a game there.
So we're always recruiting.
Pete does a lot of the recruiting, so he's logging lots of miles. But tonight I happened to be along for the ride, and there's you know, I think I always kind of approach it like I consider us more snipers than shotgun in terms of we try to pick out kids that kind of fit what we're looking for in terms of character, academics, and obviously they can play ball, and so we're probably a little pickier. And you know, having success over the years allows us.
To be a little more picky, so you know, we can turn kids away.
We're not trying to fill roster spots.
We're trying to, you know, get pieces that we want and kind of build from there. So I think that, you know, having success over the years has led us the luxury of.
Being able to be a little more finicky. I guess when it comes.
To recruiting, what was it like recruiting your daughter?
Man, she kept me on the outs until like the last minute. She surprised me on her senior night, and so recruiting her was a little different because I really didn't know what she was thinking about doing and then she's dropped.
It on me.
But you know the fact that she's a sophomore now it's almost over. So it's been so much fun. Like everybody always asks like, how is it coaching your daughter? And to be honest, I absolutely love it. And I think a lot of that's because of the kind of kid she is, and probably growing up at a basketball house.
She just is a great teammate and great team players.
So she's probably heard me over the years come home and complain about this, that and the other, or praise kids for this, that and the other. And she's kind of figured it out and she's been a lot of fun to coach.
I can tell you that what is she going to do next?
You know, Well, she wants to be an architect, so finding an architect school is a little harder than finding someplace that wants to be a pe teacher. So she's looking and she's applied to some schools and we'll you know, we're kind of writing out the basketball season to see where that goes. But you know, I think, no matter what, she's going to be somewhere learning how to be an architect. So a lot smarter than I am, that's for sure.
Good.
I was gonna say, what percentage of your players continue with basketball once they've hit PEMA?
Is this is this the end?
Or you know, how many go on and play somewhere else or you know, stay involved in the sport.
That's a great question. Actually, the numbers probably higher than you think, because a lot of our kids get recruited. If I have to give you a percentage, I'd probably say that seventy five percent of our kids go on and play somewhere, whether it's NAIA Division two, Division III. We've had a number of D one players. But you know that's a small percentage. So TEMA kids have a good reputation, as you know, they come from our program and they know how to play man friends, they know
how to get it done in the classroom. They're good character kids. So you know, we're at the point or I'm at the point where I've been doing it in a while, and so now coaches call me and ask and it may be a kid that averaged two points for us, but as a great kid and a great student, and they'll get an opportunity to go play, and I think, you know, the ones who want to keep playing, we
usually find a home. But you know, if I had to give it a number, I'd say it's probably seventy five to eighty percent of our kids go on and play, which is really cool.
Let me ask you, you know, Lot had this presence. I'm sure all the division coaches and you you coach at that level to a DA probably has that presence. So when you go to see a recruit, I'm not sure if they know you're coming in or they you kind of just kind of get in flying or drive in. Do they know that you're there and you have that you get that presence, you're a big dude. Do they know you're there? And maybe you can kind of tell that they may be trying to impress or not impress.
Well, yeah, I'm not real good at hiding. That's not one of my one of my strength. But usually we try to give you know, first of all, if we're going to make a drive somewhere. We try to make sure the kid is actually going to play and make sure that you know, if they get a sprained ankle or they're sick or whatever. So we try to touch base with at least the coach, you know, depending.
On the kid.
Some kids get all eeked up about you know you're coming to watch them, So sometimes I won't tell them we're coming, but I'll make sure coach knows we're coming. And then some kids are cool about it and get excited for it, so we'll let them know, but they know we're coming tonight and so that'll be exciting. And I don't know, I don't really really remember anybody, you know. I try to tell the kids just go play your game. You don't have to do like we're recruiting you because.
We know you're already good at basketball.
So just go play and do what you normally.
Do because that's that's what we want to see.
So you played with tomorrow and then Saturday you have a big game, the Indigenous Game. Correct, you've done this for three or four years now.
Yeah, it's something I started four years ago. So this is the fourth annual Indigenous in honor of an Indigenous people's game. And it kind of came to the concept because I've had the pleasure of coaching such a number of Native American young ladies over the years, and I just see how big a part of their culture that basketball actually is. And so I just started this because we've you know, had so many good kids go through.
So it's kind of grown.
And this year we're adding a couple of high school games. So we're gonna host Bob a Keepery High School versus San Pascual High School, a couple of red teams. We're gonna have their JV girls game at three thirty, We're gonna play their varsity at five, and then we're gonna play Park University JV at seven and then intermixed. You know, there's some there's powwout dancing, there's hoop dancing.
We have recognition by our NASA Native.
American Student Association, and our New Chance is actually gonna speak aut it this year too, So it's kind of grown and it's kind of a big deal and I'm excited for it and I'm always proud of it because we just keep adding to it.
So it's been a lot of fun over.
The years, and you have some current players on your roster right from from the reservation. Looks like window Rock and Page and people like that.
So yeah, we have we have five kids. Actually, we have one from window Our starting point guard is from window Rock and she's good. We have a girl from Page, we have one from Holbrook, we have one from Kirtland Central, which is in New Mexico, and then one of our Native kids is from Dobson High School up in Phoenix.
Yeah. So does it keep you well? And I'm sure it's gonna be well attended right from the locals.
Yeah, it gets bigger every year, but many time we have this, and now we're adding the high school games. I think that'll be even a bigger crowd. So it's been a lot of fun to kind of grow over the years and seriously just thought of it one day and thought we'd.
Put it together.
But we know we have Native American uniforms, so we have turquoise uniforms that will break out on Saturdays. So it's just a lot of fun and a way to honor the kids that have come through here in the past.
Yeah, okay, good, good. So you like this team, you must like this thing.
Eight and one playing hard for you playing well for you you guys, you and and and Brian. Obviously every year you guys have a good team. What do you guys need to do to sustain this?
I think we have in terms of we do a lot of things good.
Now it's you know, it's probably ten games to kind of get kids in the right spots. But then once we get them in the right spots, just to fine tune what they're working on or what we're doing. And then you know, as you go through and you start repeating the ponents, you got to throw a wrinkle or two in here there. So just kind of keep evolving and keep growing so that you're playing your best basketball in Mark.
The league is always tough? Is it tough again this year?
It seems like every year there's somebody making, you know, a good run to the championship.
Yeah, I think I think our league is, you know, for our level, our Division two junior college level, it's tough every year. We went to Nationals last year as an at large bid, MASA went as the region champ. MASA finished third in the country and we finished seventh. So yeah, two teams that you know from our area that finished in the top ten of the country last year, so it's just a it's a battle every year. There's some new teams that kind of emerge each year. I'd
probably Scottsdales knocking on the door again. Glenndale's better this year. We just played them Saturday, but they've improved quite a bit. And then Chandler Gilbert will be in the mix too, so makes it fun, makes it interesting, and just see who's better in March.
I guess how long you been there? You've been there a few years, eighteen years, eighteen years year. Wow, well, I'm gonna say it's never gotten boring. You have an old joke teller as your sidekick there, but eighteen years because every year is different, I'm assuming.
Yeah, every year.
That's what the fun part about coaching, and maybe even more so in junior college is you turn over basically half your team every year, so every year.
It's kind of a new chemistry experiment.
I've been fortunate because I had the same assistance, so that's always good because that stays steady, so like the coaching remains the same, but then it's kind of like putting the new pieces of the puzzle together and teaching them the way that we like to play, so it's always stays fun. And you know, going back to what I taught Scott in school, I love this flong webs and I still love it the same way now. So as long as they keep paying me to do it, I'm gonna keep doing it.
How much longer you think you want to go? You've been doing it, like you said, a long time.
Maybe I have a fifth grader, so I got Oh gosh.
Dave's not trying to push you out, because he's not trying to push you out either.
I want to do some radio. Steve need some help.
Yeah, I need a guess though, when the season's over, you got to come in.
I'd love to come in and sit in the studio one day. It'll be a lot of fun in fact for radio.
Yeah, people we all do, except for Dave here. But because College Grove is coming in Thursday, so here you go.
Oh yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah, I just gotta get I gotta get cosgrow fired up.
And who knows what he'll say.
I think if you move the show to BOPDPS deep body be glad.
You'll say, can you yeah, just go remote?
But okay, yeah, but that might happen too.
We gotta wait for you guys to finish your your seasons here, so making a long experience you guys. If you guys go, really it's late March or April.
If we go where we want to, we'll be done, like March twenty fourth.
Okay, Well here's your date, March twenty fourth. We'll talk to you after that. Okay, Okay, thanks, Tom, appreciate you.
Hey, I appreciate it. Good to catch it up, Dave, Thank god, I.
Said, congrats, Well, thank you, thank you.
All Right, you guys take care.
Coach Hodel Scot obviously eight and one doing well. The right number nine played tomorrow in Masa and then come back on Saturday. I think the games at six o'clock at Pima.
Yeah, it's the Indigenous game, Indigenous people's game, which is kind of cool. They're bringing in high school because there was a really good Netflix series I believe about those communities in northern Arizona and all the success and what does what high school basketball means there?
Yeah, it's a big deal, it really is.
Okay. So it starts at three thirty with the JV game Santa Press Well against Barbecue. What you saying thank you, Dave. This is a Saturday game. This is a Saturday game. Women's basketball is at seven fifteen. Pema Versus Park JV at seven to fifteen. Have time events. Native Americans Student Association presents Pow Wow Dance, Guest Honor, Taylor Nez Hoop Dancers and things like that. So good, nice good, Okay, Let's take a break and come back and finish off
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This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio just search I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to I'm the Ball here on Fox Sports fortunet fifty. I'm Steve Vera here, Dave Silbert. You've got Kobe handling the background stuff. We got the calls if you like to call five to zero four, one six. What do you got going there? You were you were talking, you were googling, Well, you googling.
I was just looking baseball.
It's just you know, it's the Winter meetings, so this isn't kind of the week when the big gun tracts come out and players are moving around a lot of free agents. The big one was the Yankees with Max Freed the pitcher. Yeah, yeah, seven year deal, two hundred and some million's pocket change compared to Soto. But still Yankees are always going to be in the middle of things. Dodgers usual suspects.
Yeah, did you see anything with the Arizona and how many people they've kind of bosto oh for football? They just the Star just sent an alert that it continues to grow, you know. And then the volleyball team is now in the Elite eight, I guess with their their their tournament, postseason tournament. So they're doing really well. And there was one who got a commitment from a from a Texas guy, defensive lineman, Porter Patton. So as they come new ones come on in. There's a lot.
There's a lot on the list though, the big ones. What Manu Wente Mo.
Yeah, uh what's his name? Uh, Malachai makay Riley Yeah, ano another one. Uh, there's there's been a few. I think there's nim me count at the three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, oh about twenty twenty, pretty big. Yeah, anythink course a quarterback Joanah Rodriguez. Uh just you know, holy crap, it's gonna be about potty thirty. I mean again, at least to me to believe that there was no there was no desire for these guys to play for their coach.
Well with the quarterback Bradon Dorman, didn't he come in pretty yeah, pretty highly regarded. He was like a four or five star quarterback that didn't work out.
We got a call yeah yeah, okay, hell little you're on the air nine on the ball. Who's this?
There's Brian Brian Hey two times in a week.
I like it, I know, and Jay's not there?
What the heck? Yeah, what's what's the word.
Well, I'm just looking at you know, all this transport portal stuff. You know, it doesn't matter until August, right when, you know, when we start practicing, then we'll know what roster we have, you know, because right now we have all these guys leaving.
And we'll get all these guys coming in and then.
In the spring or I think there's another time in January.
I think there's.
Another time, you know. And so if if we bring in some people.
That and people on our roster don't like what they see, they're gonna leave, and then we'll have the spring practice, and right after spring practice there's another portal time.
Yeah.
This there needs to be some kind of regiment or rules that that are set down this otherwise it's ridiculous.
Well that's the whole problem.
Well, the one one of the I guess maybe you could say good things is if you think about academics, which I'm not quite sure anybody really does it anymore, but you know, the semesters are ending and kids are coming out of high school and the skipping their senior years, and that semester is ending too, So the timing now is kind of good for them. I guess where they could make a choice and move on. So there'll probably be a bunch coming here in the next week or so.
Is the U of A.
Also, Also, what Lane Kipping said, I thought, I'm not a big Lane Kipping fan, but what he said was true. They need to change the portal date. Okay, till after the football season, because you've got guys they had it on but starting yesterday.
That they could put their name in the portal. Right, Well, I guess Duke had a quarterback who's going into the portal.
And he said, I'm not going to play, you know, in the in the in the games.
So all these people who go into the.
Portal, of course they're not going to play in them bowl games. Whether they were or not doesn't matter. But at least for the teams and the coaches whatever, and for the fans at least you know what.
You'd have going into a bowl game. Now, you never can tell what's going to happen to me.
Brian, what level of U A fan are you?
Well, not of ten.
I think of ten, but it's getting starting to weaken. And it's not because of the UOBA itself, it's just the dynamic of NCAA sports.
So you answered my own question because I figured, maybe it takes its toll after all this stuff. Maybe the losing, the nil, just the completion.
You know, the losing doesn't bother me, only for the fact and football we're so used to it. Okay, But what bothers me is, you know, I'm an older person and I'm setting.
My ways, and I like having the whole idea that when.
This season's over with, I basically have an idea what's coming back next year for our team. Yeah, you know, in any sport, in any sport, and that's not happening anymore.
Right, Well, you have until August, so be prepared.
I was with a group of guys, you know, I mean, you know, there's no telling what we're gonna have, you know, in quarterback at Taffeta, what if the Peter decides to leave? You know, Yeah, I know you're right, and that could possibly happen. There'll be some school's gonna say, hey, you come here with your talent, we can make the offense around you. The right way.
Yeah, Brian, thanks for the calling. Another call coming in. Thanks for the call, keep calling, keep calling. Thanks a bunch? Did he Okay, we got another call coming in. Hello, you're on the airline the WORLVE.
What's going on, Steve?
What's going on? We're doing well. I think you talked to us last week. Right, what's your first name again? My first name is Michael, Michael. I'll remember that, Michael. What you got for me today?
Hey, just like I said, if Arion's on the basketball, that's going to be successful. They got to play more complimentary basketball. And I indicated that kJ Lewis seemed like he was the guy that wanted to do that, if you recall, Yes, and basically, when you got three guys and everybody wants to be the man, the problem is is everybody can't be the man. So they gotta work work together a little bit better and they might win a few more games.
But they're in a very very tough conference.
Uh.
They got about four or five teams in this Big twelve that the real deal.
So you know they're gonna go down a few more times, but they gotta they gotta work at it. Hopefully it'll get them better. You know the ninety seventeen struggle too, but they seemed to put it together at the very end and stuff like that.
There So, and your guy that called after me was talking about es I, well, he sounded like he was solved too.
You know the last time you called.
Yeah, yeah, it was a guy called that to me.
Everything everything he can say where sib It sounded like he had two two uh pound to five pound bags of seeing the sugar in.
His back pocket. See, I was recruited by coach.
Lou Henson over at New Mexico State.
I played ball and stuff like that there So, I ain't gonna tell you much more.
About me, but I can tell you this here. I know a little bit more than he does about the game. And uh Arizona has not had.
A real point guard in a long time. Most of these guys are two guards who are shoot first guys and try to get their teammates involved.
Secondly, it does.
Not work like that.
There successful teams like you see uh Duke Kentucky and those teams they moved that ball around.
You know a lot of people, A lot people get touches every time they come down the court. It's not just one guy that I'm gonna dribble and make.
A hero shot, or it's not just one guy that said, well pass me the ball and I'm gonna take this long fifty foot there.
So yeah, they start.
Yes, Michael, tell me because I went to New Mexico State. What year did you play there or did you get recruited there?
I got recruited there in the seventies, brother, before coaching, before the coach.
Had left, it went on the bigger things.
But I could tell you about it because yeah, back in the early seventies. In fact, no one really knows this, but New Mexico State has a bigger and better storied history than New Mexico does. Everyone talks about the Lovels, but they went to the Final four in seventy two, seventy three, if you remember.
Sevney one, seventy two, John High Roight wayams all those guys. So I could tell you a little bit about basketball because I played it very well.
Sir, Okay, and Michael, Michael, we got another call. Keep calling me things. We'll go through some history with you. Next time you call.
We'll do that.
Thank you, man, thanks for the call, and I agree with you at the point guard situation. Go ahead, we got another call. Hello, you're on the air and nine on the ball.
Hey Steve, Hi, Dave, this is done.
Hey don dude, I didn't get your your I got you. You sent me the thing last night, and I'm thinking, what the hell is this? But now you clarified it, so I get it. What's up?
Did you get to see that Van?
I did?
I did?
I did crazy, pretty interesting stuff. Uh, you know, Bryan stole my thunder. I didn't hear the end of his call, but uh, I mean, we're creeping up on thirty guys wanting to transfer out. That's what ASU had transferred out, and they had fifty new players this year, so if they do it right. And then I saw I saw somewhere somewhere, I think on ESPN someplace they said there was three thousand.
Yeah, I don't know. It's a it's a big number, that's for sure.
There's a lot of good guys out there. You know, we just got to make hit on the right ones and you know, get this thing turned around.
Yeah, we've talked about this before because you're you're very positive with it. A lot of that's easier said than done, right because now you have to be a player that says, Okay, I believe in this coach. I believe that he's going to turn it around. After we've seen what you just saw.
Well, you're going to have a lot of guys that didn't get to play wherever they were, and you know, it's it's like it's like ex players have posted on on the Twitter, is who on this team has film out there that they can sell themselves to somebody else? You find themselves a better place to be. You know, we got some of these guys are going to end up in D two. And well, here's a question, what happens to Jacob Man, who's uh rehab if he's in
the portal? Arizona's not responsible for that rehab anymore, are they?
Well?
Good questions, A good question, I guess maybe until you where he's going, I suppose, and they have to pick up all that.
Well, here's the thing, you know, because we get to we get to see it gets reported when the players decide. But how many of these players that are in the portal weren't didn't didn't get to choose, And if it was me, I don't know, it's maybe I'm petty, but as soon as you're in the portal, that id bats don't get you back in the building. No more like like last last year with Tacario Davis. You know, he's going, is he staying?
Is he going? Is he staying?
And how long was that?
Five weeks? And then you know it? And and then once who said he was staying and going?
Then he sold his jersey.
That was price sock.
They went to Washington.
Yeah, and then he said, you know, he tried to say that it wasn't about nil money and that was that was bologny.
But that was that, you know.
But I mean, if if you're in the portal, hey, you know what, the Bredown Cafe is closed, my man.
Well, the thing is they couldn't.
That's the weird thing about this whole thing is they can come back, and there's there's a time they.
Can come back, and they can't come back unless your spot got replaced. Hey, you know what, you went out and you you you you checked your options. Well while you were doing that, we checked our options. And I don't have a place for you. I don't not only can you know if I wanted to, I don't have a place for you. And that's the risk these guys
are taking. That's the risk they're taking. You're you're you're risking your spot on a D one, on a D one pro in a D one program, and who knows where you're going to end up in the big sky. You know, you could end up at at and a U, which hey, I don't know if it's a bad place to be, but it's not at Arizona, you know, And I think that's that's what's somewhere along the line. The NCAA has got to get a hold of this thing and get things, get some rules back in this thing.
Well, good luck with that, because because it's.
It's crazy with that that ex NBA owner talking about he was in he's in, uh, he's researching buying a couple of football programs, you know, for these super rich guys that they want to get into sports and they can't buy their way into the league. You know, you could buy your way into college football and here's your program and you get to build it how you want because you're the one with the money.
Right, We got to go down. That's the top of the hour. Thanks so much for calling. As always, All right, take care, Thanks, lot's going on. You're gonna be with me tomorrow day.
I'll be back.
Okay, so we'll get more calls tomorrow. We'll have a good show. I'll see everyone tomorrow, talk to everybody tomorrow. Thanks