This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Want to take part in the show call out Steve now went five to two oh four one six seventy four forty.
Playing the ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Bava. You're Blake Eager from.
Southern Arizona Sports Tourism and Film Authority. We'll talk more about that later. What's going on?
Tell you after the breaking news segment here perfect you're getting You're up against it pretty soon here?
Yeah, I mean, you don't need to put more stress in my life, but yeah, we are up against it. We need we need to get this thing going. I got you out of the stress to come here. You did, Yeah, I appreciate that, just to be yes about sports. Yeah, and then you put me in more stress when we can get you a phone call to work. So, hey, that phone call is not on use? Yeah, no, it's no where, It's on me and Kobe. Kobe, you got breaking news.
This is I on the Ball, Breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Breaking news.
Ohio State defeats Notre Dame thirty four to twenty three in the National Championship, giving the Buckeyes their ninth national championship. They are now tied with the sixth most national championships in college football. Also, Ohio State has won both the first four team College Fall Playoffs and the first twelve team College Football Playoffs.
Don't even think about that, no, and they so when was that twenty fourteen?
Yeah, okay, that long ago already. Yeah. Wow, that's Myers team, right, yeah. Yeah.
They had a lot of dudes out the game in history of course, which of course is not you know, Lebron and Myers and I had a bunch of dudes.
Yeah.
Eric Rhodes, I work with with the Arizona bull Snoop Bowl. Yeah was there? He So, yeah, they get to go to the national championship the year, So that's your Kim and their executive director didn't go this year and Eric did, so I get to see them tomorrow and pick his brain.
Yeah.
Nice, nice, I didn't know that all. Have him on, I should have him on. Yeah, we talk about that.
Yeah.
Arizona looks to bounce back after the lost of Texas Tech, which Arizona went without a field goal for the remaining seven thirty four of the game. The last time Arizona faced Oklahoma, State saw Lee Stottamayer made the game when he saw in two thousand and five, Sweet sixteen.
Yeah, you could tell you're years.
Yeah, you're gonna somebody's gonna be outside of waying to beat you up in the party live you say that, it's yeah.
Selim Salem one of the cranky guys, one of my guy friends who had a pretty good career, cranky career, best shooter ever, you've uh, I'll I'll argue with Steve Kerr, but maybe second, okay, and I would take Curb first, I think, just because but but he was good and loot that year. Argued, what what do you argue all that year? I don't know that he was better than JJ Redick. Oh that's right, you're right, yeah, but Selim being the better shooter that JJ Reddick just J J
Rider had a Reddick had a longer NBA career. Okay, this is that was well, that was the year of the Illinois year that you were talking about.
Yeah, that was the most disappointed less I think I've seen.
Yeah, this news came out a few days ago. Arizona's corner cornerback Marcus Groves Killerbrew withdraws from transfer portal he committed to Nebraska but never fully signed.
Didn't didn't want to go there for the cold weather that we're experiencing now, this is not is this cold too?
It's cold, but it's not cold. Yeah.
I mean it's chili, but it's not cold. I mean, if you've been to the Midwest in the winter time, that's cold.
You played, didn't Kansas? What did you play? Didn't you play?
No?
I mean I played in some cold places, like I remember being in Cleveland and starting a game when it was snowing, and I was in Denver for college. But I mean that Midwest cold is a different brutal college. Yeah, so we weren't.
I went on some baseball stuff to recruit in Kansas. Yeah.
It was the worst snow drifts I've ever seen. Said, how would anybody want them? Why would anyway?
Okay, here's here's a conversation that's been had multiple times with my dad and I is that you've got you've got the start of the season right April.
Yeah, okay, why are you college season no baseball?
Right?
Why why are you having let's say Minnesota is playing Miami. Why are they playing the games in Minneso? Why aren't they playing in Miami. How do we not figure that out? Sorry, keep going, because you're not there, you would have figured it out.
How I know?
I'm not smart. I had my headphones on last time, the wrong way. Don't don't put me in that kind of conversation. I think I'm a single man. They were both ways.
The Chiefs and the Bills will face off in the AFC Championship.
This is what's spread. Did you see it's a pick them? I think Chiefs might as well. Oh, I saw I saw that. I think I did see that. Yeah, it's gonna be a great game.
It's gonna be a great game against two teams that figure out a way to win.
And I just my money's always so I had.
My money on Baltimore Baltimore just because I figured that it was time, right whatever, and they should have at least gone to overtime.
Yeah, I agree with you, But but.
The Bills are damn good and Kansas City has been like riding that edge. Riding that edge, yeah I do.
I watched them, and I question if they're even a good football team sometimes, but they find a way to win and that makes them a great team.
Well, some people would say they find a way to win with the guys in the stripes.
Yeah, that's very good.
I don't see that, but I'm not a I'm not a conspiracy guy.
Yeah, Jaden Daniels passes Andrew Luck for the most offensive yards by a rookie including playoffs in NFL history during Saturdays win over the lines, setting up an FC championship versus the Eagles.
You talked about that with Detroit. Yeah, I mean, just I listen. Personally, I've turned into Detroit fan. Not that I am a Detroit fan, but I love that team and I think Campbell's a phenomenal coach. We were talking about it a little bit earlier with Notre Dame. Same kind of aspect that you root for. If my team's not even on room for that team, I did not see them getting essentially blown out of the water that
they way they did. And Washington's a good team, but they their last three games of the season, they look terrible.
Yeah, Daniels has been fantastic. If he's done something's unbelievable. But you know, all to the Detroit game and they had and they didn't have the lead, and Washington had the lead, and I'm thinking, Okay, they're just getting them. They're playing with their food, right, they're playing with their food. They'll come back and they'll scored two touchdowns, no problem. And then they started playing stupidly, the interceptions and the fumbles.
I'm thinking they ain't gonna come back.
No, that was their worst game of the year. I thought, yeah, no question, no question, And they're good. I don't know if they're gonna be good anymore. Everyone's jumping ship to other jobs. I think didn't their defensive or offensive coordinator took the job at Chicago.
Yeah, but I think when you have Campbell the lead position, I think he creates that culture and people fall in.
So you're saying they'll find another OC and yeah.
I mean I think you had the same thing in Kansas City. People were questing that Kansas City wouldn't been Jimi left. Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Ten time Australian Open Championship champion Novak Djokovic defeats Carlos Alkraz in the Australian Open quarterfinals. As Djokovic was an underdog, was.
He well, so that's almost over right by the end of this week.
I don't really follow to Yeah, he's in the Semis now, okay, anything else, Nope, just Ben Johnson to the command of the Bears, which was kind of expected.
Yeah, there's gonna be up to Dallas. Who's Dallas gonna get? I don't know.
I hope it's not left I hope it's not a retrad what's gonna be? It's you know, it's gonna I know, but it's just you. Who's your team?
I mean, I grew up as a Niners fan, but I am now a Packers fan because my dad.
You were a Pakish fan because your dad before No, I was. I was a child of the eighties, so I got like I had.
Rice and so I grew up in that little Steve Young is my dad. Yeah, yeah, he gets lost a lot, so but yeah he's still Well that's that's that's what story. Yeah, why won't you be your dad's son back then? But now you are?
I don't know. How do you change allegiance because your dad?
But you're never thing because when I started getting into the NFL, it was Niners, right, that's hell with you.
Dad, and hell with you dad. No, no, no, I was never like that.
My dad's an Oakland A's fan and I'm a Cubs fan, and now he's a Cubs fan. Die Hard cut so you so we flip flop for each other. That's the amount of love that we have for our families.
At what point did this happen? That's an Irish love, right, the new champion? I do take blue class seal. I got an ARP card yesterday. So what are you going to do? I know it came in the mail this identified. What are we gonna talk about? You're done right, You're done with We're gonna talk about something.
I think we were just gonna hit on that Lion's piece because we had a chance to.
It's just such a disappointing loss.
Yeah, go ahead, But I was talk to you about something else. Go ahead, they lost you move on? Yeah, yeah, then we're gonna talk about something else. We have the time.
Let me ask you this question because we haven't talked about that.
We talked about playoffs, right, playoffs for all the sports we're talking about playoffs. What's your favorite playoffs set up for all professional sports? Like, what's your one that you're like, Okay, I might not watch a lot of during the season, but I'm watching playoffs.
You well, I only watch NBA. I watched little NBA until.
The playoffs, so you watch at the start of the playoffs, because to me, any playoffs is like three months long.
I covered it, so it was a long last summer a season, and.
Now they have a tournament in the middle of the season too, so it's like, I don't it's almost too much.
I don't pay. NHL is almost that same way.
That's a good question, and that it doesn't affect me, so I'm the bad guy to ask.
Okay, well, and then I'll ask covery my favorite NFL because it's one game so you can't miss it.
Yeah, it's more dramatic.
Yeah, I like this series more though, and I I'm a baseball basically, I'm a homer. I mean, you've got series in other sports too, but I like I like the up and down factor and be able to make adjustments throughout. I like the one like super Bowl to me, is the greatest game just because everything's on.
The line for that. Yeah, but I like it.
I like a series, but for me, it's hard to get in the NBA and NHL because it's just so long.
Yeah, yeah, no, I hear.
So the question we were talking about too off the air was Donny sent. The team that excelled without really being any good was the Russ Penal mug Dunlap year. Yeah, they went to the Sweet sixteen, you know, beat Cleveland State in the second game and beat Utah I think in the first game, and then get their butts handed to them by Louisville. Yeah. Absolutely, in two thousand and nine, two thousand and eight, So that was I guess the other team that was okay, But.
You put that whole year into perspective, I think you're there's an argument to me there. I still think my arguments. You still have two NBA players on that team, and you've got Kyle Fogg that ends up having a long career as well, and Nick Wise. I mean, so yes, but it's hard for me to say that you outperform when you've got to NBA guys.
Yeah, is that wrong with me to.
Say, Well, in hindsight, you don't know that well, you know that Chase, well, the Chase and Hill.
Yes, you didn't know Hill was going to be that I mean, is a highly rated game, yeah Hill. Yeah, and he's lasted fairly long in the in the league.
Maybe, I guess to your to your point, yes, but every year they've had people that expect that with the u of a correct So I mean, I guess that's a that's over achieving team.
That's a counterpoint.
But again, I mean the only thing you measured Luke teams were the underachieving teams because they either flamed out or they did really well.
Yeah, I mean we you know, we talk about a bad loss with Tommy Lloyd, and we went through a lot with with lou the Boston things. Yeah, I mean that was a bad loss, but you you know, Santa Clair was a really bad loss with a great team.
It was East Tennessee State, East Tennessee State, that was before Santa Clara. Yeah, in Miami, Ohio, Aden's lost. I mean, would have stopped.
Torture because I can get this inside. It is what it is, and we'll see, we'll see how far Tommy goes. Right now, I think there'll probably be a six or seven, maybe eight seed.
I'm okay with that though, because they're in no.
I just I think that's I think there's some motivation to be had there, right. I mean, you're maybe not better matchups at the start, but as you go through it, I mean we've been through it. My biggest thing right now is I'm watching Tommy coach, right, and people will argue with me in and out and we had this conversation. Tell me, yeah, we had this conversation already. But you had an offense that was built through two guys, Mo and Love. Okay, right, you lost Mo Loves not playing
like an All American. So you've had to watch Tommy evolve his whole game plan and structure and execute it on the floor with players that maybe weren't put in that position earlier.
This year.
This year, I think it's I think whether people agree or disagree, I'm going to stand by it. I think he's a really good coach to be able to do that now, his in game coaching I still question at times. I think everybody's going to as a fan, you should, We're all going to be back seat quarterbacks, right Uh. But I mean he has. He has got a lot out of this team from the starting point to now, even with the loss of Texas deck.
Yeah.
So you're you torture yourself and I do from time to time on Facebook reading what people write in game and outside games. What was the underlying theme when you went to the websites on Saturday.
So I mean have gay.
Yeah, I don't go on it to Saturday, like I know, if why did you? Why did I? I went on it last night? Oh to just to you know, to torture myself. Okay, yeah, it's an Irish martyr thing, right, so I want to go on it just so I can say I did it. Uh, It's but I just I'm kind of I have a tough time grasping how people view him as a coach. And when you goes see, well, you're you're going from when he wins, unbelievable, great team effort. Right, guys played incredible and as soon as he loses, it's
Tommy's fault. Now, you know, I've been on both sides of the ball. Players play coaches coach, right, So you come up with a game plan, those game and those in game adjustments. You can tweet to a point, but those guys still have to play the game.
Right.
So we were talking about a culture like that culture has to shift, and when you don't have a defined leader on the floor or on the court, it's really hard to ingrain that situation in those players.
Okay, so let's assume for a second you had a leader you had a leader, and I think the leaders overrated, kind of like momentum to me, what do they do?
Can I ask you this question? We'll get to that in a second. You really think momentums overrated? It's it's doesn't exist. The word itself doesn't exist. And I'm going kind of literal because we're not talking about a physics standpoint. Okay, well that's we are. So that's what momentum is. It's it's a physics standpoint.
It's a used word because no one knows what other word to use. But it's a run. If you're on a run and you're run, you run a run because eventually that run.
Is going to end.
Momentum is like me walking to the to the door and I lose my momentum.
Well I never had momentum. I just walked to the door.
You don't saying, but there's no other really word to use in the in sports that makes sense except for a run. He had a run ninety seven, they written they had a run. It's not they had a momentum. They didn't start with momentum when at the end of the year they were the one zero two in the bay. Yeah, yeah, I guess I can understand that.
I think. I think. My question to you is, and I is.
That, Well, if you go zero three, if you go three and zero, and you go and lose the next game, what happened to that momentum?
You have momentum? You hat a blocker. Yeah, you had a nice run. You had a cooler that came to the table. There you go.
If you have momentum, guess what it should last a while, doesn't I mean, yeah, if you were talking from a specifically physical physics standpoint, yes, you're correct. Yeah, so's he had a great run. That's how I use it.
Instead. All right, let's get back to the other question. What was the other question? What the hell? What the hell? I don't know.
I've I've had to fill in so much on deck there, Steve, I got nothing else to do.
What were we talking about before? We said?
Just before we go there? Oh, no, we gotta go anyway, let's go. It's four sixteen, alright, we're gonna get ahold Ryan here on the other side.
No, your chance to win one thousand dollars just enter this nationwide keyword on our website. Money. That's money. Enter it right now. Foxsports fourteen fifty dot com.
Are you ready ready to discover your soul, your wild side, your passion, your joy and excitement. From the latest slots and table games, to award winning dining to world class entertainment to a luxurious resort.
Discover all this and more.
Discover with Soul Casino del Soul, the Soul of Tucson.
Are you ready enterprise so Fasco Yuki Try?
The Window Depot has everything you need to create the kitchener bathroom of your dreams. Frowseyisles of instock cabinets, available in a variety of sizes and configurations, and instantly elevate your space. Today, visit a showroom and let our experts guide you. Whether you're choosing for Monday to Go designs or creating a custom masterpiece. We can help you select the perfect wood, type, color and style and top it off with unique hardware to complete your love. Find a
location near you at the Window Deepot dot com. The Window Depot more than a windows store.
Steve Rivera here to talk about Dorato Rock materials. I needed a lot of gravel for my driveway, so I called Eric at Dorato Rock. He found out the amount and color I needed and boom. It was taken care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commercials work? I heard one of his on the radio. Dorato Rock and Materials provides a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel, soil, and sand for residential
and commercial use in the Tucson area. They are locally owned and have been around for more than fifteen years. We'll call at five two zero four zero zero four two three three.
Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health, Arizona Health.
Of course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals, your health and fitness to serve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the.
Leading edge and exercise equipment on twenty second, just west of Wilmot.
Let's start twenty twenty five off with a bang by honoring those who did a bang up job for you in twenty twenty four.
Recognize your employees.
Salespeople, managers and agents with the Creative Award from Creative Awards. It's time to restock your promotional products and convention giveaway items, and Creative Awards has over five hundred thousand products to choose from. Don't forget your corporate apparel for a great sharp look in twenty twenty five, visit the Creative Awards Idea Center at two twenty eight West Drackman or visit them online at Creative awardsaz dot com.
At Nova home Loans, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the independence that comes with home ownership. Is ready to help you find an option that best fits your needs, whether you're a first time or veteran home buyer or want to get cash out with the refinance. Nova has a variety of home loan programs to meet
your unique situation. Visit voltpeteam dot com, that's Volpe team dot com or call five to two oh six eight five six two six today in MLS three h eight seven Arizona b K nine two nine four two Equal Housing Opportunity, Got to commitment to lindricson credit greats and available loan programs or subt e to change the NUNT notice.
Did you know Collecting sports cards is one of the fastest growing hobbies around. Whether you're looking at a chart or expand your collection, Showtime Cards is your ultimate destination. As one of the leading card shops in the country, we've been serving our community for over twenty five years with the best in sports.
Cards and trading card games.
From rare fines to the latest releases, Showtime Cards has it all. Check them out at Showtimecards dot Com or visit them on EA Speedway and discover why collectors everywhere trust Showtime Cards for their passion.
Richard bacall Law Office, defending Arizonas for over thirty years and a wildcatfan for over sixty. If you need an ex variance criminal defense attorney called Richard McCall five two OZHO seven to four to ZHO twelve thirteen rout sponsor of Iye on the Ball.
Go cats, got bugs, termites, fees, or rodents, Arizona Pest Control will hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control is your complete desert pest management specialist. US can't run or high from Arizona Pest Control. They use only the latest and most technologically advanced methods of pest elimination available which minimizes the effects on the environment. Let Arizona Pest Control get rid of your bad bugs, termites, spies, or rodents serving
Tucson and Southern Arizona since nineteen forty seven. Go to azpest dot com to schedule your free evaluation. Today, baseball fans, it's time to experience the thrill of the game like never before. The World Baseball Classic Qualifiers coming to Tucson, Arizona, and you don't want to miss this incredibly bad For four action pack days, the world's best teams will compete for their spot in the Global Championship.
The games are set for March second, third, fourth, and sixth. Join us at Keno Veterans Memorial Baseball Stadium. Feel the excitement is powerhouse team from Germany, Brazil, China and Columbia take the field. Visit World Baseball Classic dot com to secure your seat today. This message is brought to you by the Southern Arizona Sports tourism and film authority Steve Rivera.
He's got his eye on the ball on Tucson's sports station, Fox Sports sporteen FIFA.
Hey, welcome back to winning the ball Here on Fox Sports fourteen to fifty. I'm Steve American with me Blake Eager.
From Southern Arizona Sports Tourism and Film Aathoria.
Now we have Ryan Hanson, who is with the basketball programs, just not today. Not have a question for you, Ryan, What the hell is going on with this team?
Oh, Steve, it's you know, you go on a great winning street right and it feels like all is right with the world, but when you dive in a little bit deeper, all was not right. They fixed a few things, they play a little bit better, got some good wins, and then some of the same things that bard Arizona in their losses reared their ugly head against Texas Tech.
Yeah, this funny.
I'm sure you get this often because of how you're connected to the team, and people ask me this question because maybe for the same reason. Oh, they won seventh street games five in the league. Says, Oh, everything's back. They're really good. They're playing really well, and I'm thinking be careful here because they haven't really played anybody.
Yes, they beat Baylor, but it was at home. Let's talk when they go on the road.
And then here we go. That's kind of how I said it. They're playing Okay, but.
Yeah, no, I agree with you.
And what's interesting when you dive in.
Right, you can get excited with the win at West Virginia when you stack up that same team just beat Iowa State at home. Yeah, and so you start to look at some things. Look at it. UCF, it's been in some games. TCU is now won some games. So you say, well, those are actually not bad wins. But were you correcting the issues? And I've used the phrase here recently. We can't be a prisoner of the moment when things are good. Let's not be a prisoner of
the moment when things are bad. But Steve, I'll point out things that you I know you've already got on your list and you've talked about. There are three major issues with this team, starting with outside shooting. The lack of consistency of three point shooting in their losses. Arizona's shooting twenty three percent from the three point line. What did they do at Texas Tech three of eighteen? Okay, don't need to talk more about how important outside shooting is.
We know that Arizona has now under Tommy Lloyd for the first time since he's been a coach as a concern about rebounding. They have not been rebounding it that well as of late. That was a major concern against Texas Tech and can be moving forward is not figured out. So let's that's number two. Number three. You know where I'm going here. Trey Townsend and Caleb Love's lack of consistency.
Two of your top three scoring weapons when we came into the Sea and I think I was on with you, Steve at the beginning of the year, and at that time we might have said option number one offensively Caleb Love, option number two. Maybe Trey Townsend. He's probably the third best option coming into the year based on what you had seen in his years at Oakland that he should
be more of an offensive weapon. Unfortunately, his lack of consistency is now almost made him a detriment to the team if he can't just hold his own let alone be a force.
Those three areas for me.
That's what it reared its ugly head against Texas Tech and could be some concerns for the rest of the year. If those things are off, Arizona has a hard time coming and winning.
Games right, and Arizona has very little wiggle room to deviate from anything bad. You know, they have to play well to win, especially on the road.
Especially on the road in this conference, tough environments. Now, you know, I'm probably gonna sound bipolar here. That being said, the Wildcats didn't play very well on Saturday, and what let's look, Oh, it was a three point game, that's five minutes to go. They could have stolen a game that they didn't play that well because other guys have consistently been bringing in But you're right, the margin for air is difficult with the rotation where they're at now
and who needs to play the most minutes. You know, It's just it's not as the margin for error is not there, and that's difficult on the road in a tough conference to have to play at a certain level to get the w.
Hey Ryan Blake here, Yeah, when we were talking about Townsend, it's surprising because you're watching in preseason, you're looking at highlights at Oakland. I mean, he was arguably one of the best transfers for us to get at that time. But it doesn't look like it's almost like fitting a square peg into a round hole. When he's on offense, like he wants to slow it down, he wants one on one and if it's not going in, it's almost like he's a detriment winning's on the floor.
Do you think they can fix that in the timeframe that we.
Have, great question. I'll spin it back a little bit. The first what dozen games of the year, it was working some and not working some right Blake, So you could see some promise there, but you at least were willing to say, it's going to take time for Tommy to figure out how Trey Townsend can get his offense because the system that Arizona has run under Tommy Lloyd was not suitable, maybe not conducive to Trey Townsend's way of scoring right, free flowing, read and react, get your
offense in the flow of the set calls. It really needed to be like this is a call for Trey. We're going to isolate him at the elbow. We're going to put him in a position to be able to back down smaller defenders, take bigger defenders onto the perimeter. I still think there's time for Tommy to tweak the
system to get the most out of Trey Townsend. But I think the question remains, is that playing twenty eight minutes a game, or do we need to potentially look at more minutes for other guys, namely for me, Carter Bryant, I think needs more time, and I think he's getting it and he's earning it. I think Tommy may need to pick his spots a little bit more with where Trey Townsend can help Arizona, because I do think Tray
can help us. I don't think the verdict is in and we know he can't play at Arizona.
Let's not go there.
That's unfair to the kid who's put in great years of college basketball, and that's unfair to Tommy Lloyd to say, well, Tommy can't figure it out, because I have more hope and confidence in Tommy than that. But I think Tommy is looking at that and I think he's still deeper in the year than any year we've seen with Tommy before, still trying to figure out the rotations and the combinations.
No, no, I totally agree with you.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's already done this with kJ moving him off the free of the sorry lineup to move him to the sixth guy. That maybe he Townsend gets a recalibration coming off the bench with Bryant, who's played very well in the last month or so. More confidence, more aggressive with himself, and maybe that happens too.
Yeah. I like the phrase recalibration because part of why why has Carter Bryant all of a sudden figured it out? Some of it is confidence, no doubt, right, the freshman grew into himself throughout this freshman season. But I also could argue part of why Carter's playing better is he's more comfortable in the position he's playing and the players that are guarding him because he's at that power forward slot.
College basketball in twenty twenty five, power forwards are not what we remember see from nineteen ninety four, right, it's not ninety four anymore. But what we know is Carter's being defended by guys that might not be able to handle him on the perimeter as easily as a smaller forward or as a perimeter oriented guard. That's helped Carter be more effective, be more productive. So that recalibration worked beautifully for Carter. Putting him in the starting lineup. Does
that work for Carter? It's not just does it? Is it better for Tray to be recalibrated? Does that rotation do you want more time with Tobey and Carter together? I mean, that's that's where Tommy's paid a lot of money to be the head coach in Arizona because he knows these things better than than us talking heads of how what the ripple effect? Does that need more minutes for Carter? You got to look at the bigger picture.
It's not just more minutes for Carter. How does it impact the rest of the combinations?
Yeah, Ryan, we were we were talking off the air, and this is a question that I think Steve wanted to ask you. But I'm a steal a front. Yeah, this is the last time I'll ever be on air. Sorry, might as look at it up. Who do you think do you think there's a true leader on this team?
And if so, who do you think this is? This is the question we wanted to ask you.
To, uh additional leader? I don't know if I see one?
Right?
That is, typically you look at your point guard. That's where you normally would started with a guard position, balls in their hands. They're at the top of the offense, the top of the defense. Very rarely is your leader as center right, just it's not Bill Russell. Days from the sixties throwing. I'm in my throwback conversations here with you guys. I do think that that could be a potential challenge because Jaden not overlead vocal as just a human being and a person. I think he leads by example.
I think you could argue Caleb Love at moments in his year and a half of being a Wildcat could be dubbed the leader because he's the alpha on offense. But his inconsistencies make it difficult I think for him to be the leader right when things aren't going well and he's not producing. That's a little more difficult to lead when you're not on the floor in critical moments where Tommy's done a good I think of taking Caleb
out when he has been ineffective in big moments. It's hard to be the leader when you're on the bench, right you'd expect that leader to be on the floor. So I do think there is potentially a void there from the traditional leadership role. I think that's a very viable question in what the end of January here is still searching for combinations and rotations and who is the on court leader. I don't know if there's a defined one from my mind either.
Yeah, no, we asked go ahead.
No.
I was just going to say we were having that conversation because I think, you know, you're looking at the breakdown the last five minutes of games with us right now and without I think there is a lack of leadership or a leader on the court that maybe disrupts that a little bit and says, Okay, give me the ball, get out of the way, we'll figure it out. And when you lack that, things tend to speed up on you.
Right, Yeah, and at least leading by example if anything. Right, let's look at last year's group. I wouldn't say Pela Larson was an overtly vocal guy, but he was fiery, He had passion. He kind of took guys by the jersey when crunch time hit. Keisha Johnson had been through the fire, so he was a leader because he was tested and people knew it. Even Umar Ballo. I think, you know, we can have a whole other segment on where Umar's at in his career right now and all
of that. We won't go there, but I think those three guys had been through, you know, many many trials as college basketball players. Who's stepping into that role this year. I think you could argue there's there's a gap in that role from last year to this year, just in a comparison standpoint.
Yeah, you know, you've been around almost as long as I have and covered a lot of games and teams. I'm not sure that this team frustrates you or whatever. I don't get frustrated Ayore, because I'm not attached to him like you are. But but does this team because I don't know if it has that that level of you know, we're going to be as good? Is this yet or if it'll ever get there.
I don't know how.
Good this team is. It could be a six to seven eight seed at best. And don't even know where I'm going with this question. But do you feel the same way where I have no way to identify this team?
Yeah?
I think you're I think you're accurate in your thought process of there's head scratching moments. I mean, in the Texas Tech game, did we throw the ball to the first row of fans two times or three times?
I mean that I'm even asking that.
Question is the point right?
We just literally threw the ball into the stands. No one even in the in the area is that head scratching on January twenty first that we're even referencing that, Yes, has this team shown the ability to put their foot on the throat of an opponent. No, historically, Steve, how many times have we talked about the runs of death Arizona goes on runs? To be honest, I don't know if I can remember a lot of those runs. There's been handful here and there. We've had some nice runs.
If not the traditional boy, Arizona is far better than this opponent. When they're right, they're dominant. When this team is right, they are very good. They're not dominant. I don't think they're going to physically overwhelm teams with their size or their quickness. But when they're right, they're very good. We've seen it. They've won games that we can have
proven our quality wins. But I agree with you, the ceiling of this team may not be what it is it has been for an Arizona fans expectation coming into the season, this was supposed to be chalk it up another one, two or three seed in the NCAA tournament because of the perceived talent and the physical nature and the holes that everybody plugged well, unfortunately, the individuals and the collection has not come together. And will it? Is there enough time, Blake, you asked it earlier on the
leadership question and on some of the things. There are enough time in the season to generate that to garner it. I do think so, because college basketball is it's a finicky thing, you know this, Steve momentums finicky. When you get on a role in college basketball, it can come and go quickly. And I do think there's still plenty of basketball left for this team to get right more often than not. But is it ceiling a one seed, two seed, three seed. I don't think so. I think
they've demonstrated it's not in their losses. But is this a team that could get hot at the right time?
I think so, I think.
And that's I guess the point you're making too.
I think so not.
I know so right.
Let me ask you this, because this is from one of the listeners of the frequent listeners. Ask him if there's any of the players that get visibly upset after losing. Do they try to inspire each other when they to play better?
Oh?
Absolutely, And let me tell you this, absolutely, because you've seen you've seen thirty some teams. The one thing that I don't think that this team has is the killer in stat think of you know, extreme teams like eighty eight who just wanted to show up and kick the crap out of you, the ninety fours of the ninety eight. You know what I'm saying, where they show up and says, let's just for fun, beat the crap out of them.
Yeah, no, I agree. You know what's interesting with that comment. I think there's an over and this is not anything against the listener, but I think it's overstated that because I visibly see a an athlete get mad after a loss, that makes it better. I think they're going to be better for it. Well, that's a slippery slope. When Seline Stademayer missed a shot, he got visibly mad, and how did the fans react to that? They thought that was wrong.
So it's a slippery slope. I get the listener's question, though, right, do they care enough about losing in the era that we're in is it's a viable question, and I transfer portal. I can just leave whenever I want. I can go get paid. I'm getting paid more now than I might get paid in an overseas contract in yesteryear. Right, So is there a perception of do I care enough because I'm transient. I just moved here, I just got here. Do I know the history of Arizona basketball as a
brand new player? Do I care enough to do whatever it takes? Having been around these guys? They care? Having been around them. I was in the Bahamas with them. I was at the Battle for Atlantis. I was in the breakfast room the day after they lost to Oklahoma preparing for West Virginia. Right, I'm not patting myself on the back, but you have me on the air because I can give you this type of insight.
They care.
I walked in the breakfast room an hour before breakfast, and every single coach was already in the room and they were knee deep in discussion. Right. This was a coaching staff that didn't sleep, and these were players that got there and were dialed in. They were upset and leaned in. So I would not question this team's air and passion for the game of basketball and for Arizona basketball.
I saw it first, and they walked away with great disappointment in the Bahamas when I was behind closed doors, right, that's where you see what really matters. I don't care if you're crying after the game on the court. Who cares that? To me? That's overblown.
Yeah, so let me throw one last question at you. You know again, I'm here. You're here for that reason. You have some insight that a lot of people don't have. I had Brian on last week. We talked about the same type of things. I've been here a long time historically, and probably ninety nine percent of the time, when Arizona has something at stake, they're not good enough, they need to prove something. It's the you know, us against the world.
They always show up Baylor. He tested them against Baylor. They came back and played some good basketball. But when it's you know, just one of those games, they don't show up. I don't think I'm speaking out of turn. You've seen it up next in the next two to three weeks, they're gonna have some big, huge games. I think they'll show up for those games.
I think that's a great point, Steve. When Za is playing with house money, When nineteen to twenty four year olds are playing with house money, right, not just Arizona get do you get their best Iowa State at West Virginia. These guys lost to Arizona at home by twenty We got this right?
Do you don't think?
I mean, the same questions are being asked in names Iowa. How in the world did Iowa State go into West Virginia and lose? Those guys are bums. They were playing without Tucker DeVries, they were down a man, and they still be this. Come on, what's wrong with us? They're asking the same questions. But I do see your historical reference point, and I think this team is no different, primarily because you're dealing with young kids here relative to you and I, Steve, who are quite a bit older
than these young kids. Is there wasn't Their character wasn't questioned in the Texas Tech game. They weren't battling from coming off of a loss. Look at Tommy Lloyd's revenge games. He's in revenge games in the same season in the game right after a loss right West Virginia is the exact example to use there. So Texas Tech was kind of a throwaway game relatively speaking. They had lost three games at home, they had won games on the road. These guys aren't that good.
That's a perception.
Yeah, and we you and I have seen that with the college athlete. I think their characters tested going tonight against Oklahoma State. Do they want to get swept on the road against what's perceived to be one of the bottom two or three teams in the conference. I think they will rise to that occasion. And you're right, Iowa States coming around the corner, Houston's coming around the corner. I think they will rise to the occasion more often
than not saying they're going to beat those teams. I think they'll play better though in those games.
Yeah, no, I totally agree with you. We've seen it. I mean, it's like the Death and Texas and the Sunrise and Tucson. It happens for whatever reason it happens.
Tell you, how about this that once that before you let me go.
Arizona's played Oklahoma State only three times in its history. There's only a handful of people on the planet that were at all three games, and you're talking to one of them. Well, just so you know, Brian Jeffries was there for sure. But when you especially when you throw in. One game was in Phoenix, one game was in Chicago, and the other game was in Anchorage, Alas.
I was there I was there, so I was I saw we were there. I was there because you might be one of them big Country, Big Country, right.
Uh.
They lost Big Country. The lost Minnesota. And then the second one, the Phoenix game. Tell me who, I can't remember that game ninety four?
Yeah, that was that was an America West Arena.
America wes Okay. And then of course the the the Rosemund game.
We know that one.
Unfortunately we're not talking about the game after that. We're talking about the win at at Rosemont.
Well, thank you Ryan, of course, great stuff, Thank you.
Man, Thanks you guys, thanks for gat having me on.
Great stuff, great stuff. I love you because he's seen it, he's seen and and you know this. We'll talk about this on those side. Let's not forget just the the the human nature of the game. You can't do it, man, you can't do it, and I know you can't do it. And guess what you do?
Do you do it?
Yeah, because you've been tested mentally not physically. You've been tested. You can't do it, man, I know you can't, and then you prove them wrong.
Yeah.
And you've got great access along with yourself to these people that are around these teams on a deeper connection so they can understand. That's a great question by the listener that came to you. But and he said he liked a good answer. Yeah, you I mean this team cares. I think you see that on the court, you see it off the court. They care about it. I just don't know if they find that they found their true identity. Yeah, Okay, we got to go a little over. We'll come back.
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. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches, and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's loved coach. Lessons from lut is an insight to how he built the program
into a national power house. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com.
Hi, this is formal.
While get Leman huntly with Arizona Health, Imagine how home GM can change your health, your comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform your personal.
Space in your life.
We off a complete line of cardio machines, multi gyms and freeway equipment. I'll certify fitness experts and technicians will set you up with the right equipment and training.
To get you started and keep you going.
Visit our share room today at twenty second in Wilmot. Arizona Health the lead to edge and exercise equipment.
What's your goal a new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. PEMA Community College can help you make some day today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule. With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial daid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PEMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you.
Learn how at pemaus slash Someday, Hey Tucson.
Steve rivera heir, and I've got a tip for you. Want to be in good hands while cruising the desert or kicking back at home, then you need to call my friends at the Edmund Markets All State Agency. These guys are the MVPs of home and auto coverage. Whether it's a fender bender or a leaky roof, They've got you covered. Don't fumble your chance to say call them today and score big on your insurance. With the Edmund
Marcus All State Agency. You're always in good hands. Visit them at twenty seven nineteen North Campbell or call them at five two zero three two three nine three three three. Selling your home want to get more money for it? Well, Danny Roth can help you. He told me about is You Flip the Home You Own program. The program allows for a homeowner to fix up their home to sell without using any of their own money. They will be able to sell the home for a much higher price.
Danny Roth with Oarmni Holmes International is the real estate consultant in Tucson that offers this program. He has consistently been the top agent in Tucson for the last thirty years and has sold over ten thousand, five hundred homes. For more information on this program or just buying our selling a home, call Danny Roth at five two zero four nine zero four thousand Toys on.
It's time for the Colo Guard Classic by Exact Sciences March seventh through the ninth at La Poloma Country Club and the Weston La Paloma Resort and Spa. Come see some of golf's greatest players competing for the coveted Tucson Conquisador's helmet. It's PGA Tour Championship golf at its finest. Don't forget to join us Friday and Saturday Night under the Stars to watch Vanilla Ice and coet So live
in concert at Riedo Park. The Coli Guard Classic by Exact Sciences benefiting colorectal cancer awareness in Tucson youth sports. Get your tickets and more at Colo Guard Classic dot com. This that is brought to you by Faul baumb Crowley Investment Group at RBC Wealth Management, Streamy.
Live on the Ihearts Radio WIP. This is II on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports sporteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to al the Ball here at Fox Sportsports fIF fifty.
Omsk Ribera, you o mis Blake here.
You got it from Arizona Sports Tourism and Film Authority. We got COBE working with the phones is getting the hang of it. If you guys want to call.
Please do so.
Let's go real quick before we go to your business in the World Baseball Classic Uh, intestinal fortitude Uh.
And I'll just use you as an example.
How many times did you go into a game that no one expected you to win?
A new one percentage wise? Yeah, I mean probably. I mean it's difficult to say. I mean it happened, ye five.
And the games that you won that no one thought you'd win, is it the same question?
Yeah, it's similar. I get what you're saying, though.
Because like we were saying with Arizona, I'll use it. Use this as an example, Santa Clara. But it was East Tennessee State to me, and no one really talks about. They were over confident, they show up And how else do you explain these things?
You're playing down to your competition.
Santa Clara, Same damn thing. How do you beat Kentucky? How do you beat North Carolina no one thought you can? Or is Arizona show up when they you can't? Yeah, you're gonna tell Richard, You're gonna tell these guys they can't win. And Arizona does this all the time. Princeton Princeton. It's Princeton to show up and play. They couldn't do it. They had a twelve point lead and lost it. I mean,
it's confidence in this place. It's thinking that you're better than you are and you're really not because the other team wants to show you they're not that good.
I mean, you're I'm talking to a perfect example.
Because you're an athlete and you're a coach, you have to as a coach, have to tell them you have to guard against this. And then how do you tell them that even though in their mind they're already predetermined I'm better than them. I don't have to really play hard.
Yeah, I mean sometimes you have to do with smoke and mirrors, right, So it's gonna take multiple, multiple areas where you kind of have to do that, and you also have to I mean, listen to me. For some times in my life, I had to lie to myself that I was better than what I was. So I wouldn't look at stats, I wouldn't look at you know, spend rate. We didn't have that really when I was coming in, but I but mentally, I was never afraid to be put in that situation. And I think as
an athlete. That's where that there has to be a lack of fear to some degree to what to fail or to what to fail. You can't eat once that that eats inside you, and once you get and you can look at love a little bit like I think, there's that has creeped in and crept in a little bit. And once that mentality sets in, man, that is difficult get rid of.
You know how, I agree with you. There too many, it's too big of a sample size. Yeah, because okay, one game, two games, it's one off, too off.
But now you're going a lot of games off. You're thinking there's something going on multiple multiple time, all American, right at.
Least one time you have two times and you're thinking, okay, that's just a one off to it's too many things that have gone like this for too long. Yeah, it's really strange. Listen, go back to your your situation with the World Baseball Classic. You got almost a little more than two months right before about six week weeks six less, just let's say six weeks.
Okay, you know better than me. No, you're right, I know exactly. So you you you have.
Something going on this weekend and it's kind of like the tickets are available.
No, I mean, we're just doing a It's Friday. We're gonna be the Monica Downtown. Ray Flores has been our community leader, has been amazing for us. So we're gonna do a WBC kickoff event World Baseball Classic Qualifier kickoff event from five to seven. People can come out kind of hang out. We're gonna have people fly in so you can meet some front office staff, some of our
regional partners, our national partners are going to be there. Uh, and then just hang out and then we would love everybody after that to go to the Tucson road Runners hockey game.
Okay, you know, we we we want.
To support everything we can, but it's phenomenal that we have to play a hockey here and Bob Hoffman's phenomenal.
Yeah.
One, and who's invited to the the five to seventh thing.
Five to seven is open for everybody, so yeah, so they'll be uh, there'll be food until it runs out, and there'll be some gen and juice there as well.
Okay, yeah, yeah snoop dogs still leaguers here with our partners with Arizona, we're happy to have it.
And you talked about Ray and talk about road runners. I mean you've and you guys, uh and you talked about this when I think the first time you were on the show, how the community kind of all intermingles with itself to promote the city and the sports event.
Okay, here's a perfect example.
Last week we have an all hands meeting, so we had all the people that are working on the WBC at the same table. There's twenty four people and nine different entities working on one thing. And it's just for the greater good of the community that we support. That's that's important that we continue that. And I'm not going to say it to your face. I'll say in the mic,
don't look at my lips. The momentum that we've created so far and the partnerships that we've created, because everybody at the table wants something better for the community that we represent.
Yeah, no, no, And that's that makes two song, two songs.
Yeah, it's who we are, right, It creates our identity, our soul, right, and that's what we have. We were just talking about another city up north that maybe doesn't have a soul.
Well because it's too it's too big. This is I get grief by calling this Jay does, at least with me. It's a a very type of place. I don't think you have to explain that too long because people, the neighbors help the neighbors. At least it looks like that visibly, visually and in actions too, because it's a giving. You know, someone's down to help without complaining, and that's what you guys have done.
Yeah, I've done that personally multiple times with the people that are in my life, gone to them and been vulnerable and just said, listen, I need some help, I need some guidance here. And I think that's what two sons, two sons, a million and a half people town, right, it's almost we treat ourselves almost like a rural area, and our rural areas are great, but we're metropolis when
it comes to that. So before I forget March second to the six yes, right, tickets, we're gonna have double hitters eleven am six pm on Monday or on Sunday. Monday Tuesday Wednesday's off, but that might change with weather permitting. And then Thursday is a playing game, big game. That's a college night we're gonna have. It's still gonna need to be confirmed, but I believe we're gonna have two dollars beers and dollar hot dogs on Thursday night at
six pm. So go on to World Baseball Classic dot com for tickets, or you can go to our website, the Southern Areason Sports Turiasamen Film Authority. It's s A s t f A dot com.
Yeah, what is there like a watermark or like a benchmark of what you're hoping to people to attend and will there be those countries coming in to see people from the countries.
Coming in and see Yeah, I think you're definitely gonna have visitors, especially from Columbia coming in. Uh So, we're hoping for the for China and Germany and Brazil as well, the benchmarks for it to be successful as a community aspect. I'm not going to put a number on there. We want the best show week possibly of course, of course we got to go.
Thank you for joining me by Steve so Fast right, good good show, Thank you coming.
Take care