This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzales on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio a app just Surgeon I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to I'm the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve, you're Jay. Now we have Henry with breaking news.
This is II on the Ball Breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Arizona has been announced to be playing in the Battle for Atlanta's tournament in November, alongside Davidson, Providence, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Indiana, and Louisville.
So we talked about that. We talked about that about two weeks ago, if you remember, and some guy, uh, we talked about Gonzaga too, and then some guys said they could have a chance of playing Gonzaga, So that could happen in the championship game.
Have they have they set the matchup?
I think so Arizona's playing Davidson.
Yeah, They're gonna be on both both ends of the uh of the of the tournament. So if they keep winning, happened and we're going to be here and they're going to be there damn it. What days are those? What what dates? I had to book my flight right now? They've never been out there.
There's also a chance they could play ballo.
In Indiana is going to be there? Yeah, are.
Like the early.
Twenty seventh to twenty.
Ninth of November.
Oh that's the weekend after Thanksgiving Thanks.
Week, Thanksgiving weekend. Yeah, tour is done. Yeah, hey, okay.
Eleven Arizona players have been named to the preseason Senior Bowl watch List. Tyler Luke, Gunner, Maldonado, t mac To, Carlo Davis, Justin Flow, Jacob Manu, Jonas, Savanea Shabba Mayi, Trey Smith, trade and stuts and quality.
Yeah, well, who do you think for that?
Jack Fish?
Jack Fish? Of course, yeah, you don't thank Jim Fish.
Yeah, I mean yeah, I mean he and he deserves to be thanked for that. You'd be brought in quality talent. And then you gotta thank bred Brennan for keeping.
It, keeping them mirror right, and the kids too for wanting to.
Be here, and the kids for staying.
Who do we have who do we have? Who talked about this? Uh that the kids, you know, putting it together and deciding to stay and who did we have to today's Wednesday? Who do we have Monday?
Uh?
Somebody who kind of said that to us where that's it was a big deal. Maybe maybe it was Yeah, who said, you know, there's a lot to do that they they could have left. Yeah, they all left and they decided not to go.
Sports Illustrated's Top twenty five was released today and Arizona was not ranking.
Back.
There's many people ranking them as are not. Yeah, you know that whole thing about oh Arizona's overrated and all these places, Well, yeah, but they're underrated.
Right.
Let me let me ask you there, top twenty five team. Yeah, I think so, you know, yeah, I mean right, I think we can say that without but they're they're in that area where in the twenty to twenty five range where you know.
Could go either way. Yeah, So let me ask you this. Something came up this week and someone said, oh, that's bulletin board material for somebody, And I'm thinking, I don't having been an ex athlete, I can't remember, and I'm sure it did. Do you think did bulletin board material motivate you? And do you think it you need to have that to motivate you?
Don't need to have that, but sometimes you get it, so you use it. Example, so when I was coaching assistant coach for Saint Gregor.
The mead streets of Saint Gregor mean streets.
Of Saint Gregory, right, and it's a Saturday doubleheader. He le Ben is coming down the right streets and they were number one in the state, in our in our division,
so you know, and it's at our place. So we're in our dug out there and they're dugout and we hear their pregame talk and the coach says, what we all heard, what the whole team heard, was let's show them why we're number one, all right, And our guys played their best game of the year because of that, right, Because then we got an old said, they don't respect you. They're coming here, they're coming here to kick your ass. They have no respect for you. They think you got
no chance. And we beat him in the first game of the double hair.
How did you not heard that? Have they not said that?
I thought our guys were intimidated because they because they had a kid who was going to be a Division one, their catcher and he was a pitcher, was going to be a Division one player he was getting I think I think I ended up getting recruited to Utah. But are kids heard that, and so our coach and we said, look, they think they're just coming here to kick your ass, play two five Indian games and go home. And we and we used it and we beat him in the first game and it was a huge win for us.
And then they se.
The the Gonzales guy that I know that should have done this next week, give them five bucks, dead bucks, could you say something scrap about us to motivate our kids to play it.
But we knew we had just pissed them off because they came out and they just obliterated this in the second game.
Because the guy that was going to Utah pissed the next game.
But they were really mad.
Okay.
Arizona Gymnastics has hired Shelby Martinez to join the coaching staff as an assistant coach. She was second team All Packed twelve and Packed twelve Cobalt champion back in twenty fourteen.
Arizon.
Okay, right, yeah, that program too is kind of like under the radar.
Well you know, but it's been It's one of those programs that's been in a very tough league. Yeah, right, it's gonna be interesting to see how some of these programs, like like volleyball, like women's basketball, like uh, you know soccer, that soccer that are you know where the packed the Packed twelve in women's sports, it's tough and pretty much every sport, right, Tennis, all those golf we're gonna see. Now, Okay,
now they're in the Big twelve. How does you know are they do they finish higher in there, in in in the league by being continued to be basically the same program, right, you know, it's interesting to see that.
I'll say yes, just to say yes. But when you have Stanford and you have those type of.
Teams of the usc usc UCLA who.
Are fantastic in the Olympic sports, right, but Stanford specifically, it's tough to get through that.
It's gonna be Michie to see where, you know, women's basketball, because look they've got you know, Baylor's you know, won national championships and all that stuff. So but it's interesting to see how basketball turn women's basketball turns out. With moving to the Big Twelve.
The Broncos have named Bo Nicks their starting quarterback for a week one.
I love that guy.
I love it.
Might be too strong, but he thought of the world of him last year, even thought he before Penix was Penix, that he was better than Penix, and then Panicx beat him twice. So but he's he's a solid dude. He's a solid dude. Like thirty five years old, he's twenty five in the somebody that twenty four five.
Well, he played like six years in college, did didn't he?
He started twenty nineteen? I'm pretty sure? Yeah?
Okay, all right.
Hall of Fame Warriors player, coach and GM Al Addles has died at Alvin Attles.
Yeah, oh yeah, he passed away this morning.
How old was he?
Eighty seven?
Oh good? Yeah, he stuck. I didn't want to I didn't want to hear to say he was sixty.
Yeah, because a lot of those dudes are done too.
Yeah, okay, i'n you know, great great basketball name.
Didn't he play for the Suns?
He played for the Sun at one point. Yeah?
Yeah, that's all I got.
Okay, what else we have? Did you have something?
Jay?
No, Steve, I've been I've not big. Well that's right on social media all day day.
Okay, So we have some you have some lines open, you guys want to call. I know there was something else I wanted to talk about that how the U of A ties to it. Uh So, so if you see Sean around town, you'll see probably Kenny Lofton as well, Harvey Mason, Joe Turner, some of those guys, Ben and Davison. So they'll be around around town. Uh, just in case.
Watch some people.
Yeah, some people do because you know, old friends. They invite the friends. The media comes out and uh and this, but they're not playing, they're coaching.
Uh.
And there's nobody more intens than Pete Williams.
You know how you know our fan they want to see.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and they take some stuff to have them signed, stuff, especially Kenny. You know, Kenny is still that guy. Just a swig of waters. Yeah, man, what else anything else with the with the world.
Well, no, you know, just you know, just why watching a lot of baseball, it's it's been fun. As much as I I just want the Dodgers to win, you know, the division. It is fun actually that there's a pendent race. Now. I watched some of the Diamondbacks game yesterday, you know, because you know they're in the heels with the with the with the Diamondbacks. And then obviously I watch every Dodger game. Now it's a going to Dodger Stadium Saturday, so I'm fired up for that.
Yeah. Just you just have the one game, right, Yeah, what's gonna who's the entire.
Yeah, my tire family's going. This is a We set this up as as a birthday trip for me for my sixty fifth birthday. We did a similar thing on my sixtieth, So the whole clan with the grandson.
And I've said it all day to day. Your wife most really love you.
She does.
Man, I gotta ask her what the hell she sees in you, because I will see it.
You can't see the charm just sitting across from me right.
Here, Henry, Do you see it? You have younger eyes?
Come on, Harry, he sees it.
Who's doing your evaluation?
Well, that's that's not to say you're not charming.
I know I'm charming. Get a little funniness. Yes, we're talking about some dumb ass jokes here, and he's like, God, I have to sit through this.
We're a little cuddly, though, don't you think to just not go there like that?
Saying she's cute, We're cuddly, we're squeezy.
You know, somebody can just kind of you're making me come and give us a big hug.
He just threw over my mouth.
My grandson gives me a hug every day when he leaves and I see him, he comes, he gives me.
What can you talk?
He's starting to say words, what you know, but you know he's he's saying word he's starting to you know, uh, he's saying names. You know, my aunt and my aunt, my my sister who takes care of him quite a bit, and uh, you know, my daughters and everybody. So he s he says most of the names you can tell. You know, he says certain types of food, he's certain certain times of animals, certain animals. So you know, he's starting to get words. He's twenty months.
Oh yeah, yeah, he's walking around now. Oh yeah, he's because that happens to walk ten.
He's a Tasmanian devil at our house. He's uh, I mean, he's he's a cyclone. When he comes over our places, he just.
Trashes the place, and you the grandfather loves.
It and then we pick it up and goes home. And then he comes back and does it again.
Your kids do that? What the hell? Yeah?
Oh well, growing up, you know we we could. You couldn't leave toys on oh yeah, or anything like that.
So so your kids are pushing. Had we done this, mom and dad, you would have killed us. Little junior here.
Grandkids could get away with way more than kids.
Pooped in the corner. Look how cute that is? Oh what? Ok?
Yeah, he's uh, he's a terror. I shouldn't call him a terror, that that implies a bad thing. He just he runs around the house and he gets into stuff and he does things. And we've got all kinds of toys and stuff for are you'd think we had the kid? I mean, you think we were the parents of the kid.
No, that's you being a typical grand parent exactly. And then he goes away in your fund.
Yeah, and then he yeah, he goes to sleep somewhere else.
I get it. I get it.
Although I think we're scheduling sleepover for him over over Labor Day weekend. I'm like, it can't it can't be. It can't be like the night before a tailgate or the day after games. It might have to be like Monday. Yeah, well, not just that. It just the day after a football game is just it's like a hangover. Even though I don't drink heavily, the day after a football game is like it might as well be a hangover. You have to get you know, just shut down for the day
and get over it. That's just the way it is for us. So, but you know, for those you got grandkids out there, I'm sure you're in the same way. Our kid. Our grandkid could do anything he wants. He could set the house on fire, and we'll find somebody else to blame it.
On, not my son. So let me say ask you this kind of switches about. We only have two minus anyway, uh in order for the Arizona football team, I may have asked you this question already to succeed, especially the early offense defense, uh I.
I I think the Big the Big twelve is seen as a conference, so you gotta score points. You score a lot of points. Now, the defenses maybe aren't what you know you see in other leagues, but I think you're gonna have to put a lot of points on the board because they're gonna.
Score more than they did in the Pac twelve.
I think so because there's no d Like, if they have a really good defense, then they're gonna you know, they're gonna kill it, but they're gonna have to outscore some people. I think, you know, some of the you know, there's a bunch of good quarterbacks in the league. But what you know, what it seems to me and talent wise at least, is that Arizona's I think they might have a pretty good balance. Yeah, I think they're going to be really good offensively. I think they're gonna be
really good defensively. The question is how good offensively? How good defensively? And does one is one you know, a bigger factor than the other. We're just gonna have to find out to find that out as it goes along. I don't know. See, that's the mystery of you know, going to the Big twelve. We don't know what this is what the other teams do right? Well?
In the in the sports Illud poll you gotta go, uh it had West.
Virginia twenty five and they haven't been ranked anywhere else as far as I can saying, what's the mystery there? Yeah? What are we missing exactly?
Okay, we got to go get ahold of Care out here on the other side.
All right, let's go.
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Steve Rivera and Jacob Salas they have their Eye on the Ball on Tucson's sports station yet Fox Sports fourteen fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to Eye the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, PE's Jackins, also known the Phone. We have Mike Candrea, Hall of Fame softball coach at u of A. Mike, how are you.
I'm doing great? How are you doing?
We're doing well. I'm wondering why aren't you on a bike ride for one thousand mile like Dave Rubio and spend your time you retirement doing that.
Yeah, just doesn't.
Make sense, you know, right right, not how I want to spit my retirement. We're going to get ahold of him when him comes back home. But is life good for you? Life good for you?
Life is really good for me. Yes. Just just returned from Pennsylvania watching the Little League World Series, you know, which was on my bucket list.
And yeah, how cool is that? Why you did it?
Well, I had an opportunity to go back, and I had a former manager that lives in Williamsport, and so I got a chance to visit with him, and then jess Mondeza, of course is doing the broadcast, got to visit with her. And then I did a little bit of stuff for Little League. They're celebrating fifty years of women nice and it was an opportunity to do a
little blurb for them and then watch the Yankees. Unfortunately, it was a great event, I mean unbelievable to be that close to the right, the to the accent, very intimate setting, and I happen to leave in the in the in the ninth inning. And then the Yankees, stead of losing a game.
Right, No, that's must have been a fantastic for the kids, especially in people like you who have this love for the Yankees.
Yeah, it's just a wonderful event. You know. I told someone the other day, I remember walking into the Yankee Stadium for the first time back in the day and had chills up and down my spine. And then I walked in the Lamede Stadium in Williams Sport and had the same feeling. Well, you know, it's just amazing being able to watch that for years and being close to getting there as a as a kid and a player, but I never got there, and so this was a great opportunity and it's just a wonderful event.
Wait wait, wait, how close were you to getting there?
Well, we got beat. I want to go back and think that we got beat in the regional Wow. Okay, yeah, but yeah that was about about it, you know. But it's just it's a great age group, you know, ten to twelve years old, and to watch these kids, the talent level has just been unbelievable. I mean, the games are really close and good and they actually get the game well and it's it's fun to watch.
So so let's stay there for a little bit. We had the the Wilcox coach on I don't know, maybe Monday, I think it was Monday Softball, and you know their story, right, and we're thinking, how in the world did that happen? This will this tiny town in Wilcox, has this fantastic team get that far and does it with a coach like you or you know, when you were actually coaching, start looking at girls that age.
No, not really, I mean it's at that level. It usually comes down to the same thing in balid softball, and that's pitching, you know, and sometimes you have that it's in a lifetime kid that you know, we have a kid today that I was watching throwing eighty miles an hour. That's one hundred and something miles an hour in baseball, and that can make you competitive pretty quickly.
Yeah, well you had yours right of course.
Yeah.
Yeah, so when you do it, because I've had the good fortune have to be able to go there. I was a long time ago, but seeing that whole atmosphere at the Little League World Series and what has become now, you know where they built the second stadium and they've got all those things going on around there. Then with ESPN over there. I mean that that whole atmosphere has to be, as you said, you know, kind of a bucket listing. For you to have been able to see all of that.
It's it's just it's unbelievable. You know, you watched it for years and you don't really get an understanding of how grand the place really is. Now it's just fabulous with the two beautiful fields. I have practice fields, I have a beautiful gift shop. They have uh you know, the the barracks where the kids stay. It's just a phenomenal facility. And I'm very well kept up and and very well attended. I mean there was tons of people there,
but just just yeah, a very fun, wholesome atmosphere. They don't serve beer, you know they It just takes it back to your your childhood days playing the game for the love of the game.
Right. Good, Then you don't have parents yelling at the kids going crazy. You know, are they doing that beer or no beer? Right? Yeah? Yeah, So so I was going to touch you. We talked to quickly two weeks ago at least communicated and wanted to have you on. And the Olympics were going on. They did not have softball, it'll come back. How cool is that they're coming back? And then Jay of course lets me know it's all going to be in Oklahoma City.
How do you feel about that?
Well, I'm excited that, you know, softba'll be back on the program in LA. And I was a little disappointed when I found out that they were going to do the event in Oklahoma City. And the only reason why I say that is because one of the greatest experiences as an Olympian is being in the village right with all the other athletes. And I don't know how they're going to handle that, but I sure hope that the softball and baseball guys get a chance to be a
part of the village. But I understand why they're doing it in Oklahoma City. I mean, you got a great facility that they can put fifteen thousand people in and it will be packed, no doubt. But I was hoping that maybe they would use Dodger Stadium, and I think they're going to use Dodger Stadium for baseball from what I heard, but I guess they're not willing to transform the field into a softball field for softball.
Well, I mean that would be kind of Goofy. Anyways, didn't they do that? I don't know if it was a World Championship or a the Olympics in the past where the softball was on a on a baseball field that was in Tokyo.
Yeah, see, it's very common in Japan. I mean that they play a lot of games on a baseball field, but they're all turf field, which is completely different. But I think that's something that, you know, the to try to stay in the Olympic Games, we've got to find a way to get facilities that are reasonable. I mean, you think think about where I have been in Greece.
They built a beautiful stadium, and then they have to build free practice fields and then they have to build a baseball stadium and practice fields and it's a pretty big investment.
Does it Does it feel like twenty years ago?
Well for you, absolutely not. I mean I have to I have to pinch myself that I'm I'm I'm going to be the ages that I am. You know, It's like where did all the time go? Yeah, it just seemed like yesterday day.
Right.
No.
And one of my favorite memories of uh and I've said this to you a few times, Mike Uh.
My.
One of my favorite memories of the Olympics when I was there covering it and covering you specifically and the team uh is you uh this is two thousand now, uh, you winning the gold medal and you not celebrating with the girls or the women, but you watching them enjoy their moment.
Mmh. Yeah, That's that's kind of what it's all about, you know. I mean, the journey is probably the toughest part of it, and then trying to play your best softball, you know, in those five or seven days that you have to compete. It's it's pretty challenging, but but ultimately just to watch the life changing experience for these kids is really what it's all about.
Maybe if I could when I'm sure you know you're friendly with Steve Kerr. He joked about it the other night at the r n C UH giving the VP some grief about being a coach and you know, and being getting criticized a little. H He gets criticized all the time, obviously being the Glarriors coach and the Team USA guy. Did you feel pressure at those times in the Team USA team where you had to win gold because you were expected to win gold?
Oh?
Absolutely. I mean it's that that is definitely the standard of representing the United States. You know, it's they had done nothing but win gold, and so yeah, there was there's a lot of pressure. I mean it you control
what you can't control, and you don't say that. You keep saying that it's not going to affect you, but you know, when you get in the arena and you're playing for the gold medal, it's there's a lot of the line and I'm just I'm very thankful that I had an experience where I could feel the the thrill of winning a gold medal, but then I also have an experience of agonizing over a silver medal in two thousand and eight in Beijing.
Yeah right, all right, so let's talk about your uo A stuff. What are you doing well.
I am just basically a part of the leadership team for Desiree and trying to help her out any way I can. I'm not really doing much right now. Yeah, but with school starting up and getting into the swing of things, it'll be you know, being able to go to go to some events and start moving around and talking to some of the coaches and see what kind of challenges they have and try to help them out.
You are the suit sayer of the I mean you you were when you were there anyway, they did go to you for advice. I mean, I'm sure that's the same thing going on now, right.
Yeah, it's it's been it's been fun. I mean, we've got a great group of coaches, and we've got some new faces this year, you know, a new woman's golf coach, and you know, being able to follow Rita and her her challenges after following Dave Rubio and that it's been
fun and I think she's well in her way. But now the movement into the Big twelve has been a whole other set of challenges, you know, to be able to make sure that we're prepared for that move and being able to compete against some different people and going to some different places. It's and and and the immediate part of it, you know, being having to build another center for you know, for being able to broadcast these games.
It's gonna be it's gonna be a challenge, but I think it's gonna be a good, good challenge.
Well, and you were you were there long enough that you went you know, you went through a number of leadership changes that a new athletic directors even some you know, you have a presidents and whatnot, and we've all done that in the places that that we've worked. But then you throw in the change is going to the Big twelve? How different or do things feel different around McHale? You know what I'm saying, there's sort of what whatever the
air or atmosphere is, what's that like? And how is it different with you know, uh Desires not Dave Hekey. You know, they're two different, very different people. Can you tell that it feels different?
Well, it does feel different because I think she came in with a lot of different sets of circumstances that have to be addressed and addressed very quickly. So I think she's finally you know, getting her staff around her that she feels good about. And then she's looking at some of the challenges that we're going to have to face. And I think she's doing a good job of putting
the right people in the right places. And I think right now we're just kind of biting, you know, biting it for that first competition, right you know, with football starting and and I think it's going to be a learning year for all of us. But she's very talented, and I think we've got a lot of good people around her. And you know, there's no doubt in my mind that the expectations are high. We want to not just compete in the Big twelve, we want to win in the Big twelve. And so there's a lot of
different areas that we have to get better at. And I think that's just about everyone around the country right now. With the nature of college athletics and you know the NIL and the transfer portal, it's not just coaching anymore. It's almost you have to have a general manager to take care of all the things that gets you to the field to start being able to coach. And I think ads are a lot like that right now. They've got a whole different set of circumstances that they have
to deal with every day. And so I think it should be a fun year and a challenging year and looking forward to it.
Bear with me with this question, because you opened the door that I was talking what you were talking about yesterday. Schools are in trouble financially. I don't need to tell you that because you know, and in various ways, I guess yesterday or two days ago, Alabama just paid their GM of football eight and twenty five thousand dollars a year for three years. And I guess that's the way the world in football, gms and recruiting coordinators getting all
this money. I'm thinking, what in the world back in our day when we covered teams like you Dick told Me's know that gms that work didn't exist. It was it was they were out working. They had multiple positions, multiple jobs. And I'm thinking, this is the reason why you guys or colleges are in trouble financially. They got all these titles with five people when one guy used to be the guy.
Well, I think that the deregulation has caused a lot of this, and so you have a whole different set of circumstances that you have to deal with. And so I think right now people are trying to think outside the box and find ways that they can they can deal with the you know, the the d NIL situation and paying players and you know transferport. I mean, I didn't have to worry about re recruiting kids every year, and now we have to. So it's just a completely
different world out there right now. And I'm not saying it's a bad world. But I'm saying that, I'm I'm kind of glad I got out of it when I did, because it's not what I signed up for.
No, we talk about that with you and Dave, all these guys in Andy who got out right in time. But you were in that spot for I don't know, a couple of months, two three months. Did it feel comfortable or you should get me that hell out of here?
Well, every day felt like a month. But no, it's it's you know, the challenges are there, and it's just like anything else, you know, I mean, the game's changed right now. You look at all the analytics that are being used right now in the game, and so you either have to make a decision whether you're going to play the game at that level or you're going to fall behind. And I kind of look at it like golf. You know, you either play with good equipment or you
get beat by good equipment. And I think the same thing here. You know, you're just trying to find ways to make sure you're taking care of the present situation that you're in and and and then also be able to compete at the higher levels. And it's it's a challenge right now. It's I don't think that there's any clear cut answers right now. I think every school is a little bit different how they're dealing with it. But at the end of the day, it's still about the
student athlete. It's about giving them a great experience and then competing for championships.
Yeah, that's tough. One of our last question for me because I asked these questions of all the coaches. So, you have a talented group of players, you had a number of them, obviously, you are who you are in the softball world. What's more important if you can distinguish a great players or very good coach? I mean, what's more important?
Well, I think they go hand in hand. I think you have to have great players. I mean, that's going to be the foundation of any success, is having talent, and so I think that's the number one to me. And then I think coaches. You know, great coaches can develop a culture of excellence and hold people accountable. And so if you have great players that aren't held accountable,
you're not going to be very good. Yeah, But if you have good players that will hold each other accountable and and coaches that can set a clear expectation and vision of what they want. I think that's why some people win and some people don't.
Yeah. No, I think that's a great explanation. Okay, Mike, I appreciate you all the time, of course, thank you, Thank you, man, appreciate you, Mike Candrea, Hall of Fame, SOCTOCAP coach. Yeah no, I thought the explanation because if you don't have you could have great players. But if they're not on the same page, and we've seen that, we've seen that great players, what the hell's wrong with this team? We don't know until later that they don't
like you to find out right, right, right? So okay, let's take off and come back.
All right.
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Steve Rivera and Jay Gon Salez. They have their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports Big Jet, Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live.
I mean iHeartRadio whom.
Hey, welcome back to Why on the Ball here, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's JAKINSAF got a guy Henry in today. We got fifteen minutes. Who you'd like to call? We'll keep an eye on the phone and five two oho fours, one, six, seventy four, forty. What do you have, Jay?
Well, an interesting thing just came across CBS Sports did a poll of one hundred college coaches. Are the college coaches? Seconds? A poll of a of one hundred Division one man's basketball coaches asking which schools have the best nil programs? Okay, they listed according to this graphic, they listed eighteen schools. First of all, the obvious question is where do you think Arizona fel and the answer is not in the top eighteen.
Yeah, that doesn't surprise me, Jay, given who we've talked to and kind of the people that I know. But but you know what too, Tommy, Tommy, and he's gone on the record a number of times. I guess what else is he gonna say he doesn't want the kids. He wants the kids. He wants Arizona to stand on its own, right. If you're coming here, you want to play basketball.
To be you want to be at Arizona.
I want to be at Arizona. Not because of the money, correct, and that he've said that a number of times. We're going to give you some scratch, but not a lot. We don't expect a lot. But this is the pathway to be making more money.
Down the and you think about you got to think about that, right.
Right, And and maybe that's why he can will get concrusion them in the future. But you're depending a lot on that blockade man. Yeah, and the history of the program.
Again, with this still more or less in its infancy, it's going to be interesting to see what what does become important to players, you know, And there are gonna be players who think it's about the money. You know, Lumar Balo went to Indiana for what they say, a million dollar dollars, right right, you know we heard that, Caleb Love and and and and Keishad Johnson, we're getting four hundred grand each. Where did that money come from?
So it's it's gonna be interesting to see. All right, I'll give you a I'll give you a doll I'll give you five dollars if you can guess the number one team, and I'll just tie right now. That's not a blue blood. It's not a not a blue blood.
Well, I got I have one more because I took two guesses, right, I came up not Kansas, Okay, not Cansas, because you know what was the other one? I said? Kansas Indiana Indiana. That's five. Okay, So here's my here's my next and only obvious choice. And I haven't looked. I haven't looked only because I'm saying this because they spent a ton of money in other sports. Texas seventeen, they're seventeen. Yes, wow, that takes a priority. They must
be spending a ton of money in football football. I don't. I couldn't have a clue.
Then I'll say it's an SEC team. Kentucky, No, Kentucky's four Holy Arkansas Arkansas my obviously because of Patina, yeah with uh.
With with you know, and then they've gotten Patina, Walmart, not Potato Calif they've got Walmart over there, actually have waited Arkansas number Arkansas number one, Kansas number two.
Number three is going to shock you too. Not a power for school? Oh wait they are now, they now are a power for school. Tell me why you really?
Yes, really, those rich Mormons over there and they're getting good.
Yeah, and you got Kentucky and you and Iowa.
But they have a new coach. I'm not Iowa Illinois because the coach went from BUYU to Kentucky.
Mark Pope, Yep, yep.
Wow.
Yeah.
Well let's see if it equates into national titles. Cali party to me, I've seen this one thousand times. He's overrated as a college basketball coach.
Wow.
But but he can.
Do and if the money's gonna buy players, you know, players, don't see what he can do with that. He's Look, he was already getting the best players at Kentucky. How is that going to change what he accomplishes at Arkansas? Right, because it's not like he again, yeah, I mean he had the best players pretty much on the court every time he played so well, Okay, all right, and the Rezonta's not in the top Arizona's not in the top eight team.
What do you think?
Now?
They did get they did they did get some votes. Okay, but they're not on the top eighteen.
This is who's voting.
The coaching coaches, one hundred Division one coaches.
And now would they know, I don't know.
How would they know from what they hear from other players and stuff like why do.
You think that Arizona doesn't It's probably just.
About how much money the program has, right, So, I don't know.
And the people who follow them, the people who follow them, what are the things that we've had. We've had the the nil guys. They're no longer with them, Adam and Lazarus than those guys. Uh and and I've we promoted them. I've seen them come in and join them. And the one thing that that I heard the most or heard the most from the guys or the people, where does the money go?
So?
Where where's the money go? So if you have a question about that, guess what you're not going to do. You're not going to give any money. Give a hundred bucks. If the city gave a hundred bucks each, whatever, they'll be in the top eighteen. But the question is, okay, how are they using that money?
And people saying, well, I don't want to pay players. I want to, I want to, I want I want this to go to facilities and arenas and stuff. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, well I don't want to give this kid, you know, who's gonna come here for six months and take our money and go somewhere else rent to player, right, Okay, the next five, just start guessing. Who do you think could be in the next five?
Oh? Man, uh Texas?
Uh the Zags know the Zags aren't on here. Okay to be where do you think you ukon faults?
Oh wait wait? Oh top ten?
Nope?
Really, yep, they don't need that. Thirteen thirteen, Okay, what about the Oregon not in there? Oregon not in there because he has post basketball, So you're not talking about anybody in the West besides Buyu.
Correct, yeah, this is b YU. The next the next uh, Florida, Florida. Nope, Texas Tech is then at eleven. God, this oil Baler is in at seven, Kansas State at six. So that's three. That's three Big twelve teams right there.
Arizona's gonna be screwed. It's tough.
It's somebody again, a not no, a not Power five school Memphis at sixteen. Fed X right, fed Ex headquarters. Where does North Carolina fall fourteen fourteen.
Wow.
This is this is just really this is gonna show there's money win championships. It shows a q C.
It's not doing it right. Ohio States in there, but they're eighteen.
Yeah, yeah, because they're more they're they're football Michigan Nope, oh Man, Tennessee is in there, here's one, Illinois is in there.
Yeah, ten yeah, wow, but Texas Tech is in at eleven.
Do you think this is gonna be a big factor for winning.
I don't know.
I don't think so.
We're gonna find out, Steve. It's gonna take with this, with this realignment and stuff. Right now that it's all settled and teams are in the conferences, they're gonna be in for a while. It's it's gonna be a thing to see how this settles and how much to find out over the next two three, four years how much money does matter?
In fact, I just saw I just and you and you mentioned three big twelve teams right right ahead. And how's Arizona going to compete in that? Well, they're Arizona. They have to compete. They have to find players. I saw I think it was Pete the themil it could be somebody else. I'm sorry. I apologize who said that. The the conferences they're going to continue to to you know, change, they're gonna be We know that. It's no matter.
This is this isn't what it's gonna be in five years.
Right, it's gonna be big.
Yeah, it's gonna be different.
It's gonna be big.
Where do you think Duke falls?
Oh?
Man, if you already got thirteen out of the way, eleven, twelve, okay, and and and then too, they're they're they're saying, we're Duke if you want.
To come here, where's Alabama fall?
Oh?
They're big? I think six nine okay?
Op ten? Because they have money, love lay have money.
Why don't you think we're It's there's sonny that I wrote a while back that former athletes, suppcially hear are notorious for not giving back their money to the programs. Richard Jefferson did, Jim Purick, Taz and Steve Kerr obviously, but historically they make a ton of money, but they don't give it back to.
The It's in the review mirror, man, it's in the review mirror. They're they're doing they're doing other things with their money. And too often they don't think about how they got there.
How they got there, and it's notorious. I mean, I mean not just here.
You know, how much money did Mike Bibby make and have we heard of him giving a bunch of No who else made it has made a bunch of money?
Uh, well they've made that's what you know.
We're les different, Well different did the gym.
But damon, damon, Right, they may do it in other ways.
And maybe they do, you know, and maybe they find ways to help it. That that that was actually a very big deal. I'm gonna say, fifteen years ago talking to you know in the gym liven good time, they that that there was really like zero money coming from from former athletes. And there were by that time there were a lot of basketball players particularly we made a lot of money in in in in the league, and
none of it was coming back to Arizona. Yeah, and that's you know, he needed a guy like Jefferson, Jefferson to do that to kind of get people triggered to maybe maybe I should help.
I'll give you this. What about the in the shan era, right, not very many even who would have done it, who stayed here long enough to even feel like there were students.
Yeah, I mean DeAndre Ayden isn't going to be given any of his money there, wouldn't You wouldn't even hear long.
Enough to you know, Yeah, you know McConnell might, he's got that kind of you can he's got the kind of personality. Maybe Gordon, Aaron Gordon. Maybe I've Solomon Hill lasts a long time. But it's hard. It's hard to say, Jay, and it's to me, you and me, it would seem like a no brainer. I made millions of millions, why not to help you know, why not help it out? And how long will that help? Though? I'll give you one hundred thousand, but don't bother me after that?
Yeah, yeah, no, I yeah no, I mean that. And and look, I'm sure Arizona's not the only school dealing with that, right again, these guys get in there, they make and look, we all know, we all hear the stories that guys get in there and they start doing things with their money and then find out they don't have it anymore. So there's a there's always that as well. So you know, what what do you you know, what do you do? I when I opened up this graphic.
I was surprised to see Arkansas number one. And then you mentioned you reminded me that John Calipari went over there, and that's probably part of it, right, is that he went over there, probably started generating a bunch of money immediately kind of promised, we're going to give you a bunch of money.
So something they did that was not a no brainer. That was they did something that wasn't.
In his contract that they're supposed to be able to raise X ton of money. Money.
Yeah, uh utah there because the we have kids, cars and trunks.
Here here, here's the list one one to eighteen. You got Arkansas, Kansas BYU, which again stuns me, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas State, Baylor, Louisville, Alabama, Illinois, Texas Tech, Duke, Yukon, North Carolina, Tennessee, Memphis, Texas, and Ohio State. That's the list, and then I think I think they've got also also receiving votes. Oh wait, Saint John's comes in after Ohio State.
And then it said other programs that received at least one vote Arizona, Florida, Georgetown, McNee State, Ole, miss Oregon, Villanova, Washington for basketball nil programs.
Washington.
It's interesting to see Washington in there. Yeah, Villanova won a bunch of national championships. You know.
Oh, I saw one of the posts. I don't know if you saw college basketball on Twitter? Did the blue blood tang? Arizona's of course right after after the blue blood sits justin just because, just the reminder, just a reminder. You don't have to keep reminding, well, you forget stuff.
I just want to bet you completely.
This is your daily reminder that Arizona's not blue blood. They gotta win one. They gotta win one. I don't want to talk give you five to one. I've got to talk to you for two more minutes and then I've done with you. Radio Bill Grunk Maybe he does, Maybe does, I don't know.
And some of them may do it, and they anonymously they don't want other people coming.
To correct correct. There's a lot like Jim Pure could did it, and I'm sure Damon helped in a way. I think he did it because he was under the radar as well.
So no, yeah, and then we don't mean we don't mean to.
I don't try to spend other people's money too.
Well, and we're also trying to to, you know, generalize about athlete the athlete population.
Sure, no, no, no, but it's it's it's it's it's historical, not just here, it's everywhere. They forget where they came from. You know, Hey, I don't know. Do you give to your school other than your.
No?
Because I don't have it.
Okay, there's that. If I had it, I would I don't either. I don't either, and I don't even.
Tell now we we cantually we make donations like the Journalists Department and stuff like that. Yeah, we do that, not tons of money, something just to say we do.
Yeah, but all that little helps. It's just the world we live in today. And like I agree with Kendre, he got out at the right time, he did, he did, but he's still helping. I'm surprised. Uh, well, you know, you don't get The landscape is different.
Right for all these guys, So much of it, so much of being a coach is not about coaching anymore. And they hate that.
No, so does Mike Stoops. Yeah or not the Mark Stoops.
I'm sorry. Yeah, they hate that. Yeah, they just want to coach. And they and and and they They've lost a lot of the ability to just coach doesn't happen anymore.
I'm still and I said this to you before. How do you coach a guy who's making half a mill, who doesn't doesn't need to be coached, at least in their mind. Yeah, you know, when your kids turned fifteen sixteen, you can't tell me what to do. I know everything. Not that that affected you or me, but you know what I'm saying, I'm generalizing that was a parent, but but is it true?
Yeah?
Pretty much?
Okay, Hey, good y'all, see Monday.
All right, I'll be back Monday. Steve will be here the next couple of days, so be sure to come back and we'll be you know, kicking it around some more, getting close to football.
See thanks. Three parts