Breaking down all the xys and ohs. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to I'm about hero Pox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You happen to be Blake Eager from.
A Southern Arizona sports tourism and film authority.
If you, guys, we have plenty of time to talk. We're going to talk to.
Miss Schnell Lindsay Snell from the Athletic talking about her conversations with Tommy Lloyd here a couple of weeks ago as they get ready for the Big twelve.
So I'm looking forward for that or to that.
Uh So, if you want to call or I'm not doing any breaking news stuff and no big deal the kids do that. Uh call us please five two o four one forty wax poetic with us solve the world's problems if you'd like, and then we'll talk to her and then we'll take more calls. Uh So, Uh, you're hoping that you just finished WC WBC. Uh it went fairly well, right, Uh, And I called this sometime. It's you know Climber's remorse, right, You're going up you're going up and you're halfway there and so, oh god is
this tough. I'm not gonna ever gonna do this, And then you get to the end you tink it. God, I can't wait to do it again.
I mean, yeah, I don't know. I mean it's like three weeks ago. Sarah Horvath, who's a director at Quino Sports Complex, and I had a conversation like, Okay, if they come here and they're like, hey, would you do this again? And we were both like each other and we were like, f no, there's absolutely no shot, right because it's just it's so much. It's overwhelming the first time out. You get to remember that was the first large project that we had both that we'd all worked
on together. Hey, but you're working with It's not just like you're not bringing just a random tournament here, right, It's major League Baseball. It's putting on an Olympic event essentially. That's how much involvement there was to that. But once we were done and the reception that we had right and the ability to show Tucson as a viable market in the world of professional baseball again internationally, I would do it again.
So and you learned a lot, right, I'm sure you learned. Have you had your post meetings.
We worked on a little bit today from an invoice standpoint where we're at financially, and then next week we'll have a full breakdown.
Yeah, and then you'll find out more this is okay, next time we got to be better at this. Yeah we did well at this.
Yeah.
YEAHA so you'll be better next time. Whether you get that chance, yeah, I think we'll get that chance again. I think we'll get that chance next year. And so the big thing that we.
Talked about, and we were always talking about this morning on the radio, is that this was and you've talked about this, this was a you know, catalyst for other things, right, and one of those things would be spring training baseball, you know. And it showed MLB Major League Baseball Players Association, which is a union, right that Tucson ach not only I mean can handle an event of this nature, but it is. It's a it's an extremely well run and a great facility.
So let me ask you. And it looked fantastic, right I have been there forever. It looked amazing. Okay, I know, I know, I'm want to get a biased opinion. I know, because we're all biased in our own way. But if Arizona, if we're ever to get a team again, two teams, whatever, will it work?
Could it work?
I Mean we had this convert You asked me this question on Monday. Are we a sports town?
Ali? This morning?
I asked Alie and all He's like, we're absolutely sports town. It works if we buy into it as a community. Well we talked about Yeah. No, I get where you're going with it now because we talk about that, right.
Yeah.
The thing is it's the buy in. It's the buy in and what does that and what does that look like? How do we change that culture totally? You know, we we have this amazing place in the world and people sleep on two soon all the time. Yeah, and I get so sick of hearing it, especially when I go through right. I mean, Phoenix looks at us like an ugly step child, and that's fine, but they've helped us out a lot. But from a culture standpoint, we I mean, we have so many things to show off to the world.
We need to show up to these events. Yeah, right, we need to show up to our proteins. It's not just you of a men's basketball. It's it's everything that we can if we can be successful and they're not asking for a sellout every time. If you could average three thousand fans a game Summer League team and four thousand, which is not a lot for a Winter League team, that's success at a pretty good level.
It's funny you say that. As you were saying this, I was laughing because I posted something on Facebook Dottle four five years ago. I was you got to stop light right and the long line for the green to come, and there's a guy on your right trying to get in, trying to get in and waiting for you. So I stopped one day and let him in, and he didn't give me the way, thank you. He didn't do that. But as he was leaving he had one of those be kind snickers a stick or something. I said, if
you're gonna be that, do that. And that's kind of what you're saying. If you want these things here, be part of it.
I'll tell you so funny.
So I when I walk in my neighborhood, I always I always try to wave at everybody's rise by right. I want to try to be a good neighbor. And every time they don't wave at me. I get so frustrated. And it's like the same thing. So I take this a lot like I take in politics, Like if you didn't vote, I'm not gonna have a conversation about you with politics, right, same thing with sports. If you don't attend a vent or go to a game, I don't have there's no conversation.
Right.
You have to invested into that moment with that thought, Oh, you called, Jim, just give us a quick call back. I was ready to say hello, and there you are. Hold on, hold on, hello, Jim, you're back. Who's this, Jim?
I hit the wrong stinking button.
Okay, you're back.
Yes, So your discussion about pro sports in Tucson, as far as baseball goes and spring training more specifically, there's a fly in your ointment there that I don't think you can get out. It's probably a bird in your ointment, and that is the travel time those players. You know, when spring training shut down here it was I don't know ten years ago or more fifteen fifteen. And they're making a lot of money. They're not going to sit on a bus for three hours a day to go
to a game. They've got hectic schedules, it's like we do, and those schedules don't allow for a bus ride or even a car ride, even a plane ride to Tucson on a daily basis. So that's going to be really difficult to deal with.
I don't disagree with them, Yeah, I tell you, I mean, I I think I can talk about this, right. So Jim's right, we're the likelihood that we're going to get a team to Tucson in that's part of the Cactus League is probably slim at this point, even if the expansion happens, not to say it never happened. So the spring training model is not going to be a home
team here participating in Cactus League. It's going to have to be probably two teams from the Mexican League here in Tucson, and then you would have teams from Phoenix come down, yes, for about six to eight games, and those teams from Mexico to go back up. But yeah, the travel time and where they're at proximity now with Maricopa County, it works really well for them up there.
But Gym's right, it's probably not gonna happen. Even though if you look at the Great Foot League, you're traveling three and a half hours, four hours sometimes.
To play games.
Yeah, I see, Blake, that that might that may be viable if it's a you know, an occasional trip down for something totally different. And and the idea of spring training including the Mexican League teams, that's interesting, that'd be fun to watch.
Yeah, well, hold on to that thought, because I've heard a few things.
You know, not a play. I played in a game in No Gallas.
One time that was.
Similar to that that.
It was nineteen ninety five or four, one of those two when this Major League went on strike. And so come August or early September, I think it was, they called on our MSBL group to get a team together to go down and play a Mexican team that had several MLB players involved because they wanted to get reps and they thought they were going to go back into the season and you know, solved and closed down to
strike and start playing the game. And so I played in the game like that, and uh, it was interesting just from the standpoint of.
It is very unique.
You're never gonna see anything like probably like that again.
But we almost beat those guys.
So that's my two cent. And what a great memory to have, right, Yeah, it was really fantastic.
I was standing out.
In center field for the first skinning and a half.
Just my mouth was open.
Those guys had grown men that were bat boys, that doubled as clowns, and I just I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Jim, thanks for the call again here, Well you should. Yeah, I know, we'll see what happens. I've been hearing things, you know, on the outside. Gotta be patient.
Gotta be patient, Like I said, I mean, we've got a lot of things move in the right direction in a lot of different ways. And I know we talk baseball a lot, but that it exceeds just baseball, and we're you know, I wish I could scream it from the mountaintops, but we're in. This is the first time I've seen all a lot of people working coming together.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well that's what you We'll pull the rope on the same all the same direction. And I think that's what Tucson finally has. Even I don't know politically or whatever, but do you have more people like you, tour and road runners and all these people all together saying we need to be together to make all this happen.
I think you have a lot of people talking to each other that you didn't for a long term, right, right, So that's for whatever reason, for whatever reason it is, and you can there's plenty of instant and instances that we could probably point to, and there's some things that are probably wrong, but we point to them anyway. Uh, it's it's it's it does feel like it does feel like a change of the guard in a very positive setting.
And I say proactive a lot because as a Tucson as a twoson, and I've always been known as a reactive to all the situations that are happening.
So let me let me ask you this. We got about we have time times. So you're from here, you grew up here, You've went all over the country, maybe over the over the over, Yeah, I lived overseas. So what why did you come back? Because I'm Tucson, I love Tucson. I want a chance to change for the better. Is that the purpose why you came back?
Really? Yeah? I think so.
I mean I asked myself that a lot of times because I love some of the places. I loved living in New York, I love living in Denver. I love living Hawaii, but that would never be affordable. I love living in Sweden. But I love Tucson. I love southern Arizona. It made me who I was. And because what's because? Because why do.
You love Tucson.
Because it's got soul, It's got a heart, like you can stay connected to this city in so many different ways, to this region so many whereas people care about each other here, we need to take the chance to care about them. Well, that's the reason why I stay here too. I love this place. It's a big small town.
It's a it me bury, and it kind of is it's everybody knows six degrees of separation. Yeah, what's Is there a misconception or perceived wrong because you talked about Phoenix having this is the bad little brother or step brother is ugly, step brother bad? They helped us a ton. Yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying. It still thought that way. It's you all get off me a little good.
I mean twoson in view Phoenix as this rivalry where Phoenix is like, we don't even know you exist, right, We view La and Houston and Denver and and you know, Dallas is our rivals where we're just like, no, we hate you guys, and they're like, yeah, cool, okay whatever.
Yeah.
I just think that we if we ever get a chance to step back and look at other places around the country or even the world that are doing things correctly, that we don't need to reinvent the wheel, and we go, Okay, what are they doing? Well, how how do we do the same thing? Well, it's funny you say that, because isn't that what Tommy saying? Getting it back to the stuff that we don't do. That's just trying to make
it better and see what you're doing. And there's no there's no apocasty or whatever word that's not the right word in in imitating what others do. I mean, that's how I got to college. This is a live mike.
You know that. I don't care what are they going to come back? Yeah? Yeah, I probably should say that.
No, you're absolutely right, And I think Tommy's just seeing like you want a coach to be open and vulnerable and honest with the community that he's representing, and because you want him to feel like he's a part of it so he doesn't leave. I think one thing we've talked about in the past is that We don't want Arizona to be a stepping stone for college coaches to come here and then go on. You've got to create a culture that they feel like this is their home.
Like we talked about John Miller. Sean Miller was great. I never felt like he was a two son in No. I always felt like he you know, sure, Tommy feels like he's two.
So Tommy Tucson, Sean, Sean would know. Sean not that he was looking for the next bus out, but he was, you know, he said he knew the schedule.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there was the one way trip. I'm not taking that bus. But when the bus comes on and jumping on that bus.
Yeah. Okay, let's take a break here to come back with Lindsey.
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Streamy Live on the iHeartRadio WAP. This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to win the ball your own good Rivera.
You will blake ainger now when the phone we have Lindsay Schnell from the Athletic Lindsay you there. I am fantastic. You're hard to find. You know that you're like a movie target.
I'm elusive, you know, just like all the best players.
We needed to kill us some nil money to get you on the show.
So well, really would work is if you guys had invited me like in studio, like giving me another reason to come to sunny Arizona because at my house in Portland, Oregon, it's currently pouring rain.
Oh yeah, well that's always poored in Portland. But it's a great place. It's a great place. You can always come back. We're fine, We're fine down here. It's nice today, it's gonna rain tomorrow. Said, how was your trip down here last time? I think it was two weeks ago, and you were able to see practice and talk to Tommy.
Yeah, my trip was great. It was the second stop on my what I'm calling my PAC twelve tour because the PAC twelve lives on in my heart. I was at UCLA first. I also popped over to Irvine. Obviously they're not they don't have PAC twelve history, but and then came down to Arizona to talk to Tommy, sit down with Caleb g Love and Henry Vasser, and it was great.
You know, it's because I have spent so many years covering Gonzaga and so still every time I see Tommy in an Arizona shirt, I'm a little thrown off, you know, And I feel like every time I look at his bench, I'm like, wait, that's another Zag on there. Yeah, but really fun to see them and not surprised at all that the success that I've had.
Under him, so real quick before Blake comes up.
It's funny because I saw him say hello to you, and I think if they know each other from the past, totally makes sense if he was if you were up with the Zags a few times and he was there forever, so that makes sense. So you're not you're not unfamiliar with his demeanor and his personality because he's got that personality.
Yeah, absolutely knowing him a long time. He also, my dad had a background in coaching in the Pacific Northwest, so Tommy knows my dad too. Like, uh, but it really does go back to I've watched I've been around Gonzaga a lot, and you know, written numerous times about him bringing over these guys that we had never heard of from various countries, and what do you know, he
turns them into first round NBA picks. So I've been familiar with him and his style and your pointing his personality such a player's coach for a long time.
Hey, Lindsay, this is Blake. Great to have you on. I love Portland, my family, my uncle's there, my cousins are there. I've probably spent too much time at mcminimon's to talk about on the air, but I do love Portland. I love the Great Northwest. So just staying on, Tommy, Because you spent so much time with Gonzaga, what was the feeling when he left Gonzaga came to Tucson to
take the u OF job. Were you guys excited that he was moving on to the next step or were you upset that you were losing arguably the greatest assistant coach in college basketball at that time.
Well, I don't have a dog in the fight, so I don't know that I felt in particular way, but I don't think that anyone was surprised. I think that was the big thing. Obviously, what he helps you build and maintain there in Spokane was incredible, and everyone knew that
he was going to be a head coach someday. But I remember when everything was going on and his name was being thrown around obviously, like James Stogmeyer's name was being thrown around, and who could forget Gilbert Arenas's you know comments that What I recall is everyone at Gonzaga was so excited for him, and everyone there, remember, you know, was saying like Gilbert A. Renas is crazy, He's going
to be an incredible hire. And if you had watched him coach at Gonzaga with Mark Few four years and I think you see this now with he's lead assistant, it was really a partnership, you know. And Few was the first person to give Tommy credits talk about how important he was to their program. So I think there's no question that everyone in Spokane, uh was bummed because they loved him, and Spokane is such a like a
small big city type type feeling. But I know that everyone was excited for him and no one is surprised again at his success. What I really want to know is when they're going to start scheduling home and home with each other so you can get a Gonzaga Arizona matchup every year.
You and everybody else wants to know that, in fact, they should They should have met in the Bahamas and didn't write right, I'm sure did you ask him that question?
One? And I'm sure we don't want it to happen.
I actually didn't ask him that. It's funny because I should have. But I have to tell you, guys, I'm a huge Oregon State women's basketball fan. I'm an Oregon State alum, and women's basketball is like that ugo that I really care about. And I had wanted an Oregon State Gonzaga regular women's game forever and then got that because the PAC twelve collapse and Oregon State had to join the WCC and they went down to the wire,
the organ saying Gounzaga women three times this season. Two of them went overtime, and I was like, man, I wanted this matchup forever, but it's not very good for my health. So it's very possible that a lot of people in Spokane would feel that same way if we got Arizona Gunzega regularly.
Sure, and that friendship bight end if they actually played. Let me ask you, did you play in Oregon? Did you play hoops in high school?
I was a high school basketball player. Yeah, not in college, but yes, I just played high school basketball. Lots of good memories with that.
Well, the reason I asked is because when I was at USA Today in the late eighties earty nineties, there was a team in Oregon one of the cities there that.
Was number one forever.
Oregon City was John Oregon City High School.
Yeah.
John Pitts was the high school editor. I was along with those rides in the top twenty five stuff, and I remember that distinctly thirty some years ago.
Yeah, Oregon City High School girls basketball, they were a powerhouse for a long time. It's funny because we're talking on the day that the high school basketball tournaments have started, and so Oregon City is not in it this year, but I'm excited to go watch those games. You know. I think that you guys know this because you live
in a city that loves basketball. And I've always felt that about the city of Portland, but also like the state of Oregon loves basketball and has a great appreciation for women's basketball, and I think a big part of it is because of what a dominant high school program they had in Oregon City for so long.
I was, Okay, so now we're going to talk about the reasons why you came down, And I guess did you your story come out to preview the Big Twelve.
It has not come out yet. My piece on Caleb Love will come out next week. I'm still doing some reporting for it, but excited to write it. Had a great conversation with him. I think he is such an interesting character in college basketball. He's had quite the journey and you know, no matter how deep arison it goes in the tournament, right the journey is going to be over soon. So just interesting to chat with him and hear his reflections on everything.
Did you we don't get we didn't We don't get access like you did.
You know throughout the year. You know how you know how it is, and we're jealous. I'll just tell you that. But but did you find out more about Caleb? You know, he's good, He's really good on good days, really mediocre on some days. And we're wondering why didn't he make the NBA last year or they didn't want him or whatever. I'm probably talking too fast here, but that's why he
came back. Do you think he has a shot and and it's not up to him to that he has a shot, but what is his what are his deficiencies?
If he's not.
Well I think that his his issues have been like the same throughout college in terms of shot selection and inconsistency. But it was interesting because talking to him when I sat down with him, he told me that he thinks he's gotten so much better with shot selection, which I think everyone agree with. And then on top of that, he said, you know, as a freshman, like when a coach told me that was a bad shot, I wasn't.
I didn't really want to hear that. He said, Now I can not only do I hear that and I understand it, but I can identify it myself. So we sat down right after the Utah game. He had played very well in that game, scored well, shot well, but he said he went back to his apartment that night, watched film that night and identified like five shots that He's like, I should not have taken that shot. I should have passed the ball. And I thought that that
showed a lot of growth. There are so many opportunities to play professional basketball after college for men's players. I think he's going to get a shot, and it might similar to college, it might take him a while to find his footing. I wouldn't be shocked if he wound up on a G League roster, or he went overseas for a year or two to kind of find his
professional legs. But I do think that he has learned a lot about perseverance over the course of his college career, and I think that that will serve him really well.
Yeah, Tommy swears by him. It was funny we talked about this. Were you here for Senior Day Senior Week. I don't think that was when you were here. But when he talked about his son and Tommy Lloyd, it was like, Yeah, it's business as usual. Liam's with the team and blah blah blah, kill love. I love the kid. He's been through so much. It was like Love was his son and Liam he's over there.
Yeah, I definitely I get that vibe. It's interesting, like you guys, don't you guys are at the games all the time. But one thing that really has struck me throughout the year is because I watch Arizona on TV all the time, is the way that the broadcasters talk about how Tommy loves Caleb also, and I think that that's obvious, and I think that goes back to what we were saying about Tommy being a player coach, like
guys just like to be around him. That's a huge part of why he has been such a successful international recruiter. I mean when you think about he would go into these countries where he didn't it's not like he knows a ton of people, but his ability to build relationships right away. And I definitely think that when Caleb came to Arizona from North Carolina, he was looking for that. You know, he was not he was I don't know that he was at rock bottom, but he was not
in a great place. And so to be able to build that relationship. And what I'm really struck by when I've watched Caleb the last couple of years, and especially the second half of this season, is I think he looks like a little kid a lot when he plays. I mean that as a compliment, because he just has
a smile on his face. He's playing with a lot of joy, and I think that that comes partially because of the system he's playing and then the coach he's playing for that there's just a level of comfort there.
Did you so you knew Tommy as an assistant, right, so you spend some time with him was assistant. So do you notice any difference now that he's the head coach.
Well, you know, it's so funny because one of my personal gripes when I watched basketball is I hate when assistant coaches stand up all the time. He needs to stand up all the time at Gonzaga, but now he gets to stand up all the time as the head coach. It's just a different vibe obviously because he's in charge. But I don't think his personality has changed at all. And I would say that both from like watching practice
at Gonzaga and watching in Arizona, watching his sideline demeanor. Obviously, it's different when you're the person in charge, and I'm sure behind closed doors, you know, like when you are the guy that you're the last line of defense and you've got to be the decision maker. But I think that he is who he is. He's really authentic, and that's a big part of why he's had success as
a head coach because he hasn't changed. I also think a lot about there's so many we can all think of examples of when a highly coveted assistant became a head coach and whatever that highly coveted assistant was known for when he was an assistant, he like stops doing that as a head coach, and that's not the case with Tommy. Like Tommy was a player's guy also as an assistant. And that's also the culture that they had
at Gonzaga. You know, they talk a lot about culture and how tight knits they are, and so he's going to bring that and he's doing the exact same thing, maybe just with his own spin on it. But I think that is a big part of why he's been successful. And that's part of why you look on his bench and there these former Gonzaga guys there, you know, had like him, mccarnowski being a grad assistant. I mean, that's someone who was like a legend in college basketball and
he played at Gonzaga. And Shim was telling me about how he wound up on Tommy's staff. That guys who had gone zagatizes to him want to come work with him again at Arizona. I think also speaks to like he's the same person.
Right right.
I wrote a story about to him two three years ago. I think it was when he first came on, I thought, and I told him to spread up. He was the perfect guy to replace Sean because he's that personable guy he'll wrap his arm around you and say everything's gonna be okay, be tough on you when he needs to be. And if you know Sean, I'm sure you've met him a few times giving your job.
He was a tough dude. He was a tough dude.
He was tough on his players, YadA YadA, and that transition needed somebody like Tommy to embrace the guys who stayed.
Yeah, absolutely well. And I joked with Brent Brennan, the Arizona football coach, who I've known forever because he was an Oregon State football assistant. Love love coach, b Love, his wife, his kids, known them all forever that when they hired him, I was like, Arizona has like the three coolest coaches in the biggest sports in men's basketball, Tommy, Brent Brennan with football, and of course Adia Barnes, who I've been friends with before she got into coaching at Arizona.
So I think that the athletes there have it really good. You want, and I think, especially in this day and age of players getting paid and you know, into eligibility if you go to the transfer portal, you need head coaches that can relate to players that can talk to them, like have real conversations one on one. And I completely agree with you that that's the type of person Tommy is.
And when you have that relationship, and Caleb and I talked about this, and you have that relationship, it's a lot easier than for them to give you some hard truths about your game, about your life, you know, because you know that they are invested in you.
Right right, right, Well, lindsay, now, I'm assuming you're going to get to the tournament here in a couple of a couple of weeks, right I am.
I'm not. I'm not going anywhere for conference tournaments. I'm enjoying them all from my couch. But I'll be in Seattle for the first round. I really want Arizona to be there too, but I think they're going to go to Denver and then San Francisco the West Regional. So I'm excited. It's the best time of year, you guys, You guys know that you live and breathe it. We have we have the best jobs, and this is really when we know that. When we're sitting courtside, that's the
best part, right. We have such good seats to all these great games, right now.
We just look for the stories because they have to you know. We go for a reason and that's the stories too. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, well, thank you, Lindsay.
I probably see you on the road at some point on the West.
Thank you.
Alrighty, sound like a game plan.
Thank you, appreciate it.
This is good stuff, good stuff, Lindsay Snell from the athletic good stuff. Let's take a break here and come back on the other side. If you're an Arizona man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludolsen 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 beloved coach. Lessons from Lut is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. Want one, Email me at Steve dot Rivera ninety five at gmail dot com.
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This is I on the ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Want to take part in the show call up? Steve now went five two oh four one six seventy four day.
Well, welcome back.
To the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty, m Steve RIVERTA your Blake Eager good show today.
We have ten minutes to screw it up. I can do that fifteen minutes.
I am pretty sure if you give me ten minutes, I can screw up pretty much anything.
I Hey, that was a great I thought she's great. You know, I was gonna call her a beat writer for you.
Of A.
Talked about Adia, talked about Brennan, talked about Tommy.
A lot of similar qualities and all three of them. Right, We've talked about that both on air and off there, that they're just they seem like good people, good, good personalities, good human beings. Now they just got to coach and win some games. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see what happens here in the next few months. Tommy doesn't win a national championship, he's out of here.
Sorry.
Some people think that, I know we were talking about he's got to know. Anything less than us sweet sixteen is not it's not worthy. Blah blah blah. Let them coach, man, coach.
We'll see.
We'll judge at the end of the year and see what happens. I do think that he's got to find some magic with these guys.
Uh.
Yeah, you're you're looking at that roller coaster is starting to come back down. Yeah, I think you you got to tie up some defensive qualities. I think the exposure on us not being able to shoot the three ball last game, I mean they were just like, essentially just go shoot whatever you want. So I talk about this all the time. I'm sure the listeners are pretty tired of it. I think with you two, okay, give me the three three. Give me three things that are not good,
and then we'll talk. I'll be the Elon Musk. Give me fine things you know you did last week, but three things that are the bads.
And give me three things that are the goods.
Bads right now, over the course of this last seven game stretch, I think defensive intensity you saw, you saw it a lot with Houston and we still lost that game, But that was you saw that. You saw it, and I haven't seen it again since. A guard rebounding I don't think.
I don't think.
I mean if especially if you look at last game again. I've said this on the air. I miss asu game and haven't gone back and watched it, so maybe my perspective changes a little bit. But our guards rebounding last game, I saw it weren't at the level that it needed to be.
Uh.
And then I'm going to say this and might be crazy looking for an extra pass. I think we've gotten complacent with some of our shots.
Selection. You have three things that I didn't even have two of them.
Yeah, maybe I'm completely wrong, and I'm okay with that, but those are the three things that stick out.
It gives me five things now because they can't.
Defend the three well, I think in defensive intensity is going to give you par so they're kind of umbrellas. Umbrellas that they can't shoot the three. I mean, yeah, you're absolutely, but we haven't been able to shoot three all years. Well, so going into the tournament, you're not gonna be able to change that. Mister Blake. That's one of the flowers that I'm listening. Okay, give it to you, So now give me the three that you like. They play unselfishly for you of eighteen even though you want
more one want one more pass. I think shot selections at time is questionable, but I think they play unselfishly. Like you don't see Caleb at this point trying to take over as many games as you did early in the season or last season. Guys are stepping up at different roles. Any guy can go out there and be kind of the guy at the game of the game.
I should say.
You know one I didn't mention is I think you saw a much better version of Townsend last game. If we can get him staying in that it's going to be difficult. But if you can get him staying in that role and you can get ten quality minutes from him, I think we're much better.
Without question. Here's the problem.
I hate that word if because sure if, because he's had twenty some games and you got that one game, you think, oh there's hope. Okay, yeah, It's like looking at a ballplayer at the end of his career that gives you a little guy slight look into his past and you're like.
He's still got it. The next game, you're like, he doesn't have it.
Yeah, right, and and that's better to have it than not have it, right at least for one game. I think that needs to happen as well as is my X factor that is not happening with Delorso. Who can't who can't shoot enough to Tommy's liking and can't hit enough to his liking? Yeah, I mean, listen, he barely played the first half against Kansas. I think he hit that big three in the second half. Uh, he's too overwhelmed in these big games. Is it overwhelmed or is
he just not? I mean, you can't ask the guy to put on more weight or muscle. He just got switched around. Well, that's it. He's over Martinez the same way when he gets on. I love Martinez has a great view of the court. I think from a view standpoint, he knows where the ball is and like one guy runs into him and it's like an oh poop moment.
Right.
So yeah, Well, so those two tooth did you give me a third.
That's the problem. That's the problem. There's not enough.
Likes when you have five. Listen, I wouldn't say that. I think you have time. We have ten minutes raw this out. I think I think they have been pushing the ball a little bit, which is great to see that on an offensive slide where I think for a little bit it gets stagnant. So they are running a little bit more running and gunning. But okay, so now, guess what. You'll have to have an opponent that likes to run. If you don't have an opponent that doesn't
like to run, guess what, you ain't gonna run. I like this more. I like this team more than it's coming off right now. By the way, Oh, I'm just kidding, but you're absolutely right. When I have to break down the positives and negatives outweigh it. But I still think this is a sweet sixteen, maybe an elite elite eight team. Holy mold, I know, and that sounds a little bit like a Homer. It just depends on who we are. I like our matchups. I've seen us. I mean, we
get punched in the face, we punched back. We haven't found a way to win though, and that's kind of the scary.
Thing for me.
Yeah, you punch back sometimes, Yeah, I mean, what's the combined what's our combined score of our last five losses?
But they're not without it. They're not big. They're not big. I mean I was stay Bluise out of the water.
Yeah, they're not big. And that's a never started team. They'll stay close the players.
And I'm not trying to poop poo Arizona because I agree with you. They can get to the sweet sixteen. Then who knows after that because confidence and matchups mean a lot. I just think that they're too inconsistent to hold out hope, like if if this happens, if this happens, if this happens, like I joke on the show, if I hit six ball balls on the super Ball super you know, the power Ball.
No, I want you to keep it. It was nice, it was it was nice knowing you. Yeah, listen, here's a point to you. And you said this early on when we're talking about the X factor. This is probably a month ago or three weeks ago on the Steam and you said Bryant, Carter Bryant is kind of the X factor, right, And you're looking at this last stretch. Who hasn't played great Carter Bryant. And it's true, he's got to be on the floor, but he's got to find a way to score to be relevant. That's the
whole thing though. This whole team is a great stew Yeah. When all when all the when all the flavors are working, they haven't been working. We got a call, Hello, you're on the air and on the ball.
Who's this?
Hey, Brennan's brick.
How you doing, Rick? How are you? What's the word?
Well, I'm just listening to you gentlemen chatting. But uh, this team here, and one of the things I think that I've noticed lately is like you ever driven a car where the air pressure and with some of the tires just isn't right in the same Yeah, And I feel like these guys. One guy's got a full air pressure thirty five psi and the other guys maybe at twenty seven. And when they're playing them, they're all having
a balance. They are a hard team to beat. But the problem is maintaining the consistence tea and showing that up and down the court so they get on the safe go ahead.
You have to get us on the same page. Okay, Rick, I totally agree with you, but don't don't you think that opponents.
Play a part in that?
And everybody was really happy, all giddy eleven and one look, they're blaming really well, we're gonna win this championship to play Houston for the first place lead, and then they get beat And then I said to people even before that game that the back end of this tournament, back end of this conference, tournament of comfort season is going to be a hell. It's going to be hell to pay because all the good teams are there. Guess what's up ahead, Rick, all good teams.
Yeah.
But here's something about tournaments, postseason tournaments, And I think Mouton had something, had sorted this philosophy. It was great if you win the tournament, but you don't want to burn out in the Big twelve tournament. And then when you get to Thursday, year Friday, the following week of a sudden, you're still dragging. And I think you want to play well, you want to put the best effort
out there. But if you lose in the tournament, you know, the Big twelve tournament, now you're not is I say upset?
Yeah?
Well, he upset it sure as go ahead.
Well, he didn't even like the tournament. He didn't want any part of that tournament.
No, because he felt like his teams were burning out well.
And they already proved themselves over eighteen games. You know what else do we have to prove? We won the damn league? Why do we have to do it again?
Right?
And now they're playing even more games, Yeah, which is going to be even more stressful on not just their owner but everybody playing. So it's it's going to be an interesting if they can all maintain their balance, they can control the opposition if they were all This isn't the same, This.
Is super a second record this This show was being held in Lawrence, Kansas, And we're the host of the host of the show in Lawrence, Kansas, and we followed Kansas. Don't you think that if you called and said the same things about k you it fit.
If this happens and we do, all the tires fit and all the pressures were fine, we'd be able to handle o their teams. Same in Houston, same in Iowa State. Everybody has this thought in this league because they're all kind of equal. But they're asking if this if that is that, if this tire this, this am I wrong?
No, But I think overall, I think Arizona's talent is a lot better than people get them credit for it. And if they focus on what they do well and they control the pace of the game, and they can do that when they're all playing at the same pace, when they're all synchronized. Okay, I think this is as good as probably the top ten teams in the country when I play.
Well, I'm going on Amazon right now a Magic wand Magic one. How is it gonna cost me?
Thanks? Careful, Thanks to be careful there to give you your card? I need your credit card?
Yeah, thanks, Rick, you get a Magic wand, but it's not gonna be the one you were thinking.
So do you understand what I'm saying? If this, Yeah, if this place.
Was in Kansas or in Aames or whatever, because they're all capable right there, all talented, and they all have the same philosophy. If this and this with this, I just think and you we had a different conversation a couple of weeks ago about this about Big twelve tournament.
I actually think our Big twelve tournament play is a little bit more important to you of A, and I keep saying us the uve A because the confidence side of it right now, So if they can go out there and get a revenge win against let's say Kansas, if they win tonight and then you move on and you're playing for a championship, I think that gets them back onto the right track a little bit.
And let's let's just all.
Be honest right now, Steve, Thank god we don't live in Lawrence, Kansas, right because have you ever been to Kansas? I've been to Lawrence a few times, I know, and it's it's brilliant cold. But I think you're right, And I was gonna ask you as an athlete, and obviously I think the answer is what I think you're gonna say, is the confidence factor that's more than people know. I mean, it's true when you talk about the game's ninety percent
mental on ten percent physical. When you're at the level they are at now, if they can get that confidence back as a group, it changes the whole perspective. Okay, So let me give you this scenario, because that's I go back to twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen. I think it is Arizona's very up and down not so good, Sean Miller sayings, I'm not sure I can coach these guys. It's been a tough season with with Raleigh, with Trier
and with Lauri market or was it eight and eight year? Okay, so they they ripped through the pack twelve tournament, beating people bad, junking over USC blah blah blah, and you think we're back, We're back, right, Oh god, these guys are playing out of their mind. Four days later, what happens? Yeah, you lose and that group never really fully melded together identity.
But you do have three NBA players on your team and your roster in college, and I mean the year before you can talk about the same thing with market in right, I mean, how does market and not touch the ball in the last what eight minutes of a game?
Past the sweet sixteen?
You're exactly right, So how does that confidence go? That's why I don't believe in momentum. I have this three game roll. Okay, what does that mean?
I agree with what you're saying, Steve, and I don't mean to cut you off. And we talk about this all the time. This team is built differently because they're not relying on a single player or two players to win the game. They're relying on a unit to win, right, So when we look back on that eight and Ralegh, Atkins and Trier, you're looking at one of those three players take over the game.
Same same thing.
Well, you're not with the love I mean, I mean, I don't think you're I'm not the first fight. I'm looking for the first This is a fight.
You have no idea about my past.
We're in good shape, no, But I mean you're looking at this team as a full unit. You looked at last game Bradley took over for a little while. Yeah, you're looking but this is a unit. And that's why I guess I'm a little bit more confident. And I do talk about momentum a lot. I know you hate that, but there is a sense of confidence that creates momentum when you step on the floor.
And that's that's why there are two different words confidence and momentor two different things. But I do love the confidence stuff. By the way, I hope you're enjoying your last show ever.
In this show, Yeah, it's weird because I keep saying I have a lot of momentum and people are like, what do you mean, I'm like, you know, like confidence, they're two different words. Last show. I got this fleet bud right in front of me. I will not use it, and I will make sure it's my last show.
Yeah.
In mind too, we're going on.
If I'm going down, you're going down to Yeah, okay, cool, So thanks for being here. You're not going to show up tomorrow. You have work to do, but really, you have a you have. I don't want to be I don't want to keep being an afterthought. I don't want to get a text like my buddy. You guys don't love me even call me to day before.
Come on, dude, we can get That's why the show is what it is Forget names and things like that.
What's your name again? Yeah, it doesn't matter. That's why I can't say Center in Arizona.
Yeah, sports tourism film right exactly. I don't know what the hell up to side. Well, good to see you again.
Of course we're gonna have Dave silver and tomorrow and then Jay on Friday.
Get ready for tomorrow's game, right, get over there? Yeah? Whoever? Six thirty? I think six thirty. The calendar is five, yeah, five thirty. It might be Pacific time, right. Yeah, of course we're back on Pacific time, right Yeah.
So I got a race to the to the house and once okay, okay, thanks again, thank you, see you next week.
It's always a pleasure. Okay, thanks okay, thanks every much for everybody for calling in.