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Made it to a Thursday, but it's not just any Thursday now. The tournament begins. Congratulations to Xavier, they were down by thirteen, came back to beat Texas, and Mount Saint Mary's beats American. Among those playing today Houston, Auburn, Tennessee, and Saint John's. If you would have told me five years ago, Rick Battino is going to be coaching Saint John's. They're going to open up the tournament in Providence, where Rick started his career for the most part, and took
a Billy Donovan led team. Whether they go to the Elite eight that year, I'm not even sure how far they went. I just know they were really entertaining that year. But Rick Bettino, it feels like Patino's an underdog, is a number two seat for some reason. It's like, man, look what he's doing with Saint John's. Saint John's used to be really good before Marvin was born, but Saint John's has been a pleasant surprise, and they've recaptured New York City. But they will be in Providence to open
up Houston Auburn, Tennessee as well. All right, eight seven seven three DP Show operators sitting bybe We'll take your phone calls and email address Dpatdanpatrick dot com, Twitter handle at DP show Seeton. What's poll question for the first hour of this program, Paul sent this one in.
Would you rather your favorite team or school win the NCAA tournament or would you rather win your bracket contest?
Okay, Marvin, let me ask you. Since your team is the two time defending champs, would you rather UKON one again this year or you won the bracket.
Challenge UKN won again?
Okay, Paul, If you're alma mater Southern Illinois won the national title or you won the bracket challenge, I almost have to.
Take that out because it's so wild to even think of them making the tournament. If I didn't have a dog in the fight like this year, if a team I like, now you got to take your team if they'd never won.
It before, Todd you went to you. So there's no chance that that would happen.
No chance of that happening, I will.
I'll take winning the bracket challenge even if somehow the Violets got into the tournament then won it all all right, Seaton West virgin Oh sorry, Uh, you're alma mater. If they got into the tournament or you won the bracket challenge, how about Seaton Hall.
I'm pretty good if Seaton Hall. Yeah, I would take my team or school any day, because there really isn't winning the bracket Challenge. It's just as much luck as it is anything else. Two years ago, we had the most unlikely Final four of all time and my wife called it yeah, And I can assure you she does not watch any any college basketball whatsoever, and she had it nailed. She was in like theer point five percent of the world that had it nailed.
It's hard to luck into a national championship. It's a little easier to luck into doing well with the bracket Challenge. In fact, I always think they the less you know, the better you will perform in the I Could Challenge. But our brackets are in. We're still waiting for a couple of celebrities to get their brackets in as well. But Fritzy, once again is the gatekeeper. Another poll question, what else do you have?
Well, we got a couple of rule changes that are making well proposed rule changes perhaps that are making some news.
Let me hold off on that until the next segment, so I have the full fifteen minutes or so to be able to go over everything. And there's some proposals there, they're just proposals. The Lions had one. They're still trying to get rid of the brotherly shove, which I still I'm okay with it. I just say take the guy behind the quarterback out of the play. That's all. So if you want to have a push, the push comes from your quarterback and your offensive line, not some guy
who weighs three hundred pounds behind. Jalen Hurts. And every other team can do this. It's the ultimate football play from the standpoint of me versus You may not like it. It's predictable, but it is force against force, the immovable object against the irresistible force. I'm okay with it. It may not be esthetically pleasing, and we may not like that the Eagles have mastered it. Every other team can do the same thing. Yes see, I feel exactly the same way.
To me.
It's like the exact, almost very definition of a football play. However, we've had at least a coach or two on I forget exactly who it was, who was like test not football as rugby. We don't play rugby, we play football. I hate that play. It's not a football play. Maybe it's Bill Coward, it might have been, I'm not sure. So then that made me rethink everything that I thought, like, oh, that's not a football play.
What Well, there are probably football plays that aren't football plays if you're looking at a true definition here. But it's I got the ball. I'm telling you what I'm doing and you can't stop me.
I love that.
And yes, the Eagles have mastered it. If the Bills mastered it, they might have gone to the super Bowl. Nobody else has mastered it. But I'm okay with that, but they're still trying to get rid of it. Magic Johnson was on a podcast. He's on Byron Scott's podcast, and it's that time of the year where people are making their decisions or giving their opinions on who should be winning awards in the NBA. And the hot topic appears to be, even though I think the race is over,
is Joker versus Shay gilgis Alexander. Here's Magic Johnson on Byron Scott's podcast.
Best Playing Basketball Right Now, and he reads situations and defense as well, his basketball IQ is off the chart, y. Yeah, and then he beats you because he's off rhythm. He's not one of the best yet, but he is up there. And the only thing he can't do like Kareem could do, is dominate on both hims. Right, that's what was missing for him because he's.
Not a big shot blocker. Right, he's a little bability.
Yeah to a certain extent. Yeah, he's the best player, uh in the league. So that's magic on Byron Scott's fast Break podcast and he puts it into context because he's comparing him to one of the greatest centers, one of the greatest players of all time in Koreem. And no, Jokic is not a shot blocker. But here's a stat that is rarely brought up. And to be honest, when you talk about players, how many MVPs were great defenders good defenders. When's the last time somebody said, man, that's
Shay gilg is Alexander he can lock you up. I haven't heard it, and but I don't think that should factor in. If you're really good, your unbelievable score. I do believe he's unstoppable, your team is playing great, he's going to win the MVP. There was a real push for him last year. But here's the thing that is not brought up. A defensive rebound. It's called a defensive rebound. And who is third in the NBA. It's Jokic, So he's third in rebounding and third in defensive rebounding. That's
a defensive stat that's rarely brought up. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson they quote unquote they played the passing lines. I didn't mean they played defense, because you can't play the passing lanes unless you kind of slough off your player. I don't know if Sga is a great defender. Maybe he is, but it feels like we're picking and choosing, and this came up with Joker, with Joel Embiid. Yeah, but Joker doesn't play good defense. Defensive rebounds is still
a stat and it's rarely brought up. Larry Bird didn't play defense. I don't know too many people back then who go, eah, but Larry can't play defense. Okay, Magic couldn't play defense. Kobe played defense because Michael Jordan played defense. I mean, how many MVPs were like Michael Jordan. They could beat you at both ends. Of the floor. Know, if Karl Malone was a great defender, I think he was on the first or second team All Defensive Team. But we do get caught up, you know, and we'll
say this about MVPs in baseball. Yeah, but he's not a real good fielder. Okay, so we kind of pick and choose. You can use it against somebody, you can use it for somebody. But with and magic putting it in context there that he's not Kareem and how many players are Kareem Yokich is going to be one of the great He should probably have four MVPs and could be on the cusp of a fifth one. I mean, just let that sink in. That doesn't happen. But he is clearly the best player. That doesn't mean he's the
most valuable player. And that's why it will go to Shay Gilgis, Alexander Junior. The third.
Yes, Paul jokicch currently is the only center in the NBA aftering more than one and a half steals per game. And the thing about him not blocking shots blocking shots these days people don't take it to the lane like they used to, the challenges to the basket like he used to there's I would bet there's so many fewer chances to block shots in this NBA because everyone's jacking threes that rim protectors might be the least important thing in the league.
Yeah, I mean you have you know, the stifled Tower. You know, that's what he does. He plays, you know, as a rim protector, but his role is overrated because how much of the game is being a rim protector. Wembn Yama is the best defensive player in the in the game, and it's not even close. He can he can guard you inside outside, he can stand inside and
guards you outside. He's that great. But when it comes to who's the best defensive player, who's won the MVP, I mean, if you run down the list of great defensive players, Kim Elijahwan was a spectacular defensive player. I think he's the all time steals leader maybe is that sound right? Or he's up there in that category block shots as well, yes.
Marvin, yes, block shots?
Yeah? What about steals for keem.
I know John Stockton's first, but I'll take a look.
Yeah. Yeah, Stockton put up numbers that are crazy, like the assist total that's almost like Emmett Smith. His rushing total it's just gonna be there. Yes, Bowie.
Hakim Olijuan is tenth all time and steals in NBA history and he's the only person over six ten in the top twenty.
It's amazing.
He's under days.
Oh best Dad of the day, Dad of the day, Here comes that?
What what day? Brought to you by Panini America. Two time Defensive Player of the Year for Akim olij one, Yes, Seaton O'Connor. Yeah.
If you look at Victor wimbin Yama, he had uh, let's see in twenty twenty three, twenty four, he had two hundred and fifty four block shots in the season. Really, you gotta go back in twenty fifteen with Hassan Whiteside he had two sixty nine. You gotta go back to
market can be after that? Uh, but then there is a massive The numbers all stay kind of about the same until you go all the way back to the nineties and to Kenbe Matumbo, he was putting up like three thirty two, three forty two, three thirty six, three twenty one year after year after year. Matumbo. Uh was just killing him and write it before that was a LaJuan.
Nothing in my house, but the Kembe was one dimensional, like he would rebound in block shots. You're asking Joker to play the other end when Benyama to play the other end. And I think, now, look, I love watching Joker and I think he's the best player in the game by far, But I do understand this meritocracy where the voters will go, we kind of run out of things to say about Joker. How about SGA great and it's a great story. And Oklahoma City has proved to
be legitimate, and I hope they do. I don't want this to happen. They don't get to the Western Conference find because then you'll have people saying, nah, I never should have give him the MVP. Yeah, it's the regular season awards. Like Lamar Jackson, I want him to do well in the postseason, so we don't say, yeah, well, we want it in the regular season, just not a postseason performer. Peyton Manning went through this as well. Aaron Rodgers is oh Man fourteen minutes in and I mentioned
Aaron Rodgers. Heikes, oh, dang it, dang it, I'm bad, Sorry about that.
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Diana Rassini, the Athletics senior NFL insider co host of the Athletics Scoop City podcast with Chase Daniel. First of all, you've done a wonderful job. You've done a wonderful job here in the off season, not to say you don't do it in the regular season, but did want to have you on to say that great work. Now give us the latest tier. Let's start with Aaron Rodgers because there were conflicting reports yesterday where the Vikings interested? Are they still interested in Aaron Rodgers? Hi?
Well, first of all, thank you, happy spring. We made it buddy. We're here just the fact that it's pouring in our region. But we'll take it right as it just felt like a really long winter. And you sound annoyed by the quarterback carousel situation here a little bit. Are you the Steelers?
Are you the Giants?
Are you talking to them? Because I can tell you that they are. They're pretty annoyed by all this as they're just waiting and you know, everyone knows the tell at this point that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New
York Giants are both very interested in Aaron Rodgers. Rogers knows what kind of contract that both teams are offering, and the Minnesota Vikings spent i'd said, probably the last week and a half or so having really serious discussions about what this would mean for this team moving forward if they were to bring Aaron Rodgers on, And you had a lot of people in that building in favor of Rogers after watching some film of him, and you know, those guys know a lo lot about him, they have
good relationships with Rogers, and so there were certainly many people with Minnesota who believe that bringing Aaron Rodgers in this season was the best thing for the Minnesota Vikings. And I think from their perspective, it's, well, you don't get extra points winning a super Bowl because you want it with your draft pick, with you because you want
it with the young quarterback. They built this team in free agency, and you have to give them so much credit with how they've built this Vikings team on paper. At this point right now, I think it's really reasonable to say that this is a super Bowl, super Bowl caliber team.
They just need the quarterback.
And the fact that the.
Vikings have now made the decision to table this to say, okay, we want to give JJ McCarthy an opportunity. This spring tells me that Kevin O'Connell has hitched his wagon into JJ McCarthy and believes that this player is the future of the Minnesota Vikings, that he is the absolute best option over let's say, a future Hall of Famer in
Aaron Rodgers. So serious discussions happened, but Kevin O'Connell came to the decision that he believes that JJ McCarthy gives the Vikings a much better chance at winning than Aaron Rodgers does.
At this point, well, okay, this is what I was told yesterday. Kevin he knows he can mold JJ McCarthy. He's not molding Aaron Rodgers. And does Aaron Rodgers style of play fit with what Kevin wants with his offense. And I was told that it's not necessarily a great marriage. It's Aaron Rodgers and the high high that you can get could be a super Bowl. But Kevin has he is showing confidence in JJ McCarthy and he wants to make sure that he that McCarthy doesn't lose, you know,
going through rehab. He wants to make sure he understands I got rid of Sam Darnold. You're my guy, but I'm doing my due diligence that probably ownership is asking him to do.
Yeah, it's beyond confidence in JJ McCarthy. If he's making this decision, he is hitching his wagon to JJ McCarthy. As JJ McCarthy goes, the Minnesota Vikings now go because they had an opportunity to bring in Aaron Rodgers. And to the point that you're making of well, he doesn't fit in this style of offense. I think Kevin O'Connell, the Coach of the Year, has proven that he can make any quarterback fit and find their best qualities to get the most at them. I think that's Kevin's best trait.
He is so adaptable. He is able to figure out pretty quickly what the strengths of these quarterbacks are. And we've talked on this show so many times about the Rogers experience in New York and while I don't ever, I never thought it was the right fit. I always understood what New York was doing. When you think about fit, when you think about personality, when you think about what a player like Aaron Rodgers needs around him at this point in his career, he does need somebody that he
really truly respects and can hold him accountable. And in my opinion, I think that's Kevin O'Connell. I think there's probably about five coaches in football right now that I would say yep, that works right, Like Andy Reid can handle Aaron Rodgers, Mike Vrabel, Mike Tomlin, Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell.
Those are five off the top.
Of my head that I feel very comfortable saying Aaron Rodgers respects. And I think Rogers is looking at the situation right now going I wanted to play for the Rams that didn't work out, what's the next best And based on these offseason moves, Minnesota is, without a doubt the best option for Aaron Rodgers. And so now you have the Pittsburgh Steelers who don't have a plan past Mason Rudolph, who are just waiting to hear from Aaron Rodgers.
And you know, the Giants would probably love this opportunity, but I think in their building, they know what's happening here. They know that they're probably not the prom queen here in this situation. So to me, the biggest takeaway was the Minnesota Vikings have very strong belief and confidence that JJ McCarthy is the guy, yet they're still going to discuss Aaron Rodgers. Rogers is still on their radar, so they need to learn something this spring. I don't know
what that is, but they need to see something. And again, you've been doing this a long time. What is spring football? Not much? Right, like, you don't know too much. It's pretty easy, laid back, but I think they want to see where he's at physically, where he's at mentally. There's a lot in play here before they really make their decision that they're officially done with Aaron Rodgers. Because there's no in or out on Rodgers. It's just for right now.
The Athletics senior NFL insider co host of the Athletics Scoop City with Chase Daniel. I thought the Steelers were going to bring back Justin Fields. I thought that made sense. Maybe it's a bridge quarterback, but I'm kind of surprised the Steelers aren't acting like the Steelers and saying Aaron Rodgers, Dude, at the end of the business day, you're either in or you're out. We're the Steelers. You want to play. It's a privilege to play for the Steelers and a
Hall of Fame coach and Mike Tomlin, TJ. Watt, Mika Fitzpatrick, Cam Hayward. We brought in DK metcalf. You make up your mind and then if not, we're moving on. But you allow Justin Fields to get out of the building. I don't know if you can bring Russ back. But where do the Steelers stand with this whole mess?
Where are they going? Dan? What do you mean they have no choice? Like you want Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan to call Aaron Rodgers today and say where the Pittsburgh stay? Are you in or you out?
Yes?
I'm Aaron Rodgers. I'm going. Okay, Okay, I'm out if you if you don't want to wait for me, because what are your options? Me soon? For?
What am I waiting for? You're the Steelers?
I mean?
Is it is money involved in this? Or is it just the chance to be with a better team, a chance to play in an NFC North and win a Super Bowl? I mean is that what this is all? Okay? Yeah, this is Aaron rob.
This is Aaron Rodgers going. Okay, the Vikings are telling you right now that they're not in, but they're not taking it off the table. Do I sit here and just be patient and just wait to see if maybe in the spring, they realize that maybe JJ McCarthy isn't the guy, or maybe there's a setback physically, or maybe there's another quarterback on a different team that he would
want to play for injured. Should I just sit back here right now and wait for a better opportunity, or I go to Pittsburgh and look, you just ripped through some of the guys in this roster. I'm not sure how Aaron feels about Pittsburgh, but I think we could probably all agree if he was blown away by them, this would be done. He wouldn't be watching what the Minnesota Vikings were doing. It seems just like a really far backup plan for Rogers if he even wants to
do that. And then you have the New York Giants, and I don't even think that they have that much of a push in this in terms of Rogers wanting to be there, because we know the uphill battle that they have in terms of their roster and everything that they're dealing with with their coaching staff. So I think for Rogers, his mindset's like, I'm in no rush because you all need me. I don't really need you, because if I choose not to play football, I choose not
to play football. But I think the Minnesota Vikings are worth waiting out for, and I think he's willing to roll.
The die there.
What are the Giants doing.
Hoping that Russell Wilson or Joe Flacco decide to come to New York. I think that's going to wind up being one of their backup plans, one or the other.
They've been operated taking a quarterback. You think they're taking Shade or Sanders.
I do.
I think they've always had the focus has always been to get a quarterback here. I think they've aggressively called up to Tennessee to try to move up. I don't get the sense right now out of Tennessee that they've made a final decision yet. I just know that they haven't. They've obviously have not made this trade. I think Tennessee winds up going quarterback, and I think the New York
Giants do as well. I think the Giants are going to do whatever they can to just try to get up and get a quarterback and then sort of figure out where to go from there. And what I find is fascinating in all this, And obviously I can't share every conversation I have and all the information we collect, but there have been so many moves made over the past two three weeks here with all three of these organizations. And we're talking about big teams here, the Pittsburgh Steelers,
the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Giants. Where I wonder if they're going to reflect on some of these calls and regret them, right starting with Minnesota letting Sam Darnold walk. We want to invest in the young guy, right, so we're gonna let the guy that just won fourteen games for us leave the building. We have no insurance plan now right now? Oh well, we will get Daniel Jones and he wants to be here. We can win with Daniel. We've got the best quarterback whisper in football. He can
get the most out of DJ Well. Daniel Jones wants to be the starter without having to deal with a young draft pick that's going to compete for the job. That because he was handpicked by Quacy and Kevin O'Connell the young guy's going to get the edge, right, Like we see it all the time in sports. Whoever that guy's coach is, they usually get the edge. They're the favorite. So Daniel Jones looks at the situation, She's like, I don't want to be in this mess. I can go
to Indian and just win this thing. So this is why when I say Kevin O'Connell is tethered to JJ McCarthy, because it's not just Aaron Rodgers, it's Sam, it's Daniel Jones, and it's a future Hall of Fame quarterback. All three of these quarterbacks, they're willing to say no, we can win with JJ with this roster, and if they feel good about it, I guess we got to just believe them.
The brotherly shove just keeps. It doesn't go away. It feels like the Packers are like, can you please take this out of the game. We can't stop it, but nobody else can as well. My simple solution is just don't allow somebody to be behind Jalen Hurts and block him from behind. That's all. I still think they would be just as successful running a quarterback sneak with that
line in Jalen hurts. But is there any chance that the NFL, when the owners get together, they're going to say, you know what, none of us can stop it, we want it out of the game, and then we vote on it.
Yeah.
I think it's a long shot.
Still.
I actually thought it had I thought there was more teeth to it a year ago, you know. And you saw the report that Green Bay is the one that proposed it because they bring up player safety. There's no information about that out there. That's not really a strong leg to stand on at this point. But but even having conversations about this over the last few weeks when it started to bubble up again, I think you always
have to look at some of the players involved. And I never got the sense that Roger Goodell was for it. I always felt that he didn't like it because he thought it was an ugly play. He didn't like the optics, the esthetics. And I know that there are some on the competition Committee who feel that way as well. But I think in the end, most around the league, including owners, have the same mindset that you do, and that I
think a lot of teams do. It's let's not punish this team because you can't figure out a way to stop it. Maybe put your efforts into solving that problem before having to change the rule because your team doesn't have that advantage.
Great to talk to you, and we'll be watching. We'll be watching to make sure we find out where Russ is going, where Aaron is going. If you had to bet though, just guess.
You know, insiders hate this stuff. I hate because you know Bobby the aggregator out there. It's like headline Rusini says, Rogers to Seattle, Sam Darnold's getting cut.
You know, like, uh, do you want to do? Just just a guess on any of those topics, So like the giants of the Browns, of the Steelers, with the Vikings, with retirement, with whatever one just give me one guess. Not a report. Once again, this is not a report by Diana Rossini. This is not a report.
This is a guess. This is a guess. I have to just emphasize this. Yes, I think Aaron Rodgers is going to be a Minnesota viike.
That is breaking news. Hey, let's get that out social media. We're gonna get some We're gonna get some hits. Sceni reports Aaron Rodgers will be the Vikings quarterback. Thank you. Thank you, Diana. That was a guess. That's all that was. It was a guess. It was not a report.
Not as amused as we were with that joke.
But she wasn't she She knew what she was walking into. At least she thought she did all of a sudden. Ye. A bunch of the podcast is Scoop City with Chase Daniel. That's Diana Rasini.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio WAPP.
He's one of the great basketball minds that I know. He is Dan Dickow who joins us on the program. Oh no, it's Dan. Oh, it's Dockage. Oh. Dan Dockage a former college coach. He played for Bob Knight in Indiana. His podcast on OutKick is Don't Have Me, Sorry, Dan, I got confused on who we were having.
On dick Out Dreams of having my Hair, Dreams of It.
Good to have you. On your reaction to the committee putting North Carolina in the tournament? How egregious is this? Or is it to you?
Oh?
I think it was ridiculous and I think I like Bubba cutting him. I've known him since he was at Ball State. I was in Bowling Green and I've always thought twelve of it. But you can't have in your contract, you know. Some say you got one hundred and four thousand, some say you got sixty seven. I don't care. You can't have that in your contract. A hint of impropriety is ridiculous. And the other thing is, you know, Dan, they put all these metrics in. Okay, that's fine, and
you know, I know, I know mathematicians. I got three friends that are mathematicians math teachers, and they're like, you can make math go anyway.
You won.
I didn't think Carolina should be in for the simple reason who did they be over the course of a season. I don't think Indiana should have been in the same reason. But I do think that it has to get straightened out. Where guys have bonuses for their schools to be in the tournament. I think that's just wrong. It reeks of well, oh, frankly, it's nefarious.
Don't tell me you weren't in a room. Don't don't treat us like children.
You were talking to them at dinner, you would have drinks whatever at the coffee shop.
Don't don't.
Don't treat us like children. We know how this works, and I just think you know, whether you want to put them in or not.
Great, they played wonderful.
R J.
Davis made threes.
But you know, you should never have a bonus for being the head of a chair getting.
Your team, and that's just that's bad business.
But they knew that there was going to be blowback, right, you can't be in that committee and go, boy, how's this going to look? But then you just say, maybe we just survived the first couple of days that.
Dan, that's exactly we all know, right, you know I always said this when I was in ESPN. Dan Brackett was going to come out, Billis was going to complain about the CD. Dick Fettel was going to complain that the little guy didn't get in right, and that'll last for twenty four forty eight hours. And then we moved along and we had maybe the greatest game of the tournament, the first game with Alabama State. But that's how you
got to be. You're in the public. You know, things come, they go, they blow over, and you move it along in the game start and it's what was BILLI say it's idiot proof, and boy is that true.
It's just a great tournament every year.
Yeah, but you to look at this. And then Jim Beheim last year said on our show they should expand it to ninety sixteens, Like, how many is too many?
Dan, Dan, I've always said this, And tell me if you think this is wrong. But I've always said, everybody is in the NCAA tournament. Like you have a conference tournament, you win, you stay in. Like I get it, CBS or whomever, they do their thing and great, but everybody's already in.
I have no I don't care expand it. Dan.
I'm at an age where I love the games. I love the sport. Give me mores. Fine, But I've said, I've said this, everybody's in a tournament, and I think Vegas should determine the bracket. Take Vegas, take the human hair out of it, give your parameters, give your policies, give it all of those guys in the deserts, as Brent would say, and let's figure this out. Let them do it unbiased. And then we got a bracket and we moved along. Those are the two things I've always said.
Everyone's already in the tournament, you got conference tournament, you got a chance, don't lose, and you keep playing.
Yeah, I've been saying the last couple of years. Let's just take it out of a committee. Let's do it with the people who it's all about the bottom line, all the money that's made with march madness. Let Vegas figure this out. I did think of you yesterday. We were talking about how Georgetown had to fire Patrick Ewing, Saint John's had to fire Chris mallin, Houston fired Clyde Drexler. Steve Alford has never been offered the Indiana John. Is that correct? And if so, why not.
There's a weird thing.
Quinn Buckner at this time is the head of the board of Trustees and he's got some weird and this is true. I mean, nobody had missed this, but I know this night told me this. He's got some daddy thing with Knight and Alford. It's a really weird thing. Dan and the previous guy the ad and Buckner's the ahead of the board of trustees, previous guy Rick green Span. They had lector didn't like Alford. He was in Illinois State. They had some kind of hassle. Dan I've never understood it. I've said, ex.
So, Quinn Buckner's daddy issue with Bob Knight and therefore doesn't want Steve Alford.
I've never been able and I'm asked Steve, and that's all I've ever You know, it's just a weird thing where Buckner's jealous of the relationship or and you know, nobody will admit it. But I've heard this for so many years, and Buckner again, he's ahead. Look whether it's true or not, I bet you know. I always say gun to head, gun to head. I think it's true as hell. Buckner and Woodson were boys when Night was first in Indiana.
He kind of legally cheated.
He got Woody, and I think Buckner, I know Scott May involved with a guy named Steve Ferguson, one of the richest guys. They bought all the hotel, they bought all the apartments in Bloomington. Alford wasn't a part of the It's just a it's a ridiculous, idiotic, stupid Desperate Housewives kind of a program that hopefully now we got a decent dude in there that can coach some ball. West Virginia fans. You can suck it. I love that you're mad.
Go away. Indiana got a good dude, Let's go.
He's Dan Dakiche, host of Don't at Me podcast on out Kick. He played for Bob Knight in Indiana. You coached with him. Was there any joy when you played for Bob Knight?
Oh yeah, yeah.
I always say it was fun, and the fun was when you got his approval. The fun was how big the program was, how revered you were. But you know, Dan Fife and I always talk about this as white dudes that aren't very fast. Everybody thinks they're better than you, Like everybody that was third team All Conference in their little conference, you know, couldn't wait to play in the hype. But playing basketball Indiana, I don't know if it was fun.
I don't know. Is that the same as joy. I don't know.
I had a blast. I liked when he got crazy. I loved watching his eyebrows grow. Randy Whitman told me that he'll yell, his eyebrows will grow.
But I loved everything about it. I love the place. Uh yeah, no it was.
I will tell you to scare you did night scare.
You scare me? No, not at all. Make you question everything about yourself, yes, like could you play? Like could you think? Like he would ask me Dan.
He would go, hey, Doccas, you're either too dumb to understand this or you don't listen to me. And I'm like, man, hey, coach, I listened to every word you said. I'm just stupid, like just a moron coach, you know. But no, he made you question if you were working hard enough. He made you question. And you know, he's like my dad. My dad was the principal in Gary, Indiana High School principal he was. He was like my dad, And I loved it.
Is Rick Pattino a feel good story?
I think it's a yeah. I like redemption. I like the fact that Rick Patino humbled himself. He went to Greece. You know, it's funny. I was talking to some coaches about him going to Greece and winning that league. Dan, that league is a big time, big time lead. He won that thing twice, and I remember thinking, I don't care. You know, I don't care the backstory. I think Rick Patino I would have hired him in a second.
And Dan.
The other thing is, I wish Louisville would do this. I wish Louisville would say, screw you were putting the banner from thirteen backup. N Cuba is feckless right now, Dan, And well, okay, get mad at us.
Good for you, don't I don't care. I really wish they would do that.
Would you do that if you're Michigan the final.
Yeah, final four. Maybe a little different.
And those guys held whoever allegedly was going to jail if the Martin guy didn't die. You know, for a lot that got a little bit what's the right I got a little bit too much in the courts for me. But I think I would. Now, you know, I haven't thought about it. I'm just thinking about that for the first time. Yeah, I think I probably would. I think i'd say, look, these games were played, we won them.
You know.
I like it. It's like I used to tell my kids, Dan, you're mad at me. Really, I still tell them, you're mad at me. Go stand over there in the corner and be mad and let me know when you're not mad anymore and come back. That's yeah, I would. Yeah, I would put those banners up at Michigan. I certainly would do it.
Louisville absolutely sneaky team that you like in the tournament.
You know, it's funny. Everybody likes Drake, and I love Drake's coach. But I saw today seventy one percent of the money bet on Drake.
That tells me bet against Drake.
Every time the you know, the public goes on someone I go against, I will tell your team I'm fascinated by and Dan.
That's Wisconsin.
You know, Dan, with Mike Trico and I used to do this when we were broadcast, we wouldn't look at the line until game time, and then I would ask him, Mike, what's the over under? And he was really good, like he would you know, I think he cheated, but he would nail it. But with Wisconsin, the over under was always like one twenty something, right, one eighteen.
They can get in the eighties, they can get high seventies.
I'm fascinated because Dan, they have switched their entire operation.
I mean when you.
And I were in college, Dan, we went in my time in Indiana seventeen years we went what first sixteen years we went thirty one and one against Wisconsin. And so they they got Dick Bennett, they went a different way. Now they're going up and down I'm fascinated to see how they do. And I'll tell you what I like Kentucky. I don't know why I got them going to the Final four. D I just I like their team. I'm not mad at their path.
I just do.
And you know, one of the sleeper teams that I like. I'm anxious to see what high Point does today against Purdue. And I'll tell you why. I've never seen a guy used more than Brayden Smith is used at Purdue.
Like Dan.
They don't have a second ball handler. Kid's a first team All American. He's asked to do everything, and I mean everything, and I thought, I'm not you know, I'm one of those guys. A shut up, put some dirt on it.
Let's go.
I don't want to hear about you being tired. But Dan, that dude legitimately should be wore out. And I'm anxious high Point gets up and down.
They can score it. They got a good coach.
I'm looking forward to that game, and I'm looking forward to Creighton and Louisville.
Louisville got job, Creighton got job eight nine game, my.
Ass, Yeah, that'll be just you know, Creighton's got a lot of things that you need to advance in the tournament. I'll leave you with this. Your days is a player as a coach, as an assistant coach. The best performance you ever saw by a player was turned in by who.
Calbert Cheney against Louisville in the NCAA Tournament, Dwayne Morton. Dwayne Morton was really good back then and Calbert. He said something to Calbert. I don't know if this is the best, but Calvert was a player of the year. Morton said something and Calbert just went stupid.
You know what I mean?
Dan, like Calvert was the nicest guy in America, easiest guy in the history of basketball to coach every day. And I never saw this until this guy, Dwayne Morton came at him and Dan it was like guys talking about Michael Jordan when you said something to him. He had an electricity. It was in the regional I think it was in the sweet sixteen, maybe ninety three. He dunked on, got face to face and I'm sitting there going, wait a second, here, hang on, baby, that's pretty damn good.
Shack. We beat Shack. He made all twelve of his free throws in ninety two, his last game. True stories. He had thirty six and made all of his free throws.
And I told Matt and over the guy that guarded him, I said, Mat, I've never said this about a dude that got thirty six on you, But that was a hell of a defensive performance.
Brother.
What was the performance better than your performance against Michael Jordan?
Nothing will ever surpass that, Dan, nothing in the history of bast.
You've been dining out on that for decades. That you held Jordan under twenty.
Hell, Jordan under ten. I filed out, he got four more. He ended up with thirteen. I was a little pissed about that thing.
Kick.
Did you say anything to him at all during that? I mean, he wasn't Michael Jordan then they were playing him in college, but didn't know he's still there that you were, you know, you could get him fired up.
No, you know, Dan, I don't know if you remember this, but Orlando Woolridge and Notre Dame beat Virginia and Ralph Samson and I was at the game and Orlando Woolridge said, I didn't say a word to Ralph. I just stayed behind him and next to him, didn't say a word. And I thought about that and I did that during that game. I didn't say a word. But if he was back, you know, somebody shooting free throws and he was at half corner, I stood next to him. If he was on the free throw line, I stood down.
I just I don't know why I did, though. Dan, we played golf that summer. I beat him out of sixth grand and I talked a lot of hish that night. Dan, I'm not gonna lie to you. I told him, I'll play it for any dime you want. I'll play it for everything you want, because you suck and I'm good, and I'm gonna kick the living out of you. And he owed me six grand by the end of the day, and the course, being Michael Jordan, he never paid, but hey, I don't care.
It's a good story.
Keep starting it up. Great to talk to you so always, Bud, Thanks brother, see you. That's Dan dakch