WEBVTT - The BroadCast: 6/5/2018 ~ Draft Pod - Joe Lunardi Examines Draft's Local Angles 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.440 There are plenty of noteworthy people involved in the sport 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:08.600 of basketball that boasts Philadelphia and local roots, and a 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.600 miss episode of the podcast peak out one of them, 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:16.000 the foremost racketologists. I'm just going to say, in the land, 0:00:16.040 --> 0:00:19.040 but in the world, it's got to be that, right. 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:21.960 Joel Nardi is going to be our guest on the podcast. 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:24.680 We're going to dive deep into some of the local 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:29.640 storylines surrounding this year's raft class. That conversation starts in 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:32.320 fifteen seconds, per usual, We're gonna hit you with some 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:36.120 reminders and a general psa that if you're not yet 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:39.680 a subscriber to the podcast, you can become one right 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:44.040 away by going to iTunes, Google Play, and or Stitcher 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:47.120 type in Sixers Podcast Network. You can also go to 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:52.040 our SoundCloud page which is at SoundCloud dot com. Backslash Sixers. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:56.720 You got to think that for Joelinardi, his time of year, 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:03.360 without question, is this December, January, February, March, first weekend 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:07.360 in April, the heart of college basketball season. But for 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:10.800 us here at six Ers Digital, our Joelnardi season's right 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:13.959 about now. We went to the well last year. We 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:16.840 are privileged and grateful to be able to do so 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:21.200 again this year and bring in the master of the Brackets, 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:24.959 the Pride of Hawkhill, the one and only Joelnardi. Great 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:26.800 to see you, man. How are you well, Brian? I 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.520 got to tell you when you when you called reached 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:31.679 out a week or so ago. I thought it must 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:35.960 be that time to flip the cards on twenty eighteen 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:40.120 and look toward twenty eighteen nineteen, because I guess for 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:42.960 you guys, you're wrapping up a year, and for me, 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.720 I'm starting to look to next year because once Coward's 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:49.720 players in particular make a decision whether or not to 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.880 stay in the draft, and that deadline, of course recently passed, 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:59.640 that's when I can do a legitimate projection for the 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:04.120 following year and I end kind of my two months 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:07.920 of hibernation and start looking ahead. So you are the 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:14.400 first official public appearance for the twenty eighteen nineteen version 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:19.480 of Draftology. How's that? Yes, we'll take it. And this 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:21.160 is not to imply that there's ever a point when 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:26.040 Joelnardi does not sound or seem fresh, energized, enthusiastic. But 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:28.120 that's even better news because you can tell it's the 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:31.440 area is there, the vibe is there, it's excellent. I'm 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:36.160 ready to go. Have been tracking these, uh, particularly the locals. 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:44.600 Certainly it's an incredibly exciting month for the Sixers. Nobody 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:48.000 has more picks right right, there's a stockpile. I mean 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:52.799 you should almost get your own channel inside NBA. Should 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:57.040 just you know, inside the Sixers. Should it should be 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.560 on my cable box. I like that. Well, we'll put that. 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:03.440 We'll add to the royalty invoice, okay, for the duties 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.919 you are supplying us here. So wait, I got to 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:09.600 ask you before we really dive into talking about some prospects. 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:13.640 Is there the basis or a foundation for some sort 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:16.040 of bracketology already in place? Like? When does it? When 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:18.360 does that start? When you really start ruminating about what 0:03:18.400 --> 0:03:21.520 it could look like? Well, we're recording this on AM. 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:27.800 I allowed to say Monday June fourth, correct, the first 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:33.920 significant bracket for twenty eighteen nineteen. We'll be posted on Tuesday, 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:38.680 June fifth. You're completed it last night. Oh my gosh. 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:45.240 It's based upon, like we said, the March thirtieth withdrawal deadline. 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.800 You know, like in the case of our locals at Villanova, right, 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:52.120 if you were trying to make an accurate forecast for 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:57.320 that team next season. You might want to know who's 0:03:57.360 --> 0:04:00.560 going to be on the team, right, And we didn't 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.840 really know that in their case until I guess Stevincenzo 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:10.240 made his intentions known last Tuesday or Wednesday, and then 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.640 Spellman a day or two after that, and okay, now 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:16.040 we can get to work. It is crazy because and 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.000 speaking to a handful of people over the last week 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:22.480 and a half who are just pumping out mocked draft 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.960 after mocked draft. I mean, this is highly coveted and 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:29.240 sought after content we're speaking about here that you guys 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:31.160 do just and I didn't even think about it or 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:35.159 make the connection between a mocked draft in bracketology. It's 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.680 like people would always want to know, Yes, it is 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:40.040 the first week in June, but sure, I'd love to 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:41.880 know what the projection is for the field of sixty 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:46.440 eight and let me tell you. Because I'm historically bad 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:51.200 at the business of business. I used to tell ESPN 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:55.600 and hopefully they won't, you know, pick up directly on 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:59.840 this particular podcast. They'd want something in the off season, 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:02.800 and I'd say it's a really dumb idea. It's not 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.240 accurate enough, you know, it's I don't want to do it, 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:09.839 you know, half baked. Right when I do it, I 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.040 wanted people to know that I take it really seriously 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:15.920 and I follow all the rules that the NCAA would 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:17.920 in assembling a field. And then a few years ago 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:20.920 in terms of offseason content, they said, well, but we'll 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:22.760 pay you extra for that, and I said, why didn't 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:27.240 I think of that? What a great idea. And and 0:05:27.680 --> 0:05:31.279 you know those days are gone, you know, being a 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:36.520 more year round employee. But it certainly is something that 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:42.359 that public doesn't get tired of. And whenever I think 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:46.400 that they do, I'll get some hit on social media 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.680 which says, hey, so and so just signed it. Indiana, 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:54.599 where's the new bracket? So all we're really doing is 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:58.680 meeting the demands of our publics. That is the hand 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:02.320 that feeds Indeed, we shall not bite it. Indeed. So, 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:05.000 how does someone who is so involved in viewing college 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:09.000 basketball through a collective, team centric lens approach and look 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.039 at a draft just as the everyday normal fan of 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:14.040 hoops guy, how do you look at the draft you're 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.279 in and you're out. I guess, like a lot of people, 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:21.960 it's become you know, in their eyes, and in mind 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:25.120 a futures market. In a lot of respects, there aren't 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:32.600 many Jason Tatums, necessarily right, who make an impact on 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:36.679 a team making a deep playoff run in their first season, 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:40.000 particularly as you know what we used to call an 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:44.480 underage drafted player. I don't know what underages now. Does 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:46.360 that mean you can't buy a beard? Does that mean 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.240 you know you can't vote? I don't know what. But 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:55.080 by and large, when you look at the teams still playing, 0:06:56.200 --> 0:07:02.479 it's unusual for even a lottery pick from this past year, 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:08.080 a super you know, high draft pick, to be an 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:12.520 active rotation player. It's not like you know your draft 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.040 lew Assender, You're the Milwaukee Bucks in the early seventies 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:20.520 and he instantly goes in the starting lineup, is instantly 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:24.760 paired with Oscar Robertson, and they instantly win a championship. Right, 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:29.440 I mean that that doesn't happen. And even in the 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:32.120 Sixers case, it was a couple of years before you know, 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:35.400 Embiad was an impact player. Certainly injuries played a part 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:38.960 in that, and Simmons as well, But who's to say 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:42.920 if not for those quote unquote red shirt seasons that 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:46.280 they would have been equally impactful a year or two younger, 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.840 I'm guessing they would not have been because there's a 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:53.680 there's a there's simply a physical development and maturity like 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:57.120 this is a man's league we're talking about in the NBA, 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:00.400 and just just look at their bodies pared to a 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:06.720 lot of collegians, and um, I think that's why getting 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:11.520 you know, the process of getting a nineteen year old 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:18.760 into a meaningful role on an NBA championship contender, to 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:21.400 my way of thinking, is always going to be more 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:25.400 the exception than the rule. It was really interesting too, 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:28.720 because this past spring we saw not just Jason Tatum, 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.920 but obviously Ben Simmons with the seventy six ers, Donovan 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:37.000 Mitchell with the Utah Jazz. There were some legit solid 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.800 rookies this year. Well, and when I say some, I'm 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.880 thinking of those three And now I'm kind of drawing it, 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.560 but I'm saying, how many first rounders were there? Right? 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:49.240 You're right? Right? So we're talking ten percent? Yeah, in turn, 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.040 I'm not saying that five years from now the hit 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:56.000 rate's going to be ten percent. I'm just saying today, 0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:01.200 you know, you're trying to crack what eight nine man 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.959 rotation at the very highest level of the sport, like 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:07.680 no offense to other sports. But it's not like drafting 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:11.040 an offensive guard in the fifth round out of Wisconsin 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:16.120 and being you know, one of fifty three correct, right, 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:19.560 all of whom play? You know, everybody you dress on Sunday, 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.360 what is it forty five? In the NFL, they all play. 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:25.400 They all get in the game exceptment for maybe the 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:29.400 third quarterback. Like even the kickers and the holders and 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:34.000 the specialists play. Like in the NBA in a really 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:37.680 big game, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, they don't play, and 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:44.000 they're not going to barring injury or overtime or some calamity. 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:48.520 What intrigues you in particular about this year's draft class? 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.840 What do you consider some of the main storylines. I 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:57.240 think that I've never seen a draft that's going to 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:01.840 have this much local focus. Four kind of the Philly 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.760 area basketball fans. So you're saying it's a good year 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:08.440 to bring in local bracketologist Joe, and well, no, I'm 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:12.520 saying that if you grew up in this area as 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:15.559 a fan of either college or pro basketball, or both, 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:20.320 this is a pretty interesting month. The Sixers have ten 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:23.959 percent of the picks right at this moment, and it's 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:26.000 it's crazy when you put it like that, right, and 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:27.719 then you think, well, I mean they could drift where 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:32.319 they're gonna cut half their team unlikely, right, But they 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:34.800 have the ten percent stakeholder, which is not an insignificant 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.880 stake correct. Ten percent is a lot? Yeah, okay, you 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.400 know even two first rounders is a lot, and they're 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:43.760 not insignificant slots. It's not like they got twenty eight 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:48.280 and twenty nine. Ten to twenty six is legitimate plus 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:53.160 the four seconds. So you have that angle. Now we 0:10:53.280 --> 0:11:00.120 have four guys from a national championship team that won 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.000 the NCAA tournament that are local guys at least by 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:07.000 it turns with where they played college ball. Well, and 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:11.000 then there are other players with local roots. You know, 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:16.120 I think of Tony Carr at Penn State or Mo Bomba, 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.079 who's going to be, you know, a top six or 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.400 seven pick at worst seven footer from Texas, but he 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.280 played at the Westtown School out in Delaware County. And 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:27.200 I think a lot of people are forgetting about Lonnie 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:31.800 Walker from a Reading high who was you know, the best, 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:38.360 most highly regarded collegiate recruit out of that area. I 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:44.080 would assume since Daniel Marshall back in the day and he's, 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:46.480 you know, one of those, he's on the bubble of 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:50.560 the lottery, if you will. And so I think you 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:56.000 add all that up right, over a half dozen guys 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:00.360 are going to be drafted, most in the first round. 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:06.760 You know, bomba Walker, and at least three, if not all, 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:10.080 four of the Villanova players seem like they're going in 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:12.959 the first round. Plus the fact that the Sixers are 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:19.240 picking so many times. If it was the ven diagram 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.160 and you put it all together, it's almost impossible that 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.600 the Sixers don't come out of this draft with at 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:30.120 least one or two local products. Not necessarily because it's 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:34.240 the old territorial draft days, but just the odds of it. 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.480 You know, you've got six picks, You've got this many 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:41.400 guys with roots to the area, they almost have to overlap. 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:44.240 At some point, when we were going back and forth 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:47.160 about what topics we might cover here on the podcast, 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:50.680 my initial thought was to riff on the old first 0:12:50.679 --> 0:12:54.000 four in, first four out theme for various cutoff points 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.640 of the draft. We'll circle back to that at some point, 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:58.160 and maybe there's a little bit of an overlap here, 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.760 but I definitely think we should just keep rolling on 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.800 the on the train of talking about some of the 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.679 local guys, because, as you said, not only is their 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:11.240 talent individually, guys who were a part of phenomenal collective 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:17.560 team success. Watching Villanova there is I'm not asking you 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:20.520 to speak for a university or a Hill, but it 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:22.280 was a great run. And I mean this really was 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:24.880 a year where I just thought it was like so 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.240 compelling to see din Vincenzo break out the way he 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:31.040 did and cap it off with the type of performance 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:34.880 he had in the championship game. Someone like Micail Bridges 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:40.400 slowly building over time when we look at the Villanova quartet, 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.199 maybe some bullet points that first come to mind about 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:46.079 each of those guys. Well, first, I want to make 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:50.040 a kind of a collective comment, and everybody knows this 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:52.400 is coming from a you know, a person who bleeds 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:57.440 Crimson and Gray and Hawk Hill. What Villanova has done. 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.360 And I'm not just talking about winning the championship this 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:05.320 year or necessarily winning it in twenty sixteen. This five 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:13.040 year run is not just the greatest run ever by 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:17.320 a local college team. It's one of the greatest stretches 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:24.440 for any college team ever. Historically my favorite stat in 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:29.520 these five years, Villanova has yet to lose back to 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:33.760 back games. Think about that, Like, like I spent a 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:37.600 lot in my offseason attempting to golf. That would be 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:42.960 like going five golf seasons without ever missing two puts 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:46.600 in a row that mattered. Like that's inconceivable to me. 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:52.240 And you know they're not playing you know, the dregs 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:57.120 of college basketball here and what and all the one 0:14:57.160 --> 0:15:01.480 and two seeds I mean, and this whole thing that 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:04.240 you know, there were no great teams in college basketball 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:08.080 last year. I think the draft is about to disprove that, 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:12.560 and all the metrics already disproved it. And I mean 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:14.480 it was great that they won a couple of years ago. 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:19.000 For Villanova fans, this team was way better, Like this 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:23.560 team was historically good. And I would argue that if 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:27.760 the Big East were still on ESPN, and that's not 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.920 to show for my other employer, a lot more people 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:35.120 would know that because like people can keep saying Villaneova's 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:38.960 under the radar, and I'm thinking, do these people not 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:43.880 have electricity? So, like, like what they've done and the 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:48.360 player development, like Brunson was maybe the most highly rated 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:51.600 player of Villanova has ever signed in my year, with 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:55.440 the possible exception of Tim Thomas okay back in Steve 0:15:55.520 --> 0:16:00.040 Lapis's years in the late nineties. But you know, she 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:02.840 was a good high school player. I saw him in 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.600 high school. Nobody would have talked about him then some day, 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.120 maybe going tenth in the draft to the seventy six ers. 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:16.960 Just no way, Devincenzo. I mean, it helps to have 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:20.359 the best game of your life in the National championship 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.680 game with you know whatever, forty million people watching. Good 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:28.680 career move on his part, but he's follow it. Sure 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:31.640 looks like he can play well the combine, he was terrific. Right, 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:38.040 and U Spellman, who I actually thought coming into the 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:42.200 season had the highest long term upside on the team, 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.960 kind of became the fourth He wasn't even he might 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:49.320 have been the fifth offensive option on that team after 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:52.480 booth Right, I mean, because they were so perimeter oriented, 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.080 But how many six eleven guys at least, you know, 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.320 before the modern era of the stretch big man could 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:02.200 could so comfortably step out and do what he's doing. 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:06.960 So maybe it's just time to admit that they were 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:11.600 really really really good, and I think we'll see that 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:17.439 June twenty. First. First, so what do each of them 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.600 bring to the table, you know, I think Bridges is, 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:25.040 you know, exactly what the NBA has become on the wing. 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:30.920 And I don't think he's done improving, right, I mean, 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:33.840 you look at he took a red shirt year. One 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:37.480 of their secrets has been largely playing with older guys, right, 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:41.720 So let's see if he continues to evolve. Certainly has 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:43.679 been well coached and seems to have the work ethic. 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:50.040 Jalen Brunson, to me, you could have a really good 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:57.760 bar argument over who's going to have the better NBA career, 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.960 Jalen Brunson or a Jamir now who's been in the 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:04.240 news lately, of course, for for coming back and earning 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:06.400 his degree at Saint Jose. In fact, I just saw 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:10.600 an NBA TV segment the other night about which was tremendous. 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:15.760 And yes I'm biased a bit, but you know, to me, 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:20.679 Brunson's a better shooter than Jamir was at that age. 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:28.359 I think a more you know, confident shooter. I think 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:33.320 Jamir was faster and is still faster and stronger, and 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:37.919 obviously work ethic and basketball IQ off the charts. But 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:41.000 it seems that Brunson has that it's just pretty unusual 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.960 for a guy of their size to play fourteen years 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.080 like Jamir has and may still not be done. Right. 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:51.760 Devincenzo is now, you know, the flavor of the month 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:58.480 because of the combine, but he certainly will not be 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:03.960 overmatched athlete medically, and it wouldn't surprise me, as we said, 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:09.359 if Spellman actually has the most productive long term career 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:14.520 of the bunch, because he's he's the most unique in 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:19.640 what he can do at his size, Like there might 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:24.600 be twenty Michail Bridges a year that come into the league, right, 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:29.840 and ten Brunsons and five de Vincenzos, but not a 0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:32.239 lot of six to eleven guys you know, can do 0:19:32.320 --> 0:19:35.480 that Al Horford thing. Now, I'm not saying that Spelfman. 0:19:35.960 --> 0:19:37.800 You know, we're all we have Horford on the brain 0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:43.879 right here in here in six or Land. But you know, 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:49.040 he's unselfish, he can pass. It'll be interesting to see 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:53.159 if he can defend fours and fives at the NBA, 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:56.280 because you're really not defending just fours and fives now, 0:19:56.400 --> 0:19:59.080 you know, last night watching game two of the finals, 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:02.320 there's Kevin Love getting switched on and attempting to guard 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:09.879 Steph Curry on the perimeter. You know, I'd have a 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:14.680 better chance of like, you know, falling off the Ben 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:17.720 Franklin Bridge, I think on the way back home than 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:20.320 Kevin Love has to guard Steph Curry off the dribble. 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:22.800 But I think all four of these guys have a 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:28.360 chance to be contributors. And I'm becoming more and more 0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:31.879 convinced that at least one of them is going to 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:35.359 still be wearing some kind of blue and white come 0:20:35.680 --> 0:20:40.600 Come Camp. It's crazy because I think that in the 0:20:40.640 --> 0:20:44.639 past we've looked at Villanova as a program that you 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:48.280 think of collective success first. But now maybe it's shifting 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:50.520 in some ways. Who knows what this class could do 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.600 when it comes out. It could almost change that narrative 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:55.320 in some way, shape or form that yeah, you can 0:20:55.400 --> 0:20:57.879 go there and the team can thrive and succeed, but 0:20:57.960 --> 0:20:59.840 you know what, we're going to produce some pretty legit 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:03.600 individual talent. Maybe Josh Hart was pretty good too, Yeah, right, 0:21:03.640 --> 0:21:07.240 as it turns out, you know, from the Lakers, I 0:21:08.119 --> 0:21:10.399 think he's off in saying that his sixteen team was 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:12.920 a lot better than this year's team. I'm definitely taking 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:16.359 the under on that, but I don't want he and 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:20.119 Archidiakan are showing up at my house and you know, 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:24.920 painting my door the wrong call from what you've observed. 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:28.720 Because hitting on that point about the development, what has 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:33.160 Villanova been able to do to maintain its success at 0:21:33.160 --> 0:21:35.280 such a high level, Because I mean, you've been around 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:37.040 college long enough where you know if you just have 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:41.080 one off recruiting cycle that can really change your trajectory 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:44.480 over a multi year period. Well, I think even more 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:49.359 remarkable than that for them in this era of guys 0:21:49.400 --> 0:21:53.840 who you know, let's be honest, for the best players, 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:57.960 college is more like a snack right then the prime 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:04.320 component of their career. I would call it almost like 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:10.399 a business organization in the sense that increasing responsibility the 0:22:10.480 --> 0:22:15.680 longer there with the company, right, progressive adding of responsibility, 0:22:15.720 --> 0:22:23.639 you know, role player, key rotation guy, you know, double 0:22:23.680 --> 0:22:27.480 digit scorer, star Like that's the path that Bridges took 0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:32.520 and Josh Hart took, and to a lesser extent, Chris 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:36.639 Jenkins took and Spellman would have taken, and you know 0:22:36.760 --> 0:22:39.520 de Vincenzo was on the path there aren't many who've 0:22:39.520 --> 0:22:43.119 come in and been a brunson and a starter, you know, 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:50.399 from day one. And because Jay Wright and the staff 0:22:50.440 --> 0:22:55.520 there have have recruited well every year, they haven't typically 0:22:55.600 --> 0:22:59.280 had to thrust guys into roles for which maybe they 0:22:59.280 --> 0:23:02.119 weren't yet ready. They also haven't had a lot of 0:23:02.160 --> 0:23:06.840 guys leave excessively early like they are now. So next 0:23:06.920 --> 0:23:09.440 year's team is going to have to break from the mould, 0:23:09.520 --> 0:23:12.480 sup and guys are going to have to maybe you know, 0:23:12.560 --> 0:23:14.480 go from the first floor to the fourth floor on 0:23:14.520 --> 0:23:17.800 the elevator instead of making every stop along the way. 0:23:18.000 --> 0:23:20.199 And I think that will ultimately impact them in the 0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:23.120 one lost column negatively, at least to start the year. 0:23:23.440 --> 0:23:26.720 Were you surprised that Spellman decided to stay in. No, 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:30.680 In fact, when when we did our first really really 0:23:30.680 --> 0:23:33.520 really kind of unofficial bracket at the very end of 0:23:33.560 --> 0:23:37.199 the tournament, I had him staying in and de Vincenzo 0:23:37.359 --> 0:23:40.960 going back simply because of supply and demand. There are 0:23:41.040 --> 0:23:47.040 fewer Spellman's right than Devincenzos, or so we thought at 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:49.960 the time, So no surprise that he ultimately decided to 0:23:50.080 --> 0:23:53.280 keep his name in the draft. It wasn't for me no, gotcha, 0:23:53.560 --> 0:23:56.160 it's I don't know if can't wait to see how 0:23:56.280 --> 0:23:58.960 all those guys shake out. And I think it's it's 0:23:58.960 --> 0:24:01.080 great that you brought two will light. A guy like 0:24:01.160 --> 0:24:04.040 Tony Carr Penn State had a really solid season, a 0:24:04.119 --> 0:24:07.040 big step four. What can you tell us about his game? Well, 0:24:07.080 --> 0:24:11.680 I think car is I mean this sounds like I'm 0:24:11.760 --> 0:24:14.960 I'm demeaning him, Like I think Cars a great college 0:24:15.000 --> 0:24:22.280 point guard. I'm not sure I see anything special about 0:24:23.200 --> 0:24:27.960 him at the next level. I mean, certainly, you know, 0:24:28.000 --> 0:24:30.640 as a first team All Big Ten player, I assume 0:24:30.720 --> 0:24:35.720 he was the MVP of the n I T. I 0:24:35.760 --> 0:24:38.280 apologize for not knowing that, but I mean he was 0:24:38.280 --> 0:24:40.080 clearly the best player on the team that won the 0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:45.399 n I T. So I assume as much you know, 0:24:45.480 --> 0:24:48.719 Kenny make a roster. Sure, do I think he's going 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:54.359 to have, you know, a ten year NBA career. I don't, 0:24:56.119 --> 0:25:01.240 simply because there are probably thirty Tony cars every year, okay, 0:25:01.280 --> 0:25:04.080 and is he going to be the one or two 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:09.840 of the thirty? You know, that becomes a Terry Rosier 0:25:10.520 --> 0:25:15.040 who was a nice college point guard, and all of 0:25:15.080 --> 0:25:19.200 a sudden becomes much more than that. I mean, there's 0:25:19.200 --> 0:25:23.520 always the exception that proves the rule, but the odds 0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:27.800 are against it. As we begin to move towards that 0:25:27.960 --> 0:25:29.680 first four and end the first four out thing that 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:32.280 we referenced earlier, are we ready for it? Well? I 0:25:32.400 --> 0:25:34.840 just called it the bubble, Okay, I like bubble freight 0:25:34.960 --> 0:25:37.159 group because it's not always a you know, perfect I 0:25:37.200 --> 0:25:39.760 dig that. I think that's more all encompassing. I like that. 0:25:39.960 --> 0:25:43.600 I probably should have deferred to the master from the start. Um, 0:25:43.680 --> 0:25:47.640 why don't we look at the lottery round first? Well, 0:25:47.640 --> 0:25:51.360 when I look at it's fourteen slots right in the lottery. Now, 0:25:54.320 --> 0:25:57.520 you know, but the some of the players who seemed 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:01.639 to be so let's call that bubble, you know, anywhere 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:09.400 from eleven twelve ish to the mid teens, you know, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, 0:26:09.400 --> 0:26:13.000 guys that are going to be in that range. There 0:26:13.040 --> 0:26:16.080 seems to be a reasonable consensus when you look at 0:26:16.119 --> 0:26:19.280