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Speaker 1: Hey, what up. Welcome in. I'm Doug Godiman. This well,

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Speaker 1: this is all ball, all basketball all the time. We

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Speaker 1: talk out the sports. Do we do it? And we've

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Speaker 1: done football song tames about, we'll do some baseball. We'll

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Speaker 1: have some other guys on, but for this particular episode,

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Speaker 1: and if you haven't listened to the Matt Mooney episode,

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Speaker 1: you should download that one. We have. We're really starting

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Speaker 1: to get a great library of guests, maybe none more

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Speaker 1: so than Mark few Is is a good friend and um,

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Speaker 1: he has promised to join us. We're gonna do even

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Speaker 1: longer form one. What we want to talk about his

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Speaker 1: life and his times a little bit. But I got

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Speaker 1: a chance to catch up with Gonzaga's head coach. And

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Speaker 1: what I've always been struck by with with Mark is

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Speaker 1: and maybe this is his religious background, or maybe it's

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Speaker 1: the fact that he wasn't a you know, great player

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Speaker 1: to carry the ego that that that some great or

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Speaker 1: even good players have, Like you know, some of us

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Speaker 1: who played we think we know everything because we played

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Speaker 1: the game at a high level, and somehow there's there

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Speaker 1: there's a like a secret handshake that we know whatever

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Speaker 1: it is. And he does have an ego, like, don't

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Speaker 1: kid yourself. He knows their teams are good. He knows

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Speaker 1: his players are good, he knows his coaches are good.

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Speaker 1: There is an ego and a confidence there, but there's

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Speaker 1: not an arrogance there. There's also a balance. I remember

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Speaker 1: when he lost a game to Bob Knight in Texas

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Speaker 1: Tech UM in the early two thousand's with a really

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Speaker 1: really good team like I was. I was crestfallen for

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Speaker 1: him because at the time, you know, it was Gonzaga

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Speaker 1: could never win in the tournament. And they hear they

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Speaker 1: lost in the second round to Texas Tech and Uh

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Speaker 1: and the late Andream and of course was a star

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Speaker 1: player for for Texas Tech. And I remember calling him

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Speaker 1: the next day and I couldn't hardly hear him, and

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Speaker 1: I heard running water in the background, and I was like,

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Speaker 1: is he talking to me from the shower? He was

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Speaker 1: fly fishing the next day. We lost yesterday, live fishing today.

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Speaker 1: It's amazing. Um. I've always been struck by the type

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Speaker 1: of man that he is. Obviously his dad Uh being

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Speaker 1: of the cloth if you will have been pastor is

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Speaker 1: a is a big strong part of it. He has

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Speaker 1: a wonderful wife and Marcy and great kids. But what

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Speaker 1: they've built at Gonzaga, the culture that they have built

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Speaker 1: makes a lot of us in college basketball jels, we

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Speaker 1: have it. We had a great culture in Oklahoma State

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Speaker 1: when I played, and we I've I've made my best

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Speaker 1: friends in life that I still text on a daily

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Speaker 1: basis at Oklahoma State. But because of coach Sutton's retirement

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Speaker 1: and because you know, the basketball families changed, it's just

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Speaker 1: not the same. It's one of the great things. But

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Speaker 1: when a coach stays and they have success, it's both parts.

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Speaker 1: And coaches usually don't stay unless they have success. Is

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Speaker 1: the fact that the basketball family is a tight one

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Speaker 1: spoken specially one's kind of cool place, kind different, you know,

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Speaker 1: but too because they've had such success and it's such

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Speaker 1: a good place to live and it's reasonable, and Zags

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Speaker 1: are just legends. Most of those guys move back there.

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Speaker 1: They do, and they start families and they're part of

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Speaker 1: the They work out there, they come to all the games,

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Speaker 1: they support each other, they support the current players. It's great.

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Speaker 1: It's great. So we got you have to catch up

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Speaker 1: with the preseason number one ranked team the country. The

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Speaker 1: head coaches, Mark Few of Gonzaga be sure to catch

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Speaker 1: the live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at

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Speaker 1: three p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio

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Speaker 1: and the I Heart Radio app. It's always interesting when, like,

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Speaker 1: throughout my entire professional life as a broadcaster, like the

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Speaker 1: Gonzaga has been a constant in the top ten, uh

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Speaker 1: Top twenty, and recently the top five in college basketball,

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Speaker 1: but kind of you think about a grand scheme of things, like, well,

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Speaker 1: it's really from the time in which I was a

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Speaker 1: player until now, so as you're talking twenty five years

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Speaker 1: or so, that the Gonzaga has been a thing. They've

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Speaker 1: had obviously John Stockton and other great teams in the past,

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Speaker 1: but in terms of just consistent level of dominance in

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Speaker 1: their conference and then broadening out into being a national school,

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Speaker 1: having one and Dunn's a lot of pro players, getting

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Speaker 1: to a Final four national championship game. They've accomplished everything

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Speaker 1: with with one exception, winning one more game, waiting one

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Speaker 1: more possession, and last year could have been a year,

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Speaker 1: this year could be the year. And when I say

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Speaker 1: they've accomplished everything, the preseason number one team in the country,

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Speaker 1: which all the rankings don't really matter, but preseason number

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Speaker 1: one does because you walk around with your chest stuck out,

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Speaker 1: and he should He's Mark Fey's, the head coach of Gonzaga,

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Speaker 1: joins us here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh Fey, I

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Speaker 1: like what I understand. They don't hand out awards for it,

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Speaker 1: they don't retire numbers for it. But there is am

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Speaker 1: I wrong? There is something to the level of respect

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Speaker 1: that your team, your program has gained by getting the

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Speaker 1: preseason number one ranking, isn't there? Yeah? And I'm in

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Speaker 1: agreement with you, And and with the exception of one

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Speaker 1: thing where I'm not walking around with my chest tout,

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Speaker 1: that's for sure. I got my head down trying to

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Speaker 1: trying to and I'm talking to my guys about uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, we should play with the confidence of a

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Speaker 1: number one team. And what I talked to the guys

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Speaker 1: about is like owning it and like so that means

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Speaker 1: we should be practicing our practices should be better than

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Speaker 1: anybody else in the country. Are our attention to detail

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Speaker 1: should be better than anybody else's in the country. Our

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Speaker 1: camaraderie and our team this and our and our chemistry

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Speaker 1: should be better. So I mean I try to get

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Speaker 1: us to aspire to that level, fully knowing that, as

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Speaker 1: you just said, the rankings I don't mean anything once

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Speaker 1: the ball gets tossed up. But I do agree if you, um,

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Speaker 1: it's a big deal. You know what it is. It's

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Speaker 1: it's a it's acknowledging all the work that all the

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Speaker 1: great players prior to this year's team have have put

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Speaker 1: in and done and accomplished, and kind of saying that, hey,

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Speaker 1: we're you know, we put you on that same pedestal

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Speaker 1: was you know, was the Dukes and Carolinas and Stuckies

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Speaker 1: and chances is that uh that you know usually get

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Speaker 1: preseason number one. Um, so I guess my my first

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Speaker 1: question is and this is what I've I've always been

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Speaker 1: fascinated by. You know, when when Villanova first made their

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Speaker 1: Final four, if Jay Right has talked about it, he

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Speaker 1: had the number one recruiting class in the country, and

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Speaker 1: that actually led to some of his most disappointing seasons.

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Speaker 1: When you guys got your first Final four and got

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Speaker 1: to the national championship game, Um, you haven't. You haven't

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Speaker 1: had a drop off. You haven't taken guys that didn't

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Speaker 1: fit what they call o kags, Right are kind of

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Speaker 1: guys like you've been able. Even though you're recruiting the

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Speaker 1: rankings may have been higher, they're still zags. How do

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Speaker 1: you how do you manage that? How do you manage that?

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Speaker 1: Now you can get into any home in the country,

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Speaker 1: you can sign anybody you want, but you have to

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Speaker 1: balance that with does he fit in with who we

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Speaker 1: are and what we are? Yeah, the Doug, that's a

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Speaker 1: great call, and it's it's it's something. There's a uh,

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Speaker 1: there's a temptation, I guess would be the word. Sometimes

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Speaker 1: go out and chase it, or to even get tricked,

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Speaker 1: because you know, if for we do kind of fall

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Speaker 1: into everybody's top five or top ten or top twelve,

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Speaker 1: and is being able to kind of ascertain, okay, who

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Speaker 1: is our kind of guy? Who do we realistically have

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Speaker 1: a chance to get it? And listen, it's a lot

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Speaker 1: of times, and I say this to the staff all

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Speaker 1: the time. At the end of the day, it's crazy, Doug,

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Speaker 1: how everybody just ends up with kind of who they

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Speaker 1: should end up with. You know, you're get these big

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Speaker 1: recruiting battles and and some guys go there and they

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Speaker 1: probably should go there, and some guys the right guys

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Speaker 1: end up coming to gonzag and I think through the

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Speaker 1: recruiting process, they see how we operate and how we

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Speaker 1: you know, we don't oversell, and and they get to

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Speaker 1: meet our players, and our players are our best ore,

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Speaker 1: you know, our our best sell of the whole part

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Speaker 1: up here. And once they see that, if they're the

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Speaker 1: right kind of guy, they want to buy into the

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Speaker 1: all the time we put into player development and and

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Speaker 1: buy into the you know, our culture and how much

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Speaker 1: we stress team and togetherness and and things like that.

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Speaker 1: Then then they end up coming here if it's more

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Speaker 1: pipe and bright lights and you know, you know, putting

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Speaker 1: myself out there too, you know, to generate likes and

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Speaker 1: things like that, and this this probably isn't the best

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Speaker 1: spot for you. But you know that's not to say

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Speaker 1: a lot of times we end up in those recruiting battles.

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Speaker 1: And the other thing I will cite to in my staff,

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Speaker 1: I mean, I'm getting to getting too old for them

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Speaker 1: to be able to reference this stuff is the old

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Speaker 1: Garth Brooks. Thank God for unanswered prayers. There's a lot

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Speaker 1: of recruits that, man, I believe we wanted, I wanted

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Speaker 1: really bad, we didn't end up getting, and we got

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Speaker 1: somebody else that ended up being awesome for us. So

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Speaker 1: it's it's funny kind of out it all turns out

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Speaker 1: like that. You only lost one game when the clock

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Speaker 1: turned to two thousand twenty and your last game you

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Speaker 1: dominated St. Mary's in Vegas, UH to win another w

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Speaker 1: CC tournament championship sixty six. And the team, you know,

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Speaker 1: after the the b YU lost at the end of

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Speaker 1: the season was getting was healthy and was sharp and

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Speaker 1: was ready. What is it like as a coach to

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Speaker 1: not have a conclusion, right because that last game so oftentimes,

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Speaker 1: and and the tournament run, but that last game so

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Speaker 1: oftentimes just leaves you with so many questions sometimes answers.

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Speaker 1: It's like, it's what you build up, especially with how

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Speaker 1: you guys are, It's all what you build for. What's

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Speaker 1: it been like for you to not not have any

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Speaker 1: closure on last season? It was? It was It was

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Speaker 1: really really hard and and probably one of the toughest

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Speaker 1: moments I've had as a coach was going into the

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Speaker 1: locker room and telling Killy and Tilly and telling Adman

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Speaker 1: Gilder and telling Ryan Woolridge, you know, the last two

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Speaker 1: of the last two guys basically transferred to Gonzagas so

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Speaker 1: they could play in the tournament and advance in the

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Speaker 1: tournament and have a chance to win a national championship.

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Speaker 1: So they had they had done all their work that

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Speaker 1: was required to get up to the point. Basically the

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Speaker 1: whole reason they wanted to come to our place and

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Speaker 1: to go in there and and tell those guys, you know,

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Speaker 1: it was just a soul crushing moment, man, And and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know it's been hard. But I mean, you know, now,

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Speaker 1: as with everything, time kind of starts healing and you

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Speaker 1: start trying to move on and and ready, but there's

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Speaker 1: a I tell you that that team last year, of

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Speaker 1: all the teams I've had up here, and I've been

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Speaker 1: blessed with some awesome, awesome teams and incredible players, but

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Speaker 1: that team far in a way exceeded my expectations greater

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Speaker 1: than any I've ever had. And uh, and you're right,

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Speaker 1: we were. We were really clicking at the Saint at

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Speaker 1: the highest level that we've been all year. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: I went over St. Maryage. I mean St. Marriage was

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Speaker 1: gonna end up being a single digit seed. B y

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Speaker 1: U is going to be like a three bid seed,

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Speaker 1: maybe if four in there. I mean we it was

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Speaker 1: the it was the greatest year ever for the WCC

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Speaker 1: enter and into the tournament, and then I know, you

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Speaker 1: know that this was the first time ever dug in

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Speaker 1: you know, the twenty one years we've been going to

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Speaker 1: the tournament. We're gonna have the first two rounds up

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Speaker 1: in Spokane, which would have just been awesome. So it

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Speaker 1: was like a double whammy, you know with all that,

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Speaker 1: and uh, but just kind of as the way it is,

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Speaker 1: and uh, now we're moving forward from there. Okay, so

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Speaker 1: you you open the season and this we think you

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Speaker 1: opened the season in Fort Myers against Kansas. Uh, you

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Speaker 1: know on on on Fox. What what is the stats

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Speaker 1: like is there? Do you get daily updates on how

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Speaker 1: things are proceeding? Is it a weekly thing like what

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Speaker 1: from your desk? What is it like in terms of

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Speaker 1: preparing for this season? Well, uh, I mean it's on

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Speaker 1: and we're planets on and and haven't heard anything differently,

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna we're gonna do everything we can to

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Speaker 1: make sure that it stays on and and uh incredibly

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Speaker 1: fired up about it. I mean to have when the

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Speaker 1: tournament ended, which were you and are just speaking of

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Speaker 1: Kansas was probably going to be the number one overall

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Speaker 1: seed and we were probably gonna be the number two

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Speaker 1: overall seeds. So it's pretty cool. Uh. You know, when

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Speaker 1: the Orlando Tournament blew up, billself and I got on

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Speaker 1: the phone literally the next day and just said, hey,

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Speaker 1: do you want to play somewhere? And and I'm like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: let's do it, and uh lo and behol we ended

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Speaker 1: up finding this opportunity with Intersport Fort Myers and Fox

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Speaker 1: was involved and you gotta be playing uh prior to

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Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game. Is that's a great

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Speaker 1: opportunity for college basketball, not just our two programs, but

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Speaker 1: and and I think it's just it'll be a great

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Speaker 1: event because again, like when the season ended, uh, they

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Speaker 1: were one and we were too, so uh we're looking

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Speaker 1: forward to it and uh uh you know, I think

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Speaker 1: it's the one thing I've tried to do Doug with

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Speaker 1: with the loss of the tournament and everything last year

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Speaker 1: and just kind of the you know, the uncertainly of

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Speaker 1: having fans and just things like that out is try

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Speaker 1: to go out and make this as as much fun

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Speaker 1: and and as great an opportunity from a player's perspective,

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Speaker 1: like if you were playing here, like what you you

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Speaker 1: would want to play games like this? You have you

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Speaker 1: have Kansas and Kansas, Auburn, Baylor, Iowa. Right, so you

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Speaker 1: have the you have to win the SEC I think

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Speaker 1: is in there too. So now look, one of the

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Speaker 1: great things about this particular team is you have you

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Speaker 1: got you have great depth, right like very few teams

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Speaker 1: in college basketball don't. We have depth, But you have

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Speaker 1: depth and experience. Um. You know, obviously not always experiencing.

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Speaker 1: Andrew m Hard comes in, He's not an exerior experience

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Speaker 1: playing for you, but he has experienced playing at very

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Speaker 1: high level, both internationally and with Florida. Um. But but uh,

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Speaker 1: I mean it's it's like a murderers row. Um. Let me.

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Speaker 1: I want to ask you about Jalen Sucks, who everybody

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Speaker 1: regards as an incredible recruit and a talent, uh from St. Paul, Minnesota,

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Speaker 1: who's a freshman star can kind of come play for you?

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Speaker 1: How do you how do you assimilate it? How do

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Speaker 1: you get a kid ready for that level of college

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Speaker 1: Because my when I played college basketball, I thought I

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Speaker 1: was really well coached. My coach was a great coach

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Speaker 1: and we played high level au basketball. I remember getting

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Speaker 1: another Dame, like this is so much there. Guys are

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Speaker 1: so much better and stronger than I ever thought possible.

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Speaker 1: I just had right, Like you think you've gone through

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Speaker 1: it and you're getting your butt kicked and practice, and

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Speaker 1: then you get two games, you're like, holy cow, this

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Speaker 1: is even harder. And and you don't have the buy games.

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Speaker 1: You know, you don't have Eastern you don't have an

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Speaker 1: Eastern Washington. Who you know who you can you know

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Speaker 1: that they can kind of slow roll into You're you're

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Speaker 1: going big boy, big boy, big boy, big boy, grown men.

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Speaker 1: How do you get guys ready for that jump from

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Speaker 1: high school practice to big boy college basketball in such

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Speaker 1: a short period of time. Just to make you feel better,

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Speaker 1: Jalen is going through all those things that you just

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Speaker 1: described as happening. And during your career in percentage, it

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Speaker 1: was wow. I mean, you guys run a lot of

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Speaker 1: stuff and then there's a lot of different coverages on defense,

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Speaker 1: and man, this Kittsburgh guy is really good and so

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Speaker 1: it's yahya. And when I go down the lane there

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Speaker 1: there sure are some big bodies down there that I'm

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Speaker 1: running into and U But as is the case with

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Speaker 1: all you know, really great players and talented ones, they

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Speaker 1: you know, take their lump thoroughly and then they make adjustments.

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Speaker 1: And the last two weeks he's very much been in

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Speaker 1: the adjustment phase and moving forward and really taking some

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Speaker 1: some big steps. I think our whole staff would agree

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Speaker 1: with that, and even the the veteran players would. And

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Speaker 1: the interesting thing about Jalen that I think is really

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Speaker 1: really special as he was a high high UH level

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Speaker 1: UH football player and I could have played probably anywhere

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Speaker 1: in the country football wise, and that lends itself to

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Speaker 1: as you know, one of those probably the hardest thing

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Speaker 1: for a high school kid adjusting to this level is

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Speaker 1: how hard you have to go and how physical it is,

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Speaker 1: and that that there hasn't been any adjustment along those lines.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he just loves He's a really physical type

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Speaker 1: player who loves the hit and mix it up. I'm

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Speaker 1: not afraid to dive in on the floor or you know,

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Speaker 1: collisions or playing hard. He's a ferocious competitor. So it's

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Speaker 1: just more you know, fine tunes his skills and and

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Speaker 1: then you know, getting into make all the nuances and

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Speaker 1: reads that we have with all our ball screens, and

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Speaker 1: and then also just kind of dialing into all our

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Speaker 1: our defensive coverages and he's a quick learner, so but

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Speaker 1: it's it's a lot to throw at him. And then

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Speaker 1: the other thing I would add to what you said was,

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Speaker 1: you know the scrimmages. We don't get scrimmages this year.

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Speaker 1: You know, every year we have a great scrimmage with

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Speaker 1: Michigan State, which is a great learning opportunity for our

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Speaker 1: guys to really get their feet wet and feel it.

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Speaker 1: And then we get to break it down on film

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Speaker 1: and go over it and usually get an exhibition. So

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Speaker 1: then you get kind of the nervous kind of stuff

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Speaker 1: out of the way, and then a couple of buy

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Speaker 1: games and then by the time you roll into a

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Speaker 1: mau your bahamas or something, you're kind of ready to roll.

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Speaker 1: But that's not the case. So I think these first

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Speaker 1: couple of games will be a little probably choppy and

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Speaker 1: and you know, there would be a lot of nerves

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Speaker 1: and stuff, and then the then the guys will settle in.

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Speaker 1: How you know, you um, other than learning that Jamal

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Speaker 1: Murray is incredible. I remember, you know, you coach a

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Speaker 1: lot of USA basketball and uh he beat you that

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Speaker 1: with single handedly beat you that one time in Canada.

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Speaker 1: But he did. It does like when you go and

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Speaker 1: when you see international basketball, it's a it is a

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Speaker 1: different way of doing things, and there is some and

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Speaker 1: there's been a lot of blending and morphing of styles. Um,

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Speaker 1: how are you personally different as a coach now with

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Speaker 1: those vast array of experiences then previously in your career? Hey,

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Speaker 1: I try to, you know, every year, you know, especially

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Speaker 1: in the offseason, try to go out, chick up and

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Speaker 1: and and learn some as much as I possibly can

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Speaker 1: by just you know, talking to you know, all the

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Speaker 1: other great coaches out there in the profession. There's just

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Speaker 1: so many and and what what the USA Basketball experiences

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Speaker 1: really lended itself too and been a huge part of

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Speaker 1: my growth. And because all of that, it is just

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Speaker 1: even the getting together as a you know, your own staff.

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Speaker 1: I was able to have Mike Brown on my staff

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Speaker 1: and Tad Boile and it was just great to be

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Speaker 1: able to, you know, to this hash out x and

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Speaker 1: os and hatch out thoughts and and things that we

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Speaker 1: want to try. Defensively, I actually I've never coach down

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Speaker 1: in our rights and ball screens, so I decided going

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Speaker 1: into that pan m deal. But like you know what,

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Speaker 1: I don't I want to try. Let's I want to

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Speaker 1: I sall these ball screens just to make me a better,

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Speaker 1: uh coach, And so what you know, we did that

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Speaker 1: up there, and obviously Mike was huge with that because

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Speaker 1: north Pad nor myself had ever done that. So it

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Speaker 1: was great to see, you know, all the positives of

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Speaker 1: that and quite frankly to see all the negatives of it.

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Speaker 1: And it has limitations, just like showing and switching and

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Speaker 1: everything else. So but going back to my first experience

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Speaker 1: as USA basketball, it's on an offesome staff to guys

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Speaker 1: who have became just dear, dear friends of mine. And

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Speaker 1: I was Billy Donovan was the head coach, and shock

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Speaker 1: A Smart and I were the assistance. And just seeing

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Speaker 1: Billy and Shaka's approach with pressing, I remember I don't

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Speaker 1: want to bore every time. Yeah, first game we're in.

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Speaker 1: First game we're in. You know, we've been working on

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Speaker 1: this press. We jump in this press against Mexico or somebody,

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Speaker 1: and uh, you know, they kind of boom boom boom,

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Speaker 1: you know, laid up, and I'm like about ready to

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Speaker 1: just tell Billy, like, yeah, let's just get the hell

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Speaker 1: out of this press. Let's just guard him in the

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Speaker 1: half court, you know, and uh, just to get our

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Speaker 1: guys settled in. And before you know it, there must

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Speaker 1: have been ten possessions racing up and down and Marcus

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Speaker 1: Smart was our point guard and I'm probably five of them.

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Speaker 1: He stole the ball just straight up. Man, oh man,

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Speaker 1: as you know, he can do better than anybody. And uh,

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Speaker 1: I think we were up fifteen to two when I

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Speaker 1: kind of crossed my legs and said, it's pressing things

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Speaker 1: not so bad. I kind of like it. You have

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Speaker 1: no control of what the hell is going on, but man,

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Speaker 1: when you have better players in the other team, and

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Speaker 1: uh uh it was something and how we're down in

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Speaker 1: Brazil and we just rolled everybody with that perhaps and

393
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Speaker 1: hardly had to run any half court office. You know.

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Speaker 1: One of the things that always impresses impressed me about

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Speaker 1: you as a human and Marcy, your wife, is that

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Speaker 1: through the through the big wins and the bad losses,

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Speaker 1: you've like never changed. Um. But look, you've had opportunities

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Speaker 1: to leave, to take more money, more maybe glamour and

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Speaker 1: and there were people in my profession and I might

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Speaker 1: be thought it, uh and didn't say it, which is

401
00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,000
Speaker 1: like Gonzaga is great, but you know you're not gonna

402
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Speaker 1: be able to beat the big boys year in year out.

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Speaker 1: There just a limitation, there's a ceiling there because you're

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Speaker 1: doing it the right way, and that that's just a

405
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,520
Speaker 1: hard way at that level. And obviously you've proven so

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Speaker 1: many of us wrong. But I do I do wonder

407
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Speaker 1: you're you're you're within one possession of winning the national title.

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Speaker 1: Last year you had a team that very not easily,

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Speaker 1: but very well could have won the title. This year

410
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Speaker 1: is a team that everybody believes, if healthy little bit

411
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Speaker 1: of luck, you can compete for a title. What what

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Speaker 1: would it mean to to win that last game, to

413
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Speaker 1: be a national champion? Considering all you've built, all you've done,

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Speaker 1: all you've turned down, and your belief in what you've

415
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Speaker 1: done with all the people you surrounded yourself with. From

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Speaker 1: my point of view, it's just this is what all,

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Speaker 1: this is all I've ever wanted to do. So and

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Speaker 1: you've been up here a bunch and I think you

419
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Speaker 1: guys an incredible perspective on it because you see kind

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Speaker 1: of everything that we do have up here, which is

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Speaker 1: the community and the lifestyle and the area and the fans,

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00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 1: and and also you get to see you know, the

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00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,760
Speaker 1: greatest part of this job is just you know, probably

424
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Speaker 1: of my former players moved back into the area and

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Speaker 1: so I get to hang out with all those guys

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Speaker 1: and developed great relationships with them, which is to me

427
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Speaker 1: is the greatest part of this job. But the biggest

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Speaker 1: thing for me, Doug, Look, as you know as well

429
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,240
Speaker 1: as anybody, just games. Stuff happens, just like what you

430
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,480
Speaker 1: keep with the Carolina game and the year before when

431
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:11,160
Speaker 1: Villanova and their guy hit the three at the buzzer,

432
00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,520
Speaker 1: and think about how Tony was able to break through

433
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,119
Speaker 1: and get his UH national championship. That Purdue game and

434
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,200
Speaker 1: then the miss double dribble against Auburn and all that.

435
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,760
Speaker 1: There's so much that goes into, you know, to to

436
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:31,399
Speaker 1: actually winning you know, six of those games. That the

437
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,120
Speaker 1: greatest thing for me is that we're in the conversation

438
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,240
Speaker 1: every year and that that to me is a testament

439
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,040
Speaker 1: to the culture of this program and all the people

440
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,600
Speaker 1: around it, you know, including the administration, supportin it, and

441
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,400
Speaker 1: our fans, but most importantly all our players that came

442
00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,159
Speaker 1: up here and the buy in that they've an effort

443
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,360
Speaker 1: they put in so for us to be nationally relevant

444
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,840
Speaker 1: year in and year out is the most important thing.

445
00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:01,760
Speaker 1: And if if we keep putting ourselves in position, shin, uh,

446
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:06,240
Speaker 1: it'll just happen. But and it won't be about me

447
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,720
Speaker 1: or my family or whatever. It will be just about

448
00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 1: the program, just totally, you know, sticking with the plan

449
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,320
Speaker 1: and putting ourselves in position to make it happen. It

450
00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,840
Speaker 1: would be great. But I won't think one instance about me.

451
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,439
Speaker 1: It'll just be about Heck, I'll price start ball and

452
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,560
Speaker 1: just think about all the former players. To be honest

453
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:30,200
Speaker 1: with him. Uh No, I think you're getting perspective. I

454
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 1: think it's a it's a great perspective to understand what

455
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,800
Speaker 1: it took and all the people that were a part

456
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,000
Speaker 1: of it. And I mean, heck, the team that lost

457
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,760
Speaker 1: to Texas Tech like that was that was that was

458
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,360
Speaker 1: a great team. Uh amos two ammos. Team you lost

459
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,560
Speaker 1: to u C. L A. That was a great team.

460
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,360
Speaker 1: And and what happens when you do when you get

461
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,119
Speaker 1: to a final four, they all get recognized when you

462
00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,560
Speaker 1: win it that they all get ready, they should know

463
00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:56,359
Speaker 1: that they are up very much a part of it.

464
00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,280
Speaker 1: All right. That that brings me to this last thing,

465
00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,359
Speaker 1: and I know you gotta go. You got Midnight Madness tonight.

466
00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 1: Um uh. I was on Dick House podcast and I

467
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 1: asked him to rank the point guards. I won't ask

468
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,760
Speaker 1: that of you on this. I will ask you this

469
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,360
Speaker 1: if you were to No, you want to you want

470
00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:14,800
Speaker 1: to go, you want to want to do point guards

471
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,760
Speaker 1: that you want to do, and then I want to

472
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:24,199
Speaker 1: hear your ranking. I personally, I he had Santangelo like

473
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,600
Speaker 1: way down the list, like seventh or eight, and I

474
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,720
Speaker 1: know Santangelo wasn't the shooter. I think he had Step.

475
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 1: I told him to take himself out of it, right,

476
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,359
Speaker 1: I can't put yourself in it. And he also didn't

477
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:39,359
Speaker 1: have Pargo on it. And his thing was like you know, um,

478
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,720
Speaker 1: and like there's just there's so many, right, there's there's

479
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,639
Speaker 1: so many guys that have that have not just like

480
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,200
Speaker 1: it's one thing to bring the ball up the court,

481
00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:47,840
Speaker 1: that doesn't make you a point guard, but to be

482
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,520
Speaker 1: a point guard for for Gonzagy, just such a litany

483
00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,560
Speaker 1: of them. Um. I think he had step number one.

484
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,560
Speaker 1: And I was like, that's because he's your guy, because

485
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:59,080
Speaker 1: if you played with him, like that's not fair, but whatever,

486
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 1: um okay, So who would like who would be your

487
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 1: who would who would be your ultimate Zag point guard list?

488
00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,760
Speaker 1: I ask yours. We'll do that, we'll do that, We'll

489
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,159
Speaker 1: do that with my kids. Fair fair enough, fair enough?

490
00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:15,719
Speaker 1: How about this one? If you were to tell us,

491
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,600
Speaker 1: if I was to tell somebody, all right, there's just

492
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,960
Speaker 1: something different about a Zag, there's just something different. I

493
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,919
Speaker 1: can't it's really hard for me to describe it. One player.

494
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,400
Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be the best player. The guy

495
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,560
Speaker 1: who to you, this is the guy who want to

496
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,639
Speaker 1: represent to s to a recruit, to a parent, to

497
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 1: a broadcaster, to a fan of when we say zag,

498
00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:45,920
Speaker 1: this is what we mean. Oh, A guy that plays

499
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,560
Speaker 1: with a chip on his shoulder because he knows he's

500
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,639
Speaker 1: as good as anybody out there, but wants to, you know,

501
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:58,000
Speaker 1: also kind of show everybody. So there's just a incredible quiet,

502
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:03,200
Speaker 1: uh confidence, with the real conviction to it. But also

503
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,399
Speaker 1: a guy that so values winning over everything else that

504
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,200
Speaker 1: he's gonna do whatever he has to do to help

505
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:12,000
Speaker 1: his help his team win. And he just and he

506
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 1: tears deeply about his teammates and knows if all that

507
00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,440
Speaker 1: you know, plays out in that order, that then he's

508
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,760
Speaker 1: going to be able to realize a fantastic professional career

509
00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,960
Speaker 1: and it's going to serve him well as he, you know,

510
00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:30,800
Speaker 1: moves on through life. That would be mine take on

511
00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,640
Speaker 1: what being his zags all about this amazing stuff. It's

512
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,879
Speaker 1: great stuff, what you've built. We wish you nothing but

513
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:37,880
Speaker 1: health and success. I know you have work to do.

514
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:39,640
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time. Will talk soon.

515
00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,840
Speaker 1: You got a dog. I love your perspective, you being

516
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:48,360
Speaker 1: in this thing, playing coaching, watching with a really really

517
00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:52,880
Speaker 1: keen eye. It's it's uh great, great to discuss it

518
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: all with you. Be sure to catch the live edition

519
00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,880
Speaker 1: of The Doug gott Leap Show week days at three

520
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,240
Speaker 1: p m. Easter noon Acific. A reminder, by the way,

521
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 1: if you like interviews like that, we do all sports

522
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,320
Speaker 1: on the Doug Gottlieb Show, which you can listen to

523
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,800
Speaker 1: it Fox Sports Tradio dot Com, your Fox Sport tradeo

524
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,680
Speaker 1: Filly You're I I Art Radio app Twelve to three

525
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,360
Speaker 1: West Coast time, three to six Eastern time whatever. You

526
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 1: listen to Fox Sport trade Collisten also Serious x two

527
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,520
Speaker 1: seventeen and two oh three and uh uh that's like

528
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,560
Speaker 1: a dream. By the way, his his early season like

529
00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,160
Speaker 1: you opened up with Kansas and you know you're just

530
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 1: then you're gonna play Baylor. Like, let's just pick the

531
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,680
Speaker 1: ten best teams in the country and try and play

532
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 1: like five or six of them. For they play Iowa,

533
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 1: they can play Tennessee. Let's just play the best teams.

534
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,360
Speaker 1: It's amazing. Who doesn't love that? Who doesn't want that? Alright?

535
00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:43,880
Speaker 1: Couple quick thoughts on on some of the rumors in

536
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,800
Speaker 1: terms of the draft. We'll do a draft podcast next week,

537
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 1: and also in terms of UH free agency, which it's

538
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,000
Speaker 1: gonna be a short free agency. Uh. Let's start with

539
00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,360
Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook. I think a team like Charlotte's is gonna

540
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,320
Speaker 1: have to go like he just the Knicks aren't really

541
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,160
Speaker 1: gonna want him, even if he wants the market of

542
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,320
Speaker 1: the Knicks because they're trying to make themselves a welcoming place.

543
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,000
Speaker 1: They're trying to get Donovan Mitchell, They're trying to get

544
00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,080
Speaker 1: Karl Anthony Towns. They're trying to get a burgeoning superstar

545
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,120
Speaker 1: on the way up to help kind of turn them

546
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,280
Speaker 1: around to go with their young players. Russell Westbrook's on

547
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:23,160
Speaker 1: the way down. He's just his knees. He's still a

548
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,320
Speaker 1: great athlete empirically. He used to be the best athlete

549
00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,400
Speaker 1: in the NBA. He's not that guy anymore. Though he

550
00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 1: will play hard, doesn't play hard all the time anymore.

551
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,240
Speaker 1: And he's shooting the problem and he's gotta have the

552
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 1: ball in his hands. He's got to go to a

553
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,240
Speaker 1: place that they can live with a bad because of

554
00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,160
Speaker 1: the good even if there's a ceiling of making the

555
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,959
Speaker 1: playoffs and getting getting bounced early on. That's where he's

556
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: gotta go. And Charlotte is just that that that type

557
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,840
Speaker 1: of place at this point, at this point in their

558
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:55,360
Speaker 1: in their growth as a franchise, with what they're trying

559
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,560
Speaker 1: to kind of get to, you know, that does it

560
00:30:57,640 --> 00:30:59,320
Speaker 1: set him back? I guess. I mean, look, he's a

561
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,680
Speaker 1: Jordan brand. That that thing all makes that Those are

562
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,560
Speaker 1: the types of franchise franchises that I think it works for.

563
00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,760
Speaker 1: For James Harden, I kind of think they ride or

564
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,240
Speaker 1: die with him. I don't think they move him. But

565
00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,520
Speaker 1: I also think that there's a ceiling there for James

566
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,960
Speaker 1: Harden because as the best player on the team, because

567
00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:20,960
Speaker 1: he doesn't play any defense, there's just always gonna be

568
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,240
Speaker 1: a limitation. The best players in the NBA, the absolute

569
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:28,360
Speaker 1: best play both ends. Those are the guys that win championships.

570
00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,640
Speaker 1: Dominique didn't. He didn't win a championship. You know, I

571
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,080
Speaker 1: kind of go through uh, you know, Alan Irishon never

572
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 1: played much defense. Charles Barkley didn't play much defense. Like,

573
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,920
Speaker 1: these guys are great players, and James Harden is one

574
00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,600
Speaker 1: of the worst defensive players of the superstars. Need me.

575
00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 1: He's a superstar, but he don't playing defense. It's not

576
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,880
Speaker 1: you are who your best player is. Everybody basketball knows that, right. Um.

577
00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,360
Speaker 1: The Chris Paul thing is far more interesting. I guess

578
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,320
Speaker 1: I like it for Phoenix just because they're trying to

579
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,840
Speaker 1: in an effort to try and you know, keep your

580
00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:07,600
Speaker 1: best players happy. You need a guy who's a great leader.

581
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,560
Speaker 1: And the problem with Chris Paul is he was really

582
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,000
Speaker 1: good this year with Oklahoma City. Part of it was

583
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,560
Speaker 1: their expectations were low, and part of it was he

584
00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:17,440
Speaker 1: was really good. But also part of it was that

585
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,680
Speaker 1: the season got shortened because of COVID. So if you

586
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,440
Speaker 1: put him in a seventy two games season with kind

587
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,640
Speaker 1: of a quick turnaround, how much does he have left?

588
00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:30,400
Speaker 1: I don't know, and I know the second year of that,

589
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:32,960
Speaker 1: I think there's two years left in that deal. I'm

590
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,400
Speaker 1: not sure that that looks all that pretty. I don't

591
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,560
Speaker 1: think the Lakers are a reasonable destination. I think the

592
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:40,400
Speaker 1: problem with the Bucks is the amount of money that

593
00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,680
Speaker 1: he makes um And I think the Clippers would be

594
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,000
Speaker 1: interesting to come back there because they need a point guard.

595
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:49,280
Speaker 1: But what would they have to shed in order to

596
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,440
Speaker 1: get him. I think the Sons again kind of makes

597
00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:54,760
Speaker 1: sense because they're searching for relevancy and a guy who

598
00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:57,400
Speaker 1: can establish the culture and be demanding. He's like vegetables,

599
00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,840
Speaker 1: like nobody loves, nobody orders him first in the menu,

600
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,320
Speaker 1: but you do need him in order to kind of

601
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,840
Speaker 1: line you out because there. I thought Rubio worked for him,

602
00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:07,880
Speaker 1: but Rubio has been banged up, and Chris Paul is

603
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:12,480
Speaker 1: definitely better than Ricky Rubio. Although Rubio uh analytics wise,

604
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:16,520
Speaker 1: very good defensively and obviously tremendous passer, he just doesn't

605
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,800
Speaker 1: maybe have the cashet of a Chris Paul. But it'd

606
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,960
Speaker 1: be interesting to see what happens there. You know, how

607
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,000
Speaker 1: many more wins can you get if you had Chris

608
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:26,800
Speaker 1: Paul as your point guard. The last thing is for

609
00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:28,239
Speaker 1: the NBA Draft. You know, there's a lot of talk

610
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:32,760
Speaker 1: with LaMelo ball being number one overall. Um, I don't know, man,

611
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,240
Speaker 1: I just do I like to the six six six

612
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,680
Speaker 1: seven has a great vision. Of course, you know, as

613
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,080
Speaker 1: a guy who's five eleven and a half, I've eleven

614
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,880
Speaker 1: three quarters barefoot, just you know, six one or whatever

615
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,160
Speaker 1: with shoes on like he, I can't imagine how great

616
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,680
Speaker 1: his vision is on about long arms and handle the ball,

617
00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:57,680
Speaker 1: but it can't shoot. His body is not good and no,

618
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,160
Speaker 1: Alonso wasn't a good deep sense of player, but he

619
00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,200
Speaker 1: had good defensive instincts. He just tried to steal the

620
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:05,760
Speaker 1: ball every time when he was in high school and

621
00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:09,959
Speaker 1: in college. LaMelo plays no defense, So I I don't

622
00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:12,959
Speaker 1: I don't see it. It could be wrong. It doesn't

623
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,239
Speaker 1: mean I think he's gonna stink. And but like look,

624
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,120
Speaker 1: his brother's inability to develop a consistent jump shot is problematic.

625
00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,799
Speaker 1: The other part is, like I always thought that Alonzo

626
00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,120
Speaker 1: was a little sharper than LaMelo, and he has not

627
00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,360
Speaker 1: done well even though he's worldly right, lived in Lithuania,

628
00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:32,239
Speaker 1: lived in Australia, traveled all over like he. Just I

629
00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:36,040
Speaker 1: had a GM tell me that he's like a Kardashian

630
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,960
Speaker 1: and one of the kids, not the mom right, that's

631
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,840
Speaker 1: not that they were not exactly blown away by the interviews.

632
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:49,439
Speaker 1: So I don't see it, don't see it, but we'll see.

633
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,359
Speaker 1: And then if he goes to Minnesota, I mean him

634
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,239
Speaker 1: and D'Angelo Russell, Like, dude, that's the worst defensive back

635
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:56,480
Speaker 1: back court maybe in the history of the NBA. Even

636
00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:59,280
Speaker 1: if they're fun to watch. That's gonna chase Karl Anthony

637
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 1: Town's to at the Knicks faster than you can say

638
00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,600
Speaker 1: Karl Anthony Towns to the Knicks. My my, thanks to

639
00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,440
Speaker 1: Mark for you, my thanks to you for downloading and listening.

640
00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:11,440
Speaker 1: Don't forget to download, subscribe rate Tell a friend tweeted out,

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Speaker 1: tell them what you think. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is

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Speaker 1: all ball