1 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: Hey, I'm Doug Gotlie Bando. Welcome in to All Ball, 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: All Balls Are, All Basketball Podcast, NBA College McDonald's All 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: American Game. Whoop. Yeah. Look, I'm I'm a big fan 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: of Cole Anthony. I can't wait to see where he plays. 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: He's a he's a stud, he's a killer. Uh, he 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: has yet to decide where he's going. And he has 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: he has this thing that Greg has and um, it's interesting, 8 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: like look out, we'll talk about the n C a 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: term in the sweet sixteen. We have Travis Steele, who's 10 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: gonna join US Xavier's head coach, going through one year 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: loss in overtime in the second round the n I 12 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: t to Texas the other night. Kind of have to 13 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,599 Speaker 1: spend some time with this here in the All Ball Podcast. 14 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: But I wanna tell you a little bit about about 15 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: Cole Anthony, who's um unsigned senior said he's gonna decide 16 00:00:54,720 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: sometime in in April. Um, he's he he's very much 17 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,199 Speaker 1: Greg Anthony's son, and that he has a remarkable amount 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: of let's just say toughness. He's got a hole in him, 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: not gonna lie to yet, which you have to have 20 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: the way in which the position is played, uh, and 21 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: the way in which you you lead in basketball. So 22 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: Cole Anthony, I think it's Oregon and George Town and 23 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: Duke and Carolina and you know all the some of 24 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: some of those usual suspects. I would have thought Kansas 25 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: would have had a better shot, but apparently not, probably 26 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: because they have dots and who's coming back. And I 27 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: think he's gonna be just an absolute stud, maybe gonna 28 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: be the maybe the fastest player in college basketball. But 29 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: if you haven't seen Cole Anthony scoring point guard, needs 30 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: to shoot a little bit better, but has remarkable athleticism, 31 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: tremendous toughness, can play both ends of the floor, and 32 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: he's he's like his dad in terms of being a 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: a leader and a guy who brings everybody together and 34 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: and like his dad, has like just a remarkable amount 35 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of leadership and toughness. There's no doubt whoever gets him 36 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: will be in the conversation of competing for a national championship. 37 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: Because if there's one thing we've learned, you got to 38 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: have good lead guards. You just do. Now. That brings 39 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: us to last week in the nst A Tournament, looking 40 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: forward to this weekend in the tournament, think about what 41 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: led you know, Maryland and getting beat by l s. 42 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: You can't get one stop on the switch. Really, that's 43 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: what happened to Iowa with Tennessee. They gotta gotta stop 44 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: and then you let your hair INDs down and put 45 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: your hands down and then point guard hits the three 46 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: over you and ends up sending it into overtime. Can 47 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: you get one stop? That's really kind of the difference 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 1: obviously in between championship teams and teams that that fall 49 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: by by the wayside. Um, let's go through the matchups 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: really quickly. Florida State beat Gonzaga last season, and they 51 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: present um a remarkable list of challenges, most notably their 52 00:02:54,200 --> 00:03:00,040 Speaker 1: size and prodigious length inside right. Um, and you know 53 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: when you bring off the bench, Uh Mafondu, who's just 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: an absolutely he just improving seemingly with every game. You know, 55 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: I know he was productive early in the season, but 56 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: boy late you know this this last weekend he showed 57 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: a remarkable ability to to dominate. And then I they're 58 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: good and long in their backcourt with three shot makers 59 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: and Terrence Man, Trent Forest and m J. Walker. Um, 60 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: my fear for for Gonzaga is it does sometimes take 61 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: them a little bit of time to adjust to the 62 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: length of the opponent. Now, uh, Baylor didn't take him 63 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: a ton of time, and obviously they were just so 64 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: much better than FDU. I have Gonzaga moving on, but 65 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: I do think this is going to be a game 66 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: which Gonzaga struggles for at least a little bit. Brandon 67 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: Clark has become their best player. He continues to improve 68 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: seemingly every time he takes the floor. What a remarkable 69 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: story from a guy was six to his senior year 70 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: in high school. Do Tennessee feels like a mismatch to me? 71 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you why. I've seen for doing person 72 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: a couple of times. And this is one of Matt 73 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: Painter's best, not just coaching jobs, but it shows his 74 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: program and why it works. And you have guys that 75 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: fit roles and and and don't turn the basketball over 76 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: and one go to score. But you know, the strength 77 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: of Tennessee is Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, right, and 78 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: one of them is going to be matched up with 79 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: Grady Eifford, and I just I don't know how Perdue 80 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: wins that matchup. They just don't. And if when I 81 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: watched Minnesota beat them in the Big Ten Tournament, it 82 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: was Jordan Murphy. You know, everything they did was try 83 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: and get Jordan Murphy and Grady Eifford isolated at the 84 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: top of the key, and Eifford would have to give 85 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: him space and he would still, you know, not even 86 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: make a move to drive right Adam shoot over or 87 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: drive left and spin back to his right. Scho Fields 88 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: a better offensive player, I believe than Jordan Murphy. Murphy's 89 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: got kind of a unique guy. It means this skill 90 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: feels more skilled so as a shooter, especially a three 91 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: point shooter. I just I feel like that lines off. 92 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: I don't think that Purdue has. Purdue usually beats with age, 93 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: toughness and some skill. If Perduke can shoot the lights 94 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: out of the basketball, sure, but I don't know if 95 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: they'll be that many openings against this stingy Tennessee squad. 96 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: I love Tennessee in this game, all right. Let me 97 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: even my quick thoughts on Texas Tech take it on 98 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: Michigan to outstanding defensive teams. Um. Something you might not 99 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: know about Texas Tech is they feel like they missed 100 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: a golden opportunity last year to beat Villanova because they 101 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: missed so many shots around the basket. And if you 102 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: know how Villanova plays defensively, where they show you their 103 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: hands and they play very physically with the rest of 104 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: their body, that's essentially essentially on Michigan plays. They also 105 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: load to the basketball and dare you to throw those 106 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: skip passes and Flair said flair screens. I think that 107 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: Texas Tech's got a great shot to beat him because 108 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: they have just more offensive weaponry and that's not really 109 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: what Michigan has. Michigan beats you with with enough shot making, toughness, intelligence, defense. Um, 110 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: they just wear you down with their defense. But they 111 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: also play physically and show you their hands. But but 112 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: bump you go into the basket and going up for 113 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: post up shots. That's exactly what Villanova did. And Texas 114 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: Tech like they made it a point the entire season 115 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: that to to practice what they call Villanova shots, which 116 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: are finishing shots kind of over pressure, over over body pressure. 117 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: I think Texas Tech wins this game. I think it's 118 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: gonna be a great great gread um Oregan taken on Virginia. 119 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: This one's interesting. You know, um, obviously Organ has what 120 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: I like about Oregan is because they play multiple styles 121 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: of zone defense and they press. I think they can 122 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: match up pretty well with with Virginia. You know, the 123 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: difference with Oregon is Peyton pretty playing so much better. Yes, 124 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: they weren't healthy, but Peyton Pitcher wasn't playing well and 125 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: now he is. And when you have a point guard 126 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: and started the final four, when you have a guy 127 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: who's a really good shot maker, um, and I don't 128 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: think that the pressure that Oregon puts you on the 129 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: defensively is gonna affect them nearly as much of Virginia, 130 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: nearly as much. I don't know if Oregon can win 131 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: the game, but I definitely think it's close. It's like 132 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: an eight and a half point spread. I feel like, 133 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: you know, Oregan's gotta make some shots in order to 134 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: get set up their defense. But if they can, I 135 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: think they match up really well. I could be crazy, 136 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: but I think they match up really well with with Virginia. 137 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: Michigan State L s U. I cannot undersell just how 138 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: how very average athletically Michigan State is. Now. Remember I 139 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: lost two lottery picks. They lost Langford UM and l 140 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: s U is off the charts athletic. I think l 141 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: s U wins this game. Cassius Winston has been amazing. 142 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: I don't know how I get some he shots off. 143 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: He's a clever finisher. They just don't have a ton 144 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: of scoring and and somebody's gonna look back at Michigan 145 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: State losing the end. They'll say, well, Michigan stay lost 146 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: in the sweet sixteen. Like, yeah, they won the Big Ten, 147 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: won the Big Ten tournament, got to the Sweet sixteen 148 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: all with one score. Starting a freshman wing North Carolina Auburn, 149 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: It's starting to feel like North Carolina's tournament to win. 150 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: You know. They just they have so much offensive weaponry 151 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: and Kobe White continues to improve as a as a 152 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: as a playmaker. Um, they cant their biggs can shoot 153 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: and stretch you out. I like Carolina big. I think 154 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: Virginia Tech beats Duke, and I wouldn't be surprised if 155 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: Houston beats Kentucky. Those guys are just junkyard dogs. They 156 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: have a ton of depth. They are unafraid. That will 157 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: be a phenomenal, phenomenal game. Let's get you to our 158 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: guest for the week. He's the new head coach of Xaviers. 159 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:02,599 Speaker 1: Coach for an entire year now they just lost to 160 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: Texas in the n I t His name is Travis Steel. 161 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: He joins me on the All Ball podcast. Let's welcome 162 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: in the first year head coach of the Xavier Musketeers. 163 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: Travis Steel joins us here in the All Ball Podcast. Travis, 164 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: how are you? I'm doing well, Doug. How you doing good? Man? Um, 165 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: I want to get to your team. I want to 166 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: get to this year. But um, the way I like 167 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:26,719 Speaker 1: to do it is like, look, I think we all 168 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: have our own unique basketball story, right, and like when 169 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: you're reading a bio and sometimes you read it, uh 170 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: in a in a magazine or newspaper article, like it 171 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: just it's not not the same when it comes from you, 172 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: especially you know, a ball guy to a ball guy. 173 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: So you grew up. We're in Indiana. I grew up 174 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: in a small town called Danville, Indiana, about thirty minutes 175 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: west of Indianapolis. Who's the best player ever? Who's the 176 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: best player ever in a Danville? I mean you could 177 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: potentially a man. I tell a prop we Travis Carroll 178 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: who played it for do okay? Um now, but he's 179 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: not how old is he compared to you? He is 180 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: probably he was about eight years younger than me. Actually 181 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: more than that. Okay, So when you grew up, like 182 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: who was your Who are your guys? Like? Were you 183 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: you were? You? Were you an eye you guy or 184 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,199 Speaker 1: a Purdue guy? You know? I was an eye you guy. 185 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: I was an eye you got big Bob Night guy 186 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: loved to watch, you know, whether it was Calvert Cheney, 187 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 1: whether it was Alan Henderson, whether it was Brian Evans. 188 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: You know, Like obviously Indiana had a lot of good 189 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: players back in the day during that time. Here's my 190 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: best I have. I have several really good stories because 191 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: Charlie Miller played with me. He stayed with me two 192 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: summers and you stayed at our house and then um, 193 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 1: we're at the was it the university games? What are 194 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: those games called? I can't remember what the games were, 195 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: like the world university games like tryouts in Colorado spring. 196 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: So I hung out with him and Brian Evans and 197 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: they told me a bunch of good stories. But my 198 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: my favorite Indiana story is um Our. My first road 199 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 1: game in college basketball was at IU. I was playing 200 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: at Notre Dame and um the year before Notre Dame 201 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: had beaten them in South Bend and it hit like 202 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: something like fifteen threes, which doesn't seem like a big 203 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: number now, but back then, and of course, as you remember, 204 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: like um, Bob Knight did not exactly embrace the three 205 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: point shot, like basically he said that was a bullshit 206 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: way to win. Right. So they had a really good team. 207 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: They had Brian Evans and Andre Patterson and Neil Reid 208 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: and Charlie Miller and Todd Lindeman was like a senior um. 209 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: They had Sean Wilkerson, who's who's really talented, Richard Mannville, 210 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: who's an l a guy. Um. Anyway, so they they 211 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: they go up to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout 212 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: and they play Yukon, and Yukon has Ray Allen and 213 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,719 Speaker 1: Travis Knight and those guys, and Yukon, i mean just 214 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: kicks the dog shit out of him, right, They beat 215 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: by forty points. And so we go down to their 216 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: place and we know they're gonna be pissed. They had 217 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: a couple of day they had like a couple of 218 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: days off before the game. We're like, man, we're gonna 219 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: get They're gonna come out on fire. And so um 220 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: it was that year they put down a new floor 221 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: in Assembly Hall, and if you've ever played on a 222 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: new basketball floor, it was like bouncy, like dudes are 223 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: in layup lines and we're throwing down feeling good about ourselves. 224 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: So we're down. I think it was forty fourteen at 225 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: the half. And here's the things I remember. I remember 226 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,679 Speaker 1: when Night and Bob Knight was My dad was a 227 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: JV player at Ohio State when Bob Knight was on 228 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: the varsity and they went to those final fours, and 229 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: so I knew coach Knight a little bit and I 230 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: just had no I like, you have no idea how 231 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: big he's like a big dude, right, like he was 232 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: like six three six four and and dudes and everybody 233 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: in the stands had their Adidas sweater just like him. 234 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: And he'd walk out and he had like an entourage, 235 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: and it was crazy like his presence, like you could 236 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: feel his presence. I remember that. And then I remember 237 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: went right before tip off when they played the fight 238 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: song and then they go ah are you and then 239 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: the whole place like shakes um. And I remember running 240 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: into the locker room at halftime and it was right 241 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 1: underneath like the stand the right before the band in 242 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: the student section and they were chanting, don't come out, 243 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: don't come out, and we were I was thinking that 244 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: it's not a bad idea anyway. So so we have 245 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: like four freshmen, and our sophomore was Pat Garty. Uh, 246 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: we have a senior, Ryan Hoover is a good dude. 247 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: At some point we might even gone to the four freshmen, 248 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,559 Speaker 1: you know, So John mcclochy go, hey, we're young. So 249 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: I remember driving in and shooting a floater and Andre 250 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: Patterson he didn't block it. He caught it and he 251 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: threw it and I think it took out a lady 252 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: in the third row and um, and when he did it, 253 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: he's like, no, So I thought nothing of it. I played, Okay, 254 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: we go, we we we bust back to South Bed. 255 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: We got beat by I don't know, like thirty points 256 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: or something like that. And you know, how did you 257 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: get back to your dorm room? You flip on the 258 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: game and Sports Center is on, and it was Dad, 259 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: are you ready for Sports Center? Dan? No? No, no, no, 260 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: it was, And all of a sudden, there's the highlight 261 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: of me. You see forty four gott Leap driving shooting 262 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: a floater and out of nowhere, Andre Patterson catches the 263 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: ball and goes, no, damn DNA not right. That's my 264 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: that's my high used story for you. Did you go 265 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: to you can now? Did you go to games as 266 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: a kid? Did you go to games as a kid? 267 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: I did? I did? All right, give me, give me, 268 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: give me one that if you close your eyes, you're like, man, 269 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: I mean, because they used to have that shootout at 270 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: the dome, right the r c A Dome. Then have 271 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: high school games there at the dome. Or you can 272 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: give me the most memorable game you remember growing up 273 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: in India. I would say the most memorable one. Um, well, 274 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: you gotta go to like always always the rival games, right, 275 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: you know, like to do obviously seen Katie um had 276 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: it rolling after them, had an absolutely role. So when 277 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: we had seasons, said it's going up to Indiana game. 278 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: So I would say any of it. You could go 279 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: to back to any of the Indian Indiana for the 280 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: days and I would tell you that they were all 281 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: high of level. You know. I wish but that I 282 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: was actually at the game when I wasn't old enough, 283 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: or night the night through the chair across the court. 284 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: I wish I could have seen that in person. Um. 285 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: But you know, like you said, man like Coach Night. 286 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: You know I would go to his camps when I 287 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: was young too, and you know you talk about like 288 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: an imposing picture, intimidated, you know, like when you go 289 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: to his camp, like you would address the camp at 290 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: the very beginning. And I'll never forget one of my 291 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: one of my older brothers, sewn up late and set 292 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: over night camp and coach Stockets at the time was 293 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: it was an assistant coach there and they made my 294 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: brother wash his car. He had a wash dock at 295 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: his car. He had to do, you know, run, you know, 296 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: got a us you know, go again, like when you're 297 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: at Kemp, like with with Coach Night. Then you're like 298 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: on your toes. You know, it's like you're sweating around 299 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: him and they know you don't. You don't want to blink, 300 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: you don't want to breathe. Um, but he he was 301 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: a He's like God, you know it is man when 302 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: you grow up. And then obviously you took what to 303 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: do have a gene Katie and what obviously Indianna have 304 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: or five night at the time, then to a better 305 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: to to the best coaches of all time. Um in 306 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: the state and that's why the library was so big, 307 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: because both guys uh with terrific coaches. Yeah. Um, so 308 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: when did you know that this is what you wanted 309 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: to do? I said a really young news man. You know, 310 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: my older brother is a UH is a college basketball coach, 311 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: John Gross, and we had the same mom different duds, Um, 312 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: but you know he's he's twelve years older than I am, 313 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: and you know, so growing up now, it's kind of 314 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: always his shadow. And I was really, really really lucky. 315 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: Um it's Austin. I have a really really good high 316 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 1: school coach at a Danville High school. UM, his name 317 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: was Toddler Lder, and obviously God ended up becoming the 318 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: head coach oft Butler coach at Iowa. Um, he's one 319 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: of the best teachers that I've ever been around in 320 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: the game. And so I was exposed to really good 321 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: coaching at a young age. And so I kind of 322 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: always knew that I'm five ft eleven man, and I'm 323 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: not nearly as athletic as you were back in the day. 324 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna be a not gonna be a great player. 325 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: So you know, I want to coach, and uh, I 326 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: was lucky man to have some really good mentors. When 327 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: I was a young man, I knew I want to 328 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: coach to probably honestly when I was eleven twelve years old. 329 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: That's interesting. I know you played for Lick. Uh did 330 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: you did you think about I know he's on he's 331 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: on staff at Evansville. Do you think about bringing him back? Absolutely? Absolutely? Man. 332 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: He When I say he's a great coach, that's that 333 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: doesn't do him justice is how good he is man? 334 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 1: He Uh. You know these things about like the Butler system, 335 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, like that they've had for years, 336 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: a lot of that stents from Todd and Barry Collyer. 337 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: But Todd was it was was kind of there ran 338 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: the offense and stuff like. And you know he he's 339 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: had such a big impact on a lot of coaches, 340 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: whether it's Dad Modo, Brad Stevens, my brother, a lot 341 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: of people. Man, he is a terrific coach. You know. 342 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 1: He Actually when I got the job, he had already 343 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: accepted at Evansville. Ya um to go be with Walter 344 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: Uh wal McCarthy and uh, I know he's gonna do 345 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: really really well down man. Man. It's a good hire 346 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: about Walten. No, It's interesting when I when I've interviewed 347 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: for jobs, I've I've talked to Brad Stevens, and Brad's like, listen, 348 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: you can hire anybody you want, Like I would never, 349 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: but if I was gonna hire one guy and I 350 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: was gonna be a college coach, it would be Todd Lechlider, 351 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: like the guy just heat from practice times too, to 352 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: understanding offense to understanding you know, how to prepare, Like 353 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: he's the He's the ultimate coaches coach for young guys 354 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: like you and and guys like like Walter, you know, 355 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 1: guys that haven't done it before. It's an incredible, incredibly 356 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: valuable asset asset to have. Um, okay, So so what 357 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: about the decision in college because as even though you're 358 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: down playing how good you are, like you could have 359 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: played and you could have like played, I could have 360 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: done what Brad did right played at the Paul like, 361 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: what was what was? What was? What type of player 362 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: were you coming out of high school? And I was 363 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: a guard? I was more a facilitator. Um, not a 364 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: great shooter. I was born as a ball handling pastor 365 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: you know, run your team? Uh guy, you know, so 366 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: you know and obviously, like you said, like, I gotta 367 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: had an opportunity to play, but I knew I want 368 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: to coach. You're always trying to I think this profession 369 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: is really hard to break in into, um, especially if 370 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: you're not a big, big time player. Um. You know. 371 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: So I tried to go a little bit more of 372 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: a creative path, you know. I went to Butler Um. 373 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: That's where I went to school, thirty minutes away, you know, 374 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: and brother at the time and Tom mcgleader at the time, 375 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: they're both assistant coaches under that bottom my freshman here, 376 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: uh there, and then actually bad ended up leaving after 377 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: one year, went down the savior, and so I decided, 378 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: you know, and I'm going to kind of create my 379 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: own path, kind of get away from you know, kind 380 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: of get away from my brother and become my own guy. 381 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: And so I decided to start coaching high school basketball. 382 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: UM over on the west side of Indianapolis had been 383 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: Das High School. And then I coached a basketball and 384 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: and then I just trained guys in Indianapolis. And there 385 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 1: was a lot of really good players in Indianapolis at 386 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: the time. So a very fortunate to work with some 387 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: really talented guys. Okay, let's go back a second. First 388 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: of all, you don't know this, but um, the first 389 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,479 Speaker 1: game I ever called was that year you were at 390 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: when you were a Butler in two thousand January of 391 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: two thousand one. It was against TCU Greedy Daniels. It 392 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: was like a like, I'm gonna say, like, I'm gonna 393 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: go like January fourth or something. I've never been to 394 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 1: Hankle before. This is obviously before Butler really kind of hit. 395 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,160 Speaker 1: And I was still pissed at Butler because the year before, 396 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: Scott Roebish didn't take a charge against Florida in the 397 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: first round. We played Florida in the Elite eight, Florda's 398 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: not in the lead a. We go to the final four. 399 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: Um anyway, So that was so yeah, I mean I think, 400 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 1: I think, I mean think, yes, Scott Roebish, who still 401 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: probably has eligibility considering a few amount of games he played, 402 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: how how injured he was. Um, but but think about that. 403 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: Think about that staff, right, So you had Sad was 404 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: the head coach, Lick was an assistant, Gross was an assistant, 405 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: who there was somebody else who was an assistant on 406 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: that staff. That that thing was just loaded. Huh, yeah, 407 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: it was. It was loaded. It was loaded. Mike Marcel 408 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: was on staff as well. And actually know what bad 409 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: Stevens was like like like a volunteer, right, volunteer back then. 410 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: So then all of a sudden he got promoted the 411 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: director of operations um in the fall and he quit 412 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: as obvious it's a job them and and took them. 413 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 1: You know. No, he wasn't getting paid at all in 414 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: Butler and then all of a sudden he got promoted, 415 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 1: you know, in the fall um to the operations job. 416 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: And see you think about that staff, I mean, I 417 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: mean that that that that higher you know he was, Uh, 418 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,479 Speaker 1: he had a great staff. Did you have I mean, 419 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: honest to god, did you did you think to sit 420 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: there and go like this guy is sitting next to me, 421 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: like you know, Brad Stevens, Like did you have any idea? 422 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: Any idea? No? I mean no, I mean, but like 423 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: the obviously you do how intelligent he was. Obviously his 424 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: work ethic is off the charts as well. Um, you know, 425 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: but no, if I'd be lying to you if I 426 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: said I could, I can't tell you right now and 427 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 1: I do back then. But obviously, man, he is an 428 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: incredible coach and it even better person, and he's one 429 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: of the best in the entire world, obviously, So you 430 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: go and you decide I'm gonna I'm gonna coach it 431 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: at Ben Davis High School, which again I'm a Southern 432 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: CALIFORNI and your kid spent one year playing college basketball Indiana, 433 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: and even I know about the history of of of 434 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: Ben Davis High School. Uma, take me through that process 435 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: because you were still in college at the time, weren't you, Yeah, 436 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: I was. I was. I wanted to get as much 437 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: experience as possible, and you again, trying to figure out 438 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: a way to kind of like move ahead. There's obviously 439 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: not a big game or anything like that, so I 440 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: tried to have to try to pay my own path, 441 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: you know, take my own pass, and and um, you know, 442 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: Ben Davis give me a great opportunity. You know, obviously 443 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: it's a uh it's it's got a lot of history, 444 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: learn of tradition. Um, you know, there's been tremendous players 445 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: come out of Ben Davis over the years. And I 446 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: was really lucky. I was able to work underneath a 447 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: guy named Steve Woody who's one of the probably the 448 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: most uh most winning is coaches. Obviously, in stay of 449 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: Indiana history. But he was extremely successful, I mean, great coach, 450 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: and he brought me on and I was able to 451 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 1: learn from him the coach on the fly. So sometimes 452 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: I think the best experience you can have is one 453 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: thing being around it, but another thing obviously coaching them 454 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: right and and doing it. And I was able to 455 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: kind of start, you know, put my nuts right there 456 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: and there and the one thing you learned right away 457 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: because I was almost basically the same age as a 458 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: as the kids, as the guys I was coaching as 459 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: you know, like but even though I looked you know, 460 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: and you had to be on a game their respect 461 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: right away. And you do that obviously through the preparation, 462 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 1: through your work ethic and showing them that you can 463 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: make them a better player. That was kind of my 464 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: path now is my way to kind of be able 465 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: to coach those guys and gain their respect. And uh man, 466 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: it was. It was an incredible experience for me and 467 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: allowed me to kind of as kind of my foundation, 468 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: give me my foundation for my my coaching career. Um, okay, 469 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: so uh you're you're doing all this, you're going to 470 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: going to school at the at the same time, do 471 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: you remember what you ran, like what was your what 472 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: what was your did you have an offensive lost? Because 473 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: now you guys run a lot of really good uh 474 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: kind of what I would say advanced offensive offensive sets. 475 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: Some of it there's has some limitations in terms of 476 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: you know, your personnel, like what you like you're a 477 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: college student, would you run for your offense the stuff 478 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: you ran in high school? You know what a little 479 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,239 Speaker 1: bit you know, you know, but I would also take 480 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: stuff from obviously Butler. You know when I was there 481 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: with with with with Todd and those guys like you know, 482 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: you kind of saw, I saw what they were running, 483 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: and so I would we'd run a lot of that 484 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: stuff at at Ben Davis UM. You know a lot 485 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: of the ball screen stuff, you know, high ball screen, 486 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: middle ball screen stuff, and and uh also a little 487 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: bit of you know with with with high school kids. 488 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 1: It's so different, you know, because you have a lot 489 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:44,719 Speaker 1: of a lot of times like we had a lot 490 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,120 Speaker 1: of six ft four or six ft three. We didn't 491 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: have a six nine guy you know, um like like 492 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: you do in college. So we've run flex. We'd run 493 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: kind of versatile offenses, be cool, we kind of get 494 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: inside outside guys. Um but you're right. I mean it's 495 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: an amazing you think back to coach in high school 496 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 1: basketball back in two thousands, you know, two thousand two 497 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: and all that, like it's how how much offensive you know, 498 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: totally totally Well, I mean like, well it's interesting because 499 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: it's like even I think even a lot of broadcasters 500 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: are slow to to pay attention. Like take Virginia. They're 501 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: not running blocker mover anymore. Right, They're not. They're they're 502 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: not they're they're they're running ball screens, running spread ball 503 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: screen action. Uh, they're not running that ball screen continuity 504 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: stuff whatever that that that really Brad seemed to be 505 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: the one who came up with. But I mean it's 506 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: just it's offenses, can now some of it changed. Um, 507 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: and then Michigan State they run kind of one of 508 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: their series they run is we we called the Cowboys, 509 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: the old it's the old Henry Iba offense, the kind 510 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: of the two one two set. But so there are 511 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: some pieces, but motion basketball seems to have gone kind 512 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: of away. Um. Yeah, defenses have changed. Um, you know, 513 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: everybody when when I was in when I was playing 514 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 1: and I graduating two thousand, everybody hard hedged the ball 515 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: screen like everybody. And now you can kind of like 516 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: one hand who hard hedges a ball screen. Some teams, 517 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, keep it on the side and ice everything, 518 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: and most teams, you know, they go over the other switch. 519 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: They go over the top and and and funnel it 520 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: to a big guy. But it's it's really interesting on 521 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: how much how much stuff has changed. All right? So 522 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: then you went and didn't you The next thing was 523 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: under that after you graduated. You were grad assistant for that, right, Ye, yep, 524 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: I was there doing that first year there. Um. You know, 525 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: obviously another another really good staff there. Man. You think 526 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: they could always going to learn from the Tassi around again, 527 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: really lucky man that Alan major Um was there. You 528 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: end up becoming the head coach of Charlotte. Obviously my 529 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: brother was there as well, and then not Dan Peters, 530 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: who was a terriffic coach and terrific person as well. 531 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: I was there on staff, so I was able to 532 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: kind of soak up as much as I possibly could. Again, man, 533 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: and uh underneath sadde Ohio State, Why did you go 534 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: to Wabash Valley? I just that sounds like that sounds 535 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: like a death. That sounds like a desolate place, dude, 536 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: Mount Mount Carl, Illinois. Yeah, no, it sounds not as 537 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,439 Speaker 1: bad as as as bad as it sounds, I can 538 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: say that it's a uh not good because I wanted 539 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: to coach a you and I wanted to recruit, and 540 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: I wanted to kind of get out on the road 541 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,200 Speaker 1: a little bit. And and because they made a rule 542 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: that I could no longer coach um a basketball while 543 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: I was a g A at Ohio State. That became 544 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: a rule. That's that's that's spring and summer. And so 545 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: you know, I was heavily involved in any you kind 546 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: of in Indiana, and I wanted to coach and and 547 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: so I devised the plan that you know what, I'm 548 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: gonna go to Walbast College for a year. Um and uh, 549 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: I can coach because uner college are no rules, you 550 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: can you can do whatever he wants. And I coachday 551 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: you and I coach it to the college level for 552 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: a year. Again, I think just for me, I want 553 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: to get experience doing it. And again, you know, you 554 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: do a lot, and you work out guys and stuff 555 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: like that. But I just wanted to kind of get 556 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: out on my own a little bit and uh and 557 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: get some experience and recruiting you getting out on the trail. 558 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: I wanted to be seen. Sometimes I feel like it's 559 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: so hard again not being a big game guy. If 560 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,479 Speaker 1: you're not out on the trail doing things, Um, if 561 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: you're in and like an operations position and stuff like that, 562 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: I think sometimes it's kind of out of sight, out 563 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: of mind, you know. And sure it's hard to move 564 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: up in this business. All right. So you're coaching Speece 565 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: right that you're that was that was your team? Um? 566 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: Who who is? Who are the best players that you 567 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: had back then? For people who didn't follow the AU stuff. Man, 568 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: we and I coach Speece in Indian Lu had both 569 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: um and we had some great players that Eric Gordon Um, 570 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: who's obviously a phenomenal player. Um we here you know 571 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 1: one of my favorite players ever coach Chris Kramer. Oh 572 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: my god, what a stud? What a stud? Oh my gosh. Right, 573 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: like like produced had produced had like five of these 574 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,959 Speaker 1: guys that Brian Cardinals one, I know, Brian Brian Cardinals 575 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: one Chris Kramer's one. Which like if they're on your 576 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: team that you love them, they're in value. Both they're 577 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: not on your team, you want to my brother was 578 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: it was a Cow. They had a kid named Joge Gutierrez. 579 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: Now Jorges bounce around play a little bit in the NBA. 580 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: It's pretty amazing story. Kid from Mexico. Um, he came 581 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: here and he was like some prep school in Denver. 582 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: Then he was at Finley and I'll never forget my 583 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: brother gets a job at Cow and seven months later, 584 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: Ben Braun gets fired and Monny keeps him and I'm 585 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: I think it was that offseason he took Jogess and 586 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: and basically he went to Finley and the guys are like, look, 587 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: you want to win, take the Mexican kid. And Greg's 588 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: like the dude with the pony tail was like yep. 589 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: They're like and what they said and this, this, this 590 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: will remind you of Chris Kramer and Brian Cardinal. Every 591 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: game you play, the other team will have a guy 592 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: who wants to fight him and and it's unbelievable and 593 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: and it takes it will take somebody other game and 594 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: he just makes he just makes winning plays. And Jory 595 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: Gutiers went on to become the Pact Ball Player of 596 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: the Year. And that's that's exactly like Chris Kramer and 597 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: Brian Cardinal and I could kind of go through the 598 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: list of dudes, but those are the guys that make 599 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: perdue perdue, Like, but how hard are they to identify? Like, 600 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: when you're coaching AU basketball, you love them, But how 601 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: hard is it to sell college coaches on? Look, I 602 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: understand that Chris Kramer might not be able to dunk, okay, 603 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: but you're gonna win games in the Big Ten because him. 604 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: How hard is that when you're talking to coaches. I 605 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: think I think it could be hard. I think it's 606 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 1: a college coach man. Sometimes guys get so blindsided by talent, right, 607 00:31:55,440 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: oh my god, this guy or he's Google athletic. But 608 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, what wins this toughness? 609 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: Right at this level, I mean, like guys that want 610 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: to compete, Guys that understand it's bigger than them, um, 611 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: guys that are tough. Um. And like we had the 612 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: kids Jpmcury here the last few years, Savior and and 613 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: I'm telling I'm how JP was and and those guys win. 614 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: And you think of like a program and he's got 615 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: a great program. That's what they've been built on for 616 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: a long time. During that Payer, during his day from 617 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: during King Katie's days, man like kind of a blue 618 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: collar approach, and and you gotta have guys like that, 619 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: and I don't never to get Like I went and 620 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: saw so I was recruiting from my A team, and 621 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: I really wasn't recruiting Priss. I went to go see 622 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: a kid that he was playing against, and like, I'm 623 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: watching this game and this other kid was supposed to 624 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: be this highland like die you know whatever, and in 625 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: talented guy had all these hymns or offers, and like, 626 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: I'm watching the game and I'm like, why the heck 627 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: am I recruiting active I didn't get Chris Kramer. Um. 628 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: He was just all over the floor, diving on the 629 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: floor to take good charges the floor, you know, you know, 630 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: just the enthusiasm and his toughness became contagious with his 631 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 1: team when you see how much, man, that this impacts winning, 632 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 1: you know, And and it's not always pretty, but he wins. 633 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: But I do think sometimes cold christ and we all 634 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: get blindside of the talent. But like at the end 635 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: of the day, we just gotta understand obviously what wins. Yeah, no, 636 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 1: And it's it's hard because you want you want toughness, 637 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: but you also need to get bucket getters and guys 638 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: that that create shots. So then you went and you 639 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: worked for you work for Crean right when you went 640 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: to IU? Was that was that a package deal with 641 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: you and e J. I was with Colvin Sampson for 642 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: two years. Oh, I forgot it was Kelvin. Yeah. I 643 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: was with Colvin for two years and uh, you know, man, 644 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: it was a Kelvin is a U. When you talked 645 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: about it's like you learned Thayings from every stop that 646 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: you're at right and had he he had a he's 647 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: a terrific coach, Like what are you doing at Easton? 648 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,839 Speaker 1: Not surprising at all. No, we played again. We played 649 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: against him when he was at Oklahoma, and we always 650 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: used to go like, these guys are terrib We we 651 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: had no level of respect for most and they had 652 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: some guys now they had they had, you know, Ryan 653 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: Humphreys was there and before he transferred to Notre Dame, 654 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 1: they had they had plenty of dudes. But we always 655 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: just like, man, we have so much better players. But 656 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: they would run this matchup zone and they were incredibly tough. 657 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: I also, I don't know if you remember, like when 658 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: he first got the job. I come up, came up 659 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:36,839 Speaker 1: and hung out with him for a day, did his story, 660 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:38,640 Speaker 1: showed me his house and all that stuff. And and 661 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: that was when before they built the practic facility. UM, okay, 662 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: so give me your give me your biggest if you could. 663 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: If somebody says, how has Calvin Sampson been able to 664 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: win so much? What is the what are the one 665 00:34:50,280 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: or two things you take away as a coach from himself? Finality? 666 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: And he is a fighter. He is a fighter. I 667 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 1: mean that dude. But but he's hard on his guys. 668 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: But like the relations the piece that he has with 669 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 1: his guys, those dudes would run through a wall for him. 670 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 1: I'm just telling it. Like, so he was the relationship 671 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 1: to things that I was. I was eye open to 672 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 1: me when I worked for him, and how close he 673 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: was with the players, um and how and and because 674 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 1: of that, they would they run through a wall for him. 675 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: And you know, he's obviously a great coach XS and 676 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: those wise. UM, but I think that piece man like, 677 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,400 Speaker 1: he's as good as I've ever been around. UM as 678 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: far as that just getting guys to play harder than 679 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: they could think they could even play. You know. Yeah, 680 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: So how do you how do you get guys to 681 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,360 Speaker 1: how do you get guys to play? Because because like 682 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: I'll tell you Eddie, when any said Eddy sentence, we 683 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,439 Speaker 1: would be His whole thing was how hard you can play? 684 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: Right and just put pushing guy's buttons differently based upon 685 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:01,200 Speaker 1: their own personalities. You know, some guys they would, some 686 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: guys they would, and Coach Sutton didn't curse, but some 687 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: of the assistance would would dog cust you and get 688 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 1: you going. Some guys would. We had our best players, 689 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: Deston Mason and Desmond was a non confrontational guy. Like 690 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: you came at Desmond, he would shut down. But if 691 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: you said, like we need five guys to play his 692 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 1: hard as Desert and Mason like for whatever reason, that 693 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:20,959 Speaker 1: seemed to work. And then occasionally, if his attitude would slip, 694 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: he would call his dad. We had a phone at 695 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: mid court and he would pick up the phone like 696 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: cracks is going on, Desmond, talk back? He did you 697 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: see him talking on the phone. He'd hang up the phone, 698 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,719 Speaker 1: the phone would ring, and then it would be Coach 699 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 1: Sutton like old on Desmond, come over here. I called 700 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,879 Speaker 1: Johnny on the phone. I told him what he told 701 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: what you told me, and now he wants to talk 702 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: to you and like you hear like yes sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, 703 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: I love you too. Click and then like all of 704 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: a sudden, he was a new man. So what was 705 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,920 Speaker 1: Kelvin's trick to getting dudes to play hard? You know? 706 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: I think number one, he understood it. And those who 707 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 1: his audience is like what pushed guys? You know you 708 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: need to be had a little bit guys needed He 709 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: loved on it a little bit more. But and I 710 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 1: thing that he would always do. Man, you didn't answer 711 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 1: her practice even if he was on a guy like 712 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 1: he would really he would so many love to you know, 713 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: cared about him again, don the relationship piece, man, those 714 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 1: guys knew it was more than just basketball, the relationship 715 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,160 Speaker 1: with co Simpson, Like they knew he loved them, cared 716 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: about him as a person. And uh now I think 717 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: that went. That allowed him to go to the extras 718 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,760 Speaker 1: a mile with those guys you know and uh something 719 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: that they really cared all right, So then you go 720 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 1: and you work for Sean Miller. It was like it 721 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 1: was a year under Sean right when you first got 722 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:41,440 Speaker 1: and I've known song forever, man like you know, Song 723 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,439 Speaker 1: was was an assistant at NC State under herb sid 724 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: death when my brother was an assistant there as well. 725 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 1: And obviously you know Song worked under Stad. So I've 726 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: known Song since I would a little you know, like 727 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 1: I was. He used to work me out and and 728 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: Reynolds call see him down at NC State during the summer, 729 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,360 Speaker 1: you know, like, um, so I've don't when when I 730 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 1: was you know, eleven, twelve years old, so I've known 731 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 1: him forever. And again I was good for me because 732 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,840 Speaker 1: you know, it's get fired, we get fired Indianna. It's like, 733 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 1: oh my god, what am I gonna do? You know? 734 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:14,160 Speaker 1: And uh, I was lucky, man. I didn't know if 735 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,359 Speaker 1: I wanted to coach college basketball anymore. I thought about 736 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,360 Speaker 1: just coaching high school then in Indiana, UM, and I 737 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:22,919 Speaker 1: was lucky man that that selling offered me a job 738 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 1: as a director of basketball operations UM at Xavier. And 739 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:29,879 Speaker 1: you know, man, it's again you learned everything. You learn 740 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: something from every spot you're at. And I think for me, 741 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: doesn't he really still how to run a program. And 742 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: you know almost like you know, Shaun's like a CEO, 743 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: you know the way he kind of approached it and 744 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: you know, it was very systematic and everything that he did, 745 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: whether it was you know, still development, whether it was scheduling, 746 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: whether it was you know, how we put in the 747 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: offensive and defensive system, the identity of our team. Um, 748 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: he's just so he's so symptomatic everything that he does. Man, 749 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 1: And I think that CEO type of mindset, it was 750 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 1: different for me. I had never really seen that mindset. 751 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: I've seen guys that obviously really really coaches, But I 752 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 1: thought so did a great job of that. I always thought, 753 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: And every time I've been to one of his practices, 754 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 1: I thought it was like a clinic, you know, like 755 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: every practice you work on post feeds, you know, catching 756 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: the wing shot fake or ball fake. One drill will 757 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 1: improve your angle, deliver the past, like I feel like, 758 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:39,680 Speaker 1: and and almost every coach that, And I know he 759 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: hasn't been to a Final four, and there's some other 760 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:44,359 Speaker 1: stuff going on, but I do feel like almost every 761 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:48,040 Speaker 1: coach I've ever been to whose teams um are elite. 762 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: They whether they say they're working on passing and catching 763 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: and cutting and the fundamentals or whether they just say 764 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,320 Speaker 1: the fundamentals, they all seem to do it. Now, I 765 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 1: don't Um, you know, like I don't remember when I 766 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 1: was like, we didn't do a ton of it at 767 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 1: Oaklaham State. Now we were naturally a good passing team 768 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:08,720 Speaker 1: because the person that we played a little bit smaller 769 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:12,360 Speaker 1: lineup than he had played. Um, but I do, like 770 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 1: I feel like he's his teams are as fundamentally sound 771 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: offensively and defensively. You know, do I I if I 772 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 1: had a flaw to pick with him, it's that, Um, 773 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: you know, he needs to kind of open up the 774 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,239 Speaker 1: offense a little bit and free up the reins. But 775 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,800 Speaker 1: they play really hard, they're really physical, and he understands 776 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 1: that like end of the day, you know, taking care 777 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: of the basketball, getting turnovers, defensively, winning the battle on 778 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 1: the boards, like that's what wins you basketball games. And 779 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 1: he does an incredible job of coaching those fundamentals. No, 780 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: he does, man, he does. And he again he takes 781 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,799 Speaker 1: about basketballs like you said, maybe wore context and passing, gribbling, um, 782 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 1: your work and your jump shot like you know, every 783 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: rep matters, Every rep mattered with him, and you know, 784 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: just to find the littlest, the tiniest details, man, like 785 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 1: the devils and the details and my ease he is 786 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: a he is a great toat yea, I think it's true. Okay, 787 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 1: So so so he leaves and he goes to he 788 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: goes to Arizona, and uh Mac takes over and to 789 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,320 Speaker 1: some people that was a little bit of surprise. But 790 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 1: so you guys are like you as they're sitting a room, 791 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: and do you remember where you are when Christmas you 792 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: found out Chris Mac was gonna get the head coaching John. 793 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: You know, I was here at Visas. So when Sewn 794 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: when Sam decided to go to Arizona, that whole deal 795 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: and I was in Detroit. That was the final four 796 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: and I came back immediately because we were gonna have 797 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 1: a beating. And then that's when he said he was 798 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,280 Speaker 1: going to Arizona. And then I knew Chris was obviously 799 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,760 Speaker 1: gonna try to get the job um, so I stayed 800 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 1: here with him during that time. You know, it's like 801 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 1: a week by time framed in between sewn Um taking 802 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,480 Speaker 1: the Arizona job and Chris Gidnes. So I'll remember when 803 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 1: Chris got it said he was getting the job. I 804 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 1: was like, you know, in the office and said toss 805 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,640 Speaker 1: there and did you did you think? Now? Do you 806 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:04,640 Speaker 1: think maybe I should go to I should go to Arizona. 807 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 1: Like what was that? What was the thought process? You know? 808 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:08,880 Speaker 1: I think the thought process for me that was, like, 809 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:11,359 Speaker 1: you know, number one, like I really believe in Chris. 810 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:14,880 Speaker 1: I knew Chris is really, really, really good. And for me, 811 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,279 Speaker 1: I spent my whole career here. You know, you think 812 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:20,239 Speaker 1: about here in the Midwest, basically within a three hour 813 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:23,319 Speaker 1: radios of of where I was from, where I'm from 814 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 1: in Danville, Indiana, So all my relationships, all my ties 815 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: are right here. So I felt like this is the 816 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: place where I could do the best job, um, you know, 817 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:36,399 Speaker 1: and I could learn its been from a different guy. 818 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: Is the way I looked at it, Chris, because I 819 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:40,400 Speaker 1: knew Chris. You know, obviously we're gonna do things very 820 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,320 Speaker 1: similar to how how Sean did him. But you know, 821 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 1: Chris is gonna obviously do things a little bit differently 822 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:48,440 Speaker 1: and I want to kind of learn from him. And 823 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: uh now I was fortunate he was able that he 824 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:54,640 Speaker 1: kept me on staff. All Ball Podcast. Travis Steel is 825 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: our guests head coach at Xavier. What what allowed like 826 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,439 Speaker 1: as good as Dave years program had been under all 827 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: of the previous coaches and there's an unbelievable list right 828 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:10,799 Speaker 1: like they've they've literally all been good. It's Mac. Mac 829 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 1: took it to a higher level. Um. Obviously, you know 830 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 1: you go back to last year on one seed, UM, 831 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: and you know, winning the Big East and like all 832 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: all of those things. Uh, what do you think separated 833 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,600 Speaker 1: Chris Mack as a coach from other coaches? You know, 834 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:29,480 Speaker 1: I think he is an incredible communicator. Um. Again, he's 835 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,800 Speaker 1: another guy really understands his audience. Whether he's talking to 836 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,000 Speaker 1: a high school kid, it's much different than talking to 837 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:38,440 Speaker 1: I'm saying, a high school recruit or talking to a 838 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,239 Speaker 1: kid that's on a grad transfer or talking to our team, 839 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:46,000 Speaker 1: talking to boosters talking. You know that he understands his audience. 840 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,880 Speaker 1: I think number one and number two he is a 841 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: he is really really really organized and everything he does, 842 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:56,240 Speaker 1: like I'm sure he's got um practice number one already 843 00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:59,839 Speaker 1: played out for next year that Louisville, It wouldn't shock. 844 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 1: That's how organized. He knows exactly how he wants to 845 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:07,800 Speaker 1: put it in say offensively, offensively and defensively. There's a 846 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: very organized process how he kind of goes about that. 847 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 1: He Uh, he's a great coach. Man, he's an even 848 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:19,520 Speaker 1: better person, and I'm very fortunate to work underneath them. Okay, 849 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 1: so you guys win twenty nine games, you win the 850 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,040 Speaker 1: Big East, you get a one seed, but you you'll 851 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: you lose in the second round, and then he leaves 852 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 1: for Louisville and they left the job open for like 853 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:33,839 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say it felt like ten days. I don't 854 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,880 Speaker 1: know if it felt was it? How long was it 855 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,320 Speaker 1: was it? How what was it? What was it like 856 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:41,640 Speaker 1: to be you? Because look again, we don't know each 857 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 1: other that well. I know I know your boy Luke 858 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:47,279 Speaker 1: Murray a lot better, um, and I know everybody else 859 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:49,279 Speaker 1: in basketball, and I know like bits and pieces of 860 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:51,200 Speaker 1: all these guys that that that are kind of a 861 00:44:51,239 --> 00:44:54,879 Speaker 1: your basketball family, and they're all like, Travis is the guy. 862 00:44:55,080 --> 00:44:57,040 Speaker 1: He's got to get the job. Travis is the guy. 863 00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:58,800 Speaker 1: He's got to get the job. And I'm like, the 864 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:01,879 Speaker 1: longer since open, you're it there going, well, maybe there's 865 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:04,239 Speaker 1: something they know about trapped right there, like there's maybe 866 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:06,360 Speaker 1: there's something they got on him, like maybe I don't know, 867 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:10,440 Speaker 1: Like nah, he's he's married, he's not need that flo around, 868 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:12,879 Speaker 1: Like he's a solid dude, Like what is it Why 869 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:15,000 Speaker 1: are they not giving him the job? What? How? What 870 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:18,719 Speaker 1: was that whatever? Two weeks like for you you know, 871 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:21,759 Speaker 1: it was it was interesting me. I had to have 872 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:25,960 Speaker 1: had a I had some other opportunities, so go on 873 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,000 Speaker 1: at the time, you know, other head coaching jobs, the 874 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 1: positions that were open, and it was funny, man, I 875 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,400 Speaker 1: basically turned them down and I went all in on Xavia. 876 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:37,839 Speaker 1: And you know, because number one, you know, I've been 877 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 1: here obviously a really long time. And uh and I 878 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:42,840 Speaker 1: know obviously you know, like in this business, you know, 879 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:44,480 Speaker 1: in order to win big, you get a bet big. 880 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:48,040 Speaker 1: And and uh so I was I thought it was 881 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 1: the TUC gonna risk for me when I just kind 882 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:53,240 Speaker 1: of put my head down. You know, great Christopher Athletic 883 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:56,319 Speaker 1: director UM. You know, he came in right after christ 884 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:59,839 Speaker 1: met with team UM with our players and told him 885 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:02,080 Speaker 1: that he was leaving the rule. You know, he came 886 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,239 Speaker 1: up to my office and said, hey, listen, Trap, here's 887 00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:07,480 Speaker 1: here's going to be the process. You know, we you know, 888 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,239 Speaker 1: you know, obviously respect you. I think you'd do a 889 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 1: great job, but obviously we have to do what's best 890 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:17,560 Speaker 1: for Xavior and the program. And so we're gonna look 891 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 1: at other candidates. You're going to be one of the 892 00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:22,200 Speaker 1: candidates as long as you would want to be. I 893 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:25,560 Speaker 1: want to go through the process. Um, you know, but 894 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: you know we're gonna interview guys down at the down 895 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:32,120 Speaker 1: in San Antonio, down the final four. You know, you're 896 00:46:32,160 --> 00:46:34,320 Speaker 1: taking me the back of mind, like, okay, that's fine, 897 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:37,759 Speaker 1: you know, and honestly, you know, and uh and Sean 898 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:39,840 Speaker 1: Miller didn't me this piece of advice. He said, honestly, 899 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:44,000 Speaker 1: just put your head down, do not listen to anything anyone, 900 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:47,399 Speaker 1: don't get on social media. Just put your head down, man, 901 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:49,920 Speaker 1: you know, just you know, go back to your own business, 902 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 1: prepare for your interview. And you know, and it's like 903 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: I've even told my brother this during the time Train two. 904 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: It's you know, I feel like I've had a I've 905 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:01,480 Speaker 1: had a six year interview with Drake Ritopher. He knew me. 906 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,440 Speaker 1: I knew him really well. He goes on every road 907 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,759 Speaker 1: trip he's in on the film. He he loves you know, 908 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 1: he's always involved in the recruit He likes to know 909 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:11,120 Speaker 1: what's going on and stuff. So you know, he knew 910 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:12,919 Speaker 1: kind of what he was getting, but he also wanted 911 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 1: to see you know, like Hey, all right, what uh 912 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:18,800 Speaker 1: what is going to be my vision for this program? 913 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,799 Speaker 1: How are we going to take it to the next level? 914 00:47:21,400 --> 00:47:24,880 Speaker 1: Once again, Like he said, every coach, whether it's Bob Stack, 915 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:29,799 Speaker 1: Pete Gillan's get prosper you know, obviously sad Mona, Sean Miller, 916 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:33,560 Speaker 1: Christna every coach has continued to grow the program. And 917 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, Xavier and obviously you know our administration there 918 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:38,799 Speaker 1: there's a lot of that credit for getting us, helping 919 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:41,400 Speaker 1: us build from the m c C to the and 920 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 1: obviously to the Big East as well, which is obviously 921 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,279 Speaker 1: you know, helped grow the program as well. Um, you know, 922 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 1: he wanted to hear my vision and and I had 923 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:51,759 Speaker 1: to be able to articulate that to him in a 924 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,319 Speaker 1: very very clear way. And uh, you know, so we're 925 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,040 Speaker 1: down at San Antonio interviewed for the job, right and 926 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, you're always kind of waiting around been when 927 00:48:00,719 --> 00:48:02,800 Speaker 1: you know, then I was I was gonna fly back 928 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:06,160 Speaker 1: right after my interview to be with my wife and 929 00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:07,799 Speaker 1: my son. I got a little a little six year 930 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:11,239 Speaker 1: old boy, and you know, great Christopher kind of said 931 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 1: to me on the way out and said, hey, you 932 00:48:12,480 --> 00:48:14,640 Speaker 1: may want to stay next to day I don't know 933 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:17,400 Speaker 1: where those thing's heading. So you know, I didn't have 934 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:19,839 Speaker 1: any clothes. I didn't have an excess set of clothes. 935 00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:21,399 Speaker 1: I had to go buy some clothes at a little 936 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:25,360 Speaker 1: mall right there in San Antonio. And uh, and I 937 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,839 Speaker 1: was fortunate, you know, I bought a little Nike half 938 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:32,560 Speaker 1: sip and uh. I bought some Kaki Night Nike little 939 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:35,160 Speaker 1: TACKI pants because I was afraid, like, hey, you know 940 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:37,160 Speaker 1: what if Great Christopher called me and says, hey, I 941 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:39,360 Speaker 1: want to meet with you, I have to look decent. 942 00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:43,000 Speaker 1: Like I said, I didn't have any clothes. I had 943 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:45,880 Speaker 1: to go buy the odoran you know, to toothlus, tooth paste, 944 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:51,400 Speaker 1: the whole deal. Um. And then Greg Greg called me 945 00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:54,239 Speaker 1: and said said the next morning, I was out on 946 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: a run and there in San Antonio, and he called 947 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:00,880 Speaker 1: me and said, hey, yeah, I want to meet up. 948 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:03,399 Speaker 1: Can you meet in thirty minutes? So I ran as 949 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:05,440 Speaker 1: fast as I could. I probably I don't know how 950 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,279 Speaker 1: fast I was running back to the hotel. I think, 951 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:09,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know if I can run a 952 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,480 Speaker 1: five innut a mile, but I felt like I was um, 953 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,279 Speaker 1: so I about there and I didn't even have time 954 00:49:15,320 --> 00:49:17,400 Speaker 1: to share out to do on some of my new clothes, 955 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 1: and I was ready for him. And the first time 956 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,840 Speaker 1: I ever thought that I wasn't getting the job was 957 00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: at that moment, because I was like, dang, Like all 958 00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:31,880 Speaker 1: of a sudden, I picked out my window of my 959 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 1: hotel and I saw a Great Christopher walking with the 960 00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:39,920 Speaker 1: two of the associate athletic director to the Savior. Um my, dang, 961 00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:41,640 Speaker 1: as I do as the moment, so I called my 962 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: wife real quick. I said, hey, listen, we'll probably gonna 963 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:48,160 Speaker 1: know here in the next fifteen minutes whether I'm getting 964 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:50,840 Speaker 1: a job or not. He's like, oh my god. She 965 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:53,640 Speaker 1: started getting off, you know. So then I'm waking up 966 00:49:53,640 --> 00:49:56,960 Speaker 1: to my room and and Great Christopher knocks on the 967 00:49:57,040 --> 00:50:00,239 Speaker 1: door and there he is, and when he sits down, 968 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:02,279 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, he he offered me 969 00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:06,839 Speaker 1: a job. And obviously I took that before he before 970 00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:09,439 Speaker 1: he just spit it all out, man, I was. I said, yeah, 971 00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:16,719 Speaker 1: so you're so your your first call is to your wife, 972 00:50:18,239 --> 00:50:21,479 Speaker 1: first calling to my life. And then obviously I spoke 973 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:24,520 Speaker 1: with our president of our university, father Graham, and then 974 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:26,319 Speaker 1: uh and then one of the next thing, I did 975 00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:28,719 Speaker 1: you know, Greg wanted to announce it, and I called 976 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,080 Speaker 1: you know, obviously Chris Smack and Sean Miller and my 977 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,279 Speaker 1: brother anybody felt them seem to anybody had had a 978 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:37,360 Speaker 1: big influence in my career. Man, I made sure that 979 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:40,080 Speaker 1: I said thank you to those guys, because without those guys, 980 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:44,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be where I'm at today. So you you 981 00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:47,480 Speaker 1: you get the job. Um, what was first putting together 982 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:51,800 Speaker 1: a staff or figuring out players? You know what it 983 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,480 Speaker 1: was when I when I called som Miller, he said, Hey, 984 00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:55,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you a piece. As I said, it 985 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:59,200 Speaker 1: would be a billion text messages. He said, like, you 986 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:01,719 Speaker 1: have to just basically focused on three things. And these 987 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:04,440 Speaker 1: are three things that I focused on all spring. Number 988 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:07,200 Speaker 1: one with our current players, which I had already had 989 00:51:07,239 --> 00:51:11,319 Speaker 1: a relationship point. Obviously, I I coached and recruise them. Um, 990 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,719 Speaker 1: I knew their parents, you know, So I called you 991 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:16,120 Speaker 1: to the players. I wanted to turk flew back immediately 992 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:20,960 Speaker 1: from San Antonio to Cincinnati to be with those guys. Um. 993 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,000 Speaker 1: And then the second focus was obviously was recruiting. Like 994 00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:27,960 Speaker 1: we had a lot lot of scholarships avail um and 995 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:30,000 Speaker 1: we only had a couple of visits. We had, we 996 00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,680 Speaker 1: had three official visits, and we had like six or 997 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:37,080 Speaker 1: seven open spots on our on our rooster, um, which 998 00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:38,719 Speaker 1: you can do the math. That's not a visit that 999 00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:42,600 Speaker 1: I have. So we needed players for this year, for 1000 00:51:42,719 --> 00:51:45,680 Speaker 1: this for the upcoming season. Um. And then third was 1001 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:47,560 Speaker 1: and probably the most important things that you just said 1002 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:50,279 Speaker 1: is hiring a great staff. And that's probably the most 1003 00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:52,280 Speaker 1: important thing you can do as the head coaches, putting 1004 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:58,920 Speaker 1: putting really good people around you. Um. How what's what's 1005 00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:01,839 Speaker 1: the what's the is there a trick to Like when 1006 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,640 Speaker 1: I saw you guys rule in the year against Evansville, 1007 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:06,719 Speaker 1: I felt like you were still trying to figure out 1008 00:52:06,880 --> 00:52:10,680 Speaker 1: like Naza for example, super talented kid, but there was 1009 00:52:10,680 --> 00:52:13,480 Speaker 1: a little bit of challenge there in terms of getting 1010 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:16,920 Speaker 1: him completely bought into what you're doing. Whereas late in 1011 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:18,960 Speaker 1: the year, I mean I remember that the game that 1012 00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:20,920 Speaker 1: kind of turned your season was that creating game, Like 1013 00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:24,279 Speaker 1: he was he was a different player. Um, what's the 1014 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:26,400 Speaker 1: challenge like in being like when you're assisting, you have 1015 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:28,680 Speaker 1: one role, you're head coach, you have different role. How 1016 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:31,040 Speaker 1: did you how did you kind of evolve through the year? 1017 00:52:32,920 --> 00:52:34,520 Speaker 1: You know, I think number one. You just gotta be 1018 00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:37,680 Speaker 1: who you are and you are and I think I 1019 00:52:37,800 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 1: think guys they see light through people that our fakeer 1020 00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:43,640 Speaker 1: trying to be different than who they are. You know, 1021 00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:46,080 Speaker 1: it's try to be somebody else that they're not. UM. 1022 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:47,799 Speaker 1: You know, so I just tried to be the same 1023 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:50,320 Speaker 1: person I was as I was an assistant coach. And 1024 00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:55,800 Speaker 1: I think we all grew as as staff players program 1025 00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,800 Speaker 1: this year. UM, as the season went on and and 1026 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,799 Speaker 1: you know, like Nazi for since you've never been asked 1027 00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:04,600 Speaker 1: to be a seat of guy at this level like 1028 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:07,040 Speaker 1: last you know, his freshman he had a really nice 1029 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 1: freshman year. But we had Trayvon Blue and Tape in 1030 00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:12,800 Speaker 1: the character and cancer guys are Gage, Shaun o'marra. We 1031 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:14,880 Speaker 1: had a bunch of dudes that we played through. We 1032 00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:17,880 Speaker 1: didn't really we didn't play through Naji. And all of 1033 00:53:17,920 --> 00:53:20,120 Speaker 1: a sudden, you're one of the focus, you know, focal 1034 00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:23,480 Speaker 1: points on a scouting report, UM, favory team. It's a 1035 00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:26,600 Speaker 1: it's a it's a big change. And you know Naji 1036 00:53:26,680 --> 00:53:29,000 Speaker 1: had to figure that out. Um. You have to trust 1037 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:32,759 Speaker 1: the offense, trust me, trust on new staff, UM, and 1038 00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:35,560 Speaker 1: I think that trust got stronger and stronger as a 1039 00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:38,000 Speaker 1: year went on, and I think he learned how to 1040 00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:41,800 Speaker 1: be a guy, a play through guy, learned how to 1041 00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:44,000 Speaker 1: be a guy that to facilitate to others, learned how 1042 00:53:44,040 --> 00:53:46,399 Speaker 1: to be a guy that could create his own shot, 1043 00:53:46,600 --> 00:53:49,560 Speaker 1: you know, like because he's talented enough to do it, obviously, 1044 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:51,880 Speaker 1: but it is a big adjustment at this level because 1045 00:53:52,320 --> 00:53:54,640 Speaker 1: you think about it, like Evans, those guys, terrific coaching staff, 1046 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:57,560 Speaker 1: all these guys, you know, Creighton did as well, and 1047 00:53:57,680 --> 00:53:59,239 Speaker 1: coach you know, coach McDermott was one of the best 1048 00:53:59,239 --> 00:54:02,640 Speaker 1: in the entire country. And uh, you know, you're playing 1049 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:04,719 Speaker 1: against really good, really good coach is a really good 1050 00:54:04,719 --> 00:54:07,720 Speaker 1: players that year and I thought not he really grewsing 1051 00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:10,520 Speaker 1: you went on and you really strong end up being 1052 00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:13,799 Speaker 1: a second team All Conference guy. You know's we were 1053 00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:16,920 Speaker 1: talking earlier about how basketball has changed. If you went 1054 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:20,520 Speaker 1: back to when I played or held early two thousand's, 1055 00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:23,560 Speaker 1: you guys had a great You have a great lineup, right, 1056 00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:25,759 Speaker 1: You got two bigs so you can post double right 1057 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:29,560 Speaker 1: with with Tarik and and with with Hankins, right, Like 1058 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:32,680 Speaker 1: that's a right. It was having two bigs and then 1059 00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:37,000 Speaker 1: having a mobile kind of hybrid three four in Marshall. Um, 1060 00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:43,200 Speaker 1: but like shooting and spacing is so different now that 1061 00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:46,080 Speaker 1: it becomes really it was. I think it was a 1062 00:54:46,160 --> 00:54:49,680 Speaker 1: really big challenge for you in hindsight, Like I don't 1063 00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:52,040 Speaker 1: know if you don't take a Zack Hankins because he's 1064 00:54:52,040 --> 00:54:54,080 Speaker 1: a D two Player of the Year, and I mean 1065 00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,600 Speaker 1: it's kind of a no brainer. Um, and you take 1066 00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:59,400 Speaker 1: Wellage is a grad transfer and Castling is a grad transfer. 1067 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:03,319 Speaker 1: Can can you be more selective? Not in that they're 1068 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:05,600 Speaker 1: not bad kids, but just hey, here's what we need. 1069 00:55:05,640 --> 00:55:08,480 Speaker 1: We need more shooting in space more than we need 1070 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:11,560 Speaker 1: more size. Could you? Is that something in the future 1071 00:55:11,640 --> 00:55:14,120 Speaker 1: that you kind of try and figure out and kind 1072 00:55:14,160 --> 00:55:15,839 Speaker 1: of a little bit like we talked about Chris Kramer, 1073 00:55:15,920 --> 00:55:19,200 Speaker 1: not just picking toughness above athletic talent, but also how 1074 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:22,640 Speaker 1: it fits in with with your your current players. Yeah, 1075 00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:24,160 Speaker 1: I think I think you have the nail on the 1076 00:55:24,200 --> 00:55:26,440 Speaker 1: head man, like that. The pieces have to sit together 1077 00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:29,040 Speaker 1: in our team this year quite all, I did sit 1078 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:31,400 Speaker 1: together real well, and we had to throw it together 1079 00:55:31,719 --> 00:55:35,480 Speaker 1: last springs um as quickly as possible. How many open 1080 00:55:35,520 --> 00:55:43,280 Speaker 1: scholarships you you know, um, very often too. Some Tigers 1081 00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:47,680 Speaker 1: playing together at this level anymore. And you know, like 1082 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:50,279 Speaker 1: if you do six nine guy, I usually had a 1083 00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:53,719 Speaker 1: guy to community stretching and maybe you could defendit side 1084 00:55:53,719 --> 00:55:55,480 Speaker 1: of we've done a little bit, but you know Tyreek 1085 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:59,640 Speaker 1: and Zack of both guys that would operate fifn you know, 1086 00:55:59,719 --> 00:56:02,719 Speaker 1: so spacing on the floor, it was, it was we 1087 00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:04,160 Speaker 1: didn't have a whole lot of space on the floor 1088 00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:06,680 Speaker 1: when we had those two guys on the floor together. Um. 1089 00:56:06,760 --> 00:56:09,640 Speaker 1: But at the same time, I knew that it was 1090 00:56:09,719 --> 00:56:12,840 Speaker 1: our face or our five best players that's Hyrikan and 1091 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,920 Speaker 1: Zach were in there. Um, so we had to play differently, 1092 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:20,239 Speaker 1: so we would run much different stuff offensively. Um. When 1093 00:56:20,520 --> 00:56:22,719 Speaker 1: when we had those two guys in compared up to 1094 00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:25,160 Speaker 1: when we had Ryan, Well, it's at the four floor 1095 00:56:25,560 --> 00:56:27,480 Speaker 1: a nage Marshal at the flour I think you can 1096 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:30,480 Speaker 1: get a lot more creative. The more spacing you have 1097 00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:33,279 Speaker 1: on the floor and the more suitors you have on 1098 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:35,600 Speaker 1: the floor, the more treat if you can get, the 1099 00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:39,319 Speaker 1: more things you can do. And you know, like again 1100 00:56:39,400 --> 00:56:41,680 Speaker 1: like and that's the way the games and change, and 1101 00:56:42,280 --> 00:56:45,200 Speaker 1: obviously the way we're recruiting that that's exactly what we're 1102 00:56:45,239 --> 00:56:48,399 Speaker 1: doing now. If you can't. It's it's hard to play 1103 00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:51,640 Speaker 1: this game, um if you can't fit with the way 1104 00:56:51,680 --> 00:56:54,520 Speaker 1: against light now and you know, I think get away. 1105 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:56,560 Speaker 1: I think you can get away with having one guy, 1106 00:56:56,719 --> 00:57:00,239 Speaker 1: you know what I mean special though, like you know 1107 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:02,880 Speaker 1: there's not many Rondos out but but you also you 1108 00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:05,040 Speaker 1: also and I was you also you also have to 1109 00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:06,719 Speaker 1: be able to guard though too, right, Like it's like 1110 00:57:07,200 --> 00:57:09,120 Speaker 1: you can maybe get away with one one guy a 1111 00:57:09,239 --> 00:57:11,040 Speaker 1: little bit, but you can't get away more than one 1112 00:57:11,080 --> 00:57:15,200 Speaker 1: guy that that dead can't guard. Correct, you better be 1113 00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:17,080 Speaker 1: a a garden space and he's better be able to 1114 00:57:17,120 --> 00:57:19,680 Speaker 1: big size. And I think you know, that's what everybody's 1115 00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:22,960 Speaker 1: looking for. And it's just those versatile guys, got like 1116 00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:25,720 Speaker 1: sized guys. It's what going has had. It's what we 1117 00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:29,040 Speaker 1: tried to recruit to UM. And we brought in the 1118 00:57:29,080 --> 00:57:32,520 Speaker 1: twenty four teen class of Edmund Sumner, Um d P. 1119 00:57:32,720 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 1: Materia and Tray vam Blewett and those guys like shooting 1120 00:57:36,600 --> 00:57:40,360 Speaker 1: still like sized guys. You've got kind of versatile guys, 1121 00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:43,360 Speaker 1: you know, the players you know and and uh, you 1122 00:57:43,440 --> 00:57:45,600 Speaker 1: know Nas he's kind of dick that he's got to 1123 00:57:45,640 --> 00:57:48,680 Speaker 1: become a better he has become a better seater UM. 1124 00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:51,880 Speaker 1: But like the more reversial guys, you're handling Foo and 1125 00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:54,760 Speaker 1: just changes space. It changes the pace that you're able 1126 00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:57,920 Speaker 1: to play at UM as well. UM, and that is 1127 00:57:58,000 --> 00:57:59,640 Speaker 1: the wind of the game is played. So we were 1128 00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:02,400 Speaker 1: obviously we're trying to recruit that way and that style 1129 00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:05,040 Speaker 1: of play UM, but we just kind of had to 1130 00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:07,280 Speaker 1: figure it out this year's death as a possibly do it. 1131 00:58:08,560 --> 00:58:10,760 Speaker 1: You you you took over a job and you said 1132 00:58:10,760 --> 00:58:13,440 Speaker 1: everybody's taken into a higher level. I mean, like the 1133 00:58:13,520 --> 00:58:15,800 Speaker 1: only higher level than where you where it's been as 1134 00:58:15,840 --> 00:58:18,400 Speaker 1: the final four our I'll just tell you, like our 1135 00:58:18,440 --> 00:58:21,200 Speaker 1: guys at Fox, obviously we cover the Big East, all 1136 00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,840 Speaker 1: of us kind of whether it was Laugh or Jimmy 1137 00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:28,600 Speaker 1: Jackson or Nick Barr or Raft, we're all like man Travis. Actually, 1138 00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:32,680 Speaker 1: Travis actually taken on a way harder job at Xavier 1139 00:58:33,200 --> 00:58:35,800 Speaker 1: than any of his predecessors because all of those other 1140 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:39,480 Speaker 1: guys were successful. They've all gone on to bigger things, 1141 00:58:39,560 --> 00:58:42,120 Speaker 1: but they all were, you know, like when you're in 1142 00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:44,439 Speaker 1: the A ten, Xavier was far and away the most 1143 00:58:44,920 --> 00:58:48,479 Speaker 1: most invested program in the A ten. The fans are great, 1144 00:58:48,880 --> 00:58:52,080 Speaker 1: the facilities are great. You were just uh the proximity 1145 00:58:52,120 --> 00:58:54,560 Speaker 1: of players was great, like you had kind of going on. 1146 00:58:55,120 --> 00:58:57,600 Speaker 1: Whereas now when you're you took a job that was 1147 00:58:57,720 --> 00:58:59,600 Speaker 1: one seed in a league. And look, the Big East 1148 00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:03,640 Speaker 1: does not Cuson, Louisville and Notre Dame and and and 1149 00:59:04,040 --> 00:59:06,800 Speaker 1: and you know Yukon anymore. But you know, you had 1150 00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:08,960 Speaker 1: a team that one that's won two of the last 1151 00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:11,800 Speaker 1: three national championships. There are at least programs that are 1152 00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:16,080 Speaker 1: have like amount of investment. Um, how much more challenging 1153 00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:17,840 Speaker 1: was it for you than it was when you were 1154 00:59:17,880 --> 00:59:22,240 Speaker 1: part of mac staff taking over for Sean Miller. I mean, 1155 00:59:22,320 --> 00:59:25,680 Speaker 1: obviously it's challenging. You think about the the East coaches 1156 00:59:25,720 --> 00:59:31,360 Speaker 1: that are lead the programs, the players. Man he is hide. 1157 00:59:32,040 --> 00:59:35,040 Speaker 1: You can't fake it at this level, you know, like 1158 00:59:35,240 --> 00:59:38,520 Speaker 1: it's a you need dues that are talented. You need 1159 00:59:38,560 --> 00:59:41,640 Speaker 1: to to an invested. You guys are dropsic of your culture. 1160 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:44,600 Speaker 1: But like, you can't fake it. I mean, if you 1161 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,160 Speaker 1: try to fake it at this over, you're gonna get 1162 00:59:46,160 --> 00:59:50,080 Speaker 1: your back kicked and and uh no talk to There 1163 00:59:50,200 --> 00:59:52,080 Speaker 1: was a lot of challenges of that, you know, so 1164 00:59:52,200 --> 00:59:54,280 Speaker 1: I know, we we we knew that we're gonna lease 1165 00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:57,200 Speaker 1: a lot off last year, um when we were the 1166 00:59:57,240 --> 01:00:00,480 Speaker 1: one season were biggest regular season chance, um, and we 1167 01:00:00,760 --> 01:00:03,600 Speaker 1: lost a lot um. But also knew we had kind 1168 01:00:03,640 --> 01:00:05,680 Speaker 1: of a core young guys that were pretty talented, you know. 1169 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:09,000 Speaker 1: And and but but the weird things and for Xavier 1170 01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:13,200 Speaker 1: is here, we've always been as good as our seniors 1171 01:00:13,240 --> 01:00:18,240 Speaker 1: off boways, you know, during my entire my entire time here, 1172 01:00:18,480 --> 01:00:21,640 Speaker 1: and then we didn't have any seniors like like the seniors, 1173 01:00:21,680 --> 01:00:24,400 Speaker 1: like guys that have been here you know for either 1174 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:26,560 Speaker 1: the whole time or even two years or three years. 1175 01:00:26,640 --> 01:00:28,600 Speaker 1: We had to bring in three grads answers. Those are 1176 01:00:29,040 --> 01:00:33,000 Speaker 1: those were our three seniors this past year senior. That 1177 01:00:33,120 --> 01:00:37,240 Speaker 1: was interesting, Yeah, and that made it really meek and 1178 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:39,640 Speaker 1: like that, So we knew it was gonna be kind 1179 01:00:39,640 --> 01:00:41,680 Speaker 1: of a hotspot. I knew you could get better late 1180 01:00:42,200 --> 01:00:44,040 Speaker 1: if our guys could stick with it because we had 1181 01:00:44,080 --> 01:00:46,280 Speaker 1: so many new guys and and new guys and new 1182 01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:49,680 Speaker 1: roles and a new staff. Um, you know, I knew 1183 01:00:49,720 --> 01:00:51,919 Speaker 1: it was gonna be a big challenge. And obviously don't 1184 01:00:51,920 --> 01:00:54,120 Speaker 1: put that kind of challenge too. I mean, like you know, 1185 01:00:54,200 --> 01:00:57,000 Speaker 1: now we were talented, We had a live talent um, 1186 01:00:57,560 --> 01:00:59,400 Speaker 1: and stuff like that when you and Chris took over. 1187 01:00:59,560 --> 01:01:02,320 Speaker 1: But and there's alose challenges, man, I don't know if 1188 01:01:02,360 --> 01:01:05,880 Speaker 1: mine's hardly and the next guys, but you know, we 1189 01:01:06,000 --> 01:01:08,160 Speaker 1: decried to attack because if that's just would possibly good man, 1190 01:01:08,520 --> 01:01:12,880 Speaker 1: except to have a staff that uh and they did 1191 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:17,040 Speaker 1: a great job this year. Um, I think Luke is 1192 01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:19,560 Speaker 1: Luke Murray is going to get a head coaching job. 1193 01:01:22,400 --> 01:01:24,680 Speaker 1: What what I mean? Obviously those of us who know 1194 01:01:24,800 --> 01:01:26,240 Speaker 1: and and I know him pretty well, it's it's always 1195 01:01:26,240 --> 01:01:29,040 Speaker 1: interesting like I had. Um, I've gotten to know Richard 1196 01:01:29,080 --> 01:01:31,400 Speaker 1: Bettina pretty well. And like again, like Richard Petina, you 1197 01:01:31,440 --> 01:01:34,560 Speaker 1: would think like son of Rick, you know, you think 1198 01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:37,919 Speaker 1: he was he grew up entitled and arrogant, like dude 1199 01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:42,080 Speaker 1: to self deprecating and super enjoyable to be around. Luke obviously, 1200 01:01:42,200 --> 01:01:44,520 Speaker 1: like right, like you go up and your dad is 1201 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:49,000 Speaker 1: one of the funniest men in the history of the business. Right, 1202 01:01:49,080 --> 01:01:51,160 Speaker 1: You're like, do you almost like to do something funny? 1203 01:01:51,680 --> 01:01:54,320 Speaker 1: But he's just he's just a very normal rate For 1204 01:01:54,440 --> 01:01:56,960 Speaker 1: people who don't know Luke, what's he like on a 1205 01:01:57,040 --> 01:02:01,360 Speaker 1: daily basis, He's just a normal guy. He really is, 1206 01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:03,440 Speaker 1: Like he is a he's at number one. He's a 1207 01:02:03,840 --> 01:02:07,600 Speaker 1: he's a great dude. He was awesome to work. He 1208 01:02:07,720 --> 01:02:14,560 Speaker 1: works really hard, really hard, very competitive. Um dude, everyone 1209 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:17,600 Speaker 1: like the players love them, people love to work with them. 1210 01:02:17,960 --> 01:02:20,880 Speaker 1: I mean, like I said, man, he's a he's a 1211 01:02:20,920 --> 01:02:24,919 Speaker 1: good beast, intelligent. He is gonna make a great head coach. 1212 01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:26,600 Speaker 1: Is not a good head coach, then he's got a 1213 01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:30,840 Speaker 1: he's got a really really really bright teacher. All right, 1214 01:02:30,880 --> 01:02:32,600 Speaker 1: So I have I got a couple of questions here 1215 01:02:32,680 --> 01:02:36,960 Speaker 1: from from the Twitter world. Brian Snow says, most obvious 1216 01:02:37,080 --> 01:02:39,440 Speaker 1: question know be Snow, Why would you pick a coach 1217 01:02:39,480 --> 01:02:45,680 Speaker 1: without a personality? Be on your podcast? Your responses? That's 1218 01:02:45,680 --> 01:02:48,480 Speaker 1: a that's a great question. Uh, you know what you 1219 01:02:48,560 --> 01:02:51,960 Speaker 1: know Snow is a great great stories about Brian Snow 1220 01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:54,560 Speaker 1: say he was in my wedding, all right, And I 1221 01:02:54,680 --> 01:02:56,400 Speaker 1: don't I don't. I don't tell many people that, but 1222 01:02:56,480 --> 01:03:01,120 Speaker 1: I'll put it out here. So you just told everybody that, Yeah, 1223 01:03:01,200 --> 01:03:06,000 Speaker 1: I know, this guy shows up at the at the 1224 01:03:06,120 --> 01:03:10,000 Speaker 1: rehearsal and all of a sudden, I looked down at 1225 01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:12,959 Speaker 1: his pants. I said, no, you still got to feel 1226 01:03:12,960 --> 01:03:14,800 Speaker 1: like that. You know how they put that little security 1227 01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:18,040 Speaker 1: thing on on the on your clothes sometimes walk out 1228 01:03:18,080 --> 01:03:21,640 Speaker 1: the store like going on the hat is on his pants. 1229 01:03:22,880 --> 01:03:25,640 Speaker 1: And I said, my man, you can't come to pictures 1230 01:03:25,680 --> 01:03:27,280 Speaker 1: and all stuff. You got this big old thing on 1231 01:03:27,400 --> 01:03:29,880 Speaker 1: your on your pants like using a start to russ 1232 01:03:30,520 --> 01:03:32,640 Speaker 1: to get there. Is late to everything. My wife is 1233 01:03:32,800 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 1: losing her mind. You know about Bryan's don't whereries be at? Where? 1234 01:03:36,480 --> 01:03:38,840 Speaker 1: And I said, Brian, get me in trouble. All I 1235 01:03:38,880 --> 01:03:40,440 Speaker 1: asked you do be a your on time because you 1236 01:03:40,520 --> 01:03:43,160 Speaker 1: had her clothes on. He later roll and my man 1237 01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:46,000 Speaker 1: shows up with a security thing on his pants shows 1238 01:03:46,040 --> 01:03:49,600 Speaker 1: about thirty minutes later. My wife's all over my butt. 1239 01:03:50,040 --> 01:03:52,520 Speaker 1: I mean, god, sometimes, where'd you get married? Where? Where 1240 01:03:52,520 --> 01:03:55,200 Speaker 1: did you get married? Didn't sit to that of here? 1241 01:03:55,280 --> 01:03:58,440 Speaker 1: My wife's from there. No, but where specifically, I mean 1242 01:03:58,480 --> 01:04:00,800 Speaker 1: when when you can't crash wedding the wedding is already 1243 01:04:00,800 --> 01:04:05,120 Speaker 1: taking place. Yeah, it's called green Acres. It's like an 1244 01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:08,920 Speaker 1: outdoor wedding as a beautiful setting. My wife said it 1245 01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:16,440 Speaker 1: on my head. Nothing to do with it wild, That's 1246 01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:18,320 Speaker 1: that's all you're supposed to do. You're supposed to see Yep, 1247 01:04:18,480 --> 01:04:20,800 Speaker 1: that sounds like a good idea. Oh, yes, that that 1248 01:04:20,960 --> 01:04:24,680 Speaker 1: sounds that sounds that sounds great. Um, this is actually 1249 01:04:24,760 --> 01:04:30,360 Speaker 1: from a retire fifty two to being uh uh too 1250 01:04:30,360 --> 01:04:32,320 Speaker 1: old to holiday used to have played for you at 1251 01:04:32,400 --> 01:04:34,760 Speaker 1: what I you right and then came with you to 1252 01:04:35,240 --> 01:04:38,920 Speaker 1: uh to Xavier uh and that that's the name of 1253 01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:41,440 Speaker 1: his his Twitter handle. He wanted me to ask you 1254 01:04:41,480 --> 01:04:44,480 Speaker 1: about what Rick Barnes did in their second round game 1255 01:04:44,560 --> 01:04:48,120 Speaker 1: where Admiral Scofield said he he wanted to he want 1256 01:04:48,120 --> 01:04:50,000 Speaker 1: another dude to another captive. Have you ever heard of that? 1257 01:04:50,080 --> 01:04:52,080 Speaker 1: Where Admiral Scuffe was like, no, no, no, go with 1258 01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:56,120 Speaker 1: another guy. He's playing better than me. How great a 1259 01:04:56,160 --> 01:04:59,240 Speaker 1: teammate he is. You know guys that can that can 1260 01:04:59,440 --> 01:05:02,400 Speaker 1: uh they understand it's it's bigger than you. It's all 1261 01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:05,240 Speaker 1: about winning. And honestly that shows you. I mean like, 1262 01:05:05,360 --> 01:05:08,520 Speaker 1: obviously he's an incredible player that you lead all the 1263 01:05:08,680 --> 01:05:11,520 Speaker 1: articles on him on I know what I read an 1264 01:05:11,560 --> 01:05:13,640 Speaker 1: article on him. Basically when he came back, he wanted 1265 01:05:13,640 --> 01:05:16,200 Speaker 1: to be Rick Barnes his favorite player he's ever coached. 1266 01:05:16,480 --> 01:05:18,880 Speaker 1: That was his goal this year. I saw that quote 1267 01:05:18,880 --> 01:05:21,040 Speaker 1: and I was like, wow, you know, for a guy 1268 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:24,080 Speaker 1: like that to say that not entitled, you can tell 1269 01:05:24,120 --> 01:05:28,200 Speaker 1: you appreciates being playing at Tennessee, being coached by Rick 1270 01:05:28,280 --> 01:05:32,160 Speaker 1: Barnes and the leadership of of that. He showed by 1271 01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:37,120 Speaker 1: doing that, being selfless, that's why Tennessee is so good. Yeah, 1272 01:05:37,200 --> 01:05:39,320 Speaker 1: now you are I always. My brother told me a 1273 01:05:39,400 --> 01:05:42,040 Speaker 1: long time ago. I'll never forget this. Uh they lost 1274 01:05:42,080 --> 01:05:46,600 Speaker 1: a duke in Here's two thousand and ten when there 1275 01:05:46,880 --> 01:05:48,760 Speaker 1: was a couple one of their Patrick Kisso when the 1276 01:05:48,800 --> 01:05:50,680 Speaker 1: players got his head split open, it wasn't called a foul. 1277 01:05:50,720 --> 01:05:53,600 Speaker 1: That's one of things about playing against Duke. But um, 1278 01:05:53,720 --> 01:05:56,840 Speaker 1: I remember he said he goes. He told me afterwards 1279 01:05:56,920 --> 01:05:59,160 Speaker 1: like Duce gonna win the whole thing. And I said, 1280 01:05:59,160 --> 01:06:03,560 Speaker 1: why do you say that? He said, um Uh, Singers 1281 01:06:03,600 --> 01:06:07,440 Speaker 1: their best player, Singlers their toughest player. He's like, look, man, 1282 01:06:07,840 --> 01:06:10,320 Speaker 1: you are who your toughest player is. Who you are 1283 01:06:10,320 --> 01:06:12,080 Speaker 1: who you're excuse me, you are who your best player is. 1284 01:06:12,640 --> 01:06:14,320 Speaker 1: He was asking any coach you are who think think 1285 01:06:14,320 --> 01:06:16,720 Speaker 1: about every team you've been on, whatever your whatever your 1286 01:06:16,760 --> 01:06:20,440 Speaker 1: best players personality is, that's what your team is, right, 1287 01:06:20,840 --> 01:06:24,200 Speaker 1: And he's like, Kyle Singler, tough motherfucker. Like he just 1288 01:06:24,440 --> 01:06:26,320 Speaker 1: he just he will not he will them to win. 1289 01:06:26,760 --> 01:06:28,520 Speaker 1: He'll guard you even though he can't move his feet, 1290 01:06:28,520 --> 01:06:30,640 Speaker 1: and he'll keep you in front. He'll battle you forever 1291 01:06:30,720 --> 01:06:32,880 Speaker 1: board like he's their best player. That's all the other 1292 01:06:32,920 --> 01:06:35,160 Speaker 1: guys fall in line. And Admiral Skullfield reminds me like 1293 01:06:35,160 --> 01:06:39,800 Speaker 1: Adamir Skullfield is tough, smart, selfless, respectful, right that and 1294 01:06:40,200 --> 01:06:42,520 Speaker 1: and and kind of a guy who brings everybody together. 1295 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:45,160 Speaker 1: And that's who their team is. Is that fair? Yep? 1296 01:06:45,760 --> 01:06:52,800 Speaker 1: That's why they're good. Um okay, produced taken on Tennessee. 1297 01:06:53,320 --> 01:06:56,200 Speaker 1: And I know you grew up as an EU guy, right, 1298 01:06:56,320 --> 01:06:58,960 Speaker 1: And I love what Painters done with this team is amazing, 1299 01:06:59,080 --> 01:07:02,439 Speaker 1: Like losing forced orders and I mean for really really 1300 01:07:02,520 --> 01:07:05,080 Speaker 1: good players, and now they have guys that just fit 1301 01:07:05,240 --> 01:07:08,880 Speaker 1: kind of rolls perfectly. I do feel like that gets exposed. 1302 01:07:08,880 --> 01:07:10,480 Speaker 1: Like Grady Efford is a great kid and a great 1303 01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:13,520 Speaker 1: story and I hope his brother comes back healthy. Um 1304 01:07:14,560 --> 01:07:16,280 Speaker 1: for the you see, I think I think the Bengals 1305 01:07:16,320 --> 01:07:19,160 Speaker 1: did actually resign him, but I I just feel like 1306 01:07:19,240 --> 01:07:21,800 Speaker 1: that's a mismatch for Tennessee. How do you when you're 1307 01:07:21,800 --> 01:07:25,800 Speaker 1: preparing for a game and you're like, for example, in 1308 01:07:25,880 --> 01:07:29,360 Speaker 1: this particular game like Admiral Schofield against Grady Eiffort. That 1309 01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:32,240 Speaker 1: feels like a bad mismatch. I saw Jordan Murphy really 1310 01:07:32,280 --> 01:07:35,160 Speaker 1: take it to Perdue at the Big Ten Tournament kind 1311 01:07:35,160 --> 01:07:37,680 Speaker 1: of same reason. They were just finding out who Effort 1312 01:07:37,720 --> 01:07:40,600 Speaker 1: was guarding, and that's they were going right at him athletically. 1313 01:07:41,240 --> 01:07:42,560 Speaker 1: How do you try and how do you try and 1314 01:07:42,640 --> 01:07:45,680 Speaker 1: cover that up? Yeah? I think you know we we 1315 01:07:45,800 --> 01:07:47,720 Speaker 1: try to do it with Ryan well this year every 1316 01:07:47,760 --> 01:07:49,040 Speaker 1: game it was like how do how do we try 1317 01:07:49,080 --> 01:07:51,880 Speaker 1: to hide him a little bit? Maybe? Um, you know, 1318 01:07:51,920 --> 01:07:53,560 Speaker 1: you got to figure out again, like what do you 1319 01:07:53,960 --> 01:07:56,640 Speaker 1: what are you trying to take away from Tennessee? You know, 1320 01:07:56,760 --> 01:07:58,720 Speaker 1: like what what are you going to take? Because they 1321 01:07:58,800 --> 01:08:00,520 Speaker 1: got they got a lot of great players. I mean 1322 01:08:00,560 --> 01:08:03,040 Speaker 1: Bones a terrific player obviously, Animals a great player, Grant 1323 01:08:03,080 --> 01:08:05,720 Speaker 1: Willains a great player. Um, they got a lot of guys. 1324 01:08:06,200 --> 01:08:08,240 Speaker 1: You gotta be able to take something away. I think 1325 01:08:08,320 --> 01:08:09,720 Speaker 1: that's where it starts. You know, what do you want 1326 01:08:09,760 --> 01:08:12,040 Speaker 1: to take away? And maybe it is that I don't 1327 01:08:12,040 --> 01:08:13,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. You know, you can switch his ball 1328 01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:15,520 Speaker 1: screens and the and they is you gotta try to 1329 01:08:15,560 --> 01:08:17,240 Speaker 1: post you so you gotta trap when he goes to 1330 01:08:17,320 --> 01:08:19,880 Speaker 1: the post um, you know you're gonna play a little 1331 01:08:19,880 --> 01:08:21,840 Speaker 1: bit of his zone to hide the specific guys like 1332 01:08:21,960 --> 01:08:23,720 Speaker 1: you know, like we try to hide Ryan well as 1333 01:08:23,800 --> 01:08:26,599 Speaker 1: as much as possible on the defensive, and we plays, 1334 01:08:26,800 --> 01:08:28,800 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of two three zone so people 1335 01:08:28,880 --> 01:08:30,960 Speaker 1: could not pick on him. We would not switch any 1336 01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:33,599 Speaker 1: ball strings with him either. We try to find a matchup. 1337 01:08:33,640 --> 01:08:36,120 Speaker 1: Maybe it was a guy you know that wasn't setting 1338 01:08:36,160 --> 01:08:38,920 Speaker 1: ball strings, so like we put Ryan on that guy 1339 01:08:39,160 --> 01:08:41,360 Speaker 1: so we wouldn't so we could switch the other ones, 1340 01:08:41,479 --> 01:08:44,080 Speaker 1: if that makes sense. Um. You know, so you got 1341 01:08:44,160 --> 01:08:46,040 Speaker 1: to try to get as creative as possible to hide 1342 01:08:46,040 --> 01:08:49,040 Speaker 1: certain guys and obviously expl so you don't get exploited 1343 01:08:49,640 --> 01:08:53,200 Speaker 1: mismatch wise. Um. But then offensively, I think he was 1344 01:08:53,280 --> 01:08:56,160 Speaker 1: kind of get you know what the weaknesses. You know, 1345 01:08:56,280 --> 01:08:58,960 Speaker 1: what do you want to attack how guarden ball screens? 1346 01:08:59,000 --> 01:09:02,400 Speaker 1: How does how does guard the post um? You know 1347 01:09:02,479 --> 01:09:05,000 Speaker 1: they a team that that that you know, floods to 1348 01:09:05,040 --> 01:09:07,200 Speaker 1: the ball on penetration, they stay at home a little 1349 01:09:07,200 --> 01:09:08,840 Speaker 1: bit more, you know what I mean? You start to 1350 01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:12,040 Speaker 1: look how could you attack them on that end as well? Um, 1351 01:09:12,840 --> 01:09:14,240 Speaker 1: it'll be a heck of the game. And you've got 1352 01:09:14,280 --> 01:09:17,280 Speaker 1: two great coaches in that day now um with Barnes 1353 01:09:17,320 --> 01:09:20,599 Speaker 1: and paying Um. Yeah, he's very, very, very good teams. 1354 01:09:21,280 --> 01:09:23,840 Speaker 1: I want to ask you about about Michigan, and I'm 1355 01:09:23,920 --> 01:09:27,200 Speaker 1: asking you because you've coached against Villanova and Villanova. There's 1356 01:09:27,200 --> 01:09:29,640 Speaker 1: a lot of similarities in terms of defensive style. Right. 1357 01:09:30,040 --> 01:09:31,800 Speaker 1: Like I was talking to the Texas Tech guys and 1358 01:09:31,880 --> 01:09:34,439 Speaker 1: they're like, how do we beat these guys? And I said, well, like, look, 1359 01:09:34,520 --> 01:09:36,599 Speaker 1: last year, if you would have made layups against Villanova, 1360 01:09:37,240 --> 01:09:38,720 Speaker 1: you could have been you know, they gave Villan over 1361 01:09:38,760 --> 01:09:40,960 Speaker 1: their best game in the tournament. And he's like and 1362 01:09:41,320 --> 01:09:43,360 Speaker 1: and Beard and a couple of assistants are like, they're 1363 01:09:43,400 --> 01:09:45,840 Speaker 1: so physical. I said, well, that's exactly how Michigan plays. 1364 01:09:46,200 --> 01:09:50,120 Speaker 1: Michigan's fourth viewest fouls in college basketball. They value you, 1365 01:09:50,160 --> 01:09:51,800 Speaker 1: but they don't get called for fouls because they use 1366 01:09:51,800 --> 01:09:54,240 Speaker 1: their lower body and they do they really really load 1367 01:09:54,360 --> 01:09:57,040 Speaker 1: up on the basketball. And for listen, if you're listening 1368 01:09:57,040 --> 01:09:58,519 Speaker 1: to this podcast, you know this. You're kind of a 1369 01:09:58,600 --> 01:10:01,400 Speaker 1: basketball guy. But that's you know, it's it's when you 1370 01:10:01,439 --> 01:10:02,880 Speaker 1: talk about flooding. I don't know if you call it 1371 01:10:02,880 --> 01:10:05,000 Speaker 1: flooding the lane or whatever. They I've always been told, 1372 01:10:05,160 --> 01:10:09,160 Speaker 1: load into the basketball, what's what's the best. So how 1373 01:10:09,200 --> 01:10:11,599 Speaker 1: do you how do you beat that offensively because you've 1374 01:10:12,160 --> 01:10:14,519 Speaker 1: so many times and had success against it, more at 1375 01:10:14,560 --> 01:10:18,760 Speaker 1: home obviously than than in Philadelphia against Villanova, you know, 1376 01:10:18,920 --> 01:10:20,880 Speaker 1: I think I think number one because, like you said, 1377 01:10:20,920 --> 01:10:23,240 Speaker 1: like Michigan keeps it really tight on the floor, you know, 1378 01:10:23,360 --> 01:10:25,320 Speaker 1: like with because they have a big kid teskey, right 1379 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:28,320 Speaker 1: and they try to give beer back or drop you know, 1380 01:10:28,360 --> 01:10:30,599 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call it, ball stream dec into cupboage, 1381 01:10:30,600 --> 01:10:32,800 Speaker 1: and and they keep him keep got to keep him 1382 01:10:32,800 --> 01:10:35,240 Speaker 1: in the paint. So he's a rim protector. And I 1383 01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:38,479 Speaker 1: think again, you've gotta find ways to get teams in rotation. 1384 01:10:38,840 --> 01:10:41,280 Speaker 1: I think when you simplifile offense, I think any good 1385 01:10:41,360 --> 01:10:44,280 Speaker 1: offense is broken down to how you can you force 1386 01:10:44,400 --> 01:10:47,839 Speaker 1: rotation if you're forced to close out right. And because Michigan, 1387 01:10:47,880 --> 01:10:51,280 Speaker 1: if you watch them again, I've watched them casually, I 1388 01:10:51,360 --> 01:10:54,360 Speaker 1: have not really studied them this year. They they they 1389 01:10:54,360 --> 01:10:57,840 Speaker 1: are they have a lot of short clothes out right, 1390 01:10:57,880 --> 01:11:00,800 Speaker 1: They're never really in full rotation, you know, But you've 1391 01:11:00,800 --> 01:11:03,120 Speaker 1: got to try. That's the same thing with like Villanova, Villanovo, 1392 01:11:03,280 --> 01:11:05,679 Speaker 1: switched a lot of ball screens of the veer back 1393 01:11:05,880 --> 01:11:08,759 Speaker 1: or drops, so they're not rotation ball screen defense wise, 1394 01:11:09,240 --> 01:11:11,120 Speaker 1: and I think you've got to get them in rotation. 1395 01:11:11,920 --> 01:11:13,920 Speaker 1: You know, that's the key because you think about the 1396 01:11:14,000 --> 01:11:17,479 Speaker 1: guards that they have, whether it's Davior sens In or 1397 01:11:17,640 --> 01:11:20,800 Speaker 1: Jordan Pool, they've got some guards that can move there. 1398 01:11:22,000 --> 01:11:25,080 Speaker 1: So if it's just a one on one battle, that's 1399 01:11:25,120 --> 01:11:28,320 Speaker 1: the dantage of Michigan Um everybody. As you know, like 1400 01:11:28,400 --> 01:11:30,160 Speaker 1: if we're just if if you're and I were just 1401 01:11:30,240 --> 01:11:31,720 Speaker 1: playing one on one at the top of the key, 1402 01:11:31,720 --> 01:11:34,400 Speaker 1: you probably beating either way. But if it would be 1403 01:11:34,439 --> 01:11:36,920 Speaker 1: a lot easier to drive me if I was closing 1404 01:11:36,960 --> 01:11:40,280 Speaker 1: out on you from tint right, Well, I I always thought, 1405 01:11:40,360 --> 01:11:41,880 Speaker 1: you know, I saw Michigan State they use a lot 1406 01:11:41,920 --> 01:11:45,760 Speaker 1: of skip passes and and the thing they didn't use 1407 01:11:45,800 --> 01:11:48,200 Speaker 1: as flare screens as well. I like, I like flare 1408 01:11:48,280 --> 01:11:51,920 Speaker 1: screens or fade screens, whatever you guys call it. The ball. Yeah, 1409 01:11:52,040 --> 01:11:54,439 Speaker 1: hunt when you're saying, when they're loading, you could a ball. 1410 01:11:54,560 --> 01:11:56,400 Speaker 1: You got a pen of man, you know, and then 1411 01:11:56,479 --> 01:11:58,160 Speaker 1: skip and you can play and then they can see 1412 01:11:58,160 --> 01:12:00,519 Speaker 1: that close out. So you always a them as a 1413 01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:02,840 Speaker 1: coach and my at least I do offensively. How can 1414 01:12:02,880 --> 01:12:05,720 Speaker 1: we create clothes outs, How can we create a long 1415 01:12:06,000 --> 01:12:09,400 Speaker 1: rotation and then you can play and then we're to 1416 01:12:09,479 --> 01:12:11,840 Speaker 1: drive kick playing basketball, you know, just like you've done 1417 01:12:11,880 --> 01:12:13,840 Speaker 1: since and since our guys are in fifth grade, and 1418 01:12:14,360 --> 01:12:17,519 Speaker 1: and uh, you know so I think you're exactly right. 1419 01:12:17,600 --> 01:12:19,599 Speaker 1: And depending on on the weak side, it's really really 1420 01:12:19,640 --> 01:12:21,600 Speaker 1: good against a team like that. And you have to 1421 01:12:21,680 --> 01:12:23,960 Speaker 1: know when you drive the ball against a team like Michigan, 1422 01:12:24,439 --> 01:12:26,400 Speaker 1: you really have to move without the ball, and you've 1423 01:12:26,400 --> 01:12:29,679 Speaker 1: gotta do a great job moving afthenetration, getting the open spots, 1424 01:12:30,080 --> 01:12:32,439 Speaker 1: being that being ready to drive and kick because they're 1425 01:12:32,520 --> 01:12:35,120 Speaker 1: going to be physical. And if they don't help then 1426 01:12:35,520 --> 01:12:38,320 Speaker 1: and they stay at home, you better be. You better 1427 01:12:38,360 --> 01:12:40,920 Speaker 1: play off two feet, you know, like you can't. It 1428 01:12:41,000 --> 01:12:42,720 Speaker 1: isn't I would tell you plenty of Michigan is not 1429 01:12:42,760 --> 01:12:44,479 Speaker 1: a one ft game. You better play off a two 1430 01:12:44,560 --> 01:12:47,880 Speaker 1: feet and you better be physical. Um, and you gotta 1431 01:12:47,880 --> 01:12:49,840 Speaker 1: play through contact. Like you said, they don't get caught 1432 01:12:49,840 --> 01:12:51,439 Speaker 1: for fouth and they do a great job of being 1433 01:12:51,560 --> 01:12:54,240 Speaker 1: legal and using the lower body and showing their hands 1434 01:12:54,600 --> 01:12:57,960 Speaker 1: than one of the best that in college basketball alright, 1435 01:12:58,200 --> 01:12:59,519 Speaker 1: three more than I know you got you gotta go, 1436 01:12:59,560 --> 01:13:02,160 Speaker 1: you gotta to live. Uh and and a program, a 1437 01:13:02,320 --> 01:13:06,320 Speaker 1: program to take care of um. What what was? What 1438 01:13:06,520 --> 01:13:08,920 Speaker 1: was the Was there a moment this year where you're 1439 01:13:09,040 --> 01:13:12,759 Speaker 1: driving home from the arena and it felt it felt 1440 01:13:12,880 --> 01:13:16,439 Speaker 1: real right like I don't know if it's the nova win. Uh. 1441 01:13:16,720 --> 01:13:19,040 Speaker 1: Was there a moment when you drove home You're like, yeah, 1442 01:13:19,160 --> 01:13:21,040 Speaker 1: this is this is what it's. This is what I've been. 1443 01:13:21,200 --> 01:13:23,400 Speaker 1: You've been waiting your whole life to be a head coach. 1444 01:13:23,520 --> 01:13:25,960 Speaker 1: The first head coaching gig you get is a good one, 1445 01:13:26,080 --> 01:13:28,519 Speaker 1: but a challenging one losing to two thousand points scores. 1446 01:13:28,920 --> 01:13:30,599 Speaker 1: I'm just wondering if there's a moment where you remember 1447 01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:32,519 Speaker 1: driving home going there, or or your moment you're on 1448 01:13:32,560 --> 01:13:34,640 Speaker 1: the sideline when you look down you see j or 1449 01:13:34,800 --> 01:13:38,040 Speaker 1: you the cratering overtime win, or even even a loss 1450 01:13:38,040 --> 01:13:40,560 Speaker 1: where you're looking down at Georgetown you're like pat, you 1451 01:13:40,640 --> 01:13:42,800 Speaker 1: wings down at the other sideline. Was there a moment 1452 01:13:42,920 --> 01:13:46,840 Speaker 1: where it clicked in how real this actually is? You know, 1453 01:13:47,000 --> 01:13:50,560 Speaker 1: I don't getting that, but you know at Begain, like 1454 01:13:50,600 --> 01:13:55,080 Speaker 1: I would say the moment I was you want obviously 1455 01:13:55,120 --> 01:13:58,720 Speaker 1: they want to national titles in the last three years, right, 1456 01:13:58,840 --> 01:14:02,160 Speaker 1: A terrific coach and and uh and you're you're competing 1457 01:14:02,160 --> 01:14:05,400 Speaker 1: against him, you know, and it's like, man, there's a 1458 01:14:05,680 --> 01:14:07,640 Speaker 1: that's when it becomes real. And I tell when it 1459 01:14:07,720 --> 01:14:11,639 Speaker 1: became really real for me. Does last year last spring 1460 01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:14,720 Speaker 1: were at the biggest meetings all of a sudden, It's like, hey, 1461 01:14:15,160 --> 01:14:17,439 Speaker 1: get today right in there, you got Pat Nearing, get 1462 01:14:17,479 --> 01:14:20,800 Speaker 1: Chrismaul and you got all these guys. It's like it's real. 1463 01:14:21,320 --> 01:14:23,439 Speaker 1: And it's like, man, you start comparing your roster to 1464 01:14:23,479 --> 01:14:26,200 Speaker 1: their roster, and you know it's like, man, hey, this 1465 01:14:26,360 --> 01:14:28,639 Speaker 1: is what we gotta get, man, Like, we gotta get 1466 01:14:28,680 --> 01:14:31,840 Speaker 1: this thing to the next level. Um, that's when that was. 1467 01:14:31,920 --> 01:14:34,040 Speaker 1: That was probably the first moment that the biggiest meetings 1468 01:14:34,160 --> 01:14:36,600 Speaker 1: last made just that sense of vert and then you 1469 01:14:36,680 --> 01:14:42,559 Speaker 1: gotta go time man, And is is that if there's 1470 01:14:42,640 --> 01:14:46,160 Speaker 1: one thing you could change about your job or about 1471 01:14:46,200 --> 01:14:50,320 Speaker 1: college basketball? What would it be one thing I would change? 1472 01:14:50,520 --> 01:14:53,439 Speaker 1: You know what? Um kids, we just played. I'm gonna 1473 01:14:53,479 --> 01:14:56,439 Speaker 1: give you a rule as far as the game goes. 1474 01:14:56,479 --> 01:15:00,800 Speaker 1: I think moving the three point line ask would be 1475 01:15:00,920 --> 01:15:03,960 Speaker 1: great because we just played it with n I T rules, right. 1476 01:15:05,040 --> 01:15:07,840 Speaker 1: I just think the more spacing on the floor the better. 1477 01:15:08,600 --> 01:15:10,880 Speaker 1: And I think you're gonna see even higher scoring games 1478 01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:14,080 Speaker 1: when that happens. I think eventually you'll do it. I 1479 01:15:14,120 --> 01:15:17,400 Speaker 1: would think, Um, I think you know they always use 1480 01:15:17,400 --> 01:15:19,240 Speaker 1: then I T is kind of the experimental or whatever, 1481 01:15:19,320 --> 01:15:22,400 Speaker 1: you know, like we'll test. I think that that that 1482 01:15:22,439 --> 01:15:25,000 Speaker 1: would be a good rule chance. I like that one 1483 01:15:25,000 --> 01:15:26,560 Speaker 1: I got, I got one for you. I like the 1484 01:15:27,320 --> 01:15:31,000 Speaker 1: I would like the elimination of basket interference, not goaltending. Okay, 1485 01:15:31,080 --> 01:15:33,760 Speaker 1: goaltending is still goaltending. But when the ball is on 1486 01:15:33,880 --> 01:15:36,479 Speaker 1: the rim, why can't you compete for it? You can 1487 01:15:36,560 --> 01:15:39,639 Speaker 1: hit it off like and and what people don't understand. Yeah, 1488 01:15:39,880 --> 01:15:42,800 Speaker 1: like if you ever coached when in those rules on 1489 01:15:42,880 --> 01:15:44,760 Speaker 1: a second free throw balls roll around, you could tip 1490 01:15:44,800 --> 01:15:46,360 Speaker 1: it out. On the other hand, if you tip it 1491 01:15:46,360 --> 01:15:49,960 Speaker 1: an actualent roulls in, it's actually two points not one point. Yeah. 1492 01:15:50,200 --> 01:15:53,800 Speaker 1: I like it, um all right. Last thing, I know 1493 01:15:53,920 --> 01:15:56,879 Speaker 1: you're you're excited because you're you have an unbelievable recruiting 1494 01:15:56,920 --> 01:16:00,200 Speaker 1: class and you've had more time. How old Xavier look 1495 01:16:00,360 --> 01:16:05,040 Speaker 1: differently last year next year from this year? You know, 1496 01:16:05,080 --> 01:16:06,680 Speaker 1: I say, I think we started to be this way 1497 01:16:06,680 --> 01:16:08,840 Speaker 1: towards the end of the year. I thought we were 1498 01:16:08,880 --> 01:16:12,160 Speaker 1: gonna be a really good defensive team, really good, and 1499 01:16:12,320 --> 01:16:14,120 Speaker 1: we better be a top You know. It's funny, man, 1500 01:16:14,160 --> 01:16:16,720 Speaker 1: I'm a big tin Pomeroy guy. As far as all 1501 01:16:16,720 --> 01:16:19,360 Speaker 1: the rankings go and stuff like it, if we would 1502 01:16:19,400 --> 01:16:21,920 Speaker 1: have over the last eleven games, we would have been 1503 01:16:22,000 --> 01:16:25,120 Speaker 1: ranked as the twenty eight best defense in the country. Um. 1504 01:16:25,960 --> 01:16:27,679 Speaker 1: You know, if we just took the last eleven games 1505 01:16:27,720 --> 01:16:29,760 Speaker 1: of our season and we played against all intil A 1506 01:16:29,840 --> 01:16:32,920 Speaker 1: tournament or n I T teams, no, our defense got 1507 01:16:32,960 --> 01:16:34,519 Speaker 1: a lot better. Man. I think with the guys who 1508 01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:37,240 Speaker 1: were bringing in, we're going to be a tough, nasty 1509 01:16:37,320 --> 01:16:39,760 Speaker 1: team on defense. And then now I want to share 1510 01:16:39,800 --> 01:16:43,200 Speaker 1: the ball on the offensive ent. You're going to the 1511 01:16:43,240 --> 01:16:46,519 Speaker 1: final four, you stay at home. I am not going 1512 01:16:46,600 --> 01:16:48,519 Speaker 1: all the way. I'm going as if we when when 1513 01:16:48,640 --> 01:16:52,160 Speaker 1: we get ze So I'm not You're literally never You're 1514 01:16:52,200 --> 01:16:55,679 Speaker 1: never going again until you until you go as a participant. Yeah, 1515 01:16:55,800 --> 01:16:57,639 Speaker 1: I mean I would. I had to go last year. 1516 01:16:57,680 --> 01:17:02,080 Speaker 1: I had to get a job. I usually. Yeah, you 1517 01:17:02,160 --> 01:17:03,640 Speaker 1: told us you went and bought but bought a pair 1518 01:17:03,680 --> 01:17:05,800 Speaker 1: of khakis. Have you saved. Those khakis. Are those special 1519 01:17:05,880 --> 01:17:08,679 Speaker 1: khakis like that? Those only is the job accepting khakis? 1520 01:17:08,680 --> 01:17:11,599 Speaker 1: Are they like everyday khakis? You never again? I still 1521 01:17:11,680 --> 01:17:16,120 Speaker 1: have them, I still wear them. Good luck, good luck there. Well, listen, 1522 01:17:16,200 --> 01:17:20,800 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your time, and I love I have 1523 01:17:21,000 --> 01:17:22,880 Speaker 1: so much respect for the grind that's gotten you to 1524 01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:26,240 Speaker 1: where you've gotten. And uh, like I said, we don't 1525 01:17:26,240 --> 01:17:28,360 Speaker 1: know each other well, but everybody I know swears on you, 1526 01:17:28,800 --> 01:17:31,960 Speaker 1: so swears by you. So congrats on what I what 1527 01:17:32,080 --> 01:17:34,400 Speaker 1: I actually thought was an outstanding first year, not just 1528 01:17:34,560 --> 01:17:37,120 Speaker 1: because of how it finished, but because hey, a lot 1529 01:17:37,160 --> 01:17:38,760 Speaker 1: of guys would have if I would have come up 1530 01:17:38,760 --> 01:17:41,400 Speaker 1: to you midyear, they would have said, ah f these guys, 1531 01:17:41,400 --> 01:17:43,240 Speaker 1: I don't like this team. Wait till next year or whatever. 1532 01:17:43,320 --> 01:17:45,599 Speaker 1: You did, and you kept fighting and grinding and got 1533 01:17:45,680 --> 01:17:47,640 Speaker 1: those guys you know, they advanced him in the n 1534 01:17:47,680 --> 01:17:49,679 Speaker 1: I t little bit. Which that that's what it's about, 1535 01:17:49,720 --> 01:17:52,000 Speaker 1: getting the most out of what you have and and 1536 01:17:52,120 --> 01:17:55,280 Speaker 1: looking forward towards the next year. So congratulations, and thank 1537 01:17:55,320 --> 01:17:58,640 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us. Thank you all right, 1538 01:17:58,720 --> 01:18:00,760 Speaker 1: that's gonna do it for all ball all enjoy the 1539 01:18:00,880 --> 01:18:03,559 Speaker 1: sweet sixteen. Continue to tweet me out all of your questions. 1540 01:18:03,600 --> 01:18:05,320 Speaker 1: We'll get into next week, plus will be at the 1541 01:18:05,360 --> 01:18:07,840 Speaker 1: final four next week for the radio show. The Radio Show, 1542 01:18:07,880 --> 01:18:10,000 Speaker 1: by the Way, is daily three to six Eastern twelve 1543 01:18:10,040 --> 01:18:12,840 Speaker 1: to three Pacific on Fox Sports Trader, the I Heart Radio, 1544 01:18:12,880 --> 01:18:15,240 Speaker 1: Apple or wherever you listen to Fox Sports Radio. We 1545 01:18:15,320 --> 01:18:17,000 Speaker 1: also have a serious x M channel. I think it's 1546 01:18:17,040 --> 01:18:20,280 Speaker 1: two seventeen and two oh three. Check that out in 1547 01:18:20,360 --> 01:18:23,519 Speaker 1: the meantime, hope you enjoyed this podcast. I'm Doug Gottlieb. 1548 01:18:23,560 --> 01:18:24,880 Speaker 1: You're listening to All Ball