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What is up by Bryan Scott Rippy thanks for tuning into another edition of the Rippy
Rites podcast.
We have a little March Madness special for you with Addison Herbert, Coach Herb.
We went through the bracket, talked about some potential upsets.
Some general themes in college basketball is the Cinderella dead.
Whoie likes in the bracket and a lot more.
Buckle up.
I think this will get you prom for a couple of the greatest days of the year starting on
Thursday, which I imagine when a lot of you will be listening to this.
So hopefully this gets you ready to go.
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I appreciate you listening to this podcast as always.
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Okay.
Here's Addison.
All right.
We now welcome back on Addison Herbert coach herb twice in one week.
I suppose it's that time of year.
It's Mark's madness or miss not a not participating in the insane tournament.
You know, one thing I missed when we were talking about this on Sunday about like would
almost participate in the post in the NIT, I kind of forgot that they were like fucking
13 and 19.
They were probably good enough to be in the NIT.
That may have been a major major point on this there.
So like I was I was reading with great interests like Auburn's decision to play in the NIT
and I realized I think I'd said something about like whether they accepted postseason
bit or not.
I'm not actually sure how to need to accept.
I think the short term run may have blocked me by just how awful this team's overall resume
was.
The NIT was really looking looking to pay for us to go travel somewhere and play one more
game.
So like we said, getting to that portal, get done early.
Let's get this into your beings going and move on.
What do you make of that trend in general?
It kind of harkens me back a little bit to Beard's first year where they were I remember
they started off really good in a week non conference.
They beat Memphis.
They had a couple early wins early in the SEC season and they got up like ranked and
I think Auburn like blew the doors off them in a home game if I'm not mistaken.
But it that kind of started a slide where they weren't an insane tournament team by the
end.
They had a very, very outside shot if I remember correctly, maybe getting to national
or getting to the end of the year.
But once it was clear that they were not in an insane tournament team, they were very
quick to come out and decline in NIT bed and Beard, you could tell just one to go retool
that roster and one more of his image and it seems like we're getting more and more
of that over the last couple of years.
It seems like the NIT is struggling for for teams.
I'm curious as a guy that's worked on staff, like what do you make of the NIT?
I personally, I don't hate it at all.
It's more basketball.
I like having stuff on Tuesday and Wednesdays, particularly between the round to 64 or the
round of the first weekend and second weekend in March, Mattness.
I like, oh, missed made the final four one year under AK and I think went to Madison Square
Garden.
I didn't really get the hype.
I was like, I'm going to watch this, but I don't really understand the significance.
What are staff's make of like the NIT?
Especially if he's like mid majors, like you look around the games last night, like
SFA and Fulsa play the great game.
Those are two teams that had a great shot at winning their conference tournament and getting
that automatic bid.
So I think it's big for those teams.
I think with like, we played in the NIT, I think my junior year, you all went up there
and beat Syracuse and then we played Georgia Tech at home.
I think there might have been one more game that I'm missing, but Georgia Tech was for
a chance to go play in Madison Square Garden, which when you are on staff and getting to that
point, you start making plans and we were supposed to go to like a NICS game, like Broadway,
like.
Yeah.
So it would have been a great trip, I mean, for our team and like have something to kind
of build on.
That team also won 20 games, you know, and so when you're at that point where you have
a 20 win season, like, it's not like this team that is probably ready to be done with each
other and move on, you know, there, there's still some guys that want to play together.
And then like seniors, like, always tell like freshmen, wherever they get there, it's like,
you don't understand how much this means that you really see someone's career in because
like you saw it in high school, but you knew those kids' careers were never going very far.
But these guys, like, this is the last time they play, you know, a meaningful college
basketball game.
A lot of these guys might go overseas or play professionally somewhere, but it's not
going to be the same as this because of the change in professional sports, it's a business
way more than that.
So I always tell freshmen, once you see that end, you realize how much this means to people.
So you do it for those seniors and you make them most of it.
And obviously, you know, you probably spend a little more time recruiting and thinking about
the future.
When you're in the NIT, then if you're in March madness, we might get a little behind
the A-Ball compared to the teams that had a season wrap up a little earlier.
But I think those locker rooms still means a lot and I agree.
I think there's good teams, like, they're just looking down the list yesterday of the
games.
UNC Wellington and Yale was a good game that Yale was very good and was projected to when
the Ivy, like, there's multiple teams in this tournament that are worth watching.
So I think it's still a good product to have that obviously is never going to go compete
with the actual tournament, but to have it kind of play in on those days in between
and fix that, give you that basketball fix in March, I think it's a good thing.
I'm with you.
I think it's a little more interesting for the mid majors, just like, Yale is a prohibitive
favorite to win the Ivy League.
And I don't know if you saw what happened on early Sunday, but that kid, for Penn, and
Framick, every went for, like, 40.
And like, Yale had that game won twice.
I was actually, like, talking about random sports things I listened to, I was dropping
back home from Madison, I was playing a golf tournament with my dad and my wife and
my daughter were going to see her grandmother in Monroe.
So I was dropping back solo and was the only thing on 11 a.m. was Penn, Penn, and Penn
Yale.
So I was like, I'm locked into this.
And whatever that kid's name is for, Penn just went absolutely bonkers.
I think the power is the kids, man, which is the great name of that is a great name.
See with powers ever since Eastbound and down was made as just a tremendous horse name.
And he goes nuts.
He makes two threes at the end where it's like, how the hell does this get to overtime?
For like, for a Yale team, I imagine they spent most of your thinking they're going
to make the NCAA tournament.
Hell, they had that game won multiple times.
The Ivy League, though, is a rare instance of like, I remember, I mean, I say like back
in the day is eight, I don't know, eight non short years ago, where the team that won
the NIT, even with the, like the pre portals, like I say, pre portal in like college basketball
had it before other sports did, but not to this degree, you, they were kind of on your
radar for next year.
Now, I couldn't even tell you who won the NIT last year.
Like that, that to me is the main part that's changed like I know, but I would have to,
I'd have to go deep for my brain.
I don't really remember.
I don't know what the NIT has to look at.
Yeah.
Now, definitely, it's a year by year basis nowadays, and maybe the thing to watch in the NIT
is, you know, watch a kid, you know, from Yale or something and think about what he, where
he's going to be next year, you know, similar to probably the Xavier and Lee kid at Florida,
you know, he was playing in the Ivy League last year and now he's on a one seed.
So maybe that's the thing to watch in the NIT now.
I know.
I can't wait to see those Yale kids careers and then go work at Goldman Sachs like a quarter
million dollars a year out of college, just a real, a real scrappy underdog story there
for the Ivy leagues.
I actually, last thing on the NIT, where I want to get to the bracket, when I was living
in Dallas, my first year living out there, Ole Miss made the NIT under permit.
I guess this is like the first year post-COVID and they played Louisiana Tech and Kenneth
Lofton destroyed them in a building in Frisco with about 15 people and I was one of the
15.
Look, I'm going to tell a bar, well, you were at this game?
Okay.
I actually got really mad because I brought a buddy and Ole Miss compliance wouldn't give
me a ticket because at the time I was coaching a you basketball and Nike pro skills.
I guess that broke an NCAA rule.
So they gave my buddy a ticket who never worked at, he worked at UTEP and UC Riverside
and he did work college basketball but I spent four years there and I had to pay $15 to
watch that shit.
But Kenny Lofton was very fun to watch.
That was, I mean, my buddy made it a great night and a good time in Frisco but yeah, I was
definitely there.
Okay.
So we were one of like 30 people there without knowing it.
What a small world.
15 bucks.
I hope that got you court inside.
I think I paid like four bucks for my, I remember at the end of that game, there was like
a youth hockey rink connected to the stadium and we were like, we had a few at that point.
So we just started agging on these hockey players that could have been like 15 years old.
I said, say to you, but I was like, this is the strangest environment I've ever been
but hello, it's the NIT game.
Ole Miss did not win.
Kenneth Lofton made sure that that wasn't the case.
But that might be the last and only NIT event I ever attend.
Let's take a look at the NCAA tournament bracket real quick.
And before we kind of dive into some matchups, I've seen a lot of commentary online.
I guess it's first take had some dumb ass segment about this and it's allowed the, the
dumber like ether of the internet to, to talk about it.
But it is a little, there's some valedity to it.
These, they're talking about Cinderella's and up, it's not even really Cinderella's
its upsets.
And with the way the dynamics of college sports in general and particularly college basketball
have changed, last year was a very chalky tournament.
I will say I don't actually remember 2024 because I was getting married the weekend of
the first week in the NCAA tournament in 2024.
I think that was my wife's way of getting back at me for all the sports shit she's had
to sit through for the last few years.
But I admittedly don't remember that one as much.
Are you of the camp of like it's harder to get, like I remember back when like it was
just the one time transfer.
You would have teams in the mid majors that played together for four and five years and they
had a real advantage.
You don't seem to have that now.
Are you in the camp that, that upsets are going to be rarer and Cinderella's maybe
dead?
I think last year definitely showed it kind of the NIL and the separation.
I think you nailed it.
The fact that these teams can't stay together or build as long and have the like he submiss
that some of the power fives even back then weren't having.
So I think that that's definitely part of it.
I mean, I still look at the board and think, you know, you might see one here or there.
And then there's those seven, ten, eight, nine's, like you really call those upsets, you
know, at this point we've seen it so many times, even the five, twelve.
But what I think does happen in the counter to that is like last year's tournament the second
weekend was fantastic.
Like the final four was great.
Like you get these big brands and these big morphy matchups later in the bracket.
So like, I think there is kind of this like, you know, balance of you want the you want
to upsets, you know, tomorrow and Friday, you know, those first two days and maybe one
or two on Saturday.
But you want the big, big, big brands and the best teams all year, you know, to be fighting
in the end.
And I mean, I still think like like VCU and Troy, like I'm looking at the bracket right
now.
I think both those teams have a great shot at winning, you know, and those are, you
know, traditional upsets with double digit seeds against somewhat big brands.
So I think there's still those out there, but I mean, the playing field probably never
been more on even just off the fact of, you have like, we used to have these guys that
have been there for a few years and have been all conference for a couple of years.
Like once you're all conference, you're gone.
Like, that's just the nature of these.
So like, that's just kind of gone and you have to, you know, these schools have to use
it in recruiting to sell that for the next player that they can get there because that's
just now their, their bitch, look, hey, I have this all conference guy and he's making,
you know, 300,000 now at a power five come be the next one to do it.
I also think too they've gone now a lot of them to lower levels looking at a D2s for
recruiting more, a little more Bucco and stuff.
And then also it, you kind of end up where you're supposed to be at.
There's a lot of power five guys that didn't pan out that end up at the VCUs, the Troy's
of the world.
You know, it's a, it's a different game and I think eventually you might see it balance
out a little bit more as you kind of figure it out.
I think you hinted at it last episode.
We're so early in this train for portal in NIA era that I think a lot of coaches are
still adjusting to it, but I still think there's some upsets on the board, but at the end
of the day, if there's not, it's going to set up for a great second weekend and later
in the tournament.
You're absolutely right for his chalk as it was last year.
The second weekend and the elite eight in the final four, all that was just, just tremendous.
I went to the Ole Miss sweet 16 game, that was one of the coolest sporting events I've
ever been to.
I spent an irresponsible amount of money to go, but I was like, what the hell?
Why not?
I've never seen Ole Miss in the sweet 16.
It happened once and I was like, five, let's do it.
And it was worth every penny, by the way.
It was really cool.
It was a great second weekend in the tournament.
Great final four.
Honestly, tremendous national title game.
Like, I think feel like now four to one, the national title they're rolling in this
year.
I feel like people sometimes forget, like, they kind of stole that gaming as Houston.
Like, Houston had that shit won until they did it.
Let's take a look at the bracket, though.
I'm just starting in the East region, whatever the hell that means in this modern day and
age.
Has anything interest you here?
I don't know if you haven't pulled up.
Obviously, I'm not going to go into Dukesy in a, but the eight nine is the Ohio State
CCU.
I don't, I've watched Ohio State play quite a few times this year.
I'm not sure they're that good.
Now, I'm going to tell you, Jamie Dixon is just sneakily one of the most consistent coaches
in college basketball.
This to me, not that it's an upset, it's like this, I could see TCU, well, one winning
this, but also, like, is it a six point game with Duke on Saturday or Sunday with, with
five minutes left?
I could certainly see that.
He's one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball, in my opinion, in the pits
since he left.
I mean, he left in 2016 and they've had one scrambling, and he goes, and he goes to maybe
a tougher job, you know, on paper at TCU.
I mean, they're kind of similar, I guess, but he's in a long ride, that's why he wanted
to go back home.
Yeah.
Yeah, he is.
And big 12s and tougher league than the ACC now at this point, especially since, you
know, the last couple of years in, in, in his, in your there.
So to have multiple empty in terms, and Pete the way he does it, a place like TCU, and
then to do it at Pitt, and you see kind of what's happened since his departure.
So I, I'd like TCU a lot, I will say Ohio State's playing really good basketball lately,
compared to a, if you just pass it like rewind to a month ago, I would have been in the
same boat as you where I, I could, I would easily go with TCU, I don't really see a chance
for a Ohio State.
The Thornton kid, he's the all-time lean sport Ohio State in a day in age where kids don't
stay.
So I know it's going to be a lot to him to be there and then see a tournament finally
because they've missed it in his entire career.
And then I think TCU, if you really look at him this year or something, their best games
are in the biggest games all year.
So that's why I kind of believe in him as they're on the biggest stage, they're basically
a standalone game to kick off the tournament, you know, for the first 30, 40 minutes and
tell the second game kicks off.
So I think it's going to be, I think TCU would be my pick, but I, I had some one of the
most intriguing games to me in that, and the first round for sure.
Talk about this region just as a whole.
I feel like Duke, who I think has been, I mean, it's, I guess you could debate Arizona
too.
I just, you flip on games this year and who are two teams that are consistently killing
people all year?
Michigan kind of did it through December and early January and then fell through off
a little bit.
Duke and Arizona have destroyed teams all year and Duke's reward for it is St. John's
is their five, Michigan State is their three, Yukon is their two.
I mean, he talked about a tough bracket.
I'm not a big fan of people bitching about draws and stuff because like I just, I don't
understand what goes into it.
And man, if you're one of the best teams in the country, you're going to have to win,
you know, four or five tough games in a row, no matter what you do.
But I will say one of the, a sneaky one in the middle here, I'm fascinated by this
Louisville South Florida draw.
This is Hudson who left Arkansas State.
They're really good.
They've got teams that crush teams all year South Florida embarrassed a lot of American
opponents.
What, what do you make of this match up?
Do you think Hudson and South Florida has a chance here?
Louisville is kind of, you know, they've lived, they shoot a lot of threes in a not great
shoot for three point shooting teams.
So it's going to depend on their shot making tomorrow like it has kind of all year for
them.
I did see report.
I didn't go confirm it or anything, but right before I got on, I saw on Twitter that
from the Kell Brown junior kid is apparently out for the first round.
Okay.
He's a top eight pick as of right now.
So that could be really big for South Florida.
And I did see under the tweet, the guy kind of put stats and Louisville might be a little
bit better with him off the floor, interestingly enough for him.
But I'm going to take a lottery pick and I'll win it all game every day of the week, especially
because the staff are pretty fractional.
But yeah, Hudson's done a great job.
You know, I talked, I mentioned it last time that he might be going to Syracuse.
Apparently he's already out on that to the South for us put together such a package to
try to keep him.
And Providence was the other one he was kind of in the mix for, and I think there's good
chance he stays in South Florida.
They're really investing.
I think they're about to probably jump up into the ACC or Big 12 or something because they're
really investing in sports on Vosa, you know, and the two that matter and football and
that's cool.
But yeah, like you said, their average margin is like 12 points a game this year.
So they've been killing teams.
They play super hard.
They got some talent.
They got some big guys inside that can really play.
And they have a few guys that can really shoot from outside.
So I got South Florida and that one, I think it's one of the upsets that really stuck
out to me whenever I looked at it.
I'm with you as well.
I think South Florida wins this game too.
Another one in this bracket is UCLA and UCF at Google where this game's being played.
The internet says it's Philadelphia.
I know what Mick Crennan's press conference is going to be about.
Should he lose this game is probably the tip time.
I mean, this fucking thing could tip at 11 a.m. and he'd still probably be mad about it,
but the fact that he has to go to another coast.
UCF in all series is one of the best coaching jobs in the country this year.
I've read a little bit about how, you know, at least on paper, what's reported, they
have one like a minuscule NIL budget compared to a lot of the big 12 Johnny Dawkins has gotten
a lot out of this team.
I watched the game with them a couple of weeks ago.
They went out to BYU in Provo or wherever the hell BYU is.
Sorry, Joseph Smith.
And just absolutely smacked BYU.
It was a late night game.
I was up with the baby and I was like, man, this team's really good.
I started looking at a lot of their wins.
They lost to Vandy, but they have a lot of really quality wins.
This is one of the best coaching jobs in the country.
I don't know if you could call it seven, ten, and upset, but I kind of got my eye on
UCF a little bit in this region too.
I think they're one of the best stories in the in the NCAA this year.
Honestly, you see LA's a great story too, because there's multiple times this year where
it looked like if you watch McCronon's interviews, you would think he's getting fired.
I know.
And now he's got seven seed.
You might think he's like Bobby Hurley.
Yeah, yeah.
No, for sure.
It's crazy.
And that's one thing I will say about this East region is the coaching in this East region.
We might get McCronon and Bobby Hurley in the second round as well as SELF and Patino.
Like we already mentioned Jamie Dixon.
We're talking about Hodgkin's like the coaching and shoot you.
And I've even mentioned, we haven't mentioned Iso, who, you know, they say Mark.
Very, very much.
February Iso, maybe.
Yeah.
So like this is like the region of brands and coaches to me.
But yeah, UCF Johnny Dawkins is just kind of a great job since he's been there, man.
He's really, really elevated that program.
He, you know, obviously had Duke guys and has the winning history.
So I really like UCF here, but I will say UCLA has been playing really well.
Even in the big tournament, you know, I don't, I don't try to put too much stock in it,
but lately UCLA is playing a lot better.
The Dint Kid has really come along lately.
He wasn't very early.
Kind of got hurt, miss some time and since he's been back, they've kind of enrolled it.
And they got a big that can step out and shoot it, Philadelphia or something like that.
He's average in 17 a game.
So they, they have some players and I mean, Cronin's actually done a really good job
because they're not very deep.
So to be where they are through all his complaints.
I think says something about both these coaching jobs that these teams have done.
Let's go to the South region below it.
Florida gets the one seed in this region.
I should have set the last one up a little better, Duke.
Obviously the one seed now in Houston's the two.
I was listening to something and I was going to pick up lunch Saturday and it was.
I think it was maybe a national radio station or somebody talking about how there is a potential scenario in this regional final.
If it goes chalk, you have Florida against Houston, but the game's in Houston.
And whatever blowharbs on the microphone on my airwaves was talking about.
This is just a travesty.
I'm like, dude, regional sites differ by the year, man.
Like, I don't know what you're actually supposed to do about this.
I didn't really find this.
We're right.
They're AD had to put in last year to host it.
I mean, that's not work.
You know, so like he doesn't know that they're going to be in the, like no one knows.
The picture is not ahead for Florida.
It's my point like, come on.
It just, it kind of happens that way sometimes.
I mean, I saw people bitching about.
I think Arkansas has to go to Portland.
I'm like, man, somebody gets screwed every year.
These teams have big travel budgets.
It's really not that big of a deal.
But you get them as the one and the two.
I'll tell you what, if I'm not a big like seeding complainer, but Vanderbilt getting a five seed.
I thought, I don't say like disrespectful, but I was like, man, that's tough.
They're 26 and eight with a lot of really good wins.
They have a win over Florida.
They have a win.
They have two wins over Tennessee.
I was kind of surprised Vanderbilt fell to the five line.
You know, they're in that 512 matchup.
I think they, are they the ones that play McNeese?
Yeah, they do.
And you know, shout out, Bill Armstrong.
I'll be rooting for them too.
But I thought Vanderbilt kind of got job a little bit with this seed.
I'd figured they, they wouldn't fall past the top four in terms of seed line.
Right below.
I mean, in my opinion, Nebraska had a great start to their season.
Similar to Vanderbilt, where Vanderbilt kind of looked like, oh, or the, the wheels falling off after, you know,
starting out undefeated like Nebraska.
Nebraska hasn't really been able to pick it back up.
And Vanderbilt has obviously by the run they make this last weekend and beating Florida,
who's, you know, the best team in the league going into the tournament, that conference tournament.
So I don't really, I don't understand why those two aren't flipped.
I don't know really.
I think both of those, the 13 and 12 seed, either way.
I think it's a tough matchup for, for 12 or 13, like, not maybe for,
I think it's tougher for Nebraska regardless of who it is.
Because I think, like we're talking about, I think Vanderbilt's the better team when you look at the two of them.
So I don't think it really matter.
I think Nebraska's on upset alert either way, obviously with their tournament history as well.
But I definitely was kind of surprised that Vandy got that five seed after what they've done kind of in two spurts this year.
They really look like a top 12 top 15 team.
Maybe the spin zone is they don't have to play Troy because I'm kind of with you.
I think I'd maybe rather face McNiece a little bit than Troy.
Troy looks pretty good.
Scott Cross, we covered that on the last podcast is to baffling decision by UT Arlington to fire him a couple of years ago.
He's got Troy in the NCAA tournament again.
I just look at across this region a bit.
I'm kind of with you.
I think VCU wins with no Caleb Blubb with North Carolina.
The 17 St. Mary's in Texas A&M talk about like contrasting programs and contrasting styles.
I'm not a huge buyer in A&M, but I won't pretend to know a ton about St. Mary's other than has been it ever gotten past the round of 32 St. Mary's ever made a sweet 16.
I don't I don't know that I'll talk about my head, but is this St. Mary's team any different than the last one with a bunch of Aussies or the last ones if you watch them at all.
I'm going to play very similar to that typical St. Mary's brand.
It's going to be a lot of white kids that can shoot it, some physical bigs that can maybe pass and run some point action stuff like that.
But I think it's a tough matchup for him because as we saw when we played A&M this year, like they're going to press maker miss.
And I don't know that that's a style with their athleticism that suits St. Mary's too well.
You know, St. Mary's has basically been the best team in the WCC the whole time that Gonzaga has been on this run.
And if you look at really all those games in St. Mary's has picked him off a couple times, but Gonzaga dominated that matchup.
And it's because Gonzaga is the most athletic team in Flee and they add this year to tons of steals and you look at that matchup.
I just don't see that they're going to be able to play 40 minutes of that pace and really get the quality of shots at once.
Again, they're going to be a very skilled team. They can shoot the cover off the ball obviously.
So if they can break the press and handle the pressure and keep those turnovers down below, I'd even say 14 or 15.
I think they'll be in the game because they will have handled that pressure and they'll get some better shots.
But they get sped up and they get about 14 turnovers. I think that plays right.
We've talked about Nebraska kind of in the periphery a couple times as we look through this.
They're the 4C. They had one hell of a year.
Hoiberg's sons are really good player. Nebraska basketball. I like Tim Miles.
I always like to press conferences. He seemed like one of the nice guys and kind of the old school coaching industry.
Nebraska seemed like a tough job. But Fred Hoiberg took it over.
I know the first couple of years were pretty rough, but he talked about getting it rolling.
What is the Nebraska job in your mind scene at scene as throughout like the coaching industry?
How can you articulate how good of a job he's done?
He was going to last there too long.
I know football has been down as well, but football is the thing there.
That's what they care about. That's what they're going to invest in.
Basketball is not like it's not a recruiting hotbed.
You think about it for, you know, there's some corn fed boys to play football.
But basketball is not a huge thing in Nebraska.
I guess Kansas maybe.
Bigger, but there's not really a hotbed around there that you go to.
I don't really know what they're recruiting bases.
And no one's really been able to have sustained any success.
So I mean, Hoiberg's done a good job.
Obviously now the last couple of years.
But this team is not going to be able to do that.
I'm not going to be able to do that.
I'm not going to be able to do that.
I'm not going to be able to do that.
I'm not going to be able to do that.
The last couple years, but this team is as good as they've been have really struggled with this last half.
So it's going to be interesting.
I think it's funny, though.
There in this game, you obviously mentioned Hoiberg's son.
Troy also stock crossed his son is a walk on.
He doesn't actually play.
But one of the assistants has twins, so there's a lot of sons of staffers in this game.
game to white kids that can really shoot it for Troy or Scott Campbell's son. So it's
kind of the sun bowl here. But I think this is one I would be watching Nebraska on
upset alert for sure because I think Troy's playing great basketball. They have a lot
of weapons. They're going to be able to match up with them athletically. I think we've
seen Nebraska have a little more size. But I think it's going to be a tough one. I do
Nebraska's one of the toughest jobs in the country, especially in the big band that the
basketball league that invests heavily. So to compete in them is going to be. Hey, it's
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so they can bitch about how they should have been in the tournament or either of these teams.
Just call it the nepo ball. That's a that'll be a fun match up here early on. Let's go to the
West region. You got Arizona as the one seed. Uh, well, I know they're playing long. I went
long. I went a cool story and I will say that strictly off of a tick tock account that I've
been following. Have you seen this? These dudes that started the long, I went student section a
couple of years ago. I think that the team won like two games where you had the shark tank or whatever
and now they're going to the insane tournament that a video after they clinched it the other day.
It was just I thought it was really cool. I think that's some of this like coolest stuff college
basketball is all about. Uh, I don't like the sharks chances in this one, but I just had to
mention a pretty cool story. Those those guys actually aren't even students. I think they're
just. Yeah, they're fans. They live in Brooklyn and found out you can go to these games for free
and they're like, well, let's be Long Island fans, which is funny too. Long Island is in
Brooklyn for some reason. They play their games in Brooklyn, although it is Long Island
university. I don't even think about that. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I don't know. I don't know why I'm sure
there's there's a story behind it somewhere, but I don't know much about them. But yeah,
the fins up thing has been fun, but I don't know that that game is going to be too fun for them,
but at least they get an appearance. I don't think so either. Fins up for them. Now the eight
not and this one's interesting to me because Utah State coach actually had a little bit of a rant
about how they thought they got, um, underseated a bit. So it's Villanova Utah State in this region
in the eight non game. I'm interested like I've always found Mountain West basketball to be fascinating.
There's been years where you'll flip it on it like eight o'clock at night and you get like a
Colorado State and Boise State and like I'm not that anyone like I don't pretend to know a ton
about this league. I remember watching Ole Miss play Colorado State in South Haven last year.
Actually, I went to that game. Colorado State ended up being an in state tournament team.
But I guess my point is an underrated good lead that doesn't seem to always get the respect it
deserves. And it seems like their coaches names escaped me. Um, kind of wore that a little bit
as press conference area. He thought they deserve better and non-seed. They're a 28 and 6 Utah
State team. What do you kind of make of this match up?
I was the name of their coach who's definitely in the mix for getting a better job at a few places.
But, uh, I mean, in my opinion, they got a pretty good draw because let's think you look at the
other three eight seats. Uh, I think Villanova is probably the one that's most beautiful in my opinion.
They were just kind of the third big East team that didn't mean anyone good.
I suppose I'm going to say they beaten the teams they're supposed to and they've lost pretty
decidingly against the good teams that they, you know, are trying to beat but couldn't
really hang with them. So, this is one I think Utah's favor in this is Utah State's favor in this.
Utah State is probably going to be the bigger team in this as well. Villanova shoots a lot of
threes. Uh, you don't really see that or wouldn't expect it when you see them big East team playing
into them out and less, but hey, that's why you kind of see that line set in Utah State's favor. So,
thousands and a great job. Utah State is one of the best student sections in the country, though.
That's like a great springboard job. If you look at, uh, um,
Galilee, uh, Ryan Odom, uh, who's at Virginia now after you got, is that UMBC was there. So, uh,
and then goes to BCU and obviously in Virginia. So, there's been a few coaches that I've done
really well and gotten, I believe Stanford's coach now, uh, was last seat off day coach. So,
it's a job you're there. You're, you're there to step up, play in this type of game and, and go,
go to, uh, do a bigger program with better resources. We'll get back to Addison in just one
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It's a it's a big stepping sign and there are a lot of programs like that. The Colorado state
coach, they lose on a buzzer beater to Maryland and then around a 32. No, no, around a 64 maybe it was
last year. And then he takes the Minnesota job. But there's been I mean, Richard Pratino goes from
New Mexico to Xavier. There's a lot of I think that's a really good league. You got some good venues
there. You mentioned like that that place really buzzed in you got the in New Mexico, the pit and
that the one that's like built down in there. Just some places for rock and yeah, some fun. San Diego
states also in that. Yeah, it's a it's a good league yet. Boise state that's kind of frisky in
there. Sometimes as well. So I was I was curious about that one. I was looking at a couple other
seats in this bracket. Like you see, I was reading a little bit in the five 12 match up here
because that's like your class again, say, tournament. Oh, look about for the upset. It's Wisconsin
high point. You see the high points 30 and four. But then I was reading that was high point wants to
get up and down the floor like just like Wisconsin does. That is not really a recipe for an upset
if you play the exact same style as the opponent. Wisconsin seems like they're playing really good
basketball. They had a nice run in the big 10 tournament. I don't know anything about high point
other than they made the insane tournament a couple of years ago. And a bunch of people were just
tweeting out pictures of their campus that looked like some kind of like fantasy campus. So shout out
to them. That sounds like a nice place to go. But do you see any upsets like five 12 wherever
else you want to go in this region? Really see one in the Wisconsin high point game with the
you made a great point about them playing similar. When you play similar and you're not able to
kind of mess with with the team that has more talent and bigger budgets roster playing style.
Yeah, that's just no winner. Generally speaking, particularly this month. And also,
right. And I also think Wisconsin has maybe the best one to punch in a back court in the country.
Nick Boyd is super experienced like he's like 25 years old. So I don't think he's really going to
be, you know, concerned with high point too much. He's got experience under his belt. And
they had two guys in the back court that average almost 20. So I'm not really worried about them.
The one that I obviously would talk about a decent amount this year. And obviously I love watching
a cuff play. But I don't know if you've heard about this Hawaii defense. It's been kind of a
talking point once the matchup has been set. But they play a no help defense. So imagine whenever
you play in basketball and like the wreck league at five years old and they give you a wristband.
And that's who you guard. You just chase them around. That's kind of the idea of this defense is
and I think it works really well whenever you're not playing Darius a cup. I don't know how they're
going to have anybody that can stay in front of him. I also think so if there's a strategy to beat
him, I think one of his best qualities obviously is his taskability and his ability to control the game.
Hey, maybe they're going to say you got to shoot 30 shots and if that's how you're going to be
this, that's how you're going to beat us. So I'm very interested to see how true they state
of this no help thing. I've watched some flips of it and stuff and they help more than the name
kind of gives off. But they definitely stay attached and really take pride in keeping people in front
and forcing 101 shots and not allowing teams to get assist. Back when I warmed the bench in
high school, we used to call this stick my man D and we, uh, I remember I wasn't out there because
I sucked. But one year we played either Murrow a callaways, put Jackson public school and they
adopted the same philosophy. But if one of our athletic gifted members on this Jackson Academy team
beat someone off the dribble, that kid was getting yanked. So this coach is just pool. Anyway,
if you talk to me, I got beat off the dribble and I was like, yeah, this is like no help on steroids,
man. Like you're getting, you're getting pulled out of the game. So that's, that's interesting. I'll
also say I am a retired sports gambler. I was not very good at it. But uh, back in my heyday,
there's some of those Hawaii games. They were never any good about four or five years ago, but they
had cool announcers. So I didn't even actually know that they're in CA tournament. So I hope
whatever that guy that calls them Hawaii or whatever weird accident he has, I hope he gets to
witness this game. That's, that'll be an interesting matchup. I, I think Arkansas is good,
but it would be nothing like to start the Cal narrative again if he lost to a Hawaii team after
the run they just had in the SEC basketball tournament. One, the one reason like I think that it
is kind of important to bringing up is like I mentioned already, I think that's important that a
cuff might not get the seven eight assists that that team really built on. Although,
Hawaii's gonna have to do a great job keep taking care of the basketball to prevent that because
he's such a good transition pastor and they have such great athletes that they can get out and run
that no help doesn't really matter. But Cal has, and I will say he's kind of in the second half,
kind of new Cal a little bit at Arkansas, but he's a traditional dribble drive guy, which dribble
drives are all about great in gaps and playing off the dribble and then when the health comes
pitching it back right and then attacking that gap. And he's showing over his career, they
not too willing to adjust. So if they have like maybe something funky in a weird way to kind of
rotate on the backside throughout this no health that they haven't shown, I could see Arkansas
kind of struggling if they don't really have a counter to it because it is so different than how
anybody really plays organized basketball. So I think that is kind of interesting because
of the style that Cal has always played because his guards are so good he doesn't really run
complex sets. If you can't beat your man, pitch it back, you can't beat your man, pitch it back.
So with the no healthy, it's just an interesting contrast of styles.
As we record this on a Wednesday evening, Texas beat NC State last night, they had a game-winning
mid-range two-point shot to kind of not kind of to avoid a total meltdown to NC State.
Kind of a really gross matchup if you can find one in the NCAA tournament. BYU and Texas,
BYU is not really played that well down the stretch. I don't know. I think this game could be a
rock fight. I'm going to go BYU. I don't think Texas is that impressive, but a couple of teams that
are not at like their highest stock point, I guess, for the lack of a better phrase.
injury to one of their starters. The bonds to those is a monster. I mean, I'll
Darren Peterson's obviously super talented. I think he's the actual number one pick.
The way he's playing right now, they can be, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised to say they take
Gonzaga to the wire in the round two. I don't think that Texas will give much of a fight. I will say
about that NC State Texas game, and this is what I tell people all the time about why I love college
basketball, is yeah, it might be miserable for 38 minutes, but if you can hang on and get to the
last two, the limited game can show you some great, great drama at the end. So I don't think Texas
is playing very well. Obviously, NC State wouldn't play very well as a rock fight for two teams that
don't play deep. It's very well either, which is kind of funny, but I think BYU will be able to
handle them. I think they did a monster's going to show why he's number one pick against Texas.
No real thoughts at the total bottom of this region. Other than I saw an interview on social media,
of a kid from Purdue, who I think was Australian being asked if he knew where Queens was. And I was
like, this guy's getting job tier one, he's not American. And I remember Ole Miss played Queens
in a baseball series or Ole Miss one of Ole Miss is a permanent played Queens in a baseball
series and I had to be told, hey, that's not New York. That's North Carolina. I'm like, okay,
cool. The more you know, I don't actually care. This guy's getting roasted. I think he's an Aussie
for being like New York and like, look at this idiot. I don't, why is he an idiot? How in the
world would anybody know Queens is in North Carolina? Did you know that Queens is in North Carolina?
It's because like I talked about last time, I worked fast two basketball games there in the summer.
So I did not know until I was on my way to drive to North Carolina and setting all that up. So
now I don't blame the kid at all. I think most people would think it's in Queens, New York when they
hear it. I think that's a normal thought process to go with there. So it actually is a really,
really nice campus and in a great area. But I don't know if you know this either. They're getting
merged with Iwan. I saw this, but they, so I don't, I guess their athletic departments are saying
separate those the way I understand it. So I read about this. They gave the classically plan to
keep them separate for now. As someone who's worked in private equity, that means, hey, we're going
to figure this shit out here going to be merged in about two years. It's essentially what that means.
But I have to know where they are after too long, but I'd also would be remiss if I don't bring up
the fact that Iwan is the only team in the entire state of North Carolina that's the vision one that
hasn't made the NCAA tournament. So it makes sense that they're just like screw it. We can't win.
We just need to go merge with this. We can't make it. Let's just go merge with the team that can
and you're one of the ability. And with the way we've gotten with banner culture in this country,
once they merge, they could just retroactively claim Queens' appearance. Just no problem. Just
throw it up in your gym. I'm actually very, in all seriousness, I'm a little interested to
monitor that story if and when it happens. Because have we ever had that happen in the modern age,
a basketball program to merge? Like how does that work? You just fight each other for who gets
rosters. I don't know what that would look like. Merging usually it's like a division three school
that merges with a division one or division two and they kind of just dissolve one of the programs
and all their athletics goes away. So I don't know how it's going to work. But like you said,
I don't imagine that they can co-exist for too long whenever you make a purchase like that or
a business decision like that. You're going to want to separate and own what you just got.
Last region, I think just from a sheer seating standpoint, not necessarily like huge
upsets. To me, just looking at this for about five minutes beforehand, maybe lends itself to maybe
the most upsets just from a seating standpoint on paper. So if you've got Michigan as the one seed,
I was state as the two. But to me, what's interesting is what's kind of in the middle. And I'll give
you a couple to start off. Texas Tech and Akron. Akron wins the Mac tournament. They were,
you know, we had this whole fiasco, I say fiasco, this whole debate about Miami of Ohio.
They lose to Frank Martin and UMass. I actually watched some of this game during my lunch break
last week. Bald headed Frank Martin beats Miami of Ohio. I didn't even remember that UMass had left
the 8th and I don't know when this happened either. I was kind of wondering why is this tournament?
Whenever I saw the score, I was like dang, that's crazy. And then I was like, wait, UMass,
I'm like, I should bother and miss that. They also don't fit. It's a bunch of Midwest Ohio
schools and Michigan schools and the UMass. I was so confused about I had to look it up. I was like,
why are they in this tournament? Like, it's a free pass thing. Well, Miami of Ohio gets in,
gets in the first four. They're playing a game tonight a little bit after we start recording this.
But Akron was favored to win that tournament for the entire time. And then, of course,
you have no top in for Texas Tech. This feels a little bit like prom upset territory. Even
now, I don't know. I talked about Akron admittedly.
Tabori Johnson that's average in 20 and five this year on 50% shooting and he's a sub six foot guard.
So he's fun to watch. And then they have a four that's also average and close to a double,
double. So they are talented team and have been good. Good for most of these. I mean, 29 and five.
They're like 17 and one. They're one loss. Of course, Miami of Ohio on the regular season. So
they've been really good this year. At the injury to top and definitely heard it's all
though. I think Tech kind of surprisingly battled through that pretty well. But then, of course,
the big 12 fiasco and the the led court. And now Christian Anderson is there by far the
best player. And it's taken a bigger role now that toppings out. So he hurts his groin. So
it's just going to be interesting. I believe he's going to play. But to see what level he's at,
if he's, if he's not close to, you know, 80, 90%. This is, this is definitely not going to be in
text favor. Although I think the castlin's a great coach. They have a few other options there. But
when you're two best players are heard in college basketball, you're putting yourself in the top
position. You're in a real tough spot. I'm glad you put up the court thing. We never talked about
it. I didn't have a ton of thoughts on it, although it had to be a colossal fail if you go back to
a different court mid tournament. In this day and age where we make every thing content,
let's maybe not make the playing surface content. We could just leave that to just, you know,
to stabilizing the players. Knees, ankles and tendons and whatnot. I just, I don't
legally need a video show on on the court. I'm not knocking them. They're great American
innovation here. I just made it. We took this bridge too far.
So the one time that they've debuted this court before was in an NBA all started
getting a couple of years ago, which they don't play very hard in any way. And these guys
complained about it being slippery then. Then they play the women's tournament on it last week,
or the week before the men's play. And the women complained about it all week and say,
this is terrible. We're slipping. We have girls getting migraines, all this stuff. And then they
proceed to play the first couple games on it. And then whenever there's four teams left in a
star players to now hurt, they're like, ah, shit, you know what, let's play on a real basketball court.
I don't understand at all. If I was a coach of a losing team that I would be losing my mind,
I get why they threw a fit. I don't understand how in the biggest moment of the season,
you can play on a court that no one played on before. I think it's a big failure. I think
they're openly amended it and did the right thing at least to retroactively change the court
for the last three games. But I think that that was a big mistake on the big balls part and then
didn't make that conference look like they handled their conference terms too well.
Yeah, if I was a coach and I was on a losing team, I'd have like some dish soap on hand and I'd
get tossed and then just start squirting that shit on the court and like, what's the difference?
That's a, I didn't understand that entire story line too. I was like, why don't we just play
on the normal basketball court that's been reliable for a long time here in this great sport.
Another just seating one state. Let's test it out and like, you know, November or something.
Like, let's do a test run in the conference tournament. Like, that's the part that blows my mind.
Like, I don't know about the test that you just said. They tried it at two other levels and they
got complained. Like, oh, I don't understand. Why do you need a third third confirmation? Hey,
this sucks. I don't mind. It blows my mind how they thought that that was a good idea.
They probably thought they could squeeze some more sponsorships out of it is my guess, but I
yeah. Just from a sheer seating statement, you got Georgia and St. Louis in the eight non-year.
I just hadn't been a big fan of Georgia of weight. I don't know a ton about St. Louis. I'll
watch some play a few games later in the year. I just kind of like St. Louis and this one.
So that's that's another just seating one, not a total upset. Oh, one that's fascinating to me.
And I'm not necessarily banking on it. My name is Ohio is called a lot of shit over the last
few days. They don't win their conference tournament. They get in. Did I make this up there in the
first four against SMU tonight? Yeah. If they were to win this, you get Tennessee. And Tennessee,
that game to me is either going to go two ways. Miami Ohio is going to get an upset or Tennessee
wins that by 45 or 50 with their suffocating defense. Let's just say we don't know the result
as we record this. I'll be rooting for Miami Ohio. I think it's a cool story. Let's say Miami
Ohio wins this. Do you put any stock to the fact that Tennessee could be in a weird spot?
I really think so. I mean, Miami, Ohio is good at the seasons they've had. They've won a lot of
close games. I think that the talent level and like you said, the defense and Tennessee plays,
uh, it's going to go too well for Miami Ohio. I don't know that they get through SMU tonight.
I'm very happy they're in. I think they're more than deserving. You win 30 games in the regular season.
I play on the feet of regular season. You deserve to get in, uh, in my opinion. So I think it's
great that they're in. I just don't know that they're playing their best basketball right now. And
I know you just look down their schedule. They haven't been tested like this. That's the
SMU's back court team and the best back court they've seen. SMU's struggled a lot this year at
times, but they also are very talented. Boopy Miller is one of the most fun guards to watch
and his name is just awesome. So I mean, I don't know that they get through date and tonight,
but I do think they're going to have a great crowd there. Uh, that first four, like I mentioned,
briefly, we played BYU and in my freshman year. And that's one of the best environments
that I've ever been in personally. That gym's awesome. Uh, and, and they pack it in. So it'll
be a good game tonight. I think, but I got SMU in that. So, uh, if they meet up with Tennessee,
though, I just don't see, uh, I don't see them really been a way to counteract that size inside
that Tennessee has them. They're rebounding. My next question for you is about Dayton. And if I
remember correctly, I just started covering basketball. I did not cover that in the tournament game.
We had some other guy go, but if I remember correctly, was it y'all had to go from Dayton to like
Jacksonville? Was that, was there a travel logistical nightmare there in a short turnaround
about making that up? How bad did that suck have him to go from Dayton to wherever the hell it was
at Jacksonville to have that right? Yeah. I mean, the NCAA had a plane ready for us. So, I mean,
we, we literally like, you get done with the game. It was late. I think the guy in the Jacksonville,
three in the morning or so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you play the late game, which, you know,
starts around like eight, 40, I think, is when we probably started around nine almost.
And then you flash straight to Jacksonville, which is on East Coast time. I can't remember if Dayton's
in Central or East, but, uh, yeah, it was, you know, but you're riding that high. You just want to
into a tournament game. We did, we weren't really complaining. They got us a nice big jet.
There's snacks on the plane and stuff. So, uh, we, the NCAA provides you a meal after. So,
you do your interviews and get, get dressed, get showered, grab your shit and you're,
you're on the plane and, and just enjoying the ride. Um, I will say to that, that Jacksonville regionals
where, uh, where, uh, Georgia State, our day hunter, uh, Ron Hunters, the coach, our day hunter,
banks it in, uh, and I grew up a huge Baylor fan. And so I'm one year moved, or one year into my
old Miss fandom, kind of giving up on the Baylor fandom. Uh, so it's not all the way gone. And I'm
sitting in the tunnel. I was, we're about to play Xavier watching that shot go in and like,
shit, man, that kind of sucks. All right. Well, at least we get to go play and we get our ass kick.
And I'm like, God damn, like, what a tough day. Like, I was so excited. Like, that, this was really
a tough day. And I walked down the hallway to go to the locker room and Roy Williams and UNC
is walking in to get ready for the night games. I was like, ah, not fucking. This is awesome.
Like, this is awesome. I'm like, what am I talking about? Like, I'm at the NCAA tournament right now.
This is, this is a dream come true. So, uh, that's my, my bit that I remember about that. But that
BYU game was crazy, man. We, we were down pretty much the whole game. Second half, we come back.
Moody makes some big three Jarvis summer starts throwing logs left and right to multiple bigs of
bars. So that was a great trip. And, uh, I didn't think too much about the travel because I think
we were just riding the high of winning that game in that fashion. In all time and answer day for
that, uh, that regional down there in Jackson, because I remember the RJ 100 game was, uh, I don't
remember the color commentator, but he's sitting there going, what are they doing? And then the kid
makes a 25 and a half foot three pointer, Ron Hunter, who's injured, falls out of the chair,
just a great marks moment. But then, yeah, the Ole Miss game where they mentioned 95 times at the,
the kid that, that Torx Ole Miss drove for Uber. And I'm like, I, we get it, man. Yeah, like,
he's got a five star rating wheel. He's also good at basketball. They didn't just pull this dude off
the street. What was his name? I remember his first time I had last name was Timebrook. The big goofy
lefty though. Yeah, like Camp Sunbrook or something. Yeah, he, he looked like a Uber driver, you know?
So that was kind of half of the reason they couldn't stop bringing it up. Obviously didn't listen to
that, but that, that broadcast, but I remember multiple people bringing it up to me after, like,
oh, we will watch show play. That Uber driver really killed you. I'm like, Uber driver,
what are you talking about? They had explained to me, like Timebrook drives Uber. I'm like, okay,
like cool. They brought that shit up a hundred times. Just looking at the bottom of the bracket,
one of the last matchups I have that could be interesting. A lot of people are on the Santa
Clarity team. Not a people are big in on this Kentucky team. I don't, what do you make of this?
Is this similar styles? What do you, what do you kind of see here?
Kentucky's live will be loose to anybody, honestly, in this season, but they can beat a lot of
teams. They've had some good wins as well, but they've been so inconsistent. I like her
Sindek a lot. Old school guy. He's like a football guy in a basketball coach. So I like
Santa Clarity in this one just because I don't believe too much in Kentucky, but again, I would not
be shocked at all to see Kentucky win this game by double digits, you know, 10 to 15 points.
But I like what Santa Clarity has done a lot. And this is their first appearance since Steve Nash.
So I mean, this is a big deal for them to come back, because since Herb's been there, they've
really, you know, brought a lot. I've been a lot more competitive in the WCC, which I think that
leads a lot of fun. I love watching late night basketball. So I tune into that a lot. So seeing
Santa Clarity good, you know, San Francisco has been good lately, especially in Golden was there. So
it's a fun league to watch. And I'd love to see Santa Clarity knock knock. So that big and I
all roster. That's the bracket. Last thing for Lichigar, do you have a final four? Who do you like?
I'd have to pull it up. I feel it out so quick, because I don't want to think about it. I always
lose my family bracket, because my sister and my mom, my sister and my mom just picked like,
you know, whatever, like I think they'll be the west way to go. Our office was one by seven year old
kid last year. Yeah. So I've done a wave with the stats and research and going off of what I
actually know. I just picked real quick and I put it away, because I know it's not going to go
well either way. So I like, I mean, I've talked to myself in and out of Michigan. I think there's
one is the the pick, I think, to win it all. I think they've been the most complete team all year.
I think people talk about a lot that they don't shoot the three, but they shoot it efficiently.
They just don't choose to get it because they get so much at the rim. I think guard plays
is extremely important. And the reason I talk myself out of Michigan is the Elliott Kadoe kid.
He's good player. He's a highly recruited player, highly ranked player. But last year in North
Carolina, he's very disappointing. I think his game, he doesn't really have, you know, if he's not
beat set, he's not going to, he's not a great shooter. I think Michigan is not a great shooting team
and has been clunky offensively lately, especially against Purdue, the weekend. So I've kind of
talked to myself out of them. I do think like I was state, I would, I kind of see them make it a run
here in that looking at that bracket. I could see Houston making a run of and beaten Ford as well.
I think Ford is probably the weakest one seed. And I'm kind of just going on the chalky fix here,
but as we talked about, that's kind of where this is going. If I was making down of who would be,
you know, a surprising one that can make a run here, I really do kind of believe in St. John's.
I don't know why they're playing against Ford right now. Yeah, Rick Petino just fits that job so
well. I feel like at some point, you know, last year kind of disappointing finish. I think this could
be the year. I think Duke's, you know, been the best team all year, but in one game scenario,
Petino has the experience over Shire, Duke's best players are young. So I think that that's kind of
my sneaky. I think it'd be great to see them come out of that region too. Of all the like we
talked about, that's the region with brands and coaches. So to see Petino kind of, you know, revive
this career and get back to, you know, if I'm for it would be really cool. So I don't know. I don't
think my things matter too much because it's going to be all scratched out, you know, by the second
weekend probably. So I'm hoping for madness, but I think it's a great bracket. I think there's a
lot of teams, you know, from the four four seeds, the one seed that that are quality opponent,
our quality teams that can really make a run here. And hopefully we get some great matchups down
here. He is Addison Herbert coach her, but I appreciate the time as always, buddy. It's always
enjoyable talking to you. We'll catch up sometime soon. Yeah, man, appreciate everybody enjoying
the tournament. All right, that's going to do it for a short day. I'm going to talk to Colin
on Sunday. We'll probably have some basketball stuff for you as well, even though the Ole Miss
Rebels are no longer playing, but you know, March Madness, we all enjoy it. So anyway, I'll talk to
you guys real soon. Next list in this podcast as always. The Bleacher Report app is your destination
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