UConn MCBB Punches a Final Four Ticket in Dramatic Fashion!

0:00Hey sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows and originals across every ESPN network in service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN and limited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up then start streaming in the ESPN app. So all of ESPN all in one place, sign up or activate now. Part of the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbond, it's national Doctor's Day Tony. You're an honorary doctor. How you celebrate? I'm Tony Cornheiser. I tried put surgery on a neighbor. There were a lot of bones down there in the feet. A lot of bones. Mr. Feet. That's the base of meat. My honorary doctorate. It's a doctorate of humane letters. Not just regular letters. Not inhumane letters. Not inhumane at all. Okay. Humane letters. I never knew what that meant. I think they're the ones between the A and the B, but I'm not exactly sure. We're going to PTI boys and girls. In today's episode, the men's final four is set.

1:02The women's is halfway there in several umpires. They're getting some tough corrections from the new ball's bike system. But we begin today with Yukon beating Duke last night on an almost unbelievable play. A shot from 35 feet out with less than one second remaining that gave Yukon a 73-72 victory in a game where they had been down 19 points in the first half. That shot by freshman Grayland Mullins put Yukon in the final four, kept Duke out. Well, but what did you make of the moment? So many things, Tony. So many things and started him. I just felt for Kaden Booser, who has been just getting better and better and better. And he doesn't have the profile of his big brother. But he, you know, he's, again, he's, he's an important player for Duke. And I had that thought and then my second thought went historical because I was at court side watching when Fred Brown of Georgetown famously threw a pass through the way. James Worthy instead of a teammate. And Michael Jordan hit a game winning shot in Georgetown loss. But I also thought I hope it is like this for Kaden Booser because Fred Brown came back and won a national championship two years later.

2:05And then I thought about how, to me, I want to Duke Guard, Caleb Foster, not on the floor. Don't exactly know the thinking. We'll hear about it because everything about that play will be examined a million times over for 50 years. Isaiah Evans wasn't the floor. I want Isaiah Evans or Caleb Foster with the ball. Period. Not that Booser shouldn't have a capable Frito shooter as well. But I want those guys on the floor, all three of them. And that wasn't the case. Yeah. So I found it amazing in the moment. I found the shot actually amazing. It was. I was amazed that the best shooter on UConn, Alex Coop, what's his name? Caravan. Caravan. Didn't take that shot. Had the ball on his hands. Past it back. Oh, God, it was over. Past it back. Right. He had two guys near him. So other moans was open past the back. A deeper shot, but an uncontested shot. I was amazed as you were amazed that UConn had the ball at all. Yeah. Right? Because Caden Booser here, you have to hold the ball to get out.

3:08There are six seconds left. You don't have to cross mid-core. No, you don't have the time frame to worry about. There are six seconds left in the game. UConn is down too. They have no other choice but to value. That's a foul. But instead, he dribbles. He picks up his dribble. He tries to pass the ball. It gets deflected. And this happens. My immediate thought yours historically went to Fred Brown. Mine was to Christian Laitner. I was at that game. When Christian Laitner hit a shot that put Duke into the final four and knocked Kentucky out. Now, as I remember, that game was more of a back and forth game. This was not that. This was a game of sprints. You can't look like it was going to be knocked out. That's right. Duke sprinted in the first half and then UConn sprinted in the second half. The other thing that stood out to me, and I'm sitting in my house watching this on television. The elation on the UConn bench was palpable. Yeah. You could feel it through the television. They never gave it to us. I don't know how Danny Hurley did what I'm about to say, but he convinced his players throughout that game that they were still in that game. I'm sorry, but that part.

4:08This started with about 80 seconds to go in the first half. They made a couple of buckets, cut the leaves a little bit. Then the second half was steady and it was incremental. But with all that, mine. There's no way UConn wins that game. The kid has to hold it. He's an 80% foul. I'm going to give you credit. You called me. I did. They're going to a minute 27 left. It went to five. But before that, you would say you, I think it was nine. You said you cause going to win this game. I thought you were crazy. But I thought UConn was going to be in a Danny Hurley. For whatever people might think of Danny Hurley in his manner, he's a great, great, great, great coach. I need to read you one thing. Duke has lost four times in the last year. Since they lost to use it. It's a trend. OK. Plus 14 overused to lose the game. Plus 17 over Texas Tech this year, lose the game. Plus 13 over North Carolina, lose the game. Plus 19 overused. There's some structural there. What do we point? Does he land on the coast? Yes. Does it? Yes, it does. And there may be something structural. I just talked about the guards being on the floor. Caleb Foster has got to be on the floor

5:10against a team that can swarm you defensively like UConn. But each one of those situations is slightly different. Booser needs to know you. You get fouled. You hold onto the ball. I hope this has a Fred Brown ending for Caleb Booser because for Fred Brown, who I know extremely well after all these years, it ended up like this. It ended up winning a national championship. Look, I hope it is up like that. Look, I'll give you the analogy. What's that? The quad god has a terrible Olympics and then wins. Right, did he win the gold medal in the internet? Just win something next. That's the analogy. The other three men's final four teams are, envelope, please. Michigan, Arizona, and Illinois. Michigan dominated Tennessee. Arizona trailed by seven at the half before rallying to be Purdue comfortably. And Illinois pulled away from Iowa late. Tell me which of these winners looked most impressive to you. This is a very hard question to answer because they all look great. Now they all look great. Michigan destroys Tennessee. But Tennessee is a sick seed.

6:12So maybe Michigan is supposed to do that. Arizona beats two seed. Purdue is a two seed. Arizona, if I'm not mistaken, they win by 15, but in the second half, it's 48 to 26. Nobody looks better than Arizona at this point. They don't look better. Illinois, to me, looks like a pro team. They're big. They shoot it and they defend. What they did to Iowa, they held Iowa to 23% shooting in the second half. They had more offensive rebounds than Iowa had defensive rebounds. I landed on them a couple of weeks ago and I called you. And I said, who are these guys? Because the big 10 is really good and they're really good. They are loaded with international players. Being loaded with international players. How do you know that? It must be many, many millions of dollars. It's like they set up a stand in Eastern Europe and said, come over. You come over. I will also tell you that I think, and then I'll get out of your way. I'm satisfied with the final four. I think there are four of the best six teams in the country.

7:13I think I did Duke and Iowa State, but I think we're getting the best team. I'm fine with the teams we've got. I'm just gonna say this is I think about those four teams. There's one name I wrote down out of all those players. A lot of great players. I mean, Arizona. I mean, you know, they got burries and peaked. They got, they Arizona's got a wave of players inside, right? We just talked about Yukon, which knows what it's doing in the players might be underrated because the coach is very highly rated. It gets much of that credit. I wrote down one name. Yaxal landed four because he's the best player in the tournament. You can have and all the NBA scouts who might disagree. They can have whoever they want. Six, nine, two, 40 can handle it. His shot is so soft. It just kisses the net on the way through. But you're not, he's the best player in the tournament. I know your bracket. Your bracket has Arizona winning. Yeah. You don't have Michigan winning. Come on, don't. Mr. Big Ten, you don't have Michigan winning. Michigan, as you just said, they're putting no wood to people.

8:14They're scoring 90 to 100 points on people. And that kid, and they got another guy on that team, all right? A Chicago kid, Catholic school kid, no less. Who he's going to be a lottery pick? They got multiple lottery picks. They got multiple grades. Do you want to see Johnson, the two semifinals? Or do you feel that Michigan, Arizona, they should not have to be nasty on each other? That's the Houston Louisville quality to it. You know what game I'm talking about. Or Georgetown, Kentucky. No game I'm talking about there. So, but you know what, 20, I'm okay. Because Illinois or Connecticut could win anyway. They could beat the team that comes out of that bracket. Let me just tell you one thing. Because I know you picked Arizona. Do you know the last year in which a team from west of the Mississippi River won this thing? Well, it must be Arizona. It's 1997. That's Arizona. It's Arizona. I mean, I think it's bad for Arizona. Well, you could say that's a good omen because it was actually Arizona that won that. That was Richard Jefferson. That's a long time ago, 1997. Richard's not down there. I mean, you hate I-95, but apparently I-95 teams,

9:16or some proximity near I-95 wins. Is it going to get stacked for them all the time? They get everything in the face. In other words, his favor is them and they're cheated. All right, including the whistle. Let's move to the women's tournament. Like lottery. There are two final four teams already decided the two national favorites, Yukon and UCLA. Yukon is one 54 games in a row. UCLA is one 29 games in a row. Yukon had no particular trouble, beating Notre Dame to get to the final four winning by 18. UCLA had a harder time with Duke, but one by 12, outscoring Duke by 20 in the second half. Well, but I know you watch these games. You have personal interest here, what you can talk about. Who looks stronger to you, Yukon and UCLA? It's impossible to make the case for me that a team can look stronger than one of Geno-R-E-M's undefeated teams. It just sounds stupid, right? It would be like arguing and we are old enough to have done this. You're wearing the proper colors for this. Does somebody look stronger than one of John Wooden's UCLA teams that will be dumb? You know, he can't do it. No. I do have personal interest. Kiki Rice, the Rice family, is like family to me.

10:19And so I have watched Kiki Rice grow up and play basketball and in Washington, D.C., right here in the DMV. I said, well, as Sidwell friends. And I have watched there. I was hoping she might wander over to Evanston, Illinois, when she was in high school, but she didn't do that. And she must, Carol Austin must have, by the way, speaking of a team that came back and do what? Tough day for Duke. Tough day for Duke. Good game for Duke. Carol must recruit a Kiki. Good day for Yukon, bad day for Duke. So I'm rooting, I just admitted I'm rooting for Kiki Rice and UCLA. So here's the thing, it is impossible for me to say anything other than Yukon. I have now watched, we have now watched them win 12 national championships. This is their 25th final four. They have had winning streaks. I think 54 is good. They've had 1190 and 70. These are remarkable numbers. So the 54 almost looks pedestrian at that point. Geno Aurem's record is amazing. There's nobody like him ever in sports, maybe. I mean, he wins just so many times. But I understand what you're saying about Kiki Rice,

11:20who's from D.C., and went to Sidwell Friends. She was player of the year in D.C. The year after, A.C. Fud, also from D.C. at St. John's, was player of the year. The schools are two miles apart. We have both been to both those schools. I used to walk my dog for years. Right past St. John's. Right past St. John's. And I find these two women very easy to root for. But if you say, and somebody was in my year the other day saying something like, well, Yukon hasn't played a hard schedule this year and UCLA has. Well, you know, stop. We dismissed up both because they play anybody, anywhere, anybody in front of them. So for me, it's Yukon, it got to be a favorite. And once we fill out the bracket tonight, once we fill out the bracket and find out three many teams, they're still there. It's going to be, although South Carolina, if they make it, they've won three. Don is won three. Who won last year? Gino. Yeah. Let's take a break. Coming up, should all of the early over rules make you feel sympathy for some home played ups? And is it too soon?

12:22Too soon for fans to boo the mist through offseason acquisition, Boba Shet, not Boba Shet, Boba Shet. That Yukon shot and Duke's fold is going to live for 50 years, right? You're going to watch it for 50 years. From 30 for 30, podcast. Brian Pada, senior defensive lineman for Miami, gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian. Boy, it's right there. Now, before he died, he was on a phone arguing what's about him. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction in place of your arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now. 9-1-1, where is the emergency? It's the middle of the night in a small town on the Jersey Shore. Someone reports an abandoned car on a bridge. A search gets underway for the missing driver, 19-year-old Sarah Stern.

13:23Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows. Old friendships, buried cash, and a sinister plot that was once pitched as a movie plays out in real life. I'm Juju Chang from 2020 and ABC audio. Listen now to Bridge of Lies, wherever you get your podcasts. It's time to find out what's making the mob throb in mail time. I'll put on my glasses. We'll see. I will get the first one and I will read it. Is that OK? Did any part of you feel badly for umpires, CB Buckner and Chris Siegel, for having so many ball strike calls overturned? Yeah, yeah, I think it's a... It just sort of puts you on display. And I know that's not the intention, at least not the number one intention, and the number one intention gets to call right. And I'm with that. I'm with whatever technology can get to call right,

14:23but I want to use quickly, and this is pretty quick. It seems quick, it seems quick, but it is intrusive. But I'm also... I'm not for showing up blue. Now, you know, I mean, sometimes I can get on blue here on this show, but I'm not for showing them, but that's embarrassing. You're basically putting that guy. Now, you're having him step out into the camera and be embarrassed. And by the way, I thought, you know, Salvador Perez, he got everything right, it seemed. Everything he tapped his head for, he got right. And by the way, at least the pictures are all close. Some of the ones that are called and changed and overruled, they're a half inch off the plate. I'm not going to be embarrassed about that. I am embarrassed for the umpires. Yes. It's a very hard job. They get an enormously high percentage of it right, but they miss. And maybe these guys miss a little bit more than others. But we're not turning back the tide here. We're going forward. In a very short amount of time, Mike, we're going to see the umpired home plate call No Balls and Strikes.

15:24No, they'll remove him. He will know. There are two functions, Ag. They'll be there for a tag and to hand new baseballs to the catcher to give to the pitcher. And I understand it's intrusive, and I know you don't like it. I like it more than you do, but you cannot turn back the tide here. I know. This is coming soon, where every single ball strike is going to be automated. Every single one, Mike, he says, what else are you going to do? I don't, I guess nothing. But it doesn't part of you think that you want to say to yourself, Babe Ruth, Satchel, Paige, Tissus, the base rolling over in their graves. This is the baseball we grew up with. Where there's human error. This is when frailty. Yes. And it was good enough for 100 years. It's an inch off the plate. Yeah, you know. Do you want to get it exactly right? If you do, you have to do this. If it is in the back. If it is in the technology's there, you can't go back. That seems to be. But it just bothers me. I'm old now. Booing boba shit. Yeah. Is it too soon for Metz fans to boo bo?

16:25Three days, three games in. That seems a little soon. Now here he is. He's one for 14. He's got eight strikeouts. He's not a guy who strikes out a lot. He's not at all. But it does seem a little soon. Do you know what boba shit said? There's a direct quote. If anything, I thought the booing took too long. Now he's signed a three-year deal for 120 million dollars. He understood. $126 million. But it's got opt-outs after each year. So do you want to boo this guy out of town? He's had a new position. He's at third base. He's never played third base before. As you know, I grew up with Metz. In 64 years of existence, they have two world series champions. That's all they got is two. Let's not go crazy here. They're not the Yankees. They're not the Dodgers. They didn't make the playoffs last year. How about this to close the season for all the money they spent? They lost 55 at the last 93 games. So slow down, Sparky. So you slow down. Just you want them to give boba shit some more? A chance? Yes. A little bit of a three game, yeah. Is it too soon for them?

17:26No. It's the Metz fans. Metz fans. Philly's fans. Yankees fans. To a different degree, Red Sox fans. And where all these people packed in like Sardines, I-95, and they'll boo their mothers. So the Cubs don't boo, and the Dodgers don't boo? I have nothing to Dodgers boo. I have never. Dodgers fans aren't even awake. They're not even up there. They're not. They just get there in the seventh inning. They don't even know what's going on. Cubs, I have never booed in Rigglyfield. And if my son did, I would smack him. Yeah. There's no no. He's smack me back and knock me out. I'm not saying no Cubs fans, I'm just saying I wouldn't boo. Don't put Metz fans, please. Don't put him with Philly's fans. Don't. I love them both. Don't put him with them. They're already booing. Now, this is a mistake. This is not in their DNA all the time, enough with the email. Let's take one last break. Still to come. The playoff found Golden Knights replaced their coach with just 10 games left. Who does that remind you of?

18:26Lou Lavarillo, baby. That's right. Lou Lavarillo. And the transition from coaching college to managing the majors is off to a slow start. Patoni Vittella. Lou Lavarillo would fire you with a week and a half left. They did it all the time. And by the way, made the right move most of the times. At least made the right move. They went on to win. You know. Happy time. People happy 32nd birthday, Alex Breggman. Breggman left Houston for the Red Sox last season, sparking the upset of Rafael Devers, who felt he was the incumbent third baseman. As a result, Devers was straight into San Francisco. Breggman batted 273 for the Red Sox with 18 home runs, 62 RBI and only 114 games. Breggman then opted out of Boston. So in a five-year 175 million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs in January. Yay. Breggman was a two-time World Series champion with the Astros, a three-time All-Star, a gold glove, a silver slugger. Breggman also recently played on the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.

19:27Happy to have him. Much happy to have him and paying some guy a trillion dollars to be with the Dodgers. I'm happy to have Breggman. I know it's not a big deal. I'm disappointed to start off losing two out of three. Yeah, to my team, to the Nads. Come on, yeah. So you just disappointed. That's fun. That's fun. We earned it. We earned him. Happy anniversary, Marta and Brodor. On the state 23 years ago, Brodor became the first NHL goalie with four 40 wins seasons. When he led the New Jersey Devils to a six-nothing shutout over the islanders. Not only does Brodor remain the only NHL goalie to compile four 40 wins seasons, but Brodor ended racking up eight such seasons before retiring after 22 years in a league, 21 with New Jersey. Brodor is the winningest goalie in NHL history, 691 wins. One of the perks of such a career is that Brodor, born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. In 2025, the first hockey player is so honored.

20:28In case you're born before the get-up era and you're curious about Saw Chuck, three of those seasons. Jacques Plain, three of those seasons. The great Kent Dryden. How many would dry it? Two. That's all. Eddie Belfort, Belfort. Two. It's, huh? The separation is amazing. It is amazing. It's crazy. That's a naysick. It's a naysick. That's a naysick. Happy trails, Bruce Cassidy. Vegas fired their head coach just 20 days before the start of the playoffs despite currently being in the postseason field. The Golden Knights have struggled of late, winning just three of their last 10 games. But Cassidy led them to the Stanley Cup just three years ago. Hasn't missed the playoffs since he took the gig. And get this. He'll be replaced as every coach inevitably is by John Tortorella. This is the 16 torts will of coach. And the seventh gig is he coached the Rangers twice. But he's only won two playoffs series since 2013. Well, at least he wasn't fired by Lut Lamarillo. Was he? Then there wasn't fired by him. The NHL has these crazy things where people get fired as they step into the playoffs. And sometimes it actually works.

21:30This is the important thing to say. They don't do this in other sports. No. And in other sports, they think it's crazy. And you and I thought it was crazy until we saw results that every once in a while that is the one thing that is done, the one little turn. And it helps the team, even though it will work for. Me, she give basketball once upon a time. That's right. Works for them. That's right. Let's go to, what are we doing here? The big finish. A stirris place battle between the pistons of Thunder tonight. Is that a big deal? No. Kate Cunningham steward durin to buy his hair as Duncan Robinson all out the Isaiah. And Joe Duman was going to suit up. What? Gary Woodland won the Houston Open. We both think this is significant. Very significant. He had brain surgery a few years ago. This is his first win since 2019, US Open. So glad he is one of the most popular players on the entire tour. Everybody is happy for him. Team USA men's soccer. Blowed out by Belgium on Saturday. Cause for concerns? 73 days to the start of World Cup. And we got Portugal tomorrow.

22:31I think you can make the case that these results are now serious. I think you can't. You boy, the crop god, one goal to the world championships. Does that matter? Yes. I think it's a redemption story of sorts, although I'm sure the Olympics is more important. But this, you talk about Kate and Booser at that mistake. You get another chance. You get other chances. Maybe it turns out right like this one. The last one. New Giant's manager, Tony Vittella, off to an 0 and 3 start. You're smelling a win tonight? At the Padres, that's going to be tough. Division riser than all that. Down 13 to 1 in terms of runs scored so far in his major league experience. The most intriguing and risky hire of the S. Well, that's what was it, though, right? We're out of time. We've tried to do better the next time I'm Tony Cornheit. I'm Mike Wilbot. Same time tomorrow. Couple heads.