Tang Fired And Kansas State Fallout

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Welcome to the Five Arms and Lucky Finn podcast. I am your host, Brendan Cormac, with my co-host, David Soloway, aka he is for the people. The people are for him. And we are talking inside college hoops right now and what is happening. Lots happened the past week inside college hoops, as you know, David. Jerome Tang fired. Listeners and viewers, let us know what your thoughts and opinions on this firing is of Jerome Tang. Led the Kansas State Wildcats to an Elite Eight appearance in his first season and now is fired. Do you think that is right, listeners and viewers? And David.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Yeah, I mean, it's a hundred percent right in that it was just going in the wrong direction. And they've spent a lot of money the past couple years on NIL. Uh, I mean, they had the biggest payout. You know, it's not all these numbers aren't uh reported, but last year they paid Coleman Hawkins a ton of money to leave Illinois. This year they paid um PJ Haggerty, the kid from Memphis, who really good score. They paid him a lot of money, and it just hasn't worked out. You know, that first season was magical with uh uh Marquise Noel, and they had um what is his name? Keontae Johnson, uh the kid from Florida who transferred over to Kansas State. They had dudes, and and everything seemed like it was going in the right direction, yeah. Uh, and it has really fallen off in the past three years.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Yeah. Do you think, listeners and viewers, do you think the interview was the nail in the Kaufman for Tang? A lot of people are saying that it is. I'm curious what their opinions is as well on that. David, what is your take on that of the interview and Kansas State finding a way to fire him that way with cause now?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah, I mean, they're they're attempting to fire him with cause, and they're gonna cite that interview, you know, the press conference where he said this was embarrassment, you know, he ended up taking their names off the back of their jerseys and all that, and it's just like there's no there's no good legal reason why they're gonna be able to get away with firing him for cause. He's gonna take this to court, he's gonna get his 18 million dollars or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Gonna get his back, and we're gonna move on.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

And I think that's actually a bad look for Kansas State that they're trying to wiggle their way out of this. What coach is gonna want to sign there now? Like, what coach is gonna want to take that job when you're yeah, you're already a bottom half of the Big 12 job? Yeah, and just because the Big 12, you know, the top of that conference is so good right now, so I'll put it in the you know, near the middle, bottom half. Uh, who's gonna want to take that risk now to go there knowing that they're just gonna throw their coach under the bus uh just because things aren't going well and try to not pay him his buyout money?

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah, that's that's a solid point. I I agree with everything that you just said. I don't think it's a good look for the university, and I think it is a big point of who is gonna want that job moving forward. I mean, obviously, there's some hot names in in college basketball right now that you know, obviously, Miami of Ohio head coach Steele, like he could end up leaving, like you don't know. And there's some others as well right now that are they're clicking and moving at the right time. Obviously, Josh Shurtz with St. Louis as well, is another hot coach right now. So I'm interested to see who Kansas State goes after. I I imagine it's gonna be one of those two coaches.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Not saying that they'll take it, they're not getting one of those two coaches.

SPEAKER_01 4:22

No, but they're gonna be going way bigger, yeah. They're gonna get calls, though, is what I'm saying. I don't think they would take that either. But yeah, I mean, who's question? The big question is, listen reviewers, is who is gonna want that job? Who is gonna want that job? Like, let us know because I I really don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

What did you think about his press conference?

Firing For Cause Debate And Legal Risk

SPEAKER_01 4:44

I thought his press conference was out of frustration. I think when you're frustrated as a human, right? It's the natural thing to kind of unleash it, and you've held it in for so long, and there's so many, you know, a lot of disappointments throughout the seasons. I get where he's coming from. I think there's a time and a place for that. I don't think that the time and place was then in a press conference to throw your whole team under the table. I just that's not how you bring a team back, that's not how you build up a team. That's not what great coaches do. Do you hear Signetti doing that? Totally different sport, but I'm just saying Signetti.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

It's hard to say what he would do if we were bad.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Good point, but I don't think he's gonna say, yeah, they they didn't deserve their jersey, just rip it off. Like, you know, the whole Mick Cronin thing, too, David. Do you agree with what with what Mick Cronin's doing, sending a player towards the end of the second half, sending them into the locker room? What is your opinion on that?

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Yeah, I mean, he would that was just an overreaction to the brawl from between St. John's and Providence. I think he just thought it was way worse than it was in the moment. Correct.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Um, that's where I'm getting with this, though, is I think that Tang thought it was a lot worse in the moment than what it was. I mean, yeah, they got bad. They're bricks.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

No problem. I have no problem with Tang. I have no problem with what he said. Really? Yeah, uh why do we why do we have to act like these players should be coddled and and not told the truth just because they're kids, they're not kids anymore, they're making millions of dollars. They should be held to a standard. I guess if you're not good in the NBA and you're getting paid millions of dollars, you get cut. If you're not good in college and you're getting paid millions of dollars, that's not an option.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

It's not that is a flaw with NIL right now.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

I I think I think you know, obviously, times have changed. It's 2026. We can't act like we did in the in the 70s. But yeah, Bob Bob Knight did this type of stuff. Yeah, benched him. Yeah, and like I I always I always wish that a coach, if if a guy messes up, if he's got two bad turnovers in a row, a guy like Devontae Green, sit his ass. Why does he just because we've made promises to these players and we want to we want to use this as a learning experience, and we want them to grow as human beings. No, this is a cutthroat business, and you have to win games to keep your job. So you have to be cutthroat sometimes. And yeah, I I everything was obviously going the wrong direction. And yeah, at that point, you throw your players under the bus, and it's like, well, who's gonna want to play for him next year if he's just gonna throw you under the bus? Yeah, I think it will start going poorly. But I also don't have that big of an issue with what he said. It it is an embarrassment. Kansas State should be better than they are right now. Kansas State has a pretty decent track record of the last 20 years of being a good program, and right now they are not, and I think that is an embarrassment, and that's that's really all he said is that these players were an embarrassment to Kansas State, to the coaching staff, to the students that paid their money, you know, all that.

Who Wants The Job Next

SPEAKER_01 8:03

I think I think Bruce Weber was a better coach than Jerome Tang was at Kansas State. Listener and viewers, please let me know if you agree with this. And I let me get into my point here. Let me get into my point here. In that first season with Tang, if you take away that Elite Eight appearance, obviously big, right? The next season, David, after the Elite Eight appearance, they go 19 and 15 with an NIT appearance. You go the next one, 24-25, 16-17. You go this year, 11-15. Let's let's walk through uh Bruce Weber's journey here uh through the Kansas State Wildcats, David. In his first year, goes 27-8, makes the tournament losses in the second round, goes to 23-14, 20-13 next year in the 13-14 year, lost the NCAA tournament in the second round again, but has 15-17, 17-16, 21-14, 21-14, makes a tournament again, makes the tournament again at 25-12, lost in the regional final, made 2018 to 2019, lost in the first round. He had let me count this for one second. One, two, five tournament appearances after Tang's first year, he had zero. Zero, David.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Yeah, I don't know who you're arguing with. I'm just saying, Bruce Weber, easily a better coach than Jerome Tang. Bruce Weber's a legend.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Legend. Legend, absolute legend. Big fan of him. All I'm saying is that Jerome Tang did not live up to the expectations of the Kansas State Wildcats and what they thought they were getting after they hired him.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Yeah, but the thing is the crazy thing about Jerome Tang is he he he was great in his first year. He was always a very highly thought-of assistant. He is kind of what made Baylor tick. Baylor, since he left to go to Kansas State, has not been as good. That's a solid. Kentucky tried to. So he, you know, he's had a tumultuous few years. Um but you know, Jerome Tang goes back there and maybe they make magic happen again.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

You think that's where he goes?

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Oh, 100%.

The Press Conference Meltdown And Coaching Lines

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Listeners and viewers, please let me know where you think Jerome Tang heads to after Kansas State. Please let us know in the comments. David thinks Baylor, I agree with him. 20 years, ladies and gentlemen. 20 years. Wow, yeah. Probably probably headed back to Waco if if I had to guess. David, there's another hot storyline, listeners and viewers. Darren Peterson refuses to play basketball. Refuses. There was a clip that was clipped from him shooting a three on the top right next to the Kansas bench, shoots it. I believe he makes it. Oh, yeah. Makes a three. And then uh taps Bill self. Taps Bill self, ladies and gentlemen. And you can see Bill self go. Just just looking right down the bench. Bill self looks fret frustrated, David.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Yeah, even after the game, he said at this point the cramps are a concern. Which is his way of like, I'm still hiding this, you know, they're they're cramps. Um but he's kind of saying the quiet part out loud now, like, yeah, this is a problem.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Where what do you think the committee's thinking right now?

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Where do you think I don't think the committee will do anything different with Kansas because this dude refuses to play in the second half?

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Do you think that he should trademark uh DMP? Because I think that he should if it's not trademarked.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

I don't think he should, because I think it's a bad thing, unless his middle name starts with N. Yeah, I really don't know his middle name. Then maybe, yeah, maybe, yeah. Uh, but I mean, this dude's an issue, you know. And what's crazy is if Bill Self really thinks this is a problem, if it's a concern now, yeah. We just saw Kansas beat Arizona last week without him. Yeah, this guy coming in and out of the lineup isn't good for team cohesiveness. No, so would they be better off just pulling the plug saying, hey, thank you for everything you've done, but you rest up. You obviously your muscles don't work, buddy. So rest up, and we'll we'll we'll see you in the NBA next year. It's been fun. I think that's what they should do.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Listeners, viewers, please let me know what you would do with Darren Peterson. Would you play him during March Mass, or would you just sit him build to build that team cohesiveness? David, I think my opinion is that I would play him. I would play Darren Peterson, and this is why. If I get 18 minutes, just 18 minutes of Darren Peterson, let's back up. I'll say give me give me a 10, give me 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Oh, 10's not enough.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Give me a half. Give me a half of a half. Okay, we'll go 18. If I have 18 minutes of Darren Peterson, I'm probably getting 15 points, right?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Oh, yeah. He's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

15 points, maybe four rebounds, two assists. We'll say.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Yeah, maybe a little more on the boards, a little more on the assists. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

He didn't hear that.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

I got Florida Badunga. I got, you know, I got I got dogs on this team. I don't necessarily, yeah, I want him to play. I think they're I think they're easily at Final 14 when he plays. I mean, if they beat Arizona, if they beat Arizona without Darren Peterson, a projected first round pick, the top pick in the NBA draft, you seriously don't think that this is a Final 14.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

I think they could be a Final 14 without him. Don't you think that that is just a testament to how good they could be without him, too, that they beat Arizona? Yes, I'm telling you. And honestly, if we're really looking at this objectively, right. They he's he's missed 11 games, and he's also missed like seven second halves. A lot, a lot, and and their record is what? What's their record?

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Uh I think they 20 and 6.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Yeah. They're pretty good, whether he's playing or not, they're pretty good.

Player Accountability In The NIL Era

SPEAKER_01 14:51

This is just a super loaded march, ladies and gentlemen. It's gonna be a special march madness. I mean, you have undefeated Miami of Ohio. You got this Kansas team with Darren Peterson looming. Is he gonna play? Is he not gonna play? It's like almost enticing every game, and then you have torn ACLs, David. Torn ACLs, Richie Saunders and JT Toppin both tear their ACL. What a letdown for the Big 12 and college basketball. It's just sad. To hear, to listen, you know, JT was having a heck of a season, just dropped 30 points, like had a heck of a performance against Arizona, and then they go into Tempe and this tragic happens. What I mean, listener and viewers, where do you think the committee will place Texas Tech in the tournament? And David, what are your thoughts about the Red Raiders moving forward and if they can even compete in in March?

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Uh yeah, I mean, I think this probably takes them out of being a championship contender. Correct. I agree. I mean, you lose the reigning Big 12 player of the year, possibly gonna win it again. Um you know, the heart and soul of the team, it's obviously a big, big hit. Yeah. I still think they could make the Sweet 16 elite eight final four, though, because really Christian Anderson is the most underrated player in the country.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Oh, ladies and gentlemen, do you agree with that? Christian Anderson is the most underrated player in college basketball. Let us know in the comments. Dog, dude. I agree. I'm very high. He makes everyone around him better. He knows the right play to do. Now, there is certain moments where you know the the guy gets a little tense. I mean, you saw in Arizona State late where Arizona State was gifting the game away and he loses the ball. And unfortunately, in that late time, there was there just wasn't a time for tech to come back. But Arizona State tried to give that ball game the ball away, and Christian Anderson just like fumbles it and loses it. But I want to be optimistic with you, David. I I do, but if I'm being realistic, if I'm being realistic with Texas Tech without JT Toppin, I see a six seed, I see a six seed. It's low, I know. But I also if LeWan Watts and Mr. Atwell have a game and continue to have their cohesiveness with Christian Anderson, this team is still dangerous. They have players off the bench that can rebound and fill in that spot. The the thing that I'm worried about with tech moving forward is the scoring. JT Toppin averaged 20 points. You lose that, that is a big piece of your team. That is the heart. So I'm curious to see if the leadership of Atwell and Lon Watts steps up. I could also see Tech getting a four-seed from in the tournament as well. I think that's my ceiling without JT Toppin, but you disagree with that.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Yeah, I don't I don't think there's any chance they can get a four seed. They obviously have big wins and their resume looks great, uh, right up to this point. Now the Arizona State law is obviously not great. Um, but what the committee has to do with an injury like this when we know it's season ending is they have to take that into consideration when it comes to seeding. Yeah. Um, and so they they don't have that tough of uh you know of the rest of the season. They should win their three home games, Kansas State, Cincinnati, TCU, and they're probably gonna lose their two away games, Iowa State and BYU. Yeah, I agree. Um, so I think the committee is gonna kind of lock them in at where they're at right now, and I think a lot of places probably have them as like a five or a six. Yeah, they they might even just bump them down another line just because they lost, you know, what who's probably a first team All American.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

But you but you think they can make a run of the final four?

SPEAKER_00 19:11

I think they could, yeah. If if things break correctly, I mean they got they got dogs on this team, and correct. And I'm I'm looking at Ken Pom here, and they are tenting the country in three-point percentage. Yes, obviously, a lot of that, a lot of that is you've got JT Toppin down low, so that there's more attention on him, so that the perimeter is open. Yeah, but we still got shot makers on this team, and I think what it takes to win in March is you you don't go cold. And you you got the shot makers to to make the shots when you need them. And we've seen year after year after year the NCAA tournament is a guards, it's it's all about what your guards do. True, and they've got one of the best guards in the country, I think.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

And I think they have another one next to him in Jalen Petty. I think Jalen Petty doesn't get talked enough because Christian Anderson's a star, but Jalen Petty is a freshman from Seattle. Like, no one talks about this guy as well. Like McCaslin knows who to go after at the high school level and the portal, and he gels teams the right way. And I just think he's like Cal in March. Like McCaslin finds ways to win games in March. I mean like Cal in March? McCaslin in March. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

You said he's like Cal. Yeah, Cal Perry. That dude loses in March like it's his job.

Tang vs Bruce Weber: Program Results

SPEAKER_01 20:39

He took that Arkansas team to a run last year. Man, man, I'm just saying, I'm just saying he took Calipari to it. He took Caliper took that team on a run last year. Come on now. Come on.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Yeah, if he losing in the first round of Kentucky four years in a row.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

This is this is the new cow. This is the new cow. Okay. The new cow.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

New cow, man. Come on now. Come on. But yeah, I just think McCastan finds ways to win the game in March. I mean, you take away the run that they had a couple years ago. Uh they lost to NC State, but NC State ended up going to the final four that year. Like, take that out. I mean, he still has some solid wins in March, and last year they took him to the lead eight. So, I mean, and potentially could have gone to the final four. They just ran into. Yeah. Ran into ran into Walter Clayton, you know, you know, like every team did and lost last year. So, but but what's your take on Richie Saunders for BYU after this injury? He averaged 18 points a game, David. He wasn't the the piece, right? Like A.J. DeBonza is, but he was pretty important and he played pretty good defensive efficiency for the team as well. And he has some size and he could be able to rebound and obviously spread the floor, shooting those three. Uh listeners and viewers, let us know what your take is after the Richie Saunders injury. Do you think that BYU will drop quite a bit in the March Madness rankings and the seating? Let us know in the comments. David, what is what's your takeaway of this injury? It's not as big as the JT Toppin, obviously, but it's still pretty important.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

Yeah, it's not it's not as big in that it's the the main player on a team going down.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

But I think it's it's pretty big. BYU uh has lost six of their last nine. Jeez. And that's with two of those wins being very close against Baylor in Colorado. They just haven't really been playing that well overall recently. And now with this happening, if they continue that spiral down the stretch, we could see them fall to like close to the bubble, I think. Because I think he is important enough for the committee to consider him as like losing a key player. And obviously, it's no longer a thing where you the committee looks at how teams are playing lately, but they don't have any big wins either. We've talked about this in the past. Their biggest win this year looks like they beat Villanova and Wisconsin. They beat Clemson on a neutral, but they don't have any of those, like we knocked off one of the top 10 to 15 teams in the country. And they've gotten their chances. They've played tech, they've played Arizona, they played Yukon, they played Kansas, Houston. They've lost all of them. And so I think it'll be interesting to see. We'll see, you know, what happens in these last five games in the Big 12 tournament, but uh where does the committee could drop them?

SPEAKER_01 23:58

I think I think they will drop them, and I I agree with you. Where where's does uh bracket matrix have them metrics?

SPEAKER_00 24:06

Great, great question. Bracket matrix has them currently as a six.

Where Tang Lands Next

SPEAKER_01 24:17

I see that. I can see them being an eight, too.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Dude, six is so high for a team that has no good wins.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

I know, but it's a Big 12, man. It's hard.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

Yeah, but at some point you gotta win a game. Some point you gotta win the game. You know, they've had chances, they would they almost came back against Arizona. Um that game against Kansas, they almost came back in the second half because DNP DNP didn't play the second half.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Um, but they just haven't really taken advantage of any of these games against big teams.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

No, they haven't. They've had their chances, like you said, and just not been able to do it. Big one this weekend. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Iowa State at BYU, I you know, pull that one off, and okay, we'll we'll I mean, I'll take this back a little bit, and maybe BYU can make a run in. DeBonz is still one of the top five players in the country. I think clear first team All American, like this dude's been unreal. He just has to take another step and turn it up.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Let's speak hypothetically, David. You're an NBA GM, you got the first pick in the NBA draft, all these great freshmen coming out of this class. Who are you taking?

Kansas’ Darren Peterson DNP Saga

SPEAKER_00 25:37

I I need I need to sit in a room with Darren Peterson and get to the bottom of what's going on first. Yeah, yeah, because it if it truly is just like this dude's trying to trade to save his draft stock. Right. Okay. I mean, you're a shitty teammate, but okay, we can get past that. As long as you're gonna you're gonna come to my team, you're gonna do everything you can. Do you want that in your locker room? Yes, I do. He's he's an all-time talent, I think. All-time, huh? We're going on the all-time talent, okay. He's the most polished freshman, I think I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Whoa. Ladies and gentlemen, listeners and viewers, do you agree? Is Darren Peterson the most polished freshman that you've ever seen? Let us know in the comments. Wow. I would argue that I, you know, Kyrie Irving didn't play much in college, so I can't put him in there, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Agreed. Agreed. He played nine games.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

Kevin Durant?

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Not polished at all.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Kevin Durant not polished at Texas.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Not polished. That dude couldn't even bench one 135 or the bar or whatever it was at the combine he couldn't even bench.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Not polished. I'm trying to think. Zion Williamson?

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Um he was good. Polished in a way different way.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Cooper Flag?

unknown 27:07

Cooper.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

That dude refused to make a clutch play last year.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Not polished?

SPEAKER_00 27:16

He was pretty polished. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

I think Darren Peterson's more polished. I think Cooper Flag is more of like uh a mix of polished, but still a ton of potential. Like he's still got a ways to go. I think Darren Peterson, you can plug him into an NBA team right now. And as long as he plays 32 minutes, he'll give you 20 every night. Is he gonna play? That's exactly that's the problem. So to answer your original question, I would take DeBonsa. I think that that dude's gonna be a stud in the NBA.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

I I think so too.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

He's the exact body type the NBA GMs are looking for. He's able to shoot the ball. He's yes, he's able to handle the ball, he's able to rebound the ball. He is an absolute home run pick, I think. And I think there's a much higher ceiling to him. I think he could he could become you know a superstar in the league. Whereas Peterson, I think you're getting what you get right now. Maybe he grows a little bit more, but you're just getting you're getting the guard that scores 20 a game, and that's what he's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

I think the bonza is so raw right now.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

I think he's just gonna get better. He's still so good.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

That's what I mean. Like, he's just gonna get better, he's gonna get more aggressive, he's gonna get stronger, he's gonna get faster. Like, I agree with what your take with Peterson. Like, I think you're gonna get what you're gonna get. I think he'll grow a little bit, right? Get a little more physical, like stronger. I don't see him getting much faster, but the bonza is just a freak. And the bonza, the only person that you could really compare him to is like a Kevin Durant, like just with his body type and his a little thicker, but yeah, yeah, just the way he goes through the game, and yeah, and I I think of Peterson as like a Bradley Beal.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

Mmm, an elite scorer from the two guard position, yeah. Great shooter, but he's he's just gonna give you 22 points and 2.5 assists, and that's what he's gonna give you. And he's he's never gonna really take you to that next level, but he's gonna give you that. And if you surround him with guys, you that could work. But Bradley Beale obviously never got surrounded with other guys.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Listen, listeners and viewers, do you agree with that comparison of Darren Peterson to Bradley Beale? Let us know. I I agree with it, I agree with that. Take. I, you know, Bradley Beale is a is a raw scorer, Peterson's a raw scorer. You know, Bradley Beal could easily put up 38 points in a game, Peterson could easily do the same if he plays, and that's the question, ladies and gentlemen. Is Darren Peterson gonna play? That's the biggest question. Does he love basketball? Is he obsessed with it? I get that from the bonza. I get it from Acuff, I get it from other big name freshmen, but do I get it from Darren Peterson? No, and I agree with David. You have to sit him in a room and you have to have that hard talk. But right now I'm taking the bonza as well over Peters.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

We'll come up to a polygraph test. Let's see if this dude's lying.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

He's lying. Wow, David. Wow. Wow, David. There was a big game in the Big 12 country, Iowa State versus Houston, and Iowa State showing they are legit listener viewers. Do you think that Iowa State is legit? Are they a national contender? I believe they are. They showed that they are. They beat Kansas, they beat Houston, they've shown you and proved to you, but are you bought into them? David, I am bought into Iowa State. I they had three turnovers against Houston, and Houston had five. What did this game show you?

SPEAKER_00 30:57

This game showed me that uh Hilton Coliseum is a great place to play your basketball games, and it gives you a huge home court advantage.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

I think Iowa State is a great team.

SPEAKER_01 31:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Um, great teams with great home court environments obviously are going to beat other great teams. Yeah. Um, and Iowa State's ability to shoot the ball, you know, similarly to Texas Tech, we were just talking about, Iowa State's fifth in the country in three-point percentage. That ability to shoot the ball is unreal. And they they got Momchilovich, love that guy with the big Maginsky in the fade.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Oh man, I'm obsessed with him. I am obsessed with them. Every time I watch that guy play basketball, I I get flashbacks. I get flashbacks to the to the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk taking over games with that fadeaway. You can't stop it, you don't know what to do. Mom Chilovich is that man, and he has the best last name. Mom Chilovich. What name is that?

SPEAKER_00 32:02

Mom Chilovich, awesome name.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Awesome, man. It doesn't get better than that. I mean, I think Houston also showed that you have to be nearly perfect, nearly perfect to beat the Houston Cougars. Besides the Houston Cougars dropping the game to Tennessee, they have played exceptionally well. And to go into Hilton Coliseum, like you said, with ruckus environment that's loud, that's obnoxious, and they still almost beat the cyclones. They just let it get away, couldn't make it. Yeah, they should have pulled it off. They were up, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Um, just couldn't couldn't keep that lead. But I agree with you. I think that it does show that it takes you know a top-tier performance to knock off Houston. Yeah, even when Houston, you know, they only had five turnovers, um, but maybe not playing their best on the road. Still, they were able to hold a lead for most of the game, and it took Iowa State making some clutch shots down the stretch, not turning the ball over, uh, to actually pull that one off.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

What a game, man. What a game that that was. I really enjoyed watching that one. That felt like a March Madness game, just getting me more pumped up for March Madness, David. Another Iowa school, though, David, that you know, this guy's on a burner. One of your one of your favorite college basketball players, and Bennett Sturz, the last five games, he's averaged 26.8 points per game, 3.2 assists, one point steals per game. Listeners and viewers, do you think Bennett Sturz could lead this Iowa Hawkeyes to a run in March? Let us know in the comments. David, do you think this could happen? Get this dude out of my face.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Yeah. No, no, okay, no, come on. We're not doing this again, are we? What do you like about him? We did this with Drake last year. We were like, man, man, Drake, Drake, they could make a run in the tournament. This is a dangerous 11 seed. You're not buying into this? This dude's an all-American candidate. What'd they do? They got blown out by tech.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Yeah. No, I'm not buying this, dude. You know who they've played in their last few games? What how many games was that stretch you were just saying?

SPEAKER_01 34:26

Five games.

SPEAKER_00 34:28

Okay. You know who they've played in that time? Let us know. Who they've played. They've played, they've played two really good teams, Purdue and Nebraska. Those are two top 25 teams. Top two, top 20 teams, David. They have played those two teams. But they've also played Oregon. No, no, no, no. Sorry. Sorry. Went too far back. Yeah, what's the first one? They played Washington, Northwestern, and Maryland. Three of the worst teams in the Big Ten. No, get this guy out of my face. Get this guy out of my face. They just lost to Maryland last week. And yeah, Venice had 32 points. Sick, dude. Why don't you beat Maryland one time?

Big 12 Injuries: Saunders And Toppin

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Another guy. That's on a burner, David. Our Indiana Hoosers, Lamar Wilkerson. Heater, hot, steaming. Give them the ball. Isa Wilk. Lamar Wilkerson Lamar Wilkerson has scored 120 of Indiana's 296 points over the past four games. That's 40.5% of the team's scoring output the last two weeks. Listeners and viewers, do you think that's insane as much as David and I do? Because that is actually absolutely insane stat line. Give the ball to Lamar, David. Give the ball to Lamar. Get out the way.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Yeah, I mean, he's he's just been a machine lately. He's doing it at the rim, off the dribble, slashing, uh, making shots from deep, obviously. He's just been doing everything, and he's been an unreal scorer. Um it would be nice if someone else would, you know, step up a little bit. But if he wants to keep doing this, you're not gonna hear me complain about it.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

I'm not gonna complain at all either. It he is he is one of the most fun players to watch in college basketball right now.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

He is, and I don't think enough people know about him.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

I don't know if they do either. I mean, we're biased because we're Indiana fans, right? But like, yeah, I agree. I don't know how many people really really know about him, too. I I'm excited to see him at the NBA level. I think he could be an elite scorer even there. I really do.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

I don't think he's gonna play in the NBA.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

You don't think so?

SPEAKER_00 36:42

No, really. I mean, he might get a shot. He might get a shot. I don't know. He's just you know, to play in the NBA, you gotta be a uh either the most lethal shooter of all time.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

I mean, he's up there, he's shooting from the logo, David.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

He is shooting from the logo half the time when he shoots from the logo, it's a heat check and it it breaks. And I've had you know what, you know what, I've had enough of that. You've had enough of heat checks. I love to stop with the heat checks.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

I love a good heat check.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

I love one good heat check. One good heat check in a game. Yeah, awesome. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

No, yeah, I don't know about four of them. Yeah, yeah. All right, I yeah, I mean, he's great.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

I just I just don't think he's athletic enough to play in the NBA, but really yeah. That's our that's that's Indiana's biggest problem is uh they've got great shooting, uh they shoot a lot of threes, they don't have they don't have consistent big men, big man play, and they don't have a single athlete on their team.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Yeah, yeah. Solid points there.

SPEAKER_00 37:50

I'd love Troy Williams on this team. Oh love.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

I would love a Troy Williams too. Yeah, that would be a fun highlight reel to make of Troy Williams. Oh, dude, he was so good. He was so good, he was so good. So just go to YouTube right now.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

He's just don't watch him, just don't watch him take a jump shot.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Yeah, don't watch that, but watch the dunking and the you know the rest of the rebounds, like just crazy, crazy athletic player. It was fun to watch. Let's talk a little mid-major, David. A lot of men a lot of mid-major here. St. Louis drops a game finally to Rhode Island and conference, David, marking their second second loss of the season. As I love to say, they're undefeated. Is it time to hit the panic button for St. Louis coming to March and before the conference tournament? Ladies and gentlemen, let us know in the comments if you think St. Louis is a fraud, because I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Yeah, no, I mean, I I think this just came down to uh an Archie Miller team decided to finally make three pointers.

SPEAKER_01 38:57

Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

They didn't have a single single three-pointer when he was in Indiana. Yeah, but this hint dude shows up and makes nine for Rhode Island against the top 20 team in the country. What's up with that?

SPEAKER_01 39:11

You know, it's just showtime, you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

But yeah, I'm not I'm not worried about St. Louis. Uh I'm not worried about St. Louis. It was a road game at Rhode Island. Rhode Island shoots 41% from three.

SPEAKER_01 39:23

It's gonna be that is one arena I would love to visit, though, is Rhode Island. It looks yeah, I've heard it looks legit. Yeah, it looks legit, small, loud. I mean, shoot. The big one though, the big one, David, Miami, Ohio, just cruising. Just just keep winning. So that that's the motto right now for them. Just keep winning. Miami, Ohio, David, is the first division one team, men's team, to start a season 26-0, with at least 10 of those coming by single digits since UMass in 95 and 96, David. Listeners, viewers, and David, do you know what UMass did in that season in 95 and 96?

SPEAKER_00 40:00

Got all their wins vacated.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

They went to the Final Four.

SPEAKER_00 40:05

Did they? They did. Did the record books would say they didn't? Why'd they get it vacated, though? I think Marcus Cambi was getting all sorts of illegal uh benefits from your boy John Calipari.

Can Texas Tech Reroute Its Season

SPEAKER_01 40:21

I love my boy John. Love my boy John. He's the guy, he's the guy.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Yeah, Miami cool story.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

How far do you think they go? Legit, David. How far do you think Miami, Ohio goes? Listen, reviewers, let us know in the comments as well where you think they go in March Madness.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

I think they get absolutely blown out in the first round.

SPEAKER_01 40:44

That's what everyone's saying, dude.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

They haven't played anybody.

SPEAKER_01 40:48

I think they're gonna make a run. And and I'm running for them so hard. I want to buy half. Like, I'm rooting for them.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

We've talked about this last year. There were no Cinderellas, no even good stories like this from a mid-major during the regular season.

unknown 41:02

Right.

SPEAKER_00 41:02

Well, at least we have this this year, yeah. But I mean, the toughest team they've played is Akron at home. They won by three in non-conference. They played all bad teams. They played three teams that aren't even Division I. So technically, for their for their, you know, because those games don't actually count toward um like seeding or consideration for the incidentally tournament. So technically they're 23-0, according to the committee, because you gotta wipe those out. Yeah, so I would love to see it. I'm I'm the biggest mid-major guy you'll ever find. I love watching a good mid-major basketball game. But I do too. They're gonna get blown out. And I kind of hope that they're a seven seed and Indiana's the 10th seed. You think you really want that? Yeah, we would torch them.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

Aren't we projected to play Tennessee right now? Is Indiana projected to play Tennessee? I'm curious.

SPEAKER_00 42:01

I mean, maybe per one projection.

unknown 42:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:06

I saw one tonight that was Indiana and AM.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Oh, that would be fun in my household. That would be a lot of fun. My wife went to AM. Listeners and viewers, if for you that don't know. So that'd be fun for us.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Who did you say you saw us up against?

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Tennessee.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

Tennessee's a five seed, and we're a 10, so no.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

They were a 10 like last week, so I don't know. I don't know where I saw that. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 42:30

Were you looking at you were looking at a football bracket?

SPEAKER_01 42:34

I was not.

SPEAKER_00 42:35

You were looking at a way too early 2026 company.

SPEAKER_01 42:40

I was looking at a bracket, I promise. Got me good. Well, listeners and viewers, we appreciate you listening, watching one of the news. Hold on, hold on, hold on. One thing.

SPEAKER_00 42:52

One thing first. Okay. Massive. One thing. Massive weekend.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

Massive weekend. Let's go into it.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Have you heard about this weekend?

SPEAKER_01 43:01

I have not heard about this weekend, baby.

SPEAKER_00 43:03

Have you heard about what's happening this weekend?

SPEAKER_01 43:06

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:07

Indiana Purdue. Indiana Purdue to lead it off on Friday. Should be a fun game. Hopefully, we pull it out. In Mackie, right? In Mackie. But then Saturday, how often does this happen?

SPEAKER_01 43:22

It never happens.

SPEAKER_00 43:23

Number one versus number three, Michigan versus Duke. And Duke's actually number two in Ken Palm, so that's a 1v2 according to and Michigan's favorite by two and a half right now.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

Why?

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Yeah. They're so good. They blow everything.

SPEAKER_01 43:35

I would take Duke. Duke doesn't lose there.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Well, it's a it's a neutral game. It's in DC.

SPEAKER_01 43:43

Oh, never mind. Yeah, I'm all over Michigan.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Yeah, same. Yeah. Um, we also have Arizona at Houston, which is number what's it? Number one and four. It's four. Yeah. So we have one one, three, and a two four this weekend. We also have Iowa State. BYU. We have UConn against Villanova. Villanova surprise team of the Big East this year. First year for Kevin Willard. We got some big SEC matchups. We got Tennessee Vandy. We got Texas, Georgia, loser of that game. Probably doesn't make the tournament because that's a big game for the bubble. It's going to be a great weekend. And Indiana Purdue leaves it off tomorrow night or tonight, whenever you listen to this Friday night. Because this comes out. Yeah, my brain just broke. Indiana Purdue to leave it off. And then some big matchups on Saturday. Can't wait. Really excited for it.

unknown 44:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Listener and viewers, who do you have though in that matchup? Do you have Michigan over Duke or do you have Duke over Michigan? And do you have Arizona over Houston? Or do you have Houston over Arizona? Let us know in the comments. David, who are you taking in those matchups, real quick?

SPEAKER_00 44:48

Uh, I love Michigan. All they do is blow out good, yeah, good teams.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

Um you said that you weren't high on them last week, though.

SPEAKER_00 44:56

Well, they they hadn't been playing as well, and they were coming off of it. I'm just a close win at Northwestern. I'm just throwing you out of the bus. But I like Michigan. Duke uh has not played the the most difficult competition because the ACC is still pretty bad this year, just like it has been in the past few years. Three teams don't matter in that conference. Yeah, North Carolina. Who who knows if they're anything at this point? Oh, yeah, they hate us.

SPEAKER_01 45:24

UNC fan.

SPEAKER_00 45:27

Why? Because we were right about them being bad once.

Guards Win March: Anderson, Petty, Shooting

SPEAKER_01 45:30

I mean, I mean, NC State just bashed them up, you know, showed them who they really were. Yeah, dude. But their best players set out. Their best players set out.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

Get out of here, Tario fans. Yeah, fucking bozos. Bozos over here. Yeah, but I love Michigan. All they do is all they do is blow out teams. Yeah, I'm high on Michigan. Been high on them.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

Told you. Yeah, I've I have Michigan, of course, for that that one. I think that'll be a great game. I don't know if Michigan covers soon after. I see Michigan win by two, and playing spoiler or not.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

Take the money line.

SPEAKER_01 46:03

Yeah, take the money line like that. I would just bite the bullet on that. And then I would take. I'm all over Houston. I think Houston dominates that that game, actually. I think Houston wins by 10. That is my take. Let us know, guys, what you think, but we'll see you in the next one. Like, comment, subscribe on our YouTube, 5LF podcast on Instagram and TikTok. And also, X, we'll see you in the next one. Peace.