SPEAKER_03 0:35

Welcome to the Five Arms and the Lucky Finn podcast. I'm your host, Brendan McCormick, and I'm here with my sidekick, side co-host, David Soloway. He is for the people. The people are for him. And we are recapping the first and second round of the NCAA tournament. What a tournament it has been, David. A little less chalk than compared to last year. A little less, but have heavy on the chalk, still heavy on the chalk. But there has been some great upsets. But David, I want your opinion on what Mr. Fantas said in a previous interview. Obviously, I think it was about a week and a half before March had started. He went on to say that this could be an all-timer for March Manis. I knew it was there to hype hype it up, but it's been good.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Yeah, it's been solid. Uh, there's been a lot of close games. We've had a couple buzzer beaters. Um I don't know about calling it an all-time tournament at this point because we just haven't seen the the mid-majors break through like we are so used to in the past. And I think that's one of the things that makes March in this tournament so special. Not that we always want to see a mid-major in the final four because that kind of waters down the final four. You know, think about the final four a few years ago with San Diego State and uh Florida Atlantic. Like it was kind of cool to have them there, but it wasn't the heavyweights that we might still get this year. And I think that's something we we we can look forward to, is that uh we have a lot of big names still in this tournament. We have a we still have a good chance that this could be an all-time tournament, depending on how it plays out for the next couple weeks.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Yes, it's you know, sweet 16 could go either way. Excited to see how it how it happens, how it unfolds. But let's let's touch base on the first and second round first, obviously. And you know, I'd be I'm gonna before I dive into that real quick, David, I do want to touch upon what you said about mid-majors. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona head basketball coach, was actually asked that in an interview um post-game about mid-majors and you know, the mid-majors kind of disappearing past the you know, getting up past uh round two. And do you think this will be a common trend because of NIL and where college sports are headed?

SPEAKER_00 3:08

100%, yes. I think this is the this is completely the result of the NIL era and not just NIL but the transfer portal. Now these majors are getting players in who may be under-recruited in high school, but then that player shows off for two years, you know, performs at that lower level, they just get end up getting poached. Um, and they're gonna get poached because those bigger schools have uh a lot more money that they can devote. And the the interesting thing with high point this year, they're like the one semi-Cinderella we had. They have the highest NIL of any win-major team in the country. So even them, it's like they still it's still more of like a pay-for-play at this point than anything. You know, you gotta pay up to win.

SPEAKER_03 3:55

Yeah, I mean, flying some students and you know, private jets and getting charger. They got money too. They got they they got some money over that high point. And you know what the tuition costs where it starts out at just throw it out. I believe it's 60,000.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Okay, 60, sure. Okay, yeah, still a lot. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

That's a lot of money. I uh, you know, went to Purdue University University Fort Wayne, David, and I paid almost twice less than that for a four-year degree. So I think over twice that, almost triple less than that.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

So yeah, for sure. Yeah, you had to, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:37

So crazy. Um, let's talk about obviously the first and so I'm gonna dive into that right now. There were some, you know, Sienna playing Duke. You would think that Duke would just blow off the bricks of Sienna, but that wasn't really the case. Sienna really held strong in that first half. Even John Shire admitted to post-game that he was outcoached by now the Syracuse head coach.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Yeah, I I think it's interesting when he says outcoached because like XSNO-wise, maybe not necessarily got outcoached. He switched to a zone in the middle of the game, uh, which made a big impact. Plus, Sienna played five players the entire game, which made a big impact. So a good coaching decision by Shire, a bad one about McNamara. But um, yeah, I mean, not having your players ready is is part of coaching, and obviously didn't have them ready because uh Malik Brown said at halftime he was like, We thought this was gonna be a cakewalk. Well, that wasn't a cakewalk. You were first one seed ever to be down double did is a half. Yeah, they came back though, they got it done. Yeah, they'll be all right. You know, they showed it in the second round against TCU. They're fine. I I think it really was a lot, just them coming out expecting to roll over them early and Sienna just give up and die. Well, that just it just didn't happen.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

No, it didn't. And and playing five players the whole game is definitely gonna wear you down, especially towards the end of the game. And Duke just slowly started chipping away at it. This Duke team shows me though that they're not afraid to trail, especially in all eyes on them moment, you know, trailing the most that any team's ever had by a 16 seed and coming back and winning. Says a lot about your team, and obviously it's a 16 seed, you should dominate them, but I mean, obviously, having the mentality that you're just gonna walk in and dominate them and it doesn't happen, and now you're behind by that much, and to win the game, I think says a lot to you know the character that they have on that team.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Yeah, I agree. And they they showed it against Florida State in the their first game of the ACC tournament, too. They were down pretty much, you know, the whole entire second half, and then they end up coming back. Uh, Florida State has a chance to win it at the buzzer, but I agree with you. They've they've shown the ability to stick with it and not just give up when the going gets tough, which that's the mark of a champion, and they have the best chance of anybody to win it. So I'm not surprised.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Yeah, uh no surprises at all. Let's talk about let's talk about this Iowa team, David. Let's talk about this Iowa team, McCollum's run in the NCA tournament. Obviously, making obviously beating Clemson in the first round. That game was really back and forth, and then knocking off the Florida Gators in crazy insane fashion, knocking a three in the corner. Um, with I believe there was one second left. There wasn't, or maybe one or two seconds.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Like four, I think.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Okay, I thought it was a little more than that.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Florida had time to get down the court and did absolutely nothing with that last play.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

Yeah, yeah, they did absolutely nothing in the last play. What is because we talked a little bit about this off camera. What is your expectation moving forward for McCullum? Is it make the tournament every year and make a sweet 16? Can he get these, you know, not high-level recruits, but recruits that still continue to fit his program? Because, like you said, he said in a post-game interview that he doesn't want the best guys or guys that are full too full of themselves. And I actually agree. And this NIL agree you have to find players that want to play and dogs that want to show who they are.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah, I mean, I hate to say this, but he is the Kurt Signetti of college basketball. Not that he took a program with no history and made them into the best team in the country because they weren't as bad as Indiana football ever was, and they're not currently as good as Indiana football was in second year. But it's it's only his first year there, and he's doing it with under-recruited guys who fit his system, and he is he's a he's just a good old ball coach. Like he's what you want. If if you say, I want the perfect X's in those coach, it's this guy. Any guy who can who can do what he did at the D2 level, that's just straight up coaching because there's not that much variance in talent in D2. They're all guys who just you know weren't good enough to make it in D1, but they're a little bit better than NAIA D3 level. So it's it's it's kind of a sweet spot there. It's all coaching. He's he's obviously a mastermind of coaching. I don't know about the expectations sh being as high as like make the tournament every year because Iowa, well, they they're they have a good basketball history, it's a it's gonna be a deep Big Ten every year from here on out because there's so many teams in the Big Ten that there's gonna be they might fluctuate a little bit, but yeah, I I have high expectations for him. I think the biggest question going forward is yeah, he's not gonna take the big name players or the big money players. Can he continue to find perfect fits for his system at the D1 level? Because I think that is a bit harder than it was at the D2 level.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

I I do agree, but this guy does not lose David. I'm gonna go down year by year of what this man has done at the D2 level and at the Division I level. So in 2017, uh he went 35-1 in D2, won a national championship. 2018, 27-4 in D2, lost in the first round. That was quite a big upset, whoever played them and won against them. 2019, they went 38-0, undefeated another Division II championship for him in 2020. Because of COVID, they'd never played the tournament, postseason tournament at D2, but went 30 and 1. 20 and 21, 2021, he went 28-2, another D2 national championship. 2022, 34 and 5, another Division II national championship. 2023 went 31 and 3, division two, lost in the round of 32 in that in that division two tournament. And then in 22, 22, uh, 2024 went 29 and 5 and made the sweet 16 division two, then finally made the jump jump to division one in 2025, went 31 and 3 at Drake, lost in the round of 32 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and then this year he went 23 and 12 at Iowa and Big Ten and is still in the Sweet 16 and has yet to be knocked off or and beat Florida. This guy doesn't lose.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

No, you're right, he doesn't lose.

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Like, but I agree with you. It's gonna be really interesting to see who he has players moving forward. I agree with what you said off-camera about sturts, like it's really hard to find those type of guys that can compete at that division one level, but I believe this guy can do it if he can do all these crazy things at the D2 level and win four national championships at the D2 level. This guy can figure out Division I and our guy, Coach Signetti, basically did the same dang thing, found a figure out to weigh at each level, and I believe Ben McCollum's just gonna do the same thing. So I believe with your take about Kirk Signetti, Ben McCullum being the Kirk Signetti of college basketball.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

I think the hardest thing the hardest thing is just that uh in basketball, you do really need like two or three star players that fit like perfect roles. Like you need you need a big man who can play defense and score in the post. You need a point guard who can take care of the ball and dish it around, and you need a real scorer. This year, obviously, two of those roles are are just sturts, like he's just the all-around guy. But finding being able to find three guys like that that fit your system every year is gonna be more difficult than like football. You're you've got such a big team that um you don't necessarily have to plug every hole in every role. Um, you just gotta kind of get the right mix. But yeah, we'll see it, we'll see what he does for it. I I think they gotta have high hopes. I mean, they found a they found a gin. And I saw some talk today about uh Iowa maybe should be scared that he's gonna leave. No, he's he has a small buyout, apparently. First of all, what what large jobs are out there right now that he would want to jump to? Like I can't think of any, right?

SPEAKER_03 13:23

The only one that I know on top of my head, and I know he wouldn't leave for this, is Kansas State, right? Yeah, is that still available?

SPEAKER_00 13:30

I think so, but that's those are equivalent schools as far as I'm concerned. That's what I'm saying. It's not like a jump, you know? No, um, yeah, I don't see why he would leave. He spent his whole his whole career in that uh area. He was actually born in Iowa City, like yeah, he's staying there. He's not leaving. No, even if Kentucky came open next year, let's say, I just don't think he's leaving.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

What about in North Carolina? No, I don't think he'd leave.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Really? No, he's he was born and raised in Iowa, you know?

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Like no, I don't think he's leaving either.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Like, yeah, would it be hard to turn down a job like North Carolina if you're a guy who was coaching D2 just two years ago? Sure.

SPEAKER_03 14:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

But the connection That's kind of the angle I was going at.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

But yeah, I agree with you. I don't I don't see him leaving Iowa. That's funny that people think that he'll he'll leave. It's funny what people talk about, to be honest. But yeah, right. That's that's crazy. It's just like when people thought Sig was leaving, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

A lot older, so he's more of like, I want to finish my career here. Yeah, Sig, you know, but I agree with you. Yeah, the connections in this case are just too strong.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

And I think you know, I was not the poorest college, I want to say, in the Big Ten.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

No, and it's not like they're a a football only, like a football powerhouse where you have to worry about a lot of your resources going to football. It feels like they're a school that could kind of split that 50-50 and and make it work both ways.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

That's what I was thinking too, with that. So, I mean, that's something that coach coaches nowadays, when they before they even take a job, they're looking at that. So yeah, I'm I'm with you. I just I don't see them losing, or not don't see them leaving, not losing. Let's talk about star power, David, and some player takeovers that are happening in the NCA tournament right now right now. Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermaker, our rival, breaks the all-time assist record. All-time assist record. Well deserved, Braden Smith. Much respect to you. Any any uh thoughts and discussion points on this, David?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Yeah, wouldn't it be nice to uh be the point guard on a team that had uh the back-to-back player of the year first time since the 1980s? Yeah, it's great, good for him, Zag Eidi merchant.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Yeah, I'm with you on this, you know, and it's I think this helps Purdue. I'm going a little side quest here. I think this helps Purdue that he already broke it because now he can just score the ball.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

I would agree. He doesn't have to pass, but in the you know, he broke the record in the first round in their second round game. He tried to shoot a lot and was bad. So it I don't know. I agree with you that now the pressure's off. You would think, you know, loosen up a little bit, go score the ball a little bit more. I don't know, I don't know now because that it was actually they were in their run to the Big Ten title, he was passing the ball so much just to try to break this record because all he cared about was breaking the record, not actually winning uh basketball games. Uh, that maybe they found a rhythm with him actually doing that.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

I think scoring Braden Smith is back, and I think it helps the Boilers because once he goes to that right hand, he goes that right hand and that short corner on the right, he just can make that little floater and he can make it every time. No one's gonna stop him. Yeah, he's so good. No one's gonna stop him. So I actually am in reverse, like reverse psychology on this. I I think it really helps that he already breaks it. I think that's 12 yesterday. That's fine, it's cool, it's a good solid uh 40% there, right? No. I'm messing. But um, but yeah, I I really do think this will help the Boilermakers, and we'll talk a little bit more about them later, but I really do think that Purdue has a legit shot this year with Smith. I know they've struggled defensively, and I know as as our rival, we like to talk trash about them, but I have a lot of respect for them and what Painter's done.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

I have to respect them, and they got the they got the best break of any team left in the tournament and that they get to play the only WTC left. So not saying they're automatically gonna win that game because Texas is obviously just as hot right now. Um but it's nice when that path opens up a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Yes, yes, it does. Yes, it does. Yes, it does indeed. Darius Acuff, David. Let's start this discussion out. Is he the best guard ever that Calipari has had?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

In college, yes.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

Yeah, 100%. Is John Wall right behind him?

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Yes, yes, those are his best two in college. Yes, yes, I agree. Yeah, yeah, I would agree with you on that. Because like Derek, people are like Derek Rose. Well, like Derek Rose was good at Memphis, he was a good freshman, he was not even the star player on that team. Yeah, like Chris Douglas Roberts was the best guard on that team, guard forward, you know. He was like a two-three. But he was dangerous, man. He was awesome. I love that, I love that team. Listeners agree with the case. It's not like he was that guy in college. Acuff could could go into the NBA next year and immediate impact.

SPEAKER_03 19:30

So I'm gonna break down the five postseason games that Darius Acuff has had. I'm gonna break them down here. Uh going from the top to the bottom. Uh, this is from Razorback uh communications, razorback comms. Uh, the first game it says 37 points, five assists, 11 21 from the field, five and nine from three. Next game, 24 points, 7 assists, 7 of 21 from the field, 2 of 7 from 3. Struggled a little bit around the field. Next game, 30 points, 11 assists, 9 of 20, field goals, 5 of 8 from 3. Next game, 24 points, 7 assists, 9 and 19, 205. And then the last game, 36 points, 6 of 6, 6 assists, 11 of 22, and 3 of 6 from 3. Averaged all those together, 30.2 points per game, 7.2 assists per game, 45.6 field goal percentage, and 48.6 three field goal, three point field goal percentage. That's just yeah, monster. That's wild to me.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, I mean his one his one down game, you know, obviously didn't shoot the ball very well, but uh you're still putting up 24 and 7. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_03 20:46

And then I have another stat line. Speaking of Derek Rose, he joins another elite company. Darius A cup joins Derrick Rose and Chris Paul as the only freshman since 2004 with multiple NCA attorney games with 20 points and five assists. Elite. Elite company. Some of the best point guards the NBA has seen, and he joins those two.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

And those are those were teams that played a lot deeper than this. I mean, he's only played two games, and he already joined um, you know, he already joined those two and you know, company.

SPEAKER_03 21:24

It's just he is David, he is one of the most exciting basketball players to watch in a long time.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

He is, and everybody's fallen in love with him. No one can hate this guy, and he's a he's a coach cow guy. You would think people would hate him, no one hates it.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

Nope. Like he just injured, banged up, wants to play. You know, doesn't want to sit out, wants to play, wants to put on for his team.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

So cool, calm, and collected.

SPEAKER_03 21:55

Like the only I would say the last college bass player that I got. Really excited to watch, and it was only because his high f high flying dunks was Zion Williamson. It's really the last person that I got excited to watch.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

And it was because the way he could dunk the ball. But this guy, Darius Acuff, is just layup, dishing it. Which way you want it? I'm gonna deliver this. Like, it's just his game is insane, and no one talks about his defense. Like, his defense is just as good.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Like, yeah, I mean his defense isn't bad for college, but he's he's tiny. That's an NBA discussion, though.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

That is an NBA discussion, but yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

I mean, he he's just an all-around great college point guard, and he's very fun to watch.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

Just super fun to watch. Dave, there's been some upsets and chaos this year that the NCA tournament hasn't seen in a little bit. Uh, let's kick it off with High Point over Wisconsin. This was the first uh bracket cooker, I should say, that shattered a lot of brackets, including mine. I was pretty high on Wisconsin, and I thought high point could play any other team and beat them, but I thought since they had Wisconsin that they would lose, I was wrong. And he agreed, yeah. Hand up on that, completely wrong. You know, this Chase Johnson guy just launching threes wherever he wanted. From the logo, quick release, man, and then his final his first two-point basket was to win the game. That's what I just find so funny and ironic.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

It's just his first two-point basket, his last two-pointer was in February of 2025, over a year between two-point makes, and he he makes it in that moment. Crazy.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

It's just absolutely, I just could you draw it up any other way? Like it was perfect, yeah. Uh, there's actually a guy on that team, David, that is from West Texas. His name is Brady Braden Hawson, and his and his brother Brendan Hawson actually plays for uh Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes. So shout out to them, yeah. West Texas rep and yeah, I thought that was pretty cool that both of them were from West Texas, they're from Amarillo, and they were both in the NCA tournament, so still pretty cool. But yeah, one was an upset all timer for high point. I mean, we were pretty high on high point as a mid-major, like we talked about a little bit off camera, but we just thought because of the draw against Wisconsin that they would not be able to win that. But hand up, you know, we were wrong. They did it. Yep, what a game, what a game just to start off the madness, the craziness, and then this VCU comeback, David. VCU comeback against North Carolina. Everyone was was dogging us. Oh, North Carolina's gonna pull through on social media, North Carolina's gonna pull through. I thought they might. North Carolina had it in the back for a lot of that game. They led for, I want to say at least 90% of that game. VCU. Oh, yeah. I mean, I believe it might be more than that. I want to say 97. Yeah, it was a long time. Either way, it was a lot of a lot of the game, but VCU just kept shipping away, kept having that belief, and you didn't see just crumbled and crumbled and crumbled.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Yeah, I mean, they just they just completely stopped making shots and playing defense. Yeah, they were up, they were up like I I don't know the exact number, so don't quote me here. But they were up at like good amount of double digits, like 15 points, let's say, with like eight minutes left. So, like, yeah, the it was the largest comeback of the first round ever, uh, being 19 points in the second half. Uh, but but even as you got it's not like it was 19 points at the beginning of the half and VCU caught up by 10 minutes to go. No, it was still pretty pretty well within reach uh you know, for North Carolina to just cruise to a double-digit victory um with like eight minutes left, and BCU had a furious comeback at the end.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

The exact number was 19. UNC led as many as 19 points in the second half and was ahead 14 with 6'4 645 or 615. I was in the ballpark, 615 remaining before they collapsed. Pressure on March, man, even though you got that lead, we've seen it you know throughout the years, doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

What do you think about Hubert Davis's job?

SPEAKER_03 26:50

I think it's cooked, and this is why. I think there is so much money pouring into North Carolina basketball, and you talk about the rich history of North Carolina basketball, you think they're okay with blow a blowing this lead, being a sixth seed. I know that's not okay with them being a six seed, they're like a one or two seed most years. And then your star player, I mean, I understand their star player is out, but it's just it's like a lot, a lot of things just culminating, and then everyone's talking about it, and then this happens. So overall, I think it's cooked because I just think there's so it's coaching at a power at a power five job now, it's just different with an NIL and expectations from boosts like from boosters and from collect collectives and even fans. Like if you lose the fan base, like kind of like Pope has with Kentucky, it's it's not good. And I think I think maybe Pope's kind of won it back a little bit. Oh, I don't think so. A little bit, um with with the win over Santa Clara Late, but even then that wasn't that great, and so I think his job is gonna be coming up shortly, too. And you talk about two blue bloods, but here's the question, David, and then I ask you this because the power is in the coaches now. You might say it's with the NIL and things like that, and and the people giving money to the university, but I think it's the coaches. Who who who do they go after? That's my next question. If they say, hey, Hubert Davis is out, we're under our next guy. Who is it? Because I couldn't name you two people who it could be.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

Yeah, I mean, I think this is the biggest issue with the with that job, is that they have always been big on keeping it in the family. That's that's you know that's Roy, Dean Smith, and then uh there was a couple guys in the middle, Doherty and Guthriege. Uh, but then they bring it back home with Roy. Roy was at Kansas, he left Kansas to come back home to North Carolina, and then he retires and he hands it off to Hubert, who was a North Carolina guy and sat on the bench with them for years. They're not an obvious candidate to just fill fill that in. So do they do they just go away from the family ties at this point, or do you just keep Hubert hope things work out in the next couple years? I agree with you that once public sentiment starts going against you, it is very, very hard to win it back. It's it's way harder to win it back than it is to lose all for a fan base to lose all the faith in you if when things are going good. But but he's made a national title game. And he's only been there for what, five years? He's made a national title game, and this year, of course, after the national title game, they were the preseason number one number one ranked team, and then they were awful. But then this year, if you if the they don't lose Caleb Wilson to either one of his hand fractures, because he he fractured both hands, if they don't lose him to that, are we even having this conversation or are they easily in the sweet 16 coming up? I'm gonna go. He's a top seven NBA pick, yeah. I don't know. At a school where North Carolina does not have top ten draft picks, and they got that guy there, and he was proving it, and then he got hurt.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

Call that bad luck, call it whatever, but he has been the coach since 2021. Five years, so yes, and I mean it hasn't been great since the 2021 and 2022 season. I mean, in 2022 and 2023, they went 20 and 13, declined the NIT, and then 23 and 24 went 29 and 8, went to the sweet 16, 24 and 25, 23 and 14, made it to the round of 64, and then this year 24 and 9 made it to the round of 64.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

So and I know that the expectation at North Carolina is to win national championships. I understand that as well as anybody else, because the expectation in Indiana is to win national championships, and we don't even make the tournament, let alone make a sweet 16. This guy has made two Sweet 16s, including a runner-up in his first year, and I truly do think that if he has a healthy team this year, and by by saying team, that's just one dude. If he has that one dude healthy, they make the sweet 16.

SPEAKER_03 32:10

I just we'll never know, right? We can argue back and forth. You say that he does. I I I personally say that he doesn't make that big of an impact. I do think that if he was in there, they would have won several more games, but I don't know about that. I don't know if it was Sweet 16, like they for sure would have been there. Would would the game plan have changed for VCU? Absolutely. And would it have had to maybe throw a wrench in what have happened? Probably so.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Yeah, I mean, I think my argument is that they wouldn't have been a six seed if he was healthy. I think they would have been like a three or four seed just coming off that win against Duke at home on that buzzer beater. Obviously, he gets hurt against Miami, they lose that game, even though he played the rest of the game with the hand fracture.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Um, and even after that, they went five and two five and three down the stretch, which isn't terrible, but yeah, you know, they could they maybe maybe they run the table if he's healthy because they they've been playing so well.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

Is there any off chance he stays? No, no chance, no.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

I don't I don't think so either. Unless like the the medicals come back really bad for the fraction, but I can't imagine that's gonna be a problem.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

I agree with you there. I agree with you there. Another insanity march game we've had, David. Nebraska versus Vandy. This one was absolute chaos back and forth. Obviously, in the end, Nebraska comes through with, I believe, Nebraska hit the buzzer beater, correct?

SPEAKER_00 33:55

It wasn't a buzzer beater, it was there were a couple seconds left because the crazy part about this game was Vandy had that half quarter from uh Tyler Tanner. Yes, off the backboard, halfway down.

SPEAKER_03 34:08

Buckles, it buckled and too much velocity on the ball, David. It just went studunk. It looked so good.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

You know what it was good. That's as good of a shot as you can have from there.

SPEAKER_03 34:21

You know what it reminded me of? Gordon Hayward.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

Yep, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

Had instant class effects.

SPEAKER_00 34:33

It was literally on the cusp. Half the ball was under the rim.

SPEAKER_03 34:38

It felt like I've I've never seen anything like that, but it was a heck of a game. Nebraska doing what they do, David. Doing what they do, shoot threes, play defense.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

Yeah, and and you know, we'd been talking, they started off that Troy game really sluggishly. Yes, you know, you even texted me that they just you know they weren't looking that great. And coming into the tournament tournament, Nebraska over the past couple months really has not played well at all. Yeah, yet here they are in the Swie 16 with a chance to go to the Elite Eight against a nine seed. So what a story. First, first tournament win ever, and now they're in the Sweet 16. They played an epic game, and they've got a great chance to move on again.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

That ninth seed is their rival, though, David.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

Sure is the more than a rivalry game in the tournament.

SPEAKER_03 35:30

We'll talk about it more in our look ahead in the sweet 16 episode, but stay tuned for that. We'll definitely be discussing that one. And then, David, we've had some what are we doing type moments during this March Madness. Uh, the first one being Santa Clara versus Kentucky. Um, you know, Santa Clara makes a clutch basket to go up three, and then they decide not to foul the guard, the ball carrier that was bringing up the ball. If there's anything that we've learned being Indiana basketball fans and the Kentucky game, David, if you are up three, nope, that doesn't work. That doesn't work.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

We did fail to do it this year actually against uh UCLA and that game went to overtime.

SPEAKER_03 36:30

Yes, another one. But if you're up three, David, foul every time, right? No, no, no, I disagree.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

I don't say foul every time.

unknown 36:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:45

I think the time up the time left in the game matters. In this case, when Santa Clara makes the shot, there's 2.5 left. You're absolutely you absolutely have to foul. Let him take one dribble and foul. But you know, if there were six seconds left, I might not. The crazy thing about this one though is Herb Sendex trying to call timeout after they hit that three. Ref doesn't even acknowledge him. If they had called that timeout, would they have fouled up three? Probably. Or they would have at least made it more difficult for Kentucky to score because it's not a scramble situation. You actually get to set your defense a little bit more. Interesting. So they kind of got screwed by the refs. Um, yeah, but I think another thing you have to consider is there's continuation in college basketball now. So if he starts going up while you're fouling him, yeah, he's probably not gonna make it because you're fouling him, but get three free throws, that changes the equation a bit too.

SPEAKER_03 37:41

I think continuation does change automatically fouling, because I agree with you that it could throw up, you know, three free throw attempts because he's in the act, but it's just in my in my opinion, you have to foul. You have to like I agree with what you're saying, one dribble and then foul him, because like you just have to do it that way. If it's anything other than that, I I think you have to let it play out at that point. Yeah, but if you get him at that, if you get him in uh at an angle or something with one dribble, you have to foul him. You have to absolutely foul them. Listeners and uh listeners and viewers, let us know what your opinion is. Do you foul up three automatically, or what's your situation where you foul not foul? Let us know. We're intrigued.

SPEAKER_00 38:26

The other thing with that one is he has to make a perfect shot. He makes a 40-footer and he banks it in. You know what?

SPEAKER_03 38:33

Yeah, probably. Yeah, you gotta. I think sometimes you just have to clap your hands. I think that was obviously one of those situations. Another hot topic right now, David, was the Florida versus Iowa game. The call with you know the ball of the Florida offensive player, I forget his name, but he's carrying it. Yes, the Iowa player who hit the game winning three came in, cocked back. Is this a flagrant two because of the cock back? Or is this a flagrant two because of his initial intent? He touches the ball.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

Oh, we talked about this a little pre-show, and I think we might disagree here, but I think we do, but if if if you and I are we have a jump ball, and we we get wrestled to the ground because we're we're really in this game. It's a it's a round 32 game. We really want to go to 316. We get wrestled to the ground by each other while we're holding out of the ball. We're on the ground. We know we can hear they're calling they they're they've already called a jump ball. We don't have to fight for the ball anymore. Why are we cocking back and trying to punch the ball out? It no longer matters. I don't care if your intent was to punch the ball out. Why are you trying to punch the ball out?

SPEAKER_03 40:09

That's a good point.

SPEAKER_00 40:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 40:12

That that that that's that is that is a solid point.

SPEAKER_00 40:16

I don't I understand heat of battle and all that.

SPEAKER_03 40:21

Yeah, man. You're on the floor.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

But a flagrant two, I don't know if it's a flagrant two. Well, I think that the problem is what I don't think they can call a punch a flagrant one because a punch inherently is just a violent act. So it was either no call or a flagrant two. Yeah. I mean, Todd Golden even said after the game that the refs told him that there was a punch, but that they couldn't do anything because he didn't land it. Alright, man. If I if I go in the middle of a play to punch you and you dodge it, they're not throwing me out. Come on. They're throwing me out.

SPEAKER_03 41:02

We want to know what you guys think on that. Was this a flagrant two? Was it not? Let us know in the comments. Because this is a hot topic. And I I don't I don't think it is a flagrant two. I said it. So, you know, that's just my opinion. He didn't land it. Didn't land it, David. Didn't land it. Didn't land it. We've had some funny moments of this tournament too, David. Um, the first one being, you know, Prairie View AM head coach Byron Smith, you know, was asked um right after um halftime uh what his team needs to improve on. And he said, you know, we need help from the Lord. Help from the Lord. What's your thoughts on this, David?

SPEAKER_00 41:54

I mean, he wasn't wrong, was he? They need they needed a prayer to be answered so bad at that moment. Uh you know, what else could you ask for? They were down 39 at halftime. If you're praying AN, you're hoping to go into that game and lose by 39 full game. You know, you're not expecting a win, but 39 at halftime. So they need they needed more than a prayer, honestly. Yeah, yeah, they they definitely did.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

I thought I thought that was really funny. And then another moment that I thought was really funny when was uh Kingston Flemings after the opening round game, he's talking with Celvin Sampson. He's like, he's asking if he could take his nameplate, and he goes, No, we're gonna be here after next game, anyways. Basically say and insinuating that they're gonna win the next game, and he goes, freshman, freshman. And so I I thought it was just funny because that's just how Samson is, like, just an old school type of guy. Yeah, man. What could have been an Indiana? I still think about that.

SPEAKER_00 43:02

Yeah, we don't have to do that right now, do we?

SPEAKER_03 43:04

No, we're not, but I still have dreams.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

It's like, you know, I just look at a picture and be like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:10

You know, Eric Gordon, it's kind of that good. Let's talk about some walk-off moments, David. St. John's at the buzzer versus Kansas to close us out here as our recap is coming to an end. Batino man in March. Can't count him out, David. Can't count the man out.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

And this was a crazy game against Kansas. Uh St. John's was controlling the entire game. Kansas comes back very late, ends up tying it on some DNP free throws. Uh, and then Kansas had four fouls to give with about 11 seconds left. So every like two seconds or so, they were they were fouling St. John's just to try to kill Clock. St. John's then gets the ball. You know, Kansas is at six fouls, so they're not gonna foul again. There were about three, three and a half seconds left. At that point, you're giving them you're giving them not enough time to where they have to go straight to the basket. I almost think you would have been better off playing the 11 seconds, making them kind of you know, you know, when teams dribble the ball, they're just trying to kill some clock before they before they run some action to try to get the last second shot. I think they would have been better to let that happen. I agree. What do you think?

SPEAKER_03 44:30

It's I I really it it just depends, man, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_00 44:39

Yeah, I just think in this situation you you come back so you know so furiously at the end, and then you you kind of kill your momentum by fouling four times in a row instead of just obviously St. John still could have made the shot. We don't know the alternate scenario here, but right. I just thought it was interesting to talk about.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

I just think Bill Self knows something.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:11

You know, that's that's all I got on that. I just feel like he generally has something, and you know, for a man that's been so successful in his career. Probably knew something in that moment against Patino.

SPEAKER_00 45:26

Yeah, except it didn't work. So did he know it?

SPEAKER_03 45:28

Yeah. I would say he did. Sometimes when you know something, it still doesn't work.

SPEAKER_00 45:38

Yes. Another thing about self. Another thing about self. Yeah, he talked about how he might retire.

SPEAKER_03 45:44

I know.

SPEAKER_00 45:45

And he used to be he used to be looking at his job as like what do the next five years look like, and now he's on a kind of more of a two-year timetable.

SPEAKER_03 45:53

I think he stays the next couple years, but I don't I don't see him.

SPEAKER_00 45:57

He's just had so many health issues.

SPEAKER_03 46:00

Yeah, he just loves the game too much. He's like a city, he's addicted to it.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

For sure. But those health issues, man, it's nothing to mess around with.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

No, it's definitely not. And I think I think Kansas, they need to hire some type of advisor, some type of manager to take the stress away from him, and it's just so that he can focus on each game if that makes sense. So the NIL and things like that to have someone else manage every college does.

SPEAKER_00 46:28

I wonder if they have a GM at this point, they might.

SPEAKER_03 46:30

Yeah, I I would be shocked if they didn't after this, or maybe they're in the process of hiring someone. Yeah, that would make the most sense to me.

SPEAKER_00 46:39

I think he should retire. Well, the heart's nothing to mess around with, man.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

It's not, and he's had a great career.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

Even if you even if you decrease your stress levels, even if they're still somewhat elevated, you know, anything could happen. So, but yeah, Hall of Famer, if he keeps it going, they're gonna be good again next year, they're good every year. Um, they obviously haven't been as good the past few years.

SPEAKER_03 47:06

Uh who's who's the replacement, though?

SPEAKER_00 47:10

What's the question? I I imagine that if he were to step down, they would just hire somebody from his staff.

SPEAKER_02 47:15

That's what I thought.

SPEAKER_00 47:16

That seems like the most logical.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

That's exactly what I thought.

SPEAKER_00 47:21

Yeah, but hopefully he stays. I think he stays, but I hope he stays for sure. He's a big face, yeah. Exactly. Big face. His coaches are what make college basketball so great, and he's he's one of them.

SPEAKER_03 47:34

Couldn't agree more for the listeners and viewers. We are recording this at 9 44 Central and 10 44 Eastern. So if there is something that seems off or goofy, like the what shot of me saying, Oh, yeah, you know, they were down three, it's probably because we were we were maybe a little tired. So give us a little grace on that. Wink, wink, wink. But, anyways, we will see you on the next one. Thank you for your guys' support. We also just dropped an interview with John Kaufman, head coach of Purdue Fort Wayne men's basketball team. Shares insights of the NIL world and the positives of it, and also what it takes to build a mid-major program and his coaching journey and story. Go go ahead and check that out on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It's also on YouTube. Like, comment, subscribe. See you guys. Peace.