SPEAKER_00 0:34

Welcome to the Five Arms and the Lucky Finn podcast. I am your host, Brendan McCormick, here with my co-host, David Soloway. He is for the people. The people are for him. And David, we have breaking news. We sure do. UNC has parted ways with Hubert Davis. He is no longer the North Carolina head men's basketball coach. What's your first thoughts on this?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Yeah, I think that it's a big move. It's by far the biggest uh opening in college basketball this offseason. You know, we talked about how there's not really that many big jobs out there. This one in any cycle would be one of the biggest. So it's gonna be interesting to see who they take a look at. Obviously, when they hired Hubert as the successor to Roy, the hope was that it would work. And, you know, I think there's mixed opinions on whether it worked. They did make a title game. This year could have gone differently if Caleb Wilson doesn't get hurt, but all in all, the level of the program has gone down since Roy retired. Yeah, and so the expectations are still there for them to be a national championship program, and they just haven't been there, they haven't been there at all.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

It's ever since that run, it's fallen off dramatically, in my opinion. The way North Carolina is and has always been, you know, producing some of the best talent that that talent wants to go there to play. And to be honest, I besides Wilson and maybe a couple other players that I'm going blank on. Well, that was the first year, even, and then I was thinking of uh the guard that transferred to Arizona, Caleb Love. Caleb Love, but he he left, and so I'm it's the expectations of North Carolina basketball that are causing this, and I think we talked about a little bit last episode on our recap of the first and second round, and you asked me basically if Hubert Davis should still have a job, and I was like, no, I don't think he should. And then today, obviously, the news came out just now as we record at 8:36, 9 36 Eastern that he is no longer with the team, and I believe it broke probably about 20 minutes ago, 15 minutes ago. So we'll see who they get. Who is your who is your main target? Do you think they'll go after?

SPEAKER_01 3:08

It's hard because this has we we talked about this on our last episode. This has always been a family-oriented program to where they're gonna try to keep it in-house, but there's not any obvious in-house no, you know, answers to this question. Yeah, so I don't know. I I've seen a lot of discourse on Twitter about you gotta make Brad Stevens say no. Okay, Indiana did that. Brad Stevens is gonna say no. I promise you he's gonna say no. It's just not happening.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

He's an NBA guy. Come on now.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

He's not he's not coming back to college, and then I think they're gonna be similar to what uh Kentucky did a couple years ago. Yeah. Where they called basically every big name coach in the game. So I think that North Carolina is probably gonna call guys like Dan Hurley, Todd Golden, uh Tommy Lloyd. I could I could see Hurley. I'm gonna say I could see Hurley. I don't think so just because he's he's been pretty uh staunch on not moving his wife out of the Northeast because they're a Northeast family. Gotcha. So I don't see that, but I think that's another guy that you you make him say no. He because he's proven he's a top three coach in the game.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

But you know they're gonna throw whatever dollar figure at that he wants and make it as cushioned as possible for him to come.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Yukon is currently a better job. Really? Six nannies in the past 26 years? Yeah. And a decent chance to win another one this year?

SPEAKER_00 4:47

But the history of North Carolina and the players that have played there on the alumni, like you don't think that's more historic than oh, it's definitely more historic.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

It is currently a better job at Yukon.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

How many has North Carolina won the past 20 years? Is it I want to say three? Because what they won 08. They've won several.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

I think they won, they won three, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Yeah, that's what I thought. So, I mean, let's see.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

I'm pulling it up really quick. We can get it here. We can get it, yeah. Yeah, three in the past 20 years, 05-09, 2017.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Wow, okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

But I think one to keep an eye on here, and I don't know if there's any connections or not, and I can pull this up really quick, is TJ Otzelberger. Oh, he's a guy who that's kind of a dark horse. He has been an elite coach for the past few years at Iowa State, and he's kind of flown under the radar in being that. So if they take a swing at some of those other big names and don't get them, I could see TJ Otzelberger being the guy. Because Iowa State, great program, you know, it it has been a good program prior to Fred Hoyberg, but also Fred Hoyberg kind of brought them up to the national stage while he was there and it fell off a little bit, and Otselberger's got it back. So it's a good program, but that's a bigger step up than like trying to take a hurley. It's hard when a coach is gonna make a lateral move, it's a lot harder to get them to make that move than it is maybe an Iowa State to a UNC.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

That is that is an excellent point. That is an excellent point. Another big coaching change man, McDermott, Mr. McDermott, Greg McDermott has decided to retire from basketball. He has accomplished a lot in his career, David. I want to run it down real quick. It is, I mean, it is a lot. So through he led the Blue Jays to 14 seasons of 20 plus wins and 12 NCA tournament wins in 10 NCA tournament trips, including one Elite 8 in 2022 and 2023, and three Sweet 16 appearances in 2021, 22, 23, and then 23 and 24. Creighton has 21 victories in 14 postseason trips overall under McDermott, taking two teams of the NIT quarterfinals, one of the CBI. I mean, who cares about that? But he also has produced three NBA first round picks. Obviously, his son, Doug McDermott, uh was a Bulls fan. Still am a Bulls fan, but it's hard right now. But he played for them for a second, and Justin Patton and uh Baylor Shireman, and then three second-round uh uh picks as well. Kyrie Thomas, Marcus, Zacharowski, uh Ryan Kalpren Kalprenner, which is still a pretty big name. He had he had a pretty good tournament uh last couple seasons. So he's playing in the NBA too. Yep, and his son Doug uh was a three-time first time team All-American and National Player of the Year following the 2013-2014 season. And he, Doug McDermott, finished with 3,150 career points, ranking fifth in NCAA history of all time, and also in the Big East, he has 147 league victories, ranking sixth in that storied conference, and he is right behind Jim Beheim, Jim Calhoun, Jay Wright, Jay Thompson, and Rick Patino, all legendary coaches. As they move on, David, do you believe Creighton will continue to be the uh they're not really a mid-major anymore because they're in the big east, but to me, I still feel like they are a little bit, but they're not. Uh but do you still they'll they'll do you still feel like they'll be able to uh get get get some wins in the big east with their coaching change?

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Yeah, I think they will. I think they have a really good backing. Um, Warren Buffett, big Omaha guy, Creighton in Omaha. So they've got plenty of financial support to keep this thing rolling. Uh the guy they hired, Alan Huss, was an assistant there previously. He actually played there previously, uh, and then coached at high point for two years before McDermott called him home and was like, hey, I'm gonna retire soon. Let's make you the coach in waiting, put you back on my bench. So he that guy turned high point into the team that we just saw in the tournament. Obviously, not the same exact team, but he took them from 14 and 17, I think the year before he got there, and then in his two years, he went 56 and 15, which is that's it's hard to do that, especially in this era, you know. Yeah, uh Trash Reporter had already been established, so I'm sure they were uh struggling keeping guys left and right, but yeah, I think he's a good hire. And Creighton, like you said, they're they're not a mid-major, but they're not also not like the top of the big east. Yeah, I would say if you include St. John's now, they're probably like the fourth, fourth best program of the Big East, and I think that's a good place to be. Just be it be around the tournament every year, have a couple good years here and there, uh, and try to keep keep things rolling in the next era.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

I would say the expectations too are just basically compete in the big east, try to win a big east title. If you're top three, that's great. Make the NCA tournament. Like there's no high-level expectations like in North Carolina, and that's why I think he personally has a great chance to flourish there because of that. I think sometimes having such big expectations actually hurts a program. Let's look at Indiana, for example, David, and our fan base. We lose it after one year saying our coach should be fired and DeVries when he had a whole new roster and all transfers. I had to go there.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

No, you're not wrong. I think expectations are a big thing. It's the same thing like you just said with North Carolina. If it was not North Carolina, Hubert Davis would not be fired. He's had a pretty successful five-year run as head coach. Yeah. But expectations are higher. Creighton, while they had a lot of good years under McDermott, they were never at the top of the sport. Outside of, you know, a couple years ago, they were really good. Uh that 23-24 uh season they went to the Sweet 16. That was coming off in Elite Eight the year prior. That was the Kulk Brenner. You know, you know, the Culprinter.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

He was a dog, man.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

I remember his highlights like great defensive player. You have to step out and shoot some threes. Uh, but yeah, I mean that the expectations are obviously a big part of this. Yeah, 100%. 100%. And he's gonna get time too. He he played at Creighton, he coached under McDermott. They're gonna give him time. He's one of the guys. So even if he doesn't figure it out right away, we could we could see Creighton be good here in the next three or four years.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Yeah, I I totally agree with you. Uh I'm comparing this handoff to how you know Bruce Pearl handed off his job, and it is two completely different ways of doing it. And I liked the most different way. I liked the way and loved the way McDermott did it the right way. And I felt like Bruce Pearl basically said, hire my son, I'm gone. And I'm just not about that. I had to touch on this because I just thought of it as soon as we he basically the the coach that was the future is sitting on the bench and not the head coach yet. I think that's the perfect situation after someone who's been there for several years or 10 plus years, who's basically been the face of the program. Like, that's the best way to do it. Not yeah, I'm out. Here you go. Like, that's just not what you want to build a program on, and I think you're seeing the effects of that in Auburn right now.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Yeah, totally agree. And Pearl also retired right before the season, so they he he left Auburn no choice but to hire his son because they couldn't, it's not like he retired in in March like this, where yeah, go through a whole coaching search. No, I'm gonna retire right before the season, and you are going to hire my son.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

It's the most Bruce Pearl thing ever to do. I wasn't sure.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

I mean, Tony Bennett did it two years ago, so he retired right before the season, which I think is just a bad move in general.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Yeah, I think his situation was different though, because I felt like he really struggled in the NIL era. He did, but he couldn't make a choice to do.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

He could have made that choice five months earlier or right through the commitment you've already made. I definitely agree with that. Yeah, that's definitely that's but Virginia's in a good spot now, so they don't have to worry about it anymore.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

Yeah, don't have to worry about that anymore at all. Yes, three seed did a lot, you know.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

One again the tournament, first year coach.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Yeah, they're fine. Great heights that they went to this season, they're fine. Yep, agree. Let's talk some sweet 16 March Madness basketball, David. It's we talked all season that you it would be probably these teams, as most of these teams early on, besides I would say Texas, were pretty much talked about about being in the Sweet 16. Um, most of them, most of them, Nebraska, Iowa. We'll get to that. Yeah, I mean, I said most of them.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

I I would definitely the ones in the two seeds for sure.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Yeah, the ones in the two seeds, but um excited to talk some sweet 16 hoops real quick, and let's dive into it. Uh, the first game that we have, David, is on March 26th on Thursday. That is to that is in two days, not tomorrow. And uh on CBS in San Jose, California at 710 Eastern, 6'10 Central. We have 11 Texas versus number two Purdue. The spread is plus six and a half on Texas's side. Totals sitting at 148 and a half. Kin Pom has Purdue at 8, Texas at 31. To me, this is the perfect storm for Purdue, but Texas is riding hot.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

They are, but I totally agree with you that Purdue got a break here with getting with getting this drawing. A lot of it was, you know, the three seed here was Gonzaga. Was Gonzaga really worth worthy of a three seed? We say it every year. Gonzaga runs through the WCC, they play a couple tough non-conference games, and then here they are in the tournament, and they don't they don't show up. But I agree with you, Texas getting hot at the right time. This is another one of those examples of a team coming from the first four and making it to the Sweet 16, which we've seen a lot since the first four uh became a thing about 10 years ago. Uh, they won three games in five days, and I think a lot of that is momentum. You win that first game in Dayton, and then you're just kind of flying high. They took advantage of a BYU team who we know was flawed, especially after Saunders went out uh with the ACL. And then, like I just talked about, Gonzaga, uh, they took advantage of that as well, uh, just because the I think they were probably a little bit overseated. And Texas had the momentum. So now, after having a few days off, and you're not just playing day after or you know, with a day in between each game, will that momentum cease to exist? I think yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Being an Indiana basketball fan and seeing Purdue have this game to go to the League Eight just makes my stomach a little sick. Um you know, I never root for another team, David, but I would not be mad at all if Texas decides to play the game of their lives and lock down on defense. If Braden Smith turns the ball over eight times and they just don't look like the normal Purdue selves and don't have you know too many paint points from TKR. But I don't see it happening. I I just see complete domination uh from Purdue in this one. I'm I'm a little shocked, not shocked that it's at six and a half. I thought this might have been a little more sitting at eight and a half, nine, in my opinion. But because Texas has been so hot, I see why the bookmakers put it there because they can't give too much to Texas. Uh the total to me is sounds about right, 148 and a half. Uh, but you know, the biggest thing is can Texas defend? I mean, they're they're ranked 81st in defensive rating on Kim Pom. I mean, they're looking for their 12th win, also double just double digit seed in the NCA tournament. And I just I just think Purdue rolls. And another stat um I would like to say is that from their win against Miami, David, they were the first tournament team in tournament history to score 100 or more points, shoot 60 percent or better from the field, make 10 or more threes, have plus 20 or better rebound margin all in the same game. That's domination. Domination, absolute domination, and I think it's gonna get really ugly for the Longhorns, and this is where I'm unbiased, and I gotta take Purdue as much as I would love Texas to win here.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Yeah, uh, just a couple points on that. Uh Ken Pong has this total at 156, has it he has it 82 to 74? So I like that quite a bit. Just because Purdue has been hot, Texas doesn't play the best defense. I usually think this is favoring a blowout for Purdue, which I think we agree on that. Yeah. Uh, but Purdue has shot 58% from beyond the arc in the first two games. Are we due for a little bit of a regression here in this game? I would say as far as like water finds its level, averages, law of averages, yes. But Texas's defense, not the is that gonna be the issue here.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

So, I mean, it really dangles on it. Can can Texas play the defense that can Texas play the defense that their life depends on it, is what I'm gonna say. Because every possession has half to matter for them, or else Brayden Smith, Fletcher Lawyer, TKR, they're gonna tear you apart and it's gonna be ugly.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Yeah, to be fair, in their three tournament games, they've allowed 66, 71, and 68. If they can do that to Purdue, if they can hold them right around 70, yeah, I think we might have a ball game here because Purdue's defense isn't great either. We've talked about that all year. Their defense is not great, and Texas is gonna have the athletic advantage here, yeah. But I think Purdue's just gonna be able to score all over them.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

That's what I think so too. Purdue's defensive rating on Kinbaum 2 is 33, which is low. It's the lowest out of all the remaining uh high seeds. So another great year for Purdue basketball.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

I actually want Purdue to win. Because I'm not worried about them, I'm not worried about them winning the natty anyway. I'm slightly worried. Um slightly worried. I would rather have an Elite Eight matchup of Purdue, Arizona. That's true and Arizona, Texas. Yeah. Miss me with that.

unknown 20:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

How much y'all know? We head into the next game, uh, David, on TBS slash true TV in Houston, Texas. 7 30 Eastern, 6 30 Central. We have number nine Iowa versus number four Nebraska. Spread was at one and a half uh for Nebraska this morning. Total is at 133 and a half. Can the Cornhuskers continue their run in March madness? Of course. Why not?

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Of course. We talked about it. They hadn't been playing the best ball over the past couple months, but they destroyed Troy and then Vandy was hot. Vandy had just come off of the SEC tournament uh championship they lost in the final there. Uh so they're playing they're playing some good ball at the right time. Yeah, no, they they split the season series with Iowa, so there's no like advantage. Hard to beat a team, a good team three times in a season. Like I think this is just going to be a good ballgame between two Big Ten teams, but I think Nebraska has the talent advantage at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

These two teams don't like each other, they despise each other, David. Big rivals against each other. It makes me so happy of how many Midwest teams we have in this tournament and how good the Big Ten has been this season for basketball. It just gets me excited. So I'm excited to see the battle of the corn. Which corn is better?

SPEAKER_01 22:30

I have a question for you. I actually saw this on Twitter the other day. Someone was trying to say that Indiana and Michigan are not in the Midwest. What are your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_00 22:40

Yeah, don't don't. We don't need to go down that. But uh it's they're definitely in the Midwest. I mean, what are they? Yeah, exactly. What do they consider Indiana, Michigan if it's not part of the Mid East? That's something my wife would say. Yeah, we're not we're not going down this road. Uh completely disagree with that take. That is terrible. Now, Ohio is kind of the armpit of the Midwest. I agree with that, even though actually I like Columbus. So I love Ohio. Yeah. Yeah, I don't have an issue with it, but people call that, and I see why. Because technically on the United States, it kind of looks like it does, you know, a little bit. So I could see why. But back to the back to the data here. Uh Nebraska's led by Junior Ford. Uh Price Sanfords, he's uh 17.9 points per game. I was coming off that thriller versus Florida, and he they're led by Bennett Sturts, the senior, 19.7 points per game. David, I'm a little concerned that Iowa's Super Bowl just happened. And so this is why I lean Nebraska because when you come off such an emotional win, there are a lot of things that your body is just relaxed about. And I just think Nebraska coming off their thriller as well. I just feel like Nebraska is primed, and I just feel like, you know, this Cornhusker team I've I've been back and forth on. And you know, they shoot threes, they're they're fun to watch. And you know, I'm I also like Iowa story, McCollum and what and what they he's been able to build with Sturts, and Sturts has been kind of you know not too hot this tournament. So it it's gonna be a really tight game. I just lean, I lean Nebraska because of that win being so emotional, and but I just feel like McCollum's gonna have the boys ready. So I personally struggle with this one. My only angle is that it being such an emotional win that Nebraska, Nebraska finds a way to win it, even though Iowa's very good on the free throw line and very good shooting team. Uh sometimes Nebraska struggles on the free throw line. So I think it's really gonna come down to actually free throws and turnovers, as basic elementary as that is, because I believe this will be such a tight game that it's gonna be whoever has the least amount of turnovers and whoever um has the least amount of uh least amount of whoever allows the least amount of offensive rebounds. That's where I'm getting at.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

So yeah, I I think that this spread is a major overreaction to Iowa beating a Florida team that was a number one seed based on merit, I think. But a Florida team that had just come off of a loss to Vanderbilt and maybe hadn't been looking as good in the past, you know, their last three games, four games coming into the tournament. I think Florida that win over Florida is making Iowa a bit overvalued here. I actually love Nebraska in this. I think Nebraska is just significantly more talented. McCollum's in his first year, it's a it's a we're at the end of the season, so it's hard. I'm not trying to say like it's a new team, they're learning how to play with each other, but yeah, there's just not as much built-up knowledge of playing with each other, and I think Nebraska's gonna be able to handle that in the bigger moments in this game. I think it'll be a good game throughout. I think we're gonna see uh some great shooting performances. Search is gonna take over a bit, but I think Nebraska pulls away in the end.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

I'm really looking forward to that game. I think that game will be very uh a really great basketball game. It's gonna be really just fundamental basketball motion offense. I'm excited to watch it.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Yeah, for all the great matchups we have of one versus four, one versus five, two versus three, this nine versus four matchup is a big one.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

It's a big one, it is a big one, especially in the Midwest with two fan bases that don't like each other. Oh man. Oh man. Uh on to the next one, though. We have on CBS in San Jose, California, David. 945 Eastern, 845 Central. Late game. Man, for arc number four, Arkansas plays number one. Arizona. This game's gonna be a good one, too. Spreads plus seven and a half for Arkansas totals at 167.5. David, there is no way I'm going against Acuff and the Razorbacks. Really? No way. I'm right.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

You're going with Arkansas.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Yes, plus the seven and a half. Wow. I gotta take the boys. I'm riding with them. I just feel like Acuff being so great, he's gonna find a way. He's gonna find a way to win this game. Whether that's he has 15 assists and 10 points, whether he has 40 points and five assists. Acuff is just gonna find a way, whatever his team needs to win the game, and I feel like he's gonna rally these guys to pull off a great upset. This is the perfect letdown for Arizona. This is the perfect letdown for Arizona. This is why I took Arkansas my bracket because I knew this was gonna happen. I'm I'm born in Tucson, Arizona. I've tracked this team throughout the years, David. And how many times have I taken this team and they just break my heart and obliterate it? I'm going back to Jared Bayless and Chase Buttinger years, years ago, and I I don't care who they have, I don't care who they have, you know, Koa Pete, whoever, don't matter to me. Uh, I'm take I'm taking Acuff. He's just he's my guy. I gotta roll with the guy.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

I love it. I mean, I love your your passion for Acuff. And I'm I'm as big of an Acuff guy as you'll find out there. The guy is a joy to watch. But this Arizona team is not the past Arizona teams. This Arizona team is one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time. How often do we see a power conference team go into mid-February undefeated? They drop back-to-back games against Kansas and Texas Tech, both games really, really close. Yes. And then they haven't lost since. That is a special team, not only to start that hot, but then lose back-to-back games in heartbreaking fashion, really. Yeah. And be able to reset from that. Arizona is I think they should be the favorite to win it all right now. They're just they're so balanced. They are any night, you just don't know who's gonna score. 15-20 points. Obviously, Bradley's the guy, Burries is great, but they're just so balanced, the whole roster, and I love them in this game. Arkansas's great, they have the best player in this game, but they do not have the depth and balance to match up with Arizona, I don't believe.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Yeah, it's you know, Arkansas's averaging 90.3 points per game and giving up 80 points per game while Arizona's averaging 86.11 points per game. I do think this is gonna be a lot of points as the total sits at 167 and a half. I I think they both both reach high 90s. I really do. I think there's gonna be a lot of points. I uh I really do. If if Arkansas's gonna win this, though, the they have to slow the pace down, they have to limit the possessions that Arizona has.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

They have to figure out a way Arizona is not gonna slow the pace down.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

They have to figure out a way. A way to limit the possessions Arizona has, because that's how you're gonna beat them. This is that's how you're gonna beat Arizona. You're not gonna beat Arizona in a shootout. That's what Texas Tech did to win that game. They did they did not get in a shootout with Arizona because they dictated the pace of that game. I think it's gonna be very telling in the in, I would say the first five minutes, how many um paint touch points that Arkansas will have. Because if Arkansas has a lot of paint touch points and finds a way through those seams of the Arizona defense, I think they have a great shot. I really do because you can't just shoot threes. I know Acuff and several other guards on that team are great shooters. It's just you got to find other ways to attack this team because they are so great, like you said.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Yeah. Does Arizona's style of play, meaning that they don't shoot threes, give you even more pause here in that if Arkansas gets out to a big lead, yeah, Arizona, it's gonna be harder for Arizona to come back. Kind of like those those Tony Bennett Virginia teams, you know, they got down big in NBC and it was just a style of play thing, like they can't come back that quickly. Arizona plays up tempo, they just don't shoot threes. Is that a cause for concern here?

SPEAKER_00 32:14

No, because I just think Lloyd, Lloyd knows when to use those timeouts, and he knows we're big momentum people, listeners and views. If you don't know, David and I, and I just he has a sense of momentum, so he's very educated when to use those timeouts. So I really don't they do struggle, they do struggle if you watch those games that they lost once they're behind of coming back, if it's by several possessions. So I do think if that is if Arkansas's able to put pressure early on Arizona, and then in the last 10 minutes, if they're down, I would say three possessions. So, you know, six to nine, six to nine points at that point, it's it's gonna be very it's gonna be very telling that I would it's gonna be very hard for Arizona to come back in that situation.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

Yeah, I don't disagree. I think it's definitely a cause for concern. I think they're just so good at at dictating how the game plays out exactly that that's hopefully not gonna happen. And I hope this is a a good game that comes down to the what and they don't get blown out, even though Arkansas is very fun. Gotta give it to you there. They're very fun to watch.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

They're so fun. A cuff is averaging 23.3 points per game and six snapsists per game. Dude's just an animal. He's on another level. Oh, another level. Exact to watch him again. Excited to watch him. We have another matchup in Houston, Texas on TBS True TV. David 105 p.m. Yep, Eastern 905, Central 3, Illinois versus number two, Houston. You just mentioned it. Houston gets that home game. Kelvin Sampson's not losing in Houston, so I'm going to take the Houston Cougars. I do expect Illinois to come out swinging. I just think Houston in the end is gonna pull away, and I expect Houston actually to win by twit 10 or 12 points on this one.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

Wow, okay, yeah, I do. I'm very conflicted on this one. Really? Because I think that Illinois has the type of team that can beat Houston. I agree with that. But Houston's got two things going for it. One, it is a home game, which you know, it just so happened that way. It's not played at their home, but it's in Houston. Yeah. And the the second thing is that Houston is just so much more consistent. You know what you're gonna get night in and night out from Houston, whereas Illinois has these wild swings of some nights they look like the greatest basketball team of all time, and other nights they aren't bad, but they're just not that final four caliber team that you think you you see other times with Illinois. So I like I like Houston here just based on I know what I'm getting with them. Uh both both of these teams have an NBA caliber guard. Yeah. And it's really going to come down to shooting, I think, for Illinois. If they're shooting the lights out, which they can do, it's going to be hard for Houston to keep up with them. Uh, but Houston's defense has been a lot better lately. And that's one of the things we talked about throughout the season is the defense didn't really look that great. Kind of looked like that was slipping from previous Houston teams. And then we look up, it's March, and their defense is one of the best in the country.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

It's it's just Houston year in, year out, David. On the offensive and defensive side of the ball, even this year, Houston's ranked top 10 on both offense and defense. They're ranked 10th on uh Ken Palm in offense and four on defense. And that's I mean, you talk about what Indiana had in in football, and it's very identical to that. I mean, I mean, I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I kind of am in some situations. Uh, but I just trust Calvin Sampson, man. I mean, he's reached his seventh straight sweet 16 appearance, and he he just has this thing going on where he can find the right type of players he wants, and he just wins, David. He just wins. And I I just you're right about this Illinois team being so wishy-washy that you just don't know what you're gonna get, and so this is why I'm just I just I'm on Houston. I just I don't see how Samson loses this game, and uh the analytics and you know the betters are gonna tell you to take Illinois at plus three three and a half, and I wouldn't, but you know that's just me, especially it being a home game in Houston. I just I don't I don't see a way they find a I don't see a light where they could lose that game. I just and then talking about how well the Big Ten has been uh this season, David. Uh the Big Ten has seven wins by 20 plus points in this year's NCA tournament. That's already the most by single conference in a single NCA tournament all time.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Dominating crazy, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

Big Ten is dominating. Yeah, is Big Ten now the the ultimate sports conference in college sports?

SPEAKER_01 37:52

Well, no, I mean SEC's the reigning college basketball champion, so I say let's wait till the end of the season and then we can talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 38:02

That's fair.

SPEAKER_01 38:04

But football three in a row.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Yes, yes, but there's some there's some stars in that Illinois and Houston game. I mean, Waggler, Stayakovic, uh Kingston Flemings, and then uh Sharp. I mean, there's there's some dogs. Excited to see them on on Prime Time.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

So I will say I like Houston away, but I like Illinois plus three and a half on a backdoor cover. Three at the bus to lose by two.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

I could see that. I could see some stuff like that happening. Always happens to me, anyways. On Friday, March 27th on CBS in Washington, D.C. David, 710 Eastern, 6'10 Central, number five St. John's tanks on number one Duke. Um, Shire versus Bettino. What what a matchup of coaches spreads at uh Duke minus six and a half, totals at 141 and a half. This is the game that I'm struggling with. This is the game I'm struggling with because they want you to take that Duke minus six and a half, of course they do. They want you to take that, they want they want you to think St.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

John's has been underperforming this year, they're coming off an emotional victory at the buzzer. Duke's been the most dominant team in the country. No, I reject that. St. John's plus six and a half. Give it to me.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

That's where I'm at too. I I gotta ride with the Johnnies. I just think I just think Batino has some magic right now, and I don't want to go against any type of magic this man has. And but Duke is just a powerhouse, and so it's just uh it's going, it's going back and forth. As I talk about Duke, boozer boozer averages 22.4 points per game, shooting 39.8% from three, David. Boozer dropped 19 against TCU, making it their fourth Sweet 16 in five years for the Dukies. Shire's got them cooking. This is this is another game. This is another game that is gonna come down to the Johnnies and their defensive mentality. They have to be so locked in. Duke is such a good team offensively and defensively that you have to score when you get that ball. So you have to have that offensive efficiency. We're looking at off like I'm talking on Ken Pom, Duke's ranked number seven on offense and number one on defense on Ken Pom. Like they have, when they get the ball, they have to score. And I just think if Duke is able to speed this game up, it's over for the Johnnies. Johnny's Johnnies can't win in a in a shootout with Duke.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

I agree, but I I don't know that Duke is capable of playing in the shootout with St. John's because I don't think that Duke can shoot out St. John's. St. John's defense is so good, they're so connected on the defensive end of the ball. And Zuby Edgefor. Gosh, I forgot that name. He will be known as the Cam Boozer stopper. Oh! He is going to shut him down. This guy's one of the best defensive players in the country, and I'm not saying Boozer hasn't gone up against other great defensive players. And he's still gonna put up 16 and 12 because he does that every night, no matter what. But in the key moments, Edge of War is going to shut him down.

SPEAKER_00 41:52

We'll see. I don't know. Boozer is a different type of animal. But I do want to shout out, uh, I do want to shout out Nolan Groves on Texas Tech, David. Came in off the bench, last possession, stopped Boozer from scoring, and Texas Tech was able to pull off that upset in Madison Square Garden. What a stop. Shout out Nolan. That's my dude. Minnesota guy. You know, Midwest connection right there. Just had to make that quick note. But yeah. They just had to be so locked in. I I see Duke. I see Duke winning by two. I think it's getting to be really close. I think it's gonna be really close. And I want to take St. John's. I I need the listeners and viewers to know. My heart wants the Johnny's, my brain says it's Duke. I'm taking the Johnny's money line. Oh! You heard it there first, listeners and viewers. He was taking the money line.

SPEAKER_01 42:48

I think they're they were a bit underseated and disrespected. Because if you look what they started the season nine and five. What do you think the record is right now? Without cheating? I don't care. You can cheat.

SPEAKER_00 43:10

Uh you said nine and five. I'll say you, I don't know how many games they played, but I'll say they have seven losses.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Okay. I mean, you were close. Yeah. They are 30 and 6. So since they started 9-5, they are 21-1. That one loss was that game where they got blown out by UConn and scored 40 points and basically didn't score in the second half. Yeah. Not saying we can erase that, but 21 and 1 in their last 22 games. Just because you start the season slow, it they didn't have any bad losses other than they loss to Providence. Otherwise, the losses were pretty respectable. They started the season slowly. They were they were preseason number one, number three. They were they were top five teams coming into the country. So everybody gave up on them. Right. Now is when we get back on them. This is our team. We have to come together as America to root for the Johnnies here. Okay. Because nobody wants to see Duke win.

SPEAKER_03 44:13

No.

SPEAKER_01 44:15

No.

SPEAKER_00 44:15

Go Johnny. I mean, only only Duke fans. And Duke fans aren't real. So. Oh, geez. Not going there, but okay. Not going down that street.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Every Duke fan's also a Yankees fan, Cowboys fan, and Lakers fan. Wow. Interesting how they got all the best teams.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

So they got some fair weather fans saying.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

Just bandwagon.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

Just straight up bandwagon. I'd love to talk to a Duke fan now after you said this. I don't know any. Neither do I. Which is great. On TBS slash true TV in Chicago, Illinois at 7.35 Eastern, 635 Central. Number four Alabama takes on the number one Michigan Wolverines. The spread is uh Michigan minus nine and a half. Totals sitting at 175 and a half. David, this Michigan team is just they're just they're just cooking people. They're just cooking people left and right. Kim Palm has their offense at six, their defense at two. Michigan won their first two tournament games by an average of 22 points. They're led by their senior forward, Yaxel Linderberg, by averaging 14.7 points per game. But also, Alabama won its first two tournament games by an average of 22 and a half points. And they couldn't miss a shot against Texas Tech. You know, I felt like Alabama, if they shot it at half court of that game, it was going in some reason or another. I do think if Alabama comes out and wins that first five minutes by a lot, and Michigan somehow is always playing catch up, they could get in trouble for the Wolverines. But I got the Wolverines in this one, David Vance, and I got the Wolverines winning the whole thing. I'm not gonna go against them now. I I think I think it could get ugly.

SPEAKER_01 46:27

I agree with you, and I really don't have that much to add on this game because I think Alabama's been a fine team all year. They're not at the same level as Michigan. I don't even think they're at the same level as the other three, four, five seats that are playing this weekend, especially when you consider that their second best player is likely still out. I guess we don't know for sure yet. I know he was definitely out for the for the first weekend of games based on his arrest, but gotcha. There's just they just can't compete. This team is not built to play a game against Michigan and try to win. Their only hope, their only hope is that they just shoot the lights out. Which they could do, but they don't have they don't have marks here anymore.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

Yeah, and you know, Dave, there's another fun stat. Uh through its through its first two two games in the 2026 NCA tournament, Michigan has scored 196 points while shooting 61.2 percent from the field. The only other team to have at least 195 points and a 60 percent field goal percentage through two games in a single NCA tournament tournament, North Carolina in 88 and 08, 2008.

SPEAKER_01 47:56

Did they win the title? Did they win the title those years?

SPEAKER_00 48:00

Uh let's confirm, but I I'm pretty sure they were probably there or won it. No, they didn't. Oh man. Well, there you go. I was wrong, folks.

SPEAKER_01 48:18

But still great stat. Uh yeah. It does obviously help if they played a 16 seed and then a mid-major who just doesn't have the same same firepower as a high major team. But yeah, yeah, Michigan, Michigan's one of the best teams in the country. They've proven it all year. Their only losses were Wisconsin was super hot from three, and that and that loss to them. They lost to Duke. That game came right down to the wire. And then they lost to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. Those are three incredibly respectable losses.

SPEAKER_00 48:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:54

Whereas Alabama, like I said before, they're they've been a fine team all year. They were uh a top four SEC team. And there's just not much else you can say good about them.

SPEAKER_00 49:06

I just don't think they're gonna be able to defend Michigan. They ranked 60th on Kim Pob on defensive rating, and I just that's my biggest point, is I just don't think they'll be able to contend uh contend against Wolverines on the defensive side of the ball.

SPEAKER_01 49:20

And and as we know from them needing to bring in a G-League player midseason, they don't have a lot of front court depth. And the the three-headed monster in the front court of uh Mara Morez Johnson and Lendon Linda Burr Lendon Landon Borg Lendon Borg. Yeah, Lendon Borg. That three-headed monster is gonna go off, I think.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

Yeah, yeah. It's really almost infuriating.

SPEAKER_01 49:59

We don't have to do this again.

SPEAKER_00 50:00

We're not doing it, but I'm just saying it's infuriating as an Indiana basketball fan. So, yeah, don't want to go down that rabbit hole. Do not want to go down that rabbit hole. Yep, good for Dusty May. On to the next one, we have CBS on CBS. We have what in Washington, D.C. 945 Eastern, 845 Central, number three Michigan State versus number two yukon. So Yukon, Michigan State. Yukon on the spread is one and a half point favorite. Total sits at 136 and a half. Michigan State on Kim Pom is nine, and Yukon is ten on Kim Palm, David. We have we have a matchup. We have Izzo versus Hurley. We're gonna have all the sidelines, you know, cameras zooming in, zooming out. It's gonna be a lot of paid attention to those. It it's hard to go against Hurley at this time of year. It's very hard.

SPEAKER_01 51:01

Yeah, but you know the age-old saying. If you know if you list off the months, it's January, February, Izzo, April.

SPEAKER_00 51:11

Yeah, it's March, baby. This is this is really hard for me uh to pick on this game. It it's very hard. I would I would not touch this with my own money betting it, in my personal opinion. Um I I know you will. Um I just this game is so close. And I, you know, Terrace Red Jr. David uh on UConn is the second player ever to have at least 30 points and 25 rebounds on 80 shooting in an NCA tournament or NBA playoff game. That is crazy. I he's the only second player to have that, so oh man.

SPEAKER_01 52:02

I mean, he was playing this one of the shortest teams in D1 when he did that, so that yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:07

I mean, the only the only other was Wilt Chamberlain in game seven in the 65 Eastern Division Finals, you know, and against Bill Russell.

SPEAKER_01 52:14

Everybody remembers that game.

SPEAKER_00 52:15

What a performance by Will. And then also Alex Caraban, also known as Mr. Yukon, has been off to a scorching hot start, David, in the tournament. Through two games, he is averaging 24 and a half points per game, shooting 56 from the field and 47 from three. Caraban is now 15 and one in March Madness.

SPEAKER_03 52:39

Woo!

SPEAKER_01 52:40

That's a crazy record. And that one was to the eventual national champion as well.

SPEAKER_00 52:50

I gotta take Hurley here. I just I gotta take Hurley. I can't. There's too many championships won. There's too many in the recent years, one back to back. I just I I can I can't go against them. I love Izzo and I love Fears and what this Michigan State team has been able to do has been fun. I just think I just think Hurley's not gonna get out coached. That's my only angle on this game. That's it. I think this game is so close.

SPEAKER_01 53:28

Yeah, I think this might be my most anticipated game of the weekend, just because I don't really have an opinion either way, because it's hard to really tell how this game's gonna go. I think this Michigan State team is one of the least talented teams Izo has had in a long time, and yet he has he has made them into one hell of a ball club. Yeah. But's got the dudes. I think Yukon's got the dudes' advantage here. They just got so much more talent, I think, than Michigan State from top to bottom.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

I just but it's gonna be fun to watch.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

I'm I'm gonna take Michigan State just out of you know, I'd rather see them move on. UConn's won enough recently, but yeah, I'm just really looking forward to this one to see what happens.

SPEAKER_00 54:24

I agree with you. I agree with you. Should be a heck of a matchup. Obviously, we're split on it. Next one uh on TBS True TV, David, in Chicago, Illinois in the Midwest. 1010 p.m. Eastern, 9-10 central, six Tennessee versus number two Iowa State. Spread is Tennessee plus four and a half, total sits at 138 and a half. Man, man. Tennessee has been one team that has taken me off my eye test. I will say, I doubted them a lot, had them losing in the first round to whatever 11 seed they played. Miami, Ohio, yeah. But I mean, whether it was SMU or Miami, Ohio, I didn't know at that point. And obviously, you know, we were wrong about the SMU ponies. Don't want to go there right now, you know, already embarrasses us itself.

SPEAKER_01 55:21

Hold on, my take was still correct. I was well, we were both on Miami. I was just being too late on I didn't want to bring it up.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Oh, yeah. We got I yeah, I mean, our point was right. They got bombarded the next point was right. Yeah, the point was exactly right. Um for this one, David. I you know, Tennessee averages 79.4 points per game and gives up 69.1 points per game. Jalette Gillespie uh Jacoby leads the Jacoby Gillespie leads the volunteers in scoring with 18.4 points per game. And then Iowa State averages 82 and a half points per game and only uh gives up 65.3 points per game. And momchilovic leads the cyclones in scoring with 12 points per game and 3.2 rebounds. I just think defensively, Iowa State's gonna shut down Tennessee's offense, and that and that's my angle. I just don't think Tennessee's gonna be able to score enough points to get out in front and put pressure on Iowa State. And I just feel like mom Chilovich and Jefferson probably being back, I'm assuming. Is that confirmed?

SPEAKER_01 56:39

That Jefferson's probably progressing, is the last I saw. Progressing, that's it does it does help that they played the very last game of the Sweet 16 late Friday night. So he's got all the time he needs to progress.

SPEAKER_00 56:54

Yeah, I just I would imagine he'll play. Yeah, if he if he plays, this spread's gonna go up, I imagine, two or three points. Um, if it's announced before, maybe one and a half to two at least, uh, because he's their best player on that team. But I just feel like with Momchilovic and everyone else on that Iowa State defense uh defense and and on the team, I just don't I don't see how they drop this game to Tennessee.

SPEAKER_01 57:24

I totally agree. Iowa State is my national champion pick, and I'm not going away from that now. I think they're going to roll in this game, Jefferson or no Jefferson. Tennessee is is Illinois, but to the extreme, wherein they they might play a really, really good game, but they're gonna they're gonna counterbalance that with a really, really bad game. You just don't know what you're getting. And they have two great scorers in Aymant and uh Gillespie. Yep. But Iowa State is is just so much better as a team, much better defensively. They've got shooters, they've got the the distributors in both Lipsey and Jefferson. I think they ran away with this one.

SPEAKER_00 58:16

Yeah, I'm I'm with you all the way on this one. Thank you for listening and watching. Appreciate your guys' support. Give us a five-star review on Spotify. Five star would mean a lot to us. Also, go to our YouTube and give us a subscribe. That would mean the world to us. As our latest interview with John Kaufman is now live on all platforms. Purdue Fort Wayneman's head basketball coach. He talks about the positives of NFL, basketball insights, and what it takes to build a mid major program. It was awesome having them on. Go check that out. And as always, we'll see you in the next one. Peace.