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Power Two Podcast: The Ten Most Interesting Conference Games in the SEC
14 Plays1 month ago
In this episode, we look at ten must-watch SEC games in 2025, the WNBA Draft, and the NBA Playoffs, which begin this week.
Recorded: 04/14/2025
Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts' Banter
00:00:01
Speaker
What's good everybody? Welcome in to another episode of Land Grant Podcast Network's Power 2 Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Jordan. And I'm, oh Lord. And you're sick, and my name is DJ.
00:00:13
Speaker
First of all, don't add sick, don't put that on, don't put that on me. My name is Jordan, and as always, here's my host, DJ. Yes, hi, hello. Happy Sunday, Monday, whatever, happy, whatever day you're listening to. Well, they're listening to this on Monday. Exactly. Yeah. Hopefully happy, whatever day it is that you are here with us.
Jordan's Nashville Trip and March Madness
00:00:33
Speaker
Yeah. How's it cooking?
00:00:36
Speaker
It's been right. It's been a long day, but it was a good day for the most part, I would say. Um, so yeah, it's good. How are you and and I've, I've sneezed. hello Can you hear me? Yes. I've sneezed. So that's fantastic. Um,
00:00:53
Speaker
I'm lovely. i went to and went to Nashville ah for a work trip. My camera is out of focus. um That's weird. Can we?
00:01:04
Speaker
Can we get back and focus? Whatever. Anyways, um I went to Nashville for a work trip. So that was cute. I was there for all of 23 hours. So I really got the full effect of Nashville. I did not get that. She has given me so much. She gave me a sinus infection. So that's thrilling.
00:01:19
Speaker
um But yeah, I've been chilling. I've been good. I've, you know, got my life watching March Madness. And i am now, you know, a lost puppy until the WNBA season starts.
00:01:31
Speaker
Which is in like two weeks. Just about, yeah, mid-May. Crazy. I know. I know. i I really can't believe it. The draft is tomorrow, which we will talk
Kent State Coach Firing and Gambling Allegations
00:01:42
Speaker
about in a second. But like I just can't believe it.
00:01:44
Speaker
Yeah, crazy. um Well, let's jump in. um
00:01:52
Speaker
Oh, starting with that one's tough. mean, we don't have to start with it, but it is news. Yeah. So, and less tough news, good news for those who care, Kent State fired head coach Kenny Burns after he won one game in two years. But the thing is, they did not fire him for being a bad coach because if that was the case, they would have done that in December, not April.
00:02:18
Speaker
Yeah. there is no reporting as to why they fired him. I don't know if it's going to come out because it's Kent state. And so like, it's not like a huge school, big school. Yeah.
00:02:30
Speaker
Sort of like, you know, reporter base, but the rumor has been since the fall that he was gambling. Oh, and fabulous offended they suspended him with pay ah couple of weeks ago and then they fired him.
00:02:45
Speaker
So, um, it, you know i don't know for sure if he was gambling but it takes something for them to fire you in april um especially when going one in 23 wasn't a fireball offense somehow uh so he's gone he's been fired well we will see if if any news comes out of that or not but i would imagine it probably it is probably the gambling thing um hopefully it's not anything worse than that but the gambling thing depending on what he was doing could put him in prison so it may it be pretty bad yeah yeah well
00:03:24
Speaker
When you play stupid games. Yes.
Nico Iamaleava's NIL Dispute with Tennessee
00:03:28
Speaker
um Talking about playing stupid games, Nico, I am a Lava, is no longer a part of the Tennessee football team.
00:03:38
Speaker
What the heck is that? What happened? He, and by he, I am going to imagine his family and representatives determined that he deserved more NIL money.
00:03:51
Speaker
And decided to hold some sort of holdout for more NIL money. And ah Tennessee was basically just like, nobody's big enough program.
00:04:03
Speaker
Right. We're not doing that. Like they were already, you know, they already made news for supposedly giving him the biggest NIL contract like ever. It was supposed to be like $8 million. technically like i guess over four years so like it really would have been six because he wasn't he probably wasn't gonna be there for four years if he was as good as they thought but like eight million when he was in high school and it it became a whole thing and there was a court case over it and all of this sort of stuff and it really sort of opened the door to being allowed to um negotiat for collectives to be able to negotiate with high school
Speculation on Nico's Future and Transfers
00:04:36
Speaker
players because before that they weren't able to do that till you got on campus and then i guess he determined like you know i'm nico again and by he i use that loosely because he is still a kid i'm fairly positive this was parents agent like he was getting other people yeah yeah because like you're
00:04:56
Speaker
20. what do you need more than, what do even need $2 million dollars for? What do you need more than that for? Whatever the number, whatever it is, he was trying to get a new contract and he was holding out and then he skipped the practice and Tennessee was basically just like,
00:05:08
Speaker
this is a bad precedent. We're not doing this. And so now he's going in the transfer portal. um I don't know if he's going to get the number that he's looking for. i don't know that he deserves the number that he's looking for. That's what I was about to say. And also, like, I mean, he's he's good, right? I think he's good. Yeah, of course. But he's like he's not great.
00:05:27
Speaker
ah He's decent. Someone for sure is going to want him, but transferring in the summer is tough. Because he's also going to want to transfer somewhere he'll start.
00:05:41
Speaker
Exactly. So it's just like you basically have to go somewhere that has enough money and has a, you know, probably unless you're only wanting money, has a school that you'd want to play for, but then also has a bad enough quarterback that they would Start you over them.
00:05:58
Speaker
Right. Honestly, i don't think they have the NIL money for it. And I think they're gonna give it to the freshmen. But the only place I can think of that would do that, like that fits all the, and there's probably more, but that fits that criteria is Michigan.
00:06:12
Speaker
Cause I don't think they have any quarterbacks on their roster. I mean, I know they have the freshmen, but like, No seasoned quarterback. Yeah. yeah But I don't know if they have the NIL money because they just gave all of that money to the freshman to get him there because he was going to go to LSU. So we'll see.
00:06:29
Speaker
But, you know, play stupid games. You are no longer on the Tennessee football team. love that Tennessee handled it that way because i feel like there's some schools who would allow themselves to be manhandled because they want to have a certain player so bad. So it's like I appreciate Tennessee standing on business being like,
00:06:48
Speaker
who do you think you are specifically? Like, who do you think you are? Cause it's also like, again, this is no shade to Nico, but like you are very, it's giving very much middle of the pack.
00:07:00
Speaker
like it's giving very much like yes you play well you don't mess up too much but also you're not elite you're not amazing you're not this top quarterback in you know college football sort of vibes like you're you're very much like we talk about you you're in the middle you're good you play for Tennessee whatever but to sit there and be like nope I want more money and I'm not going to spring practice like okay Ezekiel Elliott like
00:07:25
Speaker
Okay. So yeah I'm here for it. And i to your point, yeah, I was i was actually racking my brain too of like potential programs that he could go to. I mean, at this point, you're going to end up going to a program that could probably afford you, but you're going to be on the bench.
00:07:39
Speaker
And then now what? So. That now what is a good question. It's like. um That I don't know the answer to. I'm not sure that he knows the answer to it because I imagine he thought Tennessee would just kind of. Old.
00:07:55
Speaker
Yep. Yeah.
Kyren Lacy's Tragic Death and Legal Issues
00:07:56
Speaker
um And then in other news and, ah you know, pretty sad news, former LSU wide receiver Kyron Lacey was found dead to- today.
00:08:07
Speaker
um It is being said that they think it is an apparent suicide. ah which I was wondering about initially because the timing just seemed a little off.
00:08:18
Speaker
yeah For those of you who are i'm not aware or don't remember, Kyron Lacey was being indicted ah because he is he was accused of driving 90 to 100 plus on a highway, on a road, swerving through traffic and causing a car accident that...
00:08:38
Speaker
killed that someone died in and then he drove driving away from the accident so he was being accused of that and his uh grand jury was tomorrow uh today as you're listening to it um april 14th and so when i saw the news that he died i was like that's curious so it um It seems as though he may have taken his life and there could be more to it.
00:09:05
Speaker
There may not be. I don't know. That is not for me to say, but um it is of course the day before the grand jury for the, I don't know exactly what they were going to charge him with. i don't know if going charge. Negligent manslaughter or something like that. negative mans so i was gonna say i don't know yeah charge him like it's It's manslaughter because.
00:09:24
Speaker
it can't murder has to have a motive manslaughter does not yeah like manslaughter basically is like if you kill someone in accident so but which is basically what he did yeah negligent manslaughter is uh because he drove off yeah right so um that is sad or excuse me it might be negligent homicide homicide or manslaughter one of the two but the negligent was thrown around in there either way it's a very unfortunate um situation.
00:09:49
Speaker
and it's been unfortunate this entire time, even when the news hit in December or whenever it happened, like it's been unfortunate this entire time, but for it to and in this way, it's just,
00:10:05
Speaker
it's just very sad. You know, it's just very sad. And you want someone who has a bright future, who's young and whatever, to not have to experience these types of things, but To now know, like, for it to end like this, it just makes it even more sad.
00:10:25
Speaker
Because, like, he was probably going to get indicted, you know, like, realistically, he was going to get indicted. So, you know, either way, he was going to spend some time in prison or, you know.
00:10:37
Speaker
So, that yeah. So thoughts out to, you know, Hayes family and yeah ones. um He was 24, which is awful. Yeah.
00:10:48
Speaker
Yeah. So that sucks. That is depressing. um But there's never a good way to transition or something like that.
Upcoming Sports Segments Teaser
00:10:56
Speaker
We are going to take a break for the ads. And then when we get back, we are going to hit our two minute drill, a quick conversation about the WNBA draft.
00:11:05
Speaker
a quick conversation about the and NBA playoffs. And then we are going to get into our power sweep after a long break for various reasons. We are getting back to our top conference games per conference. We have two left. We have SEC this week and we have Big Ten next week.
00:11:24
Speaker
So um we are back to that and we will be back to you after the ads.
00:11:34
Speaker
What's good, everybody? Welcome back to the Power To Podcast. So.
WNBA Draft and Invitees Discussion
00:11:39
Speaker
Are we talking about the power
00:11:44
Speaker
of sad news? I don't know. um The power of Paige Becker. The power of Paige. The presumed and... I mean, guaranteed obvious number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, which is tomorrow. Tomorrow. It is tomorrow.
00:12:04
Speaker
The WNBA released their list of invitees to the draft a couple of days ago. So it is as follows. follows Georgia Amor from Kentucky. Sarah Ashley Barker from Alabama. Paige Beckers from UConn, obviously.
00:12:16
Speaker
Zania Citron from Notre Dame. sinai Sonia, Sonia Citrom, excuse me, from Notre Dame, Sonia Fagan from South Carolina, Kiki Iriafin from USC, Isaiah James from NC State, Dominique Malanga, who is, um she is international. She's from France. They call her the female Wimby.
00:12:33
Speaker
Anissa Morrow from LSU, Tina Pow Pow from South Carolina, Sonia Rivers from NC State, Madison Scott from Ole Miss, Cheyenne Sellers from Maryland, Ajax Sivka, excuse me, also a Slovenian player, and the Serena Sandel from Kansas State, and of course, wrapping it all up, Miss Haley Van Liz from TCU.
00:12:55
Speaker
um So for those of you who are unaware, Everybody who could potentially get drafted does not get invited to the WNBA draft. It's very much like other drafts. um So these are the people who are presumed to go in the first round.
00:13:07
Speaker
um And, of course, Paige Beckers being the overwhelming, obvious first round first pick of that. I mean, to be honest, like not even trying to be funny, even if we weren't like making this assumption, like she still is the best person on this list.
00:13:21
Speaker
Yeah. see She's still the best person on this list. Now, what I'm most curious about is who's going to go number two. A lot of people have assumed that it's going to be Kiki or your fan, but there's also been a lot of conversation about it being Dominique Malanga instead.
00:13:35
Speaker
So that'll be very, very interesting now that Olivia Miles is not declaring for the draft. um But yes, tomorrow. It's sold out.
00:13:47
Speaker
Yeah, I should really go one year. I'm probably going to. Yeah, it's in New York. I think I'm going to next year, see Big Fog get drafted. I know she posted a very something very cryptic on Instagram yesterday, making it seem like she was about to make an announcement. I'm like, well, surely she can't be declaring for the draft because it's on Monday.
00:14:06
Speaker
So I don't know what it is. A lot of people are saying there might it might be a transfer. But I was like, she already said in the press that she's not leaving LSU. She announced tour dates with boss man D. Love.
00:14:17
Speaker
Oh, cute. Love it. The first one was today in Boston. and There's only like four of them. but She's on she so opening, i guess, opening for him on four of his tour dates. Love that for her. Love that for her.
00:14:30
Speaker
It's going real interesting sidebar to see like how she actually manages this rap artist basketball thing when she gets to the W. That's going to be real interesting to see how she manages that. because I mean, I feel like it's going to be really easy because like the W is shorter. It's a shorter season.
00:14:46
Speaker
And like she can just tour in the fall. You know what I mean? If she gets to that level, right? I really don't think it's going to be that hard.
00:14:57
Speaker
Well, not saying it's going to be hard. I'm saying it's just going interesting because there's nobody else who's doing that. So I'm very interested just to see how she manages it because she also most more than likely will be playing in Unrivaled.
00:15:08
Speaker
So there's also that. Like, she'll have multiple commitments. Speaking of Unrivaled, Paige apparently signed a three-year deal with them. So... so like it's she like that's just To me, that's the obvious next thing. So it's going to be very interesting to see like how she manages that along with her podcast and all the other things that she's doing. I'd love to see it. I'm not saying it in a negative way. I just can't wait to see like how she balances it all.
00:15:33
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, ultimately, like... i Not that you're saying she won't be fine, but she'll be fine. Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. I just want to see. She won't have classes. So like she's going to have so much more time to do than what yeah she, I mean, then technically what she has now. So, but yeah, I mean, it'll definitely be interesting. And yeah, I think I'm going to go to that draft maybe if I remember.
00:16:00
Speaker
when it comes out, because I'd like to see some big folk get drafted. Olivia Miles would be in that class. There's a bunch people who in that class, and that's one of the things that we wanted to talk about briefly that we teased last week. um There are a lot of players who – ah who did not go into this draft.
00:16:17
Speaker
And for those of you who care and are wondering why, there are there are two reasons for that that are semi-interconnected. i won't even necessarily say that they're interconnected. It's one makes the second reason easier, if that makes sense.
WNBA Collective Bargaining and League Changes
00:16:34
Speaker
So essentially, because the WNBA is ah for collective bargaining, yeah And there are whispers, not that there will be a ah work stoppage, just that the players are willing to do that if their terms are not being met.
00:16:51
Speaker
This is one of the biggest collective bargainings in WNBA history, if not the biggest. One of the the main things that they're looking for is revenue share. which I feel like they have to get that because they do they're about to prove they're about to approve revenue share in ah college. So like, yes it's already in the professional league. So I don't know what sort of percentage they're going to go after. I imagine maybe the same as the NBA, but essentially, and we've sort of talked about this before, one of the biggest things with the W is they're like, our salaries are too low. We don't have some of these sort of things.
00:17:24
Speaker
We're not getting paid enough money. And one of the things is like, as the league is blowing up you need to raise our level to that. With us, and yeah. And so I'm guessing this part. I imagine they're to put the travel in there. like They're like, we want that full-time because y'all tried to say it was on limited basis, and they haven't announced that they're doing that again this year.
00:17:43
Speaker
ah But then the other thing is really they want the revenue share. They want more money out the TV contract. And essentially it just makes sense because like if they get 10%, right, whatever the league is valued at, that money goes to the players. And the way it works is essentially like – Whether it's in like stipend form, because I do think players get some money just sort of out of that, but then also like the money goes to the teams and like salary caps. And so a certain amount of spending has to go to the players in some form out of that.
00:18:12
Speaker
ah revenue share, which is why the in other leagues, the salary cap goes up every year, that every time the the media contract goes up because the players have to receive a certain amount of money.
00:18:25
Speaker
um And right now, that is not the case with the w They do not have revenue share. And so all of this... And then the second reason is NIL. So essentially... because players, some are making more in college than they could make in the W. And then also because they're expecting ah the rev share, they're expecting the collective bargaining, and they're expecting that the salaries will go up after next year. I mean, this is happening in the W as well, where a lot of free agents are only signing one year deals. One year contracts. Because they're like, yeah, I want that contract that's going to come next year when, of course, the money's going to have to be better because we are not going to play if we don't get rev share.
00:19:01
Speaker
And so a lot of it's more than just rev share too. Like it's, there's a lot of elements of the CBA. That's an issue, but that's the biggest one. It's, Yes, like it's the part that's the most talked about because of obviously all like the different like broadcast deals, things like that. But realistically, they were probably going to opt out regardless. They were opting out regardless because of of other issues like with family planning and how like the it's structured retirement benefits, things like that. Like there's a lot of issues with the CBA, but the main part but so not is the is the rep share.
00:19:34
Speaker
Yes, but also some of that stuff they they some of that stuff they're working on, some of it was changed recently, and other of it I think is just going to be like easier to get.
00:19:45
Speaker
But i I think the thing that is really potentially going to cause the work stoppage is the revenue share. Salaries and revenue share, for sure. I don't know how they're going to put this in there, but I imagine they're going to want some sort of, I don't want to say guarantee, but like some sort of threshold.
00:20:02
Speaker
where They want an equity-based model, basically. Well, yeah, not just that, but where, like... so like like An expectation of teams, right? where Where it's like one team can't have a facility and another not.
00:20:17
Speaker
Yeah, that's Some sort of like equity across the board where like players are getting ah so like certain amenities no matter what. As like yeah you need to hold, right, the franchises to a standard. And I don't exactly know how they're going to get that in the collective bargaining. Like not that they can't. I just don't know how you're going to word that and things.
00:20:36
Speaker
But yeah. Yeah. essentially things like that and the fact that it's happening at the time that it's happening um a lot of you know olivia miles uh az fud az may be multiple things but it's probably a part of it too az fud there's ah a bunch of other players who could have left uh you know big far yeah yeah and some other notable players did not come sedona it's not sedona wrong person lauren betts yeah was also eligible.
00:21:04
Speaker
um But Lauren also straight up said she wants to play with her sister, but either way, like she could have done it as well. That's what I was mentioning on the last episode was if you have another year of eligibility as a women's basketball player, you should absolutely use it because then you'd be coming in on a lot better, ah hopefully a lot better conditions unless there's a lockout.
00:21:22
Speaker
um Cause realistically they're going to ask for a lot and
00:21:31
Speaker
the way this league be acting, they're going to try to lowball these women. I can already see it. So that's why I'm like, there may pet potentially be a lockout. I would hate to see it, but... Yeah.
00:21:42
Speaker
The W is not... I don't think the W has any ground to stand on this time. I don't think they do either, but... They're run by people who act like they don't want it to be successful.
00:21:55
Speaker
So I just feel like there may be, because there's certain things that should have always been at play, right? That the players are asking for, such as retirement benefits. What the hell you mean that they don't have no retirement benefits?
00:22:07
Speaker
This league has been around for 30 years and they ain't, they ain't got nothing. That's crazy. Is that what is or they want better? they They have nothing. Cheryl Swartz was talking about this on angels on Angel Reese's podcast. like They don't have like any type of health insurance. They don't have anything that they can opt into once they retire. Once you retire, they're basically like, okay, good luck.
00:22:25
Speaker
Like... That's crazy. For any any type of labor union, quote-unquote, that's crazy. So it's stuff that, like, is, like, basic needs that the players have.
00:22:36
Speaker
And if they were already not giving it to them, I don't know. Like, I'm hoping that, obviously, like, they just go ahead and just agree to things. But I also know that the WNBA operates in a world that the rest of us do not live in. So...
00:22:48
Speaker
We'll just have to see how but how that goes. The point of the matter is there's a lot of players who could have come into the draft who are not for a myriad of reasons. And this draft is going to be very, very interesting because we know that it could have been certain people, but it's not.
00:23:05
Speaker
um Also, it's going to be interesting because these are just the people who were invited to the draft who are going in the first round. I can't wait to see who's going in the second round because – Second rounders in the WNBA typically are ones who also who are like the sleepers, too. like Yes, we know the first, and second, and third picks are going to be like who they are, but the second rounders, they be the sleepers. So I'm very excited about that as well.
00:23:27
Speaker
For sure. But we're just going to have to see. And on to... and Anyways, that's Monday night. um I think it's on ESPN. And... um and Yeah, I'll get into what my other thoughts about it on my two minute warning, but moving on to the NBA playoffs.
NBA Playoffs Overview and Lakers' Prospects
00:23:44
Speaker
You put this on here because you know, i I don't care. I know that the Mavericks i have a playing spot, which is like, I don't know how the hell that happened. Well, so yeah, the NBA playoffs are set.
00:23:58
Speaker
ah The play in tournament is the 15th through the 18th and the playoffs begin April 19th. um The seeds are as follows on the West.
00:24:09
Speaker
The Mavs are 10 and the Kings are nine. They play. um And the Grizzlies are eight and the Warriors are seven.
00:24:20
Speaker
They're are playing in the plan as well. For those of you who don't remember, the winner of the 7-8 game gets the same it' the seven seed. 7-8, you only have to play one game.
00:24:31
Speaker
The loser of the seven eight Then goes to the plays in another bracket against the winner of the 9-10 for the eighth seed.
00:24:42
Speaker
um So that's how that sort of works. Just extra games for them to capitalize on. Yes. So then the one seed is the Thunder. The two seed is the Houston Rockets, which that is crazy. Like, we're at a place where the one seed is the Houston.
00:24:58
Speaker
ah feeling When did the Houston Rockets get so good? i I did not know that they was hooping like that. I mean, that's what happens when you, like, it's just, they're one of the few teams that it, like, worked where you, like, sell everyone for picks and then they actually also, I mean, the Thunder are like this, too. It took the Thunder. Same thing. Yeah, yeah.
00:25:16
Speaker
But they're they're one of the few where it works where you sell everyone for picks and then you actually get good players and a good coach and it sort of works. And it's, they're humming it's yeah it's interesting because, like, the Thunder are doing it behind, like, the likely or almost likely MVP candidate and then, like,
00:25:33
Speaker
The Rockets, and again, this may be wrong and disrespectful because I don't watch enough basketball, but the Rockets feel like it's just like the power of like friendship and youth. It's just a bunch of like is this like among young guys who are just like balling for whatever reason. Like i like, I don't, have power of friendship I think they maybe have some stars in the making, but they don't have any sort of like established stars right now. And so we're like, obviously the, the, the Thunder have SGA.
00:25:58
Speaker
SGA. So ah the three seed is the Lakers. ah Funny enough about the Lakers, I saw a quick antidote that basically said JJ, his two of his goals this year was to win 50 games and secure the third seed higher.
00:26:11
Speaker
And he did that. And if you remember, The Lakers were laughing stocks for hiring JJ. I know. You know, obviously some other things happened. The Mavericks decided to trade Luca and all these other kinds of things, but they, um they reached those goals. JJ is proving to be a good coach.
00:26:30
Speaker
He is obviously going to hopefully get better and things like that. But ah all of the people who just automatically assumed that he was going to be a joke and LeBron hired his friend probably off need, you know, should offer him an apology.
00:26:44
Speaker
The Nuggets are the 4 seed, the Clippers are the 5 seed, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are the 6 seed. On the East, the Cavs are the 1 seed. Oh, I should start with the play.
00:26:55
Speaker
ah The bull the heat Miami Heat are 10, the Bulls are 9. And then the Atlanta Hawks are eight and the Orlando Magic is seven. That is the playing on the east. And then on the east side, the Cavs are one, the Celtics are two, the Knicks are three, the Pacers are four, the Bucks are five, and the Pistons are six.
00:27:17
Speaker
I'm weirdly more excited about the eastern side than the western side. Is that weird? It's been a long time since I've been excited about the east. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. um
00:27:34
Speaker
I could see that. It's just interesting. Like, the Cavaliers having one of the best seasons that they've ever had in franchise history is cool. um I love the Knicks.
00:27:45
Speaker
I love the Pacers. And I just – it's just so interesting, like, because I've been such a Western conference person for so long that, like, I never watch the East. I'm just like, whoever comes out of the East is whoever comes out. So it's always been – I've been, like, actually interested in, like, watching the tournaments these last couple of years.
00:28:01
Speaker
um Because as some of y'all know, I don't start watching the NBA until now. So – Yes. ah So that is that. That is the NBA playoff. um That's it. i just you know Nothing to talk about. the one the one The big question that I have for the playoffs is I just want to see how far the Lakers go.
00:28:18
Speaker
Because the thing with the Lakers is it's just like
00:28:25
Speaker
LeBron and Luka together. And, like, whether he becomes, like, a legendary coach, we'll never know. But J.J. is a really smart basketball mind.
00:28:37
Speaker
So giving LeBron and Luka plus J.J.' 's game planning seven games, it's... it's they're not going to be easy to beat, especially if they if they have health, right? And, I mean, we've seen Luka carry the Mavs.
00:28:55
Speaker
We've seen LeBron carry teams. Austin Reeves is liable to drop 30 in a game. And then they have other pieces as well. And so it's just like they may not have the best team. They may not have the best roster.
00:29:08
Speaker
But when when you talk about playoffs, especially where so much of it is experience, it's It's just going to be hard to beat LeBron and Luka. And so like I don't know that they're going to go to the final. I don't know that they're going to win it. right like I don't know if they have that talented of a team.
00:29:25
Speaker
And I do wonder if they get to you know a Thunder or one of those young teams that can sort of kind of sort of run and run them down the floor. But then the other thing that even against those teams is like look LeBron and Luka play in this very similar way where like they control the pay. Everyone has always talked about LeBron controls the place pace of the game. like If he wants the game to be slow, it's going to be slow.
00:29:49
Speaker
And unless they're making a bunch of mistakes and you're getting out in transition, that game is going to be grinded to a halt if that's the way he wants to play. And Luka has that ability as well. So that is definitely something that I'm interested in.
00:30:00
Speaker
um But who knows what's going to happen. I'm also interested in that as well. I said the same thing. I'm like... Especially because of the last couple times that OKC and the Lakers have played one another, it's gone both ways.
00:30:13
Speaker
So I'm just kind of like the Lakers have the ability to absolutely suffocate OKC and knock them out. But then also OKC has the ability to do the same. So if we end up with a seven game series with them, that's going to be, um first of all, in my opinion, probably one of the most entertaining series out of the entire playoffs.
SGA's MVP Candidacy and Comparisons
00:30:33
Speaker
first of all, but um it'll be fun to watch. That's for sure. Because SGA is on a fucking mission. He's on a mission to get this and NB, NBP. And honestly, I'm burning it all down if he doesn't get it.
00:30:47
Speaker
That's just my opinion. I am burning it down. i don want to hear no BS about Nikola Jokic. i don't And I get it. I know Nikola this year became the first player in NBA history to have to basically be the leader in, I believe, it's points per game, assists per game, and maybe blocks per game. Something like that. something Rebounds per game. like He's he's the top he's in the top for three different statistical categories.
00:31:08
Speaker
It's the first time anybody's ever done that. I understand that. I appreciate that. Please do not make me mad. That's all I'm asking is do not make me mad. I understand who Nikola Jokic is, but also look at SGA.
00:31:23
Speaker
That's all I'm going to say. That's all I'm asking. Because I know Giannis is probably in the conversation too. don't know about nobody else, to be honest. But please, please, please, I beg.
00:31:35
Speaker
Yeah. I beg. So, we'll see. But, you know, we'll it'll be interesting yeah we'll loosely be following the playoffs. i I mean, I will be watching it. This is the this is the only time of the year where like I genuinely check the schedule and catch the games. So I will be watching it. But mostly the mostly the Mavericks, obviously. But once the Mavericks knocked out, inevitably, because we will.
00:32:00
Speaker
Love that we somehow managed to get the 10th seed, but like we will get knocked out. And that is okay. but but like That is okay. I will probably be following the Lakers after that and then the Knicks.
00:32:12
Speaker
So we will see. Yeah. um ah for i I don't know. and Aren't you a Cavs fan? You're not a Cavs fan? I guess you're more just a little LeBron fan, really.
00:32:25
Speaker
Yeah. the first um The first like round, I mainly watched the elimination games. i I just can't watch. How many? Hold on.
00:32:36
Speaker
Let's do some quick math. It's about 20-something games if they go to all seven. One, three, four. eight. I can't watch eight, seven game series. And I understand that. They don't go to seven though. Yeah. Yeah. But they all at least go to four.
00:32:54
Speaker
That's 32 games right there. Like if everyone was a sweep, that's too much basketball for me. I love basketball though. It's too much basketball for me. I pay attention to the elimination games. I pay attention to the series that are really close. yeah I will throw on some fourth quarters, but like I don't sit down to watch a full game if it is not an elimination game until later in the playoffs.
00:33:20
Speaker
Oh, yes. Let's be clear. That's what I meant. ah Yeah, that is what I meant. I'm not watching full game. The only games, the only teams that I'm watching full games is the teams that I mentioned. The rest of the teams, it's pop in, see how it's going. If it looks like it's close game on the ESPN app, I'll turn it on.
00:33:35
Speaker
Yeah, no, no, no, no. It's not until deeper into the playoffs that I'm like, okay, I'm going to sit down and watch these games from the beginning. And realistically, the games that are on TNT where I get to watch inside the NBA, I'm going to watch those games because I love me some Eddie, Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny. Well, not Kenny, but the rest of them.
00:33:58
Speaker
Yeah. So, and as far as the Cavs thing, I'm not a Cavs fan per se, because I'm not a basketball fan per se. Right, right, right. But I do always root for the Cavs being from Northeast Ohio.
00:34:10
Speaker
right Also, they have Donovan Mitchell, who is the hello the second coming of my favorite basketball player, who again, it is not LeBron. My favorite basketball player is actually D. Wade.
00:34:22
Speaker
Oh, period. Yeah. You always say this like it's a surprise every time I say this, like you forget, but it's fine. It doesn't matter. so That you double down on it, that you make sure people know that your favorite player is not LeBron. Yeah, like love LeBron, but my favorite basketball player is actually Dwayne Wade.
00:34:38
Speaker
So I very much root for the Cavs, would very much love them to win it. actually told Dante that if the Cavs win, I may come home for the parade. Period. I'm not going to the parade to be clear. You have to be around. Right. I just want to be in the city to see how they act when they win a championship. Right, right, right. And think they're second ever.
00:34:59
Speaker
um But yeah, so that's basketball.
Preview of SEC Conference Games
00:35:03
Speaker
Back to football. Come on, football. In our power sweep, we, as mentioned, are going to give you 10 games to watch.
00:35:13
Speaker
10 things that you can sort kind of sort of pay attention to ah this coming season. We are back after a multi-week break for various reasons, but we are in the SEC.
00:35:27
Speaker
Well, I mean, also um was on vacation. Yes. You were out there, you know, shaking your ass in New Orleans. yes Please. No, i just layer was not doing that. He was not. um It was very wholesome.
00:35:40
Speaker
You were eating beignets and drinking coffee and you know, having some crab legs. Anyways. It's hilarious because I didn't do anything like that. arms You didn't get a beignet?
00:35:51
Speaker
Well, so we actually didn't get a beignet this time, but like, it's not my first time being there. It just kind of- Oh, my bad. Yeah, yeah. I don't drink coffee and um I don't eat, i I'm pretty allergic to shellfish. So it's hilarious. Like the four things that you mentioned me doing down there, I did none of them, but it's fine. It doesn't matter. I was there. i was having a good time. the giving I don't know you at all. I don't think I knew. and I never knew about the the shellfish allergy. I never knew about that.
00:36:16
Speaker
Yeah, that's really I hate that for you. I am so sorry that you don't get to experience shrimp. Anyways, fine by me. SEC conference games. ah Do you want to go first or should i go first?
00:36:28
Speaker
um I don't have much to say about them. Honestly, had a hard time picking.
Return of Texas vs. Texas A&M Rivalry
00:36:32
Speaker
And that's saying a lot because as you guys know, the SEC is the best conference to ever exist in the history of mankind, um according to ESPN.
00:36:41
Speaker
So I was kind of like, I don't want to do this whole like, oh, let me just pick the ranked games. But then I ended up doing that because most of these teams are ranked or will be most likely. But starting from the bottom, I had to pick this game being a Texan.
00:36:55
Speaker
I feel like I am always going to recommend this game, even if it is booty cheeks and dust. And that is going to be Texas and Texas A&M. We went many, many, many, many years without this game. And I am happy that it is back.
00:37:07
Speaker
I'm not rooting for either team, but I love that we get the concept back.
00:37:13
Speaker
Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. For me, I have South Carolina Ole Miss. I just think both of these teams are interesting and that and i think they're both being, as always, overrated going into this season.
00:37:28
Speaker
but also i'm just very interested in the south carolina experience they have a pretty solid coach they have lenora seller who everyone is acting like the best quarterback in the world i disagree with that we shall see they have i can't think of his name right now because he should have transferred to ohio state he should have ohio state in the beginning but they have uh the guy he's a true sophomore who is going to be one of the best pass rushers in the the country and if these quarterbacks don't step it up he has a chance to be the number one pick in 2027 like he he's on track to be that good as long as he keeps developing stays out of trouble you know all of those sort of things not implying that he's been getting in trouble but you know that that isn't yeah right right out of trouble um uh but yeah so south carolina old miss
00:38:18
Speaker
unfortunately we are gonna have to pause the show Give me one second.
00:38:26
Speaker
What is your next game?
Alabama vs. LSU Game Significance
00:38:28
Speaker
Okay, so my next game is actually um the game of the, to me, one of the games of the years last year, and that was Alabama versus Vanderbilt. I just have to see this happen. I just have to see it again.
00:38:38
Speaker
I want to see it again. i want to see if Andy can do it again. Yeah, that I mean, that that is that is a a great one. ah The next one for me is Alabama LSU. LSU is not going to continue to allow for Brian Kelly to not win a lot of games, ah especially when you see what he didn't do with Jaden Daniels. And then you see what Jaden Daniels immediately did. And he had all these watching receivers and all these sort of things.
00:39:04
Speaker
And so also um Alabama had a bad year last year. They were very upset with their coach. So if he has two bad years. Hmm. So I think this is ah this is going to always say this, but for this game in particular, I wish I would have put the date for this one um because I feel like it's very early, isn't it No, I think this one is later.
00:39:29
Speaker
And I think that this, I could be wrong about that. I think it's later. And if it's later, i feel like this is this is a game where people, oh, it's week 11. It is November 8th.
00:39:42
Speaker
So this is a game where like loser could get fired. Depending on how their other seasons how their season is going. How the season is going, yeah. This like um sort of an anxiety-inducing game if they're not having the season that people are projecting. And i will I will all but guarantee one of them is not going to have the season that people are projecting. I will tell you that right now.
00:40:05
Speaker
I feel like it's going be LSU, too. I ain't trying to be funny. um feel like it's going to be LSU. I can't tell you which one, but it's going be one. is i don't I don't know. Speaking of that's my next game too, is LSU Ole Miss.
00:40:18
Speaker
I picked it more for Ole Miss. um I feel like if Ole Miss gets the dub, Ole Miss is going to be in a different part of – it is going to be in a different conversation if this happens. um Because I feel like they were always on the edge of, like, being one of those good SEC teams that just didn't get talked about enough.
00:40:36
Speaker
But if they beat LSU –
00:40:43
Speaker
That's how feel. Fair enough. My next game is Texas, Georgia. ah they gavevis of course They gave us some bangers last year. sure did.
00:40:53
Speaker
And so are they going to again? Do it again. Also, um you know, this is this is more off-season content, but um I am not convinced that – ah I'm not convinced that Texas is going to be as good as people think they're going to be.
00:41:14
Speaker
i am, ah I think that they lost more than people are willing to admit that they lost. And so I'm not sure if they'll be good or not. I think a lot of the Texas being good is largely based around, um is largely based around the thought that, ah arch arch manning is going to be a really good quarterback and yeah i'm not sure that he's going to be a really good quarterback so i think that this is going to be an interesting game because like right like you know texas is supposed to be on on their way up they're one of two depending on who you ask title favorites georgia had a quote-unquote down year for them
00:41:57
Speaker
And they haven't been like, you know, rushing for, ah you know, best team in the nation. ah They're the the favorite to win. Right.
Texas vs. Florida Game Preview
00:42:08
Speaker
Like, again, i am not.
00:42:09
Speaker
Don't don't misquote me. I am not saying that Georgia is not good. I'm saying that when you win back to back titles and you think you're going to be the next Alabama and then you are not that there starts to be some like, are they going to get back to that? You know? Yeah. there so yeah um And I mean, they gave us decent games last year. so yeah the texas georgia games were very very fun speaking of georgia um i've chose alabama georgia and i feel like i don't need to explain why i chose alabama georgia it's kind of obvious like it's famine versus georgia feel like that's always the game to watch um considering considering that they are the the two sec powerhouse programs so
00:42:50
Speaker
Yes. My next game is Texas, Florida. Insert everything that I said about Texas already. And then the thing with Florida is like Florida, like played a freshman mid mid year and ah he was pretty good.
00:43:07
Speaker
And so DJ lag way. And so I'm just interested. and what Florida has to offer. Also, Florida's schedule is really hard. And it was really hard last year. and and it's essentially the same schedule they just flipped home and away.
00:43:21
Speaker
So like this is the second year of like a really tough schedule. But if the quarterback is who they think he is, um you know I don't think they're going to really contend. But like if they win eight games on their schedule, that's a hell of a year. And it it really builds towards next year when many people thought that the coach was going to get fired last year.
00:43:40
Speaker
And if the starting quarterback didn't get injured and the freshmen come in and play pretty well, the coach may have gotten fired. So um and everything i've already said about Texas and then insert Florida.
00:43:52
Speaker
Um, I chose Georgia, Tennessee as another game really more so on the Tennessee side. Um, Tennessee is not who, in my opinion, Tennessee was not who everybody kept saying Tennessee was last year. And I feel like the real gauge of whether or not Tennessee is who they say they are is when they play Georgia.
00:44:09
Speaker
Cause if I'm not mistaken, they play Georgia fairly early, uh, in the season. I think it's like week five or no, that's Bama, Georgia, maybe week four. um,
00:44:21
Speaker
Either way, they play them fairly early, and I feel like that's going to be kind of like the litmus test of like where Tennessee is.
00:44:29
Speaker
Yes. And it'll be interesting because who's the quarterback? And who is their quarterback? Because it's apparently now it's not an Nico. So really, Tennessee is just going be an interesting team to watch in general. Because I picked that game, obviously, before Nico decided not to show up to spring practice.
00:44:47
Speaker
um So...
Tennessee vs. Georgia Game Anticipation
00:44:49
Speaker
We just don't have to see. And Georgia's interesting too, right? Because they don't have car they don't have Carson Beck anymore. They've got whoever. I don't know who their quarterback is. um So Georgia's is going to be a team to watch in general.
00:45:01
Speaker
Yes. um My last one is Florida LSU. I should have spread these out a little bit. I didn't realize that I had so many teams. There's all these through lines.
00:45:12
Speaker
Apparently we only care about Alabama, Texas, and LSU. No, i have Florida twice. Okay, I'm sorry. Alabama, Texas, Florida. Yeah, and LSU. you know So, Florida, LSU.
00:45:24
Speaker
So, insert everything that I said about Florida. Insert everything that I said about LSU. And then add in the fact that this game is the third week of the season.
Florida vs. LSU Early Season Matchup
00:45:33
Speaker
or Ooh. and and and for LSU specifically, they play Clemson week one.
00:45:40
Speaker
so if i Do they? didn't even notice that. So, if LSU starts one and two with losses to Clemson and Florida,
00:45:50
Speaker
And then they still have Ole Miss, South Carolina, Vandy, which crazy that we're putting Vandy in this country. I know, I know. Texas A&M, Alabama, and then Oklahoma on their schedule.
00:46:03
Speaker
There's going to be some conversation about that coach. If Florida, in their third week, after their coach was going to get fired, they come in and the they beat LSU with their superstar sophomore,
00:46:18
Speaker
We might have to call him the coach saving quarterback. You know, although, oh gosh, man, but this, I know I said it was hard, but like seeing it again, this schedule is really hard. There's a bye game in between, but they play LSU.
00:46:32
Speaker
They play at LSU at Miami by week, Texas, Texas A&M. That's four straight games. Again, there's a bye week, but that's four straight games for them, and it's all in September and October.
00:46:44
Speaker
So, like, they could they could be they could be two and four, which, again, I don't know that they're going to be, but they they could be two and four before middle of October because of the teams that they're playing. Well, I think it's going to be just so much fun.
00:46:57
Speaker
Yeah, and then they still have to play Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. So, you know, um Georgia – Florida was not given a great schedule by the SEC. Yeah. So – But also with the SEC, one thing I can say, I know I talk so much shit about the SEC, but a lot of with a lot of these teams and especially with a lot of the movement and all that other stuff, it really is any given Saturday with the SEC specifically. It really, really is. I mean, Vanderbilt is a testament to that.
00:47:22
Speaker
So, you know, which I know that that's the case in all of college football, but specifically with the SEC, like,
00:47:31
Speaker
it seems a lot more evenly matched with a lot of these teams, especially with what's going on.
00:47:39
Speaker
One could say. One could say, yes. So as we wrap up this show, with our two-minute warning, a ah I will just say one thing very briefly.
Entertainment Recommendations - Movies and TV Shows
00:47:57
Speaker
um there And I will withhold my full comments, but there are two there's a movie in a show where two of the greatest female actresses of all time are playing presidents.
00:48:15
Speaker
One of them is a TV show called Zero Day. And okay Angela Bassett is the president. Oh, period. And it has ah bunch of other people in whose names I'm going to forget, but it doesn't matter. It's a pretty good show.
00:48:27
Speaker
It's as the thing that I talk about all the time. It's one of those, this was clearly meant to be a short series. It's eight episodes. There shouldn't be a season two sort of thing. um It is really good. It's essentially about...
00:48:40
Speaker
um this task force that was created because there was a major cyber attack against the united states oh and the black one was president that can only happen in fantasy land apparently
00:48:53
Speaker
the second one viola davis is president oh is it the is it the movie on prime that new action movie i am going to watch that tonight And personally, i just must say, Viola Davis is my favorite actress of all time.
00:49:07
Speaker
You give her an action role? I had to watch it. I had watch it. I can't wait. I can't wait. can't wait to watch it. It's a solid movie. It's an action movie, right? Unless you just love action for whatever reason, no action movie you're going to watch, you're going to be like, that's the greatest movie I've ever seen in my entire life. like like they don't put it unless it's fast furious oh my god relax i'm playing they don't they don't they don't put enough in that because that's not the purpose right there's not a whole lot of you know plot and thriller and you know these sort of things like like action movies are good so it is a good movie it's not the greatest movie you've ever seen but i mean i mean freaking viola davis like what are we talking about come on it's viola davis with an automatic rifle i'm watching it like
00:49:48
Speaker
Yeah, i I watched it immediately immediately. I saw it on TikTok and I watched it that day. like i was like, what are you talking about? Viola Davis? Literally, yes. kicking Kicking ass? What? Period. So, if you need something to watch, G20, it's a movie on Amazon Prime.
00:50:03
Speaker
Zero Day is a TV show on Netiflix. Netiflix is nuts, first of all. um Okay, so my initial two-minute warning was like negative. Now I don't want to do it.
00:50:15
Speaker
Okay. Okay, let me just... I'll just
WNBA Draft Promotion Critique
00:50:19
Speaker
do it. Basically, um so as we mentioned, the WNBA draft is tomorrow, and there has been absolutely no social media content about it at all, which I just find to be such a glaring problem.
00:50:32
Speaker
Like... We got all this content last year with girls in orange sweatshirts and they were at at the Empire State Building and they was getting gifting and all this other stuff and they were following them around all over the place and we got ah freaking videos and content and pictures and everything all day.
00:50:46
Speaker
And now the WBA draft is tomorrow and all we've gotten is a video of Sanaya Fagan showing up and Hailey VanList showing up and that's
00:50:57
Speaker
What are we doing?
00:51:01
Speaker
yeah What is going on? I don't know. That's all. don't know I just feel like if you know that the league is growing, if you know that people are interested, if you know that you have a lot of eyes, take advantage of that. Also, like realistically, like we live in a world where nobody gives a crap unless it's on social media.
00:51:20
Speaker
So to miss an opportunity like this right before the draft, but you want people to view, you want people to tune in, you want people to be invested,
00:51:32
Speaker
You know? And this is why I said what I said about the WNBA CBA. Because I'm just kind of like, the WNBA really be operating like they don't want success. Like, i don't know what that's about. But, you know, whatevs. Who am I? Who are we?
00:51:48
Speaker
Just two people with a microphone.
Closing Remarks and Future Content Tease
00:51:51
Speaker
As always, thank you for listening. We will be back next week with... news from the WNBA draft.
00:52:00
Speaker
We will also have our last and final, this is the same thing, of course, our last and final 10 games to watch in the Big Ten.
00:52:14
Speaker
10 things in the Big Ten, you know? No, it's just one. 10 things in the Big Ten. You're annoying. Next week. As always, thank you for listening. We will see you in seven days.