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NCAA football news from Bill Belichick to feigning injuries and the upcoming NCAA Man's basketball tournament.
7 Plays1 month ago
Don and discuss a variety of issues with NCAA Football and talk a little hoops before the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
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Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:00
Speaker
this is the Fuel Sports Network. Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a couple questions for you. Do you love college sports as much as I do? Are you always wondering where you can find the latest NCAA reports?
00:00:15
Speaker
Will you come to the right place? Welcome, sports fans, to Fuel Sports Presents, the NCAA report with Don and Ray. Gee, that sounds kind of interesting.
00:00:28
Speaker
The Network ready to win the game.
00:01:04
Speaker
Look at the air, look at the hang time, look at the flying motion. Look at his head above the rim.
00:01:45
Speaker
To infinity and beyond!
Game Highlights and Personal Introductions
00:02:16
Speaker
Call on the field
00:02:24
Speaker
stand. Touchdown.
00:02:32
Speaker
You've got to get it done.
00:02:45
Speaker
Pay attention, son. This is for your own good. The moment you've all been waiting for, here they are, your favorite hosts, Don Glenn and Russ Robinson.
00:02:58
Speaker
Okay. Thanks again to Devin Tynan for the introduction. This is the NCAA Report. I am Don Glenn, your host, and my co-host sitting beside me in the co-pilot seat, as always, Mr. Russ Robinson, the man from Mizzou.
00:03:13
Speaker
How you doing, Russ? I'm doing fine tonight, Don. Thank you. Well, good. That's good. i don't know what it's like down where you're getting. We had a couple of nice days. Sun was out. Temperature was pretty decent. And now we're back to this ah sleet, slush, rain mixed with snow crap.
00:03:34
Speaker
Well, yeah, we it's not quite as bad here. We're like you. We had a couple of nice days and it's got... It got really cold today, and but we've we've avoided the sleet.
00:03:45
Speaker
We've avoided that. So we're just far enough south from you. Well, your Midwest weather report brought to you by the NCAA report. Anyway.
Auburn Coach's Health Update
00:03:54
Speaker
That's right. Hey, I just wanted to lead off tonight um with, ah it's not necessarily sad news. It's it's actually, it's it's good news in a way, but Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was recently diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer.
00:04:12
Speaker
ah The school announced that on Friday, and they said thankfully the doctors did catch it early. It's very treatable and curable, and they anticipate that he will not miss any time ah and that he will be able to continue his duties as they are.
00:04:29
Speaker
Fries said he was incredibly appreciative of the medical professionals there at Auburn and has asked that he that they use his experience as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing and scheduling annual health screenings.
00:04:43
Speaker
I mean, that's that that's that's some that's some shocker news, but it's some good news. And I'm glad to see Hughes is going to be okay. Yes, yes, yeah. i I was just like you. i was shocked by it, but it was in the end, it turned out to be a about as good news as you could expect on something like that.
00:05:04
Speaker
Oh, yeah, no doubt about that. No doubt about that. Well, ah interesting thing I saw today, and we're going to stick with college football for a little bit. I know we teased and originally we were planning on having Deion Thomas on to talk a little ah financial end of college basketball, but or college sports, really.
Show Changes and Coaching Dynamics
00:05:24
Speaker
ah But he had a previous engagement that he could not get out of, so we will try and schedule him for another time. Oh, also i want to let you know that the NCAA Report is part of the Fuel Sports Network, and it's going to be doing some changing. We're going to be a little ah construction in the works, little remodeling going on.
00:05:45
Speaker
So we may have a little bit of a new name next time we talk, or we may be still in flux, but you can still go to the site. I understand it is still available under the old fuelsportsnetwork.com.
00:05:58
Speaker
And you can find all the articles and other podcasts that are still there. ah We're just going to just be in mind. There might be a little dust in the wind as we as we do our remodeling. So ah article I found Bill Belichick has they've named his staff and it is.
00:06:23
Speaker
Very interesting um because I was reading the articles, the names they put it out, I really didn't, okay, fine, who's this, who's this, who's this. Didn't really know most of these names except for a couple that I kind of figured who they were was Steve Belichick will be the defensive coordinator and Brian Belichick will coach the defensive backs in the safeties.
00:06:46
Speaker
Mm-hmm. So yeah he's got his two sons in there. ah His staff is also including, and I'm going to get down to the actual meat of the article here. He brought in Jimmy Collins, ah an all-pro player with the Patriots, ah and quarterbacks coach Matt Lombardi, who is the son of general manager Michael Lombardi, and also Belichick's first hire.
00:07:10
Speaker
um He also kept a couple of... ah North Carolina ah boys around, if you will. And Freddie Kitchens is the former NFL coach at the Cleveland Browns, but he spent 24 seasons last year as the tight end coach for Chapel Hill.
00:07:31
Speaker
He will now run the offense. He'll be the offensive coordinator. ah Running backs coach Natron Means is a program legend, they they say. And then NFL, course, he played in the NFL as well.
00:07:44
Speaker
um He's going to be add some weight to the room, if you will. UConn coach Bob Diaco is also joining his staff as the defensive line coach.
00:08:02
Speaker
Garrick McGee is going to be coaching to wide receivers. So he's brought he's brought some names around with this time around. So we'll see how that staff works together and comes up with anything. Any any name jump off the page at you there?
00:08:15
Speaker
Not really, bad um I mean, I had heard that... People wonder how long Belichick would stick around at Chapel Hill when he took this thing. And one of the theories going around is that he's setting up one of his sons to be the next head coach there.
00:08:31
Speaker
You know, he'll coach a couple of years, maybe get the program. If he can get the program up and going again, then turn it over. to one of those guys. So that's all I've heard about, you know, Belichick's assistant coaches, that he would be bringing in one of his sons.
00:08:46
Speaker
So I guess of the sons is the defensive coordinator, right? Yeah, Steve is going to be the defensive coordinator. Or no, yeah, and defensive back coach. And then Brian's going to coach the – what did say it was?
00:09:00
Speaker
The – You Brian's coaching in defensive back to say Steve is coaching the defensive is the defensive coordinator and the linebacker coach. Okay. Okay. But they it also did. It did say, and I didn't know this, that Steve Belichick has spent some time as defensive coordinator at to the University of Washington under Jed Fish.
00:09:21
Speaker
so who's a former Belichick assistant. So a little, you know, a little ah nepotism going on there, hiring family. But then again, you see that with a lot of coaches.
00:09:33
Speaker
underwood Underwood, Illinois has got his son as a as the analyst coach for for the Fighting Illini. So you to see it around. It happens. um But yeah, I just kind of, ah they released his staff today. So that's kind of, that was kind of an interesting news I saw. Mm-hmm.
College Football Innovations and Rule Changes
00:09:50
Speaker
Uh, another one, one of the big things at the, at the colleges is the spring game when on the teams, um, you know, show up and they practice for a month or whatnot. And then they decide to, uh, you know, show off in front of the, in front of the home fans, if you will.
00:10:11
Speaker
Um, and it looks like there's a number of teams that are going to be doing away with the spring game. Article I saw on CBS ah quotes matt nebraska coach excuse me Nebraska coach Matt Rule said that he got the ball rolling when he announced his team would not play a spring game, which routinely attracts, and I didn't realize i that found this somewhat surprising in in in one respect because it's just a practice you know thing, but routinely attracts 60,000 fans to their spring game.
00:10:47
Speaker
Right, right. SEC schools like Alabama and and Auburn and Georgia, I mean, they they do very well with their spring game. $60,000 is yeah it's a big money thing know yeah so for those schools. So, yeah, I was a little surprised. I noticed the only SEC schools in there are relatively new SEC schools.
00:11:11
Speaker
It's Texas and Oklahoma in that article you sent over. ah But they're going to do it. But I didn't see Alabama or Auburn or Tennessee or anyone like that. No.
00:11:22
Speaker
school They have a couple out of the Big Ten, of course, Nebraska, and then Ohio State's not going to do a spring game. there ah They're saying they're citing, it at least for this time around, because of winning the 24 championship to stretched into January, that they're going to have a little bit of a late spring slate and all that.
00:11:41
Speaker
um But they're going to hold a fan event. uh they're gonna spring showcase on april 12th and we'll also hold a fan of event ahead of that so uh like i said texas is on that list usc is another one um it's going to go through spring practices but there will be no spring game at the end uh they called it off they say due to the risk of injury and the existence of more important uses for finances I think that cross-country travel is finally showing showing its ugly head in the ah in the western end of the Big Ten there.
00:12:19
Speaker
Well, i think yeah I think you're seeing it's a trend, Don, and I know... Eli Drinkwitz at Mizzou, I mean, since I'm kind of pretty close to following that program, he's never done a spring game, than I recall.
00:12:36
Speaker
And they have a practice, they have a fan event, but there's no spring game. in fact, the practices aren't even open. I mean, you know, it's it's it's it's strictly for him to work out who who what his team's going to look like. So, no, and I think that's a trend. And when you talk about the cost, you know, it's getting so expensive to to run a major college program, even though the revenues are coming in. In lot of these schools, the Big Ten and the SEC, and I assume the ACC does too. Right. ah
00:13:08
Speaker
ah You know, they're they're really beginning – touch it they're kind of watch their they' their're sense, there their nickels and dimes, so to speak. but And I'll bring this up only because it kind of applies.
00:13:23
Speaker
Missouri beat Alabama in basketball a week or two ago at Columbia. And before the game was over with, ah Dennis Gates got on the PA system and told told the i audience not to rush the court because that's a $100,000 fine, I think, or something like that. Well, really? Yeah.
00:13:44
Speaker
I think it's a pretty steep fine if the fans rush to court because they're trying to discourage it. And so the schools are getting, watching their dollars and cents on so that. So, is that an NCAA thing or is that just a. Yes, I think or it's it it may be. in I'm not sure if it's an SEC or NCAA. It might be an NCAA thing because it happened against Kansas.
00:14:04
Speaker
They did rush to court against Kansas and Mizzou had to write a check because of that. So they told him not to do that. So, yeah. It's something I guess you and I can Google sometime to find out. Yeah, I've never looked at that.
00:14:16
Speaker
you only look at that but But that is the reason. And so that's just to make the point that yeah these schools are really watching the way the money's flowing in and out. so on These spring games in some of lot these schools might not be money-worthy, money-making. A couple ah couple of the others are NC State, and they're also going to close all 15 of the team's spring practices as well. Right.
00:14:45
Speaker
And the other team that's on this list is Florida State. Yeah. But, you know I know around around these parts around Illinois, the spring game ah dating back as far as I can remember, has always been kind of a big deal.
00:14:58
Speaker
And every coach. has had it, some form of it. Now, some of them play it like an actual game, except you don't hit the quarterback. You know, like there's no kickoffs.
00:15:10
Speaker
And some of them play it as an actual scrimmage, you know, where you brought line up. and so So it it it takes different forms. I went to the spring game this past year over the U of I. uh and was uh you know they had it set up pretty much like you would see in a um oh an nfl preseason game you know where the first string quarterback he had so many reps the second string quarterback had so many reps and you know they filtered the guys in and out and they mixed and matched and you know uh so you didn't really see what you would see as a first team second team third team you just kind of as they played around with it but uh but yeah
00:15:47
Speaker
I don't know. I like the idea of having a spring game. gives the fans something to look forward to. But I think it's also because of the spring games, you're seeing some of these mid-season transfers ah in college football.
00:16:03
Speaker
You know, guys that are transferring right after the bowl game because they can get over there and they can get into the spring practices and be ready for the next season with the new team. I mean, I don't know how much that plays into it, but I think that would have to play something into it.
00:16:17
Speaker
Right, right. But as you say, at the U of i the spring game I attended, i ah that stadium, I'm not sure how many are holding. it I think it's 67,000 or something like that. And you know i there may have been...
00:16:35
Speaker
I'll be generous and say 8,000 people there. Sure. Yeah. You know? Yeah. um So you just, what you you so i do wonder, you just how, you know, cause they had the concession stands open and they had every, you've you've got a fund, you know, got all the lights had to be on or whatnot.
00:16:51
Speaker
So, you know, yeah. This, how, how much of a money drainer is a spring game? That's a good question. That's a really good. problem I think in some schools, it might be big money like in Alabama. Yeah.
00:17:04
Speaker
Maybe it is. Maybe it still is. But what impressed me on your list is some pretty big schools like Texas is this calling it. yeah be Yeah.
00:17:15
Speaker
You would think that when put Texas football is supreme, you know that would be a moneymaker, but maybe it's not anymore. you know Maybe, yeah. I would think if they were cleaning up on those games financially, I think they'd do it, but they they must not be anymore. So that's my guess.
00:17:34
Speaker
Yeah, it's very possible. Another article I saw here, um there's an NCAA committee now that is trying to go over the rules to curb what they call feigned injuries or faking, you know, guys claiming they get hurt so they get ah in an injury timeout that doesn't charge the team or whatnot.
00:17:59
Speaker
but Modification to timeout rules in the 25-26 season and an effort to curtail feigned injuries and slow the tempo of the game. Among the changes would be an automatic timeout assessed to a team to teams that have medical personnel enter enter the field of play after the ball has been spotted by the officials.
00:18:20
Speaker
Hmm. and Okay. So as long as they get in there before the official puts the spot on the ball, they're good. They get in afterwards, you know. Yeah.
00:18:32
Speaker
If the offending team is out of timeouts, they will be assessed a five-yard delay of game And they say it still has to be approved by the NCAA rules oversight panel, which is supposed to meet in April. So I just, that was kind of a, I mean, yeah, we all see it. We've seen it before. you know, the, the guy gets up and pops right back up, starts running back. And then all of a sudden he has a limp.
00:19:00
Speaker
Yeah. and and and And then goes down to one knee. And, you know we've all seen as i I don't know how big of a thing it is. I mean, I've really never thought it delays the game that much. You see it once in a great while. but But that's something that he's concerned about.
00:19:16
Speaker
Yeah, I guess the name probably know it's happening more than it should, so they're trying to clamp down on it, I guess. That could be. I think everyone knows that that happens. it just the like you Like you said, we don't know how much that happens.
00:19:30
Speaker
But the NCAA may know something we don't. Yeah. Yeah. I saw another thing where about ah conference realignment. realignment of But they're saying...
00:19:44
Speaker
ah that The conference realignment isn't the term for what is next. Prepare for conference consolidation. ah but Okay. And it cites what we were about earlier with Clemson and in Florida State and the ACC.
00:20:02
Speaker
um And this actually gives the better part of the deal. The ACC's D-Day has been delayed to 2030 thanks to a compromise reached by the schools and the ACC. It concludes significant tweak to a hefty exit fee that will drop to $75 million dollars in the summer of 2030. It says, if a program wishes, it has six years to raise the funds necessary to leave for another conference.
00:20:32
Speaker
Meanwhile, the ACC bought itself time ah with the Florida State lawsuits and whatnot. um Florida State and Clemson have been unhappy with the revenue shares from the ACC as rivals in the SEC and Big Ten saw their payday skyrocket.
00:20:49
Speaker
The ACC powerhouse believed they couldn't remain competitive against the upper echelon under the ACC's equal revenue sharing plan. So they explored an exit strategy. Well, that took a lot of money and lawyers and...
00:21:03
Speaker
um So what ended up having the ACC worked a bonus structure, which if Florida State and Clemson weren't happy with. So they still threatened to go to court. and Actually, I guess, did file in court.
00:21:17
Speaker
ah And so what it is now, ah the ACC will start a new unequal revenue sharing plan that will give 40% of the TV revenue to its legacy members, excluding Cal, Stanford, and SMU.
00:21:33
Speaker
with 60% rewarded to the teams with the best TV ratings and performances on the field or court. Payouts are expected to lead to an additional $15 million dollars a year for the conference's most successful and popular schools, such as FSU and Clemson.
00:21:51
Speaker
Those payouts could reach $30 million when coupled with the previous bonus structure, effectively closing the gap between the Big Ten SEC for just a few select ACC schools, not the entire team. Right, right.
00:22:05
Speaker
Right, right. Well, but you know, like you and i'd like I was talking to you before we started, Don, the Big 12 practiced that back before they split up for the splitting.
00:22:16
Speaker
That's what drove Missouri, ah Nebraska, Colorado, and Texas A&M out initially, is that Texas had the... had bullied or or this deal where they got the best deal of any of the schools. on It was a tier structure like they're doing in the SEC. The bigger schools got the most money and then the mid schools and lower schools.
00:22:41
Speaker
And so was it was an it was an uneven payout. right Then Texas, does I think what the final straw was, Texas decided to set up their own network TV network, and they blocked a Big 12 network. About the time the Big 10, the SEC, were setting up their networks, the Big 12 was going to try, but Texas block blocked it.
00:23:05
Speaker
So, you know, that that whole bit really broke up the the old Big 12 conference, although it's still there. None of the big schools are there anymore. Right. You know I mean, even Texas left.
00:23:16
Speaker
They created the problems and now they're they're accepting one for all and all for one type of deal. you know So it's kind of ironic that they do that. so anyway Yeah, the one thing about the the a conference consolidation is what this article started about is that you know if it's all coming down to to money, you know a conferences like the ACC,
00:23:43
Speaker
ah Big 12, the fledgling Pac-12, or whatever it's going to be called when it gets into fruition, and of course your mid-majors, they are going to be very hard-pressed to ever to be able to compete with the Big Ten and the SEC.
Conference Financial Strategies
00:24:02
Speaker
i mean i mean i just and Unless you see a breakup of the Big Ten or the SEC, which I don't foresee anything and like that happening, but you know There's going to be an inequality, I think. and I don't know if it's if it's if it's going to relate to or result, I should say, in a super conference with the Big Ten, ACC, and select schools who they pick.
00:24:32
Speaker
ah you know Have like a top 50 or whatever type thing. Or is it going to be where you start seeing...
00:24:43
Speaker
And I wrote about this in an article the other day, or writing about it I should say, D1, a Division I and a Division IA like they used to have.
00:24:55
Speaker
um you know are we going Are we seeing the remnants of going back to something like that? you know Because with because yeah it's guaranteed that Stanford and Cal are they're going to suffer in the ACC. Yeah.
00:25:10
Speaker
they're just going to flat suffer in the ACC because that cost of travel back and forth is just going to kill them. And, you know, the same thing for the the four the four schools that joined the Big Ten.
00:25:21
Speaker
You know, I just don't see how, I mean, they're, yeah, they're, they're prominent schools. They they make a lot of money. Oregon makes tons. The UCLA, USC, they make tons. But, you know, is that really enough to offset all the travel they've got to do? And not, and we're not talking just football, but we know we're talking volleyball. We're talking baseball. We're talking tennis, all the other programs that don't,
00:25:45
Speaker
um don't have the high dollar value um know as far as revenue. um no Because most of the games I know, like with baseball and softball, you can get into most of the games for like $3, $4. And surely it costs more than most of these stadiums aren't big enough to generate ah more than maybe um thousand fans, if if that.
00:26:10
Speaker
you know like ah So you know your your football and your basketball teams are going to have to be the ones making the money. and you know Like I said, if you're traveling and just in an 18-game Big Ten schedule, say, you know you're playing half your games on the road already, so that's nine, and you're going to figure that at least five of those games, or six, are going to be Midwest and further over to the East Coast.
00:26:38
Speaker
you know And that's just basketball. That doesn't count football. That doesn't count, like said, wrestling everything else. So I can see where you know this is going to hurt the the conferences like the ACC, a Big 12 in football, the Big East in basketball.
00:26:58
Speaker
i can see it really affecting them as well. So, you know, it's something we'll have to just keep our eye on. and and But I just thought those those couple articles there were just kind of very interesting that to look at.
00:27:10
Speaker
Yeah. we yeah yeah yeah Well, I kind of ditto what you say about traveling across the country for some schools, how cost prohibitive it would seem to us would be. you know when Like you said, Stanford and Cal, just doesn't seem like you could – that's feasible, but yeah I guess that'll depend on – now that they've gone to this tiered structure in this, if they do that tiered structure in the ACC, you know Stanford and Cal are going to be at the top end of it.
00:27:40
Speaker
So they're going to get hit really hard. Yeah, you know? Yeah. and They're not going to see any money until for another four years or six years. Right. You know, um so that's that. I just, you know, I kind of because there was rumblings last year, i guess, this past season that ah Cal was having buyer's remorse.
00:28:04
Speaker
um in or or at least the one of the Cal coaches was having a little bit of Byers or Moores having to play in the ACC. um But, you know, like I said, we'll have to see how that plays out and and goes along. So anyway, ah well, we're going to take a quick moment and pause the action for a word about from our sponsor, Liquid IV.
00:28:27
Speaker
And then we'll be back and we'll ah we'll kind of switch over to the hardwood and see what's happening over there. We'll be back after this.
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00:32:14
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And we are back. This Don Glenn with my partner, Russ Robinson. And we ah we host the NCAA report. And we've been over some football. Let's go move over the hardwood.
00:32:26
Speaker
Of course, this time the year, everybody's starting to talk bracketology.
NCAA Tournament Insights and Speculations
00:32:31
Speaker
And I never knew that was an actual study, but... Yeah, there it is. Yeah, but gay I guess it is in some respects.
00:32:39
Speaker
ah a CBS article, as of Monday... The number one seeds, and there's a question mark to it, or you want to put air quotes around it, however you want to do it.
00:32:50
Speaker
But right now, the the common thought is that Duke, Houston, Tennessee um are three of the number one seeds, and Alabama could be the fourth.
00:33:03
Speaker
Oh, really? They didn't put Auburn up there? No. Huh. Yeah, no. that what or Hang on Let me read that again. Oh, okay.
00:33:14
Speaker
Okay. Now Auburn is there. ah Who are the other three number one seeds? And right now, because it'll be Auburn, Duke, Houston. I missed that first part of the sentence. Sorry about that. Yeah. So it'll be Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Tennessee.
00:33:28
Speaker
They're also talking, like said, Alabama has a possibility, ah but they've lost to Tennessee. So that kind of puts them in a bad light. Yeah. Listed on the two line would be Alabama, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Florida. Then we're looking at St. John's, Purdue, Texas A&M, and Michigan on the three line.
00:33:55
Speaker
So there's your first 12 teams. um Now some of the questions that were asked of Jerry Palm, who's ah he's been, as far as bracketology goes, he's probably one of the the yeah the better ones when he puts out a bracket.
00:34:09
Speaker
and he's He's actually pretty good at at that kind of ah figuring what the committee's going to do. but What would it take for Duke to fall off the one line?
00:34:21
Speaker
And ah Palm said he wouldn't He said, I'm not sure two would be enough unless they were the major upset losses to Wake Forest, which they already beat Wake Forest, so that one's out of the question, ah or they similar in the world or to someone similar in the ACC tournament.
00:34:41
Speaker
um so you know i and And I agree with that. I think Duke's your clear number one. I don't care what anybody's going to say. ah Yes, i so I watched the game against Illinois and Cooper Flagg.
00:34:55
Speaker
is just, that kid is phenomenal with a capital P-H. I mean, he's yeah he's really, really, really good. i can see why he's and a lottery pick, and most people are saying probably the top pick in the nba upcoming and NBA draft.
00:35:12
Speaker
Another question was asked is, if Michigan State wins out, can it get a number one seed? Yeah.
00:35:23
Speaker
Michigan State already has 10 quad one wins and two more quad one games left. they would they He said, but they would have to go on or run and take the Big Ten title to have a shot. And he said, even then, it probably would take ah a loss or two by Tennessee and Florida ah to a a a lower quad one team for that to happen.
00:35:49
Speaker
Yeah.
00:35:52
Speaker
yeah Another question was, out of the current number two seeds, Alabama, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Florida,
00:36:00
Speaker
do Alabama and Michigan State have the strong case to jump back to number one seeds? I don't know. I mean, i could see I can see Alabama creeping in there, but I think, you'd again, you'd have to see Houston.
00:36:14
Speaker
Houston and Tennessee would have to go out because I don't think Auburn's ah not going to be a number one seed, and I think Duke is your other. I think after that when you is where the fight begins.
00:36:25
Speaker
so Right. i think Yeah, I think it looks like to me it's going to be Duke, Auburn, and Houston. ah You know, and like I said, I think the fourth the fourth one will just be how how the rest of the season plays out and getting into the conference tournaments and everything like that, but. Well, because you look at a team like St. John's, ah you know, as good a season as they're having over in the Big East, they've only got three quad one wins.
00:36:53
Speaker
Right. You know, so where where are you going to put them on a line? Then you look at at Illinois. I mean, Illinois has eight or nine, I think, quad one wins right now. um They've got a few wins against ranked teams.
00:37:07
Speaker
Granted, their record's not that great right now. And we're looking at probably an eight seed um unless they. find a fire and and take over the Big Ten tournament.
00:37:18
Speaker
I think Mizzou's in pretty good shape for I would say Mizzou's got to be in one of the 16 seats. First 16 seats. I think they're on the four line myself.
00:37:29
Speaker
but Yeah, they're on the four line. Everybody's, you know, right now is putting them there. They're playing tonight and then they've got to play against Saturday. And then depending on how they do in the tournament where they hold on to that. ah You know, they could lose that that seed.
00:37:42
Speaker
You know, they're not they're not indestructible on that. So, yeah. But, yeah, I think you're right on the – on the one seeds. I think it's just, I think the fourth one seed is still up for grabs. I think, I think it's about pretty well locked up the first three seeds.
00:37:59
Speaker
Those first three. Oh, I think so too. think, I think when you start talking about, um you know, this time of year and cause the conference tournaments, they don't mean a great amount, but they do have an impact. And this is, this has been one, my, my one bugaboo about the NCAA tournament.
00:38:18
Speaker
For years and years and years and years and years.
00:38:22
Speaker
I do not like the idea that your conference tournament winners are the automatic bids out of the conference. I would rather see the regular season champion.
00:38:37
Speaker
get that right yeah now in a lot of cases and i know people are saying but you know hey it happened yeah i in a lot of cases yes the team that wins the conference in regular season also wins the tournament but it doesn't always happen that way no and no so i think to me i think the regular season means more than the conference tournament and it should go that way but i think it's i think it should be really important um if you're a one seed, one bid league, ah because if you've won your conference and then you have one bad game in the conference tournament, you're out and some 500 team goes in, you know, it doesn't seem like that you're putting your best ah teams, you're getting your best team in.
00:39:27
Speaker
ah As far as the league, the the tournaments, ah most of the big teams, Don, if Auburn doesn't win the SEC, they're going to be ah probably a one seed anyway.
00:39:40
Speaker
It doesn't really matter. So I don't think it's really a big deal they're going to be in anyway. they you know and And most the time, your conference champion in the big leagues and the power four the schools, they're going to get in anyway, regardless of the conference tournament. And yeah,
00:39:59
Speaker
Those conference tournaments make a lot of money for those schools to keep it interesting. So, you know, I see your point, and to a certain degree I agree with you, but I think the money speaks differently.
00:40:09
Speaker
Oh, because yes. Yes. ah that that's what that's that's ah That's a yeah no doubter. i did get I did find the the out the full bracketology list, and i don't I hope it doesn't go this way because i don't like what I'm seeing. because Illinois is an eight-seed playing auburn no if they if they beat new mexico you know i'd like to stick i'd like to stick around more than one weekend uh that gets some in okay the eighth seed right that would mean they would have to they beat auburn in the round of 32 okay right yeah mean yeah because they've right now right now they've gotten the so they've got the south region as auburn the one seed
00:40:54
Speaker
Michigan State, the two. St. John's, the three. Iowa State, the four. Clemson, five. Ole Miss is the sixth seed.
00:41:05
Speaker
St. Mary's is the seven. let's see. The only real name team in the any other is New Mexico at nine, Indiana at ten.
00:41:18
Speaker
ah In the East region, it's Duke number one.
00:41:25
Speaker
Alabama's number two in that region. Purdue's three. Missouri is four. So you're on the same line as Duke, but you don't have to worry about them until the Elite Eight.
00:41:36
Speaker
yeah Or Sweet 16. That works. Yeah, that's the way it works out. That's the way it works, yeah. Yeah, this practice is going look a little different. Oh, I think – I mean, there's definite it's definitely – you've still got a couple of – Illinois still has to play Purdue.
00:41:50
Speaker
we could We could make a big run there by knocking Purdue out. um I think um some other teams have some games coming up. I think Alabama's got one.
00:42:03
Speaker
Does Alabama still play have to play Tennessee yet or –
00:42:08
Speaker
Sure.
00:42:11
Speaker
Well, look I'm looking at it quick here. You know, Alabama's playing Florida right now. Okay. And I don't know who they play on Saturday, but Alabama's getting beat right now.
00:42:23
Speaker
Oh. Ten points with about six minutes left to go in the game. Ouch. And they're playing at Tuscaloosa. So, you know, we'll see how that works out. But anyway.
00:42:34
Speaker
Yeah. and Because they got yeah they've got Florida tonight, and then they've got Auburn on Saturday. Oh, they do. okay Okay. That could be a big tell right there what happens to them at that point. Sure. That's for sure.
00:42:55
Speaker
and i said i Like the more I keep watching and looking at the scores from Mizzou, I like their chances that they can get hot. They need to they get play Kentucky at home on Saturday.
00:43:10
Speaker
Yeah. And they need to take care of business there. Then they need to you know knock off a win or two in the conference tournament. Yeah. see Although it looks like Oklahoma's getting the better of them tonight right now, though.
00:43:21
Speaker
In the first half, they are so far. Yeah, it looks like they're 14. They're playing down at Norman. So, yeah, I was i was keeping one eye on it, Don.
00:43:31
Speaker
so Yeah. Well, you know, I'll say this. You guys did a heck of lot better against Bama than we did. I'm still trying to tell you how you put up 110 on those guys. Well, their defense just – Bama's not a defensive team. They just score a lot, really a lot. Well, that's true, too.
00:43:49
Speaker
And they scored a lot on Missouri in that game. I mean, I forgot what – I think both – what was it, 110 98 or something like Something like that, yeah. you Yeah, so yeah. it was It was a shooter's contest.
00:44:02
Speaker
yeah Yeah, it turned into a shooter's contest, yeah. Yeah. ah Let's see, just looking at a couple the games coming up here tonight even.
00:44:13
Speaker
ah Wisconsin, if they've got to play Minnesota at Williams Arena, that could hurt them a little bit if they lose that game. Sure. You know, so there's, I mean, it it's... ah like do With very few games left, every game right now is going to be important for those teams that are in that in the top 25 at least.
00:44:34
Speaker
sure and they Like you said, the conference tournament coming along, so we'll have to see how that plays out. i mean we'll By the time our next ah show rolls around, we'll probably be in the first weekend.
00:44:47
Speaker
Yeah, we'll be looking at the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Yeah, we'll be looking the first weekend, so we'll have a little bit more idea of what's going on there. Yeah. Okay.
00:44:58
Speaker
A couple of things that I i just kind of saw.
Coaching Rumors and Future Prospects
00:45:01
Speaker
does Mike Woodson at Indiana. course, he's done. yeah When they're through playing basketball, he's done.
00:45:10
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Right, right. there So the big thing is a who's going to be taking over there. um And I noticed there were some other coaching changes that were going to be taking place here at the end of the season. Well, Woodson got a head start on it. He announced it early. Yeah, he announced early he wasn't going to be there.
00:45:36
Speaker
Yeah, so yeah I guess Indiana will go back to the drawing board again. trying to find the next guy who can take over the legacy of Bobby Knight because they just haven't found him. That's probably never going to happen.
00:45:50
Speaker
Yeah, but people will always, they they probably, you know, they've got enough people remember Bobby Knight's heyday. Oh, yeah. done those All those coaches are living that under that umbrella.
00:46:05
Speaker
It's kind of like John Wooden at UCLA for a long time. His shadow reigned over those um all those coaches who came after him. So it happens. Yeah, they're saying right now, looking at this for the Indiana job, you see Mick Cronin is a a name being thrown around.
00:46:27
Speaker
He's the coacher he's the head coach at UCLA. yeah right now. but he but He's the he's the i guess the leading candidate right now but that they think about. he coming over to take over the Indiana ah program.
00:46:42
Speaker
um so you about of I've got to say, there's schools that have had a lot of success in the past at a particular sport, whether it's football or basketball.
00:46:53
Speaker
and Indiana still looks at it as a blue themselves as a blue blood. They haven't been a blue blood in a long time. not sure what Cronin what would attract Cronin back to to Indiana.
00:47:06
Speaker
UCLA, is he's doing a good job there, it looks like to me. I mean, there're they're not dominant in the Big Ten, but they're certainly ah certainly playing very well. So I don't know why he would want to go unless he's unhappy at UCLA.
00:47:19
Speaker
But I think Indiana's looking at itself like a Kentucky or – or North Carolina or Duke. And they're, I just don't think they're that way anymore. You know, I just, I think there's, there's better schools right now that are doing better than the big 10.
00:47:35
Speaker
And, um, you know, they're just, um, you know, they're, they're, they're not really a blue blood anymore, but I guess they're still think they are and they can get people to come there.
00:47:46
Speaker
But, uh, You know, so they've had some good coaches come there just in that just didn't pan out. So I'm not sure but what would draw. If I was a successful coach at a power four school, know, what would draw me to Indiana at this point? Well, that's a good question.
00:48:03
Speaker
You know? Yeah. I mean, it's... Yeah, I'm winning somewhere, maybe if you're the head coach at Drake, you're head coach, or you're just having a really good year, maybe somewhere like that, yeah, maybe. But even if I was the head coach, I'd have to take a close look at Indiana and see why these other guys aren't winning.
00:48:25
Speaker
You know, what is it? You're right. You're right. There's some interesting things here I'm seeing here. Coaches on the hot seat. Yeah.
00:48:37
Speaker
couple names that are kind of ah surprising to me only because I didn't know they were there. Kevin Kruger of the UNLV is on the hot seat, they say.
00:48:52
Speaker
ah The coach of Texas, Rodney Terry. Yeah. yeah Then it's got this one that's called Feeling the Heat. and is That's Fran McCaffrey at Iowa.
00:49:06
Speaker
And they made mention of that the latin in the TV. I was watching an Iowa-Illinois game, and they made mention of that, that, you know, McCaffrey, he he you know he'll get 15 to 18 wins a season, get in the tournament, and, you know, he's gone in two rounds. and Yeah. um i mean, his overall record isn't bad. You look at his overall record in 15 seasons, 295 and 204, but he's got like four wins in 15 seasons in the NCAA tournament.
00:49:33
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I was a proud program, and they're not – yeah, I can see that. But he's sure been there a long time. and Oh, yeah. Yeah. ah You know, so, ah yeah, I don't know.
00:49:47
Speaker
um You know, he's had his chance. they If he wanted to get – if I was to get past the first round every year, then they – you know, it's probably time for them to make a change, see if they can find someone. I don't know.
00:49:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. A couple of other names I see in here. Hubert Davis. They're saying he's he's not going to get fired, but he's feeling some heat. Kevin Keats at NC State.
00:50:15
Speaker
So, I don't know. Sometimes when they say that, and you know, coaches on the hot seat, you always have to kind of stop and take a look at it and see who's who you know see who's there. ah One named Fad Mata, Butler. remember.
00:50:29
Speaker
You know, I don't know what they expect. he's He's the whole Ohio State coach, wasn't he? Yeah. but Yeah. yeah The old Ohio State coach. Yeah. oh I don't know how what they expect from him out of Butler. Butler's not going to – I don't know where they think they're going to go.
00:50:45
Speaker
But then again, Vanderbilt shocked us in football this year, so there's always hope. That's right. That's right. You never know. That's right. There's always the hope, man. So, i saying what that well, we'll just go ahead and wrap it up for a night on that. Like i said, next time we're we're together, we'll have the ah first weekend of the tournament, either are already in the books or were upcoming. I'm not exactly sure when the when is the actual tournament.
00:51:11
Speaker
sir Well, it's in two weeks. I mean, two weeks from Thursday. It's two weeks from Thursday. Yeah. I mean, it's from tomorrow is when it starts. Two weeks from tomorrow.
00:51:22
Speaker
and Next week is all the big conference tournaments. that yeah so next week's all the big comfort Yeah, this week's all the final games. Next week starts your conference tournaments. And then the week following is the is the big dance, as they call it. So so we'll be we'll be able to have some insight. We'll know better who's where, who's what.
00:51:40
Speaker
we We'll have our NCAA previews, if it will.
Social Media and Show Wrap-Up
00:51:44
Speaker
So as always, where can they find you, my friend? Well, I'm ah ah on Twitter. I'm Uncle Frank at FRRobinson1957.
00:51:55
Speaker
You'll find me floating around some of the Facebook, Mizzou Facebook groups. And I'm on Blue Sky, Russ57SKY, think, what the Blue Sky is anyway.
00:52:09
Speaker
but um Yeah, and I did finally get a Blue Sky. I haven't played with it much, but I'm planning on working, playing with a little bit more. i I can't remember what my name is, but I have to go. I'll have that for you next time.
00:52:22
Speaker
ah Yeah. But you can always find me at on X, T-S-O-T-B-G-C-S. You can find this show along with many others at, well, for now, fuelsportsnetwork.com. Again, we don't know what the new incantation is going to be, but...
00:52:40
Speaker
um it's ah It's going to be under construction, so we'll we'll have a maybe – it won't be a new home. just be a new home address, as that was as it were. But you'll still have some of the old favorites around. It'll still be us. You'll still have me on the talking sports on the bleachers.
00:52:56
Speaker
You'll still have Ron, Pete, and Elliott with the team of rivals. ah You'll still have Ron on City Soccer. You'll have – I believe Moose Michaels will be coming back with the two-for-three.
00:53:07
Speaker
um So, you know, check it all out. We'll still have all the articles and stuff that you want to read. And that will be right now at the fuelsportsnetwork.com. Stay tuned for the change on that.
00:53:20
Speaker
You can find this show on Spotify. and ah you know, check us out. Let us know what you think. If you've got ah a person that you want us to talk to, maybe we because we'd love to have we'd love to have a guest. i We say were hoping to have Dion Thomas on tonight.
00:53:38
Speaker
That didn't work out. But we are working on trying to get guests onto the show to have a little bit more of an insight so you don't have to listen to us talk all the time. um you know but But let us know how we're doing, and we'll see what we can do to make it better for you guys.
00:53:57
Speaker
So until we meet up again, always have fun, stay safe. We'll see you next time on the NCAA Report.
00:54:09
Speaker
report
00:54:38
Speaker
Bye.