Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The 2026 Final Four wrap-up show with special guest Gary Cromwell
0 Plays2 seconds ago
Don and Gary talk about the final Four weekend and even some Big Ten/Illini talk
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and NCAA Report Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
This is Gateway Sports. 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?
00:00:13
Speaker
Will you come to the right place? Welcome, sports fans, to the NCAA report with Don Enron. Gee, that sounds kind of interesting.
00:00:28
Speaker
Ready to win the game. For the win in the air.
00:01:01
Speaker
Look at the air, look at the hang time, look at the flying motion. Look at his head above the rim.
00:01:18
Speaker
on
00:01:43
Speaker
To infinity and beyond!
00:02:18
Speaker
on the field stand.
Final Four Tournament Recap
00:02:30
Speaker
You've got to get it done.
00:02:43
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.
00:02:56
Speaker
Well, hello again, folks. And thank you again to Devin Tynan. He does a great job with that. of course, it is pre-recorded, so it makes it easy. Anyway, Russ is still on assignment. And so we are blessed to have Gary Cromwell back.
00:03:12
Speaker
We're going to do a recap of the Final Four. That's a long assignment. I know. i know. He likes long assignments. Does he? Yeah, he likes long assignments. He probably needs a break from you. Oh, well, that could be. You never can tell. yeah Anyway, ah so yeah, we're going to a recap of the Final Four. ah Probably start out with just kind of couple questions I got. is you know This tournament, i've had you know there's a mixed reaction to it.
00:03:38
Speaker
But i thought it was ah I thought the entire tournament all the way through was was really a good tournament. I think the the field was set pretty well. ah Yeah, you're always going to have the who had the easy route, but you can't you can't predict the upsets, and that's the hardest part. No, you can't dictate that once it's set. Right. and But any game that stands out to you, ah ah other than the last three?
00:04:01
Speaker
Through the whole tournament? Through the whole tournament. That stands out you, it's like, this is the game that that kind of defined the tournament? Well, i you know, there was a ah few. I mean, we're talking already three and a half weeks back now yeah for the opening rounds. But, you know, he's still got to go with high point over Wisconsin in the first round. I think that another one was Iowa beating Florida.
00:04:26
Speaker
Yeah. ah Kind of a. A shock, I mean, with Florida you know being the number one seed the defending national champion. um But Iowa you know played real well, and and
Cinderella Stories and Tournament Highlights
00:04:38
Speaker
it was ah a great game to boot, a great ending, as there were many. Oh, yeah. um I thought the the East region that we had talked about in the last couple episodes, the when it got to the Sweet 16, those four teams – that were seeded one, two, three, and five. Yeah.
00:04:58
Speaker
Uh, being Duke, UConn, St. John's and Michigan state. Um, those were three good games that were played. The sweet 16 and the elite eight, um, the, uh, yeah. So, I mean, there, there was just a lot of good games and yeah, there wasn't, you know, we talked, you know, there wasn't the really the big Cinderella advancing real long. Like said, uh,
00:05:23
Speaker
Texas and I don't really, you know, pigeonhole them as a Cinderella team, but they did win three coming from. Yeah. And their, their ranking says they were a Cinderella. I mean, or seating 11th, 11th, but I think they were, I think they were underseeded myself. Yeah. You know, it's, you know it's, you know, it's kind of a deep league. They've got a lot of teams in like, you know, the big 10. And so, uh, no, I, I just thought there were some good games. Uh, the, the, the, uh, the semifinal games, uh,
00:05:53
Speaker
I went to the Illinois game and stayed for half of the second game or or half of a half, I guess. Right. um So outcomes could have been better on our end of it. Oh, definitely. um But still, it was, you know, a good venue and you you got there. And um I think those teams showed that, you know they were deserving of of getting there no matter what the path was. Right.
00:06:21
Speaker
so Right. yeah know and And I only bring up the thing about the the people saying about the easy path for this team or that team. ah Because, you know, you're going to see the memes. And there was one that was comparing for the last four years of the champion who had the easiest path, you know.
00:06:37
Speaker
And it did like you said, it's hard to say because even like you have an 11 seed Texas. They didn't play like an 11 seed. Correct. You know, um number nine the nine seed Iowa.
00:06:51
Speaker
You know, they they beat, um who did they play before they got north to Nebraska? ah
00:07:02
Speaker
Was that Florida? That was Florida. Yeah, they beat Florida and then Nebraska, right? or to be Yeah, Nebraska they beat. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's just like, you look and you look at v florida in nebraska you know VCU over new over North Carolina.
00:07:17
Speaker
I think a couple games that stood out to me, though, was was was the UConn-Duke game. Just the way it ended. Yeah, that was probably the... Because I think that was that was that was the rest of the of the nation getting back at at the ACC for Christian Leitner.
00:07:34
Speaker
i think the ending of that game for the whole tournament, again, there was many close games, final possessions. Final seconds, final minute. Right. But I think that ending kind of left ah many, many people kind of in disbelief. Like, you know, what did I just see? What did I just witness? Exactly. Yeah.
Illinois' Challenges and Tournament Journey
00:07:56
Speaker
And, you know, there's, like I said, there's there's there's ah that the other game, I think, is and this may be a homer's choice, which is apropos for both of us, but... um
00:08:07
Speaker
is is the Illinois-Houston game. I think that game was another one that just, you know, it was one of those where, know, A lot of people didn't give Illinois the chance, you know, because, and quite frankly, you know, you and I both thought it was going to be that Illinois could win, but it was going to be ah a dogfight. Yeah. Um, especially, you know, seeing Houston a lot through the year, right. They're on, well, everybody's on TV a lot, you know, through the season with all the cable stuff. But, uh, you know, i I saw quite a bit, you know, playing the, uh,
00:08:39
Speaker
you know, the BYUs and the Kansases and Arizonas, the conference matchups and sometimes outside of the conference. So, yeah, it was going to be a tough venue. And then why we thought Illinois could win, it shaped up for, you know, Houston to take it or, you know, be the favorite there. Be the favorite there, yeah. But, yeah, you know, they won it. And it was kind of one of those things that Illinois fan, can they – Get over the hump there. Right.
00:09:09
Speaker
You know, sometimes they get in the second round. You know, you get
Impact of Freshmen Players
00:09:12
Speaker
to Sweet 16 and go, if they can get over that, you kind of felt pretty good at the next one because even though it was Iowa, it was a Big Ten foe that you knew. Which you knew. And so it kind of took any home court a crowd, so to speak, out of it. And you just, you know, throw the ball up and play a Big Ten game. And and another thing that struck me about this tournament was the amount of freshmen that had an impact.
00:09:37
Speaker
Just loads of them. I mean, they' you know too many to count. Right. And and and a lot of them I couldn't pronounce anyway. but we just You had three you had three ah in in the game, Illinois-UConn. You had three or four outstanding freshmen and in Mullen, Wagler, Murkovic.
00:09:51
Speaker
um yeah it just You look up and down that whole turnip, Boozer for north carol or a Duke, I mean. um yeah There's this up and down that whole – Yeah, BYU and their outstanding in Kansas. And they're, you know, just on and on and on. It seemed like everybody had that hot freshman for some reason. Yeah. You know, and it was just this. I think that was one thing that struck me, too, about this tournament. All right, well,
Preview and Analysis of Final Four Matchups
00:10:19
Speaker
let's go ahead and get into the...
00:10:21
Speaker
The matchups as they came out in the final four. We'll start with the but the Illinois. UConn, just get it up rip the band-aid off and get it out of the way. Okay. All right. um You going first? Go ahead. Yeah, oh I'll start it off. I think, I mean, illinis Illinois played, I think, actually pretty well. They they did manage to keep their composure.
00:10:49
Speaker
ah Even when they were, I mean, and ah the one thing, they it comes down to, yeah, there were so were there some calls that I've seen now that I'm like, wait a minute, that should have been this or that.
00:11:01
Speaker
Yeah, there was a few of those, but you're going to see those every game. You are, and you have. And you have. All tournament you've seen. yeah But what the biggest thing that struck me, was Illinois and their shooting. And it wasn't because they were taking bad shots.
00:11:15
Speaker
Those damn things just weren't going. Stjákovich under the basket. It just sit there sits on the rim and it just kind of rolls off the back of the rim. Yeah. I mean, that now we did win the battle of the boards, but we only had six second chance points.
00:11:31
Speaker
Yeah. um I mean, that those two things right there I think killed us. Yeah, me and my son went over to that game, and it was just a great venue. it was really a sight to behold with all the the orange, and and we were fortunate to be to be down low. and But what what a venue that was. It was just just great. and That was actually my second Final Four, and that was 35 years ago in 91 when it was over in Indy. So a couple things that stuck out to me was
00:12:06
Speaker
You know, we we we started out slow again, speaking of Illinois, and they got down 18-9. And just nothing, had nothing going. and then we went on a thirteen to three run. Right. It was up 22-21, and we got the ball and took it down. It looked like kind of a fast break, and we threw it to the corner to Big Z, and he launch and launches his patented three-pointer.
00:12:34
Speaker
uh, from the corner, right which he did in a lot of games down the stretch of the season. Love big Z, but that's not the shot you want. Not for him. And we didn't even, you know, take it to the bucket to keep the pressure on. We didn't even pass two or three times. It was one pass down to the corner. Once we got over the 10th second line into the corner, he misses Connecticut gets it. Now we stopped him again. I mean, we had several stops in that 13 to three run.
00:12:59
Speaker
And then the very next one, we, we, uh,
00:13:04
Speaker
Dre gets fouled, an 86% free throw shooter, and misses both free throws. So a chance to stretch the lead on three different occasions. i think the third one we may have turned it over missed a shot. And so yeah you kind of maybe early, I know it's early in the game, but you could have put a little pressure and and kept that run going and, you know, see how that goes. As it was, ah you know, Connecticut ends up on a 16-10.
00:13:29
Speaker
ah sixteen to seven run in the half go up 37 29 at the half and then we didn't get off to a good start second half and we found ourselves trailing 57 43 down going but
00:13:46
Speaker
and again just just really nothing going but we made a 10 point run, had enough great stops again. Now that 10, Oh run was kind of slow. I mean, it didn't happen like in a minute's time. It just kept, you know, free throw here and free throw there. And it developed, but we had a chance again to cut it to, uh, two two berette and Tommy goes to the bucket and kind of lays it up. And my opinion, sort of soft, uh, instead of going hard and trying to jam it or whatever. Um,
00:14:16
Speaker
Maybe a little off balance, maybe a little too far. And it didn't go. It didn't go. And then all of a sudden we get another stop, but then Merkiewicz turns it over twice in row. And they go down, i know slammed one of them, maybe both, and all of a sudden you're down eight again.
00:14:32
Speaker
We didn't quit. We got a three. They got two free throws. We got another three. And then I think the the biggest play of the game, ah at a minute at five, we're down four. And, you know, the the clock's kind of winding down on Connecticut, and they shoot it.
00:14:47
Speaker
And they get the rebound and throw it back out and splash a three. Splash a three. If Illinois can get the rebound there at a minute. You've got a shot. you've got a shot. I mean, if you you don't even have to hit a three. If you hit a two, then Connecticut's got to come down and score. Right. I mean, they absolutely had to score for the first time in a long time in the game. Right. And they ah couldn't hold the ball. I mean, you know, the 32nd clock would have been in play. And so it would have been, you know, that We didn't do that, and that's kind of all Sherrod. I think one thing that hurt – one thing I didn't like while we did, and the the stats kind of bared out, is, again, we we did – Dre did pretty good in the first half driving to the bucket, getting those, I think, nine points. Right.
00:15:34
Speaker
Wogler ended up, I think, with 20, and he he was going down there, and, you know, the – Kind of the the usual mugging, but again, that's the way it's been all year. you know but In both ways. i mean A lot of that, you know you call it and you don't call it. There's just no rhyme or reason or consistency in any of that. But
00:15:55
Speaker
I thought we could pinpoint we did in that tunnel run down the second half, throwing the ball into Tommy Lowe. And it worked and they did, and they couldn't stop it. And I don't, I don't know why we didn't try to do that early yeah and even maybe get Harrison into foul or read, I'm sorry, into foul trouble or not. And was, you know, he was really the only guy that got down there and, and, it and it worked and I wish we would have tried to do that more.
00:16:22
Speaker
Uh, Did you have something to say? Go ahead oh yeah Well, i'm im I'm going to agree with you there. And and that's I think that's something all year we've seen with Illinois is they get Tommy or Big Z running a hot hand down low or even Merck running down low, and they'll do it two or three times in a row.
00:16:44
Speaker
And then, okay, you don't do it the maybe the fourth day because you don't want to keep getting predictable. No, but then they' just go until they stop it. But then it just never seem to go back to it. And they hardly ever went to. and i they you know and And what it did, too, was, again, it kind of pigeonholed Illinois into just driving it.
00:17:01
Speaker
and and And that's another good way to score is throwing it down on the block to Tommy and letting him do his thing. And it kind of took Davis out of the game because they were just standing out there at the three-point line, UConn. Mm-hmm. There was nothing open. You know, Hump hit a late three.
00:17:17
Speaker
Davis missed an early three. Maybe the first shot of the game for Illinois. and First or second, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And then Merkivik, he didn't play real well. And he he he was – You could tell after the game he was upset with himself. Yeah, he was a liability out front. They picked him – you know, three or four times during that game. yeah I mean, he can handle the ball, but he's not a point guard. Yeah. I mean, you know, especially at six, nine, yeah you know, and some of the stats bear on that game. I mean, they'll end up holding Yukon to 35%, which is good. You know, overall the, you know, free throws Yukon was 15 of 17. I was 18 23. So really that's not bad. a wash Yeah.
00:18:01
Speaker
um Rebounds was forty to thirty three Illinois. But here's some of the key stats. They had 14 assists. We had three. we didn agree And we didn't have any assists, I think, i think it was until like the 15-minute mark of the second half before we got our first assist. Yeah. And then steals was 6-2. Yeah.
00:18:23
Speaker
yeah We laden block shots 6-1, but... They only had four turnovers. We had eight. Which which is below our average of nine, so you know you can't really get upset at that too much. UConn hit those threes early in that game. and you know like they They got, ah you know on their credit, i mean it happens, but boy, they got through three or four good.
00:18:41
Speaker
Rem Frantley bounces. And that Mullen, I mean, we kept him down. It just goes to prove in one thing to me, that the good players are going to find a way to come through. We've seen it on the Illinois side with Wagler. Gets held to five points, four points, seven points in the first half. Comes back for 22 in the second half. And Mullen kind of did this. He only had like 14 points, but I think he only had no points in the first half.
00:19:06
Speaker
no points in the first half Yeah. Well, and that's why we'd kind of, you know, Reed and Mullen seemed to be the, and and well, Caravan. Caravan, too. Those were the three. and Yeah. But Mullen had, you know, a good one. But they...
00:19:19
Speaker
They certainly hit some some threes to keep that separation, you know, always at eight points or double digits or more. And it just kept Illinois at bay and trying to catch up and catch up and just, you know Well, like you say, the the the one thing, and and and, you know, a lot of people have said this over the years, and and and i'll i'll I'll admit it, I'll agree to it. You know, a slow start has been an Illinois trademark against the the better teams and against even sometimes the so-so teams. You know, they've never really gotten out. There's only been a handful of games I can count where they've gotten out and just blown somebody away from the beginning to end.
00:19:58
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very few of those, especially against, like you say, the the the good upper echelon teams. Which you kind of do expect that, but you don't expect a slow start every time. Maybe an even start, you know.
00:20:10
Speaker
Yeah. You know, that kind of thing. But, yeah. So,
Michigan-Arizona Game Recap
00:20:14
Speaker
you know, hats off to UConn for that game. proving me and Gary both wrong. And we'll be wrong again here in a minute, too. Yeah, we'll be wrong again. Well, no, we took Michigan. Did we? Okay, all right.
00:20:28
Speaker
So that brings us to Michigan, Arizona. And I'll tell you what, I only have one word for that game, dominance. I mean, that was just – that was an old-time ass-whooping.
00:20:40
Speaker
I stayed – for about 10 minutes of that second game. And it,
00:20:51
Speaker
it was, well, one reason I didn't stay any longer because after Illinois got beat, a lot of Illinois fans, not, not a lot. mean, there still a lot, but then around us, here come Michigan and Arizona fans. Oh yeah. And I can only take so much of that. I get that. But, uh, I mean, there was, there was, you know, you know, bad or, you know, malicious or anything with it. Just, uh, They're a little obnoxious. Well, you're still soaking in your defeat. And here they're having a good time. So, you know, it's... But that... It was...
00:21:20
Speaker
it was I mean, it was all Michigan. Yeah. and I mean. and And I'll tell you that it wasn't, I expected more down low from from from the big three for Michigan, but it was Cadeau that did the damage. He was. He was.
00:21:36
Speaker
Or Cadeau, how do you pronounce his name? Cadeau or something like that. Yeah, he he he was the guy with the keys. and then And I think that's, that was a big on Michigan because you got to be wary of of Mara and and and and Johnson and and Luxembourg. But.
00:21:50
Speaker
but They were you know hitting outside, night and that you know and Arizona just had no end. And Arizona wasn't that good of a shooting team no from out. I mean, and everybody knew that going to Arizona was going to make hay inside, and basically they just they they battled even ball inside against against that big three from Michigan. i mean, it – It was, you know two to one. you know, was where Arizona got their, you know, you got one point. Then all of sudden it was 10 to one. And then, then the you know, the barn door was open. I mean, it ended up going to 48, 32. I think there was one point it was Arizona was only down like five and I had to go do something.
00:22:28
Speaker
It was only gone like maybe two minutes. I come back and they're down 12. Yeah. It's like, what the hell happened? Yeah. Yeah, they – I mean, michigan Michigan, you know, put it on them, and ah there wasn't no looking back. Yeah.
00:22:41
Speaker
I mean, yeah and and like you said, you as Big Ten fans, you kind of you kind of want to see the Big Ten move on and do well. But then again, it was Michigan, so was kind like, yeah, really – But, no, they they they played a hell of a ball game. um you know And, again, it's no disrespect to Arizona. Arizona, just they were just outmatched.
00:23:02
Speaker
Michigan was the better team. in that game. And I think if they played ten times, I think Michigan would win. It'd be a 5-5. Michigan might go a little more. I mean, that's probably as impressive I've seen Michigan really. Yeah. I mean, and they have been impressive in a lot of games. Right.
00:23:17
Speaker
But Arizona did get to keep their coach not going anywhere. oh yeah, I saw that. so He decided he's going to stick around, huh? Yeah. Well, that's good for Arizona, I guess.
00:23:32
Speaker
Well, we'll get to the championship game here in just a second. I do want to ask questions, though. I ask a lot of questions all the time. But, you know, the biggest thing is when you're out, do you have ah episodes of brain fog or fatigue or weakness?
00:23:47
Speaker
When you go to the bathroom, is that a dark yellow or almost a brown urine that you're speaking? it All those are signs of dehydration. I mean, they're not fun signs at all. They're signs of dehydration. You know, our bodies can get severely dehydrated when you start feeling dizzy, nauseous, disoriented.
00:24:03
Speaker
That's the the sign right there that you're you're really getting into serious trouble. Hydration is the key, but water alone isn't enough because when you're sweating and you're losing all that body fluid, you're losing key electrolytes like sodium and glucose and vitamins.
00:24:21
Speaker
And you've got to replace that and the water just won't do it. So what you need is liquid IV. Liquid IV is one of the one of the better sports drinks out there. In my mind, I really like it. ah It has key electrolytes like sodium and glucose, tons of vitamins. ah ah Just name a B vitamin. It's probably in there. ah Vitamin C, all sorts of different things that that all go toward...
00:24:48
Speaker
replacing what you actually need in your body. It uses a process called cellular transport and technology, which delivers hydration 30% faster and has three times the electrolytes of other traditional sports drinks.
00:25:00
Speaker
It enables you to stay hydrated longer, You get the benefits of, like I said, the vitamins. It's soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, contains no GMOs. You have several different formulas to choose from. They've got a ah regular electrolyte replacement formula, you know such as you would see with many sports drinks. You've got an energy formula that's a lot better than coffee. You get the same kind of caffeine formula.
00:25:27
Speaker
help without the jitters. You've got a kombucha blend for better gut health. You've got an immune boosting formula. It's just packed full of vitamin C. And they've even got ah a hydration formula to help you sleep better at night They have a sugar-free line that doesn't use artificial sweeteners like aspartame and stuff like that. It uses amino acids to create the sweetness. They have a line for kids um in flavors they like, and they've got a ton of flavors everybody likes. For the kids, they've got crisp apple, apple tropical punch, concord grape, banana, cotton candy.
00:26:05
Speaker
for the For the adults, you've got green grape, you've got lemon lime, strawberry lemonade, Azu pineapple, golden cherry, and pina colada. But you've got to add the alcohol yourself for that one. Sorry, folks.
00:26:17
Speaker
ah You know, and they they do care about the world. They're not just a a company to make money. they They invest their money worldwide in programs to provide clean and abundant drinking water in other countries.
00:26:29
Speaker
They have provided tons of servings for natural disasters. They use 100% recycled material in all their packaging. their material What they use in their product is produced by family farms sustainable family farms.
00:26:46
Speaker
So go ahead and do yourself a favor. Go to liquidiv.com. Use the promo code GCS at checkout and you can get 20% off your order. Or you can use my special link. That's zen.ai slash TalkingSportsOnTheBleachers.
00:27:02
Speaker
And you get 20% off anything you buy, even if it's on sale. So check it out today. Go to liquidiv.com. Now wait a little after the podcast, though. Check
Championship Game Analysis
00:27:11
Speaker
it out today. Go to liquidiv.com. Use the promo code GCS at the checkout.
00:27:17
Speaker
It's McUltra gluten-free. What's that? Is McUltra gluten-free? I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. I might check it out during the broadcast. I'll check it out during the broadcast next time. I'll have to ask my daughter about that. She's ah she's the gluten-free person.
00:27:31
Speaker
All right. So, come on. There we go. Now I get rid of it. Okay. So, now we come to the championship game. Mm-hmm. And I really thought this was going to be a good game. But like i said, I unfortunately... going have to rely on Gary for a lot of this. I didn't get a chance to watch it. I had a couple other things going on that prevented me from watching the game.
00:27:53
Speaker
I won't go into them here. It's for a subject for another podcast and in a week or two. ah But a couple things I did pull from like game reports and and stuff um was...
00:28:09
Speaker
the foul trouble the Huskies got into, especially with Reed on the inside. How much, of a how much do you think that played into so what happened in this game? Well, yeah, I mean, I, yeah i i you know, he's our best player, I think. And then, you know, the one that can, you know, at least, uh, give Michigan a battle, uh, down there.
00:28:30
Speaker
but yeah, they, they had, uh, you know, quite a few there in foul trouble, uh, um, Yeah, no, it definitely definitely took its toll. Yeah, and ah and you know the other thing I was looking at, too, one of the stats they had that you know down the stretch in the second half, Mara had four blocks on the inside.
00:28:52
Speaker
Yeah. Well, at 7-3, you've got a good chance to do that, right? It's kind of like kind of kind of Big Z at seven two yeah Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, four blocks on the inside when you're in late in the game, they're trying to go inside. And if you can shut down that inside game, then, you know, really all you've got to worry about – I say it like it's nothing. you've got to worry about is Mullins and Caravan. Yeah.
00:29:15
Speaker
caravan but And that didn't seem to you know, I mean, Michigan just seemed like, from what I can gather from stats, and again, you watched the game, I didn't, it just sounded like, from the stats I'm looking at, you know Michigan was ah was, they weren't dominant like they were against Arizona, they were just in control.
00:29:34
Speaker
Yeah, I kind of felt, um I didn't watch all 40 minutes, but I did watch ah most of the game. I figured if I want to be on a podcast, I better get some info off of right? So, yeah.
00:29:47
Speaker
they The game's right there. Michigan kind of started trying to you know put them away a little bit, but but Connecticut would rally. I kind of felt like Connecticut against Michigan was how Illinois was against Connecticut. Every time they would, the few chances are the few times they had a chance to get in it or cut Mm-hmm.
00:30:09
Speaker
Michigan would have an answer, or ah there was just a bizarre sequence where it looked like Connecticut was going to cut it late, and and Michigan, ah it went up and down the court like two or three times, and and just the ball's all over the place, and bodies flying, and Michigan ended up scoring at the other end.
00:30:30
Speaker
I just felt like a lot of times Connecticut would get right there, and it's like ah you know if they get a steal or a rebound you know or a stop um and and get it going the other way and and get a bucket or free throws or a three or something, ah you know they're they're right there. ah Michigan was always able to keep their distance. right So I kind of felt a little bit that that's kind of what – Happened with Illinois and Connecticut, and I thought that was kind of what happened to Connecticut against Michigan.
00:30:59
Speaker
um Yeah, Michigan at 25 of 28 from the line, ah you know, which is damn good. And and then so they out-free throw Connecticut. they They were just 12 of 16.
00:31:11
Speaker
um So that three-pointers, neither team was very good. Connecticut 27%. Too bad they couldn't have shot that on Saturday. going to say, if they'd have shot that on Saturday. Michigan was just 13%. Oh, wow. percent ah Two for 15.
00:31:28
Speaker
I thought they were you a little better than that. But ah ah actually, rebounds, you know, Connecticut had it Turnovers were even. yeah, it – turnovers were even um so yeah it Connecticut had their their shot at the end.
00:31:47
Speaker
It looked like Michigan was in control, nine or ten point lead, and all of a sudden Connecticut hit it, and then they got a turnover in in the backcourt and scored again. And then they they they went down and I believe got a stop, and so it was – or went out of bounds, and Connecticut got the ball again and a chance to cut it.
00:32:11
Speaker
with about 30 seconds to go. And I don't know why Caravan launched about a 40 foot three pointer from the logo. I mean, yeah, time was running down. It wasn't on their side, but they certainly didn't have to do that. Right. And especially the way they were scrambling and, and you know, making Michigan sweat.
00:32:28
Speaker
And then, you know, it missed. And, and I mean, they, they could have just got a way, way better shot. And, And that was kind of their demise. Michigan rebounded and took it took it on out for a 69-63 win. So,
00:32:44
Speaker
so now a couple of interesting facts. of but i just I saw this today. um
Big Ten Conference Achievements
00:32:52
Speaker
The Big Ten for this season has captured the big three national championships.
00:33:02
Speaker
Indiana with football. Michigan with men's basketball, and UCLA won the women's championship. That's only been done one other time by a conference. I did not get to see the
00:33:17
Speaker
women's championship game. I didn't watch many of them. I've seen you they play. I couldn't believe how they took them South Carolina apart. No, South Carolina beating Connecticut in the final. I mean, all four number one seeds made it to the final four. Yeah.
Future of Big Ten Athletics and NIL Impact
00:33:32
Speaker
I was just surprised how UCLA dominated that. So, yeah, no, so that was yeah good good what was that what was a trifecta. What was the other conference that did that? There's only one other conference that's done that.
00:33:45
Speaker
It's only been done twice.
00:33:49
Speaker
The Homer Panthers the Little Oak Home.
00:33:52
Speaker
I don't think our girls' basketball team was ever that good. No, I don't but believe you're right, pal. Nothing against you girls. you played you You played your hearts out. you know um Boy, I don't know. 2006, Florida won the national championship in football.
00:34:09
Speaker
They won the national championship in basketball, and Tennessee won the women's basketball, SEC. Yeah. It's only two times it's been done. course, the women's tournament hadn't been around as long as the men's have. so Right, yeah. but that's That's still a pretty good feed. Still a pretty good run, though. Yeah.
00:34:28
Speaker
Still a pretty good run. ah So, well...
00:34:33
Speaker
Where do you think everything goes from here? Let's let's kind of turn, ten we got a few minutes left here. Let's turn our attention maybe to Big Ten talk. what do you see Where do you see the Big Ten? Are we going to continue this type of of ah of comeuppance and dominance? i hate Actually, I hate to call it dominance. I shouldn't call it dominance. But, um you know, this recently, we've won three of the last the last three ah football national championships. Yes. Well, the NIL has helped level the field. I mean, ah you know, like it or not, you know what the old SEC commissioner in the SEC ways, and I'm not saying, oh you know, some teams around here are, you know, I'm not naive enough to know that other teams, you know, are above board all the time, but the SEC had a patent on it of, you
00:35:31
Speaker
you know, money handshakes and and stuff. And and and that's, to you know, really why they were dominant and in a for years. I mean, if it was LSU, with Alabama, Georgia, and not saying that ah other teams didn't do it, SEC just did it better. Yeah.
00:35:49
Speaker
And way better. Oh, yeah. And a lot more. um But now there's really not the so-called blue but bloods out there anymore because of the NILs kind of made it a a level playing field, at least at least for the power conferences. Now, right it's really hurting the mid-majors as they're now a stepping stone.
00:36:09
Speaker
But, yeah, i I don't see any reason why the Big Ten, a you know, can't keep it up. Again, it's going to be, you know, retention first, you know, and ah and then, you know you know, recruiting, obviously. you know,
00:36:31
Speaker
I saw, you know, like Blackwell is already going in the portal. Yeah, he's already in the portal. And, know, he's asking $5 million. Well, you know, you can just go find that. I wouldn't pay that. I wouldn't pay that. You know, would think it would create jealousy in your locker room.
00:36:48
Speaker
Paying a guy like like that, I'm not saying other players aren't getting that or close to it. But I think, at least in Illinois' case, I think it's probably – you know, pretty close across the board. um Well, and and, you know, and i like you say, I think maybe if you bring a player in like that, and it doesn't have to Black, anybody, and you're going to pay them two or three times as much as your top guy that you're that's on your team, you're going to... come You know that's going to send that's going to send some a resentment.
00:37:20
Speaker
And I think it's the one thing some a lot of these teams. I think it's one thing that actually made Michigan really good. I don't think any one of them are really getting any superstar five million dollar contracts. I could be wrong, um but they seem to generally like playing together.
00:37:37
Speaker
Yeah. Illinois, the same thing. I mean, Arizona, the same thing. Well, first all, this NIL, the way it's currently, it's not going to be sustainable for or three more years. You can't sustain Trump signed that thing, executive order, trying to get it five years.
00:37:56
Speaker
to play Right. Which it should be.
00:38:05
Speaker
but it also would take away a medical red shirt but you would have five years of eligibility in a one-time transfer. Now, how that plays out, whether it's... Yeah, but yeah i don't i don't i don't I don't see them going that extreme.
00:38:22
Speaker
um I can see them going to the five the the five to play four, but allowing like the one medical redshirt for catastrophic injury or something like that.
00:38:34
Speaker
um so And I don't see them limiting to just one transfer. But what I do see... I think if you transfer a second time, it's going to be have to sit out. Yeah. Somehow that's going to happen. If you transfer the second time, you get one free transfer. After that, you get you have to sit out.
00:38:49
Speaker
There's no two ways of about it. Well, there's going to be, looking up i was looking up some key key dates. So the the the portal opens yesterday. Right. And then it closes the 21st. Yeah, it only it's a short window. and it's ah It's a two-week. At least they waited until after the tournament this Right.
00:39:06
Speaker
Then April 26th, five days after the portal closes, is the early entry deadline for the NBA draft. May 10th to 17th is the NBA draft combine Chicago.
00:39:17
Speaker
And then May 28th, boy, that's still a month and a half. I mean, you're still talking a month and a half of things. But May 28th, deadline to withdraw from the and NBA draft to maintain college eligibility. Right.
00:39:28
Speaker
Boy, how you can you recruit and all that stuff? I don't i don't know. Well, and and I think that's what's driven a couple coaches away from the game, both on both football, basketball.
00:39:39
Speaker
um you know But but here here's an example I saw. so the the yeah Cam McCormick. Okay. Okay. So he was – I read this and I knew – about this guy, but I didn't know quite all the details, but he was a football player who started his career at Oregon in 2016 and finished at Miami in 2024.
00:40:05
Speaker
He, so he missed parts of four seasons due to an injury plus a blanket COVID waiver, right but it gave him an unprecedented ninth year of eligibility. well you joe And that's ah that's another thing that's messed this up over the last years is that COVID year eligibility that was granted in 2021. It has, but we should be getting past that now. We should. I think all of the COVID guys should be gone by now.
00:40:29
Speaker
I think they should be all finally out of the system by now. um
Illinois Basketball Future Outlook
00:40:33
Speaker
But I think you're 100% right. I think it does. it does ah hinge on retention. um I know, and and in speaking from a local standpoint here of Illinois, you know, we've got, look they've got five guys right there on that team ah besides Wagler who could go and play for anybody else right now.
00:41:00
Speaker
I counted 16
00:41:04
Speaker
that could currently be on the roster. Without anything happening, that's no transfers in. That's nobody dropping out, nobody ah going to the NBA, anything like that.
00:41:16
Speaker
That's losing the three seniors and the four recruits we've got coming in, plus Tony Billick. Yeah, and then you got Brandon Lee, and there was a there was a guy that I had kind of forgot about. him He was corner kind of a walk-on, and they did go from 13 to 15. Yes, you're allowed 15. Yeah, so when I said 16, it was a guy named... Yep, you're close. I can't think, I can't know how pronounce his name, but... But anyway, so so there's 16 now, so you you take that guy...
00:41:52
Speaker
Out. Yeah, here he is. Blake. Fahimi? Yeah, Fahimi. Fahimi, I guess, is the best way to put So, he was kind of the walk-on sort of that would be.
00:42:03
Speaker
So, you got, you know, 16 there, and then you got Jaxas. who had the blood clot. Then you got okay yeah the tall tall guy. Yeah, Jackson. Well, could you've got what well what you've got what you've got, at least for now, that's staying, and we'll we'll include Wagler, although i think there's the I think he's gone. Sure.
00:42:24
Speaker
But you've got Wagler, Stjokovic, Mirkovich, the Ivacic brothers, ah Petrovic, Lee,
00:42:37
Speaker
Billick, Davis, Jaxus, and Ty Rogers. Yep, and then the four freshmen. And then four freshmen come in, which the Quentin Coleman coleman be a starter surprised the living shit out of me. I didn't think they had a shot at him.
00:42:56
Speaker
But I i think and and I wonder if he's thinking or if we just haven't been told yet, which, like I said, it's it's almost a foregone conclusion that Wagler is going to go pro. I mean, I suppose he would i mean i can't yeah I can't see him.
00:43:13
Speaker
I mean, right now, that he's there. The last projection I saw, he's a top five. Yeah, they've had him anywhere, you know, that like you say, five. he's He's kind of been in that six, seven, eight all year long.
00:43:27
Speaker
um And I've heard rumors that Illinois had offered him three mil a while back writing to maybe stay.
00:43:38
Speaker
um I don't know. You're 18. I don't know. you have more fun making three mil for a second year in college with your buddies or you go to the NBA and hang out with a bunch of 30 year olds to go their own way and you're carrying their bags and getting their donuts for breakfast and, you know, but making more guaranteed money rare reward guaranteed money. Well, and you know, even though it's a guaranteed, guaranteed contract, or I guess they call it a two way contract. I'm not sure how they do it. Yeah. You, know,
00:44:10
Speaker
It's still, to me, at his at at the age of 18, it's still a crapshoot to me because you've got many of these older players in a league, but flip the other side, and you've got a Will Riley, who is... le on a horrible Washington. But is is thriving on that horrible Washington team. And he kind of had the same build as Wogler. Same frame. frame but um and I go to kind of a bigger guy a number of years ago, Myers Leonard.
00:44:43
Speaker
Left in his sophomore year, everybody thought, you're going to get eat up. He... He played well. He made a living out of He made a living out of it. So it's not like it can't be done at that young age. No, i mean no he could do it. and But he's level-headed and and got great support system, you know great parents and everything. And it's it's just you know what you like. I mean, yeah near you're young. And you know if that was in front of us, what decision would we make? Oh, man. I'd hate to have been given that choice when I was 18.
00:45:14
Speaker
I know which way I probably would have gone, and I know where ended up.
00:45:19
Speaker
I think yours was either to leave the team or to sit at the end of the bench without a chair. yeah yeah But no, um you know good good luck to him, whatever he does. I mean, ah if you had him for one year, it sure was a a fun year. But that's what you kind of hate about all this is is you know you only get to see him for one year. The old days, you got to see him go from a freshman to sophomore to junior to senior. The coaches stayed. and And, yeah you know, everybody stayed yeah four years. Yeah, you didn't have the poaching. And this is what's going on right now to me is is poaching.
00:45:52
Speaker
Because you always wonder when, you know, the post-game handshake and everything, going up and down the line, you see the coaches lean over and they'll talk to that one player. What's he say on that player? Hey, next year we could use you on this uniform. You'd look good in the maize and blue over here, you know, or the orange and blue or cream and white or whatever, know. Absolutely.
00:46:15
Speaker
yeah You wonder if that kind of stuff goes on. you know And we've heard about it going on. And, you know, in these days with agents, you know, they don't have any scruples at all.
00:46:26
Speaker
of telling the kid, hey, do you really want to play at Illinois when um Michigan is going to keep this role going? And I can get you into Michigan. You know? Well, there's all that. I don't think there's there's not any rules when it comes to the agents and the no poaching and the dirty backroom deals. Dirty tactics and the backroom deals. and You know, but –
00:46:50
Speaker
I guess the one thing, and I saw somebody make this post the other day, you know, the and i with the whole NIL complaining about it. And I think it was because Blackwell reported one in five million.
00:47:03
Speaker
And the guy said, you know, it's getting to the point. I gave watch gave up watching the NBA because of spoiled overpaid brats. He says, I don't want college basketball to go down the same route. And if they don't do something quick, they're going to end up in that same route. Yeah, it's it's it's it's getting away from them. I mean, there's still good basketball out there. but oh And there's still some team loyalty. I'll tell you this, I thought Jake Davis would have been gone.
00:47:31
Speaker
Before this year. I thought he would have transferred he's got to be happy with this year. Oh, he's got to be. He got a lot of playing time, and he knew his role, and he understood it. And I think he might embrace that again next year. He won't.
00:47:43
Speaker
start, but he'll go back and to maybe that first guy off the bench. Sixth man. There's nothing wrong with that. Which he did the sixth man the year before. Hummerkauce was the starter, and Jake Davis this year, they kind of reversed the roles. yeah um you know And one thing I think I saw an interview with ah Brad Underwood, and he said, you know Jake Davis is the glue to this team.
00:48:04
Speaker
He's the one that keeps this team together, who keeps this team focused. um you know Next year, and you had Ty Rogers on the bench doing the same thing from the bench. yeah yeah Next year, those two together. um Yeah, I think there's a that's a place for Ty. I would really like to see him stay. I mean, he's really kept up you know his loyalty so far. and it And if he did go somewhere, I'd you know congratulate him and go. But he's he's really been the ultimate a team player, and it's too bad that you know he's well you know hurt two years in a row. and But he to me, he could fill Boswell's place pretty good. I think he's a better defender. He's taller. He's had two years to work on his shooting. Right. And whether he – I don't think start. That's how they did. But he he would –
00:48:50
Speaker
a lockdown defender at the very least. And he is the guy that like even Davis gets you those loose balls. Uh, well, the big boys are, are battling. He he's getting the extra. umb Yeah. Grabbing, grabbing the garbage bounds as we used to call them. Um, and, and, and I'll tell you what, I think, I think, like i said, we, we know pretty much that Walker is going to go.
00:49:14
Speaker
i think if anybody else goes, well, anybody goes to the transfer report, it's going to Petrovic to me. I mean, he started out, they gave them man he started the first game, I think. Or the first couple games. Yeah, he was supposed to be the guy. But, I mean, he didn't get in until like a day before classes started. I mean, and he had the the visa problems. Right. And then he got hurt two different times. Yeah.
00:49:34
Speaker
And had a little language barrier. And, I mean, he had a really difficult adjustment. Yeah. And and with the with the with the freshmen that are coming in and the way the other the other guys have performed, um you know, I think he – and you got – like said, we got Ty coming back. Then there's this ah Tony Billick. We don't know what can do. They say pretty good at 6'8". Yeah, you look at his stats from the European League and there's not much there.
00:50:01
Speaker
ah
Closing Remarks and Promotions
00:50:02
Speaker
But um Underwood calls him a a a high IQ player with a tremendous upside. And he's 215, I think, something like that.
00:50:18
Speaker
um and He'll get a full year under Fletch. Yeah, he gets another year. Because he only came in mid-year, which is why he didn't start or didn't play. yeah And i you know I don't... Some of the other guys, i don't know if they'd go back to the European Pro League or not. i The one that might would be Z. I think Big Z might. Yeah, and I think those European guys really take their...
00:50:41
Speaker
education and studies serious. They could. whether theyre here yeah um So I think they get a lot of value out of that. Yeah,
00:50:50
Speaker
yeah I mean, you can't teach height. I mean, they they could go the NBA round, I mean, and they're not going to be first rounders. Tommy could really use another year. He got better than last year. I'd like to see him again, use him more down on the block. and you know he could Get away from that outside shot.
00:51:07
Speaker
he good Yeah, he could, you know, I mean. I mean, I'm not i'm not against him going out and popping it once in a while. yeah you know But he he seemed to what he seemed to kind of embrace it too much sometimes. Yeah. I think the early ones to Lee would be Petrovic. Maybe that Jackness. don't Maybe he gets it another year since he got hurt. You don't know. I mean, I haven't seen him really play, so you don't you don't know. And then maybe Lee. I don't know there either because he's really got, you know, with these four high school guys coming in. But Dre would be the tough one.
00:51:40
Speaker
I mean, he's three different schools in three years, yeah but he really enjoyed this year with Illinois, obviously the best. I think if – and here's what my feeling. if I think if Dre stays – I think Tommy stays, and I think Merkiewicz stays.
00:51:59
Speaker
I think if Dre leaves, the other two, 50-50 shot. Yeah. Yeah, and I don't know. i mean, I think his dad may have been a little disappointed when he didn't come back and start after his injury.
00:52:11
Speaker
But he played well as that sixth man off the bat. Well, did, and it really helped Illinois. Right. Because when Wogler either – and he didn't really get in foul trouble much, but if he got, you know – tired or taken out or, or, you know, Boswell, you know, we needed somebody in there for, you know, he kept you away from scoring slumps for the most part. And, and, and so I, he found his role and it helped him and Illinois coming off the bench there. think he would be obviously a starting role next year. Oh yeah. I think so too. I think. And, and, and, you know, you get, you know, those four back Merkiewicz and the twins and,
00:52:52
Speaker
and Dre, and then you – well, then Davis, but again, we have him coming off the bench. But, you know, that's that's a good start. Yeah, and like said, Coleman. and Then there's this other kid um from – You got one from Missouri, one from Iowa. One from Rolla is what I'm thinking of. of Yeah.
00:53:12
Speaker
They say he's – They say he's kind of like Waggler in the sense that he loves to drive the inside
00:53:22
Speaker
and you know just kind of thrives on that dribble drive, but can still shoot.
00:53:31
Speaker
one the the the one the ones fourar The other four-star we got, he's got a lot ehan brown methan brown's one of... Yeah, Brown from Rolla. But the other one, the four-star we got, there the other four-star we got...
00:53:43
Speaker
He's got some great stats until you look at his three-point shooting. 23%. And he's a point guard. well, a combo guard. It would fit right in with us. Well, that would fit right in. Some of those games. Some of those games, yeah. So, hey, Gary, this has been just super fun these last four weeks. And, like I said, you and are going have to do this on my show during the summer and do some baseball. Yeah.
00:54:11
Speaker
after I get over a couple of things here. And like again, I'll i'll go into more of that on another date. I don't want to do it tonight. I don't want to dampen too much of a mood. um But, you know, hey, it's been a lot of fun. I really appreciate it. We're going to get you back on. Maybe get you back on sometime with me and Russ. and Yeah, well, i I appreciate Russ letting me take his place and sit in his chair for a few weeks. I've had a lot of fun with it.
00:54:35
Speaker
And it's always fun to Talk sports and see you and just um let all the folks out there know how much little we do know. Yeah, and like I said, this has also been kind of a new one for me because Gary was wanting to do this, as as I call it, in studio. ah You know, Russ and I, since he lives in Missouri and I live here, we do it all via Zoom and whatnot. But it's been a lot of fun having somebody right across the table from me here. that we can deal with. And, uh, this has been a lot of fun. And, uh, uh, so then I wanted to let let you guys remember you guys that this is a fine, fine, proud part of the gateway sports network. And at gateway sports, you can find a lot of articles and podcasts. I just finished one for gateway on, uh, uh, Lou Holtz. If you want to go check that out. Um, you can also check out other podcasts like the two for three with the mighty moose, Mike Stevenson. You can check out the team of rivals with, uh,
00:55:30
Speaker
yeah Ron Nuttall, Elliot Dewey, and Pete Geddes. You can also check out Ron and his partner, Chris Hambleton, as they do At the Park, all about city soccer. And then there is my other show, Talking Sports with Uncle Don. And, of course, there is the ultimate...
00:55:47
Speaker
The ultimate in fun. The stupidest sports show on earth with Rodney Capell and Tim Van Stratton. And of course, the piece de resistance is the Derrick King show with the one and only Derrick King. Check it all out at Gatewaysports.net.
00:56:04
Speaker
You can also check me out at the line our champagne room. It's champagne the way it's spelled in the city, not the drink. You go with the you go a champagne room, the drink you're going to find yourself in a really weird spot.
00:56:18
Speaker
um Check it out there. We do a lot of articles there. I've got a couple articles coming out um on the Final Four and what it means for Illinois going forward. So check that out, Champagneroom.com. And so for my partner, Gary Cromwell, this is Don Glenn.
00:56:32
Speaker
We want you to have fun, stay safe, and we'll talk to you again when we're talking the NCAA Report with Don and Russ. Good night, everybody.