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Basketball Transfer Update, Deion Trippin', and NCAA Tournament Expansion · Talkin' Tech

0:39
SPEAKER_01: Welcome in everybody to the Talk and Tech Podcast Powered by the Nation, part of the Nation Podcast Network.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Steven Rodriguez, my co-host Tristan McGonagall.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: Tristan, we're back, baby.
0:49
SPEAKER_04: We are so back, man.
0:51
SPEAKER_04: It's been a while.
0:52
SPEAKER_04: I apologize to the treasure listeners.
0:54
SPEAKER_04: See, the thing is, is um Texas Tech sports haven't exactly given us a whole lot to get excited about getting to the mic over.
1:06
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I'm gonna use that as the excuse.
1:09
SPEAKER_04: Not that we've had repeated technical issues and scheduling problems to record a podcast lately.
1:14
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna say it's because Texas Tech hasn't earned us because we're we're very valuable.
1:19
SPEAKER_04: You know, what we have to say is important, and we get paid a lot of money to do this.
1:25
SPEAKER_04: So when we have to do it, it's it's gotta be when it matters, you know?
1:29
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely agree 100.
1:31
SPEAKER_01: It's totally not on us.
1:32
SPEAKER_01: It's been just outside issues, and it's not because we're lazy or tied up with our regular everyday lives.
1:40
SPEAKER_01: Um, to the people, we want to apologize.
1:43
SPEAKER_01: It's been a hot minute, it's been like a month and a half, probably, since we put out a pod, uh, probably since Texas Tech basketball got knocked out of the NCAA tournament.
1:50
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
1:51
SPEAKER_01: But we're here, okay.
1:53
SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna promise that we're gonna be doing weekly stuff yet, but we do have stuff in the works.
1:59
SPEAKER_01: We do have a bunch of ideas that we want to put out here this summer on good content for all of you people to take in as you know, the sports are kind of minimal at this point.
2:10
SPEAKER_01: We all know the summer months are a lull in the sports universe, so just know that we got some good stuff coming and we want to bring it to you, the people.
2:19
SPEAKER_04: Steven, you you I've I've told you this over and over again that I thrive in the offseason.
2:23
SPEAKER_04: You do whenever there's nothing to talk about, I'm there.
2:26
SPEAKER_01: When when we're talking hypotheticals and conference realignment, you are in your element.
2:32
SPEAKER_04: Bro, I'm I'm in my bag, as the kids say, when we're talking about things that aren't actually happening.
2:36
SPEAKER_04: That's where I'm at.
2:38
SPEAKER_04: That's where I do the best.
2:40
SPEAKER_04: Not not the spreadsheets, not the numbers.
2:42
SPEAKER_04: Tell me, tell me, like, what if what if football went away tomorrow?
2:46
SPEAKER_04: We had to switch to turtle racing.
2:47
SPEAKER_04: I'm like, oh, okay, well, it's like, well, let's talk about advantage.
2:50
SPEAKER_04: Let's let's let's let's discuss the advantages Texas Tech would have in this hypothetical.
2:54
SPEAKER_04: Are we talking turtles or tortoises?
2:56
SPEAKER_04: Uh two different conversations and land or sea, we're in exactly.
3:00
SPEAKER_04: Um, so yeah, I'm with you, man.
3:03
SPEAKER_04: I'm excited about that.
3:04
SPEAKER_04: And obviously, we gotta we gotta help each other get through the dog days.
3:07
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, but we do have a good episode for you guys today.
3:10
SPEAKER_01: We are talking a lot of Texas Tech Hoops transfer portal because that has been you know the majority of what's going on.
3:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh that is good for Texas Tech.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, talking some, you know, the guys that we lost where they may have committed to, um, some ads and then some targets for us that could come, I don't know, maybe in the next week or two.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: Who knows?
3:29
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we're also gonna talk a little bit of hypothetical, so a little bit for Tristan here.
3:34
SPEAKER_01: Uh talking about the guys over at Colorado, the Deion Sanders, the wonderful Colorado let's root for him.
3:42
SPEAKER_01: Has that already died?
3:43
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna talk a little bit of that.
3:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we're gonna talk a little bit about Brett Yormark's comments about the NCAA tournament.
3:49
SPEAKER_01: But let's start with the hoops, let's start with the transfer portal.
3:53
SPEAKER_04: So, Steven, um, to kick this off, should we talk about the guys that are bailing out or the guys that are sticking around?
3:58
SPEAKER_04: Where do you want to begin?
3:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh, let's uh let's go ahead and just give the people uh on on the guys that were on last year's team and are not going to be Red Raiders, maybe where they've landed, everything like that.
4:09
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about them first before we talk about additions.
4:11
SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, I I think you have to open up with the obvious one with how selfish these two gentlemen are with Joe Tucson in Washington.
4:19
SPEAKER_04: I mean, what is y'all's problem?
4:21
SPEAKER_04: Okay, like running out of eligibility, okay.
4:24
SPEAKER_04: Sounds lazy to me, dude.
4:26
SPEAKER_04: Oh, you buy your degree and you're gonna move on into a real into real life, maybe a little post-grad professional basketball.
4:33
SPEAKER_04: Okay, sell out.
4:34
SPEAKER_04: Why aren't you sticking around and and helping tech hoops win a natty?
4:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, real real grinders of the game would challenge the NCAA on getting an extra year of eligibility when they have no sort of basis on that argument.
4:49
SPEAKER_01: No, you're right, you're right.
4:51
SPEAKER_01: And obviously, this is a joke.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: Joe Tucson, Warren Washington, out of eligibility, not gonna be Red Raiders next year.
4:57
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we are very uh thankful and happy they were Red Raiders for their one year, but yeah, it's it's it's not gonna be fun seeing those guys leave.
5:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, exactly.
5:06
SPEAKER_04: But uh whenever we're talking about like this the serious stuff here about the guys transferring out, um, so the portal has taken probably our most popular player in Pop Isaacs going to Creighton.
5:20
SPEAKER_04: So, not exactly a step down by any means when it comes to basketball programs, definitely uh maintaining that high level of play.
5:29
SPEAKER_04: Um, because obviously he's the guy that we're gonna be talking about the most here.
5:32
SPEAKER_04: Um, initial thoughts about Pop Isaacs, A, leaving Texas Tech and B going to Creighton.
5:38
SPEAKER_01: Well, from everything that has been rumored, and everything from some of the people that we've talked to about this whole situation is you know, Pop that situation was very similar to Jalen Tyson last year, where uh I think they had a conversation after the season ended.
5:56
SPEAKER_01: Grandma Castlin, the coaching staff, sat down with Pop, and I think that is the reason Pop Isaacs is no longer a red raider because something in that conversation uh was said, there was an agreement, maybe a mutual understanding, maybe it was not so much a mutual understanding, but basically I think this was Texas Tech's decision, more so than Pop Isaac's decision to not have him in a red raider uniform next year.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: And I don't want that to sound like you know, so homer that we're Texas Tech, we decide if we want guys back or not.
6:33
SPEAKER_01: You know, I think there was a part of this where Pop Isaacs was a uh all Big 12 what, second team, third team, whatever he was this year, he's still got a few years left of college basketball.
6:44
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you'd think there would be no reason for you not to want him to come back, but uh I think this was uh Texas majority Texas Tech's decision, uh, and an understanding between both parties that hey, maybe you should go test the waters.
7:01
SPEAKER_01: We don't really see a future here for you at Texas Tech.
7:05
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so can you explain why you think Grant McCasslin would feel that way about Isaacs?
7:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure the off-court stuff didn't help.
7:14
SPEAKER_01: No, absolutely not.
7:15
SPEAKER_01: Um you know, I'm sure that was part of the reason.
7:18
SPEAKER_01: I don't I don't want to say that was the whole reason because that because that has since you know been kind of solved and all charges have been dropped towards Bop Isaacs, and nothing more will come from that uh legal action that was taken against him.
7:32
SPEAKER_01: But it was a big distraction throughout the entire season.
7:35
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, it was involving a teammate that eventually left the team.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, it just it it really put a wretch into things and not something you want to deal with as the head coach, uh, no matter you know how good or bad Pop Isaac was that year.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: You just don't want to deal with those outside things.
7:54
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and yeah, I I know we obviously kind of defended Pop Isaac saying that you know you're innocent till proven guilty, and that's defending him in that way, not not just like from the action standpoint.
8:05
SPEAKER_04: But at the same time, and I really don't want this to sound all sunshine and roses.
8:11
SPEAKER_04: Uh it's uh, you know, uh but pop Isaac's probably doesn't really fit, especially with the actions that occurred, he probably doesn't really fit the mold of what uh a Grant McCastlin wants to have a player.
8:23
SPEAKER_04: Um by all accounts, Grant McCastling, he really seems like a very religious, very morally upstanding guy.
8:30
SPEAKER_04: And obviously, a lot of those actions didn't really reflect what Grant probably wants the program to look like because it kind of brought a bad veneer to Texas Tech.
8:41
SPEAKER_04: It felt a little, it kind of added a bit of a slimy touch to the program.
8:46
SPEAKER_04: Whenever it's just that's probably not how Grandma Castle wants to do it at all.
8:48
SPEAKER_04: He probably wants a pristine ship by the way he lives his life and the way he preaches um um his actions.
8:54
SPEAKER_04: So I'm I'm not saying here trying to bash a kid for making a mistake, you know, he's a college kid.
9:00
SPEAKER_04: Um, but it's at the same time, I think I'm with you.
9:03
SPEAKER_04: I feel like that was probably a a huge portion of what went wrong.
9:06
SPEAKER_04: And it's hard not to think about how every time we went to an away court, it seemed that a lot of the jeers were focused around people, you know, giving Pop a hard time about that, about uh both online and in person, about how uh, you know, they're saying some probably a little embellished about his behavior, but still bad nevertheless.
9:30
SPEAKER_04: And it's just as a tech fan, it's not like you sit there and go, no, no, no, but like, but it's because he did do what he did, and it's just kind of hard to ignore it.
9:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, that's definitely a piece of this that was hard to ignore, and probably a little bit, at least a little bit of the reason that the two parties have since parted ways.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: Uh, there's also a part of this on the court where Pop Isaacs was very, very inconsistent last year.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Um, it was put out there after the season ended that he was dealing with a hip injury all year.
10:01
SPEAKER_01: Um, he had to get it surgically repaired and kind of shaved down, uh, and he's in recovery this offseason.
10:08
SPEAKER_01: So that's a part of it too.
10:10
SPEAKER_01: But uh the inconsistency was very noticeable with Pop Isaacs, uh, especially towards the latter half of the season where uh there were games where he just was a negative for you.
10:20
SPEAKER_01: He he's there to shoot, he's there to get you buckets, and he could not do that at times.
10:25
SPEAKER_01: He was uh, you know, a low 30s percent three-point shooter, um, and was just inconsistent.
10:32
SPEAKER_01: Every time he drove to the basket, he was you know almost looking for a foul versus getting the bucket itself could have something to do with the injury.
10:38
SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying it's not that has nothing to do with the situation, but um yeah, I just think his inconsistency did not help.
10:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that that's that's a that's a really good point.
10:50
SPEAKER_04: Um, it's it's kind of funny.
10:52
SPEAKER_04: I feel like I would have been really sad to see Pop Isaacs go because in many ways he felt like the leader on the team, you know, he's kind of your star.
10:58
SPEAKER_04: Um, but I'm I'm okay with it.
11:01
SPEAKER_04: Like I feel like the the the the shuffle is kind of a good feeling right now, and mixing it up and and seeing who else is out there to provide for the double T.
11:10
SPEAKER_04: And I just I think like Pop's time has kind of ran out.
11:13
SPEAKER_04: I guess everyone feels the same way, and he's off to a really great program.
11:17
SPEAKER_04: And and I'm sure I'm sure he's he's really excited about that Omaha zoo, and because I've heard good things, and that's probably one of the biggest reasons why he hit it on over there.
11:26
SPEAKER_04: And yeah, but uh that's just obviously we're gonna spend the most time on him.
11:30
SPEAKER_04: Do you have any other final thoughts on saying to Mr.
11:33
SPEAKER_04: Isaacs before we pretty much never bring him up again?
11:36
SPEAKER_01: No, I would just double down on the Creighton thing.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that is a very good program.
11:39
SPEAKER_01: They were uh they had a really solid year this year.
11:41
SPEAKER_01: I think they were either elite eight or they were sweet 16.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh, Coach McDermott does a good job over there.
11:47
SPEAKER_01: They have Ryan Koch Renner returning, who was the defensive player of the year in the big East last year.
11:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, and yeah, I I don't even know if he's gonna start at Creighton, to be honest.
11:56
SPEAKER_01: Like, I think I think he should probably, but you never know.
12:00
SPEAKER_01: That's it's a good program.
12:01
SPEAKER_01: And honestly, if he's shows a little more consistency in his shooting, in his uh playmaking, if he improves in certain areas, I could absolutely see him being the starting point guard at Creighton next year.
12:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, I I mean I'm happy with the destination as a Texas Tech fan.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad he's out of the Big 12.
12:17
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
12:18
SPEAKER_01: We probably won't have to deal with him unless we somehow meet them in the in the you know postseason or whatever.
12:24
SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, I mean I I think that kind of that kind of ends off the pop isa's uh era at Texas Tech just fine.
12:32
SPEAKER_04: But no more Richard Isaacs.
12:35
SPEAKER_01: And that's okay.
12:37
SPEAKER_04: Are we still blocked?
12:38
SPEAKER_01: We're still blocked, uh, as are what we've found to be a lot of Texas Tech fans that are blocked from uh Mr.
12:46
SPEAKER_01: Isaacs.
12:46
SPEAKER_01: Uh obviously, you know, he's dealing with a lot of stuff, don't want to talk too bad about the guy.
12:51
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, hopefully hoping him the best in his recovery.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: But um, but yeah, you know, yeah, he he's obviously very animated on Twitter, and uh we've had the conversation about player's parents before.
13:03
SPEAKER_01: So uh I'm almost to the point where I'm like the less involved on social media the parent is, the more I like them.
13:10
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, dude, you know, especially especially on Twitter, man.
13:14
SPEAKER_04: Like that is not the spot, dude.
13:16
SPEAKER_04: I I I if you want to post pictures of your kids on Instagram and Facebook, awesome, be a normal parent, but do not get in the scuffle.
13:23
SPEAKER_04: All right, dude.
13:24
SPEAKER_04: Anyway, you're ready.
13:25
SPEAKER_04: Let's go ahead and move on.
13:25
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, the next one is what is a big WTF.
13:30
SPEAKER_04: What the heck's your problem, man?
13:31
SPEAKER_04: Because I feel like we gotta go to this next one next because I think this is gonna be get the most discussion as well with our boy Bob.
13:37
SPEAKER_04: What the hell is he doing going to Stillwater?
13:39
SPEAKER_04: Bob Jennings heading over to Stillwater, a rival basketball program that is still in the Big 12.
13:44
SPEAKER_04: What the heck is that about?
13:46
SPEAKER_01: Bob Jennings is an anomaly.
13:49
SPEAKER_01: I was I had no idea where he was gonna end up when he put his name in the transfer portal.
13:55
SPEAKER_01: First off, I was not surprised because I think that, you know, those postseason conversations between the staff and the player, I think this was very similar to the Pop Isaac situation where Greg McCassin was like, man, like your spot is not guaranteed next year.
14:10
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate everything you did for us.
14:11
SPEAKER_01: You played out of position basically your entire time at Texas Tech due to injuries and due to roster construction and everything like that.
14:20
SPEAKER_01: And he did it, you know, night in and night out.
14:23
SPEAKER_01: So Bob Jennings deserves a lot of credit for his time at Texas Tech because he was thrown into the fire in a lot of situations, um, and never seemed to complain.
14:32
SPEAKER_01: You know, he always just kind of gave it and and did what he needed to do, which was awesome.
14:37
SPEAKER_01: But so him leaving is not surprising.
14:40
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I think Graham McCastlin has big things.
14:43
SPEAKER_01: Um, all he's already gotten a few transfers in at that position.
14:47
SPEAKER_01: Um, he's looking to get a few more, hopefully, after this past weekend.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: Um, so really I think it was the the he wasn't assured uh either a starting role or a a large role necessarily on next year's team.
15:02
SPEAKER_01: And so that's why he ended up leaving.
15:03
SPEAKER_01: Uh, with him going to Oklahoma State, you know, um again, I didn't know where he was gonna go.
15:10
SPEAKER_01: I didn't know if he was gonna go down a level to go mid-major.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: I didn't know if he was gonna take maybe a backseat role at a larger school, which is what he seems to be doing with the Oklahoma State commitment, but he's a Dallas guy, he's from DeSor.
15:23
SPEAKER_01: Oklahoma State, Stillwater, is not too far from that area.
15:26
SPEAKER_01: I I imagine that had something to do with his decision.
15:29
SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's still a high level of basketball at Oklahoma State, despite their poor season, they're still in the Big 12.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: I mean, they're still getting that recognition.
15:39
SPEAKER_01: And if he's betting on himself to potentially take a starting role at that team, I do not blame him in the slightest.
15:46
SPEAKER_04: I was about to say, do you do you see him starting at Oklahoma State?
15:49
SPEAKER_01: Uh Oklahoma State is in a weird spot as a program because they just fired their coach, uh Mike Boyden, and they hired a new one who should be pretty good.
15:58
SPEAKER_01: I believe Steve Lutz is who they hired.
16:01
SPEAKER_01: Um, and they're in just a rebuild as a program.
16:04
SPEAKER_01: So I don't know.
16:05
SPEAKER_01: I could see Robert Jennings starting for uh the Oklahoma State Cowboys next year just due to his experience in the conference.
16:12
SPEAKER_01: That could be something that Oklahoma State really liked about him, is that he's played against players in this conference and knows it well.
16:19
SPEAKER_01: So I don't know, I could absolutely see it.
16:22
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, me, me, me too.
16:23
SPEAKER_04: Um, all right, anything else to say about Bob?
16:26
SPEAKER_01: No, I I wish Bob the best.
16:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm not normally that way with interconference transfers.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: I think it's uh, you know, it's it's kind of a slap in the face to a to a fan base, but obviously these guys need to think about themselves first and foremost.
16:38
SPEAKER_01: I'd be much more upset if he ended up at UT or he ended up at AM or whatever.
16:43
SPEAKER_01: Um Oklahoma State, you know, whatever.
16:46
SPEAKER_04: Oh, or TCU or a Baylor.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
16:50
SPEAKER_04: Um, all right, man.
16:52
SPEAKER_04: Uh so though, though that probably marks off the two that are gonna get the most like heat out of it.
16:56
SPEAKER_04: I mean, not really so much with Bob because it's just just the interconference never feels good.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: It's also it's also with Bob, he's such a good kid, and and nobody has anything bad to say about Bob Jennings.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: So I, you know, I don't think he's doing it to spite tech or do anything like that.
17:10
SPEAKER_01: I think he's just looking for his best uh best course forward.
17:14
SPEAKER_04: Um this one's this one's sad to me because I always very much appreciated the president Washington memes.
17:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I am I'm sad uh about losing some more Washington memes.
17:27
SPEAKER_04: Uh heading following the assistant coach to Pacific.
17:30
SPEAKER_04: Uh it's never it never feels good to lose a player to an ocean.
17:35
SPEAKER_04: Um but unfortunately that's the uh the reality we live in in this transfer portal era that uh even schools like Texas Tech lose guys to uh large bodies of water, the largest in the world, actually.
17:46
SPEAKER_04: So um, how do we feel about that?
17:50
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think it had something to do with it, it being the largest body of water in the world.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: It's enticing, dude.
17:55
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of stuff going on, a lot of good beaches over there.
17:58
SPEAKER_01: No, it sucks to lose a guy like Lamar because again, he's one of those guys that just grinds, and every time he's on the floor, he's trying to he's going to impact the game in a positive way.
18:08
SPEAKER_01: He's just not necessarily at the skill level that you want other guys to be in the Big 12.
18:14
SPEAKER_01: And it was a mutual thing.
18:16
SPEAKER_01: Like, like you mentioned, Dave Smart, who was our lead assistant this year, took the head coaching job at Pacific, and Lamar followed him.
18:24
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's great because Lamar's gonna have a bigger role there at a lower level of competition, he's gonna have that familiarity with Dave Smart there.
18:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, honestly, uh, of these two guys, Dave Smart is kind of the bigger loss, and that's not a slight to Lamar by any means.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: Dave Smart is just a heck of a basketball mind that you're losing, and that's another part that we're gonna have to find a replacement for.
18:45
SPEAKER_01: But um, you know, in terms of losing Lamar, it's uh it's sad because he's a good kid and uh he does a lot of things to help you win, but um, you know, he definitely did not have a uh a role per se uh that was gonna be very large at Texas Tech next year.
19:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we haven't talked about that in a while.
19:06
SPEAKER_04: Uh, do we have any idea of what's gonna happen in that assistant position?
19:10
SPEAKER_01: No, I don't think I I don't think that's very high priority right now.
19:13
SPEAKER_01: I think they're really they're really um you know putting all their eggs into the transfer portal right now and getting a roster built before they uh look into I I it's not like I don't think they've inquired to certain people about uh the assistant coaching position, but that can be something that you kind of put on the back burner while you're trying to get guys and your roster fell down.
19:34
SPEAKER_04: All right, so next, let's let's keep it rolling.
19:36
SPEAKER_04: So Demarion, high point, Steven.
19:39
SPEAKER_04: Where's high point?
19:40
SPEAKER_01: High point's in North Carolina.
19:42
SPEAKER_01: Uh the Texas Tech to High Point connection thrives because head coach Tubby Smith, after his stint in Memphis, ended up coaching at high point for a few years before he retired.
19:53
SPEAKER_01: But uh no, I mean Demarian Williams was one of the most disappointing transfers of all time at Texas Tech.
20:00
SPEAKER_01: It's there's no secret of all time.
20:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, the guy was brought in, granted, and you'll see a theme with all of these guys that have left the program, they're all Mark Adams recruits at some point or another.
20:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, who is that?
20:16
SPEAKER_01: DeMarian Williams he didn't do a damn thing at Texas Tech.
20:20
SPEAKER_01: Like, what do you want me to say?
20:21
SPEAKER_01: He he played minimal, if at all.
20:24
SPEAKER_01: Um, he was expected to at least be a contributor at some point, and both years he was at Texas Tech, he didn't do anything.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's nothing to say other than he belongs in a lower level of competition.
20:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, again, I don't really know him as a person.
20:41
SPEAKER_01: We've heard certain things about how he didn't really mesh with the coaching staff, but of course, that's gonna come out because the guy didn't play at all, so I could absolutely see him being upset with his role at Texas Tech, but no, it's just I this means nothing to me.
20:56
SPEAKER_03: How high of a point is it, though?
20:59
SPEAKER_03: That's I was I was listening to a word you said.
21:01
SPEAKER_01: I was just you're just wondering how high the point is over at High Point University?
21:06
SPEAKER_01: I don't know, man.
21:07
SPEAKER_01: I it may be in the mountains.
21:09
SPEAKER_04: Do you think it's a pretty like evaluation-wise?
21:11
SPEAKER_04: Do you think it's pretty up there?
21:13
SPEAKER_01: High Point, North Carolina City in North Carolina.
21:18
SPEAKER_01: It's a city, yeah.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: It's a city.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: High point, high point is a city in North Carolina, okay, okay, where the university is.
21:24
SPEAKER_01: Uh population 115,000 people.
21:28
SPEAKER_04: Oh, it's pretty big.
21:29
SPEAKER_01: Elevation 866 feet.
21:32
SPEAKER_04: So that's less than Lubbock.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: That's not that high.
21:35
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: I didn't know.
21:37
SPEAKER_04: Lubbock's like a mile up.
21:38
SPEAKER_04: Lubbock's really freaking high.
21:40
SPEAKER_04: Yes.
21:41
SPEAKER_04: Look up Lubbock right now.
21:44
SPEAKER_04: Come on, Jamie.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Lubbock, Texas.
21:48
SPEAKER_01: This is great podcasting right here.
21:52
SPEAKER_01: Lubbock, Texas.
21:54
SPEAKER_01: Come on, give me an elevation.
21:56
SPEAKER_04: We're the highest in the big twelve.
21:58
SPEAKER_01: Wow, three thousand.
22:00
SPEAKER_04: 212 feet.
22:02
SPEAKER_01: Unreal.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: High point is is tripping to claim themselves high point.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: Get out.
22:09
SPEAKER_01: Lovick should be high point.
22:11
SPEAKER_04: We were the highest in the Big 12, I think, until uh we started adding these newbies.
22:15
SPEAKER_04: So until I BYU came in.
22:17
SPEAKER_04: Um all right.
22:18
SPEAKER_04: All right.
22:20
SPEAKER_01: Nothing literally, literally nothing to say about Demarian Williams.
22:25
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
22:25
SPEAKER_04: So now let's let's roll on.
22:28
SPEAKER_04: So the next one uh is the last one to of notable transfer to like um an actual uh destination, it seems so far.
22:35
SPEAKER_04: And that's gonna be Drew Steffi.
22:36
SPEAKER_04: Uh y'all know the whole drama behind that.
22:39
SPEAKER_04: You it's uh we probably should have followed him up with Pop Isaac's, but uh the lad is uh what's their mascot?
22:46
SPEAKER_04: Super unique, it's a breed of dog, right?
22:48
SPEAKER_04: Saluki.
22:50
SPEAKER_04: The Saluki's.
22:51
SPEAKER_01: What is a Saluki?
22:52
SPEAKER_04: The dog breed.
22:54
SPEAKER_01: But what kind of dog?
22:58
SPEAKER_04: Oh canine, Steven.
23:00
SPEAKER_01: It's one of those long boys.
23:01
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's a long boy.
23:02
SPEAKER_04: It's like a greyhound.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it looks like a greyhound.
23:05
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so yeah.
23:07
SPEAKER_04: It's a long boy.
23:09
SPEAKER_01: Why why why is that the mascot?
23:11
SPEAKER_04: That's awesome, bro.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's different, it's different, that's cool, but like, yeah, what why?
23:17
SPEAKER_04: You know, my my wife and I were talking about uh we were watching an Hoc, and that was like about Big Ben National Park.
23:23
SPEAKER_04: And I asked her, like, what would be a good mascot for Tech Seg if we weren't the Red Raiders?
23:27
SPEAKER_04: And she she and I both agree that the prairie dogs probably kind of would have ruled.
23:33
SPEAKER_01: I just think when you're that when when you're a top level of competition, you can't have a goofy mascot.
23:40
SPEAKER_04: What's wrong with prairie dogs?
23:41
SPEAKER_01: A prairie dog would be a goofy mascot, like, yes, it's culturally relevant, it makes sense for the city of Lubbock, but it's it's almost like the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: Like that kind of rules, it kind of rules, but it's also goofy, and you're not gonna be taking it.
23:55
SPEAKER_03: What about the Wisconsin Badgers?
23:57
SPEAKER_01: The Badgers are a vicious animal.
23:59
SPEAKER_01: Badgers will wreck your shit, dude.
24:02
SPEAKER_04: Prairie dogs are family guys, dude.
24:04
SPEAKER_04: All right, they they watch out for their squad, you know.
24:10
SPEAKER_01: There's no there's no intimidation factor with a prairie dog.
24:13
SPEAKER_04: Um what about the what about the Tex Tech Dillers?
24:16
SPEAKER_04: What the armadillas?
24:18
SPEAKER_01: Oh, the d okay.
24:19
SPEAKER_01: The armadillas would be kind of fun, but again, it's a little goofy.
24:23
SPEAKER_01: We don't need to have that.
24:25
SPEAKER_01: If you just have like if you just have an armadillo mascot running around the football field, like that kind of rocks.
24:30
SPEAKER_04: And it would be funny.
24:32
SPEAKER_04: If you have like a live mascot and have the guy like the the team like follows him out, he's like kind of trotting down the the the team follows out the armadillo, that would be a slow ass walkout into the stadium.
24:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, the guy's kind of gotta like briskly walk behind this running animal.
24:52
SPEAKER_01: So so Drew Steffi.
24:55
SPEAKER_04: So Drew Steffi, dude, I have zero qualms with this guy getting the hell out of uh Texas Tech.
25:01
SPEAKER_04: I think this guy more than anybody has a reason to get the F out and start over and start, and this is a at school with that long boy mascot, Southern Illinois.
25:14
SPEAKER_04: I feel like Drew Steffi could actually be a contributor.
25:17
SPEAKER_04: Uh, with with he was always gonna be more of a depth piece with us, it seemed.
25:21
SPEAKER_04: Um, so it's I feel like good for him, man, and good for him with for getting out of that nonsense.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: Look, his his his recruitment from the start was always sus because he was a Mark Adams recruit.
25:33
SPEAKER_01: And then obviously, everything that happened with Mark, he was during the coaching change.
25:37
SPEAKER_01: He's a three-star, four-star if you're looking on certain websites.
25:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't really think Graham McCassin wanted him in the first place, but I think it was in the process, so late in the game.
25:49
SPEAKER_01: And also, I mean, that kid, I just I wish him the best to get away from his parent.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: I mean, his dad is a nightmare to deal with.
25:57
SPEAKER_01: You talk about helicopter of all helicopter parents, um, that's him.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: So I I just I wish him the best.
26:04
SPEAKER_01: I don't really have anything bad to say about Drew Steffi.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: I I I do, you know, I'm not a big fan of his father, but um, you know, it is what it is.
26:13
SPEAKER_01: Go go kill it at Southern Illinois.
26:16
SPEAKER_04: We're probably not even saying that right, dude.
26:18
SPEAKER_04: I think it's a Saluki, but how else would you say it?
26:21
SPEAKER_04: I I I don't know, but I I feel like it's definitely gotta be some sort of like pronunciation weirdness, but sure.
26:28
SPEAKER_04: All right, the last one.
26:30
SPEAKER_04: Unless you're about to embarrass me.
26:32
SPEAKER_04: So the last one is is is is Lindsay.
26:36
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and but he hasn't found a landing spot, correct?
26:39
SPEAKER_01: He is not, he just recently took a visit to Murray State, I believe.
26:42
SPEAKER_04: Go Murray's, dude.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: Kyron, the racers, Murray State Racers, baby.
26:47
SPEAKER_01: They're not the Murrays, they're not the Murrays.
26:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, Kyron Lindsay, another one of those guys that quit on the team before the season ended, uh, was always frustrated.
26:55
SPEAKER_01: It's he Mr.
26:56
SPEAKER_04: Stan on the jerseys.
26:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he stood on the jersey.
27:00
SPEAKER_01: I didn't I didn't buy into all that shit.
27:02
SPEAKER_01: Like everybody got up all up in arms about him posting a picture standing on the jersey.
27:07
SPEAKER_01: It could have been something, uh, I guess, but guys also post crap like that all the time.
27:15
SPEAKER_01: Like they post like their shoes on the court.
27:18
SPEAKER_01: Like, I I honestly beat on the shirts.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I did not think that was like something to say F Texas tag, like especially because he played after that.
27:29
SPEAKER_01: He played a few games after that and played pretty well for us.
27:31
SPEAKER_01: It it did end up you know being a pretty bad relationship between McAslin and and Kyron Lindsay, but um, you know, there were plenty of stories about him just not trying hard enough, not really buying into the program, not buying into the culture, and that's why he's not there anymore.
27:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
27:49
SPEAKER_04: All right, man.
27:49
SPEAKER_04: Uh that wraps up the portal here.
27:51
SPEAKER_04: Uh, so obviously, significant loss, even I mean, lost six players in basketball.
27:56
SPEAKER_04: That's obviously a ton of kids.
27:57
SPEAKER_04: Um, but that's just the game now, and uh, it's all about a constant refresh.
28:01
SPEAKER_04: How good of a coach.
28:03
SPEAKER_04: I feel like the new um test of a coaching ability is how good are you at rebuilding rosters?
28:09
SPEAKER_04: You know, how good are you about at hitting the refresh button, more so than just are you just a really great developer and recruiter?
28:14
SPEAKER_04: Because now it's just so much more than that.
28:16
SPEAKER_04: You're more of a managing position, uh, more than ever, it seems.
28:20
SPEAKER_04: So um, but so I guess before we get into the newbies, the guys are coming back that are is uh appear to be McMillan, Walton, Cambridge, and Darion, huh?
28:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, those guys and Yalaho as well is one of those guys.
28:34
SPEAKER_04: So is he been confirmed?
28:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, oh yeah.
28:35
SPEAKER_01: All those guys are confirmed.
28:37
SPEAKER_01: The transfer portal has closed, right?
28:39
SPEAKER_01: You cannot put your name in the transfer portal as of May 1st.
28:42
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, Yalaho, Darien, Chance, Kerwin, Devin Cambridge, I believe, are the guys coming back.
28:48
SPEAKER_04: I know you are surprised with Walton coming back.
28:52
SPEAKER_01: I was a little surprised.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: I thought I thought Kerwin was gonna kind of at least test it.
28:56
SPEAKER_01: Um, I didn't know I but you know who knows what goes on behind closed doors with these guys.
29:01
SPEAKER_01: There was there was just rumors when the season ended that Kerwin could potentially get more NIL at another school because of you know his fantastic shooting percentages this year.
29:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh, he obviously was elite at the three-point line, but no, I mean I'm I'm glad he's back.
29:17
SPEAKER_01: I I hope he stays back.
29:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, I I don't know quite the rules from here on out.
29:22
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I guess you can still technically enter your name in the portal, but you're not uh it there's no like guarantee that you're gonna be playing next year.
29:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, but the NCA is a crapshoot at this point.
29:35
SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, yeah, the rule is technically you can't enter your name in the portal anymore, but you know, there's legal stuff going on right now.
29:43
SPEAKER_01: There's uh it's all it's a mess.
29:45
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, as of right now, Kerwin Walden's back.
29:48
SPEAKER_04: Um, so with with that, are whenever you look at these four, are there any well what's well look like what's your initial thoughts here with the remaining guys?
29:58
SPEAKER_04: Or the I mean, sorry, the remaining five.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: Well, Darion was your biggest returner, obviously.
30:05
SPEAKER_01: Uh, the season he had last year, the fact that he still has two years of eligibility remaining.
30:09
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was huge.
30:10
SPEAKER_01: He's he's obviously the guy you want to be the guy next year.
30:16
SPEAKER_01: I mean, he you're basing your entire roster around Darien Williams.
30:19
SPEAKER_01: So that was a huge, um, a huge guy to retain.
30:23
SPEAKER_01: Chance is a guy that I I I don't quite know what he's gonna be next year.
30:27
SPEAKER_01: You know, he could be a starter, he could be a similar role this year where he comes off the bench and still plays, you know, upwards of 30 minutes a game.
30:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, but he's a senior and he's gonna lead you.
30:38
SPEAKER_01: He's been to the NCAA tournament twice, two, three times now.
30:42
SPEAKER_01: So this is it, it's a good it's a good thing that we got him back.
30:46
SPEAKER_01: Yaloho, a young player that has a lot of eligibility left, could potentially develop into something, saw some minutes last year, so he has a little bit of experience.
30:54
SPEAKER_01: Um, Cambridge was another one that's a little up in the air because you don't know how he's gonna quite come back from that pretty devastating knee injury he suffered last year.
31:04
SPEAKER_01: So honestly, these guys are like it Darien Williams is your most important guy to get back, and you got him back.
31:12
SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
31:13
SPEAKER_04: So now, obviously, uh this this is where the exciting part comes in, and where all the the drama and chatter and gossips about, especially online, is is the additions.
31:24
SPEAKER_04: So, Steven, like with the um with the new additions, which one excites you the most immediately?
31:29
SPEAKER_04: Let's talk about him first, because it's probably gonna take the most time to talk about here.
31:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so of the five that are confirmed as of what's today, May 5th, um Elijah Hawkins should be the guy we talk about first because he's your starting point guard next year.
31:45
SPEAKER_01: He is uh he has one year of eligibility remaining, five foot eleven, 165 pounds, whatever he is.
31:52
SPEAKER_01: Um he averaged the second most assist per game in the country last year.
31:57
SPEAKER_04: That's crazy.
31:59
SPEAKER_01: He is an absolute true point guard.
32:02
SPEAKER_01: We throw around true point guard a lot.
32:04
SPEAKER_01: This guy is a true point guard.
32:08
SPEAKER_01: Texas Tech has not had a true point guard since probably John Roberson.
32:14
SPEAKER_01: Uh what?
32:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:16
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you talk about a guy like you know, some people would argue Keenan Evans was a true point guard.
32:20
SPEAKER_01: He was relied a lot on scoring the ball.
32:23
SPEAKER_01: Um you know, Joe Tucson a little bit here or there, but he was kind of a weird hybrid.
32:29
SPEAKER_01: Um this guy looks for other players to score.
32:33
SPEAKER_01: Like he averaged what nine nine and a half points a game last year.
32:36
SPEAKER_01: Like he still contributed on that end, but his best role is finding guys for buckets, and that is something that we have not seen at Texas Tech for a while.
32:47
SPEAKER_01: So I'm excited to see how that translates.
32:51
SPEAKER_01: He played at Minnesota, uh, so it's not like he hasn't played good competition, played in the Big Ten.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I I'm really, really excited for him, and he's absolutely 100% your starting point guard.
33:03
SPEAKER_04: So it sounds like he was definitely one of the most sought-after point guards in the portal.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it seemed like in the recruitment it was between us and Kentucky, and Kentucky fans may just usual, yeah, just the usual suspects, you know.
33:15
SPEAKER_01: Kentucky and you'll actually find that in a theme with a lot of uh a lot of the guys that we've been targeting this offseason.
33:21
SPEAKER_01: But um, no, I think Kentucky wanted him because they've they've obviously are going through their own transition, so they need players.
33:29
SPEAKER_01: And Elijah Hawkins is one of the best point guards in the portal.
33:32
SPEAKER_01: So this is a massive pickup for Grandma Castlin with the way he wants to play.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, the the height doesn't bother me.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: Some guys will look at 5'11 and be like, oh my god, Joe Tucson was it said six foot.
33:44
SPEAKER_01: That dude was not six feet tall.
33:46
SPEAKER_01: That guy, that guy was five foot nine, five foot ten on a good day, you know.
33:52
SPEAKER_01: So the the height thing doesn't bother me.
33:54
SPEAKER_01: He is such a good facilitator with the basketball, and uh he does have a pretty good three-point shot.
33:59
SPEAKER_01: I think he shot like 37, 38 from three, so that's not bad.
34:03
SPEAKER_01: But um, yeah, you're gonna you're gonna like seeing Elijah Hawkins play next year.
34:07
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it'll be fun to see a guy that moves the ball around, you know, rather than uh just sticking with it.
34:11
SPEAKER_04: So all right, man, what's the what's number two for you?
34:14
SPEAKER_01: Uh number two is probably yeah, number two is probably Kevin Overton from Drake.
34:17
SPEAKER_01: Um, I think he has two years of eligibility left.
34:21
SPEAKER_01: Uh, could be wrong, but or no, no, I think he was a freshman last year.
34:24
SPEAKER_01: He could have two to three, whatever it is.
34:26
SPEAKER_01: Um, I think he's a really underrated piece to a Drake team that made the NCA tournament, by the way.
34:32
SPEAKER_01: So really, really crafty player, does a lot of different things for you.
34:38
SPEAKER_01: He's not just a shooter, he's not just a uh not good with the basketball in his hands, he's not just a good defender, he's kind of good at everything.
34:46
SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, this is also gonna depend on who else you bring in in this transfer portal cycle, but I could absolutely see Kevin Overton competing for a starting role at Texas Tech next year.
35:00
SPEAKER_04: Awesome, man.
35:00
SPEAKER_04: So uh those two kind of popped up on uh the the the the circles as being uh two huge gits for Texas Tech.
35:09
SPEAKER_04: Um, and I know we're still on the looking on the horizon for a third or fourth big piece to add in.
35:15
SPEAKER_04: Um but uh it it kind of feels like it's a bit of a step down in terms of importance when you talk about the next guys, doesn't it?
35:24
SPEAKER_01: Uh maybe.
35:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we really don't know until we know how the rest of the roster is gonna play out.
35:29
SPEAKER_01: So I agreed a little bit.
35:31
SPEAKER_01: I I would argue the next guy that we talk about here is going to be uh potentially have a big role with this team, or could potentially have uh you know a 15 to 20 minute game of role.
35:42
SPEAKER_01: So um the guy I'm talking about, of course, is Fetty.
35:46
SPEAKER_01: Federico, Federico, his parents are legends.
35:50
SPEAKER_01: So nice, you hear it twice.
35:52
SPEAKER_01: We love it.
35:53
SPEAKER_01: Fetty Squared uh is gonna be a red raider next year.
35:56
SPEAKER_01: He's a I think he's seven feet tall.
35:58
SPEAKER_01: He's 6'11, I think.
36:00
SPEAKER_01: Uh so right there with you on oh, you want more tall guys?
36:04
SPEAKER_01: Here you go.
36:06
SPEAKER_01: So he's um uh he's transferred from pit.
36:09
SPEAKER_01: He was there, I believe, the last two or three seasons.
36:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, I believe he has one year of eligibility left, plays defense, blocks a lot of shots, not necessarily the most skilled guy on the offensive end.
36:21
SPEAKER_01: Uh, who knows if Graham McCastlin and his staff can kind of you know get him in the right gear.
36:26
SPEAKER_01: I think Fetty is gonna be a piece off the bench eventually when we see the rest of this roster play out.
36:31
SPEAKER_01: But um, no, it's a good grab, regardless.
36:34
SPEAKER_01: I mean, he's a solid player, has a lot of starting minutes at pit.
36:38
SPEAKER_01: So uh it's a good thing.
36:39
SPEAKER_04: I mean, with with defensive uh document like that, you know, even without the offensive piece, you know, a a Grant McAllen team is going to win games on the defensive side of the court anyway.
36:52
SPEAKER_04: So it's good to have a a giant that is capable of ruining dreams.
36:57
SPEAKER_04: So um that's that's that's awesome.
36:59
SPEAKER_04: And obviously, a guy a guy with a name like Fred Rico, Fred Rico, um is that a seven foot tall, is going to be a fan favorite.
37:09
SPEAKER_04: Anytime he's getting on the court, the fans are gonna go crazy.
37:12
SPEAKER_01: We're big fans of Fetty over here, okay?
37:14
SPEAKER_01: Fetty Squared is going to kill it, uh whether it's off the bench in in that sort of role or if he has to be thrown in the starting lineup.
37:22
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and if anything, he's more length.
37:25
SPEAKER_01: So if you're at the end of the game and you need a stop, I mean, throw Fetty in there, man.
37:29
SPEAKER_01: I mean, he's he's gonna he's a big shot blocker.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm excited.
37:32
SPEAKER_01: He's a pretty good rebounder.
37:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, offensively, he does struggle though.
37:35
SPEAKER_01: So I, you know, I'm not gonna expect a ton from him on that end.
37:39
SPEAKER_04: But all these like lift up his hand.
37:42
SPEAKER_01: I know, but it it's tough for some guys, man.
37:45
SPEAKER_01: Balance is a tough thing for those tall dudes, but uh um, no, I I think if anything, here uh worst case scenario, you have a really good backup center.
37:54
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, awesome.
37:56
SPEAKER_04: What about the last guy?
37:57
SPEAKER_01: Uh, the last two we actually got to commit today.
37:59
SPEAKER_01: Oh, let's go.
38:00
SPEAKER_01: High school kid, uh Leon Horner.
38:02
SPEAKER_01: That's right, that's right.
38:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, these are these last two are high school kids, Jazz Henderson, who is going to be a preferred walk-on for Texas Tech, and then Leon Horner, who I believe is taking a scholarship.
38:13
SPEAKER_01: Uh, both of them are class of 2024.
38:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, they both are, you know, they're almost recruiting tools.
38:20
SPEAKER_01: I don't want to say that about them because they could very well become a player eventually.
38:23
SPEAKER_01: I don't see either of these guys really, you know, having a major role on next year's team, but I know Jazz Henderson is best friends with one of the guys that we are actively recruiting in the transfer portal, Leon Horner, I believe, knows some people.
38:35
SPEAKER_01: He's also from the DFW area.
38:38
SPEAKER_01: So if anything, you know, they're guys that could develop into something.
38:43
SPEAKER_04: So are you saying they're they're a bit of a like a concession from Texas Tech to uh the guy to their to their guys and and their recruiting beds?
38:52
SPEAKER_04: Because that's a thing.
38:53
SPEAKER_04: That is a thing.
38:54
SPEAKER_01: You gotta you gotta fill yeah, you gotta fill your roster and you have to maintain your recruiting beds, like you said.
38:59
SPEAKER_01: DMW is a massive, massive basketball recruiting bed for Texas Tech.
39:05
SPEAKER_01: And Buff, our GM, is very tied into that area.
39:09
SPEAKER_01: He was there for many years.
39:10
SPEAKER_01: So this is one of those if if he trusts a kid from that area, I'm cool with it.
39:15
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:16
SPEAKER_04: You gotta satisfy those coaches every once in a while.
39:18
SPEAKER_04: So to make sure that they you stay in their good standing.
39:21
SPEAKER_04: So um, but still, I mean, obviously, they have to be good enough to go play a Texas Tech at this point in our history.
39:26
SPEAKER_04: So, regardless, you gotta trust the process and trust that they're gonna turn into some uh real contributors anyway.
39:31
SPEAKER_04: For sure.
39:32
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
39:33
SPEAKER_04: Awesome, man.
39:34
SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, I think that's a good update on what's going on in basketball.
39:37
SPEAKER_04: Uh, obviously, the it's uh it's just kind of that crazy carousel season for them right now.
39:42
SPEAKER_04: So uh it was a good cap up there, sir.
39:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
39:45
SPEAKER_01: I do want to touch on a couple targets that we had in Lubbock this weekend.
39:50
SPEAKER_01: Guys to look out for for commitments.
39:52
SPEAKER_01: They could commit, I don't know, by later tonight, maybe before this episode is even released.
39:57
SPEAKER_01: We don't know yet, but we are in the mix for two really good big guys right now, like two of the highest sought-after transfers in the portal this season, one being Great Osibor.
40:09
SPEAKER_01: Yes, his name is Great.
40:11
SPEAKER_01: He is a killer, man.
40:12
SPEAKER_01: He's a big guy from Utah State, the Mountain West player of the year last year.
40:17
SPEAKER_01: He's currently on his visit as of Sunday um at Texas Tech.
40:21
SPEAKER_01: He's also visited Louisville in Kentucky, and he is set to visit Washington as well after Texas Tech.
40:28
SPEAKER_01: Um, it's uh this one I have no idea.
40:30
SPEAKER_01: I have no sort of feel until we know more of what happened during his visit.
40:37
SPEAKER_01: But if you land great Osabor, he automatically brings up the floor and the ceiling for what this team can be next year.
40:46
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's crazy.
40:47
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we also have had quite a good luck with some Allen West transfers as well.
40:51
SPEAKER_04: So that's uh another good sign.
40:53
SPEAKER_01: It's true.
40:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's gonna be tough to I think prime away from Washington because his coach last year at Utah State is now at Washington, so you know he's gonna have that.
41:03
SPEAKER_01: It's it's gonna be difficult.
41:04
SPEAKER_01: And I hear Louisville's gonna also just throw a bag at him.
41:07
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, it's it's it's a balance of how much NIL are you willing to spend on that on a guy like him, and also does he fit the culture?
41:15
SPEAKER_01: And also, you know, is he willing to come to Lubbock, Texas?
41:18
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of different factors here, so yeah.
41:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, but I hope his visit goes well, and I I really hope to land this guy because he would be a massive get for Texas Tech.
41:27
SPEAKER_04: I the there's something to be said about the way McCastlan staff gets it done when players get to campus.
41:32
SPEAKER_04: So they they they are deal closers, it seems, man.
41:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's missed on a couple this cycle, but naturally, when you're fighting against some of the competition that we've gone up against this year, uh it's gonna happen.
41:43
SPEAKER_01: So uh the second guy I want to talk to talk about is JT Toppin, transferred from New Mexico.
41:48
SPEAKER_01: He's another forward/slash center.
41:50
SPEAKER_01: Both of these guys are about six foot nine, so they're kind of they're not quite seven footers, but they're so good that it doesn't really matter.
41:56
SPEAKER_01: And they can play your four or five, depending on how you know your roster shakes out.
42:02
SPEAKER_01: Um, JT Toppin's interesting because he entered the portal on the last day um that you could.
42:08
SPEAKER_01: He was an all-league freshman in the Mountain West Conference.
42:11
SPEAKER_01: That was a really good conference last year.
42:13
SPEAKER_01: Had six teams, I believe, make the NCAA tournament.
42:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, and he's got a lot of connections within Texas Tech, including Jazz Henderson, one of the uh one of the high school kids that we just recruited onto our team.
42:25
SPEAKER_01: I believe he's like his best friend.
42:27
SPEAKER_01: And JT Toppin, there's gonna be a lot of different factors.
42:30
SPEAKER_01: He got invited to the NBA combine.
42:32
SPEAKER_01: Some people seem to think that he is going to eventually drop out of the NBA, return to college.
42:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I like I really think Texas Tech is first in line to get him.
42:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's just gonna be, you know, if like if O Sabor commits tomorrow, you know, does he want to play with that caliber of player and maybe get uh have a lesser role at Texas Tech, or does he want to, you know, continue to prove himself at a different school where he may have more of a role?
43:00
SPEAKER_01: It's it there's a lot of different stuff going on.
43:02
SPEAKER_01: So um, but if you land one of these two guys, you're in a much, much better position than where you are now.
43:09
SPEAKER_04: Do you think like the the puzzles pretty much come together at that point?
43:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, once one guy commits, then it's kind of you know, uh all the after effects play out for you.
43:18
SPEAKER_01: So um either if you land, I'm telling you, if you land either one of these guys, they're an instant starter for you and it elevates your team massively.
43:26
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and so it just eyes right on the tournament again immediately, pretty much.
43:31
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, 100%.
43:32
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that should be the goal anyway, but yeah, now we want to move past uh round one.
43:36
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, yeah, for sure.
43:38
SPEAKER_01: Um, last guy I'll hit on is uh Trezerian White.
43:41
SPEAKER_01: Just took a uh visit, just ended his visit to Texas Tech.
43:45
SPEAKER_01: He went this weekend, uh transferred from UNC Wilmington, uh, who's again one of those guys that I mean he averaged like 20 points a game last year at kind of a lesser competition, but he has such good metrics and uh he really is such a Skilled player that I don't think the step up in competition is gonna bother him much.
44:06
SPEAKER_01: Um, it's been interesting because he put out a top three, I think four or five days ago, and it did not include Texas Tech.
44:12
SPEAKER_01: It was Baylor, TCU, and Mississippi State.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: And then all of a sudden we hear, oh, he's taking a trip to Lubbock for an official visit to go talk with Grand McCastlin.
44:21
SPEAKER_01: And since then, that top three post on Twitter has been deleted.
44:25
SPEAKER_01: So clearly, Texas Tech is kind of in it.
44:29
SPEAKER_01: Maybe they maybe they offered him a little more cash to come in.
44:33
SPEAKER_01: Who knows?
44:34
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but this would be a really good player, probably a starter for you if he does commit.
44:38
SPEAKER_01: I I haven't watched a lot of um a lot of highlights of him or a lot of uh games of his, but um, from everything we've heard, it would be a good get for Texas Tech.
44:47
SPEAKER_01: So hoping he commits.
44:49
SPEAKER_04: Excellent, man.
44:50
SPEAKER_04: Well, it it sounds like we are in good hands.
44:52
SPEAKER_04: It sounds like we are in by no means panic mode.
44:56
SPEAKER_04: It sounds like things are shaking out for us actually pretty well in this transfer mayhem.
45:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you still do need to land a couple of these guys to really be put in a good position.
45:05
SPEAKER_01: But uh, if you land two out of those three that I just named, you're you're in a really good spot.
45:10
SPEAKER_01: You're cooking, you're cooking, Grant's cooking.
45:13
SPEAKER_04: Let him cook, please.
45:16
SPEAKER_01: Allow him to cook.
45:18
SPEAKER_01: All right, man.
45:19
SPEAKER_01: What we want to let's let's go because that was a lot of basketball.
45:22
SPEAKER_01: That was a lot of transfer portal.
45:24
SPEAKER_01: So let's hit on these next couple topics, get on song of the week, and get the people out of here.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: So another fun story that we're a little late on, I don't know, just happens to be uh Twitter was going crazy these past few days because your newest Big 12 member, Colorado, has been in the news about coaches tweeting at creats, players tweeting at former players on that team.
45:52
SPEAKER_01: The call now I just have a quick question for you.
45:55
SPEAKER_01: Has the Colorado experiment run its course?
45:58
SPEAKER_01: Like, are people sick of it already?
46:00
SPEAKER_04: No, okay, this proves it.
46:02
SPEAKER_04: Okay.
46:03
SPEAKER_04: This this whole this whole whirlwind of him being the center of attention on Twitter proves that the Carl the Colorado experiment is not run through because it but it's it may has may have shifted because now they kind of went from everyone is kind of into you and kind of likes what's going on over there to oh well we kind of you're kind of the opposite.
46:25
SPEAKER_04: It's more of it went from kind of a fame to infamy.
46:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, they were America's sweethearts when they were TCU, yeah, they were America's sweethearts.
46:33
SPEAKER_01: Everybody was all about the Deion Sanders Colorado train, and ever since that it's gone downhill, whether it was from the losing or now it's it's him tweeting at former players calling them bums.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you straight up you have the starting quarterback who happens to be Deion Sanders' son tweeting at recruits or not recruits, uh former players calling them bums.
47:02
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's just like it's entertaining as hell.
47:06
SPEAKER_01: I'll give you that.
47:07
SPEAKER_01: But man, it it shows that this I don't know if this school is serious.
47:13
SPEAKER_04: Steven, I've told you time again that like we as men, we may we we make fun of women for stereotypically, you know, gossiping and stuff, but this is men's gossip.
47:21
SPEAKER_04: This is men's drama that that's sports is, you know, because we're so into it, and there's nothing important about it at all.
47:28
SPEAKER_04: There's nothing that matters about this.
47:31
SPEAKER_04: It's just that there's a bunch of dudes being drama queens and and cat fighting over in ball uh uh in Boulder, Colorado right now.
47:38
SPEAKER_04: But yeah, yeah, dude.
47:40
SPEAKER_04: I I am not gonna talk too much mess about it.
47:44
SPEAKER_04: I I just keep because at the end of the day, I'm sure it's all a part of some plan or some image that Dion is trying to um push out there.
47:55
SPEAKER_04: Maybe he's trying to show himself that he's this more hip, more with his players than anybody can possibly be.
48:02
SPEAKER_04: Um, and if you go against him, you're the biggest enemy he could possibly be.
48:06
SPEAKER_04: Like you deserve no mercy.
48:08
SPEAKER_04: Um, because I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I I know more how to lead this generation of young college guys more so than Deion Sanders does.
48:17
SPEAKER_04: Um, but it's you know, from the odd side looking in, it's hard not to criticize it because you're like, is this really the example that you want to be setting for these guys who are gonna be, you know, working, uh, you know, uh playing under you or potentially recruiting you, or in whatever they leave, maybe if they don't do everything you ever dreamed of, are you gonna be just a bad mouthing them kind of thing?
48:36
SPEAKER_04: And um, it's a bizarre sort of thing.
48:39
SPEAKER_04: And I'm not gonna sit here pretend like I know his plan, but from the outside looking in, it's kind of like is this really how you want to go about it?
48:46
SPEAKER_04: But if you have a if this is what you want to do, I guess let's see if it works.
48:50
SPEAKER_01: And you gotta you gotta give them a little bit of not credit, but you just like they didn't start this, it started with the former Colorado player, Xavier Smith, in an athletic article, basically, you know, saying crapping on the program, saying they never tried to get to know me.
49:08
SPEAKER_01: You know, he was uh he acted a certain way that was unprofessional in the locker room.
49:12
SPEAKER_01: You know, everybody knows the whole Dion thing when he got to Colorado.
49:15
SPEAKER_01: He told everybody get out, yeah.
49:17
SPEAKER_01: Like that's what he did.
49:18
SPEAKER_01: He told they had 53 players on the roster, and he's almost told all of them to transfer.
49:23
SPEAKER_01: I'm bringing in my own dudes.
49:24
SPEAKER_01: So I, you know, this was kind of what that article entailed, and a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff uh from one of those former players that was told to leave.
49:33
SPEAKER_01: But after that came out, you just see Shadur.
49:37
SPEAKER_01: He was like, I don't even remember who this guy was.
49:40
SPEAKER_01: He said, Bro had to be mid at best.
49:43
SPEAKER_01: Oh, this coach, they were screenshotting his stats, and then Dion, the head coach of the university, chimed in and started talking all day.
49:55
SPEAKER_01: He was kind of doubling down.
49:56
SPEAKER_01: He wasn't saying anything like outrageous, but he was doubling down, calling Shador a top five pick in the NFL draft, which is an insane statement.
50:05
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and just like it was unprofessional for sure.
50:09
SPEAKER_01: It was, it was, but Deion Sanders has never been shown to be professional, so I don't know if we should expect that from him, you know.
50:17
SPEAKER_04: Exactly.
50:17
SPEAKER_04: And that's that was my whole point.
50:19
SPEAKER_04: Is like, I'm not gonna sit here and rag on him too hard because obviously he's trying to go about it his way, and I'm not gonna criticize him flat out for that, especially if it works, you know.
50:30
SPEAKER_04: Um, but at the same at the same time, it's really funny.
50:33
SPEAKER_04: I saw this this point being made.
50:35
SPEAKER_04: I I I'm so sorry that I can't give the credit to who who was saying it, but um, everyone is going to be treating them like they're Alabama or Georgia coming into town without any of the skill to back it up.
50:51
SPEAKER_04: Like everyone's gonna want to like cram your luncheon because of the the publicity that you bring to yourself and the way that you present yourself outwardly, right?
51:01
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, that's absolutely that is absolutely sorry to cut you off.
51:06
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely going to be the highest selling ticket in Lubbock, Texas this year.
51:10
SPEAKER_01: I want to go to that game.
51:11
SPEAKER_01: I want to go to that, everybody wants to go to that game because they either hate Dion so much that they want to see him lose, or they're just so like mystified within what is the Deion Sanders experiment at Colorado.
51:23
SPEAKER_04: So that's a he's doing it's coming to Lubbock, Texas, which is just wild to say now, you know.
51:28
SPEAKER_01: If if his job is to market the team, he's doing a great job.
51:32
SPEAKER_04: Yes, yes, yes.
51:33
SPEAKER_04: So let's go from there.
51:34
SPEAKER_04: Um, because uh no matter what, this was a successful hire from Colorado, and I I don't care if if they don't do anything with him, and they they're always at best a bull eligible team if they get there, kind of thing.
51:50
SPEAKER_04: Um, but no one gave two shits about Colorado before Dion got there for the past decade plus.
52:00
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, once they moved to the Pac-12, they disappeared, they went A-Wall, and now they're the single most talked-about college football team in the country.
52:09
SPEAKER_04: And I I I'm not I don't think that's a hot take.
52:12
SPEAKER_01: No, no, you're absolutely right.
52:13
SPEAKER_04: They hired Deion Sanders, even they went on to absolutely suck, but they the the the experiment has been everyone's talking about Colorado football because of this hire, and that's success.
52:27
SPEAKER_04: Because the whole point, the whole point is to market the university, market the team, get people interested in what you bring to Boulder, and they've done it.
52:34
SPEAKER_04: It doesn't matter if it's if it works out or not, it was a success, regardless, in my opinion.
52:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I'd like to see how the rest of it plays out.
52:41
SPEAKER_01: Like, I uh they did improve from not having Dion to having Dion.
52:46
SPEAKER_01: I mean, by by three games, it's not asking a lot to have a one-win team improve, but yeah, uh, you know, I'm curious to see how they do next year because I don't if they have another four-win season, I think it's slowly kind of you know, the thought of it kind of dies out.
53:00
SPEAKER_01: But hey, if they go and mess around and win seven, eight games, I it's like okay, Colorado, man, you gotta worry about them.
53:06
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's it's really funny because I would never have chosen Colorado to be the team that takes Dion Sanders, you know.
53:14
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, like that is such a Miami hire.
53:17
SPEAKER_04: That is such a uh USC hire.
53:20
SPEAKER_04: And obviously, he hasn't proved himself to get to a level like a USC yet, but um, but it's a school like Colorado, I bet functions much more like a Kansas than it does like a Miami, you know, in the with the way with the with the players it brings in, the students it it brings in and such.
53:38
SPEAKER_04: Um, so it's just it's really fascinating to see that uh they that this is the Deion Sanders experiment.
53:45
SPEAKER_04: This this cowboy, um, this like sort of you know, cowboy-esque university.
53:50
SPEAKER_04: Obviously the hippies are there too, but bringing in Deion Sanders that try to revamp their program, you know.
53:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean to your point, it was just uh if anything, this is something that made them go from an irrelevant program or a uh you know a program that's in purgatory of consistently either not winning or just barely getting over the the hump there to be bowl eligible or whatever, to everybody is talking about them because they are everybody is talking about Colorado freaking football right now, exactly.
54:23
SPEAKER_04: And I think we have to give some credit to Deion Sanders for Colorado being in the Big 12 because I think I think the university athletic department was like the time is now to make a change.
54:36
SPEAKER_04: This whole Pac-12 experiment is not working, and the ship is clearly sinking.
54:40
SPEAKER_04: Now is the time to go back to our roots and see if we can get back into Texas, back into uh the heartland, and see if that's because that's where we belong anyway.
54:49
SPEAKER_04: Um, so it's it's I feel like they're trying to do this whole striking while the iron is hot and making a big shift like moving conferences, I think was kind of attached to Deion Sanders because I'm sure he wanted it as well.
55:00
SPEAKER_04: It's always been said that he wanted to go to the Big 12 with the option.
55:03
SPEAKER_01: That's an interesting what if uh thinking about if Colorado would have still been that aggressive with moving conferences if they didn't have Dion, you know.
55:10
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
55:11
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how big of an influence he did have on the program.
55:15
SPEAKER_01: I mean, this is much bigger than even just the football program to move conferences.
55:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I mean for them to move as quickly as they did, it was uh it's interesting to think about.
55:24
SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, anything else on Colorado?
55:26
SPEAKER_04: No, dude.
55:27
SPEAKER_04: And I I'm just I'm really excited.
55:29
SPEAKER_04: I feel like Joey McGuire and uh Deion Sanders are gonna actually would actually get along really freaking well.
55:34
SPEAKER_04: I feel like whenever we see them on the sideline, you're gonna see them just being all chummy with each other and laughing and stuff.
55:38
SPEAKER_04: So I'm ex I'm really excited about that game.
55:40
SPEAKER_04: And I mean, I'm buying the hype of Colorado going to Lubbock, Texas.
55:44
SPEAKER_04: I think uh the reunion of being Big 12 foes again, I think is gonna be a lot of fun under those circumstances.
55:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
55:50
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna try to, I think you and me are gonna try to get to that one.
55:52
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we'll we'll we'll get up, we'll we'll get up there, man.
55:54
SPEAKER_04: It's gonna happen.
55:55
SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
55:56
SPEAKER_01: Um, all right, last topic before we get to song that we can get y'all out of here.
56:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, interesting kind of turn of events that haven't, I mean, it hasn't been, I shouldn't say turn of events, it hasn't been uh, you know, swept under the rug or anything.
56:10
SPEAKER_01: This has been rumored for a while, but Brett Yormark went out as commissioner of the Big Twelve.
56:16
SPEAKER_01: Goat.
56:17
SPEAKER_01: Really good, really good start to his tenure as Big 12 commissioner.
56:22
SPEAKER_01: Um in my opinion, had his first big L of a take uh this past week, where he went out and basically said, We as the Big 12 conference want to officially expand the NCAA basketball tournament.
56:38
SPEAKER_01: Um now, I don't think they had a solid plan in mind.
56:42
SPEAKER_01: I think they're just putting out a feeler for the people of hey, let's expand this thing.
56:49
SPEAKER_01: Because I I don't know.
56:52
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
56:53
SPEAKER_01: I the I think this is such an L take.
56:56
SPEAKER_01: This is such a bad take because the NCA tournament is literally the best sporting event in the world, in my opinion.
57:06
SPEAKER_01: Like, yes, we had the you know conversation, Olympics, World Cup, I get it.
57:11
SPEAKER_01: The NCA tournament is so perfect in what it does and what it produces, the amount of teams that it currently has, 64, I guess 68 if you count the play-in games, 64, 32, 16, 84 champion.
57:27
SPEAKER_01: Like I I can't really understand why he would come out and say this.
57:34
SPEAKER_04: Um, do you think it's kind of like a Dion effect in the sense that he's just trying to bring eyes onto the Big 12?
57:42
SPEAKER_04: Bring like, look how look how cutting edge we're trying to be, look how big and bo uh bobacious we're trying to be, you know.
57:48
SPEAKER_04: Like, look, look at us going crazy, you know, wanting to expand the biggest sporting event in college sports, wanting to make it even bigger and even better.
57:55
SPEAKER_04: And the reason why I feel so comfortable with doing this is because I mean that we're the best basketball conference in the country, so we could potentially put every single team in it, kind of thing.
58:04
SPEAKER_04: And I I just I feel like it might be more of that, like he's just trying to be Mr.
58:08
SPEAKER_04: Show business than he is so much of um really looking at it through a logical sense of do you want to mess with this golden uh this goose laying golden eggs sort of thing?
58:19
SPEAKER_04: Um yeah, but uh I I don't know.
58:24
SPEAKER_04: I I feel like the NCAA tournament number wise is already so arbitrary that I don't know if I have so much of a strong opinion as to what expanding it, depending on how big they go, would do to it when it comes to its importance and how much people covet it.
58:40
SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
58:41
SPEAKER_04: I'm not defending it, I'm just saying, like, isn't the number already pretty arbitrary?
58:45
SPEAKER_04: And if you change it, is it that much of a difference?
58:50
SPEAKER_01: I what I think he's trying to do here is he's trying to be Greg Sankey of basketball.
58:55
SPEAKER_01: So Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, has been vying for you know playoff expansion.
59:03
SPEAKER_01: He wants more because he wants more of his teams to be in, which you know, say what you want about it.
59:09
SPEAKER_01: It it's it's a smart move.
59:12
SPEAKER_01: He's absolutely done a great job of building up the uh league and you know acting as the commissioner of uh probably the most dominant conference in the country at this point.
59:23
SPEAKER_04: I think I mean it's it's really hard, it's really hard to govern a conference with all the most valuable brands in college football in it.
59:29
SPEAKER_04: I mean he's he's starting from you know home base, you know.
59:32
SPEAKER_01: It's you know, yeah, it's true, but he's also you know built it up to literally be the best, and there's no there's no argument in the I just I I I just I don't I just don't know how much credit you give him for that though.
59:44
SPEAKER_01: Like you gotta give him credit for getting Texas and OU.
59:47
SPEAKER_01: You gotta give him a couple of things.
59:48
SPEAKER_01: Do you though?
59:49
SPEAKER_04: I feel like U T and OU were so ready to go that they were just like, I no way, I I don't see that being sanky.
59:56
SPEAKER_04: I feel like we're giving him too much credit.
59:57
SPEAKER_04: I really feel like that was much more UT than it was anybody else.
1:00:01
SPEAKER_01: If anything, he was a big part of getting AM there and getting you know all that in Missouri and all that, and that built up the conference, all of which was fueled by UT.
1:00:13
SPEAKER_01: It's true, it's true.
1:00:15
SPEAKER_01: What I'm saying is Brett Yormark is trying to establish the Big 12 as the best basketball conference.
1:00:22
SPEAKER_01: He's already done that, he's he's made it very clear that's what he's trying to do here because football is gone, like we're not gonna be the number one football conference.
1:00:30
SPEAKER_01: We know that, everybody knows that.
1:00:32
SPEAKER_01: The SEC and the Big Ten are trying to, you know, slowly, you know, cut themselves away.
1:00:37
SPEAKER_01: But what we still have is basketball, and we have a pretty big stranglehold.
1:00:42
SPEAKER_01: I mean, this season didn't quite necessarily go as good as we wanted it to be as the conference uh you know as a whole, but he's trying to say the Big 12 needs more teams in this tournament because we are the best basketball conference, and if we expand this tournament, we are going to get more in.
1:01:01
SPEAKER_01: And another part of this is they want less auto bids from the smaller conferences, which again, I hate it, I hate it, I hate every part of that, but that's what he's trying to do.
1:01:13
SPEAKER_01: And is it a bad move, you know, business-wise?
1:01:17
SPEAKER_01: Probably not, but all these moves that have been made in college sports have been good for business, but bad for you know maintaining the integrity of the game.
1:01:30
SPEAKER_04: What it absolutely does is devalues the regular season, which is what this expanded college football playoff does as well.
1:01:37
SPEAKER_04: Um, is everything the games every Saturday now with uh college basketball, you're on your on your pretty much every single night, they don't matter as much anymore because when you lose, like, oh, don't worry, there's 30 more slots you can grab.
1:01:49
SPEAKER_04: So as long as you're above 500 in conference, you're golden kind of thing.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_04: So um, yeah, I I I totally feel that.
1:01:56
SPEAKER_04: I think it it does cheapen the it cheapens the tournament too, because it's this coveted um end of the year, you know, like we say, we you and I always say it's like it's like the single greatest American sporting event out there, and you don't want to mess with it, like it's it's perfect the way it is.
1:02:12
SPEAKER_04: My my initial thing was just like I I can see why they would want to push it because it does the number does seem kind of arbitrary to begin with, but and I do think a lot of it is just mostly focused on uh Brett Urmark flexing the Big 12 muscle, which we which is great.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's that's his job is to make no even if it's even if it's an embellishment, even if it he is kind of you know puffing it up more so than it is, as long as he's making sure that the Big 12 is included with any of the top dogs in anything, that's great.
1:02:40
SPEAKER_04: So I I feel like it's also just kind of a soapbox for him to be like, by the way, if this expanded thing would really benefit us.
1:02:47
SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
1:02:48
SPEAKER_01: I just don't I just don't know how you can look at 68 teams and be like, we need more.
1:02:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I agree.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_04: It's uh it's it's it's absurdly huge, and that's part of the charm.
1:02:57
SPEAKER_01: And it's just I I don't I don't know why you'd need to uh eliminate the enough stuff has been ruined in college sports, we don't need to ruin more, and the basketball tournament is the most pure thing about college basketball or about college sports, honestly.
1:03:14
SPEAKER_01: Like it's the most pure thing, and we don't need to ruin that.
1:03:17
SPEAKER_04: I you you just know that he's he's feeling that adrenaline shot in the arm that he got by adding freaking Arizona into this basketball conference, you know.
1:03:25
SPEAKER_04: So he's he's feeling himself.
1:03:27
SPEAKER_01: He's like, I just added Houston one year and then Arizona the next year.
1:03:31
SPEAKER_04: It's like, oh my god.
1:03:33
SPEAKER_04: This is this is ludicrous, and it's not like we lost anything of value in basketball.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_04: So no, it's crazy.
1:03:40
SPEAKER_01: No, yeah, it's nuts.
1:03:41
SPEAKER_01: All right, man.
1:03:43
SPEAKER_01: This was fun.
1:03:43
SPEAKER_01: This is good.
1:03:44
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, this this it was good to be back, man.
1:03:46
SPEAKER_01: Good feels good to be back.
1:03:48
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna start being more consistent, and like I said at the beginning of the pod, this is we have a lot of good stuff and a lot of good ideas coming up.
1:03:55
SPEAKER_04: And and your guy is about to change his work life, and so the podcast is going to return to a priority.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_04: Well, you and I are gonna be back to living near each other, so we can even do podcasts together live.
1:04:07
SPEAKER_04: Live, live, live.
1:04:08
SPEAKER_04: We'll do it live, and uh yeah, man.
1:04:10
SPEAKER_04: Think think summer this summer's gonna be one kick butt one, man.
1:04:14
SPEAKER_04: Let's go, let's get to the song of the week.
1:04:16
SPEAKER_01: All right, man.
1:04:17
SPEAKER_01: Song of the week.
1:04:19
SPEAKER_01: Go ahead, dude.
1:04:20
SPEAKER_04: I am so in love with my wife.
1:04:24
SPEAKER_04: But this this this the singer from from Appalachia, her name is Sierra Farrell, and she is she's a really she's pretty hot right now, like in the sense in the alternate country scene.
1:04:36
SPEAKER_01: Whoa, but not in like you guys you have a wife, you just said it.
1:04:40
SPEAKER_04: I just I know that's like that's why I clarified.
1:04:45
SPEAKER_04: But she she's she's she's really big in the uh alt country bluegrass zone of uh country music right now.
1:04:51
SPEAKER_04: That's that's really gaining a lot of momentum.
1:04:53
SPEAKER_04: Um, and everything she makes is gold.
1:04:55
SPEAKER_04: She just brings this really fun old Yodel like back mountain sort of sound to music that's just ref like uh old but refreshing.
1:05:04
SPEAKER_04: And the song I'm gonna go do is her uh number uh new her first song off her new album called American Dreaming.
1:05:09
SPEAKER_04: And I think it'll she just like it tones her down a bit because she's usually going ham.
1:05:13
SPEAKER_04: And it's good to just hear her, you know, show how her how powerful how great of a voice she has and all the instrumentals she likes to include as well for songwriting, like just just down home, honest mountain music.
1:05:24
SPEAKER_04: I love it.
1:05:25
SPEAKER_04: American music.
1:05:27
SPEAKER_02: I'm an American dreamer.
1:05:39
SPEAKER_01: Very nice, very nice.
1:05:41
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure your wife will appreciate that uh very much.
1:05:45
SPEAKER_01: Now, listen, I love my wife.
1:05:50
SPEAKER_01: But I also love Rod Wave.
1:05:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
1:05:52
SPEAKER_01: What?
1:05:53
SPEAKER_01: I also love Rod Wave.
1:05:55
SPEAKER_01: You don't know what a girl is this is a man, this is a large, a large why are we opening with he's very hefty?
1:06:04
SPEAKER_01: I uh listen, I like his music.
1:06:07
SPEAKER_01: Some might say I love his music.
1:06:09
SPEAKER_04: What does that do with your wife?
1:06:11
SPEAKER_01: Because you said it.
1:06:16
SPEAKER_01: But so I love my wife, but I also love Rodwave.
1:06:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, my song of the week is What's Wrong by Rodwave because I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with our consistency on putting out podcasts.
1:06:32
SPEAKER_04: What's wrong with your laptop and microphone?
1:06:34
SPEAKER_04: And it's a lot.
1:06:36
SPEAKER_04: It's not me anymore.
1:06:37
SPEAKER_04: It used to be me.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_04: It's all you now.
1:06:39
SPEAKER_01: What it ultimately comes down to is that I was using a 10-year-old laptop that the screen didn't work, and then the USB ports went to shit, and we got a new laptop, and everything's working great.
1:06:50
SPEAKER_01: My song of the week is What's Wrong by Rodwave?
1:06:55
SPEAKER_02: Breaking all the rules tonight! Breaking all the rules, I'll bring another rules.
1:07:13
SPEAKER_01: You won't you won't like it.
1:07:14
SPEAKER_01: It's soul.
1:07:15
SPEAKER_01: What's R B.
1:07:16
SPEAKER_01: It's soul RB.
1:07:17
SPEAKER_01: You you wouldn't get it.
1:07:18
SPEAKER_01: I don't like RB.
1:07:19
SPEAKER_01: You don't like R and B.
1:07:20
SPEAKER_01: You won't, you don't purposefully listen to RB.
1:07:23
SPEAKER_04: I don't purposely listen to RB.
1:07:24
SPEAKER_01: You don't have to, you don't have to do that.
1:07:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but it's good.
1:07:29
SPEAKER_01: And I I don't think you'd appreciate the kind of music, but a lot of people do.
1:07:33
SPEAKER_01: So rod wave.
1:07:34
SPEAKER_01: Let's go.
1:07:35
SPEAKER_04: You're calling me a hater.
1:07:36
SPEAKER_04: I don't appreciate it.
1:07:38
SPEAKER_01: A little bit of a hater.
1:07:39
SPEAKER_01: All right.
1:07:40
SPEAKER_01: I'm a bit of a hater, okay?
1:07:43
SPEAKER_01: Take us all up.
1:07:45
SPEAKER_01: All I'm saying is, you know, open up your horizons a little bit.
1:07:48
SPEAKER_01: You can follow both me and Tristan on Twitter.
1:07:50
SPEAKER_01: Tristan's at TristyMick.
1:07:51
SPEAKER_01: I'm at L underscore S underscore Rodriguez.
1:07:53
SPEAKER_01: Follow the podcast on Twitter at talking tech pod.
1:07:55
SPEAKER_01: We're also on Instagram at talking tech pod.
1:07:58
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate all of you guys listening.
1:08:00
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we have the Song of the Week playlist, Spotify, Apple Music.
1:08:04
SPEAKER_01: It's on both.
1:08:04
SPEAKER_01: We've updated some of it.
1:08:06
SPEAKER_04: I think Tristan needs to do the Spotify playlist.
1:08:08
SPEAKER_04: I have like eight years worth of catch up on.
1:08:11
SPEAKER_01: Figure it out.
1:08:12
SPEAKER_01: All right.
1:08:13
SPEAKER_04: My god.
1:08:14
SPEAKER_01: We're getting it rolling.
1:08:16
SPEAKER_01: We're okay.
1:08:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh we're back.
1:08:18
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate all you listening.
1:08:19
SPEAKER_01: Always recum tech.
1:08:20
SPEAKER_05: Wreck of tech.
1:08:22
SPEAKER_05: Uh wow.
1:08:23
SPEAKER_05: First of all, uh, got a lot of respect for Steven and Tristan.
1:08:28
SPEAKER_05: Uh their program, tough guys, just uh a lot of fun.
1:08:32
SPEAKER_06: This is wild.
1:08:34
SPEAKER_06: When I walked in and I knew this would be an awesome podcast.
1:08:40
SPEAKER_06: And these guys have been tremendous.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_06: I love you, and I can't wait for this journey.
1:08:45
SPEAKER_06: I would like to thank uh Steven and Tristan.
1:08:48
SPEAKER_06: This is incredible.
1:08:49
SPEAKER_06: These guys have a passion and a love for this school.